#only after she leaves does she realize she still has no clue why curtain or s. q. are living there | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fireheartbuzzard · 3 years ago

Text

my dream

day one: i just realized i’m desperately in love with you

author’s note: hi everyone!! this is my very first rowaelin fanfic, so i’m sorry if it’s bad lol. i’m also sorry that it wasn’t posted on time. my senior year of high school started at the beginning of september so everything was very hectic and crazy around that time, still is with college applications coming up, but i was able to finish this story. for all the other prompts, i either have an outline/idea for it or i’ve started writing something already. i know it’s late, but bear with me as i try to balance high school and everything else. i’ll add a header photo later, i think. idk. i’m new to this 😭

content warning: slight angst, lots of repeated words/phrases (sorry lol)

word count: 4.3k

Rowan’s eyes drooped as he walked into his home after a long day of work, desperately needing a nap on his lumpy couch. He set out to make some coffee for later tonight, knowing that he’d have to stay up again to finish another project for his summer class.

Rowan probably shouldn’t have procrastinated his assignment in order to spend time with Aelin at the carnival earlier this week, but he’d rather that than have Aelin spend time alone with Chaol. Just the thought of his name made Rowan scoff.

After being friends for a couple of months, Chaol had recently become Aelin’s new summer fling. Rowan always knew he’d had ulterior motives, but when the idea was brought up to Aelin, she’d laughed and said, “If anyone here had ulterior motives, it’d be me.” Rowan had no clue as to what Aelin was talking about, but she’d insisted that it was only a one-time thing and so far, had been determined to keep a buffer between them, which meant that Rowan had to accompany them on every single “date.”

Despite grumbling the whole time to Aelin at the carnival, Rowan had to admit feeling satisfaction after shoving the ice cream into Chaol’s face in order to prevent him from kissing Aelin. While Aelin looked amused during the whole ordeal, Chaol looked the exact opposite with a scrunched up mouth and furrowed brows. Rowan thought he looked constipated.

Maybe, he was. Rowan shook his head, no no, he was definitely angry.

Rowan smiled to himself as he poured boiling water into the coffee strainer over his mug. Letting it sit when he finished, he walked over to his couch and laid down, allowing his body to rest after hours of exhaustion. His eyes drifted closed as he thought back to Aelin’s situation with Chaol.

Rowan didn’t understand why Aelin wouldn’t just break up with him if she didn’t like him at all. Hell, he doesn’t even understand the reason why she does half the things she does, her mind truly baffles him. He wouldn’t trade her for the universe though, not for anything. Every single part of Aelin fuses to create the most amazing person Rowan’s ever met; Rowan adored everything about her—her witty remarks, her melodious laughter, her long golden hair, her beautiful turquoise eyes with a ring of gold, her bizzare and wicked humor, just about everything.

Gods, don’t even get Rowan started on her smile. Rowan fucking loves her smile. He would do anything in the world for her face to brighten with that glorious smile of hers. It’s the first thing he thinks of in the morning and the last before he goes to bed. Just thinking about her can light up his mood and make him smile.

Settling into the couch even more, Rowan drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face and his mind stuck on Aelin.

Rowan woke up with a start, accidentally jerking the dead weight on his arm. He felt warm breaths puff against his chest as he looked down at the culprit of his numb arm. Aelin lay in his arms, halfway on top of him, with her arm thrown across his waist and her legs entwined with his. Rowan smiled as he looked at her slightly open mouth and her golden blonde hair cascading down the edge of the couch.

Rowan had to get started on his project soon and he had his coffee waiting for him, but he couldn’t even move with Aelin lying on top of him, not that he wanted to anyway. So, giving in to this small defeat, Rowan stroked Aelin’s hair as he thought about his dream.

Rowan woke up to a smattering of kisses across his face and the loud giggling of a toddler, followed by quiet laughter. He felt a slight weight on his chest and small hands grabbing at the skin on his face. Opening his eyes, Rowan was met with striking cerulean blue eyes and a head of silver hair.

“Hey, papa!” The toddler grinned at Rowan, eliciting a smile from him.

“Hey, baby,” Rowan grabbed the toddler’s head and placed a loud smacking kiss on her forehead, evoking even more giggles from the kid.

He noticed Aelin drifting closer, hands cradling her swollen belly. “Alaïa wanted to wake you for breakfast. It only seemed fair to have her loudly slobbering all over you as your wake-up call since we all woke up early to make breakfast,” Aelin smiled as she spoke, her face glowing with happiness and amusement.

As Aelin sat on the edge of the bed, next to Rowan’s arm, she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. Leaning in towards his ear, Aelin whispered, “Hurry up and get your spectacular ass downstairs before all the food is gone.” Aelin gathered Alaïa into her arms before leaving the bedroom.

By the time Rowan was downstairs, breakfast was in full swing. Instead of going to the dining table, Rowan stayed standing at the foot of the stairs, observing his family. A girl—with the same golden hair as Aelin and the same pine green eyes as Rowan—ate quietly with her shoulders back and her head held high. The boy across from her—with Aelin’s eyes and a head full of silver hair—smiled at his younger brother who was struggling with getting the food onto his spoon. The younger boy looked exactly like Rowan, as if someone made a clone of him with his hair.

Alaïa was a sight to behold. With food on her face and clothes, she looked to be having trouble maneuvering the food to her mouth with her spoon, accidentally flinging it into her silver hair instead. She seemed to be on the verge of tears from frustration, but with one quiet laugh from Aelin, Alaïa peered over at the smiling Aelin and gave a little giggle.

Aelin glanced up at Rowan in that moment and opened her mouth to say, “Da—”

A small noise of content broke Rowan out of his reverie. Rowan looked down and noticed that he’s still stroking Aelin’s hair as she nuzzles her head further into his hands. A small smile graced Aelin’s face, making her appear peaceful. Watching Aelin sleep made Rowan smile; he could watch her do anything and never get bored because he was just so enamored by her.

Rowan jerked to a stop. Enamored? His brows furrowed in confusion as he thought back to Aelin. Rowan does not believe he can live his life without Aelin in it; he doesn’t even want to think about the prospect of it.

As a groan broke out of Aelin’s lips, she snuggled closer to Rowan. He watched as her eyes fluttered open and she took in her surroundings before smiling up at him. It was the sight of that smile that made Rowan realize the truth of why he’d felt so satisfied upon smashing that ice cream cone into Chaol’s face and why his heart beat a bit faster whenever Aelin’s attention was on him. Just like it was now.

“Hi,” she croaked, voice still hoarse from sleep.

Rowan smiled, “Hi.” He looked around before looking back down at Aelin, “So, how’d you get in here?”

Her brows furrowed in confusion before she quickly snapped her fingers. “I broke in by using a rock to smash your windows,” Aelin grinned. Rowan felt blood draining from his face at her answer.

“WHAT?!” Rowan sprung up from the couch and walked to his front windows. Knowing Aelin, that couldn’t be exaggerated and didn’t sound like it’d be far from the truth. However, as he got to the curtains, he heard quiet giggles and turned around in time to hear them turn into loud cackles of laughter.

“Calm down, Buzzard. I was only kidding. I snuck into your backyard and used the key you hid in your shed by breaking down the shed door.” Aelin rolled her eyes at his exasperated expression, “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, you told me where you hid the spare key when you were confessing secrets while drunk off your ass,” Aelin waved a hand.

Rowan was never so mortified before. Secrets? Not just one, but more?!

Aelin must’ve seen the mortification written on his face because why else would she bellow with laughter like she was right now. Rowan just shook his head as he walked into his kitchen and grabbed his mug of coffee.

By the time he got back, Aelin was scowling at her phone.

“What’s wrong?” Rowan asked as he sat back on his couch and took a sip of his coffee. Aelin only groaned before throwing her hands up in the air and kicking her feet like a petulant child, causing Rowan to chuckle at Aelin’s antics.

“Chaol wants to go on another date,” Aelin frowned. “He’s insistent on continuing to meet up until he has to go back to Rifthold by the end of the summer.”

Rowan couldn’t help but frown along with Aelin. “I don’t understand why you won’t just call it quits. You obviously don’t like spending time with him.”

Aelin rolled her eyes in return. “I find his company companionable and I want to keep having him in my life.” Aelin sighed, “Anyway, can you please join us? He wants to have a picnic on the beach this Friday.”

Rowan thought about seeing half-naked Chaol and his grabby hands around half-naked Aelin on the beach and grimaced. He did not like the idea of seeing Chaol around Aelin at all, let alone a half-naked Aelin, so Rowan definitely had to go.

Rowan sighed as he ran his hand over his face, “I’ll go.”

“Really?” Aelin beamed. At Rowan’s slight nod, Aelin shifted on the couch and squeezed Rowan tight around the waist. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She murmured into his chest. Rowan wrapped his arms around her frame and squeezed her back. Rowan could definitely get used to this. Aelin pulled back a second later and stood up from the couch. “Okay, I’ve got to head home and feed fleetfoot now,” Aelin smiled, “Thanks for the amazing power nap.”

“Break in again anytime,” Rowan smiled as he heard her chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah, Buzzard.” Aelin waved goodbye before leaving the living room and closing the front door behind her.

Upon hearing Aelin leave his home, Rowan thought back to his revelation earlier today. Rowan Whitethorn was in love with his best friend and she didn’t even know it. He was screwed. He was so irrevocably screwed and he had no clue as to how he’d get himself out of this mess.

Rowan was fuming. He swore that steam was blowing out of his nose and ears like those cartoon characters. Aelin had given him a popsicle to “cool off” and right now, Rowan felt like a petulant child at the beach.

The whole day, Rowan’s been doing his damn best to block Chaol from Aelin, but it seemed like Chaol caught onto his game and is now quicker with his actions. Aelin hasn’t been helping either. Not with the way she’s voluntarily playing in the water with Chaol right now in her show-stopping black bikini with embroidered little golden dragons.

Earlier, Chaol offered to put sunscreen on Aelin’s body for her. Before Rowan could beat him to it, Chaol had already started applying the cream to her long tan legs. Aelin didn’t even protest, but she didn’t miss the sharp glare Rowan sent Chaol’s way, silently laughing at Rowan.

It certainly didn’t help when Chaol was applying the sunscreen slowly, as if trying to memorize the feel of her skin. And instead of quickly stopping Chaol, Aelin keenly kept an eye on Rowan, an amused look on her face as she caught the narrowing of his eyes.

A while later, they played in the sand together like two toddlers on a date. Aelin giggled the whole time as she buried Chaol in the sand and created a mermaid body for him. Rowan figured she needed help getting sand so he repeatedly kicked sand towards Chaol from where he sat on his beach chair. A lot of the sand landed on Chaol’s face, which earned him a shout and glare from Chaol, but it wasn’t Rowan’s fault that the sand landed on his face when Rowan aimed it towards his neck.

Totally not his fault. Must’ve been the wind.

Aelin seemed to be amused by the whole ordeal, if the twinkle in her eyes and the giant smile spread on her face were anything to go by.

The rest of the day seemed like it was “Ignore Rowan Time” because they both ignored Rowan and kept to each other. They went to buy popsicles together and deserted Rowan at the beach. They reappeared about twenty minutes later, only to desert him again to go into the water. Rowan had enough of it.

Now, Rowan watched from afar as Chaol put his slimy hands all over Aelin, carrying her onto his shoulders and dropping her into the water. Sighing in frustration, Rowan angrily bit down a big bite of the popsicle before throwing the rest into the trash can a few feet away.

Grumbling the whole way, Rowan walked down towards the water, looking for ways to easily throw Chaol into it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aelin spin towards him, smiling as she looked at him. Rowan returned a small smile, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace.

As Rowan crept towards Chaol, he kept eye contact with Aelin, conveying his plans to her through the movement of his eyes. Aelin’s face shone with amusement as her eyes held a mischievous gleam. Chaol, noticing something amiss and Aelin’s wandering eyes, turned just in time to be tackled into the water by Rowan’s broad shoulders.

Aelin cackled as Chaol’s arms flailed above the water, paying no attention to Rowan as he stalked toward her. It was already too late by the time Aelin felt herself get lifted by Rowan’s hands.

“Don’t you dare, Buzzard,” Aelin warned as she repeatedly slapped Rowan’s bare back. Rowan only slapped her butt in return, to which Aelin quickly gasped, “Rowan Whitethorn! You did not jus—”

Aelin was thrown into the water before she could even finish her sentence. Rowan watched in amusement as Aelin’s arms flailed before she pulled herself above water, spitting a mouthful of salty water at Rowan’s chest. Wiping the water from her face, Aelin glared at Rowan before running as best she could in water and trying to tackle Rowan. Rowan was immovable, but he grabbed her around the waist and fell backwards into the water anyway, pulling Aelin with him.

Up above the water again, Aelin glared at him and huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, Rowan’s arms still encasing her to his body. Rowan’s chuckle reverberated through Aelin’s body from where their bodies were touching.

The sun was setting, creating beautiful hues of pinks and oranges that reflected off of the many white fluffy clouds in the sky. Seeing Aelin bathed in that light was surreal. The ring of gold in her beautiful turquoise eyes, eyes that Rowan loves, more accentuated in the golden sunlight. Her golden hair glowing as if it was on fire. Aelin looked stunning.

Aelin grinned as Rowan’s hand flattened against her waist, his fingers contracting as if debating letting her go. Rowan noticed Aelin’s hand lifting to cup his face. Her hand was warm, as though the warmth of the sun she personified extended to her fingertips.

Rowan stared into her deep questioning gaze, eyes inquisitive as if waiting for him to do something. Rowan could only stare as she carefully stroked her thumb across his cheekbone, her hands slick with the beach water.

His eyes locked onto hers as she lifted her other hand to his face, her fingers tracing the lines of the tattoo along his temple. Rowan’s breathing turned ragged as he was reminded of the day’s events: how he was constantly left behind to watch over their things, how he was left out of the activities Aelin and Chaol had chosen to do, and how utterly frustrated and defeated he’d felt when Aelin didn’t try to avoid Chaol’s advances on her.

“Rowan,” Aelin breathed as her fingers slid down the side of his tattooed cheek, reminding Rowan of the way she’d touched Chaol today and how she’d allowed that touch to be reciprocated.

He quickly yanked both wrists off his face. He didn’t want her to touch him when she was fawning over some other man. He dropped her hands and stepped back, staring at her as she briefly closed her eyes in hurt.

“Don’t do that,” Rowan rasped, “Don’t—touch me like that.”

Aelin swallowed, her face burning red, “I’m sorry.” She backed away a step. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “It was nothing.”

Rowan’s eyes shuttered, “Good.” The word repeated in his head. “Fine.”

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Rowan kept a neutral face as he stalked away, trying not to look like a wounded puppy. He quickly toweled himself off before gathering his things and leaving the beach without Aelin in tow.

Rowan didn’t know why he was here. He’d definitely ruined things between him and Aelin if the hurt on her face was anything to go by. But, Rowan couldn’t go to sleep knowing that he’d done something that hurt Aelin. He’d lied in his bed, staring at his ceiling before deciding to just go apologize to her. He didn’t look at the time at all, just put on some clothes and left his house. He didn’t take his phone, didn’t take anything but the keys in his hands.

Now, Rowan was staring at a small two-story cream-colored house. Kingsflame flowers lined either side of the short path leading to the front door. Aelin’s favorite flowers.

“Fuck,” Rowan sighed. He shook his head as he slowly brought it to lean against his car horn. “I should’ve gotten her flowers.” He glanced at the clock to see if there’d be a possibility for him to make a quick trip to the flower shop. 2:48, the clock read.

The flower shop wouldn’t even be open at this time.

Rowan sighed as he quietly got out of his car and made his way up to Aelin’s door, dread pooling in his stomach at the idea of Aelin ignoring him completely. As Rowan waited after ringing the doorbell, he took note of the light ballad coming out of Aelin’s small home, the sorrowful melody hitting him in the chest. Aelin only ever listened to that type of music when she was feeling heartbroken and Rowan was hurt knowing that he’d been the one to cause that pain.

He rang the doorbell another time before deciding that she probably couldn’t hear if her music could be heard from outside. Sighing, Rowan pulled out his phone and called her, hearing the music pause for the duration of an unanswered call, and waited until the call went to voicemail before he reluctantly walked to the fourth kingsflame flower from her front door.

Rowan, then, got onto his knees and dug out dirt until he was met with Aelin’s spare key, which was only supposed to be used in dire emergencies.

Oh, this was very dire.

Grimacing at his dirty hands, Rowan walked back towards the front door and opened it before getting inside. Rowan threw the spare key onto the counter before rinsing his hands and hightailing towards Aelin’s bedroom.

Slamming open the French doors, Rowan’s eyes frantically searched for Aelin, finding the woman standing at the threshold of her connected bathroom in nothing but a blue towel wrapped around her lithe frame.

Shocked still, Aelin stood with wide, puffy, red eyes and a frown marring her beautiful face. Rowan knew she’d taken a bath to feel better, but it wasn’t enough to abate her emotions if the tears still lining her eyes were anything to go by.

Rowan’s chest hurt, his face crumpling in pain at the sight of her. “I am so, so sorry, Aelin,” Rowan apologized as he looked deeply into her sorrowful eyes. “I hadn’t meant to react like that—like your touch had been so repulsive that I had to quickly get rid of it. But when you did touch me, I was reminded of how you’d touched Chaol earlier in the day, how you’d allowed yourself to be touched by him. I didn’t like watching you with him, let alone touching him.” Rowan took a step forward and some of his anxiety quelled at the insistence in her eyes for him to keep talking. “I was mad and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

Aelin seemed at a loss for words as she silently processed everything he’d said, her eyes analyzing his face as she searched for the sincerity of his words. Her head tilted slightly as if trying to further understand his words. “Why were you mad?”

Rowan subtly winced as rubbed the back of his neck, ducking his head and staring at the wooden floor. “Like I said, I don’t like Chaol,” Rowan explained.

“No, no. You said you didn’t like watching me with Chaol. You were jealous,” Aelin deadpanned.

“Mad or jealous, I don’t care. All I care about is you and the fact that I love you,” Rowan shouted as he threw his hands into the air.

Aelin’s breath hitched as she stared in shock at his sudden outburst. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she gaped at him. “Wh-what did you just say?” Aelin sputtered.

“I had a dream, Aelin. I was woken up by a 2 or 3 year-old child and she was laying on my chest when you walked in. You told me that you had her wake me up by giggling and kissing my face because while I slept in, you and the kids woke up early to make breakfast. Our children were in that dream and you were pregnant with our fifth child.” Rowan ran a hand through his hair before he took the remaining steps between them and gently cupped her face as he looked into her eyes. “When I actually woke up, you were right there in my arms. I’d never been more peaceful and content than when you were in my arms. As you were laying there, I’d realized I wanted that dream to become reality. And, I wanted that with you. You’re it for me, baby. You’re my dream and my forever. I love you, Aelin. Please forgive me.” Rowan gently rested his forehead against hers as he wiped the tears streaming down Aelin’s face.

Aelin’s hands came up to grasp his elbows as Rowan leaned down and kissed her right cheek, his hands moving to tuck her hair behind her ears. His lips moved towards her other cheek, pressing another light kiss there before moving onto both of her eyelids. He continued placing light kisses onto her forehead, her nose, and her chin.

As Rowan got to her lips, he angled his head away from her face to stare into her eyes, seemingly asking for permission to continue his path. When Aelin reached her hands up and gently cradled his face as he slowly leaned in, Rowan threw all caution to the wind and finally pressed his lips on hers.

Kissing Aelin was better than anything Rowan had ever known. The soft and hesitant, yet determined and insistent press of her lips against his set his body on fire. Rowan felt like he was burning inside out, but he didn’t care because every second with this woman in his arms was worth burning to ashes.

Pulling away, Aelin looked into his eyes, placed her hands on his shoulders, and said, “I know.”

Rowan pulled back a bit, pressing another kiss to her lips before looking at her questioningly. “What do you mean you know?” Rowan gently rested his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to his body.

Aelin sighed, “I mean, I know that you love me. Don’t worry, I love you, too, Rowan.” Aelin leaned onto her toes to lightly kiss him on his lips. “Why do you think I’d devised all these plans to make you jealous anyway?” Aelin shrugged.

Thrown off guard, Rowan froze as he stared her down. “Plans to make me jealous? What are you talking about? How did you know?”

“All I have to say is that you need to learn how to control your alcohol intake. Getting a love confession from my best friend when he’s shitfaced drunk was not how I planned on learning about his undying love for me.” Aelin waved a hand, “Anyway, I had Chaol act like an obsessed lover so you would get riled up and finally make a move. He’s truly only a friend that’s visiting for the summer and he has a fiancée back in Adarlan; she's actually in on it too, so no need to worry. I’m not so sure if my plan was a good or a bad idea, considering the tumultuous outcome.” Aelin glanced up at him to gauge his reaction.

Rowan didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. A sudden laugh erupted out of Rowan, startling both him and Aelin. “It was definitely a good plan if I’m able to be yours in the end,” Rowan muttered, leaning down to kiss Aelin.

Aelin pulled back and quirked a brow. “Who said you could be mine?” The question was paired with Aelin’s arms crossing over her chest. Rowan immediately paled.

“Well,” Rowan rubbed the back of his neck, “I assumed that since you reciprocated my feelings, you’d be my girlfriend now, but…” Rowan trailed off awkwardly.

“Did you ask yet?” Aelin inquired, a serious expression taking over her face.

Gripping Aelin’s hands in his, Rowan looked into her eyes as he asked, “Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, will you do me the honor of allowing me to become your boyfriend?”

Aelin pretended to be thinking for a few seconds, eliciting a pinch in the side from Rowan. Aelin grinned, a smile so beautiful, Rowan would be a fool to not smile back.

“Of course, Buzzard.”

#rowaelinmonth #rowaelin #rowan and aelin #rowan x aelin #rowaelin angst #rowaelin fluff #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #aelin ashryver galathynius #throne of glass #fireheart #buzzard #fireheartbuzzard

67 notes · View notes

dumdumsun · 4 years ago

Text

Of Starlight

A/N: Onto the final five chapters ❤️ Dw though bc season two is still being written, so we’re not done here

Warnings: mentions of blood and violence

Word Count: 2571

—————————————

Chapter 16: Accomplices

The pain in Five’s side was still stinging, but he tried to ignore it as they entered the pub. He was fortunate to have someone like (Y/N) fretting over his well-being enough to let him lean some of his weight on her as they walked. Her arm was wrapped around his waist, hand resting above his wound, his own arm wrapped around her waist. Klaus, once seeing Luther, turned to his siblings and pointed towards their colossal brother. “Look.” He smiled as if to say ‘told you so’. The four of them approached the table Luther settled for, the man staring up at them under heavy brows. “Trying a little hair of the dog, are we? Hm?” Klaus lightly teased.

“Leave me alone.” He sulked, bringing his cup to his lips. The four leaned closer to provide their own words of encouragement to get him to work with them, but Diego sat beside his brother.

“Give us a minute.” Was all he said. The three others stared at the vigilante for a second before Klaus shrugged.

“Okay. Come on. Maybe they’ll brood each other to death.” He walked away from the table, motioning for the younger two to follow. (Y/N) turned the both of them around and walked with Klaus. They leaned on a table that was almost out of total earshot of the conversation. The three wordlessly watched the two of them talk, catching but a few words now and again. Beside her, (Y/N) felt Five lean up straight, away from her side. He braced both hands on the table behind him, trying to steady himself. She stared at the boy in concern and shifted a little closer. His head turned to her and watched as she motioned for him to lean against her again, if he wanted. Five’s eyes flicked around her face, seriously conflicted about whether or not he wanted to be comforted and assisted by the only person who truly took it upon themselves to do so. But he figured she’d been caring for him for so long, she seemed happy to do just about anything for him. What more was simply letting her help him stand straight? He wouldn’t hesitate to do it for her. So, with a small grunt, he pressed his uninjured side against her, the girl smiling contently and wrapping her arm around him again. Klaus’s movement beside them caught their attention. He tapped his wrist with his finger as if to symbolize a wristwatch. Five only nodded at him either in acknowledgement or confirmation, (Y/N) didn’t know.

She very gently kissed Five’s hair once Klaus looked away again. “How’re you feeling?” She whispered. The boy hummed and shifted his feet. Reaching up, he held onto the hand of the arm wrapped around his shoulders. The gentle squeeze he gave was enough to answer her question. The three at the table perked their heads up at Luther’s exclamation, “You should’ve led with that!” The man pushed himself out of his chair and hurried towards the exit. Five and (Y/N) glanced at each other before following their brother. Literally ripping the door off its hinges, Luther charged out of the pub, his siblings hurrying after.

