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whatifitookalilnap · 1 month ago

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I Burn For You

Chapter 1: Anything Can Happen

(Pairing: Korra x Asami)

(The Bridgerton au is officially here. Okay fair warning this is OMEGAVERSE so if that's not your thing it'd probably be best to skip this bad boy. However I will say that there is some major plot in this fic, omegaverse is just an addition. This fic includes Alpha Asami and Omega Korra because I like to be different. I'm going to try to make the dialogue Bridgerton ish mainly because I want everyone to yell 'make haste' and I wanted to challenge myself. In this au bending exists but the Avatar does not so Korra is a normal waterbender. Their social season is in Caldera (Rich people Fire Nation Capitol) instead of London like the show. As per usual the ao3 link will be posted right after this. Apparently I forgot to post this on tumblr so I feel a tad insane now?? Anywho please enjoy!)

"All I am saying is that there is no reason for my breasts to be touching my chin. Whoever decided this is the design necessary for women in high society despised us all," Korra grumbled.

"You may not be wrong, but I beg of you to keep your complaints about society to a minimum. I have enough to worry about this season," Jinora sighed.

"Yes, yes, I am well aware. I'll strike you a deal. While we are in Caldera, I will limit myself to one complaint about high society per day," Korra offered.

Jinora seemed to consider this proposal before nodding her agreement. Korra knew she'd see things her way.

"I accept your terms," the airbender agreed.

"Notice that we are not in Caldera yet, therefore I am still allowed to complain. I do wish they could have just let us fly in. I don't think I'll ever get used to travel by carriage," Korra frowned as the whole carriage jolted from yet another bump in the road.

"That is another very good point. I am unable to get used to riding by carriage myself. I miss Pepper terribly and it's only been a few days," Jinora pouted.

"I wish for nothing more than to have my polar bear dog with me. Naga is very likely going absolutely ballistic right about now. She can not stand confined faces," Korra sighed.

Unfortunately, one of the many rules of the social season is that all debutantes must arrive in carriages. The animal companions have to arrive in Caldera by ship. Thankfully the ship should arrive two days after the first ball season, which is tomorrow. They will be reunited with their animal companions soon enough.

Korra poked her head out of the window in the carriage to get a quick view of the scenery. They were starting to see a couple of small buildings, so they had to be getting close to their destination. She had to admit, it's a beautiful day out. Rare is the opportunity that Korra isn't completely surrounded by the harsh chill of the Southern Water Tribe. She may as well soak it all in while she can.

As Korra was starting to get lost in her own head, she heard a quiet sniffle. The waterbender quickly leaned back into the carriage to see the woman right in front of her tearing up for what felt like the hundredth time since they left the South Pole. Korra moved from her side of the carriage to sit right next to Jinora. The waterbender very quickly wrapped her arms around her dear friend.

"I understand how worried you are over Pema, but I beg of you to remember that she is doing much better than she was last year. She's eating solids again, she can stand, and she's been staying awake for much longer now. They predict she'll make a full recovery by the end of the year. If something happens, your father will write. Do not worry yourself over things you have no control over," Korra insisted.

Jinora leaned her head against Korra's shoulder and took in a deep breath. The waterbender sighed and rested her own head on top of Jinora's. Even if she's trying to comfort her friend, Korra's also been rather worried over Pema's condition.

"I never imagined that she would fall ill the year I'm supposed to make my debut into society. Do you not think it is a bad sign of some sort?" Jinora desperately asked.

"I think that you are thinking far too much. She is recovering. I urge you to focus on the positives," Korra insisted.

"I suppose you are right. I wish she was here with us," Jinora sighed.

"As do I," Korra agreed.

Truthfully, Korra's not even supposed to be here whatsoever. If Pema hadn't gotten sick, she'd still be back in the Southern Water Tribe. Though she and Tenzin insisted Jinora debut into society this year, they knew they'd be unable to chaperone. Korra had been more than happy to step in their place when asked her to.

While Korra is trying to think of anything else that could comfort her, the carriage suddenly lurched forward. Korra quickly grabbed onto Jinora to prevent them both from slamming their face into the seat right across from them.

Korra quickly stuck her head out the window in order to inspect whatever the hell was going on here. The footmen immediately hopped out of the carriage to inspect the damage.

"Spirits, I nearly got a concussion! Are you alright?" Korra worriedly asked her friend.

"Yes, I am fine. Are you?" Jinora frowned.

"I am quite alright, thank you," Korra breathed out while trying to calm her beating heart.

The footmen were thankfully able to steady the carriage, but now the issue is what the hell is happening and whether it can be fixed. It is so Korra's luck for the damn carriage to break down miles before reaching their destination.

To add even more stress, an unfamiliar scent reached Korra's nose which unfortunately signaled that they are being approached by a complete stranger. Damn, it was an alpha too. Korra could hear a voice speak, but the words were hard to make out. Then she-oh sweet spirits the voice is getting closer.

The fact that the voice came along with an unknown alpha scent is so close to where Jinora is made Korra spring into action. Her inner omega is incredibly protective, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Korra bent the water from her water skin into a sharp icicle. She saw a figure she didn't recognize at the window and that is when she decided to strike. Then very similarly to the way one would wield a knife, Korra pressed the sharp tip of ice out the window and into the unknown woman's neck.

"State your business at once," Korra hissed.

Korra almost gasped out loud when she saw exactly who she's pointing the icicle at. The woman she's about three centimeters away from killing is undeniably gorgeous. Bright green eyes stared right back at Korra with shock in her eyes while her silky black hair is tied up out of her face. The dress she's wearing is simple but clearly is made from expensive fabric. Even her scent is still pleasant despite the fact that there's an icicle pressed against her.

"I simply noticed your wheel had fallen off. I have a spare and the ability to replace it myself. Unless, of course, you choose to follow through with puncturing my neck with that icicle. While I may be a biased party, I would strongly advise against it. If I am stabbed, that would mean neither of us will be moving quickly for quite some time," the alpha woman calmly told her.

The waterbender looked down to see the woman does, in fact, have the exact wheel this carriage needs to start working again. So, admittedly, Korra was just a little bit too hasty with her whole stabbing agenda. She quickly transformed the icicle back into water and gave the stranger a very awkward smile.

"My apologies, I tend to get rather on edge when we travel alone," Korra awkwardly admitted.

"No need to apologize, I find a surprise attack to be rather exciting. Truly, you made my entire day," the woman grinned.

Spirits, she has a beautiful smile. Korra coughed into her hand in an attempt to hide the blush she knew was overtaking her face.

"Come on Jinora, let us get out of here so that our carriage can get fixed at once," Korra demanded.

Korra quickly hopped out of the carriage with Jinora in tow. The stranger was already on her knees to start fixing up the wheel. That certainly surprised Korra given how the dress the alpha is wearing is not cheap. The dress is already getting dirty but this very obviously rich woman is paying no mind to it. Korra assumed she was going to have one of her servants do the dirty work.

"I would like to thank you for assisting us with the wheel. We certainly would have been stranded without your help. My name is Jinora, and the one with murderous tendencies is Korra. Who might you be?" Jinora giggled. Korra scowled and shoved her elbow into her friend's stomach while the stranger let out a quick laugh.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Asami," the woman told them.

"Is it correct of me to assume you are going into Caldera for the upcoming social season?" Jinora asked curiously.

Judging by the clothes, the carriage she just stepped out, and the very expensive tools laying at her side, all signs pointed to yes.

"That I am. I take it you ladies are going as well to try your hand in the marriage mart?" the woman inquired.

"It will be my first season, yes. I am quite excited," Jinora smiled.

"I wish you the best of luck. And you?" Asami asked, now looking directly at Korra.

"Oh goodness no, I am far too old for that. I am merely Jinora's designated chaperone for the season. I am to return to the Southern Water Tribe the moment she is married anyhow," Korra snorted.

"Now I am worried the marriage prospects are rather bleak for me, given that we appear to be the same age. Just how old are you?" Asami asked.

"Well firstly, it is frowned upon to ask an omega their age. Second, I'm seven of twenty," Korra told her.

"If you are too old then I must have one foot in the grave. I turned eight of twenty but a month ago," Asami laughed.

"You are an alpha, you will be perfectly fine. That courtesy does not extend towards omegas like myself. I have readily embraced the spinster lifestyle," Korra joked.

That's just the way society is, and not just among nobility. Female omegas, male omegas, and female betas all got the short end of the stick because they can bare children. It's completely ridiculous, but that is how this insane world works.

"Ah, those utterly archaic rules never made much sense to me. It is not like omegas or female betas have a shorter life expectancy than the rest of the world," Asami scoffed.

"I could not agree more! What about you? Will you be trying your hand in the marriage mart this season?" Jinora asked while shooting glances at Korra. The hell is she staring at?

"Oh I doubt it. So many of my friends give me grief for it, but I prefer to marry for love instead of financially beneficial reasons," Asami explained.

"It makes perfect sense in my opinion. There is not much of a point in settling when you do not have to," Korra shrugged. Asami glanced at her before giving the waterbender a small grin.

"Precisely," Asami nodded.

There was a moment of silence, and Korra hoped conversing with this beautiful, kind, and interesting stranger would be over. She is still rather on edge to speak to people she does not know, no matter how attractive they are. Like always, Korra did not get what she wanted.

"You mentioned you are Jinora's designated chaperone this season? I do not believe I have seen you around the ton before. What are your familial ties here?" Asami asked lightly.

Granted, this is a fair question, one that Korra imagines she will be asked quite a bit in the upcoming weeks. Given that designated chaperones to the debutantes must have some biological noble relation, it makes sense that she would be curious. It's not like Korra's ever been seen in the ton before.

"You would not have. My parents pulled away from society years before I was born. My uncle is Lord Unalaq," Korra told her.

"The baron? Father of twins, one boy one girl?" Asami asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, that would be one," Korra unfortunately admitted.

"My condolences," Asami told her with a sympathetic smile.

Korra threw her head back and laughed. Asami grinned at the reaction, probably grateful she took the jab against her uncle well. Clearly, her uncle has not changed since they last saw each other.

"So you two have met," Korra grinned.

"Oh yes. I have done business with the man on several occasions," Asami nodded.

"Out of the two of us, I think you are the one who suffers the most by his hand. It is very easy to be his niece when we live on opposite sides of the world," Korra smirked.

"Yes, he is an acquired taste. Though I will say, the man is an excellent waterbender. It clearly runs in the family," Asami said with a teasing smile aimed at Korra.

A light blush painted her face at the reminder. Man, she really needs to work on that whole lunging first instinct.

"I really am quite sorry about that. And I do appreciate you being so willing to help us after my, you know, attempt on your life," Korra awkwardly sighed.

"I assure you, I am only teasing. Like I said, I found it quite exhilarating. I do not think my heart has ever beat that fast in my entire life," Asami laughed.

"I believe we may have two very different definitions of exhilarating," Korra smirked.

It really is quite relieving to know that the alpha really didn't seem too bothered over her near death experience. As Asami continued to work on the carriage, Korra found conversation between them to be more and more natural as time went on. It only felt like a split second had passed by when Asami stood up and proudly announced the carriage had been fixed.

"How much does that wheel cost? I should have enough to pay you back in full," Korra said while already moving to get her coins.

"Please, keep your money. I do not wish to take anything from you," Asami said while shaking her head.

"Are you sure I can not give you any money? You should get some form of payment for your troubles," Korra insisted.

"The knowledge that I helped a beautiful lady such as yourself to get to your destination safely is all the payment I need," Asami grinned.

Oh, Korra couldn't help it, she had no choice but to laugh. The alpha's smile only widened upon seeing Korra's reaction. Noble women are so damn dramatic.

"My, that was a good one. I would suggest writing it down," Korra giggled.

"I do hope we will meet again, Miss Korra," Asami smiled.

"For the sake of your health, it would probably be best if we did not," Korra laughed as she stepped into the carriage after Jinora.

The coachmen ushered them all out of there once the footman closed the door behind her. Korra turned to face Jinora and a very coy smile greeted her. The waterbender immediately became defensive and crossed her arms. She did not like the look Jinora is giving her.

"That woman was positively smitten over you," Jinora grinned.

Korra's cheeks took on a small shade of red despite her very intense eye roll.

"Please, she was just friendly," Korra scoffed.

"No no, she was friendly with me. You were an entirely different story," Jinora said.

"What could you possibly mean by that?" Korra sighed.

"She kept asking questions about you the entire time she was fixing the carriage. The woman only acknowledged my presence enough to be considered polite but she could not stop talking to you. Her attraction to you simply could not be more obvious," Jinora insisted.

"You must stop reading those romance novels. They are utterly ruining your perception of reality," the waterbender scoffed.

"Just because you are the blindest woman on the planet does not mean I am," Jinora smirked.

Korra closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears. You know, like a mature and responsible adult.

"La la la la I can not hear you," Korra childishly yelled.

"You are impossible!" Jinora laughed as she lightly shoved Korra.

The waterbender fought back a smile at seeing Jinora act all giddy again. She supposes it's not so bad to be the butt of the joke if it gets Jinora's mind off of worrying over Pema. The things Korra does for family.

********************

"We have arrived, ma'am. We shall wait here until you two are finished," the footmen said.

"Thank you, we should not be here longer than thirty minutes," Korra told the footmen with a polite smile.

With that, the two girls took off into the ton in Caldera. The place is bustling, as she expected it to be. Everyone's trying to get last minute items to show out for the first ball of the season so tensions are certainly high. Korra and Jinora had a bit of a different mission in mind.

They're currently on the hunt for a new quill and some ink. Aunt Kya loves collecting them so the duo decided it would be a nice thank you gift for allowing them to stay at her house for the season. Given the rather tragic circumstances that's fallen upon her as of late, Korra and Jinora only hope it can give Kya a bit of happiness.

"By the spirits, it can not be. Korra? Jinora? Could it really be you?" a voice called out.

Both named women turned around to see the faces of two men she thought she'd never see again. There stood Mako and Bolin in the flesh. They looked incredibly well too. The alpha brothers are adorned in fine suits where even the buttons look expensive. Now how in the hell did they find the money for that?

"I can not believe it! You two are truly here!" Bolin yelled before sweeping the two girls up into a big hug.

The two of them immediately wrapped their arms around the alpha man that pulled them into an embrace.

"Mako! Bolin! Oh, we were worried sick about you two! What on earth happened to you two? And where on Earth did you get those clothes?" Korra exclaimed as she pulled back from the hug.

