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sugar-petals · 3 years ago

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SuperM as Boyfriends Headcanon

↪ caro’s note. extra long version because i miss ‘em. best boys, they’re all bf material to the moon and back ♡

5k words | bullet points

○ warnings ⚠️ 18+, dom/sub play, shibari, female reader, grinding, poly mentions, threesomes, face-sitting, femdom & vanilla, smut and fluff

⌈ ten

— motto: they won’t underestimate me for long.

most of your social environment is gonna be confused by ten at the beginning

and don’t really get what he’s all about

or think he’s like whatever, some random guy in a tank top

acting peculiar

finding him kind of hard to gauge

some of your family and relatives might even think he’s totally unusual and a sneaky fuckboy making you mad

they seriously wonder what you see in him

down the line that perception has turned by 180 degrees

as it should

ten becomes more irreplaceable, relatable, beautiful, perfect and impressive the more you know him

he’s not as mysterious and impossibly badass as everyone assumes

his personality is very approachable to you

and you find him interesting in every aspect, looks to hobbies to background to personal habits

and also opinions because ten is a guy who really thinks stuff through

so you gotta be roughly on the same wavelength

he likes discussing controversial and complicated stuff a lot for sure

being far wiser than his age suggests

you are the first to share those things with him until the rest of the world catches up to this gem of a person

spending so much time with you

in the most personal way he can

he takes you to see the floating markets in bangkok, you spend the summer in thailand

wakeboarding and playing badminton

his entire family knows you inside out at some point this shit is serious

it’s very important to him to go back to the roots every now and then

and that you have been around his home city as well

getting to enjoy the area and time together eating the most savory delicacies

renting a boat and paddling you around to the important spots, he can explain any question you have

this kissing is gonna be so romantic

who needs a vacation in venice when you can go to thailand with none other than ten himself as your ferryman let that sink in

except eating durian there he is, the boyfriend who can do anything!

with seemingly no effort

ten does little kind services of love for you throughout the day

he pours you herbal tea, fixes some furniture (he’s surprisingly good at tinkering), comes home from the bakery with your favorite pastry, does the laundry with your favorite fabric softener

he also goes on a huge shopping spree with you monthly because fashion is key in this household and it’s tremendous fun

you giggle when he puts on oversized shirts deliberately to look funny

everyone in the clothing store will think oh man what an adorable pair

ten will model the living hell out of the entire stock

and buy you the cape you really really want as a birthday present

said item turns out to be your favorite couple accessory

because you can sit next to each other on a bench at the river and wear it

what’s not to love about a portable blanket

of course he will take to instagram and make it such a cool thing, photographies of you wearing really cool coats and jackets

mirror bathroom selfies together as well, with a back hug, the classic

and not just for insta

you snuggle a lot generally

ten is always available for affection

and accepts all PDA

he’s a kitty after all, he loves the warmth of your body more than you know

remember how taemin said ten’s hands are always cold, newsflash not anymore since you stuff them into the pocket of your hoodie whenever you can

and hello sir your paws will be nice and cozy on my waist

or hand in hand when you waltz through your apartment

time for dance is a must

oh my god ten is so good at all of this

although say he’s definitely faster into latin than standard genres

tango argentino, he loves flamenco as well

don’t believe me? ten is a diehard rosalía stan!

vamos

so, no-brainer, expect a lot of dancy stuff

that escalates into wild, passionate fucking

which probably looks like an aggressive form of couple exercises

you poor sore souls

ten’s lil kitty butt is falling apart from all the “i can handle a bigger one!”-level pegging and you have aching legs all over

favorite position? full nelson

if you ask me ten’s ass is probably so carved out by the end of this you could fit lucas and kai in there from head to toe

this is not for the faint of heart

sex with this guy is extra cardio

and if you’re into that a threesome is gonna go down sooner or later

with our girl lisa

there. i said it

miss manoban in those knee-high boots, grinding her thighs between yours and you finishing off on ten’s face? the fucking hottest thing ever i need a moment wow

i don’t have to tell you how orgasmic this is gonna be

steamy sex life with ten very recommended

⌈ kai

— motto: you’re like a precious rose. i’ll protect you forever.

to be straightforward with you

he is in so heavily in demand it’s madness

to give you an idea of the scale

mark is basically occupied by yuta until the end of time

but kai has an entire idol fanclub on top of all erigoms

those sharp moves did not go unnoticed

he gets an inkigayo sandwich every other day

jesus christ

if rent-a-sexy-bf.com was a thing kai would be the most requested

his phone would be blowing up with contracts like

and you also have to pass kyungsoo’s vibe check

and taemin’s

the road to being kai’s gf is indeed the way of the samurai

i mean honestly: kim jongin is without a doubt the hardest member to get a date with

this has got to be the most selective man of the entire industry or something

if he likes you he REALLY likes you

and he will be the one showing initiative

because he wants to make it clear he isn’t just spending time out of politeness or something

although it’s pretty logical that if kai was unable to reject someone he would no longer be an idol but a harem husband busy every hour of the day

seoul would be able to found its own village

kai town

where like 70% of the population is pregnant

but since kai wants to keep on dancing obviously and he wants to lend his heart to only one person

seoul has to settle with a singular nini family house instead of a kai district

where you and the man himself are a full-fledged household basically since kai’s nieces double as actual kids

if you wanna be a young ass ‘mom but not mom with kids’ and be married to kim kai this is it

does he have a thing for milfs or something

that thought just came to my mind

anyway you’re mommy anyway wink wink

fucking til’ dawn until even his muscles hurt

going raw at the gym together

him cooking the most random food with the infamous waffle maker

cuddling with an army of teddy bears surrounding you

walking the dogs with the sexiest dancer alive

and the sexiness is only the tip of the iceberg

we know he’s all-round amazing

kai is the king of figuring out ways to chill out with you anywhere anytime

and yes innocent chilling

...unless you’re in the mood for something else

up to you

anyway

sweet innocent chilling for now... with the stunner... just smooching at best things aren’t going raw or anything

on the couch in the kitchen in the car when it’s parked somewhere in nature

kai takes you very seriously and is a great listener

he’s literally so respectful and open-minded i can’t

he will keep your secrets and stand up for you if it’s ever needed

yes he is extremely caring and invested

kai does not tolerate others being shady towards you

if there’s an instance where you are hurt and unable to assert yourself don’t worry. he knows how to confront others with measure but a firm determination.

kai takes a lot of that responsibility but only to the degree where you are comfortable

i think you get what i mean by that

and he is diplomatic instead of plain patronizing

you have a right to be protected. it means he not only treats you well, but also makes sure your well-being isn’t disturbed in any other way outside of the relationships

outside influences aren’t to be underestimated

and since kai is a godly man you encounter a lot of jealousy from others

a matter he will take into his hands since he knows he’s the reason

standing up for you also means saying no

to these jealous voices so this is an important boundary he has to draw

that all kinds of hellbent people want to get into his pants and take his stage image too literally is not up to you to fix

kai is there for you to enjoy and love not to defend

that’d be exhausting and beside the point

kai prevents stress and negativity to come to you

i hope i explained this well he doesn’t do this to be bossed up or make you weak it’s because he wants to make life easier for you

guys being protective will be chalked up as chauvinistic these days. often rightfully so

but what i mean is that kai support you in all regards so you won’t be at a disadvantage or feel terrible about something

⌈ taeyong

— motto: we’ll take good care. enjoy the pleasure.

he’s the type of boyfriend who will ask you about things he missed out on while he was busy

things um from the internet

while mark literally knows that one by heart already taeyong will ask you things like what the wellerman song is

and you thought it would be something nsfw

i got you fooled

did we forget that the man literally watched nct memes on youtube

taeyong is both even more 18+ than you think but also even more innocent than you think it’s complicated

this man is just hard to describe he’s so different, i mean every person is unique but he’s an original it’s the extra mile you know

anyway

sea shanties

bopping to it all day since he just heard it

singing it while he prepares dinner based on a youtube recipe video as he often does

he’s the most adorable person ever ever ever

asking you why shanties are back in fashion

(good question, requires a deeper sociocultural analysis i reckon)

planning to remix one for his soundcloud lmao i kid you not

maybe your favorite shanty

featuring fast-pace rap and all

creating his own previously unknown phrases and shit like that you know him

palazzo rocco lemon detox flashbacks

he’s hilarious i swear

taeyong will produce his own shanties for you can you imagine

as he says: my happiness is your happiness

watch out he will drop a shanty music video with extra krumping moves

taeyong is a never-ending source of pure crack

prepare to laugh a lot like, a lot lot

how can a man who seemingly has such a serious outlook on life and such a bonkers kinda face be so lighthearted

it’s like he’s peter pan or something

especially since he has to manage like over 20 brats in nct his cutesy behavior towards you as his gf will stand out to you

yeah so to be clear we all know he’s the cute one in the relationship

and guess who wears the pants

that’s always you ma’am don’t deny it

or wait

not for long actually because they come off um physically

but not metaphorically

because who doesn’t wanna sit on his face tbh

your favorite reserved spot

he loves it

taeyong has such a thing for your body it’s ridiculous

mister lee got a sexy mama

and you have such a thing for the gloriousness that is him

but neither of you will not admit it as openly as other people would think

all there is... is being flustered

baekhyun probably has to play some cupid now and then

and give you some ideas

like gifting taeyong plushies and things like that

baekhyun knows what taeyong is all about so the advice is very welcome

but most things you find out for yourself

by being a little braver with him you know

you walking around naked in the apartment or basically fresh out the shower with nothing but a towel

will shake up taeyong so immensely, he will back himself against a wall without you even pinning him there lmao!

jeez he’s so deep into kinky stuff but easily shook anyway

i quote him again: “born to be cute, i dunno!”

you can imagine the overwhelm when you rub yourself against him like it’s nobody’s business

it’s so much fun to give taeyong a regular horny meltdown not gonna lie

this man was grinding his whole body all over the superm stage and now he’s basically freezing up and drooling

how many denied and ruined orgasms he’s gonna get, so much overstimulation all the way

you’ll lose count of it

and just how wet you’re gonna be

is a thing for the history books

taeyong isn’t such a big deal in nct for no reason god gave him every talent

so great sex is obviously in his repertoire

i think you’re gonna break some records for most fucks per week

you know... guys like lucas taemin kai and baekhyun spend more time wooing and teasing and flirting

but taeyong gets down to business

one glance is enough

⌈ lucas

— motto: the hottest couple around.

ah, big boy

you really got this man’s attention

doing nothing much at all really

he probably just saw you walking around talking to friends

carrying an impossibly huge veggie burger munching and enjoying yourself after going on a jog

yeah boy that’s how you catch his eye

they say love begins in the stomach and that is the true meaning

or the nose, your food smells really good, lucas is going crazy, he’s seeing stars and shit

anyway

the towering burger isn’t the only thing he wants

lucas cannot get you out of his mind no matter how much he tries to distract himself

with more good food, movies, games

fooling around with wayv or the superm maknaes, and working out

he’s admittedly... a little himbo head over himbo heels with you the feels got to him

he’s not gonna say it’s a date he’s just gonna invite you just because

to hang out in the kitchen while taeyong cooks and baekhyun comes up with the idea to play twister

imagine lucas with his long arms and legs bending himself all over the place

fighting with kai who almost crashed his shoulders into taemin who avoided the accident quickly

making you lose a round

obviously lucas will hustle until your team wins

mostly because he’s so tall and baekhyun is so small which is a huge advantage when stacking each other over the map

let’s just face it baekhyun only suggested this game to bite everyone’s butts and to see you have skinship with lucas

which is definitely a successful plan of the leader

yukhei is in paradise

jumping around his room like an oversized bunny after you went home

don’t lie, you fell hard for him as well he’s just such a presence

emotionally, physically

a gentle but persistent giant

he’ll do anything to make your relationship happen once he knows you’re interested

if there’s someone meant to be a boyfriend it’s gotta be him come on

he will cave in after a while and admit he can’t just forget about you

not gonna lie

your ex is gonna be shaking in his ratty boots

his poor eyes will literally jop from their unexpecting sockets

when he sees lucas hanging out with you

with his shining blonde hair and tall stature, that perfect shapely body, with great fashion on top of that

looking like your guardian angel

man, xuxi really does

pulling you out of your slump that’s been going on for months

and bringing back smiles and a good time he knows how to do that best

and big big hugs of course

you can imagine how soothing and grounded it feels with such huge arms around you

he will make sure that feeling is always there when you need it

because you deserve that treatment

which means he will come over very very often

yeah get ready for how yukhei is a lot more driven than you think just dial and he will be there

underneath the meme surface is someone very determined who really really wants you

yukhei is chaotic good incarnate but in that area he isn’t messing around

his brain is like: “gotta be with her”

on repeat

he must call you, he literally can’t sleep without tying loose ends together as quickly as possible

no second wasted with this guy, even far down the relationship timeline

i really pity your ex

i mean someone dating any superm member would drive their former partner completely nuts

but lucas is a special case

he has that kind of look and aura that makes other guys dig themselves into the ground like wiggling worms or cope by fanboying over him

i don’t wanna make this sound like a competition and yet — congrats on your noodly blondie boyfriend alright

⌈ mark

— motto: two nerds in love.

how to explain this. mark is a perfect balance of a lover, a talker, and a shy bean

with a tendency toward bean

and flicking the bean

you know

cutting right to the chase are we

mark is very invested in pleasing you as good as he can

and defeating his awkwardness

because if we know one thing it’s that he always strives to become better and better like he can’t help it

and isn’t afraid of almost biting off more than he can chew

how many subunits is he part of at this point is it gonna be nct hollywood as well god dangit

back to the point mark doesn’t treat relationships and sex as something static which is a good and rare thing

he does his best and always looks for room to improve

while being very nervous, very bilingual, it takes two languages or more to express what he thinks about you let that sink in

that’s very shaky first date sex while being extremely in love with each other

lucky you

and an afterglow where he plays the guitar for you

that’s so nice

he can play it while laying down and shit

while singing

not rapping, actual full-fledged serenading

we’ve heard how that sounds in the relay cam

are you dating some kind of teenage heartthrob or something huh

mark will make it very clear he’ll stick around, this bad bitch is here to stay

or actually, he’s a good bitch, don’t misunderstand

mark doesn’t have a lot of edgy in him unless rap is concerned

he’s the kinda guy to get lost in IKEA with

having a good time

as often as his schedule permits

you really have to make use of your time together

this man might as well the busiest idol out there

and you are no different because birds of a feather

you’re both mr. and ms. independent

out and about very often

so meeting up becomes something special during comeback season

or wait mark always has a comeback going on

which is a double-edged sword but something you both know you signed up for

which is why you spend a lot of time around NCT dream, 127, and SuperM

sm’s publicity agents have to work extra hard i’m telling you

a dating rumor is the last thing both of you would need

since you befriend several members you gotta stay on the low as well

but hey the rage of jealous people of the public is nothing compared to the force of nature that is yuta nakamoto

who seriously thinks himself threatened and robbed

in case you are feeling possessive as well...

...you might have to fistfight yuta

to be able to be with mark

who is basically property of osaka at this point

yuta is a scorpio that’s just the way it is

unlike taeyong who wishes his rap buddy the best, yuta kinda wants to be mark’s wingman and see him date, live his best life

but also have mark for himself to fawn over and to adore, to be fascinated by

we get it yuta. bisexual struggles. very understandable

you have to promise in person that mark doesn’t forget about the holy gaming nights with yuta

which is hilarious since that’s not up to you but mark’s memory

bestie, yuta uses everyone as a scapegoat don’t sweat it too much

regardless you put a weekly reminder on the fridge

so the roaring lion yuta would be pacified

he doesn’t want to lose his sweetheart can you blame him

the ultimate but also most risky solution is obviously inviting yuta for movies

which will be appreciated but also cause a storm

mark will definitely break a sweat when you start a popcorn war or try to prove who hugs mark the best

caught in the middle of mayhem is mark lee’s specialty what did you expect

this either ends with murder or a chaotic open relationship down the line

yuta really is attached but who wouldn’t be

it could be worse mark has double the love you know

⌈ baekhyun

— motto: you wanna know why i’m your candy?

baby tell me are you ridin’?

in fair verona where we lay our scene...

that baekhyun always wants to woo you — his way, which proves to be very interesting to say the least — is never hard to miss

putting in effort is mochi default mode

no matter what stage of the relationship you’re in

he might as well regularly serenade you under your balcony in the backyard just because

probably singing ‘baby we can stay up’ and wiggling his ass in all directions because he’s a dirty boy gone wild

yeah. nowadays romeo is twerking instead of feuding with tybalt

that’s good for him and everyone involved

you in particular because you get some very racy eye candy

you know how baekhyun is

at least nobody’s around seeing him put on an 18+ show like that

your little guy is one unhinged fella

if it starts pouring he will grind up and down the next lantern and belt out ‘singing in the rain’

you bet he can do some actual pole dance

he’s strong and bendy you know

and loves to gyrate his whole bag of bones like... he wants to hit you with all the body rolls

in the rain

what a freaky man

but hey you wanna stay up for sure

doesn’t take long until you beckon him to come upstairs

where the only way to alleviate him of his wet clothes—

oh well he has those roger rabbit vibes and you can’t be mad at it

he will play off all his hormonal antics

baekhyun is hilarious

and so perverted, he can keep up with your spicy idea of playing patty-cake don’t worry

how do i know you’re an extra nsfw kinda person?

who else would like baekhyun

he says juicy things all the time

and does juicy things

yes. finally a couple on eye level indeed.

when baekhyun asks are you ridin’ you ask how hard

bruh

this is gonna be fun

and remember

beside handing you sacks of money

his priority is always to make you smile

i’m kidding about the bags but

baekhyun is so rich it’ll show in your relationship, but he’s more about the interactions with you rather than the lifestyle

baekhyun didn’t hustle for a bentley he hustled to sing and get out of sm alive alright

financial stability: important

luxury: very nice to have, he can make you the presents you want to have and travel a lot together

but smiles: baekhyun priority

because he so badly wants to know you love him and adore him, he sometimes feels so insecure

of course you do

you always reassure him with your reactions

it’s very important to him don’t underestimate it

baekhyun has always been talking about his ideal type in terms of how he can cheer her up

so even the naughtiest sexy time evenings are gonna be filled with all giggles

anyway other than that your pussy will be dripping

because this guy is as horny as all other members of super m combined

and you have your ways of leaving him tongue-tied and wrists-tied

taemin’s impact

superm isn’t short of bondage supplies we all know that

so yeah. shibari baekhyun is gonna happen

since he does pilates imagine what kinda shapes you can bend this lil guy into

and take some pictures

privé is in trouble

bondage model baekhyun is bursting onto the scene

you might even run a risque blog that features cropped pictures with him

heh — you think people will recognize him by his body?

nope

first: you only upload HD pictures that aren’t whitewashed

baekhyun is basically never photographed like that

second: who expects baekhyun to be featured on a bdsm blog with his girlfriend

and this is the guy that drives you around in his expensive car with his big black shades on

well what can i say

nothing is the way it seems

⌈ taemin

— motto: i’ll unfold a whole new world for you.

taemin is cocky, he’s sensual, and: a very smiley person as we know

least boring relationship ever

he will prance toward you whenever he can to involve you in cuddles

touch-starved taemin is a thing

kkoong can tell you about it, he needs kisses and embraces so often

might as well pepper him with it no problem

and put him into your oversized sweaters when he eats ice cream on the sofa, watching movies, and you brush his ever-growing hair

he’s smol he’s gonna fit into them don’t worry

and on the other hand he likes a rough and tough girl who thinks of him like a boy toy

who acts tsundere or like his bodyguard

working out almost daily to the point of sweat all over

a gal probably able to pretzel minho lucas and chanyeol into one giant bundle

taemin truly has the taste of a divo

multi-layered as always

so you couldn’t say the relationship is always the same in sentiment, the vibe of the dynamic could be different every day

we love a complex man

what would be volatile to others is actually an advantage up close

because taemin understands every difficult facet of himself and his partner

even if those facets might be contradictory

or something that’s felt shameful about

he will accept and listen anyway

the same goes for getting what drives you

taemin is like a walking psychology velvet couch with fancy swirls as arm rests

point is he isn’t fooled by the surface of the world

he knows what has to be known

which also means your looks aren’t the part he prioritizes

and not even outward personality and habit is what he’s drawn to

it’s the mentality and values underneath

that’s true compatibility to him and he can feel it

he’s really really smart

and also finds it important that you get along with shinee and superm, that you think they’re nice to be around and vice versa

especially kai as taemin’s absolute bearly bestie. if kai thinks you’re shady and you don’t like kai either

or if you’re permanently super awkward and taemin’s moodmaking doesn’t help

we have a problem

but fair enough

kai and taemin are basically one soul at this point so if taemin likes you jongin does anyway

bff telepathy

in fact jongin was probably the one introducing you to taemin lmao!

because he knows you go well together instinctively and he is correct

so not to worry then

and it’s good on taemin to think longterm and not see you as a person outside of social interaction y’know

cough cough he thinks about marriage, you might be ms. lee one day

here he goes again taemin is just very mature seeing you as well-rounded in every aspect of life

without letting his dick make the important decisions at the detriment of making this a relationship of two lives not just two bodies only

but obviously don’t assume taemin is no horny devil. we all know he dreams of the freakiest scenarios and fantasies in this whole group

going kinda crazy about the thought of making you cum which he always wants to try with new methods

which occupies his mind more than a big bowl of super spicy noodles which is taemin’s favorite meal so

at the same time taemin junior is definitely the same clingy attention whore as his sparkly owner

limp wrists from all the handjobs on your side

and very swollen lips from giving all that head on his side

this is gonna be interesting

he puts the 6v6 in 69

equals 69v69 am i right

but i’m serious that’s gonna be a lot of oral action

you definitely ask each other about having sex very often, daily if you have the time and find a nice spot

and how on earth do both of you keep your hands off each other sleeping in one bed

taemin is touchy as hell with no shyness, and you squish squeeze and grope this guy like the mochi he is

ah when things go both ways

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bxngchxn · 4 years ago

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Cupid’s Arrow || A Valentine’s Special

pairing: jisung x female!reader

wc: 2.85k

genre: cupid!au, fluff, humor

warnings: none!

description: every cupid has one job: shoot the arrow at your assigned human. What happens when someone misses?

a/n: ok so I started writing this at 9pm and it’s currently 12:46 am on valentines day so obvs this won’t be perfect but this was a cute idea so I hope you guys like it! you’re all my valentines you don’t have a choice ok mwah love u

(ps: pls don't be mad at me for how I ended this lmao if yall like it enough i’ll write a pt 2!)

taglist: @dom--minnie @sparklemin @minholuvs @hanflix

the week leading up to Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for angels like Jisung-- assignment after assignment of soulmates coming across his desk as the romantic holiday looms closer. don’t get him wrong, jisung loves his job. He loves getting to watch the moment two people, fated to each other finally meet-- the soft smiles, the faint blushes and shy introductions are something that makes his entire week. this time of year, though, all he really wants is to go home for the night.

he turns off the multiple screens on his desk, videos of intended lovers fading to black as his day comes to an end. closing the door and making sure to turn the lock, jisung sighs in relief as he makes his way down the hallway to the elevators, a few fellow cupids waiting for him by the door.

“hey jisung! we’re taking a trip down to earth to walk amongst the humans for awhile. do you wanna tag along?” Minho, the oldest of the bunch asks. next to him, jisung spots hyunjin, changbin and jeongin looking at him expectantly.

jisung met the group of angels five years ago, when he first started his job. inexperienced and ridiculously nervous, he clung to his coworkers throughout all of his training. although a sarcastic and rather rowdy bunch, jisung was quickly accepted for his bright smile and love for..well, love.

he had always found it interesting, the concept of love. it was merely a human emotion, but at the same time something so inhumanly complex. the idea that everyone has a person that they absolutely can’t live without, and some of them don’t even know it yet? crazy to him, but oh so fascinating.

the early days are always his favorite to watch once he’s successfully struck two people. everything is new and fun, and so unpredictable. there’s the first dates, shy hand holding, stolen glances. you never know when someone is going to finally make the first move, shyly moving closer and closer to their lover to gauge their reaction. jisung had always wondered what love felt like-- the closest he could get was his job as a cupid. he figured that would have to suffice.

when he finally reaches the doors to the elevators, he flashes a smile at the boys in front of him. “last time we went down to earth, hyunjin literally caused a traffic jam because he smiled at a dog. are you guys sure this is a good idea?” he quips, and the boys laugh while hyunjin rolls his (absolutely gorgeous) eyes.

“first of all that's not true,” he begins, and elbows jeongin in the side when he hears a sound of contradiction leave his mouth “and we aren’t going anywhere crowded, just to a café that I saw the other day when I was working.” he says, and jisung nods his head in contemplation.

“sure, that sounds like fun. I haven’t had a good cup of coffee in awhile,” he agrees, and with that, the five make their way into the elevator.

stepping out onto the sidewalk, jisung took a moment to feel the sun on his skin. this was one of his favorite parts about earth, so warm and so bright. of course, it’s nothing compared to heaven, but sometimes the change of scenery made it easier for jisung to relax.

the group is quite chatty as they make their way to the suggested café, commenting on the different humans they pass. everyone is so unique in their own ways, and it fascinates the five angels, who rarely get to walk among them. Lucky for them, they look like any other human being, meaning no one will be able to tell the difference.

the café that hyunjin brought everyone to had a light and airy atmosphere. the walls a bright white, flourishing greenery all around the restaurant complimented the white and yellow tables and matching chairs. It felt like they were in the middle of a field of wild flowers. jisung absolutely adored it, the smells of coffee and pastries filling his nose as they found a nice table next to a window.

looking around, the jisung watched as a girl made her way across the café and sat close to the entrance, with a laptop in front of her and headphones around her neck. She seemed content, sighing to herself with a small smile on her lips as she opened her laptop and took a bite of the muffin sitting in front of her.

“wait wait wait, that’s one of my humans! I’m supposed to shoot her once th- oh my god! there’s the soon-to-be soulmate too! I can’t miss this opportunity!” Minho exclaims quietly while he reaches into the backpack he had brought with him. The other cupids turn to look at him incredulously.

The ‘soon-to-be soulmate’, as Minho put it, seemed rather dull compared to his supposed counterpart. He wasn’t bad looking, but there was something about him that just didn’t seem right to Jisung. this girl seemed to match the vibes of the café-- like a warm summer day, not a cloud in the sky. the kind of day that lasts in your memories for years to come, and this man...he just was not it. Hair disheveled, seemingly in a rush as he was tapping his foot impatiently at the counter. Jisung knew that opposites could attract, but he just didn’t see it in the cards for this one.

“is this why you wanted to come down here?” jeongin asked with wide eyes, knowing that they shouldn’t be meddling unless they’re on the clock. The others turn to Minho who has now gotten two arrows and his bow out from his bag.

“Uhm….no?” he says sheepishly once he sees the stares that are being thrown at him. He takes one of the arrows and lines it up on his bow, pulling his arm back and aiming at the girl peacefully enjoying her day.

“Minho do you really think this is the best time?” jisung asks apprehensively. almost too focused on getting a good shot, Minho didn’t answer him.

He lets go of the arrow and it zips through the air, hitting the girl in the shoulder as she starts to work on her laptop. Humans can’t physically feel the arrow when they get shot-- that almost defeats the belief in soulmates. She continues on as if nothing happened, and jisung almost rolls his eyes as he watches Minho line up his second shot.

“Look,” Minho begins, “they’re supposed to meet tomorrow anyway! why not speed up the process?” he says as he draws his arm back.

Out of nowhere, a customer in the store drops a coffee cup. The sound of the glass shattering startles pretty much everyone in the café, including the group of angels. In fact, it startles them enough that the unbelievable happens.

Minho’s arm slips, and the arrow is released...straight into Jisung’s shoulder.

The two look at each other in absolute disbelief, and Jisung wants to strangle the older cupid. A very quiet “oops” leaves Minho’s mouth.

“Are you kidding me?!?” Jisung says a little too loudly. Everyone is looking at the two of them, including the girl that Minho just struck.

When the two make eye contact, Jisung feels something...strange. He knows it’s a reaction from the love arrow, but is this what love is supposed to feel like? He feels like he wants to throw up, butterflies flying in his stomach as he notices the faint blush on the cheeks of the girl across the room. That’s when he really sees her for the first time, like, really sees her.

He isn’t sure how he didn't see it before. Her hair falls perfectly over her shoulders, and her eyes that are staring at him in slight confusion still shine brighter than any star he’d ever seen..and he’s seen a lot of stars.

