#tag yourself & who's route you'd pick

[yanderes-galore]

Hi, can I ask for a romantic scenario with Knock Out from Transformers: Prime and a human darling?

Damn do I love Knock Out ❤ (Which is funny because I love Ratchet too 🧡) Sure! I hope I get his character right. I wanted this longer but I didn't have many ideas :(

May need a part two if I can find an idea of what way to bring the story. I just wish I made this longer as I really do love Knock Out.

Midnight Drive

Yandere! TF:P! Knock Out with Human Darling Scenario

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Transformer/Human, Stalking, Kidnapping, Knock Out watches you sleep at one point, Slight violence, Forced Relationship implied, Knock Out still sort of sees you as a pet.

You loved to take late night drives. It gave you time to clear your mind after a long day. For the longest time... it helped bring you peace.

However, you've been noticing a certain car following you lately. It... put you on edge as it was always the same car. You had no idea why you saw it everywhere.

It was a nice looking car. Shining red finish with golden wheels... you applauded whoever owned it. You just wished they stopped following you.

Now your midnight drives became unnerving. Everywhere you went... the car followed. Gas stations, neighborhoods, anywhere.... You thought of calling the police but the car leaves by that time.

You were starting to be scared....

The first time you met the car was at a street race. At first you went to street races to watch them. Yet you decided to participate in one only once... and that gave you your stalker.

Soon it wasn't just your late night drives. You'd see the car parked outside your home too. They were just sitting there... waiting.

You began to take pictures of the car whenever it parked by you for the police. You had to be even more careful when walking on the street, as you swore you saw the car in the corner of your eye. You wished you never raced that one time... they won and you were second so why are they so obsessive!?

You had no idea what you had gotten yourself into.

That car that's following you is no car. No... you're Knock Out's latest obsession. A human who caught his interest by chance.

Knock Out frequented Earth even though he didn't care much for humans. Although... when he watched you ever since that night he thought it would be a nice side project to learn human anatomy. He normally held a disinterest for the creatures.

Yet you are a human he finds quite... cute.

Knock Out spent his free time following you around. Starscream always threw a fit about it and he was often asked what he was up to by Megatron. However... he simply would say the usual.

In reality he was satisfying his strange human obsession. Knock Out spent night after night watching you and picking up on your habits. You often liked to take drives late at night... that was the biggest hobby he kept track of.

Knock Out also kept an eye on your route to work and home. Admittedly... Knock Out waits until you sleep at times to watch you through your window. You are so adorable when you're unaware.

Knock Out knew he had to take you at some point. He's been thinking of it for awhile now. The Nemesis will be your temporary home... that or he can find a way to tag you with a tracker so you can't run from him.

He knew he'd find a way at some point... for now, he just needed to wait for your next drive.

---

You couldn't shake him tonight. You did every trick in the book and the car still followed you. Even the one where you fake him out with the blinker.

It had gotten to the point that you were going to just drive to the police station. The nearest one would take some time to get to due to you driving far away from home, but you'd get there.

You thought you would, at least....

You were driving fine, checking to see if the car was still behind you. Then you feel something shoot out your back tires. Was this guy insane!?

Screaming in panic for a moment you try to stop the car and prevent swerving. You find yourself go off the road into the Nevada desert. Once the car stops you take a moment to calm your breathing.

You were panicking.

Carefully you pull out your phone to call for help. While unlocking your phone you see the red car slowly pull up to your own car. You feel your heart drop.

"Now come on, dear. Don't you want to come out? I don't have all night to waste."

"Hell no-!" You yell, fear clear on your face. "You're going to kill me! You've been stalking me for months!"

"Kill you? No, dear... I'd never! You're much too interesting to squish... but if you're not getting out..."

You watch in fear when Knock Out transforms out of vehicle mode. The phone couldn't ring fast enough.

"I don't mind prying your tiny body from that vehicle of yours."

The Decepticon was true to his word, using his sharp metallic fingers to tear into the top of your car. Your vehicle was opened like a can of sardines... red optics scan things over until he met with your phone. He makes a clicking sound with his mouth before plucking it out of your hands.

"You won't be needing this, trust me."

Like garbage your phone is tossed. You stare at Knock Out in complete shock, feeling cornered as the large Con leans over your broken car with a cocky grin.

"Even up close you're a cute human...."

You scream to no one for help when Knock Out lightly grasps your smaller body his in large hand. You're disoriented when Knock Out transforms and places you into the front seat. You try to shake yourself back into focus but barely have time to react.

Knock Out quickly locks the doors with an audible click. You go to move out of your spot but seat belts quickly restrain you in place. Still struggling due to panic... your eyes notice a strange electrical device pointed towards your eyes.

"I wish you a nice rest. The drive will be a long one, human."

There's a zapping noise and your struggling stops. Knock Out had put you to sleep to keep you docile the whole ride. He will admit... it was an odd feeling to have you sleeping in his vehicle form.

He didn't mind it much.

Securing his target, Knock Out starts up again before driving back onto the road. The night stars still blanketed the sky while Knock Out drove. His first stop was The Nemesis.

If the Decepticons ever had to leave Earth, he'd take you with him. Yet, for now, Knock Out thought of one thing....

There he would be able to apply a tracker on you.... Maybe after that he'd return you to your home on Earth. You could never get rid of him with the tracker on you anyways....

He should take his human on one last midnight drive before he begins "training you".

[lovemebutleavemewild]

Leave it to the land - Chapter 3.

The world has ended, it's over—except some people can't seem to accept that. Those same people think the cure lies in people like you and your little sister. And they're willing to do anything to find it.

The road to safety is a long one, and you're about to learn that it isn't one you can walk alone.

Read it on ao3.

Tag list: @elentiyaiswriting

You manage to stay awake for most of the night, although you're sure you start to doze at some stage.

You spend most of the time going over what happened on the fire escape and cursing yourself. You'd always been afraid of heights but this time, you'd gone completely to pieces. And in front of Ghost, of all people. You were trying to make these men your allies, while making it clear that you wouldn't take anyone messing with you or Dot.

Hard to take someone seriously when they can't even climb a ladder, you think to yourself bitterly.

All in all, you've had better mornings and you're grumpy as you try to scrounge together some breakfast for yourself and Dot. Soap and Ghost each have those ready meals you've seen soldiers eat. You have one protein bar left and give her the bigger half. It's actually a few months out of date but you can't really afford to stick your nose up so you decide to chance it.

After you've all eaten, you stand around kind of awkwardly, not sure what to say or do.

Eventually Soap glances at Ghost and clears his throat.

“So, we've decided to take ye’ up on yer deal.” Your heart leaps. He holds up a finger.

“On the condition that you give us the general location we're going.” He sees you open your mouth and continues before you can start. “It's the only way we can plot the best route.”

You shut your mouth and scowl.

“How do you know I don't already know the best route?”

Soap scoffs.

“If you did, you wouldn't still be here.”

Your scowl deepens.

“I know how to get out—it's just doing it that's hard. We're a little low on weapons, in case you haven't noticed.”

Of course they've noticed, you think, and once again you've pointed out how vulnerable you are, as if it weren't obvious.

You don’t even know why you’re arguing. You should be delighted at this turn of events. You've got two obviously skilled soldiers willing to accompany you to meet Kyle. And they're friends of his. This is exactly what you'd been hoping for. And yet, now that the offer is on the table, you're having doubts.

There's nothing to say they're telling the truth about being friends with Kyle. They recognised his patch, sure, but they could have picked up that information from somewhere else. You could be leading a trap right to him.

Another thing: you can't stay awake around them every night—you're already feeling the effects of not sleeping the night before. Doing this would mean trusting them enough to let your guard down, at least a little, and you’re not sure you can do that.

But then you look at Dot and remember the last few months of trying to find enough to eat, close encounters with tier fives, and government sentries and bounty hunters who wouldn't hesitate for a second to hand you back to the research centre.

Your little sister has an almost permanent pinched look on her face like she's spent every moment of the last few months afraid. You know you can't go on like this for much longer, either of you.

Which means you don't have a choice.

Soap produces a paper map and you use it to point out the direction you'll need to go.

“So we're leaving now then?” You're feeling antsy and want to move. The dead have wandered off during the night, but you know they won't have gone far.

“Soon,” Soap assures you. “We just need to make a stop first.”

“A stop?” you ask suspiciously. “A stop where?”

“Safehouse. Like the one Kyle told you about.” You must look confused because he goes on.

“We each know about a few of the safehouses, not all of ‘em. We’re not sure where the one Kyle showed you is but the one I’m on aboot isn’t far from here”

“How many-”

“That's enough.” You startle and look at Ghost but he's glaring at Soap, who shrugs.

“Why do we need to go there?” You ask.

“We'll need more ammo and they might be able to get us transport to the edge of the city.”

You have to admit that's tempting. You consider asking who “they” are but one look at Ghost’s tense stature tells you it won’t do any good. So with the increasingly familiar feeling of not having any choice in the matter, you agree.

Your trip through the city is quiet in the early morning. You naturally take up your positions from before, with Soap leading the way, you and Dot walking behind him, and Ghost bringing up the rear.

You find yourself missing Dot’s voice. She usually kept up a quiet but constant chatter while you walked, but she's barely said a word the last few days. You get it—you find Ghost and Soap scary enough, you can't imagine how much worse that is for a little kid. You see her glancing at Ghost’s mask sometimes, then quickly away.

You silently take her hand in yours as you walk. She still doesn't say anything but you feel her squeeze your hand hard.

After some time, Soap holds up clenched fist, and you hear Ghost come to a stop. A second later you feel something touch your elbow and flinch away.

Ghost holds up a placating hand, then points to a building up ahead.

“This is us. When we go in, let us do the talking.”

You nod. Your patience for meeting new people is at breaking point anyway.

You pull Dot closer to you as the four of you move into an alleyway.

Soap knocks on a door, which opens almost immediately. You hear him talking quietly to someone, jerking his head back at you and Dot. You start to feel uncomfortable and you're about to say something when the door opens fully and Soap gestures you inside.

The room is small and dim. The person inside is wearing a mask, much like Ghost’s, but plain. Soap and Ghost stand close to them and talk some more, while you hang awkwardly behind them, Dot tucked behind you.

Eventually Soap turns to you.

“We'll be back in a few minutes. You stay here.”

Now, you are going to argue—splitting up and leaving you with an, almost definitely armed stranger, was not part of the plan, but Soap and Ghost are already gone.

You consider pulling out your knife but resist the urge, instead just keeping a wary eye on the person in the mask, who has stayed behind and is now watching you without speaking.

You take a seat and settle in for what turns out to be a long wait. Your leg shakes nervously and you make an effort to sit still.

A sudden noise from a walkie on the table makes you startle. The person in the mask picks it up and talks into it for a few seconds.

Then they leave, giving you a long look before they go.

You wait for another while, until almost half an hour has passed, getting more and more antsy by the minute.

After you've chewed through most of your fingernails, you make a decision. You kneel down to look at Dot.

“I just want to have a quick look around, okay?” When she starts to shake her head, you put a hand to her hair and shush her.

“Just to see if everything is okay, in case something’s holding them up. 10 minutes top, okay?”

When she nods reluctantly, you press a quick kiss to her forehead.

You keep her behind you, letting her hold the back of your shirt so you can keep your hands free.

The corridor outside is surprisingly bright compared to the dim room you just left. There are a few doors along it but you don’t open them, scared to attract attention. At the end of the hall, there are a few doors with glass panes—you make a beeline for these instead.

Peering into the first, you jerk your head back when you realise there are people inside. You look again, more carefully. A woman wearing gloves is drawing blood from a man’s arm. You duck underneath the door and make your way to the next room.

What you see there is familiar, even if the set up is a little different. There are different sized items of glassware sitting on a bench. Some of them are filled with liquid. Petri dishes are laid out under some microscopes and a computer monitor is set up, though the tiny text is too far away for you to read from outside. It doesn’t matter. You know what this is.

It’s a lab.

Your breath starts coming a little faster. Idiot, you think to yourself. You’d spent so long trying to get out of the facility and now you've walked right back into one. Soap and Ghost have clearly led you right into a trap. They were probably negotiating their price for the pair of you right now.

Well, whatever experiments they're running here, you want nothing to do with it, for you or Dot.

“Come on, Dot,” you whisper, and hurry back along the hall, still half bent so you can't be spotted through the glass topped doors.

You get back to the room and immediately go to the door leading to the alley, only to find it locked. You whirl around and start looking for a key but the room is almost completely empty, apart from the chairs you'd just vacated.

You go back to the door into the hallway, and yank it open, determined to find either a key or something to batter the door down, only to walk straight into something solid.

You bounce back like you've hit a brick wall and look up. You've just walked straight into Ghost. He makes no move to steady you and just stares.

“Going somewhere?” he asks you, folding his arms over his chest.

You swallow, mouth dry and back up, sweeping Dot behind you with one arm. As if it'll do you any good.

You barely notice Soap enter the room. He looks at you, frozen, half crouched in front of Dot, arms spread protectively, then at Ghost, raising his eyebrows.

“Alrigh’?" he asks, glancing between you both. Neither of you answer and he shakes his head.

“Grand, so. You guys ready?”

You blink at him.

“Ready?”

“Uh … yeah? We're all stocked up and we were able to get a car with half a tank—should be enough to get us to the edge of the city. We can find our own way from there.”

“And what did that cost?” There's a hard edge to your voice that makes Soap cock his head at you. He must think you're a fucking idiot. A fair appraisal considering your behaviour so far, but you're done trusting them now, Kyle or no Kyle. If these guys are involved with the research centre, you need to put as much space between you and them as possible. But if they’ve sold you out, why is Soap still keeping up the act?

You remember what Ghost said about the other safehouses. Maybe they've been hired to take you to another lab for testing, with you following them, docile as lambs to slaughter.

“It's paid for, doll, no worries.”

Well, if they think you're dumb enough to go along with whatever they have planned, maybe it's best you go along with it. After all, you still need a way out of the city and you're not getting out of this building without them.

“Right, let's go then.”

Soap nods, and you realise the person from before is back. They let you out onto the street again. They still don’t speak and the sound of the door closing and locking behind you is loud in the quiet.

The car is in an underground garage, which is locked until Soap says something into another intercom and the roller door trundles open.

The engine stutters for a few seconds when Soap turns the keys but eventually roars to life. Ghost gets shotgun so you take the backseat with Dot, who peers out the window, wide-eyed. She won't remember the last time she'd been in a car, you realise. So many things you'd taken for granted in your old life are still novel to her.

The drive is quiet and you spend the time making your own plan.

As long as Soap and Ghost think you trust them, you have leverage. You'll get as far as you can with them, then make a break with Dot. How you'll do that remains to be seen but you'll have to figure that out later. Having some idea of what you’re going to do doesn’t help you relax much but the toil of the day and the lack of sleep from the night before finally catch up to you and you find yourself dozing.

You wake to Dot shaking your arm. The car has stopped and the landscape has changed. You're close to the edge of the city now and in front of you, a forest stretches further than you can see.

“Just about out of petrol,” Soap tells the car at large. “We’ll hide the car for the guys to come collect, but we're on foot from here. Let's try and get going while we've still got a few hours of sunlight left.”

[wyked-ao3]

Heyyy! Question for you: What's the best writing advice you have for other writers? Feel free to go in depth if you'd like!

- @adhdprincess

Thank you for the ask. @bluefiredesire

Okay so to be honest that's a complicated things to me as each person will react differently to any advice given...so I'll break it down a bit and people can pick and choose from the statements most of this is personal so will not work for everyone.

If you have trouble spotting errors change the font you might not find everything but you will catch more of it...my recommendation would honestly be comic sans but if it doesn't work for you try another.

Accept that your story may not be perfect but you tried your best and beta readers will help smooth it's out more....they are a life saver be it a fanfiction or an original story.

Write what it is you want to write...if you change it to much you will not enjoy the story nearly as much be it a fanfiction or original work.. although on original works you do have to keep publishing standards in mind if you intend to go that route...also not going that route so... don't know a ton besides always read the small print.

If you hit a roadblock and time doesn't fix it then perhaps go back a chapter you may have went the wrong direction.

Another thing to remember is that your story is just that yours...add some twist and turns you enjoy or s little Easter egg that only certain people would know...have fun with your writing and it will show in the work.

On the other side of that

Writing will not always be easy and will push you at times.. remember to take care of yourself while crafting your worlds.

You will not catch all your mistakes and while it's embarrassing it's a part of life and having autocorrect... unfortunately along with any other number or reasons...

While you shouldn't be to critical of your work you will not improve if your aren't critical at all...its a hard thing to balance

Take advice from others when it's applicable and don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't know something .. most people who know about the subject will be happy to talk about it with you to some degree and will be way better than google.. although it doesn't hurt to double check your sources.

Beta readers and alpha readers can help troubleshoot but at the end of the day the decision is yours to make...and no two people will see things the exact same way, which is why beta readers are usually an important step if you can handle it. Although I always recommend the person to do the first read through be someone you trust and who's opinion you value...it makes things flow easier for both parties usually... although if you don't feel comfortable with friends reading it than perhaps a stranger works better for you...(Not my area of expertise)

While it's is your story sometimes it doesn't hurt to keep the readers in mind as well as the genre's general rules or structures... Sometimes stories just don't pan out for one reason or another..don't judge all of a genre on a few.

