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notchesandbullets · 3 years

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House Hunting [Oneshot] Modern AU

Words: 3.5k

"Bat-Ears, hurry up, we're going to be late!!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming, just hold your horses."

"What is that, Hak?"

"Dunno, Princess. Extra cargo?"

"Hak, I wasn't talking about Jae-ha."

"Yeah, Hak. That's so mean."

"You'll live, Droopy-Eyes. Oy, Bat-Ears, what the heck are you doing?"

The troublemaker froze in place at Hak's deep baritone. They were all supposed to be heading over to the guys' dorm to meet up with Yoon and the others before carpooling to the houses their realtor was taking them to see.

Yona and Calista were busy getting ready, having accidentally overslept and missed their alarm. Jae-ha and Hak drove over, and insisted on driving them even though the latter had said his sister would probably be content walking.

He wasn't going to let her walk, it was several miles.

Hak was going to come alone, but Jae-ha had insisted. He was very tempted to kick the green-haired man out at the stoplights all the way over here, but resisted for both the girls' sakes, knowing Yona would most certainly not talk to him for the rest of the week and that he wouldn't be safe from his sister's rage.

The dark-haired man crossed his arms across his broad chest and raised an eyebrow pointedly.

"What?" Calista mumbled innocently.

"I haven't seen you in months and this is what you look like?" He shot back incredulously, stunned by her appearance. Despite how outrageous it was, it looked good.

She had just gotten back from a trip overseas.

Her black hair had been cut asymmetrically and tinted. The dark blue glinted as the sunlight hit it, and made it look like it was moving on its own. Her style had changed too, and he chalked it up to the readjustment period.

It always took each of them a bit to adapt back to the culture here, and his sister was no exception.

Her style was usually so casual and comfortable, but this time, she was sporting a tank top, leather jacket, a miniskirt, fishnet stockings and combat boots.

Calista flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Don't like it, don't look." She flaunted over to his car, a Koenigsegg Agera S, that the gang had recently bought him for his birthday.

He claimed it was too much, but by the way he was eyeing it as it sparkled in the sun, they all secretly high-fived in the background knowing that they had made the right choice.

"Let's go!!" She cheered, calling shotgun before Jae-ha could.

The four arrived at the guys' dorm, the rest of their friend group waiting in anticipation outside. Yoon sternly instructed them into the family van he had borrowed from his adopted dad, Ik-soo, that he had lent to them for the weekend. They often took road trips with their extended family in it, so they knew the best layout everyone was comfortable with.

Hak was the driver with Yoon as the navigator. In the first row, Yona sat next to Zeno and in the one behind was Jae-ha and Kija. That left Calista along with Shin-ah in the backseat, which was more cramped than the other rows.

Not that she minded, but she would never say that out loud. Though, she could've sworn she heard his breath hitch when he saw what she was wearing.

"Road trip!!" Zeno cheered.

"We aren't going anywhere, kid." Hak shot down, rolling his eyes humorously.

"Road trip!!" He still cheered, not put off in the slightest.

Yona giggled, joining in on the golden-haired boy's contagious excitement before he roped her into a game of, "Annoy-the-driver-until-he-gets-so-irritated-he-pulls-over-to-smack-them-but-sees-his-cute-girlfriend-and-decides-not-to."

Jae-ha and Kija were engaged in an intense conversation about martial arts styles and modern day use of concealed carry, though it was a bit one-sided, the intelligent portions only coming from Kija while the other basically made noises of agreement or disagreement.

The latter tended to be more frequent and louder.

"I just think it's a bit counter-intuitive." The white-haired man argued.

"Oooo, White Snake is using big words now." Hak mocked from the front seat.

"Will you beasts shut up?!" Yoon spat harshly. "And you, you're supposed to be focusing on the road."

Hak nodded calmly. "Yes, mother."

"I DON'T REMEMBER GIVING BIRTH TO YOU!!!"

Calista hid her face in her hands, overwhelmed by all her friends. It had been so long since she had seen them. She was so worried that the ease would be gone when she returned, but to her surprise, they were ecstatic to see her.

She had been gone on a top-secret mission for the past couple months. They all worked for varying branches of the military, organizations kept under cover in case things went sideways, and needless to say, all of their work was done in the dark.

If everything went right, the world would never know what they prevented from happening.

Which brought them to their current situation. They needed a house to live in.

It was getting increasingly harder to live on the campus of the college they were all attending when they got called to work. By living together it would also allow them to relax a bit once they got back home, not to mention, they could fortify it any way they wanted.

Security cameras, laser sensors, the most high-tech gear that Zeno and Yoon could get their hands on would be rigged to expose any unfortunate soul who just tried to rob them.

Calista and Hak's grandpa had a lot of pull with the school board, since he was very high up in the government.

He was funding the whole thing.

Rumors had spread quick when they first started college, picking up from their last years of high school. Their band of friends were known as The Dragons all around the local area. Most people were under the delusion that they were a mafia and Calista never could contain her humor at the notion.

The most ridiculous one they had ever heard was that they were running an illegal drug operation. Only one of them had ever touched drugs before for recreation, since sometimes their covers needed them to use, and Jae-ha got clean pretty quickly when he saw how distressed Yona was.

It wasn't just her that was bothered, but everyone else did a better job of hiding it.

Truth be told, they were all gifted, academics coming easier to all of them ever since they started work for the government. Yoon was the youngest, only fifteen, but he was especially bright, even before everything happened.

He had earned his spot in college with them, getting the highest marks out of all of them, putting the rest of them to shame.

Hak pulled the van up to a huge mansion, not too flashy from the outside, but certainly big enough to hold the group of eight.

They all eagerly clambered out, and Calista tripped over her feet in her haste.

Shin-ah grabbed her arms and steadied her easily. She grinned up at him in thanks, throwing a cheeky wink over her shoulder as she sashayed over to Yona, linking their arms together.

She shared a look with the redhead, and they shot off, racing to the entrance.

They threw open the doors to the house, the others not far behind and began exploring every inch of the place eagerly. Yoon hung back, conversing with their realtor about the prices and amenities of this one in particular. It was lavish, with french doors, a sun room, several huge bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Hak wandered around, looking for his girlfriend. As he rounded around the corner, she jumped out, scaring him. He grabbed her, lifting her up with ease.

Hak placed Yona on the kitchen counter and she giggled, looping her arms around his neck as he stood between her parted legs. He tucked his face into the crook of his neck and she carded her fingers through his dark hair.

They had just recently become a couple, both ironically confessing at the same time and needless to say, their group of friends couldn't be happier for the two of them. It had happened when he had returned from his latest mission, which had nearly gotten him killed.

Yona had been beside herself with worry since she was the newest recruit of their elite squad, quite handy with a sniper. When she had heard the news of his condition, she had run down to headquarter's hospital, barreling through all the security.

Though, Calista had supposed that was because no one wanted to tell the boss the wrath they incurred from the lethal group of eight by preventing them from seeing him, so they opted to let her pass.

And the good news was, he was going to make a full recovery. He just had to take it easy for a bit and was not, under any circumstances, allowed to go on any more missions for the time being.

"Ewwwww, gross!!"

The two sprang apart, only to see the edgy girl flash them a grin, the blue-haired man behind her.

"Just kidding."

Hak shook his head at her, a smile creeping up on his features. It widened as he took in the sight of Shin-ah's arm causally slung around her shoulder.

"Okayyyy, we're leaving." Calista announced, swiftly turning on her heel. She recognized that look in her younger brother's eye, and it only meant trouble. "C'mon, Shin-ah, let's go!!"

Running up the marble stairs, he let go of her temporarily as she scrambled to the upper floor, darting in and out of all the bedrooms at lightning speed.

"They have a balcony?!" He chuckled under his breath as he heard her shriek. "Yoon, we're so getting this one!!"

Calista was leaning over the high railing as much as she could, the sight of empty land taking her breath away.

"Be careful..."

She turned around with a small smile as she saw the worry swirling in his golden eyes. Stretching out a hand to him, he took it without hesitation, weaving their fingers together. She tugged him to her and he automatically wrapped an arm around her waist so that she didn't fall.

Smacking his chest lightly, she teased. "I'm not that clumsy."

He gave her an amused look and she threw her head back, laughing.

"Okay, okay, maybe I am sometimes."

His expression didn't change and she poked his cheek.

"Admit it, I'm only like that sometimes." She insisted.

"All the time."

"Shin-ah!!" Calista admonished, raising a hand to playfully hit him again.

He caught her wrist easily, pinning it to the railing firm enough to keep her from moving, but not enough to hurt her. She smirked up at him challengingly, stretching on her toes to whisper, "Catch me if you can."

She broke out of his hold, ducking underneath his arm and racing back downstairs. Yoon was at the door with his hands on his hips.

"There you are!!" He followed her out as soon as she cleared the doorway. "We've got two more to see!!"

Shin-ah caught up easily with her, and Calista realized that they would be sitting in back together. He slid in after her, tapping her thigh lightly.

"Got you."

She shook her head furiously. "Nope, doesn't count."

His eyes flickered to the side purposefully as the next one came into view and the van slowed down.

"Inside?"

"Inside."

Once she was through the entrance, she shot off, Shin-ah immediately tearing after her. Calista could faintly hear Yoon's annoyed shout as they all broke off again in different directions.

She analyzed her surroundings quickly and sprinted down the corridor flooded with beams of sunlight streaming through the large windows.

This one had an older feel to it, and she was certain that Kija and even Jae-ha would love this one. The maple floorboards were worn with use, but it added to the charm. The house had a specific charm to it, one that resulted from the antiques and velvet curtains.

She heard Yoon calling for them to leave for the last one and she saw blue hair as she zipped around the corner. Reacting instantly, she slid between his legs, riding the spiral railing all the way down to the ground floor.

She hopped off, out of breath and made a break for the van.

Shin-ah was panting just as heavily as she was when he got it a second after she did, catching everyone else's attention.

"Bat-Ears, what the heck are you guys doing?" Hak questioned emotionlessly from the steering wheel, having a feeling this was another one of her spontaneous competitions.

"Nothing..." She drew out smugly.

"Is it a game? Please allow me to partake!" Kija exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air excitedly.

Yona turned around in her seat, eyes shining. "Can I play, too?"

"Yona, sit down." Yoon instructed sternly, not even having to look back at her to know what she was doing. The redhead pouted but did as she was told.

Zeno popped up. "What is Miss Notch and Seiryuu playing?"

He had a habit of nicknaming them when they were all young, and ever since then, it just kind of stuck.

"It's basically tag." Calista said simply. "Whoever gets tagged last, wins!!"

"Absolutely not," Yoon retorted. "We're supposed to be here to look for houses, remember? Not wreck them."

"We'll be careful, Yoon!!" Yona pleaded, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

He held out until they got to the last one, caving when a chorus of begging erupted upon their arrival.

"Alright, alright!! Just don't break anything!!"

"Wait, so who's it?"

"I don't know, but RUN!!!"

"HAK, DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!!"

"What are you gonna do about it, Princess?"

"Yah, Thunder Beast, keep the flirting to a minimum, you already got the girl." Yoon's eyes glinted mischievously.

"Shin-ah's it!!" Calista announced through the noise, coiling her body like a spring. "Ready, set, go!!!"

They took off, even Yoon, and spread out. It was a simple tactic.

Three on the ground floor, three more go to secure the basement and one scouts the upper level.

Calista called dibs on the upstairs, hiding in a wardrobe in the master bedroom. He would be expecting her to be running, so she pulled a different card. She heard the shouts of her friends getting caught downstairs and couldn't help giggling hysterically as Yoon's angry yell cut through the brief silence.

Shin-ah was incredibly fast, not as fast as her of course, but pretty darn close.

A gasp ripped from her lungs in surprise as the doors to the space was flung open, flooding it with light. She squealed as her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled out. Before she knew it, her back was bouncing on the king-sized mattress as her captor loomed over her.

"Gotcha." Shin-ah murmured, pecking her nose softly.

She blushed, biting her lip absentmindedly as her eyes roamed over his heaving chest and broad shoulders.

"... Don't look at me like that..." He mumbled shyly.

Calista raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who's looking like they want to devour me."

He nearly growled. "It's because of these..."

Elastic material snapped against her thigh and her jaw dropped.

"Don't tell me... you like these?"

He pulled back as she sat up.

Calista drew a leg up slyly, watching the way his eyes wouldn't leave her legs.

"You've..." His breathing got heavier the more she moved it up until she crossed them. "You've never worn them before."

She shrugged, smirking. "Never had a reason to."

He bit back a groan, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. His chest rose and fell as he fought to keep himself in control, restraint slipping away from him by the second.

Calista's breath caught in her throat as his hands slid up over her fishnet-clad thighs, squeaking as he squeezed them gently.

"So soft..." He whispered quietly. "You're so soft."

She patted his shoulders, hearing Yona call for them. Shin-ah leaned back reluctantly, but didn't peel himself from her side.

Calista chuckled, snaking a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down to her level. Whispering a promise in his ear, his eyes first went wide, then darkened.

Then, the pair walked hand in hand downstairs where everyone else had gathered. Their realtor was taking them on a tour of the house, listing off the various characteristics that made this one different from the others.

Now that they were done with their shenanigans, she finally took a minute to take in the house. It wasn't as big as the other two, but she actually liked it better. It felt more homey than the others, and she wondered if her friends felt the same about it.

It was furnished, but that made it easier for her to envision their own furniture in it, with their own creative spin on it.

It was still very lavish.

A large living, dining, and family room on the first floor. The foyer was exceptionally well done, a crystal chandelier hanging in the hall. Upstairs, there was a master suite and three huge bedrooms in addition. A loft made up the extra space on the second floor, and it had windows from floor to ceiling, filling the entire open-space concept home with brilliant light.

The house came with three and a half bathrooms, and a fully finished basement. The patio out in back overlooked the acres of land that came with the house, perfect for a training ground. The trees provided a natural fence and were spread out for miles.

Yona's eyes were shining and Hak braced himself against the door frame as their realtor asked them the big question. Jae-ha was busy admiring the trellis, which, in it of itself, spoke for him since he was disinterested in the other mansions. Calista could tell just by glancing at him that Kija was on board, that man wore his heart on his sleeve.

Zeno was content with all of them, but especially with this one judging by the speed he was bouncing at was nearly inhuman.

Shin-ah's normally shy gaze was filled with wonder and excitement and Calista nodded once in approval to Yoon. The pretty boy's face split into a wide grin, extending his hand out to the kind lady who had shown them around all day.

"We'll take it."

As they filed out of their future home, Calista hummed to herself until her fingers were intertwined with calloused, but gentle ones.

Shin-ah swung their hands back and forth and she beckoned him closer until only he could hear her.

"We agreed the last one tagged is the winner, right?"

He nodded, unsure of where she was going with this.

"Winners get a prize, don't they?" Calista's silver eyes gleamed knowingly and he nodded again, slower this time.

Pressing herself against him when he didn't make any move to push her away, her eyelashes fluttered shyly.

"Well then, since we've been dancing around this for so long, maybe my captor would be kind enough to give me a proper kiss. What do you think?"

Bonus Ending: Since they were out all day, and a considerable distance away from the city, the group opted to drive to the local town and grab dinner. Actually obtaining the food proved to be easier said than done.

"Jae-ha, stop pushing!!"

