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yamujiburo · 1 year ago

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Ketchum vs. Ketchum! Showdown in Cerulean City!

Woo! Finale time! I wanted to make this final battle feel special and give it more substance than I could do with just a comic. So! I got the help of @cyberwulf to write out this ending in fanfic form! Check it out here on AO3 if you prefer! If not, the journey continues below the cut~

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James Sidestory / Meowth Sidestory

A lot has happened since our Poké Moms began their journey. After a rocky start…

“*SQUAWK*”

…they’ve managed to catch some new Pokémon…

“Run! Run! Run!”

…in their own way.

“What a cute baby! You know, I have a son, too!”

With their month on the road almost up, Delia had just one more thing she wanted to do…

“I want to beat the Cerulean City Gym!”

But little did Delia know, there was a surprise waiting for her in Cerulean City!

“MOM??? JESSIE???”

“Let’s have a double battle! You and Ash versus Jessie and I!”

“You’re on! But I’m not going easy on you just cuz you’re family!”

“…What’s going on?”

Poké Mom Adventures

EP009

Ketchum vs Ketchum! Showdown in Cerulean City!

The water of the Cerulean gym battlefield glistened in the sunshine streaming through its crystal glass roof. Both teams gazed at each other with steely determination (and some lingering confusion, in Misty’s case) as above them, the Drone Rotom announced the rules.

“This will be a double battle between Gym Leader Misty and Champion Ash, and the challengers Delia and Jessie.” It projected a holographic image of both teams. “For today’s battle, each trainer may use two Pokémon. The battle is over when all of one team’s Pokémon can no longer battle.”

“All right!” Misty declared. “This is an official League battle for the Cascade badge!”

“And bragging rights!” Jessie added with a smirk.

“We’ll see about that!” Ash retorted. Misty glanced at him, taking in his clenched fists and gritted teeth. She’d seen Ash determined before, but… there was something here that she was missing. However, with the Drone Rotom hovering expectantly overhead, finding out what that something was would have to wait.

“Come out – Corsola!”

The Coral Pokémon landed on the rock in front of her, eagerly crying its name.

“This is a water-themed gym, so I’ll go with a Water-Type,” Ash remarked. “Oshawott, I choose you!”

“That’s the spirit, Ash!” Misty exclaimed. “It’s the job of a Gym Leader to help trainers learn type advantage and weaknesses by specialising in one kind of Pokémon, and around here that’s Water-Types!”

“Water, huh?” Jessie frowned as she considered the three Pokémon she had on hand. “Well, I don’t want my delicate little Ziggy to get her fur wet.” With a flourish, she tossed a Pokéball high in the air. “Go, Venomoth!”

The Poison Moth Pokémon emerged, hovering over the water.

“It’s a shame we don’t have any Grass or Electric-types,” Delia mused. “I guess we’ll just have to do our best with what we have.” Pushing her bangs out of her face, she called, “I choose you!”

Ash and Misty’s jaws dropped as the light from Delia’s Pokéball coalesced into a very large, very stern-looking Kangaskhan.

“I didn’t know your mom had such a strong Pokémon,” Misty whispered.

“Neither did I,” Ash whispered back. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention and he looked down at his starter Pokémon. “Something wrong, Pikachu?”

“Pika…”

Pikachu gazed across the water at Kangaskhan, ears and tail up, alert to… something. But before anyone could figure out what had caught his attention, there was a small cry.

“Kangaskhan!”

The baby squirmed, spooked by the glistening water lapping all around the rock. She buried her face in her mother’s belly and cried again. Cradling her young protectively, Kangaskhan gave Delia an apologetic look.

“Oh, of course!” Delia exclaimed. “I’m so sorry. Kangaskhan, return.” Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called across the battlefield. “That doesn’t count as one of my Pokémon, does it?”

“Of course not, Ms. Ketchum!” Misty shouted back. “Please choose another Pokémon!”

“If she’s got one,” Ash said with a confident smirk. “I’m betting she’ll send out Mimey.”

“I choose you… Clefairy!”

“Looks like you bet wrong, Ash,” Misty laughed as Ash stared in surprise at the Fairy Pokémon.

Above them, the Drone Rotom moved into position.

“Begin!”

“All right, Oshawott!” Ash called out. “Open up with an Aqua Jet!”

With a determined cry, Oshawott blasted a jet of water across the field, hitting Clefairy square in the belly and knocking the Fairy Pokémon off the rock and into the water.

“Ash Ketchum!” Delia exclaimed reproachfully. “That wasn’t very nice!”

Thrown off-guard, Ash gulped. “S-sorry!” (Oh man - I can’t believe I’m actually battling my mom!)

On the opposite side of the battlefield, a wet and bedraggled Clefairy clambered back up on the rock ridge, scowling at her attacker.

“Shake it off, Clefairy!” Delia urged as her Pokémon did just that, sending a fine shower of water droplets flying from her pink fur. “Use Disarming Voice!”

With a deep breath, Clefairy shot a vortex of pink hearts towards Oshawott, taking the Sea Otter Pokémon by surprise and knocking him into the water.

“Good work, Deerling!” Jessie shouted triumphantly. “Now it’s my turn!” She pointed at Corsola. “Venomoth, use Poison Sting!”

Venomoth hovered uncertainly for a few moments, then looked back at her.

“It doesn’t look like Venomoth knows that move, honey,” Delia remarked.

“Well, Dustox knew that move!” Jessie protested. “Venomoth should know it too, aren’t they both Bug-types?”

Venomoth just blinked at her.

“You really don’t know what moves your Pokémon knows?” Misty asked incredulously.

“Of course I do, just – just let me think!” Jessie spluttered, clenching her fists. “All right, Venomoth – use Gust!”

Venomoth didn’t move.

“Whirlwind!” Jessie tried. “Psybeam! …Tackle?”

Venomoth looked back and forth between Jessie and the battlefield as it fluttered about agitatedly, utterly confused by the barrage of unfamiliar orders.

“This is just sad,” Misty muttered, getting a nod of agreement from Ash. Raising her voice, she called out, “Corsola! Use Spike Cannon!”

Corsola glowed, and a split second later a shower of glowing white spikes slammed into Venomoth, driving it backwards towards the trainer box.

“Oh, no!” Delia groaned in dismay, wringing her hands. “Maybe we should’ve practiced with our new Pokémon before coming here!”

“We’re not giving up!” Jessie snarled, clenching her fists. “Venomoth! Get back out there!”

With a trill, Venomoth shook off the spikes, and floated towards its opponents again.

“Corsola!” Misty called. “Hit it with another Spike Cannon!”

Corsola began to glow.

“Well don’t just hover there!” Jessie barked out. “It’s about to attack again!” Venomoth looked back at her, and Jessie gestured angrily towards the battlefield. “Just do something! Anything!”

Once more, glowing white spikes shot towards Venomoth. This time, however, Venomoth dove towards the attack, sweeping its wings in front of itself at the last minute. Blue blades of light cut through the barrage of spikes, one hitting Corsola and driving it back.

“That’s Air Slash!” Ash exclaimed.

“Air Slash, eh?” Jessie shot her opponents a triumphant smirk. “Venomoth! Use Air Slash on that pitiful pink Pokémon again!”

“Hang in there, Corsola!” Misty called as her Pokémon was driven back for a second time. “Use Recover!”

“Don’t let it recover, Venomoth!” Jessie yelled. “Air Slash again!”

As her Pokémon geared up for another attack, she noticed Delia gazing at her in rapture.

“You’re so ferocious when you battle, Smoochum,” Delia remarked dreamily. She lowered her voice, waggling her eyebrows. “It’s kinda hot.”

Jessie blushed and giggled. “Baaabe, not in front of the twerps.”

Misty wrinkled her nose in disgust. “…Smoochum?”

“Freak out later, Misty!” Ash yelled. Venomoth was bearing down on Corsola, and the Coral Pokémon didn’t have much left. “Oshawott! Use Hydro Pump on Venomoth to protect Corsola!”

Leaping high into the air, Oshawott sent a powerful jet of water directly at Jessie’s Venomoth. With a cry, the Poison Moth hit the floor between Jessie and Delia, bounced once, and fainted.

“Hey, no fair!” Jessie bellowed, stamping her foot. “I was distracted!” She recalled Venomoth with a scowl. “I ought to ground you for making me look bad!”

“This is really weird,” Misty mumbled.

“You have no idea,” Ash sighed wearily.

“All right, you big blue blob,” Jessie growled to her faithful Patient Pokémon, “get out there and let’s win this thing!”

Saluting, Wobbuffet waddled forward, straight into the water. Jessie pinched the bridge of her nose as Wobbuffet awkwardly clambered up onto the protruding rock.

“Wobbles can’t attack unless he’s attacked first,” Delia murmured to herself. “Oshawott is strong, and Corsola can use Recover to gain back health. That means I’ve got to make this next move count!” She looked to Clefairy, wet and winded but not out of the battle. It was risky, but…

“Clefairy! Use Metronome!”

“Metronome?!” Misty exclaimed as Clefairy began to move her fingers hypnotically back and forth. “Now anything can happen!”

“Hold tight, everybody!” Ash called, just as the Fairy Pokémon’s fingers turned white.

Razor-sharp leaves whipped through the air, striking Oshawott and Corsola. The Grass-Type move was too much for the dual Rock/Water Type, and Corsola collapsed into the water, fainted. Oshawott was driven back against the rock ridge, and Ash held his breath, but the Drone Rotom only counted Corsola out.

“Oshawott! You hanging in there, buddy?”

With a grimace, the Sea Otter Pokémon gave him a determined nod. “Osha!”

“Ha!” Jessie cried triumphantly. “Now we’re even!” She clenched her fists, calling tauntingly across the battlefield. “Who’s next, twerpette? Togepi? Psyduck?”

“She sure is cocky for being down to just Wobbuffet,” Ash muttered.

“Not for long,” Misty replied with a smirk. She plucked her second Pokéball from her hip.

“Go – Gyarados!”

Delia’s eyes widened and Jessie took several steps back as the gigantic Pokémon appeared in the water. It glowered down at both trainers, making Delia swallow hard.

(Now’s not the time to lose my nerve! Gyarados is just a Pokémon like any other. All I have to do is-)

“Hey!” Jessie exclaimed angrily. “No fair using such a powerful Pokémon! What, are Staryu and Starmie at the Pokémon Centre or something?!”

Taken aback, Misty gaped at the former Team Rocket member in disbelief. “Since when do you care about playing fair?”

“Since you decided to use that monstrosity on a first-time trainer!” Jessie retorted with a shake of her fist. “That’s cheating!”

Misty paused, almost second-guessing her choice of Pokémon, when she remembered who she was dealing with. Squaring her shoulders, she shot back, “You’re not a first-time trainer!”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Ash muttered.

“I heard that!” Jessie bawled.

“It’s okay, honey,” Delia murmured, placing her hand on Jessie’s shoulder. “We can beat them. We just need to use strategy!”

“Gyarados!” Misty called out. Jessie may not have been the best trainer, and her track record with him was hit or miss, but Wobbuffet could reflect almost any attack. It might just have been luck, but Clefairy’s Metronome had taken out Corsola and left Oshawott just barely hanging on. There was only one choice of target.

“Use Hurricane on Clefairy, now!”

Rearing back, Gyarados shot a powerful blast of air directly at the Fairy Pokémon, sending her flying back to the trainer box.

“Oh no!” Delia cried. She knelt by her stricken Pokémon’s side, but it was obvious even without Drone Rotom saying so that Clefairy couldn’t continue. “You did a wonderful job, Clefairy.” Recalling her Pokémon, she rose, pushed her bangs out of her eyes, and called her second Pokémon.

“Mimey, I choose you!”

Ash clenched his fists. No more surprises – he knew what Mimey was capable of. Oshawott was tough, but he’d taken a lot of damage. If the Sea Otter Pokémon only had one move left, then Ash had to make it count.

“Oshawott! Hit Mimey with Aqua Jet!”

“Mimey, dodge it!” Delia cried out.

The Barrier Pokémon leapt high in the air, leaving Ash to watch, powerless, as Aqua Jet splashed harmlessly on the ground between his mother and Jessie. But before he could call out another attack –

“Now, Mimey, Focus Punch on Oshawott!”

There was no time for Oshawott to get out of the way. Mimey dove straight down, fist outstretched, and scored a direct hit. Both Pokémon vanished underwater. All four trainers held their breath. After a few seconds, Mimey burst out of the water, effortlessly leaping onto the rock. A moment later Oshawott floated to the surface, fainted.

“Good work, Oshawott,” Ash murmured as he recalled his Pokémon. He turned to Pikachu. “Looks like my mom’s a tougher trainer than I thought. You ready, Pikachu?”

The yellow mouse nodded, one tiny fist raised. “Pika!”

“You be nice to us now, Pikachu!” Delia cheered brightly.

Jessie was less optimistic.

“Babe, this isn’t looking good,” she murmured urgently. “I’ve been beaten by that Pikachu a zillion times! And that Gyarados looks strong. And mean! I don’t know if…”

She trailed off as the other woman took her hands.

“Now you listen to me, Jessie Ketchum.” Delia gazed into her eyes, a look of fierce determination on her face. “A zillion battles. A zillion losses. Against that very Pikachu. And you never gave up. So you’re not gonna give up now! Okay?”

Jessie stared back at her. Time seemed to stand still. Delia’s fingers were warm on her own as her words of encouragement hung in the air.

“Jessie… Ketchum?”

With the briefest of nods, Delia turned to face their opponents.

“Ash honey, don’t you hold back just because I’m your mom!” she called. “We’re going to give it our all, even if we lose!”

“She’s a lot like you, Ash,” Misty laughed. As Ash tugged the brim of his hat down to hide his blush, she raised her voice and called to the challengers. “You’re doing great, Ms. Ketchum! I’m really impressed by your abilities as a trainer. Now show me you’re worthy of the Cascade badge!”

“Hey!” Jessie yelled indignantly. “What am I, chopped liver?! My Venomoth pushed your Corsola to the brink!”

Misty grimaced. This was all still too strange – Jessie was a good guy? Jessie and Ash’s mom were… partners? She struggled for something positive to say about Jessie’s performance so far.

“Uh – yeah!” she managed. “It was, uh, really great how you figured out that one move.”

Jessie put her hands on her hips. “Ugh, could you sound any more insincere?!”

With a growl of impatience, Ash cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled across the battlefield. “Hey! Are we gonna battle or what?”

“Oh, we’re battling, twerp,” Jessie shot back. “And we’re gonna win!”

Ash grinned. “You ready, Pikachu?” The yellow Pokémon turned to look at his trainer. Ash pointed. “Quick attack!”

“Ha!” Jessie scoffed as Pikachu zigzagged along the rock ridge. “Wobbuffet, use Counter!”

Pikachu leaped forward…

“On Mimey!”

Delia and Jessie gasped as Pikachu pivoted and went straight for the Barrier Pokémon. Taken by surprise, he took the full brunt of the attack, losing his balance and hitting the water.

“A fake out!” Delia exclaimed. She beamed at her son with pride. “That was so smart of you, honey! You had us completely fooled!”

“Baaabe!” Jessie hissed. “I get that you care about him – I do too – but right now he’s the enemy!”

Delia tapped her fist against her head, grinning nervously. “Oh, right!”

“This is hurting my brain,” Misty groaned.

“How do you think I feel?” Ash grumbled.

Delia took a moment to centre herself and assess the situation. Pikachu didn’t have a Type advantage, but his Electric attacks were powerful – not to mention that Mimey was still wet. Of course, using them ran the risk of electrifying the entire battlefield, including Gyarados, but only one Pokémon needed to be left standing in order for that Pokémon’s team to win.

“Mimey!” she commanded. “Use Psychic on Pikachu!”

“Mr Mime!”

Mimey fixed Pikachu with an intense stare, his eyes and hands glowing blue. Blue light enveloped the yellow mouse as he was lifted into the air. Pikachu strained and struggled, but couldn’t break free.

Ash groaned in exasperation.

“Misty, go for Mimey!” he called. “If you weaken him, maybe Pikachu can break free. Plus, he’s a lot stronger than Wobbuffet!”

Misty nodded. “Right!”

“Hey!” Jessie objected. “Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you have to say it!” She shook her fist at them. “I raised you better than that, Ash Ketchum!”

“Wha – ” Ash took a step back, flabbergasted. “You didn’t raise me at all!”

“The heck I didn’t!” Jessie retorted. “Who kept an eye on you while you twerped your way through eight regions, huh?!”

Misty rubbed her temples. The whole situation was giving her a headache.

“Gyarados!”

The Atrocious Pokémon stirred itself and looked her way.

“Use Crunch on Mr. Mime, now!”

“Oh no, not Crunch!” Delia fretted, as Gyarados reared back, a sinister purple aura swirling around its fangs. “That’s a Dark-Type move!”

“Wobbuffet!” Jessie barked. “Get between Mimey and Gyarados and use Counter!”

Saluting, Wobbuffet leaped in front of Mimey, his body outlined in orange light. Crunch hit, hard, and bounced back twice as hard. Both Gyarados and Wobbuffet recoiled from the damage.

“Wobbles!” Delia cried out, as Mimey caught Wobbuffet in his arms.

“Don’t you quit on me now, Wobbuffet!” Jessie shouted.

Wobbuffet saluted weakly as Mimey pushed him back onto his paws. The distraction worked, and Pikachu dropped back to the rock, freed from Psychic.

“Keep the pressure on, Pikachu!” Ash yelled. “Use Iron Tail on Mimey, now!”

“Quick, Mimey!” Delia shouted as Pikachu somersaulted through the air, tail glowing white. “Use Reflect!”

Pikachu hit the invisible barrier and flew backwards, landing in the water.

“Gyarados!” Misty commanded. “Use Crunch again!”

“Mimey, keep using Reflect!” Delia shouted. “Don’t let them in!” She had to think. Poor Wobbles, he didn’t have much left – one more shot from that big Gyarados and that would be it. Not to mention that if Crunch hit Mimey, the battle would be over! She’d completely forgotten Gyarados could learn that move! Oh, maybe she should’ve used Zaggy instead…

Mimey obediently continued to use Reflect as Gyarados and Pikachu attacked from either side. Slowly the invisible barriers began to box them in, till Mimey and Wobbuffet were crowded together on the rock.

“Babe!” Jessie urged. “We have to do something or we’re gonna lose!”

“I know!” Delia groaned. “I just…” She cupped her face in her hands, pulling down on her cheeks. “…I don’t know!”

“Ms Ketchum!”

Delia lifted her head.

“You can’t let us back you into a corner!” Misty called. “Use your environment to find a way out!”

Ash shot her a glare. “Hey, whose side are you on?!”

“It’s my job as a Gym leader to help trainers to learn,” Misty explained with a smile. “Did you forget?”

“You didn’t help me when I battled you for the first time!” Ash replied indignantly, poking his thumb into his chest.

Misty glowered at him.

“That’s because you still owed me a new bike, Ash Ketchum!”

“Aaagh!” Ash placed both hands on his head, tugging his hat down. “Can’t you let that go already? It got repaired, didn’t it?”

While their opponents bickered, Delia had taken Misty’s words to heart.

“Use the environment…” she mused. There was only one place Mimey and Wobbles could go – but first they had to do something about the double attacks coming their way.

“Jessie!” she hissed, beckoning her partner to come closer. “Can you have Wobbles use Counter?”

Jessie looked at Wobbuffet, sweating nervously as he stood behind Mimey. She nodded.

“Okay,” Delia replied. She whispered quickly in the other woman’s ear. Jessie grinned, then straightened up.

“Wobbuffet! Use Counter on both those attacks!”

Without any hesitation, Wobbuffet moved in front of Mimey, body once more enveloped in an orange glow. Crunch and Iron Tail came back double on Gyarados and Pikachu, sending the two flying backwards. Both Pokémon landed hard on the rock, Gyarados almost wrapping around it with the force of the blow.

“On your feet, Pikachu!” Ash called. “It’s not over yet! …Huh?”

He blinked at the empty battlefield. Mimey and Wobbuffet had both disappeared. Ash tensed as he scoured the water for any sign of the enemy Pokémon, but the surface was still settling from the last bout of attacks. The sunlight streaming through the roof didn’t help either – it made the rippling water glitter.

Misty spotted movement a second too late.

“Look out-”

In tandem, Mimey and Wobbuffet burst through the surface, taking up positions either side of Gyarados and Pikachu, trapping their opponents between them.

“Good work, you two!” Delia cheered. She pointed dramatically. “Now, Mimey – use Psychic on both of them!”

Once more, Mimey’s eyes and hands glowed. Both Gyarados and Pikachu rose into the air, enveloped in blue light.

“Great strategy, Ms. Ketchum!” Misty called, earning a dirty look from Ash which she ignored. “There’s no point going for Wobbuffet – he’ll just Counter our attacks again.”

“Right,” Ash agreed. “We’ve gotta take out Mimey!” He raised his voice. “Pikachu!”

Misty did likewise. “Gyarados!”

Delia grinned. “Just as I thought.” She looked at her partner. “Get ready with Mirror Coat!”

Jessie blinked in confusion. “…Huh?”

“Thunderbolt –”

“Hydro Pump –”

“On Mimey!” both young trainers yelled in unison.

“Mimey!” Delia called, just as both Pokémon charged their attacks. “Drop them, use Light Screen and aim at Wobbles!”

“Aim at WHO?!” Jessie exclaimed.

There was no time to explain. Everything turned on a split second. Pikachu and Gyarados began to fall through the air. Several volts of electricity and a powerful torrent of water hit Mimey’s Light Screen and barrelled towards Wobbuffet.

The diabolical beauty of Delia’s devious plan suddenly caught up with Jessie. That pair of pathetic Pokémon were in for a –

“Now, honey!”

Jessie almost fumbled the command.

“M-Mirror Coat!”

Wobbuffet glowed, shrouded in a reflective aura. Everything seemed to slow down. The attacks hit. They bounced back at Mimey. Pikachu and Gyarados fell. Ash’s mouth opened in a silent noooo.

The timing was perfect.

Gyarados and Pikachu fell in front of Mimey, taking the full brunt of Thunderbolt and Hydro Pump, doubled by Mirror Coat. The sheer force of the attacks drove them along the surface of the water, causing huge plumes of water to rise into the air either side of them. The battlefield disappeared in a shroud of surf and spray.

“Pikachu!” Ash cried out.

All four trainers held their breath as the mist began to clear.

Jessie cried out in dismay on seeing Wobbuffet floating belly-up in the water. Ash groaned on spotting Pikachu doing likewise. Draped over the rock, Gyarados lifted its head weakly, then dropped it again.

Delia scanned the water, a smile spreading across her face as Mimey swam to the rock and clambered up, standing tall with a cry of, “Mr. Mime!”

“Wobbuffet, Pikachu, and Gyarados are unable to battle,” the Drone Rotom declared, as Ash sank to his knees. “The winners are the challengers, Delia and Jessie!”

“I… I can’t believe this…” Ash moaned.

“We…” Jessie couldn’t stop staring at the battlefield, Drone Rotom’s words ringing in her ears. “…we won?” She looked to Delia, and the joyful look on her face confirmed it. “We WON!!!”

Delia shrieked as Jessie caught hold of her and lifted her high in the air, doing a twirl before setting her back on her feet and peppering her face with kisses. “Hahahaha!” She turned to their opponents, pulling down on one eyelid while sticking her tongue out. “Suck it, twe – I mean, Ash and Misty! I knew this day would come sooner or later!”

“Jessica, I know you’re happy, but don’t be a bad winner,” Delia chided gently. “Magnanimity in victory goes a long way.”

“But baaaabe!” Jessie whined. “I’ve never had a victory this magnificent before!”

Delia just smiled and gave her a peck on the lips. “I think poor Wobbles wants you,” she remarked, nodding to the battlefield. “We’ll need to get him to a Pokémon Centre with Venomoth and Clefairy.”

Jessie nodded and went to haul Wobbuffet out of the water.

“Come on, you,” she grunted as she dragged the Patient Pokémon back onto dry land. Briefly she removed her cap and wiped the sweat from her brow. Fine, so she couldn’t taunt the twerps any more. Victory still tasted pretty sweet.

In her arms, Wobbuffet stirred and smiled weakly up at her. Jessie couldn’t help but smile back.

“How about that?” she murmured to him. “You’re a winner, Wobbuffet. I bet you can’t wait to tell the others.”

He managed a salute and a quiet “Wobba…” before Jessie recalled him to his Pokéball.

Ash, meanwhile, remained on his knees in the trainer box. “I can’t believe we lost to my mom.”

“You gotta admit, that last strategy was a thing of beauty,” Misty replied with a smile. She’d made her way out to the rock and was cradling Gyarados’s head, absently rubbing its crest. The big Pokémon opened its eyes and let out a quiet rumble. “I guess now we know where you get your battling skills from, champ!”

Stepping out of her sneakers, Delia carefully negotiated the slippery rock and fished Pikachu out of the water. A couple of vigorous rubs from his head to his tail, and the Electric Mouse Pokémon opened his eyes.

“You were great, Pikachu,” Delia murmured. She tickled him under his chin, getting a weak “Chaaa” in response. She made her way back to the side of the battlefield to find Ash, Misty and Jessie waiting. “You were great too, honey.”

