#she is insistent on using all her magic; and so when she gets caught w strong enemies WITHOUT it shes like. uhoh. lunge it is.

[samarecharm]

My younger sister is playing the base p5

[fruitylo0pz]

Five Stars (NSFW)

Larissa Weems x fem!Reader

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, smut (with fluff), sub!Larissa, fingering, cunnilingus, degradation kink, strap-on.

A/N: After that last sad fic I needed to write something a bit brighter, and ended up bringing sub Larissa back. I wasn't sure I wanted to write about her, but she somehow found her way back in my mind. This one is quite long and with a time jump just to add some fluff towards the end. It's not my best work, but I hope you'll enjoy! I have proofread it, but there might be some mistakes as I wanted to finish it before going to bed.

Word count: ~3.5k

_____

Your job was in many ways repetitive, but when you started your own company focused on providing IT support to households you knew what you were getting into. You just wanted to be your own boss and have more freedom. This job was no different. She had called, telling you she had some issues with her Internet and needed someone to fix it quickly. She sounded attractive, you had noticed that right away. A posh British accent and a voice that sounded like velvet. She was the headmistress at Nevermore Academy, and you had never been there before but you were in awe of the beautiful building. When you arrived, you immediately saw that you had been completely right, only she was far more attractive than you had first imagined. 

“Thank you so much for coming at such short notice. I am so sorry for calling so late, and on a Friday night. I hope I haven’t ruined your evening. I usually have people working on this, but they don’t work this late and I have no clue about these things, but something is not working. Please, follow me.” She walked with a hip sway you could not take your eyes away from. She had a perfect hourglass figure and had legs for days, and oh boy, was she tall. 

You followed her to the IT department, and started working your magic. “It shouldn’t be a huge problem, ma’am. I think I know what the issue is, and I should be able to work through it within an hour or less.” You smiled as she looked attentively at you. You weren’t used to people watching you work, especially not actual goddesses. 

“Can I get you anything while you work?” Her voice was so caring and soft. You thought to yourself that the only thing you really wanted was her, but you couldn’t say that, of course. 

“I’m good, ma’am. But thank you so much for the offer.” You could not stop yourself from eyeing her up. She noticed, and blushed immediately. It surprised you, because you figured people must be staring at her all the time. 

You tried dismissing the thoughts you had, afraid you had made her uncomfortable. “I just have to run these diagnostics, and you should be connected to the Internet soon.” You winked and caught your eyes wandering again. 

“Do you need to be here while you do these things, or can you come back to it later? I feel bad about not offering you anything and I have tea in my office.” She sounded insisting and you agreed to go with her. Truth was, you wanted to know more about her and you also wanted to do unspeakable things with her. 

You could have sworn that you caught her eyeing you up as well, but she seemed shy and was very discreet about it. You decided to test her, and walked up to her as she was preparing the tea. You stood so close that you could feel the heat from her body, and she tried to hide a gasp when she felt you closer. 

You let your hand gently slide down her back, and she twitched. That was definitely a good sign. “Larissa, to be perfectly honest there is something I’d much rather do while waiting.” Her breathing was heavier now. Her entire demeanour changed and it was as if she was melting before you. 

“W-what is that, Y/N?” She turned around, looking confused but with a stare filled with a desire she was trying to mask. 

“I want to hear what your sweet voice sounds like when it’s screaming and moaning my name, Larissa.” You looked at her with a grin and raised your eyebrow. 

She blushed and looked away. “I want that, Y/N. But I’m afraid I don’t have that much experience, and I wouldn’t know what to do.” She was clearly ashamed and bothered by her confession.

You reached up and cupped her chin. “Just be a good girl and follow my lead. I’ll do the work, and you just do as I say, pretty princess. Can you be a good girl for me?” You reached to the back of her head and pulled her closer before kissing her. She let out a sigh, almost as if she had been awaiting it. 

“Yes, I’ll be a good girl for you, Y/N.” Her eyes followed you as you grabbed her hand and led her over to the sofa. 

“Can you start off by stripping for me, Larissa? I’m dying to see those curves without clothes.” You sat down as she stood before you. She started stripping down, but you could tell that it wasn’t anything she was used to. She seemed embarrassed, but the look on your face convinced her that you really liked what you were seeing. She looked even more breathtaking. 

“You’re beautiful, Larissa. Absolutely beautiful. Now, sit on the sofa for me.” You got up, and led her over to the sofa, gently pushing her down on it. 

You sat next to her, letting your hand wander up her thigh. It made her spread her legs as an automatic response, letting you know she liked it. You leaned forward to kiss her neck and she let out a low moan. “Good girl. I want to hear you, Larissa.” Your hand wandered up her waist and found her breast. You pinched her nipple between your fingers and she hissed. Your lips slid down her chest and replaced your fingers as you sucked, licked and bit her nipple and your fingers found the other one.

“I need more, Y/N. Please give me more.” Larissa’s voice was needy and desperate, and you loved it. This stately, stern woman was already a mess for you. 

“Aren’t you a desperate little slut for me, hm? Desperate for me to use you like my own personal toy?” You grabbed her chin and bit her neck, making her moan out loud. 

“Y-yes, Y/N. I am your desperate little slut. Please use me. Please do whatever you want with me.” Her legs spread more and more, and you noticed that her thighs were glistening. 

You got down on your knees between her legs and grabbed her thighs so you could pull her closer to the edge of the seat. “Oh, you are soaked for me, aren’t you? Your cunt is so ready for me.” You let your fingers slide up her slit, and she gasped. 

“P-please, oh… Y/N… I need you, please. I am ready.” She could barely speak, and you hadn’t even really touched her. You smiled to yourself as you slowly let two fingers slide in, making sure that she felt comfortable and got used to you. Her back arched in response, and you picked up the pace a bit.

She moaned and grabbed the edge of the seat as you started fucking her harder. You felt her walls clenching around your fingers and her breathing became more and more uncontrollable. You curled your fingers to reach her magic spot and she screamed out loud, making you smile. Suddenly, she came while screaming your name, sending a wave of her arousal down your hand. You let her ride it out as you slowly pulled out your fingers.

“Be a good girl and clean them up for me, will you?” You put your fingers to your lips, and she hesitated but opened her mouth. Half an hour ago she was an innocent and pure lady, and now she was sucking your fingers clean, tasting herself. The sight was intoxicating. 

You pulled your fingers from her mouth and sank down on your knees again. She looked confused, but you just smiled and kissed your way up her thighs. She spread her legs again and hissed when you reached her clit. Your tongue flicked it just to see her reaction. She bucked her hips towards you. She desperately wanted more. You pulled her closer as your tongue started circling her clit and she started whimpering. 

“Such a horny whore for me, pretty princess. You taste so good.” The words made her moan louder and she very obviously liked it when you called her names. 

You looked up at her while your tongue worked tirelessly to massage her sensitive bud and she gasped as your eyes met. You knew she was close, probably better than she knew as her first orgasm seemed to have taken her by surprise. 

You grabbed her thighs harder and her breathing let you know that the pace your tongue was keeping was about to send her over the edge. She once again screamed your name followed by a row of exhausted whimpers and gasps. You smiled as you sat up and wiped your chin. She was still trembling as she was trying to catch her breath. You found a blanket and wrapped around her so she wouldn’t feel so exposed as you got up and kissed her. 

She blushed and gave you a shy smile while looking down on the floor. “Thank you, Y/N. I have never felt anything like this before. In fact, I have… I have only ever done anything like that with one other person and it never went as far as this. And it was not anything like this, not at all. You are extremely skilled.” Again, her confession made her feel ashamed. She turned away and hid her face with her hand. She wasn’t used to dirty talk or sexual interactions. 

You gently stroked her cheek. You felt both flattered and extremely shocked. How on earth were you her first? You figured you weren’t really in a place to ask her, and you just smiled to make her feel more at ease about her confession. “Larissa, I am so happy you felt safe enough to let me worship you. You did extremely well. Now… As much as I would love to have more of you, I think I should probably continue my work. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll get a bad review for not actually fixing your connection.”

Larissa laughed and looked at you with a huge smile on her face. “You might not have fixed what you came here for, but I would certainly give you five stars for the other services you provided.” She blushed, but didn’t hide her face like she would have a few minutes ago. She seemed comfortable with you. She got dressed and walked you back to the IT department. 

You finished your job and packed up your gear. “Well, my job here is done and I must say… I have never once ended up feeling this excited about a job.” You winked and reached up to kiss her. 

“Y/N, may I please take you out to dinner tomorrow? Only if you don’t have other plans, of course. I’m not expecting anything from you, but I would like to get to know you better and pay you back.” She got a concerned look on her face, almost disappointed. It seemed as if she felt like she had asked for far too much.

You grabbed her hand and kissed it. “I would love to have dinner with you, Larissa. You really don’t have to pay me back, but I really want to get to know you better too. You’re a beautiful goddess. I just had to tell you that, because I am still stunned by you.” She blushed again, and it appeared to you that she wasn’t used to compliments. This both annoyed you and shocked you, because she deserved better than what she had ever gotten. You didn’t even really know her, but you could tell that much from her reactions whenever you complimented her. 

___

This one dinner led to many, and you both loved each other's company and you could talk about anything with her. After two months she had asked you over for dinner but this time she wanted to cook for you. You had bought a bouquet of flowers for her, a mix of pink and purple pastels. You really had no clue about flowers, but you had asked in the shop and they recommended that one and they looked like something she would like.

She was waiting outside when you arrived, and she was wearing a gorgeous cream white dress and she looked ravishing as she always did. You gave her the bouquet of flowers and she let out an excited gasp. “Thank you so much, darling. They’re absolutely beautiful!” She tenderly smelled the flowers before looking at you with a secretive grin. “I have a surprise for you later, Y/N.” She leaned down to kiss you, and you were surprised at her confidence, but it was a positive surprise. It assured you that she really was feeling more comfortable and at ease with you.

“What kind of surprise, Larissa?” You tilted your head while raising an eyebrow and looked at her with a curious look on your face.

“That’s going to be a surprise for now. I’ve already said more than enough. Now, let’s go while the food is still warm.” She grabbed your hand and led you back to her quarters. 

She had made pasta, and it smelled delicious. Before this, you had only been out for dinner because she was usually far too busy to have time for cooking, so this made you feel quite special. The table was set with live candles and she found a vase for the flowers. “Thank you so much once again, Y/N. You are truly charming.” She admired them and gently stroked your hand. 

After dinner, you helped her clean up and you ended up talking and laughing in the kitchen, and you loved these silly moments with her. You knew her job was tiring and made her exhausted, so you truly enjoyed it when she could let her guard down and just relax.

She looked at you with a sly grin before grabbing your hand. “I’m afraid I didn’t make dessert, but I can give you your surprise now instead.” She bit her lip as she led you to her bedroom. She pushed you down on her bed before she slowly backed away, and started stripping down. Her movements were slow and sensual, leaving you absolutely mesmerised. She knew that you liked her and found her attractive, and this seemed to fuel her confidence. She revealed a matching lingerie set, dark red and black, possibly one of the best surprises you had ever seen. Your mouth was watering and you were so hungry for her.

“It might not be a lot, but I bought it for your eyes only. It’s the first part of the surprise I have for you.” She smiled as she walked closer and kissed your cheek. 

“You look so fucking good, Larissa. You really are a true goddess, and I can’t wait to taste and touch you.” You leaned back as she walked over to her drawer. She stood there for a little while before turning around. She was holding a strap-on and she blushed before walking towards you.

“I bought this too, and I was hoping… I was hoping you would use it on me.” The fact that she had gone and bought it purely because of you sent a warm wave through your body. She trusted you so much and you knew how difficult that usually was for her. 

“Oh, I'll fuck you so good, Larissa.” You took it from her hand and set it aside before taking her hand and guiding her so she ended up straddling your lap. She wrapped her arms around your neck and kissed you. Your tongues swirled and twirled around one another before your lips started wandering down towards her neck. Your hands grabbed her ass and she threw her head back while you left marks on her neck. 

You pushed her down on the bed before your hand reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. Your mouth immediately found her nipple and you playfully bit it while your hand wandered down her body. She spread her legs and you smiled to yourself. Once reaching her panties you could feel how damp they were already. 

“Tell me what you want, princess. I want to hear what you want me to do.” You kissed her neck and she whimpered while your hands skilfully pulled down her panties and you started circling her clit with slow and teasing movements.

“I w-want… Oh… Y/N…I want you to fuck me and show me whose dirty little whore I am.” She moaned and took you by surprise, but fuck. You loved hearing her utter those words. 

“Such a good girl for telling me what you want. Get on your knees for me, princess.” You got up to put on the harness as she willfully got on her knees and spread her legs. Her cunt was so soaked you could see the arousal practically running down her inner thighs.

After you had attached the harness, you got on your knees behind her and teased her with the tip, rubbing it on her clit. “Are you ready for me, princess? If it’s too much, say stop and I will stop immediately.” You rubbed her gorgeous ass and leaned forward to kiss her back. 

“I’m ready, Y/N. Please fuck me.” She was already whimpering, and those words were all you needed. You slowly let the strap slide in, letting her adjust to it and making sure she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. You could feel her clenching as you slowly thrusted in and out.

You started pumping harder when you realised she had adjusted and gotten used to the size, and she was moaning uncontrollably. You grabbed her hips and kept a steady pace, until she started moving her hips to meet you in the thrusts. “Please fuck me harder, Y/N. Please use me. Stretch me out.” Her confidence was growing more and more and you spanked her before thrusting deeper, making her scream and whimper. 

You could tell she was getting close as she started gasping for air and her legs were trembling. “Cum for me, princess. Cum hard for me.” You spanked her and one last, deep thrust was all she needed to tip over the edge in an exploding orgasm, making her throw her head back as she screamed your name. She slowly collapsed on the bed while you let her ride it out and gently pulled out the strap.

You kissed her back before removing the harness and left for the bathroom to get a washcloth. You cleaned her up gently, as she was trying to gain back enough strength to move. “Stay still, princess. I’ll clean you up and then I’ll tuck us in. Here, drink some. You’re exhausted.” You chuckled and handed her a bottle of water.

After cleaning her up she managed to pull herself up to her pillow and you crawled into bed with her. She wrapped her arm around you, and you comfortably crawled closer. You enjoyed these moments, and even though you were the more dominant one you found an immense safety in her arms.

She stroked your cheek and kissed you gently. “Y/N? I need to ask you something.” You immediately felt nervous and she must have caught the change in your breathing. “No, it’s nothing like that, darling! Don’t worry.” She pulled you closer to calm you down.

“What is it, princess?” You pulled away just enough to see her face.

“You might think it’s too soon, and you might not want this at all. And I’m sorry if I have misread everything, but I hope I haven’t. But I am very fond of you, and I am very fond of the time we spend together and all the fun we have. And I truly hope you feel the same way. Would you like to be my girlfriend?” Her voice was more gentle than usual, as if she wanted to assure you that she meant every word she said from the bottom of her heart.

A huge smile immediately formed on your face. You never thought she would ask. “Larissa, there is nothing I want more. I wanted to ask you, but I wasn’t sure how you felt and I didn’t want to pressure you. At least one of us had the guts to take the plunge!” You chuckled before kissing her, tears of happiness streaming down your cheeks. 

“Y/N, my girlfriend. Nothing feels more right than this. You have made me the happiest person in this moment, and I will treasure it forever, like I will treasure you forever. You are so beautiful, and I will make sure you always know that.” She kissed you and pulled you closer. You knew she meant it, and you never thought you could feel this way about another person. It wasn’t the easiest for you to trust people or let anyone in, but she made you feel like you were the most important person in the world to her, and that was all that mattered to you. That night, you fell asleep feeling more content than you had felt in probably forever in the arms of your girlfriend, Larissa Weems.

[starsurface]

Hii can I request headcannons for CG Sindel and Regressor Tomas/Smoke . I think she'd make a great cg for him and he's such a sweet boy I think she'd find him endearing hehe

Hi!!! Omg, I actually love the idea of their friendship!!! <3

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Sindel w/ Regressor Tomas Hcs

💜 Tomas is decent friends with the entire royal house, canonly helping Mileena out and such (it’s in their dialogs, he’s her bodyguard at times and it annoys her because she has Tanya)

💨 Sindel adores his company!! He’s polite, respectful, a brilliant and deadly fighter

💜 She found out about Tomas’s regression by complete accident, and still feels a bit bad for doing so to this day

💨 She was looking at the room that Tomas was staying in, cleaning it up after Tomas packed since he was leaving soon, until found a baby bottle shoved into some corner

💜 She asked him about it, and when he said that he didn’t know anything about it, she was going to just throw it away

💨 Or, until Tomas broke into tears, begging her not to throw it away because it was the only one he owned and it was too difficult trying to secretly buy a new one

💜 ^ Don't worry, Sindel didn't throw it away, and she hugged Tomas until he felt better (w/ his consent of course)

💨 Sindel knew a bunch about age regression, watching a few regressors herself her her thousands of years of living

💜 She offered to watch Tomas whenever he was in Outworld (and made sure he had some little time when he was helping out Mileena)

💨 Tomas does end up going to Sindel when he feels small at times, and she's always very comforting and soft about it

💜 Sindel would have to say that Tomas is an adorable regressor <3

💨 She loves baby regressors!!! And Tomas is content with cuddling and being coed over

💜 Sometimes Tomas has scary nightmares, and he’ll run to Sindel’s room, already small and crying

💨 Sindel will gently shush him, letting him sleep in her bed and play with his hair

💜 Speaking about hair, Tomas loves playing with Sindel’s hair!!

💨 It was soft, and very long, and he could style is!! :D

💜 Tomas’s ‘styling’ is actually just taking strands and laying them on top of each other, but Sindel praises him for his good work

💨 Although Tomas regresses small small sometimes, and does have a habit to tug on it really harshly :(

💜 He doesn’t mean to!! He was just playing with it, and then he went to move his hand, and Sindel’s hair was still in his fist, and now Sindel’s hurt!!! 🥺

💨 She’s not, she throws people, picks them up, snaps them, she has a very strong head

💜 But she will remind Tomas to use more gentle hands, letting him continue to play with her hair because she doesn’t like seeing her baby boy cry

💨 Although, she doesn’t let him chew on her hair, and will gently scold him if he tries

💜 Don’t worry, she’ll buy him a baby chewie and a chew stuffie <3

💨 Actually, she buys Tomas (and other regressors) a bunch of regression stuff!! New sippies, new bottles, more stuffies, more toys-

💜 It slightly concerns Tomas, because he’s still a guest and friend at her house, but she insist on it (any regressor she knows gets this treatment, whose going to say no to the Queen?)

💨 Tomas is a very silent crawler, and has a habit of looking at something he likes and going towards it

💜 Fortunately, Sindel has magic hair, and will snatch him and carry him back over to her

💨 He’s very giggly as she playfully scolds him, placing him on her hip and asking what caught his eye

💜 Ugh, Tomas’s giggles 🥺

💨 Sindel’s set on hearing them more, and will do almost anything to get them out of him when he’s having a bad day

💜 Back onto hair for a second, I think Tomas would find it funny if Sindel put thins like clip on bows and such in his hair

💨 ^ Now he looks all pretty like Sindel!! :D (Sindel didn’t almost cry at that, you didn’t see anything)

💜 He also does Sindel’s hair, and now they look all pretty together

💨 Sidnel’s CG nicknames were . . . a struggle to come to

💜 The first time Tomas called her Mama, he broke down into tears and wouldn’t leave her side for a few hours (bad memories of his own family)

💨 So they mainly stick to ‘Della, because it sounds somewhat like Sindel’s name

💜 Although Tomas does have a small habit of calling Sindel Mommy/Mama when he’s really really tiny, or super sleepy and just doesn’t realize it

💨 Tomas gets a million nicknames, Baby Boy, Precious, Prince, Little Warrior, Puppy, Sweetheart

💜 Sindel thinks puppy Tomas is entertaining because of how energetic he can be

💨 And lazy, he has a habit of stealing Sindel’s entire bed and not moving for hours because ‘it’s too comfy, ‘Della 🥺’ (and it’s not like Sindel can argue, she does have a very nice bed)

💜 She’s thought about getting a human sized dog bed for Tomas, but he gets all comfy and giggly in her bed, she’s decided she can share for now

💨 However, she would like her pillows and blankets back, and she doesn’t want to get into another tug-a-war just to not be cold 😮‍💨 

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I think Sindel would be a really good CG for Tomas. :3

[beantothemax]

LERA AND MARLEN AND TITUS JUMPSCARE!!!!!

