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storytellerofuntoldlegends · 3 years

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an icarus and his sun: chapter 4

A/N: what's this? jimmy may be finally leaving denial station? and gray-aroace jimmy because i said so? hell yeah. also more seablings pog!! i do also have the next chapter written already bc it has one of the scenes that was basically the whole reason i wrote this fic, but i'm gonna wait until tomorrow to post it (mostly bc i wanna make sure i have the chapter after that one written bc of... reasons >:) the next chapter is a tad cliffhanger-y and i just don't want y'all to have to wait too long)

Warnings: teasing/banter, flirting, realization of feelings

AO3 Link - Tumblr Masterpost

The invitation for the House Blossom Ball arrived, with a separate handwritten note along with it from Katherine that very pointedly reminded Jimmy to dress up and maybe lose the cod head. Something about how it wasn’t “fancy enough” or whatever. Jimmy felt the cod head was acceptable for any occasion, not to mention he felt weird with his whole head being in view- but maybe he could compromise for Katherine. He’d have to figure out some sort of other headpiece… but the ball wasn’t for a few days anyway. Jimmy had plenty of time to figure out an outfit. In the meantime, he had some work to do on his slime farm. And of course, who else should be there but Scott when Jimmy came up from his farm. He was sitting on the roof of the slime farm entrance, legs swinging idly.

“What are you doing here,” Jimmy asked with a tired sigh, really hoping that he wouldn’t have to deal with another fight with Scott. Scott hopped down from the roof, gliding a bit before landing in front of Jimmy.

“Oh same as always, I was bored and you’re fun to bother,” Scott said with a shrug and a playful grin. Jimmy glowered at him, putting his hands on his hips.

“Oh no, not today! I’m not letting you get under my skin anymore!” Jimmy said, determination in his tone. Scott raised an eyebrow as his grin morphed into a smirk, and there was that squirming, fluttery feeling from their fight again.

“Are you sure about that?” Scott crooned, a clear challenge in his voice. Jimmy shut his eyes, taking a deep breath before shifting his expression into something more neutral.

“Absolutely,” he said firmly, walking past Scott towards his base. Scott seemed surprised for a moment, before getting his bearings and following after Jimmy.

"Not even over this?" Scott asked, walking beside Jimmy and tossing something green up in the air before catching it again. Jimmy stopped walking, brows furrowed in confusion. Scott stopped too, looking him in the eyes as he tossed the object again- a slimeball.

"How- where- when did you- where did you get that from?!" Jimmy demanded. The only way people got slime was from his empire.

“Got it from one of your chests- thought you wouldn’t mind,” Scott replied with a shrug, that smirk still irritatingly present on his face.

“I very much do mind! Give that back!” Jimmy demanded, lunging forward to try and grab the slimeball from his hand. Scott darted back, flapping his wings and sending a gush of wind to push Jimmy back.

“You’re gonna have to catch me, fish boy,” Scott teased, before taking off into the sky. Jimmy grit his teeth in frustration.

“I’m the Codfather!” he protested, equipping his elytra and taking off after Scott. Scott laughed, dipping and twirling in the sky while Jimmy struggled to keep up. Going after someone who had actual wings while Jimmy only had an elytra was a definite disadvantage, but Jimmy was a little too stubborn to care. Scott climbed higher into the sky with ease, Jimmy following close after- and then the sun hit Scott’s wings and Jimmy just about fell out of the sky. The sun’s rays caught the gold tips of his wings, making them shimmer. But it wasn’t just the sunshine reflecting off his wings- it was the way Scott’s whole face seemed to shine like the sun with his smile and how the wind ruffled his usually neat hair. It was how his laugh sounded as if the shimmering of gold made a sound. It was how those icy blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he held the slimeball victoriously above his head. It was how Scott’s expression suddenly melted from that of a mischievous trickster to something almost fond. All of those things caused that pleasant flip-flopping feeling in his stomach to return, and Jimmy suddenly pitched down because of it. He quickly righted himself, flushing in embarrassment and glaring at Scott’s resulting smirk.

“Guess you aren’t one of those flying fish, huh,” he teased.

“Just give me the slimeball back!” Jimmy demanded. Scott laughed, and it felt like flowers blooming in Jimmy’s chest.

“You get so fussed over the littlest of things,” he said, still laughing. Jimmy got the feeling that he should have been angry at Scott’s teasing, he was making fun of him, after all! But instead, Jimmy couldn’t help but smile back. To Jimmy’s surprise, Scott seemed startled by that, eyes going wide and a half gasp, half laugh escaping his lips.

“Sometimes you gotta appreciate the little things in life! You miss those things when you fly above everything and live up and away from the world in the mountains,” Jimmy pointed out with a laugh. Scott pondered this, slowly floating back to the ground as he did so. Jimmy tilted his head to the side in confusion, coming to a landing beside him. Scott was staring at the slimeball in his hands with a mix of wonder and bafflement. Shaking his head, Scott reached out for Jimmy’s hand and pressed the slimeball into it, both hands clasping over Jimmy’s hand for a moment. Jimmy’s hand felt fever-warm at Scott’s touch, and his heart hammered in his chest.

“You can have this back. Sorry,” Scott said, quickly withdrawing his hands. Jimmy felt horrible instantly, he clearly struck a nerve with what he said. Before Scott got a chance to leave, Jimmy quickly grabbed his hands, giving the slimeball back.

“Keep it, I’ve got plenty. You- you should enjoy the little things in life too,” Jimmy said softly. Scott’s face tinged pink, all the way up to the tips of his ears.

“I- whatever,” Scott scoffed, trying to bring it back to their teasing back and forth from before, but failing miserably. Before Jimmy had a chance to reply, Scott drew his hands back, holding the slimeball close to his chest and taking off into the sky. This time around, Jimmy didn’t bother chasing after him. He was a little too busy wondering what on earth had just happened. One moment Jimmy was irritated by Scott’s presence, and the next his heart felt all fluttery and he willingly gave him a commodity from his empire. What was happening to him?! Jimmy had a sneaking suspicion… but he had to talk to Lizzie or Joel first. He just had to be sure.

Jimmy flew to Lizzie’s empire, spotting her and Joel sitting together on one of her giant lilypads. They both looked at him with concern when he landed in front of them, out of breath. Lizzie was the first to jump to her feet, hands reaching out towards him and searching for any injuries. Joel followed after her and hovered at her side, looking unsure of what to do.

“What happened?! Are you hurt, were you attacked?!” Lizzie demanded, and Joel’s eyes shot to the skies as he put a hand on the hilt of his sword. Jimmy laughed, shaking his head.

“Guys, I’m fine! See, look! I’m all good. Just had to see you,” Jimmy said, holding his arms out to show that he was, in fact, uninjured. Lizzie and Joel breathed out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

“Oh thank goodness. Usually when you fly to one of us in a panic, you’re hurt or being chased, or something’s seriously wrong,” Joel said, the tension draining from his shoulders and hand dropping from the hilt of his sword. Jimmy’s smile turned sheepish.

“Well… something… might be wrong. But there’s something I’ve gotta ask you guys first,” Jimmy replied nervously. Lizzie and Joel exchanged confused glances. Lizzie stepped closer, putting a comforting hand on Jimmy’s shoulder.

“Of course, you can ask us anything,” she said softly. Jimmy took a deep breath, working up the nerve to say it.

“How did you know you were in love?” he asked timidly. Lizzie blinked in surprise, and Joel raised an eyebrow.

“Is this about Scott?” Joel asked. Jimmy’s face flushed in embarrassment.

“Please just answer the question,” he muttered. Thankfully, Joel didn’t seem to be in a teasing mood, and neither did Lizzie.

“For me it was her smile. Gave me butterflies the first time I saw it,” Joel said, unabashedly gazing at Lizzie. She giggled, and Joel’s fond expression increased tenfold.

“Butterflies?” Jimmy asked, a bit confused by the turn of phrase.

“You know, when your stomach gets all squirmy, but not in a bad way? Like a bunch of butterfly wings flapping inside you,” Joel explained, and Jimmy was hit with a sudden burst of clarity. Something in his expression must have shown it, because Lizzie gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

“You’re telling me that’s what love feels like? It’s that just… all the time?” Jimmy asked, his voice a little hollow with disbelief. At himself mostly, for not realizing it sooner. To be fair, he didn’t feel those sorts of feelings often. In fact, he felt it almost exclusively with Scott. So to realize this whole time what he had really been feeling wasn’t just hatred or irritation… he felt a little silly.

“Well, it’s not always like that, sometimes being around someone you love just makes you feel warm and cozy,” Lizzie added.

“Well… but I feel warm and cozy all the time with you guys!” Jimmy protested, still trying to deny that feeling just a little bit longer. Lizzie smiled, patient and understanding.

“Yes, but with this… hypothetical someone, it’s different, isn’t it,” she gently prodded. Jimmy finally gave in. It was different with Scott, and that honestly terrified him. He’d never felt this way about anyone, ever.

“Oh my god, I like him,” Jimmy breathed.

“About time you figured it out,” Joel muttered. Lizzie moved her hand from Jimmy’s shoulder to swat Joel’s arm. Jimmy was too busy having a bit of an existential crisis to really care.

“Oh my god I really like him. This whole time- but Scott hates me, what on earth am I supposed to- but he seemed kind of nice today…” Jimmy trailed off, beginning to pace back and forth. Lizzie gasped in excitement, rushing over to stand in front of Jimmy and grabbing his shoulders.

“You saw him today?! Tell. Me. Everything!” she demanded. Jimmy let out a sheepish laugh.

“Nothing really happened! He stole a slimeball from me, I chased him a bit in the sky- and oh god he was gorgeous in the sunlight- and then I said something to make him sad and let him keep the slimeball anyway. I- wow I really didn’t like seeing him sad,” Jimmy rambled, a disbelieving smile growing across his face. Joel made a mock-disgusted face.

“I think I liked it better when Jimmy was in denial, he’s getting all mushy now,” he teased. Lizzie rolled her eyes.

“Don’t listen to him, being mushy is a good look on you,” she insisted, getting a laugh out of Jimmy.

“I’m glad you think so, but maybe Joel is right. Cause now all I can think about is how Scott definitely doesn’t feel the same way,” Jimmy said with a sigh. A determined look came across Lizzie’s face, and distantly Jimmy was a little terrified.

“Oh no, you’ve activated her plotting look,” Joel said with the same distant terror that Jimmy was feeling.

“The ball is the perfect time to change Scott’s mind and show him that you are a catch, you’ve said so yourself,” Lizzie explained with a grin.

“Oh no, that is not happening, I just want the ball to be something fun, I don’t wanna make a scene,” Jimmy protested, but it came out a little weak.

“Us? Make a scene? Never. I was just thinking that we make sure to get you a snazzy outfit!” Lizzie said, and while Jimmy didn’t trust her for a second, he could concede that Lizzie had a better sense of style than he did.

“Oh, alright. As long as it’s just that,” Jimmy said firmly.

“Of course!” Lizzie said, far too innocently. Jimmy just chuckled and shook his head.

“And we should probably do something fancier than the cod head,” Joel added. Jimmy sighed, putting a hand over the cod head.

“Yeah, yeah, Katherine mentioned that too,” Jimmy said with a pout.

“Don’t worry, you’re in good hands!” Lizzie chirped, releasing Jimmy’s shoulders to instead grab his arm and pull him to where she and Joel had been sitting, rambling about outfit ideas all the while. Jimmy couldn’t help but smile and be a tiny bit hopeful. Maybe wearing something nice would catch Scott’s eye… but then what? Happily ever after? Was that how love even worked? Whatever the case, he was sure Lizzie would have a plan for that too. And maybe the ball could be the start of something beautiful.

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#empires smp #jimmy solidarity #scott smajor #ldshadowlady #smallishbeans #flower husbands #seablings #empires smp fic #mcyt #aiahs #sage writes

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fangirlincorporate · 3 years

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Happiness Doesn’t Last Forever

Just a little fic I wrote. I normally don’t post this kind of stuff on my tumblr page. I like to keep it on my AO3 but I’m really proud of it. I think it’s cute and wanted to share 🥰 so if you like Yatori fluff here ya go! Added the link as well just because.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33487336

*warning my writing isn’t the best. I write because it’s fun not necessarily because I’m good at it*

Hiyori walked behind Yato and Yukine, bouncing along behind them in her half-phantom form. The two were arguing over something silly, but it still brought a smile to her face. She had offered to take them out for dinner now that school was over. Unfortunately, she lost her body along the way so Yato had to carry her. She enjoyed these little moments with her friends. Cherished them even more than before since the traumatic events that occurred recently.

After the fight with Rabo, Hiyori's thoughts were constantly on the fact that she had forgotten the two of them. Guilt filled her chest every time they smiled at her. Despite knowing Nora had everything to do with that deep down she had a fear she really would forget them. She couldn’t bear the thought of it.

She didn’t even mind that Yato hadn’t fixed her body. Hadn’t brought it up for weeks. She was immensely happy that she could have more time with them. More time with him. A blush crossed her face, and the two boys ahead stopped to look back at her in concern.

“Hiyori?” Yukine asked, a small frown on his face.

She hadn’t realized she had stopped and was now standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Her eyes met Yato’s striking blue ones. She sucked in a breath like she did every time. Momentarily she forgot Yukine had even spoken. Not wanting to worry the two she plastered a smile on her face claiming to have gotten lost in thought rushing forward to catch up to the two. By the look on Yato’s face, she knew he didn’t buy it, but he played along.

His shoulder brushed hers in what she hoped was for reassurance, and she nudged him back ever so slightly. This has become a frequent thing between the two of them. She had been the one to initiate it. Despite having lost her memories she remembered how desperate he was to get her to recall those same memories. She has yet to forget the look on his face that day he stopped her in the crosswalk. Those blue eyes were filled with not only desperation but fear that rocked her to her core. She knew that Yato could disappear if he was forgotten. If he no longer received wishes. Kofuku told her about it.

In an attempt to reassure him she started to hang around more. Touched him more than she had before. Fixing his jersey even when it didn’t need to be. Brushing the hair from his eyes. Lingering closer than what was necessary. When he started to reciprocate that’s when she started to realize that it was her fear that had sparked the interactions.

She was terrified that he would just be gone one day. That something else would come around and kill him for good. Hiyori wasn’t sure if Yato had caught on to her feelings yet, but there was something in the way he would look at her that made her feel that he knew. He was an “all-knowing” God after all.

She watched them eat, and for just a moment allowed herself to relax. Glancing out the window having already finished her food she watched the birds in the trees.

Yato had brushed up against her leg sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes drifted in his direction, and she had to swallow a lump in her throat. They sat there staring for a moment, legs resting up against each other.

He was still here. Little did Hiyori know that the God in question was thinking the very same thing. Yukine had finished his meal looking between the two. Groaning as he rested his chin on the table stretching his arms out in front of him.

“If you guys want alone time you can just say so.” He mumbled. A red tint to his cheeks as he glanced away from them.

Hiyori’s face heated up in embarrassment. Of course, Yukine would notice the change between the two of them. She stared at the table long enough to burn a hole through it.

“It-It’s not like that!” She squeaked out.

Yukine rolled his eyes. “Sure, and I’m leaving now.”

Yato hadn’t said a word during the interaction watching as his Regalia left. His knee pressed ever so gently against Hiyori’s.

Yato opened his mouth to speak, but fearing what he might say, Hiyori beat him to the punch. “We should go after him.”

Rushing up to the register to pay for their food Yato followed behind. Not really caring where Yukine had gone, Yato knew he would be fine. Yukine was right about him wanting some alone time with Hiyori. There was something bothering him about her behavior, but he humored her and followed her along as she went looking for Yukine.

At some point the God started to lose his patience. Now they were on the outskirts of the city walking through a park. Yato was about to grab Hiyori to get her to stop walking when she tripped. Before she could hit the ground though Yato had pulled her into his arms.

She clutched his jacket tightly dazed for a bit. He still hadn’t let go, and Hiyori didn’t mind when he held her just a little tighter. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, his sweet scent filled her senses. Enveloping her entirely, and he didn’t mind when she leaned closer resting her forehead against his shoulder. He was intoxicating.

They stood under the light of a street lamp. The sunset grew darker as night drew closer. “Hiyori.” Yato called her name, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t like hearing him say her name like that.

She pulled away to look up at him, and her breath caught in her throat. Those eyes were the same ones she saw standing in the crosswalk. The eyes she never wanted to see again, but there they were. Staring into the depths of her soul. Electric blue meeting her own magenta ones. She reached up, putting a hand to the side of his face. Subconsciously he leaned into her touch wanting it just as much as she did.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Her voice was just above a whisper.

“Like what?” He asked, his voice tight.

“Like you’re scared. Terrified. Desperate. Like I’m going to forget…again.” Her voice dropped, and all her guilt bubbled to the surface once again. “I’m not going to forget you. Ever.” She whispered the last word, dropping her hand back down to her side.

“Is that what has been bothering you?”

She nodded her response, already feeling tears forming in her eyes despite every effort to stop them. She didn’t want to cry. Not now, and not in front of him.

“Hiyori, what happened wasn’t your fault.” Yato put his hands on her shoulders. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know.” She whispered, “but it scared you didn’t it? Yukine too.” She blinked, and one of the tears she was holding back slipped down her cheek. Yato wiped it away with a stray thumb.

“Of course it did. You’re the only human who has remembered me. The only one who has seen me.” A lump formed in her throat at those words. “However, I believe in you. I believe you will remember me and continue to. So don’t cry Hiyori.”

“You’ll be sad though.”