And last but not least not everyone is going to like your work and that's okay because eventually your work be it original or a fanfiction will find a fandom even if it's a small one...

once you post/publish you never know who has read it and you don't know how it effected them...it could be the story that gets someone through a rough time or it be someone's comfort story ...it could be completely average and that is something you will rarely ever find out

I'm not sure who all wants to see this so I'm not going to tag many ... although I would like to include a special thank you for beta reading @gioiaalbanoart who has already helped smooth it out a lot already and I'm looking for to seeing what we end up tackling in the second reading.. and your opinion of the last few chapters lol 🫂

And thank you as well as the two I recently asked @leahnardo-da-veggie and @illarian-rambling 🫂 I'm looking forward to seeing your feedback and incorporating parts of it in.

[sp00kycrumpet]

Paradise. (2/10)

Pairing: Javi Gutierrez x f!reader

Rating: E

Tags: Javi is baby, fluff, holiday romance, Nick Cage is Nick Cage, reader is bilingual

Warnings: swearing

Summary: Working as Nicholas Cage's personal assistant was your favourite job; so when he asked you to accompany him to Mallorca for this birthday party he'd been invited to, you were more than happy to go. What you didn't anticipate was the host himself.

Will also be posted on my AO3

(Part 1)

When you woke up the next morning, you were still buzzing from your interaction with Javi. It put a smile on your face and a spring in your step, it was such a small thing that possibly meant nothing but if it made you happy, you were going to enjoy it. You stretched out in the plush bed, checking your phone before getting up and getting ready for the day. You made your way out of your room and towards the dining room, half expecting to see Nick or at least Javi there. Instead it was just Gabriela finishing up her breakfast. She smiled warmly as you walked in.

"Good morning! How did you sleep?" You smiled back at her as you poured yourself some juice from the jug on the table.

"So amazingly! That bed is genuinely the most comfortable thing I've ever laid on." Gabriela laughed, wiping her hands on a napkin.

"Come, sit with me. I'll make you something to eat." You thanked her and sat down as Gabriela disappeared into the kitchen. You looked out of the huge window, admiring the garden beyond it with a content hum in your throat. Gabriela came back with a plate of food, handing it over before sitting back down.

"Is Nick up yet?" You asked, suddenly feeling like you should have gone to his room first. Gabriela nodded.

"He took a little encouraging but he is. Javi took him out to the cliffs. It's one of his favourite places, he goes there a lot to write or think." You smiled and nodded, glad Nick was getting out and spending time with Javi.

"Well if they're spending the day together, I think I'll explore the town and see what's out here." Gabriela smiled and agreed, giving you her phone number in case you needed anything as well as the details for Javi's usual driver that would be happy to drive you into the town. She named a few spots she personally loved and a few local areas that not many tourists would know of.

The town was as beautiful as you'd expected, a mixture of new and old architecture. You took a bunch of photos as you wandered around, bought a couple of things to take home for your parents and a bottle of wine to thank Gabriela for all of her recommendations - as well as a bottle for yourself since the shopkeeper said it was one of the best in Mallorca. You took a break in a little cafe, using their wifi to call your mother and tell her all about Mallorca and about both Javi and Gabriela, skipping out any details of Lucas as there was just something about him you really didn't like. She asked you to send photos so she could see what it was like and you promised to bring her here one day. You spent all day in the town, exploring everything it had to offer. The sun was beginning to set when the driver came back to pick you up, an older man who seemed happy to take a scenic route back to the villa and show the sights his home had to offer. You put all of your shopping in your room and grabbed the bottle of wine, planning on sitting in the garden and having a drink in the warm evening. As you pulled a glass from a cabinet, you were startled by Javi coming in the side door, damp from the pool and wrapped up in his dressing gown. He looked adorable.

"Hey Javi!" He looked over at you, almost like he'd forgotten you were here as his eyes went wide. "Hey… are you okay?" You asked softly, placing a hand on his shoulder as you studied his face.

"He finally has my screenplay. He's gone into town to sit in a bar and read it. I feel so nervous it's making me nauseous. I think I'm going to just… try to sleep." You tilted your head a little, watching the man for a moment.

"Or you could come and have a drink with me? Some company might help ease your mind, Javi." He looked at the bottle in your hand then up at your face, debating it for a moment.

"Yeah, that… that would be nice." He gave a small smile that made you want to bundle him up in your arms and give him the biggest cuddle. He took a breath before turning to lead you out to the garden, leading you through to one of his favourite spots amongst the trees that overlooked the ocean on the left and the lit up town on the right. You sat on a bench beside him, pouring wine for you both. Javi was quiet for the most part, twisting his fingers together nervously until you put the wine glass into his hands.

"I'm sure it was great, Javi. Don't worry so much!" You nodded your head, squeezing his hand gently. Javi just nodded as well, returning the squeeze before taking a swallow of wine. He glanced at the glass then at you.

"This is my favourite wine." You tilted your head and smiled at him.

"Really? I picked it up in town today, the shopkeeper made a great show of telling me how it was locally sourced and made and how it was his best seller." Javi finally laughed, nodding.

"I know which shop you mean. I've paid him to supply wine and champagne for my party." You chuckled a little, taking a testing sip of it before humming.

"It is really good Javi. You clearly have good taste." You teased lightly, nudging him as he smiled almost shyly. "So how was your day?" Javi tilted his head as he thought about it.

"I took Mr Cage to the cliffs, I tried to talk him out of quitting acting and tried to act out some of my screenplay to get his inspiration going. It was silly." You chuckled, watching him.

"Did it work?" Javi shrugged a shoulder.

"I think so? We ended up jumping off the cliff, that was such an adrenaline rush! We sat on the beach, had a smoke and just talked for a while. He made me tell him my top three favourite movies, he refused to believe my number one so I made him watch with me." You held up a hand, leaning in closer to study his face.

"Go on. What is your number one favourite movie?" Javi studied your face for a moment, taking a breath before answering.

"Paddington Two." He said matter-of-factly, watching for your reaction. You blinked, that was definitely not the answer you expected and yet it suited him.

"Adorable. It is an incredible movie." Javi seemed almost relieved that you agreed with him, a genuine smile breaking out over his face.

"Right?!" He laughed, finally relaxing a little more. "He finally agreed with me after watching it though. We went for a swim, had a few drinks and he talked me into sending him my screenplay right there. He wanted me to go with him while he read it but… I couldn't. My heart is racing just thinking about it." Javi rest his free hand against his chest, you smiled at him and took a sip of wine.

"Don't worry Javi. Remember? Believe in your work! I have no doubts it's great!" Javi nodded a little, you could see he was disappearing into his worried thoughts again. You placed a hand gently over one of his, giving him a smile. "So your party… are you excited?" Javi watched your hands for a moment then looked up at your face.

"Usually no, birthdays come every year but having Mr Cage here made it exciting. And you as well of course." He smiled, you had to fight every fibre of your being to not grin like a fool at the addition of you.

"I'm sure it'll be a great night! I'm looking forward to it. I usually don't do much for my birthday so I'm excited for a big party!" Javi laughed a little, finally distracted as he spoke about the band he'd booked, the food Gabriela had organised and everything. He had an excited twinkle in his eyes as he spoke, pausing to sip his wine now and then. You couldn't help but watch and admire him, Javi was so easy to be around. Such a warm person, he seemed genuine and the way his smile lit up his whole face was just beautiful. You found you could listen to him talk for hours, regardless of the topic. Yeah, you definitely had a crush on your host. And it was only the second day of being there.

The two of you sat talking for a while, only realising how long it had been when the wine bottle was empty.

"I'll buy you a new bottle, promise." Javi laughed, placing his empty glass by his feet as he relaxed into his seat. You waved one hand slightly.

"It's fine Javi, it's better to have good company with good wine. I doubt I'd enjoy it as much sat alone in my apartment." You smiled, finishing your drink as well.

"We should probably sleep soon though, I don't want to be here with Mr Cage comes back. I won't be able to look him in the eye." You shook your head and stood up, reaching for the empty glasses and bottle but Javi grabbed it all first. You followed him into the kitchen and got some water to take to bed with you, Javi walking with you to your room again.

"Thank you, again. For distracting me and keeping me company so I didn't just pace my room worried." You shook your head and smiled up at Javi.

"Any time. I quite enjoy our evening chats Javi." He beamed at you and surprised you by wrapping you up in a tight hug. You practically melted into him, the softness of his dressing gown and how good he smelt. You hugged him close, unable to fight the smile that broke out over your face. The two of you stood like that for a moment before he stepped back, taking one of your hands in his own like before.

"Sweet dreams." He said softly, kissing your knuckles before eventually pulling away to go to his own room. You bit your lip lightly, watching him go before slipping into your room. Waiting to make sure he wasn't there before having a moment of childish excitement. Usually you never were one for these fast crushes or romantic whimsy's but Javi was just something else entirely.

(Part Three)

[leam1983]

Fat Cat Envy

The shift's ended, and Sarah's still working through the Wizard Game, while Walt and I are shooting the shit and backseat-gaming.

"I just love the boardroom aesthetic, is all," justifies Walt. "I've never been slim, I'm not built for tank tops or open shirts or anything, and I'm not the type of Fat Gay Guy who lets it all hang out, y'know? I need to feel braced, and I need a vest to do that. None of that should suggest that I'm shilling for the Fat Cat aesthetic."

Sarah pauses. "Welp, you kind of are. The difference is, you're self-aware. You're not Patrick Bateman who's expecting all of this to define him as a human, you're trying to assert a sense of identity that's only really expensive if you're hung-up on designer brands. There's a baker's dozen worth of Italian brands that don't come with Milanese pedigree and that don't have the price tag to match."

Walt waffles for a few moments and then rolls his eyes in concession. "Yeah, sure, I guess. I just don't know what's wrong about knowing what the fuck you're supposed to do with gingham and having a couple pinky rings to cycle through."

I watch Sarah as she Avada Kedavra's a big wolf-dog, whose only crime consists of being a wolf-dog in this particular location. As per usual, she does it while poking fun at Ralph Fiennes' delivery of the incantation.

"Stalin wore suits like you, Walt," I tell him. "Malcom X and Martin Luther King wore the shit out of their suits, too. You're not just a guy in a suit selling cars, and you're not a jagoff going for his fourth yacht or his third Mercedes. You knowing male haberdashery like the back of your hand isn't some moral fault of yours, okay? It's a choice you've made and an interest of yours. Some people collect Pokémon cards well into their forties, some people have a little lacquered box with a bunch of select watches like you, and I bet some other people just like you have another little box for their tie clips and pins."

I grip his hand. "Only two persons alive get to call you a Fat Cat as a positive - that's Sarah and me."

He blinks. "So you don't mind the contradiction between my values and how I look?"

I sigh. "Hon, you're a consumerist with a conscience. There's tons of people out there like you, starting with me. We buy shit we don't always need while being aware of their impact, and we otherwise try and make responsible choices. Count yourself lucky you never fell in with PC gaming or car ricing, 'cause then you'd be financing underage labor and exploitation. Christ, Walt, the last tie pin you bought came from a local artisan. You gave money to a local. How is that Blind Fat Cat logic?!"

He follows mine. "And if you bought that Oculus Quest in a few paychecks, you'd be in a moral quandary."

To which I have to agree. "I would, actually. I don't need that VR headset, but having the option to go untethered sounds nicer than my current setup. Maybe I'd get more mileage out of the Quest than my Rift S, which I only bring out with the office's VR PC for showroom car demos."

The big guy seems surprised. "And you're fine with that?"

Sarah pauses her game again. "Sweetie, real life isn't a video game. There's no Good alignment and no Evil alignment. Either you do the best you can and likely die forgotten by everyone, or you're an ass in a few select aspects and get a shot at notoriety or infamy. Please don't go down the Self-Flagellating Penitent route; my last boyfriend had anxiety attacks over which brand of coffee we bought!"

An angel passes, followed by a thoughtful nod. "So you can either be nihilistic about it and join the douchebros spending their way to an early grave, or you can be realistic about it. What then?"

I hug my Sales Adjunct. "Pick your battles, you idiot. Book sales, fantasize about that Burberry coat for next Fall while being aware you'll probably go for a Chinese knockoff at a fraction of the price, dress to the nines all you like - but make a difference where you can.

He's silent for a while and just hugs me back. After a minute or two, Walt sharply exhales.

"I take it back, I'm actually super rich, if it's all a question of perspective."

Sarah sees it coming and gives Walt a smirk and a slow sideways glance.

"I'm super rich because I've got you two," he says, assuming a bit of that Alpha Douche posture he uses it blend in, with his shoulders squared off and his girth allowed to take up space.

Suddenly, reaching the endgame phase doesn't matter all that much to Sarah. We're both in Walt's arms, and he fakes a self-satisfied laugh. "This fat cat's got two kittens to groom," he suggests, adding a deliberately lusty Meow before locking lips with me.

[jokertrap-ran]

[スタオケ] La Corda d'Oro Starlight Orchestra Osakabe Seiji Cast Story Chapter 4 Translation

*Starlight Orchestra Masterlist | Osakabe Seiji’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Osakabe’s Route Tag will be #Seiji’s Star

Seiji: You look over the moon, (L/n)-san.

Seiji: Was the fruit parfait really that good?

Seiji: Good to know.

Seiji: Looks like it was worth the effort to study hard for the test without giving up.

Seiji: Though I was certain that you'd be able to pass without much issue.

Seiji: Because you're gutsy? I suppose that's one reason…

Seiji: Knowing the fact that you're a glutton, I doubt you'd bear to pass up on a chance to eat a high-quality parfait.

Seiji: Haha, you weren't expecting that, were you?

Seiji: Well, you’re a good student who listens well. That's for sure.

Seiji: And that's why I'm willing to come out here and spend a day with you.

Seiji: But now that we've filled our stomachs with the parfait, where should we go next?

Seiji: The arcade? I don't mind.

Seiji: This is your reward for working hard for the test, so I'll accompany you anywhere you wish to go for the day.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Seiji: Come now, you don't have to be so down about it. You've just picked the wrong opponent by challenging me to a bike race.

Seiji: I'm unbeatable on Route 6.

Seiji: And I'm not about to lose to an amateurish young lady here, even if it is only a game.

Seiji: Although… The sheer point difference does make me feel bad.

Seiji: Perhaps I should have entertained you a little and given you a handicap, like playing it with one hand, or doing it while blindfolded.

Seiji: Oh dear. Is that unsatisfactory for you?

Seiji: I'm offering to let you have a good time, which I think is a rather gentlemanly thing to do, no?

▷Choice: No need! Onto the next one…

Seiji: You’re challenging me to darts? I see… Seiji: …That’s something I’ve never done before either. Seiji: It’s a pretty good choice. You might stand a chance of winning. Seiji: …Heh, you’re just as motivated as ever, I see. And you're so easy to read. Seiji: Shall we begin?

…A few minutes later…

The screen displayed a huge score difference. It was Osakabe’s overwhelming win.

Seiji: …Hm? Did I do something, Concertmistress?

Seiji: Hmph. You’re making an expression that says “Strange, this doesn’t quite add up…”

Seiji: Oh, yes. There was one thing that slipped my mind.

Seiji: Perhaps I should have informed you that although I’ve never tried my hand at darts before, I’m a pretty solid hand when it comes to knife-throwing. To think that it came in handy here of all places.

▷Choice: Knife throwing!?

Seiji: If you’re interested, I can get you to hold up an apple or something next time and I can give you a live demonstration. Seiji: …You'd rather not? Seiji: Pity. Although, the offer is still open if you ever change your mind.

▷Choice: Dare I ask why you’re experienced in that…?

Seiji: Well, just attend classes in Joyo for a week and you’ll soon come to learn that it’s a “compulsory subject” Seiji: It’s a convenient skill that makes no mess.

Seiji: Come on, it’s your turn next.

Seiji: I know that you’re feeling frustrated because of the disadvantage you’re at, but it’s better to have a cool head.

Seiji: Your aim is going to be off if your hands are unsteady.

Osakabe looks completely at ease. I won’t rest easy until I make him get a taste of his own medicine!

…!! My foot slipped and my hand is—

Seiji: …Oh? How lucky. You’ve hit a double bullseye.

Seiji: It might have just been a stroke of luck, but at least you’re having a comeback from the overwhelming point gap.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Seiji: Now, for the next one.

Seiji: A single bullseye. I’d expected as much.

Seiji: Your turn.

Seiji: That shot of yours earlier was a rare occurrence. I think you’ll find yourself quite satisfied if you manage to land a single bullseye.

Seiji: No way, you got two double bullseyes in a row…

Seiji: The Goddess of Victory can be all too fickle with who she decides to shine down upon.

Seiji: Looks like I’ll have to treat you with some form of respect.

▷Choice: I’m going to beat you at this rate

Seiji: I wonder about that. Surely you can’t be thinking that you can outperform me just by hitting two double bullseyes in a row? Seiji: I can’t wait to see your impatience finally bleeding through that smug look on your face.

▷Choice: Should I entertain you?

Seiji: Thank you for your concern, but there’s no need for that. Seiji: I’m looking forward to seeing the humiliation on your face when you’re finally knocked off your high perch.

▷Choice: Doesn’t this put your knife-throwing experience to shame?

Seiji: My, (L/n)-san… What a great personality you have. Seiji: Can’t say I dislike a girl like you. Seiji: In fact, the mere thought of you on your knees, crying, and begging for forgiveness has me more motivated now than ever.

Seiji: Won’t you show me a good time, (L/n)-san?

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Seiji: Looks like we were too engrossed in the game to realize that it’s already evening.

Seiji: Your arms and shoulders hurt?

Seiji: It's no wonder, really. We've been throwing darts for hours since then.