Tag Crab

At the edge of his consciousness, just when the world seemed to disappear, he heard a hissing.

"Marlen! Marlen!"

In an instant, he rose and reached for Augustyn's sword, but realized there was no immediate danger. He stood wearing his favorite pyjamas in a cozy room in the city of Belaro that he shared with Storch.

But it was not Storch that awoke him, only Lera. She had a tense look on her face, as though there was some immediate danger.

"W-what's wrong? And where are the others?" Marlen questioned.

"They're drinking," Lera paused to swallow before she began speaking much quieter than before, "More importantly, Titus may kill me."

"Why do you think that?"

Lera started pacing and did so for a good long while. Marlen sat on his bed and listened intently when she finally spoke.

"Titus let me borrow his thunder magic tome. At first, he said I could only read it with his supervision, but he trusted me and let me take it out of the castle," she paused again and Marlen caught a glimpse of the horrible shame on her face, "I-I dropped it and the cover got wet and muddy. I dried the pages- it's still readable, I think, but I'm scared to return it."

When she finished speaking, she eagerly awaited Marlen's answer with her head hung low. She felt he took just a little too long to reply and she sank to the floor with her head in her hands.

"It was a gift from his dad, and- and I ruined it!" she cried.

But all that anxiety seemed a little much to Marlen and he did not share it in. Instead, he sat beside her and patted her back.

"Titus is a reasonable man, right? I mean, you just helped him take down Gradin! A little mistake like this is nothing compared to the great help you've been throughout this entire mess," he reasoned.

"That sword you have, the one that used to be Augustyn's. You'd be devastated if someone broke it."

"B-but I wouldn't kill them! I'd be upset, but I'd get over it," Marlen said, "If you're that scared of telling Titus, then I'll go with you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

He helped her stand and wiped the tears from her face. She stood outside his door while he changed. Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she considered leaving. It would be incredibly easy to just go to bed and save the problem for tomorrow. Such a bad solution would not be any good, but at least she would be able to wait a little longer before facing Titus.

Just as she eyed the door to the room she shared with her mother, Marlen's opened and he stepped out.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"No," she squeaked.

Hand in hand, they made their way through the quiet city. Faint music and laughter could be heard from busier streets. Citizens had been celebrating Gradin's death with music in the square every other day but Lera could not even begin to feel the same joy they did when such an unforgiveable crime hung on her conscious.

Before the castle, her legs failed her and she could not step over the threshold. Marlen pulled her but she would not budge.

"Come now, Lera. Titus isn't a monster, he won't kill you for something so small!" he insisted.

"I'll won't kill her for what?"

Lera's heart skipped a beat at the sight of lord Titus himself. She shook like a leaf in the wind and might have fainted if Marlen was not still holding her hand.

Titus wore something that looked unusually comfortable and casual for a man of his status. His hair was undone and his expression easy going.

"Hello there, Titus! Where are you going at this hour?" Marlen smiled.

"To a second-rate tavern that your brother found. Helga says the place is infested with rats, but Storch is the hero of Belaro, so I'll indulge him this once," he chuckled, "And might I ask why you two were looking for me at this hour?"

Now was the crucial moment when Lera must explain how she sinned and beg and grovel until he decided to be merciful and banish her to a cruel prison instead of executing her on the spot. She took a step forward, still with her head hung low.

With a weak hand, she handed him the tome.

"I-I-I d-dropped it and-and it got wet and I tri-tried to dry it, b-b-b-but it's a bit damaged in some parts and I'm so very sorry, I-I know how much it means to you, I really tried my best to dry it and get the dirt off the pages, but I don't think I did very well and I'm sorry if it's unusable now a-and I'm sorry it-"

"Lera."

She looked up to meet his eyes but found she could not for all the tears that made her vision too blurry to even make out his shape.

"You know of hammerne staves, right?" he asked plainly.

Hammerne, hammerne, hammerne... Where had she heard that before? Some kind of staff for fixing things... But-

"OH!" she said aloud.

"There's no need to get so worked up over a book, especially when there are countless spells for undoing water damage," Titus explained.

"Right," her cheeks burned red with embarrassment at having forgotten something so basic.

"But I am grateful for your honesty, that's a good trait for anyone to have. Now, you two hurry back to the inn and get some shut eye!" he ruffled Lera's hair as he said the last bit and she giggled.

They went their separate ways, Titus to the worst tavern he would ever step foot in, and Lera and Marlen to the inn for the best sleep of their lives. They were in high spirits on the little walk back. With that weight off her shoulder, Lera could feel herself drift off the moment she lay down.

Just before sleep could claim her, Marlen pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I told you it wasn't a big deal. Goodnight, Lera."

She could hear the smile in his voice but had not the energy to say anything. Worrying had sapped all her energy and the following day, she could not be woken until the early afternoon.

@crabknight

OWJWUHHH……..whhhheuhgh,,,,

WAAAAAAAAAhHHHGH VIX THIS IS SO INVREDIBLY SWEET WHAT THE HECK!!!!!! ohhhhhhh my frins. my frands. thgh

lera thinking she’s going to rot in a prison for the rest of her days for the hnforgive ale crime of getting a book a little muddy is a splendid premise and you have once again knocked the narration out of the park!! 13/10, made me smile :]

[sparkymalone]

Omg speaking of that, you should do a winter chapter where they warm eachother up 😏

(This ask came right after the two beds one, so I think that's what it's referencing?)

Man, I haven't seen this trope in AGES! I used to love this shit!

Y'all ready for some smut with a totally ridiculous premise?! Also that I haven't proofread?!

When the students of Class 77-B had arrived on a mysterious tropical island, none of them had expected a snowstorm. And why would they? The island was so beautiful and sunny when they arrived, there wasn't any reason to think about inclement weather, let alone snow.

So, when Usami mentioned that her magic stick was on the fritz, no one thought anything of it. She had mentioned using the stick to control the weather in passing, but none of the students were very concerned.

When rain clouds rolled in, no one was alarmed. Tropical storms were normal, after all. It was more strange that they hadn't gotten rain any sooner.

A few small rainstorms blew over the island, but then bigger, darker clouds appeared on the horizon. The weather got progressively cooler, until the island was officially freezing cold.

The students still didn't suspect anything. They figured it was just a storm, that it would pass.

Needless to say, the sudden blizzard caught them all by surprise. Most of the class had been out gathering resources at the time, and everyone quickly ducked into the building nearest to them.

Which is how Hajime and Fuyuhiko ended up trapped in the library as a snowstorm raged just outside.

“We could probably make a run for it,” Hajime suggested as they stared out the window, “if we go now.”

Fuyuhiko furrowed his brow, contemplating the wind and snow swirling outside. “Do we need to? We're safe in here, right?”

The other boy shrugged. “I think so.”

“Then let's just stay put,” Fuyuhiko decided. He turned to the rest of the room, putting his hands in his pockets. “There are worse places to kill time.”

And so the two of them attempted to wait out the storm. They spent some time chatting, reading, and pacing around the room. Eventually the cold began to get to them, so the two boys started searching for a thermostat. After several minutes of looking, however, it became clear that there wasn't one.

The library didn't have a heater.

“It's probably fine,” Hajime said, trying to stay positive. “The snow will probably stop soon, anyway.”

Several hours later, the blizzard was still raging and the library was getting unbearably cold.

Fuyuhiko was sitting on the floor with his back against a bookshelf and his knees pulled up to his chest. He was watching Hajime pace around, getting progressively more annoyed. “Will you fuckin' stop that?!” the blonde snapped, but it sounded strained through his chattering teeth.

“S-Sorry,” Hajime replied, rubbing his arms desperately. “It's just so damn cold.”

“I fuckin' know!” Fuyuhiko griped. “But you're pissin’ me off!”

“Moving around helps,” the taller boy insisted, still pacing.

More time passed, and the cold only got worse. Both boys were shivering, they could see their breath, and they were both getting desperate.

Hajime was huddled on the ground next to Fuyuhiko, trying desperately to think of something that could help them. He had found a book on survival and was quickly poring over the pages, looking for anything relevant. Finally, he jolted. “B-Body heat,” he stammered.

Fuyuhiko looked at him in confusion. His cheeks were alarmingly pale and his lips were starting to look a bit blue. “What the f-fuck are you t-talking about?”

The brunette pushed the book aside, not bothering to read the context of the survival method. He shuffled towards Fuyuhiko. “We have to share body heat.”

Some color returned to Fuyuhiko's face as he blushed. “W-What?!”

“‘S the only way,” Hajime told him, grasping the lapels of Fuyuhiko's jacket. “We can be embarrassed about it later.”

The smaller boy stared at him for a moment before nervously agreeing. “S-So what do we do? Just… c-cuddle or whatever?”

Hajime nodded. “Yeah. We put our bodies together to save warmth.”

Fuyuhiko shivered, but willingly started moving closer to Hajime.

“And we need to take our clothes off.”

The yakuza heir jerked back. “What?!”

Hajime was looking at him completely seriously. “We have to be skin-to-skin, then we can wrap our clothes around both of us.” Not waiting for a response, he began undressing.

Fuyuhiko stared at him, wide-eyed, frozen in place. Once the initial shock wore off, though, he realized that he didn't have any other options. Slowly, he began to disrobe, as well.

The taller boy tried not to stare as Fuyuhiko peeled his clothes off. He couldn't believe that this was happening, even though it had been his suggestion. He forced himself not to look at the other boy's naked body, no matter how badly he wanted to.

Cautiously, the two of them moved closer together, both avoiding eye contact. They tried huddling side by side, arms pressed against each other, but that didn't seem effective enough, even with their clothes pulled around them.

“I'm not trying to make this weird,” Hajime began hesitantly, “but this might work better if you… were in my lap.”

Fuyuhiko's eyes widened, but he didn't argue. At this point survival was more important than his own shame. He allowed himself to be pulled into Hajime's lap with his back against the other boy's chest, but he didn't like the way the cold air was hitting his chest. “...Might be better if I'm facing you,” he mumbled, embarrassed.

It was Hajime's turn to be shocked, but he agreed quietly. He helped Fuyuhiko turn around, but was somehow still caught off guard when the blonde straddled him. He tried not to think about just what body parts were touching him as the blonde pressed himself flush against him, resting his head on Hajime's shoulder.

“No one ever finds out about this, got that?” Fuyuhiko growled.

Hajime let out a surprised laugh. “Of course.” He carefully draped some of their clothes over their bodies before wrapping his arms tightly around the other boy.

They stayed like that for a while, and it seemed to be working. Both of them felt much warmer, basking in the heat of each other's skin. Unfortunately, body temperature wasn't the only thing rising.

Even under these terrible conditions, having an attractive boy in his lap - one whom he had been crushing on for weeks - was proving to be too much for Hajime. He tried to will his erection down, tried not to let it press against Fuyuhiko, tried not to think about what parts of Fuyuhiko's body it was pressing against. It was a losing battle, however, and his cock continued to swell.

Fuyuhiko's eyes widened again as he felt Hajime's erection beneath him. He didn't move for a moment, unsure of what to do. “H-Hajime,” he murmured.

Hajime squeezed his eyes shut. “I'm sorry,” he gasped, mortified. “I can't help it.”

The blonde trembled slightly, unable to focus on anything besides the feeling of the other boy's cock pressing up against him. “C-Can’t fuckin' believe this…”

Cheeks burning with embarrassment, Hajime sighed. “Just… just ignore it… if you can,” he breathed. “I'll, um, try to calm-” He cut himself off when he felt the other boy's body starting to respond.

A dark flush crawled up Fuyuhiko's neck as he realized that he was getting hard, too. “Nnh… D-Don’t read into this… ‘S just ‘cause your dick is…”

Hajime cautiously grasped Fuyuhiko's hips, pulling their bodies tighter against each other, listening to the soft sounds the other boy made. “...You know… It might help us warm up…” he suggested quietly.

Fuyuhiko finally looked up at him, completely red. “Are you seriously suggesting that we…?”

The brunette stared back at him, mind moving slowly. “...Yeah.”

Breathing heavily, Fuyuhiko studied his face for what felt like ages, before relenting. “...F-Fine.”

Hajime's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't waste any time. He rolled his hips slowly, grinding against Fuyuhiko. A loud moan escaped from the blonde's mouth, and Hajime quickly repeated the action.

Letting out another low moan, Fuyuhiko closed his eyes. He rocked gently against Hajime, grinding back, pushing his embarrassment aside in favor of chasing this new sensation. He grasped Hajime's shoulders to brace himself as he began grinding down onto him in earnest.

The taller boy groaned, rutting against Fuyuhiko a little harder. They continued for several minutes, movements getting rougher and more desperate. Finally, Hajime wrapped his arms tightly around Fuyuhiko before tipping him onto his back. He covered the smaller boy's body with his own and resumed grinding against him, gasping at the feeling of Fuyuhiko's cock against his.

Whining softly, Fuyuhiko grabbed Hajime's face, yanking him down into a clumsy kiss. He licked and nipped at Hajime's mouth, hips still rolling to meet each thrust. Their bodies pressed tightly together as they continued grinding into each other, the cold long since forgotten.

Fuyuhiko's legs came up to wrap around Hajime's waist, pulling him impossibly closer. The brunette kissed him hungrily, wanting to savor as much of this as he could. His arms snaked around Fuyuhiko, holding him tightly, bucking his hips hard.

After desperately rutting against each other for a long time, Fuyuhiko finally broke the kiss, looking up at Hajime with watery eyes. “Mmn… bastard,” he growled, “you better give me more!”

Hajime stared back, breathing heavily. “M-More…?” He swallowed hard. “Like… you want me to fuck you?”

Fuyuhiko's face flushed even darker. “Sh-Shut up! This is your fault… so come on…!” He tightened his legs around the other boy, grinding roughly against him. “At least fuckin' f-finger-fuck me!”

The demand sounded much too good to be true, and Hajime's brain was moving much too slowly to make sense of it, but his hormones certainly knew what to do. He popped two fingers into his mouth, quickly coating them with spit before reaching down between the other boy's legs. He tried to keep his breathing even as he traced the rim of Fuyuhiko's entrance, carefully spreading saliva over it.

The yakuza heir bit his lip, hips instinctively jerking towards Hajime's fingers. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted those fingers inside of him so badly, wanted Hajime to push and stretch and open him up…

So when one digit slid into him, all Fuyuhiko could do was moan, squeezing his eyes shut. His attention was fully commanded by the finger that was already beginning to move in and out of his hole. “More,” he gasped quietly, hoping Hajime could still hear him.

The brunette definitely got the message, and he quickly worked a second finger into Fuyuhiko. He pumped both fingers slowly, watching the other boy's face, enthralled by how pretty he looked. “Feel good?” he asked hoarsely.

“Mmn…!” Fuyuhiko's eyes blinked open, slowly focusing on Hajime's face. “Y-Yeah… So good…!”

Feeling more confident, Hajime began plunging his fingers into Fuyuhiko faster, burying them to the hilt on each stroke. He bucked his hips, grinding his cock against the other boy, desperate for stimulation. He drank in Fuyuhiko's moans and whines as he fingered him open.

It didn't take long for Hajime's patience to run thin. “Fuyuhiko,” he murmured, curling his fingers and listening to the resulting cries. “...Can I please… Can I please fuck you?”

The blonde clenched reflexively around his fingers, moaning loudly. “Fuckin' obviously! I want your cock so bad…!”

Immediately, Hajime pulled his fingers out and brought his cock to Fuyuhiko's entrance. He pressed the tip firmly against his hole, feeling the ring of muscle twitch, but he paused there.

When he didn't start pushing in, Fuyuhiko glared up at him, chest heaving. “The fuck are you waiting for?” He tightened his legs around Hajime, trying to pull him inside.

“S-Sorry,” Hajime breathed, staying in place. “I just… I don't want this to be… a one-time thing.”

The blonde growled in frustration. “You're not even in me yet and you're already worrying about doing this again?”

“N-No!” Hajime yelped. “Well… yes, but not just that.” He steeled his nerves and looked into the other boy's eyes. “I like you, Fuyuhiko.”

Fuyuhiko's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed, but he didn't stop pushing back against Hajime's cock. “Nng… O-Okay, great, now fuck me already!”

But Hajime still didn't move. “...Do you like me, too?”

The yakuza heir squeezed his eyes closed and groaned in annoyance. “Oh my god, yes, okay? Obviously I like you if I'm about to let you fuck me! You think I spread my fuckin' legs for just anybody?” He glared up at his partner. “I fucking like you, Hajime, but if you don't put your fucking dick in me right fucking now-!”

Hajime cut him off, kissing him hard. He finally started pushing in, swallowing Fuyuhiko's surprised moans, not stopping until he was fully inside. Pleasure overwhelmed his senses as the other boy's tight body enveloped him.

Fuyuhiko's arms and legs tightened around him, nails digging into his shoulders. Hajime broke the kiss, panting, pressing himself as deep as possible. “F-Fuck…!” he hissed.

The yakuza heir's head fell back against the floorboards and a loud moan tore out of his throat. “Holy shit!” he sobbed. “Holy…! Nnh, Hajime…!”

Mind reeling, Hajime leaned in to kiss Fuyuhiko's ear. “...Does it hurt?” he asked quietly, barely resisting the urge to just start pounding into the other boy.

“No,” Fuyuhiko panted, “f-feels good…!” He rocked against Hajime, urging him to move.

The taller boy was more than happy to comply, thrusting into the hot body beneath him, moaning and tightening his hold on Fuyuhiko. When the blonde gasped with pleasure, Hajime rolled his hips forward again. He began a slow rhythm, driving himself deep into Fuyuhiko's hole over and over.

Keening, the yakuza heir clung tightly to his partner. He raised his hips, completely enraptured by the feeling of Hajime inside of him. He dug his nails into the other boy's shoulders, moaning desperately. “Shit… Harder!”

Hajime started moving faster, thrusting harder, fucking into Fuyuhiko excitedly. He groaned against the other boy's temple as his hips pounded forward. The tight heat surrounding his cock was almost overwhelming, but he tried to focus on his partner's pleasure.

It seemed like it was working, judging by the way Fuyuhiko arched and moaned under him. Hajime leaned down to press sloppy, open-mouthed kisses to Fuyuhiko's neck and shoulders. “Mmn, you're so fucking tight…” he growled, burying himself deep.

Fuyuhiko yanked him into a desperate kiss, rolling his hips into each of Hajime's thrusts. He whined into his lover's mouth as his cock brushed his prostate. He scratched down Hajime's back, biting at his lip and moaning breathlessly.

Hajime pounded into his lover, fucking him into the floor. He kissed him back hungrily, reaching down to grasp Fuyuhiko's hips, pulling him into each rough thrust.

When Hajime hit his sweet spot, Fuyuhiko keened and arched off the floor. “Mmf…! Fuck, Hajime…!” He clenched around his lover's cock, reaching between their bodies to desperately stroke himself.

It didn't take long for both of them to near the edge. Hajime thrusted faster, aiming for Fuyuhiko's prostate, burying his face in his hair. He moaned hoarsely. “I'm… I'm close…”

“Hah, me too…!” Fuyuhiko gasped. “Harder, please!” He stroked himself faster as he rocked into Hajime's thrusts.

His lover groaned and bucked his hips harder, trying to drive him to his peak. “F-Fuyuhiko…! Mmh, gonna cum…!”

The blonde clung tighter to him, muscles clenching reflexively. “Fuck yeah! Do it, cum in me!” He arched again, a loud, keening moan tearing out of him.

Hajime's orgasm abruptly crashed over him and he slammed his hips forward, burying himself as deep as possible. His seed poured into Fuyuhiko's body and he moaned breathlessly against his temple.

