#that moment when you realise you could write a multichaptered fic with this concept

[sansaorgana]

— DECEPTION (IV)

DECEPTION MASTERLIST

PAIRING — Sauron x fem!Elf!Reader // Adar x fem!Elf!Reader

SUMMARY — Your relationship with Adar develops and you already see he is going to be a completely different kind of a partner than Sauron was. You're trying to gain your new husband's trust and you accompany him and his army during the attack on Tirharad where you get to witness the Orcs' battlefield havoc for the first time with your own eyes.

AUTHOR’S NOTE — I am hyperfixating on this fic so much and it feels amazing to be so devoted to writing again. In general, the brainrot is real when it comes to The Rings of Power and I have not expected it but it is the most welcome. I already loved Season One but nothing could have prepared me for Season Two! 💕 Because of that, this fic will most likely have more parts than I have planned, so be warned already. I also might have an idea for a fic with Annatar but I would rather make it a long one-shot instead of starting yet another multichapter... But we will see... 🤔 I start my job soon and I honestly have no idea how I will be able to focus there to learn all my tasks if all I can think of is Adar and Sauron lol

WARNINGS — forced/arranged marriage, Reader is NOT a good person – she is proud, greedy, fake and corrupted by Sauron, "love" triangle situationship, every trigger from S01E06 (death, battle, violence) + Reader is not very fond of the humans and considers them a lower form of life (she is Sauron's lover, okay? I do not share her beliefs because I am a human, too)

WORD COUNT — 5,570

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

DECEPTION (IV)

Tirharad was close but the Orcs could not travel freely in daylight. Even hidden by the thick forest, when the sun rose high up enough, they had to hide. So, you were standing by your horse and watching them setting up a small camp in the middle of the woods. Adar was standing nearby and you could overhear his conversation with Glûg.

“Are we attacking tonight, Lord Father?” The Orc asked.

“Tomorrow,” Adar answered and squeezed his arm reassuringly. “Tonight I shall send the scouts to observe the village,” he explained and Glûg nodded at him before going away to tell the news to his friends.

Adar approached you and you slightly flinched, which was an unplanned and uncontrolled reaction. He spotted it and froze for a short while, refusing to get any further. You were surprised to see that he seemed to respect your personal space and he was ready to back off any moment after realising you were not comfortable with him being around you now. On the other hand, considering the tortures he had been through, it made sense that he was sensitive about the concept of violating someone’s space.

When you first had seen him, he had terrified you. And the idea of marrying him had been the most dreadful. But now you were slowly realising that as cruel as he was to his enemies – he would not be a husband as brutish.

“What am I doing here?” You asked him, quietly. Then, you looked up to meet his gaze. “If it was your plan to destroy Ostirith and its habitants all along… Why save me? Why take me with you?” You asked, genuinely wondering.

“We share certain… qualities,” Adar explained softly. “Loneliness, attraction to darkness. You were trying to tempt me so I would agree to your father’s offer and marry you. And you have tempted me indeed because I’ve been lonely for a few centuries too long now,” he admitted. “And it was the most endearing when I realised you were doing it all for your mother.”

You looked down, not being able to hold his gaze any longer when he mentioned your mother. Yes, it was true that you had been sacrificing yourself for her as well. But what truly had been in the back of your mind was Sauron and the fact that getting close to Adar and his army of Orcs could help your lover in his future schemes.

And perhaps Adar indeed was sick with loneliness if he couldn’t see how truly rotten you were.

“Lord Father, your tent is ready,” one of the Orcs approached you and pointed at the largest tent for Adar to rest in.

“Thank you. Prepare one for my wife, too,” Adar nodded at him.

“There is no need. That one is big enough for us two,” you pointed out and walked inside without looking back.

You looked around and sat on the wooden chair by the small table. The Orcs had no home, so they were travelling with some furniture in case they would spend their days in camps like this one. It was a very poor setting but you were not one of the Elves who had grown up in the rich and beautiful realms like Eregion or Mithlond, so you were not complaining.

Adar walked inside, carrying a heavy wooden chest with some of his belongings. You watched him place it on the ground nearby the bed.

“These are too important to lose or leave unsupervised,” he informed you and straightened his back before looking down at your face. “If you do not wish to be in my presence for now, I understand. I thought you would hate me. Perhaps you do but you do not show it as fiercely as I suspected you would.”

“I feel bad for the Elves you slaughtered inside Ostirith just because they were unfortunate enough to work under my father,” you admitted. “But watching this fortress tumbling to the ground was an oddly satisfying experience to me,” you added and Adar furrowed his brows. “It had been like a prison too many times,” you explained.

In fact, you mourned Ostirith a little but no amount of admitting it would change what had happened and you did not want him to see your weaknesses. You wanted to earn his trust as much as you could. His and his children’s.

“What do you keep there?” You changed the subject lazily and pointed at the wooden chest with your chin. You truly were curious but you wanted to ask in a careless manner, so he would not get too suspicious.

Adar hesitated for a moment before crouching down next to the chest and opening it. You had to fight every muscle in your body from trying to get a better look inside and to keep appearing unbothered.

But when he lifted up the Iron Crown, you gasped. A thrill went down your spine; a malicious shiver as your heart clenched inside your chest. You could smell Sauron’s blood on it and you immediately realised how your beloved had died. It was a twisted way to get rid of him and quite poetic, too – you had to admit it.

“You recognise the item,” Adar pointed out.

“Has my father not mentioned my education and intuition?” You cracked a nervous smile. “How did you get Morgoth’s crown?”

Adar only smiled at that and hid the item again, locking the chest with a key that he kept with himself.

“It is strong enough to kill Sauron – it has defeated him once. Not fully, so it seems. But with the help of even stronger magic, it could work again and this time it could finish the job,” he explained. “Now you know how important this chest is. I have shown it to you in case something happens to me.”

Now it was your time to smile mysteriously but you only nodded at him to show him you understood completely.

“Do you wish to rest now, my Lady?” Adar asked as he straightened his back and stood up. “I shall go to my children and answer their questions about the attack,” he said.

“I have nothing else to do, it seems, my Lord,” you sighed and leaned back on the chair as you watched him approaching the way out of the tent. “Unless…” You stopped him and he turned his head around. “Unless you would not mind my company. I am curious about the attack myself,” you added. “I am your wife,” you reminded him. “Your equal. I wish to stand by you always instead of hiding away in tents, camps and woods; left in the darkness of not knowing what is happening around me. I have never wished to be this kind of woman,” you stood up as if you were challenging him.

“You take matters into your own hands,” Adar commented. “I have seen that already back in Ostirith. You may join me, wife,” he emphasised the last word and it sounded a bit like mockery but you also spotted a hint of affection.

He extended his hand carefully towards you, still remembering how you had flinched before but this time you were in full control of your body, so you approached him, although instead of taking his hand, you put yours on his arm like a viper snake tightening its hold around the victim.

But your victim was powerful and treacherous, therefore you had to be the most cautious.

Adar deciding to attack in the evening of the next day only prolonged the anxious anticipation. You had never taken a part in any battle of this sort before.

When you had told your husband that you had never wanted to be this kind of woman – hiding away and waiting – that had been a lie. You had been like this with Sauron whenever he had been scheming and plotting somewhere. All you had been doing was warming up the bed for him. And whenever he had been back… He had been the most hungry and thirsty for you. That was all you had been caring about with Sauron. That, and to become his Queen.

But the cruel fate had taken your lover away from you and now it was time to prove your love and devotion to him. To help him – as simple as it was. You would bring the army of the Orcs to him and you would destroy your own realm for him on the way if you had to.

Sauron had always been quite… chatty. He had not only been drowning you with the countless affections and sweet words but he had also been sharing lots of his plans with you while playing with your hair or caressing the curves of your body. And perhaps he had been thinking that you had not been listening to any of it but it was not true. You had been a devoted listener.

And you knew his plan for the Southlands was to take over these lands and to make them his own terrifying realm. You knew his plans for your home were the most horrific and yet you liked the idea of ruling Middle-earth from the ruins of your homeland. It would be a symbol for you – a purge of the Southlands and Ostirith – your personal prison being turned into ashes and you becoming the Queen of them.

However horrific it would be, you knew it would not matter. You would rule alongside your lover and that was all you needed. You could be his Queen in the most precious gemstones and you could be his Queen in rags. You could rule over the beautiful Elves and you could rule over the filthy Orcs and it made no difference to you. What mattered was being by his side and getting intoxicated with his love and his worship.

Thinking of Sauron fondly, you wondered if you should try to wear your tempting nightgown again for this night as the sounds of the partying Orcs were reaching you from the outside of the tent. But then you thought that perhaps the nightgown had the opposite effect on Adar who simply did not like seeing you trying to seduce him. So, you just stripped yourself down to an underdress and rested on the bed, looking bored as you played with the necklace around your neck.

When Adar entered the tent, he tilted his head at the sight of you and then he sighed, sitting by the table and opening the notes from the scouts that had been waiting for him.

You kept observing him from the corner of your eye but he seemed to be uninterested in you, so you rolled your eyes and looked away. For a man claiming to be so lonely, he was also very cold. And you knew that in the eyes of the Valars, you were still unwed because the marriage was not consummated. However, you did not want to push him into anything because it could cause his mistrust and anger.

“I am scared of my uncertain position here,” you finally admitted and he froze before turning around to look at you, confused, still holding the piece of paper in his hand.

“What do you mean, my Lady? You are my wife,” he shook his head.

“No, I am not… yet,” you swallowed thickly and squeezed the pendant of your necklace in your hand.

You had no idea how to seduce sexually or convince him to join you in bed because Sauron had never taught you any of this – he had always been an eager lover.

Adar sighed and left the table to sit on the edge of the bed as he looked down at you. He extended his hand to brush your cheeks with his fingertips and then he allowed his hand to go lower to your chest, which was rising up and down in the pace that was going quicker now. In that moment, you could see clearly in his eyes that he desired you, so you could not understand why he was stopping himself from going further.

“Is it because of something Morgoth had done to you?” You asked, trying to sound gentle and hoping it would not anger him.

“No,” Adar shook his head with a very gentle hint of a smile. “It is because you do not want it willingly,” he admitted and retreated his hand. “When I agreed to marry you, I knew you were being forced by your father. You could have been assuring me that you wanted it but I knew you were only doing it for your mother and now, when she is safe, you are doing it to ensure your own position,” he kept explaining and you couldn’t help being surprised.

He was one of the most dangerous people you had ever met and surely one of the most brutal and yet he refused to harm his own wife in any way even if it was not love that had bonded you two but loneliness and the shared rot of the soul.

“Do you know that arranged marriage is against the Elven customs?” Adar asked with a sad smile.

“We are going against all Elven customs, haven’t you noticed, my Lord?” You swallowed thickly and lifted yourself up on your elbows.

