#and if I had absolute free reign money no question I’d go back right now

[fruityfinch]

I’m feeling a little rough…….tee hee! 😋

#fruityart #it’s probably just period hormones or whatevah #plus I visited London last weekend and fuck me i miss ig #i didn’t leave by choice u know 😔 #and if I had absolute free reign money no question I’d go back right now #but such is life

[themonotonysyndrome]

REDACTED verse - Another day in Dahlia

Summary: When worlds collide, Aaron and Smartass has the ‘old, married couple’ moment when a wolf is loose in a hypermarket. 

-

Dahlia is lively today, the afternoon sunlight dazzling upon the city. Familiar faces, familiar sights and familiar roads are everywhere. 

And yet, the man who couldn’t stop bickering with his lover since the two of them stepped out of IKEA is a changing man living in this familiar city. 

Aaron likes to think that he retains his best qualities despite the passing of time. Firm, true and level-headed - traits that have served him well both in his personal and work life. Traits that have earned him recognition, achievements and praises. However, against a fiery soul housed within an infuriating yet gorgeous body, Aaron has never felt so breathless and helpless. 

And most importantly, lovestruck. 

Unstable and uncharacteristically hesitant, the pieces of himself that are held together with patience have been pulled apart by its seams. But they weren’t destroyed; no, they rearrange themselves into an amazing new form. Aaron isn’t quite yet certain what that new form brings, but already, he could feel himself grow into a man that wholly compliments his lover. 

Like a planet revolving around a beautiful, bright star. He can’t help but be drawn by the star’s gravity. 

There’s balance between them, despite their strong-willed personalities. They sooth the other when one burns too brightly, they offer guidance when the other is unsure. Balanced and happy, that’s what they are. 

There’s never emptiness when silence envelops them. Isn’t there a saying that whenever you’re with your loved one, silence is never oppressive? 

Although, to be fair, silence doesn’t last long whenever they’re together. Not when there’s always something to bicker, something to discuss and something to tease about. 

Case in point, the ugly as fuck lamp that Aaron fought tooth and nail to convince his partner not to buy. 

“Look, it’s not even your money; I was going to use mine for it!” 

“It’s not about the money, Smartass.” Aaron replies back with a roll of his eyes. They’re at the parking lot getting ready to head off to the hypermarket next. The two of them had spent four hours of furniture shopping at IKEA after his Smartass made an offhand comment last week about his couch being way too old and lumpy for gaming nights and movie marathons. 

But before either of them realise it, what was supposed to be a simple couch purchase turned into perusal of dining tables, desks and floor lamps. Aaron got them back on track when you excitedly pulled him towards that last part.

Aaron had never before questioned your taste in furniture before but at that point, he starts to draw the line at a red, human shaped floor lamp. It bows slightly with the most creepy smile he had ever seen on a statue before. 

“I just don’t want to have a heart attack everytime I wake up, alright? You wanted it in our bedroom, beside our bed and it’s creepy beyond all reason.” 

“It’s functional though.” 

“So were the other floor lamps.” Aaron easily pointed out. He opened the car door and waited, unamused, for you to get in. Unfortunately, judging by how your arms folded across your chest in a stubborn pose, his spitfire didn’t want to drop their conversation. 

“What if I put it in the living room?” You suggest instead, the familiar defiant spark made itself known. 

Aaron held himself back from groaning in despair. Why are you so hung up about that lamp!? “I don’t think it’ll fit with the… aesthetic of our house, OK?” He tried the tactical approach first, knowing that a straight up no would not pacify his partner at all. “How about this; we’ll go with your couch and desk and my preference for the dining table. There. Is that good enough for you, Your Highness?” 

You purse your lips, but the both of you know that you’re not so hung up about the floor lamp to drag this argument any further. Aaron wisely chooses not to comment how your lips slowly curve into a smile. 

“Fine. I’ll let you win this round - ”

“Oh my god - ”

“But in return, I’ll be taking over for lunch later.” 

Aaron immediately shut his mouth, surprise and secretly a little giddy that his Smartass had taken the initiative of making a meal for them. That lasted for about a split second before something dawn onto him. 

“You want free reign at the hypermarket later, right?” 

This time, you beam happily but say nothing as you finally slip inside of the Mercedes. And as usual, silence spoke louder than words. Aaron exhales loudly, not knowing whether to laugh or mutter a curse. Trust in his lover to have the final say, ultimately. 

But that’s one of the many reasons why he fell so hopelessly in love with you. 

-

The hypermarket is busy for a Saturday. Smartass pointed at the sales and promotions board display in big letters and numbers when the two of you entered the building, hand in hand. Ah, that makes sense. Children run about clutching snacks in their little hands to convince their exasperated parents into buying, worned out staff restock empty shelves and the scent of fresh produce and floor detergents clings in the air. A familiar sight. 

“How do you feel about crabs?” Smartass begins the conversation. Aaron doesn’t understand why you bother asking him when you’re already dragging him towards the cold, seafood area. Aisles of fresh fish of all kinds are clearly displayed for visitors, the more expensive kind are packaged and a few men are working behind the butcher service counter. 

“I can go for some crabs. It’s been a while anyway.” Aaron answered, grabbing a nearby stack of baskets for their grocery. He tried to recall the last time they had any seafood and his mind helpfully supplied a restaurant where they went to for dinner in March. 

He lets you gather your thoughts as you stare at the frozen crabs critically as if they were spreadsheets. “I’m thinking of rice with a side of buttery crab meats, Salmon sashimi, Shiitake soup and lotus root salad. Sounds good?” 

As soon as he invited his Smartass to permanently move in with him, you had totally taken over the kitchen. Apparently you weren’t terribly amused when he admitted that he’s not much of a cook but hey, he never once complained when you served the best homemade vegan burgers with a glare and a silent, “Go ahead. I dare you to say that they taste like shit. Make my day, Aaron.” 

So instead, after he cleaned their dishes, Aaron proceeded to throw his lover on their bed to thoroughly thank you for the meal. 

Four hours later, the flushed and surprised expression on your face was so worth it. 

But we’re getting off tangents here. 

“Sounds absolutely delicious.” Aaron replied and startled his Smartass with a sudden kiss on your cheek. “Now stop glaring at the crabs and pick some already. We have half of the ingredients back home and I’d rather not spend the rest of our remaining Saturday in the hypermarket. So let’s get to it.” 

Smartass hum in agreement and grab your own basket. Together, they made quick work of what they needed to buy. Not just for lunch, but for the upcoming weeks too. Crabs, Salmons, some meat and later pea sprouts, red cabbages and lotus root - the both of them are more inclined to healthy meals rather than take outs and it really helps that Smartass suggest preparing ingredients that they could cook for the rest of the week, given their busy work lives. Vegetable dishes are flexible and easy enough to cook into anything anyway. 

They moved on from the frozen, seafood aisles and the produce section to where the personal care products are. Aaron holds up his phone in between them so Smartass could check what’s next on the list. 

“Oh shit. I totally forgot that my shampoo and conditioners just ran out.” Smartass blurted. “Thanks for adding that into our grocery list.” 

Aaron scoffs. “You mentioned it twice during dinner last night - in between debating whether or not Game of Thrones is better than Lord of the Rings, mind you - so I can understand why you forgot” Colourful rows of shampoo bottles greeted them when they walk past a couple who’s pushing their trolley carts away from the shelves. He grabs your favourite brand and places them in his basket. “You’re brilliant, Smartass, but I can’t help pity that poor hamster living in your brain for having to run in its ball all day long.” 

You gasp, affronted, while Aaron laughs at the look on your face. Even smacking his arm did nothing to stop his laughter. “You’re too easy to rile up sometimes, you know that Smartass?” He smirks and grabs a toothpaste next. They’re running low on that too. In retaliation for his remark, Smartass sneakily pulled that toothpaste out when Aaron was checking his phone and chose the one with the strawberry flavour instead. 

When Aaron shot you an inquisitive look, you just smiled innocently and quickly distracted him by insisting that they need to get some snacks. 

“That reminds me, it’s not on the list but we have to buy ramune soda. Oh, and some potato chips too.” You pointed out as the two of you rounded away from a large family who stopped in between the body wash shelves and hair serums. “Have you noticed that we go through ramune sodas like crazy lately?” 

The snacks and beverage section is one of the highlights of this hypermarket, in Aaron’s humble opinion. Not only do they have an abundance of the local goods, they also have a wide selection of some really good imported snacks or as Aaon like to call it, your ultimate weakness.  

“Yeah but be honest, are you really going to stop your addiction anytime soon?” 

“What is this? Bully me day?”

“Hey, you’re the one who said it, not me, Smartass.” Aaron is quick to quip back and this time, you roll your eyes. Even if it’s true, it doesn’t mean that you have to like it. 

But that’s Aaron - his words always serve a meaning and come straight from the heart when it’s for the things that truly matter. It’s annoying and yet, it’s one of his best qualities. 

However, just as you were about to rebuke him, the two of you heard a passing conversation nearby the soda shelves. 

“ - not going to play bartender at home again, Angel. Why not? Alright then; let me jog your memory, hmm? The last time I left you alone in the kitchen for more than 3 hours, you came out carrying a tray with the embodiment of everything unholy on this planet separated into three shot glasses.” 

“It was just ramune soda mixed with rose syrup, grass jelly and vinegar!” 

“Asher had a stomach ache for a week, Angel.” 

“But Davey, how do you expect me to get better at it if you don’t let me practice? See? There’s a flaw in your plan!” 

“I’d rather we go to a bar the next time you’re in the mood to poison the both of us.” 

You didn’t mean to eavesdrop on their conversation but you couldn’t help snicker at the stranger’s very much put out and deadpan tone. It gives an implication that this isn’t the first time this ‘Angel’ did something as crazy as mix sodas with vinegar. Hell, even the man’s comment earned a soft chuckle from Aaron. 

“Sounds like he got quite a handful lover over there. Remind you of someone?” Aaron whispered. They couldn’t properly see the couple due to a stack of Dorito boxes in between them but you could spot a tall man wearing a pretty nice looking leather jacket and his partner beside him.

“If you’re implying that I’m unreasonably difficult - ”

“No, no. Just… hmm, passionately stubborn, I suppose.” Aaron nonchalantly replies with a smirk. He guffaws when you poke at his sides and spin around to the rows of ramune with a dramatic huff. Aaron easily follows suit with a fond smile. 

This section of the aisle is quiet unlike the previous ones that’ve been, Aaron noticed. The humming of the air conditioner above them and the crinkling of a plastic bag of chips in Smartass’ hand were the only sounds that broke the comfortable silence. Even the murmurs from the other couple melts into background noises the further Aaron and his walk away. 

That is, until a hair-raising snarl shattered the quietness. 

What’s worse, it sounded like a wolf. 

Aaron reacted instinctively. He opted for the defense - grabbing his Smartass’ free hand, pulling you close to him. His searching eyes are frantic while his mind is trying to make sense that a wolf is somehow in this hypermarket. Full of people. What the fuck!?

Smartass, however, opted for the offense. You grab the nearest glass bottle by the neck and were about to smash it against the metal shelf if it weren’t for Aaron’s quick thinking. He immediately grabs your wrist and shoots you an incredulous look. Silently judging your choices in life. 

‘You have a better idea on how to deal with a fucking wolf!?’ Smartass demanded in silence. Your expression is bewildered; as if you couldn’t believe that Aaron wouldn’t let you shank an unknown threat just around the corner. 

In return, Aaron pulls you closer to his body and glares out, ‘I’m not letting you throw yourself in front of a wolf!’

‘I’m protecting us!’ Smartass countered back, glaring just as heatedly. 

A sweet giggle suddenly interrupted their mental argument. Their hearts skip a beat in fear at the unknown. 

“Ok, ok. How about this, Davey: I'll let you dress me up when we go to the bar tomorrow. How’s that? Does that make my Wolf not jealous anymore?” The same voice they accidentally eavesdropped previously bargained in a teasing tone. 

Smartass and Aaron exchange a bewildered and confused glance. What the fuck did they just said? My Wolf? Was the realistic animal snarl came from the boyfriend!? He must’ve some serious vocal cords and throat to be able to make that sound!

Aaron exhales loudly while Smartass allows him to grab the glass bottle that you were still holding to put it back on the shelf. 

“I think I just lost five years of my life.” Aaron complains.

Smartass said nothing. Without even saying anything, you march to where the couple are. Aaron curses under his breath and quickly chases after you. 

The man in the black leather jacket and his partner glanced at his Smartass when you approached them with a practised smile. One that Aaron knew meant trouble. How could he not when he’s the receiving end of that smile more than he could count. 

When Smartass wants answers, you’ll do everything in your power to get it and Aaron is really not looking forward to wrangling his partner from starting a brawl in the middle of a damn hypermarket. 

“Hi there.” His Smartass began, your body language deceptively open and friendly. “Are you two alright?” 

“Eh?” The one standing beside the tall, frowning man replies with a blink. Upon closer inspection, Aaron realises that he and what looks to be the leader of a local gang are similar in built. 

“Can we help you?” The gang leader interjects. He’s frowning but he doesn’t appear angry. Just confused like his partner. Though he nodded in greeting when Aaron slid up beside Smartass. 

“Didn’t you hear that noise just now?” Smartass plays shock. “It sounded like someone released a wolf in the hypermarket!” 

The man in the leather jacket suddenly looked like he just sucked a lemon; his eyes are comically wide. Meanwhile, his partner’s eyes are equally as wide. Aaron detects a hint of realisation glint in their eyes. Now isn’t that interesting? 

Well, Smartass thought so too. You pressed on. “You heard it too right? Damn near give me a heart attack! I wonder if the nearby staff also heard it - ”

“It’s probably the ventilation system or something.” The gang leader quickly replied, his expression oddly shifted to neutral. Beside him, his partner opens their mouth to say something but he quickly presses his palm over it. They throw a pointed look at him but he resolutely ignores it. “Anyway, good luck with your grocery shopping.” 

Aaron watches him grab his partner by the hand and gently drag them away. It was only when they’re out of sight that they started furiously chatting. 

“Wow, Davey, your slip up was even worse than Asher’s!” 

“We’re so not telling him about this, Angel.” 

“...Does this mean I can tell Babe instead?” 

“Wha - No, that wasn’t an invitation to tell his Mate!” 

Aaron turns to Smartass who just shrugs. Neither of them could figure out what just happened. He’s just glad that you let them escape. 

“Maybe they have some really kinky roleplaying thing going on.” Smartass guessed, wiggling your eyebrows suggestively. 

Aaron runs his palm down his face in exasperation. “I don’t give a shit, Smartass. Can we please just finish up our grocery shopping already? I’m starting to get hungry.” 

“Alright, alright. We just have to grab a few more things and then we can pay.” Smartass assured him and off they continued on their way. 

Though neither of them still couldn’t help but wonder how the hell that man managed to sound like a wolf so accurately. 

Kinky roleplay or not. 

-

I’m tentatively planning to make this into a mini series including the rest of the non-empowered characters with their lovers. I’m already writing for Oliver and Baby so we’ll see how that goes! 

#redacted asmr #fanfic #second pov #they/them pronouns #gender neutral s/o #smartass (listener) #Aaron #david shaw #angel (listener)

[excitedlysuffering]

Green With Envy

It’s past 2am and my eyes hurt so it’s unedited for now sorry y’all😅

Original Request (from Wattpad account): What makes the boys jealous, if possible?

Guest stars: Sasori and Sai!

Masterlist     

Naruto~

Oh, this boy… he’s too oblivious sometimes he doesn’t even know to be jealous. He was at a hot spring with friends once and someone says, “(Y/N) is so hot…” Naruto just grinned and said, “Yeah, she really is.”

But that doesn’t mean he won’t protect your honor. If someone says something a little too… risque like ‘Yeah, I’d tap that’ for example, get ready for more Narutos than you can count all charging you with a Rasengan.

He will not stand other guys cozying up to you. He’s the one who should be blessed with your hugs and cuddles. Won’t hesitate to cause a scene and yell to the entire world that he loves you and won’t let any other guy make a pass at you.

“Naruto, you didn’t need to go that far! You blasted him through three walls!” He’s endearing, really.

Sasuke~

Is jealousy an Uchiha thing or just a Sasuke thing? One of life’s many mysteries. Anywho, unlike Naruto, the second your name is brought up in conversation, he goes on guard and he’s listening closely.

If anything is said that he deems inappropriate, whether it be disparaging or otherwise, Sasuke had better be held back or he just might punch you into next week.

“Sasuke, calm down! He just said I had good taste in clothes!”

Even though he can easily get jealous, he knows the importance of freedom and he trusts you. He won’t come guns blazing (or sword slashing rather) and drag you away unless you need it of course.

The last thing he wants is for you to feel like you’re dating your dad or something. He’s very blunt and if he becomes uneasy with the way another male is talking to you, he’ll let said male know. Maybe after scowling with his Sharingan activated, however.

Neji~

Neji doesn’t really get jealous per se, more like offended on your behalf. Because of his upbringing, which taught him manners and the utmost respect, he really can’t understand talking about girls like they’re objects? Will never refer to a woman as ‘hot’ or anything like that.

If someone even dares speak of you like that, (even if you’re not necessarily together yet) he will fight them, and they will experience the 64 palms technique.

He especially hates people in your personal space. He really does trust you, just not others. Is not afraid to embarrass someone on your behalf. Half the time his glare is enough to scare them off, but some people are just clueless. (They wake up in the hospital)

“Neji! You can’t just throw me over your shoulder and leave! And that guy looked like he had seen a ghost?!” Needless to say, even cool, calm, and collected Neji has his limits.

Shikamaru~

Shika is too laid back to get jealous over little things. Somewhat like Neji, he doesn’t get jealous. He might feel threatened on your behalf, but never jealous. He can trust you with his life why shouldn’t he trust you with your relationship?

However, if someone is clearly harassing you or just generally making you uncomfortable, he will not hesitate to step in and make them leave. He won’t resort to physical violence (too much work), but he will intimidate them or put his genius to use and play some kind of trick on them.

He honestly has endless patience and at the same time no patience? Patience with you if you’re having a pleasant conversation with someone, but will go from 0-100 (or 50, really, anything more is a lot of effort) real quick.

“Shika, that guy thought he was really paralyzed, thanks to your shadow possession!” Being jealous is a waste of time, but clever revenge is always a treat for Shika.

Kiba~

So. Jealous. So. Easily. Kiba is naturally animalistic (in the best way) and just like a dog, can be very possessive. If explicitly asked, he will try to tone down his jealous fits, but will still be protective. If he does have free reign, however, oh boy…

No chill at all, whatsoever. Whether it’s absolutely destroying the object of his rage or just simply making out with you right there. No matter how annoyed he may get, he respects you with every fiber of his being and would never tell you to change or try to control you. He wouldn’t ever embarrass you (unless Kiba and Akamaru pummeling a room full of guys is embarrassing).

Just let him FIND OUT someone is making you feel the slightest bit of unease. One second, they’re chatting you up and then BAM! There’s a flash of white and a huge dog ready to maul them.

“Kiba, what do you mean they all looked at me for too long?! We walked in the door, of course, they turned to look!”

Gaara~

Gaara is a bit of a conundrum, but in a way that makes sense? Like, he doesn’t feel the need to get jealous of guys because when you leave, he’s going to be kissing you goodnight, and he’s the one who gets to spoil you.

However, he will get jealous of little things. Oh, you’ve spent a good amount of time playing with an animal/pet? Be prepared to walk in on Gaara giving them a stern lecture on stealing you from them. Gaara knows he has any potential suitors beat, but tiny adorable animals and children? In his mind, he can never be too cautious.

He gets a little pouty but that can easily be cured with cuddles, sometimes with that evil little pet that stole your affections from him. He can never stay jealous for long, he views it as an unproductive waste of time. He could be actively trying to get your attention, but instead, he’s going to be sulking in a corner? Yeah, no.

“Gaara! Stop scolding my cat, that’s not doing anything!”

Sai~

On the rare occasion that this cinnamon roll gets jealous, he’s confused and shocked. Like just imagine the surprised Pikachu face and that’s him. He knows what jealousy is, he can identify it just fine, but he doesn’t know why he’s jealous.

You aren’t doing anything, all you did was laugh at someone else’s jokes, but still… do you find them funnier than him? Are you going to leave him because he’s not that funny?! Cue the slow onset into insanity… Poor Sai is losing his mind to paranoia and made-up scenarios.

Will most certainly drag you away (gently) from whoever is taking your attention and leave. He doesn’t even bother with a fake smile, they don’t deserve it. He’ll explain to you calmly even though he’s panicking on the inside. Once he is back to normal he’ll show you his nearest artwork.

“What the-! Sai, you can’t just draw caricatures on people’s car!” You don’t even want to know how he figures out which car is theirs...

Kakashi~

Too cocky to be jealous. He has the right to be though because one glance at him without his face mask can cause instant pregnancy. Anywho, he knows you love him and some guy trying to hit on you like some high school douche isn’t going to change that.

He does like to intervene, however, just to flex like ‘yeah, I’m the boyfriend, now get lost’.

He’s not big on PDA, so he won’t start kissing you to ward off strangers, but he will wrap on arm around you or hold your hand and ask who your ‘friend’ is.

When there’s that one stubborn person who won’t take a hint, Kakashi doesn’t mind rocking someone’s world or getting kicked out, he needed to perfect that one offense technique anyways. He’s pretty laid back though, so it has to be somewhat drastic for this though, plus he knows you can handle yourself.

“A thousand years of death?! Isn’t it weird to be poking old men in the butt?!

~Akatsuki~

Pein~

Pfft. Who does he have to be jealous of? He’s a god among mortals, after all. To him, you’re a goddess and as such you belong with someone like him, not the peasants around you.

But on the offhand chance that someone doesn’t heed his godly status, he will not hesitate to pull you into his side and yell ‘Almighty Push’ and totally obliterate that loser. (A/N: Holy crap I think that needs to be a one-shot cuz, wow, Pein being all protective is making me swoon?)

If it’s not a big deal, he’ll easily let you take care of it. If you’re strong enough to catch Pein’s attention, you’re more than strong enough to deal with some lowlife. That doesn’t mean, however, that they won’t feel his wrath too.

If you ever want to witness a true royal rumble, dare someone to mess with Pein’s S/O. It’d be an epic tag team match (slaughter, really) for the ages. One would d be surprised how quick he can lose his cool when it comes to you.

“Pein, that’s the fifth time this month! Kakuzu is going to murder me if I ask for money to fix this wall!”

Deidara~

Need I even say it? Jealous boy all the way. You’re his favorite masterpiece so why should let an uncultured swine who doesn’t even understand your worth touch you? Rhetorical question, he wouldn’t.

He is not above fighting or placing a bomb on someone who gives you one too many glances. He’d make sure they knew it wasn’t art, they weren’t good enough for that, before blowing the offender up.

No one and he means no one gets to talk bad about his S/O. If someone insults you in his presence they might as well as swallowed one of his explosives and trusted him not to blow them up.

Will one 100% hide you from view if you look too appealing. He thinks you look ravishing, but he’s the only one who should be able to think that, in his opinion. Don’t worry, no one’s ever gotten close enough to harass you with Dei around. His one-eyed scowl is a great deterrent.

“Deidara! You blew up my favorite restaurant! He didn’t even say anything to me!”

Sasori~

Would rather die before admitting he was jealous. As adamant about not being jealous as he is about art being eternal. That’s not to say that he won’t take action though. He will use chakra strings to make the perpetrator walk away, meanwhile making them bump into literally everything in the general vicinity.

The two of you don’t leave the base all that often so it’s unusual to see an envious Sasori action, but it’s a real treat when it happens. After he deals with whatever idiot crossed him, he’ll be a bit more affectionate that day/night.

Not huge things, but instead of working on puppets all night, he’d be more apt to hold you that night. Average people hitting on you make him insecure because he realizes he’s not that great at normal relationships but he still doesn’t want to lose you. That feeds into his jealousy and he figures the only way to get rid of it is to make sure those other guys can’t offer anything he doesn’t have.

“Sasori! If you wanted a hug, you could’ve said that instead of treating that guy like a ball inside of a pinball machine!”

#naruto x reader #sasuke x reader #neji x reader #shikamaru x reader #kiba x reader #gaara x reader #sai x reader #kakashi x reader #pein x reader #deidara x reader #sasori x reader #naruto scenarios #jealousy #naruto shippuden #request

[oh-for-fic-sake]

Trophy Chapter Eleven

Masterlist

You try thinking for yourself and Daddy isn't to pleased and its going to end in tears.

Warnings: Adult Situations 18+, Smut, Angst, DDLG, DOM/SUB, Punishment, Spanking, Tawse, Crop, Ass play, Pacifier gag, Wetting, Wedgie, Toys, Humiliation, Overstimulation? and finally FLUFF cos we all need a bit of a cuddle after this shit.

A/N: So I am super nervous about this one...More so than anything I've done before just because of the wetting but it is what it is I've warned you all so read at your own peril. And this is long hence why I couldn't have it in the last chapter lol I hope this makes up for the last one though... I hope you all enjoy

Taglist:  @havenoffandoms​ @aphrodites-punch​ @charlieferret​ @thatgirly81​ @two-unbeatable-beaters​ @fitnees-motivation-2020​ @viking-raider​ @iloveyouyen​ @black-ninja-blade​ @strangerliaa​ @sofiebstar​ @thefangirlsblog​ @thatdamncutegirl

You fidgeted in the seat as Luke sat there smugly, he was pleased you had decided to come. Just a few more weeks and he would be free! free from that tyrannical mad man! no. He couldn't get to excited yet, weeks...It would be at least two before they drag him in to court and you'd sing on the stand! you'd come clean letting them know just how terrible it was to be kidnapped, to be forced into becoming a sex slave for Henry! God! Luke was so giddy he could taste the freedom...And maybe, just maybe if some of Henry's empire was left standing he could take the reigns himself. He looked over to you, you were quiet and different like you were on a mission it was slightly unnerving. You were angry and scared and confused... He could tell but there was a calm that he had only seen on Henry, he must have rubbed off on you...In more ways then one. Unable to take it anymore he broke the silence trying to dig for info. "You holding up there Princess?" you growled clenching her hands into fists still facing forward gulping, you looked wound tight ready to burst. Excellent. Hopefully you'd burst into tears as soon as they got there! what a show that would be! you come running in as a damsel in distress hell if that happened you'd be put into witness protection and he wont see you until the trial! he flinched as you snapped him out of his thoughts snipping at him in a tight angry voice, like a little hell cat hissing at him. "Don't! do not call me princess ever!" "Okay okay I'm sorry...That was thoughtless of me... I suppose you don't like that name huh?  I don't blame you though what he put you through and all" you turned to him rolling your eyes at him. Really? but once he started he couldn't seem to stop, unable to shut him self up. "Not-not that I'd ever understand what he has done to you..We hear it but... We try to stay away-" "Then your complaisant in it? you knew but never helped...You know what it's like? You ever think what it feels like to have someone use you? Play with your body like a fucking toy?...To force themselves on to it? into it? no, no you don't, you try not to don't you? You would rather just turn a blind eye and ignore the screaming girl up in the bed room...You run and hide away like a coward" your words were cold and bit into him, there was an animosity there that he had yet to see in a female was this it? the famed 'girl power' that reared its head in the most dire of circumstances...Shit you were holding up to well,all previous thoughts of a simpering damsel died at your sharp tone...Like ice picks cold and biting, he had to know what you were going to say before he got there to come up with some bullshit excuses. He moved uncomfortably at your words...They hit a little to close to home. "..You decided what your going to tell them?" You gave a tight smile he had no idea what you were about to do, that you'd already figured him out, the man new nothing of subtlety...He was nothing like Henry, he was trying to be but...No there was only one king in this city and he was currently being questioned, you turned to him again and nodded wanting to placate him for the time being. "Yes I have...Do you have the bail money...I don't want to be here to long" "Well that depends of what you tell, them-"you interrupted him he was to be quite frank doing your fucking head in and you needed to focus anything you said today was going to have to be perfect and vague, You shook your head tutting and looked at him exasperated. "I don't have much to say I won't be in there long" you moved your head looking out the window as the building passed you by you had to hold your nerve in there. Had to tell them what you wanted them to know...Nothing else, nothing more. Go in a quick statement and get out with Henry... And when he gets angry; which he will your going to drop Luke in the shit you've had enough of the lies. "Look I can-We can help each other if you'd just tell me what your going to say-" you growled out in annoyance and finally snapped at him. "Could you shut up? for two minuets?  just two fucking minuets?! fuck sake I'm going to deal with it okay..Just don't wanna wind up dead okay just ...Drop it" He got the message and kept his mouth shut the rest of the way not making a sound as he pulled up at the station you got out before Luke could stop you on a mission. You entered and made your way yo the front desk. "I'm here for Cavill are they done yet?" Luke staggered up behind you trying to figure out just what the fuck was going on. Why had you asked about Henry? Wasn't you about to throw him in the shit? you were supposed to throw him under the bus and set Luke free...Or was this cover to get an interview or something?The officer blinked looking to you then Luke before continuing in a bored tone. "And...Who are you exactly?" you steeled yourself trying to be more than you were, wanting to be taken seriously as an adult and...It had been a while since you had that, it was a little daunting. "His girlfriend and this is our driver...What's his bail?" The officer looked at you frowning then to the screen she began typing away giving you sidelong glances as if she knew you. a few moments later she turned back to you. "Err well nothing...Mr Cavill hasn't formally been charged he is still in questioning" you nodded and leaned forward slightly that didn't make sense Luke said? Oh shit!fuck fuck fuck! You should have just stayed home! You faltered realizing just how gullible youd been, if he wasn't arrested then that means the police really didn't have anything on him, you didn't need to make a statement to help Henry out! You quickly decided you needed to get out of here. Try to go wait in the car or something. "When will he be done? its been hours " The woman at the desk shook her head "I'm afraid I can't discuss that with you-" you nodded gojng to walk back out side but Luke gripped your arm in a tight grip, he would not let you walk out of here not when he was so close to getting his way! "I thought you wanted to give a statement about last night you are a witness...I'm sure they would like to here your account of what happened y/n" you swore panicked and tried wriggling out of his grasp but no i was too late. The officer blinked at Luke then to you slowly seemingly remembering something and pointed to you her face lighting up. "Wait Y/n? Your y/n y/l/n?" You frowned at her unsure how she knew who you were but nodded slowly uneasy you looked to Luke who just smiled at you. "Yes how did you?" She nodded to the missing persons board you were there dead center, that hadn't been there previously did they know? "I? What?" The officer got up walking around to your side she looked smug like the cat that got the canary as she came to a stop before you clasping your hands in hers. "We definitely need to take a statement from you, follow me" Luke gave a hard shove making you fall in step behind the officer, you glared back at him but he just stood there stuffing his hands in his pockets he looked pleased with himself as you sent one final glance over your shoulder as you were taken into a room alone with an officer. They would break you, you’d squeal, Henry would go inside and he would be free and take a decent retirement for Henry's stash!

