#since i went through multiple conversation paths

[vespertine-legacy]

I am. so normal. about this conversation.

[atskiruma]

his attempts at courting you

expl: he finds himself thinking about you more often, wanting to seek you out consistently, and giving you numerous gifts every day to see you smile

a/n: it has come to my attention that the last ff i wrote, (snow day) was not very well depicted for all readers to enjoy, i want to apologize for that and promise that i will get better at trying to make sure everyone is able to read it and enjoy it, my writings are targeted for all | unfortunately, i can not edit it right now seeing as there's a poll going on, but once that poll is finished i will change my wording in the ff

ask me anything masterlist

second person writing no pronouns used

Zhongli often felt himself thinking about you more often while he was working around the parlor. Even seeking out your name in conversations and listening more attentively when someone was speaking about you. It didn't confuse him though, he was aware of his interest in you.

You opened up the warmth in his heart and welcomed him kindly every time you two saw each other. It made him happy to see you happy, and this was evident when flowers were delivered directly to your door one sunny afternoon.

"These are for you," The mail lady said before turning around and walking away to do more deliveries. You didn't even get to ask who they were from before she was gone. Staring down at the bouquet of tiger lilies in front of you, you could only assume that the bright orange and black colors could depict a certain someone's hair color.

It was a nice piece on your kitchen counter and went well with the other decorations spiraling around your house. That was, until the next morning, you were greeted again with another gift. A bright orange vase to compliment the tiger lilies you received the other day. It was funny, why was he going out of his way to send you such nice gifts?

You finally managed to confront him when you saw Childe and Zhongli sitting together on the seats of an outside cafe. Walking over and waving to the both of them. They greeted you back, and small talk was given for only a couple minutes.

"I actually came over here to thank Zhongli," This caught his attention, and he turned to look up at you, "I really loved the flowers you sent and the vase goes really well with them too!" You said while smiling.

He nodded back at you, seemingly collecting himself extremely quickly at the fact you figured out so quick who it was. "I'm glad you liked them," He said.

"I came to give you this in return," You said," "I know it's probably not as extravagant as the ones you gave me, but I like it." Handing over the small gift box, he opened it and smiled softly at the item. It was a small keychain, nothing special, and it was decorated with a lovely orange seem.

That same keychain would be hung up right next to his bedframe, along with variant letters you sent him on the table accompanying it.

Diluc was someone who took courting another person seriously. He found it tradition since his father had spoken so much of it when Diluc was younger. He always wanted to treat the one he loved with respect and be as much of a gentleman as possible.

This was why you were taking a stroll with him through his grapevines on a sunny afternoon. He offered for you to come down to the Winery a couple days ago and you had just gotten around to accepting his offer. His hand rested on your back as he took you through multiple different paths and explained everything. As you strolled, he talked about things concerning the vine, his profits, the seasons they needed to be planted, etc.

You smiled at him, knowing it was something he took dear to his heart, and listened very attentively to what he was saying. In reality, Diluc was really hoping that all he was talking about didn't bore you in any way.

Then, the next couple of hours were spent sitting in his large dining room, eating food made by the cooks in his home. It was nice, and you were very happy that he wanted to spend this much time with you. Diluc even found himself watching you eat here and there, asking you if the food was good or if you needed anything else in the time being.

After everything was over, and the night sky shined over the two of you as you stood outside his doors, he leaned down and pressed a small kiss to your hand. Telling you how much of a pleasure it was to have you here, and how he wished you could stay longer.

Diluc even offered to walk you home, tediously not taking no for an answer, he reached down to take your hand and hold it the whole walk home.

Alhaitham was very closed off when he first met you, he was closed off with anyone in general. He found it strange that you always seemed to be there when he was thinking about you, and when his eyes would try and search a room in the akademiya for you.

He realized that something had to be done about this, so, he did what any other raging nerd would do, and researched about it.

You also found it odd when you'd see him looking at you from across the library, or holding the door open for you whenever you'd walking behind him. Alhaitham always seemed like the guy who only cared about his own, yet he was so evident in helping you out here and there.

Helping you when you'd be confused about a book, rewording your essays to make them better. Alhaitham seemed to want to assist you with almost everything. This was no different than today.

You found yourself back at the library looking down at a long-written parchment on the forest rangers' activities. Trying to figure out how you could make this work in the essay you were conducting on Sumeru's forest.

This was when you heard the chair scrap right next to you, and looked up from where you had originally been focused. Alhaitham took his seat next to you, slightly taking up more space than necessary with his manspreading.

"Do you need help with that? It looks like a longer report than usual for you."

"Longer than usual?" You shot back, "Are you saying that I'm not capable of reading this?" His eyes widened a bit and he instantly tried to retort his original statement. "No, no, I thought- Well- You know you usually read shorter reports in order to get more details. I didn't think you'd take something this large to account."

His confession made you smile, and you leaned in closer, "How'd you know how I like my reports?" At the response with your cheeky grin, a blush formed on his cheeks before he looked away.

"Scholars are supposed to be attentive, it's natural to know a few things you prefer in order to work best with you."

The response he sent back your way caused you to roll your eyes and turn back to what you were originally doing. "To answer your question, no, I do not need help, but thank you for offering."

That didn't seem to make him budge, because he kept sitting there watching you copy down and write words from the book.

"You misspelled climate."

The sound of a book colliding with his head echoed throughout the library.

Ayato enjoyed your company, a lot, so much that he seeks you out anytime he and his sister go down to festivals or strolls through the city. He always wanted to start up a conversation with you, and if anyone else walked by anytime he'd be down there, Ayato would be right next to you listening with a smile at whatever you said.

Ayaka loved you too and found it amusing that her brother was so interested in you. She often found herself trying to spark up conversations with you, asking if her older brother proposed yet in a joking manner.

You laughed it off, Ayato was nice but you were sure he had other rich and important people to concern his love life with. He was just a very nice man to talk with here and there, and you didn't seem to notice that you were one of the few he'd actually seek out.

That was, until, every time he saw you, he came with some form of jewelry or expensive item to give you. Asking you how your day was, what you were doing, and if you wanted to come to spend some time up at the estate with him.

"What about Ayaka?" You said with a tilt of your head in confusion. He smiled back and said, "I'm sure she'd rather stay down here and explore more of the shops.

Ayaka would have loved to come along, but before she could even turn around, the two of you were already heading back up to the estate.

He catered to you, made sure you were comfortable, and even asked if you'd like anything from his personal chefs. It was a bit much to handle, seeing as you weren't used to living so luxurious, but he was very nice about it all and understood.

The catering didn't stop after that day either, more and more people began to wonder why the Kamisato siblings were spending so much more time outside their palace. Ayaka once mentioned that you loved a certain color, and the next day Ayato was handing you a box with that color, and a necklace with the pearl containing that color too.

He even found himself marching over to you when he saw someone speaking to you in a more flirtatious matter. Moving next to you and asking if everything was alright while his hand wrapped around your own.

[miniy00ng1]

Die With A Smile

Five Hargreeves x Female!Reader

wc: 1447 (not proofread)

warnings: swearing, death, lmk if i missed anything!

find my masterlist here

hiii lovelies! i absolutely love the song die with a smile and felt it fit super well with tua, so this is the outcome. i actually had two separate ending ideas for this fic, so if you'd like me to release the alternate ending (it's a happy ending) lmk in the comments. as usual pls ignore any grammar errors and i hope you enjoy! thank you <3

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The Hargreeves Siblings and their families are gathered in the broken down Umbrella Academy. After fighting the giant hybrid monster, Ben and Jennifer, that is consuming everything and everyone in its path, the siblings are trying to come up with a plan of action. 

Five, your husband, has disappeared back to the subway station where he spent several years trapped with you with little hope on finding a way back home. He left in hopes to find something that he might’ve overlooked, a solution to the cleanse. He left you behind to help care towards his injured siblings and in hopes that you could be the brains while he was gone. 

“How the hell do we beat a thing that keeps getting stronger and bigger everytime we try and fight it?” Diego asks in exasperation. The siblings pace the living area trying to figure out how to beat the monster. “It’s only a matter of time before it consumes everything and the world ends…again.” Viktor states matter-of-factly.

At this time, Five blinks into the living room and his eyes immediately finds yours–there’s a look in his eyes of realization and acceptance. You get off the couch and make your way to him, interlocking fingers and giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

“I went back to the subway station and had a very long and strange conversation with me…well multiple mes. But anyways, we are the reason why all of this is happening,” Five continues to explain to his siblings how they should have never existed but they do and that they have caused a shattered timeline. “That must’ve been what Ben was trying to show me back at the department store, he showed me the original timeline. He was trying to tell me that maybe, the cleanse isn’t a bad thing.” Viktor says, recalling the serene scene that was the original timeline. 

Five recaptures his siblings’ attention, “We have to let the Durango merge with the Cleanse. It’s the only way to fix the timeline…” “And what happens to us?” “We cease to exist.” Five replies to Diego’s question, leaving everyone in the room too stunned to speak.

“Absolutely not Five,” Your words come out shaky, “There’s got to be another way.” “Yeah! I’m with Y/N. It turns out, I don’t actually like dying all that much.” Klaus says agreeing with you. Five looks at you with hurt in his eyes, he would never willingly leave you but there’s no other way to save the world. “Y/N, I’ve been through every possible outcome, there’s nothing we can do to stop this. My siblings and I should’ve never existed in the first place. We don’t belong here, we never did.” Your eyes well up with tears, “But you guys do belong, you’re my family, you’re my love Five. If you’re not here, I don’t belong in the timeline either.” Five shakes his head at your words.

“What about our families Five? What happens to them if we cease to exist? Diego asks glancing towards to other room where his children reside. “I’m not sure.” Five says defeated while tightening his grip on your hand. The siblings look at each other unsure of what to do. Allison sits up from the couch, still clutching her stomach from her injuries, “What about that train station? Can you bring them there? Y/N could go with them and make sure they’re safe since she’s been to the station before.” Before Five can answer, Claire enters the room, rushing to her mom.

Five brings you to the side of the room for a little bit of privacy. No words are exchanged as he pulls you into his embrace, his face in the crook of your neck, holding you tight as if you would disappear from his arms. You feel your neck dampen, this is your breaking point. Tears stream down your cheeks as you push your face into Five’s chest, trying to get as close to him as possible. Sobs rack your body, you begin to hiccup as your breathing becomes uneven. 

Five tries to pull away to get you to breathe. You sob harder pulling him tighter, “Just hold me for a little while longer. Please Five, just hold me.” Five responds by cradling you in his arms, placing a gentle kiss on you head, “I’m so sorry Y/N. I love you so much. I wish there was another way.”

The Umbrella Academy is a mess of emotions as the siblings say goodbye to their loved ones and accept their fate. You stand with Claire and Lila and Diego’s family waiting for Five to blink you to the subway station. You wave to the siblings that you have grown to know and love so much. Five grabs your hand and blinks the group out of the house. 

“Okay everyone, follow me onto the train, we’re going on a little trip!” You try to put a fake smile on your face to ease the nerves of Diego and Lila’s children. You guide the group onto the train, ensuring that everyone got on before you. After stepping on you turn to face the train door, Five is standing there with a sad smile on his face. The only thing separating you two is a solid yellow line on the platform. The strange announcement that you’ve heard a number of times before goes off over the PA system. You’re heart begins to race, the doors are going to close any second now and this will be the last time you ever see Five. He continues to stare at you.

The doors begin to make noise, signalling that they’re going to close. Your eyes quickly glance between the closing doors and Five. Five’s eyes widen as he realizes what you’re about to do but it’s too late to stop you. Five instead catches you as you stumble into his arms, “What did you just do Y/N?” “I told you earlier Five, you’re my everything. Wherever you go, I’ll follow. If you’re not with me in the original timeline…what’s the point? The world is ending, I want to be next to you.”

Upon your return to the Umbrella Academy, the Hargreeves are shocked to say the least. “Are they safe? Did they make it?” Lila bombards you with questions. You nod in response and she wraps you in her arms, thanking you. “So…what do we do now? Should we say our favorite moments with each other?” Luther asks awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot as nerves surge through his body. Everybody shoots down Luther’s ideas and elects to just sit and wait. 

You and Five are seated on a couch, he holds you tight. He wouldn’t say it but he was scared shitless. You read him like a book and bring your lips to his ear, “It’ll be okay Love. I’m right here with you and I wouldn’t change my decision.” He turns his head to look at you and gives you a kiss that says everything he needs to. 

Suddenly, a shrill screech and crash can be heard outside the house. “You guys! I think he’s coming and I don’t think he’s happy.” Luther calls out while looking at the large monster approaching. Five grips your hand and stands up at the announcement. You and the Hargreeves move away from the window and form a circle on the other side of the living room. The monster hybrid’s tentacle-like appendages bust throught the glass window by the front door first. Then the window by the main stairway. In no time the tentacles were approaching the siblings from every angle.

“Relax and just let it do what it wants.” Five calls out to his siblings as the tentacles begin to reach their feet. Five looks at your intertwined hands and smiles, “I know I was a hardass, but I really do love you guys, as much as you do drive me crazy.” “Ew Five, I know we’re dying or whatever but don’t get all sappy on us now.” Lila says with fake disgust. “Thank you for letting me be in your crazy family. I love you guys so much.” You chime in, a tear slipping down your face. Lila reaches out to grab your left hand. Tears are now streaming down everyones faces as they hold hands with one another. The tentacles now enveloping up to their stomachs and climbing higher and higher.

You turn your head to look at Five and he mirrors your movements. It is now up to your chin and before you world goes dark, you’re able to make out Five’s final three words–said with a smile.

taglist:

@ohmyitsfaith @clairoscharm

[kckt88]

You Really Got Me.

Summary:

After being dragged to a club by his brother, Aemond meets the girl of his dreams.

Warning(s): Alcohol, Flirting, Banter, Kissing, Smut, Oral Sex M & F Recieving, Multiple Orgasms, P in V sex.

AEMOND TARGARYEN x Y.N

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

Word Count: 3384

A.N - Shout out to @zeciex for suggesting I write this!!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated.

As the bass thumped through the club, Aemond Targaryen leaned back against the plush leather booth, a tumbler of amber liquid swirling in his hand. His older brother Aegon was at it again, prowling the dance floor in search of his next conquest, his laughter mingling with the music and the chatter of the crowd.

Aemond couldn't help but shake his head at Aegon's antics, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips. Some things never changed, no matter how old they got. But then, his attention was caught by a figure sitting at the bar.

She was captivating, with long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders and a leather jacket over her dress only adding an edge to her ensemble.

Her fingers tapped against her thigh in time with the beat, a subtle rhythm that drew Aemond's gaze like a moth to flame and he found himself unable to look away.

As the music pulsed around them, Aemond felt a surge of courage wash over him. With a glance towards his brother, who was still lost in his pursuit, he made his decision. Setting down his drink, he straightened his jacket and approached the bar, a newfound determination in his step.

It had been a good few months since he’d last took a woman to his bed and tonight, he would take a chance, and see where the night would lead.

With a steady resolve, Aemond made his way through the pulsating crowd towards the bar where the captivating woman sat. As he approached, he couldn't help but admire the graceful way she moved to the music, her presence commanding attention.

Just as he was about to speak, fate intervened in the form of a misstep.

The woman turned at the wrong moment, her sudden movement catching Aemond off guard. Before he could react, their paths collided, and the contents of her drink went tumbling through the air, splashing across the front of his shirt.

"Whoa, I'm so sorry!" Aemond exclaimed, his hand instinctively reaching out to steady her as they both stumbled back from the collision.

The woman's eyes widened in surprise, a look of mortification crossing her features as she took in the mess they had created. "Oh gods, I didn't see you there," she apologized, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

"It's alright, really," Aemond reassured her, offering a warm smile despite the dampness seeping through his shirt. "Accidents happen."

Together, they shared a rueful laugh, the tension of the moment dissipating into shared amusement.

As they both cleaned up the mess, the woman offered a sheepish smile. "I'm Y.N," she introduced herself, her voice soft but carrying a hint of warmth.

"Aemond," he replied, offering his hand with a gentle shake. "Nice to meet you, Y.N, despite the unconventional start."

Y.N's smile widened, a glint of amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Likewise, Aemond. And I must say, you handle unexpected collisions quite well."

Aemond chuckled, a hint of colour rising to his cheeks. "Years of practice," he quipped, enjoying the easy banter that flowed between them.

Feeling a sense of camaraderie growing between them, Aemond gestured towards the bar. "Can I make it up to you by buying you another drink?" he offered, hoping to extend their conversation beyond the initial mishap.

Y.N's lips curved into a playful grin. "I suppose that would be fair compensation," she teased, a sparkle of mischief dancing in her eyes.

With a shared laugh, they made their way to the bar, the music and chatter of the club fading into the background as they continued to get to know each other.

As they settled into a more intimate corner of the club, Aemond and Y.N continued their conversation, their laughter blending seamlessly with the music.

"So, what brought you here tonight?" Aemond asked, genuinely curious about the woman sitting across from him.

Y.N's expression softened, a hint of wistfulness crossing her features. "Honestly, I was just about to leave," she confessed, her voice tinged with a touch of disappointment. "My friends bailed on me, and I didn't really fancy staying here alone."

Aemond's brows furrowed sympathetically, but a playful twinkle lit up his eye. "Well, I suppose luck was on my side then," he remarked with a charming smile. "Because you're not alone anymore."

Y.N's lips curled into a smile, touched by his sincerity. "I suppose you're right," she conceded, a warmth blossoming in her chest at his words.

As the night wore on and their conversation deepened, Aemond and Y.N found themselves drawn to each other in ways they hadn't expected. With each shared laugh and exchanged glance, the spark of attraction between them ignited into a blazing flame.

Aemond leaned in closer, his voice low and husky as he teased Y.N with playful banter. "You know, I must say, you're quite the captivating presence," he remarked, a hint of admiration in his tone.

Y.N's cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and delight as she returned his gaze, her eyes sparkling with a newfound confidence. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she quipped, her smile playful yet inviting.

Their flirtatious exchange continued, a dance of words and glances that spoke volumes without the need for further explanation.

Aemond couldn't deny the magnetic pull he felt towards Y.N, her wit and charm captivating him in ways he hadn't anticipated. And as he watched her laugh and playfully toss her hair, he knew that he wanted nothing more than to explore where this newfound attraction would lead.

For Y.N, the feeling was mutual, her heart racing with excitement as she found herself falling deeper under Aemond's spell. In his presence, she felt alive in a way she hadn't in a long time, her every nerve tingling with anticipation.

As the night progressed and the chemistry between them intensified, Y.N found herself drawn to the subtle intricacies of Aemond's appearance. With a gentle touch, she reached out to tuck a stray strand of his long, silver hair behind his ear, her fingertips lingering against his skin.

"You know," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "You have to be one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen."

Aemond's breath caught in his throat at her words, a rush of warmth flooding through him at the sincerity in her gaze. He met her eyes, his own blue orbs reflecting a depth of emotion that words could scarcely capture.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice tinged with a mixture of humility and gratitude. "That's-quite the compliment."

Y.N smiled, her gaze softening as she took in the sight of him. "I mean it," she insisted, her fingers trailing lightly along his jawline. "Your sharp features, the colour of your eye-it’s truly mesmerizing".

“-And the eyepatch and scar?” mused Aemond.

“Proves that you’re a survivor” replied Y.N smiling.

Y.N's gaze lingered on Aemond's profile, the soft glow of the club's lights casting gentle shadows across his features.

With a small smile playing at the corners of her lips, she couldn't help but voice her admiration.

"You know, Aemond, your side profile is absolutely incredible," she remarked, her voice hushed yet filled with genuine appreciation.

Aemond turned to face her, a faint blush tinting his cheeks at the unexpected compliment. "Really?" he replied, his voice tinged with a mixture of surprise and pleasure.

Y.N nodded, her eyes tracing the elegant curve of his jawline and the noble slope of his nose. "Yes, really," she affirmed, her tone earnest. "There's something about the way the light catches your features-it's like you were sculpted by an artist."

Aemond's heart fluttered at her words, a warmth spreading through him at the sincerity in her gaze. In Y.N's eyes, he felt seen in a way that went beyond mere physical appearance, a recognition of the uniqueness that defined him.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice soft yet filled with gratitude.

Aemond found himself unable to resist the magnetic pull drawing him closer to Y.N. With a silent exchange of longing glances, they closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a fervent kiss that ignited a firestorm of passion between them.

In that moment, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the sensation of Y.N's lips against his own, soft yet electrifying. Aemond's heart thundered in his chest as he deepened the kiss, his hands instinctively finding their way to Y.N's waist, pulling her closer to him.

Y.N responded eagerly, her arms winding around Aemond's neck as she melted into his embrace.

As their kiss finally broke, leaving them both breathless and flushed with desire, Aemond gazed into Y.N's eyes, a question lingering unspoken between them.

"Y.N," he began, his voice husky with emotion, "Would you like to-go back to my flat?"

Y.N's lips curved into a knowing smile, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Yes," she whispered, her voice filled with a quiet longing that mirrored his own.

With a surge of elation coursing through him, Aemond took her hand in his, his fingers intertwining with hers as they made their way through the throng of people towards the exit.

As they reached the door, Aemond fumbled for his keys, his fingers trembling with anticipation. With a satisfying click, the door swung open, and they stumbled into the dimly lit interior, their bodies pressed together as their kisses grew deeper, more urgent.

