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phoenixrising0308 · 2 years

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An American in Cordonia: Penny for your thoughts

Books: The Royal Romance 1

Rating: M (18+) Sexual situation and adult themes.

Trigger Warnings in this chapter: None

Pairing: None

An American In Cordonia Series premise: A New Yorker seeking adventure and love finds herself living abroad to competing for the hand of a man who will become King. When things don’t go according to plan they enter into a Cordonian arrangement. This is a series about Jessica Garcia’s life abroad, her time as a suitor, and explores her romantic relationship with Liam while she lives in a Cordonian arrangement. Catch up here

Disclaimer

Chapter Song inspiration: This is love - For King & Country

Chapter Summary: The TRR gang write in their journals as Liam try's to enjoy his last night of freedom.

Word Count: 1, 960 *As always, forgive my typos and grammatical errors.*

Average reading time: 8 minutes

Leo

So I did it at a gala. I felt I was in my comfort zone a gala that’s like my natural habitat. Turns out it didn’t matter where I asked because Katie said no. It was hard at first … I risked it all for love and failed. But I still think Liam would make a better King than me. I’m heading back home to help him get through the social season. He is in New York now. I know nothing happens in the first week but im still hanging low. Plus I don’t want to deal with Dad’s bullshit. Throwing Katie in my face or calling me a fuck up. Fuck Madeline. She is a boring lay. I’m over her and her vanilla sex. I guess it’s that permanent stick up her ass.

God, I hope he gets laid… like ALOT. He doesn’t really talk about his sex life. It seems like he is struggling to connect with someone. Is it that he is shy? Is he evening having it? I mean the girls back home… yawn. But Liam always follows the fucken rules every goddamn time. Well, he’s in this mess because of me, so I have to fix it somehow. Maybe I can help? He has been playing it safe. Dad has been trying to arrange marriages for him and he dated here and there with the hope he could at least marry someone he knows. But having a social season is so fucken different. It’s a few months and the council has to approve the marriage, but at least he would get to know the girl, so that’s a plus.

Maybe she will be exciting and fun. Maybe we can be really good friends. Some of the girls from my season are coming back … clearly, they didn’t love me, they just loved the crown. I hope my little brother meets someone who doesn’t give a fuck about the crown and just wants to be with him. The struggle for me has always been to be seen as just a man. I know Liam has felt the same. I used to get so annoyed with him – it was like he was trying to outdo me. But now I see all he was trying to do was step out of my shadow and not be called Leo’s brother… he wanted to be known as Liam.

I gave him a shit deal and it looks like I’m running away from my responsibility. In a way, I guess I am. I was born to be king. Liam wasn’t, but Liam is a fucken natural and he would do a much better job at leading a country. It’s just when it comes to women, he is fucken lost. Like geezus you only live once fuck… and fuck alot.

Gonna probably get off this stupid cruise anyway too many fucken rules.

—

Drake

So I think it’s complete bullshit that Liam has to do social season. Can’t the guy catch a mother fucken break? He thought he loved that basic bitch Isabella Castille, but she fucken turns around and marries limp dick, Bradshaw! What the fuck, Bella? Bradshaw probably uses a dick pump. I didn’t think it would work anyway; she wouldn’t go down on Liam. What the fuck!? When I heard that I was like, “Damn, Liam.” He said sex wasn’t like intense and it was basic. How could you live like that? You should want to bend your girl over a pool table and give it to her anytime, any place. Leo and Liam are like night and day.

Anyway, her excuse was that Bradshaw was a Crown Prince and her parents wanted a more favorable match. Well, you’re a crown chaser. Guess what, Dummy? Liam is going to be a King. How do you like them fucken Cordonian Ruby Apples?! What does Auvernal have? Fucken tangerines. Get the fuck out here! I was pissed off for Liam. I mean he was upset, but he looked at me and said ‘I want to experience love. It almost sounds foolish to long for something that should be natural, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards for me.’ That’s fucken sad, man. I remember my parent’s marriage and that was fucken love. He was always happy to see my mom. Everyone should experience that, which is why I won’t marry anyone who doesn’t make me smile when I hear their name.

When Liam was announced as the successor, he looked miserable. I thought he was pissed at Leo but he said, ‘I don’t even get to have much of a say in who I marry. It just people they invite. Well, I just hope for kindness.’ I have to look out for my brother because the vultures are circling. Everyone wants to be Liam’s friend now. Tariq all of sudden wants to hang out with us again. Not buying it … he probably wants something from him. Liam is excited to have him around since they drifted apart. But, fuck that guy. All he talks about is his fucken clown shoes. I don’t trust him at all. He said he wanted to reconnect, but his timing is pretty interesting.

My mission tonight is to give Liam a good time. Maxwell was all excited about seeing New York and jammed packed our schedule with Broadway shows and shit. We got to do a lot of shit but tonight is our last night. So Liam needs to have a good time before he has to deal with Connie’s bullshit. All I know is I’m gonna give whoever gets close to Liam during the social season a hard ass time. I’m gonna be a complete dick because I don’t want a Bella #2 here. Apparently, it’s a bigger pool: a few suitors from Leo’s season (automatically disqualified in my eyes), a few girls of noble birth, some from what they call ‘lowly’ houses (again more nobility bullshit), and then you have those girls whose betrothal fell through (big question mark there). Did you really like the guy or did you pull a Bella and fall on your face?

She thinks she has to prove herself to Liam. No sweetheart, you’re gonna have to prove yourself to me first. Liam has to marry someone who makes him smile when he hears her name.

If this girl is fucken sincere, then she will stick around. Bonus points if she tells me to go fuck myself and puts me in my place. Then I’ll know that she really wants to be with him. I hope maybe she is cool enough to be one of the guys. That shit won’t happen, but it would be nice. That way it won’t fuck with our friendship, because once he’s king he won’t have time for me. He tells me nothing will change. I want to believe him.

Anyway, signing off because Maxwell is singing Taylor Swift and I can’t concentrate.

—

Jessica

SO as you know last month was my birthday and I waited a whole fucken month to see the Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game. I caught a foul tip – hopefully a sign of a good fucken season…and year. Still working on meeting someone special and having a great adventure. I got my passport in the mail so I can finally start going places.

I wonder where I’ll go first. I wanted to go on a cruise with Daisy, but Mateo was being a dick. We talked about Greece. Trip advisor said it was a good place to go. Like, the men of our dreams could have been on that boat, but NOOOO you can’t go on a cruise. I got shut the fuck down. What would happen if I just took off on my own? I’m not a kid. Next time, I’m not gonna ask, I’m just gonna go. I want to meet someone special. Clearly, I’m not meeting a man in New York. Well, I could leave the house more and try to look decent. BUT I want someone who will take me as I am. It would be nice to meet someone worth my time.

I want to call out of work today. Instead, I agreed to an extra shift. Hey! Working an extra shift only adds to my savings for that dream vacation I want to take as soon as I figure out where I want to go. Daisy says ‘always be ready because you never know who you are going to meet.’ I think tonight I’ll put some effort into my appearance as a little pick me up. Why go home smelling like hamburger and wearing boxy pants when you can look hot and meet a guy on the R train? Feeling like wearing that green dress tonight… still has the tags.

Also note to self: be extra kind so the universe pays you back.

—

Maxwell

“Today I saw the lion king on Broadway AMAZING! Liam and I sang the whole score. If you ask Drake, he would say he wasn’t into it, but that’s a lie! I heard him sing ‘Hakuna Matata’ in the shower!

We lost Liam for a little while today. So, I’m just typing away on my phone so I can remember this awesome (note to Max: insert fist pump here ) trip. We took some pics and I’m going to scrapbook it all. ‘A Royal Vacation: A Story by Maxwell Beaumont…’ I’ve got to play around with that title some more.

Liam seemed a little shaken when Mustafa talked to Simba about the responsibility. Then there was the assassination, so I kind of held my breath there for a second. I was a little nervous about the Nala situation too, considering the circumstances.

He wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. He said he wanted to clear his head. It’s been two hours since we last saw him. I gave him directions. I stepped out to see if he was near and got back just in time to meet our waitress. Her name is Jessie. She wrote it on a napkin. She said she was sorry they ran out of real napkins. It’s cool though because they have little blossoms all around them and they say ‘Dixie.’ I’m gonna save it for the scrapbook.

—

Liam

Finally, I get to settle down and write something! I’m on the plane back home. Maxwell and Drake stayed behind. Maxwell said he wanted an NBC Peacock mug. I’m surprised Drake went with him to get it. I will send the Jet back for them. My last night in New York was AMAZING. I spent a lot of time with Maxwell in our pillow fort talking about it once I got back to the hotel. I got lost on my way to the Statue of Liberty. I wanted to see it because it was a symbol of freedom, something that I can never have – at least not really. I got so distracted by the crowd that by the time I got there, they had stopped all the rides. I was upset but at least I got to see it from a distance. Maxwell gave me directions to our dinner spot. I got so lost again. I blame a combination of Google maps (it just kept recalculating ) and his bad directions.

BUT when I finally arrived, our waitress – God our waitress … her name was Jessica, but she calls herself Jessie. Drake was ridiculously rude to her and Maxwell was rather needy. I blamed Drake for the broken bottle of ketchup. I was to embarrassed too accept responsibility for it. She had to clean it up really didn’t mind the view so lets just say I dropped stuff…a lot and continued to blame them. I loved how she actually made my burger specifically. Jessie said she over heard me saying I never had one and wanted it to be better than what they guys were having. Honestly, it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten I like to think it was all the care she put into it. Drake said that I could play the hero and ask her out for a drink or maybe more. I really wanted to, but I was nervous. I didn’t want to push the envelope. Still, I finally managed the courage to ask her out. She had thought that I wasn’t interested. I was interested! OH was I very interested from the first moment I saw her. There was a spark the minute our eyes met. I can’t describe the feeling.

She took us to a quiet, little beach. I told her who I was and the reason for our trip. She wasn’t scared or turned off by it and she just kept calling me ‘Liam’. She treated me like a regular guy! The way she looked at me… It was like she saw me. She looked at me the way any man would want to be looked at by a woman.

I told her what I wish I could have seen the Statue of Liberty and she just started making calls. I could hear her negotiate with people and call in favors. Long story short, I got to see the Statue of Liberty with her after all! Can you believe that? I have never felt so free as I did at that moment. We talked on the boat for hours. I told her she was gorgeous and she looked at me as if she had never been told that before in her entire life.

I made an excuse to hold her. I can still smell her on my sweater. She smells like Vanilla (which as you know I love) and lavender. I called her Jess and she didn’t mind. I like the intimacy of that. I will hold on to my memory of her ‘My Jess’ I wanted to kiss her so badly BUT she kissed me first! Her lips were so soft and the way she moved her tongue in my mouth – it’s like she knew me and how I like to be kissed. Like maybe I had spent a previous life with her or something. Is that what they call a soul mate? She is such a great kisser; we spent the whole night kissing.

I’m still thinking about those soft lips. I just wanted to stay in that moment forever. I think the part that hurt the most, apart from leaving her tonight and knowing I will never see her again, is her wish. A few weeks ago, it was her birthday and she asked for two things: to meet someone special and to have a great adventure. She said our date counts as an adventure and that I was special. She said that she regretted not adding in something about them not having to get married so we could see where this might go. God, how I wish we could. She told me she wished that I would find someone special to marry. She thinks that the person I choose will be lucky to have me. As she spoke, I couldn’t help but think that she is that person. I fell in love with her the second I met her. I would choose her in a heartbeat if I could. I wish I could marry Jess.

I guess that’s it for me and my first REAL experience at love. Drake says you know it’s love when every time you hear their name it makes you smile. I guess I will keep repeating ‘Jess’ whenever I need a smile. I’ll make a wish for My Jess, that she finds a man that will love her and cherish her all the days of her life – the way I know I would if the circumstances permitted. Everyone deserves their one true love. For me, it is Jessica Garcia and I left her in New York.

Jess, I wish you a lifetime full of happiness and love. I hope that maybe once in a while you’ll think fondly of me. I know I will be thinking of you…Love.

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capri851 · 2 years

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I posted 713 times in 2022

That's 713 more posts than 2021!

55 posts created (8%)

658 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@naffeclipse

@paper-lilypie

@bamsara

@spaciebabie

@pillowspace

I tagged 67 of my posts in 2022

#fnaf moon - 12 posts

#fnaf sun - 11 posts

#moondrop - 11 posts

#sundrop - 10 posts

#other’s art - 9 posts

#sun x y/n - 8 posts

#moon x y/n - 8 posts

#sun x reader - 6 posts

#moon x reader - 6 posts

#writing - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 91 characters

#peepaw willy’s gotta find some way to cure his killing thirst since kids don’t work anynore

My Top Posts in 2022:

Taking Care of Infants - Chapter 5

yay i did it again

10 notes - Posted July 13, 2022

I have an idea where moon kills sun because of the vieus

I’m gonna post it here and on ao3, tho idk what it’ll be called

12 notes - Posted August 2, 2022

Another idea

btw the POV goes from third person to second person at the end, my bad

hear me out:

Sun and Moon are separate animatronics who get involved with the military, falling in love with their commander (i think that’s the rank. i’m not too educated on the military tbh), Y/N, who dies at the end.

Let me explain:

So this begins after Moon attacks an employee, brutally murdering them. This happens because he has the virus. Now, the press hears about this, of course, and it goes viral, Fazbear Entertainment getting a lot of attention. The military gets hold of this info (i’m gonna say they got it from the attention on social media and news), and decide to buy Moon. During this time, there’s a war going on.

Military sees Moon as an advantage, since he’s a robot, one that can be dangerous. Because they see him as a robot, they think that he won’t experience the trauma of war and won’t get tired, and can be rebuilt again and again.

In the Plex, Moon is getting the virus out of him, and when it is, he is obviously distraught, hiding away in his room with Sun. Sun tries to comfort him, hugging him and telling him that it wasn’t him who killed the employee.

When the time comes for Moon to be shut down to be taken to the military base, Sun tries his hardest to prevent it. Due to them having the same body, just different looks, it is revealed that Sun has the same abilities as Moon when he gets too aggressive with the P&S employees.

The employees, seeing this as a money grab, decide to shut down Sun as well. Unfortunately, the employees had stun batons with them, so they used it on Sun. Moon was cowering in the corner, wanting to do something to help Sun, but unable to, the sight of the mutilated employee at the forefront of his mind.

The two are shut down and brought to the base. They’re both bought when the military is informed that Sun has the same abilities of Moon.

Here’s where Y/N comes in. Y/N is tasked with showing Sun and Moon how war goes, the vocabulary, titles, how to use guns, etc. When Y/N is doing this, they believe that it should be quite simple for the ex-attendants to get. They see them as just robots, things that should be able to easily follow orders. When this doesn’t happen, they get short with them, snapping at them and being an ass.

Then, one day, during one of the lessons of how to load a gun and where the best places were to aim, a video is used. Of course, a real person couldn’t be used as an example, and a dummy wouldn’t have served well, so the next best course of action was a hyper-realistic animation. Seeing this, Moon is once again reminded of what happened when he had the virus, causing him to leave the room as fast as he could, hugging himself. Sun follows him, knowing the reason.

Y/N, chasing them and feeling annoyed, catch up to them after losing them for a second. They’re greeted with the sight of Moon curled into himself, the LEDs on his eyes making him teary-eyed. Sun is there, whispering that they’ll get out of there, he’ll make sure of it. This whole situation makes Y/N pause and think. Are they more human than they look? Can they experience trauma like a person? It certainly looks like it.

Y/N, now feeling guilty for being so harsh, walks away. They know the reason as to why Sun and Moon are there, but there isn’t anything to be done about that. It’s not like the two can be returned to Fazbears, and they can’t get a life they choose to live.

The next time the three are together, Y/N makes sure to be gentle, more patient. Eventually, the three become friends. Moon is still uncomfortable with the lessons, but he braves through them. He and Sun have come to accept that there’s no out to this, that they have to do this.

Y/N is very understanding throughout this process, secretly wishing they could do something about it. As their friendship deepens, feelings start to form. There would be lingering touches, one staring at the other when they’re not looking.

One day, Y/N is called to the battlefield. The mission they were going to go on was high-risk, meant for people of high ranking. Y/N had to go, but Sun and Moon refused it. They begged that they come with them, but when that didn’t work, they threatened to run away. No matter how hard they tried, nothing would change Y/N’s mind. Y/N was afraid that they’d lose both or one of the attendants on the field, while the attendants were afraid to lose Y/N.

Instead of pleading some more with Y/N on this matter, they go to the higher ups, explaining that they can be useful, able to use the abilities they were bought for. Of course, they don’t actually want to use them, but they would if it meant to protect Y/N. The higher ups accept this idea, sending them off to join the others.

Upon seeing them in the group, Y/N has to do a double-take. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Before either of the attendants could say anything, Y/N yells at them, saying “what are you doing here?! you can’t be here!” and the like. Due to the volume they were yelling at, another officer came by and informed Y/N why they were there. Y/N argues back, but is silenced by someone of higher rank.

On the battlefield, it’s a tense fight. The enemy side is winning, having more soldiers and weapons. Here comes the reason why this mission needed high ranking soldiers: someone was going to plant a bomb, which would take out many of the enemy soldiers, distracting them. This would give Y/N’s side an advantage, and win the war. Problem is, the planter has to be stealthy and quick. They can also be affected by the explosion, which of course would be a bad thing.

Hearing the plan, Moon was going to volunteer, reasoning that he can be stealthy due to his flexibility and quick, but Y/N snatches the bomb before he can. The other commanders allow Y/N to do the task, planning to use Sun and Moon as a shield against bullets and for close combat. The two object, but are silenced by a zap of electricity coming from a tazer from one of the commanders.

Y/N takes off, sneaking around the guards, killing some when they can’t, and finally planting the bomb. They instantly turn around, but is grabbed by one of the enemy soldiers. They fight the attacker off, succeeding and running away, but it was too late.

The bomb explodes, the impact making Y/N be thrown somewhere. They landed with a broken arm, a deep wound in their head. Someone was near them, another enemy soldier. The feeling of a bullet entering their skull never comes, warm hands holding them up. They hear someone-- no, someones talking, but they can’t make it out. They’re in terrible pain, and there’s ringing in their ears. Opening their eyes, they see that it’s Sun and Moon who are talking to them.

Sun has his hands pressing against the head wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Moon was wiping the tears from Y/N’s face, telling them that everything will be okay. Planning to keep his promise, he picks them up. The two run as fast as they can to the nurses, but they’re too slow.

Y/N’s finding it harder and harder to keep their eyes open, breath slowing. Sun, using his scanners, notice that their heart rate is slowing down. “Come on! They’re dying, Moon! Please, run!” He’s terrified for you. He doesn’t want to lose you, he can’t imagine what life would be like without you there.

The sound of gunshots and the yelling of commands fill the background, but no one is listening to it. Sun and Moon are focused on Y/N as they lift their hand up, their breaths shaky. “It’s. . . okay. Just, set me down here. Get. . .” They take a deep breath, “Get to the others.”

“But we can’t! You-- You need help!” Moon pleads, still running as fast as he can to the medical station. He’s almost there, he knows it.

“It’s too late. Please, I. . . I don’t want to spend my last moments running. I. . .” Y/N’s voice breaks, tears running down their face. “I want you to live.”

Moon stops, one side wanting to stay with

See the full post

14 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

new fic idea 2

imagine an au where reader is a hacker and they've heard about how advanced fazbear animatronics are, so they try to hack them, specifically the daycare attendant since it seemed to be neglected by staff, which makes them think that they'll be easy to hack.

When Reader tries to hack them, they're unable to, a firewall or smth blocking them (i'm not too educated on coding/programming things). This turns out to be Moon's programming identifying an unknown source trying to get into his program.

So Moon starts a conversation with Reader and interrogates them as to why they are doing what they're doing. After the interrogation and stuff, Moon finds Reader harmless. Sun has been witnessing this in the background, and his interest is peaked (I think that's how you spell it).

So Sun starts another conversation with Reader, not an investigation, more like a get to know you one. Reader realizes that they're talking to A.I., so they become curious as to how they act. So Reader goes alongs with Sun's antics, following along the conversation.

At the end of it, Sun is satisfied and wants to talk to Reader again, but can't due to the daycare opening. So he asks them if they can come into the daycare to talk in person maybe. Reader declines, and says that they can talk again the next night the same way they are now.

Eventually, the three of them becomes friends, and eventually get feelings for each other. then the plex burns down. With nowhere else to go, Sun and moon reach out for Reader. Reader helps them and they now live together. Some time after that they start dating and its a happily every after

18 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

New fic idea

what if--- hear me out:

a y/n x sun/moon fic where y/n helps fix out a relationship problem between the daycare assistant already working there and sun and moon?

like sun and moon are in a relationship with the assistant (let’s call them Alex), and its their first time being in love. So they’re in a relationship with Alex, but it’s a bad one. Alex takes advantage of them, finding humor in playing with their emotions. Since it’s Sun and Moon’s first relationship, and only having fairy tales to assume what happens in a romantic relationship, they don’t recognize that this is bad.

Y/N is hired to work alongside Alex because management is seeing Sun and Moon acting a bit distracted by Alex, so Y/N has to get the three of them back on track

This leads Y/N to learn of the relationship and realizes how unhealthy it is, so they decide to intervene and stop the manipulation. Then after all that intervention stuff, they get close to Sun and Moon, but they both have trust issues now, unwilling to get into another relationship. This whole part takes places months or maybe a year after, not a few days or week, no no.

