#even more so with these floods... perhaps receiving a gift would cheer me up a little😭.. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

willowedwisteria · 2 years

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Summary -> After a long day, all the cats want to do is cuddle up in your arms and receive your attention. It seems like you're too tired to give them what they want.

Featuring -> Venti, Arataki Itto, Shenhe

Genre -> Fluff

Itto

For a cat, he's quite large and tall in size. You could see smaller cats laying on his back as he ran around in his usual, hyper state. (They got irritated by how much he was moving and couldn't sleep in peace)

There always seems to be another cat next to him to stop him from doing anything... crazy.

He's the cat that gets so confused once the Cafe opens up. People are flooding inside and you seem to be so occupied with whatever you're doing.

Hey, but that food looks pretty good, could he have some?

Aligning with his bright, cheery personality, he's joined the entertainer squad. I can tell you that kids adore him. Kids love decorating his fur with stuff and he always keeps on this reindeer headband.

The antlers of the headband are his supposed horns.

The moment the Cafe begins to empty out, Itto comes running to your feet. Similar to a puppy, he sits upright, staring at you. But even after he sits there so obediently, you yawn and walk past him.

Do you think that'll stop him? No! He's the mighty Arataki Itto! Whatever negative energy you're giving to him will disappear once he cheers you up.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" At least that's what he's trying to say, but all you can hear is a bunch of meows. "So... you look like you could use a pal since so many people suddenly asked for the food that you made - which was probably supposed to be mine."

Another round of mewling with you just sitting there listening to him as if you could understand him.

"Y'know, I kinda... got you a gift!" Itto drags out a pretty stone he found outside. (He was supposed to be doing his job as an entertainer to the customers... but we can ignore the fact that he ran outside when a customer opened the door to leave.)

(Shinobu had to help him back inside the Cafe since he didn't know how to open the door to get back inside)

You pick up the stone and raise it, inspecting it. "Looks cool to me, thanks." You smile, patting his head. Itto cuddles up into your lap and you softly squish his face in your hands, "What a cheeky little cat, well I can't really call you little."

Shenhe

Quite a feisty one, with a lot of curiosity mixed into it. However, it's not the logical type of curiosity like Albedo. She's more... dangerous.

Once, you caught her putting a flower into her mouth just to see what it tastes like. You could kind of understand the time when Albedo took a sip of your coffee because you actually drank it, but a flower out of nowhere...

Usually, you couldn't let her be with the customers much due to her mannerisms. Though, due to her rare appearances and distant personality, many of your regulars would jest about it and say that she brings them luck.

Shenhe likes her position as an observer, she has her place laying on a hanging light to watch out for any "evildoers". Sometimes Xiao joins her, and sometimes he's forced to entertain.

"Your grace," Shenhe calls out for you in form of mewls, "you look... tired. Would you like something to eat?"

Yet, despite her offer, you just yawned and walked past her to your own quarters. Perhaps you didn't hear her? Or... were you ignoring her?!

Oh dear.

Shenhe immediately reaches her hands into the cookie jar - that was supposed to be for customers, she clamps the cookie in her hand before accidentally dropping it on the counter.

Biting the cookie, she runs to your side and places the treat onto your empty palm. Worried about the possibilities of your reaction, Shenhe steps back a bit when you tried to pat her fur.

"Awh, thanks. But I need to check if you still have any crumbs in your mouth. If you swallowed any of the chocolate chip cookies I made, I'm bringing you to the vet."

Shenhe had no idea where or what the vet even was, but she trusts that you wouldn't bring her to a place that would cause her harm.

Venti

Jeez, this energetic, carefree furball of a cat. He can jump pretty high and there always seems to be a nice breeze of wind when you go out with him.

He's, of course, one of the dear entertainers. Venti's the perfect idealization of that lovable, fun cat that kids would adore.

Thanks to this, there's always a rivalry between him and Itto about who the kids like better. Though, I think Itto is the only one taking this competition between Venti and him seriously.

There was this one occasion where one of your regulars brought their guitar in since they were going to practice right after their visit to your Cafe.

Venti's been mesmerized by the guitar and has been the calmest and still the moment your regular pull out their guitar. He's even played a few notes - of course with some help.

Because of how cheery Venti seemed to be, you bought him a ukelele. Albeit, it's smaller, he's a small cat as well though.

Once you flip the sign hanging from your glass door and heave a sigh of relief, Venti almost instantly rushes up to you, jumping into your arms.

You melt into your couch and let Venti down, ready for a good nap. But I don't think Venti will let you.

Long before you could fall asleep, you feel Venti tugging your food left and right with his paws. He's staring right at you, a desperate look in his eyes.

"Pffft, okay." You laugh at his antics, "Come here."

That disheartened shine in his eyes grew brighter into something more hopeful and merry. Venti curls up on your stomach when you lay down, hugging your hand the moment you tried to touch his fur.

As the minutes slowly pass, you both feel your dreary eyes shutting as you begin to drift off into a deep sleep. Let's hope the other cats will let Venti have his moment.

Tag list -> @under-a-starry-night, @yourfaveisblack, @bardisipatos, @callmemeelah, @kithewanderingme, @my-white-canvas, @bamboowrites/@bamboowritess, @uchihaeirin, @karmawonders, @lunavixia, @anfre109, @gi-archives

Special tags -> @chocoenvy, @emilemovhi, @i-put-the-yan-in-polyandry, @bardisipatos, @mari-san-cant, @yuzuricebun, @sweetstrawberrybabe, @ventivity, @mei-cheng, @euthym1as, @lotterymology, @lina-andel

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threadofdestiny · 3 years

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Magnolia (Bakugou x f!Reader)

Feudal Japan AU

Shogun!Bakugou x Midoriya’s sister!reader

Summery: Her mother, lady Midoriya Inko, had once told her that the gods had predestined a path for every single person. All she had to do was follow the path and trust that it would lead her to happiness. But how could (Y/N) find happiness in a political formed marriage with her brother’s rival, a man known for being brutal and cold hearted?

Warnings: sexual content in later chapters / period-typical-sexism / strong language / violence / Drama / Angst / Fluff / Slow Burn/ political marriage / Reader is Izuku's sister / period-typical-discriptions like vague mentions of longer hair to form typical hairstyles or specific wardrobe / Bakugou is not good at feelings / Bakugou is a mean, explosive boi / third-person perspektive

Wattpad

AO3

If someone wants to be tagged, just let me know :)

Taglist: @bakugous-mamas, @bnhastories

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Vermilion

The night after (Y/N) found out that she was engaged with Bakugou Katsuki, was immensly exhausting. She had barely been able to find any sleep. Plagued by nightmares, she had tossed and turned in her bed until she had given up trying to find any rest after the first rays of sun peeked through her closed curtains. Her brother had hesitantly tried to describe what he knew about her future husband and although his descriptions remained vague and superficial, the young Miss Midoriya was quite good at reading between his meaningless lines.

„Bakugou is a loyal man of the crown who always act in its interest."

„He is a strong-willed and talented swordsman, who would be able to provide a safe home for you."

„He may be said to be rough tempered, but I am sure he will always treat you well."

It hadn't felt like Izuku had tried to lie to her. In a way, he had seemed to be convinced of his statements... and yet... no matter how many positive words he had used, his face had allways betrayed how worried he had been nonetheless. As if there had been a number of concerns that had slumbered right under his surface, which he eventually had not dared to express. (Y/N) had quickly realized that her brother had deliberately kept his true opinions to himself. She knew that he only had wanted to encourage her, but at night, while she had been all alone by herself, she had not been able to prevent her thoughts from wandering along darker places.

It was said that Bakugou's eyes were tinted in the blood of his enemies he had shed over the years as a Samurai. Those cruel red eyes hunted her within her dreams, followed her no matter which direction she had turned and found her no matter where she had tried to hide herself.

His mercilessness and explosive personality were almost as notorious as his talent with the sword. It was said that he had no qualms about turning his blade even on innocent people. These rumors, created the visions of screaming shadows within her sleep. Their cries echoed like panicked pleas to be spared by him, but the ground on which (Y/N) had stood was flooded in red non the less. Those imaginations had plagued the youngest Midoriya through the entire night, haunting her mercilessly until she had lain wide awake in her bed. With widened eyes she had stared up at her ceiling, while she had tried to imagine the man who was going to be her husband.

When (Y/N) had got up a few hours later, she had been incredibly exhausted. She had tried not to let it show, but she could not prevent her thoughts from drifting away over and over again. She had spent the morning as usual at her mother's side, who, in addition to her usual duties as the female head of the household, had also received several guests. Some of them had been mothers of various bachelors, who had cautiously tried to win Lady Inko over for a potential marriage, but all of them had been discreetly put off by the mistress of the house, without her telling them about the still unofficial engagement between Bakugou Katsuki and her precious daughter.

Now, however, the young girl sat alone with her mother and brother, lost in thoughts, at a richly set table that had been placed in the shade on the roofed engawa of their estate. The young debutante ponderously let her gaze glide over the well-tended garden, unable to fully absorb the true beauty of the scenery which spread out in front of her. With dulled thoughts, (Y/N) contented herself with impassively observing the birds as they bustled about the branches of the flowering magnolia in the middle of their courtyard, while she pondered over the missed opportunities to collect more marriageable candidates for her to choose from.

"I wish I could cheer you up a bit, my dear.", Lady Inko snapped her daughter out of her mopey thoughts after a few minutes of silence, as she carefully set the ornate teapot down between them. Slowly, (Y/N) raised her gaze, only to find that her mother had poured tea for her and her brother, although this would actually have been the youngest Midoriya's task. Swallowing, she bowed her head apologetically before gratefully grasping the warm porcelain of her cup. "Thank you, mother.", (Y/N) whispered, before she carefully pursed her lips to cool the warm liquid with gentle puffs.

"Do not despair. Who knows maybe you will learn to feel deeply for the young shogun. The gods sometimes shape the strangest paths for a person and yet it all makes sense in the end.", Lady Midoriya carefully reassured her daughter as Izuku tried not to choke on his own drink. "Who knows, Izu-chan probably would have introduced you to gentlemen like the youngest son of the Iida family, or the heir of the Kaminari family, who also have their residents in the capital. Both of these gentlemen are known to you. What do you think of them? Wouldn't the gods have led you to them if they thought that they would be the right choice for you?", she asked, knowing what her daughter would think, while gently patting her son's arm in reassurance. "Mother...please! I don't really think that this is helpful.", Izuku mumbled into his teacup as he averted his eyes from the ladies of his household. The latter, however, just waved it off with a soft smile before pushing the plate of pastries in her children's direction. Gulping down the warming tea, (Y/N) suppressed a sigh before engaging in her mother's musings:"Well... ", she began cautiously, taking a deep breath, before she continued: "I'd say one of Iida-sama's greatest qualities is his erudition! He's a very intelligent man.", the youngest Midoriya murmured vaguely, but at the same time she thought of his stiff manners. He was a strict man who did not seem to welcome curious woman. (Y/N) was a passionate reader, who acquired all kinds of knowledge. This would certainly not be a problem, she thought, but with theoretical knowledge often came the need to try out practical skills, and this was not always appropriate for a girl of her status. What would Iida say if he knew that the little sister of one of his best friends, for example, liked to shoot with a bow?

"and... Kaminari-sama's energetic nature is quite contagious and exhilarating!", (Y/N) added after a short pause, having remembered her mother's questions again. Thoughtfully, her mind wandered to the open-hearted blond man, while she remembered how she had often observed him flirting shamelessly with various ladies. Moreover, she had been dismayed to discover in the past that, unlike Iida, he seemed to avoid reading of any kind. It would have made it difficult to have a conversation with him that went beyond superficial topics. When she thought about it, these men would certainly not have been people with whom (Y/N) could have imagined a future on the first sight. Perhaps just like her mother had said, she should actually remind herself once again that not everything had to make sense immediately. Maybe the gods had actually set a path for her. But it was just so incredibly hard to see the positive in her situation and to keep herself open minded. She took it upon herself, but the thought that her mother might be wrong made her skin crawl in anxiety.

"I think it's all a matter of adjustment. After the gods have given me a path, it is up to me to walk along it.", she finished her terse answers half-heartedly.

The debutante's enumeration came to an abrupt end when her personal maid, Mina, announced herself with an apologetic clearing of her throat. When (Y/N) turned around, the young girl was surprised to see another unfamiliar female standing next to her, her upper body almost completely covered by a huge bouquet of colorful flowers. The various blossoms shone in full bloom, some of which normally should not even have been in their actual blooming season. No matter who had sent this bouquet, it must have cost a small fortune.

"Forgive the intrusion, my lord, but I was instructed to lead this young girl to you and your family.", the cheerful servant began, bowing as she folded her arms behind her back. The unassuming girl next to Mina also bowed dutifully, despite the fact that the bouquet certainly did not make it easy for her. "T-This is a gift for Miss Midoriya, my Lord!", the girl explained quietly, while she showcased the flowers with a bowed head. Izuku gave the young girls a gentle smile before raising his scarred hand in a placating gesture. "What a splendid bouquet.", his mother remarked with curious gentleness before turning to smile bittersweetly at her daughter, who had also put on a discreet smile on her lips. "Which of the noble lords had send this bouquet, Mina-chan?", asked (Y/N) with mild curiosity as she rose to take a closer look at the flowers. She knew better than to be lulled by anyone other than her fiancé, but the plants seemed so expensive and rare that it would be a shame not to give them some attention. Even more so when a maid of the local household brought them over personally. It could be taken as an affront against the noble,if she would simply ignore the gift.

"They're from the young shogun, Bakugou-sama, Miss (Y/N)!", replied Mina excitedly, as she clapped her hands together in front of her chest. "He also sends word that he will be visiting Midoriya-sama towards the evening to negotiate the wedding matters.", the unknown servant added. A loud clang sounded behind the girls, who flinched in surprise. Shocked, (Y/N) turned to her brother, whose teacup had slipped from his hand. A multitude of emotions spread across the face of her brother, but his discomfort seemed to stand out the most. The tension in his face clearly showed that Izuku was not happy about the news, but he nodded non the less.

The knowledge that Bakugou Katsuki would enter the Midoriya family estate that very evening had caused an incredible uneasiness in (Y/N)'s stomach. Uncertainty and curiosity tried to gain the upper hand of her shaken feelings, while she had tried to continue her day as usual, but even the surprise visit of her friend, Ochako, had not been enough to successfully distract her. No matter how hard (Y/N) had tried to follow her friend's recounting of her evening last night, the young Midoriya simply hadn't been able to block out the loitering feeling of nervousness.

Izuku had retired to his study some time ago when a servant had informed him that the shogun had finally arrived. The ladies of the house had not yet seen their second guest of the evening, but all present had felt the tension that had settled around them like a thick fog. At this very moment, Izuku and her fiance negotiated about important aspects, which would determine her entire future life. Lost in her troubled thoughts, (Y/N) imagined how they possibly were talking about her dowry at this moment, or setting the date of their wedding, while the young girl did not even know what her future husband looked like. Would he introduce himself to her tonight? Did he even care that they were actually only a few meters and a few thin walls apart from each other at this very moment?

"Hey... (Y/N)... how about we take a stroll through your backyard, streching our legs out for a bit?", Ochako carefully interrupted her friend's train of thought when she noticed that (Y/N) was starting to drift off again. Surprised, the young girl tore her gaze from the bouquet of flowers that had been placed on an ornamental table next to the salon's open sliding doors. "I'd love to.", (Y/N) answered as she blinked a few times, before setting down her cooled teacup, that had rested in her palms unmoved for a few minutes. Followed by the brunette debutante, she entered the gardens of the Midoriya family estate, which directly bordered the salon in which they had sat before.

The gentle breeze that playfully blew around them made the leaves and branches of the plants dance to the music of the birds, while the rays of the late afternoon sun engulfed their surroundings in radiant light. In the midst of a sea of lush green trees, lawns and bushes, the blooming magnolia that her grandfather had planted for her grandmother many years ago as a testament to his true love towards her, stood out in its proud splendor. Since then, it has bloomed every spring with its soft pink and white blossoms in the center of their small idyllic paradise.

Sighing, (Y/N) looked up into said treetop as she arrived at the precious memento accompanied by her friend. "My apologies for being so absent today.", the youngest Midoriya murmured before turning to Ochako, who looked at her with a sad expression on her round face. Shaking her head, the young brown-haired girl put on a smile as she folded her hands in front of her. "Don't worry about it. I understand how you feel. It's certainly overwhelming to be promised by the emperor to one of his subordinates right after your performance the day before yesterday."

Nodding hesitantly, (Y/N) stroked the gauzy white fabric of her upper robe, smoothing it over the lower burgundy wide sleeves. With erratic fingers, she then ran them over the gold threaded embroidered obi, adjusting the decorative ribbons that hung down the sides of her traditional gown. Seeking distraction, (Y/N)'s gaze wandered to the closed doors of her brother's study, which also adjoined the gardens they were strolling through. Knowing that behind those thin walls, hidden away from her gaze, was her fiancé speaking to Izuku, made her incredibly nervous. Quickly the youngest Midoriya turned away to look at her friend again, not able to gaze towards her home any longer. She didn't dare to look into the round window, which was supposed to let daylight into the room behind, for fear of having to face reality once and for all. At the moment her fate was still completely surreal for her, but what if she would see the man she was going to marry soon? It would make her whole destiny so much more real.

"I know it is an honor that the Emperor himself asked for this allegiance, but I must admit that this sudden change of events churn me a bit!" Ochako nodded in understanding before also looking thoughtfully in the direction of the house. "You know... The other side of the coin has its downsides, too. My father can barely afford the standard of living we have to lead as nobles. It will be difficult to find a family that will be satisfied with the little influence and the small dowry I am able to provide...", she murmured gloomily. Briefly, the young Miss Uraraka's expression changed as she looked longingly at the window that leads to her brother's study. How could (Y/N) have thought so selfishly only of herself, when she knew that her friend had it at least as hard as she did. With a fluid motion, the youngest Midoriya placed her hand on her friends upper arm as she stepped a little closer to her. "I wish I could support you somehow!", (Y/N) murmured comfortingly. "You know, you are really very very lucky. Your brother... I mean, Midoriya-sama will definitely make sure that you'll be fine by Bakugou-sama's side! He would never let him hurt you!", assured Ochako again with newfound energy as she confidently turned back to the daughter of the house. The sadness that had previously gleamed in the brunette girl's eyes had vanished without a trace. Sympathetically, (Y/N) smiled at her friend, knowing that she did not want to talk about the subject any further. Just as she was about to change the direction of their conversation, the sound of sliding doors distracted the two girls instantly.

Immediately, (Y/N) looked up to direct her gaze towards the house, only to finally discover her brother in the doorway of his study. When she realized that there were two other unknown figures standing behind him in the shadows of the room, the young Midoriya's breath caught for a moment. Two finely dressed, tall men slowly stepped into the light of the sun and, accompanied by Izuku, headed purposefully towards the young ladies. One of them had ash blond spiky hair, who was followed by a red-haired warrior. The clothes and the traditional katana they carried distinguished them as nobles of the sword, but it was quite clear even from a distance that the blond man stood rank-technically above the redheads. His attire was a bit more finer, than the others, but it was mainly the nature of his attitude that betrayed him the most. He came towards her as if he owned the ground on which he walked. Everything about his aura demanded that they had to submit to him.

Bakugou Katsuki.

At the sight of the handsome, albeit somber looking man, (Y/N)'s heart began to take a few leaps until it finally began to pound wildly against her chest.

"O-Oh, by the gods. Th-That has to be the shogun.", Ochako breathed softly. The young Midoriya could hear the trembling in her friend's voice, but she had to give her credit for standing firm just like (Y/N), trying not to let her intimidation show. A tepid breeze caused the light hanfu robes the two ladies wore, to dance around their legs, while a few petals of the magnolia blossoms rained down upon them. Despite the fact that she was surrounded by fresh spring air, (Y/N) felt like she couldn't catch her breath while facing the formidable gentleman. However, she didn't know if it was due to the unawareness of the powerful man's reaction towards her, or if perhaps this feeling had a completely different origin.

The expression in the gaze that Bakugou Katsuki had directed at the figure of the young Midoriya could only be described as penetrating, attentive and calculating. She had never met a person who was able to conjure up such an aura with only his bare focused eyes. Only briefly did he detach his attention from her to look at Ochako with his sharp gaze. Izuku's posture was tense as he walked up to his sister beside the shogun. Bakugou, on the other hand, looked as if he wasn't the least bit interested in the whole situation. He strode confidently towards his fiance, while his chimney red eyes once again stared down at her warily.

His gaze had been enough to free (Y/N) from her rigidity and ensured that she finally managed to get herself to move accordingly. Just before his arrival, she fell into a deep curtsy, which at that moment was more of a testament to her brilliant muscle memory, than a conscious act. But she managed to remember her manners, chastely lowering her gaze and remaining in the offering position long enough for the gentlemen to come to a stop in front of her and her close friend.

