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soggyriceee · 1 year

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I Can't Hurt You ~ Ghost NSFW

[ mentions of gunshot wounds, anxiety, trauma and sex. plz like and lmk if there angsty type of stories interest anyone, have a good day <3 ]

It had been 6 weeks since you'd been shot. Once in the leg, once in the arm. For days you had thought you'd lose your arm and leg. All you could really remember was Simon yelling your name while blood covered his hands. Your blood. But, the base surgeons were some of the best and you were at home almost fully recovered. Your husband, Simon Riley, the man who unfortunately was leading that mission you'd suffered injury from, was always by your side. He was on e for giving you your space so having him everywhere you were at was new. But you loved it because the more you saw him and how caring he was towards literally only you, it made your heart flutter.

Ghost was a whole war criminal, why would he spend his time going to the store, getting flowers, cards, clothes gifts, all that stuff? Because he was so deeply in love with you, it was like his money and time quite literally belonged to you. He spent hours trying to learn to cook for you since you were glued to the bed.

" Tell me if it needs more salt." He demanded, towering over you as your sims started a house fire on your laptop screen. " Its good baby please stop bothering me now." You laughed, wiping some of the homemade pasta sauce from your lip. As much as he did annoy you, you couldn't ask him to really leave you alone.

He wasn't stupid, he knew that the whole happy persona you put on in front of him was fake. You were trying to act tough and brave for him. Independence was something you both had and in your eyes alone, it was embarrassing to be the first in the relationship to need help. Consistent help. Ghost was good at reassuring to you that he did not see you as weak, he actually saw you as brave, strong. " You survived two gun shot wounds at once lovie.. that makes you stronger than me." He whispered to her as you quietly sobbed in the hospital bed a few weeks back.

And this injury definitely caused some small bumps for you both. For example.. sex. It wasn't that it was different, it literally was not happening. Despite you being able to move almost all on your own, stairs were still a bit hard, he wouldn't touch you unless it was to help you. And as much as you loved how gentle and genuinely kind and caring he was for you, you needed a bit more. " Simon.." You'd whisper in his ear when it was close to your given bedtime. By Simon. "Yes my love? Do you need anything?" He asked, looking away from the news on your guys TV.

You moved to sit on his lap, struggling to raise your injured leg a bit. But you made it onto his lap successfully and with mi animal pain. But he sensed it immediately. " Lovie.." You shushed him and placed your arms around his neck. " I appreciate all the care you've been giving me.. but I need a bit more." You spoke softly, eyeing his lips. You began to move in but you could tell he began to panic, jolting his head back and hitting the bed frame. You looked up at him, your chest feeling like it just got shot this time. " I-i can't.. Im sorry." He had took you off his lap before standing and walking out the room and rubbing the back of his head.

It had been about a week since that encounter. It hurt you, and you definitely cried about it after. He ended up sleeping on the couch that night, but still coming every 30 to check on you, even when you were asleep. Neither of you really spoke about it. And you could assume thats what made the relationship more awkward now. While yes he did sleep in the bed again, and he was still taking care of you, the conversations were small and minimal. " He won't touch me Soap.. I don't know what to do. We used to have sex almost every day at least twice a day." You spoke into your phone as you looked up " How to Get My Husband To Have Sex With Me After Gunshot Wound". Almost no good articles came up. I mean, who really goes through this?

" Im sure he'll come around. I mean, he did see you literally almost die in his arms. You mean a lot to him and I think he's just terrified of hurting you more." He said through the speaker. He was on base, doing paperwork for the next mission. Another you and Ghost would be sitting out on. " Its been almost three months. Im practically healed... it just sucks because I feel like a..like a disease. He won't touch me in any way other than to help me. Even when I dont need it." You sighed.

Simon had gone to the store, grabbing you ice cream you had mentioned to yourself you wanted to get at some point and your positive other things to go along with it. Despite that awkward encounter he was still there to make you feel better. " He hasn't really said anything to me but you know how he is. Try talking to him again. I have to go, Price is calling." He said before hanging up abruptly. You sighed and looked around. You needed to get up and do.. something.

You moved your laptop to the side and began to stand. A minor pain stabbed your injured leg, causing a whimper of pain to leave your lips. As you opened the bedroom door, you heard Simon return into the house. " Lovie? Im home with that ice cream you wanted." He yelled from downstairs. You moved towards the stairs, gripping the handles and moving slowly. As your uninjured leg hit the bottom stair, your injured one again gave your a little trouble. "Shit" You squeaked, gripping the handle more. " Lovie?" He walked over swiftly to the stairs, dropping the ice cream and spoon that was in his hands. " What are you doing?! If you wanted to come down you should've waited for me to carry you down." He began to approach you but your hand hit his chest, stopping him. " I-i can do it mys-self." You grunted. Finally, your injured leg was on the same step as you. " You can't thats why your face is scrunched up in pain just let me help-" " GO AWAY! I dont need you here every two seconds simply just to help me. You won't do so much as cuddle with me let alone have sex with me. Im not made of glass im a human im your wife for crying out loud but you treat me l-like im not. leave me alone!" You screamed at him, tears welling in your eyes.

His face looked hurt, but also surprised. " L-lovie I just-" You cut him off by turning away, moving back up the stairs. He wanted to help you, but you had made it clear you wanted him to back off. You made it back up the one step and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door. You moved onto the bed, holding one out of the 10 stuffed animals Simon bought you and silently, again, cried into it. You felt bad, but at the same time you didn't. You were able to tell him finally how you felt. You heard his boots at the door, no matter how hard he tried to keep quiet. And he just stayed there. Listening to you cry but feeling too scared to say, or do anything.

The next morning you woke up and Simon wasn't there to wake you this time. You rubbed your eyes as the sun peaked into the room. " Simon..?" You asked, your voice a bit hoarse. You looked around and noticed a rectangular, long box at the end of the bed. You reached over and grabbed it.

Your right, ive been too overbearing. I'm sorry lovie..

You opened the box and inside was a cute lingerie set. It was with and pink, a little bow in the center of the bra. Your cheeks turned a bright red as you read the second note inside.

I hope you like it. I hope I see you in it soon <3

Just as you finished reading, Simon walked in the room. In his hands was a tray full of French toast, coffee and fruit. His eyes met yours, his big puppy eyes. " Oh I was.. expecting you to still be asleep." He chuckled softly, placing your breakfast on the night stand. " Im sorry for y-" For the first time in almost three months his lips touched yours. You gasped into the kiss, your heart going a 100 miles per hour. His hands snaked around your waist, pulling you up into him.

His lips yearned for yours. He slowly sat next to you, keeping your lips connected. You wrapped your arms around his neck, kissing him just as passionately back. He broke away, sighing. " Dont apologize. You were right. And plus.." He right hand snaked up to your cheek, cupping it. " I've missed touching you like this." He whispered. His lips landed on yours again, this time a bit more passionately. You moaned into the kiss, a signal to him that you felt good. His free hand moved up your body, slowly. You had nothing on but his hoodie and some underwear. His favorite outfit of yours.

" Is this okay?" He asked against your lips. You nodded, smiling softly. For the first time in what felt like forever, you felt genuinely happy. He smiled and gently pushed you down on the bed, fixing you a bit so that your head was on the pillow. He hovered over you but you could tell he was still nervous as ever. " You can touch me anywhere.. Simon. Im not hurt anymore." You said softly, looking into his worried eyes. " I know but.. w-what if I get too aggressive-" You took his hand from beside your head and smiled. " How about this. If im hurting, ill call out.. "strawberries." Then you'll know to stop." You suggested, smiling up at him still. He pursed his lips but nodded.

He leaned down, attaching his lips to your again. This time, with lust and desperation. You could tell how much you both missed each others touch. Your hands slid under his black hoodie, tracing every ab until you got to the top. He hummed at your soft fingers against his skin, breaking away from the kiss. He moved down to your neck, gently sucking your skin. His right hand slowly, like criminally slow, slid up your thigh, gripping it every now and then.

Your eyes fluttered closed, your bottom lip trapped under your top teeth. Small, quiet whimpers left your lips every time he'd suck your neck. He left behind big and small marks, red and purple mix. He pushed himself off your body a bit, smiling at his work. " You look beautiful my love.." He whispered. You blushed and looked down. You saw the tent in his sweats, his Calvin Klein boxers peaking through at the top. His hand gripped your chin, gently moving your head to look up at him. " Don't be shy." He smirked. His hand that was still on your thigh was now at your wet core, It was throbbing for him at this point. Desperate.

" Awh.. your so wet.. show me how deprived you are from my touch baby.." He whispered, his thumb moving in small circles exactly at your swollen clit. Your body jerked up, a small moan leaving your lips. You watched his hands, only turning you on more. He watched you, his eyes not telling you what he was feeling. You felt embarrassed and began to slowly cover your face. He growled and grabbed your hands, pinning them above your head. " What did I tell you? Dont be shy.. I dont wanna have to stop you from cumming baby.. especially if you deserve it." He said, slowly moving his eyes down your body.

You shook your head, grinding your hips against him more. " Awh baby your so fucking cute when you get desperate like this." He sighed. You felt his thumb stop moving and instead, two of his fingers pulling your soaked panties down for you. He tossed them off the bed, licking his lips at your exposed pussy. " Fuck.. I wish you'd yelled at me sooner my love.. its gonna be so hard trying to hold back." He said before pulling off his hoodie. He tossed it away, before grabbing your knees, spreading them apart.

Yes this was your husband, but after being celibate for three months, you were nervous. And he felt it. He looked at you from through your legs, smiling. " Let me take care of you.. you deserve it baby." He smiled, kissing your inner thigh. He kissed down, surely leaving marks on your thighs, before finally reaching your dripping pussy again. He kissed it, earning a desperate whine from you. He chuckled before sliding his tongue through your folds, a gasp coming from you.

He slowly spread your legs more far apart. " Am I hurting you?" He asked, looking at your injured leg. " No.. remember ill say strawberry if you do." You said, patting his head gently. He smiled and nodded before turning his attention back to your pussy. It was on full display for him. He placed his hands on your hips, moving you onto his tongue. His tongue immediately went to your aching clit, sucking it ever so gently. You let out a satisfied whimper, your eyes again fluttering closed. He worked his tongue on your clit, sucking it, kissing it. His hands definitely started to make bruises on your skin but you were happy with that. Because it felt like normal. Like the sex you both used to have.

" O-oh Simon~' You'd whimper below him, gripping his brown hair. Your knees tried to connect but he gently, still worried about hurting you, kept them apart. " Don't close your legs until im done with you." He said, his lips glossy with your juices. It was such a hot sight to see. it felt like you guys were teenagers all over. Horny and desperate. His lips went back to working on your pussy, sucking your clit perfectly. " Because you had been deprived of your regular orgasms, you felt this one building fast. And it was surely gonna hit hard.

Your legs began to shake and you began to let out pathetic, desperate whimpers. " Sim-Simon I f-feel it.. shit." You cried out, gripping his hair and the sheets. He only moved his tongue faster, pulling you onto his face more. He was desperate. You could tell. He even began to moan against your pussy, looking up at you. " Thats it baby.. feel good for me. You deserve it." He said against your pussy, his middle and ring finger sliding in to help his tongue out. " Cum on my fucking face." he growled, moving his fingers faster.

His tongue moved with his fingers and quickly, you felt your body release its high. Your whole body began to shake, tears forming at the corners of your eyes. He whimpered quietly as he devoured every last drop of your cum. " Fuck baby.." He whimpered against your pussy as your body still jerked from the intensity of your orgasm. He moved his lips slowly against your pussy, sighing. He eventually sat up, his lips, nose and chin completely covered in your juices.

" You did amazing my love. Im so proud." He said, smiling down at you. You were out of breath, your eyes still shut. You felt him kiss your neck before your lips. " Do you want to continue baby? I can take care of myself. I want you to feel rested-" You pulled him down by the collar, your lips smashing onto his. He moaned into the kiss, smiling. " Yes.. I want to continue." You said after pulling away from him.

He kissed your cheeks before standing from the bed, pulling his pants down. His dick was huge. But, after three months of nothing, not even self pleasure, his dick looked..bigger. You had to admit, it made you a bit nervous. You watched as he pulled his boxers down, his whole body exposed in front of you. You quickly felt your clit throbbing all over as your eyes looked at every part of his body. " Are you positive you want this my love?" He asked, crawling back on the bed with you. He hovered over you, looking at your naked body as well.

" I swear Simon.. this is what I want." You said, looking up at him. He nodded before placing a soft but passionate kiss on your lips again. You kissed back as you felt him position himself at your entrance. " Just.. take my hand. And squeeze as hard as you want if it hurts." You nodded up at him. Despite how sex deprived you both were, how desperate, he still was patient and careful with you. He didn't want to do anything other than take care of you. " Okay.." He breathed out. Slowly, you felt him push into you. By the time his tip was in, you had already felt how thick he really was. He continued until he felt your hand grip him hard. He stopped.

" A..are you okay?" He breathed out, looking into your eyes. He was a little more than halfway in you by now and he felt like he could cum just off that alone. " I just.. need to get u-used to the feeling." You said, your other hand gripping his forearm. He nodded, kissing your cheek, then ear then neck. You loved his caring and gentle side. If you weren't injured, he'd probably be a bit less gentle, but still respectful of your needs.

" You can keep going." You smiled up at him after a minuet or so. " Are you positive?" He asked, moving his lips away from your breasts, again leaving behind more red and purple marks. You nodded and slowly, he pushed the rest of himself in. You both let out a gasp, his balls hitting the bottom of your ass as he went all the way in. " Fuck." He groaned before moving his hips back and forth slowly. With each thrust, a whimper left your lips. His head fell in the crook of your neck, slowly his hips picking up the pace.

You didnt have to ask for anything. He could read your body and what it was that you needed easily. You wanted him to go faster? He was already doing it before you moved your lips to ask. Your nails dug into his back, his hips now slamming into yours. " Yes Simon! y-your fucking me so well." You moaned, both of you not caring if your neighbors heard your moans. His hand slipped around your neck, his eyes hooded. " Yea? I am baby? Is my dick making you go.. fucking crazy?" He moaned, his free hand on your hip.

You whimpered and nodded, your body jolting up with each thrust of his. " U-Use your words..lemme hear that pretty voice." He whispered into your ear, slamming his hips into yours. You couldn't feel any pain. It was like all you needed was him fucking you silly. " I-i'm crazy..Im crazy for y...your dick Simon." You whimpered, barely able to make out words. He chuckled and kept his hand on your neck, moving at the same consistent pace.

Above you, his eyes were closed, squeezed shut matter of fact. His thrusts began to become a bit inconsistent, signaling to you he was close. " Baby.. I-ive missed this.. this pussy so much.. your gonna make..me fill you up." He groaned, his grip on you tightening. "Your gonna take.. all my cum to. Every..last..drop." He said, slamming his hips into yours with every word. You felt your stomach start to cramp and your legs shake. Both of you slowly became louder with your moans, your hands resting on his chest.

You could feel his arms wrap around your waist, hugging you as his body rested on top of you. His thrusts got sloppy, and he at this point, was a whimpering mess. " Oh baby.. im gonna..im gonna cum." he mumbled into your boobs. You tried to tell him the same but you again, felt your high wash over you. Your whole body froze, your vision weirdly went white for a quick 5 seconds. You didnt even realize Simon slamming into you fast, chasing his high. "F-fuck!" You felt his warm cum shoot into you, his body jerking as he tried to stay on top of you. But he failed, collapsing on top of you.

" s-shit.. Simon." you moaned, closing your eyes. His chest rose and fell fast, holding you tight as his cum slowly seeped out of you. He gently pushed himself back into you, wanting all of his cum stuffed into you. " I know baby.." he said, his voice tired.

both of you stayed like this for about 10 minuets. he eventually pulled out, watching your body react. " Are you hurt?" He asked, finally realizing his grip on your hips left finger marks. You smiled and shook your head. " I feel the best ive felt in three months baby.. thank you." You whispered, smiling up at him. He nodded before sliding off the bed. " I know.. I said I wanted to see you in this but. You looked beautiful and sexy regardless." He smiled before placing the box on the floor. You sat up, stretching.

" Lets shower and eat breakfast. We can go shopping. I want today tp be everything you want." He said as he lifted you up bridal style, carrying you to the bathroom. " I love you Simon.." You whispered, watching him as he carried you. He smiled and kissed your nose. " I love you more my love.. ill love you no matter what."

the end

#ghost #simon riley #cod x you #ghostcod #call of duty x reader #ghost x you #Simon Riley x you

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therand0mwriter · 4 months

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FRIENDS-They All Know

OHSHC x Female!reader

[Unedited]

*3rd Person POV*

"Hello? I'm here to drop off the desserts!" (Y/N) called out as she entered music room 3, the room the Ouran high school host club uses. Kyoya stepped away from his laptop and made his way to the girl, "You're right on time." (Y/N) smiled at the ravenette, "Kyoya!"

Kyoya's heart skipped a beat and he fondly smiled at the girl. "Can you hold open the door for me as I bring in the carts?" She asked. "Of course," He said, doing as he was asked. (Y/N) pushed in a cart full of cakes and cupcakes, then Aiko came into view, also pushing a cart. "Ah, miss Takai, I didn't expect to see you. How are you doing?" Kyoya kindly asked the girl, putting on his host face. The bubbly girl giggled and smiled, "(Y/N) needed help bringing the carts and Murasaki couldn't miss her fencing club, so I'm here! Just for a moment though." Aiko explained.

She then looked around the room as (Y/N) brought in the 3rd cart, "Where is Honey-senpai?" Kyoya quickly put the pieces together about her crush on Honey, "Everyone is getting changed for our theme today." "Ooo, what are you guys wearing?" Aiko excitedly leaned towards Kyoya, said male sweat dropping at her close proximity. "Kimonos," He replied, thankful that the girl pulled away as she squealed in excitement.

"Alright, Aiko. I got the rest of the carts in." (Y/N) came up to the two. "What?! Already? I'm sorry, I got distracted thinking about how cute Honey-senpai is while wearing a kimono!" Aiko had hearts in her eyes as she daydreamed. (Y/N) fondly chuckled at the girl, "Daydream about him on your way back to class." "Okay! See you tomorrow, (Y/N)!" Aiko waved as she left.

Kyoya made his way over to the carts (Y/N) aligned and took in the desserts, "Everything looks amazing, as always." (Y/N) gently rolled her eyes whilst a small smile was on her lips, "You always say that." "Because it's true." Kyoya retorted. "I hope we're not causing you too much trouble with our orders." He added. "Oh no no," (Y/N) waved her hands in front of her, "You guys have helped me! Since you're ordering from us our club isn't getting shut down! Though I did hear through the grapevine that isn't the main reason why my club is staying... it's because two fellow students of high stature demanded that we stay. And I have a feeling those two students were you and Suoh."

"Are you asking or telling?" Was Kyoya's response. The sly smile on his face told her everything. She mischievously smiled, letting out a: "Hm." In response before heading to the door to leave. She opened the door and turned to Kyoya, "Same time tomorrow?"

"Same time tomorrow."

*Time Skip*

The end of the day finally arrived and Kyoya was tired. Dealing with Renge took a lot out of him. He wondered if (Y/N) was still at the school, wanting to see her.

Kyoya📓✍️🏻

Are you still at school? If so, where?

(Y/N)💛

I just got to the entrance

Why?

Kyoya📓✍️🏻

Wait for me

The girl did just that, taking a seat on the school steps and soaking in the evening sun. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as a cool breeze blew by her, making petals of nearby trees and flowers dance around her.

Kyoya exited the school and paused. In front of him was... art. That was the first word that came to his head when he saw her: art. The way she absorbed the light and the light absorbed her was breathtaking. The way the petals danced around her entire being was enchanting.

Kyoya felt a small smile grow on his lips, happy that he was the only one to see (Y/N) like this. He approached her, "You're stunning. You know that, right?" (Y/N) slightly jolted at his sudden presence. She turned to see the dark-haired boy and smiled, "I could say the same thing about you." The sun lightly dusting Kyoya's side, his now soft looking eyes, and gentle smile would make anyone stop and do a double take.

(Y/N) stood to meet Kyoya, "What did you want to talk about?" Kyoya sighed, remembering today's earlier events, "Apparently the host club might have a manager by tomorrow." (Y/N)'s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?" Kyoya gestured for them to start walking as he started to explain, "Renge Houshakuji, the only daughter of an Ootori family client, flew in from Paris to become a student of Ouran."

The two students arrived at Kyoya's car and the chauffeur opened the door for them, greeting them individually, "Good evening Mr. Ootori. Ms. (L/N), it's good to see you again." (Y/N) smiled, "Mr. Amaya, it's been too long! I hope your family is doing well." The older man brightly smiled, "They're doing amazing! My son just won his first championship in baseball! I know it's only middle school, but still! I swear, he'll become a pro-athlete one day!" (Y/N) softly clapped, "Wow! That's still amazing either way! Congratulations!"

Mr. Amaya leaned in with a grin and whispered, "And guess what?" (Y/N) also leaned in and whispered back, "What?" Amaya stood up straight and tall, practically glowing, "Me and my wife are expecting!" Both (Y/N)'s and Kyoya's eyes went wide, "What?! No way! On my gosh! That's amazing! I'm so happy for you two!" She leaned in and gave Amaya a hug, "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" They pulled away and Amaya shook his head, "Not yet, but when we find out, I'll let you know! Between you and me, I'm hoping it's a girl!"

