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once-upon-a-pirate-ship · 1 year

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How Restlessly the Stars Do Gleam - Chapter 12: True

Cover art by the lovely and talented @snowbellewells!!!

Story summary: After the Evil Queen kidnaps and curses her family and destroys her kingdom, Princess Emma is on the run. She boards a merchant vessel with her godmother Red, and they intend to travel to Arendelle to seek magical assistance. But when Emma discovers the dark truths aboard Captain Silver's ship, she must put a stop to his cruelty and rescue the Jones brothers from their enslavement. Emma has to find her own allies and face her fears in order to save her parents, her brother Leo, and her kingdom.

Read it on AO3 from the beginning here.

Taglist, message me or reply to a chapter if you want to be added: @kmomof4 @teamhook @tiganasummertree @snowbellewells

Read chapter 12 below the cut or on AO3.

Please reblog, comment here or on AO3, and share the love because I am truly pouring my heart into this fic (as demonstrated below).

To lead was to sacrifice.

That was something her mother had not only taught her but had attempted to prepare her for—to make her strong enough that she could do what was necessary, what others wouldn’t do, to put her people and the future of her kingdom above herself. Emma was never free to simply act as she wished; everything she did had consequences, each decision she made had an echo, reverberating far beyond her expectations.

The well-being of her people sat heavily upon her shoulders, and she could not forget that.

Robin had taken the news of the Black Knights and their quick demise well, and though a discussion was still necessary to determine their course of action, he had ordered they all sit for a meal and tend to the few wounds before considering their next step.

Emma had readily retrieved her salve and healing supplies only to stop herself, her eyes fixed on the figure she most sought as he sat some fifty feet away, the firelight staining his blood-covered cheek.

Her hands ached to help him, heal him, tend to the cut he only sustained in the aid of her beloved brother—but that was what she wanted to do, not what she needed to do. Not what was best. Allowing herself even one step closer to him was the selfish thing to do, and she could not bear to cling to such weakness when her mother had raised her better.

She left it to Red and banished herself from his view, finding bittersweet exile at the base of a tree beside the creek.

“Not hungry?” Leo plopped down beside her before she could respond or even react, shoving a bowl of stew into her grasp.

Emma pushed it back towards him. “No, I’m fine.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, tipping the bowl to his lips.

She tried to find comfort in his less-than-princely manners, his endearing slobbish behavior, but she’d felt hollow since her latest sacrifice (maybe it would always be this: each choice chipping away at what was left of her until she was just a shadow of herself, just a figurehead perfectly fit for their crown. Did that make her a better ruler or a worse one?).

“You should be judging me right now,” Leo added, choking down another bit of stew.

“Should I?”

He sighed, a lofty and pompous sound that reminded them both of their father. Leo set the bowl aside, either finished or no longer hungry. “Emma,” he drawled.

“Leo,” she replied, mimicking his tone.

“You know you can talk to me, right?”

She didn’t look at him. “About what?”

“About wh—Emma!”

“What?” she snapped, all her defenses rising at once, shielding her from everything she couldn’t stand to feel, couldn’t stand to know.

Leo hopped onto his feet, glaring down at her with his arms crossed rigidly in front of him (so like their mother). “I swear to the gods above, Emma, if you keep pretending like there’s nothing going on—”

“There’s nothing—”

“I’m going to say something I never thought I would,” he threatened, ignoring her pitiful attempt.

Emma pushed herself up to stand before him, folding her arms now too, though hers acted more like armor. “Oh yeah, and what’s that?”

“You’re being a coward, Emma.”

Fury barrelled into her, red and scalding and dangerous, knotting her hands into fists when they snapped to her sides. “Tread. Lightly.”

Leo did not waver. “No, I won’t. There’s been far too much of that around here.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about a certain someone and your inability to tell that someone how you feel.”

Icy resolve trickled down to her feet, sealing her where she stood. “I don’t see how that is any of your business.”

“Emma, this is absolutely ridiculous!” he blurted. “You’re both being cowards about this, and if you could just stop for a second see that, maybe—”

“Maybe what?” she demanded. “Maybe we can live happily ever after, like our parents? Haven’t you heard? That didn’t turn out so well for them.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed, his jaw setting firmly. “You’re proving my point,” he said. “You’re just scared, and I get that, I do, but you can’t keep doing this.”

“No, Leo. You don’t get it,” she replied. “You have no idea what I’m doing. What I’m giving up. But I don’t have a choice, because I have to rule, Leo! I have to put aside what I want and do what has to be done so that if we’re not successful, if we can’t save our parents, I can in good conscience take the throne.”

Leo’s lips twisted in disgust. “Don’t tell me this is about class.”

She recoiled, pain shooting through her as if he had struck her. “How could you possibly think—”

“Then what is it? Why do you have to give this up?”

“Because I refuse to curse him, too.” She looked away, pulling in a shaky breath. “Even if I pretend like we’re not currently on the run, even if I ignore that every second should be spent strategizing to get our parents back, even if I act like it doesn’t take every drop of energy I have just to keep myself upright and moving forward—I cannot be oblivious to the sacrifice that all of our allies have already made, the death sentences they’ve already signed themselves up for. I’m so tired of the fighting and the bloodshed and the death and the sacrifice, but none of that is about to go away, because this is my life now. This is my whole life. It’s the curse the Evil Queen gave me, and I know it doesn’t compare to your agony, but I’m carrying my own burden now, Leo, and it’s killing me, too. I’m losing myself, too.

“I have to learn how to be strong enough to do what’s right, and I’m trying to figure out how I can possibly do that when all I want to do is run to him and find comfort—but it doesn’t matter. It can’t be. I’m just…I’m just glad that…that at least I’m respecting the distance he’s put between us.”

Leo’s eyes shone, even in the darkness, and he took her hands in his. “It doesn’t have to be like this, Emma, I promise.”

She withdrew from his touch, wrapping her arms around herself instead. “Yes, it does. I know you can’t understand, but just trust me on this. Please.”

He remained where he was, resisting the urge to hug her fiercely. She wasn’t ready for him to push her any further. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t take matters into his own hands.

— —

With dawn came sorrow.

Though perhaps it had never left, only hidden by the darkness, pieces of it distorted to look incandescent in the moonlight.

Emma watched the last of his star dissolve into daylight, shivering when the burning cold spread across her chest. And at last she lay on her bedroll, wishing for all the impossible things that could bring her joy.

Half their camp had shifted their routines to become nocturnal, though many simply lost hours of sleep when sunlight prodded them awake. Emma was one such person, though on this day, she did not rise. Her limbs could not sustain her weight, nor had she the strength to stand. And the worries of her friends and allies had not gone unheard; she kept her eyes closed, her body still, and feigned sleep until the sun began its descent.

— —

It was supposed to be a scouting mission, a task he could claim that would busy his mind and give purpose to his body, but as soon as he’d volunteered, his brother had swooped in and disrupted his plans.

Killian trudged along the farthest edge of their perimeter and then just beyond, looking for signs of their enemy and blatantly ignoring Liam who followed closely behind.

The last of daylight was burning itself out, turning the world amber and radiant, but Killian was not in the mindset to appreciate such beauty, angry anticipation turning to bile in his throat as dread seeped into him.

“I fail to understand why you have yet to express your feelings,” Liam said abruptly, and though Killian had tried to prepare for such an assault, he still stumbled over the exposed root he should have avoided.

He caught himself, only having to pause a moment to reset his posture and composure before continuing, determined not to respond.

“Killian, this is absurd.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said curtly, proceeding with his task.

Liam scoffed, unimpressed. “Come now, usually you’re a much better liar than that.”

Killian froze, rage prickling along his spine. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly decided against it, instead resuming his path at twice the speed.

“Enough of this, brother. I know you wish for my silence but I have been silent too long. We must speak of this.”

“There is nothing to speak of,” Killian replied, his footsteps undeterred.

Liam laughed in disbelief and disappointment. “Of course there is,” he said. “Now could you just stop for a second and explain to me why you refuse to acknowledge this?”

Killian’s laugh was bitter. “Why, you ask. As if you don’t know as well as I that this can never happen.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Like hell you don’t.”

Liam caught his arm, forcing him to stop his progress. “The whole world isn’t privy to your darkest thoughts, Killian. Don’t act like I understand them or their logic, because I never have before. Tell me what you bloody mean,” he demanded. Killian snatched his arm away, turning his back on his brother. “Why can’t you be with her?” Liam added, desperate to understand.

“You spend your days laughing at my so called absurdity with the Lady Red. Has the entertainment value run dry from this game of yours? Is it no longer diverting enough for you?”

“Enough!” Liam cried. “Why do you insist this can never happen? Why can’t you be with her?”

Killian spun to face his brother now, anguish and anger erupting from him in bitter, mangled words. “Because she’s the bloody princess! And I am nothing!”

Liam fell silent, staring open-mouthed at his younger brother and all the pain he carried.

Killian’s chest heaved, his teeth grinding together, but all the anger he’d used to fortify himself crumbled when he was compelled to reveal the truth. “She’s the princess, and I am nothing,” he repeated, calmer now, quiet misery and resolve.

“That’s not true,” Liam protested weakly.

“I’m nothing—a former slave, not even a sailor, a swordsman, a knight. I have nothing I can offer her, nothing I can give that would make me worthy. I will never be enough for her, whether she has a kingdom or not. My only value to her is the blade I carry, the protection I can offer her and her brother. This, at least, I can offer.”

“That’s not true,” Liam insisted, crossing the space to his brother so he could grasp his upper arms, hold him in place, force him to understand that he couldn’t be more wrong. “You are not nothing. You have never been nothing. You are a good man, Killian. You don’t need flashy talents or titles to prove that. And yes, you are a valuable swordsman, that is true. But you must see that there is more that makes you worthy, Killian. She knows it, it’s time for you to learn that, as well.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Killian muttered, pulling away from his grasp, drifting into the darkness.

“Of course it matters,” Liam replied, though he made no attempt to follow his brother as he withdrew to stare at the woods beyond.

“It can never be,” Killian said, his eyes tracing the silhouettes of the trees.

“Well that’s just ridiculous,” a voice called.

The Jones brothers started, wheeling around to find their prince looking displeased, clearly having just returned from his self-inflicted exile.

“Your Highness,” Liam scrambled to greet him properly.

“I thought we were past this,” Leo huffed. “Please, call me Leo.”

“That’s not—”

Leo’s sharp look cut off the elder Jones. “Moving on,” he said, clearing his throat and returning his attention to Killian. “You are being ridiculous.”

Killian floundered. “Your Hi—er, Leo, I must apologize for whatever you have heard. I assure you that I am cognizant of my place and would never—”

Leo let out a groan, effectively silencing the absurdity. “Cut it out,” he whined.

“Allow me to apologize—” Liam attempted, but he was as unsuccessful as his brother.

“For what? For finally confronting your brother about what we’ve all been wondering forever?”

Liam blinked in shock, half a smile curling his lips though he was too stunned to fully process this particular development.

Leo shook his head, approaching Killian with a determination that echoed his sister’s. “If you won’t listen to your brother, then listen to me. I’ll pull rank if I have to,” he began, but his joke fell flat as Killian had yet to breathe. “There is absolutely nothing you need to apologize for. Unless you want to apologize for taking so long, but I’ll forgive you for that.

“From the moment I saw the two of you together, I knew. You’re not exactly the best at not hovering, and she can’t stand to let her eyes stray from you for more than twenty seconds. So I guess I would let you apologize for taking so long, but what I won’t do is let you apologize for loving my sister.”

“But I have no right to love your sister.”

For a second, Killian was certain the prince was going to smack him. “What I wouldn’t give for one of my mother’s speeches right now,” Leo grumbled, mostly to himself. “First of all, Killian, that is not true. Secondly, love is not something that can or should be controlled, and it certainly isn’t something anyone does or doesn’t have a ‘right’ to feel.

“You are so blinded by your fear and your doubt that you can’t even see what’s right in front of you. And both of you are too damn stubborn—but I’m tired of it. Take a breath and stop being a coward and an idiot, please, because I have always wanted a brother, and you’re just about the best one I could imagine having.”

Killian could not speak, move, or do anything but stare at him, unwilling or unable to comprehend his words.

“Bravo, lad,” Liam said, patting Leo on the back. “Now, if only we could find a room to lock them in together, then perhaps we would finally make some progress.”

Leo grinned, suddenly considering the benefits of having a second brother. He exchanged a look with his new ally, then turned in the direction of camp. “Now, are you coming, or do you require a formal invitation?”

— —

He’d hoped his brash words would spur Killian on, but all it did was make him…thoughtful. He’d been slow to return, trailing behind even his brother, and when he found the others gathered around the fire for their meal, he’d planted himself on the opposite side from Emma, leaning against a tree trunk and staring off into the distance.

Leo glanced at his sister beside him, but her gaze was too fixed on the ground to be natural. He shook his head at the pair—more suited for each other than either of them realized—and he made up his mind.

It only took him a few minutes to set it all in motion, one quick excuse to Emma, a few words exchanged with an ally, and then he formed a tiny lie that his sister would not see through, a request to follow him so they could have space to talk.

Leo brought her to a stop in an adequate clearing, making note of the exact position and perfect distance from their camp. And then he left, promising to return in a moment. How she fell for that classic trick, he would never understand.

Emma huffed, nudging a few twigs with her foot as she waited impatiently for him to come back. Her annoyance was a petty thing, stemming from his casual greeting upon his return to camp for the night, as if she hadn’t stood waiting in their spot and worrying that something had happened when he didn’t appear as quickly as he had before.

She spun when she heard him approach, only to find her brother towing an unsuspecting Killian behind him.

“Leo?”

“Bloody hell, mate, what are—”

Killian’s words caught in his throat when his eyes landed on Emma, but Leo’s grip didn’t lessen as he brought him to stand in front of his sister.

“What are you doing?” Emma demanded, crossing her arms.

Leo released his hold on Killian, shooting her a smile. “Well, since I have no room to lock you two into, this will have to do.”

“What?” Killian asked, confusion mingling with his irritation.

“You two are gonna stay here, alone, until you talk about everything.”

“We’re what?”

“Mate, you can’t possibly—”

Leo raised a hand, and they both fell silent. “Nope. This isn’t just about the two of you anymore. Your yearning looks are getting distracting. So now shut up, stay here, and talk!” he ordered firmly. For good measure, he pushed Emma a bit closer to Killian, and then he scurried away, certainly far too proud of himself.

Neither spoke nor made any move until the sound of Leo’s footsteps faded into silence.

“I’m so sorry,” Emma said, “I cannot believe him.”

“No, Swan, there’s no need to apologize,” Killian insisted.

They both shifted uncomfortably, glancing away and into the darkness. A few minutes passed with them unable to so much as look at each other, and then Emma sighed.

“As irritating as my brother is, perhaps he’s right,” she said. “And I suspect that if we go back now, he’s just going to drag us right back out here,” she mumbled, risking a glance at Killian’s face.

“He or my brother will, aye,” Killian replied somewhat bitterly.

“So maybe we should…talk?”

Killian’s expression darkened, his jaw ticking. “You needn’t say anything you don’t wish to,” he said, “and your brother or mine certainly shouldn’t be forcing you.”

She sighed, turning to find a seat on a fallen log a few feet away. “But maybe we should talk. If you want to,” she added quickly.

“Swan…”

“Or I can talk. Or you can walk away, and we can just keep doing whatever it is we’re doing,” she said, her ire rising unjustly. “But I—” A jagged breath nearly choked her. “I’m not sure how much longer I can stand this, Killian.”

His shoulders sagged before he could hide his pain, a mask of resolve settling over his moonlit features. “If my presence distresses you, Captain, I will break my promise and we can part ways.”

Emma shot up, grabbing his hand before she could prevent herself. “No, gods. That’s not what I want. Not even close.”

His eyes searched hers. “What do you want?” he asked, his voice no louder than a whisper. Their hands were still joined, radiating warmth where they touched.

“I want…” she hesitated, losing herself in his gaze. “I want you to be happy.”

“Swan,” he breathed, desperate and breaking.

“I want you to be safe, I want you to be cared for. I want you to be protected. I want you to never have to face a Black Knight again, but also…I never want to face a Black Knight again without you by my side. I want you to do whatever makes you happy. I want you to do whatever is best for you—and—and Killian, I am absolutely terrified that I’m not what’s best for you.” Tears spilled onto her cheeks, but she made no move to brush them away. “I don’t know if I can give you the happiness I want you to have, the happiness you deserve to have, and I know I can carry on in this war if you aren’t by my side, but even the thought of facing the next sunrise without you there—”

“Emma,” Killian cried, taking her other hand in his. “Emma, please.”

She wished she could take back her tears. Her eyes squeezed shut. “You can go. I can let you go, I swear. I am strong enough, I promise.”

“But I’m not.”

She blinked away some droplets, inspecting his face for what she hoped to see and what she hoped she wouldn’t. “What?”

He shook his head at himself or his thoughts, dropping onto his knees in front of her. He could do nothing else. “I am so sorry, Your Highness. I have tried to keep my distance, I know I’m not—that I could never be—what you deserve, but I’m not strong enough to let you go. I promised weeks ago that I would never leave your side, but it was not the promise it should have been. I have not followed you solely because you are my captain, my princess, or because you will one day be my queen.

“I thank the gods every day that you saved my brother and myself from our fate. I have watched you face great evil, I have stood helplessly by as you have buried your sorrow and bravely, regally led us onward. Your cleverness, your tenacity, your abilities with a blade—I cannot count the ways you have impressed me, challenged me, brought hope back to me. It is for all of these reasons but also regardless of them that I love you.

“So while you are my princess and my captain, and while you do have my loyalty, my allegiance, and my sword, you also have me. My heart is yours, my darling Emma, my Swan Queen. I am yours for as long as you will have me.”

Emma fell to her knees, unable to stand above him a second longer. “Killian,” she murmured, letting go of his hands only so she could hold his face. “I love you.”