Feeling the sudden flood of warmth inside him had Fuyuhiko gasping. “Oh, fuck!” He jerked himself faster, squeezing tight around Hajime's cock as he finally came, spilling onto his stomach.

The boys stayed curled around each other as they came down from their high. Hajime trailed soft, breathless kisses down Fuyuhiko's temple and cheek, capturing his lips tenderly. His partner hummed into the kiss, combing his clean hand through Hajime's hair.

When he pulled back, Hajime smiled down at the other boy. “You okay?”

Fuyuhiko let out a soft laugh. “Okay? Really? My ass just got destroyed.”

Hajime's eyebrows knitted. “Oh… was I too rough?”

The blonde snorted, pulling him closer. “Course not, dumbass. It was my f-first time,” he admitted, blushing slightly. “Pretty sure I would be sore no matter what.”

Feeling a little better, Hajime connected their lips again. He wrapped his arms tightly around Fuyuhiko, holding him lovingly. He wasn't sure how long the volatile boy was going to let himself be held, but he was going to savor every second.

Outside, the blizzard was finally starting to pass, but neither of them noticed. They were more than happy to stay nestled in each other's warmth.

Lmao that was fun to write. I felt bad about posting a chapter with no smut, so boom, you get a prompt drabble. Like I said, I totally didn't proofread this, so I don't know if it sounds okay. I'm releasing it into the wild anyway.

[ask-sarah-and-co]

Now I'm wondering about toh one, 😭 absolutely feel free to share if you'd like!!

AJHJAHJAGJGJ I just saw that I didn’t link it! that’s mb- i fixed it lmao

also link here bc I can

now that gladion, silver, grimsley, and lucian are all revealed, here’s more abt them in this au!

I’ve worked out the story more since last post- silver plays vee’s role (and Gladion masha’s)

like I mentioned in the last post, silver is still Giovanni’s son and Giovanni is ghetsis (belos)’s right hand man. also swapping marshal out as construction head to giovanni. sorry to the marshal fans. Giovanni is now playing the role of the plant lady who idk the name of (terra?? Is that it??)

silver is hiding at the school from Giovanni- until he’s found out and has to make a quick escape. he grabs a concealment stone and stumbles into some kind of portal. he disguises himself as Sarah and lives w her family.

this all takes place in the background tho- like he disappears and no one really notices.

gladion is basically the same as on this blog. As Sarah’s cousin, the closest to her out of all of them, he instantly notices that she’s acting odd. eventually he finds out abt silver/witches and promises to keep it all a secret.

lusamine is def more evil than in my canon. she eavesdrops on one of silver and Gladion’s conversations and decides to help Ghetsis via the portal silver used.

ghetsis turns on her late season 3 and kidnaps mohn, which makes her turn back to the good side.

grimsley suffers from an eda-ish werewolf curse. he turns into a liepard okay. Instead of being kinda random, like eda’s, I think his triggers every night. potions keep it at bay, you know the deal.

he gets potions from a “mysterious benefactor” who he doesn’t know the name of. he just takes them just bc why not? They’re free!

sarah meets Lucian when Grimsley runs out of potion and she has to lock him in a room. she checks the box the latest shipment came in, and there’s a note on the bottom of it. (There’s always been a note at the bottom- he just never checked it). It says that in case he runs out, come to this specific location and is signed “L”

Sarah goes there (it’s a stall at the night market) and it’s Lucian!

their conversations a little jumbled, but it’s smth like

“Aren’t you the oracle coven leader?!” ”Yes.” “Well, why are you helping Grimsley anonymously then?!? He’s a criminal!” “Well, he is technically my husband-” “WHAT?!” “-and I know that he’s suffering, so I want to help him.”

He gives her more potion, but she insists (and I mean insists) that he comes back w her, which he does.

Grimsley is all better after the potion and they explain to her their situation.

They were married happily when Lucian became the oracle coven head. Soon, grimsley became a known criminal for getting caught practicing wild magic, and some other things (*cough* gambling *cough*). It got so bad that they divorced- in name only- and haven’t seen each other to keep them both safe.

lucian also explains that his stall is in the night market bc he’s been illegally brewing potions (mixing magic)

And that’s all I’ve got. hope you enjoyed lol

[writerartistdreamer]

@whumptober @whumptober-archive

Title: Pesky Little Creature

Hello! I decided to write something a bit more light and funny today, after the fics about those two being in captivity or going through stuff. Just a light, fluffy, funny fic of these two adorable beings dealing with a rat in the Dark Castle, to get a few giggles out of you. I've been so busy with uni lately, but I am somehow staying afloat. You can also find this fic on AO3! Enjoy!

Posting day: 11

Prompt day 11: Animal Trap

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Characters: Belle, Rumplestiltskin, rat

Summary: While Belle and Rumplestiltskin are having a conversation in the comfort of the Great Hall, a new little visitor decides to make its appearance- a rat. Tiny bit of chaos ensues

"Rumplestiltskin, what in the hell is that sound?", Belle asked all of a sudden while they were conversing in the Great Hall. A squeaking sound could indeed be heard in the room, yet it didn't seem to be anything of great importance. Still, the sound was coming closer and closer to their table and he noticed his little maid's eyes widen like saucers. A yelp left her lips and she climbed to the top of the mahogany table, frantically pointing to a spot relatively close to it. Another yelp left her lips as the creature moved, her face going pale. When the man's eyes found what terrified her so, giggles errupted from him, finding the situation rather ridiculous.

"A rat, dearie? Is that what makes your bravery waver so?", Rumplestiltskin asked with a playful smirk, arms crossed in front of his chest as he gazed up at her. She remained standing on the table, all the while trying to keep her distance from said rat, biting her lip. The rat moved to stand by the sorcerer's feet for a moment and he instantly stepped back, disgusted sneer on his face. The maid let a laugh as she witnessed everything from the table, noticing the irony of the situation.

"Is that disgust I see, Rumplestiltskin? I thought this to be a silly fear to have" Belle pointed out the irony, smirking victoriously down at him. She would have come down to point it right out to him had she not been so very scared of the grey creature below.

"Yes, well...not the most hygienic beings out there. I can't say they are very pleasing to the eyes, or the rest of the senses, dearie" Rumplestiltskin replied, clearly defeated both by her and by the rat near his feet. As he waved his hand, a rat trap made itself known, ready to take it down and give them some peace. The man came to sit down on the table as he awaited to see if it would take the bait, a piece of cheese, and would be caught in the trap. He silently patted the place next to her and Belle came to sit right next to him, crossing her legs as she didn't want them touching the floor, for fear of the rat somehow reaching her feet and climbing atop them.

So they waited next to one another, watching intently to see it finally get captured. Rumplestiltskin wanted to poof him away, but Belle insisted there was no need to use magic for small tasks that can be accomplished normally, so the compromise was poofing a trap. He noticed her biting her nails anxiously and offered her a cup of tea, refilling it with the brew she had brought out earlier. She accepted it, thanking him, and took a few sips as she waited for the rat to get caught. The two heard the sound of the trap closing in and looked over at one another, before the sorcerer climbed off the table to check if the trap had done its job. Somehow, the cheese was gone, the trap was closed, yet the rat was nowhere to be found. "No luck, dearie"

Belle sighed and remained seated, drinking the cup of tea in one go before pouring herself yet another one. The man smirked and poofed a tiny cage with a slab of cheese awaiting in the middle, then sat back down next to her. "What is a tiny cage going to do? The rat wasn't tricked by your trap initially", she reprimanded with a sigh and let her head lean on his shoulder.

"Well, dearie, any type of movement will be triggering that door right close. The slab of cheese is in the middle, which means the rat will have to walk right in if he wants to get it", he replied victoriously. For a moment, when he felt her touch, he froze solid, his eyes widening, before slowly but surely relaxing and allowing one of his arms to wrap around her middle and hold her by his side comfortably. As they sat together, relaxing in each other's presence, they heard the door of the tiny cage close.

She instantly shot up, looking at him with a hopeful smile before he moved his arm away from her. Rumplestiltskin slowly but surely stepped away from the table and in the direction of the cage and noticed the tailed little creature trapped between the bars, door closed successfuly. He picked the tiny cage up with a victorious smile and showed it to Belle, who let our a sigh of relief. "Finally!", she exclaimed happily.

"Pesky little creature", he spoke impishly, before heading towards the gates of the castle. The gates opened and Rumplestiltskin walked farther away from the steps, then crouched down and opened the cage to let the rat get out and run away from their home to never bother them again. He came back inside, closing the gates behind him with a flick of the wrist, and sat back down next to his little maid, who once again leaned her head against his shoulder, a small comfort she had taken to lately. His arm once again wrapped around her middle and so they rested on the table, able to return to their conversation.

"So, that realm you were telling me about..." Belle reminded him with a small smile and allowed his voice to carry her back to their content little world of stories and conversation.

[marauderslupins]

Grow old with me

Remus Lupin x Muggle!Reader

w/c 1140

{ After meeting Remus’ parents you realise how badly you want to be in love with the man for the rest of your life just like they are. Lucky for you he’d just as sold on the idea of growing old with you. }

. ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎

Remus Lupin never had a strict preference when it came to who he wished to fall in love with one day. He wasn’t one of those people that insisted he would only date a witch, that was aided by the fact he grew up around muggles for most of his life, and he was glad in the long run because he fell in love with the most charming muggle he’d ever met. He just knew you were the one right from the beginning, it didn’t matter how young you both were.

Magic was still fairly new to you. There was the obvious law against exposing magic to muggles, at least until a wizard married said muggle, but Remus had wanted to be completely honest with you from the get-go. You were shocked at first, didn’t believe him, but as he showed you more and more spells, even his wand, you slowly started to believe him. 

You didn’t exactly understand for a while, it was hard to wrap your head around that magic was real and not some made up fantasy thing in children’s stories, but it got easier with time. Plus it helped the more he introduced you to others, whether that was other ‘muggles’ as he called them, who too had been thrust into the Wizarding world, or his friends who were also wizards who were really friendly. 

The most help actually came from his parents. They had been just like you, a wizard who had fallen in love with a muggle and their lives had changed forever. Meeting his parents for the first time had gone smoothly. His mother told you all about how she knew what it was like to be thrust into some magical world and that it certainly got easier, but even if it didn’t it was a hundred percent worth the difficulty to be with the man you loved. 

Your eyes drifted to Remus as his father spoke, unable to stop yourself from admiring him. He looked so pretty when he was concentrating, the sparkle in his eyes as his parents recited the story of how they met. The little creases in the corners of his eyes as he grinned so widely. His angelic laugh that echoed around the room. The way his hand mindlessly played with your fingers on the table, letting you know you were still lingering in the back of his mind even when he was distracted.

At some point he caught you staring, his cheeks tinting crimson with the knowledge you had got lost admiring him, and yours heating up knowing you’d been caught. You weren’t embarrassed by the fact, you were very openly in love with the man in front of you, but the look in his eye was enough to make you fall in love all over again. 

Neither of you saw the way Hope was looking at you, nudging her husband so he too could see as you shared a look that reminded them of themselves all those years ago. They may have only just met you, but it didn’t take a genius to tell you were completely smitten with each other. If their son was happy, and Merlin did he look it, then that was all that mattered to them.

The rest of dinner went by just as perfectly as the first part. You made small talk with his parents like you’d known them for years. Lyall even tried to impress you with his– as he called it, extensive muggle knowledge he got from marrying Hope. You and her just laughed through his poor attempts at explaining muggle technology, Remus shaking his head in slight embarrassment. But you had to admit it was charming, you understood where your lover got his personality from. 

Heading home that night you were in high spirits, arm locked in your boyfriend’s as he took you back to his flat via the floo network. You were positive you’d never get used to the sensation like he said you would, your stomach still churned each time you stepped into one of the fireplaces to go somewhere. But it was worth it considering you wouldn’t have to walk the long journey back in the cold, dark, evening.

You asked the question you’d been dreading once you were changed into comfier clothes and shuffling your way around Remus’ bedroom to get ready for bed. “Do you think they liked me?” 

His eyes almost bulged out of his head, a scoff tearing from his throat out of pure disbelief. “Y/N, they might love you more than I do already.” He was being nothing but truthful. He was unsure if he’d ever seen his parents as happy to meet someone in their son’s life, or if anyone he’d brought home had ever made such a good impression. The first time he’d brought James and Sirius home from Hogwarts one summer, they’d accidentally broken one of Hope’s vases when a spell backfired. Safe to say first impressions hadn’t gone well. 

You turned your head away from him in order to hide your grin. You were beaming and your face was as warm as your heart in the moment. You were glad you’d been able to make such a good impression on the most important people in his life. It also helped that Hope made you feel so comfortable being in the same boat as you as a muggle. Plus Lyall didn’t have a negative word to say about muggles, unlike many wizards Remus had encountered in his life. 

“I really like them too. You never told me your parents were such sweethearts.” 

The topic was left there until some time had passed. During which the two of you had gotten comfortable in bed, planning on going to sleep after some light conversation you made. But there was one thought that you just couldn’t let go off, it was keeping you awake due to the flutters it was causing in your gut. 

“Rem?” you whispered, not faulting in the shapes you traced on his chest. He was nearly asleep before he heard your voice, feeling so soothed by the atmosphere of love and calm energy in the room. He barely heard you at first, but then his mind caught up and he was humming in response before he even processed he was; it was just too easy to drift off when you were in his arms. 

“D’you think we’ll be like your parents?” you asked, a soft smile plastered on your face. His brows furrowed, not entirely understanding what you meant. “Will we still be in love if we stay together as long as them?”

He smiled down at you tiredly, brushing his lips against your forehead affectionately. “Oh yeah, want you to grow old with me, Y/N. You’re not getting away from me that easily.”

[drabbles-of-writing]

Can we get some raeda hc from any au please

I know you said an au but they are on my mind constantly so I'm just giving general hcs that could probably go with a few different aus. Who knows. I care them.

As we have seen, both of them are little bastards. Trickery, the two of them. Raine is sensible enough to know how insane an idea is but goes through with it anyway. They have impulse control but only barely, and Eda is their enabler. It keeps going in circles.

The difference is that Raine is v good at acting innocent and knowing when to cut their losses. They don't piss off teachers unless they know they won't be caught or have a backup to get off scott-free. Eda usually ended up taking the fall for a lot of failed schemes that Raine was involved in. Every single time, Raine offered to come clean bc they knew they'd get a reduced punishment. Every single time, Eda refused. She insisted it was bc they needed to have someone who could bail her out with needed and with a clean track record, and it was maybe half-true.

Eda was always more anti-government than Raine. They both hated Terra and Raine disagreed with the restricted use of magic, hell, they always knew Eda as a wild witch, and she was a loose canon, sure, but not evil. They ended up joining the Bard Coven more out of a desire to not live a life on the run when it was eventually found out they hadn't chosen one. They kind of always knew it was gonna wind up like that, and Eda figured it was going to happen at some point, too. Tried to make a bunch of plans for how their relationship was gonna work when Eda inevitably became an outlaw, including, but not limited too: house with a secret basement, moving outside the cities, changing her name, & fake coven branding. Of course, she never used any of these plans, and scrapped them. Raine didn't know about them until they were clearing out their stuff.

Raine very much wanted Lilith to like them bc she's Eda's sister and Eda rlly liked her. Lilith wasn't jealous of Raine being close with Eda, but she was certainly a little off-kilter about it. Yes, she was spending less time with Eda to study as much as she could, but she was still used to Eda always being there, since nobody else wanted to talk to her. This mostly resulted in young Raine trying to start conversations before chickening out/growing too anxious to continue and Lilith mostly ignoring them before occasionally dropping a question like "did you actually switch schools to see Eda?" and "did you really try to attack a head witch w her?" of which Raine was never sure if they should answer with the honest pride they had or fake sheepishness. It mellowed out after a few years.

They were never exactly friends, but they were nerds, so Raine and Lilith mostly got along. Very awkward after the breakup, but they'd both elected to ignore that whole debacle when it became clear Raine was swiftly climbing ranks and would be seeing Lilith more often. They were neutral up until the huge fight Lilith and Eda had on the bridge, of which anyone who hadn't watched it heard about it twenty times from everyone else. Had Lilith not have fled during the petrification, Raine would have absolutely decked her.

Raine spent so long trying to teach Eda bard magic. Mostly because Eda could never decide what instrument she wanted and kept goofing off and making her own songs up that did not sound even mildly pleasant to the ear. They eventually settled on a mandolin and Raine was wholly dedicated to teaching her how to play. The Rhapsody wasn't the first original song Eda made up that sounded nice, but it was the one she was the most proud of.

Raine did so much research on King and Luz when they were in the clear for supposedly being brain-washed and could move around mildly unsupervised. They took everything with a grain of salt, because all they could really get was news outlets that mentioned the kids, but they did gather that one of them was a human, and the other was a demon that probably hadn't even reached double-digits. Eberwolf and Darius bullied them for being an emotional mess over the whole thing bc Eda has kids and she very clearly loves them and Raine almost let her die with them. Casually avoiding having to think abt almost leaving the BATTs on their own with their little stunt. We have already learned that Raine is not immune to doing the same things Eda did but with a different hue.

Obligatory 'Raine finds Eda's harpy form hot' here. As if anyone who could see thought otherwise. Absolute disaster who swears they're good, they're fine, they can cool it for five seconds. They cannot. But they try.

Also, to add-on; do all the coven heads have those other forms or is it just Darius and Eberwolf? I hope it's all of them. Raine deserves their own transformation form. Dana can you hear me. Apollo if you had any reason to gift me another prophecy-

[mc-lukanette]

Now that Wishmaker is out, how would you rewrite that chaos? The Lukanette need is strong.

"Did anyone else see me?" Marinette asked, her hands shaking as she put on the mask she'd made with her newly-given knitting powers. They were sitting down in a shadowed alley, free from anyone's curious eyes.

"No," Viperion replied, his voice breathless from the revelations he was having rather than the fly to their hiding spot. "Just...just me." He glanced down at his wrist, noting the unticked snake bangle. "...I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Marinette's gaze darted over to him, then to his miraculous. A flicker of understanding passed over her expression as she whispered a small, "Oh."

Guilt tore up his stomach, even knowing deep down that it wasn't his fault - the akuma had surprised them, giving no time for him to use his power - but he'd been brought in to use Second Chance in the first place, and yet...

Marinette's hand fell upon his wrist, making him look up. She smiled at him, her eyes reassuring.

"It's okay," she said, though her voice wavered. "It was only you who saw my face, and even if you'd used Second Chance, you'd still know anyway."

He could tell that she was still processing, but let the subject go for now and smiled back. There were more important matters to attend to.

They must've been on the same wavelength too, as Marinette pulled away and sighed, thinking aloud, "I have to figure a way to be Ladybug again. The akuma could just be destroyed, but I need Miraculous Ladybug to turn everyone back to normal."

Viperion nodded, briefly giving her a once-over. Her power and wings were useful, but unfortunately didn't help them with the current situation.

It was also distractingly cute, and he couldn't fight that way.

"Wishmaker said that he wanted people to live out their childhood dream," he murmured in thought.

Marinette brought a hand to her face, pinching her cheek in contemplation. "Maybe...maybe if I live it out then, I'll change back?" She considered it a moment longer, then groaned and stood up, starting to pace around the small area they were in. "But we don't have that kind of time! Yeah, my earrings aren't here so Shadow Moth can't make a wish, and I could definitely make enough of a living with my new knitting powers, but that would take years, and—"

Suddenly, she stopped and looked over at him, catching Viperion briefly off-guard since he hadn't said anything. Her eyes scanned him up and down, mental gears turning in her head even if he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"...That's it!" she gasped, hurrying over to him. She knelt down, clasping his hand in both of hers as she rambled, "Maybe I just need to live out my dream to the fullest!"

He blinked in confusion, unsure of where she was going with this.

"Part of my dream was to eventually make a wedding dress and tuxedo for me and my future husband!" she exclaimed. "If I do that, I might turn back into Ladybug!"

"Ah—" He shut his mouth before anything else could come out. He couldn't deny that it was a solid plan, but he wanted to tread carefully given his feelings, not wanting to make her feel awkward. "That's a great idea." He tried to grin reassuringly, though it came off a little crooked. "Should I go find Adrien?"

