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infinitegalahad · 9 months

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AMERICAN PROMETHEUS AND HIS ATHENA - CHAPTER 2

Pairing: J. Robert Oppenheimer x Female Indentifying! Reader Summary: You and Robert fall into a routine of your Friday Physics meetings with the never skipped dinner after. But as the tension grows stronger, the meetings suddenly cease to be about Physics with a newfound realization; and sudden change Word Count: 3.4k Warnings: N/A Notes: GOD, HE LOOKS SO HOT THERE!!! Anyways! Not even twenty-four hours later. I know, I'm very unwell and couldn't help myself. Thank you so much for all the love and support so much! The next part should be coming out very soon. And let me say, it may or may not get spicy *insert evil cackling*. I am also working on a new and refined masterlist! It'll be linked here, along with a taglist if you are interested.

Masterlist | Taglist

The image of you and Robert formed, and your Friday afternoon meetings with him soon became a little routine between the two of you. However, this barrier created a bond and broke through the force of physics into something else.

You would always arrive ten minutes before, and Robert certainly noticed this. He enrolled you in watering his flowers outside, which you had no issue doing. Robert insisted on paying you ten dollars, which you felt guilty for taking. Every Friday, when you walk down Shasta Road, the flowers are more giant in bloom, full and radiant in their muted colors. Robert had even put a tiny vase of pomegranate flowers on his desk. In one of your meetings, he confessed that he didn’t know such a plant was growing in his garden. You told him now he had pomegranates to make with his meals. After each session, Robert gave you a pomegranate to go home with. Like him, they were hard to resist.

The first hour of your meeting would be about physics, but the length of an hour began to shorten down to thirty minutes, forty-five minutes sometimes. You could sense that Robert wanted to get out of Physics much as you on your late Friday afternoons together.

And then Robert would ask that same old question of wanting to stay for dinner. He’d preface it with the meal he was making, which was starting to fall into the pattern of recipes you recommended.

And without fail, you would always say yes, lacking hesitation.

In the first set of meetings, Robert would cook. He’d ask you to go into his living room to turn on one of the records. You’d ask what record, and he answered with any since he would like what you would put on. In the third week of meetings, Robert stopped directing you to his record player, as you soon could locate the record in the middle of his bookshelf.

Simeusolty putting on a Prokofiev’s Cinderella Record, Summer Fairy began to play low. The intricate and angular melodies to powerful and dramatic orchestration played as you ran your fingers across the bookshelf, observing the elective collection of books Robert had collected. Running your fingers against the thin pages, you looked down at his coach. Two pillows were propped up, and you could see his coffee table in the light. A copy of Sentimental Education rested beside the ashtray of many burnt-out cigarette buds. Robert was in the same chapter as you were.

Most of the time, you would get bored sitting at the island table as Robert smoked, cut, and cooked. All you would do is drink his Martinis, which you hated before but now loved. Without asking, you simply started to help Robert with the cooking. Robert never protested against this.

As the two of you cooked, your conversations ranged in topic and vulnerability.

Robert asked about your family life and hobbies. You told him you had family in New York City but spent a lot of time hiking in Europe or the Southeastern United States being outdoors. Your mother was much older than your father, but it was never an issue. You were the youngest of three much older siblings, two of whom were your step-siblings. You were into reading and art outside the classroom but absolutely loved the outdoors. Some things you didn't even share with Hatomi, you ended up sharing with Robert.

Robert also shared parts of his life; in each part, you two learned that you were somewhat similar, as Robert would say, “kindred souls” who have found each other. Robert was also from New York City, but like you, wanted to escape the East and came out West for a change and its natural beauty. He also enjoyed the outdoors, a found horseback rider. In his youth, he was an avid rock collector and even told you that when he applied for a club, they asked him to come to be a keynote speaker. It fits his character.

One night, as you cut vegetables and Robert sauteed the chicken, he blatantly asked if you have a boyfriend.

You turn to him, and instead of being flustered and embarrassed, you deadpan and say no, before asking if he has a wife.

“Had,” Robert corrected.

Robert had been married to a woman named Kitty, whom Robert said was similar, yet harsher than you. They had divorced three years back, and two had two children together who were three years apart, Peter and Toni. Kitty had moved out to Pittsburgh with their two children but would visit with them every month. Robert did not seem sad by the divorce, saying they still cared for each other but no longer loved one another.

The two of you remained silent until dinner was ready that night.

Your meetings further continued with no issue after that conversation.

It was like any other Friday night meeting. You closed your Physics notebook as Robert got up to prepare dinner, which would be chicken with pomegranate seeds, asparagus, and mashed potatoes which you taught him to cook. You got up and snuck beside Robert, taking pomegranate seeds and putting them in between your lips.

He looked over and smiled, shaking his head. He mumbled something under his breath in which you missed.

“Robert, you must stop asking if I will stay for dinner,” You casually teased, bringing another seed to your lips. You moved the bubbly and wet seed around your lips, adding a glossy red color to the center of your lips, “Especially when you know the answer.”

Your playful words hung in the air, accompanied by a faint smile that danced at the corners of your mouth. The atmosphere was light, and the tension between you and Robert was more of an enjoyable banter than anything serious. The act of painting your lips with the seed was oddly captivating, a unique blend of sensuality and playfulness that added to the moment.

On the other hand, Robert appeared slightly flustered but still managed a sheepish grin. "Well then, why do you always stay, y/n?”

You chuckled softly, savoring the gentle rhythm of your exchange. "Maybe it's your irresistible cooking that keeps me coming back, or perhaps it's the charm and wit of the company."

In mock astonishment, Robert feigned a dramatic sigh, his hand on his chest. "Ah, so you're saying it's not my dashing good looks that have you hooked?"

You playfully rolled your eyes, a mock expression of disbelief on your face. "Oh yes, Robert, your dashing good looks are definitely a bonus. But it's the entire package that keeps me intrigued."

The two of you shared a lighthearted laugh, the energy between you bubbling with a mix of familiarity and affection. Clearly, this banter was a delightful ritual you both enjoyed, a way to express your fondness for each other without saying it outright.

Robert leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "I might have to keep asking about dinner just to hear your flattering reasons."

You raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in your eye. "Well, if that's your plan, then I'll just have to keep giving you reasons, won't I?"

The playful challenge hung in the air, the unspoken understanding between you both weaving a tapestry of shared moments and shared jokes. As the evening continued, the seed on your lips became a symbol of this unique connection, a touch of color that spoke volumes about the newfound chemistry you shared with Robert.

After finishing dinner and cleanup, Robert invited you to his living space. From what you have seen in his house, the living room was by far the biggest. The room smelt like oakwood with its Mahogany shelves of aged books and artifacts from Europe. Prokofiev’s Cinderella plays slowly as Robert and you rest on the couch, only a few inches apart.

In a quiet moment that exudes an air of undeniable allure, Robert reaches into his pants pocket to fetch another box of cigarettes. His fingers move with a graceful confidence, effortlessly withdrawing a sleek pack of cigarettes. The soft glow of ambient light plays upon his lean features, enhancing the sharp angles of his jawline and the subtle smirk that graces his lips.

As he taps the pack against the palm of his hand, a sense of anticipation seems to envelop the surroundings. The action is as deliberate as it is captivating, every movement purposeful and measured. With a smooth and calculated gesture, he slides a cigarette from its sanctuary within the pack, drawing attention to the meticulous attention to detail that defines his every action.

Bringing the slender cylinder to his lips, his eyes remain fixed on the horizon, an enigmatic gaze that hints at depths of both experience and mystery. His fingers deftly produce a matchbox, which, when opened, reveals a single matchstick ready for ignition. The flame is brought to life with a flick of his thumb, illuminating his features momentarily and casting an enchanting glint in his eyes.

The first inhalation is a languid dance between his lips and the cigarette, an intimate connection that only accentuates his innate allure. A plume of smoke curls gracefully from his lips, an ethereal veil that frames his visage like a work of art. The atmosphere seems to pulse with his intoxicating energy as if drawn into the magnetic pull of this captivating moment.

As he exhales, the tendrils of smoke disperse into the air, a testament to his ability to command the space around him and the elements that entwine with his presence. The remaining smoke dances and swirls in the air, mimicking the invisible threads of attraction that weave between observer and observed.

You watch the smoke dance across the dark room in its dark and light hues. Robert sees you in admiration of the smoke (and him, but that’s a secret you keep to yourself) and pulls a stick out, holding it out in front of you. There’s no need to respond verbally; you let him put the cigarette between your lips.

Robert’s fingers, capable and elegant, hold the cigarette with a reverence that speaks of his attentiveness to the details that matter. The slender cylinder is presented not as a mere object but as a gesture of connection, a bridge between the worlds of conversation and quiet contemplation.

He raises the matchbox, its lid flipping open with a soft whisper of anticipation ember at the tip of the match glows with an ephemeral beauty, casting a warm radiance that highlights the contours of his hands and the contours of your cheek.

Drawing the match to the cigarette, the flame bends obediently to his command, transferring its life to the waiting tobacco. As the cigarette ignites, its end glowing with an ember-like intensity, Robert's eyes meet yours, a silent acknowledgment of the shared moment.

Robert brings the cigarette to your lips with a tender elegance, his fingers barely grazing your cheek in a caress that sets the heart aflutter. The touch is fleeting but leaves a lingering impression, a sensation of connection that transcends the physical realm. The smoke dances gracefully from the lit end, curling into the atmosphere like a wisp of shared conversation.

The gesture encapsulates more than a simple offering; it encapsulates his genuine nature and ability to infuse even the most ordinary moments with a touch of extraordinary intimacy. In this ephemeral exchange, the barley touch of Robert’s fingers against your cheek lingers like an echo, a reminder of the subtle and beautiful connections forged through the simplest gestures.

You fall back and take a drag into the cigarette, exhaling the smoke. It was your first time with a cigarette, so you inhaled too much smoke and coughed slightly.

Robert looks back at you, and like a sly predator watching its prey, he too leans back. You can feel the weight of the pillow sink back. Your mouth nearly drops the cigarette as you look over, goosebumps now appearing over your legs. Shifting in your position, you don’t move farther away. Oppenheimer’s another atom bond, in which you feel connected, despite your differences.

Hearing your mother’s and older sister's voice ridiculing dating a man who could be one of your brother’s ages, you take another drag and exhale smoke as the nicotine soothes your anxiety.

“I understand now why people smoke.”

You can feel Oppenheimer’s intense stare, not that it bothers you at all.

There’s a small silence for a few minutes. The two of you bask in the setting sun, watching the smoke play against the hues of the sun. You swear you feel your eyes get heavy, both from the buzz of the alcohol and the nicotine of the cigarette.

The couch feels lighter as you feel Robert get up and walk over to the bookcase. Admiration mingles with a sense of awe as you watch your professor navigate the rows of tomes. His movements are measured and deliberate as he selects a book that promises to unfurl a tapestry of thoughts and ideas. The act itself is a testament to his insatiable thirst for knowledge, a quality that you have deemed extremely handsome to the tall and slender man.

He walks in front of you and flips through the pages, putting the book down in your lap.

You put your cigarette in the ashtray and hold the book to examine it, “Les Fleurs Del Mal.”

“One of my recommendations to you,” Robert responded as he sat back on the couch. The room suddenly got hotter as he felt closer than he did before, “It’s scattered poetry. You can skim, but I don’t recommend it unless you want to enjoy it.”

Your speculation proved to be true when Robert pointed to a page in the book, feeling his thigh scrap against yours. Butterflies danced in your stomach as your cheeks got that burning sensation again.

“These are some of my favorites,” Robert pointed, his finger gracing the page, “That I want you to read.”

Halting your breath, you look at him, and he’s looking right at you. More like right into you. Robert's eyes are like an ocean; they're truly the bluest you have seen. They hold a depth that draws you in, in which you find yourself lost, embraced by an intimate connection that speaks volumes without a single word.

“Read?” You almost stutter, “to myself?”

“Outloud, dear.” Robert’s smooth voice politely commands.

Suddenly, your limbs feel both hot and weak. Robert leans in closer, taking another drag of his cigarette. His gaze does not once leave you.

You put one hand on the page and the other on the soft pillow as your fingers soften the material. Clearing your throat, you look at the first poem and take in a deep breath to contain a noise of ecstasy and pleasure.

I know your heart, which overflows With outworn loves long cast aside, Still like a furnace flames and glows, And you within your breast enclose A damned soul's unbending pride;

But till your dreams without release

Reflect the leaping flames of hell;

Till in a nightmare without cease

You dream of poison to bring peace, And love cold steel and powder well;

And tremble at each opened door, And feel for every man distrust, And shudder at the striking hour - Till then you have not felt the power Of Irresistible Disgust.

My queen, my slave, whose love is fear, When you awaken shuddering, Until that awful hour be here,

You cannot say at midnight drear :

"I am your equal, O my King!"

Robert only responds by turning the page to the following poem, A Carcass. In the corner of your eye, his hand rests on the couch, only an inch away from yours. Before looking back at the page, you uncurl your fist, lying all of your finger against the couch, less than an inch away from Robert’s.

Recall to mind the sight we saw, my soul,

That soft, sweet summer day:

Upon a bed of flints a carrion foul,

Just as we turn'd the way,

Its legs erected, wanton-like, in air,

Burning and sweating pest,

In unconcern'd and cynic sort laid bare

To view its noisome breast.

The sun lit up the rottenness with gold, To bake it well inclined,

And give great Nature back a hundredfold

All she together join'd.

The sky regarded as the carcass proud

Oped flower-like to the day;

So strong the odour, on the grass you vow'd You thought to faint away.

Robert’s index finger is now hooking onto your smaller pinkie. You relax your hand as his hand covers yours, his touch gentle and alluring. You don’t know much you’ll be able to read in a controlled state. Robert turns to the next poem as his hand covers yours, his thumb stroking the top of your hand.

“My personal favorite,” He murmurs—Love’s Lighting.

Gulping, you proceed to read, slowly breaking down.

Last night as I lay awake in bed A flash of you came into my head And into my heart, and straightway fled.

It passed from the chamber suddenly,

Leaving no trace to know it by

But a tightened breast and a wet, glad eye.

Like a moonray soft it came and went,

Which glimmers through where the cloud-wrack's

rent,

Hovers a moment and then is spent;

Or a bee against a window-pane,

Which taps but once and never again, Some autumn day, before the rain.

For one brief moment I felt it stealing Along the verge of thought and feeling

As though some great vague thing revealing,

As though for that moment sad and sweet

My soul was out in the infinite, And Life and Death were as one to it.

You close the book and look at Robert, catching his eyes before looking at your intertwined hands. His hand covers yours, his fingers laced within yours. He gently squeezes your hand, propelling you to move closer to him, which you do.

“Your eyes,” You murmur as Robert brings you closer to him, your faces an inch apart, “There blue. But there’s something in them. There’s a spark, an explosion. There’s a burning desire, surrounded by the never-ending sea.”

Robert is just as enchanted as you are. He brings his free hand to your cheek, stroking your smooth skin like you are a fragile China doll.

“If there is a god, he spent more time on you,” Robert confessed, moving to the back of your hair, entangling and losing himself within the silkiness.

“Y/n, you are among the most beautiful creatures I have seen. Can you let me kiss you?”

Your hand moves to Robert’s cheek, and he leans into your touch.

"If there is a god, he spent more time on you," Robert confessed, his voice a warm breath against your skin as his fingers delicately traced the contours of your hair, entangling and losing himself within the silkiness.

"Y/n, you are among the most beautiful creatures I have seen," he murmured, his gaze locked onto your lips with a mixture of desire and reverence. His thumb brushed your lower lip in a gentle, teasing caress. "Can you let me kiss you?"

Your heart fluttered in response, your chest rising and falling with each anticipatory breath. Your fingers moved to cup his cheek, feeling the slight stubble against your palm as you leaned in, your lips drawing closer to his. The world around you seemed to melt away, leaving only the soft, charged atmosphere between you.

His lips met yours in a tender, lingering kiss. It had been your first, so you let him overtake as you enjoyed. It was a dance of sensations, a slow exploration of desire and affection. The touch was gentle, as if he was savoring every moment, every nuance of the connection that formed between your lips. His mouth moved against yours with delicate precision, a symphony of longing and intimacy that left you breathless.

As the kiss deepened, you could feel the possessiveness in the way he held you, his fingers threading through your hair, anchoring you closer. His hand, which held yours found the small of your back, a reassuring pressure that drew you impossibly nearer.

Time lost meaning as your lips moved together, a rhythm that spoke of shared longing and a connection beyond the physical. It was a kiss that whispered promises of intimacy and trust, an unspoken understanding that bound you together in that stolen moment of tenderness and desire.

As Robert kissed and held you, you loved the sensation of being adored. The romance between you, too, however, was forbidden. He was thirty, and you were a teenager, albeit legal, but recently, a little girl. But you couldn’t resist, and he couldn’t control his desire. After all, Life and Death were as one to it.

#carrie writes #cillian murphy #cillian murphy fanfiction #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x reader #oppenheimer #oppenheimer x reader #robert j oppenheimer x reader #j robert oppenheimer

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cassiefromhell · 9 months

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Unexpected (pt 3)

Part One Part Two Part Four

Fanbase: acotar

Eris x Reader x Azriel

Summary: After being interrupted by your newfound mate, you go for a walk for him. The next morning, you find yourself busier than expected.

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: very slight suggestiveness

A/N: Requests are OPEN! Check my pinned message for details on what I'll write <3 jjk, aot, mha, csm, acotar, etc! Additionally, I'm starting Throne of Glass soon, so those fics may be requested later!

Azriel stands there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His expression is perfectly neutral, eyes simply flicking over us both.

“Apologies for interrupting,” Azriel murmurs, gesturing between us.

Eris tucks me further behind him, and I grip the back of his shirt. “You are interrupting,” he scowls, glancing back at me. “Love, would you like to go back to the room?”

I open my mouth to reply, but not before Azriel does. “Actually, I wanted to talk to her.”

Shrinking, my body buries into the back of Eris, a futile attempt at turning invisible. I would rather jump into a pit filled with the Bogge, puca, and very angry pixies than have to face this other-mate.

Eris glances at me, raising a questioning brow. He’s leaving the decision in my hands: talk or run?

With a heavy sigh, I nod towards the Shadowsinger and release him. I’m going to have to face him at some point, especially if he’s already figured out the whole bond-pulling thing.

Eris presses a kiss to my temple, and leans down to murmur in my ear. “Remember that I love you no matter what. Good luck, and tug if you need me.” With that, he shoots Azriel a ‘hurt-her-and-you-lose-your-hands look, and stalks down the hallway.

I stare down at my shoes, arms crossed over my chest. When Eris vanishes from my peripheral vision, I feel both smaller and a little more relaxed.

Note to self: NEVER have my two mates in a room ever, ever again.

Azriel steps in front of me, gingerly offering a tanned, muscled arm. “Go for a walk with me?”

Hesitantly, very hesitantly, I take his arm. He shoots me a wary smile in return, and we’re off to the gardens.

I feel as though I need to hold my breath, like if I make one wrong move, or breathe wrong, or trip, then I’ll have betrayed Eris.

Azriel must feel how tense I am, because I can feel his intense gaze on the top of my head when he murmurs, “I don’t expect you to find this perfectly normal, or to be relaxed, or calm in any way right now… But I wouldn’t dream of hurting you, and I hope you know that.”

“You wouldn’t be able to hurt me,” I reply. “You wouldn’t be able to land a hit.”

He chuckles, grinning at me before returning to looking around. “These flowers are beautiful, who takes care of them?”