He’s silent for a few moments, and the other boys start looking at each other with concern. “Wait, no, what the hell? Cupid’s can’t get struck! What is going on?” Changbin says as he watches the way the two are staring at each other.

This isn’t allowed. Cupids don’t have many rules, but one of the biggest rules for any angel is: Do not associate with humans. It’s the reason why they can’t-- or shouldn't, really-- feel love in the first place. Messing with the rules of the universe could have big consequences. It’s never happened before, but there have always been enough myths that get spread around that would deter any angel from even thinking about it. Yet, here jisung is, absolutely head over heels for a human, even if it is all Minho’s fault.

“I don't know, this hasn't happened before. Oh my god, what did I do,” Minho starts spiraling. Its at that moment that the others know they need to get the hell out of there. Scooping up Jisung, who is currently still staring at the girl who has now focused on her work instead, they rush out of the café. Once Jisung is out of eyesight of the girl, he shakes his head in confusion and comes back down to earth (pun intended).

“Ohhhh no, no no no. This is bad,” Jisung says, running his hands through his hair exasperated. “Minho what the fuck happened?!” he asks.

Putting his hands up, Minho tries to defend himself. “I don’t know! That person dropped their cup and it threw me off!” he says quickly, and it makes Jisung want to roll his eyes.

“You dumbass, that’s why we shouldn’t even be down here in the first place! If Chan finds out, we’re dead! That’s it! We’re gonna be out of jobs and not able to pay our bills and-- oh my god there she is,” Jisung exclaims once he sees the girl exit the café, looking around confused. Turning around, she spots Jisung and starts to make her way towards him.

“Oh no, nope. Not now, this is a bad time,” Hyunjin says while they try to drag Jisung away from the girl. He shimmies out of their grip as she approaches him.

“Uh, hi. I think one of you left this in the café?” she says. Looking down, Jisung sees his cellphone in her hand. “I saw it sitting at the table you guys walked away from, I’m glad I was able to find you when I came outsi-- Oh, wow, hi..” she cuts herself off, awestruck when she makes eye contact with Jisung. Hyunjin rolls his eyes as he watches the two of them. Jisung doesn’t know what to say.

“Oh, yeah this is..mine..thank you,” he says as he holds out his hand. He swears he can feel electricity run through him when her hand makes contact with his. He has never experienced a feeling so strong like this before. He knew that love was dramatic but he didn’t think it was like this.

Reminding himself that this isn’t supposed to be happening, he clears his throat. “Okay well we have to go. Thank you for my phone, goodbye!” he says quickly, leaving the girl and his friends in complete confusion has he turns on his heel and starts to almost sprint in the opposite direction. The boys quickly follow him after offering a small wave to the girl, who returns it as she turns to walk away.

“Jisung, you cannot possibly see her again” Hyunjin says once they finally catch up to him. And even though Jisung knows that, there’s something that is inevitably pulling him towards her.

When they finally make it back to heaven and Jisung gets home, he pulls his phone out to check his messages. To his shock, he finds a new contact added into his phone, with a photo of a girl who’s eyes remind him of galaxies.

Y/N, aka Café Girl

As you walk down the street, you smile feeling the warm sunshine on your shoulders. It may be the middle of February, but you seemed to be blessed with a particularly warm day. This day had been nothing out of the ordinary, but for some reason you felt lighter, walking with a bounce in your step that you haven’t had in a long time.

Your mind wanders back to the boy you saw at the café not too long ago. His honey coloured hair shined under the artificial lights in the room, and his brown eyes reminding you of the warmest hot chocolate on a cold winter day. He hadn’t left your mind since the two of you made eye contact for the first time.

It’s been awhile since you’ve found someone that caught your interest so quickly. You never believed in love at first sight, but after today you just might be changing your mind. It seemed like fate that he left his cellphone on the table in the café, and it was definitely a risk that you had put your phone number in his contacts. You’ve never done something like that before, but something was telling you that you just needed to take the chance and make the first move.

Eventually, days and then weeks pass, and you haven’t even received a text message from him. You feel a little disappointed every time you check your phone, hoping that you’ll see his number come up on your screen. You didn’t even know his name, nor when (or if) you’d ever get to see him again. You should’ve been prepared for the sinking feeling in your chest, but you had still been hopeful.

You still frequented the café, mainly because it was a calm and quiet place to work, but also because you were secretly hoping you’d run into him again-- you at least needed to learn his name. That’s all you could think about while you try to focus on your work, but to no avail. You decided to give yourself a break, letting your thoughts swirl with chocolate colored eyes.

As your eyesight wanders the café, you hear the front door bell ring and you’re forced to meet eyes with the man that has lived in your head rent free for the past two weeks. You almost can’t believe it. He seems like he’s searching for something, or someone.

As he looks around the room, you get nervous. You wonder if he’ll remember who you are, or maybe he’s already deleted your number and rejected you without even telling you? Maybe he already has a girlfriend? Maybe even a boyfriend?

The thoughts running through your head completely distract your from the fact that he’s sat down in front of you. “Uhm..excuse me?” He says quietly, and your breath gets caught in your throat when you hear his voice.

“Oh, i’m sorry, I didn’t scare you did I?” he asks, and you shake your head quickly. “No! No not at all. I, uh..hi,” you say with a light blush on your cheeks, and it makes Jisung’s heart soar to the sky.

He’s definitely not used to feeling like this. He’s been trying to avoid it for the past few weeks, hoping that if he had ignored it these weird feelings would go away. He searched for hours and hours for a loophole in getting struck with a cupid’s arrow, but even hyunjin couldn’t find anything.

After nights of tossing and turning while images of you danced through his head, he knew he needed to see you. He got lucky that you were at the café, this was the only place he had ever seen you so he was hoping he’d get to catch you here.

“You never texted me, you know. Did you delete my number?” you asked him, feigning hurt. You saw his eyes go bigger as he tried to defend himself. “N-no! I definitely did not delete it. I was just so shocked that I didn’t know what to say...how did you even know the phone was mine?” He asked, laughing quietly. Jisung won’t lie, that was a pretty bold move. He was actually impressed once the initial shock had passed.

“Oh, I definitely wasn’t not staring at you across the room or anything and saw you on your phone. Definitely not,” you say with a flirty laugh, and it immediately sparks intrigue in Jisung.

The line rolled off your lips so easily, and Jisung is convinced that it’s an effect from the arrow. “Oh, were you now? How did I not notice someone as pretty as you looking my way?” He asks, and his eyes go wide when he hears himself speak.

What was that? All of this is so foreign to him, but when the blush on your cheeks gets a little darker he decides that maybe, just maybe, this will be worth the consequences he might face if Chan ever finds out about this.

“Listen,” he begins cautiously. “I have...a lot of things that I need to tell you. But let me start with this: How about I take you out on a date?”

#stray kids scenarios #stray kids fluff #han jisung #jisung fluff #bxngchxn fics #this was so fun to write #i'm probably gonna write a pt 2 whether you guys want one or not #jisungie

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sylvain-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Doors Will Open (Donatello x Reader)

Rated: G

Gender Neutral Reader, pre-relationship, movie night, tenderness, cuddling, supportive brothers

You surprise Donnie with lembas bread for your Lord of the Rings movie night.

for @blancoluna

Donatello is holed up in his laboratory of mischief and oddities when you arrive at the lair bearing treats. But Mikey is there to greet you, jumping out of the Pit to graciously unload the deep tupperware of cookies from your hands.

His eyes twinkle as he leans in to stage whisper, “You’re my favorite, know that?”

April walks up behind him with a gasp of indignation. “I’m gone five minutes!”

“But, but...” He lifts the box in his defense, “Cookies!”

“Ooh.” April’s eyes go wide and warmth floods your cheeks at their enthusiasm. She rubs her hands together with delight. “Can I grab one for the road?” You nod, of course, encouraging her to take as many as she likes. “You’re my favorite too,” she says with a giddy bounce.

Your laughter draws Raphael and Leonardo from the tunnels, and your excitement for the evening mounts. Rising to your toes hopefully, you try to capture a glimpse of Donatello behind them. The tunnel, however, is otherwise empty. Your heart sinks just a little.

Everyone gathers in the kitchen, welcoming you and trying to convince April to stay, but with each passing minute, the absence of your best friend grows harder to ignore.

“Wheel of Time is in my bag,” you mention to Leo half-heartedly. It’s a book series he’s been begging to borrow for ages. You’re proud of yourself for remembering to bring it, and you don’t want to get distracted and forget.

“Thanks!” Leo unlatches your messenger bag immediately, diving into a confession that only serves to prove what a nerd he is. Apparently, he sped through the Lord of the Rings this week in his excitement for the weekend movie marathon. You nod along with an amused smile. You're usually overjoyed to have the fellow bookworm to talk to, but your attention keeps drifting to the empty tunnels.

A lull in his rambling gives you an opportunity to ask, “Is Donnie coming?” You have trouble meeting Leo's eyes, but you try your best to keep the question sounding casual and light. You don’t want Leo, Raph, Mikey, or April to feel like you don’t value their company, but you brought down supplies for Movie Night under the impression Donatello would be joining in; you don’t want to start without him.

“Oh, I’ll get that knucklehead,” Leo says, stacking the books to carry. “He probably just lost track of time.”

Turning from Mikey's final, futile plea for April to stay, Leo heads toward his room to drop off the books, then to the workshop to gather their missing brother.

The muted sounds of tools and machinery come through the heavy door in clanks and whirrs. But Leo knows Donnie won't mind the intrusion. He raps a knuckle against the small frosted window and gives his brother a shout.

Donatello raises his voice over the buzz of a circular saw to ask, “Emergency?” But the sound of the blade cutting through metal continues without pause.

“No.” Leo won’t lie. He won’t test Donnie’s nerves with trickery, not even when the reveal is something his brother has been looking forward to all week.

“Password?” Donnie counters next.

Leo screws up his face, searching his memories for the right answer. “I don’t know, dude. There’s cookies? And, like, ten hours of movies, so-”

The saw goes silent before the 'shop door opens with a snap. Leo takes a step back to give his brother room.

Donnie’s face pops through the gap, his eyes looking unnaturally large through the magnifying lenses perched atop his beak. “What day is it?”

“Uh, Friday.”

“Y/N is here?”

Leo's exasperated answer hisses through the tunnel. "Yes."

Donatello lets the door swing wide as he pulls off his goggles and hangs them on their hook. “Why didn’t you start with that?” he asks as he tidies up his station. His hands fly over the tables, reorganizing the space for his return. He fumbles his wrenches into their case in his rush. "How long have they been here? Why didn't anyone get me sooner?"

Leo doesn’t hide his grin, so happy to see Donnie this close to admitting his crush. “Oh, so they’re the password, huh?”

Donatello’s blush starts at his neck and rises up to his ears. “That’s not…” He gives a little huff as he rolls his tool cart to its place against the wall. “Shut up, Leo.”

Slinging an arm around Donnie's neck, Leo drags him into the hall. He grinds his knuckles over his little brother's head with a light chuckle. Though Donnie easily squirms free, Leo knocks him with a shoulder, a tease and a mark of support.

At first, Leo had been reticent to encourage his brother's feelings for you, but over time it's become obvious that Donnie’s affections are far from one-sided. Being what they are, that came as somewhat of a shock to him, but it was the best kind of surprise.

Donnie's lucky to have you in his life. And Leo hopes that one day soon, the two of you will get your acts together. It's about time you two admit just how happy the other makes you.

You're picking at the edge of the countertop, stomach in knots, when you hear the echo of footsteps draw near. Leo and Donnie enter the main living space pushing and shoving, but there's not a hint of anger on their squabble. Laughter stretches their smiles wide.

You bite your lips together, anticipating the moment when Donatello finds you. There's become a shared second of pause when you meet, though you don't know when that began. You try to prepare yourself for it each time, but it always leaves you breathless.

When Donatello’s eyes fall on you, his laughter peters out and his smile goes soft. Your lungs ache with the breath you've forgotten to release until Donatello breaks the spell. "I was told there would be cookies?"

You gesture to the box, hoping the slight tremor in your hand isn't obvious. "Lembas, actually." It's silly, your newly developed nervousness around him. Donnie is the person with whom you feel safest, most free to be yourself. He's your best friend in the world.

Your crush on him shouldn't change that. But it does. It could change everything.

Donatello's eyes slide to the box and his jaw drops comically. "Are you kidding me? How did you-? Why did-?" His long strides bring him to the table before he has a chance to form a full sentence.

"It's our weekend," you say. A blush colors your cheeks as you catch your choice of phrase. "I mean, Lord of the Rings weekend. Remember?" You fiddle with the ring hanging from your neck, your fingers running back and forth over the elvish script.

"I didn't. I do now! I didn't realize it was Friday until Leo… But Lembas!" He's probably the biggest nerd of you all.

"Go ahead." The mess of crumbs on the counter is evidence Raph and Mikey have grabbed their share. Thankfully, they left some for the rest of you.

Leo skirts around you to take a cookie for himself while Donatello inspects his square of pastry with care. Turning it over in his hands, Donnie hums. "It smells like citrus and almond."

"There's lavender too," you supply gently. It took a few tries and a few tweaks of the recipe you found to get it just right, but you're quite proud of the end result.

"Yeah," he gives a slow nod. "And lavender. I was getting to that." He looks at you in awe. "This is really… it's so cool."

"You didn't even try it." Your racing heart switches gears from nervousness to anticipation for Donnie to have a taste.

"Oh, right." Donatello takes his first bite, follows it quickly with a second, and the cookie is gone. "Wow." Crumbs fall from his lips and you chuckle at his enthusiasm.

"I can make more," you offer as he reaches for another, "if you guys like them so much."

Donnie nods and drops his gaze as he seems to consider it. "...maybe you can make them here," he says finally. "With me, y'know? Show me how it's done."

Your blush returns at the suggestion and you find yourself hesitant to agree to the plan.

Donatello's eyes blink wide and his almost pout is irresistible as always. You can't fathom why you'd give up the chance to be the one teaching Donatello something for once.

With a leap of your heart, you give in. "Yeah, of course. We can swing by my place later and grab the stuff. Could be fun."

"Could be," he agrees quietly.

Donnie meets your eyes again and the moment of stillness between you stretches long--

Until Raphael speaks up from the couch with an exaggerated groan. "Can ya please get over here already? There's a whole mess of movies waitin' for us and you're busy yappin'."

Donatello grabs the box of cookies and rummages through the cabinet for Pop-Tarts while you make your way over to the TV. Of course, not even lembas can fill his appetite for sweet pastry.

In the Pit, the lighting is dim. Title screen music rises and falls, drawing you into the fantasy world of Middle Earth.

Leo has taken a seat atop the back of the couch to give Raph and Mikey room on the cushions below. At the sight of your approach, Mikey scoots toward his brothers to make you a place by the armrest.

It's a comfortable fit, even for your favorite position, sitting with your legs pulled up, criss cross. But when Donnie comes in, there's no real room for him. He doesn't seem to mind. He places the plate of lembas and box of Pop-Tarts on the coffee table. Then, without hesitation, he takes a seat on the floor in front of you.

Mikey starts up the movie and the epilogue scenes cast the room in shadows and flashes of light. Donatello settles in against your legs and everyone's eyes focus on the screen.

The film plays and the temptation to reach toward Donatello increases with his every shift. Though he hasn't complained, you think he must be uncomfortable down on the floor. If nothing else, the way he rolls his shoulders probably means he's feeling stiff.

It's dark enough, you could lay your hands on his shoulders, work the knots out of his muscles and neck, without attracting the attention of his brothers. But you don't. As you indulge yourself in fantasy, Donatello shifts once more. He slides into position between your knees and the tails of his bandana catch on the hem of your jeans.

You stare for a moment, unsure if you're allowed to touch. Then, Donnie leans back and smiles up at you and you could swear your heart stops. It only lasts a second before his eyes return to the screen, but it fills you with comfort, confidence, and calm.

Careful not to tug, you take the tails of his mask in hand and lay the long strips of cloth over your lap. With steady passes, the fabric runs through your fingers. It's soft and worn. Stained and fraying on the ends. The movie plays on, but as far as you're concerned there's only this.

You twist the tails of Donnie's mask around your fingers. You tie them into loose knots, losing yourself in the quiet intimacy of having Donatello so close.

Donnie tips his head to the side as you play, turning his body just enough that he can rest his head on your knee.

You bend at the waist and drop your voice as quiet as it can go to avoid being overheard by the others. "You OK?"

Donatello nods, nuzzling his cheek against your knee just enough for you to notice. "It's nice," he says, and you drag the tails of his bandana through your fingers again.

As you sit up, you spare a glance at his brothers. Raph and Leo are sitting forward, elbows on their knees, enraptured by Arwen's race on horseback. But Mikey's watching you through the corner of his eye. He gives you a small, knowing smile before turning his attention back to the screen.

When it's time to switch DVDs, everyone agrees it's time for a stretch.

Donnie's the first one back to the Pit. And he takes it upon himself to lie across all three cushions of the couch with a lazy grin. Mikey doesn't even bother with him, ducking out to meet up with April and leaving his older brothers to fend for spots on the broken recliner and floor.

Donatello makes grabby hands as you return from the kitchen with a pair of sodas. You think he'll sit up, make some room. But to your surprise, Donatello exaggerates his sprawl. He takes the drinks and places them on the floor, then extends his hands toward you again.

You only have a second to register his request before he takes your hand in his and gently pulls you onto the couch with him.

Cuddled up between the couch and your back, Donatello gives a little shimmy and a wistful sigh.

Your heart is racing and you're tingling from your hands to your toes, but fitting against the curves of Donatello's bent knees and soft embrace takes no thought at all. And once you're there, you can't imagine ever wanting to leave.

The second Fellowship DVD comes to an end, and Donatello's breath tickles your neck, "One more?"

You shrug into the feeling of his words ghosting over your skin. "I'll fall asleep," you admit regretfully. You're so comfortable in his arms, you don't want to go home. But it's precisely that warmth and safety that are making it so hard to stay awake.

"I won't make fun of you if you snore," Donnie teases. There's soft pressure on your scalp and you're sure that's the feeling of him snuggling into your hair.

"I make no promises," Raph chimes in from the recliner. You'd long since forgotten you had company. The sound of his voice should come as a shock, should have you scrambling out of Donnie's arms. But it's only Raph, and he's picking on you the same as always. And there's a kind of approval in that -- the kind you never dreamed of receiving.

You try to shoot him a scowl, but you're grinning because you can't help it.

You were right about having difficulty staying awake. The film isn't on for five minutes before your eyes drift closed.

"Are you asleep?"

"Still listening," you mumble dreamily. Donatello's arms tighten around you and his chin tucks over your head. It's enough to send you adrift into a deep and peaceful sleep.

You wake up in the morning alone but wrapped in a purple knitted blanket you recognize from Donnie's room. You pull it snug around your shoulders as you sit up to check your phone. There's a text from your roommate and emails that can be ignored, but one notification stands out. You touch the media message from Raphael.

Though you roll your eyes at the blurry thumbnail, your curiosity has you pressing play. The video is only 20 seconds, anyway.

It loads immediately and the image clears. You smile at the closeup of Donatello asleep on the couch. The audio is low but you can clearly make out the snuffling rise and fall of his snores. You allow yourself a little laugh as you watch the video play through again. And you don't miss the way Raphael panned to show you and Donnie together dozing comfortably -- your limbs entangled and your face tucked into the crook of his neck.

You're unsure where you two stand and where your relationship will go, but your stomach is full of butterflies and your heart is content.

"Did you sleep OK?" Donnie asks as he comes in from the kitchen. He's brought tea and toast -- a simple but sweet gesture.

You take a moment to enjoy the sight of him bringing you breakfast 'in bed' and tuck your phone away with a smile. "I slept great."

#TMNT x reader #Donatello x Reader #Donnie x reader #gender neutral reader #nonbinary reader #prompt fill #request fill

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iatethepomegranate · 3 years ago

Text

We are not alone in the dark with our demons, Chapter 12

In which Caleb buys a house in Rexxentrum with Beau and Yasha, becomes a professor, learns how to be a person, and grapples with how to help the other Volstrucker survivors, and his students, in a way he had never been helped.

Content warnings: References to Caleb's backstory, depression, poverty

Chapter summary: Caleb and the Nein meet up in Nicodranas, and he can no longer delay telling them of his failure to protect someone who desperately needed him. But, as it turns out, he was not the only person keeping secrets about that day.

Chapter notes: This is a somewhat chaotic chapter. Enjoy and let chaos reign, I guess! Chapter title is from Three by Sleeping At Last

****

Chapter 12: A mess of a story I'm ashamed to tell but I'm slowly learning how to break this spell

Essek teleported the four of them to the Blooming Grove the following morning to pick up Caduceus, who offered to message Wensforth to save the wizards the spell. They had breakfast in the Grove with the Clays, and got their hands dirty in the garden for a while, until Caleb rolled the aches from his shoulders and began to draw the teleportation circle to Tidepeak Tower.

“I might have to go back earlier than the rest of you,” said Beauregard. “Dairon’s guiding the monks on the Nico hunt for now, but they’re super busy.”

“We can send you back whenever you need,” said Essek.

Caleb’s next few chalk strokes were a bit more aggressive than they needed to be. It was hard not to feel guilty for leaving Rexxentrum while Nico was out on his own and people were searching for him. Essek sat on the floor by his side, knocking their knees together. He felt better, and no one made any mention of his silent outburst.

He completed the final stroke and the five of them rushed through, landing in a familiar tower, where Wensforth waited in the doorway.

“Welcome, welcome.” Wensforth guided them down the stairs. “The master is eager to speak with you.”

Yussa was already arranged on a couch in the sitting area on the ground floor, delicate fingers holding a teacup. Once borderline inscrutable, the man smiled at them as he often did these days. Especially to Caleb, on whom Jester thought Yussa had a crush. Caleb was more of the mind that Yussa saw him as little more than a precocious child, given their respective ages, but his particular fondness was evident all the same.

“Oremid tells me you are teaching at the Soltryce Academy now,” Yussa said. “Sit. We should talk.”

“Hi, Yussa,” Beauregard said, a little pointedly. “How’ve you been?”

“I am well, Beauregard. It is good to see you. All of you.”

They arranged themselves on the soft couches in the space, Caleb sitting across Yussa for ease of conversation, given the man clearly had things to say today. Essek was at Caleb’s side, slightly further than he would be just around the Nein, but close enough to be a comfort whenever Caleb’s anxiety spiked nonetheless.

Essek had been to Yussa’s tower a few times in Caleb’s company before. Given everything the Nein had put Yussa through already, the man had taken the presence of a fugitive of the Kryn Dynasty in his stride.

With a gesture from Yussa, his teapot lifted and poured itself into the other five cups on the little table in the centre of the room. Then, in turn, each cup floated into the hands of his visitors. Caleb accepted his with a soft thanks, slipping into Zemnian out of habit. He had spoken more Zemnian in the last few weeks than he had in years. It was always the little words, the pleases and thank yous, the hellos and goodbyes, that stuck the hardest.

“So…” Yussa honed in on him again. “Teaching. A step down from the original job they offered you, I hear.”

“Teaching is a better use of my time than spying.” There were more things Caleb could say about the Archmage of Civil Influence as a position, and most of them were far less polite. “Astrid always wanted that position more than I did anyway.”

“Good. You might survive to old age after all, for a human.”

Essek flinched a little at the reminder of Caleb’s shorter lifespan. Yussa’s eyes tracked the movement, but he let it pass without comment.

“Are we third-wheeling for you guys again?” Beau asked, but it wasn’t really a question. “Because we can, like, go.”

Caduceus placed a package on Yussa’s table. “Here, I brought that tea you liked last time.”

“Yes, thank you. You are all welcome to stay if you like.”

Beauregard was already standing up. “Nah, I think we’re good. Cool to see you again with your face where it belongs.” She awkwardly finger-gunned in Yussa’s direction, backing towards the door.

She, Yasha and Caduceus left the tower.

Yussa watched them go with amusement. “It seems my social graces are rather rusty.”

“They don’t mind,” said Caleb. “They have met too many wizards to be offended.” Essek snickered into his hand, finally relaxing a bit. “So, you were saying?”

“Teaching is good work, if you can tolerate the children,” said Yussa. “I did it myself for a time. For one to turn down an archmage position… you must have a goal.”

“Leave the Empire better than I found it,” Caleb said. That encompassed all his knotted up feelings about it.

Yussa raised a single well-kept eyebrow. “Interesting. What is your definition of ‘better’, if I may ask?”

Caleb did have a vision for this, and the situation with Felix and Nico had thrown into sharp, painful relief how far there was to go, and how much pain he would never be able to prevent. “No more children thrown on the pyre. No more stolen childhoods. No more abuse. A government and its mages who choose to consider simple human cost, before they consider their own selfish ambitions.” Caleb was typically more reserved with Yussa, but the more he spoke of this, the harder it became to restrain his emotions. “No more wizards with a god complex who think themselves above basic compassion and ethics. No more butchering the innocent to grease the wheels of war. Just… no more.”

“A lofty goal,” Yussa said, quiet. “One that would take the remainder of my lifetime, or even young Essek’s lifetime, let alone yours.”

“I know. Hence the importance of teaching these things to those who will come after me.”

Yussa hummed thoughtfully. “I wish you luck. More powerful men than yourself have tried, and been consumed.”

“Been there, done that. Have the trauma.” Caleb wasn’t sure where he found the capacity to joke, even flatly, about all of this. Sometimes it was easier to get the point across if he allowed for a bit of sarcasm. “In my experience, the children put at the mercy of these people may need the most help. And that is something I can do.”

“I will watch your progress.” Yussa finished his tea, setting the cup aside. “Now, enough of mundane matters. I have been tinkering with Willi some more. Would you like to see the results?”

“Always.” Caleb missed that golem terribly.

They lost a few hours discussing the golems of the Happy Fun Ball, and comparing notes about the pre-Calamity Aeormatons the Nein had encountered. Caleb and Essek had run across Devexian a few times in their travels since. It was a good use of time, and it settled Caleb’s nerves. He felt better.

***

Once they left Tidepeak Tower, Essek disguised as a blonde half-elf, they headed over to Veth’s place. Caleb was somewhat nervous about this, because he knew she would see through any of his bullshit and know he was going through something. And then he would have to explain everything to the rest of the Nein. And, of course, Jester already had an inkling thanks to Astrid.

There was no getting out of this. And it wasn’t that Caleb didn’t want them to know, exactly. He had just grown tired of explaining it. And he knew what little equilibrium he had managed to find would fall away as soon as Veth said or did anything in response, and he would break all over again.

Nevertheless, he messaged Veth as soon as they stepped out of the tower. “Hallo, Veth. Essek and I are on our way to your place. Be there soon.” Then, for old time’s sake: “You can reply to this message.”

The first sound that came through was Veth’s trademark screech. “Caleb! We made lunch. Get over here!” A split-second’s pause. “Good shot! Oh, sorry Lebby. Luc shot Beau in the ass. Like mother, like son.”

Luc was going to be a menace as a teenager. Caleb intended to be around to see it. And probably try to save a little bit of Yeza’s sanity if possible.

Caleb and Essek took their time wandering through Nicodranas. The streets were filled with people out for lunch, enticing scents curling through the air. Caleb and Essek stopped by a bakery to grab some pastries for the group (mostly Jester)--there had evidently been some Zemnian influence on Nicodranas, or the other way around, as treats such as bee stings could be found in both areas. Nicodranas made them a touch sweeter and stickier.

Caleb also grabbed a fresh loaf of bread, though he did not shove his hands into it this time. He hadn’t known that was a poverty thing until Beau and Jester had reacted so strongly to him doing it that one time. He still thought it was a useful trick, but it apparently unnerved people. Bread mittens had kept him warm many times in the freezing cold when he had no one to look out for him, and had to choose between food and something as simple as mittens.

Anyway, bread was wonderful.

They wound through the streets until they reached Veth’s place. There was an unpleasant feeling in the pit of Caleb’s stomach that he couldn’t quite describe. Unease or dread felt too uncharitable, but the feeling was somewhere in that neighbourhood. Essek slipped his hand into Caleb’s, gently leading him to the door. Essek knocked, and it was thrown open in seconds and Veth had already thrown herself at Caleb’s abdomen, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

Caleb almost broke then and there. He carefully rested a hand on the top of her head, sliding his fingers through her hair, looking ahead but not really seeing anything. Veth gave him a final squeeze and stepped back, grabbing his hand on the way. It took Caleb a second too long to lock eyes with her, by which time whatever joy had been on her face had been replaced with worry.

“Hi, Lebby,” she said, in a careful soft tone she used whenever he was teetering on the brink of crashing down. “What’s the matter?”

Caleb took a careful breath, and spoke in a measured tone. “I will tell you, but we should eat first. I may not be able to later.”