Ash managed a smile as she handed Pikachu to him. “Thanks, Mom.” He gasped as he was pulled into a hug.

“That was such a fun battle!” Delia exclaimed. She loosened her hold just enough to look at him. “I can see why you like this so much.”

“Watch out, Ash,” Misty teased. “You might just have a new rival on your hands!”

Ash let out a distressed yelp.

“Oh no, I don’t have time for that,” Delia assured him with a wave of her hand. As Ash sighed with relief, she cupped his cheek and tilted his head up to look at him. “But travelling around this past month and battling with you today… it’s made me feel a little bit closer to you.”

Ash blushed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Aw, Mom,” he mumbled with a grin.

“Ahem.”

Ash and Delia turned to see Misty holding out a Cascade badge.

“This is yours, Ms. Ketchum,” the Gym Leader declared. “You made the battlefield, your Pokémon and their moves work to your advantage. I’m impressed!”

“Oh, you’re too kind, really,” Delia replied, blushing as she accepted the badge. Its blue surface seemed to glitter in the sunlight streaming in from the roof. “I’ll treasure this, always. Thank you.”

“That’s how you win a badge fair and square,” Misty teased, shooting a wink Ash’s way.

The Champion rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

All three turned to see Jessie holding out her hand.

“What about me?” she demanded. “The perfect Pokémon battle partner? Trainer of vicious Venomoth and wild Wobbuffet? Where’s my badge?”

Misty sighed. Jessie had been on the winning team, and she had won a badge fair and square, but the whole situation was still bizarre.

“I’ll give you a badge if you explain what all…” She waved her hand between Jessie and Delia. “…this is about.”

“Delia and I dating,” Jessie scoffed with a shrug. “It’s not that complicated.”

“I got that part,” Misty shot back irritatedly, “I just…” She looked from Jessie, standing with her arms crossed, to Ms. Ketchum, who had one hand on Jessie’s hip, to Ash, who looked like he was hoping the floor would open up and swallow him. “…you know what, never mind.” Reaching into her pocket, she took out a second Cascade badge.

“I can’t believe this is happening, but… you earned this!”

Jessie let out a little cry of joy as Misty put the badge into her hand.

“Oh, Deerling, look how pretty it is!” she gushed. “Do you think maybe we could just get the prettiest Gym badges?”

“I don’t see why not,” Delia replied. “With James to run the restaurant, I can take vacations more often!”

“James is –” Misty glared at Ash, who pulled the brim of his cap down and giggled nervously. “We’re going to the Pokémon Centre and then you’re telling me what’s been going on, Ash Ketchum!”

“Let’s all go to the Pokémon Centre,” Delia suggested. “Our Pokémon battled hard today, they deserve a good rest.”

It wasn’t long before Nurse Joy’s tender care had Venomoth, Corsola, Oshawott, Clefairy, Wobbuffet, Gyarados and Pikachu feeling like their old selves again. Delia squeezed Jessie’s hand, murmuring “that’ll be you one day, Smoochum” as they watched Joy work.

“Well, we should get going,” Delia declared once they had their Pokémon back.

“We were going to stay and have dinner, Ms. Ketchum,” Misty said. She eyed Jessie reluctantly, but made the offer anyway. “…You’re welcome to join us.”

“That’s sweet of you, Misty, but we’ve been away long enough,” Delia replied, to both kids’ relief. “It’s time we headed home. Thank you both so much for such an amazing battle.” She hugged Ash tightly. “Don’t stay away too long, honey.”

“You know I won’t, Mom,” Ash replied, blushing. He shot Misty a grin. “I’ll be home right after I kick Misty’s butt in our rematch!”

“Then I’ll see you soon,” Delia murmured. She let go of her son and gave Misty a quick hug and a wink. “Try not to beat him too badly!”

“Hey!” Ash exclaimed indignantly.

Delia stepped back, joining her girlfriend near the door of the Pokémon Centre. She gave her a look and nodded to both kids. With a sigh, Jessie trudged up to Ash and gave him a stiff hug.

“See you at home, kid,” she mumbled. Letting go, she turned to Misty. “Thanks for the battle and the badge, I guess...?”

The two gazed at each other for a few awkward moments, then Jessie took a step closer, slowly lifting her arms.

“Aah!” Misty hurriedly moved back, holding her hands up in front of her. “I don’t think I’m there yet.”

Jessie dropped her arms with a huge sigh of relief. “Great! Me neither.” She offered her hand instead, and the Gym Leader shook it.

Ash and Misty stepped outside the Pokémon Centre to see them off, their goodbyes ringing in the air as Delia and Jessie got on the road. Jessie slung her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Happy, babe?”

“Yes and no,” Delia sighed. “I’m sad my journey’s over, but I couldn’t be happier about how it went. I made three wonderful new friends, foiled a nasty poacher, and that battle today –” She clenched her fists in front of her. “ – I never felt so alive! I can’t wait to tell Professor Oak and James and Meowth all about it!” She slipped an arm around Jessie’s waist. “I’m so glad you talked me into this.”

Jessie preened. “Oh it was nothing, babe, I –”

She broke off as Delia took hold of her hands.

“Thank you for making my dreams come true,” the other woman whispered. Jessie’s heart caught in her throat as she saw tears shining in Delia’s eyes. “Not just today, but every day we’re together.”

Jessie smiled, warmth blooming in her chest.

“It’s the least I could do,” she replied. Delia deserved more, so much more, for putting up with her, believing in her, loving her. Not to mention all she’d done for James and Meowth too. Maybe one day –

- but before Jessie could continue the thought, Delia leaned up and pulled her into a tender kiss.

THE END

“Oh, I can’t wait to get home to our nice comfy bed!”

“Ugh, me too. I hate sleeping on the ground.”

“…who said anything about sleeping?”

#hanamusa comic #hanamusashipping #hanamusa #fanfiction #jessie #delia ketchum #ash ketchum #misty #my art

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primofate · 3 months ago

Text

Is it a crime to post unfinished drafts? It's been sitting for 2 years already. I'm letting this one go.

Genshin Series - The sides of him only you get to have and see Part 5: Angry/Frustrated [All male characters]

Other works in this series: (Part 1 - Soft and Gentle) (Part 2 - flustered) (Part 3 - clingy) (Part 4 - Worried)

Warnings: some fluff, some angst, depending on the prompt, lots of different scenarios, some protective, some a bit yandere, some aggressive... quite long cause i got carried away >_>

Personal favourites in this work: Ayato, Bennett

Aether

When his investigation about his sister’s whereabouts turns up into a dead end

“...What if I never find her?” His voice is just a whisper as the two of you sit side by side around the campfire. Paimon is already sleeping off to the side, exhausted by the day’s events.

You can hear the desperation in his voice, and it cripples you as well, the hurt that comes with losing a loved one and being unable to find them. You let yourself fall sideways and lay your head on his shoulder, hoping to give him some comfort. “...We’ll keep looking, Teyvat’s a big place, you know,” you whisper and it seems that your answer only serves to frustrate him more.

“That’s exactly the problem... Sometimes I don’t know where to start and I don’t know where to look first... I just...” His fists clench for a moment but he relaxes with a small sigh minutes later, arm wounding around your back to pull you closer to his side. “Sorry... I don’t mean to complain so much,”

You shake your head as you bask in his warmth. “You’re allowed to feel this way, Aether. I’m right here beside you, okay?”

His gaze softens, head leaning towards the crown of your head to place a kiss there. “Thank you, Y/N,” he wouldn’t know what to do if he lost you as well.

Albedo

When someone is too rough with you.

Could he request you not to work at the tavern? Possibly, yes. But Albedo was not the type to tie you down or tell you what to do. Plus, you were capable of taking care of yourself.

Sometimes he would pick you up from your shift, however, today the Cat’s Tail was a little understaffed and you had to work a few more orders before you could go.

“Hey!” You jump as one tavern-goer stands and smashes his glass of beer on the table with a loud THUD. “This isn’t what I ordered!” Frankly you were used to this by now, but it didn’t mean that you were any less startled. You calmly walked over to the table and took back the mugs that you just placed when the same person grabs your wrist.

The mugs sway in your hand, the beer in it pouring over your fingers a little as it sloshed. “Sir?” You ask as the man’s hand tightens around your wrist.

The man grunts and growls “Make sure you tell the bartender to give me a discount for giving the wrong order!” Drunkards were like that. They were loud and sometimes couldn’t control themselves, you twist your wrist away successfully and relay the message to the bartender, though you noticed that Albedo was there too, waiting for you to come back.

Albedo catches your arm and lifts your wrist up to eye level. There’s a blank look on his face that you can’t quite read and for a moment his eyes dangerously flicker to the group of tavern-goers who gave you trouble. You sense that he’s a little irked. “It’s okay ‘Bedo, I’m fine, just the usual rowdy people, you know?” You reassure him and his stern face drops, replaced by that of defeat with a small sigh.

It’s “just the usual” you say. He doesn’t quite know how to feel about that, if this was “usual”, yet he understood. Every job came with its risks and this was already relatively safer than being an adventurer. Albeo sighs again and brings your wrist up to his lips, his eyes yet again dart towards the said table. He really wanted to have a word with those rude men, but he avoided conflict for your sake.

“Alright, Y/N. As long as you keep your promise,” he reminds you. Jogging your memory that you had promised to tell him if something dire really happens at work.

Ayato

When his status affects you

You’re aware that ever since you and Ayato were married, his shuumatsuban had also been following you around. Ayato reassured you that it was for your own good, and you somewhat agreed. You weren’t that bothered by it, since the shuumatsuban were so good at concealing their presence, it seemed like nothing changed in your every day routine.

“Master Ayato,” and so imagine Ayato’s annoyance when he receives a report from one of his men that you were being tailed by someone suspicious. “...Capture him,”

In the secret dungeons of the Kamisato residence, there is a pitiful man sitting in the middle of a cell with bars. Kamisato Ayato stands in front of him, cold and calculating look on his face. “State your reason for tailing Y/N,” he would break this man quick, and get all the answers he needed for your safety.

“I-I-I swear I’m not a bad guy! I just--Someone told me they’d pay me a huge amount of money to kidnap Y/N!” Ayato doesn’t break his cold gaze from the man, but he also can’t control the way he unsheathes his sword and starts to clean it with a cloth, as if getting ready for an execution.

“Then for your own good I suggest you give me all the names of these people who bribed you,” His tone is calm, but also eerie. “After that’s done, you won’t lay your eyes on Y/N again... Is that understood?”

He couldn’t afford for anything to happen to you, specially not when it was because of him.

Bennett

When his bad luck affects you

Bennett had been quiet the whole way back to Mondstadt. As per usual a few things happened that proved his luck was horrid.

Today seemed to be one of the worst.

Not only did you not finish the commission given to you, but things happened one after the other.

First, the two of you couldn’t find the monster you were looking for. Second, when you finally found it, it proved to be difficult to subdue. Third, the treasure the two of you found was not really treasure at all. Fourth, you could not find the item that you were supposed to bring back to town and finally, fifth, a once wonderful, cloudless and breezy day suddenly turned glum and the rain poured down on your heads.

Bennett was utterly defeated, and you knew it cause he had been quiet up until the gates of Mondstadt, when the two of you finally took shelter for a moment from the rain. He usually would still be upbeat and positive, no matter what he went through, but seeing you sneeze and shiver in the rain, on top of being tired and grimey, he really couldn’t help but hate his bad luck.

You glanced at him at the corner of your eye, he was looking at the ground with his brows furrowed. The look of frustration was foreign in his face but you said what you always did after an adventure with him. “...Today was fun, Bennett. Let’s go again tomorrow!”

His head snaps up in an instant, eyes wide and tracing your face for any lies and dishonesty. All he saw was your bright smile and eager disposition. Truthfully you had learned to be incredibly positive because of him, and if he needed a little bit of that positivity, then you were willing to give it back, no matter how hard things were.

For a split second his lips looked as if they trembled, his shoulders relaxed and a wobbly smile appears on his face. He nearly barrels into you with a hug, and mumbles “You’re the best Y/N,”

Bennett always thought that you were his sun, and he loved every bit of the time he spent with you.

Chongyun

When he isn’t able to protect you

“’Yun?” You call out from your sitting position on your bed, and Chongyun, for the umpteenth time that day, slightly jerks up on the chair next to you, eyes darting towards your face.

“Hm?” he says, trying to brush off the fact that he had been zoning out, small, shy smile on his face.

You’re silent for a moment, staring back at him. The cogs in your mind working a bit more. “...You’re upset aren’t you?”

The way he tenses up at your accusation tells you the answer, but still he denies it. “N-No,”

You sigh, your bandaged arm resting on your side. The wound didn’t hurt that much, but Chongyun was the one who insisted he’d feed you instead of making you use your dominant, injured arm. He was so embarrassed when he offered it. Face red and unsure what to say except that he was holding the bowl of porridge your mother made in his hands and that was enough of a cue for you.

“...Aah,” You open your mouth again, and that’s when Chongyun snaps out of it, realizing that he hadn’t even finished feeding you. So he proceeds to give you another spoonful.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?” You confirm after you swallow that bite and he again tenses up without saying anything.

You knew he hated it when the two of you went adventuring together and you ended up getting hurt. Occasionally it would be him with the injury, but when you got injured, somehow, to him, it was a graver matter than him getting hurt.

That statement opens his dam of insecurities. “I’m too weak...If I had been a little faster...”

“I must be pretty weak too then, if I wasn’t even able to dodge it,” you counter and you see him open his mouth in protest but close it again, knowing that you had laid a trap for him if he disagreed. He went silent again.

“...I think you’re really cool Chongyun, the way you handle your claymore makes you look really handsome,” you giggled a little cause you knew he was going to go red and sputter out a response.

“W-W-What do you mean?” He proceeds to shove another spoonful in your face, probably so that you wouldn’t actually be able to reply. “A-Anyway...I...I’ll work harder to protect you,” he finishes his sentence and you don’t protest nor say another thing anymore, seeing as he at least got some of his good mood back.

Dainsleif

When you don’t keep a promise

“You said you would meet me by the tree in Windrise. Imagine my distress when you didn’t show up,” Dainsleif had his arms crossed over his chest, eyes actually glaring at you.

“I know but you know how things can get. The job was a little more difficult than expected and it took longer to finish,”

You’d found yourself trudging deep through the forest to locate the cabin he considered his “home”. Far away from everything else and nearly impossible to locate if you had never been there before. You arrived by morning, knocking at his door and unsurprised with the dumbfounded look on his face.

He still welcomed you in, but he didn’t say a word and the air was tense even as he placed a glass of water on the table for you.

Then you were here, getting the lecture from him.

“Then you shouldn’t have promised to be there. It’s a simple thing to communicate with me that you’re not sure when you’ll be done, I would have waited,” He continued and you sighed, cause you knew that he was right. You really shouldn’t have promised you were going to be there on time. It’s not as if it’d be the end of the world if you were a day or two late.

“I know, I’m sorry. I guess I just wanted to see you as soon as I could and I wasn’t thinking,” you should’ve known by now that promises were a heavy thing to Dainsleif.

You heard him give out one of his own sighs and then his hand cups your chin and tilts it up to meet him eye to eye. “I trust you understand why I’m angry,” his voice had levelled down a little, and though he was frustrated earlier you can always see the worry behind his gaze and the love in his eyes.

You smile a little and nod your head, still a little apologetic. “If I can’t find you, if you happen to go missing, do you know what that would do to me?” He asks you, eyes finally dropping the glare and just softly gazing at you.

“I know,” you whisper and lean your face closer to his hand. Your arm reaches out to hold his coat, tugging on it a little as if a small child. “...I know you weren’t able to sleep...and I spent the whole night trying to make it back to you...so can we rest for a bit?” You suggest and he found it a good idea.

He wordlessly sweeps you into his arms and kisses your forehead, bringing the two of you into the bedroom.

Diluc

When you forget to tell him where you’re going and he doesn’t know where you are

“Adelinde, did Y/N mention skipping dinner today?” Diluc asked his head maid. He was alone at the dinner table and you were nowhere to be found in the mansion.

Adelinde considered her words carefully. A slight misuse of words would send the young master into a spiral of worry and anxiety. She was a hundred percent sure you had just forgotten to tell someone that you were going to be out for dinner, because you’ve done it before, bless your bad memory, but Adelinde really wished you would at least tell the young master.

“...They didn’t mention, Master Diluc...but I’m sure they must be out on some errands in Mondstadt,” it was a gamble for Adelinde to state that, because she also didn’t know where you were, and she would be in deep trouble if you didn’t come home at all.

Diluc started to eat, albeit slowly and glanced at Adelinde when she made that statement. “...Did they mention going on an errand?” he asked again, to which Adelinde now had to truthfully reply. “...No,”

Cue the distress in Diluc’s features. Furrowed brows, cutlery not even moving, eyes calculating. You could practically see all the assumptions run through his face. Maybe you were in trouble, maybe you were taken, maybe you were lost somewhere and needed help. You would have said something if you were going to be home late, no?

Diluc dropped his cutlery on the table, and he started going back through his memories to determine whether or not you actually had said anything about today. He would have remembered, and as far as he could tell, you didn’t say anything about not having dinner with him today, or anything of the sort.

He was about to push himself up and away from the table, to double check at Mondstadt if anyone had seen you, when the front door opened, revealing you with a basket of goods and a smile on your face. Diluc practically deflated, your name a sigh on his lips, “Y/N,”

You knew that look, and you knew that look that Adelinde was giving you. “Oh Archons. I’m sorry, I went out in a hurry and just forgot to tell anyone where I was going,” your smile dropped almost immediately as you scurried over to the table with an apologetic gaze on your face turned towards Diluc.

You knew how worried he could get, he could already feel the adrenaline starting to pump through him, thinking about all the worst case scenarios. Diluc sighed once again, repositioning himself properly in front of the table and picking up his cutlery again. He was slightly angry, you could tell. Mostly because this wasn’t the first time it had happened. “...Put your things down and we can eat,” he simply said and you pouted a little while passing the things over to Adelinde, then sitting on your side of the table.

“...I don’t get my welcome back kiss?” You chide him playfully, to which his eyes lazily graze over you and back to his plate of food.

“When you start remembering to tell someone where you’re going in the middle of the night, I’ll start giving you your welcome back kisses,” he strictly exclaims and you could only grumble under your breath.

Gorou

When he spends too much time training or working and loses time with you

“Hahhhh...” Gorou plops down on the tatami floor of his home with a loud and long sigh. Not only was training and the patrols a little harsh today, but that was another day gone without getting to see you.

How long had it been now? Eight, nine days? He was starting to get really antsy about not being able to see you and he knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault but his.

That night he couldn’t immediately fall into a peaceful sleep. He tossed whenever he thought of you and turned whenever he started thinking too much of what the two of you would do together the next time you saw each other. It was like planning out a whole date in his mind but realizing that he didn’t even have any day offs soon. So he would deflate and be disappointed in himself, try to go to sleep, then get carried away thinking about you again, causing him to snap his eyes open and repeat the thinking process.

“Arrghhh!” At some point he shakes his head and shuts his eyes tight, the frustration getting to him. He had to sleep, or he’ll have a really tiring day tomorrow.

When he woke up the next morning to knocks on his door he immediately thought he had overslept. He scrambled to his feet, swinging the door open with his still disheveled fluffy hair and said “I-I’ll be right there! I just--” then he reels back, blinking, realizing that it was you standing there are the door. “Y-Y/N?! What’re you doing here?”

He smooths his hair down, tries to pat down his wrinkly house clothes but his eyes are tacked on to you, wide and happy.

“I figured I’d visit you this time, since you seem really busy,” you laugh sheepishly, scratching your cheek. “I hope I’m not intruding,”

“Of course not!” He replies quickly but coughs on his hand right after. “I-I mean. Yeah, you’re always welcome here,” he smiles and beams at you, but then slumps his shoulders right after. “I...I still have work though, so I won’t be able to spend a lot of time with you...”

You shake your head and wave your hands “That’s alright! I can still spend lunch and dinner with you, right? That’s more than enough for me,”

His heart blooms with a warmth that engulfs his body, his cheeks might have turned red. You were just oh-so sweet to him and oh-so kind, he didn’t know what he did to deserve an angel like you.

Heizou

When he can’t help you with your problems

Heizou is a genius at solving problems, but he knows that sometimes there are problems that he can’t solve nor he shouldn’t interfere with. One of those was problems within your family.

Sure, he had solutions and probably ways to diffuse the rising tensions in your family, but he wasn’t really in the right place to do so. All he could do is listen to you rant and complain about how things are getting so much harder with your mom and dad, and you just wanting to run away from it all, move out as soon as you can but you were tied down with the obligation of caring for your sick mother.

It pains him and frustrates him, watching you stress over it day by day, but as much as he wanted to tell your parents that they were affecting you this much, there are some things that he shouldn’t meddle with.

All he could do was offer advice. “...Perhaps move out and live somewhere close to them? It would still give you the advantage of privacy,” he suggests, as he sits next to you on a bench, arm coming around and behind your back, hand resting on your hip.

“I would, but the houses nearby are actually pricey, mostly because they’re family houses, not for a single person rent,” You lean sideways into him. He’s always so good at giving you solutions, though you’re unaware of the internal battle inside him, seeing you so distraught like this.

“...Well why not live with me then?” You can hear that familiar mischief in his voice, and though you know he’s joking it still flusters you.

“D-Don’t say that as a joke, Heizou!” He chuckles at your reaction, just as he expected, but he leans in to place a kiss atop your head, his next sentences sending a shiver up your spine. “It’s a joke now, but someday I’ll make it real, regardless of what your parents say,”

Of course he ends it with a wink.

Itto

When someone hurts you and he witnesses it

Itto doesn’t get angry easily. He just doesn’t have the capacity for it. He was loud, yes, but good natured overall and never means any actual harm to anyone.

Unfortunately you can’t say the same thing about some people in Inazuma. For the most part, people were friendly, amicable, helpful...but sometimes there were the odd balls that just appeared out of nowhere, wreaking havoc when they wanted to.

Just the other day a group of ronin who claimed to be the strongest group of vagabonds roaming Inazuma entered town and they were loud and gruff about it. “Where’s the best inn in town?” They asked at the entrance, and a kind man directed them towards it.

The next day that man was bullied by the same ronin. “We said the BEST inn in town, not the most EXPENSIVE!” You had witnessed it, the man who was just trying to help them was starting to cower backwards, the ronin were complaining about the price of the room, how they wanted the man to pay for it and you just couldn’t stand that blatant bullying.

“What’s your problem? Of course it’s going to be expensive!” You appeared behind the group and just couldn’t help but be angry at their stupidity and overall disgusting behaviour. One of them looks at you, then starts to laugh and the others follow suit, all laughing at you as if you were a clown on the streets.

You didn’t falter and merely crossed your arms above your chest. “If you have nothing better to do then maybe you should look for a job so you can pay for your next inn,” was provoking them a good idea? Of course not, and you knew that.

One of the ronins grabs you and twists your arm behind your back. You could only let out a whimper at the sudden motion but as soon as it happened it was over. You found yourself suddenly pushed behind, looking at Itto’s back as he shoves the ronin away with a harsh force.

“The hell do you think you’re doing touching Y/N like that?!” Itto’s voice is loud, louder than when he’s excited about eating ramen or louder than when he’s discovered a magnificent onikabuto. The anger in his voice is unusual, you don’t immediately recognize it as his.

Itto’s tall. Taller than any of the ronin around you and suddenly it’s as if the ronin become meek little mice, stepping away from him and you. “W-We were just--”

Itto brandishes his claymore, “Less talking, more fighting. You want a real arm wrestle? Come at me,” you can’t imagine what kind of face he’s making, but the ronin--actually just cowards--runs at the sight of Itto’s weapon and he’s just about to go after them when you call out to him, telling him to calm down.

He doesn’t listen easily, but you place a hand on his arm and he stops, still glaring and huffing at the sight of those stupid ronins running away.

Scaramouche

When you have to be paired up with another Harbinger for work

“You’re going with who?” There’s poison dripping from his voice, but you’re so used to his antics by now that it doesn’t scare you one bit.

“Tartaglia. The Tsaritsa said--”

“Fuck what the Tsaritsa says,” Scaramouche cuts you off. “You’re not going with that fool,” He stands and paces back and forth now. You simply sit at the table and watch him, knowing that he’s going to throw one of his “tantrums” again. “Possibly the worst person to go on a mission with,” he continues to grumble, now biting on his thumb.

“You always get worked up whenever the two of us are paired up together. It really isn’t that bad,” you exclaim, shrugging your shoulders and he stops walking to glare at you.

“So it’s a little bad? Is that what you’re insinuating?” He doesn’t let you finish and adds. “You don’t know how dangerous he is,”

You couldn’t help but stifle a laugh quite obviously. “Scara, I think you’re more dangerous?”

Tartaglia

“I’m different,” He mumbles under his breath.