“What do you mean?”

“If we stay friends, Yato. I’m going to grow old and die. I’m going to leave you eventually.” Hiyori clutched his jacket. “I don’t want to leave you knowing you’ll be alone again.” She gripped his jacket so hard her knuckles turned white. Her own desperation shining through her tone.

“I know.” He said resting a hand on her head. “And that’s okay too.”

Her eyes widened in shock at his words. She looked up to meet his eyes. Finding a sadness there that she couldn’t fathom. “Human lives are fleeting compared to us immortals, but I could disappear at any moment. I’m a nameless God. Hiyori, you have brought a light into my life that I wouldn’t pass up for anything.” He cupped her cheeks pulling her just a little closer. “I’d rather be by your side and be sad later on than walk away now only to regret it for the rest of eternity.”

Did he really mean that? Her heart fluttered at the thought. She was enamored by him, and everything he was. He captured her heart with those words, and she was left speechless. A God was confessing he would give anything to stay by her side. Her, a mere human.

“You’d give anything to stay with me?” She smiled cheekily at him. His words made her guilt fade to nothing.

He seemed to realize what he had said. He nearly stumbled back blushing furiously. “W-Well just about…anything.” He mumbled turning to the side so she couldn’t see his face.

Feeling a surge of confidence Hiyori reached up to his face, pulling him down gently. She stood on her tippy toes to place a light kiss on his lips. She spun on her heels turning away from him so she couldn't see his reaction. Her embarrassment overruled the confidence she had as her face heated to new levels. Meanwhile, Yato stood with his mouth hung open in shock staring at Hiyori’s back.

“Let’s go find Yukine.” She called back to him, turning to glance at him over her shoulder.

Yato stood with his fists clenched, and a blush dusting his cheeks. He couldn’t believe she kissed him. He wasn’t upset, he just wished he had been the one to kiss her.

While the moment was still fresh Yato tugged Hiyori into his embrace, lifting her chin, and returning the kiss. The kind that left your lips bruised, your mind hazy, and your body craving more. She leaned into the kiss grasping fistfuls of his jacket to steady herself. One of his arms snaked around Hiyori’s waist pulling her flush against him. She sucked in a breath of surprise which granted him more access. Hiyori was a little overwhelmed by the kiss, but didn't want him to stop.

Not sure what to do, she followed his lead. Their tongues danced, and she grew hot from the new sensations. Subconsciously she started to grind on him in her haze. He pulled away breathless and his own body started to feel the effects of kissing Hiyori.

“Let's-” He cleared his throat. “Let’s go find Yukine. He is probably at Kifoku’s by now.”

“Yeah. Let's do that.”

The two were blushing furiously as they walked in the direction of their friend's house. Hiyori wanting to hold his hand, but too afraid to ask. Yato, thinking his sweaty hands would gross her out, kept his in his pockets as they walked side by side. Every so often they would bump into each other only to turn red once more.

#noragami #yatonoragami #iki hiyori #yatori #yato x hiyori #anime blog #anime #fanfictions #fanfic #fluff #angst #bittersweet #too cute

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agustdakasuga · 4 years

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You Never Walk Alone | Chapter 16

Genre: Werewolf!AU, Poly!AU?, Mate!AU, romance, fluff

Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Characters: Student!reader, Omega!Seokjin, Alpha!Yoongi, Beta!Hoseok, Alpha!Namjoon, Omega!Jimin, Beta!Taehyung, Alpha!Jungkook

Summary: You live a quiet life in your late grandfather’s cabin in the woods. You go to school just to graduate and get your diploma, not to make friends or stand out from the crowd. That was until one day, you enter your home to see a pack of wolves that need shelter.

Things seem to be settling down with the boys and you wanted to finally meet their families and improve your relationship. But who knew the sudden appearance of two strangers can change everything.

“That was a great movie.” You stretched your limbs. It was a typical stay in day with the boys. The weather was gloomy outside so you all settled for a nice movie together. When the credits rolled, they decided it was time for a late lunch, which was going to be kimchi fried rice.

“I can make stir fried pork!” You smiled.

“Are you sure you can cook? You can relax, you know?” Jin wrapped his arms around your waist. The boys were still cautious over your health since you did suffer from broken ribs and a concussion.

“I have recovered and am feeling good as new. Please, let me cook?” You asked and Jin nodded his head.

“If you feel unwell, you can stop any time alright? Or if you need help, just tell any one of us.” Yoongi ruffled your hair and you saluted playfully.

“Hyung! Make sure you put lots of cheese!” Jungkook reminded loudly.

“Yeah, yeah.” Yoongi rolled his eyes. Jungkook grinned and slung his arm around your shoulders, nuzzling his cheek against yours lovingly. You giggled as he hair tickled your skin. He pulled away to pour himself some juice from the fridge, offering you a sip. You shook your head as you mixed the sauce in the pan. Jungkook pouted.

“Why are you rejecting me?” He whined.

“It’s just juice, Koo. But fine.” You gave in, taking a sip. Only then did he give a proud smile, patting your head. He left to go game a little before the food was ready.

“Need help?” Hoseok came in.

“Help me get the cooled rice from the cooker.” Yoongi said.

“I was asking my mate but sure, hyung.” Hoseok gave Yoongi a flat look before grabbing a big bowl and going to get all the rice out. You threw your head back in laughter at their interaction. Hoseok was by your side, reading with two plates for you to put the finished pork dish on.

“Thanks, Hobi.” You smiled.

“No problem.” He brought the plates out. Looking over Yoongi’s shoulder, you watched him toss the rice and sprinkle the cheese on top to let it get nice and gooey. Jin did the same with his frying pan.

“Looks good.” You told them as Jin tasted some to get the seasoning right. Yoongi scooped some of his out, blowing it softly before holding it out to you.

“Careful, it’s hot.” He cautioned.

“It’s perfect!” You gave a thumbs up as you chewed. Yoongi chuckled at how adorable you were. You left the kitchen to call everyone else out to eat. The boys all sat in their respective seats and you sat in yours. Everyone dug into the meal happily, having some light chatter here and there. You were just happy to be able to be a part of it.

“Is there anything else you want to do with the remainder of the holiday?” Namjoon asked you.

“I don’t really have anything planned. I usually spend holidays alone or working extra shifts. Honestly, this is the first time in a while that I am spending time off with people.” You blushed in embarrassment.

“It’s okay.” Jimin smiled.

“Why don’t you guys tell me what you want to do? This is your time off too.” You turned the question on them.

“Actually, we were thinking of going to visit our parents.” Jin revealed.

“Oh...” You nodded your head as you listened. Of course, they had their families too. Even if you were their mate, they were still sons to wonderful people and had their duty to visit them from time to time. You mentally convinced yourself that you would be fine with them leaving to visit their families.

“What do you say? Are you able to take time off from work?” Taehyung asked you with excitement.

“Wait... You want me to go with you?”

“Of course, silly. Did you think we were just going to leave you?” Yoongi chuckled and you blushed, knowing that you got caught for thinking that way. The boys all laughed lightly.

“We would love for you to meet our families. This is our territory but our parents’ territory is actually further down south.” Jungkook explained.

“I’m excited to meet your families.” You smiled shyly.

That night, you decided to sleep over. Even if you didn’t move in with them, you still stayed over from time to time. You laid beside Namjoon as he read his book, a small frown on his face as he focused on the contents. You couldn’t help but giggle, making him tear his gaze away from the story and onto you. You stared up at him.

“You look so serious, Joon.” You giggled.

“It’s an interesting story.” He pulled you close to him so you were practically lying on his chest as he stroked the back of your head with his free hand.

“Joon, I’m worried of what all your parents may think... Seeing that I am a human.” You expressed your concern. Namjoon looked at you, closing his book and putting it on the bed.

“Jagi, don’t worry. Our parents are going to love you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a werewolf or not. Trust me.” He smiled.

“Really?”

“I’m your mate, aren’t I? I won’t lie to you. Our parents are actually very excited to meet you. They know you are a human. I told you, the moon goddess already had our fates laid out for us. You are meant to be our mate, no one else. Not even our parents can oppose to that.” He tucked a lock of hair behind your ear.

“I’m just worried... you know? I want to be a good mate for all of you.” You blushed slightly.

“You already are the best mate we could have ever asked for so don’t worry about that. You are perfect just the way you are.” He kissed your hand, rubbing the back of it.

*THUMP*

“What’s that?” You lifted your head.

“Taehyung and Hobi are back from their patrol.” Namjoon informed. You nodded, going to the window to see the two wolves standing on the porch. They looked up and met eyes with you, barking and wagging their tails.

“They said ‘goodnight’ to you.” Namjoon relayed. You knew that he was probably mind linking with them. You smiled at the two wolves, waving before stepping away from the window and back into bed, beside Namjoon. He wrapped his arms around you, kissing your forehead. You yawned and snuggled into his warmth.

“Sleepy?” He teased with a light chuckle.

“A little.” You blinked.

“Sleep then, jagi. Don’t think about anything for now and just relax.” He said softly, his dimple popping through. Reaching up, you gave into your urges and gave the dimple a light peck.

The next morning, the boys wanted to go for a picnic. Jungkook, Taehyung, Jimin and Hoseok immediately shifted and ran out the door in excitement.

“Aish, those 4.” Jin shook his head and grabbed the basket of food. Namjoon held the cooler box with the drinks while Yoongi held your hand and a bag of clothes for the 4 that left first. The weather was nice and cool from yesterday’s rain, with a slight breeze.

“The usual spot?” Jin asked. You nodded. You helped with setting the big picnic mat right by the shining lake.

“(y/n), since you’re our mate and you hold a crystal. We wanted to show you something. We’re not sure if it will work but we can try.” Yoongi led you to the edge of the lake.

“This was how Jimin found out if we were still alive or not.” He explained, gesturing to the water.

“What do you mean?” You tilted your head.

“Watch closely.” Jin nodded to Taehyung. The wolf placed his noise at the surface of the water and drew a pattern of some sorts. Looking closely, you gasped when the image of 8 crystals appeared in the water, all shining as if they were lying below the surface of the lake. You reached out to touch it but the water just rippled.

“The crystals like this means that we’re okay. If the light goes out, it means the person is in trouble... or dead.” Namjoon explained.

“Why don’t you try it?” Yoongi held your hand in his. He demonstrated the pattern in the air. You dipped your finger into the cold surface of the water and did the same.

“It works...” The boys were all in awe as the image of the 8 crystals appeared.

“We’ll always be connected this way.” Yoongi wrapped an arm around you. You were so amazed by this magic. If someone had told you months ago that this was all real, you would probably have scoffed in their faces. But with 7 werewolf mates, this was now the normal.

“Thanks for showing it to me. It’s amazing.” You sat down on the mat.

“It was only right that you knew.” Jin patted your head. Hoseok sat beside you, fully clothed.

“When are you planning to go visit your parents?” You asked them as you took some meat and made it into a lettuce wrap. Before you could eat it, Jungkook appeared, whimpering and pawing at your feet.

“Kookie.” You whined but gave in, placing the lettuce wrap into his mouth. He chewed and licked your hand.

“We were thinking to go next week? If you’re able to take time off from work. The plan is to stay there for 5 days? Or so.” Namjoon said.

“I should be able to. I’ll send a message to my manager to ask, just in case.” You took your phone out to drop May a message. If you were going on a holiday, you would just have to pay back the working hours by not having as many days off when you come back, which you were perfectly fine with, considering it was the holidays.

“Here.” Jin made a wrap and held it out to you. You leaned in and let him feed you the wrap.

“Will it be safe to go? I mean, you did say there are still enemies out there.” You randomly asked those who were sitting with you.

“It may be safer to go than to stay here. We don’t know if those that tried to attack you are rogues or actually a pack. If they are a pack, there’s no telling how many of them there are.” Hoseok said.

“I understand.” You nodded, sighing as you rest your chin on your folded knees. The boys all exchanged worried looks.

“Hey, we won’t let anything happen to you, alright?” Yoongi stroked your head.

“I know. I trust you.” You hummed with a small smile. After packing up the picnic, the boys all walked you to your home. But when you arrived, you saw a couple outside, waiting for you. You have never seen them before and the boys were all on edge.

“Can I help you?” You held a hand out to the boys to stay back.

“Uhh... You live here?” The man asked, rubbing the back of his neck. He was clearly stunned to see a young girl come up to them, definitely not who they were expecting.

“Yes?”

“We’re looking for the old man that lives here.” The woman said.

“Why?” You crossed your arms, your eyebrows raised. The two men stared at you then at your 7 mates that stood behind you.

“We’re... his friends.” The man cleared his throat awkwardly. You knew your grandfather’s friends and you were sure that you have never met them before, you haven’t even seen them in the pictures your grandfather showed you. Besides, wouldn’t friends of your grandfather knew that he passed away years ago? You were a little suspicious of them.

“I don’t think so.” You called them out on their bluff.

“We must have the wrong house. Excuse us, miss.” The man tipped his cap to pulled his partner along with him.

“Stop.” You jumped in front of them and they froze in their tracks. They were definitely hiding something and you were not going to let them leave. If they knew something about your grandfather...

“Who are you?” You asked.

“Excuse me?” The woman was a little taken aback by you.

“Sorry about her.” Namjoon stepped up, grasping your arm. He knew he had to step in. All the wolves could sense that something was wrong. The couple nodded and left.

“Namjoon! Why did you do that?!” You turned to him.

“I’m sorry, (y/n). I had to step in. That couple... there’s something off about them. We all felt it. They aren’t your average couple. I know you wanted to find out more information, seeing as to how they came to look for your grandfather but I’m not risking your safety.” Namjoon sighed.

“What do you mean ‘off’?” You asked.

“They smelled of wolfsbane, a natural wolf repellent. We think they’re hunters.” Yoongi said.

“Hunters? You mean... like the ones that hurt Jimin? The ones who ran you out of your old home?” You frowned, grimacing at the memory of an injured Jimin appearing in your home. The boys all nodded.

“Is my grandfather...?” Your jaw grew slack. Was your grandfather... one of them?

“I’ll see you all tomorrow or something.” You quickly bid the boys goodbye and ran into your house. The boys all stood there, of course they hoped that their mate didn’t descend from a family of hunters. They would definitely be shamed by their parents and the rest of the royal pack. Looking at each other, they grew concerned but returned home for the rest of the day.

“Where is it?” You searched your drawers. Finally, you found what you were looking for. The key to your grandfather’s room. Ever since he passed away, you have never entered there.

“Please don’t let it be.” You whispered as you unlocked the door and entered. Basically, you turned the whole room upside down.

What you were looking for? You didn’t know. A clue, a sign, something.

You didn’t even know what time of day it was. Your phone was ringing off the hook, evident that the boys were all trying to get into contact with you. But you never answered. There you sat, looking at the items you laid out on the coffee table before you.

“I need a break.” You rubbed your temples and stood up to go make yourself a coffee. Your mind was swirling with so many thoughts that it was giving you a terrible migraine. A knock came on your door.

“Who is it?” You croaked, standing up and heading to the main door.

“It’s me.” You heard Jimin’s soft voice on the other side of the door. Your hand stopped in it’s tracks and just rest on the door knob.

“Please open the door, (y/n). We’re all worried about you.” Jimin whimpered softly, knocking gently.

“I-I’m okay. Don’t worry a-about m-me.” You tried to sound assuring and confident, resting your forehead against the wooden material. Jimin grew sad, they were all worried what happened with you and now that you even refused to see him scared him even more. Just what did you find out that made you shut yourself away from them?

“(y/n), please. Whatever it is. We can work it out together. No matter what your past is or where you came from, it doesn’t change the fact that we love you.” Jimin’s voice quivered.

“I... just need to be alone for now. I’m sorry.” You whispered, hoping Jimin could hear you. He did.

“Okay.” You heard his retreating footsteps.

“Why have you hidden this from me?” You looked at the photo of you and your grandfather, throwing an arm over your eyes. Everything was so complicated now. It felt like you were in those stories, where the main character finds out that her whole life was a lie.

Yoongi yawned, running a hand through his hair as he walked down the stairs. He was supposed to go patrolling with Namjoon tonight. When Jimin came home in tears, they knew something was wrong with you.

“Hyung?” Namjoon came down.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Yoongi asked as he stared out into the night.

“We’ll drop by to see how she is, but not try to go into her house. Seeing that she didn’t let Jimin in... Maybe we should just give her some more space.” Namjoon said.

“I agree. She just takes all these things on her own. It’s like she’s afraid of telling us things.” Yoongi sighed.

“She has been alone for so long, no one to talk to or share her sorrows with. She’s probably not used to having people around her that genuinely care for her.” Namjoon slipped his hoodie over his head, tossing it into the house. Yoongi nodded in agreement as Namjoon shifted first, stretching his front limbs followed by his back.

“Hold on.” Yoongi stopped when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. His eyes widened when he saw your name.

“Hello?”

“Y-Yoongi.”

“(y/n)! Is everything okay? Why are you whispering?” Yoongi grew panicked and for a split second, Namjoon shifted back, not caring that he was completely naked in the cold night.

“Please come. I-I hear footsteps. O-Outside my home. I’m so s-scared. Please h-help me.”

“I’m on my way, love. Stay hidden until we come and pack your things.” Yoongi said and hung up. He and Namjoon immediately shifted, their wolves being faster and having more navigation in the night. As they ran, Namjoon mind linked the others to let them know of the situation so they could catch up.

“Namjoon.” Yoongi nodded over to two figures that were indeed loitering near the front of the house.

“We’ll go round the back.” Namjoon said and Yoongi started walking to the back of the house. While waiting for the boys, you had packed all your essentials items.