He reached up, his fingers tentative yet imploring at her wrist. “How?”

“What do you mean how?”

“You’re a princess, Swan, and I am nothing.”

She shook her head. “No, Killian. You are absolutely everything. Now please, just—just kiss me.”

Warmth burst at his touch, at the caress of his mouth against hers, and the world fluttered away into nothing, leaving only them and their lips and their embrace. Her hands moved from his cheeks to bury in his hair, to tease at the nape of his neck, but they were no longer just hands, they were anchors or tethers binding them and their breath and their life—because they weren’t separate, not anymore, not when their hearts beat in tandem and their lips moved together as if they’d always done that, and they were linked, their lives entwined into one perfectly woven thread that was stronger than any enemy they’d ever face.

They lost themselves in the feeling of truth, in the wonder and beauty of knowing and being known, and when they parted to catch their breath, their arms moved to hold each other close, sealing their promise in the embrace of what could only be True Love.

#captain swan fanfic #how restlessly the stars do gleam #captain swan #once upon a time #ouat fanfic

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thegeminisage · 1 year

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Hmm. 20-22 inclusive …. making you be negative 😈 I’m assuming you’ll do zelda but as a scholar I’m also interested in your spn thoughts so you pick mwah

oooh dealer's choice this is so tough...what if i just answer for both LMAO im so sorry ok Lets Go

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

for zelda: i really, really wish i liked wind waker. i wanna like wind waker so fucking bad. i love wind waker's story. i love wind waker's ganondorf. i love how bright and cheerful the graphics are contrasted with how solemn it is underground. i love the dungeons and the gameplay. but god i HATE the cartoony little balloon heads. it takes me right out of those serious moments. i don't mind stylization but if it could have been just a LITTLE BIT. less stylized. just a LITTLE LESS like animal crossing characters. it's beautiful to look at but for a game with such serious hidden elements WHICH I LOVE i find trouble taking it seriously.

for spn: god, all of crowley's little arcs. he was almost never interesting, and while you can excuse bad writing for cas because it's cas, you can't make crowley happen. fetch is never gonna happen! you can show me his fun hot mom and his dead son and it still isn't happening! he's just the walking talking embodiment of the "angels and demons are just like OFFICE WORKERS" trope which i hate so fucking deeply because it's the least sexy direction they ever took and the exact opposite of what i want from my angels and demons. all of the middle seasons suffered deeply from this. crowley COULD have been interesting, but tbh, i liked him best in the season they killed him off.

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

for zelda: i could do wind waker again but actually i completely understand the hype, bc wind waker is a great game even if i can't deal with it like a normal person. same with botw - i found most of the joy thru exploration, so it just didnt Hit on replays the way other zeldas do, but its influence cannot be understated and the hype is deserved. what if everybody is right all the time to hype any and everything about zelda?? oh wait actually. sorry. twilight princess ilia. idk if people hype her but if they do theyre wrong. love and light to her, she's Fine, but it feels kind of like a knockoff of malon (superior) and i generally dislike when link has romantic interests besides zelda, even if the love interest gets amnesia (wistful sigh). this sin was especially egregious bc zelda barely has any screentime at all, but i forgive tp for this because what screentime she DOES have is spent being in lesbians with midna. so it works out just this once due to the power of gay people, but that's some thin fucking ice. anyway, sorry to ilia and ilia fans for being a misogynist

for spn: i hate canon claire. i can't get into it in depth but like...sorry, even without the issue of My Own Claire Ideas, i still don't know if i could do it. being gay does not save her from having the exact same "damaged but spunky teen girl" personality given to almost EVERY OTHER TEENAGE GIRL (or young woman) on the show. to some extent she, krissy, mary from the winchesters, charlie, jo, alex, etc etc all have the same personality with a few defining quirks tacked on as an afterthought. do i love some of these characters? yes, of course. are they well-written? absolutely not <3

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

for zelda: in general, i think skyward sword gets a bad rap despite lanayru desert's entire (waves hand vaguely) and zelda being a fucked up evil goddess who canonically manipulates link's love for her. AND GROOSE. never forget groose. more specifically i think not enough people have acknowledged 1. the champions corpses are definitely still in those cockpits 2. oot link essentially became a stalfos by walking into the lost woods without navi and never came back. hello?? generally those dark little implications that u have read between the lines to get <3

for spn: oh baby its michael!dean. i waited so long and i only really got what i wanted for one episode but it was so good. it was SO good. no one else is as hype about the fact that it took nine REAL LIFE YEARS to get there. a DECADE of my finite time on earth. but ohhh was it ever worth the wait. what else could i possibly write 100k+ about

[ASK MEME]

#liz answers asks #paty-ofarrell #ASK MEMES #liz watches spn #loz blogging #sorry this took forever i did literally have to do both.#thank you SO MUCH for asking

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monocryl · 1 year

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The Knight and The Dragon

Prompt: "That's how the story goes."

When Childe's daughter arrived home after playing outside with her friends the whole afternoon looking forlorn, he knew trouble was at hand.

If someone made his daughter cry, oh, he’ll make them regret it.

“And what if it was other children?” Zhongli asked.

Well, Childe was definitely going to have some WORDS with their parents, he answered his husband.

Childe scooped his daughter up, “What’s the matter princess?”

“Well, Lulu’s baba got her a storybook from Fontaine…”

If Childe’s daughter wanted a storybook from Fontaine, or from any other nation, he’d buy and give her one in a heartbeat.

“We read the book it a while ago…” she continued, “And… and…”

“And…?”

Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes, as she let some of her adepti features appear. Two small amber colored horns materialized at the side of her head at the same time, a long brown scaly tail with a soft puff at the tips similar to Zhongli’s very own, wrapped around Childe’s arm like a snake.

Childe wanted nothing more than to ease whatever problem his daughter was having.

“I don’t want to be a bad dragon and I don’t want to eat other people!” She shouted then tucked her head on the side of her father’s neck.

“…Huh?”

—

Meiling then told him about what they had read about on the storybook. How the dragon kidnapped the princess, ate the people and reigned terror on the town until a brave prince slayed the dragon, saved the princess and the town.

“But my Baba said dragons are friends and they protect the people!” She told her friends.

“Not in Fontaine, they’re not. They have evil dragons that eat people!”

Then her friends started to role play the story and that had made her a lot more upset so she ran back home.

—

Childe was scratching his head after his daughter recalled the events that afternoon. But at least, she looked calmer now.

“Is me and Dimi gonna eat people someday?” She asked in a small voice, looking at her father, worry evident on her eyes.

Now, Childe knew he wasn’t a bad father at all, but THIS was Zhongli’s forte. He would know how to explain to their daughter about her own adepti heritage, how different and similar she (and her baby brother) was with other children her age in a way a child could easily understand.

But Zhongli was currently asleep in their room after nursing their infant son. Dimitri had been fussy all night. He told Zhongli he’d take care of it, but his husband insisted that Childe just go back to sleep as the baby was probably just hungry again. Although, he was pretty sure Zhongli would definitely not mind to be awakened for this scenario.

No. He doesn’t want to bother his tired husband. Childe can do this. He had listened to Zhongli’s lessons about the nature of Liyue’s dragons to at least soothe his daughter’s concerns.

“Baba is a dragon too… just like you and Dimi, isn’t he?”

She nodded.

“Liyue’s dragons are different from Fontaine’s. They’re… special!” Child said, “They’re very kind, very gentle and they protect the people they love.” He tapped Mei-Mei’s nose with his index finger, “Just like Baba, you and Dimi.”

Mei-Mei sighed, “I wish I have a storybook about dragons being friends with people.”

“A storybook, huh…” The Traveler once mentioned making a story for the Yuheng so she’d pause being a raging workaholic for the Lantern Rite. Maybe…

—

One day, a handsome knight came across a large castle. He said, “Oh! This is the place the townsfolk where talking about! Now’s my chance to save the Princess and finally fight a worthy opponent!” So he bravely marched inside, sword on hand.

The castle was gorgeous and was decorated in gold and red, but was totally empty! With no other people on site to talk to, the knight continued his search inside and around the castle. When he finally reached the big courtyard, there it was… the dragon! It was finally the knight’s chance to fight it! But sadly, the large dragon was sleeping soundly and the knight thought it wasn’t very knightly of him if he attacked it while sleeping.

The knight walked towards the sleeping dragon, “Hey! Mister Dragon! Wake up and let’s fight so I could save the princess!”

The dragon woke up with a big yawn and stretched its long body, “Oh, but Mister Knight, there are no princesses here, but…” The dragon glowed gold and when the bright light disappeared, there was a very beautiful prince on its place instead! The knight fell in love at first sight and decided to stay so that the dragon won’t be alone anymore.

One night, the knight and the dragon noticed that the town was glowing orange… it was on fire and was being attacked! They quickly went to the town and defeated the bandits trying to burn the whole town down.

And that was when the townsfolk realized that the dragon was actually really kind! They thanked the dragon and the knight for saving them all and haled them as heroes.

—

“And that’s how the story goes!” Mei-Mei finished her story with a large grin on her face, blue eyes shining brightly.

Zhongli chuckled and kissed his daughter on the forehead before tucking her in bed, “Its a beautiful tale, my dear. I’m sure your friend would love it.”

The girl beamed, “I hope so! Papa said its from Snezhnaya! I’m so excited to tell it to them tomorrow…. Do you think Dimi would love it too?”

“I’m sure he’ll love it as well.”

“Goodnight Baba, I love you.”

“Sweet dreams, I love you too, dear.”

—

“The Knight and The Dragon, hmm?” Zhongli sat beside Childe on their bed.

Childe rubbed the back of his neck feeling a little bit shy now that he heard his made up story from his daughter, “Ahahaha, I swear, I could’ve done better if there was more time.” His daughter did put him on quite a spot after all.

Zhongli shook his head, “No need to be embarrassed, Ajax. It was very creative, in fact, I enjoyed it. You have a talent for storytelling.”

“Eh,” He shrugged, “I did something similar for my younger siblings when they were still little.”

The two silently relaxed on their bed cuddling, enjoying their alone time and basking on each other’s presence.

Hmmm…

“So… for the story continuation… what if the knight and the dragon decided to make little princesses and princes, what do you say?”

Zhongli raised a brow.

“I’m just kidding!”

Or was he?

#Tartali #Chili #Genshin Zhongli #Genshin Tartaglia #Genshin Childe #Zhongli #Tartaglia #Childe #Genshin Impact #Monocryl Writes

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eldritch-flower · 1 year

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alt: The Waking — see here for trigger warnings

Chapter 6 of 9 | [prev / next]

He made Thomas lead the way, unable to quell the fear that coursed through him as the man twisted the bronze door handle and pushed it open.

There was nothing there – no faceless copies. Nothing except a short stretch of red-carpeted hallway, looking a little worse for wear, and a wide open pair of glass-panelled doors that lead onto a stairwell. Above them, a loose-hanging sign lopsidedly guided them towards Floors one to four.

Thomas seemed to notice Orville’s hesitation on crossing the boundary between his room and supposed freedom, and he twisted awkwardly around to grab his hand:

“Okay?” he asked. Orville nodded, swallowed, set his sights forwards once again. And if he heard Thomas’s sigh, and if it tugged a little at those veins the romantics enjoyed calling heart strings, well… that was his business. And no one else’s.

“Okay,” he said, allowing himself to be pulled gently over the threshold. Orville half expected the Others to jump out at him; for Thomas to turn to him with a face blanketed in skin, emotionless and joyless. Orville didn’t know if he could bear seeing Thomas like that, so cold and empty and lacking his chaotic abandonment.

But Thomas – this Thomas, real Thomas, his Thomas – smiled at him as he spoke, lips quirking at the corners into a tight grin, and his eyes shone, and Orville returned it waveringly.

“These stairs were bastards to climb,” the other man said conversationally as they neared those doors. “Why you were kept on the fifth floor of this fucking place is beyond me.”

“Harder to find, I guess.”

“Yeah. I guess so too.” And as they descended, Thomas’s eyes never once left Orville. He wore a frown like it was a permanent accessory, wrapping an arm around Orville’s waist as his mangled foot crashed and stumbled down each and every step. “Careful there, big boy. Wouldn’t want you to fall from the tower now, would we?”

Orville hated himself for the way he leaned into Thomas’s touch. “Tower?”

“You know, tower. The one the prince saves the princess from in all the stories? Guarded by a dragon, put there by an evil witch. That shit. It’s for kids I know, but – “

“Sounds scary.”

“Not really, man; it’s just for, like, bed-time stories and stuff. Tell me you know at least one fairytale, Princess.”

“Princess?”

“Answer the question.”

Orville hesitated again: He never used to hesitate. “My parents never read to me.”

And that, that truth? That was sad. But although Thomas’s eyes glowed dimly in the overhead lighting and his lips pursed with contempt as he made to attack the terrible choices of Orville’s terrible parents, he stopped.

Orville worried for a moment that Thomas had looked into his soul and seen that he didn’t deserve the pity. He worried that maybe Thomas had finally realised that he was risking it all for nothing, coming to save him, and that Orville could never be saved, not really, not truly, but –

But he had stopped, not out of anything raving through Orville’s rabid mind but because of something he had seen.

This was his house. He recognised the coffee table, the white, dismal walls painted and undecorated. This was where Orville had passed the loveless hours of his childhood, scared and lone, waiting for parents who didn’t want him to come home – where he dreamt that they’d realise their mistake, forgetting their little boy. In later years, Orville had lay on the couch that now sat before him, separated by space and time, and wished it would all just end. It was tragic, ironic, how sometimes some wishes were answered.

The windows rattled in their panes, shaken to their harmonic core by whatever otherworldly winds were spun by the storm that raged outside. Orville wanted to reach out, draw the curtains and block out the ghastardly scene – maybe drown out the sonorous, nerve-ending wails of anguish and fear; a languid, angry sound that was always close, but never quite nearby.

“Thomas,” he whispered, fear teasing his voice apart like cotton candy. The grip on his hand tightened.

“This- This isn’t real, Orville, don’t…” the other man’s words fell from his mouth like lies. This time, Orville heard a quivering in his voice. “It’s not – it wasn’t like this when I –“

Something crashed against a window with a wet, squirming squelch and Orville let out a moan of dismay, pressing a hand into the side of his head roughly.

“Do you see it?” Orville asked, words little more than a wisp of wind, drowned out by white-sound silence. He heard Thomas swallow beside him, felt lithe fingers reaching and pressing at his wrist in an attempt to drown out his fear, searching for Orville’s pulse.

It rocketed at the touch.

“I see it.” Uncertain. Scared.

But Orville wasn’t crazy. It was real, he knew it. What they were seeing was –

What were they seeing?

tag list: @anonymousfoz @digital-chance @milatooo

(ask to be added)

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jadevalentine-writes · 1 year

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WIP Wednesday - LoZ Pre-BOTW Fic

Welp. RIP me. I lost the battle to the LoZ/Zelink blupees.

Zelda remembered the day that Link returned from the Great Hyrule Forest with the legendary sword clearly. It was difficult to forget a day that altered the trajectory of your life forever, though she did try. Now, she wished she could recall how Link felt as he knelt before her and her father and presented them with the blade to banish evil. She wished she would have asked.

Then, all she felt was her own unbridled rage.

Rage at the circumstances, rage at her own inadequacy which was thrown into stark relief with Link’s triumphant return. She remembered clenching her hands tightly in the folds of her dress to keep them from shaking. She remembered biting her tongue to keep from screaming as she watched the greatest swordsman in Hyrule, her bodyguard, of all people, unsheath the majestic blade with a flourish and then offer it on his palms to her father.

She remembered wishing he would have died in the woods like the dozen others that tried to find it.

It was all so unfair.

Three days prior, Zelda thought nothing of Link joining the search.

King Rhoam had sent out a rally cry across Hyrule, asking the best and bravest adventurers to gather at the castle for a quest unparalleled in their lifetime: the search for the legendary Master Sword. It was all a precaution, he explained, against an impending doom they would likely never encounter. If anything, he saw it was a way to unify the people. A bonding quest to unite the kingdom. He never anticipated the large turnout, but then again, King Rhoam did not know his people, not the way Zelda did.

They were not clinging to hope and rumor like the King. They were taking a chance for potential riches untold. She heard rumors from stablehands and maids that some contestants even surmised they could win Zelda’s hand in marriage if they returned with the sword, paying no heed to her only seventeen years of age or the blatant fact that she had better things to do than get married, especially to a chicken farmer from the central plains.

Regardless of the reason, hundreds poured through the gates and set up camp, literally, in Castle Town. Inns were overbooked and tents were pitched along the castle walls. It was utter chaos, but King Rhoam smiled with delight at the sight from one of the castle balconies.

“More eyes means a higher chance of finding the sword we need,” he had commented when Zelda joined him on the balcony a day before the search was to begin. He gestured to the tents bordering the walls of the town. “There will be many eyes.”

“And how many eyes have a chance of surviving?” Zelda asked as she gazed down to the crowded town far below. “The lore is vague, at best, and mythical items are seldom within easy reach.”

King Rhoam sighed. “There will be loss, of course, but nothing compared to the loss this kingdom will endure should Calamity strike when we are unarmed.”

Zelda squeezed her hands together as she glanced at one of the inner courtyards where a partially functional Guardian sat. They would not be unarmed, regardless of having a single special sword, if she could dedicate the time to more technological research. She did not speak, however, as she knew her words would not be heard. They had the argument too many times before. Research and experimentation were no place for a princess who was meant to save the kingdom.

Yet each day that slipped by was one day more without her unlocking her supposed powers and every hour she “wasted” was noted by the king’s steel gaze. Zelda hoped her lack of success was because the foretold Calamity would skip her generation, and that her unfortunate offspring would have to bear the burden.

