Colossal Squid! Desmond and I'll give you my bones
“Have you heard the legends of the Kraken, Shay?”
“Every sailor has.” Shay answered politely, glancing at their guest.
Even as bitter wind gripped its claws at them, Haytham Kenway looked as prim and proper as a gentleman on his way to watch an opera.
Shay, on the other hand, had pulled the fabric around his neck up to cover his freezing nose.
“And do the stories tell of the Kraken a monster that destroys without any care of one’s status or upbringing?”
“The sea is a cruel mistress to all, Master Kenway.” Shay answered, glancing to his right. Gist just shrugged, obviously also a bit confused to why Haytham Kenway was talking about the Kraken all of a sudden.
“Yes, she is.” Haytham agreed as he walked towards the bow of the ship, “But the Kraken is not cruel.”
“He is playful and intelligent. He also has the habit of trying to show his displeasure using his limbs.” Haytham continued, making the other crew members stare at him, forgetting their tasks as they listened to a man who sounded like he knew the Kraken himself, “But above all else…”
“He is one ugly squid.” Haytham commented.
They would have laughed at that but the waters beneath them grew dark almost immediately.
Large tentacles rose from the depths and the crew shouted in fear and surprise.
Shay immediately ordered them to main the cannons but stopped when Haytham said, “It is no use. Human weaponry does not work on him.”
Shay froze, noticing that what he had thought to have been sunlight against the tentacles was actually…
Glowing lines that reminded Shay of the light of that device back in Lisbon.
For a brief moment, Shay was paralyzed, the fear and pain of that day flashing before him.
Haytham was still speaking and Shay tried to focus on his voice.
Haytham wasn’t there in Lisbon.
Shay wasn’t there in Lisbon anymore.
Haytham was his anchor to the present.
“The Kraken is what those who know nothing call him. The Templars though… had a different name for him.” Haytham continued calmly, as if the ship had not been kept in place by tentacles coiling all around it. There was no creaking sound and that only made Shay more frightened.
The Kraken knew how to control its strength so it wouldn’t damage the ship, only keep it immobilized.
That kind of intelligence…
“Desmond.”
Shay frowned.
Where have he heard the name before?
“The sea monster that Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad tamed. The ruler of the seas that cares for the Assassin Brotherhood.”
That’s right.
Shay heard Adéwalé talked about a ‘Desmond’ before. Shay had thought it was some kind of pet because Adéwalé talked about how it followed his old friend whenever he sailed.
One of the tentacles reach out towards Haytham and Shay shouted, “Master Kenway!”
Haytham raised a hand, stopping Shay from unsheathing his dual blades.
“Do not move, do not speak, do not even think.” Haytham ordered calmly, “He is here for me.”
“Will this be the day you drag me into the depths, Desmond?” Haytham asked, a slight curiosity in his tone, “Or will you still prolong this dance we share?”
The tentacle wrapped around his neck but, with how big the tentacle was, it wrapped his entire upper body instead.
Haytham didn’t seem worried, looking at the sea below as he stood at the very tip of the bow, “Well?”
Shay and the rest of the crew could only stare, frozen by fear and confusion, as Haytham was slowly lifted.
… before he was placed in the center of the ship. The tentacles uncoil around him slowly. There was a pause before it flicked Haytham’s hat off and Haytham simply gave a tired sigh.
The tentacles let go of the ship and returned to the depths of the sea.
It took a few seconds before the water returned to its normal color.
The entire crew gave out a relieved sigh as many of them fell on their asses.
“Master Kenway, what was that?” Shay asked and all of them turned to stare at the mysterious man as he picked up his hat.
“That was Desmond.” Haytham said as if he was just introducing a family friend he didn’t get along with, “The Sea Scourge of the Templars. He attacks every ship that shows its Templar affiliation. He won’t attack this ship though.”
“It won’t?” Shay couldn’t stop himself from sounding skeptical.
“As long as I sail with you, he will not.” Haytham said.
“Why?”
“Because that squid still believes I am my father’s son.”