“A-Are you sure?” asked Aemond.

“Yes, I’m sure-“ replied Y.N as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him for another kiss, the tongues gently caressing one another.

Aemond’s hands then slipped her leather jacket off her shoulders and draped it over the back of a chair before he took her face in his hands and ran his tongue over her lips, eliciting a low moan from Y.N.

His long fingers sliding up the back of her neck and into her hair, his forehead resting against hers.

“So beautiful” whispered Aemond.

“I-I want to see you” muttered Y.N softly.

Aemond hesitated, he never took his eyepatch off around anyone except his mother, brothers, and sister.

But there was something about Y.N that instantly made him feel comfortable, so with a deep breath Aemond slipped his fingers under the strap of his eyepatch and pulled it from his head.

Y.N stood silent she stared at the scar the bisected his cheek, extending through his eyebrow. The sapphire that he’d placed in the eye socket, glinted in the moonlight.

“You are-so-beautiful” whispered Y.N as she leaned forward and placed a number of kisses along his scarred cheek and over the sapphire.

Aemond closed his eye in delight at the tender gesture, a contented sigh escaping his lips.

“Hmmm” rasped Aemond as he ran his thumb over Y.N’s bottom lip, his eye going wide as she opened her mouth and nipped at his thumb before sucking it into her mouth.

Aemond could feel his eye roll into the back of head, fuck his cock was throbbing.

“Please-“ moaned Y.N

Aemond removed his thumb and quickly shed his jacket before throwing it on the sofa.

Wasting no time, he pulled Y.N to him, his lips once again claiming hers.

He put his arm around her waist and kissed her passionately, deepening the kiss as she moaned into his mouth. His tongue pushing against hers.

Y.N ran her fingers across his lithe body. His muscles rippled under her fingertips.

She unbuttoned the white shirt he wore, placing feathery kisses on his sparsely haired chest as the shirt was removed.

Her fingers toying with the silver cross chain he wore.

Groaning against her creamy smooth skin, he kissed her neck, sucking on the delicate flesh as she leaned into him, enjoying his every touch.

Her dress felt heavy on her. She wanted to be rid of it. She wanted to feel his skin on hers. She reluctantly broke free of his embrace and turned her back to him moving her hair out of the way.

His fingers trembled as he grasped the zip to her dress and pulled it down, the sound echoed through the quiet apartment, and he pressed his lips to the back of her neck.

Using his long fingers, he freed her from the confinements of her dress, and it fell to join his shirt on the floor.

She wasn’t wearing a bra, which excited him to no end.

Goosebumps appeared where his fingers moved over her. Cupping her ample breasts from behind, Aemond pulled Y.N against his chest. Burying himself in the crook of her neck, sucking on the skin whilst his fingers massaged the soft mounds and played with her hardened nipples.

Aemond turned her to face him. Kissing her again, he trailed kisses down her body and took a rosy nipple in his mouth. Sucking on the aroused bud, he bit down lightly, earning a low moan from deep within her.

He continued his actions on the other breast and kissed past her stomach until he knelt before her. Her fingers in his hair tightened as he ran the tips of his fingers from her stomach down to her core.

Slowly he hooked his thumbs on the sides of her knickers and pulled them down.

 Fuck she was dripping, and it was all for him. He could not wait to taste her. Somehow, he knew she would taste delicious.

Y.N delicately stepped out of the lacy material, and Aemond's long fingers grasped her buttocks. His fingers dug into her delicate flesh.

He felt her lean in eagerly. Gently he swiped his tongue across her hairless pussy, instant gratification as her fingers tightened their hold on his head, and a low moan left her lips.

Aemond smirked. Using his tongue, he gained access to her wet, pink folds. She tasted fucking amazing. Aemond enthusiastically ran his tongue along her slit, flicking his tongue over her swollen clit.

Y.N effortlessly placed a leg on his shoulder, spreading her thighs for better access. Oh, how he welcomed it.

Her clit was a swollen mass of pleasure waiting to explode. He pressed his tongue hard on it and sucked on her pulsating womanhood. Again and again, he felt her squirm. He felt her heat, she was so close.

Y.N felt the flow of heat accumulate behind her navel as she hovered on the cusp of orgasm. She let out a loud moan as she intricately spun a bundle of nerves that exploded within her.

"Fuck!" Y.N cried and buckled under the weight of her release.

Wave upon wave of unbridled passion unleashed within her as an earth-shattering orgasm tore throughout her body. Her slick juices dripped down his lips and chin. He didn't stop until she was utterly spent.

Pushing his tongue further in, he fucked her with his tongue till her orgasm ceased.

"Aemond," whimpered Y.N as she began to wobble.

Smirking, Aemond rose to his feet and kissed her, letting her taste herself on his tongue.

Y.N regained her composure and keenly clung to him, returning his kisses while undoing the button of his trousers.

Not skipping a single step as she directed him backwards towards the sofa.

Kissing him full on the mouth, her fingers stroked his body, not missing an inch of flesh.

She marvelled at the feel of his body. It was so lithe and fit. Trailing kisses past his stomach, she came face to face with his sizeable bulge.

Biting down on her lip, kneeling between his legs she pulled his trousers and boxers down his shapely legs and threw them next to her.

Even in the dim light, Aemond could see she was impressed. His rock-hard shaft stood up, eagerly awaiting its reward.

Y.N bent her head and licked a line from his balls to his pulsating head.

Aemond groaned aloud as she clasped her fingers around his girth and moved her hand up and down the hard shaft. Y.N enjoyed his slow torture. She smirked and licked the underside of his cock.

"Y.N-" whimpered Aemond.

His eye closed, and he felt her tongue at his head, licking the pre-cum that oozed out.

Without warning, she took him in whole, deep-throating his length. Aemond knew he would not last, he could not hold back any longer, but gods he did not want her to stop.

She was sucking on him, her lips tightening around his cock as she built a beautiful pace.

"NO!" groaned Aemond and Y.N withdrew.

She barely had time to react. Before he grabbed her around the waist and moved her on top.

“I-have condoms-somewhere” mumbled Aemond.

“I’m on the pill and clean-“ exclaimed Y.N her eyes going wide as Aemond lined up his cock with her entrance and sheathed himself inside her with one hard thrust.

Y.N moaned as Aemond withdrew and entered into her repeatedly.

Faster and faster. Harder and deeper, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips.

"Please don't stop," cried out Y.N

"I have no intention of stopping" growled Aemond, his feet planted firmly on the floor to allow him to increase the intensity of his thrusts.

A satisfied smile spread across his face as he quickened and angled his movements, so his cock rubbed on that special place inside her.

Aemond was mesmerized by the sight of Y.N’s breasts bouncing in front of him and unbale to resist any longer he surged forward, his mouth wrapping around one rosy bud.

His teeth and tongue teasing the stiffened peak.

“Gods-yes Aemond” shrieked Y.N as she bounced on his cock, her hands coiled in is long silver hair.

“That’s it baby-take it-take all of me” growled Aemond leaning back as he moved Y.N’s hips in time with his thrusts.

“Oh gods-” wailed Y.N.

“That’s it-FUCK Y.N” groaned Aemond as he took hold of her and quickly manoeuvred her onto her back, his cock never leaving the warm wetness of her as he began to pound into her, the sounds of skin slapping on skin echoing around his apartment.

“P-Please Aemond. Don’t stop. Don’t stop-“ whimpered Y.N.

“Come for me baby-come for me” growled Aemond as he felt her clenching around him.

“AEMOND” screamed Y.N as she exploded, her nails digging into his back.

Aemond held back for as long as he could, but his release was upon him.

Surrounded by her wetness, he closed his eye.

With a final hard thrust, he spilled rope after rope of his seed.

He muffled his groans into her mouth as she hung onto him, kissing him fervently.

Only once she milked him dry did he collapse on top of her. She held him close to her body, whispering words of comfort and satisfaction while running her fingers down his back.

The sweat on his back stung against the scraps her nails made.

As they lay entwined on the sofa, their bodies bare and glistening with the remnants of their shared passion, Aemond and Y.N savoured the quiet intimacy of the moment. The soft glow of moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle halo around their entangled forms.

Aemond's fingers traced lazy patterns across Y.N's skin, his touch tender and reverent as he explored the contours of her body.

With a contented sigh, he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, his heart overflowing with gratitude for the unexpected twist of fate that had brought them together.

In the stillness of the night, a silent thanks drifted through Aemond's mind, directed towards Aegon, who had unwittingly led him to the club where he had found Y.N.

Aemond couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't want this to be just another fleeting encounter. With Y.N nestled against him, her warmth radiating against his skin, he felt a longing stir within him—a desire to see her again, to explore the depths of their connection beyond the confines of this single night.

Gathering his courage, Aemond brushed a stray lock of hair from Y.N's face, his voice soft yet resolute. "Y.N," he began, his heart pounding in his chest, "I don't want this to end here. Would you-would you like to go on a date with me?"

Y.N's eyes lit up with delight, a soft giggle escaping her lips as she looked up at him with a sparkle of excitement. "Yes," she replied, her voice brimming with warmth and affection. "I would love to."

[muddyorbsblr]

would've could've should've pt2

See my full list of works here!

Part of the 500 Follower Celebration Requested by: Anonymous

Summary: You and Loki attend an alumni event at your college, hiding in plain sight while on a mission to retrieve information about HYDRA experiments within campus; you cross paths with someone from your past.

Word Count: 6.5k [pace yourself; keep water on standby]

Warnings (spoilers ahead but also you need these): 18+ | heavy themes (retraumatizing; emotional trauma from past relationship; past relationship with severe power imbalance; past relationship involving severely predatory behavior; implied dubcon mentioned in memories); mentions of human experimentation involving drug-induced mental and emotional subjugation; angst; Tony's a-hole tendencies; language [let me know if I missed anything and I'll change it immediately]

Things to be aware of: established relationship; keep the song this is titled after in mind especially "I damn sure never would've danced with the devil at 19"

There'd been a tension between you and Loki ever since that movie night gone wrong where his brother let slip that he was frustrated in his current relationship. At least where physical contact was concerned, or lack thereof. Thor even went so far as to insinuate that Loki doubted his girlfriend even loved him if she wasn't even willing to share her body with him.

The unease was driving the god to the brink of madness, every part of him shaking with the urge to pull you into a room and beg you to tell him what he could do to make things better. He would do just about anything for you, and it pained him to realize that you didn't actually know that.

Perhaps with this new mission that you two were being sent off to, you two could have some much needed time together away from all the noise. And especially away from his brother that thought he knew what was best for him. Thor didn't know a damned thing.

You were best for him. He just needed to be leagues better in showing you that so you could know it as well as he did.

And even though the destination wasn't all that romantic, the god still had a good few tricks up his sleeve that could help him make do with what he had.

"Y/N, quick question about lodging arrangements for your mission with Laufeyson." Loki immediately tuned out all of the other noise around him to listen in on your conversation with the worker from Operations & Logistics. One of the perks he'd found from his Jotun heritage: the enhanced senses that allowed him to eavesdrop even from across the rather spacious room.

"I don't care about the view, Kristy, just stick us wherever," you spoke around the cookie you were munching on.

"Oh, no it's not about the view. You two are booked for a suite, so you'll have a fantastic view of the Hills regardless. Maybe even the Hollywood sign!" She bounded in her spot slightly, clearly excited as she imagined what you'd be seeing from the suite's balcony.

Meanwhile the raven-haired god was already losing himself in the image of sharing some champagne with you, your features illuminated by the city lights. Perhaps stealing multiple kisses through the night.

"I was wondering about the uhh…bedroom arrangements? You want one bedroom or two?"

He was about to speak up, nearly shouting that you only needed a single room with a single bed before you answered, not a single part of you betraying your image of calm consideration. "Two." A pit formed in his stomach as your eyes didn't even dart to steal a glance at him.

"You sure about that, jellybean?" Stark butted in, looking up from his seat at a nearby table with his daughter. "You're supposed to be masquerading as a couple all happy in love and shit."

"Uh huh, sure. In public."

"Alright then. Scenario." He leaned forward on his seat, pointing his writing instrument at you. "Say someone sees you while you're out on the streets, takes an interest in getting photographs of you. You're in Los Angeles, paparazzi's a dime a dozen and some of them know how much pictures of Avengers sell, especially if they look like they're dating. Say our hypothetical pap friend has a telephoto lens that can see into your suite and sees you going into separate rooms. What then?"

You didn't even take a moment to think it over. Instead shrugging and answering him in a perfectly laid back tone, "Couples fight. Paint a smile for the cameras and sleep in separate beds. That's Hollywood, baby."

Loki's pulse thundered in his ears, almost dulling out the way that Stark turned back to his daughter and told her, "You do not ever go to your Auntie Y/N for relationship advice, are we clear?" The little girl only answered her father with a little salute.

Was that what was happening? The tension that ran thick between you two whenever you were so much as in the same breathing space together? Were you fighting?

"Two rooms it is then," the Logistics worker spoke again, tapping away at her tablet before giving both you and Stark a thumbs up, confirming that the reservation had been made.

"Hey, Reindeer Games, jellybean, word of advice? You know, from a friend or colleague or whatever you wanna call me?"

"You're my friend, Stark, I'm Morgan's godmother for fuck's sake," you shot back at the same time that Loki said, "Well an annoyance would be the term I'd use, but go ahead."

"Try to have fun? You're going to your college reunion, Y/N. I'm sure you have some familiar faces you wanna say hi to, reminisce about your random acts of debauchery and dance with like you're 19 again at the club with your fake IDs trying to score some alcohol from the bartender that pretends those cards are legit?" He then turned his focus to Loki. "And you. Try to get some. Unless of course you're still miserably attached to Little Miss Prim and Prissy with a fifty foot pole because she doesn't wanna do the naked tango with you."

"What's a tango?" the smaller Stark queried, looking up from her workbook.

"It's a dance, baby," you answered her, smirking into your drink before you took a sip.

"Naked dancing, Auntie Y/N? I'm confused." The Logistics worker decided to take her leave at this moment, scurrying out of the room with a little nod toward everyone present.

"I know you are, baby." You walked over to her, ruffling her hair before placing a kiss on the top of the little girl's head. "Ask your parents about naked tangos. I'm not gonna be the one to talk to you about the birds and the bees."

"Birds and bees can dance with each other? But isn't a bee too small for a bird?"

"All excellent questions, sweetie." You gave Stark a mischievous look that would have done the god proud had it not been for the knots still sitting heavy in his stomach. "Good luck, Tony. And for the record? I wasn't a party girl in college. Some of us actually had to bury our noses in books and study our way to our degree. We can't all be genius billionaire playboy philanthropists."

"Ah, come on, jellybean, there had to be something you did for fun in college." The way you froze for a fraction of a second didn't go unnoticed by the god, but it seemed to slip past Stark and his daughter all too easily. "Just remember that this shouldn't just be a mission for you, you're gonna be among your old friends. Take a second to...I don't know, mingle. Catch up."

"Stark? The only reason I even agreed to go to the reunion is because of the mission. Our intel found evidence suggesting that HYDRA took over and repurposed a building in my old college and they might be housing volatile maybe even catastrophic kinds of compounds in there, and we're just going for a recon mission. In and out. The only purpose I'd have for mingling is wanting to see who in campus might be involved in the shady shit."

"Fine, whatever floats your boat, Y/L/N. At least go say hi to your old professors, though. Might make their entire year being able to brag to their incoming classes that they once mentored an Avenger back in the day."

For some reason those words from Stark had you freezing up even more, trying to mask it by nodding a little too vigorously before taking a swift leave to the kitchen area, setting your mug down. Loki took that as his opportunity to perhaps have a moment with you before you went off to your apartment for the night. He made his way to you, speaking just barely above a whisper. "Darling, I'm so sorry you had to hear that barb from Stark." His arms ached to simply reach over and pull you into an embrace, the only thing stopping him being the reminder that you both had agreed to keep your current entanglement with one another more private.

But he wanted more than anything to ignore that reminder completely. Especially after looking upon your features and seeing a blank stare of what he horrifyingly recognized as defeat in your eyes.

"It's fine, Mischief," you answered him, your voice monotonous and almost completely devoid of emotion. "He doesn't know he was talking about me. Serves me right anyway. Prim and prissy might as well be tattooed on my forehead."

The god's skin bristled with irritation hearing you repeat the billionaire's words as if you were already accepting of the new unwelcome moniker. "I should have a word with him. Tell him his remarks have the most undesired effect on you. He'll stop, I'm sure of it. Once he knows that it's you. Even be remorseful."

"You tell him and everyone will know," you deadpanned, your face remaining stoic as ever. "He'll tell everyone before the night's over and suddenly what's private isn't so private anymore. Is that what you want?"

He stood silent, staring at you with your blank expression that you'd given him since that disastrous night where Thor made the idiotic remarks that so efficiently drove a wedge between you two. A wedge he somehow didn't know how to dislodge. "I…I simply want for us to be okay."

His heart splintered seeing you give him something between a grimace and a small smile, shrugging before answering in the same flat tone, "Then we're okay."

Then why does it feel as if you're pushing me farther and farther away with every passing day? he wanted to ask you, the words weighing heavy on his tongue as he watched you walk away, back to your apartment. Why does it feel like I've lost you?

The level of guardedness you displayed ever since you stepped foot on your old campus put Loki on high alert. You always exhibited a calculated caution in missions, but this seemed beyond that. There was nothing in your stance that implied your readiness to fight and defend yourself, but rather there was a fear.

A readiness to run. To disappear.

Your shivering in his hold did nothing to convince him of any other explanation. Being here elicited a fear in you that he couldn't comprehend. As if there were ghosts from your past lurking in the shadowy corners of the dimly lit gymnasium.

"Oh my gosh, is that…Y/N?" a high-pitched voice shrieked over the thumping stereo, coming from a rather bubbly looking woman that was bounding toward you, arms outstretched with a wide beaming grin on her face. "I haven't seen you since graduation! Our old profs just can't stop talking about you and how proud they are that they taught an Avenger, they're hoping they get to see you tonight. Get a picture or two." She then turned her attention to Loki, jaw on the floor when he saw his arm gently wrapped around you. "Are you two--?!"

"Ohh! Uhm…no." You worked your way out of Loki's hold to give the woman a friendly embrace before turning back to face him. "Loki, this is Bianca, we shared a good number of classes together. Bianca, this is Loki, my uhh--" Your voice caught in your throat trying to find a word to describe the god.

I'm yours, little mortal. Plain and simple, he wanted to tell you, regardless of present company.

"We work together," you told her, the words worsening the sinking feeling that he had in his stomach. "Work's been a little slow lately so Stark assigned me to show him around and expose him to what a former college girl's life is like."

"College girl? You?" The woman burst into a fit of giggles. "Y/N you were many things when we roamed these halls, but you were more a mini professor than anything. I never once even saw you step foot at a frat party or a club…you were always just hanging out with--"

"You know what, you're absolutely right," you cut her off, your voice louder than normal even with the thumping music surrounding you all. "Loki, maybe you'd be better suited to learn from my old friends. Go off with Bianca, she and the other girls can't possibly steer you wrong."

The god's blood ran cold as your words hit him. He felt as if you were steering him away from you for more than just this moment. As if your sentiment held a poorly veiled secondary sentiment, pushing him away from you so that he could pursue someone else with your blessing.

He did his best to put on a casual smile, to politely decline your offering of your old campus friend. "I accompanied you to learn from you, little mortal," he spoke over the music, reaching for your hand and lacing his fingers between yours. "I wish to stay with you. You cannot rid yourself of me that easily."

"I'm not ridding myself of you, Mischief," you shot back, your friend's eyes darting rapidly between the two of you before slowly stepping away. "It's more of the other way around. We both know that I'm holding you back, so here's your exit--"

"I don't want an exit, Y/N, I want you," he insisted through gritted teeth, fighting every urge to lead you both into a more secluded corner so you could talk this out without having to shout just so you could hear each other. "I wish to be with you, regardless of--"

"Well as I live and breathe, that's a face I didn't think I'd see again." Your eyes widened hearing the voice of the man that approached you next, your pulse beating so furiously that Loki could see it pumping against your neck.

This was definitely not one of your former classmates. The man was middle-aged, his hair obviously colored to mask the silver that was peeking through at the roots as well as his eyebrows. He did what he could to dress himself in line with what was considered stylish but so clearly missed the mark. And emphasizing his age further was the clearly decades younger woman he had as his companion, looking as if she belonged in his classroom rather than in his bedroom.

"Prof--Professor Richardson," you stammered, the breathy almost fearful tone in your voice immediately putting the god on high alert. "Bianca m-mentioned you and the other guys were here tonight."

"Oh, come on Y/N it's been years since you had yourself folded into those awkward armchairs, there's no need to be so formal with me. Please, call me Simon. In fact, I should probably be a touch more formal with you, considering that one of my favorite students is now my favorite Avenger." His eyes quickly darted to the god's. "No offense, dude. You're pretty great, too. There's just something about those spandex suits, you know?"

You gripped Loki's hand tighter for a fraction of a second as the man's eyes roamed your form unabashedly, the spiteful jealousy from his companion written all over her face.

He didn't wait for you to introduce him again as someone you simply 'worked with', choosing to speak up to hopefully soothe your very obvious unease. "I must agree with you there, Y/N quite a remarkable agent." He extended his hand out toward your professor. "I'm Loki. Y/N's boyfriend."