Literally thought of this while thinking over a chapter update for another fic

29 notes - Posted May 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #first tumblr in review #i'm excited for next year

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lady-olive-oil · 5 years

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Long Week: Social Dummy

A long week that has been forthcoming for a while, has brought Geneva peace and serenity. She is finally free of a huge burden off her shoulders🗣👏🏾

#work out chapter 8 social dummy #florian munteanu x geneva shaw #florian x geneva #florian munteanu fanfic #florian munteanu

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vidisfanficrepo · 3 years

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Only You - Chapter 7 - See YOU Tomorrow

<<<Previous Chapter -- MASTERLIST -- Next Chapter >>>

Only You - Chapter 7 - See YOU Tomorrow

<<<Previous Chapter -- MASTERLIST -- Next Chapter >>>

A/N:

whats up guys sorry this was late i was in the ER lol got dripped out, got two puffers, got an x ray, fun ! shoutout to marcey whos an x ray technician.

that was like friday or smth,,, I FORGOT i have like chapters 7 and 8 ready to go ???? my bad lol i black out when i make chapters whos to say what has or hasn't been written

this is the first chapter ive made since The Great Remake Because I Lost My Notebook. I have been looking at starting the daichi one, my social dummy app is gonna have its work cut out for it lol. I also never know what side ships to write because u see im a lesbian so i like all the fanon ships. I made y/n such a homewrecker sigh.

i kinda wanna change the titles but I'm 7 chapters in ......

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robininthelabyrinth · 4 years

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Fire and Light (ao3) - on tumblr: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

- Chapter 9 -

Wen Ruohan presided over dinner in what was now a monthly occurrence.

He liked habit more, now that he was getting older; liked to have everything in its proper place.

Liked to indulge himself more.

Nie Mingjue mechanically forced down his food, drinking his soup first to fill his belly as quickly as possible. If he was very lucky, he might get a case of food poisoning, same as the one that had struck down the younger children that one time; if he did, he’d do his utmost to throw up all over Wen Ruohan’s shoes.

As always, they answered his questions. Wen Ruohan was just in the middle of an especially complicated hypothetical when one of his deputies rushed in with an urgent letter, falling to his knees before him. Wen Ruohan took the letter and read it; he scowled and dismissed them, rising to his feet to return to the throne room.

The reprieve felt like a brush of cool wind on a hot day.

Nie Mingjue caught Wen Xu’s eye.

Wen Xu winked.

It wasn’t really a surprise when the war started.

There were only so many hypothetical battle plans Nie Mingjue could be asked about, whether by Wen Ruohan or by Nie Huaisang and the younger generation of Wens, without him putting two and two together. He was put in the awkward situation of having to answer both sides to the best of his ability, and the whole thing started to feel a little like playing a game of go against himself.

“That’s what you get for being irritatingly good at tactics and with a knack for strategy, and having proven for years and years that you could find weaknesses in all of Sect Leader Wen’s hypothetical battleplans,” Nie Huaisang told him. “Talent brings with it its own punishment.”

“What’s your punishment for all your scheming, then?” Nie Mingjue asked, amused despite himself. “Becoming emperor and ruling the world?”

“I,” Nie Huaisang said, putting his hand to his chest, “am going to grow up to be absolutely useless.”

“Nice try.”

To Nie Mingjue’s relief, Wen Ruohan did not send him to the front line, perhaps afraid that Nie Mingjue would attempt some sabotage or maybe merely run away, and that made it more difficult for him to implement the plans Nie Mingjue suggested to him. They were good, solid plans, each and every one of them, Nie Mingjue implementing everything he learned about the rules of war and adding in a touch of his own knack for forecasting how people would react in a fight, but living so long in Qishan meant that he knew a little bit about how people behaved the rest of the time, too.

He couldn’t make bad suggestions in the plans he recommended or Wen Ruohan would know, but he could propose a plan that required a will of iron and nerves of steel when he knew that the general in charge of that particular division was crafty but cautious, could suggest a complex maneuver requiring cooperation for a general who hated his underlings, could apply just a bit of the brattiness he’d picked up from Wen Chao and Nie Huaisang alike to make his plans just that little bit more annoying to implement.

He could murmur counterplans in the dark of the night when they were all supposed to be asleep, casually sharing a single bed because it was cold, the strange chill of the Nightless City’s interior despite the warmer climate. He could stare at the ceiling, reciting weakness after weakness of the plans he had proposed as if he was merely anxious about them, and this time he tailored those weaknesses to specific strengths: how the pincer maneuver wouldn’t work if it was used against the Jiang, especially if they relied on their watercraft to escape, turning strength to weakness by retaliating in the aftermath; how the advantageous high ground of the mountain would backfire if their enemy were the Lan, their battle-songs’ effectiveness multiplied by the clear mountain air and the resonance of the echoes; how the effect of the ambush would be halved if it was used against the Jin, who were so rich and so lazy that their baggage train would never move fast enough to spring the trap in full.

He still didn’t know how Nie Huaisang and Wen Chao exchanged letters with Lan Wangji, or what Wen Ning was doing over in the Lotus Pier with the full support of Jiang Fengmian’s mother-in-law, or even what scheme Wen Xu and Wen Qing had concocted between them to lure in the normally reluctant Jin sect and force them to take a side. He didn’t need to know, didn’t want to know; he wanted to put his body between them and Wen Ruohan, distract the man with his ‘walks’ and his punishments and the influence that Wen Ruohan thought meant he knew everything there was to know, and to give them as much time as he could manage before disaster struck.

“Isn’t it time for Nie Huaisang to go to the Cloud Recesses?” he asked, playing ignorant, in the middle of a dinner when Wen Ruohan was already stewing over some unfortunate reversals, more than a few caused by the reemerged Qingheng-jun, who had taken on the mantle of leading the war as its general.

Wen Ruohan turned to him with lightning in his eyes, and Nie Mingjue didn’t have to opine on the war for an entire week, confined as he was to his sickbed.

But good things could not last, and he closed his eyes in anticipation of pain when Wen Xu came to sit by his bed in the middle of the night.

“Where is he sending you?” he asked. The two of them were the only ones old enough to be used in war, the others too young to go even for someone as disdainful of social norms as Wen Ruohan, and if Nie Mingjue could not be trusted on a battlefield then it had to be Wen Xu.

“I’m sorry,” Wen Xu said.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault – are you supposed to tell him no? I know you will do everything you can to stop the worst of the war, to fight honorably and with fairness, avoiding harm to the common people.”

Wen Xu swallowed audibly. “You’ve always thought so well of me,” he murmured. “Always assumed such things…to continue to do badly even after I knew what you thought of me was to fail to live up to your expectations, and even if it made things harder sometimes, the alternative of letting you down was always worse. I hate to disappoint you now.”

“You won’t.”

There was a pause, a long silence. Wen Xu gathering his thoughts, steeling his spine.

“He wants me to burn the Unclean Realm.”

Nie Mingjue had expected a blow. He had not expected –

He exhaled, hard, and found Wen Xu’s hand with his own, squeezing it lightly.

I cannot forgive this, he meant. But I will hate him for it instead of you.

When the news came, Nie Mingjue allowed himself to feel for the first time the rage he had been swallowing down for nearly five years – his father’s rage, his family’s rage, Baxia’s rage, his own.

Training the saber was a style that promoted aggression, both in fighting and in the soul, and yet Nie Mingjue had restrained himself to the point of agony, oppressing himself internally as thoroughly as Wen Ruohan did externally, and all because he knew that the consequences of his actions would not be felt by him alone.

Because he was still his sect’s heir, still the rightful leader of Qinghe Nie, and if he could by his submission and humiliation earn them even a little more consideration, he would do it, however anathema it was to him.

He would be his sect’s heir before he was his father’s son, forgetting injustice and bending knee to his father’s killer – he would keep silent, no matter what he endured.

Wen Xu burned the Unclean Realm, and for the first time, Nie Mingjue put aside his silence.

He howled.

At first, Wen Ruohan laughed at him – the rage of the impotent was merely attractive coloring to him – but Nie Mingjue was not so foolish as to waste the gift of anger so easily. He did not do what Wen Ruohan had undoubtedly expected him to do: savage some training dummies, beat up a few pointless guards, beat himself even if only to vent the pain in his heart.

He did what Wen Ruohan did not expect.

Nie Mingjue, who loved only his family more than his sect –

He lashed out at them.

Nie Mingjue rampaged through the familial quarters at the Nightless City: he burned a sobbing Nie Huaisang’s fans, calling him worthless and a disappointment on their family name; he destroyed a cauldron in Wen Qing’s room in the midst of a batch of medicine she was making, unable to find her but naming her complicit, shouting that she supported evil from behind a façade of righteousness; he attacked Wen Chao’s room, searching for the son of his enemy and calling for his head, demanding blood for blood, red-eyed with fury, searching for a target.

He found one.

Not Wen Chao himself, of course – Nie Mingjue was not, as he was pretending to be, truly maddened beyond all reason, for all that the sorrow and anger he felt were real – but rather his bodyguard, who was nominally there to protect him.

Wen Zhuliu, the Core-Melting Hand. A technique that could only be used for two things, for scaring people – or turning the course of a single battle.

For destroying good people on the other side of the war, turning them into regular people that could not fight, and destroying morale at the same time – Wen Zhuliu was a plague-carrier, a danger that needed to be avoided, as much as weapon simply in the threat of him as he was in actual reality.

Wen Zhuliu was a fierce fighter, more powerful than a person with that sort of technique usually was, and Nie Mingjue was not in as good a shape as he could be, still recovering both emotionally and physically from his last walk with Wen Ruohan and the consequences of his insolent tongue, but he had the advantage of surprise on his side and his saber was unmatched in close combat, the melee his specialty.

By the time Wen Ruohan realized that Nie Mingjue had turned against his own in a way he’d been refusing to do for years and came to stop him, Nie Mingjue had already claimed Wen Zhuliu’s head, sticking it on a makeshift pike before burning the body as an offering in his father’s name.

He turned, red-eyed, to look upon the man he would much rather have killed but knew in his weakness that he couldn’t, and in the strength and safety of his rage decided to give it his best shot anyway.

It didn’t work, of course.

This time he was bedridden for more than a week.

Nie Mingjue found himself missing the others more than he thought he would.

He’d anticipated it, of course. The instant Wen Xu had told him his mission, the plan had leapt fully-formed into his mind, the only way he could think of to keep the younger children safe since there was no way to keep them beneath Wen Ruohan’s notice. In Wen Ruohan’s eyes they were tools, not yet old enough to be properly useful but still sharp enough to use where it counted – he knew how much Nie Mingjue loved them, and if the war went badly he would undoubtedly threaten their lives to get Nie Mingjue’s compliance, would use them as leverage to send him to the front line as a general for the wrong side. Any failure would be punished, and Nie Mingjue didn’t need personal experience to know that war was nothing but failures, one right after the other, interspersed with occasional victories snatched from the jaws of defeat.

Wen Ruohan would not accept that. He would hurt the children, again and again, just to hurt him.

He would put his attention on them, and when he did, he would figure out what they were doing. All their little schemes would become clear to his eyes, and then –

There was no and then. It was unthinkable.

Nie Mingjue wasn’t strong enough to stop Wen Ruohan, no more than he could stop the full weight of a rushing river, but like the river even Wen Ruohan could be diverted if you were clever enough about it.

Nie Mingjue was not especially clever, he didn’t think, not the way Nie Huaisang or Wen Xu or even Wen Qing were, but that was why he thought his plan would work – Wen Ruohan wouldn’t expect it from him.

He would accept the surface reading of what happened: he would think that Nie Mingjue had succumbed to his family’s curse and lashed out blindly in his rage, burning bridges it had taken him years to build, and his cruel mind would immediately leap to how he could use this to hurt and torment him. He would know that Nie Mingjue would be all the more pained if he knew that Wen Ruohan was using his gross violation of trust to replace his influence on the children, which Wen Ruohan hated, with his own.

Under the circumstances, it would hurt him more for Wen Ruohan to treat them well, seeking to seduce them into dependence, than it would hurt him to see them in pain. Nie Mingjue could only count on Wen Ruohan’s sadism to do the rest.

(And since he had no choice but to break with his family in such a horrible way, there was no reason not to take advantage of the situation to get rid of Wen Zhuliu. The benefits outweighed the costs – or at least, the benefits went to everyone, while the costs fell only on him, and he could accept that.)

Nie Mingjue had already seen the fruits of his efforts. At the very beginning, when Nie Mingjue was still bedridden, Wen Ruohan had brought Nie Huaisang with him to the room in the Fire Palace where Nie Mingjue had been imprisoned, and Nie Huaisang had quailed away from him, rocking backwards a little, almost even leaning behind Wen Ruohan as if Nie Mingjue was the scarier of the two.

(Nie Mingjue knew that Nie Huaisang was the finest actor of their group, but oh – it hurt, it hurt!)

Wen Ruohan smiled at the spasm of pain that crossed Nie Mingjue’s face and put his hand on Nie Huaisang’s shoulder as he drew him away.

Nie Mingjue wanted to cut off that hand and burn it to ashes.

He wanted –

He wanted many things.

A different life, for the most part. To live somewhere where he didn’t have to make these sorts of dirty calculations, to hurt the people he loved in order to save them from worse pain. Where he would be able to take Nie Huaisang into his arms and whisper promises that he wasn’t going to succumb to a qi deviation the way their father had, at least not any time soon; where he could buy Wen Qing a half-dozen new cauldrons in apology; where he could tell Wen Chao that he didn’t mean any of the things he’d forced himself to say…

He’d warned them, of course. But there was knowing, and then there was experiencing, and he – he hated to disappoint them, even a little.

And in all his plans he hadn’t realized how terribly he’d miss them, all of them, now that he couldn’t see them.

There was nothing to do but miss them now that he was here, trapped in a small little bed in a small little room with barely any light but that which came in through the door when someone walked by, all alone and waiting for Wen Ruohan to decide his fate.

A fate that was a lot less certain than it had once been, Nie Mingjue reflected. Wen Ruohan had once been bound by etiquette to keep him alive, to pretend to the cultivation world that his forced adoption was an act of generosity rather than an outright act of conquering, but all of those reasons went away now that the cultivation world had declared war on him.

He’d already sent Wen Xu to burn the Unclean Realm. Why bother with hiding behind a puppet?

At least it didn’t seem like Wen Ruohan had realized it yet.

#mdzs #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #wen xu #wen chao #wen ning #wen qing #my fic #my fics #fire and light #reminder for those that need it that this fic will not show on screen torture

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wulfies-kpop-fanfics · 3 years

Text

One Photo → Mark Lee [5]

↳ Pairing: Mark Lee/Reader

↳ AU: Soulmate!AU - The first touch of two soulmates permanently scars their bodies.

↳ Warning: Smut, loss of virginity, unprotected sex

↳ Word count: 6,964

↳ Chapters: Prelude | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | You Are Here! | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

⁙ Summary: For an end of the year photography project, you’re tasked with taking a photograph for your favourite group, NCT127, and coincidentally, discover your soulmate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FRIDAY - 5 - Part 1

The covers that enveloped you were warm and soft, keeping you nearly trapped under the weight of a thick duvet. Time ticked by slowly as you found the most comfortable position in bed.

Mark's body was pressed taut against you, and you could feel nearly every inch of him attached to your backside. His arm was draped over you, his hand casually coming to rest over your tummy, only he had put in the lazy effort of slipping it underneath your nightshirt.

Even when Mark is asleep he's driving you crazy. You doubt he's even noticed that your skin is twitching under his touch, the comfort and warmth of blankets making every feeling warmer and sensitive. You feel his steady breath tickling the back of your neck, his pelvis pressed against your ass, and you let out a whimper when he adjusts himself.

"(Y/N)?" Mark's voice is groggy and filled with sleep. He grips your hip gently, fingers sliding over the flesh of your side. "Are you okay?"

"What would you do if I told you no?" You ask sheepishly, turning around in bed so you were facing him. The darkness of your room left a lot to the imagination, but you could still slightly make out his twinkling eyes. Again, you felt like he was staring straight at your soul.

"Then I'd ask why you're not okay," he says, and you can tell he's smiling at you. His hands are beginning to wander up your body, from your hip to your waist.

"You, silly. I can't get you out of my head. Everything you do sets my heart on fire - I can't sleep or study, I-" another whimper escapes you when you feel his index finger gently flick your nipple.

"You do the same to me," he admits. "I can barely keep my hands off you. You're intoxicating…" his hand slides away from your breast, running down your arm to grasp your hand. "Here," he guides you down to tuck your hand underneath the pant line of his sweats, his member hard and hot. You circled your hand around it and Mark sighed in relief.

You suck in a sharp breath. "Mark,"

"Don't talk," he commanded lowly. "Just kiss me, please,"

Through the darkness, your lips met in a wet kiss. His hips thrust into your hand, causing him to groan and separate from the kiss so he could rest his forehead against yours.

"Good," he groaned, closing his eyes tightly and licking his lips. "Fuck, grip it harder."

As soon as you comply and tighten your grip on his cock, he moans again and began thrusting harder into your hand. Hearing and feeling all of this nearly floods your underwear, and you wished that he was fucking you instead of your hand.

Mark kisses you again, desperate. You can feel the puffs of him breathing through his nose on your face, and you can barely keep yourself sane.

"Mark-" his voice rolls off your tongue once you manage to break his kiss, as if you were begging, and he barely slows down. He tightly holds your shoulder, and you think it might bruise.

"Y-yeah?"

"Please," you really feel like you're begging now.

(Y/N)!

That wasn't Mark's voice.

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)! (Y/N)! (Y/N)!"

Groaning, you begin to open your eyes. The room isn't quite bright yet, and suddenly you feel a great weight on your abdomen.

"Mark?" You ask dumbly, the figure shaking you awake not quite clear enough for you to see.

"No, it's me!"

One you realize you can move your arms, you bring your hands up to rub your eyes. Your vision clears up and you realize Rhiannon is sitting on top of you, looking down on you with a giant grin on her face. Her hands are gripping your shoulders tightly, enough that you wince.

"Rhiannon, what the hell?" You ask, barely reaching your glasses that were perched on your desk. You slip them on and even further notice that she is shirtless. "You woke me up. Put a shirt on."

"I know, dummy!" She exclaims. "Look!" She shoves her chest further into your face until you see it. Puffy scar marks in the shape of hands on her shoulders.

"You have-"

"Donghyuck is my soulmate!"

You’re too tired for this, and coming out of a dream that surely will not leave your brain. “Rhiannon, I’m happy for you, but can you please get off me?” Raising an eyebrow, Rhiannon lifts herself from your body and sits on the edge of your bed. She’s still grinning like a maniac, tracing the scars. “My hand marks are going to be on his chest,” she reminds you, tapping her feet excitedly on the floor. “I’m gonna rip off his shirt tonight so I can look at them. And do other things. As you do.”

Groaning, you peel the covers off yourself. “Jesus, TMI,” you say, rubbing your eyes. “You’re way too excited about this.” Rhiannon scoffed. “You’re not excited enough! We’re soulmates with two members of NCT! How amazing is that?! All the fanfictions in the world could never have actually prepared me for this! What should I wear?” You’re soon enough drowning out her hushed ramblings on if she should try looking for a new dress at Forever 21. “I’m happy for you, Rhi, but you should really stop worrying so much. Didn’t you have an outfit planned out a month ago?” You ask, standing up and moving out of your room to start the day, Rhiannon following close behind.

“Yes,” she replied immediately, watching you dig through your clean clothes for the outfit you set aside for the day. “But now that I know I’m Donghyuck’s soulmate, I think I should wear something better.” “We’re going to an NCT concert, dude. NOT wearing neon green is gonna make you look just plain weird. Just go with what you picked out.”

Rhiannon sighed, conceding with a dejected nod. “I just don’t know if he’ll like it or not.” You smile, finally pulling out your own neon green tank top and blue shortalls. “He’ll love it, stop worrying.” You pull on your own outfit, adding a handmade hairband with the word 마크 written in little neon felt letters atop it. "How do I look?"

"Stunning, as usual," Rhiannon replies, smiling. "I'm gonna go get changed. See you at the venue." Rhiannon disappears into her bedroom as you grab your backpack and a granola bar, heading out to the last class of the week.

Let's hope I don't trip and ruin my clothes…

Friday. Two days left to submit your final for evaluation, but if you were to get the grade you wanted, you decided to submit it at the end of class. From your locker, you pulled out your finished portfolio, a playfully decorated photo book covered in stickers and polaroid photos. All that was left was your mini-essay.

You arrived into class and greeted Moose warmly, quickly letting her get back to her own project that she was finishing up. Once you sit down at your computer, you read through your document that you had been working on whenever you weren’t with Mark. - Final Portfolio and Bonus Objective -

Love in Photographs

(Y/N) (L/N)

Ms. Prentice

Photography 203

In this essay, I will address the personal effects of photography and how, in the second and final year of my program, my entire life has changed within a week’s time. In this final, my photos will reflect on why I chose to use the concert program as my focus.

Photography is, to me, an incredibly emotional profession. From weddings to sprawling landscapes, a photo will mean something to someone. It means a beautiful memory that will last forever, the progression of nature and our planet, or solid evidence of a crime that could provide closure to a mourning family.

Photography can also have an impact during the social interaction of business. It didn’t occur to me for nearly two years that I’ve spent studying the profession. When I signed up for the concert program, I was just a fan of the group I happened to see a flyer for. NCT is a K-Pop group currently touring in North America and the group that hired me for the program.

It was my emotional connection to them that made me want to take the job. It was thrilling to think about working for them as my first clients, even if it was a co-op program. I wanted to meet them, talk with them, learn what they wanted and do my best to make it a reality. The program was always going to be an emotional experience for me, but I truly learned about how photography was an emotional two-way street after I met Mark Lee in person.

After this week, I truly believe that everybody winds up getting the jobs they’re supposed to get.

Mark Lee is the main subject of my portfolio and a member of NCT. He was the person I spent the most time with, and considering the specifications of NCT’s commission, he was the person I worked with the most. While NCT specifically asked for one singular photo, Mark was insistent on spending time with me, letting me take photos of him for my project. The day after meeting him, my scars appeared. Mark Lee was my soulmate, something that I never thought I’d find - and would never have looked for intentionally.

