#time to find out if i'll be able to sleep at all before noon

[fooltofancy]

the fuckin fluster of activity when u remember there's an internet tech guy coming at one that u spent all weekend forgetting about.

[dixons-sunshine]

A/n: I haven't been able to write anything. I want to, and I felt up to it earlier, but someone in my life that I love and trusted made a comment about me that just had me spiraling and I can't really function properly right now. I've started on a young!Daryl fic that I'll continue on tomorrow, but I don't know when it'll be up. In the meantime, though, I've actually enjoyed writing these little imagines. Let me know if I should do more of these.

Imagine having a family day with Daryl and your kid.

Daryl, Rick and Aaron had come together to build a park of some sorts for their own kids; Rick for Judith, Aaron for Gracie, and Daryl for your kid. After months of building slides, swing sets, monkey bars, etc., the park was done and safe for the kids to play on. And one day, you decided to take your little one and Daryl out to test out the playset.

What originally was only supposed to be a morning out turned into a day of fun. You were all smiles that day, and surprisingly, so was your partner. You couldn't figure out who was having more fun; you, Daryl, or your little one. The day was spent playing tag, hide and seek, soccer at one point, you name it, and you couldn't remember when was the last time you had seen Daryl so carefree, so happy.

Both your child and Daryl were extremely muddy and dirty before it was noon, but just that once, you didn't mind. You'd allow them to be smeared with mud if it meant prolonging those looks of pure, unadulterated happiness. And if you happened to get covered with mud along the way because of hugs from your little one? It didn't matter. You've been covered in worse than mud before.

Unknowingly, while making his child's day one of giggles, smiles and fun, he was healing his inner child. He was doing things he never did when he was a kid himself, and by doing so, he was finding out what he liked and what he didn't. (He wasn't particularly fond of the slide. His kid asked him to go down with them and he hated the heat radiating from the metal that practically made his flesh sizzle.) During one particular activity, Daryl had your child on his shoulders. Your little one leaned down and whispered four words into his ear, four words that had his heart swelling and a lump form in his throat:

“I love you, daddy.”

That night, after your kid was all tuckered out and snug in bed, asleep, you were cradling Daryl to your chest. You were running your fingers through his hair, lulling the man you loved into a deep slumber. However, before he went to sleep, he looked up at you sleepily.

“Thank ya.”

“For what?”

“Fer ya. Fer Peanut. Fer this life. Fer givin' me people to love. Fer showin' me tha' m'not tha' unlovable. Jus'... Thank ya so much.”

That made you smile. You pressed a kiss to his forehead, looking down at him fondly.

“I love you, Daryl.”

“Love ya more, sunshine.”

[06sunnybunny06]

Love for three. [18+] (Alhaytham, Kaveh)

-....

-..This........is not allowed...Why?

The darkness swallowed up the mind. The body does not obey at all. Something is preventing you from waking up. Behind the curtain of darkness, voices can be heard somewhere outside. It used to seem like they were coming from far away, but now the sounds are getting louder.

- How did it even occur to you that this would be a good idea?! What you did is not just wrong, it's ILLEGAL!

The loud statements were followed by a heavy sigh. A lower voice spoke quieter than his opponent.

- We have discussed this many times. There was a dilemma between us, and you didn't want to back down in any way. I don't plan on losing to you either. There are only two ways to solve the problem, to share or not to share at all...

-But what's going to happen to her? Have you thought about it? How do you plan to explain this whole situation?

- Anyone can adapt. It will take time and it will pay off.

- And if the Mantra starts an investigation? If Sayno joins in?

- Just keep quiet and no one will find out. Your whining might give us away.

- It's not right. I won't be able to accept it.

- Do you think you can get away with it? Don't forget, you're my accomplice. Even if by a miracle I'm the only one going to jail. Not only will you be left without a roof over your head, but your reputation will come to an end. No job, no money, and a lot of unpaid debts. Consider yourself already sitting in the grave. All that remains is to bury yourself or someone else will do it.........If you mess it up now.

- But...

There was silence. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness. You were lying in a small room on a small double bed. It seemed that the body had fallen from a great height and was now recovering from the shock. The slightest movements can be done, but with great difficulty. My throat ached for water.

After a couple of minutes, it became impossible to lie staring at the ceiling. You wanted to get up. Small attempts to stand up led to a loss of balance. You fell down. Hurried footsteps were heard outside. The door opened, letting in a bright light. I had to close my eyes to avoid going blind. A young man with golden hair picked you up. The concern in his eyes reminded you of someone very familiar..

- Oh Archons, are you okay?

-I... want to.. drink..

- Sunshine, give it a little bit.

He turned to the second man, who was leaning against the door frame.

- Get her some water.

Turquoise eyes studied your haggard face. The tall silhouette walked away from the threshold and returned with a glass in his hand. When he got closer, you could see his face too. Fragments of memories flashed before my eyes. You've known these people for a long time, but their names are on the tip of your tongue.

The blond man held the glass to your lips. Cold liquid is poured into the mouth. After a nauseating awakening, the water relieved the semi-conscious state.

- What did you drug her with?

There was silence in the air. The gray-haired man sat next to him, thinking about the answer.

Just a little sleeping pill. She'll come to her senses soon. Put her on the bed for now. You can't get much out of her right now.

The blond man grimaced in disgust, but obediently picked you up. Ruby eyes restlessly studied your face.

- I'll stay here. Next to her.

And another heavy sigh. - "I told you it wouldn't do much good, but you're still trying to help her somehow. Trust me, there are no dangers in this house. It's better to just lock the door."

-Do you think it's better to leave her like a criminal in a locked room? And how do you imagine that?

- I know better what and how...

They started arguing again, but you hardly realized it when you fell asleep. The next morning, consciousness cleared up. The light outside the window hit my eyes. It must be noon by now. Looking closer, you realized that the room is completely different from the one in which you fell asleep last night. Panic began to form in my heart. So it wasn't a dream. These two people were quite real. What happened to you? Why did you end up in someone else's house?

Some movement nearby made you turn around sharply. That golden-haired guy who looked after you so diligently yesterday turned out to be an old acquaintance of Kaveh's. You once studied at the academy together. Our paths often crossed. A friendly guy, although preoccupied with his own problems. They say his financial affairs leave much to be desired.

Ruby eyes sleepily opened, looking in your direction. When he saw that you were awake, he immediately perked up. - "Good morning. How are you?" And that restless look again. He tried to move cautiously, without making sudden movements, as if there was a frightened cat in front of him.

- Good, despite the headache and a lot of questions. Where am I?

The guy jerked. A nervous smile appeared on his face. - "You see..."

Suddenly, another person entered the room. It turned out to be Alhaytham, known for his cold calculation and a lover of solitude. He also used to study at the academy, but your relationship is not friendly. Just a couple of phrases during work or a particularly important case. Thanks to the temporary position of the great sage, he has recently been the one to whom you have submitted your research for verification. So he brought water yesterday.

-Are you awake? Good. It will be much easier for you to realize your position. - He unceremoniously entered the room, sitting down on a chair.

- My position?

He nodded, staring intently at Kaveh. - "We're talking about a new investigation. Recently, a crime was committed at the academy. Someone managed to impregnate several artifacts from a secret vault with a poisonous substance. It would seem that nothing serious, since these things have been gathering dust there for quite a long time, but recently several scientists became interested in exploring the abandoned temple of King Dershret. They just needed these artifacts for verification. Everything was fine at first, until all three of them came down with a severe fever. The fact is that the toxin was discovered in the laboratory where you work. According to your boss, you were the one who worked with him before this incident. That's why you're the prime suspect. "

- What? But... But it would never have occurred to me to harm anyone! Moreover, how can this be related to me if I don't even know these people?!

Such a flow of information made my stomach twist, and tears welled up in my eyes. Poisoning is considered a real crime. There are many dangerous toxins in your laboratory, from which human life may be in danger. A great opportunity to steal the right one and set you up. You started imagining what might happen to you. And the more thoughts about further consequences arose, the scarier they became.

Kaveh turned abruptly in the direction of Haytham. - "Don't push her! Do you see how excited she is?"

He turned in your direction. His gentle actions tried to calm you down, but a noticeable nervousness made itself felt. He didn't like this situation himself, but he had no choice but to play along. - "L-listen. I understand that this whole story has unsettled you. We were also shocked when we found out about your involvement. You know, I don't want you to put yourself in danger. I know very well what kind of person you are. Out of old friendship, we decided to help you. You can hide with us. Practically live here."

You stared at Kaveh with eyes full of despair. That look broke the guy so much that he decided to hug your trembling body. Meanwhile, Al-Haytham was watching you from the sidelines. There was nothing to do but agree to a "temporary" stay in their guest room. It was easier than running blindly from the law. Everyone knows how criminals are treated.

Living with Kaveh and Alhaitam is like being in the middle between two different elements. They are so different from each other and hate each other just as much. Have you often wondered: "Then why do they live together if they don't get along?"

The blond man could only mutter to himself about his miserable life. To which the neighbor replied that he himself was to blame for his misfortune.

It wasn't that bad. These were peaceful days until you started to notice excessive attention to your person.

How paradoxical that Kaveh was trying to keep an eye on you, and Haytham was trying to find out more about you in casual conversations, down to intimate details. All this scared you. Although it's much better to have a few weird neighbors than to be caught and convicted of a crime you didn't commit.

Trying to find the bright side in his situation led to deep reflection. Kaveh has the ability to empathize, which allows him to endear himself to people. As in the past, you spent your time at ease. He was flattered by the way you took care of him during his apathy and stress. The poor guy was sometimes very tired, and only your presence gave him a breath of fresh air. The architect really liked your kindness. It was as if an angel had descended into his unhappy life.

Haytham was cold in his communication. Nevertheless, he enjoyed your discussions. Perhaps that's why he was so passionate about your person. In fact, he doesn't even know why he likes you. During your studies, you worked enthusiastically on projects. He couldn't take his eyes off your figure, bent over the desk in concentration. It looks like one of your potions has bewitched him.

Falling in love is a common thing in adolescence. There's nothing you can do about human nature. It seemed to Haytham that the temporary attraction to the opposite sex would soon pass. But it was some time later, when you, as an adult scientist, put your research on his desk. The secretary thought he was going crazy. As an evil thing, you have grown up, and the forms of an already fully formed girl have rounded out. There was a sexual desire to knock you down on the table and possess you, throwing all your clothes on the floor. Is it strange to think about who you like in this way? His boner confirms it.

Imagine his surprise when the eternally annoying neighbor began to show signs of attention to you. This was the reason for the beginning of a serious conversation between them. Another headache and even more. Eternal discontent, and therefore rivalry. A small fear that Cavecht would get to your heart began to penetrate your body like poison. Haytham didn't realize it himself when he looked at your sleeping body. All that remained in his memory was a picture of his own house and a surprised neighbor.

Kaveh was ready to throw a tantrum all over the neighborhood until he realized that if the kidnapping was solved, he would also be in trouble. Even if he didn't like it. From the darkest corners of consciousness, another side can sometimes break through, which not only approves of Alhaytham's actions, but is also ready to commit "wrong" actions itself. That's why he already had your used panties in his pocket. Their fragrance was intoxicating, like the taste of nectar for a bee. During masturbation, he pressed them to his nose and listened to your scent. Sometimes he put them on his penis, soaking it with his sperm. The realization came only after the high, when he felt really ashamed. Thanks to this, washing clothes always rested on Kaveh's shoulders, as the pleasure session became his shameful habit.

You are so used to their swearing that you did not notice how one of them practically decided the fate of your innocence. You may not like being with two partners at once, but a couple of tricks and manipulations should break your will. The secretary carefully prepared for this case by reading a large stack of literature on sexology and psychology. Thus, he knows the female body like the back of his hand.

Kave is more delicate in this matter. Despite the fact that he can't wait to enter your sweet hole, you still have feelings too. The guy carefully prepares for your connection until his patience breaks down and he practically starts eating you. After such a stormy night, their traces remain on the body. Most of all, Haytham hates looking at your marks left by another person. He will leave a lot more red spots during your date and stick into you much harder. At such moments, sex can be quite violent. It all depends on the mood.

From a moral point of view, such a relationship seems wrong, but you have absolutely nowhere to go. Sitting in four walls becomes boring every day. The guys know that you can't escape because you're afraid of going to jail. One day, Haytham brought a flyer with your face on it as proof that they were looking for you. But he did not mention that the inscription "Missing" was torn off at the bottom. The scribe's lies had a strong effect on you, which surprised Kaveh very much. He knew before how smart Alhaytham was, but to play on a person's mind like that. This gave him a reason to call his neighbor a monster.

After all, you wanted to go outside and check the situation. At least secretly, but for a walk. Maybe if you ask the guys carefully, they can arrange it somehow. Really?

[thebisexualdogdad]

John Constantine x male!reader x Zatanna Zatara headcanons

*Matt Ryan as Constantine and Jade Tailor as Zatanna*

● 3 magicians/occultists sure make for a hell of an interesting relationship

● traveling around the world keeping the paranormal and supernatural at bay

● and always enjoying a good drink at the end of the day

● or before noon if it's just that kind of day

● which it often is because exorcisms can take a lot out of you

● going to Zatanna's magic shows and proudly cheering her on from the front row

● and always volunteering yourselves when she asks for audience participation

● John still gets a kick whenever she cuts him half

● when you or John annoy Zatanna she just casually drops a spell to turn you guys into rabbits

● "what did we do this time??"

● "you guys ate my leftovers again that I clearly labeled were mine!"

● Zatanna also has to stop you and John from doing stupid shit like when you drunkenly dare each other to try on doctor fates helmet

● "come on Z we weren't really gonna do it… again"

● Zatanna is extremely protective of her boys

● you've seen a lot of scary demons in your day but none are more terrifying than Zatanna when you or John are in danger

● John taking you and Zatanna to punk shows

● Zatanna pushing John into a mosh pit as a joke but he actually had a blast

● "bloody hell loves did you see that! That was awesome!!"

● stealing John's trench coat to mess with him

● "I would be mad because no one touches my coat but damn do you look good in it"

● and then one time you did a spell to swap John's and Zatannas outfit

● John was loving it "I mean it's a little tight on the boys but my ass sure looks good" he says as he's proudly checking himself out

● you've been banned from pretty much every movie theater because of John talking during the movie

● "he's the killer it's so obvious" he says as he throws popcorn at the screen

● "how can I be disturbing the other guests when this movie is bloody garbage!" He yells as you three are being escorted out by the usher

● it's not uncommon for one of you to find your partners surrounded by old books

● "what are we dealing with this time?"

● "not sure yet but in the last month there's been four mysterious deaths in Louisiana that we need to go check out"

● "I'll call Abby to see if she and alec can meet up with us, maybe they've heard something"

● "not that bloke again, he smells like a damn swamp"

● "John..."

● taking turns on who gets to be in the middle when you sleep

● but John always has to be the little spoon

● he refuses to be anything but the little spoon especially after sex

● and damn is the sex good

● using spells to make sex last all night long

● along with magically enhanced sex toys

● like self binding scarves

● magical wax that alternates between being hot and cold for the ultimate temp play

● or John being able to feel you inside him while you're fucking Zatanna

● Zatanna chanting spells that makes your bed float into the air

● you and John are sure to keep Zatanna thoroughly satisfied

● and Zatanna knows her way around a strap whenever she's in the mood to top you two

● John loves it when he gets a good pounding from both you and Zatanna

● and he will happily take one of you in his mouth while the other rails his ass

● lots of adrenaline filled sex after jobs go wrong and one of you nearly dies

● and pulling over to the side of the road to have sex in your car mid road trip to your next job after two of you have been fooling around in the backseat or one of you teasing the driver from the passenger seat

● so much sex around your magical safehouse in Atlanta

● which occasionally results in the unleashing of evil spirits when you accidentally knock over an mystical artifact

● "Oh that could have been really bad"

● "yeah we really dodged a bullet there but can you get back to going down on me now"

[scrcndipix]

red dawn. 06 | jeon jungkook.

The fall of the Baegyum Dynasty was imminent. Sangyu and his Insurgents from the Clans of the Mountains, known enemies of the royal family, have attacked the Sacred City of Ilsan, once the capital of an empire, now was reduced to ashes. And you have only one mission: to protect with your life the princess and heir to a broken realm. In your way to the neighboring kingdom in search of protection, you find yourselves in Yerin Woodland, territory of werewolves —ancient enemies of the Baegyum Dynasty who would gladly kill an Ilsan priestess like you.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

jeon jungkook x f reader.

wordcount: 13.4k

warnings/contents: nothing serious. just Luna being Luna and Jin and Jimin the bestest boys ever. angst???? (kind of). mentions of isolation and illness.

a/n: ... hi! i know it's been a while (like 3 years lol). i don't really have an excuse, just got into uni after the last chapter and didn't really feel like continuing the fanfic after that. during this time, i've matured the story and gained more perspective. i won't pressure myself to write anymore; i'll update when i'm truly satisfied and confident in what i'm doing. i understand that many people might not want to read it anymore. but for those who do, here's a new chapter. i hope you like it. i will maintain the old taglist, let me know if you want to be removed! take care. 💓

taglist: @shatzkrinslinzki @elliegrace1999tvd @channiespup @wooya1224 @veronawrites @itsoktheresbts @fangirl125reader @holyhumorliteraturelight @danyxthirstae01 @jamlessstars @chimchoom @jksusawife

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

previous | next

The last snows of the season were melting in pools of crystal clear water across the Clearing. In the mornings, the air was so chilly that it froze them, but it hadn't snowed in weeks. The last blizzard occurred on the night of your arrival to the pack, and since then, the signs of the arrival of spring had been clearer and clearer. The days were longer and the afternoons warmer.

As you came down for breakfast that morning, two days after your release on parole, you found out that the members of the pack were in especially good spirits and tremendously relieved.

"Jungkook took the farmers to the fields this morning to check their condition before sowing time after the next full moon," Jimin recounted, sitting on a high wooden stool, while Jin, at the stove, carefully stirred the contents of a huge, steaming pot, "and apparently they're all ready for this year's season despite the hellish winter we've had."

One of them was carrying the Cornerstone, as usual. You sensed the strap stirring and tensing almost lazily when you reached the threshold of the kitchen. The strands of light ghosting around you where you couldn't reach them, though you almost could. It was Jin who was bearing the medallion.

"Ah, thanks the Moon." The older Omega seemed to be very relieved. "Hoseok told me the other day that we were running out of our grain reserves."

Jimin nodded, humming. "Yeah, and since elk have migrated to the Yugseon Steppes earlier this season, we'll be able to organize hunting trips as soon as the snow melts enough for the paths to be clear."

You cleared your throat, not finding any other way to make yourself heard. They both turned their eyes to look at you when they heard you enter the kitchen, and a smile automatically formed on their faces, welcoming you.

"Welcome to the world of the living," Jin greeted you, refocusing his attention on the pot.

Jimin chuckled, pulling a stool away from the counter for you to sit next to you. You suppressed an apologetic smile as you settled in; Jin had strictly forbidden everyone to interrupt you while you slept, stating that it was best to let you wake up on your own, so that you could rest and sleep as long as your body asked. As a result, you didn't usually emerge from your room until late in the morning, even noon.

