#hmm shall i put this in the main tag

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

Though The Path May Be Long, I Shall Find You; Ruggie Bucchi

A path lies ahead, some are more treacherous than others. At the end of the winding, coloured footsteps is where they can rest; a bird directing them forward, made out of precious stone.

Main Character; Ruggie Bucchi

Supporting Roles; Grandma Bucchi, Rho (Ruggie's bird)

Content; Soulmate AU (I use the term soul match), gender-neutral reader, this can be read as platonic, familial, or romantic, hurt/comfort, I get emotional yet again about Ruggie, stressed reader

Content Warning; Ruggie's backstory (his mom's death and I mention childbirth, but describe nothing), self-doubt (reader), allusions of depression (reader), anxiety attacks (reader)

Word Count; 5 K

Do not put mine - or other creators' - works into AI; that shit steals.

Prologue & Leona's Story | Jack's Story

Ruggie was out with the adults, tagging along to collect honey to bring back to the village. He followed silently behind his grandmother, holding her hand. Ahead of them two birds flew ahead, honeyguides, singing their song to alert the beastmen that there was a hive ahead. A hive full of sweet honey, a rare treat saved for the elderly and the young of the village.

“You see those birds, Ruggie,” his grandmother nodded up to where the birds flew. “Those are honeyguides. Your mother…” The woman paused, taking in a calming breath. It’s been nearly five years since her daughter, her only child, had passed away due to complications from childbirth. Unfortunately, it was common for many first-time hyena beastmen to pass while delivering… and such a fate fell upon her. She shook her head, continuing with her tale. “Your mother, her messenger was a honeyguide.”

Ruggie looked up to his grandmother. “Mama had one of those birds?” He tried whistling the tune of their leading song, but it just came out as raspberries.

His grandmother chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Yes, and oh the trouble those two got into. How do you think I got all this grey hair?” She tugged at a few strands to prove her point. She did their whistle, going slowly so that Ruggie could practice alongside her. “Like this.”

Ruggie eventually got the call down and whistled towards the other adults, and the two honeyguides. “Gramma?” He tugged at her shirt. She looked down and picked him up, putting him up on her shoulders. “Do you think my messenger will be a honeyguide… just like Mama’s?”

She smiled bittersweetly, picturing the rose quartz bird that stood still by the only pictures she had of her daughter. “Hmm, maybe. But that’s for the winds to decide. Regardless though, they’ll bring you great happiness.”

“Gramma?” Ruggie placed his head on top of hers. “What’s your messenger? Did Mama meet her soul match? Did you meet yours?”

The birds stopped, as they arrived at the hive. The adults tasked with smoking the bees out got to their jobs, passing down honey from the rock crevice and putting aside some of the comb for the birds. This harvest looked like it would be enough to feed both the elders and the children, plus some extra left over for the harvesters.

Ruggie’s grandmother hummed to herself. “I think that’s a story for a later time, no? Now come on, try some of this honey, it’s the sweetest I’ve ever had in all my years.”

She never got her messenger. Never had been gifted a soul match by the King of Beasts or the southern winds. And her daughter had met her match, but then he left after her death; her messenger going still after her passing. Leaving the ageing woman all alone, with only a few photos, her daughter’s lifeless messenger, and Ruggie. The person who looked the most like her.

…

The stars twinkled in the night sky, and Ruggie reached his hand out. “Hi, Mama,” he whispered. “I hope you’re doing okay up there in the stars… Tomorrow is my birthday ya know! I’m getting a messenger, just like you did!”

A gentle warm breeze caressed his face, and a shooting star raced against the deep indigo sky. Make a wish. Ruggie clamoured over the window, the breeze playing with his hair. He leaned against the frame, and closed his eyes. “Mama, if you’re up there listening… I wish that you could be my messenger. I know that I never got the chance to meet you, to get to know you, but I want to. I want to get to know you. And I know that you can’t be here, but … I love you, Mama.”

He cracked open his eyes and saw that the entire night sky was filled with shooting stars, a sign of a good omen. The warm breeze tickled his nose before going back out of the window. In the distance, he could hear a lone hyena calling out to its clan, but no one called back. He looked out into the sea of shooting stars and located the star he designated for his mom; an orange star, large, but not super noticeable. A warm amber amongst the darkness of the sky and pale blues of other stars.

He yawned and went back to his bed, clutching on to one of his mom’s old stuffies; a patched up warthog. “Good night, Mama, I love you.” He closed his eyes and was off to the land of dreams.

The light breeze was back, warm and carrying the scent of honey. It carried a small pink crystal bird with it, placing it gently at the foot of the bed, looking after Ruggie’s sleeping form. A honeyguide, much like his own late mother’s. It too being made out of pink crystal, but rhodochrosite, not rose quartz. A crystal meaning compassion, love, comfort, and happiness.

When Ruggie woke up he stared at the bird before cradling it gently to his heart. He walked to his grandmother’s door. “Look, gramma, it’s just like Mama’s!”

His grandmother hugged him, clutching on tightly to his back, tears rolling down her cheeks. Perhaps this life had been cruel to her, but she at least knew that her grandson, her only family, had someone out there. And that maybe, just maybe, her daughter was looking down from the stars smiling and looking out for her son.

…

…

…

Ruggie kept his messenger on him at all times. When he was wearing his dorm uniform, he kept the pink bird on a braided necklace that his grandmother made him for his fifth birthday, using some fabric from one of his mother’s old scarves. Whereas, when he was in the school uniform he kept it in his breast pocket, above his heart. And he would subconsciously check throughout the day to make sure that it was still there, a habit of his. 

It’s been four years, and yet the bird has yet to come to life. But Ruggie didn’t feel bitter, or sad. He knew that life wasn’t fair, he has witnessed that much. He has lived it, experienced that it wasn’t fair. Knew that it was something you could only make the best of. He also knew that he shouldn’t complain. He was thankful that he had at least something to match his mother. A symbol that she was always looking after him. So, even if the messenger never came to life, he could at least have an aspect of his mother. Thankful that there was at least a chance of him having a soul match out there, somewhere.

He hadn’t told his grandmother, as he didn’t want to bring a sense of sadness; had she not gone through enough? The last thing that he wanted to do was to bring more pain to the ageing woman’s heart. He just wanted her to be happy. She had done so much for him, sacrificed so much; the least he could do was give her some hope. That he could bring their family out of poverty. That he could get a well-paying job. That he could find happiness. That she needs not to worry about him. That he would be okay. That they would be okay.

Besides, the new school year was beginning and he was positive that would mean that Leona would give him odd jobs to do. But hey, money is money, and he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when said gift horse paid him graciously. 

So, Ruggie was busying himself by rearranging his room, placing the few personal belongings that he had in their spots. The photo of him and his grandmother, and next to it, the warthog plush that belonged to his mom. Everything else was hand-me-downs from Leona, or related to schoolwork. The only other personal things he had was the braided necklace, and of course, his messenger. He whistled the honeyguide call to himself, making sure everything was in place. Leona was off at the ceremony, so he basically had the day free to himself. He could probably go off and work some odd errands, but just for today, he would relax.

He closed his eyes and rubbed the wings of the stone bird. “I know you’re out there. I want to find you,” he sighed, holding the bird to his chest. “Let me find you.” He tried to fight off the drowsiness that was taking hold — it wasn’t even nighttime yet — but it won in the end, and he fell asleep.

As the sun set, and the waning moon rose, a warm breeze carried the scent of hibiscus flowers and honey, ruffling his hair. The stone bird tumbled out of Ruggie’s hand, falling gently onto the blankets. The breeze caressed it, and the stone honeyguide ruffled its feathers for the first time. It hopped upright and nestled in the sleeping hyena-beastman’s hair, singing its guiding call softly.

…

Ruggie stretched awake, the room still dark as the sun had not yet woken up for the day. The waning moon, and stars provided the only light, casting the room in blue and silver light. He walked over to the window and looked out, searching for his mom’s star. “Hi mom,” he said to the warm amber star up in the sky. A warm breeze tickled his ears, and he imagined it was her playing with them. “Can you show me a sign?” About my soul match?

Something shifted under the bedsheets, and Ruggie’s ears twitched at the noise. He crept over to the bed, and lifted up the sheet carefully, unsure of what it could be. Underneath the blanket was the stone honeyguide, twitching in its sleep.

His eyes widened, and he carefully scooped up the little bird, cradling it in his hands. After all of these years. After all of the hardships that he has endured. All of the uncertainty. His soul match was here. He took in a sharp breath, trying to control the well of emotions that had sprung forth; that his soul match was alive, and that maybe his mother, and not the King of Beasts, had sent him a sign. That he wouldn’t be alone in this life. But a lone tear traced down the planes of his face, dropping onto the bird.

This is your sign, take it, my love.

…

…

…

You didn’t know what to make of any of this. Being transported into some dimension and waking up in a coffin of all things. That you now live in a decrepit mansion with some cat-monster and ghosts. That magic existed and you had several life-endangering encounters with said magic. And that you now have a small bird made out of pink crystal, and that it was alive. That it could talk.

“You know,” the bird hopped onto your head, “I can’t explain more than you need to be privy to.” Their voice played in your mind, and you tried to ignore them, instead focusing on the tall stack of books about dimensions; trying to find a way home.

You waved a hand around, forcing the bird to take flight, landing on your desk. “I am well aware of that, since you dodge every single one of my questions,” you huff, flipping over the page since it had nothing relevant about your situation. It only said that giraffes were originally demons hailing from the Boiling Isles, wherever that was. This dimension had evil giraffes, but apparently your dimension without magic was far more ludicrous than that. Predictable. “So if you aren’t going to be helpful, just leave me alone. I don’t need your ‘help’.”

The bird gave you a bombastic glare, huffing to itself it went to a small dark brown leather bound journal with the gold insignia of a lion and a hornbill, placing it in front of you. “No need to get snippy with me. Here, read this, it should explain everything you need to know. I can’t do anything else pertaining to your questions now though, know that.” With that, the bird took off through the window, off to who knows where. 

You sighed, but focused on the journal they put in front of you and cracked open the centuries old leather.

Of all the magic there is in Twisted Wonderland, the most coveted, the most revered, is the magic of soul matches. These matches come in many different forms, different for every person. Platonic. Familial. Romantic. Those are the most common. For the merfolk it is a song that only they can hear, their match tugging at their soul. Gifted to them by the benevolence of the Sea Witch. For fae it is yet to be revealed, as they are a secretive lot. Fearing that should anyone outside of their clan know that that information would be used against them. All that is known by outsiders is that they were gifted from the Thorn Fairy, a blessing. As for beastmen, and anyone hailing from the Sunset Savanaclaw, they were gifted bird messengers made from precious stone. It is said the crystal represents what their match will bring to them. And once they feel that they are ready, a glowing path of footsteps will lead them to their match. The birds will dance, and then they will know that they have found each other.

You placed the journal back down, brows creasing. You weren’t from the Sunset Savannah, let alone this dimension in the first place. How on Earth do you have a messenger? Why do you have a messenger? And what did it mean? I’m not ready for this… I don’t think I’ll ever be.

…

…

Ruggie had formed a friendship with his bird, and he even gave her a name; Rho. She doted over him, and her voice was what he imagined his mother’s was like; confident, caring, and warm. And even though he had a friendship with her, he has yet to see the glowing footsteps. He was more than ready to meet them, so it must mean that his soul match, whoever they were, wasn’t. 

“It’s unlike you to dwell on possibilities,” Rho said, landing on his shoulder, returning from one of her daily flights. “Uncertainty clouds your mind, much as the smoke from a brush fire does. Clogging out any possible light from the bright sun that lies beyond the thick smoke.” Rho also happened to be quite poetic and… concerning? But she was sweet, so he ignored the cryptic verses.

Ruggie shook his head, trying to centre his mind. “Hmm? Just thinking is all. Ya don’t need to worry about me, Rho. Shishishi!” But she was right, as his mind tended to go down the more pessimistic path.

What if his soul match was never ready? What if they didn’t want to find him? What if they would reject him after finding out about the cards he was dealt in life? Would they stay by his side as he pulled himself, his family, and his community out of poverty? Would they… would they be like his ‘dad’ and ditch him in hopes of better prospects elsewhere, never to come back? To leave him behind? Leaving him alone to take care of everything, with no one to turn to for support?

Rho sighed, and hopped onto his head, ruffling his hair. “See, uncertainty. A tree cannot grow if it does not receive sunlight. And you cannot grow if you doubt yourself.”

He rolled his eyes, but she was right, as per usual. “Yeah yeah, I know,” he sounded relaxed but he took the words to heart. It’s something his grandma would also tell him, albeit she would get straight to the point. Something like, Quit doubting yourself. You are more than capable. Plus I love ya, and that’s what matters!

But Rho looked unconvinced. “If you want, I can go… persuade their bird to encourage them to meet you.”

“Thought that was against the rules though?” Messengers aren’t allowed to disclose any information that could change their match’s mind on whether they wanted to meet or not. He had no idea why, but it was seen as a big no-no. “Didn’t take you as the rule breaking type.”

Rho flitted down to the windowsill, looking out into the Savanaclaw Dorm exterior. “As long as I don’t let anything slip, it is fine. A gentle nudge if you will. And technically, I am breaking no rules. Just paying a visit to my counterpart to discuss their progress. That is all.”

Ruggie raised a brow, chuckling to himself. “Shishishi, you’re a horrible liar,” he poked her on the nose. “Just don’t get caught, okay?”

Rho nipped at him and took off into flight. “Need not to worry.” She didn’t add her own thought, which was I’m unsure if they will be able to see me or not. It’s been several weeks since they arrived and I’ve seen no sign of them.

…

The bird has persisted to follow you everywhere you went; to all your classes, and you had to kick it out of the washroom on several occasions as well. Everywhere. And they. Would. Not. Shut. Up.

“Hey! Hey! You really need to find them!” They pulled at your uniform, trying to get your attention. “Hellooooo! Are you even listening to me?”

Unfortunately, yes. All you wanted to do was get back home. Yes, you have made friends here. You had fun. But you didn’t belong here, or least, you felt like you didn’t belong. The magicless Prefect from another, magicless, dimension. The closest thing you could even call family here would be Grim, and the three main ghosts who are still tethered to the Ramshackle Dorm. Stuck here without any clear way out, much like you are.

You glared at the bird, looking away from the nth book about different dimensions, still finding dillidy squat. “Yes,” you pinch the bridge of your nose, “I heard you the first time. But until I find answers, they can wait. They’ve waited this long, I can survive without them.”

The bird plopped itself onto the book, effectively preventing you from reading any further. “Exactly. They’ve waited for this long. They thought that there was no one out there for them. I know that you’re tired; tired of not getting answers. Tired of being treated as less than due to your situation. Tired of not knowing. But know this; there is someone who wants nothing more than to meet you. They don’t care that you don’t have magic. They don’t care that you’re from a different place. They just want to know you.”

That made you pause in your research, hands trembling. They were right. You are exhausted from everything. 

“Now now,” a second voice played in your head, the voice of a woman. But when you looked up you saw another crystal bird, the only thing differing it from yours was that it had more red and white bands. “No need to be nasty. Dear, come now. What is weighing so heavily on your mind?”

Unlike your bird, this newcomer was gentle, and didn’t prod you. They hopped forward, wiping a tear from your face. Since when had you started crying? But the few pebbles that were trying to hold together the dam came surging forward, and the new bird comforted you, wiping your tears away.

“Dear, you’ll be okay,” they said, handing you a tissue. “You don’t always have to be strong. There is no weakness in admitting that you need help. That not everything is okay. There is strength in that.”

The flood of emotions, of stress, of anxiety, of being overworked, of being everyone’s therapist calmed down from a raging torrent to a gentle trickle. Taking the tissue you blew your nose. “I don’t feel okay… I’m so,” you took in a choked breath, “tired.” It felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders, admitting to the truth. “I’m just so tired. I should be angry, but I’m just so tired.”

The bird put a wing on your face, holding it with care, with love. They had only just met you but have shown so much more kindness and empathy than anyone else during your stay. “Life has not been kind to you,” they said, rubbing grounding circles onto your palms, guiding your breathing. “You deserve to feel wanted. Deserve compassion. To be comforted when the dark clouds seem like they engulf all light. You deserve to be happy.”

“Why are you telling me all this,” you croaked, voice cracking. “I’ve ignored them-”

The pink bird shook their head, “No, you’ve been surviving, and adapting. But if you wish, if you are ready, you can find him.” They hopped back up to the open window, looking at you warmly. A soft breeze played with the ragged curtains, carrying the scent of honey, but also the smell of home. “Will you be alright?”

You rubbed at your nose, still feeling shaky but better. Not feeling like a water balloon about to burst. “I will be.”

The bird nodded, “Should you need anything do call. Your match calls me Rho.” They took flight, heading back to your match. And you could make out the faintest hints of glowing dandelion-yellow footsteps fading into the distance.

…

…

Ruggie had not had much free time for himself, being busy with schoolwork, lessons from Leona, and his normal workload alongside odd jobs to make some extra cash to send home. But even with the hustle and bustle, he had noticed the footsteps. They were faint, sometimes wavering, but they were there. It means that they’re open to meeting him, but not quite sure. Still some doubt in their mind.

“What did you tell them?” He looked up from the dishes he was scrubbing, filling in a shift at the Mostro Lounge.

Rho popped out from his breast pocket, climbing up to his shoulder. “That they aren’t alone. That they will be okay.”

Ruggie felt like there was something heavy in his throat. They feel alone? They aren’t okay? “Rho,” his grip on the plate that he was scrubbing tightened, and he forced himself to release it before he caused cracks. “What did you do? Where are they?”

“Ruggie, they will be okay. I told them words that they needed to hear. Affirming words.” Rho’s voice took on a more stern tone, which made Ruggie back off, but he still worried. “What did we say about dwelling on things outside of our control?”

Ruggie took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and released, calming his mind. “That it’s like the smoke of a brush fire. That beyond the dark smoke, there is sky beyond it, and fresh air… this too will pass.”

Rho let out a guiding call, “Good-”

Ruggie quickly grabbed her and put Rho in his pocket, hearing the door from the kitchen open. He didn’t want someone to walk in and find him ‘talking to air’ and think he was slacking off. “How is everything goin’ on out there?” He got back to scrubbing dishes, covering up that he was previously not.

“Quiet,” you huffed, putting on an apron and coming to stand next to him. “Azul has been trying to butter me up into making a contract with him… again.” You shook your head, rolling your eyes, “But I reminded him of what happened last time and he left well enough alone.”

Ruggie relaxed, it was just you. “Heyya, Prefect. Long time no see? Decided you were too good for Savanaclaw, huh?” He teased, bumping his shoulder to yours.

You bumped him back. Ever since you had to crash at Savanaclaw, you had formed a friendship with the hyena-beastman. He didn’t hide behind a mask, he was authentic, and that put you at ease. “Pshh,” you swatted at him with a towel, “like you could really get rid of me that easily, gotta come over and bug Leona every now and then. Keep him humble.”

“Pftt,” Ruggie burst out laughing. “Yeah, ‘keep him humble’. Just as long as ya don’t mess with him too much, yeah? Remember, I usually do his work.” There was no bite, and he swatted you back. “These dishes won’t clean themselves, come one, before Azul finds us slackin’ off.”

You quirked a brow but got to work, you would rather do the dishes and make light conversation, or just enjoy the quiet, with Ruggie, than deal with rude customers or being roped into something. So you and Ruggie worked in relative silence, working on getting the large pile of dishes done. The only thing breaking the silence being the distinct whistle Ruggie did quietly.

“Just curious, but what kind of whistle is that?” You put down the large pan you were rinsing off, down to dry, turning to Ruggie.

Ruggie stopped, his left ear twitching. “Ah, it’s just something I picked up when I was younger.” But he could see the curiosity in your eyes, and he decided to humour you. “It’s a honeyguide call, a type of bird. We used to work with them back at home to collect honey.”

Why does it sound so familiar then? Where have I heard it before? “Could you show me how to do it?”

As Ruggie taught you how to make the call, the two of you failed to notice Rho slip out of his pocket, flying up to where your bird rested. “We should just tell them! Look! The footprints are right there! Are they that dense?!” They huffed.

Rho shook her head, “They will do so on their accord. For now, let them be. They’re happy.”

…

…

The footsteps were glowing brightly now, a bright, warm, dandelion yellow. Cheerful, playful, and happy. But you hadn’t followed them yet, doubt still on your mind. Why did someone else get to pick my soul match? Shouldn’t I have a say in this? But every time those doubts came forward, the other pink bird, Rho she said her name was, would come for a visit.

“Good day, Prefect. How are you faring today?” She hopped over to your desk where you had a book about this world open, reading about beastmen and Sunset Savannah cultural practices.

You placed a bookmark on the page you were on, which discussed the caste system. “Doing better. But, Rho?” You held out a finger, and she hopped on. “I’m curious; what kind of bird are you?”

Rho cocked her head, “Ah, I thought you knew. My dear, I am a honeyguide.” She let out a call.

“A honeyguide…” You froze in your seat. It’s a honeyguide call. You knew you had heard that call before, your own messenger waking you up every morning with it. Did that mean… was Ruggie your soul match? The honeyguide. The feeling that everything would work out for the better when you were around Ruggie. He just felt… correct to you. Like home.

You rushed towards the front door, Rho and your own honeyguide clutching onto your uniform for dear life. “AFTER ALL THESE MONTHS YOU CHANGE YOUR HEART?!” Your honeyguide shrieked, falling off.

“Hush you!” Rho scolded, sending off your messenger to find Ruggie. “I take it you connected the dots then? You don’t need to rush, dear.” She said.

You didn’t slow down though, if anything you sped up. “My match is Ruggie, isn’t he?” It was stated like a question, but you knew that it was a statement. “I’ve kept him waiting! Kept him out!” You knew a bit about what Ruggie’s life was like before attending Night Raven College. That fate had seemed to mock him… and you also mocked him unknowingly.

Rho pulled on your ear, pulling you out of your spiral. “You weren’t ready, you cannot and should not blame yourself! You were making the best out of your situation!” This was the first time that Rho had sounded upset.

You stopped your frantic pace, halting in the middle of the hallway. Students passed by, some giving you weird looks, but they continued on their way. But someone stopped, and stepped aside, watching.

“I hurt him!” You shouted, but no one but you, and your match could hear when you spoke to your birds. “Hasn’t he been hurt enough?”

The footsteps were blinding now, he couldn’t be far away.

“Doesn’t he deserve to be happy? Don’t I deserve to be happy?! Why should some long ago king dictate how we should be happy?! We didn’t ask for this! Any of this!” You were heaving, the dam of emotions breaking again, tears rushing down your face in full force. “Rho,” you whispered, “I just want a place to call home. It doesn’t need to be the one I knew. It doesn’t need to be fancy, or elaborate. It doesn’t even need to be a place. He feels like home, where I can rest.”

But Rho wasn’t there anymore, your bird was now on your shoulder, trying to move you forward. “Well, you can’t do that if you just stay there! MOVE!”

You looked up and the footsteps were gone, in front of you was Ruggie with Rho on his shoulder. You hiccupped, be it from crying, the emotions, or the shock that he was right there, within reach. “Did you hear all of that?”

Ruggie nodded, “Yeah, yeah I did.”

Rho and your messenger took flight, performing the soul match dance before Rho landed on your shoulder, and your bird landed on Ruggie’s. And they sang the honeyguide call, indicating that there was something sweet ahead.

“Come on,” he took you to an empty classroom, away from prying eyes. “Here, breathe with me. In; one, two, three.” You breathed in as he instructed. “Hold; one, two, three.” You held. “And out; one, two, three.” And you breathed out. “Better?” He caressed the knuckles of your hand gently.

You nodded. “Ruggie, I’m sor-”

He stopped you, smiling. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. What matters most is that we found each other… That we chose each other.”

Fin

Author's Note; I literally cried writing this (I was emotional at the time). Ruggie's story has been in my brain since I put his name on the list for this AU. It has haunted me for weeks. Have had the honeyguide song stuck in my head for years ever since I first heard it on Wild Kratts of all things. My favourite one I've written as of yet; up there with Jade's.

Tag; @leonistic

Link to Masterlist

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #twst x gn reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland x gn reader #ruggie bucchi #ruggie bucchi x reader #ruggie bucchi x gn reader #twst hurt/comfort #twst soulmate au #soul match au #gramma bucchi #i get so emotional over ruggie it's not even funny man #i did research to make sure that spotted hyenas and greater honeyguides lived in the same range and was happy that they do! #fun fact; some people work with honeyguides in order to find honey and share a profit of what they find with the birds #taking canon and running with it <3 #also if you get the giraffe and boiling isles reference ily #cw anxiety attack #<- first actual content warning tag #i cried in the first 700 words btw #don't be like dove and write nearly 60 pages in like a month (26K words)

[madamemachikonew]

Tuesday - Baizhu x reader (3k, romantic fluff, Baizhu's birthday)

A bit of birthday fluff for my favourite dendro man.

An excerpt from my Baizhu x fem reader fic, A Flower Without A Seed. I wrote this a while ago and had called the chapter 'Tuesday' to avoid having to commit to guessing an actual birth date, but coincidentally it did fall on a Tuesday this year.