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Dance of Time 2
D A N C E O F T I M E
“A love like that was a serious illness, an illness from which you never entirely recover.” -Bukowski
Summary: You were finally back in the hometown you left right after graduation, researching the mysterious manor that laid outside of the town limits. Your family was acting weird, and the owner of the manor seemed to know more about you than he should. Everything changed when you entered the manor, and you weren’t sure your dance with time was going to last very long.
Pairing: Vampire BTS x Human Reincarnated Reader
Status: Ongoing (random updates)
Genre: soulmate au, reincarnation, yandere themes, possessive boys, angst, fluff,
Warnings: smut, violence, tempers, mentions of death, murder, some explicit descriptions of violence, blood,
Chapter Warnings: flashback scenes, fingering, slight smut, teasing, possessive bangtan, yandere bangtan, awkward family dinners, jin takes charge,
Masterlist // Chapter 1 // Chapter 3
————————————————–
Previously on Dance of Time:
“Joon says he is going to have Jimmy email her tomorrow about a meeting. He doesn’t want to waste any time in having her again. That old bat already kept her from us once, he doesn’t want it to happen again.” The older man quirks his head, listening to the bitter tone his younger mate held. The contempt for the old women palpable as he looks at his mate.
“We won’t have to worry about her, or him this time. They know what will happen if she is kept from us again.” Both men’s eyes flash red, their reflection against your window showing the veins creeping up their eyes at the remembrance of you leaving town the first time.
“She won’t be able to hide from us again.” Turning around and back into the tree line, the younger steals once last glance at your sleeping form before letting himself be dragged into the trees, food being the only thing on his mind once again as he let the feeling of the hunt take over once more.
You had just left the house for the library, wanting to get an early start on your research. You had barely slept an hour, couldn’t rest with the feeling of someone watching you. Instead, you spent some time going through photos, particularly the photo album your mom had put together when you were in elementary school.
It held old photos, grade school pictures, even artwork you completed in class and your mother put up on the fridge for everyone to see. She had little notes associated with each piece, something you said or what she thought of the piece. It had you smiling as you ran your fingers over her handwriting.
The library was one of the oldest buildings in town, the old worn-down brick was dark, tainted with time and memories. It was one of your favorite places growing up, your mom taking you there quite often after school, and sometimes even during school when you were having a bad day. It was your happy place, where your imagination wasn’t shot down or stifled. Where you could read about far off kingdoms and magic wielders.
The door was already opened, allowing you to enter and come face to face with Mrs. Shay, the very women who helped build your love for reading. Your footsteps alerted her to your presence, and when she looked up, the biggest smile grew on her lips as she began to move out from behind the front desk. Her arms were held out, waiting for you to move in, wrapping your own arms around her.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the little darling who used to run my library rampant!” She exclaimed, squeezing you tight once more before pulling back, placing her hands on your shoulders to get a better look at you.
“Hey now! I was such a good kid!” You retorted back, not even fighting the grin that made its way on your face. Mrs. Shay just scrunched her nose at you, shaking her head at your expression.
“You haven’t changed, have you darlin’?” With your grin still on your lips, you shake your head, only for her to slap you on the arm.
“Okay darlin’, what can I do for you? I know you didn’t come back just to say hi to little ole me.” Your grin turned sheepish, confirming her thoughts.
“Actually, while I do love and miss you, I had some research I wanted to do, and was wondering if you would allow me access into the town’s archives.” You bat your eyelashes at the women you grew up admiring, hoping she would take the bait and allow you access. Your stare down lasted for a few moments, ending with Mrs. Shay letting out a long, dramatic sigh and grabbing her keys from the drawer.
“You’re a life saver Mrs. Shay!” You exclaim, getting excited as you watch her put her key in the door to the archives, jumping a little in your boots as she twists her hand and pushes the door open.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just remember to put everything back when you’re done. I don’t need the town council on my back.” She wavers her hand at you before closing the door behind her, leaving you alone in a room with hundreds if not a thousand primary documents of the history of the town.