"So, this is your sister? Well, she truly is a lovely creature, Midoriya-san.", interrupted a friendly but unfamiliar voice the emerging silence. (Y/N) attributed it to the red-haired man, because the pitch seemed too friendly to belong to the notorious shogun. With downcast eyelids, she listened how her brother thanked his guest as he slowly moved to stand beside her smaller frame. The youngest Midoriya still hadn't lifted her gaze entirely, knowing that it was not proper for an unmarried woman to lift her eyes without further ado. However, her mind remained by the fact that the red haired men had spoken up before her fiance had said a word. It had surprised (Y/N), after all he was in the company of someone who outranked him. She had rarely seen anyone dare to speak openly in front of those who were above them.

"Oi, lift your gaze and look at me, girl!", growled Bakugou suddenly, without uttering a word of greeting. His companion clicked his tongue softly when he heard how his leader approached his fiance, while Izuku began to tense up in front of the shogun. Immediately, (Y/N) raised her fluttering eyelids and fixed her gaze on the nobleman's handsome face. Did Bakugou want her to look him in the eyes?

Despite her inner uncertainty, the young Midoriya's gaze wandered over the sharp edges of his contours until finally they slowly collided with the young shogun's iris.

Vermilion

His eyes had a vermilion color.

(Y/N) could understand why so many scary rumors circulated about the color of his eyes, but her first association was not the one she had heard from others. She could see why people associated them with the blood of his enemies, but the youngest Midoriya first thoughts were of the deep red of the sky as soon as the rising sun blinked out just a few inches above the horizon. Then, when the world was almost still haunted by the blackness of the night, before it was slowly but surely chased away by the first warm rays of pure light.

With quick breaths, (Y/N) looked speechlessly at her future husband while trying to suppress the nervous trembling of her body. She could sense Ochako behind her, shifting her weight, shocked as she tried to take in the spectacle in front of her as well. (Y/N), however, continued to do as she was commanded and looked bravely into the face of the shogun. It showed the indomitable will which lay dormant in the depths of his body. The will that was able to break even the strongest fighting spirit of his opponents. The youngest Midoriya knew that she should have felt fear at the sight of him, but all she could think of was the envy that arose in her when she realized what a strong character must reside in this man. How much power he posessed at such a young age.

Silence spread like a heavy blanket over the five nobles, all waiting for the highest ranked to speak again, but Bakugou seemed to be in no hurry. Almost testing, he delayed the moment as he looked down at her in a scrutinizing manner.

"Bakugou Katsuki.", her fiancé finally introduced himself impassively after nodding towards her. For a moment she had thought that she saw a positive emotion in the features of her future husband, but after just a single blink, the moment had already passed away. One more time, (Y/N) sank into a curtsy before putting on a shy, shaky smile. "Midoriya (Y/N). It's an honor to meet you, your grace.", she replied kindly. Silence spread out between the present, while the young couple looked at each other closely. However, Bakugou's companion broke it again before it was getting to be too awkward, waving at her with a radiant smile on his lips:"If I may introduce myself as well. My name is Kirishima Eijirou. I am one of the samurai who followed Bakugou-sama's lead. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Midoriya and Miss eh?"

Surprised that the young man next to the young shogun had again simply spoken up without hesitation, (Y/N)'s attention briefly swung to the red-haired, muscular samurai. How was it that he dared to speak even though his superior was standing right next to him? Bakugou, however, didn't seem to mind, as he waited a short moment, while Ochako hastily introduce herself, without taking his eyes off of (Y/N).

After the brown-haired girl finished her introduction, the shogun cleared his throat in desinterest. He paid no further attention to his future wife's guest, clearly intending on keeping the conversation as short as possible as he began to declair in a business-like manner: "The negotiations for our engagement have been completed. After the proper engagement period has passed, I will come back to the capital to perform the wedding with you. Until then, I will travel back to my estate in the north." Overwhelmed by the statement, the young Midoriya swallowed down the rising lump before nodding hesitantly: "W-When will you be leaving?", the young lady asked after collecting herself. "In a week!" "In a week? But...", (Y/N) gasped, before breaking off her sentence. It was not her place to object, but she had hoped to at least meet Bakugou a few times before having to marry him.

Kirishima quickly stepped in again, smiling and trying to lighten the mood a bit, after noticing that his leader would say nothing in reply: "Duty calls, milady. But once we're back in town, Bakugou-sama will certainly be able to take up more time to get to know you before the wedding.", he suggested with a bright smile as he bumped his fists against each other in a confident manner. "Maybe... but now Kirishima and I will have to leave! The negotiatons took too much of my time already.", the shogun gave out without showing any interesest in indulgin any of them.

Surprised, (Y/N)'s eyes widened at the curt statement. Had she done something wrong? Why did he want to leave so soon, if he would be gone within the next week? Was he upset that she hadn't been able to hold her tongue? Swallowing, she searched the man's face for an answer, but could find no clues in his closed off expression. Strangely, a trace of disappointment spread through her as she watched the blond man resolutely incline his head in a farewell. Immediately, the youngest Midoriya and Ochako fell back into a deep curtsy as they bowed their heads in supplication.

Before (Y/N) could straighten up again, however, she felt a small oblong box being pressed into her hands. For a brief moment, rough, long fingers brushed against hers, but when she looked up in surprise, she realized miserably that Bakugou, who gave her the gift, had already turned away from her. With a wildly beating heart, she pressed the wooden box to her chest as she watched how Bakugou, was walking away from her without any hesitation in his steps.

How could she face her destiny and fight for her happiness when she was given no choice to do so? If she let him go without another word, wouldn't she have already failed in her purpose? She had to use the time she had left and pray that the gods would lead her graciously. On impulse, (Y/N) took a leap forward despite her intimidated self, before trying to build a bridge between Bakugou and her, even if it meant that she had to use her voice:"T-The spring Festival!" A shiver ran down her spine as the youngest Midoriya saw the shogun pause and turn to face her. "The festival to celebrate the cherry blossoms. The day after tomorrow evening in the emperor's gardens. W-will you be there, your Grace?", she asked, after having scraped together all of her courage. She could see Kirishima turn around as well and look at her with another radiant smile, while her brother looked like he was about to faint. Bakugou, on the other hand, looked at her appraisingly for a few moments before raising his shoulders in a vague gesture. "I'll be busy with the preparation for the following journey!", he replied impassively as he spun around again. Dejectedly, (Y/N) lowered her gaze, before she suddenly heard how her fiancé continued to speak: "I'll see if I can spare some time."

Eyes widening, (Y/N) gazed after Bakugou as she tried to comprehend what he had just uttered. A shaky smile spread across her lips before she bowed again, though the Shogun could not see this while he headed to the entrance of the estate. "Thank you. I look forward to eventually meeting you there."

#bnha #mha #bakugou x reader #Bakugou x female reader #bakugou x yn #Bakugou #Bakugou Katsuki #midoriya izuku #deku #Shogun!Bakugou

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kumeko · 3 years

Text

A/N: For the @setlethzine Courage, My Love zine! I wanted to give the Seteth the rom-com he Flayn deserves.

…

In his many, many centuries of living, there were a few things that Seteth knew to be true: Flayn was adorable and needed to be protected, Rhea was far more secretive than she ought to be, and he definitely wasn’t developing feelings for the new teacher. Well, new might not be the right word to apply considering everything, but the point still stood. No matter how much Rhea teased and Flayn blushed, he didn’t have one of those so-called ‘crushes’.

The only reason he had even started watching her was because Rhea had been so adamantly quiet about why she was even here, and someone had to protect Rhea and Flayn. The world was dangerous. Their foes were hidden in every corner. Fortunately, his extensive research proved that Byleth wasn’t evil. Strange and mysterious, certainly, but not evil.

And if his eye was still drawn to her, it was only because he was used to watching her. His ears strained for her every word out of habit. He was so used to his role as investigator that he hadn’t adjusted to co-worker. That was all, honestly.

That was also the reason he was sitting right now in the courtyard, strumming his fingers impatiently on the metal table as he glanced around for Byleth. At this point, she was five minutes late for their meeting. Tardiness was a terrible attribute for a professor. Seteth brushed a finger against the teapot; the ceramic still felt warm. That was a relief. After acquiring one of Manuela’s finer teas and a spread of snacks from the kitchen, he would be rather put out if Byleth didn’t get to enjoy them. It took a lot of effort to ensure the meal complimented the tea.

A shadow fell on him and Seteth looked up as Byleth slid into her seat. Frowning, he crossed his arms. “You are late.”

“My students had questions,” Byleth explained simply, straight to the fact. It was one of the few traits he admired her for. When one worked with the long-winded Hanneman, the boisterous Alois, and the dramatic Manuela, he was grateful that Byleth was the exact opposite of that. Very few words escaped her mouth, each one carefully picked, and Seteth only hoped that she would be a good influence on the others.

“That is the mark of a good teacher. It is your duty to ensure your students get the best help possible. Do not apologize for it,” Seteth praised, giving her an appreciative smile. This was definitely better than certain teachers’ propensity to arrive late due to alcohol or obsessive experimenting. “Would you like some tea?”

Byleth shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” She shook her head once more and he felt a little disappointed at that, but it couldn’t be helped if she wasn’t interested. Still, tea wasn’t the only item he’d prepared. “Perhaps a biscuit or a cookie?”

Once more, Byleth shook her head. “What did you call me here for?”

“Well, that is…” Seteth trailed off. There wasn’t really any particular reason he called her here, he just wanted to get to know her better. He smiled reassuringly. “I was hoping to spend time with you.”

Somehow, she didn’t look the least bit reassured. If anything, her back straightened slightly and she was as tense as she was on the battlefield. Perched on the edge of her seat, she wore a determined expression and asked, “Have I done something wrong?”

“What?” Well, now he knew what her enemies must have seen before she defeated them. Perhaps he had said something erroneous. Clearing his throat, he clarified, “No, nothing of the sort. As I previously stated, I merely desire to spend time with you. You have had tea parties with the students; think of this as one of those.”

Byleth nodded slowly. She clasped her hands on her lap, looking at him expectantly. “Then I made a mistake with the tea party.”

“No, that is not what I intended…” Seteth trailed off, recalling the few times he had spotted (not spied) Byleth in the courtyard. Actually, now that he considered it, there had been a few things that had bothered him. This might be the chance to rectify all that. “Very well then, since you have mentioned it, your hosting etiquette does have a few flaws. We will go over the appropriate manners expected of a professor of your status.”

-x-

Seteth rubbed his brow as he climbed the stairs to Rhea’s chambers. How did everything he did turn into a lecture? That was supposed to be a casual, cheerful meeting. Instead, it had become a two-hour lesson on the art of tea parties. No wonder Manuela tensed up whenever he passed her. If anything, it was a miracle that he was even able to have normal conversations.

He would have to repent and correct his ways. Later, though, for now he stood in front of Rhea’s doors. Rapping firmly, he waited for Rhea to call him in before entering the massive chamber. The afternoon sunlight flooded through her ceiling to floor windows, casting a warm glow in the room. As expected, the archbishop was out on the terrace. She liked to tend to her flowers at this time, claiming it was a form of meditation.

“Seteth.” Crouched next to a flower, she gently lifted its bloom and admired it as she greeted him. “As punctual as ever. I do not know what I would do without you.”

“Many things, I imagine,” Seteth responded succinctly, coming to a stop next to her.

Without her headpiece on, she looked younger. It was only when they were alone, away from prying eyes, that he could see the woman he had met all those centuries ago and not the archbishop she’d become. Her eyes crinkled as she stood up and she laughed. “Seteth, are you still sore over Byleth?”

“There is nothing to be sore about.” He crossed his arms, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. “While I still think you should have at least informed me first, if not consulted, I do not mind that anymore.”

“You do not mind?” Rhea’s lips quirked as she studied him. He wasn’t sure what she was looking for, only she had found it when she smiled teasingly, “I thought I noticed a change in your demeanor.”

He stopped cold at that. Giving her a bemused look, he asked, “What do you mean?”

“I heard about your date with the professor,” she replied easily, mirth colouring her tone. “You are moving faster than I expected.”

“A d-date?” Seteth sputtered, his neck burning at the very suggestion. “Preposterous! Of all the things to suggest—we were not on a date or anything of the sort.”

“Really?” A finely shaped brow rose and she pressed, “Even though you had tea together in the garden?”

“That was merely a formality to know her better!” Seteth tried to keep his cool and not hiss. This was clearly a mistake. After all, Rhea had lived a long time and most of it alone. Perhaps she had forgotten about courtship entirely. “After all this time spent distrusting her, I wanted to improve our relationship.”

“Is that so?” Rhea answered, in a tone that suggested she did not believe a word of it.

“It is,” he replied firmly.

Rhea squeezed his shoulder before heading back to her bedroom. “It is cute to see you smitten so. Now come, we have to get through those reports.”

It was childish to continue the argument. It was childish and that was the only reason he wasn’t retorting as he followed her in.

-x-

“That is a date!”

Of all the responses he expected his daughter to utter, those hadn’t been on the list. Seteth stared at Flayn, jaw slightly open as he struggled to understand just what was happening. How did both Rhea and Flayn get such a simple thing wrong? “It is not.”

Flayn wasn’t listening to him. Hands clasped, a faraway look in her eyes, and a dreamy tone in her voice, she continued to ramble as though he hadn’t spoken. “Oh, this is the most delightful of news! I did not think the professor had caught your eye.”

Well, he couldn’t entirely argue that. “That was only to ensure your safety.”

“Love blooming from adversity—it is like one of my favourite books.” Flayn turned to him, a gentle smile on her face. “If you are concerned about Mother, do not fret. I am sure she would approve of this too.”

“That wasn’t—I wasn’t…” Seteth trailed off, not sure how he had ended up in this mess. Flayn must have been reading too many romance books recently; it was eating away at her brain and casting everything in a similar light. “While that is reassuring, that is simply not the case here. I was only trying to create a sense of camaraderie between Byleth and myself.”

“The best romances are a slow burn.” Flayn nodded her agreement. He had a feeling she hadn’t heard a word he said. “For your next step, might I suggest a gift? It is always heartwarming to receive one.”

“Why would I—” Seteth paused. Actually, now that he thought about it, a gift was a great suggestion. A well-picked one could deepen their bond and show Byleth how he intended to change their relationship. It could even serve as an apology for all the mistrust he had shown her. “A gift is perfect. Thank you, Flayn.”

“No problem.” She smiled brightly at him. “I will root for you!”

It would be a headache to correct her, so he didn’t bother.

-x-

“A gift?” Standing near the docks, Byleth looked at the long, thin package in Seteth’s hands and then back at him. Her brow furrowed as she tried to understand. “For me?”

“Yes.” Seteth held the package uncertainly. It had been hard to pick something for Byleth. The more he had thought about it, the more he had realized that he knew very little about her despite his watchful gaze. Certainly, he knew her habits in the school—how hard she worked to teach her students, the skill she showed with a weapon, the soft way she would look at the students sometimes. Yet those were habits, nothing more, and one couldn’t buy a gift based on that. While he had finally figured out what to do, it was still mostly guesswork. He hated this level of ambiguity.

“What is it for?” She still didn’t take the gift. Instead, her frown deepened.

This really wasn’t going how he had planned. Seteth held out the package insistently. “There is no particular reason. I merely thought it would suit you. Now please, accept it.”

Byleth quietly studied his face for a long moment before nodding and taking it. “Thank you.” Without another word, she tore through his meticulously folded wrapping paper.

“You could unwrap it late—” Seteth sighed, giving up when she showed no signs of stopping. Well, this was embarrassing. His cheeks warmed and he clasped his hands behind his back.

It took her a total of two minutes to remove the wrapping paper. He hoped that eagerness meant she was warming up to him. Now holding a fishing rod in her hands, Byleth gave him a puzzled look. “A fishing rod?”

The very situation he had been dreading: explaining himself. Clearing his throat, he resisted the urge to mutter. “You won the fishing tournament, a feat of skill that indicated you spend a lot of time fishing. I had inspected your rod earlier and noticed it was a little worn. It would be terrible if a fish escaped due to your gear breaking at the wrong time.” He tried to smile again. “I thought you could use this. It is a good model. I have used its like before.”

Still looking bemused, she nodded. “Thank you.”

Well, it wasn’t the joyous response he had hoped for, but it wasn’t the scared reaction she had given at the tea party either. A step forward, at least. “If you need any help with it, just ask.”

She didn’t reply, her focus already on the rod. Byleth wasn’t quite smiling, but her lips turned up as she examined the hook keeper. That was a good sign, right? That had to mean she was pleased.

Maybe.

Hopefully she wasn’t laughing at him.

-x-

“A fishing rod?” Flayn glared at him, her hands balling into fists as she paced in his bedroom. “Fa—Brother, that is not a romantic gift at all! It does not tell your loved one that you are thinking of them!”

Seteth crossed his arms defensively. “We have gone through this already, Flayn. There is nothing between the professor and I.”

“A fishing rod is too practical for a courtship gift!” Once again, she wasn’t listening to him. Maybe he should block her access to the library for a while, or sneak in some proper books into her reading. At this rate, she was going to think his every interaction with another was a sign of love. “No wonder she looked confused!”

Byleth hadn’t only looked confused. He was certain he hadn’t imagined it, the curve of her lips, the amused look on her face. It was an expression entirely unlike her usual ones, and he would know, having watched her as he had. Even her students hadn’t provoked such a reaction. The thought sent a rush through him. Perhaps he was the only one so far who had seen it.

“There is only one way to correct this mistake.” Flayn was in his face now, an earnest expression in her face as she grabbed his hands. “You must give her an even bigger gift. I have heard that serenading a lover at dawn is the purest form of love.”

“Serenading?” It was an idea he ought to reject immediately and in its entirety. Yet Flayn’s last suggestion had given him the gift of Byleth’s almost-smile. Perhaps this one could generate another smile. What would she look like, radiant and glowing, unable to hide her happiness?

He didn’t hesitate before nodding.

-x-

Standing in front of Byleth’s door, a lute in hand, Seteth silently cursed himself. This was a terrible idea. An utterly terrible idea. Not only was a serenade a romantic thing, he was also disturbing someone in the middle of the night. Just because he often rose at dawn to attend to his duties didn’t that mean Byleth did.

What had he been thinking, agreeing to this? Seteth knew the answer to that. He hadn’t been thinking at all, distracted as he had been by Byleth’s expression. Instead of smiling now, the moment she laid eyes on him, she would glare. Their relationship would go back to what it had been. This was a mistake. The only good thing was that he had come to his senses before he started playing. There was still time to turn around and leave.

There was still time—the door in front of him slowly opened and Seteth froze.

A very drunk Manuela stepped out, her hair disheveled, her dress crumpled. She stared at him for a long minute, then at the lute in his hands. “My, I must be drunker than I thought,” she mumbled, shaking her head and stumbling back into her room. “That’s it, I am not drinking for a week.”

Not only had this been a mistake, but he had gotten the wrong room. Seteth walked (not ran; he was definitely not running) away in an undignified manner.

#setleth #byleth eisner #seteth #flayn #rhea #fe3h #fanfic

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the-wolf-who-kissed-the-moon · 3 years

Text

• Randvi x female reader 💋

• Warning: mild sexual content.

a sapphire for your heart, part VII.

Time seemed to still as you slowly drowned in the depths of Randvi’s gaze. The pallid moon threw its veil around her wild, auburn braid, bringing forth her irresistible charms. How was it possible that this woman could be so effortlessly alluring? Your thoughts were scrambled, just like your heart, and all at once you lost the courage to voice your feelings.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to offer you.”

The gift you’ve carefully chosen for her was your salvation as you bought more time, and thankfully, it seemed to work miracles. Randvi shone with delight as you unfolded the shawl and its rubies shimmered brilliantly in the glow of the night sky. She must’ve never seen such intricately sewn fabrics before, because her sweet gaze never left the dunes and patterns of the teal silk she held in her hands. Your heart fluttered at the sight of joy bursting so vividly in the eyes of the woman you longed for.

You’d gift her the whole world, if you could.

“Sapphire, this is… I don’t know what to say.”

Likewise, you were speechless, but not because of the rare beauty of the shawl. You were quite used to seeing, touching, and owning priceless artifacts and riches, yet none of those made you feel more wealthy than the smouldering fire Randvi awoke in you. You felt complete, fulfilled, as if you were on top of the world, and all because she smiled at you.

“Accept it. It’s a sign of gratitude for your warm welcome.” You spoke with such confidence, you even surprised yourself.

“Reda has paid quite handsomely for your stay.” She mentioned with a brief laugh. “And you’ve proven yourself an honest woman, you will always be welcomed here.”

“I will remember that.” You nodded with a warm smile, yet you insisted on her keeping the gift and she delightfully wore it as you both returned to the longhouse.

Though you were not particularly looking forward to a feast, you endured the rowdiness and the smoke as long as you could watch her. She wore her brand new shawl with pride, receiving both compliments and envious remarks from women who’ve missed the chance to get their own. You noticed – she was quite a heavy drinker, yet alcohol was never strong enough to drown her reason. She could easily stand, walk and dance, and her sturdy form never faltered whilst her fellow Viking brothers and sisters barely kept their footing. Strong in spirit, in body, and in many other ways, Randvi towered over the group, her laughter flawless and her allure overflowing. You were mesmerized, affixed, and whilst she hadn’t caught your gaze, others sure did.

