#more chapters on AO3

[littler13]

What if…

Fem!Reader (Isabel Magnolia’s sister) x Levi Ackerman in a secret affair.

Not a full day goes by before Levi makes his way into the clinic again, locking the door behind him as soon as he gets in. Like a man on a mission, set on what he wants — the only way he knows how to live, an intensity that consumes you entirely. You turn to look at him from where you’re standing in front of the desk, frowning while he approaches.

“I wasn’t expecting you today,” you’re cut short and breathless when he reaches you, picking you up and landing you on the table in a swift movement. You hear the sound of objects tumbling to the ground, impatient hands moving them away. There’s not even time to giggle before his lips are covering yours, soft and wet and demanding, but you smile against them nevertheless. “What about Furlan and Isabel?”

“I told them I’d meet them at the apartment later, and that I needed to clear my head or another dumb excuse,” he breathes close to your mouth, closed eyes, hiding the heat that lives within them for this short instant.

You nod and sigh, already crumbling under his hands so easily. There are many things you know by now, about his body as well as your own, all the different ways desire and pleasure can be dragged out and brought to completion. Still, there are some things about the nature of this that you can’t quite figure out, which maybe attests to your lack of experience beyond him: are you supposed to feel your pulse quicken from the sight of him only? Sense his presence like a shift in atmosphere, engulfed by the scent of him from afar? Be consumed by the familiar tugging in your lower abdomen and have heat spreading through your center even before his touch has reached you? Could any man make you feel this way, if not Levi?

It’s been months of this, quick escapades between patients and robberies, secret sessions of stolen kisses and undercover sighs. You’re used to his impatience, the urge he has to reach out and touch after days of carefully crafted indifference. He was never one for physical contact, and you suppose you weren’t, either. You wonder why it feels different, now: is this only the effect that life-long deprivation can cause in people? Is that why you feel addicted to it, while he looks restless and even greedy every time you do this? In spite of your own natures, closeness calls to you, as if you’ve only recently found out that you’ve been starving from the lack of it.

Whatever it may be that causes this, you like it. You like it too much , a scorning voice appears to whisper in your ear. Its insistence makes you pull away, also halting his crumpling hands over your shirt at the sides of your body. It’s only then that you’re able to take a good look at his face, the slight furrowing of his forehead that indicates he’s upset about something.

“Elric withdrew from the deal again, the bastard,” he explains before you even ask. “He said it’s become too risky to conduct business with us, because of those idiots from the Military Police that have been on our asses. As if they’ll ever even come close,” he scoffs. While he speaks, your fingers drift from his nape to the sides of his neck, unconsciously trying to soothe him. You think he likes that — one more idiosyncrasy in your arrangement —, but you never really asked.

That’s a big issue, because Elric is an important client with enough purchasing power to push you closer to the surface with each successful business. His withdrawal is a tough setback, and it also means less money to afford the high-end medicines that Yan requires. Levi has every reason to be disappointed.

He leans in again, making his intentions clear. No more talking . This is what he does: he’s upset, he comes here. He’s particularly satisfied about a deal, he comes here. He’s not feeling anything at all, just drifting through the day and trying to find something to take him out of his numbness, his footsteps lead him to this same awaiting place with open arms and legs. This will never not be a mystery to you: why does he do it? Is it boredom, routine, distraction? And why do you keep letting him in? You can pretend not to know the answer to this last question, even though the truth of it has become increasingly hard to ignore.

His kisses become more pressing, hands working to open the buttons of your shirt, lips falling to your neck — good . He mumbles against your skin, finger drifting to draw patterns on the patches of your body he skillfully exposes. There’s a drunkenness to him that only becomes evident in moments such as these, which makes you think he actually likes this as much as you do. There’s lust in his stance, but also care — right?

You sigh and try to keep up, but the rushing thoughts slow your movements. It’s not that you’re starting to question this; it has more to do with the fact that you haven’t questioned this at all, ever since it started. Things just happened and kept on happening, and you told yourself that it was enough to go with the flow, just following wherever it would lead you. You don’t know what changed, exactly, but something seems to have, as the strong pounding of your chest every time he walks in would indicate; or the way you’ve been struggling to keep your hands to yourself in front of Isabel and Furlan, now, having to be extra careful not to let your excitement show when Levi’s fingers graze your skin or when Levi’s eyes flicker across the room to find yours.

“Aren’t you afraid Furlan will figure it out at this rate? He did say he’s onto us,” you recall the vow Furlan swore to see through only yesterday, trying to sound playful, both arms around Levi’s shoulders. Still holding him close in spite of your unexpected, spiraling doubts, legs opening to accommodate his body. He sighs and rests his forehead over your shoulder, leaning both hands on each side of you over the table. Sensing your hesitancy; frustrated about it? He raises his head to look at a spot beyond you, and you want to kiss his cheek. But you refrain yourself from doing it, because that would be purely affectionate, not at all seductive. Would he like it?

“It took months for him to even start suspecting,” he huffs. He seems tired, as the marks under his eyes would suggest. And he came here. Your heart aches inexplicably just from the sight of him, a disgruntling sensation. “At this rate, we’ll find our ways to the surface long before his slow head figures it out”.

And would that be so bad? , you bite your tongue before you say it. Not telling seemed to make sense when this abruptly started. It was never a decision, but something you ended up rolling along with, since it was easier to just keep it between you than to try to explain — hey, we’re casually fucking, is that cool with you?

But time passed — months that seem to hold the same worth of decades. Isabel is not a training girl Levi and Furlan took in anymore, but a steady part of the gang. And you’re not simply Isabel’s sister, but a close addition to the group and a constant part of their plans and ideas. You can’t see yourself parting ways with them, the closest to family you think you’ll ever get. None of you ever dared say the word to each other, almost afraid to jinx it; but it’s true.

So you want to say something about it, but you don’t know what . It’s been a thrilling secret, and maybe you should feel satisfied with that. But you want more , and you’re afraid he’ll keep getting comfortable with less , until whatever this is will just fade into nothing.

“I’m sorry for the deal,” you whisper instead, trying to remind yourself of why he’s here , convince yourself of a satisfying reason. It’s not just sex, but the comfort that exists in it. Deep down, he must know you understand , and that you’re someone he can share his frustrations with — which has happened time and time again, in the form of disgruntled, scattered admissions. You know him, and he knows you; that’s enough, or it has to be.

He doesn’t respond, but his eyes soften, his hand raising to hold your cheek in a way that is almost tender. When he kisses you again, you can feel the vibration of a hum pouring into your tongue, low and sultry, reaching out to spread through your whole body. Languidness takes over the previous rush, your hands bringing his face even closer, wanting to exist in the way your mouths meld together. He bites your bottom lip hard and licks it within a heartbeat, blurring the line between pain and pleasure until you’re unable to tell them apart. Unable to recognize your own voice, needy and breathy, whimpering his name in half agony, half rapture.

His left hand continues to cradle your face affectionately — you can tell yourself that —, tongue meeting yours in a slow dance. Your fingers dig into his hair, then wander down to feel the expanse of his chest, the shape of his muscles, almost cut-open and bleeding from the sharpness they meet in every corner of him. From the ethereal contour of his face to the honed sturdiness of his body, all of him seems to rip you apart and exposed, an incredibly gentle experience in spite of the deadliness. His hands are soft where they touch you, intent and so warm, drifting to rest on your thighs. Kneading, coaxing, thumbs circling the sensitive region of your lap until you’re dizzy and panting with want.

Your shirt is already half open from his previous efforts, enough of your cleavage showing for his eyes to get caught in it, simultaneously glinting and darkening with lust. He kisses his way down your throat and collarbone, his rhythm building into what it was before, desperate and hungry while he ravages your skin and leaves hidden marks on his wake. You almost cry out when his fingers graze your center, at the same time his lips close around your pebbled nipple over your thin undershirt.

So good , you can hear him mutter from time to time, nodding your head in earnest. He’s not much of a talker when you do this, but his occasional words of encouragement and appreciation are enough to make your insides melt. This is good , your mind repeats in a loop, too damn good , your shirt finally falling all the way down from your shoulder while you work to undo the buttons of his, completely intoxicated in him. His scent, the sweep of his tongue against your lips, the flexing of his arms when they pull you impossibly closer. You have all of this memorized by now, even if it feels new in every repetition.

You’re unraveling with every one of his low groans, the spark in his eyes raising too big of a fire that licks you inside and out, an exquisite burning. This is good , and you know him, don’t you? You know the effect he has on your body, the lowness of his voice, the bite of his clever statements as well as the softness hidden behind the harsh way in which he sometimes delivers his words. But you also know why he holds teacups from the top instead of the handle, the story of how hot liquid stained his clothes and scorched his skin when the delicate china snapped, making him too wary to trust it again. You know how he and Furlan met, the kind of childish alliance that only neglected kids can find in each other, growing into an unbreakable fellowship with every passing week, for years, now. You know that he hates his birthday and the way that it coincides with Christmas, reminding him of the kind of homely celebration he will never experience. The smell of death and the ache in his stomach at the small room he was confined to when too little to escape it, as well as the second desertion he was met with in his life when mysterious eyes turned his back on him for the last time.

You bury your head in the crook of his neck and sigh, letting the feeling of his hands on your breasts take over you completely, the familiarity of it all. The dangerous, delicious familiarity.

[damagedintellect]

Trafalgar Law x reader

💌 Fake it till you make it: Chapter 7  💌  

Summary:  To avoid an arranged marriage set up by Doflamingo, Law needs to bring home a girlfriend during the Christmas break and you just so happen to be a theatre major in the same dorm at One Piece University. What could possibly go wrong?  

