#wished we saw more of sage | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yuri-is-online · 1 year ago

Note

I love masquerade ball trope, specially when you have anonymity when comes to romance.

Can I have number 6?

For Deuce, Malleus and Silver. I would like to know about theirs.

6. Crowley has decided to put together a murder mystery for the whole ball and you've been the first one "killed." Whoever is playing detective seems really upset about that.

My favorite part of romance anything is the pining and masquerade's are great for that (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ I guess they could be good for drama too but eh I am not a huge fan of miscommunication related angst. Unless it's that one route in Tailor Tales... and even then not by much.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, you have to be a special kind of stupid to "hurt" Yuu in front of Malleus, the rest of the event requests can be found on my masterlist.

Deuce

This is bad. Bad with a capital B- during finals week, House Warden Riddle finds out about. And now that he has thought up his angry House Warden, he can add fear to the list of emotions he's feeling, right underneath self-doubt and hatred of whoever decided to pick Yuu off first.

"Wait seriously, you're the detective?" Ace looks as oddly panicked as Deuce feels, their attention firmly on the playing card tight in Deuce's shaking hands.

"I just don't know where I should start." Deuce says nervously, but it is clear he has determination if nothing else. "But you're way better at reading people and I need to know if you saw anyone acting weird." Ace makes a show of looking around the ballroom, the other students are more or less just mingling as they had before. It makes Deuce angry, he settles into himself in a manner that suggests he is about to flip.

"Hey hey look," Ace has both his hands out like he's trying to soothe one of the flamingos, which grounds Deuce only slightly as the back of his brain begins to turn towards an idea without his notice "I would totally love to help you out. No really! It's just don't you think you actually want me to-"

"Of course I do!" Someone shushes Deuce to his right and he glares in way of an apology. No one else has died yet which is a relief, he has to be doing something right. "Aren't you upset that someone decided to pick Yuu off first?" For some reason Ace doesn't respond, if anything he looks a bit crestfallen but Deuce is too caught up in his mixed bubble of emotions to fully notice. "They're already singled out so much, and you know how they always say it doesn't bother them but I know better. I mean not to say you don't- I just. I worry about them so much already and now they can't even enjoy a school dance without someone trying to pick on them-"

"I think you miiiight be reading too much into it Juice." Ace has begun to back away from him now. "And while I would like to help, isn't that against the rules? Wouldn't want to be you when Riddle finds out you didn't win us the game in a card soldier like wa-"

"It was you." Ace stops. Deuce stops to drop into a stance that has Ace really wishing he was not such a slacker on track days.

"If I had known it was you I would have knocked off Jack or something first!" He yells over his shoulder as both boys ignore the established rules of the game in favor of sprinting through the ballroom, a determined officer in pursuit of an only slightly embarrassed knave. "I just thought it would be funny! And jeeze why are you acting like this over a little crush!"

"See I told you." A wise little grey sage nods next to you as you survey the scene. "It's a total race to the bottom between those two.

Malleus

It was not a dark and stormy night until Crowley announced you were the first one out. You don't remember anything in the forecast calling for rain, or NRC students being so afraid of it. The green lightning flickering across the sky suggests a... degree of magic might be involved in this particular turn of events and you do your best to stamp down the tension headache that causes.

"Perhaps it would best if we take a brief recess to let the weather clear up before we continue with our game?" Crowley doesn't wait for anyone to agree with him before leaving, maybe never to be seen again, forcing you to contend with the looming shadow peering over your shoulder.

"You do know I'm not actually hurt, right?" You try to bring Malleus back down to earth, you swear you see smoke curling from his exhaled breath as beady green eyes look you over.

"Of course." He almost sounds like he's pouting, the longer you stare the more his lips purse and cheeks puff, you are surprised he doesn't break eye contact or cross his arms. "But threatening to hurt you in my presence is an insult."

"It was not an actual threat," you carefully take his hand in yours, guiding it to your neck so he can feel the steady thrumming of your heart, politely ignoring the way even more people scramble away from the ballroom. No doubt intimidated by the touching display of intimacy and not the way Malleus's eyes flutter like a blushing maiden as the storm slows to a drizzle. "Crowley just thought it would be a fun game for everyone to play, and since we are all wearing masks there's a good chance the killer-" Another lightening bolt splits the sky with a crack and Mallues's arm tenses. You gently kiss his knuckles and try another approach. "The person pretending to be the killer picked me at random. They don't want to hurt me, I'm not going anywhere." The rain ceases for now, the outburst seems to have rendered the game largely forgotten, with Crowley pointedly refusing to return to start it up and Malleus refusing to move. The band, at least, seems to take the que and starts up the music and Malleus moves to dance with you, making sure to keep you extra close in case anyone gets any ideas of really hurting you.

"I did understand that it was a game." He tells Lilia, even as the old fae shakes his head clearly unbelieving. "But human life is so fragile, theirs more so than most. I can't risk anyone getting any ideas." He won't loose them, not to anything other than time, and even then, if Malleus finds it within his power he will defy fate itself.

Silver

"And now that our first victim for the night has been announced, you may return to your mingling until our killer selects his next prey." Crewel is having way too much fun laying out the dramatic scene before him, even if he is disappointed with the first choice of victim. Silver appreciates his dedication if nothing else, it is always impressive how much attention to detail the Professors at this school put into the small things in events like this.

But he is stalling focusing on that, his purple eyes move to scan the perimeters, Idia is lingering in a corner too focused on his phone to really be playing, besides his first pick would probably have been Azul to save himself the headache. Satisfied he walks (though the people around him part as if he is stalking) away from his position at the entrance to survey the other guests. His hand twitches close to his baton when he senses someone coming up behind him, but relaxes once he notes his father.

"My, my, just what has my sweet boy so worked up?" Lilia seems to be in a very good mood, which relives Silver even if he had expected him to enjoy this game a lot more than he was. "I almost mistook you for Malleus with how severe your face looks." He pauses, gently touching his face as if he will be able to tell just what's so strange about it without a mirror and Lilia's conspiratorial grin grows wider. "Look, even our dear prefect is concerned." Silver's eyes snatch up to the balcony where Yuu sits, leaning on the railing to look at the guests below, mask set to the side lazily as they relive some of his stress with the clear boredom on their face.

The sight catches with the breath in his throat, confusion wrapping him in it's familiar embrace with a strange twinge to it he wants to say he is unaware of but knows he has been feeling more and more in your presence lately.

"I am trying to win the game." He tries, unable to look back at his father not out of fear of his judgement but desire for you to look his way just once. "I don't want this to reflect poorly on Malleus." Lilia laughs, forcing Silver to look at him empty handed with a look of disappointment his father knows he also is completely unaware of.

"Are you sure you aren't worried it will reflect poorly on you?" He watches as his son shifts, torn between wanting to spend time with him and return to his task. "After all, it isn't Malleus who is auditioning right now, is he?" And Lilia spares him the choice, flying off to said Lord as Crewel once again brings the band to a pause to name a student Silver is not sure he knows, and is surprised he does not care nearly as much about.

"Watch me." He silently promises you, bowing towards you just stealthily enough it is barely noticeable. "I will keep you safe prefect, I promise."

"You should give him a kiss when he wins." Lilia whispers into your ear and you nearly fall over the railing with how badly you start.

"L-lilia! I am not sure what you-"

"Or maybe a handkerchief with some perfume?" He is having too much fun at your expense to stop now. "That would suit the aesthetics much better don't you agree?"

#twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #deuce spade x reader #malleus draconia x reader #silver x reader #500 followers celebration #i have like a little list of who the killer is in each one of these prompts #and it is not in fact always an npc student #stay tuned for more drama

391 notes · View notes

skullvgirl · 10 days ago

Text

You wished you’d stayed home on outbreak day.

August 14th 2009, the day your life changed forever.

If you stayed home, you wouldn’t have been shivering and cold running through the streets with only heels and a dress. If you had stayed home that day you wouldn’t have lost all contact with your relatives, miles and miles away from home. If you’d stayed home you would’ve found a shelter in the government camps others were placed in, and maybe just maybe if you had stayed home on Outbreak Day you wouldn’t have been bitten.

“No please!” You wailed, hurling your heel towards the undead monster steadily creeping towards you.

“Please…” you cried again softly but it was no use. Your leg had got caught on the wire when you tried and failed to hop the barbed fence, you could still see the whips of flames from The Barn as people screamed and ran away, looking all but anywhere in your direction.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, there was no one here to save you.

You were going to die.

You cradled your head—a last attempt to protect yourself from the monstrous being slithering closer to you and just when you thought all hope was lost, you hear the pop of a powerful gun reverberating through the humid midsummer air. You blinked, too shocked to register the zombie brains all over you and too relieved to realize there was someone out there holding a gun in your direction. There was a voice in the distance, it was far away though and as relief washed over you, the adrenaline did too.

Your leg was still all battered up and you were starting to feel it more than ever now. You risked a glance at it and winced, you were safe for now but you sure as hell wouldn't be able to move let alone walk, it was no use, you were still probably gonna die. If not from the monster then your own injury and blood loss would kill you.

As soon as you were about to close your eyes the crunching of footsteps startled you and fear rushed over your body again. Your eyelids shot open and you frantically looked around the area trying to identify where the footsteps were coming from, then you saw it.

A familiar face, someone you saw briefly at the party before along with a few other people you knew. Tears pricked at your eyes, your body automatically relaxing, Thank God you thought, gripping their shoulders as some of them began to help you up, leading you to one of their cars—a big red truck you soon realized was your dads, yet your father was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s my old man?” you asked, glancing at the guy on your right as he explained what happened—you think his name was Jake.

Jake shook his head, “Couldn't find him in your house anywhere, or your mom, we think they might've,” Jake cut himself off and glanced at the girl on your left as she sternly looked at him mouthing what you think was a ‘no’.

“Well, the point is we couldn't find them and their keys were on the table. A bunch of people needed a ride away and we were just about to leave when Sage said he heard you, that’s why we came over here.”

Your heart sped up, Sage? It was hard to believe you could have any sense of romantic feelings with all the chaos going on right now but the heart listens to nobody. Sage had been your longtime crush for almost two years now, you never thought he saw you in that sort of way but hearing him worry about you —couldn't help but feel giddy.

You glanced over Amara ( the girl who was on your left ) peering at The Barn that was still circulating smoke and fire. If only that idiot who had been drunk didn't panic he wouldn't have dropped his lighter and shot glass all over the wood floors of the Smiths. Unfortunately there were bigger things than wood flooring and wasted alcohol to worry about. The panic from the fire was almost an afterthought, a little mistake that happened to catalyze an even bigger problem you, and what was soon going to be the entire world would have to face.

“What, were those things?” Amara wondered aloud, huffing your body along the muddy ground, equally as uncomfortable in her pleated skirt and crop top. Jake and the rest of the group were silent, but it was obvious what they wanted to say.

“I dunno, it looked like zombies to me.” a voice mumbled behind you, you turned back to look at who had said it and realized he was the one holding the gun.

“Don’t be stupid Mickey, it was probably just some wild animal.” Jake sputtered, sounding less and less sure of himself as each word escaped his mouth.

“That looked like a wild animal to you? Seriously Jake? You're the one that's being stupid, the world is probably gonna end soon.” Amara sighed, and as much as you didnt want to believe her, you knew it was true.

The world end and you along with it. Your leg was seriously killing you. You just hoped you’d be able to make something out of your life before it did.

“Y/N!” A voice shouted from afar, and your eyes locked with soft brown ones your heart leaped from the sight.

“Sage.” you gulped, stumbling a bit as he helped you inside the truck that on further inspection you saw had a great number of people squished together in the open trunk outside. “What happened?” you asked dumbly.

Everybody knew what happened, if they didn't they probably wouldn't be here.

“I’m not sure, all I know is that Freddy got scared, said he saw something, something weird outside the window and that's when the fire started.” Sage explained, hopping in the front seat as Amara and Jake crammed in besides you.

“What about my parents? Does anybody know what happened to them?” You asked meekly but unfortunately were met with grim expressions.

“Y/N, when we went to your house, the doors were unlocked and—” Amara smacked his arm and your heart dropped to your chest.

“And what, don't hide it from me, I need to know.” You said, voice quivering as Amara looked sympathetically at you.

Sage explained for you “When I went inside Y/N, there was blood on the floor and—”

“Are they dead?”

Sage glanced back at you from the mirror and you looked away letting out a choked sob from your throat.

“I’m sorry Y/N, they're gone.”

A long beat of silence passed before you spoke again whispering in a choked sob, “Fucked up leg, dead parents, what’s next.”

“A zombie apocalypse by the looks of it.” Jake murmured and you suddenly felt keen on swishing your hands harshly across his face. You would have if not for your shock, if not for your own stupidity.

Amara shushed him for you, insisting on switching seats so you’d feel less uncomfortable but you're not sure it made a difference, they were still dead, killed by rampaging monsters you're unsure anyone would be able to take on.

It felt numbing to sit there in your own fathers car, watching the leaves pass by driving to God knows where hoping no stupid zombie attacked you on your way there.

And speaking of which, “Where are we going?” you asked, picking at your nails to distract yourself from the pain.

“I’m dropping off everyone who’s still in the trunk [Name], remember?” Sage spoke, giving you a worried look from the rearview mirror that would usually have you jumping for joy, but all you could do now was nod and glanced back at the individuals you’d forgotten about.

“Sorry, forgot.” You expected the conversation to end there, but Sage, unfortunately, had other plans.

“Hey [Name]?” you glanced at him to continue “This is probably a bad time but uh, could you do me a favor?”

You were curious now, it wasn't often Sage asked people of things let alone favor, you wondered what it would be. Although it was wishful thinking on your part you’d hoped it was a confession instead of a favor, some corny pick up line you knew would make you swoon no matter what. A pick me up in a dire situation. But no such thing came.

“Could you let down your window please? It smells kinda—” he cut himself off and for a brief moment you saw him glance at the raised arm that was resting on the truck door. Your raised arm.

You didn't let him finish his sentence and instead snapped your armpits down while simultaneously letting the window down. You could feel the embarrassment and shame wash over you as the muggy air wooshed into the car. In an attempt to calm yourself from the mortifying moment and your gut wrenching sadness you breathed deeply outside the window only it somehow made it worse, a gnat you're sure wouldn't have been flying in your direction any other day of the week whisked from whatever God Forsaken place it came from flew right in your nose.

You flinched, then screamed, then cried uncontrollably all the way to your house.

So much for a confession.

A few hours had passed since the night of your arrival, it was just you, Sage, and Amara left in the car now, everyone else had been dropped off to their parents or relative houses and Amara had volunteered to stay with you until they reached Sage’s place. Amara’s parents had died forever ago and she lived farther out than the rest of you did. She would take the car back to her sister's place then return it when this whole thing died down, hopefully.

“There seems to be some kind of infection taking over the minds of people around us, we advise all citizens to stay indoors and keep away from crowds as—” You tuned the radio report out, drumming your fingers on the window sill as Sage drove through the gravel. You had heard the same things over a million times now, and an infection supposedly that caused an altered state of mind was now loose in the world, and all individuals that were not infected were advised to stay inside. No new information on why or how this supposed disease came about and you gagged at the memory of your parents rotten bodies in your own home, you wished you hadn't insisted for Sage to take you back their, just in case they weren't really dead, just in case they were still breathing somehow so that you could save them.

How stupid, how naive of you. Instead of the warm smiles and happy voices you were usually greeted with, the pungent smell of blood and corroded bodies filled your lungs, you couldn't even remember why you had wanted to come back home in the first place.

They had been dead for hours, not minutes, hours. They stood no chance, you stood no chance. Sage had to get your stuff.

Your eyes, what felt like for the millionth time today began to water, and unfortunately for you it wouldn't be the last.