The connection we formed was stronger than any other emotional bond I’ve had throughout my life, and from that moment on, every photo I took was a passion project. Sealing my soulmate in the immortality of a photo was exhilarating. Something I could keep close while he was away. It made me think of future clients, an image was clear in my head of someone asking me for the same thing. Something to see and remember even if the subject of that photo was too far away to touch.

In the past, I had been sceptical of having a soulmate of my own, but I knew I had to dampen my prejudice for the sake of future clients, especially those looking to hire me for their wedding photos. In wedding ceremonies, I would be photographing soulmates that could be naked for all I knew. Soulmate marks could appear anywhere, after all. Still, my worldview made me reluctant to think about that branch of career. I told myself I would only photograph wildlife or do fully clothed modelling, even if that decision cut my clientele in half. Until Mark Lee.

In this portfolio, you can see Mark on various outings with me and the rest of NCT, or just posing for the sake of a ‘cool picture with the subway in the background’. Photographs don’t need to have a purpose as a photograph holds meaning no matter what the subject is. For me, the photos in this final represent letting go of my fears and finding love, humbling myself and seeing that I can branch out and do more than I planned. Instead of seeking grandeur, I want to take photos of anything someone might find the smallest amount of happiness in. A smile, a flower, a kiss. Even if someone is worried about asking for something that may seem trivial, I want to assure them that if it means something to them, it means something to me, too.

Any photo here of Mark Lee, or even the one photo I took of NCT, to me, is a symbol of love. To make new friends and experience a culture different from mine, to see their dreams become a reality in front of me. If this final project before I graduate is the gate to my own dream coming true, these photos will definitely represent my passion. To see more than just myself. To see others and the love they share for anything this world has to offer.

Originally, the portfolio I was going to create was going to be just one photo from the program, but in the end, over half of what is included was from the past week. An emotional connection to the world and everything in it is every bit important in the world of photography as skills with a camera. Both of which I hope to carry into the world with me as my career truly begins.

Satisfied, you saved your work and went through it once more with Grammarly to make sure you hadn’t let any mistakes slip past. Your heart beats rapidly in your chest as you send the document to the classroom printer, knowing that once you tape your essay inside of your portfolio project, it was time to submit early and wait for your teacher’s sign of approval on your graduation form. After submitting your papers into the printer, you make your way to the classroom’s printer and log in to your account, selecting the pages you’ve sent to it. Now it was time to wait. Your phone buzzes, and you pull it out to read a text. Mark: How’s class?

You: I’m almost done my paper

You: Gonna submit it and then I can leave early

Mark: Sweet see you soon?

You: Yeah, see you soon

Mark: I can’t wait, I had a strange dream last night

Before you can reply, your paper finishes printing. Deciding to answer his text later, you return to your desk and finish up your final. You quickly flip through the book to make everything is secured, and with a deep breath, you stand. Ms Prentice is smiling at you from her desk, beckoning you over once she realizes you have your portfolio in hand.

“Glad to see my top student is still consistent,” she said in a sing-song voice, taking the portfolio from you as soon as you reach her desk. “Are you sure you don’t want to take the weekend to add more? I heard the concert you’re attending is today.”

You shake your head. “No, ma’am. I completed the task I was hired for, so any photos I take at the concert won’t have an impact on the messages I want to convey.”

She smiles at you. “I look forward to looking through it, then. You’re dismissed if you have nothing else to complete here.” “Nothing else unless you have a task for me,” you answer, smiling down at her.

Ms Prentice shakes her head, still smiling. “Go ahead, enjoy the rest of your day. Say hello to Mark for me. He’s quite the polite young man.” Blushing, you nod. “Okay, I will.”

As soon as you stepped outside the classroom, you breathed a deep sigh of relief. All of your finals were completed and after the final week of classes, you would prepare to graduate at the end of June.

After making a quick stop to the arts building to pick up a photo frame, you put on some music and headed out to the streetcars. It was still quite early in the morning, so you had a place to sit down during your trip to the venue. You noticed you still hadn't answered Mark's text, you decide to do so while you waited.

You: sorry, was submitting my final - prof says hello

You: I'm on my way now

You: What do you mean by strange dream?

It didn't take Mark long to reply.

Mark: travel safe

Mark: Well it's a little embarrassing to explain kinda

You: I had a dream too last night with you in it

Mark: what happened in it

You: you stayed with me last night and you slept in my bed

Mark: and that's it?

You: hell no >\\\>

Mark: I think we had the same dream

You: how did it end?

Mark: well, uh, you know…

You: mine ended with rhiannon waking me up so I think mine got cut off

Mark: oh

Well I think you can infer what ended up happening

You: aaaaaaaaaaa

Mark: I just wish I could have stayed

You: I wish too but I'll be there soon

Mark: I'll meet you at the station

You: arent you worried about fans swarming you

Mark: nah it's too early for any fans to be showing up since everything is seated there is no reason to camp out

You: okay as long as you're sure

You: Thank you

Mark: of course <3

You: I'm really nervous

You: That dream I had felt really real

Mark: it did for me too

You put your phone down and licked your lips. If anything, you would have loved to live out that dream. Go all the way. It made your body ache thinking about it, but it also made you nervous to think about sneaking around the others if you suggested it to Mark.

You arrived at your stop, a little surprised the place was mostly empty save for Mark sitting inside one of the bus shelters. As soon as he saw the streetcar pull up, he stood to wait for you by the curb.

Mark was still dressed in casual clothes, jeans and a black t-shirt with a pair of yellow converse. That probably meant they hadn't started getting ready for performances yet - which was reasonable considering it wasn't even midday.

Mark smiles when he spots you through the window, waving at you as you exited. Without a word you approached him and trapped him in a tight hug.

"Woah," he whispered, wrapping his arms around you. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," you reply into his chest, voice muffled. "I just missed you."

Mark kissed the top of your head, "I missed you too." Gently holding your shoulders he separated from the hug. "Come on, let's go inside." He takes your hand and squeezes it gently, smiling down at you with a blush consuming his cheeks.

Mark leads you across the street and toward the venue, enjoying a comfortable silence blanketed under the warm summer sun. Just as you reach the maintenance doors, he pauses. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here, you'll need this." Mark reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled up lanyard. On the end of it was a laminated card that had the Neo City cover photo inside with "Backstage Pass" written on the bottom.

"Oh, thank you. I almost forgot about these." You let him put the lanyard around your neck, smoothing it out gently. He smiles and nods approvingly, then continues leading you inside.

There are people milling about, hauling things into the stadium from trucks. You don't have to explicitly show your lanyard, you assume, because you're with Mark, but workers are still cautiously watching you as you pass by.

Once you two enter the arena, you notice that you're close to the back section, where you originally bought tickets for. You spot everyone lounging around the stage that looked like it was just finished being put up. Rhiannon is there as well, sitting with Donghyuck and Jungwoo.

The arena itself was smaller than the largest one you've been to for another concert the year before, but it was still impressive. You take a quick look around, noticing the different sections and the VIP rooms that were attached to the ceiling. This place was originally for hockey, after all.

"Hey, guys!" Mark calls into the stadium. Everyone perks up from their conversation and wave at you, prompting you to wave back sheepishly. "Do you want to go see them, or?" Mark held your hand tightly, speaking softly.

"What do you mean?" You look at him, eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.

"You know… what we talked about. Make time?" There's something in Mark's eyes as he speaks like he's begging you, the usually bright and playful twinkle in his eyes replaced by love and need. His gaze flicks from your eyes to your lips, and he steps a tiny bit closer to you.

Before you can answer, you hear Rhiannon shouting in your direction in Korean. You quickly glance at her, and even though you're too far away to see her face properly, you can tell she's making an obscene gesture at you - making a circle with her thumb and index finger, passing the index finger of her other hand through the circle. The other guys burst out laughing, and you feel your cheeks light up in an embarrassed blush.

"Uhm, what did she say?"

Mark smiles awkwardly, face bright red. He still keeps eye contact, licking his lips before answering your question. "She said she better not catch us trying to fuck in the hallway again…"

You press your forehead into his chest, groaning. "Now they all know about that?!"

Mark chuckles gently. "Yeah, I'm sorry. It's okay though, they're all understanding, I promise. Come on, I have a place for us to go. If you want, that is."

"Y-yeah, but I don't want them to make fun of us…" Mark once again begins leading you out of the stage area and into the main hallway of the venue.

He holds you close as you walk, "I promise that they won't. They can have their fun now, but they'll be doing the exact same thing when they find their own soulmates."

You guessed that you could agree with him on that. You're not exactly sure where he could be leading you as you eventually approach a stairway. Mark stops, searching your expression silently.

"Are you okay, Mark?"

He licks his lips again when he hears his name. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just want to know if you really truly want to do this, and not because you feel pressured."

You gently squeeze Mark's hand, nodding. "I really want this. I give you my full and utter consent. I don't want you to be uncomfortable or pressured, either."

Mark smiles gently at you, relieved. He starts to go up the staircase. "That's why I came here with Donghyuck earlier than the others. Come on, we're almost there."

A little confused by what he meant, you let Mark keep the lead. At the top of the staircase was another smaller hallway lined with doorways. You figured it was to the observation boxes you saw when you were in the arena. He leads you to the end of the hallway, stopping at the final door.

"This one," Mark says to himself, looking back and smiling at you.

"You're not-"

Mark quickly opens the door and holds it open for you, allowing you to enter first. The premium seating area was a lot fancier than you expected- and a lot more closed off. The window overlooking the stage was covered by a black curtain, leaving the room dark until Mark entered the room behind you, flicking on the lights and setting them to be dim. He closed the door behind himself, leaving the two of you truly alone.

On the left of the room was a little kitchen area, complete with cabinets, a mini-fridge and a counter with an electric kettle sitting atop it. In the corner of the counter was a little sink accompanied by soft-looking tea towels. By the window was a bar table with some high chairs, next to it a coffee table shoved against it. On the left of the room was a couch with a soft blanket spread over it.

Mark kicked off his shoes and set them by the door. "What do you think?" He asked shyly. "We have this room until about 2, so plenty of time before people start looking for me."

"Wow," was all you could really muster, also managing to slide off your own shoes. You set your backpack next to them, placing your lanyard on the top of your bag. "You really did this just so we could have some time alone?"

"Yeah," Mark moved to stand in front of you, gently taking your hand and bringing it up to his face so he could kiss your knuckles fondly. "It beats a broom closet or the hallway outside your apartment," he grins.

Your face goes red as your memories flood of his knee nearly meeting your crotch the night before. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you for making me comfortable."

"Of course," he replies cheerfully. "Want me to make you some tea?"

"No, thank you," your gaze meets Mark's and you swallowed thickly. "I really can't get that dream out of my head," your voice quiets to a whisper, like someone outside could still hear you.

Mark's expression changes quickly, from cheerful to something you could almost discern as predatory. "Me neither," he agreed, his voice deeper and softer. "Can I kiss you?"

"You can do a lot more than that," you manage to breathe out before his lips are on yours. You wrap your arms around his torso, grasping the cloth of his t-shirt. His hands are resting gently over the jean material covering your hips, mouth moving against yours perfectly.

You whimper into the kiss, deciding to be a little bold. You untucked his shirt from his jeans and slide your hands underneath the fabric. He takes in a sharp breath once your hands land on his skin, and he breaks the kiss.

"Wow," he sighs, looking at you with half-lidded eyes. His face is flushed and he's smiling warmly at you.

You sigh in return, swallowing thickly. You want to kiss him again, but he backs up. The next thing you know, he's pulling off his shirt, the fabric landing gently on the floor. Mark then begins guiding your hands to touch his chest. His skin is smooth and soft, toned but not too muscular. His hands are wrapped softly around your wrists, guiding but not completely controlling where you touch.

"Feels good," he sighs, and you wonder if you should stay bold.

"I have an idea," you whisper, your gaze flicking to the couch for a moment. "Sit down?"

Mark silently agrees with you, both of you approaching the furniture. Mark sits down first, and you take a moment to drink in the view. He's already nearly panting, watching you and running his tongue over his lips.

Even though his soulmate scar has changed much of what his chest would originally look like, you see his pecs, hard nipples and the outline of nearly formed abs on his tummy. Your eyes continue down to the small black trail of hair that ends your gaze at the band of his boxers peeking out from his jeans. You can tell he's already half-hard in his pants, but you try to not let your gaze linger out of shyness.

"You're stunning, Mark," you say, possibly paralyzed as you stand in front of him.

He smiles, reaching both arms out to you. "C'mere," he says, "I want to know what you had in mind."

Licking your own lips, you nod and approach him, climbing onto his lap and straddling him. You gently kiss him once more, and when you back away, he tries to follow and catch your lips again. You shake your head at him, feeling his hands wander back to your hips.

Taking in a deep breath, you dive in. First, your lips meet the crevice of his neck to his traps, lightly trailing your lips across his skin. You feel the slight swelling of his scar, then normal skin as you end your little expedition on the edge of his shoulder. Placing a hand on his chest, you feel his heartbeat, a little fast-paced but steady. You close your eyes for a moment, readying yourself and hoping that he was going to like what you were about to do.

You lean back to look Mark in the eye, even if he is already lost in how he's feeling. "This all is okay, right?" You ask, just to make sure. Your hand slides from his chest down to his hip, slipping a finger barely underneath the band of his boxers.

"Oh yeah," he sighs. "Keep going."

You comply, lowering your mouth to gently flick your tongue on his right nipple. His reaction is immediate, a whimper that nearly sends you to the high heavens, a strong tingly feeling surging through your crotch.

"Fuck," the word sounded so obscene yet sweet coming from him, "that's good."

Smiling triumphantly, you continue with your plan. Gently licking and sucking ever so slightly on his chest until he's a moaning mess, his grip on your hips getting tighter and you start to feel his cock straining in his pants.

"(Y/N), wait, wait,"

You immediately perk up and begin to worry. "I'm sorry, did I-"

"No," he nearly laughs. "If you keep doing that, I'm gonna cum in my pants."

You sheepishly look away, "oh,"

"(Y/N), it's okay," Mark says softly, his hands coming to your chest to unclip your overalls, "let's make this about you, too."

You're speechless as he slowly guides you to stand up, the loose shortalls falling to the floor. His eyes are almost immediately glued to your panties, and you nearly forgot you were wearing your Avengers themed underwear today, the A symbol brandished proudly on the front.

Mark is grinning at you now. "Please tell me there are Avengers on your butt."

Whimpering out of embarrassment, you hide your face in your hands and you drop to your knees in front of him. Mark kisses your forehead, gently taking hold of your wrists again so you can't hide your face.

"It's okay, I really like them. Come and sit on my lap again, please?"

Once you realize how you're sitting, you look up at Mark. He's towering over you, and you like that he is looking down at you. "Do you not want me to-"

Mark shakes his head gently. "Not this time. I just need you in the real way right now."

When those words reach your ears, you know you're whipped. Standing and stepping out of the jeans pooled beneath you, you clamour back onto Mark's lap. Instantly he's back to kissing you, his hands now freely roaming up the sides of your body, softly. Like in your dream.

Before Mark can take off your shirt, you both began pressing harder against each other, causing you to moan into the kiss. It felt good to feel his clothed cock over your panties, one less layer preventing complete feeling.

"Fuck, I wanted to drag this out," Mark says in between kisses that are growing in intensity, "I can almost feel how wet you are and my pants are still on,"

"Take them off, please?" You ask, borderline begging. Mark smiles up at you and doesn't hesitate in complying. You balance on your knees with your hands on Mark's chest as he slides his hands between you both to unbutton and wriggle out of his pants, bringing his boxers with them. Once his cock is free, it sits flush and hard against his abdomen. You find yourself unable to peel your eyes away from it.

"Like what you see?" He jokes, gripping the shaft and moaning once he gives it a couple strong tugs. "Fuck, need you.."

"Mm," you're barely able to form a response, especially when Mark hooks his fingers against your shirt, coaxing you to lift up your arms and allow it to slide off. Next is your bra, and you help him unclip the back as he presses soft kisses to the swell of your breasts.

"God, you're beautiful, I'm so glad I have you," Mark then takes your hands to lace your fingers with his. Slowly you sink your body back down to rest against his cock, moving your hips ever so slightly, sliding the fabric of your panties against his bare member.

"Mark," you whimper, thrusting forward a little stronger. "I really want you to…"

"To what?" Mark asked, his voice husky and his pupils blown with lust. His lips meet yours one more time.

"Fuck me, please,"

Mark licks his lips and groans. "Just wait a little, gotta make sure.." he lets go of your hands, leaving them to rest again on his shoulders. His own trail down your sides, causing you to squirm and whimper at the touch, your skin incredibly sensitive. He soon takes a hold of your panties, sliding them down your legs. "Fuck, look, it's sticking to your underwear, that's so hot…"

You look down, and you notice a tiny string of wetness still attached to your underwear. You almost want to hide your face in the crook of Mark's shoulder, but instead, he coaxes you to stand long enough to rid your legs of your panties.

"Look at you," he whispers, making you acutely aware that you're completely naked in front of him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," you look him in the eye, straddling his lap once more and leaning against him for a quick and intimate hug. "I've just never been naked in front of anyone before."

"Me neither, it's okay," he says softly. "Can I touch you?"

"Yes," you suck in a sharp breath as Mark trails a finger down your stomach. As soon as he reaches your crotch, you feel like you could explode into flames. You think this is the first time Mark has really hesitated, but you're fine with it.

"Like this," you say softly, using your hand to guide his. Gathering some wetness on his fingers, you guide him to rub a few tiny circles on your clit before you let him take over.

"Good?" He asks, continuing the movement until you nod, sighing. It felt amazing that you were finally getting to some relief of the ache that's been building inside your abdomen. Soon there's another jolt of pleasure running through you as Mark slips a finger inside you.

"Fuck, Mark," you whine, pressing your forehead to his. You can feel his breath on you, ghosting your lips against his own. Once Mark adds a second finger, you feel like his soft movements could make you cum right then and there. He's fucking you ever so slowly with his fingers that you could nearly call it torture. "Please, I think… I think I'm ready,"

"O-okay," Mark stutters for a moment, and it feels just as good when his fingers slip out. "We can go slow, right?"

"Any way you want," you answer, pecking his lips again.

"Okay," he sighs sweetly, guiding your hips downward with one hand and lining himself up with the other. "God, I can already feel it," he whines, feeling the tip of his leaking cock nudging your entrance. "Better than what I dreamed."

Ever so slowly, you're sinking down onto him. There's a bit of a stretch and a little bit of pain, but you work through it as best you can. Mark is clenching his jaw, eyes shut tightly. His hands are gripping your hips hard enough to bruise, and his breathing has picked up to wanton panting.

"Fuck, fuck, (Y/N), this is so good, it feels so good to be inside," His words cause you to pulse around him, making you both cry out. Without warning Mark's hips snap upward, his voice slowly groaning out more curse words, following your cry of surprise. "Fuck, I'm sorry, are you okay?"

You wince but nod at him once he opens his eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. I think. I think we can move."

"Okay. I want to fuck you, is that alright?"

You nod, your face burning. You brace yourself, hands balancing on the back of the couch and gripping the soft blanket. When Mark starts to move, you can hear your wetness squelching and his accompanying quiet moans of 'fuck, that's hot.' Mark leans forward, his arms coming to broadly trap you in a hug as he slowly thrusts upward to meet with your pelvis. He presses wanton and open-mouthed kisses to your neck, and you can feel him smiling faintly every time you say his name.

You know for sure that you've quickly given up most of your ability to hold yourself up. Even though you're full of energy and are being consumed by a swirl of wanton feelings, the constant build of pleasure in your abdomen and the contracting of your pussy around Mark every time any noise came out of him left you feeling like a ragdoll. Mark is holding you up through his hug, and because of how your chests are squished together, you can feel him breathe.

"Mark," you managed to cry out once his slow thrusts began to grow faster and more needy, "Mark, I'm close,"

"Please tell me you're gonna cum first, fuck, (Y/N), please cum first!" Mark is losing his rhythm now, crying out stuttered moans between his begging for you to cum.

"Mark, don't stop, please… I'm gonna cum," You're unable to feel embarrassment from the obscenities leaving your mouth as the pressure that's been building inside you reaches its peak, your pussy rapidly pulsing around Mark's cock. Your eyes are rolling back as clear ecstasy washes over you, sharp spikes of pleasure eventually dulling.

"Fuck, tight, need more, fuck! Fuck, (Y/N), I'm gonna cum too, fuck, I'm cumming!" You're nearly about to begin whimpering from overstimulation before you feel Mark's cock still. It hardened even further, twitching inside of you and following it was the warmth of his cum.

Slowly, you both come down to reality, Mark gently kissing your neck as you lay nearly limp on him, his fingers tracing delicate patterns on your back. There is a clear sheen of sweat between you, and soon it becomes a little uncomfortable.

"Hey, do you think you can sit up? I need to get some stuff to get you clean," Mark's voice is calm and sweet, if not still a little ragged.

"I think so," you manage to answer, trying your best to balance again on your knees, your whole body starting to tremble. Mark's softening cock slides out, a dollop of his cum following. Somehow, you feel less complete without him there.

"Let me help," Mark says softly, gently guiding you to lay down on the couch. Once he knows you're comfortable, he pulls on his boxers and wanders to the counter.

You're watching him with hooded eyes as he reaches into one of the cupboards, pulling out a small pack of baby wipes, following with dampening two of the washcloths in the sink.

"I got these on the way back last night and that's how Johnny figured out what I wanted," he said sheepishly as he came back to you, kissing you softly before kneeling down and opening up the little packet. "He had the idea of bringing that blanket."

"I really didn't expect that to happen," you say, taking in a sharp breath when you feel coolness over your thighs as Mark cleans you up. "Thank you."

"Anything for you," he said, passing you the damp washcloth. "Just so we both don't look like we just had sex."