"That is a story for another time. There is a terrible gossip monger here in Caldera known as Lady Whistedown. Let us just say it is best if that particular story did not get out. As for our new found riches, as it would turn out, I am the oldest alpha relative of an earl who passed away some time ago," Mako sighed.

"Earl Mako. I quite like that," Jinora giggled.

"And is there a reason why my best friend in the entire world is not embracing me after not seeing me for the past six years? What, you are simply too above me now that you have a title?" Korra teased with a raised eyebrow.

"I am a man of title who is unmarried. I do not wish to leave either of you in a compromising position," Mako explained.

Korra does appreciate the thought, especially with Jinora being on the marriage mart. Her, on the other hand!

"Oh please, I am a spinster! An old maid, if you will! I am getting my damn hug whether you like it or not!" the waterbender grinned as she readily embraced him.

"You are anything but an old maid, Korra," Mako laughed while returning the hug.

"That is what I keep trying to tell her. She is not one to listen to others," Jinora dramatically sighed.

"Are you two terribly busy? We simply must catch up if you have the time," Bolin insisted.

"We are looking for a gift for our aunt. I urge you boys to join us," Korra smiled.

The brothers nodded and tagged along on their little adventure. During this stroll, Korra learned that Bolin had managed to marry into one of the most influential families in their entire ton. Not only that, but he managed to get himself a love match. To top it all off, his wife is currently in her third trimester with their first child.

Mako, on the other hand, has been working tirelessly managing his estate as an earl. It really doesn't surprise Korra that the man is still single. He's always found romance and marriage rather trivial.

Korra could not be happier for them. She knew Bolin always wanted to find the love of his life and raise a family of his own. Not only did his dreams come true, but he's able to accomplish it while being wealthy.

Even with Mako unmarried, she is very happy for him as well. He has always been agonizing over providing for his brother and making sure he has everything he needs. His struggle for money has always been his biggest stressor in life. As an earl, he finally knows comfort. If anyone has ever deserved such a title, it's Mako.

By the spirits, she had been worried about these boys. Back when Korra was one of twenty, the two of them disappeared with absolutely zero explanation. No warning, no note, they simply left their home one day without trace. For years, Korra had feared the worst. She's never been happier to be wrong in her entire life.

Once they got Kya's gift, the boys escorted them back to their carriage. Unfortunately, Bolin and his wife would not be able to attend the first ball of the season due to the fact that she has a minor cold. While it's nothing serious, given her heavily pregnant condition, it's best for her health and the baby's for her to rest until she's fully recovered. Mako will thankfully be in attendance, so Korra will not have to face the storm alone. The boys helped Korra and Jinora into their carriage and gave them a final wave goodbye.

Kya's home was a mere few minutes away from the bustle of all the shops in Caldera. Korra grabbed onto the gift they bought for her and braced herself. She did not know what kind of state their aunt would be in. Jinora shot her a quick look before entering the home of their aunt who looked...perfectly fine?

"It is quite possible it could be my imagination, but does Auntie look a tad, what's the word I'm looking for?" Jinora mumbled.

"The complete opposite of mournful?" Korra offered.

"Yes, I suppose that would be a rather accurate description," Jinora agreed.

Kya seems to be in a wonderful mood. She's excitedly scurrying around the mansion, giving proper feedback for the maids to decorate the house, the woman looked like she was in her element. That wouldn't be considered unusual if Kya's wife hadn't died three months ago.

Given the fact that those two had a love match, Korra and Jinora were worried but understanding that she may not be up for hosting them this year. However, Kya insisted that the girls stay with her for the season. It was only natural to assume Kya was incredibly depressed and needed the company.

Clearly, that theory has been shot.

Kya looks absolutely radiant despite her black dress and onyx jewelry. Both the young omega girls are well aware that Kya always hosts the first ball of the season, so they knew they would be walking into a bit of chaos. They simply hadn't expected Kya to be handling said chaos so well.

Before either girls could even attempt to alert Kya of their presence, one of the maids gestured to the duo standing awkwardly at the entrance. Their aunt immediately lit up and practically sprinted to greet them.

"You girls are truly a sight for sore eyes! Oh, how I have missed you both terribly! If only Ikki could be here, then I would get to spend time with all three of my nieces," Kya wistfully stated.

Both Korra and Jinora accepted the fact that Kya absolutely crushed them in a hug, mainly because they were too shocked to move. Of all the things they were preparing themselves for how Kya would act upon seeing them, this was not on the list.

Korra and Jinora shot each other a look before wrapping their arms around their aunt. She supposes that this is better than wallowing in grief, but it's still rather alarming to see Kya so elated after such a tragedy.

"I simply could not be happier the two of you are here! Oh come in, come in, let us get you girls settled first and foremost. How was the journey here?" Kya asked them.

"It went quite well Auntie. Oh, we got you a little something. Just to say thank you for sponsoring us this season," Jinora smiled while giving the bag with quills and ink.

"Oh, how sweet! You girls didn't have to," Kya insisted.

"We wanted to. We are very grateful, after all," Korra assured her.

"Come, it is almost lunch. We must catch up. I want to know every single thing about your lives since I have last seen you," the older omega told them.

They spent the next couple hours doing just that. It's great catching up with Kya. It honestly feels like ages since she's seen her.

Kya had to leave them to their own devices for a while in order to get more hands on with the set up of the decorations for the ball tomorrow, so Jinora decided to drag her around the mansion to explore. Korra is quite curious to know the ins and the outs of her of the place she will be calling home for the next few months.

As they were making their way to the ballroom, a maid with various pins on a silver platter caught Korra's eye. Upon closer inspection, Korra realized that there are three groups of pins. One with alpha symbol, one with the beta symbol, and one with the omega symbol.

"Jin, do you know what those pins are for?" Korra asked while pointing at the platter.

"Everyone is required to wear the pins for the first ball that correlate with their secondary gender," Jinora told her.

"Interesting. I will simply take one of the beta pins. Oh, perhaps I could swipe one of the alpha ones," Korra pondered.

"You absolutely will not be doing that. Why would you even want to?" Jinora asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It is not like I will be participating in the season. My secondary gender as an omega is no one's concern but my own," Korra huffed.

Korra really does understand why the pins are necessary. It can be difficult to tell who is what secondary gender given the formal attire. People tend to dress according to their primary gender. In other words, all the men wear the fancy suits while all the women wear incredibly uncomfortable dresses regardless of secondary gender.

The main issue arises when it's difficult to identify alpha women or omega men. It certainly doesn't help that balls are in confined spaces packed with dozens of people, allowing scents to intermingle so much so that it's hard to identify who smells like what.

The pins are simply there to identify who is compatible with who. This is mainly to avoid alpha's attempting to court other alphas or omegas trying to catch the eye of other omegas. While pairings with two alphas or two omegas are not impossible, they are incredibly rare.

Usually, omegas can not stand the way other omegas smell in heats and it is very rare for them to even be attracted to another omega scent. It is the exact same situation for alphas. Plus, those two pairings naturally can not end up with biological children so they are frowned upon heavily by society. So sure, Korra understands why the first ball needs to identify who is who.

Point of the matter is that Korra is not participating in the season. Therefore, it is her most sincere belief that she should get to do whatever the hell she wants. It doesn't matter what pin she wears. Not like she's going to be married before the season's over.

Korra was snapped out of her internal musings when Jinora rolled her eyes. The waterbender fought the urge to smack her upside the head for that.

"By the spirits, you make it seem like being an omega is something to be ashamed of with how much you try hiding the fact that you are one," the airbender huffed.

"You know very well that is not what I am trying to imply. Obviously, living life as an omega can and should be done with pride. However, I can not deny I wish I had been born a beta. I envy them greatly," the older omega admitted.

"And just what is so wondrous about betas?" Jinora asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You can not seriously be asking me such a question. A world with no heats? Or ruts? No three weeks of pure agony taken away from me every year? You can simply be in full control of your body at all times? Oh, the things I would do for that life to be my own. Betas are the biological winners of the human race," Korra boldly declared.

"Perhaps, but they certainly are not society's winners," Jinora reminded her.

"I suppose that is true," Korra agreed.

It's rather unfortunate, but many betas desperately wish to be an alpha or omega. Alphas are always the ones with the most money, most control, and most respect. And omegas are the supposed 'ideal' partners for said alphas. The compatibility with their heats and ruts play a major factor into this preference.

While betas do have scents, many of which can be quite pleasant, they always pale in comparison to the scents of alphas or omegas. Plus, they do not have the instinctual animalistic urges like the other secondary genders so it's much more difficult for betas to keep up during ruts or heats.

Some betas want to be the powerful alpha, and others want to be the omega that ends up married to the powerful alpha. Given alphas and omegas heavy preference for each other, betas usually end up with other betas.

"Shame we always seem to want what we can not have," Jinora hummed.

"Unfortunately, that just appears to be a part of the human condition, Jin," Korra pointed out.

"I do understand what you mean about feeling jealous over the simplicity of being a beta. Heats alone are practically unbearable," Jinora sighed.

"They really are. I swear to you if I have to spend one more heat alone, I will have no choice but to knock myself unconscious every time so that I can get a bit of peace," Korra snorted.

"Oh please! And when exactly was the last time you spent your heat alone?" Jinora scoffed.

Korra rolled her eyes at the question. Given the fact that Korra isn't even in a courtship, heat partners are a necessity. She is one of the many unfortunate omegas that have heats so intense that they are in utter agony unless someone is there to help them sexually. It's never anything serious, just someone to keep her content during her heat so that she doesn't actually kill herself from the pain.

Really, it's no big deal. Jinora unfortunately can not benefit from heat partners due to high society's insistence that she must remain a virgin before marriage as an omega. Her heats are rarely worse than Korra's, but it's very obvious they're more intense than most heats tend to be.

"I will have you know I had to spend my last heat alone," Korra pouted.

"What ever happened to Tahno?" Jinora asked.

"The bastard ended up needing to travel north and only told me two days before my heat was set to arrive. The best part is that he knew of the journey for months," Korra scowled.

"How inconsiderate. I never liked that man," Jinora scoffed.

"Me neither," Korra agreed.

"So you simply worked through your heat alone? Must have been the first time in a while," Jinora pointed out.

"Not entirely. I had to take suppressants. I was in too much pain, they were the only things that helped," Korra guiltily told her.

"Honestly, Korra, you know how terrible those things are for your health. They merely weaken your immune system and ruin your fertility," Jinora scolded her as if Korra wasn't already well aware of this information.

"It was only the third time I have ever taken suppressants. I would need to use them much more than that for there to be any lasting impact. If it makes you feel any better, I was cleared by Auntie that nothing changed with me right after my heat," Korra assured her.

"You are just lucky. Come on, let's see what our options are for gowns during the ball tomorrow," Jinora insisted while dragging her away.

Ah yes, gown fitting. Someone kill Korra now.

********************

Korra fidgeted uncomfortably with the sleeve of her dress as she stood in line to get into her own damn temporary home. Despite the fact that Jinora and Korra live in the place where the ball resides, only the lady of the house can actually stay inside. Her and Jinora have to stand outside in line with the rest of the attendees.

The waterbender tried not to look so damn uncomfortable in what she wore, but she really can't help it. The dress she's wearing is a light shade of blue with gems sprinkled all over. Her matching tiara, necklace, and earrings matched the dress and were just as sparkly. It didn't suit a spinster like her at all. Korra tried wearing one of the plainer dresses that was just fancy enough to be appropriate for a ball, but Jinora practically shoved this dress on her.

Finally, the line started moving. In an attempt to distract herself, Korra decided to mess with Jinora. It's what the little brat deserves, after all.

"I'm going to wear one of the alpha pins," Korra whispered into her friend's ear.

"See, people like you are exactly why those pins are necessary," the airbender hissed into her ear.

Korra giggled as they reached the woman carrying the platter with all the pins. Before she could even pretend to swipe an alpha pin, Jinora quickly snatched two omega pins before yanking Korra down the steps.

"You are as stern as your father," Korra smirked as she fastened her pin at the top of her dress.

"Take that back. Take that back at once," Jinora hissed playfully.

"Oh sorry, can not hear you over the fact that you have to meet the Fire Lord now," Korra grinned.

To Korra's extreme delight, Fire Lord Izumi seemed absolutely captivated by Jinora. As she should, of course. Jinora is simply perfect. Seeing the Fire Lord's obvious favor towards the airbender caused suitors to flock to her almost instantly. And so the games begin.

Korra stood at her side, looking and acting as the intimidating chaperone she is. No suitor is safe from her judgmental stares or intrusive questions. Honestly, it's quite fun being so pushy. This is probably one of the only times alphas and beta men will cower before her, so Korra is going to enjoy this little power trip while she can.

The moment Jinora got swept off to the dance floor is when Mako made his grand appearance. Korra immediately made her way over to the firebender. They still had a lot of catching up to do, after all.

As the two of them were casually chatting about how their lives have been going in the years they haven't been able to see each other, Korra spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Oh fuck this guy.

Making direct eye contact with her is none other than Lord Unalaq. Korra's most detested uncle. The rotten apple of her eye. And now he's walking towards her. This will not be fun for Korra.

"Lord Mako, Korra, what a pleasure it is to see you both. I hope the two of you are quite well. Now, Lord Mako, if you do not mind, I would like a moment alone to speak with my niece," Unalaq told them.

Mako gave her a questioning look, waiting for confirmation if he really should leave. Korra resisted the very strong urge to sigh. She supposes that a little confrontation with her uncle would be inevitable. Might as well get it over with.

"Go ahead, I'll meet with you in just a moment. Family matters to discuss and all," Korra nodded.

"Alright then. Have a most pleasant evening, Lord Unalaq," Mako said with a rather stiff smile.

"And you as well, Lord Mako," Unalaq said.

They waited for Mako to get out of earshot before starting a conversation Korra knew would be insufferable. Unfortunately, it was unavoidable. Spirits only knows her job is going to be hard enough without his interference.

"And just what are the likes of you doing here? You certainly can not be attempting to try your hand at the marriage mart. We both know you are far too old for that," Unalaq smirked.

"Is it not obvious? I am attending a ball," Korra drawled.

"You know exactly what I mean. Do not get smart with me, girl. People like you do not belong in high society," Unalaq scoffed.

"Well, given the fact that many people in this crowd are just like you, I think I would rather be shot in the head than belong in a place like this," Korra said while rolling her eyes.

"You are as arrogant and abrasive as your father," Unalaq scowled.

"And you are as rude and unsettling as your children. Apples never fall particularly far from the tree, now do they?" Korra quickly shot back.

"Why are you here, Niece?" Unalaq asked very impatiently.