Tropes: College AU, Fake Dating, Idiots in love

💌 Word count: 4,562 💌 <= Previous Chapter | Next Chapter =>

Now that you and Law were official and on the same page things were going great or rather as good as it could be. With the start of the semester you both found out that your schedules don't line up at all and you have barely seen each other all week. Most of your classes were later in the day into the night while Law's were in the morning throughout the day. Law was in his last year of medical school so this semester would be a mix of clinical rotations and lectures. You have no doubt he'll pass the USMLE but with the long hours at the hospital on top of his studies he has no free time. Which doesn't bother the surgeon that much. To him it was the perfect schedule. By the time Law made it back to the dorm you would have about thirty minutes before you had to head to your classes. It gave Law the perfect break before he threw himself back into his studies like the workaholic he was. When you finally returned to the dorms he'd finally put his pen down, indulge in your company until you scolded him for his terrible sleeping habits and then proceed to coax you into his bed swearing he sleeps better that way. Law was always gone before you woke up.

From your perspective you'd wake up to an empty bed, kill time doing chores that needed to be done, maybe answer an email or two, prepare everything for your classes so it didn't cut into your Law time and then wait for him to come back to the dorms. If you were lucky you got to see him for two hours, maybe three per day. You might finally be his girlfriend but it was hard to describe how it felt. You never really pegged yourself as the clingy type and it wasn’t bad or anything but you hadn't had a proper date since becoming official. That was mostly due to the fact the semester just started and because again Law had no free time but he could still ask you out on the weekends. This past weekend he spent it with the guys. He asked if you wanted to tag along but it wasn't the same. On top of that you've heard his fanclub was not happy hearing the news that he's off the market but they also refused to believe in the rumor because neither of you are seen together outside of the dorms. You're not the jealous type either, you're just curious about the group. They call themselves the death club which is super cheezy and weird since they are mostly medical students. How Law even got the nickname "Surgeon of Death" is beyond you.

It was one of your slower days because it was friday and because your classes were canceled. Apparently your professor had a family emergency and would not be able to make it. Which meant you had the night off and that meant you were bored out of your mind waiting for Law to come back. You had other things you could be doing with your free time but you didn’t feel like doing anything in particular. You were still independently self-sufficient without the surgeon by your side. You guess you just miss his company.

"Why don't you just go to the clinic?"

You turned your head to Luffy raising an eyebrow. "Huh, what do you mean?" You have been spacing out laying on the couch for the better half of the morning. Luffy smiled "You're waiting for Torao right? Why don’t you just go to the clinic, we have lunch with Chopper all the time." You hadn't thought about that. Mostly because part of you knows Law doesn't like to be disturbed when he's working on something but lunch was entirely fair game. Why didn't you think of that?

"I mean Chopper is medical so their rounds are different from surgical. Hell, I don't even know when Law typically goes for lunch." You slumped back into your seat as Luffy grinned "Well then it's settled, we are going to see Torao! Shishishi"

"Wait, we?" Was he going with you to make sure you didn't chicken out?

"You miss him right? Torao sometimes gets tunnel vision on his work and besides I haven't played with him since before the break!"

You couldn’t say no to Luffy. He already put his hat on which was usually a sign that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer anyhow. He tried to drag you out of the dorms immediately but you stopped him by making bento's to bring with you. If there was one thing you knew Luffy could easily be persuaded by his stomach. It was your way of thanking him for the idea. Over the past few weeks as everyone learned about your new relationship Luffy appeared to be the most thrilled to hear about it. Apparently he even made a bet with Nami before you had left for Dressrosa and now that you were official he won. It's the first time Nami’s ever lost money on a bet. You were also quite surprised how many people thought you guys would have made a good couple. Seems like a good handful of your dorm shipped you guys based on the few interactions you had before Christmas. It was interesting that all your friends were so congratulatory over your relationship. It's not like you were getting married or anything but many of them said it was a miracle since no one could see the surgeon getting into a relationship to save his life. You had the best friends and you wouldn't trade them for anything.

You've never actually been to the clinic since it was at the edge of the campus and never had any real health issues to warrant going. When you walked in Luffy nodded at the receptionist and continued walking, greeting most of the nurses. He really must come here a lot because no one batted an eye at him. You wandered around with Luffy neither of you having any idea where Law would be at the given moment. You tried not to get in the way as much as possible but Luffy wandered off when he saw Marco carrying an unconscious Ace through the halls. You overheard one of the nurses say he fell asleep as he was going down the stairs. Allegedly he tumbled down three flights before someone managed to stop him. You shudder, narcolepsy is scary.

You continued to the cafeteria. If he wasn't on the floor then the only other place you could check was the dining room. There was a chance he was observing a surgery but you crossed your fingers. As you approached the entrance you saw a swarm of girls surrounding one of the tables. It was a pretty loud commotion of squealing. You moved to the side, peaking around the door to get a better view while still remaining out of the way.

"What do we have here? A little runt thinking she can win senpai's heart pinning from a far. Fat chance loser!" You turned around to see three girls, each of them in different colored scrubs. Light blue was for medical, green was for surgical and pink was for nursing. The one thing they all had in common was a yellow band tied around their heads that read "Death Club". You still found it extremely ironic to have a death club at a hospital but that's when it hit you, this was it, this was Law’s fabled fan club. You stiffen you didn't think you'd actually run into them. You gripped the bento bag tighter. Did they know who you were? Alternatively would this technically make you captain of the fanclub? You shake that last thought from your head. You just had to leave Luffy, it would have only taken a few minutes and then you wouldn't have to be alone to face the notorious groupies.

"Gasp! Sunny, I think she was going to try to give Senpai a homemade lunchbox." She gestured to the bag in your hands. "I think you're right Ginger. Say what do we do with desperate wanna be noticed trash, Miranda?"

Just as they were threatening you Luffy turned the corner. You're saved or so you thought he walked past you pushing past all the girls shouting "Torao! I finally found you!" that sure got the surgeon's attention. While he was trying to pry himself out of Luffy’s famous running jump hug he glanced in your direction. Once he managed to set himself free he made his way over to you ignoring the mass amounts of girls trying to get him to notice them. Part of you wonders if he’s completely oblivious to all the girls or if he’s just gotten used to it over time. He did say this was always a problem he had when first years start coming around to see the upperclassmen.

"(Y/N), what are you doing at the hospital? Did something happen?" Law put his hands on your shoulder looking you over with concern. In your peripheral vision you could see Ginger, Miranda and Sunny death glaring at you, fuming presumably because Law was touching you and he typically detests physical contact with his peers. You shake your head "Oh n-no nothings wrong I just-"

Luffy threw an arm around your shoulder cutting you off, overjoyed at being the one to find Law. "We came over to have lunch with you!" Law retracted his hand, frowning at Luffy seeing the bag you were holding. When he realized you made him lunch, he smiled softly at you "Unfortunately I just had lunch, but I can have it on my next break. Someone couldn't make it, so they need an extra hand. I’ll be back later than usual though I’m glad I still got to see you before you go to class.”

You perked up “Actually my classes are canceled today. That’s why I came here with Luffy.” You pointed to him, but his attention was on the trio who were telling him he can’t just hug Law as he pleased. They were wasting their breath, Luffy does what he wants when he wants. When you focused back to Law, he looked torn. You tilted your head, waiting for him to say what’s on his mind.

Law cleared his throat very matter of factly “Since you're free this evening would you like to go out to dinner and maybe a movie?” Your eyes widened at the question, although before you got to answer, Luffy chimed in again “Sure as long as we go somewhere that has lots of meat!” Law rolled his eyes at him “Not you idiot. I meant just me and (Y/N)” you giggled at the exchange. Despite Law not showing affection as often as most, it's cute to be able to see him like this. His love language is definitely quality time. “I’d like that a lot." You smiled. It was a date. It's about damn time.

Law’s pager beeped, signaling his assistance was required. You gave him a quick peck on the cheek and handed him the bento as he hurried off. He looked really cute in his scrubs. You snapped out of your daydream when you heard grumbling behind. You almost forgot about the fangirls. Luffy had already been getting on their last nerve as he picked his nose, not even paying attention to them anymore, but now that Law was gone they could focus fire on you.

"Who do you think you are going on a date with Senpai! Don't you know he has a girlfriend? Wow, you're actually stupid." They all crossed their arms, leaning back, turning their noses in the air being snooty. You sigh "Oh trust me, I know he has a girlfriend because, I AM, his girlfriend. Let's go Luffy, we could try to find Chopper." He nodded as you walked away from the heartbroken trio. They were whimpering into handkerchiefs groveling on the floor, saying that the rumors were true. You grimaced at the display but kept walking. They don’t deserve the time of day, and you hope you never see them again.

"So how's Ace? I heard he fell down the stairs." Luffy hummed, remembering you weren’t with him to get the details. "Ace is fine. He's stronger than he looks. Marco said because he was asleep he didn't even get a scratch!" At least that was comforting, although had he been awake there was a chance he could have broken his neck and died. Narcolepsy was still a scary thing.

It wasn’t that hard to locate Chopper. Similarly to Law, his iconic hat could be spotted from a distance. It turns out you weren’t the only ones seeking to have lunch with the fellow. Usopp and Zoro had also sought the medic’s company. Well, Usopp chose to be there. It seems Zoro got lost and found them instead. You decided to usher the swordsman back to the dorms, knowing it would have taken him at least an hour to make it there on his own. Seriously, what was wrong with his internal compass? Whatever the case, you hung out in the common room with Sanji, Nami, and the others. More people joined you as they finished their classes for the day. It would be a while until Law got off anyway.