Henry chuckled as he sat there refusing to answer the questions choosing to invoke his right to remain silent...He'd been here hours but he knew they cant keep him long. They have nothing, absolutely nothing on him! they never do. Stephan was mentioned so he knew that little twat was the one behind it..most likely pressing charges, or trying to press charges on him. nothing would come of it he wasn't there he was at home. "Did you have any contact with Stephan last night?" "No comment" was the droll from the bored man. "You did you were seen having an altercation with him last night at your restaurant...a miss Y/L/N was there to" that got his attention the officer smirked as Henry sat up now meaning business, but Henry stopped himself and smirked at the cunt infront of him. "No comment" "...did you know she has been reported as missing for nearly five months Mr Cavill?" "You fucking leave her out of it!" the officer smirked "So you do talk Mr Cavill...you know shes going to need to be questioned Stephan named her as an accomplice...did she know about this incident Mr Cavill?" Henry growled low and leand forward glaring angrily at the officer who flinched back suddenly not feeling so safe in his uniform.Good he shouldn't "No comment" "What is your relationship with miss Y/L/N?" "No comment" "Ah right that’s a shame... She said that your her boyfriend...Should I go tell her you wont even own up to that? it’d only take a moment...Shes giving a statement in the room over" "Bullshit she's at home" "Home? Your home because she isn't at hers" fuck Henry snarled at the little man trying to play a big game...officer rook by his tag...Officer Rook was going to have a nasty fall after all this. Henry's face must have said it all as something else was wrote down then looked up again smirking and carried on.

"So a missing woman you have no ties to is living in your home and calls you her boyfriend?" "Your tricks wont work on me shes at home" a sly smiled crept across officer Rooks face, he knew something Henry didn't and Henry wasn't happy. "Oh no your driver brought her here..Been in that room for just under twenty minuets...I wonder how much faith you have in her" Henry jumped up swearing loudly "Fuck you!" the officer smiled at him "Right well that’s all we needed today Mr Cavill your free to go we will be in touch" Henry was quick to stalk out of the room wanting to get to Luke asap he stopped short as you were escorted out of the room next to him a female officer patting your shoulder. "That’s all miss Y/L/N thank you for your cooperation..We will be in touch if we need anything else" Henry froze his blood ran cold as he watched you move away from the officer you turned and lit up.You little Bitch

You were escorted into a room sitting down with another woman a kind looking woman. She was down giving a convincing smile but you didn't buy it they wanted you to throw Henry under the bus. She offered you a drink but you refused and took a seat instead. "Now..Miss y/l/n we are going to just ask you some questions today about last night? Okay? And if...If there is anything anything at all that you want to let us know we will listen...We have...Ways to keep you safe...Okay?" You nodded deciding it'd be best to play meek little woman for the time being. "Right did you see Stephan last night?" wow she wasn't wasting any time was she? you nodded no point in beating around the bush you wanted this over. "Yes I did" she moved shuffling her papers getting ready for some juicey info no doubt. "Can you tell me about that? What happened?" "He came to the restaurant...Must have followed us there wanted me to take him back, groveling really I said no" she nodded writing down your answer "And by us you mean you and?" "Henry..Me and Henry were having a date night somehow Stephan found out and got in, he wanted me to go back to him...He is my ex and can't move on...He was escorted out after I told him to leave...I don't want to see her again" she hummed writing down everything you said. "So Henry is your boyfriend?" and here we go, twisting the topic trying to find out as much on Henry, last nights incident a ruse to get you in here, just as you expected. You fluttered your lashes like a woman in love, excited and happy you didn't want her to know you knew what she was up to. "Yes! we have been together for a few months...Its serious..Think he might be the one! But Stephan is bitter over it, he doesn't like Henry would do and say anything to split us apart...Stephan and I ended on a bad note" she nodded fraighning a sympathetic look she didn't really give a fuck she wanted dirt on Henry. "A difficult break up?" you shook your head at her this was not going to fall on you! "Sudden...I he had been lying to me and using me I found out and left he wasn't happy...He followed me about scared me then one day he saw me with Henry and I was happy and he got worse" she quickly scribbled down a few more sentences. "And you said you'd been with Henry for a few months...Does that have anything to do with your disappearance?" You faltered heart pounding away did you? Should you? Your mouth went dry.This was it...the moment you could...you frowned should you do it? You came here to get him out, you had no real reason to protect him or give him loyalty.? Accept you loved him...Did you? Was it real this time....There was a painful jab that hit your chest when you thought about never seeing the beautiful man again, it was fleeting but it solidified our resolve. As you opened your mouth to answer she spoke quickly trying to sway your decision. She moved placing a hand on yours on the desk. "Y/n? Are you okay? You can tell me...We can help you" you blinked and slipped your hand back and down into your lap. "No I'm fine I-I was hiding from Stephan... I knew he wouldn't stop bugging me, looking for me and Henry he offered me a place to stay and I've been there ever since we...We fell in love and that was it..." you took a deep breath she didn't believe you but she couldn't discredit you. "So you live with Mr Cavill consensually? Of your own free will?" "Yes I do...I love him..." her face went tight and twitched she wasn't happy. She quickly changed her tone sounding a little snippy with you. "And why now? Why come out here now?" "Because Stephan is trying to ruin my happiness... As far as he is concerned if he can't have me no one can...I'm not sure what he is accusing Henry of...But he didn't do it he was with me all night" she perked up at that looking at you intently "All night? are you sure that he didn't slip away? For ten? fifteen minuets?" you shook you head at her giggling a little. "No he didn't, I'm never left alone when we play" she faltered not understanding what you meant. Good, this will make for an awkward conversation that she will want to end. "Play?"  you smiled blushing a little at her and shifted in your seat. "We have a particular interests... But I can tell you he was with me last night...We had a very intense night" that made her even more confused...And you thought you were being pretty clear so shes either innocent or just fucking dumb! "I don't understand? I'm afraid we need more then that...We need a reason" You looked around the room sighing fuck, fuck fuck! Your gaze traveled back to her your eyes squinted she was pissing you off. "I err...Its embarrassing" you went silent for a few moments looking to your lap picking at your skirt your confidence draining did they need to know...but it was the truth. "Everything is confidential? Right...just-just you and me no one else?" She lightened up sitting a little straighter in her seat thinking you’d changed your mind and was about to tell all.

"Yes, yes of course no one, not even Mr Cavill will know what has been said in here, this is a safe space for you y/n I promise" you blinked and let out a breath "Henry and I we...are into kinky sex...Bdsm...We had a very long and intense BDSM session last night Henry doesn't leave the room when I'm tied up incase things go wrong that's how I know he didn't do anything we were at it most of the night" you watched the woman flush as you spelled it all out for her and make her embarrassed you smirked a little happy that she now felt just as uncomfortable as you did. You knew that face though, she was picturing him naked...You can't blame her for getting all flustered your daddy was a fine specimen~ "So he didn't leave the room?" you bit your lip to stop your giggles when she spoke trying to salvage herself and be professional and finish the interveiw. But instead of making her squirm any more then she obviously was you spoke. "No he didn't" "Not even after you fell asleep? How can you be sure?"" wow this bitch was persistent! You stopped for a moment pausing...Why are you so sure? How could you know for certain that he didn't leave? think! think! she smirked leaning back thinking she had you but suddenly there was an idea out of nowhere and you blurted it out...This will fucking show her! "He fell asleep with his cock in me...Henry is...Large as I'm sure you can imagine...If he had pulled out I'd have woken up.....Now is that all?" You sat smug as she stuttered over her words shaking her head and swallowed dryly. Thats it bitch suck it up Daddy is coming home. "Err yes... Well just to clarify you and Henry were together all night .And you disappeared because you had a bad break up with Stephan and felt unsafe...Y ou moved in with Mr Cavill; of your own free will, and this Stephan has been looking for you,  he found you last night and tried to reconcile?" You nodded as she read back the basics "And you refused him then Mr Cavill had him escorted out?" "No security escorted him out, it was reservation only and he was causing a scene then me and Henry finished our meal and went home where we both stayed all night can I go now?" She nodded placing her pen down "Right... You may need to testify in court if Henry does get charged, or new evidence comes to light" you smiled and nodded to her she was trying to get a reaction...Anything to use you'd give her nothing! She sighed scrunching her face sourly before speaking "I will take you off the missing persons list as well" you stood thanking her as she escorted you out of the room. You followed and looked down the hall at the sound of foot steps seeing a brooding Henry stalking towards you from the next room. Your face lit up as you saw him and the two officers in the hall watched tryingnto notice any little strange details. But you ignored them both.

Henry! he was okay! You smiled turning to him and ran he looked angry but in that moment you didn't care you were just happy to see your daddy unharmed...Not that you thought the police would touch him but you had your doubts. He returned your hug stiffly rubbing your back tucking into into the crook of your neck and whispered harshly in your ear "What the fuck are you doing here little girl?" You pulled back ignoring his anger for a second knowing the officers were still watching you closely. "Shut up and kiss me" you lunged forward catching him by surprise he quickly played along moving his lips against yours moaning kissing you deep putting on a show for the police... It worked as they cringed looking away. You pulled back slowly and gasped whispering quietly. "Are you alright?" "I'm fucking livid! You are in so much trouble you have no idea whats in store for you little girl now move it!" You gasped looking up at him hurt why was he mad? Did he think you’d betrayed him? "Your..I thought you'd be happy to see me daddy... I came to help" he frowned and began walking down the hall ushering you out of the exit. "I didn't need your fucking help! I needed your obedience...You've made it worse no doubt! Just be quiet you've done enough!" You whined as he marched you to the car opening the door for you letting you climb in, you turned to him as he went to shut the door. "H-Henry please I was-" he raise a hand pointing a shaking finger at you trying to curb his anger and slapped a hand harshly on the roof of the car hissing at you. "Enough! ....E-fucking-nough!  Not a word!...You hear me?! not a single fucking peep! I'm so angry with you!" You flinched leaning back looking like a kicked puppy, why wont he listen? Why isn't he giving you a chance to explain? You had to try you moved looking up blinking away the tears blurring your eyes. "But daddy-?" He growled and leaned into the car pushing you to sit properly shoving and twisting you to face forward showing restraint he didn't want to hurt you yet. "What did I just say? Not a word! I don't want to hear a peep out of you! Not a whine whimper or sigh! You will wait until daddy wants to talk to you and not a second before!" You whimpered looking down trembling your bones shaking under the force of your fear ,he slammed the car door with an angry grunt and stalked around the back of the land rover getting in sitting next to you. He shut the door bringing a hand up to his face rubbing the bridge of his nose with a sigh he had a head ache coming. He cast you a severe look "Stop it...Little one stop your sniveling you know I wanted you at home....Put your seat belt on...Put it on now!" you ignored him to upset to really register what he said you just shivered replaying his dark angry tone controlled...Barely had you fucked up? you squeaked as he swore and lean’t across you tugging the seat belt and clipped it in harshly "Put your fucking seat belt on and stop fucking crying!" he moved tilting your head to face him, you jerked back at the cold fury lurking in his eyes. "Just wait until we get home!" you whined and quickly covered your mouth in panic not meaning to make a sound you were trying to e a good girl but it was hard when you felt so put out.

The ride home was quiet you glared out of the window feeling put out. You just wanted to help. Henry sat next to you his fist at his side on the seat you turned feeling more upset by the second. You shuffled forward to him but he didn't look at you just glowered out the window. You looked down, you shouldn't have let Luke get to you, you sniffled wiping at your eyes in vain as tears began to fall. Henry tutted at you as you cried quietly.Luke finally pulled into the garage and got out he looked back noticing that neither of you were moving. "Drop the keys and fuck off out..Everyone I want the house to myself now get fucked!" Luke sighed and nodded dropping the keys on the back seat between you and left quickly without a word. You both sat there in silence for a few seconds you were to afraid to move and Henry was to angry. He was fuming you, how? How could you go in there and tell them anything? Did you? was he wrong about you? He loved you so much, had he been blind sided? He spared you a glance it broke his heart seeing you so upset but, he was just to angry with you. He wanted to know what was said. The flicked his gaze over to where Luke had disappeared to. That was another question, the officer said Luke had brought you there. So just what the fuck was he playing at? Had you and Luke settled your differences to frame him? Or was there something more... Did you like Luke? Was he fucking you behind Henry’s back? All these thoughts raced around his head making him angrier by the second. He couldn't stand it anymore. Henry’s dark voice made you jump when he finally spoke "You embarrassed yourself today and you embarrassed me...I'm very disappointed in you and very very angry" You froze as he said this looking to him, even in this intimidating state  you couldn't help admire him, he was just to perfect to handsome and strong. His jaw twitched flexing the muscles in his shoulders and neck, his eyes had become a dark royal blue fury blurring the normally bright irises. You took a deep breath before trying to do some damage control. "I-I'm sorry I just thought-" Henry snapped his head to you and sneered menacingly, he looked like a bully like a cruel man...He looked like a mob boss all cold and fierce. "You thought what? That I needed you? That you had to come and save me? They had nothing until you opened you stupid fucking mouth!" You flinched whimpering shrinking back into your shoulders you couldn't find any words that could help calm him down but nothing you thought of would help. "I-I didn't mean to... I'm sorry" "You fucking better be little girl! Let me make something abundantly clear to you...Last night was wonderful! A step in the right direction....But nothing has fucking changed...Absolutely nothing you are not my equal! You are not even fucking close, your a baby girl, my a pet, my little fuck toy! And you have got a hell of a long way to go before I think of you as anything more then that...You just want to hope that these charges are dropped!" His word hit you hard, the most spiteful thing he'd ever said to you. You gulped trying to brush off the hurtful comments, telling yourself they were said in anger. But the damage was done, it felt like a hot poker jammed in your windpipe hitting you with a crushing force...Nothing had changed? Last night this morning? It had meant everything to you and...Nothing to him just another game, just another round in this whole shit fest you hiccuped through your quiet sobs. "Daddy I just wanted-" he growled at you flexing his fingers as he snapped at you again throwing his arms out in anger slapping the leather of the seats. "Oh I know what you wanted and for your sake I hope you fucking chickened out or you have got hell to pay!" you looked to him wide eyed did he really think you'd rat him out? that you'd leave the station with him if you'd told them everything? "I didn't tell them about...I just said last night you were with me and that Stephan came to the restaurant..That’s all" "That’s all you better have said little girl! You better be telling the truth and trust me I will have a copy of your statement by the end of the week and if your lying things are going to get very very unpleasant for you... So if I was you I'd think long and hard about what you need to tell daddy" you blinked up at him trembling his voice was tight and firm, low he had that terrifying calm and collected anger...You-almost felt impersonal...It sounded like when he spoke to Fletcher, even though he called you by your pet name you felt like you'd stopped being his little girl and was now just business, something he had to put up with, rather then something he cherished. The thought of losing him despite lying for him made you cry harder you still tried keeping your sobs quiet wanting to still be his good girl, he told you to be quiet and you couldn't even do that! You just felt so bad. He was angry so so angry your stomach twisted you were scared, scared of what he was going to do when you get upstairs, scared of what the police would do if they would try to use you against him? But most of all you were scared that in some stupid miscalculation you'd just destroyed the relationship you had with this awfully addictive man. You panicked apart of you debating whether you should run but you stayed looking down ready to face what ever Henry was going to throw at you this time however you felt like you deserved it...You'd take anything he through at you and once his anger had settled and you proved how sorry you was you could explain, what you said why you were there...Tell him about Luke and how he had tricked you and put you on the spot. After that all you could do was hope he would believe you. You'd be his good girl until he forgave you....If he ever did. "Now go wait in the office daddy has to get a few things...Wait in the corner hands on your head" you trembled again and moved slowly unbuckling the seat belt, you gave him one last pleading look but he wasn't looking at you instead he was fiddling with the car keys luck had left on the seat. You were distraught he really wasn't even going to let you explain? He was just going to punish you? You jumped out of the car then ran up the stairs into the house crying your heart out as you realized that maybe you truly meant nothing to him? that this man who you fell in love with was just toying with you and was going to throw you away once he was bored.

You cried the entire time standing in the corner your hands twisting the sleeves of Henry's sweater nervously as you had them placed on the top of your head, one slipped down occasionally to wipe your face. You were on edge terrified...What if he getting the ginger out again? the thought made you bottom clench painfully.... What if he had something worse? you shuddered at the thought was there worse? you shook the trembles making you panic and struggle to keep your breathing steady hiccuping and freaking out but you stayed standing as still as you could, you wanted to be good, you'd take everything he decided you needed then...Then what? would things be as good as they was this morning? Even though it wasn't real and he didn't mean it... Another wave of tears started and you coughed wiping your eyes and nose not wanting to be a snotty mess when he came up here. Thankfully or... Regrettably? You wasn't alone too long maybe twenty minutes or so Henry came into the office, you didn't peek you didn't want to. You heard a few items being moved and closed your eyes pressing you forehead to the wall sobbing louder. Henry turned snapping his fingers at you in warning. "Hey!...That’s enough you knew what you'd get...Now stop your pathetic crying you don't have a reason to yet little girl..." you took a deep shaking gasp biting your lip trying to curb your almost hysterical crying long high whines still crept front you against your will. You heard rattling and something being spread out over the sofa and something like a pot being place on the hard wood floor. He was calm it seemed ,well he wasn't slamming things. It wasn’t long before he came up behind you you shook knees knocking as he stood right close, his thighs skimming your ass you took a deep breath closing your eyes you dared not even breath! Henry shushed you moving your hair back combing it with his fingers gently until it was all behind you then pulled it into a ponytail still hushing you. The soft words and slow fingers did nothing to calm you, it made you anxious he was preparing you for something. "Hush now...Calm down pet, that’’s it good girl...Now you know daddy doesn't like to hurt you...No no no he doesn't but when you are naughty; and you have been very naughty he has to correct you...doesn't he pet?" The words were slow and collected a deep voice made deeper by his mood it was a tone that commanded obedience and the power to sway ones opinion with clever words. You jumped whimpering when he moved his hands from your now secure hair drawing faint lines down your back placing his large palm to your lower back then drew his hand down to the hem of his sweater that drowned you. "Today you will learn to mind me~ learn that when I put you somewhere,  when I tell you to stay you will stay there until I call you or collect you." He bite his lip at your tremble as much as he hated scaring you and much as he knew what he was about to do would most likely set you back a week or so he couldn't help be aroused by our fear. It did delicious things to you, your whole body trembled goosebumps rose across the plains of your soft supple skin and your breathing became shallow, labored whines and mewls wrapped up in each soft pant...And your eyes stunning beautiful and deep made lighter when all glassy wet with tears. As much as he would love to see them right now he needed you to obey to prove yourself, be his good little baby. He needed to know he could trust you. He also needed prove a point. "You are a pretty little thing like this, so sweet and innocent...Naive, but very very stupid much like a doll pretty to look at but nothing behind the eyes" His words were a baritone growl but what frightened you was you sounded like a thing...Not a person, he had always called you baby girl, little one..Pet but never, he had never objectified you like that before you were never just a thing. Never a doll, dolls were objects, things they were lifeless.The word coiled tight digging its way into your chest biting and ripping making you sob and panic. "Did you think daddy would let this go?..." he moved pulling the sweater higher drawing out gosebumps as he went, you were naked below no vests or bra...You didn't need them you were meant to be indoors all day. He growled when you didn't answer and tugged the sweater harshly slipping it through your fingers and dumped it carelessly on the floor. He grabbed your neck making you squeak and shake your head but fought the urge to grab him moving your hands back into position, planted firmly on your crown fingers interlocked and digging into each other. His fingers dug into your neck slowly cutting off your airway. He moved his face closer grunting in your ear a viscous whisper the words sharp and taunting. "Answer me princess! Did you think I'd let your naughtiness go? That I'd fucking let you get away with being such a back stabbing little cunt!?" You yelped as he shook you harshly you had to shift your feet to keep from tripping over your feet as his brute strength almost pulled you off your feet. But hearing a pet name did make you feel better not much but you were almost sure he wasn't going to kill you, which in your eyes became a real possibility when he sent everyone away. "No-o! No da-daddy I DIDN'T-I..I DONT DADDY PLEASE I'M SORRY PLEASE I DIDNT TELL THEM I SWEAR! PLEASE DONT-" you curled down sobbing louder fighting the urge to move, to turn and clutch at him all you wanted was in that moment was him. For him to reassure you, but what you got was biting words as he snapped at you. "Enough! Your getting what you deserve! Think you can best me do you? Well daddy has ways of keeping his little girl in line! You are mine! You hear me? Mine your mind body and soul belong you me!" In his rant he had released your neck all but ripped your skirt off and froze snarling. You did to knowing he had seen the panties you'd stupidly forgot to kick off when you came up here. "What are those?..." you went to twist to look at him but he snapped his fingers at you with a growl making you snap back up straight looking at the wall. Henry shook his head, had you been allowed to look at him you’d have seen his blue eyes blazing with disbelief and glee? Like he was happy he had another thing to punish you for. Despite what he said about not wanting to punish you he did, in his mind there was nothing better then punishing a naughty pet. He licked his bottom lip and pointed at the thin cotton, then snapped his head up? When he didn't say anything more you did turn tilting your head around and down to peek at the offending undies. "No don't fucking look at me! I asked you a question! Get your nose in the corner! What are these?" He moved a hand to sit on your covered ass and pinched the fabric you hissed as he caught a tiny bit of skin and whined jumping forward. "I..D-daddy please! I'm sorry" you jumped when he moved swiftly landing a hot slap to your bottom more followed heating your cheeks quickly making you squirm and jump trying to stand still yet wanting to throw yourself tighter into the corner to escape his palm. The tutted at your twisting hips and grabbed them in bot hands jolting you back to stand straight. "Keep your ass still! Now what are they? Hmm because they look like a pair of big girl panties on a little baby!...now what are they? You better start talking little girl!" He gave a few more strikes to your tender bottom then smoothed his hand over the cheeks smiling at the pink marks that frames the tiny undies, you bounced on your tip toes hissing and yipping at the light burn.

"P-panties! P-PANTIES I'M SORRY!please please daddy I'm sorry daddy" he tutted at you and pulled the elastic around one of the leg holes and plucked it stretching it letting it snap back making you yelp louder as it left a strip on your already sore bottom. He smiled at the cute sound. He wasn't to angry now,  he hadn't been since he took a quick breather in your bedroom but he was annoyed in fact he was having fun. He wouldn't be touching you if he was truly angry but you didn't seem to know that, and you didn't need to know either your fear would make his punishment sink in. "And what the fuck are they doing concealing that little cunt from me? Huh? What have I said about them?" His voice was almost teasing daring you to play up ,to ignore him and answer him. He plucked at them again letting it snap back painfully in the same spot as before making the tiny red welt raise throbbing. "I'm n-not allo-wed th-them o-on daddy" you shook trying to catch your beath your ass already alight and stinging the nerves warmed by his impossibly hard palm. "That’s right but if you want them on? fine you get to fucking keep them on!" He moved forward quicker than you could react fisting his hand in the back of the panties and pulled them high. You screamed moving your hands to the wall in front of you trying to stabilize  yourself. You screeched high and loud as he lifted you up by them, your weight falling into the gusset the undies crushing painfully on your cunt slipping violently between your lips then went back. It hurt as the thin cotton disappeared up between your cheeks stinging and burning your insides from the friction. You felt like you were going to be split in half when he tugged higher your toes just skimming the floor but couldn't take any of your weight. "No-daddy please stop-it hurt's daddy!" He clicked his tongue and moved his hand that held your panties side to side rubbing on your little pucker making it throb painfully, you wasn't sure what was worse the panties crushing your mound and clit or the burn of your panties rubbing the sensitive skin on the inside of your cheeks. "Kick off your shoes" you obeyed hoping he would let you down afterwards, quickly flicking the shoes off but he didn't let you down he held you there making you wince and cry out in pain panting and hissing through your teeth fat tears streamed from your squinted eyes. "This is what happens, daddy doesn't want to have to go over this with you again, if he does I will hang you up by them on the coat pegs in the foyer for everyone to see a naughty baby's cunny get its just deserts" he threatened in a deep voice sending chills down your spine. You nodded agreeing to anything if it will make him set you down. You panted taking deep breaths between your whines and pleas slapping at the wall. Trying to stop your feet from scrabbling around for purchase, each movement made your weight rock on the uncomfortable hold he had. Henry smirked and lowered you slowly and sighed at he let your feet got back to the floor he held your panties taught still. "You will not wear these again without permission if you do I'm going display you and then give you the injection and you will have no need to have any panties at all ever understand?" You nodded crying into your hands just thankful you wasn't still being held up by your ass.

Henry smiled and let go, good now that was out of the way he could move on. He captured your hands at they crept back to peel the cotton from its wedgie position he slapped them just clipping your hands with his fingers creating a swift sting. "Leave it you wanted them on remember now face me and keep those hands on your head" you turned whimpering hands back on your head. Your stomach dropp at what he was holding, an adult pacifier locking into the center of a long lilac piece of leather. You cringed shaking your head as him whining. "Nooo! no ple-please daddy I'm not-I'm not a baby please!?" He just tilted his head at you as if to say 'really?' And moved forward holding the nub at your mouth the kept your mouth shut tight but he just huffed at your reluctance.

"Open or I will open it for you, you need to be reminded that your not a big girl...But you don't want to be a little girl either it seems so now you are a baby; my baby now open your mouth" you mewled and opened up a tiny bit not really sure you wanted to see how he'd open it for you. "Good girl~ You see daddy has decided you have spoken quiet enough for one day pet he doesn't want to hear you~" Henry smiled a wicked grin nodding to you and forced the large nuk into your mouth he chuckled watching you cringe as you got your first taste of the rubber, he chose this particular  pacifier because of its size, large with an orthopedic tip that flattened out. It would pin your tongue down keeping your voice muffled and you'd sound just like a cute little baby girl! He gave a lopsided grin as he secured the gag around the back of your head watching you carefully as you eyes widened, ah there it was you really were getting a taste now. But the other plus with the tips size was it held quite a lot of fluid. You’d find in a few moments that the tip wasn't meant to be a murky golden color oh no.

That was the watered down vinegar and bitter lemon mix, not strong enough to burn your tongue but it tasted vile and the pin prick hole on the bottom would drip feed the concoction onto your taste buds, a fitting punishment for a tattle tale he thought.

"You will learn to keep your mouth shut after this pet" You pouted around the rubber in your mouth unused to the feel of your tongue being so restricted. Your eyes snapped open as you could taste something, sour and bitter it was...disgusting you whined shaking your head and gagged again as the bitter taste got worse you moved your tongue trying to escape the awful taste but soon found it was coming from the trapped rubber teet....It was being drip fed into your mouth coating your tongue. You spat trying to spit it out but is was to late as Henry had made sure it was firmly wedged between your teeth. "There she is just a little baby...A little naughty baby now go kneel on the sofa and put your head on the seat...Off you go... go on shoo" You cringed as he patted your bottom as the waddled slowly making your way over to the leather suite. It was slow going taking baby steps as each step made your ass and pussy rub against the trapped cotton. Henry didn't seem to mind trailing behind you probably admiring the view.