I shrug, reaching out my free hand to graze a fully bloomed hydrangea, bursting with violet pigment. “Mostly it’s the gardeners Eris and I picked out when he rose to power, though I dabble in my free time. Although, Eris has yet to let me go beyond watering these, after I killed the ones he keeps in our bedroom.”

“Not much of a green thumb, then?”

“I kill people. It’s what I do. Not many people understand that, and neither does the greenery.”

A silence falls over the garden, and I immediately regret opening my mouth. Biting my tongue and internally cursing myself for having loose lips, I take a moment to thoroughly regret drinking so much alcohol.

“Maybe the mother doesn’t have such a cruel sense of humor,” Azriel murmurs, eyes unwaveringly focused on me. “We both kill. We follow whatever commands are given to us to the letter. And I don’t know about you, but I enjoy it a little, sometimes.”

His words seem to sink into my skin, taking root in my muscle and sending an unnamable feeling through my veins — better than adrenaline. My very soul seems to sing a little at the idea that someone else understands what no one else does, and suddenly I’m chewing my bottom lip, trying to not like this male.

I reach out to touch a large white rose, my fingertips skimming the petals gingerly. “You were right, these flowers are beautiful.”

“So are you.”

My heart flutters in my chest like a damn butterfly, and I mentally thrash against the feeling.

You love Eris. Don’t fall for this male’s words. It’s only trickery.

“What do you think about this whole… situation?” I ask, deflecting his smooth compliment.

The shadows that have been swirling at my feet seem to pause, going thick and tense. The black swirls appear as though they have a personality of their own — or maybe they’re feeding off of Azriel’s emotions.

“It’s not… ideal,” he finally replies, scratching the back of his head. “I never exactly thought I’d have to share a mate with Eris of all people.”

“Eris is a good male. He’s caring, and kind, and… he’s my mate. We are made for eachother.”

The words leave my mouth before I realize the implication of them.

That Azriel is also made for me, as if the Mother sculpted us of the same clay, or the Cauldron crafted our souls at once.

I pull my arm away from his, taking one, two, three steps away. I find myself needing distance.

Eyelids fluttering closed, I take a long inhale of the chill night air, scented with the flowers around us.

I allow myself to imagine what it could be like, just for a millisecond. Two mates.

I’d still be High Lady of the Autumn Court — so long as Eris wants that after all this. I’d be doing that duty, whilst managing having two males to care for.

Azriel and I could get to know each other better. Maybe I’d begin to love him. And he would be the one to assist me on missions when I was in over my head. He’d bring me little gifts after particularly hard days, winnowing all the way to the Autumn court to see me. His shadows could wrap around me, bundling me close. I would feel so undeniably safe with him.

Maybe, I’d even have a home in the Night Court with him, or somewhere in between. I could spend some free time there, just the two of us.

And Eris… he’d still be my Eris. He would let me braid his hair when no one else is allowed to touch it. He would still help me learn how to grow flowers and cultivate a green thumb. He’d give me those little morning and night kisses that I savor so much. I don’t know how having a second mate would affect our sex life… but it’s really only possible for it to be improved, right?

“I have a proposal,” Azriel murmurs, startling me back to the present day.

When my eyes flutter open, I find the male standing in front of me, gazing down at me intently.

“I’m listening.”

“After your… mating ceremony… to Eris,” he says the words with a twinge of distaste. “We could get to know each other. I could show you Velaris—the city of starlight. You could stay there for a few days, maybe a week. You could get to know my friends, my family, even if you’re a little ahead on Rhys and Mor.”

It seems I wasn’t the only one fantasizing about the future.

Chewing my lip, I give him a quick once-over, allowing myself to take in his beauty. He is quite handsome.

“I think… I’d like that,” I whisper, discovering that my voice has gone completely hoarse.

He beams down at me, dark eyes glittering. He offers a tattooed arm once more, and when I take it, I allow myself one little tiny string of hope that everything will work out just fine.

“What do you mean, you don’t have the necklace?”

My favorite handmaiden in the palace, Fauna, shakes her head slowly. “I’m so sorry, my lady. I think it’s still in one of the jewelry safes under the palace.”

I raise my hand to rub it down my face, and then remember the kohl lining my eyes and the Fae glitter across my cheekbones. With a heavy sigh, I stand, giving Fauna a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. I know you don’t have that clearance — I’ll go get it myself.”

Fauna rushes to my side, adjusting my dress so that I will not trip. It’s the prettiest, most Autumn Court dress I own. It has an olive green bodice, flowing into shimmering skirts of buttery yellow, fading to deep orange and red. Little tiny leaves are embroidered into every inch of it, making it shine when I move like morning dew on a tree in Autumn. The sleeves are flowy and dance with my movements, giving me an ethereal grace.

The half-nymph adjusts the tiara in my woven-up hair, and then opens the door for me. I stride out, heels clicking down the hall as I go.

It is crucial that I have that necklace. It was Eris’s great-grandmother’s, and then his grandmother’s, and then his father’s, and now it is his. Well, mine, I suppose. It’s one of his many mating gifts to me. A double silver chain, with a sun-shaped pendant on one and a leaf on the other, all encrusted with diamonds and rubies.

I thought it had been brought up to our chambers days ago, but either I was lied to or someone put it back.

Scowling, I walk a little quicker. I cannot be late to my own mating ceremony. Eris wouldn’t be mad, but I’d be angry at myself for letting it happen.

I knew I should have checked this shit last night.

Correction: I went to go and check this shit last night, and then a very drunken Eris distracted me.

“…I’m honestly shocked that you’ve muscled up and stayed,” a voice drifts through the hall.

I stop, watching as a shadow appears from around the corner. And then another.

Suddenly, I realize that voice is Cassian’s — which means he must be with Azriel.

And at the same moment, I realize that I’m incredibly curious.

I duck into a nearby room, casting a quick shield to mask my scent. Tucking myself against the wall, I use my magic to hide the sounds of my heart and breathing.

“Of course I stayed. She’s my mate. I have to be there for her,” Azriel replies, almost with a grumble in his tone.

Cassian chuckles, and their footsteps stop nearby — maybe even just outside the door. “She’s your mate, and about to be mated to another male.”

“I’m well aware.”

“With how competitive you are, I’m surprised you haven’t challenged Eris to a duel for her love.”

Azriel groans. “I’m not going to be that person. I want her to be happy.”

“Don’t act like you’re enjoying the situation.”

A smacking sound hits my ears, and I assume that Azriel landed a hit on the other Illyrian.

“In what world would I be enjoying this? I think that she’s beautiful, and fucking perfect. Definitely not happy to see her mating Eris of all people, but she loves him. Plus, she’s agreed to come and stay in Velaris for a few days in a couple weeks,” he replies, with the tiniest hint of pride at the end.

“Oh, you dog. You got a wholeee date with the mated girl.”

Another smacking sound, and then another, and I’d place money on the fact that they’re straight up brawling in the hallway. I raise a hand to muffle my laughter.

“Stop it, you’re gonna ruin my suit,” Cassian whines.

“Then stop being a prick, and get better at clean brawling,” Azriel hisses, followed by a crash.

Silence.

“What were you just saying about clean brawling? Look at you, breaking shit in your mate’s palace—“

“Run.”

Footsteps race away instantly, and I remove my hand to let loose my laughter. Those two are easily the most chaotic duo I’ve ever met.

I keel over, laughing until tears spring to my kohl-lined eyes. I wipe them away carefully, straightening up and fixing my dress.

Turning to leave the room, I place a hand on the doorknob.

But the darkness around me is suddenly suffocating, and I get a nagging, nauseating feeling in my gut that something is wrong.

Movement in the corner catches my eye.

I stiffen, reaching for my dagger — which is not there, unfortunately for my life. Fauna had told me to wait until the last minute to slide it into a pocket of my dress.

Cursing under my breath, I pretend to draw a blade anyway. It’s significantly better than being obviously unarmed.

But I’m very much not alone, and very much unarmed.

And whatever or whoever this thing is, what it does next sends an inexplicable shudder through my body.

It breathes on me.

Tags: @cleverzonkwombatsludge (comment and ask to be added to tag list! <3)

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cubur · 3 months

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Hello guys！

I haven't been around in a while. Some of you have already noticed this and i even heard they panicked. So first of all, I have to say that i'm fine …or rather i'm trying to be fine, yep. I just tried to stay away from all my social media accounts for a while. And no, this isn't related to other fandoms as some of you might have guessed. This was entirely about my personal and emotional court. And about things I've been keeping inside for so long that i no longer have the emotional strength to handle.

Well, I suddenly disappeared from the first days of 2024, i know. 'Cause this year I made myself promise not to repeat the things i painfully learned from last year. So what I learned from 2023 is; you shouldn't force anything …literally anything. Neither friendships nor love nor attention nor affection. Things that happen by force are not worth striving for. The one who will love loves, the one who will leave leaves, what will end ends. Just don't force anything. Because that's what I did last year. I forced things… foolishly hoping that it would change one day. But, it was just like you water a dead flower every morning with the hope that maybe it will bloom again. And this never bloomed. So now, i'm slowly accept the fact… though the memories make everything so difficult, i just can't anymore. I'm tired of trying…… I want to go back to the time when i used to sleep peacefully without overthinking. Because… yes I'm ashamed and don't want to say it, but, i lost a bond with someone i wanted forever ………… I broke my own heart by expecting them to be as attached to me as i am to them. And maybe I feel some kind of angry, but still no, they didn't break me, I broke me, because i believed in something that wasn't real. That's why I apologize. I apologize to myself for giving them the power to make me sad. Anyway I don't want to make this article any longer. I already explained my hurt many times, and nothing much has changed, still got hurt. So I learned to stop talking.

Just, I'm sorry for all the times i made you guys worry about me. Sadly due to some economic difficulties in my country, i still may not be active enough here yet. But you can be sure that I will do my best for the future. Thank you all for everything！🙏🏻

#text post #Hello 2024！

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n0v4t33z · 3 months

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The Piece Of Eight - Chapter of Eledonia

Pairings: Capt. Hongjoong X Female Reader , Crewmate San x Female Reader (Overall not chapter specific)

Genre: Pirate AU, Romance, historical-ish, Action, Angst, Non-Idol AU

Word Count: 10.6k

Tags/Warnings: For Mature Audiences, Violence, Language, mentions of blood and gore, Highly Suggestive at times (This is a warning for the whole story overall)

Chapter specific: y/n uses her sword on Matz, y/n protects Matz from a fellow villager and cuts him a bit in the process, y/n remembers her traumatic past, Seonghwa mentions Hongjoong's past (Overall nothing too bad right now honestly)

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!

Spotify Playlist ⚓ | Masterlist 🏴‍☠️

Author's Note💌: Hi! This is one of my newer works and I hope whoever reads this enjoys it! I've worked very hard on this and tbh i've been working on this when I'm not writing for TS (which is alot because I'm stuck as of rn) Also I guess I'll say this right now but this story will have alot of blood and violence in the future chapters and in some instances flashbacks from MC's tragic past which will get VERY dark. I am aware not alot of people like that so before any of it starts I will warn you in future chapters of any trigger warnings. Anyway, please enjoy and don't be shy to leave me your comments or thoughts! (please be kind!) 🌙

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For as long as I can remember I’ve always been poor, not that it’s bothered me. If anything it has made me very resourceful and grateful for the little things I have in life, but it definitely would have been nice if we at least had something under our name because maybe then being prisoners for years wouldn’t have been an option.

Then again everything that happened was against Eledonia's wishes so of course, that of being a prisoner was long ago from when I was 4 years old until I was about 13 so having to endure and watch all those years of people getting abused and tortured again and again on the daily definitely takes a toll on you. Lucky for me I put that anger I had in learning how to protect myself and my family.

For a while my family was against it because according to them I should be focusing on something else that won’t risk me getting hurt, like being a good housewife. The way I think though is if I didn’t at least know the basics of training we’d suffer again like before and when the Saitors left our country that’s when it began.

Now my grandpa, a retired soldier of our nation Eledonia has been training me for a few years now. He’s taught me everything I know about weapons and self defense. For the most part I train by myself by the shore near where our village is so I can hear the calming waves and stay watch in case any ship is nearby. Which is what I'm on my way to do this morning.

"Make sure not to stay too late over there, I need you to help me take these beans over to the market to see how much we can get for them" I nod "Sure, I'll be back later Mom!" I walk outside as the early morning sun slightly obstructs my vision causing me to slightly squint trying to get used to the brightness.

While I walk down the trail I take in the beauty of the forest and see how much the flowers and leaves on the trees have bloomed since spring began, everything was so lush and green. As soon as I’m hit with the smell of the salty sea it’s my queue that I’ve arrived at my destination with no need to look over at the sea for confirmation which unknowingly at the time I’ll seemingly regret.

I begin my training as per usual until a few hours pass by and I begin to hear shouting in the distance and splashes in the water almost like a ship was being docked. I run towards the edge of the shore and realize a man was watching me with his spyglass.

I couldn't make out his features but panicking now knowing how long he’d been watching me I start sprinting back home with adrenaline coursing through my veins. It takes me less than 5 minutes to arrive at my village's territory before I begin to yell in panic “A ship is docking!! They’re pirates!”

The villagers look at each other in confusion and panic until I spot the chief. I run as fast my legs could take me but my legs feels weak from the Imminent fear. At this point I don't know how I'm still standing.

“Chief there are pirates docking their ship right now!! Please anyone! One of them looked right at me, they know there are people here now! ”

Immediately the Chief rings a bell 3 times then walks over to me gently placing his hand on my shoulder “Thank you for telling me Metztli, run to gather your family and we’ll all head over to the underground cave.”

I obediently nod and hurriedly run home and notice my mom feeding my little brothers while my father and grandfather were having some sort of conversation then while still slightly out of breath I say “There’s a ship docking right now and it’s a pirate ship, we have to go..”

Everyone freezes for a moment then my grandfather lets out a sigh and gets up “Let’s go. Leave everything as it is.” My parents begin packing a few things meanwhile I grab a few of my books and some of my clothes enough for a few days.

When we arrive at the underground cave I notice the whole clan was there, of course our clan wasn’t very big but to see everyone gathered up there was shocking to see how many people were scared of the same thing happening all over again. Of course I don’t blame them, it was a time none of us want to remember.

The inside of the bunker of the cave was far from fancy, it was basically a hole in the ground with a few torches on the walls for light and a few scattered bonfires for warmth and cooking, everything else was just rock.

After a week in the bunker we all grew impatient and very hungry so the chief sent a few people out at dawn to see if the boat was gone, when the men came back they alerted the chief the boat was gone from where it was docked marking it safe for us to return back to our homes.

That very same day after returning home my mother sends me off to the market to buy a few necessities we ran out of while in the underground bunker. When I arrived at the market I realized I had a smile on my face, it was nice seeing everyone going back to normal. It was definitely a close call, it still doesn’t sit right with me how one of the people in that ship saw me.

Luckily they’re long gone by now so I shouldn’t think about it too much. I walk over to a vegetable stand with a small old lady running it “Oh hi sweetie, how are you? What would you like today?” I smile and hand her the crescents along with the reusable grocery bag “It’ll be the usual Rosalia.”

She smiles and begins to load up the bag with vegetables “Aren’t you glad that ship was false alarm? I don’t think my old self could handle another invasion again honestly.” I nod “Another one would be a curse that was so scary, my heart almost jumped out of my throat when I saw them.”

She hands me the grocery bag and says “Luckily it wasn’t anything to worry about sweetheart. Alright, be safe and go ahead and let your mother know I said hi.” I nod and wave goodbye and head over to the next vendor to buy my grandfather’s favorite snack, coconut candy.

Although I really dislike the weirdly textured candy my grandpa seems to enjoy it and honestly that’s okay as long as he’s happy.

“Oh hi y/n what brings you here today?” I set bag of vegetables on the floor and dig into my pocket for money “Oh I’ll just have one coconut candy today for my grandpa” He grabs the candy and hands it over to me “One crescent”

I nod and hand him the money and begin to walk away “y/n, wait up!” Causing me to halt in my steps and turn that’s when he wraps a small piece of cake and puts it in a small box and hands it over to me “It’s not much but it’s a small thanks for alerting the chief about the ship earlier this week”

I reach over for the box with a “Oh wow thank you so much Armando, you have no idea how grateful i am for this.” I bow my head slightly and he does the same “Goodbye y/n take care!” I smile and wave goodbye and begin to walk towards the entrance of the market that’s when I see two young men around my age wearing unfamiliar attire.

The shorter one’s hair was an unnatural shade of blonde with his hair being short in the front but long in the back, a small braid adorning his hair. His dark eyes are rimmed to resemble smoky soot stained eyes giving him a very intense look, he wore a simple cross chain around his neck and a single silver earring on his right ear, and wore a black odd looking cape thing and under it he wore a simple black long sleeve, on his left arm there was a black band of some sort that had an hourglass shape with a circle in the middle and 4 phases of the moon surrounding it.

He also wore some sort of black pants accentuating his small figure. For the one standing next to him which was the taller one, his hair was jet black, and wore very similar style clothing only this one opted for a white colored long sleeve shirt and a grey colored vest over it to accentuate his small waist with the same sort of odd black cape thing over his shoulders.

His pants being the same ones as the short one just iike their boots. One thing that stuck out is the tall one had a visible weapon on his back, a shot gun.

Fuck. Pirates. The shorter one leans over to tell the taller one something and that’s when the taller one begins walking in my direction. I have no weapons on me, I have to go. I drop my stuff and make a run for it into the forest.

While I run I hear the man call out to me in the distance but unfortunately my fear is not letting me decipher what he was saying. I begin to run in the direction of the river by the water fall but take the alternate lesser known route.

When I make it to the river I hide behind the waterfall that’s when I hear the tall man call out to me “Hello? I promise we won’t hurt you. We just want to talk.” I scoff almost laughing at his words. Not hurt me? Then why was he hoisting around a fucking shot gun on his back?

I decide to stay quiet while he continued to try and lure me out then a few minutes later the shorter man with the arm band joins him at the side of the river and he joins him with the same words the other was protesting saying that they will not hurt me which is honestly hard to believe as I can now see the shorter one has weapons too.

Suddenly the shorter one begins to speak my language “Hello, I will not hurt you. I want to talk.” I sigh realizing they know I’m here then I nervously say “How do I know that? The tall one and you have weapons.”

Both the shorter and taller man look at each other in surprise not expecting me to answer them back that’s when without hesitation the shorter man unholsters his gun and throws it in the river along with the sword that was perfectly hidden under his long cape thing. The tall one removes the gun from his back and throws it in the river the and shorter one continues “I am sorry. Can you come out?”

Hesitantly I step out from behind the waterfall and I pick up a few rocks and throw them in their direction causing them to step back giving me enough room to grab the sword they threw into the river. “What do you want?”

I point the sword at both of them causing them to both have their hands raised in mercy then the shorter one says “Alliance.

” I furrow my eyebrows “I’m confused, I’m poor. I have no influence.” He nods understandably “You have strength, I saw you training by the water when we first met 7 days ago” Suddenly it dawns on me this man was the same man watching me train through his spy glass by the shore.

Unable to form any words out of shock I stay silent and the man continues “My name is Hongjoong, next to me is Seonghwa what about you?” Hesitantly I look around and study their expressions, they seemed genuine but a part of me is too scared to trust them “y/n.”

I cannot tell them my real name, it’s way too dangerous. Hongjoong blinks a few times then says “You speak the universal language?” I nod “Yeah.” He sighs in relief “I’m sorry but that’s good because I was running out of Eledonian. I’m sorry If I was really bad at it I only know enough to get by.”

I stay quiet for a few seconds then I muster the courage to say “Where did you dock? I swear your ship was gone when we checked this morning.”