“You are wearing my ring and I am wearing yours. We are wed for eternity no matter what,” Adar stood up to leave the edge of your bed. “And eternity is a long time for you to eventually warm yourself up to the idea of sharing your bed with me. And if not, I shall survive,” he shrugged his arms. “There is more to life than the pleasure of the flesh.”

You opened your mouth to say something – anything – and to deny his words, to keep tempting him somehow. But Adar interrupted you and saved you from any further embarrassment.

“Speaking of survival, I have something for you. Gifts,” Adar pointed at the chest that had been put inside the tent not so long ago by one of the Orcs but you had been ignoring it until now.

“I did not expect you to be a husband who would spoil his wife with gifts,” you tried to tease as you sat up fully now and watched him open the chest.

“These are not traditional gifts by any means,” Adar warned you and he approached the bed again to hand you a slim and beautifully ornamented dagger, made of black metal.

Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. In fact, it nearly made you sick and you tried very hard not to show how much this item had affected your senses.

It was Sauron’s dagger; the one he had been carrying with him most of the time. Adar had to take it away from him alongside the crown when he had murdered your beloved. You knew that dagger – you had been watching Sauron with it countless of times. And Sauron himself had been using it on you many times before to increase the pleasure of your intimate moments. That dagger meant the world to you and to hold it in your hand was like holding the hand of your lover again after all those centuries of separation and yearning.

“I-it is beautiful,” you stuttered out and took it, trying to compose yourself.

“You seem to be uneasy,” Adar furrowed his brow and you quickly came up with an excuse as you looked up at him with a trembling lower lip.

“It is of great beauty but I can sense a tremendous darkness within it,” you explained.

“It belonged to Sauron,” Adar admitted. “If it is too corrupted for you, I can take it from you and have a custom one made,” he assured you. 

“I can handle it,” you shook your head and squeezed your hand around the blade’s hilt. “It was just a slight disturbance when I first touched it,” you answered. “Thank you, that gift is very thoughtful, my husband,” you forced a smile and Adar sighed with relief. He extended his hand to gently grab your chin and caress your cheek before he walked away to the chest once again.

And when he turned around one more time, you gasped once again at the sight of a black breastplate. It was Elven – you recognised the ornaments in the shapes of leaves immediately.

“It belonged to one of the Elves we killed on the way. We collect their armour to later transform the pieces into the items we find useful but this breastplate I ordered to paint black since it might suit your size,” Adar admitted. “You march with the army and you need to be protected from the blades and arrows of our enemies,” Adar placed the breastplate on the chair next to the bed but you already stood up, all ready to wear it and see for yourself.

He assisted you in putting it on and you had no mirror to see how you looked, so you had to rely on his opinion on it.

“And?” You asked, excitedly.

“I think it fits you well, my Lady,” Adar nodded and you smiled widely at him. “And I see the gifts do please you.”

“Of course they do. So far, the books have been my weapons, but this feels quite empowering,” you admitted and tried to get a glimpse of your appearance in the reflection of your dagger’s blade.

Sauron had only been gifting you jewellery, dresses and nightgowns that later would end up torn or cut up with this very dagger. Sometimes, he had given you a book when he had wanted you to study it for him to help him expand his knowledge. And as much as you loved being spoiled and worshipped by him in this way, you also found it very dignifying to receive gifts of this sort from your husband.

“I want my wife to be respected not only because of being my spouse but because of who she is on her own. I want the whole Middle-earth to see the Dark Lady that you are,” Adar confessed in the Quenya language while he stood behind you and you felt his hands on your hips as he leaned in to whisper into your ear. You watched his distorted reflection in the blade of your dagger and in that moment, you swore, you truly wanted him and it scared you because it could mean that it was not Sauron whom you loved but the promise of power he had been presenting you with.

You felt the small amount of pain from squeezing the blade too tightly and it brought you back to reality. You shook these thoughts off and took a deep breath in. Of course you loved Sauron – you loved everything about him. Every inch of you craved and missed him to the point that you ended up caressing the hilt of the dagger for the whole night long, trying to feel the remains of his fingertips.

You have observed the fire of the burning villages from the Ostirith’s watchtower but now you were experiencing the Orcs’ havoc for the first time personally, walking into burning Tirharad alongside your husband. Dead human bodies scattered under your feet while the rooftops of the houses burnt as the Orcs kept destroying everything on their way as if they were in a frenzy, chanting the word nampat. 

You were wearing your new breastplate over your black dress and you had the dagger attached to it on your hip in case you needed it but there were no humans around anymore even though they had to fight bravely since the ground was also full of the dead bodies of the Orcs.

You were careful with your steps and it felt as if you watched the scene in slow motion – in a way, you were alone in the middle of this small hell. You let Adar walk past you as your own pace slowed down. Those were the lands your father had been the guardian of. Now they were burning and you only watched.

No, you didn’t just watch. You participated in it. You had brought death to the village of Tirharad.

“Is that what you wish to be?” You joined your husband’s side again. “The King of ashes?” You asked.

“I do not wish to be a King,” he remarked, “and my children do prefer the ashes.”

You joined the Orcs that were trying to get inside the tavern where the remaining villagers seemed to be hiding and they had barricaded themselves. However, it was only a matter of time when the Orcs would finally be able to open the wooden doors.

You felt a thrill of anticipation and excitement when they succeeded. You were not quite sure what was the item your husband was seeking – as much as he trusted you with some things and had even shown you the crown of Morgoth, he also kept some information hidden from you.

You took a step ahead but Adar’s hand stopped you from walking further by taking you by your wrist as the Orcs ran inside, attacking the villagers.

“Do not rush, my Lady,” he scolded you gently. “Let my children take them over first. You would make an easy target,” he pointed out and even though his words hurt your pride a little, you knew he was right and he had only done it to protect you.

You nodded your head at him and you waited a moment before Adar let go of your hand and walked inside the tavern. You could hear how quiet it got and you understood why since he had that effect on people. You took a deep breath in and straightened your back before following him, ready to face all those humans and make your appearance as Adar’s Dark Lady for the first time in public.

But when you walked inside, there was only one person that you could keep your eyes on as you gasped quietly at the sight of him. He was being held by two Orcs and his eyes widened at the sight of you, too.

“Arondir…” You whispered his name. “I thought you were dead,” you admitted.

He had not returned from one of his scouting missions and that had been one of many such cases lately when the Orcs had overtaken these lands. You all had mourned him already in Ostirith and you personally had been very sad about him in particular because you considered him to be one of your closest friends inside the fortress.

“My Lady…” Arondir was clearly confused to see you like this. “I thought the same of you when we watched Ostirith fall,” he admitted. “I have mourned you.”

“And I have mourned you, old friend,” you nodded at him and you stood next to Adar. You finally looked at the other faces and they kept staring at you with terror.

They knew you. You did not know them but they knew about you. Your father had been no King but he had been the protector and the guardian of these lands and you were his only daughter – a beautiful Elven maiden walking around the forests or riding her horse through this realm, sometimes talking to its habitants on the way. You were a part of their stories and myths, their songs and their legends and in their eyes you were a Princess. 

Now, they could not comprehend why you were standing next to the man who was the very reason of their doom.

However, no one dared to ask any question. Not even Arondir and you just knew he had to be dying of curiosity to know what had happened. Just like you were pretty curious to find out why he had never made it back to Ostirith, which seemed to had been his own choice.

In the meantime, after observing your interaction with Arondir, Adar approached him slowly, staring at your friend with the most intensity.

“What I seek. Give it to me,” Adar said in the Quenya language. 

“Let them go. I will consider it,” Arondir answered in the same speech and no trace of fear was spotted upon his face. You knew that your husband would not get whatever he wanted easily because you knew Arondir and you were aware of his stubborn and courageous nature. You were afraid it would lead him to his death now and that was the loss you would grieve surely, especially after witnessing it with your own eyes.

Suddenly, you started to think that, perhaps, being this kind of woman – who would stay behind and wait… Perhaps it would be better. Perhaps Sauron had been protecting your innocence and your fragility when he had not been taking you with him anywhere. Perhaps he had not wanted anything else except for him to corrupt you.

Adar nodded his head at the Orcs and the ones who had human villagers at the ends of their blades began to use their weapons and kill these poor people.You tried your best to remain unbothered by it but your heart pounded inside of your chest. You could see some of the people who were exclaiming in fear were also looking up to you to help them but you could not. You could not risk this fragile thread of trust that connected you with your husband.

And, unfortunately to them, no human life was worthy enough for you to risk ruining your plans to help Sauron in the end of all of this. They had to die, so the greater thing could emerge from it later. The Dark Lord who would heal all Middle-earth. Their sacrifice would be the most appreciated then.

“Why sacrifice their life for such a little thing?” Adar asked and in that moment once again you were confused by how cruel this man could be – the very same man who refused to touch you just to make sure everything between you two was consensual.

That made you feel special.

More people kept dying and Arondir screamed in anger into Adar’s face, then he looked at you, awaiting any reaction but there was none even though your eyes had to betray you a little bit and show some pain.

“Arondir, please,” you stepped in. “Just cooperate,” you tried to reason with him. “For the sake of our friendship.”

“I am no friend of yours!” Arondir spat out and even though his reaction was the most understandable, it stung your heart and angered you. 

You had never been able to handle rejection very well. The pain and compassion in your eyes turned into rage in a very brief moment. Sauron had always found your mood switches of this sort very endearing.

Adar turned around and spotted a wounded woman laying down with the blade pressed to her neck. She was oddly calm in the middle of this bloody chaos.

“The woman next,” Adar ordered and these three words seemed to have a very strong effect on Arondir. He screamed and grunted, trying to get out as the Orcs holding him struggled to keep him steady.

“No!” Some young boy shouted, most likely that woman’s son.

But you focused on Arondir as you smirked. So, it was love that had kept him away from Ostirith. It was love that had caused him to not come back. And it was love for a human to make it even more romantic in the cheapest way.

You had always heard stories of the Elves falling for the humans but you had never understood any of them. Why would any Elf fall for a creature so weak…? You were quite the opposite – you loved a Maia; nearly a God – and you often wondered what he had seen in you… a common Elf.

“Wait!” The young boy shouted at the Orc who raised his hand to strike the final blow upon the woman’s neck.

“No!” Arondir screamed at the boy and you raised an eyebrow.

“It’s under here,” the boy confessed, desperate to save his mother and Arondir looked at him with terror in his eyes. “It’s under here.”

“No…” Arondir whispered at this betrayal.

“Elves do love differently than humans,” you explained to the boy. “He might love your mother but he will still sacrifice her – and this whole village – for this one magic item,” you pointed out with mockery. “He does not understand why none of this matters to you. You just want to save your mother, am I right, boy?” You asked him and approached him as Arondir shot you a deadly glance.

But, in a way, you did not have to fake much of that compassion towards the boy. You knew what it was like to love your mother and to try to save her no matter the cost.

The boy nodded at you and you nodded at the Orc standing behind him to let him go. So he did and the boy grabbed the tool that would help him to get to the item.