When his alone time with you gets interrupted

Thoma

When you get sick but he’s busy

Venti

When he hasn’t seen you in days

Xiao

When he wants you to stay

Xingqiu

When a book he’s reading isn’t as good as he thought it would be

Zhongli

When someone doesn’t respect your boundaries

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#scaramouche x reader #genshin impact fluff #diluc x reader #aether x reader #albedo x reader #itto x reader

609 notes · View notes

cheolslz · 10 months ago

Text

maybe getting mad at your boyfriends over something petty wasn't the best idea.

pairing; 95line x fem!reader

genre; smut (minors dni)

w/c; 2.1k

a/n - based on this request. this is not proofread at all so ignore if any grammatical errors 😔 it's my first full fic so I'll appreciate any and every feedback!

smut warnings under the cut!

warnings; mentions of a creep at a club, poly, established relationship, dom!95line x sub! reader, degradation, petnames (babe, love, princess, cockslut), unprotected sex (don't do this), oral (m. receiving), double penetration, anal, creampie, slight chocking, fluff at the end. lmk if I missed anything!

It's 8pm. You haven't checked your phone all day. you were supposed to be off work 2 hours ago but your boss decided today would be the perfect day to ask you to do their monthly statistics compilation.

As you make your way upstairs the tiredness of the long workday finally kicks in. you sigh when you reach the door, wanting nothing more than to be in the comfort of your own home and your three boyfriends.

Hard days like this were guaranteed with a high profile job but you knew no matter what happens you’d always come home to the loves of your life.

As you open the door, the smell of your apartment fills your heart with a fuzzy warmth. You walk in and close the door behind you and it slowly hits you.

It's quiet.

Now living with 3 other people, there was always some form of noise in the house. Whether it be Jeonghan's tv show marathons, Joshua's guitar or Seungcheol listening to music, there was always some sound to fill the empty feeling in your ear.

A look around you can see that no one was at home. At first you assume Seungcheol was finally able to convince Jeonghan and Joshua to join the gym with him. You open your phone to see if any of them texted you their whereabouts.

[5:27]

Seungcheol : babe when are you off work?

Seungcheol : we were thinking of going to a movie

Seungcheol : i know you said you weren't interested in this genre but we really want to watch it

Seungcheol : text us when ur done?

[6:07]

Jeonghan : babeee the movie is at 6:30 you’re supposed to be off work by now where are youuuu

[6:24]

Joshua : hey we’re at the movie okay?

Joshua : we came without you because you said you last week that you weren’t that interested in this

Joshua : we’ll see you in 3 hours <3

Oh. They went to see a movie. Without you.

They’re not wrong, you did say war centric and movies more than 2 hours weren’t your thing but, they could’ve waited right? It's not like it's only going to play at the theatre once. They could’ve easily waited for you and asked?

You're not the type of person to get mad about things like this. Usually you'd brush it off and move on but maybe it's the mixed frustration of work and your boss that you decide to make a phone call

“Hey are you free clubbing tonight?”

So, this was a really bad idea. It's 9pm, you're at a shady club and your friend ditched you to go hook up with someone. When you initially called chan he was constantly reassuring you that he’ll be with you all night because you need it.

His bad jokes and humour for a second did make you feel better but the minute you guys entered the club and he laid his eyes on this girl, it was game over.

You can't blame him, she was pretty as hell. If he wasn't rushing to get alone with her you would’ve asked her where her eyeshadow was from. Now you're alone at the bar, staring at the drink in your hand. Your phone keeps lighting up with notifications but you don't respond.

[8:50]

Seungcheol : babe where are you?

Seungcheol : we left early because the movie was boring you were right

Seungcheol : please respond to us

Seungcheol : i know you're mad at us im sorry

[2 missed calls from Seungcheol]

[1 missed call from Jeonghan]

[3 missed calls from Joshua]

[1 missed call from Seungcheol]

You feel bad. You should respond, you should let them know you’re safe but for this once you feel like proving something to them. What exactly are you proving? Well, you haven't really figured that out yet.

You're staring at your phone when a voice interrupts your thoughts

“Hey, what's someone like you doing here alone?”

You look at your side to see a tall man in all black. He has short bleached hair and a pretty face. You laugh off his comment, not wanting to interact with anyone right now.

“Im mark, i couldn't help but notice how pretty you are” he smiles and extends his hand which you accept with a smile.

A few minutes of talking later, you start getting uncomfortable. Mark keeps trying to get you to leave with him even though you stated you had a boyfriend. He shrugs it off, his hand sliding to your waist and talking to you about how that doesn't matter.

You laugh nervously and excuse yourself to the bathroom, clutching your phone in your hands. You call the first person who shows up and he picks up in half a ring

“y/n? love where are you we’re worried sick”

“Seungcheol…im at levels bar please come pick me up there's someone making me uncomfortable”

You hear some shuffling in the background and Seungcheol reassures you that they're on their way.

About 20 minutes later you get a text from Joshua saying they're outside. You have to convince them not to come into the club, not wanting the situation to escalate or get worse. You successfully sneak out of the club, thanking your luck that Mark was now occupied with some other girl.

As you spot your boyfriends, you see relief wash over them. They bombard you with questions and when you confirm you’re okay, they help you in the car and drive back.

The air in the car is a little tense, no one clearly wants to bring up the topic of why you were at a club alone. Seungcheol had a rule you all followed - if there was something to talk about, you’d do it at home.

Once the car is parked, the four of you silently walk to your door. Jeonghan opens the door and lets all of you in. you take off your shoes and go sit on the couch, preparing yourself for whatever they’d ask you.

“Well? You want us to start?”

“I'm sorry” you say immediately, looking at the floor beneath you. You hear someone walking towards you.

A soft hand trails your face and lifts your chin to look up. Seungcheol has a small smile playing on his lips when he asks “what are you sorry for?”

“For getting mad at you guys and going to the club. I should've just told you i was mad at you” Seungcheol gives you a satisfied grin, his hand still forcing you to look at them standing over you

“We were worried sick, you know? You really almost gave us a heart attack” Joshua sighs looking at you. You give him a sad smile

“I'll make it up to you” you say and Jeonghan laughs loud, his voice echoing through the room

“Trust me you will” he says and walks over to you, his hands cupping your cheeks as he smashes his lips onto yours. He makes you lean back on the couch as he hovers over you, his lips moving in sync with yours as his tongue explores your mouth.

you feel the couch sink beside you and before you can see who it is, Joshua pulls you onto his lap, His firm body pressed on your back. You whimper as you feel his cock straining against his pants on your lower back.

It doesn't take long before they’ve helped you out of your clothes and all four of you are naked. Jeonghan goes to the bedroom to grab a bottle of lube.

You turn your face to kiss Joshua, slowly grinding your ass on his cock as Seungcheol sucks on your neck. His hands fondle your breasts, squeezing the pinching your nipple to hear those oh so sweet sounds you make. your moans muffled by Joshua's mouth.

You moan into Joshua's mouth as you feel Seungcheol trail his kisses down to your breasts and suck on them.

Jeonghan walks back in and tosses the bottle to Joshua. Joshua pours some on his fingers and circles your rim

“Gonna take me properly love?” Joshua whispers in your ear and you nod, unable to form coherent sentences. Joshua slowly aligns his cock with your rim and pushes in. The stretch hurts at first but the pain fuzes into a cloud of pleasure for you.

As Joshua slowly lowers you on him, Seungcheol aligns himself with your cunt. Unlike Joshua, Seungcheol isn't soft in the bedroom.

He knows exactly how to push you far enough for it to feel best, so he waits until you're fully lowered on Joshua's lap and he slams his entire length inside you.

His tip his your cervix perfectly, knocking the wind out of your lungs.

“F-fuck.. So..fu-full” you moan out.

You take a moment to regain your breath, back arched on Joshua as groans in your ear.

Jeonghan, clearly feeling a bit left out, tangles his hands in your hair and pulls your face off of Joshua's neck. He slaps his cock against your cheek and lips as he smiles down at you

“Open up” he commands.

As you open your mouth and suck Jeonghan's tip, Seungcheol takes the initiative to move. He slowly drags his cock out and thrusts his full length into you again making you moan on Jeonghan. The movement makes Joshua hit deeper in you.

Both of them start moving inside you. Seungcheol and him have a mismatched pace making you see stars as you suck Jeonghan harder.

Jeonghan holds the back of your neck and thrusts into your mouth, making you take him deeper as tears well in your eyes. He throws his head back and fucks your mouth.

The room is filled with groaning and skin slapping as Jeonghan hits the back of your throat with each move.

“Such a pretty fucking cockslut. You like us filling you up like this huh?” Seungcheol grunts and moves his hips faster. You try to respond but the cloud of lust fills your mind as you feel yourself reaching your edge.

Joshua, the ever observant slides his hand down to your clit and slowly rubs his thumb against it. The sensation makes you moan against Jeonghans cock, the vibrations making him moan your name.

After a few more thrusts you feel his movements stutter as he fucks your face.

“Want me to cum in your mouth princess?” he groans as you slip him out of your mouth to answer

“P-please Jeonghan..ne-need it”

Your pretty face begging for him is all he needs before he cums in your throat with a final thrust, painting it white. He pulls out and watches you swallow with a satisfied grin before collapsing on the couch next to Joshua.

The other 2 are not too far behind to follow, their movements becoming more erratic as they reach their highs. Joshua cums with a loud groan and throws his head back on the couch.

His hands keep moving on your clit as he comes down his high, his breathing heavy and inconsistent.

“Gonna fill you up so well you wont even fucking think about pullling this shit again” Seungcheol curses and his hand wraps around your neck. The slight cut in air with the stimulation on your clit makes you fall off the edge as you cum on Seungcheol’s cock, his orgasm following yours.

Your releases mix together inside you as he rides out his high. You lay back on Joshua as he and Seungcheol slowly pull out. The emptiness and the feeling of their cum spilling out of you makes you whimper. Your thighs sticky with your mixed releases.

You slowly feel yourself coming down from that cloud as Joshua pats your shoulder

“You okay? Did we go too hard on you love?” he asks with slight concern in his voice but you shake your head no. They could never hurt you.

The three of them help you get up and take a shower, laying out clean warm clothes for you and helping you lay on the bed. Jeonghan lays down next to you and pulls you into a warm hug.

“Don't do that again okay? You really had us worried” he whispers in your hair.

“Im sorry, i shouldn't have disappeared over something so small”

you say quietly but the 3 of them hear it, they always do.

Seungcheol presses a kiss to your forehead as Joshua rubs your back.

“We love you, don't forget that okay?”

862 notes · View notes

marlenesluv · 1 year ago

Text

Denial is a Man’s Bestfriend. (MV)

summary: Y/n and Max have been friends since karting years, and now? Now, they’re teammates at Redbull. They are one of the best teammate duos in the Grid, but what happens when Max catches feelings?…Or when everyone but them notices they are in love but themselves?

pairing: max verstappen x fem!reader

warnings: cussing, a little suggestive at the end?

masterlist here -> masterlist link

^ check my list for all posts! ^

liked by: maxverstappen1, landonorris, and 512,011 others

y/n.user: disappointing day in japan. from a p3 quali to a race day dnf. we lost out this week, i’m sorry. i’ll do better in qatar 🇶🇦 see you then.

view comments…

f1updates: not a great race, but you’ll bounce back!! we love youuuu

maxverstappen1: the dnf wasn’t your fault. we’ll do better next week💙 you got this

↳ y/n.user: 💙💙

user2: soooo….we all seeing those hearts?

y/nfp8: don’t be too hard on yourself :( we <3 u

redbullracing: you got this next week!

racerbia: you’re gonna do amazing next week!! i cant wait to see you race. you’re amazing

↳ y/n.user: thanks bianca

f1fp33: omgggg y/n and bia?! she’s my fav f4 driver

↳ y/nsedits9: yessss, they are good friends :)

mv1wc6: i’m not breezing past the fact that max was so quick to comment like seconds after she posted…whipped

formula1pg: you got this‼️

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

twitter:

F1 News @f1news • 3hr ago

Redbull Racer, Y/n Y/l/n, was seen getting on her flight quickly after the Japan race last night where she dnfed.

The dnf was confusing at first, but it was not her fault. It seems that something went wrong with the car, which is rare for Redbull. They posted earlier on their story, “We are not sure what caused Y/n to dnf, but we are working with her car now to figure it out.” Not much, right?

Well, luckily she has her teammate and friend, Max Verstappen, to cheer her up in her comments. She was seen this morning, 1 hour before she posted her Instagram post about Japan, with Max. They were getting breakfast in Monaco….what do you think?

↳ Alyssa @lyssastalks • 3hr ago

Bro. Y/n did so good before the race. The car was fucked tbh. Its not her fault. As for her and Max? Shipppppp😋

↳ F1 Stat Page @stats4f1 • 2hr ago

I’m not sure if it was her or the car, but I lean towards the car. Her progress has been so good until last night. Unfortunately, that’s the game. If the car is fucked, so is the driver 🤷‍♂️

↳ Y/n and Max Pics @maxy/nship • 2hr ago

I ship them so hard, like pls pls pls. They are both so hot, funny, and the best drivers, imo. Power couple!!!!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

your instagram story:

seen by: maxverstappen1, oscarpiastri, and 481,028 others

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

texts with max after media day, both of you in your hotels:

your pov:

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

max texting daniel after he texts you goodnight:

maxs pov:

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

liked by: maxverstappen1, lilymhe, and 567,139 others

y/n.user: so excited for the race tomorrow!! we start p1🥳 tune in to watch me beat max😋

view comments…

maxverstappen1: i wont let you win, but i would be okay with you winning

↳ landonorris: simp

↳ danielricciardo: such a simp

↳ charles_leclerc: hard core simping

user3: not the guys just calling max out LMAO

f1editpgs: you got thissssss!!! lfggggg

racerbia: you got it in the bag!

↳ y/n.user: tyy💓

redbullracing: 💙💙 woohoo!!

papayanews: not a redbull fan… BUT I AM A Y/N FAN🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳😋😋😋😋😋🤭🤭🤭💙💙💙

lailahasanovic: you got this babes!! mick and i will be cheering you on from the mercedes garage

↳ mickschumacher: i mean, i’ll be cheering lewis and george on but i’ll cheer y/n on too!

↳ lailahasanovic: yes, you will. loudly

↳ y/n.user: thank you?….

f1feministslay: beat the men!!

user7: calling in sick to watch this because it’s gonna be so good

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

liked by: y/n.user, danielricciardo, and 712,004 others

tagged: y/n.user

maxverstappen1: congratulations on the qatar win, y/n!! p1 on one of the hardest tracks, i’m so proud of you. it feels like just yesterday we were karting together and dreaming of our first wins, and here we are. we’ve made it

view comments…

maxfp1: PROPOSE ALREADY WTFFF SOBBING

y/n.user: i’m actually sobbing. thank you max😭❤️💙

↳ maxverstappen1: oh no

landonorris: check ur texts rn

user4: lando😭 guys the drama is dramaing

f1fp68: so cuteeee stopppp

wc20d: they’re gonna date, i’m calling it

y/nandmax1: FAVSSSSSSS

f1wags: our fav driver is gonna turn into a wag, guys

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

gc from max’s pov:

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

liked by: y/n.user, danielricciardo, and 732,147 others

maxverstappen1: let’s play a game, teammates or dating?

view comments…

y/n.user: hmmmm🤔

redbull19: stoppppp this is too cute. i love them

user3: DONT EVEN. I LIVE

danielricciardo: FINALLY

↳ y/n.user: wdym “finally”?

↳ landonorris: max is a muppet and didn’t ask you out for agesssss

↳ maxverstappen1: im going to block you all, not y/n, but everyone else

↳ landonorris: 🖕

booktoks777: grumpy x sunshine fr

↳ anahuangsfanss: workplace romance !!

↳ reading4ever: forbidden romance?!

carmenmmundt: yesssss, i love you guys together 💓

↳ y/n.user: tyyy carm💓

user1: yupppp. adorable

charles_leclerc: so glad you two are together!😘

*liked by creator*

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

liked by: maxverstappen1, carlossainz55, and 604,134 others

y/n.user: austin dump🖤

view comments…

user2: “austin dump” of max?

charlottesine: okkkk, love🔥

↳ y/n.user: love you

↳ charlottesine: i love you😘

f1wags: brooooo stoppp that’s too HOT

rbw88: my fav drivers are literally dating 😩🩷

user7: butterflies 🦋💗

maxverstappen1: 🖤❤️🖤

↳ y/n.user: ❤️🖤❤️

landonorris: hm. partial slay bc that second one is tmi

321lightsout: austin is my fav track now🇺🇸🦅

form1234edits: let’s talk about how fit they are wtfff🫠

francisca.cgomes: love you two together

↳ y/n.user: ty kika💓

user5: obsessed 🔥🔥🔥

edits4f1: can’t wait to edit them cuz they are the hottest couple fr

danielricciardo: YESSIR 🦅🇺🇸 the power of austin brought everyone these pictures (we didn’t need the middle one)

↳ y/n.user: ugh but we look so good

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

(reposts, comments, and likes are appreciated!^-^)

1K notes · View notes

astr0n0va1 · 2 months ago

Text

𝐌𝐢 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 - 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐬 - 𝟒

Previous parts: Teaser , 1, 2, 3

Sorry about the long wait but heres pt.4, and I loved writing this part please share your thoughts. Thank you for your patience 💗.

2,148 words

Monday arrived quickly and as you all made your way into AMMO headquarters everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

“So how was it?” Rita asked.

“Eventful.” You replied while making your way to your desk.

“Damm no details, you don’t even want to elaborate?” Rita said.

“No or at least not right now, maybe during lunch.” You commented.

“Fine but you better keep your word.” She said before picking up some files.

As the day went by, you luckily hadn’t encountered Armando. You saw him walk by a few times and then get called upstairs for something. Everyone watched as he got up and left. Kelly looked towards you, raising her eyebrows, you simply shrugged your shoulders and went back to your station.

“Okay, guys, Y/N and I are going out for lunch. We will see you all shortly,” Rita said, grabbing her keys.

You grabbed your bag and headed towards the door.

“Rita, Y/n where y’all going?” Asked Mike.

“To run some errands,” Rita responded.

“Okay, whatever. Y/N, we start training today at 6, don't forget.” He reminded you before walking off.

Skip to lunch

"Wait, so you guys kissed on the same night he disappeared from the house?” Rita asked, trying to understand.

“Yes, that's exactly what happened and now I’m not sure what to do. I can either ask him what’s wrong which I feel will make me look obsessive, or I can just pretend it never happened.” You say before taking a sip of your lemonade.

“It’s weird but if you like him ask him if you don’t then treat this as a small one-time hookup.” She added while staring out into the street.

“Rita, are you ok you keep staring off?” You state while trying to get her attention.

“I don’t know, do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched, I feel like that right now and my intuition usually doesn’t lie?” Rita explained.

“We can go if you want, just give me a second while I get Kelly’s order. I’ll meet you at the car.” You said before getting up.

You walked towards the register and waited in line while they finished the order. Some girl walked past you and dropped her card holder.

You tried to get her attention but she didn’t turn around, you ended up losing her in a crowd so you looked through the cards trying to find some sort of identification.

Her name was Rosanne Cabral, you admired her picture for a second and then looked for any useful information. You then found her address on her driver's license, and decided that you would go drop it off at her mailbox.

You picked up Kelly’s order and made your way to the car.

“What took so long?” Rita asked.

“They were understaffed.” You replied lying.

You didn’t want to lie to Rita but she was on edge and you didn’t want her to worry more. It was an act of kindness nothing bad could come from it. ——————————————————————

You arrived at the gym a little bit earlier than Mike and started stretching before warming up. Once Mike got there you both got started.

“Okay today we are going to train a little easy for the test so let’s start with push-ups until failure, then we’ll move into the 1.5-mile run practice and we’ll finish up with some pull-ups,” Mike said with an enthusiastic clap.

“Mike, I thought you were preparing me for the test, not war.” You said dramatically.

“Your test is in like 3 weeks. By the end of next week, I’ll have you ready but you need to follow my plan and stick to the routine.” He replies.

“Plus everything you do I’ll be doing along with you.” He said trying to motivate you.

You started up well but by your 30th push, you gave up. Mike just kept going, then during the 1.5 mile run Mike stayed behind you pushing you to go faster which made you hit your time for your mile.

For the pull-ups, you only got to 15 as you were exhausted by then. Mike looked at you as you laid on the floor.

“Girl that was nothing, you being dramatic.” He said while taking a sip from his water.

“Mike, I'm more of a yoga girl, I'm not a gym rat.” You explain while taking a sip from your water.

“Y/n I’m just messing with you, but your mile timing is good, and we will work on the rest. That’s what I’m here for.” He noted trying to encourage you.

“Thank you Mike but I’m debating about taking that test, we have enough people I don’t need to be out there.” You explained.

“What if one day the whole team is in danger, you’re going to have to go out there eventually.” He remarked trying to talk some sense into you.

“You’re right but that’s a what-if thing, I don’t think you all will ever let that happen.” You said.

You both started walking out towards the parking lot. You noticed Armando’s motorcycle still parked at the other end of the parking lot.

“Christine is making dinner tonight. Do you want to come over for dinner?” Mike asked while placing his bag in his trunk.

“Mike you know I never turn down dinner but…” He cut you off before you could finish.

“Great, we will see you there shortly,” he said before getting in his car and driving off.

You decided to just go in your gym outfit since you didn’t plan to stay for long. And you still had to go drop off the wallet too.You made it there 10 minutes after Mike got there, and by then they had set the table and were waiting on you.

“Hi Christine I’m sorry for dropping in your plans at the last minute, but Mike insisted I come for dinner.” You said before hugging her.

“Y/n you’re such a sweetheart, of course I don’t mind you coming for dinner.” She replied while leading you to a seat.

“Did you want to wait until Armando gets here?” Christine asked Mike before setting him up a plate on the table.

“He’s coming late, we can start without him.” He replied.

You felt relieved to hear that, your goal right was to leave before Armando got there.

Dinner flowed well and you all conversed about day-to-day life, your family, and other things. As you all finished Christine started clearing all the plates from the table, and before you went over to help Mike asked you something.

“So Y/n… still no boyfriend?” Mike asked in a curious tone.

You wiped your mouth and responded, “Sometimes our job makes it hard to settle down.”

“Come on Y/n be real with me. You and I know some people in the AMMO squad have had their eye on you, and not only just there.” Mike said.

“The only thing I know you might be referring to is the Louis thing, and honestly that was embarrassing.” You replied denying most things he implied.

“As far as I can see you have some good options. You have Rafe who’d do anything for you, Louis who just happens to be the mayor’s son, and a little somebody I know.” He said with a smile.

“Rafe and I are more platonic than anything, Louis has his head too far up his ass because his dad is mayor, and I don’t know who else you might be referring to. Now if you’ll excuse i’ll go help clean up.” You said before getting up to help Christine clear the dishes.

You helped her clear the dishes and wipe down the table. After that, you started getting ready to leave, and as you said goodbye to Christine and made your way over to Mike he offered to walk you out.

“My bad if I was being too nosy, and overstepped some boundaries Y/n.” He said apologetically.

“Mike it’s ok you have been like a father figure to me ever since I started this job, so I understand where you are coming from.” You clarified.

“Father figure..me? I’m honored. But just remember you’re always welcome to come by.” He said.

You hugged him and made your way to your car. As you walked closer to your car you noticed that Armando had just arrived. He took his helmet off and got off the bike, still not noticing you there.

You gathered your courage and went up to him.

“Hey, Armando.” You said trying to get his attention.

“Y/n” He replied, still not looking at you.

“How have you been?” You asked, trying to ease up into what you wanted to ask.

“Busy.” He replied now, finally turning to face you.

“Umm yeah definitely, I was wondering why did you leave Saturday night?” You asked.

“Had something I needed to take care of.” He replied dryly.

“Oh ok I was just wondering, but I do have something else to ask. I don't know how to say this but I’ll just try to spit it out. “ You explained while trying to put your words together.

He simply stared at you implying for you to talk.

“I just wanted to know where we stood after last weekend.” You asked trying to keep yourself together, and not let your nerves show.

“It was a kiss and we will both get over it. You should just go on and forget that anything ever happened, " he replied, seeming annoyed by the question.

Your throat felt dry and your eyes started to string with the feeling of tears you were holding back. You managed to keep yourself together and respond,” Oh ok Yeah maybe it is for the best.”

After that, you both stared at each other for a few seconds. But then just you made your way into your car, and he walked up the driveway and into Mike’s house.

Once he was out of sight, you started to lightly cry and started driving away. After a few minutes of driving, you pulled over on the side of the road and wiped your face. You sat and thought about it all, but what bothered you the most was how it just changed all of a sudden

How one day you were both trying to open up to each other and he’s just saying it’s best if you both forget everything.You took a deep breath out and tried to calm yourself down, but then you remembered that you still had the cardholder.You decided to drop it off before going home. The drive would help you clear your head and would also keep you from going home and sulking in your bed.

The drive took around 20 minutes from the side of town you were on. By the time you arrived, it was a little over 9:30 and the street was a empty.

It was a nice apartment building, but because the mailbox access was private you had to go to the apartment itself.

You walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, a girl opened the door.

“Hi, can I help you?” She asked.

“Hi you dropped this earlier today and I saw it on the floor but when I tried to get your attention I don‘t think you heard me. I did have to look at your license to get here so I hope you don’t mind.” You explained.

“Oh my god thank you so much you’re a lifesaver, but it’s all good at least you got it back to me.” She said, expressing her thanks to you.