Veth tugged him inside, Essek taking care of the door and following them through the house. The rest of the Nein were already crammed into the kitchen, stuffing their faces with a simple stew that smelled delightful. It must have been one of the recipes Veth remembered from Felderwin.

Jester leapt upon him with a hug, dragging Essek in with her. “You’re here! It’s so good to see you! We got chased by a dragon turtle again and I turned it into a sea slug like last time, and we got away!”

“This happened at sea, I assume?” asked Caleb, who knew enough about Jester to take nothing at face value.

“Of course, Caleb. Don’t be silly!” Jester let him go, and booped his nose. He managed not to flinch.

Caleb wordlessly held out the pastries and bread. Jester squealed and grabbed them off him, shoving them into the centre of the table. Veth grabbed an enormous knife and began to cut the bread while the rest of the Nein shuffled around to make room for two more chairs. It was a tight fit, and Caleb was firmly sandwiched between Essek and Beauregard, but it felt somewhat akin to Essek’s nighttime pressure on his back and sometimes chest that crushed his soul back into his body. Their thighs were jammed together now, and it was easy to hook his ankle around Essek’s and keep himself grounded. For now.

A bowl was shoved in his direction and he ate mechanically, dimly aware of the chatter around him. Luc’s voice was among the loudest, and it was good to hear his voice. After everything the boy had been through, on Caleb’s account no less. No matter what anyone else said.

Caleb was going to spiral if he didn’t get a hold of himself. And he wanted to have a good time in Nicodranas; he didn’t know when he would be back here. Not to mention he would prefer not to retraumatise the already traumatised toddler by having a breakdown in the middle of lunch.

So he ate. Slowly. Methodically. He silently counted each mouthful, because he needed to count something. And when he had finished the stew, he felt more present in his surroundings. Veth distributed slices of bread with little pots of spiced olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and the Nein continued to chatter away as they tore off pieces of bread, dunked them into the oil, and finished off the loaf. Caleb was glad they liked it. And that Veth had been here long enough to have picked up a local bread tradition to share with them all.

“This is good bread, Caleb,” said Jester.

“I went to the bakery you recommended,” Caleb replied.

“That was months ago! You remembered!”

Caleb tapped his temple.

“Caleb has a very good memory,” Veth said warmly, as if everyone at the table wasn’t already keenly aware.

“I’m a bit curious about that,” said Kingsley, his tail smacking Beauregard in the arm, ignoring her as she slapped it off her. “Have you always been like that?”

“My memory was always good, ja,” said Caleb. It was rare for Kingsley to ask about someone’s past; very Molly-esque, not that Caleb would ever tell him that. “I could count things very well, especially time, and naturally had good recall. I did develop it further at school, but it was always there.”

Most people who found out about Caleb’s memory either saw it as an interesting party trick, or a useful tool if they were more like Trent. He did not speak of the downsides of having a near-infallible memory very often.

But Kingsley was looking at him with sharpness in his eyes behind the easy smile. “Maybe I’m biased since I barely remember anything that this body did before a few months ago, but that sounds feckin’ awful.” He said it lightly, but Caleb could hear the edge in his voice. Kingsley had been around when Caleb had told his story to Beauregard in the Grove; he had the context, and his own experiences, to put things together.

“A blessing and a curse, ja.”

The mood at the table threatened to darken, but Luc was thankfully oblivious to it, and instead started babbling about a huge bug the Brenattos had found in the garden yesterday. And that his father had screamed very loudly. Caleb sat back from the conversation, but was pleased when the tension broke.

“It really was adorable,” Veth was saying.

Yeza rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Yes, and you were my valiant saviour once again.”

But lunch was just about wrapping up at this point, and Veth would soon turn her focus back onto Caleb and his problems. Caleb’s lunch sat like a stone in his stomach, and maybe he shouldn’t have eaten quite that much. But it was hard to say no to a home-cooked meal surrounded by the people he loved most in this world. Those who were still alive, anyway.

Veth, charitably, let Caleb have a few extra minutes while she and Yeza cleared the table before she sat back down with a sigh, and turned her eyes to him. “All right. What’s the matter?”

Yeza picked Luc up. “I think we’ll go for a walk.” He didn’t know every little thing about Caleb’s shit, but he knew enough to understand whatever they were about to discuss was not something Luc needed to hear. “We’ll be back in an hour.”

As soon as they were gone, Jester spoke up. “Astrid said some stuff happened, but she wouldn’t tell me what.”

Caleb sighed deeply. “All right. I will tell you. Some of you already know what happened. I would appreciate your assistance.”

Beauregard knocked her knee against his. “We’ll help. But you should start.”

So he did. Caleb told the Nein that Astrid had been reaching out to the Volstrucker, and that two boys had been unaccounted for. He led most of the explanation of how they had come to understand what this probably meant, and to make plans for it. Beauregard began to speak up a bit when he spoke of finding Felix and convincing him to speak to them, of bringing in Caduceus to lift the modified memory. Caduceus began to add pieces where relevant, of the things he saw. Of scrying on Nico, and learning where he was.

Beauregard led the discussion of rushing after him and finding the house ablaze, and Caleb very briefly spoke of his experience on the upper floor, and finding the bodies of Nico’s parents. The memories were too vivid, and choked him up a bit, so Beauregard took over once again, and then Caduceus after they had traded places to help Caleb try to save the Baumanns.

“I do have a confession to make,” said Caduceus.

“Oh?” said Caleb, who couldn’t say much else at the moment.

“I was still scrying when Nico lit the fire,” Caduceus admitted. “I saw how he reacted to it. I chose not to inform you, because I feared leaving the scry before your arrival, in case something else happened. I… in the moment, I did not think telling you would have helped, but I wanted to apologise. I wanted to explain all this earlier, but...” Caduceus didn’t finish--maybe he had realised that would be jumping a bit ahead in the story. But Caleb understood.

There had been a small shred of curiosity in the back of Caleb’s mind, but he had been too preoccupied to give it much thought. But Caduceus’s explanation made sense; he had weighed up the benefits of both options and chosen the one he thought best in the moment. Leaving the scry to tell Caleb the house was already ablaze probably wouldn’t have made much difference. The Baumanns had already been long dead by the time he reached them. So Caleb harboured no ill will towards Caduceus for the difficult choice he had made, nor did he resent Caduceus for not telling him sooner, when Caleb had been far too unwell.

“There is no need to apologise,” Caleb told him. “You made a hard decision. Thank you for telling me now, when I am better able to handle it. Are you all right?”

Caduceus smiled sadly at him. “I understand you better now. Not in the way either of us wanted, but I’m all right now that I’ve told you.” He straightened, clearing his throat. “Anyway, where were we?”

They briefly talked about the night they had Nico, and that it had been a bad one for Caleb, and then Essek chipped in to describe the Greater Restoration spell the following morning. And the chaos that had ensued. Caleb spoke briefly about the chase on his side of things, with Beau and Yasha contributing theirs.

“We didn’t find him,” said Beauregard. “Monks and Volstrucker are still on the lookout. Caleb thinks the kid probably ran for the woods to get some cover. He taught Felix the Sending spell and took him back home to his parents.”

“Felix and I message Nico regularly,” said Caleb. “No responses yet.” And, because he was with the Nein, and because they loved him, he said, “I… feel a bit useless, at the moment.”

Jester reached across the table, tears in her eyes, and squeezed his hand. “You’re not useless, Caleb. You’re really smart, and really cool.”

“You’ve done a lot for those kids,” said Fjord. “I’m sure they both appreciate it, even if Nico isn’t talking to you. He’ll find you when he’s ready.”

“Maybe,” Caleb murmured. He was tired.

Veth was watching him, mouth downturned at the corners. “Caleb. Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve come over.”

Caleb didn’t know what to say to her. An apology wasn’t enough. And he didn’t know if he could explain it right now. He looked away from her, down at the table, and tried not to crack apart with guilt. He was not doing a very good job.

A flash of movement, and Veth had launched herself across the table and into his lap. “Oh, Cay Cay, honey. No. Shh.” She squished his cheeks, which he only now realised were wet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Caleb buried his face in her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I’m not angry, and I don’t blame you for not wanting to talk about it. It’s okay.”

That only made him feel worse. Breathing was hard. Two hands, belonging to two different people, found their way to his back, rubbing slow circles. The more delicate hand--Essek’s--applied a little more pressure than the other. Probably Beauregard. She was next to him.

“You’re all right, Caleb,” said Caduceus. “We’ve got you.”

Caleb laughed wetly, remembering those exact words from Fjord as they had guided him home after a panic attack behind the coffee shop. Maybe this was a thing now. Or at least a thing from the Wildmother devotees of the Nein.

The rest of the day was quiet. Caleb composed himself after a while, and set up his lesson plans and speech notes on the floor of the Brenattos’ living room. A cup of dead people tea at his side. Surrounded by the chatter of his friends, and Essek’s head on his shoulder as he worked through a book written in Undercommon.

Yeza and Luc returned after a while, and Luc napped on the couch at Caleb’s back. Breathing loudly into his ear. It should have been annoying, but really wasn’t. The boy woke up some time later and wriggled his way onto the floor, peppering Caleb with questions about what he was doing. Caleb was more than happy to answer, hoping he had simplified it enough for the boy. Luc was very clever, but he was also very young.

Most of the Nein drifted away once Caleb seemed more stable. Jester, Fjord and Kingsley went off to check on their crew (including Vandran), and hang out with Marion. Caleb expected he would see her at the Chateau in the evening for dinner. Beau and Yasha had wandered off to the fish market.

Caduceus was still around, and Caleb suspected he actually felt much worse than he was letting on. But he seemed content to chat with Yeza and Veth over tea in the kitchen. Caleb caught snatches of the conversation; it seemed they were trying to explain some alchemical concepts to him. There was a good chance that Caduceus did have some knowledge in the area, but not in the same scientific way. Which made such a conversation all the more entertaining, as fragments of it drifted into the living room as the Brenattos and Caduceus tried to reconcile their wildly different experiences of very similar things.

Luc had just finished asking Caleb what a cantrip was, drawn from his lesson notes for Beginner’s Transmutation. The boy climbed into his lap, resting his head against Caleb’s collarbone. At first, Caleb thought he was still groggy from his nap. Then:

“Uncle Caleb?”

“Ja?”

“Are you having a bad day?”

That was a far cry from most of Caleb’s interactions with Luc, where he was mostly playing the part of the fun uncle with cool magic tricks. Essek hadn’t spent as much time with Luc, and was still phenomenally awkward around both him and Yeza, and even he seemed to notice the shift. Essek froze, his eyes glued to the one spot on the page.

“What do you mean?” Caleb asked Luc.

Luc shrugged. “Your eyes are puffy.”

Caleb chuckled at that; trust a small child to have no filter. “Ja, okay. I cried a bit earlier. Your mother and our friends took good care of me, though.” He thought back to Luc’s question. “We all have bad days, ja?”

Luc nodded, face pressed against Caleb’s shirt. “I had a bad day yesterday.”

“Oh?”

“I was remembering something that hurt a lot. And sometimes when I remember it, I get really sad and can’t think about anything else.”

Caleb, unfortunately, knew exactly what Luc was remembering. Veth didn’t bring it up often, but she had occasionally mentioned that Luc would have entire days after waking from nightmares of fire where he was just… out of sorts. Not wanting to play. Or even shoot his crossbow. Caleb could relate to the feeling.

So he set his pen aside and wrapped his arms around Luc. “Ja, that happens to me, too. Shall we stick together for today? We can cheer each other up.”

Luc just nodded, and Caleb rocked him side-to-side. The boy was probably still recovering, both from his disturbed sleep and the depressive episode.

“You’re good with him,” Essek said later, when Luc had fallen asleep against his chest.

Yeza ducked his head out of the kitchen, probably concerned that Luc was up to mischief in his silence, but his expression cleared when he saw the boy was sleeping. “Thank you, Caleb.”

Luc was not only a child, but also a halfling child, so it was a simple matter for even Caleb to hold him throughout the day. He felt better having someone else to care for, and Luc seemed to find comfort in Caleb’s attention.

***

That evening, they all visited the Lavish Chateau for dinner. Essek was in his blonde half-elf disguise again while the group ate on the ground floor. Luc was still clingy with Caleb, but he genuinely didn’t mind. He balanced the boy in his lap while they ate dinner. The chef had prepared a mildly spiced rice dish for the table that was easy for both of them to eat in this situation.

Marion joined them, graceful and lovely as ever. Like Yeza, she had not held ill will for what had befallen her during Trent’s pursuit. In fact, on more than one occasion, she had joked that she should thank “that horrible man” for forcing her to spend time with Babenon while in hiding. The situation was still complicated between the pair, and Caleb understood those kinds of complications better than most of the Nein. But she seemed happier than she had been in a long time.

Jester had apparently updated Marion with every shred of information she had gleaned from the Nein, so Marion was already aware of Caleb’s new job, and that he and the lesbians had a house together in Rexxentrum.

“It’s quite the change, I imagine,” she said.

“Oh, ja. I still wake up sometimes and have to pinch myself.”

“If you ever find yourself in Rexxentrum,” said Beauregard, “we’d love to have you.” She even managed not to look constipated or aggressive while saying it, which was a far cry from the prickly woman Caleb had met in Trostenwald all that time ago.

Marion smiled warmly. “Unlikely, but I will be sure to take you up on the offer if the need arises. How is your work, Beauregard?”

She glanced at Caleb, and sighed. “Complicated. But Caleb’s ex is the new archmage in the Assembly, and she’s actually not a shitty person most of the time. So that helps.”

Marion looked to Caleb, amused. “How does she feel about your new partner?”

Gods, Caleb had never gotten to have this kind of conversation with his own mother. So, even though the reminder hurt a bit, he indulged her. “Oh. Uh. Well, you see…”

“Caleb’s had a threesome,” Jester supplied helpfully.

“I see.” Now Marion looked very entertained. “We all have hidden depths. The two people who came to warn us about your teacher?”

“Ja.” Caleb’s face was hot, and probably as red as his hair. “They are… respectful of us. But they also told me they would, ah…” He remembered there was a small child on his lap who absolutely did not need to go around telling people he would cut off their balls. “They would cut off an important part of his anatomy if he ever hurt me. So, I think they approve.”

Essek made a choked sound. “You did not tell me this.”

“I was preoccupied.” Caleb didn’t need to elaborate; Essek would figure out what he meant.

Essek relaxed marginally, and knocked their knees together. “Right.” He wasn’t the type for public displays of affection, even if he didn’t have to worry about drawing attention to himself.

Marion looked to Essek. “Good luck.”

He laughed nervously. “Thank you. I will need it.”

“You’ll be fine,” Caleb said. Astrid and Wulf cared too much for Caleb to hurt him, now that they were no longer in a situation where it was required of them.

“Moral of the story,” Beauregard said, already three cups in. “Caleb’s got game.”

“I really do not,” Caleb said flatly.

“Real recognises real, Caleb, and you’re lookin’ real familiar.”

Caleb sighed, relieved that Luc was preoccupied with a puzzle cube he had brought the Brenattos last time he was in town. “We have talked about this before.”

“Yeah, but it’s different in front of Marion. She knows what I’m talking about.”

Marion chuckled softly behind her hand. “Indeed I do.”

“Caleb’s a loving guy, if you know what I mean,” said Jester, and her eyebrow waggle was too much for him to bear. Caleb did not stop loving people, and while it was easier to deal with his feelings for Jester now they were both in stable, happy relationships, there would always be an edge for Caleb. A point where he had to step back.

Kingsley, also quite drunk at this point, was biting his lip while he watched Caleb. “Oh, really?” The flirting from Kingsley was far easier to handle, even if the ghost of Molly made any joy bittersweet.

“That’s quite enough, I think,” said Essek. Gods, Caleb was both relieved and terrified by how well the man could read him these days.

Kingsley and Jester both pouted, and Caleb pounded back his glass of wine so he didn’t have to look at them.

Later, as Caleb carried Luc through the nighttime streets alongside Essek, Veth and Yeza, Essek tugged gently on his sleeve.

“Maybe this is a bad time,” Essek said quietly, tilting his head to check that Luc was asleep. He was. “And I do not expect answers you do not wish to give. But, may I ask you something?”

Caleb glanced ahead, where Veth had grabbed Yeza’s ass; they weren’t listening to this conversation. “All right.”

“I know the nature of our circumstances means we cannot be together all the time,” Essek said quietly. “I had a… proposal, I suppose. I don’t know how to word it, or if you will be insulted. But I notice you are very…” He cleared his throat. “What the fuck am I saying? You are a sexual person, and I enjoy that very much about you. And while we are together, I am happy for us both to fulfill our needs with each other.”

“But?” Caleb had not fully recovered from Jester and Kingsley at the Chateau.

“Well, I was wondering. You know I do not experience attraction as often as you do. That I need to be close to someone, and I am close to very few people. You are the first in many years to have caught my interest in this way. But I know it’s not the same for you.”

“Essek, I love you, but please get to the point.”

“Right.” Essek chuckled, and it was out of sheer discomfort. “I just wanted to say, that if you choose to scratch that, ah, itch while I am not around, I would be okay with that.”

Caleb didn’t know what he had expected from Essek, but certainly not that. “Oh. Um. Good to know.”

Essek glanced around in the dark, evidently found nothing of concern, and kissed Caleb’s cheek. “You are still my priority in that department. And I want to remain yours as well.”

“You are.”

“Good. There will be times when we are apart for a long time. You are still mine, through all of it, but I don’t mind if you, ah, take your pleasures as you need them.”

“That is… generous.” Caleb’s mind was not coping with this conversation at all. “I will… think about it.”

The Brenatto home came into view at that point, and Caleb was relieved that it effectively ended this discussion. Caleb had never really talked about it, but he had also never hidden from Essek the fact he had a lot of feelings for many people going at any one time. Essek came first. Always. And he wasn’t sure if he would ever take Essek up on the offer to invite someone else into his bed in Essek’s absence. But it was good of him to say.

He felt seen, in a strange way. Even though Essek was firmly monogamous, and extremely demisexual, he understood Caleb better than most.

So, as long as Essek wasn’t being self-sacrificing by offering this, Caleb was grateful for it. Even if he never acted on it. He couldn’t think about it right now. Probably wouldn’t for a long time. And if he did think about it, he certainly would not be doing that while Essek was very much within his reach, rendering the offer irrelevant.

They stepped inside the house after Veth and Yeza, and offered to watch Luc for a while. Though no one said anything explicitly for fear of Luc waking and hearing the conversation, it had evidently been some time since Veth and Yeza had been intimate together.

So Caleb and Essek sat in the sitting room for a while, quietly working on their respective studies, with Luc napping in Caleb’s arms.

#caleb widogast #essek thelyss #shadowgast #critical role #cr2 #fanfiction #my fics #the pomegranate's professor widogast fic

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hateswifi · 5 years ago

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Making Do (With What Life Gives Us): Part 2

Thank you for al the feedback from the first part, I would loves any asks you guys have for me, but without further ado, enjoy.

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It took a couple of weeks but Marinette got into a habit. They would wake up, get ready for school, Alfred would drive them, at the end of the school day Alfred would pick them up. They would eat a snack while doing homework, recently, Marinette had taken to learning Spanish from Jason and Romanian from Dick switching off. Sometimes, since she cooked for her mum, she would help Alfred in the kitchen. Other days Tim would try and teach her to be more organized, she was very frazzled before coming to live with the Waynes. Some other days when she had too much energy, Jason would take her out and show her how to live smarter, to be more observant, if Jason was too busy, Dick would teach her self defense and acrobatics. Being with the family also taught her that it wasn't right how her mum had treated her. She loved living with the Waynes and constantly thought about what it would be like to live with them permanently.

She is now ten, two years since she started living with them, and is known around Gotham as Sunshine Princess. Not many people know what she looks like, Bruce wanted her to have her privacy to heal and be a kid. Every year on her birthday she had convinced the family to keep the parties small, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. She was finally the happy girl she was supposed to be. That was until something changed, well she wasn't really unhappy with the change it was just new. Bruce brought home someone. The person he brought home was grumpy, bigger than her, standoffish, and a bit mean. His name is Damian, and as he won't let anyone forget, he's Bruce's one true heir and blood relative. She tried to be nice to him, but he always grumbled that he didn't want or need her pity.

Something else changed, she also figured out that her family is the heroes of Gotham. Well, she had known for some time but acted oblivious because she wanted to hear them tell her. Now here she was standing face to face with the newest Robin, Damian.

"If I win, you have to be nicer to me and you have to try some of the food I've been cooking," Marinette said, stretching out her arms and then got into fighting position.

"Just one, I don't want to see you cry. If I win, you have to be my servant for three days. That includes carrying my backpack around school and getting me my breakfast," Damian says, proudly. This is going to be easy, might as well have some fun before the takedown.

"You're gonna eat those words," Marinette smirked. Damian guessed she was going to go to the legs. Her position leaving one side open. Damian went to attack her open side. He grabbed her arm, a smirk spreading across his face. As he was trying to drag her down her, she jumped up and kicked the side of the face. As he was falling from the force, she grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back and now he was on the ground. "You're eating your words like you're eating the grass." She then got up and walked away. Damian stayed down his arm still behind his back.

Later that day, Damian walked into the kitchen, sporting a black eye. "Hey, little D what happened?" Dick says, looking at the boy. A bowl of food, Marinette told him to try, was sitting on the island.

"The little 'angel' kicked me," Damian grumbled, sitting on the stool. He grumbled looking at the food. For a bit, Damian just pushed his food around.

"Ya know D, she's nice. She has little reason to be, but she is," Dick said, standing and taking the bowl. Marinette had made him too.

"I've been through worse, and she doesn't need to be nice to me. I don't want her pity," Damian grumbled.

"It's not pity, it's just how she is. Did you know yesterday she came to me and asked where you came from. She wanted you to feel more at home," Dick says, leaving the kitchen. Damian's eyes widen, he looks closer at the food, its tabbouleh. He feels a bit better about trying it now. He tries it, the flavors mixing perfectly. It reminds him of one of the few times he got to leave the base on a mission. He quickly finished the rest. He just sat staring at the empty bowl.

A little while after he finished eating, Marinette walked into the kitchen. "I didn't think you would still be here," She says, taking her bowl out of the fridge. She sits on a stool beside him.

"Are you... Would you make more or different food again?" Damian said slowly.

"I make a lot of food that I would like you to try now that it isn't forced," Marinette explained, swinging her legs with a smile.

"Can... can I try your cooking? It's adequate," Damian said, composing himself.

"Of course Damian! Sorry about the black eye," Marinette said. Up until the day CPS came, Marinette would make food and he would try it. At school, they became practically inseparable whenever someone would try and bully Marinette, Damian would stop them. When Damian would get too close to losing his temper and murdering someone, she would calm him down. Marinette had become Ladybird along with when Damian became Robin. They moved in sync and for preteens they were feared as a pair. The days before Marinette was taken Damian had almost lost his temper many times toward his classmates, strangers, and people he met, and beat up, on patrol.

"I.. .I.. don't want to go," Marinette had said tears streaming down her face. "Please, Dad, why can't I stay with you guys?"

"I'm sorry, Princess, I thought we could keep you," Bruce said, squatting down to hug her. After they broke the hug, Damian brought her into a hug. The other sibling stood shocked, they normally had to force affection on to Damian, but he willingly hugged Marinette and didn't want to let go.

"You're an Angel. I didn't deserve to have you in my life but I still need you here. Please don't leave," Damian said, leaning down his head into Marinette's shoulder.

"Marinette, it's time to go. The plane will be taking off soon," the social worker said, grabbing Marinette's hand. As she was pulled away, she looked back at the people that had grown to be her family. Damian and her brother's face were tear-stained. Damian reached out, just to be held back by Bruce.

"Marinette!" the social worker says, bringing her back to the present. "The plane is landing, your new parents will meet us there. They're very nice, they live on top of their family-owned bakery."

"That's nice I guess, do they have any kids? I'm used to a lot of siblings," Marinette responds quietly.

"No... that's why they adopted you. They wanted to have children but were unable to have any," she reassured, smiling.

"I miss my family, my dad, and my best friend," Marinette answered her voice wavering.

"It's ok you're going to get a new dad!" she responded, trying to reassure the girl.

"But I want my dad! I don't want a new one," Marinette said, sobbing.

"It's ok sweetie," She said, hugging the poor girl. As they got off the plane, Marinette's sobs subsided. There two people that greeted the social worker. They talk for a minute before, who she suspects, her new parents look at her. A big man and a small woman lean down in front of her, she had been looking at the floor to hide her red puffy eyes.

"Hi, honey, my name is Sabine, this is my husband Tom," Sabine said. "Why don't we go grab your stuff so you can get settled in."

"Ok," Marinette said, keeping her eyes to the floor. She slowly walks to the carousel, where her big pink suitcase was coming around.

"Wow those are quite the suitcases," Tom said with a deep laugh.

"My dad always overdid stuff, after all, I am his Princess," Marinette said with a slight smile. They grab the suitcases and head to the car and Marinette's new life.

"How old are you dear?" Sabine asked.

"I just turned twelve a couple of months ago, Dad went overboard with the party," Marinette answered.

"What's your favorite food and color?" Tom asked, looking at her in the mirror.

"Well, my favorite food is the first thing I made for Damian, tabbouleh. My favorite color is pink," Marinette answered.

"So what was your foster family life?" Sabine asks, looking back at the girl, who is now her daughter.

"I lived with Alfred, who is like a grandfather to me, Bruce my dad, well he was like my dad, my four brothers, Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian. Damian is my best friend and I promised to call him later. I loved living with them. Dick taught me how to speak Romanian and acrobatics. We would play on the bars that Dad added in for Dick. Jason taught me Spanish and how to stand up for myself. Tim taught me to be observant and how to be organized. One of the first times I met Damian we fought and I won. Part of the bet was he had to try my food. We became food friends!" Marinette answered with a laugh, reminiscing on the good times.

"Well that sounds like so much fun, sweetie," Tom responded. "I would love to meet the people that made you so happy."

"I don't know when I can see them in person again, they're quite busy people," Marinette explained, looking out the window as they move by houses.

"I would imagine with that many kids?" Sabine laughed. "When we get home would you like something to eat?"

"I haven't eaten since last night," Marinette said her stomach grumbling. (Not cliche or expected at all)

"We have many pastries, but I would understand if you want something more hearty after being on a plane all day," Tom said.

"I'm vegetarian by the way. After Damian adopted a cow he went vegetarian. I decided to support him because he's my best friend and I love him so much!!" Marinette said, laughing.

"Well that's sweet," Sabine answered, smiling. "We'll support you, dear."

When they got to her new home, Sabine handed her a strawberry macaroon and showed her to her room. Marinette put her clothes in the draws and put her favorite cat stuffy on her bed. Jason had won her it at the annual summer fair. It is one of her favorite possessions.

It was near the end of the summer and she was being sent to Collège Françoise Dupont. She was lucky that she was learning French at Gotham Academy. Her dad was sending over some more of the stuff she couldn't fit in her suitcases or couldn't take on the plane. Marinette climbed up onto her new bed and cried. She cried over missing her brothers. Over her best friend. Her mother who she learned didn't love her. He father her left. Her dad showed his love for her even though they had no relation. She wanted to go home, she missed her family. She wanted to cook something for Damian and for him to pretend that she was an annoyance even though deep down inside he loved her.

She heard the creaking of the trap door. She heard the concerned mumbling of her adopted parents. What seemed like a couple of minutes turned out to be hours when Sabine and Tom called her for dinner.

She walked down the stairs and sat down at the island with her new family. "So we made lime stuffed peppers. I hope you enjoy it," Tom said, sitting beside Marinette.

"This is very good! Maybe tomorrow I can make my favorite meal for you guys to try for dinner?" Marinette asks, cutting the pepper.

"That would be wonderful dear," Sabine said, smiling. They finish dinner in light conversation. After everyone is finished eating, Marinette offers to clean the dishes. Sabine and Tom insist that they do it. They promise tomorrow they'll take her out to sightsee and to get groceries to make dinner.

The days turned into weeks and school started. She was in Ms. Bustiers' class. Ms. Bustier has free seating, she sat in front next to a blonde girl.

“Hi my name is Marinette and I just moved here a couple of weeks ago. What’s your name?” Marinette asked the girl as she filed her nails.

“Well that’s ridiculous utterly ridiculous, you don’t know who I am?! I’m thee Chloe Bourgeois daughter of the Mayor of Paris and Style Queen,” the girl- Chloe- scoffed.

“Well it’s nice to meet you,” Marinette said her mood a bit soured.

“Wish I could say the same,” Chloe fires with an eye roll.

