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ghosttotheparty · 2 years ago

Note

Can you do Nr. 51. “If this was a romantic comedy, we would’ve kissed by now.” for Steddie?

almost squealed out loud when i read this prompt it’s so cute cw: mention of drug use

51. If this was a romantic comedy, we would’ve kissed by now. (also changed this slightly to fit) dialogue prompts!!

“When’d my life turn into a fuckin’ horror movie?”

Steve looks up at Eddie’s voice, finding him pulling the laces of his shoes tighter, his hair hiding his face. When his laces are done he falls back in his seat, leaning against the wall, looking outside at where the others are still… Preparing, Steve guesses, is the best word for it.

The kids are figuring out the spears and shields, Nancy is showing Robin how to shoot the sawed-off shotgun. Just in case.

“That’s a good question,” Steve mutters, following his gaze to watch.

“Looks like… some kinda indie movie,” Eddie says, watching as Max makes fun of Lucas and Erica laughs, pointing at him.

“One with a happy ending?” Steve asks softly.

“…Yeah.”

“We’ll go with that, then.”

Steve reaches down to tighten his shoelaces again. Just because.

“If this were a chick flick you’d be back with Wheeler already,” Eddie says snarkily, and Steve suppresses an eye-roll.

“Good thing it’s not a chick flick, then,” he mutters.

“I thought you liked her,” Eddie says, leaning back comfortably, like they’re best buds, just hanging out, instead of preparing to fight to prevent the end of the world.

“Yeah, I did,” Steve says. “Past tense.”

“Uh-huh,” Eddie says doubtfully.

“She’s cool,” Steve says, re-tying his shoes after tangling the laces. “But we’re… we wouldn’t work out. We’re friends.”

“Uh-huh.” He sounds less doubtful.

“And don’t even start telling me to ask Robin out,” Steve says, exasperated. “Dustin will not leave me alone about that.”

He expected a Why not? but Eddie just laughs in a way that makes his nose scrunch up adorably.

“Nah, I wouldn’t do that,” Eddie says. “I gotta feeling you’re not really her type.”

Steve snorts.

“Definitely not.”

He finishes with his laces, sighing and leaning back. They’re quiet for a moment, like neither of them wants to leave.

“If you could pick a movie genre for your life,” Eddie says, “what would you pick?”

“Uhm.” Steve sighs. “Maybe comedy.”

“Eh.” Eddie makes a face. Steve laughs softly.

“What’s wrong with comedy?”

“Nothing,” Eddie says. “But so much of it is based on, like, embarrassing moments. I think if my life was a comedy, I’d wanna kill myself.”

Steve laughs again, shifting in his seat.

“What would you choose, then?”

Eddie looks up at him, staring blankly, quietly, his eyes flicking across Steve’s face for a moment, and curiosity builds in Steve’s chest.

“Maybe one of those weird art films,” Eddie says finally, but Steve feel like he’s lying. “That doesn’t really make any sense. No plot.”

“That’s what you’d want your life to be?”

Eddie shrugs.

“Kinda feels like that’s what my life already is.”

Steve laughs softly, turning back to look out the window. Dustin and Lucas are sword fighting with the spears as Max and Erica watch, shaking their heads, probably calling them nerds. Robin and Nancy are chucking pine cones at a tree, aiming for something Steve can’t see from here.

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “Me too.”

Eddie moves to sit next to him, looking out the window, watching the kids with a soft smile on his face.

“We can make it something else,” he says softly. “Some kinda fantasy, sci-fi… something.”

“One where the good guys win,” Steve adds quietly, tracing Eddie’s profile with his eyes. The bridge of his nose, the curve of his eyelashes, his lips.

Eddie’s smile widens as he watches the kids before he looks at Steve, meeting his eyes.

“Yeah,” he says. “One where the good guys win.”

Steve sighs. He wants to fall against him, to bury his face in his neck and hold him close until everything passes them by. Until it’s all over.

But he can’t do that.

“Well,” he says quietly, clapping Eddie on the back and standing. “Into battle, then.”

—————————

The bandage on Eddie’s cheek itches.

It’s driving him a little crazy, but he doesn’t touch it. He’s sitting on his own hands.

The hallway he’s in is almost silent, except for the ticking of the clock on the wall and the quiet, muffled, distant noises of the hospital. And Steve’s and Robin’s breathing.

Steve’s back and arms are covered in bandages too. He’s wearing a sweatshirt now, one that they got from Eddie’s trailer before they were taken to the hospital by some government people. Eddie doesn’t know what’s happening, but he doesn’t bother asking. He’ll find out if he has to.

Eddie ignores the way he feels about Steve wearing his sweatshirt.

Eddie’s sides are sore from the stitches, and he’s eaten three blueberry muffins so the painkillers he took don’t make him loopy, but he still feels unsteady, shaky. He blinks slowly when the floor starts to swim.

“We won,” he says quietly. His voice still echoes around the hallway. “Right?”

“Yeah, Eddie,” Robin says. “We won.”

Eddie exhales, leaning back in his seat, moving his hands, and he starts to reach for his cheek before he stops himself. Robin notices it too and grabs his hand gently, holding it. It’s quiet for another few moments.

And then a laugh bursts out of Steve.

Eddie snorts, looking around Robin at him.

“The fuck is so funny?”

“I don’t know,” he says, laughing again, shaking his head. “We fucking won. Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” Robin says, staring wide-eyed at the ground, nodding. “Holy shit.”

Steve takes her other hand. Eddie lays his head on her shoulder, sighing.

“Mr Harrington?” a woman’s voice says after a long while, and an old nurse comes through the door to the empty hall, finding the three of them. She gives Steve a friendly smile. “I’ve been asked to give you a hearing and vision test.”

“Oh,” Steve says. “You don’t… need to do that.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have a choice,” she says, making a sympathetic face. “Orders from Dr Owens. Concussions can cause issues with hearing and vision, and we know you’ve had your fair share.”

Steve stares at her, and she stares back. Eddie wonders if she has grandchildren to practice dealing with stubborn patients. Robin pushes at Steve.

“Go, get it over with.”

Steve huffs, getting up to follow her out. Eddie hears him tell her, “I don’t need glasses,” before the door shuts behind them. Robin puts her head on Eddie’s.

After a while, the door opens again and Max appears, her left arm in a cast.

“Hey, Red,” Eddie says softly. “What’s up?”

“Uh.” She takes a breath, looking away anxiously. “My mom’s on her way.”

“Everything okay?” Robin asks.

“Yeah, I just…” She looks away again. “I don’t really wanna be alone.”

“You want me to wait with you?” Robin asks. Eddie sits up straight as Max nods. “Will you wait for Steve?” she asks Eddie.

“Yeah, ‘course.”

Eddie watches them go, watches Robin wrap an arm around Max’s shoulders before the door shuts behind them. The hallway falls silent again. He sticks his hands under his thighs.

And he waits. Listens to the ticking of the clock, to his own breathing, closing his eyes and letting his head rest against the wall. He only opens them when the door opens again, and Steve comes over to sit heavily in the seat Robin sat in before she left.

“I need glasses.”

A laugh bursts out of Eddie.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

Eddie laughs again and looks at the floor as Steve lets his head rest against the wall.

“Where’s Robin?”

“She went with Max— Wait a fucking second.”

“Hm?”

“This whole time, you haven’t been able to see?” Eddie says loudly.

“I can see,” Steve says defensively, lifting his head but still slouching. “Just not well.”

“Oh my god.”

“Or hear very well. My left ear isn’t good, apparently.”

“Holy shit.”

“‘S fine.”

Steve sighs, looking up at the ceiling. Eddie lets it go even though he desperately wants to know why Steve hasn’t done anything about either of these things. There’s no way he just… hasn’t noticed.

“Where’d Max and Robin go?” Steve asks.

“Uh, Max’s mom is on her way here. Might be here already, I don’t know. Max didn’t wanna be alone.”

Steve nods quietly.

“Where are your parents, Harrington?” Eddie asks, copying him, leaning against the wall, still looking at him.

He shrugs.

“God knows,” he says quietly. “They didn’t tell me this time.”

“Jesus,” Eddie breathes. “You know where they’re coming back?”

Steve shakes his head slowly, his eyes trained unblinkingly on the ground.

“Gonna be a bitch when they do, though,” he says softly. “Last time they were here, I…” He takes a breath. “I heard them talking about selling the house.”

“Like… the house?”

Steve nods.

“Which means,” he says, “I’ll need to find a place to live. Hopefully they leave me some money for an apartment or something, because…” He shakes his head.

“Jesus.”

“Yeah.” He pauses. “Sometimes it’s like… like they’ve forgotten I even exist.”

Eddie listens, shifting in his seat to face him.

“They don’t say hi when they come home, they don’t tell me when they’re going when they leave, or where they’re going, or how long they’ll be gone, and sometimes I wonder if they come home and like… wonder whose car is in the driveway. Wonder who’s been using the kitchen or… or doing laundry.”

“Steve,” Eddie starts quietly, but Steve keeps talking.

“Wonder if they’ve just… like, suppressed their memories of me on purpose. If they know I’m just a fuck up so they pretend I don’t exist.”

“Steve,” Eddie snaps. Steve blinks, looking up at home, his cheeks flushing like he’s just realised he’s talking out loud. Eddie softens. “Thought you were done with all that King Steve shit.”

Steve blinks again, this time in confusion.

“Huh?”

Eddie sighs.

“If you’re… turning over a new leaf. Being a better person. You gotta be nicer to yourself too.” He looks into Steve’s eyes. “You’re not a fuck up.”

Steve looks away.

“Habits are hard to beat.”

“You’re telling the Hawkins local druggie habits are hard to beat?” Eddie says, smiling.

“Thought you were the dealer.”

“Yeah, now.” Eddie shifts in his seat. “Everything I’ve sold, I’ve used. Some are hard to kick.” He pauses, his voice quieting. “Why do you think I’m twenty-one, in high school, and living with my uncle in a trailer park?”

Steve is quiet for a moment before,

“This is a depressing movie.”

Eddie laughs, almost giggling, squeezing his eyes shut. His cheek hurts.

“Yeah,” he says. “It is.”

“Why are we still here?” Steve asks, looking around the hallway. “Should we go somewhere?”

“Yeah, I think this hallway is sucking our souls out.”

“C’mon,” Steve says, standing up, and Eddie starts to follow, but he probably should have had more water, or more blueberry muffins, or something, because his vision goes dark after a second as he’s stepping forward, and he hears Steve’s voice say something before he’s falling over and Steve is catching him, stumbling and falling to ground with Eddie in his arms.

“Fuck!” Steve says sharply, and Eddie groans loudly, pain zipping through his whole body as they hit the floor.

“I’m sorry,” he says weakly, trying to sit up as he feels Steve’s chest rise and fall, because fuck, Steve is crying and it’s Eddie’s fault, and shit, Eddie can’t get up, and Steve is…

Laughing.

“Steve?”

“God, that fucking hurt,” Steve says, still laughing, his arms around Eddie as Eddie rests on top of him.

“Why are you laughing?” Eddie questions, but he can’t help but start to giggle too.

“I don’t know,” Steve laughs. “I have no idea.”

Eddie snorts and lets his head fall to Steve’s chest, both of them shaking as they laugh.

“There’s something wrong with us,” Eddie says, wincing as his sides hurt again.

“Definitely,” Steve says, a hand running over Eddie’s back gently.

Gently. So gently that it makes Eddie want to cry even as he giggles.

They hold each other as they laugh, Eddie’s arms finding their way around Steve’s neck after a few moments, their legs twining, and it all suddenly comes crashing down around Eddie.

That they made it. They’re okay. They fucking won.

When they finally stop laughing Eddie lifts his head from where it’s resting on Steve’s chest, and he looks down at him. Steve’s eyes are shining with tears, and his cheeks are rosy, and his hair is fanned out on the white floor under them. And Eddie feels himself fall in love.

“Oh,” Steve breathes, his smile faltering, his eyes widening.

“What?” Eddie whispers.

“Uhm.” Steve’s throat bobs as he swallows. “Remember how I… can’t see super well?”

“Yeah?”

Eddie realises how close they are.

“You’re really pretty,” Steve says softly, a hand finding Eddie’s cheek carefully over the bandage.

Eddie’s cheeks flush with heat and he just… looks at him. At his wet eyelashes and red cheeks and the moles that are scattered across his skin. Eddie wants to count them. He wants to kiss them.

He doesn’t realise how long he’s been staring until Steve speaks.

“If this was a romantic comedy, we’d kiss right now.”

His voice is soft. Eddie melts.

“Only if one of us was a girl.”

Steve gives him an eye roll so powerful Eddie is surprised it doesn’t cause an earthquake.

“Can you shut your cynical heart up?” Steve says quietly. One of his hands moves to push Eddie’s hair back. “Pretend they make movies about people like us.”

Eddie leans his head down, his eyes trained on Steve’s lips. They’re pink. How are they so pink?

“Do we have to be in a movie?” he asks quietly, his eyes fluttering shut when Steve’s hand pushes into his hair. “Wouldn’t real life be better?”

Steve pulls him down a little more by the back of his head.

“Yeah,” he breathes. “It would.”

Eddie kisses him.

Softly. Carefully.

Gently.

Steve’s hand tightens in his hair when Eddie pulls away to take a breath, pulling him back down, and Eddie grins against his lips. Steve lets out a soft noise when Eddie slips his tongue over his lip tentatively, and he shifts then, holding Eddie in his arms as he rolls them over on the floor so Eddie is under him.

Eddie whimpers, his arms wrapping around Steve’s neck, and Steve tilts his head, kissing Eddie like he’s trying to soothe him, like kissing his mouth will heal the wounds on his sides and chest. One of his hands finds Eddie’s neck, lightly dancing over the cut that was too shallow to be bandaged. Eddie’s legs wrap around his hips, a strangled noise escaping him.

“Okay?” Steve gasps breathlessly, looking down at him.

“Mhmm.”

Eddie pulls him back down, kissing him hard, furrowing his brows and squeezing his eyes shut, letting his mouth fall open for Steve’s tongue, but they rip their mouths away from each other when the door opens.

It hurts too much to scramble away, but Steve sits up a little bit, and Eddie tilts his head back to see the door upside down. Robin is standing in the doorway, blocking it from the outside hallway, staring at them.

“Why on the floor?” she asks, clearly judging them, and Steve looks down at Eddie. Their eyes meet, and then they’re laughing again, so hard Eddie’s stomach aches and even Robin starts to laugh.

“Rom-com,” Steve says when their laughing quiets, and it just sends them into another spiral. Robin just shuts the door.

#im having way too much fun with these s #thank you for the request!!! <333 #steddie #steddie ficlet #steve harrington #steve harrinton ficlet #eddie munson #eddie munson ficlet #stranger things #stranger things ficlet

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pholla-jm · 1 year ago

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I Look Like You!

IMAGINE: I LOOK LIKE YOU! ~ ZORO X READER GENRE: FLUFF/CRACK WARNINGS: NONE NOTE: THIS IS DEFINITELY INSPIRED BY BOB'S BURGERS. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a boring day on the ship, and you had a lot of time to kill. It would be at least a few more days until the Thousand Sunny reached another island.

Your favorite past time lately is to annoy your boyfriend, Zoro.

You had planned this out for quite some time and you knew that Zoro would not be amused by your actions. But you definitely would be.

So, you got some temporary green hair dye and miraculously found some fake swords that looked like Zoro's. It wasn't that hard to find clothes like his either.

So you died your hair green like his. Even did your make up so you could almost look like him as well. You even did the scar to match his. After changing your clothes and tying the bandana onto your right arm, you placed the swords onto your side.

When walking around the ship, it didn't take long for you to get noticed. Especially by your energetic and childish Captain.

"Woah, Zoro! You got shorter." Luffy shouts at you.

You really couldn't tell if he was serious about knowing it was you or not. But he always fed into your antics, which you enjoyed.

Zoro, who was napping on the side of deck, opened his eye upon hearing his name. A bit confused as to why Luffy would be saying that he's shorter. It didn't take long for his sight to rest upon you.

He immediately stood up and made his way over to you.

"(y/n) what are you doing?" He demands from you. "Who's (y/n)?" You respond and it takes everything in you not to burst out laughing at his facial expression.

"Woah! There's two of you!" Luffy shouts in amazement. Robin, who heard the commotion looks over to see what was going on. Nami, who was sitting next to her just sighed and shook her head.

"I already can't tell whose who." Luffy continues causing you to smile and Zoro to grunt in annoyance.

"Take that stuff off." Zoro says. "Robin, get in here and come settle this." You call Robin over. Robin deciding it would be quite fun to entertain this, walks over.

"Awe, it's a travel size Zoro." Robin teases as she walks over to the small group. "Robin, you're encouraging this." Zoro shoots a quick glare over to Robin, which does nothing.

Usopp who was walking by decide to join in on the commotion as well.

"Oh, wow. This is confusing. There's two Zoro's." Usopp says. "No, it's not confusing."

"You guys are my crewmates and I secretly all love you. But you're all terrible... all terrible." "I don't say that!" Zoro shouts.

"Mm, well that's all you say." "I literally heard you say that the other day." "All the time." The small group around you agrees, just frustrating Zoro even more.

Both you and Zoro groan and run a hand down a face at the same time. This just causes some more laughter around you.

"(y/n)." "Zoro." "Enough." "Enough."

The both of you go back and forth, while the rest of the group just looked back and forth between you. Not only did you look like him, but you also copied all his body movements and mannerism that he does.

"Alright, I'm not doing this." Zoro says. "Yes, you are." "No-" "Ugh." Both of you groan at the same time.

It was like you memorized his responses and knew what he was going to react.

Luffy laughs the loudest. "This is great! I now have two Zoro's!"

"No you don't!" Zoro shouts, an angry tick mark on his forehead.

"Wow. (y/n)'s really good." Robin comments as she watches you copy all of his movements. "No, (y/n)'s not good at this Robin." "Yeah, Robin. He's not good. He's not good Robin." "Wow, (y/n)'s good." "(y/n)!" "What Zoro?!" "Ugh!" "Robin! Settle this." You shout, trying to sound as angry as him. But it was getting harder and harder to keep your laughter in.

Especially since Luffy and Usopp were on the ground laughing while holding their stomachs.

"(Y/n) stop!" "Zoro!" You just shout back at him.

"That's it, I'm leaving!" "I'm leaving!" You also say walking to where the sake was kept at.

"Awe, they're so cute." Robin comments with a giggle as she watched the both of you bicker over the sake.

Zoro's hand grabbed onto the bottle of sake that was currently in your hand. "(y/n), let go. This is my sake." "No, it's my sake." "(Y/n), I swear if you don't-" "What? What are you going to do??" You mock him, which quite surprises him a bit.

You took this as a chance to snatch the bottle away from him. His shock was quickly replaced with more shock as he watched you stick your tongue out at him.

"Oh, you're definitely going to regret this later." "Whatever you say swordsman."

#roronoa zoro #one piece zoro #zoro x reader #one piece #oneshot

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gatitties · 17 days ago

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Glitter

─Dbd x gn!teen!reader

─Summary: Everything here is too dark or lifeless, why don't you change that? You decide to give it a cuter touch

─Warnings: none

ty to Gay4kitty on ao3 for the idea again!! :pp

12 < 13 > 14

Today you woke up and thought it was a wonderful day to ruin everyone's day -something quite common in your daily life- the crows were cawing, the air was hard to breathe, the fog prevented you from seeing beyond three meters, it was so cold that it could freeze your bones and the forest looked as dark as a horror movie, that's the perfect day here in the realm of The Entity.