The next few moments were a blur, one moment you were talking to Sage about further steps, next the car was tumbling down and into a muddy ditch as undead swarmed the road. Your head swished back and forth but you could barely breathe under the smoke, had the car caught on fire too?

Fuck this wasnt good, you could feel the car tipping back and forth between the dip in the earth and the road. You unfastened your seatbelt and looked to your right, Amara was already crawling out of the door running past the limping monsters, who soon turned their attention to you.

“Amara! Sage! Help, I can’t–my leg–Amara please!”

You got no answer, could they not hear you? Or maybe they were too busy fighting off the rest of the monsters above the earth.

Your seatbelt was unbuckled by this point, it was more about getting out of the flipped vehicle without tipping yourself into the water and getting your head bitten off by the living dead that was slowly creeping towards you. You were about to make a run for it but they were already too close, soon enough they were grabbing and pushing at the car, causing it to lean and creek all while you tried to avoid the arms.

“Amara! Sage! Seriously I can't get out please help! Please!” you cried, swatting away at the flesh that attacked you. What were they doing up there? You soon got your answer as you were pushed into the front seats of the truck and found yourself looking at two figures sprinting for their lives. Away from the car, away from the chaos, away from you. The one with no parents, a disabled leg, and approximately 3 minutes until you met a slow and painful death.

This wasn’t real, this couldn't be real. They left you? Just like that? I mean sure you had only known Amara for a few weeks but Sage? You had known him practically our whole life and now he was just running away?

Left here to die?

You sobbed as the zombies closed in, no. You wouldn't accept this, you couldn't just let yourself die like this. You jumped as they clawed at you, leaning towards the rocks and foliage in the ground. If you were going down, these things were going down with you. It didn't take much for the heavy set machine to tip into the freezing waters and the undead along with it. Thinking back on it, after you had crashed onto the rocks it had probably been a great deal of time before you actually woke up unlike what you’d thought initially.

You woke up scared, and screaming. You hardly even registered the cold as you crawled out of the broken vehicle and onto the warm asphalt. Your fingers were purple and you were suspected any longer in the waters and they would have fallen off. You lay on the ground for a while, catching your breath and observing your surroundings. It was about midday now, the only indication being how hot it was and how high up the sun was in the air.

You were still in the same spot as Sage, and Amara left you and a bitter taste came across your tongue. Where had they even run too? You stood up shakily and held a hand above your eyes to see where the traitors could have run off too. They couldn't have gotten far on foot, although it had been a couple of hours since then.

You limped to the side of the road away from the ditch and plopped yourself onto the ground. Thankfully you had already gotten a chance to change when you went back to your house and along with that was able to get a few more things for your backpack that was sure to be useful. One of those things were bandages. You carefully wrapped the material around your leg testing out the strength as you stood up, proud that you were now only half limping. You dusted off your shirt, accidentally pulling just a bit too hard on your collar and finally you noticed it.

A huge, sweltering bite mark right on your neck.

You held your breath, as if someone had caught you though you knew no one was around. All of your hard work to get out of the dreadful circumstances felt useless against the very visible tear through your neck. It was no use trying to save yourself now, soon enough you would turn into one of those things, the very same things that caused you to be in this situation right now. You glanced around for a moment, then walked to a suitable tree that had enough shade to hide you from the sun.

For the next few hours you lay against the tree tethered to its trunk, hoping, praying your transformation would be as painless as possible, but it never came. Instead all you got was a sore butt and a bit of drool on your face. You had fallen asleep, and wasted almost an entire day waiting for a death that was to come.

You peeked at the bite mark that was still on your neck, and by the looks of it it had gone down quite a bit. It was no longer red and swollen but had settled into a nasty purplish blue color. You didn't understand, it had been hours since you’d gotten bitten, and while you didn’t know much about the mutations that had taken over the world, you probably should've been transformed by now, right?

You cautiously stood up stretching out your achy bones and running a few fingers tentatively along the purple hue. Surprisingly enough it was soft to the touch, it was actually a bit softer than the rest of your skin normally was, which albeit is a bit disgusting but you’d take the plump fleshy skin over death any day. A glimmer of hope began to form in your heart, what if maybe, just maybe the Gods decided to spare you from the darkness and in exchange for a bit of trauma, you became immune.

You shook your head at the prospect, what are the chances that you, of all people, were immune. A small town country girl with nothing but her parents and her lovesick fantasies to keep her company became immune to the deadliest disease recorded in history. Slim to none.

Still, even if you were going to die eventually, you were alive right now. And right now, there was only one thing in your mind set for you before you died.

“I want to see the eiffel tower, sir.” you nodded your head vehemently.

“The eiffel tower…, miss, you do know what’s going on right now do you not?” The man looked at you questionably, cocking his head and looking you up and down.

You nodded your head. “I do. I just need a ride as far out as you can take me, believe be I haven’t got much to lose.” The man squinted at you suspiciously then finally shook his head inviting you into his truck. It wasn’t uncommon for people, or anyone your age to be hitching hiking, it was obviously just a bit strange in these times, but it was your only hope. I mean what else were you going to do? You were fated to die anyways, you might as well have spent the rest of your time pursuing what you wanted to see the most. Even if by the time you got there, the glittering romantic city would be infested with man eating monsters. “Well if you say so, but we won’t be on the main road until a bit, I’ve gotta pick up an old friend of mine, that okay? Won’t take too long I promise.”

You nodded your head and hopped in the car of the stranger, pulling your bag that held your things along with it. It didn’t take too long for the driver to reach his destination and while you were exactly the most nosy, you couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of items would be in the car of someone who’d be with for the next few hours. You glanced outside the window of the truck to see his back turned and heading up the steps of his friends house, that's when you took your chance. You flipped open the center console and rummaged through the trash before sitting back down in your back seats to look under them. Nothing, and nothing. Really? You were at least expecting a couple bucks you could snag before having to part ways with him.

You furrowed and kept looking around, sneaking glances outside to make sure you wouldn’t get caught, and then you finally saw something. In the glove box a shiny black gun was seated between two hefty wads of cash that practically made your eyes popout. You didn’t take anything of course, you weren’t a thief, at least not yet. You left the gun there too, a bit afraid now that you had seen what was in the box and sat back down in your seat just in time for the man to return with his friend.

“This is Frank, I’m Bill, we're both heading down to St. Mary’s before things down here get worse, I’m not sure how far Paris is from there but we’ll take you as far as we can get.” Bill hosted a warm mustache-ey smile before facing the road again, it wasn’t long before the three of you fell into an awkward silence after pleasantries had been exchanged. Bill cleared his throat, “So…little lady, this might be a bit of a personal question but where are you family? It isn’t good to be alone, especially not in times like this…”

“Oh my parents..?” you glanced between the two before unconvincingly coming up with a story. “I live on my own, I moved down here from Tennessee and haven’t seen them since. That’s why I want to drive out so far.”

Bill nodded his head, “Thought you said you wanted to see the eiffel tower?”

You smiled sweetly. “I do.”

Frank shook his head at you from the passenger's seat and you laughed nervously, “The eiffel tower? Really? Well I’ll be, I guess it’s better to dream then to not dream at all..”

“Right? Gonna take my parents with me first though.” Bill and Frank were both oblivious to the fact your parents were long dead and you’d never been to Tennessee a day in your life but they didn’t need to know that. Some things were better left unsaid. Stupidly enough, as soon as the laughter from your statement died down you began to feel more at ease, your favorite song was on the radio and Bill and Frank seemed to be enjoying themselves playing driving games as they traversed the rough ground. It had been almost two days since you’d had a night of proper sleep, and all you could think about were cool breezes of your home and a timeline where your parents weren’t dead. It didn’t take long for the sleep to overcome you and the men in front to realize just exactly who you were.

Unbeknownst to you, Bill had stopped on the side of the road for a piss and Frank, who's eyes weren’t as old and shaky from years of age and hard work glanced at you until he saw that purplish blue hue that was still covering a good portion of your neck. He didn’t react calmly to say the least.

“Bill!” he half whispered, half yelled at the man, shuffling his hands into the glovebox. “Bill, come here this is serious!” Frank looked back at you, thankfully still met with your sleeping figure and finally was able to get ahold of the gun into his hands. Bill lazily made his way back to the car and looked at Frank incredulously.

“What Frank, you interrupted me.” Frank said nothing and instead pointed to you with the gun, directing Bill’s eyes to the huge gash on the right side of your neck. “She’s been bit, we have to kill her now, it’s not long before she turns and kills us all.”

Bill's eyes widened and he took a closer look at the mark before turning to his friend, “A-are you sure, I mean it could just be a bruise, I never seen no bite look like that before.” Bill stutted, trying to calm his friend as the gun came closer to your head.

“Exactly, what kind of animal could do that, Oh I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before, Bill it’s not your fault your eyes have gone bad, don’t worry I’ll take care of this.” Frank didn’t take a moment's notice and aimed the gun directly at your forehead, and would have caused your death had it not been for Bill who smacked the gun out of his hand. It clattered to the ground with a thud, and that’s what woke you up. You rubbed your eyes wearlily and looked at the two men who looked frozen in shock, like they’d seen a ghost or something.

“What happened, why’d we stop moving guys?” You never got an explanation because soon what was a peaceful road trip turned into a bloodbath, you were pushed to the ground. A gun went off, a bullet grazed past your ear. Bill screamed for Frank to stop, but you got to the gun first, you could barely breath as Frank held onto your neck tightly but it didn’t matter as in the next seconds he was dead lying on top of you, as Bill was too. Your ears rang, your body shook violently and you fumbled into the driverseat and a horde of zombies came rushing towards you.

You had killed a man, You had killed two men that tried to kill you and you didn’t regret it. They had lives, families, people who cared about them dearly and you disregarded all of that in just a matter of moments.

You drove and drove and drove for hours until the zombies were gone, until the ringing in your ears stopped, until you could no longer hear the screams of Bill as he watched his friend collapse on top of him. You almost threw up and heard the squish of bodies as you dumped them on the road. You had no clue where you were going,a dn there hadn’t been service for hours thanks to the monsters chewing through all the lines. You eventually found yourself in an abandoned warehouse, tucked away from the world, cold, in the dead of night. There was blood all over you, and it stunk like fucking crazy. This whole thing was crazy, zombies, left friends and murder all in the same day. There was one thing for certain though, you weren’t dead yet, and all you needed right now was a shower and a good night's sleep. Possibly even a meal to distract from all the mayhem. But where would you get these things you wondered, maybe in Tennessee? Where do your fake parents live? Or maybe all the way in Paris where nobody would know your name and what you had done.

Or maybe in your dreams, where everything was as calm and perfect as you wanted it to be. Where you didn’t get betrayed by your friends, your parents didn’t die, and you didn’t kill not one but two men.

Maybe.

series masterlist / prev / next

an's ;; its all intro stuffs blah blah blah fun times and boys soon

status ;; not proofread

wc ;; 4.5k

taglist 1/50 @egoistlino

#fanfiction #blue lock #anime #skullgirl #bllk #bllk headcanons #bllk fluff #bllk imagines #bllk x reader #bllk x you #bllk au #boring first chapter ik :(#chapter two out soon!

28 notes · View notes

starsreminisce · 2 months ago

Text

Happy Elain Day!

for @elainweekofficial

Word Count: 3K

It was a small shop in the town square, one Elain had passed frequently since she began preparing for her wedding. Its unassuming facade lent it an air of mystery, unlike the neighboring shops, whose glittering displays beckoned to window shoppers. Wedding planning had become exhausting, made worse by the constant clashes between Graysen and Nesta over the dress, the food, the location. But Elain saw through her sister's action. She knew exactly why Nesta was being so difficult: she wanted Graysen to reconsider marrying into their family so he would break it off, sparing them the shame or delay until their father could give the proper blessing.

Elain had never cared for a grand wedding even as a child, so when she suggested they elope, Graysen launched into a lecture.

“Now, Elain,” he began, his tone bordering on condescending. “I am a lord's son. We can't elope like peasants, especially given our status in society. People might think you're with child.”

Elain glanced up at the clock tower in the town square. She still had half an hour before her appointment, but the thought of Graysen and Nesta bickering over the flower arrangements, something she wished she could at least have a say in, made her stomach churn.

The black brick of the shop and its tinted windows beneath a purple awning seemed to call to her today more so than the other days. It would only be thirty minutes, she reasoned. Even if she were to get lost in the place, she doubted her fiance or sister would notice if she was late to the florist, considering how little they’ve considered her opinions with everything else. Besides, what if the shop was actually empty? She had never seen anyone enter or leave.

Taking a deep breath, she marched toward the door. Her hand rested on the handle, and to her surprise, it opened.

A small bell chimed as she peeked inside. The shop had no displays, nothing to sell. The only decor was a single table with two comfortable-looking chairs set across from each other. The scent of burning sage lingered in the air, and tapestries of the beginning of Prythian adorned the walls.

She should have left. Instead, she stepped fully inside, her eyes drawn to the strange story the tapestries told. One in particular was a woman with outstretched hands holding a sphere that captivated Elain. Gooseflesh prickled her skin as she realized she was inside of a shop belonging to a Fae sympathizer.

Graysen and Nesta's voices echoed in her mind, berating her for her fae sympathies, even though their sister Feyre had left the family to live with a Fae lover. Even though their father had always reminded them that they all shared this land.

“Hello, dearie,” a croaking voice stopped her from leaving.

Elain spun around to see a weathered woman. Long, graying hair cascaded past her shoulders. She wore a deep blue dress, and a silver circlet with a pale blue stone rested between her brows. Her eyes were sharp as she looked at Elain with interest.

“I was just leaving,” Elain murmured, avoiding eye contact.

“Have you been having doubts about your upcoming marriage?”

Elain’s gaze dropped to her left hand, where her pearl-and-diamond ring sat. She curled her fingers into a fist, as if she could hide it. She wasn’t sure if the crone had seen it before she asked.

“I'm sure it's just normal wedding jitters,” Elain managed, inching toward the door. “Thank you for your time.”

“Then would you want to know about the man in your dreams?”

That gave Elain pause, her heart pounding at the words. She had never told anyone about him. The mystery man had appeared in her dreams only a few days after Feyre left. His face was always hidden behind a fox mask, and each dream left her more unsettled than the last.

In the first, she saw him being flogged. His back was torn open, but his face stayed calm, refusing to show any pain.

In the second, he was drugged, dragged, and chained beneath a bed of spikes, yet he remained still, as if resigned to his fate.

The third dream was filled with violence. Nightmarish creatures attacked him, but with unnatural speed, he fought them off, cutting through them effortlessly even after he fell off his horse.

But the last dream was the most haunting. She had watched him stand before the same golden beast that had taken Feyre from them.

Elain swallowed hard and faced the crone. “Can you stop the nightmares?”

The woman gave a small, sad smile. “No, I cannot.”

“What exactly do you sell?”

“I read fortunes,” the crone said softly. “If the Mother deigns to show you who the man is, you will see.”

Elain’s curiosity gnawed at her. Her head urged her to leave, to let it go, reasoning that if it were important, the answers would come in time. But her heart… her heart needed to know. She needed to know who he was, why his presence in her nightmares lingered long after she woke, as if his pain was somehow hers to bear.

“How much?” she asked, her better judgment faltering.

“Whatever you can offer.”

Elain hesitated, her mind bouncing from one thought to another, until she felt a tug low beneath her ribcage. Fortune readings were becoming popular among her friends, she reasoned. Surely, there was nothing dangerous about it. She found herself nodding and followed the crone to a small table. Taking a seat, she placed a gold mark on the table, which the crone pocketed without a word.

The old woman lit a stick of palo santo, swirling the fragrant smoke through the air, around the deck and the tight space, before resting it in a ceramic holder. Elain watched as the crone shuffled her cards. The rhythm of it was hypnotic, and time seemed to blur, until finally, the crone paused. Her brows knit together, and she tilted her head, as if listening to a voice only she could hear, before drawing the cards.

