#no it’s not hiding in the deepest parts of the ocean either

[kashe86]

Motherfuckers talk too much about the Megaladon as if it’s the scariest thing to ever exist in the ocean and “ooo wouldn’t it be nuts if it’s still alive down there today!?”

As if there weren’t vastly more terrifying animals already living down there.

I present: The Humboldt Squid.

Don’t think it’s all that scary next to a gigantic great white shark?

Well… it averages about 5ft in length (i.e. about as long as most people) and weighs an average of 110lbs.

They travel in shoals of 1,200 individuals, have a reputation of being aggressive towards humans (although this may only be under specific circumstances), and have been seen migrating as far north as Alaska from the warmer waters off of Mexico.

Colloquially, they’re sometimes called “Diablo Rojo” or “Red Devil” for their tendency to flash red and white colors while attacking.

Fuck the (extinct) giant shark, there’s much scarier things in the ocean as is already.

[oceanicxeyes]

Closed starter for: @cxncordia Pairing: Walter && Amir It was dark once more. The sun had disappeared and in its place, the moon stood silent on the sky, accompanied only by a few stars. It appeared to the cloudy. Perhaps it would rain within the next day or so. Regardless of how volatile the weather presented itself to be, Walter sat on the sandy beach, his bare feet casually digging the sand as he kept his arms wrapped tightly over his legs, knees pressed against his chest as he contemplated how quickly things had change within mere weeks. If there were any deities in a different plane, any Gods – were they mocking him now? Did his own hubris proved to be his downfall? But was it really hubris to come to the sea every now and then, to be home once more? Those thoughts met no answer – divine or not. Only the casual sound of the waves caressing the sand bore witness to Walter’s internal turmoil as a chilly breeze brushed away his hair from his face. He had been amidst the land dwellers for a century. Ever since his own kind realized that they were on the path to extinction and decided to seek protection in the deepest corners of the sea. Walter never wanted that. To just… HIDE. It was the equivalent of admitting defeat. Was there really no hope to save his home? Back in the day, they didn’t have a word to what was happening. All they believed was that humans were the harbingers of their destruction. But with more and more incursions to land – watching humans build something that they called factories and make little care of the damage they caused to nature, it was clear that the paradigm was shifting. The seas were becoming hotter. The water level was slowly rising. Nowadays, people called that phenomena global warming. Humans in their pride and greed and need to evolve, had destroyed what had been there for longer than any of them dared to contemplate. And for a century, he had been careful. Walter had learned from humans how to behave and how to be one of them. The goal was easy – find some way – any way - to prevent the extinction of his kind. To save the oceans which were also the birth of life. And he had been so careful… for a century, he had successfully remained hidden and invisible to other beings of the night. Walter had heard about them: vampires and werewolves and witches and the likes. He wanted no part on their issues. He had his own mission and quite frankly – he was scared of all those other things concealed in the night. He was scared of humans too. What would they do if they found out what he really ways? Knowing how others viewed individuals with potential… he would either be locked in a lab and studied or turned into a weapon. Kept away from the sea – from his own true home.

It’s been weeks since his secret was exposed. Was it hubris? He had gone to the same beach he did for the past year – he had made sure that there was no one around. His human appearance turned into his real form: a tail, scales and gills. His skin became as bright as a pearl as his scales glistened under the pale moonlight. Then how did those… what was the word he used…? KINDRED? How they found him was not something Walter had planned. If not for someone else to guarantee his safety – to protect him… who knows where he would be now? And after a century, Walter found himself indebted to someone else. To a Kindred. A VAMPIRE. But this particular individual didn’t seem like the stories he read from books or the monsters he saw in the movies. He appeared… kind. Respectful. Walter even dared to conceive the concept of… safety. Maybe not all vampires were bad. Not all humans were monsters too.

“I will repay you for your kindness.” Blue eyes once fixated on the steady motion of the ocean glance over the siren’s shoulder to the man nearby. Amir was… unlike anything Walter had met before. He was a mystery wrapped in a enigma. Kindred or not – vicious or not – he had done nothing to make him fear him. He was still a predator but Walter believed – maybe because he was naïve when it came to other creatures – that this particular man truly wished him no harm. “I was so careful. I never used the same entry point twice.” It didn’t matter. He was spotted and almost captured if not for Amir. And that had been weeks ago. “I don’t understand what use I’d have to your people.” To vampires. Kindred. Not like he had told Amir about his ability to control and manipulate water or the eerie singing that became stuff of legends from days past. As far as the kindred was concerned – he was merely a siren. A man with the ability to transform into a fish hybrid and live underwater. What use would he be to those that could live forever? “But I am grateful to you. And no matter how long it takes – I plan to repay you for keeping me safe. It’s… the least I can do.”

[pleiades-cabin-talk]

Greetings, fellow Acolyte!

I hope you are doing well!!

For some time now, I have suspected that the Mother of Fall is also involved with the sea in some way, as well as the Mother of Solitude. You appear to be favored by both, which proves my thesis correct!!

I find myself drawn to the sea as well...I assume it is my Mother of Ground. How much do you know about the Buried aspects of your domain? About what lies underneath the surface of the water? How easy it is to drown? How, the deeper in you go, the harder it is to swim back up?

...Come to think of it, I am unsure whether you know of the Divine Mothers in the first place, even though you yourself are a Child of one.

Eagerly awaiting your response!

- the prophet Soren Baltimore ( @soren-gravestone-baltimore )

Oh Hello!!

Goodness, sorry for taking so long to get to you. Yes, I am doing well! Or, as best as I can at the moment, things have been a bit rocky on the Andromeda.

I hope you're doing well too, dear!

As for your questions, let's see...

Well, I suppose I've always considered the Buried and the Vast to have a fairly close connection in many ways, which is what I am assuming you're talking about? I've never heard the Fears referred to as Mothers, but I can see that fitting. (Though, the Vast has always felt rather masculine to me, I suppose that's besides the point.) as for the Lonely...I suppose the wide, rather empty expanse lends itself to a connection. I'm unsure if it favors me, truly, but it is...curious, maybe. I've not yet decided if that scares me or not.

Either way, I think it's actually not only because of the sea! While I do believe, with the growing pressure the deeper you go, the Deep simply has to be involved with the crushing strength and efficiency of the Buried. Not to mention the bottom of the sea reminds eerily of a graveyard. Which it is! Thinking of Whalefalls, for example. You'll find their decomposing bodies, their skeletons, down at the sea floor. Far, far beyond most people's reach. A thriving ecosystem in of itself as it feeds the critters of the Deep. But then, with how far down you have to go for the pressure to set in, for it to weight on your body like the dirt above, you are far past where light can reach you, giving way for the consideration of the deepest parts of the ocean also, in part, belonging to the Dark.

I think everything is interconnected to begin with though, to be honest. Like the water itself, it is...fluid, to an extend.

You can be crushed to death, you can loose sight of where up and down is, either because you don't see it or becomes the world around you has suddenly become so large. There are many reasons the Buried may claim victims that die far beyond the waves.

When it comes to what's below the waters...well. I'd say I've seen more than the average person of it, at least. There are beasts not officially known yet, colossal and fierce, hiding out of reach. But I definitely don't know everything yet, I don't think I ever will.

Gosh I think I lost my point somewhere along the way, maybe I never had one. But I suppose I am...rather intimately familiar with the aspects of the Buried involving the sea, given I've been down there. It leaves me wondering if I've at the very least been marked? But I'm not sure about that. Not yet, anyway.

I sincerely hope at least part of this answers your questions! If there is more you'd like to discuss, always feel free to reach back out, I'd love to talk more. I cannot deny that I am admitably...curious about you, Prophet.

For now, there is a Feast that needs preparing, so I wish you farewell until we meet again.

[lady-of-imladris]

Results of the "Where would you hide a Silmaril" post!!!

Hello everyone, sorry this took a while. But here are the results of this post. PLEASE READ THE UNHINGED RANDOM ONES. I will put them [HERE] in a separate post, as well as at the bottom of this post.

There will be charts for nice data representation (I used pie charts because I was taught NOT to use them and... fuck the rules)

We had a hot total of 127 people who either commented or reblogged with their opinion in the tags. Thank you to everyone who participated!!

Here are the numbers

31: give it to them

1 draw a sad face on it

1 in exchange for marriage proposal

2 in exchange for money

1 “I’m not dying for Feanor’s kidney stone”

1 in exchange for protection

11: body of water

5: people who accused me of having a silmaril

9: eat

after 23 hours

eaten by dog

6: volcano

7: NSFW edition

my ass

“up my… no I shouldn’t say it… the ocean”

“… either they wouldn’t look there or I’d have a good time while they’re looking

“I can’t bring myself to say it”

“In my pussy. Those gayboys wouldnt have the guts to retrieve it. Thank god Celegorm isnt in the picture”

“In my pussy. Sorry but 2 fine af war criminals in my house??! sorry not sorry daddy”

“I’d rather not say what my first thought was”

4: nope, not touching that

And now for the unhinged answers:

Here are the numbers:

54 unhinged answers:

5: Higher entity

“Give it to melkor because good luck getting it from that guy”

Ulmo

Tom Bombadil

Bilbo [Yes he counts as a higher entity]

Yavanna

3: Mess

Brother’s room

Wardrobe of the boys’ room (underneath lego)

Deepest darkest part of the woodshed

5: object permanence (it will disappear on its own)

parents’ basement between tomato sauce and baked beans

“I’d probably just lose it anyway”

“Wherever my left sock is”

“One of my “safe places”. It magically disappears within 24 hours”

“My special powers would kick in and it would never be found”

4: Proximity (hide it where they least suspect it. Close to them.)

Reverse pickpocket one of them

Maedhros’ underwear drawer

Near a Feanorian house

Under their own floorboards

2: cast it into the void

11: Urban

Hospital storage room

Toronto union station (a literal maze due to construction)

Go to a carnical and replace one of the lightbulbs with it

Gravel mine

Archives of a museum

“School or McDonalds, neither of these places feel like they exist on the mortal plane”

Bell tower

2: Ball pit

The trash

A random train station

Flush it down the toilet

4: Angband or Valinor

Bury it underneath the roots of the two tees

give it to Cirdan so he ships it off to valinor

3: Wear it

2: Wear it as a necklace

“Wear it and pspsp the Feanorians, dying in the process of trying to pet them”

RANDOM

Rig my house with cameras, assemble all light sources and plug them in, hide the silmaril inside a lamp, withdraw to a friend's place and watch them wander through my house like confused moths. Optional popcorn #noldor enrichment

Bury it in the garden with the potatoes. Good luck with the geese

Hide it in the middle of millions of other shiny rocks and run. Probably after drwaing a smiley on it

Feed it to a chicken and throw the chicken into the depths of khazad dum

Drive into a random direction and chuck it into a landfill

gollum-style underground, wrap it in a dozen bags and dump it into a deep but narrow crevice

Panic, try to eat it, spit it out, panic, dig a hole, throw myself into hole, panic, climb out, wait for them, throw it in their face while panicking

My pocket

Inside a washing machine, they would never look there

Wheel well of my heelies

Behind an army of therapists with a burning commitment to family gruop therapy. Either we'll scare them off or make some progress

Hand it to a little kid on the street

Inside a water mellon and say I gave it to a friend

British museum, god knows they'll never give it back-.

Box of tampons under the sink

inside a large rubber duck

Give it to deadpool

Buy a wedding dress and wait

Bring it to the shire. Even the Feanorians can't come after hobbits without looking like total dicks to a level even they aren't okay with

[eclipsedfates]

Naven, deity meme:

Upon the altar, a pair of spectacles. They have delicate insect wings on the tips of the frame, iridescent like stained glass. They hide the wearer's eyes, light always reflecting off of the lenses, the reflection a soft rainbow in pastel. A delicate gold chain hangs from the temples, different crystals dangling every few links.

An apple of silver, polished like a mirror. It reflects all, not a single movement lost to its echo. The stem and singular leaf are made of opal, sparking whenever they are disturbed.

A green vest of exceptional make. Delicate gold thread makes fractal patterns on the lapel and yoke; when you lift it, they almost feels like they're moving. It has a swallow-tail cut on the back, two tails long like those of a monarch butterfly. It feels softer than silk.

Oh, dear.

Naven had one policy when someone ever came to work for him under Bliss Ocean--that they knew what he could do. Was this the best idea? Probably not, until you remember that he could pretty much tell WHO could keep a secret. He usually wasn't wrong. And the people that DIDN'T know preferred to keep it that way. Some liked to keep their thoughts as their own, preferred the safety of no one looking at their deepest desires. That was the worst part. It felt like cheating, felt like he was betraying something when they ask to forget and they go about their day-to-day lives.

There isn't a day that he doesn't feel like that at least once or twice.

So now he's currently sitting in his office chair, silently going through his extensively large library of memories, in hopes of perhaps finding a match to whoever had the time and resources to leave THESE here.

It...wasn't as if he was mad. It was hard NOT to appreciate the beauty in all these objects, and the Fae side of him was EXTREMELY pleased, sure, but that wasn't the point and he REALLY needed to be logical about this. This looked...personal? Too personal? He's sure that none of his inner court could have left this--Zora was off on her own at the moment and the other Officers didn't have direct access to his office without his permission. Which...only left his wife, but this didn't exactly fit her usual style of gift giving either...

His hands grasp at the apple, fingers twirling at the stem to make it spin. It really is quite pretty and well made, and the spectacles were absolutely lovely, and he knew he'd look really fetching in this vest, he knew exactly what could go with-- Distracted. Focus.

{ Xerxes? I hate to interrupt whatever work you are doing, but, could you, maybe, when you have the time...go through the last few hours of footage in my office? See if there's anything unusual and report back to me, please. Thank you. }

Not mad. Pleasantly surprised, sure, but, well...sensitive information was in his office and this was a security job for his best friend. Whoever left these probably meant no harm, right?

He just didn't like loose ends. Perhaps he could at least thank them before questioning intentions. No real need to be rude about it.

[mystic-bookshelf]

The Soulmate Train

Chapter 1: Departure

AO3

Finally.

In the corner of her eye, Marinette saw how the minute hand jumped from 14 to 15, which confirmed two things for her:one, the clock hadn’t stopped working since she got here; two, time hadn’t stopped passing. 

Not that the latter would make any logical sense, but how else was it possible that the past three minutes were feeling like three days?

Why was the passing of time so weird? The sad, boring, uncomfortable times overstay their welcome while the happy and carefree moments go by in the blink of an eye. 

And there were a lot of sad, boring and uncomfortable things about standing in an abandoned railway station in the middle of the night during winter. For example, it was freezing. Even though she was wearing a coat, Marinette could barely feel her face unless she blew warm air into her hands and rubbed her cheeks. 

