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c-jay-s-text-posts-only · 2 years ago

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A Special Mission

Written with permission from @juanarc-thethird

With further inspiration from @riku-izanami

Late one evening, team RWBY were hiding in the bushes. They were waiting for Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Oscar to return from the Schnee Family’s estate; their goal - to cut a long introduction short - was to extort money from Weiss’ Father. He’d cut her allowance off again; as usual, without good reason, and was content not to restore it.

He’d cut Winter off as well - which everyone involved thought was strange, so the two sisters consulted together, and hatched a plan.

Time passed, and Weiss was getting more and more worried.

As far as she was concerned, they were taking too long.

“Do you really think they’re okay?” She asked for the umpteenth time,

“I’m sure they’re fine.” Ruby patted her shoulder, “I’ve been travelling with them for-like-ever now, they know what they’re doing.”

“I hope you’re right . . .” Weiss conceded, but she still felt uncomfortable,

“I’m more concerned about how this was all your idea.” Remarked Blake, “I know you don’t like your father, but I never thought you’d go so far as to blackmail him to fund our adventures.”

“Yeah, I’m with Blake on this one.” Put-in Yang, “We know how screwed up your family is, but this is pretty sick!”

“Yes . . . we’re a messy house.” Weiss agreed with a sigh, “But if he’s going to say that I’m not a member of the Schnee Family anymore, then he’ll get what’s coming to him.”

Just then, they all heard the sound of an approaching vehicle, and they poked their heads out to see.

A large, double-wide military van cruised along the road towards them; Ruby whipped Crescent Rose and peered through the scope. She could see Ren and Oscar in the front, while Nora, who popped her head out of the moonroof, turned around to wave at them.

Ren brought the van to a stop when he saw Ruby go out into the middle of the road.

“We’re back!” Shouted Nora, “Did we miss anything?!”

“Nope!” Yang popped the ‘p’, “Thing’s’re movin’ a mile-a-minute around here.”

“Sweet, ‘cuz have we got a lot to tell you all!” Nora vaulted herself from the roof of the van, and executed a perfect mid-air tumble.

She landed easily in front of them. Ren and Oscar just opened their doors and stepped out.

Ruby was excited.

“So how’d it go?” She asked, “Did you get the money?”

Nora’s winning smile faltered.

“Y- . . . yeah . . . about that . . .” She began, “We- uh . . . we didn’t . . . we didn’t get anything . . .”

“What?!” Weiss couldn’t believe it, “What was the point of this mission then? What happened?!”

“Look, it’s not our fault!” Nora insisted defensively, “He’s a horrible person! Now I get why you wanted to blackmail him so bad!”

“Well that makes three of us now.” Muttered Blake,

“Okay, tell us what happened from the start-” Yang tried,

“No, seriously, I can’t believe he’d be so ruthless!” But Nora wasn’t finished, “Like, everything he did to his own employees and family?! It’s terrifying! People like your father are the ones you have to stay away from!

“Nora!” Yang interrupted, “Just tell us what happened already!”

“Okay-okay-okay!” And Nora took a breath to calm down, “We just went there, and then we gave him the run-down, y’know, like: ‘pay us this much, and we’ll keep our mouths shut’, blah-blah-blah.”

“Uh-huh . . .” Nodded Ruby,

“Sounds about right.” Yang nodded as well,

“But then he kinda, sorta got angry . . .” Continued Nora, “so then I got cheesed . . .”

“. . . Okay . . .?” Weiss was growing concerned.

Nora raised her eyebrows and glanced away.

“And then . . . things kinda just . . . went from there . . .”

Team RWBY exchanged worried looks.

“You-” Weiss tried, “You didn’t threaten to break his legs, did you?”

Nora gasped dramatically.

“I am oh-ffended!” She exclaimed, putting a hand on her chest, “Of course, you know I totally did . . .”

“Alright, then did you actually break his legs?” Asked Blake,

“Of course I didn’t!” Nora looked even more offended, “What kind of violent woman do you take me for?!”

No one had an answer; secretly, Weiss was relieved to know Nora hadn’t gone that far.

“Well, thank the Gods for that.” She murmured,

“But we did kidnap his wife~!” Nora’s eyes lit up,

“You what?!” Weiss exclaimed,

“You did what?!” Yang's eyes popped open.

Nora giggled excitedly and meandered over to the back of the van. With a click, the doors opened, revealing a fine rump firmly straddling a well-known waist - the boots and pants stuck out from underneath her. A wet, sucking noise cut through the air from behind the seats.

Weiss was horrified.

“Mother!?” She shrieked,

“Oh shit!” Yang’s jaw hit the ground,

“Woah . . .” Blake was surprised,

“Yo . . . I didn’t know he could work it like that . . .” Ruby whispered.

Willow sat up and turned around when she realised someone had called her; now everyone could see how she looked.

Her hair was let down and dishevelled, flowing freely past her shoulders. She had taken off her blue jacket, and her blouse was open, but not enough to expose anything indecent, just the impossibly deep valley of her chest - which Weiss would only very quietly admit to being jealous of.

“Oh!” Willow brushed a few strands of hair away, “Hello Daughter. I didn’t realise we’d gotten here so soon, no one told me . . .”

“Too soon . . .” A familiar voice from near Willow cracked and sighed dreamily.

“Yeah sorry, Ma’am." Nora apologised, thoroughly unabashed, “Didn’t wanna interrupt the uh- y’know . . .”

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, but Willow just gave her a warm smile.

“Please, sweetheart.” She said, “Call me by my name. It’s really the least I can let you do, considering everything you’ve all done for me.”

“Please, don’t stop on our account.” Blake thought this was very funny.

Weiss found her voice again and addressed her issue calmly.

“Mother, why are you kissing . . . him?” It was very difficult for Weiss to ask without wanting to throw up in her own mouth.

Willow gave Weiss a perplexed look.

“I had to pass the time somehow, didn’t I?” She told her, as if it was the most obvious thing, “Besides, he’s actually quite charming. I’d have been a fool to stay back at the Manor and let this gorgeous, young man walk away.”

The familiar voice gasped like he’d just seen something amazing, and he sat up a little, just enough for the others to see the expression on his face. Jaune's lips seemed brighter in the low light, and his cheeks and chin were smeared with pink lipstick; a lonely mark stood proudly out on his forehead.

“You really think I'm gorgeous?” His smile looked hopeful.

Willow turned back to him, returning an all too tender smile, and gently stroked the underside of his cheek; her eyes twinkled in a sweet and unbridled way.

“Of course, Love.” Willow nodded.

Jaune flopped back down and giggled in such a giddy fashion, even kicking his feet like a little girl. Willow tittered along with him; it was so cute to her. Yang thought it was almost adorable.

‘Man, if only I didn't already know why he's so happy.’ She mused, ‘. . . It's really sad now that I think about it.’

“Oh come on, Mother!” Interrupted Weiss, “Jaune of all people?!”

Willow looked a little surprised and switched her gaze between Jaune and her daughter.

“Jaune?” She asked, “This the annoying boy you wrote to us about?”

“Yes, that's him!” Weiss nodded fervently.

Jaune looked embarrassed; he hated remembering how foolish he’d been back in those days. But Willow just cupped Jaune’s face, eyeing him analytically.

“Hmmm . . . well, he’s more handsome than you'd let on.” She appraised, “And he’s hardly scraggly. He's quite well-built and kept. He’s also been nothing short of the perfect gentleman since he and his friends helped me escape.”

“What?” Weiss felt her world begin to crumble,

“Oh- and his hands have only ever been right where they needed to be.” Willow smirked coyly, "He's also very huggable and warm, it's just what I needed after all this time."

“Um-” Ruby raised a finger,

“Around my shoulders or on my back.” Willow clarified, “He asked permission before touching anything else.”

“Oh-” Ruby lowered her finger, “Wooowwwww . . .”

“Excuse me!” Weiss tried to argue, “Are we forgetting who this is?! He was scraggly when we met!”

“Well, he’s clearly not anymore.” Willow furrowed her brow, then broke into a teasing smile, “Weiss you're looking at-”

She stopped for a moment and turned to Nora.

“Um, what is it you young people call it?” She asked, “A beef tart- no, pie, was it?"

“Uh- Beef cake.” Nora corrected her, “Close enough.”

“Ooh yes, that’s it!” Willow snapped her fingers, “He’s a proper Beef cake. Not over-muscled, but not too frail either. And he’s the perfect height too!”

The others couldn't see it, but Jaune’s face had turned as red as Ruby’s cloak. He felt so loved.

“D’oh, stop it!” He crooned, “You’ll make me blush!”

“You dunce, you'd blush for just about anything, wouldn't you?!” Snapped Weiss,

“Weiss,” Her mother warned, “He’s not a dunce, he’s a dear. But if he’s to wear the dunce cap for anyone, it will be for me.”

Willow turned back to Jaune, tickling his chin.

“Now, darling, be a good boy, and bring those wonderful lips back to Mommy.” She licked her own,

“Woof!” Jaune’s voice cracked a little.

Just as their lips were about to touch.

“Mother, stop it!” Weiss was ready to rip her hair out.

Willow, exasperated, rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Oh relax, will you, Dear.” She chided, still stroking Jaune’s face, “It’s not as if you two are together.”

“That’s as may be!” Admitted Weiss blushing, “But he’s still my friend!”

“A friend you regularly spurned if my memory serves correctly.” Willow's reminder was firm, “Who was it complaining about his every advance in her letters? Not me, certainly. I wasn’t there, but if I had been, I’d have urged you to say yes. Or I'd have taken him out myself, perhaps.”

“YOOOOOOOOOO-!!” Yang, Nora, and Ruby shrilled, none of them could believe their ears.

Willow Schnee thought Jaune Arc was attractive?

A billionaire woman liked - for lack of a better word - a bumpkin?

What had happened to the world since team RNJR started their adventures together?

And not only that!

In spite of her constant drinking, Willow had read the letters Weiss wrote home. She had been paying attention to her after all.

Now that really topped it off!

Weiss shrunk back a little.

Deep down, she knew her mother was right. Although she had apologised to Jaune for being so rude in the early days, she had a very sinking feeling that he hadn’t accepted it.

Now she worried Jaune was doing this just to spite her.

Weiss would admit she knew next to nothing about boys outside of what Winter, Klein, and her father had told her, and what she had seen in Whitley.

Most of it had been not promising - Klein notwithstanding of course, because he was always so wonderful - and it led her to believe all boys had a sordid, icky endgame, one which only they would benefit from. So, Weiss had opted to stay away from them.

Despite of the forewarning, she had briefly dropped her guard and pursued Neptune back at Beacon, but that was ancient history now. There were bigger fish to fry, and romance was not among the cards as far as she was concerned.

While Weiss stewed in her thoughts, Oscar and Ren gave their friends a proper run-down of what had happened.

It was just as Nora said.

They went to the Manor and were invited inside. They spoke to Jacques and laid out their proposal, but as it turned out, he was already prepared for the blackmail they had, and he threatened to call the police after having them escorted out.

So, the team had to fall back and rethink their strategy. But as they made their daring getaway, they came across Willow; she had seen and heard everything and was desperate to get away as well.

She even promised to help with blackmailing Jacques further, which everyone thought was hilarious, and immediately invited her along. When they jumped into the van, Nora noticed how Willow was acting, and - in her infinite wisdom - offered Jaune to her, mostly so she could let out her frustrations. She knew Jaune was good for venting.

Ren was too, but he was her man.

So it was arranged.

Jaune and Willow took the seats in the very back of the van, while Ren drove with Oscar in the passenger seat.

Nora stayed between both parties and decided to watch their six, occasionally poking her head out and very suspiciously eyeing Schnee Manor while they drove away, as if the whole mansion, grounds and all, might get up and chase after them.

Jaune stayed huddled with Willow, keeping her company. He'd done this sort of thing before; comforting people came easily to him.

Now because Nora was too busy keeping a lookout from the moonroof, and Ren and Oscar kept their eyes on the road, none of them had seen what was going on between Jaune and Willow; until Nora came back down and heard a noise, a very distinct smooching noise, so she peered over the seat to look.

As soon as she saw it, Nora wanted to whoop and cheer for Jaune; seeing him lock lips with Willow Schnee of all people was equally as amazing as it was funny - his luck really seemed to hold out as far as mothers were concerned, and Weiss’ was definitely no exception.

But what really made Nora happy was the look on Jaune’s face after they shared their first kiss.

They had all been through so much since The Fall; everyone knew Jaune blamed himself for damn-near all of it - both she and Ren knew this was mostly because he felt guilty about Pyrrha.

And when she saw Jaune open his eyes again, Nora saw a spark in them.

One she was sure had been snuffed out some time ago.

Nora was so happy she nearly couldn’t contain herself, but she knew they had to be quiet, so telling the others about it would have to wait, at least until they were far enough away. But by the time they were, they had arrived back to their friends.

Weiss began feeling very light-headed.

“I don’t like to be that person.” Oscar called to Willow and Jaune, “But it's time we left. They’ll have caught on to us by now.”

Willow let out a disappointed whine, and accidentally wiggled her hips on Jaune as she adjusted herself.

“Oh, please, just five more minutes?” She begged, “We’ve finally come to a-”

Willow stopped when she felt something poke up behind her.

Something big. And thick.

“Oh~,” She purred,

“Sorry . . .” Jaune looked most embarrassed.

But Willow didn’t mind at all.

“Make it ten.” She bit her lip, “I doubt any road will be smooth enough for what I want to do next~.”

“Ew.” Weiss’ frown was so broad, Blake thought her mouth might fall off.

“Make it fifteen!” Ruby piped up, “I want in!”

“What?!” Demanded Weiss,

“The fuck!?” Yang’s eyes popped open.

To everyone's shock, Willow looked excited.

“Oh my, yes!” Undaunted, she pushed the back seat down, allowing for more space in the van, “The more, the merrier.”

“YES!” Ruby pumped her fist, then stuck her finger up Yang's nose, "IN! YO! FACE!"

And with a flourish, she used her semblance to close the gap; dashing inside and slamming the door behind her before Yang could do anything. The van rocked and creaked as the three of them started going at it. Weiss and Yang were speechless.

“This might just about the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.” Nora was happy for Jaune,

“I think this is the quietest it’s even been between these two.” Blake pointed to Yang and Weiss,

“WWWHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!” Wailed Yang,

“And there it goes . . .” Blake sighed,

“Why do these things keep happening to me?!” Weiss couldn’t believe it, “I go to Beacon, I don't get to lead! I see a nice boy, but he's a dirty flirt! And then Beacon is destroyed, I'm forced to come back here, help save the world-”

Weiss was so upset, she couldn't stop thinking about everything she'd seen go wrong.

“Be strong, Weiss,” Yang wrapped her weakly into a hug, “We’ll get through this together!”

“Shut up, don’t touch me!” Weiss hugged her back,

“I don’t want to be the one who jinxes it,” Ventured Ren, “But things could’ve been worse . . .”

“Oh, worse, how?!” Demanded Yang,

“Could’ve been?!” Weiss was indignant, “I fail to see-!? ”

“Winter and Raven.” Blake figured.

Weiss gagged, and Yang snarled; both girls tightened their grip on each other.

“Well . . .” Nora rocked back and forth on her toes, “I can’t speak for Raven, but . . .”

“But what?!” Snapped Weiss, “Out with it!”

“I mean-” Nora pretended to think carefully about what to say next, “How do you think we got the van?”

Weiss turned as white as her hair.

“Dear God . . .” Muttered Blake,

“There’s more . . .” Added Oscar,

“Nooo . . .” Groaned Yang, “No mo-ho-ho-ho-ore . . . It was enough to know that this guy fucks! And that my baby sister wants to too!”

A symphony of sweet moans rang out from the van.

“AAOOHH GODS, SHUT THEM UP!” Yang couldn’t take it anymore,

“Yeah, Winter’s arranged to see him soon.” Oscar said quickly, “Either after we escape Atlas, or when we meet her later. We have to keep the van somehow-”

“NNNOOOOO!” With that final sob, Weiss passed out in Yang’s arms.

“YES~!” Willow trilled from inside the van,

“And-now THIS is a katana~!” Hollered Ruby.

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A very awkward thirty minutes later, Weiss woke up, and the teams were on their way to a safe haven, far away from Schnee Manor. The ride was quiet, aside from the tires humming on the road beneath them.

Both Weiss and Yang were upset - Weiss more so than Yang, but that still didn’t mean it was something to sneeze at.

Jaune could feel Weiss’ angry eyes boring holes into him.

“Um-” He tried,

“Not!” Weiss interrupted, “A word out of you.”

The message received, Jaune shrank into himself, and shut his mouth. Strangely, Blake stepped up to defend him.

“You can’t be mad at him, Weiss.” She said, “He didn’t do anything wrong really.”

“Oh, can’t I?” Snorted Weiss, “Nothing wrong, indeed!”

“You heard what Ren and Nora said,” Blake reminded her, “He was only doing what he could to cheer her up.”

“He didn’t even try to stop kissing my mother.” Weiss was not having it, “But he did it for her, because it made her happy, so I can’t be mad at him for that now can I?!”

Jaune wanted to say something.

“I-” He tried again,

“Shut up!” Weiss interrupted again.

Once more, Jaune deflated. This time, Ren defended him.

“I think this has more to do with being repressed than anything else.” He reasoned from the driver’s seat, “Your mother went years without the touch of a loved one or a true lover. Jaune is willing to fill that role for her.”

Yang spotted the chance for a dirty joke, but didn't dare take it.

“And Jaune’s always thinking about what’s best for us.” Oscar put-in from the passenger seat,

“Annd he still has to bang your sister for the van in a while.” Nora added, almost too chipperly,

“Not helping, Nora, but thank you.” Ren called,

“Look, can we not talk about banging each other’s sisters for a sec?” Yang was feeling enormously uncomfortable.

Weiss was still upset.

“Well, he might’ve held better control over himself!” She said huffily, “And that- um, other sword of his . . .”

Jaune shifted awkwardly in his seat, but relaxed a little when Willow’s arms snaked discreetly over his shoulders. Thankfully, no one else seemed to notice.

“Alright, I hate to be on Vee-Bee’s side,” Yang admitted, “But I can’t really judge him either.”

At that moment, Ruby popped her head up from behind the seat next to Jaune; she was most eager to hear this.

Weiss was taken aback.

“Excuse me!” She put a hand on her chest,

“Weissy, have you seen your mother lately?” Yang asked, “Like, actually looked at her from head to toe?”

“What has that got to do with-” Weiss tried to brush it off,

“Weiss, your mom is hot.” Yang said bluntly, “There’s no easy way for me to say this.”

Weiss was appalled and speechless. Because she didn’t say anything, Yang took that as her cue to continue.

“I mean, look at her,” She insisted, “like, really look at her! She’s pretty, she has boobs as big as mine, a slim waist, and butt so fine, Blake almost looks a little small next to it-”

The words were out of Yang’s mouth before she could stop herself. Blake raised her eyebrows in a challenging way.

“Careful . . .” She warned,

“Sorry,” And Yang continued, “But I seriously can’t blame Jaune, looking at this objectively anyway. If I was a man with a working pair of eyes, your mom would give me a hard-on too. Hell, I like girls too, and she's doing me favours just being here with us!”

Willow blushed and smirked proudly behind Jaune’s head, she felt very flattered. Until now, she and Ruby had been quietly recovering out of the others’ sight.

“Um . . . thank you?” Jaune shrugged, unsure of what was going on just then.

Yang gave him a very pointed look.

“You’re still not off the hook with me, dude.” She said, shaking her head.

Once more, Jaune recoiled and sighed.

“Anyways, the point is there’s nothing we can do about this now.” Blake explained, “What’s done is done, and we should be focused on the real issue. How are we going to get money for our adventure?”

“Ideas, anyone?” Oscar asked, turning around to face his friends,

“Become professional jewel thieves?” Suggested Yang,

“Stage a series of bank robberies?” Weiss considered,

“Become prostitutes!” Declared Nora,

“WHAT?!” All the other girls were disgusted,

“What?” Nora shrugged, ��It’s legal in Mantle.”

“. . . Seconded, I guess . . .” Ren muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Jaune knew this was only so he could keep an eye on Nora - if push came to shove. It had been her idea, after all.

Ruby shook her head.

“Okay, let’s try this again,” Ruby piped up for the first time in a while, “do we have any legal ideas?”

Willow, who hadn’t said anything either, poked her head out and calmly intervened.

“My dear, if you needed money, you should have just asked me.” She said, addressing Weiss specifically.

Everyone stopped fussing for a moment, and flipped their gaze between Weiss and her mother. Collectively, they all ignored where Willow’s hands were resting.

“I . . . I could have?” Weiss seemed surprised,

“Of course!” Willow assured her, “Whatever made you think you couldn’t?”

Weiss looked down and mumbled; she looked a little hurt.

“I . . . I didn’t think you’d answer if I did the asking . . .” She said quietly.

Willow smiled kindly.