Korra decided that she's been mean enough. For now, that is.

"If you must know, I am simply here to assist Jinora with her first season. I am unsure of whether or not word has gotten to you about Pema falling ill. I am here in the place of her parents. Once she is married, I am to return to the Southern Water Tribe," Korra explained.

Unalaq seemed visibly more relaxed after this information which is a shame, mainly because Korra never wants to have a positive effect on her uncle in any way. As tragic as it is, this is a necessary price Korra must pay for peace.

"Very well then. I merely wanted to make sure we are on the same page. You must join myself and my children for dinner sometime. We are family after all," Unalaq hummed.

"To my great dismay," Korra deadpanned. Unalaq ignored the jab. It's not like he disagrees, anyways.

"In that case, I shall leave you to it. I do hope you know I will be rooting for Jinora. The sooner she is married, the sooner I never have to see your face again," Unalaq smiled in the slimiest way possible.

"That is certainly one thing we can agree on," Korra drawled.

Unalaq merely rolled his eyes and walked away. Finally. Korra was about to make her journey back to the Mako when she gave a glance over to Jinora to check if she is alright. Jinora was already looking at her. She smiled at Korra then gave her a wave. The older woman immediately started making her way over to Jinora.

Before coming to Caldera, the two of them decided to make a distress signal in case a suitor started making Jinora uncomfortable. A nod and a thumbs up meant Jinora was fine, while a smile and wave meant to get her out of there immediately. The airbender looked relieved when Korra made her way to the them.

"Honestly Jinora, what is the matter with you! How hard is it to stay at my side?! It took a mere moment of me looking away for you to completely disappear! I have someone waiting to be introduced to you! We must go at once!" Korra snapped, playing into the bitchy chaperone role.

"My apologies Korra. I am very sorry to trouble you, my lord, but I must follow her. She is my chaperone, after all," Jinora said, feigning disappointment.

"Oh come now, can she not stay for even a moment longer?" the irritating lord asked.

"I am afraid not. She operates on a tight schedule," Korra frowned.

The unknown lord looked down at the omega pin on her neckline. Then, the damn lord grabbed Jinora's wrist and held on tightly. It was not enough force to hurt the younger omega, but it was certainly enough to keep her in place. It would appear that since Jinora's designated chaperone is an omega, the bastard thinks can do whatever the hell he wants.

"What is the harm in letting us talk for just a minute more?" the lord asked insistently.

Korra clenched her jaw as she tried to think of her next move. They're in a public space with eyes everywhere, so it's not like the man can do serious physical damage. It's still a major problem that he's essentially holding Jinora against her will. Korra didn't know what she could do to make this guy let up without using force. Fortunately, she did not need to do anything at all.

"Lord Haroh, I must speak with you at once," the soothing voice snapped sharply.

To Korra's extreme surprise, the voice came from the woman who helped fix their carriage. Asami's sudden appearance startled Lord Haroh to the point that he loosened his grip on Jinora. It was thankfully enough for her to break free and rush to go behind Korra.

"Lady Sato, a pleasure," Lord Haroh managed to say.

"Indeed. And I am quite thrilled to make your acquaintance again Lady Korra. Lady Jinora," Asami smiled kindly.

There's no way. There is actually no way that the woman who already saved her from being stranded is saving her again. And damn does she look good doing it. The dark red dress was simply too stunning for words. The glint of the alpha pin on her sleeve caught Korra's eye at once. Spirits, it should be illegal to be that attractive.

"Lady Sato, while you know I am always happy to talk business with you, but can it not wait?" Lord Haroh asked. At this, Asami stepped right in front of Korra and Jinora.

"No, this is urgent. I look forward to seeing more of you both later on tonight, but this is of the utmost importance. I do hope you understand," Asami told them.

"We would never want to interrupt a serious business matter. We shall leave you both to it," Korra said while yanking Jinora away.

"I can not believe we are seeing her again so soon! It must be your lucky day," Jinora teased.

Korra was too freaked out to comment on that. If Korra felt guilty about nearly killing Asami before, she's damn near depressed over it now. Not only is the tall woman gorgeous, but she managed to save her and her friend twice now.

Korra glanced over her shoulder to find that Asami was already looking at her. Upon noticing her gaze, Asami smiled and gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement. Korra very gratefully gave her a nod back. Thankfully, they managed to find Mako just a moment later.

"Honestly, I was wondering where you have been. I assumed you got lost," Mako snorted.

"Oh do not even start, Mako. We got a little held up," Korra huffed.

"What do you mean held up?" Mako asked.

"One of the alphas got a tad too insistent. Korra had to come help me and he refused to let me leave until Lady Asami intervened," Jinora rushed out.

"What? Where is the bastard?" Mako frowned while scanning the crowd.

"Do not do anything stupid. He is right there," Korra said, pointing out Lord Haroh still talking to Asami.

"Huh, so you were talking about Lady Sato," Mako mumbled.

"Oh? Is she not Asami?" Korra asked in confusion.

"Yes, her name is Asami Sato. What a coincidence it is that one of my closest friends managed to get you out of such a bind," Mako told her.

Wow. Having a last name is pretty rare, even among nobility. Asami Sato is a very interesting character, Korra is certain of that. Wait, friend? Why on earth would Asami want to be friends with Mako? Maybe she met Bolin first or something.

"Interesting. I for one can not believe she would associate with the likes of you. How did you two meet?" Korra asked.

"Well first of all, you associate with the likes of me so I can not help but wonder what that says about you. Second of all, she actually took me under her wing when I ended up getting my title. It was quite easy for her to figure out I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, so she helped me turn into a competent lord. I did not even have to ask her to. She simply saw me struggle and wanted to help. I would not be where I am today without Asami," Mako told her.

What, so now Asami just helps strangers succeed without asking for anything in return? This woman is too perfect, there has to be something terribly wrong with her.

"It is an admirable trait to be so willing to help those in need," Korra acknowledged.

"Oh, of course you would say that," Jinora laughed. Korra scowled and nudged her friend with her elbow.

"What is so funny?" Mako asked the still giggling airbender.

"Asami actually helped us once before. The wheel on our carriage broke and Lady Sato was kind enough to give us a spare and replace it," Jinora smiled.

Mako's eyebrows practically shot up to his hairline once she explained how they met. Then he got the most shit eating grin spread across his face before he burst into laughter.

"I can not believe it, you are the carriage girl! Oh, Asami mentioned meeting you," Mako cackled.

"And just why did she say?" Korra asked, unable to fight against the curiosity.

Truly, Asami probably thought Korra was psychotic. After all, she gave the poor woman a near death experience upon their first meeting. Even so, she had an irrational desire to know what Asami thought about her.

"What is said between alphas, stays between alphas. It is an unspoken rule, you see," Mako smugly told her.

"Well the spoken rule is that you do what I say or else I beat you up, so tell me what she said at once," Korra childishly demanded.

"I do not see why it matters so much, you know I-finally! By the spirits Kai, I thought you forgot about the ball altogether," Mako sighed.

"I am a busy man, Mako. I am here now, am I not?" the young alpha man sighed.

"No one needs your excuses. Please, meet a couple of old friends of mine. This is Miss Korra and her charge, Lady Jinora," Mako introduced.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both. I," Kai started, but then trailed off as he stared at Jinora.

If Korra was stupid enough to believe in something as ridiculous as love at first sight, this must be it. This Kai fellow is looking at Jinora as though she personally hung all the stars in the sky. Jinora is not doing much better herself. For a girl so calm and poised, her cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she struggled to say anything at all.

"May I have your next dance, my lady?" Kai managed to blurt out

"Indeed you may, my lord," Jinora told him with the most dazzling grin.

Mako and Korra watched as Kai escorted Jinora to the dance floor. Honestly, the two of them look positively giddy to be around each other. It was as cute as it was alarming.

"Did you just see what I just saw?" Mako asked her.

"I believe I did, yes," Korra mumbled.

"I do not think I have ever seen Kai quite so taken with anyone, especially not so soon upon meeting them. He is an obnoxious little brat once you get to know him, but he is not typically so eager to interact with strangers," Mako noted.

Oh, damn. The waterbender was too awestruck of the sight before her that she forgot to interrogate the boy. Korra opened her mouth to ask a couple questions about Kai, but was soon cut off by another voice joining the conversation.

"I swear if I ever have to speak to Lord Haroh again, I'm poisoning my own drink just so that I never have to deal with him again," Asami drawled.

"Ah, the hero joins us at last," Mako smirked.

"That man has always been utterly insufferable. I am quite sorry you had the misfortune of meeting him," Lady Sato sighed, turning to Korra.

"She is completely right. You know I-oh dear," muttered Mako as he stared behind Korra.

"What is it?" Korra asked.

"I must go at once. If a woman named Lai comes up to you, I was never here," Mako hissed as speed walked away.

"What on Earth was that all about?" the waterbender asked.

"It would appear that Lai has officially arrived. The girl is absolutely smitten over Mako and keeps trying to gain his affections. She was quite persistent last season," the alpha told her.

"Huh, infatuated with Mako. So tell me, what is wrong with her?" Korra snorted.

Asami laughed at the jab against Mako. Korra, embarrassingly enough, felt a surge of pride course through her at the accomplishment.

"I would like to thank you for the interference with that lord, Lady Sato. It would appear the only opinion Lord Haroh respects is another alpha's," Korra grimaced.

"It was no trouble at all. And please, just call me Asami, there is no need for such formalities. Any friend of Mako's is a friend of mine. Besides, after nearly puncturing my neck with an icicle, I would say we have already been rather close," Asami teased.

Korra blushed at the memory of her overreaction. Truly, she's just relieved that Asami doesn't seem to hold it against her. The taller woman is even joking with her about the near death experience. Korra supposes that if Asami can find humor in the situation, so can she.

"Honestly, Lady Sato, you focus far too much on the past," Korra playfully huffed.

"This happened two days ago," Asami said with a raised eyebrow.

"And is that or is that not considered the past?" Korra smugly asked.

"I must admit, you have an excellent point," Asami laughed.

"You will come to find that I always do," Korra grinned.

Honestly, the omega assumed Asami would only chat with her for a couple of minutes before going off to find a friend or some other familiar face. Instead, the two of them spent most of the night talking about anything and everything. Korra doesn't think conversation has ever flowed as well as the ones she has with Asami.

Then the orchestra started to play one of her all time favorite songs. Auntie really did know her too well. It brings back so many wonderful childhood memories for her.

"Ah, I absolutely love this song. My poor father had to suffer as I stood on his toes while I was learning this dance," Korra said while giggling fondly at the memory.

"Well surely we must dance, then. I do ask you tell me in advance if you need to stand on my toes. I would like to emotionally prepare for that," Asami smiled while extending her hand. This woman is insane.

"I do not even have a dance card," Korra told her with a raised eyebrow.

"Neither do I. We already match," Asami grinned, knowing full well as an alpha she doesn't need one.

Korra laughed and accepted her hand because honestly? Why the hell not? Korra's a spinster, she has no use for propriety. She's just going to have to ignore the fluttering in her stomach when Asami's hand made contact with her own.

Jinora, who is still dancing with Kai, made eye contact with Korra approaching the dance floor with Asami. The airbender's eyebrows practically shot up to her hairline at the sight. Korra grinned and winked. An amused look overtook Jinora's music as she continued on with her dance.

Naturally, because apparently Asami's just loveliness incarnate, she is a very good dancer. She is such a good dancer, in fact, that Korra hadn't even realized that the song they came here for already ended. They were halfway through the second song before she had noticed. Asami Sato is truly something else.

The two of them got refreshments right after that second song ended so Asami continued on with her story of how her father almost blew up her childhood home. Just like when Korra was conversing with her by her carriage, Asami makes time fly. Before she knew it, the ball was winding down.

"I know I already said it, but I would just like to say that I truly am sorry for almost hurting you when you found us stranded. I can not thank you enough for helping us, even after I acted the way I did. Especially when you saved us yet again," Korra sincerely told the taller woman who was preparing her exit.

Asami's gaze softened at the sincere apology Korra gave her. The waterbender tried not to think about how pretty her expression is.

"I assure you I never once held it against you. It was my honor to be able to assist you in your time of need," Asami gently told her.

Yeah, no. She really is too perfect. She has to be a mass murderer or something.

"Though I do think you were wrong the last time we spoke," Asami mentioned.

"Me? Wrong? Absolutely preposterous," Korra grinned.

"Yes, it may very well be a once in a blue moon situation. After tonight, we managed to spend an extended period of time together without you causing me any bodily harm. Perhaps you are not as bad for my health as you thought you were," Asami smiled.

"That is certainly progress if I ever heard it," Korra laughed.

"Indeed. Now that I am fairly confident my health is no longer at risk with you, I simply can not wait for our next encounter," Asami told her.

"You can not get too comfortable, I am a bit of a wild card," Korra playfully warned.

"I have no doubt about it. I look forward to making your acquaintance once more, Korra," Asami smiled.

"Do make sure you get home safe, Lady Sato," Korra grinned.

"Well if that is your command, then I suppose I simply have no other choice," Asami laughed.

The alpha bowed her head before exiting the ballroom with the rest of the attendees. That was one hell of a ball, no doubt about it. Korra drifted back to Jinora and Aunt Kya to wait for the rest of the stragglers to head home. Once the final guest had left, Jinora practically fell on the wall right beside her.

"I simply must get to bed before I collapse from exhaustion," Jinora dramatically whined.

"Agreed, and I was not even dancing for half as long as you did. Perhaps society does have a point. I am old," Korra groaned. In her defense, she has been moving around constantly to watch Jinora like a hawk.

"If I hear the words 'I am old' come from your mouth ever again, I am going to smack you. Now before you two retire, I would like a dance," Kya grinned.

She gestured to the orchestra who then played out a song meant for three people to dance to. Korra laughed and shook her head at the familiar tune.

"Really? After these many hours of dancing, you insist upon one more?" Jinora asked even though she was already falling into step with the music.

"Oh please, that was you girls dancing with potential suitors. Now, you're dancing with your favorite aunt. I can assure you that dancing with me is much more exciting," Kya laughed.

Jinora and Korra glanced at each other and as the song continued on. She's not entirely wrong, of course. Kya is probably one of the most interesting people on the planet. Those lame suitors simply can not compare.

As the three women giggled and twirled around the dance floor, Korra had to come to the realization that she has already been enjoying her time here in Caldera. She was able to reunite with old friends, is very likely gaining a new one with Asami, and most importantly is that Jinora is absolutely thriving. A little bit of silly dancing with family is quite deserved.

