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jarmes · 6 years ago

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Birdcage Chapter IV

Masterpost - Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

Downswing, or: the wager that should not have been taken

Cross and Firebrand led us into the castle throne room, a large open hall filled with golden pillars and crystal chandeliers. Hanging from the walls were paintings of long-dead royals. A scarlet carpet led to a staircase at the end of the room. Atop the stairs sat a golden throne, and atop the throne sat his majesty, King Tasciovanus von Cieleta. We bowed as soon as we saw him.

The King was an old man, a descendant of a vampire slayer who save the Kingdom of Cieleta. He wore a white tunic and a maroon cape. A golden crown sat atop his head and a rapier hung at his side. And yet, he didn’t look intimidating. He was thin, his clothes hanging loose around his frail body. His hair had long since begun to fall out and wrinkles from years of worry covered his face. And his eyes, his eyes were empty.

“It is my honor to welcome you to this prestigious organization,” he wheezed. “For years, the Knights of Cieleta have protected my family and my people.”

He lifted himself from the throne and hobbled over to us, drawing his rapier and placing it on the woman with a mohawk’s shoulder. He asked for her name, asked her why she joined the Knights, and assigned her to Squad IV. He repeated this process with the other two recruits, placing both of them in Squad III. Then he came to me.

“What is your name?” he asked while placing his rapier on my shoulder.

“Ernest, your majesty,” I said. “Ernest James Zuckerman.”

“Zuckerman,” he repeated. “Why have you decided to become a knight, Zuckerman?”

“I want to be a hero, like my grandfather before me. I want to fight evil and protect the innocent. I want to give hope to the hopeless.”

A slight smile formed on his face. “I am happy to hear that, Ernest,” he said. “Now then, what should we do with you? Squads II and VIII are both in need of swordsman such as yourself.”

I attempted to hide my frown, but the King saw it anyway. “No, that wouldn’t be right, would it?” he said. “I think I’ll place you on Squad V.”

The king returned to his throne. “The fate of my kingdom is in your hands now,” he said.

After handing the other recruits over to their respective Captains, Cross took me to Squad V’s barracks, a room full of trunks and bunk beds built located in the palace gate. A dozen knights hung out around the room, chatting, sleeping, or playing card games with one another. Of the twelve knights, I knew only one: an archer by the name of MacDonald who sat alone in a bunk reading a book.

Cross cleared his throat and his men came to attention. “I’d like to introduce you to our newest recruit, Private Ernest Zuckerman,” he said. “He’ll be working with us for the foreseeable future.”

One of the Knights, a guy in his twenties with a scraggly beard wearing a red bandana, came up to me and offered his hand. “I’m Lieutenant Connors,” he said as I shook his hand. “I’m Calvin’s second in command.”

“I have a meeting I need to attend,” Cross said. “Connors, would you mind introducing Zuckerman to the others?”

“I’d be happy to, sir.”

Connors places his arm around my shoulder and led me through the barracks, pointing at people and calling out their names. “That’s Mathews, he’s our monster expert. Over there are Rayburn and Grant, they handle equipment. Carlisle and Hendorf are our resident mages, Kaplan’s our medic, and Marple, Mallory, Rizzo, Harper, MacDonald, and myself all handle combat. Got it?” he said in the span of five seconds.

I meekly nodded my head. “Great!” he said as he led me over to a card table covered in coins. “Up for a little card game?”

“What game?”

“Ever played Black Aces?”

I shook my head as he pulled a deck of playing cards out from under his bandana. Connors shuffled the cards and spread them facedown on the table. “Rules are simple,” he said. “We take turns drawing cards. The last card you draw determines how many your opponent draws during their next turn. Face cards are worth ten, and we go until one of us draws an ace.”

“What happens then?”

“That’s when things get interesting. If it’s an ace of hearts or diamonds, you win. If its an ace of spades or clubs, you lose.”

“So it’s just a game of luck?”

“Is that a problem? At the end of the day, life is nothing more than a game of luck. If I’m going to be fighting alongside you, I’d like to know if you’re lucky enough to be trusted.”

Connors grabbed a single card from the table and showed it to me. It was the three of clubs. “Draw three, Zuckerman.”

I pulled three cards from the table, the eight of spades, nine of clubs, and five of diamonds in that order. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Not bad,” Connors said as he drew another card.

Connors stared at it for a moment before placing it face up in front of me. “Ace of clubs,” he said. “Lucky you.”

A few of the other squad members cheered and patted me on the back. Some of them poked Connors in the ribs and made fun of him for losing to the new guy. Connors rolled his eyes. “Beginner’s luck,” he said. “I’ll bet anything he’d lose if we went again.”

“I don’t know about that, I’ve always been pretty lucky,” I said. “Why don’t we go again and see which of us is right?”

Connors raised an eyebrow before smiling. “Okay, but if we’re going to go again we should make it interesting and actually wager something,” he said while shoving all of the coins on the table into a neat pile. “When you came in, we were playing cards and I’d just earned a neat sum of money. If I pick up the next black ace, you can have all of the coins on the table. Of course, you’ll have to put up your own wager.”

“I don’t have anything valuable on me.”

“Sure you do. That armor’s covered in mud, but I can see that it’s made of some pretty nice metal.”

“This armor is a family heirloom, I can’t give it to you.”

“Then lend it to me. If you lose, you give me your armor for a week. That’s a fair wager, considering how much money I’ve got on the table. Besides, you’ve always been pretty lucky, right?”

Connors shuffled the deck and spread it back out on the table. I drew a single card, the king of clubs. “That means you draw ten, right?” I said with a smirk.

In an instant, Connors swiped ten cards from the table. He held them between his fingers, showing them off to the room. None of them were aces. “Draw two, Ernest,” he whispered.

I drew a three and an eight. Before I could say anything Connors grabbed his eight cards. He slammed them down on the table. No aces. The final card was a jack. I drew my ten cards, one at a time, my heart pounding in my chest. The other squad members had long since gone silent, entranced by the game. Finally, I drew my final card. It, like each of the cards that came before it, was not an ace.

Connors drew six card, I drew four cards, and Connors drew seven cards. Still, an ace did not appear. Four cards remained on the table. Each of which, by process of elimination, was an ace. “Would you look at that?” Connors said, a bead a sweat dripping down from his bandana. “You’ve actually been getting pretty lucky with your draws.”

“There are two red aces left and two black ones left. That means, regardless of what happens, this will determine who wins.”

I gulped and hovered my hand on one of the cards. Then Connors smiled. It happened in only a fraction of a second, but I saw it. A smile from someone who shouldn’t have known what was on the other side of the card. I moved my hand to the side and picked a different card.

It was the ace of spades. Connors let out a deep breath. “That was close, wasn't it?” he said while pushing the cards into a neat pile.

“Yeah, it was,” I muttered.

A few minutes later I found myself sitting on a blanket free bunk, shivering in my underwear while Connors tried on my armor. MacDonald was still on his bed, reading his book. He glanced at me and sighed before tossing me a blanket.

“Thank you,” I said.

“The chattering of your teeth was distracting,” he said before returning to his book.

I looked over at the other knights. They were testing my armor by hitting Connors in the chest with various weapons. “You know they were hazing you, right?” MacDonald said without moving his eyes from his book.

“What?”

“Black aces, it’s a game Connors uses to mess with new recruits. It isn’t the type of game you can actually win.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you examine the deck before Connors shuffled it?”

“No.”

“If you did, you would have probably noticed something strange.”

“What?”

“The fact that there are two cards missing.”

I thought back to the second game. Specifically, I thought about the amount of cards that each of us had drawn. MacDonald was right, there had only been fifty cards instead of the standard fifty-two.

“The ace of hearts and ace of diamonds are missing from that deck,” MacDonald said. “Because of that fact, it is impossible for you to draw a winning card.”

“I could have still won if Connors grabbed one of the black aces.”

“Do you really think he would have done that?”

I thought back to the end of the game, at the slight smile Connors had made when I hovered over the cards. He knew which cards were black aces.

“He put a special mark on the black aces, small enough that you wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for it,” MacDonald said. “That way, he can make sure he doesn’t eliminate himself when there’s money on the line. Plus, it allows him to fake a loss when he’s introducing the game to sucker you into playing.”

“So I was doomed from the start?”

“Don’t take it personally, Connors does it to all of the new recruits. If it makes you feel better, you came pretty close to messing up his plan. If you’d drawn one of the two cards that wasn’t an ace, you wouldn’t have won, but you would’ve made him own up to his bullshit. How’d you pull that off, anyway?”

“I got lucky,” I said while rubbing my head.

Captain Cross came back not long after. Glancing at me, he sighed. “I don’t even want to know,” he said.

“Do you have a mission for us, sir?” Connors asked.

“Yes, I do. According to the Temple, a large amount of monsters have appeared in the catacombs beneath the city. Squad V has been tasked with clearing them out. Unfortunately, I have meetings to attend all day, so we will be unable to head out until tomorrow morning.”

“We can handle it without you,” Connors said with a smile. “Besides, we’ve got the new guy to fill in for you.”

“I was hoping to give Ernest a few weeks of training before sending him out in the field.”

“I can handle it, sir,” I said while jumping to my feet. “I’ve been training for ten years. I’m more than ready.”

Cross glanced around the room. “Well, if you think you can handle this, I see no reason to stand in your way,” he said.

I borrowed a leather tunic from one of the other squad members and set out on my first mission. We left the palace and traveled through the streets of the Capital. It was a sunny day and the city was bustling with people working and walking about. We received smiles and waves as we passed through the crowds on our way to the Temple.

“There’re miles of tunnels beneath the city,” Connors said as we walked. “Natural caves, sewers, storm drains, military bunkers, burial crypts, that kind of thing. An interconnected maze of abandoned garbage beneath the city. With the exception of the passageway to the crypts in the Temple basement, all of it’s been closed off. The thing is, these tunnels are monster breeding grounds, so we have to go in and clean them out every once in a while.”

The Temple stood on the western side of the city. It was a beautiful old building, with marble pillars and stained glass covered spires. Seven stone statues stood in front of the church, effigies of the seven deities who created the world. A statue of the holy mother, the patron of Cieleta, stood taller than the others. I bowed my head and whispered a quick prayer as I walked past it.

Grandfather took me to the Temple throughout my youth. By the time I joined the Knights, I knew each of the clerics by name. The head priestess, Sister Nancy, was a close friend of my grandfather. She greeted me with a hug as soon as I entered the temple. “Congratulations on becoming a knight, Ernest. I’m so proud of you,” she said.

“Thank you, Sister Nancy,” I wheezed. “Would you mind hugging a little less tightly?”

Sister Nancy led us to the Temple’s basement, a dark room filled with old books. A large iron gate split the room in half. A staircase leading into the crypts sat on the other side of the gate. “Good luck,” Sister Nancy said as we descended into the catacombs.

I was put in charge of carrying the torch as we traveled through the catacombs. The dim glow of showed me an endless room filled with stone coffins. “The crypts can be a little scary for new recruits,” Connors said. “Don’t worry, the people in those boxes are going to stay dead. Probably.”

Connors led us to a small hole on one of the crypt’s walls. “This leads out of the crypts and into the catacombs proper,” he said.

As I passed through the hole, I finally saw the walls of the crypt. They were covered in skulls. I screamed and dropped the torch. “The walls!” I shouted. “They’re, they’re-”

“They’re covered in bones, we know,” Connors said. “Not an architecture choice I’m especially fond of, if I’m going to be honest.”

Connors reached down and grabbed the still lit torch. He leaned in and punched me in the stomach. “Don’t drop the torch again, okay?” he said.

I followed the others through the hole into a tunnel with a circular brick ceiling. A thirty-foot wide, fast flowing river ran through the tunnel, with eight-foot wide concrete walkways on either side. The tunnel stretched as far in both directions. “What is this place?” I asked.

“It’s an underground river the Knights converted into a storm drain,” Connors said.

A bat flew out of the darkness, charging at Connors. Without flinching, he drew a pair of playing cards from his bandana and threw them at the bat. The cards pierced the bat’s wings, sending it crashing down in front of him. Connors grabbed a hatchet from his belt and swung it on the bait, cutting off its head.

I leaned in and looked at the bat, and noticed that it had two pointy horns protruding from its head and a single red eye in the center of its forehead. A few seconds after Connors decapitated it, its body turned to dust. “That, new guy, is what we call a monster,” Connors said. “Keep your eyes open or they’ll get you.”

Connors held his arm out and the playing cards flew back to his hand. I heard a growling coming from farther down the tunnel. I held the torch in front of me and shined its light on a large wolf with glowing red eyes and tangled black fur. I drew my sword as the wolf jumped at me. Before I could strike it, an arrow flew by my head and hit the wolf in the eyes. It crashed down next to me and howled in pain. I stabbed it in the stomach and it turned to dust.

“You got one, new guy!” Connors said while patting me on the back.

I looked over my shoulder and saw MacDonald holding his bow. Without a word, he walked over to the dust pile, grabbed his arrow, and placed it back in his quiver. The squad continued through the tunnel, killing any monsters we came across.

About a mile from where we entered, we came across a side tunnel. We walked through it and came across a circular cistern, with pillars stretching to the ceiling and an ankle deep pool of water. Our feet created ripples that spread through the water. As we reached an archway on the other end the cistern, Connors raised his hand and signaled for us to stop.

We stopped, but the ripples kept traveling across the surface of the pool. In fact, the seemed to get stronger as time went on. That’s when I heard it, the deep thud of large feet stomping through the tunnel.

I turned around to see a fifteen-foot tall man with green skin, a large belly, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. It held a large club, the size of a tree trunk, in its oversized hand as it slowly walked towards us. “It’s an ogre,” someone whispered.

Connors walked forward. “Stand back, I’ve got this,” he said as he threw his hatchet.

The hatchet curved between the pillars and struck the ogre in the back of the head. Connors smiled. “Bullseye,” he said.

Those were the last words he ever spoke. The ogre, enraged, charged at us and swung its club down at Connors. The force of the blow sent him crashing through one of the stone pillars, landing in the pool of water. His bandana, knocked from his head, fluttered down into a pile of blood and playing cards.

I dropped the torch and ran.

#birdcage #writing #fantasy #webnovel #this is a day late because my wifi broke

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taenin88 · 3 years ago

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All Too Well

Just a quick angst drabble i wrote just bec- 🙂

Jungkook x Reader

It was a nice day, you and Jungkook were cuddling on his couch, when the doorbell rang. He went to go see who was at the door, and to his ultimate surprise- it was his mom.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

"Hi, baby. Can't i visit my baby boy anymore? I missed you."

He was truly shocked because she never visited him without notice. He was awfully unprepared.