You nod, taking the cloth and dabbing it over your forehead and chest. Once your fatigue begins to fade, you sit up and watch Mark sitting cross-legged on the floor, wiping away the layer of sweat from his chest. His eyes meet yours, and the way he smiles at you makes you tear up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Mark immediately looks concerned, standing and taking a seat next to you. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, of course," you wipe a tear away with your hand, "I just really love you." In that moment you feel more vulnerable than you ever had in your life. Naked, scarred and crying in front of your soulmate.

Mark's smile returns quickly, pecking a quick kiss to your cheek. "I love you, too, (Y/N)." His eyes are sparkling again, something that makes your heart ache even more, but in a good way. "Come on, let's get you dressed."

Soon he is standing again, coaxing you to join him. He helps you slip your underwear back on, making an idle comment and bearing a giant grin when he realizes that there really are Avengers characters on the butt of your panties.

Mark takes extra care in making sure you were comfortable and your bra was sitting properly on your chest. He blew raspberries on your tummy, grinning as you laughed. Honestly, the thought that should have been in your mind was completely dismissed in the sweet moments of Mark helping you get dressed.

"Now I'm hungry," you say as you finish putting on your shortalls, laughter on your lips, pretending to pout at Mark as he slips on his shirt, tucking it tightly back into his pants.

Mark nods, "yeah, me too. We can get some food in the green room. Here, you have a twisty strap," Mark approaches you once more and unclips one of your overall buttons, straightening out the strap and smoothing it along your shoulder. "There, all better."

"Thank you," you look back over the room, noticing a backpack that wasn't yours sitting next to the couch. "Is that yours?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah. After the show, I'm gonna come back here to grab it. I just have to fold the blanket and put away the washcloths."

"I can help you," you say, turning around go grab the blanket and fold it, but Mark gently takes your hand to stop you once you try to reach for the backpack to stuff it inside.

"It's okay, you can help me after. We should get something to eat now," Mark is smiling fondly at you, nodding toward the door. Huffing a tiny sigh you agree, putting the folded blanket down on the couch and following him to slip on your shoes, grab your lanyard and backpack, heading out the door.

#mark lee #mark lee x reader #mark x reader #nct #nct127 #nctu #nct scenarios #nct imagines #reader insert #fanfiction #kpop fanfictions #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines

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ba-responds · 5 years

Text

Catharsis (Villain!Deku x Fem!Reader) Chapter Nine

A/n: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, but with the start of the new semester, everything has been hectic. I’m taking 7 classes (for a total of 17 credits), and working part time, so I’ve been busy. As such, I plan on trying to update at least once every two weeks.

Other than that, I just spoiled some BNHA for myself *cry face*. I haven’t read the manga yet, but now I have to because what I spoiled for myself hurts my heart. Anyway, Enjoy!

This story will contain dark themes! Please read the warning!

Summary: An unexpected death of a loved one can lead to a sudden influx of emotions. Those same emotions can become repressed, as denial and disbelief comes into play. In this time, one would seek a means of catharsis, a release from those strong, repressed emotions. But what would you do if that means of catharsis, the same release you sought so hard for, becomes addicting? To the extent, that you feel you can not live without it? What if it can’t live without you? **WARNING: This story MAY contain; bullying, suicide, depression, torture, manipulation, mentions of sexual assault, and MORE! You have been warned.

Masterlist

Prologue II Chpt 1 II Chpt 2 II Chpt 3 II Chpt 4 II Chpt 5 II Chpt 6 II Chpt 7 II Chpt 8 II Chpt 9 II Check Masterlist for more!

Chapter Nine: Facing Fears and Training Sessions

There weren’t many times since he became All Might, in which Toshinori felt the levels of anxiety and dread he was currently feeling. Could that even sum up what he felt? Was his racing heart due to anxiety, or guilt? Was the pit in his stomach due to dread, or just fear?

Fear of what?

What did the Number One Hero All Might, one of the greatest heroes of all time, have to fear?

To simply put it, there was a lot he had to fear.

There was disappointing his people. That was a major one; one that has been plaguing his mind since he became the Symbol of Peace. He didn’t want to disappoint anyone, they relied on him too much.

There was also him leaving the world without another symbol of peace that would replace him. Though, this fear is slowly disappearing as he already began training his successor to take his place. His successor was strong. He’ll be able to do it. All Might believed in him.

But then there was another fear of his. One that only recently began to torment him. One that he decided he had to face today.

Toshinori stood quietly in front of a townhouse, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

Breathe.

He ran his hands down his front, straightening out the white button-up shirt he neatly tucked into his black slacks. His blue eyes gazed at the door he knew he would have to knock on.

His All Might form would bring the confidence he needed, he knew that, but...All Might wasn’t the one needed here. Not the figure. The person inside was the one needed. Toshinori Yagi was the one that was needed.

Neither of his forms were very good at socializing, but he would push through it all just to save at least one person. To not disappoint.

Not again.

With that in mind, he quickly made his way to the door, raising his hand and giving three firm knocks. He took another deep breath, listening intently for any movement from inside. It took a few seconds, but he heard the telltale sounds of the slow steps of someone getting closer. Straightening out his shoulders, Toshinori attempted to put a small, comforting smile on his face, but he knew it would look forced.

Nevertheless, he smiled softly as the door creaked open, revealing a face that terrified him, in ways that weren’t typical.

There she stood.

Cheeks hollowed; eyes reddened; green hair matted to her head; clothes wrinkled with stains on them; a stench emitting from her, but she clearly didn’t care.

Inko Midoriya stood in front of his with blank, dead eyes, looking at him as if he was a nuisance.

“What?” she muttered harshly, leaning against the door as if it was the only thing that was keeping her up-right. Toshinori gulped before taking a deep breath, his once never-ending smile faltering for a second, but his voice came out strong.

“My name is Toshinori Yagi. I work at U.A. as a teacher and counselor-”

“I’ve already told the police all that I know,” Her voice cracked as she took a step back, going to close the door, before Toshinori quickly blocked her, shaking his head frantically.

“No! I’m not here to ask questions. I’m here to…” What was he here for? He couldn’t tell her the truth, no, even if it was alright for her to know he was All Might, he wouldn’t be able to face her. He could barely face her as is. “I know with the recent disappearance, and the emergence of the video of (Y/n) (L/n), there have been a lot of people questioning you about your son. I’m here to ask, if you are okay. You’ve lost two children--I know (L/n) wasn’t your actual child, but I know you treated her as one. And...and I just wanted to check in on you…”

Inko stared at him for a few moments, her eyes welling up with tears. Then, taking a shaky breath, she stepped back, opening the front door wider.

“P-please come in...sorry for the mess I’ve been-I haven’t been able to…” She trailed off, staring down at the floor. Toshinori nodded quickly, before stepping through the threshold of the door.

“Thank you.”

It was time to face his fear.

To finally face the mother of the two children he let down.

Breathe.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You took a deep breath as you glanced around the room, eyeing the three figures in front of you. Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and Izuku stood silently in front of a T.V. stand in the main bar area of the building you resided in. The screen displayed a ‘Sound-Only’ message, but the voice coming from it was clear and loud.

“Are you sure, Tomura?” The voice asked, making you gulp and glance at Shigaraki. This was it. This decided your fate.

It's been nearly a month since you first arrived, and it was only a few hours ago that the video of your ‘kidnapping’ had been raised to the surface of the internet. Now that the public knew you were ‘taken’ by the villain Deku, there has been outrage against U.A. for keeping your kidnapping a secret for the past few weeks. In the morning there would be a press conference with U.A. as they try to dig themselves out of the grave they buried themselves in.

It was this, that made an idea pop into Shigaraki’s mind. What better way of getting back at All Might, then turning one of his own students publicly against him?

That then lead you to the situation you were in right now. Shigaraki asked for his ‘Master’s’ approval to make you an official member of the League of Villains. You were already in the process of getting ‘properly trained’ by Izuku, which Shigaraki made sure to explain to his master.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as your mouth dropped in a low moan. Your skin felt as if it was tingling; it felt as if waves of warm pleasure was rushing through your body in waves that made you discombobulated.

Where were you again?

What was happening?

You couldn’t tell, it felt as if you were forgetting the present as it was happening. It was as if you were incapable of forming new memories.

“Turn on your quirk,” a voice whispered in your head.

You knew that voice. It was the source of the pleasure. The addicting pleasure that had you panting for more.

Eagerly, you did as it said, feeling another wave of pleasure crash into you in reward. Your arms crossed in front of you as your knees went weak for a quick moment, but you managed to stay standing straight.

“Straight ahead,” the voice muttered once again. You licked your dry lips, before lifting a hand ahead of you, blindly following what the voice said. You...felt your quirk connect to something and used it to grab ahold of whatever it was. Even though you couldn’t see where it was, you felt a slight pulse in your body, affirming that you grabbed the right thing. This was different than anything you ever felt before when using your quirk; it was almost as if you could feel the outline of the object in your hand. You were never able to do that before. How were you able to---

Another wave of pure bliss took over you, sending your mind astray and making you lose focus. Your attention diverted to the voice once again.

“Squeeze.”

You did as it said, tightening your hold against the object.

You needed more. More of the overwhelming ecstasy. Anything for more.

“Keep ahold of it. Now, the object behind you.”

You immediately shot your other hand behind you, using your quirk to almost scan the area you couldn’t see, until you felt the pulse in your body again, making you clutch whatever it was tight.

“To the left.”

You did the same thing as before, this time only turning your head in that direction to lock your quirk on it, making sure that you also kept ahold of the two other items in your control.

More. Please give me more.

“Good.”

A brief ripple of pleasure past you, satisfying the craving for only a fleeting second. You began paying extra attention to the voice, waiting desperately for another command.

“Crush.”

Instantly, you pulverized whatever you had in your hold, nearly feeling it shatter in your hand.. You continued to crush it, waiting for either the pleasure to overtake you, or for another command to come in. You were quickly rewarded with a large avalanche of ecstasy, sending you breathlessly onto your knees, your body convulsing as you involuntarily curled into yourself.

After a few seconds, the blurriness of everything ebbed away, leaving you a heaving mess on the floor. Your vision faded in, your senses coming back as a hand gently rubbed your back. The same voice from before muttered words of praise into your ear as you gathered your bearings.

Glass.

Glass, shards of thick plastic, and heaps of cotton surrounded you on the floor. You lazily glanced around the room, seeing broken training dummies and destroyed sheets of glass scattering the messy room. Your eyes then drifted towards Izuku, who knelt beside you with a proud gleam in his eyes. You shakily stood on your feet, Izuku wrapping an arm around your back, in case your knees gave out.

You determinedly turned towards the door, where Shigaraki stood with his arms crossed, giving him a smug smile as you waited for his comments on how you did on proving yourself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Yes, I’m sure. She’s a good ally to have on our team.” Shigaraki said. His master hummed in agreement.

“And you girl. How do we know you won’t turn against us?” The voice questioned, making you shoot upright, straightening your back even though you doubted he could see you.

“I’ll do anything for Izuku. And if he wishes to dedicate his life to Shigaraki, so will I, Sir,” You stated simply, showing where your loyalties lie and wanting to tell the truth.

As long as Izuku was on their side, so were you.

As long as Izuku protected Shigaraki, so would you.

Your life was his.

#bnha imagines #bnha fanfiction #bnha izuku #bnha x reader #izuku midoriya #izuku midoriya x reader #izuku midoriya imagine #bakugou x reader #bakugou imagine #katsuki bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugo imagine #mha imagines #mha x reader #villain!deku

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ertrunkenerwassergeist · 5 years

Text

Dreams of Our Past - Chapter 27

*flails around* The chapter is done! It’s the second longest so far and the second half was fighting me until the end. But I prevailed! Here’s the Link to AO3.

In which Gladio invites Ignis to dinner and he finds a dearly missed person because of Iris.

Featuring: Ignis' brand of awkwardness, the starscourge, the tempers of Gladio and Hiemi, Noctis being so very close to a mental breakdown and Somnus and Bahamut being dicks through history

Warning: vomiting, mentioned child murder

Gladio IV

8.5.755 ME

Insomnia, Ghetto

Kingdom of Lucis

The days since their meeting at the Black Saffron had been nerve wrecking and uneventful. It grated on him like nothing else. He had thought, after they had all finally decided – more or less, he was aware enough to admit – on a course of action, things would start to move again. They hadn't. And Gladio didn't like it. At all.

He stood near the door to the pitiful office of Camp No. 5 and watched the people mingling about. More specifically was he watching Prompto, who sat grinning like a loon on a camping bed, a laptop in his lap and... did something while a group of people watched over his shoulder. Gladio really hoped the blond didn't play some kind of game. He was supposed to search through the pictures he had taken over the last few days and upload them on a dummy account by the end of the day.

Here was to hoping the whole crazy plan was going to work. It was a shame Pelna wasn't here right now, but he had finally found the time to talk to his contacts, and had gone to get the ball rolling on that whole facial recognition thing.

It wasn't that things weren't being done, really, it was just that they were moving along so slowly.

Gladio felt like he was treading on the spot, not moving forward no matter how much he wished to. It was frustrating beyond belief.

Before he realized what he was doing, he had fished his phone out of he pocket and weighted it in his hand. It couldn't hurt to call Ignis, making sure the man didn't overwork himself like he was prone to do. Maybe he had managed to find something that would help Gladio figure out what he could be doing in this stinking mess. Not that is was very likely, but a man could hope.

The phone rang once, twice, then a click sounded and a cultured voice drifted through the speaker: “Good morning Gladio. Was there something you needed?”

“Barely morning anymore, Ignis”, the older snorted.

A non-committal hum could be heard. The former advisor could be very peculiar about his greetings. A voice sounded in the background on Ignis' side. It was decidedly feminine, even if Gladio couldn't make out any words.

“Oh no, it's perfectly alright, Miss Aster. I am talking to a friend. Thank you for your wonderful help”, Ignis said.

Gladio couldn't help the grin blooming on his face. “Should I call you later, lover boy?”

Ignis gave an undignified snort. “I am at work, Gladio”, he said, stressing the word work like that was the important part. “Miss Aster is a secretary within the Ministry for Civic Affairs and Immigration. I met her yesterday, when I was looking into how far along they are with evaluating the houses in the Immigration District for damages. Apparently there seems to be a filing issue of some sort. Miss Aster has been looking into it since it came to her attention. She says it goes against her pride to have messy paperwork.”

“Tampering?” Gladio couldn't help but ask.

“Very likely.”

“Damn.”

“Whoever did it was very careful. The papers are listed as filed, they obviously went over all the right desks, but they aren't where they should be. I have never seen this amount of misfiling in my entire life.” Ignis' obvious indignation would be funny, if the situation wasn't so serious. “Mrs. Custodela cannot help us with this. She has her hands already full trying to keep abreast with the camps she is looking over. After this, would you please call Camp 7 for me? Mrs. Custodela has found a plumber who is free and can take a look at their showers.”

Something in the pipes in the showers of Camp 7 had broken and now the water there had turned a muddy brown. It couldn't be very healthy.

“That's good. I'll do that. Anything else?”

“Make sure to note down who is using the vehicles you got provided with, and where they drove and how long it took to get there. Certain people have been making noise about rationing petrol. Records of the use of the vans you have at your disposal would go a long way to work against this”, said Ignis after a few moments of consideration.

Gladio jerked in disbelief. “Rationing petrol? That's bullshit! The oil production in Leide is still under Insomnian control.”

“I know, Gladio. Believe me, I know.”

“Fuck, this whole situation is a stinking mess”, he complained and carded a hand through his hair.

I need a shower, he thought with a grimace. Ignis didn't answer. He didn't need to. Somewhere in the hall a baby started to cry, followed shortly by a second. Gladio sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. He needed to get out of here. At least for an evening. Breath some air that didn't smell of exhaust fumes or like too many sweaty people cramped into a place too small.

“How... how is Iris doing?” Ignis sounded like he wasn't sure at all, if he should even ask.

“She's not doing worse for now”, he choked out, his stomach plummeting like it was suddenly filled with lead.

“Gladio. I am- I'm so sorry.”

That sentence sounded heavy. Full of hidden meanings and implications and Gladio didn't want to hear any of it.

“Don't you dare talk like she's dead already! Because she's still very much alive”, he snapped.

A tightly controlled intake of breath sounded over the speaker. Gladio couldn't muster the will to feel bad about it. Iris wasn't dead and she wouldn't die. He was her older brother and he would protect her, damn it!She was barely fourteen, for Bahamut's sake.

“You are right, Gladio. I apologize”, Ignis said after a maybe too long pause.

“It's alright”, he sighed and deflated.

No, it wasn't alright, not at all. But Ignis was a friend – or had been a friend once – and he didn't deserve this. Pitioss, Iris didn't deserve this most of all. Why ever were the Gods punishing her like that? It had to stop.

He cleared his throat and asked awkwardly: “I'm going back home for the night to spend some time with her. Do you want to come over for dinner? Iris would love to see you again.”

“If you are sure.”

Ignis sounded so high-strung that Gladio just knew he was feeling as awkward as he himself was.

“Don't worry. I wouldn't ask, if I wasn't.”

“Then I will gladly come. Which time would be most convenient?”

“We normally eat around six since Iris gets tired early”, Gladio shrugged.

Ignis hummed in thought. “Five thirty then.”

“Fine by me”, he answered after mentally running through his to-do list again. “Just... be gentle with her, alright?”

“Of course, Gladio”, agreed Ignis. “I need to go back to work.”

“Ah, yes. Yes, of course. I'll see you later.”

“Until later.”

The call disconnected. Gladio listened to the silence of his phone for a few seconds before he sighed and lowered it from his ear to stare at it. Social graces and impulse control. He needed to work on his temper more. But for now he had a few calls to make. First Camp 7 about that plumber and then Jared to tell him that he and Ignis would be there for dinner. He had been trying to come every evening since the earthquake happened, but he hadn't always managed it.

On his first call he managed to reach Libertus who sounded just as grouchy as he had expected the man to be. Gladio had to bite the inside of his cheek as to not snap back. Instead he managed to make his way through the conversation with all the grace of a garula in a china store. Luckily Libertus didn't seem to notice. Something about two feuding Clans in one room, he had heard Crowe and Pelna say.

His second call went a bit better. He could practically hear the retainer smile as he announced his and Ignis' presence for dinner.

Now he could go outside and see how far along Tredd and Crowe were with checking over the newest delivery. Then there would be another round of phone calls between Centres 4 through 8 to see who was lacking what and to pool their resources. After lunch he would write out new timetables for those who had volunteered for various duties around here. And he would need to find someone who had experience with the whole giving birth thing, since one of the women here looked just about ready to pop.

Dinner could have been definitely worse. It had been decidedly awkward, but between Ignis practically doting on Iris within the first few minutes of his arrival and Jared's efforts to keep the conversation flowing, it had been a very pleasant meal. Everything had been fine, Iris had been laughing and moving around more than she had in weeks and Ignis had been sharing recipes with Jared.

He should have known that this wasn't going to last. Nothing good had for a long time now.

The screaming woke Gladio in the middle of the night. It took his sleep addled brain long precious seconds to realize that they were coming from his sister's room. He practically leapt out of bed and ran into her room that thankfully was right next to his. Light spilled into the dark room and for a moment his sister's shadow seemed to froth and seethe, but Gladio ignored it in search of any attackers that he could painfully eviscerate.

No one was there. No one but Iris and him.

Her screaming stopped once she saw him.

“Gladdy”, she whimpered and reached out towards him.

The sleeves of her pyjama slid back and exposed dark splotched on her skin that hadn't been there during dinner. A thin line of blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. It was black.

“Iris!” he cried and lunged towards her, cradling her small form carefully against his muscled chest.

“Gladdy, it hurts. It hurts so much.”

She grasped weakly at his arms, sobbing. Then she went limp, her breath coming in nothing but weak bursts that ghosted over the naked skin above his collar bone.

“No”, he breathed. Desperation roared in his chest like a wild beast and stole his breath. “No, no, no, no, no.”

What should he do? No doctor or hospital they had visited since she had first gotten sick, had been able to help. There was no one here that could help her.

Oh, by the Gods, she was going to die.

The realization hit him like a slap in the face. His little sister would die before morning came, because there was no one in this damned city that...

Gladio's breath stuttered in his chest when he remembered what the innkeeper of the Black Saffron had said about his son and the woman that had come by during the meeting, when he remembered what that prostitute had told him last week.

Without stopping to consider what a colossally stupid idea this was – he could not afford to think about it, not now when his little sister was dying – he wrapped her blanket tightly around her frail body and lifted her up in his arms. She was so light he barely noticed her weight.

Why was it getting so much worse? Why now, of all times? She had been fine! Or at last not worse than the last time he had taken her to a doctor.

He didn't even stop to get dressed in something other than his sleeping trousers or to put on some shoes, and instead ran right out of the door, into the dark streets of Insomnia. In the privacy of her bed, the prostitute had described to him how he could get to this Healer, if he ever needed to.

Sweat ran down his face and back the further he ran, his breath burned in his lungs, but he didn't dare to stop. He didn't dare to do so as he ran past buildings the earthquake had destroyed, deeper and deeper into the city, through neighbourhoods that were getting more and more run down.

Iris began to shiver, despite the warm summer night. Gladio only tightened his grip and hastened his steps.

Despite the growing lack of functioning street lamps, he could see the great, broken pillar. It rose out of the shadows like a great, stony needle as he hurried past it and then turned left into a narrow alleyway. It didn't take long to reach the other side. It was nearly pitch black now. Only a few weakly glowing lanterns showed him the way, forcing him to slow down, lest he stumble and fall. He found the staircase Viti had talked about through sheer luck. There weren't any handrails, so he had to be extra careful. He did not dare hurry since some of the metal stairs creaked ominously.

Follow the lights, Viti had said, and so he started to run again towards the nearest light he could see. It was a single lantern glowing like a lonely star at the first house on the right. It hung from the ceiling in a room that was entirely open on one side and illuminated a group of chairs, metal drawers and a long table. In a corner there was a part of the wall that looked like it could possibly be a door. He just about kicked it in.