Your breath caught in your throat in a strangled sound at the word, looking up at the god with wide eyes before trying to compose yourself again. Before you could speak, however, Simon did.

"Well if she's as remarkable a girlfriend as she was a student, then you have yourself a real catch right here. You're quite the lucky man--god, I mean." The woman next to him cleared her throat conspicuously loudly, the tail end of it sounding more like a muffled shriek, calling Simon's attention to her. He eyed her with a bit of irritation before turning back to you. "Oh where are my manners? This is Deena. I'm her thesis advisor for her graduating year."

"Oh…that's…" You were quite clearly struggling to form words. You addressed the student instead, your eyes quickly darting to the way she gripped her professor's arm so tightly before looking back at her. "Wow. You're quite the lucky young lady. Professor Richardson mentioned back then that he rarely took on the role of advisor. I'm sure your proposal was nothing short of remarkable."

The student offered you a tight smile in response, opening her mouth to speak before your former professor perked up again. "In all these years, nobody still quite measures up to you, though, Miss Y/L/N. Oh, sorry. Agent Y/L/N." He shifted his gaze to address the god once more. "It was a bleak day when I had to give her her final grade for her final course with me."

He reached his hand out toward you which you took with a slight tremor in your fingers. Loki way too easily heard the gasp that slipped out of you when Simon took your hand in both of his, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of your fingers.

"I hope to see you around some more while you're in town, Y/N." The way he rolled the syllables of your name, like he was savoring a taste on his tongue, didn't sight right with the Asgardian. He was the only one that could speak your name like that. At least…he hoped he still could.

"Yeah…s-sure," you mumbled, jerking your hand out of the professor's hand, subtly wiping the back of it on your skirt when you smoothed your hands over your dress. "En--Enjoy the rest of your night, Simon. Deena." You nodded your head at both of them before walking away abruptly, inadvertently towing Loki behind you.

As you put more distance between you and your former professor, the god heard a muffled sentiment from Simon to his companion. "Of course not, sweet thing, you know you're the only one for me."

There weren't many things that could catch the god off guard, but hearing those words from your former professor sent a slight chill down his spine, the confirmation of his initial suspicions written in black and white. Making him wonder now what your true history with the man that put both of you at a state of unease was.

"Darling, are you alright?" He held you closer to him as the crowd became denser, too many people surrounding you and pushing against you as you moved. "You're cold."

"I'm fine." He could barely hear you over the speakers. "I just need some air, I can barely hear myself think in here."

He didn't need to be told twice; this type of environment wasn't agreeable with him, either. Once you'd both stepped through the doors of the gymnasium and the air no longer tasted of alcohol and sweat, he pulled you into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

"What was that for?" you breathed out, the dazed tone of your voice making him hold you just a touch tighter.

He hadn't the full picture of what had your fight or flight kicking in to an extent he'd never seen on you before, but he held faith that when you were ready, you would tell him. For now, he would do what he could to at least ease your discomfort.

"Can I not simply wish to hold you, my love?"

You briefly wrapped your arms around him, returning his embrace before you took a step away from him, smoothing your hands over your dress once more. "Come on. I wanna find the lab and be done with this mission. Get back to New York sooner rather than later and all that."

His heart splintered even worse in his chest, his suspicion that your stepping away from him was more than simply physical now. That the last fortnight that he'd spent sleeping in his own apartment devoid of the simplest pleasure of having you in his arms as he slept through the night would be how he'd be spending the rest of his nights moving forward. He was at a loss for what he could do to somehow amend your relationship moving forward short of locking you both in a room and offering an ultimatum.

Tell him how he could fix the rift that was caused by Thor's callous words, or tell him that what he feared had finally found its way into your reality. Tell him that there was nothing he could do to mend the damage and that things were truly over between you.

"As you wish, little mortal."

You led him through a search that was guised as an inebriated tour through your alma mater, going through each building with information that you'd either gathered there from firsthand experience from your college years, or from information you amassed looking through testimonials of various alumni.

"Ooh! Come on, I wanna show you something that might just make you proud." You made an entire performance of stumbling toward the god and reaching for his hand, guiding him with carefully choreographed steps backwards with a few planned near slip-ups where you seemed to trip on air and almost fall bum first onto the floor before catching yourself at the last second.

"Don't you know well enough by now, darling, that you constantly impress me?" he shot back at you with a chuckle, fighting every urge to lose himself in the ruse you were both putting on. He wanted more than anything to have this be akin to those films that your fellow teammates were so fond of watching, where the couple would find an empty classroom and proceed to kiss and paw at each other like animals in heat.

He'd found those scenarios so trite before, but he found himself admitting that he was more than open to the idea if the opportunity presented itself with you. He would be willing to do just about anything with you at his side.

"Come on, Mischief," you sing-songed, giggling your way to the heart of one of the buildings dedicated for the science-centric curriculum. "I'm taking to to the lab where we used to brew our own beer. Mix our own booze. You're gonna love it, it's like we were witches brewing potions in here--"

You play-acted your way to stumbling through the double doors of the laboratory, only to be met with resistance and the visual of a thick chain wrapped around the door handles. Immediately you righted your stance, the god signaling to you that he'd taken care of the security cameras. He'd chosen to feed them footage of the two of you indulging in one of those slightly risqué scenarios in the corridor.

With a wave of his hand, the chains materialized on the floor by Loki's feet, and you pushed the doors open to reveal exactly what you'd been looking for. The tables were littered with documents and notes that were watermarked with HYDRA's sigil, each designated work station housing its own compound that when put in the wrong hands, could be utilized in the most sadistic manners.

You went on to look into the filing cabinets that held more research reports while he rounded the table that held the compound surrounded by the most amount of notes scribbled on to the logo-branded papers. He felt the bile rising steadily up his throat at the findings.

Subjects that are exposed to this compound even in its aerated form will feel an intense emotional attachment to the closest set of pheromones within their vicinity, enslaving them to the holder for an indeterminate amount of time. Potency strengthens if the compound is ingested. Theoretically catastrophic potency if somehow introduced directly into subject's bloodstream. Effects inconclusive if holder severs the emotional attachment before the compound has had a chance to be flushed from subject's system, but theoretically, the more potent the remaining dosage that is yet to be metabolized, the more catastrophic the aftermath.

"Darling, they might be experimenting on these students," Loki said grimly, rushing over to you the moment he spotted how much paler your knuckles became from how hard you were gripping the countertop. "What's wrong?"

"There are reports dating back to before you even got to Earth," you told him, the shakiness of your tone at its worst as you tried to speak through the tears bubbling up inside you. "Back to when I was still here."

He thumbed through the report that you were perusing and had to fight every urge to set fire to the entire operation and lay waste to the names that he'd found on the user tests. The most frequent one being the man that he had the displeasure of meeting earlier, Simon Richardson. "These other names, were they your other professors?" You only nodded. He didn't know whether to be relieved or even more horrified realizing that the subject names were kept confidential, hidden under monikers such as "Subject 12-29-A", "Subject 12-29-B" and so forth.

"I think the first number's the year. 12 is 2012. And the second number might be a batch number." You took a few deep breaths before straightening your stance and looking for the nearest computer, fiddling with the comms bracelet that Shuri had equipped you with before you left New York. "Shuri, are you there?"

"I am here, I am here. How is the college party? I have never actually been to one since--"

"Since you're so smart you should probably be teaching these classes, I know I know." A bit of your liveliness came back speaking with the young genius. Loki could even hear a slight smile in your voice. "Could you pull off a remote duplication? I wanna get these experimentation reports to you guys so that we can already start on next moves before Laufeyson and I even get back to New York."

"Does the sun rise in the East, my friend?" The Wakandan princess began to laugh from her end of the call, the sound filling the room. "Put your bracelet near the device and let me do my magic." You did as she instructed, holding your wrist near the computer's power source and a few short moments later, she spoke again. "All done. We will see you when you get back."

"Thanks, Shuri. We'll wrap it up here. I'll see you guys in the morning."

As you shut off your comms and both of you proceeded to place things back exactly where you found them, ensuring that you lessened your chances of HYDRA suspecting anyone had rifled through their research, there was yet another thought that led to a pit forming in Loki's stomach.

What if one of the test subjects in those reports was you?

Loki laid awake, restless, in bed since you both got back to your suite, doing his best to somehow induce slumber upon himself so that he wouldn't have to fight against his mind wandering back to those reports, wondering if one of the subjects that was detailed within those pages could be referring to you. As well as fighting against the parts of him that feared you were pushing him away, forcing his hand into letting you go even if that was the last thing he would ever wish to do.

He had to make a note to give that oaf Thor a swift stab for so thoroughly jeopardizing what could have possibly been the best thing to happen to him. He was more than content with you, he was happy. He could picture what a future with you would be like.

And yes, it would be nice if your relationship would have a physical aspect to it, but that was no dealbreaker for the god. He didn't need it right this second, and for you, he would wait until you reached that level of comfort with him. At your own pace.

He would wait. Even if it meant he waited forever.

Yet here you both were now, sleeping in separate beds in separate rooms all because you believed that he would be better off with someone who had no compunctions on disrobing with him at a moment's notice. He could already feel you slipping away despite how desperately he tried to hold on to you.

The sound of your unrest had him sitting up on his bed, a series of whimpers and cries being heard from your bedroom. What got him darting out and bursting through your door, however, was your scream of "Please no I've been good to you! Why would you do this to me?!"

In a heartbeat he was by your side, cradling you against his chest and trying to wake you from your nightmare. "Shh shh, little mortal, you're safe, please wake up."

"I never told a soul I don't even look at you when there's other people please don't leave me," you kept whimpering, your words hitting the god like bullets straight to his heart. Were you having a nightmare about him?

"I'm here, my love, please. I'm not going anywhere just please wake up," he pleaded desperately, rubbing his hand up and down your back as he pressed multiple kisses to your templed. "I'm here I'll never leave you. Please darling, I love you."

You finally began to breathe a bit slower in his arms, moving so that you were looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "Loki?"

Had he been on his feet, the sight of you so distraught would have brought the god to his knees. "Oh my sweet mortal." He cupped your face, wiping your tears away before he pressed a kiss between your brows. He wordlessly maneuvered you into his arms so that he could carry you out of bed and into the kitchen area, fetching you a glass of water.

"I can't--" You sounded as if you were trying to speak through a lump in your throat, more tears falling from your eyes. "I can't talk about--"

"No, darling, it's alright." He placed his hands on your shoulders, trying to guide you into evening out your breaths. "You don't need to tell me anything you're not ready to."

"I want to," you insisted, keeping your eyes glued to the floor, refusing to meet his gaze. "I just--I can't bring myself to say the words, but I need you to know…why. Why I can't--" You cut off with a squeak, gripping the sides of your stool so tightly he feared the metal would start hurting you, so he took them into his hands instead. "Why I can't be with you…physically."

"Darling, please I've told you I don't need--"

"No, you should know. I…I need you to know. I just can't…articulate the words." You started breathing the same way that you would when you would run with the rest of the team, as if your body was compensating for lack of oxygen the best it could. Or as if you were preparing yourself for something particularly uncomfortable. "But I can show you."

"Y/N what are you--"

"I want you to look into my memories. I want you to see. And understand what I can't tell you with words."

He framed your face with his hands, urging you to look at him before he followed through with your request. "Are you absolutely certain, my love?" You just stared at him with your red-rimmed tear-stricken eyes, the surrender and pain in them breaking his heart more than your stoic monotonous attitude from the past weeks ever could. He pressed another kiss to your forehead. "Alright."

He pulled up a seat close to yours, bracing himself for what he would find once he entered your memories. He was terrifyingly right to have done so, because the moment he was hit with the torrents of memories, he would have been brought to his knees had he been upright.

You're such a bright young lady. Such a shame that your peers refuse to see that. How about we grab a cup of coffee? Enjoy it in the faculty area? It'll be way more comfortable than sitting on the floor for the next three hours.

I was supposed to have dinner with some of the other professors but the weather in their area has them stuck at home. Would you like to join me instead? It'd be a shame for the reservation to go to waste.

Loki had to fight back the urge to retch as the visual of Simon Richardson leaning in to kiss you hit him next. And the distant attitude that he extended to you the following day on campus as you crossed paths in the hallway.

It won't be wise for us to be seen together or else people are going to start suspecting something going on. I'll get into trouble, just because we love each other. Of course I love you, silly sweet thing, you're the only one I've ever felt this way for.

He saw multiple occurrences of the professor dropping your hand the second someone even unfamiliar to either of you rounded the corner, a guilt eating away at him as he realized he'd done the same thing with you. He simply didn't want you to have to be exposed to the judgment from the team for being involved with him.

Nobody can know. It has to be our little secret. You understand, don't you? How about we go away somewhere for the weekend? Just you and me? Somewhere where we can actually be a couple. Do couple things. We could walk around and hold hands without being scared of getting caught. I could kiss you whenever and wherever. We could just be…us.

Loki wanted more than anything to look away from the memories of your first night with Richardson. From the way that he was so careless with your body, so ignorant of your pleasure and yet he mumbled empty sentiments of love all throughout the night, insisting that he loved you despite his eyes staying empty. Calculating.

And just a few short weeks after that, and a few more nights spent at his place, you went to campus one morning. And he'd begun to go out for coffee with another student. Someone from the batch of freshmen that had just come in. Your messages went unanswered, your calls were met with the generic voice message prompt.

He discarded you once he had what he desired from you, and foolishly concluded that he could do better.

As if there was anyone better.

When he opened his eyes, his vision was blurred from his own tears, the guilt steadily wearing him down as your explanation hit him as if they were bricks being catapulted his way. Was this the reason you were so hesitant to share his bed? You were afraid that once he claimed your body, he would replace you with another?

Your words from two weeks ago haunted him. If you want to be with someone else, just promise me you'll tell me and leave me first.

"My love," he choked, pulling you into a tight embrace. "I could never do something so vile. Not to you. Never to you. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," you answered weakly, your sniffles breaking him even more. "You didn't know." You made a motion to move out of his arms, the fear seeping into him again that you were going to completely pull away again, making him hold on to your hands tightly. Desperately. "Come on, we have to get some sleep. We're going back to New York in the morning."

"Do you wish to be alone?" He could barely form the words, desperately pleading silently for you to allow him to stay with you tonight.

"No," you confessed, shifting nervously where you stood. "But I don't want you to feel obligated because of what you saw--"

"I won't leave you." The words came out of him in a rush, his lips quivering as he pressed a kiss to your forehead again, trying to calm himself. Trying his best not to march his way back to campus and personally see to it that that wretched excuse of a man not only paid for what he'd done to you, but ensure that he would never do this to another innocent unsuspecting woman ever again.

Trying to remind himself that his need to ensure that you were alright at this moment was greater than his desire to have Simon Richardson's head on a spike.

"You say that now, but we know that one day you're going to be tired of waiting. You have needs--"

"I need you more. I want you more," he insisted, burying his nose in your hair, your presence keeping him grounded. "I promised you I would spend my days proving my devotion to you. I more than intend to keep this promise. I am yours, precious little mortal." He kissed a path to your ear. "All I want at this moment is to stay with you tonight. Let me hold you. Let me try to fight your night terrors away."

It was as if a weight was lifted off his chest when you wordlessly nodded, wrapping your arms around his neck and letting him carry you back to your bedroom.

Loki held you through the night, relieved that you didn't stir in his arms or show any sign that you might have fallen into another nightmare. However, the god was now haunted by a memory of his own. One from the first few days of your relationship.

Darling, I think it best that perhaps…we don't tell the others quite yet that we've become involved. Grant ourselves the privacy that they won't.

His own words echoed in his mind, taunting him of the monumental mistake he'd made asking you to agree to such selfish terms. How he enforced that agreement by committing actions that eerily echoed the very memories that haunted you now.

He remembered the look in your eyes when he uttered those words, asking you to aid him in hiding your relationship away from the rest of the team. When he closed his eyes he could see the crestfallen expression on your face so vividly, making him despise himself for ever causing you to mar your features with that pain you tried to hide from him.

And finally…the realization that gutted him. You never agreed to those terms. All you said in response was "That makes sense".

You simply surrendered.

"I'm so sorry, my darling mortal," he spoke into the darkness, holding you just a fraction tighter, fearing that if he let go even in the slightest, you might slip away from him. "I'll make things better. I will do right by you, I swear it."

A/N: Lemme just…slide a dagger Loki's way real quick. 😤😤

And lemme offer this as my apology for this chapter…

I can promise u that Simon will get what's coming to him in the final part of this story. And I can promise that Loki will in fact make things right with his bb 🥺🥺

'everything' taglist: @simplyholl @loopsisloops @imalovernotahater @coldnique @loz-3 @huntress-artemiss @salempoe @vickie5446 @athalialaufeyson @lokiprompts @kats72 @kikster606 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @lokixryss @thomase1 @mischief2sarawr @lovingchoices14 @lunarnights95 @goblingirlsarah @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @creationsbyme @maple-seed @mjsthrillernp @ladyofthestayingpower @mygfloki @sititran @glitterylokislut @ozymdias @fictive-sl0th  @lokidbadguy @mochie85 @silverfire475 @joyful-enchantress @elizabethmidnight2017 @holdmytesseract @smolvenger @gigglingtiggerv2 @lokidokieokie @superficialdomina @kmc1989 @november-rayne @goddessofwonderland @buttercupcookies-blog @peaky-marvel @lokiified @tom-hlover @dryyoursaltyoceantears @cabingrlandrandomcrap

[i-drop-level-one-loot]

Hey love, I got a question; are you down for goblins? Specifically a yandere horde of goblins? 😳

I'm not not down for it...

(I'm sorry, I'm sure I know what kind of goblin horde you meant, buuuut I started writing and couldn't stop 🥲)

CW: Entrapment, obsessive behavior, ecological polyandry/polygyny with a GN!reader, both male and female goblins, forced parental responsibilities, platonic yandere, not proofread

Madame Gilly burst into the backroom, nearly startling (Reader) into swallowing the pins they were holding in their lips. "(Reader)! Awful, amazing, terrible, fantastic news!"

(Reader) smiled nervously, sticking the pins in their cushion. "What is it, Madame?" Their boss was fabulously dramatic as always, fanning herself with a decorated envelope.

"Oh, nothing.. just a summons for one Mx. (Reader) from the Count's daughter."

"What for?"

"How should I know? I didn't read your letter!" She handed over the letter while sighing loudly. "Yet, it's so beautifully decorated.. such a shame! Another marriage proposal, ignored!" She pretended to become faint, placing her knuckles on her forehead.

(Reader) chuckled, opening the bright purple envelope with lavender tied in a ribbon. Their eyes widened, an excited gasp escaped as their legs failed them and they fell back onto their stool.

"What is it?!"

"It's.." a shocked blush dusted their cheeks, "it's a request for my services! She wants a dress for an upcoming party!"

Madame Gilly squealed, bouncing up and grabbing her protege. "Oh, that's even better than a proposal! I'm so proud of you!"

It would be roughly three days ride by carriage, packed with smaller fabrics for color swatches and texture explanation, multiple dresses (Reader) had already made with mannequins to display them, and (Reader's) portfolio of designs.

Marcus, a local man who often rode Madame Gilly around for a small fee, offered up his services, just as excited for (Reader) as the Madame. "So, this is your lucky break, huh?" He offered a hand to the young employee. "Finally gonna start considering opening your own shop."

(Reader) smiled, stepping into the carriage without Marcus' assistance. "I've never been interested in business, Marcus, you know this. I just want to make clothes."

"You should also seriously begin considering marriage.."

"My work is my legacy, Marcus." (Reader) spoke sharply with a tight smile, shutting down the conversation. They had received many marriage proposals from eligible bachelors and bachelorettes since they became of age, but didn't take an interest in any of them. Of course, (Reader) found people attractive in the past, but never felt emotionally invested in anyone to marry them, and they certainly didn't need to marry for money or connections. The thought of having children one day was also something (Reader) had seriously debated, because although the fantasy of having a child was wonderful, the process of having a baby was intimidating. Whether through being impregnated or impregnating someone else, the baby stage was much more terrifying than the raising of a child, for reasons they couldn't quite explain. The anxiety was just too much to handle.

But (Reader) didn't feel like life was passing them by, nor did they have regrets, if they ever got married then their future spouse would wait for them, no matter how many years it took to meet them.

Marcus closed the door, and (Reader) deflated, thankful that he took the hint and ended the conversation.

The change between the road and the dirt path could be felt and it made (Reader) almost wish that they had worn a dress instead of pants, just for the added cushion on their rear end.

The first day went smoothly, and boringly, (Reader) had nothing to do but think, and the night was uncomfortable, even cocooned in their blanket. But it was the next day that everything went wrong. (Reader) never saw what happened, but suddenly the carriage careened off the path and tumbled down a cliff, crashing through the woods of the mountain side.

(Reader's) entire body became airborne in the carriage, slamming their head into the ceiling, barely giving them enough time to protect their neck with their arms before being thrown like a ragdoll, not feeling any immediate pain due to the rush of adrenaline. It happened so quickly, their balled up body bouncing five times against the walls and roof before landing bottom up on the escarpment.