Hongjoong looks at the waterfall behind me then back at me “Ah, yeah we docked further down where our boat is hidden from other incoming boats.”

I squint my eyes and press the tip of the sword right where his heart is “You better not be lying, if you try anything I will personally be the one to kill you.”

Hongjoong smirks and gently pushes the sword away from his chest “No worries, I wasn’t planning on it. Like I said, I want an alliance.” I narrow my eyes “Why are you asking me?”

He steps away from me and looks over at Seonghwa and nods. Immediately Seonghwa hits my hand causing me to drop the sword and grabs my hand and twists it behind my back but I lean forwards making him weaken his grip on my arm and slightly lose his balance.

I take that as an opportunity to kick him behind the knees and pick up the sword where I tightly press the blade against his neck while I stand behind him. Hongjoong slowly claps while walking back towards me smirking “I’m asking because I want you to be my protector. I knew it when I first saw you training by the shore. Fluid like water and precise like a bullet.”

Nobody’s ever referred to me like that. He sure does know how to compliment people, I’ll give him that.

I press the blade a little harder on Seonghwa’s neck causing him to quietly hiss “I’m sorry but I barely even know you. I cannot just leave my family for a bunch of pirates I don’t even know. There is only one person who I’m going to kill and his name is Miyagawa Masaki. Killing another human isn’t in my book unless they’ve hurt me or my family in any way.”

Hongjoong’s features soften dropping the plotting smirk and extends his hand in my direction “Alright, let’s get to know each other then because what if I tell you there’s hundreds like him? Ruining the lives of the poor and defenseless? Killing innocent people and eliminating hundreds of bloodlines. Would that change your mind?”

I glance down at Seonghwa who was stiffly leaning away from my sword his head gently resting against my stomach, he gives a scared but genuine nod of reassurance of Hongjoong’s words.

For a few seconds Hongjoong and I’s gazes mutually connect, something in his gaze tells me maybe I should trust him. I mean I can easily overpower either of them if anything goes wrong.

I remove the blade from Seonghwa’s neck and push him towards Hongjoong causing him to fall on his hands and knees “Get out of here before I regret not killing you.”

Seonghwa gets up then gently puts his hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder “I don’t think she’s coming Captain.” Hongjoong turns to Seonghwa and gives him a smirk and proceeds to walk in my direction and chuckles “I’m sorry for that y/n I just really wanted to see you in action up close. I really didn’t mean for that to be a personal attack.”

I roll my eyes “How am I supposed to trust you if you literally attacked me. If anything you’re making me not want anything to do with you.” He smiles and says “Ah, so you were considering it at some point then?”

I cross my arms and look at the ground “Perhaps..” Hongjoong pushes a strand of hair behind my ear completely catching me off guard by this gesture “What if I told you that if you come with me you wouldn’t have to worry about anything, I’ll pay for it. I’ll pay for food and supplies for your village, for protection, and I’ll even add money so that your family doesn’t have to worry while you’re away.”

I blankly look down then back at him and almost silently I say “I don’t know.” Seonghwa hesitates for a second but then gently pats my back “You don’t have to decide right now, it’s okay.”

Hongjoong gently pats my arm “How about I treat you for lunch then we’ll come back to how you feel about me.” I nod “Yeah sure, but I’m keeping your weapons.”

Without turning my back on them I carefully step back and step back into to the river while keeping my eyes on both men and pick up the shotgun and pistol. “I’ll give these back if I approve.

Also, just for that little stunt you played before we go you have to help me with the groceries I was carrying.” They both nod and we head back to the market then I point at the groceries on the ground with my sword “Go get my stuff pirate boys.”

Both men walk over and pick everything up then Seonghwa says “Where to?” I walk in between them and begin walking back to my home.

After a bit of walking In silence I finally muster enough guts to break the ice "So uh why exactly are you guys here in Eledonia?" Seonghwa answers ”Supplies honestly, we were running out of a few things but of course the Captain saw you training and he wanted to meet you so we kinda gave the supplies duty to the rest of the crew while we looked for you."

I quietly hum “So how many other crew members are there?” Hongjoong answers almost on queue “There’s eight of us in total who are in charge of overseeing the main duties so the other six are doing the supplies duty. The rest are sailors who help us run the ship.”

The more welk the more I notice we’re now in my village's territory then In a low voice I say “By the way please don’t act scary, we’re in my village’s territory now.” They both make reassuring hums and as we walk to my house the rest of the villagers stare at us, their gazes burning into my skin. I’m sure they’re probably wondering why I’m even with people like this.

Out of seemingly nowhere I see a fellow villager walking towards us with a weapon in hand “Get away from them Metztli!” I extend both my arms in front of Hongjoong and Seonghwa causing them to abruptly stop “Acatl there’s no need! They won’t hurt us!”

He walks over towards me and pulls me aside and swings his weapon at both males “Like hell they are..”

I unsheathe my sword and step in front of him fully stopping the weapon from hitting either of them “You are not going to hurt them. We are not in danger.”

Acatl clenches the hilt of the weapon “They are not who they say they are, they are not good people. All pirates are just as bad as those stupid silver spooned goons, all they do is lie to get what they want.”

I turn to Hongjoong and Seonghwa and under my breath I utter “Stay back.” and lock my gaze into Acatl’s “Stop being ignorant, just because we were hurt by some soulless bastards doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.”

I push his weapon back slightly just enough for me to be able to swing my sword at him and graze his arm then take another quick swing at his hand causing him to drop his weapon and clutch his bleeding hand on his knees.

“How could you protect these men?! And betray your own people like this?!” I point my sword at him to stay down “I protect those who deserve to be protected and right now they needed my protection, if they were to ever betray my trust they shall have the same fate as my enemy.”

He slowly gets up clutching his hand “You are wrong for this, you are wrong for going against our village.” I smirk sheathing my sword and dusting myself off “I didn’t go against my people, I simply made peace where there would have been unnecessary deaths.”

As Acatl was about to say something the chief walks up to us with anger tinged in his voice “What is going on here?” before I’m able to explain anything I hear my mom yell at me from a distance with the rest of my family following after her and with surprise and utter fear on her features.

“Who are these men Metztli?! Why are they here?!” before I can explain anything my father and grandfather come up next to my mother to try and calm her down “What’s going on?”

“I can explain. These men are not evil, they just came here to buy some supplies for their ship and they happened to see me struggling with the groceries so they’re helping me. Then this idiot Acatl starts attacking us and so I just prevented unnecessary deaths.”

The chief crosses his arms in front of him still clearly upset “Metztli just because someone does a nice thing for you doesn’t mean they are good.”

My dad gives Hongjoong and Seonghwa a glare “You know better than to lead strangers to the village. You can never trust these punks, especially men.”

I nod “I understand but they’re not bad people father. They were just helping me.” My grandfather gives me a stern look “What did I tell you about trust Metztli? Trust only yourself, no one else.”

I turn and I signal both men to set the things down “They’re just now leaving don’t worry.” I begin to gently push them the other way then Hongjoong turns and says “I want her to come with us. I want her to protect me.”

I look at him in horror and shake my head he looks into my eyes for a few moments, smirks and continues “If she comes with us I will pay for the supplies in your village and I’ll pay a militia to protect and alert us in case anything ever happens. I’ll also throw in some money so the village can be renovated since I see the places being inhabited are severely run down and you know for whatever else you need the money.”

Hongjoong looks down at my little brothers standing behind my mother and gives them a soft smile “I promise the rest of our crew will not let anything happen to your daughter. I’m just putting this out there, there doesn’t need to be an answer right now since y/n herself isn’t entirely sure either.”

Hongjoong gives me a small smile and pats my head while Seonghwa gives me a reassuring nod “Well, we will go now.” Hongjoong adds then my grandfather responds “Come again tomorrow, but lunch is on you guys.”

Slightly taken aback both men nod and smile. Hongjoong then says “We will return tomorrow, it’s a promise.”

The chief looks over at my grandfather and says “Are you sure about this? Welcoming strangers like this?” My grandfather watches the 2 pirates walk away while everyone else watches him in silence “Their proposition was interesting don’t you think chief? We’ll benefit out of this.”

The Chief gives no response to my grandfather for a few seconds then looks over at Actatl holding onto his bloodied hand then back at me “I cannot get past just blindly trusting people we’ve never met before, it’s off putting not just for me but for the rest of the village.”

My grandfather nods then turns and gives me a smile “We have my granddaughter if anything happens. She will protect her village at any cost no matter who it is. After all, It was I who trained her or what? Are you doubting my granddaughter’s prowess?”

The chief stays silent then I give him a reassuring smile, like an indication that this situation was over everyone begins to head back to their homes including the chief. Acatl is the only one who stays behind and stares at me for a few seconds “If something happens this is your fault.”

He walks away and I bite the inside of my mouth to hold back from further saying anything that’ll cause him to come back. To be truthful I am scared they may earn my trust then betray me but on the other hand I want to believe that nothing will happen and that they are genuinely good people.

The next day while taking a short break during training I hear the leaves rustling from behind and to my surprise it was Hongjoong and Seonghwa again. I’m pleasantly surprised they showed up, you’d think after what transpired yesterday they’d leave but I guess they aren’t weak hearted.

“Hongjoong? Seonghwa? What are you guys doing here?” The blonde man extends his hand towards me and helps me up.

“I’m here because I want to thank you for yesterday.” I shake my head “Oh no sir I-” Hongjoong lifts his hand to silence me and says “You protected me and my first mate and I really appreciate that especially considering you had no obligation to do so. You could have easily let him kill the both of us but you didn’t.”

He’s right, I didn’t need to save him. I could have let him fight his own fights but for some reason it’s like my body acted on its own. Seonghwa gives me a warm smile “For that we would like to ask you if you would like to be our friend. Our connection to Eledonia.” A connection? Me? Out of all the nobles or more important people here in Eledonia they ask me?

"I would be happy to be your friend." Hongjoong gives me a relieved smile “Well, that settles it. We are friends.” Seonghwa stands next to me and rests his elbow on my shoulders.

"Okay, well maybe now that we're friends we should follow through with your grandfather and have lunch." I hum wiping the sweat off my forehead with a small cloth “Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry.”

Seonghwa squeezes my shoulders while behind me “Good, we’ve got some nice things prepared for you.” I squint my eyes “I would like to assume it’s a good thing and not a bad one.”

Seonghwa and Hongjoong chuckle “It’s a good thing my dear, I had the cook of our crew make us some delicious food. They’ll be in the main square later serving the village so I’m sure your family will be there as well since we let them know this morning.”

Seonghwa nods “Yes, so practice a few more hours and by then the food should be ready, we just came here and decided to give you some motivation so you’d finish your training strong.” I smile at both males “Seriously, thank you.” they both smile and Hongjoong responds “My pleasure, y/n. Anything to show you we’re worth trusting.”

Wow, he really is trying his hardest if he’s going to go all out like this. Seonghwa excitedly smiles “We’ll see you later okay? Please come by, we’d really like for you to meet the crew” Wow, they really are so confident i’m going to leave. I look over at them and nod “of course, I’ll be there no worries” Both men say their goodbyes and leave. I sit down for a few minutes and rest before I resume my training for the day.

After a few hours go by I decide to start walking home and the whole way there I think to myself why I saved these men and why was I being so selfless with them. Why did I feel the need to protect the Captain and his right hand man when I don’t even know them, this was all becoming so confusing to me. Not to mention my extreme trust issues with everyone, so I just can’t explain why I decided to trust them. Why am I so drawn to them?

When I arrive at the main square I see alot of people gathered around the front of my house. As I walk closer I notice Hongjoong talking to my grandfather while Seonghwa and another guy play with my siblings.

There was an unknown male by the fire cooking and a few others whom I didn’t recognize but I knew were with “The Captain” judging by their clothes so those men must be his crew members. They’re feeding everyone I see, they’re really trying to win over not only my family but the whole village.

I walk over to my mom and ask “Mom, when did they get here?” while watching my little brothers play she says “They got here a few hours ago. Hongjoong, the blonde one said he wanted it to be a surprise for you when you came back from training. You should go eat now, they brought meat! It’s your favorite.” I nod then I turn and see my grandpa and the chief speaking to Hongjoong, he looked happy. I hadn’t seen my grandpa smile since grandma died.

A sudden grip to my shoulder makes me slightly jump “You should go eat, the food will be gone by the time you’re done staring.” I turn and see Seonghwa holding a plate in his hand slightly out of breath giving me a sweet smile “Ah, hah I will sorry just got distracted.”

I hope he didn’t think I was checking the captain out. That would be weird. Seonghwa walks over to me and hands me a plate of food and honestly it looked and smelled delicious. Roasted potatoes and meat. Meat is considered a delicacy and we can’t eat it very often because of how expensive it is so seeing it on my plate made my stomach rumble so I begin to eat before I even sit down.

Seonghwa turns to me and chuckles “You like meat? It’s good right?” I nod while sitting down on the grass in front of the tree by the square since It was a little quieter here “I’m glad you liked it, I’m sure Wooyoung prepared it with his secret combination of spices. It makes things so much more tasty.”

For a little bit there was a silence from the both of us eating but eventually I decide to get brave and ask “Are you guys really not going to hurt our people? Like you’re not doing this as a gimmick to gain our trust then kill or imprison all of us?”

Seonghwa, slightly taken aback chokes a bit on his food and begins to cough, once a bit composed he clears his throat “No, of course not. We’re The Piece of Eight. We don’t steal from the people, we steal for them. All of our targets are all either royals, nobles, military chiefs or generals, politicians even but never the regular people who aren’t associated with that stuff. If anything we’re most infamously known for being anti government and helping villages who need it the most.”

So they’re basically like the story of Robin Hood, steal from the rich and help the poor. It’s understandable, the rich can be quite nasty. They’re very ungrateful.

“Sounds a like a great cause, does that mean you have alot allies?” He slightly purses his lips “Somewhat, but it’s enough for it to help us not get caught.”

I shove another spoonful of potatoes in my mouth “Also I guess I should explain this but, the reason Hongjoong needs an assassin and a protector is because the royals and government know about us now and they’re out to get the captain and knowing how he is he doesn’t want to appease the rich, much less the government meaning he’s going to keep doing what he’s doing even if he needs to kill people to get what he wants and what he wants is to put those people in their place and show them they’re not special that at the end of the day they’re a sack of skin and blood..”

I stare aimlessly and un focus my gaze and without thinking I say “I agree with your agenda. Rich people are selfish and are out of touch with reality. They’re heartless and evil, I hate them. I hate them all.” Seonghwa furrows his eyebrows “Did something happen for you to strongly feel that way?”

I set my plate down and shrug “Well, long story short the Saitor Kingdom invaded Eledonia and they killed hundreds of people and imprisoned alot of them as well. My village and other poor villages were taken as prisoners to work for the Saitors with the only pay was being fed enough to be kept alive. It was almost daily where there was an execution of a prisoner for seemingly stupid offences that had no reason to be that serious some of those were of course some members of my village. It was 9 years of complete and utter hell.”

The dark haired man sighs and says in a low tone of voice “I completely understand why you’d hate people like that. Some of us in the crew, specifically Hongjoong had the same luck as you except he was left with nothing.”

A knot grows in my throat, as much as I didn’t know the Captain like that I can only imagine losing everyone you know and care about. “Meaning he has nothing left to lose.” I say with a knot in my throat and he nods “Yeah, which is why the crew is as close as it is because he considers us all his family.”

I focus my gaze again and it happens to fall upon the Captain, seeing him smile while talking to the Chief, and my grandfather somehow broke my heart. As much as I know how annoying it is to be pitied, here I am doing it to a complete stranger who probably doesn’t want any of it.

“This is why he helps the people, because he knows his family would have wanted him to do something good with his life even if it’s somewhat subjective to other people.” So Hongjoong is a good guy, to be this young and already be so accomplished takes skill and he clearly has the skill and motivation for it all. Unfortunately at the cost of the people he loved the most.

“Sometimes it’s good to be going against the current, and I respect him for it.” Seonghwa adjusts himself more comfortably and puts his plate aside and exhaling softly.

“We all do too, but as of today I also respect you as well for enduring torture and witnessing such horrible atrocities everyday for 9 years, that must have been traumatizing.” I glance over at the people in my village, seeing how happy they looked.

“Yeah, I guess seeing someone get shot in the face or get bludgeoned to death isn’t something a kid should be witnessing. Till this day I can still hear them choking on their own blood.” I look down at my hand and stipple my fingers on my palm.

“I can tell you’re very close to the Captain.” I say changing the subject, it’s not that I don’t want to talk about it it’s more like I can’t talk about it because evreytime I do I can hear the blood squelching, bones breaking, and agonizing screams. They're so vivid.

Seonghwa seems to catch on what I was doing and replies “We are actually, so close I know him like the back of my hand. Although sometimes it’s hard for him to show he cares so to a normal person it might look like he doesn’t care very much but he does he just does it differently than other people. Because to be honest I don’t think I’ve ever seen him be affectionate towards someone.”

I giggle “Reminds me of my grandpa, he’s the same way. With my grandpa showing affection is him telling me stories from when he was a soldier or buying me some candy when we go to the market, things like that.”

Seonghwa chuckles and points with his eyes in the direction of Hongjoong speaking to my grandpa “No wonder they get along so well.” It’s so nice to see my grandpa smile, it’s been a while since he did.

Ever since my grandma died my grandpa hasn’t smiled very much or that of all. In a way it seems like they’re both healing each other by speaking with each other. Suddenly I hear Hongjoong call out for Seonghwa, apologetically he looks over at me and says “I’m so sorry our conversation was cut short, Hongjoong is calling me.”

I shake my head and motion him to Hongjoong “Go ahead I need time to myself anyway, I need to think whether or not I’m going to go with you guys.” Seonghwa reaches over and pats my shoulder “Alright, just remember do what your heart tells you not what others say.” I chuckle “I’ll keep that noted.” Seonghwa gets up and takes both our empty plates with him leaving me with my thoughts while I also observe the strange men here. No doubt they were all handsome and charismatic including Hongjoong and Seonghwa which is the reason why I’m assuming everyone grew to trust them so quickly. Even so, I’ll keep my eyes on them.

In the distance I see 2 black haired men walking towards me one had cat like eyes with dark hair and a grey streak in his hair, he was scrawny looking but has very wide shoulders while the other one had jet black hair, a strong jawline, and a small mole under his right eye. They both sit in front of me and smile “Hey, I’m Wooyoung and this is San. Hongjoong told us about you, so did you make up your mind? Are you coming with us?”

Slightly taken a back from how forward this Wooyoung guy is I shake my head “I don’t know, I’m not sure.” San gives me a dimpled smile “I hope you do, it’d be nice to have a new crew member.”

Wooyoung looks over at San “Nah, you just want her to join us because she’s a girl.” San shoots a glare at Wooyoung “No, it would be nice if I could just have a reasonable person to talk to sometimes instead of an idiot like you who only says dumb things” Wooyoung teases San.“You have Yeosang and Yunho for that, they’re reasonable”

I raise an eyebrow and smirk “Who says I’m reasonable though?” San looks at me like I’ve betrayed him while Wooyoung lets out a particularly loud laugh then I giggle “I’m just kidding, I’m y/n by the way.”

I extend my hand towards San and smile almost without a second thought he reaches over and shakes my hand. His gaze connecting with mine with a small hint of awe he says “You have a nice name, It fits you really well.” Wooyoung then says “Is that really your name?” I laugh and nod “Yeah why? Does it throw you off that I have a universal language name instead of a more traditional name?” Wooyoung nods and says “Honestly yeah, but he’s right you have a nice name”

If only they knew. So far they’re easy to get along with, I may end up taking this job just so my family stops being in the slums and my village as a whole is respected.