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

Daylight had burnt out by the time Allison returned to the cabin from the hospital, where she had abandoned the officer she’d been deceiving into helping her find clues about Vanya and Leonard. As she ascended the small staircase to the porch, the sound of violin music reached her ears and a wind that seemed to only be affecting the area surrounding the cabin blew around just about everything. She stalked towards the entrance of the cabin, perplexed by the random occurrence around her. “Vanya? Is that you?” She called out, but only received violin strings in response. Fortunately, the front door was unlocked, granting her easy access. Stepping inside, Vanya was standing in the middle of the lounge room, absorbed in her music as that same wind shook the lights above them, the curtains, and rocked the chairs beside her. “Vanya, there you are. What is going on?” Allison closed the door behind her as her sister ceased the playing and turned to her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you. Are you okay?”

Vanya hesitated. “Yeah?”

“There’s something… weird going on. What’s causing it?”

The chirping of the crickets outside saved them from the silence that would’ve followed Allison’s question. Vanya shifted on her feet before tilting her chin up. “Me.”

Allison, suspicious, slowly walked closer. “What do you mean, ‘me’?”

“I mean… I made those things happen. With my powers,” Her words made Allison stop altogether and stare in shock. “Turns out I’ve had them all this time. It’s weird, huh?”

It took her a few seconds, but Allison eventually let out a choked gasp, blinking and shaking her head. “It’s- It’s incredible.”

Sensing that there was more to why she was there, Vanya furrowed her brows. “But?”

“Can- Can we do this in the car?”

“Why?”

“You’re not gonna want to hear it.” Allison sighed. Vanya tilted her head with a false smile.

“Well, that’s never stopped you before.” She sassed. Allison looked away before taking a deep breath.

“Leonard Peabody? His real name is Harold Jenkins,” This information left Vanya speechless, staring at her sister with an unreadable expression as she walked closer to her. “Remember when I couldn’t find anything in the library on Leonard? It’s because Leonard Peabody doesn’t exist. Harold Jenkins does. He was in prison for twelve years. He murdered his father when he was thirteen-”

“This is… insane. His dad was an engineer at the-”

“I have the police report in the car, Vanya. I can show you.”

Vanya hesitated again, blinking slowly. “I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“Leonard, Harold, I- I know it doesn’t make any sense, and I know it sounds crazy, but we were in his house. He has pictures of all of us with our eyes gouged out.”

“W-What? I-”

“I promise I will tell you everything in the car, but it is not safe-” Allison began pulling her sister to the front door but Vanya stopped her.

“No, stop!” She sighed, exasperated, before taking a seat in one of the chairs. Allison knelt in front of her, not sure what to say.

“Look, um… I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to hear this...how you feel right now, but I… I love you, and I- I just… wanna be here for you, as your sister.”

“There’s just no way,” Vanya murmured, slightly shaking her head. “I mean, I love him. This just doesn’t make any sense. And this power… I- I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what to do.” She began breaking down, placing her head in hands. As she sniffled, Allison stared off, in thought. Coming to a realization, she furrowed her brows.

“I understand now.”

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

The metal squealing of the door alerted the four-year-old (Y/N) to peek over at what was happening. Her father demanded that she stand with her back to them until she was told otherwise, but he wasn’t currently watching her. She watched as Grace walked into the dark room with a tray of food for Vanya, who had sat up in bed. (Y/N) was informed by her robotic mother that her sister was sick, so she had to be transported away from her and her siblings to avoid spreading her infection. She missed her dearly and always asked Grace to wish Vanya a speedy recovery for her. “Who’s hungry?” She heard her mother chirp. She couldn’t see much else, for after Allison walked in, their father stood in the doorway, blocking Vanya from her view. “Now. You have to take your medicine, like a good girl. It’ll help calm your nerves.”

(Y/N) turned her full body towards the room, truly curious as to why she was brought down here if she couldn’t even speak to Vanya. “It’s time, Number Three,” She heard Reginald’s voice. “Do it.” From the very slim space between her parents, she could see Allison walk up to Vanya, but not their faces or actions. After a few seconds of silence, Allison sighed and began to speak,

“I heard a rumor… you think you’re just ordinary.”

There were no other words spoken between her sisters. Allison was ordered to leave the room afterwards. When she joined her sister’s side, (Y/N) quickly grabbed hold of her hand. “What happened, sis?”

“I don’t know… I just… I had to use my power. But I don’t know why.”

“Oh…”

“Number Eight,” Their father’s voice made both girls jump and tilt their heads up. He stood before them, taking off his monocle. He then crouched before them and stared (Y/N) in her eyes. “Number Eight, summon a clone. Tell it to make sure Number Seven does not leave her room. No matter what. Understand?”

“I understand,” She whispered before turning away and singing her tune. From her shadow, a clone of herself appeared and stood motionless, awaiting an order. “Make sure… Make sure Seven doesn’t leave her room. No matter what.” She quietly ordered, the clone only walking past them and standing in front of the door. Reginald watched its every move, pleased when it didn’t do anything to defy its orders. He nodded and stood to his full height.

“Come along, Number Three, Number Eight.” He walked down the long hallway to exit. (Y/N) stared at her clone, not leaving her spot until Grace placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her down the hall.

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

“He made us accomplices.”

Tears in her eyes, Vanya could only stare at her sister in betrayal. Allison tried to meet her eyes, but darted her gaze back down to the floor in shame. “You did this to me…?”

“I… I didn’t realize.”

“You knew this whole time? That I had powers?!” Vanya jumped up from her chair and walked away, but Allison stood as well.

“No, no! I didn’t really understand until I came today, until I saw it.”

Vanya turned to her, her voice shaking as she spoke, “Well, now it all makes sense. This is why you guys never wanted me around.”

“What?! No!”

“You couldn’t risk me threatening your place in the house, your- your dominance. You and (Y/N) constantly whispering to each other, mocking me!”

“That is not true. Don’t blame (Y/N) like this, she didn’t-”

“You two couldn’t handle the fact that Dad might find me special!”

“You are special, Vanya! With or without powers!” Allison raised her voice. Vanya’s face began to flush red with anger.

“Don’t- Don’t say that! You destroyed my life!”

“Oh, please, Vanya. Everything is out in the open. We can move on!”

Vanya’s expression set into determination, as if she had decided on something. “Oh, I’m moving on. But not with you, with Leonard.”

“With Harold, you mean.”

“With Leonard! The only person who has ever loved me for me.”

Rumbling sounded quietly, but neither sister paid much attention. At Vanya’s words, Allison simply scoffed. Vanya lifted her chin. “Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not threatened now.” The wooden wind chimes clanked against each other as the curtains in front of the open windows swayed with the wind powered by Vanya. Allison glanced to the side, clearly nervous.

“I don’t wanna argue with you-”

“Then go!” Vanya boomed. Allison winced and slightly reared back as a crash could be heard from the distance. The wind picked up and their hair now flowed along with it.

“I’m only trying to help you-”

“I don’t want your help!” Vanya screamed.

“Vanya, I love you!” Allison cried.

“Stop saying that!!!”

Allison looked up as the lights flickered, the ceiling lamp swinging above their heads. She watched as Vanya’s power swayed the rocking chair, the items on the table, the dreamcatcher, then to her own sister, who looked as if she was going to explode from her heated anger. Glass smashed from somewhere in the house, but she was only worried about her sister. “Are you okay?”

“I! Said! Go!” Her scream sent the lights above them shattering. Allison gasped and tried to block the glass from falling onto her. She realized then that there was no stopping her sister in any reasonable manner. She choked on a sob as she set her eyes on Vanya.

“Please, don’t make me do this,” She cried, but Vanya only stood before her, silent, fuming. Allison gasped and opened her mouth. “I heard a rumor…” But she didn’t get to finish, for Vanya’s violin bow came into contact with her throat, slashing across it. All movement within the cabin halted as Allison gasped, then choked, blood squirting and streaming down to her chest. Realizing what she’d done, Vanya’s expression dropped, as well as her bow, as she rushed to her sister.

“Allison!” She grabbed ahold of her as Allison pressed her hand to her bleeding throat. They stared each other in the eyes as Allison began to fall to her knees. “No! No! Allison!” Once she fell to the floor, Vanya hovered over her, not knowing what to do. She screamed as her sister opened her mouth wide to talk, to squeak, to gasp, to do anything, but only her chokes were what left her lips.

“Vanya!” Leonard burst through the door. His face dropped at the sight before him.

“I didn’t mean to!” Vanya cried. But Leonard, once he came to terms with their current situation, smiled.

Almost excited.

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

The ride to Leonard’s grandmother’s cabin was silent. Five drove the car, eyes fixed on the road and beside him, Klaus sat in the passenger seat, his knees up to his chest. In the back, (Y/N) sat in between Luther and Diego, the latter staring out the window, the former tapping his foot to the floor of the car in impatience. Suddenly leaning forward, Luther was right behind Five. “Hey. Can you go any faster?”

“Ask me again, and I’ll burn you with a cigarette lighter.” Was all he said, but when Luther sat back again, the boy pressed on the gas harder.

Arriving at the cabin, Luther and (Y/N) were the first out of the car, bolting up the stairs with Klaus right on their heels. Luther burst inside, but he and (Y/N) froze at the sight before them.

“Allison!”

“No!”

Luther got to her before she could, kneeling down and gently lifting her head. Allison’s dark brown eyes were wide, blood still spilling from her open throat. Beside him, (Y/N) was sobbing into her hands, which were covering her mouth. Klaus was on his other side, his hands on Luther’s shoulder, watching as he cried for Allison, begging her to wake up, to look at him. (Y/N) reached one of her trembling hands forward and grasped Allison’s limp one in hers. Behind her, she heard Five’s feet scruff against the carpet.

She stood, stumbling back into the boy, but he caught hold of her before either could fall. He turned her in his hold and held her head against his shoulder, watching as Klaus lifted his head and glanced over at them with teary eyes. Five could’ve winced at the death grip (Y/N) had on his arms, but he didn’t.

—————————————

Taglist: @nate-isnt-great @43sparrows @sapphicsyn @m00n-sh @starcurrent @alexander-hamilhoe @youcandalekmyballs @wonderlandfandomkingdom @yrdadjstcallsmekatya @narikyuwu @sm0kingcrack @a-t-h-r-e-e-n-a @moatsnow @bubblegumflamingos @call-me-starstorm @rev-enviadhell @meowiemari @magicalgothpandamaker @simping-4-fictional-men @hehehehannahthings @harrystylescherrie @rhain3

#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #umbrella academy x reader #tua #tua fanfic #tua five #tua x reader #five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #number five #number five x reader #five x reader #of starlight

121 notes · View notes

lokis-army-77 · 3 years ago

Text

If You Please

Chapter Fifteen

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 3060

This is technically a reader insert but without the (y/n) and all that. She also has no name mentioned so feel free to imagine as you please.

Follow the reader through the events of the Captain America movies and experience her love for Bucky Barnes.

Warnings: Bucky has a nightmare and one thing blows up, that's it.

<< Previous Next>>

Masterlist

We had been flying for a while now and the sun had finally gone down. I had cleaned up the bullet graze on my side earlier with the onboard first aid kit, it had now started to heal itself seamlessly back into my skin like it was never there to begin with.

Bucky had never once taken his eyes off the sky since we took off. I had asked him a few more questions right after we started flying steady, but he just pressed his lips into a firm line. He was like an impenetrable wall and it was throwing me off. What had they done to the Bucky I grew up with, where was the bright, smiling love of my life? I sat there staring at the parts of his face that peaked through the mop of messy brown hair he had.

“Stop staring at me.” The sudden sound of his voice startled me enough that my elbow slipped from the place where it was perched on my knee. I quickly turned away from him in my chair and started to look out of the window into the dark.

“Sorry, it’s just,” I stopped short to think of what to say next. “It’s just that I thought you were gone. Steve watched you fall from the train. I mourned you, I was still mourning you. Now you’ve shown up and I barely recognize the man in front of me.”

He took his hands off the yoke and pressed some buttons to presumably turn autopilot on. “I have no memory of any of that. Flashes, yes, but never anything substantial.”

“I know and that’s okay, it’s to be expected. I followed you for a reason and help you remember is part of that.” I told him softly. I had no clue what he had been thinking for the last seventy years, but I knew it wasn’t something that could be fixed in just a couple of hours. The fact that he was talking to me with less hostility than before gave me the hope that I needed to know that I could help him.

Turning his head away he lets out a gruff sigh. “We’ll be landing in a couple of hours, get some sleep.” He gave me a soft look through the curtain of hair before going back into that stone-cold guise.

I nodded in acceptance and slowly stood and made my way to the bench that lined the side of the cabin. I laid down on the cold metal and let the sounds of the jet lull me to sleep.

When I woke up the cabin lights had been turned off and it was almost completely pitch black, save for the few flashing buttons on the control panels. I sat up and noticed that the jet was quiet. The noise from flying was long gone but the sounds of the night could be heard throughout. I looked around the cabin groggily to see that the back ramp was lowered to the ground. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stood up. Squinting in the dark I could faintly see something standing a few feet out from the ramp in the grassy field.

I made my way down into the tall grass and stood next to Bucky's statue-like form. He was silently looking up at the sky. We stood there like that for a few minutes before he slowly bent down to reach into the duffel bag we had packed earlier. It was sitting on the ground with a few other bags from the jet. Standing back up he reached out his hand toward me and I brought my hand out to meet him, he gently placed one of the grenades into my palm.

“What’s this for?” I asked while examining the device.

“Were destroying the jet.” He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Uh, why?”

“Unless you want HYDRA to come to find us, I suggest you pull that pin and throw.” At that, he unpinned his and tossed it into the jet cabin. It took me a second to comprehend what was happening. I was still half asleep as he snatched the grenade away from me and tossed it in as well. Just seconds later I was thrown off balance from the large explosion.

“You’re lucky none of my things were on there,” I spoke up while watching the flames encompass the dismantled jet.

“Quit talking and grab a bag, we have a long walk ahead,” he said in a scolding tone. I turned to watch him grab the large duffel bag, leaving me to carry the smaller backpack. I grabbed the strap and hoisted it up onto my back and slid my other arm through the second strap then started after him.

“Where are we exactly? I questioned as we maneuvered around a giant hole in the field.

“Maybe a three-hour walkout of Bucharest.” He stated. I groaned after hearing that. I just woke up, walking for three hours to get to the Romanian capital in the middle of the night wasn’t entirely my idea of fun. But I put up with it, barely entertaining myself by picking flowers growing along our path and then plucking off their petals like I used to do as a child. That only lasted for so long before I started to get bored, the next thing I tried was to kick a rock I had found when we had made it to a paved road. I had to stop kicking it after I had accidentally hit Bucky in the back of the legs. His sharp glare stopped me in my tracks.

The sun was coming up now, as we topped a hill that looked out into the capital city. I slowed my walk to take in the awakening city, there were severely cars driving the roads, probably going off to work. I sped up my steps as soon as I realized that Bucky had just kept going and didn’t stop to take in the morning splendor with me.

I spoke as I came back up to his side, “So what do we do now?” He let out a frustrated puff of air and I could tell that he was getting annoyed at all of my questions. He never answered me, just kept walking down the street and into the heart of the city.

It must have been past lunchtime when we finally found a shabby almost decrepit-looking apartment building. I could feel and hear my stomach rumbling as we ascended the long spiraling set of stairs to one of the topmost apartments. We had no key to get in so Bucky kicked the door in and shuffled inside. I doubted that anyone would even realize that we were here, the whole thing looked almost completely vacant. I walked through the threshold and into the tiny living space. It was just one small room, just big enough for one or two people to live comfortably, and a singular closed-off bathroom right after you came through the front door.

Looking around some more, the more I realized this apartment building truly was abandoned. The sheetrock walls were chipping along with the paint. In the kitchen, the backsplash was cracked and missing in some spots, the fridge looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in thirty years, the same as everything else in the almost empty room. The only thing in the place that wasn't attached to anything was a small square dining table and two chairs with several years of dust caked onto them. The windows and the door to the back balcony had been covered up with various newspaper pages, adding to the dark and dingy aspect.

Bucky sat the duffel bag onto the table, I placed the backpack down as well. Walking over to the kitchen and flipped the light switch, amazingly the bright strip light above the sink on the far wall came buzzing to life. I gave a silent prayer in thanks for that. I was startled a bit when I heard a loud splintering noise beside me. Turning quickly I spotted Bucky ripping up the wooden floorboards in the kitchen.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Hiding the weapons, what does it look like I’m doing,” He quipped back sharply as he reached for the bags on the table just a few inches away. He shoved them into the hole he had made and then placed the broken planks back where they had been. He stood up slowly after that and began walking for the front door. “Stay here,” he gave a stern look then stepped out into the stairwell, slamming the broken door shut.

I just stared wide-eyed at the door. ‘Did he really just leave me here?’ I asked myself. I went over to the door he had left from and opened it, his footsteps were long gone. I raced to the first window in what was presumably the living room and tore a piece of newspaper from it to look and see if I could spot him but the wall of the balcony was in my way. I gave a long and exasperated huff before turning around and giving the room another once over. ‘Well, it can't hurt to clean a bit. There had to be at least something in here that I can clean with.’ And I was right, I found a stack of four washcloths along with a couple of bath towels under the bathroom sink and a very old broom sitting just outside the back door.

It took almost two hours to scrub the grime from the floors after I had swept the thick layer of dirt and dust-up, and it took even longer to scrub down the kitchen appliances. It had been nearly five hours and Bucky still wasn’t back yet, I had cleaned everything I could until it was almost spotless. It had helped me keep my mind off of where he was and what he was doing, it also helped to keep me from remembering how hungry I was. But now that everything was almost sparkling clean I had nothing to stop my mind from wandering. ‘He wouldn’t just leave, would he? No, not after hiding all the guns. What the hell is he even doing out there? I swear to God he better bring back something to eat, five hours is ridiculous, it's already dark outside.’

I reached my hand up to fiddle with my locket and ring absentmindedly. Fear started to creep into my thoughts. I paced up and down from the front door to the back over and over again until the door suddenly flew open. Swiveling around from my spot just past the bathroom I watched as a mattress made its way through the door. I hurried over to help maneuver it into the tiny hallway, it smelled horrendous like it had been outside for a while. After struggling to pull it into the living room and throwing it to the ground I looked up at Bucky who had been the one to bring it in. He was standing awkwardly at the edge of the room with a few plastic bags around his wrists. Shaking his head a little he made his way to the dining table and placed the bags down. Whatever was inside made a soft clicking sound before falling out of the top to reveal a jar of chicken soup.

I practically ran to the table and snatched the can up. “I forgive you for being gone so long since you brought back food,” I said as I made my way into the kitchen to turn the stove on. We had no pots at the moment so I cracked open the can and placed it in the middle of the eye to heat it up. As I waited I went back over to the bags he laid out and rummaged through them, taking all the cans, bagged food, and the few pieces of silverware out and placing them on the table. The last bag, closest to the wall, had a couple of items of clothes that looked to be in both of our sizes and a few toiletries. “Where did you get all of this?” I asked as he sat in one of the chairs.

“Soup kitchens and shelters,” he said pointing to the food, clothes, and toiletries, then he pointed to the mattress, “and the side of the road.” My face scrunched up at that. There was no telling what was all over that filthy thing. From where I was standing I looked like it had been dropped in the dirt a couple of times. I was going to have to find something to get that smell out of it before I even considered sleeping anywhere near it.

“Do you want some of this soup?” I turned back to the stove to check on the can.

“No,” he responded gruffly before standing to his feet, grabbing his pair of fresh clothes and the soap from the table before heading into the bathroom. I watched after him until the door completely shut behind him, by then the soup was at a nice simmer. I took it off the eye, using one of the washcloths as a potholder before it began to boil over. Grabbing one of the spoons Bucky had brought back I settled down at one of the chairs and began to eat my nice warm dinner. Halfway through scarfing down the soup, I decided to put some on for him even though he said no.

After I finished eating Bucky emerged from the bathroom with sopping wet hair in a pair of loose grey sweatpants and a red long sleeve henley. I eyed him before getting up to throw my can away and set the used spoon in the sink. I grabbed the now warmed Chicken soup from the stovetop and walked to place it in front of him without saying a word. Then I moved to grab the extra pair of clothes he had brought back and headed for the shower.

Finally being able to take off the suit was a big relief. Yes, it was made to be comfortable, but it wasn’t made to spend two days in. Turning the water on and stepping into the warm stream felt even more wonderful, the sweat and grime of the fight the day before began to rinse from my hair and off my body. I stood there, unmoving for what felt like hours before grabbing the three in one body wash from the side of the tub. I shook my head, if we were going to be living here for a while, and I had a feeling we were, I was going to have to find some real shampoo and conditioner, but hey, beggars can't be choosers when you’re on the run and in hiding.

When I felt as though I was completely and thoroughly clean, I stopped the water, rung out my hair, and grabbed one of the bath towels I spotted under the sink earlier to dry off. Then I got myself dressed in the fresh pair of underwear, which I was surprised to see, a long sleeve black t-shirt and an identical pair of gray sweatpants to Buckys, only smaller. Making my way out of the steaming bathroom I noticed Bucky wasn’t at the table anymore. I glanced around, finally landing on him lying on his back beside the mattress, looking like he was sleeping, which he most likely wasn’t. I smiled fondly, he must have wanted me to take the mattress for myself. Although I didn’t want to be rude by not sleeping on it, I chose to find a spot on the floor until the thing could be as thoroughly cleaned as I could get it.

Laying down on my side facing Bucky, I watched as his chest rose and fell with every breath he took. It was hypnotic, that with the quiet faint sound of his heartbeat, I began to fall asleep.

I awoke a couple of hours later to the sounds of small shouts and heavy, labored breathing. I snapped up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Turning my head to Bucky I took in the sight of him thrashing in his sleep before slowly crawling over to him. I tenderly placed my hand on his shoulder in hopes that maybe it would help calm him.

“Bucky,” I whispered close to his ear, “Bucky woke up. It’s just a dream.” Gently moving my right hand up to remove the sweat-dampened hair out of his face. As my hand came to rest on his clenched jaw, his metal arm came up to seize my wrist. I gasped at the force but didn’t try to snatch my hand back. His eyes were still closed, he was still asleep. He was mumbling something incoherent, I leaned in closer to see if I could hear him better but it was still unintelligible. “It’s okay Buck, I’m here, I’ll always be here. Shh.” I tried to quiet him, and it worked for a few seconds before he started to thrash his head from side to side and his grip on my wrist became stiff and unyielding. All I could do was sit there and whisper into his ear as he gripped onto me for what seemed like dear life.

Several minutes of on and off thrashing about I heard him say something that made my heart stop. He called out my name. I hadn't told him my name at any point in the past two days. The sound of it coming off of his lips sent a spark through me, my heart fluttered and my stomach tightened. He remembered, even if it was subconsciously, he still remembered. I smiled at that before going back to trying to calm his sleeping figure.

At some point, he calmed down to the point where I no longer had to kneel next to him and calm him. He never let go of my wrist throughout the whole ordeal, even now he was still gripping it like a vice. I just left it there as I laid back down on my side and let sleep consume me once more.

The next morning, he was nowhere to be found.

Tag List: @ginger-swag-rapunzel @underc0vercryptid-reads @geek-and-proud @intothesoul @leyannrae @starkleila @andy-is-gay

#james buchanan barnes #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x female reader #bucky fic #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x rogers!reader #winter solider x reader #marvel fic #marvel fanfiction

22 notes · View notes

nikarmy · 4 years ago

Text

Equilibration ~ Prologue

Masterlist

Pairing: Waterbender! Jungkook x fem!Firebender Reader feat platonic!Bts

Genre: The Last Airbender Au, fluff, angst, kinda slowburn, s2l

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: judgemental stares in public, cursing, slight inner aggressiveness (how do you call that?), self hatred, mentions and descriptions of war, childhood trauma, flashbacks, reader is insecure af, mentions of killed people and humans screaming out of fear,

The looks from the passengers started to intimidate you.

How should one react to unwanted attention? Stare back, insult them, ask them what's wrong, or put their powers to good use and knock them down? Fuck no. That's not the right thing to do.

But the old lady in the olive robe has been fixating her gaze on you since she entered the train, only stopping her inspection when a young man offered his seat to her 5 minutes ago. Unfortunately, as soon as she made herself comfortable on the metal bench, she restarted her action.

Her face looks remarkably punchable to you right now.

Red was never your favourite colour.

In fact, you despise it, even though it perfectly described you.

Anger, Aggressiveness and Harshness. Perhaps that's why you've been considered as a prodigy and as one of the most gifted trainees back in the fire nation. You are basically the embodiment of the hot flames, symbolizing destruction and war.

You hate it. And now your red attire made you hate the colour even more, as the result was having judging looks on you all the time.

Teachers, parents and elders of the fire nation always tell stories and legends about the benders of their kind, emphasizing their heroic actions, and everyone listens to them attentively.

Although you know these stories by heart, you longed for more, for a view outside of the borders that separate your people from the other elements.

You read folk stories of waterbenders, earthbenders and airbenders, satisfying your curiosity by practically studying their culture.