The room seemed to be a storage room converted into the archives, wall to wall bookshelves filled with a mixture of boxes, books, and other artifacts. They were sorted by date or event, which led you to the pre-civil-war section. There wasn’t much, just a box of property line records and a small book of death and birth records.
You pulled the box off the shelf only to have a leather notebook fall onto the floor, having been hidden halfway behind the box. You turned around, placing the box on the small table in the middle of the room and moved back so you could pick the notebook up. It was old, and tied together with a leather strip.
Curiously, you sat in the chair at the table, and moved to open the notebook when your phone rang, the ringtone signaling an email notification sounded. Placing the notebook down, you grabbed your laptop from your backpack and opened it up to see an email from Mr. Kelly. His employer wanted to have lunch with you to go over any questions you had.
You were a little suspicious, as suddenly he was in town and had time to meet with you when others have been trying for years to do the same. But you were excited all the same. You would be getting your questions answered and your research would be furthered.
The time in the email stated to meet Mr. Kim at 12 o’clock at the diner, meaning you had just enough time to take pictures of everything before you could leave. Once you spent a couple hours grueling over every piece of paper, you placed everything back in the box and put it back on the correct spot on the shelf.
Your mind kept going back to the notebook, intrigue not even covering the emotions you felt as you looked down at it. Making a quick second decision, you snatch the notebook up and place it in your backpack, inside the sweatshirt you brought just in case, hoping that would keep it safe.
You felt attached to the damned thing, like you recognized it, in a way. Like you had seen it before. It was a weird feeling, but it kept you from putting it back onto the shelf. You were too curious to its contents anyways. Why would someone hide it behind a box anyways?
How many secrets were concealed within the old, leather notebook?
You couldn’t concentrate on anything you were writing, two of your lovers giggling behind you as they laid in the bed you just left. You were trying to write down your thoughts, something you always did, and no one, not even your loves were going to get in the way.
“Beth, my beloved, please come back. You know I get cold when you leave.” Arms wrap around your waist, their plump lips kissing from the nape of your neck to their mark, just inside the crevice where your shoulder meets your neck.
“You are always cold, my love. The covers will keep you warm.” You gently assure your mate, who starts to whine into your neck. His hands start to wander, pulling up the end of your nightgown so he could have easier access to you.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come back to bed, beloved?” His voice switches tone quickly, a smirk to his lips as he sucks onto your mark, the moan leaving your lips immediately, as it always does when they touch your mark.
His fingers move to your core, feeling how wet you already were as he pushed one finger inside, just barely enough for you to whimper once he retreats.
You scoff as he moves back to the bed, hating the teasing they always do to you. Closing your notebook, promising yourself you would come back to it, you climb back onto the bed, pulling back the blankets just enough for both of your loves cocks to become uncovered. Reaching forward, you go to move in between their bodies when he grabs you and brings you up to the headboard, your hands grasping for balance as a tongue enters you just as quick.
You steady yourself against the table, your knees almost giving out on you as a whimper leaves your lips. You could practically still feel their tongue in you, your pussy wet and making you wince at the feeling. You could almost feel your leggings becoming stained.
If it was a hallucination, you wouldn’t be feeling this way. But it felt so real. The men in your dream felt real, their touch on you. You didn’t recognize them, not their voices or their faces. But your body seemed to remember them.
You fought against yourself as you stood full height, lugging your backpack back onto your shoulders and pushed yourself out of the room, hoping and praying that your leggings weren’t see through right now. Your watch said it was 11:30, and you didn’t want to be late for your meeting with Mr. Kim.
You said your goodbyes and promises of return to Mrs. Shay and left for the appointment. Despite in your most basic leggings, the ones with pockets because you liked pockets, and an oversized flannel covering your “history is a mystery” t-shirt, you made your way to the diner, leaving your backpack in your trunk as you got to the parking lot. You know you should have made more time to change, but it seemed like time passed by unusually fast when you were sucked into a hallucination.
