#this & locke orange smile in Lost are like sister scenes

[ponyosmom35]

Bittersweet

Steve Harrington x Fem OC

pairings: Steve Harrington x Indie Holland

synopsis:

Indie Holland has harbored a quiet affection for Steve Harrington since childhood. Known around Hawkins High as 'King Steve' for his effortless charm and enviable locks, he's remained blissfully unaware of Indie's distant admiration.

However, the mysterious disappearance of Will Byers, the younger brother of Indie’s best friend, shatters the small-town calm. Initially dismissed as a simple case of a lost boy, the situation grows more alarming when Indie's sister, Barb, vanishes under similarly strange circumstances.

Thrown together by fate, Indie joins forces with Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler to unravel the unsettling events unfolding in Hawkins. As they dig deeper, they uncover a dark and sinister reality far beyond their worst fears.

Steve, too, is drawn into the chaos, his path colliding with Indie’s in ways neither could have predicted. 

warnings: cussing, smut, angst, smut, violence, death, blood, gore, the upside down

link to masterlist with the full series: https://www.tumblr.com/ponyosmom35/733401347573088256/simon-ghost-riley?source=share

The soft hum of the chatter among other students was a constant backdrop to Indie’s life, a steady reminder of the mundane yet comforting routine she clung to. The worn pages of a book she occupied herself with her sanctuary—a place where she could be alone with her thoughts and escape from the world that often felt too big for her. The dim light cast a warm glow over her features, illuminating the quiet contemplation that was a frequent visitor in her life. Her back tucked into the corner and her head down as she hid behind her long hair, waiting for Johnathon Byers her best friend, to arrive. 

She’d known the Byers boy since they were in elementary school, both having been bullied by the other kids at school for being outcasts, so they stuck together. Finding a friendship with one another as they tried to navigate high school. Jonathan was a year older than Indie, in the beginning of his senior year while she was just a junior. Soon to be completely alone once he graduated. 

Indie’s older sister Barb was best friends with Nancy Wheeler, a popular girl who had always been nice to her. Yet not nice enough to invite her to sit with them at lunch. Since Barb started hanging out with Nancy, Indie had seen less of her sister. They’d been close her entire life until Barb started high school. Nancy got closer with the ‘cool kids’ and would drag Barb along, not that she was ever accepted fully into the group. The popular kids didn’t like girls like Barb and Indie. They were geeky. 

Indie was 5’3 and chubby. She had long curly orange hair that fell to her lower back and thick glasses. She was extraordinarily normal, not a thing about her stuck out. And she preferred it that way. If she could stick to the sidelines then she’d never be hurt, staying away from people would keep her safe. She liked sticking to her daydreams, where she could imagine her life differently, like she was the main character in her book, and her hot warrior boyfriend was the one and only -

Steve Harrington, on the other hand, was a fixture in Hawkins High’s social scene, the epitome of popularity. His world was one of bright lights and high expectations, a realm where his effortless charm and easygoing nature made him the center of attention. Yet, despite the many people around him, there was one person who remained firmly on the periphery of his awareness—Indie.

Indie had been in love with Steve Harrington for as long as she could remember. It was a love that had blossomed quietly, hidden away. Steve, with his tousled hair and carefree smile, had always seemed like a distant star—beautiful, untouchable, and forever out of reach. The depth of her feelings was something she carried with a kind of resigned acceptance, understanding that the love she harbored was a one-sided affair. She had long accepted that Steve would never spare her a glance, let alone know her name.

Steve Harrington, oblivious to the heartache he unknowingly caused, moved through life with an air of confidence that seemed impenetrable. His world was one of parties and laughter, of friends who flocked around him like moths to a flame. And Indie? She was a ghost in his world, an inconspicuous figure that existed only in the background of his life.

As Indie sat alone in her and Johnathon’s favorite spot in the cafeteria reading her romance novel and trying to forget the weight of her feelings, she caught sight of Steve across the way. He was with his friends, laughing and joking, completely unaware of the quiet turmoil that raged within her. It was moments like these that reminded her of the chasm between their worlds—a divide so vast that it felt insurmountable.

Yet, despite this, Indie found solace in the small moments she allowed herself to imagine—a world where Steve noticed her, where he saw beyond the facade of her shyness and recognized her for who she truly was. These daydreams were bittersweet, a mixture of hope and heartache.

In the grand tapestry of life, Steve and Indie were threads that rarely, if ever, intersected. For now, Indie was content to remain in the background, her love for Steve a silent song she sang only to herself. She had come to terms with the reality of her situation, understanding that some stories were never meant to be told, and some hearts were destined to remain untouched.

As she watched Steve from afar, a soft sigh escaped her lips, a silent prayer for the impossible. And in that moment, Indie felt a quiet resolve to embrace her place in the world, no matter how invisible it seemed. The world might never know the depth of her feelings, but that was a reality she had learned to accept. For now, she would continue to find comfort in her small corner of the diner, away from the glaring lights of Steve Harrington’s world, content in the knowledge that some loves are meant to remain unseen. The invisible string theory holding their souls just without of reach until the time is right.

[asoftvoice]

in the end

summary: finishing a book you recommended ignites a realization in chris.

warnings: age gap, fluff, spoilers for They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera, and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. mentions of death.

pairing: chris evans x costar!reader

your toes dug into the sand, the sun beating down on your skin. you rested your chin on your knee, looking out at the waves crashing against the shore. you looked longingly at your costars who were splashing around in the water.

it had been a dreadful long month long full of shooting your new movie, Ghosted. you thought that filming a romantic comedy would be a breeze, but it was proving to be anything but.

you were forced to put your happy face on when you barely had the energy to crawl out of bed, and act like you were head over heels in love with Chris's character.

acting in love with Chris wasn't the hard part for you.

it was pretending that you weren't in love with him when the camera's weren't rolling.

playing his love interest, you had very few scenes that didn't include him, and even when the cameras weren't rolling, he was constantly in your space. constantly joking, poking, tickling. treating you like a little sister, as if he wasn't kissing the life out of you an hour ago.

it hurt, that you couldn't deny. it hurt knowing that the two of you would never work out. even if, for whatever reason, he did fall for you and he did confess, the two of you would only end up heartbroken. the judgement and criticism that the two of you would no doubt receive even if the relationship was just rumoured, made you feel sick to your stomach. as much as you wanted to be his, and for him to be yours, you knew that it would just end up hurting the two of you if you tried.

it was exhausting. a bone deep exhaustion that had yet to be soothed, but you had a feeling that this break from filming would do the trick.

for once, Chris was nowhere to be seen. he had been unsure if he was going to be able to make it to the beach house that had been rented for the weekend, and you were happy to be separated from the man who had been suffocating you for the past 8 weeks.

but you discovered that now that he wasn't here, you wanted nothing more than for him to be sitting next to you. to be talking to you, and you wanted nothing more than for the two of you to be able to be together, despite the universe telling you no, or so it felt.

Chris clicked the key fob to lock his car, hearing it beep behind him. he slung his duffel over his shoulder, and entered the house. the door to the back patio was open, and he could see his castmates fooling around in the ocean.

then, his eyes found you, sitting on the sand, watching them.

the corners of his lips pointed up towards his eyes in a warm smile, watching your shoulders rise and fall as you took a deep breath. the duffel fell from Chris's shoulder and hit the floor with a thud, his shoes joining the duffel a moment later, before he was hissing when his bare feet touched the burning orange sand.

he made his way over to you slowly, waving and smiling at his cast mates as he did so. Chris smiled wider as he approached you. he was never able to control his smile around you. no matter his emotion at the moment, all you had to do was enter a room, and he was instantly happy, almost giddy, even.

you had brought such a light into his life since meeting you. before signing on to the movie, he'd felt hopeless. he was 40, almost 41, and he'd only had a handful of committed relationships, but none of them going past dating.

him and Minka had talked about marriage and kids, but ultimately they were both a different points in their lives, and were better off friends. he hadn't really spoken about marriage or kids with anyone else, and after realizing this, he had lost all hope of ever having the family that he wanted.

that flame, that desire for the domestic life, reignited when the cast met for the first time. the smile on your face and the light in your eyes relit that flame inside of him, and the hope came back, albeit slowly.

he wasn't oblivious to the way you looked at him either. he could see the fondness that you tried to hide, and he could hear the way your breathing sped up and skin warmed whenever he made physical contact with you, both on set and off.

the only thing holding him back was the age difference. you were years younger than him, but that didn't stop him from wanting you. it didn't stop him from imagining what it would be like to hold you in his arms all night, to kiss you, to love you. it didn't stop him from imagining the two of you sharing your first dance at your wedding reception, and how great of a mother you would make.

was he getting a head of himself? absolutely, but it didn't make his thoughts retreat. in fact, if it wasn't for knowing what the internet would say about the two of you, he would have acted on his feelings weeks ago. but the thought of the comments saying that you were using him for his money. the comments about how the relationship wouldn't last. but most importantly, the comments about how he was grooming you.

he wanted you to be his, but he knew that the internet would push the two of you apart, and he wouldn't be able to bring himself to recognize that, or to end the relationship because of that, meaning the two of you would be locked in a relationship that isn't healthy for either of you.

he wanted to protect you, not hurt you, and if loving you from afar would ensure you protection, he would do just that. he squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the thoughts from his head as he took his seat next to you, returning your smile with one of his own.

"hey." he greeted, and his eyes gazed into yours as you giggled quietly.

"hi." you said so quietly, that Chris could've missed it if he wasn't paying attention. "h-how was your drive up here?" you stuttered slightly, and it made Chris chuckle.

"it was alright. little boring, but nothing a little music couldn't fix." he stated, and you smiled again, before looking out at the ocean again. "what have you guys been up to while i was gone?" he asked, following your eyeline.

you shrugged. "not much, honestly. i managed to find a quiet spot in one of the unused sitting rooms, and managed to read about half of my book." you said.

Chris nodded, breathing out of his nose. you were an avid reader, and he'd watched in amazement as you'd made your way through They Both Die At The End in two days, before offering the book to Chris to borrow, because you thought he would like it, and you were right. Chris was only half way through the book, and had never been more invested in a book that involved death, a concept that scared him. granted, the last thing he'd read before packing it in his bag was Rufus watching Mateo have a nightmare.

"what are you reading?" he asked, seeing the smile grow wider, about to happily ramble about your book.

"Little Women." you said.

"a classic," Chris stated, and you simply nodded in response.

"it is. i loved the movie, and saw it at my local book shop and picked it up. i'm loving it so far. Jo just cut off her hair, and I love how she thoroughly explains her reasoning behind it. because in the movie, its just stated that Jo 'couldn't bear it', seeing Aunt March, that it. in the book, she just states-" you began to ramble, before you realized your actions, and you stopped immediately. "sorry, i'm rambling again."

Chris shook his head, his eyebrows knitting together. "no, don't say sorry. you're passionate about books, and I'd love to hear more about it. please, go on." he said, and you smiled big, before continuing to explain.

"so, in the book, Jo says 'Meg gave all her quarterly salary toward the rent, and I only got some clothes with mine, so i felt wicked, and was bound to have some money, if i sold the nose off my face to get it.' it made me realize that even though Jo works hard for her family, she feels like she will never be good enough. and that feeling didn't stem from Marmie, it stemmed fully from Aunt March, which is really interesting because..." you rambled, and Chris continued to smile, watching you intently, fully aware his eyes held nothing but love for you.

Chris breathed through his nose, blinking back tears as he turned the page.

as much as he was in love with you, he was regretting agreeing to reading this book. you'd waited patiently for him to finish his breakfast, before grasping his wrist, and dragging him to your corner of paradise that you'd found the day before, insisting that the two of you could read.

Chris immediately agreed, not only because he was now invested in the book in his hands, but also because he could see the pure, untouched excitement in your eyes, and he wanted to keep that light there. the two of you had take up refuge on a small bench full of pillows, squished between two book cases, and in between quiet laughs, gasps, and turning pages, the two of you had drifted closer, your legs now over his lap, his hand not holding the book rubbing your shins, only leaving briefly to flip the page.

he swallowed the lump in his throat as he digested the words in front of him.

'I wonder if Mateo found his mother yet. I wonder if he told her about me. If I find my family first, we'll have our hug-it-out moment, and then I'll recruit them in my Mateo manhunt. Then who knows what comes next.

'I throw on my headphones and watch the video of Mateo singing to me.

'I see Althea Park in the distance, my place of great change. I return my attention to the video, his voice blasting in my ears.'

"no," Chris whispered as his eyes moved from the second last to the last line, seeing you look up from your book in the corner of his eye.

'I cross the street without an arm to hold me back.'

the book fell from Chris's hands, letting them come up to cover his face as tears spilled over his waterline. a sob bubbled up his throat, before your arms wrapped tightly around him, soothing him, even if just slightly.

"it's called 'They Both Die At The End' for a reason," you teased, but stopped teasing when you realized that your attempt at a light hearted joke to make him smile wasn't working, and decided to take a different route.

"do you want to know what's so magical about that book?" you whispered, sliding your legs underneath you as his hands dragged down his face, wiping away his tears. "the most magical thing about that book is that despite the fact that Mateo and Rufus are so different, despite the fact that they come from very different backgrounds, they are so similar. Rufus's parents have died, and Mateo's mom has as well. not only that, but Mateo's father was in a coma. neither of them had parents to turn to when the got their call from Death Cast. and despite all of that, despite their very different backgrounds, they found each other, and managed to learn all there was to learn about one another, and fell in love.

"despite everything, they found each other, and no matter what others said, no matter what was happening in the world, two people fell in love with zero regrets, and i think that's beautiful." you finished, and finally made eye contact with Chris, who was, once again, fully aware he was staring at you as if you were everything, as if he'd just witnessed you create the heavens and the earth, as if he was utterly amazed by you.

and you were. the way you dissected the characters, their story line, and their love story in such a simple way. it amazed him how he could apply the assessment to the two of you, and by the light flickering behind your eyes, you had as well.

Chris tried to speak, but stuttered. he clamped his mouth shut, and swallowed harshly, forcing the lump of emotion down his throat, before trying again.

"can i tell you the most beautiful thing about you," he said quietly, his one hand falling to your lower back, the other resting on one of your arms. "and me?" he continued, not waiting for your response. "the most beautiful thing about us is how we both relate to Rufus and Mateo. obviously only one of us is a man, but," you giggled loudly, and Chris felt the tension in his shoulders relieve immediately. "we're the same. i know how you feel about me, i can see it in your face, i can see how much it pains you to love me the way you do and be so scared of us hurting each other. i can see the want for me to have you, and for you to have me. how you're trying to come to terms with it, and let me tell you something, i am too. i feel as if i've loved you my entire life, despite knowing you for only a few months. we both know what the internet is going to say when we announce our relationship, but just as Rufus and Mateo were together until the very end, i promise you, i will be with you until the very end. no matter what.

"no matter what happens, no matter what is said about us, i will love you to no end." he whispered, his thumb rubbing your arm gently, seeing your head tip forward, and your chin wobble. Chris rested his forehead against yours, sniffing as his own tears fell down his face, his emotions shifting from sadness for Mateo and Rufus to pure and utter love, and need, to protect you, and love you. "all you have to do is say yes." he said, and as soon as he felt your head nod, his hands wrapped up and around your upper back, his lips chasing yours.

they met in the middle, and it felt as if a fog had been lifted as soon as they pushed against one another. you had the realization that Chris was right. that no matter what happens, no matter what anyone says, you have each other, until the very end.

[marshmallow-phd]

Scarlet Moon

Genre: Scarlet Heart Ryeo!AU, Time Travel!AU, Alternate History, Royalty!AU

Pairing: OC x EXO OT9

Summary:  This isn’t Gwen’s time. She was from the modern era, with technology and electricity. But during a solar eclipse, she’s transported back into a previous life in a time and place she does not know. Now, as the foreign daughter of a merchant living in a prince’s household, she must tread carefully, watch her back, and guard her heart. But with the princes locked in a battle over the throne, the chances of her making it out alive might disappear.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3

                                        ********

The bright sun felt warm against Gwen’s skin. Chae Ryung half-heartedly chastised her about burning her face, but Gwen hardly gave a listen. It felt like it had been years since she’d simply stopped and took in the light. All she ever did was go to work, do her schoolwork, and watch dramas. She never really took much time for simply… being. After a minute or so, Chase Ryung convinced her to keep walking through the courtyard, but she still went slow, taking in everything.  

The other servants would stop in the middle of their work and glance at Gwen in a fashion they might have thought was sneaky, but was, in fact, fairly obvious. Some gave looks of concern, others, it felt like, of awe. Gwen ran her fingers through her hair, the red catching in the sunlight. She stuck out more here than she ever did back home and it made her stomach queasy. 

“So, Chae Ryung,” Gwen finally said, “what is it that I usually do during the day?”

“All day?” she echoed. She pursed her lips side to side as she thought. “Mostly you keep Lady Hae company. She’s a bit lonely as Prince Suho’s wife. You’re the closest to her station here.”

Suho. An interesting name for a prince. I remembered Papa inquiring after the pale but beautiful woman in ornate clothing. “And she’s sick?”

Chae Ryung nodded sorrowfully. After looking over her shoulder, she lowered her voice as she leaned in. “Some are worried that she doesn’t have much longer and the prince still doesn’t have an heir.”

“Is it that bad?” 

Chae Ryung nodded again. Gwen’s heart went out to the beautifully tragic woman. In the single moment she’d met the Lady of the household, Gwen could tell that she had a kind heart. The look of worry and concern was etched in her mind, not a single twitch giving away possible deception. Spending her days with Lady Hae didn’t seem like too terribly a time. Perhaps she could be another person to lean on, to help Gwen when she stumbled. Because she would certainly be stumbling every other step in this place. 

Gwen and Chae Ryung wandered around the grounds for hours, the latter filling Gwen in on what she couldn’t put together for herself. 

Apparently, this Gwen had had a tendency to be a bit rambunctious, taking liking to archery just as much as needlework. Often, she would be caught joining in the servant boys in whatever rough game they were playing that day. Not exactly a good look for the daughter of a wealthy merchant. It had to be a comical sight, the horrified looks this girl must have produced from the other women around the household as a child. But over the last few years, she’d calmed to be a bit more demure. Chae Ryung went into explaining the wide gray area Gwen was given as an outsider. Though this girl knew the rules of society, she was able to bend them ever so slightly. 

Excellent. 

Coming up on the path was a pond, round and expanding, the edges lined with tall grass and fresh flowers that gave off calming scents. A family of little ducks floated on top of the clear water. Fish in bright colors of oranges and yellows swam freely, their tails creating the slightest ripples on the surface. As they walked around the water, Chae Ryung described a beautiful gazebo that this Gwen apparently loved to hide away in when she wanted to be alone. Disappointingly, though, the gazebo was already occupied by the Prince and Lady Hae. 

Looking like a happy but conservative couple, they drank tea together and spoke softly. Prince Suho smiled at his wife as he brought the teacup to his lips, but as his eyes drifted over to the spot where Gwen stood, the smile changed. 

It deepened, almost. An uncomfortable feeling settled in Gwen’s stomach. She smiled back, though, and waved, to remain polite. She was probably reading into things or misunderstanding them. Prince Suho held back a laugh before turning back to his wife. She still didn’t fully understand the dynamics of this world and could easily misinterpret his actions. And her head still slightly throbbed, so that could be clouding her thoughts as well. 

“It’s inappropriate to stare at a married couple’s private moments,” a high voice snipped. 

Confused, Gwen turned to find an elegantly dressed girl close to her age. Or, rather, this body’s age since this Gwen was a few years younger than the body she’d left behind. 

This new girl’s face was pretty, but it was destroyed by the snobbish and self-satisfied look she wore. Chae Ryung bowed deeply, but Gwen stayed erect. Bowing was not something that came as second nature to her and she didn’t want to do it for just anyone. Not surprisingly, this defiance deepened the annoyance on the girl’s face even more. Sensing danger, Chae Ryung forced Gwen into a bow.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” Chae Ryung said with a shaky voice. She gave Gwen a pointed glance that was ignored. 

“Apparently, not only have you forgotten your memories, but the few manners you ever had as well,” her highness sniffed. “I would be happy to be your teacher. Maybe we can make you a more respectful person this time around.” 

“Perhaps we have two different definitions of respect.”

It was subtle, but the girl’s smile strained, stiffening and tightening in the corners. Gwen knew that irritated look all too well from high school. The girls of the popular crowd would often shift into this body language whenever Gwen ignored their insults or countered them with a response they weren’t expecting. It had made her extremely unpopular, but that was never important to her. All she ever cared about was getting out and graduating. It was sad that mean girls had existed back in this time as well.  

“How dare you speak to me that way,” the girl hissed. “You think because you’re a freak of nature you can do and say as you please?”

“Just because I look different from you doesn’t mean that I’m a freak of nature!” Gwen shouted. Her nails dug into her palms as she tried to reign in the urge to respond physically. That particular subject had always been a sore spot for her. She didn’t think she was ugly, per se, but she wasn’t a beauty. Society’s standards, as ever changing as they were, always felt too far out of her reach. “Pretty” was not something she ever saw in the mirror. And, unfortunately, this body held the same face. 

“What is going on here?”

Gwen stiffened at the Prince’s voice behind her. Slowly, she turned around and bowed deeply. Prince Suho had abandoned his wife at the gazebo to investigate. She hadn’t meant to ruin his date, especially since they probably didn’t get many moments like this. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, Your Highness.”

Prince Suho looked past her to the girl and then back at Gwen. “Perhaps, it’s best for you to go back inside, Lady Gwen. I don’t want you to tire yourself out and I fear it might get colder. ”

Nodding, Gwen bowed again and walked away. There was no point in arguing. Besides, she didn’t want to hang around this self-important girl, who she didn’t dare give a passing glance to and give her the satisfaction of besting her. Once out of sight, however, Gwen’s bravado deflated. 

“Who was that girl?” She bit her bottom lip in a very unladylike manner as she slouched against the outer wall of a red-painted building. 

Chae Ryung tutted nervously. “That was Princess Yeon Hwa. You’re lucky that her brother stepped in.”

That girl was Prince Suho’s sister? Gwen shuddered, feeling sorry for Suho since he had to be related to her. “Mom always said I was too spiteful. But I wasn’t being disrespectful by looking for five seconds. They just looked like a scene out of a movie.”

“A movie?”

Oh, crap. There you go again. “A novel. I meant a novel. They looked like a scene from a book.”

“Oh!” Chae Ryung nodded, though she wore an expression of confusion. “Still it would have been better to apologize and walk away.”

Gwen shrugged. “Maybe next time.” 

Looking up at the blue sky, Gwen wanted to pout. It was such a nice day. Even with these layers of clothes, she wasn’t too hot and a nice breeze played with her hair. But Prince Suho had told her to go inside. He must have figured she would cause less trouble there. He also said it might get colder. Gwen hated being cold. 

“When I have to stay inside, where do I like to go?” she asked as she looked ot her friend. 

Chae Ryung grinned from ear to ear. She seemed excited as she took hold of Gwen’s wrist and pulled her along to a building near the middle of the compound. It wasn’t a large building, with spaces barely able to be called rooms. That hardly deterred the excitement bubbling up in Gwen’s chest. 

Inside were wooden shelves, thin and easily seen through. But unlike the thick, hardbound novels Gwen was used to, the books stacked here were thinner, flimsy and held together with twine. Another servant girl shuffled up before they stepped into the room. Chae Ryung was needed elsewhere. She urged Gwen to go on ahead and stay at the library for a few hours. 

Within the shelves, she lost herself. 

Reading was always a comfort to Gwen, but she tended to lean towards adventurous fiction filled with romance and challenge. She doubted she would find such stories in the Prince’s library. If she could even read these manuscripts. 

Gwen blinked, reflecting on her presence here. Somehow, she was able to communicate with the others despite the fact that they weren’t speaking English. The real Gwen’s knowledge - at least, with speaking and reading - somehow had remained behind. As her eyes drifted over the Chinese characters written on the spines, she understood what they said. A small laugh escaped her lips. She’d always wanted to know more than one language. All it took was being transported back in time to a different body. 

From what Gwen could make out of the titles of the volumes, they were mostly science based - medical treatments and catalogs of animals and plants - along with a few recorded histories. There were no fictional stories to be found, so Gwen went for the next best thing and grabbed a book that recounted the story of how King Taejo founded Goryeo. 

The wording was a bit dry and straight forward, the author giving only the occasional flourish here and there. Still, like any written word, it absorbed her attention. To receive a recount of history from a source so close to the time that it happened was not to be taken lightly. Gwen walked through the aisles as she read, unaware that another visitor had arrived. In the middle of a sentence about a deciding battle, her pacing was stopped by a soft wall. She looked up and sucked in her breath. 

Prince Suho.

She bowed, thinking that her back would start aching from all this bending over. “I’m sorry, again, for earlier,” she whispered. It was a sincere apology. Though it wasn’t her fault, she’d egged it on and caused the Prince trouble, which in turn could cause trouble for this Gwen’s father. Both men had been kind to her since she woke up and she didn’t want to repay that kindness by being a burden. 

Instead of acknowledging her apology, Prince Suho asked, “Do you really not remember anything?”

Gwen shook her head, unable to meet his eye. She could feel his gaze seering onto her face, however. Warmth tickled at her cheeks and she hoped that it wasn’t a visible heat. The Prince was handsome, with a strong chin and kind eyes. He spoke softly.

“Do you remember why you were at the bathhouse?”

Gwen snapped her head up, confused. Why would he be asking her about a bathhouse? “The bathhouse?” She knew nothing about a bathhouse or what this Gwen would be doing there. 

He sighed. “Truly?” Did he not believe her? Did he think she was faking it to avoid getting into trouble? 

“I-” she stopped. Would she be punished for something she didn’t even do? She tried to be as sincere and honest as possible. She didn’t know what could be done to her if he didn’t believe her. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Prince Suho didn’t look receptive to her answer, but he backtracked anyway as he looked away. “Perhaps I was merely seeing things,” he murmured to himself. Regaining eye contact, he took a step to shorten the space between them. “When I invited you and your father to stay here, I took it upon myself to look after you, knowing your foreignness would make you a target. I’m afraid I’ve neglected on that duty. It has caused Lady Hae great worry.”