But the more you learned about the peaceful water tribe, the disciplined people of the earth kingdom and the imaginative

air nomads, the more you felt ashamed about the fire nation, about yourself.

The insecurities grew as your father forced you to join the military as a soon – to – be soldier at the tender age of 8. He wanted to “use your abilities to good use”, so you just went with the flow and trained along with other talented students, destined to end the war in a brutal way and make their parents proud.

Years went by, and not too long ago, marking a week now to be exact, you went on your first “mission” to a city of the earth kingdom, whose name you don't even know, to occupy them and take over their land in a brutal way.

The pictures of killed people and destroyed houses are engraved to your brain, highlighted by the destructive flames surrounding a once peaceful town. You'll never forget the children screaming on top of their lungs and the parents begging for their lives.

The next sleepless nights you sat at your desk and started making plans on how to escape the fire nation, whilst writing a goodbye note to your family and trying to persuade them to not search after you.

And now, days later, you are standing in a train to Ba Sing Se, not even having a clue on what to do next. Your backpack consists of a bottle of water, some sparing clothes (but still not much), your toothbrush and money.

Finally you hear the male voice on the speaker say the awaited words: “Ba Sing Se Central Station”. You leave out a sigh you didn't even know you were holding, glad to be at your destiny and also glad to get out of the stinking train with the rude old lady.

During your targetless walk through the city, you notice a lot of eyes on you, and to be honest, you don't blame them, you hate firebenders too.

So you guess a new start also means a new appearance, right? Luckily you walk past a thrift shop. Its appearance is very pretty, the building is made out of wood and warm tones, the curtains which could be seen behind the big windows were a light shade of green, above the small door you could see golden calligraphy spelling “Kim's Thrift Shop” in all it's pride. It's not modern, but it looks comfortable.

At exactly that moment you choose to enter and change your black and red attire to search for one with a colour that is much less hated, like blue, yellow or green.

Entering the shop you immediately face a young man behind the counter, and you swear you've never seen a more handsome human being before.

He had perfect features, his broad shoulders and his tall figure instantly catching your attention. His raven black hair was voluminous. He could easily pass as a prince.

As much as you drooled over him as a result of his striking lineaments, he looked at you, well, weirdly. That wouldn't surprise you if he looked at you like you were his enemy, just like the other people here, but he stared at you, like you were some kind of god. Like he is genuinely happy that you entered the store. His eyes light up with hope.

“FUCKING FINALLY! NAMJOON LOCK THE DOORS!”

What. The. Hell.

Never in your life have you been so confused. Does he want to kidnap you? Oh fuck he wants to kill you.

The only logical thing to do right now is turning around and leave the shop. And you do just that.

But as soon as you can grab the door knob with your right hand, another one holds it, preventing you from fleeing.

You look who this hand belongs to, and next to you stands a man with blue hair and tan skin. His biceps and height frighten you and you realize that you're in big trouble. He has a tight hold on your forearm and leads you to the backroom of the shop in a quick pace, behind you the black haired cashier.

The backroom looked comfortable, the carpeted floor creating a cozy feeling. But the atmosphere was the complete opposite.

Here you stand, surrounded by five boys. You inspect each other and you realize that two of them are airbenders.

There stands the cashier, then your eyes land on the guy who held your forearm as if his life depended on it, and a third guy who sat on the sofa. His appearance was remarkably charming, full lips, blond hair, round face and soft features, he was quite short compared to the others. All three of them have green clothing on, so you assume that they are earthbenders.

But what really catches your attention are the last two guys. They wear yellow and red robes, both of them having a blue arrow drawn through the middle of their foreheads.

You've never seen an airbender before.

“So umm sorry if we scared you back there” the blue haired guy interrupts your thoughts. “But we are really desperate for someone like you right now”

“Someone like... me?” You curiously ask.

“Yes. The guy there..”

he points to one of the airbenders. The boy has wavy dark hair and as soon the blue guy mentions him he flashes you a cute boxy smile.

“This is Tae. Short for Taehyung. He is someone special. You see, for how long has the last avatar died?”

“70 years ago.” you reply. It's true, Avatar Aang died many years ago, and that at the time the world needed him the most. If he was still here, the war could have been prevented before it even escalated.

“Yeah” he answered “Tae is the next one”.

You gasp lightly and feel your eyes coming out of their sockets from having them wide open in shock.

The avatar is standing right in front of you.

“And we are searching for different benders who can teach him in all the elements. See, we kind of established a secret alliance against the Fire Lord, to end the war. He already knows that the avatar came back and is searching for Tae like crazy, we had to move out of our hidings four times now because he always managed to find us. Now we have to find teachers quickly, the sooner the better. Tae has to learn to be a great avatar so he can fight against the Lord. We thought we would never find someone from the Fire Nation, but then you came. Are you a firebender?”

“Yes?”

“Perfect, you're exactly who we're looking for. We'll cut you a deal. Since we assume you're not a spy, we ask you to be Taes teacher in mastering the art of firebending. In return, you'll get to live with us and we'll give you food for free. Jin is a great cook. I know this is a lot of information to handle right now, but what do you think?”

You didn't even think twice about it. Even though you don't know these guys, what do you have to loose? It's not like you had plans anyway. And stopping the fire nation seems to be just the right thing for you right now. And finally you can use your skills to good use, not for war.

“I'm in.”

Later you get introduced to all of them. The Avatar, Taehyung, is an airbender, and you swear you've never seen someone who behaves this childish before. But it's not a bad childish, in fact, it makes you feel jubilant. Maybe because his bright ambience makes up for the childhood you never had, the childhood you spent in training and learning that brutality is the way to power, and power is everything.

The guy with the blue hair is Namjoon, an earthbender and Taes teacher in that field. He seems like the leader of the group, always explaining and answering your questions.

The black haired handsome guy is Jin, a nonbender. He felt very excited when you said yes to joining them.

The other airbender is Hobi and also Taes teacher, the first thing you realize about him is his very contagious smile.

The blond dude is Jimin, a nonbender who is from an earth kingdom village.One day he knocked on their door of the shop and wanted to thrift there. But instead of finding clothes, he started talking to Tae who sat behind the counter. The Avatar liked him so much that he insisted on having him join the “Gang”.

The thrift shop actually belongs to Jins aunt, and sometimes, when he's in Ba Sing Se, he has to work here. It's also a good place to hide from the Fire Lord.

“So we need a waterbender too?” you examined.

“Yes” Namjoon was the only one to answer again “We have to travel to one of the tribes to find one. It won't be that hard.”

a/n: Thanks for reading! I would like to apologize if it’s bad, I’m not very content with my writing style, but I am working on it, since it’s my first fic and I have a long way to go:) What do you think?

#jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #jungkook imagine #jungkook fantasy au #bts x reader #bts fic #bts imagines #bts au #bts atla au #bts fanfction

67 notes · View notes

lexi-evans · 4 years ago

Text

𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 | 𝙲𝚎𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚍𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚡 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚍! 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛;𝙵𝚝.𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢

Pairing: Cedric diggory x fem! Mermaid reader and Harry x Draco and professor's Remus Lupin x professor Sirius Black!

Didn't really plan on making it this long but—

CEDRIC LIVES! (I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE A FIC THIS LONG!! WHAAAT? —also please like and reblog🥺 I worked really hard on this fic) ❤💛💙💚

“But—professor if you already knew about then why call me, now? Why not before?” You asked, patting the fawkes on his head, gently. As it sat on your lap. Professor Dumbledore peered at you with his half moon glasses.

“Because we need you're help—now” You were surprised when he said, why in the world anyone would need you're help? “I'm sorry—professor, I don't quite understand, what you're saying”

Professor McGonagall entered the room and sat by the nearest couch.“No one knows the black lake better than you do, Y/N. That's why we need you're help” Professor McGonagall said.

“what is this about professor?” you asked, curiously. None of this make sense at all. “The second task, Y/N. It's in the Blake lake. We're going to take who is more important to our champion's and put them under the Blake lake, with a very powerful incantation. And the champions has to rescue them before 1 hour passes” professor McGonagall explained, you carefully listened to everyword she spoke.

“Wait—what? Er,you mean the task is in the black lake!?” she nodded her head, you shook you're head violently. “No—professor! This is a bad idea! If anything happens—then everything will go wrong, I can't—I'm so sorry, professor”

“Y/N, I believe you made a few friends in the black lake?” you nodded, “only a few—you have no idea what kind creatures lies in those water, professor. You're risking lives!!!” you said, you're patience wearing thin.

“I know—I know, you know the underworld better and this is where we need you're help, alright. You're job is to look after the champions, just making sure they don't get any injured—you're not allowed to help them but only make sure they make it out, alive”

“Make it out, Alive?” you sighed, heavily. You don't want anyone to get hurt, Not Harry, Not cedric, No one! “Alright, I'll do it—it's not like I don't want them to get hurt—I'll do everything in will, to protect them” with a heavy heart you agreed, at least for the sake of Harry.

Ever since his name came out of the goblet, he isn't himself. His boyfriend, Draco is doing his best to cheer him up. You felt the urge to protect the kid, from anything. He, of course is like a little brother to you.

“well, that's settled then” clapped professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat, gesturing you to come along with her. “professor, you do realize what you're doing is not okay, right?” You asked, as both of you exited dumbledore's room.

“I know, Y/N. It's not in my hands to stop, now isn't it?—don't give it a much thought,alright? You'll be fine, don't worry”she said, giving you one last hug before leaving you alone.

Sighing you skipped down the Hallway, when you heard familiar laughs coming from the classroom. You turned around and decided to go in. “No—Sirius! Stop!! I can't brea—Ah, Y/N.” remus said, Sirius stopped tickling him.

“Hi, Y/N.Out for a walk, eh?” Sirius asked, settling down on the chair next to remus. “No, professor—I just talked with professor McGonagall and professor Dumbledore” they looked at each other, before looking at you with a confused face. “About the second task” their faces turned serious when you mentioned the task. You took a seat on one of the benches, Sirius looked at you intently. “Did Harry figured out about the egg, professor?”

“No, Y/N. He still didn't, says it makes a horrible noise whenever he opens it” Remus said. “The Blake lake” you glanced at both of them. “The second task”.sirius looked frightened, scared for his godson. Remus had a horrified look on his face. “That's what they said—I was planning on telling, Harry but since he hasn't figured out about the egg. I'm not going to—”

“It's okay, Y/N. There's nothing we can do, can we?” Said, Sirius. You shook you're head in pity. “what were they even thinking, Remus? They're going to kill these children with these kind of dangerous tasks”

“but—what does have anything to do with you, Y/N”

“You'll see professor, it's not for me to tell you—but you'll see. Please not worry, I'll do everything—anything to protect him. I give you my word” you were not kidding, when you said that. In fact, you meant every word in that.

You stood up, wanting time for you're own thoughts, “I'll take my leave, professor's and please don't tell anyone about this” they nodded slowly. You went outside.

Straight to the Blake lake, you stared at the water, intensely. Slowly loosening the tie around you're neck, you took of you're robes and jumped in the lake. In blink of eye, you're tail appeared with a huge splash, you dove in.

“Moony, I'm so scared—what if? What if something happens to him in the lake? It's too dangerous, Remus”

“I know, Love. But we can't do anything— remember what Y/N said, this has to do something with her. Trust me, she's an amazing witch I've seen—she gave us her word, I can see she meant it” Remus spoke softly, taking in sirius hand slowly rubbing it gently on his tender skin. Placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

“I just hope you're right, moony”

“But—I'm always right!?”

»»——⍟——««

The following week went by, swiftly. You became close with the members. Especially Cedric. At first you just thought he was a show off because of his fanclub but he was genuinely nice.

Fleur... Well, she's great. Such a sweet person. Sometimes you get confused when she speak but she's cool.

Krum.. Well, you only managed to speak with him few times and... Yeah, he's not much of a talker.

Harry, you adore this kid. You knew him since first year, he's you're friend and obviously Draco too. They're such a cute couple, you absolutely love of those kids.

“Hey, Harry! Draco” You sat next to them, Harry smiled at you gracefully. “Hey, Y/N, morning” said, Draco. Despite, the fact that he's a Slytherin. Ever since Harry and him started dating, Draco spent most of the time with you guys.

“so, Harry. Did you figured out about the egg, yet?” He nodded.

“I did, Cedric gave me a clue though —wouldn't have done it without him” Harry spoke quietly. You remembered the night, the little adventure you guys did, or so it seemed like, in the prefects bathroom.

“Come on, Ced!” You giggled, dragging cedric with you towards the prefects bathroom. You're footsteps echoed through the wide hall. “Y/N!! Slow down!” He laughed at you're excitement. “Oh, My snail walks faster than you” the moon was shining, bright. You felt wide awake just as the moon itself.

You said as you both came across the statue of Boris the Bewildered. You stood by the door and whispered the password “pine fresh”

The door creak sound echoed, meaning the door opened. Pushing the door, you ushered cedric to move along.

It was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier, and everything was made of white marble, including what looked like an empty, rectangular swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor.

About a hundred golden taps stood all around the pool’s edges, each with a differ- ently colored jewel set into its handle. There was also a diving board. Long white linen curtains hung at the windows.

A large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner, and there was a single golden framed painting on the wall. It featured a blonde mermaid who was fast asleep on a rock, her long hair over her face. It fluttered every time she snored.

“Y/N, what are we doing here? I'm a prefect, myself. You know I can report you, right?” he said, teasingly. You rolled you're eyes, playfully. “Not if I told you, I know how to figure out the egg, right? ” his eyes widened.

“go ahead, ced—report me” you grinned, devilishly. “no, you don't!” you looked at him, dead in the eye and said “Try me” before walking towards the pool and slowly took off the shirt, exposing the skin underneath.

“Y/N—you do realize I'm right here, right?” Cedric blushing madly. You stood there, in your bra and shorts on. Giving him a 'really?' Look. “I'm aware” you said, bending slightly pulling your shorts down slowly.

Cedric stood there awkwardly, looking at everywhere but you. You turned around placing your hands on you're hips. “You're not really planning on taking a bath with clothes on or, Are you?”

He shook his head, with his cheeks dusted with crimson colour. Without any further a do, you jumped into then pool and splashed water on him. “Hey!” He scowled lightly. “hEy” you said in mocking tone.

“Haha—very funny, Y/N” he said, you're getting impatient “don't just stand there,you daft–bimbo! Get in” he rolled his eyes before started taking of clothes his own. You swam around, making sure you didn't make such a mess.

You're hair slowly, turning into (F/C) color. As you're tail slowly, came into the view, “if you do—Y/N!! You—what?” you giggled softly, turning around to face him. You're skin,looked little paler than before.

You batted you're eyelashes playfully at him, looking at his shocked face with you're (F/C) eyes. “Like what you see, cedric?” you said, teasingly smiling at him sheepishly. The whole school is going to see you in you're mermaid form when the task day comes.

His gaze still lingered on you're lower body. You stretched out your hand, asking him to take it. When he touched it, you pulled him into the water. Laughing hysterically. “Gotcha”

He got up, and glared at you. Whistle you were still laughing at his face. “You better stop laughing, L/N” he said, watching you laugh at him. “Or what you gonna do?” you asked moving a little bit closer than you guys were already there.

“You might not it, L/N” He only called you, L/N when he's being serious. You, however find it very hot. He was only a few inches away from you. His few drops were dripping from his hair, “Oh, I think I might”

His eyes flickered down to you're lips and then your eyes. with any warning, he smashed his lips against yours, you immediately kissed him back, wrapping you're arms around his neck, smiling into the kiss.

You are absolutely smitten for this boy, it's been only few days but you felt like you know him from years. You're relationship with him.. Is magical.

“didn't think that would happen” He spoke breaking the kiss, as both of you ran out if breath. “did you?” you grinned, kissing him,again. After you're make out session.

“you were born with this?” He asked, you nodded shrugging. “A half—mermaid” You laughed a little playing with the bubbles. “I was born this way, I can change my appearance, at will”

“Kind of, messed up, isn't it?” You asked, blowing the bubbles. He shook his head, “I think you're pretty amazing and you're beautiful no matter what you are—human or—mermaid”

You faced him “Really?” Looked at him shocked. All you're life, you thought you were just—

“yes, you shouldn't talk about yourself like that Y/N—” He wrapped his arm around your shoulders, you rested on him. “It isn't always our choices, for everything we got. I love you and you also should love yourself” he placed a kiss on your temples.

You never felt so safe and this secured before. Does he truly care about you?

“So, how does this work?” He asked, holding the egg in his hands. “put it under the water” He did what you said, luckily this time it didn't scream. “Now wh—” you pushed his head under the water, along with you.

“Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,

And while you’re searching ponder this:

We’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss,

An hour long you’ll have to look,

And to recover what we took,

But past an hour — the prospect’s black,

Too late, it’s gone, it won’t come back.”

You laughed as cedric took deep breaths. Then he turned to you “what does that supposed to mean?”

“Am I going crazy or —is Diggory seriously staring at our Y/N?” Draco asked, narrowing his eyes over the Hufflepuff.

Hermione who also noticed the famous Hufflepuff staring at you, laughed. Ron just rolled his eyes, went back to eating his food. You were too busy talking with Harry, you didn't notice.

Draco knows what you guys were talking about so he didn't bother asking, he trusts you. Were like his big sister, for both of them. These two were also very overprotective for you. Says they don't want to get you, heartbroken.

“Y/N!! I keep telling Draco—I don't dance and he says He'll teach me!” said, Harry Irritatedly. You laughed. “I will teach you!!!”

“No!!!” Harry dramatically whines. You glanced at hermione who's biting her lip to control her laughter, once you're eyes met both of you burst into laughter. “come on, Harry—I mean how bad could you be at dancing,hm?”

“You have no idea, Y/N. Last night , we practiced the dance together because he wants to impress our little ferret here. In conclusion, he suck at dancing” Ron exclaimed, following with a heavy sigh.

Draco pouted looking at Harry, omg he's so cute. “For me? Pretty please?”

“Stop! No not those eyes—draco!! Fine” Harry reluctantly, agreed. Who can say no this little cutie here, eh? The lot of you, continued eating, talking and lots of giggles from you, Hermione and Draco, though.

“Okay, alright—Let's talk about Y/N, here” Draco hushed them all, you laughed a little“what about me, dray?” you asked, confused. “Any reason, why diggory can't take his eyes of you?”

“what are you talking about, Draco—I don't, I don't understand?” you said, dryly.

“professor—you don't understand! If cedric really cares about me, then—I—how am I supposed watch over the others?” You panicked, looking at professor McGonagall. “I shall talk to professor Dumbledore about this situation, Y/N—don't worry”

“what about cho? She's close to him. She's his best friend!”

»»——⍟——««

The yule ball came, quickly. Cedric asked you to the ball which you gladly said yes, for. The night took it's toll. Professor McGonagall and professor sprout were standing behind you as you stood in front of the mirror. Looking at you're reflection.

“professor i—don't think I can do this!” you said, nervously. “Nonsense dear, you look amazing” professor sprout said, professor Lupin came into the room. “Professor McGonagall they—need you in the great hall”

Professor McGonagall nodded before leaving, you were standing in her room for Merlin's sake.she always looked after, as if you're her own but you never understood why? Nevertheless you were glad to have her. You were grown, alone. Having her always made you feel,happier. Professor sirius I mean black—peeked into the room. “Oh my—Y/N you look splendid!”

“Really?”

“Yes, Y/N—”

“professor McGonagall chose this dress, for me”

“Minnie, did a great job then!” Remus smacked sirius head, you giggled at you're professor's. You were always close to almost every teacher, except snape. You never understood why he's always so cold?

“The real talk is about you professor's!” you said, grinning. “You two look wonderful, rather very charming” You said, teasingly. Remus let out a laugh. Sirius flipped his hair “You can say it, Y/N—you're astronomy teacher looks better than DADA teacher”

“Enough! With the chitchat! Time for the ball, Let's go” said, professor sprout. “chop chop” The entrance hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o’clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open.

Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. You slowly made you're way towards the stairs. You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself.

“well, don't you look—magnificent” you heard a familiar voice behind you, smiling you turned around. “Thank you, Freddie” he smiled along with his twin. “Seriously, Y/N. You look amazing—now I regret not asking you to the ball” said, George.

You giggled, “You alright?” Fred asked you, you looked at him, nodding. “Just..... Nervous” They smiled, softly. “There's no need to be—Diggory's got the most amazing girl” Fred kissed you're forehead.

“come on, we'll escort you to you're date” George offered his hand. You neatly tucked in you're arms linking with both of them, Fred to your right and George to you're left.

At the entrance of the hall, you found cedric standing nervously. Beside of Draco and Harry who couldn't wipe the grins of their faces. You have to admit it—they're such a cute couple.

Harry nudged the older's side, cedric finally lifted his head up. And his eyes met yours. His jaw almost dropped at how beautiful—gorgeous you looked. Harry and Draco smiled greatly at their friend. You we're striking down with the twins elegantly,arms linked with yours. He swore he never seen someone so breath-taking.

Carefully, step by step the twins helped you walk down because it's a little bit hard walking with such a pretty dress and heels. And they led you to Cedric “Hi” You said, anxiously. “Hey... —you look angelic”

“And you better take good care of this Angel, mate” Fred slowly pulled away his arm. Angelina came towards Fred smiling happily. “Don't want any broken bones now, do we?” George winked, as they head off.

“Mischievous one's, aren't they” He laughed, you turned to Harry who was smiling at something Draco said. “Harry!” You hugged him,“Hey Y/N” He hugged you back. “My little prince Charming is looking good in his suite” you ruffled his hair.

“I'm here too, you know” Draco rolled his eyes, it's clear he's jealous. “Aww, c'mere” You hugged him, softly pecked his cheek. “you're so cute, when you're jealous did you know that? No wonder Harry likes you so much” you pinched his cheeks. “Are you boys, ready? I wanna see my favorite couple rocking the floor” you said, feeling more confident than you did before you got here.

Cedric laughed, as if you said something silly. “well we d—” Professor McGonagall’s voice called, “Champions over here, please!” “I'm so not ready—let's do this” said, Draco. You giggled softly.

Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat, told you guys to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside.

they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down. The doors were closed. “Ced—Cedric stop! Stop staring at me like that” you said, blushing. He smiled, like he's achieved something great. But he was genuinely liked you for real.

“You look marvelous, did you know that?”

“Oh my god” you covered you're crimson face, with your hands. “do I have to dance?” whined, Harry. Draco rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “come on, Harry! You'll be fine! Just look at me, only!”

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the all of you to get in line in pairs and to follow her. You've done what you've been told and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as all of you entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.

The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling.

The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

The light music echoed, alarming it's time for dance. Cedric gently placed his hand on your small waist, taking your hand in his. In the corner of your eye, you saw Harry and Draco who were grinning like idiots.

“I like this” you said, staring into his eyes. “I like being with you” you said, making it a little bit clearer. His face soften at you're words. “Thank you”

“For what?”

“For making me feel this way” you said, placing your head on his chest, listening his heart beat as you guys continued dancing slowly. “it's too early, I know—but I love you” said, Cedric as his grip tightened. You lifted you're head looking at him, shooked. More people joined the dance.

“you mean that?” He nodded, “I know it might seem like a joke—but I'm being serious” He said, sincerely. You waited for him to say ‘I'm kidding’ or ‘sike’ but nothing came.

You pulled away you're arms, quickly wrapped them around him, pulling him into a tight hug as if you're life depends on it. “don't leave me”

“I'm not planning on it, darling”

Both of you continued dancing for the next few minutes, till you saw professor Lupin and Professor black sitting on one of the chairs. “I'll be back�� you said, hurrying over to the couple.

“Hello, Y/N—having fun?” Remus asked, generously. You nodded “Clearly, you're not! Come on professor” You extended you're hand. “professor black!” you gestured towards the dance floor. Sirius took you're right hand, and stood up.

“Don't be a part pooper,Remus! Get up” said, sirius. You laughed “Don't want to keep you're boyfriend hanging professor, come on—look even Harry's dancing!” Remus finally gave in and stood up.

You led both of them, next to Harry and Draco. “You better not step on my toes, black” threatened, Remus. Sirius chuckled. “Since when did I ever step on you're toes, moony”

Remus rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, playfully. “I see what you did here” Cedric whispered in you're ear, you shrieked. Slapped on his chest, lightly.

“C'mon, Love!” He dragged you away from the couple so they could have some privacy. On you're way you saw Dean and seamus. Dean looked so done with his Boyfriend.

Seamus caught your eye and waved, Dean then followed his eye and quickly waved when he saw you, you waved back smiling. “Having fun?”

“Not much fun but since I'm with him, you know I can say a little bit fun” said, Dean boringly.

You leaned forward and so only they could hear“I overheard professor Dumbledore talking about the weird sister's performance here, now. Get ready, shit's about get wild”

Seamus cheered loudly but dean shushed him off. You winked at them, walked away with Cedric. “we'll sit down for a bit! I know you want to dance for weird sisters music”

You grinned, he's just caring for you. The two of you talked for a while until Dumbledore stood up

and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.