That’s when you heard the door open and Luffy, Ace and Sabo returned. Before Luffy or Ace could say anything Sabo captured everyone's attention with a few claps "Okay big news! They didn't say exactly what time they'd be coming, but we're going to be having a guest visit our dorm. They might get to transfer even though they missed the cut-off." Sometimes you forget that Sabo was the dorm's RA because he kind of just lets everyone do what they want as long as they don't get caught. Although someone with the ability to transfer near the middle of the semester was interesting. They either had to be a prodigy or rich as fuck. Which wasn't unheard of for One Piece. Sometimes the university even tried to steal top students by offering ridiculous scholarships just because they could. Since everyone was interested in what kind of student it would be this time around you lost track of time.

The next thing you knew, the doors opened, and you heard a moderately familiar voice. As Sanji raced over to flirt with the newcomer, you were stopped in your tracks when you saw who it was. You were at a loss for words, jaw on the floor stunned as you saw a familiar blonde before you were nearly tackled to the floor.

“(Y/N), Doflamingo didn’t tell me you were in the same dorm as Law!” Pudding easily had brushed Sanji off and bounced straight over to you, giving you a hug as if you were besties. Glancing over her shoulder, sure enough, Doflamingo followed after her, grin as wide as ever. So this was what those cryptic words meant. You steadied yourself firmly, standing your ground, throwing on a cheery smile. “Pudding, it’s good to see you! What are you doing here? I thought you would have been busy opening up that Café you talked about.” You didn’t want to come off as rude, but you were also shocked. Pudding finally released her vise grip on you “Well you and Law made uni sound like so much fun, I decided to transfer here!” she looked around, ignoring everyone else in the room. "Where's Law?"

“Oh he’s still at the clinic, but he should be coming back soon?" You looked at your phone to check the time. "He didn’t actually tell me how late he was going to be.” Pudding pouted “Boo I was hoping he would give me a tour of the campus." Sabo walked up, holding out a packet for Pudding. Probably the same orientation guide everyone gets when they first come in. "Actually, that would be my job, although Sanji over here might fare better since he's enrolled in culinary arts." Sanji twirled over with heart eyes at the mention of his name as they started talking away about Pudding's field of study.

You were distracted and didn't notice Doffy walk up behind you “See, I told you we’d be meeting sooner than you think.” He smirked as you jolted, almost forgetting he was there. "I was wondering if you had meant anything by that. I mean no disrespect, but your words often seem almost cryptic." He laughed at your response. "None taken, I'm interested in your discernment. Corazon did say he thought you were quite perceptive."

You didn't like the feeling that washed over you at his words. It was like he was toying with you almost like he knew something you didn't and was lording it over you. Like it was a game and you weren't aware you were playing. Suddenly the door clicked again, snapping you back to reality. Law took no time swiftly taking to your side. It's almost like he could tell you were in a spot of bother. He gave a slight nod to address the blonde. "Doflamingo."

"Ah Law, how nice of you to finally drop by. I trust you're doing well." He leaned over Law putting in perspective just how much taller he was comparatively. You felt even smaller standing in between the two. Law folded his arms across his chest. "Cut the pleasantries. Why are you here?"

"Now now, is that anyway to greet your father?" Law scoffed, rolling his eyes "Corazon is my father, you are my uncle at best." You could see Bepo hide behind Penguin in the corner. Shachi looked tense next to him as well. They probably had the same thought that passed through your head concerning Doflamingo.

Pudding on the other hand finally noticed Law’s appearance and Sanji seemed to catch the tail end of the conversation. "I knew you were also from North blue but you're a Donquixote?"

Doflamingo merely glanced at Sanji before he snickered "Ah you must be Judge's boy."

Anyone within earshot froze knowing Sanji’s strained relationship with his family. His father even went as far to fake Sanji’s death and refused Sanji’s emancipation when Zeff wanted to properly adopt him. Luffy wore a grim expression as he tried to make a pass at Doffy but Zoro stood in front of him. The swordsman gave him a look and Luffy grunted but didn't try to back down.

Pudding was oblivious to the clear tension in the room "You're a Vinsmoke, that's so cool! I come from the Charlotte family, I guess it really is a small world."

"No kidding." He trailed off slumping his shoulders but Pudding didn’t seem to notice. Instead she smiled, bouncing over to Law “Law, now that you’re here you can give me a tour!” He looked away from Doffy and put an arm around you “Actually me and (Y/N) were about to go out to dinner.” He didn't wait for a response before he turned you by the shoulders attempting to usher out of the room.

"Perfect, I already made reservations. We can have dinner together." Doflamingo put one hand on Law’s shoulder and the other on Pudding's before anyone could argue. The others left at the dorm were mystified at what exactly they just witnessed. There was a storm brewing and it wasn’t a coincidence but you couldn’t do anything about it at the moment.

Doflamingo somehow managed to get Law in a car and you were dragged along for the ride. It wasn’t that long of a trip but you were surprised that Doffy managed to find a moderately higher end restaurant this close to campus. Before you knew it you had all sat, ordered and ate. You’re not even quite sure what you had talked about the whole time. It was all a haze. In fact your head was kinda fuzzy since you left campus mostly because of Doflamingo's words, and his mannerisms. Why was he accompanying Pudding? You should splash some water on your face or get some air to clear your head. Pudding peered at you grinning grabbing your arm “We’re going to freshen up before we leave.” Without further warning she dragged you away. You had mixed feelings about Pudding. She came off as kind of two faced and you’re not sure which one was the real Pudding and which one was the mask. It was clear when she was talking with Baby 5 and Monet that she really had no interest in her family's social standings but at the same time she made it a point to present herself as the perfect daughter. It was something about her smile that tipped you off.

Pudding checked that the two of you were alone before locking the bathroom door. You tilt your head to the side at the action waiting for her to say something. She scratched the back of her neck bashfully. “I uh sorry about that, I wanted to talk to you alone.” she fidgeted with the end of her dress before making eye contact with you. “You don’t like me do you. I kind of get the feeling that you’re annoyed with me.” it was true but probably not for the same reason she was thinking about. As a person she was fine but around Law she was just weird. It was hard to tell if she liked him or resented him.

You were about to defend yourself when you started coughing and choking on your own inhale. You tried to wave her off so you could explain your reaction but instead she laughed at you. “Actually I’m relieved. I dislike when people lie to me because of my family name. If I’m being honest it makes it easier because I hate you too!” she smiled but it looked hollow. This was not what you thought you’d talk about as she continued “Well it’s more like I envy you.” she looked down at her feet and you finally took that as your cue “To be fair I was going to say I find everyone annoying at first it’s more of a me problem then a you problem, but you envy me?”

Pudding sighed looking at herself in the mirror fixing her hair. "You're lucky you know, you get to date for love. I don't have that luxury. As the 35th daughter of the Charlotte family I know what is expected of me. So I envy you.” Once she was done she looked up at you. “Since you’re the first person to be frank with me can I ask a favor?” you really wanted to say no outright but you were curious what it was. “Sure why not.”

“Will you be my maid of honor?”

—

Law watched you leave folding his napkin on the table frowning at Doflamingo. The blonde hadn’t stopped smiling since pushing him out of the dorm. It was creepy. “Now that they’re gone, talk. You’ve looked like you’ve wanted to say something since I walked in the room.” The blonde only laughed, reaching into his coat to pull out a manila folder. As Law reached for it Doflamingo snickered “I had Vergo look into something for me during the holidays.” Law rolled his eyes at how smug he sounded. Looking through the file made his blood run cold. Law grit his teeth the file was about (Y/N).

“You really do know how to pick the most interesting people. I was quite surprised when I saw the names tied to her family background.”

You had only briefly told Law about what happened regarding your family’s “accident”. He didn't try to pry or anything because he could tell that it still bothered you to some degree. Now he understands why but it wasn’t Doflamingo’s place to devolve that kind of information regarding your past. He needed to calm himself before he made a scene. “What’s your angle? This hardly changes my relationship with her.” Law closed the folder he had seen enough although he didn't understand what the significance to Doffy was.

“Indeed, I would think no less. Especially not from you. However I have come regarding your fixed engagement.” Doflamingo rested his head in his hand using the other to swirl his drink with his finger, tipping it just far enough not to spill it. Law rolled his eyes. He was getting real sick of it. “This again? Did you forget our arrangement?”

“I said I would give you the choice, I never said I would take no for an answer. Which reminds me your little song was rather cute. Truly you won Linlin over for the proposal.” He was acting as Doflamingo’s little puppet without even knowing. He played right into Doffy’s little trap without even realizing because he was distracted with his personal endeavors. Law was furious but he kept his voice down “You bastard. I’ll never agree to it, you know I won’t go down without a fight.”

“Oh but that’s where you're wrong or maybe you didn’t look at all the details in the file. Honestly, for a future doctor to overlook such a glaring detail you should probably switch professions already.” He laughed taking a sip of his drink “I have (Y/N) to thank really. The poor girl has been through a lot and at such a young age too. The only family she has left has become a permanent patient going from hospital to hospital for treatment. Although I wouldn’t worry too much about it, the most recent hospital she was admitted to is known for curing an incurable disease. It's a funny story, actually you’re quite familiar with this hospital since it’s the one we own.”

Law’s eyes widened as he hastily grabbed the folder again. How could he have missed that. Sure enough Doflamingo wasn’t bluffing but would he really go through with it? All for what, for Law to bend to his will.