Perhaps the social season in Caldera won't be so bad after all. What could possibly go wrong?

#lok korra #korra x asami #avatar korra #lok asami #asami x korra #korrasami #incorrect legend of korra quotes #avatar the last airbender #legend of korra #asami sato #omegaverse #bridgerton au #korrasami fanfiction

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foxett · 5 months ago

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What's the swingset AU. I am hellbent on this AU rn and like pls yap about the lore 🙏

Aha.... Buckle your seatbelts this will take a while. (TW for mentions of s*icide, s*lf h*rm and death in general under the cut. Also omori spoilers. But that's probably to be expected)

Swingset was first an idea. Probably around early 2024??? I'm not sure but!!! I didn't actually plan to write anything about it until I got the idea for it and started writing the fic my last week of school (so it updates every wednesday)

The au itself... Hhhh yeah. Basically, the incident happens as normal, but Sunny doesn't have headspace and whitespace to slip into in his mind, and is fully aware the whole time Basil is doing the hanging and stuff or Mari. Sunny decides it's for the best and kills himself, hanging himself on the same tree Mari was already hanging on only like. Minutes later. (First chapter). Basil leaves before Sunny does that so he doesn't know it happens.

The rest of the gang (+ Basil is dragged along) and they find Mari and Sunny!!!! Yay!!! (Sarcastic yay) Anyways in short they react badly but Kel probably has it the worst because he's a little delulu in this au. Basil is close behind tho.

Kel twists the incident to Mari and Sunny making a swing and. Yeah. Au name!!! He also makes up fake versions of Sunny and Mari (and also everyone else, because the group fell apart) to hang out with. In other words, Kel needs a schizophrenia diagnosis. Everyone copes horribly (Basil. Well. Self harms. And generally is probably going insane.) (Hero bedrots like in canon but longer) (Aubrey bullies Basil at first but they make up and form a sorta sibling bond!) (not gonna spoil the exact thing but Aubrey will be traumatized further)

There's!!! A lot of stuff going on. Kel has all his fake friends (before the group reunited because of a certain incident!) - and also ghost Sunny and Mari (who age like ghost Mari does in canon because i said so) exist but they're not too important outside of the good ending.

I don't keep count but i think there's a total of 8 something's total. Canon something (Mari something, Maris hanging body), Sunny something (Sunny's hanging body), canon something (Mari at the bottom of the stairs, Basil's something), Noosething (Basil's extra au something (tying the noose which leads to Sunny's own suicide), Basil something (Aubrey's extra something. Not spoiling it for now...), Kel something (bad ending) and hero's very hd quality something's (he looked at the bodies too long ig)

Everyone has the sunny and mari somethings. Basil has 4 total. Hero and Aubrey have 3 (sunny, mari, their own bonus) Kel repressed his two but they still show up in the shadows sometimes :)

Basil is. Where do i start. He actually is completely delusional. Completely. More than Kel kinda. He also hears voices. He almost kills someone trying to kill himself (spoilers), and overall almost kills himself like. At least thrice. He doesn't take care of himself. At least Aubrey's there to help!

On a sorta wholesome note, everyone gets their hair dyed!! They do it to 'help' Kel to snap out of his delusions (it makes it worse) (kel does snap out of it at some point! But it might just be too late for it by then :) )

For the fic itself it's 11k ish words and 4 chapters at the moment.???? I have 20 chapters planned total plus two bonus ones so. Ouch. that's gonna be fun to write. I take the au itself seriously but the extra drawings i do for it... Ehhh not so much.

I have this gem of a doodle (vision basil and real basil) i frankly don't remember when i drew this. I probably was half asleep and it was like 2 am.

I plan to rework the old reference sheets i have and hopefully do the fifth chapter today and tomorrow! I don't actually wanna spoil much but definitely keep an eye out for some post!!!

Yippie! Read below ↓

mind the warnings (although since you made it this far, you probably don't care!!)

#omori #omori au #tw suicide #tw self h4rm #tw sh #swingset au #← scroll through the tag for older art and designs and info!!! it may be outdated!!#no im lying it DEFINITELY is outdated. i promise I'll work on the designs uaghdhd

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jsprnt · 1 year ago

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Healing Hearts PT.9 | Virgil van Dijk

Would a fresh start bring you more than just a new job?

A/N: Hi loves! Sorry for the late post. I’ve been studying for exams I have this week and the next week and it’s been insanely time consuming. That’s also why I’m choosing to take a two week break from writing, I hope you guys will understand. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be back with a banger. For now, enjoy this chapter <3

WC: 4.326

Summary: Y/N L/N is a very skilled and praised physiotherapist. A certain event pushing her for a fresh start, as a physiotherapist for Liverpool FC. One question always being in the back of her mind: Will she be able to let go of her past and allow herself to experience new things?

I let go of the steering wheel as I arrive at the terminal, half slumping over it due to how tired I am. Rubbing my eyes lightly to not smudge my mascara, even though I knew that the moment I sat down in the plane I would be out cold and my make up would be smeared. Thankfully, I could use all my energy on driving carefully and properly.

I groan, cursing the scheduling staff for planning a flight with the team at seven in the morning. The match against LASK would take place tomorrow evening, so why the rush?

I grab my small suitcase filled with all the essentials I would need over the course of the next two days. I throw my handbag over my shoulder, actively trying to avoid the September sun, beaming into my tired eyes while locking my car.

I turn around walking towards the small private plane terminal. The wind had picked up since I left my home, making me feel like my suitcase weighed a million pounds. I place my hand above my eyes, looking down at the floor as I continue walking.

"Lookin' tired doctor."

I turn around abruptly, eyes meeting a cheery Robbo.

"Hm slept way too little." I respond, zero energy in my voice. He walks up next to me, a comforting smile on his face while he pats my shoulder.

"Sleep on the plane. Four hours should be good enough doctor."

"That was exactly my plan." I mumble a small smile cracking on my face, continuing to walk beside him. Pulling my suitcase behind me.

It had been about a week since the guys had come back from international duty. The away game against Wolves last Saturday was an amazing way to start again, with a 3-1 for Liverpool.

I had totally been busy with injuries lately, working on the recoveries and planning that came with them. Ibou could start tomorrows game thankfully. I still had to work with Trent on his injury, but I had full faith in his recovery.

Things between me and Virgil had been- normal. He'd joined the team on the away game, showing support to the guys even when he was suspended.

Thinking about that £100.000 fine he had received had me sweating just at the thought of having to pay. Expensive things and prices weren't that foreign to me, but having to spend that amount on a fine had me shocked. I had teased him about it, telling him he could abstain from buying a new super car that week. He had given me an annoyed look, as he continued to run faster on the treadmill during one of our appointments. I had never laughed at him that hard before.

He had brought up our conversation in his car after the appointment, urging me to not keep problems to myself again. I had waved him off with a smile, telling him I'd be fine. Truly, I hadn't lied. Everything had been going fine so far, no calls and no messages from him. I had just been living my life as normal as possible.

The week without Virgil had been a busy one, me being fully engrossed with work and everything. Both the paperwork and recovery of Trent and Ibou consuming most of my time.

The messages from Virgil were the only thing keeping me sane as I worked from morning to the evening. I couldn't lie, going to bed after reading a sweet goodnight message was something I really missed experiencing. That week had blessed me with the best sleep I'd ever gotten since I had moved to Liverpool.

We walk into the terminal, seeing all the familiar faces making me realize I had to actually socialize, instead of trying to sleep standing upright. We both walk through security quickly, being done within a couple minutes.

"I'm sitting." I mumble quickly to Robbo. I greet the people I walk past curtly, making my way over to the lounge, walking up to the very comfy looking seat.

I plop down, head down as I lean back into the chair. My handbag placed, on my lap. I close my eyes, sighing to my self at the peaceful feeling. Though sadly, that peace is broken by a hand tapping my arm lightly. I open my eyes, ready to yell at the person, but my mood changes as I am greeted by a hand holding out a warm cup of coffee. My eyes trail up the arm of the person, tired eyes meeting with Virgil's.

"Oh it's you." I mumble, squinting slightly due to the sun beaming through the glass panels. "Yes it's me. Disappointed?" He replies, a small smile on his lips.

"Very disappointed." I tease my voice tired, arms folded on my chest as I shake my head at him. He raises a brow, clicking his tongue before pulling the cup of coffee away from me.

"See, I saw you that looked tired and got you some coffee, but since you're disappointed by seeing me-" I chuckle at him, extending my hand to grab the cup of hot brown liquid. "I'm kidding, of course I'm happy to see you." I tease, taking a sip of the coffee. He sighs, looking at me with an annoyed but amused look.

He takes a seat beside me, as I sip on the coffee. The caffeine is either going to keep me up or give me the worse headache known to mankind in the next hour. I slump back in my chair, feet off the ground as I sway them a little.

"Why are you acting like you barely slept?" He asks, leaning closer. I lift my arm, putting it above my eyes in a comforting way. "Cause I barely slept like five hours." I mumble, a soft huff leaving my lips.

"Why? You were off pretty early yesterday."

"You'll either call me an idiot or laugh." I sigh before continuing. "I woke up in the middle of the night after dreaming- well having a nightmare about losing my passport." I explain, arm still placed on my head. "So- I woke up panicking. I immediately started looking for my actual passport and couldn't find it. Which lead me to turn my entire apartment upside down and a panic attack until I realized I had placed it into my handbag." I pull my passport out of my handbag, waving it at him. He doesn't spare a second before he's laughing as loud as he can, way too loud this early in the morning.

"You're serious?"

"Dead serious." I grumble, a little embarrassed at the attention he's drawing. "Stop laughing- you're making my head hurt." I mumble.

He clears his throat before turning to me again. I lift my arm and look at him, seeing the most beautiful smile on his face. My eyes travel down to his tatted arms, getting practically lost in the pretty designs.

He opens his mouth to say something, but he's stopped by the announcement of us being allowed to board. I groan, squeezing my eyes fully shut for a moment before standing up along with Virgil. He pulls his training fleece on, following me out.

The overly tired girl stands up, grabbing her handbag as Virgil walks alongside her. He observes her slumped and tired looking frame, feeling a slight thump in his heart. He didn't like seeing her mood so down.

He reaches out to her and grabs her handbag, her head moving to the side and up to look at what he's doing. His hand now clinging onto her handbag.

"Let me hold it- looks heavy." He mumbles, his hand coming to rest in between her shoulder blades in a comforting manner. She doesn't react, exhausted and slightly slumped forward as she practically lets him guide her towards the plane.

Both are unaware of the gossiping and teasing looks exchanged in between the other Liverpool players.

The cold winds blow past them, making them slow their pace significantly before stepping into the plane and taking their seat, next to each other. She slides into the window seat, head already slumped against the soft cushion of the luxurious seat. He sits down after putting his belongings up, her handbag placed on the small table-like space in between their seats.

They take off a while later, but Virgil taps her shoulder, taking her out of her tired trance.

"Hm? What's wrong?" She asks, turning slightly to face him. "Here, drink this and go to sleep." He says, handing her a bottle of water. She raises a brow, grabbing the bottle and taking a few gulps.

"I don't know if I want to sleep now." She mumbles, standing up to remove her phone from her back pocket. "Why? You still look tired."

"Yeah but-" she begins looking into his brown eyes. "Do we have wet wipes on the plane?" He looks at her confused, wondering why she'd need them. "I'll be back." she says. Walking away as he's looking back at her confused.

She walks back not even a minute later, wet wipes in her hand as she sinks back into her seat. She starts wiping off the make up that was quickly applied that morning.

"You're wiping your make up off to go to sleep?" He asks, looking at her intently. "Yeah, these white seats won't look pretty nor will my face." She jokes, running the wipe along her cheeks. Carefully removing the last of her eye make up before turning to him. "Can you look if all the mascara is gone?" She asks, moving her face close, so he can see.

Virgil stares at her, taking in the beauty of her bare face, realizing he'd never seen her without make up before, this time she was fully bare faced. "The make up? Yes, I think it's all gone." He replies, a breathlessness in his normally deep voice.

She smiles, moving back to sit in her seat comfortably. "Thank you for checking." She discards the used wipes. She can feel her head staring to hurt and places her head back on the soft cushion, a yawn leaving her lips as her eyes become droopy, her exhaustion taking over and pulling her into a slumber. Soft snores making it obvious she was in need of a nap.

The athlete notices the snores, chuckling at the physio sleeping peacefully next him. Staring at her for a moment, tracing her beautiful features with his eyes.

He notices her shiver, and tugs his training fleece off, leaving him in his T-shirt and draping it on her sleeping figure.

He notices his teammates loud banter from across the aisle, hearing them joke loudly brings a smile to his face. He glances back at y/n, noticing her stirring, half awake. He reaches out, placing a hand on her arm and trying to calm her down.

"It's just the guys, go back to sleep hm?" He whispers tenderly, and her eyes close again. He watches her fall back into a slumber, and returns to watching his show he had selected earlier. He'd send a glare to the younger guys when they'd get too rowdy, telling them to calm down just incase they'd wake their physio up. Glancing at her sometimes to check on her.

A quiet "Sorry Virg" sent to him after he would glare. Virgil unaware of the fact that his teammates were gossiping about their way too obvious captain. Making up stories and betting on ways he'd finally confess to their beloved physio.

I open my eyes, squinting at the sunlight beaming through the window, noticing a jacket on my lap. I fix some of my hair and look at Virgil who looks totally invested into the show he's watching. I look at his bare arms and realize he must've placed his jacket on me while I was asleep. Making me feel warm at the thought. I reach over to nudge him, he turns his head immediately, removing his earphones.

"Oh you're awake."

"How long did I sleep?" I ask him, rubbing my eyes. He checks the time on his screen. "About two hours."

"Really? I was out for two hours?" I gasp.

"Yeah, I just let you sleep because you looked so peaceful." He says, staring at my slightly disheveled form. I can feel my face flush, so I decide stand up, grabbing my handbag and telling him I'll freshen up. I walk past him, sighing to myself as I walk down the aisle to the toilet.

I stare at myself in the mirror, thankfully I didn't look that bad, though my eyes were definitely puffy. I wash my face and fix my appearance a little, pulling down the soft white top I'm wearing since it had ridden up a little while asleep.

I walk back into my seat, plopping down and staring at the screen Virgil was watching, he notices, taking out one of his earphones and handing it to me with no words exchanged. I smile at him, accepting it as we continue to watch the show together.