“So, how old are you guys?” I smile and look over at the two males and without hesitation Wooyoung replies “19, so is this guy. What about you?” I raise my eyebrow “You know you shouldn’t ask a girl her age, that's rude...”

San stammers “I'm sorry we meant no disrespect..” I smirk “But if you must know though.. I'll give you a hint, i’m a few years older than you both” They both blink in shock then Wooyoung says “Wait how much older?”

I shrug “Not more than 2 years” Wooyoung chuckles “Ohh well you know I thought you were younger than us when I first approached you, you’re so short.” I scoff “I’m a girl of course I’m going to be short, common sense.” Wooyoung holds back a laugh “No I mean you’re short, short. I thought you were a child.” I roll my eyes “Yeah I am, short so what.” Wooyoung gives me a teasing smile While San says “You know that means you’re older than both our Captain and Seonghwa..”

I raise an eyebrow “Are you guys calling me old?” They both shake their heads then Wooyoung nervously chuckles “Not at all! Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted some of the dessert I made. That’s the sole reason San and I came over was to ask.” I give them both a smile “Yeah sure, that would be nice. Thanks.” He gives me a smile and nods “Okay I’ll be right back, San stay.”

San lays back onto the soft grass and rests his hand on his stomach and replies " Sure, I'd love to.” Awkwardly I sit there for a few seconds not knowing what to say until San says “Listen, if you happen to join us and anyone in the crew ever says anything hurtful don’t listen to them, They can be bastards sometimes, it’s like they forget how to interact with other people.”

I look up at the blue sky avoiding eye contact with him, feeling his gaze on me. “Thanks, I’ll keep that noted If I decide to go.” After this brief interaction San and I both look up at the sky in comfortable silence until Wooyoung comes back and hands me a small little bowl with some sort of probably foreign dessert and says “I’ve brought you dessert, I’m not sure how sweet you like things but it’s not overwhelmingly sweet. It’s a type of peach tart, it’s really good. I don’t know if you’ve ever had it before.”

I examine the “peach tart” and to my knowledge I’ve never seen anything like it. “I actually have never seen anything like this before this looks very foreign to me, although I have seen cake before and we only have it for special occasions it’s very rare if we get to eat sugary things like this because they’re so expensive.”

I take the silver ware he brought with him and take a bite out of it “Oh wow, this is delicious.” Wooyoung gives me a prideful smirk “That’s only because I made it.” I giggle and take another bite “Well your cooking is amazing, let me guess you cooked the meal today too didn’t you?” He nods with a big smile on his face then San says “Look at you, you’re so full of yourself.” He gives San a smirk “You’re just mad she didn’t compliment you.”

In the distance two more men walk up to where we were sitting except these two looked very tall, extremely tall almost like two twin towers. One had dark hair parted down the middle with the fringe of his hair adorning his soft puppy like features and the other one had black rimmed glasses, his hair was dark blue and had a neatly slicked back side part on his hair.

Both men were definitely taller than Seonghwa for sure, and he was the person I originally considered tall. Wooyoung notices me staring behind him and he turns “Oh hey Mingi and Yunho, this is y/n. Hongjoong’s possible new protector and crew mate.”

The dark haired one squints and looks at Wooyoung slightly confused then the one with glasses says “She’s so tiny, she looks like a doll…” Wow, I’ve never heard that one before, I was just called a child a few minutes ago. “You think Hongjoong will have her dressed up all cute and she’ll be like a cute killer doll or something?”

The dark haired one’s expression looks at Mingi in disgust “Maybe you should stay quiet Mingi, you’ll scare away the Captain’s new protector.” Yunho then looks over at me and gives me a concerned look “He’s weird please don’t listen to him. Anyway, hello y/n I’m Yunho” Mingi then responds “I’m Mingi, hi ” I give them both a smile and shake both their hands “Hello, i’m y/n”

Mingi gives me a very shy dorky smile then I cross my arms in front of my chest knowing exactly where he was looking “So, you guys are pirates right? So does any of you have specific roles or duties?” Wooyoung then says “Ah yeah we do. I’m the cook.” Yunho gives me a curt smile “I’m the doctor” San raises his hand shyly “I’m the craftsman, I fix and make things.”

Lastly Mingi pushes up his glasses and gives me a dimpled smile “I’m the navigator, I work out which way the ship needs to go and I check if the conditions are right for safe travel” Wooyoung continues “Hongjoong of course is the Captain, Seonghwa is the First Mate and Quartermaster which in short just means that he's Hongjoong's right hand man and if Mingi, Jongho or Yeosang need an extra hand he’s there to help.”

I look around my front yard and point over at the two male figures playing with my brothers “What about those two? What do they do?” Mingi sits next to me and says “Well..Yeosang is the helmsman, the guy who steers the ship and keeps it going in the direction it needs to go while Jongho is the gunner which is a fancy word for the guy who sets up and orders the canons to be fired and helps Yeosang and I with surveillance.”

I nod with my lips slightly pursed “Hm, wow that’s some awesome duties you guys have.” Yunho shrugs “It has their ups and downs, sometimes I second guess myself as to what I’m doing on that ship” San then says “What about you? What role do you play in your village?” I run my fingers below on the soft grass next to me “I’m poor, I don’t have a role. I have no influence or power. The most my family has done is my grandpa being an Eledonian soldier, he was the one who’s trained me since I was about 16 or 17 years old making that maybe 5 or 6 years of him training me.”

Mingi gasps “Wait, wait, you’re older than all of us including Seonghwa?! You look so young, how is that possible?!” Wooyoung looks over at Mingi “We already freaked out about that..” Mingi rips out some grass from next to him and throws it at Wooyoung “Excuse me but I wasn’t here when that happened “ Wooyoung dusts the grass away “You snooze you lose, and geez stop that you’re going to get grass in y/n’s peach tart.”

Mingi mocks Wooyoung causing him to roll his eyes and gets up “Okay I’m going now, I need to go clean up are you coming or not San?” San motions him to leave and closes his eyes “I’m fine where I’m at” Yunho gets up and follows behind Wooyoung “I’ll help!” Mingi gets up and pats my head “I’ll see you later little doll my companion has just left me.” He catches up with Yunho and Wooyoung.

As soon as he leaves I let out a soft sigh and rest my head against the trunk of the tree looking in the direction of my family, mom, dad, siblings, and grandpa. What would life be without them? San noticing this he sits up and looks in my direction “Are you okay?” I nod and give him a smile “Ah, yeah I’m just exhausted from training this morning.” He nods and scoots over next to me “Ah, I see.” Ahh fuck I was going to get up after this.

I don’t want him to feel bad for getting up right after he sits next to me. I guess it wouldn’t hurt sitting here. “So.. do you have friends?” I continue staring ahead at my siblings and the whole scene before me and I press my lips into a line for a few seconds then a weak smile paints my features “I did at one point, but my obsession with training and everything kind of drove them away. That and I tend to stay in my own world and nobody wants to deal with those types of people.”

From the corner of my eyes I can see San give me a look of pity then I continue “But that’s fine because I get more stuff done, having friends is a nuisance. “ He thickly swallows almost like he was going to say something but decided he wasn’t going to say anything and very slightly nods “I see, I’m sorry you feel that way.”

I turn and give him a bright smile “Enough of me though, how long have you been with the crew?” San thinks about his answer for a bit and says "Hm, like 2 or 3 years? I'm not sure but I've been here for a while." I slowly nod gently running my fingers through the grass "So since you've been out at sea for a bit you probably already know how it is out there." He hums "Yeah, it's pretty bad. More often than not there's always ships trying to rob us so we're constantly on guard not to mention the government being after us doesn't help at all."

God, that sounds horrible. Living every single day on fight or flight mode? On borrowed time? "Wow, that sounds…exhausting." San chuckles "Hah yeah, it is. The only difference is that having the crew there with you helps a lot. You forget the atrocities of the world for a bit until you have to face them all over again."

San shifts his gaze from the sky over to me, despite his smaller frame it didn't take away from how handsome he looked which made his stare a bit more intimidating "Don't worry though, like I said you've got me if you're ever in a tight spot." I quietly nod and give him a shy smile “Oh, thanks.” we both sit there in silence again until I feel a sudden tap on my shoulder, when I turn around I see my younger brother standing there “So uh, brother kind of fell and he’s crying.”

I let out a sigh “Dude, mom’s told you guys to be careful.” He nods “I didn’t do anything, he was being a show off with those pirate guys.” I get up and turn to San “I’m sorry. If you’ll excuse me I need to check on my brother’s dumbassry.” He chuckles and gives me a dimpled smile “Oh sure go ahead.”

I give San a small curt smile and walk behind my brother leading me the way to my crying brother. When I arrive I see Jongho awkwardly patting my younger brother’s back trying to console him While Yeosang looks on slightly uncomfortable. Once he sees me Jongho looks over at me and says “Oh hey, your brother fell off the swing trying to show us a trick.” I cover my face in frustration and embarrassment then fake a smile looking at my little brother “Didn’t mom tell you to stop that?” He sobs nodding “I’m sorry, I thought it would have been cool for them to see.”

I close my eyes trying not to cringe out of my skin and open them gently patting his head “Look, you could show them those cool tricks you do playing ball. You could seriously get hurt doing that, I’m sure they’ll still think it’s cool. Right?” I look over at Jongho and Yeosang giving them the look of “Please say yes” then he looks over at my brother and nods “Yes, of course I’ll still think you’re cool. You don’t have to do something dangerous in order for it to be cool.”

My little brother wipes his tear ridden eyes “Really?” Jongho nods “Yes, of course. Remember that trick Seonghwa showed you earlier that you got right away? You should show your sister.” My little brother looks over at Yeosang who was holding a ball then he gives my brother a reassuring nod. He gently throws the ball over at my brother and he kicks the ball making it over the branch of a tree behind them. Immediately both men cheer for my brother and I look over at him with a very impressed look on my face. “Wow, your aim is really good now..” My little brother nods and puts his hands on his waist looking very proud “Thank you..”

After consoling my brother, I walk around to look for that San guy I was talking to but I couldn’t see him anywhere. I walk around the town square to see if maybe he’d wandered off there but nothing, it wasn’t until I was walking home I hear a faint low voice then some giggling shortly after.

I noticed the voices were coming from the side of a fountain so I didn’t think much of it and continue walking until I hear “Sannie, stop that tickles!” causing me to halt in my tracks and feel a pit in my stomach. Unfortunately curiosity got the best of me and I walk over and peek behind one of the pillars of the fountain only to see San pinning a girl against it having a very intense makeout session that if anyone saw something similar would definitely guess they’re on the brink of coitus. Yeah no. That should have stayed a curiosity.

I start walking away and let out a soft sigh with the pit in my stomach still feeling funny. Who would have thought that guy with such a sweet smile was a player? Actually you know what? I’m not surprised. Pirates are known to have many children scattered everywhere so I should have expected this in all honesty.

The rest of the guys are probably the same including Hongjoong and Seonghwa, I mean they are men after all. Very good looking ones at that but for all I know some of them are probably married. Wait, wait, why am I even upset about this? Why am I even thinking about this? I don't even know the guy, this is ridiculous. He could bang all the girls he wants for all I care, I guess looks are deceiving.

Three days pass by since the pirates came by our village and every single one of those days Hongjoong and Seonghwa would stop by during my breaks in training to hang out which was kind of weird to me since I wasn’t used to all of this since my friends would never even want to talk about my training much less come visit me while I was actually practicing especially when I would practice with my gun, they’d always complain over how loud it was.

Today was different though they didn’t even show up during my second break today which was unfortunate but they’re probably busy considering Hongjoong is the captain of a massive ship and Seonghwa is his right hand man so something must have come up. So when the sun was close to set now and I begin walking home I hear leaves rustling and to my surprise it’s the Captain himself only this time it was just him. “Hey Captain, it’s nice seeing you. Where’s Seonghwa?” He slowly walks over to me and I notice he has something in his hand, not a weapon of any sort it was an hourglass.

It was an hourglass with a beautiful golden frame and the sand being as pure white as the shore’s it was beautiful but I wonder why he has it with him. “Well, I came to talk to you.” Talk to me? With that expression honestly I’m wondering what exactly he’ll be talking to me about since he’s so serious. It’s probably not a good thing which is making me really nervous and hesitant to even ask. “Sure what is it? Is there something wrong?”

He extends his hand and gives me the hourglass “When the sand runs out, we will be gone. You have until then to decide if you want to come with us if you want to get back at the Saitor Empire for what they did to Eledonia.” My stomach drops and suddenly I feel cold. This is exactly what I was dreading, having to choose between staying here and leaving. I look down at the trickling sand then back up at him and let out a sigh “We’ll be waiting here by the shore, where I first saw you.” I nod then he walks away disappearing into the forest and the first thing I instinctively do is my eyes well up with tears, this is it. I have to make my choice, choose my destiny.

Am I going to be training forever and never get that bastard back or am I going to put my training to good use and finally make an example of that man? I walk home with tears in my eyes knowing the answer and what I must do, mostly so that my family and my village can live a good life at the expense of me risking mine.

I go straight to my corner of the room and begin to pack my things that’s when my grandfather comes into the room and looks at the hourglass then shifts his gaze over at me packing my things while crying in silence then he decides to speak “I know you’ll do well my little Metztli, you’ll bring us justice. You’ll bring your grandmother justice and all the other people that we lost during those years thanks to those greedy men.”

That’s when I finally break down and begin to cry my eyes out and hug my grandfather tightly “I’m scared grandpa, I’m scared I��ll let everyone down and I’m scared of not ever being able to see you guys again.”

He hugs me tight for a few seconds then pulls away with his arms on my shoulders “Sweetheart, you’ll see us one day this is not a goodbye but a see you later. In case my body ever decides it can no longer stay alive, just remember I’ll watch over you. I’ll never leave your side, ever. Your family will be here, your fellow clansmen will be here waiting for your victorious return.”

He lifts my chin up to meet his eyes and says “Be the lethal soldier I’ve trained and make those people remember Eledonia, because staying here means you quit.” Teary eyed and more calm I nod then he smiles and gently pats my cheek and pushes a strand of hair behind my ear “That’s my little girl, the strong little Metztli.” I keep hearing that word “strong” but I honestly don’t feel like it. I feel weak. How could people see someone so strong when I see the weakest person on Earth for being so distraught over this.

After talking to my family about my final decision my family along with the Chief decide they will send me off. When we arrive at the shore I see the massive ship whose flag proudly displayed was that of a skull inside of an hourglass. This was it.

Hongjoong stands at the top of the ramp and gives me a welcoming smile. I turn to my mom and give her a tight hug, one that lasts for quite a bit until my mom pulls away gently cupping my cheek “If you ever want to come back home we’ll be here sweetheart. Please take care of yourself, and remember we love you.” My mom's eyes well up with tears and I hug her again gently kissing her cheek.

I look over at my dad who was intently staring at the ship and doesn’t move one bit until I finally say “Hey dad, I’m going now. Take care of mom, grandpa and my brothers.” My dad clears his throat and nods “Yeah, of course Metztli I’ll do that. You go ahead and have fun..” Although my father and I’s relationship has been strained for years I feel like I need to grow some balls and hug him because I never know when I’ll be able to see him again so I reach over and give my dad a tight hug. From the corner of my eyes and judging from the body language he awkwardly hugs me back. When I pull back my dad gives me a reassuring nod whilst still feeling awkward from the hug. I could tell he didn’t hate it though, he just struggles to show he cares.

Up next I look at my grandpa who was looking at me with a fond smile then gives me a tight hug gently kissing my cheek. Once my grandpa pulls away from the hug he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a beautiful sea blue ring, puts it on the palm of my hand and closes it tightly. “It was your grandmother’s, it’ll protect you. She’ll be with you.”

I smile and kiss my grandpa’s cheek and put the ring on my ring finger. Grandpa then pulls out a bundle that was strapped behind his back “Do me a favor and return these to the Captain and his friend. I’ve refurbished them and cleaned them up.” Their weapons, the ones they threw into the river. How did my grandpa know about it? Hongjoong must have told him when they were talking a few days ago. “Of course grandpa. I’ll let them know.” When I look over at the Chief he gives me a nod of approval and a smile.

From there, I begin to walk up the ramp to the ship until I feel a tug at my shirt. When I turn around I see it was both of my brothers “You forgot about us..” I bite the inside of my cheek and shake my head “Of course not, I just didn’t want you two to see your big sister cry is all..” I pull them both in for a hug gently patting their heads with one hand each. When I pull back the youngest of my brothers says “Grandpa told me and brother why you're leaving, don’t die please. Come back so you can see my tricks again when i’m better.”

I give my youngest brother a smile and nod “Of course kiddo, I promise I won’t die…” My brothers give me one last hug again and run back down the ramp and into my mother’s arms. The closer I get to the top the harder it gets to take a step. Once on top the ramp is collapsed back into the ship and the ship begins to set sail. I walk over to the railing and wave goodbye to my family until they decide to go back home. That’s when Hongjoong puts a hand on my shoulder and says “I know it was a hard decision but I promise you’ll see them again.”

I silently nod and he continues “Do you want Wooyoung to prepare you something? Are you hungry? Perhaps tea?” I shake my head and stare the now empty shore of Eledonia “I’ll stay here.” He gently squeezes my shoulder “I’ll get Seonghwa to come show you to your room a little later when you’re done okay?” In a barely audible voice I reply with “Yes Captain.” And there I sat in silence watching Eledonia until I could no longer keep my eyes open.

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#ateez series #ateez angst #ateez imagine #kim hongjoong x reader #choi san x reader #pirate au #ateez fanfiction #ateez x reader #kpop imagines

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neteyummydrabbles · 11 months

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heaven's incarnate [tsu'tey x reader]

pairing: tsu'tey x fem na'vi reader words: 632 warnings: slight angst, tsutey being husband material, slight self-deprecation a/n: we're taking a break from our farcical works; so we're gonna give you something you can cream to for once 🥰

tsu'tey on mother's day!

if there was one thing i did not enjoy about motherhood, it was the constant screaming and crying that accompanied it.

i jolted awake; hearing ri'antu sob for the third time this night. i was exhausted. my breasts were heavy and my head was throbbing. i just wanted to rest. while i was preparing myself to go look after him, tsu'tey knowingly held my hand. he looked into my eyes with a sympathetic expression, teeming with concern. he gave my hand a gentle squeeze and said, "take some rest, yawntutsyip" (darling). i went back to bed, and noticed tsu'tey consoling little rian'tu in his arms. in no time, the night filled with silence.

the next morning, i woke up later than usual, and was surprised to find a bouquet of sun lilies near my bedside. then, i saw tsu'tey approach, smiling, with his hands behind his back. he was clearly hiding something. "good morning, yawne" (beloved) he said. "good morning, what are you hiding?" i asked. "oh this? i made this for you" he said, presenting a beautifully intricate necklace, adorned with rare beads and flowers that took many moons to bloom. "tsu'tey! what is the occasion? did i forget something? oh i'm so sor-" "don't be sorry, it's mother's day! you're a mother now, mama. you're so beautiful" he smiled, showcasing his pearly whites.

i had completely forgotten this strange human tradition that jake introduced us to amidst the chaos that comes with being a mother. but now it all made sense.