Pushing open the door to the diner, you were met by someone you went to high school with, her smile dropping a little before becoming grander than before, her fake politeness kicking in.
“Welcome back to town! Table for one?” She asks you, her voice pitched high and making you flinch a tiny bit with the pain now ringing in your ears. You glance back at your watch to see it glowing 12:03.
“Um no. I am actually meeting someone. I don’t know if he has arrived yet or not. Mr. Kim?” You pitch your voice up towards the end, out of nerves and so she knew you were asking her a question. She quirks her eye at you but nonetheless grabs a menu for you and walks to the right, you move quickly to follow her.
She leads you to the back of the restaurant, the table located in the corner and where someone was already sitting. He was dressed impeccably, a tailored suit and slicked back hair making you become self-conscious of what you were wearing.
He had sharp features, and his eyes reminded you of a dragon’s, always watching and perceiving any threat of danger. He seemed to take a deep breath when you and Tiffany started to approach, his eyes shooting straight up to stare into your own.
You had to hold back a gasp, his stare intense and filled with emotion. He looked at you like he would rather perish than look anywhere else. Even as you approached and Tiffany placed your menu on the table, bumping back into you as she walked past, his eyes were still on you. You looked away, moving to sit in the booth, a little uncomfortable under his intense gaze.
A small cough had you looking up, though, a small smile now resting on his lips. You bite the inside of your cheek, a little nervous to be in this man’s presence. He radiated power and authority, but emotion seemed to flow through him like a fountain, radiating his thoughts into your chalice.
“Hello. My name is Namjoon. I am the current owner of the Weeping Manor. Are you Y/n?” Even his voice was attractive, goddamn. It was deep and low and had you feeling all kinds of tingles in your nether regions.
“Yes, I am. It’s very nice to meet you Mr. Kim.”
“Please. Call me Namjoon. I feel like with the way my assistant was talking, we will become well acquainted soon enough.” You let out a little nervous laugh, the feeling in your core becoming unavoidable now.
“Well, Namjoon, I am grateful that you agreed to meet me on such short notice.” Short notice your ass, you had been trying for weeks since you decided to come home. “I am a historian and am currently working on a piece of the town, writing about the myths and legends, and seeking out the truths behind them. The biggest legend being the ones associated with manor itself. Would it be okay if I asked you a couple of questions?” You asked, your voice filled with hope as you sat across from the slightly intimidating but extremely attractive man.
Namjoon couldn’t help himself but to fall even deeper for you, your personality different than that of his Beth, but entirely the same as well. He had been waiting years to be in your presence again, and he was going to make it worthwhile.
He knew that he and his mates were growing impatient, the past nine years with you having been stolen from then. Your grandmother was supposed to tell you everything, was supposed to bring you to them, and now she doesn’t have a choice but to watch you be with them. To lose you to their bond.
There was nothing more Namjoon, or any of his clan, wanted to do than hold you in their arms, listening to the sound of your breathing, feel the rhythm of your heartbeat against their skin. You were alive, and theirs once more, and nothing would get in their way of having you.
“Of course, I’ll try my best to answer any questions you have.”
-*-*-
You were completely entranced with Namjoon. You couldn’t stop blushing at his jokes and giggling like a little schoolgirl at any joke he told. You were acting like a fool with a crush, something your momma would have slapped you over the head for. You were in a ditch, having fallen very quick for his charm.
“The renovations on the manor should be completed by this weekend, you could come by for a tour if you would like? I’m sure you could learn a lot more inside the manor instead of reading about it.” Namjoon’s words brought you out of your thoughts on his hands, your mind imagining them on you, helping you in more ways than one.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude or ruin anything.” You begin to deny, not wanting to be pushy and show how badly you would like to tour the manor.
“You won’t ruin anything.” His tone suddenly became clipped, harsh, as he spoke. It scared you a little and had you drawing back from your spot resting against the table.
“I promise, you won’t ruin anything and that it’s completely fine. In fact, I think my partner might be available to join us. He knows more about the history of the manor than I do, to be honest.” His tone quickly returned to being sweet as he watched you put your notebook and pen back into your bag.