Seiji: Still, I can't believe that we actually ended with a draw. That was a truly unexpected ending to our showdown, but it was pretty fun.

Seiji: I've never seen you that fired up either, so that's a change.

▷Choice: I could say the same for you

Seiji: Really? You were the one who fanned the flames, so this is simply a natural reaction. Seiji: Plus, I'd hate to end with a loss.

▷Choice: You're quite competitive yourself, aren't you?

Seiji: Am I? Seiji: Well, I'm a member of the Orchestra led by a Concertmistress who's competitive by nature. And I suppose birds of the same feather flock together, no?

Seiji: Although, I wasn't expecting the scores of our little showdown to make it into the ranking system.

Seiji: Oh, right. Speaking of ranks…

Seiji: Here you go.

Seiji: It's the mascot we got as the prize. Though I think you're better off having it since it suits you better.

Seiji: Look at the carefree look it has on its face. I'd say it's perfect for our dear Concertmistress.

Seiji: Did I upset you? Heh, I meant it as a compliment.

Seiji: Humor me, won't you? You can simply throw it away if you don't want it.

Seiji: I just want you to have something to remember today by.

Seiji: —Oh, pardon me. My phone's ringing.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Seiji: …Yes?

Seiji: Oh, it's you. Is something the matter?

Seiji: What? The chairman collapsed…?

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬Seiji’s Star♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Previous Part: (Chapter 3) Next Part: (Chapter 5)

[xostrawberry-milkyox]

How Gintama boys (Gintoki, Hijikata,Sougo,Katsura,Takasugi) react when they became character in otome game. It will be hilarious how they will steal heart of female lead.

Omg I love this *cue love choriss arc*

The scenario will be they all end up in the same game together.

Type of Otome Game: ikemen sengoku (samurai!)

Gintama Boys in an Otome Game

I'll say it now, Shoka Sonjuku doesn't care about the lead at first. but for different reasons.

for gintoki, he can't get enough that the game setting is prime samurai era.

he can carry a sword with pride and no one will look down on him for it.

but when he finds out he is in a game with people he knows,

it immediately turns into a competition of who can win over the lead.

when he meets the lead, he uses the best pick up line he can think of.

it's smooth and terrible at the same time.

"gin-san your sword is different from the rest. why do you carry a wooden sword?"

"if you love swords so much I have another one I could show you while we're alone. 😉"

he fights takasugi almost every time they make eye contact.

it's so petty.

"hooo if it isn't takasugi. hey (y/n)-chan, isn't it funny that his name's takasugi when he's so short?"

when alone with the lead, he likes to tease them or listen to whatever narration they have.

he gives advice if they're troubled and if they've warmed up to him maybe a head pat.

katsura doesn't care about the lead at first because he's in shock.

Shoka Sonjuku #2.

no sword ban? 😧 I can freely use my sword? 😯 samurai are respected!? 🤯

when he finds everyone else in the game he's relieved he's not alone.

when he meets the lead, he's so respectful.

he's such a gentleman.

the lead gets a minor injury (paper cut) and he overreacts.

yelling and screaming for doctors as the rest just stand there like "calm down."

if the lead grows close and ever tries to give him a nickname though he will correct them.

"katsura you seem close to gin-san. is that why he calls you zura? can I call you zura as well?"

"it's not zura. it's katsura."

"..."

when alone with the lead, he'll listen to anything they have to say.

he may make occasional remarks, and they're usually pretty stupid.

he's a dumbass, a loveable dumbass.

Shoka Sonjuku #3

he just wants to fight anyone and everyone.

the first being gintoki as soon as he figures out he's in the game as well.

he's not as competitive about winning over the lead. he just wants to go home.

in the introduction phase, he's the mysterious one.

remember when sakamoto said the girl who took interest in him said he was boring?

yeah...

talking to him is like talking to a brick wall.

but if the lead takes interest in him, then walls were made to be broken.

"what's something you wish for?"

"I want to destroy everything."

"...oh."

he's the type to say "you should be careful around guys like me."

and then proceeds to let the lead get close to him.

if he's grown close to the lead.

he shows his soft side when alone together.

listens to whatever they have to say and vents about anything that may be troubling him.

when he finds he's in a game with everyone, he gets competitive.

his first interaction with the lead though is just...

*sadist mode activated*

he's the bad boy.

poor guy's closest romantic experience is bdsm.

remember love choriss arc? what his partner looked like?

"oi I think you would look really cute with this collar around your neck."

"sorry what?"

he thinks all otome games are like that now.

sabotages hijikata's moments alone with the lead.

teases non-stop.

he is similar to takasugi in the sense that you have to break down walls in order to see his soft side.

he loves head pats.

he (and takasugi) doesn't realize showing his soft side can actually help him win over the lead.

hijikata, gintoki, and sōgo are the three most competitive about winning over the lead.

i've said before in the past that hijikata's really good at flirting.

probably the best out of the bunch.

so he uses a really good pick up line when he meets the lead.

"you're really easy on the eyes (y/n)-chan. i'd love to get to know you."

it might backfire on him because the lead could mistake him as a flirt.

whenever the group is up to their nonsense - takasugi and gintoki fighting for example - he takes it as an opportunity to get closer to the lead.

*sigh* "those guys don't know when to quit do they (y/n)-chan."

"you could say that again."

"it's giving me a headache. come follow me and we can get away from all the drama."

all this build up only for sōgo to come in and ask the lead to help with something.

he does manage to have alone time with the lead, eventually.

he'll ask personal questions to "get to know" the lead.

[ktrivia]

Pull Your Punches (Levi X Reader)

Summary:

Moving to a new city should have been scary, could have been lonely, but thanks to your giant of a childhood friend, it was easy.

He trained some of the best boxers in the world, one of whom just happened to be the man whose poster you had on your bedroom walls when younger. His pictures did him no justice though, much better in the flesh than you could ever have imagined.

To find out he had the same penchant for winding your friend up was a surprise, something you did for fun and relaxation. But this was just for entertainment, it wouldn’t ever come to anything, it couldn’t. Would it?

Author’s Note:

Hi everyone! This chapter was written by @zedsdead1001 and after this the remainder of the fic will be by me. This chapter focuses a lot on the reader and Erwin's relationship and her history. Of course there's still some of that famous Levi flirtation we all love!

Please let me know if you would like the added to the tag list and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

<- Previous Chapter : Next Chapter ->

______________________________________________________________

Chapter 4

Erwin had given Levi a choice as he led your now seemingly frail form to the office - come with or stay put. The pale man opted for the latter, not wanting to encroach on someone else's troubles, especially those of a person he'd only just met. That wasn't to say he didn't care, odd show of his compassion flowing out when in the midst of your episode, but he felt like an intruder whilst watching a large arm curl around your slumped shoulders, friendly protection in play. Still gloved and decidedly dark-minded, he tried not to get too pissed off on your behalf, those broken words spoken by a scared voice still ringing in his ears. Sure, boxing was violent by nature, however it was often born from a kind of necessity, his own past demons showing him the way into this life and he wondered what yours were.

"Mike? Here. Now."

"But I'm…"

"No buts. Get your ass in the ring."

The backdrop of a sparring session spilled through into the small office, cluttered tables heaving with paperwork and posters hung on the walls, trophies sitting safely in a locked cabinet. Tossing your gloves down, you gave them a wistful look as memories of your expertise came flooding back; you'd been quite adept at one point, but as progression was made, the flashes became worse. Once Erwin had left, there was no way you could have continued without the one person who understood so you'd slid out of practise. Morose and more than a little embarrassed at your public outburst, you sighed and flopped into an old leather chair, noisy puff coming from the weathered and scratched material.

"Will I ever be able to do it again?"

"Y/N, you don't have to force yourself."

"I know, but Erwin…" Battling with taking the easy route, giving up and sliding back into regular life you also wanted to take a shot at conquering your fears, break through that barrier which was holding you from so much life. It wasn't just the physical entanglements which were affected, it was woven throughout every element of your existence, unsurprisingly so, and you were aware that Erwin had only scratched the surface. "I need to tell you the truth."

"Ok Y/N. I'm here for you." A gentle hand took yours, warm and caring and you smiled weakly, ready to admit what had happened back then.

"So, you know it got to the point when those two stopped?"

"Yes."

"And after that I started with the flashbacks?"

"I remember. Just now was not the only time I had to unwrap you."

"Well, when you left it got worse. Not your fault, please don't think any of this is on you, Erwin." Fixing him with a serious stare, you tried to assure your friend that his departure hadn't been a catalyst, not truly believing that yourself, however you'd been right to say that he wasn't to blame. "So I stopped. As you know. And…well, that's when…that's when my brother picked up where he left off."

Strained silence bounced off the walls and permeated the furniture, faint sound of exertion from outside the only noise, a familiar yet tainted beating of gloves.

"He did what?" Erwin was livid, barely keeping it together and he clenched his fists, temper bubbling to the surface like a volcano about to blow. After all you'd suffered, all you'd done to defend yourself, your prick of a sibling had spotted an opening and taken advantage.

"He exploited the gap in my armour, Erwin. Saw that I'd given up and got back to his favourite pastime." You didn't need to elaborate to this man, previous injuries still vivid in his mind as if they'd happened yesterday.

"What about your father?"

"No, not him. He was too drunk to fucking manage to even lift a finger. Passed the family flame on, so to speak."

"How did it stop?"

"I moved out."

"But Y/N, that wasn't until years later!"

"I know." Hanging your head, you shook it lightly and stared down at free hands, hands which hadn't always been so liberated, something the large blonde knew all about. "Listen, it's over. I understand that. But having those bindings on me again…"

"Y/N…"

"It was too much Erwin, but I don't want it to be! I want to put this all behind me once and for all and function like a normal human being, not some scared little girl who can't even wear woolly gloves in fucking wintertime."

Blue eyes gazed to the side, man ashamed to look at you now. Of course he knew what your two male relatives had done to you, the constant beatings when your mother wasn't enough of a target anymore, older woman having already been ground down into a malleable and compliant servant. Once, your brother and you had witnessed the harsh rule of your father together, scared children hiding huddled beneath their beds and clutching to one another. But that changed.

Older and more impressionable than you, your sibling had taken the behaviour as an example, copying violence as kids often did. If you refused to tidy your shared room alone, he slapped you. Said 'no' to doing his homework, a kick. It was all he'd ever known admittedly, however you didn't fare well from the teachings.

When your parents found out, your mother was too scared and submissive to do a thing and your father just laughed, bringing his son into the fold and welcoming a 'man' to the household. And that was how it continued, your fighting spirit just spurring them on and a usual move of theirs was to tie your hands behind your back, tightly wound electrical tape almost cutting off circulation as they left you to struggle, ankles subjected to the same treatment. The pair loved nothing more than to watch you writhe around whilst delivering smacks and punches, all the while telling you how despicable you were.

After a particularly bad night, one which came about due to you spilling a spoonful of dinner whilst dishing up for them, you'd approached Erwin, begged him to help you strike back. And he did. You were already training with him following the incident with a bully, but this was more intense, more extreme and led to his eventual snap, your brother at the receiving end of the tall student's wrath. Between that and your own ability to defend yourself, the issues had stopped. That was until your flashbacks couldn't be managed alone and you lost interest in the sport, seeing the two side by side and leaving yourself open to further abuse.

When you spoke again, Erwin jumped, dragged from his thoughts with a jolt.

"So I guess I'm asking you to help me again. If you have the time?"

"Y/N, I'll always have time for you. But listen…don't force it. Are you still in contact with them?"

"Nope. This move was the best thing that could've happened."

"For many reasons. Ok. Here's how it is. We carry on as usual, back to basics though. No more one on one with Levi."

"Aww, please?" Returning to your more recent coping mechanism of flirting, you smiled sweetly and banished the ghouls which had invaded your brain earlier, chased them off expertly.

"Oh my god…" Knowing why you did it now, Erwin shared your grin and laughed. "I mean it. Simple circuit training to start with. No physical blows. We need go get you used to the feeling of...you know…"

"The tape? Yea…I wasn't quite expecting that reaction."

"Don't worry, Y/N. We'll get there. You want to stop at any time, say the word and we can just catch up like regular people."

"Thank you Erwin. Again. I owe you so much."

"No, you don't." The vague pull of guilt wouldn't leave him alone and it bolstered his will, fire burning in his soul to ensure you would overcome and prevail. "Anyway. No more today. You can come watch though? Get reacquainted with the old sounds and smells?"

"That would be perfect."

On your feet, you shared a warm hug, man's body easily enveloping yours and you breathed in the scent of honest sweat, something you'd once been accustomed to and would soon be familiar with again.

As you walked out with more confidence than before, silver eyes watched closely, noting the change in demeanour and he gave a small huff, sitting on the edge of the ring as if just hanging out. Mike was in the corner, checking his face in a tainted old mirror for any bruising, a round with Levi being hard enough, let alone when he was in a mood. Your heart jumped as you realised some sort of explanation needed to be given, an apology at least and you nodded to Erwin, brows raised and head tilted at the person you'd been clinging to recently.

Approaching, you offered a small smile and stared down, the casual stance betraying any use of physical force, arms over his thighs and gloves hanging loosely between his knees.

"Levi, I…"

A large padded item was waved, dismissing whatever was about to be said.

"Y/N, you don't have to say a thing."

"I do. Sorry and thank you."

"Both accepted."

Neither of you spoke and a glance of understanding passed between two people - this was shelved but not forgotten, comfortably stashed away until a later date, if that ever came. Knowing someone for under twenty four hours did not lend itself to mass outpourings. Your friend joined you both, own gloves on and he gestured to the ring.

"Still got it in you to go at it with me, Levi?"

"Any time, any day Erwin."

He winked, letting you know it was in the bag and you laughed, chair pulled up to sit back and observe the show. Getting that off your chest had been therapeutic and you could only hope that breaking through your mental chains would help. You watched the men skirt around each other, feet light and fluid, the squeak of shoes on the slightly padded floor bringing back good memories and you relaxed, allowed yourself to be drawn in as the hypnotic dance continued. Levi was more lithe in his movements, reflexes like a cat almost as he ducked and dodged, soles never faltering in pre-programmed steps, gut instinct playing a major part. Erwin was able to train and instruct in this style, any style to be honest but his own go-to set of instructions were based on power, small blows landed from the shorter male however he brushed those off as if laid upon him by a fly.

The blonde was building up to an attacking jab, you could see it, knew by the way he tensed and brought himself backwards almost imperceptibly. Levi knew it too, years of circling around this individual under his belt and he smirked, leaning out of harm's way just at the right moment, meaty limb shooting past his ear. They carried on in that same flowing display, bodies timed perfectly and swaying to unheard music, a strange kind of waltz underway which captivated you.

You were so engrossed that the woman beside you hadn't been registered, her cheerful voice making you jump.

"Hey Y/N! They're amazing to watch, right?"

"Yea…I've missed this." Smiling over at who you recalled was named Hanji, you nodded at the soft gaze she fixed you with, confirming silently that everything was ok - of course other people had witnessed the incident earlier and you were infinitely grateful that no one mentioned it. These types of gyms often housed people who had some aggression to let out for whatever reason, so you took solace in the fact that you were likely not alone in your past struggles.

Meaning to keep them that way, in the past, you clapped as the men called time on their spar, neither victorious nor on the losing side. Erwin jumped down, chest moving swiftly to drag in air and face bright and glowing; he loved to get in the ring and it showed.

"As much as I may regret asking this Y/N, I'm starving. Diner?"

A flawless face appeared from behind the large male, sticking out to one side and giving you a devilish look. Levi seemed to have just been reading or watching a film, no sign of physical exertion and he raised a brow, inviting himself along as expected. "If you're buying, Erwin?"

"Of course." Giving a sigh, your friend grinned nonetheless and you smiled back, glad that he could see when the subject needed to be avoided and mental defence mechanisms should kick in. "Showers first."

You looked down, in need of one yourself and grabbed your bag, following to the small yet well maintained bathrooms. Luckily there were four separate cubicles, catering to all needs and you took one, placing your clothes on a built in shelf behind the door, self contained unit providing a dry area for belongings. The sound of hot water came from all around as three of you had your own thoughts, processing the day's events as only a nice warm shower could offer - it was certainly a good place to think.

Perhaps forcing yourself to train would be a good thing, but you would ask Erwin if some after-hours sessions could be arranged in private, another incident sure to arise and you hoped to suffer it with just one person next time. The owner of this establishment was actually pondering the same thing, plans laid internally to help you like he used to, make up for lost time and give much needed support once more. He hated to see you crumble and understood the need to keep it as personal as possible. Levi tilted his head back, let the water run over his face in soothing sprays. Whatever was going on remained none of his business, however he would take your lead - if the impending meal included flirting, great. If not, all fine too. He wanted to get to know you better by any means and intended to do just that. You were definitely an interesting creature.

Fresh clothing applied, you stepped out and slid your shoes on, wet hair dried enough to not drip everywhere and a door opened on one side, small towel wrapped around a porcelain and powerful waist, fabric barely covering the necessary.

"You seen my pants?"

"Thankfully not, Levi." Flirting it was. Levi smirked, sweeping dark locks back with a shrug.

"I'll just go like this then, yes?"

"No you will not." Erwin emerged, fully clothed and slightly red from an overly hot wash down. "You left them out there." He strode away, mumbling about pre-planning and you shared a glance with the practically naked man as he leant against the door frame, arms crossed and radiating smugness.

"So Y/N. Like what you see?"

"I can't see everything, so I'll reserve judgement. You still have a massive boast to live up to."

"Like I said, you know my magic number."