More so, for his mom to meet you. He wasn't ready for that interaction yet.

He was frustrated and overreacting, he couldn't even tell you to hide until it was too late already. His mom already saw you.

"And who might this be? Is she your girlfriend? You never told me you had a girlfriend baby boy!" Jungkook's mom inquired, as she eyed you up and down judging you.

It took your boyfriend a minute to answer her questions, while you stood there pathetically- looking somewhere at the wall.

"What? She's- no one important mom. I mean- she's just here to clean up the place. She works for the cleaning services, she's not my girlfriend." Jungkook said and never looked at you, as your heart broke into tiny little pieces.

You couldn't believe the words he said. Was he truly ashamed of you? He couldn't even acknowledge you as his friend.

"Oh. Sorry my baby," she told Jungkook then she looked at you.

"Anyway, can you resume your job later hun? My son and I have to go somewhere right now."

"Um- sure ma'am." was all you could say. Too sad to even be angry.

"Baby boy, let's go! We'll have dinner with the Lee's, and guess who's gonna be there? Mina! I'm sure you'd love to see her. You were so enamored with her after all."

Jungkook followed his mom out the door, but paused for a second to glance at you- then never looked back.

A/N: I'm sad cos our wifi's wire got cut and im on my period 💀 Jk's mom is meant to be cringy btw, JK is a mama's boy, and his mom likes to spoil him too. she calls him baby boy cos she's weird like dat lol.

#jeon jungkook #bts imagines #jungkook smut #bts smut #bts reactions #jungkook x reader #bts x reader #jungkook scenarios #bts jungkook #jungkook fanfic #enemies to lovers #bts fanfics #jungkook imagines #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff #jungkook x you #bts imagine #jungkook drabbles

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chezzywezzy · 3 years ago

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Yandere Brahms Heelshire (2/5)

Word count ; 4.0k

Songs : Cries in Vain

*Edited:3

Bring… Bring…

From beside me, the phone suddenly started up. Who’s calling this late in the evening? It was already eight p.m. I sighed, setting my bookmark in the almost completed sci-fi novel.

I rolled to the other side of the bed, accidentally squishing Brahms into me, and lifted up the old-fashioned device. “Hullo?” I greeted in annoyance.

“Oh my god, bitch.”

“Ryleigh? Oh my god! Thank god you called, there’s no signal or WIFI or anything out here so my cell phone doesn’t work!” I exclaimed, fully scrambling to the phone.

“Girl, I’ve been spamming you like crazy! And who the hell wouldn’t have WIFI these days, are you good?” she complained.

“I know right? Dude, this place is crazy, but in the tamest way possible - god, I really need to catch you up. Also, I love you and miss you dearly, you should definitely come the hell over here for vacay.”

“Woah, woah, unlike you, I’m a sane person who doesn’t bunk in a stranger’s house in a completely new country. But… I could be swayed. Anyways, tell me the tea.”

“Well, I’m doing a job for potential crazy people. I’m… babysitting a doll. I think they’re still grieving the death of their kid, because Brahms definitely existed at some point. But these people are super old.”

“Seriously? Makes sense they don’t have WIFI if they’re crazy old people.”

“Yep. Checks out. On the plus side, I’m babysitting a doll and I’m living in a house that’s the size of a castle. I’ve been in at least ten rooms, but there’s four floors, and if there’s about six rooms down each hallway… Hell, there could be up to fifty rooms. It’s insane, one of these days I gotta go exploring.”

“Fucking definitely. Maybe it’s one of those old houses that has secret passage ways in the closets,” she agreed.

“Mhm, exactly. And besides this, I’m really able to just… relax and work on myself. I’ve gotten back into jogging and eating healthy. I have so much time to do self-care. I used to describe myself as a people person, but it’s so great to be by myself t.b.h.”

“I get that. I know I usually don’t talk seriously, but I was worried. Especially with all the problems Jason caused. That guy’s psycho and your mental health was destroyed from that. I’m proud of you for making the right decision.”

“Thanks, babe. So, what’s been going on back home?”

“T.b.h., I should definitely take the same path you did. There’s still no work available in this town, and my part-time job won’t take me back,” Ryleigh fussed. “Oh, b.t.w, people are missing you. I keep telling friends you went abroad and they congratulated you. And were you serious about vacay-ing to England? ‘Cause I’m totally down for that.”

“You’re always welcome. I don’t know when they’re coming back, but in a mansion, it’ll be easy for you to sneak around once they come back.”

“If they’re so rich, there’s gotta be some hella good wine, right?” she inquired. “All rich snobs have that.”

“No, sorry, I tossed it all out. You know I’m trying to sober up. No beer, no wine, no coke - nothing,” I replied, sitting up and pulling Brahms to my chest.

“Aw, man. Oh - I forgot to tell you the most important part of the day, although I’m not sure you want to hear it,” she chuckled nervously.

“Oh, god. Spill.”

“Well, uh, the other day I had to call the police because a certain dickwad broke into my apartment,” she started.

“Oh my god. Oh, my god. I’m so, so sorry —“

“Girl! No! Shut the fuck up, no. Anyways, let me continue. After a thorough investigation of my house, I don’t think he found what he was looking for. And he definitely had at least a few days in prison - that is, if his rich bitch parents don’t bail him out again.”

“Holy shit. Ryleigh, I’m sorry he’s harassing you again,” I apologized, trying to hold in the tears.

“No way are you apologizing. This isn’t your fault. At all. Jason’s insane. He’s a bad person. You don’t deserve this and neither do I, but eventually he’ll let up. And besides, he can’t find you and I’m definitely gonna kick his ass the next time he shows his face.”

“That town ain’t big enough for the both of you, huh?” I giggled, already sufficiently comforted by my best friend.

“Exactly! See, you get it. Hey, do you have a pen?”

“Yeah,” I said, reaching over and tearing a piece of a page out. Sorry, book.

“My number is - ***-****-****.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll call you tomorrow night, aight? You called me right as I was winding down for the night.”

“You’re kidding! Isn’t it only eight or something?”

“Yeah, I know, but I’ve really managed my sleep schedule the past few days.”

“I applaud you for your efforts. Call me in the morning for you because no way in hell am I waking up this early again. Like, I love you, but mornings are ew.”

“Got it. But won’t you already be drunk by five?”

“Ha-ha. Very funny. Love you, bye bitch.”

“Bye bitch, love you too.”

I hung up and set the phone down. If there was anything I missed currently other than the occasional urge was my best friend. But it was worrisome. Hopefully… No, Jason wasn’t going to find me. Things were fine.

“And, on this note, Brahms, I’m hella tired, my tiny porcelain dude. Time to hit the hay while my stalker is potentially on the way.”

~~~

Make the bed, check. Brush my teeth, check. Kiss the cute doll good morning, check. So, having completed my morning rituals, I picked up Brahms and opened my bedroom door. Why I felt the need to close it in the first place, I had no clue.

I opened the door, but I was surprised when a paper fluttered across the floor. “Huh?” I crouched down, picking up the yellow sheet. My heart raced as I recognized the cursive writing —

Brahms’ rule sheet.

I gulped and decided to observe my surroundings. Brahms’ room was across from mine. The door was wide open. There must’ve been a consistent draft last night… Yes, that made sense.

I grabbed the paper and balled it up in my fists. That paper seriously pissed me off for giving me such a fright. I tossed it into the room and shut the door.

“Man, Brahms, that scared the hell out of me. For a second, I lived in a world where you were haunted,” I tittered. “Anyways - time to fix the trauma with some toast.”

I evacuated the hallway and raced to the kitchen. I was in my yoga pants and crop top, as I was probably going to go for a run soon. Nothing was more refreshing than being covered head to toe in sweat and barely being able to walk, you know?

So, I spent my morning productively. I finished showering just around lunch time and went to the kitchen, where I’d left Brahms sitting in one of the high seats. I should make a tuna Sala sandwich for lunch —

“Ah, Miss Y/n, I was wondering where you were!”

I screamed when, upon entering the kitchen, Malcolm made an appearance. The kitchen was probably stocked up, but for the second time, the man had scared the hell out of me - and it was unwelcome after the incident that morning.

“Malcolm! We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” I exclaimed, glaring playfully when he keeled over laughing.

“And you’ve got to be more on guard, Miss Y/n,” he managed out. “I do make my rounds every weekend, after all.”

I huffed. “Touche.” I leaned against the counter. “Sticking around for lunch? I do make a mean sandwich.”

“Well, not to be a free-loader, but I figured you could use some company. Plus, I’m sure you have a lot of questions, since I know the… doll situation is odd,” he accepted.

I got to work, taking out a bowl and the necessary ingredients. “Well, it’s not really any of my business. All I needed to know is that Brahms is a great teddy bear.”

“Really now?” he snickered. “The doll tends to creep me out, but to each their own.”

“I like dolls. I know people usually think that because they’re human-like they’re creepy, but I find comfort in a mini-human friend,” I giggled. I dumped tuna, cheese, and mayonnaise into the bowl, stirring. “How’s your week been?”

“As good as any. If you couldn’t tell, except for this part of my job, working at a store’s pretty boring. This is the most interesting part of my week - not to mention, I’m talking to a pretty girl.”

“Smooth,” I tutted, poking his chest teasingly. Malcolm was a fairly attractive man, I acknowledged that. But I wasn’t planning to make any moves until I thoroughly got to know him. I felt too hollow from all the friends with benefits I had, and not to mention my experience with Jason. So this time, I wanted to enter a real, good, serious relationship. “Can you get out some bread and plates? We can boil some vegetables, if you’d like.”

“Only sandwiches for now.” He did as asked, so I spread the mixture on some bread and formed the sandwiches. I finished my work with a satisfied sigh, quick to take a bite. “My my, manners, we should sit down first.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “God, that’s such a British thing to say. ‘My my! Manners!’” I imitated.

He shook his head with a grin. “You’re in a country full of us, so watch it, lady.”

“How intimidating. Anyways, aren’t my sandwiches incredible? I’d make a great housewife,” I bragged, digging into the food as I sat at the dining table.

“Don’t quite be so full of yourself, I have yet to see evidence that you can take care of Brahms, a doll,” he teased. “But yes, it’s delectable.”

“Hey now, I said ‘wife,’ not mom,” I defended with a pout. “Besides, that’s a little sexist. Maybe I don’t want kids.”

“O - Oh, I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention —“

“Calm your tits lover boy, I was just joshing you,” I reassured. “How can I not when you’ve got such a ‘delectable’ accent?”

We finished our sandwiches, and I noted that the house probably needed some general repairs, as I heard distant creeks all over the house. I collected his plates after a polite back-and-forth about doing the dishes.

“Are you planning to stick around or do you have work?” I asked, stacking the plates.

“Well, aside from the delivering groceries and eating your lunch, I was planning to ask you out. I figured you’ve been cooped up in the house enough that maybe you’d be interested in watching a movie?”

I bit my lip. A movie. Not the pub, not a club, and not a bar. What could go wrong? Malcolm was nice and I could use the excursion. “Sure, yeah. No pressure, but it’s solely depending on you for me to have a good time,” I said with a wink while heading into the kitchen.

“Well, m’lady, I’ll try not to disappoint. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”

~~~

I stared at my suitcase, comparing my options. It was technically a date, so wouldn’t it be good to wear a dress? But we were still just going to see a movie, and it’s not like it was formal… I bit my lip and stared at the doll. Smiling mockingly, I held up an outfit of jeans and a t-shirt and the dress.

“Well, Brahmsy? What do ya think?” I took a second, eyes switching between the two outfits. “You’re right, jeans and shirt makes me look hot.” I laughed jovially, tossing the dress onto the bed and disappearing into the bathroom.

Long story short, I had a shower. A nice, comfortable shower. Once I hopped out, I almost had a heart attack when I saw the bathroom door cracked open. Ever since the paper accident, I’d been paranoid like an idiot. I was about to get dressed she I heard a loud thud from the hallway.

“Malcolm?” I called, but there was no reply.

I wasted no time pulling on my clothes before investigating, because if I’d learned anything from horror movies, it was that dying in a towel was embarrassing.

I wrapped my hair up in the towel and sighed when another knock sounded in the hallway. “Malcolm, just give me a moment!” I shouted. I paused when I saw the bedroom door slightly cracked.

I didn’t leave the door open.

No, no, Malcolm must’ve arrived. I sighed and tossed the towel on the bed instead. I didn’t want to keep him waiting. Out of habit, I waved to the doll as I exited, having grabbed my purse.

Wait, where was my dress? God, I was such a klutz, did I take it into the bathroom? Whatever.

A creak came from the hallway. Oh. I bet Malcolm was trying to scare me. To keep the joke running, right? I clutched my purse to my side, rolling my eyes as I entered into the dimly lit hallway.

“Ha-ha, very funny, Malcolm —"

I wildly investigated my surroundings. There was no Malcolm. Was I just hearing things? I knew he had a sense of humor, but the man would never dedicate to the bit this thoroughly.

No, I knew what I heard —

Why was the room door open? Okay, I was scared. I let out a squeak and went to retrieve my little inanimate buddy. Cradling the doll in my arms, I was able to gather enough confidence to investigate further.

“Well, Brahms, looks like we’ve got a potential home invader,” I whispered. Other than being my emotional support, Brahms was a weapon; and no way in hell was I hallucinating what I heard. Someone was in the house with me.

I entered Brahms’ bedroom. I steeled myself. My eyes surveyed two potential hiding spots. Under the bed and in the closet. I stepped into the room, taking one glance around. Anxiety took over. Nope, nope, nope, I wasn’t equipped with a proper weapon. Time to escape this house.

But then something caught my eye. I couldn’t help it as my feet automatically trudged over to the bedside table. Brahms’ rules. I reached out, lifting the paper. Was that heart always scribbled on the paper? Was I simply overreacting, and it was a copy that’d always been there?

I squinted my eyes.

Oh.

Oh, no.

The paper was crumpled. No, not crumpled, un-crumpled.

This was the paper I’d thrown.

As if on cue, the bedroom door slammed shut. A scream tore at my throat, ready to dart into the corner, but I had been locked in. My brain went on autopilot and, tossing Brahms onto the bed, I rushed over to the door. I jiggled the knob in vain.

“Help! Please! Take what you want and leave!” I screamed desperately. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I couldn’t see. The world was spinning around me.

I was trapped. There was someone in the house. I was in danger. Malcolm. I needed to get out, Malcolm would save me. Don’t lose your head, Y/n.