"Not my fault!!"

"Zeno wants food!!"

"Zeno will have to wait."

Wailing pierced through the air and Hak desperately tried to fix his mistake.

"Bat-Ears, stop laughing and help me!!"

"No way, you're on your own, Marshy."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Zeno, I didn't mean it!!"

The crying ceases immediately.

"Mister didn't?"

"No."

"Yay!!"

Yoon slapped a hand against his forehead. "You all give me a headache."

#akatsukinoyona #akatsukinoyonafanfic #oneshot #modernau #shinahxoc #jaeha #kija #hak #oc #yona #yoon #zeno #fluff #shenanigans

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regnantlight · 3 years

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@yunhuntress said: Fang had heard she was ill. The huntress worked in the kitchen with the staff to prepare a pot of herbal tea she often used when sick herself. Something that would promote heat and healing to rid the body of sickness. With it finished, Fang took the tray and wandered through the castle before entering her child's chambers. The night stand is where she set the items and Fang was careful in pouring a cup before softly touching Zelda's forehead. "I'm here, child. I have something that may help when you feel you want to try it. "

“Thank you, Fang,” Zelda said, her voice trailing on the beginnings of another coughing fit. She eyed the tempting beverage, steam rising in gentle swirls, and commanded her body to sit up so that she could partake in it. Her body told her to kindly “bugger off,” in response.

Another cough followed. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief to catch the bits of sick and took a deep breath. Dull green eyes dragged with dark bags looked up to Fang as she asked, “How is Calista?”

It had been three days since she had seen her daughter. She was far too young to be exposed to such illness just yet, the risk too great— yet Zelda found herself suffering all the more for it, desperate to hold her babe once again. At least there was Fang. There was always Fang.

“Is she alright?”

#yunhuntress #STORIES BECOME LEGENDS (roleplay)#sick cw #((Did King Renfry's verse have a tag?? If not I should make one.))

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jencala · 6 years

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Sirius sending Remus an anonymous valentine, because he’s too scared to expose his feelings but knows Remus deserves love on this holiday. Remus can tell it’s from Sirius by his handwriting (or some other clue!) Thanks darling!

I love this and I hope you like what I did with your prompt. Thanks for sending it in!

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Valentine’s Day at Hogwarts was always a sight to behold; whether or not you cared for it was a different story.

The entire castle had been decorated with a red and pink heart motif and the Great Hall looked as if a Cupid himself had decorated it, complete with tiny cherubs floating in the air above the high rafters, occasionally shooting down arrows that would explode in glittering confetti before they reached the students. The confetti, however, covered all of the tables and most of the students.

It made Remus feel nauseated.

“Ugh this is a bit too much, don’t you think?”

Remus turned to Lily who had sat down next to him at the Gryffindor table. “You mean you don’t buy into all of this love nonsense?”

Lily shrugged. “Love is all well and good, but these decorations are a bit over the top, don't you think?”

“Well it would be nice not to have to pick the glitter out of my porridge.”

“I think it’s sweet!” Dorcas supplied, sitting down across from Lily, Marlene sliding in next to her.

“You would, you big sap.” Marlene smiled, grabbing the platter of eggs from in front of Remus and serving both Dorcas and herself.

Lily smirked. “I heard you both this morning exchanging gifts so I don't think you should mock Dor for being the only sap.”

Marlene rolled her eyes as Dorcas grinned, giving her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek.

“Did someone say something about gifts?”

Remus looked up to see James standing behind Lily, a huge smile on his face as he looked adoringly at his girlfriend of three months. He presented her with a huge bouquet of flowers he had been hiding behind his back.

“Lilies for my Lily-flower.”

“Oh James, they’re beautiful!” Lily pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and sat back down making room for him on her other side. “There’s so many different lilies here!”

James grinned. “Ah, but only one Lily is the most beautiful and special. You.”

Even Remus had to smile at that line. Even though he didn’t enjoy this holiday, he was happy his mate had finally gotten the girl he’d been pining after for over six years. He watched smiling as Lily blushed and kissed James again, exclaiming that he was too extravagant when he slipped a gold bracelet over her wrist.

“Ah, young love! How sweet it is!”

Remus looked over at Sirius who had sat down across from him and was making exaggerated gagging motions over James and Lily’s display of affection.

Remus kicked him lightly in the shin. “Let Prongs have his moment, you cynical twat.”

Sirius flashed him a wry grin. “I am not cynical, my dear Moonbeam. I just think this holiday is a bit overrated, don’t you think?”

Remus shrugged, his stomach clenching as Sirius’ stormy grey eyes met his. “I guess it’s alright if you’ve got a partner, but I could do without all this confetti raining down.”

“Ah, but maybe Cupid will work his magic on you today, Moony!” Sirius winked. “You never know.”

Remus snorted. “Fat chance.”

He watched Sirius serve himself some breakfast and couldn’t help but fantasize that Sirius’ words would come true, though he was sure they wouldn’t. Cupid would never be able to give him what his heart really wanted. Sirius.

Just then, the post owls swooped in delivering packages, letters and cards all over the Great Hall. He was surprised when a large barn owl left three cards in front of him.

“Blimey, Padfoot! That’s an even bigger haul than last year!”

At Peter’s exclamation, Remus looked across at Sirius and the veritabel mountain of cards and packages owls had dropped in front of him. Sirius was red-faced at the attention and shrugged it off.

“Just silly birds, you know how it is.” Sirius muttered. He kept eating his breakfast and didn’t so much as look through his gifts.

Remus raised an eyebrow, perplexed at Sirius’ attitude when last year he had been gloating over all of the cards and love notes. He’d been on a different date almost every night for the few weeks after Valentine’s that year. Thinking back though, Remus couldn't even remember the last time Sirius had mentioned going out with a girl in the last few months.

“Everything alright, Padfoot?” Remus asked softly.

Sirius looked up, his expression guarded. “S’fine. Just too much nonsense, is all. But hey, look at you, Moony, you got some admirers too!”

Remus blushed as their other friends looked over at his cards and teased him to start opening them. He rolled his eyes, but obliged, tearing open the envelope of the first card.

He blushed as he read the first one and James snatched it out of his hand to read aloud. “Roses are red, violets are blue, I think you’re clever, and sexy too. Moony, who is Calista Hutchins?”

His friends laughed and Remus could feel his face get even redder. “She’s a Ravenclaw girl I tutored last semester.”

He opened the second card and before he could even read it, Peter grabbed it and read the equally silly poem aloud. “Moony, this one’s from that Hufflepuff girl in your Runes class, isn’t it?”

Remus nodded, his cheeks burning from the attention and grabbed the third envelope before his friends could. He opened it and took out a piece of parchment, turning so he could read it away from his friend’s prying eyes.

“I don’t love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz, or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as one loves certain obscure things, secretly, between the shadow and the soul.I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom but carries the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself, and thanks to your love the tight aroma that arose from the earth lives dimly in my body.I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you directly without problems or pride:I love you like this because I don’t know any other way to love,except in this form in which I am not nor are you, so close that your hand upon my chest is mine, so close that your eyes close with my dreams.

Remus - I want you to know that you are loved, today and every day, for who you truly are.”

Remus stared at the slip of parchment for several moments, awestruck, before he realized James was calling his name.

“Remus, mate! What’s that one say?” James prodded.

Remus cleared his throat. “More of the same, yeah, just another poem.”

Lily eyed him suspiciously and before Remus could react, she had snatched the parchment from his hand and begun to read it silently.

“Lily, no!” Remus tried to grab the poem back, but Lily stood and moved out of his reach still reading silently.

When she finished reading she turned to Remus, her eyes bright and a soft smile on her face. “Oh Remus...this is beautiful.”

Remus flushed and took the parchment back. “It is and I can’t believe you took it from me.”

Lily placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry for that, I thought it was another silly poem, but that’s not silly at all, is it?”

Remus shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

“Oi, what’s so special about Remus’ Valentine?” Marlene called out.

“Well, for one, it’s a real love poem and more importantly, someone who knows Pablo Neruda.” Lily explained.

“Who?” James asked, his face twisted in confusion,

“He’s a Chilean poet.” Sirius offered.

They all turned to look at Sirius whose eyes widened at the scrutiny. “What? I do read, you know?”

Remus sat back down and listened to his friends teasing and joking comments half-heartedly, but his focus was drawn to Sirius. He studied him as covertly as he could manage and was surprised to see how nervous his friend appeared.

Sirius’ cheeks were a bit flushed and he kept biting his lip. He was engaged in conversation with Marlene and Dorcas, but he kept stealing glances at Remus when he thought he wasn’t looking. He noticed how fidgety he seemed, his hands constantly moving, his foot tapping against the stone floor. What clinched it for Remus was the way Sirius’ eyes kept straying to the parchment next to Remus’ plate.

If it hadn’t been for all of the little things leading up to it, Remus may have dismissed it as a prank or even a sweet, but misguided, gesture so Remus wouldn’t feel left out on Valentine’s Day. However, If he started to add up all the seemingly innocent occurrences that had been niggling the back of his mind for the last two months though - well maybe there was more to it than that.

Remus had harbored a crush on Sirius for well over a year now and had done everything he could to keep it to himself; he knew there was no way Sirius could ever feel the same way. His friendship was too important for Remus to risk losing, so Remus tried to act as if the mere sight of his best mate didn't set his heart racing.

Over the last couple of months though, Sirius had become more attentive and Remus had to constantly remind himself that he was surely imagining things and reading into his actions more because of his own misguided feelings.

He tried to tell himself that the lingering touches, the soft smiles, and the way Sirius seemed to be constantly everywhere he was was just his imagination wishing for what he couldn’t have.

But this was just too much of a coincidence for him to ignore.

He recalled the night a month before when Sirius had plopped himself down on Remus’ bed next to him, complaining he was bored and for Remus to stop reading. He had asked what was so interesting in his book and Remus had told him he was reading a volume of Pablo Neruda’s poetry. Sirius had scoffed at the thought of poetry and Remus had rolled his eyes and said that maybe one day he would really want to woo a girl and Neruda’s beautiful poetry could help.

Sirius had rolled his eyes, but maybe - the thought alone had the butterflies in Remus’ stomach dancing.

It was too great a coincidence though. He knew there was only one way to find out.

Remus took a deep breath. “Hey Padfoot, want to go back to the tower and drop your haul off before we head to class?”

Sirius met his unwavering gaze and swallowed hard. “Sure, let’s go.”

Remus stood, grabbing his things and nodded to their friends before walking out of the Great Hall, Sirius right behind him. The hallways were fairly empty as they made their way to Gryffindor tower and Remus decided to show some of the bravery his house was known for.

“You got quite the Valentine haul this year.”

Sirius nudged his arm. “You didn’t do so badly yourself.”

“Yeah, but you never even looked at anything you got. Why is that?”

“It’s just the same thing every year, so why bother?”

Remus laughed softly. “Tired of all the attention the girls always shower you with?”

“Something like that.” Sirius mumbled.

“You know what’s funny though?” Remus asked. “You and I were just talking about Pablo Neruda last month and now today I get a love letter with some of his poetry in it. Funny, isn’t it?”

He turned his head slightly and saw Sirius’ eyes widen momentarily. “Yeah, wow, what a coincidence, huh?”

Remus nodded. “They say there’s very few real coincidences in life.”

“Well, this must be one of those! I mean, who knows how many people in Hogwarts are into Neruda’s sonnets, right?”

Remus stopped and grabbed Sirius’s arm. “Padfoot, you didn’t look at my letter and I never told you it was a sonnet.”

Sirius bit his lip, one eyebrow quirked. “Lucky guess?”

Remus let his arm go and sighed. “You sent me the letter, didn’t you?”

Sirius closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. “Remus, I’m sorry, I -”

Remus cut him off, hurt that the man he was in love with could have so little regard for his feelings. “Did you think it was a good joke?”

“Joke?” Sirius’ face twisted in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Remus shook his head sadly. “Did you think I was so pathetic you had to send me a Valentine as a joke? Or was it an ego boost so I would think someone actually cared about me?”

Sirius grabbed Remus by the shoulders and met his sorrowful gaze. “Remus, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that letter wasn’t a joke. Yeah, I-I wrote it. But it wasn’t a prank and it wasn’t an ego boost.”

Remus just stared at him, not willing to let himself believe what he so desperately wanted to be true. “I don’t understand.”

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, his fingers digging into Remus’ shoulders. “I wrote the letter because I couldn’t tell you how I felt otherwise. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship if you didn’t feel the same way, but I had to try. You can tell me to bugger off, you can tell me I’m a ridiculous twat, but I just...I knew you would figure it out with the poem. I needed to see if there was even the smallest chance -”

Remus cut him off again, this time by pressing his lips to Sirius’.

Sirius responded immediately, his mouth slanting over Remus’, one hand moving from his shoulder to tangle in his tawny curls.

The kiss was brief, but it was enough to make Remus’ head spin. He pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against Sirius’. “You are a ridiculous twat, Padfoot.”

Sirius huffed a laugh. “I am, aren't I?”

Remus pressed his lips to Sirius’ once more and pulled back to smile into the dazed grey eyes. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

#Wolfstar #Valentine's project #new fic #drabble #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin #Valentine's Day #poetry #secret admirer #first kiss #fluff #Marauder's Era #rachelletwin2

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favonius-captain · 2 years

Note

good morning! how are you?

so far i'm doing great, today i had Japanese classes, i recently started studying it and it's so fun.

now i just saw the things you posted about your novel and aaaaaaaaaa oekfkrmfkrjf i love it so much!!!!!

like firstly it's such an interesting concept and i love the names you used both for the geographical things and the characters.

secondly i just know that i would ship calista and arya. like i just love those sorts of relationships and being 'forced' to go through their past kemxmdjx please do share more about them (if you want to of course)

also the map is so well done, and did you seriously say you don't know how to draw just to show that?!?! like it looks amazing!!!

also i love the way the nations changed over the years and what it had all led to.

like please talk more about it, i really really want to hear more.

like whether it's about the plot, the mythology, the characters, i just need to know more.

🦇

AHHHH anon youre back i’ve missed you !!! 💘

as for calista and arya … technically this is spoiler but like the chances of me actually putting this through publication is slim AND i have chronic dont shut up soo. yeah.

bolded for easier reading !!

anyways after all the Mortals were pushed to assyk, assyk tried to grow and prosper for a long time. but since they live in the desert, it was hard to find resources so they waged war against xavia, and therefore, the rest of the continent as well. this war was called the luxen war

during this time period, assyk reached out to eldex ( in corvex ), asking for help during the war. and eldex agreed by sending corvital agents to help during the war. this led to arya being sent overseas.

now calista on the other hand — although the identity of the queen is known, nobody knows about her children ( calista & ikarus ) beyond the fact that she has children ( commonly named the shadow prince/ss ). calista’s spent a lot of her time at seas, to forge diplomatic relations with a pirate clan, and to gather intel as a “commoner” — so when the draft comes, she’s forced to go to war as well to keep her identity safe.

they’re put in the same division, and although arya is really cold at first, when they’re put at the war front, arya saves calista and their friendship develops from there … they become one of those almost-lovers kinda thing.

and then through a complicated series of events, calista’s called in by her mother (the queen), to go on a mission to kill the general, since that’s who is commanding the forces on the other side. and calista asks arya to go with her - exposing her as the shadow princess. arya tells corvital for obvious reasons, and at this exact time, eldex strikes a 2 year contract deal with kryvia, agreeing to pull their forces out of the war effort. this leads to a failed assassination, and therefore, assyk losing the luxen war, and being pushed even farther south with less resources. arya leaves calista, and they don’t see each other for 2 years

so yeah and fast forward to present day, where they have to see each other again, and calista still blames eldex for the loss of the war, while arya’s still duty bound to corvital and generally has a bad relationship with mortals ,,, yeah. yeah. and now they have to work together on a mission, calista playing the role of a noblewoman in kryvia, and arya as her body guard ,,, later some fake dating and dancing ,, and i stuck every cliche in it because i can

but i really do love both characters ,, and their relationship is one i can only have in my dreams LMAO.

i have. so much world building so you’re going to have to ask some things that are more specific for me to narrow down my focus because. we don’t talk about how long the planning document has gotten lmao

i’m glad you like my map i have spent. way too long on it. i’m still working through it to include more things <3

ANYWAYS thank you anon for asking bc i love talking about it and rambling is my favorite thing to do

(btw: if you’re looking for more info, everything is tagged under : other projects!)