“Weiss, you’re my daughter.” She said, “My sweet, darling girl. I know you may not think I would, but I’d do anything for you if you asked. I’m not your father, but like you and everyone else, I’ve been hurt by him too.”

‘. . . Oh . . .’

Jaune looked a little to the left and reached up, gently clutching her hand, he brushed his thumb over her own; Willow accepted the gesture, and their fingers twined.

Once again, Weiss was speechless. She didn’t know what to think. For so long, Willow had made herself an invalid, in Weiss’ eyes, and now to see her coming back to life in such a profound way . . .

To see her coming back into her life . . .

It was moving . . .

“Thank you . . .” Weiss nearly wanted to cry.

At last, they arrived at Atlas’ Edge. This was like a border crossing for the Kingdoms of Atlas and Mantle; some of the airships travelling between the two kingdoms were big enough to carry small vehicles, like cars and pick-up trucks.

Now, the general public had their own fleet of airships for basic travel, but authorised personnel, such as Atlas Specialists and certain huntsmen still affiliated with the military, were transported using different ones. These were twice the size of the others, big enough in fact to carry military equipment like weapons, dust shipments, and, of course, the double-wide vans.

Willow directed Ren towards the authorised airships, and he gently cruised the van to a stop. Everyone got out and stretched their legs, and after a few minutes, they saw Winter come out from the shadows. Weiss was relieved to see her big sister.

“Winter!” She called.

Winter wasted no time and gave her sister a hug.

“I’m glad to see you made it out safely.” She said, hugging Weiss back, “All of you. We’ll be taking you to Doctor Polendina’s Pharmacy, you can lay low there until this situation blows over.”

“Thank you, Winter.” Weiss was grateful,

“Phew!” Remarked Nora, “That’ll be great. Your dad sucks, bee-tee-dubz.”

“What?” Winter blinked, “Oh yes, um, you’re right, he does.”

“Hold on, who’s we?” Asked Blake.

Before Winter could answer, an airship drew smoothly into the dock, and the ramp lowered.

“I can fly an airship.” She explained, “But I knew I should wait out here to make sure you arrived on time. Specialist Amin is in the cockpit now. Speaking of which, by the way, you’re late.”

Weiss gulped. Although she knew the teams were in a hurry, she hadn’t known how close they’d cut it.

“Five minutes behind schedule, what kept you?” Winter demanded.

“Five minutes isn't too bad though, is it?” Asked Ruby.

At that moment, Winter spotted her and Willow limping into view.

“What happened to them?” She was concerned,

“We- uh, heh-heh . . . we kinda had a little fun on the way?” Ruby chuckled, abashed,

“Fun?” Winter raised an eyebrow, “You two? Together?”

“Well yes, my dear,” Willow smiled, “Jaune was quite good to us both.”

Winter’s forehead wrinkled somewhat, she looked stern.

“But mother~,” She almost whined in a petulant way, “I thought we agreed I’d be the first to do it!”

Weiss’ eyes nearly fell out of her head.

‘Nora hadn’t lied?!’ She realised.

“I’m sorry, Winter.” Willow apologised earnestly, “But we both know he’s just what we need.”

Winter pouted uncharacteristically.

“. . . Fine.” She sighed, then turned to Jaune, “In that case, I have a favour to ask.”

“Uhh . . . yes, Ma’am?” He looked a little nervous,

“I’ll be needing you, your friend in green, and Specialist Amin.” Winter said firmly, “In the van after we load it up.”

“Oh.” Blake was stunned,

“. . . Uuuuhhhh . . .” Yang had no words,

“All three-?!” If Weiss’ jaw hadn’t dropped before, it’d have fallen from the cliff when she heard Winter say that.

Ruby had jumped back into the van to help Marrow and Nora load it up, so she hadn’t heard anything. Neither Yang nor Blake nor Oscar could believe it themselves, there was so much going on!

Since when was Jaune so good with cold women?

Jaune had nothing to say himself, he just gulped; once again, he could feel Weiss’ angry eyes boring holes into him. Ren was nervous too, the look in Winter’s eyes was a hungry one, and he didn’t know what to make of it.

“Altogether, they’ll suit my purposes.” Winter stated, matter-of-factly, “We still have approximately thirty minutes before our scheduled departure time.”

“Um, I- I don’t think my girlfriend would-” Ren tried, blushing brighter than anyone thought was possible,

“How much are you willing to offer?” Nora had bounded over before anyone noticed, she had heard everything.

Both Willow and Winter smirked.

“How ever much you’d like.” They said together.

Nora’s eyes lit up and sparkled like fireworks.

“YOU GOTTA DEAL!” And with both hands, she shook Winter and Willow’s, and then she turned to her teammates, “ALRIGHTY BWOIS, GET IN THERE!”

And reeling her hands back, she slapped their backsides harder than intended. Jaune and Ren yelped and stared in utter disbelief as Nora, unabashed as ever, ran back to the hull of the airship.

“HEY, BISCUIT-BREATH!” She hollered at Marrow, “GET YOUR TAIL DOWN HERE, MISS WINTER’S ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!”

How could it have gone so far?

“Jaune?” Ren gulped, “I’m both scared and aroused . . . what do I do?”

Jaune just shook his head.

“I’unno, dude.” He sighed, “Let’s just get it going . . .”

And cracking his neck, Jaune made his way over to the hull. Ren quietly followed him. Winter kept on smirking and led them on, swaying her hips as she went.

Willow gazed proudly at them all.

“That’s my eldest.” She smiled, then she had a thought, “Do you know? I think I’ll go watch them.”

And with that, Willow headed for the airship as well.

Everyone who remained outside couldn’t help staring as Marrow dropped down from a higher level and clambered excitedly into the van.

Yang ventured over to where Weiss was standing.

“Uhh . . . Weissy?” She asked carefully, “Are you okay?”

Weiss didn’t answer.

“Weiss?” Yang tried again.

Still nothing happened.

“I think we need to give her some time.” Blake patted her shoulder, “I don’t know how I’d take it if my mother wanted to have um, relations, with Jaune of all people.”

Yang agreed. It would be a very jarring moment.

Although Yang would also admit, she knew she would be very angry if she found out Raven wanted to spend time with Jaune like that. And Gods forbid if Summer were still around!

She wouldn't excuse it, no matter how much he looked like her father.

“We should get on board.” Said Oscar, “We’re still escaping.”

Yang and Blake nodded at each other, and scooping up Weiss, they scrambled up the ramp and entered the airship. As they did, Oscar thought of something.

“Hey, where’d Ruby go?” He asked.

Yang and Blake looked around. Sure enough, Ruby was nowhere to be seen. Then Blake remembered.

“Wasn’t she helping load the van?” She pointed out,

“Yeah!” Yang snapped her fingers, “So she has to be in the-”

She stopped short.

“I remember seeing her get in the van, but I don’t remember seeing her get out . . .” Blake pointed out.

Yang stood stock-still for a moment.

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!” She shrieked at last.

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lightlycareless · 1 year ago

Note

So HOTTT of Naoya to be an equestrian champion... *bites lip*

Heya anon! Sorry for the late reply, oof. I wanted to post this a while ago but in-between me just lazying it up, working on the main fic, and dealing with other emotional things I just... didn't lol.

But I'm here now! And I gotta say, I enjoyed writing something different from the usual :> I'm actually working on something else, which I hope to post soon... we shall see.

Anyways, your ask reminds me of this one fic I absolutely love 😭!!

Just to hear someone being the champion of something, regardless of what it is… I don’t know, fascinating. I’m like wow they’re the best in the world in that particular niche. And it makes you wonder if they’ve always been inclined to that, if they’ve always been good and whatnot. Wow.

But moving forward, here are the warnings for this 2-part (yay!) oneshot: explicit content, a bit of smut, Naoya is in it so either expect him to be a complete a-hole, misogynistic, objectifying, rude, yadayada, the usual lol.

Now onto the good stuff:

Let’s imagine that you were somewhat related to the “equestrian/horse jockey/racer” lifestyle since you were a child because you come from a long line of racers. Your dad was a horse jockey, your mom too, your grandpa, so on and so forth. You’re kind of royalty at this point, however, none of your relatives held the title of champion until your brother (Ren gashgkjhasjk) came along, that finally put your family on the map, cue your somewhat of a celebrity status. A… D-list celebrity, compared to your B-list almost A celebrity of a brother, in a universe where horse racing is very, insanely popular.

You were never forced to partake in the family tradition, after all was said and done, they were competitive but not a-holes when it came to their own relatives, so instead you decided to pursue somewhat of a normal lifestyle, get a career, whilst supporting your brother.

Cue rising star Naoya Zen’in, heir of the prestigious Zen’in clan that everyone suspected to be involved in shady business and often kept to themselves, so who would’ve thought they also liked to partake in competitions?

Because of his sudden apparition, as well as his exceptional skills, you’re naturally attracted to know more about this mysterious man who seems to give your brother a run for his money when obtaining the title of champion—or at least, that’s what the tabloids want it to appear, of course, until he inevitably does.

Having achieved what no one has ever done before (or at least as close as he had, since other racers like Gojo and Geto often take more of a… calm approach towards the competition, as if this was a pastime rather than a career), your interest in him reaches a new record high.

And you couldn’t be blamed—the more interviews you saw of him, the more you found him fascinating. The way he expressed himself when talking about his work gave you the impression that he was highly dedicated to his career, and you’d only seen that once or twice in your life.

But what caught your interest the most… was his charisma, and handsome appearance.

Naoya just carried an aura which forbade your eyes from straying away, even with the warnings your brother gave you, you just… couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“He’s a complete asshole— arrogant, snarky, and overall petty. I don’t want you getting near him.”

To which you quickly disregarded, telling him that: “Well, he’s obviously like that with you because you’re his direct competitor!”

You’d go against his warnings by attending his training sessions, which were only made available to other competitors or close relatives—you, being sister of the past champion, gave you the necessary access to see him up close and personal, although there wasn’t much closeness when it came to it, because although these interactions weren’t prohibited, they weren’t encouraged either, limiting yourself to observe him from the bleachers instead.

That, of course, and the shyness that rendered you immoble whenever realizing how close he was to you settled in.

This distance wouldn’t last long, however, for it was only a matter of time that he’d notice he was being observed by his rival’s sister, and that fact did not sit well with him at all.

Naoya didn’t like your brother, for according to him, he was too arrogant, evidently because he believed no one would ever dare take the title of champion out of his hands, growing confident, sloppy even, until harsh reality came crashing down onto him when it finally occurred.

The look on his face when the score ended in his favor was one Naoya would never forget, nor the roaring screams from the crowd when the verdict was finally announced.

He doesn’t presume your brother to be having the time of his life, and desperate to retrieve the position he once held, he retorted to deploying all kinds of methods to find a weakness of his to exploit.

He’s highly aware of how the families of competitors tended to work, thanks to some nasty experiences and growing up in such treachery too.

Their means were simple: they’d either mess up with the rider’s equipment, bribe the judges, or to the worse felony yet, directly attack the horse. Some have even died through these dirty altercations, and all to ensure victory.

It would be hypocritical of Naoya to deny he hadn’t done something like that before, considering the reputation of his family and the extensive possibilities at his command, but he can confidently say that he’d never made use of them outside a few occasions, his talent doing most of the job when earning triumphs.

Taking all of this into consideration, he thinks you must be one of those schemes sent out by a jealous competitor intended to distract their rival one way or the other.

He thought of it adorable, really, as if he’d fall for something so silly as a honey pot.

Sure, you were good looking, but it would take much more than that to get him distracted more so when he could easily get what you offered from the flock of fangirls that followed him around.

For all he knew, you were probably getting trained to be a racer too, whether to replace your brother after his failure or to keep the championship within the family, he didn’t know—although he wasn’t so sure about his theory, since he hadn’t seen you around the competitions outside of cheering for your brother and friends from afar, or wishing them good luck backstage before going onto the field.

Well, whatever it was, Naoya didn’t like you, not one bit. He thought of you as an annoyingly consistent mosquito buzzing around his ear whenever he caught a glimpse of you.

Just what exactly were you doing? Trying to read his movements so you could go rushing to your brother and tell him all about it? Pathetic.

But what was more pitiful was the way you’d look at him, wide-eyed and astounded, cheeks red whenever passing you by, unable to even respond to his greetings whenever he acknowledged you, outside of a squeak and a hurried “excuse me” before disappearing.

You were the epitome of displeasure.

“—And not only that, but rude too.” Naoya would tell his closest confidant, the one that prepared everything for his training sessions, and a childhood friend. “All members of her family must be like that—If it were up to me, I would’ve disqualified them just by that.”

“I don’t think she’s acting like that because she’s rude, Naoya” Ranta dared to say otherwise, much to the current champion’s irritation who often, if not always, liked to be agreed with.

“What else then?” he hisses, twisting his face into a scowl.

“I think it’s because… she likes you.”

Now it was Naoya’s moment to be startled.

Like him?

Surely Ranta must’ve hit his head on the way there to come up with that stupidity. There’s no way someone like you, having such a close relationship with the previous champion, would find interest in him outside of contempt. That’s just not how these things worked!

But let’s say it wasn’t that— let’s say… you did hold some kind of attraction towards him.

Your shyness suddenly made sense, why you rarely spoke to him, why you’d always look at him with fascination, a smile on your face whenever you saw him accomplish particularly hard trick with his horse, silently cheering for him whenever doing the rest of his routine… all while keeping distance.

If you were in the supposed mission of discovering a non-existent weakness in him, you would’ve approached him by now.

But you didn’t, and Ranta’s speculation might be the reason why.

And from that point forward, as if by the work of a miracle, perhaps allured for having the sister of his rival seemingly head over heels for him, Naoya begins to look at you through a different prospect.

It wouldn’t take long before he grew tired of your aloofness, though, impatient of waiting to see when you’d dare approach him, so he thought he’d do you a favor and take the first step himself—much to your horror.

“Hey!”

You’d hear him call one day after his training was done; at first you thought it was just your mind making up things, victim of all the immeasurable scenarios you’ve made up in your head… However, when you heard his voice again, turning your head to corroborate your assumptions, you knew it was real.

You freeze for a quick second upon realizing he was approaching you, before your survival instincts kick in and make a run for it.

“Hey—Where are you going?! Hey!” Naoya yells, rushing to your side and getting a hold of your hand, rooting you in place. The suddenness of his movement, as well as having him touch you, makes you think you're going to faint. “Why the hell are you running off like that? It’s not like I'm mugging you!"

“I—I needed to—to go!” you shriek, tugging and writhing against his hold I'm trying to escape, all whilst keeping your gaze as far away from him. He notices that. “I'm running late to—to—!"

“At least look me in the eye if you’re going to dismiss me.” He says, a smirk on his face as he sees your struggling stop at the same time your ears turn red.

That would've been enough for many, having seen you embarrassed enough, but for Naoya there is no such thing as too much, as he proceeds to further ridicule you. “Is that how you treat your brother's rival? I thought that even after all that, we could still count on each other to have an amicable relationship…"

Your breath hitches as your worst fears materialize before you.

"I—I didn’t mean to… appear rude.” you whisper. The rumors surrounding your brother and him were already nasty as they were… the last thing you wanted was to be added into the equation.

Although you were more concerned for not leaving a first bad impression—even if you envisioned this moment happening way differently.

“Well, that’s all you’ve been to me—staring at me from afar. Not bothering to say hello, even when I greet you… and now, avoiding me.” he laments, as if he cared for this before Ranta made it aware you liked him, and your eyes widened.

Has he really been all that aware of you? If that was the case, then he really was impressive… to keep attentive to his training, while being aware of someone so irrelevant like you is something only talented people like him could pull off.

“…I… I’m sorry” you murmur “I… know it’s not an excuse, but… I didn’t know what to say. I guess I was surprised you… noticed…. Me” you drift on the last part, voice growing smaller and smaller as hotness settles on your cheeks.

“Why?” he asks, tilting his head a bit to the side, a gesture that makes you feel silly, put on the spot. Exactly where he wanted you. “Am I that… unapproachable?”

“I didn’t mean that!” you gasp, rushing to reassure Naoya upon seeing his face gloom. A reaction that would instantly infatuate Naoya, prompting him to tease you whenever possible to get that flustered face out of you. “…I just… admire you. And I… was too ashamed of telling you. I mean, you must hear it from everyone already, so why would I make any difference…?”

“You? Admiring me?” Naoya blurts, a bit too loud for his liking. Fortunately, you take his response as an act of humbleness, not him reflecting on the doubts Ranta planted on his mind. Doubts… he was ready to discard, until he received direct confirmation from your voice.

Quite unexpected, but welcomed nonetheless.

“Surely your brother was far more impressive. He was the champion… until I came along of course”

“Oh—I, I mean I guess so.” You chuckle nervously, “But… I like your technique better.”

“You ride?” by your selections of words, he has to inquire. Had it been a casual watcher, they probably would’ve said something redundant such as “you look cool” or “how do you get the horse to do that?”

But coming from you and your background, his theory of you being trained to be a jockey, if not one already, rises to the occasion, alongside the idea of you being sent to spy on him—

“No” you respond, and it’s his time to be surprised.“Not really, the rest of my family are the ones that know all that stuff, but of course, you already know that” you laugh, and he raises an eyebrow.

“Then what? Are you afraid of horses or something?”

“It’s not like that!” you laugh, shaking your head. “I just… I don't like the sensation, that’s all. Kind of ironic, isn’t it? Considering everyone around seems to love it.”

Naoya doesn’t ponder on your answers too much, outside of what he can take to his advantage, of course. Judging by your reaction, the way you were referring to him, and your words, he comes up with two conclusions:

You’re telling the truth. And that you’re undoubtedly, irrefutably stars-truck by him. If not enamored at this point, by him.

A succession convincing enough to hitch him to you, believing he can get his fair share of fun from it, see just how far your desperation to please him will get you, and who knows? Even drive his rival crazy while at it.

Oh, he can already imagine the look on his face once your brother knows about it…

Partially made possible by the tabloids, who didn’t take long to notice something was up when they saw the two together getting dinner at some nearby, luxurious restaurant, courtesy of Naoya after a few days of insistence.

“I can’t, I don’t think it’s right” you’d try to reject him, and while he found your coyness adorable, the fact that he had to insist was annoying the hell out of him.

“Come on” he persists, eyes softening and lips pouting so as to pull your heartstrings “It’s the least I could do after the support you’ve been giving me”

You end up accepting, and the rest is history… recorded on the articles that began to circulate across the internet, the words “Naoya Zen’in in a relationship with his rival’s sister?!” their main, eye-catching title.

He didn’t care about it, in fact, he thrived on the attention, fed his ego and gave him the impression of invincibility, much to his manager’s displeasure, who had grown exhausted of telling and begging Naoya to be careful with his public persona…

You, on the other hand, never being one to be under the limelight, began to suffer the consequences of said thing. Starting by your mother, who reminded you that your actions not only affected you, but your brother’s reputation, which… “You are going to be in charge in a few years, once I retire from being his manager. Remember, it’s easier to maintain than to improve.”

To your brother, who stormed through your bedroom door as soon as the rumors graced his ears, with a newspaper in hand serving as evidence, intending to seek an answer.

“D—dating him?!” You flinch upon hearing his booming voice, a tone rarely used by him, if not to express his great happiness after a successful competition. “Of all people, you’re dating him?!”

“Who?!” you gasp, heart thundering against your chest as you drop what you were doing—nothingless than paperwork, for your almost due project. If you hadn’t been distracted by Naoya, this wouldn't be an issue… “What are you talking about?!”

“Who— Who else am I talking about, Y/N, if not the man you went to get dinner with yesterday??” he frowns, shoving the newspaper to you, giving it a quick reading before jumping back to Ren. “Why the hell would you go and fraternize with the enemy after the warnings I gave you?!”

“I just… went to get something to eat… it’s not a big deal.” And maybe that’s all that it was, although you wouldn’t tell him that you’d been fantasizing with the idea of being something more, thanks to the fact that you’ve kept contact with him, already received another invitation to go eat with him.

“… did he do something?” He asks, referring to his crude nature and another rumor that circulated between racers. If he hears, even if it’s the smallest, briefest implication that he had taken advantage of you—!

“No, of course not! You know that as soon as he does something I don’t like, he’s gone!” you reassure him, or attempt to anyway, for your brother is… quite stubborn when it comes to changing his mind on something he doesn’t like.

Well, it’s not like he can do anything about it now, outside of hoping Naoya will keep his hands to himself, if not out of respect for you, at least for the sake of their “friendly” competition.

A sentiment that would struggle to remain, for that point forward the tabloids would just get crazier and crazier with their titles the more they saw the two together.

They always presented the same thing, of course, that the two were in some kind of secret relationship, probably to stir your brother (now introducing some kind of jealous rivalry between you and him) or that you’d jumped alliances to enjoy the privileges of a champion.

All things that amused Naoya to no end, but greatly irritated you.

“I don’t like it” you’d confide to Naoya one night while he was driving you back home. “They’re saying nothing but a bunch of lies!”