I stumbled back and fell onto the bed. Focus. Focus, Y/n. “Ceiling,” I choked out. “Ceiling, lightbulb. Lightbulb.” I felt around the bed, grasping and pulling the sheets until I felt the doll’s hands. “Doll. Brahms. Brahms. Doll. Ceiling. Lightbulb. Bed. Brahms. Brahms.” I held the porcelain child in my arms, rocking it. “It’s okay, Brahms. You’re okay. I’m… okay… Breathe, Y/n…”

I forced my eyes shut. I focused. Come on, Y/n, nothing would be solved by panicking. You were strong. You had to be. Whoever was in the house clearly wasn’t trying to hurt you. They were just trying to rob the house. That’s why they locked you in. Yes, that’s why I was locked in.

I opened my eyes and pushed Brahms off. I could do it. I sat up, getting right to work. I could try to break the window. “Brahms, keep watch,” I announced, determination in my tone. I went over to the dresser, grabbing the old toys and hurling the against the window. Every single one bounced right off, clattering on the ground. But, cracks were beginning to form, and that motivated me.

The window was small. And I was on the second story. I knew the glass would cut me, and the fall would hurt. But I had to get out. I would get out. And that’s when the miracle worker ended up right in my hands. A paper weight made of stone. I stood right in front of the window and hurled the rock at top speed.

The glass shattered. But the wood barricade was still intact. So, I raised my foot kicked clean through. Pain shot through my body as the glass cut through my jeans and stabbed into my leg.

I began pushing it out further, and every time I lost balance, it cut deeper. However, I kept pushing. Even with blood pooling at my feet. I kept pushing.

I let out a gasp of relief when it shot through. I stabilized myself. I thought things were going swimmingly, but I suddenly heard footsteps racing towards the door. Oh no. I had to move fast.

The knob was being turned. Come on, Y/n, move. I pushed the other half of my body through the window. The glass tore at my chest, my waist, everywhere. Blood and sweat was mixing together.

The door suddenly slammed open. The footsteps were approaching. With one last push, I sent myself hurling out the window, not without the twist of my foot on the way down.

I screamed.

My vocal cords were fried the whole way down. I didn’t have enough strength to coordinate my limbs, to protect my head, as I fell. All I could do was flip my body over mid-air.

“Malcolm!” I screeched.