"irayo, yawntu" (thank you, my love) i whispered, eyes welling up with tears. tsu'tey then gently brushed my hair aside and clasped the necklace shut onto my neck." he then embraced me from behind, while i sunk into his touch. it felt like all of my exhaustion wiped away. i felt at peace. "nga yawne lu oer" (i love you) he whispered tenderly, placing a kiss on my cheek. "nga yawne lu oer, tsu'tey"

"ooh, i wanna see what it looks like on me!" i exclaimed. "yes, let us go to the pond and take a look!" suddenly, my face dropped "but rian'tu.." "do not worry, today, rian'tu's with ma and pa. he's in safe hands." i was relieved, and followed tsu'tey out our marui. we ran to our ikrans, tails flicking at each other, giggling all the way. i felt like a naive teenager running around with my first love. i felt free.

we finally reached the pond and i looked at myself in the clear, glittering water. "tsu'tey, it's gorgeous!" my gaze trailed off to the reflection of my face and i couldn't help but notice just how weary i looked. my sunken eyes, my chapped lips, the bags under my eyes, my dishevelled hair... my thoughts were interrupted by tsu'tey's familiar yet calming voice saying the words i knew i needed to hear, "no, you're gorgeous, believe me" i smiled, my eyes reflecting deep gratitude.

"but 'tey, are you sure i deserve such kind treatment on mother's day? am i even a good mother?" i asked, with a dull tone. to that, tsutey's ears perked up and he came up to me, holding my hands in his, " trust me, you are a great mother. you care for our child so tenderly; i couldn't be more grateful for you. today, i wanted to remind you of the strength and beauty that you bring into our lives" i looked into tsu'tey's eyes; they were sincere and warm; and felt my own eyes water. he wiped my tears and said, "today, you are not a mother burdened by responsibilities, you are a strong woman deserving of leisure, love and appreciation." i hugged tsutey, nuzzling my face into his neck, overwhelmed by his thoughtful words.

"oel ngati kameie, y/n" (i see you) he whispered under his breath. "oel ngati kameie," i affirmed.

thanks for reading! let us know if you liked this change of style on our blog! it's our first time so we're still a bit crusty but we hope you enjoyed <3

#avatar #atwow #neteyam #tsutey #tsutey x reader #avatar 2009 x reader #avatar angst #tsutey fluff #fluff #avatar fluff #tsutey smut #avatar 2009 #jake sully #avatar way of water #avatar x you #avatar headcanons #neteyummydrabbles

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mysteryshoptls · 1 year

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SSR Jade Leech Bloom Birthday Voice Lines

When Summoned: I have been so looking forward to this day. Now, let us enjoy this party together.

Summon Line: This cape resembles a fish's fin. If I were to go into the water wearing this, I may attract many fish.

Groooovy!!: For merfolk to be able to fly through the sky like this... Fufu, this is only possible because I am able to use magic.

Home: What kind of magic would you like me to use?

Home Idle 1: In lieu of celebrating with me, Riddle-san has promised to teach me something I don't know. Now, I cannot decide what I should ask of him.

Home Idle 2: I do enjoy receiving gifts, however I am uncertain how to put everything away in such a limited space... I shall have to utilize every scrap of knowledge I have of proper storing techniques.

Home Idle 3: I received the mountaineering pack that I had been wishing for from my parents. It seems mentioning it on every call home was very effective.

Home Idle - Login: I will happily welcome any kind of birthday surprise. I do hope you will be able to exceed my expectations.

Home Idle - Groovy: Kalim-san is such a delightful person with over-the-top reactions. Thanks to him, I never found the interview boring.

Home Tap 1: A broomstick bouquet that gives off a chic yet playful sensation... Fufu, I am honored that this is how I am represented.

Home Tap 2: Floyd and I exchanged shoes that we thought would suit the other. The one I received is colorful, and isn't something I would normally choose for myself, so I'm rather excited to wear them.

Home Tap 3: Many of my dormmates gave me coupons that I may use to have them take my Lounge shift. Fufu, I shall have to use these in an effective manner.

Home Tap 4: Just a moment ago in the hallway, Trey-san wished me well for my birthday. He is rather polite to his underclassmen, isn't he, even if we're from a different dorm... He is very admirable.

Home Tap 5: Ah, apologies. I was so taken in by the venue decorations. It is rather spectacular how it resembles the undersea landscape.

Home Tap - Groovy: [yawns] I was much too excited for today that I was unable to sleep at all yesterday. ...Oh, was it that easy to see through that lie?

Duo: [JADE]: Everything is so lively when you’re around, Kalim-san. [KALIM]: I’m gonna celebrate you in style, Jade!

Birthday Login Message: Thank you for your warm wishes. Will you be able to attend my birthday party today? ...I am glad to hear it. Incidentally, do you have any foods you dislike? ...Oh, by no means do I have any intentions of learning your weak points, or anything of the sort. I am only looking to enjoy today's party with you to our hearts' content. Fufufu.

Requested by @pomefiwhore and A Birthday Girl.

#twisted wonderland #twst #jade leech #kalim al-asim #twst jade #twst kalim #twst translation #twst birthday #mention: riddle #mention: kalim #mention: trey #mention: floyd

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accidentalshifter · 21 days

Note

hihi! It’s always great to see another adult shifter in the shifting community! 🫶🫶

Could you talk about your Royal Academy DR? What are your classes? Do you live in a dorm-like situation? Did you have uniforms?

I’m a sucker for fantasy DRs and futuristic DRs; have you shifted to a futuristic or fantasy dr? If so, what were some of your favorite places in those DRs?

*Happy, cheerful noises*

It gives me ✨️ super happy glimmers ✨️ to see more adult shifters interacting with my blog and also adding onto the conversation! Even if they're cringe-pinions, lol. I'm really grateful and touched that you took the time to check out this little sanctuary of mine and ask me about my DRs~

Lemme give you a breakdown of my Royal Academy DR. It's still in the process of being created/scripted/energetically-fed right now as a lot of my focus (lately) has been on my 🚩 all red flags vampire DR 🚩. And also a little bit on my Futuristic Space DR which is also in the same level of actualization as the Royal Academy DR. Annnd I'll even add in my favorite places even though I feel like I'm rambling too much, haha!

🌸 Royal Academy DR 🌸

▪︎ This DR is part of my seasonally-based DRs and embodies the spirit and feelings of a blooming spring. Part of the fun and novelty of my seasonal DRs is that I only visit this space when the corresponding season arrives in my CR. It keeps things fresh and exciting for me. But also, I'm very emotionally bound to the change of the seasons as a part of who I am...so my shifting reflects this.

▪︎ Every DR I make is rooted in something I want to explore about myself and my soul. My 🌸 Royal Academy 🌸 will be rooted in exploring my romantic and sexual identity as a person; something that's been denied to me for YEARS being locked in survival mode. As such, Royal Academy will be a heady, romantic whirlwind steeped deeply in Ouran Host Club & Utena Revolutionary Girl and Winx Club (the original cartoon) vibes.

▪︎ My Royal Academy is aged up. It's more like a college than a high school and offers courses in the magic of Love. Technically, all the students at my Royal Academy are training to be cupids, gods, goddesses, or spirit sages of romance, love, friendship, (this includes strictly platonic friendships as I think love shouldn't be stripped to strictly sexual or romantic connections) and devotion. Some students are children of deities while others are demi-gods or witches or supernatural beings or even just plain normal people who showed great potential.

▪︎ While unnamed still, the aesthetic of my Royal Academy is a huge gold, white, and crystal palace city floating on a series of islands in the sky. It is always spring here. Flowers are eternally in bloom. It is May 1st forever at the Royal Academy. There's also infinite fields of clover, crystal clear lakes, mystic water falls, rainbow bridges, and secret areas only accessible by flying on wings (one of the first lessons you learn in 1st Year of my Royal Academy is using the power of your heart to fly) or airship or if you have a unicorn or pegasus or rainbow bridge handy. The dorm rooms are housed according to which year of study you're in. But some students have private abodes because their family paid off the Academy to give them special accommodations. 🤣

▪︎ Uniforms are strictly enforced except for holidays (where traditional or celebratory garb is permitted according to a student's cultural beliefs) spirit week, & graduation week for 5th years who have mastered the arts of Love & are now ready to tackle the multiverse with a firm grasp of their heart. Some students never make it to fifth year, though, as the coursework is...intense. But 5th year is not required to achieve success in my Royal Academy. All students signed up in classes can stay & study for however long they want, & learn at their own pace. Accommodations are given to any student here that needs it.

▪︎ Getting back to uniforms, students ARE encouraged to use their heart to decorate and customize it to fit their aesthetic. This Academy cherishes art, beauty, passion, & creativity. As long as you are wearing your Uniform and I.D. badge, the rules are very malleable.

▪︎ I haven't officially enrolled and explored in this DR (yet) but I plan to shift next year around this time and begin my adventure there. For now, the DR is incubating in my creative subconscious. But I'm really very excited to go there and learn!

🌌 Galactic Federation DR 🌌

▪︎ Another DR that's still being churned in my mind. This place will serve as a sort of hub world for all my other DRs. What do I mean by "hub world"? Well, it'll be a place where people and entities I meet in all my other DRs can come to & kick back, have a drink at the space bar, and enjoy games in the holodeck. Basically like Star Trek only there's no sense of impending danger like there is in my 🚩 🚩 red flags only vampire DR 🚩🚩 and the challenges I face inside the summer, winter, and autumn worlds. Especially fucking winter. Shit. That place is like, "Heyyyyy buddy. Do you wanna get really chill with all the shadow work you've been putting off??? You're about to get so chill about it right now." But back to the point, I feel like having low-stakes Hub to kick back and savor little moments & side quests with the DR people I love (instead of always being in advance-the-scenarios mode) allows me to get to know my s/o's and friends in DRs better and relieves the stress I experience when there's higher stakes involved.

▪︎ All my DRs are actually bound to rings that I wear around my neck in my CR. The space DR is bound to an epoxy ring that holds a piece of iron meteorite inside of it so that I always have a bit of space on me. No matter where I'm at. DR or CR. Pretty sure my Galactic Federation DR is gonna look a lot like the donut-shaped space station in Deep Space 9 in Star Trek but I'm not certain yet. While my space station can technically move around the Universe, I think I'll probably keep it docked where it is for awhile before moving it to any sort of other sector of the galaxy/ies.

Other, futuristic places that I've gone to...

▪︎ I had a very intense experience in my winter-themed DR where I time traveled to a future version of myself in order to look at & confront my own generational trauma cycles and do battle with the "demon" that presides over them in order to release my energy from the control they have over me in my CR and cement that I am the God of my reality. While some out there can just affirm that easily (then go on their way) I decided to crack open the hood of my inner darkness and manually tinker with each and every piece that created it last winter. Because I needed to see it up close to really understand it and let it go.

▪︎ In that future self, I was drinking at an ocean-themed neon nightclub in a futuristic world made completely out of plastic and enjoying all the weird, colorful cocktails at the bar. The place was called Club O. It looked like a giant blue glass tower shaped like a 〰️ that speared a pirate's ship being consumed by a coral pink octopus 🐙 kraken. The tentacles the kraken had moved on their own, and the suckers were made of LED lights that lit up the entire establishment. The tentacles also held huge glass bubbles 🫧 that were different parts of Club O that you could access with a keycard...given that you had the permissions to. Those were more private parts of the club while the main stage was housed in the pirate ship. If any of you shifters ever get to go there, I recommend you try the Monterran Sunset and the Neptune's Swill. Both drinks are a favorite of mine. ❤️

🌈 Favorite Places! 🌈

▪︎ Yunan Sect: It's a place inside my Summer-themed DR (Called Seven Blessings Mountain) where I am being trained by Taoist Sages to learn how to use energy, meditation practices, and harmonizing with nature to unlock my inner immortality. Also a lot of martial combat. It has some crossover themes with Royal Academy but this place served, originally, as a space to talk to my spirit's inner guides and ascended masters. Which happen to be Taoist in philosophy and nature. Yunan Sect is a training community housed in the thick bamboo jungles of a mountain with a lake on top of it and hidden within mist and clouds. The buildings are built on platforms on top of the water and lotuses are always in bloom there. At night, you can see so many stars just...so clearly. Also there are dragons & sacred beasts roaming around. Currently I am training with my Big Dipper Demon Be Gone Fuck Off jade sword to defeat a bad spirit who lives on the mountain as my 1st test of strength. Also one of the students there doesn't like me because he thinks my sword strokes are unrefined and I sing while I meditate instead of being perfectly still like him. 🙄

Edelnatch: Ever seen the movie Halloween Town? Or the show Over The Garden Wall? Imagine you smashed those two shows together and added in a lot of pumpkin spice and spookiness. This is the town of Edelnatch. It is positioned in an eternally autumn forest with giant mushrooms on the banks of a rushing river. The town houses MANY mysteries and has a sort of Hilda (another good show) theme to it in that my job is being the town's Spirit Tender. I make sure that the spirits of the Autumn forest are happy so the town of Edelnatch can thrive and be at peace. Currently it is not at peace and my task is to locate a giant angry Oak tree who one of the town's clan pissed off. Because someone (not naming names it was the Boar Clan) was a cheapskate with their offerings most likely. The writing here is in a language that's like...old high German. I am constantly having to look up stuff online in my CR to translate a word I saw or heard someone say in it.

#shiftblr #shifting realities #reality shifting #shifting #desired reality #reality shift #shifting community #shifters #shifting blog #shifting diary #shifting stories #shifting reality #shifter #shifting antis dni #reality shifter

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obxone · 1 year

Text

Defending Him

Edited. ~2.6k words

I turned the corner to see Kelce holding JJ Maybank with his arms behind his head as Rafe laid into him. I didn’t give myself a chance to think as I tossed my clutch down and ran toward them. My nails dug into Rafe’s shoulders to pull him off and stop him.

"Two-on-one, real mature Rafe," JJ huffs out between punches, but Rafe isn't phased.

“Rafe, stop! Get off him!” I screamed pulling hard on him. “Rafe, fucking stop it!” I yelled louder hoping someone would hear. “Rafe!”

“Fuck off Rosie!” Rafe yells back and turns to shove me hard. It knocks the wind out of me as I hit the ground. “He deserves every fucking bit of this! Fucking Pogue!"

“Don’t touch her!” JJ yelled over him, his blue eyes on me but I scrambled to my feet and launch at Rafe just as he turned to land a hard punch to JJ’s gut. JJ groans loudly doubling over, but Kelce pulls him back up exposing his abdomen again.

“No! I will not fuck off!” I scream back and haul myself onto Rafe’s back. I was so exhausted by his manic selfish behavior lately. He grabs me and flings me off with ease. An echoing crack is all I hear as I collide with the ship-lapped wall in the hallway. Pain blooms across the back of my head and down my neck.

“JJ!” I hear John B’s voice echo down the hall and try to get up, but cool hands are touching my face moments later and another pair of hands are on my arms keeping me held down.

"Stay still for a second," Kiara pleads glancing behind her as the sounds of fighting continue. She leans over me as Kelce almost collides with us from one of Pope's punches.

“She’s bleeding!” Sarah yells as I watch JJ, John B, and Pope tear into Kelce and Rafe now. “John B!” Sarah yells louder pulling his attention. “She’s bleeding a lot!”

She lifts her hand and I see my blood covering her fingers and most of the rest of her hand.

“Sarah,” I mumble, feeling woozy. "Head wounds bleed easier."

I would be okay, I just needed help standing and getting the injury patched up.

“I know,” she murmurs, but her voice turns to panic as my vision blurs and my grip on her arm weakens. “Guys, she’s not okay!”

A warm weight presses against my side and my body is lifted immediately. “I got you,” JJ’s voice is in my ear and I know it’s him cradling me.

I glance over his shoulder to see Rafe and Kelce both unconscious on the floor. My head rolls back as my vision darkens more. I only had a few seconds. JJ’s gaze is locked on mine and I see the frown etch itself deep across his face. His forehead scrunches as he tries to gauge where I am. I quickly notate the forming black eye, the busted lip that had just healed a few days ago, and the bruises blooming across his cheek and temple. I was sure his abdomen would be heavily bruised too.

“Please,” he whispers urgently. “Please stay with me.”

“No hospitals JJ."

— — — —

I woke to a faint amount of sunlight and my fitted silk gown had been swapped for a large t-shirt and boxers. I sit up and immediately lower back down as pain shoots through my head and the throbbing starts. A soft groan is the only noise I can make. Where was I? Who changed my clothes?

“Hey, hey, hey,” JJ’s familiar voice comes from my right as he stirs beside me and touches my face. I relax into his warm touch. “Rosie, you’re okay.”

“I don’t…” I mumble with a slight shake of my head, but my head swims and nauseous hits in a massive wave as I roll away from him and start to throw up but he’s there holding my hair with one hand and offering a small trash can with the other. Once it ceases I sag back into his chest while he waits to see if there will be another round.

“I got you,” he whispers gently lowering me back into the bed once it's clear I'm done for now. He offers me an open water bottle. I sip from it gratefully and glance as the door creaks open and the other four are there together. “She’s awake." JJ gets up from the bed and taking the trash can to be rinsed out and ready for me because we both knew I would likely need it again. Kiara moves to sit by my left side. Her touch is gentle as she touches my head, examining the bandage before giving my arm a squeeze.

“I’m glad you are okay Rosie.”

“Thanks, Kie,” I mumble and glance at the others. “Thanks for coming to the rescue last night.”

“You saved our friend’s ass." Pope moves forward into the room and leans against the wall. A smile on his face. “It’s the least we could do.”

JJ reenters the room and takes the spot beside me again. His gaze flickered over everyone.

“Is she a freaking pogue in disguise?” John B asks and Sarah laughs leaning into him.

“Hell yeah, she is,” Pope says and everyone laughs as well.

“I would laugh, but my head is splitting open,” I mumble closing my eyes and sagging back into the pillow behind me. I feel his weight shift as he leans over me and a rattle of a bottle before I can open my eyes to see him offering out two white pills and my water bottle.

“Tylenol.”

I nod once, I wanted them. He puts them in my hand before I pop them in my mouth and take the water bottle from him swallowing a gulp down.

“That’ll help." Kie squeezes one of my hands.

“You had us worried,” Sarah says coming closer. I could see she was being careful, aware of how fucked up her brother was, but it wasn’t her fault.

“Your brother is an ass,” I mumble, my heart aching at all he had put me through in the past few months. “I hate him, Sarah,” I say, a tear sliding down my face, but I quickly wipe it away. “I know he’s your bother and none of this is your fault, but I hate him.”

“Me too," She runs her hand down my hair before pressing her lips to my temple.

“She should rest,” Kie adds. “Someone needs to stay with her just to be safe for now.”

“I have a concussion, I’m not dying,” I mutter and she smiles at me.

“I’m not going anywhere,” JJ speaks up and they all agree with him before dispersing from the room and closing the door. I slide back down and roll to my side to face him. My eyes close as I place my head on his thigh.

“Thank you, JJ, for taking care of me.”

“I’m the reason you are here." His tone letting me know he blames himself.

“I would’ve done it for anyone.”

“Ouch Posie."

I smile a little and sigh, a wave of exhaustion washing over me.

“Rest." His hand still stroking my hair. I don’t respond and instead, fall back asleep.

— — — —

I wake again to see JJ asleep beside me. His arm was slung over my head and his chest was right in front of my face. It was night time and I could hear the crickets chirping from the cracked window across the room. I slide from the bed, the urge to pee setting in. I slip out to see Kie asleep on the sofa bed and Pope asleep on the enclosed porch. I knew John B and Sarah were likely asleep in John B’s room.

After I reenter JJ’s room, I take a second to look at him still sleeping. I smile at how peaceful he looks before seeing my clutch and outfit from the night prior on his dresser. Aunt Phe, I bite my lip. It had been a day since the party. She was probably losing her shit. That was our one rule, communication at all times. I grab it out of the clutch and move to the window to see what time it was as I turned my phone on.