"Amaya," Kyoya called out. "Why haven't you told me this yet?" Amaya rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I just never found the right time, Mr. Ootori. You always seem so busy, I didn't want to distract you." "I'm sorry I seem like you can't tell me things. Please, from now on, don't refrain from telling me about your achievements." Kyoya said, soft smile on his face. Amaya beamed, "Will do, Mr. Ootori!"

Kyoya gestured for (Y/N) to enter the car and she did, Kyoya following after her. Mr. Amaya closed the car door and entered the driver's seat, turning on the vehicle and driving away. "Where was I?" Kyoya questions. "Renge Houshakuji." (Y/N) responded. "Ah, that's right." Kyoya pushed up his glasses and continued explaining, "Towards the end of the club, Renge arrived and pretty much declared her love for me." (Y/N) raised an eyebrow in interest, "Oh really? What did she say?"

"She assumed we're engaged." Kyoya said, slightly grimacing at the memory. (Y/N) chuckled, "Congratulations?" The ravenette male glared at the girl next to him. (Y/N) openly laughed at his response, "Alright, all jokes aside, why does she believe you're engaged?" Kyoya pinched the bridge of his nose, "She thinks I'm exactly like this character from an otome game she plays. She's apparently obsessed with him."

"Well, it definitely sounds like you had an interesting day." (Y/N) commented, an amused look on her face. "Tell me about it... But a part of me curious to see where things go." Kyoya said, ending with a thoughtful hum and his hand on his chin. "We're here, Miss (L/N)." Amaya suddenly calls, putting the limo in park. Kyoya got out first and held the door open for the girl. "Let me know how things go tomorrow, I'm invested now." (Y/N) said with a giggle. Kyoya fondly smiled at the girl, "Of course, anything for you."

(Y/N) leaned down to the door opening and waved at Amaya, "Goodbye, Mr. Amaya! I hope your wife has an easy birth!" Amaya gave a large grin, "Thank you, Miss! I appreciate it! Take care!" (Y/N) leaned back up and looked towards Kyoya, "Thank you for taking me home, I'll see you tomorrow?" The young male nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow, (Y/N)." Before said girl turned to leave, she paused, staring at Kyoya. He gave her a questioning look, and she gave him a large grin, slightly jumping to give him a hug. They stumbled at first, the hug catching Kyoya by surprise before he was able to stable them. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his shoulder. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and eventually, he buried his face into her hair.

After a good five second squeeze from (Y/N), she pulled away, the faintest trail of blush on her cheeks. She smiled once more, "Bye, Kyoya." She then turned and left, leaving a faint smell of vanilla and chocolate in her wake. Kyoya stood in place for a moment, trying to engrave everything he could about the moment he just had with his dream girl onto his mind. When he was ready, he re-entered the limo. As Amaya was pulling away from the (L/N) residence, he looked into his rearview mirror and saw an absolutely lovesick boy. Kyoya's eyes were half lidded and had a far away look, his cheeks and ears were a bright red. "Ah... he reminds me of when I met my wife.' Amaya wistfully thought.

The driver then cleared his throat, gaining Kyoya's attention, "Miss (L/N) is a lovely girl, huh?" Kyoya hummed and looked out the window, "Yes... she is." He placed his hand over his mouth in a nonchalant manner, but hiding underneath was a loving smile.

*Time Skip, Next Day*

Kyoya📓✍️🏻

We'll be outside in the main courtyard today. There's a giant camera crew so we'll be hard to miss.

(Y/N)💛

Got it👍we'll be there soon!

(Y/N), Aiko, and Murasaki arrived at the courtyard with silver carts containing drinks, and homemade sandwiches and desserts. "(Y/N)-senpai! Over here!" Hikaru and Kaoru called simultaneously. The girl smiled and gestured to the twins, "Come on girls, this way." Aiko and Murasaki followed their president to the Hitachiian twins, still pushing their carts.

When the three girls made it to Hikaru and Kaoru, they noticed that the boys were in basketball uniforms. "What's with all this?" (Y/N) questioned, referring to the camera crew and the boys new look. "Oh, this?" The twins started. "This is all our new managers doing," Hikaru started. "She thinks we need a movie about our 'new roles'." Kaoru finished. "We're basketball players 'enslaved enslaved in or own world', Honey-senpai is a 'baby faced thug', Mori-senpai is his 'childhood friend that's a flunkie', Haruhi is an 'honor student that's constantly being bullied', and Tamaki-senpai is the 'schools idol that has an inferiority complex'. I believe her exact words were: 'the lonely prince'." Hikaru and Kaoru explained together, their tone showing that they weren't that amused.

"Honey-senpai!? A thug?! I don't know whether to be excited or sad!" Aiko shouted in a mix of distress and excitement. "What about Kyoya?" Murasaki spoke up. The twins shrugged, "She said he's perfect just the way he is." (Y/N) chuckled, "Well here, we brought snacks. And make sure to stay hydrated." She then handed the twins each a water bottle. Hikaru and Kaoru smirked, "Oh (Y/N), you're so sweet to us, can't we take you home with us?" (Y/N) smiled at the two and simply stated, "No." The twins pouted, "Oh, boo. You're no fun." The girl raised an eyebrow at the two boys, "Then why are you friends with me?"

Hikaru and Kaoru opened their mouths to give a teasing comeback but was interrupted by Aiko, "I'm so sorry but me and Murasaki have to get to go now." Murasaki nodded, "I have to get to my fencing club." "And I have to get to my art club!" Aiko added. (Y/N) nodded in understanding, "Get there safely. And thank you for taking the time to help me transport the carts." Aiko gave a large smile, hooking her arm with Murasaki's, "We will! Tell Honey-senpai and Kyoya-senpai that we said hi and we're sorry we couldn't properly greet them!" The two girls waved goodbye, disappearing around the corner.

Hikaru and Kaoru gave (Y/N) a questioning look, "I thought they were in the baking club with you?" The girl nodded, "They are, but they're in other clubs too. They won't admit it, but I know they joined the baking club as an afterthought." She sent a very small sad, but also grateful, smile towards the place she last saw her club mates. Hikaru and Kaoru looked to each other out of the corner of their eyes and instantly knew what the other was thinking. In sync, they each took ahold of one of (Y/N)'s hands, gaining her attention again. "Worst case scenario," Hikaru started. "And they leave your club," Kaoru continued. "We'll quit the host club and join yours." The twins finished together, bringing (Y/N)'s hands up to their cheeks.

(Y/N)'s eyes went wide at the twins sudden offer, but then she fondly smiled at the two. She flipped her hands so she was now cupping their cheeks, "Oh, my kohais..." She started, her tone as fond as her smile. The way she was looking at Hikaru and Kaoru was driving them insane, making them eager to hear the rest of her words. "I can't have you do that, I would feel too guilty." The twins frowned and opened their mouths to protest but was cut off by their senpai. "But," (Y/N) started. "If you ever have any free time, you are still more than welcomed to come and join me." The twins gave a loving smile to the girl in front of them, nuzzling their faces into her hands and simultaneously responded, "We know."

Just then, a shout and loud clanging rang out, making the three jump in surprise. "What was that?" (Y/N) rhetorically asked, looking around along with the twins. At the same time, the three of them saw Tamaki run to a corner of the school. None of them could hear what Tamaki said, but when they saw his look of concern turn into one of anger, they knew something was wrong. Tamaki then ran and disappeared around the corner. "Suoh!"(Y/N) called out as the twins jumped from their seats. "Come on!" Hikaru and Kaoru shouted, running to where they last saw the blonde male, (Y/N) following suit.

The three teens peeked around the corner to see Tamaki cupping Haruhi's cheeks, concern written on his face, "Haruhi, are you in any pain?" Haruhi was rubbing his eye when he responded, "Yeah." Haruhi then pulled his hand away from his face to show something on his index finger, "It's my contact." Tamaki jolted in surprise, "Your... contact?" "Yeah," Haruhi nonchalantly started. "I guess it must have slipped out." Tamaki started laughing once he realized Haruhi was uninjured, "I see how it is! You're able to cry without using eye drops! So you're a full-fledged host now!"

(Y/N), Hikaru, and Kaoru all let out a quiet sigh of relief that nothing too bad happened. "You... you..." A female voice then gained everyone's attention. (Y/N) turned to see a girl with ivory skin, wide brown eyes, long golden brown hair, and a dark pink bow sitting atop of her head. "Please tell me you got that, cameraman!" The girl shouted, pointing at four male adults with film equipment sitting behind her. 'Ah, that must be Renge Houshakuji.' (Y/N) thought to herself. "Yes, boss!" One of the adults shouted back at Renge. "Other than Haruhi's contact falling out, that was an ideal final scene! All it needs now is a moving narration by my sweet Kyoya!" Immediately after Renge finished her spiel, loud sound of glass breaking rang out throughout he area.

Almost everyone jumped in surprise, looking to see what the cause of the sound was. Kyoya stood next to the, now broken, camera with a rock in his hand. "No! What'd you do to my camera?!" The cameraman screamed in distress. Renge had a look of shock and meekly asked Kyoya, "What? Is something wrong?"

"I'm terribly sorry but I cannot allow there to be any record of a club member engaging in violence. I think you've caused enough trouble around here, Renge. Please stop being such a pest." Despite his, somewhat, kind words, Kyoya's tone was deadly serious. "'A pest'?" Renge repeated, tears immediately falling down her cheeks. "But you're supposed to pat me on the head and tell me not to worry! You're supposed to be kind and affectionate, Kyoya!" Renge sobbed. "Why are you acting so differently now?! Tell me why!"

"Because that's not the real Kyoya." Tamaki's sudden words caused Renge to pause her crying. She turned to Tamaki, a confused look on her face. She then fell to her knees and continued crying. Haruhi stepped towards the sobbing girl, "Does it really matter?" Renge looked up to the brunette as he squatted down to her level, "Who cares if Kyoya is a little different than you expected him to be? Take a good look at the person inside and get to know him little-by-little. It's a lot more fun that way." Haruhi ended with a smile. Renge stared at him, taking in his words and calming down.

"Wow... it feels like I'm watching a drama." (Y/N) whispered to the twins, them nodding in agreement. The three of them pulled back from the corner. "I'm glad no one was hurt. Well, physically at least." (Y/N) said, slightly sweat-dropping at the memory of Renge getting her heart broken. "(Y/N)-chan!" A sweet voice suddenly called out. Said girl and the twins turn and see Honey and Mori making their way towards them. "I didn't know you were here! It's so good to see you again!" Honey cheered, jumping into (Y/N)'s arms for a hug. (Y/N) laughed, hugging him back, "It's good to see you too, Honey-senpai!" When Honey separated himself from the girl, Mori came up and caressed (Y/N)'s hair in a greeting. She largely smiled at her tall upperclassman, "It's good to see you also, Mori-senpai!" The male smiled at his underclassman with fondness.

From the sidelines, Hikaru and Kaoru did not like how friendly Honey and Mori were being with their senpai. "Hey... how do you three know each other?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked, slightly on edge. The twins senpai's turned their attention to them. "Oh, we met last year, around the time I was starting up my baking club." (Y/N) stated while a smile grew on her face at he memory. Honey joyously laughed, "Yup! We've been friends ever since!" Mori nodded in agreement. The twins were not happy that Mori and Honey knew (Y/N) longer than they have, they thought they had her all to themselves.

"(Y/N), you're still here." A new voice suddenly said, gaining the five teens attention. Kyoya had just come around the corner and was surprised to see (Y/N) along with most of his club members. As he walked up to the group, she happily called out to him, "Kyoya!" Kyoya noticed how the four males surrounding her tensed up at her sudden greeting towards him. Kyoya was happy with how she called out for him, but the male was mostly feeling dread. "I'm happy to see you, but what are you still doing here? I thought you would have left as soon as you dropped off the food." Kyoya questioned, watching the other four males out of the corner of his eyes. "Well when I dropped off the carts, me and Hikaru and Kaoru started chatting. Then we heard the commotion with Houshakuji, Suoh, and Fujioka. Afterwards, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai came and greeted me. And now were here." (Y/N) smiled and shrugged.

Hikaru and Kaoru growled under their breaths before they shouted, "Oh great! How do you two know each other?" (Y/N) gave raised her eyebrow at the twins, confused at their sudden sour tone, "We met last year in class, right after I started my club." Honey and Mori lightly frowned when they realized that their favorite kohai wasn't close with just them, but with other members of their club. Hikaru and Kaoru gritted their teeth in irritation, "Why has everyone known you longer than us?!" Honey then piped up, "Wait, Hikaru, Kaoru, are you friends with (Y/N) too?" Kyoya and the twins didn't miss how Honey didn't call Hikaru and Kaoru: 'Hika-chan and Kao-chan'. "Of course we're friends with her! We've been friends since last year! She's our senpai!" The twins shouted, getting frustrated at the thought of sharing their favorite person with others.

The twins rising emotions started to affect everyone. Honey shouted with a stutter, "Y-Yeah, w-well she's mine and Takashi's kohai!" (Y/N) turned her confused look from the twins to her senpais, "H-Huh?" She then did a double take when Kyoya also stepped forward with a glare, "She's my equal, we share classes together, unlike you four." (Y/N)'s head was spinning. 'W-What's going on?!' She worriedly thought, panic surging through her.

"Will you all calm down?!" The six teens turn to see Tamaki and Haruhi, Tamaki's hands on his hips and Haruhi's arms crossed. Tamaki was the first one to call out, Haruhi then adding on, "Yeah, (L/N)-senpai doesn't belong to any of you! Can't you see that all your arguing is making her uncomfortable?!" The five boys paused and looked to (Y/N), and sure enough, her face was contorted into one of pure disconcertment. Instantly, the five males felt remorseful at how their arguing affected their favorite girl.

Honey was the first to speak up, tears brimming his eyes, "I'm sorry, (Y/N)-chan." Mori grunted in agreement, "I'm sorry." Hikaru and Kaoru nodded, "We're sorry, (Y/N)-senpai." Kyoya clenched his fists, upset with himself, "I apologize, (Y/N)." The girl took in the five teens expressions. She could clearly see and feel the guilt emanating from them. (Y/N) sighed then smiled, "I can't be upset with you all. I forgive you." The five hosts started to smile in relief but paused when the girl raised her index finger, "But! Under one condition: please, don't fight again."

The five males all made eye contact and realized something: they all have romantic feelings for the same girl, and they all want her to be happy. So, in the end, the five of them made a mental agreement: let's get along, for her sake. The five teens nodded and smiled at the girl.

One thing they all secretly thought to themselves, though, was: 'Just because I have to get along with everyone else, doesn't mean I can't try to win her over, now that I have competition'.

#x reader #reader insert #fanfiction #ohshc #ohshc x reader #ouran high school host club #hikaru hitachiin #hikaru hitachiin x reader #kaoru hitachiin x reader #kaoru hitachiin #kyoya ootori x reader #kyoya ootori #mitsukuni haninozuka x reader #mitsukuni haninozuka #takashi morinozuka x reader #takashi morinozuka #friends fanfic

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mehiwilldoitlater · 2 months

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Smoker xReader age gap (modern AU)

Your age gap is pretty evident, to say the least. He is an officer, and you are an university student.

In some cases, this would be a concern for other people. I mean, the chance of Smoker being a manipulative fucker, using his position against a civilian, the fact that he's actually an older man, and you, a young woman, still need to understand how the world works.

But he's Smoker, and of course he's not someone like that.

First of all, he would prefer DIE than even believe that your relationship is made up and he's using some kind of control over you. From the beginning, he always made it clear that if he ever made something that could make you uncomfortable, scared, or even insecure, he would just disappear. You don't need those kinds of things, and he's far more considerate than anyone could ever believe.

Of course, this could lead to other kinds of problems.

Since his position has been granted some sort of respect by many, you have no shield against the world. He could have some enemies and find out about you, or someone could even believe that you're nothing more than a girl who has found an old and wealthy man and played the pretty girl just to gain something. It's not unusual, and it's not a crime, but it's so far away from your relationship.

Yes, he may or may not have idealized you a little too much, seeing you more like an innocent little girl praying to the world than an actual woman, ready to take her first leap in life. You had to remind him from time to time, but it's still sad to hear what others had to say about you (about being a manipulative little minx) and remember the day that you both finally had a nice day off together and you were so excited by just spending some quality time with your boyfriend (his heart almost collapsed from that small word).

The second problem was more personal. He wasn't that old, but he deserved a young, fine man, not him! You needed someone to whom you could relate—not an old officer who happened to have a small crush on a nice young girl! He felt so bad and sick, to be fair, but he tried to avoid you and those feelings! Why did you have to reciprocate?!

Still, he couldn't say that this was the worst relationship in his life. He was happy, looking forward to your nightly phone chat, talking about your day, your lessons, and his work, as well as the bad guy that he had arrested that day. Knowing that you were a little more safe from criminals was a goofy thought that led him to sleep every night. Of course he did spoil you a little, maybe buying you a few staff here and there, but he knows how difficult life is when you're in college! And he saw your fridge… His grumpy retorts weren't just made to scold you; they were a caring way to help you finally buy some decent food! You can't survive on ramen; come on! But he was proud to know that instead of just enjoying his money, you decided to find a part-time job to help yourself. You were so independent; he likes that! He'll still buy you that new laptop that you need for your lessons and help you with the groceries.

You're not even those kinds of partu animals that he had to arrest from time to time. You weren't that kind of girl; you preferred small parties with people that you knew—some drinks, yeah, but nothing that could lead to devastating hangovers. You tried once, just once, to go to those parties.

It was terrible, but you were able to meet Smoke! He was called because the music was so loud, but he was the nicest (and best-looking) police officer you've ever met!

He liked those days when he needed to work on some documents and you needed to study for some exams. The house was filled with the aroma of his cigar and the brewing of your tea. Click on his computer and the pages of your books. You stopped only when it was finally time to eat dinner.

There was some small thought. Imagine that after you had eaten all the food from the table, you didn't have to go back to your campus when you could finally stay there permanently with him—maybe with a ring on your finger.

But those were thoughts for another day.

#one piece #smoker #smoker x reader #one piece smoker #op smoker

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backtoyuta · 18 days

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NCT 127 college series- how you first meet

Pairing: Yuta x Reader

warnings: none

A fluffy 127 drabble where Yuta is a flirty sob. No smut but a tad suggestive- 1 in the where you meet 127 at college series

I will never get over college aus. They are my bread and butter.

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Yuta was one of those unlikely friendships that blossomed in potentially the most disastrous of settings. You hated group projects with a passion, there was always one that was super disorganised, and you felt the immense pressure of not being that person in question too. You remember vividly your tutor reading out the list of names- perking at the sound of your own and then flicking your eyes instinctively to Yuta when his was called promptly after.

You glanced away quickly when his aloof expression trained on you, his eyes observing but face unchanging. You scrambled for your belongings as soon as the lecture was over, one of your group-mates muttering about making a group chat with a sullen tone. It would be a little while until Yuta and yourself spoke, your only interaction being the insane sexual tension when it was just you two on the google slides at 1 in the morning.

"This seat free?" Chimed a voice from beside you, Yuta sank into the seat after you shook your head no and shoved some of your stationary aside on the table, the sound a little too awkward and loud for a library.

"I see you were pulling a late one last night," he continued playfully, his tongue pushed to the inside of his cheek as he opened his laptop- something he did a lot.

"I could say the same for you... How's the research going?" His eyes twinkled hearing your reply and his slender fingers typed rapidly. He showed you his research proudly, a substantial amount of work and organised neatly- thank God someone was pulling their weight.

"Let's see what you have" and he leaned closer to see your screen, causing a waft of his cologne to hit you subtly. You let him scroll through your slides, the corner of his mouth turning up at your intelligent use of jargon.

"Wow... Nice Y/N, very nice"

"Oh it gets even better."

"Oh?"

"yeah..." You pulled up your bibliography and sat back, his expression twisting and he let out an exaggerated groan, causing you to laugh and shush him simultaneously, all the while glancing around at anyone hearing your conversation.

"Cited sources, that's what gets you going?" You scoffed sarcastically, eyeing him up and down.

"Listen, my group last time had me in the trenches... I was the backbone of the whole thing." He jokingly shuddered and you laughed at his quip, the two of you settling down and continuing to work on your portions of the work. Your time working together was time you got to know each other beyond an acquaintance in your class. Being with Yuta was thrilling, mostly because he was the type of person you knew you would never have been friends with outside of these circumstances. He was a creative, opinionated, and had a torturous sense of humour- something he adored weaponizing and using to make you squirm.

He couldn't help but coo internally when he would spout an abundance of lies, and watch you intently as you went through the motions of nodding naively, process what he said and then playfully go to hit his chest lightly while he laughed and dodged you in satisfaction. You became accustomed to strolling over to the library to work together, sending him sly texts when you saw him pop up on google slides, and exchanging smiles when you caught him with his group of friends. Occasionally he liked to drag you over for a chat, sling an arm around your shoulder and keep you there until you could say your goodbyes and continue on to wherever you were going.