The fic is fem reader, but there are no pronouns used in this chapter, so anyone can enjoy it (which is why I've used gn reader in the tags). Also, while this chapter is fluffy, the main fic contains some smutty chapters, so proceed with caution if clicking the link through to the main fic.

Enjoy.

---

Having surprised you with the sudden revelation of his birthday, you wracked your brain for ideas about how best to celebrate it at such short notice. You only had a few more days in which to come up with something. Should you take him out for a date in Liyue Harbour? If so, a fancy meal and some opera, or would he prefer something simpler and more relaxed like a meal at a storytelling restaurant in Chihu Rock. Or maybe he just wanted a cosy night in? What about inviting other people? While Qiqi and Gui would probably like to be part of it, what if Baizhu preferred something just the two of you?

You laid your head on Baizhu’s chest as he sat in bed reading a book. He held his book in one hand while his other arm was wrapped around you, holding you close. You took a break from your own book, folding it closed around your finger to hold the page.

“Darling?” you began.

“Hmm?” He looked up from his reading.

“Anything in particular you’d like to do for your birthday?”

“Ohh, you don’t have to go to any trouble on my account, little finch.” he replied.

“I know I don’t have to. But I want you have a special day.”

“Every day with you is special, my love.” He smiled and kissed your head lightly. You could see right through his ruse; he was trying to charm you into abandoning the idea or not make a fuss over him. And yet from Baizhu’s perspective, he meant every word.

“But Baizhu~” you whined, frustratedly. You felt his warm chest vibrate against your cheek as he laughed.

“But I mean it. Just having you with me will be quite sufficient.” He gave you a squeeze. You sighed with exasperation.

“Alright.” You said dejectedly. “Well at least tell me this much; is there anything that you don’t want.”

“Ah, now that’s very easy. No parties. Especially not surprise ones. Pure anathema.” he said, resolutely.

“Got it. And can I tell Gui and Qiqi your birthday?”

He cocked his head in thought. “Hmmm, alright then.” Baizhu yawned. “Shall we call it a night, my dear?”

“Yes, I think so.” you agreed. You put your book away on the nightstand, marking the page with a bookmark. Baizhu blew the lantern out. He held your face, then laid a sensual kiss on your lips. Slipping his tongue into your mouth, he took his time to properly indulge his senses. He released your lips and, stroking your cheek with the pad of his thumb, he gazed at you with a tender smile.

“Goodnight, my love.” he said softly. “See you in the morning.”

He waited expectantly for you to roll over, so that he could spoon you as he did most nights you spent the night together.

“Actually,” you said, “can I be the big spoon tonight?”

Baizhu laughed gently. “I would like that very much.” With a contented smile, he rolled over with his back to you. You snuggled close, wrapping your arm around him, with your face nestled in his abundant, fragrant hair. You sighed happily and gave him an affectionate squeeze, then closed your eyes to sleep.

---

When the day itself came, you greeted Baizhu with a gentle kiss when he woke.

“Happy Birthday, my love.” you whispered. Baizhu smiled, his eyes fluttering dreamily.

“Thank you, my little finch. Waking up to you certainly does make it a happy one.”

You presented Baizhu with his gift. You had bought a pair of intricately carved antique brushpots. They were made from tortoiseshell, the tortoise being a symbol of longevity. You knew how fond Baizhu was of doing calligraphy so figured they would make a fine addition to his stationery implements.

Baizhu sat up in bed and unwrapped the gift. He gracefully pulled them from the box with slender fingers.

“Oh my love, these are exquisite!” Baizhu was genuinely impressed and looked at each one closely, turning them in his hands to inspect the detail of the fine craftsmanship. “Thank you so very much. I shall use them right away.” He leaned across the bed, reaching to you and pulling you to him for a kiss.

You both got up and got ready for the day. You left Baizhu to finish his preparations and headed into the kitchen. When Baizhu found you, Qiqi and Gui were sitting at the kitchen table for the occasion. Gui leapt from his seat reverently and bowed deeply to Baizhu.

“Many happy returns Xiansheng!”

Baizhu chuckled, “Thank you, you’re most kind.”

Qiqi monotonously said “Happy birthday Baizhu.”

Then she presented him with a handmade card that you had helped her make. He took it carefully from her and seemed genuinely touched.

“Why thank you, my dear Qiqi. What a precious sentiment. I shall treasure it.”

He gave her gentle hug and a light kiss on the head. Then he put the card on display in full view on the kitchen dresser.

“Ok, breakfast is ready!” you called, setting down a portion of pancakes and fresh fruit at each place.

You had researched recipes and found one from Mondstadt which looked perfect for the occasion. Baizhu looked slightly abashed at all the fuss, but nevertheless quietly enjoyed himself in the midst of the happy chaos of his quasi-family.

---

Gui cautiously knocked on the door of Baizhu’s study and entered when he was called. He gently closed the door behind him and stood before Baizhu’s desk.

“Gui!” He said cheerfully, “Is everything alright?”

Gui took a deep breath. “Xiansheng! May I humbly offer you my wishes for your longevity on this auspicious day!” He bowed formally and held his arms out stiffly, presenting a small package, wrapped in tissue paper decorated with turtles. “May you live as long as Mount Aocang and may the adepti protect you!”

Baizhu went wide-eyed and tentatively accepted the package and set it down on his desk. He carefully unwrapped it and his mouth fell open in surprise when he saw the book. He let out a soft gasp involuntarily. It was a rare first edition of a medical treatise that Baizhu had tried on many occasions to track down, unsuccessfully.

Shaking his head, Baizhu whispered, “Gui…I can’t accept such generosity. This is too much.” He was genuinely moved.

Gui shook his head firmly. “Think of it as the equivalent of what I would have spent on all the birthdays since I’ve known you.”

Baizhu looked troubled and almost embarrassed. Unlike Baizhu, Gui was not wealthy, though he received a proper wage for his work. The gift would have been expensive. Baizhu made a mental note to give Gui a larger bonus for his Lantern Rite and birthday gifts; he resolved to repay the cost in a way that would not seem obvious or injure Gui’s pride.

Baizhu stood up and bowed deeply to Gui.

“Gui, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It means so very much. I promise to cherish it always.”

“Xiansheng…” Gui was almost embarrassed at the sight of his mentor bowing so formally to him.

Baizhu sat back down and picked up the book to admire it. He gestured for Gui to sit.

“You know, I recently just missed a copy of this at the Wanwen Bookstore.”

Gui smiled mischievously and scratched his head bashfully.

“Ahhh, yes, that would have been me. I had been planning on giving it to you to commemorate the anniversary of me starting my apprenticeship under you, but I thought this would be a nice occasion instead.”

“Gui! You don’t need to give me anything for that! It has been a pleasure working with you all of these years. I can rest easy knowing that the pharmacy will be in good hands in the future. That’s the best gift I could possibly wish for.”

“Don’t say that as though you’re planning to retire soon!”

Baizhu smiled and shook his head.

“Not if I can help it. But it would be irresponsible to not plan ahead, don’t you think?”

The bell rang at the front counter. Gui bowed to excuse himself and left to attend to the customer. Baizhu sat, enthralled, looking at the book. He smiled softly as he reflected on the fact that Gui had used a birthday formulation for an elderly person. It was a subtle act of kindness and respect, for though while Baizhu was not old, they both knew he was closer to the end of his life than most. It was strange and bizarre to Baizhu’s ears to hear someone else call his birthday auspicious; the day had ultimately led to a path of tragedy after all. But without such misfortune, perhaps he never would have found himself surrounded by wonderful people.

---

You had decided to treat Baizhu to a romantic meal at the Liuli Pavilion, as a throwback to your first proper date together. While the waiting list was normally very long, it seemed that Baizhu’s name was enough to move your booking to the top of the list. Both of you dressed up for the occasion in formal Liyue style outfits. However, no sooner had the first course arrived when the manager of the restaurant approached the table, a grave look on his face.

“Doctor Baizhu, I must apologise for disturbing your meal but…”

As the manager bowed and talked discreetly into Baizhu’s ear you knew what was coming and your heart sank. Baizhu dabbed the corners of his mouth delicately with his napkin as he listened and nodded. As he got up from his chair he gave you an apologetic look.

“I’m so very sorry my love.”

You shook your head and forced yourself to smile for him. He pressed his hand to your head to comfort you as he passed your seat and went to fetch his overcoat.

As Baizhu prepared to leave, you called the manager over and asked him to box the meal to take away. He nodded compliantly. You gathered your things and made your way to the exit. The manager returned, laden with boxes in a paper bag. You accepted them and paid the bill. The manager then draped your long overcoat over your shoulders. When you got outside, Baizhu was already deep in a conversation with a frantic woman. It hit you that your inconvenience was very trivial compared to whatever emergency was going on in her life, not to mention the patient. Herbalist Gui stood aside, holding Baizhu’s kit bag, having sprinted from the pharmacy to fetch him here. You took it from him.

“It’s alright, I’ll carry it.”

You smiled. Gui looked at you, his face a frame of pity.

“You had such a lovely evening planned.” he said sympathetically.

He gently squeezed your upper arm to comfort you. You shook your head and bit your lip, forcing a smile. For some reason, hearing someone else be sad on your account made you want to cry.

“It’s alright, we can do it another day.” you said.

Baizhu turned to you, ready to leave, and observed the kit bag in your hand.

“Oh, you’re coming too?” he asked with surprise.

“Yes!”

“Oh! Alright then, if you’re sure. It won’t be much fun for you though. There won’t be anything for you to do except wait around.”

“That’s alright.”

“Very well.”

To save time, Baizhu hailed a rickshaw. The woman gave the address and directions to the driver and followed in a second one. The two of you sat silently, squeezed together. You held the bag of food and Baizhu had his kit bag on his knee. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but then didn’t speak. Instead, he put his hand on your knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. You put your hand on his and interlaced your fingers with his own.

The rickshaw arrived at a small house in the outskirts of town outside Chihu Rock and the two of you got out. Baizhu gave you his mora pouch to pay the driver and hurried into the house, where another member of the family was already waiting with the door open. After you had paid the driver, you went inside and heard the chaos. Someone was very obviously in pain. The head of the family had been out hunting and had been gored by a wild boar, leaving a serious wound that needed patching up urgently. One of the other family members led you through to wait in the kitchen and made you some tea. It was an awkward moment; you didn’t know what you could say to reassure them. After all, you weren’t the doctor. All you could say with sincerity was “He’s in the best possible hands. I know Baizhu will do everything he can.”

Baizhu eventually emerged into the kitchen, his sleeves rolled up and his hands covered in blood. He washed them at the sink and one of the family ran to hold a towel ceremoniously for him to use. He wiped his hands methodically and then accepted the cup of hot tea that was offered to him. He took a tentative sip before sitting down at the kitchen table opposite you. He smiled and reached his hand across the table to grasp yours. His pale skin was now spotless. It never failed to blow your mind how these lithe and gentle fingers had the power to manipulate life and death.

“How did it go?” you asked.

“All stitched up now, thankfully. But he lost a lot of blood. He should pull through though.”

“That’s a relief.”

Baizhu nodded. The woman who had found him at the restaurant tentatively hovered with a mora pouch in her hands.

“Doctor, how much do we…?”

Baizhu waived his hand dismissively. “Gui will deal with that in the morning when you collect the prescription. Everybody should get some rest for now. And besides, we need to be heading home.”

“Oh, of course. I’m very sorry we disturbed your evening.”

“There’s no extra charge if that’s what you mean.”

“Well, not just that. It’s just that it seemed like a special occasion.”

Baizhu smiled and shook his head.

“Please don’t worry. Every day with my sweetheart is special.”

You blushed at his words and he gave your hand a gentle squeeze. Normally he was very private about his personal life, yet tonight he was unashamedly flaunting you as his.

“Now, we really should be going.” He stood up to leave and they fetched his coat and kit bag.

The two of you left the house and started to walk back towards Chihu Rock. As you walked, hand in hand, you saw all the stars out. It was a clear night and the moon was up. The perfect night for stargazing.

“What an absolute disaster!” you sighed, half laughing. Baizhu playfully swung your clasped hands back and forth as you walked.

“It wasn’t all bad, my love. At least the fee covered the cost of the meal.”

“Speaking of which, I expect it’s gone cold by now.”

As you walked, Baizhu tugged your hand to pull you off the main path towards a small elevated patch of grass overlooking the harbour. The giant moon was reflected on the waves below. Baizhu set down his bag and laid his coat on the grass. He sat down, cross-legged, and patted the spot next to him for you to sit. Then he opened the bag of food and started pulling out the containers, inspecting the contents. You smiled and felt warm inside at his considerate attempt to rescue the evening. The two of you ate the food together, enjoying the view of the Harbour below and laughing between you.

When you had finished eating, Baizhu lay back on the grass. He drew you to him so that your head was resting on his chest, looking up at the stars.

“Do you know anything about astronomy?” he asked.

“Only the basics. Enough to get me home if I get lost.”

“That’s already an impressive amount.” He elegantly pointed at the sky with one hand, caressing your head with the other. You felt his warm chest gently rise and fall under your head.

“See that arrangement there? That’s your constellation. And that one there…that’s my star. The one I was born under.”

He singled out a dim twinkling star. It was not as bright as the others, but it shone with all its might.

“It’s beautiful.” You whispered, trying to memorise its location in the sky.

“It’s funny, Gui called my day auspicious this morning. But truth be told I was born under a very unfortunate configuration. It grants success but always at a terrible price. That said, life is full of surprises. Things have a tendency of working out.”

You both silently admired the heavens for a while until Baizhu said with a sigh, “Well, I suppose we ought to get back, or Gui will come looking for us. And as nostalgic as that would be, I’d prefer to save him the trouble.”

He stood up and shook the grass off his coat before putting it on. He fastened the buttons on your coat and fixed your collar. Then he held you by your upper arms and said sympathetically,

“I’m sorry things didn’t go the way you planned tonight, my love. I know you’d been so looking forward to it.”

You shook your head and smiled. “It’s alright, it wasn’t your fault. I just wanted the day to be perfect for you.”

“But it was perfect, my little finch. I had a very happy birthday indeed.”

“You did?”

“I did. I got to spend it with you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“I had a happy birthday today too.”

“You? How so?”

You wrapped your arms around him and held him tightly, clinging to him so that your fingers almost dug into him.

“I’m happy that you were born. I’m happy that you’re alive.” You whispered. He smiled.

“I’m happy to be here, my love.” He said softly, caressing your head.

#genshin impact baizhu #baizhu #baizhu genshin #genshin baizhu #baizhu genshin impact #baizhu x you #baizhu x y/n #baizhu x reader #happy birthday baizhu #白朮 #genshin ao3 #白术 #原神 #baizhu x gn reader #but the main fic is baizhu x fem reader #genshin fanfic #baizhu fanfic

[seelestia]

well, since you’re ok with it… here’s the reveal!

hello it is i, the harbinger of tears, 💠 anon <3 this is my main blog, while my writing blog is at @genshrineimpact. just block the tag: “minors dni” and you should be good!!

now, back to the topic at hand…

*war flashbacks* i-i need a moment *lays on ground and pulls blanket over head*

[ we’re having technical difficulties at the moment - please enjoy the brief intermission. ]

*wipes tears* ok am back what were we talking about again? oh yes, plot bunnies! i think that used to be an actual term, kind of like how we say 'brainrot' these days haha but yes, it certainly makes an adorable image!

i’m glad that you think so! thank you for being understanding and kind about this <3 ok we can compromise - you just tell me if i ever make you uncomfortable and i shall bonk myself lol

that’s so intriguing, i think most people wouldn’t know about it! ohhh an au, hm? very interesting indeed… maybe i should try and do some research myself hehe

i think you’re spot on for the superiority complex! a love triangle between these three sounds like it’ll get very messy… the two albedos playing 3d chess while the reader is just stuck in the middle like (· ω ·) ??

*clears throat* lia you are hallucinating wdym /j hahahah i know right??? literally none of them have similarities…. what is a ‘type’…. just like the concept of time, it is but an illusion to me… “you just fall for whoever you fall for” - yeah that sounds about right lmao

feel free to browse around my blog, but i don’t have much lol the 'god of war!reader au' series seems to be popular the past few days, and it’s been a super fun thing to write! but don’t feel pressured to do it, really! <3

IKR i was complaining to my brother about it like- seriously??? for the first day??? xiao is my main dps, and he’s practically useless (i’m so sorry bby) against that stupid thing ;_;

also yay, a taglist, sign me uppppp!

OML. HI, RIN !! it's nice to know the true identity of my 💠 anon without having to employ heizou. (/lh) and if you see a new follower with a melancholic albedo theme and a bio that says i follow cool people, that'd be me~

hehe, already done filtering the tag~ i am respectfully looking at the god of war!reader, (ab)normal day, and the universe abound series 👀 i also saw your edit of the game's voicelines to fit the god of war!reader AND IT FITS SO WELL. i don't have much experience with javascript or editing other than tumblr html, which may be why i am so in awe !! ;( i love the lore of the reader like the sibling adepti and the god of sun HNGGH this is what i meant when i say your brain >>> (/g)

who is this fine grandpa (/lh) man on the intermission screen??? 🔍 and the thought of saying, "psst, i have a plot bunny to give to you" is so cute <3 hehe, i'm always down for a new series made by you because fjejkdkks they're so good, HELLO?!?! but feel free to only focus on the ones you're working on, they deserve your attention the most rn ;D

BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF 2BEDO'S PLAYING CHESS, HELP. just know if susbedo lost, he'd bore hateful stares into the back of albedo's head and likely about to flip the whole table. (/lh)

the intermission is so suspicious that i can't help but suspect that you feel smth for that very same man... HMM. "just like the concept of time, it is but an illusion to me" rin, i think you've been spending too much time with zhongli. (/j)

YESYESYES !! the popularity of your god of war!reader au is SO VALID because the lore and their interactions with morax??? >>> your brain never ceases to amaze me !! fjekrksjds i can tell you put a lot of thought into it and the fact that you executed it so well??? aaaa, i love your works sm <3 (/g) i shall definitely find the time to binge your masterlist soon !! >:)

i don't think xiao's burst reaches that abomination when it's shooting missiles??? i don't have xiao because i lost the 50/50 to keqing on his first rerun and then pulled for yelan instead during 2.7 <//3 but i'd definitely pull for this boy the next time he comes around !! i got klee at guaranteed pity and tried pulling for heizou cons but ended up getting c1 kazuha at 15 pity instead (which i could've gotten for yoimiya but that is alright, i'm not one to dwell on regrets for longer than i needed) fwfjkekds

speaking of, is there anyone you're planning to pull for in the future, rin??? i'm at 13 pity + 50/50 rn on yoimiya's banner after getting c1 kazuha and if no one comes home, then i'll try my luck on the 3.0 banners !! saving particularly for al-haitham cough cough

#my harbinger of tears has been unmasked teehee <3 #do check out her acc if you have time !! she makes GOOD content and do filter the minors dni tag if you're a minor like me~ #so happy that me and rin are now technically moots fekfkkskd <3 !! #ask box! 📬 #visitor: dearest rin! 💠 #to honor your former identity as my 💠 anon hehe!

[twiceasfrustrating]

To Have and Hold 1/2

Chapter: 1/2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Category: GN/M

Fandom: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!

Relationships: Diavolo/GN!MC

Characters: Diavolo, Main Character

Tags for these chapters: Not Beta Read, Yandere, Kidnapping, Non-consensual drug use, No Happy Ending

Summary: Love drives some people crazy and some can't stand to go without. You thought you'd found the perfect boyfriend in Diavolo, one who loved you more than anything else in the world. And, well, you weren't exactly wrong, but it turns out that he's one of the ones that can't go without...

A/N: I was originally planning to wait to post this fic until all 18ish chapters were done, but it's kind of... hard to wait without any feedback or interaction. So, you know, here are the first two chapters.

Going to try to post a long fic on Tumblr... See how well this works out...

Word Count: 3179

Barbatos always made the best tea and you felt spoiled every time he made any for you. That was even more so the case today because he and Dia had come to visit you all the way in the human realm. It was a surprise of the best kind.

"It's good to see you again." You said as you picked up the cup Barbatos had set in front of you, "I didn't think you'd come all the way here for me."

"The Young Lord has worked very hard to have the time to visit you." The butler stated, and you blushed.

You loved Dia. He was the light of the Devildom and you had no idea how you’d been so lucky as to get a boyfriend like him. The fact that he'd put so much effort into his work just so he could get the chance to visit you for an afternoon was endearing.

"Did you now?" You asked Dia before taking a sip of tea.

He nodded, picking up his own cup, "I wanted to see you. I've been missing having you around."

You chuckle lightly, "You're always free to visit me whenever you want."

"Barbatos won't let me." He had so much work to do that he rarely had the time to step away from his kingdom.

"Well, then maybe I should visit you." Although you knew the notion was pointless. You had no way to get to the Devildom on your own.

Still, the thought of you visiting made the prince's eyes light up, "Would you?"

"Hmm… I don't know…" You pretended to think about it while taking another sip of tea. Once you saw the kicked puppy dog look in his eyes, though, you relented, "If I could, why not? I miss you too. It would be nice to get to see you more often like we used to."

A large smile spread across his face, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that." He loved you so much and hearing you felt the same way made his chest heat up.

Your own heart fluttered at the sight of him so happy. However, you also felt something else. You put your hand on your head, feeling how it began to swim for some reason. You leaned forward, placing your elbows on the table to steady yourself as the world around you began to spin.

"Sorry." This was terrible manners and you knew it, "I think the blood must be rushing to my head." Although you hadn't done anything that would cause a blood rush, so you couldn't figure out what was really happening.

Diavolo leaped out of his seat and was at your side instantly. He reached out his hands to hold you up by the shoulders, "It's okay. I've got you."

You flopped your head over, leaning against him rather than the table, "Thank you…" Your eyes felt so heavy and everything was fading out of your vision, "Dia… I'm sorry, but can you take me home?" You must have been sick and didn't realize it; that was the only explanation. Everything inside of you felt awful.

"Of course. I'll bring you back home right now, so rest easy." He wrapped around you, drawing you into him and lifting you in his arms. Once he was sure you were settled into his grip, he looked to the butler, "Is it ready?"