“Theo!” Arondir called his name.

“I’m sorry,” the boy named Theo whispered and pried one of the stones that the floor of the tavern was made of.

Arondir kept grunting and trying to get out of the Orcs’ hold but they were stronger than him. Adar crouched down to get the small thing covered in dirty rags out of the hole under the stone as you stood above him and looked down with curiosity. When he opened it, a sword’s hilt was revealed and it had been forged in the same fashion as Sauron’s dagger or Morgoth’s crown. You could feel its dark magic as an ominous feeling sent a shiver down your spine.

Then, the loud rumbling reached your ears and you all furrowed your brows at the sound. You realised it was coming from the many horses going your way from afar. Someone was coming with an army to help the people of Tirharad.

You were scared at first. Scared of such a quick defeat. If it was an army of the Elves, your whole scheme would be over before it had even started. On the other hand, considering the fact you had been married to Adar for a few days, you could still save yourself by putting on a show of sobbing and explaining to the High King how much your awful father had been forcing you to become a part of this union. Perhaps he would believe you but you were scared of Gil-galad the most because he was so pure and made of such strong light that he would surely see through you immediately.

In such a case, it was very beneficial that your marriage at least had not been consummated.

Adar grabbed you by the sleeve of your dress and walked you out of the tavern. You could sense he was nervous as well and you two nearly bumped into Glûg standing in front of the building, anxiously waiting for his Lord Father to tell him the worrying news.

“The army is coming, Lord Father. We do not know yet who–” he started.

“I have a task for you,” Adar ignored him as he turned around to face you and Glûg shut his mouth as he looked down.

“What is it?” You asked, trembling slightly. The rumbling sound coming from the distance was growing louder as your anxiety was rising.

“You will go back to Ostirith and use your blood to extend the sword. There is a crevice – you know which one; Ostirith was your home. You have to insert the sword inside and twist it,” Adar handed you the hilt, still covered in the dirty rags.

You took it from him but you were out of words as you kept staring at him. He had to be desperate to give you out of all people such a task.

“That will open the dam,” you shook your head. “I do not understand.”

“Do it,” Adar insisted and clenched his jaw, staring at you intensely. “This way, you get to finish what I started and you get to be safe, away from the battlefield. You have no time to lose. Glûg will go with you,” he looked at at the Orc. “Look after my wife, Glûg.”

The Orc nodded at you, visibly proud of the job he was given.

You were still unsure of the whole thing, clenching the sword hilt covered in rags in your hands but you saw an opportunity of getting out of danger that was coming. However, when you looked at Adar, you realised it could be the last time you were seeing him alive and for some reason it made you sad a little bit. He was a mysterious man and you hoped to get to know some of his secrets before you would get back with Sauron.

“Are you sure you trust me with such a task?” You asked. He looked like it was a very important job to do and he cared deeply about it being done properly.

“I do not have many I can trust,” he only said.

“Clearly,” you answered and took a deep breath in before looking at Glûg. You nodded at him and you both ran away as fast as possible towards the woods.

MASTERLIST

[catsafarithewriter]

For the prompts- "Is that a new hat? Nice, very pointy. Classic.” and/or “It’s not my fault! You make it all too easy to laugh at you.” Muta and Toto shading each other or Haru and Baron.

A/N: Someone already requested the “it’s not my fault!” prompt, so I’m going for “Is that a new hat? Nice, very pointy. Classic.” This is another Soulmate AU, because apparently I’m weak for playing with the concept. :D

Basically: there’s a business for everything. Even soulmates. 

(Also the first scene is inspired by The Librarians TV show. Also… this got long. Like... 6K long? I regret so much.)

x

Humbert von Gikkingen - or Baron, to the few that knew him - didn’t receive many visitors while working in his quiet little corner of the Bureau of Soulmate Regulation. 

Or any, if one didn’t count the handful of co-workers he shared the Sanctuary with.

So when there came a quiet knock at his office door, he didn’t bother to look up. Of the few co-workers he had, even fewer bothered to knock. Instead, he pulled up another file and began to write up the results. “Toto, if this is about the radio, I promise I barely went near the infernal machine, and Muta is the one responsible for the coffee machine–”

“What happened to the coffee machine?”

He snapped his head up and was greeted not with the tired expression of the Head of the Bureau of Soulmate Regulation, but of a woman he didn’t recognise. For a moment, he glanced behind him as if  half expecting there to be someone else she had come to see, before remembering he was the only one there. “Can I help you?”

“I, uh…” She faltered as she looked at him, her gaze slipping from his eyes and pausing instead on the ginger fur, the feline ears, the tail sweeping behind him… Then she visibly remembered her manners and dropped into a hasty bow. “I’m Haru Yoshioka. I’ve been hired as your… facilitator, I think?” She rose out of the bow, her face reddening. “At least, that’s assuming you are Humbert von Gikkin- Gikkanin-”

“Gikkingen,” he supplied. “Yes, I am, and no, I do not need a facilitator.” He returned his attention to the file at hand. “Door’s behind you; I presume you can find your own way out.”

She didn’t move. 

He glanced back up. “I’m sorry, does something seem to be confusing you, Miss Yoshioka?”

“Well… kind of.” Her hands were dancing over a slip of paper, turning it over and curling the edges. “It’s just, the letter I got seemed quite sure…”

He now saw the paper was a beautifully embossed piece of card, more akin to a wedding invitation than a letter, and his stomach sank. He held out a hand. “May I?”

“Oh. Sure.” 

He turned it over in his hold and, sure enough, there were the words he knew too well, written in flowing, nearly-illegible script. 

‘Miss Haru Yoshioka. You have been selected to interview for a prestigious position with the Bureau of Soulmate Regulation,’ it read. Simple. To the point. Almost insultingly brusque, if it weren’t for the obvious expense and care put into it. 

“I mean,” the woman said, missing his growing resignation, “it was kind of weird. I don’t remember ever applying for anything, definitely nothing that would prompt this, but the name and address was correct, and the man I met didn’t seem that surprised by it.” She paused. “Now I think about it, he didn���t even interview me; just sent me here to meet you.”

“No,” Baron said. “He wouldn’t have.” He sighed and passed the letter back , reaching for the internal phone with his other hand. “Please excuse me for a moment. Toto?” 

He pressed the call button several times before it responded with an angry buzzing. He pressed again, and it cleared into an acceptable phone pitch. “Toto?”

After a long moment, the Head of the Bureau picked up. He sounded like he already knew the incoming conversation. “Baron. How lovely to hear your voice. What can I do for you today?” 

“Toto, I have a woman here claiming she’s my facilitator–”

“Oh, good. Then she found her way to your office. The Sanctuary must like her.”

“No. Not good. Toto, why would you invite her here? We’ve already discussed that I don’t need a facilitator–”

Toto gave a short laugh. “I don’t send the invitations, you know that. The Sanctuary does. The Sanctuary sends the invitations and, evidently, it has decided that yes, you do need a facilitator before you blow up another computer. I’m sorry, Baron. The decision is out of my hands.” There was a pause, and then, “Oh, and Miss Haru, if you’re hearing this, welcome to the Bureau of Soulmate Regulation.” He could hear the smile in Toto’s words. “Good luck.”

They both stared at the phone as Toto hung up, and a dubious pause lingered. 

“So…” Haru said eventually, “does that mean I’m hired?”

“It would appear so.” 

“You, uh, don’t seem too happy about this.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Yoshioka. Trust me, this isn’t any fault of yours, it’s simply that I do not need a facilitator. You hear that?” he snapped, glaring at the office ceiling. “I don’t need her! I’m fine!”

“Sir… are you arguing with the building?”

“The building’s quasi-sentient,” he muttered. “You get used to it.” 

x

“So, um, I guess I should have asked this before now,” Miss Haru said, “but what exactly does a facilitator do?” She frowned at the blue nitrile gloves set before her. “And do I have to wear these?”

Baron paused, mid-way into bringing up the next case. “How much do you know about the Bureau of Soulmate Regulation?”

“Just what it says on the tin. You’re the people who match folk up with their soulmates. People send their details in, fill out a form, and you respond back with their match.” She hesitated and glanced round at the singular office. “To be honest, I thought there’d be more of you. It’s a big business.”

“This building is just one of many offices strewn across the world, but it isn’t a popular vocation.” He didn’t meet her gaze as he flipped through the file. “Only mages can actively cast the spells required to identify soulmates, but using your magic tends to have… complicated effects.”

“Like turning into a cat.”

He looked at her. 

“Wait, I’m sorry, was that rude?” she gabbled. “That probably was rude, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just say it like that, it’s just that you are, well, I couldn’t help but notice that you…”

He waited. 

“…sorry.”

He sighed and closed the case file. Better to get the awkward conversation out of the way now. “Yes, my… feline appearance is due to my use of magic. Yes, the transformation is solely superficial, yes, it will continue to happen as long as I work here, and no, I am not about to go chasing after a laser pointer.” Yet, his mind supplied. 

“Oh.” She glanced back to the gloves she had been given. “So is that what these are for?”

“You’re going to be coming into contact with magic while employed here. Officially, we cannot make you wear them, but they are strongly recommended for non-mages who work in a magical environment. Second-hand magic isn’t as strong as it is for mages, but it will still have… consequences if you are regularly exposed to it.” 

Her eyes flickered over him, and he knew she was considering the possibility of becoming half-cat herself. 

She put the gloves on. 

“And… my job? You didn’t answer that.”

Keeping his deadpan expression on her, he reached across and brushed a hand over the electric kettle. 

The fuse blew, and along with it every light bulb in his office. There was a curse somewhere else in the building, and Baron suspected the effects were slightly more wide-reaching than usual today. He grinned at her in the semi-gloom. “Side effect number two of regular magic usage: Electricity really doesn’t like it.”

The lights flickered back on. Someone had evidently located the fuse box. 

“Huh” Miss Haru said, and to her credit, she only looked vaguely unsettled by the electrical fault. “I guess that explains Mr Toto’s comment about exploding computers.”

“Firstly, I didn’t explode anything. It smoked, at best. And, secondly…” He faltered, not entirely sure where his train of thought had been going.

“Secondly, I guess that’s my job?” she offered. 

“Yes. Facilitators are hired to help mages whose magic has reached the stage where it becomes… inconvenient around electrical appliances.”

“Like exploding computers?”

He sighed. “Like exploding computers.”

x

For all his complaints about not needing a facilitator, Humbert at least remained professional enough to keep his irritation to himself. For that, Haru was grateful. 

Even if she did have to move the kettle into the next room to stop him from making his own tea. 

And shift the internal phone onto her desk. 

And put warning tape around the light switches. 

In any case, she quickly became familiar with where the fuse box and spare light bulbs were kept, more so than she did in her actual home, and life fell into a strange sort of routine. She’d arrive, turn on the lights in their corner of the Sanctuary, make them both tea with the exiled kettle, and then settle down to help whenever Humbert’s job required access to anything electrical. 