The tension only increased when you progressed to working at each other's dorms. It was hard to tell which was the lesser of two evils; all your friends in your flat were nosey and wanted all the details about the hot guy you brought round to study with, and Yuta lived in a stereotypical guy-dorm. Today, you opted for skilfully dodging the pizza boxes piled by the door and let yourself be led down the narrow corridor into Yuta's compact, but relatively tidy room.

Yuta settled on his bed with his back leaning against the wall, beckoning you to come and sit beside him while shimmying his laptop and books out of his bag. As soon as you were sat, the air became a little thicker, his form was incredibly warm against yours in the small room and his signature scent that always clung to him was much more potent in his space.

Yuta was always very frugal and complicit with physical contact; he had no issue with his friends resting, leaning, clinging on him, so you tried very hard to pay no mind when he pressed his side up to yours to place the laptop between you. You had to force your heartrate to slow and for your hands to stop shaking when he handed you a piece of paper, the tremor catching his attention- to his delight.

"Am I making you nervous?" His tone felt a little too serious, and his voice was a little lower than the clear tone he usually sang out.

"No." You replied, a little too quickly, and you caught the smirk gracing his features in the reflection of the laptop screen. "It's probably the coffee... I'm fine." You made a point of shoving a pillow behind your back and cracking on, Yuta's chuckle sounding in the mostly quiet room. He didn't budge an inch, his jeans still pressed up against your leg and the slightly bony part of his shoulder level with your head.

You were working efficiently, the sun had set a while ago so Yuta illuminated the room with a lamp, casting a warm glow. At some point you became quite lethargic, the warmth of the room and Yuta being so close was like a blanket, and the quietness that was interrupted minimally by the soothing sound of typing caused a fog in your brain. Your eyes continued to close against your will, and you had to force the yawns away while trying to subtly jerk your body awake.

"Why don't you just take a nap?" Yuta laughed lightly, watching your eyelids flutter. He couldn't suppress his giggle, his shoulder shaking causing your head to almost vibrate when he noticed you had typed a stream of full stops and commas in your writing; you must've left your fingers on the keys when you dozed off for the umpteenth time.

You only grumbled in response, determined to shake the tiredness off, but that was proving impossible. Ignoring your light whine of confusion, Yuta brushed his fingers over your thigh as he lifted your laptop off your lap, and lightly pushed your shoulder so you were resting horizontal with your head nestled in a pillow.

"I won't bother you." Yuta smiled, his eyes still trained on his work. He tugged your T-shirt down once in a gentle manner from where it had ridden up your back, and you almost flinched where his cool fingertips came into contact with your exposed skin. Your heart was fluttering at being casually manhandled, but you let out a quiet sigh of agreement when you settled into the mattress, your eyes closing automatically.

You woke disorientated, the light outside gone completely and the only parts visible was the illumination of street lights and buildings. Yuta was slouched in his desk chair, a book open in front of him but he was watching some kind of sports game in Japanese on his laptop on the lowest volume.

"What time is it?" You grumbled, still confused, dehydrated, too hot and tangled in blankets.

"Late. I'll walk you home... You want something to eat?" Yuta rolled his chair over to where you were sitting up, reaching out casually to move some of your hair that had become mussed back to their original position. The mention of food made you conscious of how hollow your stomach felt and you nodded sleepily, head bowed at how Yuta looked at your endearing form shyly.

You did get some food, and after Yuta helped you gather together your belongings that had scattered around the bed he held your jacket open for you to slip your arms in, flung your backpack over his shoulder and walked you out, making casual conversation on the way home.

The time eventually came to show your group presentation, and he smiled widely at you when you sighed out, relieved the whole thing was over and done with.

"You should come over tonight," he spoke seriously, those infamous dark eyes looking you up and down as he poked his tongue into the inside of his cheek

"The presentation is over Yuta, we can chill." You squirmed under his gaze, but made a point of throwing him a friendly smile as if to part ways, grabbed your bag and turned to exit.

Before you could turn fully, Yuta reacted quick and grasped your hoodie-clad wrist lightly, preventing your leave.

"Hm? I didn't mean to work." His tone was light hearted but his expression was almost sinister, his eyes glinted and mouth quirked into a smile… and he was still holding your sleeve. Letting the last of the class stragglers pass by behind you and out the door you felt your stomach flip in excitement and your knees shake. Yuta continued to stare you down, taking a sadistic enjoyment at you blush and fumble to try and formulate an answer.

The lecturer rushed out a goodbye and also disappeared out the door of the lecture theatre, leaving you entirely alone in the aisle nearest the exit; the rows and rows of seats looking vast and empty now it was just the two of you. You stepped back towards the wall to gain some distance, purely out of self preservation, but Yuta leaned up casually on the wall behind you. He wasn't a whole lot taller than you, but his dominance was omnipresent as he waited patiently for your answer.

“Yeah… sounds… good” the words catching in your throat slightly. He chuckled again, his dark expression mollifying into something more friendly. The air turned stiff as he acknowledged your answer, it was like he was completely aware of his effect on you and wanted to exploit it as much as was in his power.

"See, I do make you nervous." He smiled, once again amused at how you bore his torment. You shook your head slightly and dared to look at his dark eyes that glinted down at you. At this point you easily could've slipped away, he had let your wrist go, but the thrill of the moment was keeping your feet firmly planted. You wanted to prove he didn't turn you into the puddle he was so sure he did. Even if your from was melting under his gaze as we speak.

"You're delusional." You muttered, your face twisting into an expression of mirth as he breathed out a laugh through his nose, and he leant his upper body lower to be closer to your ear.

"Am I? So it doesn't bother you when I do this?" He feigned innocence despite one hand still placed on the wall to entrap you and the fingers of his other hand trailing up your clothed spine. He forced a leg between the two of yours, effectively parting them and leant so close to your ear that you could feel his cool, minty breath tickling your neck.

He muttered something in Japanese, his mother tongue spilling from his lips fluidly and sensually, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear caused your hair to stand on end. He trailed his hand up further behind you and toyed with your hair, and he punctuated his words with a snicker as your breath caught. Your body contradicted itself, trying to escape the ticklish feeling of his fingers on your back but also wanting to refrain from giving him a reaction at all. You were absolutely certain that whatever he murmured so wickedly in your ear was the most perverted thing he could muster, his teasing expression gave you that much, but you breathed a sharp breath and once again looked up bravely.

"Nope." You popped, deadpan, but still fighting the urge to shiver and shimmy away from his expert touch.

"No?" Leaning in again, he muttered more in a foreign language. His tone was practically purring as he bemused at your confused expression, and reached the hand that was walking up and down your spine to your head to move some hair off your face.

"What are you saying?" You questioned defeated, your tone a little whinier that what you would have liked but his sultry actions were making a potent mixture of heat and frustration pool in your stomach.

"Can I show you?" He offered, his eyes searching yours for an ounce of discomfort. You relaxed your body in his hold and once again a devilish smirk pulled at his features. He looked down intently at your lips as you nodded naively at his request, the syrupy feeling you had before morphing into something more needy and you squirmed slightly when he leaned down and kissed you.

You let him take the lead as he moulded his lips with yours, your hands pressed against the wall awkwardly as he overpowered you. Sensing your awkwardness, he slid his hand from your bicep, down your forearm and grasped your hand lightly to bring it up and place it on his shoulder, never removing his lips from yours. Using his prompt, your wound the hand he had manoeuvred towards the warmth of his neck and placed your other hand lightly on his chest, while he snaked his arms around you and kept you close; his hands working with pure experience and expertise.

The sound of students chatting down the hallway, right outside the door caused you to pull away and turn your head towards the noise. Yuta loosened his grip from your body but took your chin between his thumb and index finger to force you to face him again, and pressed a languid kiss to your swollen lips.

"We won't mind them." He spoke for the both of you, his dominance once again coming to the forefront.

"Are you always this bossy?" You complained jokingly, allowing him to kiss you once more. He pulled away and left some ticklish kisses on your jaw and neck, nothing that would leave a mark, only stopping to laugh at your comment and peer at your flushed face.

"Are you always this compliant?" He sassed back, the tone light hearted but the implication hung heavy between you.

You raised your eyebrow at his question and summoned some fire from your flustered form to quip back at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" You wiggled with more defiance, signalling that the two of you should leave now and he followed your suit, detangling his arms from you and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

He didn't reply to your statement, only opened the door and held it for you over your head. You fell into step together as he walked you out of the lecture hall, a hand deftly reaching down to clasp yours and continue to walk like that. His domineering presence kept you wary and excited, as you followed him back to his dorm you could only wonder where the events of the day would take you.

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zilari · 10 months

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Electric Giggles

DISCLAIMER: Contains tickles and spoilers for season 3! FANDOM: Lucifer WC: 2877

After getting the brilliant idea from Detective Douche -- although Lucifer would never admit it -- he takes matters into his own hands during a sting operation... it doesn't end well...

A/N: I was watching Episode 1 of Season 3 -- They're Back, Aren't They? -- and there's a part where Lucifer is "kidnapped," and they have him tied to a chair. They use a cattle prodder on him, but instead of hurting him, he starts laughing and tells them to stop because it tickles, and, well... this fic was born!

The idea occurred after Lucifer attempted to make Detective Daniel Douche feel better about Charlotte -- in hindsight, he could've worded it better, but that's beside the point. He forgot what Dou-- Dan said, but his snarky response to Lucifer spawned the idea initially. They were on a sting operation to find the killers of some random man they found in the desert, close to where Lucifer woke up after getting knocked out by an unknown assailant.

Of course, the details didn't matter. All that mattered was finding out who in the hell -- pun intended -- gave him his wings back. After all, they needed to be punished for what they did to him. Well, more his father, but since the old bastard was in heaven, the next best thing was his emissary -- the one who kidnapped Lucifer in the first place.

"Listen, I know you were talking about Charlotte," He was referencing the discussion Dan and Chloe were having -- something about Detective Douche being sad that she couldn't remember him, "And as douchey as you may be," He continued, scoring a dirty look from Dan, "And I know you can't help it, her current behaviour has nothing to do with you. Okay?"

Dan shook his head in disbelief, "And as much as I appreciate the pep talk, Lucifer, it's kind of you that got me in the whole Charlette mess in the first place." The Detective frowned, a pang of sorrow shooting into his heart, "So, maybe you should just take care of your side of the street for a change, all right?" Dan gritted his teeth as he began turning to walk away, "Good talk."

Lucifer watched as he walked away, a metaphorical light bulb appearing in his head, "My side of the street..." It didn't take long for the plan to formulate in his mind, "That's a good idea!" He muttered to himself as he snatched the laptop off the van's front seat.

All it took was some alterations to the form he initially sent to the company, Snatched -- they 'kidnapped' people as a prank, or whatever; humans are weird. Once he finished his task, he carefully put the laptop back on his seat, glanced back at Chloe, who seemed busy monitoring the screens, and easily walked out of the van without anyone noticing.

He arrived at the destination he had placed on the form, and after a bit of waiting, a black van came to a screeching halt in front of him, "Oh, lovely, right on time." Masked men flooded out from inside the van, "Hello!" He grinned as one of the 'kidnappers' roughly latched onto his arm and dragged him towards the vehicle, "Right, how do we-- Careful, I bruise like a peach." The man ignored him and tossed him inside before entering himself and slamming the sliding door shut.

Lucifer was pinned against the metallic wall as one of the masked figures roughly put a bag over his head and zipped-tied his wrists together, "Smile for the camera!" Someone said in a menacing voice, well, not really menacing, more like he was deep-throating something. Regardless, he gave two thumbs up and grinned when he heard a phone camera going off.

Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands digging through his pockets -- likely looking for his phone, "Easy! This suit is worth more than what you make combined."

It didn't take long for the one groping him to discover its whereabouts. The wannabe kidnapper passed it off to his buddy, who opened a window and threw it out of the vehicle. Lucifer frowned slightly at the thought of them throwing his phone out of a window; he was pretty fond of it. Well, he was more fond of the embarrassing photo of Dan he had on it, but regardless, he could always get a new one -- photo and phone.

After some time of driving in silence, the van came to a stop. The man in the back with Lucifer grabbed him by his wrists and practically dragged him out of the vehicle, "Easy! No need to drag me. I'm quite capable of walking on my own, thank you." He yanked himself free from the oaf, only for one of the others to shove him in the back -- Lucifer made a mental note to punish that one more thoroughly.

They escorted him to some sort of room filled with... things. Making anything out with the wretched sack over his head was challenging. The bigger of the two pushed him down into a chair and undid his binds as the littler one left the room. Lucifer's arms were secured to the chair before the other followed his partner, leaving the devil alone with his thoughts. He huffed in annoyance and shifted into a more comfortable position -- the trademark crossing of the leg and smirk.

The wannabe kidnappers left Lucifer in there for quite some time, letting him stew in his juices, so to speak. He'd cry his little heart out if he were a feeble human. But he was Lucifer freaking Morningstar. Ruggedly handsome devil, well... he was until whoever gave his wings back stole his devil face. A deep-rooted rage lit inside him, making his smug grin vanish like smoke on a windy day. He needed to find who was at the bottom of this. He needed his face back and wings gone. Otherwise, what kind of devil would he be?

He exhaled sharply, attempting to calm himself down. It didn't take long for the devilish grin to return. To save himself from boredom and to distract himself, he started to see if he could make out his surroundings. A leaky pipe dripped water somewhere in front of him, and debris was everywhere. The room smelt musty with a hint of something else he couldn't quite make out. He could make out more if he didn't have this damn hood on. Lucifer settled on him being in a warehouse of some kind, purposely set up in a way to scare the victim.

Finally, the two men returned. Lucifer could hear one of them pushing a cart with, what he assumed, to be props or torture tools. At least, he hoped so -- he wasn't in the mood for something kinkier, "Ah, there you are. I have to say, the leaky pipe is a nice touch. It's very Blood Simple," Lucifer elaborated When the kidnappers offered no response, assuming they had no idea what he was talking about, "Coen brothers movie?" Nothing, "No?"

The stuffy sack was ripped off his head, startling him ever so slightly, "Well," He finally got to stare his kidnappers in the face, and they were nothing to gawk at, "hello, kidnappers." He took a moment to look hard at both of them, his mind churning with a million different ways to make them suffer, "Finally, I have you right where I want you."

The two men exchanged an amused, albeit confused expression before the smaller of them walked over to the cart, examining the array of tools they had piled on top of it; not that it scared Lucifer, he was more focused on getting answers to his many, many questions, "Let's see, so many questions, but let's start with how did you abduct me the first time?" Anger bubbled up inside of him, "Hmm? How did you render me unconscious?"

As he approached Lucifer, the scrawny man held a cattle prodder in his hands, "How did-- AHH!" Without warning, he placed the prod onto the devil's stomach, sending bouts of electricity through his body; however, instead of hurting, it tickled like hell, "What are you doing?" He cried out, curling into himself, "Stop it, that tickles!"

The one electrocuting, or more so, tickling him, pulled the device away with a perplexed expression on his face. He exchanged looks with the bigger man before stabbing Lucifer again, sending another wave of electric tickles through the devil's body. Again, he yelped and demanded they stop, claiming it tickled. Dumb, the skinny one, pulled away and glanced at Dumber, the bigger one.

"Did you forget to charge it?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

Dumber shook his head in disbelief, "No, I absolutely charged it! I remember because that's when--" He paused, staring at Lucifer, "It is broken, maybe?"

Dumb poked Dumber, who released a high-pitched squeal, "I'd say it's working perfectly fine. Then... why isn't it working on him...?" While they contemplated, Lucifer waited for the opportune time to free himself from the binds.

Unfortunately, that time never came, "Try it again!" Dumber suggested, and Dumb unfortunately obliged.

Lucifer could barely cough out a 'wait' before the cattle prod was placed on his midsection again. This time, however, the wannabe kidnappers left it on for longer. The angel let out an ear-shattering squeal, even louder than the one Dumber let out, and laughter ensued. Luci curled into himself again, well, as much as he could. He attempted to bring his legs closer to his stomach, but all Dumb did was move the wretched device to a new location.

Unfortunately, the location change revealed a new and even more ticklish spot, "Waitwaitwait! Stahahap!" Lucifer belted out, throwing his head back with a cackle.

Usually, he'd be able to break his binds. He was strong enough, after all. Although, that didn't seem to be the case. The ticklish sensations ripping through his body turned his brain into scrambled eggs. Any logical thought was thrown out the window alongside his pride. He had two types of laughs -- his seductive and the... other. It was something he discovered when he was a child. Whenever one of his siblings would get crafty and somehow sneak up behind him, jabbing a finger into his side, he'd giggle madly. It wasn't a cute giggle but a high-pitched, snorty, squealing giggle. It was something he rather others not hear, but with these two cretins tickling him... it wasn't something he could conceal anymore.

Dumb snickered, "Hey, you hear this guys laugh?"

Dumber nodded, sporting a smile of his own, "Screw the other plan. Let's just torture him with this!"

Dumb nodded, a mischievous glint blossoming in his eyes, "Hey, open his shirt. Let's see if that does anything."

The skinnier of the two finally removed the prod, which allowed Lucifer to suck in mouthfuls of precious oxygen, "Don't you... dare... touch me... I'll-- ACK! NOHOOOO!" Before he udder another word, Dumb poked his stomach again with the prod, sending him into another fit of laughter.

Once Dumb removed it and Lucifer was recovering, Dumber ripped his costly silk dress shirt open, revealing his stomach and torso, "Hey, hold him down! I have a feeling he will start bucking like a bronco when I zap him with this."

"I will... kill you... both!" Lucifer growled as Dumber practically bear-hugging him from behind.

All Dumb did was grin before pushing the cattle prod against Lucifer's stomach again. The devil squealed like a schoolgirl and thrashed around, his laughter growing louder and more screechy. He tried to headbutt the Neanderthal, crushing him, but his body twitched when Dumb moved the prod to the side of his stomach, making him miss Dumber's head entirely. To make matters even worse, the bigger man seemed to want to be included in the torment and used one arm to hold the devil steady, which freed the other.

Lucifer tried his damndest to see where Dumber was reaching, but with the cattle prod and the behemoth of a man right in his face whenever he turned to look, he didn't see it, but he certainly felt it. Four fingers pinched the backmost ribs near his underarm, which caused his already high-pitched laughter to somehow go up another octave. Dumber seemed to pick up on the change in Lucifer's voice because he scooted his fingers up and into the spot, which the devil really hoped he wouldn't.

Once those soon-to-be amputated limbs wiggled underneath his arm, he screamed bloody murder, and his body involuntarily thrashed around like a fish out of water, "NOOOO! STOPSTOPSTOP!" He cried out as his legs flailed wildly.

Dumb had moved to the left side of Lucifer to avoid getting kicked by their captive, "This is so much better than the gerbil idea!" He chuckled, moving the prod just above his waistline.

Lucifer howled with laughter, tears brimming his eyes as he craved the sweet embrace of death. He much rather sit on the throne of hell for another eternity or listen to his mom describe one of her escapades with Detective Douche, just anything that wasn't this. Suddenly, the prod left his stomach, and Dumber released him. It was so abrupt, in fact, it took his brain a few moments to register that the torture had stopped.

He felt the binds tying his wrists to the arms of the chair be cut, and before he knew it, his arms were painfully pulled behind him, "What are you--" He began saying, until the return of the cattle prod, "NOHOHO! Plehehease, STOP!" Lucifer cried out, "CAHAHAN'T WEHEHE MAHAHAKE SOME KIND OHOHOF DEHEHEAL?!"

He fought against Dumber, who was attempting to zip-tie his arms to the sides of the backrest. When that proved too tricky, he changed tactics and settled with pulling Lucifer's arms above his head. He did the ol' pulling-arms-above-head-then-quickly-shoving-hands-under-said-arms-before-he-can-pull-them-down, to which he succeeded. The devil had no idea what was coming, and the minute he felt Dumber's fingers bury into his armpits, he practically leaped out of the chair. However, that was thwarted by Dumb resuming the cattle prod torture on his stomach.

"Nah, no deal is worth this. Most fun I've had since, well... ever." Dumb responded with a cackle.

Lucifer's laughed turned silent, and if it weren't for the fact he was the bloody devil, he would've passed out from lack of oxygen, "PLEHEHEHEHEASE!" He screamed, "STAHAHAHAHAP!"

Unsurprising, they didn't. If anything, they increased their efforts -- Dumb pushed a little harder on his stomach, and Dumber dug a little deeper. But, by the grace of his Dad, he saw an opening. The two men were exchanging a look, not paying attention to Lucifer. So, with what brain he could scrounge up, he sprung into action. He kicked the cretin holding the battle prod where the sun didn't shine first. Dumb's face twisted into a grimace as he groaned loudly, dropping the cattle prod and falling to the ground.

Dumber paused, which gave Lucifer the opportunity he needed to strike. Well, he would've if it weren't for the fact his blasted coat got caught on something. With him being distracted by trying to yank it free, kidnapper number two snapped out of his shock and practically lifted Lucifer into the air and slammed him into the ground. The air left his lungs, and the next thing he knew, he was being sat on. Dumber had managed to pin the devil to the ground, and with the cattle prod in hand, he poked Lucifer in the stomach and turned the device on.

"NOHOHO! Come OHOHOHOHON!" Lucifer screeched as he desperately tried to grip Dumber's wrists and push them away, which proved futile.