"What?" She shook her head. "No, it has to be you!"

He gaped, his heart doing confused flips in his chest. "Why?"

"The guy I always dreamed of marrying when I was little," she began, eyes practically sparkling, "he was exactly like you!"

— — — — —

Marinette hadn't exactly caught onto what she'd said until it already left her mouth, but the way Viperion's face turned red had definitely given it away. Things had gone quiet after the fact, with him sitting a couple meters away while she knitted away at the tuxedo; the tuxedo for him.

She found herself blushing faintly at the thought and immediately forced it down, reminding herself that she didn't love Luka, but Adrien. They were made for each other, like everyone said, and she—

She closed her eyes and took in a steady breath, knowing that she was getting off track. Things were complicated enough with all her thoughts and fears about the future, especially now that Viperion knew her identity.

Though, strangely enough, she didn't feel as nervous about it as she thought she would've.

Her gaze darted over to Viperion, who was keeping lookout and patiently waiting for her to finish with her knitting. He thankfully didn't seem closed off from her at all, and it just served as a reminder as to how mature he was.

Without thinking, she found herself speaking up. "M...my parents..."

He looked over at her, his senses still apparently tuned for her despite his keeping watch. She averted her gaze to the knitting needles working their literal magic into the tuxedo.

"We saw a lot of movies where the girl gets the prince in the end, so they made sure to teach me that love wasn't about money or power or fame or anything like that." She bit her bottom lip, Adrien briefly flashing to mind. "So, I imagined me as the knitting fairy, and I'd make clothes for the whole world until I found him." She peeked up at him. "Someone who wouldn't laugh when I fell on my face. Someone who'd be there for me and think of me first. Someone who wouldn't scold me for everything I did or make me feel bad for it. Someone who'd see more than just clumsy, nervous Marinette."

As much as it hurt to admit, the description didn't fit Adrien. Unless they found each other by coincidence - something that actually happened today, oddly enough - he didn't go out of his way to spend time with her; it was her putting in the effort.

"And..." She trailed off momentarily, lost in her thoughts. "after we fell in love, I'd give up my powers and live happily ever after with him, because we didn't need powers to be happy and it wasn't my powers he fell in love with in the first place."

She'd finished the tuxedo at that point, courtesy of her knitting powers, but her hands dropped to her lap afterward, not making any further movements as her thoughts took over.

Out of the corner of her vision, she saw Viperion take a quick look outside the alley, then get up to move over to her. He sat next to her, picking up one of her hands and letting it rest in his palm.

"I think your dream is really beautiful," he told her gently.

She scoffed, blushing in embarrassment at what must've been fake praise. "Chat made fun of me wanting to be the knitting fairy."

"He was wrong," he retorted immediately. "Your dream might not be realistic, but that doesn't make it any less nice, and there's nothing wrong with dreaming of the perfect guy."

She met his gaze, the softness in them having not lessened even since their break-up, and found the strength to start working on the dress. Being with Luka - dating or otherwise - had always been so easy, excluding all the factors outside of just them being them. She could vaguely imagine her younger self clinging to Luka, claiming him as hers and insisting that he marry her when they grew up.

But things weren't that easy. Nothing was. Marinette had spent her whole life fighting for what she wanted, needing to prove herself to people in order to be accepted.

Fighting for years to smile against Chloe's bullying, because no one would do anything about it. Fighting to be acknowledged by her parents as someone who could do things and didn't need their protection. Fighting against herself to be the one who didn't make all the mistakes or have to be the one to apologize in the end.

After becoming Ladybug, her future became even cloudier and the fighting continued. Waking up in the morning was even harder thanks to late-night patrols, getting through tests seemed impossible due to having less time for studying, and even maintaining a romantic relationship carried the struggle of not being able to tell them her identity.

Marinette stared at the shimmering pink and white fabric beneath her fingertips, it shaping and forming to her will. The occasional sparkle or flash from a beam of sunlight that happened to shine through reminded her of the day at the TV station, where Luka had confessed and she could see only him for just a moment.

"I'm sorry."

Viperion hummed in confusion, raising a brow at her.

"I made everything complicated for you—us," she explained. "All the time, ever since we met. I even got you akumatized, twice."

"Twi—" He blinked rapidly, then leaned closer. His hand came in contact with her cheek as he directed her gaze back to him. "You mean Silencer? How was that your fault?"

"I challenged Bob Roth, and when he grabbed me, you got upset. It pushed you over to the edge."

"You were defending me and my music," he argued, a sternness in his tone that wasn't there before as he put his hand to his chest, "and my emotions are my own. I'm the one who gave into Hawk Moth, not you."

"But..." She sighed, conflicted. "Even later, I kept my identity from you when we were dating. I made us both miserable because of it. I was so upset that I ended up yelling at my friends and they all got akumatized, and then I went and gave my identity to Alya anyway."

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, though he quickly schooled his expression for reasons she didn't know. His gaze strayed momentarily before he looked back at her, asking, "Would you be upset at me for feeling happy for a moment, knowing that you were just as miserable as I was?"

"W-what?" She shook her head; if anything, knowing that he'd also been miserable made her happy as well, probably in the same way as it was for him. It meant that they both cared about it. "No! Not at all!"

"Then I don't blame you for your emotions either."

She pouted at him, but he merely smiled in response. She knew this wasn't a matter he was going to budge on, but it was difficult for her to understand when she was so commonly blamed for things. That was Luka though, she supposed, always forgiving and able to see through her faults.

She remembered her dream husband again and tried to act like her full focus was on the dress so as to not give her thoughts away. She'd only drawn the unnamed man once or twice, and it was just occurring to her that he had black hair and blue eyes as well. Having not understood the concept of kids looking like their parents in their own way at the time, the child version of her had thought it'd be "fair," because then their children would look like both of them no matter what. It was strange, just how much the "simple" version of her love ideals lined up with the boy sitting in front of her now, even with his temporarily green eyes.

Friendship had become something very precious to her ever since the day she'd gotten her miraculous, maybe even more than love itself. Despite the complications and their brief time dating, she was friends with Luka above all else. No matter what happened in regards to the romantic aspects of their relationship, their friendship remained unchanged, like they really would be friends even if they had the worst break-up in the history of Paris. It was comfortable, to the point where she felt embarrassed for ever avoiding him in the first place.

She was reminded yet again of another stark contrast with Adrien. She hadn't been scared of starting anything with Luka, yet Adrien was a constant cloud of dread above her head, the fear of being rejected or being made fun of holding her back from doing what she wanted.

If her child self could see her now, she'd be confused. Marinette could hear her now, asking why her love - or at least, what she believed to be love - caused her so much stress. That was never what she'd wanted; in fact, it had been the exact opposite. Crushing on Adrien had done nothing but humiliate her, the little girl inside her covering her eyes from the sight. Her time with Luka, on the other hand...

"It looks beautiful."

Marinette jerked her head up to see Viperion's approving gaze, then looked down to the wedding dress in her lap. It was finished, pink with flashes of white and blacks; exactly the kind of dress she would've wanted when she was younger, though obviously with an older touch.

"Thank you," she hurried to say when she realized that she hadn't responded to him. He chuckled in reply, though it was good-natured.

He reached for the tuxedo she'd set aside, but stopped halfway as if realizing something. He looked to her, then the dress, then back to her, asking carefully, "Do you want me to keep watch while we put these on?"

It took her a moment to realize what he meant; that he - wearing a bodysuit - could easily slip on the clothes over it, but she didn't have that sort of luxury due to her dress. She managed to summon enough of her inner Ladybug to focus on the importance of the task over the potential embarrassment, giving him an appreciative nod.

She trusted him not to look.

As she went to the darkest parts of the alley to change, Viperion heading in the opposite direction, her mind drifted back to the past again. The little journey there, even if it'd been unwilling on her part courtesy of the akuma, had been a nice change from constantly worrying over her future. As important as it was to focus on what she wanted to do and plan accordingly, the past was equally as important. It shaped her into who she was now and offered insight on herself that she couldn't have gotten otherwise.

"...Lu—I mean, Viperion?" she called just as she finished putting on the wedding dress.

"Yeah?"

She turned to face him, then giggled when noticing that he still had his back turned to her. "You can look now."

He hesitated, then slowly shifted to face her. He was mostly dressed, but was in the process of buttoning up the tuxedo, his hands fumbling with one of the buttons as he took her in.

She approached, gently brushing his hands aside as she started taking care of the few remaining buttons. Not wanting to delay talking to him like before, she figured now was the best time as any to say what was on her mind.

"I still don't know what I want for my future. I feel like a lot of doors are opening and closing every day, and whenever I want to try one, there just ends up being more doors, or it's already closed when I get there. There are too many possibilities and I keep being afraid that I'll trip on the one I really want to go to." Her gaze left the button she was holding so she could meet his eyes. "I just know that I really want you to be there for all of it... i-if that's what you want." Wanting to make sure instead of presuming like she tended to do, she asked cautiously, "Do you?"

His face didn't show a visible reaction, but she heard the slight sound of him swallowing, synced up with a single blink. Afterward, he absolutely beamed at her, the smile more blinding than the light being cast against his back.

"I do," he replied,

In time with his words, the final button was slipped into place. Marinette felt a warm sensation run through her body, starting from her feet and then making her shudder as it moved its way up to her head. Her body was turning white, just as before when Wishmaker first shot her, though Viperion's tuxedo had joined as well.

There was a flash between them, and she found herself back as normal, wingless Marinette when it faded.

Viperion, now lacking what she'd made for him, still looked just as happy to see her.

"I-I did it!" she gasped, genuinely surprised that it worked. "We did it!"

She threw her hands up in the air in celebration, but snapped back to reality as she remembered that she still needed to turn back into Ladybug and take care of Wishmaker. She opened her purse, easing as she saw Tikki already munching away on a macaron.

"Marinette?"

She looked back up at Viperion, noticing that he still had something to say. "Yes?"

"I might not be able to make enough sense of your inner music to tell you what you'll want, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. I know that whatever you decide to do is going to be as extraordinary as you are."

She stifled a squeak, blushing at the sudden compliment and thankful that Tikki was still chewing the last bits of the macaron. "A-ah, thank you. You too—with the extraordinary thing, not your inner music, because I can't hear that even though I'm sure it's really amazing!"

Had it been anyone else, she might've prayed for a hole to swallow her, but it was impossible to feel weird when he smiled at her the way he did.

Once Tikki had gotten her fill, Marinette transformed and they began to leave the alley together, though Ladybug stopped partway as she remembered something; something she'd done many times before and felt it time to get back to doing.

Viperion raised a brow at her sudden stopping, then stiffened when she leaned towards him and kissed his cheek. She flashed him a smile, noting silently that she missed these little exchanges between them, then leaped away to head back to where Wishmaker was likely to be. Viperion followed suit, but a split second behind his usual speed.

She was sure he'd be smiling back if she looked, but she didn't have to; they were connected, maybe not by some sort of magic thread or cosmic force, but by them and the relationship she hoped that they would continue to build in the future.

And whenever they got back to the fight, just in time to see Chat Noir allow himself to be hit by Wishmaker's attack, a few more doors would close and her future would start to look a little different than what she'd considered that morning.

Not necessarily in a bad way either.

[intheticklecloset]

The Great Academia Road Trip, Part 6 (My Hero Academia)

Primary Universe

Summary: When the Bakusquad discovers their snacks are missing from the poolside, they track down Kaminari, knowing he's the culprit. At first all they want is their snacks back, but soon they realize Denki needs a little more attention than they thought.

A/N: Changed this one up only slightly to accommodate the "no tickle torture" storyline I've set up for Kami, but I think it turned out really cute! I love that I've finally gotten to the "gentle tickles" thing with him; it's so much fun to write about him getting softly and lovingly wrecked by his friends. Enjoy! ^^

Word Count: 1,243

Part 1

~~~

The door to the room some of the boys were sharing banged open, startling Kaminari for a brief moment before he saw his friends and smirked. “Finally decided you’ve had enough of the pool?”

“Where are they?” Bakugou snapped. Behind him stood Sero, Mina, and Kirishima, who all wore similar masks of displeasure on their faces.

Denki turned back to his phone. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Cut the crap.” Sero folded his arms. “You were bugging us and bugging us to leave the pool for half an hour, and now when we decide to take a snack break all of our stuff has magically disappeared. You know exactly what we mean.”

The five of them had been enjoying some fun in the sun and in the pool for a while that afternoon, but gradually Kaminari had gotten bored and asked if they could call it a day. No one else seemed to want to, which was fine at first, but when time dragged on and the rest of them continued to play around in the water with no regard for him sitting on the sidelines waiting for them to finish up, he’d grown antsy.

Kami frowned slightly. Sure, he’d been bugging them to leave the pool for half an hour before taking all their snacks and bailing, hoping they’d get the hint and finally come back inside with him. But before that he’d been sitting waiting patiently for them for another half hour. Was it really so much to ask for them to compromise?

Now – with four faces frowning right back at him – he wondered if he’d done the right thing, trying to lure them inside after him by taking their snacks away. Perhaps he was being selfish, but he wasn’t going to turn back now.

“I don’t have your snacks.” It was partially true; he didn’t have them now, but he certainly had when he gathered them all up to bring them inside.

“Then where did they go?” Bakugou snapped again.

“Maybe they got bored waiting for you to stop playing in the pool and went inside.”

The atomic blonde looked like he wanted to strangle him, but Mina grabbed his arm to hold him back and said, “Denki.”

Kaminari sighed, slouching his shoulders in defeat. “Fine, fine. I just put them back where we got them in the first place.”

Bakugou turned and began to leave, but Mina spoke up again, stopping him in his tracks. “Were you really so upset that we wanted to stay outside?”

“I’m just bored! I want to hang out with you guys, but all you seem to want to do is play in the pool all day long. I can’t stay in the water as long as you can. Electricity and water don’t exactly mix, you know? And we’d already been out there for two hours…” Kami trailed off, sighing again. “Never mind. It was mean of me to take your snacks to try and get you to do what I wanted to do. I’m sorry. Go have your fun; I’ll find someone else to hang out with for a while.”

There was a brief silence, during which the four friends who were hovering in the doorway exchanged glances, seeming to come to an agreement of some kind.

“Hey, man, we’re sorry we ignored you out there,” Sero said at last, leading the others to where their friend sat on the floor. “I know you were hanging out for a while just watching us before you started asking to come inside.”

“We didn’t even think about your quirk being affected by the water,” Mina added. “We’re sorry, too.”

For the first time, Kirishima spoke up. “Hey, guys – why don’t we make it up to him by giving him a whole bunch of attention? He did sit out there for an hour waiting for us. The least we could do is show him a little love for being so patient.” The redhead wiggled his fingers teasingly.

Denki’s eyes widened as the other three raised their wiggling fingers at him as well. He scrambled back on instinct, then remembered their discussion about no tickle torture and managed, “W-Well, I…I guess…if you want to, but…”

Before he could finish, all four of them had descended, grabbing his lesser ticklish spots and scribbling lightly, gently wrestling him to the floor and pinning him down for easier access. Denki squealed with giggles, feeling his insides explode with a warmth he’d been trying so hard to gain for the last hour.

“Ehehehehehehehe! Guhuhuhuhuhuys!”

“Aww, are you happy now, Denki?” Mina teased, scraping her nails down his ribs. “All you wanted was a little attention, wasn’t it?”

“Plehehehehehehease!”

“We’re sorry we ignored you for so long,” Kiri said, poking and prodding along his belly. “But we’ll make up for it now with lots of gentle tickles, just for you!”

Denki blushed through his giggles, squirming happily in their tickly hold – until he felt someone squeeze his kneecaps, making him buck and let out a screech. “NONONO!!”

“Sorry,” Bakugou muttered, moving away from that spot and down to his feet instead. “Force of habit.”

For another couple of minutes Denki elatedly indulged in the light tickles his friends pampered him with, constantly smiling and giggling and having a great time. Then suddenly Sero’s eyes lit up and he smirked mischievously, pulling the blonde’s arms above his head and using his tape to bind them to the floor so he couldn’t bring them down, allowing the four of them to tickle unhindered.

“Wahahahahahait! Ehehehehahahahahaha! Sehehehehero!”

“You know, even if you bailed before the rest of us, all that swimming had to have bulked you up a little,” Kirishima teased, grabbing the hem of his shirt and pushing it up to his chest. Instantly there were nails and fingers tracing the outlines of his ribs and abs and waistline, making him toss his head back and explode with a fresh round of giggles. “Look at this! I think he’s got a six-pack forming!”

“Ooh, that would be cute~” Mina cooed, scratching just above his belly button. “I bet his abs would be just as ticklish as the rest of him.”

Bakugou remained silent on the matter, quietly taking off Denki’s socks to scribble at his bare feet. Kiri focused on his waistline while Sero and Mina tickled his ribs and sides and underarms. Denki – for his part – just lay there and laughed and jolted and squirmed, soaking in their attention and affection and teasing until he finally couldn’t handle any more.

“R-Rehehehehed,” he pleaded after several minutes of consistent tickling, the lighter tickles beginning to drive him crazy in the same way tickles to his knees would. “Plehehehease, rehehehed.”

All four of them stopped, helping him back into a sitting position after Sero cut him free from his tape. Once he’d caught his breath, Mina hugged him.

“Feeling better, Denki?” she asked.

“Yeah…thank you,” he replied, a little shyly. “I needed that.”

Kirishima nudged him. “Of course, man. We’re sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too. For stealing your snacks, I mean.”

Bakugou grunted. “You’re not sorry you made us leave the pool to come after your butt?”

Denki couldn’t help but smile. “Not really.”

Sero hugged him, too. “We’ll shower you with gentle tickles anytime you want, Denki. Just say the word.”

“What word?” Kami teased. “‘Tickle me?’”

“You want more? Well, if you insist…”

Denki suddenly found himself squealing all over again. “W-Wait, nohohohohohohohoho…!”

~~~

Part 7

[amazingmaeve]

Piano ↠ Percy Weasley

Percy Weasley Masterlist // Harry Potter Masterlist

Percy Weasley x Fem!Reader

“Is that my shirt”

“Can we cuddle?”

Request: Hello! Can you please do fluff for Percy Weasley with prompts 70 and 74? Thank you!

Requested By: Anonymous

Summary: Y/N and Percy have been dating since their 5th year and now years later Percy finally pops the big question.

Warnings: Fluff, suggestive content, mentions of Fred’s death

AN: Love Percy ❤️

Y/N LOVED PLAYING THE PIANO, it was one of her most favorite things to do when she was bored. She was bored most of the time.

It started when she was younger when she was a hyper child and Y/N’s mother suggested a hobby. Y/N thought she’d never find anything that suits her, even though she was 6 years old.

But she found a piano.

Y/N was immediately entranced and wanted to learn how to play one.

Her mother signed her up for classes and in a couple months she was getting the hang of it. And ever since then whenever she was bored, nervous or anxious she would play the piano.

And it stayed with her throughout Hogwarts.

Y/N would somehow get a piano to Hogwarts by using magic or finding one. And that’s how she met the love of her life.

Percy Weasley.

Y/N’s heard of Percy Weasley the Prefect for Gryffindor. She’s heard he’s taken house points off his own house even.

Even though in the same year the two never ran into each other. They never really had the chance since Percy was too busy keeping up his perfect boy imagine.

That change when he found Y/N playing a piano.

Percy was walking around making sure no body was awake with him being a Prefect meant he had to take house points off anyone who was out and about roaming the halls at night. But he stopped in his tracks when he heard a beautiful piano.

Percy found the source of the beautiful instrument and saw Y/N sitting there looking beautiful in his opinion. Her fingers softly softly pressing down on the keys and playing it smoothly.

When Y/N had noticed him she had a shocked expression on her face.

“Oh my god please don’t take house points off,” Y/N begged getting off the stool and running towards him standing across from him.

When Percy got a look at Y/N’s place he thought she was the most beautiful person in the world.

The way her hair looked so effortlessly enchanting. The way her Y/E/C looked so dazzling caught him off guard for a second.