“No problem.” You responded before almost turning around to leave.

“How can I repay you?” She asked before you could leave the front of her door.

“No, there's no need.” You said trying to kindly deny her generous offer.

“No, I insist I’m new here in Miami and it’s been a rough start. Please let me at least invite you to brunch or something.” She said insistently .

“I’ll accept your invitation but only because I know how hard it can be to make new friends here in Miami. But this is not you repaying me because it is not necessary.” You said finally accepting.

You then gave her your number, and before you left you realized you hadn’t gotten her name.

“I’m sorry but I never got your name?” You asked before leaving.

“It’s Rosanne but I go by Rose.” She replied.

“Ok then just let me know for brunch and I’ll get back to you.” You said.

“Ok, I will thank you so much.” She said before going back in.

You walked back to your car and got in. It was only monday but the week had just started off strong.

______________________________________________________________

Taglist: @cardi-bre91, @believeinthefireflies95, @blackgirlmagicforever , @bootlegroach , @mentalidrainedfangirl , @lotusunique, @thesizzler , @marissa53115 , @yeahnohoneybye @housewifewithnohusband22

______________________________________________________________

#armando aretas #jacob scipio #armando aretas x reader #bad boys ride or die #bad boys for life #armando x reader

186 notes · View notes

yappielestappie · 19 days ago

Note

Some lestappen thoughts in these trying times:

I think Max and Charles have a bond unlike anyone else in F1, even though they’re not that close of friends. I’d even go so far as to say they’re trauma bonded.

We all know Jos was downright horrible. It’s quite reasonable to assume that this was very hard on Max as a child, and that he felt alienated and alone (recall the quote of him saying it would’ve been nice to be able to play football with kids his age, sometimes). The only times he got to hang around with kids his age was on the race track. And who was always there? Always at the top? Always challenging him? Charles Leclerc.

Charles, meanwhile, had the opposite. He had a entire support system built around his racing career. He had both brothers and his godfather with him, and a fathers love to guide him through. In his teens, he lost both Jules and his father, and suddenly, the only consistent familiar part of racing that remainder from his childhood, would have been Max.

Meanwhile, while Charles was suffering this loss, Max was in Formula 1, in a top team, doing quite well, and had picked up a support system (albeit a likely limited one) in Daniel Riccardo. I think Charles was extremely jealous of Max when he also got to F1 in 2018. Their whole lives, they’d been opponents, and then Max beat him to F1 by 3 years & had everything Charles did not (a good seat, a father, an older F1 driver to guide him). I also think that’s why the Austria 2019 podium ended up being such a big conflict. It was a lot more than just a win to Charles. It was proving himself.

Now, they’ve both matured (Daniel helped Max and Seb helped Charles). They can look back on their karting days fondly, and they both recognize that the only real supportive part of their karting careers that still remains, is each other. All the hatred they had for one another has turned into support, and a kind of respect that very few drivers have for one another.

They have something special. It’s undeniable. There’s no other drivers on the grid that have history anything like them (Pierresteban could be discussed but that’s a whole mess). And now I think they’re old enough to realize they have something special.

Max genuinely cares about Charles. It’s obvious. Their racing is so much different to anyone else Max goes wheel to wheel with. Leclerc is the only driver I’ve ever seen him apologize to. The whole “Charlie I’ve got a space for you!” Thing is still blowing my mind. Max talks about Charles like he’s the only one Max actually wants to race, like Charles is the only person worthy of challenging him. He rates Charles over everyone else even when he fucks up “come on Charles man, too many mistakes” comes to mind.

And Charles is the same way right back, he just usually has a bit more shame. It’s worth noting that he speaks highly about a lot of other drivers, but Max always seems special. He compliments max out the wazoo sometimes. It’s clear that he sees Max as the very best - as the benchmark to beat. But more than that, he defends Max just like we do. Charles always supports Max’s moves on Lando, even when they’re clearly in the wrong. He supports Max’s aggressive racing, claims to LIKE it even, when Max is being constantly harassed by the fans and media.

There’s something between them. Some unspoken reason why they support each other like this and the only conclusion I can come to is that the memories they have of each other are inseparable from their memories of racing. They’ve been competing at the top since they were 6 years old. They know how to be rivals better than they know how to do anything else in the world.

I don’t know if they ever hang out outside of F1. I don’t know if we’ll ever see them interact again once Max retires. But I do know that they’ve shaped each other in a way that will impact them until the day they die. Every untainted memory from their childhoods is about each other. All the memories of loss and abuse are separate to their memories of each other. They are the only thing that remains.

The most fundamental part of racing for Max, is beating Charles. And the most fundamental part of racing for Charles, is beating Max. Everyone else on the grid is irrelevant- an obstacle. They are two halves of the same story and I think that’s more beautiful than any romance book I’ve ever read.

oh anon you are so absolutely right. listen for me, it's the fact that we can talk all day about lestappen and ship them or let our imaginations and minds go wild with w/e but fundamentally? at the end of the day? there is also substance to it - even any form of fandom aside, there are simply facts about them that make them such a beautiful dynamic. there is something so mesmerizing about the level on which they drive, perform, their talents and skills and the way they grew up with and around each other in a sense. the beautiful juxtapositions, the red strings of fate, the way their paths kept crossing and intertwining even before they raced each other again (suzuka being max' first proper f1 test drives and then jules etc.)... there is just something cosmic about them that (as stated in some previous post) almost boils down to THEM BOTH BEING LIBRAS which is still driving me insane. the balance. the way this just screams UNIVERSE just as partners in life, as twin flames, as two sides of the same coin, two weights on a scale... again, not even saying this is related to the fandom angle of romance. like you said it almost runs deeper than that. and i, personally, refuse to be normal about it the same way the two of them are never truly normal about each other.

#this has been my sunday morning mass.#charles leclerc #max verstappen #lestappen

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itacats · 28 days ago

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Operation 141: The Family Business

FT: TF141 x gn!reader - Mafia AU

Warnings: mafia themes, use of the name "sweetheart", kidnapping/abduction, drugging, please let me know if anything else should be here!🙏

A/N: As the team embarks on this urgent search, tension rises with each step they take. Their loyalty runs deep, and tonight, that bond drives them into the dark unknown, where shadows hide more than answers. Follow closely—this mission is about more than duty; it’s about finding one of their own before it's too late. Hold your breath; every clue they uncover only deepens the mystery.

Read Part 1 Read Part 2 Read Part 4 Read Part 5 Read Part 6 Read Part 7 Read Part 8 Read Part 9 Read Part 10

Part 3: An Urgent Search

The low hum of conversation had filled the dimly lit room of the 141’s HQ, blending with the smell of takeout and the occasional clink of beer bottles against glass. Soap leaned back in his chair, tossing another joke across the table as Ghost, Price, and Gaz chuckled. The atmosphere was relaxed, comfortable, like soldiers savoring a rare moment of peace.

But beneath the surface, a tension simmered.

It had been three outings now. Three times they’d gone to the bar, expecting to see you behind the counter, serving drinks with that easy grin. Each time they came up empty-handed. At first, no one thought much of it; life was unpredictable, especially for people like you, who juggled the chaos of civilian life with the remnants of a soldier's discipline. But the absence had stretched on too long, and now it gnawed at them in ways they hadn’t spoken aloud.

Soap, always the first to break the silence, tapped his watch, his expression shifting from humor to concern. “They’re on leave, aye?” His Scottish accent was thick as he glanced around the table, looking for reassurance but finding none.

Price sighed, setting down his drink, the laughter from moments earlier already forgotten. “Maybe, but they’d have told us if something was up,” he muttered, his voice gruff, filled with the weight of too many missions and too many friends gone missing.

Gaz leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, the light catching the subtle furrow in his brow. “It’s not like they could afford a vacation. You’ve seen that shitbox they drive,” he added, half-joking, but the concern was real. That car had always been a running joke, but now it felt like a clue, a reminder of a struggle they all knew too well.

Ghost had been silent through most of it, his expression hidden beneath the skull-patterned mask he wore even when off-duty. He’d been watching, waiting, processing. Something didn’t sit right with him, and when his instincts kicked in, they were rarely wrong. Slowly, he pulled out his phone, his gloved fingers moving with precision as he dialed the bar. The tension in the room thickened as the phone rang once, twice.

“Tab’s Bar, Julia speaking,” a voice rang out, but not the one they were hoping for.

Ghost greeted the woman, getting to the point of his call and asking if you’d been in.

“No, come to think of it– They haven’t been in since the beginning of the week, I’ve had to cover most of their shifts. Not that I’m complaining, we could all use the extra cash these days.” Your co-worker rambled.

“Thank you, that’ll be all.” Ghost ended the call and silence filled the room.

The silence stretched like a knife's edge, the words of your coworker twisting the worry in their stomachs tighter.

Ghost’s eyes flicked up from the phone, his voice low but commanding, slicing through the tension. “That’s it. We need to check on them.”

Price didn’t hesitate. He nodded, already reaching for his jacket. “We’ll split up, cover more ground. Someone at the bar has to know something.”

Gaz and Soap exchanged glances, both rising without another word. It wasn’t just camaraderie driving them now—it was fear. Fear that something had gone wrong, fear that someone they held close might be in danger. They’d seen it too many times before.

Outside, the air was sharp, biting with the chill of the night. The familiar hum of the city echoed in the background, but for the team, it felt like a distant noise, their focus narrowed to the search ahead. The streets, once so familiar, now felt alien—full of shadows and potential threats.

Ghost led the way, his steps precise, his mind already racing through possibilities. You had always been careful, reliable, a little care-free maybe, but never unpredictable. Missing shifts wasn’t in your nature, not without a damn good reason. And if something had happened to you, there wasn’t a doubt in any of their minds that they’d find out. And if necessary, they’d make whoever was responsible regret it.

The bar had always been a sanctuary of sorts, a place where patrons, old and young, could unwind, share stories, and drink to forget the turmoil that plagued their days. Its regulars knew the team well enough to exchange nods or beers, but tonight, that comfort was gone. The moment they pushed through the heavy door, eyes turned their way—wary, silent.

The bartender, your coworker, froze mid-pour, her eyes flicking between them as if she already knew the question before they asked it. Something was wrong, and the weight of it settled into their bones.

Price stepped forward, his voice rough, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. “We’re looking for someone. You know who.” His words hung in the air like a challenge.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, slowly, the bartender set the glass down, her jaw tight. “They haven’t been in for a while, hence why I’m here tonight. Last I saw, they were talking to someone a couple days ago before they bailed on work. Tall, dark jacket, looked like the type to be a shut-in honestly.”

Gaz exchanged a glance with Soap. They knew the type. And that only made the pit in their stomachs deeper. Quiet and reserved didn’t always mean trustworthy friend.

Ghost’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. The urgency ramped up. Whatever was happening, they needed to find you—and fast.

Read Part 4

Your team is closer than you think, but with each step they take, danger looms larger. Will their loyalty and determination be enough to outwit the darkness closing in around you? Find out as the search intensifies, and hidden truths come to light.

#bt extra #call of duty #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #john price #gaz garrick #cod fic #mafia au #tf 141 x reader #fanfic #cod #operation 141: the family business

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nicromancytarot · 9 months ago

Text

A SONG FOR YOU

This is a general channelling based on a collective of people. Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t. If you don’t feel the pile resonates with you, don’t be scared to try another, if it still doesn’t feel right, that’s ok! Maybe our energies aren’t as connected and my content is not for you.

I do these strictly for fun and educational purposes.

PICK A PILE CHANNELLING

I write songs sometimes in my free time, and I asked my spirit guides to give you guys a song which could have something that you need to hear right now. Pick a card and enjoy some lyrics.

Pile 1 ———> Pile 2

Pile 3 ———> Pile 4

PILE 1

SWAN DIVE

VERSE 1

promise me one thing,

you’ll never let this go,

we’ll be a forever answer,

to the calls of the unknown

VERSE 2

nothing to tear us apart,

it’s the only thing i fear,

not having you anymore,

while i’m still stuck here

PRE-CHORUS

nothing can destroy us,

you’ll be by my side,

til the end of time

(til the end of time)

CHORUS

fuck death do us part,

i’m taking the swan dive,

i’m falling from the sky,

so you’ll always be mine,

fuck death do us part,

i’m taking the swan dive,

from the clouds into the ground,

i’ll be by your side

VERSE 3

no one can compare,

to the love i have for you,

no one can treat me better,

than the way you do

VERSE 4

when you jump i’ll jump too

i’ll always follow you,

to the deep depths of death,

there’s nothing i wouldn’t do

PRE-CHORUS

nothing can destroy us,

you’ll always be by my side,

til the end of time

(til the end of time)

CHORUS

fuck death do us part,

i’m taking the swan dive,

i’m falling from the sky,

so you’ll always be mine,

fuck death do us part,

i’m taking the swan dive,

from the clouds into the ground,

i’ll be by your side

LAST VERSE

my heart is tied to yours,

it beats when yours does,

we’ll be inseparable,

in the sky above

Swans mate for life, when their partner dies, the remaining swan flies high into the sky and falls to their death, performing their last swan dive. The narrator is serenading their partner, telling them that their love is to last beyond the grave.

PILE 2

DELUSIONAL WONDER

VERSE 1

sometimes i wish that i could live inside my mind,

so i could figure out what’s going on behind,

you greet me with a smile and open arms,

when i’m with you i feel safe from harm

VERSE 2

you lean in to give me a kiss on my cheek,

and pass me a bouquet of my favourite flowers,

oh how it’s so good for us to finally meet,

i pace around my room and think about you for hours

CHORUS

and you say...

come on, come closer,

let me hold you til the war is over,

and if i ever let you go,

just know that i’m your delusional wonder

BRIDGE

turn the page and dry your tears,

keep pretending that i am near,

and when we meet again tonight,

we can pick off where we ended last time

CHORUS

come on, come closer,

i’ll let you hold me til the war is over,

and if you ever let me go,

i’ll always know that you’re my delusional wonder

BRIDGE

visit me again in my dreams,

like you do everyday of each week,

and when i hold your head in my hands,

i’ll remember it’s a fantasy land

VERSE 3

when i wake up and see you’re not laying next to me,

a fear strikes deep deep inside my being,

you know there’s something wrong when you think something exists but it don’t (though)

VERSE 4

and even when i beckon upon your name,

the sound of silence always stays the same,

the earth is a desolate place when you’re not here and only in my dreams

CHORUS

and you say...

come on, come closer,

let me hold you til the war is over,

and if i ever let you go,

just know that i’m your delusional wonder

BRIDGE

turn the page and dry your tears,

keep pretending that i am near,

and when we meet again tonight,

we can pick up where we ended last time

CHORUS

come on, come closer,

let me hold you til the war is over,

and if i ever let you go,

just know that i’m your delusional wonder,

come on, come closer,

i’ll let you hold me til the war is over,

and if you ever let me go,

i’ll always know that you’re my delusional wonder

the narrator is daydreaming as an escape from reality, and falls in love with a character they have made up in her head just to realise that they are not real.

PILE 3

SILENCE CAUSES VIOLENCE

(This one was written purely for this.)

VERSE 1

i’m like a ballerina in a jewellery box,

when the music stops,

my heart drops,

i cant be alone with my own thoughts,

without thinking about ending it all

VERSE 2

what makes my mind so useless?

an apathetic version of what i say,

i often think that i’m going insane,

but it’s all in my brain,

yeah, it’s all in my brain?

CHORUS

i’m begging you, don’t let the quiet in,

cause i don’t know what is bound to happen,

the silence causes violence,

a rapture in my heart,

i won’t give in,

but the temptation is calling me

POST-CHORUS

they think Im crazy,

they think i’m out of my mind,

embodying the devil,

won’t hear me out this time,

they think that i am crazy,

some part of a losing game,

one they won’t play for me,

confiscated their tokens away

VERSE 3

i’ve got a taste for destruction,

pouring salt on my own wounds,

refusing to heal my past,

lifting the rug to sweep my dooms

CHORUS

i’m begging you, don’t let the quiet in,

cause I don’t know what is bound to happen,

the silence causes violence,

a rapture in my heart,

i won’t give in,

but the temptations still calling me

The narrators biggest fear is to be alone, to have to think about past experiences, so they overindulge in coping mechanisms, like constant partying.

PILE 4

SCARED OF THE DARK

VERSE 1

racing through emotions,

throwing daggers at my friends,

i promised i wouldn’t hurt myself,

putting means to an end,

i’m enclosed in my room,

painting sheets with all my tears,

tearing myself apart,

analysing all my fears

VERSE 2

i’ve got a target on my back,

but i’m the one with the gun,

inflicting harm on myself,

my mind won’t let me run,

i’m trying to let go,

but the storm cloud followed,

darting into alleyways,

i wanna be alone

CHORUS

i’m not scared of the dark,

but the monsters that live within,

i’m terrified of my reflection,

the mirror showcases all my sins,

the ghoul’s under my bed,

and he’s gripping on my legs,

pulling me under with him,

now the cycle repeats again

BRIDGE

i pulled myself out of this before,

pinched myself so hard, blood could be drawn,

pressed my lips to a glass of cherry wine,

drowned my fears in alcohol,

i do this all the time

VERSE 3

come with me into the night,

this time i won’t put up a fight,

i’ll let myself consume the darkness,

even though it don’t feel right,

let me fall onto my knees,

down by your gravestone i will plead,

let me live my life in comfort,

surrounded by the shadows in me

BRIDGE

i pulled myself out of this before,

pinched myself so hard, blood could be drawn,

pressed my lips to a glass of cherry wine,

drowned my fears in alcohol,

i do this all the time

CHORUS

i’m not scared of the dark,

but the monsters that live within,

i’m terrified of my reflection,

the mirror showcases all my sins,

the ghoul’s under my bed,

and he’s gripping on my legs,

pulling me under with him,

now the cycle repeats again

The narrator can feel themself falling back into that dark place, they try to fight it at first, before letting it consume them, becoming victim to their own sadness.

#pick a card #tarot #tarot reading #tarotblr #tarotcommunity #free tarot #tarot witch #daily tarot #pick a pile #tarot cards

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badasbebe · 1 year ago

Text

Pretty enough for you yet?

pairing ; bada lee x fem!reader

summary ; rivalry between reader and bada. rivalry or maybe more?

content warnings ; smut, explicit language, fingering, eating out (lmk if I forgot one)

word count ; 1.6k

a/n ; y'all i love my wife so much <3 bada lee

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓, 18+ 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘, 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐃𝐍𝐈

Bada and I never got along, that’s for sure. Since we’re both in a very competitive industry, it’s hard to want to be liked by everyone. But with Bada, it just never clicked, no matter what I tried. She was a very good dancer, everyone could see that, but she always tried to make you feel smaller to uplift herself. Her cocky smile, her provocative behaviour, everything about her screamed confidence and I absolutely hate it. Nevertheless, I tried to put our bad past behind us for the sake of the show we’re both competing on. Yes, a bit of competition is good, but fighting 24/7 isn’t.

When the first introductions came around, we were the last ones to be introduced. As we walked down the stairs, we felt the numerous stares of all groups who were already seated, but one person almost burned holes in my face with her stares. I knew she was coming on the show, but that doesn’t change the fact that I was annoyed by it, by her.

Of course she had to shit-talk my group in the introduction video, and me being sub-leader, I responded in a very fair way. I decided to pick her as my no-respect dancer, and challenged her to a battle.

‘You sure you wanna go up against her? I know she said some things about us, but we’re not affected by it.’ My leader said, trying to hold me back. ‘What? You scared I’m gonna lose?’ I say with confidence before walking to the centre of the stage as my name was called out.

‘So, we’ve been warmly welcomed by everyone here, but to some of you we’re just ‘talentless people who just move around and look pretty’, so we’ll show you how absolutely wrong some of you are.’ I said as I quote the exact words Bada used when describing my group. ‘The no-respect dancer I pick to battle is Bebe’s Bada Lee.’ I say as I look her dead in the eyes, not breaking eye contact once.

‘Is there anything you’d like to say before the battle?’ Kang Daniel asks Bada. ‘Well, I would just like to say- know your place.’ She says with a shit-eating grin. Kang Daniel looks at me in anticipation of an answer. ‘I came here to dance, not to shit talk other groups.’ I say before handing the mic back and getting ready. Bada gets to go up first and Money by Cardi B starts playing.

(full dance of my beautiful wife here for reference: https://youtu.be/VyyjZVLqmLE?si=0Vtnx4MbzUTsnuy2 )

Everyone expected her to be good, hell even I did. She didn’t let me down, I was glad that I picked a worthy opponent. Going up against a weaker dancer just to secure a win is pathetic in my opinion, so I picked someone my own level. Once she came up to me, she stood still in front of me and looked right over the top of my head- cocky asshole.

Once she was done bragging about her height, it was my turn. Angels in Tibet by Amaarae started playing and, in my advantage, it was my go-to jam so I already had some moves up my sleeve.

(dance reference for reader: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyzVGFMoAwt/ )

As the song came to an end, I twerked in her direction, not breaking eye contact. Two can play this provocative game, Bada Lee. She smirked and I went back to my side of the dance ring, my team supporting me and the crews around me calming down after screaming on the top of their lungs.

We waited in anticipation for the result, and…

I won by 2-1 votes, close call. As they revealed their cards, I looked at Bada and said ‘did I look pretty enough for you?’ still quoting her words from earlier, and I just got a smirk and an eye-roll in return. I went back to my spot with my group, feeling content.

After a long morning of shooting, we finally got a break. My group split up, some were out to get food in the cafeteria, some were socializing with other groups, but I had other plans. Right as I saw Bebe go into their group room, I followed. I knocked on the door, shortly after revealing a surprised Lusher. ‘Hi, sorry to interrupt, just came to congratulate you guys.’ I said with a sweet smile. I have nothing against Bebe, especially since almost all members are genuinely sweet. Lusher thanked me and invited me in, but I politely declined and headed back to my own room. As I reach my door, I feel someone touch my shoulder- Bada. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she says, my plan is working. The thing with Bada is: underneath that cocky and confident façade, is a leader who’s very protective over her group. ‘Just came to congratulate you guys. I wanted to congratulate you too, second place is very impressive.’ I say with a smirk.

Before I know it, she opens the door, pushes me inside the room against the door and closes it. ‘It’s already very excruciating to have to be in the same place as you for the next few months, so I’d suggest you leave my crew alone.’ She says, looking pissed off. ‘And what it I don’t?’ I ask, looking up at her through my lashes. ‘If you don’t shut your mouth-‘ she tries to say. ‘Make me.’ I whisper.

Her lips smash against mine in a hungry battle. I knew she was touch starved based on how she looks at me, but I never knew she was this hungry for a kiss. She rips my buttoned top open, a few buttons falling but who cares?

Underneath that rivalry between us has always been some kind of lust for each other. I mean, can you blame us? Bada is not only an insane dancer, she’s also really attractive, and I just like to get under her skin sometimes.

I drag her to our couch, pushing her down and getting on her lap. ‘What? Cat got your tongue?’ I tease. I take off her shirt as I suck on her skin, leaving marks for everyone to see. ‘Fuck, don’t leave hickeys.’ She says while panting. ‘Too late.’ I say before slowly kissing my way down to her pants. I hear her groan as I apply the tiniest bit of pressure to her clothed clit with my hands. ‘Stop fucking teasing.’ She says. ‘You don’t make the calls, Bada.’ I say.

I rip her pants off, leaving her in a crew shirt and her panties. I trace kisses along the inside of her thigh, leaving her a groaning mess above me. I know just what to do to make her fold.

This isn’t the first time we’ve done this. Sometimes, when we’re in the same building practicing ‘till late at night, we bump into each other and throw snarky comments at each other. One night, she came into my practice room and started criticizing my whole routine. ‘Bada can you just leave? I really don’t wanna deal with you right now.’ I ask her in an exhausted tone. ‘What’s up baby? Can’t handle criticism anymore?’ she asks, babying me. ‘I really can’t fucking stand you.’ I say, looking her dead in the eye. ‘Sit on me then.’ She said dead serious. I think we all know what happened after that.

One thing about Bada is her hatred of teasing when she’s already aroused. I slowly pull her panties down, and run a finger along her slit as she hisses. As I insert a finger, she grabs my wrist. I start pacing my finger a little faster. ‘Fuck you’re so good.’ She says. It’s rare to see Bada not dominating, but she has her needy moments.

‘Didn’t really like what you said out there about me. Must suck to lose to such a talentless person, huh?’ I say as I pace my fingers faster. She moans something that sounds like ‘sorry’, but she’s too hazy to form a proper sentence. ‘What was that, baby? Didn’t hear you there.’ I tease, slowing my fingers down. ‘No- fuck- keep going. I’m sorry, I’m sorry baby. I didn’t- shit- I didn’t mean it.’ She says, panting like crazy. I add a second finger and she whimpers. ‘Was that a whimper, baby? Where’s that big mouth now?’ I tease.

I remove my fingers and she looks at me very confused. I bring my face closer to her wet cunt as I start eating her out. I hear her moan my name. ‘Let me hear you baby, loud and clear.’ I say as she starts moaning my name.