“Hyung.” Jungkook whispered as he ran over. He had not shifted and remained in his human form. Yoongi pointed up to the window.

“Hide. I’ll get her.” Jungkook said as he heard footsteps approaching.

“(y/n).” Jungkook ran upstairs as quietly as he could and throw open the door. You gasped, thinking it was someone else but when you saw that it was Jungkook, you ran over and hugged him. He cupped the back of your head as you shivered against him in fear. Seeing that you had packed your things into bags, he hushed you.

“The hyungs are downstairs. There are two intruders. The hyungs will distract them while we run out back.” Jungkook said.

“Okay.” You nodded.

“Wait.” Jungkook looked out the window to see the figures gone. But he heard them trying to break in through the front door. Jin and Jimin appeared. Jungkook tossed your bags down to them.

*bark*

“That’s our signal.” Grabbing your hand, Jungkook led you downstairs and out the back door. Taehyung grabbed you and pulled you into the bushes.

“I’ll go help.” Jungkook said and shifted.

“We should move.” Jin instructed.

“What about the others? We can’t just leave them. What if they get hurt or something?” You panicked. Hoseok, Jungkook, Yoongi and Namjoon were facing these people and they could potentially be armed and hurt your boys. Jin hushed you and held your hand.

“Don’t worry, angel. They’ll be okay.” He whispered and pulled you along with them. As you tracked through the bushes, a loud explosion was heard behind you. Your blood froze.

“Go! Go!” Taehyung said and you had a split second to turn around.

“NO!” You wanted to run back but Taehyung lifted you up, carrying you the rest of the way, back to the house.

“Let me go! No!” You cried as Taehyung continued running with Jin and Jimin behind. Your world was spinning and you choked on your sobs. The last thing you remembered was seeing your cabin being engulfed in flames.

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achildlikeprincess · 3 years

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♡ The Halloween Dollhouse ♡

Above in the Halloween evening air, raindrops gathered and waited to fall upon the trick-or-treaters below. The old trees lining the neighborhood sang darkly of autumn richness. Glazed, golden leaves fluttered down with the chilly wind, lining the damp sidewalk like magic stepping stones. Minnie and her friends, dressed as a gaggle of witches in unearthly frayed and glittering black rags, were dashing between the houses as fast as they could before the first raindrop fell.

"Hurry! We've got to get all the candy we can!" Penny shouted. She rang the next doorbell seven times, hopping up and down in her pointy black slippers. "Penny! Don't be rude! Oh, I can't believe it's going to rain on Halloween," sighed Daisy. "Oh my! What a scary group of witches! I hope you won't melt when the rain falls," the old man who answered the door chuckled, giving them each a chocolate bar just as the sky above shattered and began to pour. "Better hurry back!" "Thank you sir! We'll be okay!" Minnie called, and the girls took off running. They were headed to Minnie's, looking for her Jack-O-Lantern carved with a glowing bow through the downpour. Thunder boomed in their ears and the darkness seemed ever blacker as the wind made the ribbons of their hats shudder. Five little witches suddenly saw the sky flash with lovely yet dangerous silver lightning. Rain whispered across their faces and smeared the eerie green makeup into dripping tears. But the warmth of Minnie's house was waiting, and soon they were crowded into the bathroom giggling, washing away the green paint and changing into pajamas, popcorn heating in the microwave and a scary movie playing on television. "We didn't even get enough candy!" Penny grumbled, emptying her plastic purple pumpkin and counting only a few chocolate bars and boxes of fruit snacks. "Did...did worms just come out of their masks?!" Lilly squeaked, hiding her face in a pillow. "I'm going to be sick!" Daisy reached for the remote, but before she could turn the channel the sky erupted with thunder, making the little house tremble. It was the loudest thunder crack they had ever heard, and the lightning strike that followed left them in complete darkness. "Oh, the power's out!" Minnie hugged her dog Fifi, who was glad to have her home early from trick-or-treating, and had been cuddling beside her on the couch. "Don't worry, though, I've got flashlights and plenty of candles!" "But the popcorn didn't finish popping!" Clarabelle wailed. "Silly, I've got a box of cookies!" Minnie found her way into the kitchen, Fifi at her heels. She brought back hot pink flashlights, matches, candles, and a pretty gold box of pumpkin sugar cookies. "What are we going to do all night? Just pig out in the dark?" Daisy scowled. "Let's think of something fun, how about having a séance?" Clarabelle offered. "Nooo!" Lilly whimpered, wanting to hide under the couch if any ghosts showed up. "We're going to my room, and from there we're going to a Halloween party at a glamorous hotel," Minnie smiled, leading the way. Daisy, Penny, Clarabelle, and Lilly curiously followed. The rain fell steadily against the windowpanes as Minnie carefully placed candles around her room and lit them. Soft orange light shone upon where the party was to take place: Minnie's dollhouse. "We all left our dolls here yesterday, remember? So, we'll dress them up and pretend the dollhouse is a big, grand hotel with a ballroom!" The girls were enchanted by the idea. They crowded around Minnie's treasure trunk painted with flowers where she kept all of her doll clothes. There were even things inside like tiny paper roses, faded floral handkerchiefs, plastic tiaras, and scraps of delicate fabric. Clarabelle wound the handkerchiefs around her doll until she was shrouded in mystery. Daisy and Penny fought over the roses but found there were enough to share. Lilly chose the frothiest, glittering pink cloud of a dress she could find, while Minnie picked a beautiful white satin gown. Outside the storm drew on. Moonlight streamed through a curtain of rain into the candlelit room, making it all very cozy. Thunder rumbled quietly now, and Fifi nestled next to Minnie whenever the lightning flashed. "You're coming too, Fifi! Look!" Minnie said sweetly to her baby, and placed a porcelain dog figurine inside the dollhouse. She was painted the same rich brown as Fifi, and the little dog barked happily. The party was ready to begin. With the power out, the music floated from a trusty cassette player. Minnie chose a tape with old romantic songs like 'In the Still of the Night', 'Twilight Time', 'Stardust', and 'Midnight, the Stars and You'. Each girl gave her doll a piece of candy as they sat down at a perfect little pink table. Clarabelle wanted everyone to meet her doll first, Dahlia Dairymaid. "She's hosting the séance!" Clarabelle grinned, placing a jeweled keychain of Minnie's at the center of the table, making a real crystal ball. The girls joined her around the table, linking hands and closing their eyes. Lilly peeked as Dahlia began to speak quietly into the candlelit shadows, asking the spirits to appear. A crack of thunder made everyone jump out of their chairs. Suddenly they heard the click of high heels on the polished floors. "Instead of summoning a ghost, you've invited a beauty queen to the doll realm," Daisy's doll, Mary Lou Moonstone, placed her bouquet of roses on the table, the satin red petals shining in the dark. "And me! I'm here to tap-dance!" Lilly's doll, the child star Helen Shimmers, danced out of the darkness and whirled around the table. "Please! I need quiet to contact the other side," Dahlia shooed them away. "Flowers! Flowers to buy!" a sweet voice echoed. It was Penny's doll, Wendy Gardenwalk, entering the hotel with a basket of flowers she hoped to sell. "Let's buy some for the ghosts," Minnie giggled. "I have all the flowers I need!" Mary Lou turned up her nose. "Oh dear, I suppose we aren't communicating with any spirits tonight," Dahlia covered her crystal with a shroud of lace. "Minnie, where is your doll?" Lilly wondered. "Oh, she'll be singing later tonight. But first, we need to finish these cookies so she will have a stage!" The girls laughed and shared the pumpkin cookies, the orange sugar sparkling in the glow of the candles. The dolls finished their candy and tried to start the séance again, but Helen took Wendy's basket of flowers and danced into the labyrinth of hallways. "Give those back!" Wendy chased after her, and everyone followed them. Helen's high-pitched giggles echoed down the grand halls of the hotel. Wendy snatched the basket back, and began to laugh too. The dolls twirled down the hallway throwing pink petals into the air. They sprinkled down upon the shining floor like pumpkin seeds. "How lovely, a path of petals for the queen," Mary Lou's glossy shoes followed the plush petals to the ballroom, as Dahlia walked in a dreamlike haze, silently willing any spirits who might be walking with them to communicate with her. The storm was growing quiet, a silence waiting to be filled by a doll's haunting song. As everyone played make-believe about the hotel, Minnie couldn't help but to feel perturbed. They all were still in her room, weren't they? She looked at the furniture she was sure she had made for her dolls, but it seemed too real, and just her size. The glittery orange garland she had hung from the ceiling for her dolls weeks ago was too high for her to touch. A final crash of thunder made the candles tremble, the shivering light dazzled her. Minnie thought how strange it was the candles seemed so far away. Had they left her room? Shadows floated across the painted walls, playing with her mind. But she didn't have too much time to wonder about it. The cookies were finished and now the empty box would become the stage for her doll's singing debut. The golden doors of the ballroom waited to be opened, but would there be ghosts inside? Of course not! Only a party for sweet little girls and their beloved dolls. The ballroom was the brightest place in the hotel, a crystal chandelier pouring warm light that no storm could touch. "And now, the lovely Miss Claire Poupée will sing 'Mouse of My Dreams'," Minnie announced, smiling proudly as her doll took to the stage in her starlit white silk gown. She sang her sweet and wistful melody as the girls and their dolls swayed across the candlelit floor, giggling and cloaked in Halloween magic. "I'm so glad you girls joined us for the night," Claire smiled when her song was finished. "It would be so lovely if this Halloween night went on forever," "We wish it could too," Daisy said dreamily; Penny, Lilly, and Clarabelle nodded along, but Minnie crept to the edge of the dollhouse, knowing they had been inside it for the entire night. She peeked out into the darkened room where the candles burned quietly, and asleep on the floor of her bedroom, she and her friends were laying and holding tightly to their dolls. The hushed rain and autumn leaves fell so softly outside the window, filling a night that would be spent in the golden world of her dollhouse ballroom.

#minnie n me stories

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blobbyclouds · 4 years

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Ok i am sorry if this sounds too specific or if you already done this before,i don't remember everything,but can we get link wakeing up with his s/o but s/o dosen't know who he is and he dosen't know who they are but go on this adventure tougher anways but whenever they do couple-y things like hand hold in a crowd to not get lost or play wrestling with each other or when link is protective of them / reader is reminding him to take care of himself ,it just feels right/familiar?Thanks!

This is… cute, but in that bittersweet kinda way, you know? I like it :) also I really hit my stride on this oops, i really went for it

warnings: slightly, slightly angsty

–

From the first moment he laid eyes on them, he knew they were different. Confused as he had been when he first awakened, their eyes, glimmering pools that radiated a familiar comfort, drew him close. Their voice had rung with clarity since the beginning, a clarity he had yet to find a parallel to despite their months of traveling through Hyrule.

At first, of course, he had tried to deny their connection. Having to grapple with this new world and his overwhelming task was enough — the last thing he needed to be thinking of was his and his companion’s past. He didn’t need to be thinking about their histories, why both of them had been saved, the why and how of their possible connection.

But it was times when they sat around the fireside at night, talking with ease about everything big and small, that he wanted to know more about their connection. They always understood him — always. Even if he couldn’t find the right words to describe his emotions, or when he was too tired to even grapple for words, they understood. All it took was a single glance, and they knew how he felt, and they knew just what to say to lift the heavy weight from his shoulders. Their voice was as soothing as their words, and even though it felt silly, Link was sure it was meant just for him.

And perhaps even stranger, Link could understand them just as easily. A small sigh from them and he instinctively knew they needed to talk about something. A string of uncertain words as they attempted to describe something, and he somehow could see exactly what they meant. Even something as small as the way they bit their lip and looked up at the sky could tell him they were annoyed at something — something that he, for the oddest reason, would have a sudden urge to get well away from them.

He felt their connection even when they were doing mundane things, simple tasks to take care of each other. Cooking meals with them by his side felt oddly domestic, like something that had always happened and would always happen. When they were sick, he could practically feel their misery with them. It happened every time they were sick or injured — some strange, mother hen like instinct would take over him and refuse to let him rest until he was sure they were perfectly comfortable. Somehow, they did the same for them. Even when he didn’t want to accept help, the way they bandaged his wounds and told him to rest was so gentle he couldn’t help but let himself obey.

And if he ever began to doubt whether their odd familiarity was all in his head or not, seeing them in danger served as enough of a reminder. His desire to protect them went deeper than anything it should’ve for someone he had only known for a few months. When they were in danger, his entire world seemed to freeze, moving too fast and too slow at the same time. He was terrified, like he was about to lose something he — for a reason deeper than his own understanding — couldn’t live without. The adrenaline pumped through his veins like his own life depended on it, his chest felt tight, and even when he had them in his arms again, his body still trembled.

He felt it, the tug of familiarity, in the smallest moments too. The way their hands interlocked so perfectly with his when they were walking through crowded villages, the reassurance he felt with them sleeping by his side, how his face flushed when they said something sweet to him. Everything from being unable to stop a smile when they made an odd joke to having each other’s back in battle, all the way to loving the sleepy way they woke up and having their unshakable trust in him felt unnaturally right.

They were two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly, and he hadn’t a clue why.

It was them. Everything about them.

It took him a long time to realize it, but he knew it was true. Their eyes sparkled with the constellations of stars he had once memorized, and their smile was the sun he had never known he missed until he felt its warm glow again. They had a laughter that belonged dancing through wildflowers and over crystal seas, yet felt so right dancing through his ears, especially when he was the cause of it. Their hands were gentle yet capable, something he wanted to protect even though he knew they were fine on their own. Everything from their messy hair in the morning to the way they said goodnight was, in his eyes, perfect.

And as they stood there ready to enter Hyrule’s castle and finish this ordeal once and for all, Link was more certain than ever that their connection went deeper than the months they had spent together. He could only hope that they felt the same connection to him, and, perhaps, when Ganon was gone would want to explore it together. Their hands clenched together, he met their gaze, not surprised to see his own determination shining just as brightly in their eyes.

That’s when he knew it -- they felt that connection too.

#legend of zelda: breath of the wild #loz: botw fic #link x reader scenario #link/reader fanfic #botw imagines #botw link x reader #botw scenario #<3

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verai-marcel · 4 years

Text

The Light That You Shine (RDR2 Fanfic, John Marston x F!Reader, Chapter 2 of 6, 18+)

Tags, Warnings, & Notes in Chapter 1.

AO3 Link is here.

Chapter 2 - Love Blooms

Word Count: 2333

You lugged the last bucket of fresh flowers off the delivery truck, placing it with the others at the back of the shop. Wiping the sweat off your forehead with the back of your gardening glove, you walked back to the truck to say goodbye to the driver.

"See you tonight, Uncle George! Thanks for the help!"

"No problem, sweetpea. Maddie is making lasagna tonight to celebrate."

You squealed with delight and waved goodbye as he drove back to the nursery that he and your aunt owned. As you walked back to the shop, you reminisced on the road that life had taken you.

You grew up with plants, knew how to take care of just about anything that grew from the land. When you were in ninth grade, you decided that you wanted to open up a flower shop, and while your parents wanted you to go to college, you were stubborn. Reading about starting your own business and working your summers at the nursery, you finally convinced them to let you follow your dream.

But on the day you graduated from high school, when you should have been walking across a stage to accept your diploma, you were instead in an ER waiting room, being told, in no uncertain terms, that your parents did not survive the car crash.

Two years later, the pain was still fresh. But they had taught you to live your life by moving forward and doing your best, to love the world, and to see the good in everything, even when things were down.

So you moved on with your life, determined to not let your sadness get you down. After all, you knew that they'd want to see you thrive.

But some nights were worse than others.

Your parents had willed you everything, and with those funds, you rented a live-work unit with a small shop downstairs and a studio apartment above it. You were planning to put your all into your business, marketing on social media and researching floral trends to stay up to date so that you could stay ahead.

You stayed so busy preparing to open your shop, in fact, that you didn't have time to be sad. No time to think meant no time to be depressed.

It helped that Aunt Madeline, or Aunt Maddie as you usually called her, and Uncle George immediately came over after the accident and helped you sort everything out, from supporting you emotionally to aiding you in figuring out the estate sale and everything else in between. If not for them, you would have been in a far worse place, mentally, financially, and physically. You had been living with them two towns over until yesterday, when you finally finished moving everything over to your new place. It had taken a week of steadily packing and moving and unpacking your things, but you were done with that part.

Now for the exciting task.

You looked around the empty shop, seeing in your mind's eye where your displays were going to go, what colors you were going to make the walls, where your work table would be set up, everything.

Stretching your arms above your head, you put your headphones on and got to work.

***

John loved the open road. Driving between towns where there was almost nothing but farmland and blue skies, he felt free. Glancing at his mirror, he saw Arthur following him on his Indian Scout, a content look on his face.

He must be enjoyin’ himself, he thought as he revved his engine and took the highway exit. It had been a long time since he had passed through this small town. He wondered if one of his favorite fast food places was still around.

Arthur followed, giving him a ‘what the hell’ look as he pulled up next to him at the stop light.

“Felt like lookin’, s’all!” John yelled.

“You wanted a damn burger, more like!”

“You don’t have to come!”

“I ain’t missin’ Buffalo Joe’s!”

The light turned green and they sped off.

***

You were in the middle of washing your store windows when two men came walking up to you, looking confused.

“Can I help you with something?” you asked kindly, though their tough exteriors put you slightly on guard. Can’t judge by how they look, you reminded yourself.