He knew he had to take points off her house and he knew he’d regret it.

“I’m sorry but I have no choice,” Percy sighed and immediately felt bed when noticed Y/N’s somber expression. “But if I never saw you I wouldn’t be able to take off points,” He offered giving her a look.

Y/N’s expression changed to elated in a second getting what he was saying.

“Oh thank you so much,” Y/N leant up to kiss his cheek and ran off to her room leaving Percy there a blushing mess.

For the rest of the week Percy couldn’t get his mind off the girl. And he thought he’d never see the stunning girl ever again.

Well except that Snape paired them together for a project.

Ever since then it was like sparks flying for them. They would cast each other looks and pass notes in class.

When ever Y/N saw him her breath would hitch and when they talked Y/N would get all flustered and always stuttered. Percy although was harder to figure out. He liked her and he knew he couldn’t keep feeling like this so he talked to her after a month of knowing each other.

The next day they had a date planned.

They were boyfriend and girlfriend. Y/N stuck with him throughout everything when, he had the fight with his and felt immense guilt Y/N comforted him.

Same with her when Y/N got a job offer in America Percy offered to give up his job at the minestry for her. Y/N was flattered by it but didn’t end up taking the job for him she wanted him to be happy.

Everything was perfect. They had a flat and everything was okay in their relationship.

That was until the wizarding war when Percy had to reunite with his family while Y/N caught besides him.

Y/N was there for him when he found out his younger brother Fred died. It had taken a toll on everyone and especially Percy.

Percy treated him so bad and even though before his death Fred forgave him along with George. But that didn’t stop the guilt running through Percy.

Y/N would hold him in their bed at night when he woke up crying. She hugged him and comforted him back to sleep.

But now everything was getting better. Percy was getting along with his family better now, and so was Y/N. Y/N would often under up with Ginny and Hermione for lunch.

When Y/N got home from their lunch, she put on one of Percys work shirts and went to the piano and playing it to calm her nerves.

Y/N didn’t hear the door opened to entranced with her piano Percy got her for her birthday.

“Is that my shirt love,” Percy asked leaning against the wall looking at his girlfriend who jumped not hearing him enter the flat.

“My goodness Percy don’t scare me like that,” Y/N let out a breath calming her breathing.

“Sorry didn’t mean to scare you,” Percy walked and sat on the stool next to her. “You look better than it than me.”

“Such a charmer,” Y/N teased with a smirk.

“You know me love,” Percy teases back.

Y/N returns her hands back to the piano continuing the song she was playing. Percy watched as she got so concentrated and so happy to be doing it. He could watch her all day.

“What are you staring at me for,” Y/N questions putting her hands in her lap.

“Just love the way you play,” Percy puts his hand in hers.

“Can we cuddle?” Y/N asks out of no where looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

“Right here,” Percy muses.

“No you idiot in bed,” Y/N punches his shoulder lightly.

“Relax love no need to get violent, i was only teasing,” Percy puts his hand up in defense.

Y/N rolled her eyes grabbing his hand and leading him to their room. Percy leave to the bathroom to change into his lazy clothes.

When Percy came back to the room he saw Y/N laying there waiting for him to come back. He could see the goosebumps on her from the cold.

Percy jumped into bed pulling the blanket over the both of them. Y/N rests her head on his chest leaving a few kisses on his bare chest.

“What are we gonna do for the rest of the day love,” Percy asked playing with her fingers as Y/N started to kiss his neck.

“I dunno cuddle,” Y/N lets out a giggle at his groan. “Did you have something else in mind,” She asks straddling him.

“Maybe something,” Percy suggests putting his hands on her hips squeezing.

Y/N hummed returing to kissing his neck as he played with his shirt he was wearing.

“Uh I have a question for you,” Percy tried to not let out a moan at Y/N’s lips on his neck sucking and kissing.

Y/N hummed against his neck running her hands up and down his chest jesturing for him to continue.

“I want to look at you when I ask,” Percy could sense the annoying dripping from her body.

“Really you want to ask a question right now,” Y/N asks wrapping her hands around his neck and up to his hair playing with it. “I thought you’d rather do something else,” She purred as she leaned next to his ear.

“You know I want to do that but I just have one question,” Percy let’s out a groan at her sentence.

“Okay but make it quick,” Y/N insists.

“Marry me,” He blurts out.

“W-what,” Y/N asks flabbergasted.

“You heard me marry me,” Percy gives her a smirk.

“Do you even have a ring,” Y/N questions.

“Of course I do but it’s in my coat pocket but I don’t want to get out of bed,” Percy explains. “So whatcha say,”

Y/N thought about it for a second. They were happy in life so why the hell not.

“Yes I will marry you.”

[happyandticklish]

Feats of Strength

Notes: For the anon who requested a Hazbin Hotel fic where a wrestling match between Angel and Alastor results in playful, tickly fun. Here’s the finished result! :)

Summary: Angel is almost certain that he could beat Alastor in a test of true strength. Husk provides him a challenge to prove it.  

“Hey!”

Angel Dust squawked as shadowy tentacles reached out from behind him, firmly pulling him away from the bar where he had previously been flirting with Husk; the demon in question let out a sigh of relief at the action. “What’s the big idea, man? I was just trying to have a friendly conversation.”

Alastor gently deposited him on the ground, retracting his tentacles with a snap of his fingers. “Do please refrain from seducing our guests; it gives the hotel a bad reputation.”

“Husk is not a guest,” Angel complained, clambering to his feet. “He’s a bartender.”

“Nice distinction,” Husk replied dryly.

“Besides,” Angel continued, ignoring him. “You can’t just go around flinging people left and right with those freaky ghost arms of yours.”

“Oh I’m the one who has freaky arms?” Alastor inquired, arching a brow. He took a seat at the bar, gesturing for Husk to pass him a soda. He didn’t like to indulge in alcohol as he found it made people ‘sloppy’. “And quite frankly, I can do whatever I want with my ‘ghost arms’ as you call them. After all, there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Angel grumbled. “I bet you’re not so tough without your magic. There’s no way you could hold your own in a fight with just those scrawny arms to protect you.”

Alastor paused mid-sip, setting down his glass. “Is that a challenge?”

Angel, who wasn’t liking the other’s current tone but also wasn’t about to call chicken, tilted his chin up confidentially. “No, it’s a fact.”

Husk glanced between the two, debating the odds of breaking up whatever was about to go down. On one hand, he didn’t want to get caught up in the aftermath of a demon fight. But on the other, he was bored from sitting around in this stupid place all day and the current situation was bound to be entertaining.

“How about a bet?” he piped up, leaning against the counter. “A match, wrestling, between the two of you. That way we can settle who’s the strongest once and for all.”

Alastor’s eyes lit up at the prospect and Angel felt his stomach drop.

“Oh,” Husk added quickly, noticing the looks in both their eyes. “No powers, either. No fancy, hoity-toity bullshit; your physical strength has to speak for itself.”

“Worried our dear Angel won’t be able to handle it?” Alastor inquired mockingly, throwing the other a devastating leer that had his blood boiling. 

“I don’t know,” Angel growled, forcing a smug grin. “It sounds like you’re just afraid you can’t take me without any magic powers to hold you up.”

Alastor narrowed his eyes. “Alright. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Minutes later, Angel grunted as the radio demon’s weight bore down on him, nearly pinning him to the ground. Despite his slender frame, it was clear this wasn’t the first time he had done something like this. Angel had a certain limb advantage however, and swept a third arm under his legs, quickly flipping their positions so that he now towered over him. Two of his hands wrestled with Alastor’s in an attempt to apprehend them, while his other two worked on fending off Alastor’s legs which had already succeeded in kicking Angel in the stomach more times than he would have preferred.

Husk lit a cigarette, watching them with an amused gaze. He knew Alastor could fight, of course, but watching it in action was certainly something else. Angel was holding his own, despite this. The spider was quick and agile, dodging most of his attempts to grab hold of him. Their tussle had been going on for several minutes now, and he startled when a high-pitched voice besides him piped up, “What’s going on?”

He had been so wrapped up in the fight that he had failed to notice Nifty creeping up behind him. “A bet,” he explained as she climbed up on the counter for a better vantage point. “They want to see which of them is strongest.”

“Oh, Alastor’s got this in the bag,” she replied with breezy confidence. “It’ll be fun watching Angel get what’s coming to him, though.”

Husk snorted, forced to agree with her.

Meanwhile, Alastor had won their little battle of wills and freed one of his hands, which he now used to try to shove Angel off of him. “Just give up, my dear. It’ll be less embarrassing that way.”

“Ha!” Angel exclaimed, struggling to remain atop the writhing Alastor. “In your dreams! You’re going down old man.”

“Old—” Alastor’s offended confusion was frozen by a sudden squeak from Angel Dust. In the process of trying to get free, he had accidentally brushed against Angel’s ribs. Alastor’s eyes widened at the sound. “What was that?”

Spindly claws of panic crawled down Angel’s spine, the feeling only growing as he realized just how vulnerable he was, each of his hands occupied holding Alastor down. “Nothing, you startled me is all. Now c’mon, why don’t we finish this—no!”

Angel’s stomach jumped as Alastor reached up and started experimentally poking around the area. “Interesting. I never realized you were ticklish, Angel.”

“I-I’m nohot,” Angel insisted, biting back giggles as he attempted to somehow twist his body away from the other. “Y-Yohou’re behing r-ridihiculous!”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Alastor pointed out, scribbling claws over his stomach and grinning at the accompanying snort. “Why Angel, this is adorable! You should have told me about this sooner, think of all the fun we’ve been missing out on!”

“W-Whahat fuhuhun?” Angel Dust squawked, his grip growing weaker. “B-Behesides thihis i-ihisn’t fahair!”

“Of course it is—I’m not using my powers, are I? I do believe those were the only rules we set for the game.” Alastor reminded him. “Now, my dear, tell me—where else are you ticklish?”

“Nowhere, alright, so give it a rest—ack, w-wahahait!”

Angel burst into a round of cackly laughter as fingers crawled suddenly and deviously under his arms. That was the final straw. He squeaked, crumpling against him and bringing his arms down protectively, releasing Alastor in the process. 

“Tickling is against the rules,” Angel complained, rubbing away the phantom sensations. “Right Husk?”

Husk shrugged. “Eh, I’m cool with it.”

“What?” Angel exclaimed. “On what grounds?”

“The grounds that I decide what the rules are,” Husk replied coolly. “and also, you’re very cute when getting the shit tickled out of you.”

“You guys are dicks,” Angel muttered, before pausing as he played the sentence back in his head. “Wait, you think I’m cute—pfft, no!”

Angel squeaked and rolled away from Alastor’s hands which had somehow snuck their way back under his arms. Alastor merely wiggled his fingers menacingly when the other shot him an accusatory glance. “The match isn’t over, yet.”

Angel swallowed nervously.

The next five minutes consisted of Alastor essentially chasing Angel Dust around the living space, the other demon a mess of nervous giggles and protests. Husk leaned his chin on one hand, smiling affectionately at the sight.

“Remember Angel, you’re never fully dressed without a smile~” Alastor reminded him, squeezing his knee and prompting an unearthly screech from the other. Angel managed to roll away from him once more, panting heavily from the chase.

“Alright, you know what?” Angel grinned, and the sight sent a strange chill down Alastor’s spine. “If that’s the way we’re gonna play this, so be it.”

He launched forward suddenly, sending them both tumbling to the floor. With his lower arms he secured Alastor’s wrists, pulling them far above his head. He wrapped his legs around Alastor’s as well, so now the overlord’s body was completely stretched out. Angel raised his remaining hands menacingly, a smirk overtaking his features.

“Angel, this is quite ridiculous,” Alastor protested, attempting to free himself. “Do you know who you’re dealing with here?”

“Of course I do,” Angel Dust scoffed. “Some cocky shit who needs to learn what happens when you mess with me. Tell me, Al, how long do you think I’ve been in this profession?”

“I—”

“Don’t answer that,” Angel interrupted, cutting off Alastor’s confused reply. “A long time. Long enough to meet all kinds of people, who are into allllll kinds of things.” He rested his hands under each of Alastor’s arms, drumming his fingers slowly against the fabric. “You don’t think I haven’t picked up on the different methods, the strategies, from those experiences?”

“I’m afraid I’m not understanding you, dear,” Alastor responded stiffly.

“Let me more clear, then.” Angel Dust dragged his nails in an excruciatingly slow manner up and around the edges of his armpits, and Alastor’s grin widened into something a tad more helpless. “Did you really think you could pick a fight with me and win?”

With a ferocious softness, Angel spidered nails into each of his armpits, a relentless pace that had Alastor instantly squirming. He bit his lips, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to resist the sensations. Across the bar, Husk stared mouth agape at the sight of the radio demon, the most feared overlord in all of the nine circles, desperately trying not to lose his composure from something as simple as tickling.

Truly, life was full of wonders.

“A-Angel!” Alastor stammered, forcing his words around the laughter that begged to escape. “I-I demand you s-stop thihis at once!”

“Or what?” Angel inquired. “You’ll break the rules of the bet and use your powers on me? Or are you gonna somehow break out of this all on your own?”

Alastor jerked on his arms once more, though the other’s hold held strong. “M-Maybe nohot n-now! B-Buhut after—grk—ahafterwords, I shall h-have my revehenge!”

The words were undoubtedly true and Angel shook off his temporary apprehensions. “So what? All the more reason to make my time with you now all the sweeter.”

He kneaded fingers into his ribs suddenly and Alastor let out a bark of laughter as his struggling increased drastically. “P-Pfft, ahahaha, Ahahahangel!”

“There it is!” Angel exclaimed triumphantly. “I knew I could get that cute laughter out of you one way or another.”

“C-Cuhuhuhute?” Alastor exclaimed indignantly, but Angel Dust’s sudden switch to vibrating his fingers in-between each rib had him cackling. “Nohohoho, ehehe, rehehehelease mehehehe!”

“Sure,” Angel agreed. “Just agree that I’m the strongest and you’re home free.”

“Y-Yohohou’re nohohot thehehe strohohongest!” Alastor protested, his fingers gripping into the back of Angel’s suit and tugging uselessly at it. “Yohohou’re cheheheating!”

“What?” Angel teased. “So you can dish it out, but you can’t take it?”

Angel moved his hands down, pinching a path down the demon’s sides. Each poke and prod prompted a jump from the other, a fact that Angel found endlessly amusing. When he finally reached his hips Alastor started really squirming, a round of giggles (giggles, of all things!) falling from his lips.

“Ihihihi cahahahan’t! Stahahahap ihihihit!”

“Do you give up?”

“Plehehehease!”

Angel Dust shrugged, as if to say the matter was taken out of his hands. Digging his thumbs into his hipbones turned out to be a wildly effective method, but it wasn’t until Angel started to edge his touch towards his stomach that Alastor really started fighting him.

“Wahahahait, wahahahait, yohohou dohohohon’t hahahave tohoho dohoho thihiHIHIHIS!”

Alastor all but screeched as nimble fingers danced upon his midsection, the soft touch driving him mad with sensation. “Ahahahahahahangel!”

“Hmm?”

“I hahahaHAHAHahahate yOHohohoHOHOu!”

“Duly noted. Feeling’s mutual, bub.”

Angel grinned fondly at the squirming, giggling radio demon, and found that he had to admit, the sight was sort of cute. He always had fun teasing Al, but turning him into the shrieking mess he was now was a power high and Angel was loving it.

“God you’re adorable,” he murmured before he could think through the words.

Alastor’s eyes widened, a violent blush overtaking his features. Evidently the comment had been the final straw, as he managed to grip Angel’s hips from his trapped position. Angel shrieked, instinctively shoving the other away from him which was all the help Alastor needed to more fully free himself. He stood up, dusting off his pants and clearing his throat.

“Well, I hardly think we can call that a wrestling match,” Alastor concluded at last, after the pink had receded some from his cheeks. “It was simply childish tussling. This proves nothing.”

“You’re just sore cause ya lost,” Angel pointed out, leaning back on his hands to smirk at the other.

“I did not ‘lose’,” Alastor informed him snippily. “Did you hear me give in, or tap out? I think we can call that a draw, at best.”

“A draw?” Angel exclaimed indignantly. “Bullshit! I totally won!”

“If by won, you mean cheated, then yes I suppose you did just that.”

“You cheated first!”

The night quickly dissolved into petty arguments similiar to that while Husk and Nifty watched on, highly entertained by the sight.

In the end, they never did find out who was the strongest.

[lorspolairepeluche]

word find game, vol. 4

smith tagged “everyone who sees this and is writing something” so here we go again

party

“She needs to rest,” Mama says, with a pointed emphasis on the last word. “Gara is with her; he knows how to take care of his wife. What she needs from us is to pick up where she left off as best we can so we can take the stress off her. If she saw you right now, she’d be worrying just as much as you. And you know her — when she’s worried, she insists on working.” “Right.” Cohr forces themself to breathe deeper. Breathe out for longer than you breathe in. Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for eight. LaRue taught them that as an exercise to combat stage fright before their first performance at a party when they were eight. After that performance, he’d smiled at them for the first time. “Right.”

run

“SHUT U—” Cohr chokes off into a gasp. They almost let it free. They stumble forward; Yena’s barely a green blur in their vision now as they pant, “Get — get out of the way. Get out — of the way.” “Oh, no, you don’t.” The green blur steps into their path. “You’re not getting out of it that easy.” “I said get out of the way.” Cohr forces their voice to stay steady, even as real acid rises in their throat from the effort of forcing down the blast that wants to level Yenica and everything else around them. “Please.” “No.” “Yena—” “You don’t get to run away this time, Koshka.” They shove blindly, and their hands make contact with her arm, her side, and push her bodily away from them. Yena’s shriek clashes with the noise of her crashing into a bookshelf and the books rattling, raining down around her. Cohr barely hears it. Before the thing inside them can fight its way out, Cohr flees.

jump

“I don’t do magic.” They’re firmer this time, and they hope it overrules the fact that they had to insist. “Do you?” In answer, he reaches hesitantly across the space between them and takes their hand. It’s a sudden surprise to them that the scrapes on their palms are still stinging. Nothing places his hand over the ball of theirs, where the skinning is worst, and closes his eyes. It feels like the water of the lake, cold and still soothing, like jumping into the harbor on the hottest day of summer. It flows from the skin of their hand all through their body, like every nerve is a rivulet of crystal clear rainwater, and pools in their other palm, the arm they hit on the corner of the cabin, even the exhaustion in their limbs. It stings like salt, but it soothes that soon, a gentle shh in something like Mama’s voice. When Nothing opens his eyes, the wounds are gone, and Cohr is surprised that their hair isn’t dripping like they were caught in a sudden thunderstorm. “Yes,” Nothing says quietly. “I do.”

fuck

He’s striding away, not looking back, shoulders stiff and straight. “I told you to go. You shouldn’t be here. I’m sorry.” “At least look at me when you say that!” He stops, and they’ve gotten through to him? No — no, he’s stopped before a tree and is raising the axe. “Back away if you don’t want to get hurt.” “Fuck you.” But they stop a ways away from him — months researching a forest means they’ve had more than their fair share of warnings from the foresters about staying clear of both axes and falling trees.

grunt

A soft groan comes from where Nothing’s face is half-buried in the pillow. He moves an arm to push himself up, despite Sanea’s little cry of caution, and he grunts his laborious way into a sitting position. “How long?” he asks. “An hour,” Sanea says, hand floating toward his bandages. “Maybe more.” “Thank you,” he tells her, taking her hand and setting it down on the bed in a quiet refusal. “Can you…let me talk to Cohr, please?”

hm. lotta hurty in this one. (no tags bc i am none braincell w left exhausted)

[bluesylveon2]

My My, I Could Never Let You Go

Summary: Sasha Zoe just wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. There is only one problem: she doesn't know who her dad is! Sasha invites 3 men in hopes of finding out which one is her father. What could possibly go wrong?