“First time dealing with the tabloids?” he smirks, but far from being cheered up, your frown deepens.

“I don’t want this to affect my family”

“Then it won’t” he says, a free hand reaching over to your face and pinching your cheek “As long as you know the truth, who cares what they say?”

And you take his words to heart—after all, what you’re going through is nothing compared to him. So he must know how to navigate these situations.

You take his hand, turning around to see him and give him a smile.

“Thank you”

The two kept seeing each other, more and more frequently—always willing to join Naoya wherever he wanted to take you, to the point that’s all you looked forward to. Not even finishing your career, or helping out your mom with Ren’s upcoming PR events.

All that you wanted was to be with Naoya, see what kind of wonderful things he’ll show you on this occasion, and be overall happy.

And as things proceeded between the two… it naturally didn’t take long before things became a bit more serious.

There were never actual words muttered to imply the beginning of your relationship with him, but one day, it just made sense.

“Wow—it’s quite late, much more than what I expected!” you say upon noticing the dark sky, whilst holding his hand as the two leave the place both got dinner at.

It was a miracle that there was no one to snap a picture of the two as they left the building, but that didn’t stop either from enjoying themselves to the best of their ability, being able to enjoy the quietness of the night for the first time in weeks.

“And cold too!” you shivered, unwittingly squeezing his hand, a gesture he replicates. “Makes me want to get something warm…”

Naoya doesn’t respond, like he usually does. Back then it was because he thought your conversations to be a bit too silly to engage in completely, but now, it’s because he likes to listen to your voice.

“Think we can go to a nearby coffee shop and get something?” you ask, stopping on your tracks, releasing his grasp and skipping ahead of him, turning to face him.

The way you look at him is endearing, with big round eyes as if pleading him to consider your proposal, and a grin on your face he can’t help but feel warmed by it—maybe he’ll skip on the coffee. “You can get something too! I’ll pay for it, to make up for dinner, hmm? How about that? I know of a very good place too, you won’t regret it”

You continue to beam, and Naoya, by some strange reason, perhaps overwhelmed by your adorableness, leans down to your level and kisses you.

It’s a quick peck, nothing less than his lips brushing over yours in a sweet, loving gesture, but it’s enough to leave you dumbfounded during and after he peeled away from you.

Trying to understand what had just occurred, you blink rapidly, wanting to clear the image before you and debunk any possibilities of an hallucination—but the lingering warmth on your lips and cheeks proves you otherwise, more so when you look up to Naoya who was starting at you with the same startled look on his face.

Neither knew why the kiss happened, only that Naoya was suddenly inundated with the urge to do it, that you were a flustered mess, and that both liked it, feeling that regardless of why it occurred, it was the right thing to do.

The relationship between the two soon began to flourish into something deeper, more intimate, and quite intense too. You’d soon discover that Naoya was nothing of a gentle lover, but rather… passionate, desperate to get the new flavor you provided, whether it be stealing all of your kisses whenever possible, hoarding all of your attention on him when you were free —even if you were not…

Or exploring places where no one else had seen before.

“Am I really your first one?” Naoya mutters against your ear, appearing skeptic of your claims, as he holds you up against him, pounding and thrusting deep into your core as you hold back your moans, biting your lip to the point you’re sure it’s bleeding, but even with the pain you don’t relent, nor does the champion when it comes to wrecking your insides. “Tell—Tell me, princess” he groans; it’s always the same, whenever he teases you with one of his thousand pet names, your walls tighten, harshly squeezing him to the point he thinks you might cut his dick off—and he can’t get enough of it. He smirks at the sensation, thrusting sharper into you. “Has anyone else—anyone else touched you like this?”

Not that he actually cares for actual confirmation—he just has to remember the stammering, heated mess you were when he implied the faintest need of wanting to spend the night with you to know you’d been a virgin all this time. As expected of a secluded, overprotected girl like you. Oh, he had so much to teach you…

“N—Nao—yaa” you whimper, unable to do anything else but chant the name of the man that is making you nothing but a drooling mess. “Mmmhmm!”

You cry, eyes rolling to the back of your head, when he hits that spot that has you a mumbling mess, whenever the tip of his cock touches it, you see stars—you never knew such thing could be possible, always thinking of it as nothing less than exaggerations of unattainable porn standards, but Naoya proves you yet again that whatever he sets his mind into, he obtains.

As his thrusts continue to attack your womb, you’re reaching your end, mind-numbing so, and all that you want to do is keep him there, deep inside you, and never let him go, evident by the way your arms tighten around his shoulders, hands crawling against his back, urging him to keep that pace, pleading:

“Naoya—Naoya…. Right—right there, Nao—” he smiles, giving you a rather harsh trust that has you jolting, squeaking just in his ear that has him moaning too—he can feel his seed itching to be released inside, and who was he to deny himself such pleasure?

“Y/N” he mutters hotly against you, nibbling your ear “Come—I want you to come with me—!”

And then, you do. Your release is a shower of sensations, from pleasure, happiness, satisfaction, a bit of tiredness to heat when Naoya finally spills inside you, filling your cervix up to the brim, to the point you feel him up to your throat—you want to run away from this overwhelming sensation, yet your core feels as if it’s demanding you to stay, be a good girl and take what he’s giving you.

But after you milk the last of his cum, deep inside your core, and he takes your lips, hungry, eagerly, as it was the norm whenever he kisses you and takes all your moans, is that the strongest sentiment comes to light: love.

“Naoya…” you breathe, chest heaving as he falls to your side, taking this opportunity to place your head on his chest and hear his rapid heartbeat.

Getting to experience this closeness with your favorite person, and coincidentally, the man you undeniably love… makes you feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

And you want to tell him that.

“Naoya” you repeat, low, uncertain, yet your heart is desperate to continue forward..

“What? Already ready for another round?” he teases, a sly smirk on his flustered face, and you pout.

“No… that’s not it.” You murmur, he chuckles.

“Good, I still have to recover from what we just did, for a minute I thought you were going to cut off my dick by how hard you were squeezing me.” he sighs, tired.

He’s always been blunt, a virtue you appreciate him for. But for tonight, it’s not what you were hoping to be with after being so close to each other, so… intimate, and just when you were debating whether to pour your heart out or not…

You give it a few seconds of thought, finally concluding that perhaps another day would be a better occasion. After all, you knew just how… intimidating it could be to hear someone’s feelings towards you, as well as how busy Naoya was to be for the upcoming season, and you don’t want to distract him…

So you don’t say it.

You mean them all the same, but you don’t say them in that particular moment.

Every other day you’d be inundated with these same doubts and emotions whenever he’d take you—some of them spiking higher than the others due to the location of said acts, such as in the stables, quickly after putting his horse away.

You’d soon believe he had a knack for… taking you in public places, considering how intensely he’d ravage you, more so when given the faintest hint of another’s presence, which would always make you cower and squirm, or at least try to, because you were never be able to compete against him and his desires”

“What? Afraid that they’ll see us like this? See you like this?” he’d husk, harshly thrusting his hips against you, hands on your hips as he sets a rough,

“St—stop it” you’d say, to the best of your ability in between thrusts, for no matter how many times you’ve done this with him you could never get used to his roughness. “They—they’re going to see—!”

“Tell that to your cunt, princess” Naoya breathes, pulling you close to him, his breath is in your ear, hand hovering over your clit, squeezing it ever so lightly to get you just where he wants you. “The way you’re squeezing me—it’s— it’s like you—you want them to see”

He may say it with a worried tone, as if wondering if he'd be able to survive your seeming hunger for his cock, but his smile tells him otherwise.

“But that’s what you want, isn’t it? Let the world know how much you love fucking your brother’s rival”

You frantically shake your head, biting your lip when his words become too lewd, unwittingly tightening your walls against his cock.

Your grasp lunges towards his hands, attempting to stop him from rubbing your clit and overwhelm your senses any further, or his roaming hand across your body which now settled in kneading and squeezing your breasts—although you always loved how crazy it drove you.

“Is my princess all needy for my cum?” he breathes, his trusts growing faster, erratic, while he harshly pinches your clit—he’s close.

“N—no…” is all that you manage to whimper through the knot in your throat, and the embarrassment that only makes you feel hotter and hotter when you begin to feel the familiar wave of blood rushing down to your pussy—you’re close too. “I don’t—I don’t—”

“Of course, not” he chuckles, leaning to kiss the side of your face. You moan at the contrasting difference of the obscene and the sweet, which only makes your heart skip a beat. “You’d never say that—you’re too much of a good girl to ever say that.”

And then, after a few more thrusts and moans of pleasure, reminding you just how much he loves fucking you, his hot seed spills inside you, painting every inch of your walls white and giving you that delicious, eye-rolling sensation that has you cumming immediately after— mind numb as your juices begin to gush onto him, mixing with his cum before sliding down your leg and onto the floor.

The stains of his cum leaves behind undeniably evidence of what transpired between the two, a sight that makes you flustered beyond limits, reminding you to clean up before leaving, but even then, all that you can think of is Naoya, and how much you truly, deeply, love him.

“Nao—Naoya…” you gasp, eyes watery, breath heavy, as your arms rise to wrap around his shoulders and pull him closer to you—he allows you, while doing his best to keep inside you. If there’s one thing he likes the most, outside of how you tightly grip him while cumming, is how you keep him warm afterwards. Said it felt like home. “…Naoya—”

“What?” he exhales, looking down to you as he tries to regain his breath. The person they heard approaching a few minutes earlier was completely out of his mind by this point, whether they’d seen them and left, or decided to stay and watch the show, it didn’t matter to him. Not anymore. Not when you were here. “You’re going to wear out my name.”

Maybe. You can’t help it after all—you just love how it rolls out on your tongue. Or how much you wanted to say it with the following words.

“I love you.”

You feel him tense up a bit, but you don’t think of anything else about it outside of being taken aback by your confession. He’s not very… affectionate when it comes to displaying it through words, sometimes even actions. Yet, you console yourself by the fact that he always comes back to you. You’ve become his home, and to you, that’s worth more than any “I love you”’s he could tell you.

At least for now.

#ask #naoya zenin #naoya zen'in #naoya x reader #naoya zenin x reader #naoya zenin x your #jjk naoya #naoya zen'in x reader

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liloinkoink · 1 year ago

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What DnD alignment do you think the Lamplight characters are? Not just Martyn and Ren, but Bigb, Jimmy and Grian to. Also Scar if you have an idea of him.

i can certainly try! i’ve said before my not-really-secret about lamplight is i’ve only rlly played dnd once. so uh. i’m not actually sure how you define alignment? so i’m just gonna go off of tumblr posts i’ve seen

first. i’ll be honest w you. i don’t really know for jimmy or bigb. i just… im writing a renchanting au. i am very much in the camp of “i will develop exactly as much is needed to tell the story i want to tell and not much more.” unfortunately, i also don’t watch jimmy or bigb like at all so i couldn’t tell you what alignment either of em would be bc i don’t feel confident that i know either of em very well

next. i asked flowey, crystalline author, what they thought for alignments for grian and scar. they gave me several paragraphs on scar before settling on chaotic neutral and one on grian before settling on bird (he’s very hard to pin down an alignment for)

as for Ren and Martyn…so. first, i define lawful/chaotic as “how much one follows a personal code, which Can be The Law but can also just be a personal set of morals.” and i saw a post a while bakc which defined good/evil as more like… “selfless/selfish.” those aren’t really how those are traditionally defined, but that’s what i’m working w for this

which. Martyn, love him, i don’t think i need to say he’s not a man bound too terribly by a moral code. one of the fics i have lined up which i would like to get to one day includes him using Ren’s magic to pretend to be an enchanter for money. he can be kind, and he grows something of a self-imposed code of conduct the more he grows to care about his oath, but he didn’t want to be stuck with Ren for the first few days bc he was afraid of having to follow strict rules. i’d say he’s neutral in that regard, possible sliding Slightly more lawful. and he’s absolutely on the more selfish side (too much of a survivalist not to be) which puts him evil (lol)

and Ren… he has a code, but it centered around Dogwarts, and i think it loosened considerably when Dogwarts fell and he gained Martyn instead. like… Ren isn’t above killing (exceedingly violently) to protect Martyn. he like… he used to have a stricter code, i’m sure. he cared a lot about being a good god for the city, probably about being helpful and kind as often as possible. but he doesn’t care about that anymore. he doesn’t need to be an exemplary citizen. he just needs to keep Martyn safe and he will give anything to do that. but he strikes me as neutral and sliding Out of lawful. and, of course, he’s selfless and will give anything for his chosen domain. Ren, God of Dogwarts, was probably lawful good. Ren, God of Martyn, is probably neutral good

#i dunno if this all makes sense it’s 3am #i also don’t know if i’ll agree w this when i wake up but that’s okay #oink asks #lamplight au

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yinnina · 2 years ago

Text

Finn's Arm Is Mint

"Are you going?" Asked Aryanah, which for your info, was your average Caucasian girl.

"Be more specific, where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"The baseball game, of course!" She smiled at me, almost as if to convince me to go with her.

I groaned, "Are you guys going?" I asked both Gabby's.

"We will if you are going, and you?" Gabby looked at Boston.

We had our small friend group from Gym, but Boston was the only one I had two classes with, Gym and Orchestra. That was if Ren wasn't being counted, who was a black girl about my height, a very funny person as well.

"Yeah, who do you take me for? A pimp who stays home and watches his parents cry about 'little' money?" He said.

Out of everyone in the group, it was him who had the least amount of money, preventing him from hanging out much with us unless we paid for him.

Boston, like Aryanah, Kaylee and Gabby, was white, but he wasn't straight, nor was it near it either.

Not like anyone in our friend group was it. Well, we can't really say much about Gaby, we didn't really know whether or not she was bisexual or not.

"Guys! Guess who has enough money for a movie tonight?" Kaylee, one of our friends, came up behind us.

"Great, so I buy us snacks for the game and you guys invite the movie?" I ask, everyone nodding towards me.

Everyone but Ren

"You guys do know we could just sneak in through the back, right?" She told us.

"I mean, yeah, but if we get caught, you pay our fee." I told her, without looking at her.

"Sure."

"But before anything, let's go to the locker room. I left my stuff there." I told them, to which everyone agreed.

As we were walking, we bumped into Vance and his little friend group.

"Watch it faggots." Said one of them, the shorter one.

"Just who the fuck are you calling a faggot? Last time I checked you and Moose got some sexual tension between you." Gabby went off on him.

He looked ashamed at that. It was a total lie, but someone spread a rumour about 2 years ago about him and Moose when they were seen talking behind the middle school they went to, and since it was a small town, the word spreader quite fast.

"Oh yeah? You gotta get it now—" I cut him off, "If you boys would excuse us, we need to go to the locker rooms to get our stuff, and unless you guys would like to carry those heavy bags then you better get out of my sight." I told them, to which they quickly rushed out of our way knowing how heavy our bags were.

Both groups departed without looking at each other, other than me and Vance, we both looked back to each other's groups, which made us make eye contact.

We held it for a while till he went along with his friend group, yelling at them for leaving him.

"They're so weird, I swear." Boston said.

I gave him a side eye, walking alongside Gabby at the front.

"You know, you two seem to get along the most." She whispers to me, trying to not have anyone else hearing.

"Shut up, if we we're to get along then maybe he would leave me the fuck alone." I whisper yell.

She rolled her eyes and continued walking.

Once we got our stuff we decided to buy snacks for the game and headed to the baseball stadium, which was filled with people, both students and parents.

Gabby and I sat next to each other as always, cheering on the boys as they played out in the field.

In the end, it was our school's team that lost. It wasn't much of a big deal since we knew they wouldn't win.

It was mostly 9th graders against mostly 10th graders.

Both schools did things differetly. Both schools didn't have the 9th graders and 10th graders separated for the sports teams, they were both added together due to this being a small town.

As we were walking out of the stadium, I saw two of the players talking, one which I knew of, Finney Blake, thanks to being bullied by a few kids. The other one, Bruce Yamada, due to being one of the popular guys.

I only ever talked to Bruce once or twice, not really interested, Finney, on the other hand, I talked to a few more times.

"You're Finney Blake Right? Your arm is mint!" Bruce said to Finn.

I ignored whatever else they said, since it was none of my business.

"So, whose turn is it to pick?" Asked Gaby.

"Mine," I said and everyone looked at each other, "get ready to watch Silence Of The Lambs."

Now everyone looked at each other scared to the bone, all but Gabby, who looked unfaced.

It was a disturbing film that we both watched late at night when I managed to get my hands onto a cassette.

I invited everyone to a few snacks, since I was about to disturb them all, and we decided to sneak into the drive-in.

Once we were there, they went to buy the snacks with my money and me and Gabby decided to walk around, trying to find the perfect spot to watch without having to deal with the couples having sex inside the cars.

Gabby whistled, "You'll never believe who's here with us today." She pointed with her head, up to front.

Vance Hopper and his little gang were watching the movie, and once they saw us, Vance and his friends started walking towards us.

"Great, we're fucked once again." I told Gabby.

"Or maybe it's fate, admit it, it would be nice to have a couple in our friend group, other than Aryanah. Her boyfriend stinks." I agreed with her.

"Well, if it ain't the loser and the faggot. Why are you even here? You'll probably piss your pants to the horror." A guy with long hair said.

"We already watched the film lots of times, if anything, it would be you guys who'll piss their pants." I told them.

"Tch," He clicked his tongue, "yeah sure, and pigs can fly, as if we'll believe that."

Gabby and him went off on each other while I simply stared at Vance, who started back.

"You got pissy friends, you know." I told.

"And you got faggots as friends." He said.

"And you don't?" I pointed to the shortie next to him, who went red.

Vance simply shrugged it off and told his friends to go find a spot for them while I told Gabby to keep looking for ours.

"Are you really here to watch the movie or are you here to piss me off?" I asked him.

"I would've preferred just seeing you, but there's nothing much to look at."

"As if, have you seen yourself lately? You don't do anything other than play in the Pinball Machine and bully kids."

"And you don't?" He raised an eyebrow.

"We are completely different, you do it for fun, I do it when it's needed."

"What difference is it if we both do the same thing?" He asked me, getting closer to my face as he did.

"The reason why." I whispered to him.

His face was inches away from mine, but I could feel his breath hitting my face, and our noses almost touched.

He chuckled lightly and backed up away from me, going to see his friends.

"[Y/N], I found our spot!" Gabby yelled out to me and I walked towards her, waiting for the others.

#vance hopper x you #vance hopper x reader #tbp vance #vance hopper #vance #tbp

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asudai-tls · 2 months ago

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EPISODE 0: PART 3

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

TITLE(Ren): Astro Dive: Third stage Separation

Ren(monologue): It started about a year ago. That day, I was just aiming for the top like climbing the stairs to the starry sky. Higher, higher. I've always loved music, but there's one other thing I love... stargazing. Whenever I got stuck while composing, I would always go out to look at the stars. That day was the peak of the meteor shower, and I had been looking forward to it for a long time. But the sky was cloudy, and I couldn’t see a single star. I resented the sky. The natural environment was getting worse day by day. But on the other hand, I couldn’t give up, so I grabbed my observation equipment and headed to the tower. It was a great opportunity, and I didn't want to miss it. So I took the risk. This tower, the tallest in the area, had been designated a No-go Zone by the government's new National Conservation Agency. This tower, once a symbol of Japan, has been reduced to mere rubble. ……I think it’s pitiful. But I’m also drawn to pitiful places like that. So even though I knew it was dangerous, I sneaked up there.

Flashback

Ren: When I reached the top, I was greeted by a magnificent view. There wasn't much light around there, so it was perfect for stargazing. I continued my observations in high spirits, staying in the tower until the night sky began to lighten.

Ren: … I never imagined that someone was tailing me…

MiKe Studio Lounge

Sou: A student from our school had been following Ren, and when he saw his behavior he reported him to the National Conservation Agency. So Ren was taken away and interrogated.

Minato: They claimed that Ren went to a restricted area and engaged in illegal money and goods transactions. But that’s impossible. He’d never do that. The guys in the dorm knew that Ren liked stargazing!

Sou: In the end, the misunderstanding was cleared up and he was released, but his school found out he had gone to the tower and he was suspended…

Ren: ...At that time, our unit, ATOMOSUREINN, was at the peak of its popularity and we had a ton of fans. It was the best time of our lives. But, rumors about me started spreading, and people started saying that I'd been arrested for a minor crime, which caused a firestorm of controversy. Since I was suspended and our group activities had stopped, I guess people thought it was true. ATOMOSUREINN derailed quickly, and by the time my suspension was lifted and we resumed activities– All that was left was bad reviews…

Ren: … It was my fault.

Minato: It’s not your fault!

Ren: But you both always say that. I knew it's dangerous to go into the restricted area. I should have stayed away, but instead I just went up to the tower thoughtlessly...

Sou: Of course, it would have been better if you had listened, but it's wrong to follow someone with malicious intent.

Minato: That's right, I told you not to worry! Even though you haven’t done anything, people are spreading rumors and speaking negatively... There's no need to give in to those kinds of voices!