I watch as the guys train, the sun had gone down a while ago in Linz, the sky pitch black with stars twinkling as I look up to admire them. The beauty of the sky in an open field was incomparable to the view of it in the big city, but both were amazing to look at.

I had been to Austria before, not necessarily stayed but visited it during a road trip me and my family went on when I was younger. We had traveled all around Europe for about three weeks. My parents had taken much-needed time off and decided traveling and seeing as many places as possible was the way to go.

I snap out of my thoughts at the sound of a whistle, realizing training had finally ended for the day. I tug my jacket on, chuckling at myself for being cold while all the players were drenched in sweat due to training. I watch as I see some of the players sit down on the chairs on the side of the pitch, and walk over to hand them some water.

"How are you even cold?" I hear Ibou yell, visibly tired. I laugh at him, handing him a bottle.

"Because I didn't go running throughout the entire field like you guys." I retort. "Besides I have low iron." I say, zipping up my jacket, hearing some players laugh. "Low iron yeah?" I hear Virgil say, smirking. "What? Can you let me live?" I say, hands on my hips while looking at him offended.

Our conversation- well bickering is interrupted as I turn my head to look at Dr. Woods, who's calling out to me, talking to me about the condition of some players.

Since Dr. Davis couldn't be here I would have to step in for him. This also meant I could join Dr. Woods on the bench as physiotherapist, making me feel super excited for tomorrows game. Finally, my bench debut would happen!

We arrive back at the fancy hotel, our luggage already brought up to our rooms. I was told I could take Dr. Davis'. So, I had my own private room I didn't have to share with any other female staff member, making me long for the comfortable silence and the big soft bed.

I walk along with some players, listening to them chat amongst each other. I reach into my jacket pocket, grabbing the chocolate snack I had stuffed into it, just in case. I had been craving sweets lately, undoubtedly an early sign of my period. I unwrap it, taking a bite before realizing I'm being watched by someone.

"What? I can't have low iron and a snack?" I ask Virgil. My eyebrows raised defensively as I take another bite, shaking my head at his judging expression. He raises his hands, jokingly surrendering with a smile on his face. "I didn't say a word."

"You've been on the doctors case a lot captain, give it a rest." I hear Robbo say as he puts his arm around my shoulders. I smile at him, as he tries defending me. "I know right he's being so rude." I say, as I start fake crying and Robbo laughings. I glance back at Virgil, seeing his expression drop for a moment, something flickering in his eyes.

"You've been teaming up with my teammates! What is this, no support for your captain at all!" He points to Robbo, but other players around us laugh, knowing they've joined me with teasing him. "Sorry lad, the doctor is the one helping me recover after I get injured. I don't want to be on her bad side." I smirk at him, holding back a laugh as we walk into the hotel.

I tell the guys goodnight as I get off the elevator on the level my room is. Walking into the hotel room, immediately walking over to check the view. The shining city lights making me admire them for a second before jumping into the shower.

I walk back out of the shower, bathrobe on as I plop onto the bed. Picking up my phone from the nightstand, realizing my friends had been ringing it. I press onto the missed call, their faces coming into view as I lift the phone closer to my face.

"Finally, miss sports physio called us back." I hear Monet say. I roll my eyes at her, leaning back and throwing my self fully onto the bed. "I was in the shower." I say, voice tired. "How was the flight?" Priya says. "Fine, I took a nap." I reply, running a hand on my face.

"You guys, she called me at two in the morning! Thinking she lost her passport, panicking for I think an hour, before realizing she put it in her handbag!" Jul shouts complaining about my late night call to her. I hear the others chuckle.

"Stop, it's not funny! I really thought I was fucked this time!" I whine. "You really need to stop overthinking, girl you used to always do that back in uni." Liz replies sternly. I groan at the tone in her voice, a scolding from her was always imminent.

I talk to them some more, before hanging up as I had to go to bed. I yawn, grabbing my suitcase and choosing my sleepwear. Changing as fast as possible and getting ready to finally rest properly.

I cheer as the referee whistles, clapping at the team's performance during the game. Liverpool had won 3-1 and I couldn't be prouder since they were on top of their table. The match was full of exciting moments like, Ryan's first assist for Liverpool and most importantly the final win. Not to mention, my first time being actively working on the pitch during a Liverpool match.

We walk back into the team bus, everyone tired but in a good mood. I pull out my phone, checking my notifications before clicking on the highlights of my childhood football club, who also had a match, the same time as us.

Despite only getting interested into football in my late teenage years, my dad always made it a point to teach me to love his childhood club. It was a generational tradition at this point. Since my dad is part Turkish, and was raised by my Turkish grandfather, he had to support the same Turkish football club: Fenerbahçe. It was one of the things that bonded me and my dad, at least a little.

"What are you watching? Highlights of what game?" I pause the video turning to Virgil. "My childhood club." I reply. "Fenerbahçe? Right you're part Turkish." He remembers, and I nod. "Think Galatasaray is better to be honest." He blurts, and glare at him. He really had to say that he liked my clubs biggest rivals in their league?

"Stop right now, I swear I'll never treat you again." I threaten, offended. "You're a little too fanatic- Okay I'll stop." He surrenders, a smirk on his face. I sigh, and return back to watch the video. "Oh they won, are you happy doctor?" He interrupts, again. "Yeah, my dad is so happy." I laugh, showing him the rare message my dad had sent in our family group chat.

I glance back at him, noticing him staring at me instead of the phone screen. I see him look away quickly, mumbling something about football making everyone happy. I can feel butterflies in my stomach, but I try to shrug it off, returning to finish watching the video. This time paying half the attention with my thoughts somewhere else.

We feel the bus park a while later, and we all walk out and go up to our hotel rooms. I wave everyone off, getting into my room, not feeling very tired, but remembering we had to get up at nine thirty this time, to get back to Liverpool.

I hear my phone ping as I'm watching TV on the couch, snacking on some candy and chocolate I had gotten this morning. I check my phone, seeing that Virgil had texted.

"Are you up y/n?"

I immediately feel butterflies in my stomach. What's with late text?

"Yeah, I'm up." I text, snapping a picture of the snacks on the table. "Craved some candy and a good movie."

He sends a funny sticker, also snapping back a video of him laying in his bed, might I add, shirtless. He pans the camera to show his own empty room, hearing his TV blare in the background. "Ohh so captain gets his own room?" I text, teasing him.

I smile to myself. If anyone else was in this room, they probably think I looked like a giddy teenage girl, texting her crush.

"What room are you in?" He replies, and my heart stops for a second. Why does he want to know that? Does he want to come here? I mentally panic before, getting it together and telling him what number.

"311 why?" I ask.

"You'll see." He replies, and I shoot up from my position. Is he actually coming to my room? At almost ten o'clock? I neglect texting back, running to my bathroom, fixing my hair and putting on some sweatpants underneath my oversized shirt. I take my time, just in time for a knock on the door.

I calmly walk up to the door, placing my head against the door to check through the peephole.

It's hotel staff?

I open the door carefully, sticking my head out of the opening. "Hello miss! Your room service." I stare at him for a second, tilting my head before it clicks. Virgil wasn't coming over to my room.

No, he'd ordered room service for me?

I open the door wider, allowing the man to bring in the food, he leaves shortly after and I close the door behind him.

I grab my phone off the couch, walking up to the food that was ordered for me. Two charcuterie boards; one consisting of all sorts of fruit and the another one full off savory snacks.

This was the sweetest thing someone had done for me in a long time, it making me a little emotional. Tears well up in my eyes at the thought. I couldn't tell if it was my hormonal cycle changing or it was due to the fact that I genuinely was so touched.

My phone pings with Virgil sending messages.

"Did you receive it?" He asks. "I thought this would be better than eating unhealthy snacks."

I feel a single tear drop down my cheek, replying with a picture of my crying face. "Wait, why are you crying? Do you do not like it?" He texts and I feel more tears fall down.

"No, it's so sweet that you thought of doing this." I reply, wiping away the tears on my cheek.

"Come on anyone would think of doing that." He says, and I laugh to myself. He was either way too oblivious or trying to be humble.

"No, seriously. You're so sweet, thank you." I reply, along with a sticker of a cute kitten. He sends a sticker back, before telling me to enjoy the snacks along with the movie.

I suddenly get an idea.

"Do you want to come over? I mean I couldn't finish all this by myself.” I ask, a little nerve wracked, fidgeting with my necklace.

"Are you sure? It's late, and we have to be up early." He replies.

"It's fine come down!" I text back, before dropping my phone on my bed and running to pull on some more appropriate lounge wear, this time knowing he'd come over for sure.

My phone pings a couple minutes later and I open the message. "I'm at your door." I read, before hearing a knock.

"I'm coming." I say, a little quieter too not wake up everyone on my floor. I swing my door open, revealing a very relaxed looking Virgil, in gray sweats and a black T-shirt. The dream combo, I hold back a laugh.

I notice how good his hair looked, his waves done neatly. Did this man just take his durag off or? His hair always looked freshly done, no matter what.

"Hey." He mutters. A pretty smile on his face.

"Hi." I whisper back, returning the smile as my dimples show. I step aside, making way for him to enter my room, and closing the door behind him.

#virgil van dijk fanfiction #virgilvandijkimagines #virgil van dijk #virgilvandijk #vandijk #liverpoolfc #football #football fanfic #football imagines #liverpoolimagines #liverpool fanfic #virgil van dijk x reader #virgil x reader #footballer x reader

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bandedbulbussnarfblat · 11 months ago

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here is a preview for my next Armand/Daniel one shot (which I will hopefully finish and post sometime tomorrow) under a read more bc it's a bit long

It’s been nearly a month since Daniel and Armand have reconciled. Regaining his memories awakened those old feelings. After the interview, Daniel tried to go back to his normal life. He didn’t last long. Once he remembered Armand, he wanted him. It’s like he’s found the missing puzzle piece that completes him.

Which yeah, that’s not exactly healthy. But Daniel is old and sick; he figures he’s got ten to fifteen years tops. Years of drug use have had their toll, and there isn’t exactly a cure for Parkinson’s. So if he wants to spend his last few years with the love of his life, who cares? They’ve already damaged each other in all the ways that matter. And yet, there’s still so much love there.

Daniel loves Armand so much it makes him crazy.

Worse, it makes him insanely horny. They haven’t fucked yet. Armand tried getting in his pants the very night they got back together. Daniel had refused him, saying at his age he couldn’t get it up anymore. He’s about seventy-five percent sure that Armand knows he’s lying. Even without peeking in his head; he’s learned to read Daniel’s expressions well enough.

And Daniel has told him not to go digging around in there without his permission. As far as he knows, Armand hasn’t. It’s not so bad, not having sex. Not like he was having much before. Everyone his age is either married or in long term relationships. Sure, there’s a few other divorcees, but none he’s really interested in. So it’s been awhile.

It’s not like he’s not getting off in other ways. Armand bites him almost every night, and that feels just as good as sex. Plus, he knows for a fact that Armand considers it more intimate. Still, Daniel worries. With Louis gone off and living the single life–not that that will last long–Armand isn’t getting it anywhere else either. He doesn’t want it to cause problems between them.

But he can’t do it. Armand remembers him from his youth, when he was willing to try anything at least once. Back then he was a lot more flexible, and he didn’t sag in the wrong places. Armand may think he wants to be with him, but the experience will prove lackluster. He can’t do the things he used to do anymore. He’ll just disappoint Armand.

The nightlight clicks on, light catching Armand’s fiery eyes and making them seem to glow. “What’s wrong, my love? Usually you’re asleep by now.”

Sleeping during the day isn’t nearly as hard as Daniel expected it to be. His circadian rhythm has always been off, he doesn’t get sleepy till around 3 in the morning. Sleeping during the day has actually done wonders for his insomnia.

Daniel rolls to his side and meets Armand’s gaze. Armand installed those fancy windows he had in Dubai to Daniel’s house here in Brooklyn. They never really talked about it; Armand spent the night the first night and then just never left. Daniel doesn’t really mind; he wants Armand here.

“Can’t shut off my brain,” Daniel says.

“Perhaps I can help,” Armand says, and reaches a hand to his neck to stroke his thumb over the bite mark he left earlier.

Heat flares in Daniel’s core and he sucks in a sharp breath. God, he wants Armand. Wants those teeth inside him at the same time as his cock. He wants Armand to fuck him stupid. Sometimes, when it was really good, or especially intense, he would get all floaty after. Like he was disconnected from his body and everything was fuzzy and loose.

Armand’s eyes darken and his hand closes around Daniel’s throat and holds him in place. Then his mouth is on Daniel’s and Daniel sinks into the kiss. Armand always kisses him a little before he bites him, and it’s always nice. There’s a sharper edge to it now then there has been. Armand’s tongue is fucking his mouth, and his lips are moving against his perfectly.

Armand shifts, putting Daniel on his back. He uses his free hand to spread Daniel’s thighs so he can slot between them. He kisses Daniel until Daniel has to break away to catch his breath. Then Armand nuzzles into his neck and breathes in his scent. His hand moves to Daniel’s hair and snatches his head back. He licks a hot stripe up Daniel’s neck and Daniel moans wantonly.

Armand kisses his throat and sighs. “My beautiful boy, let me make love to you.”

Daniel stiffens. “I can’t, I told you-”

“Daniel,” Armand cuts him off, voice stern. “Tell me the truth. Why don’t you want to be with me?”

Daniel can feel his face turn red. “I don’t want to disappoint you. I’m not a spring chicken anymore.”

Armand’s brow furrows. “You mortals have such peculiar expressions. I suppose that’s referring to your age?”

Daniel looks away, nervously twisting his hands. Armand catches them and presses a kiss to the back of each. “You can’t disappoint me, beloved. I’ve longed for you these years apart. Let me have you.”

Daniel snorts. “I’m old and out of shape. It won’t be like it was before.”

“Do you truly think that matters?”

Daniel feels his chest tighten and he has to blink to keep the tears from welling. “Are you even physically attracted to me anymore? Because eventually the nostalgia will wear off and you’ll-”

“I’ll what, Daniel?”Armand says sharply. “Do tell me.”

“You’ll get tired of me. Realize I’m not the same person anymore. And you’ll leave.” Daniel didn’t realize how much he feared it, until he said it out loud.

“I’m not the one who leaves.”

Daniel winces. He might deserve that a little. He did run off quite a bit. But Armand let him leave, let him stay gone. If he really loved him, why didn’t he just find him and bring him back?

Armand’s gaze softens and he bends down to gently kiss along Daniel’s throat. Daniel allows it, sinking down into the mattress. It feels nice; arousal coursing through his entire body. Fuck, he wants Armand.