Doflamingo leaned back in his chair polishing off the rest of his drink. "You of all people should know I would sacrifice innocent lives to get what I want so what is it going to be?" Doflamingo moved to put the folder back in his coat. He probably saw the girls coming back from the bathroom. What was Law going to do?

As you made your way back to the table you were sort of lost in thought and you could tell that Law was the same. Neither of you spoke on the way back to the dorms. You stood outside for a while holding his hand. It was a lovely night and it was still relatively early.

"(Y/N) do you wanna go for a walk?"

You nodded wondering what was on his mind. The air was drastically different when you and Pudding came back from the bathroom but you didn't have the right words to ask about it. Knowing Law he might not even tell you what was bothering him. Especially given the last time something was bothering him. As long as you could be there for him to make sure he wasn't alone this was enough. At least you hoped.

—

Chapter Navigation: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [You are here] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

[erinwantstowrite]

CHAPTER 17!!!!! they're my silly billies (you are ignoring that dick doesn't exactly look like himself here that's because i was pushing through art block when i drew the first image)

[wolfstardaughter-jj]

[kibagib]

GHOAP PUNISHER AU PART 3/?

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Second scene uncropped HERE

[myokk]

troll attack😳

[lydiannettelizabeth]

Pjsekai magical girl au where all the leaders are recruited by miku to be magical girls send tweet

[bliss-night]

[muffinlance]

Hey fic rec time! I didn't do these often so you KNOW it's good

If you like Star Wars and Mandos and falling in love with character dynamics you'll never be able to find again because OP just smooshed together things that never existed before

May I introduce you to:

Mando'jekai jedi by Anonymous

Yes Anonymous come out here OP so I can put you in a little jar and provide you optimal writing enrichment and maybe shake you a little to see how you work

Author Summary:

Feemor saves a random Mandalorian and earns himself the position of Jedi watchman for the sector. Now if only the mandos would stop hunting him so that he can investigate this terrorist cell in peace.

Jaster really wants to talk to the jedi who slapped the darksaber into his hands before running off. Now if only the haat'ade could track him down.

My Summary:

Feemor Gives Mandalorians a Life-Changing Field Trip (No They Cannot Exit This Ride): The Fic

The writing is so smooth the humor is HIGH-LARIOUS the angst is wrapped up in the humor which is wrapped up in outsider POV

It's like you went to Fic Restaurant and the waiter slapped the menu out of your hand and said "I've got the good shit" and you were too terrified to protest that actually you were just here for a little hurt/comfort fix-it fic but when they came back

Oh damn

Oh that is the good shit

Anyway click this it's the good shit

[ayyy-imma-ninja]

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

“So—I’m guessing Moon also has a feature like that?” you go ahead and ask as Sun’s fit eventually fades. He straightens like a plank.

“Oh! Ah—”

“And don’t tell me to go ask him myself.”

He slowly clams up, quickly averting his gaze like he’d been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. A few nervous giggles escape him and a hand reaches to rub the brick supporting the back of his head. “Phooey, you’ve caught me..."

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

[i-dare-say]

Shixiong!Shen Yuan AU

Shen Yuan has been living in the PIDW world since birth but doesn't remember anything about his previous life. He manages to enter Cang Qiong Mountain Sect and become a disciple of Qing Jing Peak, until he's fourteen and a sparring head injury causes his memories to return all in one go. Now that his memories are back the System is also activated.

He finds out he's been reincarnated into a no-name cannon fodder character (the name is the same because what originality do you expect from PIDW?) and the System informs him that he now has to enhance the story's quality while also ensuring the protagonist's satisfaction.

Shen Yuan is already pretty done with all of this. Whatever he does is sure to lead to his death. It's either the system kills him because his points reach 0 or the protagonist kills him later because he stood by while he was bullied/didn't help him enough to not get bullied.

And now Shen Yuan's brain has been flooded with all this information about the world and, worse, about people he's known for some time now.

His sweet Ning-shimei is fated to become a character trope he despises, a simple damsel in distress only there so the protagonist can show his strength by saving her over and over again.

Ming-shidi has always been most respectful towards him, and now he discovers that he's at the front of the pack of disciples that bully Luo Binghe.

And his shizun...

Shen Yuan has never really known much about his shizun. His tea ceremony had seemed as normal as it could be (Shen Qingqiu had asked him a lot of questions about his past, but that's expected since they do have the same surname. Still, nothing came out of that), and for the four years since he's been a disciple his shizun had seemed like an admirable immortal master, cold and strict, but competent and intelligent. Shen Yuan did admire him. At least, until his memories come back.

Now he has knowledge of what Shen Qingqiu will do (maybe has already done, since Shen Yuan is not sure whether Luo Binghe is already on the peak) to the protagonist, and of all the crimes against the other characters. He's a poser, hiding a scummy personality behind his aloof persona.

Shen Yuan is not happy to know all of this. But he's almost glad to remember his old life because it doesn't feel weird when he wholeheartedly thinks: Fuck.

First of all, he has to find out if Luo Binghe's already a disciple.

The shijie he was sparring with is now taking him to Qian Cao to be checked so he asks her about Luo Binghe. She doesn't know, so as soon as he's clear to get back to Qing Jing he goes straight to Ming Fan.

Ming Fan is practicing guqin playing with some friends (Shen Yuan suspects these are the other bullies) and is having trouble with a particular movement, so Shen Yuan helps him by guiding his fingers. Once he's satisfied his shidi has learnt what to do and sees the others not paying them attention, he lowers his voice and asks Ming Fan about Luo Binghe.

It's clear the boy knows what he's talking about. Ming Fan is curious about the reason for his question and warns him that Luo Binghe is nothing but trouble, that their shizun's already had to punish him for his misbehaviors. Shen Yuan thanks him for the advice and takes off towards the woodshed.

Luo Binghe is not there, but he will come back sooner or later. So he decides to wait and prepare for the future.

The first step of his plan now is to get stronger. Enough for Shen Yuan to be able to protect Luo Binghe from the other disciples. He'll take on the mantel of older brother figure, someone who helps the protagonist in the beginning of the story while he's too weak to do it properly. Then, once Luo Binghe finds his way and becomes the all powerful demon lord he's destined to be, Shen Yuan will try his best to convince him not to raze Cang Qiong to the ground.

He doesn't have much hope of that though. After all, he's just a no-name cannon fodder. But at least he can help Luo Binghe right now, while he has the power to do so. To make these bitter years a little more bearable. And that future is so far away, he has time to think about what to do and plan accordingly.

While thinking this, he falls asleep against the wall of the woodshed.

He's awakened by someone touching his shoulder. He snaps his eyes open, shaken, but he soon adjusts to the darkness enough to see the person in front of him.

Luo Binghe is certainly different from what he imagines the future emperor of all three realms to look like. But this is white lotus Luo Binghe, and in his very first years as a disciple at that. His cheeks are round, height much shorter than Shen Yuan's. And yet there's already the countenance of the stallion protagonist in him, a sort of aura that makes him shine in the dark, an intensity to his gaze as he worriedly looks at Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan can't help but smile and say "Binghe".

Luo Binghe looks shocked. He hesitantly asks if shixiong is well, that it's very late and that the curfew has already started.

Shen Yuan finally realizes the late hour, but he doesn't mind the curfew. It wouldn't be the first time he has to sneak in in the dorms, and it certainly won't be the last. He stares at Luo Binghe, who nervously tries not to fidget under his gaze, and comes to a decision.

He won't have to sleep in there. Not anymore. Not as long as Shen Yuan has a say in it. "Come with me."

He takes Binghe's hand and heads for the disciple dorms. Luo Binghe follows silently, until he stops and says: "Shixiong should rest first. He can punish this one tomorrow."

Shen Yuan is horrified at the prospect of being thrown in the same group as Luo Binghe's bullies. He doesn't want to be at the other end of the protagonist's blade!

"I'm not here to punish you," he says, but Binghe is not convinced. Well, what did Shen Yuan expect? Apart from his own adoptive mother and Ning Yingying, everyone else had always treated Luo Binghe with indifference or contempt. Of course he expected a punishment.

Shen Yuan kneels in front of him and Binghe is once again shocked.

"I know we don't really know each other so this must seem strange to you. But I do want to. I mean, I do want to know you."

Shen Yuan is so embarrassed to be saying these things. But this is all to gain the protagonist's trust! So he'll have to swallow his shame and be a little truthful for once.

"I…your shixiong sometimes has…nightmares. And sleeping with someone else in the room helps. Can you indulge me a little bit for tonight?"

Luo Binghe has been staring at him with awe. He squeezes Shen Yuan's hand and replies: "This Binghe would be honored to help shixiong with his nightmares. But, shizun said I must sleep in the woodshed. I don't want shizun to get angry with you because of me."

"Shizun won't know about it." And even if he did, Shen Yuan is ready to take the blame on himself. Shen Qingqiu's punishments would be nothing to the protagonist's unique brand of torture. "This shixiong promises that from now on, Binghe won't have to sleep in there. Do you trust me?"

Luo Binghe nods. So Shen Yuan takes him to the dorms and they sneak in through the open window. His room is for one person only, so they have to share Shen Yuan's bed.

Binghe insists on sleeping on the floor, says he really doesn't mind, he has no problem falling asleep on the ground. But Shen Yuan yanks him on the bed and forces him to lay down. Since both of their bodies are on the smaller side they end up fitting in just fine.