"Everything has been prepared, Young Master," was the last thing you heard before darkness and sleep suddenly overtook you.

~~~

It was soft yet firm beneath you as your eyes fluttered open. You sat up, rubbing your eyes and trying to recall when exactly you’d fallen asleep. Everything was a blur in your mind. You remembered waking up, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, someone ringing your doorbell, and getting a surprise visit from…

Dia!

You looked around in a panic, worried at how rude you'd been to fall asleep while he was visiting. He'd come all the way to the human realm and had even taken you out, yet you fell asleep talking to him. You could just crawl up and die from embarrassment. You would have to call him later and make sure to apologize, especially since he brought you back home and put you in bed.

Actually… now that you looked around more, this wasn’t your room…

Everything was the wrong color and the decor was completely different. Aside from the large, lavish bed you found yourself in, there was also a wardrobe, a vanity, a writing desk scattered with supplies, a full bookshelf, random decorations like potted plants and hanging baskets with cute stuffed animals inside of them, a few large windows, and two doors (one of which was open to show that it led to a restroom). Had he taken you to a hotel? The setup of the room certainly reminded you of a fancy hotel room at the very least.

You got up from the bed, making your way toward the window to try and see what time it could possibly be (though given how little light was entering the room, you assumed it must be around late night). As you stared out, however, you felt something catch in your throat. When you looked out, you saw the very familiar sight of the Devildom. Specifically, it looked very similar to the palace grounds you had grown so used to seeing whenever you visited Dia in the past.

Something was very wrong here.

Slowly, you step away from the window, turning toward the door to leave and try to find anyone to explain what was going on. There is confusion when you reach for the handle, only to turn it and get almost no rotation. The thing was firmly locked in place and no amount of pulling or twisting of the knob would open the door.

Instead, you switched to knocking on what you thought was wood. However, as you got out the first couple of taps, you realized it was too hard and dense to be normal wood. It was strange and you couldn’t quite put your finger on why…

“H-hello?” Your voice trembled, feeling the panic overcome you as fewer and fewer things began to make sense. This was like a horror movie come to life. Instantly, your mind began to run through all the things you’d seen over the years, trying to understand what situation you were in and how to escape it. But those were movies, where a writer set up convenient circumstances for the protagonist to get through any situation. You were not so lucky, especially since you knew nothing about your surroundings.

A shiver runs up your spine as the sound of the door unlocking fills the air and you jump back to give yourself space so you can punch whoever is coming in. If you deck them hard enough, maybe they will pass out and you can make a break for it. At least, that was the plan until you saw who it was that stepped through the door…

“Dia!” You throw yourself into his arms the moment you can make out his form in the doorway, glad to see one person you know. It’s so hard to wrap yourself around his broad shoulders, but you try your hardest and finally allow yourself to feel something other than dread. The relief washing through you was so overwhelming that you missed the small click as the door shut and locked behind him once again, “Thank goodness, I was so scared.”

He lays a hand on your head, running it calmly through your hair and gently rubbing your scalp, “There’s no reason to be afraid, My Love.”

“But I was alone and the door was locked and- Wait. Why am I in the Devildom?” You had to focus on one concern at a time or you would go crazy.

“Oh, that? You asked me to bring you home because you were so tired.” It wasn’t surprising that you had forgotten, given how out of it you were.

The sigh you let out is so deep that you almost asphyxiate, “I meant my home, Dia. I didn’t think you’d bring me all the way to the Devildom just because I said that.” But that kind of reaction was very in character for him. At least it put your mind at ease knowing that it was just Dia being strange that ended you up in this room. Speaking of the room though, “Why was the door locked?”

“That was for your safety, of course.” His wide smile painted his face so beautifully as he looked down at you, “I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting out.”

Huh?

Your eyes blow wide, gazing up at him and that beautiful smile, “What?”

His laugh is too cheerful based on what he just said, “Well, I don’t know what I’d do if you got out, so I had to lock the door to make sure you didn’t.”

Cold fire runs through your veins as a lump shoots up into your throat, “Dia…” You drop your hands from around him, taking a step back instinctively, “Oh, I get it. You were afraid I’d get lost, right?” Since you didn’t know where you were when you woke up in the first place. You were aware now that it must be somewhere in the palace, but this clearly wasn’t the room you usually stayed in.

“Of course,” he laughs again, “If you got lost I would be worried.”

That was it! Of course there was a perfectly normal explanation, “That makes sense. I’m sorry to have imposed so suddenly.”

“You never impose upon me, My Love.”

“I’m glad.” It was good to get to see him again, but you couldn’t stay, “I should really get ready to go home though. Where’s Barbatos?” You would need him to open the portal for you.

Diavolo tilts his head toward you, “What do you mean? You are home.”

“My home, Dia.”

“This is your home though.” The light in his eyes seems to shift into something darker, making your heart pound as if it was a hungry tiger in front of you and not your boyfriend, “I told you: I don’t want you getting out. This is where you should be.”

“That’s not funny,” your voice turns stern as you take another step away from him, “I need to go back now.”

“No you don’t.” He reaches out to try and fidget with a strand of your hair, grabbing only at air as you pull away from him. His hand clenched into a fist before loosening and dropping it back to his side, “The room is all yours. I tried really hard to make sure it had everything you could need to keep yourself entertained and the bathroom is attached whenever you need it. Plus, I can bring you food too, so you never have to leave.” It was unnerving how matter of factly those words left his mouth.

“Stop joking, Dia! That’s creepy!” How could he even say those sorts of things? It was as if he expected you to find them comforting when all they did was make your skin crawl.

There was a moment of silence before he clicked his tongue, “I’m not joking though. I thought you’d like to live with me. Then we could see each other whenever we want and not just visit when we have the time.”

“You’re… not kidding, are you?” He had a strange sense of humor sometimes, but you knew when he was being serious, “This isn’t okay, Dia. I have to go home now. Please?”

“How many times do I have to say it? You are home.”

As soon as he says that, something inside of you snaps and you quickly pace backward to put as much space between the two of you as you can. Being trapped in such a closed space with him is suddenly the most frightening thing you can conceive of and it drives your fight-or-flight response absolutely haywire. Your feet stumble over one another, each one trying to outpace the other in an effort to get further and further away until you bump hip first into the cluttered writing desk.

“My Love, you’re going to make me feel bad if you react like that,” he says, taking a calm step toward you with his arms outstretched, “Don’t you think this is wonderful?’

Without an answer, you grab blindly at some of the things scattered on the writing desk and chuck them as hard as you can in his direction. They smack into him with little fanfare as you continue to grab anything you can and throw them without relenting. Even as your assault ramps up and you run out of things on the desk, he keeps heading in your direction with everything falling unceremoniously to the ground.

He shakes his head, “There’s no need for that.”

There are no words to respond to him, even if you wanted to. Instead, you shift over and grab at one of the small potted plants scattered around the room, lifting it over your head (ignoring how specs of stray dirt fall out) and throwing it as hard as you can at his head. It makes contact, shattering upon impact and causing him to finally stop. However, he doesn’t look even mildly injured. If anything, he looks as if he is in disbelief.

His eyes go wide with shock as he stares at you, “What did you do that for?”

It seemed like his demonic form was going to come out, but it was gone just as quickly as it had arrived. Perhaps a trick of the light? Maybe your own adrenaline-addled brain? You refuse to answer him as you reach for something else to throw at him, hoping the next item will actually do some damage. Instead, you feel something wrap around and pull back on your wrist. Your entire torso twists in motion with the jerk, forcing you to spin around so you are looking straight up at Diavolo and the way he towers over you.

“That’s enough. You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep throwing and breaking things.” There were already broken shards from the pot that had hit him in the head and he worried that you would step on them and hurt your feet. Someone would have to come clean them up before that happened.

Before he even finishes speaking, you already hand your fingers at work, trying to pry him off of you. Your nails dig into him, biting deep into his flesh, but he seems as unphased by it as he did everything else so far.

“Are you upset?” He asked, dumbfounded by your continued behavior.

“No shit I’m upset!” You shout as you try and fail to yank away from him once more, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Language.” That tongue of yours was very foul at the moment and it was unbecoming of you, “Maybe you need a moment to just breathe and calm down.”

You wanted to scream more, but you just felt very tired. All the panic and rage was catching up to you all at once and you were losing the will to continue fighting, especially feeling how tightly he gripped your wrist and knowing it was only a fraction of his strength.

Finally, you let your body go limp as if you would somehow be able to melt into the floor as some desperate last escape from him and this entire situation. You couldn’t however. In fact, it was clear just how little you could fight back against, as he continued to hold you to keep you from completely collapsing.

“Someone is going to come for me.” You glare up at him through burning eyes, feeling the dam of tears threatening to break forth from behind them, knowing you are unable to hold them back any longer as stress and resignation start to settle into your bones. You couldn’t fight him with your own strength, “You can’t keep me here forever.”

His eyes almost turned sympathetic as he watched your chest heave trying to catch your breath after your futile resistance. He takes pity on your pathetic state and lets go of you at last. Even as he does so, however, the way his fingers slowly uncoil from around you makes it clear that he is not conceding any amount of power in the situation to you, “No one knows you’re here. You’re supposed to be in the human realm.”

Your fist clenches and your side before loosening again. The thought of trying to punch him just to make a point crosses your mind, but you decide against it for the moment. Instead, the best option is to bite your tongue and keep him from proving just how much power he really has in this situation. Plus, you have pacts that you can use to summon the brothers. He can’t hold you as easily as he thinks he can and you will prove it. All you had to do was bide your time until you could safely call the others.

“I promise,” he bent at the knee, placing a hand against your cheek and making your stomach jolt forward and a feeling of bile rush up to your throat, “you’ll love it here. I’ll take care of you and you’ll never want for anything.”

You slap his hand away, refusing to roll over like a dog so easily even with your new strategy in place, and speak with venom in your voice, “I want to go home.”

There was a pause in the air before a heavy sigh left his lips, “You should sleep. Perhaps in the morning you will be thinking more clearly.” And perhaps you would understand the situation you were in after waking up to realize this wasn’t a dream that would go away once you woke up.

He stood from his spot and went toward the door of your brand prison, “Feel free to look around.” He was excited for you to see just how well he’d provided for you. Maybe once you saw how much he cared you would finally understand. Oh, except for one thing, but that was your fault, “Please avoid the ceramic shards. We’ll have to clean those up as soon as possible since they are dangerous.”

With that, he opened the door and stepped through it. As soon as it was closed behind him, you heard the sound of the lock turning into place from the outside. Your breathing turned erratic again and you wailed as you crossed your arms to hold yourself and try to calm yourself down. Everything was finally hitting you in full force all at once; fear, anxiety, panic, rage, sadness, disbelief… Every single emotion danced in your mind and threatened to switch you from screaming to sobbing to violence and back again at a moment’s notice.

You must be having a nightmare because there was no other explanation for this situation.

#obey me #obey me diavolo #obey me main character #obey me fanfic #dark fic #mine #long fic #To Have and Hold #dark obey me

[foli-vora]

more than words, pt.3

A/N: Thank you for all the love! 🥺🥰 overwhelmed by the reaction I’ve had to this story! Super excited that so many of you are coming along for the ride! There is a tag list for this—let me know if you’d like to be added! (I apologise if I’ve missed anyone!) I hope you enjoy! ❤️

Pairing: Francisco ‘Catfish’ Morales x f!reader, best friend!Benny Miller x f!reader

Word count: 3.3k

Warnings: swearing, alcohol, general first date nerves that trigger my anxiety x10

pt.1 / pt.2 / pt.4 / pt.5 / pt.6

+

He was trying to listen. He really was, but God, how many times can you hear the same thing over and over and over again before you start to drift away from the conversation? He knew the answer. He had a very short attention span when it came to certain subjects – he’ll admit that freely – so when you continued to gush about his best friend, his main man, naturally his attention fell to the couple seemingly having an argument by their truck in the parking lot. Hmm… wonder what they’re fighting about? He purses his lips, watching the girl deliver one hell of a slap across her boyfriend’s face and strut away, tears streaking mascara down her face. Cheater. Definitely a cheater.

“Benny? Are you even listening to me?”

His eyes roll back to you, taking in your narrowed eyes and angry chewing as a slice of pizza dangles from your hand. Was he listening? Well, he did for the first few minutes… does that still count?

He finally answers, tone flat and uninterested. “No.”

“Ben.”

He shrugs, gesturing to the scene outside the window with a flick of his head. “Malibu barbie just smacked the shit out of her beau.”

Your head snaps to where he was looking, shamelessly curious. “Cheater?”

“That’s my bet.”

You both fall quiet, watching the strangers play out a scene that really should belong in a cringe-worthy daytime reality show while you chew. It’s almost depressing, how eagerly you both watch someone else’s life seemingly crumble in public. But the longer they scream and cry, the longer they yell and fight, the harder it is to tear your eyes away.

“Shit.” Benny sighs, reclining in the booth and stretching his arms up and behind him once the couple in conflict goes their separate ways. “That was the most interesting thing that happened to me all week.”

“Not me,” you sing with a smile, fondly remembering the phone calls and texts you had been sharing with Frankie the past few days. Benny sighs in irritation, neck cracking as he rolls his head on his shoulders.

“I swear, if you talk any more about Fish, I’m gonna throw myself out of this fuckin’ window.” He levels you with a challenging stare, lips twitching as you eye the glass critically. “I’ll do it, too. Try me.”

Deflating, you sag in your seat and fiddle with the peeling label on your beer bottle, realising with a wave of slight shame that you had been talking about Frankie ever since you sat down at the table. “I’m sorry, Benny. I’m just excited. He seems really cool, and nice, and –”

“Alright then.” He stands abruptly, kneeling on the worn leather to brace a shoulder against the glass panel with a look of severe concentration.

“Okay! I’m sorry, I’m sorry – sit down, you idiot!” Laughing loudly, you tug at his shirt until he sits with a lazy grin and you shake your head. “God, you are such a child, Benjamin.”

He snorts, pinching a cold fry from the basket in the middle of the table and waving it at you. “You love me.”

Grinning, you snatch it from his fingers, and chew it loudly, grinning at his pout. “I sure do, especially when you set me up with your gorgeous fri–”

He groans loudly, “Enough, woman. I’ll throw you out of this fuckin’ window in a minute. Get me another beer.”

-

“You’re callin’ the wrong friend, angel.” Benny drawls lazily, “I’m no good with these kinds of pep talks.”

“Benny, I’m freaking out, please –”

The car feels small, cramped. The open windows letting in the cool evening air does nothing for you trying to suck in a lungful of oxygen as you pull nervously at your jacket. Have you overdressed? Underdressed? What would he be wearing? You hadn’t been on a first date in months.

“Look, I can almost guarantee you he’s somewhere having this exact conversation with another friend of mine. You’re both stress heads. Just relax – he’s gonna love you.”

You stare vacantly at your steering wheel, swallowing around the lump of anxiety stuck in your throat. “I think I’m gonna puke.”

He snorts in amusement, “Well, if you’re gonna do it, do it now – puking on the poor guy isn’t a first date thing. And don’t forget to rinse your mouth out.”

Leave it to the younger Miller to make you feel ten times worse. “Oh God. Ben –”

“You’ll be fine. Now get out of your car.”

“But –”

“Get. Out. of your car.” He waits, listening intently to the mechanical whirr of your windows as they close, smiling when he hears the loud thump of your car door shutting. “There we go. Now breathe, and get marchin’ – you got this. And don’t call me again – I’m watching a fight. Pay per view isn’t cheap.”

“Right. Sorry. Thanks Benny.”

“Anytime, angel. Have fun.”

You ring your hands as you start walking the short distance to the bar, running through a last-minute check of your appearance. Nothing in your teeth. No stains on your clothes. You fidget with the hem of your skirt, brushing the non-existent dirt from the fabric and making sure it’s not horrifically tucked in to your underwear at the back.

Oh God, your palms are so sweaty. What if he shakes your hand? His hand will slide right off. He’d be mortified. Who even goes for a handshake on a first date anyways? You’re being silly. Everything’s fine. You look great. Did you put deodorant on?

The twisting of your stomach and panicked rush of thoughts thankfully pause when your eyes catch Frankie standing outside the bar, hands buried deep in his pockets and dark eyes flickering around at the passers-by somewhat nervously. When they land on you, the apprehension seems to melt from his shoulders and he grins. Unable to stop the smile creeping on your face in response, you now walk without the sick feeling of anxiety creeping up your throat.

He strides forward to greet you, and for a brief second, you wonder how you should greet him. It’s not like you were strangers, per se, you had been talking on the phone all week, but where did you stand in the physical sense? Certainly not a handshake.

Throwing caution to the wind, you bounce forward and greet him with a hug, hoping to high heaven he doesn’t push you away and call the whole thing off.

He doesn’t.

Inwardly screaming, you melt at the feeling of a pair of strong arms winding around your waist, a small quiet chuckle brushing past your ear. Oh shit, oh fuck… he smells divine.

“Hi,” you mutter shyly when you pull away, a flush of warmth flooding through you from top to toe when he smiles kindly and hovers only a step away.

“Hi,”

You can’t help but admire his features up close; the ones that were lost on the photo Ben had shown you when first trying to convince you into this arrangement. His eyes were a lot darker, tousled curls longer than they had looked when they were hidden under a well-loved hat. A light flush of pink sweeps up his neck and along his cheeks, and you watch it fondly with a wild flutter of your heart.

Okay, you could just stand here all night and stare at him, but that might freak him out a little… maybe try speaking. Talk. Just talk. Say something smart – something stimulating. First date impressions and all that.

“It’s fucking freezing.”

What? No. You did not just say that. Seriously? That’s what had to bubble from your mouth? Are you kidding?

You want to face palm, want to just turn around and march right back to your car with a text to Benny saying ‘thanks, but we can’t be friends anymore’ and just disappear from the face of the Earth. God, he’s going to give you so much shit for this.

Thankfully though, Frankie doesn’t seem bothered by your blurted out statement in the slightest, and even grins, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, it is.” He watches you shift on your feet, smile widening just a little more at the look of complete horror that had just washed your features before he had spoken, and then half turns, “Shall we?” Oh God, what was that? Pope’s gonna kill him. You’ve got his head in a complete spin and now he’s forgotten Pope’s whole pep talk. Shit. Shit. Be cool. Be cool... what the fuck does ‘be cool’ even mean?

The bar’s warm when you both walk in side by side, Frankie’s hand placed softly on your lower back as he leads you to the bar, and then through to a spare table, nestled out of the way and tucked into the farthest corner after he buys your drinks. He lets you sit first, and you’re pleasantly surprised when he stays close and, instead of sitting opposite you, he sits to your right, knees bumping yours softly under the table.

It’s not until you both sit, quiet and fiddling with your beers while sharing nervous smiles, that you remember something you had been meaning to ask all day.

“Oh. How did Mena’s appointment go?” You ask immediately, recalling his slight worry the day before over her slightly warmer than normal forehead and uncharacteristic crankiness. Your stomach plummets when he shoots you a startled look.

Oh no… have you blown it? Were you not meant to ask about kids on the first date or something? What were the rules for this kind of thing? You’d never dated someone with a baby, you had no idea what was okay to ask and what wasn’t. You guys had literally only just sat down, and here you were, ruining it already. That’s got to be the quickest end to a date, well… ever.

Panic creases your features and you frown in worry, “Sorry, should I – should I not have said anything? I’m sorry, I’ve never –”

“No, no – you’re fine! I just… I didn’t expect you to remember.” And then he smiles. Blindingly. The dread crushing your chest quickly morphs into something sweeter, something that has your heart quickening. “She’s okay – she’s getting her molars. Thank you for asking.”

You smile, turning bashful under the pure admiration shining in his eyes, and shrug lightly.

“It’s alright. I was worried for you.” You’re quiet when you admit it, unsure if that’s something you should be upfront about with only knowing him for such a short period, but he seems to take it in stride, smiling fondly at you and reaching a hand to cover yours softly. The immediate heat from his skin encompasses yours, shooting wave after wave of electric tingles up your arm and straight to your chest.

If your pulse was racing before, it’s downright wild now.

He flushes when your fingers part ever so slightly, letting his nestle in between yours, and then you’re smiling at each other, laughing quietly as the awkwardness all but evaporates.

You talk about everything. Growing up, moving around, Frankie’s time in the military being a pilot. You have so many questions, but pick up on the wave of tension that rolls through him at the mention of flying. For a short moment, you wonder why he didn’t want to talk about such an achievement – being a pilot was incredible, but not wanting to ruin the easy-going atmosphere that had fallen over you both, you leave the topic of flying instantly, and switch for talking about Mena, thankful to see the light return immediately to his eyes as he gushes about his little girl.

“Can I ask a question?” You ask sometime later in the evening, now comfortably closer to Frankie as your legs tangle under the table.

He hums, sipping on his third beer and nodding, “Of course.”

You watch your fingers play with his on the table, before grinning up at him slyly, “Why ‘Catfish’?”

He groans, throwing his head back with a chuckle, and wipes a hand across his face.

“My whiskers.” He finally admits with a playfully defeated sigh. When you frown in confusion, his grin widens, and he scratches his fingers along his jaw and through the patch of facial hair. “The guys used to give me shit because I can’t grow much more than this.” He gestures to his face, rolling his eyes. “Used to say I had whiskers – like a catfish, apparently.” He chuckles, shrugging light heartedly. “It just seemed to stick after a while.”

You’re laughing, and it keeps the smile planted firmly on his face. What a sound.

“Well, it’s an interesting nickname, but I think I prefer Frankie.”

He softens, unable to resist melting closer to you, and nods, “Me too.”

He likes the way you say it… sweetly, softly. He’s desperate to hear it fall from your lips more, in all sorts of ways.

Disappointment floods you both when you notice the late hour, Frankie explaining dejectedly that he should probably go and relieve his babysitter before said babysitter gets too comfortable with his refrigerator and the beer in there. You can hear the fondness in his voice when he tells you about his sitter for the evening, Mena’s tío – another close friend of Benny’s apparently – as you leave the bar, his hand automatically falling to tangle with yours.

“I’m this way,” you point a thumb over your shoulder, fully expecting to say your goodbyes outside the brightly lit bar, but frowning in slight confusion when he merely nods and starts to walk the way to your car.

“Oh – are you parked over here, too?”

He shakes his head, pointing to the complete opposite direction. “No, I’m over there. I don’t want you to walk to your car alone.”

Your insides turn to jelly, smiling to yourself as you grip his hand a little tighter. Thoughtful. He returns your smile, but hates that you seem so surprised by the notion of being walked to your car in the dark. What kind of losers had you dated previously that either didn’t walk you safely to your car?

“Thank you for tonight, Frankie.”

He grins, thumb rubbing soft circles over your knuckles. “Thank you – I had a great time.”

“Next time, it’s my treat.” You say, hoping you weren’t thinking too much of something that wasn’t there. Would he even want a second date? Was he just being polite saying he had a good time? Is that what people said before never calling them again?

Unbeknownst to you, Frankie was having a hard time reigning in the enthusiastic excitement that had flooded through him the second you had spoken. You wanted another date? With him? He had to mash his teeth together to stop the eager grin threatening to break his face completely in half. Thank God he hadn’t blown it. You were… God. You were fucking incredible. He owed Benny – big time.

“I can deal with that,” he eventually agrees, face warm and giddy at the prospect of taking you out again.

You turn and envelope him in a hug when you reach your car, breathing in one final lungful of whatever delicious aftershave he had used, and smile to yourself against his shirt when he folds his arms around you, a hand cupping the back of your head to keep you pressed tightly against him.

Pulling back to say one final goodbye, you’re struck by how close his face seems, eyes flicking across his face before meeting his dark ones.

Suddenly trapped in a gaze that had a fire licking up your spine, your breath goes in a stuttered exhale. Rough fingertips trace your jaw, and then you’re holding your breath entirely as he leans in closer. Anticipation kicks in, heart thumping through your chest as he closes the distance much slower than you would like, and you fight away the wave of impatience that screams at you to just push forward and kiss him.

You don’t expect him to stop however, only a breath away from your lips, and you panic for a small second, wondering if you’re doing something wrong, but when he murmurs a quiet question, it takes all the strength in your legs to not fall to the fucking ground in a lump of melted goo.

“Can I kiss you?”

God yes. Please.

Unable to stop the shy smile that tugs at your lips, you try not to nod too eagerly and definitely fail miserably. You want this, more than what you’ve ever felt with anyone else. Frankie had you feeling like a giddy teenager with a huge crush and you were desperate to feel more of it, to see where it goes and what it could develop into.

At your nod of approval, he moves in the rest of the way, hand moving to cup the side of your neck below your ear, and he sighs lightly when your soft lips finally meet his. The kiss is tender, warm, and does nothing to soothe your raging pulse. He can’t hear your heartbeat, can he? God, can you hear his? He briefly worries, but when your lips move against his, his mind blanks.