“Hello! I need help!” he bellowed into the darkness of the house, honestly not caring who he might wake.

Not a second later hasty footsteps sounded to his left. It was a teenager, his skin paler than he had ever seen a human being be, with big blue eyes so light they looked white near the pupil. In his hand he carried a lantern, its light cast a cheerful glow on everything it touched.

The teenagers eyes grew even larger when he saw the bundle in Gladio's arms, then his eyes dropped to his feet and back up again.

“My sister needs help”, Gladio repeated, pleading.

That seemed to do the trick, as the teenager gestured towards a staircase with a hasty “Follow me!” and practically leapt up the stairs.

“Healer! Healer wake up! There's an emergency. Quick!”

Gladio followed the teen down the hallway to his right until they came to the last door. Behind it was a small room with a rickety bed, a bedside table, a stool and a chest of drawers. Another lantern, it had been hanging from a hook next to the door, was lit and the teenager motioned for Gladio to lay his sister on the bed before he vanished down the hallway again, calling for Healer.

Now here, where he could finally focus on something other than running, running, running, he noticed he was trembling like a leaf in the wind. His heart beat like a fast paced drum and his breath shuddered with each intake of air.

His gaze settled on Iris. Her skin was a pasty, unhealthy white and the dark splotches had spread up her neck and onto her cheeks. Each laboured breath sounded wet and rattled within her chest. Carefully, as to not hurt her any further, he settled her down on the lumpy mattress of the bed. The frame gave a high pitched sound as her weight was added.

From outside the room he could hear doors opening and closing, sleepy voices were asking questions and hasty steps were making their way towards them. A young man appeared in the doorway. He had clearly just woken up, his startling violet eyes squinting against the light of the lantern and his long black hair a mess that hung in his face.

When the man – he couldn't be older than 20 – saw him he froze. His eyes grew large in surprise and fear, his mouth opened and closed like he was a fish on land. Gladio glowered. If he had only come to stare, he was going to beat him within an inch of his life.

“Help her!” he bellowed.

The man jerked. His gaze fell on Iris and all expression vanished from his face. One moment he stood by the door and the next he was next to the bed, leaning over his sister and looking intently at her gaunt face.

“Casto, get me a bucket and take the bedsheets for winter out of the closet. Go to Hiemi and tell her I need some of her purging tea, and bring me a bowl of hot water and a washrag”, he said with an air that made it clear he was used to be listened to and obeyed.

Not bothering to turn around and see if the teenager was listening – which he did; he ran out of the room like the Infernian himself was after him – the young man started to gently unwrap the blanket. She had grown even paler and the black splotches covered large parts of her visible skin.

Gladio would love to ask who this guy even was and what he was doing as he released a hissing breath and started cussing quite creatively, but his voice refused to work. Each new gulp of air took more effort than the last and slowly he began to realize that everything hurt. From his muscles to his feet. Especially his feet. They felt like two big, raw lumps of meat that did nothing but hurt. He ignored it as best as he could for now.

A thin hand with long, elegant fingers was lain on Iris' forehead, golden-violet sparks danced across the digits and over her skin.

Wait, this was the famous Healer?

“For how long has she been sick?”

Gladio's tired mind barely registered the question. “What?” he managed to utter after his second attempt at articulating.

“How long, Gladio”, Healer barked.

How...? That wasn't important right now.

“Nearly two months”, he managed to say around the lump in his throat.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit. By all the sulphurous fires of Ifrit's den. By all rights, she should be dead by now.”

That made Gladio's tired brain pay attention again. “Excuse me?”

Healer shook his head and reached for the bucket a huffing and puffing Casto held out towards him, bedsheets under his other arm.

“No time for that.”

He gently sat her upright, her weight lying awkwardly in his arms, and sent a wave of softly glowing magic through her. The golden and violet light washed over her like water. Without warning her upper body jerked forward and she vomited her dinner mixed with black blood into the bucket. It stank sickeningly.

Iris took big, heaving breaths, occasionally dispelling mouthfuls of junky black sludge. After nothing new came up, Healer set the bucket down beside the bed. He didn't seem to care for the splatters that had hit the naked skin of his arms and torso. They slowly turned into wispy smoke and then vanished entirely. Her eyes fluttered feverishly without seeming to notice her surroundings.

“Yeah, that's it. Everything's alright now. In and out, in and out. Yah're doing great, Iris. Everything's gonna be alright.”

While Healer was gently coaxing his barely lucid sister into regaining her breath and Casto put a garish monstrosity of a pillow beneath her head, Gladio leaned against the wall to ease the pain in his feet and to regain some kind of equilibrium. Because this Healer knew his sister's name. Gladio knew he hadn't told him and he had known his name, too, without needing an introduction. Just who was he?

“Tata?”

All eyes turned towards the door. There stood a girl. She looked to be around seven with wild, sleep mussed red hair and honey coloured eyes that gleamed golden. She looked drowsily at them and yawned.

“Solaris? What're yah doing out of bed?” asked Healer without taking his glowing hand from Iris' forehead even once.

“It's loud”, the girl complained.

Gladio's gaze wandered from one to the other and he wondered.

Healer nodded. “Ah know, little sun, but Iris needs mah help for now. If yah can't sleep anymore, could yah go down and ask yahr mati for a big glass of water? Casto, could yah look after Astra, please? Ah don't wanna've him running 'round alone and in the dark.”

Both nodded and left the room, the girl taking the teenager's hand. Gladio stared after them. He had heard this accent before, he knew he had. If he could just place where. He felt like he was missing some very crucial things right about now. Sleep. What he needed now was sleep and for Iris to not die.

His gaze settled back on her. A flittering net of golden-violet magic covered her from head to toe. It looked more like mist than a tangible thread. How was such a thing possible? Only the royal family should be the one harbouring powerful magic in this city, even the whole continent. And now here was this Healer, whose magic prickled against his skin like a Lucis Caelum's did. It would probably be more upsetting, if he was fully awake.

“What does she have?” he asked instead of all the other questions burning on his tongue.

Healer blinked at him, as if he had forgotten that Gladio was also in the room. He made a passable impression of a bowstring drawn tight. In an obvious nervous tick, Healer tugged at his hair and wet his lips.

“She's scourge sick”, he said at last, his voice barely more than a quiet whisper.

“Scourge sick”, Gladio repeated tonelessly. “You mean the black plague, curse of the Gods, the starscourge? That kind of scourge sick?”

“Yes”, came the careful confirmation.

Gladio felt his fingers flex like they wanted to hit something, if he had just a bit more energy left. “That's a load of chocobo shit”, he rasped. “The starscourge does not reach within the Wall. Everybody knows that.”

Near glowing, violet eyes shot him a deadpan stare that felt achingly familiar. He suppressed a shudder creeping up his spine. Damn, those eyes were eerie.

“Two months ago yah said? Has she been anywhere near the old crypts at tha' time?”

The broken shield opened his mouth to instinctively deny the question, but he hesitated. “I... I don't know”, he admitted at last. He tried to remember, but his head started to feel like it was packed in wool.

“Doesn't matter anymore. It's good that yah came now, but yah were cuttin' it very close. She wouldn't 'a' made it through the night. Ah can barely believe tha' she made it this long.”

With a shuddering breath Gladio leaned more of his weight against the wall. The rough plaster dug uncomfortably into his shoulders.

Steps sounded from the hallway and shortly thereafter the girl was back, two cups in her hands. One was steaming and emanated a strong smell that made him wrinkle his nose. She gave the one with the foul smelling liquid Healer, the other one she cradled between her hands.

“Thank yah, little sun”, the young man smiled. “Now, yah remember what ah taught yah? Reach for the power resting in yahr bones. No more than a spark. Take it and guide it, it knows what it's got tah do.”

The girl's face scrunched up in concentration, in a way Gladio had seen a hundred times before, in the way Noctis had looked when he had wanted something to go exactly right. What Gladio hadn't seen before was the reddish glow of her hands.

“Not so much, little sun”, corrected Healer gently.

Solaris' brow furrowed even more and after a few seconds the glow dimmed until there was only the barest sheen of it left. It seeped into the cup and the liquid it contained, until it glowed, too.

“Very good”, praised the young man and Solaris beamed. “Would yah be a dear and give it tah Gladio over there?”

“Yes, tata”s she said dutifully and held the cup out to him, standing as far away as she could manage while doing so. She was clearly skittish around strangers.

“No, thank you”, he said while looking at the glowing cup in healthy scepticism. As long as he had no idea what it was he wouldn't drink it. He swallowed, and that made his parched throat just more noticeable.

Healer clucked his tongue in disapproval. “It's jus' water with a bit of healin' magic. Sit down and drink tha'. Yah look like yahr abou' tah keel over. 'Specially with yahr feet.”

Gladio made a face, but in the end he took the cup from the girl. The liquid in it looked like plain water hit by sunlight during noon. It was kind of fascinating, he had to admit. The little girl scampered off towards the bucket and glanced into it, curiosity clear on her face. She clamped her hands over her nose and mouth with a disgusted sound. Gladio frowned. A child as young as her shouldn't see these kind of things. Healer seemed to be of a similar mindset.

“Solaris, would yah please go and get Ardyn? And after tha' ah need yah tah do somethin' very important. Can yah do tha' for me?” Healer looked at her with serious eyes. The girl nodded, face solemn. “Yah need tah go tah the other patients and tell them tha' everything's alrigh'. They don't need tah worry.”

“Ah will, tata”, she said and carefully stepped closer to give Healer a kiss on the cheek before she left the room.

“What happens now?” asked Gladio and took a tiny sip of the mystery water, as he had dubbed it in his mind.

At once he could feel some of his exhaustion leave and the soreness of his muscles easing off just a bit. He blinked in surprise. This was a bit like the potions he knew, just far more gentle in the way the soothed things. Potions and ethers made by Lucis Caelum magic were always accompanied by an unpleasant burn.

Healer answered while he carefully, drop by drop, made Iris drink that foul smelling tea. “Now ah'll start tah heal her. The scourge has been burrowed in her body for too long for me tah heal it all at once, but ah can do it. Yah needn't worry.”

“You can really heal her? How long will it take? There is supposed to be only one person who is able to heal the starscourge, and I kind of doubt that you are the Oracle in disguise.”

The deeply buried seeds of hope started to grow into a warm feeling pooling in his stomach. Or maybe that was just the mystery water.

“Yeah, but like ah said, it'll take me some time. A week at least. Ah don't just need tah rid her of the scourge, but also repair the damage it caused and tha's the truly tricky part.”

Gladio became light headed in relief. If he hadn't been sitting on the floor already, he would certainly do so now. But he couldn't help but wonder how it was even possible. The Fleurets had been blessed by the Astrals with the power to cleanse the scourge from its victims. There were no others.

“My, my, nephew. You have all of the clinic in a right tizzy.”

A man stood in the doorway with wild reddish hair that had an odd violet sheen and golden eyes. He leaned on a cane the same way King Regis did, and Gladio didn't know why, but he found that quite disturbing. Despite the stuffy and hot air he wore a long pair of trousers and a high collared tunic with sleeves that fell down over his wrists.

“She is scourge sick”, the man stated. His eyes bore a strange glint that Gladio didn't like.

Healer nodded. “Yes”, he affirmed and motioned towards the bucket sitting at the end of the bed. “Could yah get rid of tha'? Ah made her drink some of Hiemi's purging tea, so she'll need tha' bucket 'gain soon.”

“Of course, dear nephew. But if you don't mind, I would like to see how you handle this one. It's the first time I see you treat someone afflicted with starscourge, after all. Not to worry, I'll keep myself well out of the way.”

Healer's answering shrug clearly said suit yourself.

Gladio watched as the man – who was most likely this Ardyn the little girl had gone to fetch – gathered the bucket, keeping a straight face at the sickening smell, and retreated back towards the door.

“I'm ready”, the man announced with a grin.

Healer huffed, but he turned his full attention back to Iris who now looked like she had gone back to sleep. He gently rested his free hand on her stomach, right over her navel, the other still being on her forehead, and closed his eyes, his brows furrowed in obvious concentration. For a moment there was absolute silence. Then the glittering net over his sister's body retreated, leaving the room strangely dim. Not a moment later however, Healer's whole body started to glow in a golden light. It looked like a sun was trapped under his skin.

The black lines on his skin, that Gladio had thought were tattoos, started to crack open and released a burning violet light. It looked utterly otherworldly. Suddenly Gladio could believe every story Viti had told him about Healer. That he was a fallen star or an Astral, forgotten by humanity and time. There was so much power. It made his skin prickle and the fine hairs on his arms stand on end. And it seemed like Healer himself could barely contain it, he looked like his human shell was going to shatter at any moment.

Magic pulsed in time of an invisible heart, lapping over Iris and through the air like it was water breaking on a shore. The light seeped into Iris' skin, concentrating where the black splotches marred her, and with each new wave that washed over her they grew a tiny bit smaller. A fine black mist rose and dissipated within seconds.

Gladio couldn't do anything other than stare at the spectacle in front of him, even as it made his eyes burn to look directly into the pulsing light. He didn't even look away when he heard a violent hiss from where the red haired man was watching.

An especially large wave made the air shudder, caressed his skin like the softest silk and eased the pain in his bloody feet. There were quite a few cuts and a broken toe nail. He hadn't even felt it as he had been running to get his sister the help she needed. He couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him. The magic teased over him like a long lost friend. It made something in him that had been sleeping for a long time, suddenly sit up and pay attention. He knew the feeling of this magic, had felt it quite often when Noctis had been made to practice his elemancy, even if he had never been connected to it like a proper Shield should be...

He jerked upwards. By now the magic had turned into a bright supernova with the young man and his sister at its centre. It couldn't be.

“Noctis”, he breathed, stunned.

He stood there, frozen and having no idea what he should do. This couldn't be possible. He had searched for his prince high and low and the Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive both had searched outside of Insomnia. If Noctis was still in the city and not dead they should have heard something by now. Shouldn't they?

On the other hand there clearly were people down here. Gladio hadn't even known that this place existed, and it was part of his job to know about the city's layout. It would also explain how Healer had magic. But why hadn't he recognized him then? He knew what the prince looked like! Then again, Healer had long hair and what he had thought were tattoos covering a large part of his body, including his face. And even if it turned out that Healer wasn't Noctis – which became more and more likely the longer he thought about it – this was a place he could potentially be, because no one had ever thought to look.

Had Noctis hidden here this whole time?

Why?

As if he had been heard, Healer opened his eyes. Even in the bright light of the magic they glowed like a pair of newborn stars. Gladio had to look away. White spots danced in front of his eyes. A high pitched whine sounded from where the door was located.

Slowly, oh so slowly, the pulsing light became weaker, the pressure of powerful magic in the air grew lighter. With each new wave it retreated further and further, like the changing of the tides until it was mostly gone.

The black splotches on Iris' skin had turned into mere shadows beneath skin still pale from sickness. There was a bit of colour in her cheeks now.

Healer's hands retreated and the last of the glow died, leaving the room in a strange half light until Gladio's eyes had adjusted again. Only the black lines on Healer's skin still gave off a dim iridescence, and Gladio swore there was a new one slashing across his cheek close to the nose. It made the impression that the man's humanity was nothing but a thin veil that could be ripped away to show what really lay beneath at any time. And wasn't that disconcerting?

Reluctantly, like he needed to remind himself how to move his limbs, he stood up and carelessly let the blanket Gladio had carried Iris in, fall to the floor, before taking up the one the teenager had brought in and spread it over Iris' still sleeping form. His breath came in quick bursts and he was covered in sweat like he had just completed a taxing workout. With a quiet groan he stood up straight. Finally the shimmer beneath his skin was completely gone.

“Fuck. Ah think ah overdid it”, he mumbled barely loud enough for Gladio to hear.

“You can say that again, my dear nephew. Please warn an old man the next time you want to set off the magical equivalent to a Nifasi firebomb. It would be much appreciated. You can never be sure of the consequences otherwise”, stated the red haired man before Gladio could even think to open his mouth.

There was a caution in Healer's gaze as he nodded, that set Gladio's teeth on edge and made him want to punch something. Or someone. Preferably the guy who used a cane exactly the same way his King did but moved like a was an actor playing out a drama.

“Now, go downstairs to your wife, eat something and drink some of her truly amazing tea. You look like someone who dearly needs a break and some extra energy. I dare say, it's too early already to go back to sleep again. I will look after the girl for the time being. Do not worry, I have some experience in looking after the scourge sick and know what I'm doing”, he continued as if he hadn't seen Gladio's glower.

Which he clearly had.

Healer – who was quite possibly Noctis and Gladio wasn't really sure if he wanted him to be or not – just rolled his eyes, but he took a step towards the door before he stopped and turned towards him, a guarded look on his face.

“Come”, he mumbled. “We need tah talk, and best do it now.”

Gladio didn't say anything as he followed Healer through the still mostly dark house. To be honest, he had no idea what to say. For all the questions tumbling through his mind in a never ending whirlwind since he had first seen the young man.

He wanted to scream.

He wanted to rage.

He wanted to shake the answers out of the man leading him down dark stairs.

But he didn't. If this whole mess had taught him one thing, it was that raging at it all didn't help a thing. So he swallowed the anger hissing in his mind down and sat in the chair in the warmly lit kitchen he had been indicated to.

The kitchen was a large room that was clearly well lived in and cared for with a loving hand, if cluttered to a point where there was nearly no free space left. Despite the warm summer night there was a new fire burning in the hearth that was old enough to belong in a museum. It made the air near uncomfortable hot.

Most of the kitchen appliances looked like they belonged into the 5th century ME at least. Well, there was an electric tea kettle and a few other bibs and bobs that clearly belonged into the modern age of electricity. How could anybody live like that?

As he examined the kitchen he noticed the woman standing at the counter. She wasn't very tall with a thin face and very pale skin that contrasted heavily with her long black hair. Her big eyes were of a green that reminded him of shadowy forests outside Insomnia. The long and thin tunic she wore was of a russet colour and looked more like a nightgown to his eyes.

He knew her. It was the woman that he had met at the Black Saffron the day before yesterday. Well, three days ago by now, he supposed. What was her name again? Hiemi? Wait, so the little girl had been...

She came over towards the table with a tray in her hands upon which were three cups and a large pot that wouldn't be out of place in one of the historical romances he liked to read sometimes. Now that she stood next to Healer, who had been awkwardly hovering next to an empty chair, Gladio could see that she was a few centimetres taller than him. The woman gave Healer a chiding glance that lost its bite with the fondly exasperated tilt of her smile.

“Yah overdid it”, she stated.

“Ah know”, he murmured and gave her a chaste kiss on the mouth. “Ah'm sorry.”

“No, yah're not. Now sit down and introduce me so tha' we can have this talk b'fore we've gotta go t' work.”

And Healer did just that.

He gave her hip a gentle squeeze and sat down on the chair across from Gladio while the woman served the tea and then sat down herself. There were a few beats of awkward silence before Healer cleared his throat and introduced the woman next to him.

“Gladio, may ah introduce to yah Hiemi, Dame of this household and mah wife. Hiemi, this's Gladio.” He hesitated, as if he wasn't quite sure how to continue.

Before he could make up his mind about it, Gladio interrupted him: “What in the name of Pitioss' cursed depths were you thinking, Noctis?!”

The young man flinched, his fingers dug into the wooed tabletop until his knuckles turned white and his mouth fell open with no sound escaping him.

In the warm light of the kitchen it had become very clear to Gladio that this Healer was in fact Noctis, despite all the changes. The facial structure practically screamed Lucis Caelum. There was also the magic – magic he had never seen or heard of before – and the fact that he knew his and Iris' name.

“Where the fuck have you been? Do you know how worried your father was? Still is, to this day? Do you know how the nobles are hounding him to produce another heir? He keeps refusing out of love for you and the late Queen and you sit here, healthy and alive, and play house! The King still hopes that you're alive and well, that you're coming home one day. Do you know what your actions did to Ignis? To Iris? To me? Do you-”

By the end he had been nearly screaming, ready to lunge across the table and beat some sense into his prince. If he even deserved that title anymore. But suddenly he was frozen in place. The words tumbling out of his mouth, halted on his tongue and his muscles refused to move. It was like time around him had been halted but everywhere else it moved forward like it always did. He couldn't even blink as he looked at the two people across from him.

Noctis had grown even paler than he already was, hunching his shoulders and shrinking into himself. Hiemi, the woman he had introduced as his wife – and wasn't that a whole other can of worms – was another story. Her eyes were blazing in fury as she rose from her chair, one arm held out in his direction. Around her wrist and along her forearm danced smoky grey chains. Sparks of green and yellow jumped between the individual links.

“Don't yah dare.” She hissed, her face contorted into a sneer. “Don't yah think he knows tha'? Mah husband knows the consequences of his actions quite well, knave Gladiolus. Yah bet there's a damn good reason for it, do yah understand me?”

“Hiemi”, Noctis said in a tone that was barely more than a whisper. At once her attention was on him. “Let him go, please. It's fine.”

“It damn well isn't, and yah know it! Shield or not, friend or not, he can't jus' walk in here and treat yah like this. Healer. Noctis. It's not yahr fault. Yah couldn't 've done anything different. Not with Him watching.”

Gladio listened with growing concern. What was she talking about? Who was this Him? The way he said it he couldn't be a nice guy. Noctis made a keening noise so full of old hurt and fear and guilt that Galdio would have recoiled, if he were able. The prince pressed his face into her abdomen, his hands grasped at the cloth of her tunic and his shoulders shook as if he was crying. She didn't say anything but carded her hands through his long, tangled hair with a tender expression on her face. Gladio dearly wanted to look away, shaken to his core at the scene before him.

“Ssshhhh”, made Hiemi and continued to pet Noctis' hair until he pulled away.

The prince's eyes were thankfully dry and he didn't look quite as much as an anak caught in the headlights anymore. His wife pressed his cup of tea into his hands and he took a sip. And then another, the action calming him down further.