Shen Yuan falls asleep almost immediately, exhausted despite the small nap he had before. And Luo Binghe stares at him, at this shixiong who he knew of but never really interacted with, who he's seen being kind and welcoming to other disciples around the sect, who suddenly reached out to Binghe and took him in his room without a moment's hesitation.

Luo Binghe doesn't trust that this kindness will be directed towards him for much longer, but he likes the way Shen-shixiong looks at him. So he'll treasure it as long as he can.

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

So this is the beginning of my Shixiong! Shen Yuan fic. I was curious as to what would happen if Shen Yuan ended up in the same position as Shang Qinghua, what kind of consequences being born in the PIDW world would have on him.

As this is my first ever fanfic I just wanted to write something short, just a simple AU where Shen Yuan is free to dote on Luo Binghe and he doesn't have to worry that he's going to be murdered because he has the role of "Shen Qingqiu".

And then I started to think more about the implications of the premise I made up. Shen Yuan is fourteen. Yes, now he has memories of his previous life, but his mind is still that of a fourteen-year-old. That would be interesting to explore, I thought.

And what if Shen Yuan is more gifted that he thinks, I asked myself. What if Shen Qingqiu recognised that at the tea ceremony and, just like Binghe, inquired about his past. But, unlike Binghe, Shen Yuan's past is much more in line with Shen Qingqiu's, which brings the man to leave him be.

And what if, once Shen Yuan remembers and starts becoming stronger and protecting Luo Binghe, Shen Qingqiu's attention doesn't fall on Luo Binghe but Shen Yuan?

And just what happened in Shen Yuan's past, exactly? Because he sure as hell doesn't think about it or his feelings involving any of it.

I just really wanted to explore all of these questions. So I guess this is gonna be longer than I expected. To be honest I'm just really happy to be writing again, scum villain really is such a great inspiration for storytelling.

[cozylittleartblog]

idk if I've said it before, but your portrayals of both Rouxls and Queen are among my favorites, and the way they are when you combine the two is the sole thing that got me to say "yes" to queenkaard. When I first saw it in the game and it started catching on as a ship, I was like "nooo I hc him as gay," but then after seeing your stuff I was like "oh nvm I totally see this now."

i think hearing "i didn't see this ship before, but after your art i understand it and/or even ship it myself" is one of the nicest compliments i get, because it makes me feel like i'm representing something meaningful and sweet about a pairing and having people understand what i think is so great and captivating about them. i've gotten a couple asks like this and sometimes i forget to respond but i always really appreciate them :) thank you very much

[damagedintellect]

Trafalgar Law x reader

💌 Fake it till you make it: Chapter 5  💌  

Summary:  To avoid an arranged marriage set up by Doflamingo, Law needs to bring home a girlfriend during the Christmas break and you just so happen to be a theatre major in the same dorm at One Piece University. What could possibly go wrong?  

Tropes: College AU, Fake Dating, Idiots in love, [This Chapter has 🍋]

💌 Word count: 6,125 💌 <= Previous Chapter | Next Chapter =>

You were in shambles! Ever since the festival three days ago things have been different between you and Law but you're not entirely sure why. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but you couldn’t put your finger on it. Maybe the love trials triggered something in you that you weren’t aware of? Whatever the case, everything he does appears to fluster you now. No matter how hard you try to keep your cool he does something that catches you completely off guard. You can't tell if he's doing it on purpose or if it's all one big coincidence. You wonder if he even notices that he’s flustering you in the first place. He can be pretty dense on occasion. Although if he does notice, he hasn’t said anything. You understand that the reason why you're here in the first place is to be his girlfriend and his mannerisms are perfectly acceptable choices to make when his family's around. That’s not the problem. Law has started doing it regardless if anyone was watching or even in the same room.

The other day you were getting hot chocolate with Sugar and she walked away to grab a napkin. Allegedly you had some stray whipped cream on the corner of your mouth. Normal Law would have simply pointed it out to you but instead he leaned over and just licked it off without a word. No warning no nothing and when Sugar came back to the table he acted like nothing happened. Meanwhile poor Sugar thought you had burnt your tongue. You couldn’t even confirm you weren’t imagining things because no one was around to see it. On top of Law blatantly ignoring your personal space, he’s started letting Corazon take pictures. Not too long ago he purposely dodged and weaved out of the line of sight but now he will quietly let it happen, while also pulling you closer. These new habits he’s suddenly picked up don’t even take the proverbial cake. Last night for some reason he decided he didn’t want to wear a shirt. You don’t know, you were trying not to stare. You felt like a school girl all over again. It’s not like you were uncomfortable or anything at most it was merely odd. Had it been anyone else you wouldn’t have batted an eye at it. Law claimed it was a little warm last night. Maybe he could feel the heat rising off of your cheeks. You’d hate to admit it but it sparked a less than innocent dream and when you woke up in his arms afterwards you panicked. You’re not sure how much more your heart can take of his unintentional torture. You have to tell him or maybe you don’t. Your head is a mess. You only had to survive one more night anyhow. Tomorrow morning was when Law planned to leave but tonight was the New Year’s eve gala. In your state of panic you missed the smirk Law gave you as you left to take your shower.

Law went to check back in with Corazon to make sure he had the right time of departure when Doflamingo pulled him into his office. The surgeon only rolled his eyes as Doffy had them both sit down at the desk like a proper business arrangement. Law crossed his legs scowling at the blonde waiting for him to speak.

"Law, I’m willing to cut you a deal that will benefit us both but it requires your complete cooperation at the gala.”

Law sighed “And if I refuse?” Doffy grinned “Do you even have to ask? I know your weakness now. It's not as bad as you think it is. All I want is for you to perform that cute little song from a few years back. What was it, Dr. Heart Stealer?” Law grimaced, rubbing his face in his hands. That had been a mistake and his biggest regret for a while now but only a few people knew about it. It was Eustass’s idea so he really should have known it wasn’t going to work out in his favor but anything to spite Doflamingo. They were pretty wasted at the time but Eustass suggested to write and perform a song as a fuck you to Doflamingo. Almost like throwing it back in his face that Law was capable of being the Donquixote performer like the rest of the family was, he just chose not to. He wasn’t expecting Doflamingo to enjoy the performance and lord it over him. The worst part was that Corazon pretty much immortalized it by making copies of the video and burning CD’s of the song.

“It better be a damn good benefit or no deal.”

Doflamingo chuckled “Sing at the gala and I’ll give you the choice of whether or not we continue with your arranged marriage, how does that sound?”

“What’s the catch? I know you won’t give up that easily.”

“No catch, it’s your choice to either continue with your current relationship or I’ll choose a suitor. I’m being rather generous.” Doffy leaned forward resting his elbows on the table with his head in his hands as if to say “your move.” Law was wary of the offer. Doflamingo was giving him exactly what he wanted which was never a good sign and the only thing he wanted in return was for him to sing. Not to be his successor but to sing? Something wasn’t right here, he had a feeling that was very unsettling. What did he mean by weakness? It could be a bluff for all he knew but he wasn’t going to take that chance. Besides if Doflamingo does stick to his word then problem solved. He could also use this as another opportunity to fluster (Y/N) which would definitely be a bonus. As it stands it’s a win win but he couldn’t help the off feeling in his gut but what does he have to lose.

Begrudgingly he sighed “Fine, I’ll sing.”

—

It was a very lazy day everyone was pretty much just twiddling their thumbs until it was time to get ready for the gala. You had been reading the book you won Law the other night on the couch when he finally emerged from Doflamingo’s office. You didn’t look up when he joined you on the couch. He sat there in silence for a while before laying down on your lap. You tried to focus harder on the words you were reading but you could feel his gaze on you. “Can I help you?” you asked, finally looking down at him. He hummed for a while before answering “Not particularly.” was all he said as you stare at each other. You went back to reading after that. Trying not to let it get to you. He wouldn't win this round.

You may have underestimated how long Law would stay in your lap for. He really didn't have anything better to do you guess but you would have at least thought he would get up at some point to grab something to occupy his mind. You refused to look down just in case he's still staring at you but then it hit you. Why not fight fire with fire? As it stands he's beating you at your own game. By being flustered you are letting him win. You glanced back at Law but his eyes were closed and had been for a while. You were internally panicked over nothing. Although you wonder if he's just resting his eyes or if he managed to fall asleep like this. Back at the dorms the surgeon was notably an insomniac which made it interesting that he fell sound asleep in your lap on the first night. Not to mention he's kept a relatively consistent sleep schedule while here. Maybe being around his family requires more energy. While lost in your thoughts you idly run your hand through Law’s hair as you pick back up reading where you left off. Playing with his hair as if he was a cat that had jumped into your lap. He mumbled something incoherent as he shifted on his side slightly allowing you more access to his soft mane. He genuinely is like a big cat, it was cute. You giggled to yourself.

"What's so funny?" Law questioned turning his head to meet your gaze. Ah, so he was awake. You smirked, peering down at him.

"You're cute."

The moment the words left your mouth you could feel Law tense a light dusting of color rushing to his face. His neutral expression morphing into bewilderment. Clearly startled by your bluntness. He couldn't seem to look away either, his mind stopped in his tracks briefly before he swiftly positioned himself in the gap between you and the book meeting you eye to eye. The sudden movement causes you to lean as far as you can into the couch further trapping yourself.

"Hey before I have to bleach my eyes again, I'm stealing your girlfriend and Doffy wants you to practice your speech."

Law sighed glaring at Monet knowing she ruined the moment on purpose. You raised an eyebrow "You're giving a speech?"