Gwen took a step back, her hands behind her back. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I think I’m causing you more trouble than I’m worth. I promise, I’ll watch my steps from now on. The last thing I want is to be in the way. If you need anything, I’ll do it. I want to be a help, not a burden.” He nodded, the expression on his face softening slightly. Feeling the conversation was over with that last declaration, she bowed and scurried out of the library after replacing the historical text. 

With that haven now compromised, Gwen concluded the best place for her to go was back to her room until dinner. 

                                                    ********

After a few days of managing to stay out of trouble, Gwen ran into Lady Hae on one of her leg-stretching walks. She didn’t seem to be upset about the incident at the gazebo, though she was disappointed that Gwen hadn’t come to see her. Gwen stumbled through an apology, not realizing that she would be so missed. In fact, she thought she was doing everyone a favor by staying out of the way. 

Accepting the apology, Lady Hae asked if Gwen would like to learn how to make lotus lanterns for the upcoming festival. Gwen raised her eyebrows in surprise. Thinking it would be fun and distracting, she agreed and followed Lady Hae to one of the buildings with open walls that allowed a gentle breeze to keep them cool. The temperature hadn’t dropped like Prince Suho had predicted. When Gwen saw who was already at work in the building, she instantly regretted her decision to join. A groan was barely suppressed as she sat down beside Lady Hae.

“Lady Hae, I see you brought a friend,” Yeon Hwa sneered cheerfully. 

It took willpower, but Gwen managed to ignore the princess’s snide remark, instead focusing on Lady Hae’s explanation of how to put the lanterns together. The glue had a potent smell that stung at Gwen’s nose. No wonder they were in a building that allowed the air to drift in and out. It took a few poor looking lanterns for her to get the hang of it, but finally they looked worthy of being hung up for other people to see. Glancing over at Yeon Hwa’s, Gwen huffed internally. Though they were the same design, the princess’ were begrudgingly far superior.

“Lady Gwen,” Yeon Hwa called out. A faux-sweet smile stretched across her lips. “Why don’t you go take the dry lanterns and put them in the Moon building for storage until the festival?” 

Gwen returned a smile just as fake. “Of course.” 

Chae Ryung, who had joined the group soon after Gwen’s arrival, stepped forward. “I can take them, my lady.”

 “Lady Gwen is perfectly capable of carrying them herself,” Yeon Hwa snapped. The evil look gleamed in her eyes, as if she were punishing Gwen with such menial labor. 

Little did she know the request didn’t bother Gwen in the slightest. She was giving the perfect excuse to leave her presence. While making the lanterns, Gwen’s mind had wandered towards the village beyond the walls and - with everyone occupied here – sneaking out on her own should be easy enough. She wanted to see more of this world that she now resided in. 

Filling up her arms with as much as they could carry, Gwen shuffled up the hill, following the directions Chae Ryung had given to the Moon building. 

“Gwen, you’re out of your room.”

Papa walked up, a smile on his face causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle. He seemed out of place in the Goryeo fashion he donned, yet comfortable as the shiny fabric swayed around his legs. He wore the hanbok with dignity and ease. Back home, Gwen prefered less complicated clothing and was still adjusting to the multilayered dresses that needed an extra pair of hands to put on.

“Yes,” Gwen said. “I was helping Lady Hae make lanterns for the festival.” She held them up proudly for him to see.

“Those are very beautiful,” he complimented. Gwen’s smile stretched farther across her lips at the praise. “I’m happy to see that you’re getting back to your old self.”

The joy in his eyes was almost too overwhelming. Gwen thought back to her own father, with whom she was close. They seemed so much alike. Tears threatened to brim her eyes. Within the last few days, she’d grown an affection for this man. He was patient with her and caring. And, as an outsider himself, a small connection that she clung to. “I’m happy that you’re happy, Papa.”

“I have some business to oversee at the house. Please, stay out of trouble.” He gave her a kiss on the head and resumed in the direction he was headed before.

Continuing on her own way, Gwen barely reached the steps of the Moon building before a man in brown clothes ran, bowed, and took the lanterns to store them. He must have been a servant in the Prince’s household. She hadn’t seen him before but she gladly handed the lanterns over. Thankful that her task was now over, she waited and watched as the servant hung the lanterns up on a long string inside the open doors. Now it was time to explore. Taking a different path, she headed for the gate.  

This place was certainly different. Monarchies weren't as widespread in her own time, most nations having moved on to people-elected governments instead of blood-appointed kings. Though it was different, Gwen appreciated the underlining respect that drove this culture. The differences in formal and informal speech and the hierarchy of that respect ran deep within the people. The mutual heritage they all shared made her a bit jealous. She was from a place that didn’t have that. 

The sound of drums broke through her thoughts. They were deep, rhythmic, calling out to anyone who wanted to listen. Answering the call, Gwen followed them. 

In a giant dirt courtyard near the palace stood about six figures, some dressed in red, others in black. They were spaced equally apart in a square structure. Gwen hid among the archways, too fascinated to walk away like she should have. The figures danced in unison and with power – except one of the men in red, who was lacking enthusiasm and proper rhythm. The others noticed and stopped their dance, the drums fading out as well. They all stared at the one who had finished incorrectly as he flopped down to the ground. Gwen covered her mouth to soften the giggled. He was throwing a fit. A grown man by the looks of him, he was acting like a spoiled child. Among the figures was Prince Suho, who seemed exasperated at the situation.

So, those must be the other princes. 

This festival must be important, if royalty was performing. Gwen made a mental note to have Chae Ryung explain it in more detail when she went back to the compound.

A few of the princes ganged up on the one on the ground, criticizing him for still getting the moves wrong after such a long practice. Huffing, the one on the ground jumped up. He pointed a long finger and accused another brother of making a mistake as well. Gwen laughed loudly at their altercation, the noise pushing through her fingers. Prince Suho glanced up in her direction. She took off, scared to be caught. 

Once among the common people, Gwen’s mind eased. She wandered around the city, trying to ignore the whispers and stares that followed. The market was abundant with people. Men gossiped with their friends while the women picked over the vegetables and meats, inspecting for any impurities. Children played loudly and ran through the streets, uncaring if their feet were covered in mud. Different stalls caught Gwen’s attention, some selling soaps and bath grains, others selling intricate hairpins that sparkled under the sun. She made a mental note to ask Papa to come with her next time to buy a few wares. Maybe Chae Ryung could teach her how to place the pins in her hair. 

Leaving behind the market, Gwen came to a small bridge over a shallow river. The water flowed steadily, uninterrupted. She stared down at her blurry reflection, wondering how she could still look so much like herself. There was no railing to obstruct the view, so she bent down for a closer look. 

The face looking back was still round and pale, the soft jaw line giving a youthful appeal. Red hair fell natural, gentle waves that never liked to obey. Not even the multiple hairpins keeping it out of her face could tame it completely. Sea green eyes sat in hooded sockets on either side of a thin nose and average lips. Freckles dotted the bridge of her nose and apples of her large cheeks from years of sun exposure. Forced to come back to a time that wasn’t hers, the least magic could have done was improve her looks. 

The cries of the villagers reached her ears too late. Searching for the source of the hysterics, Gwen stood and turned as the villagers ducked out of sight. A mad man on a black horse galloped through the market. The rider didn’t care about others around him. He didn’t look back behind him or stop to check on those who dived out of his path. A villager with a traveling pack hanging from his shoulders scurried across the bridge to run away from the rider. In his haste, he knocked into Gwen. She lost her balance, flailing her arms worthlessly, and began to fall into the river that had served as my mirror just moments ago. She closed her eyes and braced for impact with the surly cold water. But it didn’t come.

A steadfast grip snatched her by her waist. When she opened her eyes to see who had saved her from the water, she was face to face with the rider.

[madpanda75]

“Taking Chances Part 11: The Call”

We’re picking up right where we left off with Theo barging into the gallery to surprise the reader. We also find out who that special someone is that Sonny has his eye 👀

Thanks to everyone for their comments and feedback on this series! It means the world to me ❤️Also a huge thanks to @sass-and-suspenders for being my writing buddy and giving me the idea for the title. 

Trigger Warning: This chapter contains an assault scene and mention of rape.

“Theo, how did you get in?” you sputtered. “You shouldn’t be here! We’re closed.”

Theo scoffed, “Please, that ditzy coworker of yours always forgets to lock the door when she leaves.” He milled around the tiny studio, picking up a handcrafted ceramic vase. “And besides you never cared before.” He set the vase down and winked. 

You could tell that he was drunk. Apart from his disheveled appearance, the aroma of cheap whiskey radiated off his body and hit you like a brick wall. But there was something more, his presence filled you with a sense of foreboding. Nevertheless, you swallowed down your fear and held your ground. “That was then, this is now,” you sneered.

“Why can’t you forgive me? I made a mistake. I’m--”

“You broke us!” you interrupted. “My brother may have invited you to lunch, but I thought I made myself clear when we broke up that I never wanted to see you again.”

Theo’s face hardened. “It’s that older guy, isn’t it?” He looked you over from head to toe, like a predator studying its prey before it attacks. “Never took ya’ for a gold digger, but maybe being a starving artist all these years has made ya’ hard up for cash.” 

“Rafael is twice the man you’ll ever be,” you snarled.

“You sure about that? Ya’ know you and I had some hot times together.” He arched a brow and crudely licked his lips. “Can’t deny there was some definite sexual chemistry between us.”

As he stalked towards you closer and closer, you stepped back, blindly bumping into chairs and easels until you were pushed up against the wall. You were trapped. A chill rippled down your spine and your mouth went dry, panic rising in your throat.

Theo grabbed your wrist and yanked you closer to him. The acrid smell of alcohol combined with his cologne stung your nostrils. “Let go of me.” You struggled to free yourself from Theo’s grasp, but he only tightened his hold on you.

“Don’t be like that,” he cooed in a teasing manner. “How about a kiss for old times sake?” As he leaned in closer with his lips pursed, you finally wrenched free and slapped him hard. Your hand throbbed in pain. Between Theo and Sonny, you were getting tired of smacking people for disrespecting you.

Theo cruelly laughed, completely unphased by your attack. “You stupid bitch,” he growled and backhanded you across the face. The force of his slap caused you to stumble a few steps and run into a nearby table. 

In an instant, he was on top of you with a wild look in his eye. “I always get what I want,” he snarled. Theo hiked up your skirt with one hand while undoing his pants with the other. Bottles of paint toppled over in your struggle, saturating your clothes and the floor. Colors swirling together--angry reds, moody blues until they combined to a murky brown.

All of your self defense classes. All of the lectures your brother gave you about defending yourself-- hammer strike, heel palm strike. It all left your mind in that frantic, terrifying moment. Nevertheless, you fought back as hard you could, clumsily kicking and screaming. 

Luckily, your foot had fantastic aim and connected straight with his groin. Hard. Theo howled in pain and grabbed his crotch, giving you a chance to escape. You scrambled out from under him and collided into Phoebe who had just come back from the coffee shop when she heard you screaming. Coffee and pastries spilled onto the floor. 

Upon seeing your coworker, Theo pushed past you both and ran out of the gallery. But you could care less, you just clung to Phoebe, trembling. “Y/N? What happened? Are you alright?” 

You couldn’t speak. You could hardly catch your breath, on the brink of becoming hysterical. Phoebe took your hand and led you to a nearby chair. “I’m calling 911.” She reached into her purse for her phone when she stopped. “Do you want me to call your brother?”

“No!” you said in a panic. “Can you call his partner instead?” You gave Phoebe Rollins’ cell number. “Please tell her not to tell Sonny.” She nodded and dialed the number. 

While your coworker talked to Amanda, you stood up and walked around the studio. Paints, brushes, easels all covered the floor. And then you saw it. The painting you had been working on for Rafael, in a crumpled head, completely destroyed. Just like everything else in the room. In a matter of minutes, your sanctuary had become a crime scene.

*****

Sonny scaled the steps of One Hogan Place, balancing two cups of coffee in his hands. He took his familiar route, mumbling to himself. Passerbys assumed he was on bluetooth, but in reality he was deep in concentration, trying to come up with the perfect opening line. Unfortunately, the only thing he could come up with was “Hi.” 

After the disastrous lunch on Sunday, Sonny couldn’t stop thinking about what Bella had said. Maybe it was time to let go and take a chance. To put himself out there. As much as he hated to admit, you were happy with Barba. Maybe it was time for him to find his own happiness. 

He stood in front of Barba’s office door, taking a moment to collect himself. His heart hammered in his chest. His palms were clammy. Although he had been to Barba’s office countless times, this time was for a completely different reason.

From the moment Sonny met Carmen, he was hooked. She was beautiful, smart, and unbelievably kind. Not to mention, she knew how to handle Barba. She made him feel at ease. 

He never forgot when SVU had lost a big case, a rapist had been set free on a technicality. The squad and Barba had just broken the news to the survivor. She was only 14 and yet she had lived a lifetime. He would never forget the look on her face. In a way he felt completely responsible. If he had just tried harder, then they would have caught this monster.

That day Sonny was the last one to leave Barba’s office, feeling completely dejected. He thought of his sisters and his mother and how easily any of you could be a victim. He wondered if he was even cut out for this job. How many rapists would be set free during his career? How many victims would he have to disappoint? 

It was then that Carmen approached him. “Hang in there.” She patted him on the shoulder and gave him a warm smile. “They need you, Sonny. You’re one of the good guys.” In that moment, Carmen made Sonny feel safe and comforted. Something he hadn’t felt in a very long time. 

Now all he had to do was work up the nerve to ask her out on a date. “It’s now or never, Carisi,” he thought before opening the door. There she was. The woman of his dreams, sitting at her desk, furiously typing and completely oblivious to the fact that Sonny was right in front of her. 

After several seconds, he cleared his throat and shouted, “Hey you!” Carmen jumped a mile high. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare ya’.” Being a ball of nervous energy, it was not his intention to scream at the poor woman. 

“It’s ok. I wasn’t paying attention.” Sonny nodded and rocked back on his heels, awkwardly standing in front of her. “Um, Mr. Barba is free, if you’d like to see him.”

“Actually. I’m here for you.” He handed over one of the cups of coffee in his hand. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Carmen graciously accepted the cup and took a sip. “I’ve been so busy working on these briefs that I haven’t had a chance to get any.”

Sonny beamed and began taking out of his pockets handfuls of assorted coffee creamers and sugar packets. “I...uh...I didn’t know how ya’ took your coffee so I got ya’ half n half, hazelnut, vanilla, soy milk, almond milk. I got sweet n’ low, regular sugar, sugar in the--”

“Thank you,” Carmen politely interrupted him and pushed all of the creamers and sugars now littering her desk off to the side. “That’s very sweet.”

Sonny turned beet red and took a sip of his coffee. Having been out of the dating game for so long, he was definitely rusty at this. “So...uh...I was just wonderin’ if maybe sometime--”

Just then Rafael burst out of his office. “Carmen, something’s come up and I have to leave. Please hold my calls and cancel all my meetings for today.” Before she could even reply, he brusquely walked past, bumping into Sonny and causing him to spill his coffee. Rafael shot daggers at him. 

Sonny furrowed his brow in confusion, watching Rafael walk out the door. Although Rafael had certainly glared at him before, this time was different. If looks could kill, Sonny would be dead on the floor. “Wonder what that was about?” he mused.

Carmen shook her head. “Don’t know. But it must be bad. I hope everything’s ok.” She then noticed the spilled coffee on Sonny’s shirt and opened her drawer, pulling out a stain removing pen for clothes. “May I?”  She walked over to Sonny and began to clean the coffee stain before it began to set. 

Being that close to Carmen, Sonny felt weak in the knees. He lost himself in her warm brown eyes and the honeyed sweet scent of her orange blossom perfume. “Thanks,” he managed to squeak out.

“It’s no problem,” she said with a shy smile. “With the amount of coffee Mr. Barba drinks, I keep a stash of these at my desk. Just in case of an emergency.” 

“So like I was saying earlier, I thought if you were free sometime that maybe you’d like to--”

Suddenly, a loud ring coming from his coat pocket cut him off. The universe was not working in his favor today. He pulled his phone out and saw Bella’s name flash across his screen. “Excuse me,” he told Carmen before answering the phone. “Hey Bella. Can I call ya’ back?” 

Bella let out a sob in response and Sonny felt his stomach drop. “Bella? What’s wrong?”

“Sonny,” she managed to say through her tears. “You need to get to the precinct. Now. Something’s happened with Y/N.”

Tag List:

@glimmerglittergirl @southern-magnolia @sweetcannolicarisi @delia26 @obfuscateyummy @sass-and-suspenders @eclecticminded @thatesqcrush @katmstanton @amirightcounsellor @beltzboys2015-blog @letty-o @sonnysdoll @lyssa1385 @sweetsummertime99 @burningsorr0ws @gibbs274 @izzythefanfreak @babypink224221 @livxrafa @esparza-army @obsessionprofessional @ottosuricato @mgarner1227 @dreila03 @frenchiefoxy @tropes-and-tales @thecraziestcrayon @goodluckfindingone @scarletsoldierrr @youreverycolor @yeah-boiiiiiiiiiii @imjustreallynosy @graniairish @ashley-chi @lolacolaempath @cocomel0613 @imagine-all-the-imagines @mysterioustrashadventures @that-girl-named-alex @scapricciatello @mrsrafaelbarba @zizzlekwum @katierpblogg @crowleysqueenofhell @caked-crusader​ @garturbo @rachelxwayne @averyhotchner @sarcastically-defensive17 @permanentlydizzy @beccabarba @infiniteoddball

[soullesscoffee]

Hi there! Had a bit of an interesting request for a playful encounter among the Lost Boys with fem! dhampir (offspring of a vampire father and mortal mother)? Perhaps they might take a liking to her?

a/n: hi! thank you for requesting this!! i had so much fun writing it!! i hope it fits your idea. if you want head cannons i would def post some because this was so fun to think about!! thank you again!! 

halfie.

{ the lost boys x fem!reader }

rating: pg-13

word count: 2452

warnings: fem!reader, minor action of sexual assault, blood, death, use of tobacco, curious lost boys, tension, and sexual innuendo.

The night was just a regular night on the boardwalk at Santa Carla. The Lost Boys found themselves in a booth in a corner of an establishment that served primarily diner foods. The classical American food that is fattening just to even look at. Paul and Marko wanted cheeseburgers on a clear night, and there was nothing stopping them from doing so. It was a way to curve the hunger as the night was still too early to go hunting. Marko haphazardly scarfed down his cheeseburger occasionally sipping his cola in between the big chomps of food. He and Paul always ate so messily, mainly Paul. Yet that was a debate for another time. At the end of the booth sat Dwayne and David who shared a basket of fries and had a shake each. Both of them were not really hungry at the moment and didn’t want to be too full of human food to not be able to eat. Their mindless conversation was interrupted as the trilling of the bell chimed off of the walls of the diner. In walks, a woman, her looks about her were borderline perfect. The way she walked into the establishment was convincing as if she owned the place. There were only four other people who walked on these grounds like that and it was The Lost Boys. 

Paul paused mid-bite, his jaw locked mid-bite as he watched the figure travel their way towards the bar that was in the middle. Their boots clicked against the vinyl flooring with each daunting step they took. However, though their appearance was rather daunting they gave the waitress the kindest smile they have ever seen on such a cold face. As the woman sat on the bar stool Marko nudged Paul hard in the side. “Keep staring like that you’re going to choke on your food. You’re such a slob, dude!” Marko laughs before popping a pinch of fries in his mouth chewing quite loudly. David peers over at the rambunctious two and gives a look by squinting his eyes. He tilts his head before looking at Dwayne. “You can sense it too?” Dwayne asks, not even looking at the female figure who walked in. He twisted the straw between his fingers as he kept a piercing stare on David, trying to read his expression. Nonetheless, the leader was deadpan through and through. “Yeah, I can smell it on them too,” David finally admits after a beat of silence. David brings the straw to his lips, taking a long drink from the vanilla shake. His piercing blue eyes stare at the side profile of the woman. He tilts his head as he tries to push his way into their mind. What are you? David questions mentally as there was a large blur blocking him from seeing anything, it was as if she was pushing him out. How was that even possible? Just as he questioned that the woman’s head snaps in David’s direction making direct eye contact with the vampire. The woman only gave him a sly smirk as she shook her head bringing her attention back to the waitress.

David’s eyes widened slightly, he was taken aback by the sudden action and it takes a lot for David to be shocked in any way. The two other blondes at the table leaned on their elbows to look at David. Their minds read his right away. There was something off with the woman who walked in. Paul just thought she was hot. From the boots to the hair it was a style he dug. He couldn’t notice anything off of her but the perfume and a unique scent. However, that didn’t trigger anything in his mind that she wasn’t different from any other human. Yet, David’s expression and his mind were saying two different things. Was this person a threat? Why were they here? Should they confront or leave? Just as Paul started to ask these things via mental message to Dwayne the woman grabbed her to-go order, which consisted of a cup and a paper bag filled with grease at the bottom. As the woman turned on her heel to head out a rather slimy man filled with tattoos and piercings landed his hand on her bottom. The clap echoed through the diner. Everyone went still, a pin could be heard if it was dropped at that moment. 

Dwayne shifted to get up, to act on the action but David’s boot was stopping him. The brunette switched his focus to David who shook his head. The look in his eyes was that of a warning. Yet when Dwayne looked back on the woman she was walking out of the store with the man. Seeing this scene Marko was practically vibrating in his seat with excitement. “Hell yeah, time to start the night boys,” he cheered as Paul snickered along pushing his empty plate in the middle of the table. David tossed a twenty bill at the edge of the table while he got up, “Oh shit, this is going to be rad, I can feel it!” Paul whooped following behind Dwayne. The boys didn’t look which way the strange woman and the man went. However, all of the boys could not dismiss the attraction to her since the moment she walked into the room. Curiosity filled them to the brim. David inhaled the salty air as he stepped out only picking up on a hint of the male she walked out with. “This way,” he directed and started the group down the alleyway towards the back parking lot. 

The parking lot was deserted, nothing lighting the space but three orange-lit street lamps that didn’t grant much for regular human viewing. Perfect spot for anything to happen. Dwayne took a step in front of David, his eyes peeled in the dark. Then it hit all of them in the nose, blood. The fresh smell of iron and warmth. Dwayne was now in the lead he made his way around the corner to find the body of the abuser on the ground. Lifeless and cold. “Holy shit,” Paul whispers, there was another vampire in town. 

“Y’know, following a lady in the dark can send her the wrong message,” the voice piped from behind them. The tone was coy and filled with entertainment. They all whipped around, silent and staring with intense stares. “What? Cat got your tongue?” She questions with blood dribbling down her chin, yet her features were as perfect as they saw them in the diner. Did she not transform? Did she have no fangs? How did she get behind them without them noticing? Her head tilted before giving a knowing smirk, she reached down on the ground grabbing her to-go bag. The rustling of the bag is what broke David’s trance, “What are you?” he asks bluntly, stuffing his hands in his pocket, acting not the slightest amused. Dwayne on the other hand was silent, while Paul and Marko were doing their best not to shake with excitement. Fuck yeah, a female vampire. Hot.

“Normally people ask for each other’s names first.” She bounces back wiping her face off with cheap napkins and tosses them to the dead body behind the boys. 

“Well we aren’t people, and clearly you aren’t either.” Dwayne piped and her attention switched to him. 

“I know I could smell death coming off of you boys, especially you, Twisted Sister.” Her finger points towards Paul who jutted out his lower lip in curiosity as he sniffed himself out of insecurity. “So I am guessing you are the ones causing all the missing posters to go up? Kinda sloppy work if you ask me.”

“We didn’t ask for your opinion. We asked you what you are.” David interjects and tilts his head giving her a squint as he took a step forward, he was once again trying to get into her head. Figure out what she was and what she was doing here. Yet no matter how hard he pushed the boundary he was only greeted with a deep chuckle. Her teeth were pinching the straw from her cup. 

“You can try all you want but I won’t let you in,” the woman tilts her head no approaching the boys. Her body swerves theirs, her teeth gnawing on the straw. Her piercing eyes looked each of them individually up and down. Her eyes took in their jackets, their earrings, and how they presented themselves. Approaching Paul first her eyes flickered through his features, her hand raised to his chin and she pinched it, “You’re the troublemaker,” Paul can only grin at this, living for the close proximity drowning in her hypnotic scent that was the perfect mix of perfume and her blood. How could he smell her blood? His grin faded as she walked away to Marko who was next to him, his blue eyes connecting to David who was stoically watching the woman carefully. Paul shrugged and tilted his head as he was fully entertained by this. The woman approaches Marko, carding her fingers through Marko’s long curly locks, “I like you, you’re the ambitious one,” Marko smirked and brought his fingerless gloves to his lips to hide his smirk. He scanned the group trying to read Dwayne and David but both were rather expressionless. Was he the only one who wanted to keep her around?

Her boots click against the concrete as she approaches Dwayne, her drink now by her side. Her free hand rubs her fingertips over the hand-painted leopard on his sleeve trailing to the breast of his jacket and down his zipper. Her slightly warmer skin ghosted over his chest, the action caused him to tense his abdomen, flexing on instinct. “Mmm,” she hummed admiring his chest, “You’re the advocate.” Dwayne didn’t give her any satisfaction of a reaction but if his heart could beat it would be racing to jump out of his chest. Then her head tilted to David, she plucked the cigarette from behind his ear, but as quickly as she did it David was just as quick to snatch her wrist in his gloved hand. “I don’t think we are going to ask again, what are you?” This time his tone was dark with groveling.

A smirk paints the woman’s lips, “And you are the leader,” she states the obvious before placing the cigarette back and patting her palm against David’s cheek. Giving two blunt slaps before taking her place next to food once again she leaned against the brick wall. “I am what you are, only half.” The boys all furrow their brows, looks of pure confusion on their features. 