#: asks #: other projects

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olympus-summit · 3 years

Text

Somebody Wake Me From This Nightmare || Izar || Post-Trial 6.1 || ATTN: People

There was so, so very much happening here. So very much he wanted to just ignore and move on from everything, and for a moment, everything seemed to be going smoothly! But of course, there was going to be opposition from certain individuals, and the more this trial occurs, the more he realizes just how messed up certain arguments are. Some people are demanding for far more than they have the right to, and it’s troubling.

“… Would you ask a defendant or a criminal to leave a court of law that is deciding their eventual fate? Would you let go of one you’re admonishing and keep them from learning their upcoming judgment? No, you wouldn’t. Elliott, Menai, Mina, Clarice, Calista, Iris and Montgomery are deserving to remain here and know what we, as a proper Council for one, choose to do with them. Do you not understand? This is how they’re demonstrating their repentance. Sure, they aren’t groveling at our feet and asking for forgiveness; they’re doing something far more meaningful: they’re letting us decide what becomes of them."

It was a mercy, as well as an execution, all at once. Just the thought that he could effortlessly walk over to Elliott and, should he wish to do so, snap his neck without consequences? No person should ever have that much control over another’s life.

Was that so difficult to understand? Was that truly so selfish? Though certain words do trigger certain responses from him, and though he only looks forward, still away from his throne and lying against one of the back walls, there’s conviction in his voice.

"I don’t have much to add, but I will say the following: I’ve no interest in forming part of this Council once Titan Administration has been usurped, and I agree with Mitsu and Shinobu. While this facility doubled as our personal misery chamber, the benefits it could provide to a broken world are immeasurable, just the relief aid it could provide is more than enough to keep it… Of course though, regarding the A.I. and the cloning, that is another topic that is likely too heavy a burden for us to discuss alone. Proper advisors, consultants, therapists and all manners of professionals are needed before a ruling can be reached. After all, think of it: if whole bodies could be cloned, then why not body parts? Organs? Cells? Anything that could benefit those whose bodies have unfortunately turned against them as well as the food this place provides. It’s a sanctuary for those in need, and yet… Titan Administration keeps it to themselves for their own seflish use."

Consequences be damned, as much as this ship will be the stuff of his nightmares, it comes with blessings that outweight their collective personal issues.

"It’s ironic that some of you claim that no one should toy and mess with someone else’s life the way these seven have, yet you’re all eager to do the same and judge them based on actions that while they can be justified, they cannot be excused… But that’s just something that cannot be either proven or disproven. Nemesis claimed that Montgomery or Elliott could’ve simply approached him and he’d have sided with them… Well, can you prove that? At the time, we were all under the control of Pandora, and if they are saying you couldn’t be convinced, then it likely is because at some point they’d have tried. Whether it was with us or with others? Matter of the fact is, all of us clones were essentially used to further Titan Administration’s goals. We can scream, yell and shift the blame all we want, but we must accept that ultimately, something this enormous needs to happen to destabilize us. Don’t forget, just because Elliott and his associates are the antagonists that we faced, it doesn’t make them villains."

After all, nothing they’ve done is truly insidious and villainous.

"I will likely be accused of speaking on behalf of others again, but frankly? I don’t care. I want you all to listen because while most of us cannot and will not forgive them for this, it doesn’t mean they are the scum of the Earth. If they truly were villains, they wouldn’t have surrendered and given us full control, they wouldn’t be discussing with us what to do next, they wouldn’t be helping us catch up to speed, and most importantly, they wouldn’t let us control their lives. But the moment some of you gain a smidge of power, you’re already wishing to abuse it the same way they did. This is why the Olympus Summit on its own has never, has not, and will never succeed. A small number of individuals who have risen to fame should never have this much sway in their hands."

He feels kind of silly now, having to explain this to the audience… He really was hoping they’d all be able to put their emotions aside, and listen and think logically… Some are, of course! But not everyone.

"The general populace thinks of us as gods, then fine. Let us dispel that notion then, I’m not just in favor of the information being leaked, but also in favor that Elliott himself decides what footage is to be selected.”

With his arms crossed, he nods in the direction of the one who once donned the codename of Prometheus.

“… And whatever footage he selects, we as a collective will decide whether it goes through or not, and we as a collective, democratically, will also elect what footage is cut, if any at all, and replaced with other recorded material, if any at all. No unreasonable demands from any single one person. If the majority votes the video is okay, then it goes through. If the majority decides the opposite, then it’s back to the editing room for Elliott. Furthermore, I suggest someone else associated with him to help him select footage in a non-biased way. All of our flaws must be exposed, and I truly mean all of us."

He doesn’t speak toward anyone in particular, but generically. For once since this nightmare began, the words are finally much more easily coming out of him.

"I, in agreement with Nemesis, Sabine and Shinobu, also vote for the plan of leaving them in isolation with little-to-no contact with the outside world rather than outright imprisonment, and while we are stuck at the ship, I agree with Shinobu. They should be offered the same commodities we were and kept under watch. Like them, I offer myself to stand guard and ensure no funky business is conducted by them. It’s the least I can do.”

Yay for house arrest!

“… Elliott is not our leader. That had been made clear forever ago, he is only offering to take responsibility for his actions, and that should speak loudly of how remorseful he is for his methods. However you also seem to not understand… They are victims of Titan Administration just as much as we are. None of us asked to be reborn and serve as different versions of our bases, and the same is true for them. Claire, Calista and Iris did not ask to be made into unwilling overseers to watch their fellow Council members perish on a yearly basis, and neither do I think Montgomery exactly enjoyed working on a program to psychologically torture individuals and make them feel as if they’d been gruesomely executed in real life after learning that he’s just another copy and his beloved has been gone for over a century. Similarly, Elliott and Menai never asked to become terrorists just to guarantee we’d oppose the Titan Administration. Without them, we’d all still be serving them dutifully without a speck of doubt in our minds and await to be discarded only months later. Things in here aren’t as black-and-white as some of you would like to think. It’s not that simple.”

(cw: perceived victim blaming)

Sighing, he finally turns to The Doctor and says one last thing.

“You haven’t learned anything, have you? You’re not as objective as you think. What you’re suggesting is the definition of exploitation. You are trying to lump Elliott into a personal ethics box and deeming him a villain when his actions are morally ambiguous. You’re demanding footage of me being used out of context to justify your own suffering. I watched the trial, and I watched how you, upon learning the truth, didn’t focus on the fact I avoided telling you my plans to ensure you weren’t targeted as an accessory of murder and attacked by the others for your silence, you glossed over how in my letter I stated I had an idea of where our ‘deceased’ pals were, a critical piece of information, and instead made the trial about you. A trial about my death, my suffering, about my plans, all about yourself; just because it was planned it does not mean I looked forward to my very slow, very painful death. I hid the truth from you once, and you labeled me an abusive, manipulative and toxic individual and constantly attacked me and even now continue to do so long after the events that took place and then demand footage of your own suffering be used in conjunction with out-of-context footage of me so you come out looking innocent. Our relationship wasn’t meant to be, and while I am sorry that I hurt you, I made that promise prior to learning of the existence of our compatriots stuck at the basement. Things change, Doctor. Accept that. I’m ready to move on, and you should as well. All Leland did was point out how quick you were to turn on me. I second Mina’s choice; Doctor should not be allowed to have her demands be met simply because she says so. If we’ll do this, we’ll do this as a collective effort between all of us.”

God, he had so much to say… Regardless.

“I vote to regain control of The Forge as well as to allow Mina, Montgomery and Nemesis to operate on it how they see fit and stick it to Titan Administration in any ways they can. Now, what to do with ourselves and the world..? That’s… A much more complex issue, and not one we can hope to answer anytime soon, I’m afraid. Not by just ourselves, at the very least… And also, call me Izar from here on. I think that’s much more fitting than 'Sol’ at this point.”

#chapter 6 #trial 6 #sol #submission

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thran-duils · 7 years

Text

Unescorted Women (Beauty, Reputation, & Wealth P13)

TITLE: Unescorted Women PAIRING: READER/AU!CASTIEL, READER/OOC SUMMARY: AU CASTIEL IS PART OF THE MOB BUT ALSO ENDOWED WITH MAGIC (BASED OFF OF GRISHA BY LEIGH BARDUGO. SO Y’ALL, HE STILL HAS HIS “GRACE”!). THE READER IS EMPLOYED IN A BROTHEL AND OF COURSE, HIS FAVORITE. BUT, SHE STARTS TO DEVELOP FEELINGS FOR ANOTHER… WORDS: 2,848 WARNINGS: LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE

PART 12 || Part 14 || MASTERPOST || Fanfic masterpost

You were about to change into your night clothes before Sam knocked on your door and walked into your room when you called for him to enter. You placed your dress down on the bed and faced him. Having him in your room made your mind go dark quick, worried something was happening. It bled into the tone of your voice.

“What’s going on, Sam?”

Sam quickly reassured you, “Nothing. It’s fine. I was just… coming in here to ask if you wanted to go out tonight?” You rose your eyebrows in surprise and he added, “Just somewhere close. Thought you might want to get some relaxation time and have a couple of drinks. And… my brother is gonna be there.”

This was news to you and it took you a few moments to find your voice. “Your… brother.”

Nodding, Sam affirmed, “Yes. He’s in town.”

“And you want me to… meet him?”

“Well, not particularly…” He noticed your curious look and he sighed, “Y/N… do you remember Dean?”

No way.

Your mouth was gaped slightly but you forced yourself to close it, shaking your head. It seemed to pain Sam for you to respond so slowly. “Dean… is your brother?” Sam sighed, nodding, heat creeping up his neck. You swallowed sharply before asking, “Is that why he… didn’t….”

You didn’t have to finish your sentence before Sam cut in, “No, that’s not why. I don’t know. Sometimes he’s weird. Not that not having sex with you is weird. I know a lot of men come here just to talk. But, Dean is usually pretty sexual. There’s a lot of shit he hides though and he probably found some type of companionship with you. I don’t know. Sorry, I’m rambling.”

This caused you to smirk slightly, seeing his distress.

He took a deep breath and then said, “I just… I wanted to get it out there that he was going to be there. And that he was… is… my brother.”

“Well… thank you for that forewarning. He’s not all that bad.”

Sam rose his eyebrows and said, “You didn’t grow up with him.”

“True,” you laughed a little. You pointed out, “Women typically aren’t welcome in pubs and taverns though, Sam.”

Sam pointed out in counter, “Unescorted women.”

It did sound like something you would like to do, especially with Sam. And you had to admit that you were curious about his brother. Sam had such a weird relationship with him. Sighing, you said, “You know I can’t just leave. I work at night.”

“Calista actually suggested it,” Sam admitted. You gave him a shocked look and he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “She does give days off, you know.” You nodded in acknowledgement. “She thought tonight would be a good one. You can just relax. And I’ll be there.”

“The knight in shining armor,” you half teased.

Sam laughed at this and nodded, “Yeah. Something like that. So… would you like to?”

It didn’t even need to be thought over. “Yeah. If Calista is fine with it, of course. It sounds like it will be a good time.”

Sam beamed before saying, “I’ll let you get ready.”

<> <> <>

It was a hot night and you had chosen to wear your tailed skirt, your legs exposed in the front with a bustled hem, while the back of your legs were covered. You’d added a halter corset top to go with it, your arms exposed. If you thought it had been hot outside, being inside a pub with a bunch of other people only added to the humidity. Not to mention the heat the alcohol brought to you. You were thankful about the outfit you had chosen.

You’d greeted Dean and he had looked shocked to see you for a second, shooting a worried look at Sam before brushing it off almost as quickly and stating, “Y/N. You look nice.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll go get something for us to drink,” Sam informed the both of you before disappearing into the crowd.

Dean looked at you across the table and smiled, it looking forced. “So… your Sam’s brother,” you stated curious, propping your elbow on the table and resting your head on your hand.

Chuckling, Dean answered, “Yeah. Am I about to get roasted?”

“Of course not, Mr. Winchester,” you responded. “It’s just a small world.”

Dean agreed, “It truly is.”

You eyed him and then asked, “Did you come to that specific brothel because of your brother?”

“He does have a high opinion about it. And about the girls.”

“You’re flattering me,” you teased and this drew a smile out of Dean, a more relaxed one. “It was quite a surprise to hear that you were his brother. But… I’m glad that I know. And knowing, I just had a lot of questions answered about your behavior when you met me. It’s not typical a man leaves without sleeping with us.”

He gave you a tight lipped smile and stated, “Just wanted to have a relaxed night, I guess.”

“Seems like it,” you replied before Sam appeared and sat in the booth next to you.

Before you started drinking, you wanted to relieve yourself. Not wanting to break the dam after you had started drinking. “Where is the bathroom?”

Dean pointed and you made to get up but Sam grabbed onto your arm, “You can’t go alone.”

You gave him a knowing look. “Sam, it’s a few feet away. And I’ve dealt with rowdy men before. Let’s make a deal. If I’m not back in a few minutes, you can come check up on me.”

Sam looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. He nodded and you got up, moving towards the bathroom.

When you were gone, Dean immediately cut in, “Did you tell her?”

“About?”

“Don’t play dumb, Sammy.”

Sam sighed, “No. I didn’t.”

Dean nodded in approval, relief washing over his features instantaneously. “Good, Sammy. Good.” He took a good swig of his ale before relaxing back against the seat. “So, I’m assuming you two aren’t on a date?”

Sam snorted, “I’m not that fucking stupid, Dean.”

Smirking, Dean responded, “I know. I’m just happy you’re here.” Sam had to smile at hearing this.

<> <> <>

“She’s not here,” Victoria told Castiel.

Castiel had come into the brothel, expecting to find Y/N to speak with her and apologize for being so brazen and insensitive about the matter when he had brought it up. But, instead, he was confronted with this information from Victoria.

He felt a surge of panic, his mind going to the worst, and asked quickly, “What do you mean?”

Victoria gave him a confused look and said, “She went out. With Sam.”

So, she hadn’t left like he had immediately feared. But, now the panic was replaced by annoyance and jealousy. “Where?” he demanded.

Shrugging, Victoria told him, “I don’t know. He offered to take her out for a drink and Calista let them go.”