The final thing I saw was a looming figure with short, dark hair from the second floor. And then things went black.

~~~

Laughter. Laughter was coming from the living room. My feet automatically moved towards the sound. One of the laughs, I knew like the back of my hand. But the other was unfamiliar, a high-pitched, bell-toned giggling from a woman.

Before my eyes could behold the scene, I could already smell the smoke. I entered the living room to confirm, that indeed, Jason was on the couch with a woman, smoking. They had been engrossed in a conversation, but paused when I entered the room.

“Hey sweet cheeks,” the woman grinned, winking. She was leaning on the couch, facing my boyfriend.

“Hi, who are you?” I inquired carefully. Jason had already scolded me for losing my shit last time I found strangers in the apartment. He said I was emotionally out of control. That I didn’t know how to think straight because I was jealous and insecure. So, I bit back a bitchy tone. I didn’t make assumptions.

Jason waved his hand, the smoke trailing. “Vanessa. My coworker.” He was staring intently at me. He was waiting for me to ask questions. To get upset. To make assumptions.

I wasn’t going to. Not now. I wasn’t going to… be that way. The way he said I acted. I should just focus on fixing my hangover. I could trust him. He was just trying to get a reaction. Vanessa was just a coworker.

I walked past them. Suddenly, the lights flickered. I paused. The lights flickered again, but this time, they flashed read. They kept flashing. My vision was getting blurry. I stumbled back.

The scene around me changed. I was in an empty hallway. The walls were metal. I was walking backwards, even though I was supposed to fall. I felt like I was falling.

A figure. His figure approached. With each flash, he was closer. In the cascade of red light, I saw his expression. The same expression he had when he was angry. Furrowed brows, a ferocious glare. But he always had a smirk. Not a grimace, a smirk. As if he enjoyed it when he was angry at me.

And then he was in front of me. And I fell. Back onto the metal, even if it felt like a fluffy cushion. I couldn’t feel anything. I was petrified as he loomed over me. He was a predator stalking his prey. The shadows swallowed his face, but I saw his eyes. His eyes filled to the brim with sexual intent.

I couldn’t breathe. My face was forced to the side by a slap. The slap echoed the hall. My ears were ringing. I couldn’t breathe. There was beeping in my head. I couldn’t breathe. The beeping was so loud, I couldn’t see. I couldn’t breathe.

I gasped and shot up, being met with an instant surge of pain through my body. Tears immediately sprung to my eyes when I felt restraints on my arms. My vision blurred and I struggled against the restraints.

Hands grabbed my body. They grabbed my arms, pushing me onto the bed. The light was dim and a person towered over me. It was him. It was him. It was him —

“Y/n, calm down, you’re safe!”

I froze upon recognizing the British accent. Malcolm. Malcolm…

I clasped his hands and intertwined my fingers with his desperately. Malcolm was here, so things were safe now. I blinked and breathed. In and out. In and out. In and out.

“Malcolm,” I whispered tediously.

I became ruefully aware that I was shaking. I took in my surroundings. The pale-tiled ceiling. The beeping from a heart rate machine, of which had spiked. The rails of a hospital bed. My leg in a cast. And best of all, Malcolm, peering down at me with nothing evil in his eyes, only concern and care.

My lips trembled and I tried not to cry again. I already embarrassed myself enough. I let go of one of his hands, clutching his other closer.

“Y/n, what happened? I drove up to the house and heard you screaming, next thing you know I found a shattered window and you. I was scared to death,” he started shakily.

“I love your accent,” I rambled. “Your accent - the best. That accent is phenomenal. I - I… There was an intruder. I was taking a shower, and then, and then, I heard something in the other room, so I checked, then I was locked in, and then, I - I needed to escape, so I tried to leave through the window, but I had to be quick because the person came in, and then I… I fell. But! But I saw him, her, whoever. They watched me as I fell. I swear it, Malcolm, someone was trying to hurt me.”

He clasped my shoulder and massaged it slightly. It calmed my nerved. “I believe you. I’ll send the police right over to investigate, okay? But you’re okay now, you just need to rest.”

I shut my eyes. “…But what if that person goes back?”

“The police will deal with it. Just rest. I’ll be right here.”

“Wh… what happened to me?”

“You have an almost broken leg and the glass cut you pretty hard. The doctors said you lucked out, since there’s no head trauma and no permanent damage,” Malcolm explained slowly.

“Oh… I’m sorry you have to deal with this, Malc —“

“Don’t apologize. Although this isn’t exactly how I thought the first date would go, the hospital is a little romantic, don’t you agree?”

I couldn’t help but grin. “Didn’t think you were a sadist.”

“Only when it suits me, my dear.”

#the boy 2016 #the boy #yandere #yandere brahms #brahms the boy #brahms x you #brahms hillshire #brahms heelshire #brahms x reader #yandere horror #horror #horror movies #horror films

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theslay3d · 2 years ago

Note

Jason Grace x sister!reader where the 7 meet her and she’s like cool and everything and they just think she’s awesome (maybe she does a cool sport like snowboarding)

Jason Grace x Sister!reader

Gender:Female

Warnings:none

Word count:1001

A/N this went in whole different direction HAHAH also i’m trying to get to all the asks my wifi is just not slaying btw had to upload this on my phone tumblr on my computer WONT SLAY

You were a Roman demigod. Daughter of Jupiter to be exact. You thought you might have been Greek because a satyr found you and brought you to camp half blood but the whole place felt off. It felt like you weren't supposed to be there. Which might be true as you still haven't gotten claimed and were older than thirteen.

Plus the Hero’s that usually help people into camp weren't even there; they were at the roman camp visiting friends. So there you were at camp in the Hermes cabin alone, well not physically as there were lots of hermes kids and unclaimed demigods but you felt alone.

Another thing is that before your life went to all of this craziness you did ballet. The one thing that helped you with everything and you couldn't even do it at the camp. Chrion was nice but you still haven't told him you felt like you weren't supposed to be there but you guessed he probably already knew.

Now you were outside on the dock even though you felt uneasy around all the water it was the only place to be alone. Plus the harpies wouldn’t come all the way out here. You didn't even notice you were crying until it hit you hand. You didn't want to cry, it seemed that's all you've been doing lately.

You closed your eyes and sighed breathing in the air around you. Then you heard a creak on the dock and quickly turned around to see who it was. It was Nico? You've heard of him at camp but havent seen him the whole time. “Hi?” you said to him with a questioning tone wondering what he was doing out here. “Hello” He replied back and sat near you but with a few feet in between you too.

“You're not supposed to be here” He broke the silence with that sentence. In your mind it kind of sound like a threat but you guessing its just because of what people say about him. He did look scary but also just emo. He looked like a kid too but you probably shouldn't say that out loud.

“I think your right”

“I know I am your roman not greek”

You tilted your head a little at him. How did he know that? The whole greek roman thing confused you anyway. “The roman camp is in California right?” You asked him. “Yes I can't really shadow travel you there but you can drive there” He replied back.

Your eyes widened driving? No thanks. “I'm guessing you dont like driving”. “No but can't I just…take a bus or something?”

“If you want to get attacked by monsters the whole time than be my guest”

You were thinking of ways to get there when Nico suggested that Argus drive you. That seemed good so you said that. Nico left shortly afterwards and you went back to your cabin or well the Hermes cabin.

***Next day***

You packed the small things you had which were mostly extra clothes and ballet stuff. You talked to Chrion about what Nico said and he agreed that you should go to the roman camp. After a few hours you were finally on the way. Nico decided to come too along with his boyfriend Will.

You were behind them in the van spinning your ring which turned into a sword. You didn't know where you got it from. It just ended up in your bag one day.

It took so long to get there but you were near the roman camp. Argus wouldn't take you directly but he dropped you about a mile away. You walked with Nico and Will in silence. “Thank you” You said to Nico.

“For what?”

“For telling me and taking me here”

It went silent after that until you made it to the camp. A blonde guy was standing there waiting for us, you guessed. You already had a guess who your godly parent was but once you stepped into camp it was confirmed. You were claimed by Jupiter immediately. It was weird to be claimed so quickly but who cares.

The blonde guy Jason turned his head to you. “Your a child of jupiter”

“Guess so” You smiled a little awkwardly. The camp was gorgeous. There were so many things everywhere your mind was going a little crazy.

You didn't know that Jason was also a child of Jupiter until he told you. Guess you have a sibling now? That was weird to think about you were always alone so having a sibling was weird. Jason took you on a tour as Nico and Will went off on their own things. You guys talked for a little bit getting to know each other but it still was awkward.

He took you to the dining hall(tbh i forgot where they ate at…ehhh au time!) There were so many people there and he led you to a table close to the corner. There were fewer people there, only about eight people. You and Jason both sat down and all the heads turned to you. “Guys, meet my sister, daughter of Jupiter.”

Most of their eyes widened until one girl must have noticed how scared you looked and quickly reached out her hand. “Hi im Hazel daughter of Pluto nice to meet you” You shook her hand and told her your name and then the rest of them introduced themselves.

So these were the heroes of olympus. You were kind of intimated but they all seemed nice especially Hazel you kind of stuck near her and Jason the whole time.

You guys all talked about stuff until you brought up that you did ballet and they all seemed interested in that. “Can you teach me?” The look-alike elf boy Leo asked. “I mean i can try”

They all thought you were so cool even though they were the ones that saved the world. They got excited over the simplest of things like ballet.

#jason grace fanfiction #jason grace x you #jason grace x reader #hero’s of olympus #hazel levesque #percy jackson #daughter of jupiter #leo valdez

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flightfoot · 4 years ago

Text

Perspective From Another Timeline

Thanks to my betas @steelblaidd and Izzybusy!

I ADORE @buggachat new Bakery Enemies AU. This idea just kept on swirling through my head, I had to write it! This is set between parts 13 and 14, so after Adrien meets Alya and Nino but before Marinette starts sympathizing with him. AO3

---------

“You okay?”

Alya shook her head, trying to clear it. “I’ll be fine. I’ve weathered worse than that - we both have.”

Nino grinned at her. “True that.”

Alya smiled at him fondly, remembering Heroes Day. It was a bittersweet memory, with her having been turned against Nino and them both being akumatized.

But they had fought to protect each other as best they could. She’d seen Prime Queen’s footage, how Carapace had struggled to get her to fight against Dark Cupid’s magic, how he’d only given into despair after she’d given into akumatization.

“What did that blast do to us?” Nino wondered. “Everyone else the akuma blasted just disappeared. Why’re we still here?”

Alya’s brow furrowed. “I dunno… hold on, let me check to see whether any new info on the akuma’s been uploaded.”

Pulling out her phone, she tapped on the Akuma News Alert app.

An error message popped up, telling her that she had no internet connection.

Puzzled, Alya checked her phone’s other settings.

No wifi - no wifi even recognized, much less connectable - no cell service, no connection to the outside world at all.

She glanced over at Nino. “Hey, you got any signal?”

Taking out his own phone, he quickly checked his connection. He shook his head. “Not a single bar.”

Frowning, Alya looked around. “Maybe all the cell towers were taken out?”

Everything looked intact though, no sign of any destruction at all.

Something else caught Alya’s eye. “Hey Nino, what time should it be?”

Nino blinked. “Well I mean lunch just started so it should be a little past noon-”

He glanced around, noticing the long shadows and the pinkish-orange of the evening sky.

“-which it clearly is not anymore,” he concluded.

Great. “Guess Ladybug and Chat Noir must’ve taken a while to defeat the akuma,” she said, putting her phone away. “Hopefully my parents aren’t too worried. They like me to text them just after an akuma attack, but right now…?” she gestured to her pocket.

“My folks aren’t as worried,” Nino said. “But they still expect me back home before the sun goes down. They’ll be getting nervous soon.”

Alya let out a small sigh. “So much for playing Super Penguino together.”

“Hmmm…” Nino’s eyes gleamed. “You know… it’s not night just yet. And I’m sure my parents would understand if I was a few minutes late because I grabbed a bite to eat.”

Grabbed a bite to eat? What was Nino hinting at…?

Alya looked around at their location more closely.

Wait… that blast seemed to have carried them to that one park, the one near-

Alya grinned. “I think my parents will forgive me for not calling in if I bring them fresh-baked treats from the best bakery in Paris.”

---

*ring ring*

The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the store.

Instantly Alya felt her shoulders loosen up, releasing tension she didn’t even know she’d had. There was just something so warm and comforting about the bakery.

Of course, a lot of that was due to the people running it. Good luck finding more friendly, caring people than Marinette’s parents. Sabine often checked up on anyone who seemed to be struggling or upset (and ready to protect them if they were - Alya had seen the video of the time a TV crew decided to invade Marinette’s privacy), and Tom was basically a giant teddy bear in human form.

But neither of them were manning the counter today.

Instead a young woman stared back at them.

A very familiar-looking young woman.

“Marinette?” Alya asked cautiously.

The woman stared at her for a minute. “Alya?” she finally asked. “What happened to you?” She paled. “Did a new supervillain attack? Is that why you and Nino are younger?”

Huh. Weirdly scared reaction from Marinette. They’d all gotten used to supervillains by now. She’d expect an older Marinette to take them in stride even more than the current Marinette.

Hm… an older Marinette, a different time of day, and Marinette not seeming to know about the latest akuma attack?

“Marinette… what year is it?”

Marinette blinked for a moment. Her eyes widened.

Seemed Marinette understood what she was getting at.

She told Alya the date.

Her hunch was right. “We’re in the future,” Alya breathed.

A wicked grin slowly spread over her face.

Five years was a long time. A lot of things could have happened. A lot of information could’ve come to light.

Like Hawkmoth’s identity.

Or more information on the Miraculous.

But most importantly right now-

She leaned in close to Marinette, making sure to keep her voice down, just in case someone else was around in the back. “So did you ever get together with a certain blond-haired, green-eyed model?”

“Uh… what?” Marinette asked, looking puzzled.

Alya snapped her fingers. “Adrien. Did you and Adrien finally get together? Ooooh, if you did you’ve GOTTA tell me how the confession went! Or, no, wait, don’t tell me, I want to get the deets at the time. Just let me know how long I’ve got to wait, girl!”

Marinette just stared at her, slack-jawed. “Adrien… like ADRIEN AGRESTE?!” she said, her volume rising with every word.

Alya’s eyebrows flew up. “Um… yes…?”

She’d thought that Marinette would be glowing about finally getting together with her crush, or dejected about still not being able to spit out what she wanted to say to him, downcast over him rejecting her, or maybe even infuriated because he mistreated her and they subsequently broke up.

(The last one was VERY unlikely though. After the Felix debacle, she’d learned to have a bit more faith in Adrien’s good nature.)

Shock at the concept of dating him? Not something she’d anticipated.

Footsteps echoed from behind Marinette.

So one of Marinette’s parents must’ve been in the back-

Adrien popped his head around the corner.

Seemed both he AND Marinette had aged well.

Not that Adrien looked all that different. Taller, definitely, maybe with slightly messier hair and… were those earrings? They looked good on him.

“Hey dude!” Nino waved at his best friend. “What’s up?”

“Uh…” Adrien said, scratching the back of his neck.

“WOW those outfits really take the years off, huh?” Marinette said loudly, shoving them out the door. “Make you look smaller than usual. Well we better go talk about plans later okaybye-”

She promptly slammed the door behind them, physically pushing them away from the bakery.

After Marinette had dragged them a good distance away, Alya finally got over her shock, turning around and glaring at her. “What was that about?!” she asked Marinette indignantly, hands on her hips. “You know me, I wasn’t going to spill anything to him. That’s why I was talking so quietly! Why’d you have to do that?!”

Nino frowned, seeming more concerned than annoyed. “Adrien looked really hurt by that. Not cool.”

“There’s nothing to spill!” Marinette protested, gesticulating wildly. “I only met him for the first time two days ago!”

*record scratch*

Two-

Two DAYS ago?!

Ok, hold up.

“Adrien joined our collège class the day after I did! He sits in front of you in class! What’re you TALKING about?!”

“Uh… no…?” Marinette tilted her head to the side, befuddled. “I think I would remember that, even if it was a few years back.”

Alya let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, no kidding. He would be uh, difficult for you to forget. Heck, even if your memory was erased, you’ve got so much stuff revolving around him, I couldn’t see that lasting long.”

Marinette blushed. “Why do you think I have a crush on him?! He’s HAWKMOTH’S SON!”

“WHAT?!” Alya and Nino yelled in unison.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated Hawkmoth a couple years ago,” Marinette explained, pulling out her phone.

A moment later she held it up, showing a blog post from the Ladyblog.

Oooh, that’s a nice graphical design. I’ll have to look into updating my site, Alya thought.

Turning her attention to the picture, she squinted. “Hey, can you enlarge the photo?” She asked.

Marinette complied, enlarging it and turning her phone sideways, letting it fill the entire screen.

Gabriel Agreste being led away in handcuffs by the police, with Ladybug and Chat Noir in the background. Ladybug looked satisfied, with maybe a twinge of melancholy, but Chat Noir…

He stared vacantly ahead, seemingly not focused on anyone or anything, a smile on his face - but the most forced one she’d ever seen.

“What’s wrong with Chat Noir?”

Marinette frowned, looking troubled. “I don’t know. He seemed really, really upset when Hawkmoth was defeated. It was a tough battle, bad enough that neither of them have returned since, but that doesn’t explain why-”

She trailed off, lost in thought.

A moment later she looked up, meeting Alya’s eyes.