"Did you sleep well?" Jimin asked, with a mocking tone that made you finally smile.

"You shouldn't get me used to sleep all I want," you replied, leaning your elbows on the counter, "by the time you want me to get up early, it'll be too late."

Your playful answer made them laugh. They were getting used to you behaving like a normal person, laughing and smiling more usually, playing along their jokes and talking comfortably. It was a slow progress, but it was still progress.

"Nonsense." Jin's words were categorical. "You will be more helpful during the sowing if you are fully recovered. So do as I say, I am the healer here."

He shook his wooden spoon up and down, in a threatening manner, before putting it in the pot again. You nodded, forcing a smile although they didn't realize it wasn't genuine. Even if you had all the time you wanted and more to sleep, you couldn't rest properly. You spent most of the night awake, staring at the wooden panels of the ceiling of your rooms. The reason? Nightmares. Horrible, dreadful nightmares. Despite the fact that all of them were different, they all ended the same way.

Your hands stained with dark blood and a mountain of wolves' corpses before your shaking frame.

But of course, you couldn't tell them about that. It's not that you couldn't, because you knew that if you could trust someone in the pack, it was them. No, it wasn't like that: you didn't want, it felt too close to home for them to talk about that episode of your lives just yet.

"Have you ever participated in a seeding, Luna?" asked Jimin, leaning his chin on his hands.

"Kind of," you answered, shaking your head from side to side contemplatively, "it was customary that the High Priestess blessed the fields before the seedtime. Everyone thought that brought prosperity and good harvests."

The two Omegas were listening attentively, just like every time you told them about your life in Ilsan. They wanted to leave a record of everything they didn't know or anything their books didn't have. You found yourself softening whenever it happened, because you couldn't tell why, but seeing them truly interested in your thoughts and experiences made you happier than you would like to admit.

For the first time in forever, someone listened to you and kept in mind your opinions. For the first time in forever, you felt like you could speak your mind because your point of view was as valid as everyone else's. Jimin interrupted your thoughts dragging you back to reality.

"Did it work?"

"Well, I guess so. We never had problems with droughts or plagues. My blessing or pure luck? Only the Moon knows."

They chuckled at your words and Jin placed two bowls of chicken noodle soup with two glasses of warm herbal tea. One was for you and the other for Jimin.

"I can't wait for this year's Vernal Equinox Fest" Jimin commented, munching on his noodles, "you'll love it, Luna. It is one of our biggest celebrations."

You nodded, taking a sip of tea. You had read about it before, all their festivals were perfectly described in the books of the Great Library of the High Temple —Vernal Equinox Fest, Summer Solstice Fest, Autumnal Equinox Fest, Harvest Festivals, Great Moon Festivals, etc. Werewolves' culture depended a lot on the hunting seasons and the farming and lunar calendars, since that was the only way they had to measure the time. Their festivals were large and very important for them, being the most relevant social events in their life in community

Before you could add anything else, someone opened the front door with heavy steps before closing it again. The three of you turned your heads to the kitchen door.

"Anyone here?" Taehyung's voice ecchoed through the corridors from the vestibule.

Your stomach sank in anguish at the sound of the young Beta and you just wanted him to go away. Avoiding Taehyung at all costs had become your main purpose since the incident of the effigy. Even if he didn't seem to hate you at all. That's what disturbed you. He should hate you. He had to, right? How come he didn't? He had treated you normally, even almost jokingly. He told you that he trusted you. How the fuck could he trust you?

You stirred in your place almost uncomfortably. He had to be lying, he had to be pretending. Maybe he was just trying to make you feel save and relaxed enough to be vulnerable around him; maybe he was trying to get close to you, so that he could attack you where it hurt you the most.

Hana's face came to your mind, and your heart skipped a beat. The princess seemed to be already close to him, and that only made you feel even more anxious.

"In the kitchen!" Jin answered, bending down to lift a cube of fresh water to pour it into a new pot.

You turned back to your bowl of noodles and shoved a spoonful into your mouth, pretending Taehyung wasn't approaching the kitchen in that exact moment. Maybe if you ignored his presence, he would just disappear. His steps became louder as he got closer to the room and he poked his head out of the door. 

"I don't know what are you cooking, but I want a bowl of that. It's smells like heaven", he said as he entered the kitchen. 

Jimin smiled. "Good morning, Taehyung-ah," he greeted, spinning on the stool to face him, leaning his back on the counter, "did you hear the news? Seedtime is coming!"

Taehyung flopped down mindlessly on the other stool besides you, gesturing Jin to hand him his own bowl of chicken noodle soup. 

"Yeah, Yoongi hyung told me this morning during our patrol. I guess that by pure stadistic, something good had to happen to us already," from the corner of your eye, you saw he was looking down at you with raised eyebrows, "and it is actually the reason why I am here."

Jin and Jimin waited patiently for him to swallow his first two spoonfuls of soup. Even you mustered the courage to turn your head to glance at him, expectantly. The way he looked at you when he said that the forthcoming sowing was the first good thing to happen to the pack after a series of unfortunate, fateful, disastrous, nightmarish events, told you what you already knew —you were part of those unfortunate, fateful, disastrous, nightmarish events.

"Alpha Kim asked me to introduce Luna to some people today", he explained at last, "since we are starting to prepare for the next winter, people think that she should help too."

You remained silent, munching slowly on your own food. Even if the deal you made with Namjoon and Jungkook only forced you to help them in the war with your power and the Cornerstone's you thought that them wanting you to collaborate in the pack's daily labors was just fair enough. After all, you needed to eat and a roof over your head, and also make amends for your past mistakes. Not that stirring some soil for the sowing or weaving willow baskets for storage could repay them for what you did, but well, it's the thought that counts, right?

You wish.

Jin frowned slightly, abandoning momentarily his cooking task to look at Taehyung directly in the eye.

"It's too early for that, she is still recovering. I talked with Jungkook about it and-

"Jungkook approves it, hyung. " He interrupted softly. "He was with Namjoon when they sent me here. Time flies and with Sangyu in wait, we need all the help we can get."

You sighed ever so slightly, yet earning their attention. Why were they talking about you like you weren't in the room? You were not a person of just sitting and wait for things to be done magically. Since you can remember, people have decided on your life and your fate, you had no voice to speak yourself. Back in Ilsan, no one expected you to have an opinion or a point of view, rather the opposite. And now that you were not the High Priestess anymore, you had all the right to speak your thoughts, helping was the least you could do for them, and you prefered better not to give the pack more reasons to despise you. The sooner they got used to you, the sooner you would stop hating yourself for what you did.

"I'll do it," Jin puffed in disbelief and Jimin frowned, "I'm much better and I'll try to help as much as I can."

Jimin huffed as well, trying to reason with you. "Luna, you cannot just-

"I am not asking for your permission," you cut him off, not trying to sound agressive, but firmly anyway, "I am informing you."

You were not having it, not anymore. As much as you appreciated Jimin, he wouldn't get to tell you what to do. No one would ever decide on your behalf if you could help it. He looked away, biting on his lower lip seemingly frustrated.

Jin glared at you, lifting his spoon to threaten you again with it. "If I find out that you are overworking yourself in any way, I'll put barriers on your bed again and tie you up to them. Got it?"

You smiled at him sheepishly, he sighed loudly, but he made do with that. He took the Cornerstone off handing it to Taehyung, and felt relieved just from the very idea of doing so. Jimin also seemed happy to be away from the medallion for a while. Even if he knew he was going to be the one carrying the jewel during more time because he was the closest to you, he wasn't able to get used to it. Jimin's perfect skin turned pale and sweaty if he had the Cornerstone for a long period of time. The same happened with Jin, though he avoided carrying it as usually as Jimin had to.

Probably because it terrifies them. Yeah. The Cornerstone killed six of them that day, remember?

Your eyes travelled to Taehyung's face; he was clenching his jaw hard, but apart from that, nothing revealed how much he actually hated that medallion. He took it from Jin's hand and put it around his neck. The jewel shone on his chest when a ray of sunlight hit its silvery surface. His eyes shadened almost instantly, and he cowered a little, as if someone had just put an enormous weight on his shoulders. The strap tensed abruptly, like claiming your attention. You felt so bad for the three of them and so thirsty of your former power that you stepped in almost without realizing.

"I could be more helpful if you just let me carry it again," maybe your tone of voice shown a little too much how eager you were for the Cornerstone, because the three men looked at you eye widened, almost scared, "I- I mean, I know you don't like having it and I could do a lot of things, and-

"Don't even think about it," Taehyung said, abruptly, almost harshly.

You didn't push any further, because you knew that would probably had set all their alarms. And you didn't want the Alphas to know that you were trying to recover the medallion even if that's what you needed to do, because how the hell did they expect you to protect them if they wouldn't give you your weapon?

Jimin cleared his throat in order to break the awkward and tense atmosphere that settled between the four of you like dripping and dense fog. He stood up from his stool.

"Well, I'll see you later then, Luna. I have to check on the pups at the Nursery." He bowed his head goodbye to you and to his hyungs before heading to the back door of the kitchen.

You watched him go before turning your head to the Beta to your right, he was already watching you when you locked your eyes with him. Taehyung tilted his head to the corridor. "Come on, it's almost midday."

You got up from the stool, handing your bowl to Jin. He seemed to be annoyed by the situation, but resigned to it anyway. You sighed silently and tried to ease his obvious disagreement.

"It was delicious, Jin, thank you," he hummed, accepting your praise and the bowl, still refusing to look at you, so you pressed a bit more, "can I have seconds at dinner?"

He glared at you, putting his spoon in the steamy pot again. "You'll get bellyache, missy. A balanced diet is essential for a prompt recovery," he turned your back to you, placing the bowl in a washbowl besides the counter. Without even turning to look at you, Jin let out a loud sigh before partially turning his face over his right shoulder. "But I can make it for lunch tomorrow if you want."

You nodded, satisfied, and turned around to follow Taehyung out of the kitchen. You tried to keep a sufficient distance behind him so as not to engage in any superficial and awkward conversation, but close enough not to appear strange or be noticed. Your footsteps on the creaking wooden floor filled the heavy silence between you and accompanied you until you reached the door. When the Beta opened the door and let you go first, you had no choice but to surrender and prepare for the uncomfortable conversation that awaited you from the Pack House to wherever he wanted to take you.

Stepping out onto the porch, the cold air of early spring filled your lungs and immediately cleared your nose. The sun timidly shone through translucent clouds that opened up in large gaps here and there. Numerous puddles of muddy water surrounded the homestead on all sides, the result of roof drippings, from which the last remnants of winter snow had already disappeared. The path that crossed the pack village like a central axis was also muddy and filled with puddles where children jumped and frolicked.

Taehyung cleared his throat to get your attention, and you snapped back to reality, realizing that he was already waiting for you at the bottom of the porch stairs. You apologized under your breath as you hurried to catch up with him, jumping over one of the puddles to avoid getting your boots dirty. He waited for you to reach his side before walking again. The Cornerstone shone once more on his chest as the young man turned towards the clearing, dazzling you in the process. There was something mocking and sarcastic about the way the medallion seemed to seek your attention all the time, as if it wanted to remind you that it was there, and that you had to reach it even if you couldn't. Taehyung didn't miss the glance you cast at the jewel, but as soon as you realized that the Beta was watching you, you looked away as if you had been caught doing something wrong.

"I'm sorry we have to do this," he said, turning his gaze forward. "Carrying the Cornerstone in front of you without allowing you to touch it, and being close to it all the time, but it's Jungkook and Namjoon's orders."

You clenched your fists inside the sleeves of your shirt. You hated not finding any trace of mockery in his voice. He should revel in it, be happy to see you suffer because you couldn't wear the pendant around your neck. He should laugh at you, feel satisfied by carrying the Cornerstone and forcing you to be near it without even touching it. But no, his apologies seemed genuine. And you hated it. You hated not finding the hatred that you were supposed to receive from him.

What are you playing at, Taehyung?

That question had been swirling in your mind relentlessly for the past two days, and no matter how much you wanted to find an answer, you couldn't. And you didn't have the courage to confront him directly and demand answers because he had already given them to you. He trusted you because Jimin did.

You shook your head, shrugging to downplay the matter. "It's okay, I understand, or at least I'm trying to. I'll get used to it."

Taehyung nodded without saying a word, and you both fell into silence again. The truth was, you didn't understand it, nor did you understand what the Alphas were waiting for to return the Cornerstone to you, since it was the only way you could fight and defend them in case Sangyu decided to make his entrance. You sighed, avoiding another puddle languishing in the middle of the road.

It was becoming hard to ignore the leash that tied you to the medallion, which tightened more frequently and stronger. The strands of energy weaving around you grew brighter every day, even in broad daylight, even when far from the medallion. And now that you had it closer, now that you could almost touch the Cornerstone, it even seemed like you could reach them.

You reached out to them experimentally, hoping to see them disappear as they always did as soon as you tried. But no, they didn't disappear. You brushed against them. The leash tightened so abruptly that you almost stumbled over a stone in the path. Taehyung stiffened at your side and stopped, clearing his throat, almost coughing, as if he had choked on a nut. Your blood ran cold, and you were almost afraid to look at him, fearing that somehow he knew what you had done. When you turned around, you saw that he had brought a hand to his chest and was frowning, and he also turned to look at you.

You tried to play it off. "Is something wrong?"

Taehyung seemed to consider his words for a moment before shaking his head and continuing to walk.

"No. It's nothing, let's continue."

Of course, you didn't insist. The sooner he forgot about it, the better for you. Still, the pounding of your heart and the trembling of your hands did not diminish in the slightest. One thing was clear: you had managed to reach the strands of light without even wearing the Cornerstone, which until then, was thought to be impossible. No High Priestess of Ilsan had ever achieved anything like that before, of course, none had spent so much time without the stone. Without daring to move your head from side to side to avoid drawing the Beta's attention, you saw from the corner of your eye that the strands of light still shone brightly around you, even more than before. The leash was so tight that it almost seemed about to physically drag you towards Taehyung.

There was also another thing that was clear, he had felt it. You didn't know how much, or how, or why, but he had noticed something. You squeezed and loosened your fingers trying to calm the beats of your heart, which pounded frantically against your ribs, at this rate, you were sure that all the werewolves in the pack could perceive your distress and nervousness from miles away. There were many things you hid from the members of the pack, perhaps out of pure instinct, because you still didn't trust them enough to tell them. And although you highly doubted that it was a good start for a war alliance, it seemed even more dangerous for them to know what you had just discovered. They kept the medallion out of your reach precisely so that you couldn't use your power for the time being, and if it came to their ears that you could use the Cornerstone to channel that power without having to wear it, the Moon knows what they would do to try to keep you under control.

The memory of the darkness, the cold, and your sanity unraveling like sand between your fingers sent a deep chill sweeping over you. No, you couldn't go back to the isolation cell again. So you stayed silent and kept the secret. Another one.

In an even more uncomfortable silence, you arrived at the Agora, where you could see for the first time and in all its splendor the morning market of the pack. You didn't know that there were so many people living in the Clearing until that moment, and it was the first time you had seen so many souls gathered in one place since the night of your escape from Ilsan. Anyway, it could never overshadow the market days of the chaotic capital of the Rowan Empire. The circular plaza was filled with wooden stalls covered with colorful fabrics, forming a smaller circle following the shape of the Agora around the effigy of the Moon Goddess, which rose in the center of the place.

There were people of all ages scattered in the square, many of them leaving offerings to the goddess, while others walked among the market stalls, inspecting the materials and chatting animatedly with the owners of the stalls. In Ilsan, the markets were the epicenter of theft and fraud, but there, like everything else that happened in the Clearing, everything seemed to move at a different pace.

Something you did notice and couldn't help but ask about was that no one carried any kind of currency on them.

"We don't believe in the monetary system that humans use," Taehyung explained, shrugging as you immersed yourselves in the crowd, "it's much simpler for us to trade with goods or ration cards. Each family in the pack specializes in manufacturing something that we all need, so we simply use exchange to have everything. When that system doesn't work, we pay with ration cards, which are exchanged for something from the pack's common warehouse: grain, wool, wood... Whatever is needed."

That left you as amazed as it did perplexed. Until then, you were unaware that a community could function in such a simple and effective way; it was nothing more than a utopia for a population as large as Ilsan or the great city-states of the South. Once again, the werewolves surprised you with their civilization, often much more advanced than those who called them beasts.

"Don't you ever have problems with that?" you asked, puzzled, while dodging two women who were calmly discussing the value of a ball of wool. "I thought that it is impossible to maintain a completely egalitarian society; there will always be someone who has more than the others."

Taehyung shrugged, without turning to look at you. "We're not a society like yours, Luna, we're a family. But to answer your question, of course we have problems, and not just with the distribution of our resources. But don't worry, Jungkook and Namjoon handle them wonderfully."

Somehow, it didn't seem strange to you to think that the pack operated like the perfectly oiled machine it was thanks to the leadership of both Alphas. You didn't know much about the pack leaders at the moment, nor how their predecessors managed the position, but you had met many powerful men throughout your life as High Priestess, and somehow you knew that none of them could hold a candle to Jungkook or Namjoon.

Call it intuition or experience, but deep down you knew. If the packs had survived Sangyu's attacks, with no wars or internal disputes and with systems as simple but delicate as those, it was because the leaders were exceptionally good at their jobs. Without another word, you followed Taehyung through the rest of the market, enduring with all possible composure the hard stares from all the pack members you crossed paths with.

Since the day you were allowed out of isolation, word had spread throughout the pack that the witch from Ilsan who ruined the last night of the blue moon was still there. By that morning, everyone in the Clearing knew who you were and what you were supposedly going to do for them. If any of them appreciated your efforts or your goal of protecting them from Sangyu, none of them let you know. Quite the opposite.

When you left the Agora and the hustle and bustle of the market behind, you could afford to release the breath you didn't know you had been holding, though not for long. Beyond the circular plaza, the village still extended a bit further. In that part of the clearing were the largest and oldest-looking houses, probably for larger families; there were scattered wooden buildings that looked like barns at first glance, and the rest of the space was made up of meadows surrounded by wooden fences where several domestic herds of cows, goats, pigs, and some chickens and hens grazed peacefully.

There was one building that stood out above the rest. It was also made of wood, circular, and covered by a dome of branches and huge leaves that almost seemed to be your size; it had circular windows forming a clerestory at the highest part and double doors that seemed as heavy as a mountain. You wouldn't have known what that building was for if the answer wasn't precisely at its doors.

There were two elderly people wrapped in white and immaculate clothes. They reminded you of the ones you had to wear as a Novice and later as High Priestess; white was the color of the moon and purity, so said the Patriarch. A nasty shiver ran down your back as you remembered it. Those same clothes were worn by Elder Sang and the other elder who had waited for you to come out of the cell that morning.

So those must be members of the Gerusia. And probably the building was their headquarters, or something like that. They seemed to be discussing something in a low voice, sitting on a long stone bench at the entrance of the place. One of them saw you and pointed you out to his colleague, whispering something in his ear. The looks of hatred and arrogance they directed at you before getting up and entering the building did not go unnoticed by Taehyung, nor did the spit that one of them spat at your feet as you passed by.