Sou: Besides, I can't think of any other reason why that student would go to the trouble of setting up such a trap for Ren other than jealousy. He was still holding a grudge over losing to Ren in a class evaluation.

Kei: … This person that followed Ren, they knew each other?

Minato: He was Ren’s friend. He’s dropped out of school now.

Kei: I see.

Ren: But if I hadn't climbed the tower back then, this wouldn't have happened. My head was filled with regret. I didn't even feel like touching the guitar or writing the song I was working on. … So, I decided that was enough. I had sworn I'd never climb the tower again, but now I don't need to keep that promise anymore– I gave up both ATOMOSUREINN and my dream of becoming the top Astro Dive, decided to end it all... and went there.

Nao: I see.

Seira: That's horrible.

Toa: That's why they told him not to worry and keep fighting, so that Ren-kun wouldn't get depressed.

Soa: We said that... but…

Toa: But the heart doesn't work that way. Even if you try not to worry about it, you just can't forget about it. I like the clumsiness of people like that though.

Minato: … I didn't know what else to say… Ren continued playing for ATOMOSUREINN in silence... I thought maybe time would solve the problem.

Momota: Ah, I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for him. So one mistake caused him to lose all his friends and his fans?

Yamato: Hey, don’t rub salt in his wound.

Nao: – No, you haven’t lost it all, have you?

Seira: You have friends who put everything else aside to search for you, and your unit hasn't disbanded yet. You can still keep going.

Minato: Of course I still want to be with Ren and continue ATOMOSUREINN. Because Ren said so. "ATOMOSUREINN will not disband. If we disband, it will be after we are chosen as the best in the universe by Triple G."

Ren: Huh?

Sou: You said that. I remember that as well.

Ren: …That’s right…

Minato: If you don't keep this promise, you'll be the biggest liar in the universe. I'll call you a traitor for the rest of your life.

Ren: … That's... no good.

Sou: To think you'd forget such an important promise. You’re still the same as ever.

Ren: … Shut it.

Seira: Hey, you. Ren, right? Isn't it too early to give up after one failure or setback? No one knows what will happen in the future.

Ren: …

Yamato: Seira-san, what would you do if you make the same mistake again?

Seira: Are you stupid? That's impossible.

Yamato: Even your words are prickly. I don’t have that confidence.

Kei: Well at MiKe Studio, it seems like the people here are all repeating the same mistakes no matter how much I preach to them. Despite that, I’m sure there are people that will support them, just like how Ren-kun is being supported by those two now.

Nao: So, what are you going to do? Continue Astro Dive? Or quit?

Ren: I…

Minato: Whoa! What’s that sound?!

Sou: It sounds like something crashed. Maybe there was an accident outside?

Kei: This… no way...! MiKe Studio Garage

Momota: Wow~... Looks like a car crashed into the garage shutter. It's a mess!

Yamato: So the car and the shutter are both dead? That's bad.

Kei: Kazuki-san! What’s the meaning of this?

Kazuki: Oh? Oh. This is an accident!

Kei: I can tell that much just by looking at it!

Minato: Wait, is this alright? I mean, are the people in the car people from the studio?

Seira: Unfortunately. Those three are divers affiliated with MiKe Studio. Kazuki-san is the one holding the broken steering wheel and examining the engine, Chihiro is the one that’s frozen in fear, and Hikaru is the one laughing like a broken doll.

Chihiro: … Is this heaven or hell? Oh, I can't go to heaven. This must be a hell that looks like MiKe Studio…

Hikaru: Ah hahahahaha, I was really scared! I thought I was going to piss myself.

Kazuki: Ha ha ha! Wear a diaper next time.

Kei: Kazuki-san, please pay for the shutter repairs. You broke the door the other day too.

Kazuki: Sorry. I had some trouble while I was out and there was a fight. I ran away, but it seems the brakes on my car gave out.

Chihiro: I just wanted to go shopping. Now I know I shouldn't ask Kazuki-san for favors…

Raiden: Ahhahahaha! Oh man, this was fun! Kazuki-san! Can we go another round?

Kei: Stop it, stop it, people will die.

Kazuki: The engine won't start anymore. Will hitting it fix it?

Sou: This is bad… I can feel my brain breaking.

Minato: Mine already broke~.

Ren: Ah! My scooter is in pieces!

Kazuki: Seriously? Sorry, I might have turned it into collateral damage. Don’t mind it.

Minato: That's a shallow apology...!

Kazuki: But wait, you a new diver? Seems that way. Nice to meet you! Just call me The Last Big Bang on Earth, OK?

Seira: It’s not OK, Kazuki-san.

Hikaru: Oh, newbie? I'm Hikaru Raiden! I hate being poor! I like money! And ramen!

Chihiro: Chihiro Amano - urk... sorry, b-bathroom…

Kei: I'll deal with the accident for now, so let's break it up. Seira, call a mechanic. Kazuki-san, please leave the shutter open. Hikaru, please get out of the car. Chihiro, do you think you can move?

Chihiro: Ugh... I'm okay… sorta…

Hikaru: Newbie, are you a student or something? Wow! That's cool! I don't know anything about streaming, so please teach me!

Minato: Ha, ha ha... Sure, if you would like…

Sou: Oh, Let me lend you a hand.

Chihiro: Thanks... It's alright, excuse me... Really…

Sou: Really…?

Momota: The rate of accidents around Kazuki-san is not normal. Maybe I should set up a camera next time. I think I could get some views.

Yamato: Don't do that. We'll just get more haters.

Momota: Well, if I do it, I'll probably do it by myself. Haa, all this fuss is making me hungry.

Toa: Okay then, I’ll make some food.

Yamato: Meat for me. Plenty of it.

Momota: Pudding for me.

Toa: Oh~ Okay~

Seira: I have to arrange for repairs to be made to the car and the shutters. Maybe I should put up a board or something. If I leave it open, dust will get in…

Kazuki: Seira-san, despite your pretty face, you're quite muscular. Do you need help? Seira: It's not a question of whether I need help or not. You’re the one who’s going to do it.

Kazuki: Hmm, no mercy for his seniors it seems. How thrilling.

Kei: So, Amaya-kun, have you found your answer yet?

Nao: It’s okay to do whatever you like.

Kei: If you can’t decide, then maybe try again later.

Ren: No, I’ve already decided.

Nao: So? What's your answer?

Ren: My answer is – Ren (monologue): I decided to dream again. It was a choice made to avoid becoming the biggest liar in the universe, but maybe one day it will change into something more positive. I'm still afraid of being blamed or having someone place their hopes on me. Still, I’m moving forward. Today. I was able to say things that I hadn't been able to say before. So we'll continue to aim higher. Like climbing a staircase towards the starry sky. Tomorrow, one step further, higher, higher–

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

#astro dive #asudai #asudai translations #amaya ren #asahi sou #aizawa minato #narumi kei #togano nao #otowa seira #utsumi toa #tachibana momota #konoe yamato #tsumoi kazuki #amou chihiro #raiden hikaru

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vgckwb · 1 year ago

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P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 179: The Ballad of Sae Niijima

Ren woke up Monday morning. She looked around the attic she’d been calling hers since April. But today was the start of Midterms, and once that was over, she’d have a new room all to her own. She smiled. “Just a little longer. Thank you.” She got changed, ate, and headed off to school.

Meanwhile, Sae decided to start her week interviewing Kunikazu Okumura. She waited for him to come, looking at her faint reflection in the separating glass. It suddenly flashed to that dark reflection of her she saw in her dream. Sae became alarmed. She rubbed her eyes and then saw only herself again. She sighed, relieved.

Okumura came in, sitting face to face with Sae. “Hello,” Okumura said.

“Hello,” Sae replied. “I’ll get straight to the point. I want to talk about your confession.”

“You want to know if I’m telling the truth, correct?” Okumura asked.

“That’s correct,” Sae said.

“Well, as I'm sure you’re aware,” Okumura began, “I had my heart changed by the Phantom Thieves. And just as every time before, I have spoken nothing but the truth.”

“We’ll see,” Sae said. “Now then, did Mr. Ono find you, or did you reach out to Mr. Ono?” Okumura hesitated. “Well?!”

“Sorry!” Okumura answered. “It’s complicated. I came to him looking for help breaking into the political world, and he made the offer of these ‘mental shutdowns’ to me.”

“I see,” Sae replied. “How long ago was this?”

“About two years ago,” Okumura answered.

“Hm. Interesting,” Sae replied. “Do you remember anything else about that meeting?”

Okumura nodded. “He said it was the power to change the world, and that only a select few can harness it.”

“Why did he trust you with such power?” Sae asked.

“Well, when I came into his office asking for political help, I offered him an enormous sum of money,” Okumura said. “I figured that he thought he could use this wealth to change the world as well.”

“Why didn’t you say no?” Sae wondered.

Okumura hesitated. “...At the time, I was a greedy businessman. Nothing more, nothing less. I saw it as a good business deal. If they really had that power, I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of it. Besides, if it could help me, who was I to say no?”

“Hm,” Sae responded.

“Of course, I regret it now,” Okumura continued. “But I suppose it’s a little too late for that.”

Sae was reminded of her talk with Haru the previous day. “Mr. Okumura, are you aware that Mr. Ono tried to give you a cake?”

Okumura was surprised. “He did?” Sae nodded. “This is the first time I’m hearing about this.”

“He gave it to your daughter,” Sae said. “She had a bad feeling about it, so she threw it out.”

“I see…” Okumura said.

“Do you know why Mr. Ono would do this?” Sae asked.

“If I had to guess,” Okumura answered, “it was probably a ploy to get rid of me once and for all.”

“How do you figure that?” Sae asked.

“I imagine the cake was similar to what they asked me to do with Starfall Coffee,” Okumura explained.

“Which was…?” Sae inquired.

“I’m not entirely sure of the specifics,” Okumura explained, “but it worked basically like this: They gave me a special ingredient, as well as components to add to the coffee machines. They used the coffee machines to spy on people, and whenever someone they wanted to eliminate came in for a coffee, they’d activate a switch which added their special ingredient to the coffee. It doesn’t taste like anything, but it guarantees that whoever drinks it will become a victim.”

“I see,” Sae said. “That sounds very complex.”

“It’s even more complicated than you think,” Okumura said. “They didn’t tell me everything about it.”

Sae nodded. “Intriguing. Just one more thing: Do you trust your daughter?”

Okumura was surprised by this question. “Of course.”

“When I spoke with her yesterday, she said that before your change of heart, you didn’t seem to.

“I did!” Okumura protested. “Or at least…I thought I did.” He sighed. “I didn’t make her the inheritor to my company because…I didn’t trust the world. A female CEO of one of the largest companies in Japan? The business world would eat her alive! I couldn’t do that to her.”

Sae was reminded of herself in that moment. She was just as willing to protect Makoto from the dangers they knew all too well. Sae simply smiled and said “Your daughter is stronger than you give her credit for.”

Okumura smiled, but his smile was more sad. “I…guess I didn’t notice. Perhaps I was too afraid to notice.”

Sae stood up. “Thank you for your time.”

“I’ve got plenty of it,” Okumura joked.

“I’ll contact you if I need anything else,” Sae finished. She walked out.

Okumura sat there for a minute. “...I think I sensed a kindred spirit,” he remarked. “Although I don’t know if that’s a good thing.” He got up and was escorted back to his cell.

The next day, as Sae was just about to leave, Riko stood up and said “Wait!” Sae looked at her. “Um, may I come along as well?”

Sae thought about it. “Sure.”

Riko rushed over to her. “Thanks.”

Sae was the tiniest bit flustered, but held it together. “Just so you know, we’re going to interview the director. I’m bringing you along because he and I have a rapport. I could get caught up in it, so having you nearby as an anchor is helpful. But he’s a very smart man. He might try to catch you off guard. If it becomes too much, you may leave.”

Riko shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she said. “Besides, I have you too.”

A light pink blush came over Sae for a second before she shook it off. “Yes, well…thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Riko said. They headed out.

Once they were let into director Ono’s house, he looked up at them and said “Took you long enough.” Sae glared at him. “Please, have a seat.” He was sitting in a chair, while Sae and Riko sat on the couch. “I take it I’m not the first person you’ve been in contact with.”

“That is correct,” Sae answered. “I see you’ve posted bail.”

“I have the right to,” Ono countered.

“Of course,” Sae said somewhat bitterly. “Anyways, let’s begin.”

“Very well,” the director said. “I’ve got nothing to hide. Ask away.”

Sae nodded. “Let’s start with Okumura’s confession: He told Japan that you’re the one responsible for the mental shutdowns. Is this true?”

“Straight to it, eh?” Ono said. “Well the answer to that is no."

Sae and Riko were stunned. “‘No’?” Sae repeated.

“No,” director Ono stated again.

“So, who is?” Sae asked.

“While I could coax the answer out of you,” Ono explained, “I’m afraid that we just don’t have the time for that, so I’ll just tell you: It’s The Phantom Thieves.”

Sae and Riko were even more shocked. “The Phantom Thieves?” Sae exclaimed.

“Are we going to keep doing this every time?” director Ono said, sarcastically.

“Well…this certainly is a development,” Sae explained.

Ono nodded. “They contacted me two years ago to start sewing the seeds of chaos. They told me they found Wakaba Ishiki’s research and used it to kill her, and if I didn’t follow orders, I’d face a similar fate.”

“So, why are they acting like heroes now?” Sae asked.

“It’s a facade,” Ono explained. “Once everything crumbles, they’re the authority most people will trust, and thus they’ll begin their iron-fisted rule of Japan.”

“I see,” Sae said. “How involved were you in the process exactly?”

“What do you mean?” Ono asked.

“How much of what you did was The Phantom Thieves’ ideas versus your own?” Sae clarified.

“I see,” Ono said. “Well, they only asked me to get stuff done. They didn’t care how, as long as they got what they wanted.”

“So, the plot to use Starfall Coffee as a method for inciting mental shutdowns was your idea then?” Sae asked.

“Well, it was a stroke of luck on my part,” Ono said. “Okumura came to me asking for advice. I figured The Phantom Thieves and I could gain a lot from having him on side.”

“So it was your idea?” Sae said.

“Well, there was some dialogue between us,” Ono said. “But the initial idea was mine.”

“How many people have you offered these services to?” Sae asked.

“I don’t know the exact number,” Ono said. “But I think it was about a few dozen.”

“Even with repeat customers, that number seems low,” Sae said.

“I only assisted,” Ono explained. “The Phantom Thieves were also taking it upon themselves to commit these acts for their ends.”

“Hm,” Sae grunted.

“Please understand, I wouldn’t have done this had I not been forced to,” Ono said.

Sae nodded. “Do you have a list of people you’ve given these services to?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Ono said. “I’ve been doing a lot to cover my tracks.”

“Some good that did you,” Riko remarked snidely under her breath.

Sae glanced at Riko, and then turned back to Ono. “Well, if you have anything else for me, you know how to get in contact.”

Ono nodded. “And you know how to contact me.” Sae got up and started heading out. Riko then got up and quickly followed her.

A little ways out, Riko stopped and asked “You don’t really believe the director, do you?”

Sae stooped and slightly turned back. “Whether or not I believe him, I still have to investigate his claim to see if it’s true.”

“But…it doesn’t make sense,” Riko countered.

“I know you have sympathies towards The Phantom Thieves,” Sae said, “but Mr. Ono’s story makes sense. You can choose not to believe it, but I’m the one that has to prove it. I am on the side of truth, no matter how hard it can seem at times.” Sae continued walking.

Riko stood still, quietly saying to herself “I just hope truth is on your side,” before continuing to walk behind her boss.

Meanwhile, in Futaba’s room, Futaba was a little nervous. Morgana noticed this.”Hey,” Morgana said. “You can do this.”

“I know I can!” Futaba barked. “But…”

“Listen, I know it’s a little nerve-racking,” Morgana told her, “but think of it as a house-warming present for Ren.”

“Right…” Futaba said. “I can’t be nervous at a time like this.”

“Sure you can,” Morgan replied. Futaba looked at him curiously. “I mean, it’s only natural. Ren gets nervous like this all the time.”

“Really?” Futaba wondered.

Morgana smiled. “I’d thought you’d pick up on that with all the spying that you’ve done. But yeah. Ren gets nervous.”

“How does she get over it?” Futaba said.

“She knows everyone is counting on her,” Morgana said. “And she hates to disappoint.”

“Well, it’d take a whole lot to disappoint me!” Futaba said. Morgana grinned. “OK, I get it.”

Morgana chuckled. “I’m glad.”

Futaba chuckled back. “Well then, let’s get crackin’!” She got to work messaging Akechi.

Akechi was busy with finals, when he noticed his phone vibrating. He turned the sound off, so as not to bother anyone. He checked his phone discreetly, and was stunned at what he found.

???: Hello Detective.

???: This is Alibaba, contacting you on behalf of The Phantom Thieves.

???: Do you have a minute?

Akechi looked surprised. He looked up at the teacher observing the test. “Um, excuse me. Something work related came up just now. May I?”

“Of course,” the teacher responded enthusiastically.

“Thank you,” Akehi stood and bowed. “I’ll stay late today to finish up.” He left the room, and went out into the hall.

Goro: How brazen of you to contact me during midterms.

???: Is it midterms? I didn’t notice.

Goro: Why are you contacting me?

???: You wanted to cooperate, right?

Goro: I see. What do you have in mind?

???: We have two things we need you to do.

Goro: And what do I get out of it?

???: Huh?

Goro: I don’t exactly trust you.

Goro: How will I know this information is valuable to the case?

???: …

???: Alright! You want something? I’ll give you something.

???: There’s a figure out there even more powerful than the person masterminding this mental shutdown epidemic.

???: We The Phantom Thieves are the only people who can stop them.

???: We can’t do that if you know who we are and can’t act freely.

???: Do you understand?

Goro: …I do.

Goro: I never would have guessed.

Goro: But I’ll allow it. So long as what you have is good.

???: Of course it’s good. Don’t you trust me?

Goro: I just told you I didn’t.

Goro: But right now I believe you, and that’s what matters right now.

???: I guess that’s as good as I’m going to get.

???: OK, so, first off, the director isn’t at the top of this mental shutdown business.

Goro: So you want me to figure out who is?

???: If you can do that discreetly, maybe.

???: But publicly, we need you to put pressure on the director.

Goro: How come?

???: If they know that we’re on to them, the real mastermind will try to hide themselves.

???: So long as they’re still an unknown, they might let just enough slip to let us figure it out.

Goro: I see.

Goro: A classic bait-and-switch. How wonderful.

???: The second thing is, remember that figure I mentioned earlier? They’re going around corrupting people to target our bigger targets.

???: We know who we need to target next. We want you to inform them of the potential danger of someone acting strangely who might want revenge.

Goro: I see.

Goro: So those other people you mention in your calling cards…

???: Correct. They were targeting the people we targeted.

Goro: If you know who your next target is going to be, why not go now?

???: We need to look through some other possibilities first.

???: If we can avoid confrontation and get what we want, we’ll take that opportunity.

Goro: How eloquent.

Goro: I hope it doesn’t backfire.

???:With you working alongside us, I’m sure we’ll manage.

Goro: Of course.

Goro: So, who is the target?

???: Sae Niijima.

Akechi was stunned.

Goro: I see.

Goro: Mind telling me why?

???: There’s a bit of a complication to that.

???: But if we want a shot at who’s truly the mastermind behind the mental shutdowns, we need her on side.

Goro: Well, she can be stubborn.

Goro: But I’ll see what I can do.

???: Thanks.

???: I’ll reach out if we need anything else.

???: Ta ta!

Futaba deleted the text conversation before Akechi could respond.

Akechi was a little surprised by this form of techno-wizardry, but still, he smirked. He took out a notebook. On a page labeled “Phantom Thieves”, he already had Ren’s name written down there. He took out a pen and jotted down “Futaba Sakura - Known Aliases: Alibaba”.

“Hm,” Akechi smirked. “You’ve given me more than you could imagine. Thanks.” He put away his notebook, and went back to finishing his tests for the day.

He had to stay a little later to finish up the tests for that day. Once he was finally done, he apologized to the teacher, but they said it was alright. He walked out of school, and found a secluded area to make a call. “Hello?” the voice on the other end said.

“Pardon me,” Akechi replied, “but is there any one we can throw under the bus?”

“...Why are you asking that?” the voice asked.

“I was presented with the opportunity to get closer with The Phantom Thieves,” Akechi said. “But in order to do that, I need to sacrifice some of our pawns.”

“I see…” the voice said. “Are they onto me?”

“They haven’t a clue,” Akechi said.

“Hm. Very well,” the other voice said. “I’ll work on a list of names and give them to you soon.”

“Of course. Thank you,” Akechi replied. “I promise you won’t regret this.” He hung up.

Meanwhile, the man on the other end was a little concerned. He was an intense, bald man, wearing a black jacket and pants combo, with a white shirt, and sunglasses. “Hm. The Phantom Thieves HAVE to know that Ono is not the top dog. Perhaps they didn’t tell Akechi. Hm. I don’t like it.”