You took a breath through your nostrils, closing your eyes as you raised your leg in the air like a comical scene of the perfect sunrise, you choked on your saliva as the thick dark smoke traveled through every corner of your body, what better way to start the day than a trial? You took a good minute to get your bearings, even getting to work on one of the generators because everything was too quiet, you had appeared alone and you hadn't seen any signs of survivors or the killer, so you took it as an advantage to do everything faster and go off to do your original plan, to disturb the killers in their camp.

Your head snapped up like a deer about to be run over when you heard quick footsteps approaching, Élodie put her fingers to her mouth so you wouldn't make a sound, but your bewilderment got the better of you and your mouth spoke for itself.

"Mama... mama, girl behind you."

You pointed out, confusing the woman, she turned around to find a red-haired doll gaining momentum to stab her in the abdomen, if it hadn't hurt her you would have laughed right there, this new killer had to be a joke, he didn't even reach your knees. In fact, on one of the occasions when you were being chased you just got tired and kicked him, bitch, this midget is not going to ruin your new outfit that you earned with sweat, tears and of course, blood points. The game ended without many complications and without casualties, proud of your work you went to your cabin to collect the essential material for your mission.

Running through the forest you quickly arrived at the assassins' camp, it seemed quite empty and depressing ─as always─ Michael only shared a brief look with you and decided to leave for his domain as quickly as possible, you snorted at his behavior, fine, whatever, you have more assassins to choose from.

"Hey, hey, hey Oni!"

You smiled from ear to ear when you saw the Oni sitting by the fire, he seemed quite calm, as strange as it seemed, you never had many problems with him, although if you were being a little annoying he would simply carry you on his shoulder until you calmed down. He looked at you waiting for you to continue, which made you move towards him quickly, taking out from behind your back a couple of medium-sized bags with an easy-open zip.

"I promise I'll be quick! I'm sure you'll like the change."

Without knowing very well what you had in mind he stood still waiting for whatever, he didn't expect you to try to take the weapon from him, although he had to move it for you because you weren't able to move it. He looked at you skeptically seeing how its sharp blade was now covered in stickers of Hello Kitty and her different characters, he didn't expect it, but he didn't know what to think about it either.

"Ready! A cute weapon now hehehe, every time you hit someone the blood will have glitter on it."

Sadako, who was hanging around, was drawn to the conversation, moving slowly towards you, she looked ─or so you thought because her hair covered her face─ at the stickers on the Oni's sword, you looked at her with a smile, holding up the bags of stickers and the little jars of glitter.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of material."

She seemed indecisive for a moment, after all, she doesn't have a weapon as such but her powers, but you had the solution, you gathered her hair with some clips, enough so that half of her face was visible, and you placed stickers of stars and flowers on her face, she nodded in approval after looking at herself in the mirror, making your chest swell with pride at your work.

Chucky arrived a while later, but as soon as he saw you he decided to run away, you shrugged, you wouldn't be happy either if you had been kicked and ruined one of your first games. Some other killers came and went, not all of them were so easy to convince, and maybe you stole some of their weapons to decorate them without permission, you had some trouble getting The Trapper's machete and The Trickster didn't let you finish your job but you still made many of the bloody and rusty weapons shine like fairies. Of course, your faithful like Ghostface and The Legion didn't even ask and let you do whatever you wanted with their weapons, Susie even used some of your stickers to decorate your face as well, not even you ran away from your silly idea.

Returning to your camp you saw some of the survivors with their recent wounds just as shiny because of you, making you smile at having achieved your goal, it wasn't the most effective way to annoy the others since as strange as it was the assassins seemed much more docile today in the face of your idiocy, that, or maybe they really are getting used to your nonsense once and for all and are accepting that if they can't fight you, they must join you.

#dbd x reader #dbd #dead by daylight #gn!reader #reader insert #x reader #sfw #gender neutral reader #teen reader #platonic reader #dbd x platonic reader #dbd x teen reader

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differentpostrebel · 3 months ago

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Lost and Found: A Pirate's Promise

This gif cause that alliance LMFAOO

Chapter 15: Alliances and Ambitions

A/N: Welcome back for another Chapter! I know this was originally supposed to be posted for yesterday but unfortunately my sections got deleted so I had to rewrite it all over again. We finally got a SANJI POV! But I can't wait for you guys to read what else is in store!. And without further ado, let's get to it!..

Word Count: 4.7k

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15 (Here)

Sanji x Reader, Sanji X Y/N, OP X Reader

Y/N Pov..

“So, we meet by chance and you ask us if we want to fight an emperor out of the blue?” Nami said, her skepticism clear in her voice as she glared at Law.

"I don't trust him, Luffy. He's up to no good!" Nami continued, her concern growing as she looked from Law to me.

I remained silent, weighing the options in my mind. Law’s proposition was bold, and the risk was enormous.

"I'm not saying killing an emperor is going to be easy," Law said, "I’m just saying that our odds would be better if we stick together and work out the details."

Luffy tilted his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, there are four of them. Which one are we talking about?"

"Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about it, Luffy?" Nami asked, clearly exasperated.

I stepped forward with a determined grin. "Nami, this is our big chance! Besides, it's not like we haven’t faced insane odds before."

Law’s expression shifted from serious to smug as he prepared to reveal more. "The name of our target is—"

Nami’s eyes widened in shock as the name left Law’s lips. I couldn’t help but smirk at her reaction, clearly enjoying the moment.

Luffy’s eyes lit up with excitement, and he gave his usual wide grin. "Right, got it! Sure, we’re in!"

Nami stared at Luffy in disbelief. As she couldn't believe that Luffy agreed to forming an alliance with Law.

Back at the encampment…

“YOU DID WHAT?!! The crew’s collective outrage echoed through the camp.

“Damn it, Luffy! How could you agree to this?” Usopp was practically vibrating with frustration as he shook Luffy. “You weren’t even gone that long!”

“Calm down, Usopp,” Luffy said, brushing off the concern. Meanwhile, I was preoccupied with my own task. “Where did I leave my sword?” I mumbled, scanning the area. A glimmer of metal caught my eye. “There it is!” I exclaimed, retrieving my sword from the snow.

“And you, Y/N, how could you let Luffy agree to this?” Usopp’s concern shifted to me. “You’re the one who usually keeps him in check!”

“Oww, Usopp, could you not shake me right now? I’m injured and need to treat my wounds,” I winced, pushing his hands away gently.

“Forget it, this is too risky!” Nami’s voice was tinged with frustration. “We can’t just dive headfirst into a fight with an emperor!”

“She’s right. We’re not ready for that kind of battle!” Chopper agreed, his worry evident.

“Hey Doc, get this raccoon patched up,” Law said, holding Chopper’s unconscious body. “What did you do to my body?!” Chopper whined, attending to his own injuries.

Shaking my head slightly, I moved to a secluded area and began peeling off the corset top Nami had given me. “Need any help?” Law’s voice came with a teasing undertone as he approached.

“As much as I’d love a thorough check-up from a charming doctor like you,” I said with a flirtatious smile, “I’ll just wait until Chopper’s done. But if you want to watch, it might give you some interesting notes. Or is that not what doctors do with their patients?” I bit my lip playfully.

“Chopper, when you get a chance, could you patch me up, please?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah!” Chopper hurried over, his concern clear.

“Thanks, Chopper.” I lifted my top off, tying my hair into a makeshift bun to keep it away from the wounds. Chopper, in Sanji’s body, began applying the ointment I used during training. I winced slightly at the sudden contact but tried to relax.

“Hey Doc, you might want to focus on this spot here,” I said, pointing to a particularly sore area. “Let me help.”

Law stepped closer, his gaze sharp. “Here, let me take over,” he said, taking control with practiced ease. He began applying more pressure to the sore spot, causing me to let out a soft groan.

“See, this area needs to be treated with a bit more care,” Law remarked, his voice laced with both authority and concern.

Chopper glanced between Law and me, slightly baffled. “Alright, but let’s make sure she’s comfortable.”

Law eyed the makeshift top Chopper had fashioned with bandages. “This isn’t secure enough,” he commented critically. With deft movements, he adjusted the bandages, ensuring they were more securely and comfortably fitted. “There, much better.”

With that, both Chopper and Law worked on treating my wounds. I glanced at Chopper, who had finished his part. “Thank you, Chopper,” I said, giving him a grateful hug. “You’re welcome, Y/N!” he replied, a smile on his face.

Turning to Law, I approached him with a playful smile. “And as for you, Doctor Law,” I said, emphasizing the title, “Thank you for patching me up as well. I’m starting to feel much better. Perhaps I can visit you after hours, just to make sure any other areas need to be taken care of?” I laughed, making my way back to the group.

Law's cheeks flushed slightly, and he looked momentarily caught off guard by my teasing.

Just then, Robin's voice cut through the tension. “Luffy, I’ll go along with this, but we’re all pirates here. Where there are pirates, there’s betrayal. I’m just concerned because you’re so quick to trust.”

Luffy’s eyes widened in surprise, and he turned to Law with a look of disbelief. “Hey! Are you going to betray me?”

Law raised an eyebrow, his expression serious. “No.”

Luffy burst into laughter, his usual carefree attitude returning. “Well, that’s settled then!”

Usopp, still looking unconvinced, shook his head. “The rest of us are going to need more than that!”

“Come on, a pirate alliance sounds like a lot of fun! My gut says Trafalgar is an okay guy. Besides, what’s the big deal? You guys were training for the past two years! I’ll let you protect me.”

Luffy’s laughter grew louder, and the crew, initially stunned, began to relax. They exchanged smiles at the compliment their captain had given them, the mood lightening significantly.

I couldn’t help but join in the laughter, feeling a sense of camaraderie and relief. The look on Law’s face was one of mild confusion, clearly not used to the Straw Hats’ easygoing approach to such serious matters. But after the tension had melted away, he took action, switching Franky and Chopper back to their original bodies.

Nami, however, was less fortunate, and was now trapped in Sanji’s body. "You can fix this, right?" she asked Law, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“Not until your body is back,” Law replied dismissively, his tone indicating that it was simply a matter of patience.

“It’s okay, Nami, don’t worry. It’ll get fixed soon enough,” I said, trying to cheer her up with a reassuring smile.

As I spoke, my gaze shifted to the children, who were now asleep. My heart ached for them, knowing what they had been through. Their innocent faces, finally at peace, only made the situation more heartbreaking.

“So, the kids are all here?” Law asked, stepping closer to get a better look.

As Luffy and Law discussed the situation, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh. “These poor kids,” I murmured, my voice filled with empathy.

Law, however, seemed less moved. “Let’s just forget about them. It’s too much work,” he suggested, his tone almost indifferent.

I shot him an incredulous look. “Why would you even suggest that? They’re just kids,” I said, my voice tinged with disbelief.

Chopper, ever the compassionate one, chimed in. “Poor kids… I want to take them all home, but they need to recover and build their strength first.”

“It’s sad. Who would do that to a bunch of kids?” Usopp asked, his voice filled with frustration.

Law’s expression remained neutral as he explained, “Well, the World Government for one. They’ve been trying to build an army of giants for years. They’ve been conducting experiments.”

“Caesar’s probably hoping to beat them to the punch, both Vegapunk and the government,” Law continued, his voice growing more serious. “But I don’t think it’s that simple.”

The weight of Law's words settled over the group, the realization that these children were mere pawns in a much larger, darker scheme hit hard. Law turned to Nami and me, his gaze intense. "Are you sure you want to help them? I mean, you don’t even know them."

Nami stepped forward, her resolve unwavering. “You’re right, we don’t. But seeing them begging for help, crying for someone to save them... I vowed that I would make sure they were all safe and sound,” she said, her voice steady as she placed a comforting hand on one of the children.

Law’s eyes softened slightly as he looked at Nami. “If I leave with Luffy, are you going to stay here alone?” he asked, concern laced in his tone.

Nami was about to respond, but Luffy interrupted with his usual determined grin. “Wait, I’m not going anywhere! If it’s important to Nami, Y/N, and Chopper, then it’s important to me. And Sanji wants to put that samurai back together too! Listen, if you’re going to work with us, get used to helping people,” Luffy said, his smile growing wider.

I couldn’t help but smile back at Luffy’s words. “Thank you, Luffy,” I said, feeling a warm sense of camaraderie.

Usopp let out a resigned sigh, already knowing the futility of arguing. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, pal,” he said to Law, shaking his head. “Once Luffy makes up his mind, there’s no turning back.”

Law sighed, clearly recognizing the truth in Usopp’s words. “Fine,” he relented, though not without a hint of reluctance. “But we have to hurry. There’s no time to waste. Putting the samurai back together can be your group’s problem, but I’ll help investigate the drug that was given to these children. The ship’s doctor should come with me—we’ll do our research behind Caesar’s back.”

“There, that should do it,” Usopp declared proudly as he finished tying Chopper securely onto Law’s hat. Chopper, still a bit wobbly from earlier events, clung onto the hat with his small hooves.

“I’m... sorry... it’s just... I can’t walk right now. I hope you don’t mind,” Chopper mumbled sheepishly, his eyes wide and apologetic.

The sight was undeniably amusing. Luffy, Nami, and Franky burst into laughter, doubling over as they took in the comical image of the usually stoic Law adorned with a small reindeer atop his hat. Even Robin couldn’t suppress a chuckle, and a wide grin spread across my face as I approached them.

“Well, well, Law,” I began with a playful lilt in my voice, circling around to get a better view. “I have to say, you look even cuter with Chopper as your new accessory.”

Law’s eyes flickered toward me, a hint of annoyance mixed with embarrassment evident in his gaze. “This isn’t a fashion statement,” he replied dryly, adjusting his hat slightly as Chopper tried to stabilize himself.

Unable to resist teasing him further, I reached up and gently patted Chopper’s head. “Hold on tight, Chopper. We wouldn’t want our favorite doctor taking a tumble.”

Chopper giggled, his cheeks turning rosy. “Thank you, Y/N! I’ll be careful!”

I turned my attention back to Law, noticing the slight flush creeping up his neck. Leaning in closer, I lowered my voice just enough for him to hear. “You know, Law, this caring side of you is really endearing. Who knew the infamous Surgeon of Death had such a soft spot?”

Law cleared his throat, attempting to maintain his composure.

Smirking at his uncharacteristic discomfort, I decided to push just a little further. Before he could react, I leaned in and placed a quick, soft peck on his cheek. Pulling back, I watched as his eyes widened in surprise, a deeper blush blossoming across his face.

“Consider that a thank you for all your help,” I said casually, my eyes sparkling with mischief.

For a moment, Law seemed at a loss for words, his usual cool demeanor thoroughly shaken. He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by another round of laughter from the crew. After a few more minutes of banter, the plan was set into motion.

Law and Chopper were tasked with heading to the lab to find out what was in the drug that had been given to the children and to see if there was any way to reverse its effects. Meanwhile, Luffy, Franky, Robin, and I prepared to move out and kidnap Caesar Clown. Nami and Usopp would stay behind to protect the kids, ensuring their safety while we carried out the mission.

“Wait, what good is it to kidnap Caesar?” Franky asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Money?” Usopp suggested, though his voice lacked confidence.

I shook my head. “I doubt it. No one would be crazy enough to pay a ransom for that guy.”

“What we’re after is chaos,” Law interjected, his tone calm but with a hint of something deeper.

“Chaos?” Robin echoed, her curiosity piqued.

Law nodded but didn’t elaborate. “There’s no point in explaining now. We’ll worry about that later,” he continued, his voice firm. “Let’s focus on capturing Caesar Clown first. As soon as that’s done, I’ll explain the whole plan in detail.”

The gravity of his words settled over the group, and the atmosphere shifted to one of determination. We all knew this was a critical step, and the stakes were high.

Law turned to Luffy, his gaze serious. “Last chance to change your mind, Straw Hat. It’s your choice.”

Luffy grinned, his carefree nature shining through even in the face of danger. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m still on board.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Law said, a smirk crossing his lips as we all sprang into action.

Sanjis POV…

Running through the snow, I scanned the area, desperate to find any trace of the samurai. The biting cold nipped at my face, but it was the frustration of coming up empty-handed that really got to me.

“Sanji, mind explaining how I got this bump on my head?” Brook's voice broke through the freezing air as he ran beside me, his skeletal hand touching the spot on his skull where a noticeable lump had formed.

“No time,” I replied hastily. “We’ve already wasted too much time as it is.” Truth be told, I had no idea how it happened. It was all a blur after that yeti's ambush.

“It's a shame we can’t locate that yeti that attacked us,” Brook remarked, his tone as nonchalant as ever despite our dire situation.

(Flashback)

We had been caught off guard. The yeti brothers ambushed us with incredible speed, knocking us down before we even had a chance to react. Brook had tried to fend them off, but one of them managed to land a brutal hit, sending him crashing into the snow. I barely had time to pull myself together before they vanished into the blizzard, leaving us with nothing but a bump on Brook’s head and no sign of the samurai.

“Hey! Samurai! Where are you?” Brook called out, his voice echoing through the snowy landscape. But I couldn’t focus on the search for long. My attention was once again drawn to the way Nami’s body moved—more specifically, the way her breasts bounced with each step. It was... distracting, to say the least.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zoro’s smirk as he observed my momentary distraction. “Hmm, wait til I tell Y/N,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“LIKE HELL YOU WILL!” I snapped back, my frustration bubbling over as I started to bicker with him. How could that moss-headed swordsman think of blackmail at a time like this?

“Well then, focus! You’re the one who wanted to look for the damn samurai,” Zoro shot back, his tone exasperated.

Before I could respond, Brook’s voice cut through our argument. “Guys, come take a look! I see a footprint!”

Zoro and I exchanged a quick glance before rushing over to where Brook was standing. “You guys see that?” Brook continued, excitement creeping into his voice. “Could it be that we’re left with the legendary Yeti?”

“No chance in hell,” Zoro and I said in unison, dismissing the idea outright.

But Brook’s enthusiasm was contagious. “If we follow them, we may find…” he paused dramatically, and without missing a beat, the three of us finished his sentence in unison, “…one of nature’s greatest mysteries.”

We followed the footprints through the thick snow, our curiosity piqued despite the tension. But just as quickly as our hopes had risen, they were dashed when the trail led us to a dead end. Frustration gnawed at me, but there was no time to dwell on it.

Suddenly, two massive shadows loomed behind us. We turned as one, and there they were—the Yetis. Their appearance was as menacing as ever, and before we could react, they fired at us. A thick gas began to fill the air, and I felt its effects almost immediately. My vision blurred, and my limbs grew heavy as I struggled to stay conscious.

“Damn it…” I muttered, fighting against the overwhelming urge to succumb to the darkness. But the gas was too potent. My knees buckled, and despite my best efforts, everything went black as I fell into unconsciousness.

After what felt like minutes, muffled voices started to reach my ears. “The Straw Hats are here, and we’ve recovered their bodies,” one of them said. The words barely registered as I struggled to regain control of my senses.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I grabbed the ankle of one of the voices and pulled myself up. “Hate to disappoint you but…”

“Hey, one of them is alive!” shouted one of the men in hazmat suits, panic lacing his voice.

“It’s just a girl. She can’t do anything,” another dismissed, clearly underestimating me.

“That’s what you think!” I shot back, gritting my teeth as I launched into action. Despite being in Nami’s body, I quickly knocked each of them down with precision. “Damn underlings,” I muttered, making sure not to overdo it since Nami’s body was more fragile and bruised easily.