If you were in Ilsan, half a dozen Praetorii would have jumped on them just for looking you in the eye; for not bowing to you, they would have been whipped and would have spent three nights in Ryu's dungeons; for spitting at your feet, they would be on their way to the gallows to be hanged.

However, you forced yourself to ignore them and look the other way. Taehyung didn't do anything to correct their behavior either, though you understood. Only the Alphas could confront an elder, especially from the Gerusia. Who knows the trouble that would arise if the murderer witch and foreigner committed such a disrespect with a council elder.

The more unnoticed you passed, the better; the fewer reasons you gave them to hate you, the better. If that meant having to endure treatments as humiliating and degrading as those, you would. You just wished that all the bad things they did to you would come back to them someday. Multiplied by several figures, if possible. The Goddess was wise, and wove your destinies accordingly.

The Goddess shapes the back for the burden. You would have to settle for that for the moment.

"Don't take it personally, Luna," the Beta half apologized when the men had closed the doors behind them, "they take the Sacred Law too seriously. Someday they'll give in even if it hurts their pride."

You sighed, vaguely nodding your head and suppressing the urge to demand to know why he didn't spit at you like they did. He had reasons enough to do it.

"Is there a section in your Sacred Law that obligates you to spit at me?" you asked, knowing that the tone you used hinted at more bitterness than you would like to show.

Taehyung bit his cheeks for a few seconds as he thought about his response. "Not exactly, but there are some about how our enemies are treated, especially those with whom we have had direct confrontations."

You raised an eyebrow. As far as you understood since you were born, werewolves were hostile to anyone who got too close to the Yerin forest, let alone to those who dared to set foot in their territory. You had heard many legends of people who went and never returned, especially travelers and explorers who tried to open a faster and safer route to Ghaleen and the Eastern territories through Yerin. The Steppe Road that descended to Imhan Pass around the forest to the south was plagued by bandits and mercenaries in recent years.

"Do you mean basically all outsiders who step into the forest? I imagine that for the elders, anyone who isn't like you is against you."

Taehyung stopped and turned to look at you, hands on hips and a serious face that made you want to be able to shut your mouth as you did in Ilsan. You also stopped walking and took a step back to keep a more prudent distance from him; the Beta frowned at that last gesture and let his arms fall to his sides as he sighed, as if trying to explain to a child for the tenth time why he couldn't eat a whole box of candy at once.

"Look, Luna, I understand that the elders are not saints in your devotion and that their behavior is not appropriate, but it's not right for you to assume things about how we work here when you have no idea," well, you deserved that for being a loudmouth, "and even less as if we were inferior to you. We are not savages, we were not the ones who attacked and ended the other party's diplomatic mission, or were we?”

Okay. That was a low blow, but probably deserved, if we're being honest. Much to your chagrin and to the detriment of your pride, you averted your gaze with pursed lips, not daring to respond. Taehyung understood the message of surrender and sighed again, softening his expression, though he still seemed annoyed. Did you want to anger him so you could feel guilty about his grandmother's situation more comfortably? Well, probably, you couldn't deny it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up that topic again," you almost wanted to punch him for apologizing and making himself look like the bad guy in that situation. He had every right to be angry.

"I'm sorry, that was foolish of me," you conceded, looking back at him with some reluctance. "I don't think you're inferior, or savages, in fact... you're the most civilized community I've ever known."

Taehyung nodded, accepting the apology. "You must learn to understand our way of life and, above all, the Sacred Law. Although it may not seem like it, the Gerusia is wise and helps the Alphas a lot in decision-making and law enforcement... for all of us, not just outsiders."

He said the last part in a lower voice, with a more restrained tone, as if it were something he shouldn't mention. You frowned as your mind connected dots at a speed that impressed even you, and the answer came clear as a candle lit in the darkness of a cave.

"Were they the ones who decided to expel the... rogues?" you asked, also instinctively lowering your voice.

Taehyung glanced at you for a couple of seconds with narrowed eyes, perhaps wondering how you knew that. When you thought he was going to speak to answer you, he turned to walk away, physically avoiding your question as well. You didn't waste time and hurried to catch up with him to walk by his side; one of his strides was like two of yours, but the height difference wasn't going to stop you this time. You remembered that although you had ended eight members of his pack, they had done the same to your sisters from the Ilsan Temple. Well, technically it wasn't them. However, the expulsion of the wanderers from the pack was what gave them free rein to attack Ilsan without remorse in the first place, and if that hadn't happened, you would never have had to take anyone's life. It's not that you wanted to apologize or justify your actions in that way, but it was nothing more than the relationship of cause and effect. The Patriarch always said that chaos is a ladder; and that everything you do, every decision you make, is a step that determines the next one. The flutter of a butterfly in Vinland Desert could unleash a storm in Terlheslin. In this way, everything you do in the present will affect the future, just as the present is what it is because of the decisions made in the past. The whole ancestral hatred relationship you maintained with the werewolves was actually the top of the ladder; the product of a chain of terrible events.

Probably that part of the story where the werewolves massacred half of the Ecclesia was deliberately ignored by all members of the pack, so they could call you a monster and hate you without feeling any guilt. The Beta didn't answer you, but you didn't give up. Although Namjoon and Jungkook had told you the truth during your last conversation in the cell, you knew they hadn't told you everything.

Who were the rogues and why did they hate humans so much?

"I know it was like that. That they were the ones who attacked Ilsan, not the werewolves of the Clearing," you saw that the young man listened to you despite everything because he looked at you from the corner of his eye. "The Alphas told me in the isolation cell before they took me out. But they didn't tell me who-"

"That's a subject I can't talk about, Luna," Taehyung interrupted you, not slowing down his pace. "It's not up to me to tell you. If Namjoon and Jungkook didn't, there's a reason... We've arrived, come on."

You sighed. There were many unresolved mysteries about the pack's past swirling around in your head. Both you and they were hiding things from each other, although you hoped it wasn't as obvious to them that you weren't telling the whole truth as it was to you. That only evidenced what was more than clear: neither the pack trusted you, nor did you trust the pack, no matter how kind Jimin and Jin were to you.

You didn't add anything else, although you wouldn't have been able to if you wanted to. You had reached one of the last houses in the Clearing: one that was especially large, dark, and regal-looking. There was a pergola with a roof of moss and branches near the entrance, under which a large group of people were chatting animatedly around a large table. A squad of children ran around playing, jumping in puddles and climbing nearby trees. A huge tin pot was placed next to the table, over a fire, bubbling emitting a warm smell of homemade food that immediately opened your appetite even though you had just eaten a little while ago. A young and slender woman stirred the contents of the cauldron with a ladle the size of her forearm. Only when you approached close enough, you saw that she was carrying a baby wrapped in a cloth tied to her back.

"Dasom noona!" Taehyung called out as you left the path to approach the front garden of the house where the pergola was.

Everyone turned to look when they heard the Beta, greeting him warmly and patting him on the back. Not knowing quite how to proceed, you stayed a little behind in silence. When the werewolf men's eyes moved from Taehyung to you, they lost any friendly glow they might have had at first. However, the only look that really made you feel intimidated was that of the woman next to the cauldron; there was a latent and icy hatred hidden in her Beta blue irises.

"Is it her?" she asked, shifting her gaze to Taehyung. He nodded and the young woman looked you over again in a way that made you feel as uncomfortable as self-conscious. "She seems frail, I can see her bones under all that clothing from here."

Her words were poisoned, and although they were prepared to hurt you, what really hurt was the wave of poorly disguised laughter that the comment raised among the rest of the people who witnessed it from the table. You clenched your fists behind your back until your knuckles turned white, resisting the call of the Cornerstone, which whispered from Taehyung's chest, challenging you to pull the strands that tied you to the woman to shut her up in the worst possible way.

Taehyung wasn't laughing. "Dasom, please."

The woman rolled her eyes and turned to you, leaving the ladle inside the cauldron. Taehyung seemed to take it as a sign of peace, because he sighed before looking at you.

"Luna, this is Dasom, my older sister," the Beta said, pointing at the woman with one hand, "and Namjoon's mate."

You couldn't hide the surprise that this new information caused you. You didn't know that Namjoon had a mate, and apparently, at least one child, although it didn't seem strange to you in some way. He was a young and healthy Alpha, after all. For a fleeting moment, you wondered if Jungkook had also formed his own family.

Because you took his away. Or at least, part of it.

In addition to clenching your fists, you pressed your lips together. You were sure that when you opened your hands, your nails would have dug into your skin so much that they would have left four crescent-shaped marks. Then, Dasom's aversion in her eyes when she saw you made more sense.

You had also killed her grandmother that day.

This will haunt you for life.

"Well, let's see what you're made of, Priestess," she commented, in such a mocking way that you would have given her a murderous look if it weren't because suddenly you believed you deserved it more. "Have you ever made willow baskets or herded a flock?"

Dasom knew the answer, she probably knew the obligations of the priestesses and the luxurious lifestyle they led. She knew that you had never seen those domestic animals in your life unless it was for some sacrifice or served at a banquet for the nobles of Ilsan. She just wanted to humiliate you a little more.

You let her do it. You shook your head, still with your eyes fixed on the ground. You heard the cruel laughter of her companions again, who seemed to be having a great time with the situation. Taehyung didn't intervene again.

In the misty morning: wet meadows, dried leaves, and absent birds. It was late autumn. Even the streets of the normally chaotic citadel of Ilsan were immersed in a sluggish lethargy that day. But that was only the calm before the storm.

Inside the Imperial Palace, the world was completely different. It seemed like a bubble of madness and frenzy in a calm sea. The recent times had been tense for life at the court after Empress Yuran's multiple and tragic miscarriages, but nothing had prepared humans for what was about to happen that day.

And least of all, you.

Six Praetorii escorted you along one of the palace's immense corridors. That military order, expressly at your service, had been founded the day after the massacre of the Ilsan Temple to prevent something like that from happening again.

As you turned a corner in the hallway, the muffled sound of a crowd shouting and booing reached your ears. You swallowed hard, halting your steps suddenly. The Praetorii immediately stopped without breaking their ring formation around you. The Guard Commander addressed you without looking into your eyes, always with his head tilted down.

"Luna, we must proceed. They are waiting for you."

You nodded, but still did nothing to move from the spot. You knew what you were going to do, you knew what they were going to force you to do. When at dawn the City Guard brought word to the palace that they had sighted and captured a pack of werewolves in the vicinity of Ilsan, you already knew that neither the Patriarch nor the Empress would let them go unpunished for that.

Not after they had murdered all the novices and priestesses of Ilsan in a single day.

The Commander shifted his weight from one leg to the other, uncomfortable, unsure of how to make you walk. They couldn't touch you unless it was to physically protect you, after all, or speak to you disrespectfully.

"Luna, please."

To your left, the youngest soldier of them all spoke. It was Kai, the closest person to a friend you had. He was barely fifteen, seven years older than you, but he had already graduated from the military academy with all honors, which had earned him a place in the palace garrisons if he wished. Despite the strict rules surrounding the ritual procedure by which people were supposed to communicate with you, Kai looked you in the eyes and spoke to you as what you were: a little scared girl.

That's what gave you the strength to start walking. All the soldiers followed you as if orbiting around you. The corridor turned again a little further ahead and ended at a stone archway that led to a huge inner courtyard. The Empress's Courtyard, the main one in the entire palace. All the permanent resident nobles of the court were there, as well as most of the inhabitants of Ilsan.

The Patriarch had allowed the entry of commoners into the palace, a historic milestone in the memory of the Sacred City. The crowd formed a wide circle around the center of the courtyard, where some City Guards held motionless a series of furry shapes that you couldn't clearly distinguish from your position at the courtyard entrance, but that you knew perfectly well what they were.

Although the boos and insults toward the werewolves didn't cease, the nobles and commoners parted left and right to open a path for you. The Patriarch was there, facing the werewolves, waiting for you. You moved through the people like a condemned woman to the gallows.

Although you were going to be the executioner.

It wasn't strange to you that the Patriarch had summoned you to take care of that task. After all, it was always the High Priestess who executed important prisoners of war. There was a whole ritual ceremony for sacred executions in the name of the Goddess. But they usually took place in private.

That wasn't a ritual, it was a public execution, probably for the entertainment of Ilsan's inhabitants, to humiliate the werewolves as much as possible in their last moments of life. The closer you got to the center of the courtyard, the sicker you felt. As much as you hated the werewolves, you didn't want to do it, just the thought made bile rise in your throat, threatening to make you vomit what little you had for breakfast.

Your distressed situation awakened the bond with the Cornerstone, and the leash twisted, eagerly pulling, taking your breath away. Three years had passed since the Junction, and your connection with the medallion was more than consolidated, but you were still very susceptible to sudden changes in the energy flows exchanged with the Stone.

So, by the time you reached the center of the courtyard and the Patriarch forcefully turned your arm to face the crowd, you were bathed in a cold sweat that only increased your paleness. The Patriarch raised a hand to silence the crowd, while discreetly digging his nails into your shoulder with the other.

“Citizens of Ilsan and nobles of Her Imperial Majesty Yuran of Baegyum's Court; may health, life, and prosperity be granted unto you” the Patriarch began to speak, his voice echoing naturally off the courtyard walls, “behold the cause of our infinite rage and sorrow, behold the murderers of our Sisters and our former High Priestess; may her travel be brief.”

The crowd rose in a wave of indignation that materialized in the form of insults and more boos. Someone threw a stone, and although you had your back to the beasts, you heard a howl of pain from one of them. You had counted eight. The Patriarch let the people vent their anger for a few seconds before silencing them again.

“As dictated by the laws of the Sacred Scripture, it is our Luna who must end the lives of these impious creatures.”

The grip the man maintained on your shoulder tightened, and you were sure it would leave a bruise for days. The Patriarch turned to look over his shoulder at the werewolves as if they were insects stuck to the sole of his shoe.

“Blood must have blood, and that spilled in the Great Temple must still be avenged.”

Once again, the courtyard filled with voices that seemed unintelligible to you; the sounds reached you muffled, distant, as if they were very far away, yet they filled your ears in a way that almost felt like they would burst. Blood must have blood. That was perhaps the most important sacred quote of the entire dominant religion in the Rowan Empire, even for werewolves. Everyone knew it and respected it, followed it and practiced it.

The Goddess's singular commandment. And also your order to follow, that was your starting gun. The nobles and commoners, still relentless in their efforts to humiliate the creatures with their derogatory and degrading comments and the occasional stone, looked at you with fury emitting dangerous sparks in their eyes. That was the flash of collective hysteria.

The Patriarch, in the face of your apparent passivity, gave you a shove toward the werewolves that nearly sent you straight to the ground. The creatures bared their teeth and huddled in place, bristling defensively.

Indeed, there were eight. Three gray ones in different shades; two redheads and two browns, one of them significantly older-looking than the other. Finally, in the center, there was a huge wolf, much larger than the rest. It was a pitch-black color, its eyes red, staring at you in such a threatening way that you almost recoiled.

It was an Alpha. The Cornerstone had no effect on it, which meant that...

“Avenge your sisters, High Priestess” urged the Patriarch, in the same tone of voice he used to preach his previous speech. “Avenge the Sacred City, the work of our ancestors, the foundations of our world.”

You trembled so violently that the medallion swayed on your chest, emitting pale flashes when the sun hidden in the fog reached its surface with some of its rays. The leash tightened abruptly, making you cough.

A part of you wanted it, you couldn't lie. A part of you wanted to return all the harm they had done to you, added up and multiplied by a thousand. The other part of you, much larger, was horrified by your own thoughts.

“Do it, Priestess!” the Patriarch shouted, starting to lose patience.

The crowd's shouts increased, some beginning to move towards you. And yet, you heard nothing but your own heart pumping blood at an astonishing speed in your ears. You stood petrified, staring into the red eyes of the black wolf in front of you.

Next to him, the older-looking brown wolf growled fiercely at you, showing canines as long as your skinny hand. The rest of their packmates did the same, trying to wriggle under the ropes that held them down to the ground. The Alpha was silent, impassive, with his nose held high and a haughty gaze that made you feel even smaller.

The Patriarch took two steps forward and grabbed you by the back of your neck with claw-like fingers, forcing you to stoop abruptly to be at the beasts' level. Some nobles suddenly fell silent, and the boos wavered at the holy man's gesture.

No one, not even him, was allowed to touch you. But everyone seemed to forget that small detail when they heard the words the Patriarch articulated, leaning over you towards your ear. He didn't whisper them, he shouted them in your ear so that everyone could hear.

“Don't you remember, Luna?” he accused, digging his nails into both sides of your neck. “Don't you remember your sisters' corpses? How these monsters ripped their lives away in front of you? Kill them! I command you in the name of the Goddess!”

The shouts of indignation filled the courtyard once again, and this time you heard them as if they were shouting in your ear, echoing, as if inside a cave. Tears bathed your cheeks and flooded your eyes when you opened them to face your fate. The leash writhed with such fury that you thought it would break, and before you could even realize it, you had stretched towards the strands of light that connected you to the werewolves. You grabbed them tightly and with a sharp pull, broke them.

The werewolves' bodies fell to the ground immediately, lifeless.

Silence fell in the Empress's Courtyard like in a tomb, only the echoes of the boos accompanied you for a few seconds before dying in the vastness of the air. No one dared to utter a word. A dull ringing settled in your ears, and your vision blurred, you staggered and fell painfully to your knees in front of the Alpha, who was still alive. You had never exerted so much energy in the three years you had been bound to the Stone, and suddenly you felt as if a herd of wild stallions from the steles had trampled over you.

The creature had remained as petrified as you at first, and moments passed before it reacted. The werewolf let out a chilling howl that made the crowd take a few steps back, screaming in fear as they cowered behind the line of security formed by the Praetorian Guard.

The Alpha tried to rise and lunge at you, but the ropes and the soldiers holding him back prevented it. The Patriarch pulled your arm back to move you away from it, dragging you across the courtyard floor, while turning to his personal escort.

“Bring me the Reaper's Tear!” he ordered. “Let's put an end to this once and for all.”

That seemed to snap you out of your stupor, because you turned your head towards him like a spring and began shaking it compulsively to refuse, while trying to free yourself from his grip. You knew what that Reaper's Tear was and what it would signify.

"No! I don't want to! Abeoji, no! Please, Abeoji. Don't make me do it, I-"

The slap silenced you, and the nobles and commoners exchanged astonished looks and whispers. Such aggression was punishable by death. You brought your free hand to your left cheek, which was beginning to redden. The characteristic metallic taste of blood filled your mouth.

"You will, Luna," the Patriarch seemed to hesitate, perhaps afraid of his own actions. There would be no way for the Ecclesia to overlook this, “it is your sacred duty.”

A soldier approached with a long white wooden case and bowed to open it for you. He didn't meet your eyes when he said, "The Reaper's Tear, Luna."

You shook your head frantically, trying to pull away, but the Patriarch pulled your arm towards the case. Inside was a double-edged saber, almost as long as your forearm. Embedded in the hilt was a white gem in the shape of a tear. The scriptures said it was a tear of the Goddess solidified into a precious stone, found at the source of the Idris River, in the Northern Mountains.

You had always feared it, but never as much as in that moment. It was an execution weapon, used for special cases where the Anchor Stone was ineffective. It was mainly intended for High Priestesses who had broken their vows in some way.