He looked at a stack of papers on his desk. The top sheet read “Countermeasure M.” “Well, there’s a plan in motion already. I like to think of myself as fair. If Akechi can’t get me anything concrete by the time this plan has taken full effect, then perhaps he’s outlived his usefulness. But he shouldn’t have anything to fear. So long as he’s truly working for me.”

The next day, Sae and Riko stopped at Shujin Academy. They went to the Principal’s office, where they found Mr. Arai setting things up. “Oh, Miss Niijima,” Mr. Arai said. “I was told you were coming.”

“Where’s Mr. Ogata?” Sae asked.

“He’s supervising some of the tests,” Mr. Arai. “Besides, if you’re going to be dealing with the school for an extended period of time, it’s better to talk to me at this point.” He noticed Riko. “Who is this, by the way?”

“Riko Sakurai,” she said, reaching her hand out. “Pleasure to meet you.” Mr. Arai shook hands with Riko.

“Riko is my assistant,” Sae said.

“I see,” Mr. Arai said, letting go. “Well, come on in, have a seat.” Mr. Arai sat at his desk, while Sae and Riko sat in chairs opposite of him. “So, how may I be of assistance?”

“To put it bluntly,” Sae said, “we have some suspicions that at least some members of The Phantom Thieves attend this school.”

“I see,” Mr. Arai said. “And what do you intend to do?”

“We wish to set up interviews to see if we can figure out who they might be,” Sae answered.

“Hm,” Mr. Arai said. “Pardon me for telling the prosecutor’s office what their job is, but shouldn’t you be more concerned about the SIU director?”

“I have multiple cases,” Sae said. “Besides, there is a connection between the mental shutdowns and The Phantom Thieves.”

“What kind of connection?” Mr. Arai asked.

“They have similar methodology,” Sae informed him.

Mr. Arai stared at her. “I know you’ve only had me in your first year in high school,” he said, “but I remember you well.”

“I’m flattered,” Sae said, trying to end the conversation there.

“However,” Mr. Arai said, “I didn’t expect you to give up on your dreams as much as you have.”

Sae grew angrier. “A lot has changed.”

“I know,” Mr. Arai said. “I can’t blame you.” Sae felt a little contempt in that statement. “I’ll let you have those interviews. On two conditions: One, you have to wait until midterms are done.”

"I can do that,” Sae said.

“And two, I need you to tell me you’re sure you’re doing the right thing,” Mr. Arai said.

Sae was stunned. “I beg your pardon?”

“I don’t have the fondest opinion of the justice system at the moment,” Mr. Arai said, “but I trust you. And if you can tell me that you’re sure you’re doing what’s right, I’ll trust you.”

Sae was a bit perplexed, but she took a deep breath, and said “I have the utmost confidence that I am doing the right thing.”

Mr. Arai nodded. “Very well. I’ll see you Friday.”

Sae stood up. “If all goes well, yes.” She reached out her hand. Mr. Arai shook it. “Thank you.” Sae left.

Riko stood up. “Um, I apologize for her,” she said. “She’s under a lot of stress. I’m sure that-”

“It’s alright,” Mr. Arai said. “I understand.”

“Really?” Riko said. She bowed. “Thank you.”

Mr. Arai nodded. “Just be there for her when she needs it.”

“Yes, of course,” Riko said. “Thank you.”

“RIKO!” Sae shouted.

“Coming!” Riko shouted back. She left.

Mr. Ari pondered for a moment. “I feel like I’ve seen Riko before… Well, that doesn’t matter now. What’s more important is that Sae does the right thing.” He looked up. “If she’s not, I want you to intervene, OK, Aki?”

Riko caught up with Sae, and they both started leaving “Um, if you don’t mind,” Riko said, “the energy of that meeting was a little intense. May I ask what that was about?”

“It’s a personal thing,” Sae explained. “It has nothing to do with work.”

“I see,” Riko said. “Well, as much as I hate to be a bother, I do think Mr. Arai has a point.” Sae stopped and looked at her. “I just…I just want you to be alright.”

Sae turned back. “I’ll be fine. I can handle it.”

“Of course,” Riko said. “And I’ll be there if you need anything.”

Sae smiled. “Thank you.” The two women left the school.

After midterma for the day, Ren went back up to the Leblanc attic. She was a little surprised to see the table set up, and two cartons of sushi on the table, alongside Morgana. “What’s all this?”

“Well, tonight’s the last night we’ll be roommates,” Morgana said. “I talked with Futaba to help set up this little celebration Just the two of us.” Ren smiled. “You didn’t need to do that,” Ren said.

“Sure, but I wanted to,” Morgana replied.

Ren giggled and sat down. “Thanks.” She started digging into her sushi. Morgana followed suit. Ren looked up. “You know, we’re still going to be in the same house. You can come in whenever. Well, mostly whenever.”

Morgana swallowed the sushi in his mouth. “I know. But it’s not the same. But I don’t mind. I’ve enjoyed watching you grow.”

“I was just going to say the same thing,” Ren said.

“Yeah,” Morgana said. “I know I can be a little moody sometimes.”

“I think we all are,” Ren retorted.

Morgana rolled his eyes. “But I really think that we bring out the best in each other. And while maybe it’s been a little difficult, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been wondering what my purpose is for a while now. I’ve wanted something more than just being your assistant. But I think I’ve found it. I’m your friend.”

Ren started welling up. “C’mere!” she said, giving Morgana a big hug. “You’re my friend too.” Morgan was a little surprised at this, but he let it happen. He wanted this too, though he’d hesitate to admit it. He nestled himself into Ren and started purring gently.

Magician-Morgana: Rank 9

Ren let go. “I think we should finish this sushi.”

“Of course!” Morgan said. They went back to eating.

Ren looked around the room. She lifted her glass. “To the attic.”

Morgana stopped eating, and repeated “To the attic!” They finished eating, and went to bed in the attic for the last time.

At school the next day, before the last day of the test commenced, Mr. Ogata called out to the school on the PA. “Attention Students: After tests today, please report to the auditorium to welcome your new principal! Thank you!” There was a little commotion, but Ren smiled. She took her seat. The tests were handed out, and they began.

After school, just as they were told, the school headed to the auditorium. Mr. Ogata took the stage. “Good afternoon,” he said. “I hope you did well on your midterms. As you know, today is my last day here. I would like to thank each and every one of you. Not just the students and staff who are here, but everyone who I’ve had the responsibility and joy of looking over through the years. I have never had a more rewarding career. As much as I would like to continue, I realize my time has come. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything.” He bowed. There was applause, but some of it was a little reluctant. “Thank you. And now, may I present your new Principal: Mr. Atsuo Arai!” As Mr. Arai took the stage, the applause was louder than before, slightly annoying Mr. Ogata.

“Thank you,” Mr. Arai said. “It is an honor and a privilege to be your principal. I look forward to working with each and every one of you to help this school reach its full potential. I know things have been a little turbulent, but I want to assure everyone that I will be there for you. There are times where I need help as well, which is why I’m also counting on you. I look forward to being your principal, and I wish Mr. Ogata the best as he leaves this wonderful school. Thank you.” There was more applause, as Mr. Arai bowed and waved at the crowd.

Mr. Ogata smirked. We’ll see who has the last laugh.

After the assembly, Ren headed back to Yongen-Jaya. Out of habit, she headed to Leblanc, but she caught herself. She headed over to Sojiro’s house. Her house. She opened the door. It was a little dark, so she turned the lights on. As she did, Futaba and Sojiro jumped out and popped some poppers. “Surprise!” They yelled. Ren was taken aback.

“Hm hm. Welcome home,” Sojiro said. Futaba blew on a party blower.

Ren chuckled. “Thanks.”

“C’mere,” Sojiro said. “Let me show you to your room.” Sojiro, Ren, and Futaba headed to Ren’s new room. They opened the door, and Ren was astounded. The bed was in the far left corner facing the right wall. On the right wall was a dresser with a TV on top of it. Next to the dresser was a closet. On the opposite side of the bed on the left was a work desk, painted lavender. In the middle of the room was a red and black rug to match the cherry red walls and black ceiling. “What do you think?”

Ren smiled. “It’s perfect.”

Sojiro smiled. “I’m glad. Now then, let’s head out.” Ren was confused. “I made reservations at a steakhouse to not only celebrate your new room, but you being done with midterms as well.”

Ren smiled. “Thanks Sojiro.”

Sojiro nodded. “Futaba, are you ready?

“Yeah,” she answered.

“Then let’s head out,” Sojiro said. The three of them headed out to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Sae was in her office. She pondered her notes, took a deep breath, and stood up. She told Riko. “I’m heading out for a little bit. I’ll be back in an hour. Maybe an hour and a half. Don’t feel like you need to wait for me. You shouldn’t come with. This is personal.” Sae stormed out.

“O…K…” Riko said, befuddled.

Sae arrived at Naoko’s apartment. She knocked on the door. Naoko answered. “Ah. Come in.” Sae walked in. “I’ve been cleaning a little since you last came. But I’ve been a little busy. I’m actually working on a case recently.”

“Do you need help?” Sae asked.

“Nah, I’m already working in tandem with a lot of people,” Naoko said. “But do you need help?” Sae froze at the question. “You come here when you want help.”

Sae stood still. “...I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say it so bluntly.”

“That’s just who I am,” Naoko said. “Now, how can I help you?”

“You know what I want,” Sae said.

“Phantom Thieves info again?” Naoko said. “I told you everything I’m willing to.”

“The situation has changed,” Sae said, firmly. “I’m not an idiot doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.”

“Hm. I’ll hear you out then,” Naoko said.

“Director Ono told me he was working at the behest of The Phantom Thieves,” Sae explained.

Naoko was puzzled. “Pardon me, but do you actually believe that?”

“Whether or not it's true, I have to investigate to be sure,” Sae said.

Naoko shrugged. “Alright. But I can tell you they aren’t.”

“How can you be so sure?!” Sae countered.

“Because once you know what I know, you’ll know,” Naoko said.

“Fine,” Sae said. “Just tell me what I want to know.”

“Alright,” Naoko said. “One of the kids was a boy with short blonde hair.” Sae was taking notes. “The second was a girl with shoulder-length black hair and glasses.

Sae paused for a moment. That sort of sounds like Amamiya… “You said they were there on the orders of a third?”

“Correct,” Naoko said. “And while I don’t know the names of the two people I just described, I definitely know the name of the third.”

“What is it?” Sae asked.

“Makoto Niijima,” Naoko replied.

Sae was shocked. She looked at Naoko. “Hm. Alright. We’re done here. If you insist on lying to me to cover their tracks, then our conversation is done.” Sae started to leave.

“HEY!” Naoko shouted. “I may have covered up the truth, but I’m not a liar!”

“There’s NO WAY Makoto is a Phantom Thief,” Sae protested.

“Is that the truth, or just what you want to believe?” Naoko said.

“It’s the truth!” Sae countered. “I know you and I are on different teams when it comes to The Phantom Thieves, but I at least expect you to trust me to do my job!”

“Oh, I trust you to do your job,” Naoko countered. “What I don’t trust right now is you doing what’s right!”

Sae was stunned. “EXCUSE ME?!”

“Yeah, you heard me,” Naoko said.

Sae became indignant. “My job IS to do what’s right!”

“Not always!” Naoko said. “I thought you of all people would know that.”

“You-”

“And don’t think I don’t know the difference!” Naoko interrupted. “Just four months ago, I thought what I was doing was right, when that couldn’t have been further from the truth!” There was a tense standoff. Naoko sighed. “Look, maybe that was a bit too far. But…well…you’re Nobuyuki’s kid. And he’s not here to guide you right now. So I’m trying. I can’t be him. I know I can’t be him, but I still have to try.”

Sae stared at him. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve got this under control.”

“You still don’t believe me?” Naoko said.

“Of course not,” Sae said. “I respect you, but I can’t take your word.”

“Did you tell that to your boss?” Naoko sniped.

“...I’ve had my suspicions of The Phantom Thieves as well,” Sae answered. “His statement only confirms it.”

“But you won’t listen to what I have to say,” Naoko said.

“I’ll take it into consideration,” Sae said, bitterly. She started leaving.

“Look!” Naoko said. Sae stopped once more. “I know what you’re after. I’ve been in that place before too. I’m here to tell you that it’s OK to bow out. I know it’s hard, believe me, but…you seem so miserable right now. I hate seeing you like that.”

“Hm, Sae grunted. “If you want to make me smile, give me correct information.”

“I did,” Naoko insisted.

“Then stay out of my way,” Sae said. She left.

Naoko sighed. He took out his phone, “Risi: Remind me to call my sister tomorrow to ask for her cookie recipe.”

“OK,” his phone said. “Setting reminder.”

Sae arrived back at her office. Riko was still there, but she didn’t care too much. Riko noticed Sae was upset. “Is everything alrig-” Sae slammed her door before Riko could finish answering.

Sae opened her door. “Sorry. You may go.” She closed the door again, still aggressively, but more quietly.

Riko, unsure of how she should respond, just quietly repeated “I go home when you go home.”

Sae was at her desk. She interlocked her fingers and looked at it. The contents of her desk blurred together, but at the moment she didn’t care. She was contemplating the situation she was in. She was so close to solving this case, which would put her in a position to do everything she ever wanted. And yet, everyone she trusts was telling her it was a bad idea. She could put away The Phantom Thieves, but no one would believe they were responsible without proof, which in this case was few and far between.

She couldn't do much except follow through on the investigation. And she knew she was the only one who could. So why is everything telling her not to? It didn’t make sense. She felt trapped. She knew that if she could just get out, she could make a difference, but she couldn’t see the light. She collapsed on her desk. “What am I going to do?”

A few minutes later, she got up, and headed out. She noticed Riko was still there. “I’m going home. I suggest you do the same. We have a big day ahead of us.”

“Yes ma’am!” Riko said. She got up and walked out. Just as they were about to head their separate ways, Riko said “Just so you know, I’m here for you, no matter what.”

Sae smiled. “Thanks. I needed that.” They two women headed home.

#p5 #p5 femc #persona 5 #p5r #p5r rework #persona fanfiction #femc #female ren #persona 5 royal #p5 rework #ren amamiya #sae #kunikazu okumura #siu director #futaba #akechi #morgana #sojiro sakura

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frankendykes-monster · 2 years ago

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In November 2015, Matt Singer announced “the age of the legacyquel.” It has been an interesting seven years, to say the least.

Conceptually, the “legacyquel” is a particular brand of Hollywood franchise extension. The idea is that a late addition to a given film franchise incorporates both old existing characters to appeal to nostalgic fans and a new cast to attract a younger audience. Ideally, the legacyquel serves to pass the torch from one generation to the next, effectively serving as an acknowledgement of what came before while celebrating what lies ahead.

Of course, legacyquels were not entirely new inventions. There had already been a number of franchises that had run long enough for that torch to be passed. Star Trek gave way to Star Trek: The Next Generation. In The Color of Money, pool hustler Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) from The Hustler trained young hotshot Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise). Even The Godfather Part III featured Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) passing control of the family to his nephew, Vincent (Andy Garcia).

However, legacyquels came to prominence in the middle of the 2010s because the nostalgia-driven franchise age had been running long enough that many of the cornerstones of these franchises were reaching retirement age. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull introduced Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) as a potential successor to Henry Jones Jr. (Harrison Ford). Creed saw Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) training Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) to fight in the ring.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is perhaps the most famous and successful example, featuring all three leads from the original Star Wars showing up to pass the saga to a new generation of characters including Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and Poe (Oscar Isaac). If Hollywood was going to be dominated by these never-ending franchises, this seemed like a sustainable model. It allowed for the inevitable passage of time and the possibility of renewal or reinvention.

What has been noteworthy about the past couple of years is the extent to which Hollywood has rejected this model of legacyquel in favor of something much more pandering and a lot less sustainable. Increasingly, it seems like blockbusters are content to tease the possibility of an older generation giving way to younger characters, only to yank the possibility away at the last minute in favor of chasing nostalgic fantasy. There is a reason this is the golden age of the aging movie star.

Increasingly, these films will introduce new characters who have potentially interesting stories to tell within the framework of these larger franchises, only to quickly overwhelm them with older returning characters from early installments who receive much greater narrative focus and attention. Instead of being stories about how the old inevitably gives way to the young, these become narratives about how the older generation is never going to die or fade away.

Top Gun: Maverick is a prime example of this. There had long been rumors of a potential sequel to Top Gun. When the project really began to gain momentum in October 2010, actor Tom Cruise was in the midst of a career slump that involved Paramount attempting to sever all ties to him. Early rumors about the sequel suggested that Cruise would play “a smaller role” in the sequel, although this was officially denied by Cruise’s long-term creative collaborator Christopher McQuarrie.

It’s easy to believe that Paramount wanted Cruise to hand over Top Gun to a new generation. After all, by his own account, actor Jeremy Renner was being positioned “to potentially take over” the Mission: Impossible franchise from Cruise in Ghost Protocol, which was primed for a 2011 release. However, at the last minute, Cruise simply refused to shoot a scene in which his superspy Ethan Hunt would receive a career-ending knee injury, walking off set declaring, “I ain’t going nowhere.”

Cruise has been vindicated. Ghost Protocol was the fourth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, and Cruise is currently set to headline both the seventh and eighth entries in the series. He can furthermore block Paramount from other exploitations of the intellectual property. Top Gun: Maverick is also a star vehicle for Cruise, built around his star persona. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is not just a mentor to the younger characters, but he flies lead for them on the climactic mission.

This is like imagining a version of Creed where Rocky trains Adonis for most of the movie, but then decides to go into the ring himself at the climax. It is akin to a version of JJ Abrams’ Star Trek where Spock-Prime (Leonard Nimoy) single-handedly rescues the younger Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) from the clutches of Nero (Eric Bana). In Maverick, the young pilot Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) exists largely to validate and vindicate the older mentor figure.

There is something similar at play in Thor: Love and Thunder. In that movie, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) discovers that his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) has become worthy of his hammer Mjolnir and has claimed the title of the Mighty Thor. The film takes a lot of its cues from writer Jason Aaron’s seven-year run on the Thor titles, during which the Odinson was deemed “Unworthy” and Jane took up the mantle in his stead as part of Marvel’s “All-New, All-Different” line.

Aaron’s run was popular, and Jane’s title sold well. However, while Jane got to headline two separate ongoing series as the Mighty Thor, she has to fight for space in Love and Thunder. The movie completely drops the comics plot concerning the Odinson’s “unworthiness,” allowing the character to casually pick up Mjolnir. However, Jane is not even given a single movie to headline as the title character. Instead, she is just one subplot in an overstuffed two-hour spectacle.

The problem is compounded by how Love and Thunder resolves Jane’s plot. Jane dies of cancer in Thor’s arms. While Thor boasts a couple of times about having “another classic Thor adventure,” Jane only gets to have one such adventure. More than that, her death is treated as a motivating factor for Thor, reaffirming the importance and value of his heroism rather than serving as any statement on her potential. Jane shakes Thor out of his midlife crisis.

To be fair, Natalie Portman is an Oscar-winning actor. Indeed, she had previously announced that she was “done” with the Thor franchise and had a cameo in Avengers: Endgame via recycled footage and a snippet of newly recorded voiceover. She was unlikely to stick around and commit to a franchise like this. In contrast, Hemsworth has given interviews about how he wants to become the longest-serving superhero actor. Still, it’s a frustrating illustration of a larger trend in these movies.

This is an acceleration of a trend that can be traced back to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with franchise veterans like Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) and Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) leapfrogging the nominal leads of the sequel trilogy like Poe Dameron or Kylo Ren. Increasingly, it seems like these films are not about introducing or establishing new characters, but instead about affirming the primacy and value of the established generation using these new characters.

Characters who had previously departed franchises are often brought back. Jurassic World featured none of the leads from the original Jurassic Park, but Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum are all effectively co-leads of Jurassic World Dominion, crowding out the younger cast. Harrison Ford headlines a new Indiana Jones movie at the age of 79. Where actors can’t be brought back, characters are; six of the nine leads on Strange New Worlds are pre-existing Star Trek characters.

Even movies that feature ostensibly smaller appearances from these older characters are still dominated by this logic. Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson only appear briefly in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but the film is haunted by Egon Spengler, with deceased actor Harold Ramis even appearing via computer-generated imagery. Tellingly, the film doesn’t end staying with new characters like Phoebe (McKenna Grace), but follows the older characters back to New York.

There is something disheartening in all of this, particularly given the vocal harassment that many of these new actors have faced in these franchises. Daisy Ridley, Kelly Marie Tran, and Moses Ingram have all faced targeted harassment from self-described Star Wars fans. Studies recorded vocal “sexist” and “bigoted” responses to the news that Natalie Portman would play the Mighty Thor. It is weird that the mere inclusion of women and people of color has become part of a culture war.

More fundamentally, it illustrates the extent to which modern pop culture is overdosing on the sugar rush of nostalgia that it has been mainlining for decades. It used to be enough to bring back these old and familiar characters for “one last adventure,” but now it is impossible to imagine that these characters might ever have to leave. As the Star Wars franchise has demonstrated, perhaps they don’t have to; faces and voices can be recreated as digital files, trapped in an uncanny limbo.