Sometimes it was picking up the phone, and other times it was replying to emails or updating Humbert on their contents. But mostly it was dealing with the influx of soulmate requests - transcribing the details onto paper for Humbert and then transferring them back onto the computer when he had the results. She wondered how he had managed before she had been hired. 

Explosively, if the previously computer comment was anything to go by.

“Someone would run down with the list in the morning and then pick it up at the end of the day,” Humbert answered when she finally decided to ask. 

“Sounds inefficient,” Haru said. 

“It worked.”

Slowly, Haru suspected.  

She didn’t say that though. She just put down a fresh cup of tea and ignored how tentatively he sipped at it. 

x

“You don’t like my tea, do you?”

She wasn’t sure what prompted her to be so direct - maybe it was a month of watching her co-worker superficially thank her every time she set a cup down before him and reluctantly drink it out of gratitude. Maybe she’d just had enough. 

He looked startled. “Miss Haru, I assure you–”

“You’re really not that subtle. So, what is it? Too much milk? Not enough sugar? Seeping for the wrong time?”

Humbert hesitated. “You make excellent tea - for store-bought tea bags. The fact of the matter is simply that I’m more accustomed to making my own blend - or,” he added, “I was before…” and he motioned vaguely to himself. 

“Oh.” She supposed that explained the cupboard full of loose tea leaves and other varied ingredients she’d found when moving the kettle. “You know, if you tell me how to–”

“Thank you, but I’m afraid I quite enjoyed the process as much as the drinking.” 

He smiled politely in a way that didn’t meet his eyes. 

“Thank you, all the same.”

x

Baron jolted back as a tray was set firmly on his desk. He leant back, appraising the tea pot, the cups, and the assortment of boxed ingredients laid out before him. “What is this?”

“I would have thought you, of all people, Humbert, would recognise a tea pot when you saw one,” Miss Haru said, a knowing smile on her lips. 

“Yes, but more to the matter: What is it doing here? You know I cannot make tea–”

“What you cannot do,” she said, “is use a kettle. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but the rest of the tea-making process is pretty analogue, right?” She beamed proudly at him. “And, luckily for you, you have someone on hand who can fill a kettle.”

He looked at her anew. 

She grinned back. “Well?” She was almost brimming with excitement. “What do you think?”

Baron pulled the tea pot towards him. It was ceramic and red, a classic combination with a good quality weight to it. Inside was a detachable infuser, ready and waiting for a fresh tea batch. 

“Okay, now is the time to tell me you love it,” Miss Haru said, doubt beginning to creep into her voice. “

“I love it,” he said. 

“Oh, thank god. I was beginning to worry… Look, just let me know when you want to make a cup and I’ll get the kettle sorted.” 

“I really do,” he said, and he was surprised when his voice wavered. He browsed through the ingredients, all freshly bought variations of the old collection he’d had before his magic had made using a kettle impossible. “This is… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Humbert.” 

“Baron,” he said. 

She faltered. “What?”

“Please, call me Baron, Miss Haru. All my friends do.”

She grinned. “In that case, it’s just Haru to you.” She laughed. “’Miss Haru’ makes me feel like someone’s nanny.” 

He returned the smile. 

“As you wish, Haru.” 

x

She had to admit it: his tea blends were delicious.

x

“A stick.”

“Yep.”

Baron glanced at Haru. “You bought me a stick for Christmas.”

“I put a bow around it and everything” she said. “Look - it’s a little bowtie that matches yours. That’s real care and dedication. And it’s extendable!” 

“Why did you buy me a stick for Christmas, Haru?”

She grinned and retrieved it. It was, as far as sticks went, fairly fancy. It was metal and the pointer was shaped in the form of a cat’s head but, when all was said and done, it was still a stick. Even so, he watched with one raised eyebrow as she pulled it out, extending it from a foot to nearly a metre, and prodded the light switch. 

“Now you don’t have to wait for me to turn the lights on!” Haru cried. 

“That’s… huh.” 

Haru prodded the lights back on. “You don’t like it? Of course you don’t like it, what was I even thinking–”

“Of course I like it,” Baron said. He reclaimed the stick. “It’s very… you.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

He tilted his head. “It’s the highest praise, Haru.”

x

“Did you ever think of testing yourself?” The question slipped from Haru as she watched Baron perform the soulmate spell. It was a complicated affair, made up of several parts, including a spell to specify the individual, a spell to transfer the data to a compatible magic format, a spell to find the soulmate, and another spell to identify the soulmate… to name but the few Haru had been able to spot. She leant over his shoulder, almost but not quite touching, and added, “You know, seeing who your soulmate is?”

“Not particularly,” he answered. “And, even if I were inclined, things are somewhat complicated due to…” He motioned to himself, and Haru bristled. 

“Do you think your soulmate would care what you looked like?” she demanded. 

Baron laughed. “That wasn’t what I was referring to, although I imagine it wouldn’t make things any easier. No, you see, the magic used to determine one’s soulmate doesn’t work with a mage. It has something to do with our own magic contaminating the results.” 

“Oh. So, even if you used your own magic to try…?”

“It still wouldn’t work.”

“Oh.” He laughed again. “Don’t look so sad, Haru. I made my decision, and I’m happy with it.” He smiled. “And, as you reminded me, my appearance doesn’t… simplify matters.”

“I didn’t mean it in that way, I just assumed when you said that, that you meant–” 

“Look at me, Haru. Would you date me?”

“I…” 

Moments passed. 

Her mouth dried, and she glanced away. 

Baron didn’t see her blush. 

x

She had become accustomed to Baron’s unusual appearance. 

It had crept up on her, in the same way he had gone from co-worker to friend; quietly, and with no fuss. 

She was sorting through an old cabinet when she found the scuffed picture frame - stuffed between an expenses file from three years back and a confirmation of the instalment of a new computer. It showed two people; a woman with long blonde, almost white, hair, and a man with curly ginger hair. The two were posed in old-fashioned clothes, grinning into the camera. 

Baron must have sensed her sudden stillness, for he shifted his gaze her way. “Haru, what has… oh.”

She turned the photo towards him. “Is that…?”

“Old,” he answered and he took the picture from her. “I thought I’d lost it - where did you find it?”

“Just… down there. Baron, who are they?”

He looked to her with a feline grin. “Don’t you recognise me?”

“That’s… that’s you?”

“And my sister. She convinced me to attend a regency fair with her, and took great delight in making the costumes. Of course, we both look a little different now…” He noted her expression. “You seem surprised?”

“It’s just…” And she laughed, embarrassed. “I guess I had kind of forgotten that you were ever…”

“Human?”

“That you didn’t always look this way.”

He twisted the photo back towards her. “Well, now you know. What do you think? I was quite the looker, back in my day,” he said, with a kind of detached humour.

“You still are.”

He stared at her. 

She stared back. Shoot, had she really said that?

Then he laughed, throwing his head back and placing the frame on his desk. “Yes, I suppose my appearance still draws quite the eye, that’s true. I guess some things never change.”

x

She was always careful to avoid contact. 

Baron didn’t think she even noticed it anymore, it was so ingrained into her habit that she now instinctively kept that distance. Still, her behaviour had shifted. If he had to describe it, it would be that she had grown comfortable around him. 

And, to be honest, he had with her. 

Maybe that was the reason he felt confident enough to ask why she had never applied to find her soulmate. 

At first, she only laughed. The sound was light, surprised. She raised an eyebrow back at him. “How do you know I didn’t? Maybe I already did and am happily married with two kids and a mortgage.” 

He raised an eyebrow back. “A mortgage? On this payroll?”

“You’re right, I guess that did make my lie obvious.” She continued to type up the most recent batch of results. “Next time I’ll be sure to omit that.”

“You still didn’t answer my question.”

Now she paused. The familiar clicking of keys ceased and she glanced to him out of the corner of her eye. “I… don’t know. It costs to find your soulmate, and I suppose I just didn’t have the money spare. Still don’t,” she added.

Baron hesitated. 

The next words came heavy on his tongue. “You know… I could always do a test for you, free of charge.” He didn’t know why the smile he offered felt thin. “It’d be no trouble.”

She stared at him for a long, long moment. 

“I…”

“Only if you wanted,” he hastily added. “I just thought…”

“I’m fine.” The smile she returned was nervous, although he couldn’t figure out why.

“I just ask because there’s always a risk that, even with only the second-hand magic around you, you might eventually become immune to the soulmate magic…” He was rambling. Why was he rambling? “And if that were the case, it feels only right to give you the chance to discover your soulmate while the magic still works for you–”

She leant in suddenly, drawing intimately close. “Baron, I’m fine. I’m happy not knowing who my soulmate is.”

“But what if that changes?”

She only looked at him. “I don’t need magic to tell me who to fall in love with.”

It was only as she backed away did he realise her hands had, if only briefly, covered his. 

x

“Is that a new hat? Nice, very pointy. Classic.”

Haru finished tying the bonnet’s ribbon beneath her chin and examined her reflection in the darkened window. “Thanks. Does it suit me?” 

“It looks lovely, but I’m fairly certain it’s not approved Bureau dress protocol.”

“Toto would have to catch me in it first.” 

“You also have it on backwards. Here, let me…” He was halfway to untying the ribbon when he remembered himself. His hands froze. “It… should be the other way around.” 

There was a flicker in her gaze, and then she set the hat in its correct position. “Like that?”

“You need to tilt it further back, or it won’t stay in place…” His fingers itched with the desire to straighten the bonnet, but now his mind was becoming preoccupied with other thoughts, notably how close they suddenly were. 

Haru huffed, a strange, amused sound, and took his wrists in her blue gloved hands. She brought his hands to the brim of her hat. “Just sort it out, Baron, before your delicate fashion senses get any more offended.”

“The magic–”

“You haven’t done any magic today, not yet,” she informed him. “Look, I did my reading; second-hand magic can only be picked up from either active sources, or inactive sources within an hour of being exposed.” She grinned. “You’re not contagious, Baron, so just tie the darn ribbon.” 

Still, he hesitated. 

Haru tilted her head up to give him a better angle, and her eyes were bright and close and beautiful–

“Why exactly do you have this?” he asked. He hoped she couldn’t tell how hard he had to work to get his brain back on gear. “Short of flaunting the dress code.”

“I’m seeing if it fits. Your sister lent it to me and I need to let her know by the end of the day whether it’ll do.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you have it.”

“I’m borrowing it because we’re going to a regency fair.”

“We as in, you and my sister, or…?”

“We as in you and me.”

He’d finished tying the bonnet in place and, he had to admit, it did suit her. He didn’t back away. “What?”

“There’s a fair in town this weekend and I know you don’t have anything planned - don’t lie, I checked with your sister - so I may have organised for us to go.”

“Why?”

“Because you used to go all the time and I thought you’d enjoy it.”

He took a step back. “Haru, have you considered that maybe there was a reason I stopped going?”