"Something like that"

As Monet dragged you away from the scene she mentioned that Giolla was getting sick of waiting and was turning people into her little art projects. Baby 5 was already her first victim and Monet didn't want to be next in line. She claimed if she was with you there was a zero percentage chance that Giolla would ask. Instead Monet offered to do your hair if you would do her makeup. You thought about it for a moment but agreed when you passed Baby 5 in the hallway. She didn't see a problem with it since she was helping Giolla out and felt needed but you and Monet exchanged a look that meant you both had a mutual understanding on the matter. You were not going to become some abstract expressionism art piece. Not today and hopefully never.

After you were finished you made your way back to Law’s room to put on your dress. You're not sure why, maybe at the time you were thinking of teasing him with it but when you were packing for the trip you put your favorite sexy lingerie in your suitcase. This must have been something you did when you were drunk the night before because you don't remember putting it in there. You glanced around the room stopping at the door feeling your face heat up. No one's going to know. It's not like your dress is super thin or anything. You hastily put them on trying to get into your dress as soon as possible. Unfortunately you couldn't get the zipper by yourself. You should have tried the dress on earlier instead of assuming Doflamingo somehow magically guessed your size. It wasn’t that it was super tight, it fit well there just wasn't enough give in the fabric for you to have enough grip to pull it up by yourself. In the midst of your struggle you didn't notice Law come into the room. It wasn’t until a foreign hand guided the zipper did you realize he was back. You jumped at the contact.

"Calm down, it's just me,” Law said indifferently as he also started to get ready. You didn't trust yourself to make a retort instead you watched him dress. He was staring at himself in the mirror, smoothing out his vest and adjusting his tie. As he put his coat on he adjusted the cuffs so that the cufflinks peeked out slightly. Law begrudgingly discarded his hat and ran a hand through his hair loosely slicking his hair back. It didn't stay that way, some strands fell back in his face. It was weird to see him like this. You already knew he was handsome but this was such a turn on for you. A lot of people swear by a man in uniform but clearly they've never seen a man in formal wear. It felt like a dream, like you were being swept off your feet the same way the female lead in a play would. This time you didn't turn away when he caught you staring.

"Are you ready to go?" Law asked while offering his hand. If the guys back home could see you now they wouldn't believe you. Sure he has always been well mannered but this was almost gentlemanly. Law wasn't exactly known for his congeniality. You smile at the rarity and take his hand. Of course when you made it down the stairs Corazon wanted pictures of everyone. Similarly to the past few days Law obliged. This earned him some strange looks from his uncles but no one voiced the concern out loud. They all just motioned to him and shrugged.

Once you arrived at the venue Doflamingo was greeted by Caesar Clown as he gave everyone a short tour through the arrangements he prepared. An elegant open ballroom with the most divine chandelier at the center, a live orchestra and of course light refreshments. Next would be dinner in the next room over. This would be when most of the official business would be taking place speeches, toasts, maybe light entertainment. You had never been to a charity Gala before so you're not quite sure what goes on. The only thing you did know was there was an after dinner party to ring in the new year, again in the next room over from the dining hall. A red carpet laid across the two rooms connecting them through the entryway reaching the other side of the space. They had a main stage set up with a live band and at every nook of the room an open bar, that was on top of waitstaff holding trays of champagne nearly every two feet. You already know you can't say no to a free drink, especially to champagne. Champagne is expensive. By no means were you an alcoholic but with the week you've had, you think you've earned a drink or two.

"Ah Caesar you've outdone yourself, this time around." Doflamingo states although you're unsure if it was supposed to be a dig at him or a compliment. As more people arrive Law makes his rounds greeting everyone ushering you by the waist keeping the introductions brief. The sight was riveting to behold. Law talking to people unprompted. Mostly because he didn't give a damn one way or the other but he could also feel Doflamingo's unsettling gaze from across the room. He grips your waist tighter as he whispers that it seems Doffy was going to introduce someone to you both.

"Law, you remember Linlin of Big Mom Bakes. This is her daughter Charlotte Pudding." Doflamingo gestured to the girl next to him. She was a little bit taller than you were but not by more than three inches. Her light hazel hair was pulled into high pigtails, admittedly an interesting choice for a formal event. Her dress was almost identical to yours but instead of pastel pink it was a soft lavender. Weird coincidence or so it seemed. You don’t trust Doflamingo's wicked grin but maybe he got help picking out your dress. You raised an eyebrow as Doffy continued. "Please see to it that she has a pleasant evening. It's her first time at an event like this. We wouldn't want her to feel overwhelmed."

It was only for half of a second but you could see the annoyed look flash across Law’s features before slipping back to formality. He pulled you closer before denoting "It's (Y/N)'s first time as well if you'd like to accompany us later on. I was about to ask for a dance." He glanced at you for confirmation as you nod. It was the first time he called you by just your name and not with his polite vocal tic. While he led you away you could see Doflamingo introducing Pudding to Baby 5 and Monet. Law grabbed your hand as you got into position waiting for the next song to start.

"You're not overwhelmed right? I tend to run on autopilot at these events." The music picked up and you started to dance but he looked at you with uncertainty. Doflamingo's words must have struck a chord. You laughed at that "I'm not but it is fascinating having little knowledge of what's going on." You both glide across the room as if no one is around. Law twirls you and you take that moment to survey the party. Corazon seems to be recording your dance with Law. You smile at that when Law pulls you back in. The atmosphere was like that of a movie. It was pleasant but you could feel someone glaring at you. The next opportunity you had you tried to locate the presence. It seemed Pudding was rather cross about something and when the song ended she approached you again with a smile.

"May I have the next dance? You make it look like it's the most enjoyable experience."

Law looks to you asking for permission and you wave him off. "I won't be long." He reassured you as he led Pudding to the dance floor. When Law turned away you could have sworn Pudding shot you a glare as she felt up his arm. You didn't know what to make of it so you shrugged it off.

"I would offer to dance but I'm afraid my clumsiness would get the best of me. Are you enjoying yourself (Y/N)?" Corazon greeted you by handing you a champagne flute. You clink your glasses together taking a small sip "Of course! It's not everyday I get to see this side of Law." Which was true, you’ve never seen this side of him.

"You bring out the best in him you know. I've never seen him so happy before," he took a sip of his drink. His smile grew softer as he looked at the surgeon. "When I adopted Law his heart was closed off. He had a lot of trust issues with the world since it treated him so unfairly. I was always worried his cold demeanor and his uncaring attitude would isolate him from connecting with others." He paused polishing off the drink in his hand. You wondered if Corazon was a lightweight as he continued. "I'm very proud of the man that he's become. I can tell he truly cares about you whether he shows it or not." He put a hand lovely on your shoulder. "He can be difficult at times but please do continue to take care of him." One of the waitstaff came to take his empty glass, replacing it with a full one. It feels like Corazon just gave you his blessing. You drink, feeling the bubbles against your tongue as it goes down. "At least I know for sure that my life won't be boring. Although I might be gray earlier than most." You giggled, running a hand through the end of your hair for emphasis, Corazon laughing along with you. "I know I've said this before but thank you for that. If you’re ever in need of anything just say the word. As far as I'm concerned you're family now." You nod as Law joins you confused as to why you and Corazon were snickering to each other. Neither of you explain. Law chalks it up to the champagne as the doors open to the dining hall.

You sit between Monet and Law, Pudding on the other side of him and Baby 5 on the other side of Monet. Sugar and Buffalo were also at the table but they were having their own conversation. You weren’t really paying attention as speech after speech rolled on. You half wonder when Law would be giving his but it never came. You shrugged the night was still relatively young; the event ran past midnight so who knows. During the rest of your meal you stay relatively quiet but notice Pudding's odd behavior of hanging off of and laughing at everything Law said. You didn't think the story he was telling was meant to be all that funny but maybe she was a nervous laugh-er. You might be imagining it but you feel like Pudding keeps trying to put her hand on Law’s shoulder. You shake your head finishing your second or third drink. You’ve lost count since they keep refilling it.

For light entertainment they had a small trivia game. The winning table would receive some sort of mystery prize. Your table doesn't try that hard but Pudding makes a comment about how Law was "so smart" You rolled your eyes at the cringey comment. Who says that? You could feel Monet having a similar reaction. Law as always was indifferent.

As dinner finished up Doflamingo sought out Law. He requested his assistance with something as you and the rest of the girl's made your way to the after party room. You chimed in very little to the light chit chat but you made a few notes about Pudding. She was the 35th daughter of the Charlotte family. She was a prodigy studying to be a patisserie but ended up finding her true talent in being a chocolatier. She's good at both but prefers to work with chocolate more. At some point the band started playing their sets and you finally noticed Law wasn't back yet.

He had been gone for a while, you wondered what Doffy needed with him. You knew he would be saying a few words at some point but he's been gone for at least twenty minutes. Long enough to get Pudding's life story. You leave them to get another drink. As the song changed you turned your attention to the jazzy music being performed on stage. The lights dimmed red enough to see the silhouette of the band handing a microphone to a familiar looking shadow. The next thing you knew the lights on stage faded back up and Law’s voice filled the room. You nearly fell over, you were so weak at the knees. No one and you really mean no one, told you that Law would be singing. On top of that you had no idea that Law could sing let alone sing, like that.

"Dr. Heart Stealer~"

Your eyes met and your heart leaped out of your chest. Your hands flew to your overactive organ to try and calm it down as Law proceeded to wink at you. He had you swooning. What the actual fuck was happening here. You stare back in disbelief as he continues to make a show of the song. When did he even have time to do this? Where did this flirty bastard come from? This was not the Law that you came to Dressrosa with. When he finished his last line he blew a kiss and winked in your direction causing you to choke on your drink. You had been doing so well to not be flustered the entire evening.