This wasn’t exactly her favorite weather to experience. The snow being whirled around by the occasional gusts of wind would be much more fun to observe behind a window, curled up in her favorite blanket with a nice cup of hot cocoa and her sketchbook.  But here she was, standing outside in the cold.

It wasn’t like she had much of a choice. 

The minute hand moved again.

Marinette sighed and stuffed her hands in her pockets, feeling a piece of paper in the right one. It felt different from the pages in her sketchbook, much smoother when she rubbed it between her fingers. 

To think this little piece of paper had such a huge, quite literally life-changing impact on her life.Her ticket to the soulmate train. 

The soulmate train was a mysterious, enchanted train that traveled far and wide, crossing the deepest oceans, the highest mountains, across different worlds, into different dimensions even; all to unite soulmates who had the misfortune of being born into different worlds, far far away from each other.

Nobody knew the origins of the train, and from the few people who would actually board it, even fewer dared to question it. After all, it was their only chance at finding the one they longed for.

When the time was right, one soulmate would receive a golden ticket with their name, the first words their soulmate would say to them, and the time and place on where to find the soulmate train.

And whoever made the rules apparently must’ve thought that the perfect time to board this train was 4:30 am. Maybe to make it seem even more mysterious and enchanted.

Or maybe they were a night owl.

Marinette tended to be one herself. Being consumed completely by a sewing project to the point that she would forget time and find herself staying up until the first rays of sunshine tickled her face wasn’t unusual.

But this wasn’t her room and this wasn’t a sewing project, and besides playing with the golden paper in her hand, there really wasn’t anything to do to keep herself from not falling asleep standing.

“How are you feeling?”

Marinette turned her head to the only other person in the railway station, hand stuffed in his pocket and shivering.

Ivan was a very tall guy and Marinette had to put her head back to properly see his face. Or rather the parts of his face that weren’t hiding under his black scarf. He wasn’t a fan of the cold either.

Marinette gave him a weak smile. “Honestly? Cold, and also sleepy.” She yawned, her breath condensing in the frosty air.

“You know I don’t mean the weather.”

Of course she knew. They weren’t out here for fun. 

But Marinette didn’t feel like giving Ivan a proper answer. Because that would mean talking about her feelings about things other than weather and time. Those she currently tried to suppress, so they wouldn’t go to her head and actually make her give up on the whole journey before it could even start.

No, turning away would be incredibly foolish. Marinette wanted to meet her soulmate. Of course she wanted to! Ever since her ticket had been delivered to her, Black letters on golden paper spelling her name, she’d been genuinely looking forward to it.

And her parents, bless them, had been incredibly supportive from the start.

“She’s going to meet her soulmate! The very same way I met your mother all those years ago!” her father sang while dancing around the bakery like a ballerina (just without the elegance, because this man wasn’t exactly a dancer) with utmost excitement.“It was the best thing that had ever happened to us, my little Chouquette! Don’t you agree, my darling wife?”

Her mother had simply chuckled and given her husband a kiss, so tender that Marinette had to look away. But it did make Marinette curious about her future. Would her soulmate be just as tender with her? She’d try to imagine herself in that position, which was a little hard to do since she had no idea what her soulmate even looked like.

Sabine had made roast beef that evening. To celebrate.

But the hint of sadness in her mother’s eyes wasn’t entirely lost on Marinette. She carried that sadness with her throughout the last days, under the thankful glimmer in her eyes when Marinette offered to help out in the bakery even more often than before or when she let herself be pulled away from her work desk without protesting for a coffee break. 

It had broken Marinette’s heart a little. And it had only gotten worse from there, when it wasn't either of them who had cried the hardest when Marinette had bid her goodbyes, but her father, the happiest and most optimistic man she knew.

Maybe he had been suppressing it until it spilled over.

And Marinette knew that she was close to spilling over as well, but she absolutely didn’t want to break in front of Ivan.

So she opted for the half-truth. “I’m pretty excited.”

She knew that admitting any negative feelings felt too self destructive. Instead, she should try to focus on the positive. She was going to meet her soulmate!

Her soulmate!

The thought alone made her heartbeat speed up slightly! Marinette had always been a sucker for romance, after all.

“And what about you?”

She couldn’t see his mouth, but his eyes indicated he was smiling under the scarf.

“I hope they’ll like it here. I really hope they’ll like me.”

“I’m sure they will.”

Just a few days after Marinette had received her ticket, Ivan had stormed into the bakery, completely out of breath and overjoyed, beaming while he announced that he had been notified. His soulmate had boarded the soulmate train and was currently on their way to him.

So not only was Marinette supposed to board the train tonight to travel to her soulmate, Ivan was supposed to meet his soulmate tonight. In a few minutes.

For the past weeks, he had told her about all the adjustments he had made, he had asked her for advice on decorations, flowers, and he had even requested a ton of pastries from the bakery to make the arrival as special as possible.

He had become even more excited when he finally had his first telepathic impression.

When soulmates were in close proximity to one another, sometimes a vision would appear before their eyes, where they would see a fleeting image of what their soulmate was doing at that moment. As soon as Ivan had snapped out of his vision, he had teared up, gushing over how pretty his soulmate’s colorful hair had looked.

Those excited glimmers of hope in between the nervousness and worry in his eyes were incredibly endearing.

Did her soulmate feel the same way? Did they also drag their friends around in hopes of creating the warmest, most perfect welcome for her?

Another glance at the clock. 4:28am. Only two minutes left. Oh, where did the time suddenly go?

Soon she’d be on her way. Soon she’d leave everything she knew and loved behind. With no way of returning…

An uncomfortable feeling in her stomach made itself known. The same feeling she had when she had stood in front of her parents, suitcase in her hand. It had taken her every ounce of willpower not to cry. Not to think too hard about how this had been the last time she’d see them. Hug them. Kiss them goodbye.

She hugged herself.

“When I’m gone, I’d like to ask you to look after my parents,” she said. “Just… check in on them, make sure that they don’t overwork themselves.”

Or get too sad.

Beside her, Ivan let out a quiet laugh through his nose.

“Of course. I can do that.”

She was really thankful that, at the very least, she wasn’t alone.

The clock chimed two times. 4:30 am.

The tracks suddenly started to clatter. Their fate was approaching.

Marinette’s heart started to beat faster and when she took a cautious step forward, she could see smoke in the distance.

The soulmate train! It was almost here!

Everything was starting to actually… feel real. And every emotion she had felt only grew more intense as the light of the headlamp shining in the distance grew brighter and revealed the train behind it.

It looked just as mystic as the legend made it out to be.

The locomotive was a gorgeous dark blue. The cow catcher on the front, the rods, the sand lines, and the handrails on the sides were all made out of gold. Under the dim lights of the station’s lamps, it shimmered slightly. A relatively small smokestack was placed on the front, thick smoke coming out of it. And there were golden ornaments everywhere, around the headlamp, the boiler, and the water tank, decorating the train with star constellations and other symbols.

“Woah…” she heard Ivan whisper underneath his breath.

“Yeah,” Marinette replied equally in awe.

The brakes screeched as the train slowed down and eventually stopped, steam coming out of the steam dome and covering the station under a white cloud.

From the train,a beam of light shimmered through the steam. In it Marinette could see two silhouettes, a man and a woman, standing in the doorway to one of the cars. Fittingly enough, the sight added to the mystical feel of the scene, so Marinette wasn’t even disappointed that she couldn’t see the two figures more clearly, no matter how much she squinted.

The man carefully took the woman’s hand and guided her down the stairs, where he let her go and lifted his other hand to gesture to Ivan. There was a smoothness in his simple movement that added a certain elegance; it was almost mesmerizing to follow his silhouette’s movements.

Hesitantly, the woman took a few steps forward and freed herself from the steam curtain, revealing a very colorful woman with pretty braided hair and big brown eyes. She was significantly smaller than Marinette, and with small steps she approached her and Ivan and looked in between the two.

“Which one of you is my soulmate?” she asked with a timid voice

Ivan slowly lifted his hand. “I… I think that would be me?” he stammered. Marinette had  never heard Ivan stammer in her life. “I… uhm… my name is Ivan. And uh… wow, you… you’re really beautiful.”

The girl’s eyes grew wide and a blush spread across her face, her hands gripping the ticket in her hand. She didn’t check the words on her ticket, probably didn’t need to. After all, who wouldn’t know words of such significance by heart?

Her lips slowly formed a shy smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Ivan. I’m Mylene.”

“Mylene…” Ivan breathed and took the courage to close the gap between them, his eyes shining.

It was when he grabbed her hand with one hand and thumbed her cheek with his other—a moment when every drop of emotions, of anticipation, of longing, and of hoping came together and became something so loving and real—that Marinette had to tear her gaze away. 

Between tender gestures and enamored eyes, she didn’t have to watch them to feel their connection. It was so palpable, so intense; it stirred a yearning deep within her. 

Was this… what they meant? What awaited her? 

If she could feel the beauty of a soul bond between two people merely by just existing around them, how intense must it be to experience such a bond herself?

Her entire body tingled with anticipation.

Marinette took the suitcase in her hand and took a few steps towards the open door. The steam cloud had cleared up in the meantime, revealing the mysterious man standing in front of it.

Marinette halted upon reaching him. The man was about a head taller than her and judging by his outfit, he wasn’t a passenger. He wore a navy blue vest with golden buttons over a plain white collared shirt  and an elegant, matching blazer with golden embroidery around the sleeves and shoulders. A golden chain was clipped to one of the button holes, the end disappearing into a chest pocket. A matching hat was sitting on top of his head.

It wasn’t hard to deduce that he had to be a train conductor.

He also appeared to not have noticed Marinette. Behind a curtain of teal colored tips, piercing blue eyes seem to stare past her into the distance. She followed his gaze and found he was observing Ivan and Mylene, who were talking, blushing, and cradling each other.

Marinette turned back to him. The conductor’s lips formed a faint smile, his eyes sparkling.

It was kind of adorable, how he watched the couple with such endearment in his eyes. He must be glad about having united his passenger with her soulmate.

“They look really happy, don’t they?”

“Huh?”

The train conductor flinched, tore his gaze away, and finally registered the woman standing in front of him. He stared at her with wide eyes, looking like he had been caught off guard.

“The couple, I mean,” Marinette clarified. “I just… I think they look very cute together…”

The conductor’s lips slightly parted, but no words came out. He just kept staring. 

“I’m so sorry to have startled you.” Marinette held her hands in front of her. “I just-”

“Oh, no…” The conductor shook his head and cleared his throat. “You, you didn’t. I’m terribly sorry, just… long night and… uhm…”

In the dim light of a nearby street lamp, it sort of looked like his cheeks had turned pink, and Marinette couldn’t help but decide that it was her turn to stare. Despite his rather sharp jawline and prominent cheekbones, there was a softness about him that she found weirdly captivating. The man looked… beautiful.

“It’s no problem,” Marinette reassured him. “I… I have a ticket.”

She pulled the small paper out of her pocket and held it out to him. This was it, the point of no return. He carefully took it to examine it.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he read out loud as his eyes darted over the words. Then he reached under his blazer and pulled out a list. 

Marinette’s grip on her suitcase tightened. This was happening, she was mere seconds away from pursuing her love story… for the small price of leaving her home town forever.

Oh dear, hopefully this wasn’t a mista-

No, no, no! No doubts. Not now. This was happening, just like destiny had intended for her.

“Is everything okay?”

The conductor examined her with a concerned expression. Marinette’s cheeks felt hot under his gaze. 

“N-no, all good…”

He didn’t look entirely convinced, but he still handed the ticket back and held his hand out, giving her a gentle smile.

“Well, Marinette, I’m happy to welcome you on the soulmate train. If I may take this,” he offered, and without thinking about it, she handed the suitcase to him. Her fingers brushed against his white gloves.

“Thank you… uh…”

“Luka,” he said, “my name is Luka. If you may follow me?”

He held out his still free hand, and Marinette hesitated, her hand hovering over his. Knowing that this would mean fully committing. 

Which she arguably had already done by giving him her suitcase. And the ticket. And probably by coming here, in the middle of the night, in the first place. But this final step seemed… so scary all of a sudden. That if she laid her hand in his, It would solidify everything.

As she lifted her eyes from his hand to his eyes, she was met with patience. Luka didn’t seem annoyed or baffled by her. Probably because he had seen it before, people trying to take this final step and being hesitant about it. 

His smile widened a touch, as if to say, “It’s okay to be scared.” Without any words, without knowing him, she felt like he understood.

And maybe this was the last push she needed before she felt his warm hand underneath hers and let him gently pull her up the two steps through the door.

She turned back one last time to catch Ivan’s eye. He had taken Mylene’s bag in his hands and upon making eye contact with Marinette, he smiled and waved. “Take care, Marinette!”

Marinette waved back, and with that, she turned around and stepped through the door.

The inside of the train looked just as beautiful as the outside. She followed Luka through rows of seats with red cushions and small tables in between. The dark blue walls had colorful paintings of the night sky. Luka offered and helped her take off her coat.

“This is the dining car,” Luka explained, “you’ll find breakfast here in the morning.”

Marinette looked around and took everything in. It looked quite cozy.

“This is the only relevant car,” Luka said, “other than your cabin.”

The next car had several doors on the left side. She followed him through the first cabin car and into the second, where Luka stopped in front of one door and opened it to reveal a small cabin.

“Make yourself at home.”

Marinette peeked into the room. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t exactly spacious, it could just fit a bed and a small night stand with a lamp on top, but it didn’t feel too cramped either. Marinette found it to be very cozy. 

Mariette smiled. “This cabin is adorable.” He handed her the suitcase and the coat.

“I‘m glad it‘s to your liking,” Luka smiled, ”You should go ahead and get some rest. You have a long journey ahead of you and I’m sure you must’ve lost some sleep.“

Marinette chuckled. “Well, the ticket told me to come here in the middle of the night, can you blame me?”

The conductor laughed. God, even his laugh sounded pretty. Marinette found herself wishing to hear it some more.

“I know, and I sincerely apologize for the trouble.” He slightly bowed, hand on his chest. “But I can assure you, the beds here are very comfortable. You should be able to get enough sleep while here. And besides” —he had the audacity to wink at her— “It does make the train feel a little more mystical and enchanted, doesn’t it?”

Marinette reciprocated his rather dorky smile with a laugh behind her hand. “Can’t argue with that.”

There was a moment of silence between them after that. Marinette went ahead and carried her luggage into the cabin and hung up her coat.

“Is there anything I can still do for you before you go to sleep?”

“I don‘t know if I’ll be able to sleep,” she admitted, “I feel…”

“Anxious?” Luka finished the sentence. 

If she was honest, the feeling was still there, but not nearly as strong and noticeable as it had been before she had entered.

Marinette shrugged. “I guess? It’s just… I can't believe I’m here.”