As I stood amidst the fallen foes, I pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a deep drag. “Nami, I’m sorry,” I whispered, knowing she wouldn’t appreciate the smoke but needing the comfort of the habit in that moment.

I then turned my attention to Zoro and Brook, both still unconscious. With a swift kick to their heads, I brought them back to consciousness. They groaned, rubbing their heads as they sat up, trying to shake off the effects of the gas.

“Get up, you idiots. We’ve got a samurai to find,” I said, stubbing out the cigarette.

Zoro scowled at me but didn’t argue, while Brook just gave a weary nod. The three of us resumed our search, determined to find the samurai and put an end to this mess.

End of Flashback..

“Hey, Samurai! Are you here?” I yelled into the icy wilderness. “Did they already kick your ass?” My voice echoed off the surrounding snow-covered trees.

Just then, Zoro stopped, squinting ahead. “I think I found him.”

Brook and I hurried over. The samurai was half-buried in the snow, his form stiff and unmoving.

“He looks a bit frozen,” Brook noted, his tone more amused than concerned.

Without hesitation, I kicked the samurai’s frozen form. The ice shattered around him, and the samurai was released, collapsing into the snow with a loud gasp.

“I was caught in the snow and I froze!” the samurai exclaimed, shaking off the remaining ice.

“You were caught in a snowstorm,” I corrected, helping him up.

“No! The snow cannot touch me!” the samurai protested stubbornly.

“Quit being so stubborn,” I said, rolling my eyes at his pride.

The samurai was visibly trembling, clearly affected by the cold. “I believe my torso is somewhere underwater. The upper half of my body is submerged,” he explained, his voice still shaking.

“That would make sense, considering you can’t use your powers,” I replied, nodding in understanding.

The samurai looked shocked that we were willing to help him. “I accept your aid,” he said, his voice filled with gratitude.

With that, we guided the samurai toward the lake, determined to retrieve his missing torso.

“I thank you,” he said sincerely as we walked.

“Well, well, looks like someone learned how to say thank you,” I teased, a smirk tugging at my lips.

Just as we were nearing the lake, we noticed something in the distance, moving toward us.

“Could it be Brownbeard’s subordinates?” Brook wondered aloud, his voice tinged with concern.

We squinted into the distance, but as the figure grew closer, it became clear that this was something far more ominous. A giant, red shape loomed on the horizon, its form growing larger by the second.

“Damn, what is that?” I muttered, my earlier confidence wavering as we braced ourselves for whatever was coming our way.

Y/N POV…

“So, we all know what to do?” Luffy asked, looking at each of us in turn.

“Right!” we replied in unison, our voices filled with determination.

I adjusted the sword at my back, ensuring it was securely fastened. “Alright, let’s go!” Luffy announced, and with that, we mounted Luffy’s back as he prepared to leap into action.

“Go, Cien Fleur, Wings!” Robin called out, her voice carrying a sense of grace and authority as she gracefully disembarked from Luffy’s back.

Next, Franky readied himself for a jump, his body expanding into Gomu Gomu Balloon. Clenching my left fist, I timed my jump and leaped off Luffy, landing smoothly beside Robin.

“Well, well, looks like we have company,” I said with a smirk, drawing my sword “Well, well, looks like we have company,” I said with a smirk, drawing my sword and preparing for action.

“Alright, Master Dude, come on out before we get into your lab and kidnap you,” Luffy called out, his voice carrying a mix of challenge and enthusiasm.

Robin and I exchanged scolding glances. “Luffy! That was supposed to be a secret,” I said, a hint of exasperation in my tone.

“Crap, it’s the Straw Hat crew!” one of Caesar’s underlings shouted, their panic evident.

“Straw Hat,” Smokey muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief and concern.

The atmosphere grew tense as the underlings scrambled to respond, and the real showdown was about to begin.

“Did that guy say he was going to kick our master’s ass?” one of Caesar’s underlings exclaimed, disbelief clear in their voice.

“Yeah, like hell!” another shouted. “Down with the Straw Hats!”

With that, the underlings charged at us, their faces set with determination.

I touched the red gem on my sword, and a burst of flames erupted from the blade. The heat was intense, and the fire crackled with a fierce energy. As I swung my sword, waves of fire cascaded through the air, creating a dramatic display of flames that sent several of Caesar’s underlings flying backward. The flames carved through their ranks with precision, scorching the ground and forcing them to scatter.

I spun around, deflecting incoming attacks with fluid movements. The sword’s flames danced and leapt, its heat providing a barrier against the oncoming onslaught. Each strike was met with a burst of fire, creating a chaotic and mesmerizing spectacle. The underlings, now overwhelmed and struggling to keep up with the fiery assault, faltered in their charge.

“I got you now, Straw Hat!” came a voice from behind. Before I could react, Franky leaped in with his powerful “Strong Right!” The force of his attack sent several underlings flying, clearing a path.

“Nice one, Franky!” I called out, giving him an approving nod.

Just then, I noticed Tashigi and Smokey among the crowd. Tashigi stood out, her shirt open and a cigar in hand, creating a stark contrast to her usual appearance. I couldn’t help but tease her. “Tashigi! I didn’t know you had it in you! Granted, I never would have suspected you’d open your shirt like that and smoke a cigar. I took you more as a wine kind of gal, but I still approve. Love this for you!”

“I’m not Tashigi, you idiot!” Smokey snapped back, his voice tinged with annoyance.

“Smokey?!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening in surprise. “Wait, not you guys too?”

“Nevermind! After them, men!” Smokey shouted, rallying the G-5 unit to charge at us. The soldiers, now on high alert, advanced with the intent to capture.

Robin, quick to react, called out, “Cien Fleur Clutch!” Her abilities ensnared several of the G-5 soldiers, causing confusion and chaos among their ranks. The battle raged on as we continued to fight both Caesar’s underlings and the G-5 troops.

“How long do you think we have to wait for the master?” Luffy asked, clearly growing bored with the delay.

“I wish I knew, but it looks like we’re busting into the lab,” I replied, slashing through a soldier who was in my way.

Just then, Tashigi, still in Smoker’s body, lunged toward Luffy with a determined but clumsy attack. “Luffy!” I called out, trying to warn him.

Luffy dodged the attack effortlessly, his reflexes sharp as ever. Tashigi struggled to control Smoker’s Devil Fruit powers, her lack of experience evident in her erratic movements. Luffy, ever the tease, grabbed Smoker and managed to drag her to the ground with a mischievous grin. “What’s wrong, Smokey? Did something happen to you?!”

“Damn it, Tashigi, don’t get your ass kicked by that idiot while in my body!” Smokey’s voice, filled with frustration, rang out. Meanwhile, Luffy continued to dodge attack after attack, clearly enjoying the challenge.

Franky seized the opportunity, blasting a Radical Beam that created a massive hole in the lab’s wall. “Nice one, Franky!” I shouted, impressed by his timely intervention.

“Y/N, Robin, Luffy! Looks like we got an opening! Let’s go!” Franky called out, rallying us to move forward.

Smokey! Look up above!” shouted a G-5 soldier, pointing as something ominous began falling from the sky.

The G-5 soldiers and we watched in alarm as a red slime landed on one of the ships. “What is that?” I asked, my concern growing as the substance began to expand.

“It’s getting bigger!” one of the G-5 soldiers shouted, his voice tinged with panic.

Robin, scanning the scene, noted, “It looks like gas.”

“I don’t like this at all,” I said, taking a step back as the situation escalated.

The G-5 soldiers, desperate to neutralize the threat, began firing at the slime. But their attempts only led to a devastating explosion, taking out the soldiers on the boat. “What?!” I exclaimed, shocked by the sudden and violent outcome.

As we tried to process the chaos, another slime appeared out of nowhere. “Shit, the sky is filled with them! What is this?!” I yelled, watching in horror as more of the red slimes began to fall.

Suddenly, a sinister laugh echoed through the air. “Shroooorororo, Slimey, I’m sorry you were locked up for three years,” a voice taunted.

“Master!” the underlings cried out in reverence.

“So that’s him,” I muttered, recognizing the voice as belonging to the mastermind behind this madness.

“Are you the master? That’s it, you’re going down!” Luffy declared, determined to put an end to this nightmare.

“Shroooorororo, welcome to Punk Hazard, G-5 and Straw Hats. I am the most brilliant scientist—Caesar Clown!” Caesar announced with a manic grin. “A bit of patience, and it won’t be long until you’re all dead!”

We all stared at Caesar, our determination hardening in the face of his arrogance. Just then, Luffy seized the opportunity and lunged at Caesar, grabbing him with a triumphant grin. “I got you now, Master!” Luffy declared, his grip firm and unwavering.

Caesar’s eyes widened in surprise, his confident demeanor faltering for a moment. Before Caesar could react further, the rest of us prepared for the next move, ready to face the twisted scientist and end his reign of terror.

We are back with another new chapter! Yall this was supposed to be posted yesterday but some parts got deleted, so I had to write the portion. But we finally got a Sanji POV.. and we now know the enemy threat is Caesar Clown. Next Chapter is tonight! And you guys don't want to miss this! Thank you guys for following along as well as following, liking and commenting! Thank you for showing love to my first fan fic! I know its a bit long, but I cant wait for you guys to read the whole cake island and wano Chapters I have in store!. The plot will be plotting!

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bluegalaxygirl · 1 year ago

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Kuraigana castle (Zosan X Reader) P1

Plot: Zoro gets invited back to the castle with his new family so his daughter can meet Mihawk and Perona.

Warning: Bad language, fluff, Making out, Violence and Snakes.

Reader is Female, her the ability to control Snakes that come form tattoo's on her arms, she can change the size of them but they are also connected to her emotions. Kuina is 10 months old and has Sanji's eyebrows and blonde hair but your eyes and skin tone.

Zoro X Sanji X reader, Poly relationship, established relationship.

Zoro got a letter form Mihawk and Perona a few months ago, inviting his new family over to Kuraigana Castle for a night. You were all packed and ready to go but then you got attacked by the vinsmoke brothers while out stocking up on food for the crew. It didn't take you long to recover but Zoro was adamant that you had to be 100% ok before they go due to some animals on Kuraigana, he didn't tell you much just that they were apes and very skilled fighters. Luckily nothing else got in the way so the four of you headed out on a spare boat Franky offered you while they waited on another island that would keep your Captain happy. The sun was setting by the time you arrived, mist covered the rocky flooring and destroyed buildings littered the area "This is where you stayed or two years?" You ask stepping off the boat and onto a old wooden dock with two bags in your hands dropping them to the floor so you could take your baby girl off Zoro "Yea, it looks better than it was though" The swordsman hands you Kuina before stepping out of the boat "It used to look worse than this?" Sanji asks walking over to the three of you after tying the boat up to a nearby pole. Zoro chuckles and nods grabbing the two bags and starting to walk, you run after him not wanting to walk around alone as Sanji picks up another bag and follows "Wasn't someone supposed to meet us?" you ask placing a hand on Zoro's shoulder making him stop walking, he looks at you then sighs knowing your worried their going to get lost.

The four of you wait for a few minutes but no one showed up, you started to get nervous, the feeling of eyes on you seemed to come and go, you could tell Zoro was feeling it too, keeping a hand on his swords scanning the area as he stood next to you "Are you sure this is the right spot?" Sanji leans next to you against a large rock watching as you hold the baby in one arm while the other goes into your pocket pulling out the letter, the two of you read over it again "we'll we followed the directions and this is the only dock in sight" You sigh letting the cook have the letter while you pull the blanket over your daughter more, your heart drops when Zoro pulls out one of his swords and steps in front of you staring off into the distance. Sanji pulls you into his back looking around too try and see what Zoro sees "What is it?" The cook whispers after not seeing anything walking a little more forward to get a batter look. "Their in the tree line" The swordsman whispers back his eye fixed on the trees a good distance away form you only to suddenly turn and grab your waist pulling you away from the rock you were just leaning on as a giant ape land on it, Zoro's sword swings up cutting the large rock in half and sending the ape tumbling away. You hold your baby close to your chest as your pulled behind Zoro while Sanji kicks another ape away and stands in front of you. As you look around you notice more and more apes show up seeming to appear out of nowhere and with large swards and armor. Kuina clings to you as she starts to cry, you shush her and rub her back trying to clam her down.

"You bastard's, don't you dare make my baby girl cry" Sanji yells out pointing at one of the apes who takes a step back, the other apes widen there eyes as the cook growls his legs lighting on fire and his face full of anger, you take the opportunity while there distracted to let one of your snakes out, holding your arm out and making fangs out of your finger the tattoo on your arm comes to life, slithering out of the arm of your jacket and rapidly growing in size as it curls around your family with its head held high. Kuina looks up and giggles stretching her arms out to try and get its attention but the snakes round eyes are focused on the apes letting out a loud and angry hiss when one tires to take a step forward "You got this baby?" Zoro asks knowing he can fight with your snake protecting you and the baby "Yea hunk, have fun" You laugh as the swordsman jumps over your snake and attacks the apes who even though are good fighters and seem to know three swords style, they're no match for the green haired man. You look over to your other side surprised to see Sanji gone and fighting against some apes kicking them and setting them on fire while yelling at them. You let out a small laugh seeing the cooks still upset over them making his daughter cry.

Kuina pats your chest while looking up, you think she's looking at your snake but when you look up there are tiny ghosts flying around and attaching themselves to the apes before exploding "Horo horo horo, now why don't you all run along" A female voice hits your ears the apes starting to run off and dragging their injured friends away "What the hell you could have killed me" Your snake shrinks and goes back to your arm letting you see Zoro yelling at Perona who's floating and holding a stuffed bear "What? Not even a thank you?" She yells back getting in the green haired man's face as you walk over as the two argue Sanji runs over to you "Are you two ok?" his face is full of worry as he looks over his daughter but sighs in relief when he see's she's no longer crying "We're fine" you place a kiss on his cheek to reassure him before looking over at Perona and Zoro arguing. "Thank you" you smile getting the two to stop yelling at each other as you walk closer, Perona's eyes widening starting at the baby in your arms "Oh my Perona you look lovely, it so good to see you again" Sanji runs over hearts in his eyes and jumping to hug her only for the pink haired girl to fly over him and to you making the cook land on the dirt floor in front of Zoro "Oh look at her, so cute" You smile as your daughter looks up at the girl who fawns over her "Look at those pink cheeks and little hands and little booties so cute" Perona's face turns red as she squeals over the little girl. Zoro sighs and looks down at Sanji who just lies on the floor looking defeated "Come on get up" The cook sighs standing up, brushing the dirt off his suit and fixing his hair before turning to look at the the three girls, he can't help but smile seeing his cute baby girl get fawned over and laughing as the Pink haired girl shows off the stuffed bear. "Better?" The swordsman asks placing a hand around the cook's waist who nods in response.

The walk to the castle was long and on the way you were more than happy to let the pink haired girl carry Kuina for a bit "I can't get over how cute you are, lets just hope you dont get your dads sense of direction" Perona laughs directing her comment at Zoro "Oi, your the one who didn't meet us in the spot" The swordsman growls holding two bags in his hands giving the girl a stern look as she stops in front of him holding his baby close to her "No you went to the wrong dock" Perona pokes the green haired man making him growl at her and look away, you were about to speak up when she floats off down the path "Now come on before more of those apes show up" She calls to the three of you all running to catch up to her. The castle was large beyond beautiful and the inside was even better, it was much warmer in here even though the floors and walls were marble, red carpets lined the floors showing the way up some stairs and down hall ways, bright crystal chandeliers hung form the ceiling and luxurious furniture placed just right. "Mihawk's up the stairs come on" The girls smiles heading up there not waiting for the three of you "Hay wait" you all call out running after her with bags in hand and down a hall way "Perona" Zoro yells out making the girl stop in her tracks just outside some large doors, her puzzled look pisses the swordsman off as the three of you come to a stop, Sanji walks up to pink haired girl and takes the baby off her as she protests "You can't just run off like that with our baby" Zoro yells making her float back a bit.

Perona goes to yell at Zoro only to see you and Sanji panic fading form your faces as the cook holds the baby close to his chest and you running your fingers over the little girls cheek while Kuina babbles a little "Oh... i-im sorry" The pink haired girl looks down shocking Zoro a little, she's normally quick to anger and doesn't like to admit when she's wrong so this is a first. He pats her shoulder telling her it's ok, and he's no longer mad, she tears up a little but wipes them away "I really am sorry" she holds her bear close keeping her head down "Oh no please don't cry, were not mad" Sanji walks up to the girl after handing Kuina off to you, "Really?" Sanji nods at the girl seeming to cheer her up right away. You walk over to Zoro who puts the bags down and takes Kuina's hand as she reaches out for him, his eye softens as his daughter looks up at him. The large doors open to a living room, the fire place on and Mihawk sitting in a chair drinking a hot cup of tea "You're late" The black haired man puts his cup down and stands looking over as Perona fly's over to him "It's not my fault someone can't read directions" She puffs out her cheeks before turning to Zoro "I'm sorry we followed the directions on the letter, but we still got lost i guess" you laugh a little embarrassed as you walk into the room with Zoro's hand around your waist. You've never met Mihawk before but you've heard so much about him form many different people. Sanji stands on your other side, the last time he saw Mihawk was when he almost killed Zoro on the Baratie but that was a long time ago.

The black haired man walks over your heart pounding in your chest, he has no expression so you can't tell what he's thinking or feeling, Zoro notices and rubs your hip telling you it's ok but it still doesn't clam you down until the man in front of you lets a small smile show on his face with his eyes on your daughter "Congratulation" you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding as he takes your free hand and holds it in his "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Y/N" you smile at him still a little nervous "It's a pleasure to meet you too, sir" you bow a little as he lets go of your hand and turns to Sanji holding his hand out to the cook who takes it, the two men greet each other before Mihawk turns to Zoro the two stare at each other for a little while then bow to each other. "Now were all friends i have so many things i want to show you" Perona floats over mainly talking to the little girl in your arms rubbing her little cheek before floating off "I'll be back, oh! and I'll drop off your bags too" she calls out with a big smile her ghost picking up your bags and floating away. "Still hyper as always" Zoro sighs earning a nod from the black haired man "Please come and sit, there's fresh tea on the table" Mihawk walks over to his chair and sits down crossing one leg over the other.

You sit down in between your two boys on the large sofa placing your baby on your lap, so she can sit up and look around as you pull the blanket off her not wanting her to get too hot. "I heard you named her after an old friend, is that correct?" Mihawk looks at Zoro who nods "Yes, Kuina was a very dear friend" The swordsman smiles placing his hand on the baby's cheek who holds it and babbles a little as Sanji pours some tea for the three of you, "She's beautiful, although when i sent the invitation i thought you would jump at the chance to show off" Mihawk's words make you and Sanji laugh a little as Zoro's face goes red refusing to look the older man in the face. "We would have come sooner, but we ... urm" you stop yourself moving some hair out of your face not sure if you should say anything, Sanji places a hand around your shoulders giving your arm a rub "We ran into some trouble with my old family" Sanji continues for you "I see, i'm glad your all ok." Mihawk knows of the Vinsmoke family and what they are like, so he can put two and two together. The man stands and steps over to you all "May i?" The black haired man holds his arms over to hold Kuina who smiles up at him. You nod and pass her up to him letting the man walk back to his seat and sit with the girl on his knee while he holds her there. Kuina looks up at him eyes full of wonder before smiling at him and holding her arms out to grab at his necklace, he keeps her away from it though since its actually a knife so instead he grabs his hat from the side table and letting her mess with it.