“Yes, and it’s balderdash.” She made a face at him. “Your sister still goes regularly, and she’s as much a cat as you! Why should you miss out on fun just because of a few whiskers and a tail? And don’t tell me about the whole second-hand magic thing, because we both know that as long as you don’t use magic, you’re not a danger to anyone.” 

He hesitated. “Haru…”

“Louise tailored your old costume and everything.” She laughed. “She, uh, may have made me a dress too - I didn’t ask her to!” she was quick to add. “She’s just so…”

“Impulsive,” Baron finished. 

“I was going to go with ‘enthusiastic’ actually, but sure. I only asked after her advice, and the next thing I knew she had already found your old costume and was planning one for me, and…” She chuckled and shook her head. “She thinks it would be good for you to get out, Baron.”

“My sister thinks a great many things, and she’s as often wrong as she is right.”

“Like the rest of us.” She leant towards him. “Come on, Baron; it’ll be fun! You do know what fun is, don’t you? Or did you skip that day at school?”

Despite everything, he felt the edge of a smile on his lips. “Miss Haru, you are far too convincing for your own good.”

“Is that a yes?”

x

He had to admit it: the regency fair was fun. 

More fun than he’d had in a long time. 

x

“You’re in love.”

Haru nearly dropped the files she was carrying. “I what?”

Baron continued to mark through the paperwork, not even deigning to look up. “You’re wearing the same perfume as you did when you were first dating Machida and when you developed a crush on that waitress. Also, you’re wearing a necklace; a habit I have rarely seen outside of situations you want to make a good impression. Ergo, there is a new love interest on the scene.” 

Haru’s hand flew to the charm around her neck. “How could you tell? You didn’t even look.” 

He offered a knowing smile. “Feline senses.”

“Oh. Is it… is the perfume okay? It’s not too strong, is it? I can… sit downwind of you, if you want, not that there even is a downwind in an office, but–”

He smiled, and Haru’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s no bother, Haru. So, who’s the lucky person? Do I know them?”

She made a show of readjusting the files in her arms, eyes downcast. “Um… no. No, I don’t… You don’t.” She felt her cheeks heat up as Baron chuckled. “It’s…” 

“What’s this? The indomitable Haru Yoshioka, lost for words? I never thought I’d see the day.” He raised an eyebrow. “If it’s my sister, I only ask that you disbelieve 80% of the childhood stories she shares. She exaggerates.” 

“It’s… uh, it’s not your sister.” Haru hesitated. “Although she is really pretty.”

“Oh. I just thought, since you’ve been spending time with her… nevermind. So, who are they? I only ask because Louise will demand every detail when she hears of this.”

“He’s… well, he’s a he,” Haru mumbled, “and he works in an… office. Files and paperwork and… stuff.”

Baron paused in writing up the soulmate report. “Somehow, that surprises me.”

“Oh?”

“I presumed it would be someone more… exciting than that.”

“Office people can be exciting.” 

He faltered, and Haru suddenly wondered if she had dropped one too many hints, but then he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean that you’re dull, I just meant…” He chuckled and looked awkwardly away. “There’s no way I can recover this, is there?”

“Not really.”

“How about if I try distracting you by asking you about this mystery man? What’s his name?”

She fumbled. “Uh… it’s.. um, Aaron.”

“How old is he?”

“Uh… about your age.”

“What does he look like?”

“About… your height. Ginger. Green eyes.” She blushed. “Is this a interrogation? Do you want to rig me up to a lie detector or something?”

“Actually, I’m just hoping it distracts you from my embarrassing comment earlier,” Baron admitted. “Is it working?”

“It’s definitely keeping my mind occupied.”

He beamed. “Grand. So what is he like, this Aaron?”

Again, she faltered, her gaze carefully shifting to the files she held. “He’s… uh, nice. Kind. Even when something irritates him, he does his best to be patient. He’s funny. And smart. And he trusts me, even when he’s nervous, and I love our conversations, and…” she hesitated, “he doesn’t know how I feel about him.”

Baron’s gaze turned sympathetic. “Have you tried telling him?”

“It’s… difficult. I think he just sees us as friends, and I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Haru, if the friendship is true, then you won’t ruin it even if he doesn’t return the feelings.”

“And he’s a little oblivious,” Haru added.

“Just be forthright. Just go up to him and say, ‘Aaron, I love you.’”

“I love you.”

“Yes! Like that!” Baron laughed. “If he doesn’t get the hint then, I’m sorry, Haru, but he’s too oblivious for you.”

Haru stared for a long moment. “Okay. Thanks, Baron. Good pep-talk.”

x

After Haru left, Baron hesitated. His mind ran over the conversation, picking up coincidences and hints and almost piecing them together into one complete picture.

Then he laughed and shook his head. 

“Don’t be silly, Baron,” he muttered to himself.

x

Baron’s sister, Louise, had taken the shapeshifting side effects of being a mage in her stride; something that Baron still couldn’t quite get used to. She sat back at the cafe, wide-brimmed hat settled between her feline ears, and a tailored pair of sunglasses perched precariously on the bridge of her nose. 

“You look like an undercover spy, Louise,” Baron said as he swung into the seat opposite.

Louise snapped the book she was reading down. “And you, darling brother, look like a librarian. A dull one at that. Honestly, you should wear the morning suit I bought you for last Christmas. Now that was a look.”

“It’s ridiculous and outdated, Louise.”

“It’s smart! And eyecatching!”

He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t need to be more eyecatching.”

“So you might as well dress as if you’re having fun with it,” Louise reprimanded. “Not as if you’re apologising for existing.”

“I don’t–”

“How is Haru doing?”

He always forgot how disorientating Louise could be until he was sitting in front of her. “She’s… fine? Why do you ask.”

“No… developments since we last chatted?”

Baron hesitated. “What kind of… developments are we talking about?”

Louise gave him a stare and then snapped her book back to her face. “Nothing. Forget I asked.”

“What developments, Louise?”

“Nothing.”

“Louise…”

She groaned and dropped the book onto the table. “Fine. Has Haru had any… conversations with you about dating?”

“She asked my advice on a guy a few weeks back… Is that what this is about?”

“What guy?”

“Someone called Aaron? I didn’t ask for a last name - that seemed somewhat inappropriate–”

“Aaron?”

“Yes.”

“Aaron?” Louise repeated. Her sunglasses began to wobble as she repressed the laughter. “Oh my god, she can’t lie for buttons. What else did she tell you about this ‘Aaron’?”

His sister’s hilarity gave Baron pause. “Just a few small details - he’s kind, works in an office, about my height and age, ginger…” He trailed off as Louise’s grin only grew more knowing. “Louise… what is it?”

“You, Humbert, are the most stupidest person I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.” She laughed and raised her hands to the sides of his face, gloved hands sinking into his fur. “Clap two slices of bread between your ears and call yourself an idiot sandwich, Humbert; the person she was talking about was you.”

“You can’t be sure–”

“I can, because I’m not an idiot sandwich.” Louise grinned. “And because she may have told me as such a while back. Now, are you going to go talk to her about it or do I have to do that for you too?”

“Release my face first.”

x

“Toto, I think I might be in love with Haru.”

The Head of the Bureau of Soulmate Regulation laughed and swivelled his chair to face Baron. “Oh thank god, you’ve finally decided to join the party.”

“What?”

Toto leant back from his desk with a grin. “We’ve all known about how you two feel about each other for months. It’s about time one of you did something about it.”

“In Haru’s defence,” Baron said, his face heating up, “she has told me at least once.”

“What happened?”

He winced. “I… may not have noticed?”

Toto cawed a laugh. “Naturally. So, now you have caught up with the programme, what are you going to do about it?” Toto tilted his head. “You do intend to do something, don’t you?”

“I - yes, of course, but–”

“But what?”

Baron hesitated. He still wasn’t entirely sure that this wasn’t some elaborate trick from his sister to get him to confess what he’d been trying to ignore all this time. It wasn’t that he thought his sister cruel, but more that the idea that Haru - funny, intelligent, fearless Haru - would have fallen for him was laughable.

Some of those thoughts must have made it onto Baron’s face, for Toto scowled and rose to his feet. “Oh, no; you’re not wimping out of this now.” He grabbed Baron’s collar and hauled him out of his office and down to Baron’s. 

“Toto, is this really necessa–”

“Yes.”

Even the Sanctuary was working against him, it seemed, for the usual trek between the two offices took no time at all, and Baron had little chance to think up any convincing argument before he was suddenly standing before Haru in their little corner of the Sanctuary. 

“Haru, Baron has something to tell you,” Toto said, and shut the door. 

And, suddenly it was just the two of them. 

The two of them and a whole unspoken secret. 

Haru glanced curiously to the slammed door and then to Baron with a raised eyebrow.  “Okay, that’s strange… even for Toto.” She laughed and nodded over to Baron’s desk. “By the way, the soulmate identity spell you left running is almost done so, uh, maybe you should keep an eye on that while you tell me whatever Toto has dragged you back to say.”

Numbly, Baron moved over to his desk. 

“Haru… we’ve known each other for a while now, haven’t we?”

“A year and a bit, yeah.” 

“And we’re friends, aren’t we?”

She gave him an odd look. “I hope so. Otherwise I’m going to have to return your Christmas present - and, no, it’s not another stick.”

“Haru, please, I’m trying to be serious here.” 

Another odd look, and she turned in her seat to face him. “Okay. I’m listening.” 

“Haru, when you first arrived, I was very certain that I did not need you.”

“Shouted it at the Sanctuary, if I remember correctly.”

“Haru.”

“Sorry. Listening.” 

“When you first arrived, I was very accustomed to working by myself, I could not imagine working alongside a facilitator. Especially not one who had so little background in magic, who barely understood the risks of second-hand magic, I couldn’t imagine why the Sanctuary had chosen you–” 

Haru was beginning to make a face, and Baron quickly shuffled the conversation along.

“–but now I see its reasoning all too clearly. Haru, you are clever and creative and kind, and you are never afraid to speak your mind and give others the push they need. When you first arrived, I couldn’t imagine working alongside, but now I can’t imagine working without you. Haru, you are my very good friend, and it can stay that way if you want, but… we could also be something more…”  

There was a long silence. 

“If I seemed unafraid,” Haru eventually said, “it was only because I knew you trusted me.” She shook he head. “And, anyway, you’re wrong. If I were truly unafraid, then I would have told you how I felt a long time ago.” 

“You did.”

She laughed, the sound half-born out of embarrassment. “I would have told you properly. Should have. Not hidden it behind some silly hypothetical crush.”

“And I should have listened.” 

“It’s not your fault. I already knew I was dealing with an obtuse idiot. I should have made it so obvious even you couldn’t ignore it.”

There was a flash of light behind Baron. The soulmate identity spell had finished. He ignored it. 

It could wait. 

“Haru…”

“Do you love me?”

So blunt, so clear-cut. She was leaning towards him now, those searching, bright eyes he had come to know so well in the last year boring into him. He couldn’t lie. 