You had to calm yourself down before Law saw how flustered that made you. You turned around almost tripping over the edge of the red carpet that was laid on the floor, luckily you caught yourself before you bumped into someone. Unfortunately the person behind you, an older woman, managed to trip on the same spot and wasn't so lucky. As they fell to the floor they dropped the drink they were holding. You rushed to their side to help them up, completely oblivious to the wine staining the lower half of your dress. The good news was they didn't get hurt that badly but the bad news was your dress was ruined. You frowned, you definitely needed another drink.

"How did you manage to do that?"

You whipped your head around to see Law motioning for you to turn around so he could see the damage. You sighed looking at the mess. People were starting to stare and you felt defeated. "Someone dropped their drink. I don’t think this stain is gonna come out." You lift up your dress to see how bad it soaked in the bottom. It was pretty awful. More people started looking at you and you could hear the group of people start to murmur. "I know we were going to stay till midnight but I think I should leave before I embarrass myself further." You walked past Law with your head down but he grabbed your arm and ushered you away from the crowd. "You don’t have to leave. Stay here okay, I'll be back."

You watched him leave talking to some of the waitstaff. Eventually he came back with a pair of scissors. "Turn for me while I cut." You did what you were told and suddenly your long evening gown transformed into a sexy cocktail dress. You looked at Law in awe as he instructed the waitstaff to take care of the mess. You must have been staring for a while because he looked at you and furrowed his eyebrows

"What?"

"First the song, now this, are you trying to get me to fall in love with you?" You didn't mean to say that out loud. That was the champagne talking, but you were definitely thinking it.

Law chuckles in response "Depends, is it working?" He slipped his hand around your waist leaning down staring into your soul. The direct eye contact made your face flush. You wonder how many drinks Law had, whether or not his flirtiness was attributed to the alcohol or if this was an accumulation of what he had been doing to you the past few days. That's when Monet and Baby 5 walked up still accompanied by Pudding. Monet rolled her eyes as she approached "We get it, oh my god get a room already."

Baby 5 pointed to your dress "Has your dress always been that short?" You laughed and retold the story. The next few hours were a blur of mingling and small talk as other guests came up to your group to talk to Law and the others. For some reason the waitstaff was being extremely attentive to your glass being empty; you had to refuse the refill a couple of times. You wondered if they had nothing better to do or were tired of dealing with the more “drunken” patrons of the event. You were delightfully tipsy but were trying hard not to drink too much. You didn't want to be drunk in this setting. Lest you be too honest.

Your attention was on Law again. It felt like a dream since you've never seen the man so talkative but you guess under the circumstances he's forced to be. It didn't even occur to you how late it's gotten until Pudding mentioned there was only a minute left. She had tried to drape an arm around Law to show him the time but he moved out of the way and closer into your personal space. Come to think of it, she has been pretty handsy and near constantly hovering around you guys all night. You wondered why but didn't have time to question it.

The countdown started but all you could do was stare back at Law. You never pegged Law as a superstitious person but a midnight kiss was a part of German folklore and widely known around the world as well. It's said to strengthen a budding romance. This is what you were waiting for and it seemed like Law was on the same page as he pulled you closer. Once again staring at you like you were the most precious thing in the world. He shouldn't be able to make you feel this way but it's one night and what do you have to lose.

"3"

"2"

"1"

"Happy new year!"

Your lips touch, both melting in each other's embrace. He makes you feel like you're flying, like your stomach is filled with butterflies and everywhere he touches sends tiny sparks through your body. Your hands move on their own musing his hair as his hands pull you closer than you already were. For you the party was long forgotten about. Although you could feel Law flip off his sisters in response to something they said. You're not sure how you manage to make it back to the manor while stumbling around trying not to break your passionate make out. You were only vaguely aware of your surroundings when Law pressed you against his door taking a breath letting his forehead rest against yours.

"I won't be able to stop myself if this continues" his breathy tone jumpstarts your dirty mind.

"Then don't," you huffed out of breath smirking "I want this just as much as you." You sounded desperate as you leaned forward slowly but deliberately closing the gap again. It didn't hold the same effervescence as before. It was much more soft and tender, almost like you were going to lose him. You hoped it got your point across as you pulled back to stare at him. The mere sight of his slightly disheveled form stirred your arousal in the pit of your stomach reminding you of the dream you had that morning. You don't think you could hold back either. Wrapping your arms around his neck you whispered in his ear "Please for the love of God make love to your girlfriend already." You liked the ring of that. His girlfriend.

He pushed you away to examine your face searching for any sign that you had been joking. Once he was certain that it wasn’t just the drinks talking he pushed you against the door again letting his hands explore the curves of your body while he tried to taste the desperation on your lips. Your eyes roll to the back of your head as they wire shut in pleasure. You moan into his mouth and he takes that as his que to slip you the tongue. You grind your hips into his feeling how hard he was for you. How hard you made him. Rolling your hips upward against his desire you elicit a moan from Law. Your name tastes good from his mouth. He pulled away for a moment panting as he kissed down your jaw latching on to your neck. You gasp bringing your hand up to stifle the embarrassing noises you were making. He bit you a little harder than he had been as a warning, taking your wrist and pinning it above your head as he murmured into your neck “I want to hear you.” and went back to leaving marks on your neck. Fuck that was hot.

“Nnngh~”

He chuckles, satisfied with himself at your whimpering. He releases your hand to start taking off your dress when you feel his hot breath on your ear “Good girl.” the praise with the way his voice dipped lower than usual sent shivers down your spine. You followed suit unbuttoning Law’s ensemble. You stepped out of what remained of your dress once it hit the floor as Law discarded his coat and vest. The shirt was only half unbuttoned; it could stay for now you were impatient. You throw your arms around his shoulders so can jump and wrap your legs around his midsection. You stare at each other for a brief moment with lust filled half lidded eyes as you reconnect your lips. Law’s hand cups your ass as he moves to lay you on the bed. He grinds against you, feeling the wetness of your panties smirking into the kiss before pulling away. "You're already so wet and I've barely done anything to you." You squirm underneath him as he starts fondling you. "These as well," mentioning the lacy lingerie you forgot you were wearing "I guess you weren’t kidding when you said you wanted it." slipping his hand under your bra he unlatches the back of the garment tossing it aside.

"Haah~"

Your breath hitched at the sudden exposure. Law peppered more kiss marks all over your body causing you to whimper and moan at the slight ache each bruise left. He looked over his handy work before settling to tease your nipples, pinching one and lapping up the other swirling it around his tongue. You were a mess by the time you felt his fingers trace your entrance. "Hng, L-Law~" you lift your hips enough for Law to discard your soaked panties. Now that you're fully exposed he pulls away to remove his shirt.

"You told me to make love to my girlfriend, I can't just skip steps now can I?"

He watches you with an intense gaze as he lightly caresses your inner thigh dipping down to kiss it before harshly biting down leaving another mark. You screamed out as he kissed around the mark. He looked back at you as his fingers teased your folds before entering. You throw your head back at the sensation moaning his name. He enjoys watching you squirm practically fucking yourself on his fingers. He leans down to kiss your clit and you close your thighs around him as he swirls his tongue around the sensitive area. Your breathing was ragged as he started to overwhelm you. His finger exploring your insides finding exactly where to drive you crazy as he repeatedly brushed against the area. His tongue was doing wonders, making you see stars as you come undone at his mercy. You were on the edge, tensing around his fingers as he pushed them deeper. You tangle your hands in his hair "Haah, L-Law I-I'm gonna" you trail off as you meet your climax. You scream out once more but Law doesn't stop; he continues pumping his fingers in and out of you as you squirm curling your toes riding out your high. You were breathless as he finally pulled away, giving you a kiss. You can taste yourself on his tongue. In-between kisses you can hear him ask "Do we need protection?"

"In my wallet." He looks at you in amazement as he fetches the object. "Were you actually planning on this happening?" Law rids himself of the last few articles of clothes as he tore the condom with his mouth. "That was hot," you pant still coming down from cloud nine. "But no, we use condoms to prevent our mic packs from being soaked in sweat. I always carry one out of habit. It comes in handy sometimes." He crawls back between your legs lining himself up. You gasp as he pushes in completely Law groaning as well.

He started rolling his hips into you keeping a steady rhythm going nice and slow. It was mind numbingly slow. It felt good but you wanted more. Law smirked at you, he was doing this on purpose. You shifted underneath him trying to get a little more friction. You feel embarrassed you just came yet you still felt so needy so horny for Law to ruin you into the mattress. Screw making love you wanted him to fuck your brains out. You moan as he thrusted a little deeper.

"Law please." You whimper as he barely misses the spot you want him to desperately stimulate. "Please what? Use your words." He was toying with you. You know he knew what you meant. Your cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Why was this so embarrassing to admit. "Please Law just fuck me already!"

"As you wish." He picked up the pace thrusting harder and faster catching you off guard despite you asking for it. The sounds you were making was music to Law’s ears. Your legs were shaking, you were already so close again. Law dropped to his elbows to speak directly into your ear "You feel so good (Y/N)." The praise made you clench around him as he abused the place that drove you crazy. "Ah f-fuck~" you mind was short circuiting as you felt wave after wave of pleasure.

Law was getting close, it was increasingly more difficult to keep up the pace he set. His movements started becoming more sporadic and the faces you were making only fueled his desire more and more. With every thrust his breath became more shaky and labored. He shoved himself as deep as he could as he came, sending you over the edge again. You laid like that for a while listening to each other's pants and heartbeats. Law eventually got up to dispose of the condom but the moment he got back into bed you cuddled up next to him. Neither of you said anything more as you both drifted to sleep.