“That’s understandable. Lots of travelers feel that way. Change is always scary and it takes time to learn how to deal with it.”

Marinette chuckled. “It’s kind of hard to take your time with things when they seem to happen so fast.”

Luka nodded. “I can’t lift that burden off your shoulders, but I can offer you some tea. It might help to get your mind to rest… and warm you up.”

Marinette considered the offer, then nodded. “Tea would be great.”

She took her time taking her essentials out of the suitcase and placing them on the shelf above the bed. She had just sat down on the bed when there was a knock, followed by the conductor’s head poking through the door.

“Thank you so much.” Marinette took the cup from him, reciprocating his kind smile, and after taking one sip, she felt warm on the inside.

“Feeling better?“

Marinette nodded. “Yes. What kind of tea is this? The flavor is nothing like anything I’ve ever tried before.”

His smile grew a tad and it looked like he was a little proud of himself. “It’s a mixture of some herbs I created. The recipe is a secret though.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Marinette joked, “but I really like it. The smell is also really relaxing.”

“I hope it’ll help you find some sleep, then.”

“For sure. Thank you, Luka.”

Luka nodded approvingly. “It was my pleasure. Sweet dreams and rest well, Marinette. We‘ll see each other in the morning.”

The door made a quiet click sound and Marinette was left alone, seated on the very soft bed. 

The tea did its job. Marinette found herself wrapped in a blanket, enjoying the warmth of the tea and making loose sketches of the train and the ornaments decorating it. Not long after she had finished the tea, her eyelids started to feel heavy and she put the book aside.

She sunk into the incredibly soft pillow, feeling like she was laying on a cloud, and closed her eyes. The last thing she registered before dozing off to sleep was the train slowly leaving the station.

[klysanderelias]

But for real though, I hate these sort of semi-spiritual NPC fortune tellers that know the entire plot and are willing to play therapist because of it, both because it's deeply annoying to have someone tell you the plot to the game you're playing but also because like, something about it shreds my belief in what's happening.

Like, if you want to have tarot card readings that are spot on accurate, that's one thing I guess, if only because they're not required for the plot, but if a core progression path takes me to a strip joint where a sex worker is going to start going on and on about my deepest darkest fears or whatever, it's like...

I think part of it is that it implies that the character doesn't exist outside of the confines of the game - like, my deepest darkest fear is that I died and now am dying again? Not the ocean? Not getting brainjacked and turned into an immortal subroutine for god knows what purpose? Not being a worse father than my own father was to me? Not my dick falling off from leprosy? Oh I'm alone and there's no one left? Welp, guess I have to throw out any headcanon or invented backstory because it turns out that my V actually doesn't have a family, or friends, or any connection to any NPC I've met so far. It's weird because the corpo background V actually DOES reference things that happened before the game starts, specifically some sort of issue at the Mexican border, but it never actually goes into detail, and it only comes up to make you feel bad about Jackie.

I'm genuinely of the opinion that this sort of thing just can't work in a AAA game, because if they want to have voice acting then they can't just farm it out to a sweatshop overseas like they do the graphics and animation afford it. It's the worst of both worlds of character agency - V isn't a realized character with their own thoughts and feelings, so you can't just have prewritten dialogue that shows off and explores that character, but also since their lines are voiced and so are the NPC responses, there's only so much dialogue you can actually have per scene. It's not like kotor or some of the older cRPGs where you could have pages of text per conversation because the main cost was writing.

But also like, some of this stuff feels like it was written piecemeal - like, if V's biggest desire to be remembered, well, they successfully pulled off a heist of one of the biggest pieces of tech established in the game so far, and got away with it. Their legacy at this point in the game is genuinely 'killed one of the biggest CEOs in the world' as far as anyone knows. Yeah, maybe they didn't, and maybe they don't want to be known for that, but you can't say 'I just want people to know I was here. That I mattered' when in-universe EVERYONE is talking about how you personally killed THE head of Arasaka. And partially I think that falls through because the game kind of doesn't really want to talk about that? Because it's not interested in telling a story where you have to go into hiding because you're the most wanted criminal on the planet? Because then you couldn't do your little walkaround missions for the police? There has not been a single moment so far where the game goes 'hey remember how you're a wanted criminal?'

But also this sort of semi-spiritual fortune telling stuff also rubs me the wrong way because it's always spot on the money - which means that either you have to accept that in this universe, white people who sell crystals are inherently correct about religion, OR that this is the result of some other higher power stepping in to provide you direction in a game that's pretty damn agnostic/atheistic about religion otherwise. The alternative, of course, is that it's the game developers breaking the fourth wall to explain the plot to you and reassure you that everything's going to be fine, because they think you're either too dense to understand their groundbreaking ideas, or that the game isn't good enough on its own to answer those questions so they needed a little interlude to make sure you didn't quit because no one was holding your hand.

And I'm a little salty about that sort of thing, obviously.

Also? Sex workers aren't your damn therapists! Don't pay for a session with a sex worker and ask them to help you through your emotional crises! You're not paying them enough for that, even if they both were qualified to do that AND agreed to do so for you.

Why the fuck does cyberpunk have sex doll mama murphy

[heliads]

I just saw your Hiccup master list and I love love love it! Can you maybe do another part of the norse goddess one where like, Hiccup calls for her after Stoick's death in HTTYD 2, but it takes a while, so she appears with some of her most loyal generals and some valkyrie in the end when Hiccup and Toothless are about to be frozen? And like, she's all badass and stuff, using her oceanic powers to protect him and decimate the remains of Drago's followers, before trapping him in water, telling him to beg, but then he's stubborn so she goes full goddess mode, title and all, and condemns him to a millennia in her domain, to drown and be tortured to the brink of death over and over again? and like, she orders her valkyrie to drag him to their deepest dungeon, before she uses her powers again and takes care of the damage on Berk? It's very specific, sorry - but I can't help it you're too good fgeijhgf

ok so to get here from the previous happy hiccup one i had to put in a bit of angst lol (my achilles heel) but it gets happier...somewhat...

part three / masterlist

You fully intend on staying in Berk for a while. You do not want to leave, nor do you have any reason to go. Hiccup wants you here, and you want to stay. It could be perfect, you know. A chance to rest. You aren’t putting down the mantle of goddess of the seas, and you don’t want to, either. All you want is to live, and sometimes that means slipping from an immortal’s palace to walk with the mortals every now and then. These mortals in particular happen to be very important to you.

You intended on staying, but others did not intend the same for you. With a couple days of your arrival on the mainland, you start to hear whispers from the other villagers, asking why someone like you would remain here for so long. Eventually, your brother realizes that you won’t be leaving, and speaks to you alone. The conversation happens just before dawn, when no one else is around to stop it.

Thor says that this is wrong, that you cannot hide your immortal roots no matter how much you wish. Thor says that this is not your place. Hiccup extends the invitation now, but he will not mean it later. All mortals must grow, and when you don’t, you will hold them back. What’s more, your father will hear of this soon enough, and Odin does not permit the gods to cast off their immortality to live like mortals, least of all his children.

Thor asks a question of you. Remember what became of Loki, who betrayed the Allfather? He was bound for all eternity in a cave no god dares enter, doomed to suffer as snake venom constantly drips into his eyes.

You think one thing to yourself: at least Loki has his wife, Sigyn, to catch most of the venom before it fell. You will have nobody, no friends, no husband. It will be you and the tides, and neither are particularly known for their friendliness.

Thor is right, though, as much as you would love to deny it. You know Odin’s beliefs on the roles of gods and mortals; separate, that is, and in no way meant to mix. You were tempting fate by staying on this island once you had done your job and found out about the existence of the Dragon Conqueror, and by remaining, you stray from the destined golden path of one of the Allfather’s children. You would love to delude yourself into thinking that you could stay here, but you cannot.

Eventually, Thor takes pity on you, ceasing his parade of reasoning to lay one muscular hand gently on your shoulder. He does not do this to hurt you, he says, but to save you. You know that he has nothing but pure purpose, but that does not make the blade sting any less as it slices your heart from your chest. Broken pieces are left behind, no matter how well-intentioned the blow.

Hiccup does not understand as you did, but he tries. You speak to him as the first threads of dawn come down from the sky, and leave before the sun has fully risen. It is just bright enough to see the tears that he just manages to keep at bay. You promised him the world and have now taken it back. He has every reason to hate you.

Yet, for some reason, there is no hatred in Hiccup, not for you. Sure, the villagers mutter under their breaths about how women truly are as fickle as the sea, that your coming and going will only erode this place faster from its sturdy stone shores. They keep their voices low to make sure they’re not overheard, but it doesn’t matter. You can hear anything spoken over the sea, and Hiccup is numb, not angry. That’s the best you can hope to see.

You try not to look at Berk anymore. In looking, you remember what you left, and that hurts too much. It’s strange, isn’t it? You have lived for centuries, and seen countless crops of humans grow old and die, or be slaughtered before they could even surpass their fathers. Grief is not foreign to you, yet this pain is devastating.

You fully expect to never step foot on Berk again, at least not for another couple of decades, once the pain starts to wear away once more. However, barely a few years later, you sense someone approaching your waters, someone starting to pray to you. Few pray to the goddess of the seas without some sort of intent, a hope for safe passage or a blessing upon their coastal towns.

This seeker, however, is different. The event he would rather avoid has already happened, and has already tinged his words with grief. It takes you scarcely a moment to realize that the speaker is Hiccup, and he tells you of an attack by a rival dragon commander. Drago, a powerful warlord, attacked the other dragons and killed Hiccup’s father.

The hurt of it strikes you instantly. You’re supposed to stay in your domain, especially now that you’ve been warned away from Hiccup, but you would never forgive yourself if you let Hiccup’s request go unanswered.

When Hiccup collects himself, raises his eyes from the bleak sand of Berk’s beaches, he sees you standing before him, striding from the waves. He looks surprised to see you, as if not entirely certain that you would come, and you hate himself for giving him that lack of faith.

“Y/N.”

You nod, walking to his side. “I am sorry to hear about your father. He was a great man. I will make sure that he is delivered to the great halls of Valhalla myself.”

It is the least you can do. Some part of you wants to ask Hiccup if he hates you for leaving, for not being there to defend his father and save Stoick’s life. Had you not left Berk, had you stayed to fight, Stoick may not have died. There is no mortal enemy that cannot fall to you, so you could have stopped this, couldn’t you?

Even in the midst of his grief, Hiccup still seems able to read you, just as well as he always has. “Don’t blame yourself. We know why you had to leave, it’s just- Well, I was his son. I should have accepted his advice.”

You can tell from the tone of his voice that Hiccup blames himself more than anything. You want to rush to him, to wrap your arms around him and say something, anything, to ease the pain, but you gave up the right to call him yours when you left again.

Instead, you remain when you are, forcing your legs to lock lest they betray you by going to him. “Do you want Drago dead? He will be, if you want. Or, worse, I can leave him alive and in enough suffering to make him wish he had died.”

Gods aren’t supposed to intervene in mortal affairs, especially like this. However, you couldn’t care less about what Odin thinks of you at the moment. Hiccup is in pain, and you can stop it. It’s as easy as that.

Hiccup’s eyes turn dark, a sharp contrast from the happy, almost carefree boy he’d been when you first met. “I want him gone, whatever that means.”

You incline your head. “When do we leave, and how? He took all of your dragons.”

Something almost like a smile, lacking all of its warmth, crosses Hiccup’s face. “I have a plan for that. We may need your help, though.”

Drago has no idea what’s coming for him. You would like nothing more than to snap your fingers and cause a wave roughly the size of a small continent to descend upon Drago’s forces, although you’re certain that a display of your power that large would certainly cause the Allfather’s wrath to fall upon you. Also, this isn’t just your fight, but Hiccup’s, mainly Hiccup’s. He needs this revenge more than you need to prove that you still need him.

You’re still more than willing to use your abilities as a goddess to help, though. You call upon a dozen or so of your most valued soldiers to help add to the Vikings’ numbers. The seas have fought many a battle to keep darkness at bay, more than the scholars are willing to commit to history. There are monsters that loom in the depths of the oceans, many of them too frightening to name. You kill them as they appear, lest they swallow the earth whole, and these soldiers have helped you do it.

Hiccup leads his friends and yours, his first time as a chieftain. You have to admire him for his skill; although he may not have wanted this responsibility so soon, he accepts it with vengeance. Soon enough, you’re descending upon Drago’s camp, and then it’s all over for the murderous enemy lord.

You and Hiccup go in together, the scores of oceanic warriors and Vikings charging behind you. For a few glorious minutes, it is you and him leading the charge, with everything tying you together. Your hands push back Drago’s forces as one, flattening any resistance. You allow yourself to picture it for a moment: the two of you in the future, crushing any and all enemies in your path. Wouldn’t it be brilliant?

After what you’ve done, though, you cannot entirely see it happening. So, you channel your frustration and guilt over what could have been into your fighting, and the effect is clear. You’re surrounded by water, and it is water that tears men in two, drowns them before they can fight, kills them in seconds. People rarely associate the sea with the kind of bloodshed that comes with war. That is their mistake.

You do follow Hiccup, but you also fight for yourself. With every one of Drago’s fighters that you kill, you imagine it’s one less thing standing your way. This fallen warrior is for all those who thought they could tell a goddess what to do. This one is for all the gods up in Asgard who would have you stay away from people who make you happy, all because they prefer to think of themselves as better than mortals. At least mortals are brave enough to fight for what they want instead of clinging to rituals and traditions older than time itself. At least mortals can grow, older or wiser or all of those and more.

You’re separated from Hiccup when he goes to talk Toothless out of a larger dragon’s hypnosis, which leaves you to take on Drago yourself. This is perfectly fine with you- there is nothing that could hold you back, nothing that could hope to stand in your way.

You find the enemy chieftain soon enough, and don’t even bother to fight him in a battle of swords. Instead, you summon a wave of water, one that crashes over him, holding him immobile. No matter how much he struggles or fights to break free, there is nothing he can do to move. All he can do is watch with growing terror as you slowly walk closer to him.

You take your time. This is the man who killed Hiccup’s father; why shouldn’t you make this last? At last, you raise your sword until the very tip of the blade rests on Drago’s throat.

He maintains his false bravado until the end. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it.”

You laugh, and it is a cruel sound. “That’s not my call to make. Honestly, if you want someone to decide your fate, you should be happy it’s me. Hiccup’s got quite the claim to make you hurt.”

Drago swallows hard. “I know what I did. Get it over with.”

You consider this. “I don’t think so. Why should it be so fast? Beg me for a quick death.”

Drago scoffs. “I would never.”

You tilt your head to the side. “I don’t think you understand how painful I can make your death. It can last for decades, that’s nothing to me. Beg for the right to die.”

Drago just locks his jaw. “Never.”