Castiel exhaled sharply before saying curtly, “Thank you” and he turned and walked back towards the front door. He was going to search all the nearby taverns until he found her. He hadn’t seen her for days. He had a good idea of the best bets for the taverns they would be at.

<> <> <>

Sam’s eyes widened and he immediately sat up straight when he saw Castiel making his way through the crowd, his eyes trained dangerously on the three of you.

You didn’t notice him until the last second and although your heart skipped seeing him, it was dulled by the alcohol you had imbibed. He looked furious and ultimately, you decided you were not in the mood. Not after the last conversation the two of you had had, despite the guilt you had felt at hurting his feelings.

“The hell are you doing here?” Castiel growled, ignoring Sam and Dean.

You laughed slightly and asked, your brazen behavior coming from the drink, “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Dean looked uncomfortable you noticed and he was avoiding looking up at Castiel.

Castiel’s jaw set with your response and Sam cleared his throat, attempting to diffuse the situation, “Mr. Novak, it’s fine. We are ju–”

“I didn’t ask you, boy,” Castiel growled.

Sam shut his mouth, looking offended. You rolled your eyes, annoyed. You hadn’t seen or spoken to Castiel for days since he had unabashedly proposed you basically belonging to him. He didn’t know Oliver had just died – or more so, that you had just heard – but you were still vexed about it nonetheless.

“Castiel, we are just enjoying drinks. By all means, if you are so concerned about it, feel free to join us,” you told him, waving your hand around the table.

Castiel followed your hand movement and his eyes lit seeing Dean sitting there to his right. He hadn’t seen him until that point, being so focused on you across the table. His eyes widened, a newfound flash of anger passing across his features. Dean was staring straight ahead, knowing damn well Castiel had laid his gaze on him. He snuck a quick glance, a forced, nervous smirk on his face before turning his eyes back down to his drink.

It went unnoticed by you as you added scornfully, “Unless you’re too good to be –”

“You and I. Outside. Now,” Castiel barked to Dean.

Sam shifted next to you, looking worried. You on the other hand were confused. You furrowed your brow, opening your mouth to inquire but Sam laid a hand on your arm, grasping. He gave you the slightest shake of his head and you closed your mouth. Even in your drunken state, you could tell he was serious.

Dean exhaled slowly before finishing off the rest of the ale in his cup. He stood up from the table and stated, “Excuse us.”

The second they were gone, you turned and demanded, “What is that about?” Sam didn’t answer you and instead took a drink of his whiskey. You hit his arm and he shot you a look. “Sam!”

“I don’t know.”

You could have punched him. “Bullshit!”

Sam shrugged and stated, “They probably worked together on something. Might have gone south.”

“Like what? What would Castiel have to do with hunting monsters?”

“You don’t think Grisha have to deal with that sort of thing from time to time?” Sam questioned, looking you in the eyes for the first time in the last minute or so.

You considered it for a moment. It did hold some plausibility you had to admit. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. You shrugged, “Maybe. But he was angry at Dean.”

Sam cleared his throat and said, “I think he’s more angry about something else and it’s just exploding everywhere else.”

Sighing, you mumbled, “He’s always mad if I’m with other men. Even if there’s nothing going on apparently. And yet, he won’t take me on to be his wife.”

“He has a wife.”

You snapped, “You think I don’t know that?” Sam looked stricken and you sighed loudly. “I’m sorry. I’m just… overwhelmed.”

“About?”

Chewing on your lip, you debated about mentioning it to Sam. But he had divulged personal information to you today and trusted you with it. What did it say if you couldn’t trust him in return to take care of your personal information?

“He… proposed something to me. A deal. And apparently Calista agreed to it.” Something flashed across Sam’s face and you recognized it as realization. You narrowed your eyes and inquired, “Do you know?”

Sam shrugged, “A bit… I only heard… a bit. If it’s about him… and you together.”

So, he did know. You nodded, “Yes. He wants me to just be exclusively his. And normally, you know, I wouldn’t be hesitant about it. But after what happened to Oliver… if I just stay with one person, what if they leave? And then I’m left with nothing? I mean, god, I love Castiel. I really fucking do and it hurts to say that out loud because I know I can truly never have him to myself. But he wants to have me completely to his self. I mean, sure, I have his heart and his passion. But I don’t have him all the time. I don’t even know if he loves his wife. He’s said it’s out of duty and reputation that he stays with her. And by the way he talks, he insinuates that she feels the same. But how am I supposed to know that is the truth?”

Sam was quiet and you turned your attention to him expectantly waiting an answer. He looked like he wanted to say something but then thought better of it.

“I think he really does care,” Sam said quietly, it coming out a bit cracked. “Why else would he keep coming and go through so much to make you happy? Hell… I would say he loves you too. Even if it is in his own fucked up way.”

Hearing this come from Sam made you feel even more messed up about whether you should accept Castiel’s offer. Swallowing sharply, you asked, “So you think I should accept?”

“If you really want to.”

There was something lurking under Sam’s tone that suggested he might feel differently but just this small bit of encouragement lit a fire in you to go speak to Castiel.

“Then… I need to talk to him.”

“Wait, Y/N! Fuck.” Sam tried but you were already out of the booth and heading through the crowd.

<> <> <>

Castiel shoved Dean up against the wall roughly the moment they were outside. Dean put his hands up in defeat instantly as the anger rolled off of Castiel, his eyes lit with fury.

“You mind telling me what the fuck you are doing here?” Castiel seethed, clenching his fists. Dean watched his fists warily, knowing damn well what Castiel was capable of.

“Having a drink.”

“With her!”

“She came with Sam!”

Castiel snarled, “And? Why the hell do you care about him? You working for him now?”

Dean gave out a humorless laugh and said, “Hell no.”

“Then what!”

Spitting it out, Dean said, “He’s my brother!”

If Castiel could look anymore furious than he already did, he managed it. He instantly grabbed Dean’s collar, yanking him to him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Dean choked against the fabric bunched around his throat and wheezed, “I think I made it pretty clear.”

Castiel growled, tossing Dean back against the wall with a thud and Dean groaned slightly, “That’s gonna hurt in the morning.”

“It’s going to hurt even more if you even hinted to Y/N about that little fucking brat and anything to do with me!”

Dean said quickly, “Castiel, I didn’t. I swear to god. It is just me. I don’t talk about my business. And especially with people who are not supposed to be involved. Trust me.”

Castiel’s chest was heaving, close to coming unhinged. His eyes were fixated on Dean and Dean grew increasingly more uncomfortable with each passing second.

Movement caught his eye though and he saw Y/N approaching them quickly.

<> <> <>

You slowed, seeing Dean up against the wall, looking on edge as Castiel stood less than a foot from him, his fists clenched and you saw essence of magic swirling around them. That only happened when he was trying to hold back and was having a hard time doing so. His power was building up with no outlet.

“Cas?” you questioned.

He whipped around to face you instantly and Dean relaxed the slightest behind him.

“Y/N! Go back inside!” Castiel ordered you.

What the hell?

“I want to talk –”

Castiel cut you off and he snapped, “Not right now. I told you to go back inside!”

Your feelings of affection switched to exasperation. “I’m trying to have a talk with you, Castiel!” you snapped at him, shoving him slightly.

His eyes flashed and he got in your face. You didn’t back away from him as he hissed, “Do you mind taking this conversation somewhere more private then?”

Of course the people nearby, drunk as they were, had noticed the heat building up between the two of you were and some were openly watching while others were trying to be nonchalant about it.

Snorting, you sneered, “So someone doesn’t accidentally see you arguing with a prostitute and have it get back to your wife?”

Something dark flashed across Castiel’s face and he growled, “Exactly, Y/N.”

Every fiber of your being wanted to be more bratty than you already had been but you decided against it. “Fine,” you muttered turning to walk off.