5 am displayed on the screen and several missed calls and texts from my aunt and uncle and another plethora from Rafe. I pressed my aunt's name ready to leave a voicemail on where I was and why I had been radio silent. But she picked up on the second ring.

“Sweet bean are you okay?” Her worried voice spoke from the other end. “It's 5am. When did you get your phone back? I got your text from Sarah's phone yesterday. Where was your phone? Where are you?”

“Oh umm… I lost it at the party, but someone found it and returned it.”

“That’s great.”

“Yep, I’m at John B’s. There was an afterparty and then we spent the day fishing. I thought you wouldn’t mind.”

“I don’t, you know that. But are you okay? Do I need to come to get you?”

“No, I’m fine. Sarah Cameron and Kiara are here too. I’ll be home later today.”

“I saw Rafe at the club yesterday, but he said you had left him at the party.”

“Of course he did,” I mutter.

“Is everything okay?” She asks after a pause. “He didn’t seem okay.”

“We broke up,” I confess quickly. “Listen, it’s 5 am and everyone is still sleeping, I’ll be there later today okay?”

“Okay, I love you and will see you later.”

“Love you,” I responded before hanging up. I scroll to Rafe's last message, 3am this morning which meant he was drunk and likely high.

‘You are such a slut, Rosie. Does Ophelia know how much like your mother you are? I can’t wait to get my hands on you again.’

I swallow and close the thread before locking the phone. I turn back to see JJ awake and watching me.

“Sorry,” I whisper, wincing. “I tried to be quiet, but Phe was full-blown panicking since she hadn’t had a text in a while.”

He smiles sleepily. “Come back to bed.”

I drop my phone back in my clutch before going and getting in bed with him. I don't lie down and sit by his legs instead.

“How do you feel?” He asks, pushing my hair behind my shoulder after sitting up more. His back is against the headboard now.

“Better. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“You tried to kick Rafe’s ass for me so I owed you.”

I smile and glance around the room. I notice all the things scattered around. His favored red cap sitting near my stuff on the dresser. “Do you live here?”

“Sometimes.”

You knew why. Luke was an asshole and had been for a long time. JJ's prior busted lip had been courtesy of the asshole. He never fully coped with it, but you could read anyone like a book when it came to abuse.

“You should sleep,” I whisper. “I’ve slept plenty, but you haven’t.”

He shrugs with an easy smile. You frown at the damage done by your now ex and his horrible best friend. “Rafe text?”

I nod. “He has. I ignored it.”

“You broke up?”

“Well yes,” I respond, unfolding my legs from underneath me. “He’s been off for months. I caught him cheating a few times. He denied it of course, but we both knew he wasn't faithful. And he's been hanging out with some drug dealer which I don't like at all. And him beating the shit out of you sealed the deal. He doesn’t care about me. He only likes having a Buckley-Forsyth girl on his arm.”

He nods, dragging his thumb down his nose before looking away.

“We thought you were full kook.”

I shrug, shivering a little. “I think I thought I was too.” I shift to look for a jacket or something. “It’s getting cold in here.”

He moves to grasp my arms and pulls me closer. His arms fold around me as I sink into his chest. The blanket is pulled up over us and I stay resting against him.

“You are like an open furnace,” I joke and he grunts resting his chin on my head as I drag my fingers up and down his arm. He falls asleep shortly after and I smile continuing to trace patterns into his forearm. Slowly the sun rises and the rest of the house begins to stir. A knock on the door catches my attention and I slip from him and the covers to open the door and see Sarah standing there with a coffee cup.

“Is that for me?” I ask, my hands rising to take it immediately, and she nods passing it over.

“Pope brought breakfast back this morning.”

“Pope, you are a god among men,” I say slipping from the room and shutting the door. He grins taking a bite of a breakfast burrito. I hop up and sit on the counter sipping the searing hot coffee. “This is amazing.”

“After nothing but water for 24 hours I would think so,” Sarah says bringing a breakfast burrito to me.

“No, I’m okay,” I shake my head. “Solid food does not sound great to me right now. Save it for JJ.”

“He already has two waiting on him.”

“Three,” I correct her, and John B laughs a little. “Coffee is all I need.” I fold my leg under me and watch the others enjoy their breakfast in the kitchen. Silence with an occasional groan of appreciation fills the space. 15 minutes or so later the bedroom door cracks open and JJ emerges. His blond hair was tossed haphazardly around his head and a shirt still missing. His blue eyes find me and he smiles before clasping Pope’s shoulder and squeezing it as he explains he brought breakfast.

I take a silent inventory of all his injuries. Rafe had really laid into him before we could stop it. I frown, last night I had been focused on my issues and not him. He brushes his knuckles over my leg as he passes once he notices where my gaze is, a silent reassurance that he's okay.

Once JJ is settled at the table with all three burritos and a cup of coffee the conversation picks up and plans for the day are made.

“I need to go home first,” I speak up. “Phe is going a little crazy, it's been over 24 hours and I know I'm adopted, but she'll become clingy if I don't. And I don’t have any clothes and would love a hot shower.”

“I texted her a few times." Sarah moves to me offering her phone with text chain.

“I know, thank you. I called her this morning. It definitely helped put the worry at ease for a bit.”

“I can take you home, I need to grab clothes too,” Kie adds. I grin at her and hop down from the counter. “See you guys in an hour,” she calls heading out to her car while I go towards JJ’s room to get my things. I grasp my dress, heels, and clutch and turn to JJ entering the room.

“Here,” he passes me a pair of flip-flops. “Sarah said you could borrow them.”

“Thank you." I am grateful not to have to put the heels back on. “Do you mind if I borrow your clothes?”

“No,” he says quickly.

As I pass him I lean up to kiss his cheek. “See you in an hour.”

“Uh, yeah,” he responds, his hands on my waist as he stares at me. "Be careful."

TBC

#obx jj #obx jj maybank #obx jj x reader #obx fic #jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj x reader #jj maybank fluff #outer banks #outer banks jj #outer banks jj x reader

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lokisivy · 10 months

Text

Gorgeous- Eddie Munson

(part 1)

warning: semi-dark Eddie, Henderson reader.

burnt my fingers 2 times today now I'm writing with one hand. also, my cat is drinking from the cold water I made for my fingers

pov changes throughout the chapter

senior year, my year, the Hendersons have a thing for blooming late. I already had a nice body, but i didn't expect it. My summer was basically gaining weight on my tits and ass not that I was complaining. I had the perfect body for my 18th birthday, but senior year will be the years everyone knows who I am.

"Are you nervous?" I asked Dustin.

"Kind of," he said nervously

"You got nothing to worry about you will be fine I'm there no one will dare to touch you."

I enter the doors of the high school with Dustin

"I will go find Mike and Lucas," he informed you giving him a small nodd

you went to your locker to put your stuff and head to class.

"Last year huh you think anything freaky will happen," Robin said behind the locker door.

"Upside down freaky or high school freaky?" I giggled "Both." she answered

"Oh hell no, Im not going through that again. Let's go to class."

your first classes ran faster than you expected as you went to the cafeteria for lunch. Until you bump into someone

"I'm sorry I didn't see you," I said before looking up.

"Eddie? aren't you supposed to be graduated?"

You have a huge crush on Eddie. You don't even know it. Your heart just flutters or skips a beat when he is around you. You wanted to ask him out last year, but you knew he would reject you since you were 17, and he was 20. You were too shy, though it's not like being 18 will change anything.

"I know, sweetheart. I'm asking myself the same question." he said, giving me that bright smile of his.

"Come on, let's go to the cafeteria." he said, putting his arms around my shoulders.

we sit at our table eddie on the front me on the side and the rest sits next or opposite.

"so eddie I've been meaning to ask you, can my brother and his friends join hellfire they are pros at DnD." I said nerouvously

the group looked at you like you were about to get murdered you were confused, as in Eddie was never rude or mean to you.

"Sure, bring them over." eddie said, giving you a smile

You called Dustin and his friends to come over.

"Eddie, I'm Dustin' Y/Ns brother. It's a pleasure." Dustin said, pulling out his hands to shake Eddies, but eddie doesn't give his hands out.

"Sit down!" Eddie yelled at him

They all took a seat next to me. I gave Dustin, 'I told you, so look.'

...

"So just meet me at the forest after school." You heard Eddie tell Chrissy from a distance. Your blood boiled, what are they doing? is going out with her? why do I care it doesn't matter.

You take your books out of the locker, and when you shut it - "Hey sweetheart." Eddie said, smirking at you. God, he is gorgeous. Can I say it to his face?

"Hi." You said plainly.

"Why are you upset my love cheer up we are graduating this year." he said smiling. my stomach filled with butterflies

My love.

"I am graduating. you I'm not so sure." you left leaving him there

did he do something wrong? Was he coming off strong? not strong enough?

he wanted you to know he liked you he flirts with you all the time but you always seem to be scared or nervous. he was even nice to you about Dustin joining DnD.

while you were walking to class Eddie grabbed your waist and lead you to a closet.

"Have I upset you, sweetheart? Why are you abrupt? " said, pining you against the door arms next to your head

''You should take it as a compliment,'' you said

He chuckles

he doesn't know that fucking ruined you for anyone else you could only think about him seeing him with Crissy made you jealous. Like you were about sink and drown and die, why isn't he yours?

"You should go. You wouldn't want Chrissy to know you in a closet with me," I said, looking up at him, his face leaning down his arms on the door behind me.

"You are mad because of a drug deal? chicks smoke weed, you know." his face is coming closer to yours

"I know that," you said breathlessly

"Then what's the problem?" He whispered

"You don't know how long I've waited for you to have you burn for me like that." he said, his voice deeper than normal, twirling a string of curls on my hair.

huh?

"Eddie,"

"You want me to kiss you, darling?" His lips so close to mine I'm almost gonna faint from the airs being so thick

"You want me to fuck you so hard against this door while everyone outside hears your moans?" He voice goes lower. He hovers his lips above my neck, "answer me!" He bangs his hands on the door

"What -"

you were interrupted with a kiss

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sunshinevanfleet · 1 year

Text

oh, what a sin [iii]

iii. betrayals

pairing: danny x reader, sam x reader

a/n: ummmm ok this shit is an emotional rollercoaster. if u are sensitive like me i recommend lots of tissues ok i'm rlly good at making myself cry. i feel so bad for sammy lol. and it's all my fault!!! anyways, i am sorry this took so long i have been busy with work lately so it's taking me some time. also this is completely unedited so forgive me if there are any typos/mistakes. i hope you all enjoy. love ya <3

genre: angst!!! not full out smut but a lil bit.

word count: 4k

summary: the reader and danny have a heated moment. she admits their betrayal to sam.

warnings: angst, infidelity, sexual situations, swearing, etc.

A quiet breeze whispered through the open bathroom window as you relaxed in the bathtub; your feet hung over the edge, cooled by the late-afternoon air as you floated in the soapy water. Something about it was cathartic, your hair sprawled in tendrils around your face as you all but submerged yourself in the water. The sensory deprivation was exactly what you needed at a time like this, the water dulling all noise and your closed eyes blocking out most of the light spilling in through the open window. All that was left was the feeling of cool air caressing your skin, feather light. You were allowing yourself a few minutes to think about absolutely nothing.

Home alone again, you had quickly busied yourself earlier in the day with all of the household chores. You washed Sam’s ever-growing mass of laundry piled beside the hamper, took Rosie for an afternoon walk, polished the silverware, and when you couldn’t imagine another thing to possibly do, you dusted the entire house. Lately, you did everything you could just to distract yourself from the worsening situation of your love life. Tension seemed to bloom in your relationship. Sam was his usual sugar sweet self, but… it felt all wrong. Although you had done nothing wrong, your emotions were traitorous. You felt like a liar, a cheater. You felt tainted by the very situation fate dragged you into all those years ago.

Hooking your fingers over the side of the tub, you emerged from your little empty paradise. You leaned over the edge, resting your chin on your arms as you met the curious gaze of Rosie curled up in a patch of golden sunlight. She blinked at you, her tail wagging lazily as she waited for you to acknowledge her. The corners of your mouth curled into a lethargic smile. There was a dull plinking as a few drops of water trickled off of your arm and hit the gilded foot of the tub. Your eyes followed the drops, tracing their trail down the metal to the tiny pool of water gathering on the tile. Watching the drops, you suddenly felt so small, so insignificant. In the grand scheme of things, what were you but a drop of water gathering in the greater pool of life? It made you feel a little better. Made your situation feel less cumbersome.

You breathed a deep sigh, closing your eyes and resting your forehead against your forearms. “What am I supposed to do, Rosie girl?” you asked, voice echoing through the big empty bathroom.

It was quiet, save for the rhythmic thumping of her tail on the tile floor. You laughed softly at the ridiculousness of it all. What kind of advice were you seeking in the curious gaze of a dog? You shifted, planning on dunking yourself in the now-cold water once more before getting out, but a thump from down the hall disturbed you.

Rosie jumped to her feet, paws padding over to the closed door of the bathroom, blocking you both from the noise.

“Think dad’s home early?” you pondered, forcing your stiff muscles to lift you out of the tub. Your gaze skirted over the shower, mind briefly flashing back to the last time you’d been in there with Sam, wrapped in his embrace without a care in the world. You wished with everything in you that you could go back to that moment in time. Before you were driving yourself crazy with a million questions and possibilities.

Rosie whined as she waited for you to wrap a towel around yourself. Water trickled down your bare legs and left footprints on the floor behind you as you left the bathroom. A yawn left your lips as you languidly slipped down the hallway. There were a couple more thumps from Sam’s study, the door opened a sliver. As you approached, the sound of shuffling papers and movement became more apparent.

“Sammy, you’re home early,” you said, prodding the study door open with one toe as you peeked into the room. Your heart dropped into your stomach. It wasn’t Sam at all.

“What are you doing here?” you said, voice accusatory as you glared at the familiar face. It was Danny, looking disheveled as he dug through the mess on Sam’s desk. He glanced up at you, scoffing.

“Sam sent me,” he said, his voice cold. “Forgot his notebook.” He suddenly found what he was looking for, holding up the leather book. His large hands dwarfed the book, and you swallowed hard. Your mind painted a very good image of his hands dwarfing other things, things that you shouldn’t be thinking whilst standing before your boyfriend’s best friend in nothing but a towel.

A frown played on your lips as you wrenched your gaze away from him. “Why’d he send you?”

“He thought you’d be happy to see me,” said Danny, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

You huffed. This new version of him was not very likable; always angry, his tone and words constantly edged with venom since your encounter back in the guest room at the twins’ house. He was angry with you, but what did he expect you to do when he came in there to interrogate you? He took it as a personal offense that you somehow, miraculously had fallen in love with Sam, as if you had known all the while that they were friends and that you had done it on purpose.

“Aren’t you ever going to forgive me?” you asked indignantly. You tried to steady your shaking hands by gripping the towel tighter around yourself, trying to shield yourself from his sharp eyes.

“For what, Y/N?” He looked at you, his features expectant.

“For falling in love with him!”

For a second, he looked taken aback, blinking at you as if you had sprouted a second head. Anyone looking in on the two of you might think you were in some kind of peculiar staring competition, the both of you watching each other expectantly. You shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, your half-clothed state suddenly very apparent to you. On your shoulder, there was still the ghost of the bite mark Sammy left on you the week before. You watched Danny’s eyes trail over the mark after a moment, and saw his jaw tighten. His expression flashed dark with emotion, but he masked it quickly.

“How am I supposed to?” His words were barely audible, coming from between clenched teeth. Though the tension wasn’t visible in his face, his knuckles were ashen from holding the notebook so tightly. His posture stiffened.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” you said, trying to sound stronger than you felt.

He nodded, finally breaking the intense eye contact. “I know that, don’t you think I know that?” He sighed heavily, clearly frustrated with you. You swallowed. What were you supposed to do, read his mind?

One of your hands twisted in the fabric of the towel. You tightened it around your fingers so hard that it hurt, anything to distract you from the feeling that your ribs were compressing your lungs. Closer and closer. Harder and harder to breathe.

“It’s the whole problem… How can I hate my best friend for having everything I want?” His anger and frustration finally began to color his tone. He wouldn’t look at you, but you could see his features pulled into an awful grimace. You hated seeing him like this. The compression in your chest grew worse by the second.

You didn’t speak. You had no clue what to say.

“How—how am I supposed to sit there and watch you two? See the way he makes you laugh, see him kissing you like it’s the easiest thing in the world?” He met your eyes again, and you saw the pain behind his dark gaze. Even through the jealousy, through the anger, there was the cloudy tinge of heartbreak lurking in his irises. He dropped the notebook on the desk, crossing the room to close the space between you. It took everything in you not to flinch back, afraid of what would happen if your skin dared touch.

His voice dropped to an almost imperceptible volume, one finger lifted to trace the crescent shaped bruise stained on your skin. “How am I supposed to see this, and act like I don’t care?”

You took a shaky breath. His touch sent tingles over your skin, sent goosebumps erupting all over your body. He was so close, you could feel the heat radiating off of him, permeating the space air between you. Everything about him was so familiar, those thoughtful eyes, the curls framing his chiseled face, the shape of his mouth. Even his scent was driving you insane, almost intoxicating you. The very air around you seemed to vibrate from the magnetism between you. Every fiber of your being was screaming at you to lean into him, touch him, kiss him. Squeezing your hands into tight fists, you shook your head.

“You want this as badly as I do, and we both know it…”

The finger tracing the bite mark on your shoulder trailed down, lower and lower… His touch left a burning trail in its wake, your body igniting as he approached the towel clutched between your trembling fingers.

“Danny–”

“You want me to stop?” His voice was a dark whisper, emotions tearing through his silken tone. You felt his hand trembling, too.

“Danny, I–”

“Tell me to stop,” you tasted his breath as it fanned over your lips. He was so close, so awfully, deliciously close to you. There was a second of hesitation, and then his lips were on you. One of his hands gripped you around the waist, bunching the towel up in a vice-like grip. His other hand threaded into the damp tresses of your hair, twisting the strands around his fingers.

You sighed with something like relief, the tension hanging in the air finally melting away and leaving you breathless. Your head spun, a thousand thoughts screaming nothing other than his name over and over again. Your brain wanted you to pull away, but your heart was pushing you closer to him, slotting your bodies together as if you were made for one another.

One of your hands grasped his arm to steady you, and your nails dug into the skin. He winced slightly, but you took no notice as he pushed you back against the door frame. The wood bit into the skin of your back, stinging. You grunted into his mouth, struggling against his grasp.

“Y/N, if you want me to stop–”

“Don’t fucking stop,” you muttered, intoxicated by his touch. You gripped the fabric of his t-shirt as if it were the only thing tethering you to the ground, trying to drag him closer. “Want this off,” you mumbled against his mouth.

He broke the kiss long enough to remove his shirt, before pressing himself back into you. His tongue pushed into your mouth carefully, slowly exploring, taking his time. You wrapped both hands around him, feeling the flex of his back muscles as he kept you pinned between him and the wall. You arched against him, hooking one leg up around his waist and rolling your hips against him. The drag of his jeans against your bare center sent a jolt of pleasure up your spine.

He was still kissing you, slowly as you grew more desperate for him. You needed him, now, before you had enough time to think about what you were doing. Before the guilt had time to settle in and make you stop. You had to know if it was the same as all those years before. If he was still the one to drive you mad.

As if reading your mind, his large hands found purchase on your thighs, pulling them up to wrap around your waist. He carried you easily to the couch against the far wall, letting you fall gently onto the leather. The towel shielding your body from view peeled open, exposing your bare flesh to him. His eyes dragged over your figure, drinking you in like a man stranded in the desert. His gaze flashed dark with lust, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips.