One of the men had on a cowboy hat and five o’clock shadow, with eyes the color of an atoll island. He looked at the other man, with his leather jacket and torn jeans, looking like he stepped out of an 80s music video. His shoulder length dark brown hair looked thick and luxurious, and his warm grey eyes looked around before they came to rest on you.

“Uh, excuse me, miss, but was there a burger place called Buffalo Joe’s around here?”

You blinked. His voice was like electricity running through your body; you hadn’t expected that reaction and had to pause a moment before replying. “Sorry, that place closed a year ago,” you said. “It was here though.”

The man cursed.

“John!” the other man mumbled angrily.

John looked back at you, his eyes softening. “I’m sorry, just…”

“Miss the place?” you offered with a smile.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Well, the owners opened up a new restaurant two blocks down the road called Triple Patty’s. Same burgers, but dressed up a bit.”

He lit up at the news, and his smile immediately charmed you. Despite his rough get-up, he suddenly looked younger and more innocent. “Thanks for the tip.” He turned to his friend. “C’mon Arthur, you can buy me a burger.”

Arthur snorted. “You ain’t pretty enough for chicken nuggets, let alone a burger.”

You laughed at John’s offended expression. “Have fun, you two.”

John waved at you, shooting you a cheeky grin as he left with Arthur, and you found your eyes following the shape of his back as he walked away.

***

“Hey. Earth to John.”

“Huh? What do you want?”

“You been spacing out since we got here, you still thinkin’ about Dutch?”

“What? No. Can’t do nothin’ about him.”

“Then… oh. I see. I see what’s goin’ on here.”

John put down his burger and glared at Arthur. “And what exactly is goin’ on?”

“The girl.”

He picked his burger up and took a couple more bites before speaking again. “What about her?”

“You wanna talk to her again."

John's shrug was anything but nonchalant. "She was cute. Who wouldn't want to talk to her?"

Arthur's chuckle was equal parts teasing and sympathetic. "Go talk to her. I'll meet you back at the club."

John blinked, surprised. Then he narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"

"Can't I do anything nice for you without arousin' suspicion?"

"No," John answered flatly. He finished his burger, glaring at Arthur.

Arthur laughed. "Go on, get goin' before you miss her."

John gave him one final glare before he took off without a look back.

Arthur waved down a waitress and paid the bill. As he left the restaurant and walked back to his motorcycle, he looked in the direction that John was headed.

“Good luck, kid.”

***

You were carrying a large box when you heard a voice from outside the shop. You set the box down on the back counter and turned around.

John waved, a sheepish grin on his face.

Coming back to the entrance, you opened the door. "Hi!" you said cheerfully. "Did you want a different restaurant?"

"Ah, no, that place was great! I just wanted to thank you again…" He trailed off as his eyes took in the disaster zone that was your shop in progress. "You, uh, need a hand with anything?"

"Oh, no, I got this," you immediately replied, not wanting to trouble a complete stranger with some of the hard labor that you had planned.

"Please," he said, stepping closer. His earnest expression tugged at your heart, and you found yourself unable to tell him no again.

"Well, if you insist, then could you help me carry a couple of boxes from my car?"

***

Somehow three hours passed before you knew it, and as John helped you move the last display case into place, you noticed the sun was setting.

"Oh my god, I didn't realize how late it was!" You turned to him, about to ask him something when you caught him stretching, his arms pulling at the tight shirt, showing his muscles bulging. A bead of sweat glided down his neck, and you suddenly had a strong urge to lick it. Then he turned to you, and you discovered that his eyes were a unique mix of grey and hazel; caught in the beauty of them, you were stunned to silence.

“What?”

You quickly pulled yourself back to reality. "Uh, I really appreciate all your help today. Can I buy you dinner?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he said with a wry grin. "You beat me to it."

You laughed, utterly charmed by him. "So I win?”

“I guess so.” He came closer to you. Your heart started to beat faster as you realized that he really was a very attractive man. “How about I buy you dinner first, then you can buy me one. Don’t feel right getting two meals in a row.”

You grinned. What a sly fox, getting you to agree to two dates at the same time.

Wait, was he asking you out on a date?

You froze. You hadn’t had much time to date, not since your life had changed so drastically two years ago. And even in high school, your ‘dates’ were just going to the movies with a boy and then going home right afterwards. You looked at John, his poise full of self-assuredness, as if he walked through life knowing his place in the world, and wondered for a split second what it would be like to get close to a man like this.

You were so deep in your own mind that you hadn’t noticed when he had taken a few more steps closer to you. Now he was within arm’s reach of you. He called your name out softly, his eyes focused on you.

“I, uh, yes. Two dates. I mean dinners. Two dinners. Sounds good to me,” you stammered.

He smiled knowingly at you; he had heard your faux pas and had commited your words to memory. “Great, glad to hear it.”

***

You gave John one of your newly printed business cards, too excited about the fact that you had business cards to worry about how silly of an act it was. But he took the card and drew a heart on the back of it as he wrote down your personal phone number. After adding your number to his phone and texting you so you had his number as well, the two of you planned for a dinner date the next night, and he took off. As you watched him ride away, you wondered if you were wise in following your gut rather than your logic.

Locking up your shop, you got in your car and drove to your aunt & uncle’s house, looking forward to Aunt Maddie’s lasagna for dinner.

***

You spent the next day working on the orders that had already been placed, mostly by friends and relatives who wanted to support your business. You were grateful for their support and worked diligently, mulling over your designs again and again, agonizing over every choice. It was their orders that you were going to use to start your social media accounts to advertise, so you wanted to make sure they were absolutely perfect.

You were so wrapped up in your work that you didn’t notice how fast time had flown.

“Hey,” John said casually as he walked through the double glass doors.

You poked your head up past the half wall that separated your work area at the back of the shop from the retail area. You saw him looking quite cleaned up, dressed in a dark green button up short sleeve shirt, which he wore open over a plain white shirt, with faded blue jeans.

And you promptly panicked.

“Oh my god, I forgot the time, I’m so sorry!” You started to clean up your tools, but when you looked back at the bouquet you were working on, you started wondering if you should’ve added that tiger lily or not.

“Are you in the middle of work?” he asked, coming closer. He looked at your bouquet and tilted his head.

“What do you think?” you asked.

“Looks a little too orange,” he said bluntly.

You looked back at the bouquet. He was right. You took out the tiger lily, setting it aside.

“You didn’t have to change it,” he said as you turned the bouquet on its lazy susan, observing it from all angles.

“No, you were right, it seemed a little too warm. Needs some cooler colors to balance it.” You grabbed some bellflowers and added them around the edges instead. “Perfect.” Turning to him, you smiled, happy with your work. “Thanks!”

John smiled and looked down at his feet. “You’re welcome,” he mumbled. He looked up again. “Shall we go, my lady?”

You laughed. “Wow, a gentleman.” You looked down at yourself; you were wearing a dumpy black T-shirt with a pair of bright purple denim shorts, all under your florist apron.

“Um, can you give me some time to shower and get dressed?”

John leaned in and sniffed your neck. “You smell like flowers. And you look good.” He pulled back, unaware of the effect his action and his comments were having on your heart. “But if you want to, I’ll wait.”

You looked at the clock that you had hung on the back wall. You looked back at John, who was looking at you like he wouldn’t care if you were wearing a potato sack, he would have still said the same thing.

“Nah, fuck it, let’s go.”

-------------------

Chapter 3

#john marston #john x reader #biker au #rdr2 fanfic #modern au #fanfic #writing #nsft #eventual smut

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aroseandapen · 5 years

Text

{An encounter}

Just watched Carole and Tuesday yesterday, so of course I had to write a mermaid AU with these girls.

No spoilers.

Warning for almost drowning

AO3

The dock dampened the seat of her pants when she sat on it, but Carole didn’t mind when she could sit out in the fresh ocean breeze. She dangled her feet over the edge, peering down into the water. It’d be so easy to slip over the edge, splash down into the crashing waves. They’d toss her body like it weighed nothing.

She shivered at the thought, and leaned away from the edge, bracing her hands against the wood behind her. A deep inhale drew the salty tang of air into her lungs. The wind teased at her hair, though thankfully her bun held fast. It drew clouds over the sun like a curtain falling over the stage.

Just as her held breath began to burn, Carole tipped her head back, closed her eyes against the wind, and exhaled in a musical hum.

Her thoughts swirled around a vague melody in her head. It had nagged and picked at the edges of her brain the last few days, robbing her of sleep and distracting her in moments where she had to focus. So she came out to the pier and, once the nearby fishermen had moved on a reasonable distance, she sang out her wordless feelings to the wind and waves.

The wind shifted abruptly, it whipped around to a sharp left, tugging on her braid to let her know. She only raised her voice, a high clear sound that wouldn’t be muffled by the ocean. A message of longing for something, although she didn’t know what, couldn’t be lost even against mother nature.

Then, suddenly, another voice echoed her own. Shadows fell away, and the sun reemerged from behind its cover.

“Huh?”

Carole fell silent abruptly, blinking her eyes wide open in the dazzling sunlight. She sat up straight, head twisting this way and that in an attempt to find the location of the echo.

Even though she’d stopped singing, her accompaniment continued. They had picked up on her melody and fell into it--the desire, the need, all that Carole felt reflected back to her in a pure, dizzying moment of amazement. And by chance, or maybe fate, with her eyes she followed the voice down.

A girl floated in the water, holding one of the thick wooden beams of the pier as an anchor. Her blond hair suspended around her, caught and combed by the waves as they rolled past. And oh! Her song. Carole’s heart caught in her throat, unable to look away for a long moment stretching out into eternity.

The girl’s eyes opened then, a dazzling blue that put all descriptions of the ocean to shame. They met Carole’s eyes, and her voice faltered with a flicker of fear that darted across them.

Quickly, Carole resumed her singing. She joined her voice to this stranger’s, this odd girl swimming in the ocean on a cold day like today. They hummed in harmony, slotting together like two pieces of a puzzle meant to be joined. And what a wondrous picture they made. Tears pricked the corners of Carole’s eyes, exhilarated in how their voice clicked. How naturally the music came to them both. She closed them, and let the music carry her off like the tide.

An earsplitting shriek cut through their duet. Shadows fell over the pier again.

Carole’s eyes flew open. She twisted her body, as the girl screamed again. A net had been cast down, the fishermen who’d been further down the pier having moved closer as the girls both sang with closed eyes. The girl had been hauled from the water, the shine of natural light glittering against coral-colored scales--

--fins. A tail. Carole blinked, everything she knew thrown into the air above her head, leaving her scrambling to snatch it back.

“H-hey!” She didn’t have time to think about any of that right now, as the men hauled the net up onto the pier. Carole hauled herself back from the edge and lurched onto her feet.

The net fell away from the girl as she hit the wood. They didn’t give her a chance to fling herself away, grabbing her upper arm as she twisted and struggled in an attempt to get away.

“No!” the girl gasped out, grabbing at the hand to try and pry it away. “Please, let go!”

Carole’s shoes slapped hard against the deck as she surged forward. She didn’t think, just let her body move and her anger propel her on. The man holding the girl turned toward her, a little too late, before she threw her head forward, slamming his nose with her forehead.

He shouted in pain, and the girl’s arm slipped from his grasp. Carole reached down and took her hand in his place.

No thought went into her next actions. They needed to escape. Without legs, the girl couldn’t run. The other fisherman was beginning to react to her surprise attack. They needed to move!

“Jump!” she exclaimed, and yanked on the girl’s arm as she leaped from the pier, soaring past the edge and dragging the girl down with her.

Just as the shock of freezing water hit her, and her world became a tumultuous cauldron of bubbles and swirling water and darkness, Carole remembered that she couldn’t swim.

They sank--or rather, she sank. The force of hitting the ocean’s surface forced her grip away. Carole swung her arms, but it did nothing but sap away her energy, as the cold made her muscles sluggish and numb. Her struggle lasted a matter of seconds, her breath a constant stream of bubbles draining away from her.

What a stupid move. Good going, Carole.

At least the girl might thank her later, for giving her life to save her...

Something touched her wrist. She no longer knew whether she was falling or rising. Probably the former, but she couldn’t see. Squinting into the blur of water, she saw the pale face appear in front of her like a ghost. The girl... or a hallucination of her as her chest seared with the desire for a new breath.

The girl-slash-hallucination closed in, and oddly hot lips locked onto hers. It electrified her, tingles running down to her fingertips, down to her toes. Her heart jumped into her throat, and her blood roared to life throughout her body.

Then all too soon, she drew away.

“Are you ok?”

For the first time, the girl spoke to her. Carole was so surprised to hear the question that she drew in a sharp, quick breath. Water poured into her lungs, but somehow didn’t harm her. She exhaled, then inhaled again a little slower, experimenting with the fluid movement of water through her throat. For one reason or another, Carole could breath underwater.

Was it because the girl--no, now that she had the time to acknowledge it, the mermaid--kissed her? The thought embarrassed her somewhat, heat rising to her cheeks. And yet she found that she wanted more.

Delicate fingers threaded themselves with hers. The mermaid leaned in, worry etched into her expression as her eyes restlessly darted across Carole’s face. She realized that she should speak quickly, before she worried the other even more.

She squeezed the mermaid’s hand. “Yes, I’m ok. Are you ok?”

A relieved smile spread across her features. “Mm-hm! Yes! Now I am.” Her eyes shone, and Carole had the impression that they’d fill with tears if they weren’t already underwater. “Thank you so much, I thought I was a goner.”

Carole opened her mouth, found that she had nothing to say, and closed it again. She nodded, still baffled by the strange situation she found herself in.

“Oh, and thank you even more, for the song. It meant so much to me, that terrible longing for something more. The need to make a meaningful impact on lives for hundreds of miles around!” A dreamy look had come to the mermaid’s face. Then, as if realizing that she looked silly, she demurred. “Of course, that probably sounds weird. I’m Tuesday, by the way--mermaid, if you didn’t guess.”

Carole laughed loudly at the shy way she’d spoken, and the obvious thing she’d pointed out. “No, no, I should be thanking you! I felt the same way about that song, and it meant the world to hear you sing along with me. And I’m Carole--human, of course.” Carol

Tuesday returned with giggles, the hand in hers squeezing as she did. Carole decided that she quite liked that sound, just as much as she liked the voice that added itself to hers.

“Oh, here, I’ll return you to land, ok? I’ll guide you somewhere further away from those fisher people.” Something, a shadow, flickered across her face. There and gone in a flash.

“It’s just, uh... I can’t actually swim,” she admitted, although that might’ve been apparent from how she’d sunk like a rock when she jumped overboard.

“Yes, I noticed. That must’ve been so brave of you, to jump in for me like that when you couldn’t swim,” Tuesday said, with such earnest admiration that Carole absolutely didn’t deserve.

“Uh, yeah, I guess...” More like she’d jumped in without thinking, and almost got killed for it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be with you the entire way.” Tuesday kicked her tail, and pulled Carole along after her by their linked hands. “Just don’t let go of my hand.”

Never, she thought to herself, knowing her vehemence came from more than a desire to be out of the water.

#carole and tuesday #carole & tuesday #drabble #drowning cw

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goddessofgamma · 6 years

Text

All These Years (Ao3 Link)

Summary: As Phil and May make their way away from Earth in a stolen shuttle, they appreciate the view and reflect on memories (some funny, some horrible). Phil POV for the future segments and May’s POV for flashbacks.

This was my first ever fic!!

Shining trails of stardust raced behind them as they drifted towards the Earth, the streams of light chasing after the asteroids from which they came.

Asteroids? Or comets? Phil wondered. Or are they meteors? He knew that if Fitz or Simmons were here, they’re would be able to tell him in a heartbeat. But they weren’t with them any more, it was just him and May, flying down in a shuttle to try and make it to Earth.

“It really is beautiful,” Phil breathed, tracing the trails with his eyes. Behind him, May raised an eyebrow as she piloted the craft. “I mean, beautiful for a post-apocalyptic future at least.”

May smiled to herself, finding it sweet that Phil would find something beautiful in all of this.

Many years ago...

Agents Coulson’s lips were softer than she thought they would be. Only a few days ago, May hadn’t really had much of an opinion of Coulson. She’d worked with quite a few new recruits, fresh out of the Communications Academy, self-assured men who were sure that they had what it took to become the next James Bond, but who crumbled under the first sign of stress in the field.

Coulson was different. He was kind of nerdy. He seemed in awe of the history of SHIELD. He was softer, kinder than she had imagined. I wish more spies realised that being a nice person isn’t a flaw, she thought to herself. It wasn’t a weakness for him, he used his sensitivity in his work, and showed his steel when it was needed.

And right now, he was certainly making use of his sensitivity. They were undercover as Mr and Mrs Dennis O’Shaughnessy, newlyweds who were very much in love, and used every possible opportunity to show it. Agents May and Coulson were making the most of two much-used laws of spying: (a) No-one will think that you’re a spy if you have a silly name and (b) if two people are being affectionate, people will be too embarrassed to look at you.

Coulson had gone along with the plan, had said that it was a good strategy, but every time May brushed her hand over his shoulder or wiped some desert from the side of his mouth, he blushed and looked painfully nervous. It’s like he’s worried I’ll turn at any moment and attack, May thought.

And now they were kissing. Rather enthusiastically, at least on May’s part. Coulson was doing his best to keep up. He was doing his best to be gentle, respectful, and as sweet as May thought that was, she knew that they needed to convince any camera’s watching they that they were, in fact, newlyweds.

His hand was lightly resting on her shoulder. All whilst kissing, she took his hand in hers and led it behind her back, hoping he’d get the message (undo my bra!) that she was trying to convey.