The journey was painful and pleasant all in one confusing messy of sensations, the thin fabric had slipped either side of your clit and pinned it tight to your pubic bone your steps made it move, the undies massaging the little bud from either side. By the time you got to the sofa you wasn't sure if the throbbing was from pain or not. You whined uncomfortably as you got into position slowly praying that he couldn't see the slight we spot you knew you left on the cotton, your pussy weeping slowly becoming needy. You tipped your head placing your forehead on the seat and looked at your legs. You squeaked as he came over and spread your knees so you could see him standing there just behind you. You whimpered embarrassed by having your undies still stuck so far up your hiney bending over had just made the material press tighter on your pussy your clit felt bruised throbbing and alive. Through the pain and humiliation you felt it, your arousal body coming to life under his harsh treatment. The beginnings of humiliation on a completely different level, you bit your lip trying to will away the sensations but it was hard. You turned your face to the side and wept. "Aww whats wrong little one I thought you wanted them on? You want daddy to take them off now baby girl?" He smoothed his hands over your back as he taunted you pulling at the loose fabric that hung over your lower back. "I-it hur-tss daddy! I'm my...Its ssore daddy Pl-pleasse take them off daddy pleasse" you begged around the bitter plastic in you mouth you flushed as your words came out distorted like a baby you had a lissp and just like a baby you were dribbling all over your chin you tried sucking it up but it just made more of the disgusting taste from the paci seep into your mouth closing your eyes as you wept quietly into the leather sofa "Aww baby whats sore? Your little clit? Hmm is it pinching? Or is your pucker thats sore?" You bit your paci and nodded squirming and pressing back trying to ease the tension. "B-BO-FTH DADDY! BOFTH...it's ss-sore pleasse pleasse! I don't like it!" He smirked and moved his hands over your back then down chuckling as he went. You grimaced as he pried apart your cheeks whistling low running his thumbs along the inner skin of your cheeks making you whine your holes twitching. Your pussy muscles coiling around itself empty and unsatisfied you groaned feeling another small rush of arousal coat the cloth stuffed against the wanton hole. "Ah ah! No chewing your pacifier~ if that nub comes off my little baby might swallow it and choke.....Now lets see about these panties....Oh my they have gone quite high haven't they baby?... Panties aren't as good an idea as you thought? Are they my little love?.... But no, daddy will not take them off yet. Your going to get your spanking with them right wear they are and when I do finally pull them off trust me you'll wish they were there to protect your little pucker." You sobbed shaking slapping at the leather weakly tears dripping down your face joining the spittal that covered your cheeks smearing around the guard of the pacifier. You peaked through your legs as he moved stepping back releasing your cheeks letting them snap back into place you hissed the action made the cotton move again clenching tight in instinct trying to push away the discomfort. Henry moved the few feet over the room to the implements he had brought down, he had chosen the most severe your punishment wouldn't be long, he could easily split skin with some of these. No it wouldn't be long but it would be effective, you will learn that pain is not the worse of punishments no, now humiliation that was a very effective tool. And to top it off he wasn't going to restrain you, you would hold position or he would start again. He smirked picking up his first choice, a tawse. Painful and biting it left deep red welts that lasted days you'd be a very sore baby. He would have to be careful no more then ten he ha decided this implement was very unforgiving and with the others he planned to use today he didn't want to over do it. You quivered staying as still as you could knowing that anything  you did out of turn would make him even angrier. You held your shuddering breaths cringing as you almost blew bubbles in your own saliva as he approched...What is that? What the fuck is that!? You almost jumped up when he stopped a breah away from you, the long strip was tucked out of sight but you knew what you saw that was a strap or-or a belt!

Henry could feel your panic and placed the tawse on your bare back letting you take a few guesses at what it was. You trembled panting panicking he frowned, he wanted you on edge, frightened not panicked and nearly passing out. He sighed and picked deciding it was best to ease some of your worries he moved it up letting it fall with a resounding slap on the leather by your side

"Look...Now this~ is your tawse but daddy will be calling it your strap, it stings and has a very nasty bite...you will get ten and then we will move on daddy has a few things he wants to make clear in this little correction, not everything is fixed with a spanking." You whimpered shifting as you turned to look at the long implement of your own doom. It was long about fourteen the fifteen inches long, about six of them was a flat sturdy handle the rest well, it was a strap long and flexible made of durable old leather. Despite looking old it was well maintained shiny like it had been oiled recently. The strap itself was two inches wide a small long v cut from the tip down to the handle, it'd swing faster. You couldn't explain the dread as he picked it up quickly looking between your legs seeing him ready himself.

"Count...You can do that cant you baby? Count to ten that’s how many daddy wants to give you... but its really up to you, being the big girl you tried to be daddy will let you decide....If you move-If you can't hold still then daddy will start all over~ So I should hope you do stay still as daddy doesn't want to be here all evening remember no biting that paci either~" you squirmed shuddering with new cries terrified.

You heard the movement, the swish as the strap cut through the air. Then he slap it was loud and sounded viscous...almost as viscous as it felt. You rocked forward and screamed high around the rubber the hit had been high on your rump and most hit the panties that gave no protection what so ever.

"Count Baby what was that?" You heaved deep breaths in shock of jus how bad that stung.

"One! It-I daddy I can’t pleassse Itss bad!" You sobbed digging your nails into the lather suite moving side to side.

"I’m sure it is but baby I can see your wet little pussy~ so it cant be to bad can it my love now ready? Daddy wants this over with, you have this and one more spanking and if your god daddy will make you feel better afterwards now straighten up the next few will be faster" you groaned catching your breath barely as he moved striking you in three quick consecutive slaps each lower then the one before. You called out the numbers two three and four screaming and bucking rocking wanting to get away but didn't want to start over, your cheek hotter than ever, the burn was extreme. You could feel the welts rise in an almost pins and needles tingle that remained. You kicked your foot up and through your hands back.

"No nonono DADDY PLEASSSEE I CANT STOP PLEASE" he simply moved your hands away.

"Well don't do the crime if you can't do the time...haha well that applies to you anyway...Now put those hands down...Now little one....In fact place them under your head...That’s it like that if I hit your fingers I could break one now you stay right there!"you whimpered putting your hands under your forehead as he waited he tugged the panties up a little more ad smiled

"Oh baby? Look a little wet spot? Are you excited? Its very cute that even when I’m spanking your naughty little bottom you still want me~" you whined as he peppered another four strikes up and down the legnth of your ass and thighs the same stinging lighting a fire on your skin.

"Noo Da-ddYYY SSTOP!" You cried harder almost choking on the pacifier. Humiliated that your pussy clenched with each hit making you cringe knowing he was looking, you could feel his eyes on it. You wailed as loud as you could with the rubber teet in your mouth every movement and sound making your mouth flood with the nasty taste that was still dribbling out onto your tongue making you cough as it went down your throat forcing you to swallow and suckle more out a nasty cycle. Henry grunted as you got louder kicking your feet before screaming as he landed another harder strike.

"Stop that noise this instant!! Honestly screaming the house down because you ended up having a well earned spanking....You know to damn well deserve it little one!" Henry's scold made you quiet down more out of fear of making him start again then actual obedience. "Two more than we are done with your strap... The final two fell and you sobbed into the leather below you adding to the puddle of dribble and tears that had formed already. He sighed rubbing your back moving his hand down to your still wedged undies and tugged slowly you sighed in relief as he pulled the trapped cotton from your ass quickly threading your legs out of the cotton with ease.

"Thank you, thank you daddy!" You sobbed Henry hissed a breath looking at your blistered ass the welts were bright and thin littering you ass in clean sweeps he could count the number of strikes he had dealt. He pressed a palm you them. You leand forward trying to rock away but he didn't let you instead rubbed softly barely grazing the strikes. "Tch Shh shh I know little one you are being a good girl... That’s it love all done see daddy hasn't got your strap now he put it away~....So so brave, brave little baby girl....But you need to learn your not Your not all grown up are you? Say it...come on tell daddy" you flushed at his words but moved to look up at him. He had nothing in his hand he moved to stand behind the sofa letting you sit up on your knees to see him.

"I'm a-a little gi-girl...A bad litt-le girl daddy!-I'm bad! I'm sorry!" He chuckled at the despair in your voice he moved forward kissing your head wiping at your tears he smiled when you moved nuzzling him sweetly trying to savor the affection. "No baby no your not bad...you were naughty and your nearly all finished...But daddy is happy that you understand your not grown up...Your not a big girl... you are a horny little one though whats all this?~" You shivered as he moved around you again holding out his hand glistening from the arousal on them. You flushed at him and moved your face away whining he chuckled wiling the fingers on your back and stepped away. "We will deal with that after this baby girl now spread your legs a bit wider...Come on now don't play up now when we are soo close to finishing my love...That’s it good girl I promise you behave just a little while longer and daddy will help with your little tingles" you flushed at the matter of fact way he had blurted it out. You spread your legs and not a few seconds later his hand appeared placing a small decorative bronze pot under your spread aching legs.

"Da-daddy? Whats? What are you-" you frowned as he disappeared from behind you making his way around the sofa as he spoke.

"Shh love this is just incase you make a mess you'll see now hold still you'll get ten on your little pucker and that's all your spankies out of the way and then we can move on, daddy will give you a little reward for being such a sweet baby and doing as your told and you can tell daddy exactly how you betrayed him~" you looked up at him over the back of the sofa blinking at him then frowned not sure you heard him, he was going to strike your actual asshole? He couldn't mean it could he? You shifted your eye to the long slim crop knowing he definitely meant it. You panicked as shifted starting to plead with him not wanting to go through something that sounded to painful. "NO NO PLE-PLEASE DA-DADDY I DONT WANT- I'D NEVER-" You jolted but he was ready quick to capture your jaw and pull you towards him and the back off the sofa straddling the bronze pot. "Oh no little one...Daddy has to know to teach you a lesson because daddy loves you...He loves his little one so much...And because I love you I have to teach you these hard lessons...Its for your own good" You moved back but he moved holding your jaw lightly moving tucking the tip of his thumb under the pacifier sheild running over your wet lip pressing up ton the tiny sliver of teet you whined as he action squirted the last few drops of the nasty mixture from it onto your tongue he smiled and shushed you. "That's it baby I know...I know its scary but I'm not going to be to hard on you..I promise just this then your punishment is over and you can have a reward for being such a good girl...Does that sound nice yeah?...Yes I know and we can get this icky paci out and clean you up" You moaned pitifully nodding resigning yourself to his final punishment praying he kept his word and wouldn't hit you as hard as he had with the tawse you don't think you could stand it

"That’s it good girl stay down...Your being so good, such a good girl just ten baby girl and you wont have to count...That’s it back down stay still"you crouched down he wasted no time swinging the crop making the end flick across your ass just clipping he tight ring of muscle, you could tel it was more of a wrist flick than a full blown swing but it was enough. You jolted up again trying to close your legs but couldn't with the bowl sat between them. Henry sighed capturing the back of your neck and pressed down keeping you bent your head on the back of the seat.

"Stay still love nine more...Just nine then its all over" you shook your head at him heaving deep breaths groaning and mewling as your ass burned that was torture you never realize just how tender it could be you felt the ring of muscle contracting against the sting that lingered.

"Now now you asked for this~ you disobeyed your daddy...I did warn you last time I had gone easy on you this time you are not as lucky now nine more" he moved quickly flicking the crop across your pucker then moved making it curl around to your front. You whined bucking away terror struck you as you quickly felt the need to go  realizing suddenly why he had placed the bowl under you, it wasn't a bowl it was a chamber pot, you shook as he struck the same way again making that terrible feeling grow you couldn't even protest. A harder strike landed just on your pucker then another even harder well placed strike. You cringed trying desperately to hold it but it was difficult each strike made you buck and tense your stomach contracting placing more pressure on your bladder. One final vicious sounding snap of the crop was all it took you cried out sobbing loudly as you began peeing into the pot below you.

Henry stopped at the sound mission accomplished. He wanted to show you how much of a little girl you really were, to humiliate you and show you just how small you were and how much control he could have over you if he wanted. He grinned looking down as you sobbed embarrassed and heart broken he moved tilting your head up to face him, eye contact was key here you couldn't forget he was here watching listening he shook his head tutting. "Oh whats this? Oh I thought you were daddy’s big girl? I thought you wanted to be a big girl from the way you went and spoke to those officers....Daddy thought his little girl was all grown up! And could handle her spanking?....But no your not a big girl are you? Big girls don't wet themselves" you cried out in pain and humiliation as once the trickle started you couldn't stop, you cringed looking down as your peed into the small chamber pot he had tucked below you. You squinted your eyes shut trying to remove yourself wanting to ignore your surroundings but it was hard you could hear your humiliation as you continued to empty your bladder into the pot. Henry smiled at your discomfort he knew this would happen, fuck he planned for it to happen many subs couldn't handle there bladders when struck so precise on their little pucker's... Especially on their firs asshole whipping. "Oh baby look you must really needed to go? no self control at all huh baby...Maybe your not a little girl? maybe you are a baby?" you pouted and whined shaking your head and gagged again as the bitter taste was still being drip fed into your mouth coating your tongue this was something altogether different just knowing he saw you peeing was mortifying a punishment in itself, you cried out pitifully. "See! Your just a silly little baby can't even ask to use the potty~ such an embarrassing little girl!...Hold on daddy has some we wipes to clean up his little one stay" you shuddered sniffling in and whining when you left him come back behind you taking away the now quater full chamber pot. You hissed as he moved a cool wet wipe over your folds but he didn't top there moving up and down cleaning your arousal from your labia making sure to be thorough. "Oh sweety that was only seven! But you did have an accident so daddy will let you off the other three... wouldn't want you to wet yourself again would we?" You sniffled ashamed nodding as he Continued to wipe around your privates then threw the wipes away out of sight. And walked back behind his desk taking a seat deciding to give you a few moments smiling when you stayed perfectly still. A good obedient girl who knew her place, waiting for him to give the okay for you to move. As it should be.

Henry twisted in the seat staring at your down turned head the way you curled up on the sofa embarrassed and heartbroken you were a very sorry little girl as you should be!. He rolled his fingers flexing them leaning his elbow on the desk watching your body shudder from the shock of his rough punishment...A part of him...A very cruel sinister part wanted to leave you there alone in your despair to deal with the aftermath by yourself. Make you beg him, realize you needed not just his love and his comfort  but also his permission...But he couldn't, he loved you despite what you'd done, despite how hard you'd just made things he couldn't leave you alone in this state no self respecting daddy forgoes aftercare not even for the worst offenses.Sighing he rounded his desk pouring himself a scotch he felt better but was still on edge. Once the crystal tumbler was half full he walked to the leather sofa placing it on the table beside it stepping over the chamber pot he'd covered and left by the desk out of sight. You shivered and whined hoarsely as he shifted you ,you wriggled wanting to be left alone but he wouldn't let you.You wept sorrowfully as he patted your bottom again and tipped you up sitting on the sofa beside you quickly seating you on his thick thighs you hissed at the friction of your welts on his soft trousers hiccuping. He tilted you bak a little one arm around your back holding one of your arms drawing small circles on your skin pulling goosebumps. One hand unbuckled the pacifier letting it fall to the floor and he wiped across your mouth cleaning you up with his disguarded sweater you'd been wearing. "Shush...That's it such a good girl its all over now all over love now can daddy have a peek? I know I caught your little pussy my love let me see....Come on baby girl open up... That’s it good baby" you let him pry your thighs apart the hand that was on your arm now holding your still quivering thigh. You blushed and whined when he lowered his head to look. Henry bit his lip he really had caught you, no wonder you were squirming and crying as you were. You were red and swollen, the hood of your clit supported a red outline of the crop. There was no cuts or grazes though which was good he moved his fingers prodding at you. Despite your wailing you had found some pleasure in the ordeal...He would have to explore this little masochistic side of yours at a later date for now he would reward your good behavior. "Not to bad darling, its not to bad a little pink but its hard to see around all your mess! Look huh? Your reward wont take long love" you shook your head trying to clamp your legs shut having had just about enough. He chuckled as you tried fighting his hold. "No no! Now come on baby...you earned it being so good for daddy and taking your punishment like a good little girl!" He maneuvered you holding you open you panted at him as you felt the cool air on both holes again. Your pussy was alive  twitching trying to find something to latch on to. You jolted when his other hand moved to you clit holding a standalone rabbit ear clit simulator,  it was tucked in his hand snugly. "No no ple-PLEASE IT'S SOOOORREE no no no no! I can’t da-daddy pleas i want a nap no nooo" he shook his head ignoring you and smiled placing the soft rubber to your erect throbbing clit and pressed it on you bucked yelping not realizing just how aroused you were it must have been lost in the stinging and heat! Only now just noticing the state you were in horny, hot, sweaty and panting. You rocked against his hand as he held the small powerful device a tight on you.He chuckled again kissing at your neck as you through your head back one hand fisted in his shirt the other on the wist prying you open for him. You whined curling up as he clicked it up a notch and made just the tips graze the tender hood of your clit. "AhAH NO-DADDY FUCK PLEASE fuckfuckfcuk NO IT HURTS DADDY TAKE IT OFF! IM NOT NOO!" You panted harder moaning letting your head fall back looking up at him moaning trying not to buck or grind as it hurt your stinging ass. "Thats a lot of adult words for such a sweet baby~" he taunted and began running the ears across your folds moving so you don't have to. He twisted his hand managing to somehow plunge three fingers in to you and balance the toy his thumb poised at the button.You grunted gasping mouth agape looking at him pitifully trying to chase your end that was building. You loved and hated the feeling all at once. His finger moved in individual rhythms twisting and curling this way and that stretching you. Drawing patterns on your insides avoiding that one spot he knew you needed him, you mewled quietly as he lowered his head mouth just above yours staring at your glazed eyes as he growled working your pussy for all its worth. He opened his mouth and laughed breathing you in.

"Come on love~ so good be a good girl and cum I know you want to~" you moaned and moved tucking your head in the crook of his neck as your walls clenched wanting to keep him inside as all costs. Your indies felt like they were being treated to a Pampering as his finger pads stroked them making your nerves buzz under his perfected ministrations. You mewled loudly into his eck as he finally relented twirling his fingers inside you rubbing your spot harshly forcing you to tighten around him you yelped and twitched curling your abdomen as you trembled his finger moving firmer and firmer circling and tapping as he thrusted into you the sloppy sounds made you flush and whine again gasping as your body shuddered uncontrollably you could feel it. Just with in your grasp! Our insides were hot and wet twisting around his fingers as they moved faster slapping the vibrator against your clit with each deep determined thrust.

"Ah AH AH FUCK-YES PLEASSSEE-I DADDY!?" you fisted your hands in shirt turning to clutch at him bucking trying to ride his fingers. Your ass burned and your insides twitched. You grinded faster grunting at him when he flicked the vibrator higher that was it! You burst comming undone on a loud moaming and withering. "DADDY!~ AH FUCK FUUUCK PLEASE DADDY UGH YES ITS -so good so-thank you thank you daddy I’m sorry! Im sorry I didn’t it wasn’t-" Henry just held you removing his now drenched fingers, youd cum hard. He could feel your body go slak cagainst him s oothing your hair back kissing your cheek and neck.

"Thats it my precious girl~...my good baby , perfect little one its all done....thats it all done my love so good" you wept into him eve rything catching up to you you hugged his neck breathing him in just hopeing he now forgave you, calmed down enough to listen not that you thought you could say much you were just to messed up. He held you for what felt like hours rocking and shushing you.

"I-Im sorry but I really didn’t tell on you daddy...I really didnt i wouldnt...I love it here...even when you...do this i feel good after...better" Henry held his breath for a few seconds and smiled. He kissed your head and wiped your tear stained face.

"Do-do you forgive me daddy?" Henry took a deep breath and didnt answer that made your heart clench your tears coming back how you had any left to cry was a mystery to you. You placed your hands over your face and sobbed. He didnt he still hated you, he would find out what you said and throw you out you just knew it!. Henry noticed his mistake to late as you broke down in his lap again, he moved to pull your hands away from your face but you jerked shrugging him off. He frowned and pulled this time using his strength removing your hands his blood ran cold at your devestated face. You struggled to make him releas you but he didnt only held you tighted "Now now little one shh its okay...i do forgive you i love you -hey enough of that don't be so stubborn...Daddy forgives you will make it better...Shh shh you took your punishment very well...Now come up sit up for daddy" you wept not believing him as he tilted you cradling you to him. You grabbed his shirt crying harder hiccupping still a sorry mess your body throbbed you were exhausted and your nerves were shot. And your mouth still had that vile bitter taste. "D-Daddy I'm-I'm sorry so-o sorry daddy please- don't leave! Dont throw me out please i dont i want tobe here with you! I didn't he told me to! He-he pushed me...told them I knew!" you babbled still frantic trying to calm down Henry rose a brow "What baby zIm not...is that what this is about oh honey im not going anywhere and im not getting rid of you love.....okay? Your here with me and everything is all better but i need you to tell me exactly what happened Who pushed you baby? Hey hey shush thats it baby doll who told you- what did they tell you?" You sniffled loo,ing at him for a few seconds and took some deep breaths still jnsure of where you stood but you had to talk, to help him you could fix this, you could. "L-Luke...He he sai-d that you needed m-me...That I wa-as going to prison with you!" Henry growled and you flinched away again but he was quick to console you stroking your hair you were still shivering and trembling...probably getting cold now. He moved pulling a small fluffy throw he kept in here for you and wrapped it around your shoulders concealing you completly in the heavy blanket. He rubbed your arm lightly trying to encourage you. He moved his drink to your lips. "Come on a small sip...Thats it good girl..haha oh I know its strong huh? shh thats it now daddy needs you to tell him what Luke said to you princess" you looked up at him and shook your head as another wave of tears started and you tuccked into him leaning your weight on him resting your head at his heart letting the soft thumping sooth you. "Hey hey its okay little one...You can tell daddy...Daddy isn't mad anymore he just wants to know what was said...You can do it your such a good baby...I need to know were you plotting against me?" You looked up at him through your tears shocked and gasping your heart shattered at the broken look on his face cracking his gaze was so defeated another wave of panic washed over you.No he can't you have to tell him! tears fell as you shook your head. "I-I didnt! I swear daddy I didn't say anything! They wanted me to make a statment..She recognized me! Luke told her daddy! I didn't have a choice-" Henry growled moving the drink to his mouth taking a long sip the plced it on the side table with a soft thump. Yhen with a loud intact of breath he began speaking irritated and exasperated. "And you know what? He wouldn't have if you'd been here at home like daddy told you! would he baby? noo you wouldnt have been in this situation now if you'd just been a good girl!" You wriggled back whimpering quivering at his dissapointed tone feeling scared and small. You clutched at him worried he was starting to get all wound up at you again. "Now..What else happened now that your calmed down I can make sense of it all" he lifted you perching you on his knees, for a second he smiled at you naked and quivering wrapped in the throw, your red tears stained face and guilty pouting expression made you look the part of a very well punished little girl. He moved his hands across you gently rubbing you trying to ease your tight acheing muscles. "I-I Luke..he said I'd need to be there!" Henry frowned "What did he say love? I don't think you'd fall for just that" "Af-after they took you away...Said you were going to prison...That I'd go to prison to....he said that they had something big and-and that I needed to make a statement, tell them about Stephan last night or you'd be put away...And-and to pay bail money!" He hummed tucking your hair behind your ears and froze moving his fingertips down your jaw lightly frowning. Bail money? "Bail money? baby I didn't need bail..They I wasn't arrested my sweet girl" "I didn't know that till he got me there! I didn't-please daddy he made me! He said I didn't have a choice! That you were arrested and if I didn't come pay the money I'd never see you again!..He scared me! he was mean! He called me names to making me cry- a-a sexy doll and slut! and-and when I was upset he started saying I'd go to prison to cos I'm your girlfreind! thats all that's why I came there! He said I had to...To save you!...That you needed me..."Henry eyed you carefully and tilted your face up again you were determined to avoid his gaze and he didn't like it. But then again he didn't like the fact he had jumped the gun and wailed on you before hearing you out you either. Yes he stood by his punishment....Well some of it you should have stayed here. But maybe you didn't deserve such humiliation, it was a god send you were now telling him everything after what he had just put you through. He motioned for you to continue wanting you to explain. "He-he wanted me to...Tell them...About how I got here...He didn't say it...But thats what he meant...and then he told the police i wanted to tell on you..i didnt i realized then and just wanted to wait in the car...Luke pushed me to go with her to that room" Henry hummed he believed you it wasnt hard, Luke wanted a way out, and the man didn't like you one bit hed have no qualms about sacrificing you to save his own skin. But it was risky pinning all his hopes on you and fucking stupid did he really think you wouldn't tell your daddy what luke had been up to? could Luke really be that stupid? Henry cursed watching the tears fall from your eyes and you trembled. "Please-please daddy you have to belive me I'd never- I don't want to leave...I don't want you to leave me daddy please..." though pitiful as your pleas did sound sincere henry felt a deep pit forming in his stomach. he had just put you through hell, he made you fucking piss yourself! and used the most painfull of his arsenal. He felt like a right cunt!

"Shh Shh it's alright baby...Daddy believes you daddy believes you baby girl....He frightened you into going in? So Luke's trying to set me up now? Along with Stephan heh... You sure your not going to join them pet?" He meant it as a joke but your reaction was instant You shook your head holding your tender neck smoothing your cool fingers over it. "No...Stephan wants me to go down to...Luke said he is bitter...Stephan knows I slept with you last night" you mumbled slowly wanting hims to believe you, you needed him to believe you, to understand you were helping him! He looked up confused he began rubbing the back of your neck his warm palm helping eamse. the pain his other hand rose and scratched your scalp slowly letting you move your head angling it to get his hand where you wanted it at the side of your head.   "What was that love?" you hummed twisting your head again as his strong fingers massaged your scalp harder in slow circles making your tension headache fade. You licked your lips before starting to explain to him what had been said. "Luke told me Stephan knows about us..That he was angry when they dropped him off..Was really mad- should I not have known daddy?" Henry cursed and chuckled shaking his head fucking unbelievable. You flinched as Henry moved collecting you in his arms again holding you tight kissing your head breathing you in.Henry was quickly starting piece everything together, it wasn't Stephan... Well not really it was Luke manipulating everone trying to play in a kings game!.  Your whimperes pulled him out of his thoughts and he spoke soothing you. "No it isn't that....Babygirl I just I know whats going on Luke told him about us...Luke provoked Stephan and You... He was using you both...He was counting on you telling them everything...I?- did you? Tell them everything?" you cringed at how uncertified he sounded he small his voice ended up being, it made you feel uncomfortable. You shook your head smileing at him shyly. "No-no daddy I didn't, I said that Stephan came to the restaurant, that he is an ex who can't get over me and has a grudge against you...And that I didn't go missing I found out Stephan was using me to left cos I was scared of him and you offered me a place to stay...And...And that I-I'm in love with you.." Henry blinked sighing flopping back into the seat with a sigh maybe you did help him then. If you could both make it out to be a jealous ex lover it'd explain your sudden disappearance and why Stephan was so determined to pin this on him. "Anything else? I need to know" you twiddled your fingers at him and nodded feeling slightly embarassed but you knew he had to know...It's just...how was he going to handle you telling the police about your sex life? you flushed just remebering it, it had been so fast you hadn't really tought about the fact they now knew that you got tied up and spanked. Henry furrowed his brows at you as he watched you go pink...What the fuck had you said? "Th-they want me to testify... About Stephan....They took the statement about what happened last night...And after that she- the lady tried to say you'd have done..What ever they think you did, once we got home I said you couldn't have cos...Well you never leave me alone in a scene...She didn't understand so I had to tell her...A-About the err BDSM thingy... She carried on saying youd have left when i was asleep and ...I had to say something...So I told her...I said that you couldn't have slipped away during the night cos err... well i kind of said you slept erm in-inside me so...I'd know if you...yeah" Henry grunted trying to bite back a chuckle as you flushed brighter. "Cockwarming? Thanks for that....How'd you even? Do you? Do you want to try that baby doll? Want daddy to keep you full all night?" you flushed brighter he chuckled relaxing feeling much better he didn't think you had dropped him in it..Not yet anyway but he would have to keep you on a very short leash they would take this to court its the closest they have come to getting him. he sighed into your hair kissing your head again, you hadn't handed him in, and Luke... Yes it made sense Luke would have known that he didn't need bail but you wouldn't, it would make sense to you you didn't know any better. Just that alone made him believe you. He moved forward making you squeak and hold him tight as he heaved you up in to his arms and stood moving the blanket to cover your form and keep you warm then made for the bedroom wanting to give you a shower and put you down for a bed. An early night was what you needed now after a day like today.

Henry smiled looking at you curled up in the bed, you'd been good letting him take control and look after you. You'd only whimpered when he was washing you as he moved across your swollen bruises and welts he'd left across you. He felt guilty but what's done is done.  He can't take it back no matter how much he wanted to, he tried making it up to you by lathering each and every mark with kisses as he massaged lotion into your damp skin afterwards, being careful to rub away your tension it was that; that had sent you off to sleep and somehow he had dressed you in fussy pajamas and tucked you in whilst you were in a deep sleep. He was happy even in his guilt, he would admit he jumped the gun but he now had a new target.

One that had no idea he was coming for him, one who had a very high price to pay, no one upset his baby girl, no one scared her. He couldn't tell if he was more angry over the fact Henry himself had missed the signs or if he was angry over the fact he had taken it out on his little girl before letting her explain.