He dragged a finger over the curve of your cheek, over your swollen lips, down your clavicle, ghosted over one hardened nipple. He looked at you as if you were an art piece, your form masterfully sculpted and put on display for only him to see. He was memorizing every curve, every dip and hollow in your form. The look of tenderness in his eyes surprised you; the fear had been there all along that this was more than just lust, that the two of you shared more than just a physical connection. You had fooled yourself into thinking you only wanted him corporeally, when you knew he had you wrapped around his finger, body and soul.

There was the sudden feeling again that you were going to be sick, but his scorching touch distracted you from that quickly. His lips found purchase on your neck, placing sloppy kisses on the skin. You squirmed beneath him, heat having bloomed between your legs and quickly spreading up your spine. There was no way you could continue this at his pace; at this rate, he was going to be touching and teasing your body for hours.

“Danny, hurry,” you muttered, nearly breathless as one of his hands slipped between your legs. A gasp broke from your lips, your back arching off of the couch as he touched you as if he had practiced for this very moment for years. You melted under his touch, one hand lazily hooked around the back of his neck as he took care of you.

“Wanna take my time,” he said, words muffled against your skin.

“You–you can’t… What if S–”

“Sam…” He cut you off, his entire body stiffening as he pulled away from you. He leaned back on his haunches, wiping your arousal on the fabric of his jeans as he ran the other hand through his disheveled hair. “Fuck, Y/N, what are we doing?”

You gulped, abruptly aware of the situation you were currently in. The buzz from Danny’s touch had withered away immediately at the sound of Sam’s name. Shame bloomed over your features, and your face burned red hot as you struggled to cover yourself with the towel.

“I don’t know,” you said, voice high-pitched and nearly hysterical as the tears began to flow. He was right. What were the two of you doing? You curled into yourself, eyeing him carefully as he retrieved his shirt from the floor. You had just jeopardized all the good in your life for one encounter with Danny. Oh, how the past was coming back to haunt you.

“What do we do?” He asked you, sighing heavily.

You refused to look at him, staring at the bookshelves beside you. The tears burned your skin, flowing hot and landing heavily in your lap. You shook your head, your voice shaking as you replied, “I–I want you to go…”

His voice was hurt, but understanding. “You always do.”

Then, he was gone. You sulked off to bed after crying your eyes out. You hoped to fall asleep and wake up from this absolute nightmare.

The following weeks weren’t much better. With the guys all home from the tour, you were spending more and more time trying to avoid Danny. He seemed to gravitate towards your house, spending hours lounging around with Sam. You hid away in the bedroom, or the study when you weren’t at work, listening to them brainstorm ideas for the next album, or laughing over their dumb inside jokes. It was unbearable. You wondered how Danny could keep his composure in the house; something was mind blowing about how he was able to mask his emotions, putting on a perfectly happy facade as if he weren’t eyeballing you behind Sam’s back.

Contrarily, you were doing an awful job of hiding your internal conflict.

“Maybe you should talk to someone, sweets,” Sam said one night, after a particularly grueling night having dinner with a few friends, including Danny. You shook all night long, stuck in Sam’s side like a thorn that was just out of reach. He hadn’t uttered a single word of complaint, holding your hand tightly as if he were your anchor. He made sure you ate, even just a few bites, included you in conversations, and didn’t get annoyed at all when you asked if you could wait for him in the car.

Now, the two of you were finally home, curled up on the couch. You were half-dressed, his shirt and his shoes discarded by the door, while you wore only your slouchy denim shirt that you threw on for dinner. You curled your toes under his leg, warming them as you wrapped your arms around your legs and rested your chin on your knees. He watched you with a warm expression, too much tenderness saved for the likes of you.

“I don’t wanna talk to anyone,” you muttered, half hearted.

He looked at you with those puppy dog eyes, all soft and sweet. A slight frown played on his lips. “Not even me?” He raised an eyebrow.

You sighed heavily, turning your head so your cheek rested on your knee instead. You felt very suddenly like bursting into tears, but you held back. “Of course I want to talk to you, but…” A sharp breath fell from your lips, and you closed your eyes. You couldn’t bear to look at him.

“But what?” There it was again, that soft and gentle tone that you adored so much. That voice that made you feel like anything you ever did wrong would be forgiven. That tone, full of nothing but complete and unconditional love. You were hating yourself even more by the second.

“I’m scared… I’m scared it’s going to hurt you. I’m scared it’s going to hurt you, and you won’t love me anymore.”

He shifted, wrapping his arms around your curled up frame. You felt his lips press against your temple, warm and comforting. Then, his voice was quiet, “There is very little you could do to make me stop loving you, Y/N.”

A single tear slipped down your cheek, but he was already there, brushing it away. Your stomach fluttered at the touch; you reached up and grasped his hand, pulling it to your heart and cradling it there as if it were the only thing holding you together.

“What happened, sweets? Tell me so I can make it better, please,” his voice was pleading. “I hate seeing you like this… I want my girl back, my smiling girl…”

A weak sob wracked your frame, but his presence was grounding you. He was everything you needed. You were about to destroy that.

“Sam, I–” you choked on your own tears, trying so hard not to break down in front of him. “I don’t even know how to say this– I– I know it’s going to tear you apart…”

You forced your eyes open, meeting the worry in his gaze. You made yourself look at him; you deserved this, after what you had done to him. You should have to face the consequences of your actions.

“Y/N, please,” his voice was pleading, almost desperate.

“I–I kissed Danny,” you blurted, voice shaking so much that you could barely understand the words coming out of your mouth. “We had sex, years ago, before you and I met and– and I’ve had dreams about him for years, and I just… Well, I saw him at the party and it ignited all of these old feelings… Then he came over the other day to get your notebook and—” Your rambling was quickly drowned out by the sound of your own sobbing, your body shaking uncontrollably. You felt him pull away, saw the light in his eyes fade as you admitted to him your wrongdoing.

The look on his face was unlike anything you’d seen before; those tender eyes turned contemptuous, hurt staining them black.

“Tell me you didn’t sleep with him.”

You shook your head, practically hyperventilating. “No, no, not again…” Your voice was high, hysterical. “No, we–we stopped, before…”

“But you were going to.”

“Yes, I mean–No… I don’t know!” You buried your face in his shoulder, clawing at him, wanting him to just wrap his arms around you and hold you together before you fell to pieces. But his hands stayed limp at his sides, his breathing shallow.

“Sammy, I’m begging you to forgive me,” you sobbed. Your tears were rolling down his bare chest, soaking his skin. He was still silent. You cried against him for a moment, then pulled away to look at him.

You were torturing yourself; seeing that look on his face was tearing you apart. His eyes brimmed with tears, and he shook his head slowly. He still hadn’t budged from his seated position, and he refused to meet your gaze.

“Sam–”

“You understand that you’re the person I love the most in the world, don’t you?” He cut you off, finally looking at you. His tears began to fall, and his voice shook. You reached up with a shaking hand to brush the moisture off of his face.

“Yes–yes, I do,” you nodded desperately. You were all but sitting on his lap now, doing anything to be close to him. Your world was falling apart before your eyes; you never imagined you would see your Sammy like this, so distant and hurt. A black feeling settled in your stomach, making you sick.

“Then–” his voice cracked “--how could you do this to me?”

You crumbled beneath the look that he gave you. His eyes were red-rimmed, pouring tears, his nostrils flaring as he struggled to breathe. His jaw was clenched to the point that it looked painful. You reached for him, wanting to touch him, to soothe him, and he flinched away. A pang shot through your entire body at that. You felt as if you were being swallowed into a dark abyss. You would never know happiness again, not after this.

“Baby, please,” you breathed, your voice thick with tears. “You–you said nothing would ever make you stop loving me… Please, tell me it’s still true…” You were begging him, desperate for any inkling of reassurance.

He shook his head, swallowing hard. “How can you ask me that right now?” He huffed, wiping his tears with the palms of his hands. “I love you so much I can’t fucking stand it, Y/N… I’m not gonna lie to try and hurt you, even if you’re tearing me to pieces right now… I could never do that to you.” He said it with so much sincerity, so much love still in his tone that it made you speechless. You pressed a hand over your face, silently sobbing harder. You felt like you would never catch your breath, your chest tightening as you squeezed your eyes shut. You didn’t deserve him, you had never deserved him, and you were realizing that more by the second.

The two of you sat there, for what felt like hours. Turmoil bloomed in Sam’s face. You wanted to know what was going on in his head, but didn’t think you would be able to handle knowing. You didn’t dare reach for him again, afraid you would have to watch him wince away again. You couldn’t bear the thought of it.

“Do you want me to leave?” you asked after a while, your voice hoarse from crying.

He shook his head, barely looking at you.

“No, sweets. Just go to bed.” He nodded in the direction of the hallway. Your throat tightened at the sound of the pet name. You knew you wouldn’t get a wink of sleep, not without him beside you, but you did as he said. You would do anything he asked, if it meant he might forgive your transgressions.

taglist: @dannythedog @demolitionndann @malany-gvf @poeta-nascitur @myleftsock @spark-my-nature

#sam x reader #danny x reader #sam kiszka x reader #danny wagner x reader #sam kiszka imagine #danny wagner imagine #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet imagine #greta van fleet x reader #greta van fleet #greta van fleet angst #gvf imagine #gvf fic #gvf x reader #my writing

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heyidkyay · 1 year

Text

I guess I'll take this pain, instead of your name |

Part Thirteen

A/n: Hey!! Sorry for the cliffhanger on the last one but I felt it was a little necessary, don't hate me pls x BUT I have to pre-warn you here that during this part there will be a switch in tenses, it's only brief but it might annoy some of you like it did me. I couldn't really do much about it though, I wanted to create some tension, try and show the emotions and thoughts from a certain viewpoint. Hopefully you enjoy it though! Was a bit of a struggle to write tbh😅💗

Summary: In life, things changed. The boys you'd once grown up with were men now, and famous ones at that. The type that toured the world and had millions of adoring fans.

The five of you shared a shit ton of history. But you also shared a lot of mixed emotions for one of them in particular, a certain drummer.

Warnings: Leaves off from the last part so you can only guess where this is headed, but there's some medical stuff here, lots of hurt and upset

Masterlist

Have you ever felt as though you were just drifting?

Like you’re there, you feel everything as it comes. The blow, the plummet, the landing. But then the ground’s suddenly gone, pulled out from beneath you, and you’re just floating. Falling.

I’m floating. Or I feel like I am. I can hear it all, too.

The buzzing hum of disaster. The muffled voices, the slam of doors, their gasps, their pleads, their whispers.

My ears are ringing as well, it's an annoying and persistent sound that feels almost delayed as it pivots back and forth, back and forth. Across the forefront of my mind. I try to focus on it. Dazed. But I’m floating and I can’t… I can’t quite seem to get a grasp of things. I can’t remember what happened.

My hands are wet. Soaked, I think. I can’t see them, I can’t move my head really- I’m drifting still- but they are wet. I know that much.

When I linger on the thought, everything else feels wet too. Not damp, like clean washing does when it's hung out to dry. But drenched, as though someone’s just gone and pushed me straight into a swimming pool while still fully clothed.

I want to know what’s happening. Why I’m so wet, so cold.

The last thing I remember is George. His voice. His call.

George. His name stays on a loop in my head. Somehow I always circle back to it.

I have to ask myself then whether or not I'm asleep. Question how much I must've had to drink…

I can’t remember though. I can’t seem to remember anything at all. Just his call.

A wailing pair of sirens tear me from the floating. The lightness I feel. But they’re so far away. And I like the softness I'd been feeling before.

Why are there sirens? I ask- or do I? I can't quite... I don't know how to. I think I've forgotten.

But there are people around me now. I think I can sense them. I want to say something, to reach out and ask if they know why, ask if they’re floating too. But I don’t think I can. I know I really can’t when I actually attempt to. I feel a familiar warmth hollow out my chest. It ebbs the coldness there and I cry. More tears. More water.

Rain.

I remember the rain. I reckon now that’s why I’m soaked through. Why I’m so upset. But it can’t be because I love the rain. My first proper kiss was in the rain, just outside Danny Stewart’s house during one of his massive house parties. George and I had danced in the rain at Matty’s mum’s wedding. Matty and I had shared a bottle of vodka in the rain out on the front step to our very first flat when we’d gone and locked ourselves out.

The rain.

It’d been raining the night George left for tour. And then again when he’d left me for good.

It’s raining now. I can feel it. Really feel it this time. It’s sharp though, as it pours down on and around me, and the sloshing sound of boots and shoes and people fill my ears. I want to cry again. I wonder if I already am. But everything’s starting to hurt. I can feel it now, there’s a tingle in my toes and my fingertips that distracts me from it slightly, but it’s blooming. Soon I figure it’ll hit me hard. A tidal wave of hurt and I’m so fucking scared. Because I think I’m remembering now. Remembering the light. The screech of tires. The rain.

How is it still raining?

It feels as though the water’s filling up my ears, my head. The sirens come again. They’re loud enough to cut through the onslaught of it all, but soon enough I find even they can’t keep the ringing at bay, the rain.

Someone’s there. Towering over me. Words are being thrown about. In a language I can’t quite speak or make out.

But I’m floating again. Higher this time around. The tingling is hardly even there anymore. It all just hurts. Everything. It just hurts.

It’s bad. And I know it’s bad. Because nothing has ever hurt this much. It makes me wonder whether its humanly possible to even feel this much pain. ‘Cause it hurts. And all I want is for it to go away. To just stop.

My thoughts though, they’re spiralling. Drifting out into the darkness, like me. Floating. Floating…

It’s all starting to fade now. That darkness, somehow it’s getting darker. Growing, or shrinking I suppose. Or maybe it’s just that my eyes feel like they’re closing.

Hey, maybe it’s even the opposite. Maybe there’s a light. Or there had been. And maybe, maybe now it’s just blurring. Burning. Smouldering around me. Leaving me dizzy in this thick blanket of smoke.

I try. I try to stay awake. I really, really do. But the ringing. And the rain.

There are voices. So close, and so far away.

I’m fighting against it all now. I want to wake up. I want to go home now. Please. I want…

The deafening downpour drenches me, it makes the ache worse, the pain. But not even that can distort his voice. I know he’s there. Somewhere. Somehow. Even in the thick fog. I know it. It soothes me somewhat. Slows down the race I’ve set my mind on. Calms me. He’s here. I know it.

“I’m here. I’m here.”

Then there’s just nothing.

And that’s the last thing I hear.

...

There was a distorted beeping sound. I think I’d heard it earlier. But now, now it’s paired with a soft muffle of voices?

I tried to blink myself awake. I couldn’t feel a thing. Just this heaviness that weighed on me, like a weight perched on the centre of my chest that echoed out across the rest of my body. Paralysing my arms and my legs. My neck, too.

I felt like I’d lost my head. As though I was stuck here with my body, but my head was gone. Missing. Somewhere else altogether.

The murmurs grew louder then, as did the beeping. I wanted to move. I wanted to shift. I felt so uncomfortable here. Itchy and raw. I wanted, I wanted so desperately to just…

“Y/n?”

I heard that. It was clear. Prominent. It helped shift the disorientation that clouded me, the confusion that cobwebbed my mind.

“Y/n, love? Can you hear me?”

For the life of me, I could not make out who’s voice it was, just that it was familiar. That it felt warm and safe. Sort of like home.

“Mate quick- one of yous! Grab a nurse, or a doctor or summat! Go on, hurry. Think she’s comin’ to.”

I tried to take a deep breath. But it was hard. My throat felt so dry. Clogged almost. I struggled.

“It’s alright, darling. Don’t try to move.” There was a soft hand on my arm now. I felt that. But I’d already started to panic, anxiety flooding my veins. Flooring my every sense whilst simultaneously heightening them. “Keep the tube in. Okay? Just, just for a little longer, darling. Can you do that for me? Just for a- oh thank, fuck.”

“Y/n?” This voice was different. Firm. One I didn’t recognise at all. The hand on my arm withdrew and I was fighting with my body to cough. To speak. I'd never felt so confused. So terrified. “I need you to calm down, okay? You're currently on a ventilator, it's helping you breathe. I just need you to stay calm.”

My eyes were open. I could feel my skin grow taut with how wide they must've been. Everything was so bright though. Too much. I could only make out figures and shapes and shadows.

“Okay. Sedate her.” The voice ordered. Only they weren’t talking to me. And I was still in full panic mode. Spluttering. Shaking. Trembling. Trying to kick free from their cold hands, their hold. It all felt too familiar. I itched. Burned. I needed them to let go. Please, just let me go!

But then everything was hazy again. I felt loose. I was there and then I wasn’t. Back floating again. Safe.

___

The next time I woke I could actually breathe. Though it did hurt like nothing else, as though a fucking ten ton truck had been dropped on my head. It was immobilising, and I felt a wave of nausea roll through me as I stirred, it was violent and relentless.

Immediately I had to turn to the side, and another, more brutal, wave of pain flooded my veins, it rescarred and stretched my skin as I chucked up what little I had inside of me to offer.

A comforting hand suddenly cradled my shoulder then and rubbed the length of my back in soothing little circles, but I was still retching. Exhausting myself with the pain and the sickness I felt. I was too tired to even spare them a glance. A thought.

Hot tears were cascading helplessly down my cheeks, but I didn’t feel as though I was actually crying them. Just that they were falling. Leaking out of me because they had no other place to go.

They blurred my vision, made everything harder to see, to understand.

Once the gaging finally died down and I was just a sweaty, trembling mess, the hand on my back suddenly become two and carefully they sat me back in my bed. Though I noted it wasn’t mine.

I grimaced at the taste I had in my mouth, the acid that lined my teeth and tongue. I was grateful for the water bottle that was being pressed to my lips, it erased the tang but did little to combat the dryness I still felt. I swallowed thickly, wincing still as I moved my body against the torment. I rubbed helplessly at my left ear.

“It’s alright, love. It’s okay. You’re all good. I pressed that big red button when you woke up so I reckon a nurse will be here soon enough. They’ll have someone clear the mess up, get you some more medicine, yeah? You're okay.”

I kept on blinking, half-listening to the odd ramble I was not quite hearing but mostly just grateful for the fact that the nausea I’d experienced was subsiding slightly. I simply prayed that it wouldn’t come back with a vengeance.

I took the time then to glance about the place. It seemed to resemble a hospital room, sterile, clean, and very white. From the stiff curtains and blank walls to the uncomfortable blankets that cocooned me. I didn't much fancy hospitals. Hadn't since I was a kid and my dad had died. But it didnt seem like I'd be escaping from this one any time soon.

“Y/n? Darling, you still with me?”

Slowly, I tilted my head over towards the voice and was met by the sight of a pale face that held large brown eyes and quirked pink lips, a mop of curly black hair framed it but seemed to shadow its features at the same time. He looked far too worried, too fretful for my taste. It aged him. The sadness it seemed to cling to him, it made him look strange. And I found I hated it.

“Who’re you? Where am I?” I asked him, voice croaky and harsh. Muffled slightly, I tugged on my left ear again. But I was focused on him, on the way his whole face rapidly dropped. I had to crack a smile then. I couldn’t not, and he scowled in retort. My facade was blown.

“You little bitch.” Matty scorned, shaking his head at me whilst he held a hand to his beating chest like he was the one in actual pain. “Don’t fucking do that, you prick! Made my heart stop.”

I wanted to laugh at his antics but it hurt too much to even breathe at this point, so I had to bear a grin and hold the amusement in the back of my throat. Like a balloon that would soon deflate.

A nurse arrived then, he gifted me a tender smile and asked a couple of questions before he informed us that a doctor would soon follow. His presence left Matty to watch on from the sidelines as the man worked, tapping his foot and biting his nails anxiously whilst he waited.