The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments.

“C'mon ced! Let's go!! It's the weird sister's!!” you clearly forgot you're wearing heels and decided it was the great idea to run and almost fell, Cedric was quick enough to catch you just in time. “Easy there, love”

The crowd danced wildly, you laughed loudly as you're hair dances behind you. Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime.

He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.

“HEY Y/N!!!” Harry yelled, getting a glimpse of you dancing in the crowd with Cedric by you're side. “ALRIGHT THERE, 'ARRY?”

“I THINK DRACO IS GONE MENTAL”

“IT'S JUST THE MUSIC!! LET IT FLOW!!”

The Weird Sisters stopped playing, applause filled the hall once More. And another song, started playing but this time it's faster. You came across Fred and Angelina, who were dancing so exhuberantly that people around them were backing away in fear of injury.

You pulled Cedric by his tie so he can leaned down “like I said Shit's gone wild” You yelled in his ear, causing him to grin. “Of course”

By the time songs ended, you were exhausted. Cedric noticed this and slowly led you out of the crowd so you can have some breath. You're face turned red and sweaty from all the dancing. “well, that was fun” Said, Draco from behind.

You noticed the couple walking towards the chairs beside you. “I wish this night was longer” you breathed, Cedric looked at you confused “why?”

»»——⍟——««

Before you know it, the day finally came. The second task is today. The entrance hall contained a few last-minute stragglers, all Leaving the Great Hall after breakfast and heading through the double oak doors to watch the second task.

All the students made their way to the Blake lake, as awaits the boats to take them to the stands. Almost everyone left, You walked with Harry by your side. “Alright there, Harry?” he nodded. “You?” you shook you're head. Sirius had his arm on Harry's shoulder and Remus was walking along side with him.

“All my life I only hid my secret... Away from this world. And now—I just. Don't know” He nodded understanding. The night on the yule ball day you told Harry and Draco about what's going to happen.

“I hope Draco is alright, can't find mione either” Harry says, disappointed. “They were held as hostages, Harry. Last night I went in there, to look—took permission from professor Dumbledore”You said, kicking the small pebble. Remus and Sirius looked at you with widened eyes.

The four of you reached the dock, Harry, Remus and Sirius got inside. Remus extend his hand for you to take and get in. You shook you're head, while laughing.

“She doesn't need a boat, Remus” said, Harry smiling. You winked at him. “You guys go ahead” They nodded, paddling the boat. You watched them go a little bit furthermore.

Sighing you took off you're clothes and started sprinting down the dock, then jumped into the cold water.

“Miss Y/L/N? Miss Y/L/N? Are you here?” professor Dumbledore called out, no one responded. The students looked quite confused why professor Dumbledore is looking for you. Cedric eyes searched around, but couldn't find you.

Suddenly, you're head popped up from the water. Professor Dumbledore let out a relief sigh. As students gasped. “can't get rid of me that easily, professor” He laughed. To others you looked like a complete different person but with same face.

Lugo bagman stood up pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, said, “Sonorus!” and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

“Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . three!”

The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause; without looking to see what the other champions were doing, Harry pulled off his shoes and socks, pulled the handful of gillyweed out of his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth, and waded out into the lake.

You waited patiently for professor dumbledore to give the signal. You were used to this cold temperature but you don't know long they can be in their. “Miss Y/L/N, here is going to look after our beloved champion's since she knows the underworld better and has known for year's—I must warn you, better not make any remarks about Miss Y/L/N or—we'll be have to make sure, none of you does it, again”

“Wicked” said, the twins at the same time. “GO! Y/N!” Cheered Ron, loudly among the students. You waved at him. He grinned

“Miss Y/L/N—it's time”

“wait! —” said professor black. Sirius walked over to the edge of the stand and leaned forward you swam a little bit further so he could speak with you.

“Please, look after my godson Y/N. I'm counting on you” he said desperately. “Please not worry, professor. I'll protect him no matter what—I promise”

You turned around and dove in, making you're tail splash huge mount of water.

You swam as fast as you could—there's no sign of anyone. You came across forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones.

You swam deeper, hoping you could find any of the champions. Then you caught a glimpse of Harry, He got his wand out of pocket and used a spell on the grindylow.

You sighed in relief but immediately panicked when you saw more grindylow's surrounding Harry. You swam, faster and then you hit few of them with you're tail. Then used you're hands to make bubble boost making knocking them unconscious.

“Harry!” you hugged him, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” you're eyes scanned him for injuries. He has few scratches on his legs, “Y/N! Please I'm fine” He said, swimming away. You watched him leave, well at least he must've known what he's doing.

You turned around and swam further searching for other champions, your hair flowing behind you. The deeper you went the more eerily the surroundings got. Some things wrong, you can feel it.

You were about to turn around until you heard something coming from the deep, dark green weeds. You know it's dangerous, even for you. But you went in. What if someone got stuck?

You're eyes widened, it's fleur she's got struck in between the weeds and few grindylow's were attacking her. You kicked away few of them but many more are coming. You have to get her out of here. You used bubble blast, again but there's too many of them.

You managed to get them off Fleur, she's crying in pain you can tell. The problem in being water is—no one can understand you're pain, you can't feel the tears. You made a huge wave, and sending it straight towards them.

Knocking them off, “Fleur? Fleur!” you called out but she doesn't seem alright. You held her tightly and swam towards the stands very fastly. It hurts a little bit, putting too much pressure but you didn't care.

All you cared is about saving her. The crowd waited anxiously for someone to arrive, You're head hit the surface.You swam toward the deck “Professor!!!” you called out for help. Professor McGonagall who is closer to the deck, came in to give a hand. Madam maxime gasped “Fleur!” she looked horrified.

“She's unconscious! Help her—I have to go back” You quickly spoke to Professor Dumbledore, beside stood professor Lupin and professor black worriedly.

You know the exact location where the hostages were held, you're sure the champions must've found them by now.

When you got there, Harry was surrounded by the merpeople, a spike was held near neck as he was floating near Hermione. You angrily swam, towards them. “Get back!!!”

Of course they know you, you came in here more than twice, every week. You went in front of Harry, protectively helding him back.

“You take your own hostage,” one of them said to him. “Leave the others . . .”

“No way!” said Harry furiously — but only two large bubbles came out.

“Your task is to retrieve your own friend . . . leave the others . . .”

Harry shook his head, furiously. “Harry! Take Draco and leave—she's krums hostage” you said, calmly. “please”

He sighed in defeat. You turned around when you saw Cedric swimming towards you. He pointed towards the watch, the time is almost finished. He cut cho free.

“Is krum coming?” you asked, he nodded. “Go” He swam away, with cho in his arms. Even though you know she's his friend you can't help but feel jealous a little bit but you trust him.

a human body in swimming trunks with the head of a shark. . . . It was Krum. He appeared to have transfigured himself — but badly.

The shark-man swam straight to Hermione and began snapping and biting at her ropes; the trouble was that Krum’s new teeth were positioned very awkwardly for biting anything smaller than a dolphin, and Harry was quite sure that if Krum wasn’t careful, he was going to rip Hermione in half.

Darting forward, Harry hit Krum hard on the shoulder and held up the jagged stone. Krum seized it and began to cut Hermione free. Within seconds, he had done it; he grabbed Hermione around the waist, and without a backward glance, began to rise rapidly with her toward the surface.

You smiled proudly at Harry's actions. He could've just taken Draco and leave but he wanted to make sure his friends were alright.

He turned to you. “Fleur didn't make it, Harry” you said, worriedly. Her sister... If Fleur didn't rescue her and then—she's gone?

His eyes widened, Harry tried to speak but only bubbles came out his mouth. “if we don't rescue her now and then she's lost to us”

He looked around, the merpeople isn't anywhere near you two. “I'll take care of them, you go” he nodded in agreement. Harry darted forward and began to hack at the ropes binding the small girl to the statue, and at last she was free.

He seized the little girl around the waist, grabbed the neck of draco's robes, and kicked off from the bottom.

You were too busy, dealing with the merpeople you didn't notice some of them slipping past and went towards Harry. “Argh!” you winced when the spear peered you're skin on lightly.

Over the surface;on the stands Cedric was facing back and forth. The time is almost over and Both Harry and you didn't return. He knows something gone wrong. “I'm going in” said, Cedric removing the towel that was wrapped around his muscled body.

“Mr.Diggory—it's against the rules, you're not allowed to go in” Cedric let out a frustrated growl.

No matter how many you fought, it seems they keep coming. Finally, you looked at Harry. His flippers were gone, he was struggling to swim with Draco and Fleur's sister.

Harry no longer can breathe oxygen, with all the strength left he pushed Draco and Fleur's sister towards the surface. The merpeople surrounded him. “Harry!!” You kicked away, the merman and swam towards him quickly. You glanced at the surface, Draco and Fleur's sister are safe. Draco helped Gabrielle swim towards the stands.

You caught him, but suddenly, a grindylow came out of nowhere and gripped on you're tail. You yelped. Using the strength left in you're hands, you blasted away the grindylow. You guys were few feet away from the surface.

You pushed Harry towards the surface and then sent a wave with you're tail causing him to break into the surface. You felt enormously relieved.

Harry breathed heavily as he reached the surface. He swam towards the stands. And was immediately wrapped up in towel. “Oh, Harry! Finally!” Draco kissed his head, hugging him tightly.

Cedric made his way to Harry. “Ha—Harry where's Y/N?” He asked, worriedly. “she's—still inside, i—” He was cut off when Sirius walked over and hugged him tightly. “she saved me” he finished taking in deep breathes. Everyone looked at the water worriedly.

You got away and popped up into the surface, right in front of the docks. Professor Lupin helped you get up on the stands, you were still in you're mermaid form. You breathed heavily, you laid on the deck. Cedric walked over to you, taking you in his arms protectively. He wrapped his towel around you.

You're eyes shot up, “Harry!” you searched around, he over to you with Draco by his side. “I'm here, Y/N” He smiled, “thank god” you breathed out. “No, thanks to you” said, Draco gracefully.

You laughed, leaning back onto Cedric's chest. He placed a kiss on your temple. “You got me so worried, Y/N” you smiled. “I couldn't be more thankful to you Y/N, for what you did! I owe you” Draco hugged you.

You stretched out you're left arm, motioning Harry to hug you. He smiled, and joined you three. “Thank you, Y/N” Draco said, again. You just saved his life (his and his life? Harry is his life so his life, I say).

He pecked you're cheek, just like you do for him. You didn't stand up, because of you're tail. And you don't want to shift back because.... You're clothes?

Harry pecked your other cheek, causing you to giggle. The others seemed to be in aww at you're interactions with the boys. Fleur walked over to you guys. “You saved me, thank you, Y/N. Harry thank you for saving my sister even though she's not yours”

“well, I have loads of help” he said turning to you. You giggled hugging him, Draco smiled widely. “And you—you helped her” she said turning to Draco, he might have helped her sister swim “Ah, yes a little bit” she kissed his forehead “thank you” she left went back to her sister.

Draco turned to you guys with a weird expression“didn't expect that”.

“I could never thank you enough for what you did today, Y/N. No matter how many times I say it, it wouldn't be enough” said, Sirius seriously.

“thank you for keeping you're promise, Y/N” said Remus sincerely. Harry looked shocked “You promised them? To keep me, safe?” you nodded. “I didn't save you just because I promised them, Harry. I saved you because you're my friend—a brother—a family—I love all of you” you said looking at Cedric, Harry, Draco, Hermione, and ron who stood by her side then Sirius and Remus. You smiled widely.

“A hug?” you asked, sheepishly knowing you'll be crushed the next second. Every one hugged you. You felt tears glistening in your eyes. You may not have grown up with love and affection in you're life before you got into hogwarts.

But you never felt so loved before. “come on, Y/N. Let's get you dressed” said, Cedric and tried to pick you up, but you slipped out, “Nah-huh I'll meet you at the land” you said, jumping in the water purposely splashing water on everyone.

“Y/N!!!!”

“IT'S SO COLD!! HARRY I'M SO COLD”you heard draco's voice, saying dramatically. “I only think you're hot, draco” “THIS IS NOT TIME FOR FLIRTING!”

»»——⍟——««

Few years later;

“I can't believe this is happening” you said, trying so hard not to cry. It's you're graduation and now you know it's time to say goodbye to the place you called home for years.

“Yeah,I'm gonna miss this place” Said, Cedric looking at the fountain in the courtyard. “I'm gonna miss everyone” you said, as a tear fell from your eyes. “me too—gonna miss the adventures that and competition's which nearly killed us” He wrapped his arm around you.

“Remember how we met? I was assigned to watch over you guys” you said, recalling the memory. “I do”

“and I'll never forget it”

“So, now what do we do?”

“I'll be in training to become an Auror”

“I know” “I love you” “I love you too”

“Y/N!! Y/N!!!” you looked up and saw Harry and Draco running towards you. You smiled at them, over the years they've grown up so much.

You still remember the greesy haired Draco and messy raven Harry like it was yesterday. “Hey boys” you said, blinking off the tears. “we know it's you're last day at hogwarts” said Harry hiding something behind him.

“So—we got you a present” beamed Draco. “Aww, you know you guys don't have to” you smiled at the younger. “don't be so nice, Y/N—you're gonna love it”

He showed you the present—“is that a pygmy puff?” you gasped, “oh my god, it's so cute” you squealed. “yep, got one from the joke shop—Fred and george gave us this for free” said Harry

“when we said it was a gift for you, of course” Draco laughed. You took the small pink fluff ball into you're hands, you almost melted at how soft it was.

You handed the pygmy puff to Cedric, he gently held it in his palms, it looked so small in his hands🥺 You hugged Harry and Draco tightly.

You'll miss these boys, the most. “I'll miss you two, so much” you said, through tears. “us too, Y/N—don't worry! We'll graduate before you know it and then visit you whenever we want” beamed Harry.

You laughed, “Of course! Anytime you want, doesn't matter” Draco bought up his sleeve and wiped off you're tears.

“We'll see you soon, Y/N”

»»——⍟——««

“NO! WE'RE GOING TO MY USE MY LAST NAME!”

“NO!! WE'RE GOING USE MY LAST NAME”

“WHat is going on?” you heard familiar voices, turning around stood there Fred, george and Your husband, Cedric in their suits. You let out a frustrated sigh. “They're arguing over who's last name they're going to use”

“Are you kidding? The wedding's in 5 minutes” said, Cedric checking his watch.

“Now they're arguing??” Asked, Fred who looked so done with the engaged couple.

Hermione groaned loudly, “Come on guys, let's go it's time”

You laughed at them, none of them really changed. Same kids from school, it's a good thing though.

❃.✮:▹ The end ◃:✮.❃

BONUS:

I was watching the IT movie,again the other day. It's horror film written by Stephen King and it couldn't help but— (I saw this one in Pinterest and I don't know what—but)

Anygays, I hope you guys enjoyed this fic and also thank you guys so much for 200+ likes for my “𝚈𝚞𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎| 𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚘 𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚏𝚘𝚢 𝚡 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛! 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛” Fic and like I promised here, Cedric's fic.

117 notes · View notes

wavesmp3 · 4 years ago

Note

for the made-up fic title: in defense of guilt

in defense of guilt | younghoon x (female) reader | royalty au, inspired by “bitterblue”

there’s a clangor of metal against stone somewhere off in the distance. a yelp of shock, and another tired exclaim that sounds like your ladymaid. a flash of red curtain in your face. a quick turn into a private corridor, and a faster one down the spiral staircase then—

finally, you sigh tugging at your navy hood and inhaling the cool night air, i’m free.

unsurprisingly, sneaking out of the palace isn’t an easy task. especially not when you’re the queen. yet, somehow you’ve managed,

and not for the first time.

at this point, it feels like muscle memory, when you remove the royal rings from your fingers and slip them into the pocket of your cloak. it feels natural when you pull your hood down to cover your face and fall into the crowd of bodies walking down the cobblestone street.

the city used to be something of a mystery to you. you still remember you’re first time sneaking out. the hesitation in every step and the frequent looks behind your shoulder after every turn, concerned that someone would recognize you. it turns out however, that most of your people haven’t a clue as to what their queen looks like. the realization sends a small bit of peace down your throat, but still, you knew the punishment would be grave if you were to be caught. your ladymaid had made it quite clear: you are young, my queen, she had told you with a lifted chin after catching you sneaking back into the palace one night, parliament will not take a misstep of yours lightly. i know you remember how they treated your mother. you’ve been holding the warning close to your heart ever since.

but despite the concern in her voice and gravity of her threat, it isn’t enough to stop you from pulling on your navy cloak and slipping out of the palace again the following night. there’s something about the yellow glow of the street lamps, the laughter of your people jumping from the cracks in the cobblestone, and the whisper of secrets from the dimly lit storyrooms at the end of each road that bring you back every night. well, that, and of course, younghoon.

“you’re late,” he greets with a lopsided smile outside of the storyroom.

you turn to face him, leaning against the wall casually and flicking something you can’t make out between his fingers. there’s a bit of grease smeared across his chin, and you find yourself studying it carefully. fighting the urge to reach across and rub it off, you tug your hood lower and ask teasingly, “you waited for me?”

he chuckles at that, a low, breathy one that makes something in your stomach churn unpleasantly. ignoring the question, he tugs at the sleeve of your navy cloak and beckons you inside the storyroom. “come. tonight the teller has a story about the old queen.”

a lump forms in the back of your throat at that. you almost don’t follow him inside.

this storyroom like most storyrooms are small and filled with people. tables, fitted with colorful cloths, taking up most of the space outside of the bar counter, and people crammed in every corner waiting rowdily for tonight’s teller to begin. you and younghoon have to shove your way against the crowd until you reach your usual booth in the corner with hyunjae already seated there. he pushes one of the cups of cider your way when he notices you.

the teller begins soon, and the moment he does hyunjae is up and gone, disappearing within the crowd. it was something you learned to get used to only recently, and something your ladymaid still chides you for. a queen has no business frolicking around with criminals at night, she had said when you told her, one of these days that boy is gonna pick the wrong pocket. you can’t stand the way her words ring in your mind every night hyunjae or younghoon goes pocket picking through the storyroom’s crowd.

“don’t worry about him, navy,” younghoon whispers by your ear. and you can’t tell whether it’s the use of the nickname he gave you when you refused to admit your actual name or the way his breath fans against the back of your neck that sends a shiver running unwelcomed down your spine. “hyunjae doesn’t get caught.”

“execution.” you hiss under your breath. “the last thief tried in front of the royal court was executed.”

“well, if the queen is as righteous as you say, i’m sure she’d never allow something as preposterous as that.” it’s a joke, you realize a moment after he says it, a sneer at the queen and her poor management. you want to defend yourself, say something that’ll make younghoon understand just how helpless you are against the parliament and the court. but the small part of you wondering if his scorn towards the queen is justified, halts you before you can. you don’t say anything after that.

the teller begins his story about your mother, it’s not very different from the ones you’ve heard before, but it feels new regardless. “she was a good queen and a tragic story”, the teller explains to the room, “murdered at the height of her reign leaving her daughter, no older than ten, to take up the throne. she was loved. she did right by her people, but there was a conspiracy amongst the royal court against her...” you stop listening as the teller begins to delve into the secrets and lies that consumed her last years as queen, and the same ones that haunt you. it’s all speculation, you remind yourself tuning out the murmurs amongst the storyroom, no one knows the truth. you spend the rest of the teller’s story ignoring the mystery shrouding your mother’s death, but when he returns to the kingdom’s regard of your mother, describing how loved she was by the people, you hang onto his every word.

“you’re back later than normal tonight, my queen,” your ladymaid scolds, when you fall back in your bed after sneaking back into the palace, the teller’s story still echoing off the walls of your mind. you puff out a breath of hot air, frustrated at the way she never fails to make a jeer when you return before the sun rises. inwardly you wonder why you keep showing up places late tonight.

“i apologize,” you deadpan, returning your royal rings back to their place on your fingers. “there was a particularly interesting teller tonight,” you explain to her purposefully leaving out the part where you and younghoon left early to watch the stars from the storyroom’s roof, “and his story ran rather long. you see, i hadn’t-”

you halt.

your ladymaid looks up at your sudden stop, concern written across her forehead. “what is it, my queen.”

you stare at the empty space on your middle finger. it takes a while for your shock to water down enough for you to look up at her and murmur, “i’m missing a ring.”

you’re running, feet flying across the memorized city path to your usual storyroom. you don’t even have time to marvel at how beautiful the city looks in the morning sunlight. instead as you make the twists and turns across the city faster than ever, you think and overthink how your ladymaid was right about them. you just never imagined that when she said one day hyunjae and younghoon would pick the wrong pockets, those pockets would be yours.

“do you have it?” you cry breathlessly at younghoon, shoving him against the wall of the now nearly empty storyroom.

he doesn’t laugh like you expect him to. no, instead there’s something dark about his face and something heartbreaking about the frown on his lips.

“tell me navy,” he starts refusing to meet your eyes, “who would receive a harsher punishment from the royal court: thieves or liars?” he holds up your ring, hissing, “or should I say my queen.”

72 notes · View notes

socialwriter · 5 years ago

Text

Ch. 2-Diamonds are a girls best friend

Listen alongside- this and this

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Female Reader

TW: Prostitution, sexual activities, mentions of homelessness, cursing, health issues

2.2k+ words

A/n- This is the second chapter of my moulin rouge series, I hope y’all enjoy, mwah

The curtain rose, and JJ's mouth instantly went dry when the most beautiful woman he had ever seen walked onstage. Immediately, butterflies erupted in his chest. He realized that this mission of his was going to be much harder than he had initially anticipated…

Y/n strut on stage, hips swaying from side to side slightly. She had the routine down pat, knowing how to maximize tips for the night. Leaving the men of the audience wanting more, that’s how you keep them coming back for more. You push and push them, but don’t let them over the edge. Eventually, she landed center stage, the spotlight hitting her making the jewels on her body and costume glimmer. The entire audience was quiet, anticipation evident by the atmosphere.

You were ready to begin.

The silky notes left your throat, as looked up at the audience through your eyelashes, flirting with every man in the room all at once. Your eyes skimmed the audience, creating a connection with each and every person watching. After all, the larger the connection, the larger the tip. Though, your attention always drifted back to those middle booths. The money makers. You hadn’t forgotten your conversation with Topper before the show had begun for the night.

----

You’re putting the finishing touches of makeup on for the night, painting the red rouge on the lip when a knock was heard at the door. You breathe in, putting on your sultry look, preparing for an early customer, only to relax when you see it's just Topper likely here to tell you to break a leg. “There’s my star.” He said, a grin on his face as he opened his arms towards you.

You rolled your eyes, but nevertheless walked over to him to give him a small hug and air kisses. Topper had always been able to see the shine and glimmer in you that you hadn’t been able to see in yourself. To yourself, you were just like any of the other performers, nothing special, but he saw something more in you. He had taken you in when you were left homeless at 14, giving you a job as a waitress before letting you perform when you were of age. He picked you up, dusted you off, and made you a beautiful star, though he said you didn’t need his help doing the last part.

“I’m just doing my job Top.” You retort, pulling away from the hugs. He just grins at you and shakes his head, surprised that after all these years you still had never learned to take a compliment. “And that’s why we pay you the big bucks.” He muses, before the smile falls on his face and he becomes serious. The mood change is abrupt, taking you aback. It looked like this wasn’t just his ritual check in before he started the show.

“I need your help.”

“When don’t you.”

Topper huffs and rolls his eyes, clearly not in the mood for jokes anymore. “Listen, you’re the first girl I’m telling this to, but we’re running low on money. We can’t afford the drinks, the costumes, the lights. Pretty soon we’ll be going under if we continue on this path.”

A small gasp escapes your lips and you look down, tears threatening to spill. This place and Topper had given you a home when you had nowhere else to turn to and now it may be in ruins? You saw other girls, in similar positions you had been in, depending on this place to pay the bills. Some of them had families and children to care form, and now they might suffer because of this place going under. “I hate to break it to you Top, but I don’t have any money to keep this place a float.

Topper shook his head instantly. “I know you don’t, trust me, I don’t think anyone that works here does. But one of our patrons tonight can save us, and I need your help convincing him to invest in us.” That was no shock to you. Topper had often asked you to pay special care to the top paying customers to ensure that they always came back for more, but never had the stakes been so high. “Who?”

“His name’s Rafe Cameron, Duke of Monroth. He’s been coming here on your nights off for the past few weeks, but I think we’re going to need you to give him the final push to give us the money. He always sits in a middle booth, as per usual with the bigwigs. Can you do this for me, for everyone here doll?”

You nod, a determined look in your eyes. “This Duke isn’t gonna know what hit him Top.”

---

You smile, eventually walking around the venue, collecting your bills on the different beats of the song. Everything was a show, and the people had to be entertained at all times.