Once he was sure you'd be safe and sound up here he moved to the side whistling in a high pitch through the house hearing the tapping of claws. Kal climbed the stairs panting happily making him smile at the bear. "Kal come on you lazy boy time to earn your keep...In" he motioned the dog to enter the bedroom with a flick of his head, the akita followed Henry's instructions and entered the room then turned to look at him as if to say 'now what?' Henry reached out ruffling his ears and scratched the dogs muzzle before moving cupping Kals chin making him look at him. "Now you look after your mother....You keep her safe boy understand?...Good now go give her snuggles she needs a bear hug" kal gave a quiet 'boof' then got up and pounce onto the bed curling up between you and the door making Henry grin before closing the door. Once in the hall he took a breath and locked the door, no one was getting in tonight. He did one final check making sure his knife and gun were both concealed once satisfied he pulled the tight fitting suit jacket around his abdomen and fastened the button then began walking,  his polished shoes echoing off the floor he tried to be well dressed when being out on business, he pulled his phone from his pocket as he made his way down the stairs. "Hello Liam how would you like a promotion? oh you would? great meet me down at Pearls..Bring Luke...Oh your there already? enjoying the new girls I take it?...Theres no need to thank me...And Luke's there to? Excellent Keep him there I will be with you very shortly!" he hung up grinning tonight was going to be very smooth and clean by the sounds of it. It was time to take care of a rat.

#mob boss henry cavill #henry cavill smut #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill imagine #henry cavill fic #henry cavill #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill x you #henry cavill x y/n #henry cavill x female reader #henry cavill is daddy

[jokertrap-ran]

SinoAlice: Guild Co-op Event - The Songful Banquet of Cherry Blossoms Translation

*Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Welcome to my whims. Hameln is fine.

問題デス。春とイエバ！？ Question, question! What does Spring entail?

モチロン！潮干狩りとキャンプですネ！ It’s got to be clamming and camping, of course!

確かに以前の春は潮干狩りデシタが…… アレは春イベントに水着ヲ出せト言われたプランナーが苦シ紛れに考えたモノ。 I know we did clamming last year for the Spring Event, but that was only because the Planner managed to come up with the idea of swimsuits after much turmoil...

言わば産みノ苦しみノ歴史なのデス。 ソレを思い出サセルのは鬼畜の所業デスよ！ In other words, it’s the dark history of how it came to be; one of pain and suffering. Only a demon would make one shudder to remember such a time!

ソンな内情をブチマケラレましても…… Even if that’s how it truly is on the inside...

トニカクやり直しデス。春とイエバ！？ In any case, let’s start from the beginning again. When it’s Spring, it’s-!?

エ、エエ～ット……お花見……とか？ Um, errrr…Flower viewing, perhaps...?

ピンポーン！正解デス！！Bingo! That’s right!!

エッ、本当に！？ソンな正攻法でイイノ！？ Huh? What!? Something as straightforward as that does it!?

ええ。タマにはストレートも必要デス。 Of course. Simple is best, sometimes.

ワ～イ！お花見オ花見、楽しいナ！嬉しいナ！ Yay~! Flower viewing~! We’re going to be flower viewing! Oh, how fun! How exciting!

余興ノ人員も揃えマシタ。 まずはグレーテル、さらにシンデレラ、そしてハーメルンです。 The entertainers have already been gathered. First, we’ll have Gretel, followed by Cinderella and Hameln.

スゴイ！最初から混乱しか予想デキナイ！ That’s amazing! I can foresee the chaos and confusion they’ll bring right from the get-go!

お花見ナンテおかしくなったモン勝ちデスよ。 The one who makes for the most chaotic Flower Viewing wins.

じゃア、この3人ニハ早速余興ヲ──ん？ 誰か来たヨウですが ……コレは……？ Should we get the 3 entertainers started now then? Hmm? There seems to be someone headed this way? ...This is…?

……ナルホド。まあイイでしょう。飛び込み参加モ大歓迎デス！ ゲストを迎えテ楽しくヤリましょう！ I see...Well, that works too. Any last minute participants are welcomed to jump in anytime! Let’s all enjoy ourselves together with the guests!

ソウですネ。トテモ楽しくナリそうデス。 エエ。とても……ネ。 Yes, this looks like it’ll be real fun. Absolutely so, indeed...

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一度だけ。 友達に連れられて、アイドルのライブに 行った事がある。 Once. Just once, did I ever attend an Idol’s concert at the insistence of my friend who dragged me along.

それはまさに、夢の世界だった。 It was a world akin to a dream; something I never thought possible.

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「みんなー！今日は　ハ　ナ　のライブに 来てくれてアリガトウ！ハナにピッタリ のこの場所で、最っ高の歌を聴いていっ てね！」 “Everyone~! Thank you all for coming to     Hana’s     live today! I’ll grace your ears with the best and greatest song out there in this perfect place of mine!”

薄紅の花びらが舞う、酒に似合いの風景 に安如として乱入してきた『ライブラリ  No.1の　ア　イ　ド　ル　』とやらば、 クソが１００回つくようなくッッッッソ ド下手な歌を勝手に歌いだした。 The scenery was well-suited to a cup of sake, the air aflutter with the pink petals of the cherry blossoms. If only the place hadn’t been jacked by the “Library’s No.1    Idol   ” Speaking of, she’s so bad at it that she's about a 100 times shittier than what’s already considered crap; singing shitty songs all on her own accord and wrangling ears everywhere.

 「これは……聞くに堪えませんね……」 “This...I don’t think I can stand listening to this anymore…”

「おい、ナルシスト。あの女を消せ」 “Hey, Narcissist. Erase her.”

「私が手を下す必要ないかと」 “I doubt I’ll even have to do anything, really.”

そういって、ナルシストが指を示した失 では、極度の音痴に我慢の限界を迎えた ナイトメアたちが 怒　り　を募うせていた。 That being said, he pointed his finger at something. A group of nightmares were already     seething     in     anger     at the hellish ear grating they were forced to suffer through; already reaching to the limits of their patience.

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さくら～↑舞う～↓ 景色～↑↑のぉ～↑ The fluttering~↑ dance~↓ of the~↑↑ Sakura in the background~↑

Ｎｏｏｏｏｏｏｏ↑↑ 歌ウノヤメロォ！ NOOOOOOO↑↑ Stop singing!

ロォ↓マンス～↑ 恋のぉ～神～～↑↑ Ro~↓ mance~↑ The god~ of love~~↑↑

耳ガ腐ルゥゥ！助ケテェェ！！ My ears are about to drop off! Someone, save me!!

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「あたしの歌で踊りだしたくなる気持ち は判るけど、暴れるのはダメだぞぅ✰」 “I understand that my singing makes one feel the urge to dance but rampaging? That’s a big no-no✰ ”

ナイトメアの蹴散うした ハナさんとやらば、その場で軽やかに ターンをしてーー Kicking the Nightmare away, she did a light twirl on the spot.

「　ダ　ン　ス　ならこう踊らなきゃ！」 “You’ve got to     dance     like this if you’re going to do it!”

この世のものとは思えぬ醜い歌に合わせ、 心を抉るような　前　衛　的　な踊りを 始めました。 She started to dance     Avant    -    garde    , coupled with the horrid song that was out of this world; one so appalling that it almost felt like someone was gouging my very heart out.

「眩暈がしてきた……」 “I’m actually starting to get dizzy from seeing this…”

艶やかな褐色の肌を持つシンデレラさん の殺意の失わせるほどの醜悪な歌と踊り。 A horrible, ear-grating song and an equally unbeautiful dance. One that actually made the glossy brown-skinned Cinderella lose all the killing intent that she wielded.

これには、さすがの私も辟易です。 That being said, this also repulses me, of course.

しかし、不思議な事に、綺麗な足を持つグレーテルさんだけは 魅　入　ら　れ　 たように歌に聞き入っていたのです…… But the strangest thing was that Gretel, the one with beautiful legs, seemed     utterly     charmed     and     entranced     by the song...

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席なんて、ステージからもの凄く遠い スタンドだったけど。 The seats were so far from the stage itself. Rather than seats, it was actually more like a stand.

そこから観る会場はサイリウムの光に 包まれて、まるで花畑みたいだった。 Watching the stage surrounded by psyllium lights from afar, it bore a resemblance to a flower garden of sorts.

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ステージでアイドルが歌う。 あたしの席から顔なんて見える訳ない んおに、それでも笑顔だとわかる。 The Idol sung atop the stage. I knew that they were smiling, even though I can’t possibly see them from my seat.

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「ねえ兄様。あの歌…… 懐かしくありませんか？ 昔、兄様と二人で過ごした夜の 森で、冷たい月明りの下で聴いた……」 “Hey, brother? Isn’t this song nostalgic…? It’s the same song we heard at night, back in the forest where we lived together. Under the cold, icy moonlight…”

「森の奥から聞こえてきた、歌……」 “The same song that resonated deep within the forest itself…”

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ヤヤヤヤメヤメヤメヤメロメロンー！ SSSST- STO- STOP STOP STOP-!

オカシクナルルルルルルリルレロ！ I’M STARTING TO GO CRRAAAAZY!

わあ！斬新なコールアリガトー！ Wow! Thanks for new cheer!!

ハハハハナハナハ ナヒヒヒヒヒヒヒッ！ HAHAHAHANAHANAHA-- HIIE!!

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アイドルの歌と踊りに合わせて、会場が 揺れる。アイドルはキラキラしていて、 とても可愛くて。それを観るみんなも、 とてもキラキラしていた。 The venue broke out in an uproar in response to the Idol’s song and dance. The idol was shining in the limelight and absolutely adorable. And the audience shone too, as they looked on.

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クソ下手音痴女　ハ　ナ　の歌と踊りは 戦意を失わせた。怒りを抱く事すら 勿体ないろいうか…… Listening and watching the shitty tone-deaf woman     Hana     singing and dance made me lose all the fight in me. Or, more like...It would be a waste to even feel rage at this...

そういうレベルにまで達しているのは、 ある意味芸術と言ってもいいのか もしれない。遠のく意識と視界が、 現実を拒否するように段々と霞んでいく。 It might even be called art, considering just how bad she was. My consciousness slowly faded as my vision grew hazier, as if rejecting reality itself.

「スモークいいわね！もっと焚いて！ 会場をハナ色に染めちゃってー！」

“The smoke’s looking good! Keep it coming! Fill the area with colour―!”

音痴女の声に呼応するように周囲の木々 が揺れた。そこから 黄　色　い　煙　が大量に 吐き出される。 The surrounding trees shook, seemingly responding to the tone-deaf girl’s command. And then, a     yellow     smoke     spewed forth.

「これは……　花　粉　……？」

“Is this…    pollen    …?”

横にいたナルシストがそう呟いたような、 そうでないような……なんだ？頭が……

I feel as if the Narcissist beside me had muttered something like that...or not…? What’s this? My head... 

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大量の花粉が！これはイケマセン！ A large amount of pollen! This won’t do!!

桜の花粉ッてコンナに飛ばないのデハ？ I thought the pollen from cherry blossoms wasn't this bad?

ライブラリの桜ですカラ。 Well, it’s the Library’s cherry blossoms.

その一言デ説明が済むの、最高デスネ！ Nice! The explanation’s done and settled in a single breath!

こんな事もアロウかと。ハイ！花粉ブロック！ 99.9％花粉を遮断！機能性も抜群デス！ Well, I did think this might happen. So...here! Pollen Block! It’s 99.9% effective!

呼吸も99.9％遮断！死ヘノ片道装備デス！ But that prevents breathing itself by 99.9%! It’s a one way ticket to death itself!

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 ライブが終わったあと、会場から出っていく みんなは、とにかく笑顔だった。 あたしも、もちろんその一人。 Everyone left the venue with a smile on their face once the Live ended. I, of course, included.

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その少女は、歌を歌った。 皆を笑顔にしたいのだと、そう笑った。 それがあまりに純粋で、 あまりに無邪気で。 だから私は、彼女に新しい歌を教えた。 The girl sang, and sang she did. She laughed about wanting to make everyone smile. All so innocent, all so pure. Thus, I taught her a new song.

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アイドルって凄いなって思った。 たった一人で数万人を笑顔にできる、 そんなアイドルに、あたしは憧れた。 I thought that Idols were amazing. Just one person, able to bring smiles to countless others. I admired Idols; they were my admiration.

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その少女の声には力があった。 我らに活動を促す力が。 そうーー 我らの時代を、もう一度取り戻す力が。 That girl’s voice held power. The power to urge us to motion; to act. That’s right―— The power to reclaim our reign once more.

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あたしは小さい頃から病気がちで。 人退院の度に、周りに迷惑をかけていた。 誰かを笑顔にする事より、 誰かを悲しい顔にする事の方が多かった。 I was always sickly ever since I was little. I only inconvenience those around me, whenever I get admitted to the hospital. Rather than making people happy, I made people sad, more often than not.

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「スモーク焚きすぎちゃって道が見えな いわ。誰か道案内してくれないかしら。 これからオーデイションがあるのよね」 “There’s too much smoke; I can’t see the way. Could I perhaps, get someone to lead the way? I’ve got an audition on the way.”

ハナさんは、こちらをじっとみて言いま した。つまり、私達に案内を要求してい るのでしょう。その気配を察したシンデ レラさんは、冷たい声で拒絶しました。 Hana spoke, keeping eye contact with me the entire time. In other words, she’s probably asking us for help. Cinderella coldly refused after having grasped the situation.

「金はあるんの？まあ払われても断るけど」 “Is there money in this? Well, not that I’d take it either even if you offered.”

「そんなぁ……ひどいですぅ……！」 “No way...how mean…!”

ハナさんの泣き声に呼応して、一層花粉 がと飛散しま���。これは宜しくありません。 More pollen was scattered upon her cries. This isn’t appreciated at all.

「少しくとも、あなたの姿は美しい。 私が　案　内　いたしましょう」 “You’re a beautiful one, at least. Allow me to     lead     the     way.”

「ありがとう！貴方、お名前は？」 “Thanks! What’s your name?”

「ハーメルン、とお呼び下さい」 “Call me Hameln.”

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ハーメルン……メルちゃんね！よろしく！ Hameln…? Mel, then! I’ll be in your care!

メル……？ Mel…?

ところでぇ……メルちゃんは──ハナと手を繋いではくれないの？ By the way...Won’t you join hands with me, Mel?

？こうしてあなたの手を取っていますが── ? But aren’t I already holding onto your ha...nd…?

──テヘッ。 ──Tee-hee.

花粉のせいで見間違えましたね。失礼。醜い。 I’ve blundered due to the pollen in the air. Pardon me, that was unsightly.

ギャアッ！勘違イシタノハソッチナノニー！ Gyaah! You’re the one at fault though!

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こんなあたしでも。アイドルになれば 誰かを笑顔にできるのかな。 知らない人にも、幸せを感じてもらう事ができるのかな。 I wonder if I can bring a smile to someone else’s face too, if someone like me can become an Idol. I wonder if I can make people that I don’t know feel happy too?

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会場いっぱいに咲くサイリウムの光の花 に包まれて、可愛いドレスを着た わたしがステージで歌を歌うーー そんな未来を夢見ながら 桜の木に向かっ歌っていたある日、 頭の中に素敵な歌が流れてきた。 The venue was blooming with Psyllium Flowers of light. Dressed in a cute dress, I sang; and sang I did―— I continued looking on, holding onto that dream for the future. One day, while I was singing to the Cherry Blossom Tree, a beautiful song sounded in my mind

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入院した病室の窓から桜が見える。 その桜の木に向かって、あたしは 歌を歌った。 桜が散る頃には退院して、 オーデイションを受けに行くんだ。 I can see the Cherry Blossoms from the window of my Hospital Room. I sang to the Cherry Blossom Tree and sang I did. When the Cherry Blossoms scatter and I get discharged from here, I’ll go for an Audition.

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少女は夢を抱いていた。 しかし、少女は病も抱えていた。 やがて少女に声は枯れ果てて、 その儚き夢も叶うことなく――

だから、私はその身に命を蕾を宿した。 The girl held onto a dream. However, sickness also had a clutch on her. Eventually, her voice faltered and faded, that fleeting dream of her’s never coming to pass.

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――桜が咲いて、散って。 入院してから何回目かの満開を迎える。 あたし、少しは歌が上手くなったかな？ 早くオーデイションを受けたいな。 ――The Cherry Blossoms bloomed and scattered. I’ve seen many a cycle of it coming into full bloom ever since I was admitted. Have I gotten a little better at singing? I want to hurry and go for an Audition.

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これ以上、あのクソ下手音痴女のせいで 花粉を巻き散うされちゃ堪らない。 仕方なく、私達は手音痴女を案内していた。 しかし―― I can’t stand being showered by more Pollen because of the shitty tone-deaf girl. I suppose we don’t have a choice but to show her the way. But――

（あのブラコン、やけに大人しいな） (That Bro-con is being unsettlingly quiet.)

ハーメルンと手を繋いでご機嫌な音痴女 の後るに歩くグレーテルが、普段よりも 妙に静かで気にかかる。 いつもなら「兄様、兄様」と一人でぶつ くさ言っているはずなのに。 His unusual silence caught my attention, as he walked along behind Hameln, who had joined hands with the joyous looking tone-deaf girl. Usually, he’d be muttering “Brother, brother” all by his lonesome.

「……あ」 “…Oh.”

そのグルーテルが、小さな声を上げた。 That very Gretel made a small sound.

「兄様に……　花　が咲きました……」 “    Flowers     are blooming…on Brother..”

籠の中の『兄様』からは、全く似合わな いファンシーな花が咲いていた。 Fancy unfitting flowers were blooming in the cage where “Brother” was held.

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何やら呻き声も聞こえますね。 I seem to hear something akin to moaning.

そんな事どうでもいい！兄様、兄様！ There’s absolutely no way that’s the case! Brother, brother!

でも意外と似合ってんじゃない？その花。 But don’t you think that suits him surprisingly well? That flower, I mean.

似合って……ああ……兄様、可愛いです…… It suits him…? …Ahh…Brother, you’re so cute…

ねぇ、ドラゴンがいるんですけどぉー。 Hey, there’s a dragon here though―

グウ……ズズッ……鼻ガ詰マッテ…… Ugh…sniff, sniffle…My nose’s all stuffed up…

呻き声はコレでしたか。何とも美しくない…… So this was the cause of all the moaning. It’s not the slightest bit beautiful at all…

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――桜が咲いて、散って。 あと何回、この景色を見られるだろう。 歌おうにも声が出ない。 乾燥した唇が裂けて、血が滲んだ。 ――The Cherry Blossoms bloomed and scattered. I wonder how many more times I must witness this scene? No sound comes out even if I sing. My dry, chapped lips crack as blood oozes out.

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少女の顔は美しい。伸びた四肢も美しい。 そして少女から漂う匂い。 これは――ああ、 今まで花粉で気付きませんでしたね…… The girl had beautiful features. Her limbs were all so beautiful as well. Then came the smell that came along with her. This is―― Ahh, I never noticed due to all the Pollen flying about up till now…

「この腐臭は、美しくない」  “This smell of rot is not beautiful in the least.”

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――桜が咲いて、散って。 今年も、何とか見届けられた。 来年まで頑張ろうね、と 気気遣う看護師の声がする。 ――The Cherry Blossoms bloomed and scattered. I somehow managed to see the petals off again this year. I hear the kind, caring nurse telling me to do my best again next year.

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いつの間にか桜の木の下に来ていました。 そこには、人の形をした植物が、綺麗な 花を咲かせていくつも立っています。 Before I knew it, I was already standing below the Cherry Blossom Tree. There were many human-shaped plants, all with stunning flowers blooming on them.

「兄様。兄様と同じ花ですよ」 “Brother. It’s the same flower as the one blooming on you, Brother.”

花が咲いた兄様と、花の咲かない私。 それがなんだか、とても悲しい。 Brother, who had flowers blooming on him, and me, who did not. That was utterly saddening, in a sense.

「それなら お　揃　い　になってみる？」 “Then how about you try becoming a     pair    ?”

どこからか、歌う声が聞こえてきます。 二人で過ごした、森の奥でも聞いた声。 あの時、兄様は近づくなと言ったけど。 I could hear singing coming from somewhere. A voice that I heard even back in the depths of that forest; back during the time I spent together with Brother. I recall telling whoever that had been to stay away from Brother, back then.

「じゃあ、願いを叶えてあげるね」 “Then, let me grant your wish!”

兄様、私はあなたと一緒がいいのです。 Brother, I want to be the same as you.

「ブラコン！」 “Bro-con!””

誰かが叫んでいるけど、邪魔しないで。 私は今、とても　幸　せ　なのだから―― Someone was yelling. Don’t get in the way; For I’m extremely    happy    right now――

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あいつ、花に寄生されたのか！？ That guy; Is he being parasitized by those flowers!?

花を咲かすグレーテルさんも、また美しい。 Gretel’s beautiful even with flowers blooming on their being.

アンタも、頭に花を咲かせてもらえば？ How about we make one grow on your head too?

それも良いですね。きっと美しいでしょう。 That might not be too bad of an idea. It’ll be a dazzling sight to behold, I’m sure.

嫌味が通じないのか。このナルシスト…… Can’t you tell sarcasm when it’s in front of your face, you narcissist...!?

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――冬なのに、桜が咲いている。 ああ、枝に積もった雪がそう見える んだ。それでもいい。 最期に見られて良かった…… ――The Cherry Blossoms bloomed and scattered. Ahh, so that’s how the branches look like with snow piled on them. This is fine. I’m glad that I managed to see it in the end…

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突然現れた予定外の乱入者。 歌に合わせて撒き散らされる大量の花粉。 しかも思考を惑わすオマケ付き……と くれば、異変の　原　因　は明らかだ。 An intruder had appeared out of the blue; this was not planned. The large amount of Pollen being scattered around along with the song. Along with the added effect of addling your mind… In conclusion, the     root     cause     of this was startlingly apparent.

「どう考えてもアンタだろ？」 “No matter how you think about it, you’re the one behind all this, aren’t you?”

武器を突きつけつろ、ハナは震えた。 Hana trembled as Cinderella pointed her weapon at her.

「ち、違うもん！メルちゃん、助けて！」 “N-No, you’re mistaken! Help me, Mel!”

「残念ながら、あなたからは腐臭がする。 大変醜い臭いです。私に助けられる 価値は、地を這う虫ほどもありません」 “Unfortunately, there’s a rotting smell coming from you. It’s a horribly ugly scent. And I’m not obligated to help anyone or anything who’s worth is equivalent to a worm, crawling on the ground.”

「……っ」 “…Ngh.”

ハーメルンの言葉に息を呑むと、音痴女 は派手に笑い出し―― The tone-deaf girl sucked in a deep breath at Hameln’s words before breaking out into laughter――

「お前ら全員、花人形にしてやる！」 “I’m gonna turn all of you into Flower Dolls!”

義姉と同じくらい、

醜　く　顔を歪めた Her face distorted     uglily    ; it was almost as bad as Gishin’s own.

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みんな、あたしの歌を聴かなかった！だから花人形にしてやったのよ！！ どう？これなら黙って歌を聴くでしょう！？ No one was listening to my song! That’s why I turned them all into Flower Dolls!! How’s that for a change? Now you’ll shut up and listen to my singing, right!?

人形にしなけりゃ聴いてもらえない歌なんて、アンタ才能ないんだよ。 それだけの話だろ？ If no one’ll listen to you unless you turn them into a Doll, doesn’t that just mean that you don’t have the talent for it? That’s all there is to it, no?

なのにアイドルを名乗るとは……ああ醜い。 And still, you dare call yourself an Idol…Ahh, how ugly.

違う……あたしは、アイドルなのおぉ！ No…I’m…I AM an Idol!

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――あたしは、アイドルになりたかった。 満員の会場で、光の花に囲まれて、 楽しそうに歌うアイドル…… だって…… みんあの　笑　顔　が、見たかったから。 病気がちのあたしの周りには、 悲しい顔しかなかったから―― ――I wanted to be an Idol. An Idol, singing happily in a full-house venue, with flowers of light blooming all around… Because… I wanted to see the     smiles     on everyone’s faces. Because there was nothing but sad faces around me, due to my sickly nature――

「生まれ変わったら、今度こそ……」 “Next time, if I’m reborn…”

そう呟いて、少女は光の中に 消　え　去　っ　た　。 The girl murmured her last as she     faded     away     from the light. 

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……結局、この少女も　駄　目　だった。 確か、これで３４人目だ。 それにしても、笑顔を見たいと言いなが ら、自分が見られる事が目的になるとは、 まさに本末転倒…… …That girl was a     no    -    good     either, in the end. I’m certain this makes it the 34th person now. Even so, to think that her goal would be for people to notice her despite how she’s always crowing about how she wanted to see everyone’s smiles… She’s certainly got her priorities wrong.

しかし、これだからこそ人間は面白い。 では、私は次の　苗　床　を 探すとしよう。 But this is precisely what makes humans all so interesting. Well then, I suppose I’ll have to find another     nursery    .

手始めに、少女を殺したあの３人を―― How about those 3 who killed the girl, for starters――

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桜さん。今まであたしの歌を聴いてくれ て、ありがとう。アイドルになる夢は叶 わなかったけど、あなたはあたしの、 たった一人の観客でした。 Dear Cherry Blossom, thank you for listening to my singing. I never fulfilled my dream of becoming an Idol, but you’re my one and only audience I ever had.

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黒幕はアノ桜の木デシタ。 The mastermind was that Cherry Blossom Tree.

木にヨル支配とは、どこかで聞いたヨウナ。 A tree that rules everything? I feel like I’ve heard about this somewhere…

ソンな物語もドコかにアッタような？ I feel like a story like that exists somewhere out there.

トコロデ、あの桜ハどうシマス？ By the way, what are we going to do with that Cherry Blossom?

アア、ソレならすでに対処済みデス。大事ナ兄様に花ヲ咲かせた木ニ腹を立てタグレーテルが根本カラ桜ヲぶち倒しマシテ。 Ohh, that’s already been dealt with. Gretel was mad that the tree had made flowers bloom on his beloved Brother and chopped it up, roots and all.

エッ……黒幕を……？ Eh…He did that to the Mastermind…?

ソノ倒れた桜を眺めナガラ酒を飲ンでいた シンデレラが、「確か桜の木は、スモーク用のチップとして売れたな？」 と思いツキ、ハーメルンに命令シテ。  And then Cinderella was looking upon the fallen Cherry Blossom whilst sipping  on a cup of Sake pipped up, saying “Come to think of it, Cherry Blossom Wood  can be sold as Smoking Chips, right?” And thus, she ordered Hameln to procure it.

エエ……黒幕がスモーク用……？ Ehh…Using the Mastermind as smoking material…?

ハーメルンは「艶やかな肌の主の言う事なら」 と、ソレは美しく桜の木をカットして。 結果、ライブラリ特製燻製用桜チップとしテ見事に高値で売れマシター！ ハイこれ売上報告書。凄いデスヨ。 “If that’s what the master of glossy skin wishes.” Said Hameln, and he beautifully cut up the Cherry Blossom Tree. As a result, the Library’s Special  Cherry Blossom Smoked Chips are being sold for an astoundingly high price!! Here’s the Sales Report. Amazing, isn’t it!

エエエ……本当ダ。黒幕メッチャ売レてる。 Ehhh…You’re right. The Mastermind’s selling really well.

この売上デ燻製肉でも食べニ行きマセンカ？ How about we use the Sales earnings to go eat some smoked meat?

行クー！人ノお金で食べるオ肉大好き！ Count me in―! I love eating meat when someone else’s paying!

燻製に使うチップはもちろん桜デ…… The wood chips we’re going to use for the smoking will be Cherry Blossom, of course.

∘◦ -————❈ ❀  𝔉𝔦𝔫.   ❀ ❈————- ◦∘

#Sinoalice #シノアリス #Translations #Hameln #Gretel #Cinderella #The Songful Banquet of Cherry Blossoms #Kitamura Eri #Maeno Tomoaki #Maaya Uchida #前野 智昭 #喜多村 英梨 #内田 真礼 #桜花ノ歌宴

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Catherines (part one)

[Heathers AU]

[Tour!verse]

Word count: 3469

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-Beautiful-

  “Dear Diary,

Catherine said she teaches people real life. She said, ‘Real life sucks losers dry. If you wanna fuck with the eagles, then you have to learn to fly.’

I said, ‘So you teach people how to fly?’

She said, ‘Yes.’

I said, ‘You’re beautiful.’”

  “GOD, come ON, Elizabeth!”

A muscled, gazelle-like leg slammed into Bessie’s back, causing her to flinch and drag her pen across the journal she was writing in, leaving a black line that obscured some of the words. Bessie wrinkled her nose, then squinted up through the headache-inducing overhead fluorescence to look at the beautiful young woman now standing before her.

Katherine Howard was a sight for sore eyes, that was for sure. Completely unblemished tan skin, wavy dirty blonde hair that fell like sun-kissed silk around her head, striking golden-green eyes, muscles… The hot pink blazer she was wearing fit her body perfectly, and the black skirt she had on to go with it swished gently around her powerful thighs. Technically, they were breaking the dress code, as she didn’t have on any tights to go underneath it, but no teacher seemed to say anything about it. Bessie had to guess it was because of Howard’s father’s status and money.

  “What’s your damage, Katherine?” Bessie snapped, though her voice cracked and wavered slightly, as it always did, rendering her comment about as effective as a baby white lion trying to roar to scare off predators.

  “Don’t blame me, blame Catherine.” Howard retorted smoothly. “She told me to, ‘haul your ass to the cafe pronto.’” She looked up at the other girl standing there. “Back me up, Catherine.”