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything sooner, you great goose?” she demanded, but she was laughing now. She reached out, hand cupping his cheek, and began to shorten the distance between them. 

“Haru - second-hand magic–” he began.

“Small doses don’t harm anyone,” she said. “Mr Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, I am about to kiss you, if that’s alright with you.” 

“I… yes. Yes, that’s…” 

She grinned at his flustered response. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue, Bar--” 

She was so close, he could see her eyes flicker away and grow cold all in a moment. She blinked several times and suddenly dropped her hold. As if stung. “Oh.”

“What...?” Baron glanced behind him to see the cause of her distress, and saw the spell identifying the soulmate for request number 12 of the day shimmering above his desk. 

And the face of Haru Yoshioka stared back. 

[divinityoswin]

for the caged bird sings of freedom

➳ this work is a multichapter fic

summary: Dragons were the ones who ruled the heavens, who soared above all. It was unbecoming of one to desire to live down on earth.// Sabo knows nothing of his past. Im knows, though. Im always knows best. 

In which Im finds themselves in need of an heir, and the newest slave at Mariejois seems to be the perfect candidate.

characters: Sabo

words: 2221

content warning: angst, slavery, abuse.

»»————-　♔　————-««

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind  

It’s strange, he thinks, that there was an entire world out there to explore, yet the town seems insistent on caging its residents in.  

He can see it - the bars that lock them in houses, the corsets holding the women in place and the stiff suits that restrain the men from running out and living .  Their very hearts are locked and sealed away, to the point that they would turn their noses up at the screams of those begging for mercy.  Its a cage of their own creation, and he wants no part of it.

Why did he want no part of it?

He couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak.  All he could do was lay down and stare at the wooden ceiling, counting the planks as his body swayed gently back and forth.  A bandage is wrapped around one of his eyes, as well as most of his body - and something is strapping him down to a bed.  The last thing he remembers is an awful sensation encapsulating the left side of his body, and then nothing.  But that’s not the problem here.  It also happens to be the only thing he remembers.

Oh, he remembers feelings , information - he knows he detests nobles, and he knows that there are four seas - five, including the Grand Line.  But he doesn’t remember himself.  No name comes to the tip of his tongue, and any attempt to look back into his past is only met with an orange glow within his mind.  Fire, he presumes, which would explain the numb feeling in his body.

The boy would cry, if it did not hurt to do so.  Instead of weeping, he wonders.  Wonders of where he is, of what would happen to him.  He would welcome death, if a voice in the back of his mind did not scream at him for thinking so.

“You gave everyone a nasty shock out there.”

The voice is serene, and it sends shivers down his spine.  He cannot move his head, so it’s up to the stranger to come into his own view.  Just out of the corner of his eye, he spots a flash of orange - not the warm kind, like the fire that once engulfed him, but a harsh, sharp kind.  One that clashes with the black the stranger is wearing.

It’s a woman, he thinks to himself.  Danger.  Danger.

Get out.

“It is thanks to the kindness and generosity of our Saint that you were rescued,” she continues.  It’s almost as if she’s preaching, and he wishes desperately he could escape.  The last thing he wants is a lesson . “Tell me, do you know why you are here?”

He cannot move, nor open his mouth, so he merely stares at her general direction and waits.  Minutes pass by, and he can feel her gaze boring into the side of his skull, until finally she steps forward and comes into his field of vision.

She has a sharp nose, sharp eyes, sharp lips, sharp cheekbones - everything about her is sharp .  As if she were made of razor blades.  Yet freckles litter on her sun-kissed skin, and her curly bright orange hair is braided in a way that reminds him of a flower he had seen but could not remember, and she smiles with a grin that looks like honey.  None of this does anything to appease him, however, and he finds himself locked in a staring match with her.  It’s only when she sighs and looks away that he breaks eye contact.  The ceiling is much more interesting, anyway.

“As I suspected.  Your head trauma renders you unable to move or speak.”

A quill scratching on paper.  She’s writing something down.

“I suppose it would be useless to ask for your name,” she says.  She tuts, as if it’s somehow his fault that he’s incapable of moving. “Mine is Doctor Hymn.  A pleasure to meet you.”

Unfortunately, it isn’t much of a pleasure for him.  In fact, it’s rather unnerving, and a bit stressful.

“I will be your Doctor for this trip.  You should consider yourself lucky you survived the accident.”  He feels her hand - warm yet not in a comforting way - rest upon his forehead.  He winces. “I will begin to ask you some yes or no questions.  You will respond with blinking.  One long blink means yes, two means no.  Understand?”

He’s not exactly sure he’s in the right mindset to be answering questions.  After all, he’s still delirious from whatever ordeal he had been through, and everything happening now is driving him into a state of panic.  But Doctor Hymn’s grip on his forehead tightens, and he finds himself shutting his eyes before opening them again.

“Good, good.  Now. . .”

The floorboard creaks as her hand is removed from his forehead.  She’s stepping away, scribbling something more down, and humming to herself.

“Were you planning on assassinating our Saint?”

He blinks twice.  She’s talking absolute nonsense to him.  Even if he couldn’t remember a thing about his past, he got the sense he wasn’t the kind of person to kill others.

“Are you currently dissatisfied with the World Government and its system of governance?”

What a strange question, especially to one such as himself - a child.  He blinks twice, because he feels blinking once would be a mistake.  But in his heart, he feels something stir within him, and it takes him a moment to realise he’s lying to her.  

Why was he lying?

“That’s wonderful to hear.  Now, are you a strong young man?”

He can’t move a muscle, so he instead rolls his eyes and gazes at her general direction and waits.

“Not when you’re injured, of course,” Doctor Hymn clarifies.

He blinks once.  At least, he assumes so.

“Very well.”  She sets aside her notepad and quill, and takes a seat next to him. “You’ve passed the test.”

What test , he wants to ask, but of course nothing escapes his lips.  Doctor Hymn seems to understand his confusion, though, and continues.

“Discard your name.  It doesn’t exist anymore.”

A sentiment that would work if he could just remember his name.

“From now on, you will be called 0731.”

0731 shivers.

                                                    * * *

It takes 0731 only a day to understand the meaning behind her words, and to know exactly where he is.  Well, not exactly - but he senses something is important about where he is, and that it doesn’t bode well for him.  As far as he knows, he’s on a ship, he’s in some sort of medical area, and there are some very, very important passengers on board.

Doctor Hymn, the only person he has been allowed to see so far, refers to these passengers as ‘Saints’, speaking with such reverence as if they were holy creatures.  0731 can only assume that they’re either actual Gods, or they were simply nobles who had become so twisted in their self-worth and ego that they thought themselves to be so.

Something tells him it’s the latter.

Whatever the case may be, he isn’t allowed to see them.  Not yet, anyway.  Doctor Hymn tells him he’s too sickly to see anyone but her, and he knows for a fact it’s true.  Just the mere act of breathing, of his chest moving slowly up and down in ragged gasps, is painful.  Moving his body around - now that is physically impossible.

As for his company, she’s not bad company, but something about her sets alarm bells in his head.  From the way she dresses in a blinding white, to her vaguely familiar hair that he couldn’t quite place, to the freckles dotting her skin that looked so out of place with her cold eyes.  Every word that came from her tongue reeked of honey and venom, and now, as he lays down alone, he feels grateful she’s not there.  Probably off worshipping her saints, or something.

He would snort, if it weren’t agonizing to do so.

It just leaves the case of what exactly he is now.  And he has a inclination he knows what that is.

Slavery.

Despite his amnesia, he’s still very much aware of the term and concept.  The disgust runs down his spine and he shudders.  The very idea that one human being could be considered lesser than another, to the point that they’d be kept as pets , is sickening.  Yet here he is, a slave in all but his heart - his name already taken - travelling to who knows where and being stuck with who knows who .  He hears screams and cries from somewhere on the ship, and wrathful yells, and then silence.  His imagination goes wild, and 0731, for an instance, considers biting his own tongue off.

He doesn’t, of course.  Something in the back of his mind tells him not to.  But the instinct is still there.

The door creaks open, and the clack of high heels against wood resounds across the entire room.  0731 knows who it is, from the three times she’s been in already.  Doctor Hymn, here to check up on him no doubt.

As far as answers go, she’s told him nothing.  Not that he exactly asks many questions, considering the whole cannot move and talk situation, but that’s beside the point.  She keeps secrets close to her chest, and while he’s sure she’s never lied to him, she’s never told the full truth either.  Instead she gospels and speaks of her saints and expects him to know what she’s referring to.

“The blood samples have been completed,” she says.  She’s somewhere behind 0731, fiddling around on what he presumes to be a desk. “You have no illnesses, as far as I can tell.  As for your current condition. . .”

He feels her gaze bore into his skull.

“You’ll have to bear with it for a little while longer.  Once we get to Mariejois, you’ll be at the hands of the finest doctors in the world.”

The name Mariejois is unfamiliar to him, but it’s an indication of where he’s going, at least.  If only he knew where that is.

Something sharp pokes into the back of his spine, and suddenly it feels like knives are sticking into his back.  It takes him a moment to register that Doctor Hymn is lifting him up.  Not that it makes it any less painful.  He wants to scream, to cry, but any words hurt to say.  She seems to understand he’s in pain, however.

“This is only temporary.  We can’t have you drinking when you’re lying down, can we?” she says.

He wants to curse her, but all that comes out is a pathetic whimper.  

Doctor Hymn pours out a glass of water and brings it to his lips.  He’s parched, he realises, so he swallows it gladly.  Yet it stings and hurts down his throat.  Tears build up in the corner of his eyes, and he grimaces.  Doctor Hymn looks mildly concerned.  He wonders if she’ll be his solace during this time.

“We’ll have to fix that soon,” she says. “Our Saint would not want a product that cannot even drink.”

His heart breaks into pieces, and he loses whatever semblance of hope he has left.  As she straps him back into the bed, he’s dumbfounded.

“We’ll be arriving at Reverse Mountain soon.  Brace yourself.”

With that, she’s gone, and leaves him alone yet again.

0731 wants to scream and break free.  He wants to kick everyone’s ass and go someplace else and to be free .  Free of his shackles, free of this world, free of his fate.  Everything about now is choking him to death, it’s gripping his heart tightly and ripping it apart.  It’s not just about his injuries.  It’s not physical.

Not that they help much with that, either.  The injuries, that is.

So, instead, he stares at the ceiling, and begins counting in his head again.  He’s almost up to the final plank he can see when a sudden jolt breaks him out of his concentration, and the feeling of the straps scraping against his wounds sends him on fire.

Chaos is happening outside.  He can hear that, at least.  Screams, muffled yelling, rushing water .  It almost sounds like a waterfall.  Then, the entire ship rattles and shakes, and with it so does he.