The Patriarch gripped the saber and closed your fingers around the hilt, using his own hand to cover yours and prevent you from letting go of the weapon. The previously noisy crowd had become as silent as a group of millennia-old statues. The Patriarch looked at the soldiers holding the wolf down with a grim expression.

"Hold the ropes tight. If anything happens to our Luna, you will face the consequences."

In response, the men pulled on the ropes holding the creature to the ground. The Alpha was forced to shrink further into the ground, so much so that he couldn't even lift his head from the cobblestones, and the rope dug into the skin of the pack leader, eliciting a deep growl as he showed all his teeth. You sobbed again, though the Patriarch didn't care, he kept pulling you towards him. There was no way you could escape his grip, as he held you firmly against him with one arm, while grabbing your hand with the other.

"Abeoji, Abeoji, please. I beg you-

“Silence, child,” the man cut you off, half-whispering by your ear, “High Priestesses do not plead.”

You had been explained many times since you passed the Junction. You must not ask; you must demand. And you wanted to do it, you wanted by all means to regain control of the situation and not have to beg anyone. By the time you wanted to realize it, you were eagerly seeking the strands that connected you to the Alpha and thus give him a clean, dignified, and painless death.

But almost all the power you had accumulated in the Cornerstone had dissipated like mist after killing seven wolves at once, so the strands of light were very weak, flickering, like stars in the distance. In addition to that, and as you already knew, an Alpha's strands were not reachable for you; they avoided your touch like oil avoids water.

The Patriarch stood in front of the wolf, still holding you with a force that numbed your whole body. He raised his arm, dragging your armed hand with him, ready to give him a cold-blooded death. Your tear-filled eyes barely managed to discern what was happening in front of you, and you weren't even aware that you were screaming. Still, for a moment as ephemeral as eternal, the gaze of the pack leader came clear and unobstructed into your field of vision.

It had stopped growling, and its body languished on the ground, defeated. In its sad, red eyes, there was no hatred.

There was forgiveness.

You cried louder, screamed louder, writhed more violently. You frantically searched for the strands again, but this time not the ones that connected you to the wolf.

You wanted the Patriarch's. Your arm was already descending on the Alpha's head; you stretched as far as you could towards the strands, trying to grasp them, but it was already too late.

Your eyes snapped open, and the darkness of your room welcomed you back to the land of the living. You opened your mouth, seeking air with your irregular, shallow breaths, your hands clenched into tight fists gripping the sheets between your fingers. You instantly realized you weren't the only thing you were holding onto tightly.

The strands were there, and you clung to them as if your life depended on it. But there was a problem; you weren't wearing the Cornerstone, obviously, and it wasn't even near you. You had no idea what happened to the pendant at night, but you had somehow managed to tap into its power to channel it anyway.

You let go immediately, scared, terrified. How was it even possible? You had grasped the strands in real life after dreaming about it. And even more panic set in, settling in the pit of your stomach like a tombstone at the entrance of a crypt.

Your body reacted before your mind did, and you were already sitting up on the mattress, hugging your knees tightly. What if you had unintentionally hurt someone? In your dream, you had killed seven wolves, just as it happened on that fateful day. Those nightmares had been more than recurrent in recent days, and in fact, there hadn't been a single night where you hadn't dreamed of something similar. But none had ever been so concrete, so detailed.

So realistic. Just as it had happened that day.

In the darkness of the room, you huddled in place, trembling. It wasn't because of the cold, as the Pack House had a heating system that left you as amazed as the rest of the innovations the Clear presented in contrast to the wild and grotesque image you had been instilled with about werewolves. It wasn't the cold, no, it was fear. Of yourself and what you could unwittingly do.

You found it impossible to fall back asleep for the rest of the night, even though you tried. You needed all the energy you could gather for the tasks that would be assigned to you from then on, and it wasn't as if your body had fully recovered from everything that had happened since you arrived at the pack. But you couldn't complain. Keeping silent and obeying was all you could do.

You thought it would be easier to earn respect among the werewolves, or so you had imagined when Namjoon and Jungkook proposed to support them in the upcoming war in exchange for your "freedom" and the promise that Hana would be safe. Not that you had any other option but to accept; playing with Hana's well-being was inconceivable for you, and you wouldn't have endured being isolated and sane for much longer. At that moment, it had seemed like a beneficial deal for both parties, but you were increasingly realizing that it actually only made things easier for them. You, on the other hand, remained in the same position as before. Maybe out of a cell, but controlled, deprived of your vital energy source, watched, and hated.

What had really changed?

That same question was on your mind when later that morning, you saw a cow up close for the first time.

Dasom had taken you to the corrals on the south side of the Clear, where the sun warmed the grass most of the day. That was where the cows gave birth to their calves and where they were raised for the first few days before being moved to the greener, fresher pastures in the northern area. Anyone would think that a small newborn calf next to its mother was an endearing sight to immortalize forever as a memory; Mother Nature in her kindest form; the circle of life, blah, blah, blah.

It terrified you from the moment you heard their lowing up close.

Digging your heels into the muddy ground, you came to a sudden stop. Dasom, the Cornerstone hanging on her chest, looked at you, raising an eyebrow, with a smirk of superiority that would have made you angry if you weren't too busy trying not to run in the opposite direction.

"What are you waiting for, priestess?" she asked, leaning her arms on the corral fence. “Come on, get in. Cows don't herd themselves.”

Clenching and unclenching your fists under the sleeves of your shirt, you tiptoed to the gate of the corral. The cows watched from inside every step you took as they chewed the grass leisurely. They didn't seem to get upset when you infiltrated their domains, nor when you approached them and their offspring. One of them emitted a deep moo, to which two others responded.

The sound startled you, and you flinched. You heard a small wave of barely contained laughter rise behind you, and when you looked over your shoulder, you saw several Hippei and other pack members watching you with a mix of mockery and curiosity that made you blush with embarrassment. Dasom smiled, satisfied and pleased with herself.

Determined not to let them have fun at your expense, you turned to face the cows. Come on, you had survived a city takeover, an arrow shot, and had lived until then in a pack of werewolves. How could a seemingly harmless grass-eater like that scare you?

Pulling on the mothers' bells to guide them into the corral stable wasn't so difficult, especially because they followed each other. They seemed accustomed to it because the cow you chose to lead first didn't even moo when you started pulling on her collar. The rest followed at a painfully slow pace, but eventually, they all ended up inside. The calves didn't stray from their mothers, so they naturally moved with them.

Except for one. It was smaller than the rest, and more agile. Although you tried several times and in different ways, under the mocking gaze of the other werewolves, the calf didn't even let you get close to it. Luckily, it still didn't have horns and was too young to really hurt you when it pushed you out of its way with a headbutt. It sent you backwards onto the ground in a puddle of mud, and it entered the stable alone.

With a heavy heart, you rose from the ground, trying to maintain your dignity as best as you could, and slammed the barn door shut. As you turned to look at Dasom, she didn't bother hiding the smirk of satisfaction on her face.

"We may question your methods, priestess, but not your results," the laughter was widespread. Some of those present began to move away to tend to their respective tasks, seeing that the show was over. "Alright, go tidy up. I'll talk to Namjoon about your next assignment."

You didn't even spare her a last glance before bowing your head slightly and slipping away from the corral towards the Pack House. The mud made your already soaked clothes cling to your body like a second skin. You hugged your torso and quickened your pace. You prayed not to run into anyone familiar until you reached your room, but you didn't even reach the main door before it swung open.

You managed to halt your steps before colliding head-on with someone.

Please let it be Jin. Please let it be Jin.

"Luna?" you cursed under your breath in every language you knew as you recognized Jungkook's voice. You didn't have the courage to look up. The embarrassment tingled in your cheeks. "For Moon's sake, what happened to you?"

Seeing that you didn't react, the Alpha gently lifted your chin with the back of his index finger. His touch sent shivers down your body, and you swallowed hard. Now you were more than obliged to answer.

"Dasom thought I could use some experience herding a flock," you admitted quietly, avoiding eye contact.

Jungkook tried his best not to offend you with a laugh and cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I see, those little ones can be quite unruly. Go change or you'll catch a cold with your clothes this wet," you hugged yourself tighter, feeling mortified, trying to make yourself small in place. Seeing your discomfort, he seemed to want to change the subject. "A calf knocked me to the ground the first time I tried to herd them into the barn...," that almost drew a smile from you. "Besides, I fell flat on my face, so you've done better than me."

You dared to look at him, perhaps to see if he was teasing or being serious. He simply gave you one last half-smile before stepping aside and gesturing for you to enter the house.

You obeyed without saying another word.

That night, you dreamed again of the day you killed the wolves. And you woke up screaming, clutching the strands as tightly as if you had never left the Cornerstone.

The next day, by Jungkook's order, Hana was allowed to have breakfast with you at the Pack House. Sitting at the table in the backyard garden, she barely stopped talking long enough to swallow the oatmeal cookies that Jin, pale from carrying the Cornerstone, had specially baked for her. But it didn't matter to you; just seeing her golden skin regain its vibrant color and the sparkle of happiness in her eyes was enough comfort for you. That's how you knew your pain was worth it. Hana was happy in the Clearing. And you would be willing to return to solitary confinement as long as it stayed that way.

The pack accepted her. They adored her. Even Hoseok. Hana made flower crowns for him and Yoongi every day, and they wore them on their patrols. That sight wasn't funny enough to alleviate the terror you felt towards both Hippei. The memory of Hoseok's fangs on your neck on the night you entered Yerin was enough to make you feel so scared you could vomit.

Shortly before noon, Taehyung arrived at the house with Yeji to pick up Hana and take her with the rest of the children to help prepare the meal for the Hippei going on a long patrol. You could barely hold back the tears when Hana kissed your cheek before running off to Yeji. She waved goodbye and disappeared into the house. You knew the Alphas didn't allow you to spend much time with her to remind you who was in control, and you were grateful that Hana didn't realize those things. Everyone told her that you were very busy helping the pack (which was partly true) and that you would soon be able to spend more time together.

That was just a message to you.

Cooperate, and we'll allow you to see her.

So that's what you did. You helped Jin, now without the Cornerstone, clean the breakfast dishes and headed to the Nursery, where Jimin was with the mentioned gem, performing his own tasks of caring for the youngest pups. You were not allowed to enter the Nursery under any circumstances, so you simply knocked on the door and stepped back a few paces.

"I'm coming, Luna!" Jimin's voice was perfectly audible from the other side of the door.

Your bond with the Cornerstone churned inside you with such force that it almost made you nauseous. You took a deep breath, and upon opening your eyes, you saw the strands as vividly as if they were something physical that everyone could touch. You instinctively reached out, thirsty, hungry, but the strands avoided your touch. You brushed against them. Your whole body vibrated. Sweat began to bead on your forehead. It was agony.

You looked up at the sky. The zenith was approaching again. That thought hadn't left your mind since the moment you left the cell. If you weren't given the Cornerstone before, the stone itself would kill you when you tried to put it on, if they ever allowed you to do so. That had to happen before the Cornerstone regained its maximum energy with the Zenith.

And yet, you were sure you would need a good excuse for the Alphas to even consider the idea.

Jimin came out of the Nursery with a furrowed brow, and you immediately moved away from the strands. The Omega's face seemed to relax somewhat, and he rubbed his eyes. It was clear. The stone bearer could feel it if you tried to reach the strands. That was dangerous. But Jimin wasn't, right?

"Hello, are you okay?" you asked, trying to control the tremor in your voice.

"Yes, it's just that..." he seemed to hesitate for a second. He didn't seem very sure about admitting that wearing the stone made him feel unwell. "I'm tired. I haven't had a good night."

You forced a smile and waited for him to stand by your side to start walking. Your morning task was to weed the fields to the south of the Clearing for the upcoming planting.

"It seems we're both in the same boat, then," your words made Jimin look at you carefully for the first time. Despite starting to gain some weight and generally looking healthier, dark circles still framed your eyes.

“It must be something seasonal,” Jimin agreed, with his characteristic warm smile. Although it didn't last long. “Lately, no one sleeps well. Jungkook has been waking up the entire Clearing two nights in a row in the middle of the night...”

He suddenly fell silent, perhaps realizing that you were not a reliable member of the pack and that he shouldn't talk about those things with you. Lest you use it against him in some way. However, although that would have hurt you in a normal situation, you were too busy processing what he had just said.

Two nights in a row. The nights you woke up clutching the strands. You almost trembled. What if Jungkook found out in some way?

“I really can't imagine someone like Jungkook having a nightmare,” you said, pretending not to have attached much importance to it. “He and Namjoom don't seem like the kind of people who are... afraid of something.”

Jimin turned his gaze forward and seemed to ponder your words. You evaluated his face. He seemed on the verge of wanting to say something. His lips were pressed. There were too many things you didn't know about the members of the Pack. Everything was working against you. You needed answers. Any, at least.

You seized the opportunity.

“Jimin, what's going on?” you asked, halting your walk. If he couldn't be distracted while walking, there was a better chance that Jimin would succumb to the pressure of your questions.

He looked at you. His eyes were filled with the desire to respond. To trust. Hope surged in your chest. You didn't have time to feel bad about what you were about to do; you were too anxious for it. You reached out to the strands and deliberately brushed against them in desperation. Jimin grimaced, and his shoulders slumped. It worked; that was all it took to break down his defenses.

“The Cornerstone... I told him that getting close to it is dangerous, that it makes you sick...” His voice seemed to be dominated by a weariness that you hadn't seen in him until now. “But he doesn't listen to me.”

Did that mean that Jungkook also wore the Cornerstone? When? During the day, someone always accompanied her or was near her, except...

At night.

Was that why he woke up screaming? Did you... manage to hurt him?

“Not long after you arrived, before they sent you to the isolation cell, Jin hyung found something in one of our oldest tomes. One that was destroyed and of which we only preserved a few pages,” he spoke so softly that you had no choice but to lean in close enough to feel his breath on your face. “It said that the power of the Cornerstone only manifests if there is a living vessel, that it...”

“That it only works if the High Priestess wears it, yes,” you completed, but that wasn't all. You were aware that they knew more, and not just from what you had told them. “And also...”

“The Cornerstone must always have a bearer. Even when it's not the High Priestess. This is how the balance is maintained. If the Cornerstone is left alone for too long, without someone to carry it...”

“No one knows. It has never happened, but... It's better not to find out.”

Jimin looked up at you. You nodded. Yes, that was a basic principle. You doubted they would believe you if you tried to explain it, so you had limited yourself to saying that you needed to be close to her to avoid getting sick. That was true, but not the whole truth.

Even so, they knew it all. They knew you hadn't been entirely truthful. Your stomach tightened. A cloud covered the sun and a cold wind rose in the Clearing, tousling your hair.

“Jungkook takes care of it at night, doesn't he?”

Jimin simply nodded.

There was finally complete truth between you and the pack. If they knew that, perhaps they could understand you, perhaps they would understand that all this would be of no use if the zenith killed you. You reached out and clasped Jimin's hand. He started, but didn't pull away. You were trembling. He noticed and took your other hand, concerned.

“Luna, are you okay?”

You didn't respond immediately. Your head was spinning in every direction, evaluating every possible thing that could happen if you did what you were about to do. You looked into the Omega's eyes, and he returned an intense gaze.

You would never be completely sure if you could trust him until you tried. But you needed to trust someone for once in your life.

You couldn't do it alone.

“Jimin. I haven't been completely honest, with you or anyone, and... I'm going to be honest now.”

The Omega squeezed your hands. At no point did you see a hint of anger or mistrust. Only hope. He knew you kept secrets, just as you knew they did the same. You had to start somewhere if you wanted the alliance to make sense... and if you wanted to survive the war that was to come.

“I'm listening, Luna.”

[goldenempyrean]

Hi, can you write a fanfic where Natasha gets sick but still goes to work?please ? 🥺

Conflicting Priorities

〚 Notes - Heyy, long time no see? Its been a few days :,) Guess which idiot caught a cold in the summer? Yup. Anyway definitely feeling better now so hopefully I can get caught up with some writing :D 〛

〚 Pairing - Natasha Romanoff x Reader 〛

〚 Summary - Nat’s sick and is insisting on working but you find a way to work around that. 〛

〚 Wordcount - 830 〛

〘 Check Out My Masterlist! 〙

╚════════ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ════════╝

“Seriously its almost noon! Why is she still sleeping?” Tony grumbled in annoyance as he paced back and worth, “Thats it, I’m waking her up.” 

“No, let her sleep.” You interrupted with an equally annoyed grumble, only your irritated was directed towards the inpatient man in front of you, “She needs to sleep Tony, she was up all-night coughing. It wouldn’t kill you just to cover her shift.” 

Tony stopped in his tracks and turned to face you, a frown on his face. "I get that she's sick, but we have a job to do, and we can't afford to have someone slacking off. It’s now her shift, I was meant to be in a meeting 10 minutes ago.” He retorted. 

You crossed your arms, meeting his gaze with an assertive look. "We also can't afford to have an exhausted and unwell Avenger working. It's not just about her well-being; it's also about the quality of her work. If she's sick, she won't be able to perform at her best, and that could impact everyone.” 

“What could impact everyone?” A quiet, raspy voice mumbled as Natasha shuffled into the room. Her usually fair skin was sickly and pale and her messy hair hung clumsily at her shoulders. She definitely should’ve been in bed. 

“Oh baby, you’re meant to be resting.” You sighed as you rushed over, cupping her feverish cheek as you felt her temperature. 

Natasha weakly leaned into your touch; her eyes half-closed. "I know, but I couldn't sleep anymore," she murmured. "What's going on?" 

“Nothing sweetheart, it's okay.” You said reassuring as you wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her towards one sofa leaning against the wall, “C’mere baby, sit down for me.” 

The site of the main desk and observation equipment must’ve sparked a thought in her fevered brain though because she suddenly gasped a little - which led to her throat rebelling, sending her into a series of chest-rattling chests - and you instantly knew that she’d remembered it was her shift. 

“Fuck. Sorry Tony, I’ll get right on it.” Nat blurted, pulling out of your hold and heading to the desk before clumsily falling into the seat behind it, “What needs doing, where are we at with the- the.. Hhi’tshoo!” 

Natasha sneezed suddenly, her head dipping forward as she effectively contaminated all of the older man’s files and schematics, sending him visibly recoiling whilst you on the other hand, rushed around to find a box of tissues to bring to her. 

You quickly grabbed a box of tissues and rushed back to Natasha's side. Placing the box on the desk within her reach, you gently rubbed her back to soothe her. 

"Hey, it's alright. Don't worry about the work right now," you said softly. "You need to focus on resting and getting better. I'll take care of everything here. Just let me handle it.” 

Tony, still visibly annoyed by the situation, sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, but we can't afford to fall behind schedule. Make sure you keep me updated on any important developments." 

"I will, Tony," you assured him. "I'll make sure everything stays on track." 

Natasha, her voice weak and hoarse, interjected. "It’s my work though, my responsibility. So, I need to do-“ Her breath caught on a sudden inhale and you speedily swiped some tissues and pressed them into her hand just before she set off into a series of desperate sounding sneezes. 