  “Yeah, she really wants to talk to you, Elizabeth.” Catherine Parr said. She was taller than all of them, but quite a bit meeker than her two fellow K/Catherines. Her curly brown hair was done in a style that made Bessie’s scalp hurt just looking at it, but complimented her even darker brown eyes well. Her skin was the shade of melted caramel, clashing well with her signature color: blue. The blazer she had on such color was as expensive as Howard’s, but slightly more wrinkled and slightly frayed on one sleeve from her messing with the threads when she would read. The skirt she wore was plaid, which most people would find extremely ugly, but Bessie thought it fit Parr.

  “Okay, okay,” Bessie said, standing up from the staircase she had been sitting on. “I’m coming. And, please, Bessie. Call me Bessie. We’ve been friends for, what? A year and a half now? Elizabeth is WAY too formal for me.”

Howard and Parr giggled, making a small smile twitch on Bessie’s lips. She liked making them laugh. Proved she could do one thing right and serve as the comedic relief for the group.

Bessie scooped her belongings up, messily stuffing her diary and pen into her messenger back, and then followed Howard and Parr down the hallway. Anyone standing in the way instinctively moved away like peasants parting for a queen. And they may as well have been, seeing as they were the most popular girls in school.

Okay, well-- at least Howard, Parr, and their quartet leader was. Bessie was more of a plus one, a special exception, a stray they found on the streets and thought was too pitiful to throw away.

Their group was called the Catherines (pretty cool that they managed to get three girls with the name Catherine, right? what luck!), and they ruled Crown Ridge High School. Everyone, from new Year 10s to long-lasting Year 13s, knew of their reign--even the teachers! Nobody messed with them, because they knew there would be hell to pay if they did.

Howard pushed open the set of double doors coming up in front of them, and the trio passed into a world of chaos.

The lunch room was always like this- noisy, thundering, booming, any other synonym for loud… Kids were absolutely everywhere, crammed into the lunch tables or sitting at the bistro or standing in the lunch lines, all talking, worrying, planning, reacting at once. 

And then, in the middle of the mess, there she stood: Catherine of Aragon.

Catherine of Aragon, or Catalina de Aragon as her heritage suggests, was like a yellow diamond in a bat-infested cave. She was gorgeous, that’s for sure, her luscious dark brown hair tied back in a perfect ponytail with thick marigold scrunchy, without a strand out of place, and her fair skin enviably clear. Her eyes were dark and challenging, like twin pieces of polished onyx poised in her sleek skull. The golden silk blazer (Bessie didn’t even know they made silk blazers until she first saw it) she wore glittered in the lights, as if it were charged with electricity, and the black skirt matching with it made her look like the queen of a wasp colony. When she saw Bessie coming over with Howard and Parr, she gave a snake-like smile that only meant she was up to something.

  “Elizabeth,” She said, the only one to never use the nickname no matter how many times she was corrected, “finally.”

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, your majesty,” Bessie apologized. She tried to sound mocking, but Aragon didn’t seem affected by the title she was given. If anything, she looked a little satisfied by it.

  “I need you to write a hot and horny, but realistically lowkey note in Anna von Cleves’s handwriting so we can slip it onto Joan Asstley’s lunch tray when she isn’t looking.” Aragon told her, but even stuttering as she laid down her plan.

Anna von Cleves was on the rugby team and so hot she could turn even the straightest women gay. Joan Astley, on the other hand, was a thin, pale-skinned, weird-eyed outcast with no friends and hair as light as Bessie’s own--but natural. The two didn’t exactly mix very well.

  “Shit, Catherine, I don’t have anything against Joan Astley!” Bessie said.

  “Watch your language, little lion,” Howard teased.

Bessie’s ears flamed red. Ever since she got a new haircut, the Catherines would not stop saying the poofy hair on her head made her look like a lion cub.

  “You don’t have anything for her, either.” Aragon told Bessie. Then, abundantly blessed with smugness, she went on, “Come on, it’s be very! The note will give her shower-nozzle masturbation material for weeks.”

Howard and Parr exchanged smirks. Bessie glanced at them and sighed.

  “I’ll think about it,” She said.

  “Don’t think,” Aragon said. “Do.”

Shuffling in one of the lunch lines, Joan was getting ready to pay for her tray of food. She was dressed in a rather ugly clash of overalls and a pink floral undershirt. Aragon wrinkled her nose at the outfit in disgust.

  “Yuck,” She said. “Overalls.”

  “I’m wearing overalls!” Bessie yelped.

  “Yes, but they work on you,” Aragon said, patting Bessie’s head. “Elizabeth needs something to write on. Catherine, bend over.”

Parr sighed and bent over. A clipboard was shoved into Bessie’s hands, and Bessie had no choice but to use her friend as a portable desk and write the things Aragon began to say to her. When she was finished, she tore the page free and folded it up for Howard to deliver, which she did smoothly and painlessly without being noticed.

  “And now we wait,” Aragon said with a pleased smirk. “Come, ladies. I brought lunch.”

The four of them gathered at their claimed table, where clean, neatly cut sandwiches were placed out in each of their spots, along with some fruit and vegetable slices and cookies.

  “Turkey, ham, and cheese, mozzarella and swiss specifically, with a dash of mustard for Catherine,” Aragon declared. “BLT for me and Katherine. And then, a grilled cheese for Elizabeth.”

They all tittered at the last named food item. Bessie grinned cheekily at them.

  “What?” She said innocently. “At least I didn’t ask for a peanut butter and butter sandwich like last time!”

  “I still cannot believe you asked me to make a damn peanut butter and BUTTER sandwich,” Aragon said. “You are a creature, I hope you know that.”

  “I do,” Bessie giggled. “And it is GOOD, okay? I like butter!”

  “I’ll bring you a tub of butter when it’s my turn to bring lunch,” Parr joked, and she and Bessie flashed each other smiles.

  “I look forward to it!” Aragon rolled her eyes at them in an amused way while Howard chuckled and shook her head. Somewhere behind their table, a pair of kids at a booth were shouting about donating to a charity for Africa.

  “Blount,” Aragon said, “Guess what today is.”

Bessie watched the older girl grab the clipboard and flip to a new page, and sighed. “Lunchtime poll? What’s the question?”

  “Yeah, so what’s the question, Catherine?” Parr asked.

  “Goddamn, Catherine,” Aragon said. “You were with me in study hall when I came up with it.”

  “I forgot!”

Aragon snorted. “Such a pillowcase,” She muttered gruffly.

  “This wouldn’t be the bizarro thing you babbling about on the phone last night, is it?” Bessie tilted her head. 

  “Of course it is.” 

Aragon and Bessie stood up to begin, and that’s when Bessie noticed someone staring at them. It wasn’t exactly uncommon, what with them being the most popular girls in the school, but she didn’t recognize this gawker. He looked...different. Different in a way she just couldn’t put her finger on. And she was so focused on trying to figure out exactly what it was that she didn’t even realize she was careening to the side until she bumped into someone.

  “Oh-- Sorry!” Bessie said, then noticed that the person she had accidentally knocked into was Maria de Salinas, an old friend of hers. “Maria! Hey!”

Maria smiled. “Hi, Bessie.”

  “Hey, I’m really sorry I couldn’t come to your birthday last month.” Bessie blurted without even thinking it. Aragon rolled her eyes at her side. 

  “It’s okay,” Maria said. “Your mum said you had a big date. I’d probably miss my own birthday party for a date.”

Bessie felt a twinge of pain in her heart. She nudged Maria with a light laugh to try and get it to go away.

  “Don’t say that,” She said.

  “You know what?” Maria opened her bag. “I was looking around the other day and dug up these old photographs.” She handed a photo of her and Bessie during Halloween when they were younger, in which Maria was a fairy and Bessie was a bat.

  “Oh, wow!” Bessie exclaimed, looking down at the picture with sparkling eyes. “This-- Wow. It brings back so many memories!”

  “Come ON, Elizabeth!” Aragon said, yanking Bessie by the arm and making her drop the photo.

  “I was talking to somebody!” Bessie barked as she was hauled towards a table with a cluster of popular kids.

  “Oh well,” Aragon said dismissively. She halted them both in front of the table. “Hello, kids. Anne. Love your sweater.”

The head of the table, Anne Boleyn, glanced suspiciously up at Aragon before smiling tightly. She ran her hand over the sleeve of the designer emerald green sweater she was wearing.

  “Thanks,” She said. “I just got it last night at The Limited. Totally blew my allowance.”

Aragon nodded like she cared, then read off of the clipboard, “Check this out: You win five million from the Publisher Sweepstakes, and the same day that Big Ed guy gives you the check, aliens land on the Earth and say they’re going to blow it up in two days. What do you do?”

  “That’s easy,” Said another kid sitting at the table, Thomas Cromwell, before Anne even had the chance to give her own answer. “I’d just slide that wad right over to my father, ‘cause he is, like, one of the top brokers in the country.”

Aragon stared at him like a hawk watching a crippled mouse until Thomas wiped that stupid smirk off of his face. Bessie snorted lightly.

  “If I got that money, I’d give it all to charity.” Anne said.

  “You’re beautiful.” Bessie said.

Aragon growled deep in her throat. Bessie sidled around her and began walking to a new table. Aragon followed after her.

  “If you’re going to openly be a bitch…” Aragon began.

  “It’s just--” Bessie sighed, hoping to catch Aragon before she broke out on one of her furious tangents. “Catherine, why can’t we try talking to other people?”

  “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw,” Aragon spat. “Do I look like Mother Teresea to you?”

  “Well, you are Catholic, so…”

Aragon flicked Bessie in the nose, eliciting a tiny yelp of pain. 

  “We have a reputation to uphold here, Elizabeth.” Aragon said. “Don’t act stupid. I know you aren’t.”

  “Does it not bother you that everybody at this school thinks you’re a piranha?” Bessie asked.

  “Like I give a shit.” Aragon answered breezily. “They all want me either as a friend or a fuck. I’m worshipped here, and you can be, too. And you’re just a Year 11.” She ruffled Bessie’s hair, earning a disgruntled noise from the girl.

  “Come on, Catherine.” Bessie said. She brushed out of place white locks out of her face and looked up at Aragon. “Please?”

Aragon gazed down at Bessie, then wrinkled her nose. “Ugh,” She growled. “Don’t look at me with those big, stupid eyes of yours. Come on.”

Bessie beamed. “Thank you!” She chirped.

And so, they went around the cafeteria, asking the lunchtime poll question to a variety of new people, most of which looked startled that the two of them were even talking to them. They got an abundance of answers, varying from normal, to interesting, to completely weird. But they were the types of answers they had never gotten before this day. By the time they were done, Joan Astley had read through the note given to her and was starting to get up from her table.

  “Come on, come on!” Parr waved Aragon and Bessie over excitedly. 

  “It’s happening!” Howard whisper-yelled.

The four of them watched as meek little Joan staggered her way over to the jock table, where Anna von Cleves and other various athletes sat, talking loudly. The girl stuttered something to Anna, then set the note down, which was immediately snatched up by Francis Dereham. After a moment of reading, he burst out into laughter, followed by everyone else at the table when the paper was passed around. Joan’s eyes filled with tears and she ran out of the cafeteria.

The Catherines were all laughing, while Bessie just frowned, guilt racing through her. Aragon noticed her expression and sighed heavily. She began to run her long shellac fingernails through Bessie’s hair, straightening and smoothing out the mess on the top of her head.

  “You wanted to be a part of the most powerful clique in school, honey,” Aragon said. “If I wasn’t already the head of it, I’d want the same thing.” She made a tiny braid, then released the girl.

  “Who’s that guy over there?” Bessie asked, nodding at the young man that had been staring at them. She didn’t know how to reply to Aragon, so she just decided to switch the topics.

  “His name is Henry Tudor,” Howard answered her. “He’s in my Economics class.”

Bessie nodded slowly, picked up the clipboard form off of their lunch table, then began to walk over to the new guy.

The first thing she noticed was the trench coat he was wearing. The second thing was that he was built like a bear- large and powerful. His hair was golden blonde and he had piercing bright blue eyes. A smirk curled on his lips when he saw her coming over.

  “Hello, Henry Tudor,” Bessie said.

  “Greetings and salutations.” Henry replied languidly. “You a Catherine?”

  “I’m a Bessie,” Bessie said. “Not in a cow way, though, Just my nickname.”

Henry chuckled and nodded. “I see.” 

  “This may seem like a really stupid question,” Bessie said, raising the clipboard up.

  “There are no stupid questions.” Henry said.

  “You win five million from the Publisher Sweepstakes, and the same day that Big Ed guy gives you the check, aliens land on the Earth and say they’re going to blow it up in two days. What do you do?”

Henry furrowed his eyebrows. “That’s the stupidest question I’ve ever heard.” He said. “I don’t know. Maybe row out to the middle of a lake somewhere, bring a bottle of tequila, my sax, and some Bach. Then I’ll just sit back and watch the fires come.”

Bessie nodded, smiling, despite the weird gut feeling she had that was saying she needed to get away from this guy. “How very.”

Before Henry could reply, Aragon suddenly grabbed Bessie by the arm and swelled up like a venomous snake before Henry. “Let’s go, Elizabeth.” She said.

  “Okay, I’m coming,” Bessie said. “Later.”

  “Definitely.” Henry said back.

Aragon began guiding Bessie back to the table, where they finished eating with the other two Catherines. As she ate her sandwich, Bessie could feel Henry’s gaze on her, burning holes into her clothes, and that gut feeling turned into full on discomfort. It got so bad that she deliberately tried to avoid his line of sight while leaving the cafeteria, which caused her bump straight into someone for the second time that day. This time, the person was a lot less understanding than the first.

  “Hey!” He roared. “Watch where you’re going, you fat fuck!”   “S-sorry!” Bessie stuttered, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She suddenly felt a lot more exposed, as if she wasn’t wearing anything at all.

  “Did all that hair bleach kill your brain, too?” One of the guy’s friends snarked.

  “Or just fucking blind you?” Another said.

And then, the Catherines were there, materializing before them like a trio of vengeance-seeking angels in the lights. Howard eased Bessie behind her while Aragon riled herself up to her full size.

  “What did you just say to her?” Aragon asked, her words like a hidden bear trap underneath a blanket of leaves.

  “She bumped into me!” The first guy blurted in a woebegone voice.

  “Oh dear, what a disaster,” Parr mused.

  “How many times have I told you, Dudley, that she’s with us?” Aragon said. “Do you REALLY want to mess with us right now?”

  “No,” Dudley muttered.

Aragon was pleased. “Good. Now apologize to Elizabeth at once.”

  “Sorry I yelled at you,” Dudley said to Bessie.

  “Us, too.” Said his friends.

  “It’s okay,” Bessie said softly.

  “Wonderful.” Aragon smiled, but her voice was all murderous stalactites, sugary-sweet and poisonous. She pointed to each of the three in turn as she continued to speak. “Anyway. He was asking for feet pics in private messages, he is cheating on his girlfriend with his sister, and she is thoroughly sick of them both and wishes she had better friends to talk to.”

With that, she turned and escorted her clique out of the cafeteria and to the bathroom.

  “Are you okay, sweetie?” Howard asked softly, massaging one of Bessie’s shoulders comfortingly. Her voice was gentle and so caring, almost like a mother’s. 

  “Yeah,” Bessie said. “I’m okay.”

  “Stupid bitch,” Aragon snarled underneath her breath, furiously pacing around the bathroom.

  “You aren’t fat, by the way,” Parr said to Bessie.

  “But--”

  “Don’t even try it Elizabeth,” Aragon hissed. “Or I will cut out your tongue, laminate it, and then pose it in my foyer, and don’t think I won’t do it.”

Bessie giggled softly at her threat. As strange and slightly violent it may have been, it meant Aragon cared about her. Because if she didn’t, Bessie surely would have been called fat again.

  “Okay,” She said. “But I’m fine, really.”

  “Good.” Aragon. “Fuckass doesn’t know who he’s talking about. You look great, Elizabeth. Even if that cardigan is questionable.”

Bessie looked at herself in one of the mirrors and saw that she truly did stick out like a sore thumb with the Catherines. If it wasn’t her bleached white hair, then it was her baby face, and if it wasn’t her baby face, then it was how she was slightly more chubby than the rest of them. Howard said it made her look soft and cute, and she didn’t ever know how to respond to that, so she would just laugh. And if it wasn’t any of that stuff, then it was her awful sense of fashion. Today, it was overalls, a black and white cardigan, and a light purple striped shirt, as purple was supposed to be her signature color.

  “I got it from the thrift store,” Bessie said proudly.

  “I am not surprised.” Aragon said. “You are not wearing that for the party tonight, by the way.”

  “What about--”

  “You aren’t wearing those galaxy suspenders, either!”

  “W--”

  “No!”

#heathers au #six the musical #six the musical au #six the musical fanfic #six the musical fanfiction #six fanfiction #six fanfic #uk tour six #tour katherine howard #tour catherine parr #tour catherine of aragon #tour anne boleyn #tour bessie on the bass #tour joan on the keys #tour anna of cleves #tour maria on the drums #katherine howard #catherine parr #catherine of aragon #anne boleyn #bessie on the bass #king henry viii #henry the eighth #catherines

[thelaclippings]

A Season in Retrospect

So, turns out Kawhi’s knee injury was significantly worse than we thought. I mean, it’s not career ending (at least that we know of), but the reality is that he never was coming back to the 2021 Playoff Picture. Do I think the Clippers handled this information well? Maybe. Do I think the Clippers should do everything in their power to keep Kawhi around long-term? Probably. But do I think betting everything on Kawhi coming back to his prior form justifies selling the farm? Absolutely not.

Here’s the thing: as a Clippers fan I am absolutely happy to see Kawhi having chosen the Clippers as his team of the future two years ago. I was excited to see Paul George traded to LA and not end up in the purple & gold, a year removed from spurning the Lakers in free agency, even if it broke my heart to see SGA heading back to OKC in return. I was happy to watch them piece together a team that could legitimately combat LeBron and his then-new running mate Anthony Davis. But the season came, the Clippers looked great (especially against LA - trust me, I was there opening night in a sea of crying Laker fans) and it took a pandemic to derail everything. 

Now, I am not a Bubble-whiner, but was it ideal to have the Bubble be the lasting impression of what it prototypically means to traverse the grueling 82 game season and battle the best of the best? No. The Bubble had it faults, but the Clippers had every shot to win it all just like anyone else that was there. Their collapse is historic and another black mark on the Clipper name, but for me that was greatly the fault of Doc Rivers and his relentless approach at sticking to his guns and NEVER making the unconventional adjustment. He’s absolutely known for it, and the Bubble proved it. Would this have been any different if there had not been the bubble? Maybe not, but the many factors of what happened between stopped play and restarting in the Bubble had more effect than is given credit for (i.e. Montreal Harrell and the loss of his best friend, his grandmother).

This last season showed that the Clippers can be scary when everything is clicking. Yes, other teams suffered injuries throughout the season but the Clippers always appeared to be playing at a 7 with intent to turn it up to 11 when the playoffs came. But their secret weapon was the adjustments Ty Lue was willing to make. If you rewatch each series, you will see the EXACT same formula in each one. Games 1 & 2 were close losses, and by Game 3 the adjustments would kick in. Each series had a young Superstar taking the reigns and showing they were unstoppable. Stephen A. Smith talked about it after every game and even went so far to declare Donovan Mitchell the “greatest Jazz player of all time” based on his performance against the Clippers. Then, the Clippers would put that fire out and the rest of the team would have to pick up the slack. And despite the positive depth of each team (and the universal agreement that the Clippers lacked depth), the Clippers rose to the occasion time and time again.

And when Kawhi went down, we didn’t blink. The momentum of confidence from the coaching staff gave guys like Terrance Mann & Luke Kennard the added support to produce some amazing performances. I firmly believe the Clippers could have won it all had Game 1 of the WCF had a couple calls go our way and PG hit a single Free Throw at the end of Game 2. Then some adequate rest between the WCF and the Finals might have recharged enough for a true run of the Bucks. BUT this isn’t a woulda-shoulda-coulda. Like the team, even I was exhausted by Game 6 following a marathon of games every other day for a solid 3 weeks. 

So it’s on to the next season. A chance to let the excitement and accomplishments from this past season settle in and optimism of the future. Except we are now regularly inundated with news about Kawhi and his future with the team and what the extent of his injury might mean. And while it is probably the most unpopular opinion on the internet, I’ll be the first to say it: if Kawhi doesn’t want to be here, then he needs to go.

If Kawhi wants to be in Dallas or Miami, then let him. If his only avenue there is through a sign and trade, then get some quality in return for his loss and move on. Make more adjustments, get into the right groove, and move on. 

I’ve watched nearly every game of the last two seasons and Kawhi on the floor is universally the best player. But there are moments - regularly - where I am not confident that he inspires his teammates. He is known to be low-key on his attitude and that can be jarring. I want passion, emotion, excitement. I personally thrive off the energy of others and maybe that’s where seeing Kawhi on TV or from a distance at the Staples Center doesn’t always translate. But PG’s energy does. Even when he’s saying some dumb stuff (Playoff P...) he still seems to have the support of his teammates. Without PG we wouldn’t have kept Reggie Jackson at next-to-nothing. PG might be the reason Reggie sticks around on a reasonable contract over the loads of money another team might throw at him.

Kawhi brought us Ibaka, sure, and barring the injury might have been a really great impact on the playoffs. But it’s the role players that carried us through the playoffs when Kawhi went down. And if Kawhi still had a big hand in keeping them motivated, then let’s not lose him. Let’s hope that matters enough for Kawhi to not only want to stick around but keep this team together.

The idea of trading away the bench in order to bring in another question-mark player is nauseating to me. If we have to lose guys like Patrick Beverly, Marcus Morris, or Terrance Mann, I don’t want to see the return be mid-level guys who need to jive in a new situation. If the return is anyone but Damian Lillard, I don’t want them. No John Wall. No Russell Westbrook. No Ben Simmons. No middle-of-the-road players that don’t truly elevate over what we have. Marcus Morris was once seen as one of these guys, and at his best still is. Why trade him unless you are absolutely certain the guy coming back is better? Pat Bev is the heart of our team, and proved that in crunch time he is still easily the most effective defensive stopper in the league. Don’t believe me, listen to comments from the Jazz series on guys not wanting to get stuck with him on them.

Yes, their contracts are high. And yes, nothing can be done without moving on from these guys. But why does anything need to be done? If there’s one for certain that needs to be addressed, it’s Kawhi. If he is not the leader of this team, which I would argue Paul George has more of the proven leader qualities than Kawhi has outwardly shown, and he might want to play somewhere else, then use his albatross contract and the unknown of his injury and how it affects his future as the last-ditch-effort trade chip to bring some talent back and give us the flexibility.

Would I be opposed to Kawhi-to-Dallas? Mostly, as I don’t like enough of the surrounding talent to come back as collateral. Short of getting every draft pick imaginable from Dallas, guys like Tim Hardaway, Jr. or Kristaps Porzingis don’t give me the confidence that I would want to be traceable assets or reliable otherwise. Hardaway had a great resurgence, sure, but he needs to find a way to Indiana to keep playing for Rick Carlisle. Porzingis on the other hand is still a good player, but has proven he’s not worth the contract and thus untraceable to a third team so you’re stuck with him. And he does not signlehandedly replace what Kawhi brings. I like guys like Maxi Kleber, but then we have so many bigs we wouldn’t know what to do with, and trading away Zubac’s to accommodate incoming bigs would be a huge mistake. I also would hate the combination of Luka & Kawhi from a competitor standpoint. If we ran into Dallas a third time in the playoffs next season, but they now have Kawhi instead, we are toast. Bottom line.

I’d send Kawhi to Miami. Mostly because he would only be our problem if they made it to the finals, and as a basketball fan I’d love to see that Miami team go head to head with the Nets for a couple seasons and see what shakes out. If Kawhi joined Jimmy Butler in Miami, the East would, in my opinion, have effectively balanced itself back out with the West. I also think the return would be better. Guys like Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn all have trade value. Get some picks in return as well and we have some quality building blocks. Or truly pull off the incredible by making this trade as a stepping stone to another one that nets the Clippers Damian Lillard.

I’ve tinkered with the NBA Trade Machine and made this work a variety of ways. Sending Ibaka to the Blazers and Kawhi to the Heat allows the Clippers to bring back not just Lillard, but potentially one of Miami’s sharpshooters or even a talent like Jones Jr. or Kanter. Sporting a lineup that includes George and Lillard without giving up guys like Morris, Zubac, Mann, or Beverly would be a huge win. Keeping Rondo for experience and leadership would be welcome though he likely wouldn’t play much, and spending the remaining resources on retaining guys like Nic Batum & Reggie Jackson would be crucial.

All in all, I would hate to see Kawhi leave a team that could have won it if the injury never happened. I would hate to see this team broken up at all. Bring back Batum, bring back Jackson. Bring back guys like Cousins or even Pat Pat (despite his effective 0 minutes played in the playoffs). Leadership and chemistry is the final piece in this already established puzzle. 

But if Kawhi needs to follow his own path, then I think the Clippers need to suck it up and move on.

#laclippers #clippers #kawhi #kawhileonard #clippernation #paulgeorge #reggiejackson #terrancemann #demarcuscousins #sergeibaka #patrickbeverly #patbev #patbeverly #marcusmorris #marcusmorrissr #damianlillard #damelillard #jimmybutler #tylerherro #duncanrobinson #kendricknunn #stephenasmith #docrivers #tylue #derrickjonesjr #eneskanter #ivicazubac #rajonrondo #maxikleber #timhardawayjr

[starry-knight-skies]

Title: Nonstop Ambition Hamilton Au (collab story I’m working on with the wonderful and talented @fanatic-kay, who used those wonderful skills to write this chapter) also obsessed logan au but it’s more of a subplot Chapter summary: Roman arrives in America and makes some interesting friends

Roman took a breath, entering the bustling pub. His eyes scanned among the people, laughing and chatting in the low-light setting. He had heard through the grapevine that the man usually spent his Friday nights here. A smile graced his lips, spotting his target. Black hair? Check. Square glasses? Check. Sharp features? Check. Looks rich? Double-check. 

He squared his shoulders, walking with a purpose towards him. Once close enough to be heard, he cleared his throat to capture the other’s attention. “Excuse me, would you happen to be Logan Burr?”

Logan let out a small hum of affirmation, his eyes flicking over Roman’s appearance. “May I help you...?” he trailed off, clearly searching for a name.

“Roman, Roman Hamilton, sir. I just moved to New York from the Caribbean,” he smiled as Logan shook his hand, sitting at the barstool next to him. “I’ve been studying at Princeton and I’ve been hearing your name a lot. You’re a bit of a legend. They say you graduated in two years.”

“That would be correct,” the alum nodded with a hint of a smile. 

“That’s absolutely incredible! I would be honored to follow your footsteps, See, I want to join the revolution. My classmates think I’m insane, which- which I’m not! I was hoping you could impart some wisdom to me on how you managed to graduate so quickly,” The immigrant’s deep brown eyes shone with hope as he eagerly awaited an answer.

Logan’s expression fell, his whole demeanor becoming stoic. He didn’t spare Roman a glance, the pint in front of him appearing much more interesting. After a count of two, he answered. “It was my parents’ dying wish… upholding their legacy and the family name.” His knuckles were white with how hard he was gripping the handle of his drink. 

Roman’s gaze softened with empathy. “You’re an orphan.” 

“I don’t see why that should change anything,” despite everything, his voice remained even and monotonous, but Roman took that as a sign of him hiding his true feelings. 

He shook his head. “It doesn’t! That came out wrong, apologies. I’m an orphan, too. My mother passed away when I was twelve. People often mistake us as weak and helpless without parents, but damn, we’re so much more than that. I wish we could prove that to anyone, hell, if there was a war I’d be the first to sign up and show the world what I’m made of,” Roman claimed brazenly. 

A light chuckle brought him out of his passionate reverie. “Can I buy you a drink? Perhaps offer some advice?” 

“Please and thank you,” Roman nodded, watching the bartender pour his pint. 

Logan took a meaningful drink of his beer. “Talk less. Smile more.”

“Excuse me?” Roman looked puzzled. 

“It’s easier for some to speak their minds, have their words heard by the masses. Easy and foolish,” Logan gestured with his free hand as he spoke. “If one talks too much, enemies come flocking behind you. Confrontations are meaningless endeavors as well. You get farther in life, in power, when you sit quietly and smile.”

He sighed, trying to piece together what Logan was saying. “So, what? You just stay silent and agree with everyone?”

“Not agree, but you don’t disagree either. You’re simply being polite and not causing an upset. People like you, and it’s easier to build a solid, respectable reputation. Those who talk too much are often found dead not long after. And you’re no good to anyone if you’re not around.” With that, he finished his drink, handing the bartender some money. Logan started to get up to bid farewell to his newest acquaintance but was interrupted by two joyful shouts and an arm around his shoulder. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t Logan Burr!” One smiled, his arm squeezing the other’s shoulders in a side hug. His French accent was hard to miss, but his English was decent. He was tall with broad shoulders, his long hair pulled back into a bun. 

“How are you, sir?” The calmer of the two smiled kindly, though there was a hint of mischief behind her eyes as well. 

Logan sighed. “I am fine, thank you. Though, I was just taking my leav-”

“Nonsense! Please, join us. You can’t leave when the fun has just arrived,” the girl insisted. 

“Veronica is right!” The Frenchman added on. “And you can bring your friend, too!”