The bench you sat on sunk with another weight.

“She’s quite a woman, Sunbeam. Sigurd’s a lucky man, is he not?”

That voice was familiar – Birna, one of the warriors who accompanied you in your treasure hunt. You couldn’t look away from Randvi, yet you answered with a slow nod and a half-drunk murmur.

“Indeed he is.”

“You know… I do think she’s grown… quite fond of you.” The Viking woman mentioned between chugs of mead. Her words only fed your hopes and the wild fire which burned you from the inside. When a heavy arm rested around your shoulders, you finally looked at her – she watched you with a little smirk you couldn’t quite read in that moment. Birna continued.

“I’ve never seen her in such good spirits. And she never left her map room until… you asked her to…”

Gods, to hear those affirmations from another was the only push you needed. You were exhilarated, yet at the same time terrified; sober enough to be aware of the dangers of it all. You pushed Birna's arm off your shoulders and held her in a fixed, stern gaze.

“Don’t start petty rumors like that. I might lose my respect for you.”

Unfortunately, your remark only made the rowdy Viking woman laugh aloud and spill mead from her jug. You prayed she was just silly drunk. Still, the gravity of the situation only now dawned upon you; were you too recklessly open about your unusual admiration for Randvi? Or perhaps someone had seen you share a kiss at the ruins that day? Was that why she refrained from giving more, or even speak about it?

The sound of cheers and music grew louder; so loud you lost the count of drinks you had as you tried to drown out the noise, your worries, and the restless beat of your heart.

---

You couldn’t recall when you’d fallen asleep, yet a heavy ache pounded at your temples, abruptly pulling you out of a drunken slumber. The longhouse was now quiet, with only the soft crackle of the hearth keeping you company. Here and there, people were sleeping soundly with mead jugs still in their hands. You felt nauseous.

It must’ve been quite early in the morning, the whole village was quiet and still. You took that chance to gather yourself as you made your way to the river stream to wash your face and rinse your mouth. The quietness was a soothing balm, calming the buzzing in your ears and the bile in your chest; it wasn’t often that you drank yourself into oblivion. You crouched in the tall grass to enjoy the bitterness of a lemon whilst you continued to rinse your mouth, and as soon as your nausea settled, you rinsed your mouth again with honey water.

The sweet freshness of that stream rejuvenated you, and yet – it brought back memories of Randvi crying. You sat up and went about the little village to look for her; even dared to peek into her room. She was nowhere among the people sleeping on the warm floor of the longhouse, but there was one place you missed. You hurried back to your secret little place at the pool of the waterfall and your chest felt less heavy as you saw her sitting among violet spring flowers.

“Hej.”

She murmured, somehow knowing it was you.

“Good morning...” You breathed out quietly as your nervous feet carried you to her, by her side, where you secretly belonged. An eerie silence lingered between you, yet you couldn’t find the right words to address her. She seemed troubled and in deep thought – perhaps Birna spoke to her as well? A hot wave of anxiety washed over you at the thought that Randvi might be upset. With you.

“About our kiss…” She begun quietly. "... I wanted to apologize. I was reckless.”

Those words were like daggers twisting in your chest.

A lump in your throat silenced whatever sweet words of worship and adoration you had rehearsed for her; perhaps you’ve been nothing but a fool with one-sided love in your heart. Suddenly, you felt an overwhelming urge to mount your horse and run away. To never be seen around these colorful hills, or anywhere a Viking settlement which would remind you of her. You’d even bury yourself in the ground, if you could; anything to soothe that deep emotional ache. And yet you found yourself rooted to that bed of moss, because Randvi was still there. You bit back your hurt and nodded, trying to understand (or to accept) the situation.

Randvi sighed deeply and you could hear the heaviness in her breath. By instinct you turned to look – tears flooded her pallid cheeks, falling in heavy drops on the shawl around her shoulders.

No.

“I hope you won’t think less of me.” Her voice was clear, calm even, as if she had no clue that she was crying. Your words, then, spilled unfiltered.

“Why would I? Randvi… do you have any clue how much I care for you?...”

She dared not to look your way as she absent-mindedly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. You felt as if your confession only stirred the ache in her chest. And whilst you were an artist with your words, you knew that nothing could’ve soothed her in that moment; nothing but actions.

With opened arms you pulled her in against your chest, embracing her shoulders and cupping the back of her head in your palm. She trembled as she quietly wept; each pained breath impaling your already-broken heart. No pain you’ve ever felt has burned as deep as this. All you wanted was to see her glow with pure joy, like she did when you found her treasure, to hear her sweet laugh and feel the warmth of her gaze. But now, all that was lost to a sea of bitter tears which made you feel powerless and small. Yet you did not relent.

Eventually, under your ever-flowing tender caresses, Randvi’s shoulders seemed to relax. Her breath was still heavy with sighs and repressed anguish, but you were relieved that she was slowly coming to. You rested your cheek atop of her smooth hair whilst you gently rocked her back and forth, giving her all your comfort. Miraculously, she felt safe enough to coil her strong arms around your waist and seek leverage in the warmth of your body.

Merciful gods, for how long will you be testing me?

“Tell me what ails your heart…” You murmured to her softly, but her lips were sealed. Whatever battle Randvi was going through was hers to fight. All you could do was try to catch her when she’d fall, just like she was ready to catch you. However, just when you made peace with the thought you’d never pry her open, the beautiful woman slowly pulled away from your embrace and begun to gather herself. Her cheeks were heated and damp, her flawless braid now a mess. You reached to tame those rebellious strands of rust and gold, and she let you.

“I apologize for that.” She spoke in a clear tone.

Don’t, please.

“You must think poorly of me now.”

No, Randvi.

“I must go tend to my duties… please tell no one of this.”

No.

In a moment you had her beauteous face between your warm palms, forcing her to look at you, even with crystalline beads at the corners of her eyes. The abrupt gesture took her by surprise.

“It would hurt me if you’d leave now. Tell me what happened. Please…”

You implored as you caressed the apples of her cheeks with your thumbs. Knowing very well it was a difficult task, you were genuinely patient with her, yet to brush this aside was something you refused to do.

“Why do you cry alone by the river? What aches are you hiding?”

Randvi was bewildered.

“Tell me…”

With each moment passing your heart grew anxious, horrified you might have pushed her too far. Your hands begun to tremble as you held her close, but then, her large palms took a steady hold of yours. They felt so warm and soft; just like the rest of her. A sturdy Viking woman with a tender core. She brought your hands to her chest to keep them warm.

“Oh Sapphire…” She sighed. “Freya took pity on me when she brought you my way. What have I done to be so blessed?...”

Confused, you watched her lovely features slowly transform from deep anguish to sorrowful tranquility. You did not understand, but the constant caresses of her thumbs along your knuckles easily calmed your frayed nerves. She found your gaze at last, peering tenderly into your soul as you listened.

“I’ve been nothing but a shell of a woman, living in my husband’s shadow. Him and Eivor were all I had, until these rivers took them further and further away each day… and here I am, mourning their absence whilst they seek glory…”

So you were right.

“Though I have the means to live like royalty, I am ungrateful and yearning for more -- …”

She bit back her words with a frown, momentarily looking away. But your gaze followed hers, seeking answers. Randvi shook her head as if she were in disbelief by her own treacherous desires.

“…you gave me more.”

Your heart fluttered.

“The thrill, the novelty, the affections I’ve been craving… You are so good to me, whilst I’m nothing but a despicable woman, married and yearning for another... and you, an angel, caught in my trap.”

“If you are despicable, then so am I.”

Your confession drew Randvi’s attention back to you. A bittersweet smile hung from your lips; you pulled your hands free from her hold, to gently touch her soft cheek.

“You think me an angel… yet I’ve been craving this Jarl’s wife ever since I’ve met her.”

You murmured quietly.

“Randvi… all these nights, in my sober dreams, I saw you nude before me… I pictured you loving me whilst I loved you… sinful and raw… and nothing felt better…”

Precious blue eyes grew wide with wonder as you voiced your fantasies in every detail, what they did to you and how you’d drown those flames in rainwater. How much you thought about her lips and her hands, about the beauty of her brawny roughness or the elegant flow of her auburn tresses on bare shoulders. You opened up so naturally, surprising her with every word. And she, as broken as she was, begun to glow with mutual desire.

The flame of sinful passions was lit between you; hidden needs growing quickly in the warmth of that fire, drawing you closer, closer, until your lips finally met again.

With strength anew, Randvi pushed you back into the bed of moss, pinning your wrists against the cold ground. Her grip was like iron, yet tender as a feather, mindful of your soft limbs. You were a willing prisoner to her passionate control, pliable in her hold and the forceful strokes of her velvet tongue. The taste of honey on your lips made her hungry and wild; her mouth easily ravishing yours with slow, hard kisses. Your petals opened in sweet surrender, welcoming her skilled tongue to raid every inch of your smooth mouth. Her Viking blood was hot, her love nearly overwhelming, yet you were shamelessly aroused by her intense assault. She tightened her grip on your dainty wrists as you begun to arch up into her, trapped between the soft earth and her massive body.

God, she’d be the end of you.

Sweet air caressed your lips as she shifted against you, her mouth seeking the elegant curve of your throat. Her breath was sizzling hot against your pulse, her soft lips dancing slowly along your sensitive skin, leaving goosebumps in their languid affection. A trembled moan reverberated in your throat, but you bit it back and pressed your knees together; the way she kissed your throat, so passionately hungry, awoke a buzzing feeling between you legs. You tried to arch into her again, only to be met by her plush chest – and you fell back with a heavy moan.

“Randvi…”

You murmured helplessly, inebriated. She tardily worshipped your velvet skin with open-mouthed kisses and hot breaths, descending the shallow valleys of your graceful neck. And each time her mouth connected to your heated flesh, you’d twist and shiver under her pinning hold. You felt her smile into the soft dips between your thin collarbones, the tip of her nose brushing up along your wild jugular as she slowly nuzzled your delicate throat.

“Let me bring your fantasies to life…”

A hushed whisper touched your lips.

“Yes…”

You answered, barely breathing under the burning depths of her smouldering gaze.

- To be continued…

*part VIII.

#randvi x reader #randvi fanfiction #randvi #valhalla #sapphic love #lesbian fanfic #lesbian love

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courtlyharlequin · 4 years

Text

A Spring Without You

Warning(s): gender neutral reader, reader death mention, suicide mention, angst, grief, post-death scenario

Summary: One year. One year since that fateful day yet Leona Kingscholar finds himself unable to move on from you, his dearly beloved as the snow melts and the buds bloom into blossoms.

A/N: Uwahhh! New blog alert! This is my debut fic hehehehe. Well, on Tumblr anyway. This was a self indulgent fic but I hope you enjoy regardless ! Shoot me a request to help me start up this blog >~<

They say that spring is the season of new beginnings. They say that the colder the winter, the warmer the spring. They say that a life without love is a year without spring. The latter holds true for Leona Kingscholar.

Spring has officially sprung in Twisted Wonderland. The botanical garden is lush with foliage and flowers in full bloom. On any normal day, Leona would have claimed the area as a napping spot. But these days were far from normal. He could not bear to see the sight of the garden— the garden where he met you. Leona could not bear the sight of any viridescent foliage, really. He avoided the greenhouse at all costs. Anything and everything related to the garden painfully reminded him of you.

You who had stepped into his darkness and not only accepted his inner demons, but also made acquaintance with them. You who had shed light into his abyss of ugly emotions. Emotions like jealousy and sadness meant nothing when he was with you. Your naive nature was endearing; it was refreshing compared to from all the things Leona experiences. Your smile was blinding. You who had thawed the winter’s frost in his heart and embraced it with the mellow tenderness of springtime. You were the sun, so pure and full of life. What’s more is that you adore spring for the sole reason of flowers. You loved them. Perhaps more than him— not that he was willing to admit it. But for Leona, he loved you more than anything in the world. He loved you as much as you loved Eastertide— if not more. He loved how you lit up his monochrome world, how flowers were only beautiful if you were dressed in them. He loved your unconditional love. Since when had he received such an endless stream of affection and affirmation? It was a flurry of positive yet unknown emotions. Everytime he was with you, he would feel it. It was as if a surge of flower petals engulfed him in their intoxicatingly sweet scent.

Just like that day. The memory of you frolicing a vast flower field haunts Leona to this day. One year ago, you smiled. You smiled for the last time that day.

Your laughter rings in Leona’s ears every now and then. You were unusually giddy that day, having the gall to drag him through the mirror to an undisturbed meadow tucked away behind a range of rolling hills. His nose was immediately flooded with a soft fragrance. His eyes were met with thousands of flower buds, ready to bloom in the next few days. Some had already bloomed. He stood with his mouth agape only to become the subject of your teasing.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” you asked before taking his hands to, quite literally, waltz among the budding florets.

It was surreal. You were a hopeless-beyond-help romantic and Leona would occasionally indulge in your cliche fantasies. Because he found it charming. Because he loved you. Because never wanted his own darling princess to come to anything but a happily ever after. Because being with you was like a fairytale, a daydream that Leona hoped to never wake from. But as they all say, all good things must come to an end.

Those days were gone. The days where you gifted him with dozens of flower crowns, the days where the two of you would dilly dally in the garden, the days where he kissed you slowly to awaken you from your slumber just to make you feel like the love you two shared was true love. They were all ignorant bliss. They had painstakingly passed. Summer’s heat was unbearable, but winter was the worst. The season brought harsh chills along with a sense of numbing anguish. Winter rendered everything he learned and loved about you meaningless. When the snow finally melted, his heart was encased in frost once more. Nowadays, Leona finds himself bedridden and cold without the warmth of his sun yet time still flies, waiting for no one. Spring was coming.

Leona was blind. You- his beloved, his darling, his princess- was just as broken as he was. You were lonely, feeling incompetent as the significant other of prince. He should have picked it up sooner. There was rarely ever the occasion where he asked you if you were alright. Your worst moments were dealt with elsewhere and rarely did you ever dare to trouble him with your own feelings. If he was simply a better partner, if he had put more effort into keeping up with his half of the relationship, then perhaps you would still be here as the person who broke his walls, lit up his world, and ignited so many foreign feelings within his heart. If he had taken one moment, just one, to ask: “how are you?”, would have it been any different? You always asked him. You always listened to him, but he had never done the same.

Was it because he found it to be a hassle? Not quite. Leona certainly did not find your sporadic story times troublesome. He found them amusing. You always get worked up over the silliest of things. You were like a child. Leona could not fathom at the thought of someone so vivacious having their own inner demons. The idea shook him to the core.

He frowned at the thought. Was the reason why he ever asked you: “how are you?” was because he was afraid to face the monsters in your head because he had his own? And that they were larger than his own? Leona grunted in annoyance. The fragments of you left inside his mind were all so vivid. It’s as if you were still there. Still happy.

What were your final moments like before you breathed your last breath in that same flower field that you both waltzed upon? Did you show him that field for him to find your lifeless body on a bed of your favorite flowers days later? Are you truly that cruel? These conclusions gnaw at his head while his own heart throbs with a feeling that can only be known as regret. The heavy weight of guilt keeps Leona forever awake, tired and too tiring. He sprawled across his sheets, sighing pensively. You plague his dreams, claiming his peaceful pastime of napping as your own. There was no joy in the things he enjoyed. Napping was a death wish and not even Cheka was able to raise his spirits.

A tired, sleep deprived Leona is an irritated Leona. Even Ruggie had kept his distance from him. Or is it the other way around? Leona kept to himself these days. Even Idia Shroud leaves his room more than Leona now. Though if one were to ask Ruggie to see Leona, the perfect is miraculously absent from the scene every time.

Today was a grim day with many inconveniences. Everywhere Leona went to escape his visitors reminded him of you. With nowhere to find peace and quiet, as his bedroom is occupied with unwanted visitors and his alternative hiding spots leaving a bittersweet taste in his mouth, he sought out the garden. The time felt right. It was spring. You always loved this time of year. Perhaps he would love it this time around too.

As soon as he stepped foot into the greenhouse, his nose was flooded with a soft fragrance. His eyes were met with a small patch of flowers. He did not know their genus, but he knew that you would have been all over these twigs by now. His gaze lingers on the tiny field. These blossoms were sickening. Their pungent, poignant perfume was suffocatingly saccharine. Leona crouched before them.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” a voice said.

His ears twitched at the sound, turning his neck around at an inhumane speed. A click of his tongue followed shortly in suit.

“What are you doing here?” Leona snapped.

“I-I mean- I tend to the garden occasionally… since y/n would be kind of sad if the flowers wilted…” Epel trailed off, clutching a tray of seedlings closer to his chest.

Sad? You… would...be sad? That’s so typical of you. It humors him. His attention turns to the patch. It looks like Epel had planted daisies. Leona smirked, thinking that this was surely something you would gush to him about for hours. The first day of spring, huh. The season of new beginnings. Was it though? He felt as if he took a thousand steps backwards. He lost it all during the vernal season, the time of year you loved most. He never understood how much he needed you to breathe, to live, to enjoy all the little things in the world. Why did he have to begin without you? A spring without you is unimaginable.

His heart aches, but… you would be sad, wouldn’t you? You would be sad if you saw him in this state then proceed to tell him to cheer up. Maybe drag him to another flower field? Would you cry for his sake once more? He was still mourning but, knowing you, you would want him to move on— not wanting to burden him for any longer.

With all of these thoughts festering and swelling inside his head, Leona Kingscholar cried for the first time since your death. It was the most gruesome, most anguished, hysterical roar he had ever produced. It echoed throughout the garden.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland imagines #twst imagines #twisted wonderland oneshot #twst oneshot #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #leona kingscholar x reader #debut #angst #tw: death #tw: suicide

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averagesmw · 4 years

Text

Penny Haywood x MC- The way I see you

Game: Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery

A/N: This takes place in a universe where Bea didn't get snatched by the portrait curse and had a normal year

_____________________________

A pair of beautiful blue eyes slowly opened and blinked a couple of times to adjust to the light of a new day

These were the eyes of someone who had just woken up in a mess of blonde hair and still managed to look so cute despite not being properly dressed

Making her way through the sheets, the young Hufflepuff sat on her bed, yawning and stretching when her mind brought her the sudden reminder

This was the day she was craving for

A big smile appeared on her face the minute this realization hit her

You see, this day marked the second year of Penny Haywood's formal relationship with Y/N L/N

Well, as formal as a relationship in Hogwarts can be

And speaking of, there was an object in her nightstand, something that's not supposed to be there normally

The blonde looked at the novelty in her piece and discovered a cupcake made of her favorite flavor with a small note attached to it

"To start your day the way you like it"

In order to contain her excitement, Penny grabbed her pillow and muffled her happy screams in it. Thankfully, not many were around to hear it anyway

She knew exactly who had left this gift. This day was already proving to be brilliant

Without further due, she changed into her robes and did her hair, taking less than a minute to do her iconic braids. So many times she had done them, it just came to her naturally

And so, she walked off to the common room, where she saw the house ghost looking at the plants

"Good morning, Friar"

The ghost turned around to look at her, a smile immediately appearing

"Good morning, miss Haywood. I trust you had a good sleep?"

She nodded eagerly, that's when the friar noticed the pastry in her hands

"Is that from who I think it is?"

She raised the object so her friend could get a better look at the freshly baked object

"It is! Today's the day"

A joyful laugh came from the Friar upon hearing the news

"Then allow me to congratulate you on your second year together! You two are the purest couple I've seen in decades"

Haywood found herself flattered by this comment. However, it wasn't the only one of its kind

Practically all of Hogwarts cheered on the two of them, some going as far as to call them the "power couple" of Hogwarts. It was funny how easy they warmed up to Y/N after being saved a couple of times

Some others were insistent that they could be a better suitor for Penny, or that hanging out with curse breaker would only result in tragedy. While things did get interesting, every situation could be handled by their combined effort

With the help of their friends too, of course

"Well, if you want to know where your lover is, try looking at the courtyard"

"Will do, thanks, friar!"

With that, she left the common room and headed straight to the place suggested to her

Penny was excited, not only because this date meant a lot to her, but her curiosity was piqued. Her relationship with Y/N was unique, and as some sort of tradition, one of the two would give a present to the other

The first year was an enchanted bracelet that Penny gifted Y/N that would bond them even at the distance. This year, however, the curse breaker insisted on being the one that gave her something, and judging by the way they talked about it, it would be incredible

Walking down one of the halls, the young Haywood was met by her sister, Bea

"I see you finally woke up! Thought I'd have to call Tonks to set up a prank on you"

"Good morning to you too, Bea"

They shared a laugh as they kept walking. Bea had just started her year at the school but she was adapting surprisingly well

While the Haywoods made their way to the courtyard, memories began to flood Penny's sweet mind

Memories of the night it all began, the Celestial Ball. Y/N agreed on setting up the dance and chose Penny to be their date for it

Little did she know, they had a surprise for her at the event. Gifting her a necklace, the star of Hogwarts asked her to be their partner in front of the people at the party

She almost teared up at the question, but it was a yes ultimately. Everyone cheered at this and the dance that followed was just as breathtaking

The sound of music and chatter brought Penny back to reality, seeing as they had reached their destination. However, her eyes sparkled when she found a certain someone not far away from her

"There you are!"