You all enjoy some tea as Mihawk watches your daughter run her hand lightly over the feather on his hat trying not to break it, "I'm back" Perona's sing-song voice calls out flying through the doors carrying a big box with the help of her ghosts setting it down on the floor next to Mihawk's chair, Sanji smiles at her and tried to greet her but yet again she ignores him making him pout. You pat his back letting him lay his head on your shoulder. "I bring gifts for you" Perona smiles going to take the baby off Mihawk only for him to put his hand in the way "Meany" she calls out pouting and crossing her arms over her chest "Your too hyper, plus you need to ask for permission" His calm voice makes her sigh and unfold her arms "Can i have the baby?" she asks only for the man to look at you, your a little confused making him sigh as Zoro's hand goes to your leg not really knowing what the warlord means by that look "I mean ask permission from the mother not me" Perona jumps a little embarrassed that she asked the wrong person but looks at you with puppy dog eyes and hands pressed together in a pleading way "Please can i hold your baby?" she asks making you laugh a little at her eagerness and child like attitude "Of course just please keep her where i can see her" The pink haired girl furiously nods taking the baby from Mihawk and sitting down on the floor with Kuina on her lap starting to show her all the stuffed toys the girl made in the box.

After a few hours of talking, drinking tea and Perona playing with Kuina you notice your little girl falling asleep on the pink haired girls lap, you place your cup down and stand gaining the girl's attention "I think i should take her to bed" you smile bending down seeing Perona pout but hand you Kuina "Can i at least help?" she asks as you stand and nod making her smile again. "Good night sweet angel" Sanji stands and walks over placing a kiss on the baby's head giving her a long loving look as you move over to where Zoro is sitting, so he can kiss her head too "Night sweetie" The swordsman whispers grabbing her blanket and placing it over the child. Perona leads the way to your room as you follow down the hall and up more stairs until you make it to a large room with a massive bed, windows on either side and a crib in front of one of the windows "Wow" you whisper looking around the room soon spotting your bags on the large bed. Perona fly's over to the crib and places her hands on it "I hope this is ok for Kuina" You smile at her and nod "It's perfect" you place Kuina down her eyes opening and closing as she tried to fall asleep. You go into one of the bags and get out some pj's for her laying them in the crib next to your girl so you change her out of her day cloths and place her into the night cloths.

Perona watches you work holding onto the blanket you had taken off the baby until your done about to put the blanket over the baby but you stop her "Sorry but its not good for a baby this young to sleep with a blanket like that. She loves it but if she rolls in it and gets tangled she won't be able to get back out" Your explanation seems to make the pink haired girl shocked pulling away with the blanket "What about teddy bears?" she asks only for you to shrug "I don't know but to be safe i say not while she's asleep or where i can't see her" the pink haired girl nods handing you the blanket back before looking over the now sleeping baby. You put the blanket on your bed and sit down for a minute watching your baby through the bars of the crib "Baby's are complicated" Perona sighs holding a teddy bear to her chest "Yea they are, but we just do our best, thats all we can sometimes do" you sigh rubbing your tired eyes "Well, i think your doing a good job" Perona's words make you stop, looking at her to see if she's telling the truth or not, but she just floats there looking over your baby with a loving look "Thank you, that means a lot" you tear up a little but manage to wipe it away and not cry.

The living room is silent as Sanji sits next to Zoro on the sofa watching the fire burn as Mihawk brings in a bottle of red wine and some glasses, he pours the wine into the glasses and hands one to Sanji then Zoro before sitting down with one of his own "So, you got lost again Zoro" Mihawk looks over at the swordsman who almost spits out his wine "What? no, Sanji and Y/n Navigated" The swordsman points his thumb at the cook who sigh and nods his head, he wants to be angry at his lover, but he's right "As much as i hate to admit it he's right, i don't know how we got lost" Sanji sips his wine leaning back on the sofa and pulling out the letter, the black haired man leans forward and holds out his hand for it. The cook hands the letter over and watches as the man reads through it soon sighing while placing it down on his lap and sipping his wine "I asked her to do one thing" Zoro laughs out realizing what happened only for the ghost girl to appear behind him "What?" she asks scaring the Zoro and Sanji a little "You sent them to the first dock not the second" The black hired man doesn't even look up as you walk in to hear the argument "There is only one dock" Perona fly's over to the man and picks up the letter as you lean on the back of the sofa "No there are two" Mihawk sips on his wine as the girl looks over the letter "That first one doesn't count, it can hardly be called a dock" as the two argue Zoro and Sanji look up at you with a smile "Hay love, come and sit" Sanji smiles moving aside and patting the seat in between him and Zoro.

You walk around and take a seat as Zoro puts his arm around your shoulders "Is she ok?" The swordsman asks, Sanji handing you a glass of wine that you gladly take "Yea she's fine, they have a crib for her, its lovely" you sip on the wine feeling the cook lay his head on your shoulder "She didn't cause you any problems right?" Zoro asks secretly pointing to Perona who's still yelling at Mihawk not wanting to admit she got you all lost "No she's great, nice, understanding, very different to how she used to be. What did you do to her?" you ask making the two boys laugh "I didn't do anything" The swordsman leans over and places a kiss on your cheek. "If your going to be that way then fine, i'm going to bed" Perona huff turning her back on Mihawk and floating off "Good night" The black haired man calls out "Good night Perona, sweet dreams" Sanji calls out to her and for the first time she waves keeping her back to him still as she fly's off down the hall "She acknowledged me" The cook smiles with hearts in his eyes as he floats his head down onto your lap, you laugh a little and run a hand through his hair before taking the wine off him and putting it on the table knowing it's going to take him a while to recover. Zoro chuckles but rolls his eyes at the cook sipping his wine "My apologies for her behavior, she's excited to see a new cute thing" Mihawk sighs looking at his almost empty glass of wine "I guess that hasn't changed" you laugh a little as Zoro leans in closer to you placing his head on your shoulder.

With the sky much darker and the red moon shining above, everyone decides to head for bed, you entered the room quietly and went to check on Kuina who was fast asleep in the crib, Sanji wraps his arms around you as he places his chin on your shoulder looking down at the baby with you "She's perfect" The cook whispers kissing your neck "Your perfect" Sanji pulls away turning you around to place his lips on yours, you kiss back leaning in and running your hand through his hair while he runs his tongue over your lower lip. Smiling you open your mouth for him letting your tongues met as your mouths move together, the blonde hums into your mouth running his hands up and down your back keeping you close to him until you both need air and pull away "Mi amour" Sanji whispers against your lips "My darling" you whisper back as Zoro walks over after getting all the clothes you three need out of the bags "Come on, i want to sleep" The swordsman kisses the cook's temple before kissing yours, handing you both your night clothes. You all change before climbing into the big bed pulling the thick duvet over you and cuddling into Zoro as Sanji lays behind you, his arm around your waist and his forehead pressed against your shoulder. The swordsman moves closer and rubs his thumb across your cheek before tilting your head up to look at him, his eyes lock with yours telling you unspoken words of love. Leaning up you place your lips on his in a light kiss that soon deepens when the swordsman pushes his tongue into your mouth, you moan a little and open your mouth for him meeting his tongue as you run your hand through his hair.

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m1d-45 · 2 years ago

Text

…was birthed chalk

summary: any smith that discards a perfectly good blade holds no amount of power over the craft. perhaps it’s better, then, that the sword is passed onto one who knows better.

word count: 6.1k (good lord-)

-> warnings: spoilers for albedo lore, rhinedottir is Awful and albedo has a small crisis over it.. a metaphor that may or may not make sense only bc i was the one that wrote it

-> gn reader (they/them)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yum1x || @esthelily || @dedef7890

<< part 1 || < masterlist >

when albedo wakes up, the sun has long since risen.

it’s not a surprise, as he stayed up rather late simply thinking, but it was inconvenient.

he sighed and reached for his nightstand, tying up his hair just enough to go through the motions of the morning. it was a fast, familiar, memorized pattern, quickly waking him up and getting him ready for the day. he rushed a little bit, knowing he’d woken later and rhine was expecting an explanation, but he still exited his room with hardly a yawn, moving for the kitchen. maybe he could indulge a bit, have something sweet- to wake him up, of course, and drain the remnants of sleep from him.

he barely had the chance to step over the threshold before rhine’s door opened and she walked out, bag over one shoulder and a folder in the other. she looked over at him, eyes sweeping over his clothes.

“what are you dressed like that for?”

he glanced down at himself. he wasn’t wearing anything stained or torn, and was practically identical to what he’d worn yesterday. a white shirt and pants, thick enough nothing spilled would quickly reach his skin but thin enough that it wasn’t a hassle if they needed to be disposed of. the same things he always wore.

“what’s the issue, master? is there a fault in my clothing?”

her face twisted like he’d said the sky had turned red. “didn’t i say you were coming with me today? that’s not exactly fit for snow.”

the room suddenly turned into a vacuum, all of the air leaving albedo’s chest even as he took a breath. go with her? where? when had she said so? he would have certainly used the time from yesterday to prepare if she had told him.

“stop staring and change. quickly.”

her words snapped him out of his haze and he nodded, a mumble of ‘right away, master’ clumsily pushed out of his mouth as he rushed by.

what did he wear? he rarely went on trips outside of the lab, and when he did it was never far enough to warrant much more than a simple coat. and where were they going? was it going to be cold? hot? dangerous? would he need to be able to move quickly?

albedo felt like his body was moving on its own, stripping off his shirt and pulling on another before he could make the conscious decision to do so. the flimsy band he used to tie up his hair fell to the floor but he hardly noticed, simply grabbing the more secure one for lab work and wrapping it around his wrist as he continued to change.

he wasn’t sure how, but he eventually made it out of his room in a cohesive outfit, a jacket thrown over his arm. when rhine looked him over again, she couldn’t find a fault, nodding and turning for the door.

albedo fought off a smile.

there was a cold wind outside so he ended up putting on the jacket as they walked, feeling odd about it. it was thick to keep out the chill, but… it was strange to have so much more weight to his movements. similarly, walking in boots instead of simpler shoes felt strange, out of place. he supposed it was simply because he’d never really worn them before, rarely ever venturing out like rhine did…

he followed her through a forest, trying to take in as many details as he could without stopping to sketch. brilliant blue butterflies fluttered on top of yellow flowers, large petals dipping and swaying under the weight. sun streamed through the gaps in the leaves, shifting as the winds rippled through the boughs of oak and pine. it bordered on overwhelming, the sounds of birds he’d never heard distracting him long enough that he nearly tripped over a large root.

rhinedottir huffed, an odd mix of amusement and irritation. “what, you never heard a bird before?”

he tracked a large red one as it hopped across branches, searching for something unseen. “nothing this vibrant… i’ve never been this far from the lab before, master.”

she gave him an odd look. “really? i expected you’d be out and about pretty often.”

he tore his gaze away from the bird to look at her in confusion, but.. she seemed serious. “you told me to practice alchemy, so… i did. i run experiments and rarely leave, only if i’m searching for a substance we’re out of. the farthest i’ve been was only around a five minute walk, to… miss alice called it starsnatch cliff.”

her face twisted at the mention of alice’s name, and she picked up the pace slightly. “don’t talk about her.”

“why? has she done something to upset-“

“just listen to me, alright? don’t.”

the conversation died in an instant, leaving albedo confused once more.

the forest soon broke, the trees dispersing out into a plain, and he looked around, trying to get his bearings. there was a map in the lab but he rarely used it, only ever looking to see if rhine could pick him up a material or another that he needed without going too far out of her way. still, he had a vague memory of it, enough to know the name of the mountain they were approaching.

“is the domain near vindagnyr?”

rhinedottir tensed, her grip on her bag tightening. “it’s called dragonspine.”

the edge to her words shuts down any further questions he had, and he bites his tongue with a nod.

another thing to learn.

they thankfully don’t go deep into the mountain, stopping only on the outskirts. he recognizes the domain they stopped at from the diagram she showed him, the diamond sigils faintly glowing yellow.

he inspected the domain, double checking both the inscription on the bottom and the idea he had to solve it. it seemed like it was feasible, but-

“here.” rhine held out a hand, holding a long sheath. a leather handle stuck out from it, the silver of a guard glittering dangerously, and albedo hesitated before taking it.

“why do i need a sword, master?”

she waved a hand as if it was obvious. “it’s dangerous. now stay here, i’m gonna go find a geo slime.”

“i don’t know how to wield it, are you certain-?”

“if you don’t want it then just leave it behind. it’s useless anyway.”

without any other words, she left, leaving him with a sword he didn’t know how to use.

carefully, he undid the latch and pulled off the sheath, revealing a smooth silver blade. it was simple, with a basic cross guard and a neat edge, but he still felt intimidated by the razor-sharp edge. his specialty was with alchemy, not with blade-work… surely rhine knew that?

albedo flipped the sword over and blinked at the engraving along the center of the blade. wouldn’t it make sense to have it on both sides?

he brought it closer to his face, squinting a bit to make out the words. it was an old sword, evidently, and it showed in the faded marks.

‘as the creator forged, so too do i serve.’

albedo stared.

though the words were blurry and indistinct, he was certain that was what it said. but what did it mean? there it was again, the mention of this ‘creator’, this time on a blade? was it a title, referencing the blacksmith? surely that was what ‘forged’ was there for…

at the sound of footsteps he quickly put the sword back in its sheath, deciding to shelve the thought for later.

rhinedottir came up besides him, chest heaving with effort. one of her hands was carefully cupped, a yellowish slime in her hands. “alright, i’ve got the condensate. whats your idea?”

“the inscription says to take the shortest path and to repeatedly-“

“albedo, the elemental energy in this thing isn’t gonna last.”

ah…. “top right, middle left, bottom left, middle right, bottom right, top left.”

she nodded, walking towards the domain. carefully, she smeared the slime over the sigils in the order he told, each glowing brighter as she went. as every sigil lit up, the path connecting it to the center sigil seeped with energy, flowing down to the middle. when the last of the condensate was pushed into the final sigil, the center one glowed as well, pulsing brightly. with a loud and heavy crack, he domain doors split open, falling inward.

rhinedottir was crouched, wiping the remainder of the slime onto the grass, and she stared at the doors

“you did it.”

warm pride bloomed in albedo’s chest. he had.

he helped her up and she picked up her bag of supplies, but turned to him instead of the door, a stern expression on her face.

“now, albedo, you need to stay close to me, alright? don’t stray off or wander, and if you get lost stay put and shout. domains are dangerous things, and frequently filled with monsters. this one should be empty, but in the case that it isn’t… just don’t go poking around where you shouldn’t.”

he nodded, clutching his sheathed sword a little tighter. a satisfied flicker of a smile crossed rhinedottir’s face before she turned, delving into the domain.

he followed dutifully, making sure to stick to her side. it was hard not to ask to stop and look at a carving on a wall, or an inset of gold upon a door, but the idea of her irritation kept his curiosity at bay. they made their way over mossy and cracked stones, occasionally pushing through creaky, rotten doors or climbing over fallen stone. the air itself felt ancient, important, and he wondered why rhinedottir was searching this one. she want one for history, but surely there wasn’t anything of value here…

they stopped in front of a large door, remarkably intact for the state of the rest of the domain. it was simple, blank, and the only visible mechanism of opening it were the four levers, two on each side.

rhinedottir put her hands on her hips, huffing. “there’s only two of us.”

albedo looked around the room, spotting a large pile of debris and not much else. a plan began to form in his head, a rough draft of possibility, and he wrapped the strap of the sheath around his waist to free his hands. the sword was odd and uncomfortable, but it stayed.

rhine spoke before he could, “any ideas?”

oh.

he cleared his throat, carefully stepping forward to see if she would stop him.

she didn’t.

he approached the lever closest to him, noting the large ball on the end for grip. carefully, he pushed down, surprised to see it gave with little effort. the mechanics were likely rusted and tired, unable to provide the resistance it used to, or maybe the weights had snapped off due to their ropes rotting… whatever the case, it made his job easier.

he let it go, watching it ease back into position, and turned around.

“how heavy is your bag?”

at first, her eyes lit up, but they quickly dimmed. “the angle of the levers is too sharp, it’ll just slide down.”

he shook his head. “no. the levers don’t exert enough force rising up to counter your bag, provided it’s heavy enough. as long as we push it down first, it’ll stay.”

she hesitated, holding the bag tighter, but eventually caved. as she walked over, albedo pushed down the lever again, moving to the other side of it so she could hook her bag on it. her hands hovered around it as he removed his hand, but it held.

a smile spread across her face, and she looked up eagerly. “we need one more.”

albedo turned to the pile of debris and took off his jacket, laying it out on the ground. carefully, he fills it with stone, tying the sleeves together into a handle and carefully hoisting it up. a few rocks slip, but he can tell just by holding it that it’ll work fine.

rhine gets his plan and lowers the lever for him, letting him hang the jacket on it. together, they move to the other side of the door, taking their own levers. creator and creation, in sync, pushing down the levers to a domain.

when the door creaks open, albedo turns to her in joy, delighted at the show of cooperation-

rhinedottir brushes past him, pulling her bag off the lever as she walks past.

the doors begin to slide close and albedo rushes to slip between them, leaving his jacket hanging in his haste, and shivers at the cold in the new room.

it’s dark, more so when the doors shut with a bang. the only light is a pale blue in front of him, the shadow of rhinedottir outlined within it. she’s peering down at something, her bag dropped at her side.

the floor is covered in something dark, something that floats when he kicks at it. he crouched, careful not to touch it, and sees they’re… feathers. thousands and thousands of feathers, littering the floor and walls. they’re large, smooth, as if all the feathers on an impossibly large bird had simply… fallen off.

the sound of a zipper draws his attention, and he looks over, standing. the source of the blue light is gone, the light now white and coming from a headlamp on rhinedottir’s head. she’s zipping up her bag, a self-satisfied smile on her face. “i should have brought you sooner, your skills are a pretty good tool.”

the air went cold.

ice quickly crawled through albedo’s veins, faster than it would naturally just from the chill. an unnatural, frozen mass settled in his stomach, fed the more he turned over rhinedottir’s words in his mind.

she didn’t seem to notice, busying herself with brushing off feathers from a door in the corner, but albedo couldn’t shake it off as easily as she did.

why did it bother him so much?

the walk back to the lab was cold, both because he had left his jacket and because it was nearing nighttime. the lamp on rhine’s head was the only source of light, forcing him to walk behind her and keep his eyes trained on the floor to watch where she stepped. now that it was dark, he could see that something in her bag was glowing, blue light barely edging through the gaps in her zippers. she’s taken something from the domain, but what?

he didn’t notice when they arrived, too lost in his thoughts, only pulled out by the sudden warmth around him. he shut and locked the door and watched as rhine goes through her normal routine. boots off, coat off, bag in hand, and it’s only when she pushes open her door that he takes a step and realizes a problem.

“master?”

she pauses, slight annoyance flashing for a brief moment across her face. “what?”

albedo undoes the loop of the sheath, holding up the sword, but she shakes her head.