Roman smiled at that word, ‘friend’. It sparked a pleasant, warm feeling in his chest. He never had friends before, most of his childhood taken up with trying to make a living. Countless hours spent cursing his father for leaving them as he had to resort to pick-pocketing for necessities. At age twelve, when he was sure he was going to die by his mother’s side, he had no one else to depend on. With his cousin committing suicide a year later, Roman was sure he broke everything he touched. But still, he persevered. Now, he was living in New York, finishing his education and making a new beginning. 

He felt himself being led to a table by the unnamed man along with Logan. He sat down, Logan on his right and the girl, Veronica, to his left. After a short discussion about getting drinks, Logan conceded in buying a round for the table. While he was gone, his friends gave their attention to Roman, introducing themselves. 

“I’m Veronica Laurens, and this here is Remus de Lafayette,” Remus smiled as his girlfriend (?) greeted him. “You are?”

“Roman Hamilton. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

They fell into an easy conversation as if they had known each other their whole lives. Roman felt the click almost immediately. He learned Veronica and Remus were, in fact, *not* dating, though he found it hard to believe with how they both were fighting blushes at the question. The two were also revolutionaries, wanting to bring change to the world, free the colonies from King George’s reign. They had their own personal goals with how freeing America would change the world for the better. 

“The monarchies need to, oh how you say,” Remus searched for the right words, “fuck on?”

Roman snorted and Veronica was unable to control her laughter. “It’s *off*, Remus. Fuck *off*.”

He waved off her suggestion, “You understand what I’m saying. Their only concern is how much land they own and how much power they have.”

“Royalty is a huge issue, but what about the slaves? They need to be freed as well, they’re people too! Just because they have a different skin tone doesn’t make them inferior to us.”

Roman hummed, “War is fast approaching, but once we’re free there needs to be order. We have no financial plans for the nation, and without those, there won’t be a nation to run.”

Veronica and Remus made various statements of agreement. Logan, however, seemed slightly agitated. “Lower your voices, you’re making yourselves targets. I agree with what you’re saying, but we could go about this conversation more tactfully, and quietly.”

“C’mon, Logan, everyone is talking about the revolution in one way or another nowadays. No one is going to pay us any mind,” Veronica assured him. “Everyone here is drunk anyway, they probably won’t even remember us being here.”

Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, before giving in. Sensing his urge to move on from the topic, Roman decided to tie it all up. 

“To the revolution?” Roman asked, raising his glass. 

“To the revolution,” the other three chorused, also raising their pints and then taking a drink. 

The conversation died down again, becoming more light-hearted. Laughs and quips were passed around. Roman sat back, letting himself observe for a few moments. He thinks he can get used to this whole ‘friends’ thing.

#hamilton au #roman sanders #logan sanders #remus sanders #veronica clarke #prinxiety #its the main ship so i'm tagging it #obsessed logan

[diveronarpg]

Congratulations, CHARLIE! You’ve been accepted for the role of CORIOLANUS. Admin Jen: There are no words to describe how floored I was by the stellar portrayal you've presented to us, Charlie. With two very strong applications, we were given quite a difficult decision, but ultimately you showed us not only Coriolanus, but Cyrus, flaws and all. There is so much depth and nuance to Cyrus that it makes him not quite an easy character to grasp, but as I read your app, I could see all of it, small details and broad concepts alike, plucked and arranged in front of me in an alluring, mischievous array. You captured every aspect of Cyrus that is distinct and unique to him and him alone, from the various paths that his journey in Verona could take, to the tragic, painfully human starting point that paved the way for it, to his mannerisms and devious charm. He's going to be an absolute menace on the dash and I can't wait to see it! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Charlie

Age | 23 in less than a month!

Preferred Pronouns | she/her

Activity Level | 5-8. I think we all know how chaotic everything gets at the moment and that’s also mirrored in my activity. On the one hand, I have A LOT of free time on my hands right now and a very high motivation to write, at the same time, my mood is also very fickle throughout the day and can quickly jump from feeling like writing a novel to not even wanting to touch my laptop. However, I’m around for plotting basically 24/7 and have established in the past that queuing my replies works very well for me, so I’d be able to deliver replies on a regular basis.

Timezone | GMT+1/CET 

How did you find the rp?  | I’ve been a part of DV before.

Current/Past RP Accounts | https://ofduval.tumblr.com/

IN CHARACTER

Character | Cyrus Sloane

What drew you to this character? |

When I knew I wanted to rejoin Diverona, I also realized that I wanted to write a character, who challenges me as a writer, this time around and thus, started looking at characters I’ve never paid any real attention before as they’re not my go-to kinds of characters.

And then I stumbled across Cyrus bio and, for the first time ever since I stumbled across the group two years ago, truly read it. And what can I say, I fell in love.

He’s darkness combined with the charm and holiness of an angel, a paradox in itself. He’s like Lucifer, the one who shined brightest of all only to fall deeper than all the other angels. And just like Lucifer, he’d rather reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. He’ll do whatever it takes to build his own kingdom. Flectere si nequeo superos, acheronta movebo; if I cannot bend heaven, I’ll raise hell. 

Like the most poisonous flowers, he’s as beautiful as they come and will kill you softly from inside. Cyrus Sloane isn’t handsome nor attractive, he’s beautiful and that’s precisely what makes him so dangerous. To quote The Secret History: ‘Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.’ You’ll fear his name and yet, you also won’t help but feel drawn to it, almost like a fly to a Venus flytrap.

Also, his relationship with Vivianne? W o w is all I have to say about that. No, seriously, I’m so emo over this connection, you wouldn’t believe it. There is just so much potential in there, so much tragedy, so much angst, anger, chaos, and destruction that still deserves to unfold. And I yearn to be the one who gets the chance to do that. 

From reading up on past plot drops and my personal experience within the group (which might be totally wrong, it’s just my subjective perception!), I feel like, so far, Cyrus hasn’t really had the chance to play a key role, to go through the character development he deserves, to matter as much as he should. And I want to give this character, that has grown to be so near and dear to my heart in the past days, the chance to shine that he deserves. For the first time in forever, I can’t even bring myself to truly stress out over the application process as I normally do because this app simply needed to be written, I needed to write Cyrus at least once, even if it’s just in this app. 

Because he does things with me, I myself don’t quite understand just yet. To be frank, Cyrus Sloane gives me a freaking headache, I’m not gonna lie about that. He’s so much and so different from what I’m used to. But still, I just can’t help coming back for more. Which I feel is exactly what Cyrus does? No matter if he hurts you or puts you in uncomfortable situations, you’ll come back craving more. 

And I’m definitely craving more of him.

What future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

mother dearest.

Did she weep when she abandoned him? It’s a question he stopped asking himself a long time ago and yet, it still haunts him. He doesn’t want it to, has done everything in his power to stop caring about it and yet, it’s ingrained so deeply in his bones that even breaking them wouldn’t make him forget it.

Cyrus’ questions of what he did wrong to deserve such a fate turned into hatred for the woman, who is to blame for it all years ago. And still, there is still this childlike curiosity, this desire, so suppressed and ignored that even he believes he’s actually forgotten it, to find out why. 

The dynamic between Vivianne and Cyrus is a very delicate, very intriguing one and I’d love to explore it further. I’m not sure how much has happened there yet as it’s something that needed to be discussed with Lina, but I’d love for Cyrus to get those answers he tells himself he doesn’t even want to know anymore somewhere down the line. Maybe at one point, he might even downright confront her and demand to get them, though this roughness and lack of subtlety would have to be provoked in some way as it’s not his usual style. Nor does he really want her to know that he cares, or acknowledge that himself for that matter. 

I highly doubt that the knowledge of why will be enough to ease the hatred, the pain of the still aching wound that never healed. Finding out what happened, most likely won’t change anything about his determination to see her kingdom come undone as I imagine him being too far down this path for redemption. And yet, it’d be fun to see this already so complex dynamic filled with even more layers. 

see it all burn to ashes.

The tale of a mother abandoning her son, throwing him to the wolves is one as old as time.  The fatal consequences this act of cruelty can bring with it are just as well known. 

And yet, Cyrus intends to outdo them all. 

Considering how I feel like it’s his main character arch, I’m not going to be very concrete here as I think it’s something that needs to be plotted out together with other writers, not to mention that there are so many different routes that this arch could go. After all, all roads lead to Rome. 

One interesting option would be attempting to destroy the Capulets from within. For that, he’d have to make himself irreplaceable. 

This could go hand in hand together with the plot mentioned further below regarding him following into Cassian’s footsteps so I’m not going to delve into that here.

Additionally, In a city like Verona, secrets are a currency more valuable than money, as is information. Mona Chen is a perfect example of the importance of secrets just as the dead witches were. Considering how Mona now not only doesn’t work exclusively for the Capulets any longer but also charges them a heavier price than she used to, it’d be in the Capulets’ interests to replace her with somebody who works exclusively for them, who gives them the information they want for free. I’m not entirely sure of the concrete way to achieve it just yet, but I imagine somebody as charming and talented at manipulations as Cyrus is would be capable of eliciting secrets out of people without them truly realizing what they’re giving up. He might even build his own network of spies to take over that ‘vacant’ position. 

Secondly, he could attempt to set the Capulet empire aflame with the help of the Montagues, after all, there is some truth in the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. I’m also be going into more detail about that idea in a further plot point.

Whatever route, Cyrus will take in the end, I do want him to make a mark. To do some damage at least. Even though he’s young, he couldn’t have ever crowned himself king of Cape Town if he didn’t know how to gain power. 

the old king is dead, long live the king.

I feel like with Cassian - his mentor - dead, Cyrus is going to strive towards stepping into his footsteps and taking over his role in politics within Verona. After all, it’s what he trained for, what he endured Cassian’s company for. Only that he’ll do a better job as Cassian could have. After all, who could not fall in love with his angelic smile and boyish charm?

Even in a city controlled by the mafia, the civilians still play an important role. Incur the people’s wrath and you’ll find yourself in a tough position. Thus, getting the general population under control is most certainly a way to rise to power (as proven multiple times in various European countries in the past). 

I want Cyrus to get (more) involved with Verona’s politics, attempting to earn the support and respect of members of the leading families of Verona. As mentioned above, secrets are an important currency within Verona and not only among members of the mob. The more respectable the family is, the darker the secrets often are and the more determined they are to keep them hidden from public knowledge. 

Using that to his advantage paired with his boyish charm nobody ever has truly been able to resist, could be his way into politics and subsequently turning Verona into his kingdom.

He managed to do it in Cape Town, why shouldn’t the people of Verona earn to praise his name as well?

maybe we’re just young gods.

Saying Bernadette Dupont and Cyrus Sloane bring out the worst in each other, is an understatement. They’re a match made not in heaven but hell.

I think it’s safe to say that while causing havoc and chaos is fun, it’s not enough for them. For Cyrus at least it isn’t, he’s dead set on pushing the Capulets from their throne and putting himself on it instead. With Bunny as the queen by his side. 

I'm the king of everything and you’re the queen. 

I want to explore their relationship further. How far are they willing to go for each other, what lengths will they go to for their own amusement and selfish goals? Might there even be more going on between them than just causing destruction together? Could mutual selfishness possibly be replaced by truly caring about each other?

the enemy of my enemy.

First of all, I don’t think that Cyrus will ever truly betray the Capulets to become a Montague. Is there a chance of him betraying the capulets? Definitely. However, not to become somebody else’s puppet. No, if he does so, only because it’s in his best interests, because it helps him build his own empire.

His connection to Lawrence, whom he serves as an informant, is already a very intriguing and promising one as it’s a way for him to get involved with the Montagues. No matter what Lawrence might think, they’re meeting as equals, Cyrus only gives him the information for a price that he sets and not because he feels obliged to do so or because Lawrence has something on him. 

Considering how Lawrence isn’t a taken character as of right now and I don’t think he’s the only connection of this sort Cyrus has, I’d love to find a taken character with whom he’s entered a similar symbiosis. 

It’d be the perfect way into getting more power by slowly breaking down the Capulet kingdom piece by piece.

flying to close to the sun. 

Just like Icarus, Cyrus has built his own wings, yearning to fly, to become a god. And just like Icarus, at one point he’s bound to get too close to the sun, is going to get burned and plum into a yet unknown depth. 

Verona isn’t Cape Town and while he made himself a king there, while he built his own empire on another continent, this new playing field calls for stakes higher than any he’s ever known. He turned himself into a shark in a tank of guppies back then, how will he thrive in a tank full of sharks, all bigger and more experienced than him? 

The tragedy of striving to have everything is that you have all the more to lose. The higher you fly, the deeper you can fall. And it’d be such bittersweet irony if his ambition, his thirst to see his mother’s kingdom burned to ashes was the reason for him to get burned. 

I think, especially if I follow up on the previously mentioned plot of him getting more involved with the Montagues, that this has a good chance of getting him into serious trouble. After all, with Viola already being outed as a traitor to the Capulets, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. After all, it only stands to reason the Capulets will be even more cautious now that they’ve found one mole in their midst. If there’s one, who says that there aren’t more? 

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Yes and no. It needs to be under the right circumstances and, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I’d want to let him go for quite a while. In my eyes, it’d be a logical conclusion for him to die at some point as he’s just an arrogant boy throwing himself into a war against much older, more experienced people to burn everything his mother ever held dear down and rise as a god from the ashes. I wouldn’t be surprised if this hubris got him killed one day. However, I’d want him to make his mark first somehow. 

 IN DEPTH

muder tw, gore tw

Father, forgive me for I’ve sinned. 

Lips curl into the hint of a smirk as he lazily crosses his legs, right feet resting on his left thigh. The confessional box is just big enough for him to find a comfortable position and yet, his foot touches the dark wood of the wall separating him and the priest. And he cannot help but wonder if its main purpose is precisely that, making it almost impossible to find a comfortable position. 

If a god finds it necessary to intimidate his followers by forcing them to confess their sins in a state of uncomfortableness, he cannot be very intimidating in the first place, can he? 

“I’m afraid I didn’t get your question, padre, mi dispiace.” The words leave his mouth with honey-laced innocence, and while there is not a single hint of doubt in his mind that the priest will buy it right up, the curl of his lips colors their sincerity a lie. It’s almost a shame really, how the insincerity of this show is carefully concealed by the wood in between them, the small openings leaving just enough space for words to transfer back and forth between the two sections. 

Then again, what fun is it if you jump right to the end?

He has a grim business ahead one him, a gruesome duty, one he tells himself he doesn’t necessarily enjoy (except you do, a tiny voice whispers in the back of his mind, he chooses to ignore it). It’s something he needs to do. Betray him and you’ll pay the price, it’s a rule as simple as it can be and yet, one he’d enforce no matter what it’d take. Growing up with catholic foster parents, religion has always played a part in his life. He grew up to follow the Christian beliefs, to respect God and all his messengers on Earth. And yet, doing the Lord’s work won’t save the priest. His treason won’t go unpunished. 

For there is only one god in Cape Town and his name is Cyrus Sloane. 

“Tell me, son, do you regret your sins?” 

The priest’s voice is calm, patient, almost gentle. And yet, it causes him to flinch just slightly. For a small moment, so short and fleeting that it has passed in the blink of an eye, hesitation and doubt shadow his mind. Maybe he shouldn’t go on. If he takes this next step, there’s no turning back. He’ll cross a line drawn so deeply into the ground that it’s almost a canyon. If he crosses that line, he’ll truly be the monster some bold voices already call him out to be in hushed whispers behind his back.

Instinctively, he pushes his chin out just a little, jaw muscles tensing in defiance of the thought, 

Maybe if they didn’t want him to turn into a monster, they shouldn’t have crossed the simple rules he put up. Maybe they should have been smart enough to not try to bury a dagger in his back in the hope of hitting his heart.

Don’t they already know that it’s nothing but rotten flesh anyway? 

“Which one? The ones I’ve already committed or the ones I’ll still commit?” Casual yet empathetic words leave sensual lips with just a hint of amusement lying beneath. And yet, despite it all, there’s a kind of honesty, so sincere and authentic that it cannot be faked, to be found in them. Cyrus doesn’t regret the hard decisions he has to make nor the one he’ll still make in the future; power and the world as his kingdom are his birthrights, a god doesn’t care about the havoc that follows in his wake. And neither does he; if anything he opens it with open arms. And nonetheless, there were some lines that there were harder to cross as others.

The best lies and manipulations always have a ring of truth to them, but maybe that’s just another lie people tell themselves so they won’t have to be ashamed of their true feelings.  

“The ones you’ve already committed will do for now. Confess them and beg the Lord for His forgiveness so that with His grace I can grant you absolution for your sins and you can leave reborn in the light of His mercy.”

A soft chuckle, so full of light it’d put angels to shame, rings through the air, fingers brushing through golden curls lazily, head resting against the wall behind him. “I’m afraid those are more than I can count. If I recall them all, we’ll still sit here tomorrow and your god’s ears will bleed in terror.” 

But then again, the same god stood by and did nothing when his own mother abandoned him so maybe he’s crueler than he’d give him credit for.

Though he tries not to show it, in fact, tries his best to gloss over the priest’s patience is starting to grow thinner and thinner, no longer a sturdy thread of wool but more a silk thread hanging dangerously thin in the air. It’s as obvious to him like blood in the water to a shark, Cyrus feels just as drawn to it. Charm is his weapon of choice, an automatism if he dare say, and yet, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a grown man slowly but surely come undone. 

Figuratively as well as literally. 

“Do you regret them at least?”

For a moment there is silence, only the damp, cold air only filled by the soft sounds of quiet breathing. Cyrus takes a moment to answer, the tension growing thicker with every passing blink until it’s thick enough to cut. Feet light like a gazelle he stands up and with two decisive steps, long legs moving gracefully, he bridges the distance between them.

“Not really, no”, he says, looking down into the priest’s puzzled face, lips curled into an angelic smile.

It’s the same smile Lucifer must have worn when he stood in front of his creator, so terrifyingly beautiful it could kill the weak of heart.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to confess that I don’t regret any of them”, the smile still locked onto the priest like sharp shooter’s sight on his next target, he calmly pulls the knife out of its sheath carefully hidden by the backside of his Armani jumper and dark jeans. Though it becomes more obvious with every passing second what he’s intending to do, every movement is done in accurate precision without any hurry. 

He rules this town, there’s no need to hurry. Especially not considering how the priest stares at him like a fly caught in a spider net might at the slowly but surely approaching spider, fangs opening wider with every step it takes. 

“I’m not sure if there’s anything I need to confess”, he adds, posture straight and balanced like the king he was born to be, tone as charming as ever. If anybody was looking for a spark of lunacy in his dark eyes, they’d have to look forever for there is none. Cyrus Sloane isn’t crazy, this isn’t the act of an insane person who’s lost touch with all rationality. No, he knows exactly what he’s doing and doesn’t do it despite it but because of it. 

Head slightly cocked to the right, his gaze wanders over the priest’s face once more, soaking up the slowly rising panic like another might the smell of freshly baked cookies. 

It tastes just as sweet in his mouth.

“Che mi dici di te, padre? Is there anything you’d like to confess in front of your god?” 

Be it the one hanging on the cross at the other end up the church or the one standing right in front of him. 

His words leave a sense of finality in their wake, he knows they both can feel it. Good. As exhilarating as this little situation is, there’s only a small line between exhilarating and boring. 

The priest’s eyes open so wide that Cyrus is a little afraid they’re gonna burst. Now that would be mess he wouldn’t envy his dry cleaner having to get it out of his clothes again.  

“I’m sorry”, he starts to blather, regressing to a man half his size and age, eyes full of not yet spoken pleas for mercy. Mercy that won’t be granted, but he doesn’t know that, at least not yet. Soon he’ll find out while taking his dying breaths that this town has no mercy for those betraying its king. “I didn’t mean to…”

Before the old priest can finish his sentence, Cyrus cuts his throat with one swift, determined motion, blood bursting out like air out of a ballon as soon as the cut is made, spraying his formerly clean clothes.

He couldn’t care less.

Carefully, he wipes the blade clean with a handkerchief, the one innocent white cloth now tainted by the crimson red of treason, of revenge. He tucks it back into his pocket before stepping over the lifeless body without giving it another look, his face as unreadable as a dark, cloudy sky.

Father, forgive me for I’ve sinned. For deep down, I know I’ll do it again if I have to. Without any shame or regret. 

 Extras: You can find a pinterest board here.

#accepted #accepted: coriolanus #crime rp #mob rp #gang rp

[fascinatedscrawls]

Guardian Grounds

“Mocha frap with extra whip!”

“Hey, Kira.” The exo waits until she turns before grimacing a smile at her. “I’m like an hour late for my lunch break. Do you think you can man the front while I take it?”

Blowing a stray bang out of her eyes, Kira pouts a bit at it when it just falls back down. She swipes it back with an impatient hand before giving her coworker a tired smile. 

“Yeah, I think I can handle it for now.” Now that the mid-day rush was mostly over with just a few stragglers finishing their orders in the scattered seating. It’s hard to keep on top of things when half the shift gets hit with the flu, but them staying home is infinitely better then them infecting everyone else and the customers. “If I get a crowd I’ll call that baking fiend out of the back to help out, she should be finishing up around now.”

As if on cue, her fellow awoken steps out of the back with another refill on the seriously depleted pastries that lined their shelves. Finding herself being stared at by both Kira and Falcon-4, Rogue gives them a questioning look before stepping around them to get to the display case.

“Falcon’s going on break, so keep an ear out for me will you?” Kira’s question gets her a thumbs up before the other woman goes back to stocking the shelves.

“Thanks you guys.” Sounding relieved, Falcon-4 steps through the same door Rogue just walked out of, most likely headed for the cramped break room in the back.

“Four to one they’ll be asleep on the couch before you get back.”

No bet, comes the quickly signed response. Rogue gives Kira a flat look from where she’s crouched, tray balanced precariously on her knees.

Kira chuckles, easily reading ‘do you think I’m stupid’ from her friend’s expression alone.

A pointed cough has them both looking up and Kira already has her customer service smile on as she meets the well-dressed, if slightly rumpled, customer’s golden glare.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, what can we do for you?” She’s proud of her quick recovery in the face of that powerful sneer. There’s a moment where he just keeps looking at her and she barely stops herself from sharing a look with Rogue in favor of prompting him again. “Sir?”

He blinks, frown deepening with his brow furrowing sharply. Kira is beginning to resign herself to an uncalled for and unnecessary rant about professionalism from the suited man when he finally speaks.

“Double shot espresso Romano in whatever passes for medium in this place.” The order is sharp, but surprisingly doesn’t have any additional scathing remarks after it.

“Can I get a name for your order?”

“Uldren.” 

Nodding, Kira notates the order on the appropriate cup, wondering why it sounded familiar, before handing it off to Rogue who just set down the empty tray on the back counter.

“Anything else for you?”

“No.” The man is chillier than the ice caps and just as verbose. Kira isn’t sure if she should be thankful for that as she rings up his order. 

“It will be out in just a minute.” Polite smile still intact, if slightly strained, Kira turns to the next customer who’d queued up behind the man. “Hi, what can we do for you?”

She’s tapping in the next order onto the screen while pulling a cup when an annoyed voice drifted over from the other end of the counter.

“I said, ‘excuse me’.” 

Glancing over as between cups, Kira feels her shoulders tensing. One of the men from the previous rush, a man who’d had trouble understanding the concept of ‘first come, first served’, is standing by the machines and trying to talk to Rogue. Rogue who can’t do more than smile apologetically when her hands are full of coffee cups.

“Is this how you treat all of your customers?” 

Oh, no. Kira had thought they were safe from lectures when that Uldren guy reigned himself in, but now there’s this from a man who’d already caused enough trouble today.

A non-committal shake of her head is all Rogue can offer as she finishes up the order in her hands, but that doesn’t placate the man any.

“No? Yes? Speak up!” The man is now leaning over the counter as if that will help any of them. “Can’t even spare a word of acknowledgement for a loyal customer?” 

Loyal customer? Kira can’t remember seeing him in the last year. She glances at the customer at the register who is waffling over the pastry display and humming. They could spare her for a moment, right?

“Sir?” Her call down the counter goes ignored by the man as Rogue puts a lid on the cup. After placing it on the counter next to Uldren with a small smile, she then turns to the man who’s looking no less offended.

Sorry. What do you need? Rogue mouths the words as she works her way through the hand motions, going slow in case the man doesn’t understand sign.

“And now with this hand waving thing.” He makes a dismissive gesture that Kira can see out of the corner of her eye and she feels her expression become fixed. Unaware of the doom that’s fast approaching, the detestable man continues, “I know you wouldn’t get hired if you can’t talk, girl.”

“I’m sorry, if you’ll excuse me for a moment.” Whatever expression Kira’s wearing must speak volumes as her current customer blanches and nods.

Turning sharply, Kira takes in the three at the other end of the counter  as she steps closer. Rogue looks three thousand percent done with the man, the man in question is turning a little purple from impotent rage, and Uldren...

It’s beginning to look like Uldren might have a case of resting bitch face because Kira had thought he looked angry before, but right now he’s looking about as mad as she feels. Thankfully, it looks like he’s willing to let her take care of it for now, which is honestly really nice of him. 

Because right now, she wants nothing more than to tear into this ableist piece of shit.

“Sir, Guardian Grounds prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive community as well as safe environment for all of our customers and employees.” Kira’s smile could probably be called many things right now, but polite wasn’t one of them. Sharp, sure; toothy, of course; terrifying, she sure hoped so, but polite? This man didn’t deserve polite at the moment. 

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything, but it’s clear to me that you don’t pride yourselves on a little thing called ‘customer service’!” He punctuated the last two words by banging his empty cup against the machine in front of him.

Her smile drops off her face.

Perhaps he never deserves ‘polite’ with an attitude like this.

There is a sharp hiss from behind her as Rogue reacts to the abuse of their coffee makers and a sharp ‘tsk’ from a disgusted looking Uldren sounds from the other side of the man.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Kira stares at the man, unblinkingly as he turns a shocking shade of puce.

“You can’t do that!” He waves the cup around. “I’m a paying customer!”

“I can, and I will.” She might not be the manager or even a lead, but there was no way Sunshine will fault her for it. “Please leave.”

“Absolutely not! I came up here to ask for a refill only to be ignored and then asked to leave! I haven’t done anything wrong!” The hand holding the empty cup clangs down on the machinery again.

Kira’s hand shots out to stop Rogue’s slow advance, tray drooping in her grasp as she seethes silently. For a moment Kira imagines this happening while Falcon is there to see it and the thought summons the sharp-edged smile back to her face.

“Sir,” if the level of respect in the word could be measured it would rate somewhere deep in the negatives, “You are demanding refills when we don’t offer any, insulting our employees and company, bothering the other customers with this disturbance, and have abused our equipment multiple times now.”

“What?!” For some unfathomable reason the man tries to look baffled even as he let his hand hit the machine again.

“Please leave before I have to call the authorities, sir.” Sarcasm drips from the word even as Kira throws it over her shoulder, slightly preoccupied holding Rogue back as the other woman hisses angrily through clenched teeth.

“I’d like to see you try! I’m sure the cops will have something to say about you people taking money without providing a service!” He sneers nastily and shows the inside of his cup which looks to be unstained at first glance.

“They wouldn’t have to try,” came the chilling retort. It had the asshole blinking at Uldren in confusion even as the perpetually angry-looking man reached in to his coat with one hand to pull out a badge, flipping it open to show his CRO credentials. “Not only were you drinking your ordered beverage happily when you made me step over your bag to get in, but you were boasting about this little ‘scheme’ to your buddy, saying you could get a free drink easily.”

A member of the Crown Recon Operatives? Kira stumbles a little as Rogue stops struggling against her hold. She knows, without looking, that both of them have positively gleeful looks on their faces.

“As this would be the one of the stupidest reasons I’ve had to take anyone into custody and I dislike paperwork, I suggest the two of you leave as they have asked.” Not bothering to hide his sneer, Uldren pointedly looks at the door before taking a sip of his coffee.

Asshole number one, as now Kira knows there’s a second one out by the tables, gulps before giving a sharp nod.

“Of course, officer.” The title is bordering on disrespectful and Uldren must pick up on it as easily as Kira does.

“That’s Captain to you.”

Captain? As in Captain Sov? The Queen’s brother?

Asshole one and two are now visible because they both blanched.

“C-captain.” A little shaky, but much more respectful, the man nodded to Captain Sov before scampering back to collect his friend and his things, quick to obey one of the most dangerous men in the system.

Once they’re nothing but rapidly retreating shadows, both of the employees turn to Captain Sov.

“Thanks for the assist, captain.” Kira nods to him, still feeling tense even after the confrontation.

Thank you! Next round’s on us! Signs Rogue.

The you’re welcome sign is nearly lost in Captain Sov’s show of straightening his coat.

“I hate people like him,” he says instead, expression reverting to a more moderate annoyance which Kira almost sure is his default now. “People who think they can get whatever they want with a show of force.”

“Yeah, me too.” Kira agrees darkly, glaring out after them before offering Captain Sov a smile. “Let us know if we can get you anything else, captain.”

Without waiting for more than a nod of acknowledgement, Kira checks on Rogue with a glance before moving back to her post as her coworker starts making the next drinks.

They work their ways through the orders, a few of the customers who saw the freeloading assholes even expressing their sympathy with generous tips. Captain Sov stands quietly by the cork board at the other end of the counter as he sips his way through his coffee and Kira finds herself wondering about him as she rings up another customer.

He could have easily remained incognito the whole time, so why speak up? Why was he even here in the first place? Sure there was a small CRO branch office in town, but she didn’t think it was close.