"Nice try," His assailant smirked, "Hey, Larry, are you alright?"

Dumb, apparently named Larry, was still on the ground clutching the family jewels. He offered a slight groan in response, confirming he was still alive but in tremendous pain. Dumber dropped the prod and scooped Lucifer's arms into one hand while the other reached behind him and pulled out a zip tie. When the devil attempted to retaliate, the cattle prod would return. Luci had no idea why that damned thing made his powers go offline, or maybe the horrendous ticklish sensations nipping his nerve endings. Whatever the case, he had very little time to free himself before the bear of a man straddling him completed his task of tying Lucifer up again.

When Dumber finally pulled the cattle prod away, he made the man think he was subdued. For added effect, he feigned desperation, "Please... I will do anything you want... just stop torturing me. I'm begging you..." Lucifer peered up at Dumber, eyes pleading for mercy.

He could see a glimmer of regret in Dumber's eyes, which ended with him hesitating. That was all Lucifer needed to snatch the cattle prod away from his assailant and use it on him. The lumbering mountain squealed rather loudly, which Luci would find hilarious if he weren't on the receiving end of that thing only mere seconds ago -- although he doubted it tickled, more stung like a bitch. Once he was sure the kidnapper got a taste of his own medicine. He used the device's handle to hit Dumber in the forehead -- hard. The imbecile groaned as he teetered before finally collapsing to the ground.

"Bloody hell..." He muttered as he laid back down on the floor, breathing heavily.

After a great deal of recuperating, he finally got to his feet and stared at the two morons who were in for a world of hurt. He took a moment to button up his shirt -- he was shocked to discover all the buttons were still intact, despite Dumber ripping it open -- readjust his clothing, smooth out his hair, and get his game face on. Lucifer slapped on a devilish grin, deciding to never speak of the experience to any living soul again, and got to work. He was going to get his answers, one way or another.

A/N: Wowza, this story was... looong! Apologies for that, and sorry for how blech the quality is, too. This is my very first fic, well... ever. So, hopefully, you enjoyed it.

#lucifer #lucifer morningstar #ticklish lucifer #ticklish lucifer morningstar #ticklish!lucifer #ticklish!lucifermorningstar #lee!lucifer #lee!lucifermorningstar #my first fic #I'm nervous to post this #I hope someone liked it

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aquadestinyswriting · 5 months

Text

Writing Snippet: A 'What If?'

Alright, so I did a bit of "speculative" writing for the Destiny's New Servants campaign before I took over as GM, trying to figure out where the first GM was going with the story. I've lost most of that writing due to changing laptops and being careless with file transfers over the years (make sure you back up your work kids), but I found this one hidden in the depths of my external hard drive about a month ago.

I vividly recall writing the following piece over the course of about a week. I started the morning after the session where Starhammer died because I wanted to remember every detail of that session, then just... carried on with my ideas of what might happen next.

Now, I was also wondering how best to have Merri leave the picture once I took hold of the reins of the campaign at this point. I had an idea of what I had planned to happen back in Fangthane, but the fact was, the first DM was not going to go easy on us, and it was very likely at least one of the characters would die in the fight against Darkhide. We also knew that Darkhide wanted to rip open the portal to the Pit again, and we'd used up all the God Clay that was left on Titan; what the hell were we going to do if he succeeded? So I wrote something to cover that exact scenario. It all becomes a bit self-indulgent, but that's part of why I like it so much. I apologise in advance to anyone using screen readers, I couldn't think of a decent way to split up the different sections of the story. I'll change it once I come up with something that isn't so much of a pain in the backside for you.

This fairly long piece covers the aftermath of Starhammer's death then skips forward a bit, just as a heads up. The speculative stuff starts after Merri's conversation with Elowyn and Enezeage.

Tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes , @homesteadchronicles, @warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff, @writeblrsupport, @ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice, @blind-the-winds, @freedominique

Elowyn grumbled as Enezeage shimmied down the wall and back onto the street. She got down as the half-orc rolled his shoulders,

“Should we go in after them?” he asked, cracking his knuckles. Elowyn shook her head,

“No, first we need to find Meredith and find out if she wants to press charges.” She said firmly, “We can’t just go in and start arresting people.” Enezeage grumbled, but nodded and looked up the street, noticing that the Celestial Dog had paused in front of what seemed to be a grove of trees. He pointed to it,

“What’s that?” he asked. Elowyn wracked her brain for a moment,

“That’s the Grove of Obad-Hai.” She replied, cautiously running up to it and stopping as she saw a very pale and shaken looking Meredith come out of the trees, along with a man in dark brown clerical robes. The man bowed slightly to the Woodling and turned to Meredith,

“Remember what we said, Daughter of Moradin.” He said sternly, before melding with a nearby tree. Elowyn made a face as the Grove seemed to retract and create a firm barrier around the outside,

“I hate those trees.” She muttered, before turning her attention to Meredith. Upon seeing the look on the Dwarf’s face, she rushed up to her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders,

“Meredith, oh by all the Gods, what happened?” she asked as the other woman began to shake, quite violently, the Woodling noticed. Meredith’s breath hitched as she tried to speak but couldn’t seem to quite manage. Elowyn rubbed her shoulders, “Come on Merri, talk to us.” She said in as soothing as voice as she could manage, waving a hovering Enezeage back slightly. Meredith took a few shallow, shaky breaths and clutched the book she was carrying to her chest tightly,

“St–Starham–mer… he’s– he’s dead.” She finally managed to choke out, tears streaking down her face as the events of the whole evening finally hit her. Elowyn’s hands stopped abruptly, staring at the dwarf with wide-eyed shock,

“Wh–what happened?” she asked in a low voice. Meredith hugged herself tighter,

“The beer… the traitorous swine, he spiked the beer wi–wi’ ooze.” Elowyn’s heart dropped into her stomach,

“Oh no.” she moaned, bringing the traumatized dwarf into a tight hug, “Merri, I’m so, so sorry.” She said, tears stinging her own eyes. Enezeage grunted,

“What about those robed dudes?” he asked gruffly. Elowyn sighed and nodded, gently pushing the dwarf back so she could look at her again,

“I take it those guys showed up when you came outside?” she asked. Meredith nodded,

“Aye, they wanted tae know who I wis an– an’ whit I wis doiin’.” She replied, her voice raw, “I summoned the dug when they drew their swords an’ chased me doon the street.” She finally met Elowyn’s eyes, “They s–said they were bounty hunters.” Elowyn nodded,

“Right ok, Merri I have to ask you this because it’s important.” She said her tone turning a bit firmer, “Do you want to press charges against those guys?” she asked. Meredith fell silent for several long moments, chewing her bottom lip as she thought the question over. Finally, she slowly shook her head. Elowyn bit back a growl of frustration,

“Are you sure? We can get these guys arrested and taken off the streets.” She said. Meredith glanced down at the floor,

“I– It’s no’ worth it.” She said quietly, “D– dinna take this the wrong way, but… I dinna trust that they won’t just get away’ with it.” Elowyn sighed and forced Meredith to look at her. When this was accomplished she pointed to her badge,

“You see this badge?” she said, “That means that I can go arrest those hooligans and get them locked up and make sure they never get out onto the streets again.” Meredith gave the Woodling a sullen glare,

“Then why don’t ye tell that to the officer who tried to kill me when they paid him off.” She retorted bitterly. Enezeage growled,

“Let’s just go take care of them, Elowyn. We know what they’re doing is wrong anyway.” Elowyn looked up at the Monk and shook her head as she came to the realisation that perhaps Meredith might be right,

“No, if Meredith doesn’t want to press charges, then we have no choice in the matter.” She told him firmly. She turned back to the Dwarf, who was still huddled into herself, “Are you sure you don’t want to press any charges?” she asked. Meredith nodded,

“Aye, it’s not as though anyone's gonna waste their time with the only dwarf left in the city anyway.” She muttered darkly. Elowyn sighed heavily,

“Alright.” She said, “Can you at least remember what this officer you ran into looked like?” Elowyn made up a mental image of the man as Meredith described him and nodded firmly. She recalled that he was likely one of the Road Wardens.

‘Right then, looks like I’ll need to go have a word with someone’s superior officer.’ She thought to herself, gently looping her arm around Meredith and guiding the poor woman away from the Grove,

“Come on then, let’s get you home.” She said gently, motioning with her head for Enezeage to take point. The Half-Orc grumbled, but did what he was silently told, tucking his arms into the sleeves of his own robe as the little group finally began to make their way back to Acacia Avenue.

~*~

Meredith rocked back on her heels with a sigh, she was devoted to Moradin, no question about that. However, even as she reached for His grace this morning, there was… nothing. The hollow feeling that was left behind after Starhammer’s death was hitting the young dwarf hard. Darkhide was still a massive threat that needed to be taken care of, but could she even be of any help to the others at this point? That she could not reach her God scared the cleric, although she knew it was unlikely that Moradin had forsaken her it was still disconcerting to receive no response to her daily prayers.

‘Not only that, but the High Priest and Archlector will have felt the shift by now as well.’ She thought to herself as she got up and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

~*~

Orock had held a lovely service to Starhammer’s memory, Meredith thought, but that she could not hold a proper Dwarven ceremony upset her more than the knowledge that the older dwarf was gone. Elowyn, bless her, had tried to help but the Woodling just could not understand just how deeply Dwarves held their traditions. Unfortunately, even if there had been a body to bury, Moradin was not available to grant any Blessings and Meredith doubted that Throff would want to stick around either. Meredith was still nursing the first mug of ale she had been handed, unable to really bring herself to drink all that much, when a lanky human came rushing into the back room,

“Elowyn! We got a situation at the Garden of Galana!” Farren yelled as he dodged an irate Khord Inititate whose drink he had knocked over. The Woodling was on her feet instantly,

“What kind of situation?” she demanded, kicking Enezeage in the shin to wake him back up and rounding up the rest of her group. Farren grunted,

“Apparently, a bunch of men in black cloaks have a problem with the church’s High Priest and are trying to get into the Garden to ‘have a word’.” Elowyn frowned,

“But why would they…?” Elowyn muttered, trailing off as she realised what the problem was. She glanced over to Meredith, who had grabbed her mace and Book of Moradin and was looking over at the Paladin expectantly. Elowyn sighed and turned to Farren,

“Has the local Watch House responded yet?” she asked. Farren shook his head,

“The Captain in charge said something about it being an ‘ecumenical matter’.” He said, clearly not happy with that explanation. Elowyn frowned and turned to Meredith,

“You’re staying here.” She said simply, gesturing for the rest to follow her. She expected to hear an angry exclamation and to be asked why, so when it didn’t come, Elowyn looked back over her shoulder with a worried frown. Meredith had gone back to her seat, without comment and was back to staring into the mug of ale she had been nursing. Orock frowned as he looked between the dwarf and Woodling, and made his way to stand behind Meredith,

“I’ll keep an eye on her.” He rumbled, “You’d better get going.” He said, laying a large hand on the dwarf’s comparatively tiny shoulder. Elowyn nodded,

“Once we’ve sorted this whole thing out, I’ll get someone to come back and get her.” She said, running out of the Plot Hook and making her way, with the rest of her companions to the other side of the city.

~*~

Elowyn almost skidded to a stop as she finally made it to the Garden of Galana. She had expected that the Abouna would use some clerical magic to keep the area safe. What she hadn’t expected was the sight of a tall human Wizard with auburn hair and spectacles, standing in front of the entrance to the Garden, holding back a very irate group of humans in black cloaks.

“Step aside!” the leader of the people in black cloaks hissed, “There’s a stunty in there that has a very good price on his head.” The Wizard snorted,

“I’m giving you gentleman one last chance to leave before I get upset.” She replied evenly, gripping the Yew staff in her hand a little tighter. Elowyn smiled a little,

“Hey Derren, what do you say we let these fine men know who they’re back-chatting?” she asked, looking up at her partner. Farren, catching the look in the Woodling’s face, grinned,

“Yeah, why not?” he asked, grabbing his cosh. Elowyn looked back at Felix and Enezeage,

“You guys stay back here with Aurri and grab the ones that decide to scarper.” She said, “I think Abouna Shiverstaff and Grand Wizard Frigidwake are a bit more likely to try pressing charges so we can nick this sorry lot.” Enezeage grinned around his tusks and nodded,

“Finally.” He growled. Felix brought his hands into a casting position and nodded. Elowyn looked up to Farren again and nodded, casually walking around the group of men until she came around to the front.

“Is there a problem, Grand Magus?” Elowyn asked, using her best ‘on the beat copper’ voice. The leader whirled around, a little panicked as he suddenly seemed to realise just who it was he was up against. Selene smirked a little and looked over to Elowyn,

“Good afternoon, Officer O’Toreguard, Officer Breakwood.” She greeted happily, “I was just asking these fine gentlemen to leave the area.” She explained, “They seem to have this ridiculous notion that they can collect a bounty on the good Abouna’s head, despite Toreguard Law clearly stating that all religious figures are under the full protection of the Drakemarie Empire.” She added. Elowyn tapped her chin thoughtfully,

“Really now?” she asked, turning to the group of humans, “What do you lot have to say about these accusations then?” she asked politely. The leader, who had backed off, glowered at the Woodling,

“Seems like there was a bit of a misunderstanding.” He said in a low voice, “We weren’t aware that the… dwarf that was in the area was the High Priest of the church.” He said. Elowyn looked at her fingernails and tutted,

“Well you see, that’s a bit of a problem. I was under the impression that the few Dwarves still in the city were still protected from murder and abuse under general Toreguard Law, not just the religious figures.” She said, glancing up to her partner, “Officer Breakwood, what do you think?” she asked. Farren tapped his cosh against his boot,

“I think you’re right, O'Toreguard.” He said, “I don’t recall any news about changes to the law, I think I’d remember if someone said something about Dwarves being fair game.” The leader of the other group backed up some more,

“Well, we’ll just be on our way then.” He said, turning around in an attempt to get away, only to find that the people at the back had already been either knocked out or frozen in place as they tried to flee. Enezeage cracked his knuckles,

“Hullo there sunshine.” He growled, grinning somewhat menacingly. The human grunted as Farren grabbed his wrists and cuffed him. Elowyn turned to Selene,

“Well at least now we can get this lot booked once we get them to the nearest station.” She said. The Wizard nodded,

“I believe I can help with that.” She smiled. She looked up to a nearby rooftop and whistled. Almost immediately a large magpie flew down and fluttered onto her shoulder. Selene tickled the bird under his beak, “Chrackle, take this down to the nearest Watch House, we need a couple of wagons to take these fine gentlemen there.” She said, quickly taking out a slip of parchment and quill and making a note. The magpie chuckled as she tied the note to its leg. Selene rolled her eyes,

“After you get back. Stop being greedy.” She chastised. The magpie chuckled again as it flew off. Selene looked at the group of men, who were being rounded up by Farren and Enezeage, then turned to Elowyn,

“Thank you for the help Elowyn.” She sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose, “I didn’t want to have to resort to casting anything to scare them off.” Elowyn nodded as she leaned against the outer wall around the Garden, watching as Farren read the whole group their rights

“I know, at least I’ve managed to get a hold of these guys now.” She sighed, shaking her head. Selene frowned down at the Woodling,

“What happened?” she asked in a low voice. Elowyn shook her head sadly,

“These guys don’t know it, but Enezeage and I know exactly what they’re about. Merri sent a Celestial Dog to find us because she was in trouble. She ran into these guys last night and they chased her all the way from the Dwarven District to the Grove of Obad-Hai.” Selene frowned,

“Why didn’t she stay in the temple?” she asked, “Between them she and Starhammer should have…” Elowyn was shaking her head again,

“Starhammer’s dead Selene.” The Woodling said, her voice tight. “By the time ‘Zeage and I got there, the temple didn’t look too good either.” Selene sighed heavily and pushed her glasses up her nose,

“Egrim’s not going to be pleased with the news.” She muttered, “Once word reaches Fangthane about that, every dwarf in the vicinity is going to get called back there and Father Shiverstaff only just got this place back up and running.” The two women watched as a paddy wagon rumbled up the street and the robed men were loaded onto. Chrackle landed on Selene’s shoulder with a satisfied croak. The Wizard fished out a regular gold coin from her purse and handed it to the bird, who chuckled happily. The captain of the nearby watchhouse approached and saluted Selene smartly,

“Do we know if the High Priest wishes to press charges?” he asked. Elowyn stepped forward,

“Elowyn O’Toreguard, watchhouse eight sir.” She greeted smartly with a salute of her own, “If you will allow the Grand Wizard and myself an hour or so to talk to the Abouna about the matter we can let you know as soon as we can.” The Captain narrowed his eyes slightly, but nodded,

“Very well then. I will get these lads back to the watchhouse while we wait.” He said stiffly. Once he was gone, both Elowyn and Selene frowned in concern,

“ Do you think they might get away with it after all that?” Elowyn asked quietly. Selene sighed,

“Almost certainly.” She replied heavily, “But we can’t dwell on that right now. I think we’d better let Egrim know they’re gone.” The Wizard looked expectantly at her familiar, who croaked in acknowledgement and fluttered to a heavy vine. The bird cocked its head for a moment before tapping on the wood. After a moment the vines retracted and another Woodling popped her head out of the door to the church,

“Elowyn, Selene?!” she exclaimed, rushing out and pulling the Paladin into a hug, “Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe! I was so worried!” Selene smiled and nodded in greeting, while Elowyn hugged the other woman,

“I know mum. Look, can we come in and see the Abouna? It’s important.” Oakrose nodded,

“Of course dear, come on in, all of you. I’ll get the kettle on.” The whole group were ushered inside and told to wait in the refectory. Selene held up a hand before going inside. She quickly gestured and muttered a few words, a silver shimmer hanging in the air for a few moments before dissipating. The Wizard nodded, satisfied,

“That should keep out any further, unwanted guests.” She said as Oakrose gave her a concerned look. The older Woodling shrugged and went back to work while Selene joined the others. After a few moments a dwarf with a wood-brown beard and blue(?) eyes bustled into the room. He seemed relieved to see who had shown up,

“Ta fer gettin’ rid of’ those idiots out there.” He said giving everyone a grateful smile, “ I wis off a mind tae ask the Council what the bloody hells they were playin’ at an’ getting’ help from the Druids.” Selene shook her head,

“You honestly didn’t think I would leave you to deal with those hooligans yourself, Egrim?” she asked. The dwarf waved his hand,

“Ach! I ken you would’t Sel, ye’re pretty much the only one on tha bloody thing that's no’ a backstabbing–” Elowyn held up her hand,

“Ok I think we get the idea Abouna.” She chuckled, “The ‘idiots’ as you call them, have all been arrested on various charges so they shouldn’t be bothering you again.” Egrim snorted derisively,

“Until they’re all released again in a week, tops.” He retorted. He shook his head upon seeing the expression on Elowyn’s face at his comment, “Dinna get me wrong, child, but I’m no’ blind nor deaf. Aside from myself, yon wee cleric friend an’ a handfull o’ Slayers, there’s no one else left this side o’ Fangthane.” He pointed out. Elowyn’s face fell,

“If I can get enough evidence…” She said desperately. The dwarf sighed heavily,

“Elowyn, lass, I ken ye’re tryin’ yer best, but ye’re only one of a very few that actually care about this.” He nodded to Farren, who was making up a fresh rollie. The human shrugged,

“Hate to break it to you kid, but ours is the only Watchhouse that was still going anywhere near the Dwarven district.” He lit the cigarette and took a drag, “I think the Council are pretty much just looking the other way until it all ‘blows over’, especially since we’ll be under siege by a massive horde of undead in about a day or so.” Egrim barked out a humourless laugh,

“’Blows over’ he says. Bah!” the dwarf went over to a nearby ale cask, drew himself a tankard, checked the contents and took a swig, “Given what happened last night, they’ll be lucky if they’re no’ fightin’ a fresh war immediately after this.” Elowyn’s eyes went wide and looked between the Abouna and Selene,

“But why would they do something like that?” she asked plaintively. Selene sighed heavily,

“Mostly because the whole city has likely been placed on the Fangthane Book of Grudges, Elowyn.” She explained, “From what Edwin told me the last time I contacted him, the Low King is under a lot of pressure from the displaced dwarves that are now living there to get some kind of retribution for the people that have lost their homes, livelihoods and even family members.” Elwoyn shook her head,

“But Starhammer wasn’t even killed by this Brotherhood of the Cleave. They were still outside and waiting when Merri came out of the temple.” She protested. That earned her a confused look from the Abouna, who paused while taking another swig of ale,

“Wait, what?” he asked, putting his tankard down, “So if those bastards weren’t responsible, who was?” Enezeage snorted,

“From what Meredith told us last night, it looks like it was that Grinbeard guy.”

“Grimebeard? Garl Grimebeard?” the dwarf asked, looking between the rest of Elowyn’s group. Elowyn nodded,

“Yeah, turns out he had forsaken Moradin and was poisoning people with Oozes disguised as beer. I thought we took care of him?” she asked looking over to Felix and Enezeage. Felix shook his head slowly,

“No, it was one of the other members of his family, remember?” he replied, “The others had long gone by the time we took care of the Clay Golem created out of that poor gnome and the Oozes in the cauldrons.” Both Elowyn and Egrim looked like they were going to be sick,

“We never got around to trying to find the rest of them.” Elowyn muttered, “I honestly thought it was Garl we took care of and the rest just scarpered.” She buried her head in her hands. Selene looked over to Egrim with worry,

“What’s the matter, Egrim?” she asked. The dwarf sat down heavily,

“I’ve been in contact with Fangthane a lot recently, fer obvious reasons. I wis wonderin’ aboot tha rumours goin’ about around some folk goin’ missing’ recently. I don’t think the activities of ol’ Grimebeard has been limited tae Toreguard.”