A pair of jeans hit him square in the face, strong throw from Erwin sending the garment precisely to it's target and you laughed, shorter male slipping back into the cubicle to commence dressing.

A relatively uneventful walk later and you'd arrived, busy diner buzzing with activity. One booth was vacated, perfect timing and you waited patiently for the table to be cleaned down, plates removed and new menus presented. Erwin slid in first, taking up one side pretty much on his own and Levi sat opposite, letting you join him with a pat to the leather seat.

"Plenty room for one more, Y/N."

"Thank you, Levi."

Keeping it civil, you smiled sweetly and flopped down, eyes on the menu in a mirror of your friend opposite. This meant that he saw nothing but food, missed the small exchange before him, words masked by the sound of chatters and coffee machines. Levi came close, lips on your lobe that brushed delicately while he spoke.

"You smell fucking divine."

Turning, you bumped noses and gave a sly grin.

"You should find out what I taste like, then."

"I may just do that, Y/N." His tongue flicked out swiftly, tickling on your pout and your lids almost closed. Not now, you told yourself. This is just some fun, stress relief, shameless teasing. Nothing's ever going to happen, he's only playing too. After the scene earlier, it surprised you that Levi still wanted to get into this actually and you sat back slightly, saw a deeper hue to his piercing grey eyes that confused you. Was he only playing? Of course he was. You'd only just met. Keeping up the connection, you stared at one another, feeling the other out like you were circling in the ring, sizing up your opponent.

"Are you two actually going to order?"

"Sorry Erwin. Apparently my shower gel does something to him. Not my fault."

"Didn't you just literally offer yourself up on a plate,Y/N?"

"Levi, I have no idea what you mean." Winking, you looked down and bit your bottom lip in faux concentration, aware of eyes on you at all times. Erwin wondered why he put himself through this, tried to remember that your methods were unusual yet seemingly effective and attempted to ignore the way his fighter was devouring you with his gaze. He knew Levi well, had seen how hot-blooded he could be - passionate when boxing and just as fervent outside of the stretchy ropes. The blonde only hoped that whatever you were getting yourself into, for fun or not, didn't lead to more pain.

Taglist:

@rouge-variant @missam @leviackermanmyhero245 

[scuttle-buttle]

Chapter 5

WC: 1526

Rated: M

Chapter Tags: angst, mentions of physical congenital defects, name calling, Freud, mention of psychological disorders, mention of disabilities

🧠

Maybe it was naïve of you to hope for an apology from him after the incident in the classroom. He was a dick, after all.

Six weeks into the term and things had not gotten better, but in fact much worse. Every little thing he did drove you up a wall. He would talk to himself out loud about who knows what. He would ask you your thoughts and opinions on the theories he studied, and then try to challenge everything you said. He would make you feel small as he spoke down to you or he would laugh at your ideas. He would ask for help with the dumbest things too, like picking up pens and typing up all his notes. And worst of all, he would just watch you. It probably wasn’t really all that creepy, he didn’t actually give you those vibes, but you felt like a bug under a microscope.

The only time you could tolerate the doctor was when he was giving his lectures. It was like he was a totally different person. Gone was the calculating and stubborn doctor, and in his place stood a thoughtful, passionate, intellectual that tried to see the world from as many facets as possible. He was so incredibly open minded. You'd even seen him crack a smile or two.

You wondered what he might be like if that was his personality all the time. Would the two of you get along better and argue less? Would he think more highly of you, and not just as some dumb assisstant? You doubt it.

“-And then he handed me a stack of notebooks and asked me to type everything up. All his handwritten notes. Like oh my god, get with the times and just type them the first go yourself.” You were set upside down on Bitsy’s bed. This week Kreizler had amped up your workload, so of course you had to vent to your friends.

Feeling the blood pool in your head you roll over and sit up with a huff. “He’s just so strange… and he’s left handed but to the extreme. I don’t think I’ve seen him use his right hand once the entire time we’ve worked together. Like how odd is that?”

“Maybe he’s got OCD or something?” Margo, your mutual friend suggests.

You contemplate what she said. Perhaps he did have something else going on? The more you think about it the more you realize he really didn’t ever use his right hand; when he asked for your assistance it was always for a two-handed job. Perhaps… You are broken out of your trance when Bitsy interjects.

“You need to either find a new hobby to distract yourself or you need to hate-fuck the guy already.” She doesn’t look up from her phone.

Her comment catches you so off guard you choke on your own spit. Margo pats your back as you overcome the coughing fit. “Bitsy what the actual fuck?” She just gives you a ‘what?’ look. Clearly she’s grown two heads to even consider suggesting that to you.

“It’s not so crazy. You like older guys, you said it yourself that he’s smart and he’s cute. Maybe this is what you both need. Get out some frustration.” She tosses her phone to the bed. “And to be honest I’d like to be able to talk to you about literally anything other than how much you can’t stand the ‘good doctor dickwad’.”

Your mouth is gaping at her in your shock. Her words settle in you like a bag of rocks. “Oh my god I really do talk about him that much don't I?” Shame and embarrassment wash over you as you realize that yes, the majority of your day is spent complaining about Kreizler. “I’m sorry guys, I’ll make an effort to tone it down.”

“It’ll probably help with the stress too if you stop,” Margo adds.

“That and getting dicked down - how long has it been for you?”

“Yeah no,” you get off the bed and walk out of the room, “I’m not answering that.”

“Too long then!” Bitsy calls after you with a laugh.

_

He really thought he had been doing better with you. He couldn’t say you were his favorite person by any means, but you were proficient at your job and the tasks he gave you. A hard worker. He tried to engage in friendly conversation or to talk about the lessons he was planning with you. As little as you had actually studied psychology he found your insights to be most interesting and enlightening. He actually enjoyed it.

You, on the other hand, apparently did not.

Today was going the usual route - he attempted to engage you in discourse; you were determined to defend and fight your way out of it. Oddly enough, for as much as you loathed talking with him you were always giving him your opinion on things.

“How could you be so base to believe that? We are all individuals with our own wants, needs, and desires, sure, but to only be subject to that? To have no freedom or choice in anything we do or say? It’s ridiculous.” You sat with your arms across your chest, a sneer on your face as you argued with him.

His face remains calm through your tirade. He himself took Freud’s work with a grain of salt, but he was interested in your reaction to his questioning. So he pushed you. “And yet you sit here now with the most basic principle being exhibited - the presence of Freud’s Id hard at work - as you become frustrated and angered by my words. Is that in itself not the desire to let anger take control? Acting without fear of consequence? To be exactly what you now claim is ridiculous?”

You scoff. “No, Doctor, because I’ve chosen to not put up with the bullshit. I choose of my own free will.”

“But what is free will, if not chained to our deepest desires and fears? Us acting on the primal needs within us so out of our control? You have no choice in the matter, only impulse. Nothing you choose matters, you are inconsequential.” Laszlo found that he liked to rile you up. You were more forthcoming in your ideas and defenses; a worthy partner to discuss psychological theory with. But today he had pushed you too far.

By this point you had had enough. His constant instagation had driven you to the end of your rope. In reality it probably wasn’t that bad, and you really weren’t that confrontational of a person. But god, with him you just couldn’t seem to hold yourself back. He drove you up the wall.

“Is that what you want? To study me like your little project, seeing how you can get me to crack? Your own personal basket case to psychoanalyze? What - does that get you off at night or something?” You don’t even care that he’s your boss anymore or how inappropriate your suggestion is. If he can push and push and push without regard to what is considered socially allowed then you’d be damned if you didn’t too.

His face is merely curious, a hint of a smirk on it, as you all but yell at him from your desk. He sits back, a pen in his left hand, his right resting atop the desk. You notice his right thumb twitch.

“What’s wrong with your arm?” blurts from your scowled mouth. You don’t know why you ask. Maybe his idea about being chained to our deepest curiosities, no matter how questionable, had some weight behind it.

"I beg your pardon?" His eyes change the second the question slips from your lips. No longer is he eying you with amusement, but he looks as if he might snap at any second. His face is hard, you can see his jaw clenched under the full beard he sports.

At his reaction you know that you screwed up. You never should have said anything at all. Sure he could be as rude as the day is long, but he wasn’t necessarily a cruel man. He had little moments where he was genuinely kind to you. He even made you tea once.

“I’m sorry- I…. I don’t know where that came from. It was inappropriate of me and I apologize, Dr. Kreizler.”

The silence that overcomes the room is deafening, so unlike the boisterous discourse that was taking place a moment ago. You turn away hoping to resume your work. You even take a moment to pray to whoever is listening that you didn’t just get yourself fired.

“It was a congenital defect.” You turn back towards him, but he does not meet your eyes. He speaks low again. “My arm never developed correctly so it is weaker and has less function. That is all.” You nod at him, swallowing. The look in his eyes does not match what he tells you. He has the look of someone haunted by their past. It is a look you are all too familiar with yourself. You both finish your work in silence.

Tag list

@hardlyinteresting @lorna-d-m @livvyshmiv @somethingthatsaysbubbles @greeneyedblondie44 @unbeatablecurlgirl @apparrio @marchingicenotes7 @anteroom-of-death @bruhidaniel @lemairepstuff @thehuiabird @zemosimp05 @alindeluce @iamnotthecatladynextdoor

[clairecrive]

“Small thing” - Alfie Solomons x reader

A/n: So, I failed to post this on saturday but here it is! Thanks again for requesting @fifty-shadesof-tommyshelby! I changed a few things however I hope you’ll like this!

Summary: Alfie can’t help but step in when he sees that the man you were talking to was about to hit you. Then, one thing leads to another and eventually it’s your shared love for animals that’s what brings you together.

Word count: 2.2K (roughly)

TW: violence on animal, abusive behavior but fluff overall

Tag list: @mollybegger-blog, @evelynshelby, @br0ck-eddie, @of-love-and-of-the-sea, @shadow-of-wonder, @fandom--0verdose, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @sopxhiea, @fuseburner, @ashesbelle (let me know if you wanna be added or removed)

(this beautiful piece of art was made by @fortunetellingnonesense. she has other amazing art so go check her out!)

“Hey, stop! What the hell are you doing?!" Your voice resounded in the streets, its echo jumping through the buildings amplified. You weren't one to shout, nor did you get into fights easily. But if there was one thing you hated, it was bullying. Especially when those pieces of shit always picked on people half their size or age. It wasn't fair and showed how insignificant they were. However true that might be, the cuts and bruises that their kicks and fists would leave on them weren't insignificant. Especially compared to a smaller body such as the one of this little kitty that piece of shit on the other side of the road had decided to kick. 

Unfortunately, it had taken the small kitten cries for you to notice what was happening. But now that you had, you couldn't turn a blind eye to it. Not even if you weren't a strong muscular person and there was no one in the streets could give you a hand. Given the hour, the street was deserted.

"This little shit has decided to pee all over my doorstep. That’ll show him." Not happy with the kick that had probably broken the kitten's ribs, the bloke spat on its trembling body and was about to keep going. 

"Don't you see that it's a little kitten? They don't even know what a doorstep is." You pointed out incredulously but wasn't it obvious? 

"You almost killed him", you added to show that it was totally unnecessary and simply a dick move. 

"I don't fucking care. He peed on my doorstep and I taught him a lesson." His voice became even harsher as he bragged what he thought was a grand gesture. But really, he only proved your point further.

"You're a piece of shit." Simply put.

"Oi, lady, I don't know who the hell you think you are but ain't no one gonna talk to me like that." You could see that he trying to make himself look bigger and threatening but you didn’t expect anything less from him and were set on not let him win.

"If only you cared about yourself just half as much as you cared for others than I wouldn't have to point out the obvious." Dismissing him, you turned towards the poor kitten that was pathetically laying on the floor. Their breath was uneven and you could tell they were having trouble doing so. 

Your words must have confused the man, who apparently wasn't accustomed to a more complex way of speaking. You hadn't apologized but he wasn't sure that you had offended him either. By your tone though, he figured out that it must have been the second. And of course, his ego was bruised. 

"Right, you sl*t, it seems that you need to be taught a lesson too." Too busy cooing over the small thing, his words didn't even register. It was probably going to be too late once they did but luckily for you, a guardian angel interceded for you. 

"It ain't very manly to hit a woman, mate, right." A loud husky voice spoke behind you and you looked up, cradling the kitten to your chest, ready to make a run for it if it came to it. A tall figure of a man leaning on his cane with a big hat that cast a shadow over his face was the newcomer. You had never seen this man before but one look at him was all it took to understand that you did not mess with him. If you didn't want to end up bloodied and broken, that is. 

The bully was about to shoot a retort but the burly man spoke again before he could, "Just like hitting small animals. What fucking beast would do that, hm." And then he spoke no more, only stared at the guy. You found amusing how big and mighty the guy was trying to be just a moment early when it had been only you, and how scared and spineless he was being now, under the stranger's unwavering stare. 

It only took a minute, maybe even less, for him to lower his head and retreat. 

"That's right, no more lesson teaching for you, bastard." You snickered, mocking him. When the man in question turned to send a death stare your way, you shivered and moved behind the stranger's back, just to be sure. 

"Keep on going, mate." The stranger said fully ridding you of that menace finally. 

"Asshole", you muttered under your breath as the man disappeared into his house. You must have been louder than you thought because that prompted the stranger to look at you. 

"What are you doing, lass, getting head to head with a guy bigger than you, eh. Got a death wish?" As you were standing close to him now, you were able to see his face clearly since he was looking down at you for the height difference. What a lovely face. A guardian angel had sent him for sure because there was no way that such a handsome and kind man would stumble into your life by coincidence.

"Look, he almost killed this kitten and was definitely going to if I hadn't stopped him." You didn’t move to put some space between you. His eyes were too mesmerizing to look anywhere but at them and the way his lips trembled before forming a small smirk, was too endearing to miss.

 The stranger’s name turned out to be Alfie, but that wasn't the only thing you ended up knowing about him. He was a fellow animal lover and the human of a sweet bullmastiff. He had a trusted vet and offered to take you to him. On the way, you got to know each other. Albeit, he did all the talking, only stopping to let you answer the many questions he asked you, it wasn't annoying as it may sound. His rumbling was… comforting, in a way. It gave your mind no room to think back about what happened or worry about what could have happened if Alfie hadn't shown up. It only allowed you to lightly caress the kitten's fur and hum now and then to what he was saying. 

———————————————————————————

And after months of knowing him, you could vouch that it was. 

He was an interesting fellow, this Alfie. Such a scaring looking guy, all burly and dishevelled. His cane angrily stomped the ground, his boisterous voice and confident stride successful kept away any wandering eye and unwanted attention despite how difficult it was to not notice them walking down the street.  Of course, since you had just met him, you couldn't know that this happened mainly because of his reputation. And you would have never guessed either because despite his rough exterior, there was an underlying tenderness in the way Alfie looked at the small thing in your arms and how quickly and unprompted he had offered to help. It was the recipe for a sweetheart, wasn't it? 

"Right, I reckon we should get him some help, don't we?" Alfie couldn’t help but find you amusing and was more than willing to spend a little more of his time with you. His day had been uneventful up until now. Besides, the small thing in your arms did need help.

After the kitten was entrusted to the vet's care and eventually saved, Alfie, moved by your love for animals, had asked you to take care of his boy, Cyril. Of course, you happily took the job. Yes, the money was good and certainly helped but you mainly agreed because of him. As naive as it sounds, Alfie had made a really good impression on you that day and always had been the portrait of the perfect gentleman around you. 

He would welcome you in and offer a cup of tea when you’d get to his home in the morning and another one when he'd come home in the afternoon before you'd leave. And whenever he needed to stay at the bakery until late at night, he'd phone and tell you either offering to have someone walk you home or when you'd refused to leave Cyril alone - that was your job after all- he had given you one of the spare rooms for you to crash in and get some sleep, always with the promise of a raise for the inconvenience. 

You were titubant at first, yes Alfie had always been nice to you but was it enough to trust him? Eventually, you caved and stayed the night. The door of your room locked and a route for a quick escape already in mind. You'd soon find out that you wouldn't need it though. Alfie had come home a little past midnight and despite the late hour, he didn't go to bed straight away. Instead, you heard some noises coming from the living room. 

Curiosity got the best of you and you ventured downstairs. You had cooked a small dinner and left some for him in the oven. Alfie however, hadn't even noticed. The concept of a cooked meal was new and far away from him, his nightly routine mainly consisted of whiskey and the papers he'd brought from the office. 

Coming home to someone was also something out of the ordinary for Alfie, so when your silhouette appeared in the doorway he thought he was hallucinating. The whiskey made him a little slow but his mind still worked quickly enough that you didn't notice his moment of disorientation. 

That night turned out to be an interesting one for both of you. Looking back to it, it was also a kind of turning point in your relationship. Whiskey proved to be something that made Alfie even more prone to speaking and since the night is young, you two talked a lot, and you inevitably ended up feeling closer to him. 

After that night, Alfie made sure to come home a bit earlier so that you could talk a bit before you had to head home. And you ended up spending more nights at Alfie's too. 

Today was one of those days when Alfie said he would come home in time for tea. So, as usual, you had got everything ready, the cookies you had just taken out of the oven were nicely arranged on a plate beside the two steaming cups of tea. 

———————————————————————————

"We are restless today, aren't we? But we just came back from our afternoon walk, so what can I do for you, eh?" You were sure you sounded utterly ridiculous, using a baby voice with him but you loved doing so whenever you talked to him. And you’d swear that he could understand you. 

"A-ha, these are not for you sweet boy," you tutted at Cyril when he tried to help himself to the food.