Pairings: Levi x Hange, Sasha x Niccolo, and other background relationships

Disclaimer: This is a Levihan Mamma Mia au. This fanfic is inspired by Mamma Mia which is directed by Phyllida Loyd, written by Catherine Johnson, and uses music from the pop group ABBA. Attack on Titan is a manga/anime series written by Hajime Isayama and published by Kondasha

Author’s Note: NOW EDITED! This chapter and maybe the next few will include character background. I know the movie doesn’t include that, but I am! This story will have some added/deleted scenes from the movie. I hope you like it though! Also, the characters are in their Season 4 looks. The 104 group will be 20-21. Niccolo is 23. The adults:

Hange, Nanaba, Rico, and Mike - 43 | Levi - 45 | Erwin - 46 | Moblit - 40 | Pieck - 37 | Porco - 35

Yes, the adults are mostly in their 40′s, but look young. Let’s just go with it

I will try to keep a weekly or week and a half update depending on school. 

Now let’s move to the chapter where we meet a happy and engaged Sasha! 😁

Need to catch up? Catch up here!

Ch 1: Honey, Honey

Kalokairi, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two passengers walk out of the docked ferry. Mikasa - the tall one with short jet black hair and dark brown eyes - was grabbing the rest of her stuff while her friend Historia - the shorter one with long blonde hair and blue eyes - searched for Sasha. It didn’t take Historia long to find her. Sasha wasn’t hard to find. Despite her wearing her brown hair in a ponytail and wearing casual clothes; she was running towards them at full speed. Sasha also held a small book with her. 

“OH MY GOSH! YOU ARE FINALLY HERE!!!!” Sasha screamed as she ran towards her friends on the dock. 

Mikasa Ackerman is half Japanese and half German. She originally lived in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany but moved to Kalokairi after her parent’s death when she was a teenager. Mikasa’s parents dreamed of visiting the island one day when Mikasa was older. She used to sit on her mother’s lap as she told her about the island's beauty. After Mikasa’s parents died, her great aunt on her mother’s side reached out to her from Japan and provided Mikasa enough money to move to Kalokairi. Mikasa’s great aunt was unable to take care of Mikasa because of her old age, so Mikasa chose to live in Kalokairi to fulfill her parent’s dream. The only downside was that Mikasa lived alone. Her home is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. It’s enough for a person, but Mikasa felt alone without her parents. It was where she met Eren Jaeger's family. Eren’s mom, Carla, often invited Mikasa to eat so she wouldn’t get lonely. Eren gave Mikasa a red scarf as she was leaving the Jaeger household. He claimed it was a gift, so she didn’t feel lonely. Mikasa, touched by the gift, started visiting the Jaeger family more, and she even met Eren’s freind, Armin. The Jaeger home became Mikasa’s second home, and Mikasa was not alone anymore. It changed after Historia moved the island. 

Historia Reiss came from Munich and ran to Kalokairi to get away from her family. She felt confined in her home when all she wanted was freedom. She had also learned the ugly truth behind her family name a week after moving in with her father, Rod Reiss. Her uncle, Uri, was the CEO of the Fritz company, a conglomerate in Germany with other branches across Europe. The company also did some shady business orchestrated by Rod, but it was hidden from the public. The only plus for Historia staying home was seeing sister, Freida, more often. 

The only downside of running away to another country was not knowing the language. Historia was walking around the island when she accidentally bumped into Mikasa. Mikasa noticed how lost Historia looked, so she invited her into her home. Historia spills her entire life story (including her real name) to Mikasa the moment Mikasa sat down in the chair in front of her to eat dinner. Historia was horrified after she finished her story. She just told her story to a stranger who is most likely going to kick her out. Historia flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find Mikasa looking down at her with a smile. Mikasa understands what it is like to be alone, so she invites Historia to stay in her home. The girls eventually lived together as roommates until they had to leave for their modeling careers. Mikasa and Historia have even walked in Milan Fashion Week. 

The home is still under Mikasa’s name (originally it was under her great aunt, but it went to Mikasa after her passing). The girls (and everyone in their friend group), use it when they stay on the island. The current inhabitants are Hanami and Mina since they were the first to arrive. Mikasa, Annie, Hitch, and Historia are the only girls from the group staying at the hotel. 

Historia also started going by her real name after an incident with the company. Rod went to prison and Freida became the new CEO. She and Freida keep in touch often via mail to make up for the lost time and update each other of their lives. Historia told Freida about her freinds, her new maternal figure (Hange), and her girlfriend, Ymir.

Sasha met Mikasa and Historia on the island in high school. Mikasa was with her friends, Eren and Armin when Sasha met her. They were often paired up for projects and events that their friendship happened naturally over time. Sasha met Historia when she gave her some bread after Sasha was caught eating in class. Mr. Shadis, their teacher, is really a strict man. He made Sasha run laps around the whole school as punishment. Sasha wouldn’t stop thanking Historia after that. 

“SASHA!!!!!!” Historia shoved her stuff towards Mikasa and began running towards Sasha. 

“MIKASAAAAA!!!! HISTORIA!!!!!!!!!” Sasha continued yelling before glomping Historia. Luckily Historia caught herself without falling into the water.

“And where is my hug?” Sasha heard behind Historia before looking up to see Mikasa smirking at her. Sasha opened one arm out to initiate a group hug.

Mikasa briefly put both her’s and Historia’s stuff down and joined in on the hug. 

“Ugh, it’s been so long! I missed you both so much!” Sasha complained dramatically as she let go of the girls. Mikasa and Historia grab their things and start heading towards the beach with Sasha. 

Sasha looked at the group and noticed someone was missing.

“Is Ymir not coming, Historia?” Sasha asked while tilting her head to the side.

“No,” Historia says sadly, thinking about her girlfriend as she looks down as she walks. “She has caught up with work lately and won’t be able to attend your wedding.” Historia looked up and smiled “She wanted me to tell you congrats on your engagement though.”

“Well we would have been here earlier, but someone” Mikasa glared at Historia “insisted on being fashionably late” Mikasa grumbled. She gave air quotes on the words fashionably late with her free hand. 

“Well are we?” Historia giggled. She waved her hand innocently while ignoring Mikasa’s last statement 

“No” Sasha laughed “Aunt Nanaba and Aunt Rico will be here later on today, and Aunt Pieck will be here tomorrow.”

Aunt Pieck is Sasha’s only known family member from her mom’s side. 

(Sasha also heard about a grandmother, but her mom never talks about her)

According to Hange, Pieck is Hange’s younger cousin. Hange’s mom and Pieck’s mom are sisters, but they weren’t that close. Hange’s mom was more focused on her singing career, and Pieck’s mom wanted to focus on her daughter. As a result, Hange would often visit Pieck’s house in Santorini. Pieck would tell her stories about Kalokairi during one of Hange’s visits. Pieck’s stories of Kalokairi sparked Hange’s interest in the island. Pieck is currently a photographer who lives in Portugal after marrying Porco Galliard. She met Porco after a photoshoot in Spain. 

Porco is a veteran from Portugal. His brother, Marcel, is also a veteran and he was in the same unit as Porco. Both brothers began traveling around Europe after finishing their service before settling down. One day, the brothers were in Valencia, Spain after hearing of the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol. Porco met Pieck during the festival after she threw a squashed tomato straight at his face. Porco had to face her alone (Marcel was somewhere deep in the crowd) and decided to get back at her. It was a battle between speed (Porco) and stamina (Pieck, Porco had no idea how Pieck was not getting tired). According to Aunt Pieck, it was like the others in the crowd didn’t matter to them. It was her vs Porco. The two got to learn more about each other after the festival ended, and they exchanged numbers. 

Sasha has not seen her Aunt Pieck since her high school graduation. Her aunt had moved to left Greece after marrying Porco, so her visits were less frequent. Nevertheless, Sasha enjoyed looking at the postcard and photos her aunt sends every year. Seeing her aunt and uncle’s happy faces puts a smile on Sasha’s face. She wishes her mom had a similar experience. 

“I knew we should’ve waited longer,” Historia complained to Mikasa and threw her arms up for dramatic effect.

“Yeah me too,” Mikasa says sarcastically and rolls her eyes.

“Speaking of guests, are the other girls here already?” Historia asks Sasha and looks around the beach expecting the others to magically appear before them.

“The other girls are here,” Sasha replies “Mina is hanging out with Marco, Hitch is dragging Marlowe around the island, Annie is on a date with Armin, and Hanami is probably trying not to kill Jean. She has been here longer and is working together with Jean on the wedding”

Hanami is a sweet but oblivious girl they had all met in high school. She is known for making rash decisions, and it worried them. Jean usually reprimands her for being rash, and Hanami would fight back verbally. She and Jean used to not get along before, but their friendship has improved over the years. Nowadays, the both of them just like messing with one another. 

“Let’s hope that your wedding does not end in disaster,” Mikasa says with a hint of worry in her voice.

Their friend, Hanami Richter, is Sasha’s maid of honor. She was born in Greece after her parents moved from Cambridge. She is both Japanese and German like Mikasa, but looks more European. Hanami has short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes,  and wears glasses. She looks like she could be Sasha’s long lost sister. (The girls switched places once, but Hange figured out ‘Sasha’ was not Sasha. Luckily Hange didn’t get mad, but she was impressed).  Hanami is currently attending the University of Vienna to study International Business Administration. 

“Oh!” Historia exclaimed in an attempt to change the subject “Show us your ring!”

Sasha laughed before stopping their walk to extend her left hand. She showed Historia the beautiful ring on her ring finger. The ring consisted of a 2-carat diamond glistened from the sunlight. The ring was not too over the top. It was a white gold ring with a diamond placed in the center surrounded by smaller diamonds to form a halo. 

Historia let out a whistle “Niccolo did really well! Let me take a picture and send this to Ymir. She was expecting a big diamond”

Niccolo is a young chef with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. Niccolo dreams of working as an executive chef after traveling the world. However, no one appreciated his cooking despite working in a famous restaurant. Sasha met him when she and her girl friends went on a summer trip to Italy. During the trip, the group decided to eat dinner at a well-known restaurant in Rome. Everyone, especially Sasha, was enjoying their meal until Sasha started eating her lobster. The girls will never forget how Sasha couldn’t stop complimenting the lobster that she wanted to meet the chef who made it. Niccolo was shocked when his co-worker mentioned what was going on outside the kitchen. Someone was actually appreciating his cooking and he moved them to tears! Niccolo had no choice but to agree. He wanted to meet this person. Surprisingly to the girls, the restaurant let her meet the chef, but only after closing time. Sasha was in tears as she hugged Niccolo, and Niccolo was shocked to see how his food affected her. (Niccolo never told Sasha, but it was love at first sight for him). They met again months later when Jean invited Niccolo over to Kalokairi to surprise Sasha. Sasha and Niccolo eventually started dating, and Niccolo proposed to her after 2 years of dating.

As Historia took some pics on her phone, Mikasa remembered what Sasha mentioned in their group chat before they arrived.

“Sasha, what’s the big news you mentioned a few days ago?”

“Right!” Sasha exclaimed and covered her mouth with her unoccupied hand “I want you guys to guess before the big reveal.”

Historia was pocketing her phone and let Sasha drop her hand back to the side. Historia let out a gasp. She put one hand on Sasha’s shoulder and the other on her stomach. 

“You're pregnant?!?!?!” Historia yelled

“No no no! You're wrong Historia.” Sasha laughed and held up both of her hands in front of her body

(Historia was relieved. Mikasa considered Niccolo lucky because won’t be sporting a black eye on his wedding day. She didn’t say that out loud)

“So what is it then Sasha?” Mikasa after the girls started walking again.

“Weeeellllllll. I invited my dad to my wedding!” Sasha screams with glee

“What?!” “You finally found him” Mikasa and Historia shouted at the same time and looked at Sasha

“Not exactly,” Sasha replied before sitting down on a rock down the beach with the girls. Their spot at least gave them some privacy to talk.

Suddenly, Sasha’s happy expression turned serious. “You also cannot tell anyone what I'm about to say. You have to promise me that and do the salute to it too?” 

“Yes ma'am. We promise” Mikasa and Historia said before facing Sasha and doing their salute. They put both of their hands in a fist. They placed their right fist over their heart and their left fist behind their backs. It was the secret salute their friend group came up with in high school. Mikasa and Historia sat down on some rocks across from Sasha after they did the salute.

“You know what my mom says when I ask about my father. It was a summer romance, and he was gone before she realized she was pregnant with me. I would accept it and never ask more questions.”

Historia put a hand on Sasha’s shoulder and gave her an empathetic smile. She understood where Sasha is coming from. Historia didn’t know much about her family as a child since she grew up with only her mom. She met them after her first year in high school, but it was not a pleasant experience, and she would rather choose to forget it (except for Freida). 

Mikasa also gave Sasha a smile before motioning with her hand to continue.

Sasha smiled at both of her friends. “Well guess what Hanami and I found while looking through the attic for wedding decorations,” Sasha says before pulling out a leather journal. It was a brown journal that looked worn and had a leather strap to seal the book closed. 

“Is that-?” Mikasa asked

“No way-” Historia began

“Yes!” Sasha squealed “It is my mom’s old diary she kept while she was pregnant with me.”

Sasha set the diary on her lap and opened it to one of the bookmarked pages. She began to read a journal entry. 

July 17

What a night! Levi took me to a secluded beach here on the island. We danced on the beach. We kissed on the beach and-

“Dot dot dot,” Sasha said

“Dot dot dot?” Mikasa asked with a perplexed look on her face.

“What does that mean?” Historia asked Sasha confused

“Who knows?” Sasha replied with a shrug “It’s from the olden times. They had weird terminology back then. Now let me continue.”

Sasha stood up abruptly and walked off from Mikasa and Historia. The girls quickly grabbed their things as they stood up and followed Sasha.

Levi is such an amazing guy! Yeah, he may be short, is always scowling, has a funny way to drink tea, and tells poop jokes, but he is such a sweetheart. He never shows it to others, but only me. Me! I get dizzy looking at his charm and going on new adventures with him. Is he some sort of a love machine? He's practically everything I want in a guy! I really think he's the one.

“Your mom sounds like she’s really in love with this Levi guy.” Mikasa comments (she also starts questioning Hange’s tastes in men. A guy who scowls and tells poop jokes? That baffled Mikasa.)

“I think it’s cute,” Historia says with hearts in her eyes and turns to Sasha “Is Levi your father?” 

“Oh but wait” Sasha stops walking on a cliff that overlooks the sea. She gestures to Mikasa and Historia to sit down before continuing.

All this time Levi tells me he loves me, but I’m doubting that now. He’s been hiding things from me, and I found out about it this morning. He suddenly announced that he was engaged, and had to leave to get married. 

How dare he?! I was too blinded by anger to think rationally. I packed Levi’s stuff, dragged Levi out of my house, and threw his stuff (and Levi) to the nearest ferry while demanding him to leave. I didn’t want to see him again, and I didn’t want him to see how heartbroken I was. 

“Oh no. Poor Hange” Historia says sadly. Mikasa didn’t say anything, but she scowled instead. 

“The plot thickens,” Sasha says and continues reading

I texted Nanaba and Rico to do some snooping for me since the internet can be weak here on the island. I gave them the information I knew about Levi and let them do the rest. Rico managed to find some things about Levi.

How dare he? He lied to me this whole time about his last name, how he is the heir of Ackerman Bank, and possibly his love for me? No wonder he was acting mysterious when we first met. I just want to-

Sasha stops abruptly. She looked at the page again to be sure she was reading it right. The page had her mother’s writing, but there were some scribbles and small crinkles. Sasha knew right away that her mother must have cried while writing the entry.

“There are multiple tear marks and some scribbles here” Sasha comments with a solemn expression on her face.

Historia and Mikasa looked at Sasha with sorrow. It seemed as if her mom went through a lot before she was born.

There was a moment of silence until Historia spoke up in an attempt to lighten up the mood. 

“At least your mom didn’t damage the diary, or we wouldn’t have any clue who your father is. Remember that time Eren and Connie accidentally knocked over that old vase at the hotel?”

All 3 girls shivered at the memory

“Well, at least the journal didn’t meet your mom’s wrath. We got lucky there.” Mikasa says with a small smile on her face

“Yeah” Sasha laughed. It’s rare for her mom to get angry. She has only seen her mother really angry once, and it was after the incident. Luckily, her mom never got mad at her. She showered her with love and affection instead. 

Sasha turned the page to another bookmarked section and looked to her friends sitting nearby. Historia looked as if she was in deep thought. Her arm was propped up on her knee and she rested her head on her fist. 

“Something on your mind Historia?” Sasha asked

Historia perked up at Sasha’s question. She then glanced at Mikasa and then the journal. Historia looked at Sasha.

“You said Levi’s last name is Ackerman, right? What if Mikasa is related to him?”

Historia gasped and turned to Mikasa with a gleeful look on her face “You and Sasha could be related! Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“I would rather not be related to Mr. Poop Jokes. He hurt Hange and he sounds like an asshole.” Mikasa scoffed and dismissed the idea. It would be nice to be related to Sasha, but not through Levi. 

Meanwhile, Sasha laughed when Historia’s smile turned into a pout. She and Mikasa are really close friends. It would be nice to at least have one of her friends be blood-related to her.

“Wait until you hear this,” Sasha says before standing up and walking away from their spot on the beach. She started heading towards the stairs along a cliff while reading at the same time. Mikasa and Historia stood up and followed her. They don’t want to miss the rest of the story if they let Sasha walk away.

Both of them sweatdropped as they ran towards Sasha

“I don’t understand why she needs to walk off from us. I get that she needs to guide us to the hotel, but couldn’t we have heard the story all in one sitting?” Historia says to Mikasa

Mikasa shrugs before jogging (and dragging Historia behind her) to catch up to Sasha. Luckily Mikasa is still athletic from high school, so it didn't take her long to catch up. 

August 4

I met Erwin Smith - a tall man with blond hair, blue eyes, and the biggest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. He looks like the star of the latest superhero movie - out of the blue when I was walking around town. He looked lost, so I offered to show him around the island. He’s such a sweet and understanding guy. Although I’m still obsessed with Levi, one thing led to another and-

“Dot. Dot. Dot” Sasha says laughing

Mikasa and Historia gasped as the girls made it towards the entrance of Hange’s hotel (aka Sasha’s home)

August 11

Mike Zacharias - a tall man with blonde hair, light green eyes, and has a tendency to sniff people - took me to his yacht for our nightly yacht ride. We spent the night gazing at the stars and telling stories. 

The girls climbed up the steps towards the hotel. Once they made it to the top, Sasha stopped and turned around to face Mikasa and Historia before finishing up her story. 

Mike is so wild and such a funny guy. One thing led to another and-

“Dot! Dot! Dot!” Sasha and Historia squealed at the same time. Mikasa watched her friends excitement with a smile on her face

A door opens behind the girls. Hange Zoe comes in with her full glory wearing her signature white shirt with overalls while carrying a broom. She sets it off towards a nearby wall.

“Here come the bridesmaids” Hange sang with her arms open for a hug

“Hange!” Mikasa and Historia say with excitement and run to get a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Hange. Sasha quickly hides the diary behind her back. She is thankful that her mom was focused on her friends instead of her.

“Look at you! You’re both so beautiful and you need to start growing” Hange ruffled their hair and laughed

“You look like you’re having fun” Hange smiled and gave them the proud look only a mother would give towards her children

“I used to have fun” she added with some reminiscence in her voice. She thought of the 3 men who impacted her life as she turned around to pick up her broom. 

“Oh, we know.” Historia giggles before Mikasa discreetly elbowed her to tell her to shut up.

Hange looked at the girls suspiciously and Sasha smiled before motioning to her friends that they needed to go. Hange shrugged before going back to the door she came from, leaving Sasha and the others alone.

The girls let out a sigh of relief before heading to Sasha’s room. Hopefully, no one else runs into them or it would raise suspicion.

Sasha walked towards her bed and sat down once they made it to her room. Mikasa and Historia set their stuff off to the side and stood in front of Sasha.