His moustache tickles your lip, nose bumps gently with yours. Your hands find his chest, fingers gripping at the soft material, and for a moment it feels like you two are the only ones in existence, floating in a hazy whirl of space.

You take a minute to open your eyes when he eventually pulls away, and when you do, you find him gazing at you with a shy smile and a rosy flush across his cheeks. Lashes fluttering as you blink, you try to get a hold of your heart beating heavily against your ribs while your lips tingle from the aftershocks of his kiss.

Holy shit.

Before you can even think it through, his shirt tangles in your scrunched fist and you pull him back to you, replanting your lips against his with a desperate urgency he meets head on and returns eagerly. His hands, previously gentle, now grip at your waist, squeezing the flesh greedily as you let him walk you back into the side of your car. The metal is cold, even through your jacket, and you arch into him, moaning softly when his tongue traces your lip.

Your knees buckle when his tongue tangles with yours, and he presses you harder into the car to stop you dropping.

“Holy shit.” He breathes huskily after separating, lips widening into a grin when he sees you mirroring his breathlessness. You giggle softly, the fire roaring in your stomach turning into an affectionate warmth that floods your system when he brushes his nose along yours tenderly. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Stop.” Your smile turns shy, teeth digging into your lips as he chuckles again, dark eyes shining. He watches you wrangle your breathing into something semi normal, glad he wasn’t the only one that got swept up and carried away with the moment. 

He traces your cheek, planting one more, less hungry and more affectionate, kiss to your lips.

“Goodnight, mystery girl.”

“Goodnight, Frankie.”

He backs away, face split as he smiles, eyes admiring you before he turns and starts to meander away to wherever he was parked, turning to look at you over his shoulder every few steps. You climb into your car, grinning at the final wave he sends you before disappearing around the corner.

Finally alone in your car, you let out the disbelieving chuckle you’ve been keeping in all night, face feeling hot as the aftereffects of such a great date rests pleasantly in your stomach, mind running through every little moment of the night. Starting your car, you start the drive home, unable to stop touching your lips every so often, insides clenching at the memory of his lips moving against yours.

+

Tags: @anu-simps @seasonschange-butpeopledont @withasideofmeg @you-got-me-starry-eyed @emilykjh @peterhollandkait @sara-alonso @starlightsearches @bookishofalder @empress-palpat1ne @shadowolf993 @rosiefridayrogersunday @canyonmirrors​ @eoz-stuff @blackonemasie​ @layniapetrovnaaa @alberta-sunrise @goldielocks2004 @betterthanbucky​ @linkpk88​ @afootnoteofhappiness​ @livilottie​

#frankie morales x reader #frankie morales x f!reader #frankie morales x you #francisco morales x reader #francisco morales x f!reader #francisco morales x you #frankie morales #francisco morales #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal #triple frontier #triple frontier fic #benny miller x reader

[atalho-s]

Sweet Sugar

4 | Crosses

pairing: tom holland x reader

warnings: swear words, underage drinking (not much tho, nothing descritive and nothing like “Skins” lmao), suggestive scenes in some chapters, not smut!! but minors be aware. Fluff/angst/drama/ Y/n and Tom being stupid teenagers with feelings.

words: 2.5 k

a/n: english it’s not my first language, Sorry for any mistakes! If you want to be tag on the next chapters, please let me know

Summary: Y/n, Harrison and Tom has always been best friends. Since childhood they’ve always been close, but what happens if after a break up with her first boyfriend, she starts to feel something more about Tom

PART 4! If you want to read the other parts click here

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I woke up the other day feeling a little better, which was good. I washed my face thoroughly, put on a pair of jeans, a Beatles T-shirt along with a jacket and left my room, ready for another week of torture.

- Good morning mom... - I was saying going down the stairs, but I remembered that she had already left for work. Which was good, because that way I didn't have to talk about the party.

I had my coffee, in the silenc  and soon after opened my phone, until I got on Instagram and saw that Tom had posted pictures of the party. The caption said: Thank you all! you guys are awesome! The photos from the party were great 😂

I was scrolling the photos, the first ones were all of us at the table, some were blurry of the people dancing... until I saw one of him with other people from school: Meghan was hugged him from the side making the peace sign with her fingers and he was kissing the top of her head. I sighed feeling my eyes fill with tears again. Okay, maybe I wasn't as ok as I thought.

I blocked my phone and put it in my pocket, taking my backpack and leaving the house, otherwise I would going to be late. I had to focus on school, not crying for silly things, I had to pay attention in my tests, that was more important than anything.

I went down the street and found Haz already waiting for me in the same place, I approached him and when he looked at my face, he made a pitying one.

- You saw the photos didn't you? - he asked and I nodded as he hugged me.

- It's alright Haz, I'll be fine- I said releasing him after a few seconds and he looked at me raising an eyebrow doubtingly - It's no big deal! By the way, I won't talk about it anymore, if we don't go now, we'll be late for school. - I said pulling him and we started walking.

- Okay... But just to close this subject, Tom sent me a message yesterday asking if you were okay and if there was anything wrong because you left early without saying goodbye.

- Hmm, and you didn't say anything right?

- Of course not! I just said that you weren't very used to drinking and that was all, and he believed... - Haz said and I breathed a sigh of relief.

- Good... He also texted me yesterday, he even wanted me to go to his house to tell me about Meghan.

- Well, whether way, he still thinks he's your best friend, nothing more than that...- Haz said, and I hated that he was right.

- It's true, and he's just my best friend, nothing more... - I emphasized the JUST- Did he tell you anything else about Meghan? - I asked and when Haz was going to answer I cut him - Never mind, It’s better if i don’t know. - I said waving my hand in the air.

- If you want it that way... - he replied. - Oh god you two have the same class today right? - he asked and I put my hand in my forehead. I had forgotten that I had English today for the first two classes and Tom would be sitting right next to me.

- I had even forgotten about that. But you know what? I'm going to stay there like a champ and ignore everything. - I said determined and Haz laughed feeling a little sad for me.

- Okay, I support that, but...- he was talking and I cut him again saying: shhh.

- No buts, and now enough of this subject, because we're already arriving. - I said and he rolled his eyes in agreement.

We arrived at the corner and Tom was already waiting for us as usual. He wore a blue sweatshirt and a backwards cap, black jeans and white sneakers. Obviously he was gorgeous as usual, which was ridiculous, but no sign of Meghan, which was good for now...

I tightened my grip on Haz's arm that I was hooked on and he smiled encouragingly. We got closer and Tom looked up from his phone, hanging up and putting it in his pocket.

- Hey strangers! - He said putting the backpack on his back, shaking hands with Haz and me with the usual kiss on the forehead. I lowered my eyes, smelling his scent and smirked. - You better y/n?

- I am, staying in bed all day yesterday did me good. - I said as we headed towards the stairs.

- That's good! And even better that now you have two classes with me- he said winking and Haz looked at me apprehensively.

- HA-HA, very funny. Too bad I'll have to pay attention in class and I won't be able to talk to you. - I said shrugging and Tom looked at me with an ironic face.

- Wow shortie, I felt rejected now. - He said pouting and I rolled my eyes. Of rejection I knew well.

- Well, I have to go because I have a presentation about geography, so, see you guys later? - Haz said when we arrived in the hallway, waving and looking at me discreetly as if he was saying: good luck.

- Let's go, grumpy face? - Tom said pointed for me to go ahead. I rolled my eyes looking at him, which he laughed and we went to the class.

I sat a little further back in my usual seat and Tom sat behind me. I was feeling claustrophobic, but it was only two classes, I could survive this. But when Mr. Ribbs came into the room and started talking, I lost all courage i had.

- Good morning students! Today the two classes will be more dynamic. As I know you had a difficult week, with so many papers and tests, I decided to leave these classes for you to go to the library and pick up any book to read and then give me a summary about it. - he was talking and I was excited, because I loved reading and I could still get my book and be quiet without having to talk to Tom, right? - But... I want you to do this in pairs. - wrong - Happy reading! - He said and everyone stood up forming their pairs and leaving the room one by one.

I felt someone nudge my shoulder and tooking a deep breath I turned around, seeing a smiling Tom.

- Good, reading... At least you like to read, because I with my dyslexia... - he laughed.

- Yeah good... it fit like a glove... Shall we go? - I said and we got up going towards the library. If Tom thought my way of talking was a little dry, he didn't react, which was good.

We arrived at the library and I was looking among the shelves for something easy and good for us to read.

- Y/n, darling... I have to tell you about yesterday - Tom started talking excitedly as he followed me through the halls. - After you and Haz left, a lot things happened...

- Hmm, I'm glad you had fun Tom. - I said a little disinterested picking up some books and looking at the synopsis.

- Yea! I had a lot of fun, but what happened was...

- Hey, how about we read Pride and Prejudice? It's one of my favorites, I think it's a good one, because we just need to read the main parts to refresh our memory. - I said, interrupting him.

-Yeah... Sure, I think it's a good one. - he said as I grabbed Jane Austen's book off the shelf and headed toward one of the tables.

- Shortie, how about if we read this outside? I think it's better than staying here, besides, we can talk better. - Tom said and I stopped turning around. Damn it, I was counting on staying there in the library anyway, so he wouldn't be able to say anything about the night before, because they were going to tell him to be quiet.

- Okay, good idea... - I said, giving up on to try to inventing another excuse.

We left the library and headed towards some tables outside. They were empty, except for a couple of couples scattered around the yard who had the same idea. I sat down and Tom sat next to me putting the book on the table and pulling out his notebook so we could write something down.

- So, as I was saying... We were on the dance floor, right, and Meghan and I were talking about the theater and other things, until... Guess what? - He started talking and I raised my eyebrow, while trying to distract myself with the book. - She said she thought I was cute and that I had a cute, sexy look. - He continued and I laughed ironically.

- So far so good, right... Until she just kissed me in the middle of the dance floor! - He said as if it were the most extraordinary thing in the world. Yeah, I thought with myself, I was there and saw everything, that's why I'm feeling bad and I can't even look at your face right now... I wanted to say it, but I just looked at him pretending to be interested.

- And mate, it was the best kiss of my life! We stayed together practically all night... Damn, I've dreamed about this so much since childhood...

- Good Tom, it must have been a really good birthday gift, right? - I said, looking at the book again.

- Yea! It was perfect...- he said and I could feel him staring at me. - Hey, you don't seem very excited about my little conquest... - he nudged me pouting and I looked at him.

- Nah, it's just that you guys are always hooking up lately, so I'm just not surprised...- I replied shrugging.

- Y/n Meghan is not just a hook up, she is an old passion, she is special - he said and I felt my heart ache a little while looking away. - You dont like her?

- It's not that I don't like her... I don't even know her, I just... I think she did it after you started getting more popular with the theater, because before that she didn't even look at you...

- That's not true, besides, people can change right? Maybe she realized that I'm not as bad as she thought before... I don't know... But as you said, you don't even know her, so I didn't understand you being mad like that. -he said scribbling in his notebook.

- It's not that I'm mad, I just... I didn't wake up very well today, that's all... 

- Yeah... But you don't need to project that to others around you, I thought you'd be happy for me.- Tom said and I looked at him ironically.

- Yeah, but there are days when we're not okay Thomas and not in the mood to be throwing confetti at every girl your friend kiss at some party. - I said and regretted it right away, it wasn't fair to him.

Tom looked at me in surprise, as I had never talk with him like that. Even as kids we didn't fight, why was I being such a bitch now? He took his things in silence and walked away leaving me with tears in my eyes.

I shook my head trying to get rid of what had just happened. I picked up the book and tried to read it, but I couldn't even get past the first line. Damn, why did I have to have those feelings? It wasn't fair.

I thought about going after Tom and apologizing, but I don't think he wanted to see me right now. A few minutes passed and the class was almost finishing when I felt someone nudge my shoulder. I turned in hopes of seeing Tom, but was surprised to see Steven standing up in front of me.

- Are you okay? I heard you fighting with Tom earlier, I never saw you guys fight like that, so I was worried. - he asked.

- I'm fine Stev, it was just a silly disagreement, nothing to worry about. Are you okay? - I asked trying to change the subject.

- Yeah, just studying a lot, you know, I have to go to business school. - he said and I agreed. Steven always wanted to work at his father's company, but for that he had to go to business school in Japan, because there was one of the company's units there and that's where his father wanted him to live. A lot of his family was Japanese, so he had an advantage with the language and culture. But that was one of the reasons we broke up, after fighting a lot about who was going to live where. - And you still focused on journalism?

- Of course, forever and always. - I said and we laughed, hearing the bell saying the class are over.

- Well, I have to go, I have to meet Elle, good luck with your essay. - He said pointing to the book.

- For you too. - I said smiling and he left towards the building.

I got up to get my things, scanning the yard with my eyes, but there was no sign of Tom. I sighed and put my headphones on, heading towards our tree. As I was already out there I ended up arriving first, so I sat down and played the song Crosses by José González.

I waited a few minutes and saw Haz approaching and I took off my headphones as I watched him sit beside me.

- So..How everything went? Where is Tom?-  he asked looking around.

- A disaster... - I said, rubbing my hands over my face. - We ended up arguing, I said some things without thinking and he left without saying anything.

- Oh y/n... I don't even know what to say, but did you confess something to him? he asked and I widened my eyes.

- No! Are you crazy? I told him I didn't trust Meghan, but in a rude way... - I said and Haz took a deep breath hugging me sideways.

- Well, you can't control your feelings...

- But I can control my tongue. - I said and we laughed a little. - How was it with Gracie? Did you guys talked today? - I said changing the subject.

- I talked to her a lot by text during class, I even asked her if she wanted to spend some time with us now, but she said she had to hang with her friends...

- Hmm. - I said putting my hand on my chin losing myself in thoughts as I watched the patio to see if I could see Tom. And after a lot of looking I found him. And there he was sitting on one of the benches near the building with Meghan hugging him, she with his cap on her head and the two of them were laughing and talking excitedly to each other. Until he gave her a kiss and she reciprocated.

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfic #tom holland fluff #tom holland angst #tom holland x reader #tom holland x y/n #tom holland x you #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland friends to lovers #tom holland series

[darling-i-read-it]

...And the Beast From the Sea

3x11

Hannibal Lecter x reader x Will Graham 

Hannibal Re-Write Series Masterlist

Word Count: 4k 

Warnings: spoilers for hannibal, murder, guns, pregnancy, worries of miscarriage

Author’s Note: Dudes I love this one so much. I  really really liked this one. It’s hella long but the last one was short so I think that’s okay. I am very excited for y’all to read this one because I made some expenitonal changes to the script which I’m excited for you guys to see. Enjoy!

I used some direct quotes from the script so some things may seem familiar 

Official Episode Summary: With a full moon approaching, Jack and Will are certain that Francis Dolarhyde will strike again but they lack a solid lead; Alana gives Hannibal a chance for redemption.

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director 

Tag List (is always open!) : @llperfectsymmetryll​ @ericacactus​ @vlightning95​ @sweetgoodangel​

(not my gif) (top two @/rocktheholygrail)

“Nightly news countdown to the next full moon. Chicago and Buffalo police are under a media blitz,” Jack said. You, Will and Alana were all in his office. Will had made it a sport to argue against you going with him anywhere these days but he knew he would lose the fight. 

“Two days left. And he’s not going to kill again in Chicago or Buffalo. He’s moved on,” you muttered. You were sitting beside Alana. Will was standing behind you. 

“Let me fill you in on what’s up for the twenty-fifth.”

“When he does it again?” 

“If we have a problem on the twenty-fifth.”

“Not ‘if’. ‘When,” Will muttered.

“He didn’t kill the docket at the museum. What if he’s trying to stop?” Alana asked. 

“He would’ve been better killing her. And both of you,” Jack suggested. You pursed your lips.

“I know we don’t get along Jack but that’s just cruel,” you teased.

“You think there's a way to push him to be self destructive?” Jack asked, ignoring you completely.

“You mean push him toward suicide?” Alana asked.

“Suicide suits me just fine,” Jack muttered. 

“If he was really trying to stop he’s not going to kill himself. How could he be sure his death would affect whatever's inside him?” Will asked. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, his mind reeling. 

“You must know something about him otherwise you wouldn’t have found him,” Jack leaded. You gave him a look. Will gave him a harder one.

“Jack Crawford. Fisher of men, watching my cork move against the current. You got me again.” Will was bitter. You liked it. “Hannibal told me where to find him. He knows.” 

-

Hannibal and Francis talked to each other. Francis was relying on this conversation to clear some things up. A couple of things. 

“I..put my hand...on her beating heart. Heard the sound of her..living voice. A..living woman. How bizarre,” Francis whispered. Reba flashed in his mind. Beautiful. “I don’t want to give her to the Dragon,” he whispered. 

“The Dragon is in your belly now. The Dragon wants her alive, you don't’ have to worry about feeling love for her,” Hannibal explained. Francis looked at Hannibal.

“Is that how you stayed with Y/N?” At the mention of your name Hannibal tensed. Ever so slightly. If Francis wasn’t paying acute attention he wouldn’t have noticed. He read it as something bad. Something that struck something dark in Hannibal that he wished to be rid of. “And Will Graham. He interests me. Odd looking for an investigator, not very handsome. But purposeful. They’re married aren’t they?” 

Another slight change in attitude. 

Slight.

But there. 

And if he wasn’t going to kill Reba then he had to kill someone else.

-

“Yes, yes. I see.” Your voice was quiet. Will watched you speak, your hand holding your other arm. You were on the phone with the neighbors that were watching your dogs. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Thank you so much for calling.” 

You hung up the phone and let out a long sigh. You looked over at Will. You were both standing in one of the main rooms of Alana's hospital. You finally looked over at him and he grabbed your hand gently, bringing you toward him.

“That was the neighbors girls. They say that the dogs have been sick, all of them. I’m going to go home and see to them, make sure it’s all okay.” Will nodded quickly as he held you in his arms. He was happy about this. He didn’t want you here, in harm's way. The safest place for you was home. “I’ll sleep the night, take the dogs to the vet and return the next day. I’ll bring new doggo with me.” You moved away from him to gauge his reactions.

“This is good,” he whispered, brushing a piece of hair out of your face. “It’s safe at home.” You shrugged.

“I like to keep you safe.” 

“But you have to think of yourself now. You have to keep safe,” he whispered. “Both of you.” You closed your eyes for a moment and took that in. It sounded so pleasant from his voice. A child. His child. You loved the idea of a curly haired little boy running around that had his blue eyes.

“Two days we’ll be away from each other. And I shall call you when I get there and also when I am about to leave. And probably between that.” He nodded.

“Of course.” 

-

“I have to do a little homework,” Francis said. Reba handed him a fresh martini and he took it, sitting on his couch between the projector and screen. Music played softly around them. Reba sat beside him, curious to what he was up to today. 

“Sure. If I’m keeping you from working, I can go,” she suggested. He shook his head quickly and realized she couldn’t see him. It would take some getting used to.

“No. I want you to be here. I do. It’s just some film I need to check. It won’t take long,” he promised.

“Does it have a soundtrack?” Reba asked. 

“No.” 

“May I keep the music?” she asked. 

“Um-hmm.” 

“I think I’ll stretch out for a few minutes, if you don’t mind.” He started to move so that she could lay down but she shook her head gently. “No, don’t move. I have plenty of room. Wake me up if I drop off,” she whispered. She lied down on the couch, holding the glass to her stomach. The tips of her hair touched Francis' hand beside his tight. He flicked the remote switch on and the projector began. Light flickered and whired across both his and Reba’s face. “Are these your nocturnal animals?” she asked quietly.

“Um-hmmm” 

The picture moved down from a bright white moon to find you, smiling and laughing as you moved toward a cabin in the woods, holding a blanket in your hands. A pack of dogs excitedly milled around your feet. 

“They know they’re being filmed?” Reba asked.

“No.” 

-

You stood in the vet anxiously. As the vet came back in you stood up quickly. You had talked to the girls who were taking care of the dogs and they were just as worried as you had been. 

“They may have gotten into something they shouldn’t have. Has there been any change in their diet?” she asked. You took a deep breath and felt the guilt creep in.

“Wi-my husband usually makes their food from scratch. We’ve been out of town with some dog sitters and I told them to just give them canned food,” you explained. 

“Was it canned food made in China?” she asked.

“Is it bad to be made in China?” you asked anxiously.

“If you’re pet food. Dogs get poisoned by Chinese pet food all the time. Pet food safety isn't’ regulated the same way as human food. And it’s barely regulated at all in China. There have been thousands of illnesses and deaths.” 

All of the sudden you thought about having to call Will with the news that, despite the fact you were having a human child, all the dog ones were going to die. That was a call you never want to make. Ever. 

“Are the dogs going to be okay?” you asked, moving the long sleeves of your shirt up to wrap your fingers around it. 

“Yes. You got them here fast and the activated charcoal should soak up whatever’s in their system. But it’d be helpful if you brought me a sample of whatever they’ve been eating so we can run some tests,” the vet said. You nodded quickly. 

“I’ll bring it by tomorrow.” The vet put a hand on your arm with a warm smile.

“We’ll keep the dogs overnight so we can monitor their recovery. They’ll be fine.” 

You nodded with a smile released. 

-

Will walked into Hannibal’s caged room. Hannibal got up from his desk and walked over to the glass.

“I’m not fortune’s fool. I’m yours. ‘Behold the Great Red Dragon’,” Will said. 

“And did you?” Hannibal questioned.

“I had a random encounter.” Hannibal looked behind him as the door shut quietly. He furrowed his eyebrows.

“Where’s Y/N?” 

“The Brooklyn Museum is closed to the public on Tuesdays, but researchers are admitted. You know that’s when we’d both be going,” Will said, ignoring the question. Hannibal tried to push you out of his mind. Likely just toying with him. 

“A sophisticated intelligence can forecast many things. I suppose mine is sophisticated enough. You’re so close to him now. You and the Dragon are doing the same thing at various times of the day,” Hannibal said, allowing his ignorance of you to seep. 

“He’s contacted you.”

“How do you imagine he’s contacted me? Personal ads? Writing notes on admiration on toilet paper?” Hannibal asked. 

“Alana thinks he’s trying to stop,” Will suggested. Hannibal came closer to the glass and Will did not move. 

“To begin to understand the Dragon, to hear the cold drips in his darkness, Dr. Bloom would have to see things she could never see,” Hannibal promised. “She would have to fly through time.” 

“There is a family out there who don’t know he’s coming. We could save them. Tell me who he is.” 

“I don’t know who he is.” Will studied Hannibal’s face and knew he was telling the truth. “And I do not know the next family, before you ask.” He was telling the truth about that too. 

“You’re willing to let them die.” 

“They’re not my family Will. And I’m not letting them die. You are.” 

-

“I’m sorry to interrupt. You have a telephone call. It’s your lawyer. Would you like to take it?” Alana asked. 

“Did he say why he was calling?” Hannibal questioned. 

“I called him. To confirm that he hasn’t called you. Not since you’ve been declared insane,” she stated. Hannibal shrugged.

“I could have told you that.” 

“If only I’d known to ask.”

“If only.” 

“Would you have told me the truth?” she asked.

“In my own way, I always have,” he promised. Alana pressed a button and spoke into the telephone.

 “Mr. Metcalf. That’ll be all for now. Thank you for your time.” She killed the call and now her cold anger showed. The door behind her opened and Jack entered. “You were speaking to the Tooth Fairy.”

“I think he’s earned the right to be known by the name he’s chosen. He is the Great Red Dragon,” Hannibal said. Jack approached the glass wall. 

“You have hubbed hell, Dr. Lecter.” 

“I often do.” 

“You got what you wanted. Suddenly, you’re very relevant. There is one way for you to stay relevant...and comfortable,” Alana said. Hannibal thought about it for a moment.

“You want me to speak with the Dragon. You believe he will seek counsel after the next kill.”

“We’ve got to make your contact work for us. Standing trace order for any time you’re on the phone. When he calls, you keep him on the line.” Hannibal inclined his head.

“I can’t refuse him a sympathetic ear. He no doubt needs it.” 

-

The house seemed so empty. The dogs gone, Will away. You had to pick them up in the morning and then be gone again. In the meantime, you were staying up late to make as much dog food as you could.

“Yeah and add a little bit of the meat I have in the fridge,” Will said over the phone. His voice was staticy but there. It made you feel safer.

“Alright I think we’re good. Thank you sweetface,” you said, leaning into the phone. 

“Anytime. Have a good night's sleep. Drink water. I love you.” You smiled gently to yourself. 

“I love you too. Sleep tight!” You hung up the phone and then it was empty again. You glanced at the clock. Much too late. You shouldn’t have kept Will up, he needed to sleep. “I suppose I should sleep too,” you said aloud. You convinced yourself you were speaking to your unformed child rather than yourself. That sounded less insane.

You put the dog food in the fridge and finished up the last of the notes for the neighbors teenagers. You took a deep breath and turned around, eyes catching the green of the alarm monitor. 

Caught it just soon enough to see it go dead. 

You didn’t realize what that meant right away. Then it hit you. Fear slammed into you and you tensed up completely. You grabbed your phone and shoved it in your pajama pants pocket. You grabbed a knife from the knife block and quietly walked over to the kitchen table, where your keys were. You peaked out the window and saw a man outside, walking up the front steps.

Your breath caught in your throat.

You tried to control your fear as you quietly walked around back. You heard the door jiggle open. You were suddenly reminded of your second body, Will’s words screaming into your heart. Both of you to keep safe. 

You suddenly missed Will terribly. You opened the back door quietly and stalked around the side of the house. As you ducked underneath windows you felt your heart beating in your ears. You held the knife tightly in your hand as you peaked around the side of the house to see if he was outside. 

The coast from where you were to the car was clear from what you could tell. 

You closed your eyes tightly and then opened them just as quickly. 