Armand nuzzles that spot right beneath his ear that always gets him hot, before sucking on it. It feels heavenly. Armand pulls back to pepper kisses over his throat. “I love you, my beautiful boy. I’ll never tire of you. I’ll never stop wanting you.”

He has such conviction in his voice. Daniel wants to believe it, but he isn’t sure. “I’m not beautiful, and I’m not a boy anymore.”

“You’re as lovely to me as the day I set eyes on you,” Armand says, then moves his mouth near Daniel’s ear. “And you’re my boy, always.”

#fic preview #not my best work #but with the mental health in shambles i'm proud of myself for writing anything #also if y'all read it and like it i will be compelled to finish and post it #i think tumblr may have made the format a little off too

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wildkitte · 2 years ago

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Let’s talk about Creusa!

Hooray @aeneiddaily has finally reached my favouritest blorbo of the Aeneid, Aeneas’ wife Creusa. I just finished my bachelor’s thesis about her (specifically what Maurus Servius Honoratus says about her character, also comparing to R. G. Austin’s commentary) and she’s been a special little brainrot of mine for the last couple years even before last schoolyear’s deeper dive into madness.

For now I want to just talk about some basics when it comes to Creusa, and then some more text based analysis later (probably tomorrow and the day after, I suppose?). Please note that my information on the topic is still limited - I only got as far as a BA thesis can go (around 33 pages overall), and I mostly used articles written in English and whatever was accessible through my university’s library.

Let’s start with a little introduction, and once Aeneid Daily gets to the Juicy Bits (aka lines 2.768–795) I’ll get to some deeper discussions of her character and what commentators, both modern and ancient, have said about her.

(And, uh… spoilers for the ending of Book 2? If that is a concern?)

SO, Creusa! Who is Creusa? Well, she is Aeneas’ wife and the mother of their son Ascanius, and she dies at the end of the Book 2, these are the basic facts. But are they? There’s actually some interesting stuff relating to her tradition.

Aeneas’ wife appears in earlier tradition, in both art and literature. In the famous depiction of Aeneas carrying his father and the penates out of Troy, he’s occasionally accompanied by a woman (or sometimes two) depicted with him, assumedly his wife. Sometimes she tags along with Aeneas to Italy, and in some traditions, she is saved and swept away by Venus or Cybele. To my knowledge she is never captured by the Greeks (like poor Andromache and Cassandra). For some reason Vergil decided to create a version where she dies (and I will get to the possible motives of this in another post), and that became the popular tradition after Aeneid was published.

One fascinating thing about Creusa (that drives me ABSOLUTELY INSANE) is actually her name – and specifically that it might not be her name at all.

She has been called Εὐρυδίκη (Latin spelling often Eurydica), and the name later changes to Κρέουσα (lat. Creusa). It is not certain when or why this change happens exactly. Pausanias talks about this in Hellados periegesis and explain that Creusa (Κρέουσα) is “naturally Aeneas’ wife” (εἶναι γὰρ δὴ καὶ Αἰνείου τὴν Κρέουσαν γυναῖκα) but that i.e., the author Leskheos has also used the name Εὐρυδίκη (Paus. 10. 26.1-2). But suddenly in the 1st century BC, Livy, Vergil and Dionysius of Halicarnassus start using the name Creusa – I have not been able to find an explanation as to why this happened. Austin speculates that it might have been some new finding of the antiquarians of the time, or perhaps one of the authors came up with the name first and it caught on (Pausanias certainly sheds no more light on this).

But hey why is the name important at all? Well, you might have picked up on the familiar name Eurydica there and maybe even made the connection to Vergil’s Georgics – and you would be absolutely correct to do so! While Vergil is partially creating his own tradition with Creusa, he references his own passage on Orpheus and Eurydice in the 4th book of the Georgics (4.453-527), down to direct quotes pulled from this previous work. There are some pretty obvious similarities between Aeneas and Creusa and Orpheus and Eurydice, which I found to be an interesting add-on to the character of Creusa (I’ll also come back to this later – let’s talk about PARALLELS BABY). In a way Vergil’s Creusa carries with her the earlier tradition of Aeneas’ wife, and Vergil is able to connect all these versions of her into one while also reinventing her for the purposes of the epic. (I am very normal about this) (trust me)

Her being Ascanius’ mother is actually something that has been contended as well. Servius mentions that it has been called into question – there are some who think Ascanius is Lavinia’s son (he mentions Livy as one; see Serv. Aen. 1.7) rather than Creusa’s. In Vergil’s version Creusa is very explicitly Ascanius’ mother, and this actually has a deeper reasoning than just a matter of taste. I probably don’t have to explain to anyone the importance of connecting Aeneas and through him Iulus to emperor Augustus, but it is indeed connected to that. Not only is Iulus of divine origin (being the grandson of Venus) but he is also descendent from the royal family of Troy – Creusa is Priam’s daughter, Hector’s sister, and Vergil brings this up a lot (as does Servius, he’s really into proving the point). The Trojan royal family line brings even more legitimacy to gens Julia‘s right to power. Here Vergil creates a political myth (like Tarrant (1997) puts it) to emphasize Augustus' legitimacy and Creusa being Ascanius’ mother is an integral part of that.

But hey so, Creusa’s death, what’s up with that?

Once we get to her disappearance, I’ll talk about this a bit more because there is actually a lot of interesting discourse there, both in modern research as well as Servius’ commentary (Commentarius in Vergilii Opera, from c. 4th and 5th century (I include both Servius and Servius Auctus and use them interchangeably)). It all starts from today’s entry, lines 2.675-678, but I’ll talk about it more once we have full context.

So here’s my little introduction to Creusa, I have a lot more to say (I had 33 pages to say, actually, and would’ve had more if I didn’t have to narrow my research topic down, boo).

Oh Creusa, Creusa, you mysterious creature, most loyal of wives and yet another tragic female character who must die for Aeneas’ fate to be fulfilled. She’s a wife, she’s a mother, she’s chosen by gods and even… immortal? More to come tomorrow!

(Edit: the rest of my posts on her can be found in my creusa-tag)

#creusa #the aeneid #aeneid daily #wildkitte #a lot of this is based on austin's commentary so if you've found better more updated information let me know #i can make a list of all my sources in a later post! i didn't feel like doing citations for this one this isn't tumblr university #but good basic reading on her is perkell (even if i do occasionally disagree w her) grillo and hughes #i also really liked rivoltella's article if you know any italian #and if someone wants to send me articles abt creusa i will appear to you as a ghost and give you auspicious prophecies #there in store for you happy days etc #servius actually made me cry more than once so you better be thankful when i get to quote him more

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waterfallofspace · 2 years ago

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The Stray Saga

The one in which R/ei tries to adopt some cats, and K/azuki deals with the fallout of these choices. Set pre-M/iri, inspired heavily by the fact that we canonically know R/ei liked to take home strays, and well, snzbrain said ‘what if there was another reason he can’t keep them’. Absolutely not canon, or canon based, but hopefully that’s forgivable for the sake of –the plot– hahaha~ (does contain references to drinking/being drunk, as well as swearing and mentions of violence, so please be cautious if you dislike those things~) I do not claim to be good at this, first attempt trying b/uddy d/addies, so please excuse the lack of experience hahaha~ I am not confident in my ability to get their voices down, but I gave it an attempt! Also the ending is not my favourite, but I kinda didn’t know where to take it, soooo hopefully it’s acceptable~ Posting before I lose the nerve! Characters: R/ei (sneezy boi in this one), K/azuki, & a few cute kitties

Word Count: 4.5k

“The First”

The first thought Kazuki had as he let himself stumble through the doorway was ‘I probably shouldn’t have had that last drink’. As the pounding headache he knew would emerge tomorrow morning started to push against his temples, the second thought he had was ‘I wish Rei would stop smoking in the apartment’. The third was ‘meow’. “Wait… what?” Even drunk, Kazuki couldn’t say he’d ever made animal noises in his head before… Maybe he was going insane. It would figure, living with a maniac that should have been committed years ago, and he was the one that goes ins-

“Mrreow” Another suspiciously cat-sounding noise cuts through his internal dialogue, this time definitely not coming from inside his head. Stumbling down the hallway, and leaning himself against the counter, Kazuki nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight in front of him. Rei hadn’t moved an inch from when he’d left for the club, and yet, somehow, instead of a controller, there was a kitten sitting in his lap. The smoke lazily rising from an ashtray sitting on the table was almost enough to hide the unmistakable smell of tuna radiating from an open can tha- yep, that sat right next to his hand on the counter.

“Is that a cat?” He got nothing but a lazy snff in return, as Rei’s eyes never left the tv screen, where some video game related video was playing, volume muted, but captions on. Weird, he normally only watched like that when his head was bothering him. “I hate that I know that” Oh whoops, he said that out loud. Being drunk was certainly blurring the lines between internal and external dialogue. One of the unfortunate side effects that Rei seems immune from, typical for Mr. No-Weakness himself. ‘No Weakness’ except the utter lack of ability to care for himself.

His spiraling thoughts were cut off by an unusual noise coming from the direction of the pair lounging on the couch. At first Kazuki wasn’t sure if it came from Rei or the cat, till he watched a hint of desperation flash over Rei’s normally lazily annoyed featured, before he crashed into his hand with another light “hH’gxDT!uhh”. He was impressively still for it, careful not to disturb the ball of fur curled up in his lap, despite the itchy sigh he let out after signaling that this subdued explosion did nothing to relieve the tickle behind it. “Bless yo-” “heh’kTSHH! Ihh… hIH’kZZSHUE!” “Christ Rei, bless you, are you… alr… are you alright?” The desperation of them suggested the earlier stifle had definitely not been the first, and upon closer inspection, Kazuki could see the red tint around his nose, and the water threatening to release itself from his eyes. To his credit, despite releasing some of the most itchy sounding sneezes Kazuki had ever heard, Rei managed to not move his lap or disturb his guest sleeping in it. “You’re home late.” He grumbled, voice hoarse enough to make Kazuki wince, even after just a handful of words.

“Lost track of time, had- had a good night atttt the casino, maybe had a few… few too… few too many drinks. You didn’t ans- answer my…. my question.” This earned him a low groan, quickly followed by a desperate gasp as Rei leaned into his shoulder to try and contain a harsh “hh’KSCHHue! Hehh! hh’ZZSHH’UE!uhhh… haHH’GNXXT’huhhh” only succeeding in gaining enough control to half stifle the last one, seemingly much to his annoyance, as he coughed roughly with a deep snfff.

“That’s still not an ans… answer.” “You sound drunk.” “I am drunk, what’s yo- your… what’s your… excuse.”

Man he was way more out of it than he thought, and he could feel himself fading into the sweet release of sleep, each blink seeming to take forever, eyes hesitating to open again.