When you start to approach the booth of the three bohemians, JJ pats down his pockets before realizing he doesn’t have any money to give. “Gimme some money.” He whisper-yells at the two men seated next to him, you were only one booth over. You were currently giving a show to someone who you didn’t realize yet was Rafe Cameron, and he was thoroughly impressed, enjoying the show but not tipping a cent.

“I only have a $20.” Pope whisper-yells back, but you’re already walking, so JJ grabs the 20 dollar bill from Pope’s hand without his consent and grabs your wrist ,spinning you around. You’re shocked to say the least, and about to pull away from the rude customer. You may dance around and perform sexual acts in front of men, but you drew the line at consent. However, when you turned around, your breath hitched as you met the most beautiful blue eyes that you had ever seen. The unknown mystery man hands you $20 before getting on one knee and kissing the back of your hand. The tip is huge, and with the chivalrous attitude, you connect the dots in your head that this must be the duke Rafe Cameron. It looked like you would be seeing more of those mesmerizing blue eyes later tonight.

You start to walk away from who you assume is the duke, but not before turning around and blowing a kiss his way. JJ is practically swooning at this point, his eyes glued on you the entire time as he makes his way back to the booth with Pope and John B. “Man..you’re good.” John B mumbles, looking at JJ with only respect in his eyes. Pope, however, is a little less impressed, muttering, “You owe me $20” under his breath.

You stuff the 20 in your corset, making your way back to the stage before it feels like a ton of bricks have been piled onto your chest. You stumble upstage and lean on a wall, hoping that the dancers in front of you will distract the audience from whatever is happening to you. It's hard to breathe, and you don’t know what's happening, until you feel a hand on your shoulder and see Sarah’s worried eyes, Kie glancing over at you with concern in her eyes while she dances. Focusing on Sarah seems to pull you out of whatever funk you’re in and let you focus on breathing in and out again. Eventually, you feel like enough oxygen has filled your lungs as you start to walk back to the front of the stage, nodding to Sarah to let her know you’re ok. She reluctantly allows you to walk forward and finish the number, but makes sure to keep an eye on you for the rest of the night.

After belting out the final notes to the song, you’re met with applause from everyone, and you smile at them all. “I hope you all have enjoyed your time at the Moulin Rouge thus far. Now, who’s ready to dance?!” You ask the audience, earning whoops and hollers in response. The rest of the girls and yourself all start to walk off stage, the real performance of mingling with customers just beginning.

John B and Pope, seeing you walking off stage, stand up abruptly. “Now’s your chance pal. Talk to Y/n, and we’ll distract Topper. Good luck bud.” John B says to JJ, before both boys leave heading over to Topper. “Hey Top, looking spiffy as always, that a new tie?” JJ hears Pope shout, causing him to chuckle and shake his head. Before he can start looking around to find you, you’re already in front of him, a light sheen of sweat on you from the rigorous performance that you had just given. “Hey handsome.”

JJ gulped, scratching that back of his head nervously. He had expected to have to pull you away from some rich scum to talk to you, and he had no clue as to why he would be the first man you approached. “Me handsome?” He asked, pointing to himself. Way to make yourself look like an idiot, JJ.

You just giggle, twirling some hair around your finger. You had half expected the duke to be some arrogant asshole that immediately wanted to get into you pants, but he was different. You catch yourself getting butterflies in your stomach at his goofy smile and pretty blue eyes, but try to push down the feeling. Your profession was not one for love. “Yes you, silly.”

You lean down so that your mouth is right next to his ear, your lips just barely brushing against his skin. “Care to dance?” JJ’s eyes widen slightly, and he looks you in the eyes. “Aren’t I supposed to be asking you that?”

Smirking, you shake your head at the blond, holding out your hand for him to take. “I like to switch things up, what can I say?”

JJ takes your outstretched hand, standing and following you to the dance floor. “I’m, uh, not really a dancer, I actually do more music.” You look back at him, surprised by the information. Most men kept their mouths shut during this part, wanting the physical and nothing more. But not the man stood in front of you. He seemed genuine, nervous sure, but like he wanted you for your soul and not your body. You can’t help but smile at his awkward stance, glancing at the other girls and how they're dancing with their customers for the night. “Well, that means that you already got the hard part down. If you’re dancing to the beat, then you’re already doing better than most of the guys in here.” You tell him, smirking when his face turns a shade of pink. “Now come here.”

You pull him close, wrapping a leg around his hips so that your chests are pressed together, and your hands go up to his shoulders, fingers absentmindedly playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck. JJ clears his throat, uncomfortable with how close you are, considering your dress is riding up so that your ass is almost hanging out. “You, um, you don’t have to do that, you know.” He says, looking you in the eyes. The smirk you had on your face falls, and you lower your leg. It looked like all the usual tricks wouldn’t work, like you had thought they might. Apparently this Rafe guy needed an emotional connection, which would be harder. You’d trained yourself to block out emotions, but this guy was demanding you to be vulnerable and be the real you, not the act that you put on.

“Where did you come from?” The words tumble out of your mouth before you can even really think of what you’re saying, and your eyes widen slightly, heat rising to your cheeks. You rest your head on the blond’s chest, praying that he hadn’t seen the blush on your face. But JJ had, and it made him fall in love with you even more. Seeing the real you, the real woman, the real person, not the performer and the act that you put up. He was determined, in that moment, to make you his, no matter the cost. “America.” He joked, causing you to snort, shaking your head before pulling away. Instantly, you both crave the other's touch. “I’ll be in my dressing room, hope to see you there.” You tell JJ before walking away, giving him one last parting glance.

John B and Pope see you walk away from JJ, so they decide to quit pestering Topper to see how the mission with JJ and you was going. “So how’d it go man?” Pope questions. JJ is left speechless for a moment before glancing back at the two. “She invited me back to her dressing room.” John B and Pope both grin at JJ, the former patting him on the shoulder. “Well done, you go up there, talk to her uninterrupted, and we’re in for sure!”

JJ nods, sending the two a half hearted smile before sneaking another glance at you. You approach Topper, a smile on your lips before you remember that you have to do this for professional reasons. “I’ve invited him back to my dressing room.” You inform Topper, causing him to grab you by the shoulder and kiss you on the cheek, grinning. “That’s my girl, I knew you could do it.” You can’t help but look back at the blond haired, blue eyed man, and resent the fact that you can’t help but blush when you see that he’s already looking at you.

Tags:

@normatural @sarahcxmeron @bricksatanakinswindow @ssjiara @tomfreakinghollandneedsaoscar @girlsru1eboysdroo1 @the-crackhead-next-door @perfektionsmakel @teamnick @danicarosaline @gracie-jo15 @jjmbanks @meandmymessyminds @keepingupwiththepogues @jjaybank @x-lulu

104 notes · View notes

vampiremonday · 4 years ago

Text

Prompt number: #1 - “no, come back!”

Fandom: Portal

Rating: T

Warnings/Tags: References to canon-typical death, futility, and horror.

On AO3.

For @fictober-event.

Falling

Chell wanders through tall, golden grass for such a long time before she sees anything at all. The fresh air almost stings her lungs, but it is the sweetest smell she can remember. The fresh, unfiltered air feels different, and she doesn’t know if it helps or hinders her progress lugging the companion cube along with one arm and then the other.

It is heavy, and she had almost left it behind. Then something pinged in the back of her mind, soft and strange like the scrawled warnings that she had sometimes seen on the walls back in the facility.

Weighted Storage Cube.

She does not know if its weight is the cube itself or if there is something inside. She also doesn’t know how to open it. The only thing that makes her decide to start her journey with it, its path mashing down the golden grass in a very clear trail that almost matches hers, is that she cannot imagine that GLaDOS would have sent it with her if it were meaningless.

Chell still feels a tight, wrenching sensation in her gut when she realizes that she is outside rather than dead. She had seen the four laser-sights pointed at her out of the turrets’ tall, narrow bodies, and she had exhaled – with understanding, if not acceptance – but then something <i>strange</i> had happened.

It is still happening.

Small flashes of what Chell thinks are memories come as she walks along. Sunlight through a window pane. The soft jolt of a car rolling over a fault in the pavement. People.

She wonders where the people are.

Evening approaches, and it is dusk before she ever reaches a change of scenery. The golden grass gives way to shorter grass, and not far beyond there is a stream. Along the edge of the stream, trees grow and rocks sit there, undisturbed and silent.

Water.

It occurs to Chell that she has not needed to see to eating or drinking on her own for years. Her brow furrows as she grunts and tugs and trudges onward. Finally, on some of the shorter grass, she leaves the Companion Cube behind. Her shoulders sag with relief, and she notes that she can smell the water, too.

She doesn’t know why she thinks that is strange, but her mouth tries to feebly fill itself with saliva.

She approaches the stream and finds a place to fall to her knees. Without much apprehension, she cups her hands and brings some of the water to her face. She slurps from it, eagerly, and does it again and again and again. Finally, her breathing steadies, and she pauses for a moment.

She peers at her reflection. There is a cut through her eyebrow again. She has two eyebrows, which – again – occurs to her as odd, but she doesn’t care enough to linger on the thought. There are other nicks and cuts and deep bruises all over her body. She hasn’t had time to care for them or to care about them at all.

She cups her hands and draws more water up to her face, only she closes her eyes and splashes it across it. She feels water droplets slipping down the side of her neck and into her shirt. They are cooler than sweat.

Methodically, she washes her exposed skin, but before long she catches herself laughing once at the sensation of her clothes becoming sodden with anything but sweat and blood.

The sound of her own voice startles her.

She has been alone for such a long time. Then, she had decided to stop speaking to them, since it did no good at all. Now, there is nothing to stop her voice or hold her tongue. She reaches up and rubs at her sore larynx. Part of her had feared that something they had done to her might have taken it away, after all.

She clears her throat after a moment but otherwise makes no sound.

It is approaching dark by the time she drags the Cube to the trunk of a tree. She sits down with her back to the trunk of a different, neighboring tree and peers at the Cube, thoughtfully. She sees no immediate clue as to its latching mechanism.

With a grim compression of her lips, Chell wonders if sending the Cube might have been GLaDOS’s idea of a cruel joke, after all.

A bitter sort of calculation begins to run in Chell’s brain. It starts to suggest all the reasons the Cube might be so heavy.

Useful supplies. Food, water, medicine, shower curtains.

None of those seem likely, after all.

Chemical storage.

She has already seen how the facility’s blood runs through it, though.

Toxic failure deterrent.

She can hope not, barely.

A body.

She does not know where that thought comes from, but it makes her crinkle her nose with actual distaste. She sniffs at the clean air and does not notice anything she would consider a sign of decay. If the Cube contains a dead body, though, it would likely either be reduced to a skeleton by now or otherwise so well-preserved that decay could not have reached it. Either way, she suddenly feels less enthusiastic about the idea of opening it.

The more sentimental reason GLaDOS could have sent the Cube along occurs to her – morbidly – shortly after the idea that the Cube’s contents may have once been a person files itself away as another grisly thing to be prepared for.

Maybe GLaDOS had sent the Cube with her to be her friend.

She recalls the exercise as if it had been only days ago, though she knows better.

One corner of her mouth tugs higher than the other in a faint, satisfied smirk.

It is a pointless victory, especially now, but she stares at the emblem at the Cube’s center which makes it unique. The Cube’s battered body would be something to be pitied, if it could feel a thing at all. She has never, for a moment, been convinced that it can. If it does, it has suffered in silence, which is something they have in common.

Tilting her head at it, she cranes to one side and then the other, searching for some difference that would be a place to press or pry.

Finding none, she slides across to sit upon her knees in front of it. Before she tries to sleep, she will give it one more close examination. In daylight, maybe she can wash off the soot and grime and have better luck.

It is cool to the touch but not cold. There is nothing about it that feels alive.

It isn’t like them – the Aperture scientists nor the machines they had left in their wake.

After a while, Chell gives up and returns to her own tree.

She shrugs the tattered sleeves of the jumpsuit back up onto her arms, hugging herself and trying to find a comfortable way to lean her head back against the tree bark.

Another strange shudder runs through her when she rests her gaze on the Cube because it is the most familiar thing to look at while she tries to let her guard down enough to fall asleep. She tastes something bitter in her mouth and draws enough saliva to swallow.

She is alone here.

She is free.

And the Companion Cube is not any companion at all.

She lets her gaze drift upward, and through the branches of the trees, she sees the cold light of the stars above her. Her eyes are drawn toward the moon, which is still almost as bright and clear as it had been when she had seen it – big, beautiful, and the only, mad hope she had – through the roof.

He’s still there.

It is an unwelcome thought. As soon as she has it, Chell sits upright and looks down at the ground. She places one hand against it, trying to stop feeling dizzy. She shakes her head.

The reaction only seems to make it worse.

Her arms are so cold, and she can feel herself falling up into space.

There is a sudden rush of harsh warmth, more her own blood rushing to the bruising force than the clamp, but the clamp is warmer than the lack of air around the moon.

“Grab me, grab me, grab me!” he begs.

She searches for some hardness within her, for the thought that she would not have done what he pleaded for her to do had she had the chance.

She can’t find it.

His voice had sounded so human, and all she can think about is falling.

She wishes he were here. She wishes she could find her voice and scream at him.

She wishes he weren’t just gone. It isn’t fair, even in the spirit of vengeance, and she wishes she weren’t alone.

#fictober20 #portal #chelley #chell #chell x wheatley #can be read as shippy or not #mine

44 notes · View notes

tatticstudio55 · 4 years ago

Text

Jon and Dany – both beyond the Wall at the end?

DAY SEVEN (Sunday, August 2nd) Leadership | Free Choice | DoS: Royal Retirement / Passing the Torch

This is less meta-ish and borders more on the speculative side, but I’d like to discuss a Jon and Dany (potential) ending I’ve never seen anyone talk about before: them ending both beyond the Wall, living with the free folks/as free folks. So, basically, the ending Jon got on the show, but with Dany by his side. I would even go as far as to say that the showrunners might have considered it.

This is not by any means “my ideal” Jonerys ending. That would be Jon and Dany settling on Dragonstone with a bunch of targlings and wild dragons. I do not, alas, think this is where the story is going. I do not expect either (or both) of them on the IT either. On the other hand, an ending with them both beyond the Wall seems to me like it could work with the overall story. There is already some book evidence/foreshadowing pointing to Jon’s endgame there, notably in ASOS when he (forgive my French) “finds himself” beyond the Wall:

“On the edge of the haunted forest, where the tents had been, Jon found an oakwood stump and sat.

Ygritte wanted me to be a wildling. Stannis wants me to be the Lord of Winterfell. But what do I want? The sun crept down the sky to dip behind the Wall where it curved through the western hills. Jon watched as that towering expanse of ice took on the reds and pinks of sunset.

[…]

He wanted it, Jon knew then. He wanted it as much as he had ever wanted anything. I have always wanted it, he thought, guiltily. May the gods forgive me. It was a hunger inside him, sharp as a dragonglass blade. A hunger . . . he could feel it. It was food he needed, prey, a red deer that stank of fear or a great elk proud and defiant. He needed to kill and fill his belly with fresh meat and hot dark blood. His mouth began to water with the thought.

It was a long moment before he understood what was happening. When he did, he bolted to his feet. "Ghost?" He turned toward the wood, and there he came, padding silently out of the green dusk, the breath coming warm and white from his open jaws. "Ghost!" he shouted, and the direwolf broke into a run.

[…]

He had his answer then.” Jon XII, ASOS

Dany is more of a wild card, but even the show gave us SOME reasons to believe that D&D played with the idea at some point: the pregnancy bait, Dany’s comment in 7x07 about King’s Landing and how “constrictive” the Dragonpit felt, Dany’s “we could stay here a thousand years. No one would find us” line in 8x01. Most importantly, back when I was watching season 7, this is the impression I was getting (from the showrunners):

Dany is a good person at heart, but she would not make a good queen nor would she like being queen.

I do not wholly agree with this, especially if we are talking about bookDany, who would make – and is – a much better queen than she is given credit for, but it looked to me like this is where the show was going with her. Or, at least, this is the message they were trying to communicate. They were not trying to “hide” Dany’s dark turn from the audience by making her or trying to make her bad-good-bad-good-bad-good, they simply had another endgame in mind for the character. I do not want to make this about the show but had to get this out of the way.

Now onto bookDany:

A while ago, I posted a meta where I discussed a pattern in Daenerys’s story: twice she succeeded at something magical, highly dangerous and related to dragons, and twice after she ended up in a desertic environment, thirsting, starving and nearly dying from exposition. Following the rule of 3 (which is especially predominant in her arc), it will probably happen again and – since there is no Great Grass Sea in Westeros – the “desertic environment” swallowing her afterward will be the frozen lands beyond the Wall. It could mean that she will die there, but it could also mean that she will simply disappear there. Her fate could also be revealed to the reader while remaining unknown to most characters. This would fit with Dany’s current representation in the story so far: she is an enigma, a rumor; nobody really knows her whereabouts, who she is, what she is, what she wants, what she has, if she is even real.

There are numerous parallels to be drawn between Daenerys and Mance Rayder, which I covered here. I would love the irony of Dany coming to Westeros thinking she is reclaiming her family’s lands, only to settle in the only part that was never conquered by the Targaryen. There is the (disputable, ok, but) fact that the only region in all of the continent where dragons could turn up useful for tree planting would be beyond the Wall (so frozen soil can be thawed and warmed up for plants to grow there again). Martin hung a pretty riffle on the metaphorical Wall when Silverwing refused to fly across in Fire and Blood. There is this pattern of wildling women making up Jon’s romantic prospects; first a wildling “commoner” (Ygritte), then a wildling “princess” (Val), then a wildling “queen” (Dany, eventually, if this theory proves to be correct). So of course, you will ask –

If this is Martin’s intended ending, why couldn’t the d’s just go with it?

Well, because the d’s never gave Dany any incentive to go beyond the Wall, apart from a brief rescue mission back in season 7. If Dany must end up there, something has got to bring her there and the show scrapped or discarded all of it : no Lands of Always Winter, no curtain of light, no this, no that, no nothing. And once she gets there in the books, because I am quite sure she will, she will not come back. The North is Dany’s ultimate destination. No yoyoing back and forth North and South like what the show did. That was just dumb. Travel time and distances should mean something, even if you have dragons (plus, Dany’s armies would have to travel on foot, horseback or by boat, like everybody else). The closest of yoyoing we have ever gotten in asoiaf was probably with Catelyn, it spanned three books, and she never made it back North anyway.

Did the d’s consider going with that ending? They might just. The clues were certainly there (see above…) but at some point, they must have realized that it would not work with the hole they had dug themselves in.

Now about the elephant in the room

I know some people will think that Dany ending beyond the Wall does not make much sense for her story, which technically (so far) does not have much to do with the lands beyond the Wall. In a way, I agree. Some people would also find such an ending anticlimactic to her arc and a waste after everything she has learned about leadership and politics in Meereen. I also agree. On a watsonian level, an ending with, say, Dany as a queen in Westeros – I think it works. Of course, I do. Where it does not work is on a doyalist level. Dany already had her arc of becoming queen. She achieved that by the end of book 3. Then she had to learn all the nit and gritty and dirty work of ruling over the rubble of a corrupt system while trying to make the lives better for everyone. If Dany becomes queen in Westeros, the same thing will happen again. Different setting, different people, same story. Some people have criticized the underlying message of Dany’s fight against slavery as “only a preparation” for what comes next in Westeros, saying it would undermine the real value of Dany’s work in Essos. I agree. However, the same problem applies if Dany becomes queen in Westeros: then her time in Essos is reduced to a prop up, a preparation, as if ruling Essos were somewhat less important than ruling Westeros. Furthermore, I cannot imagine an ending where Dany, still in possession of significant military forces – significant enough to secure her a crown, anyway – could choose to settle in Westeros without being plagued with guilt over leaving Essos’s slaves behind. I am sorry, I just cannot.

This is also, I think, where part of the “Dany is not a peace time queen” mentality comes from. Dany will never be a peace time queen, not because she prefers war, or because she does not want peace, but because what she is trying to achieve, in these times and places, means a lifetime of war. You cannot undo and rebuild an entire system that is rotten at its core in a single lifetime (heck, even show!Tyrion said this to her, for what the show is worth now…), much less in a few years. Dany is not a peace time queen because she is not a queen that is interested in maintaining the statue quo. At least that is how her time in Meereen revealed her. Arya would not be a peace time queen either. Jon would not be a peace time king. They could never be, less they abandoned their ideals and their ethics for a more comfortable life.

Then you might say that an ending where Dany goes back to Essos works too. It does – once again, on a watsonian level. What is the problem with this on a doyalist level? It turns Dany into a deus ex machina, coming to Westeros just in time to save it, then leaving it right after, as if neither the Others, nor her had ever been there.

The two remaining options are: either she dies a queen in Westeros, most likely during the Great War, or… the queen, Daenerys Targaryen, dies, while Dany lives.

That means that all reasonable possibilities, or choices, to keep on fighting as a queen are taken from her. Maybe her forces were severely depleted during the Great War. Maybe her dragons died. Maybe both. Maybe her function, not as an individual, but as a character in a specific story called A song of ice and fire, was to destroy an old system (AND to inspire others to follow in her footsteps, ensure that her efforts were not in vain, that the first steps will not go wasted, that the work she started will be taken up by other peoples, and others after them, and others after), not to rebuild the new one. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. Frodo Baggins’ role in The Lord of the Rings was to destroy something evil. His gardener Sam was the one who planted the trees and went on to become a mayor afterward. One was a destroyer and the other was a builder, but in the end, they were both heroes.

Not to mention that Frodo did not die at the end. You could say that he went on to live beyond the Wall too.

#ADOS speculation #jonerysweek2020 #jonerysweek #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #asoiaf #jonerys #bookjonerys

72 notes · View notes

wastelandcrown · 5 years ago

Text

logan lark’s adventures in trying to appease his parents

CHAPTER 1: anybody have a map?

Summary: Logan Lark is a fairly average high school student. By all means, he should be impressing his parents on all grounds. Except...he doesn’t exactly have a social life. So after his parents give him puppy dog eyes, he decides to join the local theatre's youth production. Good grief...His life is about to get weird isn’t it?

Warning: Potential ooc behavior, Roman is a theatre brat to the highest degree (Sorry Roman stans)

Notes: This fic is based off an idea from @under-the-blue-moonlight who very graciously let me use it! I’ve made a couple changes, mostly surrounding Virgil’s involvement and I gave Logan performance anxiety because I thought it would be neat. There will be warnings on the chapters that have potentially triggering talk.

Pairings: Eventual Intrulogical, Eventual Rociet, Eventual One-Sided Logicality, Platonic Analogical, Platonic DRLAMP

Word Count: 2584

There he stands, at the precipice of his own destruction. By all accounts, it is fair to say that Logan is blowing this out of proportion. Wildly. Though he was doing much more than adequately in school, had a fairly stable mental health, and was better than most teenagers in regards to his physical well-being and room upkeep, it apparently wasn’t enough. Don’t misunderstand, his parents were in no way vindictive or cruel. Just...positive. Overtly so. In a way that made Logan cringe. How he, a man of logic and science, was ever made from these two extremely lovey-dovey saps, we will never know. Despite all his successes his parents still encouraged him to partake in activities with his peers. ‘Oh Logan, why don’t you join the school football team?’ ‘Logan, wouldn’t it be nice to make some friends at the local animal shelter?’ ‘Why are you always by yourself? Wouldn’t it be nice to make some friends?’ No, it would not. Not for him. Other people are stupid, especially teenagers. His whole life was planned on the cork board above his desk, and there was nothing important enough to make him deviate from his goal.

To him, at least. To his parents, his social life being active was figuratively their number one priority. He’s been hoping for a calm dinner with his mother and father, he even enjoyed it most nights. He and his mother would discuss new things going on at the schools they respectively learnt and taught at. His father would discuss his work managing the popular local theatre. Discussing his father’s work tonight was a mistake.

“You know, Logan,” His father begins, and he knows where this is going, “The youth production is going to be starting up again soon.”

His mother smiles, taking his father's hand, “Loganberry, we think it would be good for you to join. You’re in your second year of high school and you don’t even talk to the kids in your class!”

“Mother, please try and understand, I really don’t think it’s necessary for me to find friends. I don’t enjoy having acquaintances, let alone having close personal friends.”

“Logan-” His father starts again but his mother pats his hand, and he quiets.

She smiles at him and reaches across the table to put a hand on his cheek in a caring motherly gesture.

“I know you don’t like other kids dear, but...think about it this way! It could be a fun experiment!”

Logan pauses, leaning into his mother’s touch, and nodding to show he’s listening.

His mother started again, “You can gather data on a lot of different kinds of people, and then find out who you most enjoy hanging out with so that...in your...career…”

Even though she’s trying, she stumbles, and his father picks up the slack, “So that in your career, you can find the people who you think are easiest to work with and be more efficient that way!”