“Oh baby, bless you.” You sighed, knowing you’d need to find a way around your girlfriend working before she would ultimately exhaust herself further, “How about I make you a deal, I’ll do half of your shift whilst you nap then I’ll when that's up, I’ll wake you, how does that sound?” 

Of course, you had no actual intention of waking her up. You’d just make some excuse about being in the rhythm and forgetting the time. She’d probably be too tired to question it anyway but luckily enough your deal seemed to be a good enough compromise. 

Natasha nodded and slowly rose from the seat, letting you take her place, “You’ll wake me up when it’s my turn?” She murmured sleepily as you nodded. 

“Sure baby, I’ll wake you up when it's all over.” You said, carefully watching your words, “How about you go lay down on that sofa, or even better go back up to bed for a bit.” But to your surprise, Nat instead came and sat back down on your lap. She cuddled into your chest as her legs slipped around the back of the chair. She honestly looked like a baby koala clutching into your chest. 

“Well, I guess this works too.” You murmured softly, placing a little kiss to her forehead as she led her head on your shoulder. Sure, it wasn’t the comfiest way to work, hell it’d probably slow you down. But you didn’t care. All it mattered was that Natasha was safe and loved. 

〖 Join My Taglist! 〗@sayah13 @mahalkitanova @romanoffskisser @scrambled-brain-eggs @natashamyl0ve @bloomingflowersthings @kathleenmikaelson @shamelessbearunknown @inluvwithfictionalwomen @citrussnz @fluffyblanketgecko @kljhsong @santana1437 @blackwidow-3 @asiangmrchk13 @lovelyy-moonlight @juiles @lots-of-pockets @sashawalker2 @natashamaximoff69 @observeowl 

[serenelystrange]

At AO3 or below the cut!

Eddie wakes up on the day of his sister’s second wedding in as many weekends and immediately wants to go back to sleep. Before he can close his eyes for ten more minutes, his phone is ringing out the obnoxious old-timey rotary phone sound that Chris installed when he hadn’t been paying attention. Adriana’s name flashes on the screen and he groans to himself as he answers.

“It’s not even 7AM, Adri,” Eddie grumbles, “either something better be on fire, or you better be running away and need a ride.”

“I resent that!” Sam, Adriana’s shiny new husband calls out cheerfully from wherever they are.

“Ugh,” Eddie says, waiting for Adriana to get to whatever she wants. Sam knows he’s not a morning person at this point.

“You still have that truck pickup truck with the big backseat, right?” Adri asks, sounding far too awake and alert for Eddie’s liking.

“The one I drove here from L.A. in?” Eddie snarks, “yes, I still have it.”

“Good!” Adri says, sighing with relief. “The band is supposed to set up at noon, and they’re stranded with all their equipment two hours away. And since Sam’s sister is running this show, we need someone who can go get them and their stuff in time.”

“Can’t you just play music from your laptop?” Eddie asks, already knowing he’s going to do it. “A bunch of white people with no rhythm aren’t going to know the difference.” At Adri’s snickering, Eddie belatedly remembers her husband.

“No offense, Sam,” Eddie adds.

“Hey, I have rhythm where it counts!” Sam calls back, wickedly, and Eddie cringes so hard he almost drops the phone on his face.

“Dude,” he groans, “I don’t need to hear about my sister’s sex life.”

Sam just laughs, and Eddie rolls his eyes to the ceiling, searching for strength.

“Come on, Eddito,” Adri says sweetly, “please?”

“I’m older and bigger than you,” Eddie says, stubbornly.

Adri, knowing him well, just waits him out with silence.

“Fine,” he says. “Give me their number and tell me where to go. But you have to get Chris from Abuela’s and make sure he doesn’t break anything or himself until I get back.”

“Sophia’s already over there having breakfast with her “favorite sobrino,” Adri laughs, “as if he’s not her only nephew so far.”

“As if he’s not your favorite, too,” Eddie says.

“Shut up, you made a kid much cuter than you ever were,” Adri says. “Now I have to go get ready, I’ll text you the details.”

“Fine,” Eddie sighs, internally hoping he has time to at least grab coffee before he goes.

“Gracias, Eddito!” Adriana says, laughing again as she hangs up before he can respond.

Eddie groans again and resigns himself to the day.

From Adriana’s description, Eddie is expecting four people and an assortment of equipment when he pulls up outside the auto repair shop a couple of hours later. Instead, he finds a stack with what looks like guitar cases and speakers, with neatly wrapped wires attached to them. Next to them is a solitary man who raises a hand in greeting. He’s tall and fair haired, his eyes hidden under dark sunglasses but a friendly smile on his face.

“Hey,” Eddie greets as he parks the truck in front of the man and hops out to join in. “Are you Howard or Evan? My sister didn’t give me much to work with.”

“I’m Buck,” the guy says, reaching out a sun-warmed hand to shake Eddie’s. “Evan, legally, but nobody’s called me that in years.”

“Eddie,” he introduces himself. “Where’s the rest of the band? Adri made it sound like y’all were stranded.”

“I tried to call her back,” Buck says, frowning slightly. “They were able to find a rental van finally about an hour ago. But nobody answered, and nobody returned my voicemail.”

“So they just left you here?” Eddie asks. Buck nods, but then shakes his head.

“It was my idea!” he says. “It was a really tight fit in the van with all the stuff anyway, and you were already on your way. Figured you’d at least have someone to explain what happened when you got here.” “Sorry,” he adds, giving a contrite little shrug.

“Don’t worry about it,” Eddie says, shaking his head at the situation. “You got me out of wedding set-up duty, and I’ve been caffeinated, so I don’t feel like murdering any wayward musicians anymore.”

“Glad to know I won’t be murdered and chopped to pieces!” Buck says, grinning.

“Well, the day is young,” Eddie snarks back, but with way less heat than he’d felt when he’d woken up. “Come on, music man,” he says, “let me help you load this stuff up and we’ll get going.”

“I don’t have 76 trombones,” Buck says as they load the equipment. “Actually, I have zero trombones.”

“There were three at Adri’s last wedding,” Eddie says, stepping back to let Buck make sure everything is secure enough to his liking.

“Oh, the big Mexican one last weekend?” Buck asks, following Eddie’s lead and climbing into the truck and buckling in.

“Yup,” Eddie confirms. “It went so long that I think I’m actually looking forward to the WASP schedule limits.”

Buck laughs as Eddie pulls back onto the road, treating him to the sight of full pink lips and an adorably wrinkled nose.

Shaking his head to himself, Eddie focuses on the road. He’s not going to go after the random wedding band player just because he’s been a little lonely since the divorce. It’d be completely unprofessional.

“You mind if I turn the AC up for a little while?” Buck asks, stripping off his sweat-soaked t-shirt to reveal muscled arms in a tight grey tank top. “I was out there for a while and this heat is ridiculous.”

Your arms are ridiculous, Eddie thinks but doesn’t say. Instead, he nods.

“Knock yourself out,” he says, waving at the console. “Not used to Texas humidity, I take it?”

“How do you live here?” Buck says, leaning back and sighing with relief as the cool air hits him.

“I don’t,” Eddie says, laughing slightly. “Moved away a few years ago. L.A. is hot, but not like this, thank god.”

“Los Angeles?” Buck asks, turning his head towards Eddie slightly with interest.

“Yeah,” Eddie says. “You been there?”

“We’re based there!” Buck says, grinning. “We travel all around, especially during wedding season, but we all technically live in L.A.”

“Oh, cool,” Eddie says, completely calm and not at alleager. “I never heard of a touring wedding band before. How’d that happen?”

“Kinda weird, right?” Buck says, still looking at Eddie, who can only just barely see him in his peripheral vision. But he nods anyway, keeping his eyes on the thankfully empty freeway as he drives.

“Well, it was just a regular band at first,” Buck explains. “My sister Maddie is the singer, and she and her husband used to do local events. That’s Chimney, or Howard, but nobody calls him that. Anyway. Then Chim’s friend Hen got bored and joined up, so they added electric guitar and starting doing little college shows and stuff. But by the time I moved back to L.A. they were doing mostly weddings anyway, so they just decided to lean into it.”

“What do you play?” Eddie asks, curiously. “I would have guessed drummer, but those cases definitely don’t look big enough for a drum kit.”

“Maddie banned me from drums when I was eight,” Buck laughs. “I play bass. It’s great, I can zone out and be focused at the same time, and ADHD miracle.”

“Cool,” Eddie says again, swallowing around a suddenly dry throat.

“We have a manager, kind of,” Buck says, on a roll now. “Bobby. He used to be a roadie for bands in the 80’s and I guess he picked up a lot over the years. So when he heard Maddie and Chim, he offered to help them find an audience. He barely gets paid, too, I think he was just bored in his retirement.”

“I get that,” Eddie says, unsure what he would do with himself if he had nothing to do all day.

“Right?” Buck says. “And his daughter May was like 16 or something when I joined up and he let her make us an ‘internet presence’.”

“So she put you on Instagram?” Eddie asks, laughing kindly.

“And tik-tok now,” Buck confirms. “She’s always filming us and then adding these ridiculous songs to the videos. But hey, it works. We actually make a living now.”

“And how many of those videos have you dressed like… well, that,” Eddie asks, glancing over for the briefest of moments.

“Oh,” Buck says, blushing and ducking his head. “A lot of them, I guess? I get overheated easily.”

“And how many of your tiktok fans are teenage girls?” Eddie asks, shooting Buck a quick smile to assure him he’s just having fun.

“I’ll have you know we have fans of all ages and genders, thank you very much,” Buck says, raising his chin defiantly.

“I’m sure,” Eddie drolls. He doesn’t understand why he’s having so much fun teasing this giant golden retriever of a man, but it’s too late to stop now.

“You’re one to talk,” Buck says, huffing and crossing his arms across his chest in mock-outrage.

“What do you mean?” Eddie says, confused. “I don’t have fans. Or tiktok.”

“Yeah ok,” Buck says, “but you’re like, truly ridiculously hot. You must know that.”

Eddie doesn’t jerk the steering wheel with the way sparks fly up his spine, but it’s a near thing.

“I’m good enough looking, I guess,” he says, shrugging. “Nothing to write home about.”

“You’re insane,” Buck says, eyebrows raised above his sunglasses with incredulity. “I’d say you’re blind, but you’re literally driving, so I know your eyes work.”

Eddie, suddenly feeling shy like it’s middle school all over again, ducks his head slightly before focusing back on the road.

“Shit, sorry,” Buck says, sounding alarmed. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m always forgetting not everyone is as queer as my friend group. I’ll be quiet.”

Eddie can’t help it, he laughs. “I very much doubt you can be quiet for the rest of the ride,” he says, teasingly. “And for what’s it’s worth, I’m gay. So, you’re not gonna get hate-crimed or anything, relax.”

“Oh, thank god,” Buck says, sighing with relief. “I really didn’t want to have to kick a groomsman’s ass today.”

“Oh you think you could take me?” Eddie asks, fully aware of how it sounds and secretly thrilled by it.

“Absofuckinlutely,” Buck says immediately, gulping loudly. “Oh,” he says a moment later, “you meant in a fight.”

This time Eddie does jerk enough to swerve the truck, and he corrects it hurriedly, cheeks flaming red.

“Ok,” he says. “We’re gonna put on NPR and not speak for the rest of the ride. Got it?”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Buck says, smirking.

Eddie takes a deep breath and lets it out. It’s going to be a long ride.

The last- minute wedding prep is in full swing by the time they get to the venue, and Eddie is swept away by his family before he can do more than wave goodbye to Buck. Whether he’s grateful or disappointed hasn’t been decided yet.

An hour later, he watches his sister marry the love her life for the second time, and only cries a little bit. He takes the win.

Photos happen after, and he spends another hour standing in various groups of the wedding party, pretending he’s not dying of heat in his tuxedo jacket. He spots Chris under the giant reception canopy, sitting and giggling with some of his cousins from Sam’s side, and envies the shade.

He manages not to yawn through the speeches, eats his bland chicken dinner dutifully, and smiles indulgently when Chris ends up with more cake on his face than in his mouth. By the time he hears the beginnings of a song, he’s relaxed enough that it takes him a moment to actually locate Buck and the band in the corner of the room.

“Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Miller,” the woman at the front says, and Eddie guesses this is the sister Maddie that Buck spoke about. She’s short and curvy, with long waves of brown hair surrounding her pretty face, and Eddie idly wonders what their parents must look like to create such different but gorgeous people. He’s shaken out of his thoughts by the beginning note of “Time of My Life,” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, and spares a hope that his sister isn’t going to try the running leap into Sam’s arms while wearing her ridiculous heels.

He smiles at the thought despite himself and that is of course the moment that he locks eyes with Buck, who has just looked up from his bass and right into his face.

He’s even prettier without the sunglasses, and Eddie hates every damn thing about his life in the moment.

But then Buck smiles back at him, fingers not missing a single step on the strings, and Eddie’s bitter thoughts melt away. It’s possible that he doesn’t hate every damn thing after all.

The night moves on, the band playing steadily and skillfully, and Eddie gets pulled into dances with more relatives and old friends than he realized he had. When the night is finally winding down, he slumps onto an ornate metal bench out on the grass, the oppressive sun finally having set. Chris is passed out at one of the tables, stretched out across a few chairs and head padded by someone’s bundled up jacket. Even from here Eddie can see the contented little smile on his sleeping face, and he takes a moment to be thankful for how much everyone in his son’s life cares about him, despite anything else. He’s still lost in thought when someone appears in his peripheral vision, and he looks up, only half-surprised to find Buck.

“Hey,” Buck greets with a tired smile. “Can I sit?”

Eddie sits up straighter and waves at the bench beside him in invitation.

“You look beat,” Eddie says, turning towards him and stretching one arm out along the top of the bench, just barely not touching Buck’s button-up shirt.

“Playing music on your feet for four hours will do that,” Buck says, unbothered and unoffended. “I’d say you look tired, but you actually still look amazing, and I kind of hate you for that.”

Eddie snorts a laugh and gestures to his family at large.

“Half-Mexican permanent tan,” he says, “it hides the dark circles.”

“Unfair,” Buck drawls, letting his gaze drift over Eddie’s stupidly perfect bone structure.

Eddie rolls his eyes but says nothing, instead pulling his arm back up so he can rest his head on his hand and stare back at Buck unashamedly.

“I’m not imagining this, right?” Buck asks, hand waving between the two of them slightly.

Eddie shakes his head, and gives Buck a soft smile.

“Not unless I am too,” he says. “How often are you in L.A., anyway?”

Buck gives him a surprised grin.

“Often enough,” he says, before leaning in and catching Eddie’s lips in a honey-sweet kiss.

Eddie responds with enthusiasm, letting one kiss melt into two and then three and then so many that he loses count, everything a pleasantly wooly haze. Buck has one hand cuffed around Eddie’s neck, the other one linked with Eddie’s, still resting on the top of the bench.

“Oooh, get it, hermano!” someone yells out, startling them apart with matching reddened lips.

Eddie groans as he finds Sam watching them from across the green, drink in hand and Adriana at his side, giggling.

“He’s a menace,” Eddie explains to an amused looking Buck. “But he’s a good guy.”

“Your sister seems to like him,” Buck agrees, shaking his head as the newlyweds start making out, everyone else forgotten.

“I love my family,” Eddie says, “but I’m so glad most of them live here.”

“But you would like some visitors, right?” Buck asks, looking over at Eddie with hopeful eyes.

“Don’t give me those big blue eyes,” Eddie says. “I’m gonna fall in love with you and then you’ll never get rid of me.”

“Oh no,” Buck says, dryly. “The horror. I’m terrified.”

“Shut up,” Eddie says, bonking Buck’s forehead lightly with his own then rearranging them both until they’re sitting properly on the bench, Buck tucked up against him with Eddie’s arm around his shoulders.

“How do you feel about kids?” Eddie asks, chuckling when Buck gives him a wide-eyed look.

“It’s a little soon for that, don’t you think?” Buck asks. “We met like 8 hours ago.”

“Not our kids,” Eddie clarifies, pointing out the sleeping Chris. “Just letting you know I have one already, if that’s a deal breaker.”

“Oh,” Buck says. “I love kids,” he says. “Definitely want to be a dad one day.”

“I love this one,” Eddie says, “he’s five, and a complete smart-ass, but he’s the sweetest kid in the world once you get to know him. I think you’ll like him.”

“I’m sure I will,” Buck says. “But I really hope he stays with his mom sometimes, because I want to do so many things to his dad that he shouldn’t hear.”

Eddie laughs loudly at that, a pleased flush across his face.

“Don’t worry,” he says, “Shannon has him like half the month, you can test out the acoustics in my room all you want.”

“A music joke?” Buck asks, “you’re so dumb.”

“And you like me so much?” Eddie asks, leaning in for another soft kiss before Buck can answer.

“Yeah,” Buck says when he finally pulls away again. “I really really do.”

“Good,” Eddie says, “now, where were we?”

The air shifts suddenly, light rain falling from the sky through the thick heat, soaking them slowly as everyone else on the lawn scrambles to make their way back under the tent. Suffice to say, they don’t even notice.

The End.

[monsterswithimagines]

Undisclosed Desires - Part 30

Joe Goldberg x female!Reader

Summary: Twenty minutes before he would have met Guinevere Beck, Joe meets you instead. You intruige him, but it will soon become clear that there is something off about you.

Words: 827

Masterlist

It's not hard to find out where your mother is, (Y/n).

You have her boyfriend’s address in your phone's calendar with the note “niet vergeten kerstkaart te sturen”, which I figure out means don’t forget to send a Christmas card. (I know you never did that, by the way. And good on you.)

The hard part is getting to her. At first, I think I'll go when you're sleeping. But there are no busses out of town after nine pm, and there is absolutely no way for me to get back all the way from Utrecht before you get up, which means I have to make an excuse and go during the day. This is a problem, though, because The Netherlands has two Christmas days, which means we first have to spend another two miserable afternoons and evenings with your grandparents.

Why does this country insist on so many days of forced family time? You guys have something like Christmas on the fifth of December, already. You don't need two days of Christmas on top of Christmas eve, (Y/n). You guys don't even exchange gifts! You just sit around all day and eat and argue, and argue even more the more time you're forced to spend together.

Turns out, Dutch people don't particularly like Christmas.

You've dubbed the twenty-seventh our Christmas morning. We already exchanged gifts on Thanksgiving, but it's still a nice thought. However, it means I can't get away until noon, and even then, you're not very happy about it.

“But where are you going?” you ask, frowning, as I put on my jacket.

“I told you: I can't be in The Netherlands and not visit Amsterdam,” I answer. “I know you said it sucks there, but it kind of feels like a crime.”

“Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go? I could've gone with you,” you complain.

Your aunt asked you to meet her for a late lunch in an hour - you told me she most likely wants to complain about your grandmother - which is perfect. It means you won't insist on coming with me.

“We can do things separately, can't we?” I say.

I don't think I said it in any sort of negative tone, but my words still seem to hurt you. Your expression changes and you press your lips into a thin line.

I want to take what I said back right away, but I can't, because for your own sake I really need to go.

“Yeah, I guess,” you say, crossing your arms. “Well, don't go and get high, or something.”

“Of course not,” I say, and kiss your forehead. “I would never.”

“I like the cap, by the way,” you tell me. “Very sporty.”

I smile.