Your face hardens. “It is not wise to upset a goddess, you know.”

You glance across the battlefield, which has drawn silent as the fighting armies realize that something terrible is about to happen. Hiccup and Toothless touch down by your side, and Hiccup nods once, not willing to hold you back. That’s all the permission you need, at any rate, and so you turn back to Drago, who looks terrified.

“As Goddess of the Seas, Queen of the Oceans, and Daughter of Odin, I condemn you to a millennia in my domain. Let your heart never stop, let your lungs never give out, not until I allow it. You will drown over and over again, but never die. This is your punishment for the crimes you have committed on this land.”

You gesture to your soldiers, and they pull Drago towards the edge of the sea. He fights all the way, but his strength is nothing to that of a goddess’ finest warriors. Drago screams once before he is dragged beneath the surface. It is a terrible scream, the sound of a once brave man reduced to a gibbering wreck at the thought of the torture ahead of him, and it makes you smile.

Once the water has settled again, you turn back to the Vikings. Drago is gone, and his army has all been destroyed. The people of Berk can breathe again, for as long as it takes to get back on their feet. Rebuilding will be hard, but you think they can do it. Mortals have always been far more resilient than they believe of themselves.

Despite everything, you find you’re still almost afraid to talk to Hiccup, so you keep a respectful distance. He finds you later that day, though, standing on a rocky cliff and staring out over the horizon.

Hiccup’s voice is quiet. “How long will you be staying here?”

You find that you can’t look at him. “I don’t know. I will not ask for your hospitality, I know I left quickly last time. For what it’s worth, going away was one of my biggest regrets.”

Hiccup nods. “My father’s death wasn’t your fault.”

You shake your head. “Not because of that. I convinced both of us that we could have a life, and I stopped it because I was afraid of what the others would think of me, of you. It was cruel to allow that hope to take root. I would not blame you for asking me to leave.”

You wait for Hiccup to tell you to go, or worse, to say nothing as you pick up your pieces and retreat back under the sea again. Instead, he steps forward, looking you in the eyes for the first time since he called to you on that beach.

“I would never ask you to go. Not once, not ever. This place is your home, if you wish it. If not, you have all the reasons in the world. But if there was ever a chance that you wanted to stay, I would welcome you with open arms.”

Hiccup holds out a hand to you, as if asking you to come back with him, away from the cliffs and the oceans and everything that has held you back from him. You waver for a moment, remembering Thor’s words and Odin’s wrath and every fear you have ever had.

Then you take his hand, and you find new hope in the pure joy in Hiccup’s eyes. “If you would have me, I would stay forever.”

That’s the truth, as simple as it could be. You didn’t realize how alone you were until you left, and you never want to feel it again. Who knows what the gods will say, how the villagers will respond. What you know is Hiccup’s love, your smile, and the knowledge that you don’t need anything else. If there’s anything your centuries have taught you, it’s to appreciate the good when you get it. This is better than anything else.

disney tag list: @rogueanschel, @lovesanimals0000, @thatfangirl42

[willowedwisteria]

Summary -> For Kokomi & Sara, the reader can either be part of the resistance (for Kokomi) or the shogunate (for Sara) but they are pretty low on rankings but still caught their soulmate's attention when they did something surprising like saving their lives from an accident or assassination.

Note -> Requested by @kuronight96! Note, this is not SAGAU (because I have no idea how to tie this into SAGAU)! I might be changing the idea a bit, I hope you don't mind.

Featuring -> Kokomi, Kujou Sara

Genre -> Fluff

Sangonomiya Kokomi

You took a deep breath, absorbing the fact that you were laying in a pool of crimson. Your lungs feel like shriveling every single time you breathed, your eyes were sore and just wanted to rest.

You had a family to protect, you had friends to see again, and you had promised the shrine priestess your loyalty. Yet, look at you, the only thing that could save you right now would be the stars.

What are you thinking? You weren't favored by the gods, no vision, no luck, no good karma, what's with you?

No, seriously. What's with you?

Why are you just laying in a pile of dead soldiers when you're still "well" and breathing? At least, if these truly were your last moments, make use of it.

With the little strength you had left in your body, your arms boosted your frame up, somehow still able to balance yourself on your own two feet.

You limped past the ocean of your once alive comrades, really taking in the fact that you're fighting a losing battle.

The shogun's wish, the shogun's orders, the shogun's wishes, what about her people? If she truly wanted to protect us, then why is she allowing so many to lose their lives in this state. How could anyone call themselves a ruler?

You stumble over to the soft sounds of weapons clashing and shouts. The sound of bodies dropping and victorious laughs from the opposition didn't help much.

Should you step in? Wouldn't your injured and battered body pull the whole army down? It wouldn't be the greatest time to show up to the battle with an arrow sticking out of your arm.

"Sara! Can't we just talk it out?" Kokomi dodges multiple arrows and traps them in hydro bubbles.

"You heard the shogun's announcement, I'm sure General Gorou has already relayed it to you. We want your vision." Sara pulls out another arrow before releasing it and it hits the soldier behind Kokomi.

Sara kicked away the soldier that was charging at with a polearm in hand. "It was a direct order from the shogu and not just my higher-ups, it is not up for discussion."

Kokomi used the arrows that she had trapped in hydro to hit Sara's soldiers who were trying to apprehend her, she stared at Sara's serious face and knew she wouldn't be able to convince her with just words.

"It seems like we don't have a choice." Kokomi prepared to yell for her army to retreat, but Sara stopped her.

"There's no where for you to run, Sangonomiya Kokomi. We've got you surrounded."

Shit, you might really have to be a distraction.

With a bit of hesitation, you picked up a polearm, trying to aim for Sara with your shivering arms.

...it landed right by her feet. You should have really expected this.

Suddenly, your had an idea. Now that you look at it, the battlefield was right in the middle of Watatsumi. Many had fallen down to their doom after slipping due to how cramped it is with the number of soilders.

You cleared your voice, and in the deepest voice, you shouted, "Soldiers are hiding at aiming arrows at the army! Quickly run!" You warned cheekily as panic settled in.

To add a bit more of an effect, you picked up a bow and randomly aimed it at their feet. You didn't have to be precise, you just needed more of a reaction from them.

Without a moment of silence, all of the soldiers had begun to rush out of the crowded area and slipped off accidentally due to the chaos.

Both Gorou and Kokomi stared in shock, then spotted you waving at them in the shade of a shell. Understanding your plan, Gorou began to shoot arrows as Kokomi gathered arrows from the ground to re-use them.

"H- hey!" Even Sara couldn't stop the disarray and misunderstanding. At this point, many of her soldiers would die due to falling down, and she wouldn't be able to maintain order. Plus, she wouldn't be able to continue fighting.

Shooting a glare at Kokomi, she commanded a retreat from her army.

The whole army cleared in a matter of minutes and you simply fell to the ground, your body exhausted and covered in scars. It was simply luck that none of the soldiers noticed you.

You heard footsteps coming in your direction hurriedly. A pair of hands lift your head before laying them on a... pillow? A soft one. "Allow me!"

Your body feels, so much lighter now. A wave of cool air passes you and you open your eyes to see Kokomi looking down, next to her is a jellyfish emitting waves.

You opened your mouth to say something, but you still don't have any energy to speak even though you were being healed.

Kokomi looks at you, smiling as her gloved hands wipe away any blood on your face. "Thank you, for saving me. Rest, for now, my comrade - you have done more than enough."

Kujou Sara

You can't imagine how busy healers are in the Tenryou Commission. Seeing wounded soldiers turn up into the healer's quarters and being forced to tend to them, acting nice to them no matter how much of a bad mood you were, it really sucked.

Plus, every day for a healer wouldn't be an uneventful one, especially in the aftermath of many battles with Kujou Sara and Sangonomiya Kokomi clashing heads.

Most healers are vision holders because it's more effective and efficient rather than wasting weeks resting. Therefore, the poor citizens who got in because they were actually experienced in the medicinal field got ostracized despite being more knowledgeable about this topic.

You were a part of the unlucky bunch.

Many didn't trust your abilities due to you spending most of your time in the forest collecting herbs. You were a herbalist after all.

Certainly, it was a pain. Communicating with animals was a breeze compared to the daily protests that you receive whenever you apply your medicine to the soldier's wounds.

'Ah! What's that green goop you're going to put on me!? It's not going to make the wound worse, right?'

'This tea is terrible! Can't you get another flavor or something?'

'This process would have already been finished if an actual healer was here.'

You respected the soldiers for their fighting spirit and skills of course, but it was terrible enduring so many complaints about your medicine when it worked wonders in the end.

Just because some process is faster, more systematic, and just requires less effort doesn't mean that it's better. The soldiers also deserve to rest mentally too, not just heal their wounds physically.

It would be mentally draining for them. Where would their fighting spirit be after that?

⁂~~⁂

As you wandered around through the bushes and leaves, you inspected your surroundings carefully. Since you were quite experienced already, your eyes could naturally spot herbs even with the green scenery around them.

"Ooh, basil, sage. I wonder if there's any parsley around here." You search around you, leaving a mark on a tree to indicate that you've been to that specific spot with a blade - you wouldn't want to get lost.

Ah, not very off-topic, but do you know how much crimson red truly stands out in a green background?

You know right? It would catch your eyes in a split second, maybe even less than that. That's exactly why you were able to spot the blood that stained the grass, bloody footprints leading to the fallen body of a woman.

More specifically, none other than Kujou Sara herself.

To be honest, there wasn't much blood, but that didn't mean you weren't one to panic when you see your general this badly hurt.

Out of shock, you drop all of your things to immediately rush to her side. There wasn't a need to care about the blood staining your skin to clothes, what mattered now is that Sara's life is on a timer that might run out any second now!

Is she breathing at least? You leaned in closer, seems like it. Alright, let's check her wounds. A light stab wound around her oblique area, small cuts all around.

You're pretty confident you can treat her properly. If it was anything like a spear sticking into her lungs, you would have to consult your seniors.

Slowly, you carry her and your things to a river. You couldn't really clean the water since you didn't have a filter, but it would be better to get rid of the wound's germs rather than not at all.

With that done, you pulled your mortar and pestle out to mash herbs together and apply them to her wounds. It was really lucky you went out herb-hunting before this.

A groan dragged out behind you as you washed your hands in the river. "Where am I?"

Sara stared at you, "I feel like I've seen you before."

"I'm in the healing department, team 2, a low rank though. I was out collecting herbs and medicinal plants when I spotted you." You introduced yourself before adding on, "Don't move too much as well, you need to rest."

Sara nodded, following your instructions.

"If you don't mind me asking, what in the world happened? I never expected to see someone like you in such a terrible state."

Sara turned to face you, "I got caught in some kind of elaborate trap. I'm not sure who was the perpetrator, but I'll be more cautious in the future."

Your fingers hovered above the wounds, lightly tapping on them. "Does it sting, or at least hurt?"

"It isn't as bad as just now," Sara stated.

"So it still hurts, it's just not as painful?" You replied back. "Yes."

"Alright then," You get up from the ground pulling up your sleeves before lifting Sara up, piggyback style.

"Hey! What do you think you're-"

You hush her up, telling her that she still needs to rest due to the cuts on her leg. She probably broke something too in this state, it would be better for you to just bring her back.

"Ah, if you're embarrassed, then don't worry. I promise I'll take the back entrance, general." You hear a small thank you whispered to you.

Tag list -> @under-a-starry-night,@yourfaveisblack,@bardisipatos,@callmemeelah, @kithewanderingme,@white-like-dis,@bamboowritess,@uchihaeirin, @irethepotato, @karmawonders, @lunavixia, @anfre109

Special tags -> @chocoenvy, @kurages-oath, @sweetstrawberrybabe, @lotterymology, @matsutake-san

[rcksmith]

Mine — Kaz Brekker

(photo not mine)

Requests: “9 from the fluff prompts with Kaz brekker please? It could be where they're keeping it a secret and it slips out? Thanks”

“Could you possibly do a kaz brekker and reader imagine where they are both like in their mid twenties. Number 9 from the fluff prompts “So you're saying that girl is your girlfriend?" "No, that girl is my wife”, I could just imagine him with the smuggest grin saying it. Your a very good writer and thank you if you decide to write this.”

“Could I get a kaz brekker x reader secret relationship with fluff prompts 5, 7, 12, and 14 please?”

Fluff prompts:

5. ”Don’t smile at me like that. You know it drives me crazy.”

7. “I feel like i cant breathe when i’m around you.”

9. “So you're saying that girl is your girlfriend?!" "No, that girl is my wife!”

12. “I’m not jealous! Its just...you’re mine!”

14. “I don’t like to pretend we’re not together.”

Couple: Kaz Brekker/ Fem!Reader

Warnings: swearing, mention of fights, mention of post-traumatic stress, fluff too.

Word count: 2k.

A/N: Thank you💖 I hope you guys like. I changed some details a little, hope you don't mind

Normal Rules. Smut Rules.

English is not my first language, so I so sorry if have a mistake.

Requests are open. Love you❤️

— — — —

Fissure. That's what mercenaries, thieves, assassins and his enemies were looking for. A fissure to drive Kaz Brekker to ruin. Burn his empire, wood for wood, until there is nothing left but funeral ashes swept away by the winter wind. Even the most infinitesimal fissure would ensure that his enemies infiltrate, like hungry parasites, into the heart of the dungeon of his deepest secrets. Swallowing, absorbing, any hint of what could do the infamous the Bastard of the Barrel down to his own knees.

And Kaz Brekker feared that if they looked into the most secluded corner of his dungeons, where it was reserved to hide the greatest truths of his soul, they would find the one only thing to beg on his knees for would be something he would do without hesitation.

You.

You were like the last summer solstice in a world ruled by darkness, cold and empty. Which he kept in a chest locked with seven chains.

If he had to describe you with the five senses, Brekker would remind that, when he was in the bitter cold of the ocean, clutching the stiffness of dead and putrefying flesh like a lifeboat, a ray of sunshine, warm as the summer, it opened up through the thunderclouds and came down to his face, warming that spot of skin like a kiss from the sun.

And it would be with that memory that he would describe you.

Kaz Brekker shouldn't have fallen in love with you. He was the person who most understood the disastrous consequences if he let himself get carried away by the way his heart sped up whenever he saw you. If he allowed herself to taste the way all of your heat radiated into his body and made him feel alive. But he fell in love.

Everything was all too much. The feeling of life every time you said his name, like a devotion, something religious, lyrical. The sweetness in your eyes, the warm voice. Everything had been too much.

And what should he do? Tell you he missed you every time you went on a mission? Saying that he were jealous and envy of Jesper because the man managed to make you laugh with a silly joke and hug you tight, something Kaz still hadn't been able to do? Tell you it was almost religious the way he venerated your smile? Of course not. Because all these things would have been sensible, and Kaz couldn't do anything sensible around you.