Immediately she waved her hands around, trying to ward off… something. “I- I mean, that’s what I read on the Ladyblog and what I could piece together from video footage, it’s not like I was there, NOPE. I was huddled in my room the entire time. Not like I have any insight into what Chat Noir was acting like during the battle, not beyond what any other civilian would know! That would be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” she let out a few forced guffaws.

Alya’s eyebrows flew up.

O...Kay…?

Maybe Marinette had been following Ladybug and Chat Noir during the final battle and hadn’t wanted anyone to know? She’d wondered whether Marinette might have a thing for Chat Noir, but her crush on Adrien dwarfed any feelings she might have had for him. Plus it’s not like Marinette would actually know Chat Noir, unlike Adrien.

Thinking about Adrien…

“He must’ve been devastated,” she murmured. Marinette looked at her questioningly. “Adrien, I mean,” Alya clarified. “Having your father turn out to be a terrorist? I can’t even imagine.”

Marinette buried her face in her hands. “Not you TOO,” she said, her voice muffled.

Nino slowly started edging his way behind Marinette.

“What’s your problem with Adrien?” Alya asked. “Did he do something?”

Marinette glanced away. “Not… exactly… I just… I’m afraid that it might all be an act. That he might’ve been helping Hawkmoth secretly, and… and even if he wasn’t before, that he might just be biding his time, waiting until he figures out who Ladybug and Chat Noir and then BAM!” she slammed her fist down on her other hand. “He takes them out, steals all the Miraculous, frees his father and rules Paris FOREVER!”

Alya reached out towards Marinette tentatively. She collapsed into Alya’s arms.

Hugging her tightly, she sang a soft nonsense song, rubbing small circles in Marinette’s back.

She’d done this a few other times since she’d met Marinette, though she’d never thought she’d do it underneath these circumstances.

Whatever these circumstances actually were.

Did everyone have amnesia or…?

“Do you have any big memory gaps?” Alya asked once Marinette’s breathing had calmed down. “Especially from five years ago?”

Marinette shook her head.

She’d shelve that theory for now then. More likely it was…

“An alternate timeline, huh?” Alya said.

Marinette looked up at her questioningly.

“That’s what I think this is,” Alya explained. “I WAS thinking that maybe there’d been some sort of mass amnesia, but if you don’t have any memory gaps - and trust me girl, with how involved you were with Adrien, there WOULD be memory gaps - that seems unlikely. I’m betting this is some sort of alternate universe, one where Adrien never got to go to school.”

“I still don’t get why you think there’s something between me and Adrien!” Marinette said. “I mean sure, he’s pretty, but did I really fall for him just for that?”

Alya shook her head. “Actually, you hated him at first. Chloe’d been bragging about how he was her friend, and with that on top of you catching him trying to remove the gum Chloe’d planted on your seat and mistaking it for him PLANTING the gum… well… both of us just assumed he was a spoiled rich bully, just like Chloe. Luckily that turned out not to be the case.”

“How’d that misunderstanding get cleared up?” Marinette asked. “And how did your Marinette jump from that to crushing on him?”

Alya grinned. Marinette had ranted about this moment to her SO. MANY. TIMES.

“School let out later that day. It was raining and Marinette had forgotten her umbrella, so she hung back a moment, long enough for Adrien to approach her. At first she looked away from him, not wanting to acknowledge his greeting. But then he told you - told her I mean - that he hadn’t done it, promised that he’d just been trying to take it off with such sincerity that she had no choice but to believe it. He opened up to her, even though she’d been shunning him just moments ago. And finally he gave her his umbrella, just because he could. Because it was the kind thing to do. She’s been a goner ever since.”

The Marinette in her arms looked away. “I can see why she might have developed a crush on him. But I still dunno whether I trust him.”

“I don’t know whether I have anything that could convince you on that,” Alya admitted, “especially since this is probably a different timeline, and for all I know he could be evil here. Just make sure that you’re judging him on his own merits, okay? Not who he’s associated with. Not his fault he has so many crappy people in his life.”

“I’ll… take it under consideration,” Marinette said reluctantly.

Marinette looked from side to side. “Where’d Nino go?”

“Oh, he snuck back into the bakery several minutes ago.”

“WHAT?!”

---

Nino opened the door to the bakery, letting out a small sigh of relief. He really wanted to check in on his best friend, and judging by Marinette’s behavior, she wasn’t exactly keen on him or Alya chatting with Adrien.

Thinking back on what he’d just heard, he frowned.

He wished he could say that he’d never have suspected that Gabriel was Hawkmoth.

That he didn’t think Adrien’s old man could ever be capable of such evil.

But he knew better.

The guy threatened to withdraw Adrien from school and isolate him from everyone else at the drop of a hat, paid little attention to his son when he was at home, and was a very negative influence on his life in general. He might have been grieving, but… so was Adrien. He needed the only parent he had left.

And instead Gabriel had chosen to respond by becoming a supervillain and terrorizing Paris, endangering his own son in the process.

He really wished he’d gotten to hit Hawkmoth with his turtle shield more. At least he got to relish the smack he got in.

“You’re back!”

Nino looked towards the voice.

Adrien walked closer to him, a tentative grin on his face. “I didn’t think you’d return so soon!”

“I had to come back to talk to my best friend,” Nino said.

“Best friend?” Adrien asked, blank-faced.

Oh, right. According to Marinette, Adrien hadn’t joined their class. She hadn’t even met Adrien until recently.

Had some sort of memory-wiping akuma attacked? Wouldn’t have been the first time.

“Do you know who I am?” Nino asked, pointing at himself.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh… well I know you’re friends with the Ladyblogger and Marinette, and… sorry, that’s it.”

He looked really apologetic, like a dog who’d ripped up a bunch of toilet paper and acted guilty about it once caught.

Hm. If it had been a memory-erasing akuma, maybe he could jog Adrien’s memory…?

And even if it wasn’t, he wanted to let Adrien know that someplace, somewhere, people cared about him. If Marinette’s reaction to him was any indication, he’d need that reassurance. Being looked at with suspicion, having people run from you just because of who your dad was, thinking that you might’ve been involved in his crimes… he couldn’t imagine.

“You joined our class the day after Hawkmoth first attacked,” Nino told him, pulling out his phone.

Adrien shook his head, looking confused. “Uh… no? I wanted to, I REALLY wanted to go to school, but Father-”

He cut himself off, looking away.

“Marinette said the same thing,” Nino told him. “That you hadn’t enrolled in our class, that she’d only met you recently. I don't know what that’s about, whether everyone’s memories were wiped, or an akuma messed with the past, or what.”

Come on, come on, where was it- ah!

He clicked on a photo, one taken a few months ago, holding his phone up so his friend could get a better look.

Adrien squinted for a moment. His eyes widened. “That’s-!”

Nino nodded. “Our class photo. The official one, anyway.” He chuckled. “I liked our unofficial ones better.” Swiping to the side, he showed the new ones the class had taken at the park.

Adrien’s jaw dropped more with every new photo. He let out an involuntary bark of laughter at the one of himself, Nino, Kim, and Juleka posing. “I- I always wanted to mess around like that at photoshoots,” Adrien said. His voice trembled slightly. “But I wouldn’t be able to get away with it. And that’s mostly fun when you can share it with friends, at least share the picture, and I- I couldn’t. Chloe wouldn’t have appreciated it, and L-”

He cut himself off, shaking his head.

“Luka?” Nino asked.

He didn’t know why Adrien would know Luka and not anybody else, but he seemed the most likely option.

“Uh…” Adrien scratched the back of his neck, looking away.

Hm, he’d have to see if he had- ah!

“You played in Kitty Section too, with Luka, Rose, Ivan, and Juleka.” Nino explained, clicking on the video.

Adrien’s hands shook as Nino handed him the phone, watching the mini-concert.

“I- I was allowed to- I got to-” Adrien’s voice quavered.

“Not at first.” Nino grimaced, remembering how bummed Adrien had sounded when he called him. “Your old man said that Agrestes were soloists, and that we were all bad influences.”

“HE was the bad influence,” Adrien said. A current of anger, of venom ran through his voice that Nino had never heard before.

“Well I already knew that, even before finding out he was Hawkmoth,” Nino said, making a face. “Dude needed to chill out.”

Adrien snorted. “If he had any ‘chill’ he wouldn’t have decided that becoming a supervillain was the best way to heal my mother.”

Oh.

So THAT was why Gabriel had done it.

He’d just thought it was standard ‘I’m an asshole and want to rule the world while being a jackass to everyone in my life’ behavior.

(He still wasn’t going to rule out that being a factor.)

Nino put a hand on Adrien’s shoulder sympathetically. “At least he’s gone now and you’re free, right?”

“Right,” Adrien said. He didn’t meet Nino’s eyes.

“Not you TOO,” Marinette had said, burying her face in her hands.

As if she found it exasperating that Alya sympathized with Adrien. As if she had expected differently.

Those worries she’d voiced as Nino had been tiptoeing away, about Adrien helping Hawkmoth, about him lying in wait, biding his time… Marinette probably wasn’t the only one to have that concern. And with Adrien’s face being as well-known as it was...

“You AREN’T free, are you?” Nino asked, eyes wide.

Adrien sighed. “I was as surprised as everyone else when I found out who Hawkmoth was. That someone who’s caused that much harm, that much trauma to this city, lived in my own house.” He clenched his fists, digging into his jean’s fabric. “I could barely believe it… no… I didn’t WANT to believe it.”

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. “I- I only remember snippets from right after his arrest. The police chief talking to me. Riding back to the station. It’s all a blur. Everything felt like I was processing it underwater. It was all so blurry and muffled. Even- even then, though, I could feel everyone’s accusing stares.” “I understand why, don’t get me wrong,” he cut in hurriedly. “Who wouldn’t be suspicious of the son of the terrorist who’s been making everyone’s life miserable for the past four years?” Adrien almost panted with exertion, his eyes wild. “And- and it was happening in my own house! Underneath my nose! I should have KNOWN! I could’ve stopped this!”

Reaching out, Nino pulled his friend into a hug.

Adrien stiffened for a moment, before melting into his embrace.

“It’s his fault, not yours,” Nino murmured. “Remember that, dude. He was the adult. He was your parent. Your ONLY remaining parent. I’ve met the guy. And I’ve heard you talk about what he’s like. If you had investigated more?” Nino shuddered, thinking about the disproportionate punishments the bastard had enacted. “And knowing he was HAWKMOTH on top of that? I’m kinda glad you didn’t. Yeah, maybe you could’ve ended things sooner. Or maybe he would’ve hurt you more before you had the chance. I’m just glad you survived.”

“I-” Adrien’s throat sounded tight. “I’m- I’m glad I survived too.”

They stood there for a moment, Nino feeling Adrien’s breath go in-and-out, his heartbeat racing, until it gradually started to slow.

*ring ring*

Adrien and Nino broke up their hug just as Marinette burst through the door, Alya on her heels. She skidded to a halt in front of Adrien - but not quite in time, sending her careening towards the floor.

She never made contact.

“Woah!” Adrien shouted, catching her in his arms.

Nino detected a hint of pink to Marinette’s cheeks before she abruptly sprang to her feet.

“So, uh,” Marinette said awkwardly. “I’m guessing Nino talked to you about some stuff. I mean, of course he talked to you about stuff, because that’s what talking is about. What- what I mean is, what were you two talking about?”

“I wanted to show him how much we care about him,” Nino told her. “Especially since with this… amnesia?”

“I think it’s an alternate timeline,” Alya said.

“Especially since in this timeline,” Nino continued, “it really doesn’t seem like he had anyone.”

“I had a couple other friends,” Adrien told him quietly, giving a melancholic smile. “But I lost contact with them right after Hawkmoth’s defeat.”

Noticing Nino’s frown, he hastily added, “they didn’t abandon me or anything! They were online friends. One moved somewhere without internet reception, and the other... we never knew each other’s names. But we talked all the time. We chatted, laughed, defeated villains together…”

“In the video games we played, of course!” he added after a moment. He chuckled fondly. “We played as a team. Together, we were unstoppable, no matter what our opponent threw at us.”

Adrien swallowed. “But in the aftermath of Hawkmoth’s defeat, with all the turmoil, with everything that happened… I lost my means of contacting her. I- I don’t know whether I’ll ever get to see her again.”

“We’d promised to meet up after Hawkmoth’s defeat,” Adrien said. His voice cracked. “That- that once it was safer in Paris, we’d finally tell our names.”

His eyes dropped to the ground. “Instead, we lost each other. Maybe for good.”

“I know what that’s like,” Marinette said. She sounded strangely distant. “I had a friend like that too. I cared about him. A lot. Maybe… maybe even as more than a friend.” She said the last part haltingly, as if she’d only just admitted it to herself. “He- he wanted to know who I was. For me to know who he was. But- but I couldn’t do that. Not in Hawkmoth’s Paris. I already cared for him so much it ached. If I was closer to him than that- if I’d accepted his rose- I’m- I’m afraid Hawkmoth might’ve used the strength of those feelings against me. That I could’ve gotten akumatized, or he might’ve, and if we knew who each other was, knew WHERE the other one was… I just… I couldn’t accept that we might be sent to hurt each other.”

“We talked while the final battle was raging,” she continued. “He seemed really upset, more angry than I’ve ever seen him before, but… also kind of sad. I wanted to know what was wrong, but there wasn’t really time to press him. And after that battle he just… disappeared. I knew there was going to be some sort of disruption, but- but I’d thought we’d have more time to talk beforehand, that we’d be able to exchange new contact information. We were cut off before we had the chance.”

“I- I think of him every day,” she said quietly. “Wondering how he’s doing. He was always so positive, no matter what life threw at us. I hope that wherever he is, whatever he’s doing, he hasn’t lost that positivity, that optimism, the ability to see the best in the world and in others.”

“I’m sure he’d be happy to know you cared for him so much,” Adrien said, giving her a warm smile.

Marinette blinked, giving herself a small shake. She turned to Alya. “I dunno whether you’ll remember any of this after the Ladybug in your time restores anything, but on the off-chance you do, is there anything you need to know?”

“Oh!” Alya pulled up some footage. “You told me who Hawkmoth was, but what about Mayura?”

“Mayura?”

“Who?”

Alya snapped her fingers. “You know, the Peacock Miraculous wielder, the one summoning the sentimonsters! Did she not exist in this universe?”

She pulled up part of the fight against Mayura, the sentimonster Ladybug, and Hawkmoth.

The video ended, she took another glance at Marinette and Adrien.

Marinette seemed to be in shock, staring straight ahead.

Adrien frowned, thinking. “I’d wondered for a long time how Father managed to hide his supervillain activities from Nathalie, considering she was around him most of the time. I thought maybe she was just really good at never asking questions.”

He grimaced. “Looking at that? I’m betting she didn’t ask questions because she already knew the answers.”

“You think Mayura’s Nathalie?” Alya questioned.

He nodded. “Unless something’s different in your universe. My father doesn’t have a lot of associates, and the way he acted around Mayura there, how he was willing to pass up a chance to fight Ladybug for her Miraculous in exchange for catching her… the only people I can think of who he’d do that for are my mother and Nathalie, and mom…” he trailed off.

“I- I didn’t even think about that,” Marinette said guiltily. “I remember reading something about Gabriel having a secretary, but I didn’t think about her much beyond that.”

“Maybe you could ask this universe’s Alya to post something on the Ladyblog, telling Ladybug and Chat Noir she has a lead on who Mayura is?” Alya said. “I mean, I know they haven’t shown up in ages, but maybe that’s just because they haven’t had reason to.”

Marinette winced. “I… really don’t think that’s it… plus Ladybug and Chat Noir never said that someone was helping Hawkmoth. Mayura never appeared, at least in public. I don’t know what we can do about this right now, especially without proof. Maybe if Ladybug and Chat Noir appeared, but…”

She sounded doubtful. Alya was beginning to think that the final battle was even worse than Marinette had alluded to.

She hesitated a moment, before turning to Adrien. “I- I think I owe you an apology. I thought you might’ve been helping Hawkmoth, but… well… I was just judging you by who your dad was. You’ve been nothing but sweet and kind.”

Adrien smiled at her, though it was slightly strained. “It’s fine. I’m used to it. A lot of people in this city have suffered at Hawkmoth’s hands. I don’t blame them for being scared, or angry at any reminders of him.”

“That doesn’t make it RIGHT,” Marinette said heatedly.

Nino nodded. “Dude just because something’s done to you it doesn’t mean it’s justified, or that it shouldn’t be made better. Like with your old man forbidding parties. I didn’t let that stop me from bribing your bodyguard into letting me and the other guys throw a party at your place for you!”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “It kinda escalated though. I think half the guys at Paris were partying in your room by the end!”

Alya gave Nino a sideways look. “And ONLY the guys because they ditched us girls while we were planting trees with a lame excuse. Seriously if you’d said you wanted to throw a party for Adrien while his dad was away, you could’ve just told us!”

Nino winced. “Yeah, my bad. At least we got to have fun there for a while before the akuma attack.”

“Akuma attack?” Adrien asked, eyes wide. “But I thought you said Father was gone!”

“He was- OOOOOOOH.”

“Yeeaaaah I don’t think he was actually gone,” Alya said. “You threw a ‘secret’ party in Hawkmoth’s house, WHILE he was still at home.”

Adrien gaped at Nino. “How’re you not DEAD?!”

Nino chuckled. “Lucky I guess?”

*twinkle twinkle*

A familiar red mass flew towards Alya and Nino.

Adrien’s eyes widened.

“Behind the portrait!” he blurted out, just as the two of them were enveloped by the ladybugs, spiriting them off to whence they came.

It was silent for a moment.

“Do you think they heard?” Adrien asked Marinette.

“I hope so,” she said, looking off in the direction the ladybugs flew.

She turned to him. “I was planning on setting up some hang out time with Alya and Nino later this week. If you’re not busy… would you like to join?”

His smile told her everything she needed to know.

#bakery enemies au #ml fanfic #miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #marinette dupain cheng #buggachat

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snowflakeanimelover · 3 years ago

Note

Hello Dear Kate!

We just got electricity and Wifi so I really hope this message came.

I had a stressful week and , deeply hoped if you could make a story for..me?.