“You think he might be responsible for the disappearances?” Selene asked. The Abouna nodded,

“Ragnarsson mentioned somethin’ about finding some bad beer in the Cathedral’s cellar. I didn't think anything’ of it at first, even dwarven beer goes bad if it’s kept long enough, but…”

“They’re trying to get rid of every Moradin worshipper they can.” Selene muttered, “But why?” the wizard looked up at her old friend, “We need to get word to Fangthane about this, now.” She said firmly, “

“There might be a problem with that, lovies.” Oakrose said as she came into the refectory, handing Egrim a scroll. The Dwarf unrolled it and quickly read through it. He crumpled the parchment not long after,

“Bollocks tae that.” He swore, tossing the balled up parchment to the floor. Selene sighed,

“Let me guess, all communications out of the city have been forbidden, including all scrying and other magical means?” she asked lightly. Elowyn groaned as the dwarf nodded with a weary sigh,

“An’ afore ye ask, I rather think they’ll include familiars as magical objects.” Selene snorted,

“I’m well aware of that Egrim.” She snipped, “Luckily, if there’s one thing Alexis did manage to teach me in the time I travelled with her, it’s to never just rely on one or two methods of communication. That and to never kowtow to a giant red lizard who thinks he’s smarter than you.” She added. Elowyn frowned in confusion,

“What are you going to do?” she asked nervously. The Wizard honestly scared her sometimes. Selene sent the Woodling a reassuring smile,

“Just going to visit an old friend to ask for a bit of help.” She said, “But first, I think I’d better go and fetch your cleric. She’ll be safer here.”

~*~

Much, much later

Darkhide laughed maniacally even as the last of his life seeped from him,

“You’re too late.” he coughed wetly, spraying blood, “The portal is open, the way is clear. A– and you have no God Clay to– to save you.” He chuckled, his throat gargling. Elowyn dropped to her knees, despair written all over her features. Enezeage had bowed his head and placed his hands in his sleeves, while Felix cried out in anger and anguish. Quintin closed his eyes and prayed silently to Correlon Lorethion for a swift death. Meredith, however, struggled to her feet,

“No.” she growled, wincing from the beating Darkhide had given her earlier, “I am not admitting any sort of defeat to you.” She spat, glaring at the Necromancer. Darkhide grinned darkly,

“Do I need… to remind you girl? Moradin… is dead.” He said, now gasping for air. Meredith snorted, looking over at the giant rend in the earth in front of the group.

“I heard ye the first time, ye bag o’ wind.” She said flatly, “But ye never said anything’ about Throff.” She added, glancing back at the dying human. Darkhide frowned momentarily, then his eyes widened,

“No.” he croaked, his last breath finally leaving him as he attempted to reach out towards Meredith, who was staggering over to the portal’s edge. Elowyn jumped to her feet,

“Merri? What are you doing?” the Paladin yelped, racing up next to the dwarf. Meredith looked down at the chasm with a determined expression,

“Finishing’ this.” She replied. She looked up at Elowyn, “Take the others, and run.” She commanded, “If this doesn’t work, ye’ll need tae evacuate as many people as ye can from the Plains.” Elowyn frowned and shook her head quickly,

“But what about you?” she asked. Meredith sighed and glanced back at the chasm,

“That doesn’t matter.” She said quietly, she looked back up at the Woodling sharply, “Now get goin’!” she snapped, a ripple of power washing over Elowyn. The Paladin tried to resist, but found herself unable to. She glared back at the dwarf, even as her feet took her away, tears stinging in her eyes. Meredith watched her friends leave, guilt tearing at her heart,

“I’m sorry.” She muttered, “But this is my burden to bear.” The Inquisitor turned back to the portal, took a deep breath and knelt. She took a moment and then began to cast,

“Throff, gentle Mother of my people, know that I do not make this request of You lightly. I am fully aware of the cost involved and I will pay it.” She prayed, gathering up as much power as she could muster, “Please, grant me the strength to close this abomination, to heal this world that has been wounded so badly already.” She begged, tears stinging her eyes. After a moment, Meredith felt the earth beneath her ripple slightly. She smiled softly; there may not have been any spare God Clay left, but wasn’t Titan made of the stuff? The Dwarf closed her eyes tightly, pushing yet more power into the spell, feeling it drain her very soul as the earth finally began to move, closing the portal to the Abyss. Demons, who had been making their way up from the bottom of the Pit, screeched as slowly, their means of escape closed in around them. They pushed back and the spell wavered.

Meredith was almost completely tapped out, black spots obscured her vision as she felt the resistance,

“No,” she breathed, “I–I am not letting…” her breathing became shallower as she tried to push yet more power into the Shaping spell. It was then she felt a gentle brush on her shoulder. She blinked back the blackness creeping into her vision and looked in the direction the touch had come from. Stringwhiskers, limned in a golden light, twitched his nose at her,

“We know what you doing.” He squeaked, “We come to help.”

“You got this Merri, keep going.” Alphonse’s voice encouraged from somewhere behind her. Looking around at the faces of her deceased friends and travelling companions, Meredith nodded and glared at the portal, which was slowly pushing back open. Gathering up what little strength she had left, the dwarf pushed it all into the spell. The earth rumbled violently as the two opposing forces clashed, but finally, with a deafening ‘boom!’ the portal snapped shut. The hand of a Balor that had been unlucky enough to get in the way, wavered then disintegrated into dust on the wind as everything finally settled. A weak ray of sunlight lit up the ground where the portal had been and a bird flew over and perched on the out of place hammer that glinted as the clouds above Castle Dire finally broke.

When the Command spell finally wore off Elowyn and the others, they were most of the way along the road to Toreguard. Almost immediately, the Woodling spun around and began marching back up the road towards Castle Dire,

“When I get a hold of that girl, she is getting the earbashing of the century!” she snarled. Felix tugged on her arm nervously,

“What was Merri even doing?” he asked. Elowyn shook her head,

“The stupid woman’s probably trying to close the portal by herself.” She replied. Enezeage strode in front of the Woodling,

“Then maybe, it’s a good idea to do what we were told?” he suggested. Elowyn was about to give the Monk a scathing reply, when the earth under their feet rumbled. Felix squeaked and grabbed a hold of Quintin’s leg. The Elf staggered a little at the sudden gesture, but was quick to find his footing again. Enezeage grabbed a hold of Elowyn’s arm as the Paladin fell back with the sudden movement, a large, squat sea of calm amidst the chaos. Felix looked around in awe as the tremor ceased,

“Whoa, someone’s either being really stupid or really brave to try casting this big a spell.” He said, his eyes wide. Elowyn frowned and checked to see if there was anyone evil nearby that was attempting to cast something new. The only hint of red she found though, was a brilliant glow up where the portal had been opened.

“OK, ow. Remember that big ass portals to the Abyss don’t need to be checked for Evil.” She muttered as she blinked her vision back. Felix shook his head,

“It’s not an arcane spell.” He called as another, larger rumble shook the road beneath them. He waited until the new tremor had passed before continuing as he studied the lines of power only he could see, “I think… yeah, it’s Divine Magic. It’s all white and gold.” Elowyn paled and looked up towards Castle Dire,

“Merri, what are you playing at?” she whispered. Aurianna mewled from her perch on the Paladin’s shoulder,

“I think she’s trying to use a Shape spell to close the portal.” She said quietly. Elowyn frowned,

“How? There’s no God Clay left, right?” she asked, now beginning to panic. Enezeage hummed as he realised something,

“That’s true,” he rumbled, “but what did Titan make the world out of?” he asked. Elowyn’s eyes went wide as an even bigger tremor rumbled through the earth, causing everyone to lose their footing. Once it was over, a massive ‘Boom!’ rent the air then… the earth stilled. The group looked at one another questioningly as they got up. After no further tremors came along, Elowyn rushed up the road as fast as her legs could carry her, at least until Enezeage hoisted her onto his shoulder and ran the rest of the way for her.

Once they reached the top, the group looked around in shock. Darkhide’s body was still pretty much exactly where it had been left, as had the bodies of the other Cabal members and the undead. There was, however, no sign of the portal. Or of Meredith. Elowyn was let down as Enezeage looked around in confused awe,

“MERRI!” Elowyn called desperately. She ran around the grounds of Castle Dire, looking for any sign of her old friend, “MEREDITH!” She ran around the rest of the huge courtyard, “Meredith Gruksdottir, you get your ass over here right now!” There was no reply, aside from the croaking of the ravens that had come along to feast on the dead. Quintin quickly came around the corner,

“Elo, I think you need to come have a look at this.” He called. The elf looked confused and upset. Elowyn rushed over to him,

“What’s going on?” she asked. The Ranger held out an elaborate mace. It was made of the best Iron and etched all over with Dwarven Runes. Meredith’s warmace. Elowyn reached out to touch it, but quickly withdrew her hand,

“Where did you find this?” she asked sharply. Quintin turned around and nodded to the courtyard behind him,

“Next to the edge of where the portal should have been.” He replied heavily, “We’ve looked everywhere in the area. There’s no sign of her besides this.” Elowyn glared at the elf,

“There has to be!” she snapped, her voice tight with emotion as she ran over to where the portal had been less than an hour before. Quintin sighed and followed the Woodling at a more sedate pace, tickling a raven that had landed on his shoulder under its beak.

Elowyn reached the knoll where the portal had not long before torn a hole through reality to the Abyss and looked around desperately, tears streaming down her face. The rest of her party finally arrived in the area, looking as lost and confused as the Woodling felt. She looked at each other them, still hoping there was something, anything else. Slowly they shook their heads. Cragspine approached the Woodling, who was now hugging her knees into her chest and sobbing. He gently touched the Paladin’s hand,

“Meredith might not be here, but portal is gone.” He said in a low voice, “This place saturated with Divine Magic, she obviously successful.” He pointed out. Elowyn really didn’t take too much comfort in the little Kobold’s words. The Dwarf, despite some of her faults, had managed to more or less survive their entire journey and had been a welcome, steady presence when everything had, as they often said to one another, ‘turned to shit’.

“It’s not fair.” She sniffled, “Why did all the big stuff have to fall on just her?” Cragspine shook his head,

“The Gods are fickle.” He reminded her, “Come, we go tell big human peoples news.” He said gently, tugging on the sleeve of the Woodling’s overcoat. Elowyn lifted her head and slowly shook her head,

“You guys go on ahead, I need a minute.” Cragspine looked back at Enezeage with a questioning expression. The Half-Orc nodded and shooed everyone else back to the road to Toreguard. The Monk turned to Elowyn,

“Don’t be too long.” He rumbled. Elowyn nodded as he turned around and followed the others. When she was finally alone, Elowyn knelt on the grass and prayed,

“I hope you managed to find wherever it was you wanted to go.” She said, fresh tears making their way down her cheeks, “You really do have a bad habit of wanting to outdo yourself though, don’t you?” she laughed, “I will personally make sure that what you managed to accomplish today is properly recognised though. Maybe once word gets out about it, people back home will stop being such dicks to Dwarves again.” She looked at her hands, which were balled up on her knees, “I’m going to really miss you. I mean, it’s no fun being the only girl with a bunch of men and who am I going to complain about Gorgeous with now?” The Paladin sighed heavily, “Sleep well, Sister. Hope you’re waiting with a mug of decent beer by the time I join you up there.” She said with a faint smile. The Woodling pulled herself to her feet and looked up at the sky above her, saluted and finally left.

~*~

Even though it was well after dark by the time Elowyn and what remained of her party got back to Toreguard, General Strucker was waiting at the gates for them,

“Did you manage to stop him?” he asked, clearly nervous about the answer he was about to receive. Enezeage, who had picked up Darkhide’s body on his way back, dropped it at the General’s feet,

“There’s the evidence.” He grunted. The General slowly grinned at the sight,

“So it’s over.” He breathed, “At last.” He gestured for one of the guards with him to take the body, “Get that to the Wizard’s Tower, no doubt they’ll want to make sure that there’s no chance of him being resurrected or have any other means of coming back.” He ordered. Two of the guards saluted, picked up the body and carted it off immediately. The General frowned as he looked the group over, “Hang on a minute, what happened to your Dwarf friend?” he asked. Elowyn stepped forward, Meredith’s mace in her hands,

“She fell closing a new portal to the Abyss that Darkhide managed to open before he died.” She said quietly, “If it’s all the same to you, General, I’d rather explain the situation in front of people who know more about magic than I do.” She requested. The General’s face fell as he regarded the beautiful weapon and nodded,

“Indeed. Come, I’ll arrange for a full Wizard’s council in the main Council Chambers for you. Grand Magus Frigidwake is something of a night owl these days and I’ve no doubt she’ll want to know exactly what happened.” He said. Felix coughed, getting the man’s attention,

“You might want to call on some of the religious leaders as well.” The gnome said, “Meredith was, after all, a cleric of Moradin.” The General nodded again,

“Duly noted, Master Gnome, I shall take note of that. But enough, I rather think you all deserve a bit of rest before you get bombarded from all sides with questions.” He said rather more gently, “We’ve arranged for you to stay in the Plot Hook overnight so that you can have a bit of a lie in.” Everyone nodded tiredly, following the General to a rather large and luxurious carriage and piling inside. By the time Orock showed them all to their rooms, they were all already mostly asleep and dead to the world by the time their heads hit their pillows.

~*~

Elowyn found herself feeling oddly calm as she waited outside the main council chambers the next morning. Perhaps, she thought, it was the absence of the Merchant’s Guild, or maybe it was because she had a decent night’s sleep for the first time in what seemed like forever. No matter what the reason, she walked confidently into the large chamber, alongside her friends, who also seemed far more at ease. Selene smiled at the group warmly as she took her seat at the head of the chamber and waited for the rest of the Wizard’s Council and Toreguard’s Religious Council to sit. This done, she leaned forward in her chair,

“Elowyn O’Toreguard, Paladin of the Light and Sergeant of Watchhouse 8, Northwest Precinct, can you please explain to the council what, exactly, transpired at Castle Dire yesterday morning and afternoon?” she asked calmly. The Woodling nodded and stepped forward, telling the combined Head Wizards and Religious leaders of the fight with Darkhide and the rest of the Cabal, of Darkhide’s apparent defeat then his opening of a new portal to the Abyss that was made permanent with the sacrifice of what seemed to be the population of a nearby village. She then went on to explain how, despite being beaten bloody and almost to death earlier, Meredith, Inquisitor of Moradin, had refused to admit defeat and sent the rest of her party away.

“We’re not sure what she did,” Elowyn said, her throat tightening at the memory, “but whatever it was, she managed to completely and utterly seal the portal. The only thing we could find of her when we returned to Castle Dire, was her warmace.” She finished, gesturing to the item, which had been placed on a plush cushion on a table near the front of the room. The Head Priest of Pellor stood and regarded the mace with a curious expression,

“I must admit, my fellows and I felt a very large pull of Divine Magic just before the earthquakes started.” He said, looking around at his fellow High Priests, who were all nodding, “How this single cleric accomplished such a thing is… well none of us have been able to work it out.” He admitted, “Normally a large ritual has to be involved to pull such a large amount of magic into a single area.”

“Perhaps I can help with your query.” A voice quavered from behind Elowyn. She frowned as Selene’s eyes went wide and the Wizard stood with a hasty, deep bow. She looked over her shoulder to find a very elderly dwarf come into the room, escorted by several beardlings and leaning heavily on an elaborate metalwork staff. Elowyn bowed deeply as well, though noting with worry that the old dwarf appeared to be quite unwell.

“Archlector Vanskleig, it is a real honour to have you visit us.” Selene said, her tone worried as, she too, noted that the old dwarf was clearly unfit to have travelled such a long distance, “Someone get him a seat!” she snapped as she hurried down from her position to assist the beardlings in helping him to a chair that was conjoured by a junior wizard. The elderly dwarf smiled warmly at the Wizard as she knelt in front of him,

“Do you require anything, Archlector, a drink of water perhaps?” she asked Vanskleig shook his head,

“No, child. I am here to find out what happened yesterday.” He replied evenly, “I am afraid I do not travel well using portals.” He added. Selene nodded and stepped back, looking over to Elowyn,

“Elowyn, dear, can you quickly summarise what happened at Castle Dire again?” she asked. Elowyn, despite how soul sick she felt to recall the events again, nodded,

“Of course, Grand Magus.” She replied. Taking a moment to centre herself again before repeating what she had told the Council. Once she was done, the Archlector nodded,

“You recall that Meredith was a Shaper, correct?” he asked. Elowyn thought back to when the group had visited Fangthane the first time and nodded,

“Yes, Your Holiness, I do.” She replied, “However, I do not see how that would have helped matters.” She admitted. Vanskleig smiled, his grey eyes twinkling,

“Ah, but it does help. Quite a lot actually.” He replied with a weary chuckle. He looked around the rest of the Council, “The ability to Shape is a rare one.” He said, “It only occurs once in every three or four Dwarven generations, and has only ever been found in one family line.” He explained, “Few know of the Redhammer Clan, but when they were exiled from Fangthane we believed the ability to Shape had been lost to the worshippers of Moradin and Throff forever.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully, “That is, until young Meredith Gruksdottir displayed the ability; at a very young age as I recall.” He shook his head, “The gift of Shaping is a blessing from Throff, She who found the Magic Clay. It would seem that when the portal to the Abyss was opened, Meredith realised that the only way to close it permanently was using what had since become known as God Clay.” He explained. Selene shook her head as several voices piped up,

“Wasn’t it used to seal up the portal under the Wizard’s Tower?”

“I didn’t think there was any of it left.”

“Where would you even get the stuff from anyway.”

The Grand Magus sighed and slammed her staff on the floor,

“If you must ask questions, do so one at a time!” she snapped, “I should not need to remind any of you about good manners!” The High Priests and Wizards who had stood up to ask their questions all at once sat back down, looking suitably embarrassed with themselves. Selene turned back to the Archlector, who was chuckling,

“Ah, now that’s the young Wizard I remember hearing about ten years ago, I did wonder what had happened to her.” He noted with a warm, grandfatherly smile. Selene bit back an embarrassed laugh as the Archlector proceeded to look around the Council Chamber again,

“As to your questions. Yes, there is no more spare God Clay that we know of, however is not Titan made of the stuff?” he asked. Before anyone could answer, he was talking again, “From what has been described, it would seem that Throff, upon seeing the calamity that was unfolding, granted young Meredith a chance to use Titan itself to seal this new portal.” The Archlector sighed heavily, “Of course, such a casting requires a significant cost.” He looked over to the mace at the far end of the room, suddenly seeming so much older than he already was, “Clearly young Gruksdottir felt that the price asked was worth the safety of Allansia, if not all of Titan.” He said, his voice low and heavy with grief. Silence reigned as the enormity of what had actually happened settled on the rest of the Chamber. That one lone dwarf had sacrificed everything to prevent a disaster worse than had occurred ten years ago from happening again was, clearly, quite a lot to take in. Selene nodded gravely,

“Thank you, Archlector. It looks like we all have rather a lot to reflect upon. Especially given the behaviour of some of the city’s people towards the Dwarven people as of late.” She stood and regarded her fellows, “I think it would be best if we took a recess for the next four hours. When we get back, we will discuss what needs to be done to properly celebrate and honour those who have already given this city so much.” She glanced over to Elowyn and the others as she spoke, striking her oaken staff on the floor and sweeping out of the room. Elowyn ignored the mumble of conversation going on as she approached the Archlector and knelt before him,

“Your Grace, I have a couple of questions if I may.” She said quietly, Aurianna quickly scampering up beside her. The Archlector regarded the Paladin and nodded, waving off his beardling assistants,

“I’ll be alright, I will call when we are done.” He assured them gently. The eldest of them bowed politely and ushered the other outside, knowing that this was a private matter. Elowyn smiled gratefully to the old dwarf,

“Thank you.” She said. Vanskleig motioned for her to sit,

“It is no trouble, child. You are clearly worried about something and wish for guidance. I would be a poor cleric to ignore such a request.” He assured her. Elowyn shifted uncomfortably,

“Darkhide said during the fight against him that… he said Moradin was dead.” She said, trying not to avoid the subject, “I assumed he was merely trying to scare Meredith, but before we left the city, she mentioned that she had not been able to reach Him.” She looked up at the Archlector with worry, “Was Darkhide telling the truth? I thought Moradin had merely forsaken Toreguard following Starhammer’s untimely death.” Vanskleig sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair thoughtfully,

“As a friend of Meredith, I feel safe in letting you know what has happened.” He said, “However, this information is to go no further than us unless it becomes something that needs to be dealt with.” He told her firmly. Elowyn nodded, hugging her knees to her chest by now,

“You have my word Archlector.” She said. The elderly dwarf nodded, satisfied,

“The Dwarven people are currently in crisis, my dear.” He explained, “There is much upheaval occurring at the moment both in Fangthane, and until recently, here in Toreguard. As a result of what has happened here of late, Moradin’s followers have become… unsure of themselves and their faith is wavering. As a result, Moradin is less powerful than He would normally be and is attempting to consolidate Himself.” Vanskleig sighed, “My faith in the Dwarf Father is as strong as ever, my dear, however, I am old and while I have a replacement, I worry for my people following my passing.” Elowyn nodded,

“That’s– That’s some heavy stuff. But I am glad to know that Moradin still exists. It eases my heart just a little.” The Archlector smiled,

“You cared very deeply for her, that much is clear.” He said in a low voice, “When I return to Fangthane, I will ensure that young Meredith is properly remembered by all under the mountain. While she passed far, far too young, she was devoted not just to Moradin, but to her people and her world. Take strength in the knowledge that you knew Meredith for who she truly was, not the legend she will obviously become.” He advised. Elowyn nodded, wiping at her eyes as they welled up again,

“Thank you Archlector, I will.” She replied, getting up and bowing, even as the Archlector called for his assistants.