Wisdom told her otherwise, of course. The issue was not with lineage or timing, it was with her. She was the failure, the weak link in her family’s history. She would be the cause of Hyrule’s downfall, the cause of death and plague and strife. And there was nothing she could do as it hurtled towards her.

It was selfish to pray to the Goddess for the Master Sword to never be found, but she did anyway that night. She begged and pleaded for it to stay lost, because then at least she could be at peace with her supposed insufficiency.

Zelda learned, however, that the Goddess could be cruel.

***

On the day of the start of the hunt, Zelda was surprised to not find Link outside her bedroom door as usual. She eyed the unfamiliar guard with barely concealed hostility.

“Where is my guard?” she asked firmly.

The man swallowed, and his armor rattled as he shifted his grip on his halberd.

“I am your guard today, your highness.”

Zelda rolled her eyes and made a mental note to add a mental aptitude test to the royal guard entry exam in the future.

“I can see that, but you are not my bodyguard. Where is Link?”

The man swallowed again, and the halberd swayed nervously.

“Link is participating in the quest for the Master Sword, your highness. He and many of the knights are participating.”

Zelda was moving before he had taken a step, her full ceremonial dress be damned.

She found King Rhoam alone in their private dining hall and did not spare him her fury.

“Link is participating in the quest?!” Zelda cried as she stomped towards him.

King Rhoam sighed and gently set his teacup down on its saucer. “Yes. Why shouldn’t he? He’s the most competent weaponsman in the entire royal guard, let alone the best knight I’ve seen in my lifetime. All factors which played a large role in choosing him to be your bodyguard, mind you.”

Zelda almost let out a growl of frustration, but a subtle clank in the corner drew her attention. She stopped, at once feeling childish at her outburst as she realized who else was in attendance.

Of course the king would not be anywhere without his bodyguard. And of course his bodyguard was Micah, captain of the guard, and father to the very subject of her rage.

“Micah…” she breathed. “I am sorry.”

Micah waved a gloved hand and shook his head.

“No need, princess. I am quite proud of the boy. He would also be proud that his absence at your side is so fiercely missed.”

Micah smiled, but instead of calming her as it usually did, Zelda felt her face heat unexpectedly.

“Worry not,” Micah continued as the guard from outside Zelda’s room finally entered, nearly doubled over with shortness of breath, “I’ll be sure to assign the best runner-up to be your guard in the meantime.”

Zelda stood straighter and smoothed her skirts gently while avoiding her father’s glare.

“Please see that you do.”

She then turned on her heel and left without breakfast, an already weary guard and her father’s disapproval at her back.

***

Then, she stood in stony silence as her father delivered a speech she could not recall to bolster the spirits of the brave men and few women who were embarking on the perilous quest.

Now, she remembered how she desperately searched the crowd, trying to find his face.

***

The first participants gave up in a matter of hours. They returned to Castle Town, defeated, to retrieve their bedrolls and head home. They made comments of a steep climb and a winding path into a wood that felt unwelcoming.

***

The next day found a large swath of contestants returning, also unsuccessful, but more rattled. They spoke of an oppressive fog, of wandering for hours only to wind up back where they started, of whispers from spirits that could not be seen, but were felt, like warm breath on your cheek. Some were examined psychologically, and after being given a sedative and resting, seemed normal enough to be released by the royal infirmary.

***

That night there were screams as the first dead were found.

They were ferried on stretchers, or what was left of them was.

Some claimed it was wolves, having come down from the mountains. Others said they had turned on each other in madness.

Those that believed in more than prophecy knew the marks for what they were: the tooth and claw of monsters, monsters that the world had not seen in hundreds of years.

***

The second day was filled with silence.

The silence of defeat. The silence of funeral.

#legend of zelda #pre-botw #pre-breath of the wild #breath of the wild #wip wendesday #untitled zelda fic

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prince-everhard · 1 year

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Weekly Oneshot Challenge - week 16

Title: Responsibility

Fandom: Naruto

Rating: gen

Word count: 814

Summary: Team Seven gets their first mission. [part of the mokuton sakura rewrite]

“I can’t believe we’re really about to go on our first super-cool ninja mission!” Naruto was practically bouncing as they waited outside the doors of the mission office. “I wonder what it’ll be! Do ya think we’re gonna go rescue a princess from some evil samurai? Ooh, ooh, maybe we’ll be bodyguards for a famous actor! What do you guys think?”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his head already turned as far away from Naruto as he could get without breaking his neck. One of her new teammates was melodramatic, the other was hyper and dramatic. Sakura sighed, but still, she took pity on her loud teammate. Who knew? Maybe one day they’d be friends. “I don’t know, Naruto. My dad says genin missions tend to be a little… boring.” Naruto halted his bouncing. Even Sasuke seemed to lessen the degree of don’t want to be here in his body language. At least, Sakura hoped so. Sensei had his face buried in a book that honestly made her want to rip it from his hands and slam it in the nearest trashcan. She shook her head. “Before we can go on ‘super-cool ninja missions,’ we have to learn the process of completing a mission and behaving professionally, so that we represent the village well.”

“Wow, Sakura! Your dad sounds like he knows his stuff! Is he a ninja too?”

Now she knew that Sasuke was definitely paying attention, if only because he’d turned back enough that she could see facial features. “He’s a jounin, but not on the active duty roster…” Sakura was saved from having to explain exactly what her dad did by the chunin assistant that waved them into the mission office.

Naruto wasted no time marching into the middle of the room and pointing his finger straight at the Hokage. “I’m gonna be sitting in that seat some day, old man, so you’d better give me a super awesome hardcore mission!”

In the wake of Naruto’s bellow, Sakura honestly just wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. She glanced at Sasuke, and he shared a look with her of honest shock and embarrassment. Even their sensei had lowered his book and was looking sternly at Naruto.

The Hokage, however, just chuckled, holding his hand out to the chunin next to him for a scroll. “A super awesome hardcore mission, eh Naruto?”

“The awesome-est, you’d better believe it!”

The Hokage shook his head, but he was smiling behind his pipe. “You know, Hayase, I think I will give them that mission you suggested earlier. I think that particular mission is perfectly suited to Team Seven.”

The Hokage took the scroll from the chunin and held it out to Naruto. “Oh boy oh boy oh boy super special awesome hardcore ninja mission here we come!”

“Naruto,” the Hokage interrupted, voice firmer than before. “Make sure you open that outside, with your sensei and your teammates. And maybe after you complete the mission, Kakashi will teach you how to return from such a mission.”

Naruto beamed. “Of course, old man! We won’t let you down!”

“Weeding?!” The disgust and disappointment in Naruto’s voice was matched by his face as he chucked the scroll and collapsed- are you freaking kidding me? Sakura couldn’t help but think as her teammate planted himself cross-legged on the ground and actually pouted.

Kakashi-sensei caught the scroll out of the air and read it himself. “Yep,” he confirmed, voice full of cheer. Sakura wasn’t sure if it was false or if sensei was that happy about Naruto’s despair. Considering how deeply embarrassingly he’d acted, she was a little happy about it herself. “Looks like Gabana-san needs us to weed his vegetable garden and spread some new mulch around his flowerbeds.”

Easy enough for a first mission. Sakura thought about her own family’s garden at home and smiled. “Well, it’s not glamorous, but at least it’s a simple job.”

“Tch.” Sasuke looked between all of them with a scowl. “Weeding a garden seems a little beneath us.”

Sakura saw red, and not only because she took care of her family’s garden while her parents were away. She opened her mouth to say something back- and honestly, she had no idea what but she was so mad at her teammates for acting like children- when Kakashi thumped his book down on the boys’ heads, one after the other. “Your Hokage has given you a mission, kiddos.” Kakashi, despite not even putting that stupid book away, seemed to loom over them. Sakura closed her mouth, her throat suddenly dry. “And regardless of your opinions of your status as a ninja, right or wrong, you will complete the mission to the absolute best of your ability. Got it?”

Kakashi’s eye crinkled as he looked over them. “Now, let’s go pull some weeds.”

“Yes sensei!”

“You’d better believe it!”

“Tch. Whatever.”

#fanfic #naruto #mokuton sakura #prince fic #weekly oneshot challenge #posting a little early because my schedule has been crazy recently #but this fic lives!!!

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sapphicsaus · 2 years

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regal ties (pt. 3) - wanda maximoff

a/n: this is my birthday post! hope you all enjoy!

i ii iii iv v vi

Wanda refused to admit she already missed your company.

Pietro wasn’t boring, and of course she missed him, but he knew her. He knew how desperately she wishes to push his buttons, but he wouldn’t allow it.

That’s why she enjoyed you. You seemed to do her bidding, a loyal soldier. She could do whatever she liked to you, and you’d just have to take it.

“I don’t trust her, brother.” Pietro sighs, holding the hilt of his sword as they walk along. “She is better than you assume. She is a fine soldier, a warrior. I trust her with my life.”

“That is phenomenal, really…but…if she cannot save me from drowning-“

“That was a stunt you pulled, Wanda. You tricked her.”

“Ah! Never mind that!” He shakes his in disappointment, chuckling as they continue to walk on the bridge. Her eyes drifted down, not far from the bridge. She saw the path to the dock, and noticed something.

Stopping as Pietro began to speak again, she saw you. Leaving that girl’s house. The one she saw you wave at before. You were both laughing as she pushed you out of her cottage, she shoved your jacket in your hands, before pulling you in for a passionate kiss.

Wanda almost gasped, but she held to herself. She watched as you separated, a goofy smile on your face she couldn’t quite see as you watched the redhead walk back in. When you turned around, you began walking up, but felt eyes on you.

You looked up to see no one there, frowning as you began your trek up the hill back to the stables to sleep due to how light it had become.

When you made it back to the castle the next morning, you walked through the halls, searching for the prince and princess. After a minute or so, you recognized the man walking before you, regarding him with a smile.

“Commander Rogers!” The man chuckles, engulfing you in a hug. “Y/LN.” You two separate, not knowing that Wanda was listening in from behind the door next to you. “How is the princess?” The question makes you scoff as your jaw clenched.

“No comment.” The man laughs, patting you on your arm. “I could put in a word, maybe-“ You hold a hand up in refusal. “No, that is quite alright. I-“ The door creaks open, startling you as you see Wanda standing before you.

“Y/LN, Rogers.”

You look away from her with a clench of your jaw, your eyes on the floor. “My brother had to walk me to my cottage.” You frown. “I had the day off.”

“The day ends when the sun sets.” You can feel the glare, and the air becomes tense as Steve looks between you. “You are dismissed, Steven.” Steve gulps, bowing as he walks off. “Y/LN.”

You refused to acknowledge her. She was testing yo- “Y/N! Look at me when I speak to you, please!” You quickly gulp, looking at you. “Come inside, now.”

“I-I cannot, I need to find your brother.”

“Than I shall come with you.”

“Princess-“ Your voice cracked. “Princess, it is a personal matter.” Then she starts to laugh.

“You’ve conceded.”

“I do not understand?”

“You are like a pussy cat. I have pushed you to your limit in two days, and I intend to continue.” She smiles.

Your eyes widen in fear. You begin to stammer on your words, and she continues to smile. “You evil-“

“Who was that girl?” The question stopped your voice and you frowned again. “What?”

“Who’s the girl, Y/N? From our walk, and the one you spent your day with? Does the king know his first in command is involved with lowly common folk?”

“I don’t have time for this, princess.” You shake your head, walking in the direction opposite of her. Groaning as you can hear her footsteps moving towards you. “Listen, I apologize for my hostility.” At that you scoff.

“Are you mad?! You grill me like a hog, and then immediately say “I apologize.”, insanity this is.”

The days after that interaction hadn’t gotten easier. Despite the convoy being ready, the king made no move. Steve and Pietro had updated you, saying it could truly be weeks or months until they made some treaty so the fighting wouldn’t happen.

You escorted Wanda everywhere. Dances, tea parties, dinners. You kept silent, obedient. She kept you so busy, you barely had time to see Natasha.

So thankfully one day, she called you and Anna into her room one morning. Not thankfully, but still.

She was sick.

“Do you want me to notify the doctors to come and take a look at you.” It was a stupid question to ask, but she was a stubborn one, you’d heard. She nodded, so it must’ve been bad.

You raced your horse to the city where the royal service lived, running up into the doctors small office, before riding him to the princess. Word spread, and commoners began to whisper.

And in her daze, so did Wanda.

When she saw you there, patting her forehead with a cold compress, she looked into your y/ec eyes in awe. If no one was there, she’d kiss you just to taste what that girl had. She assumed it would taste like strawberries, you love those she noticed.

Or heard…from Pietro of course.

“You’re alright, my Princess.” Your voice so soft and smooth, and she was your Princess. Forget Sokovia. She didn’t want you to go, but the king had gotten there, Pietro by his side.

The king had dismissed everyone but Doctor Banner and the Prince from leaving. Their mother was out of the kingdom discussing dowries, and possible arrangements for her daughter’s marriage. God, Wanda didn’t want that.

She didn’t want to have to look at you and whomever that girl was, fawning over one another. It’s all she saw. when you got out there. The girl stood with a tall burly man whom Wanda recognized as the butcher from when she was young.

There was a smaller but older woman, next to a shorter blond, and you stood with them in the street, conversing. “CLEAR THE STREETS” The soldiers yelled, and you did, disappearing from sight completely.

The next day, you came in to check on her.

“You look slightly less flushed.”

“Mm.”

You sat with her all day, not against your will. You were actually advised to stay clear, but Pietro sent you to read her a favorite that she got for her 16th. “Leave it up to you to save 30 Shakespeare sonnets.”

“You know I’ve met him twice.”

“Oh! Wow, that is amazing.” Conversation seemed to be friendly, and you both forgot that you loathed one another.

You read them, and the romantic ones hit her harder as your smooth as silk voice vibrates off of the wood. She fell asleep soon after, and you admired her in all her pale beauty.

“Goodnight, my Princess.”

Tags:

@sadpiscesheart

#wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff au #natasha romanoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader #natasha romanoff x reader

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 2 years

Note

Hi friend 👋 I just recently found out about the necromancer that Mark plays in The mystic crystal 😅 and was wondering if you could do a Necromancer Mark x reader where she's from the same universe as Danny and Ninja Brian and when the final confrontation happens, she realizes that Mark is her soul mate and somehow convinces him to let the princess go, and persuades him to come with her?

If not I completely understand ☺️

Oooo soulmate stuff!! I haven’t done that in forever. I had to look back on my blog for inspiration and I’m going with this prompt:

“Soulmates that feel each other’s pain (as in any physical pain inflicted on one is felt by the other)”

......................

Why was the Necromancer so evil? Where did all that hatred come from?

Was he born with it or...could he have been good once?

Those were questions that plagued your curious mind during the journey to the infamous Necromancer’s lair. You, Brian, and Danny were dragged from your world and sent on this perilous quest to defeat him and save the Princess.

Yep, some generic fairytale you three were thrown in. And none of you have the slightest clue what to expect once you finally met this evil-doer.

All you knew about him was from the King’s mouth--how he was vile, crude, destructive and...basically every other bad word in the dictionary. His abilities apparently involved fire, lightning, undead armies, and whatever powers the mystic crystal that imprisoned the Princess had.

In short, you were fucked.

Yet..you couldn’t help but wonder if this Necromancer was just an asshole for no reason or if he had some tragic backstory attached to him (as many villains did). You asked Danny and Brian, and both of them didn’t really care about his motivations.

“We got a hot princess to save, [y/n]!” Danny would tell you. “What else matters?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” You sigh, adjusting the shield on your back.

Were you suppose to throw this like Captain America? Or just to defend the pair from attacks?

Perhaps both. You were a bit too eager to use it.

......

At last you reached the Necromancer’s hideout after getting past all of his defenses. Your “trusty noble” steeds immediately abandoned you the moment you dismounted, but did you blame them? No.

You would’ve been running scared shitless, too, if you didn’t make a promise to the King.

So you pressed onwards and entered the crystal-filled cavern, noticing skulls and bats with glowing yellow eyes all around. As Brian and Danny strutted in with all the confidence in the world, you remained cautious, urging them to stay behind your shield.

“Let’s not get too cocky, alright? We have no idea what we’re up against.”

“Pssh, this’ll be a piece of cake.” Danny dismissed. “Unless the bells of doom toll, we’re safe! He’ll never see us comi-”

As if right on cue, you heard the bells toll as everything around you turned red. And you looked to him in annoyance.

“You were saying-?”

Suddenly a swarm of bats started attacking you, and you shielded him, Brian, and yourself as you all ran further into the cave-

Straight into the throne room of the Necromancer himself.

“So..you’ve come from another world to kill me.” He grinned, pridefully admiring the crystal in his hands before setting it down. Within it, the Princess’ image was just barely visible.

“That’s right!” Danny boasted. “The King sent us to stop you for good!”

“No, he sent you idiots to DIE!!" The Necromancer rose up, wielding his staff, though he noticed you and paused for a moment. “Another fair maiden? Huh..are you sure you wish to fight me? I’d hate to ruin such a pretty face.”

“Not if I ruin yours first.”

He huffed. “We’ll see about that!!” From his hand he fired a lightning bolt, but you deflected it with your shield, blasting a nearby rock to bits.

‘Wow this is a pretty strong shield..’ Before you could decide your next move, you heard Danny gasp.

“Wait! I know how to stop him!”

“Huh?” You and Brian glanced at him, seeing him holding a hand to his head, looking to you with wide eyes and a big smile.

“The Princess spoke to me! We must use the power of love!” Suddenly a teddy bear appeared in his hands.

“Wait where did you...huh??” Glancing at the ninja archer, you saw that he somehow manifested Valentine’s Day balloons and a cake.

The Necromancer looked on, being just as confused as you.

“Stand back, guys! I’m gonna hug him-!!”

Immediately the hero in blue spandex was zapped, shattering both legs and being thrown across the room. As Brian rushed to his aid, you realized too late that the Necromancer was charging at you next, swinging his staff to sweep your leg and send you to the ground-

“OW!!”