When they heard her voice, they welcomed her with open eyes

"Goldie! Good to see you!"

She ran towards her lover, who caught her in a hug and even spun them around in a playful manner

All the while, the other person that was with Y/N used a spell to conceal something. Bea saw what it was, but agreed to "look away"

"Tou liked the cupcake?"

"I loved it! Thank you so much"

She gave them a tender kiss on the cheek before breaking the hug to see what was Y/N doing in the courtyard. That's when she spotted an unusual figure there as well

"Badeea? Good to see you" she received a gentle smile from her

"Likewise, Penny, and congratulations"

She smiled and then gave her lover a curious look

"What are you doing here?"

"We're... "

They stopped to look at Badeea in hopes of getting some help, but she just shrugged

"...Working on something important. It's for later!"

"Can I see?"

Without losing their smile, Y/N shook their head

"I said it's for later, Penny. You'll have to wait"

A saddened Penny tried her best to bribe Y/N into confessing by making puppy eyes. It almost worked, if not for another voice to join the scene

One could argue that the whole scene was saved by...Tonks

"Finally, we were looking for you!"

The voice came from the pink-haired girl, who was accompanied by Tulip, both glad to see their blonde friend

This sudden change made Penny drop her act to welcome heir friends

"Girls? What can I help you with?"

"We need your help to choose some ingredients!

"Ingredients for what?"

"For a prank, of course!" Tulip chimes in

"Did we mention there is a discount on potion-making equipment?"

Upon hearing Tonks's words, Penny's eyes went bright like a kid in a candy shop

However, as good as this offer was, the memory of her agenda came back to haunt her

"It's tempting..."

Then, she looked back at her lover with a saddened smile

"But I wanted to spend the day with Y/N"

While the curse breaker was touched by this heartwarming statement, they smiled tenderly at her while putting a hand on her shoulder

"Oh Penny, don't worry, I'll be waiting for you!"

"Are you sure?"

She got a nod from them

"Just promise to have fun"

Penny was surprised by their attitude, but she appreciated that she wouldn't have to choose, so she approached them and gave them a quick peck on the lips

"You're the best"

With that, she walked out of the courtyard along with Tonks, Beatrice, and Tulip. All while Y/N waved them goodbye

Once they were out of sight, however, the kind smile turned into a sigh as they turned back and made the object reappear

"What do you think? Is it ready?" He asked Badeea

She approached it and inspected closely, with her hand on her chin

"I think it's almost done! Just cast the spell and then we wait for it to take effect"

They nodded and with their hand at the ready

"Capillum fluit"

Then, something started to move within the object, a graceful wave that was almost hypnotic

" It's beautiful, brilliant job, Y/N!" Badeea clapped

"Thank you!"

Y/N took one last look at this, their proudest achievement yet, aside from solving the vaults

"I just hope she likes it just as much"

...

Meanwhile, at Hogsmeade, Penny walked in the company of her sister, Tulip, and Tonks, the latter being the guide

"So, what prank are you going to pull?"

Penny asked deciding to break the ice. This question made Tulip and Tonks look at each other before nodding

"That may or may not be a lie, Penny" The redhead started

"We do need your help, but it's something much more akin to your expertise as a potion-maker!" Tonks added

They stopped to give Penny a small piece of paper containing a colorful add

"See, we heard that Honeydukes having a competition"

"It's to encourage students, but the reward sure is something!"

"What is it?" Bea inquired

"Six months' worth of chocolate frogs!"

There were gasps after hearing that. Those were some of the best treats Honeydukes had to offer! There would be more than enough to share with their friends

Penny looked away from the piece of paper and now focused on Tonks, with that determined look on her face

"And what do we have to do?"

Hearing this earned a smile from the girls, Bea even cheered a bit to see her big sister on board for this

"The team that creates the potion that smells the sweetest wins!"

"That's where you come in, you get to be our brilliant leader!"

"I don't know Tulip, I-"

"Too late! We've arrived!"

The sound of a nearby crowd ended the conversation. Those must be the other participants

Penny froze for a second, looking at all those people competing to get the same reward. She had won intern tournaments, but this was something else entirely

Then, she felt her robes being tugged, the cause being her younger sister

"Come on, it will be fun! Plus I want to see you in action"

"I...I don't know if I can do this"

" You're Penny Haywood! You knew most potions before they even taught them!

"Girl, you know how to do most of them on your sleep!"

"See? You got this, sister!"

The way the girls talked about her made Penny's cheeks turn red. Of course, she had received compliments before, but they just sounded so confident in this, even made it sound like it would be a walk in the park for her

It was true that she was one of the most proficient at school. Perhaps it would translate well into this competition?

Who knows, but it was an idea worth entertaining

"... alright, let's do this"

The girls cheered in unison before taking Penny to them to register their team for the upcoming challenge

Tonks got them a place in the contest, the last one available. While still unsure of this decision as the teams were announced, the blonde saw the look other people were giving her

Some seemed to recognize and were in awe, some others saw her as a rival to be dealt with. It was just like Hogwarts

So she would handle it as such

As soon as the competition started, Penny started barking orders to her teammates, making sure they understood what they were doing and most importantly, cheering on them

And so It begun, Tonks gathered the ingredients while trying her best not to drop any of them on accident

Tulip kept assisting Penny in the process of making the bomb. It was new for her, making something that wasn't intended to smell putrid

Bea followed in her sister's footsteps and acted as some sort of cheerleader while also assisting where needed...also keeping Tonks away from fragile things

While listening to what she was saying and how she was encouraging her teammates to do their best, one could see the indirect influence of a certain curse breaker

They were, after all, the most convincing person at Hogwarts. Who else could convince a student to fight a bloody troll?

After thirty minutes, the alarm sounded, echoing through the establishment and forced everyone to stop what they were doing, but it also gave everyone a chance to catch their breath after such an exhausting experience

The judge approached every team and smelled every potion until he reached the girls' stand and took their potion. His expression changed for the better when he smelled it, he raised the vial and proudly proclaimed

"Everyone, I think we have a winner!"

They gasped when they heard that, they couldn't believe that their team effort had taken them that far. Claps from the other competitors and the crowds of spectators came their way

"We...we won..."

Penny stood breathless, adjusting to the news when she was suddenly hugged by Bea, then Tonks and sure enough, Tulip

"All thanks to our brilliant leader!" Stated her sister

"Thank you so much for your help, Penny!" Added the metamorhmagus

"Bringing you here was the best decision by far!" Tulip admitted as well

They hugged her as if they were a Quidditch team embracing their most important player after winning the finals. To think that it wouldn't have been like that if she hadn't chosen to tag along in the cursed vaults

Penny knew she was lucky to have so many true friends, and she hugged them back like so

After having their photograph taken, the announcer approached them and gave them a certificate that would serve as a trophy for them, but also ensure that they would get their prize.

Shortly after, they celebrated their victory at the Three Broomsticks, the first round being courtesy of Madam Rosmerta

It had been so much fun, it was so easy to forget that the group had spent two and a half hours away from Hogwarts

Tonks suggested going back to Hogwarts to make sure nothing would happen to the certificate, but that Penny would keep it since she had led the team to a smashing victory

And so, they boarded the train back to their welcoming school, chatting as they traveled

When they entered the main hall, however, the atmosphere drastically changed

"This way, hurry!"

Badeea's shaky voice echoed through the hall, catching the girls by surprise

Then, the artist herself came rushing at them with a worried look to her, and behind her, was Y/N being practically dragged by her

They rushed past the group, without even stopping to talk, but straight out the doors and out of Hogwarts, leaving the four students beyond astonished

Penny wasn't surprised to see that, Y/N would get into an adventure without even looking for one

What surprised her was the fact that they were holding hands

It wasn't that big of a deal

Right?

It was just Y/N hanging out with Badeea and solving something

Like the past three months that they've spent together working on something that she couldn't see

Again

"That was... unexpected" Tonks was the first one to break the silence

"Should we follow them?" Bea asked, preparing herself for another adventure

Tulip shook her head in disagreement

"I didn't even see where they went"

But then, they noticed the silent blonde, who stared at the door longingly

"Penny, are you alright?"

"I...I don't know. I was expecting Y/N to at least say hi."

The pink-haired girl then wrapped her arm around her

"You know how it is with Y/N, sometimes they have to go and save everyone with just seconds of anticipation"

"You're right..." A sigh followed this reply

"Don't be sad, sis, I'm sure Y/N will have something for you!"

"And we'll stand by you until they come back"

Tulip stood proudly in front of her, making the others nod in agreement. Penny couldn't help but smile at this display

"Thank you, girls"

And so they sat at the staircase, already chatting to find a way to keep themselves entertained in the meantime

It wouldn't be long before Y/N returned, right?

...wrong

Four hours later

Tonks had fallen asleep, Tulip was casting sparks of the top of her wand to keep herself entertained and Hagrid had asked Bea for her help with some Puffskeins

"Yeah, until they come back..." Penny whispered

Her voice made Tulip sit up, finally listening to something after so much silence. Wonder where everyone was at this time

"You know Tulip, you can go now if you wish, I don't want to keep you waiting here all night with me."

"Are you sure? It's not a problem"

She got a nod from the saddened blonde

"Yes, don't worry about--"

That's when the doors were heard again and this time, it was loud enough to wake Tonks up and make the rest of them stand up and at this person

It was Y/N, with their clothes dirty and tattered, scratches all over them, and even some small cuts

Penny hated a few things. Being late to a class, werewolves, and above all, seeing Y/N like that

"Hello, girls" Y/N smiled with whatever energy they had left

"What happened to you?" Tulip asked directly

"I... It's a long story. Do you mind if I steal Penny?"

This caught the Hufflepuff by surprise. Now they wanted to see her?

Their friends gave her a thumbs up and sighing, Penny looked back at Y/N

"Yes?"

"I need to show you something"

Y/N took their hand and tried to move but was stopped by Penny herself

"No, you need to tell me what happened with Badeea and to you"

"I will, but in private. Please"

They locked eyes for a moment, her stern gaze couldn't hold against Y/N's subtly pleading eyes and that simile, that smile she couldn't deny

"...fine"

So she allowed herself to be taken away by Y/N. She was a bit mad because Badeea took them away, and by the hand nonetheless

It didn't help that they frequented each other quite a lot recently

But also because they were away for so long. Penny at least remembered she had something special today

But her thoughts were met with a heartwarming reveal. It was Y/N's bracelet, the one gift she had given him

As they were holding hands, she could get a clear view of it. Despite Y/N's roughed look, this accessory still looked as good

It was as if it had been enchanted with a protective spell every day

This didn't align with her theories, why would Y/N keep it and take care of it so dearly if they were with the other girl so much

The doors of the secret room took Penny out of her thoughts and by the time she knew it, she was in that special room that Y/N's brother used as a headquarter before disappearing

Y/N themselves would use it whenever they needed to review something in private

However, they had changed quite a few things. They organized the notes that were just scattered all over the floor and even managed to sneak in a bed for those times that they were too tired to reach the common room

Once they were in the area, Y/N let go of her hand to stand in front of Penny, scratching the back of their neck

"First, I'm incredibly sorry I arrived so late here"

"I'm sure there is quite a story behind that" The blonde answered with her arms crossed

"There is, but first, I want to show you this"

Y/N took a couple of steps back and turned towards something covered in a gray cloth

"I've done a few brilliant things in my time here, but this one is my favorite one by far"

They grabbed the cloth and removed it to reveal a portrait of Penny herself, enchanted so that her beautiful blonde hair would continuously flow as if blessed by a gentle breeze

Her blue eyes sparkled with hope and her tender smile was enough to turn any bad day into a good one

Penny's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth when she saw this painting in front of her. She tried to study every detail of this sparkling portrait but found herself too distracted by the fact that she was looking at a depiction of herself

"You...you made this?"

She asked almost breathless. Y/N was eager to hear her voice again

"Yes, and that's when the story chimes in."

Penny moved her gaze slightly so that she was now looking at the curse breaker, without losing her shocked expression

"You see, Badeea offered to tutor me in this painting when I told her that I wanted to give you something big, that's why we spent so much time together, we even invented a spell for this specific portrait"

Then, Y/N sighed, recalling the next part of the story

"But then Peeves stole it and we ended up going to the Forbidden Forest to get it. I had to duel an Acromantula to get it and--"

Y/N found themselves unable to finish their story due to Penny's soft lips crashing into them, she even brought their head closer with her hands

Of course, they returned the kiss as soon as they were able to process what was going on

"You went through all of that trouble, just for me"

Penny thought out loud, in awe of what she had just heard. This boosted Y/N's confidence, and they moved her hair to the side while looking at her in the eye

"I...I wanted you to see yourself the way I do"

This time it was Y/N who leaned in for a kiss, getting a taste of her warm lips that just craved theirs

"Although I'm sad that it took all day to show you. There was so much I wanted to do"

The curse breaker admitted with a hint of shame, making Penny giggle. It was astounding how they could be incredibly confident to steal a kiss and then be as cute as a child just seconds later

Then Penny looked at the bed beside them, an idea immediately came to mind

"Well, we can always cuddle"

And cuddle they did. It was a good thing that they didn't have classes the next day, so they could spend a bit more time in each other's warm company

Penny Haywood had it all, beauty, intelligence, unrivaled charm, and yet, she couldn't help but feel like she was the lucky one

And as she snuggled against her lover's chest, she allowed herself to rest, knowing that even if she might fear from time to time that someone could take Y/N away from her...

...They would always find a way back, always

#penny haywood x jacob's sibling #penny haywood #penny haywood x mc #hogwarts mystery

37 notes · View notes

violet-knox · 4 years

Note

A new professor caught by Severus leaving love letters and gifts for him, because she has a hugh crush on him?

Imagine Severus catching you leave gifts on his desk

Word count: 1773

- He thought it was a joke when gifts started appearing on hisoffice desk. Flowers, paper cranes, a new quill, small treats from Honeydukes.Potter no doubt following in his father’s footsteps. His first thought went toremoving 100 points from Gryffindor, giving that no good twit more detentionthan days left in the school year, but he had no proof, no viable evidence ofhis insubordination.

- Valentine’s day was justaround the corner and he was sure that little prankster was going to takeadvantage of the day’s events, so here he stood, in the dark, back against thewall, wand at the ready, waiting for his office door to swing open.

- The familiar click of hisdoor had him on full alert as someone stepped into his office, just as he’dsuspected. Acting quickly, he pointed his wand at the intruder, their anklesswinging high in the air, a thud echoing through the room when the box intendedto be left on his desk hit the ground. At last, caught in the act. No way outthis time, no excuses, no one to bail out the troublemaker.

- He was excited, ready tolaugh in the face of the idiot dumb enough to think playing with his emotionswas a fun way to pass the time. He was ready to give Potter or one of hisfriends years’ worth of detention, ready to sink Gryffindor so low they’d breaka school record for the first house to receive negative points. What he hadn’texpected, was to see the face of the recently appointed Muggle StudiesProfessor hanging upside down, face painted with shock and embarrassment when heturned the lights of his office on.

- You heaved for air when yousaw him step forward, staring into your eyes as you fought back tears. It hadtaken all the courage you had to leave him gifts, showing your interest in him,but to be caught like this, in such a vulnerable position, was so far pasthumiliating you wished you’d the ground would just open up and you’d be droppedinto the abyss, never to be seen again.

- “What is the meaning of this?” He huffed in a fitof rage. Had Minerva put you up to this? Did the staff send you here as revengefor Slytherin’s win against Hufflepuff last week? How unprofessional.Incompetent, ignorant, atrocious child. How such an insufferable Professor washired was beyond him, even if it was to teach such a mundane subject likeMuggle Studies.

- “You tell me,” you quicklyspat out, trying to hold your skirt that flopped down before gravity leftnothing to the imagination.

- Severus watched youfrantically pulling and struggling and finally registered what he’d done.Hanging a Professor, no matter how deserving, by their ankles was not anactivity he’d expected to partake in today. Though he should have realized whenhe’d set his trap, the possibility of the intruder being someone other thanPotter was present.

- “Explain yourself,” hedemanded as soon as you hit the ground, landing right on your hip. He couldfeel his face flushed red, though he wasn’t sure if it was out of pure rage orabsolute embarrassment from the position he’d put you in.

- You could feel the heatrising to your face, your cheeks burning, your mind foggy. Thoughts of escapingthe confrontation you were being forced to make right now flooded your head.Your chest heaved with air and though you hadn’t dared bring your gaze up fromthat spot on the floor your eyes seemed to now be fixated on, you could feelhis intimidating presence before you.

- You’d become a twelve yearold girl again, caught by a Professor after lights out where you didn’t belong.It took everything you could to mumble a stuttering apology, your wordstripping over one another as you tried to explain the situation best you couldwithout giving away your feelings towards the Potions Master entirely.

- He didn’t speak a single wordand you weren’t sure if he hated you for leaving all those gifts for him or ifhe found the thought of your interest in him preposterous. Or perhaps hissilence was his way of showing his disappointment in your lack ofprofessionalism. Either way you were glad he hadn’t stopped you when you pushedpast him and bolted out the door to hide in your chambers.

- Neither of you so much asglanced in the direction of one another the next few days. It was an awkwardsituation, one that had you up all night, unable to fall asleep from the embarrassmentyou felt that night. You’d thought about resigning but that’s not what aresponsible young woman would do and after what happened with Severus, you hadto come to your senses and start acting like the adult you were. It was astupid idea. Careless and childish. But you’d never felt this way about anyonebefore and he was just so much of an outsider at Hogwarts, you couldn’t helpbut want to spoil him a little.

- He was possibly the youngestProfessor to teach at Hogwarts, his coworkers all a generation ahead of himbefore you’d joined the staff. He was Head of Slytherin, a house hated by most.The gloomy Potions Master none of the children (except his own Slytherins)seemed to like. You hadn’t seen him teach of course, but the way some of thestudents talked, they made him sound bitter. Like life had taken one too manybites out of him. So, what harm would it have been to try and cheer up yourcoworker with some harmless gifts. Apparently quite a lot.

- Severus had to admit, when hesaw you hanging upside down in his office, the last excuse he’d expected you touse for your uninvited visits was your interest in him whether it be platonicor not. He wasn’t exactly one to invite friendship, he’d in fact had quite thetrack record for pushing people away. The logical thing to do was to assumeyou’d lied and that he did. But it didn’t stop him from letting you leave hisoffice, his questions unanswered, your explanation broken in so many pieces, hewas sure not even you wouldn’t be able to put them together. It didn’t stop himfrom missing the gifts he’d received each week from you. All them now goneexcept the box of chocolate frogs you’d intended for him on Valentine’sday. It wasn’t his fault, he’d tell himself. If he’d known they were fromyou perhaps he’d have kept them rather than vanish them from sight.

- Weeks would go by and thoughthe air seemed to have thinned just a little, neither of you would dare look ateach other one second longer than you had to. The guilt had started to seepinto Severus’ chest. The way he trapped you, shouted at you, he was so busyjudging your own pretenses, he’d neglected to assess the way he’d treated thesituation.

- It was too much for him tohandle. He had to find you and try and make things right, at least from hisend.

- You’d find Severus corner youone day after a staff meeting, your feet dragging you back to your chambers asusual, trying to avoid any unnecessary time around the man who reminded you ofthe most embarrassing moment of your life, you’d neglected to notice his swiftmovements as he passed you in the corridor, abruptly stopping in front ofyou.

- He’d quickly apologize fortrapping you the way he did and say he’d never meant to do such a thing to you,that he’d assumed it was a student pulling a prank on him.

- When he’d motion to leave,you’d stand there silently, in awe as he passed you by. Finally registering hiswords, your mouth jumped at the opportunity to make amends, “I’m the onewho should apologize,” you’d say.

- Severus would stop in hispath and slowly turn back to face you, waiting for you to explain. “Ididn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It was the last thing I wanted to do. Ijust…” Your words always lost on you when you wanted to voice your emotions.You still couldn’t do it. After everything that’s happened, you still couldn’ttell him how you felt. “Let me make it up to you,” you’d suddenly burstout, “Come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow and I’ll buy you a butterbeer.”

- It was quite the offer you’dmade him. He hadn’t been to the little village for leisure since the day he’dbeen banned from the Hog’s Head. He’d never imagined himself going back there,enjoying a drink at the Three Broomsticks or browsing for sweets at Honeydukes.But he agreed. You were quite the breath of fresh air, one he knew he needed.It was a blessing to have someone treat him so kindly, a feeling he hadn’t feltsince Lily had stood up for him in his fifth year.