“Wait what do you mean, only half?” Marko asks tilting his head as he takes a couple of steps closer in interest.

“Well when a mommy and a daddy meet each other and are very happy-” 

“Vampires can’t procreate,” Dwayne states rather objectively and this causes the woman to raise her brows.

“Well, then you better explain that to my mom. She was the one who banged a vampire to have me,” her eyes brows quirk up at the silent one’s sudden choice to talk, “It is a possibility. Have you boys not been taught the birds and the bees? Haven’t been able to keep your little stake in your pants?”

“Enough,” David commands his jaw set and tense. The woman’s brows remain raised, “Why? Scared you might have a little one of you running around? That would be terrible,” she muses which causes snickers to come from Paul and Marko. Yet once David looks behind him to glare at the two a sudden gust of wind blows the cigarette off of his ear. The half-vampire was now only hair away from him. “I am called a half-vampire, a dhampir, a spawn of satan, hybrid, really anything you’d like. I can do anything you can do, with a little more benefits.”

“What benefits?” Dwayne asks and her eyes flicker to him.

“Thank you for asking nicely. I can for one walk around in the sunlight. Just like a vampire who is transitioning, except I can stay in the sun for long periods of time. Like all the time. Secondly, I don’t need blood to survive-”

“Then why did you kill this guy?” Paul questions, nudging the lifeless figure with his foot as he stood adjacent to it.

“Because he was a dick and slapped my ass. Sometimes the world doesn’t need people like that. I had to teach him a lesson and I did.” She responded matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms and looked down at the body. A sigh leaving her nose while she made her way to her food. Grasping her food she started to walk towards her classic car in the empty parking lot. 

Marko and Paul pushed past David and Dwayne to catch up to her, “So you’re telling me a babe like yourself is as strong, fast, and as cool as us?” Paul asks as Marko slings an arm around his friend’s shoulder. The woman smirked as she tossed her paper bag in the topless car. “Yeah, you could say that, who knows, maybe I am better at most things than you are.” This was an obvious shot of teasing. Marko laughed at her teasing and shook his head, “She’s hot, kills deadbeats, and drives a sick car. I don’t Paul, I might be in love.”

“No way man, I was the first one to see her,” Paul argues, pushing Marko playfully. The half-vampire rolls her eyes with the same warm smile she gave the waitress earlier in the diner. David maneuvered around the now two wrestling vampires. The woman started her car and looked up at the leader, her smile still warm, “It was nice meeting you boys, I hope to see you again soon.”

“We’ll see about that,” David responds tilting his head. He got a chuckle in response which caused him to smirk, “Only time will tell,” she comments, putting her car into drive and peeling off out of the parking lot leaving the four curious men behind in her rearview mirror. David stood watching her car drive away with his hands crossed amongst his chest, a smirk plastered on his features. Dwayne approaches after breaking up Marko and Paul from their match. “I think we have a new friend, boys,” David pipes into the clear night as he plucks a new cigarette from the breast pocket of his jacket and places it between his lips, lighting it swiftly. With an inhale he let a puff of smoke into the starry night before turning on his heels, “Now let’s go get some real food.”

footnotes: if you would like to request please send them my way!  🖤

[jjba-plasticbeach]

End of November 2011 Florida

- “Hey idiot! You missed my stop at Cape Canaveral! " –Announced a feminine and decisive voice that came from the back of the car causing it to brake abruptly, sliding down the wet road a couple of meters ahead.

The raindrops were falling with greater intensity on that beige car, that competed with the discussion that the determined woman and Anakiss had regarding an additional charge per trip, but Emporio's mind was elsewhere when he pressed Irene's vest on her chest, trying to find a logical explanation for what was happening. Had he really died and was this a kind of post-mortem dream as he had read about it in the books of that prison?

Irene unbuckled her belt to turn around and meet the boy's gaze, it seemed curious to her that a child was lost in that gas station, but it was not an improbable event, the radio was always in charge of announcing who disappeared and / or appeared but had never heard a name as striking as Emporio.

-"All good? Aren't you dizzy or something like that? " –Irene asked kindly while she denoted a subtle smile on her face and leaned on her seat waiting for the response of the young boy- "If so, we can stop for a longer time, maybe a soda would do you good- ..."

- "I'm fine" –Emporio interrupted, once again gritting her teeth to his lip causing a subtle bleeding cut- "Thank you very much Jolyne"

- “Jolyne? Is that your mother's name? " -She cocked her head curiously, settling herself between the two seats. "Don't worry Emporio, as soon as we get home, I will try to get my father to help us find your family... you won't be alone little one.

Once again, the tears ran down the young blond boy's cheeks, the words could not connect with his thoughts and it seemed that each time he had an apple across his throat. He tried to remember accurate things in order to show that he was not just a stranger, he had to explain what had happened, that was his mission to survive the restart of Made in Heaven.

- "Jojo-... Kujo, your father's name is Kujo Jotaro, isn't it?" –He raised his voice while tightening the lady's orange vest on his legs, Anakiss returned to the pilot's seat but that strong statement made him turn his head, meeting Irene's alarmed gaze- "and your name is Narciso, if I'm not wrong".

There was a brief silence from both of them, without doubt they were not dealing with an ordinary young man but while they looked back at him, he placed both hands on his head in a symbol of sincere concern, to the point of hiding his own face between his knees.

- "It will be better to hurry Anakiss, the only ones who can help us at this time are my parents".

 The tour was faster, quieter and without any interruption. They had reached the end of the route to undertake a journey up the hill, Emporio could see a small sign pointing two directions which the last one called "Melancholy Hill" could be read  and nothing to do with the rain that enveloped them. They parked in front of a large house made of dark wood but illuminated inside and seeing how Irene offered her hand to Emporio, they were both covered with Anakiss's large jacket until the dry area in front of the large entrance door.

They waited a few minutes until a strong but feminine voice was heard announcing that it would open the door and each closer step was enough reason to accelerate the young Emporio's heart. Three purple locks fell gently on her face, two longer than the middle one, and her silver eyes widened with her smile when she saw Irene open her arms and fall to the chest of such a woman. Anakiss cordially took off his hat, placing it on his chest and receiving a warm kiss on his cheek from her, but the moment his eyes met those of the young Emporio, he took two steps back pointing at her with his index finger while hesitating:

“Mrs. Castiglier…!”

Francesca, without leaving Irene's embrace, stared at him scared, as if she had witnessed a crime scene right there, shaking her head and removing that sharp look of fear, she bent down to recover her friendly smile and offered Emporio a hand.

- "I do not seem to have seen your face somewhere before, besides seeing your eyes you made me understand that you have not slept well in recent weeks... do not be afraid little one, go ahead and feel at home while I look for a first aid kit to heal those ugly wounds on your arms and looking for clean clothes so that you can take off the wet clothes that you bring, it is better to prevent a cold than to regret it! -Emporio had his eyes wide open contemplating that woman in front of him and with a trembling hand he took her left hand that did not have any trace of metal- "Welcome to our house"

Emporio was sitting in the hall of that house, everything was beautifully decorated and looking very familiar and welcoming. In his hands she had a bowl of hot milk that he couldn't drink yet, and he didn't know if it was because of how hot it was or because of its impact a couple of minutes ago. He looked up, meeting for the first time with a boy of his age who was looking at him from the second floor between the railing separations but they managed to meet glances the little one fled the place feeling Irene's soft voice once closer to him, taking his hand right and placing it between both hands.

- "His name is Emporio, we found him lost at the gas station... small one, can you repeat what you mentioned in the car a couple of hours ago? –He looked first at the girl and then at those around him, sincerely his chest was squeezed once again as he perceived how a pronounced and tall silhouette was present who was looking seriously at what was happening in the room. Placing his left hand on Francesca he was able to demonstrate that ring on his ring finger which was intertwined with the lady's hand as a symbol of concern and waiting.

- "My name is -... My name is Emporio Alniño, born in 2000 in the Green Dolphin Street prison, my mother passed away and I have no other close family, I- ... and- ..." - The boy hesitated while clasping his hands on the towel, letting his tears fall on his little hands, he tried to calm himself so that he could continue with what he should say, what he should ask, but the more he thought about it the less words came out of his mouth. How to find an explanation for something that only he witnessed? - "... And I am very sorry to break into his home in this way".

He looked up feeling a strong hug coming from the purple-haired woman who had knelt before him trying to reassure him while she whispered a little melody that closely resembled a lullaby. He pressed her cheek against her heated cheek and lifting her weak arms from her he could hug her as well hiding his face without stopping to cry while gasping. He was rocking on Francesca's chest in a calm and relaxed way never seen before, his heart was beating slowly as she passed her delicate hand over the boy's forehead, detaching his wet cap while still humming that melody. His eyes slowly closed seeing Irene for the last time, who got up to stand next to her father to hug him worried, he supported her wounded face on his daughter's hair giving her a soft kiss in her forehead that reassured her. Anakiss politely looked at the situation from behind, without a doubt the heart-breaking cry of Emporio was something that was not heard every day.

- "The worst has already happened, my dear Emporio, now you need to rest and forget all those worries that afflict you... let us be your shelter, your family and I promise that nothing bad will happen again".

A light bothered his eyes which caused him to wake up, he was lying on a bed a little higher than usual next to another bed which was separated by a night table, the little boy with whom they had exchanged glances previously was on his knees covered under his bed with a flashlight on. Before Emporio could move or utter a word the boy jumped on top of him, standing next to him, pointing the flashlight at him.

- "Don't ever move a muscle, or that evil spirit will get angry" - Mentioned the boy being separated by Emporio at the same moment. But before answering him, four ghostly arms managed to peek out from under the young boy's bed and, finding no more comfort, he hid in Emporio's shirt.

- "It is not an evil spirit; it is a Stand!" –The blond boy yelled invoking Weather Report, which was preparing to take the first blow, but it was not an enemy Stand, it was more a scared Stand just as its young user was - “Child, you must learn to control it, what you are perceiving is your own soul!"

- "Isn't it going to hurt me?"

- "No, unless you want that for yourself... you have to wish him to go and he will go, that simple" - He held the shoulders of the dark-haired young man while he turned, frowning, and clasping his hands tightly, he could visualize as those four arms immediately disappeared as if by magic. The situation that he had longed for so long finally had a grandiose outcome and smiling exaltedly at him elicited the same smile from the young Emporio.

-"What is your name? I saw you cry recently on the first floor, but I couldn't hear your name... if you don't want to tell me, I understand, I can always call you a crybaby".

- "Look who says it, my name is Emporio and yours?"

- "Jonas... Although my mother and older sister usually call me Jojo".

From the first level, Francesca talked with Jotaro and Irene about what happened, they agreed to send for information about the boy and watch him with his behavior for a while. They would not ask more than the boy had to talk about and they would try not to collapse him into questions, he was just a 10 year old boy after all.

Francesca mentioned that she would prepare more coffee while Anakiss and Irene were slightly more nervous having Jotaro with crossed arms waiting for the explanation of their visit, the woman with purple hair only let out a subtle laugh walking to the kitchen depositing the couple of cups on the counter close to the phone. She took it and quickly dialled a number while her hands shook.

-"I'm sorry to call you so late Tenmei, but I need you to find a paper and a pencil to write down the following, try not to ask or tell others about this..." - She took a deep breath, letting a series of words flow without meaning to the man on the other line But he followed every indication she had told him— “The name of the mafia is Passione; Sicily ... if something happens, try to keep the name of Domenico Castiglier".

- “Hey! Emporio? Sleeping in class again? -A much more serious voice was heard but in a mocking tone while hitting him with a crumpled paper in the hundred- "Man, I know that math classes are boring, but I never expected that someone who really likes them, would fall asleep in one of them".

- "Jonas..." -the blond opened his eyes quickly to meet the heavy body of his friend and now his brother pulling him by the cheek to get up- "I wasn't sleeping, just remembering things..."

-"Things?" -Jonas looked up, arching an eyebrow as he leaned against the table opposite Emporio  student table. "What things would leave such a bad taste in your mouth to answer me that way, dude?".

- "Things like my sandwich that you ate without my permission, Jonas Kujo... do you think I was born yesterday?" - Emporio lied as he got up from his desk arranging his backpack to place it behind his back, Jonas's face began to take a small blush as he denied any existence of his foolish theft but from one moment to another, they began to laugh like two naughty children about to commit some other evil.

"Are we going home now?"

[lo-55]

Playing With Fire

While playing a perfectly innocent video game you get thrown into a dangerous world on the brink of incineration! At least you’re surrounded by a bunch of hot people. If nothing else you can shower them with copious, well earned affection. 

You come awake with a start. 

Everything is just a little off kilter. Like your eyes aren’t focused or you're wearing someone else's glasses. It takes you a few long minutes to realize that you’re staring down at a piece of paper. 

It’s listed one through eight, with a check box next to each number. 

At the top you see ‘Company Preference List’, and beneath that is your name scrawled in your own handwriting. But, when did you write it? And what was the list? You look up to find yourself in a library, surrounded by a bunch of other people all dressed in orange uniforms. You look down and find yourself in the same one. You recognize it as the Fire Force boiler suits. 

You touch your cheek slowly. Then poke the corner of your eyes. You’re not wearing your VR visor. And you’re not holding handles either. Are you hallucinating? You were playing the game, in the middle of some side quest. Did the game reset? This looked like a scene from the start of the game. It followed the beginning of the series, but through the eyes of a random side character researching Haijima on their own. There was some kind of revenge plot and a lot of stuff about their big sister, but you hadn’t gotten to the full reveal of the tragic back story yet. They interacted with the main characters plenty, but mostly they spent their time in their own squad, the fourth. 

You were halfway through the game, and now you were back at the start?

You look around for something to tell you what’s going on. You try to poke the menu button, but you’re not holding controllers. So all you really end up doing is poking the air between your hands with your thumbs. You’re starting to panic, when something shiny catches your attention. 

When did you get that ring? 

Plain silver on your forefinger. You poke it and gasp when the world shifts minutely. 

A flicker of fire, a figure dark against the light. It warps in and out of your vision in a split second. 

Right. Tragic back story. 

The ring was from their (your?) older sister. Now disappeared a-la-infernal fire. You were like the reverse Shinra. 

Wait. 

Shinra. 

Your head snapped around quickly from one person to the other. Most of them were boring background characters. No, no, no. Boring. Lame. Basically grey blobs. 

Were you going crazy and you couldn’t even enjoy it?! 

“Uh, hey? Are you okay?” 

Your head snaps sideways to find bright red eyes peering at you in concern. 

Red eyes. Black hair. 

You stare hard at him until the corners of his mouth start to twitch and curl upwards. 

“H-hey. Why are you staring at me?” 

Abruptly you reach over and cup his cheeks. His face is hot beneath your hands. You can touch him. You can feel the heat of his skin. He’s blushing something fierce. 

“You are… adorable,” you declare. 

He turns bright red and squeaks at you until you finally let him go. 

“What?!” 

“Did I stutter?” you prop your chin in your hand and look him over. Yep. Definitely cute. You just wanna squeeze him. But, you should probably do other things first. Like figure out what exactly is going on. 

Not that you can come outta the gate with ‘hey I was playing a video game and now I’m stuck in it, also I thought you weren’t real? What gives yo?’ 

Even you aren’t that impulsive. 

Actually, in real live you’re not very impulsive at all. That was what made games so fun, especially open world ones where you could do basically whatever you wanted. IRL you were more withdrawn than anything, even when you wanted to be social. 

Now… You could be whoever you wanted, right? 

Did you even have to follow the plot? Could you put a preference for another company and go there? Or would you still end up in the forth? And what about your abilities? In the game you’d had a choice at the beginning between a second gen ability and two third gen powers. You’d ended up picking at random, since they all seemed cool and you hadn’t been very far into the anime yet at the time. 

How would you even use those powers here, assuming that you could? 

“Sorry, I was spacing out,” you finally said, “What were you saying?” 

“Oh uh,” Shinra looked away, his grin still pulling at his face. “I was just asking if you were okay. You were looking at the form for so long, but whenever you talked about joining a company before you always said you would go to the fourth. Not that we talk a lot, so I wouldn’t know if you wanted to go to the fifth or the sixth or the seventh or-” 

“Babe, you’re rambling,” you cut in, starting to smile yourself. Even though you’re beyond confused something about Shinra puts you at ease. Everything about him seems so… warm. And yeah, the smile could be off putting. If it wasn’t so damn adorable. 

“O-oh!” aaaand he was blushing again. 

You look down at the paper, your brows furrowing. What are you even supposed to say to this? 

“I dunno,” you said at last, “I guess I was reconsidering. There’s a lot of companies, and a lot of options out there. I might end up going a totally different path if it’s not too late… What about you?” 

“Me? Well I didn’t really have a particular preference, but I heard that they’re trying to send more people to the eighth this year. Since its such a new company, and so small.” 

“Mmmm. That’s true. Maybe I’ll go there,” you muse. It would put you smack in the middle of all the action, and you could see the sweet Iris, and the too-hot-to-be-fair Maki. You could stay with adorable Shinra and the well meaning dumbass that was Arthur. Not to mention the two guys in charge. If you could get Obi to bench press you- 

Nope! Bad! Focus on the task at hand. No thirsting over captains right now! 

“I was thinking the same thing,” Shinra admitted, looking down at his own paper. 

“Yeah? I guess such a small company would make it easy for you to stand out and come a hero, right?” 

Shinra looked startled. You offered him a sweet smile and turned back to your paper and picked up your pen. 

You marked your preferences. 

Eighth, seventh, fourth, second, fifth, sixth, third, first. 

“The eighth and the seventh?” Shinra asked, peaking over at your sheet. 

You shot him a grin. “They both sound like fun to me. Hey, Shinra?” 

“Yeah?” 

Your grin grows wider. “Let’s both do our best, and save lots of people okay?” 

Shinra’s smile is small, but true. 

“Okay.” 

You bump your fist to his to seal the deal. 

~ 

It had taken you a couple of tries to find your dorm room. 

Your body seemed like it knew what it was doing, even if your mind didn’t. You had to explain away your frazzled state to the woman in charge of your wing, a nun who’s name you couldn’t recall to save your life, as nerves. She had looked dubious, but hadn’t questioned you when she pointed you to your room. 

Probably thinks I’m hung over, you thought as you stepped inside. If I didn’t know better I’d think I was drunk enough to hallucinate. But it’s all way too real. Just what happened? One second I was playing the game, and then my phone went off, and then it was all dark. After that I was in the library. 

 It was making your head hurt thinking about it. 

You poked around the room. If you remembered right you’d had a roommate, but she’d already been assigned her company a week early. Her dad was some top brass in the military, so off to the second company she went, 

You made sure the door was locked before you started riffling through your things. 

Books, papers, clothes. Personal items. 

You had a collection of antique keys for some reason, and a blanket shaped like a tortilla that was warmer than most space heaters. There was an old lighter with a hawk engraved on it in one drawer. When you touched it you got the sudden smell of pipe tobacco and a man laughing far in the back of your mind before it was gone. Just like when you touched the ring earlier. 

Memories that weren’t yours. You had stepped into someone else's life. 

When you looked in the mirror you found the face that your had designed for your character staring back at you. There was a thin ring of white in your eyes, cutting through their color and marking you as a pyrokinetic. 

Shit. Each of those abilities had a different eye. Which one was the circle? There was a circle, a pointy cross, and teardrop because the designer was some edgelord. Which power does this mean I have? Wings? Magnet sand? Or the spear torch thingy? 

You wished this could have been more like Fate/Grand Order. Then you would just have to keep track of your teams abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Not your own. 

Fuck. 

You spend a long time in your room, packing up all of your belongings. None of them really belong to you. They belong to your character, and they’re only familiar in the sense that you’ve thrown them over your shoulder when you were looking for something specific before. Only now if you throw them they won’t puff back to where they were before eventually. You’ll actually have to put this stuff away. 

Damn it, you’ve never liked packing. 

Still, you carefully rolled your new found clothes into baggage burritos. They were pretty plain, all in all. Oh well. You could make adjustments later if you really wanted to. Was it a game mechanic you haven't unlocked? Full customization? You could pick gender and hair, and the eyes depended on your pyrokinesis. Maybe at some point you got to change clothes too. 

You’d figure it out. 

You hoped. 

Your head was still reeling the with the idea of what was going on, but for now, with nothing else you really could do, you decided to go with it. 

Once you had everything all packed up you left your room to do some exploring. You tried to keep track of where you were going in the big fire station/training academy, but before long you were hopelessly lost. 

You stumbled upon a training room, where a familiar boy with a dorky pony tail was slashing a glowing blue sword through a training dummy. The poor dummy fell to the floor in pieces. 

You watched him for a few minutes before he noticed you. 

“Oh,” he said, “It’s you.” 

Which was… pretty lame, if you’re being honest. 

What, did you one pop his delusional bubble? 

“Yep,” you popped your ‘p’, “It’s a-me.” Mario. “What did that guy ever do to you? Try to challenge the great Knight King Arthur on a troll bridge?” you meant it to be a joke, but Arthur actually lit up. 

“Hardly! This was merely training. A Knight King must always be ready to defend his people!” 

“Of course,” you nodded along, playing with him. “And soon you’ll be embarking on a great quest to your new company, right? Do you know which one?” 

“I didn’t bother with those silly preference sheets. Let whichever company requires a knight most vie for my presence.” 

You were honestly impressed Arthur even knew the word ‘vie’. Wasn’t he kind of a loon? 

“Mhmm, mhmm, I see,” you nodded seriously. “Then in case, I might see you in my own company.” 

You wanted to ask him to spar, if only to see Excalibur in action more, but you still weren’t sure what your power was or how to use it. So you ended up bowing out. 

It took you another hour to find your way  back to your room. 

Whoops. 

You don’t really sleep. You lay down and try to wake up, and hope that come morning you’ll be back in your living room with a vr stapped to your head and this whole thing will have been a (not so terrible) dream. 

Keep Dreaming. 

~    ~

[spookyswhore]

What You Gonna Do When They Come for You? (Oscar Diaz x Reader)

Summary: Creating a new life from Freeridge may have been more of a nightmare than a blessing. After a life altering decision, what you gonna do when they come for you?

Word count: 2.7k

Author’s Note: this is a request from @tinnadh7 , hope you like. Sorry I’ve been away for so long between graduating and going to college everything has been stressing me out lol

Freeridge still looked the same as it did before you left. Shit, it even smelled the same too. Cigarettes, alchohol, and 15 years later, you were now back in town after your move to New York. Right after your high school graduation, you moved out of state to New York to pursue your dreams of becoming a detective. Watching crime shows like The First 48 and Cops (and singing very passionately to the theme song) only put that final nail in the coffin and cemented your decision to become a part of the police force. Now here you were sitting on your older sister’s couch, a glass of wine sat chilled in your hand and you were clad in a sweater and some sweats with your hair in a ponytail. She lived in Brentwood, maintaning the life you were struggling to build, on your end. Her huge house, quiet neighborhood, and peace were all some things you wanted to acquire at some point in your life. That point is just not now.

"What are you doing here?" Your sister asked. By the tone of her voice, you could tell she wasn't exactly the happiest to see you. After you left, you lost contact with everything and everyone that was involved with Freeridge, which didn’t really sit right with her. After all, family was everything.

“I need somewhere to stay…” You said. You silently hoped that she would let go the grudge she held against you for the last 15 years and not be petty enough to not accpet her sister into her home. You both were raised on ‘Family First’ and you had no idea whether she was going to go against all that you were raised on.

“I’m not going to stay here forever. I just- I just need somehwere to lay low for a few days. I’ll find an apartment. I did something bad and not I’m in some shit that I can’t really explain right now..” You said as your pleas began to fade. You so badly wnated to fill your sister in all of the stuff that happened in the time that you were gone but right now you had no idea what to do and you didn’t want to put her or her newborn in jeopardy.

“Aren’t you some cop or something. Do that stuff that you guys do and you’ll be fine.” She said, completely dismissing you.

“It’s not that simple. I know you don’t really like me right now but just, please, can I stay here? I won't be in your way. I just need a little bit of time to figure this shit out.” You teared up as your voice broke. You hated the unknown and you were really scared of the shit you were caught up in and you didn’t know if you were going to make it out alive.

Your sister took a deep breath. You could see her internal dialogue spread across her face as she tried to decipher whether she’ll let you in or not. After a hot second, she shook her head of her thoughts and looked at your distraught state.

“Yeah. Sure. But I swear if you bring this shit to my home-.” You cut her off.

“I’m not. Thank you.” You got up and hugged her. “Now..” you smirked at her. “Can I meet my nephew?”

She laughed at your question. “Yes you can.” You followered into his room and never seen or experienced anything so heartwarming. The way his little beady eyes gleamed at you and the way his tiny little hand wrapped around your finger just melted your heart completely. She then showed the extra room she had, where you’ll be staying you thanked her again, bringing her into a teary eyed hug.

~

You woke up at noon with a sweat. The events that led you to your current state plagued your mind and your dreams as you slept and only left you a wet mess, breathing heavily in anxiety. You threw the covers off of your sticky body and trekked youself towards the bathroom and noticed your sister set you up with a fresh set of clothes throughout the night. Silently thanking her, you made a mental note to get a job and save up enough money to get you a whole new wardrobe, seeing as you literally had to get up and go and you were going to be in Freeridge for a while. Once you finished showering, you threw on the fresh set of clothes. In the middle of doing your hair, your stomach made the iconic sound that everybody loves and knows to be a whale call, indicating that you have eaten in the last 36 hours. Between spending money for transportion and paying for food at any diner that was closest to you, you were flat out broke. You began to walk down the spiral staircase, taking note of the white marble and planning to put it in your “future house items’ list. Only hearing the sound of your footsteps as you drew closer to the fridge, it was only right that you assumed you were the only person awake right now, not knowing that your sister’s husband had to get up this early too. Only difference was… he had a job. Rummaging through the fridge with a piece of toast after what seemed like two minutes, at least to you, you were startled by a deep voice.

“Excuse me? Who are you?” He said. You moved your eyes quckly side to side, trying to conjure up a response good enough to not make you look stupid.