By that I mean, Y/n met Luffy since they were children and Y/n was like a complete opposite of Luffy - shy and quite person. They were always together and she also joined Strawhats. Y/n had a ability to control water and anything that has water in it.

But, one day - she followed Luffy at Marinford and saved him, Ace and all pirates by sacrifising herself in battle.

However, after 3 months - in Luffy's room Strawhats find a little lake that was slowly transformed into someting really similar to Y/n. After 2 weeks - In the morning, Sanji met Y/n alive , breathing and siting in the chair then asked "Can you please make me a coffee as always ,Sanji?"

I really need a fluff story right now please-

Of course , if you feel okay with it.

Have a great day!

I’m sorry this is late, but I’m glad those stressful days have passed! I hope everything is going well now, please take care of yourself!

Relationship: One Piece x Female Reader

Fandom: One Piece

Warnings: Character Death, Sad, Fluff at end :)

— — — —

(Y/N) have been friends with Luffy since they were children. It was surprising to the crew how they even became friends. (Y/N) was the complete opposite of Luffy. She was shy, always keeping to herself, and very quiet. The crew sometimes like to make jokes that she was forced into the crew, like some of the other crew members, but she always declines their thoughts. She tells the story of how she and Luffy met.

She sat in the woods, writing in her journal. That’s when she met Luffy. He popped out of nowhere and continually asked her questions. She never answered the questions, too scared to talk with the random boy she hardly knew. But he never left her alone. Since then, they’ve gotten to talk to each other, and became the best of friends. They care for each other deeply.

When Luffy wanted to leave home and find the One Piece, she would ask him if she could come with. He refused, scared that something would happen to her since it was a dangerous journey. He wouldn’t be able to handle it if something were to happen to her. But she wouldn’t give up. SHe had a good reason to go along. She could protect him and herself with her water abilities. She can control water around her however she pleases, which can be very powerful. She told him that she would never leave him behind. She’d stick with him till the very end.

And at the very end, she was.

One day, they had to go to Marinford. But it wasn’t just to visit. There was a battle, and (Y/N) broke her promise with Luffy to go and help. They were in trouble, and she had to help them. At this point, nobody would win in the battle. SHe had to get them out of there, and fast. But the only way she could think of was to use her water abilities. They were by the ocean, so she used her full strength to summon the water and wash away her friends back to the boat. But she had to stay behind. Because of this, she was left on the battlefield, catching herself in an enemy attack.

She sacrificed herself for her friends.

For many months, the crew were disarray. They’ve never seen Luffy so depressed in their life. And surprisingly, Luffy came out of his room with an emotion they never thought they’d see.

“Guys! I saw something!”

“What was it?” Zoro asks.

“The cup of water in my room… it was moving! And it formed into the shape of a girl! It has to be (Y/N)! She’s the only one who can do it.” He seemed scared more than anything. The crew offered to look around the boat and area to see if they could find her.

But there was no luck.

A few weeks later, something unimaginable happened.

“Hey there, Sanji.”

“Hey.” Sanji greeted back without even looking up from the floor. He was doing his normal routine, setting up the kitchen for breakfast. Usually, at this time, nobody would be in the kitchen but him. He looked up, thinking it was Nami from the familiar female voice. But it wasn’t.

“(Y/N)?!” He almost fell to the ground. He figured he was hallucinating. HIs friend was dead, there’s no way she’d be here now. But she was sitting there, not disappearing. She was breathing. She sat there in the flesh.

“Could you get me a coffee? You know, the usual?” She smiled, but her eyes looked tired. Her hair was a bit longer, and she had scratches on her body that were never there before she died.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He ran out onto the deck, yelling for everyone to come see. And when everyone arrived in the kitchen, they were frozen in shock.

“Morning, guys. Long time no see?”

Luffy didn’t know what to do. He stood there for a full five minutes. Seconds later, he’s wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. She was trying to gasp for air, lightly tapping his shoulder to say that she couldn’t breathe.

(Y/N) knew that they would be furious with her actions. But she also knew that they would forgive her. After all, she was forced to join the enemy crew. They kept her being alive a secret. But now… now she was here with her friends, with her crew. She was glad she took the risk to escape.

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purecantarella · 3 years ago

Text

Don't Apologize

henlo everyone! so this update is a day late because, well, i got mad busy with some stuff here at home. a lots happening lately but for real, i'm so sorry for the late update 🥺 but i hope you all enjoy this! hwang yeji x reader disclaimer/s : big angsty fluff again. a lot of crass language and a shitty as hell best friend. i'm just in not the state to write pure fluff right now :")

Your best friend was an asshole. He never kept it a secret. All of the scams and the cheating he'd ever accomplished, you were the first and only one to know. You liked to think that this wasn't who your best friend was, you of all people knew that he was just dealt a bad hand since his childhood.

And with that sentiment in your heart and the years of friendship under your belt, you defended him and all his dumb antics.

You sat in the library your fingers nimbly tapping on the keys of your laptop. While you diligently trying to accomplish your final term paper before your last week of the semester, a hand collided with the back of your head. You took a sharp breath and shot a glare to the person who'd done it but your expression softened looking at your best friend's laughing face.

Your shoulders went slack and you reciprocated the amused grin on his face. "Hey fucker!" He greeted you before looking down at your laptop and cringed at the 7-paged essay you were writing. "Y/n, that shit isn't what you do with the campus's free wifi or with your spare time." The boy said shutting your laptop screen.

"This is due next week, I just want to get a head start." You explained making an attempt to open your laptop again to no avail. He smirked down at your amused expression. "See while you, my dear friend, have been getting ahead...I have been getting head." He snickered to which you rolled your eyes.

He chuckled again, "You remember that college is about experiencing new shit." You shrugged, just wanting the conversation to end and for him to get to his point. "Look, I can tell you're getting annoyed so I'm going to come out and say it. I want you to come to a party with me tonight." An exasperated laugh fell from your lips as you leaned back into your seat, rubbing your tired eyes.

"I am not going to a party for you to just leave me and hook up with some random drunk T.A." You said firmly to which he scoffed and sat kneeled down beside you. "Y/n." He said taking your hand in his dramatically. "N/n. My best friend, my partner in crime. Would you please, come to this dumb party with me? I promise I won't leave you alone to fend for yourself."

A huff broke it's way past you and you shook your head, the tired smile returning on your face. Finally, as the pout on his face deepened, you nodded laughing out at him. "Fine, let's go to this stupid party, buddy." You chuckled again as he fist pumped victoriously.

Just as you thought, the party was a crowded dorm room a little off campus overflowing with sweaty, drunk, and burnt-out students looking for some fun. You stood there in a sleepy haze as your best friend, true to his word to not leave your side, talked to a barely sober economics major.

You huffed, bored. You looked around the room in attempts to find a familiar face. Anyone to talk to really. Then you saw her, standing with her friends, laughing at something one of them had said and your tired eyes blew open.

Hwang Yeji in all her beauty, standing there with a drink in hand. Her fox-shaped eyes turning to crescents with a big smile over her pink lips, nose crinkling in amusement.

You'd shared dozens of classes with her in the past two years of being in college and had worked with her on a few assignments but you'd never had the opportunity to see her in a social setting. That of course was your fault but you chose to look at it as the universe's way to keep you from her.

"Holy shit..." Your head shot to the side and your heart sank at the sight. Your best friend, eyes off of the flirtatious student, now glued to the pale sophomore. "Y/n..." He said pushing the girl he was talking to away, pulling you closer.

You glared at his lust ridden face, knowing full well what that look meant. You elbowed him but all he did was groan softy before chuckling and making his way over to Yeji, his predatory gaze still prominent over his expression. You scowled at the cheesy way he put his hand out and placed a small kiss on the back of hers.

Speechlessly, you watched a dejected feeling in your stomach as they talked all night. All the while his expression not changing, while Yeji's face was flushed.

Half an hour past before you got sick of standing alone, just as you knew you would, you made your way out to walk home to your dorm through the cold night. With one last look from across your shoulder, you saw him go in for the kill. His lips meeting Yeji's sloppily. You shoved your hands into your pockets and left.

The next week was still hell for you. Your workload had seemingly doubled and you were working on assignments til dawn for the past few days. Trying to shake off the disappointment and sadness that had come with your best friend seeing the girl that you'd liked for your entire college life and knowing full well that she was just another conquest for him left a bitter taste in your mouth.

One night, while coming home from your latest library visit, you were so out of it that you almost didn't notice Yeji herself sitting outside your dorm. You looked around confused. Seeing that there was no one around, you stood in front of her tilting your head to the side.

She raised her head to meet your eyes making you jump a little in surprise; your heart becoming a speeding car. But at the same time, a blaze lit in your chest as you saw her flushed, tear-stained cheeks. The sharp eyes that you'd admired before were puffy and red from the tears. Yeji sniffled softly and wiped her face a little.

"What'd he do?" You simply asked. She shook her head gently, not wanting to disclose information to you, someone she barely knew.

You nodded, understanding her state of being. You kneeled down to properly look her in the eyes. "Wait here, okay? I'll take you home after I deal with him." You whispered softly, placing an affirming hand over her head. The brunette nodded slowly before you got up and opened the door to your apartment.

Immediately the dorm wafted off a smell of sex and echoes of moans ringed through the small space. Your jaw clenched as you stomped your way to your best friend's room. Kicking open the door, both people in the room gasped and made sounds of surprise. Your best friend shot you a glare before screaming, "Get out, Y/n! Jesus!"

"Nope, I want you out of here before I get back. You and this fucking bitch." You said firmly before shooting him daggers. "Easy to say that I'm not going to condone this behaviour any longer." With that you slammed the door harshly.

He'd rushed to the door, covering his junk, before yelling at you, "Seriously? All because of THAT girl? Are you an idiot, Y/n?" He'd fumed at you while you remained apathetic with him. "Could you expect anything more from me? She wouldn't put ou—!" With that your fist collided with his stomach. He'd fallen to his knees, wheezing at the pain spreading.

"That's no excuse, for any of the girls you've fucked over, dude." You said before grabbing your book bag from the dining table. You took a few steps towards the front door, your hand already around the doorknob.

Tears pricked your eyes a little but you still stood by your actions. He may have had the face and name of your friend, but he wasn't the easy-going kid you'd grown up with anymore. "I'm really sorry that it ended this way, bud..." You muttered softly before stepping out of the door.

You looked down to still see Yeji sitting there, sulking to herself. You offered your hand for her to take. "Come on, let me take you home."

The drive there was incredibly uncomfortable for both of you. You were both still reeling from your individual break-ups with your now ex-best friend. You glanced over at her, still looking rather broken up about it.

"I'm sorry about him." You said, breaking the ice. She took a sharp intake of breath but said nothing, so you continued. "You didn't deserve to take any of his shit. I should've told him off a long time ago. It shouldn't have gotten this far..." You added. Again the silence loomed over both of you.

You'd been worrying if you'd made her feel even worse until she finally said, "Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault, Y/n..." You looked at her while she was already staring at you. She offered you a tired smile. Again, your pulse hammered against your body as you pulled to a stop in front of her apartment.

She removed herself from the car, leaning on the car, reluctant to enter the complex building. You lowered the window saying, "It's all going to be fine. I'm here if you ever need anything." Yeji turned around, to look at you through the opened car window.

A feeling of warmth blossomed in her chest as she stared at your gentle features. She'd really only started seeing your best friend because she that she could fix him, but after being objectified one too many times, she'd had enough herself. Yeji had wondered now how long you had to deal with that yourself. But seeing you now, after what you'd done for her, she couldn't help but feel a little more fond of you.

"Maybe you would want to come over tomorrow, we can study for the final together. If you'd like?" She offered gently. Your eyes went wide as you nodded enthusiastically. The brunette giggled to herself softly before leaning into the car, pulling you closer to the window by your collar. Placing a small peck on your cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Y/n. Thank you again..." She said before walking slowly back to her apartment building.

A small smile found its way onto your lips as you leaned back into your seat. A bittersweet feeling filling you slowly as you allowed the events of that night to finally process.

Though you were low about the things and people you'd lost, some things were meant to break to make better things. You weren't sure if everything that went down tonight was worth it but seeing that smile on her face, seeing that there was some potential between you two, you'd felt a little more hopeful for better things.

okay, i'm not super sold on the ending personally but, i actually liked how it came out??? it's a weird purgatory for this story in my opinion AHAHAHAH in any case though, i hope you all enjoyed! remember that requests are open and comments and criticism is completely welcomed! i hope you're all doing well and i'll see you all very soon! taglist: @labrachrosite

#itzy #itzy yeji #hwang yeji #itzy x reader #itzy reaction #itzy fluff #itzy imagines #yeji x reader #yeji reaction #yeji fluff #girl group x reader #girl group imagines #kpop imagines #kpop x reader #kpop fluff

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yawnzzjun · 2 years ago

Text

- LOVE OVER LIFE

9. Do you love me?

It's been an ungodly amount of days ever since Beomgyu and I spoke to each other. I didn't have the guts to click on his chat, after that night he left me in the rain I didn't know how to approach him.

Here I am, walking to my desk without my seat mate. He haven't shown up to school ever since the incident and my old friends just picks on me about it. I sometimes look back at my past school life, how it was blossoming and blooming, now I'm in Beomgyu's seat, taking in his lifestyle.

The devil in the back of my head sometimes tells me that I shouldn't have talked to him.. but it was worth it right? I got many amazing memories with him and it was fun to sneak around but is this what I really need to get in exchange? My life ruin? I sighed as I rest my head on my desk.

Should I have listened to Ama?

Beomgyu yet again wasn't at school, for exams even. It's now summer, swinging alone on the swing at the park with a popsicle in my mouth I started to wonder how to fix my current problem. I'm sure Beomgyu had moved on right? Here I am, the biggest fool holding on to a problem since mid term..

What would it be like to have Beomgyu here with me? Sharing a popsicle. I've always wanted to do that. Thoughts of him still runs in me but does it run in him? Does he still love me?

Finishing the sweet snack I decided to text him. I wasn't looking for a response or comfort, I just wanted to discuss things face to face. A mature way right? We are not kids, we are teenagers. Laying around being all gloomy isn't the right way.

yn: Beomgyu I want to have a talk.

yn: Meet me at the park.

yn: Please.

Those three messages felt like some rocks got off me, finally passed over a blockage I gave myself. But soon fell back on when I saw the seen by my messages and no response but like I say I didn't needed a response right? Still the suspense only have me nibbling on my nails.

Been.. the whole day. No one showed up. 10pm. Here I am on the swing with a popsicle stick in my mouth. Am I really a joke? Of course he wasn't going to show up.. Yet the small tears roll down a bit, I held onto some hope I found but it broke. Yet I told myself staying there was the good choice, maybe he would come.

11pm..

12am..

I should really get going. I won't risk it for a boy. But said boy showed up.

"Y/n you're really still out here waiting.."

I turned around to see him in a hoodie with the hood over his head. He looked away from my eye contact and sat on the swing next to mine. I sat back down and stared off.

"Do you love me?"

Said question caught him off guard. He stared at me as I didn't look back, continuing to stare off into the distant.

He didn't respond so I did to myself.

"I do."

"Huh?"

"I still love you.'

We stayed in silence, no one managed to say anything. Until I got up and he looked up.

"You don't love me anymore."

"I never said that."

"Do you love me?"

"I don't know.."

The answer didn't satisfy me as of right now. Blinded by being forgotten by him. I spoke without thinking.

"You don't love me anymore because I lied to stay close to you."

"I didn't say that-"

"You also don't love me because I was once the known girl in school who probably just talked to you because of a dare right?"

"What? What are you even trying to get at?"

He said standing up.

"Isn't that what you thought of me?"

"No! I would I? Are you okay?"

Am I fine? Where are these words coming from. Is it my fears talking over me?

"I'm perfectly fine thank you very much Beomgyu, I would like to get going home we can discuss the rest tomorrow.."

I said walking away from the boy who stared at his shoes lost in his thoughts.

sadly I had family problems that blocked me from writing and i also had no damn wifi for two weeks so sorry abt late chapters😞😒

TAGLIST: @snert-bees @sunsettt13

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angeltreasure · 3 years ago

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Hello friend, sorry if this is a silly question but could you explain what the Eucharist is and why it is important? I’m in the beginning of my journey and feel so overwhelmed by google. Have a beautiful day 😊💛

I’ve been saving this ask for a while so this is so exciting! I apologize for my lateness. I usually answer right away but we have had trouble with the WiFi setting up. Anyway! Welcome Anon!!! I am so excited for your faith journey!! Welcome. 😊🙏🏻