- Your first date. It went muchsmoother than the last time you’d spoken. No one was hung upside down, no onewas on the verge of bursting into a fit of rage and you were both quite contentwith one another’s company. It turned out that when put into a less pressuringsituation, you both got along quite well. You had much more in common than hewould have thought, and you’d actually managed to hear him laugh. A properlaugh, not one of the snarky chuckles he’d give when undermining a student, notone of the huffs of air he’d give when looking down on someone. An actual,genuine laugh.

- You’d spend more time in hischambers than your own, ultimately resulting in his request for a roomexpansion the following year. The cold of the dungeon shivering your skin witha feeling of home.

- Random gift exchanging becamea norm for you both. You’d wake up to find little notes on your bedside tableif he had an early class. He’d head to his office to grade papers after dinner andfind a paper crane made from the note he’d left you that morning sitting on hisdesk. Picking it up, he’d admire your folding technique, loving how much careyou’d put into such a simple thing before opening his desk drawer to place itwith the thousand others you’d made for him.

#Thanks for the ask #Sorry it took so long #I'm liking this laid back bullet point formatting #It's like the notes I make for my one shots but more detailed #severus snape #severus x reader #severus snape x reader #severus headcanon #snape imagine #snape x reader #fanfic #snape fanfiction #fan fiction #my fanfic #snape x you #pro snape #snape x y/n #snapedom #snape community

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lake-arrius-caverns · 3 years

Text

Nerevarine Rising

Chapter 4: Arkngthand

summary After a few days of guild work and running odd jobs around Balmora, Fahjoth’s thirst for adventure continues to grow. On being given an assignment to venture into a Dwemer ruin, he is elated — but is he getting ahead of himself?

content warnings mild threat/violence

tag list @boulderfall-cave , @padomaicocean (lmk if you’d like to be added!)

read under the cut or on AO3, cheers 👍

:: First :: || << Previous << || >> Next >> || :: Masterpost ::

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“I joined the Mages Guild.”

“You what?”

Fahjoth stood there, knee deep in the Odai River and grinned back at Ribyna, who was sitting on the bank sharpening a chitin dagger. He knew he had the dopiest, silliest smile on his face, but he couldn’t help it; Ribyna’s incredulous expression was tickling him.

“The fuck have you done that for?” Ribyna asked. “The only thing you can cast is a shadow.”

“Oi!” Fahjoth laughed, too accustomed to Ribyna’s mean teasing to take offence. “That’s why I joined it. I want to learn! You should join, too.”

Ribyna grimaced. “Nah, you’re alright. Didn’t you join the Fighters Guild as well?”

“I did! I think that’s where I’ll be most useful,” Fahjoth admitted. “I might not be any good at magic, but turns out I can swing a sword decently.”

In the days that had passed since Fahjoth arrived at Cosades’ house, he had done as advised and set out to build up his strength. In addition to securing membership in — and running a few menial jobs for — the Fighters Guild and Mages Guild, Fahjoth had visited several of Cosades’ recommended trainers to get some practise in moving in armour and using larger weapons than the daggers he was used to. With the gold he had been gifted, he had even purchased a set of chitin armour and a gleaming steel shortsword for himself, which certainly came in handy when exterminating rats from old ladies’ homes.

Today, he was to meet Cosades at noon to receive his first assignment. Fahjoth was even beginning to feel a little excited; this was the very reason he was here, after all. Who knew what thrilling mission Cosades had lined up for the newest Blades recruit?

But for now, while the sun was up and basking Balmora in a warm early light, Fahjoth had taken the morning off and met with Ribyna to catch up and relax. She squinted at him, finally paying attention to the fact that he was standing in the shallows of the river.

“Any particular reason you’re going for a paddle?” she asked, finally setting down her dagger and nodding towards his feet. “It’s not that hot today.”

“I’m practising a water walking spell I got from the Guild,” Fahjoth answered happily.

Ribyna raised a brow. “You sure that wasn’t a water sinking spell instead? ‘Cause if it is, you’re doing great.”

“Oh ha ha. It’s a hard spell!” However, Fahjoth was ready to admit defeat for now, emerging from the river and sitting beside his twin to let his feet dry off in the sun. “So, what’ve you got planned for today?”

Ribyna shrugged. “Not much. I’ll see if Habasi wants anything doing. What about you? You off to see this Cosades bloke?”

“In a bit,” Fahjoth said. “He’s got my first job for me today, apparently.”

“Juicy. So are you gonna tell me what it is you’re doing now?”

“You know I can’t.”

Ribyna turned to Fahjoth, her face falling into a rather petulant frown. “You‘ve never given a shit before. Come on, can’t you just tell me? Not like I’m gonna tell anyone, is it?”

Fahjoth sighed, trying to look as sincere as possible. “I’d love to tell you, Beebs, honestly. I would. But Cosades made me swear to secrecy. I’m not allowed to tell anyone.”

Ribyna was quiet for a moment. “Is it really that serious?” Then she laughed. “I mean, it’s not like you’re a secret agent for the Emperor, is it?”

Fahjoth forced a laugh, feeling wildly uncomfortable all of a sudden. “Hah! Wouldn’t that be mad?” Partly for a distraction, he shielded his eyes and glanced up at the sky. “Anyway, I should probably get going. Don’t wanna be late for Cosades,” he said, as he replaced his boots and hauled himself to his feet.

“Alright.” Following Fahjoth’s example, Ribyna stood up and stretched with a dramatic groan. “I’ll see you later then. If you’re free, meet me in the South Wall Cornerclub this evening? I’ll get the first round in.”

“Sounds good!” Fahjoth agreed with a grin, patting his twin on the shoulder as he set off for Cosades’ house. “See you later.” He turned and waved over his shoulder as Ribyna called back to him.

“Bye, Fahji. Good luck!”

—————————————————————————————

As Fahjoth let himself into Cosades’ house, he was unsurprised now to find the older man completely shirtless yet again. In fact, it was a rarer sight to see him actually wearing anything over his chest.

“You’re early,” Cosades remarked. “Good, that shows eagerness. Are you ready for your first task?”

“Yessir!” Fahjoth confirmed, trying to curb his enthusiasm and resisting the urge to salute.

“Excellent. Here’s what I need you to do.” Cosades handed over a scrap of parchment, upon which instructions had been neatly scrawled — fairly useless to Fahjoth, as his reading ability was no better now than it had been when he had first arrived. He took it regardless and waited for Cosades to continue. “Go talk to Hasphat Antabolis at the Balmora Fighters Guild. Ask him what he knows about the Nerevarine secret cult and the Sixth House secret cult. You'll have to do him a favour first. Probably an ugly favour. But do it. Then get the information from Antabolis and report back to me.”

Fahjoth paused, the spark of excitement that had been burning in his chest shrivelling up and dying within seconds. Disappointed didn’t even begin to cover it; he had been expecting daring missions full of adventure and maybe a little bit of danger to get the blood pumping. Instead, he was being sent to... gather intel?

Well, there’s a bit of glamour in that, in a way, Fahjoth reasoned to himself as he made his way over to the Balmora Fighters Guild. Learning about secret cults was sure to be fascinating — not that he had any idea what the ‘Nerevarine’ or the ‘Sixth House’ even were. Still, it must have been important — to Cosades at least, if nobody else — and Fahjoth was determined to make his first assignment a success.

Hasphat Antabolis was, thankfully, easy to locate, standing in the base of the Guild in discussion with another member. Trying his utmost to seem polite and professional, he approached the Fighters Guild’s Drillmaster and waited for Antabolis’ conversation to end.

“Good day, Associate,” Antabolis greeted, turning to Fahjoth once he had finished. “What can I do for you?”

“Hi, sir. I’m actually here on a job from Caius Cosades,” Fahjoth explained.

“So you're with Caius, eh? Let me guess, he wants information?”

“Yes sir.”

“I see.” Antabolis didn’t seem overly surprised. “Of course, there's a this-for-that involved here. I’d like to ask a favour first, and then I'll tell you what you want to know.”

Fahjoth had been expecting that. “Of course, sir,” he said, wondering what kind of favour Antabolis was looking for. Maybe to run some shopping errands, or to take some armour to be repaired?

“There are Dwemer ruins nearby called Arkngthand. I need you to run over there and find me a little copper cube. It's called a ‘Dwemer puzzle box’. Bring me back the box, and I'll tell you what you want to know.”

Fahjoth’s smile slipped for a moment as he realised what Antabolis had asked of him. “A Dwemer ruin?” he repeated, beginning to feel that flicker of excitement again — accompanied by apprehension, of course, but he pushed that aside. After the rigorous training he had received, an expedition into some Dwemer ruins was bound to be a breeze!

“Yes.” Antabolis began tracing the approximate shape of the cube in the air with his fingers. “It’s a little cube, about the size of a fist, maybe a little bigger. It will have a circular design, symbols on one side and some lined marks on the others. That's all I want, that little cube. You probably won’t even need to go venturing too deep into the ruins. Can you do that for me, Associate?”

Fahjoth nodded, feeling a wave of hopeful determination flooding his chest. “Yes sir! I’ll head there right now.”

After lingering for long enough to commit the instructions regarding Arkngthand to memory, Fahjoth set off, stopping at Cosades’ to collect his armour and sword before strolling out of Balmora on his next adventure. The sense of trepidation persisted, but it was drowned out by Fahjoth’s overwhelming curiosity and eagerness to explore new places and put his new skills to the test. It was just an old, uninhabited ruin, after all — as long as he was careful, he should be just fine.

Plus, he did have some experience with old ruins; he and Ribyna had ventured through the weathered stone doors of ancient Ayleid ruins back in Cyrodiil, with a group of friends from the Waterfront. Granted, they had barely gone deeper than the entrance hallway, but still! That had to count for something.

Fahjoth’s good mood only continued to grow as he reached the crest of an earthy hill, the vegetation having grown more and more sparse the nearer he got to Caldera. Once he spotted the Dwemer bridge, he couldn’t hold back a jubilant grin. He’d made it! Perhaps it was his euphoria at having successfully followed directions, but even the broad metal bridge itself had a certain rustic charm to it, despite being coated in a layer of dust and dirt built up over the years. Each footstep caused a reverberating clang to echo over the crevasse beneath, which Fahjoth peered down at with interest as he crossed, running his fingertips over the brass handle and feeling its mild, sunkissed warmth against his skin.

Once he reached the other side, he was plunged into the shadow of Arkngthand. For a few moments, he was struck silent with awe at the sheer scale of it, the surrounding hills dotted by colossal turrets jutting out of the earth — and that was just the part he could see. From his position outside, all seemed still and quiet, but if he strained his ears and listened, he could hear something from deep within the ruins; the soft whisper of steam and a slow, gentle rumble that caused the hairs along his arms to stand on end with anticipation. And here was a scent that hung faintly in the air, growing more potent the closer in proximity he got to the ruins — a strange earthy yet metallic tang that lingered in his nose and even left a hint on his tongue.

He recalled Antabolis giving him advice, suggesting that there would likely be an external mechanism to power the door. Fortunately, Fahjoth didn’t have to look too far before his eyes fell on a rusted metal wheel protruding out of the ground, which was somewhat stiff but still mobile. And once Fahjoth succeeded in twisting it, he heard the unpleasant groaning of metal and looked up just in time to see the ruin’s spherical entrance gliding open, revealing a door leading into what he assumed was the entrance hall. To his alarm, the rotating sphere began to slowly shut again, and so Fahjoth leapt into action and hurtled in through the entrance before it was sealed once more, assuming — and hoping — there would be some kind of opening mechanism on the other side.

Once inside, Fahjoth’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the gloom. Along the dim hallways, strange elongated lights were fastened to the walls, casting a warm orange glow with which he was able to navigate. It didn’t escape his notice, however, that several wooden boxes and containers lined the halls, upon which candles sat — many flickering with a small flame. That seemed very unusual for somewhere that was supposedly uninhabited…

Then, he froze as it slowly dawned on him that Antabolis had never once claimed that Arkngthand was uninhabited. That was entirely Fahjoth’s own assumption.

And with that his confidence evaporated in an instant, to be replaced with a heavy apprehension that he could not shake. The ambience of the ruins only exacerbated his nervousness; now that he was inside, he could hear the clanking and groaning of ancient Dwemer machinery all too clearly, along with the occasional hiss as a puff of steam escaped from a loose joint in a brass pipe, both of which provided a constant, repetitive backdrop of noise that was impossible to ignore. Every so often, a much louder clunk or creak echoed through the tunnels, and Fahjoth flinched and froze, half-expecting the rusted supports holding up the dense stone walls to finally give way and collapse overhead. But there was no turning back now. He needed that cube.

The air now was stifling; warm, stale and thick with the acrid taste of metal, and only getting worse the further and deeper he delved into the ruins. Fahjoth began to feel beads of sweat gently dripping down his forehead and back, making him cringe with discomfort. With caution he pressed onwards, frequently pausing and straining his senses to listen out for any sign of life. And soon, it reached him; voices, coming from an area just up ahead, chatting amongst themselves and apparently oblivious to his presence.

Fahjoth soon left the corridor and found himself overlooking a vast chamber, cut into the ground itself with stone slopes leading down to the base and up again on the opposite side to a second floor built into the cavern wall. Neither slope looked particularly structurally sound, and he grimaced at the thought of trying to sneak down undetected. So instead he stopped to listen, hoping to glean any information from the two men — an Imperial and a Redguard — loitering around a collection of boxes on the rough, stony ground beneath him.

“How long are we staying in this shithole anyway? It’s fucking roasting in here.”

“No idea. Long enough for us to find enough Dwarven shit to make a profit off of, I guess. Since Crito’s found that weird cube, he reckons there’s more lying around that the right people will pay a fortune for.”

“Really? He’s still holding onto that junk?”

“Yup. Keeping it in the safe room up there. He seems to know his stuff, so maybe he’s right.”

“Maybe. I still think we’d have been better off raiding a tomb, though.”

As the men continued to debate the merits of sacking an ancestral tomb over looting Dwemer ruins, Fahjoth had his answers at least. The Imperial below had pointed upwards as he spoke, gesturing to a doorway on the upper floor of the chamber across from where he stood, which was as good a hint as he was likely to get. But even armed with this information, he was still faced with the issue of how to actually get himself over there without being noticed. He’d never been a particularly skilled sneak, but just maybe—

“Come on, I’m sure there’s some flin ‘round here somewhere. I’m sure nobody’ll miss it if we just take one or two bottles.”

Fahjoth could scarcely believe his luck. As the men began to amble further away and rummage around in some crates in the alcove beneath the second floor, he took his chance. As light-footed as a cat, but with less than half the grace, he scrabbled down the slope to his right, occasionally gasping and half-running as he felt rocks and soil shifting beneath his boots. It was with relief that he reached the ground, but there was no time to hesitate — within seconds he had crossed the chamber and was ascending the second slope, having to use his hands for balance as he clambered up the dilapidated ramp. At last he reached the next floor, where he was faced with another circular bronze door which he fully expected to be locked, but to his surprise, it swung open as enthusiastically as he pushed it with scarcely a creak. Clearly it was in frequent use.

But as Fahjoth took a single step into the room, he found himself face to face with the largest Imperial he had ever seen in his life, whose broad shoulders were barely contained by the iron cuirass he donned. For a few moments the two simply locked eyes and stood in silence, both rather stunned by the sudden appearance of the other. Then, with a ferocious yell, the Imperial grasped the gleaming handle of a nearby battleaxe and swung it at Fahjoth without hesitation.

With only a second to react, Fahjoth threw himself to the ground, panic wiping his mind completely blank. His first instinct was to flee, but now the man stood between him and the doorway, and there were no alternative means of escape that he could see. As he scrambled to his feet, Fahjoth leapt back as the man came lunging at him again and again with his axe, horrified by the determination on the Imperial’s face as he made one attempt after another to cleave him in half.

The room, cluttered as it was with crates and stacks of shelves, was definitely not spacious enough to keep up these kinds of manoeuvres. Fahjoth’s only saving grace was that the man, in his heavy armour and wielding his cumbersome battleaxe, was far slower in comparison to him. But the man also had the advantage of both facing ahead and knowing the layout of the room. Continually driven back by the pendulous momentum of the blade, Fahjoth’s heart leapt into his mouth as his heel suddenly collided with a small box on the floor. With an almighty crash, he plummeted straight to the ground, bashing his shoulders on a brass pipe mounted on the wall behind him.

He risked a glance upwards. The axe blade was poised high in the air once more, ready to come crashing down over his head and split his skull into two. With blood pounding in his ears and adrenalin flooding his system, Fahjoth launched himself into a clumsy barrel-roll, tumbling past the Imperial’s legs a mere heartbeat before the axe fell upon the pipe that he had been leaning against.

There was an ear-splitting shriek of metal on metal, but that barely measured up to the scream of the Imperial as a scalding jet of steam suddenly erupted from the broken pipe, filling the room with a hot, dense white fog within seconds. Fahjoth didn’t stop to check on the state of the man as he heard the axe fall clattering to the floor — his only goal was to escape. Squinting through the mist, he dashed around the scattered shelves and crates and hurtled towards the door, but as he neared it, something caught his eye.

A small bronze cube sat innocuously on a row of shelves to his right, and Fahjoth’s heart skipped a beat. Without pausing to examine it, he grasped the little box tightly in his hand and threw his whole body weight against the door to shove it open.

What he hadn’t been expecting was the door to smack the Redguard from earlier in the face, knocking him back against the wall with a yell and leaving him in a dazed slump, blood already pouring from his now crooked nose. Which meant that—

Sure enough, the first Imperial stood slack-jawed at the top of the slope, flabbergasted by the sudden appearance of a strange Dunmer. It didn’t take long for him to recover, however, and Fahjoth’s breath caught in his throat as he saw the man reaching down to his waist where a dagger hung in its sheath. Fahjoth didn’t hesitate; driven by sheer desperation, he charged straight ahead like a wild guar, bashing his shoulder hard against the Imperial’s as he legged it haphazardly down the rocky slope. There was a yell and a dull thud from behind him as the Imperial, pushed clean off the edge of the slope by the force of Fahjoth’s bash, collided with the ground, and Fahjoth could hear only too clearly the enraged shouts of a number of men from behind him as they began to give chase. He didn’t look back.

With his gaze fixed ahead of him and mouth dry, the beating of his heart as well as own footsteps ringing in his ears, his face feeling hot and his lungs cramping as a result of the sweltering atmosphere in the subterranean ruins, Fahjoth put his every ounce of strength into fleeing. With the head start he had secured he was able to bolt up the opposite slope, clambering up into the entrance tunnels and sprinting the length of the dimly lit corridors to the exit. At last, he turned a corner and Arkngthand’s entrance, his passage to the safe haven that was the outside world, suddenly popped into view. He stopped only to twist the copper wheel powering the entrance mechanism, his hands slippery with sweat yet whizzing around faster than they had ever moved in his life until, with a telltale groan, the spherical door ground open and daylight flooded the gloom.

The voices behind him were getting louder, their vicious insults and threats echoing through the tunnels, and though Fahjoth’s muscles were screaming for respite, he didn’t halt. He took off, rushing out into the fresh air, where a cool breeze caressed his clammy skin as his hands worked to spin the outside wheel powering the door machinery. Glancing up, he saw two figures come loping through the darkness of Arkngthand’s tunnels — before the door rasped shut once more, obscuring them from sight completely.

As dearly as he wished to collapse into an inert heap on the dusty ground, Fahjoth knew he couldn’t relax yet. It would be seconds before the men — looters? bandits? smugglers? — reopened the door and resumed their pursuit of him. So it was with trembling legs that he trotted down the hill back towards the bridge, breathing a sigh of relief as no sound to indicate that he was still being chased reached his ears.

Finally, he began to feel as if he could slow down. Now, with the adrenalin beginning to subside, he was left acutely aware of the stitch tearing up his midsection and each step felt almost torturous. The fog of panic was beginning to dissipate from his head, leaving him able to think clearly at last.

He glanced down at the cube in his hand, cold and surprisingly heavy now that he really focused on it. He examined the inscriptions donning the sides, feeling a stab of anxiety— what if, after all that trouble, he had picked up the wrong cube? But the more he scrutinised it, he realised it was more or less a perfect match for Antabolis’ description. And then came the overwhelming euphoria.

He’d done it!

A grin spread across Fahjoth’s features as he gazed at the cube, so wide it almost hurt his cheeks. His first mission had been a rousing success — alright, it had been far from perfect, but besides a few scuff marks on the chitin of his armour, it was near impossible to tell that he’d even faced a struggle at all. And surely his superiors didn’t need to know about his unfortunate encounter. Why, he hadn’t even used his sword—

Suddenly, Fahjoth threw up a hand and slapped his forehead, eyes squeezed tightly shut in annoyance and embarrassment. Blinded by fear, he’d completely forgotten about the perfectly good weapon that hung in a sheath from his belt. But the more he thought about it, the more he realised that he and his shortsword may not have been much of a match for the brute of a man wielding a battleaxe anyway. At least, not yet. That was something to focus on in training.

An echoing clang roused him from his thoughts and announced that he’d set foot on the bridge, but as Fahjoth looked up, he was surprised to see a man standing ahead. He’d been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he’d completely failed to realise that he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t alarmed to see the grey-haired Imperial, but he did wonder what the older gentleman was doing out here in the middle of nowhere.