~*~

Later:

“I ‘eard a little about what happened.” Mrs Higgins said quietly once everyone else had left the kitchen, leaving the Woodling alone with her thoughts. Elowyn looked up at the house’s matron,

“I think the news has made its way most of the way around the city by now.” She said with a weak chuckle. The old human fished out an envelope from the pocket in the front of her pinnie,

“Miss Meredith left this with me before you left to go to Castle Dire.” She said quietly, “Said I should give it you when you got back.” Elowyn took the envelope, her hands shaking slightly as she regarded the firm, almost runic strokes of her old friend’s handwriting. The Woodling nodded to Mrs Higgins,

“Thank you, can you go and fetch me a pot of tea? I think I’ll probably need it after reading this.” She asked in a small voice. The maid nodded in sympathy,

“I’ll go fetch a small pot of brandy to go with as well, dear.” She said, bobbing in a curtsey, before bustling off to the other end of the large kitchen. Elowyn stared at the unopened envelope for several long moments, both longing to read the letter inside, and not yet willing to acknowledge that the dwarf was never coming back. Finally, she broke the wax seal on the back and took out the parchment inside:

Dearest Elowyn,

If you have received this letter, then that means the inevitable has happened. Whatever form this has taken, know that I do not want you, or any of the others, to blame yourselves. When Moradin comes calling, I kind of have to answer Him, right? I wanted to let you know just how much the time we have managed to spend with one another has meant to me.

I know that you love your city and pray to Moradin and Throff both that, once time has had a chance to dull the wounds left behind by this most recent conflict, that our people can live in peace with one another again. I trust that Justice will be done for the atrocities that have been committed, and know that, somehow, you’ll be right there in the middle of it. Please never lose sight of that goal, for I know that it might be the only thing that you have left to cling to when the shadows gather and fate feels like it’s ripped everything and everyone out from under your feet. I tell you this as a reminder. In these last days before we finally face Darkhide, the Light that you have brought into my life has been the only thing keeping me going when I truly believed that I had lost everything.

Even though we have had our differences in opinion, know that I have ever seen you as a Sister and, therefore regard you as kin. No matter the challenges that lay ahead of you, know that I am proud to have stood by your side as you grew from a simple Officer of the Watch into a Paladin that has learned the hard way how to lead and inspire others. Even as both of our peoples face dark and uncertain futures I know that you will be there to help light the way to a better future for all.

Should you ever have need to pass through the lands around Fangthane in your travels, please take the enclosed with you. It will identify you as a close and trusted friend of the Dwarven people and ought to keep you and your travelling companions safe despite the Grudge that will likely be in place by now.

Stay safe òrdugh piuthar and while I hope to meet you again when you finally pass to this next life, I hope it is a very long time coming.

May the rocks stay ever true under your feet,

Meredith, Daughter of Gruk, Son of Ovak

Inquisitor of Moradin 13th level

The sheafs of parchment shook and drops of water splotched the ink as Elowyn finished reading through the letter. Meredith had clearly known that it was unlikely that she would survive the fight against Darkhide. The Woodling frowned through her tears as she realised that there was something else still in the envelope. She gingerly shook whatever it was out onto the table, her heart breaking even further than she ever thought possible as she regarded the item. It was a simple Mythril necklace with a finely crafted dwarven Warhammer attached to it. Both were covered in intricate dwarven runes. Meredith’s Holy Symbol. Elowyn had seen the dwarf use it often enough to Turn the undead to recognise it immediately.

#aquadestinyswriting #titan fighting fantasy #destiny's new servants #titan fighting fantasy au #“speculative” fiction #elowyn o'toregaurde #meredith gruksdottir #enezeage #felix parker-tinker #quentin goldenrose #selene frigidwake #egrim shiverstaff

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choke-me-joey · 1 year

Text

Ch1/Ch2/Ch3

Summary: As Joe's long-term girlfriend, you reflect on your relationship over the last 4 years.

Content warning: 18+ so minors are not welcome, real person fiction (don't like, don't read, don't bitch), smut, fluff, angst, probably inaccurate timelines and processes but does anyone really care?, alcohol use, smoking...if I've missed anything please let me know!!

Late September 2018

London

A few days after your first date with Joe, Zoe and you are sitting on your sofa watching a movie, when your phone alerts you to a new message. You reach for it, pausing as you notice Zoe smirking at you.

"Yes?" You ask, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Is that Joe?"

"It might be," you grab your phone and move so she's unable to read it over your shoulder. "It might not be, why the sudden interest?"

"Just curious, that's all." She shrugs, turning back to the tv with that stupid smirk on her face. You poke her with your blanket covered foot.

"Tell meeeeee!" You put on the whiniest voice possible whilst still poking her. She slaps your foot away, laughing.

"God, you're annoying. How has a loser like you managed to score with a super hot actor?" Zoe teases you, shooting you a wink so you know she's just playing around. "Did you check out his anything he's been in yet?"

You sigh.

"Not yet, no, but I presume as the super annoying and protective best friend you have Googled him within an inch of his life?"

"Duh." She reaches for her laptop on the coffee table and pauses the movie, typing something frantically into her search engine, before turning the screen towards you. "Watch and learn about your new boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," you mumble, taking the laptop from her. A video of all of Joe's scenes in Howard's End begins to play, and when Joe comes onto the screen you can't help the small smile that breaks out across your face. "He's really good..." you mumble and Zoe nods.

"Just keep watching."

It cuts to scene where Joe, or Leonard, is closing the window shutters whilst giving the woman in the scene the most bedroomy eyes. You blush. And also feel a twinge of jealousy, but you quickly push that back. It's just acting for God's sake.

"Ugh, you're disgustingly cute right now. Getting all blushy over Joe's romance scenes. Wishing it was you."

"Shut up," you grin, rolling your eyes and covering your face. She continues to laugh and you flip her off before opening the message from earlier.

'Hey , so I have next Saturday and Sunday completely free if you wanted to do something? I had a really good time the other night x'

'Me too :) next weekend sounds good, what were you thinking?' X

'Well, there's this Dior exhibit on at the V&A if you fancy it? X'

You can't help the stupid smile on your face. Zoe rolls her eyes and resumes the movie, poking you with her foot to pay attention.

'Sounds great! Do you fancy getting lunch too? My treat this time remember x'

'You won't let me pay will you? X'

'Nope x'

'Fine, you win. So let's say Saturday at 11? We can meet outside the V&A and go from there? X'

'It's a date x'

"Oi, if you're more focused on your actor man than the movie I'm gonna turn it off," Zoe smirks from the other end of the sofa. "I can't handle you smiling like that, it's gross."

"Fuck off," you smile back, throwing a pillow at her.

***

A week later, you're stood outside the V&A in the late September sunshine, absorbed in a particularly intense part of a murder podcast as you wait for Joe. Granted, you got there almost half an hour early, but only because you couldn't stand sitting in the flat for much longer, watching the clock tick.

You were definitely nervous.

"And there was me thinking I'd get here early and impress you," a voice says from behind you, making you jump and whirl around, almost knocking an amused Joe over. "Jesus, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." He laughs, grabbing you so you don't fall backwards.

"You twat," you gasp, removing your headphones and laughing as you clutch your chest. "You're lucky I didn't roundhouse you or something, Jesus!" You hug him and he squeezes you back.

"To be honest, I would have loved to have seen that," he smirks, glancing you up and down. "I've got a height advantage."

"You'd be surprised how high I can get my legs when I want to," you laugh, completely missing the innuendo. Joe bursts out laughing and you suddenly want the ground to swallow you. "Noooo!" You wail, your cheeks flushing bright red. "That's not what I meant!"

"Sure, if you say so," he teases as you queue up to get inside.

"Oh my god, shut up." You cover your face, laughing. The two of you must have looked insane, uncontrollably laughing like kids, but neither of you cared. You literally couldn't remember the last time you felt this...happy.

As you walked around the exhibit, one girl recognises Joe and he poses for photos with her and hugs her. You were a bit suprised about how much she seemed to adore him. He hadn't really mentioned this would happen, he had said himself he rarely got recognised.

One of the girl's friends starts looking you up and down and suddenly you feel extremely uncomfortable. You glance nervously at Joe, who is occupied with taking a few more photos.

You walk off, awkwardly trying not to look like you're hanging around as you can still feel the girl's eyes on you.

"It was so nice to meet you!" You hear Joe say, flashing his winning smile and practically turning the girls to jelly. "I really should get going now, enjoy the rest of your day guys!" He bids them goodbye and heads over to join you once again. You can see the girl and her friend looking at you from across the lobby. "Shit, I am so sorry about that."

"It's fine, I mean...it's to be expected right? You're a famous actor after all," you wink at him and he rolls his eyes.

"You're making me sound like some jumped up twat," he laughs, running a hand through his hair. "You handled it really well though."

You shrug, waving it off.

The rest of your trip is uninterrupted thankfully.

You never ran out of things to talk about, discovering that you were both pretty in to fashion, him more along the lines of wearing it, you more along the lines of photographing it. By the time you had walked around the entirety of the exhibit and the rest of the V&A, you were both starving, so you pulled up directions to a pizza place you had read about nearby, and you headed over.

The restaurant was a short walk away, and the sun was still shining as you emerged outside, so you took a slow walk, still chatting away. Joe was incredibly funny; his dry and sometimes downright terrible sense of humour had you constantly cracking up, and apparently it was the same for him with you. We talked about his career, he mentioned he had some release dates coming up soon and premieres to attend, and you embarrassed the shit out of him by saying you'd be the first in line to watch.

You remained extremely close as you walked outside, although Joe had been extremely apologetic about not holding your hand. You completely understood; the fan in the museum had given you death glares for just being within five feet of him, god knows how they'd react to hand holding. You didn't mind, you understood and, in all honesty, you wanted to keep your limbs attached to your body for today, so you weren't going to to risk anything.

"So I hope you're okay with pizza, I figured it was a pretty safe bet," you said, as we approach the restaurant. Joe looks at you, almost looking shocked.

"You're kidding right? Who doesn't like pizza?!"

"Good point," you giggle as he holds the door open for you. "Wow, what a gentleman."

"I know, I'm too good to be true." He jokes, and you laugh, still playing it cool, but mentally you are agreeing with him in embarrassingly enthusiastic screams. You end up ordering a half and half pizza to split. "As much as I am having a really good time today, part of me is completely disgusted with you for only having cheese on your pizza."

"Hey, leave me alone, I'm boring when it comes to pizza, although I won't turn down a slice of pepperoni if the situation occurs." You grin, reach over and taking a piece of said pepperoni from his slice.

"Wow, look out, she's absolutely fucking mental," Joe smirks, playfully slapping your hand away. You succeed in stealing and place the pepperoni in your mouth, chewing it slowly. "You thief."

"Hey, I might be a thief, but at least I didn't order pineapple on my pizza, right?"

"If you did, I would be making up an excuse to leave." Joe winks, actually fucking winks at you, and you can't help but laugh.

"Well, at least I know how to make you disappear." You shoot back, and he smiles, his expression softening.

"I hope you don't use that to your advantage any time soon," he says quietly, his cheeks flushing as he reaches across the table and subtly takes a hold of your hand. "I really like you."

Your turn to blush now.

"I really like you too," you admit. You squeeze his hand gently and your heart is racing a million miles an hour. "Don't worry, I won't scare you off with weird pizza combos just yet."

"Not weird, just plain wrong."

You finish the rest of your meal at a comfortable pace, still never shutting up. When the waiter comes along, you ask for the bill and Joe takes out his wallet. Ypu raise an eyebrow at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Not being a complete and utter prick and offering to split the bill?"

"Joe, I said it was on me, it's fine, I promise. And besides, you accepted this whole not paying thing via text, see?" You wave your phone at him, displaying the text. Joe rolls his eyes and puts his wallet away.

"Wow, I can't believe you used my own text against me." He says, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms across his chest, but he's smiling.

By the time you leave the restaurant, it's around 7 and it's beginning to get dark. You walk slowly towards the tube station, neither of you wanting the day to end.

"So, um, do you want to get dessert or something?" Joe asks as we reach the entrance to the station. "I could do dessert."

"Dessert sounds good." You laugh. "My wonderful flat mate has gone home for the weekend, so you're welcome to come back to mine. I have a good supply of various ice cream flavours if you wanted to hang out for a bit longer?" Were you being too forward? Is he going to freak out? As soon as the words left your mouth, your brain started chugging out all these scenarios of what could happen next. Fuck, nice one, Y/N, you've really fucked this up, you absolute fucking-

"You may have ice cream but do you have pistachio flavour?" Joe smirks, raising an eyebrow at me. You roll your eyes as if the answer was obvious.

"Please, what kind of person do you take me for? Of course I have pistachio."

"Then I'm there."

***

"I like your place," Joe says as he's stood in your kitchen as you pull out bowls and spoons for ice cream, as well as glasses for wine. He inspects your collection of vintage cameras on your shelf. "It's very you."

"Very me? Are you calling me a camera nerd?"

"Biggest camera nerd I've ever met."

"Aw, that's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me," you grin, clutching your chest and swooning sarcastically. "But don't over do it, I might vomit."

"Don't worry, all the cliché romance shit isn't my specialty, you're safe." Joe smirks, and you pretend to wipe your forehead in relief, diving into the freezer and pulling out the container of pistachio ice cream for him, and mint chocolate chip for you. You each dish up your ice cream and you smother your bowl in chocolate sauce. "Chocolate sauce, Y/N? We've only just met." He wiggles his eyebrows at you in a suggestive manner. You roll your eyes, laughing.

"Strictly for eating with ice cream only," you say. "As if I would waste perfectly good chocolate sauce by smearing it all on you." You follow up your teasing with a wink, so he knows you're joking. "And besides, I would come up with a much more creative way to participate in food play."

"Oh? Keep talking," Joe grins, sitting next to you on the sofa. You shove him gently.

"Shh, you."

You eat your ice cream and drink your wine, and you pop on a playlist that softly plays throughout the flat.

"80s music?" Joe grins at you over the rim of his glass as 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' plays. You shrug unapologetically.

"Say what you want but they made some absolute bangers back then."

"Oh no I totally agree." Joe nods and he grins as 'Head Over Heels' starts up. "Okay okay, I do love this song."

He puts down his bowl and stands up, offering you his hand. You frown in slight confusion, but you're still smiling. "Come on, I very rarely do this sober." Joe laughs and you give in, placing your bowl down next to his and allowing him to pull you up to standing.

Joe pulls you to his chest, and begins slow dancing with you. You grin into his chest, inhaling his scent of cologne, mint and faint cigarettes. Very Joe.

"You know, I think this counts as cliché romance shit," you look up at him, smirking.

"Fuck, I think it does." Joe feigns disappointment, shaking his head.

"It's alright, I won't tell anyone."

"Y/N-" Joe starts and you look him, frowning in slight confusion. "Ah, fuck it." He says before pressing his lips to yours in a sweet, soft kiss. It takes you by surprise and you both stop swaying to the music. He quickly pulls away. "Was...was that okay?"

"Yeah, it just surprised me." You smile, wrapping your arms around his neck. "You can do it again if you want."

Joe laughs and kisses you again, this time it's for longer, the taste of pistachio lingering on your lips. He goes to pull away and you tug him back to you, and he lets out a soft hum of appreciation.

His tongue traces along your lips, and you gladly accept, letting you taste each other properly for the first time. He's a fucking good kisser, and it makes you weak in the knees and causes a stir in your belly which you hadn't felt for a long time. You slow down the kissing, and it fizzes out into soft little pecks.

"I meant what I said earlier you know," Joe says softly, resting his forehead against yours. "I really like you."

"I know and I meant it too. I don't just invite any guy up here for ice cream and wine. You're the first actually." You smile as Joe intertwines his fingers with yours.

"Yeah, I don't usually do this much either," Joe admits, referring to the slow dancing. "Fuck, Wes was right. That dickhead."

"Right about what?" You giggle. Joe groans.

"He said I wouldn't be able to not kiss you today. Couldn't help myself though."

He's obviously been talking about you to his best mate. The thought of that makes your tummy flip in the best way.

"I don't mind," you say, looking up at him. "In fact, I wouldn't mind if you did it again."

"Nah, me neither." He grins, before placing his lips on yours once more.

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kasplonkable · 2 years

Note

Omg so I’m in my finals week for my first term of Veterinary school. Can you do an image of Steven Grant x reader where he kind of takes care of her and makes her take breaks and just super fluffy. Maybe reader doesn’t feel smart enough or something and he comforts her. Thank you so much and good luck on exams if you have them.

Oh my god that's so cool!! I can absolutely do that!! If I'm being honest, I'm sitting my A-Levels later this month, and I'm stressing!! Good luck for your exams, and thanks for the ask!!

Steven Grant x Vet!Reader: Studying

It starts with small things, like a cup of tea beside you, already cold by the time you've realised

He knows it'll go forgotten every time, but he makes it for you regardless

Or he'll creep around the room so he doesn't make any noise, just in case it distracts you

He gets you to check on Gus all the time

That's actually how you guys met!! When he woke up to Gus having one more fin than usual, not only did he go to the pet shop, but also the vet (just in case)

In he comes to the same vets you're interning at, certain there's something wrong with his beloved pet

"Are you sure he only had one fin, sir?"

"Yep, 100%!! Either it grew back in one night, or that's not my fish, and I don't see how someone could have replaced my fish without me knowing, that would just be downright ridiculous haha"

"....right"

Somehow his anxious rambling was endearing, which lead to you giving him your email, for "emergencies"

Which results in him giving you almost daily updates on how Gus was doing

Eventually you both met up again, and the rest is history

But anyway,

If you fall asleep at your desk, he'll gently wake you up, and steer you towards the bed

Once he knows your asleep, he then goes back to makes sure your laptop is charged, and all your books and papers are safely stacked on top of each other

The next morning, you find a post it note stuck to your textbook that reads " don't forget to take breaks, I love you x"

One night, he's looking for one of his jumpers only to see you swamped in the soft material

"Is that my jumper, love?"

"Yeah. It helps me focus"

He doesn't mind one bit. Honestly, just the sight of you in it makes his heart swell

Because it's so quiet, he usually takes the opportunity to sit and read his books on Egypt

This leads to both of you forgetting anything else, until one of you looks up and remembers

"Hey, babe?"

".............."

"Steven?"

"Oh, yeah??"

"It's four am......"

".........bollocks"

Study dates!!! You both head to the library and just read and work and write and literally just enjoy each others company

If you don't feel smart enough sometimes, he's absolutely the first person to be bigging you up

"What do you mean you're not smart enough? You're the smartest, most brilliant, most intelligent, creative, perfe-"

He could literally go all day

He will say it as many times as it takes for you to believe him

He's so confident in your ability to do what you love, and he just wishes that you had the same faith in yourself that he has in you

Sometimes he'll come up behind you while you're reading, and just drape his arms across your shoulders while he rests his chin on your head

"Oh, hello"

"Hi...."

"Whatcha doing up there?"

"Thinking that you should take a break for lunch"

He tests you using flash cards. For every one you get right, you get a point, for every one you get wrong, he gets a point

Whoever has the most points by the end gets to choose the movie later

You came up with this game after he originally gave you a kiss for each one you got right, but it ended up being counter productive since you both got so flustered that you couldn't think, and he could barely read the card

When you do end up absolutely smashing your exams, he's so proud of you

Literally beaming when you tell him you passed

He never doubted you for a second

And that's it for now!! Thank you again for the ask, I hope this is what you were looking for!! Good luck to anyone taking exams, don't forget to look after yourselves though. I hope you enjoyed, and as always feel free to send a request!! :-)

#moon knight #steven grant #moon knight fluff #moon knight hcs #moon knight headcanon #steven grant fluff #steven grant x reader #steven grant x y/n #steven grant x you #steven grant x vet!reader #moon knight series #marvel #mcu #oscar isaac #reader insert #request #moon knight reader insert #plz be nice

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sawtastic-sideblog · 8 months

Text

"I meant to ask. What's the J for?" Peter asks as he hands Lynn her drink.

"Johnathan. After John."

"Well, that's sweet. Does he know yet?" Peter asks as Lynn nods. Lynn walks to her table to wait on Jeff and Corbett to arrive as Adam rushes through the door.

"Is it just me or has this snow gotten worse?"