It's hard to extract myself from you, but eventually I leave. Then I get on a bus. Then a train. Then, another train. It's nearly a four hour journey and without you to look at, I hate every second.

It doesn't help that it's so busy today. I'm sitting in a compartment that has a large ‘silence’ sticker on the window, but nobody is being silent. I can't say anything about it, of course, because if I call attention to myself, someone might remember me later.

The ways I suffer for you know no end.

It's a little after four pm when I arrive at Steef's house. I'll have to be quick if I want to be able to make it back. Trains go until pretty late, though, and you think I'm in Amsterdam. If I don't make it back in time for the last bus, maybe you can call me a cab.

I miss New York.

My plan is to wait for your mom to come outside. I don't know if she will, but I get lucky: she does.

I recognize her from a photo you showed me, but she is not like she was when you were a kid. That woman was happy, smiling, slightly chubby with long hair and sparkling eyes.

This woman is thin, thinner than you to a very unhealthy degree. Her hair has been very inexpertly chopped into a pixie cut.

In the states, we would probably refer to her as white trash. She looks like a drug addict. You'll be better off without her.

She's carrying a trash bag, opening the grey bin in the front yard to throw it away. I have to be quick.

“Miss (Y/l/n)?”

“Hmm?”

She turns to me. There is no recognition, even though I know she's seen photos of me. Her eyes are glassy and she doesn't expect me here. Why would she?

“Is Steef home?” I ask.

“No, he is at work.”

She doesn't expect the blow, which means she doesn't have time to scream. And there is nobody outside, either. It's cold, and this is a bad neighborhood. I'm lucky.

“Good,” I say.

And then I drag your mother into the house.

[writtenonreceipts]

It's Day 7 of @officialfeysandweek2023 so I may as well post this.

Find the other parts here or on AO3

You can also follow @writtenonreceiptswrites where I'll solely post/reblog my fic. Please consider reblogging, tumblr is throwing a fit over me being able to tag users.

.*.*.*.*.*.

The Lives We Live

An alarm went off somewhere in Feyre’s subconscious.  Groaning, she flopped an arm out, smacking into a solid form.  Rhysand.  She still wasn’t used to waking up beside him every moring.  Not that she was complaining.  Not at all.

The alarm on her phone rang again and Feyre reached out to her bedside table to turn it off.  She did not want to get up and go to work.  Even if it was Friday, just the thought of dealing with her responsibilities was an abysmal thought.

Instead, she nestled in closer to Rhys’ side and managed to wrap her arm around his waist and snuggle in closer to him.

There was something about waking up next to her boyfriend.  She didn’t know quite how to describe it--it was comforting, it was real, it was home.  Propping her chin on his chest, she watched him sleep.  His lips were parted as he snored and his eyes fluttered in a dream of some sort.

She loved him.  Pure and simple.  And she loved being able to watch him like this.  He was soft and open as he slept.  It provided a different look on him, one that was meant just for her.  That alone filled her with an indescribable warmth.

So she watched him and trailed a finger along the tattoos of his chest.  He often slept without a shirt, which Feyre had quickly learned to appreciate, and it gave her ample opportunity to admire him.

“Darling, are you watching me sleep?” The mumbled words startled Feyre enough to pause her movements.

She smiled and shook her head. Rhys cracked an eye open. 

“Liar,” he murmured.

You’re awake, she mouthed since one arm was tucked around him and the other still rested on his chest.

A low laugh rumbled in Rhys’ chest as he brought one arm up to wrap around her and keep her close.

“You’ve got an attitude this morning,” he said.

Feyre shrugged and pressed a kiss to his chest.

Rhys sighed and began running a hand idly down her arm. “What time is it?”

Feyre flashed a five and a one with her fingers before promptly disentangling herself from him.  She danced away when Rhys tried to pull her back to his side.  She’d been late for work already this week because of her boyfriend and she would not let him goad her into a lazy morning again.

They’d finally finished moving her into his apartment, a startling new step for Feyre, and things had been going well.  Even if it was strange to suddenly be sharing a space with someone--Feyre decided she wouldn’t trade this for the world.

“Five more minutes!” Rhys called after her.

Feyre turned and stuck out her tongue before signing, some of us have to work.

He cursed and gathered her pillow into his arms.

Poor, spoiled thing he was.  He didn’t have to head to the club until noon, and then it would be a long night until he returned home.  He could afford to sleep in while Feyre had a stricter schedule to maintain.

Humming to herself, Feyre pulled her hair into a bun before slowly stripping out of her pajamas on the way to the bathroom.  She was well aware of the way Rhys was watching her.  Teasing him had quickly become one of her favorite past times and one she wouldn’t give up any time soon.

She turned the water of the shower on to heat up before stepping in.

Rhys joined her two minutes later.

…

Rhys leaned back in his desk chair as he stared at the account sheets before him.  When first starting the business, Rhys hadn’t expected spending this much time going over numbers and invoices.  He’d imagined owning a club would be fun, entertaining, different.  And it was, more or less.  But he was also the boss.  The one that everyone relied on.  The one who actually had to work and be responsible.

He ran a hand over his face.  It was barely two in the afternoon, his day had only just started and he was ready to go back home.  

His phone remained silent where it was propped before him.  No messages from Feyre or even Thea.  Ever since communication had opened back up with his family, Thea had texted him nearly constantly.  Whether it was memes, updates on her basketball season, or simple smiley faces--Thea was as near a constant companion to him as Feyre was.  It was something Rhys had come to cherish more than anything else.

Unfortunately, he was left to his own devices today. 

He shot off a message to Feyre, because he could, even though he knew she was probably in a meeting.  He couldn’t help but reach out multiple times within the same hour even if it was a smiling emoji.  He would need to make sure neither of his brothers ever got a hold of his phone.

Running a hand through his hair, Rhys stood.  He needed to stretch his legs and go for a quick walk around the club.  If he stayed in this damn office any longer he was going to go insane.

He trailed down to the bar level where a few people were enjoying lunch.  During the afternoons, the bar and kitchen acted as a restaurant based on reservations only and brought in a decent amount of extra money for the club.  Plus there were a few of the waitstaff that enjoyed the earlier hours too.

“Inventory finished already?” Cassian was down on the main dance floor running a sweep of lights and other technical issues.  He glanced up as Rhys approached, clipboard in hand.

Rhys shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Dude, the deadline's tomorrow, isn’t it?” Cassian shot him a knowing grin and checked something off on his lists.

Rhys flipped his brother off. “Screw you.”

That only sent Cassian to laughing full out now.  It was impossible to Rhys that Cassian of all people seemed to take to his job so naturally.  He kept to everything with order and made sure things were kept within a plan.  He might have been a jock all through high school and college, but Cassian really was one of the smartest persons Rhys knew, no matter what anyone said.

“A bit high strung today, eh?” Cassian asked. “Is Feyre on vacation or--”

Rhys tried, and failed, to punch his brother.  Cassian dodged the blow easily and barked out a laugh as he held his hands up in supplication.

“Easy, Rhysie, just a joke.”

“You’re an ass, Cass,” Rhys growled.  It was going to be a long day and it wasn’t even four. “You try staring at inventory sheets for hours on end and tell me how you like it.”

Cassian shrugged. “I’m good down here, thanks.”

Of course he was.  Cassian had always preferred the hands on sort of work.  When they’d first struck up this plan of opening up a nightclub, Cassian had insisted he wanted nothing to do with paperwork.  Azriel had said he could do behind the scenes work, but much like Cassian, sitting around and not doing something hadn’t been appealing.  So, Rhys had taken to doing all of that formal work.  Not that he minded.  Problem solving had always been something he enjoyed.

Rhys began pacing the club's dancefloor, checking everything over.  It had been what Cassian was just doing, but the alternative was going back upstairs and staring at paperwork.  Which he was fine with.  Except for right now.

“You’re stalling!” Cassian shouted after him.  

Rhys ignored him.

…

Feyre wanted more than anything to reach for her phone and check the messages waiting for her.  The meetings of the day had been ridiculously long, boring, and unnecessary.  Sometimes she seriously considered her choice of work. But she couldn't make a living on the little art commissions she brought in on occasion. So here she was. 

Eventually her boss drew things to a close. Feyre made sure she had her assignments for the week written and gathered.

As she was finally able to leave, Feyre could only think about getting home.  Since it was Friday, she knew she would be left alone most of the night.  Fridays were usually the busiest of the weekend and it could be well into the morning when Rhys would get home.  Even when he said he’d try and be early, Feyre knew it just wasn’t feasible.

Usually Rhys spent most of his time at the club taking care of things that no one else could, or would.  He was the face of the company, in truth.  And while Cassian and Azriel had their own duties that only they took care of, sometimes it was the big ticket items that fell on Rhys.  He never complained though.  And while Feyre loved that he was passionate about his work, that he was happy, she sometimes hated being home alone. 

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she started to prepare for dinner.

As veggies were roasting in the oven, Feyre looked at her phone. It was almost eight and Rhys hadn't texted her back.  He usually did before the big rush began and the rest of the night got too busy.  Even if it was just an emoji or a simple darling.  

It was fine. She knew sometimes he got caught up with things. There was probably an emergency that needed his expertise. That or Cassian pulled him into a round of drinks.  Or maybe he’d needed to step in at the bar, that happened on occasion when Balthazar got too overwhelmed.

Sighing, Feyre prepped a small salad to attend her roasted veggies.  Even when they hadn’t been living together there were nights like this.  She’d even gone two full days without seeing or talking to him.  That had been the worst.

A part of her wanted to run down to the club, just to pay him a little visit.  Nothing more than a quick kiss and maybe drop off some home cooked food that wasn’t smothered in grease.  She dismissed the thought as quickly as it came.

She didn’t always need to go running to his side just as he didn’t hers.  Sure she missed him, but he would be off Monday.  They could have their lazy day then and remain wrapped up in each other as long as they wanted.

She did her best to let that thought fuel her on as she finished prepping her dinner.

As she curled up on the couch, Feyre put on The Office hoping that would be enough to keep her company.  Mor was gone on a weekend getaway with her girlfriend and Nesta and Elain were busy too.  

Just her, then.

She ignored the pang of loneliness that ran through her and instead forced herself to watch all the cringy scenes of this stupid show hoping it would be enough to distract her.

… 

Four in the damned morning.

Rhys had to find a way to get home earlier.  This was getting ridiculous.  Especially when he knew what was waiting for him.

He eased into the apartment as quietly as he could.  Kicking off his shoes and dropping his jacket onto a spare chair all he wanted was to go to bed.  His usual care and attention would have to take a small lapse.  He made it all of two steps toward the bedroom when he noticed the small pile on the couch.

Feyre was curled up beneath a pile of blankets, the Netflix pause screen bouncing on the television.  She’d thought to wait up for him.

The sight made his heart squeeze and he walked around the couch to where she lay.  

Honey blonde hair fell around her in waves and her hands tucked beneath her chin.  She looked so peaceful that Rhys didn’t want to risk waking her to carry her off to bed.  Instead, he eased her head from the pillow it rested on, trying to replace it with his own body.

Feyre let out a small groan and shifted.

“Go back to sleep, darling,” he whispered, hoping she was still close to dreamland.

She shifted, sitting up with a long languid stretch.  It took several blinks and a very annoyed but adorable frown for her to realize that he was home.

Feyre grunted in as close to an actual word as he’d ever heard, before she promptly collapsed back on top of him, arms immediately wrapping about him.  Chuckling, Rhys took the brunt of her weight and eased back onto the couch.

He ran a hand up and down her back as she slowly relaxed into him.  He thought she’d lull back to sleep, expected it, but when he looked down at her where she was propped against his chest, her bright blue eyes were wide open, glowing dimly in the television light.

“Go to sleep, darling,” he prompted again.  Her mouth pulled to one side and he could just guess what she was thinking. “I’m fine, just another long night.”

One brow quirked high, but she only sighed and tightened her hold on him.  Soon, her eyes fell shut and her breathing evened out again.

They’d have many more days like this, Rhys knew.  One’s where they’d barely see each other except in sleep deprived mindlessness.  He already dreaded when the next one would come.  But for now, he’d relish having just this night curled up together.  Tomorrow would certainly be just as long so he’d take what he could get.

It wasn’t long until he too felt his eyes grow heavy.  And with the familiar weight of Feyre pressed against him and the promise of tomorrow, Rhys drifted off to sleep.

.*.*.*.*.

will try and add tags later

[ohdearlingwhathappened]

Chapter 3 Kid x Reader x Killer- And then there were two

Chapter 3- Is that all this was

Content Warning: Angst, Hurt no comfort, there will eventually be comfort- you just ain't gonna find it here, Kid is a warning himself soooo

Chapter 1- Is that all this was?, Chapter 2

I am so sorry for how long this took me. I was recently in a car accident, and with college starting back up and my new job, I think my brain was pretty much melted. I'm hoping I'll be able to get back into a normal writing schedule, so fingers crossed. In the meantime- Enjoy the new Chapter!

A bright light streaming in from Kid’s cabin window found its mark on his face, bringing him out of his less than restful sleep. The man brings his arm over his face, not ready to go out and start his day, but it seems his movement and the sound of the bustling crew up above was enough to draw him even further away from sleep’s alluring grasp.

Groaning out a small string of expletives, the arm covering his face lowers and drags the hand down his face. Waking up alone made the whole ‘waking up' thing a lot harder than he remembered it being- he was much more used to slinging an arm over another body to stall or having one of two people gently rousing him. This morning’s experience just adds yet another drop of regret for Kid’s words from yesterday.

Regardless of his difficulty getting out of the bed, Kid forces himself to roll out of bed- quite literally- and gets dressed for the day. Now that he was a little more aware of his surroundings, the fact that enough of his crew was on deck to cause a bit of commotion gave him some pause. They have been at the safehouse for a couple of days now, so Kid is a little surprised more people aren’t on the shore celebrating being on land again. 

Going up the stairs to get to the main deck, Kid opens up the door only to bump into the last person who would want to see him at the moment. “Ah… Good morning, Captain. I take it you slept well since it’s well past noon, and this is the first anyone has seen of you today.” The tone was unfamiliar and- while not cold- it wasn’t exactly a warm greeting either.

“I actually slept like shit. Couldn’t get comfortable with all the room I’m not used to.” Kid grunts out with a hint of defensiveness, refusing to look away, no matter how much he wants to. Y/n’s shoulders tensed and they clenched their jaw.

“Well, not to worry, Captain. I’m sure you’ll be able to get someone to warm your bed soon enough. If you’re lucky, they won’t jump to any unsavory conclusions.” Never afraid to get to the point and be cutthroat about it- there’s a reason why Y/n fit in with the Kid Pirates so well. The sardonic smile loosely held on their face and biting tone would make just about anyone flinch, and though it was brief and minute, Kid was no exception.

“Y/n-”

“Now, if you’d be oh so kind to get out of my way, I have more duties to fulfill to do my part on this ship. After all, I haven’t proven myself to be worthy of this crew yet, right?” With that, they push past the broad-shouldered man and begin to make their way downstairs. Until, that is, a hand wraps around their bicep to stop them.

“Would you let me speak, Damnit?!”

“I think you said enough yesterday, Eustass.” Y/n’s tone was now frigid, leaving no room for argument. “Besides, you have your ever-important alliance meeting soon- you don’t have time to chat with the likes of me.” With that, they yank their arm from Kid’s grasp and stomps downstairs, waiting until they know he isn’t going to follow to let the tears they’ve been fighting to finally glide down their face.

Kid, not expecting to have this kind of conversation with Y/n this soon, heaves out a sigh before steeling himself and walking out on deck. The crew appeared to be hard at work, cleaning the deck and making sure any valuables were being stocked away to be put under deck. Wire passes by his captain but stops once he sees the confused look on Kid’s face.

“Y/n thought it would be a good idea to clean up for our… guests. They’ve been a bit on edge- probably just nervous about the meeting with Apoo and Hawkins.” Once he finishes filling Kid in, Wire goes back to helping the rest of the crew out. 

There are still a few more hours before the meeting was to begin, so Kid decided to help with a couple of boxes before going into the safe house to work on his side of the negotiations. Killer had helped him set up the parameters of the agreement, to start him off but has most likely left him to his devices after yesterday’s events. The massacre killer would most likely come around to notify him of the incoming ships and will probably stay throughout the meeting to ensure no bloodshed erupts from Kid’s less-than-appealing temper.

This alliance has to go well. 

*      *       *      *      *      *      *

“I can’t do it, Kil.” Y/n sighs, their head resting on his chest and arms wrapped loosely around his waist. “Everytime I look at him I feel like I’m going to implode. I’m so angry, but I love him and want to forgive him, but he hasn’t even said sorry. One second I want to punch him, the next I want to cry and have him comfort me… What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing. You’re hurting.” Killer’s left hand is placed atop their head, his right is wrapped around the back of their shoulders, keeping them close.

“You were dragged into this, and I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to feel like you need to pick sides between your par- whatever we all are.” Y/n cutting themself off from calling them lovers cut both of them. And despite having no more tears to shed, they hiccup- grieving the relationship that apparently never existed in the first place.

“Look at me-” Killer, holds their chin to bring their eyes to meet his mask, “I love you. You are my partner. And no matter what he says, Kid does too- his head is just too far up his own ass.”

It wasn’t the first time Killer had said he loved them, but it wasn’t a common occurrence and every time made Y/n smile.

“I love you too, Killer,” They took his mask-clad head in their hands and brought it down to place a kiss on his forehead, and then resting their own against his. “But I can’t stay. Not right now.”

Killer stiffened and breathed out a heavy sigh. “Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know quite yet. I just need time and space away from him.”

Killer doesn’t respond. While he understands their need to go, he can’t help but to worry about their safety- this is the New World, not the South Blue. His hold tightens around Y/n, knowing this could be the last time he gets to do this for a while. “I get it. But please, be careful.”

“Don’t worry about me- I’ll be totally fine. Look, if his plans stay the same, you all should pass by Wano within the next month- and no matter what, I promise you to come back. Nothing will get in my way.”

The usually stoic man had a slight tremble to his frame, never loosening his grip around one of the two most important people in his life, despite feeling like they’re slipping through his fingers. “You better.”

“Promise me you’ll stay safe too.”

“I swear.”

“And make sure that moron doesn’t do anything stupid either. Ok?”

“That’s a big ask, little one, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, Kil.” 

With their conversation having come to an end, they both stand there, soaking in each others’ warmth and touch, for a few more moments before Y/n pulls away, kisses his mask once more, and makes their way out of the small cabin- leaving Killer alone, wondering how things could have gone this wrong in not even 48 hours.

Taglist: @claxdoesntknow @teddyitalia @baelien-queen @heilee @iamn1ya @gnarlycrys

[fangirlstorycreator]

I hope you are well 🖤💕 I have an ask.

We all know Fenris is jilted towards mages, understandably so, but what if he falls in love with a mage, sort of like in DA2 but this is pre-Kirkwall before he would meet the champion. He's out exploring and stumbles upon a young mage who is being harassed by bandits and he jumps in to save her, only to find she's hurt, and also quite pretty. He struggles with her abilities at first but then soon sees her creating ethereal style butterflies as she sits in their camp, and he finds himself enamored.