He seemed to have gotten the message. He was now fumbling with the clasp of her bra, but did not seem to be making any progress.

Minutes passed. At one point, May thought Coulson had almost got it, he managed to undo two of the three hooks on the clasp, but after a minute or so he somehow managed to hook them back in place.

It’s a good thing that he’s cute, thought May. Otherwise, she might have thought to write up in their report that he wasn’t fully committed to their mission.

He seemed to be enjoying kissing her. His lips tenderly moulded to hers. As she kissed him hard, tried to make it as fierce as possible, playing the role of an impassioned newlywed, he slowed them down, set the pace slower, less urgent.

May was sure she must be reading too much into the kiss. He was a nervous new agent from communications; he wasn’t used to her operations, be-prepared-to-go-all-the-way approach.

Click-WOOSH

Coulson had (finally) managed to successfully unhook her bra.

And now, predictably, he was too shy (or perhaps too courteous) to actually touch her now-freed breasts.

May tried to encourage him, tried to move his hands with hers but as she did, she brushed past his underarm, tickling him. He jumped back immediately, involuntarily giggling. May wanted to give him her best death-stare, give him a look that would force his head back in the game and onto the mission but in truth she found his laughter rather infectious. She gave him her best lovey-dovey smile and started to draw him back in for a kiss. Just as their lips were about to touch, her ear-wire crackled, airing their signal to move and surround their targets.

Only half an hour later, they had apprehended the illegal arms dealers. May piloted the craft back to base with a smile and the taste of Phil’s kisses still on her lips.

Back in the future...

May clicked the shuttle into autopilot. She left her seat, taking a step towards the window, towards Phil. He turned as he heard her steps.

“What are you doing?” Phil asked.

“The shuttle’s on autopilot. I thought I’d have at the ‘beautiful’ view,” “No, I meant what are doing standing up? Your leg’s still not healed, you need to get all the rest you can. Come here.” He walked to sit on at seat in the middle of the shuttle, and motioned her to do the same.

“I’m fine,” May insisted.

“You always say that, but I can see you’re holding your shoulders stiff. You look tense.” May gave him a pointed look.

“Don’t they say that I always look tense?” she replied.

“Scary, I think, is the word that most people would use.” She sat down. “But really, May, how is your leg?”

Phil hoped that she knew that she could be honest around him, that she would know she didn’t just have to grit her teeth and say “I’m fine”.

“I’m alright, it’s…” She gave him a serious look. “It will get better soon.”

“Okay, May, so long as you’re sure”

Many years ago...

After Bahrain, May found it too difficult to talk to Andrew. It didn’t feel like it would get any better it didn’t feel like she could make any progress. Every time she wanted to talk about what happened there, she remembered the little girl, Katya, and how in that moment her hopes of a future family were dashed. Every time she tried to talk about her feelings, she felt as though she was Andrew’s client rather than Andrew’s wife.

A month after her last field mission, Phil came to her little division of the office she worked in. He tried to talk to her, tell her that she should take whatever time she needed to heal, but that he hoped she wouldn’t be out of the field forever. Phil said how he hoped that she knew that she could talk to him, confide in him, if she ever felt that she needed it.

Much to her own surprise, May found that she could confide in him, could talk to Phil about how she felt. He had been there so she didn’t need to explain what happened. She could just talk to him about how she felt, what she’d lost, and know that he would at least partly understand.

“It wasn’t just that I couldn’t save her, Phil,” she said. “I killed her.”

When May cried, there weren’t any sobs, just silent tears sliding by her cheeks.

Back in the future...

He wide, arched window of the craft meant that the view of space engulfed them. The landscape, a vast darkness dappled with stars, was a terrifying as it was breath-taking.

“It is beautiful,” May quietly agreed. “I’m, well, I’m glad that there’s something in all of this,” – she gestured to the stars – “all of this sadness, something that makes you happy, makes it a little worthwhile.”

Phil turned to look at May.

“It’s not the view that makes it worth it. It’s you.” May smiled in response.

“I know, you’re always looking out for the team. I know how much you care about all of us. It’s -“

“No, May, I don’t mean the team. I mean, I do care about everyone, I do want Fitzsimmons to be happy, and for Mack and Elena to be free from this whole sci-fi horror movie scenario. And Daisy, I just think Daisy deserves a break from all of this, but that’s not what makes it worth it. It’s you, May.” He spoke with a level of emotion May wasn’t accustomed to, looking straight into her eyes.

“When I first got to know you, you were fierce and kind and didn’t take any crap from anyone, you never have. And I’ll be honest, after Bahrain, I was worried that I’d lost you, that I’d never have you by my side in the field again. Asking you to join us on the bus, that was the best decision I ever made.” He gently brushed her cheek with his real hand, and May was sure she’s never felt a sweeter touch. "All these years, all these memories, there was you. You pulled me through time."

It was May who lent forward, closing the gap between them and claiming his lips. Phil felt relief, relief that May finally, finally knew how he felt and that she felt the same for him. May’s kisses were soft and passionate, full of emotion that she had kept bottled-up and didn’t always know how to express.

Phil ran his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss. At every point where their skin touched he felt excitement, more excitement than anyone had ever made him feel before. Why did we wait this long? Phil wondered. But as Melinda wrapped her arms around him and pulled them together, any coherent thoughts fled Phil’s brain. The feel of her body against his was a reassurance, an intense feeling that even if they were forced apart in the future, they were together now, and it felt more right than anything ever had in Phil’s life.

May’s hands drew up to his shoulders, her thumbs pulling on the collar of his jacket and she pulled back.

“Phil, I know I’m not…” her eyes darted down, “I’m not good with telling people how I feel but…” she finally met his eyes. “I love you, Phil, I have love you for –“ She tried to think of a unit of time, tried to pinpoint how long she’d loved Phil Coulson but her feelings had grown so slowly, so softly that she couldn’t remember when they started. May shook her head slightly, not knowing how to finish her sentence.

“I love you, Melinda, I don’t know how long but, at some point I realised that you are everything to me.”

It was Phil’s turn to start their kiss, pulling them together and letting himself get lost in her.

The wait was worth it, Phil thought. She is worth all of that time.

#my fic #philinda #phil coulson #melinda may #aos

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tacticiansquill · 7 years

Text

Tides Unknown - Chapter 1: it begins

A reincarnation AU that comes after Birthright canon. Xander is a sailor of Nohr that meets Corrin who longs for adventure, and is headstrong despite the situation. Together they'll embark on the seas, meet both old and new allies, face their inner turmoils, and discover the link that binds them both.

Note: there are certain quirks that may be different from the original Fates verse, due to the Birthright having a lingering effect that will be explored in time.

Fluffy white clouds filled the sky, and the sun took mercy on the town below, and yet the Corrin mourned as she watched strangers throw her rent money away without a care in the world.

She strolled in the nicer area of town that drew the merchants in and stimulated the economy. The walls were always painted in fresh coats, and the pillars stood strong in contrast to the dirtier sector in which most residents made their homes. The shops and restaurants made it a good area to sell flowers, but intense wanderlust struck her as she watched them come and go, even as she stood out in her plainer dresses than the noble folk. Sometimes those that took a liking to her brought her back trinkets from abroad that she stashed away with great care. She went so far as to create elaborate security measures for her precious treasures. She couldn't fault the people for playing a small game, as they did take kindness on her (she assumed her looks played a part in this).

For that reason she eyed the large, gaudy wishing fountain in the square with disdain. It held a small fortune that would actually solve her problems, yet it would all just rot away uselessly.

Corrin didn't put much stock into superstition, for fun or otherwise. She certainly didn’t have lady luck on her side in her years. But even before her luck took a darker child, as a child, she never bothered with eyelash wishes or blowing dandelions. Birthday wishes were a waste of time, and she didn’t spare shooting stars a second glance.

If she wanted something, she would get it herself. That was that. Yet, her stash all held items she’d sourced from others. Clips and books, toys and spices, things she yearned to see with her own eyes in markets she’d never been able to go to herself.

To see so many tourists having their merry time throwing coins into the fountain always had her envious. How frivolous, to be able to travel the world and wish for what one already had! To spend at her leisure, and not have to rely on someone else to get a taste of the world. Just as she felt another pang of envy, a most delightful sound reached her ears. A stray coin that rolled away from the fountain, and towards her feet. Well, no one seemed to be missing it greatly--

She snatched it up between her fingers and grinned at it’s glimmer. How generous of its owner. She did feel bad about robbing a wish… she turned her head from coin to the fountain that so irked her, when someone bumped into her and sent the coin flying in the air.

The loss of her prize made her mind up, and she took quick strides over the hot cobblestone to retrieve the gold coin. “Butterfingers!” she scolded herself as she fumbled with it, and just as it flew into the crowd, another hand grabbed it with ease. And as soon as she felt ease, she felt loss once more.

The man who was her temporary savior deposited the coin into the fountain with ease, and his golden locks shined brilliantly as he looked at her. “Well now, it certainly would have been unfortunate should you have lost your wish. You offered a handsome amount there.”

“My wish ,” she pouted, “was to keep that. I’m no noble, to be able to spare such wealth for a tourist attraction. Oh,” she added when the man’s smile froze in place as he realized what he had done. “I’ve spoken rudely haven't I? I suppose I should thank you for at least trying to help me.”

“''Twas my mistake to assume your intentions. May I rectify my error? I've incurred you a great loss, I imagine.” He extended his arm to her, and she looked over him to judge his character.

His brow was not furrowed, yet appeared stern all the same. He had strong features and looked older than she, and he was handsome for certain. He looked like a man that kept a level head, yet his actions showed some form of ineptitude that she couldn't analyze from a short glance. His loose clothing and kerchief gave away that he was a sailor of sorts, and the scent of the sea clung to him to confirm so. Even if there was the likely risk of him being a flirt, she was intrigued. After all, how could she have any adventure if she never tried anything.

Said all those who died stupidly , she thought dryly.

“And how are you making it up to me?” she inquired.

“What do you wish for?”

“To travel the world.” Her eyes lit up as she said so, and her annoyed countenance melted away just a little.

He gave a loud laugh that prickled at her. Was it so silly for a man like him to hear. At her frown, he quickly sobered and explained himself. “Please do not misunderstand...I don't laugh at you. It's just pleasant to hear something so pure and naive.”

“It's not pure, nor naive. What, will you buy me some necklace that I can pawn off later. Or simply spare me the trouble and pay me back?” She held out her palm with an expectant look.

“You know,” He scratched his chin, “I don't think that coin was of your possession to begin with. A hefty sum wouldn't be something you would play with so carelessly, after all.”

Her ears pinked. Damnation, the man was more observant than she gave him credit for. Perhaps he knew so, and devised this entire plot so they would chat. “Then why do we still converse?”

“Because you have piqued my interest.”

“Ah,” she said with mock remorse. “A flirt after all.” She turned on her heel when his next words had her pause.

“So you wish to travel the world?”

“What is it of your concern?”

“None, perhaps. It is a pure wish. However, the world has great evils.”

She gave an impatient exhale and glanced to the side. “It's not exactly sunshine and daisies here either. At least you get to escape to a boat at night, with only the sea to stop you.”

“I do not wish to turn the conversation heavy--”

“Do not stop for my sake.”

“Very well. It is as you say. You can escape trouble by sailing away….but burdens are never easy to stop bearing.”

“Then teach me. Take me with you,” she challenged him, and the man sighed.

“You don't even know my name, yet you decide to embark to god knows where with a strange man. What if I were to sell you off and rid my hands of you.”

“I can handle myself in a scuffle,” she muttered, her pride taking a dull blow. After a short while

of silence, her curiosity got the better of her. “Where would you take me anyways?”

“Would you like to see?”

“Yes,” she said and stepped ahead of him. “Let me see where my unfortunate fate will take place. I do think I’d fetch good coin.”

He didn't offer his arm again, but he took a leisurely pace beside her as he guided her to his ship. The docks were situated nearby, as they wanted to draw all the sailors and travellers to the bazaar they were in. “Are you trying to convince me to put you on the market?”

“Well you won't hire me. Do you not take women in your crew?”

“On the contrary. I have formidable women that have saved me in many a fight. You, however, seem to be a worrisome hire. To put it kindly, naive.”

“Unkindly?”

“A fool,” he laughed, and she pouted at him once more. “I jest. You eye me with much skepticism, yet you follow me easily. Truly, you’re an odd character.”

“I am very skeptical,” she said as they reached the docks. They walked to a rather handsome ship, and she wondered just what fortune it cost to buy it. He dressed much shabbier than his boat-- ‘twould make a fine vessel to travel in. “I told you, I'm very capable. I beat up some boys the other day.” She climbed up and on to his dock, and admired it. She had never stepped foot on a boat before, especially not one as fine as this.

He smirked. “Had their voices cracked yet?”

She scowled for a moment, then returned to gawking around. “Hey, are you the captain?” She narrowed her eyes as she judged his attire again.

“Indeed I am. Care to see my quarters?”

“A risky proposition. But I’ll take your bait.” She dashed in front of him and asked to see every part she’s ever read about in books. Maps, and compasses, navigation devices and ship tools… everything was so fascinating to her, it already felt as though she were in another world. “Where is your hat?”

“Pardon?” he paused as he was in the midst of moving aside some barrels so she could look in the storage.

“Don’t captains wear hats?”

“I… am not that sort of captain.” He spoke honestly.

“Then, are you a pirate?” That too, sounded true.

“Not that either. I simply make deliveries and run errands,” he spoke as though it were the truth, yet deep down Corrin knew he was hiding his true occupation. She didn’t think of him shady… but she was dying to know the truth.

“Then there should be no problem if I tag along then? You don't do anything dangerous, right?”

“If that is what you think. You should be going home now.”

“Are you… leaving today?” She spoke with reluctance. Though she knew him not long, nor had much reason to be attached, deep inside she wanted to get to know him better.

“In the morning. So I’ll be taking your leave once I see you off.” With a nod he indicated that they should make their exit, yet they both dragged their feet as they left the boat and went their way back into town.

They walked together in mostly silence. She stood at his side closer than before, and pointed out places of interest to him. He listened with genuine attention, and just as they went back to a cheerful banter, they arrived at the shabby little neighborhood she called home. Dilapidated and dusty, it wasn't somewhere she was proud to show him.

“Ah….well, don't get into any more trouble,” she kicked away a pebble as she stood away from him to wave him goodbye.

“Don't wander on to any strange ships.” He hesitated, then gently patted her shoulder before he turned away. The sight of his retreating back wasn’t pleasant to see… but it wouldn’t be long until she saw him again. She couldn't just ignore the niggling feeling that she couldn't let him leave. Like she would be left behind if he were to go. And beyond that… this was her chance to explore. Even if they dumped her at the next port, it would be a hell of a lot better than being stranded in the same place forever.

Luckily for Corrin, he gave her a time frame to make her move, intentional or not. Until morning. That was the time she had to sneak onto his ship and stay hidden.

She gathered her clothes, necessities, life savings, and her beloved souvenirs into a bundle. With some rope in hand and a candle, she slipped into the night and said goodbye to the home she lived in for so long. She didn't hold much attachment to it. She had grown up with her family somewhere else after all. This place did nothing but remind her that she just had herself.

Though it was a risky move to abandon all and stow away on a ship that didn't want her, she didn't hesitate. She felt an unreasonable amount of trust towards the captain… yet she didn’t even know his name yet. A voice murmured in her head as she thought that. It was fuzzy, and annoying. She bit her lip and stood still to focus. Her head cleared, yet she felt as though she had just lost something. “Ah… I must be tired.” Corrin ignored all else and retraced her steps back to his ship.

What luck! They were hauling merchandise onto the ship. She could sneak in easily! She crept around some crates, and knelt into a box of cheeses. “Stinky… Do they really eat this?” Even as she wrinkled her nose she nibbled on a variety to pass the time. Finally, she felt the crate lift and hoisted into the ship. This was it--now or never to make a run for it. She felt more excitement than trepidation, and the adrenaline of it all had her running on a high. After a while she was set down, and all was quiet.

Now she would just have to wait out the ni--The lid was being slid off and light filled her little hiding spot. Oh no no no! She didn't think they would indulge in dairy so late in the evening! She peeked up very, very slowly and saw a familiar wooden room, and an even more familiar face.

“Ah, there you are,” the man held out a hand to her. “Having a feast are we?”

#fire emblem #fire emblem fates #xander #corrin #kamarx

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justatouchofanxiety-blog · 7 years

Note

Karmagisa prompt #17 please~

17: HELP! THERE��S A REALLY CUTE MERMAID TRYING TO SEDUCE ME!

In which Nagisa can’t fuckin handle life, and Karma is a cheeky shithead.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Korosensei, doesn’t this seem a bit… Excessive?”

Nagisa glanced around at his surroundings. They were on a beach, as if the crystal clear waves and pale sand didn’t give it away. Nagisa vaguely remembered how he got into this position in the first place. His teacher, who also happened to be the class E-3 therapist, had overheard him talking about how his mother would take him to the beach. Before she became… Well… Like she was now. Which was violent, and just plain scary. After hearing this, Nagisa’s vaguely mentally unstable teacher took it upon himself to take him to the beach during the lunch break. He had even packed a picnic for them. Now, for any ordinary sensei, this would be kind of weird, and probably illegal. But Nagisa and the class of E-3 were different than average students. Besides, their sensei was no more normal than them. He was always telling stories about how he used to be an assassin, but they all knew he was kidding around. Still, though the guy was an easy-going person, he was just as easily terrifying. He had the reflexes of a cat and could outrun anyone in the class. Even the gym teacher. It was these horrifying traits that landed Nagisa in this situation in the first place. Korosensei turned to him, narrowing his gray eyes.