You sprinted to the car and unlocked it on your way. You jumped into the driver's seat and struggled to put the keys in the ignition. 

Your attacker had heard the car unlock and he was on the porch now. Gunshots broke your front window and shattered onto your lap. You squealed just as the car started and you were able to pull out. 

You, however, were not able to miss the gunshot that hit you in the shoulder harshly. You let out a harsh surprised noise as your arm pretty much went limp. With your other arm you were able to drive away from your home. Your home. The place you had found so sacred. Will’s and yours first place together.

You focused on driving through the dark, winding roads and hoped that he wasn’t following.

-

Will ran through the hospital. A horrible glare of the hospital fluorescents over his face as he approached Jack Crawford.

“Where is she?” he asked rushingly.

“In surgery now.”

He did not seem to be any more eased at that. 

“You’re both safe here,” Jack said and Will gave him a harsh look. 

“Now is not the time to talk to me Jack. Not the time at all.” Will pushed past him. He didn’t know where he was going. He couldn’t see you. All he could do was pace. He wanted to ask Jack about the baby. He wondered, terribly, if the baby was gone. Two times in a row his child would be ripped from him by the puppeteer strings of Hannibal Lecter he was sure. 

Will couldn’t make it make sense. He thought that Hannibal liked you. He thought for sure that you, if anyone, was safe from his wrath. 

Jack took his turn approaching Will again, now that some time had passed by. The doctors promised you would be okay but made no mention of the baby.

“You think you might lose me after this, Jack? You think I might go back to my family?” Will asked, teeth almost barred. Jack stared at him. 

“For a minute, I did.”

“I want so badly to. If she had died because of this I would have killed you with my bare hands Jack. She warned me against you time and time again. And again. If she had died because of you…” his voice trailed off but Jack got the message. “But then I realized what you realized. I can’t go home, and neither can Y/N, never, until the Red Dragon is out of the way.” Will looked away. 

“As soon as Y/N can be moved we’ll put her at my brother’s house on the chesapeake. Nobody in the world will know where they are but you and-”

“She’s pregnant.” 

Jack stopped. This information hit him and it sunk in, very slowly. He took a deep breath. He was careful speaking.

“Have you asked-”

“No. I’m too scared to,” Will admitted. He looked back at Jack and shook his head. “But if the baby lived or didn’t, if she is able to walk, she’s not going to leave my side now. She’ll put on a brave face and walk with me wherever I’ll go and you will let her.” He paused, thinking. “I’ll let her.” His eyes lightened slightly. “And even if she didn’t, she wouldn’t want anything from you. She’d be glad to see you in hell with your back broken.”

Something about the truth in that made Jack want to smile.

-

Will walked into the room. You had been awake just long enough to talk to the doctor. Will had been in the bathroom when you woke up but now he rushed toward you. 

He practically skidded on the ground to grab your hands. You gave him a weak smile but your face was practically dead. You swallowed and squeezed his hand. Will didn’t say anything for a moment.

“The baby is alright,” you whispered. He let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “The bullet hit my shoulder, far away from anything that could harm them.” Now that that was out of the way, he could apologize for you. You had been hurt. That was impossible.

“The dogs are safe. I’m going to pick them up tomorrow and bring them here.” You nodded.

“Bring the vet the canned food.” He laughed dryly.

“I don’t think that’s a priorit-”

“Bring it,” you stated weakly. He nodded, not willing to argue with you right now. You looked up at the ceiling and then over at him, smiling at his pretty face. “I made the food. You have to bring that too, I’m proud of it.” He nodded, kissing your hands he was holding.

“I will.” There was a beat of silence.

“You aren’t going to get me to leave. The second I can sit up I will be back out there with you.” He nodded lightly.

“I wish you wouldn't. But I know.” You looked into his eyes, hard.

“Hannibal did not advise this.”

“He knows about the killer, things he couldn’t possibly know unless he knew about him. There’s no way that this wasn’t him.” You shook your head.

“He wouldn’t. Not to me.” Will believed that, despite it all. He kissed your hands again and stood up.

“I’m going to ask him.” He waited for you to respond but you just thought about that for a moment. 

“I wanted to be the one to tell him. But I see now that you must.” He nodded. It would add to the effect, whichever way that effect went. 

“I love you,” he said. 

“I love you more.”

-

Will quickly walked up to Hannibal’s cage. Hannibal could tell something was wrong immediately. Will looked like he was about to kill someone with his bare hands. 

“I’m just about worn out with you crazy sons of bitches,” Will stated. Hannibal raised an eyebrow.

“It hasn’t hit the papers yet. Care to enlighten me on the family this time around? Did the dog make it?” Will stared at Hannibal, dumbfounded.

“You really don’t know do you?” Hannibals face scrunched into confusion. 

“I’m sorry, should I?” Hannibal questioned. Will’s lips turned into a bitter smile. He knew that Hannibal had talked to this killer and Will was about to relish in the fact that he got to tell Hannibal his efforts had messed up someone he cared about. 

“Y/N went home to tend to the dogs for the day,” Will started, really milking this out. “Dr. Lecter, the killer went for her.” 

Hannibal’s mind worked quickly. He took a deep breath in and for once, hung off the words that Will was saying. He hadn’t suggested Francis kill you but he should have known he would. He should have known. He was almost angry at himself for not seeing it.

“Is she alright?” 

“Yes.” Hannibal let out a barely audible sigh of relief. For once it was the two men, almost in love with each other but definitely in love with you, just happy you were alive. “She was shot but she’s fine.” Will paused. “She’s pregnant. Still pregnant. You didn’t get this child and you won’t.” 

Hannibal took that in quietly. He would deal with that later.

��I’m happy for her. Happy for you both.” Will turned to leave, finished with this conversation and wanting to return to you but Hannibal did not let him. “Will?” 

He turned.

“Yes?” 

“I didn’t know it was her.” 

-

As the orderly came into the room, Hannibal almost jumped up. But instead, he kept his dignity and walked over to the phone, taking it in his hands. He knew that Jack and Alana were listening. He had to keep this careful. 

“If I’m not as strong as the Dragon, she will die. I know that,” Francis said firstly, bluntly. “I need to think. I need to think. I told her I can’t be with her.” 

“Y/N Graham is not dead,” he pointed out stoutly. Francis did not like that he changed the subject so quickly. 

“I chose Y/N because she rejected you. I chose Y/N and she should be dead.” Hannibal straightened his back. “I’m afraid she will come to the house. To talk. I don't want what will happen in the house.” He was now referring to Reba, not you but Hannibal knew how to steer a conversation. 

“What made you think I wanted Y/N dead?” 

“You insinuated-”

“No. I did not.” Hannibal stared through Jack and Alana, enjoying an audience but wishing these next words were spoken in confidence. “You thought wrongly. You insinuated wrongly.” Hannibal straightened his lips. “Think about how you wanted to hold Y/N in your arms, as she lost blood and her heart quivered like a bird until it went out. Think about it.” He paused, allowing him to think. “Now think about Reba in her place. Because that is what is coming.” 

Francis didn’t know how to react to that.

“They’re listening,” Hannibal said and hung up the phone. 

Alana and Jack looked betrayed but Alana was all too happy for what came next. 

“You’ve just lost your toilet Hannibal,” Alana said.

And Hannibal did not say it but he knew it was worth it.

3x12

#hannibal lecter x reader #will graham x reader #will graham imagines #hannibal lecter imagines #hannibal lecter x reader x will graham #will graham x reader x hannibal lecter #hannibal imagines

[ghostxofxartemis]

Thank you to @cactuarkitty for hosting this amazing event. I still have Day 6 to post sometimes next week. Better late than never I suppose. 

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard Characters: Female Shepard (Mass Effect), Kaidan Alenko, Leah Shepard Additional Tags: Christmas, Teasing, Fluff Series: Part 5 of MERweek 2021 Summary:

Describe or draw the celebration of Christmas. What are some of their traditions with presents, decorations, outfits, food etc? Is this their first time ever hearing about or celebrating the holiday? Bring out the ugly xmas sweaters! (Note: you can exchange christmas out for other holidays if you wish.)

a big shoutout to Jehane ( @iberiandoctor ) for the beta!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leah’s sitting in the sun room, enjoying a good book, she reaches for her mug of hot chocolate when the front door of the house slams open. Raising an eyebrow, she closes her book and puts it on the coffee table. She wraps her shawl around herself and takes her mug with her to investigate. Wandering down the short hall, she arrives at the entrance and finally sees for herself what the ruckus is all about.

Kaidan and his cousin are hauling a tree inside the house.

“What’s going on?” She blows on her hot cocoa.

“We went to pick up a Christmas tree.”

Leah steps over to the side as they haul the tree to the living room, but doesn’t escape the unexpected peck Kaidan gives her on the cheek. “We get to decorate it later, while wearing ugly Christmas sweaters.” He smirks and winks at her.

“No.”

Kaidan’s cousin guffaws.

“Leah….”

“Kaidan, no.” She scrunches her nose. Then hides it by taking a sip of her hot cocoa but she doesn’t relent. She gives him a hard glare.

“Wait, are you saying no to decorating the tree or the ugly sweaters?” He huffs as they lower the tree down. He rubs his hands together, brushing the pine off of them.

“Both.”

“Oh come on! It's a good way to spend quality time together.” Kaidan wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her in close, and kisses her forehead.

“I really don’t care.”

“Before the war, my parents and I would play Christmas tunes and spend the afternoon decorating the house. I’m sure we still have grandma’s eggnog recipe in the kitchen cupboards.”

“Christ, this just keeps getting worse.” Leah grumbles.

“You married the Grinch, Kaidan,” Kaidan’s cousin jokes as he lays down the mat for the tree and places the stand on it. “Mind giving me a hand with the tree?”

Leah scowls. Kaidan gives her a coy smile with a shrug before helping his cousin to set up the tree.

“Leah, honey, can you do me a favor?” He uses his most endearing tone he can, “Can you head into the storage and get the box that has ‘Christmas’ written on it?”

She rolls her eyes, placing her mug onto the coffee table. “You’re still not getting me to decorate this damn tree,” she calls out as she heads downstairs to look in the storage room.

“We’ll see.”

It doesn’t take her long to find the blue bin with ‘Christmas’ written on it, tucked under the stairs. Pulling it out, she runs a hand on the lid to brush off the dust that it had collected over the past few years. Hinging from the hips, she picks up the bin and makes her way upstairs.

She puts it on the ground, a little more roughly than necessary, in front of Kaidan. “There’s your stupid decorations.” She drops herself onto the couch and grabs her mug, watching the guys sweep up the pine they dragged all over the main floor.

After Kaidan’s cousin leaves, Kaidan takes a seat next to the bin and props open the lid. Gently he starts laying out all the nut-crackers on the coffee table.

“Ah here it is. Santa.” He pulls out a Santa Claus from the bin. “Dad used to collect them. I think there’s another bin downstairs.”

“I’m not going back down.” Leah leans sinks deeper into the couch and takes a sip of her hot cocoa. She keeps it at eye sight, while glaring over it at Kaidan.

He chuckles. “I’ll go look later. Come on,” he says as he pats her knee, “shall we decorate?” He stands up, and offers her a hand. When she doesn’t take it, he smiles. “Suit yourself.”

“You’re not making me cave in, Major.”

“The day is still young, Commander.” He pulls out garlands, and Christmas ornaments. One has been caught in the hook of one of the Christmas socks. “Hmm. I wonder if mom got your sock ready yet?”

Leah growls.

Kaidan takes his time decorating, on purpose, and Leah knows it. Trying to coax her into wanting to decorate. She doesn’t want to admit to him she really wants to put the Star up on the tree. She always puts the Star up. When she was young, that was her favorite part of decorating the house during Christmas. Along with the hot cocoa mum would make, and the biscuits. She's missed so many Christmases and this one will be the first one since she turned sixteen with a family...her family. She rubs her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Kaidan.” Her voice is low, sheepish.

“Yeah?” He’s doing the final touches with the garlands.

She stands up and bends down to reach the Star in the bin, and walks up to stand next to him.

“I want to put the Star up.” She holds the tip of the star against the tip of her nose.

Kaidan turns around to look at her, a wide smile on his face. He tucks one of her fly-away hairs behind her ear, and kisses her forehead. He bends his knees slightly and wraps his arms around her waist to lift her up, and she places the Star on the tree. When she’s done, he lowers her gently to her feet, and takes both her cheeks in his hands.

“I saw the mistletoe. You did it on purpose.”

“You wound me, Leah,” he teases, as he bends down to press his lips against hers. She wraps her arms around his neck and when he lifts her up she wraps her legs around his waist.

“Jerk,” she mumbles against his lips, but she can’t help herself from smiling either.

Maybe she is looking forward to Christmas this year after all.

#merweek2021 #Leah Shepard/Kaidan Alenko #Christmas #fluff #ghost writes

[wrenhyperfixates]

Of All the Places

Chapter 8

Pairing: Loki x reader Series Summary: Washing up in a small town in Oklahoma was definitely not part of Loki’s plan when he came to conquer Midgard. There is one good thing about it, though: No one recognizes him as the one who just wreaked havoc in New York. So, Loki plans to recover from the battle and move on with his life. The only problem? He’s not sure he can leave you. Chapter Summary: The town comes together to help a family hit particularly bad by the tornado. A conversation with you helps Loki come to a decision. Chapter Warnings: a lot of mutual pining A/N: I’m really excited about this story now. There’s some great things coming up! Any predictions about where I’m going with this? I’d love to hear them! Updates every Friday. Enjoy :)

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiant​ @lunarmoon8​ @twhiddlestonsstuff​ @marvelousdaydreams​ @parkastoria​ @lokistan​

✥ Start at Beginning ✥ | ← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

Disclaimer: Gif not mine 

You and your family had been pretty lucky in the aftermath of the tornado, but unfortunately the same could not be said for your neighbors. The family at the next farm over, the Campbells, whole barn had been blown away. Thankfully, they didn’t suffer any physical injuries, but the wound to their bank account had been decent. That’s why a bunch of people from town were pitching in to help them. In fact, they were preparing for a barn raising at the very minute, something Loki had never even imagined existed before. Actually, the whole idea of a close-knit community like this had never really occurred to him. When he was young, he wasn’t really allowed out into the streets of Asgard, and when he was old enough to decide that for himself, he’d lost his interest.

“You ready, son?” Papa asked, clapping Loki on the back.

“Indeed,” he replied, putting his hair in a low bun to keep it out of his face during the work. “Would it be odd if I said I was a little excited?”

“It is surprisingly fun,” John laughed. “But we’re actually supposed to be trying to talk you out this. You still need to take it easy. ‘Doctor’s orders.’”

He nodded in your direction where you were talking with your friends. Even though you seemed happy, you kept throwing little worried glances at Loki. The whole ordeal with tornado was nearly a week ago, but it seemed to have made you nervous for Loki’s health again. He would have thought that his agility and speed would have reassured you, but it actually did the opposite. You kept insisting that he may have re-injured something and not even noticed. You sent another nervous look his way, but your gaze lingered a little longer, noticing his hairstyle. Half the reason he ever wore it this way was because of how much you obviously liked it.

Mr. and Mrs. Campbell made a little speech thanking everyone for coming out, and then the work began. It was slow moving at first, what with having to get the main supports up soundly and all, but soon the pace picked up. By the time they were working on the roof, Loki could feel the energy of the mortals around him had dropped considerably. Being the god that he was, though, he was tireless enough to finish the barn on his own. Of course, he couldn’t tell anyone that, especially when Papa kept insisting he take a break.

All the girls, and a few guys too, were marveling over Loki’s uncanny strength. He was by no means the most ripped man there, but he was certainly the strongest. Everyone was impressed by just how much he could lift, and he delighted in the general shock the crowd had. And now that he’d shown just how strong he was, people had certainly started paying attention to his muscles, which were there, mind you, but just too lean to notice at first glance. He didn’t much care for any of those stares, though, unless they coming from you. Alas, you’d left a little while ago to help Ana with Matt. Now, however, you were coming back, and Loki redoubled his efforts to show off. Especially because it seemed that Denzel had the same idea. Loki couldn’t even think that man’s name without rolling his eyes.

“Hey,” you said, walking up to Loki and offering him some trail mix, a Midgardian snack he was surprisingly fond of. “I thought you might need some refreshments. Have you eaten anything all day?”

“Do not worry. I have been taking care of myself,” he replied, setting down a pile of wood. “Still, you have my thanks, darling.”

“No problem.” You looked down at your feet as you kicked a rock, building up the confidence to say your next sentence. “I, uh, I really like your hair like that, by the way. It looks good.”

Loki’s face took a crimson shade yet again, and he couldn’t help but smile. The effect you had on him always made him feel a wild mix of emotions. On the one hand, the reaction bothered him to no end. On the other, he was just used to it at his point.

“Is that so,” he said as if he hadn’t already figured it out. “Perhaps I should wear it this way more often then.”

“Oh! You don’t have to. I mean, of course you can if you want to. But I didn’t mean that you had to or anything. Wear it how you like it.” He smirked at your flustered babbling. “Ana, Matt! Can we have some of that water?”

He chuckled at how you had to call them over to save you from your embarrassment, something he found rather adorable. Now that he’d admitted his feelings to himself, he kept finding little things about you to obsess over. Today, it was apparently how cute you are when you’re nervous.

“You really should drink more, being out in the heat all day like this,” you told him, going back into doctor mode.

“What would I do without you,” he teased.

“Loki!” Matt cheered upon reaching him. “I wanna help build too!”

“Now, now Matt. What did mommy say?” Ana asked the boy.

“Mommy said no,” he replied with a little frown. “But Loki didn’t say no!”

“I am sorry, little one. You must listen to your mother,” Loki said, picking the child up. “One day when you are bigger and stronger you will get to help.”

“But will you still be here, Loki?”

The boy’s question gave him a pause. Would he still be there? Did he want to be? It was impossible to answer that first question, considering he couldn’t see the future. Plus, he was in constant danger of being found out and having to run. But that second question he knew the answer to. Something about this small town had charmed him, and being asked right now, he would say he never wanted to leave. He wondered if he would always feel that way, though. Looking into your eyes, he was pretty sure he would.

“I truly do not know, but I would very much like to be.”

“Yay!” Matt exclaimed, throwing his tiny arms around Loki.

Ana chuckled at the child’s excitement while you smiled warmly at Loki. Even though he’d already told you how he felt about this place, your eyes went wide at the fact he’d so boldly declare it to everyone. He only wished he could be so bold when it came to declaring his feelings for you.

Soon, he was back at work helping to build the barn. Unfortunately, John and Papa were up on the roof, and Loki knew very few other people there. So, when Denzel struck up a conversation with him, there was nothing he could do to avoid it.

“So,” Denzel said, “You been seeing a doctor about this memory loss of yours. ‘Cause, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned, but I’m a-”

“Doctor,” Loki cut him off, gritting his teeth. “Yes, I know. It has been mentioned. Several times. But what kind of doctor, may I ask?”

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “I’m a pediatrician.”

“I see. A noble profession, indeed. Though I am guessing you are not the best equipped to handle my amnesia, hmm?”

“No, I guess not. But I could definitely recommend someone.”

“I do appreciate it,” Loki confessed, though he suspected there were underlying reasons for Denzel’s concern. Namely, having Loki out of the way so he could get to you easier. “But everything is alright for now. I shall let you know if the situation changes.”

“Ok then.”

They lapsed into silence as they picked up more wood for construction, Denzel seeming a little shocked by just how much Loki was able to carry. Which definitely wasn’t even more than he had previously been taking just to intimidate the man.

“Hey, listen,” Denzel said while they helped work to make the walls, nodding in your direction. “Guy to guy, have they mentioned me at all?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact they have. I do not think you will like it, though.”

“That bad, huh?”

“I am afraid so.”

“Well, I guess that just means I’ve gotta work twice as hard to show them how serious I am about wanting them back.”

“Yes, I do suppose- Wait! No,” Loki said, not having expected that to be his answer. “I do not think that is in your best interest.”

“Oh, really? Are you sure you don’t think it’s in your best interest?”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“So then you’re fine with me asking them out?”

“Only if you are fine with being rejected.”

They stood glaring at each other until they were able to move to work on separate sections. Loki was desperately trying to not feel so jealous and anxious. After all, you’d explicitly said that you did not want to be with Denzel, but there was still that little bit of uncertainty. Perhaps you’d changed your mind and decided to give him a second chance.

“You alright there, son?” Papa asked, coming down from the roof.

“You better not pass out,” John added, following close behind. “You know we’re going to be the ones who get in trouble if you do.”

“I assure you, I am fine,” Loki replied, trying not to sound too sad. He was failing. “You need not worry.”

“Oh, I bet I know what this is about. I saw you talking with Denzel.”

“No, nope,” Loki shushed, putting up a finger. “Go no further, please.”

“Ok, fine, whatever you say. Just thought you might want to know that the Campbell’s are planning a little thank you party tonight. It would be the perfect chance to tell a certain someone how you feel.”

“Reckon you ever went to a barn dance in your past life?” Papa asked.

Loki’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. He’d never heard of anything like it on Asgard, though he could fathom what it was due to the rather self-explanatory name. It was a thrilling prospect to go to it, considering he’d only ever been to uptight, boring balls. As a child, he’d stir up some mischief to make things more interesting, but he’d always get a serious scolding from his father. Not to mention Thor was the center of attention more often than not.

“I do not believe I would have, though I am looking forward to the opportunity now,” Loki shared as they set back work again.

The rest of the day went much the same, and though he didn’t get to spend as much time with you as he would have liked, Loki had quite a bit of fun with John and Papa. His attachment to you all was rather dangerous, as was the fact that he cared it was. At least he was able to mask his emotions, much like he was so adept at doing before this whole ordeal.

By dinnertime, the barn was completed and only a select few remained to help set up for the party. Your family, however, went the short distance back home to freshen up after helping out all day. Well, Matt didn’t help much. Instead he just romped and played, though it could be argued he helped by brightening everyone’s day. Regardless, after changing your clothes you were all ready to set out again. Loki did a double take as he walked out onto the porch; you looked more beautiful than ever before. He always thought you looked amazing, but standing there in the fading light of day, it struck him anew.

“You know, Loki,” John said, putting his hands on the god’s shoulders and speaking low enough that you couldn’t hear him. “A friendly word of advice, you should just go for it.”

“But-”

“No more ‘buts’ mister,” Ana reprimanded as she walked up and passed her son to her husband. “I don’t know who you think you’re fooling, but you two need to stop being oblivious dorks and make a move already. No offense.”

“None taken, I suppose,” he said, though it wasn’t wholly true. Him an oblivious dork? Nonsense, not the God of Mischief. “Though I still must insist that I do not know to what any of you are referring. Hypothetically, if I did, do you really believe I have a chance?”

“Yes. And a very good one at that.”

They left Loki mull over his thoughts. When they passed you, you finally turned around and saw Loki standing there, his now loose hair slightly wavy from having been up all day. He was frozen like stone under your tender gaze, afraid of his emotions and unable to take what Ana and John had said to heart. It wasn’t until your smile faltered a little at his expressionless trance that he was able to move out of the doorway.

“My darling, I hope you know how radiant you look this evening,” he told you, a light blush coating his cheeks, still so pale even after so many days out in the sun.

“It’s nothing special, really,” you said with a nervous laugh. “But thank you all the same.”

“My pleasure.”

His fingers brushed against yours and on instinct you intertwined them. He brought your hand to his mouth, lips ghosting over your knuckles, reminding him of that day when he apologized to you. He’d performed the same action back then. With time and perspective, he realized that was the day he was pushed completely off the edge and into love with you. You took a step closer, your bodies nearly pressed against each other. The warmth radiating off of you gave the frost giant a pause, your hands still clasped together, now semi-awkwardly hovering near his head.

“Hey Loki,” you began as he quirked an eyebrow to urge you on. You took a deep breath, gathering your courage and leaning in. “I... I... I-”

“I suppose we should be on our way now,” Mama announced, coming out of the house.

You sheepishly broke apart and agreed with her, your small group heading over to your neighbor’s. Upon arrival, Loki noted how it was even more lively than earlier, which was really saying something. It seemed that everyone who came by during the day to help with the build was back now, and the whole place was a hubbub of activity. Your friends were quick to whisk you away into the thick of it, and seeing as how everyone else had left before you, Loki was now left alone with Mama.

“You can go if you want,” she said. “I’m not much for crowds.”

“I must confess, I am not either.”

“I see.”

Despite having come to some kind of agreement, the air between them was still tense. The past week had been filled with a lot of throat clearing and stiff conversation. Somehow, he preferred the snippy and snide remarks from the woman. They were, at least, a lot less gawky than what their interactions were now. Thankfully, they were saved from the stilted small talk by food. As it turned out, they were both quite a fan of apple pie, and Mrs. Campbell made a mighty good one.

Eventually, Papa sought them out in the crowd and did a bit of a double take to see them amicably chatting. He ushered them inside to where you and the rest of your family were standing just as the dancing was about to begin.

“Pardon me, darlin’,” Denzel said, tapping you on the shoulder. He bowed down a little and put out his hand as Loki rolled his eyes. “May I have this dance?”

“Oh! I would love to, really, but I already promised Loki,” you said turning to him. “Shall we then?”

“We shall,” Loki replied, beaming.

Of course, the two of you had not planned on dancing together, but he was preening under the lie you’d told to your ex. The fact that you chose him completely unprompted made his heart grow wings and soar above the clouds. As for the dance, it was easy enough to follow the caller’s directions. This was the first time Loki had ever danced so causally, but his nimble feet, which were much more accustomed to waltzes and other Asgardian dances, were able to catch on rather quickly. It didn’t take him long to determine the square dance was his favorite one of the night.