“So, who is your dad? Levi, Erwin, or Mike?” Mikasa asked

“I don’t know!” Sasha exclaims 

“But which one did you invite?” Historia asked

Sasha didn’t answer and stayed silent. Historia and Mikasa picked up on her silence and immediately knew

“Oh. My. God.” they said while simultaneously stepping back and sitting down on a nearby chest

Sasha squealed as she stood up. A big smile grew on her face 

“Do they know?” Historia asked

“Well, would you write to a total stranger ‘Will you come to my wedding? You might be my father?’ No! They think mom sent the invites and no surprise with what’s in here-” 

Sasha picks up the diary from her bed

“They said yes!” Sasha squealed causing Historia and Mikasa to jump up with glee

The girls proceed to have an impromptu dance party in Sasha’s room to celebrate. They danced around for a bit but stopped after Sasha decided to head out to her balcony with her mom’s diary. Mikasa and Historia stayed behind and sat down on Sasha’s bed. They wanted to give her space to think about everything so far.

“I’ve heard so much about them, and I want to know more about them too,” Sasha says softly to herself. She glances down at the diary and smiles “Once I do, I can know how much they mean to me.”

Skiathos, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two taxis were heading to the Skiathos port. Both taxis were trying to reach the ferry before it left for Kalokairi. 

Erwin sat calm and composed with his business suit, but he was nervous on the inside. How would Hange react to his sudden appearance? What would she say? Is she still with the other man? He can feel the timer to the meeting counting down in his head. “If only the taxi went a bit faster,” Erwin thought to himself. 

Meanwhile, in another taxi, sat Levi. He was starting to get impatient. Levi cursed his luck before putting his pocket watch back in his shirt pocket. He would have been on Kalokairi a lot earlier if the 1 stop of the flight didn’t take too long. Levi leaned forward to tell the driver to speed up, but it seemed as if the ride to the port was too slow (in Levi’s opinion). 

As Levi sat back, he dug into the pocket of his slacks for a small blue pouch. He untied the knot and dumped whatever was inside the pouch onto his palm. A simple yellow gold ring with a diamond fell out. Levi bought that ring weeks after coming back from Kalokairi and settling his family drama. It was kind of a dumb purchase if Levi thought really hard into it. He broke Hange’s heart and she kicked him out. It’s simple, really. Hange would not say yes if he had returned to Kalokairi and proposed to her. 

Nevertheless, Levi thought yellow gold would look good on Hange’s skin because it reminded him of the yellow shirt she wore when they met. He only kept it because of the memories they had, and Levi will always treasure it. Levi puts the ring back in the pouch and pockets it. He doesn’t see himself opening it again if Hange decides to kick him out for a second time. 

Both taxis make it to the port, and both Levi and Erwin run towards the ferry only to see it leaving.

“Damn it!” Levi yells

“I agree,” Erwin calmly says next to him

Levi looks up to find a tall man with blond hair and the biggest eyebrows he had ever seen, He didn’t notice Erwin’s presence until he spoke. Levi looked at him. He internally prayed to himself that he would make it to the wedding on time and see Hange. 

“When is the next ferry leaving?” Levi asks Erwin. Levi didn’t know much Greek since Hange was the one who helped him before. He hoped the blonde stranger at least knew something

Erwin walks towards the nearest sign and reads it using basic Greek he learned years prior 

“Monday,” Erwin says dejectedly and Levi groans in frustration

“Hey!” they hear from the sea and turn their heads

They both see a tall, blond-haired man with a mustache and a beard waving to them from a yacht. There was another man with him who looked like he was doing last-minute preparations before sailing. 

“Are you heading to Kalokairi?” the man asks Levi and Erwin

“How did you know?” Levi yells. The man is a good distance away from him after all.

The man laughs “I could practically smell the desperation off of you”  Erwin’s face turns red from embarrassment. Levi scowled

“You can come with me. The name’s Mike Zacharias by the way. That man over there” He points to a guy with brown hair styled in a pompadour “That’s Gelgar. He’s been taking care of my yacht since I was away. He can help bring us to the island.”

“Sure,” Erwin spoke up. “My name is Erwin Smith. He then raised a hand and gestured to Levi 

“This is-”

“Levi Ackerman” Levi finishes for Erwin. Levi revealed his last name to them unlike when he first met Hange. Luckily both men didn’t make any connections between him and his family business.

Mike turned to Erwin “Well then, Erwin.” He turned to Levi “and Levi. You better hurry up and board the yacht soon. We are heading to Kalokairi once you are settled.” Mike said and walked off to check on everything with Gelgar

Levi sighed. He had no choice. He might as well go with Erwin and Mike since Mike is his only hope of reaching Kalokairi on time. 

Meanwhile, Erwin recognized Mike after many years. He had some physical differences but didn’t look much different overall. Erwin knew that Mike was the man Hange was with when he came back to see her. 

There is only one question that kept playing in Erwin’s head. Is Mike still with Hange?

©: This is where I insert all rights reserved stuff. This story belongs to me. Do not modify or republish

References used/Notes:

Obviously the salute used in the military

Sasha having the girls salute is a nod to OVA 2 where she makes Reiner do it

Some inspiration from both Mikasa and Historia’s backstories

Hanami is my OC from AOT 2 FB (I posted what she looks like on my Tumblr bluesylveon2)

I added more characters because I want Sasha to have more friends in her bridal party

Levi being the heir of Ackerman Bank is based on list I found of big businesses in Germany. Two were based in Frankfurt and were only banking, hence the name

But Levi owns a cafe in the Prologue? Will be explained later

Sasha and Niccolo’s first meeting is from the recent episode

I decided for Porco to be Portuguese because Porco means pig in Portugese

I’ve heard of La Tomatina and it looks like fun

I base the character nationalities on names/some reddit posts. I saw one where Pieck was Greek so I added that to her character

I picked Santorini because it’s a city I want to visit one day. Also Sootopolis (from Pokemon) is based off of there

Hange’s diary is the same journal as the one seen in AOT (Ilse’s notebook and AOT 2 FB)

The ‘Erwin from a superhero movie’ is because of Chris Evans

Hange is canonically the scariest when mad. I tried to portray this with Levi’s backstory and the vase incident 

I added the ring scene with Levi for future purpose

[crystalninjaphoenix]

First Journey

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Four

A JSE Fanfic

Another one :D Chase continues to get to know everyone, and soon goes on his first mission as an official Phantom. There’s a bit of a time skip in between that, but hey, I don’t think it would’ve been too interesting to hear about every single day Chase spends at Wyvernlair. Anyway, yeah. Don’t have much to say, so just read on and enjoy ^-^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

By the time the sun set and everyone started to head towards the cooking fires for dinner, Chase’s arms were aching from the effort of shooting a bow for hours. They felt less like part of him and more like useless things hanging from his shoulders. He was glad the day was over. The whole thing had been a lot to take in, and that training at the end had just made him exhausted physically as well as mentally.

Just like the previous night, Chase lingered around the edges of the cooking fires, instead of actually doing much mingling. It looked like almost all of the Phantoms were here, either getting food or doing the cooking themselves. Most had taken their masks off and had them in their hands or around their necks as they chattered in groups with each other. Chase, however, just waited for more people to clear up so he could feel comfortable getting food. He headed over towards the dragon leg bones that were in the area and sat down near the end, on one of the smaller bones that could serve as a bench. Some time passed, and more and more people arrived.

“Are you actually going to get something, or just sit and stare?”

Chase yelped, and twisted around to see Henrik standing behind him. “Oh. Hello.” He’d almost forgotten that Henrik had said he’d meet up with him at dinner. “How are you doing?”

“I am alright.” Henrik sat down next to him. “I would ask you the same, but I think I can tell everything by the expression on your face.”

“Do I look that bad?” Chase groaned.

“No, not bad. Just tired.” Henrik paused. “Am I right?”

“You’re right.” Chase rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m still...trying to understand everything. All this about medicine and magic and everything else. And having to prepare for combat, you know? I may be a hunter, but I’ve never fought a person. Unless you count getting into squabbles when I was a kid, and even then, it never came to blows.”

“Oh.” Henrik looked away. “Maybe I should not have insisted you do everything at once. I’m sorry. I thought it would help you to be part of the group, if you knew what you needed sooner, instead of later.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s not you,” Chase hurried to say. “It’s the whole situation. I just need time.”

“Right.” Henrik hesitated, looking like he wanted to say more. But then he shook his head a little, and said nothing.

“What? What is it?” Chase asked.

“Nevermind, if you are feeling overwhelmed, I do not want to add to it—”

“No, please, if there’s anything else, say it now. You’re right, I’d rather have everything laid out at once.”

Henrik sighed. “Well...you see, now that you are all caught up, we usually have you choose where you want to fit in. We have these—here.” His mask was hanging off his belt, and he reached down and picked it up. “You’ve noticed the symbols on the forehead by now, yes? That tells everyone what you do. It’s a helpful shortcut, since we all have different skills.”

“Ah.” Chase nods, recalling the different symbols he’d seen. There was the straight line with the curved lines wrapped around it, the circle with two dots, the X with two dots, and the card suits. “There are four, right?”

“Five, actually,” Henrik corrected. “You probably haven’t seen the fifth up close, ah...” He turned towards everyone else gathered around the cooking fires. “See, look, over there. It’s on Ana’s mask.” And he gestured towards a nearby redheaded woman, wearing a mask in the shape of a floppy-eared dog. The symbol on her forehead was a five-pointed star.

“Alright, five,” Chase nodded. “What do they mean?”

“The one I have here means medicine,” Henrik said, tapping his mask. “Or otherwise, support. We are also all birds so that we can be picked out easily in an emergency. Then the circle and cross are for combat, those are the types who go out on missions.”

“Why are there two?” Chase asked, raising an eyebrow.

Henrik shrugged. “Different skill sets. I’m not sure on the specifics, that is Jackie’s area of expertise. But circles are more direct, I believe. Like warriors. Then the star is for organization, things like records and messengers. And the card symbols mean you are a magic-wielder.”

“And why use the card suits for magic?” Chase pressed. “To my knowledge, card games aren’t magical.”

“Ah—well—w-we didn’t choose that particular symbol,” Henrik said, and then quickly moved on. “Of course, you do not have to choose now. We can put this on the shelf and you can think it over. Oh, but I should tell you now, you cannot have your own mask just yet, with your own chosen animal. You will have to use one of our extras until we get some plaster.”

“That’s fine. I don’t know what animal I’d want to be, anyway.” Chase fell silent for a minute, watching the others gathered around the fires. Someone had started playing an instrument, and the sound of strumming was soon joined in by a few people singing along. Many of them were clearly missing the notes, but they made up for that with the joy in their voices. “Yea, I’ll think about it.”

Henrik nodded, and said nothing, joining him in on watching the others. After a moment, he took a small flask out of a pouch on his belt and drank.

“That can’t hold that much ale,” Chase said. “You wouldn’t get anything out of that.”

At that remark, Henrik spluttered, and almost choked before managing to swallow the mouthful of liquid he’d just taken. “It’s not ale,” he said, voice a bit hoarse. “I-I do not—drink anything of that sort.”

“Oh. Sorry,” Chase said, embarrassed. “I was going to joke about having some, but, um, sounds like it’s...just water, then?”

“No, no.” Henrik capped the flask and put it back in the pouch. “Is medicine, actually. You would not want any.”

“Oh,” Chase repeated. He could tell that Henrik didn’t want the issue pressed any further. And who could blame him, really? Something like that was fairly personal. “Hmm...you know, I was thinking, and...I don’t actually know that much about you, do I?”

“I assure you, you know more than anyone here except Jackie,” Henrik said drily. “Most of the Phantoms know I am a doctor, but not that I travel.”

“I don’t just mean your occupation, I mean a lot more than that. Like, for example, how old are you? Do you have any family? Are you courting anyone? Things like that.”

Henrik started to smile a bit. “I am twenty-nine years old.”

“You’re a year younger than me?!” Chase gasped.

“Hey, I don’t look that old, do I?” Henrik nudged his shoulder.

“No, you don’t, really. I just...guess you seem it,” Chase said slowly. “You sound and act like you have a lot of experience.”

“Well, thank you,” Henrik said, flattered. “As for family, my parents still live in Alterde. I used to write to them, but not anymore.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Hmm.” Henrik pursed his lips. “It is a long story. What about your family?”

Chase shook his head. “Mam and Dad are gone, have been for years now. I don’t have any siblings. Stacia had a sister, but she went down into the flatlands to become a merchant. So, really, it’s only been me, Stacia, and the kids.” His heart was starting to sink the more he talked, so he quickly moved on. “Can’t help but notice you changed the subject just before you answered my last question.”

“Hmm? And what was that?” Henrik asked, clearly feigning ignorance.

“Ohhhh, I see.” A wide grin spread across Chase’s face. “So, you’re not actively courting anyone, but you’re pining. Is that it?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Henrik said, not looking him in the eye.

At that moment, someone approached the pair from the side, recognizable even from a distance because of that red cloak. “I’m missing some context, but I think I can figure out what’s going on here,” Jackie said. “Come on, Henrik, everyone knows. I thought Chase needed to be on page with everyone, riiiiight?”

“I—not like—this is—” Henrik stammered for a while, then tried to change the subject again. “What are you holding?”

“Well I saw you two being lonely out here on the edge, so I thought I’d bring you some food.” Jackie was awkwardly holding three plates, two in one hand and one in the other. “Here.” He set two of the plates down on the bone next to each of them. “I hope you like venison, Chase.”

Chase scoffed a bit. “You remember you’re talking to a hunter, right? I was raised on venison.” He picked up the nearby plate, noting the fork balanced on top of the meat. “Elders, you guys must have a lot of dishes.”

“Oh you have no idea,” Jackie muttered. “We rotate cooking and cleaning every week, so remember to check the chore notice by storage to see if it’s your turn to wash them all.”

“I’m already dreading it,” Chase assured him. “Also, I can’t help but notice Henrik still hasn’t answered my question about if he’s courting anyone.”

“Shush,” Henrik said, face slowly growing red.

Jackie chuckled. “Nothing official. He just happens to like a certain someone. But he’s not at this camp, so Schneep’s just been waiting, and I’m sure the moment they’re reunited he’s going to run right at him and profess all his feelings in a poetic—”

“Schwestern verdammit, Jackie!” Henrik threw his fork at Jackie, who just laughed and let it hit him. “Can you not do this?!”

Jackie couldn’t speak, he was too busy laughing. The best he could do was hand him his fork again.

“Well, then,” Chase muttered. “I guess that’s an answer.”

Henrik sighed. “Do not—tell anyone. I suppose everyone...knows already, but please don’t. I am not sure if he’ll...feel the same. And I want to be more sure before he finds out through rumors.”

“Alright, Henrik,” Chase said cheerfully, shrugging. “I understand. Besides, I don’t even know who you’re referring to, so I wouldn’t even know who to talk about.”

“...thank you.” Henrik let out a breath, and glared at Jackie.

“Aw, you love me,” Jackie grinned. He pushed his wolf mask off, and turned to Chase. “And if you’re going to ask me that question, the answer is no, I’m not courting anyone. Don’t have my eye on anyone either, but I don’t have a preference, so I’m sure I’ll find someone eventually. Maybe once things are less busy.”

“Good luck on that, then,” Chase nodded.

Jackie smiled wider. This was the first time Chase had seen him without the mask covering the upper half of his face. There was a small scar next to his right eye, short but straight, probably caused by a blade. And he looked...younger than Chase expected. Much like Henrik, he thought Jackie would be older than him, but he seemed to be the same age as him, if not younger. For a moment, Chase wondered how these two got mixed up in this whole rebellion situation. Were they affected by the King’s actions like he was? Or in some other way? Or something else he couldn’t come up with? And why were their masks the only ones that had color?

Before he could ask any of these questions, Henrik decided it was once again time to change the subject. “Ah, Chase, I have been meaning to ask you.” He cleared his throat. “Would you like to...learn how to read better?”

“Huh?” It took Chase a moment to return to the present. “Well, I guess. It would be helpful to know more. Why, do you want to teach me?”

“A-ah, I don’t know if I would be a good teacher,” Henrik mumbled.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you were pretty good at teaching me,” Jackie said. “And that was while you yourself were still learning the language!”

“You know most of that wasn’t me, it was—” Henrik suddenly stopped, glanced at Chase, and abruptly moved on. “There is more to teaching than just knowing the language.”

“I know, and you were pretty good at it.”

“I was going to say that we would find someone who would have more time on their hands, we are busy—”

“Not as much now that you’re not travelling anymore. Besides, I think it would work best with you two together, you already sort of know each other, and you’re getting along well. It’d just be complicated to shove Chase at someone new, he already met enough new people today.”

Henrik tried to argue further, but Jackie just looked at him, his expression a strange mix of pleading and stubbornness. So, Henrik just sighed, and turned to Chase. “Would you want me to teach you?”

After a moment, Chase nodded. “Yea. Jackie’s right, w-we already know each other, it’ll be easiest.”

Henrik looked up to the sky. “Alright, then. I will find some time, Sisters willing.”

“Great!” Jackie gave Henrik a quick one-armed hug. “Now you two should actually eat the food I brought you. It’ll get cold fast.” And with that, he disappeared back into the rest of the crowd.

Chase watched him go. “He’s...something, isn’t he?”

Henrik laughed quietly. “You are right.” Then he looked at Chase. “So, is that it, then?”

“Reading. Yea.” Chase paused. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Of course it is not. It’s my schedule that is the trouble.” Henrik shook his head. “Now, please. We should eat.”

They ate quietly, and afterwards, Chase went back to his tent. The moment he laid down, he was asleep, too tired to do anything else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time passed. Days, at first, and then weeks. Frost started to linger on the ground, and people started wearing two jackets or cloaks to block out the cold. Personally, Chase was content with his one jacket and hat. Maybe he was more used to the cold than the other members of the Masked Phantoms. Or maybe he was just too busy to feel the chill.

It took him a few more days than expected to decide where he’d fit in. Obviously, he didn’t have any magic, so he couldn’t help with any magic-related tasks. And after thinking about it, he didn’t really have the mind for medicine. There was just so much to remember, not just about medicine itself, but also how the body worked, and he’d have to look after so many people. Sure, he might know a bit about simple injuries and common illnesses, but just the extent to which Henrik and Nemet and all the other doctors had to remember and learn...he didn’t think he was cut out for it. It was a similar case for the more administrative tasks. He’d never been very organized. It didn’t seem like a good fit.

So, instead, he turned his attention to his skills. He was a hunter. So, on some level, combat made sense. It was also the one that involved the most action. Groups and individuals were frequently leaving and returning to camp, many of them wearing masks with the circles or crosses that indicated they were fighters. That was what Chase wanted to do. Direct action. But not too direct. He wasn’t a warrior, after all. And Henrik had described the circles as being like warriors...given the process of elimination, the result was obvious.

But he figured that out quickly. The reason he hesitated to commit to that particular branch of the Phantoms...was because of Lukas. Chase picked up that Lukas and Holly were in charge of the two combat-based branches, with Lukass leading the crosses and Holly leading the circles. And Lukas continued to show a deep mistrust of him that was honestly unnerving. He brought it up with Jackie and Henrik, but they each reassured him that Lukas would learn to get along with him. But...that didn’t seem to be happening. In fact, Chase felt like Lukas was going out of his way to keep an eye on him. Every time Chase went out to the combat fields, Lukas was there, insisting that he show off his bow skills. And sometimes, Chase even thought he could see the fox-masked man following him around camp. But that last part might just be paranoia and mistaken identity. After all, there were many different animal masks at Wyvernlair.

Eventually, Chase realized he might be taking too long to decide, so he gritted his teeth, and told Jackie about his choice the next time he saw him. Jackie was excited, as he usually seemed to be, and took him to storage to pick up one of the spare masks. There were three spares marked with the crosses: a wolf, a mouse, and a hedgehog. Chase didn’t want to choose the same wolf theme as Jackie, so he went for the hedgehog. Stacia had always thought those were cute.

Of course, it turned out that his anticipation of difficulties with Lukas...was entirely correct. He seemed a bit surprised to hear that Chase had decided to join the branch he was in charge of, but he quickly got over that feeling and doubled down on his obvious distrust. Every day, he’d meet Chase at the combat fields, and give him a target range to shoot at...over and over and over. And they got more difficult each day. He said he was trying to improve Chase’s mediocre shooting ability, but Chase got the impression he wanted him to fail.