Out of the shattered window, (Reader) saw Marcus lying motionlessly in a tree a good distance from the carriage. They pulled their body right side up, slowly becoming aware of the stinging pain across their body. Especially their leg. Blood soaked through their right pant leg, and (Reader) couldn't bend it. It was only the second day of their journey, so it would take two days until the Duke realized something was wrong, that the journey was taking too long, and sent out a search party, which would take a day to get to the road they fell off of. Would they even notice the tire marks? And if they did, would they risk the people to search for them?

(Reader) sighed, closing their eyes. There was no point in dwelling on what ifs. (Reader) was resigned to their fate.

"I wonder what will happen first.. Starving to death, or being eaten by a wild animal." They chuckled humorlessly. With nothing to do but wait for the inevitable (Reader) fell asleep, but that was possibly a concussion.

"There's something in there."

"A dead something."

Little voices whispered outside the wreckage, rousing (Reader) from their brain injured slumber. Eyes watched them from the broken window of the door, hiding themselves from view.

"I won't bite." (Reader) offered a smile, hoping whoever was watching them wouldn't be frightened off.

A childish gasp escaped, as one of the spies scampered off. "I thought you said it was dead!" It hollered into the woods.

The child left shuffled their feet in the leaves, debating. "You promise you won't?"

"I promise."

A tiny little thing dressed in rags popped her chubby cheeked head into view, large pointy ears almost drooping under their own weight stuck out from black hair pulled back into a ponytail, her hair framed a green skinned face, making it obvious that the little girl was a goblin. She rung the front of her oversized shirt with her hands nervously.

"Hello." (Reader) cocked their head to the side in a mock bow, back and head in too much pain to attempt an actual greeting. The smile on their lips didn't leave.

"Hello.." The child mumbled in a timid way, copying (Reader's) head tilt.

"My name is (Reader). May I ask for your name?" (Reader) spoke in a low voice to appear as kind and non threatening as possible.

She took a small step forward, entering the little window without needing to duck. "My name is Vix Ix, but my brother calls me Beetle Hands."

"Why does he call you that?"

"Because I'm the best beetle catcher. At least, in my tribe." Vix Ix sat down cross legged just out of (Reader's) reach. Her large eyes wandered over (Reader's) form, mesmerized by their clothing. "What are you doing down here?"

"I had an accident. I was traveling to go meet with a potential client. I make clothes." (Reader) added that last part, seeing how the little girl's eyes sparkled while staring at the intricate needlework on their vest.

"Did you make that?" Vix Ix pointed a finger curiously at the top.

"Yes, I did. Would you like to see more of my work?" The tiny child nodded excitedly. The reaction was very human, and very adorable. "Everything may have.. scattered in the fall. But there should be a chest with a black lock, and a worn painting of a dove above it's latch. If you can find that", (Reader) fished through their pocket for a key and held it out to Vix Ix, "you can see a few of the dresses I brought for my client to look at."

Vix Ix grabbed the key, forgetting to be frightened. She ran back out of the wreckage, and (Reader) laughed, enjoying being able to bring wonder to a child in what (Reader) thought was their final moments.

They had heard so many rumors about goblins, so many stories, ranging from awful tales of mindless gnome sized trolls that murdered anything that breathed, to intelligent little creatures unfairly exterminated because of their annoying love of tricks and pranks. Sunlight glinted off of the broken shards of glass, reflecting into (Reader's) eye. How long had I been asleep? From their spot in the trees, they couldn't tell if it was midday or sunset.

Twigs snapped as the goblinette ran at full speed back to (Reader), out of breath and clutching a sparkly purple dress with butterflies embroidered at the hem line. "You made this?!"

"Hahaha! Yes I did. Do you like it?"

She was practically on the verge of tears. "It's beautiful! Is your client a princess?" Her voice was full of awe.

"The daughter of a Duke." The child waddled over, tripping on the bundle of dress in her arms, and sat much closer to (Reader) than she had earlier.

"It's so pretty!" Green fingers rubbed the fabric lovingly.

An idea came to (Reader) as they saw the joy in Vix Ix's face as she gripped the dress tightly. "You know.. I also had my sewing kit with me. If you can find that, I can trim up this dress for you."

Eyes wide with shock, her ears bounced like she had just been slapped, and asked in horror "You would cut up this dress?!"

Surprised, (Reader) felt their heart melt a little. "My leg is broken." Vix Ix looked down, and seemed startled by the blood. "I don't think there's any way the Duke's men are going to find me. So, I would have to cut off a lot of this dress to fit you, but I'd rather it be worn, then rot away in a trunk."

Tears began to drip down the little kid's cheeks, puffed up in an attempt to stop herself from crying. "I'll go find your sewing kit." She ran back out, sniffling loudly.

The moon rose high into the sky, and Hog Nose, a scrawny little boy who had an upturned button nose unlike any of the goblins in his tribe, held his ears as he was reprimanded by one of the tribe's strongest. Their tribe was small, and unusual. Decades ago their family began from a group of defectors, mostly women escaping their own tribes, wanting to create a community where they could flourish. Despite never attacking humans or causing mischief they suffered many casualties at the hands of adventurers, slaughtering them before they had the chance to explain themselves, forcing them to defend themselves. This left their family broken and impoverished. But they never gave in to "their nature" by stealing from travelers, an attempt to prove that goblins are not born evil.

"And you left Beetle Hands alone, possibly with a human?" Keegraul loudly asked incredulously.

Hog Nose whimpered, afraid of being punished and fearful for his sister. Keegraul grabbed a large dagger, almost a short sword in the young child's hands.

"She still isn't back yet, so lead the way."

The woods were dangerous at night, not only because of wild animals like mountain lions, but because of monsters that had slowly been migrating closer towards the goblins' home. Hog Nose shook as he led Keegraul through the trees, worried to find his sister hurt, or worse.

But what they found instead was that sound of laughter, emanating from a broken carriage connected to a dead horse with another corpse stuck in a tree nearby. Confused, Hog Nose ran to pile of broken wood, rushing past Keegraul who tried to stop him, knife ready for a fight.

"Beetle Hands!" He called out, not knowing what to expect, but surprised by what he found. His sister, wearing human clothing, with an injured human still fixing the bottom of the skirt.

"Hog Nose? What are you doing here?" She seemed genuinely confused, having had so much fun with her new human friend that she hadn't realized the time, standing in the dim light of (Reader's) lamp.

"I'm here to save you?"

Keegraul poked his head in after Hog Nose, curious as to the commotion. That's when the scarred man who had fought many battles with many adventurers, who never once met a human who treated him or his kin as equals, made eye contact with an exhausted person, pale from blood loss, fighting through their pain and fatigue, to make a dress for a little goblin girl. At least, that's what it looked like.

"What's going on here?" Keegraul meant to ask, but it came out as more of a demand.

Worried that they had offended him, (Reader) held up their hands. But Vix Ix beamed up at him, her large toothy grin radiating childish wonder. "(Reader's) making me a princess!"

"Oh, are they?" Keegraul released the tension he had been holding. The air smelled like blood, and at first he thought it was from the human's dead companions outside, but their broken leg was hard to miss. "It looks like they're dying."

Vix Ix ceased her bouncing, turning a terrified eye to (Reader). "Are you dying?"

(Reader) sent a quick glare to the adult goblin before shifting back to their comforting smile. "My leg just hurts, sweetheart. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Not if you don't get that taken care of." The goblin retorted, stepping closer and bending down to get a better look. He let out a noise of frustration. "I can't see anything but blood with these pants on."

Rough hands with broken nails peeled (Reader's) pants off, pausing whenever they sucked on their teeth in pain. The bone right beneath their knee was protruding from from it's flesh.

"That's a nasty break all right."

"Can you fix it?" The little boy goblin asked, still shaking from earlier, but now cradling his blade like a doll.

Delirious from exhaustion, (Reader) turned their smile to him. "What's your name?"

"Craak, or Hog Nose."

They could feel themselves about to pass out. "Hognose? That's my favorite snake. Cutest little snake I've ever seen.." Keegraul tightened their torn pants around their thigh, waking them up with the shooting pain.

(Reader) hissed, incapable of audibly screaming. "We should take you back to the hole, so that we can get that leg fixed up."

Vix Ix stood tall, arms straight in the air, with a determined look on her face. "You can lean on me!"

Keegraul sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'll find you a large stick for a crutch, and you can lean on my head for support." Vix Ix followed him, arguing about who got to support (Reader) on their journey, while Hog Nose stood shyly, still watching (Reader) with a small grin. "Did you mean that?"

(Reader) felt feverish, and couldn't focus their eyes. "Of course. You mean.. the snakes right? Never seen a cuter snake." Their breathing was labored, pausing between words awkwardly.

There was an odd blue tint forming on his baby cheeks, but it dissipated with the arrival of his little sister. "WE FOUND A STICK!"

The goblins all stared at the human receiving medical attention, gobsmacked. Everyone was incredibly interested in seeing who was special enough to be brought home by Keegraul. Especially the children, who were entranced by the dress (Reader) fixed up for Beetle Hands.

"Are you a princess?" A young girl asked, practically glowing.

"Haha no."

"Oh. Are you a prince?"

"Alright! Everyone go to bed!" Keegraul shooed the goblins back to the sleeping room. They all went back except a woman and Vix Ix. The lady seemed embarrassed, hiding herself by crossing her arms.

"You made this?"

"Yes. I have more dresses and fabric in the woods."

Her eyebrows were knit in what looked to be anger. "Why did you make a dress for Beetle Hands?"

"I just tailored it for her. Because she thought it was pretty."

"Yeah, but why?"

(Reader) smiled, understanding that the goblins must be suspicious of them. "Doesn't she look pretty?"

Vix Ix spun around, bumping into the other goblin. "I do!"

Her face softened. "You really think she's pretty?"

"Of course?" The goblin turned blue, like Hog Nose had earlier, and shuffled away.

(Reader) would later learn that her name was Reassa, and she warmed up to (Reader) quickly as they recuperated. In fact, all of the goblin tribe were incredibly welcoming to (Reader) to the family. They helped (Reader) between rooms, and generally fawned over them. As thanks for saving their life, (Reader) worked on reworking the dresses and fabrics the goblins found near the crash site into outfits for everyone. But as (Reader) got better, the goblins became more nervous.

"Are you thinking of leaving?" Keegraul wrung his hat in his hands, big sad eyes staring at (Reader) pleadingly.

"I'm sure my boss thinks I'm dead. It would be good to return home, and contact Marcus' family about his fate. But worry not, I won't tell anyone about you or the tribe." (Reader) smiled, practicing standing on their healing leg.

"That's not why I ask." (Reader) cocked their head, confused. "We trust you- I trust you. I know you wouldn't betray us. We- we'll just miss you."

Vix Ix popped out from behind a stack of boxes, knocking (Reader) to the ground, sobbing. "You're not leaving!"

Keegraul's heart broke. "Beetle -"

"No! Ti aim kahl, pen! (Reader's) not leaving!"

Reassa listened from outside the hole, along with three other women. They didn't understand. Didn't they make their love for (Reader) obvious enough? The flowers they would weave into crowns for them, the poems they world write for them..

One of the younger women started crying, head in her hands, choking on her sobs. Something dark grew in Reassa's chest, a feeling she often tried to force away, to prove to the world that they were wrong about goblins. A darkness, a possessiveness. "Maybe we should keep (Reader) here."

"We can't keep them against their will. They aren't a prisoner."

Reassa punched the entrance to their hollow, clenching her jaw tightly. "I love them."

"So do we.. but, what can we do?"

Hog Nose dropped a basket of vegetables. He had returned earlier than the other children. "Did you just say (Reader) is leaving?"

"Hog Nose! I'm so sorry, when did you get here?"

"I don't want them to leave!"

"I know, baby, but there's nothing-"

Hog Nose pulled out his dagger from it's sheath, rubbing his thumb across the beautiful golden vest (Reader) had made him as he did so. "(Reader) never learned our language."

"What?"

"What if the woods are too dangerous for them to go home? Because of the kahn piers?" The women all stopped, internally debating whether or not they could betray their fore mothers like this, lie to keep a human for themselves. But the decision was made for them, as Hog Nose slashed open his arm with the blade.

Inside the hole, (Reader) heard the women scream, and quickly wrestled Vix Ix to her feet so (Reader) could hobble to the opening. Reassa carried Hog Nose in her arms, a bloody mess, with a guilty expression on her face.

"What happened?" Keegraul demanded, watching as (Reader) pulled the little boy out of Reassa's arms to inspect the damage.

"He was attacked!" She collapsed, tearing at Keegraul's shirt.

"By what?!"

She swallowed hard, eyes flickering to (Reader), the motion only noticed by Keegraul and Vix Ix.

"Kahn piers."

Keegraul's eyes widened, realizing immediately what they had planned without discussing with him or the other men. "What kind of idiot-"

"What's a kahn pier?"

Vix Ix looked at her brother, witnessing him quickly shut the eye he was peaking out of. "Kahn piers are the most vile, evil creatures in these woods!" She cried out, grabbing onto her brother dramatically. "Hog Nose is lucky to be alive!"

Shame ripped through Keegraul's spirit, but seeing (Reader) shake with fear, imagining them doting on the children, caring for an the adults, watching them leave.

Wouldn't it be wonderful? Having (Reader) there to brighten their little home, loving the young ones as their own pen? Almost like a real spouse?

Even the way they clung onto Hog Nose's bloodied body, too broken up to notice that all his wounds were only surface deep.

Keegraul knew that everyone would play along, no one would tell (Reader) the truth. Everyone loved them so much, it was almost disturbing.

"Call everyone back home. The woods aren't safe."

[electricbathsalt]

what would your ideal Overhaul conclusion look like? Your word is fact to me

Hello!! I have a few different ideas for what an “ideal conclusion” could look like, so I suppose I’ll just supply which one I like most, bc I am nothing if not self-indulgent. Also, you put too much power in my hands lol :3

First and foremost: He would get prosthetics. No matter what the situation or plan, he’d be provided with prosthetics.

I’d retain him not meeting with Eri, because Eri does not want to see him. She isn’t ready. It won’t help anyone at this point in time for the two to see each-other again.

Pops is alive, although he and Chisaki have not met again face-to-face. Chisaki still apologized via letter, since that’s all they allowed him. They prohibited Pops from contacting Chisaki, because they don’t think it’s a good idea for now.

He faces consequences, but they are not simply “you’re going back into solitary confinement to rot for the rest of your days”. That’s quite a waste. In my world, there’d be facilities made that are what prisons are actually supposed to be—a rehabilitation center. There’d be strict regulations/schedules, limited freedom, rules on socializing, and monitoring (when outside your room, which is equipped with a bed, table, kitchen, and bathroom), but you also get genuine help in ways such as therapy, and you’re treated with actual humanity. The LOV and some of the Shie Hassaikai would be in one. Their prison sentences include community service, which is typically the only time they spend off facility grounds. I’d want Chisaki to be working in a hospital as part of his community service, although he doesn’t work directly with any civilian patients (yet).

But that’s all to be explained outside the actual scene. As for what the actual scene would theoretically look like…

We find out Chisaki’s working in a hospital as his community service via Midoriya coming to visit him. Chisaki is shown with prosthetics, clean-shaven, and doing genuine work. They have a not-friendly-but-not-hostile conversation where it’s basically Midoriya explaining that he wanted to see what Chisaki was up to, and saying that, despite everything, he wishes the best for Chisaki and hopes that he stays on the right path. That he hopes that one day, Chisaki will learn how to sincerely apologize to Eri, because he’ll understand what he put her through; because he’ll also understand what he himself went through, too. This is when it’s confirmed Chisaki had been experimented on in Garaki/AFO’s orphanage via flashbacks. In these flashbacks, it’s also shown that a lot of the things Chisaki said during the Hassaikai arc were, in fact, taken from things that’d been said to him. It’s shown that Chisaki had sacrificed things multiple times as a child in order to protect others. He always got hurt and betrayed. It was not his tenth act of kindness that had freed him, but his first act of apathy. It’s also shown how anytime Chisaki did anything Pops didn’t want him to, or ‘wrong’, Pops’ only response was to punish him (a lot of the things Pops punished him for as a kid were neurodivergent behaviors).

Midoriya smiles at Chisaki, which mildly surprises him and breaks him out of the flashbacks. “Do you hate me?” Chisaki would ask, impassive. “Do you hate me?” Midoriya would retort.

Midoriya would bring up wanting to help everyone he can, wanting to inspire others to help those next to them. He asks Chisaki if he wants to see Kurono again. “Is this blackmail, a threat, or leverage?” Chisaki would ask. “Is ‘none of the above’ an option?” Midoriya would say with a wobbly smile. Kurono then enters the room. Both Chisaki and Kurono’s eyes widen as they see each-other. A pause.

Then, “Your hair is longer,” Kurono would say. “Your hair is shorter,” Chisaki would say. Kurono hesitantly smiles as he steps as close to Chisaki as he can without touching him, always so aware of Chisaki’s wants and boundaries. “How are you? How’ve they been treating you?” Kurono would quietly ask with his signature note of protectiveness. Chisaki’s eyes gloss. He pulls Kurono into a hug, Kurono yelping in surprise, and Chisaki’s skin breaks out in hives. He buries his face in Kurono’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” Chisaki would sob into Kurono’s shirt. Kurono wraps his arms around Chisaki, smile returning even softer than it was before. “It’s okay,” Kurono would whisper.

After a moment, Kurono lightly pushes Chisaki back by the shoulders. “We really messed up, didn’t we?” Kurono would tearily laugh. Chisaki deeply frowns. “I messed up,” he would argue. “Yeah, okay,” Kurono would say, raising a brow, “Like when we accidentally poisoned our classmate.”

Chisaki’s frown somehow deepens even more. “That is not the same,” he’d adamantly say, voice cracking, and Kurono bursts out laughing while still crying. Then, that panel switches to one of the two of them as young teens; Chisaki had been indignant and ranting about something while Kurono had just laughed.

Midoriya watches the two, shakily smiling while tearing up himself. Then, he catches sight of something that makes his eyes widen and jaw go slack.

Chisaki’s smiling. Something nearly unnoticeably small and unbelievably hesitant, but there on quivering lips. Genuine and real.

Or something like that? It might be wishful thinking/unrealistic, but I really want Chisaki to smile. I also tried to make it kinda summarized bc I don’t want it to be unrealistically long, although I’m pretty sure it still is unrealistically long for a conclusion of a side character that nobody cares about lmao. Or, two side characters nobody cares about lol. I’m just saying I would’ve eaten up a Kurono/Chisaki reunion

[3rachasdomesticbanana]

Road Not Taken | Bang Chan

Synopsis: When your parents tell you that you're to marry the mayors son, Seo Changbin, you're left with two choices. Do you take the easy and sure route with nothing but green grass or do you take the path that's a bit less predictable and rough?

Pairings: au Bang Chan x Female Reader

Content Includes: Fluff, Forbidden romance, Secret romance, Strict parents, A sexually suggestive moment, Runaway, Happy ending, The Notebook vibes, Rich girl x not so rich guy

•Short but sweet. wc 2k•

an: Inspired by the poem The road not taken by Robert Frost and Chan quoting the poem when he talked about yellow wood in the intro.

“Y/N are you listening? Your father is talking to you.” Your mom sighs and rolls her eyes. “Honestly, get your head out of the clouds. This is a great opportunity and Seo Changbin is a great catch. He's so handsome and strong. Not to mention he'll be mayor one day after his father. You'll be the mayor's wife y/n doesn't that sound wonderful?” She gushes, clasping her hands together happily looking lovingly at your dad, who was the governor.

What is this, some eighteenth century life you're living? Why do you have to marry some guy just because he's rich and smart? Yeah sure, Changbin is great, literally at everything but... You've known him since you were in preschool. Even went to the same prep school together too so you know just how amazing of a guy he is. He's just not your type. He's more of a big brother to you. The problem though, you've always done as you were told. Take up horseback riding even if you were terrified? Yep. Harp even if it made your fingers blister and bleed? Of course. So how could you possibly look your parents in the face and defy them? Your dad looks at you with such a proud expression that you feel like shit for even thinking about going against him.

“Yes.” Is all you can say because the false smile and enthusiasm you give, takes everything out of you.

“That's my princess. You make your mother and I so proud of you. Really, we're so lucky. Isn't that right Grace?” Your dad pats your mother's hand still looking at you and she nods in agreement.

“The luckiest.” She chimes in. “Now make sure not to be late for your piano lessons; your recital is next week.” waving a dismissing hand.

Her large wedding ring and perfectly manicured nails shine in the sunlight that spills through the multiple windows of the conservatory. Removing the white cloth from your lap and setting it onto the table next to your barely eaten lunch, you stand up and leave. The entire conversation replays repetitively in your mind that you don't see your little sister leaving her room and you bump into almost butting heads.

“Shit, I'm sorry sis. I didn't see you. You're not hurt are you?” You fuss over her and she slaps your hands away smiling.

“Jeez will you chill. I'm fine. Where's your head at though?” She questions you, crossing her petite arms over her chest. Her large eyes look up at you and you briefly think back to a few hours ago when you were that carefree. Hopefully she won't share your fate in a few years seeing as she's only four years younger than you.

“Mom and dad just dropped a bomb on me.” Sighing, you lean back against the perfectly decorated wall behind you. “I'm set to marry Seo Changbin.” You finish and your sister's eyes light up.

“Oh my god, no way?” She whispers and covers her mouth. “You're so lucky. I'd give my left ear to marry that man. Have you seen his arms?”