"It's definitely gotten worse. Hopefully not too much worse. Wanna clock in and get some drinks for Jeff and Corbett ready. I'll get the ladies theirs," Peter suggests. Adam nods and heads back to the breakroom.

"Adam's socks are soaked. He's upset by it. I'll go get him more once I get these scones out," Amanda says walking to the kitchen.

"It's cold out," Pops says observing the snow falling outside the shop. "We may close down early."

"Whatever you think is best," Peter says watching Jeff and Corbett run in and over to the table Lynn is at, chatting with Adam. Timothy walks in a few minutes later followed by Lawrence and finally Mark within the hour.

"Peter," Pops calls from his office.

"Yeah?" Peter asks as he walks into the office.

"Inform everyone that we will be shutting down early. As in now early. Finally got the internet to connect long enough to check the weather. We have a big snow storm coming in. Give them each a bag of pastries on the house. If anyone needs a ride, help them find one."

"Yes, sir," Peter turns and goes to find his coworkers. "Adam, Amanda!"

The two emerge from the kitchen, each with a fresh tray of various pastries. Peter explains the situation and everyone springs into action. Amanda starts bagging up pastries, Adam makes everyone a warm beverage for their journey home, and Peter goes to switch the sign to 'closed' and starts making his rounds and telling everyone the news.

Just as everyone starts to get ready to venture out into the cold, a loud crash is heard. Everyone goes silent as they turn toward the door. Some with looks of confusion, others with concern, and Corbett with fear.

"Mom? What happened?"

"I don't know, honey," Lynn says as she looks to Peter for an answer. He can only stand hopeless staring at the snow covered glass door. Pops strides up to the counter.

"The backdoor is covered too," he says solemnly. "I'm going to make some calls. Adam, Amanda, Peter, drinks on the house."

The three scramble into action, making sure everyone is comfortable. Pops comes back about forty five minutes later.

"What's going on, Pops?" Adam asks from the Old Bitty Commitee table.

"The abandoned building behind us collapsed, according to Jill. She said it was so old that the structure couldn't take the weight of the snow. It fell this way and blocked off at least eight stores on this side. Six across from us. There are people buried out there, so if yall see anybody get them inside. I called the mall office and they said emergency personnel are working on getting us all out, but cars and motorcycles, in Adam's case, are all buried. If we get out the city will be providing busses to get all of us home. For now, everyone get comfortable, charge your phones, computers, whatever you have in case we lose power, and get settled in because it looks like we're gonna have a long night. Happy New Year Ever, everyone."

Concerned whispers go around the shop. Peter goes towards the breakroom with Amanda, pulling Adam along with her, not far behind.

"Remember Pops' birthday? Where we played games and had a movie night here with some of our regulars?" Peter asks Amanda.

"Yeah, I think the games are in the cupboard and we should still have that projector and screen somewhere," she replies while going to rummage through a closet. Adam plugs in his phone and takes his laptop from bag and plugs it in as well. Peter and Amanda also plug in their phones.

"Found the games," Adam says pulling down Monopoly, Clue, Chess, Checkers, a deck of cards, Uno, Phase 10, and some weird headband game. He walks out into the cafe and sets the games down. "I found these if anyone wants to play. I think Peter and Amanda are still looking for things. I'll go back to help them."

"You good?" Peter asks as Adam returns to the breakroom. Adam shakes his head, his cheeks flushed.

"I can't help but feel like an idiot when I talk to Lawrence. I'm a full on fool when I do anything remotely close to public speaking, so having Lawrence here as I talk to a room full of people. I'm just a dolt."

"Don't beat yourself up. It's rough having to talk to people. I get it," Amanda says, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder. Adam shakes his head again.

" I don't think you do, Amanda. I like this guy. I thought he was super attractive the day I fist saw him and I've kinda gotten to know him the last month, even though I don't really talk to him. I see the books he's reading and I look them up. I've read a couple. I listen to the conversations he has with other patrons. He's so smart and kind and funny. I'm in deep, guys. I'm in way too deep."

"I'd say so," a voice from the doorway says. Adam jumps and turns around to find Cal there. His face turns to worry. "I'm not gonna tell anyone. Calm down. I just came back to see if you needed help to find the projector."

"Please," Peter says. "I don't remember where we put it."

"Pops' office. The DVD player is in there and the DVDs."

"Thanks, Cal," Peter says, ruffling her purple hair that is currently pulled into low ponytail. She swats at his hand and follows him into the office. About twenty minutes later, the projector is up and everyone decided that Corbett got to pick the movie. The opening credits to Flushed Away plays on the screen as a thud is heard on the window.

"It's a kid," Mark says as he makes his way to the door. He opens it and plows, head first, into the snow. Lawrence and Lynn stand near the door ready to take a look at the boy. Mark grabs the kid by the arm and drags him through the snow to his body. They make their way through the door. Jeff and Adam push it closed as Amanda and Cal sweep the snow out. Peter and Pops provide them with towels and the two doctors are immediately looking over the boy. He's a teenager probably around sixteen. His blond hair in wet curls against his forehead. Lawrence is checking his pulse while Lynn checks his eyes with her cellphone flashlight. Timothy offers a few suggestions about getting him warm.

"Here, Mark," Peter says as he holds out a towel.

"Thanks."

"You're soaked."

"Snow is water, Peter."

"He's alright," Lawrence says to the worried crowd. "A little cold but nothing life threatening right now, but I do suggest a proper doctor's visit after this."

"What's your name, son?" Pops asks crouching in front of the chair the kid is in.

"Daniel Matthews."

"Where were you coming from?"

"I was out with my friend, Brent. We were trying to leave and got separated when the snow fell. I managed to make my way here. I'm freezing."

"Adam, make him a drink. Peter I think there's at least some shirts in the store room," Pops tells Peter who start walking to the store room, Mark hot on his heels.

"Can I help you?" Peter asks as he walks in.

"I'm helping you find a shirt for the kid. And for me. I'm cold too."

"Fair enough."

It takes the men a couple of minutes to find a box of shirts with the logo of the shop on them. Mark sheds his button up and undershirt, leaving him bare chested inches from Peter, who takes in the view. Discreetly of course. He looks down at the shirt in his hands but his eyes follow Mark's body down to his waistband.

"Like what you see?"

"Considering I designed this shirt. Yes, I do."

Mark hooks his fingers under Peter's chin and makes eye contact. Peter swallows hard and tries to avoid Mark's burning eyes. Mark's hand drops to the shirt and he pulls it over his head. He leans in close to Peter's ear.

"This could all be yours. Just say the word. I'll leave you to take care of that," Mark says as he takes the shirt from Peter's shaky hands. Peter let's out a breath after Mark closes the door. Slowly, Peter sinks to the floor and groans. Feeling the effect Mark has left on him. Painfully so.

The door opens, someone enters, and the door closes again. The person sits in the floor across from Peter. He knows who it is and that they won't take until Peter is ready. A cup and a napkins with a cookie on it enter his view. The pair sit in silence for a few more minutes. Peter finally takes the cup and brings it to his mouth. The scent of chamomile enters his nose.

"My favorite."

"Especially the way I make it?" Pops jokes. Peter nods almost pathetically.

"What's wrong with me, Pops?" Finally meeting Pops' eyes, Peter questions. Sad blue eyes meeting older, sympathetic eyes.

"Nothing, Peter. There is nothing wrong with you. You have a crush on a man. And for the first time, you're letting yourself feel it. At least, a little bit. It's scary, I know."

"Fucking terrifying."

"Let yourself feel it. Take it slow. Set your boundaries. Let Mark know that you're interested in more than just the physical way you body reacts," Pops says making a vague motion towards Peter's lap. "I just want you to be happy. Give yourself that. I've seen you beat yourself up over things, throw yourself into women when you feel like you've had feelings for a man, and I've seen you going crazy over Mark for a month. Please, Peter, let him in. Let yourself fall. If you get hurt, that's life, but I don't think that Mark will hurt you. He's a gentleman through and through, but he is a big flirt."

"Did you have this talk with Adam, too?" Peter asks chuckling as he sniffs and wipes his eyes with the arm holding his cup.

"No, but I don't need to. He's realized it. Of course, he can always ask questions and come to any of us."

"Pops, I'm scared," Peter whispers meeting his eyes. Tears fall as he tries to quickly wipe them away.

"Talk to him. Nine hours to midnight. Maybe you'll have a new years kiss," Pops says chuckling to himself. Peter throws the now empty napkin at him.

"Crazy old man," Peter laughs. "I'm gonna sit in here a while. Think about things."

"Take your time, son. We'll be waiting."

Peter nods as Pops stands.

"No matter what, Peter, I still love you."

"I love you, too, Pops."

Pops walks back to the group and looks around. The of the four older ladies in the corner booth have taken it upon themselves to each knit a part of a sweater for Daniel. Cal is crocheting parts of it. Adam is refilling Jeff and Timothy's coffees as they play chess. Lynn and Corbett are watching the movie. Lawrence is reading his book, occasionally looking up at the movie or at Adam. Amanda is talking to Daniel and making him play Checkers. Mark walks out of the bathroom and over to Pops.

"I take it you talked to him about me?" Mark asks, although it wasn't much of a question.

"Don't hurt him. I don't have any kids and Peter is like my son," Pops responds, not looking at Mark.

"I promise you, Pops, it is not my intention to hurt him. I really like him."

"I know," Pops nods, "and I know you are going to respect him. You have me, Jill, Amanda, and, now, Adam to answer to. As well as that booth of ladies and many other people who love Peter."

"I know."

"Good. Now, let him come to you and respect his wishes."

Mark nods and walks over to an empty table and starts watching the movie. A few minutes later, he spots Peter walk out of the store room and into the kitchen. Knowing Pops will kick his ass, he stays put and watches as Amanda forfeits her game with Daniel and walks to Adam, whispers something to him, and the pair walk to the kitchen.

"You okay? You didn't walk out with Mark and we saw Pops go in to talk to you. Are you stress cleaning?" Amanda asks.

"Yep! I'm in love with a man. What's not to stress about?"

"In love?" Adam asks. Peter stops in his tracks and looks at his friends.

"Shit!" Peter laughs before whispering, "in love. I'm in love with fucking Mark. I don't even know his last name. Or what he does. Or anything about him other than his order and the fact he likes motorcycles and that he likes me. Oh fuck."

Adam smiles sadly at Peter, who is scrubbing the oven.

"I'm kinda going through the same thing. With Lawrence. So, if you need to talk, I'll be around. We're gonna leave you to it," Adam throws his arm around Amanda's shoulders and leads her out the door. Peter continues his scrub down of the kitchen. At various points Pops, Amanda, Cal, and a few others pop in to check on him, but not getting answers.

"You've been cleaning for about four hours. There's only four hours until New Year. Come celebrate with us," Amanda all but begs.

"I will. I've calmed down, but I want to finish the kitchen. It needed it."

"Can I help?"

"Sure. Sinks and counters are the last things as soon as I get these bowls up."

Amanda helps him put up the bowls and with clearing down the counters and sinks. The pair emerge from the kitchen with Peter stopping at the trashcan to take off the gloves he was wearing.

"Oh, Peter. Your hands. Lawrence!" Amanda calls. The doctor hurries to Amanda's call and eyes Peter's hands.

"Oh, Peter."

"Yeah, that seems the general consensus."

"Come on. Amanda the first aid kit, please."

"I'm fine."

"Your nails are scratched to hell. You've been bleeding. Please, humor me."

Peter sighs and nods. Lawrence carefully examines Peter's hands and cleans them with help from Amanda. Pops and Adam walk in.

"What happened?" Pops asks.

"I scrubbed shit too hard. Made my hands bleed."

"Will he live, Doctor Gordon," Adam jokes.

"He will live. His hands will be sore for a few days, but he will live."

"Good. We need him," Pops says.

A couple of hours later and someone has started a count down to midnight. One hour and fifty six minutes. After bandaging Peter's fingers, Lawrence asked Adam to talk. Pops provided his office. The two walked out a hour later and sat together at Lawrence's usual table. They have been chatting and laughing since. Corbett befriended Daniel and they played cards together and watched movies until they fell asleep. Corbett in Jeff's lap and Daniel with his head on Lynn's leg, his hand holding Corbett's. Jeff and Lynn are watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Old Bitty Commitee had long since finished Daniel's sweater, but he fell asleep before they could give it to him. The five commitee members are watching the movie, Timothy is playing a game of chess against Pops. Amanda is sitting with Peter. Both taking glances at the movie as they play rummy. Peter is also taking quick glances at Mark, who hasn't talked to him since their conversation in the store room.

"Go talk to him," Amanda whispers. Peter shakes his head. They keep playing and watching movies. Their game soon ends and Peter can't focus so they just watch the movie.

"Fifteen minutes until midnight," Gladys says excitedly. Exclaims of tired excitement sound from around the room. Peter doest hear them. He's staring at Mark, who is falling asleep. His chin resting in his hand. He looks so peaceful. Peter can't take it. He stands and walks past Mark, tapping his shoulder. He continues walking to the storage room. He sits in the spot he sat earlier. The door opens again and closes behind Mark, who sits across from Peter.

"Can I help you?" Mark asks. Peter shakes his head. "Then why did you tap me? If you don't want to talk, I'll go back to my table."

Mark goes to stand up but Peter grabs his wrist. Mark sits back down and looks at Peter. Peter look distraught.

"Hey, it's okay. Whatever it is."

"It's you."

"I figured."

"I'm scared."

"I know."

Peter nods and looks at Mark.

"Don't hurt me, please," Peter whispers. Mark nods but doesn't make a move even though he wants to hug him and hold him tight.

"I would never dream of it."

"What's your last name?"

"Hoffman. You?"

"Strahm. What do you do for work?"

"I teach history at the community college. You're a barista at the best coffee shop I've ever been to."

"Where did you grow up?"

"New York. Divorced parents. No relationship with my siblings or my father. I have a very straned relationship with my mother. We rarely talk."

"My dad died when I was twelve. Mom and I have dinner every Tuesday. If we're together, you have to come."

"I'd love to. What was your favorite subject in school?"

"I liked English. I like to read. Lawrence and I are thinking about starting a book club."

"That would be fun. I'd join."

"What is your special interest?"

"Other than you? Maritime. I like shipwrecks."

"That's morbid."

"A little, but I'm also a true crime junkie."

"Me too," Peter finally looks at Mark.

"Acid bath killings?"

"What was wrong with Haigh?"

"I don't know."

"Black Dahlia?"

"Fucked up," Mark says. Peter laughs a little and Mark watches his eyes light up. They fall into a comfortable silence and stare at each other.

"I really like you, Mark."

"I really like you, too, Peter."

"I'm scared all of this is new to me."

"I know. I won't hurt you."

"I know."

The crowd in the shop start counting down from ten. Peter looks at Mark wide eyed.

"We don't hav-"

"I want too."

"Five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!" Everyone chants. Lynn and Jeff share a quick kiss, Amanda and the commitee ladies toast their drinks to the New Year, Daniel and Corbett sleep through everything, Timothy and Pops shake hands, and Adam and Lawrence share their first kiss.

Peter pulls Mark by his shirt and kisses him timidly, but with passion. Mark pulls away first and leans his forehead against Peter's.

"Happy New Year, Peter."

"Happy New Year, Mark. Kiss me again."

"Gladly," Mark says, leaning back in.

The next morning, rescue workers have made their way to the shop. The Denlons, Timothy, and Daniel, who is now wearing his sweater, help the commitee to the bus. Cal trails along with their things. Amanda follows, dragging her feet. Adam and Lawrence walk out hand in hand, smiling at Pops along the way. Pops smiles back and goes to find Peter and Mark. He finds them still in the storage room, where they had talked until they fell asleep.

"Peter, Mark, wake up," Pops shakes them as he speaks. Peter groans and opens his eyes.

"What do you want, old man?" Peter asks groggily.

"Don't be mean, Peter," Mark says, eyes still closed.

"The rescue workers got to the door. They're letting us go home."

The men start to move. Mark lifts his head off of Peter's chest and looks at Pops. Minutes later, the men are at the door.

"We'll wait until the storm is over to reopen and clean up," Pops says as Peter and Mark walk past him.

"Good choice. I'll be asleep on my couch for three days then."

"With me by your side, I hope," Mark says, hopefully.

"Yeah, we need to talk more," Peter answers as he steps onto the bus. Adam and Lawrence have seats across the aisle from them. Peter and Mark take them. Adam and Peter smile at each other and share a fist bump.

"What's that?" Lawrence asks.

"What's what?" Adam asks back, playing dumb.

"That fist bump."

"Friends can't fist bump, Lawrence?" Adam asks, mocking offense. Lawrence chuckles and takes Adam's hand.

"Not the way the two of you did it, my dear."

"Yeah, there's something weird going on," Mark agrees. "They're already cheating on us."

"I would never," Adam defends. Peter frowns and looks at Mark.

"I wouldn't do that. I know what it feels like."

"I'm joking, Peter. I'm sorry. It wasn't a good one."

"It's okay."

"I accept the apology, too, there, Mark," Adam says.

"I'm sorry to you, too, Adam."

"So sensitive," Lawrence jokes.

"Sensitive, my ass," Adam says.

"Alright, everybody, listen up. I have a clipboard coming around. Put your address down and we will get going," the bus driver says. The passengers write down their addresses and when the bus pulls up to Peter's apartment, he and Mark get off together.

"Bye, Pops. Call me when we open again," Peter says as he passes the man. "And thanks for the advice."

"My pleasure. Have a good few days off, Peter. See you around, Mark. Take care of him."

"He will know nothing but pleasure for the foreseeable future," Mark winks. "See ya around, Pops."

The men enter Peter's apartment. Mark takes a look around the living space.

"I think we're about the same size. I'll get you some pajamas and I'll wash your clothes," Peter says as he disappears into the hallway. A minute later he is back with a stack of clothes for Mark, while wearing a pair of sweats and a hoodie. "Bathroom is first door on the right."

"Thanks."

Once Mark is in the fresh clothes and Peter has started the washer the men sit on the couch. They talk about boundaries they have with certain things which eventually leads to them cuddling and watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

"Hey, Mark?"

"Yes, Peter?"

"What's your Hogwarts house?"

"Slytherin. You?"

"Griffyndor."

"Sounds like you, babe."

"Babe?" Peter moves to where his chin rests on Mark's chest. Mark looks at him, slightly worried he's said something wrong. Peter smiles. "I like it."

Mark let's out a breath and chuckles.

"Good."

Peter leans up and gives Mark a quick kiss. Mark's hand moves from behind his head to Peter's cheek, keeping him in place. Peter pulls away and looks back at the screen.

"Hey, I-"

"Shhhhhhh," Peter interrupts Mark again. He watches as Snape kills Dumbledore. "Everytime I watch this movie, I think the outcome will change. It never does."

"I've never see any of these movies. You just turned it on."

"Then how do you know your house?"

"Students. They also think I'm a witch. I haven't told them any different."

"Oh, cool, so my boyfriend is a witch."

"Boyfriend?" Mark asks. Peter looks at him in panic.

"I mean , if you want, we don't have to label it or anythi-" Peter is cut off by Mark swiftly sitting up, wrapping him in his arms, and kissing him.

"I've wanted nothing more for a month. I'm so glad I decided to walk into the shop."

"Me too."

Mark quickly kisses Peter again before laying back and pulling Peter on top of him. The pair drift off to sleep to the sound of Harry Potter.

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sansloii · 1 year

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Rules, tag 10 followers you want to get to know better!

Tagged by: @fanaticist Tagging: @skxrbrand @celestialspitfire @dcviated @hhemeraa @nezumivc103221 @soulsxng @feraecor @soraeia @fatestouch @desiderium-eden + and anyone else that wants to share deep dark personal lore

Name: marshy, morsh, mushy, marshabelle, whatever mispelling you want of "marshy" because i will respond to it all

Star Sign: gemini (sun) + scorpio (moon) + aquarius (rising)

Height: 5'6/5'7-ish

Middle name: that's between me and the fbi agent in my laptop

Put your itunes/spotify/youtube on shuffle. What are the first 6 songs that popped up? ( my youtube playlist is a fucking mess do not judge me )

hated by life itself by Iori Kanzaki

blessed messiah and the tower of ai by Hitoshizuku-P × Yama△

Ressurections by lena raine

don't threaten a bitch! ( mashup of panic at the disco & marina and the diamonds )

last remote piano arrange by nana takahashi

use me by diplo ( feat. dove cameron + johnny blue skies

Ever had a poem or song written about you: nnnnope!

When was the last time you played air guitar: god i don't even know when the last time i did that was djfsdfs

i'm more the type that will dance in my seat or in place when i'm feeling a song

Who is your celebrity crush?: don't have one. i'm boring sorryyy and if i do, i don't remember it right now

What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?: you know those obnoxious pricks that refuse to get a muffler or whatever for their car? so when they're driving really really fast in their super nice "fuck you" car, the exhaust or engine pops just as obnoxiously loud?? that. i hate that. I personally think that i should get to kick you down the stairs if your car does that.

as for a sound that i love, i like rain noises and ambiance. often times, i use it to write or do coding tasks at work. it lets me block things out and really focus on what i need to do, because i'm prone to getting distracted.