After a couple more hours of dancing and avoiding Denzel, you and Loki snuck off, not before making a quick stop to thank your hosts, of course. The two of you went to your own family’s barn and climbed up to the loft, settling down in the plushy blankets and pillows you kept up there for chilly nights such as this. The conversation stayed light for a while, but it inevitably took a turn toward more serious topics.

“I was asking around today,” you said. “I’m so sorry, Loki, but no one had any clue who you were.”

“It is ok, do not concern yourself with this. If I did not know any better, I would say you were trying to get rid of me.”

“I’m really not, I swear,” you said, chewing your bottom lip, though Loki had been fully teasing. “No one is anymore, really.”

“Are you sure about that?” he inquired, thinking of Denzel.

“Why did someone say something to you?”

“No. It is like I said, do not worry.”

You hummed in acknowledgement as you snuggled further into his side, desperate to keep the cold away. He put his arms around you and squeezed you tighter, saying a little heating enchantment in his head.

“You know, I think James would’ve liked you,” you decided, eyelids beginning to droop.

“Perhaps. But...”

“Yes?”

“But there is still so much we do not know about me. What if have done something terrible?”

“While I’m sure you haven’t, let’s say you did do something you’re not proud of,” you indulged him. “The only thing stopping us from having a present we can enjoy and a future we can love, is a past we can’t forget.”

“Well, I do not remember, anyway. But what if it is really bad?”

“All I mean is, you have to be able to forgive. To let go.”

He could hear in your tone that you were thinking of your brother. As much as he did not want to admit it, Loki would have been upset had Thor died. He could only imagine the pain you felt when you’d heard the news. But he supposed you were able to forgive whoever it was whose irresponsibility had led to James’s death. It was yet another thing to admire about you, for sure.

“I suppose you are right.”

“Yeah, I am,” you agreed, finally letting your tired head drop and nuzzling into his shoulder.

He brought you down to a more comfortable position, laying down with your head on his chest, letting his heart beat wildly in your ear. Lying awake, he thought back to what he’d said earlier about wanting to stay forever. Lingering in the back of his mind was always the knowledge that he most likely would not be able to. If he were, though, would he still want to? A large part of himself still wanted to loathe the domestic simplicity of this life. In a way, being so far removed from everything, living high up in palace towers, was easier. Still, he could not find it in himself to dislike this quaint town with charming people. Plus, there was you.

The little sigh of contentment that you made as he hugged you closer let him completely make up his mind. This was where he wanted to stay, this is what he wanted, and he’d do everything he could to make sure he got to keep it.

“Sleep well, my darling,” he whispered, placing a small kiss to your forehead. “Sleep well.”

#loki x reader #loki x you #loki x y/n #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #loki #mcu loki #loki fluff #fluff #loki angst #angst #reader insert #gender netural reader #endgame timeline #loki multichapter #marvel #mcu #marvel reader insert #marvel fanfiction #loki fanfic #mcu reader insert #loki friggason #loki friggason x reader #loki laufeyson x reader #loki odinson x reader #marvel multichapter #mutual pining

[dragonoffantasyandreality]

Kamen Rider Thunderbirds Chapter 3 (Bit 5 End)

Prologue, Bit 1, Bit 2 Updated, Bit 3, Bit 4 

Finaaaly! I finished Chapter 3! :D

Big thank you for @janetm74 for the beta read, thank you @myladykayo for helping me through the story. Tagging @willow-salix, @katblu42, @gumnut-logic and @dreamycloud)

So let’s end this chapter, right? :)

-0-0-0-

“So you are saying that you’ve been attacked by some unknown monsters?” Jeff asked, his fingers gripping the paper. The bandaged up boys nodded.

“Yeah. And we believed it was a set up." Virgil pointed out.

"It seemed like deliberate sabotage by those… things, so we came in and fell into their trap." Scott theorized. He continued explaining: in fact, the way the fires started was suspicious, the flames appeared in random parts of the building, according to the recent investigations. And according to the testimonies of the rescuees who were trapped underground, the humanoid fire-monsters appeared out of nowhere and they are the ones who started the whole fires, and then… they were simply waiting. The field commander finished that the poor fellas acted as bait for the monsters to finish him and his brothers off.

"Long story short: they were after our heads apparently." Gordon concluded.

Their father had a look of extreme concern. To think those threats with impossible yet fantastic power to bring down a building were after his sons was very alarming and pose a threat to their lives and security. Here he thought that time where they had to save the world from a mind-controlling alien sphere was a close call!

"Thank heavens the Kamen Riders came and saved us!" Alan chirped, his ocean eyes sparkled like stars with memories.

"Yes. You guys are very lucky. And those rescuees as well." Agreed Jeff, "However, we don’t know if we could trust those bug-eyed warriors.”

“But dad! They saved us!” Argued the youngster, “They saved us from these creatures! I am pretty sure they are our allies! Friends even!”

"Alan! We don't even know who they are!" Pointed out Gordon.

The young blonde crossed his arms and gave the most dramatic pout. Jeff sighed, gently shaking his head with a slight sympathetic smile, “They may be on our side now, but we still don’t know what their intentions are. Especially when they got those… other-worldly powers. So take their alliance with caution.” he said sternly.

The brothers nodded in agreement, including Alan who simply cocked his head to the side. They did tell John about the whole thing, in which the middle brother had mixed feelings. Concerned, relieved and interested. But mostly worried.

After the debrief, the atmosphere was a lingering silent worry.

“Hey kiddo, don’t be upset.” Gordon smiled optimistically.

“You sure?” Huffed his youngest brother.

“Yeah. As much as I am suspicious about them, I am also curious.” his innocent smile turned into a cheeky smirk.

Alan’s grumpy face slowly transformed into that of an excited gremlin that the redhead knew and loved, “Alright! How about we go talk to Brains? See what he thinks of this rescue.”

Gordon grinned, “Right behind ya, Sprout!”

And soon enough, the terrible two vanished through the door of the lounge, their excited feet echoed through the halls.

“What do you think of the Kamen Riders, Scott?” asked Virgil, placing a gentle hand on his older brother’s shoulder. 

Scott shrugged, “I don’t know.” He was mostly worried about those monsters. Those… things. What are they after? Why do they want International Rescue dead? Of course it was only one time, but what if they do it again? He was beginning to feel dread. Being possessed by an alien was bad enough, but almost getting burned alive by monstrous animal-headed gladiators with powers to control fire was out of the question!

“You know, I do have a hunch that our bug-eyed acquaintances are on our side.” admitted Virgil, “But, I also have a feeling that we’ll meet them again, considering the circumstances.”

Scott looked back at his brother. Sky blue meets earthly brown. There was a silent conversation. An understanding. And then a nod from the eldest brother. They sat there in compassionate silence.

The quiet must’ve been killing his brother, because all of the sudden the mechanic asked, “Say, would you like to play the piano again?”

“Why’s that?” Scott raised a brow.

“My fingers are sore from fixing the Mole in a rush back there.” Virgil smiled with a little embarrassment, as he revealed his bandaged hands.

Scott gently tapped his brother’s shoulder with a chuckle. He got up from the couch and walked over to Virgil’s beloved white piano. He sat on the stool once more, opened the lid and stretched his fingers, “What should I play?” 

“Anything, I don’t mind.” His musical brother shrugged, standing beside him.

As Scott thought which song to play, his mind drifted back to the moment when he looked into the eyes of the golden Rider. It seemed to him that there was something warm behind those bug-eyes… something human. Scott wondered if there's a sensitive soul behind that mask.

Maybe it was just in his mind, maybe it was not true, but it made him relax. Pressing the keys, he began playing a familiar, jazzy beat as he remembered that moment. After a few repeats of the rhyme, he went to the main part of the song.

“Ah, my favorite! Take Five!" Jeff exclaimed, "Just like you guys.” he chuckled.

Scott smiled at his father as a response. There were some remnants of his stress, but it didn't bother him as much as he was in the morning. Jeff gave him a relieved nod before continuing doing paperwork, quietly humming and tapping his foot to the beat. Virgil smiled widely at his brother before humming as well and snapping his fingers along with the melody of the immortal piece of Paul Desmond.

Scott jumped into improvising like he was here to woo the girls at a party. As he was playing, he thought back of their victory. And his tension melted away. Outside the villa, the soothing music echoed through the beautiful nature of the island and into the night sky.

-0-0-0-

The moon shone in the night sky and the cold was a constant companion. The sounds of distant cars driving through the streets could be heard from the top of the skyscrapers. On one of them stood four figures, taking their time enjoying the view from above.

The Kamen Riders were resting after the heated fight. Gills was leaning on a wall next to the entrance, between his legs lay his loyal dog. G3-X was finishing writing a report of the fight on his custom laptop. Kuuga was laying on top of the entrance, admiring the stars. And Agito was standing near the railing, staring into the lights of the city.

"Oi, Agito!" called Kuuga all of a sudden. The golden Rider turned to his best friend.

"Nando(What is it)?" asked Agito.

"Why wouldn’t you come up here and watch the stars?” suggested the red Rider, "It's beautiful up there."

"How can you see stars from here?" objected G3-X, "Ya can't see Shiitake with all those slagging city lights!"

"They can see them through their visors," scoffed Gills, making the robocop Rider whistle a sound of realization before turning back to his computer. 

Raider looked up and tilted his head as if trying to see them, but after a few moments he gave up as he put his canine head back to the ground.

Agito had taken a moment to stare at the city, then moved towards the entrance, climbed and sat next to Kuuga.

"Not too cold buddy?” the red Rider asked, only to receive a shake of the head from his golden companion. The two took a moment to appreciate the stars in the cold night sky. Few stars faintly glowed in the dark sky.

"Man, can't believe we just met with International Rescue in person!" excitedly said Kuuga, "I gotta say, they are quite tough guys, ne? Especially Noodle, he looks quite young!"

"Noodle?" asked the golden rider in confusion.

"The blond kid! The one I saved from falling into a ravine and returned the gun to?" Kuuga sensed Agito raising an eyebrow that cannot be seen from the cover of his mask. "We should give them nicknames. To… you know, to know who's who we're talking about?" He explained, shrugging.

A sparkle of mirth could be faintly seen behind the faceted eyes of his friend, a warm smile could be felt radiating from his breath. "Sure...But why the blond kid 'Noodle'?"

"Because his blonde hair reminded me of noodles. And to be honest, 'Noodle' sounds kawaii~! Don’t you think he looks kawaii, ne?” A big grin was radiating from behind the mask of the red Rider. Agito laughed wholeheartedly. Kuuga continued, "The auburn hair guy; I think we'll call him 'Kuma'! He looks so serious, strong and tough, like a bear! Remind me of someone…"

The golden Rider laughed again as he nodded. "So um… shall we call the leader 'Sky Eyes'?"

Kuuga rubbed his silver chin for a bit, "Hmm…the one who pilots that big-hyper-speedy-rocket-jet thingy? Why's that?" he asked.

"Because… his eyes reminded me of the sky...” The red Rider saw the sparkling human eyes behind Agito’s red bug-like lens. Kuuga nodded, agreeing that the name was well suited for the blue sashed commander.

"What about the redhead guy? What should we call him?" asked G3-X as he looked up at the two Riders, seemingly curious.

"Clownfish..." Gills dropped the answer. There was an awkward pause. "He smelled fishy..." He deadpanned. Everyone laughed, acknowledging his typical 'I don't care, deal with it' attitude as they accepted his answer.

"Noodle, Kuma, Sky Eyes and Clownfish. Sounds good for our mystery gang of rescuers!" Kuuga clapped and rubbed his hands excitingly

Agito chuckled softly before looking back at the stars once more. The more he stared at the little faint glistening lights, the more the made him think of sky… sky eyes… the man whose eyes were always drawn to the sky.

He felt a warm feeling as he remembered those cobalt irises. He wondered why he felt like that. He barely knows that man, let alone the fact that International Rescue seemed to keep themselves secret. Maybe he'll never know. But one thing for sure, they'll cross paths again. Because of those things...

Those kaijins… they were new. He had never seen them before. And they are as aggressive and dangerous as disasters. Agito… Yuuki sensed that whatever they were, they seemed to be after International Rescue. But for what? And why?

The answer will remain unknown, for now...

-tbc-

#Kamen Rider Thunderbirds series #kamen rider #thunderbirds #kamen rider fanfiction #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds 1965 #kamen rider agito #kamen rider kuuga #my fanfics #yay! I finished chapter 3! :D

[maybankiara]

PHONE SWAP (DREW STARKEY)

01: NICE TO MEET YOU

summary: Addie Mallory is just your average economics student when she meets Drew Starkey at her local Target in Atlanta. This is where the story is supposed to end – a short meeting and a picture to go – except Drew accidentally leaves with the wrong phone, and the story begins, instead.

w/c: 2k

a/n: it’s finally here! the first chapter! this one is written as real life and introduces us to our three main characters. let me know what you think! also, this is in no way affiliated with either drew or creators of obx. if you want to be on the taglist, either shoot me a message/ask, or fill out the tag list form!

series masterlist | tag list

read on wattpad

Addie thinks she must be wrong. Of all places, he can’t be here.

  It all begins with Addie’s roommate waking up to no bread, no milk, no cereal, and an abundance of an alcohol-induced mess. It was the brunette’s rare night off to party, so Marianne woke up to quite literally nothing. Now, it’s almost noon, and Addie’s got a nasty headache right behind her eyebrows, an odd taste in her mouth, and a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

  ‘Food,’ demands Marianne. ‘I’m starving.’

  Addie pokes her head out of the bathroom, holding up two fingers. Marianne just rolls her eyes and drapes herself over the couch with a groan that Addie drowns out with her toothbrush. 

  She splashes some cold water onto her face, rubbing some moisturiser into it afterwards. Doesn’t do much – her eyes are still bloodshot, under-eye circles dark, skin dry and lips chapped even with lip balm on it. Addie just sighs. This’ll require sunglasses which, in turn, will require contact lenses. 

  ‘Two more minutes!’

  Another groan from Marianne. ‘Merde, Addie!’

  First contact in. She blinks it into place, ignoring its dryness. ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’ Second in. ‘And I’ll bring you some chocolate.’

  ‘Aw. You will?’

  ‘Yes. For emotional disturbances.’

  Marianne beams at her from the couch. Noon sun shines on her through the window as she basks in the light, looking all fresh and ready to take on the day. 

  Addie envies her. Not like she’d ever admit it, though. 

  ‘You’re a godsend,’ Marianne tells her. ‘When you’re not the devil’s menace, obviously. Today shall be your lucky day.’

  ‘Shall it?’ Addie quirks an eyebrow at her, grabbing a purse from the drawer in the hallway with a smile dancing in the corner of her lips. 

  The blonde-haired girl hmms, her eyes closed and arms raised up in the air. In the tiniest voice, she says: ‘I am throwing my blessings at you now.’ She outstretches her hands in what looks to Addie like a kung-fu move, fully accompanied by a half-breathed half-voiced ‘HA!’

  ‘You done?’

  Marianne grins. ‘Yes. Now please go get me some food.’

  ‘Tea for when I’m back?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am. The finest the British Isles have to offer.’

  ‘You’re not even British.’

  ‘Half,’ says Marianne. ‘Half is enough.’

  ‘Yeah, but the other half is French.’

  Marianne just rolls her eyes, and Addie revels in the fact that there'll be a hot cup of tea waiting for her when she comes back with the groceries. Equipped with her iPhone and earphones, a foldable IKEA bag, some money, and sunglasses big enough to cover her hungover mess of a face, Addie leaves the small apartment. 

  Summer in Atlanta is something Addie hasn’t experienced before. People get a lot more vibrant, there’s more joggers than usual, and people with dogs and kids venture out of their homes more often. There’s also the filming aspect, increased during summer, which generally means that there’ll be at least one street blocked for public per day – an inconvenience that made her be late for class more than once. 

  To Addie, it’s starting to feel like home. Warm and filled with a light breeze, the place lively and bright. 

  Or, possibly, it’s just that she starts to listen to music that makes her feel that way. 

  The local Tesco of Rockdale county is on the main road, and it takes Addie five songs to get there. It’s busy as always, and Addie gets herself a plastic basket at the entrance, pulling up the grocery list on the notes app. It’s mostly food – they ran out of almost everything the day before, and drunk Addie finished whatever little was left, so this is going to be half a week's worth of shopping. 

  Addie rummages through the isles with ease, almost on autopilot. Memories from last night resurface, blurry and hazed, and she rubs her temples with the heels of her hands. 

  last night was something else, she thinks. The music in her ears is loud and she glances up as she’s about to turn the corner, basket full of veggies so far, and she makes eye contact with a person that looks vaguely familiar. 

  She looks away. 

  Then she looks back at them, an almost unnoticeable frown on her face. He’s tall, with dark blonde hair underneath a baseball cap, and it’s not until he leans forward to grab something off the canned goods section that she realises who it is. 

  holy fucking moly it’s drew fucking starkey

  Addie freezes in place as her brain computes the visual in front of her and attaches it to the memory of his face, on her projector screen, in her and Marianne’s living room. 

  It doesn’t seem right to see him here, shopping at Tesco, looking so different from the person she’s used to seeing that she almost didn’t recognise him. However, it’s still him, so Addie gathers all her courage and walks into the isle across from hers, until she’s right next to him.   

  ‘Hi,’ she says. ‘Sorry, I don’t mean to bother you, but – you’re Drew Starkey, right?’

  Her voice is hushed, and it’s on purpose – she’s fairly certain neither of them would like a bunch of people to come over here. Addie doesn’t know how big the fanbase is, but if she managed to recognise him (almost) off the bat, it’s highly likely there'd be at least a few more people knowing him. It might be just a few months since the show’s release, but it’s gathered quite a bit of attention. 

  The moment seems to unfreeze, and the guy in front of her nods, almost reluctantly. ‘Yeah, that’s me.’

  ‘Oh, cool. I really liked what you did with Rafe. I don’t know anything about acting and all that, but you gave me chills in the scenes where Rafe is losing his mind, and I can’t even hate him because of how sorry I feel for him.’

  Drew watches her with a bland, cautious expression on his face for a second, until he breaks out into one of the biggest smiles she's ever seen. It’s a nice smile – he looks like the boy next door, or the one guy who would be popular in high school (probably a quarterback), or someone she could just trust. 

  Damn.

  ‘Thanks,’ he says, finally. His shoulders don’t seem as tense anymore despite still being about a good half-foot taller than Addie, the difference doesn’t seem as drastic anymore. ‘I’m glad you liked it. You are supposed to hate him, though.’

  Addie scoffs, shaking her head, even though there’s still a smile on her lips. ‘Come on. His freaking dad hates him, his friends are all sixteen or whatever. No wonder he’s so messed up.’

  ‘But he is messed up.’

  ‘Oh yeah, he should rot in jail, totally.’ Addie makes a vague waving motion with her hand. ‘That’s my point, anyway. I hate him but I feel bad for him and I don't think I would’ve if you weren’t so good at what you do.’

  Drew’s smile just grows and he laughs, a little. It’s a fleeting moment, but Addie likes it. Quite a bit, actually. Shame he doesn’t get to do that often as Rafe. 

  ‘Thank you so much, honestly. I thought people would hate me because of Rafe.’

  ‘Are you kidding? Are people actually like that?’

  He makes a vague gesture with his hand (a lot like the one she did earlier) and sighs. ‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.’

  ‘Damn.’ Addie shakes her head. ‘Well, um, I should probably get going. It was nice meeting you.’

  ‘We didn’t actually meet,’ he says, with a face that is waiting for her to clock it, except she doesn’t. ‘You haven’t told me your name.’

  ‘Oh! Oh my god, yeah, sorry – It’s Addison. Addie, for short.’

  Drew extends his hand; it’s warm when she takes it, and his grip is as firm as hers. ‘Nice to meet you, Addie.’

  ‘You too, Drew.’

  It’s the moment that their hands fall to each their own side that Addie notices the beginning of awkwardness in the situation. She smiles at him and tells him goodbye, ready to let him go, until she starts thinking about how Marianne is going to flip her shit and won’t even believe her and then—

  ‘Drew! Hi. Sorry again.’ 

  Addie’s got a hand on his shoulder and taps it twice, just enough for him to turn around with the same kind smile. She’s got half a second to wonder if it’s because he knows she’s not some wild fan, or because he’s just like that. 

  ‘It’s okay, don’t worry.’

  She gives him the best apologetic face she can muster. ‘Can we take a photo? My roommate isn’t going to believe me otherwise.’

  Drew laughs, and something falls off of Addie’s chest. He agrees to it, she takes the selfie—cursing the way she’s going to look on it considering she had to put her sunglasses on top of her hair when she entered the store—and his arm’s curved around her shoulder, pulling her close.

  ‘Thank you!’

  ‘It’s really no problem.’ They look at the photo—it’s as good as they get—and Drew lets out a breathy laugh. ‘Shit, we got the same phone.’

  ‘Seriously?’

  ‘Yeah, look.’

  He fishes his phone out of his jacket and, true to his word, they look exactly alike. It’s just a plain black iPhone, but neither of them has a case or anything attached to it, and the two of them laugh. Drew even takes them both and compares them to one another, showing that the only actual difference are the lock screens. Marianne and Addie for hers, and Chase making a grimace for Drew. Someone walks behind them, eyeing them uncomfortably, and Addie sees Drew tug his hat lower. 

  She really hopes she didn’t disturb him by all this. If he’s to be believed then she didn’t, but she can never know. 

  ‘Okay,’ she says, ‘I’ll actually get going now.’

  Drew nods. He recovers in a flash and there’s not a trace of discomfort on his face. ‘Nice meeting you again.’

  Addie just laughs, takes the phone he’s handing her, tells him bye, and walks away. 

  Without turning back, this time. 

  The rest of her shopping goes smoothly. She wants to message Marianne, but she’s also kind of freaking out, or her hangover is acting up, because she’s feeling nauseous and excited and her heart is definitely about to destroy her ribcage. What she does is just keep going on with her shopping as usual, and focus on the things she actually needs. 

  But when she reaches into her pocket to look at the shopping list, it’s Chase’s face that stares back at her, and her heart doesn’t leap out of her chest – it sinks all the way into the hangover-shaped hole in her stomach, and a wave of anxiety rushes through her. 

  Addie looks for Drew all around the store for a solid ten minutes, but she can’t find him. She asks the workers, all of them, and she’s almost ready to give up, when one of them tells her they’ve seen him walk out of the store, shopping bags in tow. 

  She leaves her things in the store, sets the basket aside, and runs through the checkout and onto the parking lot. She calls his name, over and over again, but he’s not here anymore. 

  He left. With her phone. 

  So Addie does the only thing that will soothe her anxiety to a moderate level – go back inside, take her basket, and continue what she came here for. She’ll only be able to deal with the phone situation when either Drew comes back for it (possibly?), or when she texts the number from Marianne’s phone. 

  Drew doesn’t come back, so Addie comes home with an insane story, a phone to find, and no chocolate for Marianne.

   ◇

02: MESSAGE ME ON INSTAGRAM

tagging. @jjmaybanksbaby @taiter-tots @sacredto @snkkat @drewswannabegirl @yeslifeofateen @rudypnkw​

#drew starkey #drew starkey fanfiction #drew starkey fic #outer banks #obx #rafe cameron #drew starkey imagine #my fic #phone swap series #obx fic #outer banks fanfiction

[hitsuackerman]

Unpredictable (Overhaul x Reader) pt.24

a/n: last of the fluff before we head back to the main arc :*

warnings: this cannot be read solo

Links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 18, part 19, part 20, part 21, part 22, part 22, part 23, part 23.5, part 25

Masterlist to my other fics: here :)

Overhaul’s waiting list: @jjk-biased @infinite-universe-love @dirtypride @blackymomo03 @azzie @purple-rabanito​ @meximorrita @awesomeee19​​ @celestial-kanzakii​ @laure-lo​ @team-wang-puppy​ @aydience-world​ @choros-main-hoe​ @colorseeingchick​ @o-dragon05 @but-kairis-not-that-smart (i cant seem to tag again :( hope this lands in your timelines!)

“I’ll be back in about 30 minutes.” Chisaki said as he stood up from your bed. Pressing his palm against your forehead, he felt your fever had only worsened. The vomiting had stopped, which he was more than thankful for, but it was now replaced with fever and chills. Though Gei had stated this was normal and that you should be fine within a day or two, he was still advised to stay till the end of the week.

“You don’t have to, Chisaki.”

“It’s fine.” He waved off. “I have something to do as well.”

Which was true. Hearing that you were craving for onigiri that only that store sold, he took that opportunity instead of having to sneak out. With Kurono now on his way, the quicker they settle things the better. Grabbing his surgical mask, he put it on before stepping into the hallways.

Being extra cautious, he exited your building as if it were something he did often. The security guard merely tilted his hat as a bow before opening the doors. Checking the surroundings, he took out his phone and made his way toward the shop.

It only took about 10 minutes to reach Onigiri Atsamu. When he entered the small establishment, he was greeted by the cook and saw the white hoodie of his right hand man. Before taking a seat he ordered what you had been craving for and took a seat.

“The bullets are ready for testing.” Kurono said with his voice low. Reaching into his pocket, he placed a prototype between them. “Mimic also reported that the heroes are wondering why activity has been low lately. Overheard them saying they might send in more heroes to keep watch.”

“Good. Things should be back to the way they were next week.”

“How is she, by the way?” Kurono took a calculated risk. Strike up a conversation to make things look normal. Though, he was genuinely curious for the turn of events. Especially for that minute second where Kai’s eyes widened. “A pain in the ass?”

“On the contrary, things have been moving quite well.” He shrugged and stared at the man making his order. His black cap hung low enough to cover his face. “Recovery is fast and her friend would be more than pleased at the results.”

“Hmm…” Kurono nodded and quickly eyed his boss. “Aight. Well, that’s it for me. I shall take my leave.”

“Sit.” Overhaul spoke up.

Not expecting that sudden outburst, he sat back down and stared at the man across him. Was there a request he forgot to fulfill? Or was he not truly satisfied with the report he had just given? Every single fault he could have missed ran through his mind till a steaming plate of onigiri was served on their table.

“Order up ya two. Hope ya like it. Added a bit more ingredients since I’m already closin’ up shop.” The cook said as he fixed his hat. His droopy eyes complimented his dark hair.

“Eat up.”

“Eh?” Kurono’s eyes went from the rice ball to Chisaki and back to the rice ball. “I’d rather not. You have more than earned my respect but I do not like to be tested.”

“What are you on about?” Chisaki commented. His face morphing into disgust. “You like onigiris, right? Or have your taste buds changed these past few years?”

“You’ve gotten soft.” He had to comment before grabbing one and savoring the goodness. “Shit these are good.”

“Take your time. I’ll be taking my leave now.” Grabbing the to go bag, he adjusted his mask and left a rather confused but contented arrow-haired man. Recalling that rather shocking moment from last night, he cringed at the memory and exited the shop.

True to his word, he came back within his stated time frame. Expecting to find you still in bed, it was a confusing surprise to find the kitchen filled with sounds of chopping and the speaker softly playing music. Taking a look at the entryway, he saw your back busy with whatever it was you were doing. Putting the bag down on the dining table, he proceeded into the kitchen.