“Uh, who are you?” You said, straightening up from being bent over in half, with a gallon of orange juice in your hand.

“I...” he said as he took a few steps closer, “...am Melissa’s husband. Now again who-”. He got cut off by the deadpan tone of your sister’s voice.

“Sean, who are you trying to intimidate now- oh.” Your sister’s words get cut off as her eyes land upon the situation she was absolutely dreading between her sister and her husband. She thought she would be able to put it off and hide her sister long enough to come up with a reasonable explanation to explain to her husband as to why there’s an extra person in this house.

“Yeah. Oh. Who is this?”

“This is my sister.” She said, taking long strides to stand next to you.

“Sister? You never told me you had a sister.” You stood there very awkwardly looking between your sister and her husband. Melissa started fiddling with her fingers and you saw the gears start rotating in her brain. So, calling onto your sisterly duties, you decided to relieve your sister of the stress and explain the long story yourself. After a lengthy 5 minutes, a dark grey cloud of silence loomed over everyone. For a second, you saw a look of pure rage engross her husband’s face but maybe it was your paranoia. Your sister and her husband looked at you, eyes wide in disbelief but you didn’t stay long as you turned and and made your way out of the door. You needed some fresh air anyways. Your legs took you farther and farther away from the house as you made your way towards somewhere that wasn’t the cringey feeling that encapsulated your sister’s home.

Great apprehension crept up in your body as you grew closer and closer to a home you’d never thought you’d see again. The memories you made with the Diaz residence when you were younger flooded your mind. The sexual thoughts you held sacred in your mind about Oscar had gotten interrupted by Oscar’s tall frame standing in front of you. During the time that you were friends, you developed a bit of a crush that only you knew of. It was imperative that you, in the name of the wellbeing of your family, would never get romantically involved with Oscar. With him being this infamous gang leader, it would just end very badly for every loved one in your life. As much as you saw through his machismo exterior and saw him as the loyal, caring, protective man, all of that had to be thrown out of the window as you stood in the present.

“What are you doing back over here?” He nodded. Not being the shy, little high schooler you once were, you sized him up, matching his intimidation. But don’t get yourself wrong, the rapid beating of your heart and the throbbing in your core was almost enough to have you start seeing wedding bells.

“You know, I REALLY don’t think that is any of your business. Bold of you to question me, isn’t it? Got a problem?” Your cop instincts kicked in as you and Oscar stood with your eyes locked with each other. His eyes faltered for a bit in defeat then darkened with what you assumed to be lust. It was then that he didn’t respond but let off but a smirk, small enough for you to see, as he walked away. Shaking your head of your thoughts, you noticed Cesar and the rest of the Santos burning holes in the side of your head. Offering a quick smile and a wave to Cesar, your face dropped as you mindlessly wandered, again, around the streets of Freeridge.

~

Day turned into night as you made your way back “home”. As you opened the door, the scene that laid out in front of you. There were broken items everywhere. The table, the vase that sat on top of the island in the kitchen, basically anything that can be within arms reach. Then, your eyes jolted to your sobbing sister on the floor, surrounded with the shambles of the house that once was.

“Melissa. What the hell?”

Her head shot up in shock and the mascara-laced tears that so deplorably ran down her face left you in utter shock. You immediately ran to kneel beside her and took the bottle from her hands. You proceeded to ask her what happened during the time that you got some air. As she told you what transpired, everything in the room started to turn red. Anger quickly simmered inside you like some meat in a pressure cooker as the maroon-colored richness that only resembled blood made it’s way into your pupils. Never in a million years would you have believed that life would put you in a situation where your sister is in some deep shit and you would be there by her side. But this was the card that you were dealt. You didn’t have much info on what was going on but you definitely knew you and your sister had to get out ASAP. Something told you that something, or someone rather, is bad. Thoughts on the many ways you were going to kill your sister's husband flooded your mind as you helped your sister up. You told her to wait outside for you while you went to go get her baby to make sure he was safe.

"Yes, baby, it's okay. Shh." You cooed. Your nephew was starting to awake from his sleep and you knew it was a matter of time before he would begin to cry. You grabbed as much stuff as you could--the essentials--and made your way to join your sister outside. The cool night air hit y’all as you came to a dreadful realization.

"Shit."

"What?" Your sister asked.

“We have nowhere to go.” You replied, swaddling the baby on your chest. You racked your brain trying to figure out who the hell in Freeridge was going to accept two random adults and a baby at this time of night. You couldn’t exactly go to certain parts of town because of the Prophets and 19th street. They would chew you up and spit you guys out, just loving the fact that you guys are in a vulnerable position. Your options were limited but they all pointed to the safest one. Oscar.

“Fuck.” You groaned.

“What?”

“We gotta go to Oscar’s.”

“Oscar. No. We are absolutely not going to that bastard’s house.” You sister said as she crossed her arms in retaliation.

“Well do you have a better idea. Because quite frankly, we don’t have anywhere to go and Oscar is our safest option right now. We also have to get a move on before Mr. Incredible Hulk comes back.”

“Fine. Alright. Let’s go.” Your sister huffed. When you arrived at Oscar's place, you knocked on the door until you couldn’t anymore.

“Yo are you crazy?” Oscar said as he threw open the door in frustration. But I mean, could you blame him? You and your sister showed up at an ungodly hour with a fussy baby in your arms and let’s not even get started with the way he was dressed which honestly made you feel some type of way. The way his tank top sat on his body and the shorts sat oh so perfectly on his hips sent a blissful sensation to parts down below.

“We need somewhere to stay for the night.” Your sister spoke.

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Oscar can you not be a dick for 2 seconds and let us in.” Melissa said, obviously irritated.

“Melissa,” you started. “Oscar can we just spend the night, please. There’s a lot that has to be explained but there’s nowhere else in town for us to stay. Please.” You were pleading with Oscar at this point.

“What’s in it for me?” He smirked at the suggestive tone of his voice.

“Oscar, now is not the time. Are you going to let us in or not?” The longer you stood there, you yourself also began to grow frustrated.

It took him a minute to make a decision as he went silent. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching or lurking in the shadows and mumbled a silent “come in.”

You set foot in the house and all of the air left your lungs. Memories of you and Oscar began to drown your thoughts, again. The laughs. The movie sessions. The food. The study sessions that led to him giving up because he was lazy. Everything. You put your nephew down in Cesar’s room to go back to sleep and made sure your sister was okay before making your way back out into the living room. Oscar sat there with a mug, casually sipping whatever liquid was in it. You let out a large breath of relief as you finally got to sit down and relax after the day you’ve had.

“Long day?” His deep voice grumbled.

“Major understatement.”

Soon after, you felt a presence beside you and a dip in the sofa letting you know that Oscar is now sitting on the couch with you. With the interaction you encountered today with your sister’s husband, a little inkling told you something was up. Although you had just met him, you would have never began to think that he would manhandle your sister like she’s same ragdoll and honestly, the reality that it became had the anger inside you boil over. On the other hand, reality also hit that you didn’t have your job or your badge had been confiscated so there’s really nothing much you two can do but run and never look back. In deep thought about your next steps, you feel a hand on your shoulders and it starts to rub the day’s tension away.

“You’re tense.” His deep voice boomed.

“Yeah, well can you blame me?”

“What’s wrong?”

The room becomes quiet as you try and decide whether you want to tell Oscar everything that has happened in the past 15 years.

“Everything I know is gone…” You whispered.

“What?” Oscar replies.

“I thought escaping from Freeridge and trying to create a whole new life was gonna fucking help but it’s obviously not.” You said, beginning to tear up.

“What are you talking about?”

“Goddamnit, Oscar there’s people coming, “you said with a warning tone. “I fucked up. I did some shit that I can’t take back and now-“

“Hey hey shh.” Oscar soothed. He took you in his arms and tried to calm you down as you cried your eyes out. The weight of trying to protect your sister, her child, yourself and everyone around over a senseless decision you made on the other side of the country, was coming down on to you entirely, bearing no mercy. Now the question is, what are you going to do from now on to ensure the safety of you and the people around you?

[free-pancakes]

A Fire in the Shadows

LeviHan - Avatar the Last Airbender AU

Characters: Levi, Hange, Erwin, Mike, Nanaba, Moblit, Kenny, Zeke, Sasha, Jean

Summary: Levi, the nephew of a fire nation captain, stumbles upon a ragtag group of 5 known as the Scouts, formidably known for foiling the plans of local fire nation control, living in the forests a few miles north of Ba Sing Se. 

Chapter 2: Trust Chapter 1: The Scouts

(crossposted to ao3) this is definitely a set-up kind of chapter, so i’m sorry if it’s a bit boring! i had a lot of fun writing the scenes tho, especially the first one. hope u like it!

CHAPTER 2: TRUST

“No, I won’t!” Levi cried out. He woke up suddenly, his heart thumping wildly against his chest. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Nightmares have plagued Levi nearly every night since he officially became a soldier, but he rarely remembered the details of his dreams. He would simply jolt awake, beads of sweat forming on his brow—like tiny droplets of fear and regret lingering on his skin.

“Hey Levi, are you okay? Did you have another bad dream?” Hange squinted at him from the other corner of the small room. His startled yell must have woken her up, he thought. She was clearly half-asleep, eyes ridden with exhaustion, hints of drool hugging the corner of her mouth, glasses balanced crookedly on the tip of her nose.

“It’s okay, Hange. Go back to sleep,” Levi said quietly.

“Alrighty,” Hange yawned. She laid back down next to Moblit who was cuddled up next to her, and soon the sound of her snores filled the room again. Levi quietly crawled towards Hange, carefully slid her glasses off of her face, and set them down beside her. He then slipped out from the room and stepped outside of the little hut.

Hange was kind enough to let him share a room with her and Moblit for the last 5 days, as there wasn’t a spare room in their refuge in the trees. Levi still could not believe that he was actually up here, sleeping in a literal treehouse for the past few nights, at least 70 feet above the ground.

He continued along the narrow path outside the hut and peered over the edge of the rails. Looking down at the countless sets of branches and leaves under him, his eyes glimmered in awe over how the Scouts managed to figure out how to live here. He looked ahead, his gaze following the extensive sets of rope bridges connecting huts from tree to tree, each holding either one of the Scout’s quarters, or acting as storage space for food, weapons, supplies, medications, and other materials they needed for their activities. They had animal traps and pulley systems stretching throughout many areas of the vast forest.

Levi limped across the nearest bridge towards a ladder leading up to a looking post that extended above the trees. His leg wasn’t fully healed yet, but he managed to make his way up the ladder, albeit slowly.

The view was simply breathtaking from up there, dawn hurling shades of lilac and orange over the edge of the horizon. Levi closed his eyes as the cool morning breeze gently pushed strands of hair out of his face, and with that, memories of his mother spilled into his thoughts.

On the night before she died, he remembered her hands softly pushing his hair back and tucking it around his ears, her lips planting a small kiss on his forehead. “Levi, someday you might find yourself having to making difficult choices and I won’t be there by your side to help you. The fire nation is not the peaceful land it used to be. So, being born into this world with firepower at your fingertips at this day in age might be a burden to carry, but don’t forget that the most powerful thing about you, Levi, is right here.” She gently placed her finger on his chest, right over his heart. She smiled warmly and took his hand, dropping her good luck charm in his palm. She closed his fingers around it.

Levi opened his eyes and looked down at the charm in his hand, a small metal keychain embossed with the fire nation emblem, and gripped it tightly in his fist. He wondered why these memories decided to flood his mind—why now?

Suddenly, he felt something hit his head. He watched a small pinecone drop and roll away in front of him. He spun around to find Moblit peeping his head through the small opening in the floor. “Tch,” Levi sputtered. He tossed the pinecone back at Moblit, bonking him on the head. Moblit giggled, and climbed up into the deck, a small satchel hung around his arm. He dumped its contents onto the floor. He slid half the food towards Levi, as well as a small jar of ointment. “You forgot to put this on your leg before you came up here,” Moblit said shyly. Levi nodded silently, and started applying it onto his skin, inhaling sharply at the slight burning sensation. Moblit quietly munched on an apple while carefully observing Levi.

After he was finished tending to his leg, he reached for his sandwich, and right before he could take a bite, he was interrupted with a question.

“Why did you come here?”

He looked up at Moblit, whose head was cocked questioningly to the side.

“To get away from your sister’s loud ass snoring,” Levi sighed. Moblit laughed, “No no, why did you come here that night? To this forest?”

Levi chose his words carefully. “I was running away from home.” “Well those burns, did you escape from…” Moblit lowered his voice to a whisper, “…firebenders?”

“…Yes. And that’s enough questions for now,” Levi said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. He was just like his older sister, asking way too many questions, but least he was much more polite about it than Hange. He exercised patience when it came to Moblit because other than Hange, he was the only Scout who at least started to warm up to him over the past few days.

“Hm, okay,” Moblit pouted. “Thanks for answering my questions. You’re pretty nice, yknow?”

Levi scoffed. “What makes you think that?”

“Hmmm well…” Moblit put his apple down and hugged his knees to his chest. “You don’t say anything when Erwin or Mike are rude towards you. And you try to help my sister carry her supplies even though it’s hard to keep up with her with your leg like that. Oh! And I notice you trying to wipe down dusty surfaces, which frankly is kinda weird…”

“Clearly, none of you can manage to keep things clean,” Levi retorted softly.

Moblit laughed. “You’re not wrong.” He then looked down and said bashfully, “And you take off Hange’s glasses when she falls asleep with them on. I think that’s nice.”

Levi blushed—embarrassed, he quickly turned to look out over the trees away from Moblit. This kid was quite observant, Levi thought. Which meant that he should continue to be careful with his words and actions—he couldn’t let him figure out who he really was, because who knows what Erwin, Mike, and Nanaba might do to him. They weren’t benders, but outnumbering him with their level of skill could be problematic, and he wasn’t sure if Hange or Moblit would defend him if they discovered his secret.

If anything, Levi was thankful that Moblit developed a small liking towards him. He thought that Hange probably convinced Moblit to be nicer to him, but it seems he came to this decision all on his own. With that in mind, Levi figured this might be his chance to inquire more about the Scouts.

“Hey Moblit, can I ask you something?” Moblit looked into Levi’s eyes with an intense curiosity. “Why are you all so opposed for me to possibly join your group?”

“Because Erwin doesn’t like you!” He exclaimed matter-of-factly. Levi was caught aback—kids really are just brutally honest sometimes, he thought. “Why?”

“Well, I’m not completely sure, we don’t really talk too much, just the two of us. Buuuut my guess is that they don’t trust you because that’s sort of their default? We’ve had some potential members join our squad in the past and they ended up betraying us.” Sadness fell over his face. “We almost lost Nanaba that one time…“

“Hey you two!” Unintentionally interrupting their conversation, Hange jumped up onto the deck with a goofy smile spread across her face. “I’ve been looking all over for you both! Moblit—Nana wanted you to help her set up the animal traps.”

“Okay, Hange!” He stood up quickly, grabbed his satchel, and hurried towards the ladder. He looked back at Levi and gave him a small wave before heading down to help Nanaba.

Hange bent down to check on Levi’s leg, inspecting the burn wounds. “They’re healing quite nicely, Levi! Hey, if you’re up for it, would you like to come assist me with tending to the wounded in a nearby village?” Hange leaned a bit closer to Levi in excitement. “We just received word of it, and I just know I have some healing salves I’ve been working on that would be of great help!” She looked up towards the sky with a warm smile on her face, her eyes aflame with determination and excitement. The sunrise shrouded the outline of her frame with a warm glow, while her fiery passion to help anyone in need burned brightly inside of her. She was simply a ball of sunshine, radiating light inside and out, and he was utterly mesmerized. Levi had lost his sense of determination since his mother died, and didn’t have much driving him forward or really any goals in his mind to to pursue, other than wanting to defy his uncle, or General Zeke. He felt he had no purpose, but here was this woman, a force of nature living with all the purpose in the world. He was simply entranced by all of her. He’s known her for less than a week and there have been multiple moments like this one, and where he simply could not look away. However, Levi felt that there was something more about her that he felt drawn towards, but he just couldn’t put a finger on it.

“Levi? Hellooooo!” She waved her hand in from of his face with no reaction. “Levi? …HEY SHORTY!” She yelled into his face. Levi finally looked up and locked eyes with hers. He was completely lost in his thoughts, but he was now suddenly aware of how close she was to him, peering into his eyes. Startled, Levi broke out of his trance and he shifted, his knee accidentally bumping into Hange’s back, causing her to yelp out in surprise and topple over right on top of him.

For a fleeting moment, they laid in each others arms, both of them suddenly feeling oddly comfortable being so close to each other. Quickly, the moment fizzled and Hange nervously scrambled to stand up. Levi blushed as he swiftly scooted himself from underneath her.

“Levi, I’m so sorry, is your leg okay??” Hange asked with worry written all over her face. He waved her off, and stood up.

“Yes, don’t worry, it’s okay. And to answer your question, I’ll come with you to help.”

“Oh Levi, thank you!” she smiled brightly. “It’s a large village just northeast of here! There were many casualties among the people there, so a lot of injured people to look after!’

Levi froze.

...What?

Flashbacks of the night he escaped flooded his mind. “…You said a village n-northeast of here?”

“Yes!” Hange exclaimed. “They were attacked by fire nation soldiers just a few days ago, sadly enough.”

Levi broke a sweat, panic quickly taking over his mind. He desperately thought of a way to avoid going back to that village. Why of all places did it have to be that village? He did not need to be reminded of how he sustained his current injuries, but more importantly, he did not want to risk someone recognizing him from that night and blow his cover.

“Oh, actually... maybe I shouldn’t go. I might be a burden to you with my injury and all…”

“Nonsense! You’ll be a great help, Levi. Our intel shows that the fire nation troops that were there are long gone for now and don’t show any hint of movement currently, so we’ll be safe! Plus, you might be able to meet some earthbender friends of mine—I believe one or two may have been in the village during the incident, so they should be there!” She grabbed Levi by the hand and they started towards the ladder.

He considered standing firm in his opposition, but he weighed the pros and cons, concluding that his denial might make the Scouts suspicious. Levi gulped—he did not like where this was going.

———————————

They mounted the backs of two ostrich-horses, and made their way out of the forest towards the village, the early morning sun lighting their path.

After about an hour of Hange babbling on about her ideas on new animal trap designs, the two shared a few moments of peace and quiet, other than the soft sounds of the ostrich-horses feet sliding against the dirt as they continued forward.

“I didn’t realize the Scouts did more than infiltrate fire nation activity,” Levi said, breaking the silence.

“Well yes, we do all sorts of things! I mean that’s primarily what we do, but I mean, there’s so much more things for us to do to help around here,” Hange said excitedly. “Whether that’s bringing food surplus, or aiding to wounded and sick, we try to aid the Earth Kingdom civilians. They’re all really good people, yknow? They don’t deserve this.”

“Well, even if you take part in ways to help like this, what do you hope to do about the fire nation ultimately? Do you have a plan? And…do you think the world could ever change back to how it used to be?” Levi asked.

Levi wondered—was there a way the Scouts thought they could defeat fire nation troops? Because Levi knew it would be impossible to win. At this point, all seemed hopeless, and the Firelord will continue to make moves to take over this world and hurt all these innocent people. He may have made the hard decision to leave his nation behind, but beyond that, figuring out his next move almost felt pointless. How was Hange so optimistic and filled with purpose? Levi desperately needed to hear her answer.

“Wow, Levi,” she teasingly punched his shoulder. “Why are you so talkative all of a sudden? Have you finally decided to break your gloomy silence?”

“Just answer the question, four-eyes,” Levi huffed.

“Aw okay,” Hange pouted. “Well…” Her expression changed ever so slightly, into one of seriousness, hints of sadness in her eyes. “There is no plan.”

“What do you mean there’s no plan? I thought the infamous Scouts would have some kind of plan to overthrow the northern fire nation troops. I mean, I’ve heard you’ve all infiltrated and ruined their raids plenty of times.”

“You’re right, Levi. But in the end, defeating the fire nation is not our role.”

“What do you mean?” “I mean, that it’s the Avatar’s job to do that, silly!” She said matter-of-factly.

“What, you believe in that crap? It’s been almost 100 years since the Avatar went missing.”

“There are rumors that he will come back someday to restore the peace that used to be, but anyway…” She balled her right hand into a fist and softly tapped Levi’s chest with it. “You can believe what you want to believe, Levi! But in the end, we’re just simply a side-story to something bigger. But just because we’re a side role, doesn’t mean we aren’t significant!” Levi looked down at Hange’s hand, and he remembered his mother’s words, her finger lying over his heart. Hange grinned at him, “As Scouts, we decided that our role is to protect those within our reach. And maybe once you’re all healed up, I really hope you decide to join us.”

———————————

They arrived at the entrance way to the village, Hange and Levi staring at the burned ruins and destruction of half the buildings there. Tents were set up all around tending to wounded, and several people were walking around carrying food and supplies. He felt sick to his stomach seeing all the damage done—he felt nothing but shame.

“Hange!” A young, brown haired girl ran up to give Hange a hug. “It’s so good to see you Sasha,” Hange said softly, and pulled her into her embrace. Levi felt the strength of their bond from where he stood, those feelings of strength and solidarity which each other after years of fighting against the shit that his own comrades plagued these lands with. He tried to push his sadness to the deep recesses of his heart, and continued to stayy vigilant.

As Sasha explained to Hange how the wounded were divided up amongst the tents, Levi looked around in worry. He tried to avert his eyes from anyone else’s gaze, lessening the chance anyone could recognize him. There’s was too much chaos that night, and it’s not like he would have known who was there, but there was a higher chance that someone recognized who he was.

“Levi!” He looked up towards Hange. “Come on, I think I’ll have you join one of our trusted comrades to help hand out our sets of bandages we brought.” The three of them walked into the nearest tent.

“Hey, Jean!” Hange said brightly. They walked towards the tall, messy-haired boy. She firmly placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed tightly. “How’s the rebuilding efforts going?”

“Slow, but sure. Mikasa, Eren, Armin, and Connie went on to the next village over to help, but Sasha and I have been working pretty hard here.”

“Great, I’m so proud of you both.” She turned to Levi, “Jean is one of the earthbenders along with Sasha that work with us closely, and use their bending to help construct and rebuild where they to speed up construction for shelter to house all of the surviving civilians who lost their homes. But Jean here is gonna take a break, and help you hand out supplies! Go say hi!” She cheerfully pushed Levi in front of her and towards Jean, while she turned back to Sasha to continue discussing their plans.

Levi crossed his arms, and looked up towards Jean, who stared back at him, his eyes wide, shock written all over his face. And his shock slowly faded into fear. The two stared at each other, paralyzed. After a moment, Levi came to his senses—he couldn’t let Hange and Sasha see Jean’s reaction to their meeting. He took Jean’s shoulder and turned him to face the other way. “Hange, I think Jean and I will start heading towards the other tents,” Levi said quietly.

“Okay!” She squeezed Levi’s hand. “Meet you back here in an hour, alright?”

“Alright,” Levi said quickly. He swept Jean away and swiftly made their way out of the tent. They continued behind the remains of a destroyed building around the corner, away from all the people walking around.

Levi grabbed Jean’s shirt and shoved him back against the rough, brick wall. “Don’t. Say. Anything.” He tightened his hold on Jean’s collar.

“Not to anyone here, not to anyone who was with you that night, and especially not to Hange.”

Jean was amazed at Levi’s strength, but quickly came to his senses and tried to wriggle himself free. “I won’t, I won’t! Please just let me go,” he pleaded. Levi stared at Jean intensely, and then loosened his grip, letting Jean slide down to the floor. Thinking fast, Jean, hit the ground with his heel, causing the rocky earth to jut forward, encasing Levi’s feet under the dirt, subduing him. Levi lost his balance and fell forward onto his knees. He pushed a flame from his right palm in his frustration, but as he saw Jean’s frightened eyes reflect the fire in his hand, he emembered that he was one of the benders he decided to defend that night. Levi put out the flame and sighed, closing his eyes and looking away.

Jean looked at Levi curiously. “So, I take it that your change of heart that night wasn’t just a fluke?”

Levi didn’t answer, and continued to avoid Jean’s gaze. After a few moments of silence, Jean slid his foot across the ground, and the rock around Levi’s feet smoothly disintegrated back down into the rough soil under him.

Levi finally looked up and locked eyes with Jean. “Just… just don’t tell Hange. Or any of the Scouts. Please.” Underneath Levi’s scowl, Jean noticed a small hint of softness in his eyes. Even though his head screamed in defiance and told him not to trust the young man in front of him, Jean knew that his gut feelings and judgment was almost always right—so he decided to follow those feelings instead.

“Don’t worry, Levi. And… your decision to turn on Kenny, did save us that night. So I do owe you my life.” He relaxed a bit, letting his guard down, and leaned against the wall behind him. “But can I ask, why? Why did you suddenly… decide to side with us?”

“I am not siding with you,” Levi muttered. “I’m not siding with anyone. I did what I did because I chose to, on my own accord.”

Levi knew exactly what triggered him to finally stop passively carrying out missions for the fire nation, blindly following whatever propaganda they spewed out to him his whole life, but he didn’t think it was important to share that information with anyone. It was in the past, and he simply had to live with everything he did prior. But what he did feel compelled to share with Jean was what he intended to do with his life from now on—Levi wanted to be honest with someone for once in his life. On top of that, he wanted to gain Hange, Moblit, and the rest of the Scouts’ trust. For the first time, he felt that he might have a shot at finding purpose in his life if he followed them.

And he hated to admit it, but he felt drawn towards the four-eyed weirdo. He might have been surrounded by fire and flame his entire life, but he’s only ever felt cold for a long time. But when she babbled on about her stupid shit around him, he strangely felt... warm.

“My choice... is to work with Hange, and the rest of the Scouts. But in order to do that, I need you to do something for me.”

Levi reached his hand out towards Jean.

Jean looked at the intense determination in Levi’s eyes, and hoped with all of his heart that helping Levi wouldn’t be a mistake.

They shook hands, confirming their pact.