It felt like a crescendo, your relationship getting out of the acquaintances’ stage and entering something blurry that you still couldn't figure out. All you knew was that it was warm and it felt a lot like home.

"Alright, alright, I'll give you some cuddles." Yeah, maybe you were a little soft on him but how could anyone be anything but when he looked so cute laying on his back with his little paws in the air?  

Exactly. 

The sound of the door closing caught your attention and you got up from the ground and walked in the hallway to meet Alfie who was taking his hat off. 

"Welcome back, Alfie. How was your day?" Walking to him, you helped him take his coat off. After hanging it on the coat rack, you turn back around to listen to his answer. You expected him to have moved away instead you found your faces extremely close after you had turned around. 

A gasp left your lips when your noses brushed whereas Alfie appeared unaffected. His eyes flickered between yours, his moustache tickled your upper lip as he spoke, "it's about to get a lot better, it seems pet. What do ya think?" He whispered on your mouth, referring to your previous question. 

The kiss was slow at first, your lips were cautious of each other, tentative and shy. Then Alfie’s hand reached the back of your head and it was like a flip had been switched. Only a  brief pause to get some air, your forehead touching, before your lips reconnected. This time with far more hunger, like you had been waiting for this moment. And in fact, you had been. 

"Look who's decided to join, cheeky bastard", Alfie commented, amused at his dog who was now panting on his leg. Cyril barked as if he had understood his human and you couldn't help but laugh. This dog was something else. 

Your hands trailed on his shoulders up to his neck while the kiss grew more desperate and Alfie pushed you to the wall behind the coat hanger. His hands began wandering trailing down on your body and his mouth was about to follow when something humid and wet interrupted them. 

Your eyes bore into his then flickered to his mouth, so close to yours, before you answered him. "I wholeheartedly agree." And that was all he needed to hear before his mouth was on yours. A shot of electricity ran through you when he did.

"I'm sorry mate, but this is a dance for two," Alfie gave him a loving pat on his head, "now where were we?" he turned back to you before connecting your mouths again. 

[fictionwordcounts]

Teamwork [Luke x Reader]

Word Count: 4000+

Summary: When a rag tag team of "rebels" save you from imperial imprisonment, you are immediately faced with danger. The only ways you can think of surviving are by disguising as stormtroopers, or jumping down the garbage shoot...or both.

Requested on Wattpad.com at StarkWars084

Warnings: Reader is trapped underwater

Your tightly bound hands ached as you paced the cramped, dark room you were locked in. The troopers that had put you there hadn't bothered taking the restriction off since you didn't seem to be worth their time. You tried to wriggle your hands loose and almost succeeded a few times, but the cord frustratingly slipped through your fingers right as you thought you had a grip.

Suddenly, the rope seemed to loosen, and you froze to keep yourself from messing up. With a final tug, you managed to work the rope off your wrists and drop it to the ground.

As you rubbed your wrist, you stared at the door wondering what you were going to do now. Of course, escape was the only option you would consider, but there wasn't any kind of panel to open the cell from the inside. You put your ear up against the cool metal of the door, listening for anything that might give you a clue. All you heard was footsteps walking toward your cell.

You barely stepped back before the door slid open revealing two stormtroopers, dressed identically, standing together in the same stance. They walked in unison toward you with their blasters at the ready.

"Let's go," one of them commanded. He reached out to grab your arm, and a reckless, impulsive, spur of the moment idea hit you.

Quick as a whip, you ducked under his arm and kicked him behind his knee (which you were sure hurt you more than him). Nonetheless, he was shocked long enough for you to knock the blaster out of his hand. The gun clattered to the floor right as the first blast sounded just above your head.

You grabbed the weapon and swung it hard against the head of the first trooper. He crumpled to the floor leaving you vulnerable to the second trooper's gun. This was a terrible idea, you told yourself a little too late. Before the second could shoot, you plowed into him and knocked him back against the wall. He fell next to his comrade, unmoving.

"That was lucky," you whispered. You bent down to the unconscious troopers on the ground and removed the helmet from one of them. An urgent voice sounded through the com, demanding to know what had happened. You put the helmet on and spoke in a low voice, hoping the radio would muffle it enough to avoid suspicion.

"It's alright," you answered. "We've got her under control."

"I heard a blaster. What happened?" the voice questioned.

You stumbled on your words as they left your mouth without your consent."It was just a--uh--a warning shot. It--it's all okay. We'll have her back... soon." You cringed, biting your lip and silently scolding your tongue.

"I'm sending in Kral," the voice announced.

You spun around, and in a panicked state, dressed up in the rest of the uniform. You didn't have time to figure out how to tighten the armor, but it felt loose and awkward. You were quickly running out of "brilliant ideas".

Lastly, you needed the trooper's blaster, though you knew full well you didn't know how to fire one. You picked it up and looked it over, trying to make sense of it. As you examined it,  you heard shots fired from down the hall. Listening carefully to the sounds that were mixed with the shooting you determined something or someone had gotten loose besides yourself.

"Luke, we're gonna have company!" a man yelled. Now you knew that they weren't supposed to be here either. The shooting stopped, and assuming they had taken care of everyone, you stepped into the open. A stormtrooper stood at a control panel, scanning a list of every cell number and its occupant. One sideways glance at you and he raised his blaster to fire.

"Don't shoot!" you shouted, hoping this was the Luke character you'd heard the other man yelling to. You slipped the helmet off your head and raised your hands. "Don't shoot," you repeated.

The armor-clad man jogged up to you. "Are you Leia?" he asked, confusedly.

The question took you off guard, and you slowly shook your head in response.

He sighed, nodding as though he expected as much. "Do you know where cell block two-one-eight-seven is?" he asked, fidgeting now.

"I'm sorry, but no." You wished you could be more of a help. Defying the empire was what you liked best, which was how you'd landed yourself on the space station to begin with. "I'll help you look for it if you want."

"Sure thing. I'm sure Han will be okay with it," Luke agreed, and went quickly to the next cell.

You had only looked at a handful of doors before Luke found the one he was after. With the task done, you knew you should get going, but with a glance into the cell, your curiosity won you over.

A woman was asleep on the metal bed, and you guessed she was Leia. She woke with no urgency and propped herself up with her forearm. She had a white dress that fell to her ankles, and her dark, brown hair was tied up on either side of her head.

"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?" she quipped.

"Huh?" Luke started. "Oh the uniform!" He whipped off his helmet, revealing shoulder-length, blond hair. "I'm Luke Skywalker! I'm here to rescue you!"

Leia became much more interested now. "You're who?" she questioned as she sat up.

"I'm here to rescue you. I've got your R2 unit. I'm here with Ben Kenobi," he explained rapidly.

You had no idea what was going on, but Leia stood quickly. "Ben Kenobi? Where is he?"

"Come on!" He turned around to you, and his blue eyes locked with yours. "I didn't get your name."

"Y/N," you answered. "Who's Ben Kenobi?" You were interrupted by a loud growl from down the hall.

"Get behind me! Get behind me!" The man who had warned Luke earlier seemed to be occupied.

"We gotta go." Luke responded, and grabbed your hand. You ran outside with Leia just behind, but when you heard blasters firing, you wondered if it wasn't safer in the cell.

The blasters stopped, and you were startled to see a Wookiee thundering toward you. You just avoided the creature as a dark-haired man (Han, you presumed) wearing the same stormtrooper uniform followed the Wookiee in like manner.

Blasters had been firing left and right and none of you had worn a helmet. Intelligent team we've got here, you remarked silently.

"Can't get out that way," he explained once he had caught up to his comrades. He turned to you. "Who's this?"

"Looks like you've managed to cut off our only escape route." Leia retorted, ignoring his question.

Han turned to her not missing a beat. "Maybe you'd like to go back to your cell, Your Highness."

The words were met by a blast from the stormtroopers that were now blocking the exit. The shots were barely missing as you all ran for what little cover there was.

You glanced at Leia, wondering why she was important enough to warrant a rescue party. Was she a queen? It would explain why she was imprisoned here. Even if she wasn't, you knew she needed protection as much as any of you.

You grabbed her arm and she spun around. "Come with me!" you commanded over the commotion.

Together, you ran to the cell you'd been kept in. When you entered the cell you were relieved to see the trooper you'd knocked out earlier was still unconscious.

"Is this a way out?" she questioned. You bent down and removed the armor from him.

"No," you answered. "It's a way to survive."

"I don't see how this will help," she reasoned, once she was fully armor-clad. "We're outnumbered and at least two of us are inexperienced." She said this nodding in Luke and Han's direction.

As much as you couldn't argue, you took comfort that the armor would help keep her alive at least a little longer.

You heard the Wookiee howl from outside and fear washed over you. Leia ran back out only to be met with more blaster shots. She ducked behind Luke while you ran behind the Wookiee.

"I can't hold 'em off forever! Now what?" Han demanded, frustrated.

"This is some rescue!" Leia complained over the noise. "You came in here, and do you have a plan for getting out?"

"He's the brains, sweetheart!" Han yelled back.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Leia reaching over Luke and stealing his blaster. You had forgotten that you had one at all, and Leia hadn't got the one from the unconscious stormtrooper. She aimed the blaster in Han's direction. She's going to shoot him!  You had no time to think before she fired. The laser hit next to his leg and opened up a space in the wall. The noise made your ears ring, as Han threw some protest at Leia.

"Into the garbage shoot, Flyboy!" you barely heard her say. She tossed the blaster back to Luke then slid down the hole she had just made. The Wookiee behind you pushed you forward and down the chute before you had time to object.

You landed on a pile of garbage that broke your fall. The loose armor on your body shifted uncomfortably. The softness of the garbage underneath you was the first thing you noticed, and you were very grateful for it. The second was the putrid smell that swamped you and made you gag. You were not as grateful for that part.

"Get out of the way!" Leia called to you. You got up clumsily and stumbled over to where she was standing. Right after, the Wookiee landed right where you had been. He stood, growling, headed for a single door in the wall, and banged on it. You looked up the chute expecting Luke and his friend to fall down soon.

You felt a hand on your shoulder and you jumped and spun around. "You said your name was Y/N, right?" Leia asked you as she took off her helmet.

You nodded and removed yours.

"I'm Leia Organa of Alderaan. You don't have to worry. We're going to be alright."

You hadn't realized you'd been shaking. You weren't scared, but even if you were, would that really have been a comfort? You had been imprisoned, escaped with armed soldiers shooting at you, and tossed head-first into a garbage pit with seemingly now way out.

"If those two can figure out left from right, I might just believe that," you replied, trying to prove you were fine as could be after falling into a swamp of diluted garbage.

Luke fell across from you and rolled down the junk hill into what you could only hope was water.

Han followed soon after. He barely finished landing before he started mouthing off again. "The garbage shoot! Really wonderful idea," he remarked sarcastically. "What an incredible smell you've discovered!"

Leia didn't respond, but shot him a well-deserved glare.

Han turned to the Wookiee, who was still banging on the door. "Chewie, would you stop that?"

"Chewie" growled in reply and continued his racket.

"Get out of here. Get away from there!" Han ordered as he raised his gun.

As Han fired the blaster, Luke yelled, "No, wait!"

The laser jumped back and forth against the walls, ceiling, and back again. Everyone tumbled to a crouched position as the laser continued. Finally with a final loud blast, the laser hit a piece of garbage and stopped.

"Would you forget it? I already tried it! It's magnetically sealed!" Luke screamed.

"Put that thing away! You're going to get us all killed!" Leia added, more furious than Luke.

You stood slowly and watched the heated conversation in front of you.

"Absolutely, Your Worship," Han snapped. "Look! I had Everything under control 'til you led us down here!" He looked around at the walls. "Y'know it's not going to take 'em long to figure out what's happened to us."

"Could be worse," Leia pointed out.

A low rattling, growl answered her. You looked over at Chewie, but it obviously hadn't come from him. "It's worse." Han declared.

"There's something alive down here." Luke said.

Han waved him off. "That's just your imagination," he reasoned.

You hoped Han was right.

Luke jumped. "Something just moved past my leg," he announced. The growling continued. "Look! Did you see that?" Luke pointed at the murky water. You couldn't see what he pointed at, but Leia looked especially worried now. She started back up the pile of garbage.

"What?" Han yelled. Chewie whimpered and started banging on the door yet again. You all fell quiet. Something was moving through the water. It circled around you, and you inhaled sharply, getting the other's attention.

"Y/N." Luke whispered to you. "Don't move."

You bit your lip, fighting every urge to pull away from the creature. Suddenly, it tightened around your leg causing you to scream and jump away. You landed next to Han who jerked you out of the water. Your attacker screeched in frustration. You looked down at your foot which was now bare. All it had gotten was your boot. Han looked down at your foot.

"Lucky you don't know how to wear armor," he almost laughed. "If you did--"

He was cut short when Luke yelled and disappeared under the water. "Kid!" He yelled and jumped to the spot where Luke had been. Han repeated his name with no answer as he searched the water desperately.

You ran to the water and started sifting your hands through it. A few times, you thought you'd found him but came up with a handful soggy trash. Your heart raced faster every second he was underwater. Running your hand through the water was almost as hopeless as calling him, but you didn't stop.

Behind you you heard something jump out of the water.

"Luke!" Leia yelled. You and Han sloshed over to where Luke was wrestling with the creature that had almost drowned him. It had a slimy tentacle wrapped around his neck and another seemed to be pulling him down.

"Blast it will you? My gun's jammed!" Luke choked.

"Where?" Han asked.

"Anywhere!"

Han fired two blasts into the water then tried helping Luke up. The creature still hadn't let go and you had to help get Luke to safety. Han kept shooting, hoping the lasers were hitting something.

Just as you thought you'd won the fight for Luke, a final tentacled tug dragged him back under. The silence that followed pressed on you. The only thing that disturbed the water now was Han backing away from where Luke had sunk. Helplessness overcame you as you stood frozen in the polluted water.

"Get out of the water." Han told you.

You didn't move. You knew you should listen to him, but your eyes were trained on the spot where Luke disappeared.

"Get out of there!"

You weren't aware of the tentacle wrapped around your waist until you were dragged under the water.

You'd barely gotten a breath in before the foul liquid rushed into your mouth. Panic set air free of your lungs and your chest soon began to hurt. Your eyes stung and you hit debris in the water as you were dragged down. You struggled to break free, but you couldn't land a blow hard enough. You fell limp as you descended. Your lungs screamed, begging for air. You felt the monster release your waist and grab your arm. You didn't have the strength to fight back. Even if Han could kill it, you wouldn't have any air left to make it to the surface.

It jerked your arm again and again. What was it doing? You were aware that you were no longer sinking. The grip on your arm was human. You were slowly rising back up. You tried to kick to help whoever was pulling you, but you could only concentrate on the tight pain in your chest. With one last pull, you broke surface unable to breathe and coughed up water.

"What happened?" You barely heard Leia through your fit of coughing. Luke was being hauled up to safety by Han, choking as much as you were.

"I don't know!" He got out. "It just let go of me and disappeared!" Once Luke was out of the water, Han turned to help you.

A loud crash made you jump.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Han stated. With Han's help you made it over to where Luke was standing. Luke was still sniffing and coughing. He'd been down there longer than you had. How did he make it?

"Are you going to be alright?" you asked him.

"I think so," He looked at the door where Chewie was standing. "I'll be better if we can get out of here."

You heard the metal walls around you groan. The sound of something powering on provoked the walls to close in on you.

"The walls are moving!" Luke cried.

"Don't just stand there! Try and brace it with something!" Leia commanded. You all started looking around the piles of garbage to find something strong enough. Chewie pushed against the wall. "Help me!" Leia called. Han picked up a long pole she was trying to lift herself, and put it end to end against the walls.

"Wait," Luke said to himself. He pulled a small device from his belt and started yelling into it. "Threepio! Come in Threepio!" You had no idea who Threepio was, or if he could help you, but having false hope in this situation seemed worse than being in it at all.

"Threepio!" Luke repeated. "Where could he be?" As Luke tried to make contact with Threepio, Han was trying to hold the pole which was bending in his hands. He let go of it and ran to Leia.

"Get on top of it!" He instructed. You and Leia started climbing the piles of trash hoping it would buy you more time. "One thing's for sure. We're all going to be a lot thinner," Han commented. Leia slipped and fell back to the bottom of the pile. Han jumped over to help her. "Get on top of it!" He said again.

"I'm trying!" Leia cried.

The walls were close enough now for you to touch both of them at once. Drowning would have been better than being crushed. Luke was trapped between two stacks of garbage and couldn't seem to move. Leia and Han were trying to stay on top of all the trash, and Chewie was trying to push the wall back still. You stood next to Luke trying to dig him out. You lost your balance many times as the junk shifted beneath you.

"Are you there sir?" You heard the voice coming from Luke's hand. He responded immediately.

"Threepio?" he called into the small device.

"We've had some problems--" the voice answered back. Luke cut him off.

"Would you shut up and listen to me?" he yelled. "Shut down all the garbage smashers on the detention level, would ya? Do you copy? Shut down all the garbage smashers on the detention level!"

The garbage around you was pressing you into the wall as the wall pressed you back into the garbage. Long sharp metals were finding their way through the gaps in your armor. Then everything shut down. The still walls aroused hollers and cheers from everybody. Your heart was racing with excitement as you wrapped your arms around Luke's neck and hugged him tight. Luke told Threepio to open the door and you all kissed the disgusting room goodbye.

You were in a yet another small hallway looking out over a landing pad swarmed with troopers. Han came up behind you.