“You’re back~” You finished rolling the last of the sushi. “And right on time too.”

“You’re supposed to be resting.” He leaned on the counter and took his mask off. Tossing it to the counter, he looked at you once more. “What’s with the sushi? We already had dinner.”

“I, uhh, I made these for you.” You lowered your head in an attempt to cover your reddening cheeks. “As a thank you, for taking care of me. I know you were forced to do it but… I appreciate it. I could’ve done it myself and do just as fine b-”

“You’re rambling, problem child.” Tucking in your hair, his touch was as soft as the word could get. Seeing how you jumped a bit at the sudden contact made his chest tingle. It was weird, the sensation, yet your reactions were always worth it. “Don’t bother hiding your flustered face.”

“You can’t just command people to show courage.” You huffed and took a piece of sushi. It was rolled just right and the stuffing placed perfectly. Offering it to him, your heart picked up pace when he leaned down and ate it from your hand.

“One of the best. Not bad, problem child.” He smirked before heading out to take out the onigiris.

Blinking yourself back to life, you cupped your heated cheeks and shut your eyes. You didn’t take any medicine but these past few days, yet you’ve been bolder when it came to your advances.

Recalling the conversation you had with Gei (Of course you called Gei when he left to get those onigiris), your best friend had ushered you to make the most out of your time. If it meant making the move, then you should make your move because it’s the modern times. Nothing but his usual speech when it comes to luring men.

Except this person wasn’t just any man. He was Overhaul.

Then again, the way he casually takes his mask off or comes out of the guest room wearing a shirt and sweats will forever be sketched in your mind.

Arranging the sushi on a plate, you walked to the dining table and caught sight of the onigiris. Putting the plate down and sitting across him, you said thanks and immediately grabbed one. The taste of Atsamu’s Onigiri was always the best. The consistency of the rice was perfect, the filling just right, and the nori thick enough to sustain the weight of savory goodness.

“By the way, I’m feeling much better now. I guess it’s fine if you take your leave tomorrow. I’ll handle Gei. Don’t worry.” You spoke up after the last grain of rice had been devoured.

“Alright.” Chisaki replied as he observed your fingers fiddling with each other.

For a moment, the air between you two grew rigid. Not a single eye contact made. When you told him that you would take care of the dishes, he found himself walking to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

As he was brushing, he couldn’t help but think. It had only been a few days but he had adjusted rather well to your company. Sure, he still managed the Shie Hassaikai but it was with your knowledge and you respected it.

Finished with everything, he headed back to your room and stopped when he saw your figure waiting by the sofa. The faint tint of red on your cheeks made him question your motives. But mostly due to the hideous pink hairband you held in your hands. Taking slow and careful steps forward, he furrowed his brows and crossed his arms.

“What in quirks name are you planning to d--” He was cut off when you hopped a bit and slid the hairband onto him so easily. His breath did a mini hitch when you pulled him down to your height and adjusted the band to pull back his hair.

“Keep your mouth shut, Chisaki.” You were beaming.

“And why should I?”

“Because I’m about to give you the best ‘thank you’ gift you’ll ever receive~” Before he could protest, you took a hold of his hand and dragged him to your bedroom. Pulling him in front of you, though he almost lost balance, you held on to his shoulders and pushed him till he found himself sitting on the floor by your bed.

Not sure what was bound to happen, he observed as you jogged towards your bathroom and came out holding a rather large sachet of something.

Sitting with a bit of distance, you opened the sachet and asked for him to turn around.

“What exactly are you planning, (y/n)?” He let out a sigh but followed instructions. With his back facing you, he did a small jump when he felt his body being pulled down. Realizing that his head was now resting on your lap, he couldn’t help but smirk at the circumstances. “Well, aren’t you unpredictable?”

“What can I say? Gotta keep you on your toes right?” Putting the mask on, you had to admire how long his eyelashes were. Not even Gei was blessed with that kind of length. With his eyes closed, you smiled to yourself. He looked so peaceful and much younger like this. “Give me your hand.”

“Not scared of me overhauling you?” He peaked and lifted his hand. Savoring the heat of your palms as you began to massage. He could get used to this, he kept to himself.

“Why should I be? You’ve fed me, saw my vomit, damaged and fixed my unit, and a whole lot of other shit. I trust you enough.” You replied effortlessly as your fingers kneaded his palms. “Besides, you saved my life. It’s the least I can do.”

Silence hugged the both of you for a few good minutes. By the time you finished massaging his other hand, you asked him to sit down and turn to face you.

“You can overhaul the face mask if you want, I’m gonna be throwing it anyway.” You told him and he did. This would have to be the third or fourth time you’ve seen his quirk in action but it still mesmerized you. “May I?”

“What will you do now?” He squinted his eyes but his actions showed something different. It had not occurred to him that he had scooted closer. When your hands cupped his cheeks and began to gently rub the remaining oils into his skin, he let out a long sigh.

“Stressed?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Once again, the foreign sensation hit his chest. The way you were massaging his face, the soft and careful movements you made, clouded his judgement. Seeing how your eyes widened when he held onto your hands was electrifying. Taking a deep breath in, he saw how your eyes landed on his lips… Not knowing that he mirrored your action as well. “Why?”

“Why, what?”

“You know nothing good will ever come between…” The want to say the word ‘us’ had never been stronger, “This.”

“You’re right.” You looked away. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge from time to time, right?”

Knowing this would lead nowhere, you slid your hands away from his and stood up. If there was one thing you needed, it was space and a good splash of cold water to your face. He was right. Nothing good would come whatever the hell was going on between you two.

“Heh.” You chuckled to yourself as you wiped your face. Rubbing your face as you stepped out of the bathroom, you opened your eyes to Overhaul sitting cozily on your bed. Fingers typing away in his laptop. The pink hairband still showing his pretty face. Glancing at the bedside table, he had also prepared your remaining medicine.

“I have made my decision.” He closed the laptop and put it away.

“Which is?” You adjusted your position and faced him. He was still seated but not too long before he too lay down.

“I’ll take my leave tomorrow.”

“Alright.” You gave him an earnest smile before turning around.

“Do you want me to stay?”

“It all depends on you.”

“Just say it.” He moved closer to your body. The mattress dipping behind you.

Facing him once more, you were met with blazing gold eyes that seemed to shimmer in the dimness of your room. Closing your eyes, you welcomed the brushing of his finger against your cheek. When you opened your eyes, blood came rushing to your cheeks at the closeness of his face.

“I want you to stay. But, my intuition tells me I have visitors tomorrow.”

“I can always come back when they leave.”

“I can’t risk them cornering you.” Taking his hand, you intertwined your fingers with his. Surprisingly enough he didn’t protest. “I think video calls will do the job.”

Pulling you closer, the small yelp that filled the room was music to his ears. Having your chests pressed against each other, he was sure you could feel the rapid beating of his heart. The fact alone that his heart was reacting this way only solidified his need. But you were right. The plans have been postponed, any more delays and things could go to waste.

“Okay. I’ll video call you.” Smirking at your widened eyes and red cheeks, he pulled your head to rest on the crook of his neck. “Good night, (y/n).”

 - - - - -

-we have reached the final fluff chapter so be we will now be going to the Shie Hassaikai Arc :') -this story is now reaching 50% completion! -i hope you guys liked the drawing <3 lmao -thank you all so much <3 me and my fam are doing much better! we're scheduled for a swab test later in the day and our results will arrive 3 days from now! :')

#overhaul x reader #chisaki kai x reader #chisaki kai #overhaul #bnha overhaul #mha overhaul #bnha chisaki kai #mha chisaki kai #shie hassaikai

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24Leaders #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental justice #environment protection #environmental health #Youtube

[pro-fangirls-unsocial-life]

The Duty of a Captain - Part Two

A/N: Hello Everyone! So this is the first fic that I have written like this. Posting chapters once I’m finished with them. I usually try and write the whole thing and then post each chapter on a schedule, but I was just so excited to tell Doc’s story that I thought I’d try this! If you want to be tagged whenever I post a new chapter of Doc’s story, please message me and let me know! Oh! Ad the italics are Docs thoughts (sorry if thats not clear, Im still a learner lol).

Length: ~2600 words (damn I did not mean to make it that long. I thought maybe 1000 lol)

Warnings: mentions of death, blood, abuse, pong krell, angst

Previous

It had taken more time than usual to get all of the field equipment back to the Jedi cruiser Tolerance. With so many men being lost, there were not as many hands to get the usual post battle procedures done and General Krell was not happy with the delay.

 Doc had been called back to the cruiser before the rest of his men down on the surface to deliver the mission report to the Jedi council alongside the Besalisk Jedi. He had finished the troop requisitions and mission report hours ago and had begun helping the others load up equipment when he got the transmission.

 Now, as he held onto the handle of the gunship that had been sent to pick him up, he held his breath. He had never spoken to the Jedi council before, but he had heard stories. He remembered hearing his captain talking about how intimidating it was. How even from across the galaxy, they could feel the slightest thing. How the combined power of all of those Jedi masters was a force to be reckoned with. At least, that is what the general had told his former captain.

He was afraid to face that much power. If the other Jedi were anything like his general, he wanted the meeting with them to go by as fast as possible.

 He imagined what they might be like. He envisioned powerful warriors, all huge and intimidating like his general. With merciless eyes and a scowl that sent fear through the bodies of anyone who dared to look upon it. He imagined their lightsabers never being too far away from their hands, ready to be ignited and run through something or someone at a moment’s notice.

 Doc was pulled from his thoughts when the voice of the pilot came through his comms and he felt the ship being maneuvered into the main hanger. “We’re here sir.” The doors opened as the ship was set down, revealing Krell waiting in the hanger with his arms crossed behind his back.

 “Thanks for the lift Short-stuff,” Doc said as he stepped out onto the metal floor of the hanger.

 “Anytime sir.” The doors to the ship closed behind Doc as he began walking away, his hands reaching up to take off his helmet. “Oh, and sir?”

 Doc briefly stopped and looked up toward the cockpit, his hands halting on the sides of his head as the man stared back at him.

 “Good luck.”

 Doc finished pulling off his helmet, a small smile gracing his features as he gave the pilot a quick nod.

 “CT-5770, start moving! I have a mission report to give and will not be blamed for you making me late.”

 Doc spun around, quickly making his way to follow the general out of the hanger. “Yes, sir. My apologies, sir.”

 Krell dismissively waved his hand, not bothering to look behind him at Doc as he spoke. “Am I correct in assuming that you are ill equipped for this situation?”

 Doc furrowed his brow, thinking through what he had already done. He had already turned in the mission report, and the casualty and damage reports. What more could he do to be prepared? “Excuse me, sir,” he asked, confusion lightly lacing his voice.

 “Feeble minded clones,” Krell muttered under his breath. He stopped and spun around, looming over the captain. “You have never given a mission report to any Jedi before? Correct?”

 Doc swallowed and stood straighter, coming to attention. “Yes, sir. That is correct, but all troops are trained on Kamino to be knowledgeable about—”

 “Enough. I do not care about the laboratory that bred you or what you claim to know. Since you have never done it, let me give you some rules that I expect you to follow exactly. Is that understood?”

 “Of course, sir.”

 “Good.” Krell turned back around and kept walking toward the bridge. “You are to stand behind me at all times unless told otherwise. Understood?”

 “Yes, sir.”

 “You will remain silent and will only speak when spoken to directly by myself or the council.”

 “Yes, sir.”

 “When you are asked a question, you stick to the description of the battle that I give. The council does not have time to listen to your view of the smaller picture. Is that clear?”

 Doc hesitated for a moment. “Why would the battle descriptions be different?”

 The door to the bridge whooshed open and Krell walked up to the command table. “Do I make myself clear CT-5770,” Krell snapped over his shoulder.

 “Yes, sir,” Doc said, the hesitation still apparent in his voice.

 Krell threw a cold look over his shoulder as he stepped back, waiting for the transmission to begin. “Good.”

 Doc felt a shiver run down his back as he came to attention behind Krell. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, afraid that the Jedi council would be able to sense his fear of them. Or worse, that Krell would be able to sense his unease about his presence alone.

 “Incoming transmission from Coruscant, sir.”

 “Put it through.”

 Nine blue figures suddenly appeared on the table and Doc’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise before he catches himself and returns to a neutral face.

 They don’t look anything like Doc had imagined them. All of them are wearing soft looking robes with their hands resting gently in front of them. Their lightsabers are tucked away, either out on a hip, or hidden within the fabrics they wear, far away from the hands that might wield them.

 They do not dress like warriors, not wearing any armor. Those that do only wear basic arm and leg guards.

 None of them look particularly threatening, especially considering that one is not even as tall as Doc’s knee.

 They all share the peaceful demeanor and kind eyes that one would find in the company of an old friend.

 “This can’t be right,” he thinks to himself. “This has to be some kind of trick to get me to slip up. Jedi aren’t kind.”

 Krell does a small bow. “Shall we wait for the other three members of the council to arrive, Master Yoda?”

 Doc once again has to keep himself from making a face when the small creature directly across from Krell speaks.

 “Masters Shaak Ti, Kenobi, and Billaba, busy they are with other matters. Hear your report without them, we will.”

 “That’s Grand Master Yoda? The head of the Jedi Council? The Jedi who leveled nearly one thousand battle droids by himself?”

 “Very well,” Krell said. “The mission was a success. The planet Castell is now under Republic control and a treaty has been drafted for the mining resources that the planet possesses. They have also agreed to a Republic base being built there should we desire it.”

 The Jedi to the left of Master Yoda shifts. “Yes, however this battle did take longer than expected. This has set our timeline for the entire system back.”

 “I am aware, Master Windu.”

 “And, many casualties your battalion has suffered,” Yoda said gravely.

 “Yes,” Krell considered. “There were some… unforeseen circumstances that could not be avoided.”

 “Liar.”

 “Hmm. A new captain you have gained I see,” Yoda said as he gestured to Doc.

 Doc stiffened, the fear he had before returning to him.

 “Yes,” Krell said. “The previous captain was killed on this campaign.”

 “Hmm.” Yoda brought his hand up to his chin as he looked over Doc. “Step forward Captain.”

 Doc swallowed and stepped forward, his body never leaving attention as he stared directly in front of him.

 All the eyes of the council were on him. He could feel them looking over him, taking in everything that they could see of his fear filled body.

 “What is your name trooper?”

 “My designation is CT-5770, sir,” he replied stiffly, not turning his eyes away from directly in front of him to look at the Jedi who had addressed him.

 “Your name son,” came a different voice. It was soft and gentle, like the person it came from actually cared.

 Doc faltered slightly, turning toward the voice to face the Kel-Dor Jedi. “It’s- It’s uhh, Doc, sir,” he said cautiously before turning back to attention.

 “Please, at ease be Captain.”

 Doc looked back at Krell and was met with a neutral face, giving him no indication to stay at attention. Looking back at Yoda, he awkwardly shuffled into a stiff parade rest.

 “Captain Doc,”

 Doc’s eyebrows shot up at the sound of his name being said by someone other than his brothers before he quickly forced them back down, hoping that none of the Jedi noticed. All of them did.

 “Agree with Master Krell’s description of the battle, do you?”

 “No.”

 “Yes, sir,” he said without hesitation, his fear of disobeying Krell’s rules pulsing in the back of his mind.

 The council hesitated for a moment, all of the members on it exchanging quick glances before looking back at Doc.

 “I sense much fear in you Captain,” the Kel-Dor Jedi said lightly.

 Doc sucked in a breath, trying to quiet his mind.

 The Kel-Dor leans forward, pointing at Doc. “You mustn’t be afraid to tell us information that we may not be pleased to hear.”

 “Yes,” Yoda says. “Tell us the truth you must, so that better prepared we can be for future battles.”

 Doc swallows, looking between the three Jedi who look at him with questioning faces.

 “I do not fear telling you the truth Master Jedi,” he lies as he looks at each member of the council.

 “So then Captain, tell us,” Windu says. “Do you agree with Master Krell’s description of the battle?”

 Doc hesitates for a moment, looking back at Krell and seeing hard eyes staring back at him. He takes a deep breath, turning his attention back toward Master Windu.

 “Well… I…” He quickly looks down, before bringing his head back up high.

 The members of the council lean forward, urging him to finish his thought.

 “I do think that there were ways we could have avoided so many casualties had we tried… different strategies.”

 The Jedi all look at each other, nodding. “Then discuss that with your general, you will,” Yoda says.

 He looks at Krell, whose expression Doc cannot see. “A discussion with your new captain, you will have. Then reassess the information you give in reports, you will. A discussion with you, I will have at a later date. Talk about what you and your captain agreed on, we will.”

 Krell’s voice cuts through the tight tension that has taken over the bridge as the deck officers take turns staring at the meeting. “Yes, master.”

 “Very good.” Master Windu looks around at all of the Jedi, who give him a soft nod. “Your next assignment will be transmitted to you within a few days. In that time, you are to travel to Kamino to pick up your new troopers.”

 “Understood.”

 Windu nodded at Krell and then Doc. “May the Force be with you.”

 One by one, the blue images of the Jedi faded out until only Yoda remained. “Much fear there is in you young one,” he said as he pointed at Doc. “Know not what it is you fear, but learn to control it, you must. Yes.”

 Doc looks at the ground before looking back at Yoda, nodding his head. “I will try sir.”

 “You will. Of that, certain I am.” He gives one final smile to Doc, and then his image disappears.

 Doc steps back from the table and instantly spins around toward his general, frantically trying to apologize. “Sir, I am so sorry. I didn’t know that they would—”

 Doc yelps as a huge arm hits him hard across the face, sending him tumbling backwards onto the ground. His helmet clatters as it hits the ground and is sent flying across the floor.

 He can feel his left eye pulsing as blood rushes to the area that was hit. He looks up to see his general towering over him with rage filling his eyes and a snarl covering his face.

 “Sir, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

 “You will stand at attention when you speak to me clone!” Krell’s voice booms out across the silent bridge.

 Every pair of eyes stares at him in fear, while breath is held in anticipation.

 Doc begins pushing himself off of the floor, sucking in a sharp breath. “Yes, sir,” he says meekly.

 He comes back to attention, looking up at the furious Jedi, before Krell’s left arm comes up to backhand Doc once again, sending him to the floor.

 “How dare you embarrass me in front of the council!”

 Doc begins standing up once again, trying to come to attention. “I’m sorry sir! I didn’t mean to—”

 He feels Krell’s fist on his face again before he can fully get up and is sent to the floor once again.

 “Consider this a warning clone,” Krell says, his voice a menacing growl. “You will learn your place. Understood?”

 Doc brings his hand to his lip as he slowly gets up. He pulls it away to see blood on his glove before pulling his hand down to come to attention. He looks up at Krell defiantly, his left eye already beginning to swell and obstruct his vision. “Yes, sir.”

 Krell looks around at the troopers on the bridge that have been staring at them with wide eyes. “Understood?”

 As quick as lightning, they all snap to attention before saying in unison, “Sir, yes sir!”

 With that, Krell turned and began storming out of the bridge, stopping just before he got to the door. He turned around walking back up to Doc and getting in his space. “I still expect those reports to be filled out on time, Captain.”

 “Of course, sir,” Doc says, keeping his voice level.

 He watches Krell leave before looking around at the shocked and terrified faces of his brothers. He sighs, bringing his hand back up to his bleeding lip. “It’s alright,” he says softly, trying to comfort them. “Everyone just try to get back to your work so that this day might end a bit better than it began.”

 He looks around, seeing all of the fear on his brothers faces as they silently turn back to their duties. None of them are much older than him. Maybe three of the men he can see are the same age as him, but the rest are all younger.

 He sighs, trying not to think about how terrified they must be. He needs to be strong for them like his brothers were for him when he first began the never-ending nightmare of serving in the 904th.

 “Lieutenant,” he says.

 “Yes, sir?”

 “I am going to go to the med bay. Could you have someone go to the captain’s quarters and bring the data pad here? I am going to work on the bridge once I am done.”

 “Of course, sir.”

 Doc gives a small smile. “Thank you.” He lowers his voice. “Have someone notify me once the General has returned to his quarters for the night cycle. Once it has been cleared with me, begin phase one of the geode protocol. Can you do that?”

 The lieutenant pulls back, his eyes lighting up slightly at the mention of the secret order. “Of course, sir.”

 Doc puts his hand on the trooper’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. “Thank you.” He began to walk out of the bridge, stopping to turn back toward the lieutenant. “Comm me if anything is needed. Got it?”

 “Yes, sir.”

 With that, Doc began his walk toward the medbay, his lip dripping blood onto his plain white armor the entire time.

#my oc #clone trooper oc #clone trooper doc #CT-5770 #pong krell #the dirty mother fucker #my writing #the duty of a captain #death mention tw #blood tw #abuse tw

[rhube]

20 Questions For Fanfic Writers

20 Questions For Fanfic Writers

I got this from @fenrir-kin​‘s post I saw someone reblog and they said that anyone who wants to do it should consider themselves tagged, so... same.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

23 on my main account; 32 total.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

397,777 on the main account; about 550,000 total.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Stone Fever (Anders/Fenris - Dragon Age 2)

2. The Naked Anders (Anders/Fenris - Dragon Age 2 )

3. A Gentle Touch (Anders/Fenris - Dragon Age 2 )

4. An Uncomfortable Discovery (JustFenHanders - Dragon Age 2 )

5. Self Reflected (Anders/Fenris - Dragon Age 2 )

4. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Sadly, yes. It really sucks.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, nearly every time! TBH, it mostly just seems polite - if someone takes the time to say something nice to me, I usually at least want to thank them, and if they stay a bunch of stuff there’s usually something to reply back about. It excites and delights me to have nice comments on my fic and I like to express that and let people know how happy it makes me.

I usually respond to the nasty comments, too, at least to tell them to bog off. Maybe I should just ignore them, but I’ve never been very good at that. Also sometimes they’re wrong and they need to know it.

Sometimes I get thoughtful comments pointing out something the reader thinks or is worried might be problematic. If it’s earnestly meant I try to respond in kind, even though often it’s a case of them being worried I’m not going to address something when I really wish they’d wait to see how the fic turns out before telling me my fic is problematic. But that’s the problem with an episodic format. It can hurt to get those comments too, but I try to be sensitive to the fact that the person is probably feeling anxious themselves.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Maybe Self Love? (Connor-51/Connor-52)

Although virtually all my fics are extremely angsty, they generally have happy endings too. I like my Hurt with some Comfort at the end. This fic doesn’t *really* have an angsty end, but it doesn’t end in a relatioship either.

(My original fiction is another matter. Thinking about it, a major character dies or is dead/undead in four of my published stories, but is it my fault if only the sad/dark stuff sells?)

7. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Hmm, tricky. I think either The Naked Anders (dark in the middle, but the characters not only fall in love, but Fenris is totally won over to Anders’ cause) or A Gentle Touch (much fluffier fic overall, happy ending, but less clear on how a HEA can happen because the wider setting of Kirkwall is cursed and it doesn’t really address how to resolve that).

8. Do you write crossovers?

As a rule, no. I rarely read them, either. HOWEVER, I dearly *wish* I could write a Lucifer/The Good Fight crossover in which Diane Lockhart has to defend Lucifer for something of which he’s complete innocent, and she takes absolutely no shit from him and basically looks askance at the entire LAPD for putting up with his shit.

It would be AMAZING, but I don’t think I know enough about the law to make it work.

9. Do you write smut?

Hahahaha - yes, quite a lot. I once saw someone rec one of my fics and they were like, ‘It’s rated teen for now, but Rhube usually writes explicit, so the rating may rise’ and I was like, yes, that is fair.

I’m  55,000 words into Forgiveness now and I keep having to take breaks to write smutty fics because I CANNOT DEAL with this slow burn nonsense omg I just want the boys to KISS (and then, you know, do the do).

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I sincerely hope not. I can’t even imagine the amount of stress I would feel.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Or turned into podfic?

Alas, no.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I don’t think I could cope with that.

13. What’s your all-time favorite relationship (doesn’t have to be romantic)?

Anders/Fenris, if the hundreds of thousands of words I have apparently written about them is anything to go by.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I believe in my ability to finish all my fics! But if I had to pic, I must admit I have less idea overall of where Fenris by Fenris is going in the long term. Except towards Fenris/Anders/Leto sexytimes. But the more I wrote the more it was becoming an interesting angsty fic instead of a silly doubles-sex fic - which I should have expected, but I foresee troubles ahead.

15. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue. I think I’m pretty good at writing in the ways that people actually speak, and paying attention to how characters speak in canon.

And well-structured angst. Like, oh, you think you can see how this is going to a familiar angsty place, but have you considered all THESE ways the characters could get upset too? BECAUSE I HAVE - and I really need someone else to feel these feels!

It has long been my dream to create a Nugget of Purest Angst, and I feel like I’m honing my skills through fanfic.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Actions that accompany dialog. She sighed, he nodded, she raised her eyebrows, he ran his hands through his hair, they groaned, she hummed, he paused for a moment (everyone does things for a moment) etc. etc.

Why must my characters move alongside their dialog? Is it not enough that they say the wrong things to each other in ways that reveal their inner torment?