He was a lovely lad, the nurse, a year or two older than me I reckoned, with a northern twang and a head full of curly blond locks. Sort of like Ross’s, only a tad bit shorter and a whole lot shinier. Which almost seemed impossible to me, Ross’s hair was in much better shape than most and I had always sort of deemed it his 'mane'.

It was soft and very regal, alright? I was only sometimes jealous of the ginormous twat.

“Heya lovely, I’m Lee by the way.” He greeted gently, his smile all lovely and sweet. “How’re you feeling?”

I groaned, spluttering slightly, the feeling made worse by the onslaught of tubes.

“Like I’ve slept for twenty years.” I croaked, and even talking seemed to hurt.

“No shit.” Matty snorted from right behind Lee, though his eyes still held so much of that previous worry I'd seen. I rolled my own.

“Do you remember much of what happened?” Lee asked me, smiling to himself at Matty and I’s interaction.

I let my mind wander at his question. I could see the headlights. Like a flash from a camera that blinds you for a moment and then paints a lined image behind your eyelids. It all slowly started to flood my mind then.

“Sort of. It was raining. Pouring, I ‘spose.”

Lee was nodding encouragingly at me, his smile had yet to falter.

“I was just wanting to cross the road, figured I’d call myself a cab a little down the way. I hadn’t wanted to look back ‘cause we’d been arguing. I was upset. Just knew that if I did then Geor-”

I cut myself promptly off before I could finish his name. My eyes snapped over towards Matty, who was staring back at me as though he was too scared to look away, hanging on my every word. He stepped forward, albeit cautiously, when he saw the confusion, the sudden fear that must’ve clouded my face.

“Where is he? Where's George? Is he okay? Did something happen to him?”

Matty was there before I could internalise it, arms wrapped around my shoulders as my breaths grew harsher and louder in the quiet room. He hushed me, lips pressed to the crown of my head. His hold was firm from how tense he was, but it almost felt like I was this fragile piece of glass he was holding in his hands. Flimsy and weak. Breakable.

“Matty.” I pleaded with him. I had to know. Tears were brimming now, they burned my eyes. “Matty.” I repeated, hoping he would answer my distressed call.

“He’s fine, love. He’s fine, okay? Don’t worry.”

“Where is he?” I harassed, only proving to strain my throat further. “Matty, where is he then?”

“He’ll be here soon, alright?” Was all that he told me as he pulled away, hands now touching mine. His eyes now holding mine, “Promise. Yeah?”

I let go of the relief I felt through a stilted breath, nodding at him slowly.

Matty’s face appeared to change though in the next second and I could only assume it was due to the hearty grimace I was suddenly staving off.

“Did I hurt you? Christ, please tell me I didn’t hurt you” Matty stressed, voice high and pitchy as his alarmed eyes darted between me and the machine, then back to Lee.

Lee rushed to reassure him as he toggled with the IV beside my bed. “No it’s fine, we're all fine, just the drip. It can take a short while for everything to kick in. She should avoid stress and sudden movement though.”

Matty jerked his head in some sort of nod and then proceeded to talk poor Lee’s ear off whilst I attempted to breathe through the pain and sudden hysteria I’d worked myself into.

It took a good while before I was okay enough for Lee to start back up with his questions again, gently informing me of the fact that I hadn’t been hit by a truck, just a car.

But that didn't really change much. I still felt like utter shit.

He went on to explain that the driver hadn’t seen me step out into the road, it’d been dark, raining, and one of the streetlights outside of George’s hadn’t been on. Matty had gritted his teeth the entire time, but especially when I’d asked after the driver.

“The man was fine." Lee replied in earnest, "A bit shaken, but he was the one who phoned the ambulance. Helped aid the paramedics on the scene.”

Matty scoffed under his breath but I ignored him in favour of pressing the topic. “So everyone came out of it fine then? They’re all okay?”

Lee’s sincere smile was drowned out by Matty’s rueful but violent glare.

“No, not everyone!" He argued with a look of pure bewilderment. He gestured towards my helpless figure, at the injuries I had yet to even ask about yet. "You- you're not okay! You’re the only fucking one sat in a hospital bed! Who the fuck cares about him?”

I shot a scowl of my own towards Matty, questioning how he could say such a thing, but it softened when I saw the misery and pure agony behind his front of anguish. I slumped slightly in my position and in a silent motion, beckoned him closer.

As best as I could, I took his hand in mine, and he was quick to accept it, his eyes locking onto every available inch of my face.

He looked worse than I’d ever seen him before. As scared as he’d been that night before he’d left for rehab. Or their first proper tour. He looked as lost as the day he told me his nana had passed. And as angry as he’d been the time his mum and dad had told him about their divorce. I squeezed his hand as hard as I possibly could, and although it was trying and fleeting, it was enough for some of that tension in him to lessen, for him to realise that I was still here. I was okay.

“I’ll give you two a moment, the doctor will be in shortly. She’ll tell you a bit more.” Lee murmured. I had to strain to hear him, but I nodded in reply and gifted him a tiny tired smile when he drew one of the far chairs to my bedside for Matty to take.

He left a second later.

I peered down at myself, at the gown I’d been gifted during my stay at the hospital. I made a face. “I think I’m wearing shite underwear.”

Matty boggled at me for a moment before an unexpected bout of laughter bubbled out of him.

“Sorry. Come again?”

I levelled him with a serious look.

“The shittiest pair of knickers I own, Matthew. My ugly underwear! I think I’m wearing them. Now. I’m certain of it. I remember throwing them on this morning as we were rushing about.”

“Babe.” Matty winced, although I did note that he still seemed to be thoroughly amused by my rantings. “Hate to tell you, but that was a couple days ago. Reckon you ain’t wearing anything down there right now. Though, I could take a peak for you. If you'd like.”

Playfully, he went to lift at my bed’s blankets and I helplessly swatted the air, but could hardly stir enough movement to blow out a single candle. Matty relented though, rolling his eyes with a mock sigh.

“Don’t you dare." I told him, "I might be in a hospital bed but I’d still have you by the balls if you dared even try.”

Matty was chuckling away, even as he leant in close to me. Eyes squinted by the warmth of his grin.

His lips were warm when they pressed against my temple. I smiled tiredly in turn, feeling the effect of everything now.

“Glad to know you’ve still got a fire lit under that arse.” He smirked.

“‘Course, who else is going to keep you lot in line?” I tutted to him, “Where are they by the way? The guys. Where’s George?”

Matty smirk vanished and he turned his head away from me.

I frowned.

"Matty?" I prodded, but it was then that his earlier words really hit me. "Hang on- did you say days? How long have I been a-fucking-sleep?"

Part fourteen>

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la-grosse-patate · 3 months

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OC Interview

I was tagged by @g0dspeeed, @cassietrn, @simplegenius042 & @noodlecupcakes thank you lovelies! <3 I tag @whatwouldvalerydo, @yokobai, @inafieldofdaisies

Isabel (Far Cry New Dawn)

Name: "Just Isabel is fine."

Nickname: "Twins call me Rabbit, but Roger calls me Tiger. I'm so confused, what even am I?"

Gender: "Female."

Star Sign: "Pisces."

Moral Alignment/Personality: ."Neutral Good. With a side of crazy."

Height: "5’1."

Sexual Orientation: "Straight."

Nationality/Ethnicity: "Romanian."

Fave Fruit: "Bold of you to assume I only have one. I grew up with my mom's fruit salad. I'm hungry now, thanks."

Fave Season: "I love the late spring-early summer period. It's not too hot, and most of my favorite flowers are in bloom."

Fave Flower: "Oh shoot, I can't just pick one. Damask roses, peonies and jasmine."

Fave Scent: "I miss vanilla. And my mom's almond scented body lotion."

Coffee, tea, or HC: "With these freaking highwaymen roaming around, even clean water is hard to find. Besides, Romanians only drink tea when they're sick, so..."

Average Hours of Sleep: "It depends, really. Between four and six hours."

Dog or Cat Person: "Gosh, what is up with these questions? I can't just pick one. I grew up in a farm. It doesn't matter if it barks, meows, quacks or bleats. I pet it. Hell, have you seen my boy Horatio?"

Dream Trip: "What I wouldn't do to be able to visit Cinque Terre and just forget about the world for a week. Not like it's possible, but a girl can only dream, right?"

Favorite Fictional Character/Real Person: "I used to be obsessed with Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho. Oh man I miss watching anime."

Number of Blankets They Sleep With: "Most times I only have my jacket to cover myself with."

RANDOM FACT: "I'm very flexible. And I'm not talking about my schedule."

#far cry new dawn #my oc #isabel #fcnd #oc ask meme #oc ask

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alavestineneas · 11 months

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King’s will

pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x OFC

summary: In the game of chess, the queen has more freedom on the chessboard. In that sense, the queen is the most powerful piece. On the other hand, the king has more value. Because if you lose the king, you lose the game.

warnings: arranged marriage, medieval violence, slow burn

chapter 1 -> chapter 2 -> chapter 3 -> chapter 4 -> chapter 5

Spring of the year 111 AC,

Highgarden

Otto took a sip out of the goblet, feeling a pleasant taste of Abor gold travel to his throat. It is how Gods intended the drink to be taken—slowly, under the warm rays of the morning sun. It was easy to forget oneself in those beautiful Highgarden gardens, surrounded by the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the gentle hum of bees. It was broadly different to King's Landing. The Westeros' cloak was nothing but dirt compared to those glorious hills. Even now, two years after his time as a King's Hand has ended, Otto felt the foul smell on his palms.

''Enjoying our wine, Otto?''

A brawny, strong figure appeared from the cool shadows of the trees. The small, prominent wrinkles covered the man's tan face, and his dark beard bore a few strands of grey. Although age and grief seemed to make a mark in his gaze, his brown, almost black eyes shone with a somewhat youthful, mischievous glimpse.

''Fillis Tyrell in his full glory!'' Hightower smiled, standing up from the comfort of his chair to embrace the man in a hug. ''Beware, I may empty your cellar by the end of my stay.''

''You are more than welcome to, and you know it. I apologize for not greeting you earlier.''

''Don't, don't.'' Otto waved around, dismissing Tyrell like an annoying fly. ''I know how hard it is to manage without a wife.''

The man chuckled, ''Well, I'm doing my best. But I must say, it's not easy with two daughters.''

They stood in silence for a moment before Tyrell spoke up again. ''So, what do we owe the pleasure?''

"I decided to visit my friend in his magnificent castle and look at his mountains of gold myself.'' Otto raised his eyebrows, gesturing at the man's attire—black mourning cloth embroidered with golden threads. Heavy, shining jewels covered the large, noble hands and wrapped around the neck, hidden under the velvet collar.

''Don't try to fool me, old fox.'' The man sat, taking a piece of fruit from the golden plate. ''The trading goes well; it always did. You are not here because of that.''

Otto raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. ''You know me too well.'' He took a sip of wine before continuing. ''I am to ask for your support.''

Tyrell leaned in, his eyes narrowing with interest. ''Go on.''

''The Realm stands at peace, but we are preparing for war, my friend.''

The man sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ''You are asking a lot of me, Otto. Going against the King's will is the highest treason.''

''The King's will doesn't take away the birthright of the firstborn son.'' Otto followed the man's gaze. Two young children played near the fountain, with a maid struggling to keep them away from the water.

''I have two daughters growing. Gods know how long I am yet to live and rule here before they are alone. They can't even hold a sword, and you want me to put them at war without any protection?''

It was not just his father's love that spoke; it was the lack of gain for his house that Tyrell voiced. Not even a life-long friendship could change the man's prudent nature; although sometimes wearying, it served him well.

''What do you want in return, Fillis?''

Tyrell looked at him, a playful glimpse long gone. ''Wed them. Take my daughter to Oldtown, raise her in your traditions, and make her Aegon's wife.''

Otto shook his head ''I can't do that. The prince is only four; your daughter is seven.''

''I have two. Elize is an heir. She will be the Lady Paramount of the Mander, first to support your grandson's claim when the time comes. Marcella is five.''

Otto looked at his friend, entertaining the proposal. The price for Tyrell's support is immense; marrying his grandson to a pig in a poke was treacherous. However, the army and gold of the Reach could hold a deadly advantage if used by an enemy. Aegon had to marry sooner or later; no other noble house would agree to send their daughter to Oldtown to be raised as his wife. Tyrells were always trusted allies of Hightowers, sharing similar goals and values. A marriage alliance with them would not only secure Hightower's position in court but also strengthen Aegon's claim to the Iron Throne. ''It is a decision we can't rush.'' He finally answered.

''I am not rushing you, Otto. You are welcome to stay as long as you like.'' Tyrell raised his hand, waving. ''Marcella, come!''

A shorter girl in a blue dress turned around. She was plump, with healthy fat on her cheeks and legs. Her hair, plaited in two heavy braids, jumped when she ran over to her father, a wide smile on her face. ''Father, who is this guest?'' she asked, looking up at him with curious eyes.

''Ser Otto Hightower, darling.''

The child curtsied rather clumsily, trying her best not to fall. Fillis chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately.

''Tell me, Marcella, do you want to be a princess?" Hightower asked, his careful eyes studying the girl as if she were some rare bird. The child looked at her father, who also watched her, and thought for a moment.

''No.'' She shook her head. ''I want to be the Queen.''

Of course, the girl assumed it was a new game her father came up with; she was too young to understand the weight those words held. The men were silent for a moment until Tyrell spoke.

''I'll be your brave knight then.'' He scooped Marcella up in his arms and spun her around, causing her to giggle with delight.

Otto watched them for a while, his thoughts far from the happy laughter. He will think about the offer later, careful not to make a mistake. For now, he can put it aside and finally speak to Fillis as a trusted friend, not as a strategic recourse.

Otto stayed at the Highgarden for two more weeks, wandering through the gardens and walls of the city. He spent a lot of restless nights in the guest room, thinking about the proposal. It was not the girl that concerned him; the child was clever and vibrant, running around the castle, much to the dismay of the hoard of maids that followed her around. What kept him up at night was the possibility of a better deal that could come later.

Tyrell was a patient man, although every patience has its limit, so as soon as the decision was made, Otto knocked at the door of his friend's chambers. Fillis was not alone, as usual; his daughters sat near the window, writing as he worked.

''Ser Otto!'' The older girl, Elize, stood up from her seat and nudged the younger one to move. Marcella waved a piece of paper with smudged ink all over it at him.

''We are writing, Ser Otto," she chirped, an accusing intonation evident, as if Otto had disrupted them from a very important task.

''I see.'' He tried to catch a glimpse of the words on the page, but the ink was too smudged to make out anything coherent.

''Girls, we will dine together later. Now run along, my dear. We have important matters to discuss with Ser Otto.''

The older girl nodded obediently and scampered off, grabbing her sister and leaving the two men alone in the quiet room. Otto cleared his throat.

''We accept your offer. Aegon will marry your younger daughter once they are of age.''

''Good.'' Fillis nodded, a wrinkle on his forehead disappearing. ''What about the King?''

''Alicent has her ways.'' Otto paused. ''The girl will study in Oldtown from the age of eleven. She will eat and live as my house's guest and receive the best education the Citadel can offer. I already sent a letter home.''

Fillis nodded again. ''It seems like a definite plan,'' he said. ''When will we make an announcement?''

''No need to hurry with that; the children are still young. We have time.''

The two men delved into a deep discussion about politics and economics, their voices hushed as they strategized for the future of the Realm. Hours passed before they finally emerged from the room, tired but satisfied with their progress. By the time they parted ways, Otto felt confident that he had made the right decision. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him as he made his way back to his chambers.

Summer of the year 118 AC,

Highgarden

The castle's residents all stood in the courtyard, ready to say their goodbyes to the second daughter of Lord Fillis. Horses huffed under the burning sun, stablemen manoeuvring around them with buckles of water. What seemed like dozens of chests filled a few carriages. Everything seemed familiar, except for one man. With his finer armour and the confidence of a skilled fighter, he stood out the most.

Ser Ywain was one of the Fillis's most trusted knights, serving House Tyrell for more than ten years. He had swarthy, rough skin and thick black braids with golden rings braided in them. A massive scar was evident on his neck, and he wore it like a glorious prize. House Ambrose was small but was famous for its deadly fighters; their motto ''Never Resting'' was not an exaggeration; Ywain trained more than anyone here did, despite not needing to. For now, the man resorted to giving occasional orders to soldiers around him, his voice calm but laced with authority.

The man of the house found himself once again growing impatient. Was it from worry or the hot sun above his head? The whole thing started to get on his nerves. Fillis didn't want to lose sight of his children even for a minute since his wife's death, let alone send one to a city he held no control over. But Tyrells weren't the one to break their agreements. ''For the love of Gods, where's your sister?'' he asked his older daughter, who was waiting beside him.

Elize shrugged her shoulders, unsure of where her younger sister had gone. ''She said she was almost ready to leave.'' She, too, was getting tired of waiting.

Fillis sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Just as he wanted to fetch someone to find his child, she came running.

''I'm here, I'm here!'' Marcella shouted, her voice breathy. ''I'm ready now.''

''You better be," her sister scoffed.

''Darling, it's time we say our goodbyes.'' Fillis started, the irritation in his voice long gone. His daughter's eyes reminded him so much of his childhood. The same curiosity and spirit sparkled in them. While her sister, Elize, took a lot after him, Marcella looked like her mother. Tyrell could only hope they shared only good qualities. ''Be good. You will bring great honour to our house. And remember - I and Elize will wait for your letters here. Okay?''

Marcella nodded, tears streaming down her face. Fillis wiped them away gently, his heart heavy with the weight of their impending departure.

''Come here,'' Elize mumbled, tears staining her face as well. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she did love her younger sister.

''I read your letters to that Tully. Gross.'' Marcella whispered to her sister before running to the carriage with a speed only an eleven-year-old could possess.

''Marcella!'' Elize shouted, her sentiments long forgotten. The younger girl only laughed.

As Elize watched her sister disappear into the carriage, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Marcella was always so carefree and full of life. It was as if nothing could ever bring her down. Elize, on the other hand, felt weighed down by the responsibilities that came with being the eldest. Despite being the one to inherit the Highgarden, she always lost the race for her father's love.

As the procession started to move, she felt her father's heavy arm on her shoulder.

''I guess it's just two of us from now on, darling. So, tell me about that Tully.''

Elize felt her cheeks redden. It's going to be a long day.

To the Lord of Highgarden and his daughter, Lady Elize Tyrell, greetings and deepest love.

The oldest city greeted me well. Lord Ormund Hightower and his family are the kindest of people. Their hospitality has been unmatched, and I am grateful for their warm welcome. The grand feast was held in honour of our house upon my arrival.

Politics and economics fascinate me, but I also enjoy more lighthearted pursuits, such as dancing and horse riding. There is something so freeing about moving your body to music or feeling the wind in your hair as you ride through the countryside. And yet, despite all of these activities, I always make time for writing. So when I write to you, know that it comes from a place of deep sincerity and affection.

To my pity, I haven't been able to see much of the city yet, but one building caught my eye. If I am not mistaken, it is a new Sept. I hope to visit it one day, for I am sure it is even more stunning from the inside.

These things, about which I write to you, are only a few of the many that I have done here. May the Seven watch over you, and may your lands prosper and your people thrive under your wise leadership.

Written in the summer of the year 118 AC

Your loving sister and daughter,

Lady Marcella of Noble House Tyrell

#hotd #hotd aegon #hotd fanfic #aegon targaryen #aegon the second #ofc #aegon ii x oc #aegon ii targaryen #aegon ii #tyrell #game of thrones #got #medieval #fantasy #court

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