“Ah, don’t mind me!” Fahjoth called to announce his presence, holding up a hand to signify that he was not hostile as he began to stride across the bridge. “Just, uh, heading home—”

His words abruptly died in his throat, however, as a pulsating ball of blinding light suddenly erupted from the man’s outstretched hand, hitting Fahjoth square in the chest and flinging him to the ground like a ragdoll. He yowled in pain as the electricity coursed through his body briefly before dissipating, leaving him gasping for breath and struggling to regain full control of his limbs. The Dwemer box had been thrown from his hand as he fell; it lay around two metres away, between himself and the battlemage, whose hand pulsed with a sinister indigo aura as a walking skeleton clutching a war-axe suddenly materialised into thin air beside him.

“What are you doing—?!” Fahjoth yelled, wheezing after the collision with the hard metal base of the bridge knocked the air out of his lungs. “I’m not— I don’t want to fight you—!”

But the Imperial didn’t seem to be paying any heed. He summoned another spell, a blistering ball of flame that he launched at Fahjoth, who managed to avoid it by a whisker by frantically rolling to one side, although he still felt a scorching wave of heat as the fireball exploded on the spot where he had been lying a mere second prior. Scrambling to his feet, panic building once more, Fahjoth was faced with the man preparing another spell and the skeleton, an actual intact human skeleton, loping towards him, brandishing its rusted blade and its bones creaking as they scraped against each other with every movement. For a split second, Fahjoth’s hand twitched towards his sword — but another convulsing ball of sparks coming his way dissuaded him from that idea completely. This was certainly not a battle he had any chance of winning.

He lunged for the ground just as the skeleton swung its axe for his head, and Fahjoth felt the blade skimming the top of his hair as he narrowly missed being struck by it. With fumbling fingers he grasped the cube and heaved himself back to his feet, dancing backwards to avoid the spells still being flung in his direction and to put as much distance as possible between himself and the skeleton. Except, now, he had another issue; his opponents were in the middle of the bridge, obstructing the way ahead and preventing his escape. Thinking fast, there was only one thing for it; Fahjoth clambered over the metal railing at the side of the bridge, desperate for an alternative escape route. He was close enough to the start of the bridge, it probably wouldn’t be too far a fall—

But the moment he put both feet on the railing, he felt himself losing his balance on the rounded surface. He had just enough time to catch a glimpse of the side of the crevasse below, the walls of which were much steeper than he had anticipated, before he lost his balance completely and felt himself plummeting down, his stomach lurching up sharply as he descended. With a strangled yelp he hit the rocky sides of the cleft and tumbled down the rest of the way to the base, almost choked by the dense cloud of dust he had disturbed on impact with the soil. Once again adrenalin overtook him, lending him the strength he needed to drag himself to his feet and stagger the width of the crevasse and over to the other side, his grazed fingers still firmly clutching the precious cube. He felt more than heard the crackling of spells as they went whistling past his head, and a scuffing against the ground behind him indicated that the skeleton had followed his path down into the chasm. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself into beginning the arduous climb back to the top of the crevasse, scrambling up the rock face and skidding on loose dirt before finally emerging at the top. From the corner of his eye he could see the battlemage running the length of the bridge, trailing Fahjoth like a hungry wolf while still firing hostile spells at him as he gave chase.

With one last burst of energy Fahjoth broke into another furious dash, bolting down the hill and sprinting along the path he now found himself on. He didn’t stop to look back, to check if he was being followed. His only objective was to return to Balmora as fast as possible. His lungs screamed with every frantic gasp of air he drew in, his heart hammering against his ribcage and reverberating dully between his ears. It was only once he passed under the arch at the town entrance and fled into the sanctuary of Balmora did he finally stop, and, in a haze of pain, exhaustion and sickening dizziness, he promptly fell to his knees.

As he kneeled there on the dusty ground, struggling to get his erratic breathing back under control, it was a few moments before Fahjoth could even begin to process his thoughts again. The first thing he noted was that he was safe now; he was back in civilisation at last. Numerous guards patrolled the streets, their helmed faces occasionally turning to look at the outlander collapsed into the dirt — probably with disdain but that was the least of Fahjoth's worries right now. With his chest feeling as though it was on fire, burning up from the inside with every inhalation, he closed his eyes and let the pleasant warmth of the late afternoon sun wash over him, easing the tension in his aching muscles. Finally, his breathing began to slow, allowing for more thoughts to surface in his troubled mind.

The truth had hit Fahjoth like a warhammer to the face. Today had been nothing short of a disaster. It was almost laughable to reminisce on how excited and confident he had been when he initially departed from Balmora. He struggled to believe that mere hours ago, he thought he was prepared for anything. What a ridiculous notion that was. How could he have been so naive? If that was only the first assignment Cosades had given him, he believed wholeheartedly that he needed the blessing of the gods to survive what else might lay in store.

His eyes fell down to the little cube he still clutched in his bloodied hand, the sight inspiring bitterness in his sore chest. First things first, he needed to return it to Antabolis; truthfully, he would be glad to see the back of it. The last thing he wanted was a reminder of how disastrous his little mission had gone. With embarrassment and misery now settling in his gut and pain racking him with every movement, Fahjoth dragged himself to his feet and finally limped his way back to the Fighters Guild for a less-than-triumphant return.

#oc: fahjoth #oc: ribyna #caius cosades #tes #tes fic #morrowind #dunmer #dunmer oc #nerevarine #elder scrolls #elder scrolls fanfiction #tes iii: morrowind

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lettersnorth · 3 years

Text

A Call For Help

Heartwood House was quiet that afternoon. Some job must have taken a number of the mercenaries away on business. Not unexpected. It may well be that his report would have to wait. As Atreus stepped over the threshold he pinged Aislinn's security orb just to be sure. And received a cheerful answering ping originating from her study. It seemed she was in after all. That was unexpected. The woman usually made a point to take on as many jobs that came across Heartwood’s desk as possible. To the point of overload, if anyone cared to ask for his assessment. No one ever had.

The door to her study was slightly ajar and he pushed against the polished wood with a sharp rap as he entered. The hyur looked up from her place behind a desk covered in a sprawl of parchments, tomes and papers he had come to expect. It wasn’t how he would organize his work but she seemed to need to spread it out, as if she could look at it all at once. A feat he knew Spoken incapable of, though that didn’t stop them from trying. He allowed his internal chronometer to count five seconds, long enough for the disoriented look to dissipate from her expression as she switched her focus to him. Shifting tasks quickly also was not their strong suit. They were highly inefficient in so many ways.

“Is now a good time.” a statement, not a question. He checked his readings again. 98% efficiency. Maybe that lagging two percent could be found in his faulty language subroutine.

“Atreus.” Aislinn nodded and motioned to the empty chair that sat in front of her desk. “When did you get back?”

“I just walked through the door.” that was better.

“Well, then let me ask; how was the trip?” she ventured.

“Where are the others.”

If she was caught off guard by the pivot in conversation, she didn’t show it. “A flood of jobs came in all at once. They’re out, dividing and conquering.”

“But you’re not.” Atreus stated.

“No.”

“Why.”

He watched her cast around for an excuse before he arrived at the answer himself. “Your deficiencies are getting worse.”

“That’s not it. And it’s insulting when you call it that.” She muttered.

“Then what.”

She was cursed, that’s what. Or might as well be. To Aislinn’s mind a person couldn’t just absorb cursed energy without being affected by it. All the misfortune that had befallen her, befallen the people she loved, it all made sense now. She was the problem. She was becoming a cursed object herself. And Heartwood certainly didn’t need a bad luck charm out in the field. She had told Atreus she had enough work to handle here, at the House, but even to her ear she had sounded defensive. What she had said was true enough but she didn’t like it. His expression hadn’t changed a micro ilm but she could read his disbelief in that blank space.

She sat at her desk, studying the problem from all angles. Moments earlier Atreus had finished his report. His long-limbed frame, modeled after the Garleans he was meant to serve, had settled in the chair on the other side of the desk with a fluidity that belied his synthetic make and left her to her thoughts. By Atreus’ account approaching Lord Beauchene was going to be no easy feat. The man eschewed most social functions and kept his estate well guarded, keeping everyone at arm’s length. She could certainly guess as to why that would be. If she was him, she might do the same. The only foothold that Atreus had found was that his youngest sister was due to have her season. In a move that all but bowed to Ishgardian tradition and social decorum, reclusive House Beauchene would celebrate this happy occasion by opening its doors and hosting the first ball of said season.

“I’d suggest finding another mage.”

“There is no other mage.” she said with a sharp shake of her head. “Not any that I can recall as having anything to do with my...deficiency.” That was sarcasm, he was sure of it. Likely directed at him. "So it seems, against all good sense, I'll need to head to Ishgard myself."

Now, suns later, Aislinn sat alone in her sparse but serviceable inn room in Ishgard and placed another log on the fire. Her chair was already as close to the fireplace as she dared and still, the idea of going so far as to climb into it was becoming more appealing as night began to fall and a frost slowly rimed the thin window panes. What Atreus had said was true, not that she doubted it. But she only needed to walk down the length of the market and hover inconspicuously in millinery shops, dressmakers, jewelers to hear the gossip.

Aislinn poked the fire, pulled her cloak tighter around her and methodically considered her options. Ren, with his Ishgardian connections, was the obvious choice. But he would have questions. She thought of explaining everything to him, what had happened to her in Ul’dah, ran such a scenario through her head and didn’t like what she found. Though it had mellowed with time, Ren was still capable of a temper. There would be no subtle, careful approach to Beauchene. There would be an apoplectic bull she had let loose upon the man and she would never get her answers. Eliane could perhaps arrange a meeting but she rejected that idea out of hand as well. Aislinn would never ask her to keep something from her husband. Bertram...well, that was simply out of the question. Aislinn had learned her lesson there. And Ishgardian nobility and subtlety wasn’t really Cravendy’s thing.

She rose suddenly from her seat and pulled a small, square box from the haversack she had left on the bed. Opening it, she set it on the nightstand and carefully removed the small linkpearl that sat nestled in the cushioned interior. A parting gift from Locke Fairwind.

“I want you to have this. It's a linkpearl, specially designed. Untraceable, so you don't have to worry about any prying ears. It's capable of sending out a single message before it breaks, and once it does it'll let me know exactly where you are. If you ever find yourself in need of a helping hand, just call. I'll come running.”

It had been the better part of a year since she had stepped off the Endless Waltz and watched the airship disappear into the clouds. Much had happened in that time. The events of the last year had changed her and left her with only scant moments to think back on the ship’s devilish Captain. Wyda’s death and the fallout, Cravendy’s arrival, the trouble with the mad Isghardian and his rogue Allagan tech. The missing Heartwood members.

Through all of that she had held this last trick back. Even now, she hesitated. She had called on help before when she had needed it most and all it had taught her was that in the end, despite all the promises, she was on her own. And that had been a lesson given to her by someone far closer than Locke. Someone who, by all rights, should have been there. If she couldn’t depend on him, of all people, could she truly depend on the Captain?

But she knew what she needed. She needed someone who could lie and lie well. Far better than she could. Someone who wouldn’t balk at the story she told or look at her with pity in their eyes.

That night, she was woken from a nightmare by one of the worst attacks yet. After the searing pain had subsided and her lungs stopped aching from the work of drawing breath after gasping breath, she rose from her sweat drenched sheets and reached for the small box on the nightstand. For once, she didn’t mind the wintry chill in the air as it cooled her heated skin. But she knew she was running out of time.

Fitting the linkpearl in her ear, she took a bracing breath and began. “Locke, this is Aislinn...I’m in Ishgard and I need your help.”

A few seconds later she heard the delicate click of something within the linkpearl snapping. Just as he had said, it broke after relaying a single message.

If he didn’t answer she would be no worse off than before, she reasoned.

#ffxiv rp #balmung rp #rp snippets #Flashpoint #Atreus Sergius #Locke Fairwind #aislinn north #To Ishgard!

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edie-of-the-empire · 4 years

Text

To my fellow Edeleth fan, Jordan (@hoiiowknight):

Happy Holidays to you, my friend. However you celebrate, I hope you take the time to enjoy.

I am gifting you this piece in reminder to always strive for that 'something more'. You deserve it, and you should look for it, no matter where you find yourself in life. Doors open and close all the time. It is up to you to choose the correct one. May this be a gift to encourage that you strive for the best opportunities; that you seek out your something more, and to remind you- that you are ALWAYS worth it.

Cheers and well-wishes, -M.

Something More

M. Lauren

Silence filtered through the cabin. It was uncomfortable, and Edelgard wondered if Byleth could feel it as well.

She must, El concluded.

It would be untruthful to say that the first leg of their trip was going well.

The two had departed from Garreg Mach, hours prior. Their carriage was packed to capacity. Each of their worldly possessions had been stowed away, and they were headed off to their new life in Enbarr.

Our new life as… Edelgard sighed. Her lips pursed in contemplation. What are we?

Her mind was in turmoil as the carriage bumped and rattled down the dirt roads. Not even the scent of warm countryside had managed to soothe El.

She was ruminating.

-no. I am dwelling! She managed a silent grumble, and her mind continued to spiral.

During their last conversation, Byleth had agreed to come to Enbarr. She had given Edelgard her mother’s ring, and it shown brilliant upon the chain around the emperor’s neck. However, El was puzzled. Byleth had gifted her this metaphorical token, but-

What does it signify? Edelgard emitted another silent moan.

She had confessed her feelings to her most trusted friend. Edelgard had ranted and stumbled through her words as she pulled from the shock of receiving such a gift.

Byleth, though; she had been as stoic and calm as ever. She handed over that ring as if it was as easy as inviting her student to afternoon tea.

But this isn’t tea! She felt the words trying at her lips. This is our future; a relationship! ...or at least, I believed it was…

Edelgard pushed back into the bench. Her shoulders were tightly strained. Her teeth were grit and her eyes briefly closed as the world passed by around them.

This was not how she imagined the next chapter of her life would lead.

Looking across the cabin, Edelgard’s frustrations only continued to grow. Byleth appeared peaceful. Her eyes directed toward the road, reflecting the sun's light in her deep blue iris’. She pondered the view outside her window; the passing trees and white clouds. Her expression was void of any sort of emotion, and evidently void of any of the same stress in which Edelgard was feeling herself.

“Is something troubling you?” Byleth’s concern indicated El had been caught staring.

It was also then, for which Edelgard realized her hands had balled into white-knuckled fists against her lap.

“I am fine.” She released them. “I have told you before about my dislike for cramped spaces.”

Her tone spilled a little drier than intended. Nonetheless, Byleth ignored it. She nodded in understanding as she rotated in her seat.

“We could walk a while, if you believe that might help? Perhaps the fresh air will ease your nerves.”

Despite the kind gesture, Edelgard’s irritation flared.

She shook her head, seemingly jaded. “We have experienced a long few months. You need your rest.”

However, Byleth was not listening. She reached around Edelgard to knock against the frame, causing the iron wall to rattle between them and the outside post.

The carriage came to a swift halt. Byleth sheathed her blade. She lifted herself to stand, and Edelgard eyed her suspiciously.

“Now it is no longer a discussion.” Byleth caught her hand. “We are walking.”

Edelgard was pulled quickly to her feet. Byleth waited until she was stable on her heels before releasing her to open the door.

“Go on a ways.” Byleth explained to the driver.

She assisted Edelgard down from the cabin, and returned to face the man.

“We will meet you at the base of Morgaine. The emperor would like to stretch her legs before dark.”

Byleth had lied for her, and that notion was oddly comforting. She never allowed Edelgard to appear weak in the eyes of men; despite what bits about her past Byleth knew, and could use to do so.

The driver arched his brow. “If you are certain, madam. I will leave the guards for aide.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Edelgard stepped in at Byleth’s side. “I am quite confident in our ability to defend ourselves.”

She had fashioned her own sword now, causing Byleth to smile. She shook the smirk from her lips before waving forward their men.

The two waited, watching the carriage and horses continue on. They disappeared as the trail turned, and Edelgard sighed in sudden relief.

“I suppose you were correct.” She turned to Byleth. “The fresh air has me feeling better already.”

“I am glad.” Byleth sent El a short nod, and then silently took the lead.

Long minutes passed as they walked. In no time at all, their uncomfortable silence had filtered back in. Though irritated, El much preferred dealing with her confusion outside of the confined carriage. The weight of Byleth’s indecisiveness was not nearly as heavy amongst the vast roads and forest. Here, she had the space to locate the humor amidst their predicament. Here, Edelgard realized, that while the admission of her feelings had changed her for the better; they had yet to weaken her Ashen Demon.

With Byleth at the front, Edelgard felt they were headed to battle.

Once a mercenary, always a mercenary. She stifled a laugh.

Byleth’s strides were long and certain. With her hand curled around the handle of her blade and her head held high, Byleth appeared ready to take down any enemy in hiding.

“Is our fort under siege,” Edelgard teased. “-or are we out for a leisurely stroll?”

Byleth fumbled in her steps. Edelgard’s eyes directed coyly down to the hand on her sword.

Byleth’s grip loosened in response. “Old habits.” She shrugged. “I apologize.”

“You don’t have to explain.” A small grin turned against her cheeks. “I understand. However, we are taking a break from the carriage, not hurrying to get back to it. Might I suggest we slow down a pace?”

Byleth’s lips drew to the side. “Why don’t you take the lead then, El?”

“Or, perhaps we walk together?”

As quickly as the words slipped passed her tongue, a steady blush surfaced along Edelgard’s chest. Her heart began to race. Her eyes widened, and yet, Byleth paid little mind. She heeded El’s request by taking a station at her side.

Their walk resumed. Hip to hip, their pace slowed as the trail wound on. While it did, the air continued to warm. Summer was nearing. The heat of the sun and the scent of honeysuckle told tale of that much. Paired with the aroma of drying wood, the atmosphere around them began to soften.

“This reminds me of my time as a mercenary.”

Edelgard’s head snapped toward her; surprised, more than anything else, to have heard Byleth speaking up.

“Oh, and why is that?” She hummed.

Byleth shoulders drew into a shrug. “Open road, sword on my hip…” Her eyes turned to her feet.

Edelgard could not help but giggle. “You know, when I suggested we slow down and enjoy the walk, I had meant taking the time to think about something peaceful. Here you are reminiscing over raids and sword play.”

“I was thinking about my father, too.” Byleth's words were clipped.

“I see,” Edelgard’s gaze joined against the trail. “And what about him were you thinking?”

Silence filled the gap between them. Edelgard heard Byleth stiffen. Her lavender eyes rose to find the ex-merc appearing uncharacteristically tense.

“Are you alright?” She asked. Her hand came to rest at Byleth’s shoulder.

“I am.” She nodded. “Though, my chest feels strange. I have these memories, and now suddenly they come paired with these new and heavy emotions. I must get familiar with them, is all.”

“And you will.” Edelgard promised. Her fingers squeezed against Byleth’s coat. “Emotions are but a facet in the human experience; only you have had the unfortunate luck of playing host to a non-mortal deity for most of your life. You had a late start, but you will learn. I am confident in that.”

Byleth bit down on her lip. “I suppose that is true.”

Her eyes returned to the trees, but Edelgard refused to leave well enough alone.

“We can learn together, then.” She encouraged. “Why don’t you tell me about your father? What about these woods reminds you of him?”

A small sound, like a huff, pulled passed Byleth’s lips. “I am not certain it is the woods as much as it is, being here with you.”

“With me?” Her eyes widened.

“-with you on this open road.” She explained. “While my father and I traveled, we would walk and talk, much like we are now.”

Byleth's head turned to find Edelgard’s hand. It remained warm and flexed against her shoulder.

Embarrassed, Edelgard swiftly pulled away. “What would you discuss while you traveled; you and your father, I mean?” She stammered through her words. Her hand burned where it caught against her chest.

“Tactics, primarily. And on occasion, we would discuss the upcoming raid.”

“I see,” Edelgard smiled softly. “It appears both our childhoods lacked any recreational or seemingly personal, conversations.”

Her head tilt toward El. “You and I have personal conversations.”

“We do.” Edelgard nodded. “However, I suppose you are the first I have allowed myself to do this with in a very long time.”

“That makes me feel important.”

“You are important.” The words left her throat in a single breath, and Edelgard quickly turned away.

Her face was aflame. Her worries from earlier came flooding back in.

“While we are on the subject of personal; might I ask you something, Byleth?”

She turned silent, and Byleth waited until El’s eyes returned to her before she spoke.

“Of course you may.” Her shoulders clenched.

Edelgard’s jaw wavered in a swarm of thoughts. “I was- I mean, I am wondering why you have gifted me your mother’s ring?”

Byleth’s eyes grew wide. Her feet slowed.

“I had made some irrational assumptions the other day, and I wanted to clarify what this meant to you?” She fingered the chain against her neck, and Byleth’s gaze followed.

“I suppose I thought it obvious.” Her head craned. “You had asked for me to stay with you, but that was already in my plans.”