He knows what they’re doing. They’re buttering him up with some flimsy science experiment and explaining their position with a strange metaphor. But when both his parents are smiling at him like that...he can’t bring himself to say no to them. When he looks at them like this, he suddenly remembers how similar he looks to each of them. His mother’s dark brown hair, His father’s icy blue eyes, the glasses that sit snugly on both their faces...They smile at him so brightly that he just can’t say no to them.

“Fine. I will do it, just this once.”

His parents erupt into literal cheers. He finds it a tad too much, but as long as they are happy he supposes he can put up with socialization and scheduling conflicts for a few months.

That’s how he ended up at the theatre with his father at eight in the morning, on a Sunday in July. If it were his choice, he would be eating Crofter’s by the spoonful and reading some classic literature. Instead, he’s here. His father did get them both coffee, however. So he stands there awkwardly, nursing the cup that’s gone lukewarm, and he starts to feel nauseous. As he follows his father, he can hear the other kids. They’re loud. Too loud. Logan is going to hate this, he already hates this. He’s overthinking a bit, eyes trained to the floor when he accidentally trips. He’s bracing to be smacked in the face by the floor and his coffee when someone taller than him places a hand on his chest and props him back up.

“Hi there!” Says the smiling man, who is tall with brown hair and brown eyes. He looks very kind and is wearing a Steven Universe t-shirt.

“I-I apologize for that, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Logan manages to stammer out. Had he been this nervous the whole time? He takes a deep breath and tries to get a grip.

“Oh, no problem!” The man nods to his dad, “Hey, Edward! This is Logan?”

“Yes, he is! He’s usually a little more focused, though.” Edward nudges Logan with a smirk, and Logan has to nod and concede. He’s right, of course. He is usually more focused.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Logan! I’m Thomas Sanders, I’m the head on the performance department here! Your dad’s been talking you up for weeks, you’re going to fit right in.”

With these words, Logan feels himself flush a little. Leave it to his father to talk him up for no good reason. He had never even been in a performance before!

“Uhm-Yes. Thank you-” Logan begins and is cut off by a large crash.

Thomas lets out a deep sigh and turns, motioning for Logan to follow. His dad gives him a big smile and a double thumbs-up, Logan gives him a small and tired smile in return. He wishes desperately he had refused his parents the second he enters the auditorium. On stage, an adult in an orange beanie is reprimanding a boy dressed like he just crawled out of the mosh pit of a rave. The boy is laughing maniacally as off to his side, a nearly identical boy in a strangely put together outfit is pouting and crying crocodile tears. Logan makes a note to steer clear of the neon-garbage-rave kid.

“What did you do now, Remus?” Thomas asks with a sigh, as the kid points off stage and cackles.

“Remus started this year off by glue-and-feathering Roman’s make-up bag.” The adult in the beanie says, and Logan looks shocked. They’re certainly going to kick this guy out, right? Right!?

“Remus...Dude…” Thomas grimaces, making his way over to who Logan assumes is Roman and supportively patting his shoulder.

“What!?” Remus nearly shouts through his laughing, “It was funny!”

“It was not!” Roman cries with such an intense amount of drama.

This only makes Remus laugh more.

He’s watching so intently that he doesn’t notice that someone has entered and is standing next to him.

“Oh, Hello.” He politely mutters, turning to look at the person. He’s shorter than he is, and definitely a lot bouncier. Even at eight am, he looks joyful. His eyes are a lighter blue than his, and his head is a mess of blonde curls. He also has round-ish tortoiseshell glasses. He isn’t unpleasant to look at, aside from the fact that he’s wearing cargo shorts and socks with sandals.

“Hi! Don’t worry about them, Remus does something like that every year! He likes a-uh...fun start!” The kid starts talking, and even his voice is joyful and bubbly.

“I’m Patton Foster, it’s nice to meet you!” Patton offers Logan a hand, which he takes and gives a firm shake.

“Logan Lark. Is it typically this rambunctious, or does it calm over time?”

Patton looks down, a little sheepish, then offers Logan a smile, “It’s always like this. Sorry!”

“It’s not a problem. I’ll just need to adapt to my circumstances.” As he says this he knows that it is going to be an especially arduous task.

Pointing to his cup, Patton starts speaking again, “Is your coffee getting cold? We have a microwave backstage if you want me to warm it up for you!”

The offer is sweet and genuine, so he lets Patton take the cup and run off behind the curtains. If he’s going to be here, he should start on that experiment, so he thinks. Patton seems sweet, potentially too sweet. It may be a ruse, but if his behavior is genuine Logan thinks he might be able to get by in his interactions with him. At least he’ll be able to send him off to do polite tasks if he ever needs to.

Returning with his coffee reheated, Patton is nearly bouncing on his heels. Throughout the early morning, Patton drags Logan around and Logan realizes the bouncing is just how Patton is. He scoots by as Thomas introduces the staff. The person in the orange beanie, Joan, is the stage manager. Stood quietly beside them is a darkly dressed kid who only acknowledges the audience with a nod, his name is apparently Virgil Storm and he is running lights and sound for the show. Logan wishes desperately he could be up there on that stage. Not because he’s decided he wants to be here, but because he wishes he had known tech was an option. Damn his father for making him act. There are only about twenty kids in the audience, and by the time Thomas is done explaining the rules and conduct, the time is reaching noon. When Thomas announces that the production they will be putting on is called “Hamilton” and is a musical, the others begin to cheer wildly. Now, Logan has no clue what Hamilton sounds like, but he knows it is about the Founding Fathers. Musicals have never interested him, and especially not one about men who owned slaves and were all hoity-toity. He’s heard of it, of course. His father talks about how it revolutionized musical theatre, but Logan has never been interested enough to ask any further questions. As everyone is buzzing, he turns to Patton and taps him on the shoulder.

“Is that a good thing?” Patton looks a little puzzled and goes to answer before he hears an offended gasp from behind him.

“A good thing!? Is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s pride and joy, the musical that revolutionized musical theatre, the Emmy Award-Winning show Hamilton any good!?” Roman gawks at him and sputters like he’s never heard something so blasphemous in his life.

“I have no interest in musical theatre, therefore I was asking to gain clarity.” Perhaps saying this is a mistake because there are many gasps from other students, and Logan is pretty sure someone yells ‘Sexy!’

Roman snaps at him loudly and rises from his seat, “Why are you even here then!? You look like a nerd!”

“Roman!” Patton stands up and now Logan is cornered between them, “Don’t be rude!”

“Wha-Well I’m sorry that I’m confused as to why he’s here if he doesn’t even know about Hamilton!” He steps closer, cornering Logan even more.

Then he stands, “My father enjoys musical theatre and asked me to join, I don’t see what the issue is with my joining but if it truly perturbs you I suppose I will take my leave.”

He’s really grateful for this opportunity to abandon the theatre, and he turns to try and leave and ends up nearly chest to chest with Patton.

“Hey now! There’s room enough for everyone here Logan!” Patton says brightly, and from the stage, Thomas nods.

“Patton is right, Roman. We welcome everyone to try their hand at theatre, so please sit down so I can let you all go have lunch.” Thomas looks exasperated as Roman sits with a huff, followed by Patton and Logan.

On the stage, Thomas continues to explain what they will be doing, and then they’re being released to lunch with the goal of listening to the musical and beginning to practice their audition material.

Logan manages to slink away from Patton, who had started talking to Roman about being nicer to the newbies or something. He had forgotten to bring lunch, which was probably fine. He’d just have to go and find his father and ask for some money. Pushing the auditorium door open, Logan finally notices he has attracted someone’s gaze. He makes eye contact with a glaring boy in a bright yellow hoodie, and he nods. The guy looks away and Logan shrugs him off. The front desk happily calls his father, who comes and brings him some money for the lobby vending machines and promises to buy him something more filling on the way home. This would severely throw off his new healthier diet, but he caves. After this day he would probably need some disgustingly greasy fast food to make him feel a little better. After the stunt with Roman, he’s not sure he’s going to go unnoticed. He buys a bottle of water and a granola bar from the vending machine and decides to sit at one of the lobby chairs to avoid the others. As he turns to find a space to sit, a voice from beside the vending machine makes him jump.

“You’re not going to fuck up the show, are you?” The voice says, and Logan turns to find the same kid who was glaring at him before. From up close, he’s around the same size as Logan. His eyes are green-brown heterochromic, his hair is messy and brown, and one side of his face has vitiligo in a pattern that looks eerily similar to a reptile’s scales. He is glaring Logan down and he can’t help but feel a little intimidated.

“I don’t plan on it, no. Just because I am here against my will does not mean that I am going to attempt to make the show disreputable in any way.” He tries to say this confidently and he thinks he succeeds when the boy grins and offers him a hand.

“Janus Devine.”

“Logan Lark.” And then he stops, and realizes he recognizes the origins of that name,“Are you by any chance named after the Greek god of doorways?”

Janus blinks, seemingly not expecting that reaction, “Shit-Yeah-How did you even know that?”

“I pride myself on being well-read.” Logan adjusts his tie as he says it and Janus gives a little chuckle.

“Very good to know.” Someone yells from down the hall, and Janus rolls his eyes at the noise, “How would you like to come to join me and my...friends this afternoon?”

“It would probably be of good use to me.” He replies with a small shrug of his shoulders. Hopefully, these friends are nicer than that Roman fellow, but not as nice as Patton.

“Oh no, it’s going to be totally useless. We aren’t going to get anything done.” Deadpans Janus and Logan just stares at him a little confused.

“That was sarcasm, specks.” His counterpart tacks on when he sees the confusion on his face.

“Oh, right”

All he can do now is follow Janus as he walks down the hallway towards the loud group of people. Logan follows behind and watches Janus’ movement. He walks so confidently that it’s almost like sauntering, but it’s too slow. Too smooth. It’s like slithering.

Taking a deep breath, he prepares himself for whatever horrible experiences await.

74 notes · View notes

purplesurveys · 4 years ago

Text

1169

Do you take lessons for anything? No. I’ve done so in the past, but not at the moment.

Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? Other than siblings or cousins from when we played together as kids, I don’t think so.

If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? I never wear makeup but whenever my friends have used my face as a practice stage (lol) they’ve usually just used natural or nude-ish colors, which I find look okay on me.

Does your shower have curtains or a glass door/wall? It has a sliding door. I’m not sure what material it’s made out of, but I can tell you it’s at least not glass.

If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? Cooper does tend to bark and/or whine when he sees me giving more attention to Kimi, but not always. Kimi couldn’t give less of a crap, but this is also because he is 13.

Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? I used to not like being inside my bedroom, especially after the breakup. For a long time it was a place I only associated with crying and breakdowns, so when I was doing the arduous task of starting over I haaaaated staying there because it only hurled me right back to square one. But I’m happy to say that I eventually got better, had enough strength to change the narrative for my room, and now I like being here again :)

Do you remember the last question you were asked? What did you answer? My mom just asked me to watch Cooper because he was having the zoomies.

Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? Not a big fan of popcorn but if I had to pick a topping, I’d go with cheddar cheese.

Are you lonely? I’ll feel it sometimes, but it only lasts for a moment or so.

What’s your favorite magazine to read? Wow I haven’t read a magazine in years.

Do you like pineapple? I hate it. In all forms. The pizza debate doesn’t even matter to me lmao, I just think pineapple downright sucks.

Have you ever seen fireflies? They used to be common in our village when we first moved in, back when there were only like 3 houses in the neighborhood (we were one of the first to move in here). As more houses were built and the place got more occupied the fireflies gradually lessened until they disappeared altogether.

Have you ever trespassed? I very vividly remember taking multiple trips to the school cemetery back in grade school (I went to Catholic school and ours had a cemetery below our chapel, where all our deceased nuns were housed...I really shouldn’t be talking about this at 10 PM...). I am 100% sure that was an off-limits area but we went there anyway because we were a naughty group of kids and because no one was guarding the area.

Do you tell your parents where you are going? Yeah; if I live with them, they have the right to know. < Ooh, I’ve never even thought about it this way before but this is a very good point. I’ll second this, haha.

Do you agree with the notion that all people were created equal? Yes.

Do you raise your hand or participate in class? God never. I hid as much as I can and only recited if I was called on purpose.

Do you like visiting the mall? Why or why not? I like the malls that we have. But then again, malls are the only decent public spaces we have - we don’t have public libraries, parks, playgrounds, etc. – so it’s not like I have a choice on where I can go if I want to go out.

Have you ever purposely hurt an animal? Yeah I kill bugs when I see them. Soz, I have no feelings for them whatsoever.

Would you ever see a therapist? I planned to finally do this last year but it just fell through haha and eventually I was able to care for myself too. Now that I’m doing a lot better for the most part, I feel like I’d have no clue what to talk about once faced with one.

Are you afraid of heights? Only if I had to jump all the way down. But if I ever found myself staying at an extreme height simply to enjoy the view, or if I was ever in one of those towers where the top floor’s floor is made out of glass, I think I would enjoy that.

Are you afraid of the dark? I always say I’m usually not afraid of the dark, and will only be if I was in a situation that was intended to scare me. I would definitely be afraid of the dark if I was in like an abandoned cave or a haunted house, but I would also find the darkness in my room comforting.

Are you a jealous person? When I am it’s mostly been in a playful sense and rarely serious.

When is your birthday? April 21st.

What are you listening to right now? My very very old aircon doing its very very loud whirring thing. It’s become a running joke in the family because it is literally SO FUCKING LOUD hahahaha Have you ever been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing? As a goody-goody, I can only ever do this to my mom; but yeah, she’s caught me many times.

Are you still friends with someone from kindergarten? Sure, but I’m not ~close friends with any of them. Just chummy enough to like their photos on social media once in a while or greet them happy birthday. My oldest friend was from Grade 1.

What is the most important thing to you? Being happy with myself and making sure I don’t miss out on life and opportunities.

Do you like whipped cream? I can take it or leave it.

Are you close to your mother? We get along but not close.

Are you close to your father? I’m closer to him in the sense that I would be more comfortable around him, but we’re also not physically or emotionally close.

Do you walk around bare foot when you're at home? Or do you wear socks? I am Asian hahaha what do you think?

Do you like chocolate popsicles? Sure! One would sound lovely right now, actually.

Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? Both of the schools I’ve attended don’t have mascots.

Would you rather see the Great Wall of China or Big Ben? Great Wall for sure. Sorry but I can’t see myself getting excited over a giant clock, and I’m sure there are other lovely spots in London I’d much rather visit.

Have you ever written a poem? Always unsuccessfully. It’s never been my forte.

Would you ever be a tornado chaser? That’s a thing? Uh...no way??

What is your favorite thing to eat with bbq sauce, if you even like that stuff? Pizza. And anything, I guess. Barbecue sauce is the bomb.

Your parents tell you that this summer, you get to pick the vacation. Where do you plan to go? Covid notwithstanding and budget permitting, probably New York City.

What do you think is a good theme for a prom? I could not care less.

Have you ever had to do a class in summer school? Thankfully, never.

Do you get nervous when you go to the doctor? About what? You know, I’ve always thought going to the doctor was no sweat until I realized just how nervous I was when I had to book a telemedicine consultation once as part of my job (PR can make you do the most random, out of context things sometimes, I swear haha). I surprised even myself with the reaction I had when I found out I had to do it, and how I felt like declining the offer...I guess I was scared about the possibility of underlying health issues suddenly being unearthed. Your whole life can always get turned upside down in the blink of an eye with just one diagnosis.

Have you ever been to the rainforest? I’m pretty sure the climate I live in is called tropical rainforest, so I guess yeah.

Have you ever created a website? Not from scratch. I had always made it under an umbrella website, like Blogspot.

Ever thought about writing a book? Sure, as a kid.

Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? No. Whenever I have dreams of that nature it’s always me or a loved one being killed, but never me doing the killing.

Do you ever make up stories in your head and wish they come true? Yes.

Which is worse: stuffy nose or runny nose? Stuffy. It sucks not being able to breathe freely.

Which is worse: Sick to your stomach or sore throat? I super hate sore throat. I already get stomachaches frequently, so even though I know how sucky it can be I feel like the discomfort would be bigger with a sore throat.

Do you think your last relationship was a disaster? The way it ended was, but it wouldn’t be fair to myself to invalidate the genuine happiness I felt when I was in it.

Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? Never.

Who do you think is the easiest to talk to? Angela.

Would you consider yourself to be emo? No.

Do you have a favourite metal band or do you not like metal? Not really, no.

What is your current desktop picture? It’s just one of the provided desktop photos on my Mac.

Thick or thin blanket? Thick.

Who are your favorite bands? Paramore, Coldplay, and Against Me!

How do you mark through your word search puzzles? Depends on my mood. Sometimes I’ll strike through and sometimes I’ll go ahead and encircle the entire word altogether.

Have you ever sewn something? I’ve done embroidery...does that count?

What did you eat for dinner last night? We had breakfast for dinner, actually hahaha so my dad made an omelette, hotdogs, and tapa.

Ever been grounded? If so, for what? Continued from last night. Yes, I was caught cursing all over Twitter when I was like 11 so my parents cut off my access to all my gadgets for a year or so. Which, in retrospect, is an acceptable consequence for my actions, but we’re also talking about a time when schools were starting to view the internet as a necessity in doing homework and research. I missed out on nearly all my homework for a while, and my mom didn’t buy it when I kept telling her I needed to do my research over the internet. At the same time, she kept demanding why my grades weren’t doing so well when she was the reason they kept being pulled down...so yep, not a very fun time.

Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? No and I don’t really have the desire to. Doesn’t seem like my kind of movie.

When was the last time you played cards? (not on the computer) Maybe 2 or 3 years ago.

Have you ever drank Cherry Coke? No, I don’t drink any soda.

Have you ever had a black eye? Nope.

Have you ever eaten a bug? Not to my recollection, but I would love to try cooked crickets and whatever bug can be prepared and eaten.

Do you like pranking people? Never; the idea makes me cringe since I never know when it’s considered going too far. I’d rather watch people prank other people.

Did you ever take a cooking class in school? Yeah, but we were required to take it. We also had some baking sessions, which to me was a lot more fun. I remember having to make macarons and rainbow cake which are both right up my alley, heehee.

Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? No, idk what that is. I just know people turn everything green on that day lol.

Do you use Skype? I’ve never used Skype on my own. That’s where I used to talk to my dad for video calls maybe around a decade ago, whenever he was abroad; but I never had my own account. These days I alternate among Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Zoom.

Have you ever participated in local magazine cover girl searches? I don’t think so, but I did join a few contests on some of those kid’s magazines we used to have...none of which I won.

Have you ever been called a skank/slut because of the way you dress? No.

Is your ex sexually attractive to you still? I haven’t seen her in 5 months, which helps...that said, I simply feel nothing. I’m neither sexually attracted nor not sexually attracted to her.

Describe the most romantic moment you’ve ever had. I can think of one but I don’t see the point in still raising it, considering where I am in life right now.

Have you ever cheated on a test? Yes, once. I hated it.

Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? Nope.

How often does your employer ask you to work overtime? A few times a week. Sometimes I’ll do it willingly as well just to get the task over with or to save myself some deliverables the next morning. I’m fine with OT-ing tbh; since I work from home, I feel like my time is a lot more flexible.

Did you often read for fun when you were a kid? I read A LOOOOOT as a kid. I was a total bookworm. < Yeah, same. You could always find me bringing a book to school and reading during breaks, even though they technically didn’t allow us to bring any non-academic book. My spark for reading died when I was around 12, same time as when my depression started to kick in, and it never really came back.

When was the last time you were scared? Someone from the media called me up yesterday VIA LANDLINE to ask a question about a press release I had sent out that day. I usually read up on the materials we have, but I honestly didn’t give a shit about that particular story and didn’t really make an effort to know more about it, so I found myself stumped when he dropped the question. I ended up stalling for a bit before I was able to stutter an answer, so that was scary, but at least he was nice. Also, I hate phone calls.

What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? KISS IT KISS IT BETTER

Can you speak binary? No, I never understood it.

Would you rather live somewhere that had hurricanes or tornadoes? I already do, at least for hurricanes. I imagine I’d be terrified of tornadoes.

Have you ever had a pet that you disliked? Nooooooo, never. I was never close to Arlee but I still did my best for her to like me, and always fed her whenever my sister would be in her dorm.

When was the last time you saw hail? Never. Doesn’t happen all that often here, and when it does it’s always in the provinces.

What is on your mind right this second: I want to spend my remaining time awake reading fanfic (I’m into them again, omg) but I also wanna finish surveys...so I’m doing my best to breeze through this so I can finally look for something to read hahahahaha.

Have you ever given a nickname to your pet(s)? Cooper is Cooperino to me. Sometimes I’ll call him Cooperino Cappuccino. Kimi is Kimchi, Kimmerl, Kimberly, The Kimster, and sometimes Lolo, which is grandpa in Filipino heheh.

When was the last time you shaved your legs? Like 3 or 4 days ago.

Do you ever try free samples at the store? Nope.

Do you like boys with long hair? Physical traits don’t matter much to me.

Do you like rootbeer? I’ve never tried it but I don’t really want to either haha. It smells weird.

What is the best fast food place, in your opinion? KFC or Taco Bell. Or Jollibee.

Do you have faith in yourself? Starting to.

#survey #surveys

5 notes · View notes

sit-back-and-read · 4 years ago

Text

“Bracken! Spear!” Kendra yelled towards her boyfriend. Bracken tossed her the weapon in his right hand, wielding a large pearly sword in his left. Kendra caught it effortlessly, which was mostly thanks to Bracken’s amazing aim. She quickly stabbed a nasty green goblin that had been gradually progressing towards her.

Currently Kendra and Bracken were in a magical preserve that had recently fallen. The preserve was called Frozen Canyon, and it had been overrun by dark beings. She and Bracken had been given a mission by the Knights of the Dawn; to scout out and map an abandoned structure on the property. They had successfully completed the task, but on the way out they had encountered a large group of dark creatures, consisting of mostly goblins and human-sized imps.

“Kendra! Your left!” Bracken shouted. Kendra, panting, whirled around and fended off another hissing goblin. When the goblin was a safe distance away, Kendra turned around and tackled a distracted imp. After slicing a gash in the imps thigh, she jumped up and attacked a trio of goblins that had cornered her. She stumbled and fell backwards, hitting her head on a rock. Her immediate reaction was pain, but after a few seconds most of the hurt went away. Laying her head back on the rock, she got ready to stand back up, but realized something. She rapidly moved her head, looking around the clearing in a circular motion. There were no creatures in sight. How hard had she hit her head? There had been at least 15 goblins and imps in the meadow a few seconds ago. But Bracken was still there, and he seemed equally as surprised. Kendra decided she was not crazy.

“Bracken, where’d they go?” she asked, confused.

“I don’t know.” he responded. “I was fighting an imp, and all of the sudden it spun around and ran into the woods! All of them did! It was the strangest thing... ”

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” Bracken said, glancing around at the surrounding foliage. “We got what we needed. Let’s head out.” Kendra nodded. He was standing still, and Kendra realized he was waiting for her.

Just as she was about to start walking she heard Bracken gasp. Her eyes darted to him. Within seconds, she felt a piercing pain in her stomach. She glanced down. There was a bloody silver spear blade jutting out of her chest. Kendra’s eyes widened in terror. Her vision was getting blurry, and with the strength she had left, she turned around to view her attacker. She was staring into the black eyes of a plump imp wearing rags. He stood confidently in front of her. Without warning, she heard Bracken yell from behind her. He shot the imp twice with a crossbow. It collapsed.

Bracken was almost instantly next to her. He slid the spear out from her chest, laid her down, and placed his hand over the wound.

“Adamant blade” the dying imp rasped, still on the floor. “Do what you will, unicorn, but your powers won’t work on that wound.”

Anger in his eyes, Bracken brought the spear blade down on the imps rib cage. Still holding the spear, his body shook with silent sobs. He returned to Kendra, whose eyes were unfocusing. A tear slid down her face.

“Am I going to die?” she whispered. Bracken shook his head rapidly, although he looked like he was trying to convince himself. Tears were steadily falling from his cheeks.

Holding Kendra in his arms, he mumbled something unintelligible. Kendra blacked out before he finished the chant.

• • •

Bracken saw no end. Kendra would be gone soon. He buried his face in his hands. He had one job, and he blew it.

He had taken Kendra to the Fairy Realm his mother, The Fairy Queen, had teleported him there when she had found out what happened. She was devastated. Bracken had only seen her so upset once before; when she had lost her husband.

Bracken had laid Kendra down to rest on a quartz slab in a makeshift emergency room. The table was now stained red. He and his parents were trying to come up with an answer.

“She’s losing too much blood! If we don’t come up with something fast, there will be no need for a solution!” Bracken’s father was getting anxious.

“But what can we do! Any normal mortal would die from that wound!” Bracken said.

“Yes. . . “ Bracken’s mother commented. “Any mortal. . .” She seemed to have realized something. “Bracken, could we make her an eternal?” The room was silent. Realization dawned in Bracken’s eyes. But he was uncertain.