“keep it. you’ll need it later.”

without another word, her door closes, the silent click of the lock solidifying the barrier between them.

the next day is wrong.

it’s the only way he can describe it. there’s a tension in the air he can’t quite understand.

he’s cold even under his blanket, and he thinks about putting on his jacket only to remember he doesn’t have it. the floor is cold, and he shivers as he walks to his door.

the fire is out, which explains why the room is so cold, but it still feels empty beyond that. everything is in its place, nothing is overtly missing, but…

albedo grabs a lighter and some tinder, crouching besides the fireplace and relighting it. sparks fly and flame catches, and he stays for a moment to warm up, looking around the room. snow has swept in besides the door, which makes him frown. why would rhine leave again so soon after a discovery?

the fire crackles and pops to life, and he stands, backing away a bit so he doesn’t get burned.

what’s wrong?

why does the room feel so empty?

he turns, intending to check the small table by her door where she sometimes leaves him notes, but his attention catches on his desk.

it’s mostly as it was when they left the day before, with one vital exception: a large and thick book, weighing down two envelopes.

if he had a heart, he had a feeling it cracked.

he feels… a word comes to mind, dread, but he doesn’t understand it, not fully. his breath picks up as he approaches the book, as his shaking hand brushes over the print of his name in his master’s handwriting and he feels cold.

‘albedo,’ it reads. nothing more. nothing less.

his chest feels tight, his mind running rampant as it tries desperately to catalogue, define, and diagnose whatever makes him feel so nervous.

carefully, cautiously, albedo pulls the envelope from beneath the leather bound book, feeling afraid.

he pulls out his stool and sits, mostly so he doesn’t feel as nauseous, and rips open the letter, pulling out the twin sheets of paper inside. its… small. the ‘paragraphs’ are barely a line or two long, yet the handful of sentences feel like they’re being forced into his mind by chisel.

Kreideprinz,

I have found what I have been looking for. Locked within the domain we searched was the Heart of Naberius, and I have no further matters to attend to here.

Go to Mondstadt. Find my old friend, Alice, and give her the recommendation letter. Then, complete your final assignment. Any other projects you were working on prior are now void; consider this to be the only one that matters.

Your final assignment: show me the truth and the meaning of this world.

— Gold

he reads and rereads the words over and over again, but they don’t stick. his hands are shaking, worse now, and something in his chest begins to hurt. he checks the other page but only finds a map, the backs of both papers empty. nothing more. nothing less.

albedo drops the papers, if only to read them without the words shaking, but finds that his sight has begun to blur. he wipes the water from his eyes and tries again, and again, and again to understand what’s written in the letter.

rhinedottir always said that if he didn’t perform well she would simply leave; was this the end result of that? had he failed to keep up with the pace she had silently set? was there some silent cue he was meant to follow, something to direct him to the answers she wanted quicker than he would organically find them? was he meant to be quicker, more efficient, was he meant to find things at such an inhuman pace because he was never truly human to begin with?

‘kreideprinz,’ she says (nothing more, nothing less), pretending as if the title from his ‘childhood’ wasn’t something he had clearly failed to earn if she had left, if he had somehow failed. ‘recommendation letter,’ for an ‘old friend,’ as if she hadn’t stopped talking about her after the incident with klee, never inviting them back no matter how many times albedo subtly hinted alice might be able to help her.

even as he stands, as his mind registers the command of his final assignment, a large portion of his mental space is taken up by the instincts she drilled into him, desperately attempting to make sense of at least something.

maybe it’s hunger, his thoughts nudge, but he’s never had the largest appetite to begin with, and accidentally skipping days of meals while he was focused on a project never made his stomach hurt like it did now. he feels- he doesn’t know how he feels, he could stop and sit and think for a year but never know. the words he’s searching for are out of his reach, blurry, unknown to him even as he feels them all the same. he knows that it’s likely some sort of panic response, the ever-analytical sector of his mind forever chugging away and collecting data on his own feelings, but he doesn’t know why.

why?

he pulled a bag from his closet, blankly running through a checklist his brain pulled from thin air. the book rhinedottir left him was tucked into a pocket, the letter put away while the map stayed out. ‘mondstat,’ she said. he’d heard about it from alice—made sense, he was supposed to go there to see her—but while the name was familiar, he still didn’t know where it was.

he’d packed. nearly all of his belongings were tucked within the bag, save for maybe a few of the early textbooks he studied from simply due to space and weight. still, even as he set it on his desk and stared at the map, reading the names yet not registering the information, he didn’t feel ready.

feel. the word was beginning to lose meaning.

he felt things he didn’t understand and didn’t feel what he thought he should. he wasn’t angry that she left without warning, nor sad at the lack of assignments or the vagueness of the one he did receive. he wasn’t resentful—a word that hardly applied to him anyway—because she had left before she reviewed something he’d submitted to her. he wasn’t anything he knew, and everything he didn’t.

he was just… hollow.

albedo wiped the tears from his eyes and made an effort to read the map, understanding only the location of the lab, the marker designating north, and the city labeled mondstat. he folded the map and put it in his pocket, pulling a lab coat over his shoulders and hefting the bag. the door was cold, the wind outside even colder, and as he stared at the key in his palm, he wondered if it was even worth it to lock the door.

metal twisted within metal.

the chalk prince crumbled.

the first thing albedo noticed about mondstat was that it was tall.

buildings stretched higher than he’d ever seen, walls so tall he had to look up to see the guards patrolling along the top, bows in hand.

the second was that it was an island.

he checked the map rhine left him—and blocked out the part of his mind still documenting the bitterness in the back of his throat, wondering if it was emotion or illness—and upon further inspection, if he squinted.. the blurry lines revealed there was in fact water around the city.

he folded it away. at least he knows he has the right place?

he steps from the treeline where he’d been resting, pulling the familiar weight of his bag i’ve this shoulders and-

“albedo?”

he freezes, barely a foot from the shade of the whispering woods.

he turns, slowly, and sees red within one of the bushes. bright, a hat on top of a red coat, blonde twin tails broken up by specks of grass caught within them. the clover charm on klee’s hat caught the light, shining, and a warm pressure built up in his throat.

familiarity.

“klee.”

he can’t stop the way his voice almost cracks, strained with his journey (he’s alone) and the realization he’s been avoiding (maybe he was meant to be)

she lights up upon recognizing his voice, quickly rushing from the bush to latch herself onto his side. her arms wrap around him, and he tentatively sets one of his on her hat, unsure where to put it.

(her hair reminds him of rhinedottir’s, of the time she spent meticulously washing dust and debris from it after a long journey, of the blades of grass she flicked into the fire as she braided it away, tying it with a bright red ribbon alice had gifted her)

“klee’s so happy to see you! what are you doing here? where’s your mom? are you here to stay? oh, can i show you my new dodoco?”

albedo picked through her questions in his mind, deciding which would be safe ones to answer. “i’m here for your mother, alice. i’m… to deliver a letter to her.”

klee backed away, fitting her thumbs under her backpack straps. “klee can take you to her! i was going back to the city anyways.”

he glanced at the forest. “what were you doing there?”

her face suddenly flushed a bright pink, eyes flashing with what he assumed was embarrassment before she rushed forward, taking him by the hand and walking at a shockingly fast pace for somebody so young. “don’t worry about it!”

albedo had a feeling he should.

nonetheless, he followed, letting her lead up up to and across the bridge. it was empty, an eerie feeling settling over it as he walked. he wasn’t sure why; maybe it was the imposing height of the walls? maybe it was the guards in front of the gate, swords at their sides?

(suddenly, he was aware of the blade hanging at his side that rhinedottir had given him. had she known that would be the last time they met? or had she intended to teach him how to wield it?)

(he’s not sure which is more unbelievable)

the guard on the left brought his hand up in what albedo could only assume was some form of salute, in the process slightly blocking their path. “klee. who is with you?”

“this is albedo! he’s the son of a friend of mama’s, and klee’s friend too!”

the knight scanned him up and down, lingering slightly on his sword.

(would he have the heart to hand it over? would he feel better without a reminder of her, or worse that he’d give it up so easily?)

the guard eventually settled with a second salute, dipping slightly in a half-bow. “mondstat welcomes you, strange yet respectable traveler. please state your identity and purpose; the knight of favonius are here to ensure your safety.”

‘knights of favonius’… the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t tell why. maybe from one of alice’s tales?

still, he dipped his own head in greeting, partially to stall. ‘identity’…

“i am albedo… disciple of rhinedottir in the study of alchemy. i am here to deliver a letter to alice, klee’s mother.”

klee looked up at him with a pout. “you’re not staying longer? what happened to all the things we were going to do?”

he didn’t remember ever committing to anything prior. “that isn’t my choice, klee. even if i wished to stay, i have nowhere to.”

the knight cleared his throat before the conversation could continue. “according to the knights of favonius handbook, we are to accompany travelers through the city as needed…”

“it’s okay mr. knight! klee knows her way around the city! i can take albedo to mama and then show him around.”

the knights were clearly uneasy about the prospect, likely because of klee’s age, but eventually nodded, moving back to their posts.

“mondstat welcomes you.”

klee quickly pulled him forward again, into the city, a quick ‘thank you!’ thrown over her shoulder that was likely lost in the sea of noise.

mondstat was loud. and full. more people than he’d ever seen in his entire life were gathered in just the simple courtyard she pulled him through, the calls of venders and the orders of customers melding together into an indecipherable mess. he was thankful she took him to the side, up a staircase, if only to get away from the massive crowds.

“mama is at a meeting with the knights right now, which is good! you can bring her your letter and get help from the knights at the same time,” klee explained, slowing down slightly from all the stairs. no wonder the walls were giant: so was the rest of the city.

he tugged her back, slowing to a stop. “klee, i don’t think i’ll need the help of the knights. if alice is in a meeting, then we shouldn’t bother her.”

“who said i was in a meeting?”

klee moved faster than he did, turning towards her mothers voice and running towards her, attaching to her side much in the same way she did to him. the thought pulled the corners of his lips into a smile.

“mama!”

alice laughed, catching her daughter easily. “hello, little clover.” she looked up, shock and recognition pooling in her eyes. “albedo? what are you doing here? is rhinedottir with you?”

his muscles tensed at the mention of her name, the memories of the past week of travel threatening to bubble up. he swallowed them down and hoped his voice wasn’t shaky, “no, but i’m to bring you a letter from her.”

alice’s eyes moved to his shoulders, to the large bag he’d been carrying. “are you staying here?”

“…i don’t know.”

her face twisted with something, and she turned her attention to klee before he could ask.

“clover, could you do me a favor?”

klee stepped back, “of course! what is it?”

“i need to read over albedo’s letter and sort some other things out, okay? while i do that, could you show him around the city? he’s never been here, and i’m sure he’d love for you to help him get his bearings.”

klee nodded, clearly excited, and alice walked around her to him. he pulled the letter from his pocket, but she reached for his bag instead. “let me take this.”

“that’s not necessary, i-“

“-have nowhere to go, albedo. i’ll hold your things while you walk with klee.”

something earnest and soft cradled her words, a care to the way she smiled at him when he caved and handed over his bag. he felt lighter without it.

before he could think about it further, alice was gone and klee had taken his hand in hers again, tugging on it.

“albedo? are you okay? you look upset.”

ah….

he tried for a smile. “i was just thinking about something. where do you want to go first?”

she studied him for a moment, squinting slightly, before apparently coming to a decision.

“we’ll go to the cathedral first. mama always says that if you ask the creator really nicely you’ll sometimes get help with whatever your problem is, and you look like you have a lot of problems!”

there it was again, that title…

she began to walk before he could say anything, taking him up let another flight of stairs. this one was longer, curving, and gave him time to figure out how to phrase what he wanted.

“klee?”

she turned, but didn’t so much as slow, “hm?”

“who’s the creator? you left before you could say last time.”

klee did stop this time, so abruptly he nearly ran into her.

“how do you not know? everybody knows.”

she spoke with a mix of confusion and… something akin to indignation, so strange coming from somebody so young that by the time he registered her words, she had pulled him along again, faster.

“everybody knows,” she mumbled to herself. “everybody. the grand master asks for guidance and captain kaeya for wisdom, mama prays for knowledge and klee asks for inspiration. how do you not know?”

he felt bad, somehow, even though it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t know. he knew that, he wasn’t a fool, it wasn’t his fault, it was…

(flashes of blonde hair flicker in his mind, the sharp command to ‘try again, and get it right this time’ echoing in his mind. already, it felt like a year ago he last saw her)

(could be truly blame her when his mistakes were his fault?)

klee leads him up to a large building—‘cathedral,’ he remembers—but takes him past the large doors, to the back. at the end, behind it all, was a small park-like space, large stones spaces equally across the space. the stones are carved with words, but she doesn’t let him get closer to read it.

she pointed, and he followed, jumping slightly at what he saw. against the back wall of the cathedral, seeming oddly at rest for being carved of stone, was a large statue. the pedestal it sat on was simple, but littered with offerings, the flowers looking fresh. if he had to guess, it was likely a shrine of sorts, probably to-

“that’s the creator.”

ah. he’d thought as much.

klee sat him down in front of the shrine, beginning to tell a story. it’s simple, one told to children, but it’s gets the message across to him.

the creator was to teyvat what rhinedottir was to him. divine hands shaped the mountains and plains, breathing life into the soil. the very purest form of creation, forming something- forming everything from nothing, the smallest of flowers and largest of trees planted with barely a thought. rivers cut through the earth at will, every blade of grass placed by the hand of the one that made it.

klee told a story of the birth of the universe, of the colors on an invisible pallet that painted the planets and dotted the sky with stars. she sat on stone and fiddled with her dodoco, her voice never wavering as she repeated everything she was told, graciously filling albedo in.

in return, albedo untied the sword at his side, laying it down in front of the shrine. the blade felt uncharacteristically heavy, his hands cold, but he still set it down gently.

it was a lot of information, but he managed, carefully filing everything away as the way he viewed the world slowly changed. it made sense; everything had to come from somewhere, after all.

he looked not at the sheath, but through it, at the inscription along the center. ‘as the creator forged, so too do i serve.’

perhaps he and the blade were more similar than he thought.

no bladesmith made a weapon without a purpose. no alchemist dedicated years to a project only to stop when they reached the final product. nothing was made without being tested, nothing was alive without being taught, no sword was made without an edge.

and yet, somebody had to teach the smith. somebody had to guide their hammer to the stool, their hands along a sharpening stone, trained them in the skills of polishing and oiling. no god created an art without a an artist, and no teacher let their pupil loose without granting them the skills to continue the craft.

no tool existed without intention. no smith existed without their mentor prior, nor without their own student to teach.

rhinedottir may have abandoned him, but his creator never would. they would not let him be set loose without purpose, nor discarded without reason. he could tell, simply by sitting in front of the marble statue, that this was the case.

he could feel it in the wind. in the gentle breeze they guided, sweeping his worth from his shoulders. in the ground beneath him, that never grew uncomfortable. he could sense the subtle presence of the creator, the way the grass seemed to point towards the pedestal of the statue or how the sun seemed a little less harsh back here making it evident. albedo could feel the creator’s intentions as his eyes moved back to the sword, to the reminder of rhine that bore a carved reminder of them, feel the reassurance in the etched words. amidst the sea of confusion surrounding rhinedottir’s disappearance, they had appeared, stretching a hand to pull him out and back ashore, to the banks of stability.

albedo reached back.

they felt warm.

#philosophical rambles + explanations in the tags btw #genshin #genshin impact #sagau #self aware genshin #genshin sagau #sagau impostor au #genshin self aware au #sagau albedo #albedo #genshin albedo #klee #sagau klee #this piece totals a bit over 10k. what does albedo do to me.#oh and to summarize the admittedly kinda shit metaphor: rhine saw albedo as a tool to be used; one she discarded after he served his purpose #sorry fellas :/ i know i tend to be vague but this…. is a whole other level #oh vindagnyr was the name of dragonspine before durin’s body fell on it btw. she’s bitter abt the name bc she saw durin as a failed project #OH and the feathers are bc naberius was described as a raven. sorry for all the explaining i’m doing—#(described as in the genshin wiki referenced wikipedias page on naberius that said raven)#the title is from albedos character story abt a lesson rhine taught him and represents how he understands the creator created him not rhine #< technically. but oh well i hate rhine anyway. at least in this specific fic #also in this rhines final assignment is never meant to be completed. she probably doesn’t think synthetic beings are capable of shit like #feelings or rational thought. her mind: chance of albedo finding meaning in life is <0. too bad for her because IM writing this. not her #PLOT TWIST RHINEDOTTIR I GET TO WRITE THE RULES AND I SAY ALBEDO IS AS HUMAN AS I AM #EAT ASS #I FUCKED UP THE TITLE FUCK

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yellowmagicalgirl · 5 months ago

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within the infant rind of this small flower (poison hath residence and medicine power)

Anthy has had chronic pain for centuries. After Ohtori, Utena shares it.

This was written for word_docs_and_willowboughs on AO3 for the 2024 Hurt/Comfort Exchange. There are references to both the anime and the movie. I also did some quick research on types of pain meds in Japan, but not too much so there may be some inaccuracies.

AO3

FFN

SquidgeWorld

One day, when Utena doesn’t even have the strength to get out of bed, Anthy brings her a mug of tea, two Eve tablets, and plate with a single cookie so that the Eve doesn’t wreak havoc on Utena’s stomach. Unbidden, Utena remembers how they once threatened to poison each other’s tea and cookies. She lets Anthy feed her anyways.

Her back hurts. The flare-ups happen about once every other month, which is much better than when Utena first left Ohtori. Back then the only times that she didn’t feel the Swords of Hate was when she was dreaming of Anthy, and the pain from when her now-girlfriend had stabbed her through the back managed to outweigh the pain Utena had taken willingly. She had been in the hospital for three weeks as the doctors tried and failed to diagnose the cause of their pain.

“Back when he was still fighting everyone’s battles, I’d make this sort of tea for him,” Anthy said in a low voice. She doesn’t have to say Dios’s name for Utena to know who she is speaking of. The haunted look in her eyes is enough. “Back when he was still trying to save me, just to save me, he would make the tea for me. He wouldn't make it as well, though. Our pain medications weren’t as good as they are now. The best we had just made you sleep it off. I still felt the pain in my sleep; I was just too weak to really move.”

Weakly, Utena lifts her hand to place it on top of Anthy’s. Anthy twists her hand to hold Utena’s. Even now that they’ve both escaped and found each other again, far from where Akio can find them, it can be hard to convince Anthy to take a new medication when she’s sick, especially if one of the side-effects is drowsiness. She didn’t get sick back at Ohtori, not unless her current Betrothed wanted a sick girl to dote over.

“I didn’t put any of the herbs we used to use in this tea,” Anthy continues, using her other hand to tuck a strand of long hair behind her ear. The closest she ever does to pinning it up anymore is tying it back in a braid or ponytail, but most of the time she leaves it loose. More than once, Anthy has talked about just cutting it all off. She hasn’t yet, though, no matter how many times Utena has said she could pull off short hair if she wanted to.

“It just has a similar flavor. Not the same, though; the herbs had made it more bitter, and I didn’t add any sweetener.” It isn’t poisoned. I’m sorry.

There really is no need for apologies, not anymore. But Utena is in too much pain to have that argument. She suspects she’ll still be in pain in an hour after the Eve kicks in, and she’ll have to take it easy. It’s a shame, because she had actually been planning on cooking something nice tonight, but the cast iron skillet she plans on using is heavy, and Utena won’t be able to lift it on her own. Maybe she’ll ask Anthy to help her. Maybe she’ll just have to hope that Anthy won’t feel guilty enough to cook the meal herself, and that Utena can fry the tonkatsu in a couple days when she can lift things again. The pork should still be safe and unspoiled in the fridge until then.