___

Chapter Navigation: [1] [2] [3] [4] [You are here] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

[erinwantstowrite]

there is an uptick of people thinking that bruce like. emotionally manipulated peter in LoF? i should clarify that bruce did not do that??

(potential spoilers below)

he didn't know that spooking peter would be related to a trauma response, and peter ultimately wasn't mad at him for that. peter and bruce have been messing with each other since they met and peter started it (hello orphan joke that peter made the first time he spoke to batman). what he was really upset about was that bruce figured out the plan to tell his identity AND get around the spider sense. bruce was letting him know what he was walking into should he do that right then and there.

bruce was very much right that peter wouldn't go near the manor until he was comfortable with bruce, an adult he had only a few points of contact with atp. (also bruce still doesn't know that peter had stalked him and red robin in that one scene and that because of it, peter did know some things about batman and bruce.) even if he was comfortable with the rest of them, they'd have had a hard time getting him near the cave. peter is flighty and he often leaps before he looks. bruce has experience with like all 85 of his children being the same, but specifically when dick was peter's age

it wasn't emotional manipulation, he was just presenting himself in a way that made it easier for peter to feel comfortable around him and that he could trust batman. that's why they played tag of all things. peter would have been a lot more distrusting if bruce hadn't made that step. imagine the conversation about dick being peter's parent, but peter is five seconds away from trying to leave because he's in batman's house

i should also make sure everyone remembered peter's conversation with benny about why batman "doesn't allow metas":

it's a rule to protect metas from shit like this. AND it's to prevent superheroes that don't understand Gotham or how it works coming in and trying to "fix" everything only to make it worse. agree or not, i think it's pretty clear that batman doesn't actually have a problem with metas. he works with them (justice league, DUKE is on his team for crying out loud) but he's paranoid.

this isn't an angry post btw!! i'm just confused by some comments and a few asks i've gotten recently. i'm just making sure everyone here knows that bruce made a guess that peter would want to be on more equal terms with batman, and he was right. he's made a lot of mistakes in the past with not doing that (look at ALL of his robins. especially jason and steph) and he's learned from that

also. it's batman. he's gonna do that in the most dramatic way possible

[snaileer]

The process:

[carpetbug]

welcome to the beginning of my ML Feline Blue AU!

in which Marinette is forced to become guardian before ever wielding a miraculous. Chaos ensues when she uses the black cat ring to become feline blue and through a silly little turn of events, Adrien gets his hands on the ladybug earrings and becomes beetle rouge

BIIIIIG thank you to my lovelies @isabugs and @thimbleb3rries for being so kind and encouraging, for their WONDERFUL ART OH MY GOD, and for beta-ing this!

The beginning: Becoming Guardian

1 • 2 • 3

“You’re not going to beat me like that, old man” The looming figure taunted.

Hunched in a ball before him, a much smaller elderly man struggled for breath. Blood trailed from his mouth, combining with his saliva to messily drip from his lips as he fought for air. Just by the effort he had to put into continuing breathing, he could tell this was not a fight he could win. Still, his fists clenched in defiance as he pushed himself from the floor and steadied himself upright on his feet. His spine screamed in protest and searing pain at the task, but he managed to remain standing.

“I know I can not beat you, old man” He coughed, hands trembling slightly. “But I must continue to fight”

The taller man scoffed before taking a step forward “I’ll make sure it's the last thing you ever do, you pathetic excuse of a guardian” He spat, tightening his grip on his cane as his rage boiled beneath his skin.

“I’d expect nothing less from a villain like you, Hawkmoth”

“No need to act like you’re so much better than me. After all, we've all made mistakes, haven’t we Master fu” Hawkmoth sneered.

“Leave my past out of this. I’ve worked to fix what I have broken, you only aim to destroy” Master fu panted, feeling his shoulders to check if his bag was still on his back, and letting out a small sigh of relief when he felt the thick material. Next his hands slowly traveled to support and feel the bottom and sides of the bag, searching for an object. He took another relieved breath when he felt the item's weight, and then he prepared himself for the worst. Bunching his muscles, he sprang into action and bolted away from Hawkmoth.

He focused only on moving forward, getting as far from this wretched evil as he could before time ran out. When he finally collapsed, legs giving out from under him in pure exhaustion, he found himself at the Pont de Arts, above the seine. Hawkmoth was nowhere to be seen, but master fu knew that was only a false sense of security. The villain would find him soon enough. He needed to find someone. Anyone.

“-ir? Are you okay?”

A voice. Master fu looked up, vision shaking just slightly. In Front of him stood a teenage girl, dark hair pulled back into pigtails and eyebrows pushed together with worry.

“Sir? Can you hear me?” She asked with a panicked look in her eyes. “How can I help?” She stepped closer and offered him a hand.

Master fu gathered his strength to pull his bag from his back and carefully draw open the zipper before reaching in to pull out the contents. The girl watched intensely, eyes following his pained movements. He pulled a large dark wooden box from the bag and held it close to his chest, then brought his eyes upwards to meet her face. “I’m sorry, young hero” He said sadly, then joined his hand to hers before she could respond.

An intense feeling washed over him, and he closed his eyes to take a deep breath. This girl was strong. He hoped she will forgive him for the burden he will make her bear.

She flashed an anxious smile “That’s okay, and I promise I’m no hero. Just a normal g-” He cut her off with a sharp tug, then slammed the box into her chest. She gasped as he knocked the air from her lungs, clearly not expecting such a feat of strength from the battered man. As she fought to breathe, Master fu gathered the last few remnants of his strength and lifted the girl from the ground. “I, Wang Fu, hereby relinquish the Miracle Box-”

“Stop! What are you doing!?”

“-and name Marinette Dupain-Cheng the guardian” His body lit up, skin glowing as the box between them lifted upward and burned like a star in the air.

“How do you know my na-?!” Before she could finish what she said, the box dropped back into her hold and the elderly man -still glowing like some sort of deity- held her over the railing and dropped her into the rushing water below. She hit the surface with a loud splash, getting thrown under but quickly resurfacing a few feet away, miracle box still in her arms.

The last thing she saw before being pulled away by the fast moving current was the man falling backwards to the ground in exhaustion as the light emitting from his skin dimmed.

Master fu slowly blinked his eyes open, carefully taking in his surroundings with an expression of pure shock and confusion on his face. He seemed so frail, all of a sudden. Like he had lost all his fight.

“What did you do?!” a booming voice hissed behind him. He started to turn his head to look, but something beat him to it. All of a sudden, a hand tightened around his throat and picked him off the ground, nails digging into the thin skin of his neck.

“What- what’s happening?” Master fus strangled voice hardly escaped his lips. He tried to thrash his legs, do anything to get free, but a fatigue he couldn’t explain had overcome his muscles. Weakly prying at his attackers hands, panic began to set in. There wouldn’t be any escape. “Who are you?” he managed out in a pained mumble.

“I am the next guardian of the miraculous” the seething voice responded as nails began to break through his skin. “I am the consequences of your greatest mistake” the words rang through his head as his vision went black, and sickeningly warm blood poured from his throat.

Marinette struggled to hold her head above the surface and keep the container in her grasp as the river pulled her this way and that. Her mind raced and her lungs screamed, everything inside her begging to let go of that weird old man’s weird old box and save herself instead. Still, her grip remained glued to the sodden wood, as if she would rather drown than set the box free to face the waters’ wrath. Nothing was making any sense. And despite the deafening chorus of the racing water that surrounded her, the only thing ringing in her ears was the man’s words.

He had called her a hero. He had entrusted her with something clearly important to him. He had thrown her into the seine. He had been badly wounded. He had been a complete and utter stranger. What did everything mean? Suddenly, her feet felt solid ground beneath her, and she hurriedly moved to follow it. She pushed forward, focusing on reaching the bank that lay on the other side. Eventually Marinette was able to pull herself and the box from the water onto an empty platform beneath a bridge.

As soon as she was safely out of the water, Marinette threw herself backwards in exhaustion. She laid against the cool pavement underneath her and passed through all the events that had just occurred. What the fuck was this ‘miracle’ box? And why was she the ‘guardian’? Ignoring the new aches in her body, she sat upward and brought the box closer to her.

There she sat for a few moments, toying with the lid and gently tracing the intricate pattern displayed. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened it.

“HELLO YOUNG MASTER” A loud chorus of voices rang out as a beam of light emitted from the open container and what looked like small differently colored masses of stars flew all around her. Marinette fell back onto her elbows, overwhelmed at the sudden sensory overload. Her vision was a blur of nauseating colors accompanied by what she could only imagine to be auditory hallucinations.

Before she had a chance to speak, to catch her breath or try and scream for help, the almost magical colorful masses slowed until they were still, then began to morph into a solid form. Marinette watched, intrigued and terrified, as these small creatures took shape in front of her. They each seemed to be a different animal, though they all shared an alien-like anatomy. Some had tails, others long whiskers and a few antennas. Two of them caught her eye, a sleek black cat and what she thought to be a ladybug (though it looked much more like some sort of bug-mouse combo).

As if the creatures could read her mind -which they could, for all she knew-, they began to speak in sync. “WE ARE THE KWAMI, MAGICAL BEINGS THAT CAN BESTOW POWERS UPON OUR WIELDERS.” They said, in an almost sing-songy voice.

“AND YOU, MARINETTE, ARE OUR NEW GUARDIAN.”