A man’s scream was heard, but not from Danny or Brian.

But from the villain himself.

You saw him collapse to one knee, groaning as he felt a sharp pain in the side of his head. He held it with gritted teeth, before looking up to see you holding that exact same spot where you hit your head. His golden eyes blinked in bewilderment.

“Wh..What is this?!! What sort of pain magic are you using on me?!” He snapped.

“I didn’t do anything! All I have is this shield.” You huffed, rubbing your head as you stood back up. “You hit like a girl, by the way.”

“..oh how DARE YOU?!!” He sprung up as well and sent out a fireball. Although you dodged it, some of the flames managed to singe your elbow. You hissed in pain as it left a burn mark on your flesh.

The Necromancer yelped again and brushed invisible flames away from his own elbow, noticing you were burned in the same spot, too. “H-How is this possible?!! How are you deflecting your pain back to me?!!”

“I don’t know! Is it technically deflecting if I’m feeling it, too?”

He was about to try a new attack, though he stopped and realized something. “Wait, if I’m feeling whatever you’re feeling, then....” But he shook his head. “No, that’s impossible.”

“What’s impossible?”

“I’ve heard of something like this. It’s...the magic of soulmates. It takes many forms, including one where they feel each other’s pain...” He looked at his taloned claws, trembling.

‘Soulmates..that’s right.’ You had forgotten. How could you?

Back in your world, soulmates existed and they found each other in countless ways--whether it involves strings or tattoos or countdowns. You’ve had yet to encounter yours, assuming you had the type where something special only happens once you meet them.

Could this evil man from a medieval universe possibly be your soulmate?

While the Necromancer continued monologuing, you decided to test something out. So you approached him, putting your shield on your back before flicking him on the forehead. “Ow!”

“Ouch..” You winced, once again feeling that same pain, but sure enough that confirmed it. He was the one. “Well, uh...this is awkward...” You trailed off, tensing as he stared at you, though not with hatred but with sadness.

“I can’t believe it. All this time, I thought everyone in this stupid kingdom had a soulmate except for me. I thought...I was destined to be alone, forgotten...unloved.” He turned his gaze to the crystal so you didn’t see the tears welling in his eyes. “I-I consulted the King’s wizards out of desperation, and even they could not tell me..”

“So you mean to tell me that you’re only evil because you weren’t sure if you had a soulmate?”

His silence told you that was true. ‘This couldn’t get anymore cliche..but damn, can’t believe my own soulmate doesn’t exist in my world.’

Although not what you expected, you couldn’t be happier to finally find him...even though he tried killing you and your friends only moments ago.

Speaking of whom, you noticed Brian pick up Danny--who was somehow still alive--like a weapon, but you put a hand up to stop him from coming over, mouthing a “wait”. His eyebrows only furrowed in slight confusion, though he didn’t move.

“I only stole the Princess to make her mine..” Hearing the Necromancer speak up, you glanced back at him, seeing him now holding the crystal. “Because I thought fate denied me a soulmate, but..it was you all along. A lovely lady from another world, brought to mine to kill me.”

“Well, it’s not what I expected either.” You awkwardly chuckled. “But look, I don’t wanna kill you. I don’t think either of us wanna. We can end this peacefully.”

“How?”

“Set her free and come home with us.” Putting a hand out, you offered him a sincere smile. “You don’t have to stay here and be miserable and edgy and all that. You can be happier in my world, with your soulmate.”

Still, he was hesitant to accept your offer, frowning deeply. “It sounds too good to be true, though..”

Then he looked up at you suddenly. “Strike me again. Just so I know it’s not a trick.”

‘Damn, is this guy a masochist or something?’ Danny laid there in Brian’s arms, bewildered as they both watched you kick the villain in the shins, both of you in pain after the fact.

While he was recovering, you grabbed the crystal and shattered it into pieces, freeing the Princess at last. Having watched the entire ordeal, she was astonished that her heartless abductor actually had a heart, after all, yet she smiled and thanked you, Danny, and Brian for rescuing her.

You managed to fully convince the Necromancer--learning his name was Mark--to come back with you to the kingdom. He was understandably afraid to, but went along with you anyway, using his powers for good as he summoned skeletal steeds for the five of you to ride back on.

Upon returning to the King, Danny was healed and everybody rejoiced....until Mark was revealed to be right behind you, in which they panicked. The guards moved to arrest him, but you and the Princess insisted that he was good now that he had found his soulmate.

Obviously nobody believed it, and he was gonna say some snarky shit but you elbowed him in the gut to demonstrate the bond, causing both of you to wince at the same exact time.

Realizing it was true, the King apologized--aware that he played a role in Mark’s fall from grace--but was hesitant to let him go with you.

“Are you sure you wish to take him? You’ve seen what he’s capable of.”

“I am aware of the risks. But I can assure you of this, Your Majesty..he won’t bring harm to these lands ever again. Or any lands in any reality.”

"...very well, then I give you permission to take him with you.”

Upon hearing this, Mark openly wept right there in the throne room, falling to his knees as you knelt next to him to comfort him. You were quite tearful yourself as you finally found your soulmate after years of never knowing if you had one at all.

It was a shock to everyone, considering nobody’s ever seen the evil and hotheaded Necromancer cry before, though it was still a touching sight. It even made Danny cry a little.

Soon the magic portal opened, and the four of you soon departed, eager to go home. Though not before Brian killed one of the wizards to “maintain his rep”.

Once you arrived back in your world, only then did Mark let go of your hand, looking all around at the apartment you shared with the two men--plus a third roommate who was just chilling on the couch.

You chuckled at his confusion. “It’s not a castle, but it’s home. Welcome to New Jersey, Mark.”

“New Jersey..” He looked all around, then back to you with a light smile. Not an evil smirk. “I could get used to this. Thank you..and I’m sorry for everything.”

“No worries. We’re together now even though we had to cross 26 dimensions to find you.” You chuckled as you patted his cheek, kissing him soon after.

The blush on his face grew and he attempted to hide it with his cloak. “D-Don’t bewitch me with your charms, [y/n].”

Danny just sighed and smiled fondly at you two.

The princess was right.

The power of love defeated the Necromancer.

#clanask #iplier egos x reader #the necromancer x reader #necromancer x reader #necromancer mark x reader #nsp x reader #soulmate au #female reader

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har-rison-s · 3 years

Text

pray, do tell

request: If you don’t mind me asking, request for Loki asking the other Loki’s if they have a s/o in their timeline during episode 5?

a/n: hi ! i absolutely ADORE this idea and i hope i'll write it out respectfully :)) i loved episode 5 so much, except for SOME scenes, and i especially enjoyed multiple lokis sitting around and talking, chilling, that's like... my dream place to be. YOU DON'T KNOW THE EFFECT PRESIDENT LOKI HAS ON ME. like it should be studied in labs and schools cos ??????? that feeling when he's on screen was just something else. also ! kid loki holding alligator loki my beloved <3. i'd love to be surrounded by lokis, me and loki actually have the same personality type so they're like... my people. sorry for the rant, hahah ! this one is a bit shorter than my other loki works, sorry about that :/ also it took me like 40 minutes to find decent gifs lmao. happy reading !! <3

masterlist

mcu masterlist

warnings: nothing really

disclaimer: lokis mentioned have he/him pronouns !

Weirded out by what he's seeing, and not entirely sure it's real, Loki can't take his eyes off it, either. The way alligator Loki drinks his boxed wine is just so fascinating to him, yet weird and other-wordly (he knows those well) at the same time. And he's weirded out more by the fact that he doesn't find a variant of him being an alligator strange in any way. He's had a few trying days, as he said himself.

Loki manages to divert his eyes off the creature with horns on its head and looks to the grapes he holds in his hand. He picks small dirt away from the berries and takes a grape into his mouth with ease. The taste reminds him of many things. His childhood, his home, his family... Thor, Frigga, Odin, Sif and the Warriors Three. Asgard. The Gardens, the waters, the Bifrost. Heimdall. Visits to the city, the markets, the celebrations.

Love.

Loki blinks, fooling himself and others by aiming to portray that he's not thinking about anything important. But he is. She was the most important thing to him, and now... Well, maybe during the New York heist, she's still fine, but after Ragnarok... Loki fears too much to think about it.

He wishes he could remember everything with her that followed New York, but all he has of their future is some worn-out tape in the TVA archives. Perhaps even pictures... He wants to live through all they had now, he wishes he could do that most of all. Of course, there's the finding Mobius and helping Sylvie burn down the TVA thing, but upon remembering her, it all falls into the background.

His first love. Not a god, like him, but she was a goddess in his eyes. He smiles now, subtly, at the fond memories of her. He noticed the little moments he had with her in the tape Mobius had, about his whole future. How beautiful she always was, her subtle way of laughing and going about her smiles and giggles, how exceptional and different her clothes always were, how her hair shined in any light...

“Did any of you...” Loki starts to say, and sighs shortly before continuing, thinking he'll probably regret asking it, “did any of you leave a... a lover behind when the TVA arrested you? Prince or princess?” He looks between his variants. Young Loki shoots him a stern look. “Apologies, my liege. You seem too young for that.” Loki bids him a polite smile, but his brain whirs. “How long have you been here, anyway?”

“Don't know. Time doesn't really... exist here.” Young Loki says and throws a salt biscuit into alligator Loki's jaws. “But no lovers in my lifetime, Loki.” He pointedly looks at the older variant of himself, nodding slightly.

“Not yet, at least.” Loki points out and gets scoffs and chuckles from Boastful and Classic Loki. He looks at them with a furrowed brow.

“Oh, you and your grand plan,” Classic Loki shakes his head before taking another sip from his huge cup. Loki only rolls his eyes, but still waits for answers to his question, “well,” Classic Loki downs his drink, “it would be no surprise to you that I had countless partners before I chose isolation. Partners of any kind.” He winks. Loki nods, understanding how much alike he truly is with his variants. “But I feel there is no one truly... truly made for me. Like midgardians would say - 'the one'.“

“In my case, there were many 'the ones',” Boastful Loki says, mocking Classic's use of words. All other Lokis roll their eyes, “I actually feel like every person in the whole universe was made to be with me. I'm just that irresistible.” He smiles pleasantly to himself. Alligator Loki growls again.

“That's another “liar” from him to you, Boast,” Classic Loki nods his head towards Boastful, who only shakes his head and frowns.

“I had my fair share of men and women before I was taken,” Boastful says, “must have been the same for you, Loki.” He looks at him. “Asgard was truly a giving place.”

Loki chuckles, but looks away from his variants. “Oh, it was...” he says quietly, “it was.” His voice grows even more quiet. Young and Classic Loki exchange a look.

“Do tell us, your mischievousness.” Classic Loki urges him. Loki shoots him a nervous look, then he leans back into the sofa and sighs, his eyes strictly focused on his hands.

“I had plenty before I met... one,” he starts to say, “me and her share a past, and, it seems, a future as well. After New York, I am taken to Asgard, imprisoned, but she is there. I fake my death and rule over Asgard as Odin, and she's there. I help Thor destroy our evil sister--”

“Oh, she was a nasty one.” Boastful says, shaking his head. “We used to have a connection, but then she just... I don't even know.” He shrugs. Loki eyes him for a second before continuing.

“We destroyed Asgard, but saved its people, and saved her. We make for Midgard, and she's there with me.” Loki sighs, his eyes gloomy. “And then... Thanos attacks, destroys half, if not all our people, and...” he can't even speak further. His variants share a look, each having quite the correct guess for what could follow after that. Boastful drinks from his cup in an awkward manner. “But I feel like that's another life I lived. Or another me. I don't know, I feel so... disconnected from her, from what we had. Must be the TVA and this... void. And all that's happened, all I've learned about my future.” He sighs again.

“Meeting her again would be a wake-up call, no?” Boastful asks. Loki shrugs, a sad expression on his face.

“Rather a sign that you're real.” Classic Loki says with a wide, true smile. Loki looks to him as if looking at a mentor. “I often felt like the people I loved and the love I had for them, even if it was not reciprocated, were a reminder that I am real, I exist and I can feel all these things.”

Loki considers his words, and then nods along, finding a truth in them.

“After all, love and all other emotions are the human part in all of us.” Classic says. “And it isn't always bad to feel like a regular human being.” Loki can also find truth in those words. Love makes one feel alive, makes you feel like you're on the right path, found the right person, found your purpose. It doesn't always have to be glorious, it can be small, but nonetheless important to you.

“I used to think humans smaller than us, more pathetic and puny, but...” Loki shakes his head, “we, gods, are just the same, really.” He chuckles sadly. “Having quarrels over the stupidest things, being as imperfect as humans... Sometimes I even felt like I was too good, too perfect for something like true love, which is a pathetic emotion that makes you feel all kinds of other feelings, but...” he smiles, “often times I felt like that, she told me everyone was deserving of love, even me.” His smile grows wider.

“She sounds lovely.” Classic Loki tells him with a kind smile.

“She was that, and more.” Loki nods along. Young Loki imitates the sound of a snore and throws a crumpled piece of paper at Loki's shoulder.

“You're making me extremely bored.” He announces and sits straighter in his chair, looking over the mess that is his palace. “Love's boring.” Young Loki throws a juice carton across the room, making a face.

“You are just too young to understand and know it, your majesty.” Boastful says with a wink, and the next juice carton is flying over his head with a snicker from Young Loki. Classic Loki keeps Boastful tight in his seat so an argument wouldn't arise, and Boastful hesitantly restrains, his drink almost spilling over his cup. Loki watches them with a sappy smile on his features, and decides this is a good place to spend eternity at, even without her.

Permanent tag-list: @hallecarey1 @gabiatthedisco @v0idbella @works-of-fanfiction @destiel-stucky4ever-loki-queen @ur-gunna-h8-ths @betweenloveandfire @but-legendsneverdie @deardeacy @thewinchesterchronicles @mavieesttriste16 @intrrverted @the-freak-cassie-131 @beverlyparkerr @gasbomb69 @rottenstyx

let me know if you want to be added ! or maybe to a loki list !

#loki request #loki x reader #loki imagine #loki series #loki laufeyson x reader #loki laufeyson imagine #loki laufeyson imagines #loki oneshot #loki one shot #loki odinson x reader #loki odinson imagine #loki odinson imagines #har-rison-s writes #no but how old is kid loki?#how long has kid loki been in the void?#how long has classic loki been in the void?#how long has boastful loki been in the void?#which of them was the first???

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fangirl-writes · 4 years

Text

Pop Culture

Benny Weir x Reader

Request: hey i hope ur doing well! would u be able to do a benny x fem!reader where she’s really popular and has a crush on him and isn’t shy about it. benny likes her a lot too but he’s scared that she’ll just end up leaving him for another popular kid. so she makes multiple public declarations as well as takes him on a string of extravagant dates to show him how much she truly likes him.

Warning(s): none. A lot of star wars references. Like. A LOT.

Notes: I am doing fine thank you! Sorry for taking so long with this one. This was cute. I got a little side tracked from the main request and just went all in with the star wars theme, I’m so sorry.

Y/N L/N was one of the most popular girls in school. That was undoubtable. She was a cheerleader, head of the prom committee, former homecoming queen, and her parents were one of the richest people in town.

But the fact that she had the biggest crush on Benny Weir, resident star wars lover, science wiz, and all around huge geek? Unbelievable.

Extremely unbelievable in Benny’s opinion, even if she had grown up in the house across the street from him.

And Y/N wasn’t shy about her crush on him. In fact, she was very unsubtle about it.

She left him hoards of candy in his locker, hung a bouquet of roses for valentine’s day, and stood on a cafeteria table to wish him the grandest of happy birthdays.

“Benny!” She cooed as she walked down the hallway with some of her other friends, who were currently rolling their eyes so far into the back of their heads that the nerd squad thought they might get stuck.

“Oh, no,” Benny said, a blush spreading across his cheeks as she approached him, Ethan, and Rory, leaving her posse behind.

“Benny, I rented out the entire movie theater for a star wars marathon this weekend, if you’re free?” She asked.

Benny could barely concentrate on what she said because of how close she was. He could smell her sugary perfume and see the school fluorescents shining in her pretty (e/c) eyes.

He stumbled over his words for a minute before spitting out, “Can’t! Already got plans with Ethan, can’t back out, been planning it for months, years, a whole decade. Can’t miss it.”

“We have?”

Benny elbowed Ethan in the ribs.

“Oh. Right, those plans. Yeah.”

You frowned, looking disappointed. “Oh. Okay.”

Your smile returned for a minute. “Can we reschedule then? Is tonight good for you?”

“Ah, well, you know what-”

The screech of the school bell interrupted him and he looked relieved.

“Well, look at that, saved by the bell! Sorry, Y/N, gotta get to class.” He took off down the hallway. It was the fastest Ethan had ever seen Benny run.

You turned to Ethan, looking more devastated than ever. “He hates me, doesn’t he?”

“Who? Benny?” he replied. “No. No, he doesn’t hate you.”

“Then why does he keep giving me excuses? The old Benny would straight up turn me down...” You said, crossing your arms and staring at the floor.

Ethan put a hand on your shoulder. “Hey, Benny absolutely doesn’t hate you. He’s just...nervous, I guess.”

“Nervous?” You echoed. “About what?”

“Well, you’re really popular and he’s...well, he’s Benny. He’s just afraid that you’re gonna leave him for someone like David Stachowski.”

You pulled a face. “Hairy Dave? No thanks. He’s dog.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Ethan muttered.

“And you guys know I’m the same Y/N, right? Just because I run with a more popular crowd doesn’t mean I stopped liking nerdy things and stopped thinking about my nerdy friends.”

Ethan laughed. “It’s just a big change from how it used to be. You don’t have braces and a star wars backpack anymore.”

You returned the laugh, remembering how you used to be. “Well, I’ll just have to prove it to him. Will you help me?”

Ethan’s face contorted. “Ah, I don’t know...”