“We can’t just make that decision for her.” He finally replied. “What if she wakes up and would rather have died? What if that’s not the life she would have chosen?”

”It’s either that or let the girl die!” The Fairy Queen yelled. Bracken glanced nervously over to Kendra, passed out on the large brick of quartz. Her chest was wrapped in gauze, which was already completely soaked in blood. Her face was contorted into a painful grimace.

“Okay.” Bracken whispered, looking down. “Go ahead.”

• • •

When Kendra woke, she was in the bed at her grandparents house. As she looked around, she realized that she was alone in the attic. It looked like the sun was about to set, based on the amount of light filtering through the curtains.

Kendra wondered how she had gotten here. normally she woke up at around 7:00 or 8:00, so she had no idea why she could have randomly slept until the end of the day. She tried to think back to earlier in the day, only to find that she remembered nothing. She remembered the day before, and held all of her memories up until today. Kendra scored her memory from yesterday for clues. She remembered getting a mission from the Knights of the Dawn, and Bracken, being as overprotective as he was, insisted on coming. But what had the mission been? Where had she gone? Had it been a dream?

And all of a sudden, the memories came flooding back into her mind. She knew about the preserve, and the imps, and the goblins, and the—

“Oh my god!” Kendra gasped. She jerked her nightgown off. Besides her underwear and bra, she was completely naked. She stared down expectantly at her middle. There was absolutely nothing there; no blood, no cut, not even a scar!

Not sure what else to do, Kendra threw on her clothes, tossed open the door, and started downstairs. “Hello?” she said. Hearing no answer, Kendra continued down the steps. She

walked downstairs, finding no one on the second floor. On the first floor, however, she heard voices. Following the sound of her Grandmother’s slightly muffled voice, she ended up at the door to the study. She could hear people conversing. Peering through the keyhole, she recognized Tanu, Bracken, Grandma, Grandpa, and Warren. She wondered why were they talking without her. Listening in; she was keenly aware that this was an extremely Seth-like thing to do. Just as she was considering opening the door, she heard another voice.

“But there has to be some way to reverse it!” Vanessa’s voice offered. “Any magic that can be done can also be undone, right?” Kendra had not noticed Vanessa when she had looked through the keyhole, but then again, she could only see so much through the small opening.

“Unfortunately, no.” Bracken replied sadly. “This. . . type of magic is irreversible.” Kendra was exceedingly confused. What magic? What needed to be reversed?

“This is. . . complicated, but I understand your intentions.” Grandpa said. “I probably would’ve done the same. For now, our biggest concern is how to tell her.”

Kendra began to worry. What was this conversation about? Maybe she shouldn’t have listened in. Who was the “her” they were nervous about telling? Could they possibly be talking about her?

Before she could finish her thought, the door to the office opened, and she found herself staring at Warren’s face. He turned around to look at the rest of the group.

“We might not have to worry about telling her anymore” he sighed.

Kendra narrowed her eyes. So they had been talking about her!

“Telling me what?!” she said, her voice fairly loud. “What magic is irreversible? And. . . you!” She said her eyes now on Bracken. “You were there! I remember an imp stabbing me through the chest! Am I going crazy or something?!”

“Now calm down, Kendra.” her grandma soothed. “You're not crazy. We’ll tell you soon. I’m not sure your ready.”

Kendra sighed. Looking away from her grandmother, she wondered what they thought she wasn’t ready for. It didn’t seem fair either way. She began to feel empathy for the way her brother saw things.

“What about you Bracken?” Kendra asked, shifting her gaze. ”You were there! What happened?” Despite everyone else’s opinions, Kendra knew she could trust him. He would tell her. Right?

Contrasting her assurances, Bracken stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact. He did not respond.

Tears brimmed at the corners of Kendra’s eyes. “It’s my right to know!” she shouted. Still facing a room of silence, she glared at her family.

“Never mind. Continue without me.” Kendra said, storming towards the front door. “It doesn’t matter anyway.” And with that, she slammed the door behind her.

• • •

Kendra sat on a large boulder overlooking a forest. Treetops swayed beneath her. Birds were chirping and fairies were flitting about, creating an aura of peace and serenity. And yet Kendra couldn’t feel more opposite. Tears of anger and frustration slid down her cheeks. She wished someone would follow her out here. Not just because she was stubborn, but also because she needed to know what was going on. Something had happened to her, some sort of magic or spell was at work. Something irreversible. Something they wouldn’t tell her.

Just as she had decided she should go back, she heard dead leaves crunching from the direction of the house. Hoping to see Bracken, she was half disappointed when Newel stepped into view.

“Hey Kendra. Have you seen Seth? We had a. . . ” he cleared his throat. “We had some. . . business to attend to.”

“Are you guys trading batteries for gold again?” Kendra accused. “I thought Seth didn’t do that anymore!”

“Now, hold on. Newel said with mock surprise. “I didn’t say anything about batteries.”

“Seth’s inside the house.”

“Thanks.” Newel said. “Oh, and Bracken’s looking for you.”

“Oh?” Kendra managed to keep a straight face. “Tell him I’m here,” she began. “But don’t tell him I told you to say that.”

“Alrighty.” Newel remarked sarcastically. “Girls” he muttered under his breath, disappearing into the woods.

Moments later, Bracken emerged from the trees. Kendra, currently facing the view, pretended not to notice.

“Kendra?” he said quietly.

“Hey Bracken,” Kendra said, turning around.

Bracken fidgeted with his fingers. He seemed nervous. “I wanted to apologize. For not telling you about the thing. Earlier.”

“What exactly is ‘the thing’ you were talking about?” Kendra asked. “What happened to me?”

Bracken sighed. “You should know.” he admitted. “Your grandparents will probably keep me in the dungeon for the rest of eternity for telling you this, but you should know.” Kendra nodded eagerly. Taking a deep breath, Bracken told her.

“You're an eternal.” he said, head down, but eyes locked on hers. Kendra paused. After a while, she spoke.

“Oh.” she managed. “Is that how I’m not dead? The. . . spear. It went through me.” Bracken nodded. “Okay,” Kendra sighed. “I guess that’s not too bad. At least I’m still alive. I’ll just have to live my life running away from freaks trying to open Zzyzx, and eventually say goodbye to everyone and everything I love---” Inhaling sharply, she burst into tears. “It’s fine” she assured Bracken, her voice already congested. “It’s just a lot.”

“I know.” he soothed. “Let’s go home.”

Hand in hand, Bracken led Kendra off into the distance.

#brackendra #seth sorenson #kendra sorenson #bracken #fablehaven #fandom #kendra #eternal

26 notes · View notes

minaminokyoko · 4 years ago

Text

Peace Talks Reactions

Hey, Dresden Fandom. You guys may or may not be knee deep in Peace Talks, but if you are, I welcome you to the below reactions, in handy dandy bullet form. I would love to discuss the book if you’re interested, whether you reblog with comments or shoot me a chat. I just finished the book, so all spoilers are below the Read More tag.

Woof. Well, at least it was something after six fucking years of waiting.

· So before Butcher’s giant hiatus, we had this first chapter of Peace Talks already and I have to say I still feel like I felt six years ago: I don’t really know where he’s going with Thomas becoming a father. In terms of what that will do for him as a character. For Harry, it’s different. Harry keeps it close to the chest with his decisions, willing to die for the greater good in an instant, and becoming a father made him have to be more careful and thoughtful in his actions to be sure he can be there for his baby girl. I’m not sure where Butcher is going with this for Thomas, but I guess we’ll see.

· I was pleased to find out Harry decided to stick with the protected apartment and is trying his best on Dad duty. Me gusta.

· Right, let’s get to the first big elephant in the room: Ebenezar. Oh my fucking God. I want to punch his fucking lights out. My friend and I have argued about his reaction to seeing Thomas at the apartment already. I know Eb has Harry by a thousand years or more in experience, but it pisses me off that Eb can’t be bothered to learn more about Thomas. Nope. Just skip straight to irrational anger. It was also disappointing to find out that Eb is not a part of Harry’s life as much as I thought he was in the past, so clearly he doesn’t understand how important Thomas is to him. I’m a bit miffed that Harry didn’t explain Thomas is his half-grandson to help him understand, but at the same time, Harry might be worried about what that revelation will do. Either way, it displays a massive lack of trust in Harry. To think Harry—who has survived all this fucking shit from the supernatural world so far—is just a pawn and he doesn’t know how incredibly dangerous the White Court is. Eb is downright disrespectful and insulting to his own grandson. I’m sorry, but I think he’s being an asshat in huge proportions by just thinking Harry is too stupid to know better and by not asking him why he feels loyal to Thomas.

· In that same vein, Eb’s whole thing about wanting Harry to leave Maggie somewhere can kiss my ass. I’m with Harry on this one. It’s not that I don’t trust the foster care system and I think anything negative about adoption, either. Maggie is a target because she’s a Dresden. That’s it. There is nothing she can ever do about it. She is the daughter of Harry Dresden, Captain fuckin’ Disaster of the supernatural world. There is no place she can go where she will be safe and Harry is honestly her best shot at being watched over and protected, but not only that, if she’s gonna be in danger her whole life, she might as well be loved and cared for by her father too. Harry brings up such a good point about feeling abandoned and rejected and how Eb’s “protection” jag didn’t work for Margaret either. I know he wants what’s best for her, but I agree that Maggie has a better chance of surviving at Harry’s side than somewhere else. Hell’s bells, that’s how this whole fucking thing started anyway. Susan’s bitch ass hid the kid and it didn’t work. Sheesh.

· And now the other elephant in the room: Murphy. I think part of me forgot how severe her injuries were. I had assumed months of PT and such would allow her to be mobile again, but then I read Chapter 5 and now I’m just angry and hurt. You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. You just don’t. I can’t help it. Murphy is my favorite, goddamn it. I’ve reread the books where she’s helping Harry the most because their dynamic is so phenomenal. They’re my OTP. She is one of the best written female characters I’ve ever known, so ripping her ability to be at Harry’s side away is so…2020. It’s just a nasty, horrible thing and it’s shot my excitement for this novel right in the foot. I didn’t realize how important it was to me that Murphy is Harry’s badass ace in the hole until I was told she’ll be lucky to walk again. I know things have to get worse for characters in order for them to grow, but fuck this so much. I am praying she gets a magical contract or healing or a wish or something so she’s back in action or I’m done.

· With that same elephant, fuck Jim Butcher for skipping over the foreplay at the end of Chapter 5. Yes, I said it. Fuck him. I know he thinks it’s funny to frustrate us, but this is an act of betrayal of the highest order. Why? Because I’ve waited TWENTY FUCKING YEARS for Harry and Murphy to go canon, and what does he do the first time we, the audience, get to see them in a relationship? Cut to curtains fluttering. Fuck you. We deserved that foreplay scene. No, I will NOT use my fucking imagination, pun intended. I just paid you $15 to use YOUR imagination, Jim. You spent fifteen books building up the trust, love, loyalty, and sexual tension of these two characters. That’s countless words and countless pages. And now that they’re FINALLY together, nope, skip it. Skip what should have been something intimate and powerfully emotional. Ha-ha-fucking-ha. I hope you step on a Lego barefoot. I will try to have faith that Butcher will give us what we want—a canon version of Chapter 14 of Skin Game—but if he doesn’t, I’m gonna lose my fucking mind.

· The thought of Mab and Lara Raith working together is utterly terrifying. No. Just no. Ugh, there are bad times ahead. I also thought it was kind of contrived that Lara is owed favors, which forces Harry to not be able to say no, and I think it’s a bit lazy on Jim’s part for this convenient block to be there and he can’t refuse the favors. It just felt like he didn’t want to put the energy into painting Harry into a corner this time, so here, a convenient favor. That being said, I cackled when Mab called him a bowl of porridge. That was legitimately hilarious. What a bitch.

· Mm, Harry just called Murphy his girlfriend. I’ve waited twenty years for that alone. *happy sigh*

· Oh, great. Someone sent Thomas to assassinate someone. I’m betting blackmail, whether he admits to it or not.

· LOL @ Harry’s cursing policy with Maggie.

· Harry. Don’t. Make. Promises. EVER.

· I would not be the least bit surprised if this assassination attempt is Mab’s idea to cut off all of Harry’s allies but her so he will have no choice but to use her protection more often. Mab is a cold fuckin’ piece. Pun intended.

· Harry, for real, do not square up with Ebenezar. You are a wolf, for sure, but that man is a werewolf by comparison.

· I’m getting real tired of Ebenezar’s anti-vampire schtick. I get it. They’re bad. Now shut up.

· This is so unfortunate: I’ve been missing Lara Raith just because she’s a hoot but with this whole favor thing and Harry and Murphy being fitted for chastity belts, I’m more tired than anything else.

· Oh, neat, one of Gard’s sisters!

· Of course Lara knows about Thomas being Ebenezar’s grandson. It’s Lara.

· Oh, good, I’m sure whatever deal Harry just made with Molly isn’t stupid or reckless.

· Yes, Sanya is a VERY weird man. That is an understatement, Butters.

· Aha. I had a hunch it was River Shoulders and not the Genoskwa.

· And oh good, the Genoskwa’s not dead. Yay. I hate you, Butcher.

· Now there is a good tidbit of story for the series: that the reason everything is accelerating into bad news is we’re about to hit that 666 year mark that people are talking about, where the even worse shit hits. We’ve had small clues about Harry being starborn and this helps provide context for the shit that happens to him. I hope it’s not a Chosen One scenario, but it does explain why he’s been in so many scrapes and why he’s made it out of them so far. However, I tend to dislike destiny in most stories. It can get tedious. We’ll see what’s in store.

· Ugh, and there it is, but I already knew Lara was gonna make poor Harry break Thomas out from the book trailer anyhow. Sigh.

· Murphy calling the White Council useless is a fuckin’ mood and a half. I swear, they ain’t nothing but useless since these books first started. Harry hit the nail on the head earlier with Carlos and the Wardens, that they spend a lot of time talking at Harry but not listening. That’s been their entire M.O. from the start. They don’t listen to anything he has to say; they just insist they know better and that he should fall in line, not caring about what he has on said line, which is very often innocent lives. I love the hypocrisy of them preaching to him about making cold, rational decisions when it’s not their asses who have to deal with the consequences. Yes, there is fallout from what Harry does, but the opposition is always there and it doesn’t act solely based on what Harry Dresden does. I really fucking hate the Council at this point.

· So we get a second of tender kissing in the tub and an “I love you” and then Butcher cuts away again. I am so over it. I don’t have enough energy to put towards how angry he’s making me right now and he doesn’t deserve it anyway. I cannot believe he spent all this time building this relationship up and then makes it canon and won’t touch it. Fuck you.

· Murphy immediately spotting all three of Harry’s tails is life. God, I love my bad bitch.

· I do like that Harry has been practicing his Veils. That’s smart. It also shows character development and wisdom that he’s recognizing how much more useful stealth is and that even though it’s hard for him, it’s worth the effort to learn. Good book boyfriend.

· It’s still Murphy, bitch. Injured or not. My queen is a queen. Try her if you want, Freydis.

· PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT MURPHY YOU POOR CATHOLIC DARLING COME HERE. That pass was hilariously unexpected in a book that hasn’t been all that funny so far. Thanks, Jim. That got a whole bunch of cackling out of me.

· “I like your brother.” I just clapped and squealed. I mean, duh, of course Murphy likes Thomas, but this pleases me greatly to hear her say it aloud. Murph is tough and doesn’t like to say stuff like that out loud usually. I’m delighted.

· For all my complaints, I appreciate Butcher bringing Murphy in to help Harry plan everything. She’s hella smart and experienced in matters where you need to get someone out without being all guns a-blazing. And it is an apology for her being benched halfway thru Skin Game, imo.

· Oh, shit. Harry doesn’t know Molly’s the one who attacked Carlos. Ugh. I bet this is gonna explode in someone’s face.

· And Harry just fucked up the rest of his friendship with Carlos, not know Molly already did the same thing. Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeat.

· “You just went from a three to a six.” Jesus Christ, immortals are so savage, I swear. I laughed, tho. That was mean as hell.

· I’m dying that Freydis wants a threesome with Harry and Murphy. I mean, who can blame her? Fuck, I want a threesome with Harry and Murphy, if I’m being totally honest here. The thirst is so fucking real.

· Finally, someone made a joke about Harry and Murphy getting together.

· Ah, this IS what I missed about Lara, though—she loves to fuck with Harry for the lolz and nothing other than the lolz. I mean, he’s such a peach. I would do the same thing.

· Also, Jim, for God’s sake, make up your mind about vampires getting burned! I don’t get it. Thomas can touch Harry, and Harry is and always has been loved, so when do vampires get burned and when do they not? We’ve seen Harry touch Lara even when Susan was still alive and remember the kiss in White Night? MAKE UP YOUR GODDAMN MIND. I had a debate about this with another fan because it’s so goddamn inconsistent! If anyone being loved by anyone else burns them, then that would mean the entire world would be in the know about White Court vampires because they’d get burnt left and right touching people who are loved. I thought it only happens if they try to feed, not just touching each other. I think Jim needs to pay better attention to his own lore or finally spit out an explanation. We’ll see if he does later with that whole kiss thing from the book trailer, I guess. Argh! *Yosemite Sam curses*

· I’m really starting to hate Harry’s condition and the fact that he didn’t stop to ask Eb what it is or how to stop it. Ugh.

· Oh, good, and now everyone will think Harry and Lara are a couple. Convenient. Like they don’t already have constant trust issues. I’m sure Eb won’t block a gasket or anything.

· Oh, yay, a Malcolm Dresden flashback! This is a delightful surprise. Like a lot of the fanbase, we’ve always wanted to know more about him. He seemed like a good man.

· Yay! Vadderung to the rescue!

· Okay, I do NOT like Murphy being alone with a starving Thomas and Lara. Not one little bit.

· Ah, so the goddess Ethniu gets introduced in this book. That’s why Peace Talks got split and then Battle Ground popped out as the next book.

· “You’re out of the White Council if you do this.” FUCK YOU, EBENEZAR. Jesus Christ, fuck you. All the Council has EVER done is use and abuse Harry Dresden. They have constantly blamed him for everything or forced him to fight their goddamn battles. You can shove it right up your old crusty ass for all I care. I am sick to death of this belief that they are just so righteous and trustworthy and good when they’re self-important douchebags who think that people are ants and can’t be bothered to protect them unless it directly benefits the Council.

· I think I’m angriest because up until this point, Ebenezar has been mostly reasonable and it feels inorganic that Jim pushed him this hard. It’s just kind of exhausting because it feels like the plot needs Eb to lose his shit instead of it being something natural. I won’t be shocked if we find out he’s been compromised somehow, but I guess I’ll have to find out myself.

· Murphy is right on the money. We thought we knew Eb, but we REALLY don’t. And that sucks. A lot. Especially since Harry has barely any family at all.

· I can honestly tell why this book took Jim six years to write. It’s awful stagnant. It’s the exact same reason that the first draft of Of Fury and Fangs kicked my ass. I wrote the story in the first draft incorrectly, in a way, because all the characters were passive for the most part, and the other half of the problem was that I got halfway through this book and thought up an idea for a better book, but in order for the better book to happen, there were too many things I couldn’t ignore in this one, so I still had to finish it and make it good. Peace Talks, to me, feels like it’s obligatory to set up the next book, and maybe that’s why it feels lackluster to me. It’s a transitional book, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s definitely in the bottom five of the entire series. Transitional books aren’t bad, but they aren’t good either. Most authors know that this tends to happen if you write a trilogy. All the really big, important shit tends to happen in the first and third book if you’re not careful. In this case, yeah, there’s stuff happening, but it’s largely passive. It’s kind of like why back in 2010 people were so hard on Iron Man 2—it spent all this time setting up shit for the MCU, which in the long run is a good thing, but that makes it weak when it tries to stand on its own.

As it stands, Peace Talks is mediocre. Jim took way too many shortcuts. It felt rushed, ironically enough, because he was so busy moving pieces around to set up for Battle Ground that Peace Talks doesn’t really stand out as interesting or likable like the other books. I really understand why he got stuck and couldn’t write on it for six years. My two biggest beefs here are him pushing Ebenezar into the antagonist role and him completely fucking bailing on the Harry/Murphy relationship after sixteen books of waiting. I mean, yeah, fine, because everything in this book is just set up for Battle Ground, maybe then we’ll get more acknowledgment of the romance and the importance of the relationship, but as it stands, I’m dissatisfied with both aspects. This is part of why we didn’t want a hiatus. If you make us wait this long, inevitably, the result is not going to be up to par. There are VERY few things we as people have waited forever for that ended up living up to our expectations. I almost feel like all the fan theories and fanfiction was a better, more creative result than what actually happened in Peace Talks. That’s harsh, I know, but I’ve been reading the fan generated stuff for six years and that’s just how I feel.

This is a mediocre novel that’s placing a LOT of weight on what’s to come, which is dangerous from a quality standpoint. It could be a lot worse. I was expecting a disaster. Instead, I got a disappointment. I can live with it, but only if Battle Ground makes up for it. If it doesn’t, then we’re all in a world of hurt.

I’ll take maybe a week or so and then consider if I want to do an actual review or not. We’ll see how I feel once I digest everything and talk it out with friends.

Overall Grade: 3 out of 5 stars

#Peace Talks #Jim Butcher #The Dresden Files #Dresden Files #Harry Dresden #Karrin Murphy #Thomas Raith #Ebenezar McCoy #Lara Raith #spoilers #spoiler alert #live reading #reactions #reaction post

33 notes · View notes

tu-mint · 4 years ago

Text

“The Lemonade” Guy Pt. 1

When Jade realizes her feelings for a certain schoolmate go beyond a friendship, she makes a tremendous effort to rid herself of it.

Song Inspo(s): Wicked Games - Kiana Lede; I Won’t Say I’m In Love - Hercules

International AU!

Word Count: 4k+

There was rarely ever something Jade tried to avoid other than the topic of Manu. The reactions that came upon his death were much too triggering to her anger, and she refused to allow that level of rage to overcome her again; thankfully this was not the case. Now while that was a relief, the actual issue being avoided proved to be almost as troubling, and the foreign girl did not realize the matter until recently.

UA High was bustling with noise and movement, people curious about the UA students from different parts of the world. Jade was blessed to have been shown secret entrances and passageways by Ren as to avoid news reporters. While it wasn’t anything she wasn’t unfamiliar with, the second year student knew uncomfortable and personal questions would turn up if given the chance, so she decided staying in the shadows would be safe for now. Stepping onto school grounds, Jade found Maeda, Kubo and Ren chatting with two students she could not recognize. One was a girl with long cyan hair and a bright expression, and the other a boy with his head turned away from the trio. Hm...maybe they're new kids? It was difficult to tell whether or not they were around the same age as her, but Jade concluded they were older looking at their height. The girl craned her neck to look over her shoulder then gasped loudly.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshisthisher?!" She sped towards the international student and stretched a hand outward, grinning widely. "Nejire Hado, third year here at the original UA! You must be Jade, I was just asking your friends about you, and I heard you were from Los Angeles! Tell me what it's like! Is the food really good? What about the school? Is it different from the UA here? Ooh, what about your father? Is it true about him being a Pro Hero? What's his quirk? Is it like yours? Wha--"

"Easy Hado, she just got here," Ren intervened with a light chuckle. "Well, she already introduced herself, so that leaves the guy hiding behind her, Tamaki Amajiki, also a third year student. He's a bit shy as you can see." Jade leaned on her side to find the indigo haired male from earlier, head hung low and arms crossed tightly. She gave a small smile when he peeked up from the locks curtaining his face, pleased when he gave a single nod.

"It's nice to meet you both," chirped the foreign girl with a bow to which Hado squealed.

"And she's respectful! Ah, such an intriguing new person to meet--oh! I have to introduce you to Mirio, you'll love him, most girls do. Now where is he--" She scampered away with Tamaki in tow, slipping into the sea of students and staff members. Jade watched on with a scowl on her face. Most girls do? What is she trynna say, that I'm gonna be part of some bandwagon? She felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her out of her thoughts.

"She didn't mean it like that," came Ren's voice again. "Hado has a very blunt and unconventional way of speech, don’t mind her."

"It's something she can work on considering she wants to pursue becoming a Pro Hero," Maeda interjected, her tone flat but firm. Jade hummed in agreement and looked amongst the other pupils. Upon seeing the many faces, her eyes became fixed on one that stood out.

In a large crowd of females stood a tall and bulky male, his smile gleaming and proud. He appeared to be speaking to them, a round of giggles following soon after whatever he’d said. There were a few international students Jade recognized taking pictures with him and handing him slips of paper, presumably with some kind of social contact on it. That must be who the girl was talking about seeing he has an entire--wait a minute! It wasn’t until he looked up that she realized why the male seemed familiar. That’s the guy who I ran into at the entrance! The one who gave me that stupid nickna--

“Gemstone!”