‘Whatever if I can get the Prince of Assassins to be friends with me, I bet I can get a prideful girl to be my friend,’ she thought to herself, she just had to wait for the perfect moment.

The perfect moment came at lunchtime. As she was leaving the locker room to go home, she heard Chloe on the phone.

“So you can’t come to lunch?” Chloe sniffled quietly. “Oh… ok, I get it, mama,” Marinette paused and walked over to where the girl sat.

“Umm... my... mama is making baked falafel for lunch, would you like to join us?" Marinette asks.

"Why would I hang out with you?" Chloe sneers, crossing her arms.

"Because I've been here for less than a day and I can see that you don't have many friends. I'm new and I don't have friends yet, so why don't we be friends?" Marinette says. "At least come to lunch with me, no one should eat alone." Chloe stood up reluctantly and let herself be pulled by the girl.

"Mama, Papa!" Marinette said bursting through the door. Sabine and Tom froze, Marinette had never called them that before. "I brought home my classmate Chloe!"

"That's nice dear, will she be eating lunch? Also welcome to our home, you can call Sabine," Sabine asked.

"If you don't mind," Marinette responded.

"Ok sweetie, lunch is upstairs," Tom said. "Nice to meet you, Chloe. You can call me Tom."

"Thank you, Sabine, Tom, for welcoming me to your home," Chloe answered, quietly. Then follows Marinette upstairs. "Your house is nice and is very homey," Chloe notes.

"Well, they're very nice and I guess its perks of living above a bakery," Marinette shrugs, taking the food from the oven. "Bon Appetit."

They sit in silence for a while before Chloe says, "This is very good!"

"Sab-- mama, learned to cook more vegetarian things for me," Marinette said with a smile.

"That's nice, the chefs cook me whatever I like... but it's never as good as this," Chloe sighs.

"Because this is made with love," Marinette smiled. She picked up the plates when they were done eating and put them in the dishwasher. "Want to see my room?"

"Oh.. um sure," Chloe answered before following Marinette up more stairs. Marinette had been allowed to paint her room pink. Her dad sent over her little area rug, her chaise, her sewing machine, her mannequin, and a bunch of pictures. She set up all her pictures by her desk, the mannequin stood in the corner near her floor-length mirror, and the chaise under the wind with the area rug next to the chaise.

"I like it, the room may be a bit small but you used your space wisely," Chloe said, looking up at her bed.

"Tim taught me to be organized, that helped when I was deciding where to put things," Marinette said, sitting down in one of her spinny chairs.

"Who's Tim?" Chloe asked. sitting down on the chaise.

"Someone I know, but that's not too important right now," Marinette said vaguely, she didn't know if she could trust her new friend yet.

"I get it, you don't want to share your life with a stranger," Chloe said, standing. "We should head back to school soon."

When they were on their way back, Marinette's phone rang. Without a second thought, she picked it up. "Bonjour c'est, Marinette." She paused before changing to English. "Damian? How have you been? That's good. Sabine made baked falafel, yes I've stayed vegetarian." They were now walking into school and she was getting a couple of weird looks for speaking in English. "You already know I got the stuff Dad sent. Has anything new been happening on patrol lately? Don't worry, I'm speaking in English and I'm talking quietly. Sorry Dami, I gotta go class is going to start soon. Bye love you! Tell everyone I miss them!"

"So who was that?" Chloe asks, taking her seat.

Still in English Marinette starts to answer, "That was my--- sorry. That was my best friend Damian."

"And he's from America?" Chloe asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Ya, I lived with them for a bit this summer," Marinette says.

"I guess you're going to pass English, would you help me? I'm not the best at it," Chloe asks, shyly.

"Only if you help me with my French, I still sometimes mess up," Marinette smiled.

"Deal," Chloe said, holding out her hand for a fist bump.

After that, they became friends even though Chloe wouldn't admit it. When it came time for the class election, Marinette and Chloe won with flying colors. They were unstoppable and people almost feared the pair. Marinette helped Chloe be a better person, and Chloe helped finish teaching her to be stronger. Marinette taught Chloe self-defense and they would spar together. By now, it’s the beginning of November when Marinette had a great idea.

“Mama, may I go home for Thanksgiving?” Marinette had asked looking up at her new mama.

“Umm… why don’t we talk to Papa and your Dad,”

Sabine reassured patting her head.

Marinette ran upstairs and video called her family. “Hi, Dad!!” She said cheerfully waving at the camera.

“Hi princess how have you been?” Bruce asked.

“Pretty good, Chloe and I are planning a winter dance for our class. Oh… the whole reason I called… can I come home for Thanksgiving?” She asked.

“That would be wonderful, Princess, just get permission from Tom and Sabine. If they give permission, I’ll call them about dates and flights,” Bruce explained.

“Ok dad, don’t tell any of the rest of them about me coming through, I want it to be a surprise!” Marinette exclaimed.

“Marinette, dear, it’s time for dinner,” Sabine said.

“Bye Dad! I gotta go, Sabine, is calling me,” Marinette said, hanging up.

Bruce sighed as the call disconnected. He remembered the first time she called him Dad. It had after her first birthday with them. She had passed out on the couch being too tired to walk to bed. Bruce picked her.

“Mmmm night... night Dad,” Marinette said dreamily. He froze and looked down at the bluenette she thought of him as her dad. He continued walking with a smile and tucked her in.

“Was that Marinette?” Dick asked, entering Bruce’s office.

“Yes she was talking about her friend and her planning a winter social,” Bruce responds. The next day, when all the kids had gone to school and Dick to college, Bruce received the call he was hoping for, Sabine and Tom called.

“So we discussed and decided that it would benefit Marinette to go to the states for Thanksgiving,” Tom said, a hint of sadness spilling through.

“I’m glad to hear, what day would it work for her to fly over because I was thinking the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Then she would fly back Saturday morning,” Bruce explained. “And of course all expenses would be paid in full she could come over on the private jet.”

"Marinette never truly explained who you are, but you're important enough to have a private jet? Who are you?" Tom asks.

"Well, I'm surprised Marinette never mentioned who I am, but I guess that's because she was raised to observe before letting her walls down. Her mother hurt her mentally and when she came to live with my family, she let her walls down a bit too fast and we taught her how to protect herself. I'm guessing, since how we raised her, she doesn't bring it up to be used against us," Bruce explained. "Well, I am Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises."

"You had the power to keep her, but you let her go," Sabine realizes.

"My power wasn't enough to keep my Princess. CPS said I was unfit to adopt anyone until I married. I didn't realize someone you guys were looking into adopting her until it was too late," Bruce admits. "I would have done anything to keep her here in Gotham. My boys love her, my eldest three as a little sister, and my youngest as a best friend. I'm just glad that she's making you both happy and that you're willing to let her come home for a bit. Thank you for giving me more time with my princess and my daughter."

"Thank you for helping her become the girl she is today," Sabine said a watery smile spreading across her face.

"Have a good day," Bruce said before hanging up. As time grew closer to Thanksgiving, Alfred started making up her room while the boys were gone. Marinette could barely sit still, randomly while at home she would break out in an excited rant in one of her many languages. The day of her flight came and Chloe, Sabine, and Tom came to see her off at the airport.

"Mari! You've been holding out on me! A private jet! You have some explaining to do," Chloe said, faking hurt.

"I'll explain when I get back, please send me pics of the thing I need to do for class. I don't want to get too behind," Marinette said, hugging the blonde.

"Thank you, Sabine, Tom, I'll see you soon. I'll call you when I get a chance at a reasonable hour," Marinette said, hugging her parents.

"Goodbye sweetie, see you soon," Sabine said.

"We'll hold you to that call," Tom said.

"Love you all, bye!" Marinette said, climbing the stairs onto the plane.

——————————————

Tag list:

@northernbluetongue @chocolatecatstheron @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @gwennex

#batfam #maribat #ml salt fic #lila salt #marinette x damian #alya salt #damian x marinette #marinette x batfam #marinette dupain cheng #damianette #wifiwrites

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klea221 · 3 years ago

Text

Blood and Gold Part 1

*This is a fic of my own. I have not finished campaign 2 yet but I am being self indulgent and writing because I cannot get enough of Mollymauk. (I refuse to let him be dead!)*

The wind off the river was warm and calming, just like any other day in Marquet.

Merchants bartered and unloaded cargo. Children stopped to gawk at the foreign goods only to be quickly shooed away.

Life here was simple to the untrained eye but for those who knew better, “freedom” came at a cost.

Beginning to climb off the rocks and through the reeds, I realize that my hiding spot is in jeopardy. Stilling, I hope to remain unseen by the guards.

Casting “disguise self”, I make my way to the passenger ship. The price is a steep 300 gold but once I get to the menagerie coast, I can start my new life. Surely, its worth the cost. Hopefully, my sister Yara will keep up the illusion until I’m far enough away…

I limit my time outside the cabin to twice a day to keep up the disguise. The rest of the time I use to plan my next steps. Of course I had never really “worked” before but, I had extensive tutoring and training at the palace which could come in useful. Armed with my bow, a dagger, and my sword, I could become some sort of adventurer! It could be like the stories father used to tell us growing up about the great heroes of the past!

Shrugging it off, I remind myself not to get too carried away. Surely, it would be more reasonable to work in a tavern of some sort…

Suddenly, I am pushed out of my thoughts by my sister’s message,

“(Y/N)! Its me, Yara! I was unable to keep up the act! Father has sent a search party! Be safe”

Even with closed eyes, I can still smell the blood. As quick as the rebellion came and left, the damage was already done. The streets of Ank’Harel were stained red. Noble houses were torn a part and everyone was on edge.

After a week of negotiation, things began to change. Hopefully things would go back to “normal”.

“We will form an alliance! There will be no more bloodshed in this city. We have a duty to the people, Ozai!” commanded the king.

“Yes, of course. There is however, a price for my… compliance” says General Ozai.

“Name it” answered the king, trying to remain prideful.

“Your daughter will marry Omar, He will become the Prince”.

“It will be done”.

I couldn’t breathe.

Omar was just as cruel as his father-if not worse. He was even rumoured to keep many slaves. Surely this man could not ever love let alone be a good husband. I felt sick. As I looked around the room, it spun and no body seemed to care.

“I will not hear anymore of this (y/n). My word is final! You will marry Omar! The wedding will be next month and that is that!” yelled the king.

My father almost never yelled, especially not to me. After the rebellion he seemed to be unhinged and there would be no use in arguing. My fate is settled; marry Omar or go far away-and never return…

“I understand” was all I could muster before storming off to my chambers. I grabbed all that I could and made my way to the docks.

My eyes shot open as I rose from the hard cot. The ship’s horn bellowed, vibrating the floor and walls of the cabin. Looking over to my window, I could see a huge lighthouse in the shape of the Wild Mother. This is it! This must be Nicodranas! Excited for what this new place has in store, I toss all of my things into my bag and leave the ship for the last time.

I cannot help but feel captivated by the delicate blue hues around me. The air is a beautiful combination of warmth, sea salt, and the smell of cinnamon. Looking over to a bakery, I see freshly made pastries and decide I should indulge myself! Why not?

Before I am able to take my first bite, the heavy presence of guards makes me uneasy. Trying to be stealthy, I make my way into an alley and case “disguise self” for the first time today.

“Hey! I can do that too!” says a cheerful accented voice.

Looking over my shoulder, I see a blue tiefling magically transform into a blond human girl in peasant’s clothing.

“My name is Jester! I’ll keep your secret if you give me your donut!” she says happily eyeing my purchase.

Though she is quite forward, I feel comforted by the tiefling and decide that maybe I shouldn’t be alone anymore.

“Why don’t I just buy us some more then! Oh- and my name is y/n!” I tell her as we walk back to the bakery.

Jester can talk nonstop! Normally this would be a little much for me but, having travelled alone for so long, I welcome it. Jester quickly tells me all about the city, her mother, and all the tricks the so called “Traveler” has taught her. Sticking with my plan, I tell her that I am looking for work while in Nicodranas. She happily takes me to her Inn where her mother helps me secure a job. I work hard cleaning up after guests and fetching them any food or drink that they require in exchange for room and board. It is very hard work but, Jester keeps me company most days.

One night as I’m folding tablecloths, I hear a commotion on the stairs. Its Lord Sharpe and he’s livid!

“IF I EVER SEE YOUR DAUGHTER AGAIN I WILL HAVE HER KILLED!”

Oh no! Jester what has she done now!

Trying to stay out of the argument, I look up to see Marion on the staircase with tears streaming down her normally poised face. This was really bad indeed…

Making my way up to Jester’s room, I can already hear Marion and Jester.

“But Mama! It was just a joke! Surely he can’t be serious!” whines Jester. She’s completely unaware of the gravity of her actions.

“Lord Sharpe is an extremely powerful man Jester, I don’t think we should take the risk! I think it would be best if you left the city for awhile. Maybe with time things will blow over” says Marion, pushing the hair out of Jester’s face.

Opening the door, I try to aid Marion in convincing Jester to play it safe.

“Jester, your mother is right-I-I’ve seen what men with power can do…” I say cryptically.

Not sensing that Jester is understanding, I take my chances and tell them both my REAL story. I tell them all bout my engagement and how awful the ramifications would have been had I stayed. Who knows, maybe I would’ve been killed one day to give Omar the throne…

“Jester, we can go together, we can keep each other safe from bad guys. I’m sure the Traveler will help us!” I say, trying to persuade her.

“Thank you for telling us this (y/n). You are a true friend. I know you will keep my little sapphire safe!” she says pulling me into a hug.

“It is settled then, we will leave at once!” Jester says.

“Here, this should help you two along” says Marion, placing a rather large coin purse into Jester’s hands. “Be very careful Jester, and try not to play too many tricks!” warns Marion.

Jester had decided that we would search for her long-lost father (whom she had never even met). Not wanting to crush her hopes, I tag along on the mission.

In Port Damali, our “investigation” runs dead. Despite this, we manage to gain a member into our little group. Having noticed our cleric abilities, a half-orc sailor named Fjord offered to travel with us. He tells us that he wishes to enroll at the magic academy in the Dwendalian Empire.

As we lead the coast and travel towards this new Empire, the air become noticeably cooler. The ocean views become obscured by rocky mountain terrain, and I begin to feel anxious for the road ahead.

As we arrived at Trostenwald, there was a commotion by the lake. Curiously walking closer, we see a giant water snake and a tiny screaming girl curled in its grasp.

In a matter of seconds, a female monk leaps onto the scene in a flash of blue robes. She begins to pummel the beast with her staff. Seeing as she may need help with killing the snake, the three of us run to help.

Aiming by bow toward the beast, I surprisingly manage to hit it right behind the head. However, before I can get too excited, I realize the beast is far too large for one arrow alone to take it down. The snake angrily strikes at the monk who narrowly dodges the attack.

Fjord runs up to the beast and draws his sword while I prepare another arrow. This time, I aim for the eyes.

Now blinded and confused, the creature is unaware of Fjord’s presence. He quickly begins to cut through the beast’s tough skin, killing it.

As the snake falls to the ground, the crowd erupts with cheers.

Jester runs over to the little girl and quickly casts “cure wounds”. My heart finally slows down knowing that the girl is safe.

“YOU GUYS THAT WAS AWESOME!” yells Jester, waving her hands around.

“Ugh, yeah! That was pretty rad” says the monk. “My name’s Beau by the way”

“Oh! I’m Jester! And this is y/n and Fjord!” says Jester, happily.

“Nice to meet you” I say shyly.

“Are you guys travelling too?” asks Beau.

“Yes, we are making our way north to the Soltryce Academy” says Fjord.

“Ah- the Soltryce Academy you say… No offense but you guys are gonna need some serious coin for that” says the monk, knowingly.

“You don’t say… You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who is hiring, would you?” says the half-orc.

“Well I mean, I was going to do some work for the Baumbach Brewery before this snake thing happened… You’re welcome to tag along if you’d like” offers the monk.

“Hey! That sounds like it could be fun!” says Jester.

After living in a palace most of my life, I try not to complain too much about manual labour but this job was BRUTAL. The four of us have done nothing but haul boxes and crates for hours on end. My body was sore and sweaty despite the cool air of Trostenwald.

By the time we got to the Nestled Nook Inn, my body was on autopilot. Not bothering to eat, I head upstairs and crash onto the bed.

With an aching body, I finally pull myself out of bed and open the door. I am greeted with the comforting smell of fresh bread and breakfast meats. Sitting down with the rest of the group, I forget my table manners and devour the food placed in front of me.

Not long into breakfast, the little girl’s father from yesterday enters the Inn. Nervously, he makes his way to our table and thanks us graciously. Before leaving, he dumps a hatful of coin onto our table. The coin pile draws much attention so, I rush to divide the pile evenly.

As Jester begins to converse with the table next to us, quick introductions are made. Before I can dwell on the halfling’s odd appearance, two more strange figures make their way noisily through the Inn.

Quickly turning my head in annoyance to the commotion, my heart stops for a moment. Having lived in Marquet all my life, I was used to Tieflings as they were common to see around the city. This lavender one however, was a sight to behold. And Gods was I in trouble…

#critical role x reader #mollymauk tealeaf #reader #fan fic #mollymauk x reader

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voidselfshipp · 4 years ago

Text

La Mala Vida

Summary: medic finds out that living forever might be less of a hussle,and that maybe this century is worth saving.

Pt 2 here bcs Tumblr wont let me

♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡

Life.

What do we do with it?people say it is what we want it to be, that the time we have to choose is limited because we dont live forever.

Josef would not agree with that statement.

Hes been living since the 18th Century, and after all these years everything seemed the same.

Its a rainy Day on teufort, why was someone like him still in there? After all the memories he had there.

He didnt quite now, maybe because its residents were quite literally Led poisoned idiots and nobody would suspect a thing from him.

--that would be five dollars Sir-- the Cashier said giving him the newspaper.

The german Man scowled and handed him the money taking it.

'Back in my zime zhe newspaper vas vay cheaper...' he thought.

He then goes to the nearby café, catching his reflection on the windowpane of said café.

He still looked quite handsome for a Man that is centuries old,he lived through Many things and yet there he was, alive and well.

He then sits against the Window minding his own bussines waiting to be attended.

He was so concentrated in the news that he didnt noticed the people that came in and out.

Nor the music playing.

But then, he looks up at the entrance, his face cant help but to contorn in a smile.

The newest generation has been quite of his interest as of lately.

The was something about zentenialls he couldnt quite put his finger on that caused him interest.

A generation that coped with problems with self depreciating humor, yet being able to form a revolution in the span of months in one single app,but also having the biggest of hearts for those in need.

'Siamo condannati alla brutta vida

Quería decirle, bambino

Que usted está trayéndose un flow bandido

Su secreto está guardao aquí conmigo

Sabe, yo respeto pero nunca olvido

Tarde, siempre tarde yo lo siento (wuh)

Les molesta todo lo que rondo

Devoluciones, no caigo en eso

Estoy buscándome yo los pesos, uh

Yo no quería que caiga preso (wow)

Regalito a la mamá, par de billes (par de billes)

Pa que se lo goce y de mí no se olvide (no se olvide)

Y la herida llevo aquí (llevo)

Dime tú si me vas a amar'

The lively music seemed to contrast with the calm ambience of the place.

Jerico pulls down the hood of her hoodie, she looks around for a place to sit, and goes to a far quiet corner of the place.

She sits down putting her bag close to her.

Her ears catch the melody playing and a homesick smile appears on her face tapping her feet to the rythm .

'La mala vida que me persigue

Los tiempos están cambiando y nosotros también

La calle está ardiendo, guiándome

Ni olvido ni perdón a lo que fuiste ayer

Mala vida que me persigue

Mala vida que no puedo salir

Mala vida que me persigue

Mala, mala

Fuck mala vida, mala, mala

Quería más de mí, pero no le di nada

Estamos nasty, curtiendo strada (strada)

Rompiendo tarima como si nada'

She was mouthing the lyrics of the song while softly rocking her body to it.

Medic catched a glimpse of this and smiled.

Finally they go and take his order, then the girls and the waiter dissapears behind the bar.

Jeris glance meets Josefs, she smiles and then goes down to her phone, a hand that was used as a rest for her cheek.

'Lo hacemos igual gore

Tenemos el peso en el pecho

Y aunque duela adentro, lo hacemos igual por los tiempos

Tiempos buenos, tiempo al fin

Tiempos malos que perdí (wuh)

Fuckin' mala vida, te escupo la face

Acuérdate de mí cuando me veas, no compro fake

Los fuckin' vis a vis me tienen maldecí

Estoy maldecía, no puedo salir

Regalito a la mamá, par de billes (par de billes)

Pa que se lo goce y de mí no se olvide (no se olvide)

Y la herida llevo aquí (llevo)'

He then looked back at his own stuff, the music, altough not his favourite was starting to get to him, and so his foot unintentionally started to tap following the beat of the song.

Now he wasnt the type of guy to dwell on his past, he only cared about defying modern science, well he did bring back a Man to life.

Good times.

He sighs, that smile that some found unnerving seemed to have warmed a little bit, the years were softening Him up.

Tough he feels someone watching him, his head turns to find the girl drawing on a piece of paper, what exactly? He couldnt tell.

Until her emerald green eyes met his, her cheeks flushed and looked away with a expression that screamed 'I hope the floor swallows me and never spits me again'.

He chuckled, and a side of him felt quite honored.

Maybe hed ask her for the drawing.

he drank his coffee and read the newspaper,the bitter taste of it wasnt as much of a kick in the mouth, they used to make them stronger too.

Meanwhile jerico couldnt help but dwell on her own problems while she waited.

The cold weather was rather relaxing to her, the cold and rain were always a comfort.

Though there wasnt much to do than wait right now, but shed find a way to entretain herself.

The café was too calm for her,way too calm.

But that is what happends when you used to live in a constant chaos, calm things seemed dangerous, a part of her really enjoyed this.

She sighs being absolutely bored out of her mind.

Her eyes look at the drawing that was just besides her.

Drawing that guy was fun, and the hairstyle did suit him well.

Her leg starts to bounce as she feels a familiar feel on her chest.

Maybe she should give it to him.

Or was it creepy? Did he even wanted it?

--miss heres your tea, and your pastries--the waiter said putting things down from the trail on the table--Anything else?

She shakes her head,the waiter asks her if she would want anything else, she says no.

She ends up paying her things and then enjoying them.

At least like that she doesnt have to go through the process of talking to anyone else than that waiter.

As she drinks though,Someone sits infront of her.

'Cant drink my tea in peace....' when she looks up however she jumps a bit on her Seat.

--Hallo-- the same Man she drew said-- I couldnt help but notice zhat jou vere drawing me,can I see?

The Man had his newspaper rolled under his arm, a huge smile and a coffee on his hand.

His accent, was rather cute, she thought.

--su sure!--Jerico smiles handing him the paper.

The Man looks at the drawing, and then smiles.

--Vould jou look at zhat! joure an true artist! Great job

Her chest warms and a huge grin appears on her face, her hands grip the tea cardboard Cup--thank you very much!

--Mind if I keep it?

--not at all!, I was hoping to give it to you actually,just didnt know if youd like it

--Are jou kidding? Of course id love zo! Oh wait im so stupid, I should pay jou for it ! Jour skills shouldnt be wasted.

As soon as he extends his hand with the Money jerico softly pushes it back.

Her hand had paint stains, yet the skin was soft and they were warm.

--No no please

--i insist!

--Take it as a gift Will you?

He then puts the money away, and nodds-- ah yes,jour generation is good at convincing people, plus good at arguing okay, I Vill keep my money,oh im josef by zhe vay...and zhanks

He extends his hand and she shakes it.

--Jerico

-- vhat a lovely name,vell I should get going , rain is going to get vorse and its a long valk home...lovely zalking vith jou jerico!

Jer smiles -- it was nice to talk to you too

Josef takes the drawing a leaves.

She just sits there, what just happened???

Thats enough interaction for today.

When she finished she grabbed her things and Walked home, the rain poured without mercy, she should have brought an umbrella.

She puts on her headphones and walks faster to the bus stop.

That of course had no FUCKING roof.

luckily the music drowned out the pesky conversation that a guy who obviously didnt know how to take a hint tried to start.

'Fuckin' mala vida, te escupo la face

Acuérdate de mí cuando me veas, no compro fake

Los fuckin' vis a vis me tienen maldecí

Estoy maldecía, no puedo salir

Regalito a la mamá, par de billes (par de billes)

Pa que se lo goce y de mí no se olvide (no se olvide)

Y la herida llevo aquí (llevo)

La mala vida que me persigue (yeah yeah yeah)

Los tiempos están cambiando y nosotros también

La calle está ardiendo, guiándome

Ni olvido ni perdón a lo que fuiste ayer

Mala vida que me persigue

Mala vida que no puedo salir

Mala vida que me persigue

Mala, mala

Está cayéndome lo que nunca te dije yo

Estoy creyendo que los buenos son los malos'

As soon as the music ended she no longer felt the water falling on her , she looks up.

Josef.

He held the umbrella close to her.

--Hi-- she sheepishly said taking off her headphones.

--Hallo frau,vaiting fot zhe bus I see?

--Yeah, thanks for the umbrella though...should have brought one with me...but didnt...

Both share a giggle.

#f/o community #f/o #romantic f/o #f/o x s/i #self shipping #my f/os #self ship #self insert #f/o fic #❣he (literally) stole my heart❣

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leggomylino · 5 years ago

Text

Dark Rising☽✮☾Act Two

☽✮☾ Dark Rising Masterlist ☽✮☾

Genre: Horror/Thriller, Drama, Romance, Comedy

Pairing: NCT’s Johnny Suh x fem!reader (x ???)

Word count: 9.3k (we’re covering a lot of ground in this one! :D)

Warning(s): mentions of blood, yandere-esqe themes, cuts/injuries, soul stealing and kidnapping. Possibly more in the future depending on what the original authors decide. They write for ot9 and so do I.

A/N: Main Masterlist in BIO! | This is a spinoff series to the SKZ fanfiction Twisted Karnival, by @gaiyofanfiction. It can be read alone, but you are encouraged to read the original story first. At the authors’ request, I will take this down if asked to do so. I do not own Twisted Karnival or Stray Kids, or Johnny Suh, or any characters used in this. All credit goes where credit is due. The events that happen in this story are not canon in the original story, this is simply a work of fandom and appreciation, and thus will tie into canon events as closely as possible in respect to the original works. All that being said… Thank you. <3

~ ☽✮☾ ~

It was two in the afternoon. After complaining to Johnny that there was no way you were staying overnight in some spooky, definitely-haunted, no-fun funhouse little-shop-of-horrors, he ended up grumbling about how useless you were already proving to be and walking you all the way home. You, useless! When he was the one that came to you for help!! The nerve of that guy!!!

“I have an order for...y/n?” a waiter asked, stopping just at the corner of your table. You smiled gleefully while bobbing your head, smacking the already dish-packed tablespace, pastry crumbs and croissant flakes flitting about the area. “Yeah! Set ‘er right here, please!”

“Hn.” Johnny scoffed, watching disdainfully as you shoveled a double order of German chocolate cake down your throat and washed it down with a caramel milkshake. “Do you ever stop eating? I swear you’ve inhaled the entire dessert menu in less than an hour.”

You kept onto that milkshake until the last drop was gone, eyes peering up boldly to meet his. “...I thought you didn’t swear,” you asked, setting the glass down and going for the cherry that awaited you in its cream-stained contents. C’mere, you! <3

Johnny looked away, albeit for just a moment. He began crunching commands into his phone. “I don’t, but—”

“Then buttout.”

He gave an annoyed sigh. Outside the Urban Grind Cafe, life went on as normal, despite the fact that hundreds of people had gone missing just last night. Whispers filled the streets and alleyways, about sons and daughters who never came home, mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles that never called, never left a message of any possible sudden work meetings or last-minute plans; but no one had the gall to actually say anything out loud. It was as if they were afraid to, defaulting to cling onto false hope: Oh, it’s okay. They probably stayed out so late they decided to crash at a nearby inn. Maybe there was an all-nighter event. ...Who, so-and-so? (S)he’s a party animal, probably went to (friend name)’s house.

“...ou listening to me? Hello? Johnny?”

You’d pushed yourself up to wave the blank cherry stem in his face, lightly poking his nose with it. Johnny flinched a bit, swatting your hand away while you chuckled and fell back into your booth seat.

He groaned. “Y’know, most guys don’t care much for girls that--”

“What? Eat a lot? Talk back? Interrupt your call to the Mothership?”

“...Yes. All of those.”