Because when he saw life offering him, with such joy, the one thing that had been denied him all his life, and that he swore never to crave, his first impulse was anger. Stupid, irrational anger.

So, for the first few moments, his entire reaction to you had been cold, distant, almost avoidant. Because the way his whole body shook in hot spasms when, in that summery tone, you called his name, it was too much for Kaz to handle.

“Kaz!” You call, one night.

He heard your voice from across the crow club, and had to close his eyes tightly at the way his heart leapt in his chest.

"Hey, hey." You appeared beside him, your cheeks chased away by coral red, the happy smile and the sparkle in your eyes as someone who have the path to true happiness. "Jessy said you were wanting to find a new way to invade that bank."

Oh perfect. In the same way his body exalted when he heard the sound of your name and your lips, hearing you call Jesper by that infernal nickname had a much more destabilizing effect. And fierce.

Kaz raised an eyebrow at you, in a nonchalant gesture but inviting you to keep talking.

“I happen to know of an underground path.” For an instant, the pride in your smile made Kaz want to smile too. “You and I can put together a map today and we'll be right tomorrow to go.”

That was one of the times Kaz should have made some dry, disinterested, trivial comment, something that made you not want to spend time with him, something that made you turn around and walk away. He should have turned around and left. He had done this over a thousand times with other people and knew it to be one of the best outings.

Still, the acid comment didn't come and he couldn't turn his back on you.

So, like the idiot he became whenever it came to you, Kaz couldn't help but spend an hour in your company. Even if it resulted in him lying in bed at the end of the day, alone and feeling the guilt gnawing at him more and more.

So, before he even knew it, Kaz was already in his office with you, listening to you chatter about things he knew he should have been paying attention to. But the way the crackling of the fire flames in the fireplace flashed across your face was a distraction of unimaginable proportions.

“Jessy and I…”

“You want to stop.” He found himself saying before he even realized it. “That nickname is already exasperating me.”

“Why? Jealousy?” You joked, oblivious to the truth.

Kaz looked at you like your comment was the most pathetic thing he'd ever heard. He wanted to screaming: ‘I’m not jealous! Its just...you’re mine!.’ But he didn't. Instead, the words that came out were:

“No. It's childish and immature, and it doesn't fit with...”

"What if I call you ‘Darling’?” You rested your chin on both palms of your hand, your elbows resting on his desk in his office.

Kaz's heart skipped a beat.

“That way you won't be jealous of Jessy's nickname and…”

“It's not jealousy!” He countered, and too late realized that he didn't disagree in the first instance about the nickname, but about the green color that emanated from his body.

And you didn't let that go either.

Your eyes took on a caustic gleam that you quickly hid, turning to the map on the table and going back to drawing the paths. “Okay, Darling.”

After that night, Kaz's self-control began to crumble.

He gave you death glares whenever you called him that nickname, but he never dared contradict or scold you. Much less deny it. The truth was, the core of his soul wanted this. He wanted every part of your caress warm as summer. He wanted to appreciate how perfect you looked when you called him that way. As if that nickname was born just to be used between you.

Something unique.

Over time, his body's physical reactions began to be stronger, coercive and overwhelming. Kaz felt dry, burning, and you soothed and inflamed him at the same time. You were the breath of peace, and also a glass of hot brandy.

And everything that he once felt dead, frozen or putrefying, slowly began to blossom, reborn and shine.

"Darling." You said, going behind the chair Kaz was sitting in, submerged in the Krisha security system sheets in front of he. “You've been there for hours.”

He ignored you, though his body was all too aware of yours behind him, the way your breath hit the top of his ear, how your heat hit his back like a high summer breeze. Kaz swallowed hard, ordering his eyes to stay on the pages.

“What are you reading?”

Your voice rang out from the top of his head, and Kaz felt his heart race into a cardiac arrhythmia the second your hands went to the back of the chair and your face tilted, chin hovering millimeters from his shoulder, your nose almost brushing his cheek.

Fucking Saints! You were hot! It was as if you had sun bathed, swam in the flames of fire, and been born into the summer.

Kaz lost his breath. His sanity. His soul.

“Do not do this.” His voice was no more than a whisper.

You looked at him, the furs not touching but breath hitting each other's cheeks. Kaz followed your gaze, and suddenly the world subtly turned hot. Pulsing and muffled.

“What?” You whispered, your heart so fast.

This was the time for Kaz to use the touche in a very valid argument. To make you move away as fast as you approached. To nip in the bud any path this interaction between you could take. He should have said about the touch. But he didn't remember. Kaz didn't remember his limitation, his traumas, his demons.

In that second, of insanity and magic, you couldn't do that just because…

"I feel like I cant breathe when I'm around you." He said.

After that day, Kaz realized that life no longer made sense without having you by his side to share it. Money didn't have the same value anymore if you weren't there, the robberies didn't make sense anymore if he couldn't tell you how it was at the end of the day, or have you by his side to fight.

Very quickly, Kaz Brekker realized that he had lost the battle against his own feelings. Loving you was inevitable. And having you close to him was made as essential as breathing. That's when things between the two of you developed faster, more solid, more right. The weeks turned to months, the months to years, and your relationship fortified as gloriously as the hilt of a sword.

Kaz still had very difficult moments with touching, days when a single brush of fur was unbearable and the mention of a kiss was impossible. But you stayed there. Firm and unshakable. Giving your summer smiles,your warm winks, and his nickname that had the power to soothe every nerve in Kaz's body.

However, the more Kaz understand that he was need you to he still live, the deeper he hid any trace of public affection for you. Any clue that could sparked the theory in someone that you were the reason, for Brekker, for the sun rose every morning. He couldn't bear the thought of losing you. Never.

Kaz Brekker became very aware that his soul was harnessed to yours. And there was nothing in the world that would take you away from he. Not while he lived, and even seven feet from land, Kaz would still find a way to fight for you.

It was a logical decision when he said you two should get married. Kaz was still trying to maintain his serene posture as his soul burned in a fire too eager and excited to make official anything that said you were his. That he had finally managed to have that ray of sunshine in the midst of the atrocious ocean. You, unlike him, exhaled your happiness in excited squeals, little jumps of joy and a passionate, quick kiss on the man in front of you.

And Kaz understood, as perfectly as the sky are blue, that he would do anything, for the rest of his life, to be worthy of that overwhelming happiness that sparkled in yours smiles.

“Don’t smile at me like that. You know it drives me crazy.” He said, feeling himself smile because your happiness for the wedding was exorbitant.

And you, like the little tease you were who loved to make him piss off, smiled even more and hugged him. He love you. Unconditionally.

But, just like the ocean waves, Kaz and you have had your ups and downs. He wasn't a man who had a lot of patience, and you weren't the most obedient, calm woman in the world. You found him exasperating and he found you as stubborn as a door.

"I already said you can't do that!" And there he was, once again, lecturing you because you showed too much affection, in his mind, for him in a public situation.

And, as Kaz fucking Brekker liked to point out, ‘all walls have eyes and ears’.

"We've been together for six years, Kaz!" You tried to keep your blood calm, but you weren't a person to put up with sermons. “Is this going to be our life? Living as if we have the same connection as a boss and an employee?!”

“And what do you want, Y/n?!” He placed both hands on his office desk, looking at you from the other side “Want us to have a party and tell everyone?! Or do you prefer to hang a red target on your chest?!”

"I did not say that!" You were starting to get really angry. “I'm not asking for a billboard saying we're married and you know it! The only thing I'm saying is that you let me choose to sit next to you, take your hand, or tell you I love you when any of us go off on a dangerous mission!"

Kaz shook his head, impassable, his gaze flashing with anger. How did you not realize he was trying to save you?! Save everything you two built, your lives! And all this for what? Walking hand in hand on the street? It was ridiculous!

“This is indisputable!”

“Kaz…”

“I said no!” He slapped his hands on the table.

A less brave woman would have cringed. But not you.

“I don’t like to pretend we’re not together!”

“And I don't like a fucking girl who complains all the fucking time about something I do to save her! But it feels like I've been put up with it for six years, doesn't it?!”

The words hit you like a slap. Crackling, burning and electrifying. You felt yourself holding your breath and your shoulders instinctively tightening back. The room was silent. Loaded with tension, as if lightning had just hit the ground.

You looked at Kaz in amazement. And he pursed his lips when he realized what he'd said.

“Put up with? And you call me ‘fucking girl’ ?” You repeated, your voice low, serious and in a mixture of hurt and outrage. “Good to know.”

You turned your back, walking out of the office and slamming the door behind you hard, making the thud reverberate through the corridors of Kaz's soul.

"Y/n!" He called you, striding to the door "Y/n!"

But when Kaz pulled the doorknob and took a few steps down the hall, it wasn't you he bumped into. It was Nina, trying to hide, in a very terrible way, her curious and shocked expression. In female hands she carried a small stack of documents, probably something important that Kaz needed to check.

He had to check that out. But his eyes, restless and quick, wandered the great hall of the crow club below, watching your figure pass between the bodies, advancing towards the exit.

"Sooo…" Nina started, even though the attention wasn't on her. "Couple fights, right?"

But Kaz didn't think before nodding, trying to get past Nina to catch up with you. But of course the girl wasn't going to let Brekker get away with it that quickly. She was betting with Inej how long you two would pretend to have nothing. And now she was going to get the truth!

"So you're saying that girl is your girlfriend?" The smile of shock and excitement was wide open on her face.

Kaz muttered a curse, gently pushing the girl aside and moving towards the stairs, aiming to catch up with you. But not before answering:

"No, that girl is my wife!"

[pearlprincess02]

mikey's big 6

birthday: august 20 

*i don't own any observations*

sun:

leo sun: they don’t dwell on past hurts. so they seem capable of functioning at tip top shape. they want to be a pillar for you. they won’t blabber about their past relationships. which is great, right? sun leos are more than eager to jump into the next romance with fresh, baby eyes. until you realise it’s because they need thrilling escapism… subconsciously holding on to past hurts which they think about either time to time or actually constantly at night. the thing with this is, they simply can’t figure out where they did wrong. was it me? was it the other person? who was hurt more? but my ego was bruised tons. and they’ll want their revenge. these petty assholes who think they’re infallible kings tsk tsk tsk…

sun in 9th house: people with the sun in the 9th house can be very bright, they are grateful for even the little things in life, and are extremely joyful and loving people! they love exploring new things, and can be very religious. these people may be attracted to foreigners, very full of life, and love teaching people things! they are very smart & can see the “bigger picture” they might like reading and love to hear other people’s thoughts on different topics! they also aren’t that “judgy.” sun in the 9th house individuals can be described as optimistic, open-minded, careless, humorous, energetic, blunt, passionate, adventurous, idealistic, and sophisticated.

moon:

leo moon: the friend that just enjoys being with you. who'd always check up on you regularly. big dreams and bigger eyes, passionate plans and the ability to pull through. the softest skin and most supportive energy. a natural entertainer that beams with every laugh they get. tight hugs and warm embraces. loud laughs and sunny smiles.

moon in 8th house: you feel deeply connected to your soul. you trust your intuition like a daughter trusts her mother. It feels like you’re drowning in your own depths. you hide your deepest feelings from the world. the thought of someone figuring you out may scare you. but you long for someone to swim in your oceans, in hopes that they will find your soul.

rising/ 1st house:

sagittarius rising: skater kid?? not necessarily but those are the vibes. just a light, playful energy. very carefree, and make others feel that way. they just make you feel so present, in the moment.

uranus in 1st: your primary energy is somewhat unpredictable and not very calculated, increasing the possibility of impulsiveness on the part of you. on the other hand, you can also have a more open view of how to deal with your individuality and identity by inserting a healthier energy into it. you tend not to chase identifications around the world because you are original and independent in the way you deal with your identity.

neptune in 1st: who am i? who am i meant to be? do i risk losing my sense of self by doing this? what will others think of me if i do this? what do i need to do to find myself? what if they don't like me? is it worth risking my self-identity for my dream? do i risk it all if it means i get to be myself?

mercury:

virgo mercury: person extremely cerebral with intense observation and critical thinking, notice first of all the smallest or insignificant details, you manage to make others see things differently, more logically and more lightly

mercury in 9th: mercury in the 9th house individuals are analytical, curious, and intellectually generous. you are particularly gifted with gathering information and imparting your knowledge on others. you’re adaptable and constantly want to be intellectually stimulated. you have a natural interest in philosophy, religion, and studying cultures different from your own. you may enjoy short trips, vacations, and learning from travel experiences. you’re hard to bore and can pull knowledge from your mind to ponder on. you enjoy understanding all of the pieces of the puzzle so that you can grasp the big picture. you’re always on the search for inspiration and want to use your knowledge to help others. you enjoy making contributions to existing ideas and learn quickly on your feet. you have a tendency to get your head stuck in the clouds because of the desire to expand your mind as much as possible. others see you as resilient, flexible, and open-minded.

venus:

leo venus: values their partners individuality, usually ends up with partners who are very much the total opposite to them. but it’s more so in a way their partner has their strengths that leo venus have a weakness on and vice versa. it’s all about the reciprocation of the person’s individuals knowledge about themselves, others & experiences. people with leo venus are the type to have a tug of war with their partners, so it could add stimulus in their relationship. but usually are the ones in control of the relationship, (control in a way, where they get their way most of the time). but are most susceptible to have a soft spot for their partners more than their partners themselves to them.

venus in 8th: “beauty is in the hidden” you are intrigued by the mystery. you like to uncover and understand the things that are taboo or secret. you’re easily bored with superficial people who prefers to talk only about surface level topics. you understand that there’s a lot of things hidden from you, so you want to dig deep and uncover them. you’re attracted to people who are hidden or taboo in some way. you may also be drawn to partners who are unattainable or who need saving in some way.

mars:

taurus mars: slow af, it takes them half a life time to actually get up on their feet and get to it, they be waiting, making sure its the right thing for them. once they go for it though, there is little anyone can do to stop them

mars in 5th: people who take the best out of life, they notice the beauty of life and want to live it the fullest. the huge heart they have allows them to be sentimental about such moments that bring significance to their life. very energetic, they possess that fiery ball within themselves, always so active and loud with their whole being. very exciting, their excitement excites their surroundings, people enjoy their company because it is fun, the little things mean something and you realize this just by hanging out with these people. the warmth and light they bring is infectious and you want more. but this much fire also brings us to competitiveness, their spirit is competitive and they are all about a challenge. they are very creative as well, which helps them climb to the top.

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄

mikey's masterlist

crd:

sun sun 2.

moon moon 2.

rising 1st house 1st house 2.

mercury mercury 2.

venus venus 2.

mars mars 2.

[versadies]

hello! congrats on 1k, i saw that you opened an event so i would like to try and join in!