Three cards: Four of Wands reversed, Tower, Death.

“Not good,” the crone said, her eyes narrowing. “The foundation is shaky. Something will come to destroy its foundation, causing you to be reborn.”

Elain immediately thought this woman was a scam artist, waiting to peddle crystals and old bath water to salvage her engagement. She could almost see the words forming on the crone’s lips, ready to spill out like a rehearsed script.

She was ready to leave until the crone pulled three more cards: Ace of Cups, Knight of Swords, The Sun.

“There is someone new coming,” the crone continued. “He will come like a knight in shining armor, one who reminds you of the sun.”

Elain tried not to scoff. Despite his shortcomings, she loved Graysen with all her heart, and the idea of someone new coming to sweep her off her feet sounded highly unlikely.

“Is it the man from my dreams?” she asked, curious by the crone’s certainty.

Nine of Swords, Page of Cups, Seven of Cups.

“Yes,” she affirmed. “You’re having nightmares about this young man because your fates and souls are intertwined, but the path ahead is unclear. There are many choices, many possibilities. Some real, some illusion. You’re struggling to see the truth through the confusion.”

“Can you tell me more about him?” she pressed.

King of Wands, Seven of Wands, Nine of Wands reversed.

“He is a fiery male,” the crone said. “Meant to be a ruler, but it seems he has been treated as an underdog so much that he tries to avoid conflict and is exhausted from doing so.”

Elain clicked her tongue in disbelief. This man sounded like the farthest thing from what she wanted in a lifelong partner. She preferred men who were decisive, calm, and steady—like Graysen, who seemed the very picture of what she was looking for. But fiery? Avoids conflict? That didn’t sit right with her. None of it aligned with the traits she valued.

The crone pulled three more cards: Strength, Three of Swords, Two of Swords reversed.

“Be careful not to be so stubborn,” she tapped on the Strength card with a long, bony finger. “Your heart will hurt, and it will make you feel closed off. If you're not careful, you’ll do something that you’ll come to regret.”

Elain said nothing as the crone pulled three more: Three of Cups reversed, Eight of Swords reversed, Ten of Swords reversed.

“You will get the wandering eye. It’s due to no fault of your own, but your actions will be your undoing.”

Eight of Cups, Wheel of Fortune, Nine of Cups.

“Things will change for the better,” the crone reassured her. “Only when you decide to leave for good will your wish come true.”

“And what might that be?” Elain asked, chewing her lip.

Two of Cups, Hierophant, Ten of Cups.

“An equal love in marriage to bring you the home you longed for,” the crone concluded.

Elain waited for the crone to sell her something to assure her of this future, but she merely nodded her head, her eyes losing their sharpness as if the reading had drained her. Elain still didn’t believe a word of it but nonetheless offered two more gold marks for a tip before leaving to join her sister and fiance at the florist, arriving right on time as they argued over Baby’s Breath.

The reading stayed with her until Graysen noticed her being distracted. She winced and said the wedding planning was stressful, which then he agreed. She laid with Graysen that night. A futile action as though to cement that if she gave him everything, she would always his.

She had forgotten about the reading when Feyre came back, now changed into a fae, seeking to use their home to broker an agreement with the Queens.

Feyre told her story, but her arched ears were more of interest to Elain, until the name Lucien sparked something deep in the recesses of Elain's mind. She didn’t know why this name was so important to her, why she gravitated towards it as though it were a string being pulled towards her. She listened to Nesta and Feyre argue back and forth, her engagement ring mocking her to tempt fate, until she finally said, “If … if we do not help Feyre, there won’t be a wedding. Even Lord Nolan’s battlements and all his men couldn’t save me from … from them.”

Mere days after being told the Queens refused to help, a cowled priestess stumbled in, pale as death, her wide eyes darting frantically. “Feyre,” she gasped, trembling. “Captured. Tortured.” Her voice faltered as Elain and Nesta rushed to steady her, but the terror clung to her words like a curse. Before either sister could react, the priestess added, her voice breaking, “Come with me quick.”

“No,” said Nesta.

Elain whimpered as rough hands shoved a gag into her mouth, her tears streaming silently as she was yanked into the shadows. Her captors paid no attention to her shaking or the weak struggles of her body, her kicks and blows finding only empty air.

Her quiet sobs soaked her gag as they dragged her toward the Cauldron. Her feet scraped against the cold stone floor, her fingers clawing desperately for something—anything—to hold on to. But there was nothing. Somewhere through the chaos, a male voice shouted a command to stop. That it was enough. But it didn’t matter. The icy black water loomed before her, and then—then it swallowed her whole.

Cold. All-consuming cold ripped through her body, and her soul felt as though it was being shredded, torn apart like delicate lace. Elain thrashed, but the water had her, seeping into her lungs, her bones, her very thoughts. This is death, she realized in a strange, detached way. Her body was breaking, dissolving, as if she was being unmade, piece by piece.

So this is what dying feels like.

She hit the ground hard facedown, sucking in air as water streamed from her, a gasp of air filling her chest with burning life. Her soaked nightgown clinging to her skin as she rose from the ground onto her elbows. Yet all she could focus on was her shame, as ridiculous and misplaced as it was, as she shivered on the wet stones, her legs and breasts on display.

Her mind held one absurd thought: I am dead, and all I care about is how indecent I must look.

He will come like a knight in shining armor that reminds you of the sun.

A light flared. Too bright. It pierced through her dazed vision, and she squinted. Worn Boots thudded toward her and before she could react, a warm jacket was draped over her trembling shoulders. Elain flinched, instinct curling her further into herself, expecting more violence, more violation. But the jacket … the jacket smelled of chestnuts and something warm—something almost like hope.

He is a fiery male.

Strong arms lifted her as Nesta poured out of the cauldron. Firm, but gentle. She was weightless in them, and for a moment, she let herself surrender to the feeling, the water still streaming from her like the last remnants of a terrible nightmare. He was so warm, so comforting, even in the midst of the chaos. He grounded her. She believed she was safe until her sister tore her away from her knight. She needed to know his name, staring as she waited.

He never offered it.

She could feel instincts running through her: Mine. I am yours. You are mine…

“…mate,” his whisper broke through the chanting.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

All she could do at that moment was to stare at him until another flash of blinding white light came, reminding her of him, even if it came from Feyre. Elain clutched the jacket, inhaling its scent, wishing he were holding her instead until a blonde fae slammed her mate away, and she was gone.

As soon as Elain materialized into the large house perched atop the mountain, she clutched to the jacket draped on her shoulders. The air was thick with silence, but she broke it with a scream, the sound ricocheting through the red halls.

“Take me home!” she cried again and again, each plea more ragged than the last, until her words became nothing more than a hoarse whisper. Exhaustion claimed her, her body collapsing into a heavy slumber, as though the weight of her cries had stolen every ounce of strength she had left.

The iron ring on her finger felt heavier, a cold reminder of a debt she owed. Beneath her rib, the golden string—delicate and shimmering—tugged gently, a promise, a tether she couldn’t name but always felt. She drifted somewhere between the worlds of waking and dreaming.

Faces blurred and shifted—her mate, her betrothed—figures flickering like shadows at the edge of her consciousness. She was pulled between what she was owed and what she was promised.

Again, she opened the windows, trying to let more sunlight in. But no matter how much light flooded the room, it couldn’t pierce the murkiness clouding her mind. She glimpsed a male figure bathed in sunlight, and then a woman—transformed into a fiery bird—screeching in anger. Loud. Everything was loud. The earth groaned beneath her, shifting and unstable.

The light she let in did nothing to clear her visions. The shadows remained.

Finally, she heard Feyre’s voice.

“I want to go home,” Elain murmured, her voice softer now, as though she were speaking to herself. Then, in the stillness, she heard it—a heartbeat. Deep, rhythmic, intimate. It thudded inside her chest, yet it was not her own. She knew without knowing that this heartbeat was home.

The golden string shimmered before her eyes, pulsing like a beacon. She rose from her bed, drawn by its soft glow, her feet moving before her mind could catch up. It led her through the quiet corridors, past the cold stone walls, past Nesta’s fussing voice, until she found herself in front of a window. She sat. She waited. The heartbeat grew louder, more insistent. Was he speaking to her? Was this real? She couldn't tell if she was still dreaming, lost in that liminal space between sleep and waking. She didn’t respond, and didn't dare to break the spell.

The sunlight hit his eye—golden, strange, glowing.

He will come like a knight in shining armor that reminds you of the sun.

She turned slowly.

His presence filled the room, familiar and yet foreign. His gaze held hers, unwavering, as though he had been waiting for her to see him fully.

He didn’t have dark hair. He didn’t exude the quiet, mysterious confidence she thought she’d been searching for.

But he was him—the most beautiful man, no, the most beautiful male she had ever seen.

And in that moment, she knew. Knew it as surely as if it were a memory she had long forgotten, buried deep beneath years of doubt and hesitation. She was his, as he was hers.

“Who are you?”

“I am Lucien,” he said, his voice steady. “Seventh son of the High Lord of the Autumn Court.”

The name crashed into her like a wave, sweeping away the fog that had clouded her mind. She blinked, the murkiness around her vision dissolving as everything clicked into place. His name, the golden string, the heartbeat—it all made sense now. It was as though the sunlight that she would flood her bedroom for days had finally broken through into her very being, illuminating the truth buried deep within her soul.

“Lucien,” she whispered, tasting the name on her tongue. “From my sister’s stories. Her friend.”

If she had remembered the rest of the crone’s reading, it might have saved her—saved her from the ache that had lived inside her chest for so long, from the feeling of betrayal that gnawed at the edges of her heart, from the waiting, the endless waiting, for happiness she thought would never come.

But then again, Elain had never been one to believe in premonitions. She had never tempted fate—until the one time she did. And that had led her here, to him, to her mate.

The Mother, in her twisted sense of humor, had given her the same gift.

#elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #elainarcheronday2024 #elucien fanfic #elucien fanfiction

44 notes · View notes

rayroseu · 1 year ago

Text

This line is making me sad akjdkakdks its making me imagine that once Malleus sees that his overblot causes pain rather than making the people of his life happy... he'll realize that "he is no good as a king at all since he harmed his people"😭😭

"Seeing you all worry helped me calm down..." ARGHH IT MAKES ME THINK OF THE SCENE WHERE HE SAW HOW ANGUISHED SILVER WAS ABOUT LILIA'S DEPARTURE... Like... I CANT??😭😭 HE'S SO CARING ABOUT THE HAPPINESS OF OTHERS BECAUSE THATS AN EMOTION HE RARELY FELT SO HE VIEWS IT AS THE MOST PRECIOUS FEELING ??

but sadness and partings and goodbyes..."harms happiness", thats why he just created a world where it never exists... He's not just doing it for his own desires KSJAKDJWKD plus if "all dreams come true" none of the previous overblots wouldve occured and they'll live a peaceful life... but living that way would stagnate their growth... they'll be living the same life repeatedly without any improvements towards themselves

that's why even if Malleus' overblot stems from a good intention, his vision is not applicable to a human life as we all require growing up, overcoming hardships, admitting our mistakes and developing out from that... Those painful feelings are what makes a human life more meaningful and allows a person to give themselves a genuine good life. 🥲🥲🥲

But Malleus who's still in the state of "learning to be human", he cannot naturally perceive that kind of moral.

I just hope that after Book 7 there's no narrative implication that Malleus' coping was flat out purely wrong lol Bcs as Yuu said, everyone wishes they won't lose anyone important to them either...

Going back to the fact that he feels responsible for the happiness of others... I think Malleus lives his life very literally...

I think it was Lilia who said this...(?) That Malleus' power (or the Draconia's power in general) gives happiness to the people of Briar Valley (as their power can protect the dark faes) 🥲✨

Maybe this is the reason why he's "so desperate" in keeping the happiness of others and also giving them blessings that'll surely make them happy...

Okay separate theory... Maybe I'm just overthinking lol But the occurence of "falling" in TWST is so fascinating to me since thats a heavy reference to "Alice Falling In Wonderland" yk

Book 6 we already had Idia falling to the Underworld because he wants to follow Ortho, There's this implication that Overblots "falling to a deep sleep/darkness" thats why all overblotees "wakes up after their own overblot... I wonder if Overblot Malleus will take a fall as well??? His overblot title is "The King of Abyss" but I doubt that the "timeless Sage Island" is the abyss yk? What if we actually learn about the origin of Overblots through Malleus Overblot?

Because in the trailer we can see him snapping out in awareness(waking up) before he's trapped in thorns in what seems to be an Abyss--- So maybe, we won't defeat Malleus Overblot bcs he'll wake up from it (presumeably once he realizes that his overblot caused Lilia and the others pain???) but him breaking his overblot wont be possible bcs the "darkness" will engulf him of smth

I'm thinking of this because the existence of Overblot is so weird. General Lilia should've recognized the blot when it was taking Silver because of his despair since before Leona's overblot, he knew the vibes of whats occuring yk and same thing with Malleus with how he knew that he's planning to overblot, plus he knows the existence of STYX whos focused on overblot too

But strangely, the mages of the past (Meleanor and Knight of Dawn even Lilia and Baul) dont seem to possess any magic limitations concerning blot accumulation, additionally they dont even have magestones (that they use to gauge their blot consumption like NRC pens). Which makes me think that "blot or overblot" was not a "trait" that existed naturally in mages???

Since TWST world's history is implied to be changed... I wonder if blot existence was something that "a being" made up/cursed upon all mages lol

Idk where Im going with this tbhhhh ajsjaj but I just think its suspicious that only human magicians is heavily concerned with blot accumulation... whereas Malleus and Lilia never worries about using magic too much...

So wild guess, maybe Maleficia (since shes the only powerful person here lol) cursed "magic in general" so humans will never be on par with fae's magical abilities no matter how hard they develop it

Ig its to never repeat the "occurence of another Knight of Dawn" who's magic is even stronger than faes since he has no limitation so she created blot to curse humans to limit their magic else they'll fall into "darkness" idk

#twst #notes #malleus draconia #lilia vanrouge #lian notes #disney twst #twst disney #twst theory #twst glorious masquerade #twistedwonderland #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland headcanons #twisted wonderland book 7 #twisted wonderland theory #BOY THIS GOT OUT OF HAND AJDHAJDJW

154 notes · View notes

king-bumis-armpit · 7 months ago

Text

The Wedding Weaver

Written for Maiko Week 2024 - Wedding

Summary:

The master matchmaker and self-proclaimed Wedding Weaver is going to be in Ba Sing Se for the first annual Peace Extravaganza hosted by Avatar Aang. Inspired by his message of love and unity, she will be offering a discount on her services for the week of the festival! Find your peace and harmony with your perfect other half…

Mai and Zuko are brought together by forces beyond their control.

Author's Note:

This is admittedly a big stretch of the prompt. After I wrote this, I saw that “matchmaker” was actually a prompt back in 2022! I didn’t have the desire to write back then, but I’m a long time reader of Maiko fics. If you’ve written one, I have probably read it multiple times and I love you <3 That being said, this is my first foray into writing so please be kind ^^

Also, I should mention this is probably not an accurate portrayal of matchmakers and it is certainly not meant to be a representation of any cultures that have historically utilized matchmaking. It’s just a silly idea I had and I wanted to write.

The Wedding Weaver

Mai looked at the paper with disdain. “Why exactly are you showing me this, Mother?”

Michi sternly met her daughter’s gaze. “You have been moping about this house for far too long. I was engaged by the time I was your age!”

“Look how well that turned out.”

“Young lady!” Michi seemed to be about to launch into a tirade, but for some reason she held back and sighed. “You know we are traveling into the city for the festival. I thought perhaps it would give you something to do, since you are always bored.”