“Come on! Help me, Ethan Skywalker! You’re my only hope!”

Ethan sighed. You got him.

“Fine.”

“Yes!” You wrapped him in a hug. “Now let’s get to class!”

***

“Is everything ready?” You asked Ethan over the phone.

“Yeah, good on your end?” He replied.

“Yep. Movie theater is set. All up to you now.”

“On it.” He said before hanging up and shoving the phone in his pocket. He took a deep breath before bursting into Benny’s house and running up the stairs frantically.

“Benny!” Ethan shouted slamming his bedroom door open.

Benny let out a high pitched scream, falling from his desk chair onto the floor.

“They’ve got Y/N!”

“What?!” Benny bolted upright. “Who’s got Y/N?”

“A couple vampires out for revenge. They must have seen us talking at school the other day. They’ve got her trapped at the movie theater-”

“What are we waiting for?” Benny said, bolting out the door passed Ethan. “Let’s go! Grandma I’m taking the car!”

Ethan waved to Benny’s grandmother as he ran passed her, following Benny out the door.

He hoped this worked.

***

Benny parked the car and was about to run into the theater, guns blazing, but Ethan caught his elbow.

“Wait, wait, we can’t just burst in there! Look!” He said, pointing to the sign that read ‘Star Wars Original Trilogy Marathon - Tonight Only!’ People stood in a line out of the theater, dressed to impress in various Star Wars get ups.

Benny cursed. “Of course, the one time we need to get in there quickly they’re having a special screening.”

“We can use the side door,” Ethan said. “And here” - he handed Benny a storm trooper helmet - “we’ve gotta blend in or they’ll see us coming.”

Benny groaned. “They could be sucking her dry right now!”

“They want us, not her. And Y/N is not helpless. And I’ve got Erica and Sarah already in there scoping the place.”

“You called them before me!”

“They’re vampires!”

Benny just grumbled and put the helmet on, crossing his arms.

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Put on the costume and let’s go.”

***

Ethan and Benny snuck through the side door, dressed fully in storm trooper get up.

“This sucks, E. I can’t see a thing in this helmet.”

“What do you want from me, B?” Ethan retorted.

He suddenly let out a gasp and turned to Ethan. “Oh my god, E. This is a New Hope. I’m Han, you’re Luke, and Y/N is Leia. Yes! This is like my perfect dream.”

Ethan groaned. “I wish I could argue with you.”

“Ethan, Benny!”

The two turned to see Sarah and Erica running their way.

“What’re you guys doing here?” Ethan asked.

“What?” Benny turned to Ethan. “You called them, right?”

“Uh-”

“There’s a bunch of vampires here. Some of Jesse’s old friends that want revenge for his death.” Sarah explained.

“They’ve got the whole place on lockdown. They’re planning on locking all the star wars nerds in here and feasting.” Erica said.

“Oh my god, this is exactly like Star Wars!” Benny gushed.

“Yeah, okay, Han Solo, chill.” Ethan said. “But that does give me an idea. Where are they hiding?”

***

Erica scowled as Ethan and Benny led them up the stairs like prisoners. “I never agreed to being Chewbacca.”

“Shh. No choice.” Ethan retorted before pushing open the door to the control room.

There were three vampires sitting in there, they were staring out the small window, watching the movie before turning to the now open door.

“Who are you? And what have you here?” One of them sneered.

“We’re with you. Had to dress up to blend in. Caught these two trying to pull the fire alarm. Thought you might want to deal with them.”

Erica hissed at them and the leader, grabbed her by the chin. “Such a pretty face. Shame we’ll have to kill you.”

Erica kneed him in the crotch, making him groan.

“Look out! They’re loose!” Benny quoted, letting go of Sarah’s arms so that she could assist in beating the crap out of the three of them.

It was a good thing that Star Wars was a rather loud movie or the crowd might have been alarmed by all of the noise.

“All right, you scum,” Benny said, grabbing one that was barely conscious. “Where’s Y/N?”

“Benny-”

“Tell me!”

“Benny!”

“What?” Benny yelled at Ethan.

“They don’t have her. This was supposed to be a surprise for you. We were gonna find her in one of the empty rooms in the theater and then she was gonna take you to an empty theater and you two were gonna watch the marathon together. But now she’s alone in a room with a bunch of vampires around.”

“What?” Benny shouted. “For the love of- You go and get her, we’ll hold them here.”

“You mean we” - Erica gestured between her and Sarah - “will hold them.”

“Yeah, whatever, just go her!”

Benny pulled off the helmet and sighed.

“She really likes you, you know.” Sarah said.

“Come on,” Benny said with a bitter laugh. “Maybe right now, but once she gets me she’ll be off to the next guy in a week. That’s how they all are.”

“Not Y/N.” Erica replied. “She doesn’t get around. Never has. Her last boyfriend was a dick so if she’s pursuing you, she must really like you.”

Benny sighed. “Yeah, I know. I’m just scared. We kinda run in two different circles now, you know?”

“And you can’t overlap? According to what? The rules of high school? The world isn’t so black and white, Benny.” Sarah encouraged.

****

Ethan rushed down the hallway, looking on the door numbers for 2187 (a number you had modified for the surprise).

“Yes!” Ethan said, reaching the door. He quickly pulled it open to find you laying there on a table, decked out in an impressive Princess Leia costume. It looked like you’d fallen asleep.

“Y/N!” He called and you sat up.

“Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” You said cheekily. “Where’s Benny?”

Ethan rolled his eyes, pulling off his helmet. “No time!”

“Come on, say the line!”

“What? No, you don’t understand-”

“Ethan! Say the line!” You whined.

He sighed. “I’m Ethan Skywalker, I’m here to rescue you.”

You grinned broadly. “Thank you.”

“But seriously, I’m rescuing you. There are vampires here, and we need to get back to Benny, Sarah, and Erica.

“What?” You shouted, processing the information.

“Sarah and Erica are vampires. Good ones. But there are evil ones here that are planning on sucking the souls out of everyone in the theater and we’ve got to get them and you out of here.”

“What? Where’s Benny?”

“Come on!” Ethan encouraged and, just like the movie, you ran out first despite not knowing where you were going.

***

You met back up with Benny, Sarah, and Erica in the hallway, as they were backed against the wall with more vampires on the way.

“Where are they all coming from?” Sarah said, spraying a holy water gun and knocking one down.

“I don’t know but I know for sure we can’t get out that way.” Benny said.

“Looks like you cut off our only escape route. All the doors are that way!” You replied.

“Oh, I’m sorry, perhaps you'd like it back in your cell, Princess Leia!” Benny bit back at you sarcastically.

“Ethan, are the sprinklers still lined with holy water?”

“I don’t know. I never did anything to take it out.”

“Let’s give it a try!” Erica said, pulling out her lighter and holding it up to the sprinkler above her head, covering herself with her leather jacket and Sarah holding up an umbrella she had been using as a weapon.

The water almost immediately started spraying out, setting off the fire alarm and soaking the vampires attacking you, burning and hissing all the way down.

“What is your problem?” You hissed at Benny.

“Well, we wouldn’t be cornered if you hadn’t lured me here! And by using Ethan! I feel betrayed!”

“Oh, I’m sorry for trying to prove to you that I like you!”

“Ha! If you really liked me you wouldn’t have become so popular! Leaving your real friends to rot in geek town!”

“That wasn’t my fault! I did what I liked! You guys are the ones who thought I needed to change just because I did similar activities to the other rich kids!”

“Guys!” Ethan interrupted. “Not the time! We need a way out. Now.”

“Oh for the love of-” You rolled your eyes and opened up the trash cute. “Everybody in!”

“Ew. Do we have to go full star wars?” Sarah asked.

“Would you rather chance the holy water river?” You replied, pointing to the floor that was slowly filling up with more water.

“Good point. Let’s go!”

Sarah entered first, followed by Erica, then Ethan, then you, then Benny.

You all were spit out into the dumpster that was full of candy wrappers, old popcorn, and soda cups.

Erica toppled into Sarah and Ethan rammed into her. You managed to avoid their collision only to have Benny slam into you from behind.

You all groaned at the impact and rolled around for a minute, picking popcorn and sticky candy out of your hair and clothes.

“Oh, I’m gonna need a shower.” Ethan groaned.

“After this I think you all deserve a spa.” You said. “I’ll buy.”

“You better.”

“Well, that was not how I foresaw this night going,” You said, standing up with the others and pulling a candy wrapper out of your hair.

Benny stood up, picking garbage off his clothes, and let out a chuckle. “What? Did you think that I was gonna give in just because of your big gesture?”

You turned on him with fiery eyes. “Would you just get it through your thick skull? I like you, okay? I’m not gonna break up with you in a week, I’m not gonna cheat on you, I’m not gonna try to convert you to a jock. Benny I’ve liked you since third grade! I just got enough confidence to tell you and you keep avoiding me every chance you get! If you don’t like me would you just tell me? It would save me a lot of time and money!”

“Not that that would be a problem for you, rich girl!”

“Well, I’m sorry my parents are wealthy! I’m sorry you live with your grandmother and not in a mansion! We’re different but quit painting me as the villain in your pathetic hero story!”

You both were fuming at each other. Erica, Sarah, and Ethan were standing with wide eyes watching this go down.

“Well, maybe if you had just stuck with your real friends we wouldn’t be in this situation!”

“I did! You guys are the ones who treated me like I’d been converted to a cult!”

“Not much different!”

“What is your problem with popular people? You have some sort of nerd code that says you can’t get along with them? Weren’t you the one who was friends with David Stachowski?”

“That’s a different story! He chose us!”

“So did I!”

“No. You didn’t choose us, you chose to have sleepovers with the cheerleaders and go to country club parties and be homecoming queen!”

“I can have more than one group of friends, you know? But do you know who I had hoped would be there for me when I needed it? You guys. Ethan was. You’re the one who keeps running away from me!”

“Well, I’m sorry I think I’m not good enough for you!”

“You’ve always been good enough for me!”

“Well, then I guess I’m saying yes!”

“To what?”

“Everything. All of it. Every date you’ve asked me on, every invitation to a dance, every declaration of love. Yes. I love you. Yes.”

Tears were in your eyes now and you threw yourself into his arms, burying your face into his neck.

Benny hugged you back, as tightly as he could without hurting you.

“You smell like garbage,” you whispered.

He laughed. “So do you.”

Suddenly there was clapping from behind you.

You turned to see Erica slow-clapping. “Well, as much fun and as that rom-com moment was. Can we get out of the dumpster now?”

And you did.

It was safe to say your Leia dress was probably ruined, but you would probably keep it anyway.

Benny held your hand all the way to the car.

You hoped this was the start of something wonderful.

#benny weir x reader #benny weir imagine #my babysitter's a vampire #my babysitter's a vampire imagine #my babysitter's a vampire x reader

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once-upon-a-pirate-ship · 1 year

Text

How Restlessly the Stars Do Gleam - Chapter 10: Lost and Found

Read it on AO3 from the beginning here.

You can find chapter 10 below the cut or on AO3.

There was a struggle of limbs, frantic and desperate but strong as Emma was pushed away but she pushed right back, rage and pent up aggression and months of no sleep, of living on the edge of her own blade—it all vanished when her opponent cried out.

Emma hesitated, just long enough for her to be thrown back, and she landed a few feet away, leaves and twigs and rocks digging into her palms that were braced behind her, but she didn’t care about that now.

The man—no, boy—surged forward, intending to strike at her, but she caught him easily, she’d done it a thousand times before, and her arms wrapped around him, bringing him to her chest, resting over her heart just where she’d felt him all this time.

“Leo,” she choked out, and he froze, no longer attempting to escape her embrace.

It was dark enough that he had to squint as he pulled back just enough to look at her, but he knew. She smelled like the forest and the sea, but also like buttercups, the ones she’d had father fill their garden with because she loved them so much. Months had passed, he had changed so much—but none of that really mattered. She was still his sister. He was still her brother.

“Emma!” he cried, his arms becoming a vice around her, and for a second, he was terrified to let go. Terrified it was all just a dream, and he would wake to his painful reality, no idea where she was.

The brush she’d leapt over rustled, a preamble to the appearance of one very alarmed Killian Jones, his sword brandished in search of danger. “Swan!”

Emma scrambled to her feet, bringing her brother with her. Tears crept down her cheeks, but they were so unlike the ones she’d spilled in the last months. “Put your sword down,” she practically admonished. “My brother won’t harm me,” she added, her words tripping on the laughter that fell from her lips.

“Your brother?” Killian repeated, his sword slipping.

She turned back to Leo, her hands moving to hold his face then his shoulders as she tried to inspect him in the darkness. “You’re okay,” she breathed, “gods, I cannot believe you’re okay!”

“I could say the same to you,” he said, pulling her in for another hug. “I was so relieved you were out for your ride—what that bitch would’ve done if she’d found you…”

“She did,” Emma told him. After a moment, she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. She didn’t curse me, not like our parents, or you—your curse?”

Leo resisted the urge to curl in on himself. He wanted to lie, save her from the gruesome truth, but he sighed. He’d never successfully lied to his sister, he was certain he wouldn’t be capable of it now. “It’s bad, but I’m managing.”

She took a step back, her hands catching his. There was so much they had to say, to catch up on. Her mind reeled, a mess of wishes and wants and fear—she was afraid to ask, afraid to find out. But some things, she had to know. Whether or not she wanted to. “Please, tell me you haven’t been alone all this time.”

A smile teased his lips. “No, I’ve found some allies. They should be along any minute…but gods, what is that fantastic smell?”

Emma laughed, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks, pulling her brother’s hand along with because she couldn’t even consider letting go. “Dinner. You must be starving,” she said, worried again. She kept swinging from one end to the other—deliriously happy that he was okay, that they’d found each other, then deeply concerned for his well-being, guilty for not taking care of him all this time. It was giving her a headache.

She glanced back to find Killian predictably standing guard, far enough to allow them some privacy, close enough to be ready at hand if danger appeared.

“I’m surprised any of our knights escaped,” Leo said, his eyes on Killian.

“They didn’t,” Emma replied. “He’s…a new ally. A sailor who has joined our cause.”

Leo’s eyebrows were high on his forehead when she tore her gaze from their protector. “Hm,” he sounded, and though he hadn’t technically said anything, his tone was very revealing.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing at all,” Leo said, his voice a bit too high. “Not a single thing.”

“Leo,” she snapped.

A mischievous grin broke out across his face. “Nothing. He just seems very dedicated to the cause.”

She smacked his arm, a gesture she’d done for years, but everything about their situation swirled within her once more, and she couldn’t stop herself from hugging him again. Leo didn’t seem to mind.

“Leo!” a voice echoed from deeper in the woods, and though Emma had tensed, Leo’s expression made her drop her stance.

“I’m over here!” he called back.

The noise had caused Killian to remove the distance he’d kept between them, and though he did not raise his sword, his hand rested firmly at the hilt. Emma met his gaze, and they exchanged a nod.

A woman appeared first, scolding Leo for not waiting for them, but her censure lacked any real bite. She froze when she saw Emma, fear glinting in her kind eyes. “Leo?”

“It’s okay,” he assured her, “Belle, this is my sister. This is Emma.”

“You found Emma?” The question came from another boy her brother’s age as he came to stand beside Belle.

“Well, she found me,” Leo said, nudging her with his elbow. “She’ll always find me.”

Emma resisted the urge to smack him again. “Our mother would be ashamed of you,” she teased. “Your etiquette has become positively disgraceful.”

Leo’s posture straightened, his chest puffing out. “Please accept my deepest apologies. Princess Emma, would you allow me to introduce you to Sir Roland.” This time, she did smack him. “I can never win with you,” he whined. “And besides, you have yet to introduce me to your personal knight.”

Emma flushed, stepping to the side, revealing the man in question. “Leo, this is Killian Jones.”

Killian stiffened, bowing deeply. “Your Highness.”

Leo scrunched up his nose. “Oh gods,” he grumbled, “don’t even start with the titles.”

“Don’t be so rude,” Emma snapped.

“I’m not—how is that—” he cut himself off, shaking his head in exasperation though a genuine smile played at his lips. “Fine. Hello Killian Jones, please call me Leo.” He held out a hand.

Killian hesitated only a moment before taking it. “Your sister has told me quite a bit about you,” he said, working hard to sound casual.

“Don’t believe a single word of it,” Leo warned. “I’ve never done anything wrong in my entire life.”

Roland scoffed. “Yes, because that sounds believable.”

Leo ignored that, turning back to his sister. “Hey, didn’t you say something about dinner?”

Emma laughed, nodding towards their camp. “Come on, we’ve got some catching up to do.”

“Wait,” Roland said, his eyes wide as he stared ahead. Belle caught his hand, worry written across her features.

“What’s wrong?” Leo asked, wasting no time moving to his friend’s side, a hand on his shoulder. “Roland? What is it?”

Roland shook his head, unable to tear his gaze away. “My father…”

Emma may have been sleep deprived, emotionally and physically drained, and potentially on the brink of collapse, but her mind snapped the pieces together. “Robin,” she breathed.

Roland took off, leaping over the stream and heading straight for their camp.

Leo made to follow, though he couldn’t seem to get himself to take more than two or three steps from his sister. He glanced back at her, seeing beyond her tear-streaked cheeks that shone in the limited light of the crescent moon. Beneath her joy lay deeply set sorrow in her pale skin; exhaustion carved shadows beneath her eyes—they were jade, like their mother’s, but he couldn’t see the color in the darkness. He wondered how long it would be before he could (if he ever could).

“Seems ours isn’t the only happy reunion tonight,” he said, smiling when she did. It made warmth spread across his chest, settling on his heart.

“Not by a long shot,” a voice called, though this one had come from camp. Red stepped through the brush, her teeth gleaming with her wide grin, and it was only a moment before Leo was wrapped in her embrace. “We’ve missed you, kid,” she told him, not wasting the opportunity to muss his hair.