Taking another glance as she passes another filled out up to Rogue, Kira’s breath catches just a little as she finds herself caught by that golden glare once more. 

The moment stretches until she blinks. 

He’s frowning again; then crumpling his cup before disposing of it on his way out the door.

Twenty minutes later, the cafe’s crowd has rotated out completely, the captain is long gone, and Kira finds herself wondering if he’ll ever want to come back after that wonderful first impression. Falcon-4 steps into the front just in time to hear her sigh.

“Why is Kira sighing like she’s waiting for her SO to come back from the war?” Their question earns them a glare and a fit of silent laughter.

Kira and Captain Sov, sitting in a tree, K-I- the rest of the childish rhyme is lost as Kira starts after Rogue who scampers into the back with her tray.

“Captain Sov?! What the hell did I miss?”

Stopping short of the door, Kira looks up at the ceiling and wonders how long she has before the rest of her coworkers ‘know’ about her ‘crush’. She doubts her ‘secret’ will even last the rest of her shift.

Some answers take longer than others, but Kira eventually learns that the CRO’s headquarters is moving to their city, that the Guardian rumor mill takes less than fifteen minutes even with half of it out sick, and that it takes far more than a bad first impression to keep Captain Sov away.

#Fireteam Hold My Soda #Plus Falcon-4 #Destiny fic #Destiny the Game #Coffee Shop AU #A different coffee shop this time #aonorunic #wasn't specific enough in the request #so it's iterating a bit lol #wow I apparently just really want to write asshole customers #Guardian OCs #Uldren Sov #idk how realistic the asshole is #may edit it when I'm more awake #but probably not lol

[team-science-mega-nerds]

If you are still taking agent reign prompts? How about Alex always fixing things around sams house but always including ruby, and Lena has to tell Sam to “open her eyes” because ya Alex will do almost anything for those she cares about, but Alex is doing all of this because she’s in love with Sam and absolutely adores ruby...

Sam doesn’t think it’s weird. Not really at least. It’d become somewhat of a routine for them. Sam would mention how some part of her 100-year-old house was falling apart, an unfortunate game night discussion, and Alex would come over the following weekend to see what she could do to help. It was mostly simple things. Pipes, lawn care, and even just a brief consult about how to make the space more livable. After all, Sam was still relatively new to the neighborhood and she didn’t have people with good recommendations for plumbers or lawn care services. Alex was eager and Sam was, frankly, desperate, so it all seemed to work out perfectly for everyone involved.

And yes, Sam might be taking Alex for granted. Just a little bit. Because they’d grow rather close over the past year and Alex had this serious loyal streak that Sam wasn’t used to. And in the midst of all the chaos, Alex was always there, smiling and ready to help. Everything was going smooth, a last minute paint job to refinish the front door to help their house stand out from the blue house next door, and then they’d probably resort to snacks and a movie.

The best part had been Alex’s excitement about Ruby joining in on the projects. Ruby was always thrilled to see Alex knocking at the door because it meant that she’d get to do something dangerous and fun - Alex had an affinity for power tools and thankfully she was good with them. The sheer fact that Sam was letting Ruby hang out under those circumstances should’ve clued her in about how Alex had completely and utterly flipped their world upside down. But Sam had this issue, when things were good, she wanted them to stay that way.

Which meant: no risks. She’d avoided spending extra time with Alex or even sitting next to her at game nights. Things were good, too good, and Sam couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop. While Ruby and Alex were painting the door, Lena comes strutting in and completely shifting the entire atmosphere of the house. At work Lena is reserved and professional, but the minute she steps into her personal life, she’s a breath of fresh air. And buzzing and free energy. She’s always like that with Ruby in a bid to solidify her status as the best aunt in the world, which she’s won ten times over. “Yellow, that’s a good choice!” Lena yells through the house. Sam can’t see her but based on the heel clacking getting steadily closer she knows that she’s approaching. “Oh, cookies too! I should’ve come earlier.” Lena reaches for a cookie and Sam smacks her hand away. “What?”

“They’re for Alex and Ruby, they’ve been doing all the work.” Lena takes a cookie anyway, grinning at Sam wickedly.

“Alex is here again.” It’s not a question, just an observation, but Sam can see the wheels turning in Lena’s mind. “What’s this, the fourth weekend in a row?”

“Something like that.” Sam tries to play coy, but she knows it is. It surprises her how often she’s opened up her home to Alex, it’s become second nature now. “I should probably pay her in something other than food. I think I’m being selfish.”

“Oh please, she’d throw your money in your face. She likes doing things for the people she cares about.” Lena has known Alex longer than Sam has, but it dawns on her that Lena must be very aware of just how thoughtful Alex can be. Alex saved Lena’s life the first time they met, maybe this is just how Alex is. Always giving, always there. “What exactly is going on between you two?”

“Alex and I? Nothing. She’s just been helping out.” Sam doesn’t know why she’s blushing, but Lena seems to latch on and Sam knows she’s doomed.

“Uh oh, I’m sensing some repressed emotions.”

“Shut up!”

“What? I’m just saying that I get it.” Now Sam finds herself grabbing a cookie and sticking it in her mouth. She can hear Alex and Ruby laughing from the other room and it absolutely warms her heart. Ruby doesn’t get along with everyone, she has a stubborn streak, but Ruby and Alex are like two peas in a pod. Sam is so thankful that Ruby has someone tough and charming and funny to look up to. “Alex gets along with your kid, Alex is just a call away, Alex is cute-.”

“Sounds like you have a crush.”

“Look in the mirror, Sam. Even if I threw myself at Alex and promised her the world she would always only see you.” Lena shakes her head. “Please tell me you noticed.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Open your eyes.” Sam doesn’t want to be having this conversation. It was bringing up feelings that she’d tried to hide away. “Alex, can you come here for a second.” If Sam could, she’d kick Lena, but Alex jogs her way into the room. Alex’s cheeks are warm from laughter and working. It’s a look that she wears well, and the tight jeans and tank top certainly don’t hurt. Sam is thankful that she doesn’t drool, but she does think about how familiar Alex looks right now. Like she should be at her house, hanging out with Ruby, and giving her that wonderfully bashful smile.

Sam doesn’t have a lot in life. She has a good job, great friends, a fantastic daughter, but nothing is ever frivolous. No fancy cars, fancy jewelry, or even expensive shoes. But something about Alex’s smile makes her feel rich. Like it’s reserved just for her and she’s lucky to be seeing it. “Hey.” Alex is speaking to her and only her, Lena scoffs like she’s been reduced to forgotten furniture. “Those smell good.”

“You two should share those, I’m gonna go convince Ruby to get another ear piercing.” Lena disappears into the other room before Sam can protest. Alex laughs and slides into the stools next to the kitchen island.

“If she does end up wanting one, I know a guy.”

“You “know a guy”, sounds shady.”

“No, my tattoo artist is great. He’s friendly and he would make the whole thing feel safe and fun.” Sam sighs, how was Alex somehow making this sound like a good idea. “Just in case.”

“You’re always looking out for her.”

“She looks out for me too,” Alex admits. “You both do, actually.”

“We do?”

“You always open your home to me, you make me feel welcome. This past year has been tough, but…I’m so lucky to have you both in my life.” Alex looks like she let all that slip out of her mouth, Sam knows she’s never heard anything so beautiful. “Sorry, that was so sappy.”

“No, I loved it.” Sam doesn’t know how to say what she wants to say. She isn’t good at this. The last time she’d dated was eight years ago and that was more about the sex than anything else. Right now, Sam just wants to be with Alex, in any capacity, because Alex gets her. She gets what it means to be there for Ruby and she’s never once put them on the backburner. “You’re very…cute.”

“I am?”

“Yes, insanely cute actually.” Sam smiles. “Hot is more the word, but I don’t want to creep you out.”

“I’m not creeped out. Flattered actually.” Alex runs her fingers through her hair.

“Sorry, I don’t know how to…I was just going to throw compliments at you until you realized that I was interested in asking you out.” Sam can’t believe how stupid she sounds, but based on Alex’s smile, this isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened. “We could get dinner? Or coffee? Or something?”

“How about dinner? At my place,” Alex offers. “I mean, I can’t really cook, but i can try. For you, I mean, I’d like to do something special.”

“I would love that.”

“Me too,” Sam is about to remark how ridiculous this all is, the blushing madness that seems to have overtaken them. But Alex’s lips have found hers. Everything does still feel so perfectly good, and for once Sam isn’t shamed by the risks she’d taken. For once, Sam understands what people mean when they say they have butterflies in their stomach. Because no one has ever offered this gentle patience with her, especially when it came to intimacy, and god Sam’s world is on fire with how great it feels to be touched and wanted by someone as perfect as Alex.

Sam realizes as Alex pulls back that everything in her life is starting to find its place and Alex was going to be a part of that.

#agentreign #danvarias #alex danvers #sam arias #lena luthor #send me more

[sun-summoning]

#25 Fashion Design - Marinette, Clara Nightingale

i.

When Clara firsts casts Marinette and soon gets to know her, she is absolutely certain that this girl is destined for greatness. She’s kind and well-loved and so utterly talented. Clara checks out Marinette’s Instagram and is a bit put out to see she doesn’t post as many of her designs as she should. She has full faith in her capabilities though so reaches out to her with a request anyway.

“You want me to design a gown for you,” Marinette repeats, blinking at her as if the idea is absurd.

“That’s right. I do.” Clara grins. “If anyone could make me look lovely, I have no doubt that it’s you.”

Marinette shakes her head. “Your music video literally featured outfits by Gabriel Agreste himself. And now you want to go downgrade to--”

“Don’t sell yourself short! You’re greater than you think.” She looks at the swatches of fabric strewn about on Marinette’s desk. “Now I was thinking something long, something flowy--maybe something pink?”

“Oh.” Marinette nods slowly, as if confirming for herself that this is actually happening. “You’re serious.”

“Of course I’m serious, or I wouldn’t have pressed. I just know that with you, I’d be the best dressed.”

And so over the next few months, Marinette designs the loveliest gown of dusty rose for her. It takes up virtually all of her free time and requires heaps of supplies that Clara can’t even name, but she gets them for Marinette anyway. The only thing Marinette seems to turn down is an assistant. 

Clara is positively radiant on the red carpet, twirling just so to show off her bodice embellished with rose appliques over a mesh that matches her skin. She glides along with her full, tulle skirt, and when she’s asked over and over who designed this gown for her, she refers everyone to Marinette’s Instagram account for her designs and commissions. 

Overnight, Marinette gains some thousand more followers and counting. 

-

ii.

Clara throws a grand party for her twenty-fifth birthday, something that wouldn’t be complete without an equally grand dress to turn everyone’s heads. She’s been dressed by countless fashion houses, but when it comes to these truly special moments, Clara can’t help but seek out Marinette again. 

“I know you’re still in university,” Clara says, “so I know you have school, but please, please, please, Marinette. Your designs always rule!”

Marinette giggles, wondering when she ended up on a first-name basis with one of Europe’s most adored singers. Probably between the album cover she designed for her two years ago and the gown she wore when she won an award for it. “It’s fine, Clara. I’d love to.”

“Really?”

“How could I not?” Marinette opens her Instagram and switches to her design account. She’s certainly been gaining attention from other designers and models. More importantly, she’s been getting those commissions, which have been helping her stay afloat while in school. “I think I gain an extra thousand followers every time you tag me in one of your photos with my clothes.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“It definitely is. I am, after all, a fashion student with an uncertain future.” She pockets her phone, grinning widely. “I’d love to design your birthday dress for you, Clara. Did you have something particular in mind?”

“Anything you make will be perfect.”

“You have to give me something to work with.”

“I believe in you, Marinette. You have free reign on colour, silhouette, whatever.” Clara claps her hands gleefully and then takes Marinette’s in hers. “I just want to be striking.”

“Alright,” Marinette agrees slowly, always eager to rise to a challenge. “I can do that.”

“And I want pockets.”

She laughs. “Oh, I can definitely do that.”

-

iii.

For the first time, Marinette says no to Clara’s request for a gown. It’s not about money. Clara always provides her with whatever materials she needs and they always settle on a fair price. And it’s not about time, because Clara is asking nearly a year in advance. It could be about the amount of work, which Clara thinks is fair, but Marinette said it’s not that either.

Maybe it’s the pressure. Marinette, now interning, now really focusing on building her network and reputation, is afraid. Sure, she’s always been out there. A quick search to her name yields outfits worn by Clara herself, Jagged Stone, Luka Couffeine, and that doesn’t even include links to information about her achievements in various contests.

Designing Clara Nightingale’s wedding gown would draw a lot of attention. Much more than anything else Marinette might have done in the past.

“I’d really love to,” Marinette tells her softly, “but I just...I can’t right now, Clara.”

“But why?” Clara insists. “I can hire someone to help you--”

“No, it’s just--I can’t.” Marinette shrugs. She sighs deeply and sips her tea to find something to do with her hands. 

Clara looks around Marinette’s one bedroom apartment and finds it strangely devoid of life and personality. She remembers Marinette’s childhood bedroom, pink and overflowing with little bits of what made Marinette the girl she is. There were photos of her friends, sketches tacked onto the wall, magazine cut outs, half-made mockups, and more. Here, Marinette seems to just come home and sleep. 

“Up until recently, my personal life has been....” Marinette rubs her neck. “There’s something I was really busy with. And now, well, now it’s over. And I have a lot of time on my hands,” she admits with a sad smile. “While that’s ideal for wedding gown making, I think...I think I really need it for me.”

There’s something about the droop in Marinette’s shoulders that makes Clara nod. She keeps tucking her hair back before brushing her bare ears. Clara wishes she could get Marinette to design her wedding gown, but she can’t force her to. Marinette just looks so sad. So worn down and uneasy. Like the idea of having time to herself is bittersweet.

To her knowledge, Marinette never had a pet, but she looks like she might have lost them. Or no, Clara decides, that’s not it. It’s more like she lost a dear friend.

Deciding to step up to that role, Clara smiles at her. “You’ll still come to the wedding though, right?”

“Huh?” Marinette blinks. “I’m invited?”

“What? Of course!” Clara reaches across the table and grabs Marinette’s hand. “You’re my favourite designer, Marinette, and you’re very dear to me. If I can’t get you dressing me, then I can at least make you eat dinner and drink some wine with me.”

“I’d...I’d like that.”

“And--” Clara curses herself for starting because now she can’t stop. “You can say no, but what if you design something for my rehearsal dinner then? That’ll be fairly low key, I promise--”

“Okay.”

Clara blinks because she didn’t actually expect to succeed here. “Okay?”

Marinette nods slowly. “Okay. I can use the work,” she says, sounding like she’s trying to convince herself that the dress wouldn’t be a distraction. “What were you thinking?”

Clara shakes her head as she stands. Marinette reacts, standing as well, so Clara pulls her into a hug. “Focus on yourself for now, Mari. We can deal with my dress another day.”

-

iv.

Meeting with Marinette no longer happens in bedrooms above the bakery or in sad, bare apartments. This time, Clara visits Marinette’s studio, marvelling at the pieces that are on display before meeting with her favourite designer herself. Marinette soon rushes out in a green smock that really just makes pregnant look all sorts of chic.

Clara greets her with kisses before shaking her hand like it’s a joke. Her gaze falls down to Marinette’s middle and she grins.

“What are you at now? Six months?”

Marinette sighs heavily. “And counting.” She rubs her abdomen. “To be fair, I don’t think it’s this little one that’s making me so tired.”

Clara nods, knowing that Marinette’s ever-growing name also comes with a lot of demand. Moreover, a need for constant exposure. And Marinette always seems to forget that she married into fashion royalty. Or maybe she’s well aware of that, Clara considers. Maybe she’s trying to prove herself beyond everyone’s presumptions by heavily overcompensating.

“Did you make that dress yourself?” Clara asks.

Marinette’s face twists into a scowl. “Maternity dresses always look so frumpy. And the non-maternity dresses that can work with my stomach always look strange on my chest.”

Clara practically shakes in giddiness. “Do I sense an MDC maternity collection in the near future?”

“More like one titled afterbirth that is largely sweat pants and with prints that resemble spit up.” But Marinette pauses, genuinely considering a possibility of maternity clothes. “Or perhaps...actual dresses that fit properly. And then after that, matching outfits for mothers and daughters?” 

It all comes out like a question, but Clara knows Marinette is completely zoning out, especially when she reaches for her sketchbook. Clara keeps her mouth shut, preferring to spend this time watching Marinette’s creative process. After all, she technically came here to commission MDC into creating something for herself and her daughter for the girl’s tenth birthday.

“And suits!” Marinette continues. “And then little baby suits--” She cuts herself off with something between a squeal and a cry. She sniffles and then rests her hands on her belly. “I just--that would be so cute.”

“It would be,” Clara agrees.

Marinette turns to her, as if remembering she’s there, and then promptly flushes. “Sorry,” she mumbles. She laughs sheepishly. She closes her sketchbook and moves it to the other end of the table. “You came here for a reason. So how can I help you, madame?

Clara pulls the sketchbook back and pushes it Marinette’s way. “Continue with that, won’t you?”

“I can do that later,” Marinette protests.

But Clara considers the image Marinette had been in the process of sketching, a woman and a little girl in matching sheath dresses adorned with roses. 

“Nonsense.” Clara leans back in her chair. “I want whatever you’re making.”

-

v.

When Clara is set to celebrate her induction to L’Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur for her contributions to the arts, she asks Marinette to design her dress for the ceremony because just who else is there?

The morning of the ceremony, they’re alone in Clara’s suite as Marinette ensures that everything fits Clara the way it should. The navy neckline settle just off her shoulders, looking tasteful but still elegant for this special event. The dress is much simpler than anything Marinette has ever made her before, but Clara positively adores the waterfall handkerchief that adorns the right side of the knee-length skirt. 

When she’s finished looking over every single stitch, Marinette stands straight, takes a step back, and assesses Clara in the dress.

“Satisfied?”

After a moment, Marinette nods, making Clara roll her eyes. “The dress is fine, Marinette.”

“It’s--”

“Polished, professional, perfect for this event.”

“I know.” Marinette shakes her head and that seems to remove her from her stupor because she’s smiling. “I don’t think I’ve said this yet, but congratulations, Clara. This is a great honour.”

“You’re coming tomorrow night, right?” Clara is throwing a party to celebrate her new status as Chevalier among her family and friends. It would be only fitting that Marinette, who designed tomorrow night’s dress as well, was in attendance.

Marinette shakes her head though. “Emma has a recital,” she explains. 

“And you have a Spring line to design.”

“And I have a Spring line to design.” Marinette laughs. “Although only after Emma’s recital.”

Clara nods, knowing just how much family matters to Marinette. She almost snorts when she recalls that all of Paris (and even the world) knows that, if her line of matching outfits for parents and children a few years ago was anything to go by.

Before Marinette finally leaves, Clara grabs her hand.

“What’s up?” Marinette asks. It’s not like this dress is particularly finicky, unlike her other designs. 

Clara just pulls her close. She knows she might be wrinkling Marinette’s hard work, but this hug feels more important. 

She’s grown so much since being the kind-hearted teenager that starred in her music video decades ago. They both have. Marinette is almost her height now, and she’s a woman with a career and husband and three kids at home. 

“I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but you really are amazing, Marinette.”

“Isn’t today about your lifetime achievements?” Marinette teases.

Clara draws back and pats Marinette’s cheek. “I’ve won more than enough best dressed awards to prove that keeping you by my side is one of those achievements.” 

Marinette bites her lip. She pulls away and grabs her bag of supplies. She moves to leave, but Clara calls her name when she gets to the door. 

“I’m so lucky to have been able to watch your talents flourish.” Clara beams at Marinette Dupain-Cheng with pride. “I can’t wait to see what you do next.”

#fic #marinettemarch #ml

[5-secondsofcolor]

The New Year

Note: This is one of the first fics I’ve ever written and the first one I’ve ever published anywhere. I’m far from an amazing writing but part of my new years resolution is practicing and gaining confidence in writing. It’s a little clunky so, please, feel free to leave me feedback! K, thank you for reading.

Warnings: Some swearing? None really.

-----

Calum’s family decide to stay through New Years; David’s freshly retired, Joy is more than happy to spend more time with Cal, and Mali’s just along for the ride this year. They tell Calum not to fret, to enjoy his new year as he planned but he can't leave them.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, he realizes what he's got to do. Introduce Laura to his family. It's not like they weren't friends before, he's known her more than a year, and she's not a secret to anyone. The issue is that they still find themselves in an in-between. What've they got? Monogamy? Yep. Sleepovers? Yeah. Weekends away? A few here and there with a final one planned to close off the year. A New Year's cabin trip just for two. Well they had to reschedule that one.

Joy quickly throws together a dinner, inviting Ashton, Luke, and Michael and his parents, of course. She’s happy to get them together for dinner again, anytime with the boys together is special for her. Knowing they’ll be there has also brought some relief to Laura; she’s still getting to know Luke and Ash but Michael and her get along like a house on fire. Rapidly pairing together at parties and clubs they're dragged out to, there’s a comfortable understanding that they’ve got one another’s back.

Nervousness grips Laura on December 30th, a full day before it needs to. She tries on outfit after outfit trying to find something good enough to meet his family in. Suddenly there's an issue with every item in her closet, it's either too small or too large, too formal or too frumpy, long story short it's all fucking wrong. Then she finds it, a maroon wrap dress buried in the back of her closet. It’s not perfect but it'll work. Now, what in the world does she bring to this thing?

--

“Laura, this is Mali. Mali this is Laura, we've..umm been dating.” Calum says quickly introducing them.

From the corner of her eye, Laura sees a shit eating grin break out on Ashton's face; he's rooting for them, she knows it, but he also finds it extraordinarily amusing that Calum's found someone so similar to himself. both of them said “fuck love” until they found one another. Ashton can see the change in Calum, the way he's stopped saying it in interviews, so now he's just waiting for the day they announce its official.

“It's great to finally meet you.” Mali says ignoring Laura's extended hand and going in for a hug. “I love this dress. The color looks amazing on your skin.” She notes.

“It's great to meet you, too. Calum talks about you so much, it's great to put a face to the name.”

Dinner starts without a hitch. Laura can see why Calum told her to bring drinks; Joy has covered the table in food, cooking every dish she could. After a quick speech from Calum and Joy, everyone digs in. The boys dominate the conversation, Ashton and Luke fighting to give Joy updates of their lives in-between bites.

Luke’s also met a girl this year, he tells Joy all about her, unfortunately, she’s away for the New Year but soon they’ll go to Australia to meet his mom. Ashton goes off about his new project, something about photography or was it film? He’s got so many it’s hard for everyone to keep up from time to time.

“Laura, what do you do for a living?” Joy asks trying to bring her into the conversation.

“Ma, I'm sure she doesn't want to talk about work.”

“It's ok, Cal. I work part-time conducting demographic research at a marketing firm and I work freelance for a few local companies, setting up their online marketing and consulting. I like to write a lot on the side but it'll be a while before that's making me any money.”

“If you keep writing the way you have with Calum, you’re gonna be a songwriter soon enough,” Michael adds hardly lifting his face from his plate.

“Are you a singer?” Mali asks.

“Oh no," She shakes her head. Laura's tone-deaf at best but editing runs in her veins. "I write more poetry than anything but I give feedback to Cal’s writing sometimes.”

Joy gives her a soft smile before Luke grabs back the attention. For once, Laura's grateful for his and Ashton's larger personalities. They feed off one another as they continue telling stories of their last tour and their new album. They miss Joy almost as much as they miss their own mothers. Laura can see why, Joy’s genuine pride at all they've got going on is infectious.

Laura feels herself relax as dinner goes on. All the dialogues slowly bleed into one, allowing her to sit and observe for a moment. Her favorite pastime, watching how enthusiastically people speak about things they’re passionate about. There’s always a glimmer in Luke’s eyes when he speaks about love. Ashton’s smile never breaks from his lips and his gestures get even larger. Mali, much like Calum, smiles wide when she’s happy making her eyes small as happiness takes over her face.

“So how'd you meet?” Mali asks as she finishes a story.

The table falls silent as everyone pauses. Joy and David look inquisitively as Michael snickers. He swears his phone call set their entire relationship in motion.

“I lost my phone outside a coffee shop and this one found it,” Calum explains briefly. Laura nods in agreement but everyone turns to her, waiting for her side.

“Honestly, that's it. I found his phone, held onto it until he came to pick it up, and we kinda just started having coffee together. It had to have been almost a year ago? Right after your birthday. I didn't let him buy me a coffee the day I found it so he came back a week later, and he bought me a coffee then. Let's be honest, he just wanted an excuse to grab the best coffee in this area.” Laura teases rolling her eyes in Calum's direction. “He started joining me while I worked once or twice a week and we unintentionally started a little writing club.”

The entire time Laura speaks, Joy’s eyes are trained on Calum. He holds her hand under the table while he listens attentively, his eyes never leaving her. For years she's been worried, they haven't heard a peep out of Calum about anyone until Laura. There's hardly a peep about her but the few times she's come up there's been excitement in his voice. A little peace comes to her seeing him try in love again.

Ashton and Luke are off after dinner, heading out to some parties. Laura and Calum are up first to volunteer go do the dishes. Laura starts a quiet playlist before taking her usual spot of scrubber beside Calum. Joy runs in occasionally, finding random dishes to hand them. They work slowly on purpose. Calum sings to her and places gentle kisses on her temple as they bask in the silence, enjoying the small amount of time stolen away in the kitchen. The dishes hardly feel like a chore as they playfully lean into one another, a gentle reminder that the other is there.

There's no questioning the feeling they have; it's love but logic says it’s too soon. Neither of them can fully wrap their head around it. There's something different about their love. There's no madness, no crazy proclamations are needed, nobody will be shouting it from rooftops. Much like them, their love is silent, it's found only by those who'll take the time to observe.

“Want to break open that Christmas whiskey and have a quick drink in the backyard?” Laura dries off her hand on a kitchen towel.

“I'd love to,” Calum says grabbing two glasses and a bottle Laura's gifted him as they sneak into the backyard.

Calum hands Laura a drink and watches her in the soft light. She's got a way about her; from the day they met it's kept her coming up in his mind. The girl in the coffee shop with her work scattered about, a simple way of romanticising everyday, and her smile? It's out of this word. The only reason why he left that day was a phone call. Had Michael not called him, where would the conversation have gone? Two, three, four times she came to mind the weekend after they met and Calum knew he had to befriend her. He wasn't sure what she'd be but it wasn't a “What if?” he was going to live with. With nothing but hope, he showed up to the same coffee shop a week later, sat at the same table, and for once let fate take the reigns.

“Happy almost New Years, guy I’m dating,” Laura says taking the glass.

“Happy almost New Year, phone sitter.”

They clink their glasses together. Does she make everyone feel that way? Like they're the center of the universe. She says something but all he can focus on is the need to hold her in his arms, to run his fingertips over her beautiful brown skin. He takes her drink and places it down before pulling her into him. She'll bring up the lack of attention later but, right now, he just wants her close. She wraps her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder, as they sway to the music pouring into the backyard. Unbeknownst to them, Mali and Joy are peaking into the backyard from a window.

“Dad, look. They're absolutely precious.”

“Window’s open, Mal.” Calum says. Laura hides her face in his chest, her face warming quickly.

“Shit. Sorry, guys!”

“Y'all want some whiskey? It's fancy stuff I got Cal for Christmas.” Laura calls into the house.

With that, David’s off the couch and joining them in the backyard. They all settle outside together. Laura dipping her feet into the heated pool and Mali joins her after a moment. They talk about living in London for a while. Laura recalls the winter she spent abroad in London and Mali adds her own humid summer horror stories. Soon Joy joins them too. She takes the cake telling them of the Australian summers of her youth. Summers hot enough that the pavement would melt the soles of her shoes. Her children call her a liar but Joy presses on. David and Karen corroborating her stories until the kids concede.

The stories continue, everyone sitting around listening to David, Joy, and Karen reminisce on years passed. Memories of the kid's childhoods are traded back and forth until they intersect and begin to overlap. Karen and Joy meeting for the first time, the boys starting the band, having their sons follow insane dreams, and the bouts of sadness that can be found in all the joys of their success. Karen and Joy give Laura the whole story or at least they give it a shot as midnight approaches.

Midnight comes and brings with it hugs and kisses, the sounds of clanking of crystal, and explosions off in the distance as they ring in new opportunities. All of them stay outside watching the fireworks go off and chatting for a little longer.

The whole world’s alight but Calum can only see Laura, the world doesn’t matter. This is the New Year but the only thing that makes him feel any different is standing beside him, staring up at the night sky. The whole year came down to a few points and it’s taken him until now to realize the fateful day he dropped his phone was a one. Fate making sure he took pause long enough to see her and, now, he knows he’ll keep an eye out.

--

“Ok. Ashton had told me you two were cute but she's amazing. Please tell me you're taking her seriously.” Mali says the second Calum returns from walking Laura to her car.

“Mal… please no.”

“Calum, are you serious? You're in love, she's in love, there's basically turtle doves hovering around you.”

“Mali, that's enough.”

Giving her a stern look, he takes the last of the leftovers into the kitchen. He settles onto the kitchen island, helping his mother tidy the kitchen. She sworn by the superstition for years: a tidy house at New Years means a tidy house all year.