In a reflex, her hands start to grip at my hair. I feel her hands shake a little. ‘Fuck, I’m gonna cum baby. Please let me come.’ She begs. ‘Shouldn’t you be begging for forgiveness first?’ I tease. ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it I swear. Please I wanna cum.’ She says as I notice a tear rolls down her cheek from the overstimulation. ‘Cum for me baby.’ I say and she lets loose. Her stomach goes up and down as she tries to catch her breath.

I grab a towel from my luggage to clean her up, I’m still a decent human being. As I look up, I notice a camera.

She seems to realize it at the same time aswell. ‘Fuck.’ We both say as we look at each other. We burst out laughing and I help her clean up. She leaves in silence after a while, but before she steps out the door, she turns around and says: ‘Next time you dance like that, you’ll be the one begging under me.’ And she leaves the room. I smirk to myself, already in anticipation of next time.

#bada lee #bada x reader #swf2 x reader #bada lee smut #swf2

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ssruis · 6 months ago

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Hello welcome to yet another post that was 1) originally meant to be a short thing but it rapidly got out of hand 2) caters to me specifically 3) is all over the place because I kept finding more things I wanted to talk about

The way rui approaches emotions is so fascinating to me bc like. He approaches everything with a very rational/logical thought process instead of an emotional one and he tends to either ignore his emotions or view them as an obstacle/hinderance.

(From his gleaming stars card story)

If he acknowledges that he’s upset or unhappy he tends to just go “oh well. What can you do.” & then berates himself for not wanting to be unhappy. I feel like a lot of that can be explained by his childhood alienation from his peers.

In RMD his reaction to his classmates refusing to take part in his play once he explained the tree jump stunt & them calling him weird is to blame himself:

Little Nene: Rui, what’s the matter? Did something sad happen?

Little Rui: Nene… No. That’s not it. I pushed my show onto everyone and bothered them.

(From RMD - TL by Arven Oven)

Which is pretty telling. To Rui, the issue is that he asked for too much, that he as a person is something that must be tolerated by his peers.

But ultimately he still has faith that he’ll find his people.

Little Rui: …That’s right. People like you, Nene, who would say that they like my shows, surely exist out there. I want to make my own shows. But as of now - I think it might be a little hard.

(RMD)

And he *did* keep trying to find people who would accept him for a while - Wonder Halloween shows that he continued to try to reach out even after the stuff that happened in RMD, but eventually anyone he got a little close to would end up leaving & reinforcing his idea that he was too different from others to form relationships.

(From Wonder Halloween)

I’ve seen some people say him giving up on forming relationships was due to the events shown in RMD, but I think it was more of a result of him experiencing the same rejection over and over again. The definition of insanity is trying over and over again when the result never changes, and despite what his peers may think, Rui is not insane. I think he gradually lost faith in his parents assurance that he would find people who accepted him - he begins pushing Nene, the only person who hasn’t left him yet, away.

Middle School Rui: I’m working on a solo project… but I haven’t found anyone else like you that’s willing to help.

Middle School Nene: oh, I see…

Middle School Nene: then would you like to join the troupe I’m in…?

Middle School Nene: I mean, uh…

Middle School Rui: hehe. It’s nice of you to invite me, but there’s no need to pity me. I’m doing ok on my own, and it’s for the best anyway.

(From Wonder Halloween)

Why he pushed Nene away is sort of left up to interpretation - To protect her from himself? To leave her before she left like everyone else? - but I think the assumption that her invitation is out of pity show that at least part of his decision to push her away was out of the belief that she, like everyone else, was simply tolerating him. If he assumes everyone hates him/is scared of him right off the bat, he can avoid getting his hopes up and being crushed when he’s inevitably abandoned. It’s not unhealthy or detrimental to forming relationships he’s just recognizing a pattern and using it to predict the behavior of others (blatantly wrong).

Zombie Plushies: We can tell you’re just pretending to be friends! Deep down, you’re probably scared and disgusted by us too!

(…)

Zombie Plushies: We’ll never fit in with them anyway…

Rui: …! (Never fit in with them, huh…)

(…)

Rui: When I look at them… I remember how things used to be.

(WXS world link, TL by Haruka’s penguin)

He rationalized his loneliness with “I’m just incompatible with other people” which

1) ow.

2) if he’s incompatible with other people, there’s no reason to get his hopes up because he’ll never find people he fits in with

3) if nothing is ever going to get better, he should be content with being alone. There’s no reason to be sad over a fact of life. It is what it is.

4) being sad over this is inconvenient, unhelpful, and a distraction from following his dreams (on his own)

5) inflicting himself onto others is a selfish desire and he should just keep to himself. “It’s for the best, anyway.”

6) he’s perfectly fine on his own. He doesn’t need anyone for his shows, and he doesn’t need friends.

By the time the WXS main story takes place, he’s already fully convinced himself that he’s better off alone, and that Actually It’s Super Beneficial For Him & His Shows And He’s Fine Like This.

Middle School Rui: Solitude isn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

Middle School Mizuki: huh?

Middle School Rui: In fact, it has had certain benefits for me. It’s given me plenty of time to see plays and to think over ideas for shows, for example.

(Kamikou festival)

Rui: hehe. Unfortunately, we won’t be doing a show together.

Rui: you see, I like to work alone and with absolute freedom to stage any show I want.

Rui: as long as my shows fill my audience’s hearts with joy, I’m perfectly satisfied.

(WXS main story) (“I’m perfectly satisfied” me when I lie)

I feel like it’s overlooked that the only reason rui joined wxs was to get nene in the group. I’m probably going to talk about his continued pushing of Tsukasa’s limits/suggesting insane stunts and over emphasizing how dangerous they are at a later date - and how that was (imo) an attempt to find the point where Tsukasa would hate and leave him too -

(surely this is too good to be true, Tsukasa/wxs will be like all the others -> wait he’s not calling me a freak and leaving ok I guess I’ll go full throttle on the insane shit surely at some point he’ll get tired of me -> he got injured because of me and he’s still here?? what the fuck???? Well now I care about him & this group so I need to pull back I’m not going to get a second chance)

(Wonder Halloween)

- but I would like to briefly mention that Rui literally suggests risking Tsukasa’s life right off the bat & when Tsukasa is like “?? I don’t want to die???” Rui just goes “alright I’m out of the group I guess bye. have fun nene!”

Rui: Don't worry, the device can be securely attached to the stage in a way that will keep the audience perfectly safe. Please make sure you don't touch it or you'll die.

Tsukasa: what about keeping ME safe?!

(…)

Tsukasa: I’m not going to risk my life on-stage!

Rui: but you said you’d perform any role I gave you to, quote, 12000%, unquote!

Rui: I'm afraid that I have no choice but to step down as a stage director. Nene, good luck working with these people.

(Wxs main story)

Unfortunately humans are a social species & emotions don’t follow (faulty) logic so rui *was* unhappy on his own and he *did* want to have friends. Which I’m sure he continued to call himself selfish/greedy for feeling. Rationalizing all of this was a way he could accept/make peace with being miserable (because it must be this way, because this is how it will always be).

Rui: I was the same a long time ago… I gave up on fitting in with anyone.

(…)

Rui: If they don’t understand me, that just can’t be helped, if they disagree with the way I think, that just can’t be helped… I would think like that.

Rin: Rui-kun…

Rui: - in reality, I really did want to put on a show with someone else. But people didn’t understand the shows I was making. On a subconscious level, I convinced myself it wasn’t going to work out and gave up on the idea.

(WXS world link)

(Wxs Journey to bloom animation)

This added scene from the main story animation adds to this - why he leaves WXS did have to do with Tsukasa yelling at Nene, but the reason he doesn’t come back after Nene forgives Tsukasa is because Tsukasa’s self centered attitude is something that antithetical to a belief that Rui thought he’d given up on a long time ago: great shows *can’t* be made alone, no matter how many times you insist that you don’t need anyone else. As much as he denied it, Rui *did* still want to connect with people and be accepted - not just for the purpose of making shows, but to have a place where he belonged. For the first time in years Rui got his hopes up, started believing in what his parents told him, and Tsukasa proved to him that he never should have done so in the first place. Unlike the other times, though, Rui is the one to walk away first. & then tsukasa/wxs do the whole “true feelings” show etc etc we know how the main story ends.

That being said, I think that Rui still subconsciously believed WXS would grow to hate him and leave because he would finally be Too Much. Wonder Halloween showed him that this wasn’t true (Which is why it’s so important that the zombie plushies in the world link performed potato ghost to connect to the other plushies - it’s the show that was performed when Rui fully realized that wxs was not going to abandon him.) but I feel like that only cemented the fact that wxs would keep performing alongside him, not that they were his friends.

Rui also very clearly did not process or evaluate how his childhood impacted him.

Nene: When you talked about the old days, you seemed happy.

Rui: fufu. I don’t mind it anymore because it was so long ago.

(His RMD card story - TL by Rubilia Heartfilia) (me when I lie part two)

After so long by himself, with shows as the only thing he had, I think that having a connection to people *outside* of shows was completely unfathomable to Rui.

Which is why he’s kind of incapable of realizing why the idea of leaving wxs hurts him so much,

(Curtain call)

why he doesn’t realize why he starts holding back in wonder Halloween or why he holds back on the cheer squad,

(Cheer squad event)

And why he’s surprised that wxs cares for him not just as a director, but as a friend.

(Festival bathed in twilight)

I make fun of him for taking a year to finally be like “yeah tsukasa-kun and I are friends” but I think it’s pretty reasonable taking his trust/abandonment issues into account. Accepting Tsukasa’s offer to join wxs (twice) changed his life drastically - he realizes that he can connect to others outside of shows, that it’s possible for him to form relationships with people outside of wxs. Rui just needed to make the choice to accept the outreached hands - not changing the parts of himself that people previously deemed too weird or strange (not that he was ever going to do that anyways) but changing his attitude of “it’s just impossible for me to be accepted.”

Rui: I had always thought that I could never properly understand everyone around me.

Rui: as I started doing shows at Wonder Stage with everyone, my way of thinking and feelings began to change.

Rui: now, I am able to understand and connect with someone without relying on shows, and I’ve come to value the beauty of laughing alongside others

Rui: that’s why — tsukasa-kun. Thank you for giving me the chance to change.

(…)

Tsukasa: but… it’s not only just thanks to me, y’know?

Rui: eh?

Tsukasa: think about it. No matter how many chances I gave you, if you had refused to change, you would never have done so, right?

(Pandemonium, TL by Tsukasa’s #3 fan)

This is also why he tends to berate himself for having the very normal desire to hold on to wxs. He’s never had something like this before, where he has people who accept and love him as he is. He’s never wanted to keep something as badly as this. He’s asking too much of them, he’s imposing like he did with his classmates in RMD, he should let them leave. It’s the mature thing to do. He spent so long on his own, he should be fine going back to that, isn’t it selfish and greedy to want more?

(Curtain call)

(Talking abt wanting to keep doing shows w wxs and his actions in OHE) Rui: Now that I think about it, I’ve been pretty selfish.

(World link)

Rui: (…When the time comes, even I, too, will have to move forward.)

Rui: (…Moving forward, can I do that?)

Rui: (…Geez, I really lack a backbone. When will the time come when I find myself satisfied with the way things are?)

(…)

Rui: (While working to make my dream come true, together with everyone, I will make their dreams come true. A way to do that - let me think of one.)

Rui: (fufu, how greedy of me.)

(Curtain call - TL by Arven Oven & Tsukasa’s #3 Fan) (fuck you ensekai)

I think that, in future events, he’ll (hopefully) come to realize there are more people who will accept him (& get more trust ranks. Please.). I think it’s an impossible ask for him to be completely fine with wxs going their separate ways some day (and the same goes for everyone else in wxs), but I think when the time comes it will at least be bittersweet and with the knowledge that he can find other places to belong & that his relationships with the rest of wxs is strong enough to withstand not being in the same troupe. Things can’t stay the same forever, but change doesn’t have to be bad. Etc etc.

#mine #project sekai #analysis #rui #hiii (twirls hair) (covered in blood) (visibly dying)#me when I’m so normal about these characters #you don’t want to know how long I spent on this post the answer is too fucking long.#i hate that purple fuck (said with incredible fondness and love)#at some point I’m sure I’ll write about emu & her 400 mental illnesses and analyze nene’s character in depth #and do that analysis on the roof & it’s importance to rui & tsukasa (mainly rui)#but also I need to not spend hours on miku game analysis.#incredibly self serving post in that every in depth analysis on these characters I create is one step closer to feeling comfortable #writing the 3 million fic ideas in my head #and also because I’m not organizing this better you’ll take the word vomit and like it

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crowleysgirl56 · 5 months ago

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Something that I’ve been thinking about for a good 6 months now, ever since Good Omens season 3 was green lit, and that was the three sentence description of the plot that Neil gave in his official announcement interview:

The plans for Armageddon are going wrong. Only Crowley and Aziraphale working together can hope to put it right. And they aren’t talking.

It really makes me think about the book sequel he and Terry had discussed and what was going to be included in that story.

Season 2 was thought to be that story. But then Neil confirmed after the season aired that it was in fact a bridging season that he wrote deliberately in order to get us to season 3, which would be based on the story that he and Terry plotted together in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

Neil also famously never gives anything about his stories away, always excited to tell us to ‘wait and see’. The fact we get this much of a description is quite exciting.

At first glance it doesn’t seem like anything we didn’t already know:

The plot involves Armageddon: Metatron told us as much when he mentioned the second coming at the end of season 2.

Crowley and Aziraphale need to work together: they have always done so before, so this time shouldn’t be any different.

Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t talking: very evident from where we left off.

But did you notice something else? Something hiding in plain sight? The plans are going wrong. And they hope to put it right. So what are these plans? Why are they going wrong? Who made them go wrong? What exactly does going wrong mean? What does putting them right mean? Also, notice how Neil doesn’t say Crowley and Aziraphale need to work together to stop it. Interesting choice of words right?

Now let’s think about the book sequel for a second. For a moment, let’s pretend that the TV series doesn’t exist (*shakes everyone by the shoulders* HEY, STOP SCREAMING! CALM DOWN! The show STILL exists! Just go with me for a second here, and you can go back to remembering the show in a moment! It’s OKAY! *pats everyone until the screaming subsides*). The Good Omens novel is structured with flashback sequences of Aziraphale and Crowley together over time as the story of the Anti-Christ and the Non-Ageddon unfolds. What if the three sentence description of season 3 that Neil gave was the actual tagline of the book sequel? Like, this is literally what he and Terry came up with? Something happened between Aziraphale and Crowley between the end of book 1 and the beginning of book 2, and the second book is telling us the story of the second coming, whilst at the same time providing us flashback scenes of exactly what happened between A&C? That part of the book is the mystery of why these ineffable husbands who spent the last 6000 years together were suddenly no longer talking.

Can you imagine reading that blurb and thinking “WWWHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT?”

Whether the intended sequel involved the story of a memory wiped Gabriel is up for debate. But I understand why Neil devoted an entire season to telling this story, because I don’t think there would have been room to do the second coming storyline and devote enough time to exploring the relationship breakdown at the same time in just 6 episodes.

And if my theories are correct, this is why I don’t think we will get any further flashback sequences in season 3. If we’re really lucky, maybe we’ll get a 1941 part 3 flashback, and a “what happened when they went back to Crowley’s apartment and body swapped” flashback (I’ve drafted some wildest dream posts on these, so look out for them coming in the near future). But unless they’re relevant for the plot, I think we’re out of flashbacks. This next season is likely going to be focusing specifically on the second coming, the consequences, and answering the question what does putting it right mean?!

This is obviously all opinion and conjecture and I could be completely wrong. I just like putting my thoughts down and sharing with others. So if you want to discuss comment or reblog! Let me know your theories! (And as always, please don’t tag Neil)

#good omens #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #good omens fan theories #good omens headcanons #headcanons #good omens season 3 #good omens discussion #aziracrow #crowley x arizaphale #david tennant #michael sheen

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dilutedconfusion · 9 months ago

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A Moth to a Flame

Eustass Kid x F!Reader (Part 4)

HEYYYY YA’LLL i did it. I wrote the next chapter. This one is even bigger than the last and cost me at least half of my brain cells to write. I messed around with it a bunch to try and get the feeling right so hopefully it worked out in my favor (I’m not entirely sure it did but I’ve re-read it too many times so WAHHH) ALSO strap in cause there’s a bit of angst in the form of an argument in this one. As always I wish all my beautiful astounding readers a lovely day/night. Stay safe and stay rotted 💞

Summary: You just took a complete nose dive into the ocean only for Kid to watch from a distance. But the first part of this chapter leads up to the events of that happening. I need to explain just how Kid ended up on that shoreline in the first place and then we’ll see if you live or die <3

Warnings: Blood, Drowning, Vomiting

Word Count: 8.8k

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Tags: @st4rfevrr @archangelshavethetardis @likeeliterallywtf @tremendoushorsepatrolgoth @tulipps-maehem @ferretsqueen @thesnailus @shamblespirate @gabi-moureira

“Fuck this is good.” Kid mumbled out, mouth full of chicken as he spoke. Little blobs of spit were flying out of his mouth but Killer was used to the barrage. “That little waitress lady sure annoyed the shit out of me but at least this place has good food.”

Killer just nodded in agreement though he hadn’t taken a bite of the chicken. Not willing to remove his mask even if the back of the bar was empty.

It was late at night by now, the faint light through the windows barely masking the dark void-like sheen as the rain sprinkled down. Leaving nothing but sparkling drops of water to watch roll down the glass.

Though instead of watching that Killer watched Kid down a whole bottle of rum. Taking shot-like gulps out of his glass and using chicken as a chaser for about 10 minutes.

When Kid had walked back with the food he could sense something had happened. It was easy to spot when he noticed the slight shade of red washed over the apples of his cheeks. It was permanent at this point. But Killer couldn’t tell if it was from the alcohol or something else.

“You took a while to grab the food ya know. You didn’t get held up did you?” Killer asked quietly, leaning back on the booth and propping his arm up comfortably.

Kid looked up at Killer from his plate, eyes glancing over his friend's mask for just a moment before gliding back downwards. “Nah, the waitress just took her sweet time. I didn’t trust her to remember to bring the food back so I waited to do it myself.”

“So you just waited up there patiently? That’s not like you. Thought you would’ve started up one fight. Ease up a little.” Killer remarked, a quizzical glance thrown at Kid behind the space of his mask.

Kid’s mouth was occupied by the rim of his glass when his body hesitated. His eyes bore into his companion for only a moment before he swallowed loudly and set the cup down. “I wish,” was all he whispered out, which made Killer a bit more worried.

“Well, I did hear you talking to someone. Was the waitress giving you shit?” Killer leaned forward, eyeing Kid. His tone is neutral and calm as always. Trying not to fan the emotional storm that Kid could so often be.

Kid’s sharp amber eyes stared distantly at the rest of the room before he took another sip of rum and spoke. The half-melted ice cubes quietly clinking against the glass. “It…doesn’t matter. I was talking to that girl. Ya know, the one that was stalking us at the docks. She was sitting at the bar. She followed us here clearly.”

Killers eyes widened at that. Remembering the mental image of you standing there awkwardly at the dock when they first arrived. It was a bit of a shock at first but Killer just assumed you were nosy. Or at least he hoped that’s all it was was though it was starting to sound like his hopes were wrong.

“She followed us here? Are you sure she isn’t working for someone 'cause that’s suspicious as fuck Kid.” Killer leaned forward, his voice a tad bit more concerned considering they couldn’t take on another problem.

We need a break. Kid needs a break. This could be bad.

“No, it wasn’t like that. She talked to me normally. Complained about me killing people and like half-assed threatened me if I decided to pillage this town or whatever. Nothing super serious.” Kid had a certain brashness in the way he said that as if he was trying to prove that what he was saying was true. The harshness of his voice rasped out despite himself.

Killer eyed Kid, searching for something more caught on his tongue. He knew something was up, he just needed to get Kid to say it out loud. “Is that all?” He asked, placing his elbows on the table in front of him in a serious manner.

Kid tried piercing through Killer to try and break down what he was getting at. It was almost too embarrassing to even mention what happened, even to the person he trusted most. Yet with a weak little sigh he decided to give it up. “I don’t know. She like…said some stuff. Brought up my injuries like she had any right to talk about them but then she….”

Kid trailed off, scratching at the slight stubble on his chin he had meant to shave before finally responding quite gruffly. “She gave me this look. It wasn’t some useless pity or sympathy or anything like that. It felt very genuine I guess. Like she understood me.”

Killers eyes immediately widened, shocked by the fact that a mere stranger had gotten to Kid in any way, shape, or form. That barely happened. Not in all the years he knew Kid did he ever see the man connect with someone right away, even just by understanding their feelings. Kid was quite adamant that he didn’t have time for shit like that.

Staying quiet for only a moment Killer finally responded, his voice a bit more hushed. “So she…looked at you and you stopped dead in your tracks from ripping her head off?”

Kids' eyes narrowed in what Killer perceived as shame. Shame for himself and maybe even a bit of embarrassment. “Well, she deserved to get her head torn off. She kept talking shit about me the whole time. I was breathing so deeply to control myself I was nearly whistling out of my nose. White knuckled through it like a pussy.” Kid stroked a hand through his hair, tossing it a bit as his right leg started bouncing uncontrollably under the table.

Killer took note of his body language, the ground vibrating softly, and the way Kid clammed up at even mentioning what happened.

She did get to him.

Killer didn’t know what to say. Not wanting to assume anything nor agree with the fact that Kid did indeed let her off easy. Which was like his number one rule. No mercy above all else.

“It’s fine. She ain’t worth it anyway. I’d bet it would be like squashing a grape killing someone like her.” Killer conscientiously replied. Trying to smooth Kid over the best he could.

It’s strange seeing Kid like this. It almost feels…uncanny.

Kid's lips just tugged down into a frown, his brow a tight line of knots. “Well, you didn’t hear what she was saying to me. I would rip out anyone’s esophagus before that shit even left their tongue.”

Kids hand clenched tightly around his glass. Killer glanced between Kid and the glass expecting it to shatter though it didn’t. Just like Kid the glass was on the edge of caving in. The kind of glass that would cut and scar Kid’s hand if he just applied a bit more pressure. A reflection of self cast upon the transparent cup. Kid didn’t want his feelings to spill but if he kept this up, something was bound to snap. Turning both the cup and Kid into nothing but sharp shards only capable of harming himself and others.

“I know you would’ve but you didn’t. You were holding yourself back.” Killer spoke as plainly as he could. Getting to the root of the issue despite not entirely caring about Kids desire to harm you. In any other case he would’ve been more gung-ho about enacting revenge. But to Killer right now wasn’t the right time and it felt like no matter what he said, Kid would choose to be upset.

His injuries must be hurting him badly for him to back off like that. Or maybe…that girl wasn’t the kind of person to kill?

“Well I held myself back and now I’m regretting it.” Kid mumbled, shoving the last leg of a chicken in between his teeth and smacking his lips as he chewed.

“Well, it happened and you can’t change it. If you see her later and want her dead, I’m all for helping out. But for now let's stop thinking about it and get the fuck out of here.”

Kid let out a little grunt of agreement and tore the rest of the chicken off the bone in one bite. Placing the bone down on the plate, he slid it towards the middle of the table. Wiping the grease around his lips with the back of his hand he then pulled a bag of berries and placed them on the table.

So with a rough jangle of a few metal coins and some grunts later they both stood up. However, Kid’s body swayed a whole lot more than Killer's from the alcohol.

“You good? Ain’t gonna pass out on me right?” Killer asked, adjusting his jeans a bit as he spoke.

“Yep. Now get a move on.” Kid spat back short and sweet. Yet it wasn’t entirely alcohol making him sway. Surprisingly he could still feel his stump throbbing just as much as he had when sober.

What a waste of booze if I ain’t going numb. Gonna have to change these goddamn bandages too. Kid gripped his stump for a moment as he walked behind Killer. Feeling how tender his flesh was with delicate strokes. But when he breached the front portion of the bar he stopped. Trying not to pay attention to how the waitress stared at the both of them while they walked out.

The brisk chill in the air hit Kid’s sharp nose first. Traveling along the warm apexes of his cheeks and flowing softly against the center of his chest. His back stayed warm whilst the rest of him became enraptured with the descending cold.

“Good. The rain let up a bit.” Killer mumbled, stepping out in the open air and waiting for Kid to make it past the door as he held it open. There were no lights on the street except for a littering of lanterns around each building. So they walked together in half darkness. The soft clicking of their heels paired with some talkative birds finding shelter in the rain. Other than that it felt as if the whole world was silent.

“Bet the rest of the crew is back on board already,” Killer explained softly, breaking the silence between them for the second time tonight.

Kid barely glanced at Killer beside him. Grunting less in agreement and more just to mildly acknowledge what his pair had said. Because in all honesty Kid didn’t need to be told that. Heat and Wire, who usually joined the two of them on their bar trips, had been absent.

Killer had told him it was because they had other shit to do. Something involved with making sure this town had the right supplies for their restock. But Kid knew they were absent because they were hesitant to be around him right now.

So maybe they were just doing their jobs as they were told but he doubted they would be happy if he decided to give them the day off.

They probably wanted to head to the only bar in town but I was there.

Shit, they probably hit the sack early just so they didn’t have to deal with me.

Kid could feel a vein in his forehead throbbing softly. Twitching his skin and only pissing him off even more.