Castiel grabbed your arm, pulling you towards him, beginning to walk. To Dean, he snarled, “We are not done, Winchester!” To you, he stated exasperated at the annoyed look on your face about being jostled around, “Like I’m going to let you walk alone ahead of me at this time of night.”

~~~

CASTIEL TAGS: @prince-halfblood, @splendidcas, @klaineaholic, @letsthedogpackandthecats, @alexastacio, @winchesterforever12 @seirensou @tacos-and-trenchcoats @the-amaranthine @greenappleeyes

#castiel x reader #au castiel #spn fanfic #spn fanfiction #my shit

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josiebelladonna · 7 years

Text

Saturn Is Ascending | Chapter 6: The Battle for Titania

Hamilton's stomach twisted into knots. Pluto brought a hand to her mouth. Neither of them could believe it. This entire time they believed they were from space through and through, but this just threw everything they knew about their entire family tree out the window. The entire world collapsed away all around them and it was just the three of them left alone in a massive tangle of confusion.

“We're—Earthlings,” Hamilton stammered.

“We're related to Archer Wilson's mother,” Siegfried added in a soft voice.

“We're Earthlings!”

“Just out of curiosity, what would that make us in relation to him? To Wilson, I mean?” Pluto wondered aloud.

“I want to say third cousins,” Siegfried guessed. “It says Christine and Hope were his granddaughters but they have different last names so that tells me that they're cousins. Which means Rowena is cousins with Mom and Aunt Desi, and we're second cousins to Rowena, which makes Archer Wilson our third cousin. My God, we really are Earthlings.

“That explains the 'normal threshold of hearing' Persephone was talking about, too,” Hamilton recalled.

“That explains a lot, actually,” Pluto softly chimed in. Her brothers flashed puzzled expressions at her.

“How so?” Hamilton quizzically asked her.

“Why we get hungry, why we fall in love, why we fight, and why we've admitted to 'feeling' like we're from Earth before. But to be honest, though, I wouldn't look at this as a bad thing, but more like—we're born fighters.”

“Born fighters,” Siegfried echoed.

“Yeah, born fighters. They came out here during the Manhattan Project in secret—to me, it sounds like they did it out of protest. They're Eidelbergs, Pattersons, and Manzareks, the latter of which is Rowena's family. She raised Archer Wilson by herself and she was exposed to just flat out horrible people. She was a fighter. Therefore… we're fighters, too.��

The second she said that, a loud crash! emerged from outside. Calista from the kitchen shouted something. The sound of footsteps all along the hallways echoed through their ears.

“We need to keep this money safe,” Hamilton quickly suggested.

“These recipes, too,” Siegfried added. “And this honey. And we need to capture thirty one bees.”

“What about Archer Wilson's book here, though?” Pluto pointed out.

They turned to face the book, Poems by Emily Dickinson, resting on the bottom of the crawl space.

“Yeah, take that, too,” Siegfried commanded, “it is Wilson's book after all.”

“Those telegrams were in there, too!” Hamilton recalled.

“That's right! I think—wasn't there a pendant in there before?”

“Yeah. It looked like a marble on a chain. It fell out of the dust jacket when he and Desi met, and then Desi took it, gave it back to him, he put it back, and then I found it and suggested to you—” Hamilton pointed at Siegfried again “—that we put it in a safe place somewhere around here. And—” He froze as his mind went blank. Siegfried raised his eyebrows. Pluto's mouth dropped open.

“Oh, no,” she gasped.

“Oh, no,” Hamilton echoed.

“Oh, no, don't tell me you forgot,” Siegfried lowered his voice to nearly a whisper.

“I—I, I did,” Hamilton sputtered.

“No,” Siegfried insisted.

“Yes,” Hamilton argued.

“No!” Siegfried barked.

“Yes! I did! I did, Siegfried! I did! Between this and everything else that's happened since then, yeah. I—I'm just totally mentally checked out right now. God, I feel sick…”

“I do, too—” Siegfried could scarcely speak himself.

“Let's just get these bloody robots and see if we can find the pendant,” Pluto suggested.

“Good idea,” Hamilton agreed as he slipped his ray gun into the holster on the right side of his belt. They each picked up a few bundles of money and stashed them underneath the bed. Siegfried pocketed the three pieces of paper next to the skeleton key in his pocket as they briskly strode out of the room and down the hallway.

It was as if someone had tied a loose thread on their clothes to a pole and with each step the fabric of their very selves unraveled until there was nothing left but cold stone. Everything they had ever known crashed down around them. They knew they were all born on Eris and then came to Pluto-Charon when Pluto herself was just a toddler. They always wondered where the line trickled down to them. The sense of shame surrounding hailing from Earth began to grow clearer: everyone had to stay quiet about it or the Manzareks' secret would be revealed. But there was one question that irked Pluto in particular: how did so many people get onto Pluto-Charon as well as Eris, Haumea, Makemake, several of Saturn's moons, and a few of Neptune's moons? Surely those three families couldn't have been alone in space. Perhaps more people took notice and left for outer space themselves as they caught onto the Manzareks', the Pattersons', and the Eidelbergs' logic. But she couldn't say for sure, especially since everything around them melted into one great big blur.

The Positrons looked as though they were a million light years away: their heart lights melted into their orange eyes and their narrow elongated bodies twisted and contorted into stalagmites stretching on forever, and Pluto, Hamilton, and Siegfried seemed to interweave between the stalagmites like a trio of ghosts towards the mouth of cave which shone brightly with the distant sun. Ione and Calista's voices both sounded a thousand miles away down a sewer pipe. They were each in such a trance, their brains switched onto autopilot.

Hamilton fired his ray gun at the head of one of the robots but with a blank expression on his face. He was too busy reminiscing on the time he was a toddler on Eris, when he and Siegfried played together for the first time. Both of them had such grand smiles plastered on their little faces; both of them completely clueless to the backdrop behind them.

Siegfried shoved a bot to the ground and it shattered into a million pieces. Persephone had shattered his heart, but reading that note blew away the rest of the shards, leaving a gaping hole inside his chest. How he wished for his mother to kiss his tummy again, to go back to that safe place, to go back to that time before, when they knew for a fact they were from space through and through.

Pluto was the only one of the three who seemed more than enthusiastic to take down the Positrons. She high kicked two of them in the head. Her two inch heels shattered their heart lights and they collapsed onto the soil. She and Ione grabbed one by the ankles and dragged it across the soil, the rocks and loose grains tearing into its metal body before its head fell off at the edge of the runway. Even though she could continue to be lost in a fog like her brothers, she decided to use the light of the sun to get these robots off of her brothers' turf while channeling out her frustration.

She watched one of the medics Adrienne, a chubby tall woman with black hair which had white and violet tips, throw a Positron head at a row of them approaching her: the head knocked all of them over like bowling pins. Pluto then turned to see Siegfried's assistant Rosalind on Calista's shoulders, the former carried a rolling pin in her hand. She then turned to see Siegfried and Hamilton run towards the other side of the hotel. She raised an eyebrow and wondered as to what they might be doing back there.

Siegfried dove towards the far corner of the side of the hotel, out of sight from the staff and the Positrons, and behind the corner from the back door. He sank to the ground, totally out of breath. Hamilton hung against the wall to his right. He removed the cap from his head and ran a hand through his light blond hair. He let out an exasperated sigh.

“Lord—” Siegfried breathed.

“I know,” Hamilton replied.

“I don't even know what to say.”

“You're telling me.”

“What're we going to do now?”

“Don't know.” Hamilton glanced to his left to see a Positron approaching them. He reached for the ray gun on his belt.

“And I don't know about you but I am so bloody sick of these damn robots!” He fired the ray gun into the robot's heart light and the bot turned bright red with the heat before splitting apart into several pieces. He glanced at the side of the gun and noticed a red dot on the stock. He never saw that do before but he knew he was going to run out of fire power soon. Hamilton thought for sure he had it charging in the case. He let out another sigh and returned to his brother, who looked as though he had just ran a mile. He stuffed the gun back onto the holster on his belt.

“I don't know where that pendant is,” Hamilton confessed.

“It's okay, I don't either,” Siegfried blankly replied.

“But I had it in my hand, though, Siegfried!” Hamilton exclaimed. “I had it and then for all we know I might have lost it!”

“Hey!” Siegfried scrambled to his feet. He slammed his hands onto Hamilton's newly broadened shoulders. His deep brown eyes scorched into Hamilton's peacock blue ones.

“Listen to me! You forgot about it. We all did. You misplaced it. Then things happened and you forgot about it. It's not the end of the world, Hamilton! At least—I hope it's not.”

Hamilton's eyes began to burn. He had never been this torn at the seams in his life. All he wanted was to find the alleged pendant and then be done with all of this robotic madness.

Siegfried realized what he had done as he watched his little brother's eyes well up with tears. His eyes widened and then he flung his arms around him. He held him close and closed his eyes. Siegfried's fingers gently massaged the back of Hamilton's blond head.

“It's okay,” he reassured, “it's okay. Okay, that was too much. But don't worry about it, though, please? We'll get out of this. We always get out of bad things.”

Hamilton pulled back to reveal a solemn expression. Siegfried gently patted the side of the face.

“If it makes you feel better, I'm not thinking straight, either. I haven't been thinking straight since the girls took a vote without us. I mean, they did it while we were sleeping! And, to be honest, it feels like no one is paying attention to all of this commotion here. We're here on Titania and everyone on Pluto-Charon seems to be completely clueless.”

Hamilton sighed through his nose as something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye: Meredith hurled a rock at a Positron. The bot froze, stunned, but continued to lurch towards her. Rosalind dove out from behind the bot and tackled it. Pluto shouted something. It took Hamilton a minute to realize she shouted “get it in the head! The head, Rosalind!” Hamilton and Siegfried watched Rosalind grip onto the top of the bot's head and twist the head to the side. Its neck twisted and contorted, the metal holding the neck together shattered and splintered until the head finally snapped off.

Both brothers blinked and then returned to one another just as Rosalind glanced up to see them off to the side.

“Which one's which?” she asked Meredith, who strode towards her to help her to her feet. Meredith took a glimpse at the two brothers embracing each other behind the hotel. Hamilton had gained enough weight that it would be easy to confuse the two had one never seen them before.

“Siegfried's the one with the neckerchief,” she pointed out. “Hamilton is the blond one. I'll tell you more later, come on, let's go help Joliette—I don't trust that one bot in particular—” They hurried off, out of the brothers' sight. They watched Pluto and Ione shove a Positron onto a boulder, which bifurcated its body at the spine.

“We still have each other, though,” Hamilton spoke up out of the blue. He had caught on with Siegfried's logic.

“We still have each other,” he echoed, “and we know the truth about ourselves now. Come to think of it—where would you rather be? Would you rather live in the shadows coddled by a lie, a lie of which everyone told you was true, or in the light as a ghost who died and took the actual truth with them to the grave?” He glanced to his right to see Pluto chuck the Positron's head at another bot. She nailed the bot's head right on the dot, and the head sailed off. The bot then sank to the ground.

Hamilton blinked. All Siegfried had to do was throw some light pulled from thin air onto their haze of confusion and that was it.

“Do you think maybe—just maybe—everyone on Pluto-Charon knew about it but didn't want us to find for whatever reason? Like maybe they were actually trying to protect us?”

“Can't say for sure,” Siegfried confessed, still holding onto his brother, “but whatever that reason is, though, we can only hope it's not too bad, Hamilton—” He could not finish his sentence as something beaned him in the back of the head. Siegfried blinked twice as his eyes fell out of focus.

“Flautas! Breakfast flautas for everyone!” he mindlessly blurted out. Hamilton peered behind his disoriented brother's head to see a quartet of tall dark figures looming behind the hotel. His mouth dropped open as one of them stepped closer to the light.

“Siegfried! Look!”

Siegfried blinked three more times and then shook his head before jerking back to see the figure entering the light. It stood tall, so tall that it dwarved both brothers: its near black hooves, which were the size of dinner plates, clomped on the dark ferric soil. The rich crimson fur glimmered in the milky sunlight: no mane hung down from the back of its head. Instead, wispy, densely packed charcoal black clouds slithered around the pegasus' head like an incoming bank of tule fog on a blood red mountain side: the thin coarse hair of the tail entwined with the same clouds. It had solid black eyes lined with silver and white spirals. The pegasus' wings jutted out in a pair of massive identical shiny black raven wings, so shiny they looked as though they resembled the metal on the outside of a stealth airplane.

The other three pegasi stepped forward: one of them huffed.

“Neptunian pegasi,” Siegfried breathed; he spotted a black marking shaped into a trident on each of their left hips, “I completely forgot about you guys. Well, we haven't seen them since we came here to Titania, but still.” He set his hands on Hamilton's shoulders.

“It's a sign, Hamilton,” he excitedly told him, “it's a sign.”

“It's a sign!” Hamilton exclaimed.

The main pegasus turned its body as if beckoning the brothers to climb onboard. They glanced at each other.

“You want us to climb on?” Hamilton asked the horse, which huffed and bowed its head as if in affirmation. He let go of his older brother just as the pegasus lowered its wings. He set his hands on the pegasus' neck and gently stroked the soft downy fur. He lifted his right leg to try and climb on but he could not seem to reach high up enough. The pegasus slightly buckled its knees to make it easier for him. Siegfried pushed on Hamilton's hips to boost him up. Hamilton landed on the pegasus' back on his stomach before he pulled himself upright in order to help his brother on.

Siegfried climbed on behind him. He wrapped his arms around Hamilton's soft waist; Hamilton himself gripped onto the sides of the pegasus' neck. The pegasus flapped its wings once it felt they were ready.

Meanwhile, Pluto and the rest of the staff had finished off the small horde of the Positrons. They all stood on the runway near the apartments. They examined the piles of dead robots strewn about the bare dirt. The Positrons only clawed as far as the patch of Hydra grass in front of the hotel: Meredith scrambled towards the two closest to the hotel and slammed them to the ground, shattering them into a thousand pieces.

Calista sprinted down the runway towards Pluto and Ione with a worried expression on her face.

“There are more coming!” she exclaimed. She pointed off into the distance to see dozens more floating towards Titania in a massive swarm, their orange eyes angry and their heart lights like floating stars.

“Oh, dear God no!” Ione yelped.

“This is insane,” Pluto cried, clasping a hand to her forehead. She had had enough for one morning. She needed to eat breakfast. The pit of her stomach sank down as the swarm of Positrons grounded near the Cerulean Cliffs.

Four dark figures soared in front of the Positrons, stunning them all. Pluto noticed four pairs of outstretched glossy black wings. She recognized the two young men hunched down in between one of the pairs which lead the way and soared around towards the group of young women—

“Hamilton! Siegfried!” she shouted. Ione and Calista cheered. The pegasus soared towards Pluto with its wings tilted to its right. She saw Siegfried reaching out for her. He flung his arms around her and yanked her off the tarmac just as the pegasus swooped away. He held onto her for dear life as they sailed above the cheering crowd of women. Siegfried dragged her onto his body and then wedged her between him and Hamilton just as the pegasus soared over the roof of the hotel, then over the bistro, then over the path to Shadow Ravine.

Pluto hugged her brother, her arms snugly wrapped around his enlarged belly. Siegfried pressed himself against her back, but how she missed Hamilton's warmth. He smiled as the wispy tule fog on the back of the pegasus' head caressed over his face. The pegasus flew over Shadow Ravine, the vast dark slope which beheld the amazing view of Uranus and the small graveyard consisting of Gwendolyn, Deidre, and the two guests down below at the base of the cliff.

The pegasus gently curved to the left, flapping its wings on occasion. Uranus hung off the horizon, a massive blue-green ball painted at the equator with pitch black shadow and brilliant white and gray rings jutting out from the equator. The moons Oberon, Miranda, and Ariel hovered around Uranus in a triad of silvery crescents bathed in the sunlight. Neither of them had seen a sight like this before as the cold winds fluttered through their hair.

The pegasus doubled back and returned towards the Cerulean Cliffs. It dipped down towards the ruins of the barn, the black wings outstretched to allow them to simply soar over the ground. The pegasus bowed its head further and they began to pick up more speed.

“Hang on—” Hamilton called out. The pegasus began to gallop even though still in the air. The sea of Positron heads next to the apartments stared on, dumbfounded, at the three siblings riding this flying red horse. Out of the corner of their eyes, they could see the other three pegasi joining in to their right: they galloped in mid-air as well. The pegasus and its three brethren bowed down even more and speared straight into the sea of metallic heads.

The enormous hooves slammed against the metallic heads and pushed the bots over like countless rows of dominos. Neither of the siblings could hear any of the staff members cheering them on over the cacophony of Positrons smashing against one another and shattering into pieces. Hamilton clung to the pegasus' neck as hard as he could without hurting the creature too much. Pluto kept her head bowed to keep the shards of metal from hitting her in the face: Siegfried did just that and also squinted to keep the pieces of metal from flying into his eyes.

The four pegasi galloped towards the edge of the horde to a massive Positron, one that was about twelve feet tall with searing blood red eyes and an enormous heart light with its spidery hands outstretched at the lead pegasus. The bot gripped onto the pegasus' right front leg. The pegasus continued to gallop in the air as the Positron reached for Pluto's ankle. She opened her eyes to see the bot grabbing her leg.

She yelped out in surprise. The pegasus sailed over the forest and then tilted to the left to make the Positron lose its grip but it clung to Pluto's ankle and began to creep up her leg. She furiously shook her leg to make the Positron loosen its grip. Its red eyes burned into her like hot embers of unwanted passion. It wanted her, it wanted her like how Sullivan wanted her, and then it wanted her on the floor of the forest.

“Let go of my kid sister, you clinking clanking pile of calamitous junk!” Siegfried shouted. He lifted his right leg and stomped on the bot's face. The head tilted back but never fell off.

Furious, Hamilton reached for his ray gun and aimed right between the bot's eyes.

“I'm gonna stick my ray gun up where the sun doesn't shine, send a surge up your spine, and wear you like a tinfoil hat!” He pulled the trigger and the last of the gun's fire power seared right through the Positron's face, which turned red, then orange, and finally yellow before the ray beam waned and dissipated. Pluto gasped but Hamilton persisted. He hurled the gun at the bot's head which sailed off of its shoulders into the dark red sea below. The Positron lost its grip and fell down below into a clearing. Its body split apart upon impact with the hard ground like a dish dropped on a linoleum floor. The impact scared a handful of neons out of a couple of the red leaved trees. Pluto sighed with relief and bowed her head again.

Beams of neon blue, green, and yellow streamed upwards and followed the three siblings and their dark red pegasus back to the hotel. The shiny black wings stretched out as far as they could go as the pegasus glided towards the hotel and the staff. The other three pegasi returned to the siblings' right.

They sailed over the dozens of piles of scrap metal towards the runway. The pegasi galloped mid air once again before landing on the tarmac. The hooves touched down and they sauntered down the tarmac. They slowed to a stop next to the ruins that was the barn.

The lead pegasus lowered its wings for the siblings to climb off. Siegfried slid off first and then helped his sister and brother off onto the tarmac. He wrapped his arms around Pluto, and then around Hamilton. Several of the neons buzzed overhead. Ione hurried towards the three of them and the pegasi, the other staff members followed close behind her. The lead pegasus huffed and shook its head.

Calista gaped at the pegasi.

“Neptunian pegasi! I completely forgot they existed!”

“My hairbrush is made from their hair,” Pluto recalled. “They're such sweet creatures.”

“I have an announcement to make.” Everyone turned to Siegfried, who reached into his pocket for the leaves of rice paper. A sinking feeling tugged on the pit of his stomach. He knew no one was going to like what these papers said. He cleared his throat and read aloud the third leaf of paper, the one that bore what he had read to his siblings earlier. Ione and Calista's mouths dropped open. Bronwen took off her glasses. Joliette gasped. Meredith and Rosalind gaped at one another.

“Wait, there's more,” Siegfried continued. He set his finger on the writing at the bottom of the page: “'I say you will be returning to Earth because if you're reading this right now, you are probably in danger of losing everything—' wait, what?”

Hamilton craned his neck to read the note for himself.

“'The United States and Ferros Maximus governments are on the brink of a feud over the solar system. We, the Orion Colony, figured out that this feud can never be won. We all saw it coming but we left because Earth will be epicenter of the feud. The only way it can be won is if the two sides set aside their differences and walk forth together into the Age of Aquarius, a time of peace, love, harmony, and understanding. But the first step out of this conflict, as painful as it is going to be, is to leave space. Leave the solar system, whatever planet or moon you might be on and return to Earth and never come back to space.'”

Siegfried and Hamilton solemnly glanced at one another.

“We need to find that pendant?” Pluto questioned. Her brothers turned towards her, their eyes large with concern.

“Minerva Grace Blue, for all we know, that thing's long gone,” Hamilton grimly replied. Her heart sank. But another question came to mind.