“Now”, she said, her tone brooking no argument, “we're all going tah sit down and talk like the adults we all are. Am ah clear?”

Here she looked sternly at Gladio who still couldn't move. He wished he could point that out to her.

“Mah life, yah need tah take off the spell first”, Noctis reminded her with an amused twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Due to her pale skin, the redness in her cheeks was very noticeable as she cancelled whatever she had done with one last warning look towards him. The chains around her forearm vanished. He carefully flexed his fingers and shifted his weight, to see if everything was back in working order, but he wisely kept his mouth shut and waited for either of the two to speak first. Their short exchange had made it clear that there was more going on than he had thought – than anyone had thought – and he wanted to know what it was.

It was Noctis who started the conversation again.

“Tha' night in tha' alleyway ah was scared shitless, Gladio, and it wasn't because of tha' old drunk with the broken bottle.”

“What in the name of Bahamut's blades happened to you?” asked Gladio and watched uncomprehending, as both of them flinched slightly.

“Please, don't say His name. Down here, He can't see me”, Noctis pleaded.

“What do you mean, down here He can't see you? Wait, the He you were referring to is-?”

Gladio swallowed down the name Bahamut, but the other two knew exactly who he meant. They nodded in unison.

“But why?”

He didn't understand this at all.

“The Bladed One's still one of the Six, one of the Astrals, but His standing, from what ah understand of what Healer told me, is more tha' of the Infernian up there”, answered Hiemi and motioned towards the ceiling.

Ignis would love this.

The sudden thought made Gladio realize that he needed to get the advisor in on this. Gladio himself was in over his head. But that was for later. Now...

“So Ba- the Bladed One is some kind of traitor, a malevolent deity? What does that have to do with why you're hiding in this dump?”

Both of them bristled at his words and Hiemi opened her mouth, clearly prepared to argue, but Noctis' hand on her shoulder held her back. She leaned backwards, still glaring at Gladio like he had insulted her personally.

“It's got everything tah do with it”, said Noctis. “Do yah know the stories of the Lucis Caelums tha' had a magic different from wha' was expected of them?”

Gladio hesitated. He tried to think of the old stories Noctis had liked to read in the archives, when he had been allowed down there, but none came to mind. It was strange, since this was the main reason he had started to like reading historical romance. Try as he might, he couldn't remember a single of those stories the young prince had liked to ramble about on occasion.

“I... cannot say I do, no”, he admitted, feeling strangely ashamed of it.

Noctis just sighed. “Tha's alrigh'. They've always ended violently, with the death of the Lucis Caelum in question, and more often than not with innocent bystanders dead. There're records of Kings killing their own children tah minimize the inevitable damage they'd cause if left tah live. Dad told me the last one left to live died when he collapsed a house on top of him, also killing the people within the building and most of the bystanders. Ah managed tah find records from the Founder's time, where King Somnus decreed in the Bladed One's name tha' every child not of black magic was Bad Faith.”

Gladio gave a quiet curse. He remembered now, the sordid stories Noctis had told and had given him a sour taste in his mouth every single time. The prince seemed to have noticed his discomfort at his retellings and had stopped them after some time. It hadn't stopped him from going into the archives, however.

All of a sudden he had a very bad feeling about this.

“Please tell me you aren't one of those cases, Noctis”, he all but begged, already knowing the answer to this.

Ruefully, the prince in hiding shook his head. “If he finds me it's only a question of time before something happens. Do yah understand? Ah can't go Up because for some reason we can't figure out, He can't find me here. As long as ah'm here nothing'll happen.”

“And what of the rest of Lucis? Should it fall into chaos, conquered by Nifelheim, because you were too much of a coward?”

Noctis pressed his lips into a thin line in displeasure. “And what would you have me do, Gladio? Wait for the dragon to kill me? I've wanted to just march up to the Citadel so many times, I've lost count. You have no idea how much it hurt to stay away from all of you.”

In his ire he was starting to lose that damn accent that had been starting to grate on Gladio.

“Stop!” thundered Hiemi before the argument could escalate any further, her presence backed up by the feeling of powerful magic. “We've been talking abou' contacting His Royal Majesty for some time now. 'Specially in the last few days. The children've been excited ever since they heard we've been considering it. Healer, ah think it's abou' time we finally did it.”

“I... yes”, he relented after a few moments of silence. “It's abou' time.”

#ffxv #dreams of our past #gladiolus amicitia #hiemi is an overprotective fury #two hard headed people meeting each other #well #this could have gone better #cat's out of the bag now #gladio finally finds noctis #he could have handled that better #but also so much worse #iris has the staarscourge #and because of *plot* she's getting treatment #ardyn is having a hard time believing what just happened #he needs to sit down for a minute #my fics #the spirit writes

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damijon-supersons · 7 years

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Damijon Week Day 1:Slice of life? Very poor choice of words… - A DamiJon Fic

Notes:

Heyo! So DamiJon week is here and here’s my meager contribution. So this is gonna be an entire week and imma do my best to write for every day...cuz this fic right here is the first chapter of a series I’m making that follows the prompts for each day of the week. This one is the middleschool au prompt (er, not so au anymore cuz the comics are doing it, but in my version, Damian and Jon are classmates :p) and I’ll continue this with the next prompts and days as much as I can. So yeah, I hope you guys like it, and help support the week by submitting and tagging content! ( Jondamiweek2018, or Damijonweek2018)

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

“Mr. Wayne,” Mr Tomas called out firmly. His tone wasn’t overly pissed as all hell, but it was definitely in the range of ‘you-are-in such-deep-trouble’.

Jon winced as he glanced back two rows to his left. Although it wasn’t his name that was getting called out for a grade-A chewing-out, he couldn’t help but cringe as he watched Damian stand defiantly, meeting the teacher’s glare with a steely look of his own.

“What have I told you about giving unsolicited comments to your classmates?” the elderly man snapped.

“That you discourage my efforts to take over your job,” Damian quipped coolly.

Jon could see a vein throbbing on the side of Mr. Tomas’ head. The young Kent buried his face in his hands as he felt what can only be explained as shame on behalf of his friend.

“I said,” the teacher declared with an even louder voice, “that you leave the teaching to me. Your preferred method of teaching doesn’t conform to our school’s…standards of decency.”

“I was under the impression that I was doing Gino a favor by correcting his mistake with a succinct explanation,” Damian countered smoothly. There was no doubt that he could match the older man’s stiff formality, albeit with a hint of insolence.

“You wrote on his test paper,” Mr. Tomas raised the sheet in front of him and adjusted his glasses, “only an idiot would confuse Steinbeck’s symbolism for the pearl as anything other than greed and avarice. How stupid can you be?” He looked daggers at Damian, who merely shrugged in reply.

“I’m not wrong,” Damian insisted.

“Mr. Wayne,” Mr. Tomas sighed deeply and heavily as if he was regretting his choices in life, “I’ll need to have a word with your father for this…”

“And I wish you the best of luck with that…sir.” Damian added the epithet as a lazy afterthought. “My father is very busy with his work and if you can grab his attention with something as trivial as this, you deserve a medal.”

Mr. Tomas gritted his teeth. Jon knew that his teacher was just itching to give Damian a harsher punishment, but couldn’t because Damian was the son of the school’s largest donor and honorary chairman, Bruce Wayne.

Damian sat back down with a satisfied look on his face. If Damian were anyone else, the class might have laughed appreciatively. But Jon could see how the other boys and girls either glared at Damian or inched away from him. It was almost like Damian was surrounded by an invisible force field of suck.

***

Jon had been extremely excited when he’d found out that he and Damian were going to the same school. He’d fantasized about being locker buddies with Damian, eating lunch with him, doing homework, doing phys ed…everything, really. It was like Jon’s best dream come true. Everything was going to be fun, amazing, and infinitely awesome. But whatever giddiness he’d had back then had been replaced by a dull painful ache inside his stomach, one that would tug at his insides whenever Damian did…well…anything.

They’ve been enrolled at West-Reeve School for two weeks. Two Weeks. But for Jon, it felt like forever as he witnessed Damian’s not-so-simple adjustment period.

On the first day, Damian had been late, and someone had already taken the seat Jon that had saved for him. He’d been looking forward to being seatmates with Damian, too… When he’d asked Damian what the reason was for his tardiness, Damian had said that he’d gone out on patrol and ‘enjoyed’ himself before he was ‘shackled down to the education system’.

On the second day, they were grouped up in social studies to present in class. Damian had loudly protested that he should have been the leader of their group, because he was smarter than any of his groupmates. He had been voted out of the group, and the teacher had let him do the presentation alone. He’d still gotten the highest marks.

On the fourth day, some would-be bullies—some 8th graders—started to put the moves on Damian. It was nothing serious, really. They’d just started crowding around Damian and kind of coerced him to strike a conversation with them, because he was the ‘famous secret son of Bruce Wayne’. Then they’d made unflattering remarks about the fact that Damian’s mom had never been publicly identified. They’d left Damian after that, but the next day, the student body was abuzz about three 8th grade boys who’d had to be rushed to the hospital for broken limbs.

Three days ago, during an experiment in science, Damian had…almost assaulted their classmate Ben Percy. Damian had thrown a metal stirrer at the beaker Ben had been holding, shattering it, and staining Ben’s clothes with its contents. Damian had argued that Ben was about to ‘stupidly’ inhale the acrid vapor coming from the concoction like ‘an idiot’, which could have corroded his nostrils, so he’d taken action. Damian had narrowly avoided trouble because Ben hadn’t denied it, but he also argued that Damian could have used less violent methods.

Jon couldn’t do anything but wring his hands in exasperation, as Damian failed to realize that most middle-schoolers couldn’t throw objects with deadly accuracy like say, a batarang. That, and Damian’s little stunt was definitely in the list of ‘things that will make it obvious we’re actually superheroes’, which included, among other things, using their powers—Jon’s powers, mostly—for anything while in school.

He’d talked to Damian about that during one lunch period, but Damian had given him his usual stubborn replies. Today, he tried again.

“Damian,” Jon began as he bit into his sandwich and swallowed, “could you at least try to not be a jerk to the other kids?”

“Not my fault if they’re too slow to keep up with me,” Damian grunted in-between sips of orange juice. “Besides, I don’t see why they should have an issue with my attitude…I mean, you can take it.”

The pair sat on the school’s roof deck with their backs pressed against the wall of a maintenance closet. Ever since day one, Damian had refused point-blank to eat at the cafeteria with the other kids. This is how Jon found himself up the roof with Damian, eating their lunch, even though no one was allowed there. Damian had assured him that nothing will happen to them, because his dad practically owned the school—which wasn’t wrong.

“Damian,” Jon sighed wearily. “I’m used to you. We’re friends and we’ve known each other for a long time now. Our classmates didn’t have that time. You gotta be a little patient with them...just…play ball, y’know? How can you be a student in school if you make all the students in the school hate you?”

“I’ve infiltrated a school before…” Damian grumbled.

“You’re not pretending to be a student, dummy!” Jon chided. “You are one! This is real! We’re students! And you really should try better to be one…”

Damian stood up with a frustrated look. “You can’t imagine how irritated I am with all of this!” Damian snapped at him. Jon dropped his sandwich in surprise.

“When I was a toddler I was already taught resourcefulness and independence, to get what I need by myself. Under my father, he taught me the same, but also ingenuity, and not a small measure of willpower! Now, these…children,” Damian spat the last word out. “They expect their hands to be held at every turn. And they’re praised for it! Even you consent to it!”

Jon knew Damian wasn’t really angry at him. Damian directed his fury to the sky, the floor, and the horizon, as if he blamed the whole world for its shortcomings. Damian wanted Jon there to listen…and that’s exactly what he knew Damian needed.

“Damian…” Jon stood up beside Damian and joined him in staring at the landscape below them. They could see the school parking lot and the main road leading back to downtown Metropolis. Students milled around the grounds and some of the younger kids ran around chasing each other.

“You know, the whole point of school is to hold hands…” Jon began. He grabbed Damian’s hand until their fingers intertwined, and then raised it in front of them.

“W—what are you on about?” Damian asked. If Jon hadn’t known any better, he could’ve sworn that Damian gulped.

“Sure, school teaches us…stuff…” Jon said with a cheerful tone. “But even you’d say that all the things they teach us in class are stuff you can look up online—or read in books,” Jon hastily added after seeing Damian’s disapproving look.

“But the whole point of being in a place with all these other kids learning the same things is that, you also get to see and learn stuff books will never tell you.”

“And pray tell, what are those?” Damian scoffed, his hand still clasped in Jon’s and growing warmer.

“It’s hard to explain…” Jon mused as he stuck his tongue out in thought. “But it’s a lot like our hands, see? We both have the same hands, but when we put them together…”

“We have two hands. Amazing,” Damian said flatly.

“No, dummy!” Jon insisted, shaking their combined hands emphatically. “It’s bigger together, is my point! Learning together with others is better than learning alone because you get a lot more learning done by seeing how everyone else gets it.”

“What…?” Damian asked, completely confused.

Jon stuck his tongue out again. “You get to see how what you learn is important to other people by how they learn it. Like say, Pete? His family has a farm like we used to before, so when we learned about proteins and stuff in science the other day, remember he said that they grow crops with that? Now with Gene, he’s in the track and field team, so he could be interested in that because remember, they gotta have a diet in the team.”

“Okay…?” Damian replied slowly.

“Damian…what’s the point of knowing a lot of things?” Jon asked patiently

“Knowledge is power…an advantage over your enemies,” Damian said confidently.

“No…knowledge isn’t just a sword you swing at bad guys Damian…the things you learn only matter if you know how they matter to other people. And if you know what matters to other people, only then can you help them,” Jon finished and then looked straight into Damian’s eyes.

Damian tried to hold his gaze, but something in his eyes—and frankly his gut—made him feel awkward and he chose to stare at the floor instead.

“You sound like your dad,” Damian said simply.

“It took me a while to understand that when he talked to me, to be honest,” Jon said with a grin. “I asked him why I still have to go to school when he’s Superman and I’m Superboy anyway. So he gave me this whole lecture, and I just gave it to you.”

“So…” Damian started to say, “when you study, you try to see how it’ll be useful when it comes to helping people?”

“I guess…?” Jon replied, wondering where this was leading.

“Did you study me?” Damian asked in a small voice. “Is this what you’ve learned? How to help me? Because I’ll have you know that I don’t—!”

Jon gripped Damian’s hand tighter and placed it on his chest. It promptly shut Damian up.

“You’re my friend, Damian,” Jon said with a fond smile. “You can’t stop me from wanting to help you. And I always will even if you think you don’t need it.”

“Is holding my hand really part of helping me?” Damian said finally.

“Did it help?” Jon asked.

“Yeah…it did.”

#Damijonweek2018 #JonDamiweek2018 #Damijon #super sons #Damian wayne #jonathan kent #jonathan samuel kent #fic #fanfic #robin #superboy

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lollaika · 7 years

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12 Days of Ficmas: Day 8

Multi-chapter masterpiece:

maybe i’m waking up by idrilka

Check Please! Jack signs with the Falconers and Bitty stays at Samwell and oh my are they a mess. This has the best social media representation I have read to date.

Ice Crew Please! by rosepetals42

Check Please! When Jack stays after training to go over some plays alone he meets the local Ice Crew and they literally change his life forever, especially the little blonde one, Bitty.

Arcane Dealings by joisbishmyoga

Detective Conan. This has a really intriguing set of murders, they’re also really bloody and it also has awesome character interactions. Go forth and enjoy the trip to hell.

Wage Your War by Della19

Hannibal, ABO. When Will meets Hannibal he knows he has found the alpha he wants to stay beside. Now he’s just gotta make Hannibal think that it was his idea to pursue Will. I love this story. I also love Will in this story.

Through the Glass by dentalfloss

Marvel. When Clint is recruited into Shield Fury doubts his loyalty. What he doesn’t know is that Clint’s loyalty has been assured in a very unconventional way and when Clint’s handler dies nobody is left to tell Phil, who is now responsible for the Archer. Awesome story, I lost count of how often I have read this one.

All The Leaves Are Brown (And the sky is gray) by AvocadoLove

Marvel. When the Winter Soldier is sent on a mission to kill the Starks he cannot bring himself to kill Tony, so instead he takes the child and runs and runs and runs, until all he has left to do is to raise a freaking child.

The Act of Creation Will Be Your Salvation by scifigrl47

Marvel. My absolute favorite Steve/Tony fanfic, with Dummy as the matchmaker and many confusing feelings and many heartbroken confessions and oh my god I love it.

Shadowlord and Pirate King by Footloose and mushroomtale

Merlin. Where Arthur is the son of the Pirate King, Uther Pendragon and Merlin is an assassin and the two meet in a most unconventional way. Also this is set in space.

These Violent Delights by pasiphile

Sherlock, MorMor. The violent and dramatic story of how Sebastian Moran found, worked for and outlived Jim Moriarty.

Atlas by distractedKat

Star Trek. Spock has always been baffled by Kirk, this never changes even if his bafflement gets more and more benevolent through the time they spent together. If only Kirk would stop putting himself in dangerous situations.

Devil of Mercy by KouriArashi

Teen Wolf. When Peter sees Stiles at a high society event he claims the boy. Stiles however has better things to do than to be claimed by an asshole, for example, finding his father.

Monster mash:

Following the Beast by Footloose and mushroomtale

Merlin. Arthur is the Antichrist and Merlin is the Warlock he wants to have working for him. No, it does not matter what Merlin thinks of this.

Sharp Teeth and Bird Bones by Shaish and Stringlish

Marvel. Bucky is a merman, the rest stays pretty much the same. Heart-wrenching and awesome and forever freakishly good.

Call My Name by KouriArashi

Teen Wolf. Stiles has always seen monsters, a fact that stumped psychologists wherever he and his father moved to. When his hallucinations get worse after moving back to Beacon Hills he is admitted to Eichen House, where the man recurrently appearing in his dreams is held captive. Peter says he can prove that Stiles is not crazy if Stiles can get him out. But should Stiles trust him?

#12DaysOfFicmasRecs #omgcp #marvel #teen wolf #sherlock #merlin #star trek #hannibal #detective conan

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artificialqueens · 7 years

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E.V.O.L - Chapter 7 (Trixya) - VicThirteen

A/N: Oh, hey. Looks like I’m alive! To the sweethearts that like this story sorry for the wait. It’s been rough month, I wasn’t super uninspired and just couldn’t write. But I plan on giving this fic closure!

So, is this a straight up filler chapter just because I was in the mood for fluff and smut? Hell yeah it is. But it seems like some people are also in the mood for it, so let’s be little happy together.

Thank you so much for Evelyn for always being willing to be my beta and listen to me ramble through my bad days. I love you!

Chapter 7 – L.O.V.E. Do you love me?

Katya never thought about herself as a romantic person. She was used to doing what she wanted when she wanted because she wanted. She was moved by her desires and what felt good to her. But now she felt like someone else. Every time the life sized Barbie walked through her door, she could do about anything to keep those pink lips curved in a smile.

She would help Trixie stretch and rehearse her choreography, she would pick Trixie up from rehearsals and take her to lunch, she would make her bed and clean her house so, when Trixie arrived with her, she would feel welcomed again. She even caught herself trying to cook her dinner one night, which didn’t quite go well, but was easily fixed with a pizza.

This was a little scary. Katya wasn’t used to diving in like this, but since Trixie opened her precious golden heart to her, she just had to tear down the walls. Trixie told her about how her dad was an asshole and let her down in every way. She told her about how her mom wasn’t really impressed by her choice of career, but didn’t care enough to fight her on it. She talked about how lonely she felt being judged as a dumb blondie aiming for fame and how no one seemed to appreciate her hard work.

Katya made sure to hold her close and kiss every piece of Trixie’s skin she could reach. Like, maybe, her kisses could make the bad feelings go away somehow and her embrace would keep her safe from everything. And, in some ways, they really did. Suddenly Trixie felt like the princess she always wanted to be. Turns out she didn’t really need a thousand people telling her they loved her. She just wanted to hear it from Katya, but the words were yet to be let out.

Everyday Trixie got more and more nervous about her performance. Along with Pearl and Kim, she was giving her all and making her best ideas turn into a beautiful show. They kept adding new tricks and twists and it really felt like they were making something special. But the closer it got to being ready, the more scared Trixie felt to fuck it up.

“I don’t know why I had this stupid idea. It’s obvious I’m not good enough for this. God, I’m screwed”, she cried out throwing herself on Katya’s bed. The woman had watched her practice her steps a thousand times all around the house, from the minute they got there.

“I’ve never heard you say so much bullshit altogether”, Katya sat next to her and reached for her hurt feet, recently released from the tight pointe shoes. “You’re amazing, baby. You’re already killing it, you have nothing to worry about” she comforted the girl while massaging her swollen toes.

“It’s gonna be open for the public, you know? The whole school comes to watch the final performances. There’s gonna be a crowd.”

“So this is your chance to snatch all of their wigs, honey. They’re gonna be bright bald by how talented you are. Everyone is gonna love you.”

Trixie sighed and looked away, a little afraid to go on with the words that were floating in her mind at the moment. “Are you coming?”

“I am! I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

“So are you gonna love me too?”

The moment of silence made Trixie’s stomach turn. She kept looking around the room, embarrassed to look Katya in the eyes. The weight on the mattress around her shifted and bony hands held her own, making her turn to find the light blue eyes starring down at her with the softest smile underneath them.

“Trixie… I already do.”

A smile crept on the girl’s face when she heard that, her fingers moving to intertwine with Katya’s. “You do?”

“Yeah” Katya reached down and placed a tender kiss to Trixie’s lips, sighing as she pulled away. “I’m sorry if I’m not very vocal about it. My thing is more like showing my love with little things than putting it into words.”

The smile on Trixie’s face was now full, making her bright blue eyes almost shut. “It’s okay, I can feel it. And I love you too.”