Maybe if I stopped yelling at them they wouldn’t back off from me.

Kid hadn’t been in the best of moods since he came face to face with Benn Beckman and a part of him had taken that anger and frustration out on his crew. He knew it was wrong, yes. But that’s why he needed to be alone for a while. This all-consuming lunging in the gut is only proof of that.

But as the two walked the cold started to relieve the pain running across Kid's body. Soaking into his thick scars and past his bandages to numb the horrendous ache he was feeling. It made his body feel a bit lighter. More manageable. For even the short amount of time that it took to walk closer and closer to the Victoria.

When the two of them reached the edge of the docks Kid started slowing down. Making Killer stop in his tracks to turn around to look back at him.

But before Killer could even speak, Kid's voice reached him. “I think…I think I’m gonna take a walk.” His voice was quiet, his eyes gliding down the shoreline of the bay off to his right. A shadow of a man standing on two rickety feet. Like a strange caricature of himself he stood.

Killer paused, willing himself to try and think of something remotely useful. His Captain, his best friend, was about to have a drunken walk at night in the rain. He could already imagine him stumbling around in the dark. Too mad to cry but too tired to punch anything till he felt better. It made Killer's fist clutch at his sides as he swiftly turned around to fully face his Captain. A deep well of emotions was getting stirred in his chest.

And yet he’s still refusing to admit anything is wrong?

With a slightly aggravated tone, Killer finally spoke, “This isn’t…because of what happened is it? You told me you were fine. You made it very clear by screaming it at me but…I’m not about to let you go sulk by yourself.” Killer took a step closer and straightened out his spine. Trying to prove just how serious he was about this.

Kid's attention snapped back to Killers the moment those words left his tongue. Glowering at him like he was trying to control him. Trying to defy his pride.

“Well, I was being serious. I’m fine and I don’t need permission from anybody to take a walk.” With that Kid started walking away, going down the edge of the docks in a stomping fashion.

“You shouldn’t be out walking in the rain. If your bandages get soaked through it could fuck up your wounds Kid.” Killer called, taking another step towards his Captain but not following him just yet.

Kid just kept on walking regardless of whatever Killer said. His coat billowed on his shoulders with each step. Like a red flag waving in the breeze and daring Killer to chase after him. But something snapped in Kids voice. Suddenly raising in volume and dripping with venom. “I fucking know that and I don’t care! So back off!”

Killer inhaled deeply through his nose. Holding his fists back from wanting to knock Kid out and just drag him back to the ship. He started briskly walking after Kid, not caring if he didn’t want him to follow or not.

“Then let me come with you. There’s a goddamn noble town up north crawling with marines. You can’t be walking around drunk if shit goes down.” Killer's tone was still controlled but became more raspy as he spoke. The pressure upon the damn of his feelings crackling and hissing at the seems.

It wasn’t a tone Kid heard often and despite knowing the worry he was causing Killer, he chose not to focus on it. Driving headfirst into a sea of pride. He wanted to lose himself. If only for one night.

“You think I can’t protect myself? Are you calling me weak Kil? Is that what you’re fucking doing right now?” Kid’s head jerked back to glare at his companion. Pausing his demonstrative walk for a moment to leave them both at a standstill. If anyone on the Victoria nearby was listening, they could most certainly feel the piles of tension stacking up between them.

Killers body hunched inwards, running a quick hand through his hair as he absentmindedly kicked at the ground. His muscles were just urging and wishing to fight.“No-that’s not…” Killer paused, letting out a low grunt and gritting his teeth.

“Shit Kid! What if someone attacks a ship? We would need our Captain here.”

Killer knew that was a bad excuse. The moment he said he knew it sounded desperate. But he couldn’t help himself from trying to convince Kid with logic.

Emotions were out the window. They always have been and always will be when it comes to open communication between these two. Killer would rather pull out his teeth with two needles than tell Kid that he hated seeing him like this. That he couldn’t stand seeing someone so strong get broken down. The yelling and the fights were haunting his brain. All he wanted to do was tie down Kid so he could rest and mend his wounds every five seconds until he got better. But Kid hadn’t been willing to rest and he still wasn’t. Killer could barely think it made him so mad.

But of course, Kid wasn’t picking up on any of Killer's true intentions. He was seeing a splattering of pity across his face and every other person he cared about. But he hated pity. That word was all he could ever think about lately. He wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted his crew to believe in him without questioning if he could handle it or not.

So both of them came to a halt. Lost between the words desperate and pity they stood as shadows of men.

“So now you’re belittling my crew huh? Don’t you think you and everyone else can handle a couple of marines? Bullshit! I’m just going for a walk Kil not leaving your asses.” Kid knew Killer was right. Shit, he could feel it in his bones. But it wasn’t a matter of what was best for him or the crew. Kid wanted what he wanted and come hell or high-water he was going to get it.

“I know that! But I don’t like this.” Killer stepped forward, only slightly closing the gap between them. Still not willing to explain himself. Still coming up with bad excuses.

I just wish for once he would just listen to me on this. Set aside his pride. This thought was imprinted in Killer's mind like mud. Getting between the crevices of his brain and washing him wry with feeling.

But today wasn’t the day Kid was going to set aside his pride. If anything, hearing Killer's voice so needy nearly broke him apart. Sadness slinked through his ears with every word and plea. So though he loved a good fight, his voice quieted down to a mumble. Losing the hope to convince Killer to trust him otherwise.

“Whatever. Go back to the ship. I’ll be back soon.” It’s like the energy was sucked right out of him. Letting out a big huff of air and biting the inside of his mouth to keep it from screaming. He turned back around towards the shoreline and started walking once more.

Killer didn’t follow him. Mask trained on his Captain as he walked off the dock and his feet sunk into the sandy shore. It was dark so Kid nearly disappeared instantly once he was out of range from the lanterns.

Like a moth to a moon, Killer wanted to follow him. But he supposed Kid’s light was gone for now.

__________

Kid had been ambling for barely 10 minutes. The waves paired with the swirling whirlwind of his mind affected him greatly. His thoughts were loud and so was the ocean. A reflection of how he felt lost in a sea of which he shouldn’t touch. The feeling of turmoil was the best way to describe it.

Kid didn’t like sulking. In his mind, he has only experienced what he considered as true sadness just a few times.

When I was abandoned as a child.

When Victoria died.

He hadn’t thought about her in a while but he supposed it was because he always felt like she was around regardless of her death. Her spirit in his ship. Her spirit in his goals. She was one of the many reasons to keep going because if he didn’t achieve his dreams then to him it was like she died for nothing.

I can’t sit in my shit and act like it isn’t my fault.

He didn’t think losing an arm was worthy of being sad over. Which in turn just made him feel worse anytime he got frustrated about it.

It's not worth it. Feeling feelings. Look what the fuck it's doing to me. To my crew.

His eyes stared blankly out in front of him. His pace was consistent as he lost himself in thoughts. The cold was still easing his pain and the rain had died down even more. But he could feel the weight of water across his skin and clothes. Soaking in just a tad bit and leaving ghostly chills up his spine.

He swept back his damp hair as it fell over his goggles before finally looking up from the sand and out onto the sea. Without even realizing it Kid had walked quite aways. Stopping in place he noticed a jetty tucked along the shore about 50 feet ahead of him.

Squinting his eyes he traced the silhouette of the dark shadowy mass. The moon hanging high up in the sky was partly covered in clouds so no real details popped out at him. This sense of the unknown peeking his curiosity enough that he decided to take a look closer at it.

He didn’t know why he cared to look. He had been staring at the sand this whole time without even considering the view around him. But something in his gut made him curious. Forced him to look even.

It's just a stupid jetty. I’ve seen a million of these things. Why do I care?

He walked up closer to it. Standing right where the boulders and sand met he looked down at the jagged heaps of rocks.

I can’t even see jack-shit.

He let out a low groan and nearly turned away to keep walking.

Maybe I should head into the forest. Get away from the water. This thought floated in and out of his head almost instantly. Because before he could fully turn around he saw something move in his peripheral vision.

“Huh?” Left his cold lips, just his head turning to stare down the jetty in quick succession. It was then he saw it.

A break in the clouds had opened for the first time in a while. A much brighter cool milky glow landed delicately across the small chunk of land and water between Kid and the jetty. The ocean came alight, letting him see the swirls of green and blue more definitively. Like a Van Gogh painting they moved, each stroke a current churning around itself.

Without a proper warning, his heart skipped in shock. A person was standing on the jetty a good bit ahead of him. He could see the outline of their figure, back cast towards him as they stood on an outcropping of rocks on the jetty line.

What the hell? Was the first thing that came to mind. Perplexed, he stared until he noticed something equally surprising.

It's that girl.

He blinked in utter disbelief. Scowling hard he turned completely towards you. Almost rubbing his eyes out of disbelief as if you were some kind of mirage made out of sea foam and moonlight. But as he watched you grip onto the edge of rocks and walk even further down the jetty it finally hit him that you were indeed, real.

Is she trying to get herself killed?

Panic struck him nearly as hard as the waves came crashing down onto the shore. His stomach sank into his gut as he swallowed hard. Fingers twitching at his side. Letting his eyes scan the area around you searching for a reason why you might be out there.

Maybe she’s trying to reach something? Maybe someone else is out there?

These thoughts floated by and all that was left was something even more confusing. From the looks of it, there was nothing substantial down the line of the jetty. No other person or object he could see in his apparent field of vision. Yet he kept looking, watching over you and expecting you to slip with each small step you took.

He didn't know why this was his instinctive reaction. To let his body tense up at the thought of you falling in and drowning. The fact that he could easily watch somebody die and just stand here idly wasn’t something that had ever bothered him in the past. He often was jealous of those who got to enact pain onto others who deserved it. Which was a part of the reason he was so quick to violence.

Yet seeing you do something as reckless as walking on a jetty during a rough storm at night irked him.

I’m seriously not in the mood to watch this stupid bitch die in front of me.

But if Kid let himself calm down he would've remembered wanting you dead. He would’ve remembered complaining about how you treated him and how he had mistakenly given you mercy. But this feeling in his gut didn’t want him to remember.

All he could think about was you.

That fucking idiot is going to get herself killed and not even in a satisfying way.

He clenched his fist as his eyes traced the line of waves. At first, he thought he saw another line of boulders. One much smoother and taller than the first. But as the moon peaked out over that portion of water he saw it fully.

It was a wall-like wave looming closer to you from the other side of the jetty. The kind that would destroy ships and drown hundreds. It rolled in, white-tipped as it churned closer and closer.

It took him a second to realize what was about to happen. You had no idea that the jetty was about to get hit by that massive thing but he did. His eyes helplessly flickering between your form and that bastardly wave.

She’s going to get hit. There’s no way she’ll survive that.

A strange feeling emerged in Kid. One he didn’t often feel and in his personal opinion felt…itchy. Like in the back of his brain something was scraping away at his thoughts and sending warm trails down to his heart. He wanted to help you. But that realization could only be described as completely and utterly disgusting.

Am I seriously about to help her? He mulled over himself for a moment. Glancing between you and the wave. Each passing second just making him more erratically nervous as he watched that wave loom closer. Clenching his jaw and rolling his eyes at his apparent sympathy before finally caving in.

“WATCH OUT!” He yelled, his voice still so quiet compared to everything else around him.

It took you a second to hear him. His eyes glided over how your body paused upon hearing his voice but you still didn’t turn around to look at him.

I’m trying to help this bitch and she doesn’t even pay attention to me?

The sass on Kid's face became almost palpable. With a quick scoff followed by wiping the rain off his face he gave it one more useless shot.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?! THERE'S A WAVE COMING!” His voice cracked a bit as he yelled. Becoming more and more frustrated that he even had to deal with any of this shit.

He wasn’t a hero. He didn’t want to run along that stupid jetty and get caught up in the wave to save some stranger.

This isn’t worth it. A dumb bitch like her deserves to die if she’s really stupid enough to try and pull whatever this is off.

But when you finally turned towards him he was struck by something.

Something that tasted like honey on his tongue and compassion in his chest.

Kid almost couldn’t believe it when he saw the halo of light surrounding you. Maybe it was the water in the air. Picking up the moonlight and reflecting it at him. But it framed your head and made your skin nearly glow. Your hair was shiny and flowing. Face round and inviting. Your soft eyes landed on him like deep hollow orbs. The kind of eyes that if he stared at them for too long would swallow him whole.

Yet of course on your lips and eyes was an expression he’d seen before. It was that same look you had given him earlier. That same look that had stopped him dead in his tracks.

But instead of annoying him everything about you drew him in. Almost unable to look away he took a meaningful step closer. Wanting to see you more despite himself. Wanting to keep that expression of yours alive because it reminded him of something.

Or moreover, of someone.

I can’t let another girl die.

I just can’t.

An image of Victoria brushed across his eyes for only a moment. A memory so supple and full of emotion it blossomed into something new.

Something that was going to keep you alive no matter what.

“TAKE FUCKING COVER YOU ASSHOLE!” Left his lips before he could even process whatever he was feeling. It made his heart beat loudly in his ears. A strange cold sweat taking hold of his body.

He pointed his arm off to the right to try and signal something was coming. But your body didn’t move. He could see the curl of your lips go downturned in confusion. The way your eyebrows knitted together softly. That image of you getting seared onto the back of his eyelids before that image inevitably disappeared.

Loud as a bomb, the wave landed against the rocks. Cascading on the jetty and swallowing your body whole. An abstract painting of water splashing against the stone. Rough paint strokes of green and blue representing the clawing current surrounding you. The wave only taking seconds before it finally bubbled down and leveled out onto the other side of the jetty.

Kid swallowed hard, a tight ball of pressure building in his throat as he looked over the spot where you once stood.

And of course, it was empty.

“FUCK! FUCK!” Kid instinctively tried to dash for the water. Forgetting for a moment that he literally couldn’t swim and throwing his coat onto the dry part of the shore. As he walked into the water a wave hit across his legs and stomach, drenching his clothes in an instant and almost knocking him off balance. He let out a little searing hiss at the cold. Urging his body to just suck it up and deal with it.

The booze, injuries, and mental despair was making this moment so much harder to process for Kid. To even realize what was happening around him. But as he tried to force himself through the first line of waves that ever dreaded feeling of complete exhaustion took hold. His muscles going soft as the curse of his powers sunk in.

“FUCKING GODDAMN IT!” He screamed as he forced himself deeper into the waters. The waves dared to suck him in as they sloshed over his chest. His feet still on the ground so he wouldn’t drown thankfully. But if he was knocked over or pulled in with the tide then it was over for both of you.

He knew that. Well aware for the most part yet that wasn’t going to stop him. He had dove in the water for his crew a few times which led them to bickering at him for ‘trying’ to save their life. And though he didn’t know you, maybe that instinct was still somehow embedded in his brain.

But his intelligence to handle the situation blew behind him with the wind. His mind now just a hollow cave of liquor and remorse. Any normal person would’ve reacted as he had.

Or at least that's what he was going to say once this was all over.

The weight of his clothes and the water sinking into his boots was making it incredibly difficult to move. He bounded backward as another wave threatened to send him under. Thrashing over his face the cold sunk deep into his skin. Drenching his hair as the salt stung his eyes and lips.

He took a deep breath of relief as the wave left, popping his head out of the water to see your head floating in the distance. Your face was only a shadow but you seemed to be trying to tread in the water. The currents pushing you closer to Kid yet another wall of waves crashed down on top of you, making you disappear once more.

“SON OF A BITCH!” Kid howled, his mouth only getting filled with water so he spat it out quickly. You were right there. Maybe 15 feet ahead of him in the water. That distance felt so insignificant he could nearly combust where he stood.

He tried to walk forward more but the water came up to his collarbone at this point, leaving him weak and defenseless as more ocean water erupted into his mouth and nose. With ragged coughs he decided to give up on chasing you into the water. Swiping his wet locks out of his eyes he bounded backwards and kept his feet on the sand below to work his way back onto the shore. The waves pushing him down so his ass hit the muddy sand hard.

“Me and my stupid devil fruit getting in the goddamn way again.” He grumbled to himself. If he wasn’t a limp bag of rocks in the water he would’ve easily swam out there to you. Scooped you up and dragged you ashore. He could almost see that version of his life playing like a VHS in his head. Though it did nothing but make him more frustrated.

His eyes never left the water even for a moment. He wanted to see you come back up for air again. He wanted to see you alive.

Though his whole body still felt deathly weak from the water he wasn’t fully submerged anymore which meant his devil fruit came back into play. Raising his arm little purple sparks of lightning started to trace his skin. Desperately trying to pull up any metal that might be submerged near you.

Maybe she could grab onto whatever is down there. I can drag her back in that way. He felt a tingly sensation ran up his humerus, a classic sign that there was indeed something hidden in the waters. A wave splashed against his legs so he dragged his ass back further onto the sand. Focusing on what little strength he had in his right arm.

What if what I pull up hits her? She hasn’t come back up for air again. I don’t know where she is.

And in truth, you didn’t know where you were either.

It was like a sensory deprivation tank under the water. Your ears felt swollen and brimming with nothing but a loud ringing and aquatic bubbles running across your skin. They tickled you as you floated and thrashed around. Eyes opening but seeing nothing but darkness in every direction.

You tried to move. Tried to swim to what you thought might be the surface one more time but something deep and gnarly was dragging you down. The sea itself clasped on your ankles like some kind of God seeking revenge. It wanted to chill you to the bone. It wanted to leak into your lungs. It wanted your flesh.

I’m going to die an idiot.

There was blood running in the water around you. Your head, side, and hands were screaming with pain yet you couldn’t remember what happened. Everything was a complete blur. It almost felt as if you were floating out in space. Barely any sound and just an endless chill numbing every inch of skin.

Did I hit something when I fell?

As your mind searched for answers you heard something else in the darkness. A clunking sound loud and scraping moved below you. Like a snake, you watched something dark slither against the ocean floor. It was deep and though you were on the precipice of blacking out you kept your eyes on it.

Great. I’m going to die an idiot and get eaten alive.

Staring distantly it slowly started to rise in the water. Caught between two currents you managed to stay near the object until eventually, you saw the definite shape of what it was. To your surprise, it wasn’t a sea king. Instead, it was a chain. Thick and crusted over with barnacles and wrapped in seaweed it rose.

It made your senses kick back in. The cold and lack of air dared to take you away but the shock kept you awake.

What in the world?

The chain rose higher and higher until it came closer to you. You kicked your feet reaching out for it. Barely making any distance towards the chain as the current sloshed you around. But eventually the tips of your fingers scraped against it. Giving you just enough hold to fully grip onto one of the chain links with weak hands.

You could feel the split-open caverns of your flesh dig into the barnacles when you grabbed on. It made you cringe hard, lungs burning and filling with water as you tried to take in an anguished breath. Round glass-like bubbles rose to the surface above. You’re once hollow lungs now brimming with seawater.

In a desperate attempt, you yanked your satchel that was still floating helplessly around your shoulders and used it to tie your hands to the chain. Wrapping the strap through the chain and feeding arms through it so it would hold.

The chain started rising higher and higher toward the surface. Your eyes blinking and fading to an even darker shade of black in your vision. You could feel the tips of your fingers down to your toes loosing their substance of life. Unable to break away from this feeling you passed out. Though the chained had finally dared to breach the briny depths, you were already gone. Your body limp and nearly lifeless as you reached the surface with a resounding splash.

Kids eyes widened when he made you out amongst the waves. He was hoping to see your face alive and well but all he saw were your hands strung to the chain he had dredged up.

“SHIT!” He yelled, clenching the taught muscles of his arm even tighter. More little sparks of lightning danced along his skin in a fury. The chain was not that heavy but the current of the ocean kept trying to pull it away from him. He finally stood up off the shore, getting a better view to see the rest of your body floating about a foot under the water.

It didn’t take long until the chain finally found its way towards him. He let it slide up on shore, your body dragging along with it. Taking a few steps into the sea he reached out and grabbed onto the strap of your satchel. His eyes were blurry and burning but he managed to undo the knot around your wrists with his one hand. After throwing the bag further onto the beach his eyes returned to you. Now that your hands had slipped free he quickly grabbed onto the soft fat of your stomach. Working his arm with a bit of difficulty around your middle to pick you up as best he could.

If I had my other fucking arm this would be a lot easier. He grumbled to himself though his complaining instantly faded as he felt your strikingly cold skin. Your hefty body should have been light work for him to carry but right now it was just plain annoying. So he hunched over and let you slump onto his forearm. Dragging you inland as your feet left lines in the sand until he finally set you down face first.

He kneeled on the ground and rolled you over on your back. Your nose and cheeks now crusted with a bit of sand along with most of your clothes. Your soft eyelashes closed against your face. He noticed the tone of your skin was a few shades lighter and slightly blue along your lips.

“Fuck.” He whispered under his breath, taking two of his fingers and placing them on your neck. He almost didn’t want to know. Almost hoping you would just wake up and be fine so he didn’t have to go through this anymore. But by the looks of the bleeding gash on your forehead and side, he supposed he couldn’t just trust faith to bring you back to life.

It took a couple of seconds but he finally felt some semblance of a heartbeat. It was slow and weak against his fingers but you were alive.

Thank god. I didn’t do this shit for nothing.

Now that he finally got you back another wave of panic struck him once more. He needed to keep you alive and considering he knew next to nothing about first aid, it was going to be a struggle.

Chewing his lips he decided your wounds could wait. They weren’t bleeding out too badly. A slow drizzle of blood across your face and into your hair. The gash on your side turning the sand below red. But you weren’t breathing which meant Kid needed to administer CPR.

Which, of course, he only had a faint inclination on how to do.

“Here the fuck we go.” He told himself, trying to hype himself up despite his fear. He placed his one hand between your breasts, feeling the center of your sternum and pressing down on it.

I’m supposed to use two hands. Hopefully, this will be enough.

He thought over his rhythm for only a moment before pressing down on you as hard as he could. Keeping his large hand flat he covered up all the space between your breasts so hopefully he would cover the right area. He spastically jerked his muscles with each compression until he felt something inside of you snap.

Shit. I broke her bone. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

He paused looking at your face and chest. Hoping to see signs of something coming to life but nothing happened. So without another nervous thought, he kept the compressions going for a few minutes. Or maybe it was less than that, he wasn’t entirely sure.

“Can you just wake up?! I’m done saving your ass. This shit is taking too long.” He told you, voice horse with exertion and even a bit of pain.

It bothered him having to do something like this. To have somebody's life in his hands usually meant he was the one to kill them. But right now he was trying to keep someone alive. Which made him realize keeping a human body alive was a lot harder than he would ever admit.

Getting irritated he paused, lifting his hand off your chest to hover it over your slightly agape mouth. Not a single breath of air escaping it.

“Oh my sweet fuck.” He growled, face torn and eyes almost daring to shed tears as he leaned his face towards yours. He lifted your chin towards the sky and opened your mouth a bit more.

“Pucker up.” Left his lips in a joking attempt to make this situation slightly more manageable. To calm his shaking hands and repress his urge to just shake you silly until you came back to life.

Please just wake up. Please just wake up.

He was about to kiss a woman, which he's done many times before but this one happened to be near dead and unconscious. It was less of a kiss and more of a desperate attempt to save you. Which some would argue is even more intimate than any kiss could be.

Pinching your nose he took in a deep breath before latching his lips with yours and breathing outwards. Your lips were dry and cold against his. Lacking all the warmth he wished you had.

Staring down at your chest he gave you a few deep breaths. Trying to spot your lungs heaving up and down as he filled you up like a balloon. After the first few breaths, he finally noticed your chest rise much higher. The mound of your stomach going along with it and giving him a sense of hope maybe he was doing the right thing.

So he pulled up and took another deep breath in before locking lips once more. Keeping your nose tightly shut and making sure his breath was even and long-lasting as it flooded your lungs.

The feeling of the cold slimy unconscious pool your mind lay in suddenly started sliding off as you woke up. Though you hadn’t even realized you were awake before a gush of water came rushing out of your lungs.

Kid instinctively pulled back the second he felt your muscles contract. But that didn’t stop him from getting sea water splashed over his face and even a bit in his mouth.

“Say it, don't spray it asshole.” He leaned back up and spat the water on the sand. Wiping his lips as he watched your body roll over onto its side. Your eyes blinked rapidly and filled up with tears within an instant. Loud choking and gushing noises erupting out of you while you vomited out all the sea water your lungs had taken in.

Some of it hit Kid's lap but he decided not to care. Because you were both thoroughly soaked to the bone, a little more water straight from your lungs and stomach wouldn’t hurt. So he just watched you as deeply uncomfortable feeling stabbed his chest. Runny lines of tears and snot were dripping from your face. You’re eyes barely able to stay open as they constantly blinked away those burning tears. You managed to half way propped yourself up on one arm. Your spine contracting spastically with each retch.

He didn’t like seeing you writhe for whatever reason. Though he couldn’t tell if it’s because he thought it was gross and weak or something else.

Suddenly loud gasps started escaping your mouth making it seem like you still couldn’t breathe. Your throat seemingly sewed shut. Only letting stuff out but not in. Like a fish out of water, your torso twitched even more, your weak hand reaching up and grabbing onto your throat to urge it to open again.

Kids eyes widened at this, realizing that maybe it was too soon to start acting like an uncaring asshole considering you were close to death, yet again. “Goddamn it, just breathe!” He yelled, scooping his hand under the sand and to sit you up.