It was your turn to scoff. “Bite me.” ...Then you had to smirk, pausing a moment as you crossed a spoonful of pudding from bowl to blissful heaven. “...Are you by chance trying to say that--”

“No. Definitely not.” He gave you a serious glare that stopped any giggling rising in your throat. “Enough chit-chat. You can keep stuffing your face if you want, but I need you to listen to me.”

You wanted to throw your spoon at him, but the risk was greater than the reward of seeing him with vanilla pudding all over his face and a black eye. So instead you grunted, shoveling another spoonful of whip cream. “Yeah, alright, I’m listening. But I still have questions for you too. Like, how come—”

“Please don’t talk with your mouth full. No one wants to see that.”

“...”

Now you really were going to throw that spoon. Or you would have, if the same waiter from before hadn't shown up with a helping of creme brulee. Yum! 😍

“......” Johnny folded his hands before his face, leaning in with elbows on the table. “...I’ll start from the beginning. As I told you before, I’m—”

“An angel, yes, I know.”

“...Right. And it’s my mission, along with the other messengers, to combat the evils of this world and defend mankind. However, we can’t always act alone, because we’re not allowed to corrupt freewill...and that’s where matters can get really complicated.”

You continued inhaling creme brulee, eyes flitting back and forth between Johnny and the dessert before you.

“A long time ago...a long time ago, there was a period of peace on this earth. It didn’t last long, but time flows differently in the realm above this one.” He steadily exhaled, and abruptly his face scrunched up in distaste, seeming to decide on something. “...I lied, this is going to take too long, and you don’t need to know everything; at least, not yet. All you need to know is that there was a short period of prosperity, and then...something serious happened, and one of our own was cast out to be…”

He cleared his throat. You paused again, setting your spoon down to listen more intently.

“...She was…” He swallowed. “...She was sent down to earth. But only because of the sacrifice that many of us made on her behalf.”

Your head tilted, drawing a blank. “...Sacrifice?”

“Yes. She was tricked by demons and did some things she shouldn’t have. Her punishment was to be cast out to the other side, but many of the others stood up for her and offered to take her punishment in her stead.”

“Wow...she must have been a true saint.”

The look in Johnny’s eyes was soft and distant. “...She was. She was beautiful, and had the purest heart imaginable. But she failed to guard that heart, and she was deceived into a great sin.”

“So...sort of like, Eve and the Tree of Knowledge?”

He nodded. “In a sense, that’s an accurate comparison. It’s not the same per say, but loosely speaking, yes. That day…” ...His voice grew quiet. “That day, everything changed. The sky grew dark, and everything sort of lost its color, if not just for a single moment. There was a cackle of laughter that echoed from down below, but we could all feel it, with our own intuition. We knew she was gone.” A painful sadness filled his eyes. “And there was nothing we could do. There was nothing...I could do…”

“But...wait,” you said. “I thought you said you all made a great sacrifice for her? And then something about her being on earth?”

He rested his arms down on the table. “We did, and there was. After many trials and God’s grace, she was still stripped of her wings, but rather than being sent to the underworld, she was reborn a human.”

“...That’s...a punishment?”

Johnny scowled. “Think about it. Use that big head of yours.”

“Hey! ...Urk, well, okay…” You frowned, steadily losing your appetite as you shuffled the remaining three bites of creme brulee around. “I guess that makes sense. Life does kinda suck from time to time, and heaven is supposed to be pure bliss.”

“It is,” Johnny assured, the corners of his mouth raising just slightly. “It’s wonderful. And life on earth is no picnic, but it’s much better than an eternity below. Trust me.”

You nodded. “Yeah, I get it…” Paused again. “...Hey, so, what was her name? Can you tell me?”

“Yeah…” He of course, paused for effect. The suspense was practically suffocating, the way his features seemed to sharpen, the hollow silence that filled the small space around the booth the two of you shared.

What if...What if it’s… —Am I…? Could I be—

“Her name is Evangeline.”

...Oof. You mentally shunned yourself for being so conceited as to have thought it could possibly have been you. But then...

An image of a girl with silky smooth hair and bright, passionate eyes filled a blank space in the center of your mind. Quickly, you swallowed down your most recent mouthful you’d forced in too soon, coughing a minute before leaning over a tower of empty dishes, a cup of tea nearly spilling over given how hard you slammed the table. “That...That girl from before.” There’s anxiety rising in your chest, though you’re not sure why. “Was it her?”

Johnny’s eyes widened in slight surprise, almost seeming to have trouble focusing on your own. “Yeah. Good guess.”

Not really. Somehow, you just...knew.

“Whoa...so then…” You slowly descended back into your seat...then jumped back up with more fervor than before, startling a few nearby customers. This time, you did end up spilling that cup of tea. “Those demons have her! They have your one true love! We have to save her!!”

“Uuuu—“ Johnny was leaning back, glaring at you again with even wider eyes. “Whoa, okay, I never said we were in love. And if you can find it in that pea-sized brain of yours to settle and keep your voice down, I’ll agree that you’re right and it is a main aspect of the mission.”

“Wha?!” You did glue your bum to your seat, but as for lowering your voice? Quite the opposite. “Just a second ago you were saying I have a big head, and now I have a small brain?!”

He huffed, crossing his arms. “Isn’t that how it always goes with brazen girls?”

“Brazen?!” You rolled up your sleeves. “Oh, I’ll show you brazen—!”

“E-Excuse me…” Your waiter had partially hidden himself behind an empty tray he was holding. “I’m sorry but, I’ve been getting a few complaints about the volume of noise over here and um...we don’t allow violence in our cafe. If you don’t calm down, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Oop— well, it certainly wasn’t your fault!

“Tell that to him!” You roared, pointing an accusatory finger at...no one.

Johnny was gone, a closing door and the faint scent of aftershave the only trace that he’d ever been.

Something heavy and full of numbers was set down timidly beside you. It carried a hefty burden on your nearly-empty coin purse, causing it (and any excitement you’d had left) to shrivel up and die.

“Your bill, miss. You can pay at the register over there.”

…………

The wails of a heartbroken young woman filled the chattering silence.

~ ☽✮☾ ~

“I can’t believe you just LEFT me!! What kind of a gentleman does that?! Huh?!?”

The two of you were wandering the back alleys of town, taking some sort of shortcut somewhere, you had to assume. All you knew was that you were lucky you had a decent sense of direction when it came to navigating the city and not many people were incredibly tall and wore an old trench coat in the middle of Spring.

Johnny glanced back at you from over his shoulder, at the angry expression on your face where puffs of animated smoke arose, and your hands rubbed raw from having to wash dishes. He smirked. “I never said I was a gentleman.”

You faltered, feeling like a ton of bricks had fallen on your head.

AAARGH! You seriously wanted to pound him into a poundcake for this! You’d only know him for like, what, a day? Maybe two? And he was already unbearable to be with! Did you seriously have to work with this guy…?

“You were supposed to treat me! That was your apology for scaring me half to death and getting me involved in all this! Y’know, a real man would have— oof!”

You bumped right into his frozen backside. After quickly retreating two steps and rubbing your nose, you placed aggravated hands on your hips like some sassy middle school student.

“Oh, what is it now?! Wait, don’t tell me…” You turned one palm to gesture upward. “There’s a demon! Oh NOOOO, what will we— mmph!”

Johnny secured one hand over your mouth, the other balled and ready for action. His voice was tight and laced with concern. “Be quiet, and start walking back, slowly. Get to a populated area as soon as possible. Don’t make a sound you can help, understand?”

What-

“I just don’t understand,” a gruff voice said. “I’m always careful about counting tickets. Jeongin and I sealed the chamber after everyone was accounted for. I know.”

“Well obviously, you miscounted this time.” a second said. The hairs on your neck were beginning to stand. “It’s fine, it’s just one human. That’s nothing compared to the hull we got this time; and anyway, it’s not like they were special or anything. You were probably too distracted by my new sub— I mean, our new plaything, to be paying very good attention.”

The first voice let out an ominous growl.

They were talking about you; you didn’t need the proof of seeing them with your own eyes. Seeing wasn’t always believing. Their voices alone dripped with malice lying secret beneath succulent temptation, the most dangerous of siren songs.

A song...didn’t Johnny mention something about that before?

...Hey, wait a sec. Did those guys just say you weren’t special? 💢 How rude!!

Something pushed you scant but roughly away, towards the faint rays of sunshine feebly reaching out from the nearest shopping district. “Get going. Move.”

You furrowed your brow at the man separating you and danger lurking up ahead. “Okay, okay!” you hissed. “No need to be so rough…”

You’d taken about three nimble steps back the way you came at a cat burglars’ waltz before the mutters up ahead once more caught your attention. When you turned around to look, Johnny had vanished, and you found yourself whipping in every direction before nervously taking shelter behind some pipes jutting out the back of the nearest building.

“Sigh. This is stupid. I could be spending time with our precious doll but instead I’m stuck out here looking for a heap of rubbish.”

The second devil’s eyes grew menacing and serious, a soft purple hue sweeping over the surface. You shuddered at the sudden temperature drop. “My creations are not rubbish. It was just a misfiring of signals caused by the pressure of the oncoming storm. I can ensure that it doesn’t happen again when we get back, now quit whining about your screwup and help me look.”

“...A…” The first demon paused, frowning concern at his partner. “...Not to sound like Jisung, but is that even possible?”

The other snorted, bending down to shuffle through a pile of old broken pipes and other junk. “Han wouldn’t have even known what I’m talking about. But yes, it is possible...ah! Here she is~”

He smiled while pulling out a small toy robot, the hair and paint job looking...rather real. The first demonic being, who you could now see had hair the color of a Halloween sunset and a face full of stars, made a slightly grotesque expression, being sure to hide it stoically the moment his comrade looked back. “Great for you, now can we get back?”

“......” The latter looked sideways, almost seeming to be looking right at you. Your breath hitched, squeezing the pipe in front of you so hard it may well have burst. He closed his eyes with a smile. “...Yeah, sure. But first, there’s something I wanted to get off my chest as well.”

Freckles looked puzzled. “Wha? Right now? To me?” He furrowed his brow with a slightly annoyed pout. “Why? What is it?”

“Well…”

His voice dropped slightly. You leaned forward in a feeble attempt to listen.

“...Do you remember what Chan was saying? About the concern for lack of performers?”

“Huh? When did Chan say— OW! Why did you step on me?!”

The robot man frowned, glaring. “Do you remember what he said now?”

“...Ah…” Freckles glanced around. He suddenly seemed to catch wind of something, smirking the next moment. “...Yes, I do recall hearing something about that. I was, uh...busy...before.”

Mr. Robot rolled his eyes. “...Right...you were at that...thing. Anyway,” he announced loudly, “I don’t know what I’m going to do! He asked me to hire more performers, so I’ve decided to hold tryouts for new talent tonight at 8 pm.”

“Oh? Tonight at 8 pm??”

“Yes,” he repeated rather...automatedly. “Tonight at 8 pm sharp.”

“...”

Freckles abruptly leaned forward, whispering something. Robo-boy heaved a sigh, muttering back, then announced once more, “Oh, fine! We can hold it at 9 pm if that’s what you really want.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to— mm?!” A piece of duct tape was slapped over his mouth from the other’s toolbelt. He began pulling him promptly farther down into the alley, toy doll secured in the other arm.

“Great, so 9 pm sharp then! We better hurry or we won’t be ready for all the star talent!” ...And then they were gone.

You wasted no time scrambling around to find Johnny, wheezing out his name into the dim-lit area: “Johnny! Johnny?! Johnny!! Where are you?”

A flourish of feathers rushed past you from an offbeat breeze, fading into silver dust that vanished in the dank air. Something landed beside you, a bored expression on its face.

“...Don’t tell me you actually believed all that.”

You blinked at him. “What?”

He nodded to where the demons had once been gossiping. “That. Over there. If you couldn’t tell that was a trick to lure you back there, then we have a lot more work to do than I was hoping for.”

Your cheeks inflated to represent a pouting Jigglypuff. “It’s not like that! Don’t be so suspicious, they don’t even know I’m a Sailor Guardian chosen by the Moon!”

“A...A what?”

You grabbed both his hands. “We’ll never know unless we try! This could be our chance to save your one and only true love!!”

“Urk—“ He winced. “...I told you, she’s not my true anything! Quit putting words in my mouth!”

You took a step back. “But—!”

“No.” He groaned. “...I thought you hated being involved in this whole spectacle, anyway. Since when do you want to march into a demon-infested funhouse and pick a fight?”

...You had to think about that a moment. He did have you there; but being a hypocrite was sort of your thing. And what about Evangeline?! “...Since...Since…!” Urgh! “Since I have this! And this!!”

You held up the necklace and whistle proudly, both of which had been resting in your pocket. For some reason, Johnny stared at them in contempt and rising anger. “I told you, these are not toys! And do you mean to tell me you weren’t wearing the necklace this whole time?!”

You’d been cackling proudly until...this point. “...Uh...y-yeah—“

“Idiot!”

“Whaa!” You fell on your bum, the weight of his words sending you flying. Johnny just glared like he had every right to throw you into the nearby dumpsters and trash piles where that toy robot had been. “You’re so naive and dense! I told you, you need to be wearing that necklace at all times! DO NOT take it off, ever, for anything!”

He snatched the whistle out of your hand, leaving marks of anger in his wake. A small hiss of pain left your lips, and you held your breath, gripping the injury in pain. When you let go a second later, a stain of blood greeted your eyes.

You’d opened your mouth to say something back, but he silenced you real quick, waving the silver whistle inches away from your face. “And this is not a toy! You can’t use it whenever you feel like it, or put your full reliance on it! It’s only for a serious emergency when I’m not around, or you get separated from me and need immediate help! It’s strictly for dangerous situations only, as a backup plan! It can’t be your only means of fighting, because I can’t fight all your battles for you! I TOLD you this, I’m not allowed to intervene in the laws of freewill! Why can’t you open your ears and listen to me?!”

“...I-”

“What? You what?” He tsked. “Are you just too stupid and incompetent to do that too? Good grief, you really are useless…hey, wait…” His eyes shifted down, to your hand now nestled in the sleeve of your trendy store-bought Letterman jacket. You were shaking and breaking out in goosebumps all over. “...What’s wrong with your hand?”

You refused to answer him, the silence blaring far and wide. The heated haze gently lifted from over his eyes, awakening him from his rampage; but it was too late.

“...Y/n…” He kneeled down. You let out a hiccup, followed by a sniffle. Guilt quickly took him over. “...Y/n, I’m—“

Your head shot up like a volcano erupting, red-faced and teary-eyed. The atmosphere was yours to command, anger rising over everything. “SAVE IT!” You roared, snatching the whistle back. You ran with all your might down the alley, made a swift turn into civilization, and kept running until you were exhausted and could run no farther, and had to result to power-walking, even after Johnny had called for you to stop, to slow down, to wait, to come back.

You ran all the way home, glaring heatedly at the dumb slender whistle in your hands before tossing it into the blender, and slamming the on button. But for some reason, it refused to start. When you took it out and tested the power, it worked just fine. When you tossed the whistle back in, it wouldn’t start at all.

Letting out another frustrated scream, you instead marched upstairs, throwing open the balcony doors and tossing it as hard as you could into the forest behind your house. You hoped a rabid squirrel or a bobcat would find it and carry it far, far away...maybe swallow it or something.

With a defeated huff you collapsed to your knees, resting your arms and head on the balcony railing. Seriously, why did Johnny have to be like that?! It wasn’t your fault this was all happening so quickly, and there was a lot to take in— forty eight hours ago, you’d been a normal girl just doing your job, minding your own business, living your life. And now you’d been scouted out of nowhere by some tall wack-job claiming to be an angel, when you hadn’t even seen his wings...just a few feathers, and an impulse to believe…

Why? Why were you so gullible? Why would you just believe him without knowing for sure? Even if he did have the strange power to calm you… well, now he’d also hurt you.

Your cellphone buzzed, but you ignored it. The home phone rang, but you let it go to voicemail.

“Y/n, it’s me. Pick up. We need to talk.”

What the heck...how did he get your phone number? How did he…?

Hng. You were starting to learn not to question Johnny, save for the matter of his true identity, in the scheme of how fast things were going. He may be an angel, and he may not be. But he was basically out of your league in terms of being crafty and resourceful.

A notification bell chimed from your computer, the screen coming to life. You could have sworn you turned it off before leaving the house, though…

You sat down at your desk and searched for a notification to respond to, but there was nothing. Strange. Wait...what was this?

There was a window minimized on standby. You opened it, finding a digital flyer for the Twisted Karnival.

The words spoken by the two demons before resonated in your mind: tryouts for new talent. 9 pm sharp.

Your fingers tightened around the necklace still in one hand, and as much as you wanted to hurl it off the balcony as well, you threw it over your head instead, burying the pendant beneath your shirt. You were still mad, but if you were going to do this, you weren’t going to be stupid about it. You’d march right over there and blend in perfectly; you’d put on a disguise so good, no one would be able to recognize you, not demons, not even Johnny! And this necklace would provide you with protection, just like he said! ...That was what he said, right…? ...Whatever. You’d make this work no matter what! Even if it was a trap! You’d just have to turn it around and bust that trap! Then he’d really see who was useless!!

“Who’s resourceful now?” You’d say. “Huh?!”

A sharp sting pierced your right hand, and you winced, shutting down your computer and running across the hall to wash the wound. It really wasn’t that bad of a scratch, so you had no idea why it was stinging so much…

Sigh. There were a lot of things you didn’t know as of late. Instead, glaring back at your reflection in the bathroom mirror, you decided to focus on things that you did know.

And one of those things was that you were about to prove Johnny very wrong.

~ ☽✮☾ ~

After taking a nap to be in tip-top shape for kicking demon ass, fueled by rage and determination to prove a point, you awoke just shy of eight to find you’d gained a bit of common sense...in other words, you were starting to have doubts.

According to plan, you were to march into uncharted enemy territory that had a 50% chance of being (...okay, 99.9%...) a trap, without Johnny, without anyone, to fight supernatural beings that possessed freaky powers you likely didn’t stand a chance against. You had no strategy, no combat experience, and no weapon save for the silver cross that was supposed to keep you safe somehow; but you couldn’t even remember exactly what it did. Something about making you invisible, maybe…? ...There was just so much information…

Perhaps you needed to think this through a bit more carefully, now that the previous flames of anger had died down to a subtle wisp of ember. With the smoke clearing, you were now able to see the real danger that lied up ahead; it was like you were standing there all over again, on carnival grounds, watching that girl’s life being sucked away…

No, not sucked away. It’d been corrupted. She’d been put under some sort of spell, and supposedly, you were the only one...or at least, the one chosen...to stop it. Johnny has chosen you for this. There was something he said...there was a reason you were chosen for this. Again, too much information in too little time…

...What if that was you? What if you rushed in there, full of spirit but no power to back it up, and ended up just like her?

...Even if that were to be the case, and you were wrong, and Johnny did turn out to be crazy, you couldn’t just abandon the thought of someone in need. Not when you’d seen her suffering with your own eyes, waiting to be saved.

You still didn’t know why it had to be you, but time was running out, your alarm clock reading 8:15. You’d made up your mind. You’d just have to find out along the way. If you died trying, well, hey— at least you died trying. You wouldn’t turn your back on someone in danger.

And even if I did call the police,what are they gonna do? Heck, the demons would probably brainwash them and have ME arrested instead. 🗿💧 There’s no way I’d be able to afford a bail fee on my school salary!!

Okay, y/n, it was time to get ready! Game on!! —Hey, hold on.

After jumping out of bed with a fiery new spirit, you looked down to your hand before you. The injury Johnny had given you…

...was completely gone.

~ ~ ~

Standing outside the carnival gates was like standing at the gates of a cemetery. As creepy and unfavorable as one could imagine, it was ten times worse.

You hadn’t known what to wear exactly in regards to the demon-slaying-attire department, but you also needed a good disguise, so you’d opted for your one-piece swimsuit from middle school that you miraculously found lying in your closet and just as miraculously still fit your matured body. A solid navy blue, you paired it with some stretchy ballet flats and a trench coat similar to Johnny’s belonging to your roommate, Jisung...more on him later. Basically you’d probably be owing him a new one after this, which may or may not have been more expensive than a brainwashed-officer’s bail fee...since it was…

Givenchy?! 😱 S-Son of a—

“Oh! There you are!”

AHH!

The appearance of Cherry Boy nearly made you jump out of your skin. He was so close, his face smiling sweetly to you from the other side of the twisted black fence, the thickening fog washing out his pale features (other than that blindingly bright red mop on his head). You pulled your Jisung’s jacket like a hug.

“Uhm...y-yes! Hahah, heeere I am~”

A strangely excited glint filled the young boy’s eye. Oddly enough, he didn’t move to unlock the gate for you or anything; in fact, he did the opposite, stepping back into the dense miasma as the gate just...opened itself… “You almost didn’t make it! Good thing you got here on time! Auditions are about to start!”

Your jaw was about to drop, but you did good to snap it shut, not wanting to show any forward emotion that may tip him off. You were an unsuspecting young girl, just trying her luck at auditioning to perform in the risingly-famous Twisted Karnival. No big— ...

Hold on. Cherry Boy had seen you. He’d gotten dangerously close to you and looked right in your eyes and spoken directly to you. But…

Weakly, but with fever, you patted your chest. Checked your pockets.

Johnny’s necklace was gone.

“Are you coming~? No need to be shy! Come on in! Oh, what’s your name?”

You stared horrifically into the blank atmosphere filled with mist. You couldn’t see Cherry Boy anywhere. “...Y/n...I mean!” Shit. “That’s what I wish my name would have been! But it’s really, uh...uh...S-Samantha!”

You could no longer see the demonic redhead anymore, but you could feel his presence twice as strong. His voice sounded as if he were right in front of you. “Samantha…? Hm. You sure don’t look like that name suits you at all. No offense or anything, it’s still such a lovely name for a lovely young lady~”

And then he was right behind you. His breath tickling your ear.

“Say, since you like the name y/n so much, how about we call you that instead? What do you think about that?”

...You thought you were this close to whopping this guy in his cute face and making a break for the shelter you passed two left turns ago. But alas, he was gently walking you forward, escorting you to your doom awaiting you in one of the many striped tents hidden in the mist. No turning back now.

The moment you crossed the gate’s threshold, something instantly didn’t feel right.

“So what will you be auditioning for today?” he asked in a bright, cheerful voice. It stood out like a sore thumb given the dank depressing carnival air. “Oh, I’m not one of the judges or anything, I’m simply curious to know.”

Okay, this was it. You’d decided on the way over that you would be auditioning in some form of acrobatics, since you’d also had minor experience in gymnastics as a kid and well...that’s really all you had to go on…

You sunk your head farther down into Jisung’s thousand-dollar jacket. Man. This plan is already proving to have way too many holes. What should I do?

You had to give him some kind of answer. “Um...yeah, sure! I’m...auditioning for…” You gulped. Felt his eyes glued to you, like a bullet to the back of the head. “...Uh, it’s a surprise! No spoilers!”

You’d jumped forward and spun around, making an X with your hands. Cherry Boy blinked.

“...Oh, I see! Yes, of course...wouldn’t want to ruin the fun!”

“Right?!” Phew.

“Yes, of course~” He stepped around you, pulling open the side-flap of a smaller tent to your left. “Well, here we are!”

“Oh, but…” You examined the size of the tent. No we ain’t. “This isn’t the main tent?”

“...No, it isn’t.” Cherry Boy confessed. He pointed somewhere North, maybe toward the center of the carnival. It was too hard to tell with all this blasted fog in the way. “The Main Tent is that way. I’ll be escorting you there once you finish getting ready! We have a professional makeup artist on standby, so hurry and get changed, and we may be able to make it on time!”

A wha??

“H-Hold on— I already have a costume—!” …

There was no holding on. He’d already pushed and closed you inside.

The tent was small and dim-lit by candlelight, barely big enough for four people. It held a trunk, a narrow wardrobe, and a compact vanity with a box of tissues and makeup supplies. A smiling young woman was waiting for you, one leg crossed over the other in her tight pencil skirt and bright pink lipstick. She looked...a little pale and...out of place. Like she didn’t belong in a circus, or a carnival, or whatever.

The woman didn’t say anything, not even when you slightly waved and muttered a less-than-confident hello. She stood up, gestured for you to sit down, and started mechanically slapping random compacts of powders and shadows to your face. The oddest scent of burnt rubber filled the air the more she awkwardly jerked and moved…

“Um...are you okay…?” You frowned. “Ma’am, you’re kind of...well, your movements are—”

She dropped the blush she was holding and paced over to the other side of the tent, jerkily, where the wardrobe was. Something snapped as she took a step halfway there, and she suddenly dipped, but before you could finish gasping at her expense and leap across the space to steady her she’d righted herself like nothing happened. Uncomfortable with all of it, you stared strangely at the blush that simply rested on the floor.

“Hey, Miss? Are you sure you should be working right now? I think that maybe you oughta go home...also, I’m sorry but, I don’t know the policy here...is makeup supposed to be left on the floor?”

She, again, didn’t answer. Something clicked and sparked while she rummaged the closet, though, and next thing you knew she was wrestling you into a new outfit.

“Hey, hold on, stop it! I don’t need a costume, I brought my own! I’m wearing it! Please— ack!”

Your face smacked into plastic, floor-abandoned foundation shoved up your nose.

After managing to shove her off and sneezing/coughing a few times, you were yanked before a mirror that...definitely wasn’t there before. Spooky…oh, but…!

The girl that greeted you back actually wasn’t that bad. Her makeup was kind of sloppy, but the idea behind it was pretty classy and kinda sexy. The outfit you now wore— a pure white leotard with an open back and a flashy, glittering pink trail (y’know, those skirts that are open in the front, like a cape for your waist), and pristine, matching white gloves— altogether, the ensemble was...dare you admit...actually pretty dang cute.

This woman may have had too much caffeine or been drunk off her ass, but she knew what she was doing in the scheme of things. “Say, this is actually really cute! Thanks!”

She bowed. Very unnaturally. It was way too low, like you were royalty or something, and you could have sworn there was a spark next to her hip. Weird. When she didn’t get back up and you could hear Cherry Boy calling, asking if you were ready, you snatched your Jisung’s coat and skipped out of there, muttering another awkward thanks.

Outside the tent Cherry Boy was grinning at you from ear to ear, a disgustingly adorable rosy tone to his cheeks that counteracted to your false one. Curse him. “Wow, look at you!” He padded closer to stroke your cheek, an action you didn’t call for to occur. It left you stiff and frozen solid, color fleeing where his skin met yours. “...That outfit certainly is stunning...to make a last debut in.”

Those last words didn’t quite make sense to you, but you were more concerned with the way he was examining you, scanning his eyes up and down the length of your body like you were an exhibit on display, and he was an aspiring artist, trying to take in everything that he could…and the fact that he still had his hand on you…

You felt like a corpse. But also, for some unnamed reason, you felt almost angry...

“Jeongin! Hurry up— oh!”

Both you and Cherry Boy— Jeongin, you guessed— pivoted your heads in the direction a new player called from the main stage. After only seeing a silhouette for the longest two seconds of your life, at last, Mr. Robot himself came into view.

Nervously, you gripped the sides of your sparkly half-skirt, shivering from both the chill of settling mist and the heavy negative vibes ascending in the air. When Jeongin released you, you stumbled back a step and a half, gripping the gaping hole swelling in your gut. Your mind clouded with backlash thicker than this impenetrable fog: how stupid this was, how dumb you were, that you should have never come—

You came to a death trap empty handed with no survival skills or redeeming known qualities except that you were somehow “the one.” ...Were you insane?!

Just like Johnny’s outburst, it was too late to escape. You were already too far in. Two of them now knew you were here, and you couldn’t even run if you’d wanted to; fear held you down like a magnet, and the hole in your stomach was beginning to fester.

Yet, beneath that, in the pit of your stomach, in the center of that swirling vortex, there was also something...stirring…

...Maybe you just need to throw up again. “You must be the last audition we’ve been waiting for! Everyone else has already gone, we’re just waiting for you!” Robo-boy smiled like a kid that knew he’d won before the game was over. “Are you ready?”

You dragged your foot a step back, then another, clinging to your coat for dear life. It was a miracle you even found your voice at all. “H-How did you know I was going to audition? How did you know I’d come here?”

...What? The jig was basically up anyway.

“Hmm…” He thought. Or pretended to. “I suppose you could say we had...a hunch.”

And then you aren’t sure what happened, because the next second his eyes were glowing that purple hue you saw in the alleyway, only it was stronger now...brighter...and you were left with nothing but a will to follow him.