“Excessive? Me? Psh. Don’t be silly. In any case, aren’t you glad we’re here? You spoke of this beach fondly, and i’m aware of your, erm, situation with your mother. This will be good for your mental health. Come now, we only have about an hour here.”

Nagisa gave a defeated sigh and nodded, clenching his grip on the picnic basket as they walked. He stared at the back of his teacher’s head of black hair. It was growing kind of long, but it was nothing compared to Nagisa’s own blue locks, which went far below his shoulders. He turned his attention to the ocean, watching as the waves lapped against the shore before drawing back and giving a glimpse of the sand underneath. He could spot small shells and crabs along the shoreline, only to have them be swallowed up again shortly by the water. Korosensei cleared his throat, snapping Nagisa out of his daze.

“So what’s so special about this beach anyway? Other than having sentimental value linked to memories, of course.”

Nagisa laughed nervously, running his hands along his pigtails nervously.

“You’ll laugh at me.”

His teacher turned, raising an eyebrow and giving Nagisa a stone-cold expression.

“Have I ever laughed at you?”

Nagisa just stared at him and grinned nervously, before giving a defeated sigh.

“Fine… When I was little, my mom believed in mermaids. She probably still does. We would go here whenever we had free time, and go mermaid searching. I never believed in them, but I enjoyed the time we spent together. Though after a while, it got annoying whenever she went into a frenzy after seeing fish scales. Once dad left, that all stopped. I don’t know if I was disappointed or relieved. In any case, I haven’t been back to the place ever since.”

Silence from Korosensei. Nagisa went into a mini-panic. Oh God, he sounded crazy. His sensei was gonna tell his mom, and then he was gonna be made to go to a shrink again. No, don’t be stupid Nagisa. He wouldn’t do that to you. Just calm down and wait for him to speak. So, Nagisa listened to the small reassuring voice in his head. And sure enough, after about a solid ten seconds or so of silence, Korosensei chuckled lightly.

“Well then, do you believe in mermaids now?”

He thought this over carefully.

“Maybe. If I see one for myself.”

Nagisa jumped as his sensei gave a loud whoop. He went from scary and serious to man-child in just seconds. The odd teacher always baffled those around him.

“Well then, I know what we’re doing today! Let’s split up and look for some fish-people, eh? We can meet back here in a half hour to eat lunch. See you later, then!”

And before Nagisa could blink, his sensei had already darted off. He stared after him for a few seconds, wondering what just happened. He slowly recapped what Korosensei had said. Split up and look for some fish-people. He wanted them to look for mermaids? Huh. He could do that, though he knew his efforts would be in vain. He shrugged, letting a small smile tug at his lips as a breeze slightly ruffled his hair. Using one hand, he took down his pigtails with more effort than he would like to admit. He didn’t usually like having his hair down in public, but there was no one around, so he was fine. Well, that is, he thought there was no one else around, until he heard a splash in the water. The picnic basket fell out of his hands, landing with a dull thump in the sand. Luckily though, it didn’t open. He reached his hands behind his head, pulling his hair into a loose ponytail before staring defensively at the water.

“Who’s there?!”

The water rippled, and Nagisa glanced at the sand. He spotted a particularly big shell, picking it up. He drew his hand back and launched the shell into the water. He nearly had a heart attack when there was a large splash. Too big to be from the shell. A boy with blood-red hair peeked out of the water, his amber eyes glaring at Nagisa.

“Well that was just rude. And here I was trying to be polite. Damn land-walkers…”

Nagisa stared at him, eyes wide. How long had that boy been underwater? He didn’t even have a snorkel!

The boy tilted his head, grinning at Nagisa.

“Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”

His cocky smile faltered, before turning to a concerned one.

“That’s how the saying goes, right? I never really learned what a picture is, but I can understand the context. It’s like a painting?”

Nagisa took a shaky breath, staring at this odd red-headed boy.

“Are you… Are you foreign?”

He laughed.

“Yep. I come from a far-away place called the ocean. Come on, you just said you were searching for mermaids. You finally find one and you’re this clueless? No wonder the others look down upon land-walkers. But still, you’re cute. I’ll forgive you.”

He grinned, and something bright yellow peeked out of the water. Did Nagisa dare to look? Is that even a question? Hell yeah he did. Upon turning his gaze to the side, he found something equally beautiful and terrifying. A slender, golden, scaled tail was emerging from the water, waving back and forth lightly, similar to how a cat’s would act. The base of the tail was a dark gold, and as the shimmering golden hues made their way up, they slowly changed hue, until the tip of his tail ended in a pale yellow, almost the exact same shade as the shoreline sand. The delicate fins were nearly white, glinting gold every once in a while from the sun. Nagisa found himself mesmerized by it. And then he realized. There was a mermaid talking to him. A mermaid. Talking to him. And wait… Did he just call Nagisa cute? Without warning, Nagisa sprung back in the sand, shrieking at the top of his lungs.

“KOROSENSEI, HELP! THERE’S A REALLY CUTE MERMAID TRYING TO SEDUCE ME!”

The boy’s amber eyes widened, his webbed hands waving frantically.

“No! Shut up! The others will kill me if I get us caught! We’re not supposed to talk to land-walkers! Just… STOP SCREAMING!”

But Nagisa was too busy having a full-on meltdown. And then he couldn’t breathe. Water filled his lungs and stung his eyes, and then he realized he was underwater. Bubbles emerged from his mouth, and he clawed desperately upwards. He was inches away from the surface, but each time he went to swim up, he felt hands around his legs hold on tighter, dragging him down more and more. His lungs screamed for air, and his movements grew weaker. And then everything went black.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Karma sat there, tail flicking back in forth in the shallow water as he watched the blue-haired land-walker sleep. How was he to know that their body didn’t store oxygen like mermaids? He was alive- he knew that was true, at the very least. The shallow rising and falling of his chest said so. He sighed, running a hand through his short red hair. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t called the stupid boy cute, huh? Well, whatever. Karma sighed, and talked out loud to himself. It was a bad habit he had.

“Guess I gotta wait for you to wake up, huh?”

He ran his hands through the boy’s bright blue hair quietly. It was much softer than mermaid hair. Maybe due to the lack of salt water. It felt similar to the sea sponges that so often lined the hatchling nurseries. He hummed, smiling lightly to himself as he ran his fingers through the locks. On second thought, it reminded him more of seaweed, except not slimy. No, no. Sea sponges. Maybe a mix of the two? Was that even a thing? His over-analyzation of the land-walker’s hair was interrupted when he gave an abrupt cough, rolling onto his side and coughing up mouthfuls of sea water. Karma drew back with a yelp, sinking into the water. He sat up slowly, azure eyes flicking around. Karma felt pride swell in his chest. He had found this perfect cave all by himself, including an entry-way through the water and a flat slab of rock smack in the middle, dry and safe from the waves. The cave had a hole in the top where the sunlight was able to shine through, and Karma had been kind enough to put the land-walker in its light so that he could dry off. The boy groaned slightly, glancing around at the cave before his eyes finally landed on Karma. Admitting defeat, he emerged from the small tide-pool, waving meekly.

“Uh… You’re awake! Great! I was worried you had died!”

The boy’s face turned to one of confusion.

“What are you…?”

And then fury washed over his face like a wave. Karma shrunk back, suddenly struck with terror by this land-walker’s foul temper.

“YOU TRIED TO DROWN ME!”

Karma shot up out of the water, scowling.

“YOU WERE SCREAMING!”

“ANY SENSIBLE PERSON WOULD SCREAM IF THEY SAW A MERMAID IN THE OCEAN!”

“NO, THEY WOULD BE STRUCK BY THEIR BEAUTY AND GRACE! THEY WOULD FEEL BLESSED TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF A MERMAID SUCH AS MYSELF!”

The land-walker furrowed his eyebrows, lips slightly parted.

“You’re a real narcissist, aren’t you?”

“…Shut up.”

The boy gave a defeated sigh and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

“This? This is just great! I’m stuck in a cave, I have no idea where I am, and i’m stuck with an asshole mermaid!”

Karma scowled, flicking the water at the land-walker with his tail.

“Don’t call me an asshole, land-walker. I brought you to this cave and got you warm, didn’t I?”

The boy glared, before glancing around.

“You’re right. Look, thank you. I just… I want to get back home, mermaid. Please?”

Karma leaned his head on his hand.

“Fine. I know a way out of here, but you’ll have to hold your breath for a few seconds.”

“Easy enough.”

The boy eased himself off the rock, and Karma could see a shiver run through his body. Not everyone was used to the chilly water, especially in the freeze-over season. Karma had heard that during this season, mermaids living in bay areas often experienced the water becoming solid, and had to dive deeper. He pitied them. The boy reached out his hands, and they were visibly shaking from the cold. Karma took his hands in his, smiling lightly.

“Come on then, cutie.”

The boy turned a slight shade of red, and scowled.

“My name is Nagisa.”

“Noted. I think cutie suits you better. The name’s Karma. Shall we?”

The land-walker, identified as Nagisa apparently, nodded and sucked in a breath. He gave Karma a nod of affirmation, and Karma wasted no time wrapping his hands around his waist, perhaps a bit too eagerly, and diving down. He felt pride in the water blurring by. He was one of the fastest mermaids in his pod, and he’ll be damned if he didn’t show it off. Seconds later, they were on the surface again, and Nagisa sucked in a gasp of air. After a few seconds of Nagisa breathing heavily and Karma waiting patiently, the blue-haired boy glanced around.

“Uh… All I see is ocean. How far are we from the beach?”

Karma shrugged.

“Like, twenty minutes or so? But that’s just by mermaid speed.”

Nagisa stared down at him, looking like he was pondering something.

“How fast do mermaids swim?”

An evil grin tugged at the corners of Karma’s lips, and he glanced up at Nagisa, narrowing his amber eyes at him.

“Want me to show you?”

A nod was all Karma needed to take off towards the beach. Nagisa’s hands tightened around his shoulders, all while he was shrieking at the top of his lungs. Karma growled.

“If you don’t shut up, i’m going to drown you!”

“SLOW DOWN!”

Karma sighed, slowing his pace a bit, until the blurs of water became waves that were lazily drifting past. He glared up at Nagisa, his expression softening when he saw that the boy had an apologetic expression on his face.

“Sorry, it’s just… I get overwhelmed easily, I guess.”

Like nothing had ever happened, the boy’s expression turned chirpy and excited, similar to a kid’s.

“Still, that was so cool! You’re like a speedboat!”

“A what now?”

“Never mind. Let’s just swim, maybe a bit slower than before.”

“You got it, princess.”

“Oh my God that’s worse than cutie.”

“All the more reason for me to call you that~”

Their bickering continued for a while, Karma grinning lazily all the while. How did he get so lucky as to be swimming a cute land-walker to the beach?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Nagisa didn’t know how long he had been passed out when the mermaid brought him to the cave. Karma. That’s his name, right? It’s a nice name. No, focus on the task at hand, Nagisa. You always do this. Focus. What time is it? Nagisa stared at the water as Karma slowed to a stop. He glanced at the mermaid, who had a fond smile on his face. He took in every detail of the boy. The gills on the side of his neck, the way his bangs just barely reached his glowing amber eyes- Wait, he was staring. He cleared his throat quickly.

“What time is it, anyway?”

Karma stared up at the sun, clicking his tongue in thought.

“Around six o’clock?”

Nagisa gave a strangled groan. He no doubt gave Korosensei a heart attack, and his mom expects him home by three every single day after school, and not a second later. He was both literally and figuratively dead. He groaned, placing his hand on his forehead.

“I’m so dead.”

Karma chuckled, flexing his shoulders and encouraging Nagisa to let go.

“You’ll be fine. And hey, if you decide to come to this beach again, I might be here. We could always have a little fun while we’re at it.”

He grinned devilishly, and gave a wink. Nagisa let out a sheepish laugh.

“Haha! T-That’s a funny joke! I am laughing! HAH!”

Karma narrowed his eyes.

“Alright, just go before you make more of a fool of yourself.”

Nagisa nodded hastily, sliding off of the mermaid’s back and fighting back a grimace as the water met his bare torso. Karma poked Nagisa’s back, earning a yelp.“It’s really easy to scare you, huh? Go on, Nagisa.”

He nodded, wading towards the shoreline, until only the bottoms of his feet touched the water. He sighed, stretching and going to leave, before a yell made him stop.

“Oh yeah! By the way, I got you something while you were passed out, and kinda forgot to give it to you. Kind of like an apology gift for trying to drown you.”

Nagisa turned, and in Karma’s outstretched hands was a tuna. It was mostly wrapped in seaweed, with only the head poking out. Nagisa took it, grinning.

“Oh man, thanks! I should’ve figured mermaids were good hunters.”

Karma nodded, smiling as he propped his elbow against the sand. A distant yelling rung out through the air, and both Nagisa and Karma turned. That sounds like Korosensei. Oh god. Karma chuckled.

“That’s my cue. I’ll see you around, Nagisa.”

Nagisa laughed, before his face froze.

“Oh, one more thing!”

Karma tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

“Hm?”

Nagisa fumbled around in his pockets, before pulling out his phone. Thank god he still had it, and thank god for his waterproof case.

“Aha! Remember when you said ‘Take a picture, it’ll last longer’? Well uh… Can I?”

He waved the phone with a pleading expression on his face. Karma laughed lowly.

“How can I say no to that face? Alright hotshot, take the picture.”

Nagisa grinned, holding up the phone. Karma flashed the camera a peace sign, barely reacting to the bright flash. Korosensei’s yelling was closer now, to the point where Nagisa was able to make out what he was saying.

“Nagisa! There you are! Oh man, your mom is about to kill me! I thought you had run away or something and I was panicking-”

Karma snickered and flashed Nagisa a salute.

“Later, land-walker.”

Nagisa stuck out his tongue and saluted him back.

“Nice to meetcha, mermaid.”

And then in the blink of an eye, Karma was gone, leaving nothing but a small ripple of water in his wake. Nagisa already kinda missed him, even though he had only known him for about four hours. He felt a hand on his shoulder and nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Jeez! Don’t do that again, kid!”

Nagisa turned, hugging the seaweed-wrapped tuna to his chest.

“S-Sorry! I got lost, and then I got hungry so I decided to go fishing and then I lost track of time and-”

Korosensei narrowed his dark gray eyes at him.

“You were the one in charge of the picnic basket.”

“It uh… It got washed away! By the ocean! That’s why I went fishing!”

“Uhuh. And did you find any mermaids?”

Nagisa gave a nervous smile.

“Actually, I uh… I did. I have a picture.”

Korosensei’s face lit up.

“NO WAY! LET ME SEE, LET ME SEE!”

He went to snatch Nagisa’s phone, earning an annoyed grunt.

“Okay okay, hold on…”

He pulled up the picture of Karma, and showed it to Korosensei triumphantly. Korosensei glanced to the picture. Then back to Nagisa. Then back to the picture. And then he did the thing Nagisa least expected- he started to laugh.

“That’s not a mermaid, Nagisa! That’s just some random guy you took a picture of! He does look like your type, though. I can see why you wanted to take pictures of him.”

Nagisa felt a wave of shock.

“What? No! He’s definitely a…”

He stared back down at the picture. Oh my God, i’m such an idiot. Karma’s tail was completely absent from the picture. The only thing that showed was his torso, and the part where skin met scales was obscured by the water. He was also facing towards the camera, gills out of view. He groaned, and stared back up at his sensei as he took the fish towards him.

“In any case, you caught a tuna. That’s pretty impressive. And wrapped it up, no less. Trying to be fancy, are we? Come on now, we can have this for lunch tomorrow in class. I’m sure the other students will appreciate it. Let’s go, your mom is already on the verge of killing me!”

Nagisa sighed, pocketing his phone and following after his sensei, defeated. He gave one last hopeless glance back towards the water. And suddenly, he was in a much better mood.

Because he could’ve sworn he saw a flash of golden scales.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

#Karmagisa #Assassination Classroom #Mermaid AU #Writing Prompt #Mad Musical Prompts #Mermaid!Karma #Human!Korosensei

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disarmingly · 7 years

Text

fanfic asks i’m going to post answers in numerical order as i got some numbers asked twice which is cool but i definitely am the idiot who will lose track if i don’t do it in number order! also i’ll throw it under a read-more bc i tend to get rambly and so it all gets quite long! like seriously i apologize i wanted to give it my all but like i may have written too much >_<;;;

i'm gonna preface with: i was confused by these first two because i thought is this the same question but then figured maybe 3 was ff and 4 is not ff? T_T;;;;

3 [ name three favorite writers ]

the truth is i admire a lot of people and not all of them actually post their work unfortunately. however, xiajin ( @j-ungah) is one who does, for which i am very grateful. it's easier though for me to say the THINGS i like best i.e. i really admire people who do humor in…how do i say it? ah well it's best for me when it's fluid within other feelings -- like the lightheartedness makes the punches and ups and downs of other aspects of their stories just shine? i am fairly unskilled with lightness/humor and i am repeatedly and eternally in awe of people who weave that facet of the heart into their narratives so believably. ^^;; i also admire what i think of as a seven-sense experience -- which is to say something about a writer whose descriptions dialogues and everything in-between??? create a thing i feel hear smell taste see, yes, but also a thing i dream, i thing i wake up to or from….that kind of suspension of my reality. ^^;;; which just smacks of escapism i know hahakjsfsdlfds OTL but it is what i like! some other part of why i don't have a lot of names rn is that when i'm focusing on writing i don't read as much fic? and on the flipside when i'm not trying to write then i read like everything under the sun thrice over ^^;;; but i've been in writing/trying to write-mode since i posted This Time Around so…yeah!