His voice barely even reached you. Even if you could breathe it felt like you couldn’t. A panic attack revolted against you, making every breath you tried to take weak and small. Barely filling up your lungs and keeping you conscious by a thin thread.

Your watery eyes looked up at him desperately. Pleading him to do something. To do anything to make it stop. A frown took over his face as he drank in your desperation. His stomach sinking to the ground while the uncommon feeling of sympathy flooded his nerves.

What in the hell am I supposed to do?

He wasn’t one for comfort and he already used all the first aid tricks he knew. So he started roughly patting your back, hoping to brute force whatever was blocking your airway. “Is there water still in there? Why can’t you breathe?”

The patting made you cough once again. Dribbles of seawater spilling past your lips and stinging the soft tissue of your mouth. You closed your eyes and leaned your side against Kid's chest. Trying anything to help you calm down you started focusing on your heartbeat. Urging your muscles to relax and using Kids body to stay upwards.

Kid just stared down at you, his pats getting slower and a bit softer. He was worried that if he spoke at all it would ruin whatever sense of peace you were chasing after. He was worried that he would just make it worse.

I always make shit like this worse.

The feeling of your equally drenched and clammy body against his was a bit uncomfortable but he knew it would be a dick move just to let you fall over. So he held onto your back and cradled you slightly. Grimacing the whole time while he listened to your breaths getting deeper and deeper.

Watching you silently he ended up just looking you over. Staring at your skin covered in dewdrops glistening in the moonlight. Noticing how your blood mixed with the water and thinned out to a brisk trickle across your cheek. There were stark tear lines dragging across you skin. Even some faint snot mixed with sea water dripping out of your nose. The warmth rising back into your skin and becoming noticeable against his chest.

Eventually, your eyes opened back up, dazed but no longer flooded with tears.

“You done dying?” He mumbled out, his low voice rumbling in his chest so much you could feel it against your skin.

You slowly looked up at him, his face and body so much closer than it's ever been before. His hair was drenched and lying gently over his goggles and shoulders. Cute curly waves with little drips of water slipping them. His bandages soaked and peeling in some parts to revel the deep gashes along his chest. The ones still healing on his face were shiny and red as if they were irritated. Red-smeared lipstick around the edges of his permanently frowning mouth. His warm breath that smelled of liquor and seawater fanning over you.

Despite the cold numbness draped over your nerves you still managed to feel his chest against you. The way his skin was almost burning it was so warm compared to yours. His thick arm holding the soft space below your shoulder blades in such a delicate way.

Though you noticed all of this, a part of you felt like he wasn’t even there. That he was just a mirage or you were already dead and gone. Left with nothing but this man to ease you over into the afterlife.

“Uh-huh," Was all you could manage to get out. Your throat was now drying up as the salt took hold. Making you rasp and wheeze a bit with each breath.

Kid just rolled his eyes at that, “Well I just want you to know right now that you are a complete fucking dumbass who has no sense of self-preservation and I wish I never met you.”

You blinked slowly, a wave of drowsiness cascading upon you. “Okay.” You said with a shaky breath. Shivering deeply, your eyes closed once more. Kid watched as your head fell against his chest, letting him know that you had passed out for good.

“This bitch.” Left his mouth almost instantly. He was hoping you’d stay awake so you could walk or hold onto him if he was forced to carry you.

I don’t want to carry her. I’m tired and I’m drunk and I don’t deserve this.

He just stared at you against him. Urging his hand to let you fall onto the sand and leave you there.

This was supposed to be my break. I wanted to relax. What do I owe this random girl? I already saved her life which is way more than anyone should expect from me. So she can wake up and figure the rest of this shit out herself.

His face scrunched up as he mulled it over. He stared down at you against his chest. Feeling your soft hair against him. Your spine and arms were nearly vibrating with each deep shiver that ran through you. Like a wounded animal, you curled into him which warmed the small embers of his heart yet repulsed him beyond belief.

“God fucking damn it fine! You won this round.” He yelled at you, a loud exasperated sigh bellowing out of him. With that he softly set you down on the sand. Standing up to go grab his coat that surprisingly hadn’t flown away in the wind. He yanked it off the sand and dusted it off before noticing your bag still laying completely soaked a few feet away from him.

Am I seriously about to hold this girl's shit as well? He asked himself, staring at the green satchel vehemently before roughly picking it up and slinging the strap over his shoulder.

I guess I fucking am. He nearly slapped himself in the face with how ticked off he was. He saved your life and was a bit proud of that fact. But the amount of kindness he was providing was just down right deplorable.

He walked back over to you and kneeled back down onto the sand. Still holding onto his coat and looking between you and the fur.

Of course this bitch is visibly shaking. He just stared at you for a moment, hoping you’d stop so he could throw the coat over his shoulders instead. But your body was insistently twitching violently from head to toe. Your face naturally scrunching up in pain despite being blacked out.

It's not like I’m not cold. I got dunked in the water too. But of course your unconscious body was asking for yet another round of his sympathy.

“Whatever. Take this you greedy little shit.” Kid took his coat and started wrapping it around you. Making sure your arms were funneled through the sleeves so it wouldn’t fall off.

With a grunt, he tried to lift you onto his shoulder. Hunching over so his shoulder was close to your stomach and using his one hand to slide you onto him. He had to pick you up by the ass just a bit, feeling the fat meat of it in his hand as he pulled you up onto him until your hips were in line with his shoulder.

He tried not to think about it too much considering he was groping the ass of a half-dead woman but he managed to get you in a good position. Getting up off the ground with another loud grunt he almost instantly toppled over to one side. Your heavy body was hanging loosely off him so he gripped your legs tightly before you could slide off his shoulder.

“And you couldn’t be just a bit lighter eh? Making me put some actual effort into this shit.” He started walking towards his ship in the distance. Each step just a bit louder than usual against the sand. Your head and arms swaying upside down in a half-pleasant, half horrible sensation.

“Oh and just so you know. This is the last time you’ll get a lick of kindness from me. Expect nothing but shit-talking and maybe a good gut punch from here on out.” He told you but of course this whole time you were dead asleep. So it didn’t matter if you heard his declaration or not. Kid was going to give you what he wanted to give you. He just hoped his stupid feelings wouldn’t get in the way of his prerogatives.

A/N: GEEHEE✨ GEEHEE✨I love writing Kid being a big bootyhole. It’s so sweet and endearing and nice. Would he have a soft spot for a stranger normally? No. But do you remind him of someone he cared about? Yes. Oh and just to be clear when I talk Y/N’s expression and how you remind him of Victoria I don’t mean that you look like her. You look like you of course I just view it as the aura or substance of who Y/N is relates to Victoria in a strange way. Hope that makes sense. Or maybe he just thinks you’re pretty and isn’t willing to realize it. WHAT?? WHO SAID THAT?

#one piece #eustass kid #eustasscaptainkid #kid pirates #eustass kid x reader #one piece x reader #x reader #killer one piece #massacre soldier killer #killer op #one piece eustass

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thebubblesareevil · 2 years ago

Text

School’s Haunted

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Danny watched students swarm around the front entrance to Gateway High. They were all over the place, way more than Casper High. Danny took a deep breath, only to have it knocked out of him as a Travis smacked him on the back.

“What’s up man, exited for your first day?” Danny scoffed.

“Excited isn’t exactly the word I’d use. Dread, despair, devastated, some other word that begins with D.” Danny shrugged. “ I don’t know man, my last first day of high school didn’t go too well.”

“Oh come on, it couldn’t have been too bad.”

“A few days before, I got electrocuted which kinda fried my nerves for a bit. I ended up getting a lifetime ban from holding anything made of glass.” Danny quirked an eyebrow “Plus my old bully ended up in the same class as me. Not Fun.” He replied.

“Sheesh, we’ll it’s not like this time can be any worse.” Danny’s jaw dropped.

“I’m sorry, did you just jinx my first day, Dude!” Travis laughed.

“If it makes you feel better, I could ask some of my buds on the football team to keep an eye out. Bullies are a pretty big no go around here.” Danny laughed.

“That’s what they all say. There’s always one.” Travis shook his head.

“Fair enough, but we’re pretty tight knit here. Trust me and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” He said pushing Danny forward. “Now hurry up, you don’t wanna be late on your first day.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll talk to you later.” Danny made his way through the crowd of teens, using the makeshift map to try to find his class.

“Are you lost?” Danny turned around to see a girl wearing her gym clothes. She looked almost surprised he heard her.

“Yeah, I’m looking for Mr.Graham’s class.” She gave him a huge grin.

“Down the hall, take a left and it’s the first door to the right.” He smiled.

“Thanks you’re a lifesaver.”

“Don’t mention it!” She said as she walked the other way.

With newfound direction, Danny made his way to his home room. When he walked in he saw Matt sitting near the middle of the room, there was an empty seat next to him. He was just about to make his way over when he was stopped.

“You must be our new student, why don’t you come up here and introduce yourself.” Danny froze with dread. ‘Why me?!’

“Come on now! Don’t be shy!” Danny gave up, making his way to the front of the class as Matt gave him a look of sympathy.

“Hi, my name’s Danny Prince, not Daniel, not Dan, not Dano, Danny.”

“We’ll let me be the first to welcome you to our class Danny! So what made decide to come to our wonderful school?” He prompted joyfully. Danny had a dark look of glee in his eye. One Matt recognized from the one, and only, time Danny was invited to join his and Travis’ D&D campaign.

The DM hasn’t been the same since.

“Well sir, I just couldn’t resist sunny California. What with the the beaches and rich history here in Gateway city.” The teacher puffed up his chest in pride. “After my parents died in that car accident I just couldn’t say no when my cousin invited me to live here!” He said cheerily. Mr.Graham paled.

“I’m so sorry for your loss.” He hastily responded.

“You’re fine. Figured it was best to get it out now. I’d hate to have to keep repeating it over and over again.” Danny said with wide eyes. The teacher coughed.

“Why don’t you take a seat by Mr. Miller?” He suggested, gesturing towards Matt.

“Probably for the best.” He continued his journey to his seat uninhibited.

“That was cruel.” Matt claimed

“No, cruel is making a teenager stand in front of his class on his first day. That was revenge.” He said with a grin. He heard a giggle from behind him, he turned.

“He’s not wrong you know, it’s practically inhumane.” a girl commented. “The names Simone. Sorry about your parents.”

“Nice to meet you Simone.”

“Likewise, how are you liking Gateway?” Danny smiled.

“It’s great, all things considered. I got a job over at the museum, at the space exhibit!” Danny announced, practically glowing. Simone blushed.

“Oh? Do you like it?” She asked. Matt groaned from Danny’s other side.

“I love it! Dr. Scott even let’s me use the telescope sometimes!” His smiled widened. Simone’s blush got darker. The bell rang.

“What” Simone cleared her throat “what class do you have first?” Danny took his schedule out of his pocket.

“Looks like history first. Shouldn’t be too hard.” He shrugged. Simone pouted.

“I’ve got math first. Maybe I’ll catch you later?” She asked. "Maybe we could sit together at lunch?"

“That’d be awesome! Hey all four of us can sit together!” She stopped as he left in search of his next class. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

“I know your pain.” Matt sighed watching Danny make his way down the hall. He handed Simone a pamphlet, before he too headed to his next class.

She looked down at the paper and read in bold letters

So you’ve got a crush on Danny Prince. Here’s everything you need to know.

At the back of the pamphlet was a museum schedule for space shows.

The bell rang.

She kept the pamphlet.

————————

There are many benefits to being the honorary grandson of the Master of all Time. One of which is the ability to go back in time to study for history.

This has caused Danny many issues. History is written by the victors, and not many of them were interested in historical accuracy. Which is why Danny ended up completely derailing his entire history by starting a debate on Julius Caesar. By the end of class Mrs. Beatle was practically vibrating with excitement. There was not a single silent voice as they questioned what was written in their books. Everyone booed when the bell rang, including Mrs. Beatle, but she promised they could continue the debate the next class.

Most of Danny’s classes ended much the same. Chemistry was especially exciting, they were meant to be doing a simple experiment to show a chemical reaction that would change the color of some paper. Danny’s glowed.

Mr. Thorne spent the rest of the class trying to figure out how.

Danny made his way through math, surprised at how much he enjoyed it.

And that brings him to where he is now.

Gym class.

The class met in the gym only to be led out to the field, for a soccer game to start off the new year. He couldn’t really be mad at Coach Cooper, she was actually pretty cool. But facts are we’re facts, and the fact is Danny hates gym.

Sure he can show off a little, but it was way too easy to forget what was okay and what wasn’t. Way to easy to slip up. He slowly followed the rest of the class.

“Why the long face?” Danny shrugged.

“Not really a big sports fan, plus no doubt Coach is gonna make me take off my hoodie. I really just don’t want anyone staring at my scars."

“Scars?” She looked at him concerned.

“Yeah, fighting ghosts is pretty dangerous. You don’t always walk away unscathed .” He replied with a shrug. The girl froze.

“I’m not gonna fight you.” He watched as everyone started to congregate on the field. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your haunt, but I kinda gotta go to school. You know how it is.” He kept walking, joining the rest of his class.

“Uh, yeah. I do.” She muttered under her breath.

————

Vanessa watched the strange boy for the rest of the day. He was right about the sweatshirt, however he made up a story about a car accident and no one questioned it.

Since the moment he entered the school, she felt compelled to follow him. She hadn’t been a ghost long, but he felt different than anyone else. He felt powerful, terrifyingly strong…and safe.

Everyday she was surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she walked through the halls, watching them go about their day unseen. But this year things were different this year there was Danny.

Vanessa smiled as she watched him leave the school from her perch on the roof. He stopped after crossing the street, turning around he looked right at her and waved. Her smile grew brighter.

This was going to be a fun year indeed.

———————-

Danny quickly made his way back home, excited to tell Diana all about his first day. Travis was right, though Danny would never admit it, and most of the students were pretty cool. He hadn't expected to meet a ghost, luckily she seemed pretty unaggressive. Last thing he wanted was to fight a ghost in the cafeteria...again.

Racing up the stairs he barged through the front door, Diana spun around from where she was sitting at her computer.

"How was school? Make any friends?" She smiled.

"It was great! Sure the teachers were no Mr. Lancer, but they were pretty cool. I made a few new friends, but get this! The school is haunted!" Danny grinned like a maniac.

"Don't you think its a little early in the year to start spooking you classmates?" Danny scoffed, heading towards the kitchen for a snack.

"Cousin mine, its never to early for a good spook. But I'm not talking about me, there's another ghost. I'm pretty sure she was a student there when she died." That got Diana's attention.

"Danny, promise me you won't join forces with the school ghost to reek havoc." Danny gave her the fakest offended look she had ever seen, she raised a single brow.

"Okay, fine. I won't haunt the school, except on Halloween, Frighty would disown me if I didn't scare some teens." He declared dropping the act as he grabbed a thermos filled with ectoplasm.

"Actually, the museum might be doing a temporary exhibit on the history of Halloween. The whole tour is meant to be haunted." she grinned. "I was thinking we could team up and give the Ancient Egyptian crew a run for their money." Diana grinned as her cousin practically started to vibrate from excitement.

"Are you kidding?!?!? That would be awesome!" His feet left the ground as he flew over to the table. "I learned this trick awhile back that I've been DYING to try out!" She smiled as Danny started mapping out plans for a perfect haunted museum.

"We have plenty of time to plan things out," she said laying a hand on his shoulder "tonight however we are celebrating your first day of school in this world so I was thinking we would go out to eat tonight." Danny grinned. "They just opened a new burger place down the street and-" She was cut off by the sound of her communicator. She stepped away from the table as she picked up the communicator, Danny zipped his lips as she answered the call.

It didn't take long, but from the look on her face Danny could tell they would not be going out tonight. Diana sighed after she ended the call.

"I'm sorry Danny, I have to go. Batman has an emergency meeting to discuss some things."

"Is everything okay?" She hesitated before shaking her head.

"Many of the higher priority villains have become increasingly quiet, while weaker villains have been more active than ever. We have been keeping an eye on the situation, however there have been some unexpected developments." Danny nodded.

"Don't worry about dinner, I'll go hang out with gramps tonight and we can do something tomorrow. Just be careful, last time Plasmius went quiet for too long I ended up fighting Pariah Dark."

"You'll have to tell me about that sometime." She smiled "I'll call when I get out of the meeting, hopefully we'll have some time for a movie and ice cream when I get back. Your pick."

"Awesome! There's a new movie that just came out called the Evil Dead that I've been wanting to check out." Diana ruffled his hair.

"Have fun with Grandfather." she said as she headed out.

-----------------

Diana was frustrated, she was meant to have dinner with Danny, instead she was called to an emergency League meeting. The Team found evidence of alien technology being used in the Bialyian desert. The criminal behind the project appeared to be Psimon, a powerful psychic who wiped the memories of the young heroes and put them in extreme danger.

Luckily the Team made it out in one piece, though not completely unscathed.

For the 3 hours they had been going over intelligence by the Team, going over any changes in the conflict, and reviewing other villains recent movements. The more they talked, the more Diana was sure something greater was at play.

To many people were staying far too quiet.

When the meeting finally ended, Batman approached once more.

“Diana."

"Batman, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she smiled congenially.

"What is your opinion of Superboy?" he asked in his usual blunt tone.

"He shows great potential. He needs to work on directing his strength and keeping his temper under control." Diana was quite proud of her new student.

"He's a loose cannon as things stand. We need to keep him under tight supervision." Her smile dropped.

"He may have trouble controlling his temper, but considering everything he's been through in the past months he's doing remarkably well. He listens well and, while stubborn at first, he was an attentive student. Until such a time when Superman decides to train him, I intend to continue with our training." She left no room for argument. Batman nodded.

"If you notice anything-"

"I will handle it personally." She interrupted him, her mood now sour. "And he prefers the name Conner."

"Noted. I won't keep you any longer." He grunted with a nod.

Diana made her way to the Zeta tubes, nodding to her fellow heroes as she passed though her mind was busy. Something was bothering the Bat, and that never boded well for anyone.

She said her farewells and left the base. Once she made it back to the apartment, she changed into her pajamas and pulled out her phone to call Danny. Smiling as she saw messages from her cousin, she tapped the screen to see the pictures.

She choked.

There on the screen, was none other than Vandal Savage, the ruthless warrior who fought against the Justice Society...with neon pink hair trying his very best to look serious in the middle of a meeting. She clicked on the next picture.

It was Vandal again though this time he seemed visibly furious as he stood against the Justice Society... covered from head to toe in glitter. The next message was a video.

Vandal was standing before a group of villains, clearly making some kind of presentation, as Danny and their Grandfather danced in the background. Colorful lights flashing as though they were at a party. From Vandal's twitching eye and the lack of reaction from the other villains... he was the only one who could see or hear them. Upon closer inspection, Danny appeared to be singing along to something. Diana was already at her limit as she unmuted her phone and pressing play, the moment the music came blasting through her phone she had to brace herself against the couch to stop herself from falling from the force of her laughter. She dropped her phone on the floor as the apartment was filled with the sound of-

"WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?!?!?!?!"

@a-salty-sal@impulsiveasshole@meira-3919@alcorbearson@cute6troll@samgirl98@skulld3mort-1fan@addie-lover-of-stories@amercurio@chronicallyonline-fandomwh0r3 @heirxofxtime @gin2212 @thegatorsgoose@wanderer-of-worlds@terzatheunderscorerima@bright-shade@satanicrutialspecialist@mur-ururu@birdie-24-05@ascetic-orange@cyber-geist@thatrandomsarahchick@dr-syko-pharm-4@observerblock23@addie-lover-of-stories@rainybyday@berseid@pastalavistamf@ae-vixrose@sunflowershine03@theauthorandtheartist@ruelukas22@krzys2000@onlyhereforthechaos@stargirl1331@apointlessbox@mewzaque@distractedducky@cutelittlebeanie@unorthodoxdreamers @universallytacowolfbakery @joseph557@ver-444@icedbluesoul@shark-time@milo-l-l @spookytragedyshark@nutcase8691@idfk-man10 @s1eepyreader @all-eyes-no-dragon@demented-trashcan@avelnfear@tuhguo@genuine-muse@mentalcarebear@britcision@v-inari@redhoneysugarorange@kayekate244@litlecameron@magic-pincushion@mutable-manifestation@@kyrianclawraith@potatoeofwisdom@fisticuffsatapplebees@akikkobara@spooky-fm

#dc x dp crossover #danny phantom #danny prince #diana prince #wonderwoman #dp demi god au #the fanclub continues to grow #Danny pranks villains throughout time with clockwork #vandal gets pranked more than anyone because he can space them out more #ghost friends!

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separatist-apologist · 4 months ago

Text

Long Live

Summary: All archeologist Elain Archeron wants is answers about the past.

Fate is determined to give them to her

MASSIVE thank you @abbadinfluence for having the idea AND allowing me to write - I've had the time of my life, this has been so fun.

And @octobers-veryown for being my personal Rome/Italy consultant- thank you for your knowledge, your time, and most importantly, catching when I used a particularly offensive and/or wrong swear word

Life moved slower. Elain woke each morning to open windows and her husband gone, already up for the day. She’d become lady of the house which was a whole job in and of itself. Was it wrong to weaponize her knowledge from the future to smooth things over between people? Maybe, but she did it anyway.

Partly because navigating this new world made Elain nervous. She knew everything in theory, but not in practice—and not in-depth. She made mistakes even children didn’t, which caused gossip about the barbarian the emperor had married.

She knew men had gone to Lucien to complain, though the results of said conversations were never shared with her. She’d asked once, laying on her stomach as she traced designs over his bare chest.

Lucien had merely flipped her to her back and with a kiss, urged her not to think about it. But she did, nervous that it was going to be his downfall. What had she already changed? Elain spun herself in circles wondering if everything they knew about the Empress was simply her, right now, doing exactly what she’d done. Had she been studying herself?

Elain tried not to think too hard about it lest she drive herself insane.

She threw herself into politics much the way Arina did, the pair like university students all over again as they read works long lost to their present day time. So much of it was fascinating but a lot more was painfully dry. Even Arina couldn’t get through half of it, groaning as she stared upward, bored to tears.

“Just ask Lucien for a sword and we’ll start killing people,” she said with a roll of green eyes. “I don’t think he’d mind.”

“We shouldn’t murder the people who annoy us,” Elain hissed at her friend. Marrying Eris had been a mistake—Arina was becoming far too Romanized far too quickly.

Arina shrugged. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do and kill your rivals.”

“Did Eris give you a knife?” Elain questioned.

Arina grinned. “I’m starting a collection.”

Of course she was.

For all the stress, though, Elain found she was happy. No longer did she have to wonder what things looked like—the vibrancy of the ancient world astounded her. She could see statues as they were, brightly painted in hues of red and yellow and blue. She could read the literature, could sit in grand atriums while philosophers debated passionately on topics they still discussed two thousand years in the future.

Sometimes she wished she could tell them they were immortalized in these discussions and their writings. That academics still taught their works and students still engaged in the same passionate debates. So many things from Rome still existed in the future, from their sewage systems to the roads they’d built, all the way to the language they used and the influence it would have on European languages. Their myths, their gods—all of it still existed as some faint echo of a past humanity would never return to.

And she wasn’t just witnessing it—Elain was part of it. Her mind couldn’t comprehend all of it. The whys, the hows—if it was magic or some other explanation they were too primitive to understand even two thousand years in the future—it didn’t truly matter in the end. Sometimes she thought she’d wake and find she’d merely dreamt it all up.

And other times she was certain she’d been born here for how natural it all felt to her. At times, Elain forgot everything else but the present—at least until something jolted her out of her bliss. She’d see something that reminded her of Graysen or her sisters or her home and spend the rest of the day wondering if they still thought of her. What they made of her disappearance.

She knew her sisters would be in pain over losing her. Gray would move on, eventually, and Elain genuinely hoped he did so with minor emotional wounds.

Her sisters would never forgive her if they learned she could have returned and chose not to. Elain was grateful they’d never know. Maybe that made her a coward—she simply couldn’t bring herself to care, especially as time went on. They’d continue their lives without her and maybe they’d all see each other again some day.

But not in this lifetime.

What had once seemed like a terrible decision seemed like the best idea Elain had ever had. Maybe that was all the lead water she was drinking, though. She was happy, and that was all that mattered. She watched other women marry, participating in the ceremonies as the Emperor’s Consort. She was part of festivals and just generally seen in the city with a guard of heavily armed soldiers Lucien made swear to protect her, even at the expense of their own lives.

And she had Arina.

That was enough.

Her favorite part of every day was when Lucien finished with the things he did to tell her everything, eyes bright as he stripped down to nothing. If he found it strange telling a woman about the political machinations of his empire, Lucien never said. He, instead, treated her like one of his advisors. He asked her advice on how to handle delicate situations both with his patricians and Senators and when trying to adhere to Roman diplomacy.

And then, once he’d said everything he needed to say, Lucien all but got on his knees and kept her up half the night. He acted like he’d only just discovered sex. Sometimes she felt the same way.

“Tomorrow I will be unforgivably late,” Lucien told her, hand on his stomach as he tried to catch his breath.

Elain rolled to her side. “Why?”