Do you believe in ghosts?: not really? all the spooky shit is already happening and this world is scary enough without the addition of spectres from the beyond

How about aliens: kinda? but more in the sense that there is no way in hell this planet is the only planet with sentient life because there is so much of space that we haven't even touched. that said, can they pop up after i exit this mortal coil because i will not have my life be derailed by an alien invasion. no ma'am

Do you drive?: nnnnope. but i live in a city where i don't have to yet

if so have you ever crashed: n/a

What was the last book you read?: i literally never read anymore so i couldn't even tell you.

Do you like the smell of gasoline: no. it fucking stinks

What was the last movie you saw?: uuuuhhhh by the time this posts, i'll have watched the super mario bros movie. but if not, I watched lights out ( thank you @hhemeraa )

What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?: when i was in middle school, i ran face first into a glass door at home and it shattered. a large chunk of glass landed on my shoulder and i had to get stitches for it at like... 11pm on a school night. mom was a nurse tho so she got me in and out of the emergency room relatively quickly because she took me to the hospital she worked at. i was Not a happy camper, regardless, tho and after i got back home, i avoided that part of the house for a solid month. i also only got to stay home for like. a day or two before i was told to go back to school

it didn't help that i kept hearing that with the way it landed ( the scar is just shy of the junction of my neck and shoulder ), it could've been potentially fatal. and i was really lucky. so that was nice.

Do you have any obsessions right now?: tears of the kingdom!!!! i got it day one and have been OBSESSED with it. i haven't been able to play it as much as i would like but!!! i'm having fun with it--especially when the game lets me make a large ass bridge of logs so i can scale something i don't have enough stamina to climb.

#ツ ┊ ⧼ catwalk talk ⧽ ⇹ ( ooc. )#ツ ┊ ( mun memes & stuff. )#.here u go #.more marshy lore #.i took the sickest nap after i got back from work uwu #.and now i'm gonna #.go play zelda

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thebroccolination · 3 months

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I've Been Revisiting Stargate Atlantis…

Because my broken foot is still healing, so I'm trying to rest at home as much as I can, and SkyReplay airs it pretty regularly.

It's also because I love revisiting my favorite fandoms. Especially the fandoms I was in as a teenager. Hours upon hours spent reading these incredible fics written by people whose talent just made them feel heroic to me as a younger writer. When I rewatch these episodes, I remember my life as it was then. Fandom as it was then.

When I first watched Stargate Atlantis, I was in my third year of high school. I still posted my fics to FFN. I hadn't even heard of LiveJournal yet. I took a laptop and a book everywhere. I hadn't realized my queerness. I had few friends. And I was years away from leaving the States to live in another country where I'd finally stop trying to find the perfect way to change myself to impress my family. I'd find out that living like that would have chipped away at my heart and, ultimately, slowly erase the person I am now.

I was a lurker in most fandoms since the age of nine. I wrote fic and posted it sometimes, but I didn't engage in many forums. I rarely talked to anyone online at all, and I didn't really make fandom friends, either. Whenever I found a fandom with a huge amount of fics, I didn't bother writing anything myself. I just read as much as I could, the longer the fic, the better.

I knew fandom as a mainly adult space, and I was excited to be part of it. These fan-written stories felt more familiar to me than the media they were based on, especially with queer romance instead of heterosexual. And while there were famous episodes of Drama and Fandom Wank, fandom was, in general, my safe space.

Online fandom insulated me from all the school and family strife that I couldn't avoid offline while Being a Teenager. Fandom was a treehouse I could climb into. Pull the ladder up behind me, sprawl on some pillows, feel the cool breeze and the sun pouring in through the windows. Safe and alone with my imagination and the stories shared in a little-known community where no one who felt unsafe could find me.

And the fandom of Stargate Atlantis was an extra special escape. The fic was phenomenal, and the meta was incredible, and the show was ridiculous sometimes but fun and full of potential to explore in fic.

I just rewatched "Trinity" and reread Time in a Bottle by @astolat today, and all those feelings are still where I left them, only now I'm older and more experienced. And I'm so much happier than I was then. It's like revisiting the treehouse and finding everything right where I left it, untouched by time or weather or discovery.

Fandom has changed. Even back then, fandom wasn't a treehouse for everyone. But when I think about what it was for me, when I look back on how much it saved me and made my life worth living and celebrating in the darkest moments, I think, That's what I know to pass on now. I can't give my experience to anyone else, but I can make treehouses. I can create communities where people feel safe in their joy.

That is, in a way, what AO3 is. The big treehouse. Where our stories are safe.

And I think that's what we're here for, in the big What Are We Here For? sense.

To soak in the sun together when we can, then build cover from the rain. Protecting our peace and each other's so we can use our breathtakingly short time to share stories by a fire.

There's a moment in Astolat's fic that made me cry when I was in high school. It won't have the same impact without the rest of the fic, so please read it first, but it's this:

[John] had one wild moment just standing there, and then he flung himself on the bed, scrabbling at Rodney's shoulders, hauling him up against his body to hold him tight tight tight, and Rodney shuddered awake and grabbed him back. John said, "Rodney, Jesus God, don't—don't—" and Rodney gasped, "John, John, John," and clung to him.

Rereading it today, it still made me emotional. The fic is just as beautiful as I remembered it. It's just as important to me as it was then.

And I genuinely believe it's fics like that that have had the greatest influence on my writing. That soul-deep emotion. A character thinking they've lost their person only to get them back. That excerpt is only two sentences, and I've remembered them for years. I must have read this fic when I was in my last year of high school, and I must have read it on my laptop in my bedroom, sitting on my bed with the pillows against my back. Back before I read that you should keep your bed for sleeping only. I read so many fics on my computer in bed. I don't remember where I was exactly, if it was there or elsewhere, but I do remember crying.

And I never forgot that scene. It left a comforting stitch in my mind with a precious memory underneath.

And how beautiful are we when we do this? That we found a way to tell untold numbers of people these sincere, heartfelt stories that not only stay with us for years afterward but also thread themselves into the core of who we are and maybe even change how we see the world and what we think life could be?

If we're alive for anything, I think it's to do that: to press our fingerprints together and leave a bit of golden light on someone who needs it.

#stargate atlantis #fic rec #and now i've made myself cry again #which is good because i'm writing a very emotional scene in my book today #anyway #thank you astolat <3 #i appreciate you and your brain that made such beautiful things

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con-clavi-con-jae · 11 months

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Sunny taking care of Aether fluff bc I can

Aether woke up in Sunshine's nest, not sure of when he got there, or how long he's been asleep.

The door opened, and Sunshine turned on the light.

"Hey Aeth, sorry about everything." She sat on a chair next to his bed and left a tray of food on his desk, "I would've left you on your room but I can't get in the quintessence den."

Aether sat up on the bed and grabbed the tray, leaving it on his lap. It had some fruit, toast and a glass of orange juice. "It's fine, thanks for everything, Sunny."

The ghoulette watched him eat in silence for a bit. She hated seeing anyone in his pack suffering, and Aether's injuries got worse every day. She'd talked to Omega and the other ghouls at the infirmary, and they'd said it was possible he'd never be able to play again. That scared her, but she'd try to do her best to help.

"Sunny, can you pass me my glasses?" Aether's voice got her out of her thoughts. He'd already finished most of his food. "Look at the bright side, now I can finally start that book you recommended."

Sunshine did as she was asked, and also gave him said book. While he read, she decided to clean a little bit. It was weirdly peaceful. Sunshine obviously loved all her pack, but there was something about Aether that felt calming. They all went to him when they needed grounding. It might have something to do with the quintessence, or maybe how relaxed he was all the time.

Occasionally, Aether would make comments about the book, or Sunshine would joke about something, anything really, and they'd laugh about it. At some point she had to bandage him back up, and Aether fell asleep again. Sunshine sat next to him for a while, and checked her phone. She had some texts from the girls, one from Aurora, and a few from Rain and Swiss. She'd been missing everyone, and it's not like she had been in the band for that long. Sunshine couldn't even begin to imagine how much Aether missed them.

_________

Aether woke up again, still in Sunshine's nest. She sat on her desk, chatting with the others on her laptop. "Oh right, he's up I think! Aeth, come here!"

"Sunshine?" He questioned, but still, he went over to where she was.

"AETHER!!!!" Dewdrop yelled excitedly, and all of them lit up.

"Heh, hi guys. I miss you."

They spent about three hours just talking and enjoying the closest thing to being all together that they were going to have for a while. Swiss and Dew told him about that one time they almost get kicked out of their hotel room, Mountain showed him a new plant he'd gotten, and Phantom excitedly talked about how much he's been enjoying his first tour while Aurora asked questions about it all.

"Guys, would you please let us talk to Aether in private?" Copia asked, and everyone left him and Phantom alone in front of the screen. "Good evening, love. How's everything?" Copia's soft voice was heard through the speakers, it made Aether feel all warm inside the same way it did when they were actually together.

"I miss you... all of you, I can't wait for you to come back." Aether didn't want anyone to see him cry, but it was hard to hold the tears in.

"We miss you too, my love. But don't worry, we don't have that much time left. It's all gonna be over before you know it, and you'll be back with us, I know it." Copia did his best to calm his ghoul down.

"Hey Aeth, thanks for everything. I mean it. I seriously can't believe I'm here, and it's all because of you, but I can't wait for you to be back. You deserve it." Phantom almost cries as well while trying to thank their brother. Aether dried his tears and smiled back at his little sibling. He couldn't believe it either, he remembered when he had to take care of them, when Phantom was a kit back in hell. They'd grown up so much, and Aether couldn't be prouder.

They talked for a bit longer, until Copia said it was getting late over there. Aether turned the laptop off, and Sunshine came back with another tray, which held two plates with food, one for each of them. Aether and Sunshine ate their dinner together, while they chatted about the last tour they went on the year before, remembering funny moments and imagining what the rest of the pack might be up to. It started getting late for them as well, so they went back to the nest. Aether laid down on his back trying not to put too much weight on his injured arm, and Sunshine cuddled up to him. He had to admit, the ghoulette's naturally heated skin felt nice against him. Despite everything, he didn't feel too bad. He knew the rest still wanted him, and he also knew that at some point he would get better. And even if he didn't, they still loved him just as much as he loved them. Phantom was going to be a good addition to the band, Aether knew that. There was nothing to worry about. Aether kissed the top of Sunshine's head and fell asleep.

#the band ghost #aether ghoul #sunshine ghoulette #ghost band fanfic

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artsycervidae · 7 months

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Day 4: Dodge

My Hero Academia OC. He has Victor Frankenstein unreliable narrator vibes if you're into that. Body horror and emotional abuse ahead.

Hikaru wandered the darkness of his apartment on silent, bare feet. He occasionally lay down with the intent to sleep: eyes closed, mind cleared, and body relaxing. But then he would have a sharp image in his mind of what it would mean if he ever lowered his guard. Body tensed, mind cluttered, eyes snapped open. He would get up and stand in front of his 'study,' which had long stopped being a spare bedroom, and stare at the door. Standing and waiting wouldn't make the work go by any quicker. But it was a compulsion he couldn't fight: the need for a sentinel was greater than the need to rest.

When the sun cracked over the city skyline, he messaged his mother and made an excuse about working through the night. Then he left his phone on his bed covers. The truth was, he was completely done with this month's assignments. Sometimes something new and unexpected would slip into his email, quickly resolved by the end of the day, but all his other obligations had been finished in a frenzy over the course of a sleepless week. So long as he remembered to drip feed his employer with satisfactory, timely submissions, he could continue to devote the rest of the month entirely to his true work.

He entered the room with rapid blinking, plastic crinkling underfoot, and said "Good morning," to his test subjects. Strolling along the wall, weaving in and out of potted plants to inspect them, Hikaru began to plan the next report for his makeshift greenhouse. The only similarity this room held to an actual study was the row of three-ring binders along the wall, various pens of colors, and his work laptop and router in the corner. Blackout curtains kept anyone from asking questions about the artificial lights that stayed on all day and night, and he budgeted all other use of his electricity by charging everything at work on the rare occasion he went in. It was getting close to the monthly check-in; he was running dangerously low on battery packs. The idea put him on edge.

At least the work that mattered was all on paper, though it was always hard when carpal tunnel would threaten him. That's kind of how the overworking lie started, among other little omissions.

He knew he needed to leave the apartment eventually: he needed to go to work, and today was supposed to be the day he and his mother went shopping together. With the rise in crime lately (and the spontaneous appearances of Nomu monsters), he didn't like it when she went anywhere alone. But it took such effort for him to expose himself to the outside world. Any news update made him sweat, and a hero merely scanning the crowd was enough to weaken his knees.

If he was discovered, there was no way they would accept 'it was an accident' as an excuse. It started with my house plant-- see, I thought that if I had something that relied on me, I would stop wanting to kill myself. Not an animal, I'm not inhumane, but-- well, anyway, my house plant ended up coming out... abnormal.

Officially, Hikaru's Quirk wasn't labeled, because as far as his family knew, it was a busted one. It was assumed to be an offshoot of his mother's Empathy mostly, but it seemed he could only experience debilitating migraines, paranoia, and sorrow. She needed only touch someone to process their emotions and bodily statuses for them-- it seemed that Hikaru only needed to exist, and he would feel their suffering. The best of the worst. It was hard to find a use for that kind of thing, so he had given up with exploring it at all.

That was, until he found a tooth in his house plant. Specifically, his spider plant, rather than sprouting little white flowers, had produced a bud that opened and dropped a little calcium deposit on his kitchen floor. He had even asked a friend about it, whose own psychometric Quirk could identify small objects. 'Your puppy was probably teething,' they said with an assuring smile. 'I didn't know you had a dog!'

'It's my mom's,' he had lied, without thinking, whose old shiba had died a year prior.

He had taken on a peace lily shortly after from a neighbor's family member, them insisting Really, I have a rotten thumb. I'm so busy putting things in storage and dealing with the inheritance; I would kill it by negligence. From the pale floral cup, in place of a stamen, grew what looked like a meat-encrusted human phalange. He was too scared to show anyone, in case it happened to be the dead woman's.

Any sane person would have thrown the plants out immediately and never grown so much as a cactus. But that was the thing: the plant worked. When he was around his plants, the grating vice grip on his brain was less. It was as though there was something excessive in him, and by nurturing any plant to its anatomical result, the excess was spread between them. He began to grow another, and another. He was selling things he didn't need and making room for the plants in his study. He transferred to a different position where he could work from home. The only thing he wanted to do was grow, study, and learn. He was good at it, and it presented a puzzle in a language only he could parse.

He had many experiments running simultaneously, trying to unlock the secret to his new ability. The variables ranged from soil composition, water levels, light intensity, and body fluids. Was it enough for his hands to dip into the dirt, smearing his sweat into the microscopic formula, or would blood work better? How much blood, how many ounces of skin, how much saliva, how frequently he 'fed' it, whether the seed and body combination made a difference in what grew. There was no end to the possibilities. There was no time to waste. (Although he noticed that the more often he played, the faster the things grew.)

His thought process was: if he could figure the Quirk out on his own, he could register as a hero. After all, most heroes were professionals, schooled and trained, and so he needed as much practice as he could scrounge up. Unfortunately, he had already committed several crimes for the sake of science by the time he had the bearings to consider a hero career. Was it really such a horror to use a stranger's stray hair stuck to his sweater as fertilizer? It wasn't as though he was fully cloning them (to his current knowledge), and even so, people weren't usually fond of their discarded napkins and bandages. He had to make sure-- he had to prove to himself that there was a rhyme or reason to what blossomed from his efforts. He wanted to see how precise it could be.

Thanks to all the groundwork, he had a new project and a new hypothesis. Could he be criticized for being thorough?

The doorbell snapped him out of his final evaluation, and he nearly leapt through his skin. He stumbled drunkenly out of the study, closing the door quickly as the bell rang again. "Coming!" He hollered before darting into his bedroom to snatch up his phone. Several missed texts. A couple missed calls. All from mom.

He opened the door right as her finger hovered over the bell again; she startled and smiled. "Hikaru," she sang out, "you overslept." As she was saying this, Hikaru squinted against the sunset blazing behind her shoulders. Had he truly been taking measurements and notes all day?

"Mom, what are you doing here?" He frowned. "I thought I told you to stay home."

"I know you worry about me going out." She shifted her grocery bags to one arm so that she could affectionately pat his cheek. "I thought you would also be hungry with all these overnight shifts," she went on as he automatically moved aside for her. She was always the one to fill silences between the two. He loved her for it. He never had to work hard to be understood by her... for the most part.

"I brought you some tea, too."

"Thanks, Mom."

He set the small dining room table while she warmed up the kettle. As they worked and ate, she babbled about work gossip and family news. Notably, all the updates were about her side of the family. If had been that way for as long as he could remember.

Before Hikaru had become a recluse and the massive family gatherings were mandatory, he often got the impression that his mother stretched the truth. A second-removed aunt would suggest Hikaru's father died before he was born, and then suddenly a distant cousin around his age would insist they had known of him after Hikaru's birth. It was a gas leak, someone recalled, and another would wonder if it was an explosion, and someone else would combine the theories to a gas-based explosion.

The only thing Hikaru knew for certain was that if he ever even hinted at the existence of his father, it would bring on an argument or tears or both. His mother would be overwhelmed and come apart, refusing to answer anything with any certainty. And for the longest time, because he never wanted to hurt her, Hikaru let that sleeping dog lie.

Until tonight.

Cleaning up after dinner, she had slipped into the restroom to prepare for the walk back. Hikaru was mustering up the strength to abandon his post, for the sake of escorting her safely home. The news was nothing but fear mongering and fear for the future: with All Might's retirement, the League of Villains, Nomus, and Quirk brawls in residential areas every couple months, he supposed he ought to protect what mattered to him, despite his powerlessness in the thick of chaos. The night was cold, so he had put the kettle on and filled a reusable container of extra tea to keep her warm.

If he hadn't turned to fill the container at the table, he would never have caught her in the act of reaching for the second bedroom door.

"Mom."

She jumped and spun around. Her eyes boggled out so far that a coldness washed down his spine. Had she already seen what was inside?

"I was just..." Her eyes darted back to the secret room. "I wanted to see what the room was like. Maybe you could... look for a roommate. Convert it into a bedroom again."

"I need somewhere to do my work, Mom."

"Don't you have an office for that?"

"I don't."

An awkward quiet punctuated his bluntness. His mother smoothed her dark hair down and came out with her concerns. "Are you having money problems? Is that why you're stressed?"

When had money problems come into the picture? "Mom, I live comfortably."

"Then where is your TV?" she demanded. "Did you sell it?"

"I don't watch a lot of TV," he evaded, "everyone watches the news on their phones. And it was giving me migraines anyway."

"You're not sleeping," she moped, "you don't go out with friends, you never do anything new... I'm worried. We shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

Hikaru put the kettle down, staring at the woman who raised him on her own. She hadn't seemed to hear the irony in her insistence. For the first time in a long time, he took in her details, drawing the similarities between her cuttings and himself. Their dark hair. Their olive skin. Their stunted femurs, hitchhiker thumbs, the vague shadow of a widow's peak, and severe eyes.

Her flesh garden had sprouted petal-soft cornflower irises. They scanned his face, beseeching and curious and sad. Unyielding. Her hand had stretched for the doorknob again. His dark, brown eyes narrowed and took a solid step towards the person who knew him... The person who thought she knew him better than anyone else ever could. But how could they know each other with so many secret performances they played?

"What was Dad's Quirk?"

Her breath hitched, and with a glistening in her eyes, she whispered, "Don't ask me that."

"Why can't I know?"

"It's for your own good."

"I'm grown, Mom."

This was the most he had spoken against her in his whole life. It made him feel powerless-- he knew there was no getting an answer from her, which meant he knew why he was asking now.

"Do you want to hurt me?" Her voice had taken an edge on now, defensiveness creeping into her shoulders.

He supposed he was expecting her to storm out of the apartment in a huff. Instead, she had turned for the door again. She never was used to not getting her way.

He must have sprinted down the hall to grab her by the bare wrist. She jumped, but did not scream or cry or wrench herself away. And they both knew she had felt the hand-laid mental wall he had built up against her-- whatever fears he was feeling, whatever his problems might be, she was no longer able to access them. He had categorically shut her out, compartmentalized into a 'public' personal file that only knew Hikaru to be a sleep-deprived workaholic.

She no longer knew her own son.

The walk to the station was tense and silent. The goodbyes were insincere but considerate. Hikaru had made it home after dark, which meant he had to finish scrawling his report down by his dying phone's flashlight.

According to the Quirk singularity theory, the combination of hereditary genes could combine into more complex, powerful Quirks. A lineage of autonomic Quirks, such as his mother's family, could lead to interesting combinations of healing, regeneration, or parthenogenesis. But he couldn't explain the plants. Not without confirming his father's identity, he suspected.

Hikaru looked over the variety of body parts growing in the room. Arms protruded from garden pots. A brain floated in a pond, the stem rooted like a lily. Brown-eyed Susans-- his eyes, his father's eyes-- rolled around with no particular field of vision, blinking their yellow petal eyelashes now and again.

In another universe, maybe, his mother could have trusted him. They could have talked it over together, and maybe he wouldn't have to do this. The only way he could think to trace back his Quirk to a different progenitor-- without anyone knowing anything about what he had done-- was to recreate his and his mother's and dissect the differences.

In a matter of time, Hikaru would know whether or not he could grow a Quirk.

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