On the bright side, once he got a mask of his own, even if it was only a spare, everyone else quickly accepted that he was part of the Phantoms. And once that happened, it was easy to get to know everyone. Nemet was already familiar with him, so she’d stop by every so often to check on him, and to insist that he keep his tent in order. Holly regularly intervened when Lukas started to go a bit too far in his ‘archery practice,’ and every so often, gave Chase short lessons in self-defense. Tripp, the sorcerer, kept popping out of nowhere to strike up a conversation about some random topic before disappearing. And of course, Jackie and Henrik were always around.

Somehow, the fact that Chase was getting to know all these people seemed to upset Lukas, making him even more suspicious.

Though, there was something strange that Chase was noticing. As he became familiar with other Phantoms, he got the distinct impression that...something was missing. He wasn’t sure how else to describe it. When he talked to people, they’d sometimes start to say something, then change the subject. How’d they manage to find these dragon bones? Who came up with the idea to make the masks animals? Are there quite a lot of magic-wielders in the group? Questions like that got glossed over, and soon, Chase began to realize there was an empty hole in the Phantoms that nobody wanted to talk about. An empty hole...where a person might fit.

This realization only made him more curious about whoever-this-was who was missing. But if nobody was giving him the answers to the small questions, he doubted they’d say anything if he just bluntly asked about this person. But the thought just wouldn’t go away. Maybe...he could ask Henrik? He seemed the most likely to give him some sort of answer. Perhaps he could bring it up during one of their reading lessons.

The lessons weren’t too bad, really. Chase already knew a fair amount, so they weren’t starting from scratch. He already knew how to put together sentences and could read most commonly-used words. But oftentimes the lessons were short, as Henrik got called away to do something or other really quickly. This meant that progress was still slow, even with Chase practicing on his own.

Where he struggled most was with the new words. He recognized every one so far from speech, but his mind couldn’t match up the spelling with the sounds. Mostly because they were, in his opinion, not spelled how they sounded at all.

In one lesson, he threw the chalk he was using away and exclaimed “Why do they combine the letters?! It would be so much easier to have one letter for every sound!”

“Oh, I do not disagree with you there,” Henrik said, standing up to retrieve the chalk. They’d taken to holding the lessons on the edge of camp, where the trees of the forest once again started to appear. The chalk had hit one of said trees, and Henrik found it quickly. He walked back to his spot next to Chase, sat on the ground next to him, and handed him the chalk

Chase grumbled and pressed the chalk hard into the board they were using. Copying the letters and words was easy, even if his handwriting was a bit crooked and looked like a ramshackle hut next to Henrik’s solidly built houses of letters. But recognizing the words? “Why don’t they change it so it makes more sense?”

Henrik shrugged. “Alphabets do not just change automatically. It is something that happens slowly, over time. From what I understand, the one that most nations use today is put together by combining symbols from many different places. Of course, many nations that are farther away use their own. And even some close by are stubborn to keep their own letters.”

“We should’ve kept our own letters,” Chase muttered.

“Hmm?” Henrik’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing. That doesn’t even make sense. I’m just frustrated.” Honestly, Chase wondered if Glasúil ever had its own alphabet. The single kingdom was once home to several different clans, each with their own customs. They probably each had an alphabet, and when the kingdom was united, decided it was too much trouble to pick one or combine them, so they brought in an alphabet from beyond the island.

“Ah, I see. Well, I think you’re doing very well.” Henrik looked up towards the sky. “But unfortunately, I will have to leave soon.”

“Aw.” Chase erased the words on the board with his jacket sleeve. “Tooooo bad.”

Henrik scoffed. “Well, remember you have to practice words with those combined letters—”

“Yea, I got it, Henrik. Ancient elders, you can be a stick in the ground sometimes.”

Despite Chase’s tone, Henrik smiled briefly. “Before I go, I have to tell you something. Or, well, I should ask first. Are you ready to go on your first mission?”

Chase perked up. In the weeks he’d spent here, he hadn’t gone on one mission to help the Phantoms. The timing was perfect; he was starting to get restless. “Of course. What is it? What do I have to do?”

“Nothing too risky, not for your first time. But recently, we heard that there were...unusual visitors in the surviving mountain villages. The ones more...downhill. Farther from the Greatwoods. It may be nothing, but we should go see. Since you are familiar with the mountains, it seemed a good idea to ask you go to along.”

“It’s a group?” That made sense. If they didn’t want too much risk on his first mission, there would be safety in numbers. “Who else is going?”

“Jackie—”

“Jackie’s going? He could’ve asked me himself.”

Henrik huffed. “He was going to tell you, but he got sidetracked by business, so he asked me to tell you, since I would be seeing you first. Elin is also going, she is a sorcerer. And Kenneth, who is a doctor.”

“Four people.” Chase nodded. “Maybe you should come, too, round it up to five for luck.”

“I am delighted that you’d want my company, but...well, must I really repeat my scheduling problems?” Henrik sighed. “Besides, if Jackie is gone, someone has to be here to make sure everything goes well. I assure you, Kenneth is a wonderful doctor.”

“I’m sure,” Chase nodded. Though he was a bit sad Henrik wouldn’t be coming, he knew it would’ve been difficult. At least Jackie would be there. “When are we leaving? Did Jackie tell you?”

“Two days from now,” Henrik said.

“Oh. That’s sooner than I expected,” Chase admitted.

“You have to account for travel time,” Henrik explained. “I understand the village is three days from here, if you go straight. Possibly four.” He once again glanced up at the sky, and stood up. “Alright, I really must go now. Remember to practice.”

“Yea, I hear you. Be seeing you.” Chase waved Henrik off as he headed back towards the main body of Wyvernlair, passing in between the distant—but still large even this far away—bones of the dragon, and disappearing from sight.

Two days, huh? Chase supposed that was enough time to prepare. Sighing, he stood up, grabbing the board and chalk. And maybe enough time to finally get a hang of some of these letter combinations. He might as well get started now. Once he left for this mission, it would be a few days before he’d see Henrik again for another lesson.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later, Chase met up with Jackie and the two others, and they set off before the morning frost started to melt. The journey itself wasn’t too exciting. Just a lot of traveling through the woods. The other two people on the mission, Elin and Kenneth—a pair of siblings wearing near-identical goat masks—weren’t very talkative, so Jackie filled most of the silence. The most surprising thing was the number of animals Chase was seeing. The area of the woods around his town had been so empty, even for late fall. But as they moved farther from camp, he saw all kinds of woodland creatures, even a few deer. That was strange.

Something that wasn’t strange, but took some getting used to, was that everyone was carrying weapons. Chase was used to having a bow on his back and a quiver by his side, but it was strange to look at his companions and see them armed as well. Elin had a pair of daggers dangling from her belt, while Kenneth had a single, broad-bladed sword that he carried on his back. Jackie had two swords, one on his back and one on his hip. Chase found that odd, but he was sure Jackie knew what he was doing. Jackie had insisted Chase carry a knife as well as he bow, just in case. So one of the swords must’ve been a spare, ‘just in case.’

But the journey passed surprisingly quickly, and the next thing Chase knew, three days had gone by, and Jackie was gathering the three of them to talk about their approach to the mountain village, called Skytown.

“Alright, we’re going to circle around so we’re approaching from the east, that way it’ll look like we just came from downhill instead of the forest. That won’t be unusual, I understand this village gets a lot of visitors from farther down. Everyone alright with that?”

Everyone nodded slowly. “We would blend in more as visitors if we had horses,” Elin muttered. The few times she’d spoken up on the journey had all been talking about horses.

“Damn it, Elin,” Kenneth sighed. “Do we have to talk about the unsuitable terrain again?”

“No, no, I was just pointing it out.” Elin paused. “But I still don’t understand why people bring horses up into the north mountains, but not here. They’re both mountains. And the Northavens are much rockier.”

“It’s not about rocks, it’s about sudden ups and downs and the steepness of the slope. People can climb, horses can’t.”

“Alright, you two, break it off,” Jackie said. “Chase, are you on board with us?”

Chase nodded. “Um...can I say something, though?”

“What?” Jackie asked.

“I think I should stay back. If you’re planning to pretend to be visitors from the flatlands, that is.”

“Hmm?” Jackie tilted his head. “Interesting. Why?”

“Well, something I’ve noticed is that all of you from the flatlands talk differently than me,” Chase said. “Not too much, but it’s noticeable. See, just the fact that I call the rest of the kingdom ‘the flatlands’ would give away that I’m actually from the mountains. So, if you’re going to pretend to be visitors, I should stay back, because I’d give it away.”

“You could just not talk,” Elin suggested.

Chase considered this. “I guess that could work...but it might be hard.”

“Let’s talk about it again when we’re out of the forest,” Jackie said. “C’mon, get moving everyone. We’re almost there.”

By now, the colorful autumn foliage of the trees had mostly fallen off, making a carpet of brown leaves on the forest floor and leaving the branches above bare in many places. And Chase had noticed that the trees were starting to spread out, less close together like they were deeper in the forest. Jackie was right; they were almost to the edge of the forest. Though the area itself was unfamiliar to Chase, it felt similar to home.

While looking around these surroundings, he saw something move. He almost missed it, on the very edge of his vision. Chase stopped, turning to look. Was that...a deer?

“Chase! Keep up!” Jackie called.

“Sorry!” Chase looked away for a moment, hurrying to catch up with the others. When he glanced back, the deer-shaped thing was gone.

Soon, the trees thinned out, and the four of them stood on the edge of the forest, overlooking the mountain village Skytown. It was quite a bit bigger than the Hilltown Chase called home. All the buildings were solid stone, large enough for at least four rooms, with thatched roofs that hadn’t been present back in Hilltown. People still bustled about, but their clothes were a bit nicer, with less patches. Was this because Skytown was downhill, closer to the rest of the kingdom?

“Nothing looks strange from up here,” Kenneth said, shielding his eyes against the sun. “What would these unusual people look like?”

“The reports said they were dressed nicely, almost nobly,” Jackie said. “And there was at least one of them wearing the royal crest.”

Elin raised an eyebrow. “I see.”

“Alright. Chase.” Jackie turned to look at him. “Do you still want to stay behind?”

“Um...” Chase hesitated. Stalling for time, he once again looked around the forested surroundings. Back home, the trees almost curved around Hilltown, leaving only one side that was open. Here, it was the opposite. Most of the area around Skytown was open, covered in grass and rocks, and the forest was only to the west. It felt a bit strange, seeing all that wide, clear space.

Idly, Chase looked over his shoulder. And froze. There was a deer there. Some ways away, blending in with the brown forest, mostly hidden by the trunks of the trees. But its antlers...they drew his eyes. Gilded. Golden. And from there, he noticed that the deer was looking right at him.

His heart stopped.

“Chase? Is everything okay?” Jackie asked, concerned.

“Y-yes.” Chase turned back around. “I...think I’ll stay back here. I’ll be the cavalry. If something happens, just send me a sign, I’ll come running.”

“Are you sure?” Jackie asked. “You don’t want to get closer, at least?”

“No, this is the only place nearby with cover,” Chase insisted.

Jackie looked unsure, but he nodded. “Alright. We’ll send you a sign, somehow.”

“I could do that,” Elin said, wiggling her fingers.

“We won’t be long, though. Be on the lookout.” Jackie turned to the others. “Alright, masks off and hidden. We want to look normal. If there’s an emergency, put them on first before anything else.” The other two nodded, and he looked back at Chase. “We’ll be back soon.”

Chase nodded, taking a step back into the forest. “Good luck.”

He watched as they hid their masks behind their cloaks, then headed out, circling around the village, eventually shrinking into the distance. The moment they were gone, he turned back around.

The deer was still there.

In fact, it was closer.

What was he supposed to do? “Is this...is this because I almost shot you that night?” he finally asked, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know it was you. Had I known, I never would’ve taken aim.”

The deer’s ear flicked. Its head moved side to side, as if shaking ‘no’ in response to his question.

“Then...what? What is it?” Chase waited, but didn’t get another response. He blinked. And suddenly, the deer was even closer. “I-if I’ve done something to wrong you, or any of the Elders, I-I sincerely apologize, and assure you it was done in ignorance, not malice.”

Another shake of the deer’s head. He blinked again, and suddenly it was right in front of him, close enough that he felt hot breath on his face. It was an unusually large deer. Most of the ones he’d encountered had their head reach his chest, not counting the antlers. But this...the deer’s eyes were level with his, large and unfathomably dark.

His head started to spin. The ground tilted beneath his feet, but he didn’t fall. For a moment, everything was alive. The forest floor was breathing, the rocks were mumbling, the trees were staring at him, the sky above was filled with a foreign presence. The world was vast, it was living, and he could reach out and touch the soul of everything.

Then the deer blinked. And Chase gasped, staggering backwards, losing his balance and landing hard on his back. Groaning, he sat up again. Wait a minute...had the sun changed position? He could’ve sworn it was closer to the eastern horizon a few seconds ago. The difference wasn’t large, but it was noticeable. Confused, he looked back at the deer.

It blinked again, slowly. Then it looked away from him, towards something behind him. Its head moved up...and down. Like a nod. Chase, turned around.

There was a plume of smoke rising into the sky from the village.

Chase gasped, and scrambled to his feet. He glanced back over his shoulder, but the deer was gone. What had that all been about? No, this wasn’t the time. If anything was a sign, that was it. He made sure that he still had his bow and quiver with him—of course he did—and pulled the hedgehog mask onto his face. Then, he ran.

The town wasn’t quite in chaos yet, but it was getting close. The townsfolk were shouting and pointing, but not fleeing in panic. He got more than a few baffled looks as he passed through, but he ignored them, and headed towards the fire, near the village center. And the closer her got, the more people he ran past who were, in fact, fleeing in panic.

By the time he reached the center, the air was filled with smoke. He skidded to a halt, taking a moment to breathe through it.

The center was taken up by a wide square, with a well in the middle. It was the buildings around this square that were on fire, their thatched roofs aflame...as well as the stone walls. Chase was taken aback by the familiar, strange sight. But then he turned his attention to the few people in the square.

A fight had broken out. Or, more accurately, three separate fights, one for each of his masked companions. Nearest to him, Kenneth had pulled out his sword and was dueling with a man. A man wearing a black tunic with the royal crest on the back. And it looked like this man considerably outmatched Kenneth in skill, because he kept forcing him to back up. Across the square, Jackie was also in a battle of swords, but his battle was very different. Three people—two men and a woman—were attacking him, but he was easily holding his own, dancing around them in a whirl of scarlet cloak. And he was using both swords. Chase had never seen or heard of anything like it, but the way Jackie was moving, you’d think there’d never been any other way to use a sword, other than in pairs.

The strangest fight was happening in the middle of the square, around the well. Strange because there were no weapons being used. Instead, this was a battle of magic. Elin and another woman were circling each other, with the well in the center. The strange woman had something in her hand, something glowing, and she’d pull some of that glowing light away from the object and hurl it towards Elin. The moment the glow left her hands it became a raging ball of fire, but Elin was expertly drawing water from the well in fluid streams, shaping it to shield her. She kept glancing back at the burning buildings, but when she tried to send water that way, the strange woman would throw another fireball that she had to deflect.

Nobody had noticed Chase yet. Taking advantage of that fact, he quickly pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it on his bow. He got ready to loose the arrow, but hesitated. He’d never shot at a person before.

At that moment, Elin glanced back at the fire again, and her shield of water wavered. The strange woman threw another fireball, hot enough to fly through the weak shield without disappearing. Elin screamed as it hit her shoulder.

And Chase snapped to action, shooting his arrow towards the strange woman. It landed in her back, and she screamed as well.

The man in the black tunic stopped his duel with Kenneth, spinning around. “Lady Tinechroí!” he shouted. And the moment he was distracted, Kenneth turned and fled. He ran towards Elin, who had fallen to the ground, clutching her shoulder.

The other three strangers attacking Jackie also stopped to turn, and in that moment, Jackie brought one of his swords down on one of the two men, wounding him in a splash of red. The other two cried out, and Chase nocked another arrow, shooting towards the other man. That arrow hit him in the leg, causing him to bend over, and Jackie hit him in the back of the head with the hilt of his other sword. Then he turned quickly to block an attack from the woman, the last attacker.

“You.”

The single word was filled with venom, and Chase immediately knew it was directed at him. He turned to look. The strange woman, the one he’d shot in the back, was now leaning against the well for support. In that moment, Chase managed to take in a few details about her. Pale blonde hair, pulled back in a braid. Unnaturally bright blue eyes. Wearing a purple tunic and trousers that were embroidered with gold, looking very fine. In her hand, she held a silver brooch with a red gem in the center. And then the gem started to glow. In a split second, that glow ran up the woman’s arm and into her body. She glowed bright white, and pointed her other hand at him.

Chase immediately turned and leaped behind the nearest building. A bright white bolt hit the corner near where he’d been standing, breaking off the stone, showering him in pieces of broken wall. “Shit!” he shouted, covering his face just in time to block a fist-sized stone piece.

“We need to get out of here!” Jackie yelled. Chase peeked around the broken corner at the sound of it. The man in the black tunic and the woman who’d been fighting Jackie were now helping the other, strange woman stand, supporting her. A similar situation was happening with his own companions. Jackie and Kenneth were helping Elin up, as she weakly directed streams of water from the well onto the burning buildings nearby: not fully putting them out, but making the flames smaller.

Jackie saw Chase peeking around the corner. He pointed to the left. Chase nodded, and ran, heading away from the burning.

Townfolk were also running, but they were heading towards the burning, many of them carrying buckets. Chase noted them briefly, scanning the area for Jackie and the others. He spotted them a few minutes later, heading towards the three of them as Jackie and Kenneth carried Elin between them. The moment he was within earshot, he shouted, “What happened?!”

“Later,” Jackie said, tilting his head towards the edge of town.

“Oh. Yes.” Chase glanced back towards the blaze, uncertain. The townsfolk could handle that, right? They seemed prepared. And it wasn’t that big a fire, comparatively. But still, he felt uneasy as the four of them turned away.

They reached the edge of the forest and kept going. And going. Once the town was out of sight and the trees were close together once again, they relaxed a bit. Kenneth started digging through his bag, pulling out small bottles of salves. Elin sat by one of the trees, wincing at the burn that covered most of her shoulder. Jackie sheathed the sword he still had out and breathed a sigh of relief. “That was bad.”

“What was all that about?” Chase asked once again. “You were in town for one minute and suddenly there was fire!”

Jackie gave him an odd look. “Um...we were in there for much longer than one minute.”

Really? It hadn’t seemed like it. “Well, still, what happened?”

Jackie’s expression darkened. “They knew we were coming. I’m not sure how, but they did. Maybe they saw some of our scouts a while ago? Either way, we went into town and started searching. We looked over the whole place a couple times, but didn’t go inside anywhere. Then, out of nowhere, they burst out of one of the houses and attacked us. That wizard started throwing fire everywhere, it was a disaster.”

“A wizard, huh?” Chase whistled. “Wow. Who was she? They called her Lady—”

“Tinechroí,” Jackie muttered, bitterness lining his expression and voice.

“Um...well, yes. So she’s a noble.”

“That’s not surprising, the King has many of them in his pocket.” Jackie sighed. “Thank the elders you decided to stay in the forest. Though it must’ve gotten boring, being out there for that long by yourself.”

“...no, it wasn’t, not really,” Chase said uncertainly. “To be honest, I...lost track of time. How long were you in town?”

“Not sure. An hour, maybe.”

“Ah.” That...didn’t make sense. Chase could’ve sworn he was only waiting for a minute. But...in that minute, the deer had done something strange to him. Was it possible that more time had passed, and he just didn’t realize? “Well, thank the elders.” Quite literally, perhaps.

Jackie nodded. “We should start heading back now. I think Elin is stable now, but we should get her back to Wyvernlair quickly, just in case.”

“Yea. Let’s go.”

As they headed back, Chase remained quiet, thinking about his encounter with the deer. This was the second time he’d seen it, and the first time had been the night Hilltown burned. What did the deer want? What was its goal?

He stayed silent for the entirety of the three day journey back to camp.