“But, how are we going to get to Earth? Our old rocket was getting repaired and then we bailed from Pluto-Charon before it was fixed so now we don't have a rocket.”

“We could teleport,” Siegfried suggested. “Take one of these guys with us.” He gestured to the pegasi standing strong and high over the group.

“And them,” Hamilton gestured to the neons buzzing around the lead pegasus.

“And them, too,” Siegfried recalled, “we need them to make honey.” He removed his cap to catch some of the neons. Several of them buzzed into the interior of the cap. Hamilton followed suit in using his cap as a capturing net for the bees. They both counted out the neons in each cap: Siegfried caught sixteen, Hamilton captured fifteen.

“Thirty one exactly,” Siegfried announced: the little brightly colored bees nestled down in the crevices of the inner lining on the cap.

“Incredible,” Hamilton remarked: he watched one green neon bee lay down in the middle of the inner lining.

“But what about them? And the hotel?” Minerva gestured to the staff, all of whom gazed on with wide, fearful eyes.

Hamilton sighed.

“Someone needs to take care of the hotel,” he concluded. He glanced at Ione, who had her hands tucked into her pockets.

“Think you're up for it?” Hamilton asked her. A smile spread across her face.

“You bet,” she smartly replied.

“Where would the three of you like to go?” Meredith inquired.

“Bikini Atoll,” Minerva blurted out. Siegfried and Hamilton glanced at each other, knowing Neptune was back on Bikini Atoll and all alone. Meredith showed the three of them a small but sad smile.

“Okay. I'll set up the coordinates, and the three of you pack your things, and get a better capture for those bees, and take that one pegasus with you. I'm really going to miss you two. You guys were so much fun to work with. Your sister, too. God—come on, girls—”

#saturn is ascending #plutoinaquarius #book 4 #chapter 6 #science fantasy #sci-fi & fantasy #writing #literature #spilled ink #writers on tumblr #text

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notchesandbullets · 3 years

Text

Halloween Special: Caramel Apples and Tricksters [Oneshot] Modern AU (Part 1/2)

Part 1

Words: 4k

(OC from my fanfic: “The Varied Path”)

They had finally fully settled into their new home, and the girls went a little crazy with the decorating, as Halloween was just around the corner. Hand-painted jack-o-lanterns stood guard at the front door, and colorful lights were hung at the front of their mansion.

Inside, every single surface was draped in marigold tablecloths and cinnamon candles burned brightly, the spice wafting through every inch of the house. Garlands were draped over the railings in an artful arrangement of autumn leaves and cranberries. The usual white towels in the bathrooms and the kitchen were replaced with seasonal ones and Zeno added a bit of spooky touches all over the place.

Plastic bats hanging from the ceiling upstairs, a ghost at the foot of the basement stairs, and several well-placed traps so that whenever someone opened up a cupboard, they got a face full of goo launched at their head.

But in a house full of trained agents and spies, it was more fun than anything else to try and dodge the sticky substance.

The leaves had changed shades, indicating the much beloved season transformation by the one and only Calista.

She loved how the forest green gradually transformed into ruby reds and lavish golds, leaves spiraling gently to the ground as the autumn breeze whispered by. It was the season of pumpkin spice, fresh air, apple pie, and warmth that came from sitting by the fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Hak and Jae-ha had undertaken some projects for the new house when they first moved in during the summer, installing top of the line appliances for the giant kitchen. A huge fridge for Yoon to stock with all sorts of food to feed the hungry bunch of eight, and a state of the art oven complete with a industry standard stovetop.

They had also turned the unfinished, extremely creepy basement into an automated training space. They all used it for shooting practice, hand to hand combat and wrestling.

Kija had repainted nearly all of the rooms in the house, with a little help from Yona and Zeno. While they were doing that, Shin-ah and Calista were busy helping the movers bring all of their stuff inside under the direction of a pretty boy genius barking out commands at the front door.

"You!! Bring that into the kitchen, but watch out for the paint and the tools lying around."

"Don't forget to grab the rugs, those need to go in first before we can put any of this away."

"No— No!! I need this first before you bring in that!!"

"BE CAREFUL WITH THAT, IT'S GLASS YOU IDIOT!!!!!"

Calista chuckled to herself as she carefully maneuvered around the sharp corner from the hallway that led from the foyer. Panting with exertion, she helped Shin-ah move the plush sofa into the living room. They set it down heavily, but luckily Yoon was too far away and too consumed with drilling the movers to hear that they may have scratched his hardwood floors.

Wiping the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand, she grinned at the blue-haired man who was scanning around for any boxes that needed unloading in their vicinity. She pushed herself up onto her feet, punching his shoulder good-naturedly when she passed him.

"C'mon, I'll race ya!!"

She broke into a sprint, and he chased after her. Their friends, in various places of the house cracked smiles and shared jokes as they heard the laughter coming from downstairs, knowing that the two must be up to their shenanigans again.

It had been months since then, and everyone had pretty much settled into a rhythm comfortable enough for Calista to hit the stores with Yona long enough without the boys destroying the place.

Hopefully.

The girls picked out just about anything that caught their interest, bringing along Tae-yeon and Hani last minute with Mundok's and Gi-gan's permission. They were the children's respective guardians but it wasn't much of an issue seeing as how they were all family.

Calista had been in the store less than a minute before there was a loud commotion behind her.

Internally wincing, she turned around to see what trouble the children had gotten themselves into this time. But her eyes widened in surprise as she saw five familiar figures, Hani frozen from where she faceplanted into Nier's legs. Tae-yeon was staring up at Tae-jun with big, innocent eyes and Yona smiled sheepishly at Heuk-chi, apologizing to both of them for the collision while the children righted themselves.

The guardian brushed it off, his unofficial bodyguard going along with him. If she didn't know any better, Calista would say that the tall man was blushing badly in the presence of the sweet redhead. But she chose not to comment on it as Hani and Tae-yeon ran back to her, wanting to spare her friend any embarrassment.

"We weren't expecting to see you guys until later tonight." Calista pitched in, ruffling the children's hair as she directed her attention past the triplets. "We're getting some stuff for later on, want to come with?"

With an eager, mutual agreement to join forces, the huge and rambunctious group of nine browsed the aisles of the store, buying way more than they should have with the children throwing things in the cart more than would've been allowed if any real adults were present.

Tae-jun didn't count, he caved every time Opal turned his watery eyes on him and Calista cursed her spinelessness, giving in just as bad when it came to her youngest brother and the golden-haired, little girl.

Squeals echoed off of the shelves and she whipped around as the triplets and the younger two pulled a huge cake out from the bakery section.

"Oh no, absolutely not." Calista held up her hand, averting her gaze from their puppy eyes. "Yoon will throw a fit if he sees this."

"But Notch~" Opal whined. "Please!!"

His brothers chorused their persuasion and while she had to admit it was sort of endearing seeing the fifteen-year-old boys beg for permission to buy a ridiculously humongous treat, she redirected their efforts towards a panicking Tae-jun beside her.

There wasn't any way she would be able to hold up against all five of them if they continued, she barely had enough strength to resist Hani's puppy dog eyes.

But once she turned her gaze on her youngest brother and saw how Tae-yeon's lower lip trembled dangerously, she sped to his side, dropping down on her knees, ignoring how harshly she landed on them in her haste.

"Tae-yeon," Her soft voice broke as desperation seeped through, gripping his shoulders gently in an effort to convey how bad of an idea this was. "Gramps is gonna kill me."

He beamed up at her, tears suddenly vanishing. "No, he loves you, remember?"

Calista's eyes rounded pathetically at that and she coughed to cover it up.

"Alright, fine." She finally surrendered, throwing up her hands.

Their shrieks of excitement and victory shattered any semblance of silence in the marketplace and she winced at their volume, shaking her head in amusement as they rushed to shove it in the already crammed shopping cart.

Yona drifted over to her side, clasping her hands behind her back playfully.

"You caved~" The redhead sang, giggling.

A fond smile made its way onto the older girl's face, gazing after them as they disappeared around the corner with a worried Tae-jun hot on their tail to make sure they didn't get lost. Or end up causing chaos that couldn't be contained by the mere mention of his title.

Chuckling, Calista began pushing the cart to follow after them. "I always do..."

After numerous attempts to convince their temporary guardians to buy them all the snacks they wanted, five failed chances taken to sneak electronics into the cart and two feeble efforts to buy candy bars at the checkout lane, Calista, Yona, and all the others finally left the supermarket.

Though they were armed to the teeth with food and amenities for later that night.

They hopped into their separate cars, but Tae-jun followed them back to the house so the triplets could spend some more time with Calista.

Kicking open the door with one foot, the raven-haired girl yelled out that they were back as the three troublemakers along with Tae-yeon and Hani shot past her, vanishing from her view within seconds.

She had just set down the groceries and supplies on the floor when she heard two loud crashes come from upstairs and the kitchen at the same time an outraged cry reached her ears.

"Are you all alright?!" Calista shouted out as she untied her shoes and gathered up the food that needed to be refrigerated.

A chorus of reassurances were screamed back and she chuckled to herself, nudging the door with her foot to close it. She had a feeling Yoon would take care of whatever that was all about. Jae-ha appeared at the base of the stairs in a flash, paint in his hair.

She stifled a laugh that bubbled up, opting for a wild gesture that could have been interpreted as anything. But judging by the chuckle and the hand that was raised to wipe the excess away for the time being, he knew what she was getting at.

"Do I want to know?" She teased the eldest, handing him two of the larger bags.

Jae-ha's violet eyes crinkled at her ask, a smirk curling at the edge of his mouth. "Maybe not, my dear."

The pair made their way into the kitchen, both lifting an eyebrow at the pristine state. They glanced at each other and then shrugged. Yoon must have cleaned up whatever was spilled already, he couldn't stand the messes.

Zeno and Hak were sitting in the family room, crowded around some sort of card game, roping Heuk-chi into it the moment he passed by. A movie was playing in the background, but no one was paying attention to it. Some sort of Disney film that Calista knew Hak had put on for the kids after he was alerted of their impromptu meeting at the store.

Good thing she had sent him that text.

She had asked him to clean up the house and rid it of any exposed weapons when they ran into Tae-jun and the triplets in the store, having a suspicion that they were going to tag along all the way back to the house.

The night before, she was cleaning her knives and reassembling her sniper rifle. She hadn't gotten a chance to put it away, believing she had enough time before they were set to come over. Knowing her brother though, he had tossed them all on her bed without a second thought. It didn't matter, just as long as the children didn't see them.

It wasn't like they weren't aware of it, but in their line of work, they were better protected the less they were exposed to their lifestyle.

In tandem, the green-haired man and the raven-haired girl began to put away the various food items, Jae-ha automatically taking over the fridge and Calista the pantry. However, she dropped what she was doing the instant she heard a small cough.

Clicking her tongue in worry, she hurriedly filled a cup with water, handing it to Tae-yeon, who had just sprinted into the vicinity with Hani right behind him.

He coughed again as he tried to drink it too fast and she hushed him.

"Smaller sips, Tae-yeon. There you go..." Calista encouraged him quietly, masking her concern so that she didn't accidentally scare him.

Eventually, his breathing steadied and she was less panicked than before.

Patting him on the head gently, she asked, "Did you need your medicine? Are you sure you're alright?"

He nodded cutely, raising the cup above his head in an attempt to put it in the sink but he was struggling. His older sister watched him for a moment, letting him try for himself. But he couldn't do it and after another minute of struggling, he reluctantly asked her if she could do it for him.

Hani hopped up and down on her little feet, golden hair bouncing with her as Calista set it down in the sink. "Yeonie, Yeonie, Yeonie, come and meet my pet ladybug!! She's outside!!"

His eyes lit up and Calista was left alone as the kids shot off.

"Wait!!" She called after them worriedly, starting after them as they slid open the glass door leading to the backyard. "Both of you be careful please!!"

"Relax, Calista dear, they'll be fine." Jae-ha reassured her as he put the milk and the giant cake away in the fridge.

Hak was weird, he only ate bakery if it was cold and Yona made sure to call him out on it more than once.

Calista snorted, hesitating for a beat before giving in, knowing he was right. "Only if someone's watching them to make sure they don't accidentally get in trouble like last time."

Jae-ha shook his head slightly, eyes filled with light humor. "They're on our property. What could possibly happen?"

Once, Kija had mistakenly left the two children alone with the triplets, and somehow the five of them managed to land themselves in a police station within the hour. Something about escaped shelter animals and a raid on a corner store with a stereo. She couldn't even make sense of the police report when they had given it to her, and now she just knew better than to ask.

"Hak—"

"I'm on it." He interrupted his sister, already halfway out the door that led to the acres of open land naturally fenced by several hundred-year-old trees. Zeno skipped cheerily after him, closing the door behind him to conserve the heat inside.

Following his younger brother in order to make sure his allergies didn't act up due to his weak lungs, Hak grabbed a spare rake from the shed in the back. He might as well do this now so that he didn't have to do it tomorrow, plus it would make the lawn easier to mow later on. Zeno took the smaller one to help after he played games with Tae-yeon while Hani went to look for her tiny friend.

They raked all the fallen leaves into a huge pile.

But the second Hak turned his back, he heard a yell of, "Cannonball!!", and in came the pitter-patter of small feet shaking the earth.

He let out a shout at the wave of dead leaves that he had just collected showered over him. Spitting out the ones that landed in his mouth, he glared in mock annoyance at his sheepish brother and the delighted golden-haired girl beside him. Zeno threw up his hands, having dived in with the children and sent another torrent of leaves up in the air, beaming widely.

"Mister!! Come on in!!"

Hak shrugged, tossing aside the rake as he sprinted towards them. Work would have to wait.

Hani and Tae-yeon shrieked as he leaped and clumsily scattered about, thoroughly diminishing all of his hard work. But he couldn't bring himself to care as he began to chase them around in a spontaneous game of tag.

Zeno sat on the ground with his legs crossed in front of him, scarf bundled up to his nose as a chilly wind blew by. "Zeno wants the little miss to win!!"

"But what about me?" Tae-yeon whined with big eyes, doubling over in a fit of giggles as Hak scooped him up, tickling his stomach. "Hak— hehe!! Stop!!"

His big brother didn't let up until Hani tackled him with a warrior cry, latching her tiny arms around his neck to get him off of her friend. Hak stood up with a loud but playful roar, chasing the two around the empty field until all of them collapsed in a fit of ringing laughter.

Hours passed before the four reentered into the house, teeth chattering with the need for a hot beverage.

Jae-ha had disappeared back upstairs. Something about a project with Kija and Yona that he had yet to complete. But Calista was still in the kitchen, and now so was Yoon.

Calista told the freezing bunch to go change into something warmer so that they didn't catch a cold and instructed her brother to sift through her closet to find spare jackets for the little ones. While he was busy doing that, she gathered what she needed to make them something hot so that they could warm up on the inside.

Coffee for Hak, and hot chocolate for the kids and Zeno.

Helping the small children onto the kitchen stools on the opposite side of the island where Yoon was at so that they didn't accidentally get in his way, Calista made sure they weren't going to fall off but guiding them to first blow on their hot chocolate before taking a small sip. Things wouldn't go well for the rest of the evening if they burned their tongues while attempting to chug the drink.

Hani swung her feet playfully, emerald eyes eager as she reached for the liquid chocolate.

Pulling back her hand that held the steaming, small mug, Calista stared at her intently. "Drink it slowly, okay, little one?"

She nodded enthusiastically, making grabby hands for it. The older girl finally handed it over, watching her carefully for a minute to make sure she was being careful. The little girl had a history of being too hurried that had unfortunate consequences.

Three sets of footsteps could be heard from the second floor as the triplets ran down the stairs, skidding to a halt once they reached the kitchen, resembling dominoes as Nier crashed into Opal and Yue crashed into his brothers. They fell into a heap on the carpeted floor, with a very winded Tae-jun trailing after them.

Stifling a giggle as the energetic boys sprang back up, she clapped a hand over her mouth as the sound escaped nonetheless and she was faced with three playful brooding looks.

"I didn't do anything." Calista claimed, shrieking and then breaking into a run the second she saw the look in their eyes.

"Get her!!!" Opal screamed, chasing her through the house with his brothers hot on his tail.

"Wait what?! Why me?!?!" She yelled over her shoulder, weaving in and out of the corridors at a breaknecking speed.

Dodging the sharp corner that separated the living room and the foyer, she twisted and turned throughout the extensive first floor of the house. Her memorization of every nook and cranny came in handy. They stumbled after her, not quite as fluent in the layout as she was, eventually giving up and declaring her victory.

"Marshy!!" Calista yelled, completely out of breath, resting her hands on her knees. "When's Gramps coming over?"

Hak checked his watch, keeping Yona at bay with the other hand as he held her out at arms length. They were playing a game of charades with Opal and Yue since Nier declined to have anything to do with lifting a finger after that exhausting chase through the house.

"In an hour." He answered her leisurely, a smirk of amusement stretching across his features as the redhead puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Yoon, what's for dinner?"

"Hold your horses, you rare beasts!!" Yoon shouted over his shoulder, bustling around the massive kitchen, doing a hundred things at once.

Peering over the kitchen island, Calista tapped on his shoulder when she saw a pause in his purposeful stride.

"Anything I can do to help?" She offered.

She was a complete klutz in the kitchen, but she still wanted to be there for him so that he wasn't so stressed. Still, she wasn't sure if she brought anything to the table. What could a genius pretty boy possibly need from a clumsy girl like her?

Calista could barely keep track of Tae-yeon and Hani as they skipped around, their tiny heads bobbing into view every time one of them got too excited and started jumping up and down.

Yoon never got a chance to answer her as he saw her speed towards the door the second she heard it ring.

Throwing it open, Calista was surprised to find Gi-gan standing on the other side instead of Mundok. Nevertheless, she quickly invited her inside so that the elder woman was out of the cold.

"Would you like some tea?" She offered, taking her coat off and hanging it up for her on the antique coat rack Yona got from a thrift shop. "Is it that time already?"

Gi-gan rubbed her hands together in an effort to get the blood flowing again, sending the raven-haired girl a rare warm smile. "No, no, not yet. The little ones are going trick-or-treating later, yes? Tea sounds wonderful, girl. Thank you."

Flashing her a grin, she led her into the family room filled with laughter and all sorts of shenanigans.

Jae-ha stood up immediately, greeting his old guardian with a trademark, suggestive remark that had the elder smacking him upside the head for his language.

"I didn't teach you that, you brat." Gi-gan fired at him mercilessly.

Simply smiling, Jae-ha dodged the second blow aimed at his head, green ponytail streaming behind him as he escaped her. "Now, Captain, you wouldn't want to scratch a face this beautiful, would you?"

"You overestimate your beauty."

The offended gasp at the flat retort had everyone dying of laughter.

As Calista caught her breath, she boiled some water, gaze drifting to a mop of golden hair that came bounding up to her hopefully. Steering Hani away from the stove so that she didn't accidentally burn herself like last time she got too close, she crouched down to the little girl's level, who now was avoiding her gaze.

"Hey... what's the matter, little one?"

Hani pouted slightly, emerald orbs rounding as she exclaimed, "Can we make caramel apples?"

Chuckling, Calista pushed herself up and held out her hand. The golden-haired girl eagerly took it, pulling out the apples from the fridge as the older one fetched the caramel dip from the pantry.

"Guys!!" She shouted over the noise of their heated game of monopoly. "We're making caramel apples if you want to join!!"

"Not now, Bat-Ears!!" Hak fired back. "I'm just about to win!!"

Rolling her eyes, a crafty smile played upon her lips. "He's cheating."

"I KNEW IT!!!!!" Kija yelled, bolting up.

"Zeno wanted to join!!"

Jae-ha smoothly got to his feet as the two went head to head, whisking Tae-yeon away from the chaotic scene while the two of them bickered over who was right, the triplets egging on the grown men without any hesitation.

Tae-jun was lounging on the couch with Heuk-chi, flipping through the channels on the TV, trying to ignore the massive headache he had coming on.

Swiftly turning off the fire as the kettle began to whistle, Calista placed some jasmine tea leaves in a porcelain cup, leaving it alone to steep for a couple of minutes. Jae-ha and Yona had been the ones to convince Hak they needed nice silverware and fine china. Her idiot-of-a-brother was going to buy plastic utensils and plates from the dollar tree for crying out loud!

She set it down silently on the end table next to Gi-gan, trying not to disturb her.