Their lips joined in a slow soft kiss, so much meaning being shared with the touch of their tongues, hearts racing in silence. Love had always been a rough spot for the two of them, and finding happiness like that made them soar. Katya was seen as an unlovable heartbreaker, so no one ever gave her the time to show something else. Trixie was seen as a slutty social climber that only liked herself, so no one ever had the patience to wait for her to open up. They were two beautiful people that got fucked up by the evil of the world and became lonely. But now they were doing their best not to fuck love up like everything else.

“Tell you what”, Katya said when they pulled apart, still stroking Trixie’s face, “I’m gonna help you relax and give you the star treatment for your big day, okay? Come spend the night tomorrow and then in the morning I’ll drive you to college. What do you think?”

“I think you’re just dying to fuck me again” Trixie made them both laugh.

“That’s not a lie, but I swear it’s not my main goal.”

“I’m kidding, dummy. I would love to.”

–

Setting things up for her night with Trixie made Katya happy and calm. She had been stressing all week about the fact that her work at the studio wasn’t translating into anything useful, even when she tried to get the other artists new exhibitions. All the bad feelings were pushed aside when she picked out a baby pink bath bomb that smelled like vanilla and roses, bought some pre-cooked Italian food (she only had to heat it and add the sauce, it couldn’t go wrong) and picked a bubbly rosé wine she imagined Trixie would like. Just tonight, her girl deserved to be a little buzzed and very relaxed.

Getting home, after she tidied everything up, it was time to prepare another surprise for her Barbie. Katya tapped on her phone searching for the contact number and pressed the call button. A few rings after, a cheerful voice picked up.

“Hello!”

“Hi, darling! How are you doing?”

“Oh my god! I’m great! How are you, girl? I’m so happy that you called, I’ve been meaning to go see you for a while, but you know how busy this business can keep us…”

“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, honey! I’m doing okay. Actually, I’m calling to ask if you’re busy tomorrow. I would love for you to meet me somewhere.”

–

Trixie checked herself in the mirror again. A cute white dress covered in baby pink hearts marked her waist and made her hips look rounder. She knew Katya liked her thighs, so she was glad they showed under the short skirt. She double checked her bag, making sure she got everything she was gonna need for the night and to bring with her to college the day after. After a last fluff on her curls, her phone buzzed to let her know Katya was outside.

“Okay, Kim, I’m going. I’ll be in the auditorium tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp. If anything happens you can call me, okay?”

“Trixie, don’t worry” Kim said, looking up from her phone, lying on her bed. “We have everything we need, it’s all good. Go enjoy your night with your girlfriend.”

Trixie felt her face get warm. “I don’t know if she’s my girlfriend”, she rolled her eyes trying to make it casual. “I mean, we’re together, but we haven’t discussed it like that and-”

“Trixie!” the Korean girl cut her. “She’s waiting! Good night!”

The blonde girl laughed and grabbed her bag, then ran out to meet Katya just finishing a cigarette inside her car.

“Hi, chimney! How was your day?” She got into the passenger seat and placed a quick kiss to the woman’s lips.

“It was very good actually! And just so you know, I promised myself not to smoke tonight. So that was my goodnight cigarette. Feel honored!” Katya joked with a serious face while she started driving.

“Oh, wow! I do!” Trixie said with an ironic tone, but, on the inside, she meant it. That was thoughtful of Katya and her heart felt like a warm bundle of joy. They spent the car ride talking about Katya’s adventures shopping around the city – because for her any ordinary trip to the grocery store became an adventure – and Trixie’s frustration at Kim’s chill attitude. “I mean, she’s so calm! She’s not even nervous! I swear to God, she spent the day watching fucking anime!”

Katya laughed at the girl’s irritation and felt even more ready to give her a wonderful night. Once they arrived at her house, Trixie went upstairs to leave her bag in Katya’s bedroom and when she got back down, the woman was waiting for her with a glass of wine in hand.

“I hope you like it. I have no idea what it tastes like.”

Trixie took the glass with a surprised smile and sipped, the sweetness pleasing her mouth along with the fizzy bubbles. “It’s delicious! Wow, you really meant it when you said I was getting the star treatment, huh?” She chuckled and moved closer, Katya immediately embracing her waist with her arms.

“Oh yeah, baby. And I hope you’re hungry!”

“I actually am” Trixie nodded and looked around the room, noticing the dining table set beautifully with two tall candles waiting to be lit. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but I sure am surprised.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment” Katya squeezed the girl’s sides playfully and let go of her to head to the kitchen.

Trixie looked into the over decorated living room and sighed. For a second she feared she would suddenly wake up alone in her bed. But, luckily for her, she was wide awake and Katya was placing a steaming pot of gnocchi on the center of the dining table.

The woman lit the candles with her lighter and pulled one of the chairs, turning to Trixie. “My lady.”

The girl walked to the table, putting her wine glass down and smoothing her skirt while she sat. Katya served them both and even sprinkled shredded Parmesan cheese on top of their food. She sat across from Trixie and waited for the girl to try her meal.

“Oh my god!” she said before swallowing. “This is so good! Did you cook this yourself?”

“Well, kinda. Not really. But I prepared it!”

“Got it” they laughed and Trixie sipped her wine.

“I have no idea if this kind of wine goes with this food, but if you don’t like it I can share my apple juice with you” Katya raised her glass and took a sip.

“Nah, I don’t know anything about this stuff either. But everything is delicious. Thank you so much, babe.” A happy smile grew on Trixie’s face and was mirrored by Katya.

“You don’t need to thank me for anything” Katya winked and took another bite of her food. “May I say, you look astonishingly hot in that dress” she said with a flare that made Trixie laugh.

“Why, thank you very much! And you are astonishingly hot being all fancy and spoiling me like this. I must repay you somehow, my love.”

“I can think of a few things…” Katya smirked and they both laughed.

After they were done with dinner, Katya let Trixie choose anything she wanted to watch on the tv. She wasn’t very excited when the girl chose the latest episode of American Horror Story – she hated that show -, but she was happy to have Trixie clinging to her for the entire hour and hiding her cute face in her neck when she was scared.

“Shit, this season got heavy. So much fucking gore!”

“Oh well, I don’t know how you like to watch this show” Trixie glared at the comment and Katya raised her hands defensively. “I don’t like it! I have the right! But I’m glad to make you happy if this was what you wanted to see.”

The younger girl chuckled and answered with a kiss that started sweet, but didn’t take long to heat up. They made out on the sofa, Trixie leaning on top of Katya, the woman groping her ass and thick thighs.

“I think we should go upstairs” Katya said interrupting their kiss. She pulled the girl by the hand into her bedroom, where she slowly started to take Trixie’s dress off. She put her lips close to the girl’s ear and said in a low voice, while her hands roamed around her body “Let’s get in the tub”.

Trixie turned with a surprised smile, but happily agreed. She could use a warm bath, especially with Katya. After the artist stripped off of all of her clothes, she opened the bathroom door to reveal scented candles everywhere and a half filled bathtub. “I’m just gonna get some hot water in” Katya reached the right tap and opened it.

While the water poured and a warm steam rose, Katya turned to light the candles (Smokers! Got lighters everywhere!) and right after got rid of Trixie’s underwear. “You look gorgeous in these, baby”, she said, kissing Trixie’s shoulder while she pulled her bra off. “But you look even better without it.”

When the water was warm enough, they got in, Katya sitting with her back against the tub’s wall and Trixie between her legs. The girl let her head fall on the woman’s chest, feeling her arms wrap lovingly around her. “This feels so good, Katya. I can’t believe you took the time to give me all of this.”

“Of course I did” Katya responded and moved a little to the side, so she could look Trixie in the eyes. “I love you.”

Trixie’s heart beat so fast she feared Katya would hear it. “I love you too.”

They kissed without any rush and caressed each other’s face, smiles appearing on both of their lips.

“Oh, almost forgot!” Katya suddenly lit up, her blue eyes wide with excitement. She stretched her arm to the outside of the tub and pulled up a paper bag, offering to Trixie. “I think you’re gonna like this.”

The girl took it with a little hesitation, but her face lit up just like Katya’s when she pulled the pink ball out of the bag. “Oh my god! I’ve always wanted one of these! I never tried it before!”

“Go ahead!”

The two smiled like little kids watching a magic trick when Trixie dropped the bah bomb into the water and it started to bubble. Soon the whole water was sparkling light pink and the remains of the ball started to reveal rose petals from the inside.

“Ah, it’s so pretty! And it smells so good! You got it so right, I love it!”

“Yes!” Katya raised a fist in a commemorative motion that made Trixie laugh. Smiling, she proceeded to take a bottle from the side of the tub and squirted some liquid soap into her hand. “Now let’s get you reaaally relaxed, shall we?”

“Hm-hmm” Trixie hummed in a cheerful agreement, turning her back to Katya when the woman started to rub her shoulders and neck, making a silky white foam appear from the soap.

Katya massaged the girl’s back, pressing and rubbing in all the right places. Her hands traveled down Trixie’s arms, around them, over her ribs and met at her boobs. She stroked them with care, coating them in soap, and watched Trixie’s skin start to tingle as her nipples got hard. Katya fondled the two buds with her fingers and kissed the girl’s neck, earning a subtle moan in return.

“Katya?” Trixie called, placing her own hands over the other’s and moving them together around herself.

“Yes, baby?”

“Are you my girlfriend?”

Katya’s hands stopped moving and Trixie turned to look at her, scared that she said the wrong thing at the wrong moment. “I mean, do you want to be? It’s just that I caught myself not really knowing what to call you and it sounded right to-”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“You kinda ruined my moment, I was thinking of a way to make it an official thing, but I take it. Of course I want to be your girlfriend, are you kidding me?”

Trixie laughed in relief and wrapped her arms around Katya’s neck, sitting sideways on her lap. “Sorry!” She buried her face in the woman’s neck and laughed again, a little whisper coming out of her lips. “I’m Katya Zamolodchikova’s girlfriend!”

They both shook with Katya’s huge, scandalous laughter. “And I am Barbie’s girlfriend! Who knew she’d prefer a mess of a woman over Ken, huh?”

“Any day, baby!” Trixie kissed her excitedly, placing her knees on each side of Katya’s legs, pressing their bodies together. “I think I’m gonna need more space to thank you properly for this night.”

Katya grinned and moved to get up, being followed by Trixie. She put a fluffy towel around the girl, but it was quickly discarded once they started kissing again, blindly pulling each other back into the bedroom and falling on the bed.

Trixie crawled on top of Katya, her soft hands running up her legs and squeezing at the hips. With her thick thighs firmly placed on each side, they kissed, Katya holding Trixie’s face with her fingers gently rubbing at her neck. They pulled away slowly, Trixie’s hands on the mattress besides Katya’s face, looking down at the woman and she felt her heart race with excitement again. Those blue eyes that were almost gray looked up at her, shining like two little starts, her sharp cheekbones seeming softer over the smile that grew on her face.

“What?” Katya asked, tilting her head a little to the side, and Trixie realized she was staring in silence.

“You’re so beautiful.”

A new reaction appeared on Katya’s face. She blushed, and Trixie made sure to engrave that in her memory. Their kiss was gentle and meaningful, tasting each other’s mouth and touching every piece of the other’s skin they could reach. Trixie pulled up, leaving Katya’s lips with little pecks, continuing around her jaw and down her neck. She sucked and bit at the skin when Katya let a moan out, doing everything extra slowly, not only to tease, but to learn properly what made those amazing sounds come out of her girlfriend.

Girlfriend! Trixie’s lips curved up in a smile and she moved down, kissing Katya’s chest, her lips lingering a little longer over her heartbeat, then taking her left nipple to suck on. Katya’s right hand tangled in Trixie’s humid hair, caressing and tugging a little, letting her desire be known. Trixie kept kissing her body all the way down to her crotch, stopping to settle herself between her legs, her arms holding around Katya’s thighs.

Trixie placed an open mouth kiss over Katya’s pussy and felt her own throb at how wet the older woman was. She proceeded to lick and suck, looking up through her eyelashes to see Katya’s eyes rolled back, her mouth open in a perfect O shape, her chest rising and falling hard. With a loud suction sound Trixie pulled away.

“We don’t have to be quiet tonight, right?” Katya simply shook her head and bit her lip, grinning. “Then let me hear you.”

Katya shivered at her words and let her head fall back, her back arching when Trixie went back to eating her out. Her throat buzzed with the moan that came out of her, the feeling of Trixie’s full lips around her clit while her tongue rubbed against it was almost too much.

“Oh my God, Trixie. I- Ah!” The girl’s nails dug into her thighs, the sound of Katya unraveling in pleasure made her even wetter. “Come here”, Katya called and pulled her by the wrists, kissing her desperately.

They both reached down at the same time, smart fingers touching the other at the right place. Trixie slid two fingers in and worked them in and out, the heel of her palm pressing against Katya’s clit. Katya rolled her hips while her fingers entered Trixie and fucked her at the same rhythm. Their foreheads were pressed together and the bright blue eyes stared right into the gray-blue ones. Their moans mixed up like a melody while their lips kept brushing, hips rocking against each other, heat rising and it all went blurry when Katya’s eyebrows arched up and she cried out.

“Fuck, Trixie, I’m- I’m coming.” Her legs tensed and her toes curled and, when Trixie screamed into her neck it was clear that she had reached her climax as well.

They slowly settled their head against the pillows, curling up against each other, little kisses shared while their ears still buzzed.

“How is this real?” Trixie whispered, her eyelids fluttering down.

“I don’t know, but I’m glad it is”, Katya answered, blindly pulling a soft sheet over them.

Trixie hummed against her, already drifting off. Katya squeezed her arms around her and thought, “If love is really evil, than this is one wicked way to go”. And with a smile on her lips she joined her girlfriend’s unconsciousness.

#trixya #trixie mattel #katya zamolodchikova #fluff #smut #cisgirl au #evol #victhirteen #rpdr fanfiction #submission #lesbian au

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josefranconline · 5 years

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Internet Marketing Strategies For Beginners Sales Funnel Small Business Guru 2017

WORK WITH ME ►► http://justsendtraffic.com/auto5k Internet Marketing Strategies For Beginners Sales Funnel Small Business Guru 2017 Message me on FB: http://facebook.com/jedimarketer Call, Text or Leave Me a Message 1-----604----243----2035 I have been doing Internet marketing since 2008. I have struggled dearly in that time, actually for the first 3.5 years of my journey I failed miserably. And the main reason behind that was my inability to find a mentor that I could trust and work with. Actually its is 100% my fault because I couldnt. Not because there wasnt any good mentors out there. I was just too cheap to find one lol Fast forward to today, I am running a full time internet marketing business from home while been a full time daddy. I generate close to 100-150 leads per day because of the automation of youtube and my systems I have in place. I utilize technology to automate the normal tasks I would have had to do back in 2008. These days I am teaching people how to market on youtube, facebook, bing ads ppc, and other means. I show folks the ropes on how to generate leads from internet marketing to market any business they want to promote. My training and mentorship can work for anyone in any industry. The key to marketing is application and action. If you apply what I teach, it will work for you. WORK WITH ME ►► http://justsendtraffic.com/auto5k Twitter: http://twitter.com/genewolff Instagram http://instagram.com/gene.wolff My blog: https://genewolff.com/ internet marketing strategies jobs ninjas definition salary course association degree forum manager inc articles analyst affiliate atlanta programs agency los angeles miami and its importance in 2016 a group an company starting business what is consultant strategy project on plan books blog bar basics bachelor's benefits for newbies boise b to b&n b&s channels refer certificate consists of which the following practices careers companies near me conference coordinator center 10 c's 7 4 ten six seven 3 c c'est quoi director online job description deland documentary disadvantages domain name ideas cursuri de strategii vivir jimmy d. brown universiteit chaffey d curso estrategias gratis examples essentials education expert effectiveness expo ezine explained essay email swipes ecommerce e-mphasis ebook e creative tom e-vantage learning e-cycle pdf cycle p dummies fort lauderdale small owners real estate agents funnel full sail facts gurus buy growth goals guide giveaways glossary google adwords genius ali g jani brian johnson how help history hashtags get started helpline make money hub hacks highway h&m integrating offline images glassdoor industry internship icon i titles outlook jokes orlando seattle from home journal j & int advertising keywords kings list kansas city kurs kya hai knjiga kursus kotler key terms las vegas lancaster pa leads laws lifestyle logo lingo leaders lesson plans launches l'internet l et le cos'è l'oreal mastermind alliance meaning magazine major mentor millionaires mix m&s m tech obrt za news niche newsletter spell check pricing naics code pick n pay opportunities courses facebook options organizations outsourcing services objectives challenges advantages types customers elements party podcasts products austin phoenix template plr p's saj 5 four five pp&p 8 quotes quizlet quiz questions questionnaire research quora question paper quick tips qatar q&a resume reddit review rss feeds resources roberts zahay report card sales statistics san diego scams school software specialist designation s traditional v s.r.o training tools techniques tampa trends 2017 textbook at&t t shirts university unimelb uk unit 12 usa untuk pemula upwork test bisnis kecil p1 udemy posao u marketingu uvod bih sportu crnoj gori osiguranju poslovanju ulaganje best video vs digital network vocabulary social media vancouver tutorials vuw internet-marketing-seo-intro internet-marketing-seo-intro.rar seo forex mlm telemarketing tv west palm beach website wiki wordpress theme it workshop write us webinar templates work problems with issues earn success x2 xl xativa xiaomi xoomim xeo design x xib dotcomsecrets coaching program mr andrew chris michael extreme youtube yahoo answers videos yang efektif york your bagus baik y internacional directo el d2 s.l relacion entre ppt nuevo zoom zakljucak zagreb zanimljivosti new zealand zero hero meetup zimbabwe z college 0711-netz 101 1990s eben pagan 100 secrets 1099 chapter 1 america's #1 tier introduction introducing ag 2014 2015 2010 2013 ebg 2.0 level 2 llc master 3rd edition 360 350 barnsley ltd 3.0 limited 3h principles e's btec pillars components evet 4ps 4th beginners lawyers 5s 50 generations france over fortune 500 dave 5th 5weight 50onred top manfaat edge step forums 6 i's categories 7ps 7w b.v teknik tahap stages steps stage tahapan 85027 8nv 8020 em passos 9gag indonesia 99 gagal 90's 9 vindkracht 2017 video: https://youtu.be/c_-6fkd2s3o https://321-internetmarketing.co.education/internet-marketing-strategies-for-beginners-sales-funnel-small-business-guru-2017/

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officialroyalqueen · 5 years