Don’t worry, this isn’t a silly question at all. No, it’s a very good question! I am a Catholic, so I will be explaining my Christian denomination believes what the Eucharist is. In fact, this is a VERY important topic to learn about. I will give you my answer then give you some quotes and videos. Hope you enjoy.

The Eucharist IS Jesus Christ. You know how traffic lights are different colors? Red for stop, yellow to caution; slow down, and green for go? Well, you must understand if you choose to join the Catholic Church that the Eucharist is not a symbol. Although the appearance is a wafer bread and tastes like one, it is not plain like a traffic signal. When a priest blesses the host at a Catholic mass, the host transforms into the body of Jesus Christ. You will not see Jesus appear in the priest hand when he raises the host up for that blessing, and you will not taste human flesh when you eat of it. The veil between this world we live in and the afterlife block us so the appearance and taste remain as a wafer host but the substance has really changed into the body of Jesus Christ. Eating the bread means Christ becomes a part of us and makes us stronger in faith! ♥️

Here’s what the Bible says about the Eucharist, taken from my favorite New Testament book called Matthew. I will color the specific verse in the story as red to help you understand what we believe. In the story, Jesus and His disciples were preparing to find a place for Passover. There is a lot to unpack since you are very new to the faith, so I will skip right to the verses of what Jesus spoke. [Passover: “Passover is a Jewish holiday that honors the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. Before the ancient Jews fled Egypt, their firstborn children were "passed over" and spared from death, thus dubbing the holiday "Passover."”]

….. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” - Matthew 26:26-29

You see, at this point in time, His disciples did not fully understand the mystery surrounding what was to come. After this night, Jesus was betrayed by Judas (one of His followers) gave His life to die on the cross. In doing so, He saved us from the punishment of all of our sins and opened the gates to Heaven. Back in the past, animals were often given up a sacrifice. Jesus Himself was the perfect sacrificial lamb for slaughter in order to save us from death. This image is the very best that I love that describes the Eucharist Transubstantiation.

I love this one too…

So when you eat the blessed Eucharist and drink the blessed wine done by a Catholic priest, you really do consume the substance that is Jesus’s body, blood, soul, and divinity. Ever hear that phrase, “you are what you eat”? When we consume Jesus, that doesn’t mean we are cannibals, become God, or re-sacrifice Jesus. It means we become a better reflection of Jesus.

Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because Jesus tells us this is true in the Bible: ““No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” John 6:44-66

Fun facts!!!:

Eucharist: “is a transliteration of the Greek word eucharistia, which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word berekah. All three words have the meaning of thanksgiving, or praise for the wonderful works of God.”

Bethlehem: the city where Jesus was born means “House of Bread”!

Transubstantiation: “the conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearances of bread and wine still remaining.”

I saw a poll that only one third of Catholics really believe in Transubstantiation. If you decide in your journey to become part of the Catholic Church, please do not ever forget the words Jesus spoke about Himself to His people and those who read today. He truly is present as the Eucharist and wine.

Did you know there is evidence that the Eucharist is truly Jesus?! They are called Eucharistic Miracles. There are sooo many stories from around the world of bleeding Eucharists that scientists and such have actually tested in their labs to find real they had human blood down to a specific blood type AND material evidence of finding human heart tissue not healthy and strong but distressed! Blessed Carlo Acutis (a young man that passed away that is currently in the process of sainthood here on Earth) created an amazing website that collected examples of Eucharistic Miracles. (See link below.) This subject itself is just extra icing on the cake but don’t fall down the rabbit hole so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

youtube

Bishop Barron on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

youtube

Explaining the Faith - The Eucharist In Scripture

youtube

Explaining the Faith - Eucharistic Miracles: Scientific Proof

youtube

The Veil Removed, what really happens during a Catholic Mass

I could give you so much more but this was just so wonderful to be able to teach you. Know that it’s ok to feel overwhelmed. The topic of what the Eucharist really is and why it is so important is so rich in history and traditions. I hope I was able to satisfy your curiosity. If you ever have any more questions about it, I highly recommend reading sections about it in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (revised edition) but more importantly, reach out to a Catholic priest or bishop by calling them, e-mailing, or even dropping by in person. I am not part of the clergy at all, so talking to a Catholic priest or bishop, you will be able to answer any more questions you have to the Eucharist and they will explain it so well. If you are interested in wanting to know more about the Catholic Faith, I strongly suggest asking about the RCIA, free classes offered by your nearest Catholic Church which will allow you to explore what the Catholic Faith is and answer any questions you have. No pressure though, but just know we are here for you. I am so happy you were chosen as well by God! I will pray that you have a wonderful, exciting journey! God bless and you have a wonderful day/night as well.

#asks #Eucharist #host #transubstantiation #Jesus #Catholic #Catholicism #beliefs #thank you #reference

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ghostofstudentspast · 3 years ago

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Sunshine

This one was requested by my lovely mutual @wifi--witch who's been here since the start! Hopefully it's what you wanted (also it’s written in Neville’s perspective for a change which was fun!) - June x

When Neville bumps into the nicest girl he's ever had the pleasure of knowing, he's baffled to find out the truth about her house!

Word count: 1500 ish Warnings: None! It's a fluffy feel good fic x

Wandering through Diagon Alley the week before returning to Hogwarts was one of Neville's favourite things. Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley walked beside him pratteling on about anything and everything as the trio browsed for their school supplies and little treats. The summer sun was shining down on them and eerything felt right in Neville's world. Until... "Oof-" Neville felt all of the air being knocked out of his lungs as someone smacked into him.

In front of him stood the most beatiful girl he'd ever laid his eyes on. Your hair shone brightly under the sun and your eyes, which were wide with concern, he could have drowned in.

"Oh jeez, I am so sorry!" the girl in front of him looked up with concern, "I was just completely in my own world," you crouched down to pick up the bag Neville had dropped in shock.

"N-no, I-that's okay, I wasn't paying attention either," Neville managed to get out as you handed him the bag, hands briefly grazing against each other.

"Call it even then?" Her eyes sparkled with mirth as you held out her hand for him to shake, "I'm Y/N, by the way!"

"Neville,” he took your soft hand in his own and the smile that broke out on your face was mesmirizing.

She smiles like sunshine, he thought.

“It was really nice to meet you Neville but I am already so late and I’d rather not be chewed out by my mother so I have to run!” you grinned up at him, “see you around Hogwarts?” you questioned

“Y-yeah, see you,” he trailed off as you bounded past him, hair flying behind you as you narrowly dodged a few more strangers.

He quickly rushed to catch up with his friends again who had stopped a few meters down the cobblestone street. Ginny was feigning interest in the book store they’d stopped in front of while Luna stared blatently at her friend.

“She was pretty,” Luna observed serenely.

“Yeah, I suppose she was,” Nevilles ears burned and he feared he may be as red as Ginny’s hair. The redhead in question was pressing her lips together to control the laughter he knew would soon come spilling out.

“I think you would make very attractive babies,” Luna said very seriously. Ginny lost it at this and Nevilles face only felt hotter.

“She’s not a Gryffindor is she?” He voiced after his friends had calmed down and started walking again.

“Nah, would’ve recognized her!” Ginny shook her head.

“She’s not in Ravenclaw either,” Luna chimed in as she strolled past a pet store and admired the lizards. “Lot of Nargles following her,” Luna shook her head sadly as if that explained everything. _______________________________

The first few weeks back at school went off without a hitch. No drama, no teachers yelling at him (yet) and best of all double block Herbology.Yet even surrounded by his friends, Neville found himself craning his head at mealtimes looking for a Y/H/C head of hair and that bright smile that haunted his dreams.

So when you strode into his Herbology class a week late, sporting an apologetic look he was all the more intruiged. You stopped at Professor Sprout to have an animated conversation and she offered a sympathetic smile.

“Who shows up a week late to Hogwarts,” Hermione sniffed from beside him where they were working at the same station.

“Y/L/N that’s who,” Lavender Brown hissed across the table shaking her head, “Her parents have donated as much money to this place as the Malfoys, maybe even more.”

Hermione huffed at this and returned to work but Neville’s eyes were glued to the back of your head. When you spun around to stride towards the empty spot across the room his eyes caught the glint of a silver and green tie perfectly knotted on your chest.

“She’s in Slytherin?” He voiced out loud to no one in particular as the Slytherin in question waltzed over to Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson with a wide grin, embracing them both.

“Duh,” Lavender rolled her eyes with a snort of laughter. As if he was meant to have known.

Neville must have been burning a hole in your head because your gaze snapped up to meet his, his ears turning red once again. Your lips spread into a wide smile as you offered him an excited little wave. Daphne whispered something in your ear at this and you smacked her on the arm good naturedly in response, attention diverted from him once more.

There was just no way that you could be THAT nice and in Slytherin of all houses.

________________________________________________________

No matter what he did, the rest of the day you occupied Neville’s mind. Your beautiful smile and that stupid green tie. He knew he should just shrug off this little crush he had on you and move on with his day becaue there was no way you would be into a Gryffindor right? Let alone Neville.

Taking up a table in the back of the library he got to work on some of his more recent homework. Saving Herbology for last, he knew everything else would be abandonded once he got to the project Professor Sprout had assigned.

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over the castle for you,” a voice interrupted his train of thought, “Let me tell you, it is not easy to find one boy in this place. So many hiding places and you were in the library the whole time,” you rambled on as Neville stared at you with wide eyes.

“Me? You were looking for me?” His eyebrows were probably in his hairline by now.

“Yeah! Professor Sprout told me I should ask you to catch me up on the week of work I missed,” you smiled and sat down across the table from him. He felt a sneaking sense of dissapointment, of course it was about school. “She says you’re the most gifted herbologist in the year!”

Neville felt the urge to shrink back at the compliment and pulled out his Herbology notes silently to have something to do. He slid them across the table towards you with a small awkward smile.

“Oh, thank you, but I was actually hoping you could talk me through everything,” You slid the parchment back to him, “I wouldn’t want to just copy your notes, that feels wrong.”

“Oh,” Neville cleared his throat and tried to find words. Any words. “Well-um, yeah, I can do that,” He pulled his notes toward himself and looked over the topics quickly. “We started with the properties of Aconite and how it relates to the wolfsbane potion, since we’ll be covering that in Potions this term...”

Once Neville was on a roll about Herbology it was hard to slow him down. He kept rattling off facts he found interesting and pertinent to the class and was only encouraged when you slid your chair closer to him to read along with his notes over his shoulder.

“And then this week, I’m sure you already know, We’re covering Venomous Tentacula’s which means it’s going to be one hell of a double block,” he chuckled to himself and turned to look at you, only to find you already staring at him with interest. He had to swallow the lump in his throat as his cheeks flushed. You were closer than he’d thought.

“Sprout wasn’t kidding! You’re like some sort of Herbology prodigy,” You grinned and Neville’s blush only darkened at the compliment. “No chance you’d wanna be my partner for the upcoming project would you?” You almost seemed shy asking.

“Oh, um...yeah, I could, I mean yeah that’d be nice,” Neville managed to stutter out.

“Oh good,” you sighed in relief and relaxed against your chair, “I mean I really need all the help I can get in this class.” You let out a light laugh.

And there was that sinking dissapointment again. He had to remind himself you were here for help, not because you liked him.

“Plus, I mean, you seem really sweet,” You smiled over to him hesitantly, “I think I could really like you.” You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and looked away quickly, a blush of your own creeping onto your face.

“Y-you’re really sweet too,” Neville said finally, finding his voice again, “um the Hogsmeade weekend in a few weeks..would you want to go? With me I mean...as a date?” the words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

He was almost regretting the word vomit when you turned your brillaint smile to him. He relaxed immediately and couldn’t help smile back at you.

“I would love to,” you leaned forward and kissed his cheek softly, “Thank you for asking,” You smiled and sat back in your seat. “Oh shoot I have to go!” You sprang up.

“See you tomorrow?” Neville asked hesitantly.

You nodded quickly, “Meet me here after lunch,” You smiled and turned to leave “See you tomorrow Neville!” You called over your shoulder as Madamme Pinch shushed you on your way out.

A date. Nevilled grinned and leaned back in his chair. He’d asked you on a date and you’d said yes. The girl who smiled like sunshine.

#Neville Longbottom #Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #hp fanfiction #HP #hogwarts #hogwarts au #neville x y/n

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gale-gentlepenguin · 4 years ago

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ML Fic: Soulmate Survey Part 32

Happy Halloween to everyone! I hope that you enjoy this treat. Sorry this took so long to write out. This one took a few rewrites to get it where I wanted it to be.

Plus, Real life stuff got in the way So hopefully this will be a nice little treat for you all.

(Master Post)

__________________________________________________________________

Marinette watched in horror as she watched her best friend struggle on the floor.

She dashed to her side, and tried to help Alya get that weird mask off her face.

“By all means go right ahead. Its already too late.” Masquerade laughed as she watched Marinette struggle. “Soon enough she will be helping me take you down.”

The designer pushed the words of the psychotic akuma out of her mind. She refused to let her friend get turned into a mindless drone like before.

“It wont come off!” Marinette grunted as she tried so hard to remove it.

Masquerade watched her bracelet, waiting for a change to occur.

Alya’s muffled screams and frantic movements stopped.

“Alya?”

Marinette jumped up as she watched her friend transform, her casual clothes transformed into a familiar black and white costume. The Wi-Fi symbol on her chest. Lady Wifi has returned.

Masquerade’s bracelet gained a new charm, one looking reminiscent of a cell phone.

“And now she is my friend.” The villain stated as she watched Marinette start stepping away from the enslaved akuma.

“Alya… you need to fight it. You can’t let her control you.”

“Sorry Marinette, but Alya is unable to answer.” Masquerade mocked. “But I can take a message for you.”

Lady wifi stood silent, like an inactive robot, awaiting orders from its master. The inner machinations of the mind are not shown with the emotionless white mask covering her face.

Marinette turned her eyes toward the mask themed akuma, anger burning in her pupils.

“Let her go Lila. Let them all go before things get serious. Your plan will fail, Ladybug and Chat noir will arrive and beat the akuma out of you. Then you will have to answer for this too.”

Masquerade’s smile faded when she saw the fierce look. Marinette was not a sniveling mess, she actually looked even more defiant then before!

“Acting all high and mighty. I think I will enjoy turning you into my helpless puppet next.”

Masquerade lifted her hand towards Marinette, waiting to unmask her deepest secrets, and break her down.

“When I get a peek at what is hiding behind all of that fake courage, it will all come crashing down. Now let’s see your greatest secrets.”

Marinette looked around, trying to think of something. If Lila figured out her big secret, it was over. Ladybug would be exposed. She needed a way out, until she noticed something. Masquerade wasn’t doing anything.

“Huh?”

Marinette was perplexed by the akuma simply standing there.

“Ummm... are you going to do it now or...”

“Why can’t I see your secrets? My powers should allow me to see what you’re hiding and allow me to exploit it. It worked on everyone else I used it on, why not you?”

“Maybe I just don’t have any secrets to hide.” Marinette commented, watching with a bit of satisfaction as the akuma’s smug look shift.

Masquerade felt her frustration and anger boil at the comment. Something wasn’t adding up.

“Hawkmoth!” She cried out in rage.

A purple butterfly outline popped out.

“What is it?” The dark voice connected in her head.

“Why can’t I read Marinette’s secrets?” Masquerade angrily questioned.

“What?”

“Her secrets! I was able to zero in on everyone else I’ve used the ability on. Why does it not work on her!? Of all people I want this power to work on!”

Marinette felt both concerned and a bit flattered that she was the one Lila wanted to defeat the most. It was sort of mutual.

“Your power works on anyone I’ve akumatized, regardless of who it is.” The butterfly villain communicated.

“So… your saying you didn’t akumatize her before? How is that possible?”

“I haven’t gotten to every single person in Paris.”

“You’ve akumatized that stupid pigeon man 26 times! How have you not gotten everyone!?”

“Paris is a big city, even if I akumatized someone every day, I doubt I would have hit 1/10th of the population. Besides, it takes strong negative emotions for me to send out an akuma. And that man seems to just be the easiest target for it. “ Hawkmoth defended himself. “Its not like I WANT to akumatize him every other day.”

“Unbelievable!”

“Just get the miraculous. That is your focus, the girl can wait for later.”

Masquerade’s butterfly outline dispelled as hawkmoth was finished with that conversation.

“Well that sucks. I guess I can just go back to plan A. Having you watch as I turn everyone against you... aren't here. What!”