There is a stagnation to all of this, one that prevents these sorts of properties from evolving in the way that they must to survive in the long term. It’s a rotten and ticking time bomb. Pop culture has spent decades reassuring audiences that nothing ever needs to end, that their favorite stories will continue indefinitely. In the past couple of years, this argument has taken a particularly unsettling turn, reassuring viewers that nothing need ever change either.

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vampiregirl1797 · 3 years ago

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The Starlight Stone

GIF not mine.

Rhysand x Reader

Word Count: 4,898

Summary: Y/N comes from a different reality, where the characters and world she’s now living in, exist in a series of books. Rhysand takes her in, and she learns how to do something she’s never managed before… live.

Warnings: Can’t think of any? If I’ve missed anything, let me know.

Masterlist Here :)

Falling in love with new characters was as easy as breathing for me. In fact it was so easy, that before I realised it, I was only falling for them. Reading became an escape for me, a teenage girl without a shred of self-confidence, used to being the overlooked one in a group of friends, used to not attracting any kind of male attention. It was perfect, because the men I fell in love with always loved me back, never hurt me with the crushing pain of rejection, never thought I wasn’t pretty enough, or skinny enough. They loved me for me.

I just never imagined I’d wake up in one of the fictional world’s I’d read about, and come face to face with the High Lord I’d most recently falling for. I’d arrived several months ago, and of course hadn’t been able to keep a thing from the High Lord of the Night Court who’d found me trespassing on his lands. He’d gone into my head, not too far, but far enough to assess whether I was a threat to him or his people. He discovered pretty quickly that I had absolutely no skill set to be a threat, and that I absolutely was not from his world.

He’d found the concept of Prynthian being presented in a series of books both interesting and amusing, as well as him and his friends existing as characters within the novels. I was just glad he hadn’t gone far enough to find how invested I got in each of the books I read, and those who existed within them, him being one of those people. It would have been mortifying and I had wondered on more than one occasion what his reaction would be. But coming face to face with a man who had been fictional to me, and then become real overnight… it had thrown me into my insecurities. Into taking my feelings for the High Lord and shoving them down as far as I could.

‘Y/N?’ I was snapped out of my thoughts by Cassian popping his head into my room. Rhys had offered me a room at his town house when I first got here, and I’d never left. He’d offered the money to buy my own place, but I hadn’t been comfortable with the idea of that at the time, and now I had a place on his court, along with a wage of my own, but this had become my home.

‘Hey Cass, what’s up?’ I smiled, patting the empty space beside me on the enormous bed; in my world I’d never had bigger than a single, and this was about three singles put together.

‘Not much, I was gonna go into town for a little while, do you want to come with?’ His hazel eyes studied me with warmth and kindness, which was probably what had made me comfortable around him so quickly. He’d never looked at me with the disinterest I was used to being on the receiving end of from men; he saw me as a person and I appreciated him for it.

‘Sure. Anything in particular you’re after?’ I wondered letting my hair down from the messy bun I’d pulled it up onto when I’d come to relax in my room.

He shrugged, trying and failing to be nonchalant, ‘not really. Just felt like getting out.’

I sighed, shuffling to the edge of the bed to slip on my boots, ‘Rhys sent you to check up on me didn’t he? Let me guess, he thinks I’m becoming a depressed recluse?’

Cass gave me a look that was a mixture of concern and exasperation, ‘Rhys worries about you because you never leave the house. He doesn’t think you’re depressed, but he worries you’re not living either. You lose yourself in books, and you barely speak to anyone, even me.’

I turned away, pretending to busy myself with lacing up my shoes to hide the tear that slid down my cheek. Rhys was more observant than I gave him credit for. The truth was, since I’d gotten here, I’d basically been living the same as I had before; reading, sleeping, eating and more reading. I ate meals with everyone sometimes, but more often than not, I allowed the new fictional worlds offered to me here to consume me. I’d never been called out on it before. No one had ever cared enough to notice that I wasn’t just reading because I loved it, I was reading to escape the life I didn’t know how to live.

‘I-I’ I stuttered, forcing myself to stop and take a breath.

‘Hey,’ Cassian’s voice softened and he shuffled beside me on the bed to sling a muscular arm over my shoulder. My head went to his chest, not even trying to hold back my tears anymore, it seemed pointless when he could probably scent them anyway, ‘I didn’t say this to upset you, just to let you know that you’re family to us now, Y/N, and we care about you. We want you to live and enjoy life, not to fall solely in love with fictional places.’

‘This place was just a fictional place to me once.’ I murmured quietly.

‘And now you get to be here, and still choose to read yourself to death.’ He teased, chuckling softly.

I smiled, wiping away the moisture from my cheeks, because he was right. Rhys was right. I had been blessed with the opportunity to live in a reality I’d once yearned for with all my heart, and I’d been wasting it. Why? Because I was afraid to face the feelings I had for a certain High Lord, feelings that had only blossomed since coming here, despite my best efforts to avoid him. I’d been throwing myself into reading because I wanted to live in the fantasy that he would return my feelings for a little longer. But that had to stop. I wasn’t immortal here—at least I didn’t think so, I didn’t have Fae characteristics and I didn’t have any powers—and it was time to stop squandering my life being a scaredy cat.

‘You’re right. Rhys is right.’ I moved away from Cassian’s chest, wiping all evidence of my tears away, ‘lets go into Velaris. I’ve always wanted to stroll through the City and take everything in. It looks so beautiful from up here.’

Cassian grinned, and allowed me to pull him from the bed, and just like that we left the town house and were swallowed by the life of Velaris.

Six Months Later

‘I don’t think so.’ I shook my head, levelling the Shadowsinger with a no-nonsense glare, ‘it’s the Winter Solstice, which is the first one I’m spending here, it’s basically Christmas, and it’s a family holiday. You’re not flying off to wherever the heck you’re planning to go, with only your shadows for company.’

His hazel eyes were blank but he visibly stiffened. I sighed, realising that telling Azriel what he could and couldn’t do was not my place, and it definitely wasn’t the best approach.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t mean to act like I’m your keeper or anything.’ I stood from the couch where I’d been sitting, to move to where he stood in front of the fire. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and relaxed a little when he didn’t shrug me off, ‘it’s just… this means something to me. Back in my old reality, we had Christmas, which was something similar. We’d all gather, exchange presents, decorate a tree, hang decorations… but what made it special to me was the time spent with the people I loved. With the people I considered family. You’re my family now, Azriel. You, Cass, Ameren, Mor… and Rhys. Obviously it’s your choice, but if you could afford to, please don’t leave until after the holiday.’

I thought his eyes had softened at my words, but honestly it was hard to tell with the Shadowsinger. I left him alone to think over my words, kissing his cheek as I made my way outside; I still had some things left to buy for everyone. I’d gone a little overboard, but I couldn’t help it. I’d pretty much finished Mor and Ameren, I had a few last things to pick up for Cassian and Azriel, and the majority I’d left to buy were for Rhys. I already knew what I was going to get him, and most were already purchased and wrapped at each store, I’d just waited until now to get them, because while Rhys was trusted with everyone else’s presents… well giving him his own gifts just didn’t seem right. It might just have been me, but I felt like it took away the surprise, at least a little bit.

I smiled as I walked through the city, nodding in greeting to a few friendly people. Since that talk Cassian had with me six months ago, I’d started venturing out of the townhouse more and more. I still read, but it was for the fun of it now, rather than the escape from reality. I’d fallen in love with Velaris. The city was beautiful, and teeming with life and acceptance and peace… seeing it first hand really made me appreciate the efforts Rhys and everyone had gone through to protect this place, to make it a home.

‘Hey girl!’ Ameren’s voice had me looking to my right, to see her running across the cobblestone street to catch up to me, ‘you wouldn’t be out to purchase my Winter Solstice presents now would you?’ she grinned, her silver eyes sparkling with more life than usual.

I playfully rolled my eyes, ‘even if I was, I wouldn’t tell you. Your otherworld intimidation doesn’t work on me, Ren.’

She huffed, but I could see the amusement swirling in her silver irises, ‘fine. It amazes me sometimes though,’ she mused, going on to explain, ‘Cassian cracked like an egg in two seconds, told me what he’d got me straight away. But you’re immune to what makes me scary to people around here.’

I chuckled, being able to picture Cassian folding perfectly, ‘I wouldn’t say I’m the only one. And Cassian doesn’t prove anything, he’s like a big kid with this stuff. I’ve had to actually shush him to keep him from telling me about my presents, I think the excitement just gets to him. Now if you told me you’d broken Azriel, I’d be impressed.’

She huffed a laugh and tilted her head in acknowledgement of my words, ‘yeah, you might be right. He didn’t only tell me what he’d gotten me, he told me about everyone else’s too.’

I rolled my eyes affectionately, ‘that boy.’

‘Indeed.’ She shook her head, but when she met my eyes again the wicked glint in them made me brace myself slightly, ‘so what are you getting our High Lord?’

‘I’m on my way to pick up Rhys’ presents now. You can come with me if you want, so long as you don’t spoil anything.’ I gave her a pointed look and grinned at her offended look.

‘I’m not the gossip Cassian is, thank you very much, girl,’ she waved her hand dismissively, ‘anyway, I was just wondering if you were finally going to gift him with the truth.’

‘Who?’ I frowned, pulling open the door to the blacksmith’s—I’d requested a few specific weapons for Azriel, Cassian and Rhys, each custom made and fit to them specifically, ‘what truth?’

She opened her mouth to reply, but was had to wait until the blacksmith had handed over the three weapons he’d perfectly made for me. Azriel and Cassian had plenty of swords and knives and daggers, but their abundance in bows and arrows was clear. I’d seen them practice with the same one, and I doubted they had any specific for battle, which seemed a waste when they could both fly. So I’d asked the blacksmith to create some custom for them, and both now had their own bow, plenty of arrows and a quiver. Their names were engraved inside the buttery leather of their quivers, and each were made to be lightweight and able to be worn whilst flying without losing any arrows.

For Rhys I’d asked for a pair of daggers to be crafted. I’d seen him with a couple of swords, and I was sure he already had daggers too, but picking this particular weapon had just felt right, even if I knew it was likely he possessed some already. Each was pure silver, one held an amethyst stone at the hilt, while the other held an onyx stone. One for his eyes, the other for his court.

It was when we exited the shop that Ameren decided to resume her train of thought that I’d almost forgotten about, ‘the truth that you are in love with Rhys.’

It took a lot of effort not to stumble from shock, ‘what?’

‘Don’t play dumb. It’s obvious. Has been for months,’ she smirked, ‘we have bets on when you’re going to tell him. I have over the Solstice, so if you could do a girl a favour and tell him already, the winnings will be mine.’

‘Not to put a damper on your betting habits,’ I pulled her hand towards another shop I needed to go into, ‘but I’ve not got any “truth” to reveal to Rhys.’

She swore under her breath, ‘I knew I should have had spring, but there’s me being the optimist thinking you would have grown some balls and realised what we’ve all already seen by now.’

I frowned, ‘what the hell are you talking about Ameren?’

‘Rhys loves you just as much as you love him. Actually knowing him, he probably loves you even more, but he’s as much of a coward as you.’ She rolled her eyes, tucking her onyx hair behind her ear as I accepted another bag full of pre-wrapped presents for Rhys.

‘You can’t be serious.’ I didn’t know what else to say… the idea of him feeling a fraction of the love I had for him made my heart pound in my chest. I couldn’t fathom it.

‘Honestly, you’re both blind.’ She shook her head, but let the subject drop, and I was glad. Talking any more might have launched me into a full-blown panic attack.

I’d admitted to myself that fallen in love with the High Lord three months ago—for a long time I’d fought it, convincing myself I was just in love with the fictional version of him. But that theory had gone down the toilet when he’d laughed—really laughed—at a joke Cassian made, and I’d been powerless to stop myself from being overwhelmed with happiness at his happiness. It was then I accepted I was an idiot in love with a man I’d never have. But Ameren saying he did feel the same, well it made me panic because I’d never considered it a possibility before—I’d never had a man interested in me before, and the idea of it, the unfamiliarity, made me panic. So I forced it down and made myself focus on collecting the rest of my gifts.

The morning of Winter Solstice saw me rising bright and early, eager as a kid on Christmas morning. I realised that we wouldn’t be exchanging presents until the evening, after we’d all eaten, but I couldn’t tamper my excitement. So after I’d showered and dressed in leggings and a white woolly jumper, I headed to the living room to put the finishing touches on the decorations. Everything was basically done, but Rhys had found an eight-foot pine tree; I’d been telling him about the traditions of Christmas in my old reality, and he’d surprised me yesterday with a real tree. I’d hugged him tightly for it, unable to hold back my tears of gratitude at his thoughtfulness, and declared we’d have to decorate it tomorrow, after it had time to settle in the room overnight. A part of me wondered if he’d remember, but my doubt floated away upon the sight of him standing in the living room, observing the tree like he was sizing up an opponent on the battlefield. The thought made me chuckle, and he looked up to me with a smile.

‘Good morning.’ I murmured, coming over to join him, ‘is there a reason you seem to be sizing up this poor, defenceless tree?’

He grinned, his violet eyes sparkling with mirth, ‘well, other than the fact that it’s bigger than me and has an unfair advantage size-wise,’ I missed his soft smile as I laughed again, ‘I was simply wondering exactly how we’re going to decorate it.’

I softened with understanding, ‘well, lucky for you, I’m ridiculously prepared.’ I moved to pull out the box I’d stored behind the tree last night, after retrieving it from one of the shops in the art district. Magic was such a blessing here, and after I’d explained what I’d needed, and demonstrated with some awful drawings, they’d had everything made within a few hours. I pulled a few ornaments out, marvelling at the craftsmen’s ship for a moment before hanging them on the tree; there was a mixture of circular shapes and stars, in amethyst, silver, blue and black. They’d also crafted a silver star to go on top of the tree, fashioned after the star that always shone the brightest in the night sky of Velaris on the first night of Winter Solstice. It was so well made, I’d been struck speechless by how realistic it looked; as if they had plucked the star straight from the sky.

I nudged the box closer to Rhys with my foot, ‘just hang them however you want, like this.’ I gestured to the few I’d put on and smiled when he reached in and immediately followed instructions.

‘You know, if I used my magic I could have this done in under a minute.’ He commented, looking at me from the corner of his eye as if he knew my reaction before I voiced it.

‘Absolutely not! Decorating by hand is part of the fun, and the tradition.’ I protested, flicking his shoulder when I noticed his smirk, ‘if you use a flicker of magic, then there will be no presents for you.’

I frowned at the look of surprise in his eyes and he must have noticed my confusion because he said, his voice soft, ‘I didn’t think you’d gotten me anything. I didn’t mind, of course, I’m just surprised.’

‘Why would you think that?’ I turned to face him fully, ignoring the task of decorating for the moment.

‘Because you didn’t give them to me to hide.’ He shrugged, carefully placing another ornament onto the tree, ‘and I never expect gifts, from anyone regardless. I went a long time being consumed by disappointment after my mother and sister died, because my father never cared for the holiday before. But after their deaths, it bore a reminder of another year of them being gone. Then he and I enacted our revenge, and it was a while before Morrigan, Cassian and I were able to spend the Solstice together.’

I pulled him into a hug, winding my arms around his neck and not flinching at the appearance of his wings. They didn’t often appear without purpose unless he was feeling a strong emotion, but I didn’t question it when they cocooned us, his warmth radiating all around me.

‘I didn’t give you any to hide because I felt like it took away from the surprise of the holiday if I was asking you to keep your own presents.’ I murmured into his neck, missing the small shiver that passed through him, ‘I’m sorry, that you had to spend so many Solstice’s alone, Rhys. But you have a family now, one that would sooner die than leave you.’

He held me a little tighter, and I returned the gesture, burrowing further into his neck and wondering if I was imagining the increased heartbeat I could feel against my chest, or if I were perhaps mistaking it for my own.

I smiled from my seat in the armchair, enjoying the warmth emanating from the fire, and from the mug of hot chocolate I held in my hands. We had just had Winter Solstice dinner, and were taking it in turns to open our presents.

Ameren had gone first, and was grinning so wide it was almost scary at all of the jewels everyone had bought for her. Cassian had mostly been gifted weapons from everyone but Mor and me—she’d given him a sweater in the brightest green I’d ever seen, and I’d also gifted him some of his favourite liquor, a box of chocolates that Rhys had mentioned his mother got the General every year for solstice, some new books on war strategy, a new set of Illyrian leathers, and the bow and arrows I’d gotten him.

Azriel had also gained an abundance of weapons, along with a startlingly bright pair of purple socks from Mor, and some of his favourite liquor, a series of books on adventure and war I had a feeling he would enjoy, and a new set of Illyrian leathers and his new bow and arrows, from me. Mor had been given high quality clothing from everyone, and some of her favourite chocolates, wine, bath foams and salts from me. Rhys had been given a set of old leather bound books from Ameren, a Hawaiian themed shirt from Mor—mother knew where she found that—, what looked like a six-pack of beer from Cassian that had Rhys shaking his head with a reluctant smile, and a new set of Illyrian leathers from Azriel. I’d given him his new set of daggers, some of the chocolates Cassian had mentioned his mother and sister gifted him every Solstice, a painting that captured the beauty of Velaris perfectly, and something else I hadn’t yet presented to him.

I’d actually left the other gift in his room, on his pillow; it was a pendant that had caught my eye when I was buying Ameren’s Solstice gifts. The shop attendant had noticed my stare and pulled it out from beneath the glass—it wasn’t overly huge; about the size of a bottle cap. It was antique silver, with a stone at the centre that was so beautiful I’d been unable to look away from it. It reminded me of the night sky, to put it plainly. It was so blue I thought it was sapphire, but the flashes of pure light that I saw when I turned it reminded me of shooting stars. The attendant had explained it was a pendant often presented to a perspective partner as a way of showing your intentions—as a way of showing your love for them. It was often the step before the mating bond sparked, to acknowledge what you already felt for them. She mentioned that it was an out dated tradition, and many only bought the Starlight stone now purely because it was beautiful.

I didn’t know what possessed me to buy it. Maybe it was the possibility that he wouldn’t even know what it meant, maybe it was because a part of me wanted to tell him, and this was the only way I could muster the courage to do it. Either way, I’d left the small wrapped present on his black silk pillow before I’d joined the party tonight. And I’d had knots in my stomach about it since. A part of me wanted to excuse myself and take it back, but I forced that anxious part of my brain to shut up, because as much as it terrified me… I had to tell Rhys how I felt somehow, even if it meant that he didn’t feel the same way.

After the events of the evening, I decided to have a bath before I went to bed; Cassian and Azriel had passed out in the living room, one on the floor, the other on the sofa, but both were snoring loudly. Mor had made it to her room on the first floor, and Ameren had returned to her apartment. Rhys had said something about flying over the city before he turned in, and I was too awake with nerves to just slip straight into bed. So I ran some warm water into the gigantic tub that looked as if it would overflow onto the mountain below, and added some of my favourite bath foams that scented of lavender and honey—a gift from Az. I forced myself to breathe and just not think, and when my eyes started to droop I climbed out of the cooling water to dry off. I changed into the new silk gown Mor had gifted me for Solstice, and entered my bedroom only to stop short.

My heart stopped at the sight of Rhys sitting on the edge of my bed… and then picked up triple speed. He was wearing loose pyjama pants, and no shirt… and he was holding the gift box I’d left on his pillow. The lid was missing and he was staring at the pendant inside. I took a deep breath and crossed my arms over my chest to hide how my hands shook.

‘Hey.’ I bit my lip, unsure about what to do. Should I sit next to him? Stay standing in front of the fire about three feet away from him? Ask him if he liked the gift? Ask him if he knew what it meant?

His violet eyes lifted to meet mine, and I felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me at the guarded look in them, ‘do you know what this stone means?’ he asked, his voice quiet as he carefully held up the box, as if its contents were precious to him, ‘are you aware of the tradition that exists in Velaris? About what it means when someone presents this stone to another person?’

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding even faster now, and I was pretty sure I was starting to sweat. I wished I could read him better, wished I could know if he was hoping I knew, or hoping I didn’t. But he was a master of hiding his emotions, so I decided to go with the truth.

‘Yes, I know what it means.’ I admitted quietly, and knew if he didn’t have advanced hearing he wouldn’t have been able to make out the words; I could barely hear myself say them.

‘No, tell me. Tell me why you gave this to me.’ His eyes were still guarded, but his voice held a tinge of desperation, a tone I couldn’t resist from him.

‘I gave you that stone because the attendant at the jewellery store told me that the Starlight stone is what you give to a perspective partner, to acknowledge what you already feel for them, before the mating bond has sparked.’ I could feel the wariness on my face as he stood from the edge of the bed, stopping right in front of me.