Your phone dings, with a message from your grandma appearing on your watch. Dinner was ready. You hadn’t even realized how long you had been sitting and talking with Namjoon that your grandma was already asking you when you would be home for dinner.
“I am so sorry but I’m going to have to cut this meeting short. My grandma is requesting that I be home for dinner. Can’t say no to her.” Your lips upturn at the end, a little smile as you think of your grandma, probably standing at the door waiting for you with her hands on her hips.
Namjoon rolled his eyes when you looked away. Of course, the old bat couldn’t wait. She had to take you away from him. He barely had you and you were already gone, rushing out the doors of the diner after he gave you the reluctant okay to leave. If he didn’t want you to hate him, despite the bond working in his favor, he would have taken you the second you walked out of your car. But he had to play the waiting game. Get you to trust him.
He could tell you were already having the visions, could feel the confusion in the air as he smelled your sweet arousal. He wondered what you saw, what you felt as you were sent back. Wondered who was in your visions. It wasn’t him, as you had no recollection on your face upon seeing him. He hoped it wasn’t Jin, as he would be accompanying you two this weekend when you come to tour.
He would take initiative, like always, and send you an email with details about the tour, not giving you an option. He needed you to be there, to visit your old bedroom and library. He needed for you to understand that their bond with you transcends lifetimes, transcends even the space forced between you.
It was pure luck you would descend from the same family that their first mate, Elisabeth, would descend from. Your ancestor, Victoria, being their mate’s younger sister. They had been watching your family line for years, protecting you for their mate’s sake. And when you were born, they all got the feeling of warmth in their chest, the same feeling they got when Elisabeth was born.
It didn’t take long to find you; the small towns hospital only having a single floor. They were quick to recognize your father, having watched him grow up. Seeing the seven men outside his wife’s hospital room, your father knew. Forbid them from seeing you. But nothing would stop them.
Small gifts would appear on their front porch, things you or your mom would need until you grew old enough. Your school was always paid for, anything you reached for in a store would appear the next morning in your room. Your mother grew scared and worried, thinking someone had been stalking them.
When your family finally told her the truth, she thought they were crazy, tried to run with you. But she didn’t even make it past the county’s borders when she was stopped by your mates. Promises of protection and threats of pain encompassing their words if your mother was to ever take you away from them.
She refused their “gifts” but knew that they wouldn’t stop. So, she decided she would be the only one to ever take care of your needs, especially after your father passed away. She didn’t want you to rely on them in any way.
She started to hide their gifts, burn the ones she could when she had the chance. She took on multiple jobs, even going back to night school for nursing so she would be able to provide for you. Your mother thought that if she had accepted those gifts for you, it meant that she was promising you to them, it meant that she was accepting the fact that you were theirs.
By the time you turned ten, the gifts had stopped showing up. She thought that meant they had given up, that they had stepped back. But they didn’t. They had decided that they would wait until you were of age, renovate the manor in the meantime. Make it safer for you.
They had waited more than a decade for you, and all be damned if anyone got in their way.
-*-*-
Dinner was a little awkward again, this time you think you’re the only one who feels it. You keep moving around in your seat, adjusting your position as you listen to your grandma and uncle chat about what they did today. Your grandma had worked in the front garden and your uncle facetimed your cousins, his phone gallery full of screenshots from talking to his grandkids.
You wanted to bring up your tour appointment of the manor with them, excitement building in your chest, but you don’t want a redo of dinner yesterday, having your grandma storm out and your uncle left to deal with the aftermath. You planned to keep quiet until your grandmother asked if you had any plans for the weekend.
“Um actually, I was invited by the owners of the manor to tour it this weekend.” Your words had both of your relatives freezing in their places, your uncle even having food fall into his lap from where it was on his fork.
“Oh, well this weekend I was going to ask if you would be able to help me pull some weeds out of the garden. There is a bunch of them and I am afraid my plants will suffer their fate. Your uncle has already explained he will be going to visit Katharine and will be gone this weekend.” Katharine is your cousin who lives in Colorado, having moved there with her husband a couple years back.