Yona and Gi-gan were engaged in a casual conversation while the rest of them dipped fuji apples in smooth caramel, placing the finished but messy treats on a parchment paper lined tray so that the taffy treat could set.

The children eagerly waited by the countertop, much too hyper to eat one to even think about sitting down.

Calista gave up trying to pry them away from the island, leaving them to do whatever they wanted now that Yoon was finished making dinner and the kitchen was no longer that hazardous. Collapsing on a velvet chair, she sprawled herself out lazily, done moving for the rest of the day.

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion as she heard the doorbell ring, but sat up with a groan and ran to answer it when no one else got up.

It wasn't even five yet and people were already trick-or-treating?! Unbelievable.

Flinging open the door to give whoever was on the other side a piece of her mind, all words died on her tongue when cropped, blue hair flashed into view. She clapped a hand over her mouth in shock, taking in the signature red marks decorating his cheekbones and those piercing, golden eyes.

Calista choked on air, tears pricking at the back of her eyes.

"Shin-ah?"

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thran-duils · 7 years

Text

Beauty, Reputation, and Wealth (Part 2)

Title: I Do Own You Pairing: Reader/AU!Castiel, Reader/OOC Summary: AU Castiel is part of the mob but also endowed with magic (based off of Grisha by Leigh Bardugo. So y’all, he still has his “grace”!). The reader is employed in a brothel and of course, his favorite. But, she starts to develop feelings for another… Words: 4,115 Warnings: Language, smut Author’s Note: If you want to be tagged, let me know! I’m using my regular Castiel tags but I can add to it! :)

Part 1 || Part 3 || Masterpost || Fanfic masterpost

Oliver’s waistcoat was tailored perfectly to him, showing off his wealth. He kept it well hidden under a scummy coat he wore whenever he visited the Barrel though knowing fine clothes made him a target for a thief.

When he had walked into the parlor, it was midday or around then. There were rarely any visitors then and none of you ladies had even begun to prepare yourselves for the night. Usually men wouldn’t be allowed in to begin with at this time of day, but there were a special few who were allowed by Calista and the guards. Ones that they knew wouldn’t start trouble. Oliver was one of them.

Sam had let him by without any trouble at all. Oliver had always been kind to Sam – as well as the rest of the staff – and you guessed Sam had developed a friendly relationship with Oliver. Sam himself had run away from his family and come to the city. Something he somewhat shared with Oliver who didn’t feel a strong attachment to his family either.

Strolling into the room in front of Oliver, Sam’s eyes landed on you and he walked over. “Fancy a visit?” he asked you under his breath, trying to be inconspicuous. Although he knew you would more than likely say yes, he always liked to make sure, respecting your privacy as well as the other ladies employed there. He had a soft spot for all of you.

You nodded, “Of course.”

With a curt nod, Sam turned on his heel and walked around Oliver, leaving the room. Some of the girls were watching the pair of you while trying to remain inconspicuous. They were all interested in a man who came during the day rather than at night.

You knew the risk Oliver posed to himself by doing so considering his family’s wealth and status.

But he didn’t seem to care about that. Oliver smiled, grasping your hand. “Are you free?”

“For what?” you questioned, giving him a flirtatious smile.

Oliver shrugged, “A walk. Outside West Stave. The Lid perhaps?”

Almost blurting out a yes, you sat up in your seat. The idea of going out with him – in public – was a tempting offer. You rarely traveled outside the Barrel and cherished the times you were able to. But then you remembered what you were wearing: an indigo Lorena skirt and a black overbust corset. Your legs and arms exposed were not proper for going out of the Barrel, which was full of brothels, criminals, and others not held to quite high society standards.

You shrugged sheepishly before commenting to Oliver, “I suppose I should put something on to better block out the breeze from the harbor.”

As always, Oliver was a gentlemen, picking up on your subtle mention of your inappropriate attire. “If you wish. It is not too chilly outside, I do not think a jacket is required. But, whatever makes you comfortable. I will wait in the parlor,” Oliver informed you.

When you got upstairs, you opened your closet and bit your bottom lip. All of your clothing was, in majority, fit for your life here. What society would consider proper attire wasn’t in high demand in this place where you lived. You knew you had something though. You had bought an outfit for specific purposes such as this and it was in the back of your closet.

Pulling out your grey walking skirt and white Darlington blouse, you smiled to yourself. The fabric looked brand new, considering you had not had many opportunities to wear it. You snatched out your black, velvet belt as well to add a little more flair to the outfit and also to outline your figure without being too overt about it.

Donning your black lace gloves, you checked your hair once more before moving to leave your room. You grabbed your parasol on the way out of your room, colored black to match any outfit you were wearing.

Oliver grabbed his walking stick from beside the chair and met you when you entered the parlor again.

You noticed Calista watching the pair of you from the corner of the room. She looked wary as she always did when her girls were leaving the building without one of her own guards. You called out, “Don’t fret, Calista. Mr. Petrov has his Derringer. Hidden well but easily accessible in an emergency.” You looked at Oliver, a wide smile on your face. “Don’t you, dear?”

“Of course,” Oliver responded, giving an encouraging nod at Calista.

You also knew that Oliver’s walking stick was used for fashion as well as a weapon if need be. The handle detached, exposing the sharp dagger attached.

Calista smiled tightly. “Perhaps you should invest in a pistol, Mr. Petrov.”

Oliver didn’t take insult to this. He merely bowed his head towards her slightly. “I will keep her safe, Miss. I promise.”

<> <> <>

The cobblestones had been freshly redone by the pier and you admired the handiwork as you walked. Oliver had been making small talk, asking you about yourself, as he always did. You tried to ask him questions about himself as well but he would give you short answers and defer back to you. He did not like speaking about his father and even more so his mother, who he had once told you while intoxicated was quite cruel to his younger siblings. “Keeping up the façade of a loving, wealthy family,” he had rambled to you as you took him up the stairs to get him away from prying eyes. Most were as inebriated as him at that point but you hadn’t wanted to risk someone overhearing him for his sake. You did not know whether or not he remembered confiding that in you the next morning, so you did not bring it up again.

“A flower for the lady?” a ragged looking salesman asked from a chair. He held a bouquet of roses in his hands.

Oliver considered for a moment and flipped a coin into the man’s hand. “Yes, of course.” The coni was worth more than the man had wanted to be sure and you could tell when his eyes lit up seeing the coin. “Just that one there,” Oliver added, pointing at one on the outside of the bunch. It was still fairly closed and had time yet to bloom.

The man handed it over and thanked Oliver profusely for his generosity. Oliver looped his arm in yours once again, handing you the rose.

“That could get you robbed,” you mentioned to him as the pair of you continued your way down the pier.

“What?” Oliver inquired.

Nodding your head back at the man with the roses, you explained, “Giving away that much money for a rose.”

Oliver looked caught, a sheepish smile on his face. He nodded in agreement, “That it could. Good point, Y/N.” He paused and then added, “But, I figured it was worth it. Both for you and also for the man who looked down on his luck. You can’t always hide.”

This made you smile warmly at him. He was kind. It was one of the things you liked about him.

Suddenly Oliver looked shifty and you furrowed your brow when you noticed. “Oliver?”

This caught his attention and he looked over at you, noticing your expression. He cleared his throat. “Sorry, speaking of riches made me think of something.”

You ventured. “What of?”

“The man you were with the other night,” Oliver started to say. You inhaled deeply, knowing this was going to come up eventually. You had prepared yourself and were ready for his questions. Oliver looked hesitant as he pressed on, “I recognized him. He is one of the Bratva is he not?” The Bratva did business with Oliver’s father every once in a while you knew. His father’s record was definitely not squeaky clean. You nodded in confirmation. “He is also Grisha.”

Again, you nodded. You smiled in passing at a man, Erik, who owned a shop you visited frequently for sweets and other treats. He gave you a tight lipped smile, leaning on the wall near a window of his shop, smoking a cigarette. You had tried to tell him that that was going to kill him someday. At least he never smoked around his product, knowing that it would taint his products.

Turning your attention back to Oliver, you said quietly looking ahead, “It is why I ask you to only come on certain days. He does get jealous and likes his time with me. His temper and his… power are something I keep in mind.”

“Are you frightened of him?” Oliver asked you, the question surprising you.

Laughing a little, you responded, “No. He does not frighten me.”

“He’s married, is he not?” Oliver asked quietly.

Your words caught in your throat at the mention of Castiel’s wife. Just a couple of nights ago, you had been irritated at the thought of her and it wasn’t any different now. Swallowing sharply, you answered, “Yes, he is.” You forced yourself to throw a smile at Oliver, “And many of the men who visit our establishment are.”

Oliver’s voice was quiet, so quiet you barely heard him. “I’m not.”

Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling you felt at him mentioning this, you replied airily, “I know you’re not, Oliver. Don’t be silly!”

The conversation hit a lull and the two of you walked in silence. The noise of the dock kept the surroundings alive, filling the quiet between the two of you. Seagulls called overhead, ropes creaked keeping ships in place, men shouted at each other while loading up or unloading, and the bustle of the crowd around the pair of you moved swiftly. You didn’t know where Oliver had been going with his last statement but you were going to let it rest for now. It was better for him to not speak of marriage with someone of your situation , no matter his intentions.

“Are you hungry?” Oliver asked interrupting your thoughts. You nodded and he smiled, “It’s on me then.”

You could tell that’s not where he wanted the conversation to end. But, like you, he knew it was best left alone for now.

<> <> <>

A few nights later, you sat on the chair in front of your vanity, pushing your hair over your shoulders. You were draped in your slate and accented pink rose colored Cassandra dressing gown. It was frivolous but you loved being in it. It made you feel more wealthy than you actually were. Calista forbid any of you girls who owned one to wear it outside of your rooms. Wearing an extravagant dressing gown was her trademark downstairs when mingling with customers and possible business ventures. It made her stand out from the girls who were wearing corsets, skirts, and other lingerie.

It was late and you were taking your earrings off in front of your mirror on your vanity when you heard a sharp knock at the door. Frowning you placed your earrings down in your jewelry box before turning around in your seat. You made to get up but your door opened before you could do so. Whoever was coming in felt like they did not have to wait for your response.

Castiel walked into the room, looking a little unsteady. Your heart skipped a beat, as it always did, when you saw him. His eyes landed on you before he kicked his foot back, closing the door a little harder than you were sure he meant to. He looked determined his eyes roaming you.

He must have taken his jacket off downstairs for on the top, he was only in his crimson, cavalier vest and white dress shirt. “What is with the robe?” he asked you, sauntering over towards you.

“I was getting ready for bed.”

“It is only midnight,” Castiel responded, reaching you. He reached out, playing with a string of your hair.

You nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes. It’s late. Most people have gone off home or gone to bed.”

(gif)

His eyes lit up at the mention of going to bed. Castiel leaned down, pushing his lips to yours. Your back hit up against the vanity as he attacked your mouth with his own. You felt his hand at your ear, holding your face as his tongue begged for entrance. You granted him it and his tongue swirled around your own. The kiss was hungry and desperate.

“I am here to go to bed,” Castiel breathed heavily in between kisses.

His hand dropped and he pulled himself away, his eyes running down your body. He looked pleased seeing you were already naked underneath your robe. Dragging his hand down to the ribbon on your robe, he untied it quickly. He pushed it off your shoulders and brought you towards him, letting it fall off your body.

Your breasts caught his attention and his fingers brushed across your hardening nipples as he grinned down at you. He walked backwards to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, leaving you standing.

Castiel grabbed the back of your neck roughly, shoving you down roughly to your knees in between his legs.

(gif)

You looked up at him, your face centimeters from the arousal prominent in his trousers. Playing his game, you gave him a sensual smile before reaching your tongue out and running it over his length through his pants. Castiel threw his head back, letting out a groan, his hand tightening up in your hair. You reached up unbuttoning his trousers. He let go of your hair to allow you to undress him on his bottom half, tossing his boots and bottoms aside.

As soon as you had finished he stood up from the bed. You made to put your hands on his hips, reading to pleasure him but he stopped you, grasping onto one of your wrists, stopping your movement in the air.

“Get on the bed.”

Frowning to yourself slightly, you hid your confusion well from him. Instead of asking questions, you did as he asked, pushing yourself up and crawled onto the bed, facing him. You pulled your hair over one of your shoulders, playing with it as he unbuttoned his vest and undershirt.

Castiel closed the space between the two of you, his hand reaching out and running down your face, cupping your jaw affectionately. There was something swimming behind his eyes. He had taken something downstairs but you had not smelled or tasted alcohol on his breath. It must have been a drug of some sort. They were abundant here.

He looked on at you with a – dare you say – loving look in his eye and you reached up, touching his hand softly, staring back at him. His thumb traced over your lips and you gave it a soft kiss, sucking it in softly.

This seemed to light his fire again. His hand fell quickly and he resumed removing his clothes.

Undoing his tie, Castiel loomed over you. Grasping your wrists he began looping the tie around them and then gave you a tug. “Up,” he commanded you. You immediately knew what he was going to do and you followed his order. When you were at the head of the bed, he tied the other end of the tie around the metal headboard of the bed. There were butterflies in your stomach. He did this from time to time, wanting to be in complete control and take you roughly. He yanked on the end of the tie, tightening the knot. He had left a bit of length in between you and the headboard, which struck you as odd, but you went with it.

When he was assured it was tight enough, he threw off his vest and dress shirt onto the ground next to his trousers. He climbed onto the bed, positioning himself over you.

Moving down, he laid wet kisses on your jawline and neck. He merely breathed on your breasts. Your nipples were already hard and his hot breath sent a shiver through you. He ignored them on purpose beyond that to tease you, choosing instead to trace his hand down your abdomen and in between your thighs.

His fingers dipped into your sex, rubbing you softly. You looked at him, searching his face. He was intently watching your pussy move around his fingers as he thrusted them slowly in and out. You desperately wanted him to increase his movements. You pushed your hips up slightly, trying to get his fingers to go deeper.

Castiel stopped mid movement, his fingers inside you. He turned his head to look at you, a slightly vexed look in his eyes and you bit your lip immediately, trying to look innocent. You had let your desire get the better of you and you knew he was in a mood. He wanted to control the speed at which tonight went when he was in these types of moods and you had challenged him, small as the challenge had been.

“You want it harder, angel?” he asked you in an even voice.

Part of you wanted to answer no and part wanted to answer yes. Each answer had its own benefits and consequences depending on which way Castiel decided to lean with his action.

You’d already gone this far in pushing him. What was a little more?

“Yes,” you replied timidly.

Castiel studied you for a moment before you felt his thumb move up, brushing your clit. Your breath hitched as he began to circle it slowly, his fingers beginning to move in and out again. Your eyes closed against the sensation.

Suddenly, his speed began increasing. Strangled gasps left your throat as he began fingering you with fervor. It was almost too much, too fast. Your breath was coming out in short gasps and moans, your sex wetting Castiel’s fingers.

“Mhm… please…” you got out. Castiel ignored you, continuing his focus on fingering your pussy. “Castiel, please!” you tried again, just as breathless as before. You thought he was going to ignore you again when a few seconds went by but he met your eyes, his hand leaving your dripping sex.

His mouth was on yours again as he leaned over you. He left bruising kisses along your jawline, nipping every so often. His hand snaked underneath your back, pulling you up towards him a bit, holding you close as he resumed his passionate embrace with you.

Castiel exhaled sharply before flipping you onto your stomach, – explaining the extra length to allow for him to do this without hurting your wrists. Castiel ran his hands up your ass and your back, a pleased noise leaving his mouth. He loved touching you. You felt his cock brush your ass as he leaned down, rutting against you as he pressed his skin to yours. He kissed your shoulder and giving it a light bite and you keened, moving your head to look at him.

He reached up, his fingers running along your lips before he pushed them against your lips. You let them in and you sucked on them slowly, keeping eye contact with him. His eyes were hooded with lust watching you run your tongue over his fingers and suck them back into your mouth. He groaned before pulling them out and grasping your chin, pulling you towards him. He planted a rough kiss on your lips before pushing away from you.

Gripping your hips, he yanked them up into the air before entering you with a swift thrust. You were at his mercy more than ever as he began to pound into you mercilessly.

Tears stung your eyes at the intensity of it. On one time, his cock felt amazing, heat pooling in your core and increasing quickly. But at the same time, it was painful considering your inability to adjust your position.

Castiel’s thrusts subsided and you could hear his heavy breathing over the roar in your ears finally. He slowed his pace, grunting. He needed a few moments before he could resume fucking you as hard as he had been. Reaching down underneath you, he circled your clit.

You knew he did not need to do this considering his heartrending power of controlling bodies, specifically organs. He had toyed with this before, playing with your heart and muscles. The orgasm had been intense, almost to the point it had hurt. From time to time, he would perform his skills again but more often than not, he liked to bring you to a finish without his power.

You pushed back on him, whimpering in pleasure wanting more stimulation. You heard a soft chuckle behind you. It pleased him to witness you coming undone in front of him. And you gladly would do it over and over again for him too.

His voice was low and gravely, “You like getting pounded, angel?”

“Yes, sir,” you gasped out as he increased his pressure on your nub.

“You look so delectable, baby,” he husked, his hand on your hip tightening as he let out a more powerful thrust. You bit your bottom lip, as he increased his speed, although not up to the same intensity he had been before.

Breathlessly, you told him, “I love feeling you fuck me. Use me like you own me!”

Something flashed across Castiel’s face and he swooped down, gripping you underneath the chin. Against your ear, he breathed, “I do own you, doll.” You shivered at his statement, practically melting in his hand. “Don’t ever forget it,” he added, his lips brushing your ear.

The warmth you had felt against your cheek was gone in a second and you let out a raspy breath, trying to clear your thoughts. He knew how to play you like a fiddle.

Adjusting, Castiel’s hand was on your back, pushing you down as his other hand gripped your hip to give him better control. He mused from behind you, “My little fuck doll. Let me show you how much I own you” before he slammed back in at the same brutal pace as he had been before. Your body jolted with his movements, the pleasure amplifying for you without reprieve.

He was hitting your g spot with precision and continuously. You mewled loudly, trying to free your hands from your bond to be able to get better grounding. But it was no use. You relented to lay there and just drown in him pounding into you from behind.

The heat pooling erupted in you and you cried out, crying his name. Your pussy clenched around him and you felt his fingers dig into your hips, no doubt feeling the increase in tightness.

“Say it again!” Castiel demanded over the roar in your ears.

You gasped out, still shaking from your orgasm, “Castiel!”

Castiel slammed into one final time before you felt him release, shouting as he came in hot spurts. He collapsed onto the bed next to you after a few moments, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He swallowed still trying to catch his breath, his eyes closed.

Watching him for a few seconds, you waited for him to reach over and release you. When a few moments had passed, you moved a little, shaking the headboard a bit to get it to make a little noise.

Castiel’s eyes opened and he looked over at you. You were giving him a pleading look.

“You mean you don’t want to stay there all night and think about all the fun you just had?” he taunted.

“I would like to think about it but I would rather do it curled up in your arms,” you replied smartly.

Smirking a bit, Castiel reached up and untied the tie from the headboard and removed it from your wrists before tossing it on the ground towards where his pile of clothes should be. You moved into his arms and he informed you, “I must leave soon.” Your face fell and he noticed. Sighing, he chided you, “Don’t look at me like that. I need to get home before sunrise.”

Shifting, you gave him an innocent look and tried, “There are hours before sunrise.”

Castiel said nothing and you stayed quiet as well, waiting for him to make a decision. Finally, he sighed, adjusting himself further into the bed, pulling the blankets around the pair of you. You smiled to yourself, knowing you had won. You snuggled down into his arms, inhaling his musk. His skin was still shiny from the sweat caused from your romp, as was yours. But there were few places you would rather be than there in that moment.