He tilted my chin up to meet his eyes with his index finger and whispered, ‘and what is it you feel for me, Y/N?’

‘I love you Rhys.’ I admitted softly, missing the way his eyes softened as my gaze fell to his lips.

His hand caressed my cheek, his thumb moving back and forth across my cheekbone. I was powerless to stop myself melting into his touch, and felt my eyes sheen with tears when I saw the affectionate look in his eyes. I watched as the dark mist of his magic swirled around the pendant, and lifted it from the box to secure it around his neck. My hand went to rest against his chest, where the pendant lay against his skin.

‘I love you too, Y/N darling.’ He murmured, wiping away the tears that fell silently down my cheeks.

I vaguely heard the gift box fall to the floor, his free hand now landing on my hip and pulling me flush against his body. My arms wound around his neck, my fingers going to his silky soft hair as his mouth covered mine.

One Year Later

‘I’m just saying, Cassian is a great name for a tiny warrior.’ Cass grinned from the sofa, across from where Rhys and I sat in the love seat he’d bought for us about a year ago.

‘Absolutely not.’ Rhys drawled, his hand gently moving back and forth across my swollen belly.

‘Do you have names picked out?’ Mor asked, her face holding the beaming expression that was always present when we were talking about the baby.

‘We do,’ I murmured, Rhys and I shared a secret smile at Mor’s squeal of excitement.

‘We’re not revealing anything until the baby is born.’ Rhys grinned at the sounds of disapproval from his cousin and Cassian.

‘You’re boring.’ The war General grumbled.

We all chuckled at his childish behaviour and I felt my expression soften with affection when Rhys leaned over to kiss my baby bump, murmuring words about how his uncle Cassian would always be the biggest baby in the family. Cassian grumbled louder, much to our amusement. My hand fell to Rhys hair, idly playing with the strands. He kissed my forehead and my eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of contentment that washed over me.

Home. This was home.

#ACOTAR #ACOMAF #ACOWAR #ACOSF #Rhysand x Reader

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silver-strings-of-fate · 2 years ago

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etherbonded:

“ You’re incorrect actually, my husband isn’t aware of the fact I have any access to the Metaverse. Sure he has access in his own ways but, he’s never caught me. Though, he probably does have suspicions, like I said I didn’t work for anyone. You’re the first person I’m working for, well, besides myself of course. ” She hasn’t needed to rely on anyone besides herself for a long time. Masa hadn’t even let known about her activities yet. …She supposes he’s going to know now though.

His childishness was… odd to say the least even if it wasn’t all the time in which he acted that way. She wouldn’t have expected it to say the least but, she didn’t nesssisarily mind it. She’s come a long way from her high school days of getting annoyed by other people and their mannerisms, now she only gets mildly annoyed on occasions when her buttons are pushed too much.

Something in her gut tells her that he wants to have her keep an eye on him more so than just spend time with him. But she’s not quite sure why, she’ll figure it out eventually. But also, the fact Masa is a metaverse assassin, it’s a tad jarring but, it makes sense with the money he makes she has to admit. “ Mm, I see, I don’t mind doing so. He’s nice company. I’m assuming it’s both inside and outside the metaverse you want me to watch him? ” …She may tell Masa about that, because she has a feeling she can’t be entirely dishonest with the man as much as she’d like.

“ Well the obvious and most clear answer, albeit vague, is because it’s a means to your ends. But in specifics? They could not only look good on you if you pin it on those phantom whatever their called, but if you publicly denounce it it’d look good on you too. That’s what my husband has been doing. ” But she pauses for a moment, with him? It can’t be it, he knows about the metaverse, and he has an assassin, there has to be more to it. “ …But that’s not all is it? My husband may not want more as far as I’m aware but, something tells me you do. ”

“Ah well, I guess that’s what I get for assuming things without evidence. Though it makes sense: he doesn’t seem like he’d actually be smart enough to be pulling the strings. I gave him too much credit.” Perhaps he was too eager to think there was someone even remotely near his level. But naturally, no one could possibly hope to stand against him.

“Oh, no no no, I don’t want you to watch him, Himarin.” If anything, he wanted Masayoshi to keep an eye on her. “Just spend a little more time with him, get to know him. He’ll be your senpai, in a way. Since he’d been working for me for quite a while.”

Ren leaned a little further forward, grey eyes stone serious. He wanted to make sure there was no way she could possibly misinterpret hos words as a joke. “You’re right, that’s not all I want. I don’t actually care about becoming prime minister. I don’t care about my public image. It’s all just a means. And my ends more than justify them. My aim is much higher than just this country, or even just this reality.

“I’m going to usurp god.”

#What's a King to a God (pride ren)#etherbonded

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m-y-fandoms · 4 years ago

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COMMISSION: Joker/Akira/Ren x Reader Part 3

This fic assumes Mishima isn't a confidant, the reader is the Moon arcana instead, keep this in mind.

word count: 6.3k words, SFW

- Admin Myah

Over the next few weeks spent with Akira, or… Joker, as he seemed to be called when the situation demanded, you learned that the world was much more complicated than you ever could’ve dreamed. Sure, you praised yourself for being a little less of a sheep than the idle-brained teenagers of your everyday life who thought of nothing but gossip, status and appearances, but now you felt insignificant, like you’d been asleep all this time until Akira, Ryuji and Ann had placed six symbolic hands upon you, and shaken you to life. Layers upon layers, he explained the subconscious world that lay beneath, which ached to be revealed, only to those who’d open their eyes.

＊

It’d been a rush, your first time in the Metaverse. You’d insisted to Akira, though he protested, that you wanted to see what all of this near-unbelievable nonsense he was explaining was all about. He’d never taken non-Phantom-Thief confidants into the Metaverse, and he was hesitant, silent for a long while before deciding that your help was worth the risk. After all, he’d already told you everything, and they had no way to erase memories… yet.

You remember Akira taking your hand, the skin on skin contact. Up on the school’s rooftop with Ryuji and Ann flanking you, Akira had told you it was a precaution, to make absolutely sure that you transferred into the Metaverse with them and landed in the same place. You had to be touching one of them, for your safety, and he’d eagerly volunteered. With the cat in his bag seeming to smile at you over his shoulder (an occurrence which made you feel like you were going looney already) he tapped an app icon on his phone, some scary red little square, and with that, your body lifted, began to float, or so it seemed. Red completely consumed your vision, red and black ink like those blobs you’d seen the Phantom Thieves appear from when this all began. You gasped, stumbling back a step as if you could escape the all-encompassing wave, and Akira, sensing your trepidation, squeezed your hand slightly.

The rooftop faded, and you felt like a character from a videogame fast-traveling to their destination. Almost as fast as it appeared, the trippy red and black sludge subsided, and before you sat a dark, dreary scenery. A castle, one that obviously belonged to a malevolent ruler sat amongst a purple sky and the smell of despair.

“What the…” your mouth hung agape for a second, taking in your surroundings before letting your eyes trail down to where your hand met Akira’s. Assuming you no longer needed it, you shook him off gently, not even sparing a glance his way, and his eyebrows creased just the smallest amount, not that you noticed. You were too focused on the giant cat before you, knee-height, with a round, bulbous head. “Is… are you-?!”

“Much more handsome and dashing in this form, wouldn’t you say?” Morgana - now confirmed - gave you a sly look as you leaned down to his height to run your hand along the fur on his head.

“Wow… so cute!” You cooed.

“Hey! Stop it! Stop it! I am a warrior and to be taken seriously!” he whined, shooing away your hands, his fur on end.

“Ha!” a sharp laugh rang out behind you, and you turned to see that Morgana wasn’t the only one who’d made a drastic change. Ryuji was now clad in some kind of leather pirate’s uniform, his demeanor far more fearsome and a skull mask across his face. Ann donned a skin-tight body suit and cat mask, and Akira wore a lavish long coat, red gloves, and a masquerade mask. He looked like a magician from some fairytale, or perhaps the leader of some band of Robin-Hood-inspired band of vigilantes… although you supposed that was kind of what he was now… either way, he would make amazing source material for your main protagonist. Such swagger, a commanding presence… he didn’t seem to exactly be the same Akira you’d met earlier.

＊

The trip to the Metaverse was almost completely uneventful… almost. Just once, when you’d begged Akira to press forward and show you the inside of the castle, something called a “shadow” attacked, and you got to see the band of thieves in action. It was shocking, leaving chills running down your spine. Here were your classmates, people your age with ghost-like spirits materializing at their backs, flipping through the castle’s corridors, shooting guns and slingshots and magic at terrifying beasts. It was all so fast-paced, so stunning, that your body locked up witnessing the battle. A shadow spotted you in the background, defenseless and clearly not part of the Phantom Thief entourage, and taking the petty opportunity only a sore-loser on the ropes would take, struck out against you. You shrieked, your hands uselessly coming up to defend your face as if it would help. Akira’s eyes widened, his reflexes so much faster in this realm, and turned on his heel, diving in front of you to deflect the blast of frosty energy swirling toward you. It bounced off of the side of his large steel dagger and ricoheted back at the shadow. After assessing the situation and asking if you were okay, Akira decided it was time to return you back to the real world. It was too dangerous for someone without a persona to wander here. The thieves would return later, once you were safe at home.

＊

Anyway, now you believed him, you knew everything he was saying, about Kamoshida and his fucked up mind, about confidants, personas and metacognition was real and very much a serious matter. Now all that was left was to decide just how you could help them, what kind of deal you could strike with the clever leader of the Phantom Thieves. Of course, he didn’t expect you to get something and give nothing.

It was decided that you’d offer your knowledge as a writer to help with negotiation and charming shadows in the Metaverse. You’d turn those golden lines you wrote on the pages into real-life lessons, and Akira would learn to seduce shadows, to out-smart them, to persuade them to give up everything they had: their money, precious belongings, even their very selves. He would flirt, threaten, intimidate, any honeyed word or silver-tongued method he could use to make deals with shadows go along more smoothly. Perfect. It would help him out immensely. But, what did you want, he’d asked again.

It felt embarrassing, now that you were put on the spot, forced to disclose it, but although those “golden words” translated well into lessons for others, you found that you couldn’t as easily take your own advice. You struggled with human interaction in your real life, especially of the romantic kind. You could write a healthy relationship out on paper, create the ideal love interest from scratch for a story, but stumbled along words like some socially incompetent fool once it came time to apply that knowledge. As much as you hated to admit it, these days even getting true, realistic romantic moments down on paper was a struggle. The well was drying up, writer’s block, as you’d explained it to your online friends. It was near impossible to make something from nothing, and you had nothing. No real romantic experience. You couldn’t help but think this was the route of the problem. Your writing, your precious romance novel would flourish, if only it’s author wasn’t completely clueless.

“Date me…” You mumbled, surprised out how your long moment of pensive introspection had accumulated into this clunky statement.

“What?” Akira let out a breath he’d seemed to be holding the entire time, just watching you think on what method of reciprocity was worth your help. Losing your nerve at the incredulous tone of his voice and the raise of his brows, you shrunk back a bit, ready to defend your words.

“W-wait!” You held a hand out between you. “Not really. I mean…” how to word this…? “Like, fake!” He looked even more confused than before. You released a noise of frustration. “What I mean is, you take me on dates - fake ones - stupid little stuff couples do, for my writing, of course…” You looked toward the ground, suddenly extremely interested in your shoes.

“How does that benefit you in any way?” He smiled, a bit forced, a blush dusting his pale cheeks.

“Well I- I’ve been having writer's block lately. I mean sure, I can give you lines and lessons from my previous works, drabble and things I’ve learned, written down in the past, but I have no fresh material. Stagnation is every writer’s downfall, but I have no experience, I need more to go off of… and then maybe I can even transfer what I discern from our… interactions - er… dates I mean - to you. Does that make sense?” You looked up at him hopefully.

“Uh… no,” Yeah, you knew it didn’t, but that’s all you had for him. His hand shook, much less confident as Akira than Joker, and he shoved it in his pocket.

“It’s hard to explain, I just… that’s my deal. Will you take it?” You clutched your bag a little closer to your body. “We don’t even have to tell anybody. I just want to experience it… going out… with someone…” It sounded a little more pathetic now that you were actually hearing yourself. You both stood in silence, Akira contemplating your words. It wasn’t that he didn’t like you as a person… it was just… complicated…

“Give me a day to think about it,” he spoke quietly, giving you a polite send off before parting ways.

That night, anxiety set in as you rolled around in your bed restlessly.

Did you sound like a creep? Were you being unreasonable? Was this asking too much of him? Does he think you’re crazy? You’ll probably never hear from him again. He’d probably rather find a way in that crazy Metaverse to erase your memories so he can forget the awkward exchange ever happened. Maybe he’ll kick your shadow’s ass one day.

You debated going to school the next day.

＊

Akira’s night, though not as horrendous as yours, was not a peaceful one. Like so many nights, he found himself awoken to the clink of a ball and chain, dressed in striped rags as he stood and walked to the bars of his cell. The twins were waiting, as always, anger in their eyes.

“Look alive, prisoner!” Caroline spoke.

“Our master would have a word with you!” Justine chimed in. Akira looked up, meeting Igor’s large grin.

“You’ve forsaken a bond, Trickster. One must ask, why?” Igor’s hands splayed over a deck on cards on his desk.

“Huh…? What do you mean?” Sleep lingering in his mind, and confused as to why he was here this time, Akira replied.

“I’ve told you, the bonds you strengthen over time and the new bonds you form, they will be what wins this fight. You can only complete your mission, save all that is, through the support your confidants provide, so why have you abandoned this bond?” Igor’s fingers folded together, hands clasped, a show of disappointment. “Now is not the time to not try hard enough.” Was that a hint of frustration in his tone? If so, he didn’t show it.

“...I’m afraid I don’t understand.” Akira rubbed one eye lazily.

“You’re not trying to understand, worm! Wake up!” Caroline’s fist banged down across the bars, startling Akira slightly. He looked to Igor again, who held up a single card between two fingers. On its face sat two wolves, both howling up at a glittering moon.

“The Moon.” Igor stated plainly. “Illusion, fear, anxiety, intuition, uncertainty, complexity, secrets, the unconscious mind. A friend, a possible lover, someone unsure of themselves and others. Creativity, shadowed by doubt. Someone who supports others but not themselves.” As he spoke, images of your face flashed in Akira’s mind. Igor threw the card into the air, catching it upside-down, letting the wolves fall into the moon, swimming in its glow. “Reversed: release of fear, repressed emotion, clarity, misinterpretations overturned. Someone who can fix what was upright. But you’ve passed over the opportunity.” Igor swipes his free hand in front of the card, and it disappears.

Scenes play out in Akira’s head. Confrontation with shadows, confrontations with real people, but these aren’t real… or rather, haven’t happened yet.

He receives clarity.

The Moon has more to offer than lessons on charisma, seduction, trickery, persuasion. His intuition will grow, his ability to perceive things before they happen, the ability to read and understand people, and be understood in return. Other bonds will grow, empathy will grow. More friends, closer friends, a flash of blue hair, white uniform, red hair, headphones, then a tidy uniform, a Shujin uniform, gloves, a beige jacket, and finally bouncy curls and a soft, high pitched voice. With your help, the Phantom Thieves can grow. Bonds will strengthen. Complexity, Igor had said. More than meets the eye. Was there more to you? You weren’t too bad, obviously intelligent… a bit odd, but kind enough, and he did find you cute… but pretending, a fake relationship? How could a fake bond strengthen

The card reappears, as if out of thin air, and Igor points to one upside down wolf.

“Me.” Joker whispers, as if guided by an unseen force. Igor points to the other wolf.

You.

He awakens with a start, nearly knocking Morgana off the bed. He has an answer for you now.

＊

He finds you at school the next day, huddled in the library and not where you’d said you’d meet him. You’d been dreading this, waiting for the rejection, your hand trembling slightly on the book in your hands. He sits across from you, a look of determination on his face. Waiting for him to speak was torture.

“I’ll do it.” He holds out a hand, waiting for you to shake it, seal the deal. A contact has been signed.

＊

Your first date with Akira is clunky, unpracticed, unprecedented of course. He doesn’t know much about what to do, either, so he takes you to Le Blanc for dinner. Some coffee and curry, maybe a soda and some conversation on the side? It couldn’t be too bad, right? That’s what dudes do, he thought, bring their... pretend sweetheart somewhere for dinner, right? Sojiro is teasing, of course, wondering who this new person was, why Akira was holding their hand. He smirks like a dad proud of his boy, and Akira, too embarrassed under Sojiro’s scrutiny now to sit down and serve you curry, rushes you upstairs.

After being dragged by the hand up rickety old stairs, you end up in Akira’s room alone. You look around, taking in his sparse decorations, humble belongings. It then strikes you that you are, in fact, alone. Alone with a boy in his room, for the first time in your life. You didn’t know how you got here, and so fast. Maybe you were in over your head. Maybe you just needed to calm down. This was part of the process, right? Real couples did this, to get to know each other. He beckons you over, gestures for you to sit on his bed with him. You’re hesitant, but Akira isn’t making a big deal out of it, and you’re not really alone, with Morgana right there, so you sit, as far from him as you could be on the surprisingly soft bed. Struggling for words and new to dates himself, Akira decides to treat you first and foremost like his friend. That makes this all easier.

He spends the next hour or so describing Mementos, his mentor Igor, the twins. He wants you to know everything, and it surprises him. His other confidants, save for the actual Phantom Thieves, don’t know anything about the hidden world their bonds are healing. He describes the arcana to you, the tarot, the way his soul resonates with The Fool, Ryuji The Chariot, Ann The Lovers. His doctor friend is Death, Sojiro the Hierophant. Morgana here is the Magician, and proud of it. He explains how he feels a bond with them, as he now does with you. They make him feel like he can do anything. You’re included in that now. You feel warmth rise to your cheeks. How could he say that so casually? It wasn’t like it was a love confession or whatever, but you had trouble seriously telling your online friends you appreciated having them in your lives without adding a joke or meme in there somewhere. Why did he even need your help? He seemed well spoken. You said so, voicing these opinions aloud.

“Huh.. you know, I actually don’t usually talk this much,” he smiled. “Must just be you.” He was only half teasing. You looked away nervously, feeling the need to change the subject.

“S-so, what am I?” You began to stroke Morgana’s fur, and this time he didn’t seem to mind.

“You mean your soul?” He scooted a bit closer.

“Yeah.” It didn’t go unnoticed.

“The Moon.” He replied softly.

He spent the rest of the night explaining the levels of Mementos, and some of the wicked people whose hearts he’s had the displeasure of seeing inside, but the absolute pleasure of changing. You say you aren’t surprised so many people are walking around so hurt inside or eager to hurt others. When the “date” ends - neither of you having even gotten that promised coffee or curry downstairs - you’re touching, sitting shoulder to shoulder looking at the moon outside his window with Morgana on your lap. The room seems a little warmer, a little less humble. Akira mentions with a sheepish grin that it’s getting late, and offers to walk you home.

Rank Up!

＊

You sit in your bed that night, Akira now having returned to Le Blanc, and think about if this will make good writing material or not. You had to have learned something, right? There was something to be gained from every experience… but you can’t help feeling like you’ve warmed up to the thought of Akira a bit more… not too much, however. You smiled to yourself at the thought of The Fool, tricked into dating the Moon, for all it can offer him.

He’d been so awkward at your front door when he dropped you off. You could tell he had no clue what to do. He was frantically looking around. People in movies kissed their date at this point, cheek or lips, depending on how the date went, right? He confessed that he’s one of those people who truly don’t know anything about romance, like you’d mentioned earlier in one of your conversations. You tell him it’s fine, that you didn’t expect anything, that you just met the other day. He thought he was being clear, dropping hints that he might want to peck your cheek, just a quick gesture to kick off your fake relationship, but maybe he wasn’t as slick as he thought. The hints seemed to go over your head. Maybe he really did need help.

＊

Your second date comes in the form of you begging to go back into the Metaverse for some inspiration. He fights you, bringing up the last time a shadow attacked you, but you are persistent. He gives in, taking you to the highest rung of Mementos, where the shadows are weak and he can keep you safe adequately on his own. It is a date, after all, no Phantom Thieves tagging along. Mementos is a bit more frightening than Kamoshida’s Palace, you mention, and he eases your fear, promising to protect you here, always. You take in his Phantom Thief uniform in more detail as you walk the long corridors of the realm of the subconscious and decide he looks quite handsome in it.

You watch him battle a demon that is the personification of lust, a succubus-like creature dripping with temptation and love, or so it thinks. Joker uses all that you’ve taught him so far, which isn’t much, and cons the false idol of love out of their money. It was quite comical yet a bit sad to watch the shadows expression fall from a cocky to a defeated one, but preformative love you’ve decided, is doomed to lose. The irony flies over your head.

From this experience, watching Joker fight with speed and grace, you settle on a genre for your novel. It will be a high-fantasy romance. Joker will inspire your main character, of course, but the love interest… was still undecided. You started drafting her to look like Ann, act like Ann, give off the energy and power Ann does. Ryuji was an option at first as well to inspire the love interest’s personality, but he was a bit too brash. You wanted someone strong, but soft and elegant at the same time. These characters were loosely based on the Phantom Thieves, anyway, so it didn’t really matter.