He groaned at her, ducking out of her arms and backing away, his hands working to fix the disheveled mess. “Red,” he whined, making his sister laugh.

Emma nudged him until he turned to face her, and she took it upon herself to arrange his hair—in that moment, just for the span of a single breath, her mother was there. She lived in the way Emma held her arms, how she curved a hand along Leo’s cheek. It was Snow White’s tender smile that tugged on her lips, it was her determined tenderness that carded Emma’s fingers through his hair.

Red saw it in her, too. Emma could see the recognition glinting in her gaze when her eyes flitted to her godmother, as she watched over them with all the warmth of a mother’s devotion

Noise erupted from camp, but it was not terror or sounds of war—it was joy, it was love, it was pure happiness.

“Come on,” Emma said, leading her brother towards the glow of camp, where all that joy and love and happiness awaited them, where they could share in all of it.

— —

Celebrations had lasted well into the night, unburdened laughter rising like the smoke from their fire. It gave the air something sweet, something to melt away the bitterness and dread that had for so long tainted everything Emma saw, everything she touched.

Leo sat just a few feet away, speaking animatedly to the group gathered to listen to tales of his adventures during the last months. Roland sat beside him, adding or correcting details when Leo tried to embellish. Robin hadn’t strayed from his son’s side since they had reunited, and so he looked on with fondness and immense relief, too lost in what he felt to truly attend to the story Leo regaled.

Emma knew the feeling well.

Her warring emotions had torn her into shreds—when she couldn’t handle one more moment of their relentless penduluming, the curtain fell away, and she was forced to stare into the truth of everything she’d been avoiding. She couldn’t hide from those thoughts anymore; her interlocked joy and despair had demolished the walls she’d built to protect her from the last thing that hadn’t hurt her yet, the last thing that truly could.

Killian shared a log with his brother across the dancing flames, avoiding her gaze as he so often did these days.

Everything she’d acknowledged to herself was painful enough: that she couldn’t find happiness while her family and her kingdom were destroyed, that she should’ve been spending every last drop of her energy to find and save them all, and most of all, that he pulled away, that he kept pulling away. But the thing that glared back at her in the rubble of her mind was beyond all of that.

She watched him chuckle, his face practically glowing in the firelight as he exchanged a look with his brother.

He had happiness now. Freedom. She refused to take that away from him, refused to put a target on his back—being her ally had put him in enough danger, if the Evil Queen discovered what she felt for him, he’d be doomed to a curse and guaranteed a painful death.

So that was it. She had to let him go.

Emma withered, shrank, crumbled in the wake of her decision. She was as broken as her kingdom. At last, Regina had gotten her wish.

“You look awfully grave for someone who just found her brother.”

Emma glanced up as Elsa joined her, a reassuring hand on hers.

“Sorry, I just…”

Elsa smiled knowingly. “You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“Too much,” she huffed. “But I should enjoy tonight, while we have it. There’s never enough time. The gods know everything else will be waiting for us come dawn,” she added. It was something her mother would have said—at least the first part, anyway.

“You should,” Elsa agreed, her gaze drifting to where her sister sat, her head drooped on Kristoff’s shoulder. “We all should.”

— —

The party broke up an hour or so before dawn.

Emma followed her brother, intending to move her bedroll beside his, but instead of making camp for the night, she found him packing. He tucked some bread into his bag, weighing his waterskin to determine if he needed to take a trip to the stream.

“What are you doing?”

Leo’s head shot up, his wide eyes flickering with fear. “Oh. Um…”

“Um?”

He sighed, securing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. “We haven’t had a chance to talk, and I’m sorry for that. But we don’t really have the time to have it now.”

“Leo,” she almost snapped. “Where are you going?” She couldn’t hide the panic laced in her voice.

“I have to go, a few miles at least. But it’s just until nightfall. I’ll be back, I promise.”

“I don’t understand.”

Leo took her hand in his. “I know. I’ll explain everything when I get back, but it’s the curse. I have to keep everyone safe.”

She snatched her hand back, desperate and confused. “Safe from what? Leo, tell me what’s going on. Tell me how I can help you.”

“Emma, please. We’re running out of time.”

“Safe from what, Leo?” she demanded.

“From me.”

Emma swayed, her shock putting her off balance. “Leo,” she breathed—it was a quiet sound but not without weight, anchored by fear and heartache and hopelessness.

He took a few more steps, his hands latching onto her arms, steadying her. “Everything’s gonna be okay, Emma. I promise. I just need you to trust me. Let me do what I have to, and tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything. Even the things I’d rather you didn’t know.”

She studied his face, seeing an intensity she’d never known him to possess. “You really have to go? Now?”

He nodded. “Yes. Will you let me?”

She deflated. “Yeah.”

He took a shaky breath, waiting only a second before pulling her against him. If they’d learned anything all those months ago, it was that you never knew when a hug would be the last.

“Thank you, Emma. I’ll be back once the stars are in the sky again. You should get some sleep.”

She let him go, watching until he disappeared, all while the emptiness threatening to swallow her heart stole the newly returned pieces—once again, she was shattered.

“He really will be back,” a voice called.

Emma spun to find Roland, hesitance written across his face. “Why did he have to go?”

“To keep us safe,” Roland replied. “He would’ve explained earlier, I know, but I don’t think he wanted to…spoil your reunion. Or however he rationalized it.”

Emma took a deep breath, ordering her emotions to calm themselves. “You know him pretty well then, huh?”

Roland shifted, straightening his posture in a way that her mother would have been proud of. “He rescued me from the Evil Queen’s dungeons. We’ve fought together for months, survived. Done things neither of us—” he paused, shaking his head to dispel the memory. “I knew my father would welcome me back with open arms, but Leo always worried…”

“That our parents wouldn’t, after everything we’ve done.” Emma was familiar with the concept.

“He’s been looking for you since we broke out. Kept insisting that you’d always find each other. And I’ve never seen him so happy as he was tonight. There may be things you don’t know yet about him, but at least be content in knowing that.”

Emma swallowed her fear, nodding. “Thank you.”

“Get some rest. He’ll be snippy if you’re exhausted when he gets back,” Roland said, heading back to his father.

She knew he was right, the thought of it made her smile. But her gaze returned to the place she’d last seen her brother, and then she couldn’t get her feet to move further away from him. Emma stood there, her eyes on the trees, until the first bit of the sun peaked over the horizon.

Red came to stand beside her, taking her hand, sharing her strength. “I could follow him, you know.”

“We can’t.”

“Then at least sleep. You can’t just stand here all day,” she said.

“I don’t want to move,” Emma replied, hating that she could see the color of the leaves now.

“We don’t have to,” Red told her.

Emma tore her eyes away, instead finding her bag and bedroll laid out a few feet behind where she stood. “Thank you,” she said, dropping onto the mat as the exhaustion dragged her down.

“It’s not me you should thank.”

Emma’s lips parted to ask, but instead she glanced back towards the center of camp where Killian was arranging his own bedroll. “Of course,” she sighed.

“At some point, Emma, you’re going to have to accept it,” Red told her, sitting beside her, smoothing her cloak so she could get comfortable.

Emma didn’t have the energy to fight her on it, not now. After a few hours of sleep, perhaps. She closed her eyes, pushing away everything else. But as she fell to sleep, a trembling cold crept over her. Even as the sun rose.

— —

Leo buckled from the pain, ice blooming where fire spread across his skin that tore into scales, but despite all of that, he smiled. His teeth turned to daggers that sliced into his lips, but he could not care. The curse would not break him. It hadn’t, even after months of trying, and now he had his sister back, and there was nothing they couldn’t do together. It was only a matter of time before they were reunited with their parents—after all, they would always find each other.

#how restlessly the stars do gleam update #captain swan fanfic #captain swan #ouat fanfic

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heyyyharry · 3 years

Text

Deep End - Chapter 11: Date Night

…in which Ezi’s first date gets interfered.

Word count: 2.5k

AU: famous!harry, siren!mc, adult modern retelling of the little mermaid? lol, fake dating, enemies to lovers.

WARNING: MATURE THEMES

All chapters / Synopsis / Moodboard / Playlist

Wattpad link

A/N: sorry this chapter is so short. I was emotionally unstable when I wrote this last week :D I'll try to write more for the next one.

Also, please follow my writing account on Instagram: @allie.writes :) Don't forget to leave comments on this chapter!

“Hey, do you remember Dolores?” Dawson asked.

“How could I forget?” Ezili murmured, eyeing her sister up and down.

Of course Ezi remembered Dolores. She couldn’t if she tried. Whenever she looked at Koa, all she saw was what she could never be, what her mother wished that she was, and it only made her despise herself. When she’d first arrived here, she had felt so out of place, but at the same time, free. She still revisited her old life in her sleep, which made her wake up screaming during the night. And despite all the struggles she’d gone through, she felt appreciated. Harry wasn’t anywhere near great, but he wasn’t bad. He looked out for her even though she wasn’t his kind. And she knew if her mother knew she felt this way about a human, she would not be standing here.

But why was she thinking about Harry? He wasn’t here. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked around as the vibrant atmosphere of the night market drowned out her thoughts. Her sister came forward and pulled her into a hug. She could feel Koa’s claws leaving marks on her shoulders, but she knew it was just her imagination.

Koa withdrew with a smile and lifted those perfect human hands with short blunt nails and twisted her hair into a bun. She looked so human, so natural. Ezili wondered how Koa it, but then she caught a glimpse of the trident hanging on a chain around her neck. She’d been using magic.

Immediately, Ezili grabbed Dawson’s hand and pulled him to her side. Koa tilted her head, looking quite confused, which Ezili knew was all an act. Meanwhile, Dawson was blushing. He cleared his throat. “So...Dolores is also here for the book fair. Mind if she joins us?”

“Not at all,” Ezili said with a tight smile.

“Great!” Koa said, hands clasped against her chest.

Ezili tried to figure out what her sister’s intentions were. Was she here to kill Ezili? Was she here to kill Harry? What if she thought Dawson was Ezili’s new target and was here to kill him? Also, how many humans had she killed for her to be here, dressed, act, and talk like a real human girl?

Ezili walked beside Koa as the girl went on and on about how she’d just moved to London, and all the places she’d visited and enjoyed. She must have got all this information from the magic of the trident. She couldn’t be more human than Ezili, who’d had to learn everything by herself.

“Harry?”

Ezili’s heart gave a lurch when she spotted his face in the crowd. It started with a feeling of comfort, like finding a warm bed in the middle of the raging ocean. But then a tidal wave of anxiety crashed down upon her, and she momentarily forgot about Dawson and her sister. She rushed toward him, pushing past a group of tourists and teenagers who cursed at her.

“There you are!” Harry said, spreading his arms. “My favourite fish.”

“What are you doing here?” she hissed and tugged hard at his sleeve. “Why did you follow me here?”

“I didn’t follow you here.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not,” Harry sighed and poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue as he looked around. “Where’s Dawson anyway? Why are you standing here all by yourself?”

Ezili had no time for his questions. “Harry, go home.”

“I’m here to buy books!”

“Oh, yeah? What books?”

“This one,” he said, grabbing a random book from a display shelf they were in front of.

“The Sex Life of Pets?”

“Oh.” His smile dropped as he read the title. “I mean, it does look kinda interesting.”

“Harry, go home. I’m fine.”

“I don’t think you are. Dawson left you here all by yourself.”

“He’s taking care of something,” Ezili said anxiously as she put her arms around herself and rubbed. The air was getting cold. She hadn’t had to feel the cold when she’d been a siren. She hated how weak humans were. A slight change of the weather could get them all messed up.

She was about to tell Harry to go home right now because her sister was here, and Dawson might be in danger. Ezili’s job here was to kill one of these men, not save them every single time. But to her surprise, Harry took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. “Come home with me,” he said, gently. “If you stay here, you might get lost among all these tourists.”

“No, you go home,” she said, pushing his shoulder, but he didn’t budge. “It’s not safe here for you.”

“How?” he chuckled. “I know London like the back of my hand.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Ezili, you’re acting stran—” Harry was about to finish his sentence when his smile vanished. He pointed over Ezili’s shoulder. “Is that Dawson talking to your sister?”

Ezili whirled around, relieved to find Dawson still alive, but the grin her sister gave her while Dawson was talking to a seller made her uneasy.

“Harry, go home,” she snapped at Harry, shoved him hard so he stumbled back. If something happened, she could only save one of them, and she knew for a fact it would be Harry.

“I’m not going home and leaving you here—”

“And I won’t save you if my sister does something again. I’ll save Dawson, and you don’t want to die, do you?”

At first, she thought those words were all harmless, until she saw the way Harry’s smile dropped, and his shoulders slumped. He said nothing, only nodded. Koa and Dawson were heading towards them now. It was too risky to have Harry here.

“Go!” she shouted and pushed him hard. He didn’t joke about it or react, just held her gaze for a moment and walked away.

“Is that Harry? Harry!”

“He’s leaving, Dawson,” Ezili said and turned to her sister. “Could you come with me to the restroom?”

“Yeah, sure!” Koa happily said, then waved at a puzzled Dawson as she got dragged away.

“What are you trying to do?” Ezili asked in Séren when they were far enough from Dawson, but not too far; she still needed to keep an eye on him just in case.

“Nothing,” Koa answered in their mother tongue. “Although Pretty Boy over there looks quite delicious.”

“Stop it!” Ezili snapped. “You’ve been breaking so many rules around here. You’re not allowed to use the magic of the trident for personal gains.”

“Mother entrusted me with it,” Koa mused.

“I’m sure she’d be happy to know what you’d used it for,” Ezili said, disgusted.

Koa’s dark pink lips curled to the side. “You’re jealous,” she said, leaning back, arms crossed.

Ezili had no time for this. “Please go home,” she told her sister. “I have things under control here. I’ll return in a year with the heart.”

“But you don’t have a whole year,” Koa said. “One year could be a lifetime for these creatures. Humans are fickle. They can stay married for twenty years and still can’t love each other.”

Ezili scoffed, eyebrows raised. “Does the trident tell you that?”

“No, Dolores did,” Koa said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger innocently as if she weren’t talking about someone she’d murdered for no reason. “She hated her husband,” she went on. “I heard her talking on the phone with someone about how she had never loved him, and they had two grown children together. Can you believe it? These creatures made up the thing called ‘marriage’ - a lifetime commitment, which they could not keep up with themselves. And as much as your pretty head wants to see the good in these filthy creatures. They are far from good. Not only do they harm other living things, they also harm their own kind. Physically and emotionally.” Koa put her hand on Ezili’s shoulder and squeezed. “That boy you’re so attached to is no different, Ezili. He will never love you.”

Ezili bit her lip and brushed her sister’s hand off of her. “Don’t tell me about humans when I’ve been here for longer than you do.”

“And yet,” Koa said, “you’re still here.”

Ezili wanted to tell Koa she was wrong for doubting Ezili, but Koa wasn’t wrong. Recently, Ezili had been doubting herself, too. She had even considered switching her target from Harry to Dawson, but she could not feel the same connection she’d had with Harry.

“I have an offer for you, Ezili,” Koa’s voice dragged her out of her own thoughts. She blinked at her sister. “Before your birthday, which was supposed to be your coronation day, you may come back to the Queendom. You’ll tell Mother that you cannot accomplish the mission and ask her to make me Queen of the Seven Seas. Then we’ll have a new Queen as planned. Our evil aunt can’t plot against the throne. And when I’m Queen, I’ll make sure you won’t be banished. You’ll get to keep your title as a princess and stay in the castle.”

Ezili hated that she wasted a second to actually consider the offer. “No. I won’t do it,” she spat, stepping back. “If I accepted this offer, no one and nothing in the ocean world would take me seriously. I would become an outcast anyway.”

Koa rolled her eyes and laughed heartily. “At least you’ll still be protected by the army and you’ll have a family. Or would you rather join the mermaids collecting gold all day for your sad little collection? Also, I’m sure the white sharks would love an abandoned siren.”

“I’m going to be Queen,” Ezili said through clenched teeth. “I’m bringing Mother the heart no matter what. Now you go home and tell her just that. And be careful with my trident that you wore around your little breakable neck.”

Koa opened her mouth to speak, but Ezili didn’t give her a chance. She put up a hand and shouted, “Dawson, let’s go! Dolores is just about to leave.”

Ezili didn’t know what time she arrived home. She tried not to think about her sister’s words, which had clearly been for the purpose of making her doubt herself. She still hoped Dawson had had a great time tonight. They’d bought some books after she’d got rid of Koa, then stopped at a restaurant on the way back to Harry’s mansion. She’d apologised when he’d dropped her off for not being quite herself tonight, and she hated how he’d cheerfully said, “It was nothing. No worries.” Why did humans lie about how they felt all the time? If something bothered you or made you uncomfortable, why not just say it? Why did they feel the need to complicate things? It was hard enough for her to understand human emotions, and they expected her to be able to guess?

“Hey,” Harry said when their eyes met and she froze in the doorway. She’d expected him to be sleeping right now. “You look clean. Guess your sister didn’t kill Dawson?”

Ezili narrowed her eyes at him and kicked off her shoes. “No. Nothing bad happened.”

“Oh, man. I was hoping he was dead.”

“Shut up,” she said. “Also, I don’t think my sister will ever bother us again.” That, she wasn’t sure. She just wanted to be reassured even if it was by her own words.

Harry got up, hands slipped into his pockets. “Sooo...how was your date?”

Ezili pretended she hadn’t heard that question. “Why are you still up?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Had too much coffee earlier.” Then repeated, “How was your date?”

“It was fine,” Ezili said. "Why did you show up?"

"I was just making sure you wouldn't cause any trouble? Your name is tied to mine now, in case you've forgotten."

"How can I? You literally remind me of our fake relationship every two seconds."

“Why are you so pissed off?”

“I’m not.”

“You clearly are,” he persisted.

She let out a sigh, about to just go upstairs and ignore him for the rest of the night, but this one question kept tugging at her. So she had to ask.