When she giggles you can't help but join in. Just like Changbin, her laugh is infectious. The two of you gossip about boys a little longer in the hallway before you reluctantly make your way to your room to quickly shower and change your clothes before your lessons. Piano lessons were not only important to your mom but even more important to you.

Chris Bang, your piano teacher and the love of your life, secretly for the past two years, makes the lessons worth every second of struggling over the piece you decided to play for your recital. River flows in you by Yiruma has been a favorite of yours since you were really little and because you've heard it so many times you thought it would be easy. It isn't, not even remotely. The increasing tempo is where you seem to struggle and Chris will often tell you “Don't fear a little accelerando baby.”

Seeing his face when you walk in erases all the stress from your body and mind. He's like a hard reset to your mental health. The way his eyes sparkle and even smile along with him, the two dimples perfectly placed on either side of his beautiful mouth and the enveloping scent of smokey vanilla that surrounds you when he pulls you in for a tight hug, it all chases away all the bad and heals you.

“There's my beautiful girl. Gosh, I missed you.” He greets you with open arms that go around your waist when you stroll into him. His lips leave feathery light kisses all over your face making you chuckle softly.

“I missed you too babe.” You happily reply and push his blonde hair back from his brow. In contrast to how heavy your heart felt earlier it feels lightweight now.

His lips find yours turning the sweet embrace into something more intimate. Inside the family library, it's the only space you two are never interrupted. No one, not even staff dare disturb your lessons, not after your mom fired the last person that did so. It was completely uncalled for, the poor guy only came in the room to dust while you were going through the notes and when you messed up your mother blamed him. Now it's a haven for you and Chris. The two of you have spent hours studying each other's body's more times than you've actually studied the music. Thank God that Chris is a good teacher, you're able to show off your progress if or whenever your mom decides to show interest. So when his hands move from your waist and grips your ass you don't stop him.

══════════════•✦♡✦•═════════════

“Well now that that part of the lesson is over, what do you say you show me what else your fingers can do?” Chris suggests playfully still breathing heavily above you with a cocky smirk.

“Oh my gosh,” you giggle and cover your face. “you're such a dork but I love you.”

The moment is blissful and if you could lay like this under him for eternity, you gladly would. Unfortunately though, the large black Steinway grand piano sits waiting for you because if your mom doesn't hear any playing she won't hesitate to barge in. So you two unreluctantly separate and get dressed, hands and lips refusing to stray away from each other for too long.

Sitting on the shiny black surface of the piano's bench, your fingers hover over the keys as you inhale deeply through your nose and then exhale slowly out your mouth. The pads of your fingertips lightly press down on the ivory keys in front of you and begin moving effortlessly. Your eyes close upon hearing the sad yet happy music you create. Due to how many times you've played this piece it's become second nature now but when the crescendo approaches you become more focused and tense up.

“Relax babes, you can do this.” Chris whispers in your ear and you breathe him in.

Your fingers move, gradually picking up speed feeling calm and at ease knowing Chris is behind you and believing in your abilities. The worst is over and the tempo slows, ending with a beautiful climax.

“See baby, I knew you could do it!” Chris cheers coming around from behind you to stand beside the instrument and look at you. “Woah woah what's the matter? What happened y/n, why are you crying?” He gently takes your face in his hands stroking your cheeks with his thumbs wiping away the tears that rapidly fall from your eyes.

With the day's news finally getting to you, you break down and tell him everything. About the arrangement and how you are terrified of disobeying your parents but most of all you tell him that the last thing you want to do is be with someone that isn't him. That thought alone fills you with dread and makes you sick to your stomach. Changbin is a good man but he isn't Chris and you could never love another man the way you love him. You're pulled into his strong arms as he consoles you, the soft singing coming from him soothes you until you're able to calm the sobs that wrack through you.

“It's okay baby girl. Don't be sad. I know that I may not have a lot...” He pauses and scoffs at himself, resting his chin on top of your head, still holding you tight. “Honestly the only thing I have a lot of, is the love that I have for you. So whatever path you decide to take I'll always love you.”

“After all this time I still get amazed at how perfect you are, Christopher.” You tell him, voice slightly muffled against his chest, followed by sniffling as you hold back fresh tears that threaten to spill by his words.

He chuckles and his body shakes lulling you like a newborn. Chris's actions and words only proves your point, how can you love someone other than him? There's no one that could possibly take his place, you know that. What you don't know is how you're going to let your family down and tell them that you won't be marrying Seo Changbin. How do you disappoint your parents in a way that won't entirely shatter their hearts to the point where they just cut you off or abandon you? They could never do that to you… could they? That night you replayed Chris's words in your head so much that you gave yourself a headache. Sitting up in bed, after having tossed and turned for a good three hours you ran through all possible scenarios.

If you chose the easy path and agreed to be with Changbin you were sure how your life would be. Exactly like your mother's life. As a rich wife with a simple, boring, predictable life full of other people who just care about money and social politics. You'd spend your days with other wives, expected to dress and act a certain way all while losing a part of yourself if not all. Choosing Chris however, things would be uncertain. You have no idea what the future could possibly hold for you both. There could be rough terrain along the way but you were certain that you would be happy. That you both would get through whatever life decided to throw at you. As long as love continued to bloom and grow like a well taken care of flower, you two would be okay.

Jumping out of bed you look at your phone and see it's just past 5am but it's now or never. Grabbing a backpack from the closet and emptying it of any forgotten items you shove some clothes and a few important items inside. Your heart races and mixed emotions flood through your chest. Fear, excitement, guilt, nervousness and sadness sit comfortably at the top of the iceberg that is you. You keep moving silently throughout your room though, making sure you've got everything that you need.

“Just in case.” You whisper outloud to yourself. ‘Just in case they don't let me come back.’ That thought sits heavy on your heart but it doesn't derail your plans. You've made up your mind.

You're not going to play it safe by marrying Changbin. You've been playing it safe all your life. The uncertainty of taking a path that not many would travel down is scary. All the ‘what ifs’. If you could take both paths some way you would but that's not possible. It's a risk but for love and for Chris, you'd gladly make this choice again. Glancing around the room one last time, a last minute thought springs to your mind and you walk over to your desk to write your parents and sister and note.

“Mom and Dad, please don't be too upset with me. I'm leaving with Chris. I love him and I just couldn't see myself doing as I'm told this time. I hope you can find it in your hearts to continue to love me just the same. If you allow me to, I'll be back someday soon. Sweet little sister go and get Changbin, yeah? He'd be lucky to have you as a wife instead of me anyway we both know that. I love you three. I won't be far but I also won't change my mind.”

With a satisfied sigh you fold the paper in half and set it on your pillow. Your palm lays flat on the surface and you silently say goodbye to the life you had always known for something grander. Love. As the sunrise casts a golden hue on the horizon, you run towards the woods with nothing but the clothes you're wearing and a backpack slung over your shoulder. The sounds of the wildlife waking up throughout the yellow wood around you sounds so beautiful and it keeps your feet moving. The small house fenced in just past the woods comes to view and you smile breathlessly.

Rapping your knuckles on the white painted wooden door you chew on your bottom lip and wait for Chris to open up. Curly, messy blond hair peeks through the crack in the door when he slowly opens it. Almost in unison when he realizes it's you visiting him this early, his sleepy eyes and the door widens.

“Y/n baby what are you doing here?” his eyes go from your face down to the backpack that you now clutched in your hand and he lets out a small gasp that lights you up. “You really chose me?” His voice sounds so small like he can't believe it.

“Yes, I did. How could I not?” you give him a lopsided grin and wink playfully.

He grabs you in his arms and kisses your lips over and over, pecking them with a huge grin on his face. Setting you down, looking down into your eyes with so much love and longing he tells you that he'll make it his life's mission to make you happy every day and to not only tell you but show you just how much he loves you. You could feel your heart swelling from his words and your emotions bubbling up inside. Didn't he know he made you happy everyday already?

Setting your hand into his and interlocking your fingers you look up at him and sweetly smile. “No matter what storms we encounter, I'll always be there holding my hand out to you. I'll never regret the path I've decided to take at your side. I made a choice for love and that will make all the difference.”

The End.

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Sidenote: I wanted to end this the same way the poem ended so there won't be a part 2. Just know they lived happily ever after.

Her sister married Binnie and her parents eventually got the stick out of their asses and were cool with her living her best life as Mrs. Y/N Bang lol ♡ if you've never read the poem or listened to the track Road Not Taken from skz's Yellow Wood album I definitely recommend both.

[nepentheisms]

This is it; this is the Big 'Un that's been knocking around in my head since the bookclub's inception.

When it comes to mentions of the biblical parallels in Trigun, I've seen that Wolfwood is most frequently discussed as a Judas figure. I think it's important, though, to note that carrying out the Judas role to Vash's Jesus was a job he was ordered to take, and it's one he went through the motions of following while having the ulterior motive of killing the one who gave him the order in the first place. In fact, when Wolfwood does turn traitor, it's actually Knives and the GHG he chooses to betray. He ends up Judas-ing the guys who assigned him to the Judas mission - that's some sweet irony!

And as Wolfwood's time in the story draws to an end, he takes the path completely contrary to Judas' ignominious end by suicide. He instead takes a leap of faith and dares to place his trust in Vash's vision for humanity's future. His faith remains imperfect, but in the midst of all his doubt and uncertainty, he persists anyway.

This last stand of his becomes Wolfwood's ultimate affirmation of his devotion to Vash's ideals, and he effectively becomes a martyr, which places him far outside the image of Judas. In fact, I think that when we look back on his character arc as a whole, we can see how it more neatly lines up in trajectory with the story of another apostle: Peter.

Like Peter in the gospel narratives, Wolfwood finds it difficult to have the kind of faith that is asked of him. Vash goes into his battle with Rai Dei insisting to Wolfwood that he can finish the conflict without taking a life, but Wolfwood intervenes against Vash's wishes because he was worried about Rai Dei's next move. Peter sees Jesus walking on water and goes out to join him, but with the rough winds blowing around him, Peter becomes overwhelmed by fear and begins to sink. After these failures of faith in their respective stories, Peter and Wolfwood are then chastised by the men they follow.

Matthew 14:31 (NRSV) - Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

And it's these struggles with doubt, these moments of fear and cynicism overtaking faith that are so instrumental to the Christian perspective on salvation with its message of "You are flawed by nature, but you are loved beyond all comprehension nonetheless. Accept this love that it may save you and change you."

In Peter's case, although he is singled out multiple times for his failures (e.g. denying Jesus three times), he still holds a special place of prominence among Jesus' disciples. The 21st chapter of John features a conversation between Peter and the resurrected Jesus in which Peter affirms his love for Jesus three times (a reversal of the three times he denied Jesus), and Jesus responds by instructing Peter to care for his flock. After Jesus ascends to Heaven, Peter continues the work set out for him in building the early church until his eventual martyrdom, which, according to church tradition, occurs via upside-down crucifixion (see Caravaggio's rendition here). Interestingly, Wolfwood's martyrdom also involves lots of grievous bodily harm being dealt by crosses.

So the saint gets brought to death's doorstep, and that brings us to the infamous whiskey bottle

Others have already pointed out that "The Bride" likely refers to the Bride of Christ. This excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church sums up the concept:

The unity of Christ and the Church, head and members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a personal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. The theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom." The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb.

Now Peter is of particular importance when talking about the Church as an institution, because in the Catholic tradition, Peter is believed to have been granted a distinguished position of authority as the very foundation of Jesus' church, and every Pope is considered a successor to Peter in their occupation of the Church's highest office.

So Peter = Pope = the head of the Bride of Christ. And if we take the reading of Wolfwood as a Peter analogue.... you see where we're going. The Bride of Christ has been sanctified through a powerful demonstration of sacrificial love and prepared for the wedding to the bridegroom, but right here Yasuhiro Nightow subverts the biblical metaphor to devastating effect. The wedding doesn't come to fruition, because Vash can't bring himself to step into the role of the heavenly bridegroom. In this moment, he just feels all too painfully human in his grief. Wolfwood ascends - celebrated across the sky by those he saved with his selfless love, but Vash descends - acting as an ordinary person mourning the loss of a loved one.

John 13:36 (NRSV) - Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now...."

[endereies]

FUCK IT - MATT STURNIOLO - PART 10

Spotify Playlist:

Pairing: Matt x Oc

Contains: Growing up with parents who make her feel isolated, what happens when she meets Matt. A person who introduces her to new people, new experiences and new feelings.

Requested?: no

Author's notes: Finally!! another fucking update for this fic, i know its been too long. I'm finally hooked on these characters again and i hope this somewhat makes up for it.

Word Count: 4188

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

“Is this something we are meant to do?”

“Fuck it.”

“What exactly did you buy, Matt?” I leant against the passenger door with my back facing the car, adjusting my clothing repeatedly since I had nothing else to do.

“God, you can be so impatient sometimes” He was being vague on purpose, and nothing gave away what he had planned, I just messed around with the hem of my skirt until he was ready to leave.

“I’m not the one being secretive here” I huffed, growing more impatient the more he was leading this conversation on. With the sound of the trunk shutting, I quickly swivelled my hips to try and spy anything to answer my questions. However, he shoved everything into his bags, holding them by his hips.

“I’m not the one being whiny, look I promise you will like it.” He almost snaps at me with a harsher tone than before, so I drop it to avoid making the situation worse.

I walk in front of Matt, leading him through all the bushes and pathways. I knew the path like the back of my hand and yet once again we had gone in the dark to it took longer than necessary. I had never planned to go here either and so I got struck with brambles that also stuck through my clothing. My shoes were scrapped, and my zip-up jacket had been dragged back by branches and leaves and I was growing agitated.

“Are you alright, Ally?” While I know he is being sincere in his questioning, I merely respond with a deep sigh before finally responding.

“All of this shit is overgrown and it's getting on my nerves.” I feel the level of stress rise whenever I had to throw another branch to the side, but I get distracted by the nickname that he reused. That wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.

“Here, let me help you” I turn around to see the distance between Matt and I shortening before he walked past me, he holds the next few branches to the side with one arm and insinuating for me to go forward with the other.

He continues this for the rest of the journey up towards the houses behind the Grove, holding back branches and leave to clear a path for me. This was definitely something that Matt had planned to do in his head, wearing heavy duty boots that weren’t impacted when standing down on the thorns. A thick pair of jeans covered his legs followed by a jacket I had seen him wear multiple times during school practice in the mornings.

The closer that we got to the houses, the less amount of foliage that I had to pass through. Matt remained walking ahead of me and I took any chance I got to stare at his backpack trying to find any hint or recognisable shape that I could pinpoint.

“Which house are we going to” we had only explored a few of the houses since the last times I was here and there were still about six of them that we hadn’t looked at once.

“The first one we went into when you brought me here” He smiled at me, holding a strap with a free arm getting more excited about his plans the closer we got to each house.

He follows me to the second house on the street, instantly recognising the poorly painted walls and abandoned tools on the tables.

“You want to see what I brought now?” The backpack is gently placed on the floor, lowered by its straps and Matt looks up to me and I immediately get a bigger smile on my face.

“Ugh finally!” My body stands directly next to his with my eyes not moving from his hands that gently open up the top of the backpack and unzipping the first section.

He pulls out several pots of paint, varying in colours but still remaining consistent to each other. Several blues, browns, pinks and white paint cans spread over the wooden floorboards. After barely processing the colours, Matt pulls out more equipment that I hadn’t used in the house before like a sander and mini saws.

“What the fuck, where did you get all of this!” I grab the saws out of his hands quickly and analyse them one by one before placing them atop the table next to me.

“When you pointed out details when you first brought me here, you kept naming things that remained unfinished or the plans you never got to put in place. So...I thought I could do something about it..” He trails off as he notices me staring up towards him, not realising that my cheeks are turning redder with each small detail he remembered.

“You really did all that?” My smile widens on my face.

“You’ve talked about this place and anytime we go you always bring up a plan that never happened. I needed to change that quickly.” His arm grips the back of his neck and rubs the skin gently.

“How much did this all cost Matt..” I peek at all the tins of paint with a multitude of colours being represented with small labels across the front.

“Doesn’t matter” His voice was blunt as he picked up one of the pink shades displayed in front of us.                                                                       

“The fuck do you mean it doesn’t matter, this amount of paint has got to be expensive.”

“Doesn’t matter. Your smile matters to me more than a bit of money.” Those words just spilled casually from his lips and my body seized slightly and dropped the initial attitude. I felt my stomach twist in an unfamiliar way, and I just slowly shut my mouth.

“Now are you going to be quiet and grab a paintbrush or keep complaining.” I am left a little stunned as he brushes past with me with a grin over his face. I manage to reconnect with my thoughts and quickly grab a small paintbrush sprawled at my feet. I walk over to Matt where he had start to pour the thick liquid into a spare tray that had obviously been used before and dips his own brush into it. I watch as the lightly pigmented mixture drips down the sides of the tin after he scraps it.

I saw a small smile linger across his face as I approached him, now standing by his side. It wasn’t like being in this house was anything new to either of you but it was the way he was remembering each detail of me that stained my thoughts.

I had seen him be observant before, especially with people he cared about. It was one of the very first things that ever stood out to me about him.

When I had mentioned that I only wear silver jewellery, he made sure to get me a matching bracelet and necklace that was silver.

I mentioned how I like to get a coffee on a Friday after the long weeks and he started showing up with me exact order each Friday before I ever had a chance to object. And if the cafe didn't have the ingredients? He made sure he went somewhere else for it.

But this time it felt slightly different knowing that he was involved in what was a huge part of my life, the buildings finally reminding me of something that wasn't a lost friendship.

-

It had been about an hour of painting between us two and I got most of a room covered in it's first coat of paint. The sunlight etched onto the walls which only enhanced the pink pigments.

I took a small moment to stand back and appreciate the wet coats of paint that had been freshly layered onto the walls.

Matt was finishing up a section of the wall next to me as just as I zone out fully, I get dragged back out again when Matt calls out my name.

"Alyia?" His head is titled, and his body is leant towards mine, subconsciously closing the distance between us.

"Hm? What's up?"

"Can I have some more paint from the tin..I've nearly run out." His voice naturally trails off as his focus turns to the areas he still needs to cover.

I fumbled around a little as I scanned the floors for the tins of pink paint.

I walked quickly through each area of the room, my footsteps echoing on the hardwood floors. I looked on every available space, trying to spot the bright, recognizable colour.

The small paint tin is sat right by the stairs and with a pull of the handle, I lift it up to carry over to Matt. The thin wooden stick pokes out the top of the lid and once I pour the extra liquid in it stirs in the pigments.

Matt's gaze burns into the back of my head, watching the small stirring movements. When I stand up and lift the stick from the floor, the wood smacks on Matt's arm, leaving a trace of baby pink across his skin.

"Oh God, sorry Matt. Fuck I didn't mean to". Panic sets in my chest while I try to fix my mistake.

I grab the tissue box and grip a few at once before turning to Matt once more.

"Hey..Alyia, you're stressing too much. It's just some paint." Suddenly I feel his hand grip my wrist, lowering it ever so slightly.

"A-are you sure?" I was only met with a meek nod and a sincere smile, which did soothe me a little.

"S'ppose so...as long as I can do this" It wasn't long before his own brush swiped the tip of my nose. My nose now felt wet, like a dog's nose. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it.

"Matt! What!" A grimace spread under the paint while I brought out my phone to assess the damage.

It was only a cute little dot, yet enough to stand out against my skin tone. I was brought out of my focus by giggles that Matt desperately failed to hide. He turned his body away from me, but it was obvious he was laughing at me.

“You can be insufferable, yknow..” I grabbed the box of tissues I was going to use on Matt and wiped my own face instead. It felt cold to touch, that feeling spread to the tissue.

As I wiped my face, I failed to realise he had turned back around to face me. The tissue fell to a nearby stack of rubbish, and I sighed as I missed the empty pot I was aiming for.

I grimaced at Matt once I caught his attention again. Which didn’t seem too hard.

“Really. You managed to miss a spot, kid.” He swapped the brush to his left hand and before I could reach my own hand to his face, he did it for me. His touch was gentle, that wasn’t new. His thumb traced the outline of my nose, barely missing my cheeks. He laid his hand on the skin next to it. Unlike the cold paints, my cheeks heated up faster than I could stop it.

“Hey, at least it matches your cheeks now.” It did until he pointed it out. That’s when they faded darker.

“Get outta here bro. Don’t even.” He didn’t even flinch when I swatted his hand away to the side. Anywhere away from what I just experienced. Even if I didn’t quite know what that was.

“Sweetheart. You know I don’t bite right?” He had to refrain from giggling at the situation, a meaningful laugh I hadn’t heard from him in a while.

It never got any easier to hear that nickname fall ever so sweetly from his lips.

“Yeah yeah. Whatever.”

-

It had only been a few minutes since we both managed to compose ourselves, barely. Yet I kept thinking about it like it was the only thing I knew. It was definitely something that I didn’t want to end. So, I didn’t let it.

By now I had swapped the colour on the brush to a jet black to line the walls with. Why not have fun with it.

Quickly, the dark substance drew out a lengthy line on Matt’s arm, missing the previous pink line he left on. For some reason. He jolted backwards with a laugh almost grossed out by the sudden change in stimulation.

“Such a child.” His words held no fire to them, I wondered if he had wanted to. “Says the one who started it.” I use my free hand to point to my nose, patching with paints.

He attempted to swatch another layer of paint onto my skin but he failed. That resulted in drops of paint flicking onto my clothing. Traces of baby pink were now splattered atop the grey jacket that was slipped off my shoulders.