———————————

Night fell upon the forest, and Levi climbed up once again onto the deck of the Scout’s looking post, staring out at the vast evening sky, the leaves shrouded in the glow of the moon, like a glimmering sea stretched out in front of him. He sat in his thoughts leaving his food beside him, untouched. He wasn’t sure if Jean pulled through successfully, and his fate rested on whether or not they believed him. He couldn’t stand thinking about leaving Hange and Moblit behind, let alone them turning on him if Jean broke his promise. Because then, he’d be truly alone and wouldn’t really know what to make of himself anymore.

A rustling of leaves broke his train of thought.

Without turning around, Levi spoke. “Hey Moblit, if you wanted some more food, you could have some of mine. I’m not really hun—“

Erwin cleared his throat. Levi quickly recognized that this definitely wasn’t Moblit and spun around. He craned his neck up to look towards Erwin standing directly behind him, his intense, blue eyes fixated on the view.

“Levi, what do you plan on doing once Hange is finished tending to your injury?”

Levi scowled and looked away, unwilling to answer Erwin.

“I figured you wouldn’t respond to that kind of question, coming from me.”

Suddenly, Levi felt Erwin’s hand on his shoulder and found himself being shoved down onto the floorboards. Erwin laid his foot on Levi’s chest, and pointed his hooked sword at Levi’s face.

“Hange tells me that Jean spoke very highly of you. Did you convince him to say that?”

Levi glared back at Erwin and spoke unphased by the physical threat.

“No. We worked together once about a year ago,” Levi lied.

Erwin knew this information checked out according to what Hange told him, but kept his stance. “Jean is a trusted comrade of ours, but although this has convinced the rest of our team, I’m not thoroughly convinced. You’re gonna have to prove that to me over time, after you’ve spent at least a few months with us as a Scout.”

…As a Scout? Levi wouldn’t ever consider him feeling “joy” even in his happiest moments, but this was probably the closest he’s ever been to that sort of overwhelming emotion. However, he maintained his calm demeanor. No need to let Erwin see him break.

“Before you officially join us, I need you to understand this. The Scouts have my utmost respect and loyalty. But Hange has been by my side since we were kids. She has always been like a little sister to me.” Levi continued to match the intensity of Erwin’s stare, and showed no sign of backing down.

“You two seem to work together very well, and we’ll confirm this when we start training you up to par with how we fight…” Levi internally scoffed—he was only a respected fighter for his age among high fire nation ranks. “…but I only have a gut feeling that you both will be paired on missions together often, based on the synergy of your complementary energies.”

Levi wasn’t surprised that all the Scouts were ridiculously observant people, but Erwin was considerably more calculating.

“And I don’t know why, but she seems to put a lot of faith in you. So Levi, if anything were to happen to Hange on your watch or if you hurt her in any way…”

Erwin pushed his sword against Levi’s neck.

“Levi, promise me that you’ll protect Hange always, at all costs.”

Levi pushed Erwin’s sword out of the way gently, balled his right hand into a fist and laid it over his heart. He thought of Hange’s goofy smile and the beautiful fire present in her eyes when she looked at him.

“I will protect her with my life.”

[pumpkinpatchkid]

Got Your Back - 001

Pairing: Atsushi x F!Reader Soulmates

Rating: 18+ (eventually)

Warnings: Reckless behaviour, toxic thoughts, parental abuse, clothes being destroyed (no nudity), cursing, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYTHING ELSE NEEDS TO BE PUT IN THE WARNINGS <3

Soul mates. The one person that always had your back, literally and figuratively. When you’re born, there’s a permanent mark on your back that represents the person you’re destined to spend the rest of your life with. If one was a gifted, like yourself, there was an almost one hundred percent possibility you were paired up with another. Those who didn’t possess supernatural abilities had the thing that their soulmate treasured the most on their back. From birth, the large white tiger was prominent against your skin, and it grew with you, your whole life. At 18, it had covered the entirety of your back, yet the person it represented still hadn’t entered your life.

When? When will I meet them? You sighed as you examined the large feline in the mirror. Another morning, another search for a job to keep you going. It had been 3 weeks since you’d run from your parents and ended up in Yokohama. 3 weeks was all it took for the money you had run with to dwindle as you paid for a rundown little shack to keep yourself alive.

You tore yourself away from your reflection and began to rummage through your small duffel bag of clothes, hoping you still had some job-searching appropriate attire. At the bottom of the bag, you pulled out a neatly folded white shirt and your nicest black jeans, throwing them on after picking your freshly washed “lucky underwear set” from the line.

You ran your fingers through your hair, and pulled on your battered boots, making do before grabbing your key and half charged phone off the side, leaving the shack quietly and locking the door behind you.

You made your way down the trail that led into Yokohama’s smaller side of town and started your search for job openings in every window you passed. You weren’t entirely sure how much time had passed on your search, but your hopes began to fade.

Looks like another loss.

As you gazed into the buildings, you found yourself losing touch with reality, which you were brought back to as you walked straight into somebody.

“I’m so sorry” You instinctively said, looking at the floor as if ready for your punishment. The person you ran into began to laugh. You looked up to find a tall, beautiful brunette, with bandages poking out from under his shirt. He offered you a hand.

“No, I’m the one to apologize, pretty thing. Name’s Dazai Osamu.” You nodded and took his hand, where he began examining yours.

“Y/N L/N.” You watched this Dazai man carefully, as he investigated your palm, knuckles, fingers and wrist. He hummed and dropped your hand, seemingly satisfied.

“Is... everything okay, Dazai-san?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. He nodded, and a charming, yet mischievous grin spread across his face.

“So, L/N-chan. I’ll help you with whatever you’re looking for, and then you have to strangle me.” He beamed, as if proud of the proposal he just gave you. Your jaw slacked and you looked at him as if he’d grown 3 heads.

“S-Strangle you??” You sputtered out. Dazai nodded with a newfound enthusiasm and threw his hands into the air.

“To death!” He sang. Your face paled as you watched him. Then you began to laugh.

This man has well and truly lost his mind. You shrugged, re-composing yourself and hummed.

“I suppose I could humour you, Dazai-san. Say you could find me a job? If you can help me do that then we’ll figure out where to go from there.” You laughed as Dazai punched the air victoriously, eyes brimming with tears.

What a weirdo... You rolled your eyes when he turned his back to you and raised your eyebrow once again as he started to walk off into the now expanding crowd.

“I hear there’s lots of jobs going on the other side of here. Why don’t I accompany you?” He grinned, gesturing for you to follow his lead. You smiled at the eccentric man ahead of you and began to take your stride next to him. The walk was pleasant and filled with chatter. Dazai had guessed that you hadn’t been in Yokahoma long. He’d said you’d looked a little lost and claimed that’s why he “flew in to help like your knight in shining armour”. You couldn’t help but find yourself laughing at the man, his company was light-hearted, and his little quips undeniably made you smile. In all, he was quite sweet.

And not bad on the eye either... Maybe my soulmate got mixed up? He doesn’t look like someone to possess a tiger to me.

You were about to reply with something Dazai had said, before stopping in your tracks. You inhaled and the smell of smoke was thick in your nostrils. You spun to the direction the smell was strongest to see nasty black plumes of smoke dominating the otherwise blue sky. Without thinking you bolted to the scene of the fire, guided by your sense of smell, and the black towers above you.

When you reached the scene an apartment complex was ablaze, from the second story to maybe the fifth. Flames licked the outside world from where windows used to be, and a heavy congregation of people crowded the area. You pushed through them, eyes scanning for the victims. Ambulances and fire fighters were already at the scene, tending to the people pulled from the building.

Your heart began to lift, until you saw a woman on her knees, sobbing and crying out as she was being restrained in the arms of a fire fighter.

“My children! They’re in there!! Please, please! Get them out of there! My babies!” She was screaming at the man holding her back. You couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying to her as you’d already jumped, using the frames of the shattered windows to pull yourself to the third floor.

You burst in through the opening and were blanketed in darkness.

“Hot Blood, Eye of the Winged Serpent...” You muttered under your breath. A sudden flash stunned your world momentarily before reds and oranges, flecked with golds cleared your vision.

Much better.

With no sign of life in the room you entered, you began barging through the rooms of the floor, searching for the victims before moving onto the next, flames licking at your skin and scorching your clothes; it was a warmth you welcomed. As you rose your foot to kick down the next, your ears perked up as you could hear crying and begging come from across the hall. You spun and smiled, satisfied, as the door broke from its hinges giving you perfect access to the flame encased room. There, your eyes locked on to two white hot bodies, small and quivering in the middle of the room.

“Hey! Hey, it’s alright, I’m here to help.” You spoke above the crackling of the fire, approaching the two children with caution. A little boy, blackened from the smoke, eyes streaming, and clothes burned from his body, was cowering next to a little girl, laid under a large piece of furniture. She was sobbing for help.

“Please get my sister out! Help us please!” The little boy cried, coughing harshly. He used his body to protect the smaller girl beside him as a large flame lashed out at the three of you. You jumped between the children and the fire, shielding them both.

“It’s alright. We’ll get your sister out, Kiddo. And you two. You’ll both be alright, okay? Now try and calm your breathing. We can’t have you taking in any more smoke, can we?” You smiled softly at him.

As you turned to the little girl, you noticed some of her hair had been burned off, and the furniture had pinned her legs. You grabbed the corner of the large... bookshelf? it looked like, but you weren’t stopping to take a better look. You hoisted the object from off her, and the little boy dragged her into him. She let out a sob and clung to her brother. You scanned her over quickly, to find two broken legs.

Shit. This isn’t going to be easy.

“Alright buddy, I’m going to carry your sister, so I need you to hop on my back, alright? I’m gonna get you out of here.” You crouched in front of the pair, cradling the little girl in your arms, as her brother clambered onto your back.

“Ready? Hold tight.” You spoke to the pair, before taking off down the hall, staying low, and made your way back to the room you’d burst into. You clambered out of the hole in the wall and stood on the small ledge attached to the outside of the building, tightening your grip on the little one in your arms. You pulled the little boy by his arm to your front and held him close.

“We’re gonna jump, okay? Whatever you do, do not let go of me.” The pair nodded, heeding your instructions, before you let go. You heard the crowd below you scream, and your back hit the concrete below you, forcing yourself into a roll as your arms shielded the youngsters against your chest.

As you stopped rolling, you lay flat on your back, only meters away from the sobbing mother. She screamed when she saw her children and ran to them. She scooped them up, and thanked you through choked cries, cradling her babies. You nodded before hoisting your body from the floor. You made a quick exit, slipping through the large audience and made your way onto the next street, slumping against the wall. You looked down at your charred clothes, large patches of material missing and burnt to a crisp.

Least my underwear’s intact. Knew this set was lucky.

You chuckled to yourself and pushed yourself from the wall and stretched. As you were about to make an exit, calling it quits for one day, a familiar figure blocked your path. Dazai was stood there.

He must’ve followed me. Crap.

Two figures shifted to stand beside Dazai. One was a tell young man, with glasses and long blonde hair in a ponytail. He was adorned in a suit and in his left hand was a notebook. He stood silently and pushed his glasses up his nose with his free hand. The other was an older man. His long silver hair covered his shoulders, and you couldn’t take your eyes away from his kind, grey ones. Dazai was beaming. The older gentleman stepped forwards and was the only one to speak to you.

“I think you should come with us.”

[thedemisedroyal]

Dangerous Betrayal | TVD/TO

The Vampire Diaries & The Originals

AU Story

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 | 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓

𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁!

In alone scenes, scenes with other celestial beings, or when it revolves around her past memories, she will be referred to as Jordan, but when she is with the cast of TVD/TO she is referred to as Esme. Just a heads up to any confused people.

- a u t h o r

• E S M E •

"You are a disgrace to the Tesni name! You do not belong here anymore. You are here by banished from the Void! You will be taken to Heaven til further notice." Her mother's voice boomed through the giant throne room, the princess felt her heart drop, more tears flooding her eyes, soon following down her face.

She shook her head furiously,"Please mother! Please!" She begged and pleaded but they fell on deaf ears. The princess eyes widened as her father walked towards her with The First Blade in hand. Her father had a furious and disgusted look on his face as he grabbed his youngest child's hair and pulled her out to her feet.

"Father please, I beg of you!" She whispered, her voice trembling with fear, but he didn't answer. He only struck the blade through his daughters chest, she gasped, her eyes flashing a pure golden-yellow, shining within the light, but soon it was consumed by a fiery orange.

Her silver hair was pushed back as the sky door beneath her opened, revealing a pure black portal, which was glistening. It was a portal that lead anyone to the new place named Heaven. "Please." She muttered one last time before her father pulled out the blade that was sticking out of her chest, and pushed her into the portal. As she fell the princess reach out for her father, who simply walked away from the sight.

Soon the doors closed, revealing the sky doors to be in a shape of a dragon, their family sigil.

Jordan gasped as she rose from the bed abruptly, putting a hand on her chest, breathing heavily as past memories flashed in her mind. She turned her head to face her clock, it read 4:38 AM, it was insanely early, the sun wasn't even out yet.

Jordan laid back down, her heart slowly calming down as she closed her eyes and took deep breaths. "God, I hate this." She whispered, living these types of life's sucked, and the goddess just wanted it to stop already. For the billionth time, probably more but Jordan has lost count, she was reborn at the mere age of five minutes in the life of Esme Gilbert. For the past ten years she has lived as the Gilbert girl, feeling all the pain, all the sadness, every bit of it.

The goddess looked at the clock once more, sighing loudly as she had to go to school for the hundredth time. She despised it, but the princess herself tried to keep telling herself that maybe this life might have some pizzazz to it, and not just a normal, mundane life she had lived too many times.

And just like that, the goddess closed her eyes and forced herself back to sleep, trying not to think of her vicious cycle, now frowning at the thought of the first day of high school.

***

Jordan groaned loudly as the annoying beeping from her alarm clock filled her room. Jordan roughly hit the top of her clock, stopping the beeping, but the Gilbert was wide awake, with a pillow over her head, her tangled brown hair spread all over the bed. "Dammit." She muttered, though it was quite muffled as she was faced down.

The wavy brown haired girl pushed the pillow off of her head and threw the blanket off her body. Getting up while rubbing her eyes to try and wipe the sleep off. She yawned loudly, stretching as she stood up from her bed, the cold floor sending electric waves to her feet that kind of woke her up.

"I hate life." Jordan pronounced to a empty room, grabbing her healthcare supplies and making way to the bathroom to start the horrid day.

***

Jordan looked at herself in the full body mirror she had in her room, trying to find any imperfection. She looked good in the outfit Esme's, well her, best friend Caroline Forbes, had picked for her about a week ago. Jordan slightly smile as she topped it off with her rose gold, moonstone ring that was a friendship ring, which Caroline also had. And a silver crescent moon necklace with a blood moon pendant to the side of it, which she got during her fourteenth birthday

Jordan smiled, quickly fixing her bed, picking up her room, tidying it up as she didn't want to do it later in the day when she is tired and extremely lazy. "Okay, let's do this." She spoke to herself, grabbing her satchel and heading downstairs with the rest of her family.

***

"Toast. I can make toast." Esme's Aunt Jenna spoke to Elena in the kitchen, opening one of the top cabinets, looking over her shoulder to look at Elena, who was pouring herself a cup of coffee. "It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna." Elena nonchalantly spoke as she poured her coffee, not looking back.

"Is there coffee?" Jeremy and Esme both asked in unison, walking to the kitchen. The younger daughter separated from her little brother, walking towards the cupboard with the coffee mugs, pulling two of them, for Elena and her, knowing Jeremy would take Elena's.

Elena scoffed quietly as Jeremy took her mug, Turing around to grab another one when she was met with Esme already holding one, smiling. Elena sent one back, taking the mug and pouring herself, then one for her sister. "Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared." Jenna spoke frantically, going to her back to grab her wallet. She pulled out three twenties, walking towards the trio, holding out her hands,"Lunch money?" She questioned, Elena and Esme shook their head,"I'm good." Esme spoke first,"Same." Elena followed, though Jeremy gladly took one of the twenties.

"Anything else? A number two pencil? What am I missing?" The aunt asked herself and the kids, putting the remaining twenties back into her wallet. Esme furrowed her brows, tilting her head a bit, "Don't you have a big presentation today?" The youngest daughter asked, sipping her semi-hot coffee. Jenna sighed, looking at her watch"I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at...now. Crap!" Jenna exclaimed, taking her hair out of the flimsy bun.

Elena spoke up,"Then go. We'll be fine." She reassured, Jenna sent a quick smile and quickly walked away, leaving the three alone. Elena and Esme looked at each other, both communicating with their eyes alone. The youngest twin nudged her head forward, taking a quick glance at their brother, Elena nodded, turning to Jeremy. "You okay?" Elena asked, Jeremy rolled his eyes at his two older sisters,"Don't start." Scoffing as he walked away with his coffee in hand.

Elena looked down,"Don't worry Le, he'll come around soon." Esme sent a small smile towards her sister, who gave a sad one back. The two talked before they all had to leave for school. Elena was going with Bonnie while Esme walked to the park to wait for her best friend, as she was strictly instructed to do so. And she knew Caroline, she wouldn't let her live this down if Esme is late.

***

"Are you sure you're okay?" Caroline questioned her childhood best friend for the hundredth time, Esme giggled and nodded her head. "Yes care-bear, I'm completely fine, you don't have to worry, I've got you." Esme playfully told, the two shared a laugh and continued to walk through the crowded high school hallway.

The two had locked arms, unknowingly walking towards Elena and Bonnie by the lockers, Caroline separated from the youngest daughter of the Gilbert's and to the oldest Gilbert daughter. "Elena. Oh, my god. How are you?" Caroline took the eldest Gilbert into a hug, pulling back swiftly, coming face to face,"Oh, it's so good to see you." She spoke in a calming voice.

The blonde turned to the Bennet,"How is she? Is she good?" Asking her, Elena furrowed her brow a bit,"Caroline," The blonde looked back to the brunette,"I'm right here. And I'm fine. Thank you." Elena reassured her other best friend, nodding her head with a fake smile plastered. "Really?" Caroline asked once more, making Esme shake her head.

"I've been trying to reassure her but she won't listen." Esme finally made her way to the three, "Hey squeakers." Bonnie teasingly said, Esme rolled her eyes playfully,"Hi to you too, branch." Bonnie playfully glared, but she broke into a smile, bringing the younger twin into a hug. The two were also close, well, then again, all four of them were.

Caroline smiled at Elena, bringing her into one last hug, "Oh you poor thing." The Forbes softly spoke, pulling back from the hug quickly, as the first bell would soon ring and she wanted the best seats for her and Esme. "See you guys later? Lunch?" Caroline asked, Bonnie and Elena nodded, a genuine smile on their faces from their bubbly friend,"Yes!" Bonnie exclaimed happily, Elena nodding.

"Okay bye! Come on Esme, we need the best seats!" Caroline dramatically explained, locking arms with her and dragging her along. Esme laughed, waving to her sister and other best friend, they waved back,"See you at lunch!" Bonnie and Elena agreed, quickly saying goodbye.

***

"I was thinking we should head to the grill for a girls night." Caroline spoke as she reapplied her lipstick, she and Esme were by her lockers for a quick book pickup and fixation of her appearance. Esme nodded,"Sure, if you want. Though I might have to ask Jenna." The brunette talked to the blonde, looking towards to see she wasn't listening at all. But her eyes were glued to a person, a boy, who Esme never recognized before.

Jordan's eyes flashed a scarlet red for half a mili-second, a voice in the back of her head speaking in a hush whisper, "Vampire". Jordan felt her heart race, what the hell was that? The goddess doesn't have powers, they were stripped away when she was turned into this dimension. But the woman didn't think about for to long, as she knew exactly who this was, Stefan Salvatore, just like in the file she had gotten when the goddess switched into this dimension. He matched the description it put, dirty blonde hair, dark green eyes, supposed to show up on the first day back.

The goddess didn't know his purpose nor his life story, just his name, his hair and eyes, and that he had a brother named Damon Salvatore, she wasn't given a lot information about the man, which was odd in her case. She would have kept on thinking if it wasn't for that damn bell, "Come on Care, let's get to class!" Esme spoke with a big smile, locking arms with the blonde who was in a slight trance. Caroline snapped out of it, nodding frantically,"Yeah, come on." Soon the two made their way to the first class...math.

***

Elena laughed as Esme fell down to the ground, right on her butt. The younger twin glared at the older twin,"I hate you." She muttered, Elena rolled her eyes, shaking her head,"No you don't Me, no you don't." Elena repeated playfully, sending a sarcastic smirk her way.

(Me is pronounced May, that's Elenas nickname for Esme, she's the only one that calls her that. And Esme calls Elena Le, pronounced Lay, sorry for any confusion."

The eldest son got up from her sister bed, walking towards her mirror to check her face, making sure she didn't rub any makeup of hers. Elena smile as she looked behind her in the mirror, seeing her little sister wiping her butt, already off the floor. "Thanks for the help Le." Elena turned around to see a scowling Esme, "You are very welcome, my dear little sister!" Elena laughed more, but squealed as Esme started to chase her around the room, though Esme already had a plan.

She waited until Elena was near the door, then kicking her history book she hadn't put away yet, making it slide through the floor and right next to Elenas feet, who hadn't even noticed the large book as she was looking behind her. Due to the lack of sight, Elena fell harshly, on her side. Making Esme laugh out loud,"You are very welcome, my dear big sister!" Esme exclaimed, holding her stomach as she fell to the floor, laughing. Elena groaned as she pushed herself up,"Oh my god, that was priceless!" Esme giggled, standing up.

"C-Come on Le, w-we g-gotta go already." Esme stuttered, trying to contain her laughter, Elena glared as she stood up as well,"Imma get you back for that!" She grumbled, rubbing her shoulder, trying to soothe the slight aching feeling. Esme wiped her eyes that were wet with tears,"Yeah, okay, sure you will."

The two soon composed themselves, leaving the room and heading downstairs, playfully bumping shoulders with each other as they walked down the stairs. The twins had their coats in hand, passing their aunt Jenna with smiles on their faces. "We're meeting Bonnie and Caroline at the grill." They quickly informed the guardian.

"Okay, have fun. Wait," Both brunettes swiftly turned around,"I got this. Don't stay out late, it's a school night." Jenna pronounced with a smile, the twins sent smiles her way. Elena chucked,"Well done, Aunt Jenna." She spoke happily, Esme sent a playfully soldier salute. The aunt parted ways with the twins, a satisfied look upon her face.

As Jenna left, Esme and Elena made way to the front door, ready for their little night out. Elena grabbed the door, unlocking it and opening it, slightly gasping as she was face to face with Stefan. "Sorry, I was about to knock." Stefan spoke in a soft tone. Esme heard the voice and she recognized it. She would have seen him if she wasn't putting on her jacket, she closely listened it before making her presence known.

"I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier. I know it was..strange." Stefan said, his voice was kind of low and rough, sending a smile to her twin. Elena shrugged her shoulders,"I get it, blood makes you squeamish." The two shared a quick and brief laugh. Esme soon lost her train of though whilst listening.

Her mind was thinking,"What did he want with her." He was clearly a vampire, as her power detected pretty easily. There has to be a point to why he was here, and why he had a interest to Elena. And most importantly, was it something bad? Was it good..that's a long shot.. She quickly broke out of thought when she saw her sister walk away, turning her head to see a standing Stefan, looking at the doorframe.

Esme quickly put on her facade, plastering a smile and walking towards the door,"Stefan?" Thank god Caroline talked to him during the fourth and third period, otherwise she would have blown her cover. Stefan furrowed his brows, "Hey Esme, what are you doing here." The vampire questioned,"I live here actually, I see you are acquainted with my sister?" She questioned back, Stefan opened his mouth t speak, but didn't speak for a couple of seconds, thinking thoroughly.

"Talked here and there, came here to give back her journal." Stefan responded with a small smiled, Esme was about to respond but she heard someone walking towards her,"You guys know each other?" Elena asked, putting on her jacket, Esme and Stefan gave each other's quick glance,"Met each other in fourth and third." The youngest Gilbert daughter quickly explained.

Elena smiled,"Caroline?" Esme laughed a bit, nodding her head, muttering a quick 'Yup' in response. Stefan cleared his throat, catching the attention on the twins,"Sorry, were you guys going somewhere?" Elena nodded her head, walking more towards the Salvatore. "Yeah, we're going to meet friends. Do you want to come?" Elena asked, locking eyes with the green eyed boy. Esme slightly smiled, looking at the two. Maybe things might not be so bad..maybe?

[big4girl]

Heyyyy me again! I really loved your last fic so Imma request another, if that's okay! If you're still doing drabbles, could I possibly get a Hiccanna Angel/Demon AU fic with the sentence starter “If you don’t hug me right now I think I might fall apart.”? I'm in the mood for big boi angst lol (also kinda see Hiccup as the demon one here because of the dragon and fire connection, but reversed would be interesting too!)

I think I’ll go for what you suggested since it makes the most sense character-wise! I hope you enjoy!

****

Angels and Demons coexisted as enemies for many millennia. Good versus evil, light versus dark, virtue versus vice, Heaven versus Hell.

And Anna was okay with this. She was old, far older than the human numbers could reach. She thought she had seen it all. But that was before him.

The first time she was sent to Earth was on her first mission as a Guardian Angel. She had been protecting a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes who loved ice skating and playing with her brother.

Anna admired the way the family interacted; laughing, playing, creating. And how they created an orange and yellow light that kept the darkness away.

She listened intently one night when the little girl asked, “Mommy, why do we light the fire?”

The mother tucked her child securely in her bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. “Because there are evil things in this world, things that want to hurt us, and the fire keeps them away.”

Anna’s feathers ruffled at the mention of evil. How could someone even think about hurting people so innocent? Why they had never done anything wrong.

“Like the boogeyman?”

The mother smoothed back her daughter’s hair. “Yes, my love, like the boogeyman. But the fire keeps him away. You have nothing to worry about. And if the fire ever goes out, you have your guardian angel to protect you.”

Anna felt herself glow a little brighter as her ward’s eyes lit up.