Mai’s Aunt Mura landed a very lucrative business deal with a guild of artisans. She would be providing florals and arranging the decorations for their stalls during the festival. Merchants from all over the Fire Nation, and doubtless the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes as well, were traveling to Ba Sing Se for the event. The set up process would be intense and Mai and Michi both were planning to help. But once the festival was underway, the two of them could step back and enjoy a peaceful vacation. Mai was planning on taking Tom Tom to the zoo that Aang helped build, buying Earth Kingdom daggers, and getting a cup of tea at the Jasmine Dragon (at a time when she knew Zuko would be in a meeting of course). Meeting with a Matchmaker and possibly having to entertain a stranger was not on the top of her to do list.

“No thank you.” Mai replied curtly.

Michi sighed, “I was afraid you'd say that, but it's too late. Your aunt and I already signed you up.”

Mai expected this kind of treachery from her mother, but not her aunt. “What on earth were you thinking? Why would auntie do that to me?”

“I was thinking that you needed to get out of the house. And Mura agrees. You’ve been more despondent than normal. All we want for you, Mai, is to be happy.”

Mai shook her head. She could probably get out of it if she really wanted to, but when her mother put it that way it sounded depressing. Maybe she should give it a try. What's the worst that could happen?

— —

“Is that all for the agenda?” Zuko was in a hurry to get out of there. His combined meetings with the Fire Sages and his Royal Advisors always seemed to drag on. It felt like they were all ganging up against him. No wonder all of his ancestors were so cranky.

“Actually my Lord, there is one more item we wish to address with you. As you well know, there have been two assassination attempts on your life in the past four months. Furthermore, you are in the precarious position of lacking in heir,” an elder Fire Sage began.

Zuko did not like the sound of this. “What of it?”

“Well your majesty,” one of his advisors continued, “we were hoping that you might start to make some progress in that department.”

“Surely you're not suggesting that I go out and have a child tonight.”

“Not at all. Not at all. But perhaps you could enter another courtship?” the Advisor replied.

Zuko stiffened. He knew that he shouldn't still be so hung up on her. It’s been months since our breakup, and she has a boyfriend. Kei Lo. May he suffer the torment of Agni’s eternal flame.

Oh Mai. She’s so beautiful, and lethal, and witty, and she’s always bored but never boring.

“My Lord?” The spell was broken.

“How about I name Kiyi my successor and we all call it a day?”

“That is a… fair enough solution in case of an emergency. But consider what the burden would be like for her if she were to ascend. A significant number of the people are struggling to accept you as they're rightful ruler, but she does not even have Royal blood. What do you think would be her reception?” Shiu- the Great Sage- prodded him gently.

Zuko bit his lip. He hadn't thought of that. “I don't know what you want me to do. Being the head of state doesn't give me much free time to go around meeting young women.”

“We believe we have a solution,” The advisor who spoke passed him a paper. It appeared to be an advertisement of some sort.

“You want me to see a matchmaker?”

— —

Mai hated to admit it, but she was nervous. After the festivities had begun, the vendors assured Mura that they didn't need any additional help for the day. Consequently, Mai had nothing to do while waiting for her appointment with the Wedding Weaver except imagine worst case scenarios. What if she asks me a bunch of weird personal questions? What if she tries to set me up with a creepy old guy? What if her office is all pink and lovey-dovey?

In reality, the Weaver’s office was relatively large and open. The walls were green, and the furniture seemed to all be locally made. At the back of the room privacy screens prevented her from seeing the countless filing cabinets of her clients’ information. In the center of the room was a large desk, but instead of thin wooden chairs, on either side there were great comfy recliners. Mai sat in one, the matchmaker the other. Mai's mother, Aunt, and little brother had all accompanied her and sat on a couch behind her. Against the wall was a large standing loom, with a project clearly in-progress. It seemed the Weaver had chosen that moniker for a reason.

The Wedding Weaver herself was a petite woman. Her snowy hair was held in a tight chignon and her eyes sparkled with something that Mai didn’t entirely trust. “Don't be nervous dear,” the Weaver said while pouring some tea. She passed Mai a cup which she accepted gratefully. “Now, tell me about your ideal husband.”

“Umm… That’s a bit broad, don't you think?”

The older woman laughed. “Let me help you out. Do you have a preference for if he's Fire Nation or not? Do you want him to be a bender? Do you have occupational preferences? What values do you most look for in a partner?”

Surprisingly, Tom Tom spoke up first. “He has to live nearby. Mai can't move away.” The boy toddled from the couch and up into his sister’s lap. She accepted him without question. The pout on his face was very convincing, but even if it wasn't, Mai agreed. Best to limit the results to her own country. What if she actually liked the guy?

“Yes. Fire Nation. I don't really care if he's a bender. But if you do choose a bender, I want him to have conventional weapons training as well.”

The matchmaker raised her eyebrows. “Do you get into a lot of fights?”

Mai smirked. “Not so much anymore. But a lot of benders can be sort of pretentious to non-benders like myself. I'm trained with knives, you see.” Mai pulled one from her sleeve to prove her point, as Tom Tom looked on in awe. That was something she loved about Zuko. He thought her deadly precision was just as magical as making fire appear. They would train together for hours, each taking turns to watch the other in admiration and desire… Mai mentally kicked herself. This was NOT about him. It was about her.

Her mother spoke next. “Mai comes from a noble lineage. We would prefer someone with a title or a respectable job in the service of the Fire Nation.” The Weaver noted that Mai shifted uncomfortably at this. Curious, she thought. Perhaps the girl is self-conscious around higher nobility. The Weaver dismissed it as a non-issue. She is dignified and reserved, she would fit right in.

The matchmaker smiled. “Yes of course. Many such men are in town for the festival, and quite a few have booked with me. That shouldn't be so hard.” She thought about her next appointment with anticipation. That woman has no idea how impressive my clients are.

Mai spoke once again. “When it comes to values, I don't know how to classify this but I want someone who treats me like an equal. Someone who is trustworthy and is willing to share their heaviest burdens with me.”

She blushed at this confession, but the matchmaker did not know why. Surely anyone would want such a dedicated girlfriend?

“What about physicality? Any preferences with regards to appearance?”

Mai thought for a minute. “I don't have strong feelings about that really.”

Mura objected. “Oh no! Find our girl someone handsome!”

The Weaver laughed. “I think that can be arranged.” She had taken diligent notes throughout the meeting, and it seemed she already had a few names in mind.

She had Mai fill out a parchment questionnaire before leaving so she would have some additional personal info and more detailed preferences, but the Weaver liked to start by getting a sense of the person through conversation. She found it produced a much more accurate tapestry of a person’s desires.

— —

Mai’s family left late in the afternoon, as they had claimed the last spot on her schedule. However, today she had accepted a special request for an out-of-hours appointment from the Fire Lord himself. He, naturally, had diplomatic appointments throughout the commencement of the Peace Extravaganza. But beyond that he required the utmost discretion.

He did not arrive in her office until the sun was setting, but she did not mind in the slightest. He was her most important customer to date, and she was determined to find him a good match. When he walked in, he was accompanied by two older men: one of his advisors and one of the Fire Sages. She bowed to him in the Fire Nation custom as they all took their seats. She thought about offering tea, but remembered that his uncle was the best tea maker in the city and decided against it. Her brew surely could not compare.

She began in her usual way: “Don't be shy. Tell me about your ideal wife.”

“Oh! Uh…” Zuko was at a loss for what to say. His traitorous thoughts ran rampant: Her name is Mai. She lived across the street. She works for her aunt in a flower shop. She kissed me when I was thirteen and my life has never been the same.

The Matchmaker smiled warmly. Her clients weren't so chatty today. “That's okay, dear. Does she need to be Fire Nation? Do you want her to be a bender? Are there requirements for being the Fire Lady? What values do you most look for in a partner?”

Zuko took a breath and tried to remember all her questions. Maybe it was because of his mother’s theater background, but whenever he was nervous, he found it helpful to put on a persona. I’m not Zuko, I’m the dragon emperor and I am looking for a bride. He put on his best royal voice and began, “I think it would be best if she was from the Fire Nation. If she is to be my wife, then she will be their ruler someday. And a ruler should be well acquainted with her people. In that vein, a good education is also important. I want someone who can help me make decisions and be my true equal. I don't want her to feel imposed upon because of my station.” Zuko almost choked up during that statement. He couldn't stop thinking about Mai and all of the ways he failed her. He desperately wanted to be anywhere but there.

The matchmaker’s eyes darted to the forms on her desk. She shuffled through until she found what she was looking for. The Royal Fire Academy for Girls, eh? The matchmaker knew she was entering dangerous territory. It was always tempting to pair up clients who had sessions back to back. But she’d learned well enough from the Kangaroo Island Incident that this was not always wise.

“A fire bender would be strongly preferred,” the Fire Sage cut in.

Zuko's response was immediate and involuntary. “No!” Everyone looked at him, and he scrambled to regain his composure. “I mean… a fire bender would be fine but I don't have strong preferences in that regard.”

The Weaver’s eyes twinkled with mischief. He probably wanted a young lady who he could impress with his bending. She’d met many a man like that in her day, and some of them were quite impressive indeed. The gloomy girl wasn’t a bender, but she would still be hard to impress. Perhaps that is what he needs.

She pursed her lips: “Are you trained in any martial arts other than bending?”

Zuko was surprised by the question. “I trained with Master Piandao in dual dao swords.” For some reason, this answer seemed to please the Weaver greatly.

“Don't forget, Fire Lord Zuko, your prime directive in this union is to produce an heir. And it would be most beneficial for the nation if that child was a firebender,” his advisor at last spoke up.

Zuko responded icily: “I do not care if my child is a firebender or not. And for your sake, you had better not care either.”

The Weaver recalled how the knife girl had cradled her brother in her arms.The pair would be good parents. Perhaps a tad over-protective, but a little prince or princess would require a greater level of care.

The Fire Lord continued speaking, “But since you reminded me that your rush for an heir was spurred on by multiple assassination attempts, I would like a woman who knows at least basic self-defense. My guards can only do so much. It would ease my mind if she could protect herself.”

The Matchmaker nodded in agreement. Truly this job was getting too easy. “Do you have any preferences on how she should look?”

Zuko blanched, and instinctively reached up to touch his scar. “I really don't think I have any room for judgment.”

The Matchmaker tsked. “Nonsense. You are quite handsome, and everyone is attracted to different traits. Is there anything- a certain eye color or hair style- that you find particularly compelling?”

Before he could stop himself, Zuko answered, “Long hair. Straight. And silky smooth.”

The Matchmaker smiled. This time was nothing like Kangaroo Island. The two were obviously meant to be. “How do you feel about bangs?”

“I think they're really cute,” he said with a small voice.

The Matchmaker handed him his exit paperwork, and leaned back in her seat. She couldn't believe her luck! Those two kids are perfect for each other. And to think they wouldn't meet if it weren't for her planning their date. She was confident there would be a wedding within the year.

— —

“You’re kidding!” Ty Lee squealed. “You’re really going on a date!”

“Yeah.”

“And it was set up by the most famous matchmaker in the world?”

“I guess so.”

“Do you think he’ll be handsome? Or rich? Oh! What if he’s like Earth Kingdom royalty or something?”

Mai sighed, “Honestly, Ty Lee, don’t you think I’ve had enough of handsome, rich royalty?”

Ty Lee had the decency to look ashamed. “Oh yeah. I guess I still kind of think of Zuko as our childhood friend. It’s hard to believe he was my boss. Even when I was guarding his life, he still just seemed like Zuko.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, why did Zuko send you all away?” About four months ago, Zuko had seemingly out-of-nowhere decided to send the Kyoshi Warriors home. Against her reasonable judgment, Mai took the action personally. Not only did she employ them in the first place, but she had become good friends with Suki and the other girls. She often met up with them for lunch, shopping, sparring, and passing the time in general.

Ty Lee rustled at her wording. “We were honorably discharged, thank you very much. The opposition to his reign was calming down and so I think he wanted his guard to be all Fire Nation again. There was some pretty nasty talk about us being a foreign militia in the palace, but I don’t know if that affected his decision.”

Mai nodded. She knew firsthand how brutal Fire Nation court gossip could get, but she hoped that wasn’t impacting Zuko’s security decisions.

“Anyway, don’t think you can get out of this date talk by bringing up your ex boyfriend.”

Mai shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. I won’t meet him until tomorrow.” It had been less than twenty-four hours since her appointment with the Wedding Weaver and Mai had already received a missive notifying her that a match had been made and the date was going to take place the following evening. The message arrived during her lunch with Ty Lee, squashing any hopes of keeping the rendezvous secret from her friend.

“Can I see the note?” Ty Lee asked, and Mai dutifully handed it over. She read aloud, “‘To the lady Mai, the Wedding Weaver is pleased to inform you that she has followed your string of fate and found your perfect match. As your lives twine together, never forget your dear old matchmaker.’” The note then detailed where and when they were supposed to meet, as well as the level of dress. The Weaver suggested semi-formal attire, which felt a bit pretentious to Mai. “‘P.S. The person you are seeing is of very high rank, and so you must be discreet with the information about your meeting.’ Oops!”

Mai smirked, “Oh c’mon. He’s probably lower level nobility with a big head! And besides, discretion wouldn’t stop me from telling you.” Embarrassment would, but never discretion.

Ty Lee laughed. “What if it’s King Kuei or one of his relatives? Oh! Or someone related to Chief Arnook! You could tell people you dated multiple world leaders!”

Mai let out a rare chuckle. “That would be pretty epic. But I told her to keep it Fire Nation. Long distance seems so boring.”

“Yeah, I seem to recall that not touching for two seconds was long distance for you and Zuko back in the day,” Ty Lee joked.

Mai tried to act offended. “Hey! We were deprived of affection in childhood. We had to make up for lost time.”

“And you certainly did,” Ty Lee quipped back and Mai rolled her eyes.

Ty Lee resumed her question barrage. “So what are you wearing? And what are you doing for make up? Do you wanna try out a new hairstyle? I’ve had a lot of practice with the girls.”

“Who appointed you as my stylist?”

“I appointed myself! Please, it’ll be so fun!”

They spent the rest of the day trying out various outfits in the market and testing make up and hair at Mai’s hotel. Ty Lee insisted she do something different with her hair, but in exchange Mai was able to get her to agree to a dress that wasn’t pink. In the past Mai might have complained about the cringiness of it all, but after four months of missing her best friend– and going even longer without an excuse to get dressed up– she found herself having fun. When she went to sleep that night, she decided that however the date went the next day, it was already worth it.

— —

On the third day of the Peace Extravaganza, Zuko rose with the sun as always and made his way to the Earth King’s palace courtyard to practice his fire bending katas. To his surprise, Aang was there as well.

“Good morning Sifu Hotman!” he said cheerfully. Zuko smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.

Normally he would protest at the nickname, but he had hardly spent any time with Aang this week because of the various meetings and peace ceremonies. He hoped he could catch up with everyone once the schedule slowed down.

“Want to go through your fire forms with your old teacher?”

“Always!”

By the time they finished, it was still too early for most of the palace to be awake. But Zuko managed to flag down a servant to bring them some breakfast in the courtyard.

“So what’s on your schedule today, your royal fieriness?” Aang asked.

Zuko sighed. “The usual, you know what it’s like. I have a meeting with Earth Kingdom’s office of veteran affairs to trade strategies for dealing with the reintegration of troops into civilian life. Then King Kuei and I are attending the opening of Ba Sing Se University’s exchange student program. After that, he and I are set to have lunch. And then it’s on to a panel discussion with the Water Tribe officials about navigation treaties. And after that we have rehearsal for the Ceremony for Perpetual Peace on the last day.”

“Wow! That’s more than me and I’m the event organizer! Do you think you could have dinner with us after the rehearsal?” Aang looked at him hopefully.

“I wish I could but–” Zuko hesitated, “promise you won’t make fun of me for what I’m about to say?”