Regret immediately crossed his face. He knew my parents were designers and that I, more than likely, was covered in their articles. Expensive articles.

“Shit. I-“His voice was meek, not being able to read my face as it was tilted away from him. However, he quickly found out how I felt.

The shade of black I was still using soon mimicked the paint on my clothing. It sprayed onto the shirt he was wearing, a simple and plain tee. But the fact it was white made me chuckle.

He let out a sigh of relief once he realised, I wasn’t mad at him for ruining the fabric. Frankly, I didn’t care about any of it. I never cared for anything my mother mad, it was practically the thing that drove us away. Besides her attitude of course.

We acted like children, now running around the room and flinging the paints around. For a moment we forgot about the price of the tins we were now throwing everywhere. All that mattered was ensuring the other was covered in more pops of colour than them.

“Matt, I swear if that gets in my hair.” As quickly as I spoke, he laid eyes on his new target. My hair that was just relaxing on my shoulders now appeared like a botched dye with pink.

“Oops, missed.”

-

After deciding it was better to subside the paints for another day, we laid on the wooden floor beneath us. Making sure we had a clearing that wasn’t obstructed by loose nails or tools.

“Its late...” It wasn’t a hard observation to make, the sky grew dark and was patterned with faint stars. It was the fact you hadn’t expected to lose so much time to paint fights.

“Guess so. You need to head home?” I looked at him with a heavy expression, he got the message.

“They aren’t home…right.” He almost grimaced at the thought of forgetting, sometimes he wished they were home for me more. But that would cut into the sessions we spend together. He chose to be selfish.

“But you have Nick and Chris at home, you gotta be back before Nick yells at you again.” I recalled the last time we stayed out late without making him aware. Safe to say Matt never heard the end of that.

“It’s a bit late for that, I’ve already seen the missed calls.” He seemed so relaxed about that, if I had missed only one call from my mother, she would’ve gone ballistic.

“Cmon, let’s get you back home, yeah?” His voice coaxed me the same as a small child, gentle, sweet.

The strong places of the stairs were memorised by now which made our exit quicker. Some of the thorns previously stomped down by Matt remained pressed into the ground. When one thorn gripped my skin and scrapped it, he insisted he went in front again. As if my skin and clothing wasn’t damaged enough.

He took a small glance back when he heard me playing a small quiet tune from my phone. I simply put my playlist of shuffle, but it obviously peaked Matt’s interest.

“Turn that shit up, kid.”

“You fuck with Kid Cudi?” He gave me a nod as if it was obvious, but I shrugged it off and ‘turned that shit up’

The music continued into the car ride back, I didn’t want to insist I could walk home. I knew he’d win no matter what I did. My head bopped to the music, zoning out at the window. We were in silence the whole ride back towards my house. I wasn’t uncomfortable, however. The music filled any awkwardness, if there was any. There was only one thing that I seemed nervous about, which was getting paint on the seats of is vehicle. I knew most of it had air dried by now, I just knew that car seats were expensive to replace. I know the exact price because anytime that I drove my parents’ car, I always ‘messed something up’ and had to replace it. I didn’t want to seem as someone who wasn’t capable of anything, so I stopped driving it after that.

Familiar streets seemed to appear, and we both knew it would only be a few minutes before we arrived at my place. The radio was cranked down until it became background sound for us both. I looked at Matt who had one hand placed on the wheel while the other rested on his thigh. His fingers twitched slightly, and I noticed pretty quickly that he was mimicking the drums from the song playing.

I hadn’t realised we had pulled up until Matt spoke for the first time in a while.

“Alyia? We’re back at your house.” He tilted his head closer to mine to make sure that I heard him. I did.

“Oh yeah right. Thanks for dropping me off.” My body slid back towards the door and pushed it open. Once I grabbed all my belongings, I walked around the car to see Matt. The window separating until he pulled it down.

He looked at me expectantly. Why did I never realise how icy his eyes looked.

“Need anything sweetheart?” I swallowed harshly and pushed myself away from the door. “Nope, just..thanks again. For the supplies, paints and the dri-“

He raised his fingers and put them inches away from my lips. “If I hear another thank you come from your mouth, I swear Aliya. I’d do it again no matter what you say.” He smirked at me, and it did ease a few concerns, now pushed to the back of my throat.

“Look, just because you’re used to apologizing and feeling like everything is your fault doesn’t mean that’s true. You don’t have to thank me every minute. You can relax around me. I don’t bite.” He looked down at where the window fell into the door, tracing the tip of the glass before finally making eye contact with me. He seemed almost apologetic for pointing out how my parents made me act. To be honest, I had been sorry about that for longer than he did.

I didn’t reply, I didn’t have to. I kept looking at him with a stupid smile on my face. The same I had while in the grove mere hours ago.

“See you in school?” I finally trusted my voice to speak but it was timid. “I’ll see you in the morning, yeah?” My head nodded and I stood up onto the curb, pacing back to my house.

Shit.

My parent’s car is there. If they see me like this, I’m screwed. That’s it, I’m grounded. I won’t be able to-

I cut my thoughts of when I heard footsteps, they were heavier and dragged ever so slightly on the carpet. My dad.

“Alyia, are you home, I’ve been worried sick.” He quickly trailed off once he saw the state of me, paints covered a lot of my clothing, even the ends of my hair were dishevelled. I hung low, expecting yelling to follow quickly.

“Upgrading your mother’s work?” He laughed. He wasn’t mad at me? “Just go clean up before your mother sees, alright. Make sure you either clean those or throw them. As much as I love the experimentation, I’m not sure that your mother would approve.” With that he walked past me and wondered into the kitchen. I wasn’t willing to risk the chance of my mother seeing the way I destroyed her works. As much as I’m willing to do that all over again.

-

Matt’s pov:

I stayed there for a few minutes, leaning back into the leather. The music was chirping softly. I should’ve left, I watched her get in safely, but I just couldn’t move. I wasn’t waiting for her to run back out and ignore her home life. I wasn’t even watching the door. Traces of paint covered my hands, and I couldn’t help but stare. I tried to run my fingers over it, but the heat of my palm scrapped away a few spots.

By the lights on in the driveway, I knew Nick was awake. I felt bad that I let him stay up again, I just hoped that Chris wasn’t up as well.

“Matthew. Taking your sweet time staying out again. I knew you had the band shit, but we both know it doesn’t last thi- My god, what the fuck happened to you!” He was blunt and straight to the point, he always was but that didn’t make the words he said any easier to hear. I knew he was mad, anyone could figure that out.

He pushed down his glasses and held the bridge of his nose, taking all the clothing in one by one.

“Practicing music doesn’t require baby pink and black paint, what did you do?” He grabbed my shirt and tugged on it. “White. Really?”

I smirked pathetically “Its just some paints, I didn’t care, and I still don’t.”

“You’re lucky that I love you, kid. Just have a shower, its late.” He shook my shoulder as I walked forwards the kitchen for a drink. My eyes met Chris’s through the hallway, he had a weird smile on his face. He smirked at me and raised his eyebrows; I was talking to an actual child.

“I take it you were out with Alyia?” His tone pissed me off, acting like all I did was talk to or about Aliya. I wanted to but that doesn’t mean I did.

“Oh, shut it.” Chris simply shrugged and retreated to his room, humming a song that had been stuck in his head a few days.

During my shower I noticed an obvious change in the water colour, especially when I got rid of the black lines up my arms. No other lights than mine remained on and it made me realise how late I actually stayed out.

Fatigue had hit my system by now and having that hot shower only managed to relax me further. My phone screen lit up the room as I got a message. The quiet vibrations were the only sounds I had heard since the car radio.

My body slumped next to it and stared at it until the screen faded black. I held the phone in hand and since my room was almost pitch black at this point it failed to use face id. After I failed numerous times to fill in my password, I scrolled up to see who had messaged me.

Alyia🎸:

*Sent 1 attachment*

‘Youre lucky my mother didn’t see lmao.’

A photo? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her take photos, let alone send one to me. It didn’t take long for me to click on it.

It wasn’t exactly a selfie and now I understood her sending the photo. The most that I could see of her face was her lips that curled into a neat smile. Locks of hair flowed past her shoulders, and I could see she hadn’t cleaned up just yet, her jacket lay just below her shoulders which allowed the remaining fabric to bunch at her wrists. The selfie was taken from up high just so she could present the paint in one go. Her skirt remains hugging her hips that hadn’t moved from before. I assessed the amount of paint that had been sprayed and was still covering her hands. A light smile covered my face

I stared longer than I should have, I didn’t have the fear of being caught by her real form. I never had the urge to before. I had no idea why I was now.

I don’t respond immediately, and I know that she can see that I’m online, that takes a second to seep in.

Matt🥁:

‘Nick caught me, scolded the fact I was wearing white more than anything.’

Alyia🎸:

‘Frankly, that doesn’t shock me. I better go get this shit out of my hair. Cya kid.’ I just hearted the message and left my phone on the duvet. Light rain began to scatter my window, and I was thankful I wasn’t outside in it. My hand raised itself to my face and I tried to wipe away the weird feeling in my chest. I just hoped sleep would wear it away.

© ENDEREIES 2024

@melliflws @yuhayeee @st7rnioioss @sturn-bugz @bueckers @worldlxvlys @raysmayhem-72 @patscorner @y0urm4m @bernardsbendystraws @junnniiieee07 @luverboychris @jnkvivi @rac00ns-are-c00l4 @shorthairchris @missmimii @thecynthh

[ssahotchnerr]

currently thinking about aaron reconnecting with an old friend he had back in college.

like, maybe they both met each other during their first year of college and they're both focused on the law path, but by senior year when aaron already has law school set up, reader takes a step back and decides she actually doesn't want to practice law. she still decides to finish school since she's so close to getting her degree, but she immediately enlists in the military once she's graduated.

and gosh i can totally imagine aaron and reader trying so, so hard to remain in contact because they got so close during their time in uni, but with aaron's time being taken up by studying and reader rising through the ranks it's get so hard

they're still able to send the occasional text, letter, and even a quick call here and there, but one day reader just stops responding. mail is sent back to aaron, calls are mysteriously dropped, and texts don't go through and he's just like, 'what happened' :(

flash forward years later to where maybe one day aaron is grabbing some coffee before going into work and on his way out he bumps into someone and at first he doesn't think much of it cause hey, it happens, but when the other person mumbles out a quick, "oops sorry about that!" his head just snaps up and he realizes that's it's you

and oh my god

the eye contact

the tension

everything

maybe reader stops him and offers her number yo explain everything (she got recruited into some secret task force and lost contact with practically everyone)

maybe aaron lunges forward and wraps her up into a hig because he missed her so much and he had always thought you were dead

maybe, just maybe, they're able to pick up where they left off and are perhaps able to *ahem* turn to a new page if you get what i mean (i'm cackling rn)

oh my gosh just the heartbreak </333 trying so hard to keep in touch- at first, it's easy. multiple letters every week, maybe the occasional call, and over time it just slowly starts to dwindle :( one letter a week turns into one a month, same happens to phone calls, and then it's just complete radio silence :(

and aaron tries so so hard to hold onto you, telling himself that one of these days, conversations will pick up like normal, things will go back to how they were used to be, and he stays hopeful for months. but once a year finally passes, and he still hasn't heard anything from you, he forces himself to move on :( he has no other choice, because it hurts and he doesn't want to put his heart through that any longer :(

but you often flash into his mind, all your past memories. your nights at school- studying in the library until the early morning hours, laughing over popcorn and a movie in his dorm room, you stealing all his college hoodies and him pretending he hates it when you do so- ugh but seeing you in his clothes smiling all teasingly at him- like HA whatcha going to do about it? :D ugh did things to him that he can't even put into words. that one kiss the two of you happened to share. he misses you more than anything, and you're classified as the one who got away.

and likewise, he's constantly on your mind. his dimpled smile, his laugh, his gorgeous brown eyes haunt you when you try to sleep at night. you would do anything to see him again, do anything to give him an explanation of why you disappeared and it wasn't intentional and you're so so sorry, but part of you fears that now that you're gone, he would want nothing to do with you. you still write him letters, you have a whole collection of them but keep them tucked away. it's all you wish you could talk to him about- what you've been doing, small things that happen during the day or cross your mind, countless ones explaining why you went quiet, your favorite parts about him, and how you've been so in love with him from the very very start that you don't even know what to do with yourself.

so then comes that day in the coffee shop. aaron is waiting patiently for his order to be made, you just got yours and are turning to leave, when you bump into him and he apologizes like he's the one at fault, the sweetest man :( the two of you make eye contact, realization hits, and everything just

stops.

both of you are speechless, and everyone else who was in the coffee shop seemingly disappear (aaron even completely misses his order being called) because the only thing you can do is focus on each other. it's almost like a dream, literally because both of you have dreamt about refinding each other, speaking everything that was unspoken into existence. but now that it's happening, neither of you know what to do.

the both of you move at the same time, throwing your arms around each other and not daring to let go. aaron's previous anger fills his chest up a bit - the anger that one day you were just gone, but he doesn't care in the slightest, because finally you're in his arms again. right where you belong. you're filled with a sadness too, because you know you owe him a reason, and you're a bit taken aback he embraced you to begin with, because he deserves to be mad.

ugh aaron mumbles "i missed you so bad" to which you reply "i can't believe it's you" <3333 before the two of you release each other. silence follows, because first, the two of you are still in shock. second, there's so so much that's unspoken and needs to be addressed. and again, neither of you can believe after so long, you've finally finally finally crossed paths again. and that you're both in love with each other.

aaron says something how he has to get going before he's late :( and you immediately offer your number, insisting that the two of you have to talk, which he wholeheartedly agrees.

hehe that very night the two of you get together for dinner, everything gets addressed, including the fact that both of you are completely and utterly in love with each other, even after all this time. and it's like the two of you were never separated to begin with, that nothing has changed.

the two of you finally get your blissfully happy ending <3

[mrs-johansson]

Escape from LA - Lisa Manobal x Fem!Depp!Reader

Part 2:

“I didn’t even know you guys were coming to the show. It was a nice surprise though,” I said as we settled into the car. “You would’ve been nervous if you’d known,” Lily explained and I shrugged. “I was nervous anyway.” “You hid that very well,” Rosé chuckled. “Have I? I felt like I was gonna faint at every single dance move.” “You dance well, it wasn’t noticeable at all,” spoke Lisa for the first time with a small smile on her face. We made eye contact and my heart was just beating funny. I didn’t pay much attention to it since the adrenaline still ran through my body at that moment.

“Thanks, that's a huge compliment from you,” I said with a smile and she smiled back softly. She’s got really clear skin, damn I’m jealous.

Once we got to the hotel there were several paparazzi outside the door so we had to move quickly. “Sissy, you go first and I’ll close, yeah?” I glanced out the window, seeing multiple people standing on the two sides of the road. Lily got out of the car and the girls followed closely behind, Lisa stepping out last before I did. “Y/n! Y/n! How was the show?” Asked a man. “Good,” I smiled softly. But suddenly it got really crowded in front of us and I quickly pulled Lisa to my side. “Guys, step back,” I said loudly and pushed some people out of the way while holding onto Lisa’s hand.

Once I managed to clear a path for us, I held onto Lisa’s waist and guided her right to the door and we were in. “You okay?” I looked at the girl. “Yes, thank you for that,” she said with a hand on my shoulder.

We all went up to my hotel room and we quickly settled around the living room, room service already on the way. The conversation just started naturally, we were laughing and chatting with ease.

Suddenly Lisa gasped and we all looked at her quickly not knowing what happened. I followed her eyeline and saw Bucky waltzing out of the bedroom carefully. “Totally forgot about him. Girls, this is Bucky my cat,” I said and Lisa was already very determined to meet him so she got up and sat close to him. “Oh my god, hi,” she said with a high-pitched voice, and Bucky as the whore he is immediately gave into her touch and let her pat him. “We lost Lisa for the night,” said Rose, and she chuckled lightly at her friend. “You love cats?” I asked but Jisoo scoffed. “She has 5,” she said and my mouth fell open. “5?” “And a dog,” Jennie added and I just found it hard to believe. Lisa was quick to bring Bucky back over to us and he comfortably laid in her lap as they settled on the floor. “He’s in good hands then.”

“What do you guys want to drink? Wine, champagne, or shots? I can’t really choose,” I went up to the mini-bar in the room. “Wine would be great.”

I poured everyone a glass of wine and soon the food came too that we ordered. Some of us sat on the floor, someone on the couch.

“When are you guys going back on the road?” I asked while eating the pasta that I got for myself. “In about two weeks. We’re going to Malaysia,” said Jennie. “But you guys are coming back to the US later this year, right?” “In the summer yeah, they’re gonna be kind of last shows, then we go back to Soul for two shows and that’s it,” explained Rosé. “I have to go to a couple of shows. Lily’s always bragging about how good the shows are and I’m just so jealous of her.” “You should totally come, that would be awesome,” Lisa said with her mouth full of food but eyes very fixated on the conversation. “I will, I will. I have a couple of weeks off along the tour so I can finally make it work.” “How many shows will you do?” “112 or something, I don’t know.” “How?” Jisoo asked and I smiled. “I sleep. I literally sleep, perform, sleep, perform. I’m sure you guys know.”

We’ve talked about all sorts of things throughout the night. I asked them about the whole trainee thing and I was fascinated by how they made it through. If I was there I probably would’ve been eliminated on day one. The Idol came up and I was excited to hear the girls’ opinions and of course, they were very supportive of Jennie just like I was of Lily. They were all so nice and funny, I was genuinely surprised by how quickly we got along and spoke without being weird and awkward.

Rose was so fun, we talked a lot about music and how she’s writing all the time but scared to share it with other people. I tried to give her some advice on these things and just told her how exciting it is once you get different stories in a song.

Jisoo and I had a really fun time and our conversation was mostly about her refusing to speak English so we were basically playing Activity. She has a great sense of humor and I love how she makes fun of the other girls with just facial expressions.

With Jennie, we caught up since the last time we saw each other. She showed me pictures of her dog and told me all about how she’s a little nervous but excited about The Idol coming out soon. What I heard from Jennie and Lily it’s going to be crazy and I really don’t know what to expect other than I’m excited for them.

And Lisa was quiet. Towards me at least because she was talking with everyone but with me, not really. I could tell it wasn’t because she didn’t like me because she seemed to enjoy my jokes and paid attention to my stories. Maybe it was the language barrier but she seemed very good at English so I was confused. Bucky didn’t really move from her side. Sometimes he wandered around the girls and me but eventually he went back to Lisa each time.

“I’m a little drunk not gonna lie,” I leaned against the foot of the couch. “Same, should we play something?” Suggested Rose and with that she grabbed my attention quickly. “Oh gosh, yes! Any ideas?” I looked around and seconds later, Lisa spoke. “Truth or drink?” She came up with the idea and we all agreed. I brought a bottle of vodka and some orange juice for chasers just in case.

“Jennie, you should start,” I said while pouring a shot for everyone beforehand. “Okay, Lily. Truth or drink, did you ever get turned on while filming a scene for The Idol?” She asked with an evil smirk. Lily chuckled and she shook her head. “Easily no. Abel is not my type at all,” she said and I shrugged knowing that he was really not. “Glad it didn’t go the other way,” I said and she gave me a dismissing look which made me smile. “Your turn.” Jennie nudged Lily and she looked around the room. “Who was the worst in bed out of everyone you slept with so far?” She asked and I sighed. “We’re on these questions already? It’s literally the second question, anyway uhm…” I leaned my head back thinking of every person I slept with. “Some guy from one of your campaigns. I don’t remember his name, but I think he was older by 3 or 4 years and he was crazy hot but he was so bad dude. He couldn’t tell what’s what and he thought everything was going fine and I was enjoying what he was doing but damn I was turned off by 20 minutes of it,” I explained. “When was this?” Asked Lily. “8 years ago or something,” I shrugged. “Okay, me. Uhm…” I looked at the three girls, Rose had kind of a terrified face on so I was sure not to ask her, and then I saw Lisa all in her little world, patting Bucky.

“Lisa…” I dragged out the a which made her look up with a curious look in her big eyes. “Have you ever given your partner a sexy dance?” I asked with a small smile and she blushed right away, shaking her head and looking back at Bucky. A nervous chuckle left her mouth before she answered. “No, my boyfriend’s not really into that,” she said shyly and my eyebrows furrowed. Not into that? What is he gay, had he seen his girl? And she can dance. Like dance. I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend in the first place. “Not into that? How?” I asked out of pure curiosity. People would line up to get a dance by her. “I don’t know, it’s not his thing,” she shrugged and swiftly looked at Jisoo. She asked her a question in Korean and clearly, I didn’t understand a thing but Jisoo seemed to think about it for a second then chuckled to herself before starting to tell a quick story that made Lisa laugh.

How can a guy not enjoy a potential lap dance from a girl like Lisa? I’m still hung up on this.

We played a few rounds and we all took at least two more shots each so I don’t think any of us had a clear mind.

Rosé was the next person to ask someone and her eyes fell on me. “Y/n, truth or drink, would you kiss the person next to you?” She asked and the last words were muffled by her laughter but I could hear it clearly. And since to my left was Lily and to my right Lisa, I guess she wasn’t referring to my sister.