＊

When you leave the Metaverse, though Akira is a bit exhausted, he takes you to a local casual restaurant to make up for the last time at Le Blanc. There, sitting across the counter from you two is an older gentleman. Yoshida, Akira whispers, is a friend of his, another confidant. The Sun. Yoshida makes small talk, asking politely if you’re with Akira, and you feel your stomach clench. You knew this was fake, the agreement was clear, but hearing it aloud, the awkward ‘we’re just friends’ that was coming made you sweat. It still felt like rejection anyway. When Akira confirms that yes, you are in fact dating, your eyes widen, the coil in your stomach releasing. He smiles, taking your hand. This has to be an act, a show to play up the relationship. He’s just performing his duty, his role, holding up his end of the deal in order to simulate a real relationship and give you worthwhile source material… right?

Either way, you appreciate not being publicly humiliated, and smile back. That night, you write down everything, and what it’s like to not be alone.

Rank Up!

＊

Days pass, Kamoshida coming and going, justice being served, and you spend more and more time with your fake boyfriend. Your parents let him come over, and in your room you let him read some of the old poetry you’ve written, some lame pining drabble from your younger years, and some more recent things you’re proud of. He scours your room, digging up old hobbies and photos. You tell him all about them. He tells you he enjoys learning these things about you. You simply smile. It doesn’t seem to be the reaction he was looking for. Not liking the small frown that adorns his features, you pick the conversation back up, asking if he thinks you’ll ever have a persona. He smiles, maybe someday.

Rank Up!

＊

The Phantom Thieves are gaining fame, only more fodder for your writing. The more you hang out with Akira and his friends, the more real it feels. Your online friends can feel it, too. They sense you changing, talking less of writing and more of Akira. They tease you, of course, but they don’t get it. He’s just a main character… just a muse.

This time, Akira walks home to Le Blanc alone, wondering if he should tell you how he feels. He doesn’t like it, holding up this pretense of a fake relationship, pretending the glances and touches don’t matter. He wants to tell you…

...that he’s slowly falling.

You receive a little gift in the mail the next day. It’s a deck of tarot cards. The return address is blank. You call him to tell him all about it, and end up discussing the pros and cons of each card all night. What a coincidence that you should receive your own deck all of a sudden.

Rank Up!

＊

There are moments where you’re afraid you may be falling, too. There was the time that a blue-haired young man stalked you and your friends through Shibuya, turning corners when you did, always on your trail. When Ryuji finally got fed up and confronted the weirdo, asking why the hell he was following you guys, he’d revealed that his name was Yusuke, a student of a painting master, and that he was simply following inspiration where it lead.

“Your friend there, I was drawn to them,” he points elegantly, like some manga bishounen, past Ryuji and toward you. “I beg of you, allow me to paint your form. Something about your normalcy stands out. What I mean is, there is beauty to be found in not standing out, a silent grace in being so plain.” You could tell Yusuke meant no harm, that he simply may be a bit socially inept with his words, as well, but the way he was talking about you set something in Akira on fire. He stood in front of you, shifting until his body blocked yours from Yusuke’s sight.

“They aren’t plain.” He spoke with a dangerous edge to his tone, and you felt your heartbeat speed up. The hint of jealousy in his voice at Yusuke’s request for you to model for him, and anger at him calling someone he found so fascinating plain was evident.

＊

Yusuke seemed to be in denial in the coming days. Though your little troupe seemed to constantly be bumping into him, offering him sound advice and trying to awaken him to the mire of corruption that was the truth behind his mentor, Ichiryusai Madarame, he refused to see reason. He dove further into his art, but you could tell he was hurting. You used your time with Akira these days to teach him how art, much like film and literature, can reflect false truths and influence people. The deception, corruption and shallowness of the media extended to the art world, as he learned after one or two gallery visits with you.

It was then, in a gallery displaying Yusuke’s work, as you sat in a secluded corner alone discussing ways to take down Madarame, that Akira started to flirt incessantly.

He takes your hand, bringing up romantic tropes in movies he’s seen that seem so forced, one-sided, cliche, uncomfortable. He mentions that he would’ve done better, explains how those scenes would’ve played out if he had any say.

“Is that so?” Your brow raises, amused by how animated this usually quiet boy could be when he was passionate about something.

“Yeah! Of course! What, you don’t see me doing that?” he laughed breathily, going on about how the male lead of some high-school romance film Sojiro rented for him was clumsy, forceful, and didn't give his lover time and space to think about their feelings. “I would’ve treated them much, much better… “ his words trail off, as if lost in thought.

“...Is that so?” You ask again, studying his face and asking yourself how you didn’t notice before how beautiful the hue of his eyes were. You sure as hell were noticing now… steely grey, sharp, deep, purposeful. You’d have to write that down… for research purposes of course. When you pull yourself back to reality, no longer lost in the swirl of his irises, you realize he’s staring at you, and has been for some time.

“Do… can I-” he speaks, throat dry, and scoots himself closer. “May I kiss you…?” His voice is soft, so soft, scared.

“...Yes.” You answer, naturally, impulsively, voice just as soft. When Akira leans forward, and softly presses his apprehensive lips to yours, you feel like you’ve been set on fire. Your mind begins to go crazy, while your body is frozen. It’s not that you didn’t like it, some part of you did. You wanted more, but it felt wrong. This wasn’t real. You didn’t truly like him… right? This kiss was fake, for research purposes… to cure writer’s block…

...right?

You were frozen more from guilt than nerves. Weren’t first kisses supposed to feel like little butterflies in your stomach? Did he think he owed you this? Were you taking advantage of him at this point? Did he feel forced to kiss you to keep up his end of the bargain?

Akira deepened the kiss, a hand on the back of your neck, guiding you, begging you to reciprocate. When you didn’t, lost in your own head, he pulls away, a small frown tugging at his lips.

“W-we… we should head home. I’ll walk you…” he sighs. You both stand, make your way back onto the main street from the museum, and are silent the entire walk home.

You think he’s silent because you’ve forced him to think he needs to kiss you, and now regrets his decision. He thinks you’re silent because he’s just forced a kiss upon you, just like some Chad from a movie who can’t understand boundaries. Neither of you know your silence is for the exact same reasons.

Akira drops you off at home with a quiet ‘goodnight,’ and walks home, clearing his head in the cool night air.

“Stupid… jeez… fuckin’ stupid,” he huffs, repirmanding himself. This wasn’t real. You’d stated that from the beginning. This relationship was to benefit your writing, to help him in the Metaverse, nothing else. Nothing else.

Nothing. Else.

It was his fault he let himself develop real feelings. He has no right to be sad, to blame you, to get upset. You’d stated the terms from the very start…

Maybe he really was The Fool.

Rank Up…?

＊

The next few weeks are awkward.

Both of you think it’s your fault.

You go on dates like usual, but they are strictly business. You get writing material, he gets advice, no touching, and certainly no kissing. Yusuke joins the group. Things are great… friendly… strained, tense. Akira wonders what the hell he’s doing, if this bond is even worth it. Weeks pass. He feels your bond with him growing, but not in the way he wishes. It felt like all of his other confidants: visit, gain, rank up, gain power, learn. He wonders if he can keep this up. His heart aches. He wants to touch you more, but can’t, wants to tell you more, but won’t let himself.

＊

One rainy night, he calls you, like he often does when you can’t meet up in person, and tells you he can’t do this anymore. You lie, and say you agree. The guilt won’t let you tell him the truth, that you want to end the farce, move onto something more real. You can sense your feelings for him growing stronger each day, and it’s not fair to him. Without fighting, without the big “it’s not you it’s me you” you’re used to reading about in books, you tell him you respect his decision, and it’s over. When Akira hangs up, he finds himself a bit angry inside. You didn’t even try to fight for the relationship. There was a tiny little part of him that hoped you felt anything for him, that maybe it meant something to you. He cries that night, for the first time in a long time. They are angry tears, frustrated ones.

＊

In your bed, you find yourself sitting upright, dead inside, unfeeling, empty. You feel like a part of you is gone, but can’t pinpoint why. You don’t even notice the tears sliding down your own cheeks as you sift through the pack of tarot cards that mysteriously came into your life. You find The Moon, and play with it, twisting it between your fingers before sending it flying across the room like a paper dart. Did this mean you couldn’t hang out with the Phantom Thieves anymore? Were you losing your only in-real-life friends and… boyfriend(?) all in the same day?

You sifted through the cards and gently set aside the Emperor, the Lovers, the Chariot. Then your hand drifted over the Fool. You held it out in front of your face. A dancing man looking up at the sky with a jesters cap perched upon his head smiled back at you.

The start of a great journey, freedom from constraints. Each day is an adventure. Courage, anything can happen. There is a need to experience new things, to let yourself experience the love you deserve. Be willing to take risks.

A sad, thoughtful smile crosses your lips. You turn the card upside down.

If you disregard the repercussions of your actions, you are the Fool. You cannot see the position you’ve put yourself in. Is everything what it seems to be?

A breath catches in your throat, a wave of nausea hitting you. You scramble for your phone, and dial a number.

Silence, ringing, silence.

“...Yeah…?” Akira sniffles. He’s been crying???

“I want… can we talk… can I come over?”

“It’s late.”

“It’s not, we came home way earlier than usual. You’re just using that as an excuse.” You were feeling a little braver than usual, the spirit of the Fool within you. You heard him thinking, a sigh that came through as static.

“Yeah… fine, I’ll be waiting.” Relief washed over you.

＊

When you knocked on the door after speed-walking to Le Blanc, Sojiro let you in with a warm smile. He obviously didn’t know about your falling out with Akria, yet.

“He’s upstairs,” he gestured, exhaustion evident in his voice. You rushed past, thanking him with a small bow of your head. Only now was the inevitable fear starting to sink in. Akira heard footsteps creaking on the stairs. Sojiro never came up unannounced, and with that realization, his back stiffened. Morgana picked up your scent, excusing himself, passing you on your way up the stairs. He could take a hint.

He stood immediately, stepping toward you, stopping halfway. You shrunk into yourself, unable to meet his eyes.

“Akira… I wanted to talk…” you muttered.

“You said that… about what?” He was more than a little pissed, but he was always one to hide his temper well.

“Can we sit…?” You gestured to his small sofa. It didn’t feel right to sit on the bed. He hesitated, before shuffling over and sitting next to you. “I wanted to apologize.”

“For what?” Oh, there were so many things, but he wanted to know what you thought was worth apologizing over. Maybe he wasn’t being fair, he dialed back his attitude a tad.

“For… making you enter into the agreement in the first place. Someone’s affections, their love, their touch and body… it’s not something that can be forced. It should never be pretend.” You felt like the biggest hypocrite ever right now. His head shook a bit in disbelief, blinking hard.

“I wasn’t pretending!” His hands flew to his hair, mussing it. “That was the problem.” He sighed heavily.

“What?” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.

“I wasn’t being forced… are you… you must be the most oblivious person I’ve ever met.” He laughed cynically.

“But-”

“Wait, wait, why did you think I ended our” he put air quotes up, “ ‘fake’ relationship.” He needed this clarification, now. For closure, for redemption, to fix things, whatever may come next.

“Because… because I was forcing you to date me! You were uncomfortable?!” You could feel your voice begin to break, tears clawing to escape. You’d never felt so disgusted with yourself as you did right now.

“Are you serious?” He took both of your hands, looking you in the eyes. You nod. “Answer truthfully. Do you have feelings for me? Real ones?” You bit your lip, that feeling of selfish guilt creeping like bile up your throat. You nod again. “This whole time?” Another nod. He releases you, turning away. “Sheesh, maybe I’m the oblivious one here…” he spoke more to himself than to you. You both sat in tense silence, not sure what to do, what to say.

“Akira…”

“It was real to me,” he moved closer, trapping you against the end of the couch.

“Really?” Your heartbeat was going crazy, and he leaned ever so slightly closer, his hand on the back of the couch for support. “I broke up with you because it was hurting me to pretend I didn’t have real feelings for you, and to think you didn’t want me back, not for real. I thought… that you’d always think of me as just some character for your book.”

“No… Akira… had I known you felt this way…” He leaned in further, your noses bumping slightly, clumsily. This time, he felt no discomfort, no hesitation from your side. His heart fluttered in excitement. You could feel his breath on your warm cheeks.

“May I kiss you?” He asked again, a secondary, unspoken question sitting beneath his words.

“Yes.” Your voice was shaky, but you were sure, for once, of what you wanted. His hand went to your back, cradling you into his chest to lay down flat against the couch. With a passion he’d been holding back, he pressed his lips to yours without reservation. You sunk into the warm, plush feeling, tilting your head at a better angle. He kept the kiss soft, shallow, low pressure, looking for you to give him the signal to stop. When your arms reached upward, snaking around his neck and pulling him harder down into you, he groaned softly, barely audible, before passing his tongue over your lips a single time. You parted your lips, allowing him access, and his hand, pale and trembling, came up and found its way under the hem of your shirt, splayed nervously against the smooth skin there.

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rwbyvein · 2 years ago

Text

Firen Lhain: Chapter 1212: You Can Dance If You Want To: Part I / III

They stood collected in the Great War Memorial, one that had been decked up with cloth drapes strapped to poles, hanging to the central gazebo. Ironwood stood at the lecturn in the back of the gazebo. Penthesilea stood to his immediate right, in a slinky, full-length, crimson dress. Cleavage to the point of nearly being immodest, with long gloves and high heels. To her right was Yang and Blake in similar dresses, of gold and black, respectively. To Ironwood's left stood the sisters-three, in dresses not quite as audacious, their colours a bit more dimmed, Summer in a-seasonal summery yellow, Sophia in a faint mauve, while Shantae had a stronger violet one.

In front of them, down, out of the gazebo was a long carpet, flanked by 36 seats.

"Sapphire Arc, Jaune's mother." Sapphire stated.

"Nora Valkyrie." Nora replied.

"Lie Ren." Ren said from beyond her, with a light bow.

Nora held out her hand, which Sapphire eagerly, firmly shook. Djed, behind Sapphire, seemed disinterested and spoke with Richard Woodcock.

"So, how do you know my son?" Sapphire asked.

"Beacon!" Nora eagerly exclaimed.

"We were of his team." Ren stated, and then after a brief pause, "He was - is - our leader."

"Exactly!" Nora eagerly eclaimed, causing Djed to turn to glare at her before turning back to Richard. Nora looked down with shame.

"He is not the one that decides the comportment of the wedding." Ren stated.

"Who does?" Nora asked, to Sapphire's dismay.

"Our leader, of course." Ren replied, and the colour disappeared from Nora's face. "He is hardly that harsh." Ren replied.

"Good point." Nora replied, and turned to Sapphire. "We were orphans. We didn't have anyone to count on, until Jaune."

"And Pyrrha, rest her..." Ren said, and his words stopped as he turned to look at Penthesilea. She seemed nervous beyond belief. Ren then turned back to Sapphire. "He has provided us with a home." Ren stated.

"A castle!" Nora exclaimed.

"A place we belong." Ren stated.

"Oooh, that!" Nora said, while Sapphire beamed.

* * *

Raven gave Whitley are harsh look before looking forward.

"My sentiments, precisely." Whitley stated.

Raven let out a light groan, and momentarily softened. "I'm still lucky to be invited."

A pregnant pause happened before Whitley replied, "Myself as well." Another pause happened, "I find myself in her absence, not - hating - her. Before her departure, I thought herself as... an adversary."

"That's what siblings are like." Taiyang said from beyond Raven.

"But, in her absence, I..." Whitley voiced, and paused, and looked forward.

"It's okay to miss her." Taiyang stated, and another pregnant pause followed. Whitley looked at him, lightly nodded, and then looked forward again.

"I will deny it if it comes up." Whitley stated.

"She must have really twisted your panties." Raven stated. Whitley turned to glare at her. "I like you." she said.

A pregnant pause followed, "Yourself as well."

"You don't have to say it outloud, but you need to say it inside." Raven said, and Whitley gave her a questioning look, "You want to be here." Whitley stared into her eyes for a moment before looking forward again.

* * *

Susan held her hand out her, and he strongly shook it. "Susan o'Onagh."

"Gaylord Soleil." he replied, causing Belle to giggle from beyound Susan.

"I have to say, that's a nice handshake." Susan stated, "I kind of figured, with being an... uh... what was it you were again?"

"Actuary." Gaylord stated, "That does not mean I do not know how to work for a living. Being an actuary does provide me with an incredible work-life balance, to the point I can manage other activities."

"Like what?" Susan asked, and Belle looked over from behind her.

"Like the extensive renovations of our hourse." Gaylord stated.

"I kind of figured you would be the type to not waste money on luxuries?" Susan asked.

"Far from it." Gaylord replied. "Balancing your expenditures allows you to engage in even more fivolous purchases without causing fiscal problems. Plus, the renovations significantly improve the value of our land. Should we expire, young Ciel will gain an exceptional bounty."

"If she doesn't want to keep the house." Marie said from beyond him.

"If she doesn't want to keep the house." Gaylord stated.

"But she is very well invested." Marie added.

"But they have frog girl?" Susan asked, and the two just stared at her for a moment.

Ciel leaned out from beside the aisle, "I was aiding both of my parents in their respective fields before my graduation from Atlas."

"Oh, wow." Susan stated, "You had your whole life planned out?"

"Planned for." Ciel stated, and sat back.

"There's a number of things everyone can do to ensure a stable future." Gaylord stated.

"Like what?" Susan asked.

"Investing, obviously." Belle said from behind her. Gog let out a joyful utterance. "What's got you so happy?"

"Oh, just - that - I - am - invested." Gog stated.

"You're what?" both Susan and Belle asked at the same time.

"I've seen you drink an entire keg." Belle stated, "You even drank Susie under the table."

"All - things - in - moderation." he uttered, his deep voice echoing.

"I think we should get in on this." Belle stated.

Marie handed something to Gaylord. Gaylord held a pair of business cards.

"Mother?" Ciel admonished, "Must you always try to solicit new clients?"

Susan quickly grabbed the cards, handing one to Belle as Gaylord turned to Ciel, "Your mother is trying to support your new life."

"Oh?" Ciel asked, and turned to her mother, "I apologize, mother. Thank you for supporting me."

Gaylord turned to Susan and Belle, "She's not the easiest person to support."

"Father." Ciel admonished.

"She already has everything planned out so well."

"Father." Ciel repeated.

"I couldn't be more proud of her." Gaylord stated.

"Oh, well, thank you, Father. If I am doing so well, it's because I have such exceptional parents to thank for it."

Marie reached her arm over Ciel's shoulder and hugged her.

* * *

Saphron strapped Adrian into his booster seat as Terra turned towards Sarah Arns. "Terra Cotta-Arc."

"Sarah Arns." she said.

Terra turned towards Saphron, "And this is my wife, Saphron, and this is..."

"Adrian!" Sarah said excitedly.

"So?" Saphron asked, "Jaune told you about us?"

Sarah eagerly nodded. "He wouldn't admit it, but he seemed to miss you."

"Yes, well..." Saphron stated.

"We both had jobs, so we can't just spend months visiting." Terra lightly added.

"And he already had three sisters visiting." Saphron added, "He loves us all, but all seven can be a little too much for him."

Terra reached her hand towards Saphron. Saphron grabbed her hand and their fingers intertwined. Adrian reached his hand out and put it on top theirs.

"You couldn't be apart?" Sarah asked. Saphron and Terra blushed and nodded. "That's so romantic." Sarah said with glee. She then looked over to Adrian, before looking between the women, "Can I?"

"He's strapped in." Saphron said giddly. Sarah stood up and rushed as fast as she could in heels to kneel in front of the seat. Terra turned to Sarah's mother. She reached her hand over.

"Rosalind Arns."

"Terra." Terra said, and the two shook. Sarah squeed as she held Adrian's hands and made funny faces.

* * *

"Selena Chauvin."

"Ulyana Bogdanoff." Ulyana replied, "I take it you are one of his many sisters?"

"The second one, after Stella." Selena replied. A pregnant pause followed.

"I am the contractor in charge of the renovations for the castle." Ulyana replied.

Stella let out and offended utterance, "And, he invited you?" she asked accusingly.

"She's with me." Taj stated, "Taj, Taj Rex. Ladies love it."

"And you are?" Selena accusingly asked.

"Their pilot." Taj stated. "Former military. Best pilot for hot extractions." he said with a self-assured grin.

"And why did you leave the military?" Selena asked.

"Because it's the military." Taj replied.

"If you are so afraid?.." Selena asked.

"Who said anything of the sort?" Taj replied. "My problem with the military is they want to control every - single - thing you do. With Arc Nouveau, I do my job fantastically, and they leave me to it."

* * *

Neo made sure Roman's hat was balanced on his cane before turning to Nalai. She let the Hound Knight smell her hands before she started to pet her.

#rwby #firen lhain #faunus au #arc-en-ciel

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