Though you could no longer control your movements, you still had an awareness that was all your own. Jeongin and Robot Guy snickered the whole way they led you to the Main Tent, joking about how they wished they’d had more time to play and experiment before it was time for you “to go.” They laughed at the expense of how smoothly you’d just waltzed right into their plan, and Robo Boy in particular stated something along the lines of hoping one “Chan” would allow him to use your body as a spare part (or spare parts) for some side project he was working on...whatever the heck that was supposed to be. It didn’t sound good.

You jerked and jimmied on the inside, pulling back with all your might, but it proved fruitless on the out. Like you weren’t even struggling at all.

Dang it, dammit all! I can’t move!!

Struggle and pull as you might, it was completely useless...just like Johnny had called you. Useless. You really were useless…

The two demons (well one, really) marched you through the back entrance of the mothership, down a dark passageway, and directly to the stage...only to make an unannounced sharper-than-a-knife right turn and up a tall ladder hidden behind some dull velvet curtains. Every step and reach was intensified, like your senses had become twice as strong; you were more than aware of what was happening, being forced to lock in on the current moment.

When you reached the top, you were standing on a thin white platform...with nothing but a thin, fraying rope that led to the other side. To a matching platform some three hundred, four hundred feet away.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Robot Boy called from below. “But I riffled through your brain and found a coherent thought about wanting to try your luck at a game of balance? It should prove to be quite...interesting.”

He let you look downward, only for a moment. If allowed to show expression, your jaw would have hit the floor...er, platform. The main tent was HUGE— way more massive within that it looked outside. It was like a freakin’ coliseum made to look more festive and carnival-istic, though gothic-ly so. There had to be at least a thousand seats, probably more...and all sorts of strange equipment and contraptions littered the stage. Canons, various raised platforms, hoops, some large...vacuum...thing?

The demonic population had grown. Instead of two, there were now seven of them...and after you’d closed and opened your eyes, a whole room full. Every seat had been filled: with a demonic creature, a shadowy blob, or some kind of horrific mortification of the two…

You wanted to scream, but you couldn’t. Tilting your head to face forward again, two of the seven original monsters had teleported themselves to be waiting on the platform opposite to you, one sitting, the other standing. The standing one flashed you a smile that would have been priceless were it not tainted by brutality and fear; the other one, a short but muscular man sitting down, was holding a ball of fire in one hand. He rolled it gently onto the twine connecting the distance between, and the whole thing engulfed in a line of fire. You whimpered, but still couldn’t move.

The Givenchy coat caught onto the flames, or perhaps the flames caught onto it— regardless, it burned away and crumbled to ash, but amazingly the fire didn’t touch your body...or at least, you didn’t feel anything. You were now standing vacantly in the borrowed outfit that was most likely your funeral gown. Nothing but a hollowed version of your former self.

The standing demon that had a killer smile to boot flashed you his pearly whites in the most graceful way possible, and carefully but with little effort he walked into the flames, though he remained completely unscathed. He padded and strolled across the wire with the gracefulness of a swan, pausing when he reached the center. He did not waver, didn’t lose his balance or second guess himself, for an instant, never taking his eyes off of you rather than where he was walking. He extended a graceful hand out to you.

“Come to me...my angel.”

His eyes glowed green, the color of emeralds in a sea of fire. It was beautiful, mesmerizing…

Slowly, you raised you right slipper, taking a placid step forward—

“Y/N!!!”

Huh…? Who—

A blindingly white light pierced the skies, washing out everything around it.

“Release!!!” Someone yelled.

One of the demons cursed, and whatever spell that had been holding you vanished, your heart turning you towards the source. Could it be…? Was it really…?

It was. You smiled.

“Johnny!”

...And then feeling something hot and burning dangerously close, stared into the pits of hell you’d almost walked and fell into. “AAAAAH!!”

Something swooped by and grabbed you, like an eagle catching and carrying off its prey. Fearfully, you tilted your head back to see…

“Johnny!!” :D

“Yes, you already announced that,” he smirked. But wait…

Curiously, you focused blurry eyes on what had been supporting the weight of you both behind him. It was soft and feathery, a mix of brown and white, glowing faintly with a yellow-golden aura…

It was Johnny’s wings. He really was an angel...for real this time.

“Don’t worry,” he said, zigzagging slightly to avoid incoming fireballs and flying daggers. “You’re safe now, I promise. But you have to—“

“WHAAAAAA!!!”

“W-Why are you still crying?! I just told you you were safe!”

“That’s not iiiiiit!” You sobbed. “I...I thought bad of you before. I still didn’t believe what you were saying, but...you were telling the truth all along. ...And…” You looked up to him with teary eyes. “J-Jisung’s jacket...I’ll never be able to pay it off! I’m gonna be poor forever!! Whaaaa…!!!”

“What—?” 💧

“Grrr…” one of the demons growled. “Quit MOVING!!”

A flaming kunai came hurling after the two of you at blinding speed compared to the previous attacks, and at last your luck had run out...or maybe not. Fortunately, though Johnny went down with a hurt wing, the two of you managed to crashland on the nearest platform, and he flicked the knife away like it’d only barely punctured him.

“Goodbye, BLTs…” you sobbed, still too hung up on broke-life. “Goodbye, kpop album collection—“

Johnny gave you the 🗿💧 face. “You can cry about being broke later! Right now, I need you to focus on becoming Sailor Moon and stopping these guys!”

“What?! But why can’t you— aah!”

You both ducked for cover as a flaming frisbee-contraption nearly cut both your heads clean off, slicing through the pole behind you. Gulp.

Johnny scowled, his temper rising again. “I TOLD you already! Don’t make me have this argument with you again, I— ...hnn,” he groaned. “I’m sorry...for the way I treated you before. I should have found a better way of introducing all this to you. I should have known better and I shouldn’t have lost my temper…” His eyes sparked with a fire as he turned to you, determination leaking from every part of him. “But right now I need you to set all that aside and focus on the mission! Please! You can do it, Sailor Y/n!”

“B-But…” You faltered still. “I-I don’t know how! What am I supposed to do?!”

“For starters,” he squinted his eyes, tossing something over your head. “Wear this. And don’t lose it next time!”

“Ahh!” You smiled gleefully, relief washing over your nervous system. “The necklace! You found it!”

“Enough talk!” A new demon you had yet to meet, with smooth parted hair and a tiger at each side of him, smiled up at you from the center stage. “I have orders from Chan. We are to eliminate this girl and the angel immediately.”

Uh-oh. You worriedly took a few steps back, as his eyes glowed a yellow hue that only got brighter. The beast beside him growled and hissed, positioning themselves to pounce and attack.

“All of you stand back. I’ll finish her myself.”

“What? No fair, you and Felix and Seungmin always have all the fun, with your dumb tinkering and running around selling tickets.”

“...That’s Felix and Jeongin, Han.” Robot Demon said.

Han rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Minho and everyone else gets to have just as much fun. I haven’t even gotten to do anything yet!”

“Would you shut up?!” Green-eyes yelled from above. “All you do is ride that dumb bike of yours all over camp! It’s annoying and you’re constantly running into stuff and scaring away potential victims!”

Han’s eyes glowed pink. “Oh-ho! Looks like someone remembered to take his bitchy pill this morning, huh Hyunjin~? PMS still got you down?”

Green-eyes...threw his shoe at him.

Freckles— Felix— sighed, scowling almost as much as Robot Guy (Seungmin?) and the others were. He placed his hands on his hips in a familiar sassy-middle school student pose. “Can we maybe not fight right now? If you haven’t noticed, we have company.”

Hyunjin blinked, shifting his attention to the star-faced boy. “Woah, hey, was Felix actually sensible just now?”

“ENOUGH!” Minho barked. Everyone else snapped to attention. He sighed. “All of you stay out of this and go strengthen the barrier or something. Let me handle these two, I’m more than enough of a match.”

“For a little girl and an old man?” Han scoffed. “I’d hope so.”

“Go.”

“Hmph.” Han swung around over a bike behind him, probably the one Hyunjin had been complaining about. “Fine. I’m out of here.” He smirked. “I’m gonna go cut in line to play with my doll~”

Hyunjin stared at the retreating dust incredulously as he zoomed away. “WHAT?! Oh no you’re not! I have her next!”

He flipped off the tightrope with ease, landing just as gracefully as before and retrieving his missing shoe. He then hightailed it after him.

“......” The man who’d quietly been sitting on the platform (besides trying to kill you with flaming balls of fire) sighed once they left, jumping down the long distance and landing like it was nothing as well. “I better go make sure they don’t kill each other again. You got this, Minho?”

Minho growled. “I told you, I did. Get out of here.”

He held his hands up, rolling his eyes a bit. “Okay, okay. See you later.”

He met your eyes before vanishing, the orbs glowing orange. You “eep”-ed and covered yours, and you heard a distant chuckling as he vanished from sight.

When you opened them, a small fire burned at your feet.

“AHHH! Hot, hot, HOT!!”

You danced and jumped into Johnny’s arms, the remaining demons chuckling at your expense.

“Awww, did Changbin’s fire burn you? It’ll be okay, if you come down here and let my babies eat you, I’ll make sure it’s a swift and painless death.”

“Hey, wait,” Seungmin frowned. “Leave her body in one piece. I may be able to use it for my latest side project.”

Minho frowned more. “You sure as hell didn’t say anything when Changbin and Felix were throwing flaming daggers.”

“That’s because I knew they’d miss. You actually have a chance of mauling her.”

In the background, Felix twitched. “Hey! I did so land a hit!”

“Yeah, one. That did little to no damage.”

“Shut up!!”

They just kept going back and forth like this. Back and forth, back and forth. As they bickered, you followed Johnny’s gaze to one of the far side entrances, where the ones called Han and Hyunjin had disappeared through.

You thought. And pondered. And puzzled. Until…

“Oh!” You declared, landing a fist in your palm. “That must be where they’re keeping your one true love!”

“Huh?!”

The remaining three demons all turned to look at you. Wait, you could have sworn there’d been four, though…? “Hm? Coming up with a strategy to escape?” Minho chuckled, crouching down. “I can’t allow that.”

Now it was your turn to scowl, a new confidence suddenly swirling within you like a vortex. Really, you were just tired of being here, and getting kind of hungry.

You pointed an accusatory finger at Minho, mimicking your best Sailor Moon pose. “Augh, enough already! I’m sick of being here and I wanna go home!” You flashed a few more poses, giving your best fighting stance. “Alright demons, listen up! In the name of the Moon™, I’m shutting this carnival down! Get ready!”

“U-Uh…” Behind you, Johnny began to sweat.

Minho laughed again, the other two standing their ground with a smirk. “Are you now?” He ran a hand down the back of one of his beasts, the creature both purring and growling lowly. “And just how do you plan on doing that? Hm?”

…Well once again, the supernatural had gotten you there. “Uh...I’ll…” You wracked your brain for an suitable answer that wouldn’t make you sound too dumb or inexperienced. “...report you to the BBB! I’ll make sure to leave a bad review, too! No stars!”

Johnny facepalmed.

“......” Minho turned over his shoulder. “...What is she talking about? What’s a BBB?”

Felix shrugged, appearing just as lost. “No idea. Let’s just take her soul and give it to this guy. It’s gonna be my turn to play with our doll soon. ♥ ”

Like beetle juice, Hyunjin reappeared in the doorway, arms stretched wide in prehistoric rage like a certain popular internet meme. His hair and clothes were a mess from the previous battle with Han. “Wha?! No way, Chan said I could have her next!”

Minho began groaning and growling all over again. “Quit fooling around! We have to fight already!”

Felix gave him a skeptical glare. “What? But you told us to—“

“Be quiet!” His eyes shone brighter. “Go get her!”

“Grrrrwar!”

The tigers both pounced in unison, landing halfway up the pole and making an unnaturally powerful climb toward you. You shrieked, latching back onto Johnny and demanding he take you as far and high into the clouds as he could go.

But he didn’t. Instead, he pushed you off (gently...ish), squaring your shoulders to face him as death quickly crawled up from below. “Listen! I’m only going to say this once! You can and will do this! Believe in yourself!”

“WHAT?!” It was an understatement to say you were panicking; you were downright having a nervous breakdown. “WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! I LIED, I CAN’T SHUT ANYTHING DOWN!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO—“

And then he just...floated away from you.

Your jaw dropped. “JOHNNY!!!”

“Grwar!!”

“AAAA!!!”

You braced yourself as one of the tigers pounced, knocking you back. When someone (Johnny) broke your fall but you still managed to land with a thud, you wasted no time hopping to your feet and making a beeline for the exit, tossing as many obstacles as you could behind you in an attempt to give yourself time.

“Stay away! Leave me alone!! EEP!!!”

You tripped as the other tiger came out of nowhere, tackling you down. Because Johnny intervened and held it back for a fraction of a second, you instead skidded forward, faceplanting a far wall.

“Ow…! Dang it…” You looked back over your shoulder, as Minho and the two beasts were closing in, twistedly stalking closer. Spinning and pressing yourself as hard against the wall as you could, your eyes frantically scanned the area for Johnny, but he was too busy distracting the other two...really three...from ganging up on you, even if Minho had insisted for them not to.

“It’s over…” He mused, splaying an open hand toward you. “Finish her.”

“GrwaAAAAR!!”

“AAAA—!!!”

...This was it. You held your breath. Shielded your face. Closed your eyes. Waited for it to be over…

…But, then…

Time came to a stop. Your stomach churned, swirling, the vortex growing stronger. Stronger, stronger, and stronger, until…

You heard Johnny gasp, the chaos of battle coming to a halt. “Y/n…!!”

“Ahhh...aAAAAAAH!!!”

Something dark and vibrant exploded throughout the room, the source coming from your stomach. The fabric over the area burned away, leaving a sizzling hole, rays of ultraviolet light beaming forth. It sent the creatures fixing to murder you flying the other way, soaring past Minho, who cringed and squinted his eyes, shielding them with one arm. The sudden windstorm caused his hair and clothes to whip around him, all of it like a scene out of a movie…

“What...What the hell…?! ...Nngh, ahh!”

Then he went flying as well. But not from the wind as you’d momentarily thought. When the light faded and the air settled down, a dark shadow landed before you, having attacked Minho. The shadows dripped and slithered into a pool beneath it’s center, revealing…

A boy. A man with purple hair.

From somewhere far off, you heard Johnny say something, remaining as still as the waters of a cysteine chapel:

“...Oh, shit…”

...Guess he did swear after all.

~ ☽✮☾ ~

A/N: Hi, everyone! c: Thank you for reading the Dark Rising series thus far, it’s been a blast to write! If you liked this story, please do me favor and give it a like and reblog! And be sure to leave me your thoughts in the tags or my inbox, it means a lot and I’d greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much for reading; I’ll see you in Act Three!! <3

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colonel-insomniac · 5 years ago

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The Thief’s Prince (Part One)

Ok, Aladdin AU, anyone? keep in mind that since Aladdin had a genie, I kinda have to write one in too. 1 2 3 4 5 6 AO3

Bobby wouldn't be a thief if he really had any other choice. As it is, he’s simply doing what he has to in order to live, and keeping his friends alive. Instead, he’s known as a thief, a street rat, a sweet talking deceiver, and a lot of bad things he won’t repeat to anyone. Sometimes, it makes Bobby upset to know that other people think badly of him, he only ever tries to be the best he can be, but money is tight, and not everyone can afford it, or afford the reputation he’s made for himself. So he does what has to be done.

He wishes people were kinder, or would at least see him as a robin hood of sorts, but that probably won’t happen. The only thing to comfort him right now is that no one but those closest to him are aware of his track record. They call him Acro, and where they got that name, he isn’t sure, but it’s better than them knowing his real name and calling for Bobby Porter’s head. Instead, they look for someone who doesn’t exist.

So he wears a hooded cloak when he’s out trying to…shop. His boss, Eugene Krabbes, runs the Krustie Krabbe, a restaurant front for the true mission, in which Bobby’s managed to reach the top of the pyramid. Their mission is simple—steal from the fortunate and give to the unfortunate. Tomorrow, they’re supposed to attempt a theft mission from the palace, but Bobby isn’t really sure how they can do that without failing severely.

Right now he’s in the marketplace, wandering through the crowded area, trying to see what he can manage to take without necessarily being noticed. The hood of his cloak is pulled over his eyes to shield him from the sun and to keep out prying eyes. Of course he only gets more stares, but there are several others with hoods up, and they’re normal people, so Bobby prays that no one suspects anything.

There are apples, bread, cheese, pastries and so much more. There’s also some valuable-ish jewlery, but Bobby doesn’t dare try to steal those. He’s been instructed not to go that far, no matter how much he itches to. Bobby gets that they can’t really sell stolen jewlery at a restaurant, but they’d be able to sell it for more than it costs and use the money they earn to actually buy the things they need. Mr Krabbes just doesn’t listen to Bobby.

He stops that train of thought before it can really take off, and unhooks his bag. He’s preparing himself for an easy grab-and-go. Today was a good day to hit the markets, it’s so busy they might not even notice him. Bobby inches himself towards the apple stall, inspecting the red and green and yellow fruits. His acting skills kick into effect when he brings a pale arm towards the apples, running a short finger over their unblemished skin. When he’s sure no one’s looking anymore, he tosses four apples in succession into his bag, before slowly walking away.

No matter how many times he does this, his heart always pounds rapidly when he walks away. He knows it’s wrong to steal in theory, but is it still bad if he’s doing it for a good cause? He figures maybe it’s some sort of paradoxical situation, doing the right thing even though it’s wrong in the basest of its theories.

Regardless, no one shouts at him to stop, and he hits up the next stall: bread. He operates this one exactly like the apples. Inspect, touch, and once the coast is clear, take. Maybe Bobby gets a little too confident with his abilities. He’s on his seventh loaf of bread when he hears the familiar phrase “Stop, thief!”

Rolling his eyes, he takes off running, closing his bag hurriedly. He weaves through the throng of people, hoping to lose the guard that caught him, but every time he thinks he’s shaken them off, a new guard joins. It’s like running instantly means you’re guilty for something. Bobby can hear the guards barking at one another that it’s him, or rather that it’s Acro. Same difference, he supposes.

His bag thumps against his leg, and his hood blows almost all the way off his head, but no matter how bad the stitch in his side gets, he doesn’t stop. He can’t, uness he wants to lose everything he just got. Bobby runs into a random building, up the stairs, into a random open door. He slows for a moment, trying to be as quiet as he can to throw any authority figure off his metaphorical scent. Bobby can hear them running up the stairs, their boots pounding out the beat to an unheard melody. He stops, fanning himself with a hand, before rushing to the window. The guards footsteps and yelling are quieter, but it’s only a matter of time until they have to come back down.

He thinks of the fabled Aladdin, the thief turned prince, many kingdoms over, somewhere called Aghraba. Maybe Bobby looks up to the guy a little, but only in a “he turned his life around” kind of way. Bobby can hear them coming back down, and scampers out the window, scaling the wall as fast as he can. In hindsight, maybe he should have gone down instead of up.

On the roof is a blanket that’s rather big, and Bobby immediately knows what he ought to do. Whether it’ll work or not is another thing, but life isn’t fun if you always play by the rules. He grabs the corners of the blankets in his hands, and hopes that it works as a makeshift parachute. No time for second thoughts, he gulps, and runs, leaping off of the rooftop.

And of course it works. Well, he doesn’t plummet to the ground, so it’s a success in his mind. He takes off running toward the Krustie Krabbe, mentally patting himself on the back for his quick thinking. Bobby notices the guards watching him from the roof he once stood in when he glances over his shoulder, still ordering him to stop.

They really think he’ll stop when he pretty much succeeded? He laughs to himself, it’s honestly just a foolish way to think. He’s won, that’s it.

He slows down and takes the cloak off as he nears the Krustie Krabbe, folding it up nicely before entering the establishment. Krabbes waits for him in front of his office door. Bobby knows the drill by now, and just breezes into the room, taking a seat in the velvet chair. “So.” He says, folding his freckled arms, relaxing now that he’s safe. His bag lies on the ground next to him.

Krabbes doesn’t bother waiting for Bobby to hand him the bag, he snatches it off the floor and looks inside. “Four apples, seven loaves of bread.” Bobby states, proud of his accomplishment. It’s the most he’s managed to take in one go.

“Good job, me boy. This is why you be the one at the top of me recruits.” Bobby shrugs, but can’t resist a small smile.

“Anyway, that ain’t the only thing I want to talk to y’a about, boy.” Krabbes sits down behind his desk, hands fidgeting with a pen. Bobby leans forward, thoroughly intrigued.

“About the attack on the palace tomorrow, yer the one that needs to go in.” Bobby feels the shock running through his veins like electricity.

“What—me? But I thought… ” Bobby trails off. He’d thought about the mission before, and he wanted to be the one to go inside, but he didn’t expect to actually be chosen to go inside.

“Look boy, you’re the only one fast enough, and you’re also the only one of my recruits who’s innocent looking. No one will suspect you, boy.” Bobby nods, stomach in knots.

“Alright, so what’s the plan?” He asks.

“We send you in tonight, dressed as a servant. But you are not to interact with anyone unless absolutely necessary, boy. You get too cocky sometimes, but the stakes are high for this one.” Bobby blushes and looks at his shoes. It’s true, though. He does get too sure of his abilities sometimes.

“You are to tend to the prince and when he’s sleeping, take whatever might be valuable. You know that part of the drill. You fill up your bag, your pockets, everything that you can. We’re taking the money and giving it to the people boy, but only after we make sure our organization has enough to satisfy our needs.” Bobby nods, tended at the thought of the prince.

Once upon a time, when Bobby was just a little boy, the prince would wander the streets of the kingdom. That’s where they met. The two became fast friends in the way children usually do, and had loads of fun despite their different backgrounds.

But then prince Patrick’s mother died. After that, the prince hasn’t been seen again. It’s been ages since Bobby last corresponded with the prince, and he wonders if prince Patrick remembers him.

Bobby’s never told anyone about this, and he poses a risk by showing his face around the prince at all, but Krabbes wants him to do this. And so he will.

Later, when the shop closes, Bobby heads to the living area he shares with Sandy and Edward. Sandy’s a girl, and she’s really funny and she’s good at using her body as a weapon. Edward has less tolerance for Bobby, though. Bobby isn’t really sure of Edward’s skill set.

He has a moment to rest before he has to set off to infiltrate the palace, so he naps, and after that, he puts on the disguise Edward had managed to get him and leaves.

He scales the palace walls with a little bit of difficulty. They’re smooth walls so he doesn’t have much to grab onto, but he manages to climb it with relative ease and jumps down once making sure the coast was clear.

He smooth’s out his uniform and walks on the palace pathway. He has a layout of the palace on a small piece of paper. It’s a simple drawing with the names of each room simplified by the removal of their vowels. It’s a shorthand way of writing that Bobby has found to be rather useful.

“Hey, you!” Bobby stops in his tracks, and turns around. He recognizes the voice as one of the guards from earlier that day, but he tells himself to remain calm. He was cloaked, there’s no way he’d know that Bobby was the thief.

“Yes sir?” Bobby replies, trying to appear as innocent as he can.

“I haven’t seen you before. Do you have any form of identification on your person?” Bobby shakes his head.

“No sir,” he begins, making his eyes tear up to sell the act. “I don’t come from much money and I applied for this job a while back. I only recently got approved. The king took my only form of ID and promised he would return it but he still hasn’t.”

He sniffs, mentally crossing his fingers that this works. “I didn’t want to bring it up for fear that I’ll lose the only way I can earn a living, and my friends are very sick, I can’t afford to lose my job.” The guard looks at Bobby suspiciously, but ultimately nods, allowing him to leave.

Bobby makes sure to profusely thank the guard before continuing on his mission. He hooks a left, then a right, and then another right before walking straight for what feels like forever, but eventually he stands face to face with an oak door.

He knocks, waiting to hear his invitation inside before he enters the room. Prince Patrick, in Bobby’s eyes, is a sight to behold, and in a good way. He stares a moment too long before remembering to curtesy, and he can feel his cheeks heating up. “Do I…know you from somewhere?” Prince Patrick asks, his head tilted slightly. “You seem so familiar.”

Bobby looks at him for a moment before replying “My name is Robert, but everyone calls me Bobby.” Patrick nods, eyebrows still furrowed in thought.

“Well, Bobby, I don’t really need anything right now, but I do know it takes forever to walk all the way over here from wherever you must have been here in the palace, so you are welcome to stay.” Bobby nods, silent for maybe the first time in his life, and he can’t help thinking Edward would so appreciate Bobby being quiet.

He takes a seat on the ground, looking up at the prince. “So,” Patrick breaks the silence. “What do you do for fun, Bobby?”

Bobby has to think about that for a moment. He doesn’t really do anything he considers fun. It’s all in the name of survival. “I don’t do anything fun, I run errands in the marketplace sometimes.” That, Bobby thinks, isn’t a lie. He just chose not to tell the whole truth.

“What’s the marketplace like?” The prince asks this with such intensity that it takes Bobby back before he remembers that Patrick hasn’t seen the outside world in quite some time.

“It’s not really that interesting, Your Highness. There was a thief today, though.”

“Did you see this thief?”

“Not really.” Bobby feels bad lying through his teeth like this but he has to throw Patrick off any suspicion he might have against him. “They call him Acro, though that likely isn’t his real name.”

The prince is full of questions, it seems. “What does Acro look like?”

“I’m not really sure, they wear a cloak and always have their eyes covered. The guards haven’t caught him once. I caught a glimpse of Acro once, though. He doesn’t appear like a thief, from what I remember.” Bobby’s practically boasting now, and he has to scold himself internally. He’s getting too cocky, this is what Mr Krabbes was worried about.

Prince Patrick regards Bobby with a curious smile, as though he knows something. “Oh really?”

“I mean,” Bobby stammers, nervous now. “I mean that’s what I think? I can’t be sure.” The prince is onto him and he’s gonna face execution.

Patrick studies him, nodding thoughtfully. “Well I want to leave the palace. I haven’t seen the outside world in ages.” The prince’s eyes light up. “Oh! I used to know this great boy, he also went by Bobby! Maybe you know him?” Bobby blushes and looks away, unsure of how to respond.

“Well…I think—er I mean, it was me?” He doesn’t meet the prince’s gaze, and the heat that courses through his body is nearly unbearable.

Neither the prince nor the thief say anything for a couple minutes. “Well how have you been, then?” Prince Patrick asks, a gentle smile on his face.

Bobby answers as honestly as he thinks he can without confessing his crimes: “Money’s been tight across the kingdom, we’ve all essentially been scraping by, and I mean, the thieves have been making the kingdom a little unsafe. But I’m fine, really.”

“Yet you work for your money and food, correct?” Bobby’s sure this isn’t some random question. He’s convinced the prince knows, or is starting to be aware of Bobby’s background.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Bobby begins, pausing to think of what else he can say. “I work at a dining establishment named the Krustie Krabbe, and I can manage to get by with the meager wages I earn.” Upon seeing the saddened face of the prince, Bobby makes sure to add “But it’s honest work. And life in a palace? That must be wondrous!”

The prince lets out a one syllable laugh, turning his head away from the thief. “Yeah. There are rules galore, and no one who’s actually a friend in here. It’s so lonely here. I want to leave.” He can practically see the wheels turning inside Patrick’s brain. “Oh, you could sneak me out!”

“I—what?” Bobby asks.

“You could sneak me out of here, and take me to the marketplace. That would be great.” Patrick claps his hands together, beaming at Bobby in such a way that he feels inclined to say yes.

“I don’t know if I can do that, I’ll have so many chores to work on here—“

“Oh please, I know you’re the thief they call Acro. I’m not that dim. Not to mention you talked about working at a restaurant. Anyone working for the palace knows this is the only job allowed!” The prince looks smug as he knows he’s beaten Bobby.

“If you don’t take me outside these walls, I will yell for the guards and tell them exactly who you are, and say that you confessed everything to me.” Bobby mulls over his options, and decides to pull out this emergency card of his sweet talking. He usually only does this when he knows he’ll get caught otherwise, and that only happens when he’s wearing his cloak. No one he knows has ever seen him do this, but Bobby guesses maybe Patrick will have to be the first.

Bobby stands, and Pat follows suit, scrambling off his bed and standing beside it. Bobby leaps up on the edge of the bed frame, careful not to get his shoes on the clean bed, and brings his face inches away from the prince’s. The prince looks at Bobby with wide eyes, and Bobby smirks back, tossing caution to the wind, and grabs the prince’s chin with his hand. Bobby’s curly hair sits a little over his eyes, but he doesn’t bother moving it. Maybe it adds to the effect.

The prince practically radiates warmth, one Bobby can’t say he’s ever felt before, but it’s so great of a feeling that Bobby practically revels in it. “You wouldn’t tell anyone.” He states this with such an air of confidence it takes him by surprise. “Right?” the prince nods, cheeks flushing a delicate pink.