I glanced at Lisa who was visibly avoiding eye contact with me but a defeated smile was still on her face. “I mean yeah,” I said with a confident look, and the three girls “Ooo”d while Lily just shook her head unamused. “But Lisa has a boyfriend, so out of respect that can’t happen,” I said and they started booing which made me pick up the vodka shot in front of me and the one in front of Lisa which I handed her. “We should drink this,” I said and she gladly took the glass but meanwhile she showed her middle finger to her booing friends. “Good idea,” she took the glass and we cheersed before downing the shot. Lisa put the class back on the table and cleared her throat then leaned close to me. I could feel her hot breath on my ear and the side of my neck.

My head was a little fuzzy from the shot so my balance wasn’t that good. Lisa was close to my ear and I turned my head a little so I could hear her perfectly. “You wanna piss them off?” She husked in my ear and I got goosebumps from just that. I found her eyes and she clearly had something in mind. “What do you suggest?” I couldn’t help but look her up and down. The alcohol really got in my head. “Do you trust me?” She asked me and her accent just made it sound so convincing. I nodded and she glanced at the girls, who were chatting.

“Just go with it,” she said and the next second her hands were in my face. Our eyes met and she was clearly in a better state than me. Lisa had pretty doe eyes, and with a little scares in them, she gave me a small smile. “It’s okay,” I said quietly and nodded, knowing what she was planning.

When you kiss someone for the first time, take a second to look at them. They are so new, so unfamiliar. Right now you don't know how they taste, how their hands will press against your skin, how they'll breathe. You won't see them like this again.

Lisa leaned in and I let her do whatever she wanted. She seemed to be serious about whatever was happening but still hesitant so I was just happy to participate.

Our lips touched and every sound around us muffled out. Her soft hands framed my face, and her lips felt so fluffy. The kiss was slow and clearly for show.

As we both became short of breath she pulled back but her hands remained on my face. I looked down at her lips and then back into her eyes. She wasn’t my first kiss but this… this was different. Drunk or not.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” I asked lowly, to which she rolled her eyes. “It is complicated,” she said with an annoyed tone. Her eyes stared at my lips. “How so?” I heard ‘It’s complicated’ a million times, who knows which situation she’s in?

Lisa didn’t move her hands from my face but now she tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “It’s a business thing,” she said and I raised my eyebrows, not yet hearing this one. “Is he a guy at the company or what?” I questioned wanting to know more.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I don’t know if it was the booze or simply her. “No, he’s around the same age as us. A business guy,” said Lisa clearly not interested in sharing more about him. So basically he’s got money but how is that a business thing for her? “Is this a long-term thing or what?” I asked. “It’s for this year.” “But it’s not public?” She looked back into my eyes with a slight smile. “You ask a lot of questions,” she mumbled, then pressed a kiss on my lips. “I just wanna know who I’m kissing,” I smirked and leaned closer, almost touching our lips but pulled away at the last minute. “We can talk later,” she said before connecting our lips again with more passion. Lisa swiped her tongue across my bottom lip, wanting to deepen the kiss and I gladly agreed. I lifted my left hand to her side, pulling her closer.

I felt like my head wasn’t in the right place. At that moment I thought I could kiss her forever but I still had the word boyfriend lingering in the back of my mind.

She was fierce with her kisses but still felt like she was holding back for obvious reasons. I didn’t want to move my hand from her side, out of respect to her and the girls. The girls.

“Okay, you can stop now,” Jennie’s voice made Lisa pull back and clear her throat. She glanced at me with a hint of mischief in her eyes and all I could do was smile. I looked on my phone to check the time and it was already 1 am. I didn’t mind staying up late since I didn’t have rehearsal in the morning and I wasn’t tired anymore.

Lisa blocked out all the teasing comments from her best friends and I looked at Lily who had a very unimpressed look on her face. I raised a brow and she just shook her head before going on her phone.

We chatted for a while then they thought it would be better if I went to bed and got some sleep for the show tonight. They called for their driver and once he said he was here we all got up and I walked them out to the door.

“We should hang out more if you girls are staying in LA,” I said to them. “Yes, definitely that would be fun,” said Rose, sneakily eyeing Lisa who didn’t dare to say anything to my suggestion. “Thanks for having us over,” came Jennie to hug me bye. “Of course, I had fun.” I hugged Jisoo and Rosé bye too and they already walked off leaving Lisa standing there. “I guess I'll see you at the show tonight,” I said with my hands in the pocket of my sweater. She nodded with a smile and spread her arms for a hug and who was I to decline? Her arms went around my shoulders and mine around her waist. As Lisa pulled back, she left a kiss on my cheek. “It was fun kissing you,” she whispered and I chuckled. “The pleasure’s all mine. Hey, can I give you my number? You should call me when you get to the show,” I said and she nodded. “Yeah.” She got her phone out we exchanged numbers and with a quick goodbye, she followed the girls.

Instagram:

y/nfleurdepp

y/nfleurdepp SoFi Stadium Night 1🩶 What a way to start this year with you guys! I love every single one of you who came today and I hope you had a great time🤍 So excited to see you my Fleurs all around the world, this one’s gonna be fun🌷

[calamitaswrath]

Cal Lucia plays Fire Emblem Path of Radiance: Chapter 13

Not much of a lead-in for this chapter, huh? I'm just plopped right into my pre-chapter preparations. But then again, since in previous cases that was always accompanied by a change in location, and we're still very much on a boat, I suppose that makes sense. Let's start with Jill!

"Why are you still here?" - Blunt, Ike. Blunt. And calling soldiers stupid, too! Reminds me of that one post that's like "everyone who died for their country is a clown". It does make me wonder why exactly Jill really is still with us, though. The basic interesting is obvious, but where does it come from, and why is it enough?

Conversation with Daniel, about the best means to defend on a ship map. Very subtle, game. And they're playing an in-universe war game? Fire Emblem-ception?

Aimee continues to simp for Ike. The game really does make a running gag out of him not caring for women romantically or sexually, huh?

Sibling interactions between Oscar, Boyd and Rolf!! Those are always fun. Judging by the fact that it was a three star one, I thought that it would actually lead to something, but I haven't noticed anything yet. Do they get their own triangle attack now, or. . .?

Right, time to start the actual chapter. And we get more worldbuilding! Begnion's got an empress, Crimea and Daein used to be part of it, and we seriously gotta wonder why they want to see Elincia in the first place

Tanith. . . woag. . .

Hmm, we got a high priestess? The only context in which I've heard of priestesses in the context of PoR/RD is with Micaiah's classes, but I really don't think that she's going to make an actual appearance here yet

Heyy, Gatrie's back! And he got himself a new job. Have to wonder about that other character, though. . . her name in the German version is Stella, but I don't think that's gonna be the same in English. And after looking that up, her English name is Astrid. . . okay? Seems to be another instance of the German version carrying over the Japanese name.

Ohoho, defend map! And one with a lot of chests, too. Gimme gimme gimme!

Ah, there's Nasaela. Based on these early vibes, I can already somewhat understand my friend's obsession. I am curious though why the king of an entire nation is out here making deals with rather lowly soldiers for money like this. Is his country not doing well financially speaking?

Ergh, as I'm playing through this map, I'm beginning to realize that I really don't have the turns to actually get all the items with just Sothe. I think I'll need to restart and hand everyone chest keys. . . lovely.

Well, that second attempt went a lot better in general. I got all the enemies on the upper ship, including the boss, by just turn five! Let's see what else is gonna happen on this map.

Ah, so that other character flying near Nasaela is. . . well, a character. Kinda funny to see an old winged man like that. And pfft, he Nasaela doesn't like being called. . . what would it be in English? Hatchling?

Tibarn and Janaff. I would say these two have the look of playable characters to them.

Hold on, Tibarn's a king as well? Do the bird Laguz have multiple kingdoms? So far, I was under the impression that they only got the one. . .

This lot really was just there to show that they're there, huh?

. . .And I left the defend point unguarded on accident. I thought the enemy ravens would make a beeline for the treasure, NOT that point. Guess that's my first game over!

Jesus fucking christ, my luck on this second attempt was terrible. Astrid missed a ~90% to hit twice, Rolf also missed one, I took longer to beat the boss. . . but at least I managed to still turn things around in the end. Still just absolutely stucks about Astrid though, because she did get a lot more kills, and by proxy, exp, the first time around.

Sigrun! I heard the name before, but I don't have any associations. With Sanaki however, there are some half-remembered tidbits there. I think she's related to Micaiah somehow?

Ah. So the high priestess is the empress as well. Then why even make a distinction in introducing her?

Ike and Soren having a little heart-to-heart! That's nice.

Sanaki's found, and Ike really can be rather thick at times. . . let's see where that leads him

It gets him invited to court, is what it does. Fair enough.

[megamattzx]

Preview to an AU story: The Scoundrel and his Princess

This is a project I probably should continue. This was a request from @yingying-57.

But to make up for it, I would like to share what I have so far.

In the far reaches of the Galaxy, empires struggle to seize control of the lawless Galaxy as pirates syndicates and various other outlaws battle their way through the hardships of the Galaxy. Many factions struggle for control as many also take advantage of the opportunities now provided to them. One of them was a very small crew. A band of smugglers was seen escaping a vast Empire after a heist. They're really trudging the metaphorical waters this time. Tons of heavy energy fire were being thrown at them as the ragtag pirate crew was seen attempting to make their escape. The crew began to realize just whose territory they were in. The Princess of Fire Mountain's territory. She was extremely ruthless as a space pirate. Known for taking over several vessels at a time and destroying entire fleets on multiple fronts. She was feared. And rightfully so. The last thing that a ragtag band of smugglers wanted was to cross paths with the Fire Princess. The Pilot and Captain, Son Goku could be seen losing his patience a bit. His tail fluffing a bit he felt an energy surge through anger.

"Great!" He said in a very aggravated tone. "The hyperdrive is broken!" Quickly inspecting the hyperdrive to see what he could repair. He knew that he needed to be quick to repair the hydro drive before the ship tracks any unwanted attention. Especially since they were in the territory of one of the most notorious pirates in this sector. "We're lucky we got the stuff needed to fix this! At least enough to where we could head to another system for proper repairs. But this could take me potentially hours to fix the hyperdrive."

It was at that moment Yamcha and Krillin were seen walking out of the cockpit as Vegeta and Piccolo returned from the turrets. Tenshinhan and Chaotzu the state of navigation as they overheard everything that was going on. Luckily Goku wasn't the only one maintaining the ship at times. But sometimes when it came to the hyperdrive itself, he felt that he was the only one really taking it seriously. "We're in the Pirate Princess' territory and she might find us at any moment," the younger Saiyan continued. His tail wagging around every now and then frantically as he quickly got his repair kit. "And she doesn't take too kindly to intruders in her turf."

"I hear she brutally murders all the people aboard the ships she attacks," Yamcha made a very nervous remark as he thought about exactly whose territory they were in. "These are just rumors of course but giving her reputation with the wanted posters, it all adds up."

"I heard that she takes them prisoner and makes them her slaves on her ship," Krillin mentioned as well as he then slowly nervously started to look at the void of space. "She'll divide them all up amongst her crew and if she takes a liking to any of them, she'll keep those people for herself."

"Nonsense," Vegeta countered as he then slowly began to slowly begin to think about it more. "Most of their reputation is based on rumors. All we know is that some of the people who encountered her never were seen again."

"Whether the rumors are true or not, I have no intention of crossing paths with her," Goku quickly jumped into the conversation as he tried to grab a spare hyperdrive, as he needed to replace it rather than repair it. "I have no intention of finding out what she'll do to us if she finds us. Now help me get this hyperdrive fixed, and if I can't repair it I need help taking it out and installing the spare one."

"I'll try to send a distress signal out to one of our allies nearby," Vegeta said. A hint of concern in his voice as he went to the navigation board. Clearly he was trying to see if there were any allies nearby in case they had to get out before the repairs were done. Once Goku gave a nod of acknowledgment, Vegeta started trying to find as many options as they possibly could. How many systems nearby have allies in them? He wasn't too sure so he had to see for himself.

Piccolo quickly started to run towards the cockpit to try to check if any other systems were damaged. The hyperdrive was one thing, but if the engines or even life support was damaged, it could be catastrophic potentially. Fortunately, the life support was fine. As was communications. However, the sensors were damaged. Not good. Especially considering whose territory they were in. The pirate princess could have easily been already on their tail without them even knowing.

“The sensors are down,” the Namekian explained as his antennas pointed down as he tried to find alternatives. Unfortunately, the backup sensors were also damaged. “Shit!” he muttered under his breath. “All the backup sensors are too!”

It was at that point, Goku was seen kicking the wall closest to him in a panicked state. “Fuck!” he shouted as he tried to think of a plan. They had the tools and materials they needed to do the job. But that wasn't the issue. They would have to suit up and go into space to fix the sensors. And that will take quite a bit of time. Time that they didn't have. Especially with a broken hyperdrive. “First the hyperdrive, now this bullshit!?” Goku was trying to calm down to prevent himself from hyperventilating from panic. The last thing he needed was to break down during a crisis.

“Krillin, Tien” Yamcha called out as he then started to walk towards the ship's armory. “You two come with me and gear up to go to space! The sensors aren't going to fix themselves!”

Krillin nodded as he quickly got up. “Right!” he answered, hurrying to join his friend as quickly as possible.

“Understood,” the Triclops said as he also followed.

“What else on the ship is damaged Piccolo?” Goku hesitantly asked, somewhat dreading the upcoming answer. The anxiety was truly getting to him and he was internally streaming in panic. Trying to stay calm and play it cool wasn’t going to cut it. What Piccolo said next made it even worse.

“The navigation system,” the Namekian said hesitantly. And he could just feel the frustration from his friend. And the anxiety too. A damaged hyperdrive, sensors and navigation system, which could potentially take hours to fix, was not good considering the situation they were in. And they all knew it. What's worse is that they had other things to worry about as well. Piccolo felt horrible that Goku was trying to do all the work which is why part of him was glad that Yamcha Krillin and Tien were going to fix the sensors.

“Damn it!” Goku cursed under his breath. Staying calm was no longer an option for the Saiyan. There are too many parts of the ship that were broken and very little time to fix them all. The Pirate Princess of Fire Mountain, the most feared outlaw in the galaxy, ruled these parts. And it was only a matter of time before she found them. And he didn't want to know what she would do if she found them. And he sure as hell didn't want to find out.

Vegeta was stressing out as well, as his tail also puffed up despite being tied around his waist. The navigation thing would have to be fixed from both the in and outside of the ship. First with the antenna. But if the crew can get someone fixing that while Vegeta is looking at the nav table, it would be easier. He looked around and noticed that there was no sign of Yajirobe. Probably napping no doubt. Well, he needs a reason to get that sad excuse of a crew member for his lazy butt.

“Get off your lazy ass and help us get out of this mess, Yajirobe!” Vegeta called out. Buzzing the chubbier human to quickly jump as a grumble and annoyance.

“Hold on!” the human replied as he slowly began to get up. “Don't get your shorts in a knot Vegeta I just need to get my spacesuit on.”

“I don't see you trying to put the effort in putting it on,” Vegeta snapped back, forcing the earthling to concede defeat as he began hurrying to grab a spacesuit. After which Vegeta then began to look for anything inside the ship that needed repairs. The last thing they needed was for they're more important stuff to be destroyed.

Unfortunately for our daring scoundrels, a vast vessel was seen approaching them and they all slowly noticed it in different ways. The boys out in space were seen directly looking at the vessel, as they felt a sense of dread while recognizing the ship approaching them. Vegeta looks at the nav table seeing a statistic but reading. But he didn't recall them sending a distress signal, which caused him to feel a sense of dread.

Goku also couldn't help but feel that something deep down was wrong. His tail all fluffed up, his heart raced, and he felt goosebumps and shivers down his spine and crawling all over his skin. It was almost as if they all knew that they were discovered. And before they could do anything, they felt something grab onto their ship. A Tractor beam from the feel of it. A device used to pull a ship into a dock by force. As this happened there was an incoming com link signal, coming from the vessel now pulling them in. Realizing they had no choice but to answer the call, Vegeta then pressed the button and turned on the communication.

They were in a good enough range at this point to hear the other side very clearly. But when the person on the other end began to speak, everyone slowly began to feel a sense of dread. They all knew exactly who was speaking. “This is the captain of the dreadnought Fire Mountain, speaking,” a female voice was heard from the com link. “We have detected your ship entering my territory, and hereby claim it and its crew as ours. You will be brought aboard the ship, and if you try to resist, the punishments will be extremely severe.”

Goku and company were all terrified at this point. With those inside their ship in a panic state as they try to figure out what to do, and the ones outside being apprehended by members of the larger vessel’s crew that were in space gear, it became more and more apparent that they had no choice but to comply, especially once the ship was fully pulled into the vessel's hangar Bay. And the doors began to open, revealing various men and women pointing their guns at what was left of the crew urging them to come outside. As the crew was being rallied up, they began to realize that they were now at the mercy of the Princess of Fire Mountain. What she had planned for them was unknown to them. But that was the terrifying part of it.

Goku and his companions took a moment to observe the crew of this vast vessel and noticed that a large portion of them were female, roughly 56% from the looks of it. But it didn't seem that there was going to be an excuse for them to be alive. They needed to find some way to get out of here before they found out what their fates were. It was already bad enough that they got captured by the princess of Fire Mountain. It was even worse than now that they were under the mercy of her crew.

And before they even had time to react, a woman with Raven hair was seen walking towards the group. She wore fancy clothing however her demeanor was fierce and appropriate for the fearsome reputation of whom she presented herself. She was imposing. And unfortunately, they were in her territory. She stopped after reaching where the others were and everyone looked at her with a sign of respect. Three women, one with light blue hair, another with dark blue hair, and one with blonde hair were seen walking towards her. Most likely her highest in command as well as her most trusted.

“These are the scoundrels that entered our territory, ma'am,” the darker-haired bluenette said. Her voice was calm and collected.

“Thank you Launch,” the pirate princess told her as she turned to the rest of her crew. “Quite the find we made tonight, ladies and gentlemen,” she told her crew with a calm demeanor but not without taking a glimpse at Goku. She couldn't believe her eyes. The infamous scoundrel, Son Goku, and his crew, the infamous Dragon gang, are on her ship.

Their bounty was nearly as high as hers, though fortunately for them she had no intention of giving them off to any authorities where they were wanted by. However, she was going to make them fully aware that she knew damn well who they were. “The infamous Dragon Gang of scoundrels, in my ship.” The men in question quickly began to shutter at the mere fact that she knew exactly who they were. Much to her satisfaction. “Your reputation precedes you boys, I should have known you would have had the guts to come here and escape with that special cargo currently in your possession. Cargo that you managed to steal from Frieza and the Red Ribbon Empire. Quite an impressive feat to steal from two organizations at once. Too bad your employer didn't leave many details in the job description.”

“How did you know that?” Goku suddenly began to question much to his surprise and even concern. Why did he have to blurt that out? And to see her grin as she approached him, caused him to freeze from anxiety and fear and she gently placed her hand over his chin.

Chi-Chi only held him closer afterward and whispered into his ear. “Because I was the one who set up the job for you to accomplish this,” she said plainly in a soft tone. “I was the one who set up a job that only you would be crazy enough to accept and even pull off.”

It was at that point Goku's eyes began to widen in horror. At that point, you didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that she had deliberately lured them here. She didn't find them out of coincidence or share bad luck for the Dragon Gang’s part. She planned this. She was waiting for them. It was at that point that he was unable to hide the fear in his eyes and the others could see as they also showed the same fear. They were truly at her mercy all along. Why would she go through all this trouble to learn them into a trap like this? Was she mainly in it for the bounty on their heads? Possibly. Was she planning on selling them to slavery? Perhaps.

But before anyone could continue onward, Chi-Chi then spoke out loud. “We've got quite the catch tonight!” she called out to all of her crew in a triumphant tone. “Salvage the ship and everything inside and then dismantle it and find a better use for all the pieces, perhaps even for our ship. We're not letting this catch leave us anytime soon.~” This caused Goku and his companions to shake in terror, no longer being able to keep a calm facade as Chi-Chi then looked at them. “Take the ship's crew to the holding cells for now,” she said before looking at Goku, only to grin, which caused Goku to shiver and gulp, she could tell he knew she was looking at him. Afterwards, she then pointed directly at him. “And when I’m ready, bring that Saiyan over there to my chambers.~”

As soon as she said that, the Saiyan felt a sense of dread, hearing those words. He didn’t know what she had planned, but he felt he was officially at her mercy. If it wasn’t obvious enough, that was. But it was very clear that she planned something with him specifically in mind.

[mmuschi]

Drowning in Blood and Booze

Pairing: Rolan/named Tav 3.504 words

Summary: Gale and Rolan set out on a mission to help their dear friend deal with her survivor's guilt, but seem to accidentally drag up a past she wanted to keep buried.

There will be multiple parts. I have no end in sight yet. I posted it on AO3 too

TW: Suicidal ideations, depression, alcoholism, and major spoilers

The Elderbrain was dead. Baldur’s Gate was destroyed, yet now safe. Bethany’s friends had all gone their separate paths. Gale went back to Waterdeep. Karlach went to Avernus with Wyll. Laezel went to fight for her people. Who knows what Astarion decided to do. The only person she knew stayed in Baldur’s Gate was Shadowheart, though she was helping Isobel rebuild. 