4 [ name three authors that were influential to your work and tell why ]

this is really hard! but i left out one writer on my past book rec list so i'll mention him here. john steinbeck! i know that most people/schools/etc tout him for grapes of wrath T_T;;; but like….i tried really hard to like it for a friend who is basically married to that book and i just…couldn't? i tried with of mice and men too but that book is like being beaten up by the written word and no one to patch you up afterward. but. BUT! let. me. tell. you.

east of eden

this book is falling apart like i've read it until it's shreds and i don't wanna give up the copy i have because like…i have so many notes in it? i have dates written down and things i don't remember ever writing or what they reference but getting a new one would be like…idk i can't do it yet. i'll have to soon just bc i carry it around everywhere and i need it but..this book, warrants steinbeck being mentioned in and of itself. if you haven't read it, i cannot rec it enough. like i am not honestly a huge fan of anything outside of fantasy or science fiction but this is my exception. no amount of applauding is going to do it justice. but suffice to say he's got this wickedly good balance of ideas, execution, emotion, and rationale and i just feel so much it is a book that HURTS and yet i kind of…what's it like? it's like if it took me years and years to climb a tree just to see what i can see from the top, then learning to climb back down. sitting under that tree. feeling…like a conversation happened?

T_T i ramble but yeah. john steinbeck's east of eden.

other than that: diana wynne jones, CLAMP (cries forever), cs lewis

6 [ how did writing change you? ]

before i wrote i drew and i painted, which i find hilarious now because lolololol what IS visual art, it’s hard work and talent hybridized with quality hearts (me: /stares at all my fave fanartists for real) kdsfdsfdlsfjlds but yeah uh writing happened because i loved reading. i thought: these things make me feel less displaced in the universe, if only a little. ah well, more to the point, writing in and of itself changes me in every day life almost to a fault: i think a LOT about what i say, even when i’m perceivably rambling. i over-think it too. writing in every-day life makes even the most awkward cat potato (me) better able to hold a normal conversation, which come to that isn’t the MOST important thing, but it is a thing that changed because before writing i basically stood still and tried to hide in my own shadow (unsuccessfully btw.) now i stand very still, hope no one talks to me, but am able to at least talk back if they do ^^;;

if this question means how did ff writing change me otherwise...is it stupid to say on several times, writing ff has saved me? is it melodramatic? probably. i think it does though. i’ve said several times i don’t do wonderfully in-person (ability to converse even so) and it’s painfully true. i don’t know that i believe i ever will. i’m in plainest terms, too afraid. ff writing has given me opportunity to connect with people despite my shortcomings in this way though. sometimes someone says they related to a certain thing or they feel content or a familiar sadness but not in a bad way and that is So Much to me. like can you imagine being in complete darkness and seeing a small light in the sky or the ground or the sea suddenly? that’s what those are.

so writing is helping me change, i hope, from someone who has had the growing fear of being lost forever, to being a little less lost, a little less unworthy. to be fair, writing in and of itself for me is often a lost feeling but those sparks of Found are irreplaceable and whether they happen when i write or when someone responds to the writing, i carry them with me to the best of my ability. because they’re precious. because i need them. and i’m grateful.

writing separate from ff is something i also hope will change me, but i have yet to figure out a way to share that and for now i have a lot of stories on my Intentions to try to actualize, so my side poetry is a sidecar project and that’s okay.

11 [ do you listen to music when writing? ]

yes! in fact i tend to make playlists for my stories when i’m done usually consisting of what i listened to….even if that's a silly thing to do ^^;; i think about sharing them sometimes haha but it’d be linking a bunch of youtube links so idk if that’s dumb sdlkedfsoijlefdjoslk sometimes it’s bangtan and often it’s movie scores i.e. ghibli stuff ....oh and video game osts too!!! a hodgepodge!

12 [ favorite place to write ]

home because i need as much control over my environment as possible. i honestly don't understand how people can get any writing done outside in the city because it's like one massive attention-deficit lmfdlsfdsfkdsjl but kudos to the people who can…!

13 [ hardest character to write ]

LMFSLKFUOIJWFLSK gosh um…i think for me the way i would phrase this is that the character i am most nervous writing??? yoongi. he features predominantly in my writing because i find his transparency about his journey(s) relatable and something to always be grateful for. unfortunately being relatable presents the ever present pitfall possibility of projecting onto someone, which i don't want to do. even when writing him as a character, i still want him to resonate true to the real deal in as much as possible in the world created or the canon suggested. i want to do right by him, very badly, and for better or worse that means i can almost never enjoy writing him because i'm so worried the whole time. the moment of peace is when i either post or delete, but both leave an uneasy feeling if i'm honest, and perhaps that's always going to be true -- with my favorite people and my favorite ideas i guess.

14 [ easiest character to write ]

like 13 i'm cheating and changing this to the character i'm least anxious writing and that would be namjoon. i love him a lot but for whatever weird reason i'm not having heart palpitations every time i have to write a line of dialogue for him. is it because i've watched and read everything of him the most? not really. i think i've re-visited more kookie things out of all of the ot7, but namjoon has a vibe i get, a wavelength i'm on almost all the time and i can't quite explain it since it's not like i'm talking about a person i personally Know. but what i mean is, i feel like i do? he makes me feel comfortable with him at the colloquial level both verbally and emotionally so i don't overthink him as much as i do say yoongi, jungkook, and hoseok -- all beloved but also sharp points of vulnerability for me.

17 [ favorite AU to write ]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh….well. the way it's phrased it feels like it means ongoing AU??? which would be time and again drabbles supplementary to This Time Around (the initial oneshot).... (even tho from hereon out everything else will transpire BEFORE the current chapter up lololololol way to be confusing right) but if it just means like what universe, period, huh gosh. all your stars are my stars too au probably.

20 [ favorite character to write ]

i CAN'T pick

21 [ least favorite character to write ]

i don't have one unless you count 'difficult' as leas favorite but that's really not true for me s-so...

22 [ favorite story you’ve ever written ]

?_? ahhh the story closest to my heart? tie between all your stars are my stars too verse, and this time around verse. haha i keep picking those two but honestly despite being two very different worlds the pulse is actually the same.

23 [ least favorite story you’ve ever written ]

so far away

still disappointed in myself because to this day i don't know what i can do to make it better i just know it could be and it's so specific i just don't look at it anymore. it is by far the one i've revised the most and i'm sure that's weird haha...but it means so much to me...if it was a friend in my past, this story would be the friend i should have done more for, didn’t, couldn’t, and will regret until i can either come up with an answer or just have to square with said regret and say we don’t always get it the way we want it. hm. i admit when i posted it i hoped i’d be less disappointed with myself over time, but apparently not so.

24 [ favorite scene you’ve ever written ]

T_T no idea … do you have one, anon? /waves white flag/ i guess i'm just cheating through all these asks OTL forgive me but i guess a favorite would be any scene that a reader feels connected with them/resonated personally or moved their feelings into a place or shape they didn't expect but are okay having?

25 [ favorite line you’ve ever written ]

sjflkfesdipokleds /covers face/ im really sorry i just don't…have one…ah...i can’t look too closely...but i always appreciate when readers have favorite lines and copy paste them to me any given time like it’s so nice? ;_; it’s so nice ahhh

26 [ story you’re most proud of ]

since i kinda hard passed the last two with this one huh like i guess if i can qualify this as 'story i consider deleting the least often' that would actually probably be my ONE vmin fic i wrote so far -- sidereal -- lmfdlskfdsfjdsl sidereal -- and it's not that i think it's especially good but more so that i know/ don't question what i'd change about it because it came together start-to-finish very naturally…and that's funny since i had never written them before.

27 [ best review you ever got ]

listen. every review is the best review T_T seriously every review, every bookmark's notes, every ask….(well as long as it's not mean!) ah is a use of someone else's time they did not have to give me but they did and that? that's huge. fanfic is interesting bc it's a thing done for pleasure but unlike say, fanart, there is no readily apparent way to make it marketable? so i think of those words left as review or ask or whatever… as a manner of wealth, if it makes sense, a currency of kindness motivation/encouragement and hope -- that even if i dislike my writing/ find majority fault within it at the end of the day….. there are people out there who don't dislike it too, which is amazing and a relief.

28 [ worst review you ever got ]

hmmm well tech it wasn't a review but like i have gotten a LOT of asks regarding ... .- ...- . -- . + stardrop that range from disappointment that i wrote/published stardrop at all [i knew it would garner some of this but i have haha had more than i thought] to just flat-out regret for having read any of them in the first place. now, as someone who doesn't see any time in the near future where i'll like my own writing, having someone use the words 'regret reading' are….it's upsetting. i feel silly for how much it gets to me but i'm a weak spiral of a person in many ways, so asks like that send me running to hover over the delete button all the time, not just on that story but every story. but i know LOGICALLY it's just an extreme reaction of mine so i don't follow through but yeah my fight or flight response is very much flight lolololol OTL

as for not that uh probably the smattering of asks that came through when i posted 'follow' …one of which asked why i portrayed jungkook so stalkery (as far as i'm concerned, i didn't. he admires namjoon same as some of us admire our own internet idols or whoever)

32 ... .- ...- . -- . [ alternate title for (insert story title) ]

IN fact i almost called it 'equilibrium' but while relevant that seemed too vague...

33 ... .- ...- . -- . [ alternate ending for (insert story title) ]

jungkook wakes up. jungkook wakes up and he's raining, brings his hands to his eyes and can't stop, can't speak, can't anything but rain. jungkook wakes up, curls on his side, and cries cries cries until he falls back asleep.

a moment later, the door to his room slides open. two pairs of eyes worry after him into the dark where they recognize three things: 1. jungkook may never forgive himself; 2. there is nothing either of them can do about it; 3. when the captain named namjoon and the mechanic named yoongi forced jungkook into an escape pod at just the last second, their intention was to save him but the result is not so simple.

with unpredictable caution, taehyung enters the room, jimin's hand at his back, doesn't bother to speak quietly, well-acquainted at this point with how deeply jungkook dreams, how desperately. biting the inside of his cheek, taehyung shakes his head. "what are we gonna do?" after a moment, he glances to his right as jimin brushes past him to draw jungkook's blankets up more securely around him, combs soft fingers through his sweat matted hair and says,

"the best we can."

38 [ do you reread your own stories? ]

other than to proofread? no! i'm still very immature as a writer so the reality is if i go back to read something i have a 99% likely will delete because i see all the flaws and things i want to do better but don't yet have the skill to achieve??? but i know i can't or shouldn't literally wipe everything away Just Because, so…@_@;;;

40 [ which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series ]

time and again drabbles or this time around

46 [ share a scene of a story that you haven’t published yet ]

the night of taehyung's sorting, jimin jumps out of his place at the table to go meet him but a hand circles around his wrist, holds him there. when he looks down, he finds taemin, all calculated cat expressiveness that reminds jimin of yoongi except taemin has a contradictory warmth about him. yoongi is cool to the look the touch and everything until you get inside him; then he's warmer, jimin would dare say, than he himself is, but so few people know it it's hardly worth mentioning. he blinks. frowns.

"i'm going to say hi."

"no."

jimin pulls. taemin sighs.

"do you think for a second they won't use him against you."

it's not a question and for good reason. jimin sits down again, quiet. hollow, learns at age twelve about thinking ahead and expecting the worst.

if only to protect the very best.

truth be known, he doesn't mind being a slytherin. it's easy to just say no one is trustworthy than to say everyone is. but the history of his family creates a whole additional spectrum of uncertainty. 'park' is so common a name one would think it wouldn't be so obvious except jimin's family has been in and out of the wizarding world papers for quite some time. try as they might to undo a history that predates them by decades, it's hard -- no, impossible. slytherin is one thing. heir is another. wealth. jimin is twelve but the world is much older and his so-called peers fall somewhere in-between.

anyway.

what he wants: to say hello to his dearest friend.

what he doesn't want: to bring said friend trouble, no more than he already has.

jimin looks over at taehyung, watches as hoseok helps him with his baskets and...swallows.

it hurts.

around the middle of the second month taehyung goes missing.

it's yoongi that lets jimin know, which makes jimin feel guilty all over: i should have already known.

"did they say when they last saw him?" he asks, rushing around more than he knows yoongi prefers but yoongi is loyal and yoongi is yoongi; he rushes with him, this way and that.

"hobi says yesterday, supper."

biting his lip until it bleeds, jimin experiences what a person always experiences when he knows this might be all his fault: wrenching self disgust, fear, anxiety that crawls around in the chest and twists around the heart like a curse. but feeling bad won't do anything; feeling bad won't find his best friend (who might not want to be your best friend anymore, his heart whispers and it's cold, it's distant, it's terrifying.) yoongi's hand in the sleeve of his robe jerks jimin to a stop so fast he almost trips, except yoongi holds him up while muttering a spell under his breath, the tip of his wand a sharp tap against jimin's strawberry pin (a thing he wears every day in the knot of his tie.) it lights up briefly, blue.

"if i find him before you, that'll happen."

then yoongi is gone in another direction. it makes sense. the school is offensively massive and jimin has never detested it more in his life.

growing up, jimin lived by the sea and taehyung came to visit him every other summer. they collected seashells and named all the fish they happened to find and made castles they planned to live in one day when they were older.

"this one's your room."

holding up a piece of sea glass shining aquamarine, jimin held it over the sun, turned back to face him and said, "then it's yours too."

the room of requirement is for any given thing. for taehyung he needs a place to be found and for jimin, he needs to stop losing.

it takes him two days to find the boy whose sleeping patterns he knows by heart, the boy whose dreams felt often like his own dreams when they were much smaller; it takes him two days and seven hours and forty-one minutes. but he finds him.

when he opens the door, it's some god sized gift to have taehyung meet his eyes.

it's a human sized gift to receive a careful smile.

and it's everything else to crush him in his arms and breathe him in and keep him there, everything to say,

"i'm sorry."

"me too." a pause. "those strawberries were for you," and the way taehyung says it isn't a guilt-trip. it's just him being genuinely regretful he couldn't give them to jimin the way he wanted to but this makes it that much sharper.

jimin bursts into tears.

that summer they go to taehyung's home and jimin eats every strawberry taehyung offers him, which means he gets fairly sick, but he disguises it as something else as best he can and almost doesn't feel so sick at all anyway when taehyung, wide-brimmed straw hat a halo on his head, laughs a sunrise sound and sings a sunset song. it's very windy during their visit, so jimin lays a charm on taehyung's hat to keep it from flying away.

49 [ writing advice ]

1. don’t give up. -- which for me and i guess a lot of people whether it’s art or just life, is truly the hardest. but i am constantly attempting to apply to writing what i try to apply to my livelihood: this idea that the most contemptible thing to do is to surrender. i was thinking about lord of the rings the other day and trying to figure out who i hated the most 8D;;; because my train was stuck and i was viciously trying to not freak out....anyway i kept thinking of denethor...and he’s not you know out and out a villain but he’s just so vile to faramir and on top of that he has clearly given up. he’s got this twisted saccharine doom about him that is somewhat because he’s lost his mind but he lost himself first.

i know this is a really dramatic mental deviation but it’s what i think about ^^;;; the temptation to give up is constant, it’s not a thing that goes away -- which is why i wrote ‘begin’ to address this idea that sometimes the hardest thing is to start, and then to continue in the face of a trouble that has no permanent cure. the moment you give up you lose you, and of course you lose your art. what’s that cliche??? you can’t get something for nothing. i hope that doesn’t come across condescending or bad. i just know for me i have to yell at myself all the time about it, so that’s why it’s first on the list OTL don’t give up, or in the words of bangtan: no no no not today! ^^

2. i used to believe you couldn’t force writing but i think what the more accurate way for me now is to think: i can’t force Right Writing, like it isn’t necessarily good as i throw it down initially and sometimes that’s as good as it’s going to be until i reach a point in that piece that helps me rebuild/recreate/reword the first parts that i KNEW at the time weren’t very good but couldn’t do more with...like perspective within your own narrative i guess, which can’t be gotten without pushing ahead.

so for example, i disliked everything i had with call and answer from the beginning to the end but the only way i got it all done was to write something every day a paragraph or two maybe, just to get draft one done. then i could look at it the next day to proof-read, put one part before another part, etc, etc, the things that went into making it something i could bear to post. ah so basically if it comes a little naturally that’s awesome but i know for me the most frustrating thing is not being able to control when that happens or why, and since i still want to write, this was my ‘solution’ so to speak -- write it, don’t delete it, look at it in an hour or the next day but move forward even if you’re not 1000% sure with it. like i know this doesn’t work for everyone but it is what has at the moment, kept me afloat. it’s not fun but for whatever reason, it is a method i have employed time to time. 3. write what YOU want to, not what anyone else wants you to (unless it’s like a request you’re fulfilling which case that’s up to you of course!) but in general like....i think there’s a misconception that to write big you have to write for everyone but you can connect to a lot of people by telling a very specific story -- they may not dive into every part, but if there is even one aspect of a story i feel recognized by (a moment, a turn of phrase, the resolution, the problem, whatever) then that’s often enough for me. it’s like with people, we don’t get every part of each other -- even the best of friends, or lovers or whatnot -- but the parts we do get mean so much. same for me with stories.