“Okay?” Well that wasn’t much of a promise, but Zuko figured it was the best he was going to get.

“My advisors bullied me into seeing a matchmaker. The Wedding Weeder or something like that.”

“The Wedding Weaver!” Aang exclaimed. “She’s really famous over here. She boasts a 95% success rate. Excluding the Kangaroo Island incident of course.

“Well I’d never heard of her. But I met with her a couple of days ago and she said she already found my perfect match. She arranged for us to get dinner tonight.”

“TONIGHT?!” Aang yelled, startling a pair of passing servants.

“Hush up!” Zuko hissed. “No one knows yet except Uncle and my council.”

“But what about Mai?” Aang asked. In the months after the war, he and Mai had become fast friends to everyone’s surprise. Retrospectively, it kind of made sense to Zuko. Aang was a lot like Ty Lee, and being the avatar meant that his life was far from boring. And despite his “upbeat attitude,” he was very accepting of “gloomy” people. It took Katara a little bit longer to warm up to Mai, but not by much. Ever since Mai broke up with him, Aang has been encouraging him to try to fix things.

“She’s still with Kei Lo as far as I know. The last time I saw him, he told me to back off and Mai took his side. I think it’s over.”

Aang was visibly disappointed by this, and Zuko added uncomfortably, “You said this matchmaker was really good, right? I’m sure whoever she sets me up with will be… lovely.”

Aang seemed to realize he was affecting Zuko. “Oh! I’m sure she will! But don’t you think it’s a bit dishonest to try to date someone else while you still have feelings for your ex? Isn’t that like cheating?”

Zuko thought about Aang’s words. “I… I don’t know. But I don’t really have a choice. I have a bunch of old guys breathing down my throat to have a kid. I have to start somewhere.”

Aang gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry. That’s rough, buddy.”

— —

Zuko took a deep breath and began to ascend the stairs. The Weaver had reserved an entire rooftop balcony for them. He wondered what his date was thinking about all of this. The matchmaker had not revealed his identity, but had apparently told her that he was an important official who required privacy. What if she’s angry that I didn’t tell her my identity first? Mai had always hated surprises. Spirits, she was beautiful when she despised things.

Uncle had given him a gift basket with an assortment of tea leaves and several coupons for the Jasmine Dragon. He assured Zuko that if his date was caught off-guard, the smell of the tea leaves would calm her. Zuko wasn’t sure if he believed that, but he trusted that uncle knew better than him, so he figured he should probably lead with the gift. When reached the door to the balcony, he rearranged the items of the gift basket one last time.

As he stepped on the terrace, he caught sight of a female figure. She was standing at the edge of the balcony, looking out over the city with her back turned. She had long black hair that she wore loose, and for a moment he almost tricked himself into thinking it was Mai. Maybe bringing up the hair was a mistake.

“Hello–”

She spun around, knives in hand. Agni, it was Mai!

“Zuko, what the fuck? How did you find out about my date?”

Zuko gaped at her, “I– I didn’t. This is supposed to be my date.”

Mai took in the gift-basket and his gelled hair. No doubt both courtesy of his uncle.

She buried her face in her hands and her shoulders began to shake. Zuko felt his heart fall into his stomach. He dropped the basket and ran to her side. “Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean–”

She let out a snort. He pried her hands away from her face to see she was… laughing. She giggled and chortled and it was honestly a bit disconcerting at first. He had never seen her so unrestrained.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She apologized breathlessly through her mirth. She finally composed herself enough to be coherent. “I just can’t believe I traveled to the other side of the world to be set up on a date with you!”

Zuko glowered and dropped her hands. “I could say the exact same thing!”

Mai suddenly became serious, “ I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that I was finally trying to move on and here you are.”

Zuko couldn’t believe this. “Again, I could say the same! No! I should be the only one saying that. You broke up with me. And you’re dating Kei Lo. Why are you even here? What do you mean ‘move on’?”

Mai crossed her arms. “For your information, Kei Lo broke up with me because I couldn’t let go of you.” Zuko felt a fluttering in his ribcage, but she didn’t stop there, “And I tried to be a good girlfriend, but you weren’t interested in my support. You would rather keep all your emotions locked away in your chest.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “You’re one to talk–”

“Hey! I’ve been doing better and you know it.”

He supposed that was true. After all, she was expressing herself with gusto today. He remembered Uncle’s calming tea and retrieved the basket. Luckily, it had landed right side up.

He walked back to Mai and extended it to her. No use in letting it go to waste. “For you.”

Mai looked like she was about to make another cutting remark, but then she noticed the contents. “Is this from Iroh?” He nodded and she accepted the basket. She picked up a sachet of spiced oolong and inhaled. “This always was my favorite. Thank you.” She hesitated, “Are you sure you don’t want to save this nice array for the next girl?”

Zuko huffed. “What next girl?”

He looked around the balcony for the first time, as if he thought some beautiful woman would emerge and save him from this awkwardness. There was a table piled high with food that was rapidly growing cold, and two chairs. Mai was glad she pilfered some dumplings before he arrived. Ty Lee made her spend hours getting ready and so she was starving. And now Zuko was probably going to kick her out before she got dinner.

Mai shrugged. “I don’t know. Whoever the Weaver sends you after me?”

“I didn’t actually see her of my own free will. It’s kind of a long story. Would you like to sit?” He gestured to the table. He pulled out her chair for her. Mai raised an eyebrow, but she set her basked to the side and accepted the gesture nonetheless. He sat across from her.

“So, start talking.” Mai quickly piled food onto her plate. If Zuko actually had a long story, she could finally eat.

“My advisors are concerned that I don’t have an heir. I currently have Kiyi listed, but… if something happens I don’t know if the people will accept her.”

Mai felt a chill run up her spine. “Zuko, you’re talking as though you’re going to croak any minute. Ty Lee told me that the situation was stabilizing and that was why you sent the Kyoshi warriors back to their island.”

Zuko took a bite of a steamed bun and refused to meet her gaze. Mai glared at him until he spoke, “The situation is stabilizing, but it will never be fully secure until the Fire Nation can operate independently. I heard some of the girls talking outside my office one day. They were feeling homesick. It was always meant to be a temporary post, and I didn’t want to force them to stay if they were unhappy. Anyway, Suki and Ty Lee had been personally training the replacement guards for some time anyway. So I ended their contract. And I gave them generous severance by the way.”

“Maybe independence isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Have there been more assassination attempts since they left?” Just like Mai to cut to the chase. For some reason, it made Zuko want to smile despite the serious topic.

“There have been two in the last four months. But the guards are improving, truly. I would not put my family in their care if I didn’t trust them.”

Mai nodded. “All the same, you would tell someone, right? If you were concerned.”

Zuko blinked in surprise. “Who would I tell?”

Mai wanted to flip the table. Instead she took a breath. Pretend you’re explaining a really difficult concept to Tom Tom. “You could tell Aang, or Katara, or Toph, or Sokka, or Suki, or Ty Lee. You know, any of your friends,” she deadpanned.

Zuko smiled, but it was bittersweet. “I’m trying to be better about reaching out. I acknowledge that in the past I haven’t been the best about that. But there are certain things that our friends can’t help me with. They all have their own responsibilities far away from Caldera City. This is something I need to figure out as the Fire Lord.”

Mai felt her heart twist. He didn’t hesitate to include her: ‘our friends.’ She forced herself to speak before she lost her nerve. “You could talk to me. I know things are awkward between us right now, but you’re one of my only childhood friends. I still care about you, Zuko. And I’m not volunteering to be your personal bodyguard or anything, but I don’t mind helping you vet the new recruits or spending some afternoons at the palace to help out.”

“That would be great!” Zuko accepted her offer without hesitation. He would always take whatever she was willing to give him. But then he remembered something she had said earlier. “Only if you’re sure that won’t interfere with your attempt to get over me. I don’t want to stand in the way of your happiness.”

Mai narrowed her eyes, trying to determine if he was making fun of her. And then she remembered what she said only moments ago in the heat of their argument. She felt her cheeks get hot. “Oh! That was… a bit of an over-exaggeration. I didn’t really want to see the matchmaker either. My mom and aunt were pressuring me, and then Ty Lee got on board. I guess their enthusiasm rubbed off on me more than I realized.”

Zuko smirked, “Yeah, you’re so easy to enthuse.”

Mai rolled her eyes and threw a dumpling at him. He had the good sense to duck and he came up laughing.

“So,” he began. “If you wanna hear about my problems, maybe we could start with this festival.”

Mai nodded, “You can tell me all about it until this table is empty.”

Zuko chuckled and quickly launched into complaints about his overbooked schedule and his ridiculous advisors. Mai listened intently, and, in turn, she regaled him with the trials and tribulations of the floral industry. When they finally parted, Yue was well into her nightly journey. Mai rejected Zuko’s offer of a personal escort home, but he insisted she take at least one of his guards. “I know you don’t need the protection, but I can’t have the restaurant owner think I’m an inconsiderate date.” As the pair disappeared into the city streets, Zuko couldn’t help smiling. Maybe Mai didn’t reciprocate his feelings, but she was miraculously his friend again and that was enough. He ought to send the Wedding Weaver a generous tip.

Later, as Mai slid into bed, she thought about her conversation with Zuko. He was so much more open now compared to when they broke up. Had she overreacted in ending things with him? Was it… possible that he was still willing to try again? She didn’t have satisfactory answers to these questions yet, but she had gotten one of her best friends back. That had to count for something.

— —

The First Annual Peace Extravaganza went on smoothly and historic treaties were agreed upon by the remaining three nations. However, nothing that happened was quite as historic as the Third Annual Peace Extravaganza, where the Fire Lord announced his engagement to his long-term girlfriend, Lady Mai. He shocked the world by declaring that their wedding would take place on the summer solstice, just three months away.

There was some talk about whether or not the two would be suitable rulers. In their not-so distant youth, the couple was said to have a tumultuous on-again and off-again affair. But she had been his steadfast companion for the past two years, and the royal council was happy to simply have the promise of a stronger bloodline.

The Wedding Weaver smiled when she heard the news. Since that fateful day, she learned that she was not the reason for the royal couple’s first meeting. By the time they reached her door, their life lines had long since been plied together into a single thread. She took up her place at her loom and began to weave.

— —

For Mai and Zuko, the time between their engagement and their wedding day passed in a blur. On top of their usual responsibilities of keeping a country running, they had to plan what was shaping up to be the largest party of the century. The festivities would take several days.

The first day was their traditional betrothal ceremony, made awkward by the conspicuous absence of their fathers. The awkwardness only grew. Mai’s uncle, the Warden of the Boiling Rock, had offered to take the place of her father, and kept threatening to revoke his approval, making Zuko promise and swear repeatedly on all the Spirits that he would never hurt Mai emotionally or physically. Uncle Iroh, who had taken the place of Zuko’s own father, found the situation quite amusing. Iroh and Mai had to hold back their laughter and the Warden made Zuko get on his knees and repeat his vows.

The second day was the wedding ceremony itself and Mai’s coronation. Zuko would always remember how beautiful Mai looked in the traditional robes. To the crowd’s– and Zuko’s– surprise, Mai openly cried tears of joy as she said her vows. She accepted her position as Fire Lady earnestly, and even the Sages were pleased. The entire Nation celebrated that night, while Mai and Zuko slipped away to celebrate privately.

The third day was reserved entirely for opening gifts from whoever the council deemed noteworthy. King Kuei had gifted them a large and rather unsightly bear statue that Mai decided could live in one of the many basement sitting rooms. Chief Arnook presented them with heavy duty and finely embroidered Water Tribe tunics for their next visit. Zuko was grateful but slightly disappointed. (On their previous trips to the North, Mai had clung to his side like a burr, seeking his inner fire. Now she would likely burrow into her heavy robes instead.) Chief Hakoda, at his children’s recommendation, gave them matching whale tooth knives. These were privately both Mai and Zuko’s favorite gift of the celebration.

Yet even after this event, they were left with an entire storeroom of gifts from citizens and well-wishers that would have to be dealt with eventually, which is where Mai and Zuko found themselves that evening.

“I don’t even know where to start with all of this,” Zuko sighed. “I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but it’s not like we’re lacking. I wish people would save their money.”

Mai wrapped her arms around her husband. The festivities were making her much more sentimental than usual. “I agree, but think about it this way: they gifted us these things because they appreciate what you’ve done as their leader. It’s all well-deserved.”

Zuko smiled and returned her embrace, “They’re your gifts too. The people are excited to have a Fire Lady again, and I’m so grateful that it’s you. I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else.”

Mai smiled and kissed him on the cheek, but she broke away from his hold after that. She wanted to make her way through at least some of this stuff before they left for their honeymoon after a few more days of public festivities. Everything had already been inspected for security purposes and the servants had created a separate section for gifts from people that they may have known personally. Mai made her way there, thinking it would be a good place to begin. Zuko followed and picked up a wrapped parcel with a familiar seal.

“No way,” he said, chuckling. “Mai, this is from our matchmaker!”

“Really?” she leaned into his side to read the attached note.

Dearest Fire Lord and Fire Lady,

From the moment I met the both of you, I could sense that you were destined to be a match. The string of fate between you is strong! By chance, I met you on the same day, and when the young Fire Lord spoke, it felt like he was describing you, Mai dear. It would be months before I learned that was perhaps truer than I could have guessed. Even though I did not bring you two together for the first time, I hope that the two of you are bound to stay. Please accept this token of my congratulations.

The Wedding Weaver

P.S. Zuko darling, thank you for the generous donations to my business.

Mai raised an eyebrow at ‘Zuko darling��. “You’ve been sending her money?”

“Well she got you back with me,” he replied. “I don’t regret a single copper piece!”

Mai laughed and unwrapped the parcel. Unsurprisingly, she gifted them a tapestry. It depicted the two of them standing side by side, surrounded by a border of their birth flowers. It was an impressive likeness considering that she had only seen them once and that she had rendered them in thread and not ink.

“Woah!” Zuko ran his hand along the stitches. “Do you think my council would let me hang this up instead of a royal portrait?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think so,” Mai replied, “but this is way nicer than the bear statue. We should put it somewhere visible.”

“We should.” Zuko pulled his wife into another embrace. “Do you believe in strings of fate?” he asked, although he suspected he knew the answer.

“No,” Mai answered, “but if such a thing existed, then I believe it would exist between us.”

Zuko buried his face in her hair and smiled. This was about as sappy as Mai got. “I think so too.”

#atla maiko #atla mai #atla zuko #maiko #mai #zuko #atla #avatar the last airbender #mai x zuko #zuko x mai #maikoweek2024 #if Mai and Zuko don't get married in the Zuko movie I will RIOT

67 notes · View notes

mayullla · 2 years ago

Note

Hello! I love ur work, and was wondering if I could ask for dottore (?) with 🌹🍁 ??

if you can’t that’s ok =) take your time!

Note: I am gonna assume (?) means that I could pick if it is yandere or platonic yandere and reader? well either way hope you like it!

Title: Unfair Trade

Character(s): Il Dottore (Genshin Impact) Summary: You trapped yourself in your mind after you and the traveler had been lured into a trap made by Dottore. Why you were stuck in your own conscious Il Dottore and the Grand Sage talked about their little deal. Warnings/tags: Dendro archon!reader, fem!reader, yandere themes, possessive behavior, manipulation, power imbalance, 3.2 archon quest scenario, drabble, this is related to a really old brainrot I had before (here)

[ - A little present~! Event - Closed - ]

"Now that I have done my part of the deal, it is only fair that you, too, hold your end of the deal."

"Yes! Yes!!" Azar spoke in a hurried tone. There was greed in his voice of a hopeful future that he could not wait to come. The price was cheap for what it was. Something that he would gladly give.