To say that it is painful would be an understatement.  It is excruciatingly so.  His body is in no condition to move, let alone so violently, so being jerked around like that . . . it did not do him any favours.  It lasts for about two minutes before there’s a moment where he’s almost floating off his bed, kept down only by the straps, until he lands straight back down and the shaking begins again.

“Ah - Ah!”

His voice finally comes to him, in a hoarse whisper - but his voice nonetheless.  And at what a spectacular time, too!  For he was, as far as he was aware, about to die from the violent jerking and his injuries.  

Never again.  He never wants to go through that ordeal again.  Now the ship rocks gently, as if it’s on calm waters once again.  A clock ticks nearby, voice from above still muffled and still yelling, albeit quieter than before.

Staring at the ceiling, he begins to sob.  

It doesn’t take long for 0731 to scream.

[apsaraqueen]

For the ask: Love & Sleep. I started listing questions and then realised there were only 5 I missed out, so... ALL OF THE QUESTIONS PLEASE. I WANT TO KNOW ALL YOUR BRAIN THOUGHTS ABOUT LS.

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

There’s a lot of ways to interpret this question! In terms of substance, I wanted to write the kind of classic “the Shitennou come back” fic for Jadeite and Rei (my OTP, of course) that I’ve always wanted to read - something long and layered that deals with what happens after the initial shock, distrust, etc. of the return and delves into what the process of forgiveness and rediscovery might really look like. And to be clear, I’ve definitely read a lot of wonderful takes on this concept, it’s not new and so many other authors have done it better, but I haven’t found any that focused on my favorite couple (if there’s one I’ve missed, PLEASE SEND IT TO ME). And then stylistically, I just kind of wanted to write something...indulgent. For myself, really. Slow-paced, dreamy, gentle. I hope it hits the mark.

2: What scene did you first put down?

Boringly enough - the first scene! Where Jadeite, now called Junin, comes back, taking place on the grounds of the shrine. I had the image in my head for a long time before I started the fic.

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

I...have no idea. It honestly changes all the time. I’ll just pick a random one I like. It’s of Rei watching Junin (the reincarnated Jadeite) sleep. Not creepy at all, right? I like the level of comfort between the two it implies, and it’s just a tender, quiet moment with her thinking of him, and of what draws her to him.

Junin slept on his back, one arm tucked under his nape, the other tossed across his front; the length of his legs extended several centimeters past the rumpled sheets’ edge. A book propped on his chest bore an English title that made little sense to her. She knelt by his head, suddenly concerned he might be feverish, or taken ill. He wasn’t sweating, nor ashen. The priestess touched his forehead and found the temperature not dissimilar to her own.

Under her palm his eyebrows bristled, permanently arched where hers ran like the ties of train tracks. She felt fine sun-lines there that she couldn’t see. Against her fingers his hair was dense, grown now slightly off the scalp, lightened more from working outdoors. She took back her hand, put it in her lap. From time to time it still startled her, to be able to look at him like this, unrationed. Even here at rest, she thought there was control in his features, a kind of ruthless calm she’d never been able to help responding to.

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

This is really hard because I wouldn’t call this a dialogue-driven fic. Why, you ask? Because I can’t write dialogue to save my life. A lot of this fic - maybe even the majority - exists between the spaces of what’s said, so the dialogue is pretty.........formless. If I had to pick, I’d probably go with this.

“I killed you,” she said, and couldn’t help but add, “twice.”

“You were right,” he told her.

“And I didn't want to,” she went on dully. “When you came I – thought you were a ghost.”

“You wish I were?”

“I wish I didn’t remember. What we did.”

“Them,” said Junin. “Not us.”

She said, low: “I wish we’d done – anything else.”

I liked writing this because while I definitely think there’s a part of Rei struggling to forgive Junin for what his past self did, I also think there’s maybe even a larger part that wishes none of it happened at all, that their history could be erased and they could start fresh, that recognizes culpability is often complex and not as one-sided as you maybe want it to be (this of course depends on how you headcanon the Silver Millennium going down - I like to imagine it wasn’t necessarily all Shitennou=bad, Senshi=good).

5: What part was hardest to write?

Urg. Writing the first Silver Millennium flashback was pretty hard. It took me forever to figure out the right tone that didn’t sound horribly stilted and Lord of the Rings-esque. Also hard trying to convey the differences between Mars/Jadeite and Rei/Junin along with the similarities. Rei, for example, is a lot more wounded and careful with her emotions, for obvious reasons, than Mars ever was. And while Junin is still capable of being somewhat morally ambiguous, he’s also genuinely a nicer guy than the more politically-minded Jadeite could be. I wanted to get that across without getting mired in irrelevant details about the past……….which I maybe need to save for another longwinded fic altogether. *bangs head on wall*

After the first flashback things fell into line, more or less, but I must have rewritten that first one, like, ten times.

6: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

It’s longer than 12,000 words! AND took me more than double that to get to any smut! In seriousness, I think this is the first multichaptered fic I’ve written since, like.............high school.

7: Where did the title come from?

From the poem of the same name by A.C. Swinburne. It’s quite sexy, and the woman described in it sounds very much like Rei to my mind.

8: Did any real people or events inspire any part of it?

Normally, with most of my fics, I’d say yes...but in this case, not really. Other than the food. I most definitely drew on real-life inspiration - delicious things I’ve eaten, particularly while in Tokyo - for the food. You’ll never find me writing a fic without some gratuitous food pr0n in there for good measure. The wagashi shop the girls meet at is based on one I visited while there, actually.

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

Not really. You could say this is in some ways an alternate version of another fic I wrote a while back, Tragedia? When I wrote that one I had in the back of my mind that someday I should write the same concept with a very different ending...and here we are.

10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

Because I love them! And I feel like I rarely see them happy in fic (to be clear, I do love my RxJ angst, so that’s not a bad thing!). I wanted to write a story for them that felt realistic and for lack of a better word, adult - that progressed in a natural way. I wanted to challenge myself to do it in a way that was slow-burning and relatively low-drama but not boring. And I wanted to see if I could sustain the tension and intimacy that makes their relationship so interesting to write, without resorting to my usual go-tos of smut (at least not immediately!) and angst.

11: What do you like best about this fic?

I’m happy with the atmosphere it conveys - sometimes moody, mostly serene. I worked really hard on that aspect and I feel like it maybe, kind of, sort of paid off!

12: What do you like least about this fic?

I wish it was wittier, more humorous in some places - I feel like it would add a sense of balance. That’s my biggest failing as a writer, I think; I really have no clue how to do comedy. I am not funny in the slightest.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

I had just seen Call Me By Your Name when I started writing it, so a lot of the soundtrack for that. Mystery of Love in particular. Also a lot of Rhye.

14: Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?

Learn? No, I don’t think so. Just trying to put more of my OTP out in the world in hopes of inspiring more of it!

15: What did you learn from writing this fic?

So much. Like I’ve noted above, this is the longest thing I’ve written in a long time and honestly I’m kind of amazed I’ve been able to stay motivated! Writing something longer requires, obviously, patience - you can’t just fire all your guns at once, you think of things you want to write RIGHT AWAY but then have to save them for later, you have to actually, ugh, have a structure………….this is all patently clear to a competent writer, but these are things I was pretty sure I’d forgotten how to do, so it’s been nice stretching myself this way.

Thank you for the ask, @coppercrane2 - this was so fun!

[agentredfort]

ruby redfort fic masterlist

What is this- geek central?

welcome to the Ruby Redfort fic masterlist, where I do my very best to collect every single bit of fic that’s out there on the internet for your convenience!

I’m not listing these based on quality (and besides, there’s not exactly a lot out there so i can’t pick and choose) so there’s going to be a wide range of fics in this list. any fics that I especially like will be marked as [PERSONAL FAVORITE]. any fics that I’ve added in recently will be marked as [*NEW*]. ships will be tagged!

if there’s any fics that you’ve noticed I’ve missed- or if you’ve written something yourself!- either shoot me an ask or a message via Tumblr and I’ll add it straight away. 

Onwards!

A Guide To Love For A Bozo [wattpad] by TeamSpectrum [multichapter, ongoing] Ruby/Clancy

This is a cluby fan-fic written by Agent Baker. Take a look to find out what happens.

despite the sparse description, this is actually pretty good.

Always [ff.net] by mockingjay341 [Oneshot, complete!]

Ruby is suffering from nightmares, but Clancy will always be there to make her feel better.

hella sweet. ruby needs a hug

Aren’t We All a Bit of a Bozo? [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [oneshot, complete!] Hitch/OC 

Heather looked across at Lydia as they ate their morning toast. “LB reckons there is going to be a new coding agent today, some kid. You know, the one Hitch is looking after.”

interesting concept!! 

Bozo [wattpad] by Kaya_Tano [multichapter, ongoing] Clancy/Ruby

Ruby Redfort, a thirteen year old Spectrum Agent, is facing more than just trouble at work. Her hormones are raging and her best friend Clancy Crew has fallen for her, hard. But Ruby doesn't notice because she is too busy trying to solve her latest case at Spectrum, and how will she cope when one of her closest friends is killed by the notorious murderer The Count, who is supposed to be in a high security prison? And who is the mole at Spectrum who is leaking information to him?

 not bad. i’m not a big fan of the ‘spectrum pairs ruby up with a cute boy her age’ plot, but this seems to be decently-written.

Changed at Birth [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Twoshot, now complete!] Background Hitch/Blacker 

“They said mum should have killed me with iron,” whispers Ruby.

the folk tale au i never knew i wanted tbh. only halfway done at the moment but it’s such a cool concept and it fits really well??

Convincing LB [wattpad] by Jasmine3103 [Oneshot, complete!]

I really wanted to know what Hitch said in CYD to convince LB to give Ruby another chance. So here is my version.

this was a really good missing scene sorta fic! give it some love if you’ve got a chance, the author seems really lonely to me

Family Ain't Just Blood [ao3] [tumblr] by celestialskies [Oneshot, complete!] [*NEW*]

Ruby looked up, aware that she probably looked like someone had tried to rock her to sleep by dragging her through a hedge backwards several times. Six hours of sleep over three days can do that to a person.

"Couldn't sleep," she muttered. In her tired state, she barely noticed Hitch's expression shift from one of surprise surprise and mild amusement to one of concern.

Ruby can't sleep, and Hitch steps in.

goddamn, i’m always a sucker for unconventional family stories. i actually squealed when I saw this one, which should give you  a pretty good idea of how much i enjoyed it

Five times Clancy Crew chained his bikes to Ruby Redfort’s and one time he didn’t [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!]  [PERSONAL FAVORITE] 

The first time it was a mistake- honestly the chain accidentally went through the frame and well, it only held Ruby up temporarily.

this is really hecking cute and is just generally really great. it made me smile a lot. please check it out

Grains of Sand and Love [tumblr] by  blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] Ruby/Clancy

Being sixteen suddenly brought the barbecues on the beach, adolescent drinking and all the drama that it comes with.

it’s no secret by now that I love this author, this is soft and lovely and good and you should really read it

High School Sweethearts [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] [PERSONAL FAVORITE] Ruby/Del, Hitch/Blacker

There was no way you could look between Blacker and Hitch and think ‘brothers’.

short and oh so very sweet. i think i’m crying. this one is so good, my gay little heart is appeased

hold on tight [wattpad] by w0nderland-writing [multichapter, ongoing]

Ruby Redfort never gets a break, and in this story Ruby goes on an epic adventure in the Grand Canyon.

pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. a bit scattered but mostly coherent.