“Yes, that much I understand.” Edelgard forcefully pressed on. “But, how do you wish to continue from here? Do you wish us friends, or allies, or-”

“What?” Byleth’s face scrunched.

Stopping short, Edelgard’s feet slid amongst the dirt. Her hands balled into fists and she tighten them against her skirt.

“You gave me your mother’s ring; her engagement ring. You said to me that you would always be here for me. When I spoke of my feelings for you, and of the life we would spend together, nothing changed between us. You have said nothing, nor done anything, to make me believe you knew what I was alluding to. We remain but emperor and aide. We are friends, as always; friends without the burden of war, but what I had wanted, what I was hoping for, was for something much more than this.

“What I want for us, it is greater than friendship. It is love and togetherness. I want the life I would have never allowed myself to want before I knew I was free to do so. And I have wanted that with you, Byleth! I want you to be my wife. You have always been my partner, my friend, and my ally; but now, more than that, I would like for you to want those ‘somethings more’ as well.”

Fingers threaded under Edelgard’s jaw. Her face was tugged forward. Byleth’s actions were brash and her hands were strong, but when her lips met El’s they were soft and tender.

“Byleth?” Edelgard breathed. Her wide eyes glazed in a mix of excitement and confusion.

She drew back a hair. Her lips still suspended over Byleth’s. They had touched, she thought, but not for long enough to remember.

Byleth’s hands lost their grip, and she began to pull away. However, Edelgard was suddenly there, her hands holding Byleth's in place. She looked afraid; as worried as Byleth. Both were afraid they might frighten the other off.

“Something more.” Byleth whispered.

Her words shook Edelgard still, and Byleth forced a careful step back. She watched El raise her fingers to her lips. She touched them, wondering when they had lost the ability to speak. In spite of that, seeing Byleth uncharacteristically flustered caused her confidence to soar. Edelgard’s hands suddenly flattened to Byleth’s chest, and she drew herself high onto her toes.

“Something more,” She agreed with a grin. Edelgard brushed against Byleth’s lips once more. "Yes, this; this is what I meant. We both deserve this something more."

Her words fell away. Edelgard's breathing hitched, and she accepted another kiss as Byleth willingly lowered toward her.

-M.

#it's dorothea #my writing #secret santa #fe3h project hub #twitter #fe3h #fire emblem #edeleth #three houses #fire emblem three houses #edelgard #edelgard von hresvelg #edelgard x byleth #f!byleth #byleth eisner

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dcnatural · 4 years

Text

I Did Something Bad

Word Count: 1854

Pairing: Reader x Joker

Rating: Mature

Synopsis: You are a bad cop and, one day, you cross paths with the Joker

There was something about him that fascinated you. Sure, maybe he was a crazy, narcissistic psychopath, but you couldn’t deny that he was easily the most interesting case you had ever investigated.

You had been working as an officer for GCPD for about a year when you first crossed paths with him. He had just fled Arkham, and like always, was looking to cause chaos. You and your partner were on patrol around the West Side, a rich and relatively peaceful part of the town, it was a calm night. That is, until a bleeding man jumped in front of the car, laughing like a maniac. It didn’t take more than a look for you know he was under the effect of the Laughing Gas. And that meant that the Joker was around here. While your partner called the precinct, asking for backup (as you would later found out to be procedure when dealing the Clown Prince of Crime), you followed the bloody trail that marked the path the man had made, hoping it would lead you to the criminal.

And it did. You caught up with him just in time to see his messy green hair entering a nightclub and went in after him. The party was noisy, and room was packed and when you thought you had lost him and was ready to give up, you spotted his messy green hair leaning on the bar counter and staring straight at you. But your blood didn’t freeze like you thought it would do, it boiled. The excitement of being face to face with the most notorious madman in the U.S.A. made you lose any professional objectivity, and instead of arresting him, you sat by his side and ordered a drink. The two of you didn’t talk, just looked at each other, and when the radio buzzed, calling you back to the scene, you went back without him.

Fifty people died in that club half an hour after you left, but, as you laid in bed, watching the news reporter announce the body count, you didn’t feel a bit guilty. No, you were intrigued. He could have killed you, but he preferred taking the risk of you reporting his location and ruining his plans. Why? That single question burned into your mind, and you couldn’t stop thinking about it, until you saw him again, two weeks later.

* * *

You had just busted a drug dealer selling meth, and was pressing the young boy into giving you the name of his boss. Sure, you were applying more force than necessary, but this was Gotham, talking would lead you nowhere in this city. As you slapped the boy on the face, you felt yourself being observed. You looked around, but you were in a cul-de-sac, empty but for you and the boy, the buildings had no windows. There was nowhere to watch you from. The boy begged you to let him go, claiming he didn’t know any names, only sold the drug, but you were on edge, and annoyed he wouldn’t give you what you needed, you slammed his body into the wall. You kicked him in the stomach and asked if he still didn’t remember. He didn’t. Finally you left, going back towards your police car. You were on your own that night, as your partner had been shot by Two-Face and was resting at home.

There was something stuck in the windscreen wiper, and you picked it up. A just taken Polaroid picture showing you and the kid. You turned to the alley, where he still laid on the floor, and then scanned again your surroundings.

“Is anyone there?”, you shouted. You pull your gun out of the holster, preparing to shoot at any threat. You are answered just by a guffaw. Truly, it was all the answer you needed. You followed the sound until you found the man standing in the doorway of an abandoned building, half hidden in the shadows.

“Liked my gift, officer?”, he asked, prolonging each syllable.

“Put your hands in the air”, you said, aiming the gun at his head. He didn’t even flinch.

“Why, I was hoping we could talk.” Even in the dark, you could see he was smiling. It was different than his signature smile, it wasn’t predatory. You would dare to say he was as intrigued by you as you were by him.

You lowered your gun, but didn’t return it to the holster. “Officer L/N”, you told him.

“Joker”, he said, as if it wasn’t obvious. He uncrossed his arms and you raised the gun again. But he hadn’t taken anything, he was just holding out his gloved hand for you. “My, my, my, just trying to be polite.”

You buffed and shook his hand, half expecting to receive a shock. He was known for pulling pranks. “Is there any more photos?”, you asked, letting go of him and stepping back.

“Commissioner Gordon wouldn’t be approving of your methods , would he?”

“They bring results”, you state. You didn’t care what Gordon would say. It wasn’t like anyone would tell him, everyone in your precinct used such methods. “Do you have any more copies?”, you ask again.

He smiles mischievously. “Maybe…”, he pulled a bunch of Polaroids from the pocket on his purple suit and held them out like a fan. You can’t see what are on them, since the pictures are facing him. “Let’s play a game, you answer a question, you get a photo? How ‘bout that?”

You didn’t like that. You didn’t like bargaining with the Devil. But you could only blame yourself, if you hadn’t let him go two weeks ago, then you would be home by now. “Alright. Fine, but not here. Let’s get some drinks”, you stated. If you were going to do this, you would need to get drunk first.

Turning on his heels, he laughed. “I know just the place.” He bowed, signaling for you to go first. His actions were rather theathical, but there was nothing inoffensive about him.

From time to time, he would say for you to turn left or right, and you could take a opportunity to steal a glance from him. You couldn’t help but notice the way he moved, like a hyena stalking its prey. And you were the gazelle.

* * *

He chose the crappiest bar in town. At least that was the only way you could describe the place. It smelled like cheap beer and cigarette, and some tough looking guys eyed you weirdly, seeing the uniform. But noticing your company, no one said anything.

You sat by a table on the very end of the bar, facing the front door. Cop habit, always watch your exits. A skimpy dressed waitress came and took your orders. Your long neck beer arrived and you removed the cap using your silver ring. You took a sip, and bitter liquid burning it’s way down your throat.

“So”, you said, crossing your hands over the table. “What do you want to know?”

“Oh, just the basics”, he said with a laughter. His beverage remained untouched. “Full name?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?” He nodded and you sighed, answering what he had asked.

“Camila”, he tastes the word on his tongue, making it sound almost lyrical. He slid a photograph across the table for you. You flipped it carefully, so no one else could see it. It was identical to the one he left on your car, taken less than seconds apart. You tucked it into your pocket. “How long have you been on a cop?”

“A year.”

“Fresh out of the Academy then! Tell me, am I your first super villain?”

You shake your head impatiently. “One question, one picture. Pay me before asking the next one”, you demanded.

He faked outrage. “I’m offended, I thought you trusted me. I am a man of my word”, he said placing a hand over his heart. He handed you another photo. “There. Will you answer now?”

“Yes. You were the first insane costumed criminal I crossed paths with.”

His eyes widen, fists slamming the table. “Insane?”, he scoffs. “I’m not insane. I have been told that perhaps I’m the most sane man in world. I understand how the world works: just a big ol’ joke”, he throws the next picture at you carelessly. “I thought you understood me… tsk tsk tsk. I have to say I’m disappointed, Camila.”

“Sorry”, you muttered. Not that you cared. He was insane after all, but he had something you wanted.

“Tell me, have you ever killed someone?”

The question makes you uncomfortable. Not because you are ashamed or regretful, but because telling him the truth would be risky. But, then again, who would believe the Joker? “Yes”, you say, a smile forming on the corner of your lips.

He hands you another Polaroid. He seems very interested on that story. “How?”

“Shot them in the head twice. Threw it in the river, no body no crime”, you tell him, matter of factually.

Another picture. “Who was it?”

“The man who mugged and killed my best friend”, as you tell him, the memories flood your mind. Your friend’s body covered in blood, you trying to close the wounds, the sirens of the ambulance that didn’t get there in time, the cake you had bought crushed under the feet of the paramedics, the ruined birthday decoration, your hands covered in blood, tears on your face. The obsession with finding the person responsible, the mugger who didn’t even remember his victim, you kicking him until his teeth feel off, you pulling the trigger twice, you pushing the body into the river, your hands covered in blood, a wicked smile on your face.

“Ohh”, he cheers, “revenge. Beautiful”, he claps his hands and gives you the next picture. “Good, only three left. Let’s make them worthy, shall we? Why didn’t you arrest me?”

You hesitate. “I don’t know”, you shrug, “it just felt the right thing to do.” You’ve emptied your beer and when the waitress passed by, you ordered another.

“Why did you become a cop?”

You drink half of the new beer and laugh. “That’s easy. Because I wanted to do justice. But no one had told me that justice belongs in fairy tales. In real life there’s only power.”

“I knew you understood”, he held the last photo on his hand, waving it to you. “Last one”, he gave a dramatic pause before looking deep into your eyes and asking, red mouth forming the words loud and clear, this was the only question that truly mattered. “Are you single?”

You take the last gulp of your beer. “Yes”, you confess, cheeks blushing. It had been a long time since you were romantically or sexually involved with anyone. Joker hums, approving your answer. With the nine pictures on your possession, there’s nothing stopping you from leaving. And you should do just that, but he is like a magnet, pulling you closer. You get up and ask, “Walk me to my car?”

You put the money on the table to pay for your drinks. He raises from his seat and offers you an arm, like a gentleman. You take his offer and you two walk back to where you came from. Once you reach the car, you pull all of the pictures from your pockets and reach for the lighter inside the vehicle.

“Light it up”, you say, giving him the lighter. He does just that, the edges of the Polaroids taking fire and burning. As the heat becomes too much, you drop the photos on the floor and watch as the fire consumes them, until just ember is left.

#joker #joker x reader #joker/reader #joker imagine #dc #reader

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magistralucis · 4 years

Note

lib sebinsky/at a party/you pick also side note I Love U💟💟💟💟💟💟

At a party, celebrating // Lib Sebinsky

———————

When the hour is nigh you rise to your feet and gesture for your Captain to join you outside. He seems surprised, but complies, letting the door fall shut; the conversations of the evening fade behind it, and you are left alone together, snowy moonlight drifting past your feet. "Sebastian. Something wrong?"

“No... it couldn’t be further away from wrong.”

Twenty to midnight. This is it. You take a deep breath, pull out a small box from your pocket, and lower yourself on one knee.

“This was a very long time coming.”

Your Captain gasps and stares at you in disbelief. Your smile, faintly bashful, perhaps even chastised - but above all, honest. Surprising how it took you both so long, and around such complicated paths, to convey something so simple. But it’s here now. You’ve thought about this moment for so long the speech accompanying it flows like water.

“In our years together I could never choose the right time to do this. And we had many obstacles in the way: war scars, misunderstandings, my selfishness.” You close your eyes and shake your head, guilt stinging your heart, as it has done ever since you and Vincent fixed your relationship. “I am guilty - yes! I am guilty of throwing away our moments. I shan’t repeat that mistake again. You have been by my side for a full dozen years, Vincent, I should be honoured if you will be mine for ten times that.”

“Sebastian.”

You open the box. Two rings in brilliant white gold are nestled within. You are already acquainted to yours, it’s the same one Vincent gifted you as a promise so very long ago; well, it has its partner now. “You are the river of human kindness. You steered me this far. At this point in the journey of our life, I wish to keep you with me for ever: Vincent Belorgey, will you marry me?”

He stares at you some more. Slowly, a smile drifts to his lips. The smile becomes a laugh, which soon dissolves in tears of joy. Wordlessly, he pulls you to your feet and pulls you fast to his chest; this is not quite enough for him, and within seconds he’s lifted you up with a triumphant shout, spinning you in a circle. When he lets you down he makes his answer known in a way you didn’t expect, which is: another ring, in its own box, blue velvet to counter your red. His is more elaborate with an inset band of diamonds. You look up at him, astonished.

“I was going to take my chance after midnight.” He confesses, his hoarse-voiced happiness mingling with the dark mischief he learnt to tame for your pleasure. "I received the Madame's permission years ago. But it wouldn't have been right to spring it on you at the start of your presidency, and for years - I wondered if it would ever be the right time-"

And the sting again. Yes, for many years, it seemed like there would be no light at the end of the tunnel. “Oh, Vinco-”

"But I kept hoping such a day would come. Oh, Bastien, I am glad. If we were still in the palace when it happened, I wanted the top floor converted into our suite - for the honeymoon, or whatever else, let’s do that! - and if we weren't, I was going to take you to Grasse. Obtain us a cottage and a beautiful yard in springtime, plead your grace on one knee! I thought you might like to be stolen away, in the same way I think you'd like being gently but firmly taken against the wall." He hushes your blushing protests with a finger, pressed tenderly against your mouth. "It depends on circumstances, but from everything I know about you, I was pretty damned certain you'd love it."

"You scoundrel.” But you can’t resist taking the tip of his finger into your mouth, teeth edging slightly against the skin. “I hope you didn't say that to my mother."

"My lips are sealed." Vincent laughs, eyes twinkling. He leans in. "Unless my Sebastian desires otherwise. I'd much rather please you with them, than to merely talk about it."

The sentiment is mutual. You present your hand to him, playfully haughty as he kisses the back of it and slips his ring onto your finger. You do the same for him with yours, and seeing that he’s pleased with this arrangement, reach up to kiss him fully. It is a short kiss, for the clock is ticking and you have places to be, but wholly satisfying: Vincent slips his hands along your body, feeling for you beneath your regalia, and the caress pleases you.

Already his ring is warm against your skin. Against the wall, indeed. Perhaps later.

---

After that the plan goes without a hitch. When you enter hand in hand, you and Captain both, an air of understanding sweeps across the receiving room right away. People put down their glasses, give you their full attention, and Franck slips away from the crowd. (They will later confirm they were similarly commissioned by Vincent, but kept their loyalty to you, aware you would get your chance first.)

“Have you enjoyed tonight’s festivities, beloved ones?”

Nods and murmurs. You smile wide and raise your hand up high, at the same time as Vincent, presenting your rings in unison to the crowd.

“Might you have room for one more, perhaps?”

Stunned silence. From the back of the room Franck pulls a cord with flourish. One of the many burgundy drapes there, indistinguishable from the rest, falls open instantly; the sound draws the crowd’s attention, and as Franck presents the new Presidential portrait they painted of yourself and your fiancé, the tension breaks free like a flood. First there are gasps, then a thunderous cheer, breaking forth like wildfire. Sonny is the first to throw himself into your arms, sobs of utter relief and joy interspersed with his congratulations.

That painting there is barely a week old, but already it’s set up for a sequel, this time with all three of you. You lavish paternal kisses on him and lift him high above your shoulders.

"Mesdames et Messieurs," you cry as you hold tight the two men dearest to your heart, "a happy family!"

Everyone swirls around you then. A sea of applause, handshakes, and hearty slaps on the shoulder (for Vincent more than you). It took you so long to get to this point, but you got there in the end, and something is finally complete. A camera materializes, already mounted on a tripod. Franck is the operator. With eager gestures they quickly wave everyone in the room close to you, gathered in position in two neat rows, you and Vincent and Sonny at the very centre. Tonight they will immortalize your family as it was and is; at the wedding, which will hopefully be very soon, this picture will be taken again with the addition of Franck in the crowd.

They will always be there for future photos as well. The transference of the old into the new, incorporating the new, and again and again for as long as you prosper.

Xavier and Gaspard are closest to you, faces beaming with joy and a mutual love for one another. Pedro and David are closest to the Captain, their expressions as serene as can be, the former's arm playfully resting on the latter's shoulder as if to show off his taller height. Beside them stands your chauffeur, Quentin and Bruno beside Xavier; then all the subordinates, and the palace staff who were so faithful to you all these years. You glance at Vincent amidst this big and wonderful family you have amassed, and he smiles back you; you lean in and kiss again, picture perfect with hands entwined, as a second round of cheers erupt again.

“Ouistiti!”

You keep that photo in your bedchamber forever.

#Anonymous #drabble #sebinsky #fanfiction #akchotesuggestion #kissing prompts #'ouistiti' - french equivalent of 'say cheese'#as i was dedicated to not writing the murderpaindeath for current request sessions #because there's too much of it in current lib plotline #this is how the christmas banquet in the fix-it au would have gone #assuming lib sebinsky quit the game and started fixing themselves early on #this solution relies on them making this decision before franck was even asked for seb's commission #so it is a VERY long running solution and takes pains to fix the majority of rose of the noble palace #a lot of events that happened in actual lib would not have done #but the endgame would be worth it :D #this is so long because i got really invested in seeing how far this could go #i hope it is a good piece though! this is the last public drabble i will post #fun for all the family ;)

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milk-is-here · 4 years

Text

Wedding part 2

in this part, I was having a very hard time closing it so I once again received help from @amethystsoda who crafted the absolutely most perfect ending!! It made me smile like a dork for a straight hour and a half, hehe.

The reception was decorated elegantly, flowered lights hanging from the branches of a large oak tree, tables set with beautiful vases of white and blue flowers. A spacious area was lined with fairy lights, a hidden sound system playing soft music.

Guests placed their gifts on a fairly large table, sarah suggesting its size with the passing phrase of "better safe than sorry", everyone choosing a seat and chatting with each other.

Once everyone had settled into their places around the tables, Fugo came up with a microphone to ask everyone to prepare their glasses for the speeches. Handing Helena the microphone first, the room went silent as she gripped the microphone with a shy laugh.

“Hello everyone! My name is Helena. Most of you know me as Don Giovanna’s wife, though. I first met Sarah through Mista! Since Giorno and Mista are so close, Sarah and I became close quickly as well. I was immediately drawn in by her warmth and joy! She made me feel like I had someone who truly understood what this life is like. Someone I could share my joys and frustrations with… And while some of us wondered if Mista would ever find someone,” She paused for a moment as scattered laugher echoed through the garden. “We all knew from the moment he first introduced us to Sarah that the two of you were meant for forever. Sarah, you have found a good man in Mista. And Mista, you have found a treasure in Sarah. We are all delighted for your union today and wish you unending years of happiness. So, a toast, if I may.” She raised her glass, motioning for everyone else to do the same.

"¡Alcemos nuestras copas, uniendo nuestros deseos para que esta pareja sea bendecida con un hogar lleno de salud, amor y bienestar! ¡Salud!"

("Let's raise our glasses, joining our desires so that this couple is blessed with a home full of health, love and well-being! Cheers!")

Clinking her glass with Sarah’s, everyone else called out a happy “Salud!” and did the same, sipping the drink after. Pulling Helena into her arms, Sarah thanked her for the speech, holding tight for a moment before sitting back down. Fugo returned once more, indicating that it was now Giorno’s turn to speak.

“Greetings, all. My name is Giorno Giovanna and I… have a dream.” Scattered laughter again from those who knew his classic line. “No, no. What I have is a friend, a right hand man, Mista. He is the one I trust most with my life and the person I wish most to have happiness in this life. I don’t think I could have found anyone better for him than Sarah. Their energy together is infectious. Mista even smiles when he’s around her. You can see the light in his eyes when he talks about her. They truly are companions, one for another. We wish many years of life, love, and perhaps even a few children??” Everyone laughed again, happily. “You are most deserving of the happiness life has brought to you and we join our hearts with you today to celebrate. Salute!”

Everyone cheered and drank, as before—Mista and Giorno shaking hands and patting each other on the back in a grateful gesture. With only one speech left, instead of Fugo introducing them, Bruno himself walked over to take the microphone.