Lucien shifted, eyes on the dark ceiling overhead. “I’ll tell you when it’s over.”

She’d heard him say that only once before, and in the aftermath it had been an assassination he claimed to know nothing about. Elain very much doubted that was true, though his hands were clean. Eris likely arranged the entire thing, which seemed to be how things were done between them. Elain often wondered if Lucien truly trusted his older brother, or merely kept him close to prevent a coup.

She doubted being married to Arina would stifle his political ambitions.

That was a personal question for Lucien to grapple with. She knew he loved Eris, and figured Eris must love his brother to some degree if he was willing to stand by him even when everything he’d worked so hard for had been ripped out from underneath him. Beron had intended to drag his own son down with him, and never planned for his wife’s illegitimate child to take his own full-blooded son's place.

History said Eris remained loyal until he died, but Elain didn’t know how much of history she and Arina had already rewritten. They’d never know without returning to the future to read the books. She assumed something must have been altered since all records of Helena were gone save for Lucien’s own writings. She was here, though she didn’t dare leave a record other than her mere existence which was immortalized on coins and paintings and whatever doodles Lucien left in the margins of his documents.

She seemed to recall a half naked one with exaggerated breasts that had been so amusing at university and was now a little mortifying to think about.

“Should I go to sleep without you?” Elain asked, pulling herself from her endless musings.

“You can try,” he replied with that handsome, slick smile of his. “I’ll wake you up.”

“You’re a devil,” she said, forgetting he didn’t know that word—Elain quickly attempted to explain, foregoing the religious connotations to avoid getting bogged down with the future of Christianity. While Elain liked listening to Lucien talk politics, he loved hearing about the future. He was interested in the culture of her home, the art, the literature. She’d spent a full week explaining the Real Housewives to him in great detail while he’d listened, rapt and glassy eyed in his enjoyment.

Elain intended to explain Star Wars to him later simply to sketch out a lightsaber and see what he thought about it. She thought Lucien would enjoy that.

Just enough time had passed that Elain had grown complacent. She’d forgotten everything that happened during Lucien’s reign. She forgot the early years.

She forgot the coup.

The day passed like any other. She and Arina dressed and ate, talked with the other women living with them currently, and spent the later afternoon in the city buying materials for dresses and some rather pretty flowers likely handpicked by the small child Elain gave the coins to.

They returned home and bathed after eating and Elain intended to turn in for the evening mostly out of boredom. Lucien wasn’t coming back until late, there was limited lighting which made reading difficult, and the heat of the day had taken its toll.

“Where is everyone?” Arina asked, looking around the strangely empty halls.

“Wherever Lucien is, I’m guessing,” Elain replied glumly. Arina wasn’t having it through, brows knit together as she truly looked.

“Everyone? Even the children are gone—”

“To bed—”

“Oh please, there are no bedtimes here. I heard one of those monsters screaming at three in the morning last night.”

Elain, too, paused to listen. “Is anyone here?”

“What day is today?” Arina whispered, gripping Elain’s forearm before Elain could go any further. Heart racing, she only shrugged.

“I don’t remember,” she admitted. The calendar was different, the days rearranged according to the Julian Calendar.

“With me,” Arina whispered, turning while clasping Elain’s hand. If anyone watched them, it looked like two women merely wanting to be close. Not panicked, not scared—not yet. They walked as they normally did, eyes straight ahead as though nothing were amiss as they both counted back the days in their head.

When had it happened? The attempted coup that ravaged the city in flame—the assassination attempts, the upheaval? In her joy, Elain had forgotten how rocky the early years of Lucien’s transition were.

She’d forgotten his new wife went missing.

Arina closed them into the bed chamber she shared with Eris, locking it for good measure. “It won’t stop them—but we’ll hear the lock turn.”

“And then what?” Elain demanded as Arina made her way across the room for the collection of knives she’d bragged about. “We should leave.”

“They’ll be waiting to ambush us,” Arina replied coolly. “We have the element of surprise.”

“We’re also just the two of us against a bunch of men with swords,” Elain hissed, watching as Arina shoved a chair against a door. “There is no where to go.”

“Wrong,” Arina said with a relish, pushing against the wall. A little cubby opened, big enough for the two to slip through unnoticed. “You didn’t notice servants coming in and out?”

Elain wasn’t about to admit she was too busy admiring Lucien to notice what anyone else was doing, especially when they were alone in their room. Having given Elain a dagger, the pair slid into the wall just as the knob of their door rattled. They both froze, half hidden in the dark. Elain’s heart raced with fear.

“Where can we go?”

“The countryside,” Arina whispered before pulling Elain in. They still had time, though not enough. Not to mention, the last time they’d tried to flee they’d been caught by highway robbers and Arina had nearly died. Staying in the city was suicide, leaving a death sentence.

Arina’s grip on Elain’s hand tightened painfully. They only thing they truly had going for them was near prophetic knowledge of the future and, hopefully, a memorized map of the city’s layout.

They burst into the kitchen, a place Elain had never seen and was desperate to snoop around in.

“Not now,” Arina replied, tugging her toward an open door leading to the courtyard.

It would have been a clean getaway had that guard not been standing there. He was clearly just as surprised to see them as they were to see him. The pin on his armor didn’t belong to Lucien—it was another man's crest, another man's loyalty paid out in copper and gold.

“You ah…” he hesitated, clearly unsure what he should do. “You should go inside.”

“We’re just strolling through the garden,” Elain tried, offering up her most charming smile. “Surely you wouldn’t begrudge us an evening stroll?” His hand went to the hilt of his sword and Elain knew he had no qualms about killing them here. Arina took a step back, eyes wide with fear.

“Stand down,” Elain whispered, hiding Arina’s dagger in the folds of her skirts. She wasn’t going to die this day—not after everything else.

“For what it’s worth, I am sorry,” that dark haired soldier said.

It was Arina who struck, slamming her blade so viciously into his throat that blood sprayed everywhere. Elain had never seen rage like that, manifesting in each brutal stab. Channeling her inner Brutus, Arina hacked even when the soldiers knees buckled, brown eyes bulging in death.

“It’s over,” Elain told her, swallowing bile before she vomited everywhere. Oh, the movies made killing seem so easy. So elegant.

It was horrible.

“It’s over,” Elain told Arina, pulling at her arm. Arina swung, sharp blade slashing through the air. Her beautiful face was coated in blood, staining the blonde hair now hanging over her shoulders. “He’s dead.”

Arina looked down, expression hardening. “Let's go,” she said, reaching for Elain with trembling fingers. She’d lie and say that killing that man meant nothing, but Elain knew the truth of things. She knew the hardened act Arina put on was just that—an act. Underneath it, she was just as soft as Elain was, and just as scared.

“Do you think this is why there’s no record—”

“Smetti di parlare,” Arina hissed, holding a hand up to silence Elain entirely. “This is not where you die.”

But Elain wasn’t so sure as several more soldiers poured into the courtyard, unable to see them in the dark and yet clearly looking for them. Arina grabbed Elain, hiding the pair behind the large concrete base of the god Jupiter. Elain counted four of them, which wasn’t horrible, but they were well trained and armed, and they were unlikely to get away with another brutal stabbing before they were killed, too.

“This way,” Elain whispered. She knew the garden like the back of her hand—knew every shortcut, ever tall hedge, and where even the bees were kept should it come to that. They were somehow silent, dodging a chicken that hadn’t been put in the pens that evening. The servants seemed to have vanished, too—had they been told to go. Or did they simply know what was coming?

Trying not to feel betrayed—and failing miserably—Elain continued on, wishing Lucien would come charging in. She strained her ears for any sound of his thundering voice as he heroically cut down anyone in his way to get her. There was nothing but the shuffling of feet and whispering of soldiers looking for them. Elain could see no way out.

“Look,”Arina whispered, turning Elains head toward vivid orange in the distance.

Rome was burning.

It was a distraction, terrible as it was. A nightmare for her husband, wherever he was—did he know what was happening at home? Would he come back to empty bedrooms and blood soaked floors? Dead guards and her and Arina missing? She’d never wished for a phone more than she did right then, so she could shoot him a quick text telling him her plan. To tell him she was safe—and to hear he was, too.

There was only a stretch of silence before the screaming began. People flooded out of their burning homes both to escape a truly terrible death and in an attempt to keep the flames from spreading. Arina and Elain both stopped for a moment, half hidden by a copse of olive trees.

“He’ll crucify Hybern for this,” Arina whispered.

“If he isn’t slaughtered,” Elain replied, her voice cracking at the thought. Arina tugged, and the two took off again. They could consider the horror of the evening another night. For now, all that mattered was survival.

They weren’t lucky. When a soldier stumbled upon them just as they were headed toward the stone walls, it was Elain who struck first. He hadn’t seen them—was simply patrolling, sword still sheathed. Was it honorable to kill him? That was a question for the philosophers, though Elain did throw up when she pulled her knife out of that man’s throat.

Arina only grimaced.

“Do you think it gets better?” her friend asked. “How does Eris do it?”

“He’s a menace,” Elain managed, stepping over the still twitching body. “That was…”

No one ever mentioned the way you could feel the slice of tendon and muscle, the snapping of cartilage and the wet sound a human made when they tried to gasp for air that wouldn’t come.

Elain was sick again right there in the grass.

“In another life, Eris would have been a techbro,” Arina said, trying to take Elain’s mind off of what she’d just done. “And I would have fist fought him in a parking lot.”

That made Elain laugh. “I think Lucien would have been a politician,” she admitted, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. “I’m not sure I would have voted for him.”

“You’d be such a Jackie though,” Arina told her. “Vogue would have loved you.” It was almost funny. Blood in their hair, hands shaking as they continued their journey through the garden in an attempt to escape Rome with their lives while they made jokes about being in Vogue.

They were so close to vanishing into the city. Mere steps away when they saw him, coming up the hill on a gray horse. Not Lucien or Eris, or anyone they recognized—but Hybern. He looked rough. Illuminated by orange glow, Elain could see an ugly, purpling bruise on his face. Selfishly, she hoped Lucien had given it to her.

“Arina,” Elain whispered, pulling them both behind the wall.

“No,” Arina hissed, back flat against the stone. “It’s suicide.”

“They think we’re dead,” she reminded Arina.

“He will kill us,” Arina countered, grabbing Elain’s wrist. “We need to run.”

“There’s nowhere left to go. Rome is burning.”

Arina looked over the wall again before ducking back down, unnoticed as Hybern continued through, flanked by two men wearing wickedly sharp blades. “What do you want to do?”

Elain sighed. “Follow me.”

LUCIEN:

Striding up the steps, Lucien had a sense of deja vu. I’ve been here before, he thought to himself, which—of course he had. Hundreds of times in life, even. But right then, he felt the hand of the gods stopping him.

Warning him.

“What is it?” Jurian asked, hand already on the sword at his hip. Lucien’s eyes cut to Eris, impassive as always. His brother looked from Lucien to the forum up ahead.

“It’s quiet,” Eris finally said.

Was that what stopped him? No, he thought, feeling phantom fingers squeeze his shoulder. Minerva was warning him, her presence looming large behind him. It wasn’t just the silence and the lack of bodies milling around—it was her voice whispering against the wind.

Don’t go.

“What do you know?” he demanded as he rounded on Eris.

Eris raised his palms in defense, eyes narrowed. “If I wanted to see you dead, brother, it certainly wouldn’t be a group effort.”

Their eyes turned toward the Roman Forum again.

“Surround it,” Lucien murmured to Jurian. “No one part of the plot leaves alive.”

Jurian vanished as Lucien took that next step. Eris glanced again. “I have no part in this.”

“I almost wouldn’t blame you if you did,” Lucien replied with a heavy sigh. He understood why so many who’d come before him were so paranoid. He could trust no one, maybe not even his brother.

Eris turned to Lucien, face blazing. “I won’t pretend I’m not angry. It was supposed to be me, not you,” he hissed, face red with rage. “But it was father, not you, who thwarted my ambition. And I sleep peacefully at night knowing whatever pit in Tartarus he inhabits is made more miserable by the knowledge the bastard son of his wife rules in his stead.”

Lucien took a breath, allowing Eris to add, “I’m with you until the end, brother.”

Lucien wouldn’t pretend he wasn’t afraid as they continued their assent. Even with Juran placing his soldiers strategically, there were simply too many unknowns. He could die here.

“If I die—”

“You won’t—”

“If I die,” Lucien repeated softly, careful not to let his words carry, “take care of my wife. Swear you will let no harm come to her.”

“I swear,” Eris replied, eyes glittering. “But only because there is no need to uphold it. You will be in her bed this evening while she tends to your minor wounds and praises you for rooting out the conspirators.”

That was a charitable picture of what Elain was likely to do. Lucien knew she was more likely to chew off his ear as she’d done after the games in the Coliseum. Still, that was better than never seeing her again. If he’d known that morning, when he woke up, that he might never see her face again, Lucien would have remained in bed a little longer.

He would have told her he loved her.

Taking a breath, Lucien forced himself into the same place that, nearly two months earlier had been soaked in Beron’s blood. There was a spartan group of senators, led by Hybern. Lucien should have guessed, he supposed—the man wanted war, wanted to push the borders of Rome into territory they couldn’t take. Hybern would fight Neptune himself if he thought it would win him favor and gold.

He was no better or saner than Nero in that regard. Lucien should have killed him when he first became Emperor.

“Oh, Hybernius,” Lucien said, adopting the air of a disappointed parent. “Is this what it's come to?”

“You’re weak,” Hybern replied, dark eyes nearly black. “And a bastard from Syria who has no business sitting on the throne.”

Lucien raised his brows. “Challenge me, then.”

Hybern gestured around at the Senators he’d managed to win over, their blades likely hidden beneath their togas.

“Challenge me like a man,” Luicen replied just as Jurian stepped into the open room, sword in hand. He handed it to Lucien with a grim smile, glancing toward the pair of open double doors.

“You have a rat in your number,” Jurian lied.

True fear slithered other Hybern’s features. He’d been so confident of his course of action, so sure things would work out in his favor. Now he’d die on the same marble floor so many others before him had, his reputation tattered. Lucien would get to write history—he’d ensure everyone remembered Hybern as little more than a pathetic traitor intent on undoing the legacy of Rome for his own selfish gains.

“I’m not going to kill you,” Lucien said, eyes sweeping the room. “I’ll let the birds do that. Your bodies will serve as a reminder to the populace of what happens to traitors of the empire.”

He was going to crucify them. He’d have them beaten and then made into a spectacle, forced to endure the humiliation of the city stares before hung up on the cross. It was, he’d been told, an agonizing death.

It was what Hybern deserved.

“Where is your wife, Augustus” Hybern whispered in response. Lucien froze. He wouldn’t dare. Eyes sliding to the windows at the far end of the room, Lucien found he couldn’t see his palace against the blinding brightness of the rapidly setting sun. Beside him, Eris had become taut with rage.

Lucien’s plans shifted. He’d kill Hybern right here, right now, simply to satisfy his need. The threat against Elain was too far—she was innocent in all this. Lucien advanced, sword unsheathed as Jurian motioned for the Praetorian Guard to swarm in. It was meant to be a bloodbath—and in some ways it was. In the chaos, Lucien lost Hybern. The smell of blood and the flurry of bodies, the unsheathing of weapons—it gave the traitor a chance to slip away.

Lucien and Eris were just behind, Jurian at Lucien’s side.

“Get them to the palace,” Lucien ordered, knowing he ought to go instead. “Get Elain out.” Jurian hesitated—he wasn’t supposed to leave Lucien.

“Please,” Lucien added, letting some of his fear slip from his otherwise cold countenance. Besides, he knew exactly who he needed for this endeavor. Jurian nodded, branching off as Eris and Lucien stepped into the city.

“You can’t trust him,” Eris hissed. He’d always been able to read Lucien’s mind.

“I apparently can trust no one but you and Jurian,” Lucien replied. “I’ll take men who fight for money over men who fight only for themselves.”

It was night by the time they reached the rather nice home Rhysand had made for himself. Lucien didn’t bother knocking—why should he? Everything Rhysand had was by his grace and mercy, and he could take it all back if he wished. Did the great Thracian General resent it? He had to, Lucien reasoned.

Rhysand looked up from a chair, dressed in a simple chiton and sandals. “Please, come in,” he said dryly.

“I need your sword,” Lucien told him without preamble.

“Why would I accept?” Rhysand countered, clearly bored with the whole spectacle. “I’d like to go to bed.”

“Would you like to kill some Roman’s before you fall asleep?” Lucien shot back, ignoring how the words felt treasonous.

“We’ll pay,” Eris added in a bored tone.

“It better be a lot of gold,” Rhysand grumbled as Eris tossed Hyberns emblem into Rhysand’s outstretched fingers.

“Only men wearing that,” Lucien said. “Kill them however pleases you best. Leave their bodies in the street.”

“Stop or I’ll think you’re propositioning me,” Rhysand said, throwing a wink at the pair. “Try not to die.”

Lucien only nodded as Eris sneered, clearly displeased with the whole thing. They turned to leave him, aware he needed to dress, just in time to see fire erupt in the distance.

“He wouldn’t,” Eris whispered, his expression sliding into fear. Lucien’s heart raced at the sight, mind terribly empty.

Rome was burning.

By the time Lucien made his way back to the palace, it was well into the evening. He and Eris had raced down to the sight of the flames, organizing the vigiles from their homes and beds to help citizens douse the flames. He trusted they’d get it under control, diverting the flow from the aqueducts so the water was more abundant where it was necessary.

But it took time—time that caused whole neighborhoods to burn to ash. The rebuilding would be costly and time consuming, especially in the middle of summer. If Hybern wanted to fund a war, burning his own city seemed antithetical to the cause.

To Lucien, it felt as though Hybern had decided to take as much with him to the grave as possible. Lucien wanted to kill him.

Lucien would kill him.

Drenched in sweat, heart pounding in fear, he made his way into his palace to find the entryway soaked in blood. Eris paused, too, sword held in one hand. They said nothing as they stepped over the bodies of traitors, men who’d sided with Hybern and had come to slaughter innocent women sleeping in their beds.

Had they succeeded?

Neither Lucien nor Eris spoke a word as they made their way over more bodies. Blood seemed to stain the marble walls, seeping into the cracks as it dried. How much of it was Elain’s, he wondered with dread in his heart.

His bedchamber door was wide open, the furniture strewn about. Someone had come looking—and hadn’t found what they were looking for. There was no sign of a struggle, that Elain had been woken by violence and dragged out. Still, Lucien wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw her, dead or alive.

“She’s probably with Arina,” Eris whispered, his voice hoarse. They turned for Eris’s bedchamber, which was far worse than Lucien’s. They’d clearly been in the room at some point and the scene of destruction was violent. Furniture was splintered and ruined, clothes pulled from drawers, windows cracked. A panel in the wall was left open—is that how they’d gotten out? Had they heard the commotion and made a run for it?

Lucien didn’t need to ask his brother to follow behind him. All he heard was his half panicked breathing as his mind began conjuring the most horrific images imaginable. He saw Elain’s body, broken and bleeding, eyes lifeless and her spirit gone. He could see no scenario in which Elain somehow managed to invade a swarm of well-armed soldiers with her life.

They emerged in the kitchen to a grizzly sight.

Eris exhaled when he saw that dead body. “Arina,” he murmured as though he were some kind of prophet. How he knew, Lucien didn’t ask. He merely followed into the dark where they found yet another body butchered with the unmistakable politeness that belonged to Elain. He could practically see the apology written into the skin beside the smell of vomit wafting upward from the grass.

“Where are they?” Lucien asked, turning to look toward the glow of the palace. “You don’t think they went into the city?”

Eris crossed his arms over his chest. “How much of the future do you think they know?”

“Too much,” Lucien groaned. They sprinted for the palace, though in truth Elain and Arina could have been anywhere. Was Hybern stupid enough to return here, when fleeing the city, living in exile, and amassing an army to better challenge Lucien would have been the smarter course of action?

In the end, Lucien and Eris found Arina standing before Hybern and six soldiers, kneeling before him with her eyes cast down. He was delivering some sermon, orating before a woman forced to listen. Lucien wouldn’t have wished it on his worst enemy.

“Step away,” Eris ordered, ending the long-winded explanation.

“You’re outnumbered,” Hybern said. Who had given him the black eye, Lucien wondered? Was it Arina? Gods above, he hoped so. The humiliation at being bested by a woman would follow him straight to Tartarus. There would be no heroes welcome for Hybern in Elysium. “Its over only for you.”

Lucien’s tongue was stuck to his throat. If Arina was here waiting to die, where was Elain? There was only one explanation—she was already dead, body yet undiscovered. It filled him with an icy hatred he couldn’t quite swallow.

They couldn’t take all seven without letting Arina die. Eris must have calculated the odds in his heads, too, and come to the same conclusion. Was her death acceptable collateral damage? Could Lucien look his brother in the eyes, could he ask for his support knowing he let his new wife die so they could retain control of the empire?

What would he do if it was Elain?

Lucien felt impulsive and reckless. Maybe he didn’t care. Why should Eris get his wife when Lucien’s was almost certainly dead. The unfairness of the fates to bring her to him, only to cruelly snatch her away.

He took a step forward as Hybern raised his blade for Arina. She looked up, eyes blazing not with defiance, but amusement.

“No—” Eris halted as a shadow moved just behind Hybern, slipping from behind a curtain. A moment later the sharpened tip of a dagger protruded wholly through Hyberns throat, causing his eyes to bulge with fear. He tried to turn, but Arina was on her feet in a flash, taking advantage of everyone's surprise to add her own dagger to the mix.

“I warned you,” Arina said. “I told you that you died tonight.”

Elain’s face was pale and splattered with old and new blood. She wasn’t built for war—Lucien’s sword was unsheathed, his mission reaffirmed. Hyberns soldiers never got within an inch of her beautiful face. They met Lucien’s sword swiftly, turning their attention to him and his brother while Elain and Arina continued taunting a dying Hybern as though they were Seers blessed by the gods.

It must have been terrifying final words, though, and for that Lucien was grateful for the pair of them. He’d laugh about it later. Right then, all Lucien cared about was Elain, staring at him with the widest pair of brown eyes.

She laughed when she saw him. Laughed even as tears began to gather in her eyes and laughed some more when her knees gave out and he had to hold her against him. It was nothing like Arina, who began yelling loudly at Eris in that strange language, hands flying while his brother merely nodded his eyes as if he understood a word of it.

Maybe he did. After all, Eris did say, “Watch your tone,” in a soft growl.

“Elain, I…” Lucien felt immense shame as he looked upon her. He’d sworn to keep her safe and failed at the first opportunity to prove he was a man of his word.

Elain merely threw her arms around his neck, face buried against his blood stained toga. “You’re alive. I was so afraid…so afraid…”

Lucien murmured nothing that was reassuring before Jurian returned with a good half of the Praetorian Guard. The night wasn’t over—but his wife was alive. Ordering soldiers to stand outside her door, the three returned to the city to help with the flames and sweep up the last few remaining dissenters.

They all met Rhysand’s blade while the Thracian General smiled widely, face upturned toward the inky night sky. He’d never seen the man happier which disturbed him. That was a problem for another day, another time.

Right then—all Lucien needed was Elain.

He didn’t bother washing himself, still coated in blood when he found her standing in their bed chamber.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, making his way toward her. Lucien meant to cup her face in his hands, but his knees gave way, causing him to once again kneel before this woman. Lucien bowed his head, hair sliding over his neck and if she’d wanted, she could have taken his head from him. Maybe he deserved it.

Elain’s dress rustled as she joined him on the ground, doing what he should have done—taking his face between her hands so he had to look at her.

“It was worth it to be here with you,” she whispered, eyes searching his own. “I have no regrets. Do you?”

“None,” he swore. “You are my empire, Elain. The only fealty I ever swore loyalty to.”

“Then rise, Lucien,” she murmured. Lucien did, taking her hand in his so they came up together. He reached for her then, kissing her fiercely. Elain had defied the very nature of time itself to be here with him, to live in this place. For him. She hadn’t stayed out of duty or some great love of the past, though he suspected it didn’t hurt that she was interested in his home and this place.

“Never again,” he swore, holding his wife close. Mouth pressed to her hair, Lucien repeated his vow. “Never again.

Two thousand years in the future, historians would examine the events of that July night. Papers would be written, accounts examined, sites dug up. Artists drew their renditions of the Emperor running into the street to put out the fire, of the Thracian Gladiator who fought side-by-side with Romans to quell a would-be coup.

And of the Empress who’d slaughtered the initiator of the plot. Elain understood, now, why there were limited records of Helena—because she was from the future, and couldn’t reveal how much she knew without destroying, perhaps, the very fabric of time.

Lucien wrote very little of her as well, though they did exchange letters that she knew would be mostly lost to time. Her face would be forever etched on coins, her memory preserved in academic works. In that way, she never really left her friends and family, though she doubted they’d ever see it that way.

But for Elain, it was enough.

#elucien #i had the time of my life fighting traitors to the roman empire with you #also that erina smut scene was stolen from the memory loss fic and just edited to fit the circumstances #i had to remove this line though and im sad about it:#Right then and there #Arina decided she wanted to be the girl he called whenever he couldn’t get out of his own head. She wanted Eris Vanserra to regret her.

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