Thank you very much for the ask! This is my first ask that's from my new list and I'm very happy to write this for you! I will try my best for you 💚

Being a mage wasn't easy, with most of the people you've come across on your travels, they didn't exactly take to you very well. You were seen as a danger and they kept their distance, apart from the odd few who would confront you, weather it be on the road somewhere or in public. You had been many places all over the land, and you didn't feel very welcome in any place you visited, so you ended up only going into the public eye to get supplies for yourself. You were able to sleep easily on the road, occasionally helping the odd person hear and there for coin, and it was a fairly comfortable life...but that's not to say that it wasn't lonely for you. You had noone travelling with you, and you kind of wanted that, but if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't the end of the world. You had just passed a market stall on the edge of Kirkwall and stoped to get some things to make for your dinner tonight, you grabbed some cured meat, vegetables, fresh fruit and a new water pouch. You walked happily back through the market, that was until this sudden thump was felt in your shoulder before you fell to the floor with an aggressive push.

Someone had knocked you off your feet, and you look up to see this arrogant man covered in scars, and 3 of his men behind him laughing at your fall. "Aww what's the matter little mage? Can't handle bumping into a real man?" You hated this man with this single question, you hated arrogant guys like this. You stood up, brushed yourself down and smiled back at him "No I didn't, but when I do I'll be sure to let you know" This mans friends all go "Ooo!" Behind him, this annoys the man who pushed you. "You need to be careful little girl, you know rudeness is not attractive" "Hears a question then? What makes you think I'm trying to attract you?" He was stumped, he looked at you like a deer caught in the light, he wasn't expecting that response. You smirk and walk past them all, leaving the market behind and onwards to your next place to travel, which seemed like the forest in the distance ahead. You were kind of used to that happening to you, not everyone was a fan of mage's, especially if you were a woman too. But because it was such a normal thing, you were used to it and tended to push it to the back of your mind.

You camped up a little while later and made a small fire with your magic, it saved spending money on stuff for it when you could just wave your hand. You had eaten and were watching the sun go down through the trees, it was a lovely end to the day....or so you thought. By the time it was dark, you were just reading a book by the fire when you hear muffled chatter and laughter, from quiet to louder as it got closer to your camp. When you finaly see who it is, you realise this wasn't good "Hello again little mage!" This was the same man and his friends from the market, they seemed a little drunk, but not enough to be properly impared. You just tried to ignore them and continue reading, but they were now in your camp, and you couldn't ignore them now. "Wanna tuck us in little lady?" "No, go away" "Ah come on, hey, if your lucky...I might let you sleep in the same bed roll as me? I think you'll be quite impressed" "You do know, being a dick isn't going to make yours any bigger?" Again, his friends were amused by how you could defend yourself and anger this man. "Watch your mouth mage! I know I can take you single handed!"

"I really hope one day you choke on all that sh#t you talk" "Oh is that right? Well then, it seems we're all going to have to teach you a lesson. Boys!" This man and his friends all charge at you, which catches you a little off guard, but not enough for you to make a protective barrier just in time to push them back away from you. But what you didn't realise, was that they seemed to have planned this attack on you, and you weren't aware of the man behind you until it was too late. You felt a painful blast behind your back, causing you to fall to the floor in pain, where this hidden man jumps towards you and grabs your arms, pinning them behind your back. "Ahaha! That's what you get you little b#tch!" This man and his friends advance on you, and start kicking you and punching you, rendering you helpless and being made to endure all this pain. You weren't able to say a single magic encantation with them punching you in the face, and your hands were being held behind you so your couldn't conjure anything, you were stuck, and scared. "Mages like you don't belong hear! And we're going to make sure you never retur-nngguuhh!"

This mans voice is suddenly cut off by the sound of him grunting in pain, through your swollen eye, you see that a mans fist has gone through his chest. But there seemed to be magic infused into his hand, and they wore a gauntlet of sharp claw like shapes. When the fist is pulled back out, the man holding you throws you to the ground and you fall forward and collapse onto the ground infront of you. Your in so much pain that the sound of fighting is just a white noise to you, and you lie there trying to make sence of what's going on around you. Your vision is blurry, but you see these men falling like flies to this unknown man. You can't make out what he looks like, but you can make out this strange colour from him...it was white...and it seemed to be, almost vibrant against his skin. It was something you'd never seen before, were you really seeing this? He seemed to have white hair, grey armour, and he had eyes like emeralds. You were fighting consciousness, and as the last man gets slane, your eyes are slowly starting to close. This unknown man walks over and kneels beside you, the last thing you remember is the feel of this mans hand against your cheek, before everything went black.

You awake some time later, with bandages on your wrists, one of your shoulders and you can feel healing remedies and oils on your face and skin. You seemed to be safe, but who was it that saved you? You slowly sit up, with your body aching and creaking as you do, this makes the man sitting by the fire notice you, and he moves to sit infront of you. "Woh woh, take it easy there. You've had a few nasty injuries" "You?...your the man who saved me?" For some strange reason he looked a little taken back by that comment, but then he said "Yes, my name is Fenris. I heard a commotion on my way through this forest. And when I investigated, that's when I happend upon you. And those awful men who were attacking you" "What did you do to them?" "They are dead, they will no longer bother you or any other mage anymore" "Well, thank you very much for saving me Fenris, my name is Y/N" "Its a pleasure to meet you" "Just one thing, how did you know I was a mage?" "Well, it was only because I over heard those men saying that you were, I don't normally spend time in the presence of mages, but you were in danger. So I made an exception"

"Thank you for that again by the way. May I ask why you don't like mages?" "Well it's because of a mage who I have had bad experiences with, he uses dark and bad magic. Hence why I don't particularly trust mages. But...I noticed when you were being attacked, you didn't use any dark magic, only a protective barrier" "I don't like the thought of dark magic, I only want to protect myself and others around me.....which I guess I couldn't do this evening" "You were over powered by many men, don't put yourself down about that" "That's kind, thank you" he made sure the bandages were secure and that you weren't in a great deal of pain, after what felt like a few hours of general chit chat, you decided to ask him a question. "Fenris?" "Yes Y/N?" "I wanted to ask you....what are those markings are on your arms and neck? I can sence magic in them, am I right?" "Yes, you are right. I imagine I must look strange to you, I did not receive these markings by choice, even so, they have served me well. Without them, I'd still be a slave" "I'm sorry? A slave?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that my story isn't a nice one, infact my story is part of why I happend upon you this evening. You see, I was a slave to a magister by the name of Danarius, he was my master and I did not want to be his property. That is why I am hear, I have escaped his clutches and I am now being hunted by bounty hunters" "But if he's getting people to hunt you down, what does he want from you?" "Not me, more the markings on my skin. It is Lyrium, burned into my flesh to provide Danarius what was acquired of his pet" "So that's why I met you tonight? Your on the run?" "Not quite, I was on the run. But I have realised that I don't want to run anymore, I don't want to live my life in fear. So I'm looking for my former master Danarius, and I intend to kill him for everything he has put me through" "I take it because he is a magister, he's a difficult man to find?" "That's correct, he is a magister of the tevinter imperium. They hold all the power over the chantry and the imperial court, and he is also a very slippery man who is able to evade many moments where I was very close to confronting him"

"It sounds like you need help finding him?" "That's right, the only thing is, whose going to help an escaped slave looking to kill their former master?" "I don't know? Maybe a mage who you saved? And is now in your debt with the knowhow and abilities to help track someone down" "Y/N, I don't know. This is a dangerous thing to ask of anyone, and being around a mage is difficult enough as it is" "Don't you like that I'm a mage?" "You seem like a lovely woman, but after my history with Danarius, I'm very cautious. You can understand that right?" "Of course I do, you have a very good reason not to trust mages. But you were kind enough to help me, and I would like to return the favour. I have many abilities as well as magic, and if I can, maybe I can show you that not all mages are the same. From the sounds of Danarius, I don't want to be anything like him. Anyone who keeps slaves and burdens them with a body burned with Lyrium, is someone with a cold soul, which I'm nothing like" Fenris looks conflicted, but he also knows he can't take on Danarius alone. "Look, if you do want to help me with my former master, then I am happy for the help. But it will just take me time to trust you, and if your magic is harmful in anyway, I will no longer want you around. Is that understood?" "Understood Fenris" "Alright, then we have a deal"

You and Fenris camped there that night after striking a deal, he was kind enough to save you, it's only fair you offer to help him in his moment of need. You and him traveled through towns and villages hunting down any information on Danarius, all while you were slowly healing from your injuries. Fenris was kind enough to offer his support and help you when you were either in pain or if you struggled with something you were unable to do at the time. After the first week of travelling with him, a friendly bond was made between you both and there was mutual respect on either side. After a few more weeks, the only thing you and Fenris were able to accomplish was slaying more of the bounty hunters and find out what Danarius's next possible moves could be. You and Fenris now got on much better, but you hid from him that you found him quite attractive. He was strong, brave, resilient and clever, and whenever he looked into your eyes, you felt so comfortable and warm. You had heard of women feeling this butterfly sensation when they see a man they have feelings for, but you didn't feel that with Fenris. You just felt calm, you wondered why? You knew more about eachother now, and you knew Fenris was scared at the thought of magic being used, hence why you didn't use any around him.

And if you did, it was very small. One evening, you and Fenris had found a place to pitch up a tent in a woodland area beside a river, Fenris was pitching up his own tent when you had finished and decided to sit on the edge of the soft and slow flowing river. It was a short distance away from the tents, but still far enough that you wouldn't be able to hear him unless he was shouting at you. It had been so long since you had done magic, and it was always so easy for you to do. Hence why when you were by the water, the colours in the water from the moon light and the fire, made you feel magic in your finger tips, and you so easily made an ethereal bunch of butterflies. They were a beautiful dusty blue colour from the water and the moonlight, and a lovely milky yellow underneath their wings, that contrasts wonderfully with the blue. You made about 6 or 7 of these lovely little butterflies, and they just flutter around you and over the water as you smile.

Little did you know, that Fenris was watching you from his tent, but not with fear, but like he was entranced. Ever since he's known you, he has been very honest about his thoughts on magic and mages, and he was very pleased that you didn't do magic around him. But as he got to know you, he had this gut feeling that you were indeed, nothing like Danarius, just like you said. He also grew to like you more from spending more time with you, and when you did use the odd but of magic hear and there, he was pleased you made sure it was only small and nothing damaging or threatening. But right now, he was witnessing you use your magic, and he quite simply couldn't look away. Not just because he was impressed with your skill in creating these beautiful butterflies, but it was your smile that was catching his eye too. He loved your smile, he loved watching you in your element and how happy you were by simply making something so sweet. He had been denying his feelings for you for a long time, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep them in for much longer, not with him falling even more in love with you everytime he saw you smile.

He walked over to you and sat beside you at the river, which made you very confused. "Fenris?" "Yes? You sound suprised that I've seated myself beside you. Have I done something to upset you in any way?" "No, not at all. I'm just confused" "About what?" "What do you think?" You ask while pointing to the floating butterflies. "Ah, I can understand your thoughts. But I have to admit, that I'm actualy quite impressed by your magic" "You are?" "Indeed. When we first met, you told me you wanted to show me that not all mages are the same, and that you were nothing like Danarius, and in our time together, you have proven just that" "I have always been honest with you Fenris, I wouldn't ever want to hurt you or any other innocent person with magic" "And I know that now, I see that. I see it every day, and I see your kindness and honesty in your smile too.....your smile....the moon, stars and camp fire could all be hidden from view, and your smile will still be the brightest view" "Fenris...that's beautiful" "I'm just trying to show you my honesty. Y/N, I know that I am still a man on the run, but with your help I've managed to get closer to Danarius more than I ever have before and I'm very thankful for that. But during our time, I have found that I have grown a certain....feeling towards you. A feeling I'm hoping is reciprocated, if it isn't I will understand, but I needed to be honest with you if we were going to continue hunting Danarius"

"Fenris? Is this your way of saying you have romantic feelings for me?" "That's what I'm trying to do yes. I do apologise, I haven't been in this situation before and I'm not quite sure how to tell you my true feelings" "Well I can put your mind at ease Fenris, because I feel the same way" "You do?" "Of course I do" "Oh I, that's wonderful" You giggle and blow a butterfly towards his face, making the end of his nose tickle. "I thank you for this" "You do realise you don't have to thank me for liking you back Fenris?" "Yes, I know. But this is just a wonderful thing to happen to me, and I felt the need to say it. But I'm happy, very happy. If there is a future to be had, I will walk into it gladly at your side" "I couldn't quite hear that, could you speak up?" You ask cheekily. "Why don't I make it clearer for you?" He says right before he leans in with a desperate need, and he kisses you with a fiary passion. Holding the back of your head with his hand, and his lips were locking so perfectly with yours, like he craved your touch. Your eyes were closed, but you could sence that his markings were glowing as he kissed you, almost like his body was vibrating with excitement. When he pulled away after you both needed some air, he looked at you with his deeply green emerald eyes, and you were hypnotised. "Was that sufficient for you?" He asks with a little smile. "Hmmm, I don't know. Maybe you should kiss me again, just to make sure" "I think it's safe to say I will never tire from this"

[hel-phoenyx]

Domhildr belongs to @soupedepates, Oli to @thal-ent and Meili to @azeler, Kaizarz (mentioned) belongs to @corneille-but-not-the-author

Okay.

Maybe almost fainting in front of Domhildr as she was getting out of her shift was a bad idea.

For my defense, I didn't expect my body to react so strongly to just the amount of energy needed for digestion. Like I know I haven't slept in a week, but still, feeeling that dizzy right after eating ? Did I really not take care of my body properly ?

Point is she didn't let that slide. Like, at all. As soon as I was on the ground she called Meili. She never calls Meili, usually. And then while waiting on him she warned Oli she wouldn't be back tonight, for what ? I asled myself in the middle of my dizziness.

The result is we're currently at my home. It's morning after. And I've never heard that much noise in my kitchen before, even when Kaizarz was there and hellbent on finding my sugar and sweets stash to make us hot chocolates.

When I woke up, it was noon. I am so late on the thesis. Yet, I can't get out of bed. Why ? Because Meili is right next to me looking at me with those military officer eyes. The kind that say "obey orders or I'll kill you".

Not gonna lie, I've never done well with orders. I wanna get up and come back to my desk just to see how he will react. But my body isn't answering to me anymore. I can't even lift my head.

Meili squints seeing me awake.

"Don't you dare move."

I smile. Gods, the amount of energy needed is astounding. What the fuck is this sudden weakness ?!

"Or what... you're gonna pin me to bed ? Go ahead... I'm still stronger that you..."

"Clearly not in that state, and don't make me tie you up to the bedframe."

"Didn't know you were into that..."

His grimace is awful. I probably should have closed my big ass mouth. Why is it than when I'm tired I don't have any filter anymore. I almost told Kaizarz I loved him last time, goddamnit !

Anyway, I better shut up before I say something I regret. Meili looks pissed enough.

"Don't you dare start that gay shit with me, Tyr. You're fucking exhausted, you need to rest. Domhildr is whipping something in the kitchen for you, and Oli is trying to choose a movie we would all like."

"Damn... Since how much time are they trying ?"

"Three hours. We almost reached a consensus, so be a dear and don't ruin this for us."

When do I ever. But I'm too tired for this. And if I move a muscle, Meili is getting out the whip, anyway, I see in in his eyes. You can take a man out of army, but never army out of man...

Bed is too comfortable anyway, and my limbs too heavy. I wouldn't be able to move even if I really, really wanted to.

The second reason is that I won't have time. Domhildr just stormed in the room, a tray covered in food in hand. She made hamburgers with double steak and eggs, and fries on the side. Mine is covered in curry sauce, my favorite.

"Still think you're an heretic for what you made me do to those poor hamburgers, she shouts while putting the tray on my nightstand. But you needed meat, and red, bloody one."

"How I like it, huh..."

"Yeah, you fucking cannibal. How you like it, just for you. I'm letting you wake up while Oli chooses the movie, but after that, you're eating, and you're not moving out of bed for the day even if I have to climb you."

I smile again.

"This is the second weirdly erotic threat I've gotten today. You know you can tell me if you guys have an orgy planned later, I won't mind..."

"Oh, shut up, you bonehead, don't you dare joke in that state. Do you know how much I was worried about you ?"

Oh. She looks genuinely upset. Did I say something bad ? Did I do something bad, maybe ? I don't know. I just feel bad, all of a sudden.

".... Sorry."

"You better be. Hiding how little you sleep, how much coffee you drink, and when I go in your room I find a whole stash of beers clearly not here for partying ? What the fuck are you doing to yourself, Tyr ?!"

She's teary-eyed now. Oh. Did my current physical state affected them that much ?

"Sorry, really. I didn't want to worry you."

"Then start by not doing worrying things ! I thought I had to call Kaizarz to bring you to the hospital, AGAIN !"

Well. I guess that's why she's upset. Last time they had to do that, last time Kaizarz had to bring me to the hospital, it was the time of the accident. I still remember his eyes full of tears when i woke up from coma, his attempt to make me promise I won't ever put myself in danger like that, ever again.

I guess some things never change.

I lift my hand. Pinches her cheek. Shit, she's crying now. What did I do ? Why can't I do things rights ?

"I'm fine, Domhildr. Just lacking sleep. I promise."

"None of us believe you, Tyr, and that's coming from me."

That was Oli. They finally entered the room, with a movie case in hand, while Meili turns on the television on the wall. She doesn't look as angry as Domhildr does, or as judgemental as Meili's, but her eyes are full of worry, and unexplainable sadness.

Weirdly, those are the ones that hurt me the most.

".... I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that. Please. Just recover."

He sighs. Sits down next to me, gives the case to Meili.

"A Ghibli, is that okay with you ? We settled on Spirited Away."

"Fine by me. Sorry for making you worry."

They take my face between their hands, look at me long and hard.

"Tyr. We are your friends. Of course we will worry."

"Now just eat, and don't mind if I eat burgers in your bed, says Domhildr while climbing next to me. I really don't wanna make you move or be away from you for the next ten hours. And I don't have a shift today so I'm ready to be there a long time."

Oli takes my other side, and Meili brings closer my desk chair to sit next to us. All of us now have plates on their lap, and the heat of their bodies is relaxing my muscles.

I didn't want to worry them. They shouldn't have to worry about me.

But I can still enjoy this, right ?

[crmsnmth]

September Sky Chapter One Part 2

"It will. If you don't stop writing that is. You have a style all your own. It's like you're just telling a story around a fire one night. And you're story is good. I mean, really good. It's well written. It's introspective. Makes you question some things. And it's original. It's a new idea."

"Is that why there's red ink all over it?" I said, with a half-smirk. I was making fun of her needless habit of editing every single piece of creative fiction that passed before her. I wasn't sure, but if she stuck with her habits, she could go on to being one of the best editors out there. And I didn't know shit about the actual world of writing, but I knew editors were important.

"Shush. It's just grammatical and spelling errors." She crossed her arms in front of her, and sat forward, resting them on her desk. "Make me a promise?"

I looked at her, this time with my own confusion. "What?"

"Don't stop. And if you ever get anywhere with this, put me in your thank dedication." She cracked a smile at me. Her teeth were extremely white, contrasting against her darker complexion. I wondered for a second how often she bleached her teeth.