“Have you ever been in love?”

Harry looked confused for a second. “No. Never. I think I’ve told you about what happened with my exes.”

“But did you love them at one point?”

“Well, I thought I loved them,” he said. “But looking back now, I don’t think I know what love is. It’s just...a lot of times, I want to be alone. Just me and Chilli. If someone enters my life and stays around for too long, it makes me uncomfortable.”

“But I’m also living here. We see each other all the time.”

“It’s not like I have a choice to kick you out,” he said, then instantly looked regretful.

Ezili padded across the room and stopped in front of him. “Why would anybody want to be alone?” She knew she didn’t. She was doing all this just to be accepted by her kind, but he, who had everything from fame and wealth to a supportive family, wanted to be left alone?

“You’re not the first girl to ask me that,” he said with a grin. “I think it has a lot to do with how I was brought up. I feel like everyone has these certain expectations for me, and when I don’t meet those expectations, I disappoint them. I just want to be by myself so I can just be me. I don’t want to adjust myself to the presence of others.”

Ezili nodded then moved a bit closer.

“What are you--”

She surprised him by placing her palm on the left side of his chest. Her skin tingled with the sensation of his little unsteady heartbeats when she came near. “But there’s nothing here,” she mumbled as if it would make sense to him. “You were telling the truth.”

“What do you mean?” Harry let out a nervous laugh and reached for her hand, which she withdrew before he could touch.

“Nothing.”

Harry’s smile faded. “Did Dawson say anything about me?”

“No. We hardly talked about you.”

“What about your sister? Why is she here?” he kept asking when she brushed past him and headed for the stairs. “Does your mother want you back? Ezi, what happened tonight?”

“Nothing,” she lied. “I’m just tired. Goodnight, Harry.”

“Ezi,” he said, his voice soft and pleading as if he could love her for a moment. But how could he? How could a man, who had lived his whole life without falling in love and prided himself on his loneliness, ever fall in love with a siren? He’d said he’d wanted to kiss her again, but there he’d stood in front of her and claimed her presence in this house made him uncomfortable. Then when her hand had been on his heart, she had felt nothing.

So had he lied about it? Humans lied about how they felt all the time. If they could lie about wanting to spend the rest of their life with one person, they could lie about wanting to kiss a siren.

Maybe, just maybe, Ezili should consider her sister’s offer.

#harry styles #harry styles writing #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #harry styles fic #harry styles x mc #harry styles smut #harry styles series

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atlas-of-a-human-soul · 4 years

Note

are you going to do another part to the sky request? i would love it 🤍

Intertwining - part one

Pairing: Sky x reader

===============================

Y/N had thought it to be a fever dream. Seeing Silva getting arrested, Rosalind standing there along with Stella’s mother, Andreas being alive and then her mother joining the insanity? So many questions running through her mind yet she had no time to properly process it - not when Sky’s entire life was imploding.

His hand tightened its hold, his body rigid. He couldn’t do anything, just watch as everything went up in flames and usually she’s an expert in putting out fires but this was beyond her abilities. All she could do is stand there and hold his hand as his jaw clenched.

“Sky”, she whispered softly, avoiding her mother’s glare. She wouldn’t focus on the ice queen she was tormented by, she’d focus on the sunshine of her life - she’d focus on Sky.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” Sky mutters under his breath, heaving. She could tell he’s filled with rage, the kind of rage he cannot display because his hands are tied - he cannot do anything to change the current, only swim and hope he doesn’t drown.

“Keep your cool and play nice until we figure out a way to help Saul.” Y/N cups his cheeks, tilting his head down to look her in the eye. This time when he looked at her and saw the icy glow, Sky wasn’t afraid - he was glad.

For a moment, he hoped she’d sprout wings again and use her ability to save Silva. Then the guilt set in, because if that were to happen she’d be the one taken away. He couldn’t imagine losing her.

“Don’t leave me”, he pleads and no, he doesn’t mean for her to not leave him ever, just now. He couldn’t handle this without her. Sky didn’t have a chance to tell her the truth about his father just yet and seeing he’s alive, he wasn’t sure if that would create problems for him now. He knew Andreas would certainly want to talk to him, Sky just didn’t know if wanted to talk to him; now or ever.

“You know I won’t”, Y/N reassures him, trying to understand what is going through his mind. Never before had she wished she was a mind fairy. If she were one, she’d be able to feel what he does, she’d be able to take away any pain this situation caused him.

Nodding, Sky leans into her touch. He sighs, trying to let go of the anger he holds not only toward his father, but Saul too. If Saul had just done what he’s been teaching him his whole life, if he had just followed his orders that day and acted like a good soldier, none of this would be happening now.

“I believe you and I have plenty to talk about”, the queen of Dyamond raises an eyebrow, standing behind her daughter and now it’s Y/N who tenses up.

Turning to face her mother, Y/N narrows her eyes ever so slightly, “Since when do you care to talk? Am I not just a problem you have to manage?”

Folding her arms across her chest, Y/N almost smiles as her mother’s annoyance surfaces. Sky places his hands on her shoulders for support and she purses her lips as her mother raises her eyebrows.

“You’re my daughter, but you are also my subject. Treat your queen with respect.” The sharpness in her tone only amuses Y/N. She might have been weaker when she was younger, but she wasn’t weak anymore.

“You do realize I’ll be taking the throne as soon as I graduate?” Y/N steps closer, smirking as he mother furrows her eyebrows. “You’re only a regent, but I’m the Queen. You should pay me more respect.”

And that’s when Sky understood why Y/N never wanted anyone knowing she’s a princess or of her powers. She didn’t talk about her family much either, much less of her kingdom. The issues between her mother and Y/N run deep and Sky couldn’t help but wonder why. What could have caused this kind of hatred between them?

“Son?” As Andreas joined the conversation, Sky pulled Y/N back into his chest, his arms wrapping around her waist.

“My name is Sky”, he corrects Andreas, trying to keep his voice leveled. “And my girlfriend and I have classes to attend.”

Beckoning Y/N to walk, Sky turned them both away from their parents and half dragged her inside. He didn’t stop walking, making Y/N run to catch up with him and only once they walked into an empty classroom did he stop and let go of Y/N’s hand.

“I can’t do this”, Sky breathes out, hiding his face in his hands. Y/N embraces him, her cheek resting on his back as her arms circle around his form. She held onto him as his heart beat strongly against the palm of her hand.

“You can.” She furrows her eyebrows, fighting tears. She can feel how much pain he’s in even without being a mind fairy now. “I’ll help you.”

“He’ll take me to Eraklyon”; Sky raises his voice slightly, “He’ll take me away from you.”

“And my mother will try to take me back to Dyamond where she can control me, but we won’t let them.” Y/N wets her lips before releasing Sky from her hold.

“Why’d you stop hugging me?” Sky furrows his eyebrows and pouts, turning to her as if he’s offended.

She managed a small smile for his sake, playfully sticking her tongue out at him. Sky chuckles, reaching out for her and easily taking her by the hand. For a moment, he loses himself in her eyes and in that moment it feels as if the whole world is right - as if none of it happened and it’s just him and Y/N, two people in love.

“I want you to know I love the way you laugh”, she purses her lips, “And the way you pout and the way your hand feels so warm against mine.” Stepping closer, Y/N looks to his chest only to place a hand over it, “And I love the way your heart beats when we are close.”

“You’re gonna make me blush”, Sky smirks, leaning down. His forehead rests on hers and he can tell she’s putty in his hands. “But why are you telling me all of that?”

“Because I believe in us.” She brushes her lips against his and a shiver runs down his spine.

“Yeah?” He breathes out, his mind clouded by the thought of her. He loved touching her, being close enough to feel the lilac perfume she adores so much.

“You’re the one for me, Sky. I feel it.” Admitting it to herself was daunting yet saying it felt so easy, as easy as breathing.

“I feel it too”, he whispers as his hand cups her left cheek, his fingers resting just under her earlobe. He tucks her hair behind her right ear with his other hand, making sure he has a proper view of her face.

“Trust me when I tell you we’ll find a way to make things right.”

“I trust you”, Sky states as he pecks her lips. “I trust you”, he repeats before he presses a soft kiss to her bottom lip. "Even in the brightest sun this world is stone-cold unless you are there with me."

So, in the intimacy of the classroom, Y/N and Sky made a promise to one another - to trust and love one another and to forge their own paths. Because even in the midst of evil surrounding and infiltrating Alfea, they would find a way to keep fighting. As long as they’re together, they believe they can do anything.

#sky x reader #sky of eraklyon #sky of eraklyon x reader #fate the winx saga #sky imagine #sky fate winx saga #fate the winx saga fic

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saltymiraculer · 4 years

Text

Ceremonial Kisses (Part 2 of 3)

Ahhhhh, thank you for all the support I’ve gotten on this fic! It is with great pleasure I present to you *trumpet noise* Part 2 of Ceremonial Kisses!

I apologize for the huge wait, and I’m really sorry about my update schedule in general.

Also, you might notice that around the middle of this chapter, the writing gets a little bit choppy, and I’m super sorry about that! My apartment just decided to evict anyone with a cat, and I’m under a lot of stress right now. Thankfully, it gets smoother towards the end!

Happy reading!

Part 1 | Part 3

-🌸-

After ten minutes of gorging themselves on the Chinese equivalents of Kit-Kats and Lays chips, they pulled up to a hotel.

“Whaf, wewen’t we goih to da cashale?“ Nino asked, his mouth stuffed with cookies. Marinette shot him a disgusted look. He swallowed and took a swig of soda. “Wait, weren’t we going to the castle?“

Marinette had been thinking the same thing. This couldn’t be an ancient Chinese palace–it looked like a hotel!

“My instructions have changed. I was informed you would be staying at the Overseas Suites instead.“ The driver (she still didn’t know his name) said, pulling up to the front of the hotel.

As soon as they stepped out, they remembered that time zones existed.

It was 5:00 PM there.

They were going to be up all night.

The driver handed Marinette a gold-embossed business card with a phone number written on it.

“Call me whenever you need a lift, miss Marinette.“ He stepped back into the car and drove off.

Marinette shrugged and stuffed the card in her pocket. “Well, that was weird. Let’s go inside now, it’s freezing.”

As soon as they walked inside, Bustier scurried up to them.

“Where were you? You had me worried sick!“

Before anyone could say anything, the chauffeur from earlier appeared.

“I am Marinette’s uncle, ma’am. I heard she was going to be staying in China for a week and I just had to see her. The school was informed that I would be picking her and her friends up.“

“Oh–well–you still should have told me where you were going!“

“But shouldn’t you have already known?“ Marinette asked sweetly. “I mean, you were informed of it, weren’t you?“

Ha. She had her there!

“W-well, yes, technically, I was…but it’s time to go to your rooms! Off you go, everybody!“

“Oh, wait, I’m sharing a room with Marinette, right?“ Alya asked.

“Yeah, I think so.“

“Shit. Guys, I’ve got to share a room with Adrien. Say your prayers, ‘cause I don’t know if I’ll make it out alive.“

Oh, right. I guess it’s time to explain.

Adrien had stayed with his “high road” approach, but not in the way that she had expected. He started treating Lila to lunch, buying her jewelry, asking her to school dances, the whole shebang.

But it was all so forced that nobody believed any of it, and one day, all the ‘affection’ had just stopped.

Lila milked it for all it was worth, blaming Marinette and Nino and Alya, and the president of some far-off African country, and Adrien...

Something changed.

His face was more gaunt and his cheeks were more hollow, and he barely ever talked to anyone, just shrugged them off and turned away.

He was, to put it frankly, terrifying.

Which was not good for Nino at all.

“Oh, I’m sorry, class, but Ivan will be sharing a room with Nino. Adrien and Nathaniel will be roommates.“

All three of them heaved a sigh.

“Okay, so I’m sleeping tonight, that’s a plus.“ Nino joked. “What are we doing for dinner?“

“Um, I think Bustier said there was food already in the rooms. There are kitchenettes and, like, boxes of pasta and stuff. The trip was sponsored by–“ Marinette suddenly froze. She was contemplating how to finish her sentence when Alya finished it for her.

“–By your family, right?“

“Yeah. It feels so weird to say that, like–me? A princess? I’d probably trip over my own dress.“

“I know what you mean, girl. Now, let’s go get some food.“

After scurrying back up to their respective rooms and scarfing down some fettuccine, they fell asleep almost immediately, despite it being only about 3:00 in Paris.

Which, in hindsight, was probably why they woke up at two in the morning and started eating Cheerios with chocolate milk.

“Marinette, it’s so early!“ Alya said, stretching her arms towards the ceiling. “What should we do until it’s time for the first tour?“

“Wanna play Uno?“

And play Uno they did, a six-round monstrosity that lasted five hours and many draw-four cards.

There was a knock on the door and they both whipped around. “Girls, are you awake yet?“ a muffled voice asked. “You have to be down in the lobby in ten minutes!”

Alya and Marinette looked at each other. “Shit!” they yelled, jumping up and grabbing clothes out of drawers. They took the elevator down to the lobby after getting dressed, only to face something that made them wish they hadn’t.

Lila.

“And since the princess was so touched by what I did for her, she told me that she’d grant me any favor!“

“So…what was the favor?“ Mylene asked, inching closer.

“I asked her to bring our class on this trip, of course! Because I love my friends–unlike some people.“ She tilted her head in Marinette and Alya’s direction.

“When did you get here? Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?“ Kim shouted.

A few of them turned pink and tried to turn away.

“No, but I’m sure we’ll hear plenty of other horrible things about ourselves from you guys on this trip.“ Marinette said.

“Oh, get over yourselves! Lila’s the one who got us here, and she can kick you out just as easily. Right, Lila?“

“Of course! Marinette, I really want to be friends, but after the way you’ve treated everyone, it’s only fair I had to do what I did!“

“Oh? And what exactly did you do?“ Alya challenged, putting her hands on her hips. Alix smirked and nudged Kim with her elbow.

“Let’s just say…some of the tours might not be for you.“ Sabrina interjected, swiping something on a familiar white tablet. Marinette’s eyes widened. “Did you steal Bustier’s tablet just so you could take us off the tours? You risked suspension for that?!”

“Well, Mari-nette, you should be surprised to know that some people are willing to take risks for their friends.“ Kim snapped over his shoulder, earning many a nod from Lila’s entourage.

“Kids!“ Bustier yelled, startling them all. “What are you doing with my tablet?“

“Um–uh_Marinette stole it and threw it to us!“ Lila replied nervously.

Everyone turned to Marinette. “Marinette, I expect better from you! You just earned yourself a week of detention when we get back to Paris.“ She whisked the tablet out of Sabrina’s arms before Marinette could protest, and turned around, taking a deep breath.

When she faced the class again, she had a smile back on her face.

“Okay! Today, we will be touring a replica of one of the ancient Chinese palaces. Please behave yourselves.“

She started walking out, and the class followed her, Alya and Marinette tagging behind. Nino joined them soon after.

“So, that was weird.“

“No kidding.“

Once they had stepped off the bus in front of the palace, everyone stopped. Of course, they had all done a bit of googling about the places they would visit, but seeing everything live and in person was taking it to a whole new level.

“Whoa,“ they whispered. Even Lila, who wanted nothing more than to break something, was dumbfounded by this wonder of architectural beauty.

Miss Bustier was the one to break the silence. Clearing her throat, she said “Well, shall we head inside?”

As they shuffled inside, Marinette secretly wished she had about eight more eyes so she could take in everything she was seeing. But she had to be on high alert, Lila and her crew were sure to pull something nasty.

“Ah, and this,“ Bustier gasped. “This is one of the things I was looking most forward to seeing.

“As you all know, the princess will be coronated soon, and this is exactly why I wanted to take you here. This is a replica of an ancient Chinese coronation hall, isn’t it breathtaking?“

Lila snapped out of her trance and elbowed Kim, whispering something in her ear that made both of them snicker.

“Hey, Marinette!“ he yelled, running up to her. “What are you doing?“ Marinette watched in horror as he pushed a porcelain vase off of a pedestal, backing away immediately so she was the only one in the area.

Everything seemed to go in slow-motion after that.

Everyone in the room turning to them.

Lila’s grin turning up towards her ears in an almost Grinch-like fashion.

Marinette diving to catch the delicate artifact and balancing it in one hand just before it smashed on the floor.

Security appearing to lecture them.

“Now, miss, what you did was punishable by law,“ one of them said. “And by nature I’ll have to ask you and your whole gang to leave, if you don’t want the royal family to press charges.“

“The-the royal family?“ Lila squeaked. Marinette sighed and stood up.

“I’m sorry, sir,“ she said, hanging her head.

“Wait just a second!“ Someone in the crowd yelled. “That guy in the red hoodie pushed it–I saw it with my own two eyes! The girl saved the vase!“

“Yeah, why don’t you go check the security cameras? I’m sure the girl was the one who stopped it from breaking!“

“No, no, I’m quite sure I saw Marinette push the vase.“ Bustier interrupted. “She’s quite the troublemaker, and it wouldn’t be inconceivable for that to happen.“

“I’m terribly sorry, miss, but only once we review the security footage can we make a decision.“

They left with a promise to return as soon as they were done, and everyone started at Marinette.

Nino was the first to speak.

“Alright, who’s gonna fess up? Marinette didn’t do it, I didn’t do it, Alya didn’t do it. So who did?“

Marinette saw the look on Lila’s face. There was no wriggling out of this one.

“Kim did it! I saw…he tried to warn Marinette about a huge bug, but she had this evil look on her face and moved out of the way…and Kim accidentally pushed the vase.“

“What?! That never happened.“ Nino said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, I was there the whole time, and there weren’t any bugs.“ Alya said, leaning against a wall. “Give it up, Lila. The security guys’ll be back in a minute.“

“Actually, we’re already here.“ said a deep voice. “The boy’ll need to come with us.“

“Oh, please don’t!“ Bustier cried. “He’s only a kid, he didn’t know any better!“

-🌸-

“I’m sorry, miss, but the security footage suggests otherwise. Though, if you pay a fine, all charges will be dropped.“

“What’s the amount?“ She asked nervously, pulling out her checkbook and hoping euros would translate into whatever the Chinese currency was.