~~~

Castiel Tags: @peppercorn-bingbong, @splendidcas, @klaineaholic, @letsthedogpackandthecats, @alexastacio, @winchesterforever12 @seirensou

#au castiel #castiel x reader #spn fanfic #castiel smut #supernatural fanfic #my shit

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olympus-summit · 3 years

Text

Shinobu | re_Birthday Truth | Trial 6.7 | re: Charon, Setsuna, Atropos

[ CW: Discussed murder by cremation, emotional abuse from teachers, and suicidal ideation ]

Shinobu looks a bit sheepish when Charon corrects them – they still 100% believe the Titan Administration would blow this airship up as a last resort to destroy the rogue councilors – but his follow-up comments earn a glare.

“Sakura Arai spent her last hours cursing your name because she also thought you’d start a war! And Atropos told her your plans didn’t have to end in one! W-Which tells me you all did think through the possibilities a-and went ahead with this anyway. So… now you're worried about exposing the truth b-because of the risks…? I-I don’t want another w-war, yes, but I just… I want to understand what you expect to happen now.”

Not that the councilors are bound to follow the conspirators’ advice, especially since it sounds like not even they are in complete agreement of what should happen and who should be the scapegoat. But it’ll be good to know what resources they have, how hard the Administration would fight back, and what possible outcomes there are.

Shinobu backs out of the conversation, expecting that an answer won’t come when people are venting off more pain. Some part of them wants to mediate, but... But right now, they doubt they could give an effective defense for anyone.

Instead, they get up, messenger bag upon their shoulder, and place their turtle dolls at the respective altars. They don’t return to their own throne, instead sitting on the empty side-table next to Nemesis’s chair. It’s a narrow fit, and Shinobu has to recenter themself several times to maintain balance, but the table seems to hold their weight. Settling in, Shinobu puts a gentle hand upon Nemesis’s back to help steady him.

They’d hug him, but… Shinobu is very acutely aware that they are surrounded by widowed partners and spouses, ex-lovers, and whatever Elliott and Leland might be now. Any further public displays of affection would not be wise. Not that the Doctor has ever said anything about being uncomfortable seeing them express affection so soon after the complete destruction of her own relationship, but Shinobu’s anxiety (even now, there’s a part of them that fears her judgment) makes them wonder nonetheless.

For now, Shinobu pulls their hands back to themself, picking at their bracelet as they soak in the last few things said. They… don’t know what they can say to Setsuna, given how profoundly different their views on death are, and they don’t want to fight her. But one thing sticks out painfully to them.

“They didn’t do just ‘some’ bad things; that’s for someone who starts a fist-fight. Th-they picked through all our traumas and triggers made us relive them. They deliberately chose to do this – o-or most of them, I-I don’t know how much Menai knew and when—?”

Would it be better or worse if Menai learned the full truth early on and had chosen to keep supporting them anyway? At least if they had known, it meant they’d made an informed decision when they stayed with Elliott and hadn’t been continuously lied to. Shinobu… can’t find themself resenting them as much as they resent the others, mostly because they worry if they’re watching their own ancient history repeat again.

Shinobu groans, running their hands up and down their face. They don’t want to think of anyone as their enemy anymore. They try again, this time speaking softer.

“…Look. I don’t believe that people are born bad or good. I-It’s their experiences and how they react to it that shapes them. O-Of course, we’re… a special case. I’m sorry i-if I don’t understand new research from the 2200s or even 2090s. But anyway.

I-I want to believe we can be decent people, we could have been and still could be. And I think… that they still deserve to live. Nemesis is still right, though: It isn’t enough to feel guilty. I-It’s not enough to have good intentions or fighting a greater evil or anything like that. It’s what you do and what it does to people that matters most.

They can be forgiven. I-I’m not going to deny anyone who does, b-because that’s part of healing. But I a-am not obligated to forgive them.They’ve suffered, and th-they chose to end that suffering at all costs. But that doesn’t erase what it did to us.

They know that. I know that. I gain nothing f-from yelling at them. And… if they really are standing o-out of our way now, I’m not gonna fight them anymore. I’m tired. I-I just want to focus on living now.”

It’s not that Shinobu fully buys into the whole ‘if you kill them you’ll be just as bad as them’ concept that old stories they read would pull out, but… but they do believe people deserve a base level of dignity, and that death is not the answer. Though they aren’t really sure if that choice is in anyone’s hands now: They’ve noticed Atropos’s health deteriorate, and while she was cagey about what was wrong with her, Shinobu can’t help but wonder if there’s another reason this was their last chance to end the Summit.

They hope she is watching the way they stare at her.

“…The file said I was – the other me was in his late 70s when you spoke to him, right? And my real birth year is apparently '38…? Then, that means you contacted me a-after you’d started working here as s-staff.”

Had there been a Shinobu among the councilors in those first two decades? Was Shinobu one of those ‘popular’ ones that had been brought back first, so beloved by the citizens that the Titan Administration gave them the honor of dying in a furnace, unaware why they were burning, unaware that the Administration had already reversed all the good things that they and people like Mitsu and Evren and Mina had done for the world?

A clattering noise interrupts Shinobu’s denouement, and they glance down to see red beads scattered all over the floor – they’ve finally torn their bracelet apart, the snapped string gripped tight in their trembling hand. Shinobu loosely wraps the strings around their fingers, and shakily continues speaking. There’s a smudge of blood on their lips, from biting back on their terror.

They have to… If Atropos is deteriorating regardless their decisions, if this becomes the last time they will ever meet, then Shinobu will force themself to talk even through the pain. Even the bravest and smartest of Shinobu’s incarnations stayed silent when it mattered most. Shinobu can’t let it happen again.

“…b-b-but… Y-You asked me to h-help you restructure sports and their ethics. To make s-sure athletes are treated w-with dignity physically and psychologically. To let kids be kids and not trophies f-for their coaches to show off.

You… understood, didn’t you? What my coaches did to me? H-How they’d nitpick all my flaws and tear down my self-worth u-until I’d rather die than fail a-another test, all because they thought an angry and desperate student would work harder th-than a happy one? I-I’ve… seen the photo. Were we friends, once?”

Which Shinobu was that in the photo, chatting happily with Atropos over lunch? The second? The third or the fourth? Some other initialization of SM2038 Nike.ai that Shinobu doesn’t even know about? How much had she shared about herself and her own history? Had she genuinely wanted to bond over their similar experiences, or was she just passing time until the day Shinobu would die and forget once more?

“I w-wouldn’t know. But you would. You know what my coaches did to me. You know how ‘breaking’ us is just her philosophy on a grander scale. You know why I can’t forgive you.”

They watch her, now without any of her weapons and her pride, and Shinobu finally realizes something: More than they hate Atropos, they pity Clarice.

They project themself upon her, and they wonder: Could they have become this, given a hundred and twelve years of resenting their own extended existence? They know why she accepted the Forge the first time around – she hasn’t told them, but they know deep in their weakened bones why she did that. Could that have been Shinobu too, if they had chosen someone else to be Clotho or Lachesis? Could Shinobu, after a hundred years of sending people to their deaths, have become so willing to inflict a few months of torture on others just to break the cycle?

But people are shaped by their experiences, and Shinobu did not become that person. Calista and Iris did. Clarice did. And Shinobu cannot forgive how she, in her own way, perpetuated the same cycle they had both hated so much.

They still hope she lives. They hope she gets to live long enough to watch these final councilors thrive without her.

“I want everyone here to live.”

There’s nothing more than can be said now. Shinobu doesn’t want to feed into the circular arguments any longer. They go quiet, hand back on Nemesis’s shoulder, and hope that maybe now, they can all finally begin to reclaim their humanity.

#chapter 6 #trial 6 #shinobu #submission

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