“Buona sera! My name is Bruno and I am so proud of my children!~ Si, si, we may not be related by blood, but I love them as if they were my own. And today, Mista has spread his wings. He has taken on the greatest mission yet—marriage. He shall prove his loyalty and bravery each day to his wife. Sarah, you are the one his heart has found. The fulfillment of his dreams and desires. There is no one more worthy. Live your life well together. Cherish each day. Each moment. Never hesitate to show how much you care. To give a flood of kisses before leaving for work. To keep him just a little longer in your arms. Savor your days together. Now…” He raised his glass, staring up at the couple.

“To Sarah and Mista. The beloved match. May you find an eternity of joy together, fulfillment of dreams, and satisfaction in desire. Hold one another close and do not let go. Blessings upon the two of you. Salute!”

Everyone was a little teary eyed as they heard the toast, giving one more round of clinks and sips. Mista and Sarah were so moved that they both got up and rushed over to Bruno, pulling him in their arms for a hug.

Pulling away and moving more towards the designated dance floor, sarah addressed the audience in a loud and clear voice, projecting well from choir experience in her younger years,

"And now it's the moment I'm sure many of you have been waiting for since the ceremony came to a close, the father daughter dance. Polnareff, if you would join me on the dance floor?"

She gave him a warm smile as Waltz in A Minor flower out of the speakers, polnareff walking over and gently taking her hand before leading her in an elegant waltz around the dance floor. Her skirt fluttered with the twirls and steady footsteps, sarah feeling grateful that her bridesmaids had convinced her to wear flats instead of heels.

Then, as the song ended, a second song began. The tell tale notes of the acoustic version of ‘Quite Like You' by the script flowed out of the speakers, Mista gliding over as Polnareff passed Sarah off to him for a final time. Sarah beamed up at her husband, giving him a quick kiss before tucking her head under his chin, her eyes sliding shut as they slowly swayed in each others arms.

The other lights around the room dimmed until only fairy lights shone out, the romance of the evening settling over the scene. As the song continued, other couples joined them on the floor—Giorno and Helena, Ariel and Rohan, and Cait and Narancia. Each couple danced slowly, soft in each other’s embrace, arms wrapped tight and heads nestled into shoulders. As the music quietly faded out, all the guests clapped, acknowledging the bride and groom. Mista, in the rush of the moment, dipped Sarah back into a deep kiss, making both of them blush.

As soon as Mista pulled Sarah back up, he grinned and called out, “And with that, dinner is served!!”

Returning to their seats, everyone settled back in, instrumental classical music echoing through the venue as conversation picked back up around the room. Eventually, the sound of silverware on glasses sounded, others joining in and watching the happy couple with anticipation. Grabbing Mista’s collars, Sarah pulled him in, grinning into his lips as they kissed. Even the pistols gathered around with their tiny cheers, sitting on Mista and Sarah’s shoulders as they finally parted. Tucking Sarah’s hair back, Mista’s grin widened as he whispered, “I can’t wait to do that every day for the rest of my life.”

The rest of the evening was a blur of dinner, cake cutting, and dancing (the dance floor opening up again after the meal to welcome guests). Before the night was over, the bride and groom had one more event planned—the bouquet and garter toss. Mista went first, putting Sarah on a chair in the middle of the dance floor and popping under her skirt to grab the garter (her secret “something blue”). When he finally tossed it, Narancia was the fastest of them all, snatching it out of the air with an excited yelp.

Standing again, cheeks still flushed, Sarah asked all the unmarried women to crowd onto the dance floor as she held the bouquet. The pistols, hiding at the base of the flowers, gave a tiny OK to Sarah, gigging as they readied their plan. Turning her back to the crowd, she launched the bundle into the air. The front line grasped for the flowers as they soared, pushing each other out of the way. Avoiding the clutching fingertips, however, the flowers landed in a straight arc to a very surprised pair of hands. The bouquet had been delivered to Ariel, who stared at it with a soft blush, glancing over at her fiancé Rohan mouthing, “Guess we’re next?~”

The Pistols, having succeeded with their plan, flew out from the bouquet, shouting happily at Sarah and Mista, overlapping one another’s voices.

“We did it!! Did you see? Went off without a hitch!!”

Mista held out a hand for them, revealing a chunk of cake in the other as a reward for a job well done. With their happy cries soon silenced in mouths full of cake, Mista raised his eyebrows at Sarah.

“I think our jobs are done here, yes… What do you say we call it a night?~”

With a slight flush, she nodded, taking his free hand.

“Yes, I think we should~”

Lena, having prepared the exit for the lovebirds, handed sparklers to all the waiting guests, telling them to line up on either side of the exit. Lighting them from small torches at the same time, Helena grabbed the couple, telling them it was time to go and rushing them outside. Glimmering sparks lit up the evening as Sarah and Mista walked to the waiting car, laughing and grinning through the line of well-wishers. Giorno met them at the end, opening the car door and giving Mista one last hug goodnight.

“Good luck, friend~ Don’t forget to relax.”

“I’ve got it Giorno! We’ll be fine!”

Sarah tugged on Mista’s tie to pull him inside.

“Mista, let’s go! C’mon!”

He laughed, shrugging at Giorno.

“Can’t argue with my wife~ See you soon, boss.”

As the door finally shut, the limo pulled away, whisking the newlyweds off to a night alone together.

#selfship #birdy writes #with help!!#fluffy #kind of suggestive

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idolish7rabbitchats · 5 years

Text

Rokuya Nagi: Wonderful Octave Rabbit Chat Part 1

Tsumugi: Good work! Nagi-san’s birthday is getting closer this year too huh!

Nagi: ┗(o゜∀゜o)┛ WASSHOI!!

T: ┗(o゜∀゜o)┛WASSHOI!!

N: Thanks, Tsumugi. I was also longing for June to come.

N: It is not too much to say that the other 11 months exist just for this month.

T: Your birthday must be really special to you that you can feel that way! Lol

N: Exactly, Tsumugi. Because it’s a special time where I can strongly feel the love from everyone.

T: Because everyone put their heart and soul into the celebration and surprise…!

T: Seeing everyone give their all makes me get hyped up about celebrating too!

T: [Fire Pudding Stamp]

N: Aaaah Tsumugi…. You are a really devoted and affectionate woman. You always fill my heart with happiness.

N: But, I don’t need any other special things. Birthday cakes and surprises aren’t necessary.

N: This year too, I can spend my birthday with everyone who loves me. This irreplaceable moment is the most amazing gift.

N: Takanashi Productions and IDOLiSH7 are my home.

T: Nagi-san...

N: So then, please, please spend my birthday with me too.

T: Of course! I’m looking forward to it more than Nagi-san!

N: I’m really glad. For this year’s birthday cake, I requested a fruit tart from Mitsuki. Tsumugi will also surely love it.

T: Huh… A birthday cake? Didn’t you not need…?

N: Did something happen?

T: No, nothing!

N: Ah, I wonder what surprise will make my heart pound this year. To make sure they don’t forget, I naturally made eye contact with everyone this morning.

T: [Smiling Kinako Stamp]

T: You’re looking forward to the birthday cake and surprises huh! Talking to Nagi-san who’s looking forward to his birthday is making me excited too!

N: ┗(o゜∀゜o)┛ WASSHOI!!

T: ┗(o゜∀゜o)┓ WASSHOI!! ┏(o゜∀゜o)┛ WASSHOI!!

T: Before your birthday, there is the on-air of “RADIO STATION ‘Twelve Hits!’” too!

N: It’s finally my turn huh. I got tired of waiting.

T: I think you know but, once again, let me explain the project contents.

T:“RADIO STATION “Twelve Hits!”” is a talk variety show that’s broadcasted once a month and the personalities changes every month by relay form. This year, the project came up to make idols broadcast throughout the whole year.

T: It’s a really free show, not only the contents of talk, how the show progresses depends on the host! Is what they said.

N: Everyone’s radios were fun huh. Last time’s wild Sougo was also stimulative.

T: The “Anything Variety!” request corner huh!

N: Yes. I heard the Sogo’s fans’ Rabitter was flooded after they heard Sougo’s turn.

T: The fans sent their impressions to the company’s social media! After hearing Sougo-san’s “Those Wild Words” they lost consciousness, and there were mountains of Thunder Dry in front of them when they realized… They sent us pictures...

N: Not only the fans’ hearts, but he also took their consciousness -- Sougo is a sinful man. :-)

T: But, I feel like I understand. Sougo-san’s “Those Wild Words” made my heart pound even though I'm a manager...

T: Seems like Sogo-san was worrying, said “I think it’s best not to drink before you lose consciousness.” lol

N: Maybe he was reflecting on his own experience.

N: The Sougo who cares and worries about his fans is a very nice person.

T: I guessed by reading their messages that alcohol wasn’t the cause so I think it’s fine! Lol

T: I’m looking forward to what kind of requests Nagi-san will receive!

N: I’m also looking forward to it very much. Being able to check how everyone wishes to see me is a rare opportunity.

N: Will we gather the requests in a group chat this time too?

T: Yes! Other than IDOLiSH7, the plan is to get requests from TRIGGER-san and Re:vale-san too.

T: It’s almost Nagi-san’s birthday so everyone has been saying they’re looking forward to being able to celebrate it too!

N: That’s wonderful. I definitely want them to tell me the everyday feelings they’re hiding from me.

N: Tsumugi doesn’t need to be embarrassed either. Whenever, there is no need to hold your words of love back.

N: If it’s too embarrassing to put into words, you can jump into my che

N: I’m sorry. I really can’t hug Tsumugi.

N: I ate the garlic gyoza Yamato made earlier.

T: It’s delicious so you could eat countless huh! lol

N: It’s sinfully delicious.

N: This is a blunder unworthy of man :_(((((

T: [Smiling Kinako Stamp]

T: It’s not a hug but, can I quickly tell you my words of celebration?

N: Of course. I’m always ready to receive Tsumugi’s words of love.

T: Thank you!

N: ;-)))))

T: The always cheerful Nagi-san who cares about the members. Nagi-san who values your own feelings and expresses your love towards us.

T: When we became discouraged, Nagi-san never changed, and took our hands to make us remember the important things. We love that honest, cheerful, and cool Nagi-san!

T: Perhaps, you were the person that I would never meet in my life, is what I thought… But, Nagi-san is Nagi-san. Our -- IDOLiSH7’s -- treasured Nagi-san!

T: Next year, the year after, and forever after that, please let everyone celebrate you!

T: Happy Birthday!

N: Tsumugi….

N: Thank you. It’s the most wonderful present in the world. I’m grateful I could meet you.

T: Me too..!

N: To return your amazing message, I will let you listen to the best radio. Look forward to it.

T: Yes! Please let me work hard with you for “Twelve Hits!”

T: [Sparkling Kinako Stamp]

#Idolish7 #idolish seven #Takanashi Tsumugi #tsumugi takanashi #rokuya nagi #nagi rokuya #idol #game #gaming #rabbit chat #12 hits #Wonderful Octave #translation #japanese #english #game app #idol game #rhythm game

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universalfanfic · 5 years

Text

High school teachers au with @inkoutsidethelines. The (also lost) Christmas part.

Christmas was always a busy time. There were tests to grade, excited students to keep in line, and shopping to fit in before the break. Sutton saw the restless foot tapping and darting eyes of her class. She felt it too. The students weren’t the only ones ready for the time off.

Sutton rapped a stack of papers on her desk and cleared her throat, making sure the students were paying attention before bothering to speak.

“Alright, I know we’re at the end of our day. My gift to you is you’re free to go early if you want. Have a good holiday everyone.”

The room cleared in record time with little more than a few scattered pieces of paper as evidence that kids had been there. Sutton sighed in relief as the freedom of break settled in.

Glorious.

Shoving some curriculum notes into her bag, she hurried to head out before the other staff could disappear without saying goodbye. She had a separate tote purely for all the last minute gifts she was determined to hand out and she didn’t want it full on her way home.

Tony was first on her list purely because he practically sprinted to the doors while pushing through students to get to the holiday break first. He’d also been mentioning having a gift for Pepper Potts, so he was probably doubly determined.

Sutton half jogged down the hall and more students were flooding out and heading in the opposite direction. As she predicted, Tony already had his laptop slung over one shoulder and shades halfway on when she reached him.

“Wait, Tony!”

Falling in step beside him, she dug through her tote for his gift.

“Hey, Sutton. Merry Christmas. “Yeah, Merry Christmas.”

Finally, she saw the red and gold wrapped boxes and yanked it out with a triumphant cry.

“I wanted to catch you and give you this before you left.”

“Aw man, you didn’t have to do that.”

Sutton shrugged and grinned as she passed the box over.

“It’s fine, I like doing it. It’s not for the entire school anyway; you’re in an elite club.”

“Well I’m honored.” He grinned and shook one box. “Any cookies in here?” “You know there are.” Tony’s grin widened.

They walked down the hall together and chatted about holiday plans as they made their way to the front of the school. Tony ripped open the inedible portion of his gift before even reaching the parking lot because his patience was just that threadbare. She’d gotten him a small bluetooth speaker that he could use when he was working on cars or in his garage. He at least appeared to like it, and Tony wasn’t one to sugarcoat too many things, so she trusted that she’d picked well.

Both of them were laughing as they reached the front doors and idled. Tony had the grand plan of wooing Pepper with a velveteen rabbit, given it was supposedly a favorite childhood story of hers, and then perhaps dinner if that gift was well received. The image of him standing and cradling a stuffed bunny while Pepper stared at him with that flustered look she had was too priceless.

“This plan may just work,” Sutton encouraged him. “It’s the holidays, right? It’s supposed to be a magical time of year.” Tony huffed and mussed up her hair.

“You’re a pretty mediocre wingman, you know?”

“Tony.”

Two heads of blond hair caught her attention, and Sutton instantly diverted. She gave Tony a quick wave and moved down the hall to intercept the pair.

“I’ll see you, Tony. Have a great holiday!” “You too.”

He watched her leave with a half smile on his face. Steve looked a bit stiff when there was no reason for it. Their eyes met and he gave him a wink and a grin, eyes drifting back to Sutton for a moment. Steve’s expression hardly flickered.

“Yeesh,” Tony lamented under his breath. “Half Pint has her work cut out for her. Aw well.” He clapped his hands together. “It’s Pepper time.”

[]

Sutton and Tony were laughing together again and Steve felt something inside him prickle with unease. Not that he really cared, of course. It wasn’t his business. They looked like they enjoyed each other’s company and that was a good thing. Tony was a good friend and Sutton was a sweet woman. They’d probably work well together. He stamped down on any unnecessary twinge that thought caused.

Her smile grew as she neared them and Steve couldn’t help mimicking it slightly. An elbow jabbed his ribs.

“She gave Uncle Tony a present,” Star whispered. Steve cut his eyes down to his daughter and his smiled tightened.

“I can see that.”

Sutton reached them before Star could say anything else. He still wasn’t sure what had gotten into his daughter lately, but she seemed a bit better behaved when Sutton came by. Whether it was due to an audience or because she wanted her teacher to like her, he didn’t know.

“Hey, Merry Christmas guys.” Sutton tucked a curl behind her ear and straightened out her tote bag with a small wave. “I’m glad I caught you before you left, I had a couple things for you.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to-”

“It’s fine,” she interrupted cheerfully. “Like I told Tony, I don’t do this for the entire staff. Just a select few.”

“Really?” Star tried to peer into Sutton’s tote and see the gifts inside.

“Ok, you can’t the other students I’m playing favorites.”

She pulled out three wrapped gifts and offered them up. Steve blinked and rubbed at his neck before accepting them.

“You really didn’t have to,” he insisted. The tags labeled the gifts for him and both his kids. That prickle inside him tightened to a pinch and he took a deep breath. “Thank you,” he rephrased. “This was very thoughtful.”

“You got me and JJ something!” Star’s tone was lilting and her eyes shining. The season was always a bit difficult without their mother, but Star had a persistent spirit and she was more than eager to dive into traditions and decorating. And stockpiling gifts under the tree.

Star moved in for a hug and Sutton returned the affection with an ease and care that many teachers never showed. Steve knew Star was close to Sutton as her teacher, of course, but it hadn’t quite occurred to him just how much. It didn’t seem like Sutton was faking affection either.

“It’s not a lot,” Sutton explained, one arm still around Star’s shoulder. “I just saw a couple small things that reminded me of all of you. Careful with JJ’s, I’ve almost ripped it a couple times now.”

The package was slightly larger than a football, and whatever was inside was obviously soft by the way the paper crinkled and shifted when gripped.

“I couldn’t find a box for it,” she confessed.

“If he doesn’t rip it open before Christmas, it’ll be a miracle,” Steve said with a smile. His gaze drifted down and his smile faltered slightly. “I didn’t know you were going to do this or I would-”

“We got you something too,” Star cut in. She was still hugging Sutton, but pulled away to reach into her backpack and pull out a gift of her own. It was wrapped with careful precision, sporting sharp corners, but was tapped within an inch of its life. Star cast a look up at him before passing the package over.

“It’s not much either,” she said. “But I- er- we hope you like it.”

Steve almost insisted that he had no previous knowledge of the gift and therefore couldn’t take credit, but Star shot him another look and he decided against it. He was doing what he could to not set her off unnecessarily and it wasn’t worth another argument right before Christmas.

Besides, Sutton looked so delighted to have received something from them in return, he couldn’t quite make himself admit it.

“Thank you! I’m sure I’m going to love it.”

“You can open it now, if you want.”

Sutton looked up to Steve, as if asking if he agreed, and Steve nodded.

“I don’t mind.”

“Well, alright.”

The paper was ripped away to reveal a picture frame underneath. It was a cheap, black frame, and he actually remembered Star buying it the week before with some allowance money when they went shopping for JJ. He couldn’t see what was in the frame since Sutton was studying whatever it was.

Her face softened, the expression of joy tampered down from something a bit showy to an expression more quietly sincere. Star peered over Sutton’s shoulder to look at the frame herself, smile wide. Steve was curious to see what it was.

“Do you like it?”

“Star, I love it. I’ll hang this up the minute I can actually find a hammer. Aw, look at you. You look so pretty.”

“I think everyone looks pretty good,” Star said, an odd inflection to her voice. Sutton’s

eyes trailed over what was obviously a photograph and she paused. The pause was momentary, then Sutton cleared her throat and the cheerful smile was back full force.

“I agree.”

Finally, she flipped the frame around and looked at Steve.

“Thank you. This is so sweet. I love collecting little memories like this.”

It was a picture from Halloween. Star had insisted they get a group shot, and a neighbor had been kind enough to take a few for them. They were all huddled together in this picture. He’d crouched down with JJ to a bit to be closer to Sutton and Star’s height, and JJ was in the middle of reaching for one of Sutton’s antenna while she gave Star bunny ears.

He wasn’t entirely sure when Star had been able to print off the picture, but he still tried to play it off.

“You’re welcome. Glad you like it.”

The hall was starting to thin out as classes were released and students fled for

home. It reminded Steve that he’d been trying to leave early for once to get JJ and run some last minute errands. Sutton beat him to the punch.

“I better let you guys get out of here. I’m sure JJ is excited to get some full days with you both.” She gestured to her tote. “And I have a couple more people to catch before they escape. I hope you guys have a very merry Christmas, though! And thank you again.”

She gave Star another hug and then turned to Steve and faltered. He stiffened as well, the pinch inside him ever more present as the seconds ticked by.

Colleagues, friends, could hug, right? Was that pushing boundaries too far?

By the time he’d convinced himself to just do it, Sutton was already stepping backwards. She gave him a small wave instead.

“I’ll see you guys after the break.”

“Merry Christmas,” called Star. “If you’re bored or anything you can-”

Steve shuffled the gifts under one arm and prodded Star towards the doors.

“Merry Christmas,” he called. Star just gave him another of her looks and took JJ’s gift from the pile so it wouldn’t topple over.

“You’re welcome,” she said, voice flat. Star looked rather proud of herself as she gently tried squishing the present.

“That was very nice of you. Did you get all your teachers gifts?” Star remained silent a moment, distracted by inspecting the wrapping.

“No.” Steve hummed. “Is Uncle Tony coming over for Christmas dinner?”

The question came out of nowhere, and Steve was pulled out of his train of thought.

“What? Oh, yeah. Of course he is. Unless something comes up, I suppose. Why?”

Star shrugged.

“Just making sure.”

Steve wasn’t convinced that was it, but wasn’t about to pry at the moment. Instead he pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car.

“Come on, don’t mess with it too much. You’re going to rip it.”

“I think this part ‘s a fin.” Star pinched the top of the wrapping between her fingers, and a triangular shape pressed through. “I bet I know what it is.”

Steve cocked a brow and carefully placed the other gifts in the back of the car, as far from JJ’s car seat as he could.

“We’ll find out on Christmas, won’t we? Now come on. I still have to pick up a ham before every store is sold out. We can even get stuff to make cookies with.”

Star’s expression brightened at that and Steve smiled.

He honestly couldn’t wait to spend the holiday with his kids.

#high school teacher au #inkoutsidethelines #oc: star #oc: jj #oc: sutton

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