Also, I am lazy about description in fanfic. I know it. But I mostly don’t have the energy these days to slow down for description. Fic comes out however my poor fatigued brain regurgitates it and I rely too much on people knowing what places are like from canon. Sorry.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Uh, why not? I mean, I’m less likely to do it because I suck at second languages, but I don’t see any reason why a person should not. Is this a common issue for people?

18. What’s the first fandom you wrote for?

Strictly speaking? The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In a fanzine. Proper Old Skool.

19. What are your favorite tropes/scenarios to read or write?

Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Body swaps. Doubles. Mind-control (but we’re resisting it and we’re very upset that it’s happening, but also we had some extensive discussions about consent and we had sex anyway and we liked it). Forced to Fuck/Sex Pollen/Love Potions. Heats (and Oh No! We’re trapped together! What shall we do?). Arseholes to Lovers.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Complete? Probably Stone Fever. The angst is good and somehow this pwp setting got proper feels and character development in it, as well as a lot of sex. To the extent that I’m now rewriting in an original setting and with original characters (follow @rubyjones for news on that, if I ever get well enough to finish that project).

Incomplete? Probably An Uncomfortable Discovery - the start could do with some polishing as I only expected it to be a quick and dirty short fic, but now it’s 79,000 words long and contains some of the best, most angsty stuff I’ve ever written, as well as a kickass, very angsty fight scene.

I have so many feels about that fic and I really regret that I allowed a comment to knock the wind out of my sails so it became hard to get back to it. I WILL finish it one day, though.

#ao3 #fanfic #me #rhube #dragon age 2 #dragon age

[440mxs-wife]

The Hunter’s Princess - Chapter 4: Meeting New People

Pairing: Dean x OFC Kira (eventual), Prince!Dean x OFC Lady Kira. Other Characters: Sam Winchester, Prince!Sam Winchester, Castiel, Rowena, Gabriel, King!John, Queen!Mary, Lucifer and assorted minor characters.

Chapter 4 Word Count: 4020+

Warnings: Character crossover, accident with slight injury, fluff. Each chapter will have individual warnings as needed.

A/N: This is from some material that’s been rattling around in my head from another project that changed direction. Couldn’t let all this content go to waste, though, so here it is. It’s a work-in-progress, and I will try and update as regularly as I can. If you want to be tagged in this series, send me a message!

Thank you and happy reading!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Kira?" he whispered.

Lady Kira lifted her head from resting on top of her knees. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"It's me, Dean. Don't you recognize me?" he asked.

By this time, Sam and Castiel had reached the door and were peering inside. Both of them were stunned to see someone who looked like Kira, but at the same time, wasn't Kira.

Dean could feel the tension radiating from Kira as he glanced between her and the men standing at her door. "Whoa, sweetheart, it's okay. The tall, shaggy-haired man is my brother, Sam. The guy in the trenchcoat is Castiel. He's an.....Angel of the Lord," Dean mumbled.

Lady Kira looked at all three men and unexpectedly burst into laughter. "An angel?? A real, honest-to-goodness angel? Where are your wings then?" she asked.

Castiel tilted his head to the side in confusion at her question. "Only my soulmate can see my wings," he replied in his gravelly voice.

"Oh. I suppose that's convenient. That way, you know for sure who your soulmate is," she reasoned.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief. If Kira couldn't see Cas' wings, then she wasn't his soulmate. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

Lady Kira took a deep breath. "I was in my pub, getting ready to pour a beer for someone. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here. Speaking of which, where exactly is 'here'?" she inquired.

"That, I'm afraid, will take a bit of explanation. We should get some food, then we can fill you in on the situation," Dean replied.

Lady Kira nodded in agreement. "Very well," she said. As foreign as her surroundings and companions were, there was something familiar about the three men. For some reason, they seemed to put her at ease. She had a feeling that they wouldn't let any harm come to her, that they would protect her at all costs. Eventually she realized she would have to put her trust in someone, if she had any kind of hope of returning home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Prince Samuel and Castiel followed behind Kira, who walked with Prince Dean to the castle's main hall. To say Kira felt a bit self-conscious was an understatement. Here she was, about to compete for the opportunity to become wife to one of the princes and eventually queen. The stakes couldn't be higher, which naturally set her nerves on edge.

From the outside, she wondered if it appeared to others as though she was trying to gain some sort of an advantage. Kira was concerned at the amount of time she had been spending lately with the princes. She didn't have a manipulative bone in her body, but the other competitors might not regard her behavior as innocent. They may view it as the princes showing favoritism towards her, and as such may even lead others to cause trouble for her. For these reasons and to safeguard the locket, she was going to have to be vigilant at all times.

As they entered the main hall, Prince Dean pulled them to a stop, because his mother, Queen Mary was approaching from the opposite direction. He bowed to his mother as Kira gave her a deep curtsy. "Mother? May I present Lady Kira of the Eastern province. Lady Kira, this is my mother, Queen Mary," Dean said.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," Kira remarked, resuming a standing position but keeping her head tilted slightly downward.

"Pleased to meet you as well, Lady Kira," Queen Mary replied as a flicker of recognition crossed her face. "Oh! You met my sons recently, I believe? They stopped in your establishment for a drink on their way home?" she asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I had the pleasure of meeting your sons almost a week ago. Although, I must confess, I regret that I did not immediately recognize them. It had been a long day, and I deeply apologize if I offended them in any way," she explained.

Queen Mary leaned in and said softly, "On the contrary, my dear. I believe you made quite a favorable impression on them, and on Castiel as well," she grinned. "What brings you here? Are you competing in the Princes' Challenge?" she asked as she stepped back.

"I am, Your Majesty. I appreciate the opportunity, and promise to faithfully represent my province to the best of my ability," Kira replied.

"Well, I'm sure you'll perform admirably, and I'm looking forward to learning more about you, Lady Kira. It was lovely to have met you," she finished.

Kira gave the queen another deep curtsy as she continued on her path. With her free hand, Kira covered her face in embarrassment as she blushed furiously.

Prince Dean turned to look at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Kira shook her head, tears threatening. "I feel like I just made a huge fool of myself in front of your mother. Admitting to her I didn't recognize you when you came to my pub. You and your brother are the crown princes, everyone knows who you are, for goodness' sake! Oh, I've really made a grand impression on your mother. Unforgettable, so she'll remember why I should be shown the door. Why can't I just learn to keep my big mouth--" she was stopped by Prince Dean's index finger on her lips.

"You were going to say, 'closed', right?" he said, to which Kira nodded. "First of all, my brother and I didn't announce ourselves as the 'crown princes' for a reason. Probably for the same reason you don't announce yourself as 'Lady Kira'. You want people to know you by your character, not your title." More nodding from Kira.

"Second of all, I know my mother, and you're no closer to being shown the door than I am. She appreciates people who speak their mind and are not afraid to voice an opinion," Prince Dean explained. "Okay? Will I see you at dinner?" he asked.

Kira met his soft green eyes and all she could do at that moment was keep nodding her head. "Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. I believe I'm in need of some rest before dinner. If I may take my leave from you now, I'll see you at dinner, Your Highness," she replied softly.

"By all means, Lady Kira. Until dinner," he remarked, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. Kira gave a small curtsy to the prince, a smile and nod to Castiel, then headed upstairs to her room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

About an hour later, Sarah came in to wake Kira so that she could take a bath and wash her hair. Kira wanted to freshen up from her earlier tour of the gardens and marketplace. She relaxed into the warm water and allowed her concerns about meeting the queen slip below the surface.

Twenty minutes later, sufficiently cleaned and refreshed, Kira stepped out of the tub into a waiting towel held for her by Sarah. Kira asked her if she would please lay out the gown that had been previously chosen to wear at dinner, while she dried off and put on undergarments.

Kira was putting on her jewelry when there was a knock on her door. Sarah opened it, and Rowena entered, looking stunning as always. She had on a purple silk gown with delicate gold thread woven throughout the fabric. Her long red tresses cascaded down her back in waves, pinned up on the sides by clips encrusted with crystals.

"Rowena, you've outdone yourself, you look fantastic!" Kira gushed. She took note of Kira's appearance as well. She had on the pastel green silk gown that Rowena had provided. Kira's light chestnut hair was curled into ringlets and of course, she was wearing her mother's locket.

"Oh darlin', no one will be able to take their eyes off of you. You look beautiful, my dear. Come, let's head down to dinner. Don't want to be late, considering you've already made an impression with the queen," she smirked as Kira groaned. "Oh come now, it couldn't have been that bad. If it was, they would have asked you to leave by now. Let's go, dearie," she insisted.

Dinner was an interesting affair. The rest of the competitors showed up and attended the dinner meal. Kira had already "met" Serena, and learned at dinner that she was from the Northern province. Christina came from the West, while Adriana was from the South.

Kira already knew that Serena was not her biggest fan, and it appeared Christina was joining her camp instead of Kira's. Adriana seemed kind, or at least not outwardly hostile. She and Kira spent most of dinner talking about their respective homelands.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'm telling you, Lucifer, I saw it at dinner tonight! That locket you're looking for, that allows you to move throughout multiple dimensions? It's hanging around Lady Kira's stupid neck," Serena insisted.

"Really? How interesting. I believe I also saw a certain witch named Rowena McLeod hanging around with her. I've dealt with her before, and she could present a problem," Lucifer made a tsking sound. "And here I'd hoped we could do this without things becoming complicated," Lucifer pouted.

"It doesn't have to be complicated, Lucifer. Lady Kira is participating in the Princes' Challenge. The events are not exactly for the faint of heart, I mean....accidents can happen," Serena remarked.

"Hmm. I suppose you're right. But for now, we'll bide our time, study Lady Kira a bit more before we strike. For your part, try not to completely alienate her, just keep your distance. Sooner or later, she'll let her guard down. When she does, we shall relieve her of that cumbersome piece of jewelry. Then there'll be no one to stop me," Lucifer finished darkly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, Kira decided to go back to the marketplace and take a closer look at what the vendors had to offer. Her previous marketplace outing with Castiel was a little sidetracked by Prince Dean and his brother. By the time the princes had caught up to her and Castiel, she had grown a little tired and asked Prince Dean to continue the tour another time.

For her attire, Kira had chosen a pale blue cotton day dress. As she wandered among the carts, she observed the jewelry makers, food and drink vendors and even glassblowers. She marveled at the variety of offerings in the castle marketplace. She made her way toward the food vendors for some breakfast.

Kira purchased a fruit pastry and went on to the jewelry maker. She found gifts for her pub staff, necklaces with heart-shaped pendants. One was made of turquoise, one of rose quartz and one of black onyx. She found a hat for Alfred at the milliner's cart where yesterday, she and Castiel were trying on her hats. Kira still had other gifts to get for her house staff, but decided to come back another day.

On her way back to the castle, Kira saw a young girl standing next to the apple cart. She looked no more than about seven years old with blond hair and brown eyes. She gazed longingly at the apples, and Kira could only wonder if it had been a while since her last meal. Kira approached the young lady and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl whipped her head around and when her eyes locked on Kira's, she could see they were full of fear.

Kira knelt down until she was at eye level with the child. "My name is Kira," she said gently. "Can you tell me your name, little one?" she asked.

She stared at Kira, bottom lip trembling. Kira could tell she was trying to decide whether to run or whether to stay and talk. "Danielle," she whispered.

Kira stuck out her hand in greeting. "That is a very beautiful name. I am so happy to meet you, Danielle," Kira replied as she shook hands and the young lady giggled.

From the bag in her left hand, Kira took out the pastry she was saving for her breakfast and handed it to Danielle. She looked at Kira in confusion, and she nodded to assure Danielle that it was okay.

In response, Danielle gave a slight curtsy. "Thank you, Lady Kira," she said shyly. Kira must have given her a confused look in return, because she giggled again. "I saw you yesterday with Prince Dean, Prince Samuel and Castiel, your ladyship," Danielle explained.

As the child ate the pastry, Kira bought six apples for Danielle to take home, along with a baguette of bread and a block of cheese. They started on their journey towards Danielle's house, then Kira remembered that she had briefly put down her other packages. The child had stopped in the middle of the street and looked around to see why Kira was no longer at her side.

Kira felt the hairs on her neck stand on end and heard the fast approaching hoofbeats. She shouted at Danielle to get out of the way, but knew Danielle had no time. Kira ran towards the child. Kira wrapped her arms around Danielle and rolled with her out of the way, narrowly missing the galloping horse herself. Danielle's belongings went flying and the sleeve of her dress was torn, but she was alive.

When Kira sat up, a sharp pain hit her on the side of her head. She felt something trickling down the side of her face and used her hand to wipe it away. When Kira looked at her fingers, she saw that it was blood, which caused a wave of dizziness to crash over her. "Danielle? Where are you, sweetie?" Kira croaked.

"Lady Kira! Are you all right?" Danielle exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks. Kira brought her hand up to wipe Danielle's tears away, then it fell limp and all she saw was black. "Oh no!! Somebody help us!!" Danielle cried.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kira awoke to the sound of hushed voices, standing in the corner of the room, deep in conversation. She turned to see an anxious blond-haired, seven-year-old sitting by her bedside. The child was holding Kira's hand while trying to keep her tears at bay. "Hello, Danielle," Kira said, smiling weakly.

She jumped up from her chair and ran towards the people in the corner. "She's all right! She's awake! Lady Kira is awake!" she exclaimed.

At hearing the child's announcement, everyone turned in Kira's direction. Castiel and Rowena came up behind Danielle, with Rowena placing her hands on Danielle's shoulders. "Calm yourself, sweet bairn," she soothed, trying to contain the child's excitement.

"Castiel, would you please take Danielle down to get something to eat?" Kira asked. "She's had quite a morning," she gave Castiel a small smile.

"Absolutely, Lady Kira. Please follow me, little one," Castiel said, smiling and holding out his hand for her. She took his hand and they left the room.

Rowena sat down next to the bed and took Kira's hand. "Are you all right, dearie? Danielle said you were almost hit by a runaway horse!"

Kira explained what happened in the marketplace, from picking up the trinkets, to seeing Danielle, to rolling with her out of the way from the horse.

Rowena's hand flew to cover her mouth. "My goodness, Kira....You saved Danielle's life," she said softly.

Kira closed her eyes. "Rowena, I did what anyone else would've done. I bought a hungry little girl and her family some food, and got her out of the path of that horse," she muttered.

"Och, so modest. You're doing exactly what you would've done at home, protecting the innocent," Rowena observed with a smile. "Your hunter instincts are serving you well here. That's why you'll win at the Princes' Challenge and get home to your Sam and Dean," she remarked with a wink.

"Let's hope so, Rowena," Kira replied as the door opened and Danielle ran in. She smiled as Danielle tried to wedge herself in between Rowena and the bed. Rowena chuckled as she got up from the chair so that the child could sit down next to her rescuer. "Hey there, little one. Are you okay?" Kira asked.

She nodded enthusiastically and looked up at Castiel. "I got to have a cup of hot chocolate, another pastry and I got to meet the queen," she giggled. "She's very pretty and so very nice."

"How did you....? Castiel? How did she get to meet the queen?" Kira wondered.

"I believe I can answer that," a familiar voice answered. Prince Dean said as he and Prince Samuel stepped into Kira's room. "Mother was with us in the dining room. We were having a snack, when Castiel brought this sweet young lady in. She told us what happened in the marketplace, that you saved her life. Are you all right?" Prince Dean asked softly.

Kira struggled to get up to a sitting position, so Prince Dean helped her as Prince Samuel put a pillow behind her back for support. "Thank you. I'm fine, I promise, except a really huge headache. That, and I wish everyone would not make such a fuss about what I did for Danielle," she said. Kira raised her hand to check where earlier she had felt the blood, and instead felt a bandage.

"We asked the royal physician to come and check on you to make sure there were no serious injuries. He said you'll be fine with some rest and a change of bandage now and then. And what you did for Danielle is a big deal, Lady Kira," Prince Dean insisted. "You saved her life." He held her hand in his, with his thumb drawing little circles on the back. As he did this, Kira felt a calming sensation wash over her. She started to feel a bit drowsy as she melted into his touch.

"Good news, as Dean suggested, I spoke to Father, and he agreed to postpone the first challenge for a day or two. That way, all participants will have a chance to compete at full health," Prince Samuel remarked.

"I appreciate that, thank you. Please thank His Majesty for that as well. After a day or two, I should be ready to take my place among the other competitors," Kira affirmed.

"Looking forward to it, Lady Kira," Prince Dean replied, smiling. "Well, we should probably leave you to rest," he said as he stood up from his chair. He gave a lingering kiss to Kira's forehead, winking before he stepped back.

To Rowena, he directed her to keep an eye on Kira and not let her overdo things. She acknowledged his request with a simple curtsy, something which would never have happened in her side of the multiverse. Kira covered her mouth with her hand to keep Rowena from seeing the laughter. Soon after the princes and Castiel departed, Kira felt her eyelids start to drift shut again, so she gave in to her need for sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lucifer was pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't understand, Serena. Lady Kira was knocked to the ground, unconscious while saving that little girl. You had the perfect opportunity to get that locket. So why don't I have it?!?" he shouted.

"There were too many people around, helping her. Otherwise, I would've snapped that locket right off her pretty little neck," Serena muttered.

"All anyone in the whole castle is talking about is how she saved that kid's life," he sneered. "That's going to make it 1000 times harder to steal the locket. We'll just have to take our time and plan carefully. When the moment is right, we'll reclaim what should rightfully be ours anyway," Lucifer said ominously.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Everyone took a seat at the map table. "So, you said my situation would take a bit of explanation," Lady Kira started. She waved her hand at Dean as a signal to begin.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Let's start with the basics. You know our names, so how about we get yours?" he asked.

Lady Kira finished chewing her bite of pizza before answering. "I am Lady Kira of the Eastern Province. Although I hold a title, it's pretty much in name only. I'm not a wealthy woman. My father left a mountain of debt when he died, and I've had to sell off parts of my land to survive.

"I own a pub, where I employ three women as servers. The pub provides me with enough of an income to run my household plus a little more. Keeps me from selling off more of my lands unless absolutely necessary. Without the pub, I also wouldn't be able to help take care of my townspeople in the ways that they need," she finished softly.

Dean studied the woman before him. She looked so like his Kira, but at the same time, he knew she was her own person. Lady Kira had the same fire, determination, beauty and generosity that he had loved about his Kira since the day they met.

"I'm sure you do an admirable job of it as well. My brother and I, along with this guy--" Dean gestured with his thumb towards Castiel--"we also help people. We hunt monsters, like werewolves, demons, vampires and vengeful spirits. We try to save as many people as we can, without attracting a lot of attention to ourselves," he replied.

The three men waited for some sort of a reaction from Lady Kira. "Gentlemen, I come from a long line of hunters. My father was a hunter, like you, and already told me about all of this. My mother used to hunt with him, but sort of retired when I came along. When I turned a certain age, she gave me this," she answered. From underneath her tunic, she pulled out a chain, to which was attached a locket.

"That's exactly like the one my--er--the Kira that belongs to this world has," Dean remarked. "It's what sent her to your world and brought you here," he explained.

"Hmm. I was afraid of that. See, this locket's magic works off of a lunar eclipse. There's only one way it can be activated without an eclipse. And that's if the wearer is in the presence of outside magical forces," Lady Kira pondered.

Sam and Dean looked at each other and frowned. Castiel picked up on their exchange and asked, "Rowena?", to which the brothers nodded.

"She was working on some kind of spell from the Book of the Damned. And since we won't let her keep it in her library, she had to come here," Sam explained.

"Cas, can you get word to Gabriel? He seems to be the only one who can move between dimensions without having to wait for a lunar eclipse. And if he can, you can bet that Lucifer can as well. Rowena has to make doubly sure that nothing happens to that locket," Dean said grimly.

"Lucifer? The Lucifer? As in Satan, Prince of Darkness, that Lucifer?" Lady Kira asked incredulously.

"The very same, sweetheart. He's been a major pain in the ass in this world, and I'll bet he's not much better in your world," Dean replied.

"I've obviously heard of him, but haven't had much, if any, occasion to interact with him. Something tells me that I don't want to, either," Lady Kira agreed.

"You're right about that, you don't want to have anything to do with him," Cas remarked. "I'll go see what Gabriel has in the way of information," he promised, then disappeared.

"We'll find out when the next lunar eclipse is. Hopefully it won't be too many days from today," Dean grumbled.

"Excuse me, is there somewhere that I can take a bath, get cleaned up? Perhaps a change of clothes?" Lady Kira asked.

Sam and Dean looked at each other. "Yeah sure, sweetheart. Follow me and I'll show you. We have a bathtub, or you can take a shower. As far as a change of clothes, there are some clean ones in your room. I'm sure my Kira won't mind," Dean replied softly.

Part 5 here!

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Tags: @janicho88 @akshi8278 @magssteenkamp @swiftlymoniquesblog @lyarr24 @miss-nerd95 @distefano123 @hobby27 @deanwanddamons @jessica-noel94 @wayward-mikaelson @jawritter @gabrielslittleangel @jensengirl83 @deangirl93 @ellewritesfix05 @supernatural-jackles @babygurltt

The Hunter’s Princess Series tags: @flamencodiva

#dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #au!dean winchester x reader #au!dean winchester #spn #au!supernatural #The Hunter's Princess series

[kkrazy256]

Fic Writer Interview Meme 

Thanks for the tag @parkotedarasuum​ !

Name: Terra

Fandoms: Currently Star Wars, but I’ve dabbled in Legends of Tomorrow recently. Used to be a DCMK main. 

Two-Shot: If this is about my opinion on two-shots, I don’t tend to do them  because at that point, might as well shove it all into a one-shot. But if it’s about any I’ve written...WELL, it’s a two shot THEORETICALLY if I finish it akhfkajl but my In Lieu of Flowers is a two-shot. It’s a Fox and Wolffe centric one during the aftermath of the Malevolence Arc. Just two bros being sad about how the Republic treats them :Sadge: Currently it still works as a one-shot but I do have something planned for the second/last chapter. 

Most popular multi-chapter fic: There’s an old DCMK one floating around that was super super popular (but really badly written because I was in middle school). But my current one, by far most popular, is definitely Ascent. The amount of love and feedback I’ve gotten on it is incredibly insane and wonderful. You are all the best and I’m sorry it hasn’t been updated in half a year. I’m just...really into tcw and fox right now LOL but every single part of it is outlined so it WILL be finished eventually. Just..stick around ;’) 

It got long because I apparently had thoughts. So under the cut to not bother people :’)

Actual worst part of writing: uh...the writing part? XD I don’t mind editing at all. It gives me the chance to read my fic in full for the first time and it’s the closest feeling to being the reader before I get absolutely tired of it LOL. The worst for me is finally finishing the part that I’ve been itching to write and then being hit with this feeling of ‘I’m done I don’t want to do anymore’ even though there are so many scenes to write. That’s why I put off writing the scene I really want to write until the right time. 

How you choose your titles: Perceive me, you will not. All my titles are usually super cryptic and make sense to only me. Like, ‘Double-Edged Sparrow’? If you figured it out, I would be very VERY impressed. I’m not super creative with titles most of the time, so many of them are just one word titles that vaguely have to do with the fic. Recently, I’ve been trying to get more creative, hence the really weird titles. Some are just lines from songs or poetry that inspired the fic too!

Do you outline: Always. I start with a bullet point list of major points I want to hit. Then a more thorough one that is basically almost every scene but in world salad format. Which means, any thoughts that come to mind, super casual writing, and sometimes even memes. Anything to help workshop the plot and transitions. This is a bit of the outline from DES, which was more to the point:

And then there’s this one from a future chapter of The Way His Soul Shall Go so uh, spoilers 👀 which is just straight up half-assed dialogue kahfkjsa

Ideas you probably won’t get around to, but would be nice: Something something fix-it fic. The Way His Soul Shall Go technically is one, but the direction it will go won’t be 100% what I want in a fix-it. Definitely would like to do a Fox helps Boba out of prison fic but I really don’t think I’ll actually manage to write it. I’ll just think about it. I’ve had some ambitious Mando ones under wraps but they might just stay shelved for now due to Fox brainrot. 

Callouts @ me: Please PLEASE finish ONE multi-chapter fic in ur life. PLEASE. I am going to, slap ur hands off the keyboard if you open another WIP. I have a third chapter curse. I hit chapter 3 of any multi-fic and it just starts to stall. Whaddahell.

Best writing traits: Uhh hmm...my style is very straight forward/to the point and not really flowery with poetic lines. And I’m really self-conscious about it OTL. So my best trait would probably be the plots. It’s usually something different but ideas that people are 👀 about so I’m glad there are others to enjoy what I share. 

Spicy tangential opinion: uhhh uhhh I liked a lot of Leo’s shdfkjha. In terms of writing, it’s not something new and groundbreaking to say. But I think a lot of the culture has shifted to where a headcanon gets super popular that if someone doesn’t adhere to it in their fic, it is seen as ‘wrong’ when it’s...just a headcanon. Or vice versa a headcanon gets super popular but it’s fucking awful and I have to suffer through seeing it everywhere LMAOO

Tagging: Brain too fucked right now to think of ppl to tag. But if you want to do this or don’t get tagged in these often, by all means!!! Please please say I tagged, I want to read all about your process, writer friends <3 

#long post #tag game #terra talk #this was fun and i got a chance to ramble for ages thanks for indulging that