"You may take the pitiful dendro archon. With our new archon who will rule Sumeru with wisdom and knowledge giving away that weak archon is but a far small price to pay. In fact, I feel as if this deal is not even fair." Azar spoke to the expelled scholar of the academia once he would have looked down on such a man now he spoke with respect.

Yet he could not help but furrow his eyebrows. Why did this man even want you... "Considering how much you have helped us, we would gladly give you anything else you want?"

"An archon is still an archon while she is weaker compared to others. She is still an existence above many beings." Dottore smiled at the grand sage, appearing more satisfied with the trade than anything. "I do not need anything she alone is enough for me."

"Suit yourself. I must go now, I have another scheduled appointment that I must go to. I apologize. Stay for a while if you wish, and I will have someone bring in more tea if you want." No longer willing to push the subject matter. Azar stood up about to call someone to come in.

"There is no need to worry. I too also need to go soon. The Tsaritsa had called me, and I must prepare to leave for Snezhnaya soon." Waving his hand, he let the Grand Sage leave as he too left the room, heading higher and higher up the stairs of the building.

"If only our own archon was wise in wisdom and knowledge, would we never have to resort to this."

"Trust me, I know your sufferings. I only provided you a way the rest you have worked hard for the benefit of Sumeru." Dottore could only laugh at such useless talks, both knowing well they have their own goals and motivations, yet spewing lies and deceit.

Reaching the place only the higher-ups could enter.

Dottore looked at the person with the orb, sleeping soundly as if, once upon a time, a few days ago, she wasn't trying to rebel with the traveler to rescue her land.

"I still remember the emotions in your eyes when you saw me. Standing in front of the academia with the traveler, it was only proper to cheer for the hero and their own archon." Il Dottore smiled when he got a clear glimpse of your peaceful sleeping face nothing like the face you gave him when you found out and realized what he has done to your people. "Your expression that time is still something I relished every time I remember it."

"How unfortunate." There was a small movement on his lips that looked like a frown of displeasure and dissatisfaction but quickly curled into a smile again. "I was so close to having you back then, yet you soon left as soon as you realized that the traveler was far away and safe. It was a shame back then, but I wouldn't put it past you to do something like that. And even now, you have avoided most of my trap with something like this.”

"It is quite disappointing, I must say. But no matter, it was all pure entertainment. After all, no matter where your contious was, your body was always here in this little orb."

He circled around your orb. His mask looked in your direction. The sounds of his shoes tapping the floor echoed within the quiet wide place where it is just you and him.

"Would you push me away again after Sumeru had abandoned you like this?" Dottore asked mockingly, "The sages were so thrilled by this chance of a fake god that they were so quick to make a deal that once they have their man-made god they will give you as payment."

"All the Tsaritsa wants is the dendro gnosis. She doesn't care much for how we attain it, so I am sure she would let me keep you from myself. After all, I have already done many things for our Tsaritsa's sake." Stopping his body turned towards you as he raised his hands a little as if showing you something that he was proud of. He knew that he was talking to deaf ears and that you couldn't even hear him. But that didn't stop him. He had you, and now you belonged to him.

"It is, after all, only a matter of time dear. We shall see how long you can hide in this darkness that you have created, this barrier to keep me out. I will slowly take away those walls that guard your consciousness." His grin could not go down no matter what as he looked at you curled up in a ball within the orb.

"Those sages are foolish to give you away from a man-made archon. But that doesn't matter in the end so long as you are mine. It is only a matter of time, dendro archon. Soon, your consciousness will be mine, and I will make sure that it will be locked away from the world with only myself in your thoughts."

374 notes · View notes

mysteryshoptls · 1 year ago

Text

SSR Riddle Rosehearts - Bloom Birthday Vignette

[Heartslabyul Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Riddle: It's time for the customary interview. I must prepare myself to provide proper responses so as to be a role model to the other students.

Riddle: There is five minutes remaining until it is slated to begin. I wonder if we will be able to start on time…

???: For celebrities like me, it is crucial to be punctual. Although, I cannot say I blame you for your concern.

Riddle: Ah, so you're my presenter, Vil-senpai. It seems this interview should run smoothly.

Vil: Well, aren't you lucky, Riddle? Don't you think having me as your presenter is the best birthday gift one could receive?

Riddle: Fufu, you're right. Thank you, and please be gentle with me.

Vil: Alright, let me start from the beginning… Riddle, Happy Birthday. I'll start the interview now.

Vil: “If you could use flight magic to go anywhere, where would you like to go?”

Riddle: Anywhere while using flight magic, you say…? Given that condition, I believe I would be able to fly back and forth between the Queendom of Roses and Sage's Island.

Vil: If I recall, you're from the Queendom of Roses, yes? Are you looking to take quick day trips back home?

Riddle: Oh, I wouldn't go home, but instead, I'd like to go out to this one ranch.

Vil: A ranch? That's… actually not too surprising, I suppose. You are in the Equestrian club, after all.

Riddle: Come to think of it, I believe they also offered horseback riding lessons… My recollection is from some time ago, so I'm not sure if they still offer it, however.

Vil: Oh, so you've gone before?

Riddle: Yes, during one of my elementary school extra curriculars.

Riddle: It wasn't very far from my hometown, so many of my classmates would visit there on weekends.

Riddle: It seems it was common for them to buy some ice cream from the ice cream vans they had stationed around the ranch…

Riddle: Even when we visited for our extracurricular course, I recall many of my classmates eating that ice cream.

Vil: Well now, it must have been very popular. So, essentially, you wish to once more taste that ice cream from time long past, yes?

Riddle: I've never eaten it. At the time, my mother had forbidden me from having snacks of that sort.

Riddle: So, while I am interested in their ice cream… I would also like to visit the ranch's café.

Vil: Has that café still been in operation since that time?

Riddle: Actually, it opened after I enrolled here at Night Raven College.

Riddle: I saw an advert for it in a magazine that one of my dormmates were reading, so I researched it on the internet…

Riddle: They're really well known for their white and fluffy whipped cream topped sweets, so much so that apparently some customers come from overseas just to try it.

Vil: From overseas, even? That's impressive, especially for a ranch café.

Riddle: I agree. There was even a showcase of their delicious looking sweets on their website as well.

Riddle: Among them, I found the cream tart to look the most appealing… So I have been wanting to eat it someday.

Vil: So, put simply, you wish to go to this ranch and come back without your mom ever finding out? Ahaha! I like it!

Vil: For you of all people to want to secretly snack like this, I guess you've truly embraced the spirit of Night Raven College.

Riddle: That's not…! Ah, no, it probably is just as you've surmised, Vil-senpai.

[Heartslabyul Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Vil: NEXT! Here's the next question.

Vil: "What is your best class?"

Riddle: As I always receive a perfect score on my tests, when it comes to grades, I have no obvious strengths or weaknesses.

Riddle: If I must choose one, I suppose I'd choose Practical Magic.

Vil: True, practical application of magic is a very useful skill.

Vil: Although, back when my magic first presented itself, I do remember thinking, that I could do it much faster if I didn't use magic, however.

Riddle: That's understandable. In Heartslabyul, we use our magic for practical application when painting the roses, or transporting our tableware, but…

Riddle: For those who are unsteady when it comes to their magical output and control, they often just do it with their own hands, instead of magic. This is especially true with our inexperienced first years.

Vil: You say that as if you were not like them.

Riddle: That's exactly correct. Before I even enrolled in Night Raven College, I already was capable of casting practical magic our classwork requires us to use.

Riddle: It wouldn't even take me 10 minutes to paint all the roses in our garden red.

Vil: I expect that would be true, especially coming from you. Were you receiving special training before coming here?

Riddle: Yes… My parents are both mages, so I acquired my knowledge through the assignments my mother tasked me.

Vil: I wouldn't know anything about how living as a family of mages would be. I'm curious to know what kind of assignments she gave you.

Riddle: The simpler tasks would be those such as putting away the books I had finished reading or changing my outfit.

Riddle: Let me see, I think it might have been when I was five years old when I once fell asleep from exhaustion in the middle of finishing what had been tasked to me...

Riddle: My mother had come in to check on my progress, and she scolded me fervently. After that, I was given another task to complete.

Vil: I assume your mother simply very earnest when it comes to your education… But she sure does not take it easy on her child, I see.

Riddle: …As I endeavored to complete all my assignments, I could tell that my own abilities were growing bit by bit.

Riddle: I could feel my own motivation surging after I had set a goal for myself, to complete all my assigned tasks before my mother would come to check in on me.

Riddle: I can still clearly remember that proud feeling that coursed through me the first time I was able to achieve that goal.

Vil: Essentially, you were challenging yourself to a speedrun, is that it? I can't help but be impressed by your diligence.

[Heartslabyul Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Vil: Alright then, this is your last question.

Vil: “What would you like to do in the coming year?”

Riddle: I would like to improve my cooking skills.

Vil: YOU, COOK!? Rather, I should ask, why did you decide to try to improve that?

Riddle: I have several reasons, but… I suppose the biggest one is that I realized that there is still much I don't know about cooking.

Vil: Well, that is a laudable thing for you to say, a far cry different from your comments earlier. Perhaps you'd elaborate further for me.

Riddle: The other day, I was invited to have lunch with Trey and Cater. They said that Trey was planning on making the food…

Riddle: So I asked them what he was making, and he responded, "I'll just look in the fridge and decide after I see what's available."

Vil: And what did you eat that day, then?

Riddle: The main dish was a cheese omelette. It seems he used the leftover ingredients from when we baked some cheese tarts the day before.

Riddle: We had leftover carrots and raisins from making a carrot cake, and those were tossed into a salad side dish.

Riddle: In addition, he also made soup and dessert for us. All with ingredients that we had in the kitchen.

Vil: For a lunch that was made with whatever was leftover, that sounds as if it was rather splendid.

Riddle: IT ABSOLUTELY WAS.

Riddle: As the food was almost finished, Ace and Deuce showed up, having followed the aroma to see where it was coming from…

Riddle: In the end, it was the five of us eating lunch together that day. Cater, Ace, and Deuce had nothing but praise for the food.

Riddle: I was truly astounded… I never expected such a delicious meal from leftovers like that, let alone multiple courses.

Riddle: I always believed that cooking required one to plan the menu ahead of time and carefully prepare each step and ingredient properly.

Vil: You're not wrong, either. It's actually rather difficult to create dishes on the fly like that without any experience.

Riddle: Trey explained that there many times that he would cook instead of his parents, so he just naturally learned how.

Riddle: When he said that, I came to a realization. It wasn't enough for me to only memorize recipes, but I needed to gain more experience as well.

Riddle: Eventually, once I leave the dormitory and my parent's home, I'll be on my own and I may need to cook for myself.

Riddle: If I am able to use up all my ingredients and seasonings without being wasteful, then it should also reduce the time I would need for shopping.

Riddle: That's why I intend on taking continual Master Chef courses in order to gain that practical know-how.

Vil: I have this feeling that you may find that there will be many challenges when you live alone, much more than just cooking.

Riddle: …What does that mean?

Vil: Well, there's a plethora of things I can think of… But for now, I suppose I'm just extremely curious what kind of interior design you'll end up choosing.

Riddle: My interior design choice, hm. You're right, I would need to assemble a complete set of furniture once I start living alone.

Riddle: If I ever come to purchase any furniture, it would be an honor to receive advice from you, Vil-senpai.

Vil: This concludes the interview. I was able to learn many fascinating things about you.

Vil: Here, take this. This broom has copious amounts of bright red flowers and suits a leading man like yourself well.

Riddle: Thank you very much. Red is a color that symbolizes both Heartslabyul and the Queen of Hearts.

Riddle: If nothing else, it fills me with joy. I shall demonstrate flight skills that is worthy of such a broom.

Vil: What high spirits. Well then, go on now. I look forward to seeing what the Dorm Leader of Heartslabyul can really do.

Riddle: Of course. I absolutely won't disappoint.

Riddle: Flying in the sky is a simple task. I'll show every person gathered here my true ability!

Requested @leonakingscholarship and @agnesmontague.

#twisted wonderland #twst #riddle rosehearts #vil schoenheit #twst riddle #twst vil #twst translation #twst birthday #mention: ace #mention: deuce #mention: cater #mention: trey

174 notes · View notes

lucidlivi · 1 year ago

Text

Chosen For Pleasure (XIII)

Series Masterlist/Warnings

Tag List: @ladysparkles78 @suckitands33 @little-x-wolf @stoneyggirl2 @creative-writing92 @jc-winchester @mrsjenniferwinchester @lessons-of-red @jamerlynn @deans-spinster-witch @kazsrm67 @deans-baby-momma @willow-sages @ritz-hell-hotel @perpetualabsurdity @mhessellund @itzabbyxx @chriszgirl92 @abbybarnesstuff @larrem88 @commonsenseishard @impalaspixie @notsogoofyjelly @hzllxhoundxx @taylortots-world @k-slla @heavenlyackles @spnfamily-j2 @buckybarnes-1917 @foxyjwls007 @spnbaby-67 @readingsins @lauraashley93 @antisocialcorrupt @anixiiee @jackles010378 @alternativeprincess @rosecentury @lelilw1 (ya'll already know the drill, if you'd like added please let me know!)

a little filthier than my previous chapters, you're welcome! but also this chapter is mostly just sex so enjoy smut lovers!

"then kiss me."

I was shocked at his request.

"I want you to kiss me." Jensen said putting a hand on my cheek.

I noticed his breathing become heavier as I glanced up at him through my eyelashes.

"let me know if you want me to stop." I whispered.

Jensen nodded his head, exhaling a deep breath. I could tell he was nervous, but wanted me to continue.

I stood up on my tippy toes, touching our noses. Jensen fluttered his eyes closed as I let my lips gently brush his. I parted my lips gently connecting his with mine. Jensen was still momentarily but started to timidly move his lips in sync with my own. He was more than willing to let me lead the kiss. I caressed his cheek as our lips moved against each other.

I felt a warmth spread from my lips, throughout my entire body. It was just as simple as our lips touching, but it was enough to set my soul on fire. It was the kind of kiss that inspires stars to climb into the sky and light up the world.

I could tell Jensen was still a little apprehensive. I grabbed his hand, putting it under my chin. Jensen grabbed my chin pushing his lip farther in to mine. I pulled back a little, letting Jensen lead the kiss now.

He was surprisingly great at it for someone who hasn't kissed anyone in years. I could feel myself getting lightheaded from the lack of oxygen but I was finding that breath is of little consequence compared to this feeling. Jensen was the first to pull away, allowing us both to take a much needed deep breath.

I was about to say something, but Jensen crashed his lips back on my own. Every ounce of timidness was now gone, his lips dominating mine. I parted my lips allowing Jensen to slip his tongue in. It took him a minute to get a good rhythm but I didn't mind. Our tongues wrestled for dominance as we poured every single feeling we had in to our kiss.

Jensen pulled away again taking a deep breath.

"do you want to stop?" I asked, wanting to make sure he was comfortable.

He was quiet a moment, just staring deep in my eyes.

"J?"

"I want you kiss me again, kiss me until I'm sick of it." Jensen whispered.

"as you wish."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing his lips down to meet mine once again. Jensen lifted me up, laying me on the hood of the car, not once pulling his lips away from mine. His hands found their way under my dress slowly lifting it up. I hardly felt the chill of the night air, Jensen's kisses making my entire body feel as if it was engulfed in flames.

I moaned in to the kiss as Jensen slid his hand up my leg, stopping just short of my aching core. He moved his lips from mine, sucking in a sharp breath.

"I want to give you everything, all of me." Jensen whispered.

I gasped as he ripped my panties to the side, plunging two fingers inside where I needed him the most. I had no way of stopping the heavy pants that rolled off my lips as Jensen delicately worked his fingers in and out. Jensen slid my dress up some more, so my entire bottom half was at his disposal.