#revolutionary girl utena #utena tenjou #utenanthy #anthy himemiya #my writing #adolescence of utena

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writingwhimsey · 5 months ago

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Married to The Enemy- Shingen- Ch. 26

Chapter 26

Yukimura caught up to Saki before she could reach the castle entrance. “Hey, Saki, stop.” He said as he gently caught on to her wrist.

Saki turned around. “What?” She asked. “I would think you would want a doctor for your lord.”

“He…a doctor can’t do anything.” Yukimura replied.

Saki’s eyes widened. “What…”

Yukimura gritted his teeth and looked down at his feet. “Lord Shingen…he…he’s dying. Has been for years.”

Saki’s eyes widened. “He…he knows…and you knew?”

“Yes…”

“And yet he still married Lady Ava…knowing…this…this is going to devastate her! She…she loves him!”

“I…I know…Lord Shingen…he never wanted to hurt her…”

“But he married her knowing he was going to end up leaving her?!” Saki replied. “And YOU couldn’t warn her? You couldn’t…”

“Lord Shingen never meant to hurt Ava…and he didn’t want her to know. He didn’t think she would fall for him.” Yukimura countered. “Saki, this wasn’t supposed to happen…”

Saki ripped her hand from Yukimura’s. “If he didn’t think she was gonna fall for him, then he shouldn’t have been so good to her! He should have told her the truth from the beginning! And you should have told me!” She was then running off, looking for Ava. She knew her friend was going to need her.

Ava…

I ran through the halls of the castle, still in my night robe, keeping it closed with my hands. I didn’t care that I looked like a complete mess. My hair was still a mess. I stopped by Sasuke’s room, but he wasn’t there.

I asked around and was told that Kenshin had chased Sasuke into the training hall. Nothing mattered to me right now other than finding Sasuke and asking him if what I thought was possible. I was bursting into the training room.

“Sasuke!” Kenshin yelled as he brought his sword towards Sasuke.

Sasuke nimbly dodged the attack. “Lord Kenshin, can we please…stop this training for a moment…”

“Sasuke!” I found myself shouting in desperation.

“Ava…” Saskuke asked, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he dodged an attack from Kenshin.

“Sasuke, don’t you pay attention to that woman! Focus on your training.” Kenshin growled, as he jumped charged at Sasuke.

“Kenshin! Please let me talk to Sasuke?!” I pleaded, tears starting to fall from my eyes. “It’s… It’s important.”

Just then Saki was coming into the room. She was carrying an obi. “Ava, I thought you would need this.” She said.

I looked down and noticed in my haste, the only thing holding my robe closed was my tightly fisted hands. I was too desperate though to care.

Saki was quickly wrapping the obi around my waist and tying it for me. “Here, let me at least help you with this much.” She said.

Kenshin was sheathing his sword and looking at me, his heterochromatic eyes appearing as if he saw something. “You know.” He said. “I’m bored of this.” He was then striding out of the training hall.

“Ava, what’s going on?” Sasuke asked.

“I…I have to talk to you…it’s about Shingen.” I answered.

“Alright.” Sasuke replied. “We can talk in my room.”

“I’ll go make you some tea.” Saki said. “You still need to eat breakfast too.”

Saki exited the room and then Sasuke led me to his room. He was pulling out a couple of cushions for us to sit down on. “Ava…did you find out about…”

“So…you knew?” I asked. “That…that my husband is dying?”

Sasuke nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you about it before. Lord Shingen didn’t want anyone to say anything…”

I shook my head. “That’s…that’s not even the point right now.” I said. “I wanted to talk to you… you’ve been continuing your research on the wormholes right?”

Sasuke nodded. “Yes…Ava are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

I nodded. “Yes. Do you think…it would be possible to take Shingen to the future and get him cured?” I asked. “I mean I know there’s no guarantee that even in the future we’ll have a cure… but if we can at least try…”

“You really care about him, don’t you, Ava?” Sasuke asked.

“I…I love him, Sasuke.” I answered. “And I just…I just got him. I can’t just give up.”

Sasuke nodded. “It’s a thought that I’ve actually considered. But I never thought Lord Shingen would go for it…at least not with me being the one to bring it up. Coming from you, he just might.”

“Then…what about the wormholes?”

Sasuke was pulling a notebook out of a breast pocket. He flipped it open and looked through some various notes. “I’ve actually been able to calculate that one occurs regularly at Hono-ji. It occurs every three to six months…and according to my calculations there should be one…in a week.”

I nodded. “Right…I just have to convince Shingen that he should go.”

“I think if anyone has the chance to convince him, it would be you.” Sasuke said, giving me a comforting pat on the back.

Just then there was a knock on the door and Saki was sliding it open, coming in with a tray of tea and a light breakfast. “You need to eat something, Ava.” She said. “Plus this tea should help calm your nerves.”

“You can feel free to rest here as long as you need.” Sasuke told me. “After you talk to Lord Shingen, we’ll need to convince Yukimura and Lord Kenshin that this is the right move as well.”

Saki looked at us confused. “What are you guys talking about?” Saki asked.

“There…there might be a way to save Shingen.” I replied. “In our hometown��I just have to convince Shingen to go.”

Saki blinked in surprise. “You know…I’ve never really pried into it, but where exactly are you from? You’ve mentioned before that it’s a vastly different place…”

“I promise, I’ll explain later.” I told her. “But…I really need to talk to Shingen first.”

“You’re eating breakfast and drinking that tea first.” Saki told me. “I can wait, but that can’t. You need your strength,”

“Yes, you can’t neglect your own health.” Sasuke agreed.

I nodded. “Right…thanks guys.” I then ate breakfast and drank the tea Saki had provided. Once I had finished, I was feeling ready and determined. “Alright, I’m going to go talk to Shingen.”

“Good luck.” Sasuke told me.

“I’ll be close by if you need me, Ava.” Saki said.

I nodded. “Thanks.”

I was then heading out, back to the room Shingen and I had been sharing. I could hear Yukimura shouting at him. “You need to stay in bed, Lord Shingen!”

“I need to talk to Ava.” Shingen replied. “I…I owe her an apology…and to find out what she’s even thinking.”

“I’ll go find her. You stay here.” Yukimura remarked.

I slid the door open. “No need to look for me, I’m right here.” I said, walking into the room. “And Yukimura is right, you need to stay in bed.”

“You’re both in agreement. I must listen then.” Shingen mused, a small smile on his face… his incredibly pale face. He was then looking at Yukimura. “Yuki, can you give us a minute?”

Yukimura sighed. “Yeah, but don’t you dare do anything that takes up too much energy! You need to rest.” He was then leaving.

Shingen looked up at me. “Ava…I’m sorry.”

I walked over to him, kneeling down beside him as he sat up in the futon. “Well, I don’t forgive you.” I told him. “Made me fall in love with you and now you’re planning to leave me.”

Shingen cradled my face between his hands. “If I had the choice, I would never leave you. I would spend my days beside you…watch children and grandchildren grow with you…I’m sorry for keeping this secret from you. I never expected for you to fall in love with me.”

“Yeah…well how could I not?” I replied. “You’ve been nothing but wonderful to me…but that’s… that’s not what I came in here to say.”

“What is it, my angel?” Shingen asked.

“You’re…not the only one with a secret.” I replied. “And…my secret…well you could have the choice and stay with me.”

“Ava, I…don’t understand.” Shingen replied, resting his forehead against mine and looking into my eyes.

“I’m…I’m not really an Oda princess. I’m not from anywhere near here. I’m not from this time.” I answered. “I…I came from five hundred years in the future.”

Taglist: @limonzu @zulablaise @oda-princess @kisara-16 @tele86 @lovely-bubb1es @lucyw260 @selenacosmic

#ikesen shingen #ikemen sengikue shingen #shingen takeda #arranged marrie au #ikesen au #ikemen shingen #otome shingen #cybird shingen #ikesen #ikemen sengoku #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #ikemen series #fanfic #otome boys #cybird #fanfiction

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julietcaesar · 8 months ago

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Swords and Cups

Chapter 1

“Again? How much longer?..” Captain Ackerman couldn’t stand civilians on the territory of the Survey Corps and now he almost growled as soon as he saw the familiar emerald robe from afar. Its velvet was shimmering in the rays of the setting sun. The robed figure was wandering near the stables, waiting for someone.

Levi had just finished some small business in the city and was already heading to dinner with a light heart. But now the captain was no longer be able to dine with a light heart.

“So you’ve let her come here again... and here I am coming to you again. Mike! Damn you!”

The robed figure was joined by Captain Zacharias. Now the couple of young people standing near the corral with horses were talking about something and taking turns stroking the long bristly muzzle of a horse that had been free from bit.

“Arno, Arno... good boy!” The woman was saying while stroking the stallion in time with her words. The horse was answering her with a satisfied snort.

As soon as they both heard Captain Ackerman's steps, their voices became quieter. This situation had been already repeated more than once or twice, and had become some kind of a ritual. Now Captain Ackerman would walk along the shed, approach the stall with his horse and pretend that he is busy with its bit, tying and adjusting something. And they would be supposed to quiet down and not attract the attention of the strict captain.

“May I?..” The woman whispered to Mike and took out aripe large apple from her bosom.

Zacharias nodded his head affirmatively, and the woman brought the apple to the horse’s mouth.

“Wait! Hold still.” The order cameto the woman from behind causing the apple to fall out of her hands and roll somewhere.

“Explain to me what the hell you both are doing here?”

The woman turned, bent over and tried to catch up with the runaway treat for Arno before Captain Ackerman has gotten to them.

“Gotcha!” She rejoiced finally grabbing an apple and straightening up.

At this very moment two narrowed gray eyes under tilted, frowning eyebrows appeared in front of the woman’s face, that didn’t bode well. Such a sudden appearance of the captain in front of her, as though teleported from the other end of the stable, made the guest shudder and drop the apple to the floor once again.

“You came here to stir up dirt, do I understand correctly? Remove this immediately,” the request of the captain who noticed the apple falling out again sounded more than just convincing.

“But you are standing here!” The woman regained her sense of confidence as soon as she noticed that the unfortunate apple waslying right between the heels of the captain’s boots.

“On the territory of the Survey Corps I stand where I want. It’s you who’s came to the place you weren’t invited to and scattering garbage anywhere,” the captain snapped coldly.

“Levi, everything was fine here, don’t start...” Mike, who had previously remained silent, intervened in the growing tension.

“Whatever you want! What nonsense!” The woman answered irritably raising her palms up as if showing that she was unarmed and didn’twant Levi to suspect her of doing something illegal.

Stretching her neck and without breaking eye contact, the uninvited guest began to leisurely squat down right in front of the captain, without even thinking about taking a step back.

Levi crossed his arms over his chest looking straight down into her sassy green eyes. He didn’t let her off this invisible leash neither when she playfully raised her thin eyebrow nor when she cheekily smiled showing her teeth behind bright pink lips. Even when her face lingered at the level of his groin while she was scrabbled her fingers around the ground trying to find the fallen apple. Even when Levi realized that several fine hairs of disheveled red curls electrified by the robe’s hood were almost touching the fabric of his trousers.

“So you really like to spread shit on the ground by your clothes, yea?” He asked.

Levi was sure that if this red-haired besom had a plan to embarrass him, she would be disappointed by the fact that her sloppiness was the only thing he was impressed by.

The guest quickly finished her business grabbing an apple and jumping to her feet.

“I can be rude too, Captain Ackerman, but I keep my witty jokes to myself,” She replied with a shameless smile.

“Give it here!” Levi took the apple from the woman’s hands.

“It’s rotten, don’t you see?” Levi threw the apple towards Mike, who caught it with one hand and immediately started to examine it from all sides.

Captain Zacharias hadn’t seen even half of what happened in front of him just now: he was behind the guest all this time. However he was very familiar with the smell of Captain Ackerman's irritation.

“AND?” Mike looked at Levidefiantly. “I see absolutely nothing! Oh, is that what you meant?”

Finally, Mike noticed a tiny soft spot on the apple’s side.

“C’mon! I can feel that everything is fine with it.”

Mike defiantly brought the fruit to his nose and loudly inhaled.

“Believe me, Arno has eaten different things…” Mike added and almost managed to bring the apple to the mouth of the unfortunate Arno, who had already caught the sweet smell and was impatiently shifting in the stall, wagging his tail.

“Wait a minute!”

“What the fuck else? Levi!”

“Don't be so rude. There are ladies here after all... Michelle, Rossi, sorry for Mike,” Levi glanced at Arno’s neighbors, who right now were serenely shaking their heads and looking around with huge dark eyes.

“He should wash his mouth with soap.”

If Levi glanced over his shoulder, he would be amazed at how skilled one can be at rolling his eyes. Now the girl’s eyes were just whites, and her mouth mutely opened in amazement at the unimaginable degree of the captain’stact towards the opposite sex.

“At least cut it into smaller pieces, you monsters,” Levi opened his cloak and pulled out a knife from somewhere on his hip.

Ackerman began to deftly cut the apple into two… three pieces...

“Ahem... Sorry! This is still my apple, and actually I am the one who’s brought it here! Can I treat it on my own?” An indignant voice came from behind Levi.

Mike could no longer stand it, and took the cut pieces from Levi, quickly passing them into the hands of the guest.

“Go ahead!”

Zacharias took the woman by the shoulders and pushed her towards Arno, despite the fact that the gloomy Ackerman was still standing there.

“Yay! How ticklish!” The guest started to giggle as soon as the first pieces disappeared from her palm.

“Crunch, crunch!” Mike caressed his stallion behind the ear. “We tortured you, didn’t we? Forgive me...”

Mike began a nice chat with his best friend, who was now crunching on the treat with great appetite.

“You don’t go into town without a knife, as I see…” The woman asked Levi quietly, without turning her gaze in his direction and without hiding the purpose of the question – to provoke Ackerman into rudeness.

“Yes. A habit since childhood,” He answered with no prevarication or hesitation.

“Hrm,” The guest snorted incredulously raising her eyebrow.

***

“Mike, what the hell? I’ve told you - no civilians.”

“Oh, Levi, stop it! It’s just a person who loves animals and doesn’t mind treating them to something she can share. She’s not going to steal horses after all, really,” Mike laughed. “Believe me, I won’t let bad people be near them.”

Mike reflexively took a couple of short breaths, as if he remembered that he must always be on guard.

“That's not the whole issue. It’s simply about discipline and order. And yes, allowing strangers to feed horses is debatable.”

Mike glanced at the gloomy captain.

“Uh, like a noxious old buffer, really!” Mike shook his head.

Pictures:

https://pin.it/3ERDdgyPm

https://pin.it/5qt5N7dtQ

https://pin.it/5UycfgkWr

#attack on titan #aot #levi ackerman #mike zacharias #original female character #captain levi #shingeki no kyojin #aot levi

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l3viat8an · 2 years ago

Note

I'm sorry in advance for making you work, and you can turn this into a 2 parts bit to make all the characters react if you want to ;^;

Thanks! Love you, Ro~ 😘

---

A sparing session with a loved one is always exhilarating. You get your blood pumping, the adrenaline rushing, a good workout, and if done with a partner, might lead into something more with all the sexual tension developing throughout.

That how they found themselves on a training ground, or to be more accurate, their girlfriend, May, dragged them their for that purpose. The brunette looks giddy as she skips to the wide array of weapons laid on a table before them, varying from daggers and swords to things more futuristic looking guns they never even saw before outside of media forums.

The nephilim lets her fingers glide amongst the wide variety of lethal artillery, humming to herself as she carefully analyzes and examines each piece finely crafted. Only to settle for a simple short sword. It's plain but has a strong leathery grip, and the blade seemed strong enough to cut skin, yet not sharp enough to pierce it. Perfect for her since she wanted to avoid hurting them at all cost.

Walking to the middle of the area, May gives the sword a few experimental swings and jab to get used to the weight and feel of her weapon. When she feels satisfied with her research, she turns to face the opponent and lover.

"Now," she starts, tying her hair up in a ponytail before pointing the tip of her blade in their direction, sending them a flirtatious wink, yet the smirk gracing her lips and the tone of her voice sounds taunting, "give me your best shot, Lover boy~"

Part one is hereeee!!! Ahhhhh you wouldn’t believe how excited I was for this!!! Hopefully I did May justice <333

“Lover boy?” Lucifer raises one eyebrows, echoing her words -and pretending the blush creeping up his cheeks wasn’t there- as he gives his own sword a few experimental swings, getting used to the weight and length.

Before moving, standing before May, “I hope you don’t think, I’ll go any easier on you just because of a simple term of endearment.” but being closer and seeing the mischievous twinkle in her eyes, Lucifer knows she doesn’t. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” She says

And he can see it’s quite the contrary in fact, she wants to get worked up, she wants to feel the rush~ well fine. Two really must play that game~ “Then begin!” Lucifer barks before moving again, going at May with a cut from above. Which she parries and counters easily enough, “Not bad.” Lucifer moves to strike again, this time ducking lower hoping to catch May off guard, but she simply steps back, “Wish I could say the same.” her tone is still lighter as she teases Lucifer.

This goes on for awhile the two are fairly well matched in their little ‘game’ and by a pure fluke (or a bit of planning~) May catches Lucifer off guard, moving in closer and faking a stab at his side, Lucifer moves to side step and ends up turning so his back is to her for a split second and May takes the opening moving forward and hold the tip of her sword against his spin. Lucifer freezes at the contact and holds his own sword down at his side “It seems you win this round, lover~” the last word is said softer then the rest as Lucifer turns to face May, seeing Lucifer’s hands still low at his sides, she lowers her sword, questioning “This round?” and raises one eyebrow, “Are we going again?-“ her question is cut off and quicker then she can blink, Lucifer’s sword arm moves and the very tip of his blade is resting just above her heart, “You could say that, lover~”

“Ya ain’t gettin’ me to let my guard down that easy!” Mammon swings first and it’s haphazard, a bit clumsy even, going wide and making him stumble forward a bit.

May simply takes a step back and grins, “Oh great Mammon, your form needs work.” May says throwing a few more jabs and swings of her sword in Mammon’s direction.

Nothing he can’t easily dodge or parry just yet- “Oi! That’s what we’re doing this for ain’t it? ‘sides I ain’t the one throwing the word lover around tryin’ to win!” he blushes even more, saying the word out loud and makes his first proper strike, almost catching May off guard. She raise her sword and blocks his blow almost at the last minute, “Keep your guard up darlin’ wouldn’t want ya gettin’ hurt now.” Mammon teases letting the fact he got in a one good swing go to his head. But he can back it up for a few minutes parrying and match May’s moves with his own, blocking almost all of her attempts to touch him with her sword only attack when he sees a clear opening, unfortunately for Mammon, May guards any openings as soon as he moves to strike blocking him in kind.

The match goes on like this until May doubles over and grabs her side as if she was hit, Mammon drops his weapon and makes his way to her side dropping to his knees and trying to see where she was hit, “Ya alright what hap- HUH?!” May moves now quickly, and holds her blade so the tip rests just in front of Mammon’s throat “I win~” she grins as Mammon’s faces goes bright red as he splutters out “O-only by cheatin’!! That’s dirty darlin’“ “Not at all! My side really did hurt for a moment.” May lowers her blade and reaches out her hand to help Mammon stand, he takes her hand and gives her arm a tug. She drops her weapon hands moving to brace her fall, -landing on Mammon chest- and the demon lets out a low chuckle, leaning forward so their noses almost touch, “Are ya sure about that~?”

Levi didn’t spar often, it simply wasn’t necessary anymore and he thought it was a waste of time.

But when, May had asked him….well how could he say no? So here he is red in the face yelling “What!?” And almost dropping his sword, having to grab it with both hands and take a few deep breaths.