Masquerade frantically looked around for the teen she had been antagonizing and found that she was no longer in the same spot. In fact, she was no longer in the office!

Marinette had decided to slip away from the akuma while she was having her little tantrum to the evil butterfly man.

“Why didn't you do something!” She shouted at Lady Wifi.

“You did not give me an order.” Lady Wifi answered robotically.

Masquerade glared at the akuma servant. She would almost think it was rebelling against her.

“Even as a mindless servant you still find a way to ruin things.”

She looked around and noticed the other akuma in the room that was still on the floor.

“Dark Owl get up!”

The owl themed akuma got up from the floor. Removing parts of the broken pot from his costume.

Masquerade snapped her fingers. Catching the attention of Dark Owl and Lady Wifi.

“Both of you, I want Marinette brought back to me right now! I want to make sure she stays quiet and sees everything we have set up. I don’t need her causing trouble.”

______________________________________________________________________

“…and that is everything.” A young woman said with a mixture of relief and excitement. She had finally finished setting everything up in the school infirmary. She had organized the files, restocked the bandages, changed the sheets on the resting cots, and put her personal decals on the desk. She was starting her first day as the school nurse, and things have been going up.

She put herself back out there and started dating Curtis, the sweet guy she met last week despite what would’ve normally been a deal breaking misunderstanding, she got into the med school program she wanted to get into and will be attending part time, and she managed to get a job at the school she went to when she went to Lycee.

She heard a ding from the front of the nurse’s office just as she was about to sit down.

“First student of the day. I better see what they need.”

She exited the small office area in the infirmary to see a blonde student who was clearly impatient

“What is taking so long!?” The teen shouted.

“Hello there. How can I help you?”

The blonde looked up a bit to see the nurses smile, she rolled her eyes.

“Who the hell are you? Isnt there supposed to be a different woman here?”

“If you are referring to the previous school nurse, she retired officially last week. I am the new school nurse. You can call me Nurse Angela.”

Angela never really liked using her last name, it made her sound old. So, she would be fine with the kids calling by her first name. It also helps with psychology, allowing more for a social dynamic based on mutual respect rather than authority.

“Whatever.”

Angela felt a twinge of frustration at the girl’s dismissal. But she kept her smile.

“And you are?”

The teen smirked.

“Chloé Bourgeous. And before you ask, yes, the daughter of the mayor.”

Angela felt a shiver go down her spine. She remembered from what the previous nurse told her. That Chloé was the mayor’s bratty daughter who would use her father’s influence to get anyone fired if she got angry enough.

‘That at least explains her rude attitude. She is a spoiled Brat.’

Angela was not going to let this bother her. She was going to take it in stride. She would be kind and courteous as she planned to be with any student at the Dupont.

“So, Chloé. What brings you here?”

Chloé walks in.

“My chair broke because someone sabotaged my chair. I ended up bruising my… anyway I need some ice, and anything to numb the pain.”

“My goodness! That sounds terrible. Who would do such a thing?”

“It was probably Marinette, that nasty little rat. Adding insult to injury now that she is dating Adrien.”

Nurse Angela moved to get some ice from the freezer for the bruised bottom of the Mayor’s daughter, listening to the girl vent. She was sure that whoever this Marinette girl was, probably didn’t do it. And if somehow, she did, it was likely because the annoying blonde deserved it. But that was not something Angela felt was worth mentioning. She kept that bit to herself.

“She is probably blackmailing my adrikins with something. There is no way he would be dating her without some sort of reason.”

“Is it possible that maybe he just likes her?” Angela inquired as she presented the bag of ice to Chloé.

Chloé looked at the nurse as if she had just told her that she had 3 eyes and a scorpion tail.

“Adrien liking Marinette?! That is ridiculous, Utterly ridiculous! There is no way that Adrien would…”

Chloé felt her mind flash through moments. Adrien and Marinette about to kiss for that movie, Adrien and Marinette dancing at her party? The photos she found of them running from fans, that kiss at the picnic during heroes’ day. Adrien taking Marinette to that interview instead of her… The stubborn blonde felt as if everything clicked into place.

“Chloé? Is everything okay?” The nurse called out, trying to get the spaced-out teen’s attention.

“He might actually LIKE her!”

Chloé felt her own skin crawl as she made her realization.

Angela didn’t know how to respond to this situation.

“I am going to straighten Adrien out right now! I am not going to let him make such a foolish mistake!”

The nurse could tell this could be bad if the mayor’s daughter was so heated, what if she got this innocent girl expelled? If she stood by and did nothing then her time at the school would be internally marked with the regret of not stopping such a potential disaster.

“Wait, Miss Bourgeois.”

Chloé stopped.

“What is it?”

“I… I just noticed that you’re limping. The injury might be more serious than you think. Let me have a look at it closer before you leave.”

The mayor’s daughter would simply have left without a second thought. But having a limp would make her walk much less dignified and lacking the power she needs to intimidate, but mainly that she would look lame with a limp.

“Alright, just make it quick.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“I don’t get why you felt the need to leave.” The cat kwami rolled his eyes. “If you want to be rebellious Adrien, we could leave the school and head to the movies. Though if we do, you should invite your girlfriend.”

“Plagg, this isn’t about rebellion or future date ideas. Something isn’t right with this whole situation. I just want to sneak a peek in the office, make sure Marinette and Alya get their story out, and then I am headed right back to class. No problem.” Adrien summarized as they kept walking.

Plagg noticed someone headed their way and went to hide in Adrien’s pocket.

Adrien took notice that it was his homeroom teacher. Perhaps he could ask her.

“Hey Ms.Bustier. Can I ask you a quick question?”

The red headed teacher walked past the teen without acknowledging his question. Her eyes focused on what was ahead.

“That’s weird… She would always stop to help a student.”

Adrien could feel that his favorite teacher may have been affected by something sinister.

“Ms.Bustier, can you hear me out for a second?” He asked as he touched her shoulder to try and get her attention.

The mirage of her appearance shifted from the homeroom teacher to the stylized patchwork costume of a familiar akuma enemy.

Adrien was surprised to see the true form of the imposter. The kiss zombie maker, Zombizou.

The akuma turned to show the face mask that hid her face. Her attention was now firmly on the boy, whether he wanted it or not.

Adrien backed away, nervously keeping his eyes on the teacher as he carefully backed up.

“You know, I think I will just ask someone else.”

Adrien took down the next hall running.

______________________________________________________________________

Masquerade reclined in her chair, her frustration was growing as she wondered what was taking those two minions she sent out to capture Marinette so long.

“They shouldn’t be having that much difficulty. She is just one person!”

She heard a ring, and knew her sentimonster was trying to contact her.

“What is it Simulare?”

“The illusion I had on Zombizou was broken. Someone is on to us, and the minion is in pursuit.”

Masquerade felt a headache forming. She didn’t have time for a wild goose chase. She needed to move on to phase two of her plan, making her army of akuma.

“Track down Marinette and this other person that found out about Zombizou, keep them busy as long as possible. I am going to move on to phase two. Make sure no one is on to us.”

“Understood. I’ll get them back in the office and make sure neither of them escape.”

“Good”

Masquerade ended the call and felt her head ease a bit. The sentimonster she was given was obedient and competent. It was based on her mindset, so it would make sense that it would be capable of handling this problem.

“Now, let’s get that army.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Give me a break.” Marinette muttered to herself.

She thought she would have time to transform once she escaped the office, but the two akuma were right out of the office before she had time to make sure everything was clear.

In her rush she cut a corner down a hallway and ended up colliding with another person.

“Ouch.” They cry out in unison, both looking to realize who they bumped into. Their faces turned to relief.

“Marinette!” “Adrien!”

The two called out in unison.

“Why are you running?” “Why are you running?”

“An akuma!” “An akuma!”

“An akuma?” “An akuma?”

They both look behind the other to notice the incoming akumas approaching them.

“As cute as this is, we need to go.”

Adrien Grabs Marinette’s Hand and they both head to the open area and try to get to the main entrance.

‘I need to get Adrien somewhere safe, then I can go transform into Ladybug.’ Marinette thought to herself, unaware that Adrien was thinking the same thing.

They make quick movements down hallway, moving up and down staircases to confuse their pursuers. They managed to give them the slip as the controlled akuma seemed to not be able of basic reasoning and quick fake outs and movements.

The two make their way down to what appeared to be the front of the school.

“The entrance!” Marinette called out. “Okay, we split up at the entrance and try to get help. They can’t catch us both.”

The run to the entrance only for them to stop short, colliding with some invisible wall.

It was only after making contact did the front entrance of the school shift back into a wall. The layout of the entire school seemed to shift instantly. The school had been put under an illusion to trick them into thinking they were escaping.

“It’s an illusion. Which means Lila must be involved with that group of akumas.” Adrien exclaimed.

“More like she is the cause. She is the one controlling the akumatized mask wearers. She got the Principal and Alya.”

“Wait, does this mean that Lila’s power is to make akuma!?”

“From what I saw, she can only akumatize people that have been akumatized before using her face masks. You haven’t been akumatized right?” Marinette questioned.

“No, and since she didn't get you, you haven't either right?”

“Yea, though I have had a few close calls.”

“So, if Lila’s power is akumatizing people, what akuma made this illusion on the school?”

“That would be me.” A third voice calls out.

The two turned to look and see a familiar fox themed villain smiling confidently.

“Volpina!”

“Not exactly.”

The Volpina impersonator looked around to see if the other akumatized servents were going to arrive.

“Seems you both are quite clever when it comes to annoying Mistress Masquerade.”

“Masquerade?”

“That’s what Lila’s calling herself.”

“Oh... cause of the masks.”

The villain rolls her eyes, encapsulating the personality of the arrogant volpina that it was pretending to be.

“Masquerade realizes that you two are both quite difficult to snag with mindless servants, so she requested I handle this.”

“No, you won’t.” Marinette grabs Adrien’s Hand and tries to run away only for the Faux Fox to flip in front of them

“Yea, I am not letting you out of my sight. Now be good and come along peacefully.”

Adrien moves in front of Marinette.

“Go, I’ll hold her off.”

“But…”

“Go. I trust you.” Adrien smiles as he looks to her for a moment.

Marinette wanted to stay and fight with him, but she knew that she needed to go and transform. Ladybug will be needed before this blows up.

“I’ll get help.”

Marinette runs away from the two as fast as she can. Adrien making sure to block the way should their foe get any ideas.

“She won’t get far, she will get captured before she even gets a chance.”

Adrien shook his head.

“You would be surprised with how just how amazing Marinette is.”

Marinette rushed out of sight and into the closest bathroom, quickly making sure it was a safe place to transform.

“Coast is clear. Time for Ladybug to step in.”

“Let’s hope we can get to Adrien in time before things get worse.” Tikki commented.

“Don't worry, I trust he’ll be okay. Tikki! Spots on!”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Can you believe it Juleka?” The peppy perfume enthusiast squealed. “Marinette and Adrien are finally an item.”

“Yes, I was there rose.” Juleka commented with an eye roll and a smile.

“I know! I am just so happy for them both.” Rose calms herself a bit. “Though… how will your brother take it?”

The purple haired teen reflected on the comment.

“It will be an adjustment, but I am sure Lulu will be fine once he gets a couple songs out of it.”

“I’ll be sure to be supportive.”

Juleka patted Rose’s head, smiling sweetly at the blonde’s caring attitude. She decided now would be a good time to spring that surprise on her. She was planning on showing her during lunch, but since Ms.Bustier wasn’t in class. Now would be the perfect time to show Rose the earrings she got her.

She casually reached into her bag, sliding her hand into her lunch bag, trying to find the earring box, only to notice it not there. Her hand moved frantically searching.

“Is something wrong?” Rose inquired, a bit of concern on her face.

“No, nothing. Nothing is wrong, just…” Juleka dismissed as she kept searching only to know for certain that her gift was not in there.

“Are you sure?”

“I just need do something really quick.”

She quickly grabbed her phone and calmly while hoping that her brother would see her text.

In her quick movement, she failed to notice the door of the classroom opening.

_______________________________________________________________________

“Psst, Luka. Luka!” A dark-haired teen whispered, trying to get the attention of the teal-tipped hair guitarist that was hiding his sleeping face with an open science book.”

“Hmm?” The tired teen responded with his eyes still closed. He was barely awake. He had been up all night working on that new song that was stuck in his head. He could still hear it playing in his thoughts as he tried to shake himself awake.

“Your phone vibrated, seemed important.”

“Oh, thanks Theo.” He moved his hand to take a look at his phone.

The science teacher was rambling on about molecules or something, clearly unaware of how disinterested everyone in the class was with his boring lecture.

Luka looked through to see a few text messages from his sister.

‘Hey, can you check your lunch to see if there is a jewelry box in there? Rose’s gift is in there.’

‘If you find it, can you swing by around your free period to bring it to me?’

Luka quickly snuck his hand into his backpack and sure enough he felt the small box. He was about to text a response. But stopped when he read the last two texts.

‘Sh*t there is an akuma in the class!’

Luka’s eyes shot open, his sister was in danger. Which also meant his band was also in danger. He needed to get there.

He shot up from his chair. And started making his way to the door.

“Mr.Couffaine, where do you think you’re going?”

“Family emergency.”

The science teacher was about to tell the young boy to wait until his parent calls, but he remembered who is mother was and what she did the last time he held up her kid when Anarke wanted to pick him up early. The teacher proceeded to held back his response.

“Proceed. Just be sure to get the notes from today’s lesson.”

Luka was out the door before the teacher could finish.

______________________________________________________________________

A car speeds down the road, the driver cursing to herself as she tries to move faster.

‘Get in, get Adrien, and get out before everything hits the fan.’

Nathalie mentally repeated to herself. She knows that pushing herself too hard was also dangerous. She couldn't risk feeling weak right now.

The driver slammed the break as she arrived at the school. She needed to hurry. She parked the car and opened the door.

“Lets hope that this akuma hasn't gotten to Adrien yet.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Ms. Bustier’s class had diverted all their attention to the costumed individual in the front of the classroom. The eerie masks that adorned her costume seemed to unsettle everyone.

Juleka put her phone away and joined in on what everyone was staring at

Alix was the one to say what was on everyone’s mind.

“Who the f*** are you?”

The akuma smirked.

“Excellent, a volunteer.”

Raising her hand and pointing towards Alix, her charm bracelet began to glow.

“Interesting, seems that you have quite a soft spot for cute things.”

The class turned to look at Alix with confusion.

Alix kept her cool.

“And? Is there a point?” Alix rolled her eyes, ignoring the akuma’s attempt to get under her skin. It would take more than that to actually do anything to her.

“You pretend you have this ‘Devil may care’ attitude, that you are too cool to care about what people think, but really you are more obsessed with how people perceive you than anyone else in here.”

Alix felt her smirk falter for a second.

“You are really sensitive about your height and anytime someone brings it up you are in a bad mood for the rest of the day. But what really gets to you is your ‘Family’. You hate how your brother is a laughing stock because of his crackpot theories and your greatest fear is that no matter how much you try to be this punk rebel, you will always be cast as ‘The Conspiracy nut’s sister’.”

“Shut up! You don’t know my life!” Alix yelled.

“Not so fun getting exposed, is it?”

The class realized immediately who this mysterious akuma was.

Masquerade smiled as she flung a mask right at the pink haired teen. Causing her to fall down. And struggle to get the mask off, but before anyone could help her. It was too late.

The class could only watch in horror as their classmate transformed into their Akuma persona. Before standing up.

The class tried to make a break for it. They knew full well the dangers of this new akuma.

“Timebreaker, guard the door.”

The akuma skated to the door and everyone jumped back. They knew that touching Timebreaker was not a good idea.

“Lila, this isn’t cool. Let Alix go.” Nino called out.

The Mask akuma shook her head.

“Lila is not a thing anymore. She was unmasked and dismissed. But now I have a new mask, I’m Masquerade. Soon enough, you will all be unmasked and given a new mask that better suits you. Alya knows that very well.”

Nino’s his eyes flared at the statement.

“What did you do to my girl?”

Masquerade pointed her hand at him just as her charm bracelet glowed, now with a rollerblade charm added to it.

“The same thing I am about to do to all of you.”

______________________________________________________________________

Will the rest of the class fall victim to Masquerade’s evil plan? Will Ladybug be able to save Adrien from the Sentimonster? Will Nathalie get to Adrien before its too late? Will I ever update consistently?

Fine out all these questions and more in the next part.

Thank you all for reading the most recent addition to Soulmate Survey.

Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and if you really liked it. Reblog it. (Sharing is the only way my story actually gets out.) Plus, tagging has been kind of glitchy for me, so until that gets straightened out, I can't tag people for the story at the moment.

#ml #soulmate survey #miraculous ladybug #miraculous fanficiton #ml au #ss #miraculous #masquerade akuma #masquerade #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #lady wifi #lila rossi #ladybug #tikki #plagg #adrinette #lovesquare

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