I had an empty feeling as Jensen removed his fingers, hastily undoing his belt so he could free his erection from his tight dress pants. I moaned as I saw his length spring free. In no time at all, Jensen buried himself deep inside of me. He roughly grabbed my chin smashing his lips on my own as he thrusted needfully in to me.

It was as if our lips were molded to perfectly fit each others. It brought a whole new sense of intimacy to our pleasure. Jensen moved his hand down, lightly resting it on my throat as he thrusted harder and faster. I threw my head back with a moan, hitting the hard metal of the hood.

"fuck (y/n), I fucking love you so much." Jensen moaned slamming himself in to me at this point.

I leaned up grabbing his neck pulling his lips back on my own. It was as if everything was falling into place with each brush of our lips. I felt as if I was suddenly a dam ready to burst. Jensen put a little pressure on my throat as he kissed me deeper.

"J, I'm gonna." I moaned.

"I know baby me too."

I let out a moan loud enough to shake the trees as the dam burst, sending shockwaves of pleasure to every single nerve in my body. I could hear my name spilling from Jensen's perfect lips as his entire body shook with his orgasm. Jensen thrusted a few more times before pulling out and collapsing his body on top of my own.

He raised his head, staring at my figure. I was still struggling to catch my breath. He reached a hand up caressing my cheek gently, wiping his thumb over my no doubt swollen lips.

"I love you too Jensen."

Jensen stood up after a moment, tucking himself back in his dress pants, letting my dress fall back down to my ankles. I sat up slowly as my muscles screamed at me with ache. Jensen must've noticed my struggle, for I was held in his arms in no time. He walked over to the wooden cabin steps, taking a seat and placing me in his lap.

I took a moment to admire the view. It was breathtaking.

"it's so beautiful up here." I whispered, as Jensen wrapped his arms around me tighter.

"it was one of my moms favorite places to come, she said she always did her best thinking up here."

"what ever happened to her?" I asked turning my head so I could look at him.

I could see his jaw clench as I knew my words brought up an unpleasant memory. I went to take them back, but Jensen spoke before I could.

"she overdosed, sat dead in her room for at least a week before anyone found her."

I found myself choking back tears at his words.

"thank you for telling me that, I know how hard this is for you." I said placing a kiss to his cheek.

He was quiet as we stared at the view. I could feel a night breeze blowing through my hair as we relaxed against each other. It was another minute before Jensen spoke up again.

"when they found her body, with it, they found a letter she wrote me, she was asking for my forgiveness, but I've never been able to give it to her. I was so mad at her, I was just mad all the time. I pushed people away because I was constantly angry at the world, but then I met you, and I realized I didn't want to be angry anymore." Jensen said, his eyes gazing in to my own.

Jensen leaned down, slowly connecting his lips with mine. It was a short passionate kiss, but he said more in that kiss, than he could ever say with words.

****************************************************

I woke up to Jensen's frantic voice filling my ears.

"what do you mean you didn't find her Cole?"

I was chilled to the bone as I listened to his words.

"I don't see how she keeps escaping us, how is she always one step ahead?" Jensen growled, tugging at his hair in frustration.

I felt bad for Jensen. I could see how stressed this was making him, and for now I was more concerned with him being okay than myself.

"and you're positive the perimeter is clear and safe? I can't risk her safety Cole, I won't."

He breathed a noticeable sigh of relief, I'm assuming because Cole calmed whatever anxiety he was having about returning.

"I'll be back soon, but I want extra security with us at all times, until Riley is caught, I'm not letting her get anywhere close to my girl again."

I pulled the comforter tighter against my body as I heard Jensen's footsteps coming back towards the room.

"I didn't realize you were up." He spoke looking at me as if I was going to spontaneously combust any minute.

"I uh heard you talking." I spoke before biting my lip.

Jensen sat on the bed, wrapping his arms around my body, pulling me on to his lap.

"I mean it (y/n), she got past me once, it won't happen again. I won't let anything happen to you." Jensen said leaning his head against my own.

I nodded my head believing the words that fell from his lips. He placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"you missed." I spoke leaning my head back.

Jensen smirked as he brought his lips down, slowly connecting them with mine. I turned around so I was now straddling him, making it easier to move my lips against his. Jensen slid his hands up under my sleep shirt, running them up and down my bare back. I ground my hips on his, feeling his erection grow with each movement. Jensen pulled away from the kiss, gripping my hips to still my movement.

"as much as I want to take you right here on this bed, we really should be heading out, everyone is waiting for us." Jensen groaned as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"they can wait a little longer can't they?" I whispered, removing my shirt.

Jensen groaned, bringing his lips down to run across my bare chest.

I knew I had him hooked now.

I moaned tugging his hair as he took my nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. He released my hips, allowing me to continue to grind on him. I could feel him fully erect now.

"you're gonna get me in trouble." Jensen growled flipping us over so he was hovering above me.

"don't you know life's no fun without a bit of trouble." I smirked, my fingers dancing over his chest, down his stomach towards his crotch.

I licked my lips as I inserted my hand in his sweatpants, stroking him through his boxers.

"you have no idea the things you do to me." Jensen growled.

I quickly removed my hand and grabbed Jensen's shoulders, pushing him over so I could climb on top of him. He groaned as I kissed over his chest, trailing my tongue down his toned ab muscles.

"I see exactly what I do to you." I purred.

I grabbed the waist band of his sweatpants and boxers, pulling them down his legs. I licked my lips as his full length sprung free from its confines. I gazed in his eyes as I parted my lips, gently taking him in to my mouth. Immediately Jensen threw his head back with a groan. I sunk down on him lower, taking more of him in to my mouth.

"fuck don't stop." Jensen moaned entangling a hand in my hair.

I bobbed my head up and down at a steady pace, taking as much of Jensen in my mouth as I could. He bucked his hips up sending his length deeper down my throat. He pulled my hair gently as he thrusted in to my mouth.

"baby stop, I can't make it much longer." Jensen moaned as he pulled me off of him by my hair.

I immediately sunk back down as soon as he released my hair. I wanted to taste him.

A string of curse words left his lips as my mouth worked over him, adding my hand now to increase his pleasure. It wasn't long until I felt hot liquid filling my mouth, running down my throat. I pulled off of him, wiping a bit of his arousal that had managed to leak out. I stared at Jensen as I brought my finger to my lips, licking it seductively, tasting more of his sweetness.

"get up here." Jensen growled, grabbing my hair and pulling me up so I was once again straddling.

Jensen grabbed my jaw bringing my lips down to his in a heated kiss.

"move your panties to the side."

I panted following his order. Jensen grabbed my hips, sinking me down on his once again fully erect member. I instantly bounced up and down on his hips throwing my head back in pleasure.

"I didn't think you could get any hotter." Jensen moaned, as he watched me ride him.

I brought my head back down, my lips instantly going for his neck. I sucked on his skin roughly, no doubt leaving a mark. I could feel Jensen tug my hair as he brought my lips to meet his own. I moaned in to his mouth as he bounced his hips in sync with mine.

"fuck J, so good." I cried out, feeling the knot in my stomach start to unravel.

"that's it baby girl, come undone for me." Jensen moaned, his hands going to my ass, squeezing it roughly.

I slammed my body down on his a few more times before I was spilling my arousal all over him. I moaned, biting his shoulder gently as I rode out my high on him.

I slowed down my thrusts, but Jensen wasn't finished yet. He flipped us over before slamming himself in to me. I felt as if my entire body was on overload. I was tingling from my orgasm as Jensen was thrusting at a hurried pace.

"J, too much pleasure." I all but screamed.

"almost there baby." He groaned.

I noticed his thrusts become sloppy and his pace slow down. A few more snaps of his hips had Jensen coming undone for the second time. He slowed his thrust, extending his orgasm for as long as he could. He pulled out before collapsing beside me.

I laughed as his ringtone echoed through the room.

"someone's in trouble now." I smirked biting my lips.

Jensen got up quickly answering his cell.

"yeah sorry Cole, we're on our way now, somebody got us a little distracted." Jensen spoke as he gave me a look.

I went to the bathroom to freshen up before we drove back to Jensen's. I came out shortly after, not immediately seeing Jensen. I glanced out the window seeing him standing on the deck looking at the view. I walked out the door, wrapping my arms around him from behind. I left kisses on his bare back as he stared at the view.

"I just wanted to say, I forgive you mom." Jensen said to the open wilderness.

I walked to the front of him wrapping him in my arms. He instantly wrapped his arms around me, and we stood there in each others embrace. I looked up at him with concern to see he was already staring down at me.

"I'm not angry anymore." Jensen whispered placing a sweet kiss to my lips.

I looked out at the view one last time before we left. I felt that this beautiful cabin sitting atop this rocky cliff was a metaphor for our relationship. It's said that the best views always come after the hardest climbs.

and this was one beautiful view.

however we weren't quite done climbing yet......

Author Note:

I apologize that it took me so long to update! I hope I made it up to you with this beautifully smutty chapter! I am not finished yet! Return for part fourteen, coming soon!

If you feel so inclined, please leave a heart, comment, reblog, or a follow! It is motivation for us authors to want to continue!

I adore you all!

xoxo

Liv

Part (XIV)

#jensen ackles #jensen ackles x reader #jensen ackles imagine #jensen ackles x female!reader #jensen ackles x you #jensen x reader #dean winchester #dean winchester imagine #dean winchester x reader #jensen ackles fanfiction #jensen ackles preference #jensen ackles smut #supernatural #supernatural smut

287 notes · View notes

theladyofbloodshed · 17 days ago

Text

Chapter 4 of 6

‘I must ask this of you – will you go with me to the office of the notary.’

Nesta paused from her needlework beside the window to offer him a wary glance. ‘Why?’

Eris could not deny that their prior engagements had not been particularly uplifting. From exhuming a body to meeting the Witch of the Woods. There was no other that he could trust in Sleepy Hollow. No other with such a steady heart and stability either.

‘I expect to find the last will and testament of the younger Van Garrett amongst the notary’s paperwork.’

‘You have thought of something.’

‘The Widow Briar would visit Tamlin often with a basket of eggs despite having hens roaming about their own property. I believe she carried the younger male’s child.’

Nesta cocked a brow. ‘And the others?’

Eris took a seat beside her, his knee brushing against her own. ‘Lucien was a friend of Tamlin. Perhaps a witness to the wedding. Bron, a servant of the household and perhaps privy to the knowledge.’ He gave a sigh. ‘And the midwife perhaps knew of Briar’s condition. Her husband and son’s deaths were a consequence of that knowledge.

Nesta pondered this for a moment then gave her customary severe nod. ‘From my window, I saw somebody leaving town last night, heading towards the woods. I was reading,’ she explained. ‘All I saw was their lantern, but even the night’s watch do not head to the woods – and they seemed to time their departure with the shift changeover.’

For all of the supernatural occurrences, there was still a logical underpinning to it all that Eris was desperate to unravel.

‘I believe the Horseman does the killing at the bidding of a mortal, someone of flesh and blood.’

She stood then, rising almost as tall as he was. Her slender frame moved closer. ‘Why do you think such a thing?’

‘The crone in the woods pointed us to what drives Jurian – his skull has been stolen from his grave. The person who stole it has power over the Horseman. He chops heads until his own is restored to him.’

‘But who would do such a terrible thing?’

Eris’s face darkened. ‘One who stands to gain from the murders.’

Together, they crossed the village which was in a state of alarm. Many flocked to the church to seek counsel and sage advice from the Reverand Helion, while many more packed up belongings with the mind to flee until such horrors no longer plagued Sleepy Hollow.

The notary, a quiet male with dark hair stopping around his chin, was notably unravelled at their arrival. He made a sign of the cross upon his chest then slid a piece of paper towards them.

‘I believe this is what you wish to see. Take it and go,’ Thesan urged.

Eris took it and broke the wax seal. His eyes scanned the lettering while Nesta peered over his arm to do the same. He was conscious of her body so close to his own.

‘Atwell Van Garrett left his estate to his only next of kin, that is to say,’ said Thesan, ‘to his son, Tamlin. However, the son being murdered in the same instant…’

‘It leaves his betrothed as the one to inherit the fortune. None other than Lady of Sleepy Hollow.’

Nesta peeled back, eyes widening from the news.

Thesan nodded earnestly. His hands trembled. ‘There you have it. I should like you to leave now.’

‘But they did not marry.’ Whilst Nesta made to turn, Eris caught her by the elbow, holding her firm. ‘You are in terror Thesan Hardenbrook. There is something else. You fear for your life from the Horseman. Just as Lucien did then the Horseman came for him.’

‘We were drawn in,’ he hissed. ‘We did not know it was a murder plot.’

‘Drawn in by whom,’ pressed Eris.

Again, Thesan made the sign of the cross. ‘Mercy upon me. We meant no harm upon her.’

‘Who? The name.’

‘The marriage made her next of kin instead.’

Nesta gave a soft gasp. ‘He means that Tamlin secretly married Briar.’

‘Yes,’ Eris breathed, the pieces of the puzzle finally fitting into place. ‘And the Van Garretts made a new will, leaving everything to Briar and her unborn child in the event of their deaths. So, she stood between Feyre and her fortune.’

‘My sister would not do such a thing,’ protested Nesta.

Without invitation, Eris began rifling through cupboards until he happened upon the new will. It had been signed by both father and son. There, as witness, was Bron – the fourth victim of the Horseman.

‘But Briar’s secret was not safe,’ muttered Eris. ‘You concealed the documents. You aimed to keep it hidden. But… Viviane knew. She must have been informed by Briar that she was growing a child in her womb. And word passed to her husband, Kallias.’ Eris shook his head. ‘All of you involved with hiding such a secret… your lives are in danger. And why would you do it? So that Feyre Van Tassel can inherit such a fortune?’

‘I have said it once already,’ Nesta cut in, voice icy. ‘My sister would not do such a thing.’

‘We must not let our emotions cloud our judgement, Miss Van Tassel.’

Without another word, Nesta departed from the notary’s office. He watched her go, heart in his stomach. Logically, all of the signs pointed to her sister. Matters of blood were never easy to disentangle from logic. When Eris had apprehended the Lady of Sleep Hollow with a full confession, perhaps her sister would forgive him. Or perhaps she would hate him.

***

When Eris joined the family for breakfast, Nesta was not to be seen. Only her two sisters joined him at the table, their servants moving with a ghostly presence to ensure all cups were filled and that empty plates were swiftly removed from eyesight.

‘The town is in ferment,’ Lord Rhysand announced as he entered. His head shook. ‘Horror piled on tragedy. Thesan is dead. Strangled.’

Feyre gasped and covered her mouth. ‘That harmless man?’

‘Hanged himself in the night.’

‘Hanged himself?’ If Eris had known that the man had such a disposition, he would not have left him alone that night.

‘Even Azriel has departed, amongst others, to seek safety.’

Elain’s food was mostly untouched upon her plate. She had picked at it for the duration of their breakfast, eating little but performing autopsies on each item. ‘A sore loss to the village to lose its magistrate.’

‘Indeed. The Reverend Helion has called a meeting at the church tonight. Every man, woman, and child.’ With a look of reproach, Rhysand added, ‘He will speak against you. A stranger to Sleepy Hollow and the murders have only increased. His congregation is halfway to being a mob, good sir.’

‘I will go when I have done what I came to do.’

Feyre regarded him warily then moved to her husband’s side. ‘I am afraid for our village.’

‘As am I, darling. But like all storms, we must weather this one.’

He slipped an arm around his wife’s waist.

‘What happened?’

Feyre held the hand on her waist where a bandage had been wrapped around his palm.

‘I dropped my hunting knife and thought to catch it before it hit the ground,’ he said, tittering.

Eris stood, abandoning his breakfast. ‘Pray, tell me where is your eldest sister. I must speak to her with utmost haste.’

‘Still abed,’ said Feyre.

Elain, the quieter one of the pair, shook her head gravely. ‘No. I saw her depart this morning for the woods.’