“Hmm? Something wrong Leviachan~” May teased her voice light as she takes another step closer, as Levi takes a counter step back.

“Come on, Levi! Think of it as a game, you just have to beat me for a reward.” That seemed to help Levi, and his breathing evened out a bit as he grips his sword properly and taking a few steps forward, facing May, “Yea…..Fine, let’s spar and be done already.” Then he can go back his room- May swings first, it’s not as sharp a movement as it could be and Levi blocks it easily enough, moving to strike back immediately after her blow lands going for a cut from below and hoping to catch May off guard. But she sees his plan and blocks, taking a step towards Levi as she does so causing him to stumble back a few steps again. Sword hanging by his side, “Why are you?-“ Levi’s cut off as May swings again, going for his sword arm and he barely moves fast enough, taking a few steps to the side to avoid her blade before lifting his sword again and sticking back, causing May to take a few steps back and placing them back in the middle of the ring. “That’s better Leviachan! Show me what you can do!” May strikes again, but this time Levi’s ready completely dodging her attack and moving so he’s almost behind her as her swing goes just a little too wide, the cold metal of his blade on her back as he takes a few steps closer.

“I win.” Levi says like it’s the simplest thing ever and let’s his blade drop from her back.

May turns and locks eyes with the still blushing demon, “Not bad Levi, guess I owe you a reward. What do you want?” “What will you give me?” Levi counters a small smile tugging at his lips.

#roro writes #AHHHH ITS HERE HOLY CRAP-#again hopefully I did May justice 🫣#obey me!#obey me #obmswd #om!#obey me x oc #obey me lucifer x oc #obey me mammon x oc #obey me levi x oc #om! oc #obmswd oc #obmswd lucifer #obmswd mammon #obmswd levi

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artificialqueens · 2 years ago

Text

In Sight of Your Blinding Light (Sasha Colby x Anetra) - Athena2

Summary: Anetra is a knight for hire, and Sasha is the healer she goes to when she needs help.

A/N: Hi everyone! I’ve been very into this pairing lately, and it’s helped me get out of a very long writing slump. I hope you enjoy this! Also, thank you times 10,000 to Juno, for letting me talk about this with you, for helping with the ending, and for betaing. You are so awesome!! Please leave feedback if you’d like, I really appreciate hearing your thoughts!!

Title from Would That I by Hozier

The knock at the door is gentle, but Sasha’s a light sleeper. She pulls on a robe and heads to the door, wondering what it’ll be tonight. These late night calls are nothing new, not since she officially opened the back room of her cottage to help people with her creams and bandages and kindness. Women clutching babies, who were fussy and crying from their sickness. Adults with their own illnesses, or people who’d gotten in fights or had accidents.

The woman on her doorstep is beautiful, with dark eyes and dark hair. There’s a thin scar above her left eye that fills Sasha with intrigue. When Sasha can tear her gaze away from the face, she sees the woman is wearing arm and leg guards and a slim chest plate, a sword hanging off her hip, a knight without the full bulky suit of armor. There’s a cut on her left arm, her sleeve stained red.

“Do you need help?” Sasha asks.

The woman nods. “Um, hi. I’m sorry it’s late. Are you Sasha?”

“The one and only.”

“I was told that you’re the best healer for miles. Would you be able to help?”

“Of course.” Sasha ushers the woman inside and into the back room. She sits the woman in a chair, which looks like a doll chair next to the woman’s muscled arms, the sharp edges of her armor at odds with the rounded furniture. “Do you like tea? I have black, green, herbal…”

The woman clears her throat. “Anything is fine.”

Sasha nods and gets the kettle going. She’s been giving tea to her clients for years. It started as something she did for the kids, handing them small mugs of fruit tea with lots of honey. Having something warm to hold and sip on would take their mind off their fears or injuries or sickness, and Sasha found the same was mostly true of adults. She gave them a steaming mug of whatever kind they wanted, or a kind she thought might be a good fit—and she was very rarely wrong in her guess. For the jumpy clients, it helped them calm down, and for the shyer, quieter clients—like she has a feeling this one is—it usually helped them feel comforted.

She sorts through her teas. The woman’s shoulders were a little tense, and her sword-hilt had a carved fox—the symbol of Greenwood, where lemon was abundant. Sasha adds lemon-ginger tea to one of her stone mugs, then watches steam curl around it.

She pulls a table to the woman’s right and places her mug there, then takes her own chair in front of the woman. “Is it okay if I lift your sleeve up?”

The woman nods, extending her arm to Sasha. She’s already removed her arm guard, and she sips her tea with her free hand. “This is really good,” she says.

Sasha grins. “Thank you.” She carefully rolls up the woman’s sleeve, exposing the short red slash across her arm. It looks like a sword wound, but Sasha doesn’t need to know. It’s an easy fix, and she never asks more than she needs to.

“It looks worse than it is,” Sasha says soothingly. “I’ll get it cleaned and bandage it, then you’re good to go.”

The woman nods. She’s still as Sasha cleans the blood, still in a way that makes Sasha think she’s used to pain. It hurts to think about, and Sasha works gently, like it can make up for the pain of the past.

“It’s all set,” Sasha says, tying the bandage in place.

“Thank you.” The woman gets to her feet, her strong form even more impressive in the tiny room. “How much do you charge?”

“I don’t.” Sasha’s never charged anyone. She has enough from her old life that she doesn’t need to. That life feels like centuries ago sometimes.

“Thank you. Um, good night.”

“Good night.”

Be careful, she thinks, because even if she’d like to see the woman again, she doesn’t want her to be hurt for it to happen.

—-

In a perfect world, Anetra would sail through each assignment she’s hired for without a scratch. But she gave up on believing in perfection years ago, and being a knight for hire brings far more cuts and bruises than she imagined. Still, if she can’t be a real knight, she’ll take the jobs she can get, use the training she learned from other street knights. An extra guard outside a local lord’s manor on a party night. A night to kick the ass of a man harassing a woman and her son. A fight with an enemy of some noble, to send a warning. She doesn’t talk, doesn’t ask questions. She becomes a sword, sharp and ready for whoever wants to wield her, and their gold softens the blows.

Tonight she’s going after a thief. A woman hired her to get back a necklace belonging to her grandmother. It was stolen last night, and Anetra spends most of the day in a tree with cramping legs, searching for someone matching the description. It’s hours later when she gets lucky, hopping down and pulling the man into an alley. She doesn’t expect a fight, and she doesn’t get one—just a shove into the ground that scrapes her hip.

At least the necklace is okay.

She straightens up and stretches to see the scrape on her hip. It’s oozing blood, but it’s not bad. Still, there are bits of gravel in there, and while Anetra could try to get it out herself, it’s better left to a professional.

She heads into the village, delivers the necklace, collects her gold, and knocks on Sasha’s door. Anetra didn’t think she’d be back so soon, but Sasha’s her best option. She didn’t ask questions, didn’t try to make her talk, didn’t look at her with pity. Not to mention Sasha’s the most beautiful woman she’s ever seen.

Sasha’s hazel eyes light up in recognition, and Anetra’s heart lifts too. “Do you need help?” Sasha asks.

“It’s just a scrape,” Anetra says sheepishly, cheeks hot over coming here for a scratch. “There might be gravel in it but I’m fine, really.”

“No, it’s good you came,” Sasha says, voice so warm that Anetra wonders why she considered leaving.

It’s only the second time, but it feels routine as she heads down the hall, trying not to think about what room is Sasha’s. Sasha leads her to the chair in the back, brews tea, and returns with a mug, tweezers, and a bowl.

The tea is raspberry this time, and Anetra sips happily, thinking of the summers with fingertips stained red from picking raspberries.

“Would you feel okay showing me?” Sasha’s calm, professional, and while Anetra’s not embarrassed, she’d be comforted if she was.

“Sure.” She pulls her shirt up, wincing when the wound hits the air.

Sasha sits on the floor, tweezers in hand. “This might hurt a little.”

“It’s fine.” Anetra’s had worse.

Sasha nods and gets to work. It doesn’t hurt bad, just an occasional piece that tears her skin. When those happen, Anetra curls her left hand into a fist where Sasha can’t see. Anetra looks down at her side, seeing the top of Sasha’s soft brown hair. Her head is down, but Anetra sees her biting her lip in concentration as she works, and it’s hard to look away. She’s so close to her. If she reached down, she could feel if her hair is as soft as it looks—

“I’m Anetra, by the way. I never told you,” Anetra says, partly to fill the silence and partly to stop her own staring.

“That’s a pretty name,” Sasha says, and Anetra wonders when it got so hot in here. She stays still for the rest, turning the words over in her mind.

Sasha straightens up and brushes the hair off her face. “It’s all set. Not too bad, right?”

“Nope. Thank you.” She’s still too warm, and she quickly makes an exit, then spends most of the night wishing she had stayed longer.

—-

“I’m starting to think you’re doing this on purpose,” Sasha teases, when Anetra shows up for the third time in two weeks, painted with blood from nose to chin.

Anetra flashes a rare smile that Sasha treasures. “I swear I’m not.” Anetra sighs, dropping into the chair. She looks more at home in it now. “I really thought I’d get through this one without a scratch. But this cat came out of nowhere and distracted me, and I got punched.”

“Was it a cute cat?” Sasha asks. “I like the fluffy ones.” It’s a lighter side of herself, one she never really shows around clients, who expected her calm, professional persona. But something about Anetra is different, like Sasha doesn’t always have to be perfect around her.

“I didn’t notice. It looked fluffy, though.” Anetra smiles again. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m good at my job. I swear.”

“I believe you,” Sasha says, and she does. She doesn’t know what exactly Anetra does—she’s guessing some kind of fighter—but she knows she’s good at it, and she knows she cares about it, because she hangs in there no matter how many times she’s been hit.

“Um, how—how are you?” Anetra asks, while Sasha gently wipes the blood off her face. “I never ask. I just show up and bleed on your furniture.”

Sasha smiles to herself. Anetra’s more talkative now, like she’s grown used to Sasha, knows she’s safe with her. She’s a bit like Camden, Sasha’s neighbor. Quiet at first, but talkative once she knew you. A lake that was freezing at first dip, but quickly warmed around you.

“This furniture’s seen worse, believe me.” Sasha pauses, because none of her clients ever ask about her. “And I’m good. It’s been a slow day, I was mostly out in the garden.” She was never allowed to tend the huge garden in her old life, and the first thing she did when she got this cottage was spend a day outside, sweaty and smeared with dirt, planting seeds. The seeds of her new life.

“Did you plant it yourself?” Anetra asks, eyes on the window, where stalks of tomatoes flutter in the wind.

“I did.”

“Impressive,” Anetra says. “If I knew how to whistle, I would.”

“I can’t whistle either,” Sasha admits.

They laugh together, and Sasha leans in now that the blood is gone, gently feeling along her nose. She’s close enough to see flecks of gold in Anetra’s brown eyes, and the sight is so stunning she has to remind herself what she’s doing. “Luckily it’s not broken.”

“That’s—that’s good, then.” Anetra sounds dazed, like she also forgot what was going on. It’s a sound, and a look, she gets a lot around Sasha. “I’ll try not to be back so soon,” she teases.

“I’ll be here,” Sasha promises.

—-

Two weeks later things are going great, with a string of assignments that go well. Anetra’s body is grateful, but there’s a dull pain somewhere anyway, and it might be from missing Sasha.

Until the night she stops some poison supplier, one who signals to a friend behind Anetra, and there’s an arrow in her shoulder, just above her armor, before she can even turn around.

“Fuck.” She stares at it sticking out of her in disbelief, like she’s in a daze. It doesn’t look real. More like a toy arrow, sticking out of a shoulder that’s not real either. Even the trickles of blood seem too red to be hers.

She’s not supposed to take it out herself, she knows that much. Her training might not be from a royal guard, but others gave her tips on treating injuries to hold herself together until she can get actual help, and this was one of the first.

She swears again and gets moving.

“Ever removed an arrow?” Anetra asks Sasha by way of greeting. She’s gritting her teeth, breathing labored, but there’s relief beneath it all, because she knows she’ll be okay now.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Sasha pinches the bridge of her nose and swears under her breath. “Come in.”

Anetra eases into the chair while Sasha gets ready. She’s really focused today; there’s no tea, but she gives Anetra something else to drink, for the pain. She slowly removes Anetra’s armor, so she can be more comfortable. She gets bandages and cream, then comes back with scissors Anetra can’t help but pale at.

“Okay,” Sasha begins, calm as ever, despite what’s happening, “I’ll cut down the arrow first.”

Anetra sits as still as a statue while Sasha trims the arrow, trying to keep her breaths slow.

“You’re doing great,” Sasha says, and Anetra burns at the praise.

Sasha turns to the front. She braces her left arm across Anetra’s chest, holding her steady. Her heart is pounding so hard she has no doubt Sasha can feel it. She doesn’t know if it’s from the anticipation, or having Sasha so close. “I’ll pull it out on three.”

“No, wait,” Anetra says, hating the quiver in her voice. “Do it on a random number. A friend of mine said it’s better that way. That the anticipation of waiting for three makes it worse, or something.”

“Smart idea.” Sasha grins. “Okay. Seven. Twelve. Ninety-three. Five.”

On five, Sasha tugs the arrow out. It’s like being shot but in reverse, like part of her chest is being pulled out from the inside, and Anetra shudders out a gasping curse, curling in on herself and wincing as she pants for breath.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Sasha’s voice breaks through the cloud of pain. She hands Anetra a bowl in case she needs it, stroking the sweaty hair off her face. The touch is soft and cool, bringing her back to the world. “It’s out. Still with me?”

Anetra nods. Whatever Sasha gave her is kicking in. It’s not knock-out strong like the whiskey people in town swear by, but it dulls the worst. Her eyes slide closed while Sasha takes care of the rest, her light touches grounding Anetra.

“I’m done,” Sasha says softly. “I had to stitch the entry and exit wounds. I can take them out in a few days, just try to take it easy until then.”

Anetra nods.

“It’s almost three. Do you want to stay here until the morning?”

The words shock Anetra, sending her eyes flying open. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you up all night.”

“Don’t worry about it. So, do you want to stay?”

It’s a nice idea, and she wants to say yes so badly. Wants to watch the moon fade and the sun emerge, watch it light up Sasha’s face. But Anetra’s alert now, and the worries are springing up like enemies in the field. “But if I’m here long, what if that puts you in danger? That guy could have followed me here, I didn’t even think—” She won’t let anything happen to Sasha. Anetra’s hired to fight some people and protect others—it’s usually both at the same time, two sides of the same coin. A sword and shield in one, for whoever hires her. For Sasha, she would be both.

“I don’t think that’ll happen,” Sasha says, steadying the hand Anetra didn’t realize was shaking. “And if anyone comes here, I’m not worried. You’re here, and I’m tougher than I look. Just because I help people doesn’t mean I can’t fight.” Sasha’s expression is solemn, and Anetra realizes how true it is. Sasha is kind and caring, a shield for the people who need her. But it doesn’t mean she can’t fight, that she can’t be a sharp sword too. Just like Anetra.

“Okay,” Anetra agrees. She lets Sasha lead her into the kitchen, trying not to wonder why she would be so nice to her. Why she cares this much, when the people who hired Anetra never blinked at her injuries.

Sasha comes over with two mugs and a kettle.

“Let me.” Anetra grabs the kettle with her good arm. Sasha’s probably poured hundreds of cups of tea for people. Anetra’s betting it’s a long time since someone poured her one.

“My own personal knight.” Sasha smiles as she takes a seat across from her.

“Not a real one, anyway,” Anetra mutters.

Sasha frowns. “Do you want to tell me?”

Anetra sighs and sips her tea. Chamomile, with honey, she’s pretty sure. “Not much to tell. I’m not a noble, so I can’t get on the royal guard. I figured I’d help whoever I can around here. I’m a knight for hire, I guess.”

All she wanted was that life of gleaming armor, the weight of a sword at her hip, the tales of glory. But the Queen wouldn’t consider knighting someone without a title attached to their name. So Anetra made her own title. If no one would give her armor for protection, she’d protect herself. If no one would put the sword in her hand, she’d sharpen herself into one.

Sasha nods. “I’m sorry. If it helps, being a noble isn’t that great.”

The revelation doesn’t surprise Anetra, because as much as Sasha fits here, there was something different about her, something Anetra couldn’t figure out. Now it seems obvious. It’s in Sasha’s poise, the way she carries herself. Of course she was made for a life of gowns and balls and polite society.

“No?” Anetra asks finally.

“No. There’s a lot of rules and expectations. You have to act a certain way, look a certain way, all the time.” She sighs. “I couldn’t live that life anymore. So I left. Went to a few different places, learned a few different things, before I found somewhere I wanted to stay, where I could make my own life as a healer.”

Anetra pictures Sasha alone, with no one to take care of her the way she took care of everyone, running from the life she knew to create one she wanted. She saw it earlier, and she sees it again now: Sasha’s more of a fighter than Anetra gave her credit for.

“I’m glad you’re happy now.” Anetra smiles. Sasha draws them out of her easier than anyone, and she flashes several more as they talk, about Anetra’s best fights and Sasha’s time traveling. Anetra has never talked this much, but Sasha savors every word. The hours pass until the sun rises, and Sasha turns to gold before Anetra’s eyes.

—-

Anetra gets her stitches removed, and Sasha jokes that she barely recognizes her not covered in blood. She brings Sasha sunflowers, since she mentioned the garden was too small to grow them, and the flowers turn to Sasha rather than the sun.

She takes it easy for a week, just simple jobs. She doesn’t want to ruin the hard work Sasha did putting her back together. When she feels good again, she takes one a bit harder. The owner of a tavern has been cheating customers out of money, and she’s been hired to rough him up as a warning to return it. It’s a quick job, and she hardly gets bruised.

She’s heading out of the woods when she hears footsteps.

She instantly unsheathes her sword, heart picking up as she spins around to find the noise. One man emerges from the trees. A second follows, and then two more. They all have a tattoo on their arm, she notices. An eye. It matches the one on the man she’d beat up not long ago, the enemy of a local noble. Apparently he has friends.

They circle her, and her heart sinks. She’s taken on two at once, has scraped by against three. Four is just too many.

But she’s not going easily.

They don’t have swords or shields. This is bare fists. Personal.

She tosses her sword aside. She can get by without a weapon, has won plenty of fights with just her hands. She’s her own weapon—one that’s outnumbered, but still sharp.

She dodges punches and hurls her own, the world a mess of fists and grunts and blood. She breaks one’s nose with a kick, narrowing it to three against one. But then one pulls out a knife, and the trouble really begins.

It’s not about winning anymore. It never was, against four opponents. It’s about making them work for it–taking as many hits as she can, and giving as many back. Sweat runs into her eyes, her breaths more strained, the number of hits raining on her skin growing. The knife sinks into her side just as one kicks her leg so hard it gives out. She crashes to the ground, awash in the bitter smell of blood. There’s one last kick in her bleeding side, and then they leave, satisfied that they’ve paid her back.

She doesn’t know how long she stays there, the sweet grass smell poking through the cloud of blood and sweat making her face stiff. She rolls over and stares at the black sky, can’t tell the difference between the sky and just closing her eyes.

She needs help, and there’s only one place she can go. She hauls herself up with a groan, using her sword to support her weight. Her vision spins, throwing the world sideways. She keeps her eyes on her feet, stumbling over the cobblestones.