Bethany was alone once again, not even the parasite in her brain to keep her company. Alcohol was the closest thing she had to company. Lucky for her, she had managed to snag a few too many bottles along her journey. 

The sunrise had never looked prettier. It had been a full day since the battle ended. Bethany sat on the docks, her legs dangling over the edge. She had on just a white blouse and black pants. She had taken off her boots and rolled up her pants so her toes dipped into the water. Her sleeves were rolled up unevenly. One arm was behind her, palm pressed into the dock as she leaned backwards into her arm. That sleeve was rolled up past her wrist. The other arm held her bottle of wine. That sleeve was rolled up past her elbow. Her black and red hair was pulled back just enough to keep it behind her half elven ears and out of her face. Her light blue eyes stayed fixed on the horizon. She could see the blood in the water still from where the Netherbrain fell in. She knew it was below the surface and dead, but she had been unable to look away for hours. There was a sinking feeling that maybe it would rise out of the water and all her sacrifices would have been for not.

So from the hours leading up until dawn, and until hours after dawn, Bethany Byron sat on the docks. The only thing she felt she could do was drink until she had no idea what time it was.

“My my. You have really just perfected the look of a hero, haven’t you?” A familiar voice sounded behind Bethany. It just barely snapped her out of her haze. She blinked a few times at the horizon only to realize it was well past dawn now. The noises of the city had started to hum in the background once again. The sarcasm in the tone was all too familiar. The last time she saw him was just before the battle with the Netherbrain. 

Rolan.

“Can’t a hero drink to victory in peace?” Bethany replied, though her tone sounded as if she was not fully there. The amount of empty bottles next to her looked terrifying, but she was still just barely drunk. She kept her eyes on the horizon as she heard the footsteps come closer. She heard him move the empty bottles and sit down next to her. Of all the people to find her, she dreaded that it was him.

“Gale was looking for you this morning. Shadowheart too.” Rolan started, his tone oddly tentative. He was trying to start a conversation he did not feel comfortable having a conversation one of her companions should be having. He glanced at her for just a moment, just long enough to notice the way her jaw clenched at the mention of her companions. He turned his head to stare in the same direction as she was. “They looked through the taverns. They also walked through the streets for a few hours. I suppose it is a little terrifying when you decide to up and vanish.”

“I'm the hero, remember? I can handle myself.” Bethany’s voice sounded exhausted. She looked and sounded like she had not slept in days, which was probably the case. She finally tore her eyes away from the horizon as brought the bottle of wine to her lips and tilted her head back. After a few sips from the bottle, she let hand drop back into her lap. A few drops spilled onto her pants. Her eyes fluttered closed, but she kept her head tilted back.

“Without this? Or your armor?” Rolan replied. Bethany didn't have to open her eyes to see the raised eyebrow she knew he was giving her. She had intentionally left it at camp. The only response she was bothered to give him was a shrug of her shoulders. He let out a sigh and dropped her rapier in her lap. This was a weapon she held dear to her heart. She had it since the beginning of their journey. The only identifiable trait was the elven inscription along the blade. The blade was forged with silver instead of any other metal. It was expensive, but somehow near to her heart.  She almost felt relieved at the silence again, but the tension between them was heavy in the air. 

Either seconds or minutes passed, Bethany couldn’t tell which, before she finally opened her eyes and let her head tip to the side to look at him. He couldn't tell if her sluggish movements were from exhaustion, or the copious amount of alcohol she’s had. He was staring at the horizon she had been intently watching for hours. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but said nothing and looked back to the horizon. Bethany let her gaze wander lazily over him. If he felt her gaze, he did not react. 

“Why isn’t Gale heading back to Waterdeep?” Bethany muttered softly as if it just clicked in her that Rolan told her Gale talked to him. Her eyebrows scrunched up slightly as she tried to think about it. Coming to her senses, she slowly began to strap her rapier to her waist. Rolan turned his head just enough to meet her gaze, only to give her a shrug.

“Maybe, if you get off your ass and come with me, he will tell you.” Rolan replied as if it was that simple. They held each other’s gazes for several more moments.

“No.” Bethany tore her gaze away from him and looked back at the water. Her voice was sharp, insistent. If she left, the Netherbrain might rise from the waters once more. The sacrifices she made would have been for nothing. Lives lost for nothing. Just the thought of it had her heart pounding. Her breathing became short bursts. It was all she could think about. She heard Rolan inhale slowly, and then exhale just as slowly. She knew he was trying his patience. She could feel his gaze burning holes through her. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. This was nothing he would understand. The blood was her burden to carry alone. She was just grateful he was not one of the lives she lost.

“What in the hells will get you up then? I never thought of you as the type to wallow in self pity like this.” Rolan hissed out through his teeth. She could hear his tail aggressively thrash for a moment. Despite having nothing left in her to cease his annoyance, she didn't want him to leave. The thought of being forced to fight that… thing alone was enough to cause a shiver to run down her spine. She had to be ready when it rose again. 

“I really thought you’d enjoy seeing your Hero like this more.” Bethany looked over at him again. She looked him over before putting the bottle down next to her. She put her hand on the cobblestone between them and leaned in on it. He watched her carefully, debating on his response. She held his gaze, a small smirk forming on her face. 

“I have dreamed of doing many things to you, but watching you drink yourself to death was never one of them. This is rather pathetic.” Rolan replied in a blunt tone that made Bethany straighten up. That was clearly not the response she was hoping for or expecting. She had been insulted by him before, but this filled her with both anger and shock. 

“Excuse me?” Bethany was unable to keep the mix of anger and shock from her voice. The look on her face was one of offense. After everything she had done for him, for the city, this response from him hurt her. There was a familiar stabbing pain in her chest. It was something she had grown accustomed to feeling long before this journey began.

“You are excused. Now if you’ll excuse me, I don't have time to sit here and watch you drink yourself to death.” Rolan said in his snarky tone. He pushed himself back to his feet and brushed himself off. The dismissal of her emotions, her worry, had her mouth agape. That feeling of hurt turned to pounding throb. A chill passed through her chest.

“Right, because when you decided to try and drink yourself to death and I had to go save you from the shadows, that was okay. But,” Bethany pushed herself to her feet as she spoke. She seemed to have stood up too quickly, because she almost tipped sideways and fell into the water. Rolan, despite being upset with her, caught her arm before she fell in. There looked to be a hint of worry in his eyes, but it quickly faded. “I get a little bit upset because I have hundreds of people that I failed, and suddenly nobody gives a shit.” She took a step forward, jabbing her finger into his chest. Her body lurched forward and she stumbled into him. His hands went to her waist to keep her steady. She couldn't make out the look on his face as he stared down at her.

“I knew that would get you up. Let’s go.” Rolan had an edge of confidence to his voice. Bethany stared at him with wide eyes, unsure of what to make of what just happened. He made an attempt to turn her around to guide her away from the dock, but she took a step backwards. His hand trailed down her arm as she pulled from his grasp.

"Let's go? No, I am not pathetic! I did everything I could!" Bethany insisted, anger flashing in her eyes. Rolan winced, realizing his word choice did not have it's intended effect. 

"Everyone in this damned city knows that. You are the Hero of Baldur's Gate. Nobody wants to see you moping around the docks as if you want nothing more than to throw yourself in." Rolan replied, sounding more frustrated than he intended. Even he almost winced at his own tone. 

"So what if I decide to tie some rocks to my waist and throw myself in. I saved the city. It's over." Bethany snapped back. She took a step forward once again to jab at his chest. "I did my part. After the months I spend on that journey, I can finally make the choice to do whatever the hell I want." 

"And you are going to chose to kill yourself?" Rolan's tone was low, his anger overshadowing his worry until Bethany looked away. He let out a sigh, his hand going up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Being unable to respond, she just stood there, her arms dropping to her side. "So that was your plan." He said out loud, not needing a response. It was a statement, not a question.

"I don't fucking know. Regardless of what this stupid city thinks of me, I don't have all the answers. Maybe by now, I should. After all, I just saved not only Baldur's Gate, but also the world. I also killed a devil. And The Dead Three's chosen. And-" Bethany would have kept listing, but Rolan interrupted by clearing his throat. "Right. I should know what to do now, but I fucking dont. And I'm fucking scared ."

"Now we can actually get somewhere. I don't see how killing yourself was easier than that." Rolan huffed, his body subtly relaxing with relief. Bethany was quiet once again. He watched her with an indecipherable look on his face. He slowly reached his hand out and took her own. She did not fight or pull away. He tugged her closer to him, allowing her to simply lean against his chest. He wasn't sure of the words to use to help her, so he let her seek the comfort she needed. Her arms slid around his torso, pulling herself against his chest. He slowly wrapped his own arms around her to hold her close.

"I don't want anyone to have to save me." Bethany murmured into his chest. She nuzzled her face into his chest, avoiding pressing her face into the silver metal atop his shoulders. Her words made him chuckle, which in turn made her glare up at him.

"Now you know how I feel, Hero." Rolan replied, not even bothering to hide the amusement from his voice. Bethany rolled her eyes and looked away from him, though she did not pull away. She rested the side of her face against his chest, her hands gripping the back of his robes. Her face was red, every ounce of her and her pride despising looking so weak.

Bethany let her gaze strayed to the horizon once more. Fear gripped her heart as she stared at the bloodstained waters in the distance. Rolan could feel her hands grip the fabric of his robes tighter the longer she stayed quiet. 

“What if it’s not dead?” Bethany whispered softly, letting Rolan coax her into leaning against him. He looked in the same direction as her. His thumb hesitantly rubbed back and forth on her back. She could almost see it. The Netherbrain rising again. The people turning into Mind Flayers once more. The screaming echoed in her mind. It made her heart race; her breathing quicken. 

“It is. You did say you killed it after all, right, Hero? Well, not without my help of course.” Rolan said, which seemed to comfort her enough to pull away just enough for her to be able to walk next to him. His last comment seemed to cause a small smile to form on her face. She wrapped an arm draped across his shoulders as he led her away. He had one hand on her hip, holding her close to him, and the other holding her hand to keep her arm across his shoulders. While she was still able to walk almost just fine, she still accepted Rolan's help. She did not take her eyes off the water until it was completely out of sight. Her body seemed to relax as he led her up the hill and towards Sorcerous Sundries. 

"Where would I be without you." Bethany muttered sarcastically. Once she tore her gaze from the now distant docks, she turned her head towards him. He was looking ahead, though glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He had a slight look of pride about him from her words. The further he guided her from the docks, the more sluggish her movements became. With each step she took, her body reminded of her lack of sleep.

"Dead probably. Maybe suffering in some far off corner of the world?" Rolan replied before looking down at her. He kept holding her against him as he led her away, no matter how much he had to support her weight. The rest of the walk to his tower was quiet. Whether it was due to his unempathetic response or her exhaustion was unknown to him. Bethany seemed to have the near impossible task of keeping herself awake. 

When the two arrived, Rolan muttered a few words to magically unlock the front doors before pulling her inside. He only stopped to lock the door once inside again. He led her up the stairs to what she remembered as his old room. By the time the two got up the stairs, he was practically dragging her. She looked as if she was going to pass out right there. With much effort and many muttered curses, he got her into his old room and dropped her on the bed. Bethany managed to adjust herself, curling into a ball in the middle of the bed. 

Rolan watched her get comfortable on his bed. He very carefully reached around her waist and removed the rapier from her. He quietly put the weapon on the chest at the foot of the bed. He then pulled the blanket up and over Bethany's body. She had passed out almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. He watched her for a long while. She looked peaceful while she slept. She didn't look ready to fight anyone for looking at her, or her friends, wrong. She did not look like 'the Hero of Baldur's Gate'. She looked like any other half elf he would find in Faerûn. His hand lingered over her shoulder as he watched her, before he lightly brushed her red and black hair from her face. He eventually left her in the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Now that she was safe, he was sure Gale would love to know she hasn't gotten herself in any real trouble. He made his way through the portal to the top of his tower where Gale was waiting. Before he said anything to Gale, he walked over to the chair of books Lorroakan had set up while he was still in charge. 

Gale was going through his collection of artifacts and spell books by the time Rolan arrived. He held the small artifacts in his hands, the smile on his face indicating he approved of them. While he did not need to consume the magic from any of them, he still appreciated them and enjoyed weighing in on their power. He did not look up from his exploration of what was only just recently Rolan’s until he heard him speak. 

"How in the hell did you deal with that for months ?" Rolan finally said in an exasperated tone. He ran his hands over his face, finally letting the drain from the conversation with Bethany show . He sunk down into his chair slowly. 

“A lot of distractions. Bethany never had something she didn’t have to fix, until now that is. You have my gratitude for collecting her. I doubt in her state she wants to be reminded of the horrors we faced by seeing me… or anyone else for that matter. ” Gale peered at Rolan from his spot by a bookshelf. His fingers delicately traced a few of the spines. It looked like he couldn’t tell which to put more effort into looking at: books or artifacts.

“Distractions? Are you telling me I have to find something for her to do... just for her to  not actively seek her own demise?” Rolan sounded somehow more frustrated than he was at the docks. Babysitting the Hero if Baldur’s Gate was not on his to do list, nor did he want it to be. His frustration was only met by Gale's chuckle. “And… you'd be surprised. The first thing she did ask about was you and Shadowheart.”

“While the sentiment is appreciated, it is unneeded. If she willingly decides to let you take care of her, you best be up to the task. She is quite the stubborn creature, is she not?” There was a caring sort of amusement to Gale’s tone. The months of traveling with Bethany had given him more insight on her than the others. She chased feigned passion in the same way as Astarion, and she even participated in it with him. While she had a difficult time understanding it, she was more than happy to explore the Weave with Gale. She never once judged Shadowheart for her choice in deities, though he knew she did not approve. She repeatedly trained with Laezel for fear her abilities in combat would not be up to the task. Though, the most intriguing way she passed her time was through her conversations with Wyll. She seemed to have a great deal to talk about with him, especially in regards to the higher society in Baldur's Gate.

“Ah yes, and I am the one ‘blessed’ with the role of caretaker then?” Rolan responded, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. While he cared for Bethany, he never signed up for babysitting her. He had Lia and Cal and they were enough of a handful as it was.

“Trust me, I know how much of a hassle she can be. Think of it as.. She doesn't feel the need to ‘mother hen’ you if you will. Now, you did not hear this from me, but I might have a faint idea on a… mission for her if you will. It could potentially distract her from the past few months.” Gale mused aloud, an idea forming in his head as he spoke.

It was lucky for both of them that a certain someone noticed her, even when she thought nobody was looking.

[williammr01]

I really, REALLY loved your analysis of the latest episode of GAP and since you mentioned Mon, I gotta say on my second re-watch of ep 11 i really felt bad for her.

Mon as a character has been the heart of the show in many ways & she’s brought positivity and light into everything she’s done (she’s like that meme ‘‘looks like a cinnamon roll, is actually a cinnamon roll’ 😂)

However what makes me feel for her, is that try as she might whenever she’s confronted, she’s never able to fight back. I’ve seen a lot of ppl say that she did the right thing by staying quiet throughout the whole confrontation and just being there to support Sam, but here’s the thing, even if she wanted to she probably couldn’t have done anything.

I mean she tried to fight back against Kirk when he came to see her but ultimately lost against him. He won solely for the fact that he’s a man (and even though he’s also probably wealthy) to Sam’s grandmother that’s more than enough reason to marry Sam off to him.

As for Sam’s grandmother what could Mon possibly have to bargain with her? She’s not descended from royalty, her socioeconomic status will never come close to Sam’s and she’s a woman (it’s like she ticked all the boxes lol)

With all that said, you can kinda see why she probably felt so helpless 🥲

Mon is the heart of the show for real. Everything we see is basically through her eyes. The thing is, that Mon's story was about coming into herself and falling for Sam. She was in no way whatsoever prepared to go up against Grandma, or Kirk, so that was why I was proud of her for getting through that conversation with him. Technically neither Mon or Sam were prepared, neither have had anyone TO fight for at this point in their lives. It's both of their's first relationship, first love, first time, etc. Whereas if we'd had a straight couple the same ages as Mon and Sam, they would have had numerous relationships and would have had to fight before for a variety of reasons. I would say the whole first half of the series was showing the audience Mon coming to terms with her sexuality. She was 22 or 24? No boyfriend, even though she had Nop right there? She idolized Sam, as shown by the multiple photoboards and Mon following Sam's education path. You could argue that Mon was so in love with Sam that she never thought to question her orientation, but I would say that Mon knew on some level that she liked women. Her fantasies about Sam the first couple episodes were in no way straight, lol. I would also say people could make an argument that the way she dresses, the girly pink, princess type, is a direct result of her being closeted to even herself. Mon had already faced hardship, for being half british, so not coming out to herself and idolizing Sam was a way of protecting herself while trying to be happy. When we first see Mon, it's of her getting dressed to go out to a concert, and basically the show is giving us: here's your lead, here she is putting on her armor to go out into the world. And as she is getting dressed, she's talking about how idols can give you inspiration, idols can "make us smile when we are in sorrow" and when she finishes getting dressed she stares at one of her boards of Sam and presses a kiss to it with her fingers. I say all that because Mon is a good person, but she's a deeply insecure person. You can have convictions and stand up for what is right, but not have the strength to stand up for yourself. Which explains why Mon is so willing to push back against Sam when it comes to the rules and Sam's behavior, but she hides behind her clothes and "if i was a guy I'd make a move on you". Or "how would two girls together even work", while not batting an eyelash when she's introduce to Sam's friends and Tee flirts with her and is obviously gay. Mon got teased and bullied for being half British, she went to all the schools Sam did, so we can assume she was bullied for not having money in addition to being a "halfy". I would even go as far as to say that part of her outgoing personality is a fake it until you make it situation. Mon took that bullying and made a persona that was good, pure, righteous, and she lived so that people saw that. But she did so at the cost of experiencing love, freedom and growing as an individual. And in doing that, made it so that she never had to confront anyone since she was always respectful and a good girl. The second half of the season was Mon figuring out how Sam and her work together, but also coming into her own and trying to find where she fits in the world now that she's with Sam openly. That's why the scene with their friends encouraging her to tell Sam was important. Unfortunately Grandma and Kirk are the flipside, so for Mon to go from the biggest obstacle to her own happiness being herself, she was fully unprepared to be back up for Sam in anyway during the final confrontation.

We all know Mon is a good person, but specific to the confrontation with Kirk, this was a really well thought out way to guilt Mon on his part. He apologizes for her being fired, passively asserting the fact that he has a company while she doesn't have a job; but he says it in a way like they are still friends, as if it really does cause him pain. Then tells her he and Sam are getting married, hoping to chip away at her conscience and confidence. At this point, Kirk knows he's gotten her to keep secrets from Sam. How? He was her friend/ she respected him. He knows he can push those respect and civility buttons, and get her to listen to him. And when that works, he takes a left turn and tells her people will think she's a homewrecker. Which is twofold: if she has a conscience/pride the homewrecker thing hurts, but it also implies that Sam and Kirk will look bad as well, and even Kirk knows that Mon doesn't want anyone to think badly of Sam, while he's also playing into whatever friendship she thinks they have had.

But Mon doesn't care about those things at the moment because she's all about Sam. She's also been trying to convince herself that this role of being the mistress can work. Mon let herself believe that her and Sam are actually going to be able to live together, even if it's not the way she had just started to allow herself to believe in (being married). I really think that's why Mon says that she would do anything to be with Sam. Mon from episode 9 would have never said that to Kirk, she actually tried to save his feelings when Sam told him the truth. But in this vital moment of trying to keep herself and Sam afloat, to still believe that they can make it and their love is enough? She metaphorically threw down the gauntlet saying Sam was hers.

That's why I was proud of her. She said 'Sam is mine' to his face. Mon said I can be anything Sam wants me to be. Mon was no longer afraid because she had come to terms with her identity and her feelings for Sam. Sam gave her the opportunity and the space to grow. Mon from episode 1 never would have made a move on someone engaged. She never would have been a mistress. But since she came out and accepted her feelings for Sam, she actually started to own her life. She started taking an agency, instead of just doing 'the right thing' or following Sam's path.

And Kirk, he flips and starts talking about how they both love Sam, so she should want Sam to be happy and live a normal life. He chose to go down the homophobic path because he wasn't expecting her to stand up for herself or Sam. Sure he sprinkles in little comments like he's concerned for her welfare if they continue in a relationship. About how he just wants Sam to be happy with him, but Mon would be ruining that herself. He, by pure luck, had to fall back on homophobia because Mon stood up for herself. Unfortunately, it was the right button to press with Mon who was only newly out of the closet.

Kirk actually picked the perfect time to come burst her bubble, and Mon just starts pulling back on all of her old armor, while she remembers the convo and cries on the stairs. (Go back and look at her outfits in part 2 and 3 of the ep, they are very different.) So yeah Mon was vulnerable and helpless. She had only just started to believe Sam again that they could make it when they went to the grandma's. That's why Sam didn't want her in the house/palace. If Mon had tried to interject, Grandma would have ripped her apart, and then Sam would have lost it on Grandma.

So Mon sat through that fight and watched Sam, because at that point the only thing she could do was support Sam. Anything else would have inadvertently hurt Sam. And because she was silently supporting Sam, that's why she saw how worried Sam was about grandma. That's why Mon shook her head every time Neung told Sam to do it for Mon. Watch closely, Mon only shakes her head when Neung says to leave for Mon. Mon would never ask Sam to leave when Sam believes that grandma was collapsing.