"There she is," he announced. "The fastest ship in the galaxy."

You scanned the area hoping above all hopes that he wasn't talking about the lousy piece of junk sitting in the middle of the bay.

"You came in that?" Leia started. "You're braver than I thought."

Han mimicked a smile. "Nice." He answered, upset at the insult. "Come on."

You followed him, assuming he knew the way. You felt more confident after Luke had showed you how to adjust the armor and fire your blaster. You thought you might make it out alive when you turned the corner to find a large group of stormtroopers walking toward you. Both parties stopped immediately.

"Where are you going?" A trooper in the front questioned. For a second you forgot you were still in the stormtrooper armor. Han looked at you, and you could imagine he was trying to conjure up an excuse. His gaze snapped to your foot which was still bare from the garbage monster's attack.

"We need to get her a new boot. She lost her other one to the trash compacter," He explained. It wasn't a lie, but Han wasn't very good at selling the truth.

The trooper walked closer. "What were you doing around the trash compacter?"

You spoke up before Han ruined your chance to get past. "We were trying to get to the princess and her comrades." You told him. "They were gone before we got there."

"What's your identification number?" You were about to answer with another lie, but Han raised his blaster and shot one of the troopers. The rest of the soldiers, somehow frightened by a man and his Wookiee, retreated down the hall. As Han and Chewie gave chase,  he instructed you to get back to the ship.

"Where are you going? Come back!" Luke called after him.

"He certainly has courage." Leia remarked.

"What good'll it do us if he gets himself killed?" Luke responded still staring down the hall. He nodded in the opposite direction. "Come on." He grabbed your hand and led you and Leia from where Han had disappeared. Gunfire sounded behind you as another squad of troopers fell in pursuit. Luke ran faster, and just barely caught himself from falling off the edge of a missing bridge. You barely pulled him back with Leia's help.

"I think we took a wrong turn," he said. Leia turned around to a panel on the wall and closed the door. She turned to Luke.

"There's no lock!" She exclaimed. Luke shifted over to where Leia was standing on the small ledge and blasted the panel.

"That'll hold them for a while," Luke said hopefully.

"Quick, we've got to find a way across! Find the controls to extend the bridge!" Leia commanded. Your eyes fell to the fried wires that dangled by Luke's side.

"I think I just blasted it," he looked almost embarrassed when he answered.

"They're coming through!" Leia looked around desperately, but you noticed Luke studying the ceiling.

"Y/N, Leia, look on your belts. See if there's, oh, I don't know, like a rope or something!" Luke instructed. Before you could check anything, four stormtroopers fired their guns from another doorway not far off from the one you were trying to get to. Thankfully they had missed every shot (as, you realized, they often did). More desperate than ever to get out, you reached around your belt for rope. You pulled up a gnarled hook which was connected to a stream of thin wire. You nudged Luke.

"Will this do?" You showed him what you had found, and his eye's lit up.

"Leia! See the columns hanging from the ceiling? Latch your grappling hook to one of them and swing across!" Luke yelled. "You too, Y/N. Go!" You swung the hook to the columns Luke had referred to earlier. By the time it had caught Luke was ready to swing across, but Leia was having trouble.

"It's jammed!" She cried. Luke quickly wrapped his arm around her and poised to jump when Leia kissed him on the cheek. "For luck!" She explained simply. With that, the three of you jumped from the ledge.

***

You sat on the floor of the Millennium Falcon now as you recalled your feet dangling over the long drop that you could have faced. You remembered how your arm hurt from having to keep you from that drop. You rested your head on Luke's shoulder, happy that he was sitting with you rather than swinging across a chasm with you.

"And then I got us out of there in this beauty," Han boasted as he gestured to the ship around you. Leia bent forward in her chair.

"Only because Ben Kenobi was willing to risk his life for us," she reminded the cocky pilot. You knew Luke didn't like talking about it even though you were all very grateful to old jedi.

"Or maybe," you said. "It was that good-luck-kiss you gave Luke." You watched Luke blush next to you.

Leia smiled. "If I had known you were in love with Luke then, I would have let you give it to him."

But you hadn't loved him then, and even when you did, you hadn't admitted it to yourself right away. It was something that just snuck up on you one day and wouldn't leave, no matter how much you had tried to shove it under the rug. You were glad you had eventually given up trying.

"Well we're going to need more than a kiss to keep us alive from what we're getting ourselves into," Han said.

"Right," Leia confirmed. "We're going to need teamwork. I don't mean splitting up and hoping both teams stays alive long enough to meet on the other side. I mean really working together."

You all nodded in agreement. Leia, having been satisfied with the response, stood up and left the room. Han and Chewbacca walked off not long after. Luke stood then helped you up as well.

"Leia's right you know. We're a team, you and me. We have been since the day we met, and we've got to stay with each other," he said.

You shrugged. "I don't know," you smirked. "I think a good-luck-kiss could still be in order." He pulled you closer to him.

"Oh, really?" He asked smiling.

"You have to promise not to die," you demanded.

He laughed. "I thought that's why you were giving it to me."

"You still have to promise," you insisted.

"Because I love you, Y/N, I promise I will not leave you," he promised. "Not today, not tomorrow, not until we're both very old and content."

Satisfied with the answer, you kissed him softly.

"I'll stay with you," you assured him. "Because Leia is right. It's teamwork that will keep you safe when you decide to jump across chasms while people are shooting at you."

"Luckily we won't be doing that anymore, so I think I'll settle for kisses," He answered, grinning. He grabbed your hand. "Come on... Let's go join the rest of our team."

[jjmaybanksbaby]

Leaving Paradise: Part 4 | JJ x Reader

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

summary - your vacation in the outer banks is quickly coming to an end but that means saying goodbye to jj

word count - 1.1k words

a/n - so "later this week" in june might have turned into april 20201 but here is the fourth (and final) part of leaving paradise! sorry for the wait! enjoy the ending!

check out my masterlist here!

——————————————————————————

JJ docked HMS Pogue as the rain continued to pour down around you. He jumped out of the boat, quickly securing it as the waves from the storm rocked it back and forth, threatening to throw you into the water with every movement.

JJ looked up at you, using his hand to shield his eyes from the rain.

"It's just up here," he yelled to you. He held out his hand and you grabbed it, climbing out of the boat and running up the dock toward the house.

The rain coming down was surprisingly cold for summertime but the adrenaline coursing through you kept you warm enough.

A small house came into view at the top of the hill.

"Welcome to the chateau," JJ shouted over the sound of the rain. "The twinkie's not here so John B's probably at the Cameron's."

"The what?" You asked, confused.

"It's this old Volkswagen van John B drives," JJ replied.

He ran up the porch steps, pulling you inside behind him. Heavy breathing and bits of thunder filled the air as the two of you finally took shelter from the storm picking up around you.

"Oh my god," you laughed. "I'm shocking wet."

JJ's blue eyes locked with yours for a moment and then he was closing the distance between of you. His lips landed on yours with a sense of urgency. He forced you backward, pinning you against the wall as he kissed you. Your head was spinning.

You wrapped your arms around JJ's neck leaning into the kiss with a growing need. This was a different version of JJ than the one that had kissed you yesterday at the cliffs or earlier today, lazily on the boat. The tension between the two of you was electric and feverish as if you both knew that this was exactly where the day had been leading.

You could feel the rainwater dripping off the both of you leaving puddles on the floor but you couldn't care less. JJ's hand left little sparks on your skin as they moved across your body. His fingers ghosted over your chest and then the hem of your bikini bottoms. You tell just how badly he wanted you out of them.

You reached to pull his soaked shirt over his head as he moved his mouth down to his kiss your neck.

"JJ," you whispered into his ear. "I want to..." You didn't even have to say the rest. JJ knew exactly what you mean.

His eyes came up to meet yours. "You sure? Cause I fucking really want. But only if you're sure."

"A hundred percent sure." You replied and JJ's laced his finger withs yours pulling you into the bedroom he'd claimed as his long ago.

...

Your ringing tone pulled you out of sleep. You lifted your head off JJ's chest and rubbed your eyes as your phone continued to beep in the back. You picked it up off the bedside table where you had left it last night.

You left out another yawn and JJ shifted next to you, still mostly asleep.

The screen lit up as another text came through. This was from your sister.

8:15 a.m. Where are you?

8:45 a.m. y/n?

8:47 a.m. ???

9:22 a.m. Mom is so mad.

9:22 a.m. Dad's threatening to leave for the airport without you.

Your eyes flew across the screen, reading the messages. There were another three from your mom.

12:21 a.m. Please be home by 2

7:45 a.m. WHERE ARE YOU Y/N

8:15 a.m. You have half an hour to get home.

Shit, shit shit. You thought. Your flight was supposed to leave at 11 and you were naked in a bed with a boy you'd know for three days. You closed your eyes and took in a deep breath to steady yourself. What had you been thinking?

You needed to get back to the vacation house. You had to pack and leave. You couldn't be here.

You jumped out of the bed and JJ groaned at the sudden movements.

"JJ," you hissed pulling on his shirt that was laying on the floor. "JJ, I have to go. I have a flight." You searched the room frantically for your swimsuit but couldn't find your top.

Fuck it, you thought. I'll have to go without it.

JJ hadn't moved from the bed.

"You have to take me back. JJ, please get up." You could feel tears collecting in your eyes but you weren't sure if it was anger or sadness or fear of what consequences your parents might hand out. You turned away from him and whipped them away before he could see.

"I don't think John B's back so we'll have to take my bike." You heard JJ say as he finally dragged himself out of bed.

"Okay, that's fine." You walked out of the bedroom without looking at him.

You grabbed your bag off the floor near the front door and walked outside. JJ appeared next to you moments later.

"Hey," he started. "You're not regretting that we like..."

"Sleep together?" You finished.

"Yeah," he replied. Neither of you dared to make eye contact. JJ ran a hand through his blonde hair nervously.

"No, JJ." You paused. You didn't regret it at all. In fact, you wished the night had never had to end. You wished you could have spent the rest of the summer here with JJ. "I just have a flight to catch." You finished.

"Oh, okay. Let's go then."

You climbed onto the bike, settling comfortably behind him. You rested your head on his back as he drove away from the chateau and every bit of magic the last three days had been.

...

JJ slowed the bike a few houses down from the one you were staying in. You could see your parents loading the car up in the driveway.

You wanted to kiss JJ goodbye and find the words to tell him what the last three days had meant to you. How every time he kissed you, it stirred this feeling inside of you that you couldn't name but you longed to never stop feeling. How you wanted to be a part of his life because being with him felt like living. You wanted JJ to turn the bike around and hide out with him in the chateau until your parents sent the FBI to drag you home.

But you could feel your parents glaring at you, their speeches about responsibility and maturity on the tip of their youngest.

You silently climbed off the bike, giving JJ’s arm a little squeeze

"Thank you." You whispered, afraid that if you said it any louder the tears would start rolling down your cheeks.

“See you around.” He replied.

You couldn't stop a laugh from escaping you. “Probably not.” You said.

“Yeah, probably not.” He smiled as you turned around and began to walk to your driveway.

“We already packed your stuff,” your mom said, not even trying to keep the anger rout of her voice.

“In the car. We're gonna be late.” Your dad added.

Your sister gave you sympathetic smile as you slide into the seat next to her.

Your dad slammed the trunk and settled behind the wheel, keeping his eyes on you in the rear-view mirror the whole time. He started the engine, backed out the driveway, and the four of you drove off.

You knew if you turned around you’d be able to see JJ one more time, see his smile and his face one more time. JJ kept his eyes glued to the car willing you to look back.

But you never did.

...

A few months later, when JJ dropped his lighter under the bed and went searching for it, he would find your missing swimsuit top and realize just much how those three days had meant to him too.

—————————————————————————— a/n - Anddddd that's the end of this series. I hope you're feeling unsatisfyingly satisfied. And who knows maybe y/n ends up going to UNC where Pope also gets a scholarship too and you run into JJ one weekend he's there to see Pope. Who can say?

tag list! @shawnssongs @http-cherries @spilledtee @bxthharmon@tangledinsparkles @jj-maybabe @sagittarianwolf

[gyucore]

in the orb

pairing: trapped soul! beomgyu x reader

tags: fluff, angst if you squint, reincarnation au, supernatural au

word count: 1.8k+

warnings: implications of death, light swearing

— you were cleaning your grandmother's attic when you stumble upon an old glass orb that just happened to talk on its own

A cloud of dust scatters around the room after you drop the glass orb on a particularly dusty couch. You've lost it. You've definitely lost it. You're quick to cover your face with your sleeve, fighting back the urge to sneeze. The orb sits still on the couch as it should, a sheet of gray still masking its surface.

This was supposed to be an average weekend. Your grandmother had invited you to her house for some quality time together during your break, and you thought you'd offer to help her clean her mess of an attic, to which she was more than happy to accept. And right now, the sweet old lady was tending to her garden downstairs while you were up here, freaking out.

It's said that people often imagined hearing strange noises when frightened and alone. And you were in a dark and creepy attic at an old person's house. This could just be another case of the common I'm-so-lonely-I'm-starting-to-hear-voices scenario. It's simply wasn't possible for a dusty old orb to start talking when you pick it up. It's just not.

“Hello?” You call out, immediately finding yourself silly for even attempting to communicate with an inanimate object.

The dust in the room eventually settles, and yet still no response. “See, Y/N? You were just hearing things.” That conclusion seemed convincing enough. You felt the need to give yourself a good pat on the shoulder for going along with the sane route.

With that dilemma out of the way, your attention couldn't help but wander back to the large piles of junk occupying nearly every space in the vicinity. One could only hope for your grandmother to clean regularly. “Right, now back to work.”

“What work?”

“Oh, you know. Cleaning.” You answer its question from earlier.

You freeze, eyes wide, a chill running down your spine. There it was again. You weren't sure if you heard it right this time or was just hallucinating, but there was one way to find out.

Silence. You almost called it a day after considering that you were probably just tired and needed some rest.

Half a step outside the door and the voice spoke once more. “Are you still there?”

You pause, brows raised, and back still turned. Somehow, you didn't know if it was safe to face the big ball of dust just yet. “What do you mean? Of course I'm still here. This is my Grandma's house.”

Thank the heavens for modern technology and the invention of smartphones. Speaking of which, you fish for yours in the depths of your pants’ pockets. The voice recorder app should come in handy during times like this. You know, to confirm you're not crazy. With the app on, all you needed to do was have the orb talk again.

“Grandma? Oh! Then you're her grandchild?!”

“Uh, yeah?” The orb apparently knew your grandmother. Strangely enough, that was the least odd tidbit of information you obtained today.

“Her grandchild.. Wow, to think I'm finally meeting you! Or at least your voice?” The orb lets out a giggle and the more you heard it talk, the more human it sounded.

“Sorry, can you excuse me for a minute?”

Never in your life had you thought the day would come where you'd be excusing yourself from a conversation with some sort of decorative object but life has its ways. You were never a stranger to off days anyway.

“Oh, sure, uh, go ahead? I can wait.” The orb swiftly replies. For a second, you could swear something was moving from inside the orb after the light outside the window had hit a clear spot in the crystal.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the room as you dash downstairs, taking your phone out and bringing it closer to your ear, replaying the recording. Sure enough, the voice was caught in the audio loud and clear.

“Holy shit. I'm not crazy.” An exasperated sigh leaves you as you slump back on the wall in disbelief. For a moment, you considered running away and warning your grandma about the cursed object, but part of you was curious enough to disregard the warning signs, and possibly risk your life by going back up there and approaching the thing. You decided to go with the latter.

“Are you back?” The orb asks once you've gotten close enough for it to hear your footsteps.

“Yeah. Just had to do something real quick.”

“I see.”

You wait for the orb to continue but it doesn't. It continues to lie on the couch lifelessly as if it hadn't been speaking to you in the past few minutes.

“Um..” You clear your throat, hoping to get another response

“Oh!" The voice from the orb seemed startled after hearing you talk. “How are you're still there?”

You frown. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Well for starters, a talking glass orb isn't quite the public friendly concept you'd think it'd be.” It answers. Only now have you noticed that the orb had a particularly low masculine voice. “People don't usually stick around long enough to find out why I can talk in the first place.”

You blink. “Fair point. Though, I don't see the need for you to ask over and over again when I already said I was back.”

The orb chuckles. “You'd be surprised how many times people have reassured me of their presence only to leave halfway. Plus, I can't really see you right now to actually know you're there.”

“You can't see me?”

“The dust.”

“OH.” Not knowing what came over you, you immediately lunged forward and started wiping the orb with one of the dust rags you had lying around. It didn't take long for the thing to clear up and look like its old glorious self again. “How about now?” You ask, inspecting the orb as you hold it up.

“Better.”

It takes everything in you to resist dropping the orb on the floor when a glowing face of a man appears from the inside, smiling brightly at you. “I think I'm gonna pass out.”

The man visibly panics, pressing his face closer to the glass. “Wait no! If you pass out now, I won't have anyone to talk to! I haven't spoken to a single person in decades!”

“But you mentioned my grandma earlier, I thought you—”

“She could never hear me, but I could see and hear her.” The man explains, his voice a little quieter than before.

You bring the orb down, still cupping it in your hands. “How is this possible? Are you a ghost or something? How did you get in there?”

“Wouldn't you like to find out?” He winks, resting his head on his hand. “Take a seat and place me down somewhere soft.”

This seemed ridiculous by all means, but you oblige. The couch should be soft enough, and so you place him down gently while you take a seat on the floor, making yourself comfortable. “You were saying?”