That news unsettled Eris greater than any of the murders. Without hesitating, he strode from the house and mounted Gunpowder without a saddle, only reins, to be there quicker. She had shown her bravery many times by acting alongside him, but to enter the woods alone was surely madness.

He raced through the tangling branches. The reins cut into the flesh of his palms, so tightly he gripped them. He could think of no place that Nesta would go beside her old home; she was the sister who remembered it most.

There she was – his prediction correct. A small fire curled over a piece of parchment and a turret of smoke spiralled upwards.

‘I went to the crone in the woods,’ she said, without looking round.

‘And did you find what you sought?’

Nesta was upon her knees by the hearth.

‘She is dead. Her head taken.’

His brows raised. ‘The Horseman?’

‘There was blood. Lots of blood.’

Then it couldn’t have been the Headless Horseman for his sword burnt like a furnace, hot enough to cauterize the carotid arteries before they could spray blood.

Nesta added another piece to the fire. Not a log, but parchment.

‘What have you done?’ Eris took another look, his gaze snagging on the pool of wax upon the hearth. ‘You have burnt Tamlin Van Garrett’s wills.’

‘I have – so you will not have them to accuse my sister.’

‘Nesta, I accuse no one – but if there is guilt then I cannot alter if, no matter how much it grieves you or dare I say me.’ He reached for her hand. It was colder than usual. The tips of her fingers felt ready to drop off.

‘If you knew my sister, you would not have such harsh thoughts about her – nor if you felt anything for me.’

Torment wound through his chest. He cared deeply for this woman in such a short space of time and the anguish upon her beautiful face was as lethal as a knife through his heart.

‘I am pinioned by a chain of reasoning. Why else would the village elders conspire to conceal the new-’

‘You are the constable, not I,’ she cut in. ‘Find another chain of reasoning and let me be.’

‘I cannot,’ vowed Eris. ‘Not the one or the other. I am heartsick with it.’

‘I think you have no heart,’ she said, releasing herself from his grasp. ‘And I had a mind once to give you mine.’

Nesta mounted her horse swiftly. It reared up, front hooves kicking at nothing. There was anger in those silver eyes and tears too.

‘I think you loved me that day you came with me to the forest,’ Eris called. ‘You braved such peril for me.’

Nesta gave a rough laugh. ‘What peril was there for me if it is my own sister controlling the Horseman? Goodbye Eris Crane. I curse the day you came to Sleepy Hollow.’

#neris #nesta archeron #eris vanserra #acotar fic

22 notes · View notes

elronds-meleth-nin · 20 days ago

Text

Never Too Late - Part One: The Awakening

This is something entirely different from the things I've written before. I don't know what made me want to write this beyond hearing one of Adar's lines from S2E8. For those who stick around for this ride, thank you in advance. I know this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but here we go nonetheless! Things will begin (I hope) to make more sense in the second chapter.

Disclaimer: I know this is not how the Maiar or the Valar or any of canon works. I do not care. This writer is playing in a sandbox.

Cross-posted to AO3 here.

~*~

Adar (RoP) x Maia!Reader

[A/N: There will be smut in future chapters, so 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: An exploration of Adar's origins, discussions of the first Elves, Elf x Maia romance, he falls first, feelings of unworthiness, fear, Morgoth's manipulation (discussed further in later chapters), brief mentions of pain, regret.

~*~

The whisper of the wind in the trees was hypnotic to the Elf with no name. He was among the first to wake. He'd tasted the sunlight as it spilled across his lips in gentle caresses for the first time. Warmth had trickled into his limbs, and soon he'd found himself wandering happily, joyfully through a meadow full of flowers.

For a time he continued in that manner, exploring the world around him, lying in the sun on a riverbank, tasting the sweetness of berries as they hung ripe in the sunlight. Occasionally he would encounter others who looked like him. Other Elves who did not yet have names. Though they did not know it, they would earn them in time.

A small group formed together, giving each other names and forming a small community in the newly-made world. In time, he found that he enjoyed crafting words into set structures, playing with them as one of the other Elves toyed with carving wood, and as another painted pictures.

As he tinkered, he found that the name given to him was not right. It did not fit him correctly. The meaning was not how he saw himself, but he did not argue it, choosing instead to string more words together. They could know him however they wished, but that name was not how he knew himself. The land, the light, and the beauty of the world inspired him to create stories and poems. After a time, however, he found that the flow of his words had slowed in favor of simply experiencing that which he found so lovely.

So, when the thought struck him to walk along the riverbank he favored so much and listen to the birds singing in the trees, he did not hesitate to strike out. Familiar sights and scents surrounded him, wrapping him in a veil of contentment.

Then a different sound met his ears: the gentle whisper of fabric amongst the breeze. The Elf's green eyes opened curiously, and he looked around him for what could have made such a noise. His own clothing - brown leggings and an off-white tunic - were too silent to have done so.

That was when he caught a glimpse of her for the first time. She seemed to glow of her own accord, despite the brightness of the sunlight streaming down upon them. A dress that seemed to glimmer in the light adorned her, translucent and bright. But it was her eyes that drew him to her. They met his for barely a moment, but in that glance, the Elf felt as though she called to his fëa.

She gave him a small smile, and flitted back into the trees as quickly as she'd appeared. So amazed was he by the appearance of such an ethereal creature that he could do no more than follow mutely in her path.

But, he did not find her that day, nor the next. For nearly a fortnight, all he had to remember her by were the dozen-or-so poems that had poured forth from his mind the night after spotting her. He read them aloud to himself by the riverbank amongst the swaying sage blossoms as he tried to perfect them. She - whoever she was - had captivated him and deserved no less than the most perfect tribute.

The way she'd smiled at him made him long for more. To see her laugh, to watch a sunset with her, to feel the rain dampening his skin as he held her in his arms. Undoubtedly, this was something important. He'd seen other Elves feel this way about each other, but never about one who was so clearly Other. Granted, their existence was young, but without a precedent, the Elf wondered what he was to do about these feelings.

Midway through the revision of one the poems he'd written for her, he paused his reading and scratched out a line in favor of a correction. He was so lost in his work that he did not register the sound of approaching footsteps until someone knelt in the grass beside him. The Elf looked up and–

Paralyzed by the warmth in her gaze, he was amazed to find the very woman he'd been writing about was less than a hand's breadth from him. The wind swirled around them, blowing a few strands of his dark hair into his face. Before he could fix it, however, she reached up and brushed it carefully behind one of his pointed ears. Her touch lingered for a beat longer than it should have, and the Elf felt his heart beating wildly in his chest.

Her skin was softer even than that of his own people! He could write for years about the simple sensation of being so close to her.

"Such beautifully-crafted words." Her praise was more nourishing than even the most filling meal.

"For you, my lady," he admitted in barely a whisper. "All for you. No greater beauty have I seen in all my days as a part of this world."

His voice was so quiet that he was afraid the breeze might spirit it away before it reached her ears, but she heard him. Of course she heard him. A warm smile stretched her lips, and a silvery laugh spilled from her throat.

"Oh? And what have I done, kind wordsmith, to earn such a gift?"

'Existing' was the simple answer, but he could not say that aloud. It was too honest, too forward. She would surely be offended by such a low creature's desires. He shook his head quietly.

"Wonders deserve to be praised, híril vuin," he murmured dropping his gaze to his paper.

"Then, should you not be writing about yourself?" He question drew an incredulous laugh from him, but she was entirely serious. "The light of the Valar lives within your people."

He shook his head.

"You are light itself," he asserted. "I could hope for no greater a muse than you."

They spoke for many hours that day and for many days after. Those days added up, and the pair continued to meet beside the river or amongst the trees, speaking of everything and nothing, wandering where they wished.

He did not mention having seen her to the others, but he did overhear a few of them, one night. They were speaking around a fire, taking turns speaking about the Valar and the Maiar. He paid no mind until one of them mentioned something familiar.

"One of the Maiar hides within the woods near the river," the blond Elf said. "She has been glimpsed, but none of spoken to her. I witnessed her eyes glowing from deep in the trees, but before I could approach, she disappeared."

"Why would one of the Maiar hide in the forest, much less take a physical form?" One of the others with brown hair asked.

"Who can tell? It is not our place to know the minds of the Valar or the Maiar," the blond said decisively, and at that, the group began dispersing for the night. Only the blond Elf and remained when the Elf with no name approached him.

"What does she look like, the Maia in the forest?" He asked, knowing in the racing of his pulse that it was her to whom he'd spoken and about her whom he'd been writing. It was as obvious as the leaves on the trees and the sun in the sky.

"None can see any details beneath her glow, but that is not unusual. Those who have caught sight of the Maiar say that they only show themselves to those whom they wish. They can hide their visages, only taking physical forms when they choose to do so."

When he retired to bed that night, he clung desperately to the secret of their conversations together. She had chosen to reveal herself to him and only him. Even if he did not know why, he was honored, and he hoped he could one day prove himself worthy of her trust.

As the days became months, then years, there was a particular bend in the river where he would meet his lady. Wandering for hours, sometimes days, he became as close with her two people could without delving openly into the realm of romance, though, he did harbor those feelings for her. His heart raced whenever she was near, and he knew that should he ever have a family, he would want it to be with her.

But, he was not worthy. He never would be. No matter how much he may want a daughter with his hair and her eyes, or a son who favored his mother's light, an Elf could never be worthy of one a Maia's love.

As he returned one night, musing over his situation and feeling his heart twist itself into knots over the futility of his love, he found the others in an uproar.

"What has happened?" He called as he neared the group of terrified Elves.

"Three of our number rode out earlier. They were meant to return at sundown, but it is near midnight and there is no sign of them," one of the painters said, twisting the sleeve of his robe compulsively.

"They could simply be late." One of the others said trying to calm the group, but the painter wasn't swayed.

"No, they are lost! Taken! There was something dark at work this morn. Two of the three who left expressed misgivings about the Valar ere they left." With their numbers added, that made seven so far who had disappeared. "'Tis the darkness! The shadows seek to blot out the light, even that within our hearts."

That was the beginning of his trouble. Hearing his kin speak of such darkness ignited within him a curiosity. He wished to understand why those who left chose to do so. Why would they willingly put themselves at risk when they had everything they needed here? The Valar provided for them in abundance. Why should they seek the bleak nothingness of the shadow?

So, in his attempts to understand, he began to study that which he should not. The shadow no longer seemed as dangerous to him, but a welcome respite from the perfection of the light.

In his zeal, he began visiting the river bend less frequently, but his lady appeared no less glad to see him when he did make the trip to see her. On the last of such occasions - which he had no way of knowing was the last - the sun was gentle, the river babbled away happily, and the trees shivered beneath a soft breeze. Everything was sweet and lovely...perfect.

Even the way she looked at him was particularly tender. He read her his latest composition, but he found midway through that his words, as excellently chosen as they always were, did not adequately express how he felt about her. Eventually, her fingers laid atop his arm, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Darling wordsmith, what troubles you?" She asked, and he felt exposed before her. Guilt wound its way through his heart for having explored what he ought not. Would she recoil from him? Cast him from her sight forever? Instead of a confession, however, a question slipped from his tongue without his permission.

"It has been said that one of the Maiar wanders this wood. Are you she?" He asked, and she did not hesitate to smile up at him.

"I am, but you have known that for quite some time." Brushing a few strands of his dark hair behind his ear as the wind shifted, she lifted an eyebrow. "Now, what truly troubles you?"

Swallowing nervously, he caught her wrist lightly in his grasp, laying a reverent kiss upon her skin. He had never been so bold before. He had never dared touch her or express his adoration so openly.

She did not object or move away.

"I trust you have heard about the Elves who have disappeared?" She nodded her head even as her expression became solemn. "I have been considering a course of action for some time, and...I intend to seek them out."

The Elf with no name looked for the woodland Maia's reaction only to find tears gathering in her eyes and spilling slowly down her cheeks - sparkling, diamond droplets seemingly glowing of their own volition. The sight lit a spark of alarm within his breast, constricting his lungs and urging him forward until he'd gathered her in his embrace.

With a bit of adjustment, she sat in his lap with her face buried in the crook of his neck and her arms around him. He held her close, but he could not find the right words to say to her. Ultimately, he murmured to her his apologies and felt one of her hands glide onto the back of his neck. Her lips brushed against the shell of his ear, and she spoke barely above a breath.

"Should you need me, you need only call my name." She told it to him, and he could not help clutching her tighter at the sound of that word encapsulating all that she was. Eventually, she pulled back just far enough to press her forehead softly against his own. "I will always come when you call. All I ask is that you do not surrender your own light. You will need it ere long."

Her nose touched his briefly as he swore to her that he would do as she said, and grief coiled in his heart when he felt how damp her skin was. He had not meant to make her weep. Reaching carefully up, he cupped her face in his warm palms and whispered quiet comforts. She deserved more than this - every happiness in the world, in fact - but he would still give her all that he was able.

Not for the first time, he wondered what it would be like to be bound to her as her husband. An Elf could never be worthy of a Maia, but he imagined what it would be like to be entangled with her like this every day. Her tears or her laughter, soft sighs or pleasure-filled breaths - anything she chose to give him would be a gift beyond measure, just as this moment was.

She allowed him to comfort her, to hold her. He savored the contact, even if he did regret bringing her unwelcome news. They stayed there on the riverbank until long past midnight. The moonlight, gentle and cleansing, caressed their faces as they lay down in each other's arms. Quietly, he caressed her face, tracing the bridge of her nose, the curve of her lips, the softness of her smile.

When they eventually parted, it was only after she'd placed her hand over his heart, whispering words in a language which he did not understand. Her fingers had begun to glow, and that light bled slowly into his chest, floating seemingly beneath his skin until her touch retreated. He did not know what she'd done, but the determined glint in her eyes made him wonder if it was some form of protection.

With great reluctance, he returned to his home. Before the next morning dawned, however, a call trickled into his ears, rousing him from his rest. It was time. All that he ever desired awaited him. He need only seek it. Low, guttural, and tugging at his very being, the voice - if it could be called a voice - dug a tendril of shadow into his mind.

He and five others rode away before daybreak.

The journey was a blur, and when he came back to himself, he found that all six of them were in a cave. Their horses were gone.

The Elf with no name looked around him but could perceive only darkness. Only shadows writhing and dancing before him. He'd been tricked. This was not the liberation he'd been led to believe the others had sought, nor was this something from which he could save them.

"Who are you? What do you want from us?" He called into the oblivion surrounding him, and a sinister laugh curled from its depths scratching fear from deep within the Elf's heart. The other five shuddered as well, but smiles broke across their faces. Was he alone in his regret?

"I am Morgoth." The voice seemed to echo and twine through the darkness, through the air, and bury itself deep within his heart. The Elf with no name dropped to his knees along with his kin.

He assumed that the voice in the darkness, the being who called himself Morgoth, would kill them. Mournfully, he recalled the face of his lady, his muse, his joy. How disappointed she would be with his actions! When she visited the river next, she would not find him there. No longer would he be able to write and recite poetry for her. Gone were the days wandering through the forest with her, seeking its privacy for their conversations.

He had not been worthy of her - his current position proved that - but he still lamented the thought that his death would sadden her. Her gentle spirit would not allow the death of a friend - low creature though he may be - to pass without notice. He had seen her weep before and it nearly shattered him to pieces even as he comforted her. He would not be there to do so this time.

The darkness rumbled again, and this time, pain streaked up his legs, making him crumble to the ground as he cried out.

"Six you are, and seven have come before you. Those who survive will be rewarded, but live or die, you are mine, now."

What had he done?

~*~

Taglist:

@asksizworld @bigblissandlove1 @gandalfthepimp @horta-in-charge @zoya-olenko

#elronds-meleth-nin fic #Adar x Maia!Reader #idk what this is but my brain made me write it

20 notes · View notes