You were a little surprised, as he hadn’t mentioned anything to you, but you also couldn’t say no to your grandmother, especially with the pleading look she had on her face. This garden is something she has been working on since she married your grandfather. It was her pride and joy and held many different flowers and herbs.
Your favorite was this little purple flower that grew in patches at the very edge of the garden and continued to grow on the fence surrounding your property. It almost reminded you of lavender, the purple plants have similar shapes, but the smell was different. You remember asking your grandmother what they were once, but she said she didn’t remember the name, only that they were meant to protect you.
“Okay, I’ll let Mr. Kim know that I need to reschedule to a later date.” You acquiesce your stance, trying not to fight again and choosing to listen to your grandmother. The smile on her face means everything and helps you to feel like you were doing the right thing, choosing to spend this time with her doing something she loves.
You told yourself that this would probably be the last time you were able to spend time with her like this, knowing she was getting up there in age and each note from the doctor seemed to be getting worse.
“Thank you, baby. I’m excited to show you all the new things I’ve planted in my garden since your last visit!” You nod before taking your empty plate to the kitchen sink, washing and drying it before making your way back to your room so you can email Mr. Kim.
Dear Mr. Kim,
I apologize but I will be unable to attend the planned tour this weekend. I am also in town to visit with my grandmother and she has requested my help with something this weekend. I know that your time is valuable, and I appreciate your willingness to let me tour your home. Is it possible to reschedule to another time convenient for you?
Historian with Song International Archives,
Y/n Jacquess
Namjoon was furious when he received your email. He had hoped your grandmother had learned to mind her business and not to interfere in bonded affairs, but it seems he had overestimated her.
“This damned women! We should have taken her out of the picture years ago!” He roared out, throwing all of the papers off his desk as Jimin and Hoseok rushed in, immediately moving to try and soothe their mate.
“She is trying to interfere again then, hmm?” Jin murmurs from the door, closing his eyes as he tries to think of a solution.
“Have her come tomorrow. I can move my schedule around. Once we have her, as per agreement, they can’t do anything.” Jin’s words are commanded, not stated as he stands tall. He is done with the unsufferable humans messing with things they know not of.
“Our mate will be ours tomorrow. If Eden didn’t meddle, she would have had more time with her granddaughter. But this shall be her doing.” By the time he finished speaking, the entire coven was in the room, Yoongi and Taehyung with their lips freshly coated in blood.
Namjoon steels his demeanor, moving to quickly email you back the terms of the rescheduled tour. He is going to make it seem like the only time he has available will be tomorrow at nine o’clock, that way he has a good time with the tour, able to show you everything with pride, before they reveal themselves to you. It was perfect.
Ms. Jacquess,
I would be delighted to reschedule our tour. However, the only time I have available is tomorrow morning at nine o’clock am. I hope this is alright with you.
Yours truly,
Kim Namjoon
You were surprised at how quickly he responded back, but a little flabbergasted by the quick timeframe you had to work with. You were free tomorrow but wondered if you would have time to put everything together before tomorrow morning. You needed to gather your notebooks, your voice recorder, your pens and highlighters for notes, and your camera; it was a lot. But you knew it was worth it if you would be able to get an inside look at the infamous Weeping Manor.
Mr. Kim,
That would work wonderfully for me. Thank you so much for switching the time of the tour for me. I am truly grateful. Should I meet you at the manor?
Historian with Song International Archives,
Y/n Jacquess
Ms. Jacquess,
Then I shall pen you into my schedule. I will pick you up at nine o’clock.
Yours truly,
Mr. Kim
You were a little confused, why would he choose to pick you up when he lives at the manor? Isn’t that out of his way to come and get you? It didn’t make sense. Plus, how did he know where you lived? Yeah, you lived in a small town, but even you didn’t know where most people lived in the town. You tried to question Mr. Kim about it, but you never received another email before you fell asleep to the sound of the wind blowing outside your window.
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