“I—” The man accidentally bumps his head onto the glass as he leans forward, chuckling as he rubs his head gently. “Ow. Sorry. I'm just so happy to finally have someone to talk to. You can't imagine how long it's been. How the world survived without a single soul hearing my heavenly voice for all those years is beyond me.” He cracks a joke and you couldn't help but laugh.

“It's okay.” You say, shifting in your spot. “Go ahead.”

The man nods, the smile slowly fading from his face. “My name is Choi Beomgyu. You can call me whatever you like. I had a friend once, and she was a witch. Oh— not the kind that you hear from stories, no. She was really nice and cared a lot about nature, her friends, and her family. That type of person, you know?”

You nod along, assuring him that you were listening, and he smiles again.

There's just something about his smile that just seemed so happy and endearing. Perhaps it had truly been so long.

“She was this ball of sunshine. And back then I was a pretty different guy. Our personalities might've clashed and we butted heads a few times but somehow we ended up becoming close friends.” A faint smile graces his lips before disappearing as quickly as it came. “But then I got involved with the wrong crowd.”

The statement piques your interest and you draw closer. Beomgyu notices this and tries to talk louder.

“Remember how I said she was a witch unlike the ones in the fairy tales? Well, there were also people who were exactly like those witches. The ones that used their knowledge and abilities for their own nefarious purposes.” Beomgyu continues, his hair slightly covering his face as he looked down. “Let's just say that I got myself in a situation where they ended up hunting me down for my soul.”

“What?”

He frowns. “My friend saw me being chased down the streets one night and helped. We both knew that even when together, we were too weak to go against all of them. They had us cornered in her home, and that's when we knew it was the end for us.”

Beomgyu's voice started to waver as he spoke and you were about to ask him if he was alright, and tell him that it was okay if he didn't continue but the look on his face when your eyes met was enough to tell you that he needed to do this. He must've wanted to talk about this matter for so long, you think.

“She.. pushed me towards her workroom, telling me that she'll keep me safe no matter what. I didn't know what she meant until she cast a spell on me and I passed out. The last thing I heard were her screams. I never found out what happened to her after that, and I can only assume the worst.” He shakes his head, trying to getting himself together in front of his new friend. “Next thing I knew, I was inside her old glass orb. I've been trapped in this thing for years with no escape. No one to talk to— forever regretting how I didn't stop her that time, and regretting getting in the way of those witches in the first place.”

His story nearly brings you to tears, and before you knew it, your hands were reaching out for the orb. “Beomgyu, I..”

“It's alright.” Beomgyu smiles. “In the end, the orb ended up in her younger sister's possessions.”

Your eyes widen. “You mean.. Grandma?”

“That's right.” Beomgyu chuckles. “Though she had never able to see or hear me, unlike you.”

“Oh. That's uh, too bad.” You smile awkwardly, releasing the orb. The two of you sit in silence for a while, both needing a little mental break after that.

Shortly, your attention was brought forth back onto the orb when you hear Beomgyu laugh. You find yourself chuckling along. “Entertained are we, Gyu?”

The laughter stops and his eyes shoot up at you. You hear him mumbling something incoherent before hesitating to speak. “No, no.” Beomgyu shakes his head. “It's just.. It's kinda funny. I'm trapped here repenting for my whole life because of what I've done to her, or thinking about what I could've done.. but you know what? To be completely honest, I was starting to forget what she even looked like. But looking at you now, and hearing your voice..”

The idea popped up in your head and you weren't sure if it was even possible to begin with. But then again, you were talking to a soul inside an orb.

“You were easily granted access to the true nature of the orb, and are the first person to have ever done that without running away.” He kids. “Could it be?”

“I wouldn't count on it.” You tell it to him straight, getting up from your spot on the floor and dusting off your jeans. You knew what he was implying and there was no way that you were even considering yourself to be your great aunt's reincarnation no matter how ridiculous the situation already was. “I'll get back to cleaning. Feel free to talk while I do that.” You tell him before rushing to the other side of the attic, avoiding his gaze as much as possible. You'll figure out what to do with him later.

Beomgyu watches you fondly. You had told him to not even count on the thought of you being the one he's been hoping for all these years but it was too late for that now. 

“Entertained are we, Gyu?” Her voice rings in his mind, and he shakes it off.

“How do you always manage to do such amazing things? I'd appreciate it if you'd stop stirring my heart.” Beomgyu's gaze rests upon your busy silhouette, and he smiles in content.

“It's nice meeting you again, Y/N.”

[fangirl-ramblings]

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x gn!reader

Summary: A return trip from Annesburg is about to change your life forever

Word count: 1520

Notes: CW: vague descriptions of wounds | Unsure how to tag this right now, Amensia Plot | Unbetaed [Any feedback is appreciated]

Tags for: @husbandits.

I was so excited when I saw that I was assigned to be your Secret Santa this year (even if i do still have a request I need to fulfill for you 🙈) I loved each item on your wishlist, but this one really jumped out at me.

"okay, so there was a post going around like last year i think where arthur had gotten amnesia and the reader took him in, and honestly i haven't been able to get it out of my head these past few months for some reason"

I couldn't find the original post you referred to, but a rough idea started to form in my head...The only problem is, this idea is so much bigger than the stories I usually write and I was starting to run out of time to get it posted for in time for the @rdr-secret-santa event (as you well know, I'm a slow writer) so...please accept my humble offering of the first chapter while I try chip away at the remaining parts.

The Best Kept Memories

[working title]

Chapter 1: Late 1899 [Oct/Nov]

All this commotion was frustrating to say the least; you'd arrived in Annesburg late yesterday afternoon, ready to pick up the supplies you'd needed to stock your cabin up with before the weather turned back into the harsh winter the Grizzlies were famous for. Despite arriving in town a good 30 mins before the train carrying your supplies from Saint Dennis was due in at the station, an hour later you were still standing on the platform waiting for it to suddenly come rumbling down the tracks.

   "All the trains have been delayed you know" A local busybody informed you.

   "Yeah, I kinda gathered," you politely replied - not really wanting to be drawn into conversation...too bad the older lady didn’t get the message.

   "Talk is…" she leaned in close, as if she was sharing confidential intel that only you were to know about, "a bunch of degenerates living not too far from here, decided to rob one of the earlier trains coming up from city." 

You found yourself rolling your eyes internally upon hearing this; you were aware the Murfree Brood were a sadistic bunch of murdering bastards, but from what you previously heard about them, they could barely care for and ride their horses, let alone plan to board and rob a moving train.

"Terrible affair I heard, seems they managed to make it all the way up towards Bacchus Bridge before…" she stopped mid-conversation, not because she ran out of gossip to share with you but she had noticed that the tracks began to rumble and the sound of a train's whistle could be heard approaching the station.

   "Well, looks like the delay is finally over," you commented, pointing out the obvious.

  "Oh do excuse me will you." You sighed with relief as you watched the woman move a little down the way, heading towards the train's engine to see if the driver had any updates of the goings on in Saint Dennis to share with her.

By the time you'd finished loading your wagon up, you were exhausted and couldn't face the thought of driving home through Roanoke Ridge in the dark, especially if the Murfree Brood were still loitering about. Looking down the main street you saw the local hotel had some vacancies and made the impulsive decision to spend the night in one of the rooms there, ready to feel refreshed in time for your morning ride home.

While it seemed like a very good idea at the time, you soon realised you'd made a huge mistake. After waking up and having a quick wash before getting dressed, you made your way back outside to find the most peculiar sight. The mining town of Annesburg, usually full of workers with dirt covered faces, wandering about in their equally filthy overalls, was now overrun by well dressed men in suits. 

   "They say they're Pinkertons." You overheard the gossiping woman that you encountered the previous night, telling her newly captive audience. "One of them told me personally that there was a gunfight up near Beaver Hollow."

   "Well Eunice, I heard talk there was reports of those hooligans that they're after, fleeing into the night and the 'Pinkertons' had to chase them all over the Ridge well into the early hours of the morning," another lady informed her, looking super smug that she'd been able to provide some information that her friend wasn't already privy too.

   "Well either way, several roads around the area have been blocked off by the men in suits." Eunice huffed before walking off, looking for a less informed person to chat too.

Shaking your head, you dismissed their talk as nothing but idle gossip and jumped up on your wagon, ready to head back home along one of the roads leading South.

   "This road is closed," the well-suited man hissed as you approached the roadblock with your wagon. "I suggest you find another route."

   "It wasn’t closed yesterday when I rode into town, any chance you could let me go past just this once?" you protested, not really knowing why you were bothering. His stony face told you this was not a man who had much compassion for others, but wanting to get back home before the storm brewing on the East side of the Lannahechee river rolled in, you persisted, "I can be home within the hour if you let me past, whereas the other route will take me twice as long - not to mention those treacherous mountain roads I'd be forced to travel along."

   "I said, find...another...way" he growled at you, clenching his teeth as he emphasised each word.

   "Fine," you sighed as you reversed your wagon and drove along the road heading north.

Even though this route would take you the better part of the day to get home, you didn't mind so much as you could take the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this part of the country, especially the area around the huge mountain that rudely stood directly in front of you.

Taking a left hand turn to finally head southwards; you trundled along, lost in a world of your own as you admired the red wildflowers that grew in abundance here. Making a mental note to maybe pick some up on your next visit up here, so you could liven your cabin up, you were shocked when your horse suddenly reared up, whinnying a distressed shrill.

   "Hey now Ponos, what's to do with you?" you asked gently, hopping down off your wagon to assess the area around you. There was nothing obvious that you could see in the road, but out of the corner of your eye you noticed a flock of scavenger birds circling over something that must be hidden out of sight behind the giant rock to your right.

   "Trust you to be scared of a half-eaten animal" you chuckled as you patted Ponos' neck in an effort to calm him down. A beautiful Chestnut coloured Belgian Draft, you'd named him after the Greek God of hard labour & toil and while you couldn’t fault his excellent work ethic and seemingly unlimited stamina, you soon realised why the stable owner had offered you such a cheap price for him all those years ago; this giant of a horse was easily spooked by the smallest of things.

After reaching up to grab your gun from underneath your seat, you started walking over to the most likely spot to investigate. If it was a fresh kill you had enough space on your wagon to throw the carcass on and take it home to make a nice meal or two out of.

Approaching the overgrowth behind the rock, the birds squawked and scattered when they realised that you were about to steal the meal they had their eyes on. Getting closer, you noticed a heaped mound laying there. Your mouth started to water as you realised whatever this was, it was certainly likely to be bigger than a rabbit and therefore would provide several tasty meals over the next few days. Using the barrel of your rifle, you cautiously moved apart the long grass, almost dropping your gun as you finally saw what was previously hidden.

Looking like death personified this was certainly no animal, but a seriously injured man. His poor face, gaunt, bloody and bruised. Judging by the shallow, laboured breaths you could see him trying to take, he was still alive - but only just.

   "Sir? Sir? Can you hear me?" You asked, not really expecting a response but the almost corpse groaned and weakly nodded in response.

You glanced back at the grey clouds that had followed you on your journey from Annesburg, before looking back at this wretched soul. What was it your old pa used to tell you?

   'There's never any harm in being a good Samaritan to those that need your help.'

Realising that you could never let yourself walk away and leave a healthy man to be stranded in a storm, let alone an almost dead one to succumb from his wounds, you quickly set your gun aside and placed his arms around your neck. Summoning all the strength you had, you somehow managed to pick the sandy-haired man up and manoeuvre him onto the back of your wagon. 

   "I live a short ride away, you’re welcome to rest there until you get your strength back up.” Unravelling a few pelts you had stored with the rest of your cargo, you tossed them over the injured man to help try to keep him warm.

   "Sorry it's not very comfy but I guess it beats lying there in the cold waiting for the cruel embrace of death," you explained whilst taking out a carrot from your satchel to feed Ponos, in the hope he had gotten over his fear and was willing to continue your journey back home, “Tell me, do you have a name sir?”

Jumping back into the driver’s seat, you looked back over your shoulder, only to find your passenger had passed out.

[undergrounddweller89]

NOTE : THIS IS A SPIES IN DISGUISE AU, WALTER IS THE CRIMINAL MASTER MIND AND KILLIAN IS THE SCIENTIST

THIS DEFINITELY CONTAINS SEXY TIMES

Not well written though probably and I tend to rarely go through my work to look for mistakes.

Despite Killian being kidnapped and handcuffed EVERY THING IS CONSENSUAL... Tristan is crazy obsessed with Beckett so he's very happy.

Now you've had your warning you read this instead of scrolling past that's on you, lemon is a tag used for stuff like this but if you feel like there are other tags I need to use please do tell me!)

The bag was stuffy, head phones covered his ears, they'd knocked off his glasses in their struggle to capture him, he could barely see without them.

Now his hands were cuffed behind his back, a hand on each upper arm, honestly Tristan was terrified, the car ride seemed a life time, though realistically it was only ten to fifteen minutes long.

He'd pleaded saying he was a no body just a scientist the agency threw in the corner and that no one ever took him seriously.

He was hunched, trying to tuck his head into his shoulders, so this was how he was going to die.

He felt every bump of the car and turn, trying to map out where he was going but he didn't recognise this route, usually he rode every where on his bicycle, deep blue with a silver bell and a basket on the front to pick up dinner on his way home...

Home where he could research the Criminal Master mind Walter Beckett ...to a near unhealthy obsession...alright it was unhealthy when you imagined him pushing you back against the table parting your thighs, fucking you and making you look at him by holding your head with his clawed hand....

Fuck was he going to die thinking about Walter, a man who didn't even known he existed...well he had no one, nothing living to care about...he might as well think of someone who made him happy even if only in his fantasies before he died right.

He was pulled from the car where he tried kicking at his handlers, Tristan didn't get very far though as one of them punch his gut winding him, he was wheezing as he was taken out of the vehicle.

"You know he's gonna kill you for that right."

The first handler smacked the second on the back of the head

"Only if this limp dick tells him, he's too much of pussy to squeal."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, but Im not covering your ass."

He was dragged through the facility, Tristan refused to make it easy to carry him and went limp.

Both handlers groaned, fuck, great a difficult one, well the first wasn't going to risk hurting him into compliance and the second knew he was on thin ice, if that punch had bruised him their boss was literally going to kill him.

Other workers watched as they went by, another two carried Tristans legs who now tried to struggle again, what the hell was going on!

He was sat in a chair with ease, after all their boss was right there, the workers didn't dare handle him as if he were anything less than a handle with care package with fragile taped all over him.

"Well are you going to take that off him, it's a little hard for dramatic entrances when he can't even see me."

"Yes sir, right away."

The bag was pulled off swiftly with the headphones clattering to the floor.

Tristan squinted, everyone looked like blurs, he could see faces only as different coloured splodges, his hair sticking up in different angles, shoulders aching now, he still sat up right, heart racing

"Where are his glasses?"

Tristan turned to where he heard the man speak, it was cold, commanded respect...familiar but no it couldn't be...

"Sebastian, where are his glasses?"

"I ah, James you see knocked them off in the struggle and-"

A metal arm, supporting four claw digits at it's end clasped his face

"What did I tell you about people with glasses, remove them, keep them what Sebastian."

He had brought the man to his knees holding so tightly Sebastian could feel his skull on the verge of cracking, he let out a cry as he managed to finish the sentence

"Safe!"

"Oh good you can listen to orders, now James..."

He'd let go of Sebastian and beckoned over his other crew member, Tristan knew this voice but it couldn't be him, he must still be disorientated.

"James, what have I told you about harming what belongs to me."

He said softly, curling his his claws around James's tie, Sebastian stepped back, well he had warned his coworker and with a snap and flick of his wrist the tie had been pulled so hard and tight the man's neck had been snapped.

"He had trouble following orders, first few times is understandable, you're settling into this new life but after five years it should not be that hard."

Tristan wished he'd had his glasses because if this was Walter Beckett he would have just witnessed one of Becketts trade mark moves and yes maybe would have gushed like a fan boy.

He was going to pretend it was him until he could see at the least and imagine he was kidnapped by Thee Walter Beckett.

He listened to him calling in clean up crew and for someone to bring up the glasses, his shape coming in closer and closer, it had to be him, the silver blurred limb was on his left, the hair colour.

"Awww poor baby..."

The younger man cooed.

Tristan tried very hard not to lean into his touch when his hair was stroke back and felt the Claws against his scalp

"Don't worry now, my useless men have been dealt with, come on now look up at me."

He didn't exactly give Tristan a choice as he place a claw under his chin

"See, now Mr Mcford I know I have my fans, the ones who do their fanart, their fictions whatever you will, I keep an eye on anyone who searches my name out of curiosity..."

He tapped his nose

"You Mcford like clock work will watch videos that have only the briefest flash of me, pour over articles, fictions..."

He smirked tracing one long metal claw along his jaw

"Reader x Walter Beckett, but you got tired of them, skinny little me always being pinned, submissive, no, no you wrote your own, named yourself Killian, nice name by the way, where I owned you, laid you back and made sure you knew who you belonged to."

Tristan was red, he was so fucking red and wanted the bag back on his head

"But Im not here to embarrass you, you're actually a good writer and it was the first one I ever enjoyed myself to."

Tristan wanted to implode, die right there, hearing Beckett had fucking masturbated to his little story, he let out a whine then hung his head, trying to hide how much that effected him.

The crew came up and pulled the body from the room and handed Walter the item he'd requested

"Face me now, unless you prefer being half blind."

Beckett held his face with his human hand, finger tip tracing a cheek bone, my they were sharp weren't they, what a pretty scientist.