Just a few more steps…

She falls into the door, unable to lift her arm and knock. Her eyes flutter shut as she waits, hope slipping away like the blood pouring through her fingers.

The door opens, and then she collapses, choking out the only name her mind knows, the name her body brought her to. “Sasha.”

—-

Anetra slowly blinks awake, taking in the unfamiliar ceiling, unfamiliar bed, unfamiliar white shirt she’s wearing. There are bandages on her forehead, her arms, around her knuckles, a thick one around her side. Bruises paint her arms blue and purple. She feels like one giant bruise, really, sore and stiff all over. But she’s in one piece. Fragments flood Anetra’s mind, hazy and blurred like steam. She remembers the woods, the fight, then Sasha’s door—

To her right is a chair, and in that chair, sleeping softly, is Sasha. Her legs are tucked underneath her and her cheek rests on her hand. She’s softer and more vulnerable than Anetra’s seen her, and she feels like she’s intruding on something she’s not supposed to see. She wants to wrap her arms around Sasha and hold her close, keep her safe. And in this moment, it hits her harder than a punch, because she knows she loves Sasha. Knows it like she knows her own sword. They could have a life in this cottage, and she could help Sasha in the garden even though she’s never planted anything. They could plant new seeds, share quiet nights together, take care of each other.

Anetra sighs, because it will never work. Sasha comes from nobility, and Anetra’s just some street knight. The seed will never grow.

Sasha startles awake, adjusting her position and rubbing her eyes. “Sorry, I—I didn’t mean to fall asleep. How are you feeling?”

“Were you here all night?” Anetra asks with a pang in her chest.

Sasha nods. “I wanted to keep an eye on you. You…you were in bad shape.” It must have been bad, if that’s what Sasha is telling her. Sasha’s voice is oddly small, and her eyes are red, now that she’s closer. It could be from exhaustion, but Sasha’s never looked like this even when Anetra knew she was tired. She’s never disheveled or stressed like this. When someone showed up at her door, she always knew what to do, weaving help out of bandages and tea and gentle words.

It really scared her, Anetra realizes. Anetra really scared her, showing up here covered in blood and collapsing at her door. Red still clings to Sasha’s nails, blood she couldn’t scrub off or forgot about in her worry. Worry Anetra caused her.

It’s too much. It’s one thing to have Sasha bandage a cut. But for Sasha to stay awake all night to make sure she was okay, for Anetra to scare her and cause her so much worry, is too much. Too much to leave a trail of blood here and put in her potential danger. Too much to ask of her. Too much care for Sasha to give.

And it’s more than Sasha caring about her. She cares about Sasha. She cares too much, is too attached, and she hasn’t been attached to anyone in a while. If those men found her to get payback, there’s no saying someone couldn’t find Sasha one day, hurt her as revenge. Even if that didn’t happen, how could she ask someone as amazing as Sasha to love her, with her sword-sharp edges?

She needs to leave and it needs to be now. Tearing an arrow out without waiting for the number three. Taking the pain without dragging out the anticipation.

“I have to go.” Anetra swears as she gets to her feet, stumbling forward like a newborn giraffe. She holds her side, wincing at the touch.

“But you—”

“I’m sorry, I have to.” Anetra sighs, knowing she’ll never have the right words. “Thank you for helping me. Get some sleep. Please, okay?”

“Anetra, wait—”

But she leaves before Sasha can say anything else, and the blood staining the doorstep is just another ugly reminder that Anetra did the right thing.

—–

Anetra passes the days staring at her own ceiling. She’s still in the white shirt Sasha gave her, and it smells like Sasha. Like honey and earth and something that’s just her. Anetra keeps it on, because she’s no stranger to pain.

She did the right thing, didn’t she? Leaving to stop potential pain? Yet pain is all Anetra feels now, and it’s more than just her healing injuries. Maybe it was wrong to walk away from Sasha. To think Sasha couldn’t love her with the same care and love she put into patching Anetra up. Or maybe the patching up is the problem. Because maybe there would come a time when Sasha couldn’t put her back together.

After a week of this, there’s a knock on her door.

“Hello?” Anetra’s voice is gruffer than normal, hasn’t been used all week.

The redhead standing there doesn’t seem to mind. “I’m a friend of Sasha’s. She asked me to bring you this.” She holds out a bag, and Anetra realizes it’s her armor and sword, which she’d left behind in her haste. Of course Sasha wanted her to have it back.

Anetra swallows the lump in her throat. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” The redhead bites her lip. “I know it’s not my business, but you should talk to her. I’ve never seen her this upset.”

Anetra retreats to the bed again, running her fingers over the shirt until she falls asleep.

—-

Anetra survived four men at once, but nothing has been harder than knocking on Sasha’s door now.

After a few more days replaying their last interaction, thinking about what Sasha’s neighbor said, she finally forced herself out of bed. Anetra thought she could leave and spare Sasha from the pain, that she could shoulder it for the both of them. But leaving was what hurt Sasha in the first place, the last thing Anetra ever wanted to do to her. She needed to make it right.

Sasha answers, and Anetra doesn’t miss that quick smile dart across her face. She leads Anetra to the kitchen table, and the silence between them is heavy enough to crush a building.

“I know you’re not a big talker,” Sasha finally begins. “But if you want to, I’ll listen.”

“I…I don’t know where to start.”

“Well, let me say I’m glad you’re okay, at least,” Sasha says, and it fills Anetra with hope. “Leaving like that…do you know how dangerous that was? How worried I was?” She isn’t yelling. Anetra doesn’t think she has it in her to yell. Honestly, she’d prefer yelling to the hurt and worry in Sasha’s voice.

“I know. I’m sorry I did that.” Anetra takes a breath, because she needs to tell the truth. She owes Sasha that much. “I left because…because I was scared. I realized how much I cared for you. How much I’ve asked you to care for me. It was too much, and I thought it was safer to leave. Then I wouldn’t put you through that stress or hurt you anymore.”

Sasha’s quiet, her eyes intent, taking it in. “But what if I want to care for you?”

Anetra ignores the warmth in her chest, drawing her internal armor tighter. “I told you, it’s dangerous. Someone could follow me to you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“And I told you,” Sasha says firmly, “I’m tougher than I look. I can handle that. You won’t scare me off. And I know you wouldn’t let anything hurt me.”

She’s right, and Anetra knows it. Anetra will always protect her, but Sasha can handle the scary parts of Anetra’s life, and she can handle herself. Just because her strength and determination are wrapped in kindness doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

“There’s something else,” Sasha says. It’s not a question, because of course she knows.

Anetra nods, and she finally peels her armor away, showing Sasha what’s underneath. “I’m not good enough for you,” she breathes, blinking away tears, the confession an arrow through the chest.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…you’re from a noble family. You’re smart and kind and beautiful. You’ve probably always expected someone better—you deserve someone better.”

Anetra looks down, sure Sasha will agree. But when she looks up, Sasha is at her side.

“It’s not about what I deserve, it’s about what I want,” Sasha says seriously, her thumb brushing away Anetra’s tears. “Anetra, I love you. I can be myself around you. Everyone sees me as some perfect hero who always knows how to help, but you see me for me. You’re the first person who ever asked about me. You’re the first person I’ve ever talked about my past with.”

“I am?”

“Yes. That old me, that old life, is gone. I don’t want some noble. I want someone I love, someone I can be me with. That’s you.”

Anetra nods shakily.

“And who says you’re not good enough?” Sasha continues. “You’re the strongest, bravest person I know. You’re kind, and you do the right thing and protect people even when it’s hard.”

The words slam into Anetra, filling her with relief and a lightness she didn’t know she could have. She’s enough. She never realized how much she needed to hear it, how every swing of her sword was an attempt to do more, do enough, prove that she was worthy of being a knight, even if she couldn’t have the title.

“Thank you,” Anetra says finally, taking in the warmth of Sasha’s eyes. In trying to protect them from the hurt, she had taken away a chance at joy. That joy is rising in both of them, and she won’t lose it. “I’m sorry, again, for trying to leave. I–-I really care about you, and I’d like to be with you.”

Sasha smiles. “I’d love that.”

“Um, so how…how do we do this?” Anetra asks, rubbing her neck. She’s gone for drinks at a pub with people on what she guesses was a date, but never became much. She doesn’t know what a real one looks like, and she doesn’t want to mess things up like she almost did already.

It’s probably a stupid question, but Sasha doesn’t miss a beat. “Well,” Sasha begins, smiling faintly, “did you know you can knock on my door when you’re not gushing blood? You can come over anytime. We can eat, go for a walk, talk in the garden…whatever you want.”

Anetra nods. It seems so simple when she puts it that way. Anetra didn’t need to come up with something elaborate—Sasha just wants to be with her, like Anetra wants to be with Sasha.

“Give me one minute.”

Anetra gets up and runs outside, spinning around on the doorstep and knocking on the door. Sasha opens it a few seconds later, a wide smile on her face.

“Can we start this over, and I’ll take you for a walk?” Anetra asks.

“That would be lovely.”

Anetra holds out her hand, and when Sasha takes it, Anetra presses a kiss to the back of Sasha’s hand. Sasha smiles ever wider, lacing their fingers together as they step outside.

#rpdr fanfiction #sasha colby #anetra #anetra x sasha #s15 #lesbian au #knight au #athena2 #tw blood/injury #concrit welcome

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laniuchiha7 · 2 years ago

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Red Scarf

Sprinting off the dirt path Sasuke goes in the direction of where the cry came from. Near the center of Shikkotsu Forest is where he finds the origin; a girl with pink locks who is attempting to free herself from the grasp of a dangerous looking man, who holds her arm in one hand and a dagger in the other.

Moving swiftly and silently, Sasuke stands behind the man with his sword drawn, pressing the tip of the blade in the back of his neck just enough so he feels it, commanding him to let the girl go and drop his weapon. Once he does, Sasuke strikes the man in the head with the sword’s pommel and successfully knocks him out.

“Thank you,” the maiden says to him, picking up her basket of flowers from the ground. The swordsman replies with a simple “hn” while sheathing his blade. Now he’s finally able to take a good look at her; rosy blushed cheeks almost the same shade as her hair and emerald colored eyes staring back up at him. Her attire suggests she’s from the city, likely Konoha since it’s the nearest. Sasuke has traveled far across the lands of the five great nations but never has he come across a maiden as ethereal as her.

“My name is Sakura,” she tells him. Sakura, he thinks, how very suiting.

“Sasuke,” he replies. “Did he harm you?”

“Only a little,” Sakura shows him the cut on her arm from the man’s dagger, a bit of blood trickling down her forearm. Without a second thought Sasuke tears part of his red scarf, tying it snugly around her wrist to stop the bleeding and keep it from becoming infected, causing the blush on her face to further deepen.

“I work at the hospital in the city, my master asked me to come out here and pick a few of these rare flowers to make the medicine she needs, since they only grow during this time of year,” she explains. “I saw him ripping them out of the ground and tried to explain they won’t grow back next year if he takes all of them. He probably planned to sell them and assumed I came here to do the same.”

“Are you going back to Konoha now?” He asks, noting the sun beginning to set. Sakura dips her chin once. “Then I’ll walk with you.”

“I’ll be alright on my own, I don’t want to inconvenience you any further.”

“It’s fine, I was already heading that way.” Sasuke tells her, leaving out the part where he wants to ensure she gets there safely. Taking the basket from her hands, he moves towards the path. Seconds later he hears Sakura catch up, walking by his side with her arms clasped behind her back.

Sasuke glances down at her, catching her lips pulled into a smile and causing the corners of his to twist up ever so slightly. Sakura makes small talk with him on their journey back, and if this were to be anyone else he would have found himself irritated, preferring silence over mindless chatter, however with her he finds this to be the most enjoyable walk he’s had in a long time.

A/N: based off of the new artwork where Sasuke is a swordsman and Sakura is a city girl

#sssnippetaday #sakura haruno #sakura uchiha #sasusaku #alternate universe

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pleasedonteatmedemon · 2 years ago

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Daki's Death AU

This is an AU I made myself,

( Anyone wanting to use this AU for their own stories, please credit me. )

( My writing isn't the best so constructive criticism would be appreciated. Also, the characters may seem a little ooc, but I assure you its because of the situation and nothing else. )

( Today )

I sit in my room, in a chair, looking into the full body mirror in front of me. The only light in the room coming from two lanterns. I Brush my hair while smiling, humming a soft random tune to a song that doesn't exist. It was morning; therefore, I shouldn't leave my room, I usually don't; and when I do its only for certain purposes.

I go to my drawer, grabbing multiple hair pins, and a hair tie, as well as a small black container containing red lipstick. Of course I don't need a lot of makeup, I'm all naturally pretty, but there's nothing wrong with adding some extra colour to my lips.

Looking back into the mirror, I put my hair in a bun and add in the pins, as well as adding on the lipstick. I smile, "I'm perfect." I say only above a whisper. "That you are...now go and find that human, of course consume her if needed, it should be no harder than usual...good luck.." A voice inside of me says. Its Gyutaro, my brother. "Of course, I don't need your luck though, It'll be just as you said, no harder than usual." I whisper to him.

I leave my room, walking down many hallways, multiple greetings from different peoples. I finally make it to the girl's room. I open the long curtain that was her door, "Matsu-Chan...May I come in?" I ask sternly. The girl looks up at me as she was on her knees putting things away in her drawer, her face held no emotion but the a small smile was there. "Yes, Warabihime, sit wherever you like" She says. I come inside closing the curtain behind me. I have to be careful, if this girl really is a demon slayer, all she'd have to do is open those curtains and I'm done for. Wait? What am I thinking, this weak bitch can't do shit to me.

"I understand we got off on the wrong foot so I'd like to apologize. " I say, putting on a fake closed eyed smile. "No worries, its fine." She says. I raise an eyebrow, it'd seem almost like she was bending slightly over the items in front of her and she was turned the opposite way from me, I couldn't quite see the objects. Is she hiding something? I walk over closer to Matsu-Chan, she turns around, still sitting, the items to her back. "Would you like some help Matsu?" I ask, glaring at her in a harsh manner. "That won't be needed but thank you." Matsu says, her eyes holding still no emotion to them as she looked at me with a small smile. "Hah, so...you're a demon slayer, aren't you? No need to hide it, or are you just some sort of spy? Hm?" I say, a huge smile on my face as a flower-patterned Obi extracts itself from my body and quickly tying itself around matsu, her mouth being covered as well as bounding her legs and arms, holding her in the air. I now take a look at the objects, "Wow really? A sword?" I giggled.

The girl's eyes widen as she lets out a loud but muffled yell, i tighten my Obi around her neck. "Shut up. I'll kill you if-" I start, next things I now multiple people break into the room through the windows, my eyes widen. Demon slayers. I could feel my sin start to burn and my Obi burns away, letting the girl go. "B-BROTHER-!?" I try to yell, there were about three demons slayers, the girl matsu picks up her sword, they all strike for my head, cutting it off. I feel myself burn away, I try to move but I could feel wisteria in my system, someone's blade must've been poisoned. My brother, appears from out of my body, quickly dragging me away from where the sun was shining, but it was to late, all I had was my head and it was burning away. Usually you'd have to cut off both our heads but its different this time. "N-No...Daki! You're okay I-I'm so sorry I'm late you're...you're fine..." He mutters to me, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Brother! Help me, please help me it hurts!!" I plead. The three start dashing towards us. He drops my decaying head and pulls his Sickles out, it looks as if he had teleported right behind them, the three of their heads falls off, now its clear that he had sliced all of their heads off. He turns to me quickly running to me trying to stay out of the sun as he already had a few mars on his body from it, my head almost fully gone, "Wait for me...I'll be with you soon..." He says. Tears pour from my eyes, I cant speak no more, my mouth is gone, this is his fault, he's suppose to be here for me?! Why didn't he save me?! Everything then turns to black. I'm dead now.

( That same day but night and from a new perspective )

I sit atop a building, watching people from below, all the lights and noises and such. My body limp, I can't help but wonder, what was it all for? Just to get some useless revenge? Sure it made me feel better in the moment, but I always wanted more. I then look up at the moon. I shall stay here till daytime. So then I can be with my sister.

Its all my fault this had happened, I don't think I've even fully processed it. I'm not completely sure how I should feel. Oh god...I hope I don't get sent to the infinity castle before I reach my death. Would they even do that? Technically, the upper moon six, isn't dead completely. Or in other words me...and my sister? I'm confusing myself...its best not to think of it-

I feel a very dark presence looming behind me. Its him. I stand up and turn around, then bowing to him. "Lord Muzan..." I say sternly. I wonder what's gonna happen. "Your sister was weak and wasn't paying attention. Her stupidity is what led to her death, not you. Upper six, you're very powerful, don't waste all that time and effort and go kill yourself over a puny weak demon. She was holding you down, You didn't need her. " He says, looking down at me. I couldn't help but feel angry at his words. How dare he speak of her that way. She did so much for him, and this is all he has to say!? "Now, go consume more humans and get even more powerful. Don't see this as a setback, see it as an opportunity to be more than what you are now. I have to leave.." Lord Muzan says, then turning around. "Also.." He turns his head to look at me, a horrifying look in his eyes. "If you even think about killing yourself again, I'll kill you myself." He says.

Oh that's right...He can read minds...I'm not sure how exactly it works but I believe him. Muzan disappears, probably went somewhere in the crowd. I stand up, looking down. "AGHHHhhhhhHHH !! " I scream while looking up at the sky, I was so furious, I've never felt so mad, I don't care if I'm attracting attention, it doesn't matter anymore. I pant, gritting my teeth. I jump down from the building, behind it now where no one could see me, 'what do I do now?' 'where do I go?' 'I've always been here, for centuries!' I ponder, walking behind the buildings with my fists clenched. After awhile, I had calmed down, I found a dirt trail, leading away from the district and I could see that it led two paths one into a forest and another into a village, although it was far, it wouldn't be for me. I decided to go straight and into the forest. My arm was still healing from that sun burn I got earlier.

After about two hours of walking I reach the forest, I see signs on the outside of it saying to not go in there and stupid shit like that. I walk inside and look around at the trees and such for any human life. I could hear frogs and birds chirping, all sorts of animal noises. It was...peaceful? I continue walking on the dirt path for another hour, then finding myself to be in front of a two story cabin. "Huh..." I mumble, I walk to it and open the door, it was pitch black in there. I search the entire house. There was one bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a few closest's. Perhaps its...abandoned? Maybe there's another demon out here in these woods somewhere. I remember seeing some planks and nails inside one of the closest. I can use those to board up the windows, I'll use my sickles like a hammer since I don't have one but that fine. I suppose I'll be staying here for awhile now, I can feast on the people at that village and also I can just go to the entertainment district as well. I think to myself.

I go into one of the bedrooms and sit on the side of the bed, looking down. I sigh, then looking at the dresser next to me, a picture frame..? I pick it up, wiping the dust off its glass. There were four people, an adult woman and man, and then two children, boy and girl, the boy was getting a piggyback ride from his supposedly father, the supposedly mother and father were holding hands, the little girl holding the maybe mother's hand. "Agh..." I grunt, drops of water falling onto the frame, my hands start shaking, whats happening to me? What is this feeling? Its the same feeling I felt when I watched Daki disintegrate. I drop the frame, looking up at the ceiling, tears streaming down my eyes, "Daki...No..." I whimper out.

Without her, this eternity is going to be very long. Maybe someday I'll forget her, just like I how I forgot what turned me to be the way I am now.

#Daki #Gyutaro #Demon slayer #demon slayer fanfic #fanfic #gyutaro fanfic #Daki's Death AU

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