"I won't. I don't think I could, even if I wanted to." I meant that. From the moment I was able to write, it never stopped. It's why I did so poorly in high school. I would spend my classes writing shitty high school emo poetry. Every night before bed, I would journal. There were always snippets of story ideas all over my notebooks, and pretty much anything else I could write on. "And if I ever a thank you page, you'll be on the list. You don't need to ask for that. I really would thank you."

"For what?" She asked with curiosity.

"I don't know. Kind words? Support. You're one of the few who didn't make me completely hate this place." I shrugged. That's all I had. Hopefully, it was enough. My writing never came through in how I spoke. I always tripped and stumbled over my words. Or said inappropriate things. Or just totally missed out on normal social cues.

"I'll take it. Good luck, Chris. Keep in touch, please." she said. I hated hearing the disappointment in her voice, but I was doing this for me. I hated this place. I hated the environment. I hated the crowds. The people. All it did was set off my anxiety issues, and I'm beyond fucking tired of having panic attacks hidden in some bathroom, hoping no one comes in to hear me cry and sob until I can catch my breath and breathe again.

"Yeah, you too," I said, standing up and grabbing my backpack. I looked up and saw the time. "Shit, I gotta go. I'm going to miss the bus." I took off, hurriedly out into the hallway, where a crowd of other students was pushing through. It was just past noon. Lunch hour. Fuck. The fastest way to the bus stop was through the cafeteria.

And the cafeteria was packed with a massive crowd of hungry kids grabbing something quick before heading off to the next hour or so of boredom and sleeping in class. Luckily, I'm very small. I'm only 5'7" and I weight 117 lbs, if I'm soaking wet. I could slip through crowds pretty easily. And that's what I intended to do here.

I didn't really know anybody at the UW, other than my professor's and their aides. But, I was well known. Mainly because of how I looked, and the fact that almost ninety percent of anything that came out of my mouth was pure unfiltered sarcasm. It was a coping skill, keeping people from breaking through my shell.

And has I pushed through the crowd, I swear I heard someone shout my name behind me. I turned my head for one second. One simple second, and that's all it took for me to collide into someone, knocking their books and an apple to the floor. I guess I was missing the book. I never did find out who was calling for me, or if anyone actually was.

"Oh shit, fuck. I'm sorry," I said, dropping to the ground to pick up the books and the now bruised and tainted apple. It was when I grabbed the apple, that I saw the ratty and old combat boots, leading to fishnet covered legs and a flowing gray skirt, that ended right on the knee. A black t-shirt, with the lips from Rocky Horror Picture show screen-printed on, covered up part of a massive sleeve tattoo of roses, vines and skulls on her right arm. Her nails were painted a bright red.

[irlguppy]

Slime Rancher Guide

Slime Rancher is a really important game to me since the OST used to help me fall asleep when I had a bad day or just trouble sleeping at all. This game just makes me really happy so I thought it'd be fun to share a silly lil guide!

Slime Rancher Achievements (57/57)

A lot of these achievements will just be collection based so I'll list them out with how much you need + what you need then get to the rest of the achievements! (Location tips will be this color)

Plorts!

All of these you should earn easily just by playing the game casually!

Plort Peddler - Sell 100 plorts

Transplorter - Sell 500 plorts

Plort Authority - Sell 1,000 plorts

Plort Powerhouse - Sell 2,500 plorts

Plort Tycoon - Sell 5,000 plorts

Collect 50 plorts in a single day

Newbucks!

Earn over 5,000 newbucks

Earn over 25,000 newbucks

Earn over 100,000 newbucks

Earn 5,000 newbucks in a single day

Buck Buck Bagu-

Feed 100 chickens to slimes on the Ranch. This one is easy as you come across chickens a lot and will need a corral for them anyways!

Fruit Cocktail

As you play you'll find lots of fruits and veggies around the place. Plant three different fruit trees at your ranch.

Salad Bar

As you play you'll find lots of fruits and veggies around the place. Plant three different veggie gardens at your ranch.

Up All Night

Stay awake from 6 AM to 6 AM the next day, just don't sleep! This will be easy to get if you explore for long periods of time.

Not My Morning

Get knocked out before 10 AM, just jump off one of the cliffs after storing your items to get this one.

While You Were Away

Spend a full day (24 hours) away from the ranch.

Catch!

Feed an airborne slime. This is one I got by accident, you can do this a bit easier if the slime is a flying one though.

Omnivorous

Feed pink slimes 10 different types of food. This one is easy but you'll probably get it later since it takes some time to get around different areas and bring food back

Tasty!

Feed 50 slimes on the Ranch their favorite food. To make this easier I'll put an image of slimes + their favorite foods.

Credit for Image: https://www.reddit.com/r/slimerancher/comments/8kiyr7/favorite_food_chart_super_quick_thing_i_made_for/

Mine, All Mine

Discover the Quarry in this location. Not difficult since the map is pretty easy to read !!

On the Other Side

Discover the Moss Blanket, again will just post a picture of the maps location.

Smoke, Fire, and Mirrors

Discover the Glass Desert.This one might be a bit tricky as it requires a few things before you can access it. First you have to find the Ancient Ruins. Go through the Indigo Quarry until you find a door (you need a Slime Key) and unlock it. Go left from there and you'll be in the Moss Blanket with a huge gate surrounded by slime statues. You will need to bring one of each : Boom, Honey, Rock, Rad, Tabby, and Phosphor plorts then insert them into the matching statues.

Once you enter the Ancient Ruins you need to pass through the weird doorways until you get to the end of the zone. There is a temple you need to enter (don't go in the portal it will send you home) and you will need another Slime Key. You will need five Quantum plorts to activate the portal in the newly unlocked room. Once you've unlocked it you're able to go to the Glass Desert! Congrats!

Jelly Belly Burst

Burst a Gordo Slime! They look like this and you should find the pink one first since it's around the starting area. You need to feed it until it explodes, so cruel.

Open Says Me

Open a Slime Gate! (This is where you use the Slime Keys earned after murdering Gordos).

Carousel & You... Monser!

Toss an elder chicken & baby chick into an incinerator... thats messed up bro.

Fully Loaded

Max out at least one of each : Corral , Coop, and Silo on your Ranch. Fairly easy just save up cash!

Hasty Exchange

Complete a request between noon and 2 PM. These are easier to complete the further you get into the game as you have an easier access to more items.

Free Rangin'

Collect 50 plorts on the Range in one day. After upgrading your corrals and getting a lot of slimes this should be super easy.

That Only Works in Comic Books

Stand in a rad slimes aura for 15 seconds (If you don't know what they look like here you go).

Once Bitten, Twice... Bitten

This seems like a bad idea but hold onto a tarr slime for 15 seconds.

Boop!

Let a tabby slime headbutt you on the nose! Super cute I love the tabby slimes a lot. Just stand near one (or a lot) and they'll eventually jump at you lovingly!

Fireworks

Shoot a boom slime largo into the air and let it explode before landing. Just grab one and shoot it straight up into the sky as it starts looking bright!

Six Pack

Have 6 different types of slimes in the same corral. Super easy! Just make sure you don't feed them while they're in there.

Risky Business

Have 3 largos in one corral (again don't feed them unless you want some tarrs).

Diversification

Have at least 10 types of largos on the Ranch (you'll do this overtime super easily!).

Ball Pit

Jump into a corral with 40 slimes+ ! Make sure you get a large corral with a roof to make it easier.

Into the Past

Discover the Ancient Ruins! Go back to the "Smoke, Fire, and Mirrors" achievement to figure out how to open the gate.

Onward... to SCIENCE!

Make your first Slime Science gadget ! Collect plorts to toss in the machine in the back, then use the other buttons in the room to learn blueprints and other things.

One Person at a Time

Keep going into your hut / house and you should notice that you've been getting mail! Keep checking until you get invited to the club! Welcome!

Color Me Impressed

Use chroma packs earned from the 7Zee Rewards Club to change the color of your house , tech, and vacpack.

Mint in Box

Purchase 10 different types of slime toys. Upgrade your Ranch to get a shop for slime toys.

Renewal

Bring life back to the Glass Desert. This one is a bit tricky, you need to find all four fountains (they aren't active yet) and reactivate them using plorts like when you opened the Ancient Ruins. Use the water from the fountains to water the red buds on the ground.

Doors Like These

Discover where Hobson's journey ended, and started once again.

Use this video guide to get this achievement, itll be easier than explaining I think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un6g-A229x4

Burstin' at the Seams

Store 50 items in a fully upgraded silo. You'll probably need to store food for slimes so just fill it up!

Hat Trick

Get 3 plorts from a single gold slime. Golden slimes will spawn randomly and will ONLY eat Gilded Ginger

Controlling the Chaos

Constrain more than 15 slimes in your vac stream at once while on the range. Just pile them all up on the ranch and suck them up again.

Pool Party

Put 5 different types of slimes in a pond on the ranch.

Bea the Builder

Similar to the "Onward... to SCIENCE!" achievement you need to make gadgets, this time you have to make at least 35 of them!

Never Stop Creating

Make up to 100 slime science gadgets !! so many omg!

Best of the Worst

Put a tarr on the #1 slime pedestal ! For some reason!

She's on Fire!

Score 50 points in a game of slimeball. You have to craft the slimeball gadget for this one.

The Hunter Has Become... The Other Thing

Put the slimes favorite food down on a master snare to capture a gordo !

Pro Style

Fill out the ENTIRE Slimepedia. All the treasure crackers, all the foods , slimes , ALL OF IT BABYYY.

The Adventure Continues!

Complete Adventure Mode! Congrats !! You did it!

RUSH CHALLENGE ACHIEVEMENTS

Rush Challenger : Reach 10,000 newbucks in Rush Mode

Rush Champion : Reach 35,000 newbucks in Rush Mode

Rush Plortmaster : Reach 75,000 newbucks in Rush Mode

Congrats on beating Slime Rancher !! YIPPIEE!!! Thank you for reading and sharing my guides!

[saiintvalentiine]

THIS IS AN ASK ENCOURAGING YOU TO WORD VOMIT ABOUT YOUR WIPS!!!

~ ✧✦✧

WIP TALK WIP TALK

I have like 5 active WIPs but I'm gonna talk about 2 in particular: wingfic au and actively modified au

wingfic has me MISERABLE because I want to go back and forth on POVs but I have no skill for Parrot's POV omggggg it's so HARD but also I have to like................contrive a way to make everything work out in the end and I'm DUMB bro. deeply tempted to just skip over all the hard parts but then that'd leave a patchy narrative.

Some of my favorite bits of it so far:

Polite Parrot

Wifies doesn't sleep in late, or even very much in general, but Parrot always wakes at the crack of dawn. He's polite about it— won't make too much noise, won't knock on Wifies’s door before noon, that kind of stuff. He was so polite about Wifies being unable to fly, too, letting his birdcage house languish as they found a different corner of the world to build an earth-bound hideout that Wifies could navigate without having to finagle an Elytra on. He doesn’t ask about it, but Wifies is pretty sure that’s because he’s waiting for the day that Wifies to arrive sleep-warm and vulnerable to the kitchen where he’ll be able to pry as much as he possibly can out of Wifies’s quiet mouth. Parrot will have to pull him to pieces to find out, so Wifies has been contemplating taking a sabbatical from Unstable. He’s pretty sure he’s falling sick, anyway, and he’s got to figure out how he’s going to check that he isn’t introducing rust into his body.

and Honey Toast

He [Wifies] wants to be done with this. He wants to crawl in a hole and be unbothered. He wants Parrot to sharpen his sword for him and make fun of him for eating honey toast, until Wifies holds a piece to his mouth for a taste.

You may be asking: saiint, why honey toast? and I say: guys please sharing a sweet little treat is all I have in this world, I love it when characters hold food out for each other!!!!

Actively modified au is from this post I made and I just cannot stop thinking about it. What if Ken and Wifies went off to a world together after the april fools stuff just to relax and Ken got to witness the material consequences of Evilfies's desires. I'm chewing on drywall. help. This one is notably less fleshed out than wingfic (about 2k words less) but I feel like it'd be easier to finish??? so I think I'll focus on it more

Favorite bits so far:

The initial discussion

“Loser,” Ken calls out as Wifies swims to shore and pulls himself out. “We gotta sleep. These phantoms are unbearable.” “No,” Wifies says automatically, shaking his hair out and whipping his axe at the few stray phantoms left. “Every time I go to sleep, I wake up and something’s changed.” “What?” Ken says, daylight breaking through the horizon just as the last phantom dies. “What does that mean?” Wifies glances over, and Ken’s concerned expression surprises him. A lot of things have been surprising him lately. “Um. When I sleep. I wake up with something changed. So I try to not sleep.” “That—” Ken’s expression twists. Wifies can't tell what exactly he's feeling, but his tail is ramrod straight, fur standing on end. “That won't happen here. It shouldn't, and it won't. Nothing like that has ever happened to me in any world I've been in, and it's not gonna start now.” Wifies wants to believe him. Ken hasn't lied to him so far, not when they met or when he took Wifies’s hand or brought Wifies to a whole new world to explore, but he can't believe him now. Wifies may have lived a life full of lies and fantasy, but this was real. He knows it's real. He knows something happens every time.

Living with the Evidence:

“Ken,” he says again, voice tinged with something ugly. He looks into the river, and his mismatched eyes look back— one a pale grey, the other a deep black. “Why are my eyes different colors?” “What?? Mine are different too,” Ken frowns, pushing his bangs back from his forehead as if that’ll help somehow. “His weren’t, though.” “. . . No, they weren’t.” Wifies touches the corner of his grey eye and pulls it down a bit. There, under the waterline, is the faintest red line. If he pulls up his upper lid, he knows he'll see its mirror. “I fell asleep one day,” Wifies says slowly, turning each word over like a stone. “And when I woke up, my eye hurt. I didn’t get a lot of chances to see myself. There weren’t mirrors in the rooms, and iron tools were rare, water even rarer. But one day I finally got to see myself, and my eye was different. It wasn’t always grey.” Wifies doesn’t look at Ken. He can tell that the idea is taking root in Ken’s mind, his fingers tightening where they hold Wifies. Wifies doesn’t know the truth, but there’s the shape of a truth there, and it looms over him with a hundred sharpened teeth. “It’s not that I don’t want to believe you. I just. . . live with the evidence.”

so much writing to do so little time!!! do we have a preferred WIP so far chat. do we have thoughts. would we like elaboration on either. im going crazy out here. is anybody out there.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Epel Felmier Dorm Uniform Personal Story: Part 3

"Let me goooo!!"

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

―Time machine delivery day

???: …pel... Epel!

[Ignihyde Dorm – Lounge]

Epel: Yeaaahhnn…?

Epel: Eh… Woah, when did I fall asleep!? 'N wait, why're ya… why are you here?

Vil: I came to check up on you, since your deadline is noon today. Good grief, I cannot believe you fell asleep on the floor like this.

Vil: So? Is the time machine finished?

Epel: Ah… We did. Please look at this!

Epel: You know how there's the story that the "Fairest Queen of All" made some poisoned apples?

Epel: I tried using that as my motif.

Epel: First, you can see that the whole exterior is painted the color of a ripe and shiny red apple.

Epel: It should make anyone want to reach out to grab it… Basically, I wanted to focus on making it look as delicious as possible!

Vil: Mhm… Continue.

Epel: Yessir. Another cool thing I added to the machine is a design that disappears when it's stopped, but appears when it's activates.

Epel: I'm going to turn it on to test it out, so please watch.

Vil: ! There's paint on the tire that was tucked underneath… Is this a drawing of a skull?

Epel: Yes! 'Cause it's said that a skull appeared on the poisoned apple that the Queen made before it turned all shiny and red…

Epel: I tried putting the skull mark somewhere that can't be seen from the outside until it starts up.

Epel: This here's my best attempt at an "appropriately beautiful" time machine!

Vil: …Let me ask you one thing. What was your reason for changing the motif to the poison apple?

Epel: Uhh… When I tried to incorporate the peacock into the design, I really couldn't tell if it was any good, or if it was terrible…

Epel: But then, I reckoned no one's better'n me when it comes ta makin' apples all pretty…!!

Vil: …...

Vil: …Heh. Finally, you were able to find a design that just screams "you."

Epel: …! Yes, sir!

Vil: Alright then, I'll leave the key to this magical wheel with you, Epel.

Epel: Eh? Why me?

Vil: I'll be heading back ahead of you, so you should deliver the time machine to the film club.

Vil: It still needs to be delivered by noon, as scheduled, so don't be late. Understand?

Epel: …If you're in a rush, you should just take it yourself… Wait, hold on!?

Epel: Does that mean that I'm allowed to ride it all the way to the set, then…?

Epel: Oooooooooooo yayyy!!!

Idia: Urgh… Epel-shi, so noisy… You're making my sleep-deprived head throb...

Epel: Ah! S-Sorry, Idia-san.

Epel: I can't believe I'm gonna get to ride on a magic wheel, I've been wanting to do this forever… And it's one I actually designed.

Epel: ―Okay, I gotta go fast all the way to the main building!

[Main Street]

Film Club Student A: Hm…? What's that? Something's coming at us from the main gate.

Rook: That's a magical wheel. The one riding it is… Ah, Monsieur Pommette, or rather, Epel-kun.

Film Club Student A: The vehicle looks shiny just like a real apple… And it's so beautiful, it really goes with his Pomefiore dorm uniform.

Film Club Student B: And on top of that, while he's driving that thing, Epel-kun has a different kind of glow from his usual fragile looking self.

Film Club Student C: I agree. His dignified gaze, his dauntless grin… I'm so drawn in that I cannot look away.

Rook: Did you hear that, Vil? Everyone has nothing but praise for Epel-kun!

Vil: Fufu, it seems it was a hit with the potatoes.

Epel: Ah… There they are! Vil-san! I've come to deliver the product, as promised.

Epel: Gotta put it in park… alright. Uh, alright, I'll be leaving then.

Vil: Not yet, Epel. Stay right there.

Vil: ―Film club members, lend me your ears! I have an announcement to make on our next film.

Vil: About the previously undecided lead role… I've decided to give the part to Epel here.

Epel: Eh… Ehh!?

Vil: You all saw it, yes? Saw how Epel looked while riding the time machine.

Vil: I believe that there is no one more suited for the lead role than this one here. Are there any objections?

Rook: His arrival on the time machine earlier definitely did look to be like a scene one would see in a movie.

Film Club Student B: That's true. I have to give props for how awe-inspiring it was. I suppose I can let him take the spotlight this time.

Epel: W-Wait a moment. Wasn't I just here to help with the design…?

Vil: It's been decided. I'll make sure to thoroughly train you into a proper actor, so best prepare yourself.

Vil: First, we'll need to get you in costume. Costume designers, take Epel to the club room.

Film Club Students: Yes, sir!

Epel: I-I never said anything about doing… Let me goooo!!

Vil: …The way his eyes sparkle when it's something he's interested in versus not is much too different. Really, he truly is a troublesome little apple.

Rook: I agree that the Epel-kun we saw just now was glowing much differently than yesterday…

Rook: Were you perhaps planning this as your finale the whole time?

Vil: ―Now, I wonder.

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3