Capricorn + Jean and Beidou + any hcs! + either fluff or angst (you can decide whichever <3)

unexpected (hc scenario, mermaid au and royal au)

penpal: ty for requesting !! hope you don't mind me making this request into an au hc <3

prompt: capricorn the sea-goat, first word soulmate au

pairing/s: jean x gn!reader, beidou x gn!merman/mermaid!reader

sypnosis: hc on how you unexpectedly meet your soulmate.

includes: mermaid!au in beidou's part, royal!au in jean's part, no angst just fluff, grammar error

while the soulmate system exists in teyvat, so do merfolks.

merfolks have been known as a myth among the nations, with no signs of their existence that's known to humans.

however, it's the complete opposite in the sea.

as a merfolk, you've heard numerous tales of those who are above the ocean.

whether it'd be haunting myths, stories of merfolk meeting man, and so on– you grew up to despise them, always hearing the same thing in all the tales everyone had spilled on you: when a human meets a merfolk, unfortune will arrive upon the merfolk.

so when your peers started gushing and dreamily talk about encountering a human after a romance tale between a mermaid and a human arises around the seas, you were astounded. how come people change their minds so quickly after reading some fantasy?

being destined with a human is a terrifying thought for you.

the elders would reassure you that such possibility is rare for everyone in the sea, telling you that the infamous tale is nothing but just fiction.

that eased your mind a bit,

until you came across to her.

while hanging out with your friends, one of them dared to swim towards the nearest land with everyone following much to your dismay. of course, being worried of the consequences they'll face, you decided to follow as well to keep an eye on them minutes after they left you alone.

due to losing sight of them, you had no idea where they went and continue to swim straight ahead, hoping that they're not far ahead.

which led you to where you are now, hiding behind the stones and take a peek of the shore, trying to spot your merfriends by the area.

unnoticed by you, a person is slowly sneaking behind you.

"well isn't this interesting," your eyes widens from the sudden voice of the stranger, causing you to turn around and see a human.

without hesitation, you immediately turn away from the human's eyes and swam back to the ocean, ignoring the calls of the brown-haired woman who was trying to get you to come back to the shore.

as soon as you finally see the familiar silhouette of the city, you slow yourself down and try to calm yourself, your heart pacing faster than the fastest merfolk in the ocean.

not long after, you heard the familiar sounds of your friends' fins and saw them heading towards you with excited looks on their faces.

"you should've went with us, y/n. it was a blast!" one of them exclaims.

"we literally saw a human, a literal human by the shores. they looked more different than how the elders described!"

you couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. at least they didn't know what you did.

however, your relief was short-lived when one of your friends pointed out something.

"...wait, you've met your soulmate already?"

your breath hitched from your friend's statement, looking down at your wrist with disbelief. you felt your heart sank at the words imprinted on your skin that is now glowing before your own eyes.

"oh dear." you mumbled to yourself.

your deepest fear came true.

among the seven kingdoms, your favorite is mondstadt.

the kingdom of freedom is truly worthy of its name, with their people being welcoming and their palace being welcomed by all, it was something that makes them different from the rest.

not only that, the kingdom has also worship a god whose name is imprinted on your wrist.

the moment you found out about the fact that barbatos is actually a god that mondstadt worships for, you didn’t hesitate to stay in the kingdom longer than you usually do in other nations, hoping to encounter a person in the town who will say the exact words that’s imprinted on your wrist.

although you love to stay in the kingdom of freedom, you still travel from place to place, wanting to continue on your passion while waiting for your soulmate to meet you.

of course, whenever you’re finished in traveling to a few nations, you always find yourself going back to mondstadt with the feeling of a welcoming home.

during your recent visit to the kingdom, mondstadt is currently celebrating the windblume festival.

you aren't exactly unfamiliar with the celebration, especially with how the townsfolk you've encountered have always mentioned the festival with gleam and excitement.

unfortunately for you, you were a bit late to experience the games that were being held around the land but everyone reassured you that you're luckily enough to be just in time for the grand ball.

from what you've heard, the grand ball is the closing ceremony of the festival, whereas the ruler of the kingdom chooses a lucky mondstadtian as the windblume star and formally offer a flower from the nation to barbatos. once the star has offered a flower to barbatos, everyone around the ballroom can give their chosen person a flower that they see fit as a windblume.

so you thought to yourself: why not try out the grand ball?

you’re honestly glad that you’ve decided to come to the celebration.

the ballroom was just as enchanting as what everyone described it to be, with different kinds of flowers being plastered all around the room, the delicious mondstadt cuisines that are displayed by the tables, the exciting music playing in the background– you wanted to applaud mondstadt for such an amazing work.

being a traveler who isn't exactly a mondstadtian, you would be lying if you said you don't feel out of place in the room. although everyone is nice to you and the party is as fun as you imagine it would be, you still feel like you don't belong, the awkwardness seeping through your body as you watch everyone having fun in the ball.

it didn't help that one of the servers accidentally spilled dandelion wine on your outfit, causing you to feel embarrassed around your peers.

as a getaway, you excused yourself and ran outside from the ballroom, your cheeks starting to warm from the embarrassing experience.

to cool yourself down and get some fresh air, you decided to try and find your way to the entrance of the palace, wanting to get outside as soon as possible and get back to the party at ease.

however, as soon as you went out, you realized you weren't by the entrance of the palace at all. instead you're in a garden with a person standing nearby, who's rather busy practicing sword fighting–

while wearing a huge gown?!

before you could watch her in awe, the woman stopped when she notices your presence, eyes widening in surprise from the sudden intrusion.

"o-oh uhm," you immediately look away from the woman's gaze, glancing in other directions in fear of encountering yet another embarrassing moment. "sorry about that. i was supposed to go back to the entrance but i think i got lost so uh..."

as you try to give the lady an excuse, you didn't notice how her eyes widens slowly from your words, looking down at her wrist to see the words imprinted on her skin glowing back at her.

"dear barbatos." she spoke up, looking back at you in disbelief.

you were suddenly taken back by surprise, looking back at the woman. "..wait i'm sorry, what did you say?"

the blonde haired woman’s hand slowly covers her own mouth, hesitantly walk towards you with a relieved look on her face. "it's you.. you're.. you're my soulmate."

from her words alone, you immediately look at your wrist, your heart paced faster when you noticed the glowing words in your skin as well.

"i uh," you let out a light laugh, stumbling a bit from the shocking discovery. "i didn't expect this."

the woman laughs as well. "i have to say the same as well,"

you watched as she kneels slightly in courtesy, her blue gown slowly dropping down to the cold hard ground.

"my name is jean gunnhildr, the acting ruler of the kingdom of freedom. and you are?"

[zodiyack]

Smile

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Female!Reader

Warnings: Cuteness?, fluff, swearing, no proofreading

Words: 2,191

Summary: A cold winter’s night gives Tommy inspiration to go for the woman he desires. After all, what gentleman would let a lady walk home in the teeth chattering cold?

Taglist: @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @captivatedbycillianmurphy​, @stydia-4-ever​, @simonsbluee​, @marquelapage​, @stuckysslag​, @darling-i-read-it​, @psychkunox​, @peakyxtommy​, @jenepleurepasbaby​, @thewarriorprincessxo​, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow​, @fandom-puff​

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist | Cillian Murphy Masterlist

The woman who worked with his family, sitting at the front of the betting shop despite being someone who should never have to see what horrors the Shelbys have. She was the one Tommy dreamt of the few times he’d actually been able to sleep. His heart thundered as he passed her, waving a hand with a kind and welcoming smile, a genuine one at that. His family could tease him all they’d like, but Y/n L/n had stolen Thomas’ heart and he was perfectly fine with that.

However, he wasn’t the best at telling her so. He could talk to her just fine but telling her he fancied her... Y/n was far too innocent. Sure, she wasn’t literally innocent but he couldn’t bear to bring her into the shit-show disguised as “family-business”. The smile she returned to him every time he passed her only reminded him of that.

“Mr. Shelby? You-” His head perked up, expression of deep thought washing away at the sound of her soft voice. Oh, her beautiful voice. It serenaded him without either of the two even realizing it.

“Again, please Y/n, call me Tommy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he let out a small chuckle, “I promise. Now, what about me?”

“Um... Oh! Yes! You have a visitor. I assume it’s about some Peaky Business so I told them I’d get you.”

Tommy nodded. “Thank you, Y/n.” His eyes had been fixated on her long enough to notice more about her appearance than he had a  The pink on the tip of her nose, the slightest hue of blue on her lips. “Y/n...come here please.”

“Alright...” She did as she was told. A small nervous feeling bounced around in her gut, alarm bells ringing. Tommy was hard to read, but the request scared her more. Ada was the one who got her the job, Tommy was the one who let her keep the job. Was he having second thoughts?

Before another worrying thought could make its way to her head, Tommy swung his coat over Y/n’s shoulders. A little sigh of relief, yet also a gasp of surprise, escaped Y/n’s lips as the coat began to envelope her in its warmth. Caught in the moment, her eyes flicked to Tommy’s, his to hers. They just stared. And yet, neither of them minded.

His face... It was like a Greek god, or an angel maybe? So imperfectly perfect.

That’s what he was.

She thought about his smile, not currently visible, but always on her mind. It looked so handsome, so charming, and, dare she say, pretty. His smile brought hers to her face. Even if it was hiding in the pits of the darkest, deepest, smallest hiding place on a bad day, his own called hers to the surface almost instantly.

The beautiful blue of Tommy’s orbs, like sapphires sparkling in the light that bounced off them or a mad ocean; the rage secretly a symphony as each wave crashed and washed away, a symphony only those who stopped to listen, actually listen, could hear. She had so many words and ways to describe the almost child-like look in his eyes, full of a hidden innocence ironically enough, but a knock at the door tore them away from her before they even reached her mouth.

 “Mr. Shelby? If you and your...uh...friend are done here, I have some business to talk with you.” The man was impatient. Luckily, his scare drew an instant reaction from Y/n. She had hurriedly turned around to face the guest with a flushed expression across her face the moment the door swung open. With her attention elsewhere, she missed the wince the man elicited from Tommy when he called Y/n his “friend”.

“Yes. We’re done. Y/n, you may go back to your work now.” He excused her with the same lift of his lips he’d always given her, only this time, the corners of his mouth were a little higher, a little closer to his eyes. This was progress.

A thin sheet of snow, white as angel’s wings, cloaked Small Heath. The waters were slick with ice. The cold wrapped its arms round Birmingham, Mother Nature hoping to warm her children and herself regardless of her cold skin. It nipped at the tips of noses like she was booping her finger against them in attempt to draw a smile from her shivering children.

Tommy cursed to himself. It felt so much colder than it did at the start of the day- one person on his mind upon the realization. Y/n had left a little prior to Thomas, just like she did every other day. Her reddened nose, her trembling lips as her teeth subtly and silently chattered, her fragile form even more so with her arms wrapped around her and Tommy’s coat in attempt to gain warmth. The images never seemed to leave his brain, especially not when she returned his coat.

He began to walk home, still focused on Y/n. Pondering up a variety of situations, good and bad, he tried to reassure himself. Constant anxiety was not new for Tommy. He worried for his family, for his friends- for Y/n... Too much was on his mind but he couldn’t seem to shake any of it off.

Although he was looking straight ahead- looking where he was going, he wasn’t entirely paying attention. A grunt slipped from his throat as he walked into someone, knocking them over and causing him to stumble. Normally, he’d just tell them to watch it, but as he regained focus on what’s in front of him rather than what’s been bothering him, he paused.

She too was surprised, having literally been knocked off her feet by none other than Thomas fucking Shelby. Her head jerked upwards to see who had walked into her, a similar intensity as Tommy’s. But she softened as well, untensing when his face, those baby blue gems, came into her view. He looked so puzzled, so...guilty.

“Fuck!” He was quick to drop the ground and help her up, checking her for any form of injury. “Are you alright, Y/n?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Are you alright? You look frightened-”

“I wasn’t paying any attention to my surroundings, I must’ve walked right into you. You know I didn’t mean for that to happen, love? It was purely on accident. Is there any way I can make it up to you? Anything at all?”

“Tommy. It’s alright.” The way she said his name was comforting. Her voice was soothing as usual. Her hand came to his upper arm, a relaxed and friendly grip. She gave him a squeeze, letting him know she meant it, that she was serious. “But, before I answer your second question, please, answer mine.”

Thomas was ready to ignore her, lips already parting to ask her again, but the sincerity of her concerned demeanor crumbled the facade he’d put up. He released a heavy sigh, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “I’m just- ...worried.” It took a lot for him to admit some things, but the feeling of relief that surged through him after he told her...it felt like she took the burden from his shoulders.

“About what?”

He looked around for a minute and then suddenly stopped. Now that he thought about it, they weren’t that far from his place. He looked back to her. Her form was just as cold as it was this morning, the color of her lips had darkened, likely from longer time in colder weather.

“How about this. You come with me, to my place, we warm you up, get you a cup of tea, and then I’ll tell you.”

“W-what? No, Tom, you don’t have to-” There it was again. His name. She was like a siren, luring Thomas Michael Shelby, the helpless sailor, his name entwined with her voice- her melody. Her form did not change, as it was her he desired most.

“No, I do. I’m the reason you were on the ground, I’m the reason you’re covered in snow, but I’ll be damned if I become the reason you freeze to death out here.”

“I won’t-”

“You live quite some distance away,” his final attempt, a pleading sigh to mark it as so, and he was determined to make it a strong one, “...at least let me drive you home.”

She looked to be in serious contemplation of his offer, biting her lip and rocking back in forth to collect some warmth from movement before she returned her eyes to his. “...Fine.”

“I’d still like to get you warmed up though, so you can’t turn me down about that, yeah?”

The air escaping her parted lips could just barely be seen. Huddled by the fire, wrapped in Tommy’s sheets with a mug in her hands resting close to her face, the sinister chill was retreating from her body. Tommy felt his heart speed as he watched her. It felt...right. It felt right to have her be safe and warm, just as it felt right to have her there, with him.

Though a number of feelings were checked as “right”, there was a rather large one that didn’t. There was a feeling that wasn’t right, that hadn’t been satiated. His feelings for her poked at him, urging him to kiss her, hug her, ask her, to do something! Anything!

“You going to tell me what was on your mind, or was that just a trick to get me to accept your ride home, Mr. Shelby?” The grin that was present on her lips could be practically be heard as she asked the question.

“Not a trick, I promise.” His chuckle brought a chortle to Y/n’s mouth. He walked to the fire, sitting beside her. “I’ll tell you. But first...you have to promise me something.”

“Yes, anything.”

“Promise me that you won’t go spreading my business where it doesn’t need to be.” He took a deep inhale, exhaling it as he prepared to speak his next request involving her reaction. “And promise me this won’t affect our relationship.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “...I-...  I promise, but, ...I don’t understand how it could make a change between us?”