“I didn’t think you really meant you’d hurt me like that.” Bobby added on. “Your sweet little Bobby would never think you’d hurt him.” He internally cringes. Every time he says that line, he always cringes. It’s just so cheesy. He cups the prince’s cheek with his hand, and his blue eyes meet Patrick’s brown ones.

“No, I…” The prince blinks, “I would never hurt anyone.” Bobby leans away, satisfied, but still maintains the same air he had been.

“That’s what I thought.” He leaps off the bed frame and takes the prince’s hands in his own. “Now then, I’ll take you outside the palace walls, but not because I’m afraid you will tell anyone, but because I genuinely feel bad. First, though, we must wait till everyone’s asleep.” Patrick shakes his head and nods once.

“Only one problem with that.” Patrick points out, and Bobby’s smile falters. “The guards have shifts. They switch off every four hours.”

“I’ll take care of that, don’t worry.” Bobby says this so confidently, even he believes it.

“You aren’t going to murder anyone, right?” The prince cautiously asks Bobby this, and honestly, Bobby would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt a little, even if he deserved it.

“No! Of course I’m not gonna murder anyone!!!” He keeps his voice lowered, “I’m just a petty thief, not a murderer.” The comment stings, though. Bobby knows the prince doesn’t have a reason to trust him, but it still hurts. He removes his hands from Patrick’s and pivots, marching to the door. “I’m gonna go figure out how to do this, you…stay put.” He says as he opens the door.

“Robert—Bobby, wait!” The prince rushes towards Bobby, and pushes the door back closed. “Don’t go. I’m sorry that must have been really rude.”

“No, you’re right. You haven’t seen me in so long, you don’t even have a reason to trust me, technically. You being suspicious of me is a good thing.” Bobby’s just not used to people being suspicious of him, but that’s not Patrick’s fault. “I just gotta go figure all this out.”

“So let’s figure it out together!” Patrick exclaims, clinging to Bobby’s arm. He seems so desperate for a friend, and Bobby can’t find it in himself to leave. He sighs and nods, allowing himself to be dragged to the prince’s bed.

“Alright. Where are the guards in the daytime?” Bobby pulls his map of the palace and opens it, placing it on the bed for Pat.

“Hm. They usually stay towards the front gates and with my father. They’re supposed to accompany me too, but they don’t, which is good.”

“Okay so what I’m understanding is the whole back area is essentially clear?” Patrick nods, and Bobby can feel an idea forming in his mind. “Right. I’ll meet you over at this back wall,” he places a finger on the paper, “tomorrow at noon exactly. No sooner, no later.” When Patrick nods, Bobby simply nods back.

He’s managed to get completely distracted by his mission, all because of the prince. Truthfully, Bobby would be lying if he said he wasn’t quite enamored by the prince, but just ‘cause Aladdin wound up marrying Jasmine doesn’t mean Bobby will have the same luck.

“Now, I seriously do have to go. I need to maintain a disguise.” Bobby practically leaps off the bed, trying to show off a little.

He bows real low, “Good night, my prince.”

Patrick nods, distracted and pink in the face, and Bobby winks before heading out the door, feeling much too confident in his abilities. Now, time to get on with the mission.

He heads inside the building, which interestingly enough, is quite cold despite being the middle of the summer. Bobby walks through the first room he finds, and opens all the drawers and cabinets. Nothing of much value, which is stupid. It’s the palace. Shouldn’t the knives be made of diamond and the bread dusted with gold? He shakes his head and grabs some silver knives anyways.

Of course, he’s already strapped with a dagger, but there’s no harm in a little extra protection. Bobby goes from room to room in this manner, ears alert for any sort of noise. No one comes though, so he figures he’s safe.

And then he comes across a dainty locket that is encrusted with emeralds. He pockets it for himself, intrigued.

Eventually, he scrambles up the palace walls again, loaded with a bagful of semi-valuable items. And the locket, of course. It feels wrong, though. He knows Patrick, and the prince doesn’t suspect Bobby of robbing them. Maybe he doesn’t have to know that Bobby was the one who looted the palace. He will have to drop off the items with Krabbes and head back, insist on staying with the prince. A solid alibi. They can’t accuse him if he was with the prince.

“Mr Krabbes, it was a success!” He calls, cloak still draped on him. He put it on at the palace, in case he got caught. The restaurant is abandoned at this time in the night, but Krabbes calls out to Bobby, telling the boy to go to his office. Bobby complies, and strides into the office, grinning past the guilt he feels.

“Good job me boy, I knew y’a could do it. Any issues we gotta take care of?” Bobby shakes his head, even though there potentially could be.

“I gotta head back though, boss man, otherwise they might suspect me.” Krabbes freezes at that, but nods, warning Bobby to keep his guard up as he leaves again.

He knocks on the oak door again, and enters again, brushing the dirt stain from when he toppled over the wall on his way out. “You’re back!” Patrick exclaims, and the glee on his face makes Bobby’s heart pang in guilt.

He nods, “Yeah, I finished my task, so I figured I’d come back.” The prince claps happily and beckons Bobby forward.

“You’re clothes are dirty and so are you.” Patrick states matter of factly.

“We aren’t able to bathe ourselves often in the outside walls. The last time I bathed must have been last week.” Bobby reminds himself not to get angry at the thought of how wasteful it must be to bathe every day.

“That’s terrible. You’re free to use my washroom, if you would like to, that is.” Bobby’s eyes instantly widen at the offer and he nods shyly, slightly embarrassed at being offered a bath.

The prince shows Bobby to the room, which is complete with a marble tub with gold feet. Patrick excuses himself, and Bobby strips, stepping into the tub as it fills up with water.

He takes the locket out of the outfit lying on the ground, and dunks it under the water in an attempt to clean it. Bobby’s fingers rub at the gold base of the locket. The emeralds glimmer under the light of the kerosene lamps.

Bobby squints, because if he’s seeing right, it seems that there’s green fumes exiting the locket. A silhouette appears before his eyes, the same deep green of the emerald, but he has to bite his tongue to keep from screaming when yellow eyes meet his. “Greetings, Robert Porter.” The thundering voice resonated through the room and Bobby shushes the mystical form.

“I am so dead.” Are the only words that managed to exit the boy sitting naked in the tub.

#spongebob #patrick #the spongebob musical #the spongebob musical live on stage #volcano #patbob spongerick #patbob #spongerick #mr krabs #squidward #sandy #bikini bottom #Dino writes

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shadyelizabeth · 5 years ago

Text

Without Goodbyes

Based on this prompt by @dailywritingprompt-blog

“Hey, guys!”

Adrien looked up from the cat video Nino was streaming on his phone. Alya sauntered toward them, waving, with a bright smile on her face.

“Hey, Alya!”

“Babe!” Nino hopped up from the tabletop they were sitting on, his weight rattling the bench. Wrapping his girlfriend in his arms, he said, “Oh, how I’ve missed you!”

“I was only gone for two days,” she said, patting him not so gently on the back.

“It seemed like the longest two days EVER!” Nino squeezed her tighter.

“Ugh!” Alya brought her hands up between them and pushed. Caught off guard, Nino stumbled backward, the backs of his knees hitting the bench seat before he landed on his butt. “I didn’t know you were the clingy type.”

Adrien tried to hide the smile threatening to let loose on his lips behind his hand, but his best friend caught him, a look of hurt flashing across his face.

He clapped Nino on the shoulder and squeezed, hoping to convey it was all in good fun.

Turning back to Alya, he asked, “Where’d you go this weekend?”

“Nora took me up to Senils so I could do research for my presentation on Joan of Arc.”

“Sounds fun! Learn anything interesting?”

“Oh, tons! But I’m not going to say anything now. You’ll get to learn about how kickass Joan was in History class with everyone else.”

“Looking forward to it!”

Tapping out a quick message on her phone, she said, “Hey, have either of you seen or talked to Marinette?”

Adrien’s eyes scanned the courtyard out of habit. Consciously, he knew if Marinette wasn’t by Alya’s side, she was going to be nowhere to be found.

He’d been busy with his father all weekend, and even in the days before, working on designs for the new spring line, going back and forth on cuts and finishes, getting poked and prodded, being measured and tailored. He hadn’t had much time for anything else other than sleeping and eating, barely squeezing in time for homework. Adrien knew he’d been distracted but didn’t realize how unobservant he’d been; he couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen Marinette, let alone talked to her.

Shaking his head, Adrien said, “No, I haven’t. Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know.” Alya shrugged. “She was acting weirder than usual on Thursday, smiling, pretending like everything was fine, but I could tell something was off. Then, she didn’t show up to school at all on Friday. I didn’t have time to go by after school because Nora wanted to get on the road before traffic got backed up. I had my phone off all weekend trying to focus, and now she’s absent from school again. I’m starting to get worried.”

“Have you tried calling her? Maybe she’s just running late. It is Marinette,” Nino said.

“Of course.” Alya crossed her arms. “But it’s going straight to voicemail, and all of my texts have gone unanswered.”

Nino stood and wrapped a comforting arm around her. He dropped a small kiss on her temple.

Meeting Alya’s eyes, Adrien said, “Maybe she’s sick,” wanting to reassure her as much as he was reassuring himself, refusing to even think that anything bad could’ve happened to his–to their friend.

“Maybe,” she said, sounding unconvinced. “If she doesn’t show up today, I’ll check on her after school. I would go at lunch, but I need to prepare for my presentation.”

“I can go,” Adrien offered, maybe a little too quickly. “At lunch.” He couldn’t put his finger on the sensation simmering low in his gut; he just knew he would feel more at ease the sooner he knew Marinette was okay.

“Let us know as soon as you hear something, dude?”

“Will do.”

As if waiting for their conversation to end, the first bell rang, signaling six minutes before class was to begin.

Standing and shouldering his messenger bag, he said, “I’ll talk to you guys later.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The shopkeeper’s bell jingled when Adrien pushed open the door of the boulangerie. The warm smell of fresh bread and something light and sweet like sugar tickled his nose. Mr. Dupain’s back was turned towards the door as he kneaded a large lump of dough, patches of flour circling his arms. His eyes glanced over the displays of pastries–braids of bread and fruit-filled tarts, colossal cookies, and their Paris-famous macarons.

“Have a good day.” The bell over the door tinkled once more. “Adrien,” came Mrs. Cheng’s motherly tone. Mr. Dupain’s movements halted, his shoulders tensing, his still, hulking form like a brick wall. The knot in Adrien’s stomach tightened. “What can I do for you?”

“Hello, Mrs. Cheng. None of us have heard from Marinette in a few days. I wanted to come by and see if everything was okay.”

Mr. Dupain turned around, wiping his hands on his apron. His eyes met his wife’s, an intimate conversation shared between them. After a few silent moments, Mrs. Cheng said, “She’s upstairs, but let me call her first to see if she would like company.”

“Is everything okay?” he asked, both hands clutching the strap of his bag. The not knowing mixed with her parents’ behavior further unsettled him.

She hesitated, giving him a small smile that didn’t reach anywhere near her eyes. “Let me call Marinette. Tom can get you anything you want while you wait.”

Mrs. Cheng disappeared into the back room. Mr. Dupain stepped forward. “What can I get you, son? The croissants just came out of the oven a few minutes before you walked in, and we’re trying out some floral themed macarons for the season. We’ve currently got rose, lavender, and honeysuckle.” The enthusiasm in which he usually spoke about his creations wasn’t there.

This must be really bad.

Mrs. Cheng exited the back room, walking over to stand next to her husband, leaning her slight frame against his. “You can go on up; the front door is open. Marinette’s in her room. Adrien, try not to be too upset with her.”

“No, thank you. I don’t have much of an appetite for anything right now.”

“I know what you mean, kid.”

“Thank you,” he said around a dry throat. His feet took him behind the counter and through the backroom to the staircase, up one step after another, without really being aware of what he was doing. If whatever was going on had Marinette’s usually cheerful parents down, it had to be serious. But what?

Was Marinette sick? … No, that couldn’t be it. Mrs. Cheng said not to be too upset with her, so it had to be something that she’d done. Something troubling, but it was Marinette. She was so pure and loyal and just, always willing to lend a helping hand. Always bringing sweet treats to school for everyone to share.

Maybe it had something to do with school? Maybe that’s why she hadn’t been there for the last few days?

When Adrien came to a stop at the top of the steps, he raised his hand to knock before remembering Mrs. Cheng said the door was open.

Turning the brass knob, he let himself in.

Everything was exactly the same as the last time he’d been over. Rain boots were lined up by the door from biggest to smallest. A throw blanket was draped over the back of the couch. Exactly three stools sat around the countertop table, and sunlight poured in through the many windows that lined the room. The space felt lived in, cozy, like home.

Not wanting to linger, he quickly crossed the floor and started up towards Marinette’s room. The door was open, but he still knocked to announce himself.

“Come on in,” she said, her voice devoid of its usual perkiness.

Climbing the last few rungs up, Adrien’s eyes were immediately drawn to the half dozen cardboard boxes that littered the floor of Marinette’s room. Almost everything used to decorate her room looked to be packed away, from the gadgets and trinkets that lined her desk to the sewing machine she used to create her unique designs. Her pink walls were lighter in the spots where her posters used to be.

She was sitting on her chaise folding a pile of laundry, laying each folded piece into a big pink suitcase.

Even though it was clear what she was doing, Adrien still asked, “What’s going on, Marinette?”

Sighing, she pushed some clothes aside to make room for him to sit. He was across the room in two steps, dropping his messenger bag at his feet. Scanning her face, her eyes were tired and red; she’d definitely been crying.

She took a deep breath and said, “I’m moving.”

The knot in his stomach had ascended to his throat. Moving? Marinette had been such a vital constant in his life, since day one, he couldn’t imagine a future without her. He never thought he’d have to.

“To where?” he managed to croak out.

“Milan.” Her expression was neutral, neither excitement nor disappointment portrayed on her face.

“When are you leaving?”

“My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 7AM.”

Adrien felt his face draw in, his eyebrows drawn into a concerning V. “But your parents–the bakery is still–and …” he trailed off. The bakery was still fully operational. Everything downstairs was still exactly where it should have been. Marinette’s room was the only one that was packed because she was the only one who was leaving. “You’re going by yourself.”

She nodded slowly.

“Why?”

“I got accepted into a design school there. Normally, they wouldn’t allow students to start after the semester has already begun, but because of my portfolio and the work I’ve done with your dad, they’re letting me start a little late.”

He blinked a few times, trying to process what he was hearing. Marinette was leaving. She was moving to Italy. To go to school. She was leaving in the morning. She would be gone in the morning.

Closing his eyes, he shook his head ever so slightly before opening them again. “No one’s heard from you in days. Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye?”

Averting her gaze, she nodded once more. “I thought it’d be easier this way.” Her voice was so small. “I don’t know how to say goodbye to Nino, to Alya”–her eyes flashed up for a few seconds then darted away–“to you. I figured if I could just get out of here, I would write you all letters explaining where I’d gone and why.”

Adrien didn’t know what to say. He could’ve been mad about Marinette’s plan to leave without telling anyone, but that didn’t change the fact that she was leaving. That he had to finish out the rest of third year and all of fourth without her. That he’d be losing one of his best friends.

Was that all they were? They’d been thrown together so many times because of Nino and Alya, but as of late, more and more often it had been just the two of them. Playing videos at her house. Finding the quietest corner of the school library to study in, only to usually end up talking about everything but school. They’d had a running bimonthly lunch date for the last three or four months, taking a long stroll in the park afterward to walk off their meal.

Was this dreadful heavy feeling in his chest indicative of the loss he was facing? Or the potential of what could’ve been?

“Please say something.”

His mouth quivered as he fought to hold in the swell of emotions he was feeling. If this was what Marinette wanted, he would be happy for her.

Reaching for her hand, he laced their fingers together, her skin rough and calloused. Mustering up his best smile, he said, “You, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, deserve everything you’ve ever wanted and more. You’re so tremendously talented, you’ll take Milan by storm just like you did Paris.” He tipped forward, resting his forehead against hers. “We’re all going to miss you. Maybe me most of all.” He gave her hand a small squeeze.

“I’m gonna miss you too.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

They sat in silence, savoring these last moments together. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Marinette spoke.

“Adrien?”

“Yes.”

“I know this is a big favor to ask, but could you not tell anyone else?

Sitting back so he could see her face, the desperation in her eyes shone through. He hated lying to his friends, even if was for good reasons, but Marinette had never asked him for anything. This, he could do.

Cupping her face, he said, “For you, anything.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded once, slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. A million things left unspoken filled the space between them. He knew now wasn’t the time to start something he should’ve long before, but it was now or never.

Brushing his thumb across her cheek, he said, “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes.”

Adrien guided her mouth to his, their lips meeting in a soft embrace. Her free hand landed on his thigh, supporting her weight when she leaned in. The kiss was sweet and tentative, full of curiosity and restraint. There was a hint of remorse about what could have been but also a promise of what could be.

Marinette broke first, “wow” escaping in a breath.

Tipping her head down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and then stood up. Her eyes went wide with confusion.

“Sorry,” he started. “I just know if I don’t leave now, I never will. Before I do, promise me you’ll write and text and call?”

“Of course,” she agreed.

“And when you come home, you’ll make time to see me and tell me all about the fashion and the shows and the high couture life you’ve been living?”

“One last thing.” He held out his hand, which she took, drawing her up into a standing position. They were toe-to-toe, her eyes so blue and her cheeks still pink from their kiss. “If you don’t fall madly in love with some handsome Italian boy, maybe one day you could give me a chance?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, the pink in her cheeks turning a shade rosier. “I think I can do that.”

Opening his arms, Marinette stepped into them. Her head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck, and he thought to himself, She’s definitely worth waiting for.

He slowly untangled himself from her, his hands sliding down the backs of her arms, their fingertips catching. He scooped up his bag and walked backward toward the door. “See ya later, Marinette.”

“Goodbye for now, Adrien.”

#miraculous ladybug #mlb #except everyone's a normal teenager #no superpowers #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #adrienette #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #dj wifi #kinda #tom dupain #sabine cheng #i'm a little rusty #probably more than a little #hopefully fourth time is the fucking charm

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meimi-haneoka · 6 years ago

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Impressions on Clear Card Chapter 33

I’d like to start my recap of chapter 33 of Clear Card with an “abridged panel” from this chapter (allow me this spoilerish thing)

I think this will be VERY useful in my recap and reactions, in the future XD Without further ado, let’s delve into a chapter made of mad cuteness and mad...madmen, period. Under the cut!

OH DUCK!OISE

So we start the chapter with a GORGEOUS SPLASH PAGE. I was SO HAPPY to see those 4 all together in one splash page....and dressed up so prettily, even! I love all of them, each in their own way, so for me this was a TOP NOTCH illustration! Syaoran and Sakura especially, they’re so beautiful! <3 The we are presented with a nice tea-time at the Shinomoto house, with the new product of Kaito’s housewife mornings: DAQUOISE! Such a fancy pastry omg...I didn’t even know about its existence, and it’s french! CLAMP are really outdoing themselves with the patisserie references XD I’ll just confess I laughed like a fool at Akiho’s misunderstanding:

GIRL! The fuck? XD DUCKoise, seriously??? XDDD

Omg the awkwardness of this cinnamon roll knows no limits...she’s so funny in her embarassing moments...and Kaito trying to subtly steer her towards the correct origin of the word duckoise daquoise....and even saying “No, it’s true, they look like the beak of a duck”.

KAITO.....I know you don’t want to let your little miss down but...WHERE?? X,DDDD

But the fun is soon over.

Akiho mentions wanting to “remember more things” and that triggers in Kaito a painful look. Then he tries to smile, but it’s all ruined when he senses something out of their home and he leaves the living room to check.

Akiho doesn’t buy, not even for a second, his excuse to go fetch some plum jam. She’s very worried about him. And, just like Sakura, she might seem naive and clumsy but the person she loves doesn’t escape from her sight. If something is wrong with him, she’ll notice right away. After this, there’s a very powerful scene that I bet will look awesome in animation. It seems that Kaito rejects an attack from the magical Association.

With his usual smug face (this guy...) he says that as long as they keep not using time magic in fear of wrecking their bodies (or even dying), it doesn’t matter if they attack him all together at the same time: the result will always be the same, that is, he will stop time and therefore stop their attack easily too. And then, just as easily, break it. And that's what he does. At what cost though? We see it: his hand with the watch “flickers” for a moment. Like he’s vanishing or something. I think this is a direct consequence of time manipulation, the one Momo so much fears: it started when Akiho said she saw Kaito a bit tired lately, and now we see this. Kaito is calm, composed, almost resigned to that fate, but he hopes Sakura can produce the card he needs, this time. I think he is starting to feel the pressure of having “little time” left. And he adds something very important: he expected the Association would try something again, because they know their magical artifact is nearing completion. This both scares me and makes me very curious. Did they want to take Akiho back? What will happen when the artifact is complete? In all of this, one thing is clear: the Association needs to stay the f*ck away from Akiho.

KAWAII FEST

We completely change the atmosphere, going to Syaoran’s home and the little mess that is happening right now: he became A BABY!!! But while we scream our heads off for his utter CUTENESS, can we also please focus on this

shameless

fawning

girlfriend???

JFC SAKURA! Not even in the Yukito-crush days I saw you fangirling like this! XDDD

She became a total mess, a total mess. I MEAN, ALL OF US DID but seeing it in her is so GOOOOOOD!! XD

I loved it. She definitely had her wish granted, and she made sure to take it all in (”So this is how he looked when he was little!”).

It was also hilarious to see Syaoran all serious while being so *cute and puffy*, do you get me? XDD

Thankfully Sakura gets out of the fawning and decides to spare Syaoran (who was visibly becoming quite embarrassed with the situation and her fangirling, his little cough while we was rolling the pants legs was so hilarious) of this any longer, and captures the card. I can say with confidence that this card, Rewind, is the new fandom favorite, right?XD

UH-OH

But just like at Shinomoto’s home, the fun is soon over. When Syaoran is finally going to tell Sakura to stay the hell away from Kaito, his voice doesn’t come out. He tries to write what he wants to say down on a notepad, but his hand doesn’t move. Kaito used a spell to literally shut him up about him or Akiho.

Syaoran’s blood runs cold.

He knows, he knows all too well that just like in his case, Kaito would make anyone else shut up about the matter. He’s strong after all. Cutting up his communications with Eriol was one thing, but this is affecting directly his ability to help Sakura out. Because if he can’t tell her, she will not know to beware of him.

And like all the other times, like his counterpart in another dimension too, when Syaoran panics he is immediately longing for her arms. And when I say “immediately”, I mean it. Look at the table between them. He climbs on it in order to reach for her. It doesn’t matter that with this move he unbalances her and she has to put a hand on said table to not fall down. He needs to hold her tight to reassure himself that she’s still there, in his arms, and that nobody is going to hurt her or take her away from him. His precious jewel. The light of his life that he longed for so long. This is Syaoran screaming “You will not take her away from me, butler”. I found this scene particularly strong. Yes, it’s cute and doki-doki, but I can also feel the utter desperation in Syaoran’s gesture and body language. I can feel the raw emotions, you know? The passion in this gesture. And this seems to me totally the old Syaoran we all know. The one that sometimes acted out of instinct, the one that couldn’t hold his emotions in. This is exactly what Yue and Kero wanted for him some chapters ago :)

MY QUEEN

Oh, but the best is yet to come. The best is THIS. My queen.

CAN YOU SEE THAT? CAN YOU SEE THE FIRE IN HER EYES? CAN YOU SEE HOW FIERCE IS MY BABY GIRL?

Ok, LET’S ANALYZE THAT. We know Syaoran was stopped from telling her about Kaito, and we know that as of now, she’s got no doubts about him. So this can’t be about Kaito. In my opinion, this face is both exciting and scary. At the same time. In the matter of one hour, she aknowledged the origin of the Clear Cards, she understood that it all depends on her ability to govern her power, and she even saw the proof in front of her eyes. Here Syaoran told her “No matter what happens, I’m going to protect you”. Do you want to know what I think is running through her mind?

“This has to stop. I am gonna be the one protecting you from all this mess that keeps troubling you”.

Because of course she saw that something is still wrong with him. She saw that he couldn’t talk. She probably thinks that it’s still somehow connected (but not caused by) to the mess of her powers. And this makes her angry. Look at how she’s clutching his shirt.

This is Sakura FINALLY taking the wheel and promising to herself to do something about it. To not let anyone, Syaoran, the Sakura Cards or Eriol be involved/troubled with her mess anymore. Syaoran already risked his life trying to govern the Sakura Cards, and that’s where Sakura draws the line.

The problem is, will Sakura decide to do everything on her own? Even when things will definitely become dangerous? Sakura does indeed have the tendency to alienate herself when there’s a troubling situation, to not risk other people’s life (Clone Sakura, I’m looking at you, too).

You just don’t know how much I look forward to see how things will develop from now on. Now she knows. And after the first moment of shock, she is now ready to face this with a new resolution.

Clear Card, I love you more every month.

#Card Captor Sakura #cardcaptor sakura #clear card arc #syaosaku #clea card #clamp #chapter 33 #ccs spoilers

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nikkxb · 6 years ago

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A Chance Encounter

Inuyasha Pairing: SessKag Rating: Teen Prompt: Single Parent AU for @auyeahaugust Author’s Note:

AU notes and info at the end!

The coffee shop was a little busier than normal. People bustling in and out with more frequency, all but a small spattering of tables used, and a constant stream of orders being called at the counter. Kagome was grateful to have found her table right next to a conveniently placed outlet, a must-have for her older-than-dirt-yet-incredibly-trustworthy laptop. The thing weighed the same as a medium-sized dog and overheated at at the first sign of struggle, but it was the only way she ever got her papers finished.

Which, if she were honest, probably had to do with its inability to run more than two programs at a time — three if they were small — so she wasn’t afforded the pleasure of wasting exorbitant amounts of time browsing the internet.

Looking down at her notes, the books scattered over the table, and the blank Word document on her screen, Kagome wondered what ever possessed her to think grad school would be a good idea.

Taking a sip from her tea, iced and infused with peach with just the right amount of lemon and utterly divine, she cracked her knuckles and pulled out her outline. Handwritten with notes from her advisor, it was the only way she was going to get through this paper and still be breathing at the end of it and she would do it, dammit. She had a meeting the next afternoon at 1:45 to discuss the progress of her research so far and if she had the outline typed and formatted, it would turn the entirety of her messy notes into something actually worth writing.

Something tugged at her sleeve and she jerked, turning in surprise to see the top of a little brown head standing next to her.

Oh, the girl was absolutely adorable. Big brown eyes and a little bow clipped in her hair to keep her bangs out of her eyes, Kagome bit her lip to keep from cooing out loud. Whoever she belonged to definitely had their hands full because she knew the moment the girl turned pleading eyes on her, she’d be a goner.

And it seemed she was doing that just now.

“Can I help you?” she asked kindly, opening her posture to welcome the small interruption.

The little girl didn’t say anything, simply tugged on her sleeve once more.

“Did you lose your parents?” Kagome spared a quick glance around the coffee shop. It didn’t seem like there was a mother looking for a child anywhere. “We should probably find your mama—”

“Rin.”

Kagome froze at the deep, baritone voice that spoke over her shoulder. Turning, she looked up — and up — until she found the source of such a present tone. Tall, so incredibly tall, with long silver hair that fell in a sheet down his back, the man was absolutely stunning. Beautiful. High cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and a perfect nose set above the most kissable lips she’d seen in a long time.

“Rin, are you bothering this young woman?” the voice came again.

The little girl, still silent, shook her head and tugged on Kagome’s sleeve again.

The mystery man apparently knew what that meant because he cast his gaze around the shop before letting it settle on Kagome.

She was glad she was sitting because she was not prepared for the full weight of that stare.

“I apologize for the interruption, but would you mind if we sat with you?” There was something soft about his voice even while it remained unwavering.

And all at one, Kagome realized what he was asking. “No, I don’t mind at all!” In a frantic move, she grabbed her mess of books, papers, folders, and pens and shoved them all in a pile in front of her ancient laptop before offering them two of the remaining chairs. “Please, help yourself.”

The man pulled out a chair for the little girl — Rin — and helped her get settled before taking his own seat.

Kagome tried desperately to look anywhere but his beautiful face.

She failed. He was so pretty. Sleek and perfect and completely mesmerizing and all of it enhanced by the obvious care he held for the little girl. Her stomach quivered and her heart stuttered and she wondered just who the lucky woman was to have this man and how on earth Kagome could somehow become her.

Probably in another life, she’d have a chance.