“I’m going to sleep now, we’ll t- ta- talk about thhhhe cat in-the mornin’.” He barely managed to get out, before slinking up the stairs, with more difficulty than he’d care to admit, before finally collapsing in his bed for a well earned nights sleep.

~~~~~~~

Kazuki was definitely more of a morning person than Rei, but that did not mean he was eager to get up before the sun did. And yet, for some reason, his room was still dark, yet he was wide awake. The pounding in his head he had anticipated was actually quite manageable compared to some past ones, and he chalked it up to the frankly atrocious amount of coffee and water he had consumed before coming home from the bar. “hehh’nggXT!uhhh. nngxxt! Hh’ihhzzshhue!” The reason for his early awakening quickly revealed itself, and Kazuki pulled himself out of bed, opening his door, to find the alarming sight of Rei sitting on the stairs, sniffling pathetically against his wrist. “Morning?” A low grumble was all he got in response, though it wasn’t out of rudeness, more desperation, as Rei gasped again, letting another rough “iihh’zsshhue!” go against his shoulder. They sounded less harsh then last night, but by no means less itchy. “Bless you. Alright, are you getting sick or something? Because I really do not want whatever this is that’s got you sitting outside my door at whatever-the-shit-o’clock.” “Snfff- I’m not sick. And it’s nearly 10am. I woke up and there was no breakfast.” Kazuki frantically turned towards the window to see that- yep, there was definitely sunlight coming in. Apparently his drunken self had decided he didn’t want to be woken up, and blocked any form of sunlight from entering his room. ‘Mental note, remind me to thank myself for the lovely experience of seeing Rei sitting outside waiting for food like a stray ca- “There was a cat.” “There is a cat.” Kazuki pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to take stalk of everything he knows through the haze of a hungover morning. There was a cat. There was cat food, and Rei was holding the cat. There was also no breakfast because he had just woken up. So, in conclusion, Rei had found another creature for him to have to care for. “Come down and I’ll make french toast. We’re not keeping the cat.” Rei said nothing, but let out a low grumble and stared daggers towards the wall after the last part, still standing up to follow Kazuki down to the kitchen. The mess waiting for him wasn’t unexpected, however the dozen cans of tuna sitting open and untouched on the counter wasn’t exactly Rei’s normal kind of mess. As he started cleaning them up, Kazuki felt a soft brush against his leg, followed by a deep stinging pain. “Wha-?” He squeaked, eyes turning down to the cat currently attempting to use him as a personal scratching pole. “Hey! Quit it.” He was gentle, but firm, as he pried the claws out of his leg, letting out a low whine as the cat seemed to decide this refusal meant he was offering cuddles instead, electing to hop onto the counter and plant itself right on top of his food. Rei, for his part, was letting out a deeply stifled laugh, the only noises escaping his shaking frame seeming oddly strangled, almost as if the air was attempting to enter his lungs, but refused. “Oh, this is funny to you? First you wake me by sneezing outside my door, then demand breakfast- a meal I know you won’t even thank me for, then proceed to laugh at the stray you brought into this house ruining my food?” Rei seemed like he was considering responding, but the choice was very quickly taken from him, as he instead ducked into his hands with a rapid- “hh’zschhue-ihhzschh’ue-hahh’gnxxt!” “Bless you. Wash your hands, like I said, I don’t want whatever this is. And we’re not keeping the cat, Rei. I’ll bring her somewhere after breakfast. I know a few girls at the casino who would love to have her as a pet.” Rei looked up over his cupped hands with a look that, on anyone else, Kazuki would probably call dismayed. Oh hell, or even ‘sad’. But this wasn’t anyone else, this was Rei. And in their line of work, tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. They both knew that. Besides, it was enough that he looked after Rei. He didn’t need to add a cat to that equation. Especially hungover with a sick Rei. Like promised, once breakfast was finished, he took the cat to the girls, who for their part, were overjoyed. Weirdly, by the time he got home, all the cat food had disappeared, and Rei was planted back on the couch with his game, not a single sign of cold left. Kazuki decided not to question it, whether he had taken meds, suddenly shaken it, or just never had one to begin with, it wasn’t his problem. He had a job to prepare for and christ knows Rei wasn’t planning on helping. ~~~~~~~ “The Second” The job hadn’t gone as planned, ‘like it ever does’ Kazuki thought, as they drove back in utter silence. He had a plan, he always had a plan, but of course he hadn’t known about the big bosses' deep fear of lizards ‘lizards, of all things, really?’. And you see, because some higher deity somewhere had decided screwing with him was a great way to pass the time, a lizard just happened to crawl its way into the boss's office. Right as Kazuki was trying to get into position outside the door. Thus, sending the boss running and screaming right into him, alerting every guard in the place. Thankfully for him, Rei was already in position, so after shooting the boss, and ducking behind a doorway to avoid fire from the henchmen outside, he beelined for Rei’s line of sight. This quickly rid him of his chasers, and he grabbed Rei’s arm and bolted for the car, mission practically accomplished. However, the most shocking part of the whole mission, and also why they were sat merely inches apart without a single word, was sitting in Rei’s lap, purring. How this man managed to find a stray kitten while attempting an assassination was beyond Kazuki, but despite protests, the kitten had been brought with them. Not an emotion showed on his face, and yet somehow Kazuki knew that should he attempt to rid them of the kitten, Rei was prepared to do whatever it took to get it back. So, they rode in silence. Actually, silence was the wrong word. It wasn’t a lack of sound, it was a lack of words. But sounds, there were plenty of those. The kitten purring, the car’s engine humming, and Rei’s nearly constant sniffles. After the first few, Kazuki had asked if he was alright, earning him an eye roll and a sigh. “Hihh’nngt!huhh. ihH! Ih’ngxxt!uhhh” And then there was that. He didn’t understand the point of suppressing them like that. Sitting right next to him, it’s not as if he couldn’t still hear them, and the laboured exhales suggested they were taking more effort then he let on. Kazuki supposed it had to do with not jarring the kitten, though considering how Rei gets when he’s sick, he wouldn’t be surprised if it had something to do with control. He didn’t know a lot about Rei’s upbringing, but what he did know didn’t seem all that nurturing. “Bless you. Are you alright?” It was met with another eyeroll, this time accompanied by an itchy sounding sigh. That seemed to be a mistake, the flow of air triggering another set of sneezes. “hehh’nKXTT!uhhh… hhh… hehh’gNNT!shhh” “Bless you. You don’t sound good, are you coming down with something?” “No.” One word is still better than nothing, however shallow the answer may feel. It doesn’t help that it’s followed by a desperate sniffle and rough clearing of his throat. “You sure? It’s okay if you are, but I’d prefer to know so I can stock up on meds and supplies, plus I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for fair warning if I’m about to be down for the count.” “I’m not sick.” Would’ve been more convincing if it didn’t end up sounding like ‘I’b dot sick’. “hAH’ZZSCHHUE! Hehh! hH’RSSHHUE! EHH’ZZSCHH’UEE!” The outburst nearly causes Kazuki to swerve into oncoming traffic. His wide eyed glance at Rei seems to paint a slight pink tint on the other’s face, as he slowly comes up from where he’d barely managed to catch the sneezes in his hand. The kitten mews in protest at the movement, but quickly settles back down with a soft scratch behind the ears. “Jesus christ Rei, you gotta warn me, I nearly killed us! Bless you by the way.” “Sorry. I didn’t feel them coming.” “Alright, but you do realize this is going on the column of points towards ‘sickness’ not ‘health’, yeah?” “I’m not sick.” This time it was Kazuki who rolled his eyes, pulling the car over to the side of the road so he could turn and give Rei his full attention. “Okay, then explain the mess that is you right now, because I’m not buying it.” Rei seemed to find the road beside them suddenly fascinating, the slightly pink tint darkening just a tad. Unnoticeable to the untrained eye, however Kazuki’s was anything but. He reached out a hand to Rei’s forehead, surprised to feel no unusual warmth. At the sensation, Rei’s eyes met his, eyebrows slightly raised. Kazuki sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, removing his hand. “Just testing, you really don’t sound good, but no fever. A cold maybe?” “I’m n- hH’KTCH’shiew!” The high pitched nature of the ending seemed to catch them both by surprise, with Rei offering a slight eye roll, seemingly aimed at himself, before ducking into his shoulder, away from Kazuki. “ehhtzzzshhuee! hAH’kngxxt!uhhh” “Bless you again. You shouldn’t do that, ya know.” “It’s not like I’m exactly making the choice to sneeze.” Kazuki barely contains the urge to hit him, settling instead for an eye roll. “Not sneeze, I mean, suppress them like that. It’s gotta hurt, I mean shit, it hurts me to listen to you do it.” “It’s a habit. Hard to break.” Kazuki is taken aback a bit by the honesty, borderline vulnerability in the admittance. He goes to start a sentence, but isn’t quite sure how to respond to that. It feels a bit like taming a wild animal. Answer wrong and he might retreat even further behind his walls. Thankfully for him, he doesn’t need to ponder a response for long, as the silence is soon filled with a deep inhale, followed by- “hehHH! Hahh…. Ihh…. hDT-” Aaaand nothing. Rei sniffles harshly, bringing up a hand to rub his nose, a tear escaping his watery eyes as they crush shut with a harsh “hH’ETSCHH’ieww!” “Bless you, again. Come on, level with me, you say you’re not sick, alright, I believe you. Then do you know what’s causing this? Something’s up, and I’m prepared to drive you straight to the doctor if you don’t fess up.” Rei’s once again avoiding his glances, but this time his focus drifts down to the ball of fur still, somehow, peacefully purring in his lap. Kazuki takes a beat to think, staring back up at Rei’s watery eyes, twitching nose, pink tinted cheeks, and then back down at the sleeping kitten. A light but itchy cough breaks the silence as Rei once more seems to gear up for another fit, just as the pieces fall into place in Kazuki’s mind. “Oh you’ve gotta be shitting me!” “ehh’ZSSCHHue! hh’eTSHHH’ieww! Hehh…. hahH’SCHH’iew!” “You’re allergic to the cat? And you kept it in the car? And in your lap?” “It’s a stray, it needs a home.” “And you need to be able to breathe! And I need to be able to drive us home without crashing! Look, okay, we’re on a nice street, it’s a good neighbourhood, someone will find it and give it a good home. That someone just can’t be you.” Rei still won’t meet his eyes, but the slight wheeze in his breath is enough to decide the matter for Kazuki. He gently scoops the kitten out of Rei’s lap, not met with much resistance, though the protest is shown through an attempt to sigh at him. Instead of a sigh, his lungs just let out a low wheeze and his breath catches once more. “hihh’ETTCHH’uhhh!” Kazuki opens his car door and walks to the first house on the block, gently placing the kitten on the doorstep, and ringing the bell, before quickly making his escape back to the car. ‘It’ll be well cared for’ he tells himself. He follows it up with a mental note to pick up allergy medication on their way home as he watches Rei duck violently into his hands four times as he walks back to the car. “Bless you. I’m sorry you couldn’t keep the cat, Rei.” No answer comes, aside from a light whistling noise when he breathes out a light sigh. The tension eases a bit after Kazuki brings him some allergy meds, a bottle of water, and a candy bar as an apology. Once they’re back at home, and not trapped in the dander infested car, the whistling in Rei’s lungs dies away as he sits back into his spot on the couch, picking up his controller, and diving back into his game. Kazuki decides to have the car cleaned before their next mission, claiming in his head that it’s to keep Rei from being compromised, though if he’s honest with himself, the wheezing near the end was still haunting his mind. It’s not like they tell each other everything, but something like a cat allergy this severe should have at least been mentioned, right..? ~~~~~~~~~~ “The Last” So far the day had seemed like any other. Kazuki woke up, cooked breakfast, got no thank you (as usual), and went to work on the documents for their next job. The only difference was something most people would consider small, but to Kazuki, it felt like the end of the world as he knew it. Rei was not sitting on the couch. He had come down for food, eaten, and returned to his bedroom, locking the door behind him. Kazuki had heard some muffled sounds, but nothing specific enough to pinpoint, and honestly? It was starting to really set him on edge. There were some days where Rei would leave the house to go somewhere, usually just to the store to pick up a new game, or get some food he wanted. There were days when he would go to his room or the office for a while and clean his guns. But there had never, in the history of Kazuki living here, been a day where he stayed in his room the whole time without coming down to play games even once. Finally, after Rei skipping the lunch he made, despite calling him down to eat, Kazuki decided enough was enough. Not being on the couch was off putting. Not playing games was enough to make him twitch. But skipping a meal? That was enough to shake him to his core. Making his way to Rei’s room, he paused outside the door, suddenly very aware that he had absolutely no idea what he was about to walk in on. He reached up to knock, and let his hand hang in the air as he heard a noise from inside. “mMPFFSHH!uhh… hehh’MMFFSHHuee! haH’NGGXXT!uhhh” “Hey, Rei? You in there?” Kazuki called, letting his knuckles hit the solid wood a few times to punctuate the question. A rough snfff is his reply, as well as a few itchy sounding coughs, before a hoarse voice calls back, “It’s open.” Gently pushing the door open, Kazuki half expects to see Rei laying on the floor bleeding out. What instead greets him is Rei, sitting on the floor, cross-legged, one wrist under his nose, the other hand not-so-subtly pulling the blanket from his bed down a bit further. “You didn’t come eat, I was a bit worried someone had finally got the drop on you. What… uh…. what are you doing..?” “I’m juuhhhst hehH-” He trails off, hand loosely held in front of his face, hazily staring at the ceiling, until after what feels like forever, “hH’KSSCHH’iew!” “Bless you.” With a harsh sniff and a clearing of his throat, Rei continues, ignoring the blessing. “Just working on some plans for a job.” Kazuki’s eyes follow Rei’s over to a stack of papers next to him. Sure enough, it looks like plans to a building Kyu had told them about the other day. However, this didn’t satisfy Kazuki’s curiosity, if anything, this was more worrying than bleeding out on the floor. “So you’re just… sitting up here alone… working on plans… that I didn’t ask you to…?” “Yes.” “And you decided to do this, out of your own free will, just to be helpful?” “Yes.” “And because you were so wrapped up in working, you forgot to come eat lunch?” “Yehehh… hH’MMPFFSHH’ieww!” Rei cuts himself off with a sneeze rapidly muffled in his arm. “Bless you. Yeah, I’m not buying it. You never do this kind of work without being practically begged, unless you have an ulterior motive. So what’s going on? Did you do something unforgivable, and this is how you’re hoping to get out of it?” Rei almost looks guilty, eyes darting to the space below his bed that his blanket was pulled down to cover. “What’s under your bed, Rei.” It’s a question, but it’s not phrased as one. More of a demand. “Nothing.” “Then lift up the blanket.” The silence in the room is palpable. The tension in the air making it feel as if it was vibrating, which apparently was all the motivation Rei’s twitching nose needed to rebel once more. “hH’TCHHuue! hEH’SHHH’ieww! ETSCHH-heh’TSHH-hH’RSHHoo!” “Bless you.” Slipped out before Kazuki could even think about it, a deeply ingrained habit. Technically Rei broke the silence first, but still, speaking the first words felt like admitting defeat. But he wouldn’t be broken that easily, he was an assassin after all. “Okay Rei, either you can lift up the blanket and show me, or I can do it myself, though that’ll be a bit awkward for both of us, so maybe do me a favour and do it yourself?” Rei’s watery eyes met his, guilt still visible beneath the surface. Wait a minute, watery eyes, weird behaviour, and of course the- “hihh’ZSCHHoo!” “Rei. Are you hiding a cat in here?” There’s no answer, but at the moment, Rei isn’t exactly in a position to provide one, his eyes still closed, nose twitching wildly, wrist hovering in front of his face, breath hitching with no restraint. “A- are you alright..?” “Cahhh- can’t sneeze… wohhhn’t hihH- won’t come ouhhht… hDT-” Another itchy exhale follows, his nose practically vibrating at this point. Without stopping to think about it, Kazuki reaches out his hand, and gently runs his finger down the bridge of Rei’s nose, prompting a harsh gasp. “hEH! HH’ZZSHHHOO! hh’ETSCHHHOO! KTSSHHOO! Hihh… hehh! heHH’GTSHHOO!” “Bless you. Sorry about that, just looked like you needed it.” Kazuki said with a slight blush, refusing to meet Rei’s eyes as they risked a glance towards him. “It’s okay. Thanks, I guess.” “Yeah, let's not talk about it.” “Okay.” Kazuki didn’t miss the glance Rei threw back to his bed, sighing as it basically confirmed the earlier question Rei had avoided. “There’s a cat in here isn’t there.” “....Yes.” “You know you can’t keep it, right?” Rei just sighed, reaching under his bed and guiding a fluffy calico out. It purred sweetly, rubbing against Kazuki’s leg. Where Rei kept finding these friendly strays was lost on him, though he guessed there was a lot about this man that he still didn’t know. “You’re allergic. Badly allergic. Why do you keep taking them in, knowing you can’t keep them?” There’s no answer to this one either, but something about the vulnerability in the look Rei takes on tugs on Kazuki’s heartstrings. “I’m too tired to go out tonight. It can stay for one more night, but I’m bringing it back to where you found it tomorrow. And you have to take meds, I’m honestly surprised you haven’t taken them already.” “I forgot.” His words are stuffy, and his sentence is short, but there’s a light in his eyes that Kazuki can’t deny is worth it. “Figures. Well, as I said, you can’t keep it. Just one more night, then it’s going back. In our line of work, we aren’t promised a tomorrow. We have to think about more than just ourselves. If we didn’t make it home, who would look after the cat? People who get hurt, it won’t just be us. You gotta think about that before you bring someone into your world.” There’s more meaning to the words than just a cat, and they both know it. But they also both know enough to not mention it. And there’s more to Rei wanting a cat then just wanting to take in strays. They both know that too. But again, the unspoken pact of silence remains. ~~~~~~~~~~ True to his word, Kazuki makes Rei take some meds, but lets him keep the cat for the night. When he wakes up in the morning and finds Rei asleep with the cat on the couch snuggled up to his chest, he almost breaks. But he can’t shake that voice in his head, the one that always likes to remind him that everyone they choose to love is in danger of losing them, or worse. Instead of waking Rei and making him go through a goodbye, Katsuki slips the cat into his arms, careful to close the door quietly. By the time he makes it back home, Rei is awake and gaming, no sign in his demeanour that there was ever something amiss. Kazuki thinks about telling him that he brought the cat back, but there’s no point. Rei knows that, and it’s not like telling him would change anything. “No more cats, okay?” There’s silence, but the slight sigh Rei releases gives him his answer. No more cats. Turns out, in a mere matter of weeks, it won’t matter to Rei anymore that they don’t have a cat. They get something much better, something that can give them both everything they’re missing. Fill a hole they didn’t even know they had~