“It just...” He lifted his hands, scanning his brain for the right words. His hands dropped, making a small sound as they hit his thighs, the sound hidden only slightly by his sigh. “It just can.”

“How so? I mean, surely it’s-”

“I was worried about you.”

“O-oh? Thank you, that’s very-”  She didn’t understand. But how could he blame her with her lack of context?

“No. I was worried about you because I seem...” a pause to get it out. “I seem to have fallen in love with you.” He looked into the fire with an intensity. He looked at it as if looking at her would make him crumble on the spot. The moments passing by without any response from her made the fire so much more entertaining. Tommy Shelby couldn’t be scared by much, he’d already been through war, but this? It scared him.

A part of him wanted to look at her, see the reaction just in case it was just a lack of verbal response...but another part didn’t want to face the disappointment. Y/n was a nice woman and Tommy could never bring himself to hate her. Losing her would be hard, but seeing her at work would be harder. Tearing her from the job she cherished would be harder. He couldn’t do that to her.

Luckily, “Your eyes are so pretty...” he didn’t have to. “Your eyes, your smile-  everything about you has the stars jealous of its beauty. Personally, I wondered if our lips would meet. Today, in your office. It took everything in me not to surge forward, taste your lips on mine.” She snickered lightly, “Excuse my bluntness.”

“I like your bluntness. I only wish I’d been gifted with it.” He joined in, turning to face her, finally. He took a moment to admire the way her features looked in the orangey light from the fire. His eyes, observing her face with great interest, traveled to her lips before flicking back up to hers.

“Is that so?... Well, Tommy, now’s a good time to be blunt.”

“Pardon?”

She’d seen it. Fixated, just like him, on his eyes, specifically. “If you want to kiss me, just say so.” She’d caught him, easily with how entranced they both were.

He thought to himself. What’s blunter than saying he wanted to kiss her?

It happened in one swift motion. One second she was giving him a smug quirk of her brow, the next, her lips her locked with his. They pulled away, slowly and hesitatingly. “That was...as blunt as I could be.”

A laugh erupted from her. The sound sweeter than the songbirds. Then, Tommy smiled. Even if he wouldn’t be her target, in a boat on a restless sea, he knew, without a single doubt, that he’d go to her willingly. In fact, he did. And upon reaching the siren, perched on a sturdy ledge-like-rock, he realized she meant no harm. Tommy smiled. The smile reached his eyes.

[thgreatestblue]

false god [part I]

➜ pairing: kokushibou x fem!reader ➜ warnings: mentions of torture, blood, prostitution. ➜ words: 4,7k ➜ a/n: hello everyone! I decided to split this fic in two parts or else it was going to be too much. I was so excited with this idea that I got carried away (as always). I even thought about only posting the ending, but i figured if i was really writing this concept, then I would commit to it! i hope you enjoy it! ➜ ao3

➜ false god [part II] summary: Turning a blind eye was easier when the money was enough to not send you to a brothel ever again, even if it meant looking away when blood was shed. Head above water and you will never drown. The mantra kept you safe for 3 years, but then six eyes pinned you down, and you found yourself swimming in an ocean you swore you weren’t ever diving in.

I.  

If it wasn't for the long and heavy curtains, the house would have been a really pretty and enjoyable place. However, you highly suspected that if it wasn't for the appearances, the house wouldn't even have windows to start with, so you weren't complaining. Although it was hard to see with only a small candle in your hands — the flame barely illuminating the few steps in front of you — you had grown used to the darkness by now. The last 3 years had taught you enough, and you knew the place like the palm of your hand. 

But what you didn't know was where Muzan’s daughter had hidden this time. It was a fairly common game you two played when her father wasn't home, one that allowed the poor girl to run free through the corridors with no fear of running into her father — that in the last few weeks has been more violent and angry than you've ever seen. If it was scary for you, that knew what Muzan truly was; you couldn't imagine what the girl felt seeing her father losing the facade; teeths becoming sharper at each smile, eyes glowing redder at each glance. 

You didn't know what had happened for the so composed and cold-hearted Muzan to start falling apart at the seams, as far as you knew, he never acted that way before; even the rest of the servants had started to gossip about his weird composure. Now, more often than not, you could hear screams filling the hallways like whispers from ghosts, haunting the poor souls that were still lucky to be alive in a place like this. It would give all your body goosebumps, a weird aftertaste that was bitter than any drink you could swallow down. 

You turn another corner, still trying to find the little girl. She was a sweet and well mannered girl, so easy to look after that you didn't think it was normal. How her eyes were always looking around, her tongue never daring to say more than the necessary, so quiet that most of the time you forget she was still in the room; her mother was the same. 

Two beautiful things that over time started to look more like paintings than real human beings, for society to appreciate, portraying a family that was as perfect as the colors Muzan chooses to show. And for their safety, you hoped they would stay just like that. Everybody at the house knew she wasn't really his daughter — you didn't want to think what happened to the real father, then. 

For the sake of their sanity, they didn't know what Muzan really was. Many of the servants didn't know either. And for some time, you wondered if it would have been a blessing being ignorant like that, not knowing what really took place in a house like this. Behind closed doors things could get even more terrifying, that even you couldn't imagine — no that you wanted, anyway. 

Turning a blind eye to the situation was something you had struggled with in the first year; the amount of blood and organs you had to clean was alarming, the unspoken fear that would be in the tip of everyone’s tongue but never daring to escape; it was heavy the air every time he walked in, but for most of the servants the fear was inexplicable. Not for you though, always going to sleep with the fear that your blood would be the next staining the floor of his office. 

It wasn't as if you had had a choice, neither Daki nor Muzan gave you one. It was keeping a secret or dying with it — and you wanted to live enough to see yourself out of this place, far away from these atrocities. Although it wasn't the best opinion, definitely wasn't the worst. Anything other than going back to the brothels of Yoshiwara; to the hands of strangers; to the dark nights where all you could do was scrub your skin until it was burning red. 

It was a time of your life you didn't like to revisit; it was locked away in the deepest of your mind, but somehow the key would always find its way back to your hand. It was inevitable to think about those years you spent on your knees, selling your body so you could eat the next day. Though, now that you worked for Muzan, those thoughts that haunted you as you laid your head on the pillow were replaced by blood, screams of agony and guts - you’re not sure which was worse. 

The candle burns quickly in your hand, you were running out of time to find the small girl. Although you had come up with a few rules to turn this game a little bit easier — like not entering any room, not hiding inside any closet — the child still put up a challenge; and again, you didn't want to think why she was so good at hiding.

“Ah! There you are!” You could see, even with the thin light, a silhouette that you were very familiar with by now. The dark hair almost blends with the background; she is gripping the candle with both hands, not looking at you even when you call her name, “I think this time you outdone your…”

As soon as you reach the little girl, you can feel the atmosphere change. There’s a dense feeling settling in your chest that spreads throughout your body like fire, almost pulling you down to your knees. The hair on the back of your neck stands up almost instantly, and you don't need to see what it is causing to know exactly what it is. The fear on the girl's face is enough to tell you that she had seen a Demon. 

“Stay behind me, honey.” You whisper as you put your body in front of her’s, eyes trying to focus on the figure by the end of the corridor. The little girl immediately grabs your leg, hiding behind it, you can feel her small body shaking against you. 

Not so far away, you catch a glimpse of a big silhouette walking towards you, it’s so massive that you can’t help but take a step back. It wasn't everyday you saw another Demon walking in those hallways, if ever. Besides Muzan, you only knew Daki by name; she has been the one who brought you to this place, after all. 

In the back of your mind you kept telling yourself if anything went wrong, it was still midday. You could open the curtains and stand in the sun; though you didn't know if you would be fast enough to avoid a tragedy. 

As the Demon stepped closer, the fragile flame from your candle trembles, even the fire was nervous at the change of events. The silence is maddening, all your instincts are screaming run! run! but you can’t move a foot. It takes only a few more steps for the figure to finally be illuminated by the light, the anticipation making your heart beat furiously against your ribcage. 

You weren't sure what you were expecting, but it definitely wasn't the man in front of you. His face is the first thing that the light reaches — and if you could hear the sound of your heart beating just a second ago, now it goes completely silent. 

His face is a shade so light that for a moment you thought it was transparent; so pale, but it looked soft to the touch. There’s a red mark that reminds you of flames covering half of the right side of his forehead, and another one on the left side of his cheeks, that goes down to his neck. However, what was more unsettling about him was his eyes. There are six of them, bright yellow irises surrounded in scarlet bloody sclera, staring directly at you. 

With only the candle light to illuminate the hallway, the scenario you found yourself in should’ve been a nightmare, but there was something about the Demon in front of you that made it tolerable. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, a polished posture you don't really see very often. How he didn't look like he was about to rip you apart - or maybe that was worse, because you didn't know what to expect from him.

It made you wonder who he was when still human. His hair was a shade darker than the shadows, perfectly framing his face; the ponytail was tied up on the top of his head, the rest of it falling graciously on his back, long and smooth. He was a very beautiful and elegant man; but even with the whole picture, those eyes were still unsettling, 

“I’m looking for Muzan-sama.” His voice is strong and heavy, cutting through the silence of the hallway like a thunder cuts through the night to announce the upcoming rain. The little girl yelps, gripping your thigh even harder. 

You immediately bow, prefering to stare at his feet than to stay under his intense gaze, “I’m afraid he’s not at home right now...My lord.” You decide to refer to him in a polite way, and he seems pleased by it. 

Not only was he a Demon, but he seemed important, more important than Daki for the looks of it. He wore a black and purple kimono; the material, even in the thin light, looked expensive. However, what made him hold such a powerful presence, was the katana attached to his waist. And if his six eyes weren't enough, there were more of them carving the handle of the sword. 

“And who are you?” The Demon asks, voice low and firm, making you shiver slightly. His eyes are fixed on your face, making you feel even more uneasy under his stare. He takes a few steps closer, the overpowering aura paralysing you right in the spot for a second. 

“I’m Y/N,” You answer, trying your best not to sound too scared. And quickly adds, not daring making him wait, “And this is Muzan-sama’s daughter.”

You put your hand at the top of the little girl’s head, her shakiness is palpable even from far away, and you can’t blame her. Despite living among Demons, you had wished she would grow up oblivious to what went down in this household. Apparently, an illusion can never last forever, only the truth remains untouched in eternity. You try your best to calm her down by running your fingers through her hair. Even though the wax of the candle burns your hand, you can stop gripping it, anything to help you stay calm. 

As if he was in a trance, he stops. Slowly catching your movements with his eyes, “Are you his wife?” 

The question takes you by surprise, and you have to blink a few times, raising your eyebrows in the process. Thank Gods I'm not, it’s the first thing that crosses your mind. However, the hesitation in his voice is concerning; and you have a hard time trying to swallow down what that could possibly imply. 

“No, I’m just a servant… My lord.” Telling him the truth was the only thing you could do right now.

If he decided to kill you because you weren't important, it was your fault for not trying to escape sooner. You had hoped this wasn't going to be the way you would end, but perhaps you had sold your fate on the day you saw Daki eating another girl.

The demon nods, and takes a few more steps closer. You involuntarily flinch, feeling his presence and intimidating aura hitting you like a train. Your breath gets caught on your throat as you watch his hand moving closer to your face. The nails of the little girl on your thing were definitely drawing blood right now. 

But instead of ripping your head off, he touches your cheek.

You didn't notice you had closed your eyes, but they snap open at the gentle touch. Your eyes grow wide at each suffocating second his fingers hover over your skin. Goosebumps spread all over your body as his strong fingers wrap around your chin, forcing you to look at him, at his six eyes. They seem to be studying you, hovering around your eyes, your cheeks, your mouth. 

It feels like you’re on display all over again. When men would come to the brothel and choose the girl they were going to use just by her looks; if she still had teeths, if they were still tight enough, if their good reputation was still intact. It made you want to choke each one of them, making them swallow down each word they had ever said until they were suffocating with their own nastiness. Right now, though, you just fell silent, letting him analyse your face as much as he wanted. You knew you would be dreaming with those yellow orbs from now on. 

“Tell him I’ll be waiting in his office.” He says, slowly easing the grip, giving your face one last look before finally letting go of your chin, and you averts your eyes as soon as his touch isn't on you anymore. 

The only movement your body manages to do is nod, all the rest goes numb with the tension that settles in your bones. Your breathing becomes shallow, body too paralized to function properly. There’s a growing pain on your jaw from clenching your teeth too hard. You and the little girl stay frozen in place as you watch him turning away, walking back from the direction he had come. 

A cold sensation settles on the pitch of your stomach as you watch the Demon walk away. If you were to trust your guts, this definitely wasn't the last time you would be seeing him. And for better or for worse, your guts were never wrong. 

II.

Walking through the hallways of Muzan’s house was different since the day you encountered that Demon. Each time turning a corner, you would hold your breath, take a double look at the shadows, looking for any sign of the man; as if he would appear from the dark and drag you to join him — no one was going to miss you anyway. Even after weeks, you could still feel his gaze hovering around your skin, the feeling of having so many eyes on you was maddening. But the worst was his touch, still managing to linger on your chin, ghostly haunting your days, and mostly your nights. 

Muzan’s daughter seemed to have forgotten the encounter; she didn't say a single thing about it, even after you took her to the kitchen to give her some tea. She was shaking so much you were afraid she would pass out. However, when you asked her about, she just shook her head, saying she was afraid because the man was intimidating. You wondered if her mind had just erased the few important details or if she was pretending that nothing was wrong for her own sanity. Either way, your heart aches for the little girl, but there was nothing you could do. 

Head above water and you will never drown. It has become your mantra since the first time you sold your body, since the first time you laid your eyes on a Demon - when you sold your soul to stay alive. It sure makes the food you eat taste bitter and the pillow on which you lay your head feels like a stone; but at least you are alive, right? 

You could only hope that the Demon Slayers were going to put an end to this, sooner or later. If the rumors were true, then things finally started to move, and by Muzan’s temper getting worse by each day, they were making some progress.

You just had to control your emotions, and pray that Muzan wasn't going to lash any of his anger on you; living with him for a few years made you realize that even the best servants could suffer a tragic destiny, no one was safe here. No one was ever safe around a Demon, after all. 

“Muzan-sama, do you need anything else?” 

It was still morning outside; a very pretty day from the glimpse you caught as you passed a slightly open curtain. As much as you wanted to leave the house and enjoy the sun, mornings like those were the worst for Muzan; where the small amount of light would make him so angry that you had lost account of how many times you had to clean his office after some unfortunate soul left a tiny ray of light enter the room. 