Looking back at the contained mess in front of her, she focused on her current problem which held absolutely none of the draw the two guests at her table did. Surely she could push the paper off a few minutes? It would be rude to continue working while they were there, especially considering how much she would be rifling through papers. Her research was as organized as her closet and considering she couldn’t remember the last time she hung up clothes after pulling them out of the dryer, that was saying something.

Blowing out a sigh, Kagome resigned herself to the impromptu break. Leaning back in her chair, reaching for her tea, it would only make sense to—

“Are we keeping you from working?”

“Of course not!” She attempted a smile, but it died under the unconvinced expression on the man’s face. Oh man, did he do unconvinced well and she ceded immediately. “Okay, kinda, but it’s honestly okay.”

He raised one perfect, elegant eyebrow and Kagome folded like a cheap deck of cards at the slightest hint of a breeze.

“Honest. It’s okay. Yeah, I have work to do, but I’ve been looking for a distraction for the last fifteen minutes and at least this time, the distraction is actually tangible instead of me making excuses for my severe lack of motivation.”

His gaze flicked down to the pile of unimagined mess in front of her and she watched as his already closed expression close even further.

Of course. The most beautiful man in the world sits at her table with his daughter and the impression Kagome makes is that of a cluttered, unorganized mess.

Which she was, but he didn’t need to know that yet!

She dropped her head onto said stack of papers and groaned. “I’m so screwed.”

A giggle reached her ears first, pulling her gaze back up to see the smiling face of the little girl and Kagome found her worries washing away under the innocent gaze.

“Are you in school?” the little girl asked in a quiet, melodic voice that oozed cheer.

“I am.”

“I’m in school! Though we don’t do anything like that. Is it fun?”

She fought her wince, wondering what level of hell she was going to visit for lying to a child. “It is.”

Rin’s eyes narrowed on the work lying on the table. “It doesn’t look fun.”

Busted. “It’s…necessary,” Kagome conceded. “Some parts aren’t fun, but the end result is worth it.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to pick out more lies. “Papa says that about chores and they’re not worth it.”

“Rin,” came the steady voice that would star in Kagome’s new dreams.

The girl’s demeanor changed instantly, softening further. “Sorry, Papa.”

Kagome looked back and forth between father and daughter, still trying to piece them together. The girl must have taken after her mother — she didn’t look a thing like the man sitting at her table.

“Papa, can I go to the restroom?”

The man’s eyes looked down the coffee shop, finally alighting on the lone restroom just beyond Kagome’s shoulder.

“Do you want help?” he asked.

“No.”

“Knock first and make sure you can see me until you get in the door.”

The girl carefully slid out of her chair and Kagome turned to watch her. She was seriously cute, always looking back to make sure she could see her Papa. She knocked once, and then twice, then pulled open the door. As soon as it shut, Kagome turned back to the father still watching the bathroom door.

“She’s seriously adorable.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Kagome,” she offered suddenly, not able to keep her voice quiet. No way could she leave here without at least attempting to know more about this man.

His eyes flicked at hers almost too quick, but still packing quite a punch.

“Sesshoumaru.”

With a deep breath, she weighed her options. She really had nothing to lose and everything to gain and the stress of her project had her opening her mouth before she even figured out what she was going to say. “Do you guys come here often?”

He turned, those golden eyes pulling away from the door his daughter was behind to look directly at her. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity, only to release when the faintest smile touched his lips. “Do you?” he asked, his tone leading.

“Often enough,” Kagome breathed. “It’s the perfect place to study.”

“Then yes,” he said, interest flashing in his eyes, “it seems we do.”

Right after this, a barista brings over Sesshoumaru’s order and Kagome finally notices that he has a prosthetic arm -- hence why he didn’t wait at the counter to grab the drinks and pastries himself.

They don’t swap numbers, but Kagome continues showing up at the coffee shop at the same time every day and Sesshoumaru finally returns three days later, Rin in tow. It becomes a weekly thing, meeting at the shop while Kagome is working and Sesshoumaru is taking Rin out for a treat and the continue doing so. Over the course of her semester, she gets to know about Rin and how her parents died in a car accident, how the same car accident cost Sesshoumaru his arm, how he decided to adopt the girl and become her guardian, and (slowly, with a little hesitation) Sesshoumaru’s journey of gaining his prosthetic. Kagome is meeting them about five-six years after the accident.

When Kagome’s semester is over and she can manage to take a break from working on her thesis, Sesshoumaru swoops in for the kill and shows up at their coffee date without Rin.

I’ll let your mind wander on where that goes from there. ;)

Let me know what you think!!

#inuyasha #sesskag #sesshoumaru #kagome higurashi #auyeahaugust #au yeah august #my stuff #fanfiction #single parent au #finally getting closer to drabble length #a chance encounter

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bendywackyadventures · 6 years ago

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BATIM SOL AU-Feast

I know in my past post I said I was going to take a break from posting stories on here due to some stuff going on Tumblr, but I’m seeing less and less of it now. Also this is a Thanksgiving Story!

Happy Thanksgiving you guys!!!

Henry and Linda were taking the toons on another road trip. The toons were excited over the trip, however it wasn’t a short trip they were going to be gone for a while to celebrate Thanksgiving over at Henry’s mother’s house. The toons were confused as they never heard or celebrated Thanksgiving before. Joey never mentioned it to them, but they were curious over the holiday.

“Mom?” Alice asked. Linda turned to face her daughter, “what’s Thanksgiving?”

Linda chuckled, “I think it would be your favorite holiday besides Halloween.”

“Why?” Bendy asked.

“Well,” Henry started. “Thanksgiving is a holiday where family and friends gather together and we eat a huge dinner.”

This got the attention of Bendy and Boris, “how huge?” The wolf asked.

Henry chuckled, “well there’s turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie are the main courses.” Boris and Bendy were drooling over the thought of food. Alice got disgusted and lifted her feat up incase any drool got on her shoes. “My mom goes overboard for Thanksgiving besides the food I mentioned my mom makes the best bread and pastries for dessert, salad, vegetables,” Henry stopped when he heard the little devil darling gagging.

Bendy stopped when he felt Henry’s glare from the backseat, “sorry Henry, but no way your putting a vegetable on my plate. All it is going to be loaded is turkey and pie.” Bendy replied.

“Well like it or not my mom is strict on those who didn’t eat vegetables. Trust me.” Henry remembered his childhood with Joey when they didn’t eat their vegetables they couldn’t leave the table or their sketchbooks were confiscated. Though the two got used to it after a while.

The drive was smooth after their talk, the toons all slept in the backseat and Linda was looking out the window. To her surprise not a sight of traffic anywhere, though she wouldn’t say it, she didn’t want to jinx the trip.

By sundown the Stein family finally made it to Henry’s house. It was in a small neighborhood, almost like Henry’s except there weren’t any houses that had stairs, all of them were small or one-story houses. Henry got out of his car and he smiled when an elderly man and woman came out.

“Henry!” The woman called out. The toons looked through the car; they looked at each other realizing this was Henry’s mother. The woman hugged her son tightly almost squeezing the life out of him.

“Ma…crushing…me…can’t breathe.” Henry struggled.

“Molly! Sweetie.” Linda stepped in. “Your crushing my husband.”

“Oh.” Molly let go letting Henry breathe, “thanks for reminding me.”

Linda smiled hugging her mother-in-law “Hi Mrs. Stein.” Linda introduced. Molly smiled and hugged Linda back.

“Linda long time, no see.” Molly replied.

Linda smiled, “so glad to see you again Molly.”

Linda let go of the hug and opened the car door, “Henry and I brought someone over, please don’t get mad, or scared, or anything.” Linda smiled and motioned the toons to come out.

Bendy, Boris and Alice came out of the car nervous over what Henry’s mother would think. To their surprise Molly didn’t scream and pass out like in the past. She was speechless over seeing the live toons.

“Hello.” Bendy waved.

“Mom. This is Bendy, Boris and Alice.” Henry introduced. “The toons from the cartoons.”

Molly walked close to the toons looking at them closely one by one. Molly touched Bendy’s cheek making the toon giggle. “Your. Real?”

“Of course.”

Molly started to chuckle. “H-How? How are-“

“Joey.” Henry interrupted.

Everyone went inside as Henry told his mother the story of what he went through in the studio. That he went through a series of his former co-workers attacking him, Bendy turned into a beast, and meeting up with the two hero toons, Allison Angel and Tom.

The toons were quiet throughout the story, remembering everything they suffered. Molly was horrified, and looked at the toons. “Is that true?” Molly asked. The toons slowly nodded.

Bendy sighed and faced Henry’s mother, “Mrs. Stein! I’m sorry for hurting your son! I-I didn’t mean to! Joey made me! He told me lies, and that Henry was the bad guy. I-I didn’t mean too. I’m sorry.” Bendy cried.

Molly walked over to the toon, and put her hand on the toon’s cheek wiping the inky tear. “I forgive you Bendy. I know you didn’t mean it.” Bendy sniffled and wiped the tears from his eye.

“But. I almost killed your son.”

Molly sighed and hugged Bendy, “but you regret it? Right?” Bendy nodded slowly, “and I know its mostly Joey’s fault.” Bendy gave a small smile agreeing with Molly.

“T-true.” He stuttered.

Molly hugged her grandson figure showing bygones were bygones. For the rest of the day everyone relaxed and listening to music on the radio. Molly and Linda talked as Henry led the toons up to the room he and Joey used to share.

“Here it is.” Henry announced opening the door to his childhood room. Everything was kept the way it was, except there were new bed sheets for the toons so they can sleep.

“We’re sleeping here?” Bendy asked. Henry nodded. Bendy looked around the room and sat down on the bed on the right side of the room. “This bed is comfy,” he then turned and saw drawings on the walls.

The drawings were smiles, squiggles, and two boys that said, Henry and me!

Bendy gulped; he remembered hearing from Henry that Joey lived with him during their childhood. “Were these Joey’s drawings?”

Henry nodded, “yep. Most are mine too, Joey and I did this as a past time or when there was no paper around.” He explained.

“And did you get in trouble?” Bendy asked.

Henry shook his head Bendy glared knowing he did the same thing and Linda scolded him for drawing on the walls. “Times we’re different Bendy.” Henry replied. Bendy smiled, and relaxed on Joey’s former bed.

“So when’s Thanksgiving? I’m hungry!” Boris exclaimed sitting down next to Bendy.

Henry chuckled, “tomorrow.”

“Aww…” The toons sighed.

“Don’t worry tomorrow it would be worth it, and you can help us out.” Alice gasped. Alice loved to help others and she was more excited to volunteer.

“I’ll volunteer!” Alice cheered.

Henry chuckled and ruffled his daughter’s hair, “Alright, mom and I got a helper!” Henry cheered. Alice chuckled and hugged her father tight in glee.

The family had dinner, and then vanilla ice cream for dessert. After that everyone sat down and watched TV movies. After the movie was over, Bendy was just about to get ready for bed before he saw some photos on the wall and on the shelf.

The photos included Molly’s wedding photo with Henry’s father, a family portrait and another family portrait with Joey. What made Bendy more shocked was there were more photos of Joey with the Stein family during their youth. One that made Bendy glared was the studio being built with Henry and Joey smiling, not know those smiles would turn to hatred glares.

The demon sighed as she saw another photo right next to it. Bendy grabbed the photo from the shelf. It was a Christmas photo with Molly and a man, which would be Henry’s father along with a 7-year old Henry and to his surprise 7-year old Joey who looked shy in the photo.

Molly walked up to the toon and chuckled, “I see you found an old family photo.” Bendy turned around and surprised to see Molly.

“Yeah. I was curious.” He paused a bit to look at the young Joey Drew. From what Henry told him, Joey was a shy, quiet young boy. Not the manipulative, greedy backstabbing murder Bendy grew to know. “What happened with Joey? What made him so…mean?”

Molly sighed, she wondered that herself. She remembered the day Henry and Joey left together to start their studio. Both were excited and celebrated, but within two weeks she noticed the changes. Henry would call her complaining about how Joey was keeping him from work and not being with Linda, who was his girlfriend at the time. When she called Joey asking what was going on, Joey would lie and said everything was fine that it was stressful running a business.

Molly wished she talked to her two boys and hoping to knock some sense into Joey, but they were adults she thought they would handle their situation like adults, but to her she needed to push herself and talked them. Now hearing from Henry what happened, she had some guilt in her.

“I always thought of that myself Bendy. But the truth is, I wish I could of talked to Joey face to face, maybe none of this could of happened.” Molly sighed looking at the shy boy she took in, “they were adults. I couldn’t step in and treat them like babies.”

Bendy put his hand around his grandmother and hugged it. “It wasn’t your fault. Henry didn’t know. I didn’t know. None of us didn’t know what would have been the outcome,” Bendy explained.

Molly nodded in reply. She hugged the demon and led him to bed.

The next morning was Thanksgiving Day, the toons and Henry had their eyes glued to the TV watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. During the songs and performances Alice and Bendy danced and sing giving a performance to Henry and Boris. During the parade, Alice was called up to do some work around the kitchen.

Boris and Bendy smelled the turkey in the oven licking their lips over the food. Bendy and Boris took turns looking in the kitchen seeing mashed potatoes and everything all on the table.

“That looks delicious!” Bendy beamed.

Linda chuckled as she and Alice set the table, “remember Bendy when everything is ready and were seated we can all start eating.”

“I know. I know.” Bendy and Boris replied. They retreated back into the living room as Henry grabbed a box and brought it to the couch.

“You two want to see some more family photos before dinner?” The toons nodded and ran to the couch. Ever since Henry showed them photos during that rainy day, it’s been a fun past time for the toons to look at photos of Henry and Linda, and even learning how they were in the past.

Bendy and Boris chuckled seeing Henry’s baby pictures. Henry blushed in embarrassment over the baby photo; he quickly grabbed it and put back in the box. They’ve been looking at photos for a solid hour, “Boys.” Alice called out.

“Dinner is ready!” Linda added. In a split second, Bendy and Boris ran towards the kitchen and sat down at the table looking at all the food.

“This looks amazing!” Bendy drooled.

“I want to eat now!” Boris exclaimed. The two were about to be wild animals during feeding time at the zoo.

“Wait!” Linda and Alice yelled. “Everyone needs to be seated first before we can start eating.” Linda explained. Boris and Bendy sighed, as Henry chuckled sitting next to his wife. Alice and Molly too took their seats. “Okay now we can eat.”

The toons smiled and started to fill their plates with food. Henry however was serving the turkey so they had to wait for their creator to carve the turkey. Once they got their food they started to chow down.

“I’m stuffed.” Bendy groaned before letting out a loud burp.

Boris chuckled, “Same here.” He then replied with a burp too.

Alice felt disgusted over what he brothers were doing, groaning and face palming. “Boys, be polite.” Linda whispered scolding her sons. Linda heard another burp and turned to Henry covering his mouth, “Henry!”

“Sorry.” Henry replied. Everyone at the table laughed. Linda, Henry and Molly washed the dishes and Boris and Alice put them away. Bendy set up the table again for pumpkin pie for dessert. When no one was looking he grabbed the whip cream can and sprayed whip cream into his mouth.

“I saw that.” Bendy turned to see Henry smirking at the demon. The demon swallowed the whip cream and chuckled. Henry held his hand out for Bendy to give him the whip cream. The demon sighed and handed the can over to his father, but Bendy was surprised when he saw Henry take some whip cream and put it in his mouth too.

Bendy chuckled seeing his father, “What? Can I be a child sometimes?”

“No!” Molly and Linda scolded. The two guys turned around seeing Linda and Molly glaring. Henry and Bendy chuckled as the former handed his wife the whip cream can. Linda snatched it and put held on to it till the group had their pie.

After pumpkin pie, the toons were now getting ready for bed. Coming into the room, they saw Henry drawing with crayons on the wall. Looking at each other, the three walked over to Henry.

“What are you drawing, Henry?” Bendy asked as he and the toons came into Henry’s old room.

Henry chuckled and moved a bit to show the toons what he drew on the walls. The toons were awestruck over the drawing it was them with Henry smiling together over a rainbow. “Aww! Henry! Its beautiful!” Alice beamed. Henry smiled and chuckled.

Bendy smiled almost tearing up at the drawing. He turned to his creator squealing in joy over the drawing, then tackled hug Henry. Henry chuckled and hugged the toon back, “you’re welcome Bendy.” He replied.

The toons got to bed as Henry tucked them in giving them a kiss on the forehead, and shutting the lights off.

#slice of life au #SOL AU #bendy the ink demon #boris the wolf #alice angel #Linda Stein #Henry Stein #Molly Stein #Thanksgiving

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minhoandthebabes · 7 years ago

Note

prompt 3 for 2min

“I swear this isn’t blood, it’s cherries.”

Okay not gonna lie, I had fun writing this and I don’t really like 2min ;; it’s just such a fun concept!

Minho entered the small cake shop, on the outskirts of town, escaping from the cold rainy weather of early spring. The shop itself was tucked away, hidden from prying eyes and when he had arrived, he honestly felt like he was in the wrong place, but the name was the same as the one in all the papers, so he knew he had to be in the right spot. Despite its discreet appearance and humble decor, its reputation definitely gave minho high expectations. The bell rung to announce his arrival, but no one seemed to be working.

“Hello?” Minho called out, into the empty shop. “Anyone here?”

It only took a moment before a thin man slightly shorter than himself that came out from the back, licking his bright red thumb.

“Hey, sorry about that, we’re sold out.. As you can see.” The man said, gesturing to the empty displays that only contained crumbs and left over bits of pastry.

The worker wiped his thumb on his apron and Minho gulped, the red liquid was bright, far too bright and almost blood like, but once he wiped it against his black apron, it was far too difficult to tell what he had seen. With his eyes drawn to the other man’s apron, however, Minho was able to recognize that this man’s name was “Taemin” based on the nametag plastered on his chest.

The black haired man seemed to notice Minho’s concern and immediately tried to cover it up. “I swear this isn’t blood, it’s cherries,” he said defensively, “I was just pitting cherries for a pie.”

Minho nodded with a little more understanding than before and took a moment to remember just why he had entered the shop in the first place. “Um, anyway.. Can I order a cake? Do you guys do that sort of thing?”

Taemin nodded, “Of course! We can make the cake as customized as you want, or we can have it be fairly simple.. Actually, give me a moment and I’ll go get my sketch pad.”

Before Minho could stop him, the man had turned away and left Minho waiting at the counter. He honestly has no impressive plans for the cake. It was just going to be for his mom’s birthday. His job was to order the cake while his brother was going to find decorations for the house and his dad would take care of the gifts.

The reason he had chosen this bakery was for its critical acclaim. This bakery, in particular, had been given lots of prizes and apparently, the baker was famous, but no one had ever seen his face. People had theories that the chef was actually a group of bakers, others thought that it was the kid that ran the front register. After all these years, it was clear now that no one would ever know seeing as the baker wanted to remain anonymous still, even after the fame.

Taemin returned with a pencil and some paper, “You’re lucky I’m here! I’m usually the one that designs the outside of the cake.” He explained, setting down the materials on one of the small round tables in the establishment. “I’ll draw the designs and tell the chef what you want, okay?”

Minho nodded and awkwardly waddled over to where taemin sat. “I, um, wasn’t really expecting a design, how much will this cost?” He asked, sitting on the seat gingerly across from him.

Humming, Taemin tapped his pencil to his lips, “Well, depending on the size.. Let’s start with basics, what’s the size and type and filling.”

“This cake is for my mom,” Minho explained, “I think she’ll want something light.. So I guess vanilla?” He offered, still confused himself. He couldn’t believe his dad and brother put him up to this..

Taemin sighed, “There’s more to cakes than just vanilla and chocolate.. I think we should make a nice champagne cream with fresh strawberries. We can use the pink from the strawberries to decorate the outside like this..” Taemin started to explain, his hands working swiftly as he talked. He was already producing the silhouette of a two tiered cake with cascading flowers from the top that were lightly shaded pink like cherry blossoms.

Minho watched Taemin work in awe, amazed that he could come up with a design that quickly, unable to use his better judgment and realize that he may have used this same design before. He was just far too impressed with Taemin’s handiwork. When Taemin was finally finished he sat back, “So, how’s that?”

“That’s.. Amazing, how expensive would that be??” Minho asked, turning the picture so he could get a better look at it.

Taemin hummed, “Let’s say.. 70?” He said softly, “I’ve never been good with numbers.. But that doesn’t sound too bad, right? It’ll be a small cake..” He added, seeming to protect himself from being accused of selling Minho something he didn’t want. “About this high,” He explained, holding his hands out, “And this big around.. Instead of giving you one larger tier, I think two tiers would look prettier and more delicate if it’s for your mom.”

Minho nodded, “That’s perfect actually.. I didn’t realize cake could be so complicated..”

Taemin gave Minho a shrug, “Well maybe you just didn’t care enough to look into it..”

The way Taemin said it made Minho get on the defensive and he opened his mouth to speak but immediately closed it when he knew Taemin was right. He followed Taemin back to the counter, waiting patiently for Taemin to ring him up.

“Okay, so you’re going to pay 50 dollars today and pay the rest when you pick it up, just in case there’s something wrong with the cake or the price changes.” Taemin explained, “Also, please write down your phone number and the date you need the cake by.” He said, giving Minho a post-it and a flower topped pen.

After handing Taemin his card, he gave Taemin all the information he needed. Taemin finished and passed back the card. When he handed it back to him, their hands brushed briefly and Minho could feel an almost inhuman coldness coming from him. He pulled away suddenly, taking the card with him and noticed the strange look Taemin gave him, a look of confusion mostly.

“I- sorry..” he gulped, “I’ll see you next month..” he mumbled, pocketing his card and turning to leave, trying to escape the uncomfortable situation that had his cheeks heating up.

Taemin said his goodbyes but Minho never heard it, just wanting to escape.

It was a month later and Minho was headed back to the small bakery. The air was warmer now and spring had finally settled in with the wind blowing in warm air from the west, threatening to bring summer with it.

Minho was dressed in a three piece suit that he dressed down with a colorful collared shirt underneath as it was the day of his mom’s birthday, he needed to look nice for her. Later that afternoon, they would be surprising her with the cake and gifts. It was early in the morning, and while it was hell to get ready for his day that early on a Saturday, the look on his mom’s face later was going to be worth it.

The shop was bustling with people trying to snag some pastries before they sold out that day, and Minho was caught in the traffic looking for Taemin, the only face he would recognize. The only worker that seemed to be there was a short man working the register frantically, definitely too busy to talk with Minho about the cake he was supposed to pick up. He was almost tempted to leave when he felt a strong grip on his arm and was pulled behind the counter by who he only could think was Taemin. He was surprised by the abruptness of their encounter but didn’t complain knowing Taemin could be the one to help him get his cake.

Taemin pulled him into a back room and shut the door behind them. His eyes were hidden behind his black bangs, “Sorry about that,” he said, his voice a little rough, “I hate crowds..” Minho looked down at Taemin curiously, surprised that Taemin felt the need to share this information, and for some odd reason Taemin wouldn’t look him in the eye.

“Sorry about that.. Do you have my cake?” he asked curiously, noticing they were in a dimly lit office.

Taemin shook his head, “Not in here..” he said softly, looking up at Minho for the first time since they met that day. When Minho’s eyes locked with Taemin’s he felt stuck there, like he could never look away. “You need to pay first, remember..?” Taemin asked, his voice sounding like it was whispered directly in his ear as he body started to feel heavier, slipping into an odd trance.

Minho felt two hands gripping his lapels. His mind was incredibly hazy as he tried to remember where he was or what he was doing. He felt like he was lost all of a sudden. He looked down to see Taemin’s eyes focused back up on him again. The man said something indecipherable before his lips were kissing his neck. Minho didn’t know what he had done or said to deserve this, but he didn’t want it to stop and let out a low hum to encourage Taemin, his body on fire as Taemin touched and caressed him. Minho closed his eyes and relaxed against the door behind him, sure now that this was a dream, some dark fantasy that had been lurking deep in his subconscious, waiting to be released at night. He didn’t know what to do with himself and just let Taemin do what he wanted, feeling too tired and powerless to Taemin’s advances.

After a moment of Taemin sucking and kissing his neck he felt a small pin prick of pain, it felt like Taemin was biting him, yet the feeling only encouraged him more. His hands moved to rest on Taemin’s hips, pulling him closer as he sucked on his neck. He felt like he wanted to do more, but he didn’t seem to have the energy to keep going. His hands fell back to his side once he felt his crotch rubbing against Taemin’s, completely unable to hold on to him anymore. He only felt his arousal for a moment longer before the world went black.

When Minho came to, he was looking up at an anxious Taemin who was petting his head softly, his eyes looking into Minho’s.

“Oh thank god, thank god you’re okay!” Taemin said as soon as Minho’s eyes were open, “You came in to pay for the rest of the cake and just passed out! Thankfully you were close to the couch, I don’t know what I would have done if you passed out in the shop.”

Taemin’s eyes on him were almost calming, “Really? I passed out?” He said, surprised seeing as he had never passed out in the past. Minho broke the eye contact with Taemin, disappointed that he wasn’t looking at him anymore and looked down at his body, strange how it felt so weak now.. He was laying on a couch and his head was rested in Taemin’s lap, an oddly intimate position.

“Um, can I pay for that cake now..?” He asked. Minho wanted to get up and out of there, unsure of how long he had been out. He knew he had to see his mom soon and this entire situation had made him uncomfortable.

Taemin nodded and placed his hand behind Minho’s head, guiding him to sit up, “Here, stay here, I’ll go get the cake.”

Minho nodded and placed his hand on his head. He honestly didn’t remember anything, he barely remembered coming to the shop in the first place, it’s like his memories had been jumbled into a tangled knot in his mind.

Taemin returned with a cake box, it was bigger than Minho expected, but that was fine as long as the price was still reasonable. “So the cake turned out to be 75 dollars, is that okay?” He asked, “You’ll have to pay 25 more.”

“Yeah that’s fine,” Minho said, his throat dry and he cleared his throat. “I can just give you my card, right?”

“Yes, I’ll take care of it..” Taemin settled the bill where he stood using his phone and smiled at Minho. Minho tried standing now that he knew he would have to leave soon and took a moment to steady himself once he was standing fully.

Once the bill was settled, Taemin paused, holding on to Minho’s card for a moment. “Um, so.. I know this may sound abrupt.. But.. You’re really attractive. I don’t usually do this, but do you want to get a drink or something?”

In Minho’s muddled mind, he assumed Taemin was asking him to go now and tried to explain himself by letting him down easy, “Well.. I have my mom’s birthday today. It’s not anything against you, you’re cute but.. I really can’t today..” He blushed, telling Taemin he was cute felt awkward but like the right thing to say.

Taemin laughed, “I didn’t mean today! I just mean at some point.. Maybe next weekend? I don’t know. I just think meeting again would be nice.” Minho almost thought he saw a hungry look in Taemin’s eyes when he said that, but he couldn’t tell for sure with his oddly hazy mind.

“Yeah sure, that sounds fun,” He gave Taemin a warm smile, “Now if you don’t mind, I need to get home..”

“Of course,” Taemin said, handing Minho back his card. He thanked Minho for coming and for his business before sending him off.

On the train ride home, Minho felt himself drifting in and out of sleep, he knew he had woken up too early to get this cake and regretted it in this moment… hopefully, he didn’t miss his stop as he napped dozed off with the cake in his lap in the empty train car.

Later, during the party, his brother was talking with him briefly about what he had been up to at work. The conversation was casual and comfortable. Luckily at a party like this, his mom was preoccupied with guests to ask too many questions like “when will you get a girlfriend? have you gotten a raise yet?” the questions that made most uncomfortable but almost felt expected from a worried mother.

As they talked, his brother wouldn’t stop staring at his neck for some reason. The eyes made Minho uncomfortable and he started to rub at the skin. “What are you looking at?” He asked, curious, trying to find the spot his brother had his eyes on.

“Min, your neck.. Did you get bit by a spider or something?” His brother asked, reaching out to touch two small red dots on his otherwise untouched neck.

Minho hesitated, “Not that I remember..” He walked over to the front door and looked at the mirror on the wall next to it. On his neck, he could see the dots and shrugged, “Weird.. I don’t remember at all.. It must have happened when I was sleeping..” He wondered why they had appeared so late in the day, but didn’t think twice about it. Why would he?

A/N: a little explanation for the beginning because @petalsofdesire was curious ^^ Taemin is an old vampire.. like really really old, and experienced.. but he sucks at eating out of blood bags.. and when Minho entered he was having dinner and honestly wasn’t expecting anyone to come in.. but then Minho was there -_- and he had made a mess and didn’t realize it was still on his hands.. so yes, that’s how that happened :p

#shinee #minho #ask #taemin #2min #anon #weeeeee

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