“I bet she’s beautiful,” the little girl whispered.

Her mother kissed her on the head and said her goodnight, placing one of the brother’s head as well. How happy they were. How perfect that moment was.

Then that moment ended.

“Be careful,” the mother chided them.

“We will,” the boy replied with a laugh as his sister pulled him towards the frozen lake.

Anna walked carefully along the treeline above them, keeping a watchful eye, but she wasn’t worried. They had done this a hundred times before, what could go wrong?

How she wished she had paid more attention.

The ice cracked under the little girl’s feet, her sobs being drowned out by her brother's reassurances.

Anna couldn’t move, a force was keeping her rooted to the spot and she was furious.

She watched on in anger and fear as the brother coaxed his sister a few steps forward. The ice cracked, the little girl screamed and Anna was suddenly free from her trap.

She flew forward, grabbing the little girl by the armpits and flying her to the other side of the ice where it was thicker.

Anna smiled as the little girl looked around, her eyes finding her brother’s.

It was a blissful moment that was ruined by the deafening sound of cracking ice.

The brother let out a cry of surprise as it gave way under his feet, pulling him into the freezing waters below.

Anna cried out, but she couldn’t save him, couldn’t even touch him. She wasn’t his guardian angel.

“Jack!”

That’s when she saw him.

He was standing on the other side of the pond across from her. He had blood-red eyes and black scales running along his skin. He was frowning and. from a distance, Anna thought he looked angry.

“Hey!” She cried out angrily, leaving her ward’s side for a moment to fly towards the demon.

He disappeared when she reached him. She let out an angry shout before returning to the little girl’s side. Watching her sob as she ran for her parents.

Jack became an angel for his sacrifice.

Anna met him in Heaven. Shook his hand and apologized for not being able to save him. He didn’t hold it against her, just asked for updates on his sister every so often.

Anna would watch over the little girl until she was old and was ready to go.

When she closed her eyes for the final time, Anna was there; her hand out in greeting, ready to take her to Heaven. To her brother.

“I was right.” She said, taking Anna’s hand. “You are beautiful.”

Anna smiled. “I will miss looking after you,”

“You can come to visit me anytime,”

Anna knew it didn’t work that way but didn’t say anything, just smiled and nodded.

They were met at the gates by Jack and her other family members she had lost over the years. The moment she stepped through the gates, she was reverted to her child form, running to hug her brother for the first time in a long time.

Anna would have cried if she were human.

But her heart did feel funny, watching them.

Her next ward was a little girl in Scotland. The girl had a head of curly red hair and a bow and arrows at six years old.

Anna knew she had her work cut out for her.

She watched on from a tree as the little girl played hide and seek with her mother and received a brand new bow from her father, much to her mother’s dismay.

It was beautiful until the little girl screamed.

Anna was up immediately, landing in front of the mother and daughter, using her powers to still the bear until they were safely out of the way. She saw the way its eyes glowed red and she knew that this was no ordinary bear, but a demon-possessed one.

The father and his men charged the bear, pointing spears at it and a rush of panic flew through Anna. No, no, no not again.

The bear moved right past her and she was once again rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to help in any way.

The bear slashed at the wooden spear, effectively ripping the sharp end of it off.

The father threw the splintered wood aside, ready to take on the monster with his bear-hands.

It roared, ready to go in for the kill.

“NO!” Anna screamed, breaking free of the hold with all of her ability and slamming herself into the bear. It staggered to the side, jaw sinking into the man’s ankle instead of his neck.

Anna watched as the father screamed and the demon came out of the bear.

It was the same one from the lake.

His red eyes met Anna’s gold ones. He seemed surprised, intrigued.

Anna, however, was livid. She lunged at him, only for him to disappear the same as he had before. Anna screamed out in fury.

The father was alive, at the cost of his foot. But he was alive.

And Anna was in trouble.

“Άννα.” 

She was suddenly standing in the blinding white room of her boss.

Not God, much worse.

“Elsa,” Anna replied, turning to see the head Guardian Angel standing before her.

“Άννα,” She repeated, using Anna’s original angel name. “You meddled.”

Anna frowned. “I had to! That demon was going to kill my ward’s father!”

“You cannot meddle, Άννα. You should know better.”

“Come on, I saved somebody! Isn’t that what guardian angels are supposed to do?” Anna argued.

Elsa only gave Anna an icy glare. “I’m sorry. But I cannot allow you to watch over Merida any longer.”

“What!”

"Acts like this have consequences, Άννα.”

“That’s so stupid! It wasn’t even my fault! If that stupid demon hadn’t been there-”

“Enough,” Elsa said sternly. 

Anna cowered underneath her gaze but was still stewing with anger.

“You are on probation from guardian duties. You will be assigned to another job until it is through.”

Anna was on probation for centuries and it felt like a millennium. When she was finally released on another mission, she was assigned a boy this time.

Who was a troublemaker, of course. She always seemed to get those. But Anna didn’t mind; in fact, she was overjoyed because she was always on the move. Being locked up in heaven will do that to you.

Her ward was living the life. Just accepted into college at fourteen and being praised by his brother.

Anna watched on with admiration as the two talked. Her siblings up in Heaven never showed any emotions, perhaps that came with being an angel, but Anna longed for love.

Maybe that made her a bad angel, she didn’t care. Love was a fascinating prospect.

Then everything went bad. Just like it always does.

Anna noticed the fire right after the two boys did. She flew alongside the two brothers, terrified as she watched multiple guardian angels flying around the place.

Where was Tadashi’s? Anna suddenly realized, looking around to find Rapunzel.

She finally caught sight of her near the sidewalk, completely frozen in place, unable to move, to do anything.

“No,” Anna said with sudden terror. “No, no, no, no-”

She turned to find that Hiro and Tadashi had moved, gone closer to the flames.

“Tadashi no!” Hiro cried, latching onto his older brother’s arm.

“Somebody has to help.”

“No!” Anna cried flying forward, trying to catch Tadashi, but it was too late. All she could do was stand in front of Hiro and shield him from the blast.

“Tadashi!” 

Hiro’s cries were faint in Anna’s ears as she looked around the scene. Guardian angels were flying everywhere, following people away from the fire and helping the firefighters put out the blaze, Rapunzel was free from her hold and she was crying, and there was that demon again.

Anna’s eyes landed on him at the steps of the building. He was gazing up at the fire, reflecting ominously in his red eyes.

He wouldn’t get away this time.

“Hey!” Anna cried out.

He didn’t move and Anna flew forward, tackling him to the ground.

He let out a cry of surprise and a grunt as they landed against the hard earth.

“What’s your problem with me, huh? Why do you keep killing the people my wards care about? Every time you’re around one of them dies!”

The demon below her didn’t say anything, just took on her wrath with surprising calmness.

This made Anna even more furious. “You don’t feel guilty at all? Ha. Should expect that from filthy demons like you! You probably take pleasure in killing people-”

“We don’t kill people,”

“What?” Anna asked, glaring at him.

The demon cleared his throat, as the best he could with Anna sitting on his chest. “We don’t kill people. We just cause chaos. Posses them, mess with them, make bad things happen, yes, but we don’t kill people.”

“Then how do you explain-”

“Do you think you guardian angels would let us get that far? We can’t overpower you, you know that. So, how can we kill anyone?”

Anna’s mouth went dry at his words.

No. He had to be lying. He had to be.

“Then how are these people dying?”

“Don’t ask me. Maybe you should take it up with the higher authorities.”

Anna’s world was crashing down around her. Heaven wouldn’t- they couldn’t-

“It’s not the Devil who chooses when people die, Angelface.”

Anna ripped her hands off him, stumbling backward, trying to get away from him.

“Then why were you there? Every time you were there.”

“We’re in tandem, I guess. I’m just a worker Demon. Like you. At least” - he frowned. “-I was.”

“We are nothing alike.” Anna spat.

“Keep telling yourself that, Angelface.”

“Stop calling me that! My name is-”

Anna was transported into Elsa’s room again.

“Άννα.”

“What?” Anna yelled, turning to face her superior, who was stone-face. “What, huh? What do you want from me? Want me to go on probation again? Because I’m sick and tired of watching people die, Έλσα.”

“You interacted with a demon,  Άννα. This is serious.”

“So what? He was some beat demon, there to start a fire that was killing people.”

“Demons don’t kill people,  Άννα. The lord decides when they are to come to Heaven.”

“What?” Anna said, angrier than ever. “But we’re Heaven! We’re supposed to be the good guys! The light! Killing people is wrong!”

“Άννα. Calm down.”

“No! No, why? Why does some unseen celestial being get to decide the fate of good people? Old age, okay, fine, but young people? Children? That’s wrong.”

“We serve the lord, Άννα. We don’t question.”

“Well, the lord can beat it! I don’t care! This is wrong! How can you not see that?”

“I’m sorry, Άννα.”

Anna was cast out of Heaven immediately. Her halo stripped from her, her wings turning a dark black to signify to the other angels her crimes. She would walk the Earth as a ghost.

She hit the ground near where her last assignment had been.

“So,” the demon said, sitting next to her when she came to. “I’m guessing taking it up with the higher authorities didn’t go so well?”

Anna felt something for the first time in her life. She left a million things at once and it hurt.

She turned to the demon with watery eyes and she noticed for the first time that his eyes weren’t red anymore. In fact, they were a really pretty green.

“If you don’t hug me right now I think I might fall apart.” She said.

The request didn’t seem to shock the demon. He just opened his arms and allowed Anna to hug him, to sob into his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed as hard as he could.

Anna felt something she had never felt before, but couldn’t place the emotion. Over time she would learn, but now all she wanted to do was cry and be held.

“Any chance you’ll give me that name now, Angelface?” he asked softly.

“Anna,” She choked out. “My name is Anna.”

“Nice to meet you, Anna. My name’s Hiccup. And I think we’re gonna be spending a lot of time together.”

[yandere-society]

Candy Man

Synopsis: Stepping into the world-famous Hope World Candy Factory the day of Valentine’s Day, you are filled with an overwhelming number of sweets and surprises. As a confectionary lover, this is your dream, to not only see the inside of the glittering multi-colored building, but maybe get a glimpse of the interesting man behind all the delicious desserts. There’s also something here, lingering behind every jelly bean wall or chocolate cove. After getting separated from a tour group, you think maybe this was a mistake to come in here so carefree. There may be something sinister behind these seemingly harmless candies.

Pairing: Hoseok x Reader

Word Count: 4,300+

Admin: @mintedmango​

Valentine’s Day Event Masterlist

Trigger warnings: Yandere-themes, mentions of death/murder, mentions of gore, blood, passing out/fainting, knives, improvised weapons, being tied down/restrained, hospital beds, unhealthy thinking relationships, cannibalism.

The skin of your lips was being peeled off by your teeth as you nervously flit from foot to foot on your elevator ride up the see-through jelly tube. You could see almost every chocolate cove and red vine tree from the pink tubing your tour group was being brought down to. Your heart was pumping rapidly with a mix of excited and full of tension, and your empty stomach was rumbling as butterflies fluttered, trapped inside. You weren’t sure anymore if not eating this morning to make room for all the sweets that one could possibly enjoy was a good idea. 

You were so anxious you could hardly stand it. Ever since you learned that the infamous Hope World Candy Factory was opening up one day to the public for the first time, you decided you just had to fly across the country and see it for yourself. You’ve loved the company and all the creations that they make ever since you had your first Daydream Bar at the tender age of five. 

All you had to do was buy a ticket for the factory (that costs a pretty, pretty penny, mind you) and you were set for the whole day!

The only catch though was that it was only open on Valentine’s Day and it was strictly for couples to come and enjoy a romantic, sweet-filled day in the candy factory...

And of course, you were as single as single could be. 

That’s just how life goes, right? 

The elevator lurches to a halt suddenly and you almost stop breathing, your excitement overwhelming you. 

“Everyone, step lightly, we have much to see!” Says a stout woman with green hair and carrot-colored skin as she ushers everyone out of the tube and into a dim room with a tiny, tiny door at the end of the hallway. “Now,” she whispers, as she grabs what looks to be different colored (and probably flavored you assume) gelatin keys and sticks a goldenrod one through the small keyhole. “Beyond this door is where you get to roam the marvelous Grand Garden.” 

You gulp, mind full of wonder and awe as you watch her turn the key, and it glitters and sparkles with the bright light beyond the door, much like your eyes right now. 

From the moment of purchasing your own golden ticket, you have been scouring the internet in hopes you would find more info about the Hope World Factory and the mysterious secrets it keeps locked up tight behind its doors. There wasn’t much on the Jung family or the current CEO of the factory. Just rumors of an immense and large edible garden, with so much grandeur and thought put into it, it was something straight out of a fairy tale book. 

“Everything is edible.” She states with a smile before pushing open the door. “But please be advised to stay within the walls of the garden with your partner, or you could end up in some serious… hot chocolate.” 

A few people in your group snicker at her sweet-treated pun, but you can’t focus on anything except seeing what is beyond that bland-colored door, wanting to know if the rumors of splendor are true. Your palms are sweaty and your mind blank with anticipation. 

“Please come back to this door, under the raspberry truffle tree in one hour!” She smiles as she finally pushes the door open for you all to run inside, and see what the Jung family has been hiding for decades. “It’s something out of your purest imagination!”

Speaking of Jung family, you wonder if the rumors are true: the family's youngest son is in charge of the factory now, after his sister got engaged to a rival candy company’s heir. So many whispers and hush-hush with this family, you swear! Deep down you really wanted gossip and drama from them, as selfish as that sounds. You wish they were a little bit messy and spill their internal secrets to the world. So you only really knew what the internet and late-night television hosts would spread amongst the airways, which were usually ridiculous words of slander and vile garbage. 

But what you do know about the famous sweet CEO was that he has an amazing taste in everything from cars, to clothes, especially to candy and you’ve heard that he has an amazing, dazzling smile. Supposedly, and according to the rumors circulating everywhere. 

“Where’s your date, young lady?” The woman with white eyebrows asks up to you with a serious smile on her orange lips, breaking your inner thoughts. Her eyes rake your features up and down, like a human scanner, and you can’t help but gulp. You hoped all your hard work was not in vain. 

“Uh-He’s in...the bathroom.” You lie with a wry smile, hoping she’ll buy it with just enough time to get you into the room she’s so close to unlocking. 

She purses her lips and looks away from you, but doesn’t ask you anything further on the manner. 

“Have fun in the garden!” She says instead of throwing you out and opens the plain door to the grandest thing you think you’ve ever seen. 

Couples scream and laugh as they whiz past you on your journey to roam freely around the edible valley. You can’t be bothered though, as your mouth is going to collect dust if you leave it unhinges for too long. 

There are no words. You couldn’t fathom half the things in this room. Is this even a factory anymore, or are you in heaven? 

It’s… simply breathtaking. 

The online forms were right - there is a giant edible garden - but the words and descriptions on screen didn’t do the real thing any justice. And, of course, they confiscated your phones even before you entered the building so you couldn’t document this creation out of a book come to life scene unfolding before your eyes. 

You are stunned as you walk on the hardened peanut butter cup path towards the giant garden in the middle of four, high walls. Your eyes sparkle, filling with tears of joy upon seeing the beautiful, wonderful sights before your eyes, covering your mouth as the couples in your tour guide pass by your idle body. It is seriously extremely super overwhelming: your senses are going on overdrive as your sockets roam over every inch of the garden that you can see. You just need a moment to take everything in. 

There is so much - so many details and little things going on. 

Trees made of marbled dark and milk chocolate stand tall, protruding into the blue-raspberry colored sky, pastel cotton candy clouds wisping around above you. Most of the whimsical looking plants bear fruit of all kinds and gummy leaves hanging low off their perfectly carved branches. You hear a trickle of something, like a stream of water, and see that there is a tiny clear yet caffeinated creek of soda-pop softly crackling its way through the garden. Following your eyes, you see there’s realistic grey rock-candy gravel and well, rocks, underfoot as well as strings of grass you can only assume are sour green-apple flavored, or even possibly key-lime pie? You can’t be certain but you can’t wait to try it! There’s a fountain spewing caramel in the middle of the garden, surrounded by a pool of white chocolate, and it's held together by what looks to be a brick, but upon a further glance, you suspect that it’s potentially licorice or Twizzlers, or a combination of both. There’s tables, chairs, and benches made out of finely crafted shortbread cookies placed along the peanut butter paths of the edible wonderland. There are colorful flowers made of lollipops and sugared, blown glass softly billowing in the artificial breeze, seemingly waving at you as you gawk on in shock.  

It’s all too beautiful. Your mind is having trouble processing everything until you hear an excited scream about life-sized gummy bear bushes and you can’t help, but want to investigate further. 

Your feet finally start to move as you are openly sniffling and crying: you are such a happy mess. 

A stout figure smiles at your back, a menacing aura surrounding her as she presses a single digit on her smartwatch to the man behind this beautiful room and factory. 

“Fritz?” He questions, nearly shrieking through the speaker with excitement. “How are our esteemed guests doing?”

“Oh… Well, I suppose,” her upper lip curves into something dreadfully evil. “But, we have a lost little crumb who decided to bend the rules and attend the party without a date.” 

The young CEO sighs into the receiver, watching everything unfold from his observation deck placed high above the ground, in order to study the humans roaming around his perfect, edible garden. 

He knows. He’s known since she walked in here that she was alone and didn’t have a special someone to share this day of candy hearts and love songs to. 

Which was perfect because well, you see, neither did he. 

He sighs as he tips his silkened purple top hat up to view the mesmerized crowd down below, throwing up his dark leather boots on the desk in the observation deck. Deep down, the young man was lonely, hiding his family’s recipes and secrets for the rest of his life due to the enigma that was the candy business. His usually jovial smile turns into a sour frown as he watches her stand shell-shocked by the river of soda pop, staring up into the cotton candy clouds. Or, paradise, as he calls it.

It was as if she was looking at him, knowing there was someone watching her admire and take in all the hard work that he and his staff have given to the largest and most amazing room in the factory. He leans into the window, removing his boots from the desk to watch her with her mouth agape take in the splendor and majesty that was his garden. His eyes widen as he studies her expression. She hasn’t even eaten or enjoyed anything in the room yet… Why is that he wonders? Was she a spy for another company? No, it was more like she was in complete disbelief that this was even real. Almost like she was marveling at his handy work...

Suddenly, the young man clad in his expensive purple suit has a wicked thought. Oh yes! If she is a fan of confections of any kind she will be a great asset to the company and myself! A dream only someone of his caliber who’s spent so much of his time up in the clouds could fathom. Or she’ll do nicely for some company if I end up breaking her in the process then! 

“Fritz,” he presses his watch up to his lips that curve into a devious smile. “Bring her up.” His amber eyes turn dark and cloudy as he thinks of his lair, a lab where he designs desserts and candies of all kinds. “I think we found our new taste tester.”

Oh wow! This is really unlike anything you could even dare of dreaming! You don’t think anything can ever compare to the concoctions and creations that the Hope World Factory has let the outside world enjoy for a mere afternoon. It didn’t seem right to you to try anything. If you ate and ruined all the time it took someone to place here so craftily and carefully. No. You didn’t think you could. 

Unlike some...

A playful screech comes from your left and you duck just in time to see a flash of white pass right by your nose. 

You watch with mirth as a couple runs by you, throwing marshmallow fluff off the cherry flavored giant mushrooms placed delicately around the garden. They scream and fly past you, making a mess of the precise and wonderful dessert and bakery items it probably took a whole team of people to create. You frown with judgmental eyes, studying the pair of grown adults act like they were children. 

Though you suppose, candy does revert you back to your childhood, where everything was much more innocent and easy to deal with. 

It was amazing what a room of sweets could do to a group of people. 

They race around, running this way and that, laughing and having the time of their lives with giant smiles plastered on their faces. They disappear from view and you stand watching the space from where they left, under a chocolate tree with gummy bananas hanging off of them. 

Shooting through your body, a zinging pain shoots through your heart feeling like the zap of a thousand volts of electricity that trickles down to your toes and lights its way back up your spine again. 

You freeze watching the pair disappear behind a licorice willow tree. With a tired gulp and a teary blink in your eye, you have to face reality. Truth hurts, as some would say: you are incredibly lonely. 

“Miss,” just then, the shrill voice of the stout lady behind you echoes from where you are standing and you nearly jump right out of your skin you are frightened by the sneaky tour guide. You all but tense up, breathing hitching as your sockets expand, fearing for the worst. “Miss, a word?” Your nerves were on fire as the soda stream pops and fizzles next to you, filling your ears with the carbonated crackling, as well as all the blood that rushes to your ears. Adrenaline running through your veins, like hot-white lightening sparking up and down from head to toe.  

Shit! You think turning to face the orange lady with a sheepish smile. I’ve been caught! 

“Y-Yes?” You mumble as she smiles on at you turning to face her fully. 

“Who can take a sunrise?” She starts to sing an eerie tune and your stomach pits. “Sprinkle it with dew?” Your eyes are the size of the moon as you watch her bring a bag out of her pocket as she continues to smile that weird, twisted smile at you. “Cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two?” Your heart is pounding out of its chest staring at this round orange woman who reaches into her silkened purple bag, pulling up a handful of what looks like sparkling glitter. “The candy man can.” Her mouth continues to stretch across her face, as she makes invisible worms and spiders crawl along your skin that’s turned to ice. She lifts her hand and blows the dusty glitter into your eyes, as you try to recoil from the crazy action the tour guide throws your way.  

Literally. 

“Hey!” You yell, opening your eyes to find the world covered in glistening lights, the garden shiny and bright for some strange reason. “What the heck?!” 

“Because he mixes it with love,” she ignores you and continues chanting her odd song to you. Your eyelids feel heavy, your body suddenly sluggish, “and chocolate,” you can barely stand on your own two feet as you feel yourself slumping forward and backward. You feel like you are stuck in a murky pit of blackness, and will never be able to escape from the throes of this evil she’s thrown at you. Unable to form a coherent thought, sleep seeps into your mind as you start to succumb to the feeling. Darkness creeps around your vision as you start to fall. Two pairs of hands keep your body up as you hear the orange lady say a few final words. “And makes the world taste good.” 

-

When you come to your senses, you have a sneaking suspicion that you aren’t in the garden anymore.  Your eyes are clouded with that weird dust that the weird-ass tour guide blew in your face. There’s more shining, glittering lights floating above you and you realize all the spotlights are all pointed at you. You try to blink the dust away but every move you make makes your body ache for some reason. Why were you in pain? Did you fall? No, you could have sworn there were two people holding you up, carrying you, while you heard… singing, the whole time…

So weird.

Oh crap, speaking of that green-haired tour guide… You gasp a little, foggy brain finally waking up fully, and you nearly grasp. You finally understand. You were caught! You broke the rules though and you deserve to be reprimanded and rightfully so. But, the question still stands. 

With a groan and a small shift of your head, you try to grab your throbbing head, but it was sadly in vain. 

You blink rapidly. No. This had to be a bad dream right? You are not strapped to a metal object, right? No. Your hands around bound and placed above you? No. You try to kick your legs, only to find your ankles confined into shackles connect to the cool metal item. Loud noises of your struggle erupt from your body, echoing throughout the small, sterile room. Metal clanging around itself was the worst thing you think you’ve ever heard.

There’s… no way… right? 

Your eyes expand, practically falling out of your head as your empty stomach flips over on itself. Your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth, throat running dry. You let out a blood-curdling scream upon realizing that you are tied to a flat, stainless steel table in the middle of a brightly lit, sterile-looking room. You hear the faint melody that evil woman was humming in the distance and you want to throw up you feel physically sick. 

This was something out of a terrible bad trip, a nightmare, a horror movie. Is this a scene from a sci-fi film? Your eyes are shaking in their sockets, unable to focus on anything. 

Sure, you broke the rules. Sure, you should be punished for it or be fined a sum of money. But, wasn’t this a little extreme? What were they going to do? Torture you?  Was the policy for breaking the rules to probe you? With a hard swallow, you honestly hope that’s a solid no. 

“Hi there, little crumb.” Comes the awful, nails on a chalkboard, screeching sound of the stout tour guide flutters in somewhere above you. No! You plead to no one in your head. No please don’t kill me! I haven’t even eaten anything from the garden yet!

Your heart is beating, drumming, pounding at the shackles of your sternum to bust free from your chest. Her sweaty, orange meaty fingers come out of nowhere to twist your face toward her. A twisted smirk forms on her scaly lips, her white eyebrows rising to her wide forehead to reveal her pinked gums and dilated eyes beaming, honing in on you. Her yellow, laser-like eyes lock together with yours, which enlarge in fear. 

“You think you are special, huh?” She laughs, throwing her head back and maniacally cackling. “You think just because the young master has chosen you of all people to be his new taste-tester you think you are something else?” 

“We are going to have so much fun,” she lifts a pumpkin carving knife up to your neck, “together.” She hisses, leaning in, and you nearly taste the bile, the vomit rising in your esophagus while you can’t form a single clear thought as you watch her press the shiny blade to your throat further. Your breathing hitches as she sneers, leaning in closer to practically spit on you. “I’ve loved him for years, since he had dreams to build the garden and you think that YOU,” you wince when you feel the stinging slice of the blade a trickle of blood runs down from your skin and onto the blade. “YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST TAKE HIM FROM ME?”

You are going to die. You are going to die. You are going to be murdered in cold blood by this woman who knows nothing about you. She’s going to kill you and probably play jump-rope in your intestines. 

“Hello, little lady.” A cheerful voice filters in from behind the orange lady, snapping you out of your swirling, disintegrating thoughts of your impending peril and doom. “And goodbye Fritz.” 

Before the round woman could even think to turn around, your vision, that was once white and sterile, is painted in bright sticky red. 

Blood to be exact. 

It drips from the giant blue lollipop-shaped into a knife protruding from the orange chest of the orange tour guide. Red particles splatter upon your body, painting you in the warm, maroon color of her life force that someone is robbing from her. Her eyes roll back into her skull, removing the carving knife from your throat as she spits a lump of clotted blood out of her dry, cracked lips. 