Muzan seemed to be in a good mood today; a rarity nowadays. He was wearing that same dangerous smile from the day he met you, plotting something in his mind and letting it show through his face; and if you were to guess, it wasn't a good sign. He had called for you, asked to pour him a drink — at this point you knew it was blood, just in some fancy bottle — and now was staring at you. 

“I heard you meet Kokushibou, Y/N… What do you think about him?”

“Who?” 

There’s a nagging feeling growing in the back of your mind as you watch Muzan dangerously smile at you. You had never heard that name before, but somehow your mind pictured the Demon from the other day straight away. If this conversation was about him, then you were definitely with a few problems. 

“Tall, long hair, six eyes… Does it ring a bell?” Muzan’s tone is playful, swinging the glass in his hand.

“He seems...” You hesitate, remembering his six eyes fixed on your face, his strong hand gripping your chin, and the intense threatening aura exhaling from him. You swallow down, but your throat feels dry, “...Strong.” 

“Always so observant,” He laughs, drinking a sip from the glass, “Of course he’s strong. He’s the upper moon one, stupid human.”

Wrong answer. Your mind screams, ready to push the alert button as soon as his features change in the slightest. The first time you encountered him you couldn't even speak, couldn't even breathe. The intensity of his threatening aura was so strong that you wanted to puke, scream, run away; but your feet never moved. It took you a long time to even manage to move a muscle when in his presence — all the time he acted amused, and you didn't expect less from a monster savouring the distress of a mere human.

You knew the Demon… Kokushibou was powerful just by his presence, but everything made sense now; the authoritarian semblance of dominance each of his movements seemed to carry, how different his aura was from Daki; even though she was powerful, she still acted like a self absorbed teenager. 

“But I’m asking about your first impression,” If he was angry, you couldn't tell, the way Muzan quickly changed emotions was scary, but most of the time, dangerous, “What do you really think about him?”

“He seems to be respectful and polite…” It wasn't a complete lie; Kokushibou did look like he was someone important in his other life, his clothes were clean and tidy. And not trying to kill you that day was a bonus, “And definitely more civil than Daki.”

Muzan laughs again, showing off his teeth, but seeming content with your answer. He studies you while drinking another sip from the glass, and you try to do your best by staying still, but under his gaze no one could ever remain calm, or sane. Your heart beats fast in your chest as the minutes drag by. It’s agonizing, staying in the same room as him for longer than necessary. 

“Well, I called you here to say that I don't need your services anymore.” He finally drops the bomb on your lap, and you can’t do much then stare at the explosion forming on your hands. 

“Did I do something wrong, Muzan-sama?” You ask, but your voice is weak. 

Panic starts to settle on your stomach, did you say something you shouldn't? Have you done something that he didn't like? Did he see through your facade and now was going to kill you? A torrent of thoughts starts to flood your mind as anxiety settles under your skin, making you sweat. 

“No, actually you're more than perfect.” Muzan says, rather uninterested “But i don't care about that child anymore, so i don't see why keep pretending”

A cold shiver runs down your spine as he says those words as if he was getting rid of trash. Somehow, in the back of your mind, you knew this moment was going to happen. It was a matter of time until Muzan decided to drop the act and move on as if nothing happened. 

He didn't care about anyone but himself. You could only hope he was merciful enough to kill them quickly, heart breaking with the thought of that little girl seeing him as the monster he truly was in her final moments before her death. What a nightmare, what twisted fucking world. 

“You've been great. It's a shame you don't want to become a demon, could be one of the best and easily one of my favorites.”

“It is an honor to hear that, Muzan-sama.” You don’t sound like yourself; you can’t even process what he’s saying while you think about mother and daughter, years trying their best to please Muzan only to find death by his own hands. Tears threaten to fall from your eyes but you hold them as much as you can, it would only piss him off seeing you being emotive, caring about someone. 

“Then why don't you want to turn into one?” 

When you don't answer, he sighs loudly, closing the book he was reading. The sound takes you out of your thoughts, making you jump; heartbeat on your ears. He murmurs something under his breath, you’re so lucky you don’t have any idea, before getting up. With his back to you, he studies the painting on the wall of his office. It’s a strange combination of flowers and blood, but it strangely suits him.

“Since you've a good reputation, I’ve already guaranteed another job for you.” Muzan turns his head, 

“Thank you so much…” You try to say between the cacophony of thoughts swinging around your head. It’s hard to keep the tears from falling down, it’s hard to think about anything else than the poor family being torn apart for his amusement. 

“Pack your things, you're going to work for Kokushibou now.”

There’s a painful pause on your heart, and you could swear you were going to collapse right in the moment. Your mind goes blank, fear crossing your eyes as you remember his touch on your chin, the cold yet burning feeling of his stare on each part of your face. 

“You just said you think he’s respectful, do you have a problem with him that you didn't tell me about it?” Muzan turns his head, red eyes glowing in the thin light of the room; it’s deadly.

“I don't, Muzan-sama. It’s going to be a honor.” You lie, because that’s the only thing you can do right now. 

“Well then, you're dismissed.”

You don’t know how you made it to your room, how you packed your things and cleaned the room you called home for years, one last time. It felt like you were numb to everything, still not being able to process what was happening, where you were going, and who you were going to be working for. At some point your cheeks were thick with tears but you didn't feel sad for yourself, not entirely, it was how abrupt the world was. How abrupt things changed and you couldn't have a single say about it. 

That’s why you never got attached to anyone, that’s why you never let your guard down. And even when you didn’t have any type of attachment, the world still manages to pull the rug beneath your feet. You don't even try to look for the little girl — not that you had the opportunity, either way. 

As you stare at the view from the window of the train, you can at least relax for the first time in years. Not being surrounded by the overpowering aura that Muzan always carried with himself was so relieving that you could feel yourself taking a few deep breaths, smelling the air of the mountains. Trying to enjoy the ride as much as you could, you didn't want to think about what kind of place Kokushibou lived, or how your life would be once you step in. 

It was night when you arrived at the designed station, it was far away from the city, and you were already missing the noise and the traffic, but maybe changing scenarios was something good - you had to keep telling yourself to be positive about this. It couldn't be worse than living with Muzan, right? Right.

You were welcomed by an old lady, she was waiting for you at the platform, waving at you as you got off the train. Since you didn't have many belongings, you only brought a small suitcase with you. 

“You must be Y/N, nice to meet you.” She gently says, smiling at you. 

“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you too.” You bow in respect. The old lady pats your head and you immediately feel safer. If the rest of the servants were like her, then maybe Kokushibou was indeed a respectful man.

The tension building up on your body slowly started to calm down as the servant explained what you would have to do. It was easy and simple, washing the bed sheets, cleaning the house, taking care of the garden. You never imagined yourself working under such a mundade setting like this; it was going to be interesting, to say the least. 

However, the odd feeling that something was wrong still lingered — your gut still poking you with worries and alerts — and you couldn't just ignore it, but for now, you tucked it underneath your hopes, wishing it was enough to keep them at bay. 

The wagon stopped in front of an elegant archway, and as you helped the old lady get down from it, you studied the beautiful front yard, with a colorful garden and a variety of trees. There was a pathway of cobblestones that led to the house; witch was big and very tradicional. 

Walking in silence towards the house, your eyes flew around, trying to enjoy each glimpse of nature. It has been so long since you have seen so many different colors, vibrant even under the moonlight. You touch a few flowers, fingers brushing against the delicate petals; the smell of them cleans your mind, making a tiny smile tug on the corner of your lips.

However, as soon as your eyes drifted back to the house, the tiny smile died on your lips, sending you back to reality. Kokushibou was standing right in front of the porch, his hand was resting on his sword. You held your breath as you finally arrived at the house, bowing as soon as you were introduced. 

Kokushibou studied you for a long moment before saying “Welcome, Y/N.” 

[peppertaemint]

heluuu~~ I'm the anon who sent the 2Min ask to BMT. I have to say, I am quite surprised. You've been on that ship for a whole 14 YEARS?!?! AND STILL FULL OF RESOURCES????

Nowadays ships could never!

*Clear's throat* Also, about the TM rumour. Back then, my only source to know about fandom updates was through FB (😬 cringe, ik, yes, but that's the only media platform tht ik😭). It doesn't help my situation either, when one of my irl friends (she's a hardcore stan of WGM) and told me about the "official" rumour about TM & NE getting real b/t/s. Plus, idk the rumours were made up by het shippers and antis. My adolescent brain still can not dissociates which one is an anti, and which one is not. 😭

And about MH, sorry I didnt worded my words right. I meant to say that, there were also a rumour (or a fake post ig) saying, MH hates being ship and find it disgusting. Especially being ship with his closest best friend. It was in a different language, closest-yet-not to my mother tongue.

So, me being a gullible pre-teenager believes those posts and rumours. Concluding that MH DOES hates it and both him and TM, are straight. Therefore me, jumping off the ship towards the vast ocean... wailing as I swimmed back to the shore, and hid in the deepest part of island's forest to rethink my life choices.

I'm giggling like crazy imagining Anon hiding in the island forest as 2Min row past, feeding each other grapes and sipping champagne, lol.

Thanks for writing in with the details. I suspected it was WGM because some very intense shippers were birthed from that show - because that's what it is designed to do. I have no idea what TM and NE's real life vibe is but I will never forget the vivid disappointment on her when he walked out in that first ep. I may have formed a grudge instantly. Lol just joking. They seemed a bit oil and water at times, but who's to say how they felt off screen? What we do know for sure is that the whole thing was scripted, and if you were to torture yourself by rewatching it (not recommended) you'll notice all of SHINee trying and mostly failing to act. That part is entertaining to watch lololol. Minho and Jjong going so overboard just cements how fake it all is. Sigh.

I always hear those anti-shipping rumours about various pairs, but tbh there is footage of Minho looking at neon 2Min signs quite happily so it's hard to believe that's true. Maybe the comment was about his dating scandal with Changmin (loooool). Maybe he said he didn't like that because I think Changmin is his bestie. But isn't it interesting that both Minho and Taemin had dating scandals with their best friends? Huh.

I should clarify: I've been a shawol for just over 2 years (Dec 2019). 2Min as a ship has existed for 14+ years though. When I read through old shipping stuff, WGM and Danger era are some low points supposedly. Lol. I think a lot of people jumped ship. Yet a lot of interesting things happened in and around then so idk. I have the benefit of hindsight and I never assume anything so it's all fun to me.

[spideyanakin]

the things we hide (k.j)

summary - The only way to save Neal was to spill all your deepest darkest secrets. 

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killian jones masterlist

You were standing on the edge of a cliff a hundred feet across from Neal.  He was stuck in a cage waiting. You looked at him with some pity in your eyes as he looked helpless, holding on to the bar of his cage.

“Neil!” Emma called out her eyes tearing up at his sight.

You sighed knowing very well the legends of this place and knowing it was time to spill some of the things stuck in everyone's gut.

“So what do we do if we can’t swing there?” David asked looked at the group for answers. “I told you what needs to be done.” Hook replied. “Consider this... The moment of truth, literally.” He raised an eyebrow and sighed, looking down the cliff. “Now... who wants to kick things off?”

“So, what?” Emma asked still not understanding how it worked. “Someone tells their secret and they what? sprout wings?” David asked looking down too. “I don't know the particulars, only what I've been told.” Hook replied “Well, how do you know it'll work?” Snow asked. “There's only one way, to find out, I suppose.” Hook gave out a long sigh before slightly turning his head to you. “I kissed Y/n”

You squinted your eyes waiting for Regina to burst out at you in anger. You see she knew very well the dilemma between your father and Killian. And ever since Hook came to Storybrook, she was desperately trying to keep you away from him, scared of what your father was capable of doing to either of you. “You did what? Y/n! I told you-” She started, ready to ramble when Snow cut her off.

“Now is not the time.” She warned her. “I already told Snow... So technically it's not a secret.” You looked around sensing the judgment in everyone. “But it was... just a kiss...” You sighed and looked at Killian your eyes shinning as tears were almost about to spill. Both of you clearly knew it wasn’t just a kiss.

When you left home back in the Enchanted Forest the first person you met was Killian. He was with his crew enjoying his time playing poker when you tripped, spilling whatever was in your cup on him.

“Oh my, im so sorry.” You chuckled as you looked at the stain on his white shirt.

“It’s alright love, just need some juice and I’ll be a cocktail.” He laughed making his crew laugh with him.

“I really am sorry.”

Since that day you became friends. Even after knowing who he was and his complicated relationship with your father, you kept him as a friend, liking him too much to let him go.

“How's that your darkest secret?” You asked still taken aback by your own feelings.

“It's what the kiss exposed...” He sighed. “My secret is, I never thought I'd be capable of letting go, of my first love... of my Milah...” Your eyes became watery as you realized what he was about to say. “to believe that I could find someone else... that is until you stepped foot into that tavern all those years ago.” He chuckled at the memory. “Spilling what? Rhum?”

“I don’t even know what it was, I just asked the server for his strongest alc-”

“Im not finished love.” Hook stopped you

"Sorry" You replied before giving him a sheepish grin and wiping a tear off your cheeks.

“Until you came into that tavern spilling whatever drink you were having on me. Until I lifted my head and met your eyes. Until I heard your laugh.... We’ve been friends for so long but each time I try anything, you push me away.” Those words made you spill more tears. “I love you Y/n”.

Suddenly the ground started shaking and a part of the bridge formed, way too far to reach.

The whole group turned to you for your secret. You gulped before finally letting some tears spill. You looked down at your shoes for some courage and then lifted your head back up staring straight into his ocean eyes.

“Killian... The one reason I have been staying away from you or rejected you in any way is that im...” You sighed. “Im the daughter of the dark one...” You sniffed and a small silence fell into the room.

Baelfire’s jaw opened in shock as he heard the words slip out of your mouth.

“You always wanted revenge on him for what he did and I didn’t want that to get into the way. I thought that if you knew you’d push me away.” You sighed.

“But I thought you were David’s niece?” Killian took a step closer to you, fear rising in his stomach.

“Biologically yes. But Rumplestiltskin adopted me when James; his brother” You pointed to David “didn’t want me. He wanted a second chance after what happened with Bae.” more tears fell down your cheeks as your stare drifted to Baelfire who gave you an apologetic smile. “But even if I ended running away like he did... The dark one is still my father.” You dropped both your arms on the side of your body as you felt defenseless. Killian felt the pressure on his stomach lift as he heard that you weren't related to Milah in any way. “The only reason I didn’t say anything was because I- I love you, Killian Jones.”

As you finished your sentence the earth moved again and the bridge extended itself, still not enough to pass through but it did.

Killian stared at it before walking towards you and pulling you into a kiss, applause radiating from the room.

“Oh, what is your father going to say about this.” Regina placed her face into her hands as she saw you almost make out with the pirate in front of her.

“Oh, the things we hide sometimes...” Killian chuckled before pulling you into another kiss.

“Tell me about it.”