Placing the glasses on, small lights flickered then settled.

"They read your eyes and the lenses adjust to the prescription you need."

Walter explained now casually sitting on Mcford's lap, an arm around the back of his neck.

"I'll cut to the chase, as I said we check everyone who even so much as types my name out of curiosity and when I found out you were working for the agency that has reaaaally caused a lot of problems in my life I researched you."

Tristan was staring, no way did Walter not feel the protruding problem down below, you would literally have to be either dead or have no feeling in your body to not notice that, he was still, he listened to him, was he having a wet dream, it had to be a dream right?

"Besides my uh Internet history...what...what did you find out."

"Oh you know, that you're an under appreciated scientist who came up with designs so dangerous they had to lock them away...and I may have slightly stolen them, now while I could personally and am the only qualified person here to build such delicious technology...."

He slipped his hand under Tristans lab coat, slowly rubbing his palm against his chest and smirking at the shakey breath and the way Tristan adjusted his hips, oh he could certainly feel that reaction

"I have an evil empire to run...I need you Tristan, I want you..."

He leaned in closer, lips nearly at his.

Mcford whined, fuck he was close Walter hadn't even done anything but the raised brow and smirk on Becketts face told him he could feel him twitch and gasped as the hand that'd been on his chest traveled down a finger tip teasing the head of his cock through his pants.

"How do you feel about working for me Tristan, build your machines and what ever else comes to mind, I need someone as competent as myself..."

Walter kneaded him slowly, to the point the slow pace was painful, his mouth was open and another ragged breath left him, this had to be a wet dream a really, vivid wet dream, please don't let his alarm go off...he pressed against his neck, forehead on his shoulder as Walter stroked the back of his neck with metal Claws, cool against his flesh.

Even if he was awake, of course his answer was yes....

"We could even build something together, I'm sure you'd just love to see me work..."

Beckett leered.

Walter was so warm, he was here, touching him, fucking touching him, dragging it out and making him nearly beg and he loved it.

"Yes..."

Tristan panted, lifting his hips trying to get more friction, he still had his handcuffs on he couldn't reach out and touch the man he wanted, his wrists struggling instinctively to part.

"Look at me and say it, Tristan."

That purr went through Mcford's entire being, lifting his head whimpering, biting his lip, he loved the tease, feeling so close to the edge and having Walter deny him...he begged to some god out there that Walter would finish it at least, it was so intense, he knew his clothes were stained with precum, Beckett seemed to enjoy reminding him he knew it was there by playfully tapping a finger over the tip of his cock where the damp patch was.

"Yes...I'll work for you....I have mmmphn wanted to since I ahh first saw you... Oh my god..."

Walter smiled, watching him, listening to him, oh how blue his eyes looked when his cheeks were this flushed, absolutely gorgeous.

"Oh Tristan there is no god, only me and my loving hands."

He returned, unbuckling Tristans belt and reaching in, blushing a little himself as he watched Tristans eyes nearly roll up, his head falling forward.

Tristan watched as Walter finished him off how desperately he wanted to hold onto him, press fingers into his back, he couldn't remember the last time he came this fucking hard or if he'd ever...he was speechless...breathless and fuck he'd made a mess of them both.

He was putty in Walters hands, feeling a claw lift his head again, moaning softly still, his body was tingling all over

"Welcome to the team Killian."

Beckett said sweetly before leaning in and kissing him.

[gretelsfifthcousin]

The Road Home: transcript

(Transcribed directly from the game, errors included.)

Fawkes received a mysterious commission that required his presence in a remote town. The task, destroy nearby evil. Catching word of this, Raine felt a distinct sense of unease at the prospect of her friend going solo, so she decided to accompany Fawkes on this job...

Transcript under cut.

Raine: Finally made it. This commission sure is out in the sticks. Where did you pick this one up?

Thank the gods Mirael didn't tag along this time, otherwise we'd have had her ribbing and moaning the whole darn way.

Fawkes: Is it really so bad? You usually seem to enjoy it.

Besides which, the scenery along the way is nice and we can actually take the time to enjoy it, plus handling the monsters en route would be enough quench Mirael's curiosities. Once you've collected the bounty, drinks are on you at the Rustport bar...

Raine: Alright, alright! Enough already, let's just go.

-

Mayor’s House: Since taking office, the county has prospered, businesses have flourished and people live contended lives.

Mayor: Welcome to Chesterton, what brings you to these parts?

Fawkes: We got word something sinister is lurking around here. Would you mind pointing us in the right direction?

Mayor: Sinister… Oh! You must be the legendary bounty hunter, Fawkes? Indeed there is something, but not here, oh no, it’s across the river.

You can’t have known, but ever since the Hypogeans resurfaced, this town hasbeen in constant danger, it’s been going on for years! But you’re here now, so please, cleanse this area of the lurking Hypogeans!

-

Bar: It's full of hustle and bustle, awash with the sounds of clinking glasses and hollering.

Bartender: Yo! You folks ain't from 'round here, are ya? You lookin' for Monique, too?

Raine: Monique? Who?

Bartender: That there pretty little thing right across the way, heard she knows a lot about a lot, so folks come from far and wide to meet her.

Fawkes: Excuse me, Miss Monique? Would you happen to know anything about any evil nearby?

Monique: Evil? Can't say for sure... But I heard from my sisters there's some kind of pure-white flower blooming across the river, atop the snowy peak.

They say the petals are as soft and white as the clouds in the sky, but the flower's stamen shimmers luminescent gold.

If you kind folks have a way up that mountain peak, would you mind bringing it to me?

Raine: We're incredibly busy people, we don't have time for gardening.

Monique: Oh... One second, perhaps, should you be willing to trade with me, I can give you this in exchange for that flower?

(The girl holds out a crescent-shaped stone of deep crimson to show you.)

Raine: Looks pretty valuable, Fawkes.

Fawkes: I just knew you'd say that...

Monique: All that matters is that flower. Nothing matters more to me, and the value of this certainly can't compare with how I yearn for that bloom.

Raine: When you put it like that...

Monique: The river is just north of here, visible from the north gate.

-

Market: All kinds of products sourced from every corner of the world.

Anxious Man: … Returning a Moonstone like that, they’re so hard to get hold of! How could she possibly dislike it?

What on earth does she actually like!?

-

Affluent Area: The city is also where the dignitaries live, and there is no shortage of young talent in the corporate sector.

Man of Means: I haven’t been back since I left the village, seems so long ago now. I really miss the red plums my father used to pick for me when I was a boy.

Raine: So why not go back then?

Man of Means: You’re an out-of-towner, right? The route back to the village has been cut-off for a good long time now, how would I make it there alone?

That is to say, the town mayor promised year after year to repair it, but never did.

-

Residential Area: The city’s middle and lower class families live here, eking out a living with menial jobs and Empire-given benefits.

Fawkes: Hey old boy, watch yourself! That bag on your back is pretty hefty, mind you don’t trip!

Impoverished Old Man: Thank ye, young’un… You look just like my son.

Raine: Oi I’m seriously concerned for you, what’s with the critical tone?

Impoverished Old Man: … My apologies, it’s just that this young’un reminds me of my son. Ever since he became that what’s-his-face’s guardian, I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of him. He never returned.

Ah… I’d go and see him myself, but the route through the mountains is long gone, so there’s no point in earning money to make the trip, I’d rather use that money to pay someone else to fix the way up.

I’m sorry lass, you can take these oranges, consider it my apology to the pair of you.

-

Fisherman: A fisherman too focused on fishing will catch everything but fish.

Fawkes: Excuse me…

Fisherman: Shh! … Be quiet!

Raine: What’s his problem?

Fawkes: Try asking again and find out.

(Ask again.)

Fisherman: You’re scaring away my fish! What the heck do you want!?

Raine: Hey now! You’re the one shouting!

Fawkes: Here’s the deal, we saw that the railroad up the southern mountain was washed away by the river, so do you know any other way to get across?

Fisherman: Some other way? Swim across, I guess? Pfft, no! No one here has wanted to go to the mountains for a long time, so no one has thought to fix the broken tracks.

If you’re serious about going up there, then I do have one suggestion.

Raine: Stop beating around the bush. You want a favour, right? Just tell us what you want already.

Fisherman: Well now, the young lady’s got panache! Straight to the point, I like it.

You see, I’ve been fishing here a goodly long while now and I’m parched! Fetch me some berries to slake my thirst, would you?

-

Blueberries (in bag): These sweet blue-coloured berries are a favorite of the townsfolk and savored as a rarity.

Red Plum (in bag): A red fruit with a hint of sweetness, few people enjoy this fruit’s unusual flavor.

Orange (in bag): A common yellow-colored fruit, this juicy refreshment is popular with thetownsfolk thanks to its abundance and affordability.

-

(Bring the Fisherman the blueberries.)

Fisherman: Yes that’s it, just what I like.

Here you go.

-

Missing track (in bag): The lost pieces of track can be replaced if found, just find the correct position to put them down.

-

Fisherman: You wanna know how I came by this track? It was so long ago, I don’t rightly recall! I just know it was flood season and stormy at the time, there wasn’t a soul who bothered to come over here and look.

Thanks to being out fishing at the time, I just so happened to stumble upon it. I had to get something out of this fishing trip, right? So I figured why not, and dragged it home.

Raine: A stormy fishing trip? There really wasn’t any special reason you were there?

Fisherman: … You’re making too much noise! Just take what you wanted and get lost!

(Ask again.)

Fisherman: Get lost! Let me fish in peace.

-

(Fix the river tracks.)

Raine: This’ll let us keep going.

-

Mysterious Hole: The entrance of the hole is pitch-black and unfathomably deep.

(Try and enter.)

A tiny hole, no adult could ever hope to fit through here. It’s dark inside, and there seems to be a draft.

-

Cannon: A lightbearer cannon, capable of firing artillery. To fire the canon, you must fill it with ammunition.

-

(Near the lit cannon)

Fawkes: Looks like this isn’t a route either.

Raine: No, no Fawkes, look! Just ignite the explosives by firing the cannon in front of it, the explosion will make a path forward, right?

Fawkes: It sure will, but won’t that cause other problems?

Raine: It’s not like we have any other way, so may as well give it a shot.

-

(Near the volcanic area)

Cyclops Hypogean: A peerlessly powerful, nightmarish enemy. Better not alert them to our presence without being sure we’re properly prepared.

-

(Near the outpost)

Fawkes: Raine, take a look. It seems like man-made marks left here.

Raine: Could it be related to the Hypogean territory we just passed?

Fawkes: Get going, see if anyone nearby knows anything about the situation here.

-

Outpost: A whole army of soldiers was originally stationed here to patrol and maintain the railroad.

Wounded War Vet: By the divine light! Where’d you appear from? I remember the way up being swept away a long time back.

Raine: You mean the southern railway track? Fawkes and I have fixed that right up.

Wounded War Vet: … Well I never, this is truly unbelievable.

Oh, don’t get me wrong! I’m not pointing any fingers, in fact, I’m really grateful to you.

Back when Chesterton was still just a village in its infancy, myself and some comrades of mine were guards there, keeping the southern route safe.

But after the Hypogeans reared their ugly heads again, this little village in the sticks suffered for it. My comrades fell one after another trying to destroy the Hypogeans dwelling there.

There was one guy, said he was going to get help, but once he was gone, he never returned. He probably didn’t escape the Hypogeans’ sinister clutches. So now, here I am, the last man standing guard.

No-one else wanted to put their lives on the line, and fear drove most of those early settlers away. The only ones left are those who can’t stand to part with their land.

Keeping the village safe from Hypogeans meant removing the tracks to the village.

Fawkes: Chesterton… that’s the same name as the town back down the mountain.

Raine: Hypogeans, you say? It just so happens we’re on the hunt for those as we speak, so why not let us deal with it?

Wounded War Vet: Truly? If you were to destroy the Hypogeans… could I return to the village…?

Bounty hunters, listen to me. I’ve left some things behind in that village, you may be able to make use of them.

Back when I could still put up a fight, I hid some artillery near the Hypogeans territory. Sadly, the foul beast discovered me and I darn near lost my life.

In fact, I never even got to take the gunpowder I prepped, right now it’s still around the camp, you can help yourself to it.

Fawkes: That’s certainly a real help!

-

Artillery Supply Depot: There’s ammunition available to fire the cannons.

Grave: There are wooden planks densely embedded in here, each one with what seems to be a year, a month and a day crookedly scrawled on it.

-

(After firing at the Cyclops Hypogean)

Raine: Hah! That’s a whole lot of firepower! It’s making me want to bring explosives on my next job!

Fawkes: They’ve got nothing on Mirael’s firepower, if she were here I wouldn’t even bother using them.

Raine: Tch, less bellyaching, more working! Let’s complete the bounty objective and then we’ll go tell the old man.

-

(Talk to the Wounded War Vet after defeating the Hypogeans.)

Raine: Hey! Guess what the good news is?

Fawkes: The Hypogeans have been eliminated, there’s nothing more to fear. Danger’s gone.

Wounded War Vet: I can’t believe it, I never imagined… I always assumed it would remain a pipe dream, but now… I, I have to find my comrades and tell them!

-

(Near the second river)

Fawkes: What’s with that expression? The job’s done, right?

Raine: I was just thinking, since we’ve come this far, may as well fix the tracks.

Fawkes: Ain’t any reward for this, not to mention folks might whine about this remote village being left without rescue for so long.

Raine: (shrugs) Look Fawkes, I’m feeling charitable, why are you raining on my parade?

Fawkes: In that case, lead the way.

-

Durri Crypt: A Durri tribe has gathered.

Durri Chief: Even though he’s the Durri Chief, it’s only pure happenstance that he was elected by the people to be their savior.

-

(Near Durri Crypt, after climbing through a Mysterious Hole)

Fawkes: So the lost track turned out to be here.

Durri Chief: Oi! What do you think you’re doing, sneaking around here?

Raine: Huh? Who’s being sneaky? Why the heck did you hide this track here?

Durri Chief: Track? What’s a track? This is a treasure that protects our tribe.

Raine: Did I hear that right? Train tracks and protecting a tribe?

Durri Chief: Our tribe has always had an oracle! When disaster is upon us, only the Divine Moon can shelter us from harm!

Raine: But there’s evil beings hungrily lurking around outside, and there’s the constant threat of floods. Seems to me like that track isn’t protecting much of anything.

Durri Chief: How dare you insult the oracle! Get out of here, before I beat you up!

Unless you can find an object that looks more like the Divine Moon, don’t you dare show yourselves back here!

Fawkes: Perhaps I know where your precious Divine Moon happens to be.

Durri Chief: If… If you truly find the Divine Moon, we will give you our divine relic in exchange.

-

(Near the north Chesterton village)

Raine: The tracks do indeed seem to have come to an end at Chesterton village.

Fawkes: But check out this lever, it’s so well kept and even after all this time. Someone’s been maintaining things here.

Elderly Village Chief: (Surprised) By the Divine Light, we’ve not seen visitors for years now! Did you come up the mountain?

Travelers, you’ve come such a long way, please step inside and get out of the cold. Take a seat.

Fawkes: No need for fuss, we’ve some matters to attend to.

Elderly Village Chief: I see… Then, since you are here before me, does that mean the railway line that goes down the mountain… could it be… operational?

I’ve been kept away from my son for such a long time, he used to love red plums. I wonder how he’s doing.

Fawkes: For the time being, not entirely.

Raine: But trust us, it won’t be much longer.

-

Villager: The inhabitants of the mountains are sincere and welcoming. Their faces are weathered, but also full of sunshine.

Snow Lotus: It looks like the flower Monique wanted.

Snow Lotus (in bag): Flowers with blossoms of pristine white and petals as soft as clouds grow atop the snowy mountains. Outsiders describe it as the purest flower in the world.

-

(Bring the flower to Monique)

Monique: Did you bring the flower?

So, this is the snow lotus from the mountain top? It really is just as they say, as white as pure snow, a refreshing scent and an elegant form. My sisters were right! I absolutely must go and show them!

… No-one can mock me for being an uncultured and uneducated swine anymore, surely?

Oh right, your reward. Here’s the Moonstone, as promised. Please take it.

Raine: Whatever way you cut it, this stone is worth more than that flower…

Fawkes: Whatever.

(Ask again)

Monique: Now I’ll finally be able to keep pace with my sister’s conversations.

-

Moonstone (in bag): The radiant red crescent gemstone looks extremely valuable.

-

(Bring the Moonstone to the Durri Chief)

Durri Chief: This wouldn’t happen to be the Divine Moon, would it?

The water! It receded! I always said something was wrong before!

Thank you. Since we have our Divine Relic back, we’ll return this ‘track’ thing to its rightful owner.

-

(Put down the final track)

Raine: Phew… After all that.

Fawkes: After all so much running around, at least it wasn’t for naught.

Raine: Hah, this really has been an interesting experience. When we’re back I’ll try not to rub it in Mirael’s face.

Fawkes: Indeed, after all, it’s quite something for a certain ‘hot-tempered’ someone to have been so charitable.

Raine: Do you ever stop droning on?!

-

(Pick another flower and offer it to the Grave)

You lay the world’s purest flower in offering to the guardians resting here. The dewy petals look radiant as the gold stamen glows brightly like the sun.

-

(After dispatching the train)

Angelo: When folks in the town got word of the train tracks operating again, they all went on living peacefully as if nothing had happened.

The fisherman who’d been over at the bridge boarded the train himself at some point, making the trip back to the village.

As it reached the guard’s camp the sun was setting. He quietly alighted and slowly made his way over to the place he remembered so well.