#waterfallwrites #still so nervous to post but gonna do it anyways #5am writing vibes so it might be awful haha #b/d #r/ei and k/azuki #my beloveds~~#snz #snzkink #snzfic #b/uddy d/addies

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quitepossiblybamboozled · 2 years ago

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So, I’ve been SUPER hyperfixated on Night at the Museum lately, and as a result I have watched every film multiple times in the last two or three weeks except for the last one bc it’s really bad. This was going to be a post about how shitty Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again really is, but I got carried away with my analysis of the first film, so I’ll have to come back to it later and talk about how perfect Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb was to bookend the original trilogy and how well it shows the growth of Larry and Nick, but for now have this analysis of the original Night at the Museum.

The first film, Night at the Museum is a really nice opening film for the franchise, and even a great standalone! The film starts with an uncertain Larry Daley, unemployed and on the verge of another eviction (This is implied when his ex-wife, Erica, asks, “You didn’t get evicted again, did you?” and Larry responds, “I didnt...get evicted. I didn’t get evicted, no. I mean, I didn’t... No, I didn’t get evicted, yet.”), whose ten-year-old son, Nick, is so used to his father’s instability that he’s already making his own backup plan. Following his peewee hockey game, he tells Larry that he wants to be a bond trader because that’s what Erica’s fiance, Don, does. When Larry protests with, “But you love hockey!” Nick replies, “Yeah, but bond trading is my fallback.”

to Nick, Don is stable. Don is safe. What Don does makes his mom happy. Larry is always on the verge of some sort of collapse, and he sees his mom stress about it every single day. Nick loves his father very, very much, but he’s getting to an age where some things are starting to click for him. It’s not normal to have to move every few months. It’s not normal for his dad to have a different career every time he sees him. It’s not normal for him to be constantly worried about whether or not his dad will have a job tomorrow.

Nick is a very realistic depiction of a ten-year-old boy, in my opinion, and I think his actor did an amazing job portraying the emotions the script calls for. We only see Nick laugh in the movie one time, and it’s when Larry is teasing him about becoming a bond trading robot. This is immediately juxtaposed by Nick telling Larry that Don is stable, that bond trading is his backup plan, that he is making a Plan B before he’s even had time to think about Plan A. Larry asks Nick where he even heard the term “fallback” and Nick reveals that it came from his mother, who has apparently vented enough about Larry’s, quote, “crazy schemes,” that it has stuck as something important in Nick’s mind.

This seems to be the kick in the pants that Larry really really needed to find and stick with a job: the fact that his ten-year-old is stressed about his own future to the point of pre-planning for failure of a dream he hasn’t even cemented yet. It clicks for Larry that, because he has put so much into chasing his dreams, his own son thinks that dreaming is essentially a waste of time.

We see instances of this sort of reoccuring to Larry throughout the film each time he goes to quit. He has the most insane, unstable job he could possibly have, but it is still more sane and stable than what he has now. Because what he has now is nothing. What he has now is a failed attempt at cheating a parking meter and a boot on his car. What he has now is a son who is so embarrassed by him that he won’t even tell him about Parent Career Day. What he has now is an ex-wife who is also his best friend who cannot, in good conscience, let him take his own son for the night. What he has now is a kid who is trying to be an adult when he should be focusing on doing literally whatever he wants.

The first time Larry tries to quit, he runs into Nick and Don as he’s exiting the building, and seeing his son with such a stable father figure makes him turn around and try again. It makes him beg Dr. McPhee for a second chance. It gives him new resolve to try and do this right this time.

The second time, when Dr. McPhee fires him, it’s that same desire for stability that drives him to fight for one more chance at this job. It’s seeing Nick not believe him about getting his job back that makes him the most eager to prove himself. Hell--he even tries to prove himself to Rebecca that night! When nothing comes to life at dusk, Nick once again assumes his father is just..unstable. And Larry is desperate to disprove that. Nick takes off, and when Larry asks where he’s going, he insists that he’s going home. His trust in his father has been betrayed for the last time.

And then they run into the old Night Guards, and Larry pleads with Nick to believe him one more time. To just turn the middle piece of the tablet, and the whole museum will come to life, and he’ll be just that much less insane in the eyes of his own child. And Nick does. And it works! and they have a wild adventure of a night! And Larry saves the day! And he doesn’t lose his job! And everything works out!

And then, at the end of the film, we have a Larry who, in all his instability, manages to balance the impossible task of getting an entire museum to live together in harmony. We have a Nick who can let loose, who can allow himself to ride on the back of a T-Rex, and who can be proud enough of his father to bring him to Career Day, and whose belief in the dreams and magic of the world has been restored because his father refused to let them die. And when Larry asks if Nick is ready to go home, he says a casual, smiley, “Nope.”

#Maple gabs #Jay jabbers #Night at the Museum #Meta #night at the museum meta #Night at the Museum plot analysis #Night at the Museum Larry #Night at the Museum Nick #no one's probably in the tag these days anyway but I really have just been drowning in Night at the Museum #who knows though bc the ao3 tag is still pretty active #yes I read NatM fanfiction don't judge me /lh

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bihansthot · 9 months ago

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In a non self ship update, Ani has been sending me spicy/flirty basically sexts all day he’s so in trouble when I get a hold of him. He’s not having a great mental health day so I won’t see him until Saturday or Sunday but he made sure to get me worked up. He still hasn’t decided if he’ll come to my birthday party I don’t know if party is the right word if a max of three people show up but maybe he will? It would certainly be nice having both the people I care about celebrate turning 800 million. I wish you lovelies could come celebrate with me. 🩷 I understand if he’s uncomfortable though he and my partner have never met so it’s an awkward situation. Hilariously after chatting with Ani I got an ad for an Anakin statue on Facebook and I thought it was very funny and apropos. I have a busy week of stupid lab work and doctor’s appointments next week before my actual bday on Friday, and we still haven’t booked anything yet. We’re planning on doing a Vegas in Detroit weekend because we can’t afford to go to Vegas and I’ve wanted to go for years so we’re doing the next best thing and going to the casino in downtown and staying the night if we can find boarding accommodations for Denny. I know some of you are like “Sol you’ve had months to plan this” yes we have but we had to save up money and get Denny up to date on his vaccines to be able to board him so we can’t book anywhere until tomorrow afternoon after his vet annual. So it’s all kind of last minute. Hopefully we’ll find someplace and if not we’ll just have a quiet birthday at home, my big plans for my 25th heart transplant anniversary never went anywhere so it wouldn’t really surprise me if my milestone bday doesn’t work out either my bday rarely goes well but that’s just life I guess. Either way we should still be able to have a nice dinner which is what I’m really excited about, even though I can’t eat a lot anymore. I’m only 35-40 mins from the casino so really I can go anytime if it doesn’t work out I just thought it’d be fun to have an irresponsible staycation somewhere fancy. I just wanted us all to have a fun time but I suppose we’ll see what the universe has in store for us. I really never thought I’d see this bday as I was supposed to die as a kid so it’s kind of a huge deal I just hope it’s a fun one, my last big milestone bday was my worst ever (long story short my Mother and I had a very toxic relationship at the time, she got shit faced insisted it was her bday and ruined the whole occasion) so as long as it’s better than that we’ll be good. I unofficially celebrated my bday when I was with my family earlier this week and had my favorite cake but much to my dismay my nephews were not fans of it but they loved my cooking and begged my brother to get lessons from me so that was nice. How do an 8 and 10 year old not like a caramel chocolate cake?! I guess the pecans were the problem they don’t have allergies they just don’t like nuts I guess. They’re very picky and light eaters but I guess that’s expected at that age, hell I’m a billion and am still very picky but it’s a texture issue for me not a taste one. All in all the visit was successful but my partner never got a chance to tell their Mom they’re nonbinary and use they/them pronouns and have a new name. The drive was awful, we got a speeding ticket on the way to my partner’s Mom’s and had insane traffic and weather driving back from my folks in Florida, turns out Denny barks incessantly when the windshield wipers are on 😭 We made it safely though so that’s what’s most important, I haven’t made any weight loss progress though because of all the holiday food and lack of exercise. No excuses now that my routine is back to normal, back to the elliptical and healthy foods. Just figured I’d update you lovelies on what’s going on with me, I’ll post later in the week after my cardiologist appointment to keep y’all up to date with that too. Sending lots of love.

XOXO

Sol

#life update #birthdays #road trip

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livsworld-ndstyle · 10 months ago

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save the date

tomorrow.

2/26/24.

save the date.

at least for me.

i have the meeting which i mentioned a couple of posts back and i’ve been scared for it. AND ITS TOMORROW!?

also why is there a big gap in between save the date and the word tomorrow?-

also i digressed a lot teehee!

second period. 8:32am. i’m so mad that it’s immediately after february / president’s day break, even though my past meeting dates, which i have memorized, have been in a similar timeframe.

this year - 2/26/24

last year - 3/1/23

the year before last - 3/21/22

but anyways i have to miss spanish class for the second year in a row!! my spanish teacher is gonna flip, im in a college level and college credit bearing spanish class and its the second highest. we’re prepping for the national spanish exam, which is a standardized spanish exam that i have taken in years past.

last year i got bronze, the year before last i got an honorable mention. this year i want silver and next year i want gold to show progressive improvement.

some other patterns i’ve noticed with my meetings is the teacher and class they choose that i should miss

10th & 11th: missed spanish, chose my math teacher to be the general education teacher.

8th & 9th: missed social studies/global, chose my english teacher to be the general education teacher.

6th & 7th: missed support class, chose my social studies teacher to be the general education teacher.

so i’m highly convinced there’s a method to the madness.

anyways now i’m going to go into depth of each of the invited teachers.

if you remember this pic:

yes i have this picture somewhere in my favorites album, it’s easier to access that way.

also on the doc it has my real name (cuz liv is derived from olivia) but PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME OLIVIA. ty.

person #1: the chairperson/psychologist

if i get any testing done within the triennial period, like how i did my freshman year, i would get pulled out to take a variety of tests. i remember being so mad when i realized my IQ from grade 4 is the same as it was in grade 9, and i’m in the above average range for VSI.

which is insane. i used to be below average for VSI.

VSI, or Visual Spatial Index, is a subtest in the WISC-V tests for an ability to evaluate visual details and understand visual-spatial relationships to construct geometric designs from a model. (Child Psychologist AU).

the link to that article ->

also i don’t live in AUS, but this is the best definition on it.

2. my math teacher, also my favorite teacher! she recommended me to take two math classes, which is a shock even for me and also i love her so much because it’s fun to see her teach and her teaching style brings so much joy to my life and i can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

the only part i’m worried about, well, maybe two things.

general ed teachers have to take notes on me leading up to the meeting…and i don’t know what’s contained in these notes she’s written, so yeah that’s one. also, i told her that if she ever sees me distracted., she can redirect me — i guess i have never realized just how much i do get distracted until she tells me to stay on task when we do group work!

pretty much every group i’ve been in with my friends (so like clover, daniela, and meredith) we’ve been told to stop talking about other topics, and the only reason why is because im there.

clover & daniela normally work alone, together, without meredith and i and they’re super productive. they talk AND get work done.

meredith & i are the opposite. we work together any chance we get when she doesn’t pick partners and while meredith and i work we both distract each other.

the only annoying problem is, every time i get redirected from talking to meredith, we are always talking about a math problem.

when i got redirected with clover and daniela, we were distinctly talking about a different topic…!

3. my case manager/special ed teacher:

well i think she has a plethora of things to say about me. but like a plethora of GOOD things. because im a great student. i have a 92 in english and she’s the coteacher so it works out perfectly for me! :)

plus my writing is super strong, i wrote a 507-word response for english when it was supposed to be 5-7, and my other english teacher wrote this lovely comment!

you don’t have to read the whole thing, especially if you haven’t read the great gatsby.

but my english teacher gave 7 perfect scores on this assignment so of course i’m so proud of this.

4. my guidance counselor

even though i just saw her for my junior meeting, i know she also has a plethora of good things to say, so im not worried about her input.

5. my speech teacher

worried- i have not gone to speech in a while, either because my case manager hasn’t sent me my speech schedule and because i use the period i have speech to finish any tests so my teachers don’t hunt me down in the testing room…which HAS happened.

6. also not mentioned, at least on the document, but my other general class teachers get an email the monday of and have to write like 3-6 sentences on my progress in their class.

the other 3 blurred people are my parents and i., but i don’t want information out there on my parents on tumblr.

also i accidentally blurred the location. it’s supposed to be a video conference, but i told the committee to make it in-person and now both my parents are coming so yay!

anyways this is a long post but i hope you enjoyed! i wrote this at my local hairdresser 🤗

im gonna prob post after the meeting, so like period 3 or 5 or even 9 about what went down in a new post.

thanks for reading :)

ps if you’re still there, i’m gonna make a new style where i use the quote text as a header for my posts.

bye now! :)

#neurodivergent #actually autistic #i don’t know what to tag this #actually neurodivergent #school #autism #learning disability #asd #autism masking #low support needs

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rcksmith · 4 years ago

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Mine — Kaz Brekker

(photo not mine)

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

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

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

Fluff prompts:

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

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

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

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

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

Couple: Kaz Brekker/ Fem!Reader

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

Word count: 2k.

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

Normal Rules. Smut Rules.

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

Requests are open. Love you❤️

— — — —

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

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

You.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Kaz!” You call, one night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Jessy and I…”

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

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

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

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

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

Kaz's heart skipped a beat.

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

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

And you didn't let that go either.

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

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

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

Something unique.

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

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

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

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

“What are you reading?”

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

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

Kaz lost his breath. His sanity. His soul.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This is indisputable!”

“Kaz…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"No, that girl is my wife!"

#kaz brekker fluff #kaz brekker imagine #kaz brekker fanfic #kaz x kruge #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker #kaz x jesper #shadow and bone imagine #shadow and bone #freddy carter x you #freddy carter imagines #freddy carter fluffy #freddy carter x reader #freddy carter

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