“794.71 yuan.”

“Do you take euros?“ Caline asked weakly. Nino glared at her, and several of her students looked dumbfounded.

“You didn’t bring Chinese money…on a trip to China?! Even Kim brought some!“

Kim suddenly looked scared. “I don’t have to give up my money, do I?”

She sighed. “No, you don’t. If anything, Marinette should be the one paying. How much is that in euros?“

“100, I believe. We do take euros, if you’ll follow me.“ She sighed and shrugged.

“Kids, please don’t push anything else over. I’ll be right back.“

-🌸-

As soon as Bustier hurried away after leading them outside, everyone glared at Marinette except Alya and Nino. Lila still didn’t understand why they had left her, Alya had just stormed up to her one day and yelled, but that was besides the point.

“Marinette, how could you blame this all on Kim? Now Miss Bustier has to pay eight hundred euros!“ Lila cried, earning Marinette a few glares.

She smirked inwardly. Now, if only she could have gotten Marinette arrested…

“Eight hundred yuan, Lila. It’s only a hundred euros, and besides, it would have cost much more if Marinette hadn’t caught the vase.“ Nino said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, but she’s gonna call my mom. Do you know how long she’s gonna ground me for? Thirty years!“

“Marinette, what is wrong with you?“ Alix accused. “You seriously need an attitude adjustment. And I think I know just what we need to adjust.“ She whispered something into Lila’s ear and smirked.

“But hey, all disagreements aside, do you want a drink?“ Lila asked, shoving Marinette backwards. She stumbled a bit, and Nino and Alya tried to stop her, but she fell back into a large fountain and emerged a second later, sopping wet.

Her hair had come out of the bun, her makeup was running, and her clothes were soaked through.

Everything was going according to plan. “Oh, Marinette, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to…I was only trying to squish a mosquito!”

“Mosquito?“ Marinette seethed through gritted teeth. Her expression was terrifying.

Lila backed away, as did most of the class. “This was one-of-a-kind, Lila. You ruined it. Chloé should know!“

Everyone turned to Chloé for an answer to the nonexistent question. “I didn’t get her that shirt on purpose! My mom did!” She yelled, ducking into a bathroom. Lila shrugged.

“Marinette!“ Bustier screamed, appearing at just the right time. “What are you doing?!”

Lila interrupted Marinette before she could even speak. “Marinette was trying to push me into the fountain, but I dodged.“ She glanced to the side, where Nino was helping Marinette dry off with handfuls of paper towels. She frowned, then looked over at Alya.

Bad idea.

“Miss Bustier, I have a question. Why would Marinette, one of the most non-violent people we know, try to push Lila into a fountain? Especially after she was just proven innocent? Do you really think that she would compromise her innocence like that?“

Miss Bustier looked alarmed. Lila gritted her teeth–she would have to lay low for a while if she wanted anyone to believe that Marinette would do anything wrong.

They're such idiots, she thought to herself. I’ve got practically the whole class under my thumb.

“Lila? Are you coming? We’re going back to the hotel so nothing else gets damaged.“ She shot a pointed look at Marinette, who was dripping all over the floor.

“O-of course, Miss!“

They caught a bus back to their resort, and Lila was delighted to see that Nino’s efforts had come to no avail trying to distance Marinette from the older men who approached her from behind.

-🌸-

“Marinette, I can’t believe that little liar.“ Alya said, seething. “She must be getting cocky. Like a game of ‘catch me if you can.’ She’ll have to lay off you for a few days if she wants anything to be believable, though.“

Marinette was toweling off her hair, deep in thought.

“This isn’t like her. Normally, she would stop after the vase and lay off for the rest of the day, maybe badmouth me a little at dinner, but know when to quit.“

“Well, I think you should just bop her in the head with your yo-yo.“ Alya added.

“Agreed!“ Trixx squeaked.

“I don’t normally condone using the Miraculous for selfish purposes, but I’ll let this one slide. You know what to do, Marinette! Get those spots on!“

“Guys,“ Marinette sighed, tossing the towel onto her bed. “That’s not the point. I just want a peaceful few days before I have to deal with her again. Is that too much to ask?“

“Not at all, Marinette!“ Tikki said, nuzzling her cheek. “Just know that I’m always here if you need me!“

“Thanks,“ she whispered.

Two Glorious, Lila-free days later...

“So, Marinette, it’s your free day!” Tikki chirped, patting Marinette’s face. “What do you want to do?”

“Sleep,“ she grumbled.

“No, silly! I mean after you visit your family!“

Marinette bolted upright. “What?!”

“You didn’t remember? You’re supposed to meet your biological parents today for brunch at 10.“

“And what time is it now?“ She asked, jumping out of bed to see if Alya was awake.

“5:30.“

“So I only have four hours to get ready?! That’s not nearly enough!“

“Marinette...? Why are you up so early...?“ Alya mumbled sleepily.

“I’m meeting my family!“ she squawked.

Alya sat up and put on her glasses. “Oh. Want me to help you get ready?“ she asked, walking over to the kitchenette for a glass of water.

“That would be great. Now, can you hurry up!?“

Alya took a long sip. “Calm down, Marinette. Do you want them to think you’re nervous all the time? You don’t want that in a princess. Take a deep breath.“ Marinette glared. Taking a deep breath, she focused on how tranquil she would be.

Her mom would probably be there. Wait–mom–not really her mom, but who she...used to think her mom was? Agh, now she was nervous again!

“So, Marinette, what do you want to wear? Something more traditional, or something that’s a little more...you?“ Alya asked, setting her empty cup down on the counter.

“I don’t want to offend them by just wearing, like, a nice blouse and jeans...but I don’t want to overdress. What do I do?“

Alya munched on a bagel thoughtfully. “Do you still have that qipao dress from a few months ago? The pretty pink one with cherry blossoms on it?“

Marinette nodded and pulled a blur of pink fabric out of her suitcase. She shut the bathroom door, and when she came out a second later, she thought that maybe she actually had a chance to make a good first impression.

On her mom.

Hoo boy.

-🌸-

When Marinette stepped out of the bathroom, Alya immediately started squealing. “Marinette, you look perfect!”

The outfit was simple, no more than a short-sleeved, a-line dress if not for the neckline, which resembled a traditional qipao, adorned with tiny embroidered flowers.

Marinette twirled around. “You like it? I was thinking of wearing those light pink heels. What do you think?”

“Do it.“

🌸 at brunch because op sucks 🌸

“Good morning, miss. Where are you headed today?“

Marinette glanced down at the little card in her hands. “The east dining room, please.”

The man at the desk raised his eyebrows so high they were in danger of disappearing into his curly grey hair. “Right this way, your Royal Highness.” he said, pointing her towards an entryway with a significantly fancier arch than the rest.

She walked down a seemingly endless hallway, wondering when she would get to eat, when the narrow room exploded into a dining room larger than her house.

“Ah, hello…Marinette.“ a peaceful voice greeted her. “I’ve been waiting for you!“

“Hi.“ was all she managed to squeak out. The lady in front of her was stunningly beautiful, with black hair that fell in a curtain down to her waist, wearing nearly the same dress as her, but in what looked like red silk.

“Sit, please!“ she said eagerly. “I’d love to get to know you.“

Marinette awkwardly positioned herself in ont of the high-backed chairs.“Okay.“

The lady sat on the chair opposite from her. “My name is Fei. I’m so sorry to have just...left you with my cousin for years, but I really do hope you can forgive me. This is all a bit hectic–trust me, I know–but I believe that if we can get along, this will go smoothly. What do you say?”

Fei had a warm smile, but there was a nervous undertone to her words. She had felt that way before, and a new feeling coursed through her body. Marinette moved forwards forwards and hugged her. “I’d like that.”

She seemed surprised at first, but hugged her back immediately but then let go almost as fast. “Look, I’m just ecsatic, about this, but if it’s uncomfortable calling me ‘mom’, or anything else, I need you to know that it’s okay. You can call me Fei, you can call me mom, you can call me māmā, anything you want. Okay?”

“Thank you.“ Marinette said, looking down. “It’s nice to know I have you. I think it’ll take a while for me to…adjust, but I’m so happy to know that you’re okay with that. Now, can we stop being so serious and eat?“

She beamed. “That sounds great, Marinette!”

After a few minutes of slightly awkward eating, Marinette cleared her throat. “So, other than the whole coronation thing, are there any other princess-y things I’ll have to do while I’m here?”

Fei choked on her water. “Actually…” she coughed. “I’m glad you asked. See, this is only day three of your 10-day trip. We need to get outfits, jewelry, speeches, everything prepared, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to do it all in time.”

Marinette was soeechless. This was unexpected.

“But that’s not all. I have to intruduce you to my mother, my husband, the whole royal family. “ She was sounding increasingly stressed with each sentence. “Everything has to be taken into account.“

“Hey, it’ll be okay!“ Marinette assured. “Things happen. They’ll sort themselves out. I promise.“

“I know. I have to be calm and levelheaded, or else my mom will take over. If that happens, you’ll end up naked at your coronation, or worse, if my husband takes responsibility, he’ll give it to my mom three days later. Do you know what I mean?“

Marinette nodded. “I know, but sometimes things will just happen. But other times, you have to work for them, you know? As long as you don’t give up on it, it will work out. I promise.”

“Hah–usually I’m the one giving the pep talks. Thank you, Marinette, I-I really needed that. How about you go and…meet up with some of your friends? No use in talking to a boring old lady any longer. Go on!“ she said, motioning towards the door.

Marinette turned back and smiled. “Um...bye, I guess!” she murmured, waving.

-🌸-

“So, Alya, when’s Mari getting back from breakfast with her peeps?” Nino asked as they walked down the street.

“I don’t know. I’ll text. If she replies, she’s free. If she doesn’t, she’s still the–“

“Hey guys, what’d I miss?“ Marinette asked, appearing in front of them. he screamed. “Where did you come from?“

“Brunch.“

“Marinette? You’re already done? We were about to go check out some of the tourist shops.“ Alya remarked, scrolling through something on her phone. Nino rolled his eyes.

“We were going to text you, but since you’re already here, what do you want to do?“ he questioned. Marinette fidgeted with her dress.

“Actually, that sounds fun. Which ones were you thinking?“

“Um, there’s actually one right there.“ Nino said, pointing around her to a shop with neon signs covering the whole window. “It looks fun.“

“So let’s go!“

They walked into the shop, the door jingling cheerfully behind them, and immediately things started catching their eyes. “Oh. My. God. Nino, are you seeing these?” Alya blurted. “They have Carapace merch. We’re world famous!”

Marinette was examining a bracelet with plastic rhinestones on it. “This looks like the bracelet from yesterday’s museum. Isn’t it pretty?” She dug through the bin. “Oh, they have other replicas, too? Awesome.”

Nino walked around, perusing the shelves, not really finding anything that sparked his interest. He picked up a trinket here and there, maybe checked a price tag, but wasn’t very interested. But then he saw it.

“An authentic OctoInk ‘I ain’t callin’ you a truther’ t-shirt? The printing block had an extra line, and only 47 of these were made!“

“Dude.“ Alya and Marinette whispered simultaneously.

“Um, how much is this shirt?“ Nino asked innocently, showing it to the girl at the register. She looked up uninterestedly, blowing a bubble with her gum.

“8 yuan.“ She scoffed. “Like that thing would sell for any more.“

“Hey, this is a nearly one-of-a-kind piece that–mmph!“

“Don’t tell her it’s supposed to be expensive!“ Alya hissed in his ear. “That’s the opposite of what you do!“

Wayzz poked him from his pocket. “She is not wrong, Nino. Purchase the shirt for eight yuan, if it makes you so happy.”

“I’ll take it.“ he said. Marinette put her bracelet on the register with an ‘eh, what the heck?‘ sort of expression. Alya placed a tiny glass turtle on the counter, and Nino felt a flush spreading over his face.

Alya smiled.

-🌸-

“So, Marinette, why did you get that bracelet?“ Alya asked once they had left the shop. “It looks pretty real, but you have way nicer jewelry at home. Like the necklace you wore this morning?“

“Yeah, but this one looks like the one from the museum. I know it seems silly, but it feels special.“ she said, twisting it around her wrist.

“Nah, I get it. And speaking of special, here comes a special little liar.“

Marinette’s head straightened immediately. “Aw, shit. And here I was thinking this would be a nice day.“

“Oh, hello, Marinette!“ Lila purred, snaking into the space between Nino and her. “I love your bracelet. It looks expensive…“ and with that, she sauntered away, all other interactive possibilities completely wasted.

“Well, that went better than I’d hoped.“ Nino chuckled.

“Ooh, Nino, there’s an art gallery! Want to check it out?“

“Sure thing, babe!“ He turned to Marinette. “Wanna come?“

“You can go without me, I’m going to get a bite to eat.“

“But–didn’t you just get back from–never mind.“ They walked into the gallery, chatting about who-knows-what.

Marinette spun around, and immediately someone on a blue bike yelled a split second before they knocked her over.

“Aaaack, my bike!” A male voice yelled. Marinette tried to open her eyes and stood up. A pale boy with bangs that hung over his eyes stared at her. “Sorry, I guess…”

Marinette stared back. “Okay?” she whispered. Maybe it wasn’t going to be a free day after all.

Just as she was about to ask for his name, her stomach growled like an angry Godzilla.

He chuckled.

“You wanna grab a bite? I know a place.“

“Sure. What’s your name?“

“Jianyu.“

“Marinette.“

He opened the door to a little sandwich restaurant and walked in, but let it swing shut behind him in Marinette’s face. Rude. Once they were seated and Marinette was starting to get a little annoyed at him–it was like he didn’t even notice her–he decided it was time to order.

Jianyu snapped at one of the waitresses to get her attention and whistled to get her to come over. She walked over with a pained expression on her face, then plastered on a smile.

“How may I help you today?“

“I’ll have pork dumplings and a Pepsi, the lady’ll have the chicken salad.“

“Actually, I was going to get–“ Marinette started.

“Sorry, sweetheart.“ he said, shoving the waitress away and turning back to her. “But why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself while she’s gone?“

I know that when I’m crowned princess, I’ll kick your scrawny ass, she thought. But she didn’t say that–in fact, she didn’t say anything, just got up from her chair and knocked Jianyu’s water glass down his front.

She swept out of the store before she could hear his cursing.

Yeah, that date was over.

And–being Marinette–as soon as she stormed out of the restaurant, she slammed into a cute girl with her wavy black hair in a ponytail, wearing leggings and a red hoodie.

“Oh, no, are you alright?“ she gasped, checking Marinette over for injuries.

“I’m fine.“ Marinette grumbled. She wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone else she bumped into, not if they were going to be like him.

“You don’t sound fine. I’m Chuntao.“

“Oh–um, I’m Marinette. Little tip, don’t go in there unless you like being catcalled.“

Chuntao frowned. “Hm. I think my brother told me he was going there for lunch–I wouldn’t put it past him to do that.“ She walked in and came out a second later, dragging Jianyu out by the ear.

“What do you have to say for yourself?“

“Marinette!“ he shouted. “I didn’t do anything! Back me up!“

“You called me ‘sweetheart’.“

“Mom’s gonna kick your ass,“ Chuntao growled, letting go of Jianyu’s ear. He scampered away, and she turned back to Marinette, rubbing her temples.

“I’m so sorry for him, but you seem like a really cool person. Can I get your number?“

“Y-yeah, totally!“ Marinette swapped phones with Chuntao, slightly dazed. She handed her phone back and waved.

“Thanks, Marinette! Text me later!“ She yelled, jogging away.

“See you…”

“So, who was that?“ Alya asked, appearing at her shoulder.

“Waugh! Alya! You know…maybe we should sit down first.“

-🌸-

“So…what if I’m gay?“

Alya and Nino simultaneously choked on their drinks.

Alya dabbed at her face with a napkin. “Marinette, darling, may I know the circumstances that have led you to entertain this line of inquiry? Because what the fuck?”

“Tell me all about her.” Nino said, resting his chin in his hands.

“Well, she saved me from a really sucky dude,“

“Hm. So she’s already a nice person.“ Alya remarked.

“And she’s super pretty,“

“So are you, honestly. But that’s off-topic.“

“And I haven’t had a real crush on a boy, like, ever,“

“And you went out with Kagami a few months ago, too. That settles it, Marinette! You are most definitely likely probably gay!“ Nino announced, raising his virgin Piña Colada in a toast.

Alya clinked her Shirley Temple against Marinette’s glass. “So, Marinette, it’s your free day. Only 48 hours until the coronation. How are you feeling?”

“Honestly, I d–“

“Hands in the air!“ an amplified voice screamed. “You’re under arrest!“

Tags: @professionalfangirl1738 @kuroko26 @k-poplunardreams @smolplantmum @heaven428 @briareris @dnsakina @purplesundaze @bloodydragon000 @mimika-28 @strawberrycheesecakebar @k-laconia-bug1@kristycocopop @abrx2002 @wannajointhecrabcult @mochegato @lozzybowe @ozwaltwashere @flufflepuffle296 @fandom-trapped-03 @nanakeid @hetalia-lover-is-here @futursworld @pale-lady-dreamer @susiej1118 @lostinthewrongfandom @fantasyfandommaiden @aestheticnpoetic @feliciakainzofspades @schrodingers25 @echpr

#ml salt #ml salt fic #marinette dupain cheng #marinette deserves better #alya sugar #nino sugar #lila salt #lila bashing #ish #adrien salt #adrien bashing #again ish #marinette the princess of china #chuntao song #miraculous salt #miraculous ladybug #class salt #the kwamis just kinda dont exist in this chapter #~gone~

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