Calum knows Mali’s right but fear is louder. Laura terrifies him. Even when they were simply friends, there was so much that began to lead back to her. Writing, happiness, home -- all began to lead back to her and he doesn't want to fight it. He wants to share them with her and it's a feeling that's only gotten stronger in the last few months. But it all boils down to a game of risk. What if he gets too comfortable and she leaves? What if this leads to nothing but new heartbreak? Will this become another reminder to not fall in love?

“Baby, what’s on your mind?” Joy asks, seeing Calums face twist as he runs through all his thoughts.  

“How’d you know dad was the one?” Calum asks, settling on the kitchen island as she packs away the last of the leftovers.

“Dad is the one. I know because, in the harder moments, he always stays. It’s easy to love someone through the good but when things get hard and people pull away, when life wedges in all the reasons to leave, and he chooses to stay, that’s when I know he's the right one.”

Calum nods and stays silent for a moment.

“Laura’s something special isn’t she?”

“She is. It just all came so suddenly, I wasn’t expecting it, mum.”

“Sometimes it’s not about what you’re expecting but about what life knows you’re ready for.” Joy says packing away the last of the leftovers. “Goodnight, baby. Happy New Years.”

“Goodnight, mum. I love you.”

---

The next morning Calum’s hardly slept, his mind a jumble of thoughts. He grabs Duke before going out for a cigarette. He's surprised to find Mali already in the backyard with her writing journal.  

“Good morning.” She coos down at Duke.

“Good morning." He settles beside her and thinks for a moment, "I'm sorry I was short with you last night.”

“It's fine, Calum.” She tries to wave him off, figuring the issue wasn't her.

“No, it wasn't. I'm sorry. It's just… I just don't know how to speak about Laura.” He shrugs unable to find the words even hours later. “Mali, I don’t want to get ahead of myself but I feel stupid not rushing in. It's like when we started the band, my gut’s just saying it's right.”

“Then what's holding you back?”

“I can't… I don't think I could make it if this…isn't real.” Calum says slowly. Unsure of how to voice his fear.

“Cal, I know it's scary to take a leap but if the feelings that strong, listen to it. Just from what I saw yesterday, I think she's on the same page as you  Remember, you'll always have Ash and I, too.”

It's the final push he needs, the most important women in his life have his back. With a sigh, he finds the resolve to see her. He doesn't have a plan but he can't hold all the emotions in any longer. Calum pulls up her contact and dials her number. Knowing full well she's not a morning person, he hopes she's already awake.

“Bueno?”

“Morning, beautiful.” Calum says, rolling his eyes as Mali holds her heart and gives him a silent ‘awwwww’.

“Hola, cariño.”

“What're you doing?”

“Umm writing.” Laura admits, her cheeks burning. She's been caught in that act. In a mad attempt to capture even the smallest part of the way he's making her feel, she's spent the morning writing about him. She's hoping to silence the ruckus in her mind, so much so that she's up early. She's unsuccessful, truthfully, it seems that the only thing that truly silences her thoughts doubles as their source.  

“Mind if I come over? Just for a little.”

“Yeah, I have something for you.” Laura admits, rolling her lips between her teeth.

“Do you? Well then I can't show up empty handed, how does some Nautical Bean sound?” He can't help the smile breaking across his face.

Laura laughs lightly, “That sounds freaking amazing and that way I'll hopefully get this done before you get here.”

“Mm, I can't wait to read it. I'll see you soon. Bye.” Calum says as he hangs up.

“Mal, tell-”

“Tell mum and dad you'll be back soon. Yeah, yeah. Go on now!” She shoos.

Before he knows it, Calum's got their coffees and he's running up the steps two at a time. He knocks softly before letting himself in.

“Hi.” Hey says breathlessly.

Every bit of nervousness leaves his body as he sees her sitting on her couch. A large blanket drapes around her shoulders while she works on her laptop. These are his favorite moments to share with her. When both of them quietly working on something, happy not to go at it alone. He settles in beside her, waiting for a moment while she finishes her work.

"G'morning, bub." She says with a smile, placing her laptop down on the coffee table. “Thank you for the coffee”

“Ok now I gotta hold up my end of this deal,” Laura says opening to a page in the small journal before handing it over to him. “I know I said you aren't allowed to read my personal journals but today's an exception,” He wants to say something but the words stick together, creating a lump in his throat. They share a knowing look, her journal is everything to her. It's her best friend holding the pieces she's afraid to share. He's holding a piece of her heart. She gives him a nervous smile as he starts to read an entry from the night previous.

“These hands have held me in another lifetime.

I can't explain it. Not fully, not even in parts.

I don't understand it, yet it is.

The same way birds fly, it looks impossible, improbable, yet they take flight every day so it must be.

I see it just the same with us.

Neruda’s poems make sense, they're clear in a way I've never known.

Paths are simpler as the future comes with one piece set.

I am not afraid to get my heart broken by you.

Maybe it's foolish, stupid, reckless but something in these hollow bones of mine tells me to take flight.

Tell me, do I sound insane?”

Calum reads the paper twice over; his heart feels ready to burst. He clears his throat, finally finding words to say.

"Well, that makes things a lot easier,” Calum says quickly closing the distance between them and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He feels a smile grow on her lips as she pulls away. He shakes his head, knowing he can't possibly top her writing, "Last year, your friendship alone meant the world to me. You were there patiently through the worst parts of it and I don't think I could've asked for anything else from you. I hope I returned the favor through your rougher moments. Through the good and the bad we fell into something more that has been an absolute gift to me. I know it won't always be this smooth. I know there'll be days where things are off, when I'm gone and we both feel alone, where we'll both struggle but that's ok. Even in the bad days, I'll still hope it's you I get to love. I don't want any of this, the bad or the good, with anyone else but you. Te quiero mucho. Did I say that right?”

“Yeah.” She whispers, eyes brimming with tears. Without a second thought, she takes back her journal, and careful tears out the page and hands it to him.

"How does the first of the month sound to you?" Calum asks folding the paper carefully before placing it into his wallet.

"For what?"

"To start celebrating anniversaries?"

"Sounds good." She says pulling him in for another kiss.

#5sos imagine #5sos imagines #5sos fanfic #5sos fam #calum hood #ch #calum #calum hood imagine #ashton irwin #ai #ashton #ashton irwin imagines #my-writing #michael clifford #my writing #mc #michael clifford imagines #5sos #5 sos #5 seconds of summer #5 seconds of summer fanfic #5sos fanction

[old-man-tishooo]

21 Questions

Got tagged by @musashi1596. Figure I might as well, but not really keen on explicitly tagging anyone. If you see this you’re tagged, buddy.

Nickname: Depends on where I’m at and who I’m with. I like the name Haydn but call me whatever you want. Zodiac: Wouldn’t you like to know. Height: Tall enough to not be pissed off at being short, but not tall enough. Last thing I searched: DIY Dentistry. Because a filling/cap has escaped my face and dentists are expensive. Favorite bands: Clams Casino, Cobalt Rabbit, §E▲ ▓F D▓G§, Filastine, Fraunhofer Diffraction, Puscifer, Slow Magic, Velvet Acid Christ. Pretty obsessed with The Wolf and Mr. Fear by Siamés atm, but can’t yet tell if it’s the music or the animation. Just special acknowledgements for Hide by Tulpa ft. MPH, and Once Again (XVII Flip) by Phoria since I can’t find related music to them, and Resurrection (White Gangster Trap Edit) by Angger Dimas since I can’t suffer the related music. Song stuck in my head: Permanently have Get Better John by Mux Mool playing in the temporal lobe of my brain pan. If I had a time machine would I go to the past or the future: Neither. Can’t bank on the machine running well enough to get me back, and I’m already committed to winning in this timeline. Do I get asks: Nah fam. This is the blog I made to escape my past and now I have no friends here. Following: Art and discourse blogs. I like pretty things and arguments made by furious extremists from both sides. Rich or famous: Give me the money. Amount of sleep: Lately like 5 at best.  Lucky number: 23 What am I wearing: A single garment. Dream job: I want to say a job that focuses on travel or learning languages, but I’m pretty obsessed with my current job of fixing an entire company’s bullshit. So I guess the real key to my happiness is micromanagement and giving me free reign to piss people off with being a control freak. Dream trip: I want to go to Poland. Kind of obsessed with all of the Slavic countries but I’d die in most of them. If you were an animal, what would you be: A cat. I demand absolute freedom, unconditional love like once a month, and need some kind of outside influence that reminds me when I’m being an asshole or a moron but don’t want one. Favorite food: Sausage biscuit. Burgers. Pizza. Fried potatoes. Anything involving meat, bread, root vegetables, or tomatoes. What are some favorite books/films/shows/games: Following Mark’s formatting because I’m lazy.

Books: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, The Ritual by Adam Nevill, Dark of the Gods by P.C. Hodgell, the Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick, Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, J No Subete by Asumiko Nakamura.

Films: I haven’t seen a movie in so long that I don’t really know. Let’s go with the Jurassic Park series, and Home Room, which sounds like a much nicer thing than it is.

Shows: Fuck all of you, I’m going with There She Is!! That counts as a show, right? I really like Black Mirror, but they make some of their plots a bit heavy-handed and unrealistic with certain political aims sometimes.

Games: Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2, Dark Law: The Meaning of Death, Darkwood, Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin (They’re different games, okay??) Fallout: New Vegas, Final Fantasy Tactics, The Flame in the Flood, The Last Door, The Music Machine, Odin Sphere, Planescape: Torment, Radiant Historia, Radiata Stories, Threads of Fate, and Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS. Darkdeath Evilman. I’m also nostalgically obsessed with the Illusion of Gaia, even though I barely remember it since I was like 6 when I last played it.

Play any instruments: I used to play piano. Probably couldn’t worth shit now, but I fantasize about buying one anyways. Languages: English is the only thing I’m fluent in, but I’ve managed to make weak forays into French and German, and I work on learning the Russian alphabet off and on. Aesthetics: Solitude and exploration.

#I hate these #it makes me write lists #lists of things I have to then re-read or re-play or re-watch #nostalgiafaggotry

[ikesenhell]

Truce

ALL SHADES OF BLUE, Chapter 2. You can find all other IkeSen works of mine here. NOTES: This whole piece was inspired in part by this song by Gregory Alan Isakov. This was a LiveWrite!

The only warning he got came in the form of a messenger limping into camp, a slash wound through his calf coloring his shoes crimson.

“We’re under attack,” he gasped, clutching at his ankle. “Date Masamune is nearly upon us.”

The rest of the encampment sprang into action. This was bad news indeed. How many men did the One Eyed Dragon bring? A hundred? A thousand? Kennyo wasn’t so naive to expect that they’d brought any less than it took for total extermination. “How many did you see?”

“Only him.”

That didn’t fall within his expectations. Kennyo considered their position for one long moment. “Have archers take up position around the camp. No one is to engage him except at long range. At the first sign, fill him with arrows.”

“What’s going on?”

Oh hell.

The woman emerged from her hut, bracing a bit of wash under her arm. Of course. It figured that she was the subject of the Date lord’s attentions. More annoyingly, Kennyo knew that winning her over to his philosophy in the heat of the moment was a tall order.

“We’re under attack.”

“Oh really?” Her mouth squared off in a line. “And from who, praytell?”

“Does that matter?” He snarled.

She rolled her eyes and thrust the basket into his arms. Hardly waiting for him to take it, she shoved back her sleeves and marched down the hill. “Yeah, how about I just talk to whoever it is rather than have someone die today?”

Buddha help him. Hers was the most peaceful solution, that much he knew. He hadn’t gone so many decades in a temple to forget that. Still--still--the possibility of bringing down one of Oda Nobunaga’s most favored vassals was too tempting to pass up. Frustrated and tormented and uncertain in turns, he charged after her. “Come back!”

She ignored him and stepped into the trees. Silently he vowed to never take in one of Nobunaga’s people again.

---

It was almost insulting to face against so many untrained bodies. Masamune resorted to using his fists and his tanto, barely breaking a sweat. What was that crazy monk even getting at? If he really meant to use these poor souls as his army, didn’t he understand how many of them would die? Mitsuhide had warned him about the fervor of their devotion. Frankly, he didn’t understand. How devoted could you be to a lost cause? On one hand he admired their faith. On the other hand--

Well, people called him half-blind.

“Hey!”

He swiveled at the greeting, tanto in hand and waiting for a fight. Fortunately for Kennyo, it was exactly who he was looking for.

“Lass!” He sheathed the blade with a chuckle. “Great. There you are. Let’s go.”

He had to admit she was spirited. No one else gave Lord Nobunaga a run for their money as much as her. Their little chatelaine was not so prone to following orders as the others might have liked; in the few days they’d had her, she’d been no end of questions and comments and suggestions, one after the other, each more pointed and suitable than the last. He’d missed the show since her kidnapping (and honestly, how had her assailants even succeeded? It felt hilarious to suggest that anyone could just pick her up and walk away, not with a mouth like that on her).

And then she surprised him yet again.

“I’m not coming.”

He frowned and dug a free finger in his ear, trying to see if he was losing his hearing as well as his sight. “Funny, Kitten.”

“Really. I mean it, Masamune.”

“Now’s not the time for games. You know Nobunaga’s done nothing but whine since his ‘lucky charm’ went missing. We’re all worried about you. Even ‘Yasu!... though I’m pretty sure he’d rather chew off his arm than admit it.”

That got a smile from her. “No. But thanks.”

What the devil was wrong with this woman? Masamune held his tongue and stared her down for a long, long time, trying to get a read on her. Sometimes his men would lose courage in a fight and he could see it there. Not her. No, it looked like she was more prepared for one than ever. “What’s going on, Kitten?”

As if summoned from hell, a singularly deep voice cut between the two of them. “She said ‘no’, Dragon. Or is your hearing as poor as your sight?”

There he was. Masamune considered the possibilities of just stabbing the menace then and there. Kennyo emerged from the woods with his prayer staff in hand (and honestly, that was just insulting to Masamune’s sensibilities), the third angle between the chatelaine and him. For the smallest second he wondered if she was in league with the monk.

“You ass, I can speak for myself.” She shot him a withering stare. “Masamune, really. I mean it. I don’t want to come back.”

Kennyo seemed chastened enough that Masamune almost laughed, so he sheathed his tanto in a display of grace. “Alright. I’ve got a minute to spare, Kitten. Make your case.”

She narrowed her eyes as if to say ‘I don’t have to make a case to you at all’, but apparently she was game enough. “It isn’t like you all didn’t treat me well.”

“Okay. Is it Nobunaga? Did he try something with you? You know if you tell Hideyoshi, he’ll just burst in wherever with a sandal and chastise him. Or hell! I will.” Masamune mimed slapping someone with a shoe. “He won’t break the alliance for that. Or if ‘Yasu was rude to you, I can just put him in a headlock until he apologizes… well, okay, he won’t apologize, but he won’t be rude again.”

She covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Masamune relished the look of utter dismay on the monk’s face.

“No, it’s not that,” she murmured. “I’m really sorry.”

“Are you so serious about bringing her back?” Kennyo asked. Very real surprise lingered in his voice. “What is it about her that Nobunaga simply can’t find in another girl?”

“Oh, you’re just an asshole right now.” She flung a nut at the monk’s head, laughing. It missed. “Look, yeah, I get it, I’m too old to be unmarried, but let me live, right?”

“Gotten attached there?” Masamune snickered. “I can find you a lady if you calm down.”

“I’d rather have your head, Dragon.”

“Chill. Both of you.” She motioned toward them both, finally joining him in the clearing. “We can just talk.”

But now the monk was staring at her. What an expression that was! It was so hard to parse it; he so often expended time figuring out less pleasant faces, faces drawn with conflict and war and tragedy, and this was decidedly not that. He stared long enough that the other man realized he was being watched and scowled.

“If…” Kennyo hesitated. “If they so eagerly want you back, why don’t you return? It seems a far more amenable position for you to be in...”

“Never thought I’d see the day that Kennyo and I were on the same side.” Masamune laughed. “C’mon, Kitten. Really.”

For her part, she glared at the other man. “Throwing me under the bus, ah?”

“‘Bus’?”

“It’s Portuguese for ‘Stop it’.”

“I’m just thinking in your best interests…”

What a weird twist. He watched her face oscillate between contemplation and confusion and annoyance until she turned away, the shaved underside of her head stark against her long locks. “Would you give me a day, Masamune?”

“A day?” He echoed. “Maybe. I dunno. Mitsuhide’ll probably have my head.”

“You can come up with something. I just need to think.”

“You’re putting me in a weird position here, Kitten.” But he inhaled hard. Mitsuhide was just shady enough to not go straight to Nobunaga. Besides, one day? If she reigned and didn’t come with him tomorrow, he certainly had backup--and forewarning on what might happen. He shrugged uncertainly. “I mean, I guess I can.”

“Thanks.” The line of her shoulder softened. That would have to be enough. “I promise I’ll be here tomorrow.”

“Alright. If I don’t see you then?”

“Assume I’m being held against my will or something?”

Masamune shot Kennyo a look before responding, “I dunno, he did just tell you to come with me. I’ll reserve judgement for later.”

“I didn’t--” She inhaled sharply, releasing it only a moment later. “Yeah, that was a bad joke given the circumstances.”

Shoving down the wicked urge to laugh, Masamune bowed to both of them. “See you tomorrow, Kennyo.”

The ex-monk didn’t grace him with a response. He just turned and stalked off into the treeline. Beat getting shot at.

---

She didn’t come to supper. Kennyo feared for a long moment that she’d just left, just abandoned the encampment and run further into the woods, but his fears were allayed when he passed by her hut and saw the wash she’d only just done pinned up and dripping. It didn’t follow that she would do laundry and then leave (especially given that she was the only person in the camp who could wear that style of kimono, though he supposed the men could use it in a pinch). He shoved down the urge to chase after her like a lost child and instead busied himself with the security of the encampment. They would have to move after tomorrow. If Date Masamune knew where they were, then so did the rest of the Oda.

But night fell, and the stars and moon shone bright as a lamp, and she was nowhere to be found.

He considered himself fortunate that he knew the woods as well as he did. He traced her footfalls through the soft moss, down the river and straight to the edge of a cliff. She’d been there for some time. Her knees were bound up around her chest, arms wrapped tight over them, eyes staring unseeing over Azuchi. He’d never bothered to take in the view before. Something about looking made it too… personal.

“Hey.”

“Good evening.”

She quirked her mouth and said nothing more, so he settled in beside her at a safe distance, assuming a lotus pose in the leaves. Chill wind snapped at his face like the threat of his infinite winter and she shivered slightly.

“Cold?” He asked.

“No,” she answered, then followed up with, “Can I tell you something absolutely insane?”

That was never a good way to start. “I’ve been privy to a number of questionable thoughts, so I can only tell you I won’t judge.”

For once her smile wasn’t so pointed. She didn’t seem as rigid in the moonlight; maybe she felt safer in the dark, more obscured from prying eyes and grasping hands, shrouded in something more honest and real than other people. At last he understood that laughing at him, herself, anyone else, was as much about hiding in the daytime as filing the silence.

“I’m not from this time,” she said, and he wondered if he’d heard her right.

“Did you mean ‘place’?”

“No. I meant time.” She didn’t even bother to look at him. “I’m from five hundred years in the future. I was out on a walk and wound up here. I’ve got three months until another pathway to my time opens up, and then I’m gone.”

What was he supposed to say to that? A thousand questions buzzed to the tip of his tongue and fell away in quick succession. How did history remember him? How did history remember Nobunaga? What kind of a world was it? How had the people fared? Yet--yet--he couldn’t bring himself to ask them. It felt like a gateway into a world he wasn’t prepared to face.

“So you’re not Portuguese,” was all he managed, a thin little joke that at least garnered a giggle.

“No. Different continent altogether.”

“Ah.” He didn’t know if he wanted to ask what a ‘continent’ was. “So in three months you’ll be gone?”

“Yeah.” She stared into her hands, watching her fingers flex and curl and roll one at a time. “Cause, you know, I don’t have any of my medication or anything, and that would be pretty trash to deal with all this on my own.” A beat. She motioned at her head. “I have a disease.”

“Is it treatable?”

“Yes, but only in my time. Some of the symptoms include lying in bed for long periods of time, not being able to move, so on. We call it depression.”

“Oh.” What did he even say to that? “I see.”

Wind echoed mournfully against the mountainside below. She shut her eyes and almost leaned into the sound, her whole body absorbed in it. “Want to know the wildest thing?”

“Mmm.”

“I don’t know if I want to go.”

His brain struggled to understand. She had the choice to go home. She had the choice to return, to go back, to rejoin what she knew, to divorce herself of the horrifying reality of this time. “Why?”

She shrugged, a heavy gesture that said more than words. “Because no one there is waiting for me to get back.”

Once more they lapsed into silence. Kennyo wondered if he could slide beside her and brush away that hair of hers, pull it back into the same long ponytail as the rest, ease some of the sorrow that hung around her like a blanket. Once upon a time he knew the balms for a heavy heart: a good ear, warm tea, a sutra, a helping hand. Who was he to administer them now? The same hands he would use to soothe her would just as gladly slit Date Masamune’s throat.

“You should go back to Azuchi,” he murmured.

Her eyes were luminous, but she said nothing. He pressed on. “If no one is waiting for you in your time, then at least you should have the mercy of someone waiting for you here.”

“Not you?” She asked, and he wondered why that hurt so much to hear.

“It is better for you there. When you return home, you can take all the time you spent here in repose and find people who care just as much. It would be safer.”

For a long, long time she said nothing at all. When the darkness grew close and comfortable around them, she leaned in her head and rested it against his broad shoulder.

“Alright,” she whispered. “If you say so.”

---

Masamune came to fetch her without incident. Kennyo almost wanted the fight. He could taste ash and blood and flame on his tongue, taste his hatred for Nobunaga and the dust of his friends from Hongan-Ji, feel the weight of a life ripe for picking before him--

And he did nothing. He let the warlord collect that wild, strange, luminous woman, and pretended not to notice when she gave him a second glance at the bottom of the hill.

---

She wasn’t happy.

It wasn’t as if she’d ever been comfortable, exactly. Masamune recognized an anxious spirit when he saw one. She flitted from job to job with intent hands, the deep, focused crease set hard between her brows. He knew his way around women (for the most part--it wasn’t as if women were all one and the same, that was just insulting), but her? Oh. He couldn’t figure her out at all. Something weighed heavy on her shoulders and evaded him in turn.

“Kitten.” He tapped her nose for attention, thrusting a small plate of mochi under it. “Have some. Smile a little.”

“Do you do that to the men?” She groused, taking one of them anyway.

“Yeah? Ieyasu hates it the most. I swear he’d shave his nose off if he thought it might stop me. Hideyoshi almost cut off my hand for doing it to Nobunaga.”

Now that got a reaction. Her eyes sparkled and she bit into the sweet treat, a rare pleasured gaze swirling in the edges of her mouth. He just stood and watched for a long, long time, soaking it up until she was done.

“Those were good.”

“I’ll make you more if you like.”

“You made those?”

“Yeah. Food is good for morale. Seriously, Kitten, do you want more?”

She clapped off her hands and shook her head. He almost gave up the ghost. Almost.

“Would seeing your creepy monk friend help out?”

Her gaze was nothing short of suspicious. “Why are you offering?”

“Because you seem down and I don’t have a--what was it you accused Nobunaga of having?”

“A murder boner,” she finished, her voice catching enough that he knew she thought it was funny.

“Yeah. That.”

“You definitely do, by the way.”

“I don’t even know what that is, I was just taking a shot in the dark if I’m honest.” At least she was smiling now. It warmed him from toe to tip. “Seriously Lass. I don’t think you’ve got enough information on hand to give anything over to an enemy. So long as he hands you back over at the end of your visits--and given that he just let you walk away last time, I imagine he would--you’re free to do that. Would that help?”

“It might.” She ground her sandal into the ground, shy as he’d ever seen her. “Thanks, Masamune.”

“Anytime, Kitten. Anytime.”

#Ikesen #Ikemen Sengoku #Ikesen Kennyo #Kennyo #Ikesen Masamune #Masamune Date #depressed MC #All Shades Of Blue #ASB #Truce #my writing

[themildestofwriters]

OC Interview Tag

Tagged by @gottaenjoythelittlethingzz! Now, because my last post was a Babette special, here’s something for Josephine, answered as Josephine just as @gottaenjoythelittlethingzz probably intended. The date that these answers are set would be today, February 10th, 2019.

1. Are you named after anyone?

The best I say is “I was named Josephine because it sounded pretty.” My dad named me and he won’t give me a straight answer because he’s a dad and thinks he’s the most hilarious person in the world when he tells me that every Josephine we come across is my namesake, no matter how unrealistic. I’d like to be named after someone, though. A famous woman of colour in history or someone on my dad’s side he wanted to honour. I’d like that.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Well, I watch Red Dog last night with Babette. That was a... ride.

3. Do you have/want kids?

Three things. Firstly: Gay. Secondly: Nineteen-years-old. Thirdly: Full-time University Student.

In the future? Hmm... Maybe. I’m not sure. Like, I like the idea of raising kids, but I wouldn’t know what to do. If things go great, and they have, and me and Babette last, I think there’d be kids in the future. Babette’s a—was a mother and so she’d probably be a massive help. Undoubtedly we’d adopt. We don’t know if Babette can even get pregnant and even if she could... can she interbreed with humans? I’d have to ask... hmm...

[Josephine crosses her legs, quiet and pensive for a few moment]

Either way, I am not getting pregnant. That just sounds plain horrifying.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

[She shrugs, not really knowing how to answer]

Sometimes, I guess? I wouldn’t be able to say.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Hair? Clothes? I don’t know. If they’re wearing anything or have anything visually loud, I tend myself to notice that stuff first. Dyed hair, tattoos, strange outfits?

6. What’s your eye colour?

They’re green! I like them a lot, to be honest. Thank you, mum!

7. Scary story or happy ending?

Ooh… that’s a difficult one. Hmm… hmm… I think I might have to say “pass” on this question, if only because I can’t really pick. I like both? I like both.

8. Any special talents?

Define “Special Talents”.

I can juggle? I can juggle a soccer ball on my foot? What about darts? I guess if I had to mention one specific skill… I guess I’m good with art. Visual art specifically. I’d like to think as my special talent. Babette has music — and magic — and I have art; sculpting, painting, draining. My mum calls me the next Van Gogh or Picasso or someone else, but I’d rather... not. I’m fine with what I’ve got. I’ve got three in progress commissions, at the moment. Pillowfort’s new, but it’s going well and my Tumblr’s still active, even if that stupid fucking ban threatened to cut my online portfolio in half. Oh, I can’t draw “Female-Presenting Nipples” (whatever the fuck that means), but fucking Nazis are allowed free reign on this website? Yeah, it’s been a few months but I’m still fucking salty!

9. Where were you born?

South Australia?

[She shrugs, not really knowing what else to say.]

10. What are your hobbies?

Ooh, hobbies… hmm… well, I’ve already mentioned art but the line between hobby and job right there’s kind of blurry. For other hobbies… well, I like reading, blogging, exploring, binging my favourite show. Sometimes I like to go out and play some tennis with friends, sometimes just kick a ball around and play soccer or... something. As of late, I’ve just been a bit bogged down by Uni, so I’ve had to focus a bit more on art than anything else.

11. Do you have any pets?

Kerberos is the closest thing I have to a pet. He’s was a crow Babette did… something to. I don’t really know but he’s a lovely little thing — very intelligent and cute. He was supposed to serve as a carrier pigeon for me and Babette when our relationship got started but since then, we’ve upgraded to phones and Babette let me keep him.

12. Are you/do you hope to get married one day?

I didn’t vote “yes” on the Gay Marriage Referendum to not get married. I’d have voted “yes” either way because... of fucking course. But yes, I do hope to get married some day. Not yet because... university, but I’d like to think that I’d be exchanging vows with a special someone later on down the track...

[She sighs wistfully, seemingly lost in fantasy]

Also, like... Babette in a wedding dress? A garter belt? There is no force in Heaven or on Earth that’ll make me miss out on seeing that.

13. What sports do you play/have you played?

I’ve played quite a few. Basketball, soccer, football, rugby, tennis. I’ve even done some light javelining, marathons, shot put; track and field stuff from Sport’s Day.

14. How tall are you?

Roughly five-foot-seven. Why?

15. Favourite subject in school?

Drama. Drama, hands down. The class was amazing. The work was amazing. And most of all, the teacher was an absolute dream. She was supportive, helpful and engaging. If I was under any other inclination, I would’ve taken acting further then just High School, but art? I feel like it’s a bit more important.

16. Dream job?

A personal dream job of mine is never having to work a day in my life yet still being able to do what I want without having to worry about money! Honestly, I hate questions like these. I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I’m nineteen, for God’s sake! If I had to choose, maybe... graphic design? Professional illustrator? A concept artist sounds cool, but… I just don’t know yet. Come back in a few years and then ask.

Sorry if it wasn’t as strong a voice as I’m still an “aspiring” writer and still learning. I think I did Josephine well enough but it’s decent enough. 

I tag: @kijilinn , @focusdumbass , @ariellaskylark , @randomestfandoms , @i-tried-and-i-loose , @sunlight-melodies , @cometworks , @pens-swords-stuff and everyone else who wants to do so!

#oc: josephine williams #original character #interview tags #work: divine intervention #oc #writeblr #writing #writers #writers on tumblr #wlw characters