Jade cursed inwardly as he advanced in her direction. She glanced at the entourage behind him, their faces surprised or annoyed, and it didn’t help that some of them were now moving closer too. Her feet were glued in place as the male stood before her, a cheeky grin evident on his face. Blonde hair, blue eyes, nice body...definitely the same guy from the first day.

”Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten my name already,” he chuckled, crossing his arms. Jade noted how the gesture made his already defined muscles tighten. An odd tension arose in her abdomen, but she quickly dismissed it and cleared her throat.

”Togata if I remember correctly.” The foreign girl bowed, remembering her manners. It was best to keep a respectful image considering the person before her was not only older, but one of the most skilled students attending the original UA. “It's good to s—“

”Togata, I need some help getting to my classes," a voice suddenly cut in. It came as a realization to Jade that a majority of the girls from earlier were now surrounding them. The person who had spoken was an international student herself, but she didn't look too pleased that all the attention was on someone else. Her hand crawled up Togata's arm in a suggestive manner before resting at his shoulder. "I'm not too familiar with UA Japan's complex," she continued, "so it would help a lot."

"Ooh wait, I think I need help too!" someone else from the crowd piped.

"I do as well!"

"Me too!"

Soon numerous hands were tugging at the tall male with pleads and demands of showing them around the school. Jade watched as Togata weakly smiled and tried to talk amongst the bunch with reason; it proved useless as they continued to grab at him from every direction. An unusual feeling rushed to her torso again, but something felt much different from earlier. In place was a strong stinging sensation, not enough to hurt but enough to generate irritation. What in the hell--

"Something wrong, Lofota?" Maeda's voice snapped Jade back into reality. Ren and Kubo were before her, curiosity etched on their features. From her peripheral line of vision she could see the bulky third year being dragged away with a familiar cyan and indigo haired duo following close behind.

"We saw Togata and his groupies approach you, but you looked as if you were ready to jump at one of them," Kubo remarked. "I personally don't mind, just give me a heads up next time so I can record it for memories." Maeda rolled her eyes at this.

Jade chuckled and shook her head. "It wasn't anything like that, guys, I think my mind was just occupied with something else. Let's try and get to class before news reporters start breaking through the gates." She walked alongside the trio and listened to them explain UA Japan's school system and the events that were set throughout the year. Despite her nonchalant attitude, the sting remained in Jade's stomach; she figured it would go away after some medication and rest.

It took a little over a month for the second year to realize that the peculiar feelings in her system were not an overnight situation. Jade took matters into her own hands and recorded when her stomach fell into any eccentric sensation, noting what, when and how much she ate and any possible patterns. When food appeared to be free of guilt, she tried looking at her sleep patterns and clothing for clues but was met with the same result. Her concern had caught Ren's attention when the medic pupil found her seated on a hospital bed speaking to Recovery Girl.

"Hon, I've ran multiple scans and checkups and found nothing," sighed the elder. "Your health is in great shape and according to your own data, it seems like you're doing just fine. Maybe try laying down, it seems this issue with your tummy is stressing you out." Jade complied wordlessly, but Ren could see that she was still in heavy thought. When Recovery Girl exited the office, she took a seat beside the bed and peered up. "Thinkin' real hard over there, aren't you?"

Jade turned on her side with a groan. "I just wanna figure out what the hell is wrong with me, it's starting to piss me off."

"What've you been doing?"

"School, hero training, eating, sleeping, the usual."

"Any foods you can think of that caused that pain?"

"No, but that's the weird part!" The foreign student sat up and pulled a leg to her chest. "This feeling I keep getting, it doesn't hurt. It just--it doesn't...I never had this before, but I'm not sure if that means I'm doing something wrong that's causing my body to react the way it does."

Ren arched her brows in search of an answer. "Can you maybe describe this 'feeling' by comparing it to something? Or perhaps using a metaphor? Just so I can understand this better."

"It...well, there's usually two kinds of reactions. At one point, my abdomen feels light but constricted, like it can't take anything in because everything is squeezed out. When that happens, I also feel my heart rate pick up, and my body feels overheated." The medic nodded and gestured to continue. "The second feeling is more like a stinging one, or like a burn--yeah, burning would be a more accurate comparison. When my stomach gets like that, I get really annoyed, but there's only so much I can do when the problem is internal. I tend to get more of the first reaction than I do the second, if that helps."

It was an interesting explanation given, and Ren understood why Recovery Girl struggled a bit providing help. She was quiet for a long time, but just as her friend was about to speak, she asked another question: "Does this ever happen around a specific time? Specific person? Maybe a certain group of people or things?"

Jade blinked before lying down again, her attention focused on the ceiling. Is there somebody or something always near me when this happens? She reeled through all the faces and names she'd ever interacted with, staff members, students, strangers, but no exact nouns came to mind that she could recall triggering this reaction. The foreign student shook her head.

"Huh, well...what's the earliest you recall first feeling these sensations?"

"I think the earliest I felt it was when I was talking to Togata and--" Almost immediately the rest of Jade's sentence died on her tongue. Ren quickly caught the abrupt end and tried to make understanding of what had just happened. The memory was clear as day in her mind, meeting Hado and Amajiki, Togata walking up to her with immaculate bulging muscles, the crowd of female students hauling him away and the indefinable feelings in her abdomen, it all began to click. However, looking over the details of that time, Jade realized that the sensations ultimately activated when she was around--

"Togata."

She whipped her head in surprise.

"Togata is the cause behind your odd abdominal feelings," Ren smiled, "which tells me this is definitely not a medical issue." She bit back a laugh at the disbelief on Jade's face. It seemed she understood what was being implied as she began shaking her head feverently.

"No no no and no, you better not say what I think you're about to say, Ishikawa."

"Aw, c'mon now Jade, you can't be upset at me! I was just trying to help you understand the cause of your stomach issues, looks like it was just butterflies the whole time."

The foreign student grimaced. "Ren, please don't."

"But it's actually cute! I personally think that you both--"

"REN I GET IT, STOP."

Jade sat in irritation until her friend ceased laughing, then hopped off the bed and brushed off her uniform. The medic pupil stood up immediately and pulled her into a hug, chuckling lightly. "Well, now that we found the root of the issue, what are you gonna do? Am I helping you plan a confession?"

"I'm gonna get rid of it.” Ren's snickering stopped. Jade's face and tone was enough to say she wasn't kidding.

"Heh, I uh...I don't think I heard you correctly?"

"Get rid of it. I'll just distance myself from Togata so that my mind can adjust it's thoughts towards him." She hurried after her friend down the hallway. Students buzzed around them, lively chatter and activity surrounding the pair.

"Wait a minute Jade, I'm not understanding how this is being helpful."

"Ren, the more time I am not near him or able to visibly see him, I'm more than a hundred percent sure that whatever these annoying feelings are will dissipate. When that happens, I can go back to being in the guy's presence without any weird aura surrounding me, but until then, I'm following a strict 'No Togata' routine."

The medic student scoffed in amusement. "Routine? Jade, that's the most ridiculous thing I've heard a UA student say. I say just let it happen and see where it goes from there. Who knows, maybe he possibly could return--"

"Ah--" Jade stopped and held a hand up. "I'm gonna stop you there for two reasons. One, the sole reason anyone should attend this school is to pursue some kind of a career, and this applies especially to me. I was sent here as a representative because UA Los Angeles trusts me to execute and display my skills as a potential Pro Hero, not to go messin' around with Japan's kids, let alone the top students. I have an entire city depending on me, Ren, I can't mess this up." She sighed and took in another breath. "Two, if anything, I am far from his type."

"His type? How can you even know that if you only ever said hi to the guy like, three times?"

"Context clues. If it isn't directly in front of you, look at everything around to find your answer."

Ren deadpanned. "And what exactly did you look at to find your answer?"

"Upbeat, lively girls," Jade replied as if it should've been an obvious answer. The pair entered the cafeteria which was more cramped than usual. Staff members were present, most likely by Nezu's word to have travelling students feel more welcomed. All Might stood among the teachers with a countless number of admirers already circled around him, all different years, sizes and appearances. A certain green haired boy appeared to be of his utmost interest as he practically shouted in the student's face. Ren chuckled at the sight, but she noticed her friend's attention was focused elsewhere.

Her gaze was closed in on a table swallowed by a swarm of students. Some were people from earlier that were practically throwing themselves at Togata, and it seemed no different as he sat at the center of the table enjoying his lunch. Hado was seated across from him, her expression as bright as ever, and beside them was a shaking Amajiki, his head rested against the structure’s surface. His nervous movements ceased, however, and Ren smiled seeing the cyan haired girl had slipped her hand into his, returning to her conversation with ease. Jade also noticed the subtle gesture, but she wouldn't help feeling a pang of annoyance at the audience surrounding the blonde boy. She didn't realize she was watching so intensely until his eyes crossed the room to meet hers. Crap! Immediately Jade looked away, unsure if she was more embarrassed about getting caught or feeling irked over a guy. You're here to represent your school, show your worth of an upcoming Pro Hero. Stop getting distracted! Distance! "Ren, let's get some lunch. I'm sure Tokoyami and the others are awaiting your presence."

"Our presence." Jade smiled as they strode across the cafeteria. The medic always made sure she felt included no matter what the situation was; it eased her thoughts greatly, which was something she needed.

Another month passed and Jade had almost become like a second Maeda, so intently focused during school hours and hero training. Even on off days, the international student went about her own activities, only ever seen for meals or rest. Her bond remained close with Ren, Maeda and Kubo in various ways, however, and she was present whenever a hangout commenced, so it seemed like everything was completely fine. Ren's teasing had become more discreet (much to Jade's relief) and she created a codename for the blonde third year.

"'The lemonade'?" Jade cringed. The two met up for a walk through town one day, and it seemed safe enough to discuss the matter since they weren't near school grounds.

"I think it's pretty subtle, and keeping the word 'the' in the codename would have people assuming we're actually talking about a beverage. Plus," the medic eyed her friend, "the guy is a tall glass of lemonade if I do say so myself, heh."

"Ren don't--"

"Lemonade sounds good right about now." She froze. It took everything in the foreign girl to not begin speed walking as soon as she heard the familiar upbeat voice behind her. From the look on her friend's face, Jade's assumption of Togata's presence was true. Unfortunately true. She slowly turned around, a faux smile in place until her eyes fell upon something hiding behind the male.

It was a little girl, she could tell that much, with long snowy locks spilling from behind Togata's calf. The child peeked up from her spot, red irises meeting Jade's indigo ones. The foreign girl was locked in place as she suddenly recalled her family. She thought of her parents' cooking and singing, her brothers' livelihood for sports, but she was especially reminded of her sister. Youngest and the only other girl in the line of siblings, they did a lot together. From shopping together to painting to singing to sightseeing, Jade realized how much she'd missed them. The exchange of words between Ren and Togata were a muffed noise as she crouched down, entrapped by the little stranger.

"I'm Jade, it's nice to meet you." The words slipped out like butter, and thankfully it didn't seem to frighten or discomfort the child. She looked up to the male for approval, then stepped forward and let his hand go.

"My name is Eri, it's nice to meet you too," she squeaked with a bow. Jade was awestruck by her politeness and shifted onto her knees to bow in return. When they both straightened up, Eri bore a wide smile and returned to Togata's side.

"Gosh, Gemstone, thought you were ignoring me for a sec." Reality hit the foreign girl immediately when she met the blonde's gaze, and her stomach felt tight again. Damn it, not now! Calm down, breathe, breathe, don't overreact. She stumbled getting back on her feet and managed a sheepish expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized more aggressively than she meant to. "I was just so surprised seeing you with a kid, and she just--"

"Oh? Do you think I'm not good with kids?" He raised a brow.

Crap, why does he have to look cute doing that. "I never said that," Jade rolled her eyes. "I was just surprised seeing you outside of your whole entourage, that's all." She cursed at her choice of words. Now I just sound like I'm hating on him.

"My entourage? Sounds like someone's a bit jealous."

"Ha! Boy, ain't nothin' to be jealous of." The second year held her ground as the bulky male challenged her with a smirk. Ren cleared her throat, acknowledging her presence and causing Jade to force herself back. She didn't realize how close she'd gotten to him during their small banter, but it was definitely closer than what she was comfortable with. "Ren, uh, I believe you were talking about something, yes?"

The medic peered over in amusement. "Yeah, I was talking about lemonade, which since you're here Togata with little Eri, I believe we can all get some together." Damn you, Ren!

Eri gasped before tugging on the male's sleeve. "Can we please, Mirio?" The sight made Jade's heart swell, and she couldn't be upset if it was an adorable child asking to accompany them. He beamed down at her and nodded his head.

"Ladies, you may lead the way." During the walk to a mini cafe Ren knew of (thanks to Tokoyami), Jade observed how attentive and caring Togata was with Eri, playing games or cracking jokes that made her laugh. Citizens passing commented on their closeness in adoration, many praising the third year for looking after the child with such passion. Even when there were those who tried to flirt with him, the boy paid them no mind and brushed off their efforts. Jade didn't know him too well, but she knew it would be difficult to want to be away from the guy, especially after seeing this side of him, away from the crowds, away from the hero limelight. Togata truly was someone to admire. A familiar tightness returned to her torso, but for now, she was okay with it.

She was pleased being able spend time with Eri herself, learning more about her likes and hobbies. A lot of what the young girl enjoyed Jade discovered was also liked by her sister. "What's her name?" the child asked, munching on a pastry. The horn atop her head glimmered in the sun while she finished up coloring a drawing.

"Her name is Carolei," the international student smiled, "but my family and I just call her Lei."

Eri dropped her coloring utensil on the table and leaned forward. "Can I call her Lei, too?" Jade looked around as though someone was listening to their conversation, then nodded with a wink, much to the child’s delight. They giggled and chatted, forgetting about time and enjoying getting to know one another. The second year felt as though she wasn't in Japan, but back in America with the people she'd cared about and loved; it felt good to bathe in the comfort and reminisce of home. Someone had gripped the back of Jade’s chair; she turned assuming it was Ren until she was face to face with a broad chest and the strong aroma of musk. Her heartbeat boomed in her head and she slowly turned back to Eri, allowing her nerves to calm. Ren bit back a laugh, but a tug on Jade’s hand distracted her from making a slick comment.

"Jade," said Eri in a small voice, "I have to leave now, but...do you think we can hang out another time?"

A sudden idea popped into the second year's mind at the young girl’s request. With a kind smile, she squeezed Eri's hand reassuringly. "We'll have plenty more days to hang out, hon, just me and you."

"Ouch, and what about me, Gemstone?" Togata whined, a hand on his chest in offense.

"Ah, I'd rather not be attacked by your fangirls. Besides, you have Amajiki and Hado to hang out with, and I know you see Eri almost every day." Both parties waved goodbye before continuing on their own paths. Ren and Jade were in a comfortable silence until the medic let out a sigh.

"You literally just missed your opportunity."

"Girl, what? If anything, I'd say I just opened the door for an opportunity."

"Opportunity for what? You literally shut the guy down."

"With good reason," the foreign student argued. She wasn't rude in her response to the older boy, and it was honest! The last thing Jade needed was rumors tainting her name simply for the fact that she hung out with one of the big three alone, especially if they were of the opposite sex. "Anyways, back to the opportunity I was talking about. I think Eri can help me out with this."

Happy New Years everyone! Thought I would just drop by with this little piece since I have been lagging quite a bit lol, anywho, just a little bit of love for our favorite blonde boy since I don’t see too much on him. Be safe everyone! Like, comment & share!

OC Creds to: @gureii (Ren, Maeda, Kubo

#anime oc #bnha oc #mha oc #jade lofota #mha dome #oc #my hero academia #mha #bnha #mirio togata #lemillion #mirio x oc #togata x oc #original female character #fluff #lots of fluff

5 notes · View notes

damienthepious · 4 years ago

Text

Going Through Changes, Ripping Out Pages (chapter 4)

[ch 1] [ch 2] [ch 3] [ao3] [ch 5] [ch 6] [ch 7] [ch 8] [ch 9] [ch 10] [???]

Fandom: The Penumbra Podcast

Relationship: Lord Arum/Sir Damien/Rilla

Characters: Lord Arum, Sir Damien, Rilla, The Keep

Additional Tags: Second Citadel, Lizard Kissin’ Tuesday, Established Relationship, (uhhhhh sorta), Amnesia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, (WE WILL GET THERE…… EVENTUALLY)

Summary: Lord Arum wakes to discover that some things have changed while he slept. Namely, there is a human in his bed.

Chapter Summary: Two conversations, and a little investigation.

Damien isn't far, when Rilla finds him again. He’s standing out in the hall near the kitchen, and-

And the Keep has wrapped steady vines around his shoulders, clinging lightly and blooming in soft yellows and blues. Damien has his eyes closed, his expression motionless but tense, his lips tight together as Rilla comes close.

"Damien," she says gently. He probably hears her coming, but she knows how deeply he can get caught up in his own head. He sighs at her voice, clinging to the Keep's vines in turn, but he doesn't open his eyes just yet. "Are you-"

She doesn't quite finish the thought. Are you alright? Stupid question, obviously. Neither of them are. None of them. Damien's lip pulls to the side, a weak sort of grimace, and she steps closer. The Keep makes room, shifting some vines to brush her shoulders as well, a gentle curtain around the both of them as she pulls Damien into a tight hug.

"Rilla," he murmurs. He presses his face into her neck, inhaling sharply and holding her in return. "I… I am sorry I left in such a state. It was- I should not have-I shouldn't have faltered. I couldn't-"

"It's okay, Damien. I know. He- he was being cruel on purpose but you know he doesn't really think that. He couldn't have known it would hurt you like-"

"I know," Damien murmurs, drooping further to rest his forehead against her shoulder. "Of course he doesn't know that those particular cruelties would affect me. A rather cold comfort, I'm afraid, considering that his lack of knowledge is entirely the issue."

Rilla sighs, because obviously Damien is right. The fact that he could hurt them like that by accident- it almost stings worse than if the cut were deliberate. "I sent him to cool off in his workshop," she says softly, and Damien's lip curls into something wry, something that isn't quite a smile.

"I'm sure he was quite amenable to instruction, hm?" he drawls.

Rilla bites back a bitter laugh. "Obviously. I-" she pauses. "I don't know what to do now," she says, only recognizing the feeling as she voices it. "Shit."

It's Damien's turn to tighten his arms, holding her more securely with a quiet, sympathetic noise. The Keep shifts around both of them, humming low and brushing soft leaves over their shoulders, and Rilla looks up, raising an eyebrow.

"What, do you have an idea?" she asks, and she has less than zero clue how the Keep could answer her in a way she can understand, but- "I'm not willing to rule out anything at this point."

The Keep pauses, and then it sings, unsure but hopeful, and pulls open a portal.

Damien and Rilla meet each other's eyes, concern and hope and doubt and pain passing quick and quiet between them, and then Damien takes a steadying breath, takes Rilla's hand, and they both step through.

Arum steps into his workshop, the portal disappears behind him, and then he simply closes his eyes and clenches his hands and breathes, until he begins to feel less panicked, less uncertain.

He is too agitated to realize, for quite a few minutes, that he should have been much less agreeable to allowing the little knight to bolt off into his Keep unsupervised, and that doctor as well. When he barks out an irritated question regarding their whereabouts, however, the Keep calmly informs him that the herbalist has just now found the knight, that they are currently in a corridor near the kitchen, simply- talking.

Plotting, he thinks darkly, and then he scowls.

"If you say so," he mutters, and then after a long moment he sighs. "If they will be remaining here until this little mystery is unraveled… well. See that their biological needs are met, at least. Wouldn't do to have them starving before I entirely understand their part in this."

The Keep hums lightly, pointedly, and Arum growls.

"I do not care what sorts of meals they prefer."

The Keep hums again.

"No, I do not."

The Keep says nothing for a moment, and then it gives a very, very gentle trill.

"Well I do not currently, then!" he snarls, throwing two hands in the air emphatically. "What have they done? What did they do to pull you to their side above mine? Are we not two parts of the same whole? I exist to protect you- you are my sole reason for existing- why should either of us care about a pair of interloping humans?"

The Keep pauses, and then sings one short, gentle phrase.

Arum's frill presses tight to his neck, and then he attempts to scoff, folding his arms over his chest in a way that feels unfortunately uncertain.

"... ridiculous," he breathes. "Why should that matter? And- and it is absurd to suggest that they would have enough of a grip on me to effect- to make me- ridiculous."

It sings again, the same short phrase.

"I am-" he snaps his teeth together. "I am already-" he hisses low, feeling his tail thrashing uncomfortably. "It does not matter. What is the value of happiness, Keep? In what way does it serve to ensure your safety?"

The Keep does not sing in response, this time, but Arum can feel the sorrow that pulses through it in its silence.

"See?" he says after a moment, his voice stilted. "You can provide no answer to that, can you? Ridiculous. All of this is absurd. The only thing that matters- the only thing that matters is our survival. These humans are nothing but a threat to that."

The Keep remains silent, and Arum can feel that it is pulling its attention back, retreating from the conversation.

Arum attempts to consider this a victory. Arum resists the impulse to call the Keep's attention back. Arum pretends that the idea of being left entirely alone at this moment does not fill him with-

It does not matter. He sighs, turning his body away, ending the conversation on his own terms, despite the fact that the Keep surrounds him, despite the fact that the Keep chose to fade from attention first.

At last Arum brings his focus to his surroundings, observing his workshop, and he narrows his eyes in confusion as he does.

The experiments he has been working on are gone. Every one of them has disappeared from the space, replaced by newer creatures and tools that he does not recognize. Not only that, but the space- it has been widened slightly as his bedroom was, grown outward to accommodate wider workspaces, more tools.

Arum narrows his eyes even further, realizing that this space, as it currently exists, is meant to have room for two.

Some of the projects appear to be the ordinary fare, new traps and creatures with modifications to help protect themselves and the swamp, but beside them appear to be experiments of decidedly medical intent, and others besides those he cannot seem to determine a reason for in the least. They are magical in nature, of course, but he can see little else from which to glean their purpose.

There is a third pair of fireproof gloves beside his own set of four, now. Slimmer, smaller, carefully stitched. He stares at them for a long moment, an uncomfortable ticking in his throat.

Everything is out of place. Everything.

… He would not even have noticed the scraps of torn parchment shoved unceremoniously into the fireplace, if the colorful splash of the wax seal did not catch his eye. Catch his eye, and then stick there.

Even torn in half, Arum knows the seal of the Senate by sight.

It takes perhaps a half an hour to pull together enough of the scraps that he can reconstruct the letter, at least to the point where it is mostly legible, and his hands are utterly ruined with ash by the time he achieves his goal.

Some is still fragmented. If there were a greeting or a signature they have burned or been torn away, and though Arum can see frequent scatterings of words like Universe and Will and bits and pieces of aggressive posturing, the one paragraph he has managed to restore is edifying enough that he does not feel the need to continue scrabbling through the hearth.

It is the Will of the Universe that the monster collective does as it pleases. The Senate does our utmost to uphold this Will, and it is to our pleasure that the human infection be eradicated. By failing to destroy a growing number of humans - chief among them a healer of their kind, and a monster-killer - you defy the Will of the Senate, and by extension the Will of the Universe itself. You are going destroy them. The Senate assures you, Lord Arum, that it will be your Will to do so. A monster may only defy its nature for so long, and the human infection will destroy you, if you do not destroy your own small infection first.

Arum can see the holes on either side of the parchment, where his own claws must have dug in before he tore the page entirely asunder. His own claws fit neatly in those spaces, and part of him wishes to tear it all asunder yet again, if only for the letter's smug, self-important tone.

Evidence, he thinks vaguely, and the word comes in the little human's confident voice. Mention of a healer and a monster-killer, the doctor and the knight- the letter shredded and half-burned in the hearth- barely legible even after wasting half an hour in the effort-

If this is part of some enormous lie… it would be a nearly impossibly elaborate one.

Arum looks at the small pair of gloves again. He smooths over the torn edges of the letter from the Senate.

The growth within his greenhouse corroborates the timeline the Keep and the humans claim, the year he has lost. A year of making room in his home for these creatures. A year of dulling the sharpness of his claws, a year of experiments he no longer knows, a year of, apparently, deceiving and defying the Senate.

You are going to destroy them.

Arum feels his frill shiver at his neck.

it will be your Will to do so.

Arum's mind churns, confusion and frustration and fear, and he digs his claw into the wax of the Senate's seal. Their words certainly sound like the threat of a curse, to Arum's ears. And if it truly was the Senate who stole a year from him-

(The memory is gone. Utter blankness. Did he truly, honestly risk the safety of his Keep? Did he truly dig his heels in to earn the Senate's ire?)

He needs to speak with the humans again.

[->]

#elle's fanfic #the penumbra podcast #second citadel #rad bouquet #lizard kissin' tuesday #lord arum #sir damien #amaryllis of exile #the keep #going through changes ripping out pages #(yells loudly)#PRETEND.... that you don't know... that this hasn't been updated since literally christmas

12 notes · View notes