In which Ruby was right to worry [ao3] by Wolfiethepretzel [oneshot, Complete!] [*NEW*] [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

Froghorn was a constant nuisance in Ruby's life. But as soon as he disappeared she realized she'd rather him be about.

perfect Ruby characterization and some really hecking good bonding/character development. if you read nothing else on this list, at least check this one out.

Look Into His Eyes And Take Your Last Breath [wattpad] by WARNINGwhovian [very long, complete!] Clancy/Ruby, background LB/Baker [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

Meet Ruby Redfort, a super cool teenage wannabe spy. She's been through thick and thin and survived things from a giant sand timer to a legendary sea monster to invisible thieves to mythical wolves. She's already one of the most experienced agents in her agency, Spectrum, without even being an official one yet. She thinks she seen it all. But Ruby's entering a dangerous stage of life where she is vulnerable to many things, lots of things she knows nothing about. But Ruby is unduly worried about the years to come. She's a dauntless girl. But when things start to go wrong in her social life, her agent training in Spectrum and the return of an old foe start kicking off and suddenly, everything happens at once. And Ruby is faced with a choice. A dream job at a top secret spy agency with an astronomical pay, or a scrawny boy who doesn't believe in a dangerous life. Ruby Redfort, the choice is yours.

to my knowledge, the only completed longfic in the fandom so far. although it could do with a bit of editing, the quality is overall excellent and there’s some twists in there that even i wasn’t expecting. I especially loved the Ruby-Hitch dynamic and interactions in this one. If you’ve got a spare hour or two, I definitely recommend that you check it out!

Riding the Rails [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] Crossover with Railhead 

“The Guardians want you, Ms Redfort,” says a station worker as Ruby stops her game of Rock paper scissors with Zen.

I can honestly say I’ve never heard of Railhead before, but was super cool nonetheless. it feels super surreal and the details were a+++- go check it out

Rosetta Redfort: Freefall [wattpad] by TeamSpectrum [multichapter, ongoing] background Clancy/Ruby

Ruby's daughter, Rosetta, discovers her secret-Spectrum.  A conspiracy to steal a gem that will lead to a collapsing mountain and a giant flood.  Will Rosetta crack like a diamond under pressure or will she stand strong?

an interesting take on a future-fic. might not be everyone’s cup of tea but i kind of liked it.

Love is blind, well Ruby is. [ao3]  [tumblr] by Neondragon54 [Oneshot, complete!] Blacker/Hitch

It's well known to the entirety of Spectrum not to go into the coding room after Hitch had returned from a mission. Everyone (Blacker) is distracted and more than once has an important agent (LB) walked in on two agents kissing.

Ruby doesn't know this rule.

Goddamnit, now I’m invested in this ship. this is also super good, read it.

Movie Night [tumblr] by goldstarsforall [Oneshot, complete!] [*NEW*] Blacker/Hitch

They got to the cinema a lot earlier than either of the men expected. It was a clear night, the air felt crisp and clean and if they hadn’t booked Hitch would have just wanted to sit in the park and talk.

heckin’ cute lil’ oneshot. a Good Ship. a Good Fic.

Ruby Redfort: Don't Look Around [wattpad] by maybeitsdella [multichapter, ongoing]

Welcome back Ruby Redfort: every smart kid's smart kid. 

After making Larva, Ruby Redfort's career in espionage is sending her off the ground running. There's no time to sit at home, with Clancy (who might just have a crush on her), sipping on banana milk, watching Crazy Cops. Not when the Count is still out there, and not when the Silent G is just sitting there waiting for her to fail (or die).

A promising start, this fic looks quite interesting. It’s only got a few chapters so far but I’m definitely going to be following it closely

Ruby's Rule 6 [ff.net] by mockingjay341 [Multi-chapter, ongoing!] [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

Ruby and Clancy have each other's backs - no matter what. So what will they do when they realise that sometimes our greatest strengths can also be our biggest weaknesses?

hell yeah, multi-chapter!! i really love how Ruby and Clancy bounce off each other so far, it feels super real. I’m honestly looking forward to reading more from this author. i haven’t felt this excited for a fic in a while

Silence Is Golden [tumblr] by blackers-donuts  [Oneshot, complete!] [PERSONAL FAVORITE]

There was a sharp knock at the door. Ruby was finally going to bury the hatchet with Froghorn by asking him for help. 

this is possibly the softest thing i’ve read in my entire hecking life. basically just the code team chilling around and bonding and honestly it’s just so sweet and good

Some kinda death wish [ff.net] by Bubbly Washing Machine [Oneshot, complete!]  [PERSONAL FAVORITE] 

They stood at the bottom of the stairs, in the dark, and argued. "Rube, don't go up there," said Clancy desperately, "just wait for the rest of the team." "Look bozo, someone's gotta take her out before she catches on and splits the scene." Clancy looked her in the eye, pleading. "Please. Wait for backup."

Beautiful little character study- cute and poignant.

Sweating Is Totally (not) Necessary [tumblr] by blackers-donuts [Oneshot, complete!] [*NEW*] [PERSONAL FAVORITE] Blacker/Hitch, Ruby/Del

The phone finally picked up, Ruby knew it was still Clancy’s first few weeks at the desk of Buzz and he was getting a grip with the phone system but it really should be quicker.

This wonderful person wrote this for my birthday, so of course I freaking love it. it’s a great character study and just generally all-round a Good Thing- there was a coding segment midway through that I particularly enjoyed!!

Other Things

The TeamSpectrum Collection on Wattpad- an assortment of short fics, competitions and discussions that’s been put together by a whole lot of users, including me! Definitely worth checking out. 

My own wide very small assortment of fanfiction, located over on this page! it’s not included here on the masterlist because- well, posting my own stuff is a tiny bit awkward- but i hope you read and enjoy my work all the same

My ongoing Social Media AU can be found here. 

LAST UPDATED: 14/08/2017

[littencloud9]

can i hear about those 13 wips you have 😳

absolutely 😳 brace yourselves bc this is gonna be LONG

1) blessing in disguise - alolan movie (multichapter)

- it's basically a plot for an alola-based movie and the pokemon it's focused on is mimikyu bc i love it so much. the concept is kinda about overcoming your own fears (because when you look under mimikyu it's really terrifying right? so it's like seeing your biggest fears) and it mainly focuses on the main cast's dynamic and also papa kukui feels

2) nameless wip - soulmate au (multichapter)

- pretty self-explanatory BUT it's like your soulmate's initials appear somewhere on your body when you turn 10. ofc it's trustedpartner and those two idiots take FOREVER to realise they're each other's soulmates. there's also hints of jellowshipping bc why not

3) before you go (multichapter)

- this one already has 2/3 chapters posted but in the last chapter that's yet to be written (oops) ash meets mohn and gladion meets goh, chloe and delia. also ash and lillie have a Nice reunion bc i've always loved their dynamic and i simply must include it

4) i told you so (oneshot)

- this is prob gonna be posted here instead of ao3 bc it's pretty short but. it's based on this writing prompt i saw where it's like,, write different moments where 'i told you so' is said, so it can be happy, sad, angry etc. again it's trustedpartner

5) nameless wip - game night au (oneshot)

- this one's pretty self-indulgent LOL but it's just the main gang + gladion playing games like super smash bros and mario kart. a lot of cursing going on in there

6) nameless wip - modern au (multichapter)

- modern au!!! the gang are all in highschool and idk,, i don't have much written besides the trustedpartner meeting, a bit of the first chapter and info sheets for the characters. oh but hau plays a big role in this one too!! there's trustedpartner, aquariumplant/bittersweet, and snowlilyshipping

7) nameless wip (oneshot)

- this one fully shows ash and gladion's fight about nebby teleporting lillie to gladion and resetting her trauma. there's a lot of shouting and guilt going on in here and it's pretty angsty but there's also an apology and the two end up having a Bonding Moment (and they fall in love because i said so)

8) nameless wip - proposal/wedding fic (oneshot but possibly multichapter)

- i kid you not this oneshot is 6k+ words and i haven't even reached the wedding part yet.. LOL so it might end up two chapters, or i could slap all 9k words (possibly more) into one chapter like i did with gift you a lovely kiss. i didn't include a lot of the old companions cause i felt like it would be too much to write, but i did include the og gang aka misty, brock and gary!!

9) nameless wip - band au (oneshot but possibly multichapter, depends if i want to turn it into a slowburn)

- basically gladion's in a band with guzma and plumeria called... *drumroll* team skull!! never would've guessed! LMAO anyway gladion sings and plays the guitar, plumeria does keyboard and guzma does drums! but lillie brings ash to see them perform and they end up backstage bc lillie has Family Privileges™ and the gay tension gets THICK. then the two idiots bump into each other outside and all that but i'm still not sure how long i want to stretch out the pining, so we'll see

10) nameless wip - babysitting au (oneshot)

- wow other than the wedding fic i think this is the only fic where ash and gladion start with an established relationship LMAO. but it's just trustedpartner trying to babysitting lei! but because they are absolute disasters it doesn't go amazing,, they still pull it off tho LOL

11) nameless wip (oneshot)

- oh god this is also pretty self-indulgent BUT rmb that episode where ash dresses up as a nurse with the blonde wig and everything? yeah... now take that and let gladion walk in instead... yep. they're gay your honor

12) nameless wip (oneshot)

- this one's not trustedpartner (gasp) but it's actually the prompt by cartoonfanatic101, with zoroark comforting gladion after a nightmare :)

13) nameless wip - scene rewrite (oneshot)

- okay so during the necrozma arc rmb when naganadel appeared and *dramatically falls* and the gang go to help, but gladion resists bc he doesn't want to lose sight of lunala and ub black right? so take that but instead of gladion reluctantly following the gang, he goes after lunala alone like an idiot. and then when naganadel is explaining everything to the gang they hear a loud crash, and in the canon anime it was lunala crashing, but instead of lunala, it was gladion and noivern. noivern protected gladion but he still got injured but like an IDIOT gladion still fights with everyone. then when they come back gladion nearly collapses so ash is all like oh hell no and takes care of him. yes they are in love and yes gladion's stupid

ANYWAY YEAH oh god so many of these are trustedpartner i... if u wanna hear more about a specific wip here just drop me an ask and i'll be happy to answer! or if you want me to work on any of them cause ur more interested in that one then by all means tell me and i'll do it. i actually have more ideas in this google document but i don't think i should be starting on any more so-