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Wisdom Five CHOOSE THAT VERY SPECIAL ROUTE THAT IS DESIGNED EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd” ~ Josiah G. Holland I can’t forget what happened in my grade ten. I was ignorant of this very fact; to follow the path meant for me and not the path meant for someone else. My mother just like every good mom wanted the best for me, she supported me the best way she could, but she was not literate. In grade ten I was confused; I was not sure if I was meant to join the science or the art class, I was good in both. I asked my bosom friend as at that time where she would like to be and without a second thought she said “science class of course”. I was still yet to ask the reason behind her decision when she continued, “I would like to be a nurse and I will study and work abroad”. I was almost shaking because it was like my friend has her life all figured out and am the ‘dummy’ that does not know where I was headed. The next thing I heard was my friend’s voice. She asked; “why are you silent?” I said “wow! I will join the science class too because I’ll love to study medicine”. I knew deep down that I was simply deceiving myself because I came up with that answer right there. I didn’t think it through and was not sure it was truly what I wished to become. We joined the science class and ‘yes’ we were two out of the best three in the science class. I was so dedicated and studious because I enjoyed being one of the best. But then I knew I’ve followed the wrong path, I made a wrong choice. I was offered admission to study Physics in the university, instead of medicine or pharmacy which were my first and second choices. All through the four years course I paddled the ship of my academic excellence to safe landing. I never enjoyed it as I should because I felt wrongly placed, although any knowledge acquired can always be put to good use, a truth that kept me safe. As a teenager we sometimes value the opinion of others more than we value our own views. There is no one that can tell you about you more than yourself though you must discover yourself first to be able to self-direct. If you have parents that understands and can guide you, that’s very fine, but allowing your friends or any person dictate the course of your life based on sentimental values could be disastrous. Don’t be in a hurry to impress anyone. To conclude my story, my friend actually did study nursing abroad. But on the contrary, I’m not in the hospital as a doctor neither I’m I a professional engineer or a physicist because it all wasn’t my true calling. I figured out myself along the line and today I’m doing what I love most; public speaking and mentorship. The person exerting influence over your life today may not be around or be considered a close friend months or years from now. Your clique of friends will change over time. Therefore, you must be certain to make choices that are right for you for the long term, not necessarily right for your friends of today. Sometimes it may feel like others have found themselves and you are just the only one left, that is not true. It is important for you to know that almost everyone around you is trying to figure things out just like you are doing. So, you have to be careful about letting these people give you insight into your own life and how it should be lived. Be aware too that your prowess might not be evident in academics but in other life endeavors. Be smart enough to disengage from friends that want you to follow route that is not for you. At 10, I had a friend way older than I was; she was thirteen years old at the time. She almost messed with my head. Everyone warned me against being close to her but I couldn’t totally avoid her because they were family friends. Her siblings were friends with my siblings and that was the basis of our friendship. One day she came to me and said, “Let’s get a boyfriend”, at first I was confused but she continued “don’t worry I will get one for you”. Call it instinct or whatever I told her that I was not going down that lane, and as if that was not enough she tried to deceive and lead me to visit her own male friend. I was very convinced that this was not the route specially designed for me. It was certainly not what I should be found doing at that stage of my life. Luckily for me, I never yielded to her persuasion and subsequently my family relocated out of the city. I can go on and on explaining how many times I have been tempted to do things against my will but in all I stood tall because that was not my route and I knew it. The reason for this chapter is to encourage you to be an independent thinker, to differentiate the right from wrong. And always choose the right path of life. Kindly Support me to make more copies, that would be given to those that can't afford this book, a copy is $8. We can also ship it to anyone/school you want it distributed. We are all a product of influence but you have a choice, you either choose to be influenced positively or negatively. There are some influences that are very necessary and beneficial such as learning etiquettes, how to combine colors, learning skills. These kinds of influence are good and will never take away your originality instead it will add value by getting you more refined. I might like the way Sarah weaves her hair and I decide to do mine like that, that is influence right? But does that make me look like Sarah? Certainly not! But if I admire Sarah and the way she frolics around men and I join her; will I end up like Sarah? The answer could be a ‘yes’ and possibly even worse because Sarah might know her way around such matters more than I do. Like we discussed in the first chapter, we have a choice, we are in control. Therefore things should not control us. To help you digest what I’m saying; answer the following questions; Do I dress in a manner that is suitable and portrays my personality or I’m I following the social trend so that people don’t say I’m backward? Do I have boyfriends/girlfriends because I was called a small naïve girl/boy? Is it the route I truly want to take now? Do you smoke and drink to impress some friends? Do you use languages, just because it’s a trend? I noticed that “people flow with trend even more than water flows out of the sink.” Following the crowd will get your life crowded. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a woman that has proved that women can be admired beyond extravagant fashion sense, body-shape and size. She is a literary giant, a woman that has always been modest in her speech and appearance. She recognized that the glam and glitz that many clamor for is not all she has to offer and she has proven it over the years by doing amazing and wonderful things in the literary world. There is a life compass for each and every one of us. If you use someone else compass you might end up in the wrong destination. There are much better ways to plan your future, it might not be clear to you right now. Be calm and listen to your ‘Wise mind’, you will have special understanding on how to go about things. As surprising as it might seem right now, you’ll need to listen to that intuition (Wise mind) to determine the best course and direction for your life. In fact, it might have made you become interested in certain subjects at school, or start enjoying certain extracurricular activities. Probably it disagreed with some of the ways you dress and that was the reason you told your friends ‘I don’t feel comfortable on this outfit’. Your ‘wise mind’ may have urged you to go apologize to someone you hurt, that’s why you never had peace until you did. If you’ll pay attention to this intuition and make good choices along the way you will come to understand what you should do with your life. I love this quote and will like to share it here. “Before I can tell my life what I want it to do, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. This does not come from a voice ‘out there’ calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice ‘in here’ calling me to be the person I was born to be.” ~ Parker Palmer “Choose not the easy way, or what other people do. But choose that very special route that was designed especially for you”. Kindly Support me to make more copies, that would be given to those that can't afford this book, a copy is $8. We can also ship it to anyone/school you want it distributed. Thanks for your support, it means alot to me, as an author that would want to succeed. TABLE OF CONTENT Wisdom One: HOW WISE MINDS MANAGE EMOTIONS Wisdom Two: LET’S TALK ABOUT CRUSHES, ADMIRERS, DATING AND SEX Wisdom Three: STOP DEPENDING ON OTHERS TO GIVE YOU VALUE, YOU’RE ENOUGH Wisdom Four: BOREDOM IS EVIL Wisdom Five: CHOOSE THAT VERY SPECIAL ROUTE THAT IS DESIGNED EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU Wisdom Six: DRESSING FANCIFULLY IS GOOD BUT DRESSING FROM ‘INSIDE OUT’ IS BETTER Wisdom Seven: CONNECT TO YOUR CREATIVE SIDE Wisdom Eight: BECOMING SOCIAL MEDIA WISE Wisdom Nine: SAY NO TO SEXTING Wisdom Ten: HANDLING PRESSURE Wisdom Eleven: UNDERSTANDING-LOVE-DATING-COURTSHIP Wisdom Twelve: REASONS NEVER TO RAPE Wisdom Thirteen: KNOWING AND LIVING UP TO YOUR VALUES Wisdom Fourteen: BLOSSOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED Wisdom Fifteen: MISTAKES ARE NOT BAD AFTER ALL Wisdom Sixteen: HABITS AND ADDICTION Wisdom Seventeen: START PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Wisdom Eighteen: BE EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT Wisdom Nineteen: NINETEEN GEMS OF ADVICE I WOULD GIVE MY YOUNGER SELF Advice 1: Think before You Talk Advice 2: Understand Your Environment Advice 3: Practice Hygiene Advice 4: It is wrong to take what is not yours without Permission Advice 5: Social Media Advice 6: Who You Look Up to either Makes You or Breaks You Advice 7: You don't have to follow the crowd Advice 8: Don’t Allow Anyone Destroy your Self-esteem Advice 9: Respect All Advice 10: Communicate Positively With Your Parents Advice 11: Dwarf Your Obstacles Advice 12: Share with and Hold Your Siblings in High Regards Advice 13: Aim to Draw Attention with Your Abilities Advice 14: Secrets Advice 15: The Power of Negative Assumption Advice 16: How to Overcome Negative Assumptions Advice 17: Singleness is Not a Taboo Advice 18: Making Impact Advice 19: Always remember we are all under the Same Sky

http://www.royalqueen607.com/2019/03/choosing-right-path-for-you-wisdom.html

#blog #tech #news #quotes

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rocketsocialmediamarketing-blog · 6 years

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How to Learn Social Media Marketing: 30 Resources for Beginners

Social media is no longer an optional marketing channel -- it's a necessary one.

But that doesn't mean results are a given. When it comes to social media, you'll either have a lot of success interacting with your customers, or you'll see little results -- and that depends on the level of effort you put into it.

Few brands do social media really well, and those who do, see great things come from it. But for everyone who does social media well, there are hundreds of others seemingly spinning their social wheels with no tangible results.

For many, social media is simply a place to post links to content they've created in hopes that thousands will see it, click through, and share with their followers. So they have profiles on every network, and every network looks exactly the same; line after line of self-promotion.

This is not going to bring results. In fact, Facebook's algorithm now penalizes link-based content, and Instagram has made it all-but-impossible to share a link.

Half-heartedly sharing your content on social media is not social media marketing. It's spamming.

Social marketing is a lot of work, and it takes time listening and responding. After all, it's social, and anything social takes an investment of effort and skill.

To hone these skills, check out these resources that will help you develop the skills needed to be effective on social media. (You may want to bookmark this post so you can easily refer to it again later.)

How to Learn Social Media Marketing: 30 Free Resources Blogs About Social Media Social marketing is a science involving special communication skills. And the landscape changes constantly.

One of the best ways to develop your social media prowess and to stay up-to-date is to follow experts in the field. These blogs are always fresh with actionable information you can use to improve your marketing:

1) Social Media Explorer SME is both a strategic services agency and a blog with a bevy of social media and marketing experts. The SME blog is consistently considered one of the most insightful in the industry, and several of its authors have written popular books on several aspects of digital and social marketing.

2) Scott Monty Monty is a marketing guru who covers a ton of subjects. However, his social media articles are always eye-opening. If you haven't heard of him yet, check out his "this week in digital" posts -- these will keep you up-to-date with all the news on social, and every other aspect of digital marketing as well.

3) Social Media Examiner Not to be confused with Social Media Explorer, the Examiner is one of the top blogs in the world for social media. Its social media reports are filled with all the important data social marketers want, and the blog posts are filled with valuable tips, as well. If I had to pick just one social media blog to follow, this is the one I would choose.

4) HubSpot Marketing Blog Right here on the HubSpot Marketing Blog, you can find breaking news and actionable how-to guides on every social network there is.

Ebooks About Social Media These ebooks will provide deeper information on specific networks and topics.

6) How to Use Instagram for Business This step-by-step guide explains the reasons to create a business Instagram account and how to execute on Instagram to drive results.

7) A Visual Guide to Creating the Perfect LinkedIn Company Page If you're building a company page for the first time, or trying to upgrade your page, this guide will show you exactly how to do everything from crafting an engaging company description to creating an eye-catching banner image.

8) How to Attract Customers with Facebook This multi-page ebook will show you how to use Facebook to drive real business results for your organization.

9) How to Get More Twitter Followers HubSpot partnered with the experts at Twitter to provide actionable tips for social media managers starting new accounts to build a following, and fast.

10) The Beginner's Guide to Social Media Last, but definitely not least, is this amazing guide from Moz. The 12 chapters in this book are filled with valuable information that every marketer absolutely needs to know. Bookmark this guide, you'll refer to it more than once.

Videos About Social Media Videos are my second favorite medium to learn, behind books. Being able to glean from the brightest minds on any subject as if you're face-to-face is powerful. These videos will give you valuable insights, just how to do social media, but you'll get insights into the why and what as well.

11) The #AskGaryVee Show You can't talk about social media without talking about the speaker, author, and social expert Gary Vaynerchuk. On the Gary Vee Show, he takes questions from his audience and answers them as only he can. If you have a burning question on social media marketing, send it to him.

12) TED Talks: Social Media Marketing If you aren't in love with TED, you might want to check your pulse. This is a playlist of videos from TED Talks on social media. There may not be that much actionable advice in these videos, but if you want to become an expert on social media, these videos will give you insight into the deeper subject like "the hidden influence of social networks."

13) Learn Social Media Marketing If you're really new to social media, and you want to learn through a structured lesson experience, consider Lynda's massive library on social marketing classes.

Podcasts on Social Media If you like to learn while you chill, work out, or commute to and from work, podcasts are one of the best ways to do it. And these podcasts will help you develop your social media expertise.

14) Social Media Marketing Podcast Michael Stelzner, from Social Media Examiner, brings you success stories and expert interviews from leading social media marketing pros.

15) The Social Media Examiner Show Rather than deep dives, the SME Show gives you small, bite-sized content for social media every day. This is a great podcast to get actionable quick-tips on a daily basis. It'll keep you motivated while you develop your skills.

16) The Social Toolkit If you like to stay up-to-date on digital tools, apps, and software for social media marketing, this is the podcast for you.

17) The Social Pros Podcast Every episode of the Social Pros Podcast shines the light on real pros doing real work for real companies. You'll get insights from Jay Baer of Convince and Convert when you tune in.

Slideshows and Infographics About Social Media If you're a visual learner, these slide decks and infographics provide great ways to learn social media.

18) The B2B Social Media Palette This SlideShare walks you through the channels and tools you'll need to be most effective at B2B social media marketing. Sometimes, success can be found by using the right tools and channels for the right audience.

19) The Complete Guide to the Best Times to Post on Social Media Timing is very important when it comes to social media. Post it the wrong time, and your update can go completely unnoticed because of the flood of updates in your audience's feeds. Being able to master the timing of social media is critical to effective marketing.

20) 58 Social Media Tips for Content Marketers This slideshow is from the folks at Content Marketing Institute. This deck shows the proper methods for promoting your content over social media. This is a must-read for any social marketer who wants to use those channels to promote content.

21) The Best and Worst Times to Post on Social Media Again, timing is everything. This infographic lays out the best and worst times to post on each major network. You should save this infographic for referencing when you schedule your social media posts.

Books About Social Media Books are my favorite way to learn. Many experts agree that if you read a book a week, on your area of expertise, for 5 years, you will have the equivalent of a Ph.D. on the subject. That may or may not be true, but reading books from the experts definitely doesn't make you a worse marketer. Here are some books to get you started.

22) The B2B Social Media Book This book covers the specific application of social marketing to B2B companies, to leverage social media to drive leads and revenue.

23) The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users You've got to read this book by the legendary former Chief Evangelist of Apple, Guy Kawasaki. He's one of the pioneers of social and content marketing, and this book is filled with expert advice from one of the best.

24) The Tao of Twitter This book is supposed to be for busy marketers who need to get the basics of Twitter down quickly. It shows you how to connect and start creating meaningful connections in less than two hours.

25) The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising Facebook is one of the most effective advertising and PPC platforms available. You can target a plethora of metrics, allowing you to drill down and advertise to a very specific audience. This book will show you how to optimize your Facebook ads.

26) Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World Gary Vaynerchuk gives insight into how he uses a conversational, reactionary approach to engaging his audience. He gives concrete, visual examples of great social marketing, as well as not-so-great ones.

27) The New Rules of Marketing and PR David Meerman Scott's book on digital marketing is an international bestseller, and worth every penny. Some argue that it should be required reading for any marketer -- and in this marketer's opinion, "Just read it."

28) Likeable Social Media Dave Kerpen claims the secret to viral social marketing is to be likable. When someone likes you, they'll recommend you. But being likable on social networks is easier said than done. This book will help you crack that code.

29) Social Media Marketing for Dummies One of my mentors taught me to read children's books on a subject if I just couldn't grasp a concept. That principle gave way to movements like "Explain It Like I'm 5." And, sometimes you just need it broken down like you're, well, less than an expert on the topic, to put it gently. If that's you, this book is valuable. Go ahead and buy it -- we won't call you dummy.

30) Contagious: Why Things Catch On This book by Jonah Berger provides a strong foundation to understand how content goes viral -- and how to create ideas on social media that are so catchy, your audience won't be able to help but click them.

The Secret to Social Media Success No matter how many social networks you set out to master, or how long you work in the social marketing field, there is one secret that will ensure you're successful: Never stop learning.

This list is massive, I know, and there's no way to consume all these resources in the next week. But if you set yourself to learning every day, every week, every month, every year, you'll eventually be the one writing the books that help others learn social marketing.

It all begins with learning.

10 Things I've Learned About Social Media: Social marketing requires listening. Conversations should be the goal of social marketing. Team #Followback is a waste of time. Social marketing isn't broadcasting, it's communicating. Never auto-post your content to your social profiles. Never copy/paste the same message into every social profile. Social marketing requires time. It's relationship-building on a massive scale. Be helpful. Period. Social support is faster than live chat, email, or phone calls. Embrace it. You don't have to be on every network. Go where your customers are.

Original article here: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-marketing-resources

#Social #Media #Marketing #Resource

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robertrluc85 · 7 years

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The 11 Best SEO Books You Should Read by @BrianHarnish

There have been many guides about SEO books that you should read. Mostly, they are usually all about SEO, one right after the other.

I wanted to do something different with this post and provide some different educational material that spans all of the components of modern SEO.

The thing about SEO: it doesn’t work in a vacuum. It works well in tandem with other website marketing disciplines like content marketing, social media, analytics, and others.

That’s why as part of this list I am providing you with the best books I have enjoyed and identified with as part of the SEO ecosystem of knowledge. Enjoy, and happy reading!

Books on Search Engine Optimization

1. SEJ’s SEO 101: Learn The Basics of Search Engine Optimization

This is a shameless plug for Search Engine Journal’s latest guide to SEO, just released earlier this month.

SEO 101 is a large ebook of around 324 pages covering the basics of SEO – you don’t want to miss this one! It really is one of the best books available if you want an introductory level book on SEO.

Topics include:

Why Links Are Important to SEO

20 Years of SEO: A Brief History of Search Engine Optimization

15 SEO Myths That Just Won’t Die

140 of Today’s Top SEO Experts to Follow

…and much more.

Expert Authors Include:

Loren Baker

Danny Goodwin

Anna Crowe

Benj Arriola

Dave Davies

Stoney deGeyter

Tylor Hermanson

Ryan Jones

Jeremy Knauff

Julia McCoy

Brock Murray

Kristine Schachinger

Dan Taylor

You can download your guide here.

2. The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization

by Eric Enge of Stone Temple Consulting

This is one of the fundamental must-reads in our industry. Whether you are an SEO beginner or a seasoned professional, Eric Enge’s The Art of SEO is a great place to go to get started or for a refresher of your SEO skills.

Eric talks about the search engine basics: their history, how they evaluate content, and how you can understand what search engines see when they spider content. You will also gain a solid education in the areas of SEO planning, the stages of SEO implementations, keyword research, SEO-friendly website development, content marketing, social media and its role in SEO; you will also find updated information on the latest algorithmic factors to consider like Panda, Penguin, and search engine penalties.

For one of the best in-depth educational books on SEO in our increasingly complex and ever-evolving industry, Eric’s book should be a staple of any SEO’s library.

3. Search Engine Optimization All-in-One for Dummies

by Bruce Clay

If you’re just getting started in SEO, or you aren’t very technically-inclined (or even if you are, and you want deep information), this is the book you should read.

Clay lays out his strategies and all the basics you need to know.

This is one of the best books you can read if you want to find out what your SEO staff is doing or if you want to improve your ability to spot what they aren’t doing. The best part is, all the updating and research has already been done for you.

Clay discusses keyword strategy, linking strategy, content, web design, programming, as well as everything involved in creating an SEO-friendly site.

He also dives deep into the technical details of his methods, so this is a great book that can be used as a crash course or a refresher for the experienced SEO. This is one of those classics that belong in any SEO’s library.

4. SEO 2017: Learn Search Engine Optimization With Smart Internet Marketing Strategies

by Adam Clarke

No list of SEO books you should read would be complete without the well-known “SEO 2017: Learn Search Engine Optimization With Smart Internet Marketing Strategies” by Adam Clarke.

Clarke writes about how Google works, a history of SEO methods that no longer work, including how Google ranks sites now.

He also talks about keyword research, on-page SEO, link building, social media and its place in the SEO ecosystem, website analytics, troubleshooting SEO problems, local SEO for businesses, and structured data.

Clarke also provides a history of Google algorithm updates, and provides a look into the future. You will also get a bonus chapter in which Clarek provides an introductory guide to PPC advertising with Google.

Books About General Online Marketing

5. Marketing in the Age of Google

by Vanessa Fox

This is one of those books that comes along once in a while: you know, one of those books that makes you go “wow”. In a good way.

Fox, who is also a talented writer in her own right, and she explains in a deep dive while also keeping things simple for the layperson: why anyone in business as an owner or marketer should know about how search works.

Integration into things like business processes is also discussed in great detail.

Books on Link Building

6. Ultimate Guide to Link Building: How to Build Backlinks, Authority and Credibility for Your Website, and Increase Click Traffic and Search Ranking

by Eric Ward and Garrett French

Eric Ward was a link building pioneer who laid foundations for modern link building. As one of the industry’s greats, it makes sense that he would write a book on the Ultimate Guide to his craft.

In this book, Ward detailed his processes for finding effective links. Things like link opportunity analyses for your niche, how to manually qualify link prospects, and more.

He also talked about link acquisition strategies like:

Designing your own link building campaign from scratch

Conducting effective link opportunity analysis for your niche

Diving deep into link prospecting

Diving deep into competitor backlink prospecting

How to qualify link prospects

Relationship building

Market analysis for creating highly linkable content

Six link building lessons from the experts

And even more.

If you want to learn about link building, Ward’s book is the place to go just for the sheer volume of his information. You will be building links for days to promote your website with his strategies.

7. The Link Building Book

by Paddy Moogan

Paddy Moogan is a well-known link building professional. He is responsible for writing one of the most comprehensive works of writing on link building I’ve ever seen.

From the basics to the history of link building, to planning and executing link building campaigns, to a wide variety of techniques to add to your link building arsenal, Moogan dives deep into a plethora of exciting techniques you can acquire.

While this book was written in 2015, purchasing the book will give you a significant edge with updates when you purchase the license.

Books on Content Marketing / Content Writing

8. Content Machine: Use Content Marketing to Build a 7-Figure Business With Zero Advertising

by Dan Norris

If you aren’t familiar with content marketing, but you want to learn how it’s done, this is the book for you.

This book gives you the nuts and bolts of the mechanics of content marketing. It shows you how to get noticed, how to help people with your content, how to build relationships with your content, all important factors to build trust and authority that Google will love.

Among the topics Norris covers include content marketing basics, high-quality content, and how to scale the content machine.

If you want to get into the nitty-gritty details about content marketing, take the time to read and engage with the strategies in this book.

9. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content

by Ann Handley

This is one of the most thorough guides on putting together great content that I have ever seen.

It is a combination of the fundamentals of writing and the fundamentals of content marketing.

Handley teaches you how to write great content that also has style, panache, correct punctuation, and proper grammar.

I can’t think of any other book as a companion to SEO that is as fundamental as this one.

This book is great for anyone who is a beginner, or a seasoned SEO practitioner who needs a refresher.

Books on Social Media Marketing

You’re probably wondering why social media books are here in this list.

Yes, it’s true – social media doesn’t help rankings. But, that’s not why this section is here.

This section is here because every business needs to build its online presence and relationships with potential consumers.

Creating a well-rounded online marketing strategy that includes the various components of SEO is something that will help build that all-important trust and authority your website needs.

That is where white hat SEO is going these days, and it is something that will help make your break your online marketing success.

Don’t think of social media as a rankings vehicle. Think of it as a way to create relationships with potential consumers.

10. The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users

by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick

If you aren’t familiar with Guy Kawasaki, I recommend getting familiar with who he is quick. He is one of the most influential social media marketers of our time.

Kawasaki’s book isn’t disappointing in the least. He covers everything from Twitter to blogging, getting more followers, how to optimize your social media profile, how to run Google+ Hangouts, and much more.

His book is absolutely no fluff and contains common-sense advice about making sure your social media presence is one that will help people like you more online.

11. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy, Social World

by Gary Vaynerchuck

This is one of those books that lays things out in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand manner, even for newbies.

For those who are not up and up on the latest in-the-know on social media marketing, this is one of the best books to get your feet wet with.

This is more of a general introduction, so if you are looking for more specific strategies, this isn’t the book for you.

Putting All the Pieces of the SEO Ecosystem Together

SEO is constantly changing. Modern SEO nowadays includes an ecosystem of technologies and methods that should be part of your gears of doing business.

Not everything is conducive to higher rankings, such as social media. But the social media component helps you find real people as customers, rather than traffic numbers that may or may not convert.

Every component of SEO works together, and a fundamental education in all of the components is something that is necessary for perpetuating a successful online presence.

More SEO & Marketing Books Worth Your Time:

Image Credits Featured Image: Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock.com Screenshots of Book Covers by Brian Harnish. Taken October 2017.

Go to Source Author: Brian Harnish

For more SEO, PPC & online marketing news visit https://news.scott.services

The post The 11 Best SEO Books You Should Read by @BrianHarnish appeared first on Scott.Services Online Marketing News.

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