Your lips part in shock, eyes continuing to stay as wide as dinner plates as you watch the lady before you crumple in on herself and slump to the ground in a heap of orange, red, and green. 

A man in silkened purple suit, with a shit-eating grin curving his lips and whose white gloves were speckled and smeared pink from the blood of his staff, was clapping enthusiastically. The sound fills the once sterile room, the noise jarring and ear-splitting as you recoil slightly every time his covered palm connects to the other. 

Why is he clapping? He beams as he steps over her dead, lifeless body as yours tenses up. And who the fuck is he?

You remember where you are and why you were here in the first place and you nearly jump out of your skin. 

He’s… oh my God...

The young CEO of the Hope World Factory: Jung Hoseok. 

He is handsome, there’s no doubt about that. His chestnut-colored hair is barely visible due to the matching violet top hat that covers his head. Amber eyes that sparkle with mischief under the bright spotlight of the medical looking room. You can’t help but drink him in as he starts to loom over you. His slender nose sculpts into a soft-looking smirk, that's curved into a tender smile, shines gently down around you laid out on the cold metal bed. His grin really is magnetic because you are completely captivated by this man who looms lower and lower over you, until you can smell the sweet aroma wafting in around him. 

Enthralled, enchanted, mesmerized… This man has a spell over you and you can't look away. 

But you have to ask, “Are you going to kill me?” 

He blinks at you in disbelief, smile falling only for a moment before he starts scream-laughing. 

“What?” He chuckles as he clutches his sides, cackling himself into stitches. “Oh, no no no, little crumb!” His nostrils flare, honey-colored eyes dilating. “You know who I am, yes? You’ve put two and two together?” 

You nod, with a weak ‘yes’ leaving your mouth. 

“Then you know I’m the infamous candy man, Jung Hoseok.” He sneers, slamming his stained bloody gloves on either side of you on the metal table. “I’m solely going to play with you, little crumb.”

A gasp leaves your lips as you register his words in your head.

You struggle in the shackles, trying to retreat away from the man sneering down at you with mirth. He cocks his head to the side, the bright light being blocked from the man practically climbing on top of you. “Do you know what my main ingredient is here at the Hope World Factory?” His voice drops an octave and his playful eyes cloud over with something dark. 

You swivel your head back and forth in a no.

Hoseok slams his hand down next to your head, nabbing your attention in full force. “Speak when spoken to, pet.”

“N-No.” You whisper, a tear leaves one of your eyes, sliding out of your socket, dripping onto the cold table. 

“Very good.” He caresses your face with the back of his pinkened-color glove. With a menacing and misplaced smirk, Hoseok dips down to your neck where the tour guide shallowly cut you. You whimper with trembling lips, closing your eyes moving your face away from him, which only reveals the pulse point of your neck to him more. “Oh, very good.” You hear him inhale before the warm flat of his tongue laps the trickle of blood that streams out from your flesh. 

Did he just… drink your blood?

Hoseok stands then, lips swollen and colored with your blood, grinning like a wild, maniac above you. “Oh, you’ll do just nicely.”

“F-for-r wh-what?” You shake, tied to the table you are straining, desperate to get out of. 

He raises his hands above you, eyes dark with no sparkle left in them. “I drained my last taste tester, broke her, some would say. But, oh you,” he cups your face leaning in to grin at you with his pearly whites coated in your blood, “you just need to lay here and look pretty while your blood is our secret ingredient for all things sweet in the Hope World Factory.” He shrieks, laughing like an insane person as he cups your face in his sticky palms. “Isn’t that great?” 

Your heart breaks as you silently beg for a quick and easy death like the lady on the ground. This was not what you had in mind for your Valentine's Day, as well as the rest of your life.

“You can’t keep me here.” You whisper, but it sounds like you are begging him more at this point than anything. 

He ignores you and starts humming that dreadfully eerie song from earlier as he leans back over to trap your wounds in between his lips again. “The candy man can.” He hums into your skin, his tongue swirling all over your poor neck. “Because he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good.” 

———

[my-fanfic-library]

Something Different {BBC Dracula x Reader} [14]

Masterlist

A/N: I just wanted to say another quick thank you to everyone reading along. You guys have honeslty made my week so mych easier and to say that I’ve been waking up early (something my lazy ass never does) just to read all of your comments because I get that excited is just crazy. I love you guys so very much, enjoy the chapter!

~^*^~

You froze up. Your mother was looking right at you, asking once more quietly if you wanted a little more milk in your tea. You couldn’t really hear her properly. There was a rush of blood to your ears and your head began to swirl. The phone that you had been holding up to your ear clattered to the ground. Never in your life had such a heavy guilt consumed you and never had such a strong feeling overcome you so quickly.

The words just spoke to you echoed in your ears.

‘She’s gone...’ his voice had been a broken whisper. It was hoarse and accusingly wrapping around your head.

You had done this. This was your doing.

Lucy Westenra’s death was on you.

“[First]? Are you alright?” Your mother bent before you, plucking up the phone. She inspected it. Luckily, no harm. She noticed that the phone call was still on and placed the phone to her ear, “good morning, Jack, she’ll have to call you back.” She explained softly and hung up.

Your mouth opened and shut once more. Speechless. Utterly speechless.

And without thinking about anything else, you turned and ran. You ran as hard as your feet would carry you, not worrying about your unbrushed hair, or your bare face with tears streaming. Your mother called your name but you flew out of the house without another care. All you cared about was where you needed to go, and that meant sprinting as fast and as much as your body would physically allow.

You forced your way past people, earning some cusses and angry stares. You didn’t care. When you burst through the doors of the place of solace, you finally slowed down, doubling over and resting your hands on your knees. Your body shook with sobs. A pain rippled throughout you.

You rose, standing again and wiped your tears roughly with your sleeve. Then, you made your way through the next door.

This time, she looked even worse. You wondered if she had been sleeping at all. Her eyes opened slowly and she tried her hardest to smile. It fell immediately when she took in your state. You staggered towards her in your guilt and your grief. You slumped down into the chair beside her, beginning to sob once more.

“[First]?” She croaked.

“It was me...” you whispered through choked sobs, “I killed Lucy...”

“She... finally succumbed to him...?”

“I... I killed her...”

“What... happened...?” Her voice was so much slower and so much weaker.

“I sent him to her... in exchange for my life... I sent Dracula to kill her... Jack will never forgive me...”

“...[First]...” she began slowly, “Dracula... would have found her even if... you didn’t lead him there...”

Her words were of no consolation to you. Lucy was dead and it was your fault. You had lead Dracula to her so that you could live for just a few more months. Now that he didn’t have her to feed on, you knew it was your turn. You had prolonged your life by only a few months.

“Jack will never forgive me for this.” You sighed through your tears. How, just how would you be able to look at him again, knowing full well that you had caused the death of his most beloved person?

“He will... he’ll have to...” Zoe spoke.

“Can you believe I was that stupid?”

“Yes...” she deadpanned, and then weakly laughed before she began to cough, “but Dracula... fooled us all...”

“Zoe, what do I do...? He’ll find me again...” you had managed to compose yourself a little.

“Flee. You’ll just keep moving... and pray you don’t end up in the same place. Take Jack,” she pushed herself up so that she was sitting a little higher up, “you are the only ones who will know the danger...”

“Yeah, I’ve just killed his best friend, he’s definitely going to want to tag along in my race around the world for the rest of our lives to not get killed by a vampire.” You retorted, sarcasm dripping from your tongue.

“If anyone can, it’s you two... my best students.”

She extended her hand a little. You looked at it. You took it into your own. It was so cold. Not in the same way Dracula was cold. No, this was a tragic coolness. A deathly chill cursing her once floushied body. You hung onto her. She looked half-dead already. Her face had sunken in a little and her hair had thinned considerably. Her wrists had lost their plumpness and her fingers were bony.

This was what cancer did to the body. It plagued it. The strongest of them wouldn’t stand a chance.

“You truly were the best...” she smiled, closing her eyes.

“I do love you, Zoe.” You whispered.

“I know.”

~^*^~

The pew that you stood in was quite far back. Jack was in front of you by a few rows. He hadn’t looked at you once. You eyed the other people. Lots of friends, even more family members. Opposite you, on the left and just a row in front was a man you didn’t recognise. There was a green duffle bag on the ground beside him with a tag. He must be leaving after the service. That would make him Quincey, Lucy’s fiancé.

The service continued and at the front, Lucy’s mother, held back by her sister, sobbed uncontrollably. As the casket lowered down, you could hear her wailing “no” over and over. It broke your heart and the guilt washed over you once more. It was like there was a tiny voice in your head repeatedly screaming “you did this”.

Your selfishness, your desperation to survive had lead to this.

The church began to filter out, starting from the front and working it way backwards. Jack strode past you. His eyes were bloodshot and he had been biting his lip. He didn’t acknowledge you. Quincey wasn’t too far after. He was hard faced and clearly wasn’t as upset as Jack. Dear god, Lucy really had let him get away and she hadn’t even realised it.

Finally, your legs carried you out and you looked around. Jack was standing a few metres away, looking out towards the many graves. He hadn’t spoken to you in over two weeks and it was killing you. You had tried to get into contact with him, and when he had been to visit Zoe, she had demanded that he talk to you. She told you she had used the words “dying wish” to try and convince him, however he saw through her bluff and wasn’t planning on talking to you anytime soon. You sucked in another breath. You needed to talk to him. He was the only other person bar Zoe and Dracula who knew what had truly happened to Lucy. He needed your support as he grieved.

Your shoes clicked as you neared him and you tapped him on the shoulder. He turned away from you as soon as he realised who was trying to grab his attention. You sighed.

“Jack,” you whispered, “please talk to me.” He continued to look away.

“I have nothing to say to you.” He snapped and then sniffled a little. Ouch.

“Please, we need to talk about this. I’m the only other person who knows-“ you cut yourself off, not wanting to make a scene in exploiting your intimate knowledge on her death.

In your bag, your phone was buzzing erratically. You had no intention of picking up, as it had been for two weeks. Luckily, you had not disclosed your whereabouts and so for now, connection was cut.

Jack finally turned to you.

“Fine, let’s talk.” A tear was running down his cheek as his nostrils flared.

He grasped your wrist and began to tug you away from the crowd of people that had collected outside. Further and further, he lead you through the made of graves, coming to stop under an oranged tree whos leaves were delicately slipping away one by one. He let go of you, crossing his arms before sighing deeply.

“Jack,” you whispered, “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am...”

“She’s gone, [First]. She’s gone and it’s because of you. Because of that monster. Apologies won’t bring her back.”

“I know...” you blinked back your own tears.

“Did you truly hate her that much?”

Did you? Hate Lucy? God, yes. Anyone who knew your history with her knew that you had a justifiable hate towards her. But hate her enough to send her to her doom? You didn’t think so. Maybe leading Dracula to her was a rash decision, in your exhaustion just to save your own neck. Offering up the girl whom you had once loved so dearly as a simple happy meal for a true monster.

No, you didn’t. That was the short answer. Though, it was easy to assess that you did, however untrue it was.

“No, I didn’t hate her that much.” You confessed, “I... don’t really know why I did it... how could I have wished something like that upon her?”

“You tell me. You did it.” He challenged, sneering slightly.

“Trust me, I will carry my guilt with me for the rest of my life. Forever. And it will always hurt me. So please, please don’t cut me out again. I don’t know how long Zoe has and- and-...” the flurry of emotions watered your eyes heavily and you became unable to handle your tears, “you’re the only person who knows what Dracula is... you’re the only person who understands. I’m scared, Jack. It’s going to be me next.”

“[First],” he sighed. He knew that Lucy’s death could have been avoided had she denied Dracula her attention. Deep down, he knew that you had sent him on a whim to protect yourself. Of course he knew that you would never intend to harm somebody like that. But he needed to take his anger out on someone or else the cracking of his heart might hurt too much, “it won’t be you next.” He pulled you into him. It felt nice to have some physical comfort after locking himself away for two weeks.

Your phone began to buzz once again in your bag. You continued to ignore it.

“Are you going to answer that?”

“No...”

“It kept ringing all through the service. Who is it?”

You didn’t answer and almost immediately, he knew. He pulled away from you and before you had any time to protest, he had torn open your bag and took your phone. He answered.

“Ah, finally, you answer. I knew my persistence would win you over-“ Dracula’s smug voice rang through Jack’s ear and the urge to throw your phone as far and as hard as he could washed over him. Had it been his own phone, he would have obliterated it.

“It hasn’t.” Jack cut him off firmly.

“Oh, my, this is a surprise. Hello Mr. Seward. May I inquire as to why you have [First]’s phone?”

“Yeah, you can,” you watched Jack’s face twist in anger, “to tell you to fuck off. Oh, and don’t call her again. She won’t answer.”

Your mouth dropped. You gawked at Jack as he neatly replaced your phone back in your bag. Had he seriously just told the most dangerous creature to ‘fuck off’? You were in disbelief. And in that disbelief, in the entanglement of all of your emotions, you began to laugh. Hard.

“You didn’t seriously just-“ you doubled over and you could hear Jack begin to laugh along with you.

“That felt good.” He breathed through his laughs.

“Well, at least you took it out on someone.”

“Yeah, I suppose...” he looked at you. It had been way too long since he had spent some real time with you to just destress, “should we go get a drink?”

~^*^~

Jack awoke with a start. His room was illuminated and it took him a moment to register that it was his phone dining that had brought him from his sleep. He answered. It was Zoe.

“I’m checking myself out.”

The next hour went by like a blur. He needed to pick Zoe up from the hospital, which meant having to argue with two nurses who insisted on her staying. After literally screaming in one of their faces that he was taking Zoe, they were speeding off. She gave him directions, with a quiet and hoarse voice. She was clearly slipping away.

“Should I call [First]?” He asked, looking at her momentarily.

“...no... she shouldn’t come... because... well... she shouldn’t.”

The feeling that settled in his gut was bad. Really, really bad. Something was seriously wrong, but he knew not to press. Zoe would only give him an answer when she was ready. Until then, he’d just have to stay in the unknown.

On the other side of London, in a terraced house, keeping the living room lit was you. You had awoken early with a strange feeling in your stomach and had decided to come downstairs. Old American comedies were on reruns and you quietly laughed along at the jokes. Oh, if only you knew.

Dracula pulled open the door, and looked at the two.

“You don’t look very surprised.” He smirked at her remark.

“You don’t look very dead.”

“I’m getting there.” He nodded, and looked at the male standing behind her. Jack glared at him, and Dracula’s smirk fell from his face.

So, this was it.

He pushed the door more open to let them in and Zoe began to remark about how easy it was for them to find him. Dracula moved towards his chair and sunk down, not really paying her any mind. He pulled out his phone, tapping a string of words before slipping it back into his jacket pocket. Well, the quicker it was over, the better.

Your phone buzzed and you sighed. Reaching over, you grasped the cool device and your eyes adjusted to the brightness of the screen.

[DraccyBoi: I love you]

~^taglist^~

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[minvaleria93]

DAECHWITA • chapter 1

Summery: The king leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he watched the scene before him with a small smile dancing in the corner of his mouth.

"Know your place, girl" the royal advisor gritted his teeth. "You are standing before your kin-"

She spat in his eyes.

The royal advisor's jaw hung open and his eyes squinted shut. He whipped his eyes. "Why you -"

"Release her." The command was cool and strong like steel, dangerously calm, effortlessly powerful and everyone turned their heads, but Isabel who locked her eyes on the royal advisor. 

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Genre: romance

Words counted: 3224

The village had a smell. It first smacked you in the face when walking through the entrance of the first market. That old familiar scent which was a mix of a shirt from a vintage clothing store and spices. 

Further into the village, people were everywhere, and walking in opposite directions, some had items wrapped in fabric on their backs and others had animals on leashes that were pulling carts behind them. A wide variety of stalls lined the nearby streets: tables with food, antiques, clothes and art, jewelry and accessories. The people flocked to them like fireflies to a lamp, enthusiasm accentuating their features. 

The village was visually stunning, defined by the people, culture and buildings. The people were energy, feeling, and movement that create emotion, splashed against the canvas of the architecture. The buildings provide a stark, static contrast and permanence to a town that was stuck in time. 

A young man, walked in the mist of the village. He wore the traditional garments of the village, and a sedge hat which covered his face just enough from revealing his handsome features and scar. His name was Min Suga Agust. 

The rumours circling Suga had everyone look at him with a curious frown. Some said he was a troublemaker who started a riots in the market place. Some people called him a gang leader, waiting to be brought to justice. Some even whispered that he was the twin brother of the young king.

Suga kept his head down as he strolled though the village, but watched the people from the corner of his eye as he passed them. The sound of children running around and laughing filled the air, and the faint sound of a tune playing somewhere in the distance. He could hear the salespeople shouting different prices, he hear the chopping of meat and the sharp knives hitting the chopping boards.

With every step he took he was getting closer and closer to his target, but just as he was about a few paces away, fishermen men walked opposite him. One was slightly taller than the other. One had dark hair and a beard, and the other had a lighter shade of hair. Just as they walked past each other, Suga's shoulder collided with the young man with the beard, making the young man swing his fishing rod on the other ones head. 

Suga didn't stop to apologise or see if they were alright. He kept his head down and continued on walking.

"Ey!" The light headed one looked at his friend. "What is your problem?" He reached his fist out to his friend's face, but he dogged and attempted to kick him which didn't work.

The butcher just finished washing his knives and cleared his station, when he spotted Suga approaching him. "Ah, troublemaker," he chimes, as he placed his washed knife down. He reached his hand clean hand out towards the young man and he took it without hesitation. "Back in town, I see" he stated, and Suga smiled at the man.

••••

It was sunset. The yellow ball of fire changed to hues of orange, and then almost tangerine. It merged with the sky, like juice-mix dissolving in a glass of water. The clouds were cotton-candy, as though they blushed at the warm touch of the sun. Silhouettes of birds flew home across the sky.

There were now a few lights and candles lighting up the village. Not many people were out shopping during this time of the day. Some had long gone home, and others were heading home. Most of the stalls were closed and cleared, while some were still selling off their last items. 

He stood in the shadows of the alleyways, watching a young girl with long, dark, brown hair that was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She had a porcelain-like face and hazel eyes. This was Isabel.

Suga attempted to approach her, but stopped as he saw another girl no older than sixteen grabbing a brown scarf with gold and wrapping it around her shoulders and laugh. This was Rose, Isabel's little sister.

The two girls were part Korean, from their father's side and part British from their mother's side. They grew up in a loving and caring family, but after moving to Korea and their father passing at war and their mother abandoned them while their father was away, they were left with each other. So, Isabel took on the role of not just being the older sister, but also the mother and father. She wanted her sister to have everything and anything, she didn't want her sister to look at something and not tell her that she didn't want that dress, or scarf, or shoes, or food. 

Isabel turned to the salesman and just as she opened her mouth ready to ask how much the scarf was, someone wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulder and spoke before she could. 

"Agust D!" Rose chimed as she hugged Suga. 

"You're seem to have grown a few inches," Suga hugged the her back, before they broke apart and his eyes moved to Rose's sister who looked like she had seen a ghost.

••• Flashback Three Year Ago •••

The night sky was a marvel. The pitch black background looked like it was a tablecloth with sugar scattered everywhere. Isabel has just finished her shift at of the restaurants since it was her turn to lock up everything. She had to make sure every tables looked like a mirror, that the windows add doors were locked and that the kitchen was spotless. 

The low breeze kissed her skin like a soft whisper, and her body felt cold one moment and next she was hot again. As she continued her way down the deserted village, the sound of chatter reached her ears. She looked up and saw a three men staring by the the alleyway that she had to walk through to her to her house. Her heart raced with each step she took. Men, especially during this time of night were like hungry animals just waiting for their next meal to come their way.

It's been three years since the young king succeeded the throne after his father fled the war. During the first year of his reign the young king cared about his people. He would help those who asked, made sure that his people were taken cared off and made promises of changes. But the last two years he showed his true colours. The young king has done nothing but made things hell for the people. If anything, he was far worse than those before him. He didn't care about the people, or that there were beggars and homeless people on the streets. Orphans left to fight for survival with no shelter over their heads. If people came to home with problems he would reward them with a punishment instead of help. The only thing he did care about were the people terrorising others in his name. That fed him. 

He was a ruthless king. He killed with no mercy and wanted the whole country as his own. And if anyone came for his throne, disrespected his name, or even showed the slightest sigh of power he beheaded them and hung their heads like lanterns around the prison in his palace for his prisoners to see what awaited them.

Isabel wanted to turn back and look for another way home, but there were two problems; that was her only way home and also, she was spotted. She bit her tongue and kept her head down and continued walking. 

"What a sight," one of the men said as he motioned his friends to the girl heading their way.

Isabel didn't as so much peak to look up or where she was going, and that's when her path was blocked. "Such a pretty girl," said the man standing before her, his voice was deep and manly. 

The third men stood a few steps behind her, eager to get his large hands on her body. "Could you please move—" her voice came out small and soft like a whisper.

The men laughed in her face. 

"What's the rush?" She heard the one behind her ask. She could feel something inside telling her that she needed to get away from this men as soon and quickly as possible. But before she could come up with a plan, or even move her legs she felt the rough fingertips of the man behind going up her arm and then as he wrapped his fingers around her upper arm and held her in place for his friends.

The fear she felt in moment sat on her like a pillow that covered her mouth and nose. She tugged and fought back to break free, but the man holding her was too strong. 

Her heart all but gave out when she was dragged behind a building and held against the wall by now two men. She then felt the hand of the man in front of her between her legs. "HELP!!!!" She screamed so loudly that she thought her lungs would burst. She was surprised that no neighbours arrived to the scene. 

"Stop shouting," they whispered in her ear. "We're going to have some fun."

And just then, a gush of cold wind washed over Isabel's body when the man who stood in front of her and the two men who held her to the wall were pulled away from her. Isabel leaned against the wall, her chest heaving and her heart drumming. Fear spoke to her in its cackling voice. It told her legs to go weak, her stomach to lurch and her heart to ache.

"Get lost," the men blew off. "Or you and your friends will be sorry." 

Suga rubbed his chin with one hand and had the other tucked in the pocket of his jeans, as he approached the man in the middle. The moonlight breaking from the the corner shone on the side of his face and his scar was exposed. And the man knew exactly who was staring him in the face. 

"You're that rebel," he pointed at Suga. "The boss everyone has been talking about."

"Oh, the king will be pleased to know that we caught you."

"We will be rewarded handsomely."

As the man reached his hand out towards the young man, he grabbed the mans arm, bending it in the process before he threw him onto the man beside him.

There was a very pregnant pause that lingered in the air. Isabel looked at the people standing in front of her with a shocked expression on her face. A fight had broken out.

One of Suga's men, who was tall and wore a headpiece dislocated one of her attacks arm from his socket. She watched a the man broke down and wailed in pain. 

Another on of Suga's men, who wasn't as tall dodged a few swings. He moved his shoulders in a swaying motion before he caught his opponent wrist, pulled him forward to only have his face met with a rock-like fist. The man's head flew back backwards with one hand covering his nose. But his pain was nothing compared to what his way next. The young man twisted his arm over his shoulder and cracked it like wood. "AAAHHH!!!!" 

A sharp and shiny blade caught Isabel's eye in the moonlight and her heart dropped to her stomach as she watched the man that tried to force himself on charge at Suga. But to her surprise, Suga was too fast to react. He grabbed the mans wrist in an iron grip, and he watched as his face became red not just from the pressure but also from tying to break free. Suga looked the in the eyes with a plain expression through his curtains. With one nudge the blade fell from his hand and Suga tugged him forward before his elbow met with the man's chest and released him.

Isabel stood still, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. She was stunned, as she watched the three men limping away quickly and disappear around the corner. 

"Are you alright?" Suga's voice caught her attention. 

••• End of Flashback •••

The sky was black tranquility married to a poetry of stars. It was the softness that called body and brain to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm. Night came as a reward of sorts, a restfulness above to calm the soul. The doors to the pub were open, chairs and tables were outside the building with candles lit on each one. And inside the pub we're more tables, the black iron chandelier hung down from the wooden ceiling, illuminating the pub in a warm yellowish tone and to the right there was a bar table with a bartender.

The sound of laugher and chatter filled the air as they sat outside the pub. It was late and they were already close to finishing their first bottle of Soju. The low breeze felt cool on her arms and made a shiver run down her spine. There was no one inside the pub, except for the owner, his wife and young son cleaning up. 

Isabel sat next to Suga at the end of the rectangle table, their fingers intertwined as they watched their friends enjoying themselves. Next to Isabel's right sat Namjoon, and next to him sat J-Hope. And on Suga's left sat Rose and Hana. The laugher continued, but there weren't that many people out at this time. There was a couple sitting in the far back with nothing but a lit candle on the table. They seemed to be exchanging words of love that must have sound like poetry, there were three elderly men sitting next to where Isabel and the others sat. One of them had a guitar and the other two sang old songs. 

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"J-Hope asked Rose, who looked at him with an arched brow.

Namjoon chuckled and shook his head. "She's been with us this whole time."

"I know," J-Hope said. "But it's late— it's past her bedtime—"

Rose's laugh cut him off. "Are you talking about yourself, J-Hope?" 

'Oohs' left everyone's lips at the table. Namjoon placed a hand on his friend's back while laughing. J-Hope scoffed at Rose. The two never got along and watching them disagree on the smallest of things was the most amusing thing anyone had the opportunity of witnessing. 

It was around eleven when everyone broke off to go home. Hana, Namjoon and J-Hope disappeared around the corner, their chatter echoed the empty street and then faded completely.

Ever since Suga took matters into his own hands things became somewhat better. The streets weren't as dangerous as they used to be, there weren't orphans out on the side fighting to survive. He was the boss.

Rose reached inside her pocket for the key and unlocked the door before entering. Isabel stopped in the doorway and turned to look at Suga. They didn't exactly have time to themselves since he showed up at the market and she wanted to spend at least a few minutes with him alone. She wanted to hear him breath, to feel his chest rise up and down as she leaned against him, she wanted to feel his arms around her and just be with him in the moment. 

"Do you want to come in?" She asked him, and he responded with a small smile.

The entrance of the house had a small hallway that led to the main living room. The wooden floor was covered in blood red carpets here and there, there was a sofa with two armchairs and a coffee table sitting in the middle, and opposite all that was a fireplace that had two windows overlooking a beautiful view. 

"You have school tomorrow," Isabel said as she stood at the bottom of the staircase that led to the upstairs bedrooms. "Your uni—"

"I know," Rose called from her room. Isabel smiled and bided her sister goodnight before she went to the living room to find Suga sitting on the sofa flicking through the book that was on the coffee table. 

She leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest and a smile on her face. She continued to watch him in silence, taking in the sight  in front of her. He had been gone for a few months without exactly telling her what it was that he was doing. He said it was best if she knew less because what he was planning was dangerous. 

"You know, it's not polite to stare," his voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She shook her head and blinked a few times which made a chuckle escape Suga's lips as he placed the book down. "Come here," he said, gesturing with his arm for her to sit next to him. Isabel smiled and sat down with her back against Suga's chest as he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other played with her long locks.

The warmth of his chest on his back made her heart skip a beat and her stomach feel like it was doing backflips. They sat like that for a while just talking about what each of them were up to while they were always from each other, and then Isabel sighed and snuggled in Suga's chest. He looked down at her and smiled. "What's with the sigh?"

Isabel turned around and laid on his chest as she looked up at him. "I just missed you so much," she replied. "It feels surreal that you're here."

Suga moved his hand from Isabel's locks and had both his arms wrapped around her. "That's impossible," he said, sarcastically. "You couldn't have missed me as much as I have missed you." 

Isabel rested her head on his chest and laughed. The sound of her laughter sounded like music to his ears. He reached his hand down towards Isabel's face and cupped her warm, rosey cheek before he placed a soft kiss on her lips. He kissed her like the world was rolling right off a cliff like he was trying to hang on and he had decided to hold on to her like he was starving for life and love and he never knew it could ever feel this good to be close to someone.

Yeoboseyo!!!!!!

Well, this is it! 

THE FIRST CHAPTER OF DAECHWITA!!!!! 

How do you like, ey?

I really do hope you enjoyed this first chapter of this book, and I can't wait for you guys to read the chapters I have in mind for you guys.

I will be following the plot of the MV, but I'll be adding a slight twist so my storyline also matches with the MV.

I will try my best to make this book as original, dramatic and actionable as possible. I want you guys to be on the edges of your seats when reading, or to stay up at night just to finish a chapter, or reading in secret while I'm class. 

The first chapter may seem a little off, but hey! That's just the first chapter and chapter two will have you biting your nails and hyped.

Valeria 💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤💛🖤 

[random-french-girl]

pirates? in my bumbleby AU?

A while ago, because of this amazing fanart, me and @grimmfluence talked about a rival pirates AU, and I ended up writing it just for fun. I completely forgot about it, but I just found the google doc again and global quarantine seems like the perfect time to share fics. So, here: have a very self-indulgent one shot about Blake and Yang as rival pirate captains, with a healthy dose of fighting, and even more sexual tension.

Words: ~4300

Rating: T (ish?)

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”Sail!”

Ruby’s voice rings out loud and clear from her perch on the crow’s nest. As soon as she hears the call, Yang, on the quarterdeck, points her spyglass to the west. She doesn’t see anything at first - her sister has sharper eyes than most, which is why she’s so often their lookout - but, eventually, she finds the dark shape on the horizon line. There it is. The Atlas Navy ship that’s gonna make them all rich. And more importantly, free. 

She tucks the spyglass back in a pocket of her waistcoat. On the lower deck, the crew awaits her orders, rugged faces turned towards her with eyes full of hope and determination. A few feet from her, Weiss, her quartermaster, waits as well, standing by the steering wheel. A hint of nervousness shows in the way her gloved hand grips the pommel of her rapier. 

Yang faces Weiss, grinning. “Time to hunt those bastards. Raise the black.” Weiss’s mouth curves in a smile, white teeth glinting ominously in the sunlight, as does the white oiled cloth of her eyepatch. She turns to the crew. “You heard the captain, we’re going after them. Raise the black! Raise the mainsail! Batten down the hatches!”

The crew scrambles to obey, with the habitual trepidation that comes with an impending fight, and soon they’re picking up speed. Yang feels the wind on her face, toying with her hair, spraying salt on her sunbaked skin. She breathes in, deeply, and checks the loaded pistol at her hip, the broad cutlass hanging from her belt. She’s wearing her combat hook today ; the tip is as sharp as any blade, and more dangerous than most since she’s the one wielding it. Captain Xiao Long, the Dragon of the seas, is ready for battle.

“There’s another one!” Ruby yells, suddenly. Even from so high up, Yang hears the shock in her sister’s voice. “Another ship! Coming from the south, faster than us!”

“Another Atlas ship?” Yang groans, cursing internally. Two ships against one won’t make for an easy fight, even if her Summer Thorn is as sturdy as they come. 

“No, it’s not showing Atlas colors. They’re… Oh, goddamnit. Yang, it’s the Black Cat.”

Yang’s blood boils. Her eyes turn red. “How the fuck did Belladonna find out about this?”

Nobody answers but the wind.

***

Admiral Cordovin, commander of the Atlesian Fleet, captain of the Iron Boot, Navy veteran, manages to keep her cool as the enemy ship comes at them full speed. That is, until she catches sight of the black flag with white fangs raised on top of the main mast - then she can’t help a whimper of fear. She glances behind her, but the line of soldiers standing at attention doesn’t react. Maybe they didn’t hear. 

“Is that… Is that the Black Cat?” her-second-in-command murmurs beside her, not bothering to mask his terror.

The ship is a schooner, elegant and fast, coursing through the waves like it has a mind of its own. Cordovin swallows, uneasily. Everyone knows seeing the flag of the Black Cat is a bad omen.

“Cannons at the ready!” she orders, voice trembling slightly. The second-in-command gulps. “Ma’am, are we actually fighting them?”

“Not like we have a choice. Captain Belladonna will massacre all of us if we surrender - bloodthirsty savage.”

“Actually,” a voice murmurs right behind her ear, “you do have a choice.”

Cordovin tries to turn around, but there’s an arm around her neck and a knife against her throat, so she stills. From the corner of her eye, she can only see the white and blue colors of an Atlas uniform. Fear must have taken hold of one of her soldiers. ”How dare you threaten an officer of the Atlas Navy, grunt?” she snarls, between gritted teeth. “Let me go at once, or I will have you whipped.”

A chuckle. “Grunt? Oh, I don’t believe I’ve ever been more insulted in my life, Admiral - and I frequent a rough crowd.” The knife presses harder against her skin, drawing blood. “I am no soldier, but my crew will happily give you a fight if that’s what you want. Or should we resolve this like civilized people?” 

“Your crew?” Cordovin says, confused.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, apologies. Blake Belladonna, captain of the Black Cat. You may have heard of me: I am sometimes described as a bloodthirsty savage.”

The blood drains from Cordovin’s face. “What do you want?” she whispers, weakly. 

***

“I don’t get it. Why haven’t they attacked yet?” Weiss says, furiously pacing on the quarterdeck. Yang shrugs, just as confused. They’ve cautiously approached the scene, and she has a good view through her spyglass. The Black Cat has slid smoothly next to the Iron Boot, but nothing else has happened, no cannon fired, no attempt to board the Atlas ship. 

“Negotiations?” she wonders out loud. 

“The Atlas Navy would never negotiate with pirates,” Weiss dismisses, sharply.

Yang glances at her. Weiss was once part of the Atlas Navy, a promising young officer, before her father threw her out and she ended up on Yang’s ship. She’s always tense when they encounter the Navy. 

“Are we attacking or what?” Ruby asks, impatiently, stepping up the ladder to join them on the quarterdeck. She’s pointing her flint pistol in the direction of the ships. 

“No,” Yang says. “I want to know what Belladonna’s plan is before we do anything.”

She focuses again on the spyglass, studying the situation quietly, until - “There, that’s her.”

In the small circle of the magnifying glass, she watches Blake walk across the gangplank from the Atlas ship to hers, holding another person in front of her. “Hostage?” Yang murmurs, frowning.

The plank is pulled back, and the Black Cat’s crew raises their sails. The ship moves away, slowly. 

“They’re leaving!” Ruby warns. 

“Yeah, I can see that, but why…” Yang cuts herself off as, with one swift, brutal kick, Blake pushes her prisoner overboard.

But this isn’t what leaves Yang open-mouthed and shocked silent. It’s the fact that Blake is waving at her. Clearly aware that she’s being watched. Even worse, she’s full-on smirking. 

For a while, there’s nothing Yang can do but stare. Blake’s black curls are neatly tucked under her tricorn hat, but instead of her usual dark clothes, she’s wearing the uniform of an Atlas soldier - light blue vest opened on a crisp white shirt, white breeches, sturdy boots. Yang may despise the Navy, but damn if their uniform doesn’t look splendid on Blake Belladonna. 

And then, it dawns on Yang exactly why Blake’s grinning : the roll of parchment held tight, victoriously, in her right hand.

***

Later that evening, Yang stands on the upper deck, thinking. The Summer Thorn is anchored in Menagerie Bay, and Kuo Kuana sprawls in front of her, past the docks, beautiful and dangerous. Remnant’s very own capital of piracy, and notoriously neutral territory, is awake with the raucous sounds of pirates drinking, dancing, eating, singing, and in all probability, fucking. Even the lawless roaming the sea need a place to rest.

The night has fallen. Lights twinkle on the shore, from bonfires and taverns. Behind the town looms the dark jungle.

“So that’s it, then,” Weiss says, mournfully. Yang almost jumps ; she didn’t hear her come near. “We lost the map to Salem’s treasure. We’re done.”

“Not yet.”

Weiss rests her elbows on the wooden railing. The moon reflects off her eyepatch, and her white hair. It makes her look otherworldly - like a ghost.

“We can’t fight them in Menagerie, Yang, it’s neutral territory. We’d be banned from the island.”

“Fighting ain’t the only way to get what you want,” Yang says, slowly.

Weiss frowns. “Stealing? That’s almost as bad if we’re caught. And after today, the Black Cat is gonna be well guarded.”

“She won’t have it on the ship.” Weiss looks at her, surprised. Yang grins. “Belladonna is too careful, and too damn proud, to leave the map under anyone’s supervision but hers. She’s definitely keeping it on her person while they’re out tonight, celebrating their victory. And you know what she loves more than winning? Bragging about it. To me, specifically.”

There’s a pause. Weiss raises an eyebrow, as understanding washes over her face. “You don’t mean to… Yang, there’s no way she’s gonna fall for that.”

“Oh, don’t worry. She will fall for me.”

***

Blake sits in a corner of the main room in the Sailors’ Luck tavern. Candles fill the space with dim, flickering light, while the roars of laughter and drunken singing seem to bounce off the stone walls. The air is stale with the smell of sweat and alcohol and unwashed clothes, hot and unpleasantly humid, but Blake has never been happier. They pulled off the whole plan perfectly. 

Sun comes back from the bar with two cups of ale and slides in on the bench beside her. “To another victory!” They clink their glasses. Blake pats the left side of her jacket, feeling the bulky shape of the map tucked in the inside pocket. “You did great today,” she tells Sun, who was in charge of the Black Cat while she was posing as an Atlas soldier on the Iron Boot.

He grins, but before he can answer, the door opens. Captain Xiao Long and the crew of the Summer Thorn walk in, greeted by cheers and shouts. They are a popular bunch among the pirates of Menagerie Bay, respected both for their ruthlessness and their generosity. Xiao Long strides toward the bar, smile locked in place. Blake studies her, tense, looking for signs of a threat. But Yang looks like any other sailor on leave - she’s wearing an old, worn-out brown shirt under a simple sleeveless waistcoat, and the orange sash tied effortlessly around her hips doesn’t conceal any weapons. Even her hook sports an innocent-looking blunt tip. Blake bites her lower lip, mind racing. Yang Xiao Long should be plotting revenge right now, not walking into a tavern like nothing’s wrong and Blake didn’t just steal her prize from under her. 

Across the room, Yang turns around, purposefully looking straight at her. Blake isn’t fast enough to avoid her gaze, and their eyes meet. Shit. Yang grabs two glasses from the bar, and makes her way to Blake, not once looking away.

“Uh oh,” Sun whispers. “Trouble incoming.”

“I can handle her.”

“Captain Belladonna, First Mate Wukong,” Yang greets them with a pleasant smile. “Care if I join you?”

“Take a seat,” Blake says. Sun waves awkwardly.

Yang sits, and pushes one of the drinks towards Blake. “To congratulate you,” she says, looking at Blake unabashedly. ”On such an unexpected win.”

“Don’t drink that,” Sun mutters. Yang raises an eyebrow.

“I would never harm one of our own on neutral territory. And frankly, I resent the accusation.”

“Sure you do.”

Yang’s pleasant demeanor doesn’t change, but, somehow, her smile turns dangerous. The sight does something weird to Blake’s stomach, the way a sudden wave might make her feel briefly unbalanced. “If I wanted to take your captain out, I wouldn’t do it secretly. When I kill, it’s with a blade, not poison. I’m no coward.”

“Is that a threat?” Sun balks, half out of his seat.

Blake grabs his arm, stopping him from reaching for his dagger. “Sun, can you give us a minute?”

“… Fine,” he says, reluctantly.

He sends her one last look before stalking off to the bar. Blake watches him go. Sun is her most loyal friend, and fiercely protective of her. He’s been at her side since the very beginning, when she wasn’t anyone’s captain, and the Black Cat was Adam’s. Blake is thankful for him, always, but sometimes he forgets that she can take care of herself.

And, maybe, she’s looking forward to dealing with Captain Xiao Long on her own.

“So,” Blake says, fingers closing around the cup Yang brought her. She can’t help smirking a bit. “You wanted to congratulate me.”

Yang brings her own cup to her lips. She takes a long gulp. “I don’t know how you did it, but you bested me.”

“It wasn’t that hard.”

Yang’s eyes flash with a tinge of red - like a spark of lightning before thunder. Blake’s smirk widens. She loves this. Most pirates in Kuo Kuana fear her, and the rest pity her. They’ve heard the tales of Blake and the Black Cat, how she lead the mutiny against Adam Taurus, how she fought him and killed him and took his place. They’re weary of her. Not Yang, though. In the few years they’ve known each other, competing for the same gold, sailing on the same sea, Yang Xiao Long has been an infuriating rival, yes, but one who treats Blake with respect. And even, sometimes, a sort of playful camaraderie, that…

“How did you learn about the Iron Boot? About the map they carried?” Yang asks, interrupting Blake’s thoughts. She’s leaning back in her chair now, her hook draped on the backrest. The position highlights the muscles of her arms, visible under the tight shirt, the solid knots of her shoulders, the line of her neck. 

Blake sips her drink. “I have my ways.”

She expects Yang’s eyes to flash angrily again, but Yang laughs instead. The sound makes something heat at the bottom of Blake’s stomach. “So mysterious, Belladonna.” She pauses to think.”Was it that girl of yours? The quiet one? Did you send her to eavesdrop on my crew?”

She means Ilia, Blake’s boatswain - and occasional scout. “Maybe,” Blake says, noncommittal. 

Yang licks her lips. “Or was it you?” Blake can’t look away from her mouth, hypnotized, the way they say sailors can’t turn away from the song of sirens. “Sneaking onto my ship, into my cabin, reading my logs, peering over my maps?”

Blake doesn’t deny it, even though she did, in fact, send Ilia. She’s never set foot on the Summer Thorn. Yang’s voice turns husky. “It’s too bad, Belladonna. If I’d known you were there, I would have given you a show.”

“Why would I want that?” Blake protests, unconvincingly.

“Oh, Blake,” Yang says. “You think I haven’t noticed the way you look at me?”

Maybe it’s the words, unveiling so carelessly a truth Blake's never even admitted to herself, maybe the voice, low and wicked and tender all at once, maybe simply Yang saying her name for the first time - but Blake finds herself unable to speak. Spellbound. 

“Qrow always saves me a room when I’m in town. Last door on the right - join me for the night, Captain.”

Without waiting for Blake’s response, Yang gets up and makes her way back to the crowded bar. Blake watches her talk to Qrow, the tavern owner, before disappearing up the stairs.

She waits a minute, two, finishes her drink, scans the crowd. Sun is busy flirting with a local. No one is paying attention to her. She follows Yang upstairs.

As soon as she steps inside the room, Yang closes the door behind her. “Is this an ambush?” Blake teases.

“Of sorts.” Yang places her human hand flat against Blake’s stomach, and pushes lightly until her back hits the wall. Blake looks at Yang’s mouth. She feels almost dizzy with desire, imagining those lips on her. Yang steps closer. She rests her hook near Blake’s face, against the wall. There’s a flash of hesitation in her eyes, as she exhales, lips parted, looking at Blake, waiting… Blake grabs the collar of Yang’s shirt, and pulls her down. She’s done with waiting. She has a victory to celebrate.

They kiss. Yang’s lips taste like rum with a faint hint of salt. Blake slides a thigh between Yang’s legs, greedy, and slips her tongue inside Yang’s mouth when she moans. 

It’s a great kiss, so great that when Yang pulls back to breathe, Blake lets out a small whimper of protest. Smiling, Yang brings her hand up to Blake’s face, holding her jaw with warm calloused fingers, staring at her. The wonder in her eyes takes Blake’s breath away, like a kick in the chest. She touches Yang’s hook, softly, the smooth, cold metal, fingers trailing up to the leather gauntlet and the wooden stump, following up Yang’s arm to the hard point of her elbow, the taut muscle of her bicep. Yang swallows. Her cheeks are dusted with pink, and Blake suddenly wants nothing more than to spend days touching her, exploring with her fingertips the fierce Dragon of the seas. For a moment, they slow to a halt, Blake’s hand on Yang’s arm, Yang’s eyes on her mouth, and it feels like they’re on the brink of something - 

And then, Yang spins Blake around so that she’s facing the wall, and Blake doesn’t think about anything anymore but the press of Yang’s warm body against her back.

***

When Blake wakes up, a few hours later, Yang is long gone.

So is the map. 

***

“Xiao Long!”

The voice carries far, reaching the prowl of the ship, and Yang’s ears. She peers over board.

Blake Belladonna stands on the docks in front of the Summer Thorn, framed by Sun Wukong and Ilia Amitolia, long fitted purple coat flowing in the breeze, hair tied under a black tricorn hat with a broad golden brim, two sharp sabers hanging from her belt. Her face is grim, her eyes cold. Yang feels a pang of remorse, which she promptly swallows down.

She tips her own hat. “Captain. What can I do for you?” She puts some charm in her voice, aware of the eyes of her crew on them both. 

Blake glares. “I want the map.”

Yang caresses the wooden railing of the Summer Thorn, nonchalantly. “Which one? I got plenty of ‘em.”

“The one you stole from us!” Ilia retorts, impatiently, raising her flint pistol. Ruby reacts in a heartbeat, her own weapon aimed at Ilia, ready to fire. 

The last thing Yang wants is an outward brawl - not so close to their goal. She puts her hands out, looking at Blake. “I’m sure we can solve this without bloodshed, Captain.”

Blake’s face doesn’t change. “I want a duel. You owe me as much.” Yang considers her. Blake is deadly with a blade, and deadlier with two. She’s never fought her, but she’s watched, and heard enough, to know they are evenly matched. Accepting shouldn’t even cross her mind.

But Blake is right - Yang owes her. She may be a pirate, but it won’t be said she won without honor. And last night felt… She nods. “Deal.”

“Yang, no,” Weiss whispers furiously. “What if you lose?”

Yang grins. “Have you so little faith in me?” To Blake, she yells, “Come aboard, you and your people. Let’s have ourselves a duel, Belladonna.”

In a matter of minutes, the deck is cleared. Yang and Blake face each other in the middle, alone. Everyone else has scattered to the sides, leaving them ample space to move. The rules are simple: the first one to say the words “I surrender” loses. Winner gets the map.

Yang has shed her vest and hat, and rolled the sleeves of her shirt above the elbows, baring the part where her arm ends and the metal hook begins. Her hair is tamed under her orange handkerchief, to keep from falling in her eyes. In her other hand, she twirls her cutlass. 

Blake is wielding both her swords. She watches Yang, lips pressed in a stubborn line. Yang doesn’t know if it’s wishful thinking, or if she really catches Blake’s eyes lingering a bit too long on the dip of her shirt.

But there’s no time for such considerations. Weiss blows her quartermaster whistle - the fight begins.

They circle each other, eyes sharp, careful. Yang tries a few hits. Blake blocks them all easily. not once breaking a sweat. She retaliates, but Yang parries with her blade, and makes her stumble backward.

It’s like that for a while - the two of them testing each other - until Blake suddenly picks up the pace. She darts on the left, twirls around Yang, fences on her right, slashing a line of fire on Yang’s shoulder. She’s so quick, Yang barely dodges her next hit, a stab to the chest. She manages to knock Blake’s sword away, but not before it snags a button off her shirt, leaving her collarbones exposed. 

Blake retreats, a satisfied little smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Yang, breathing a bit heavily, laughs. “Belladonna, you’re gonna have to try harder than that if you want to get my clothes off.”

“You and I both know that’s not true,” Blake retorts. She’s trying hard for indifference, but Yang notices the way her jaw tightens. She uses the distraction, and charges. 

Blake puts up a good fight, but under the full strength of Yang’s assault, she has no other choice but to fall back. Soon, Yang has her pressed to the railing. She takes a wide swipe at her. Blake, in an impressive demonstration of acrobatic skills, jumps up and backward, feet landing on top of the railing as Yang’s blade sinks into the wood. But the railing is damp with seawater, and Blake slips. Just before she falls overboard, Yang catches her by the belt, stabilizing her. Blake exhales in surprise. Yang winks. "You know, I can think of a few easier ways to get you wet." 

Blake glares. She twists from Yang’s hold, vaults from the railing and reaches the main mast. Yang frees her weapon from the wood. She turns just in time to see Blake dropping her swords, spinning around the mast and using one of the sailing ropes to launch herself at Yang.

She’s unarmed, yet she’s never been more terrifying. There’s nothing Yang can do to evade the attack - Bake is coming too fast. So instead, Yang drops her weapon as well, and opens her arms, catching Blake by the waist as she drives her boots into Yang’s ribcage. They both tumble to the ground in a mess of limbs. Yang’s back hits the planks of the deck, hard. Blake lands on top of her, knocking the air out of her lungs. 

Dizzy, eyes burning with instinctive tears at the pain, Yang doesn’t move. Something small and sharp presses against the skin of her neck. When she looks up, Blake is sitting on her hips, holding a knife to her throat. Yang’s heart beats fast, a mix of adrenaline and fear and something else. Something exhilarating. From so close, she can see the sweat on Blake’s brow, she can feel the flex of Blake’s legs around her. The sun, high in the sky, is eclipsed by the gold of Blake’s eyes. 

Blake smiles. "Not the first time I’ve found you in a compromising position, Captain Xiao Long,” she says, with the smooth satisfaction of someone who thinks they’ve won.

Yang commits this sight to memory, Blake victorious, smug, on top of her. Then she pushes her heels against the deck, grabs Blake’s wrist, twists, and with one powerful jerk, dislodges Blake while making her drop the knife. ”If my memory is correct,” Yang says, wincing as pain flares in her wounded shoulder, “I was the one on top."

There’s a brief scuffle, but Blake’s no match for Yang in hand-to-hand combat. It ends with Blake forced on her knees, the tip of Yang’s hook tilting her chin up. Yang breathes out, once, twice. Her crew is cheering. She did it: the map is hers. And yet…

Blake’s eyes are locked on hers, refusing to look away. She’s not cowering in defeat - quite the opposite. Yang reads defiance in her eyes, and pride in the thin line of her mouth, and suddenly Yang’s heart breaks at the idea of making Blake yield. She can’t do it. She’s not the Navy ; she won’t take pleasure in crushing a brave spirit under her heel for the sake of victory.

So before Blake can say anything, she pulls her hook back, and says, loud enough for everyone to hear, “I surrender”. 

***

Blake follows Yang to her cabin, blood beating in her throat. She’s not sure what she expects, but it’s certainly not the cup of rum Yang offers her. 

She takes it, surveying the room. There’s a bed, in the corner, and a massive desk of polished wood, covered in maps and papers and navigation tools. Yang pushes the mess away from one edge, so she can hop on the desk and sip her own drink.

“Good fight,” she says. Her eyes are on Blake. Her face is sweaty, flushed, eyes still tinted red. Suddenly, Blake can’t look at her. Instead she points at the blood staining Yang’s shirt.

“Are you going to clean that?”

“Later.”

There’s a silence. Blake downs the rest of her drink, and steels her nerves.

“Why did you bring me here?” she demands, calmly. “You could have won.”

Yang’s finger follows the rim of her glass. “I’m… sorry I took that map from you.”

Blake cocks her head. That’s unexpected. Pirates don’t apologize for stealing - it’s what they do.

“I’m especially sorry for the way I did it.” Yang looks up. There’s regret in her eyes, and something underneath it, something raw and powerful and vulnerable that has Blake blinking, her chest hurting with sudden emotion. “But this map is important to me. To my crew. We want to take down the Atlas Navy, Blake. We want to get rid of them once and for all, so we can make the ocean our home without being constantly hunted. But to do that, I need gold.”

She pauses again. Blake’s stomach is bubbling with excitement.

“I need to find Salem’s treasure. And the map I stole from you is our only lead.”

“You want to go after the Navy?” Blake asks, low and hopeful. She’s considered it before, of course - an all-out fight against the people who want them dead - but she never thought they stood a chance. Her wild, joyous, brave, undisciplined crew against the full might and resources of Atlas. 

Yang looks her in the eye. “I do. And I don’t want to have to fight you. I want to fight the Navy with you.”

Blake considers the offer. It’s an easy choice.

“Partners?” she asks, raising her glass.

“Partners,” Yang replies, raising hers. 

And they drink, staring at each other, to new beginnings.