4. give better advice than me lmfdslkf omg

feel free to send other numbers or if i missed one let me know........omg but you probably wouldn’t want to after this huh? lmdsfijfoklfeds ^^;;; wow if you read all that uh....thank you but also i’m sorry ;; lmfdsojklefds T//////T!!!!! <3 ;3;

#haku shut up #fic asks #save me #this time around #so far away #begin #asks #stardrop #time and again #did any of this make sense #i feel dumb but i spent all this time on it hhfdskf #so i post it #OTL #t///t #hakufail #a potato cat #someone take my tags away from me

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aivaehdaevis · 4 years

Text

The More Things Change: Ch 12

The More Things Change

by Aivaeh

Disclaimer: Familiar characters, plot elements, and settings belong to L.J. Smith, Julie Plec, and the CW. The author of this work of fanfiction has made no money from it. Summary: I have no idea how it happened, but one morning I woke up in the world of The Vampire Diaries. Which, aside from the insanity of waking up inside a television show made real, might not be so bad—if I weren't stuck in the body of vampire magnet and doppelgänger herself, Elena Gilbert. Pairing(s): OFC x Damon, OFC x Stefan, OFC x Elijah, OFC x Klaus Rating: M Warning(s): Graphic descriptions of violence on par with the show itself. References to sex and drug use. Mind control and all the issues of consent that go along with it. Character death. Master List External Links: AO3 | FF.Net | Wattpad

Chapter Twelve

Author's Notes: There’s legal discussions/matters in this chapter. I should clarify that I’m not a lawyer, have no legal training, have never dealt with criminal court proceedings—adult or juvenile—and basically filled this section out based on what I could garner from some online research. Which you shouldn’t do if you need legal advice. tl;dr Don’t get your legal facts/advice from fanfic. Especially my fanfic.

Mystic Falls’ local jail was nothing more than the basement of the police station. Jenna and I had to sit on a bench outside a series of small interrogation rooms to wait for our chance to visit Jeremy. We’d already spied him, dressed in a light blue jumpsuit, being led by Sheriff Forbes herself from the elevator towards a room that was apparently set up for lawyers and their criminal clients. Jeremy had taken one glimpse at us and hung his head, hair swinging forward to hide his face.

Maria Miller, the attorney from Charlottesville Jenna had hired early this morning, arrived shortly after. She was a short woman—the top of her head barely came up to Elena’s shoulder—who seemed to make up for her lack of stature with an authoritative presence. She marched rather than walked, shoulders thrown so far back it was a wonder they didn’t curve the wrong way. She’d greeted Jenna and I before following Sheriff Forbes, who knew her by name, into the room Jeremy had disappeared into. Liz assured us we’d be able to visit with Jeremy for at least an hour as soon as he was done with counsel.

“You picked a real good attorney, Jenna,” Liz said. “Maria’s gotten better deals than I think some of her clients deserved. In this case, I’m glad she’ll be representing Jeremy.”

“That’s good to know,” Jenna replied, still pale and wan from her meeting with Miller this morning. “She’s going to talk to me as soon as she’s done with Jer, but do you know when we can expect him to see a judge?”

“Well, it’s hard to say for sure. But the docket isn’t too busy. Should be within a few days.”

“Thanks, Liz.”

“No problem.” She looked as if she wanted to say more, but just settled for a tight smile. “You two hang in there.”

We waited for another hour before Miller marched out. She caught sight of Jenna and came straight over.

Jenna stood up as she closed in, and I followed Jenna’s lead. “Thank you for coming,” she said.

“It’s my job,” Miller replied. Sharp brown eyes turned to me. She held out a hand. “You must be Elena, Jeremy’s sister.”

No, but, “Yeah.” My hold was considerably softer than hers as we shook. “Is Jeremy going to get to come home?”

“I was about to discuss that with your aunt,” she replied diplomatically. Right.

“Elena, will you go get me a coke?” Jenna asked, digging a five out of her purse. “And whatever you’d like to drink,” she added as she handed it over.

I guessed this was attorney, client, and client’s guardian talk only. “Sure, Jenna.” I took the five, gave a smile. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

I wandered off down the hall, hoping I’d find a vending machine sooner rather than later.

I followed the distant tap-tap of fingers on keyboards. It sounded so much like an office, a wave of homesickness flew over me. Biting the inside of my cheek, I soon found myself at the center of what must’ve been the sheriff station.

It was a large room with rows of desks to either side. A computer monitor sat on each one, each the same model a couple years older than the year the show had started in. Tall file cabinets lined the walls between the windows. Some of the desks were manned, men and a few women sorting through files or tapping away at their keyboards.

No sign of a vending machine.

Uncertain what to do, I turned to make my way back down the hallway. I figured I’d wait for a half hour before checking to see if Jenna and the attorney were finished when I nearly ran into Caroline’s mom.

“Elena.” Sharp eyes ran over me. “Lost?” she deduced.

I gave a sheepish smile and hoped the police station wasn’t a place Elena had spent a lot of time. “Looking for the vending machine.”

“In the break room.” Liz led me further through the station to a small room off the side of the hall.

The break room was less than a couple of tables, a handful of folding chairs for each, and a line of counters against the far wall with a coffee machine and a toaster. But it did feature a couple of vending machines. One for drinks and the other for snacks. “Thanks.”

“Sure.”

Using Jenna’s five, I wondered if it was a coke she actually wanted. Seemed like everyone around here called soda ‘coke.’ Giving a mental shrug, I got what she asked for.

“Caroline tells me you quit the squad.”

She did? I was surprised. I thought Caroline and her mother rarely spoke. “Yeah.” I picked an apple juice for myself and turned after collecting it from the tray. “I’m just—not as interested in it anymore, I guess.”

Liz hmmed. “That’s to be expected. You start to grow up, things that were once so important seem almost silly in hindsight.”

“Yeah.” I set the coke on the table. “Do you mind if I sit in here for ten or twenty minutes?”

“Give your aunt and Maria time to talk?” Liz smiled. “Sure Elena.” She nodded out the door. “Just ask a deputy if you need anything. Or come find me. I’ll be in my office.”

“Alright. Thanks.” I wasn’t sure what Elena called Caroline’s mom, so I settled for a smile.

I sat sipping my juice, listening to Mystic Fall’s finest filing cases and typing up reports. I wondered how many of Liz’s deputies knew about vampires. All of them? Was it some secret they told you when they passed out the badges? ‘Welcome to the force, here’s your shield, your gun, and—oh yeah—vampires are occasionally a thing around here. So, y’know. Good luck with that!’

Once I’d drank half my juice, I got up and walked back through the main office and down the hall to the interrogation rooms. I found Jenna waiting alone by the bench. I held out her coke as I walked up and pretended not to notice her glistening eyes. “What she say?”

She sighed. “It’s not good.” She took the bottle out of my hand and frowned. “If it were just assault, because Tyler was as involved, they might have given him probation.” She blinked several times. “But since he picked up a broken bottle, that makes it aggravated assault. And Tyler was hurt.” Jenna shook her head. “It could be years, Elena.”

I picked at the label on my bottle, what juice I’d already drunk churning sourly in my stomach. “Could be?”

“She’s going use the fact Jeremy’s never even visited the principal’s office to try and get it down to a year. She thinks that with good behavior, Jeremy could be home in six months. That’s best case.”

Six months. Best case. I drew in a deep breath, but had no idea what to say, so I just nodded.

“On the positive side,” Jenna smiled, “there’s no bail for juveniles, so Jeremy could be home as soon as he gets his first hearing.” She frowned. “He’ll probably have to wear an ankle bracelet.”

“That’s good, though. Isn’t it?”

“Better than the alternative,” Jenna sighed again. “Come on. Let’s see him,” she said, standing.

The meeting room was pretty much that. A small space the size of a couple of closets plus a table. A narrow window no bigger than an old fashioned mail slot, complete with bars, was situated near the ceiling to let in light. Otherwise, a fan turned overhead.

Jeremy looked away as we walked in, his face fixed towards the window. Even from the side, with his low-hanging hair, I could see the swollen skin around his jaw, cheek, and eyes that was just starting to turn a jaundice yellow. Tyler must have gotten him more than a few times.

“Hi, Jer,” Jenna said, trying to sound happy.

Jeremy’s shoulders twitched. Finally glancing our way, he stared at us beneath overlong bangs. I smiled.

He sighed. “Hey.”

We sat down. The resulting silence let me hear every creak of the plastic chairs and the humming swish of the fan whirling overhead.

“Are you okay?” Jenna asked, sights glued on his face.

“Yeah.” Jeremy ran a hand through his hair.

“You’re—everything is okay? I mean, you have enough to eat?”

Jeremy snorted. “It’s jail food, Jenna.”

Jenna’s shoulders hunched. “Oh. Right.”

He grimaced, then winced. “Sorry. It’s—I mean, it’s not takeout. I’m eating.”

Jenna nodded. Another drawn out silence followed before she found something to say. “Did you like your lawyer?”

Jeremy shrugged. “Sure.” He fidgeted in his seat.

“She’s supposed to be really good.”

Jeremy nodded.

Jenna reached halfway across the table, looking as if she was going to try touching his arm, but let her hands fall onto the tabletop. “What happened?”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“You’ve got to give me a little more than that, Jeremy.” A note of anger actually entered Jenna’s tone. The first I’d ever heard from her.

Jeremy reached up and poked at the larger bruise covering his jaw. “Tyler was being a dick. Guess I lost it.”

“Lost it?” Jenna repeated, slowly. “Why, Jer? You realize you could have killed him, right? You realize the kind of trouble you’re in?”

“I don’t know why!” He erupted, eyes shining. He blinked wildly, looking down at the hands in his lap. “He was on me, I was on my back. It was the weirdest feeling—like these nightmares I keep having. Of someone on top of me, killing me. I panicked. I thought I was going to die. I got the bottle and, I dunno,” Jeremy hunched forward. “I wasn’t thinking, okay? It was—it was instinct or something. I don’t know.”

It was as if someone had injected liquid nitrogen into my veins. I got so cold I had to wring my hands together. Had Damon’s attack somehow done something to Jeremy? Turned him violent?

But no, Jeremy would have reached for that bottle either way.

But what had happened… it was still clearly with him. Affecting him.

Jenna blew out a long breath and slumped back in her seat. “Did the lawyer explain everything to you?”

“Yeah.” Jeremy ran a hand over his hair, sweeping his bangs back. “She went over it.”

“Okay.” Jenna tapped the table. “Okay. And you know to call her if the police want to talk to you again, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t tell them anything, did you?”

“You think I’m stupid?” Jeremy shot back.

“I don’t know, Jer. Look where you’re sitting,” Jenna answered, just as short.

The fan whirled on overhead. I saw a bird fly by the window.

“I’m sorry,” Jenna said softly. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No. Pretty sure I deserve worse,” Jeremy replied bitterly.

“With any luck you’ll be home in a few days,” Jenna went on, ignoring what he’d said. “We’ll just—we’ll hope for the best. Okay? No sense worrying about a future we can’t see coming.”

“Hope for the best,” I murmured, “prepare for the worst.” It was another of my dad’s favorite sayings.

Another painful moment of silence followed.

“Did… did Vicki call?” Jeremy asked, breaking the stillness if not the tension.

I glanced over at him. He was looking at me. I shook my head. “Not that I know of.”

He seemed to wilt into his seat.

“She could’ve tried your cell,” I offered.

A dark look fell over his face. “Doubt it.” As swift as it came, it was replaced by utter dejection. “She’s probably with Tyler.”

“Let’s not even talk about Tyler Lockwood,” Jenna all but growled.

That got a flicker of a smile out of Jeremy. “No complaints here.”

“Is there anything you need?” I asked.

“Nothing I can have.” He rubbed his arm. “If I end up… transferred… maybe.”

“Money?” Jenna returned.

He shook his head. “No.” He slid further down the seat. “Not here.”

“Cigarettes?”

We both stared in shock, but Jenna cracked a little smile.

Jeremy snorted.

From there, we all sat in one of the most awkward silences of my life. It was clear no one had any idea what to say, but Jenna didn’t seem inclined to leave. Probably knowing where he’d end up if we did. I alternated between staring out the window and reading the label on my juice.

When Sheriff Forbes knocked on the door, told us that it was time to take Jeremy back, I hate to admit I was relieved. Not that I wanted Jeremy back in his cell, but I wasn’t family. Not really. And I didn’t know what to say to make the situation any better.

I both appreciated stepping into the morning sunshine and felt guilty about it at the same time.

Since it was Saturday, Jenna had to wait to make any calls. She did set up an appointment with the bank on Monday. She spent the rest of the morning making plans for pulling enough money together for the attorney’s fees. Which wouldn’t be cheap. It was obvious she didn’t want to dip into the funds set aside for Jeremy and Elena, but being a college student, Jenna didn’t have a lot of choice.

“Dammit, John,” she muttered, for the tenth time, when he failed to pick up his phone.

I hung around, not certain what I could do to help, but not feeling right about taking off to Elena’s room, either. It was my fault this had happened, after all. If Elena—the real Elena—had been there, Stefan would have been there, and—yeah.

So I sat at the table with Jenna, hoping Elena’s presence provided some kind of moral support. Dreading whatever was to come next.

Naturally, that’s when the doorbell sounded.

“I’ll get it,” I told Jenna, who nodded gratefully as I got up.

I pulled it open to find Damon on the other side. That didn’t surprise me either. Obviously, this universe hates me.

“We’re breaking up.” Damon announced as soon as he pulled his sunglasses off. “But I want you to know, it’s not me, it’s you.”

The amount of self-absorption on display was kind of awe inspiring, in a screwed-up way. Like coming across a bad car wreck or really messy roadkill. “I don’t have time for this.” I moved to shut the door.

Damon’s hand reached out and grabbed the edge, stopping it cold. “You don’t want to know why?”

“No.”

“Your fake brother’s little stunt has made you persona non grata to the Lockwoods. And I need in that Founder’s Ball.”

“Wow.” I glared. “I’m sorry Elena’s troubles have made life so inconvenient for you.”

He waved a hand, magnanimously. Like a king absolving his subject. The dick. He then doubled down with, “Who do you think I should ask? Caroline or Bonnie?”

The idea horrified me. “Neither.”

“Oh, c’mon Not-Elena. Don’t be jealous.”

“I’m not,” I assured him.

“I promised not to hurt your friends, didn’t I?” He leaned his shoulder against the door frame. “I just need a date to get into the Ball. If it makes you feel better, I’m breaking it off right after.”

“It doesn’t. Because if they agree then they, for some reason, actually like you.” Damon arched a brow. I frowned up at him. “And tossing them aside like that would be a dick move.”

“I am a dick.”

“I know.” I glared into those arctic eyes, clear and steady as they were, and refused to blink.

He huffed and shifted his hands into his jacket’s pockets. “Fine. I’ll compel another date.”

“You could try asking,” I pointed out. “Unless compulsion is the only way you can get a woman to agree to go out with you.”

His side-eye warned me to watch it.

I folded my arms, chin tilting up.

“I’m good,” he said, so humbly, “but no one’s good enough to convince a woman she’s not being used when the opener is, ‘Hey! Take me to this exclusive party!’”

“I’m surprised you care if your date knows she’s being used.”

He shrugged. “I don’t. But some women take exception.”

“Imagine that,” I drawled.

“Right?”

I scowled. “You are a despicable person.” I moved to shut the door, hoping he’d take the hint.

His foot slid forward, stopping the door again. Disgusted, I dropped my hand so fast it slapped against my thigh. “What now, Damon?”

His eyes narrowed in another warning before slipping back into his usual devil-may-care attitude. “Bree’s on her way up. By the time I have the crystal, we’ll be ready to do the ceremony.” His eyes widened meaningfully. “Tonight.”

This was… so early. It gave me a headache wondering about all the changes. But maybe that was for the best.

Or it was another huge disaster waiting to happen.

“Jenna’s convinced she’s been screwing up because of Jeremy. I’m doubt she’ll be fine with me taking off in the middle of the night.”

“I can compel her—”

“No, Damon.” I rubbed a hand over my forehead. Was compulsion his answer to every problem? “I’ll figure something out.”

“You don’t have to be there.”

But with everything gone so wrong— “There’ll be major magical power being channeled. Seems like something Esther might want in on.” I held up the bracelet. “This, at least, makes me useful for something.”

“Our little ghost repellant,” he drawled. “Alright. Stefan or I’ll call you when we have the crystal.”

“Fine,” I sighed.

Damon slipped his sunglasses back on. “See you tonight, Fake-lena.”

If not for Jenna, I would have slammed the door in his face.

I spent the rest of the day alternating between sitting with a depressed Jenna and trying to nap in Elena’s room.

“At least we have an excuse to skip the Founder’s Ball,” Jenna murmured at one point as we channel surfed.

“Not just this party. All the Lockwood events,” I reminded her.

She clicked through the next few channels. “Hallelujah.”

The next few hours passed under a cloud of melancholy. Every so often Jenna would say, “I just don’t get it. He’s always been such a sweet kid.”

To which I’d say some variation of, “He’s going through a rough patch.”

“I can’t believe he’ll have to spend time in Juvenile Detention.”

I tried to be positive. “At least he’s under eighteen. It’ll all be expunged.”

Jenna frowned. “Except everyone in town will know.” Her eyes were troubled. “Who’s going to want to hire him, Elena? And his grades are slipping. Who knows if he’ll manage college? Or even want to go.” She drew a deep breath and blew it back out. “I screwed up.”

“This isn’t your fault,” I said for the hundredth time.

Jenna’s tight-lipped frown told me she didn’t believe me this time, either.

We were well into our fourth round of this same conversation when the phone rang.

Jenna answered, but after a few seconds said, “It’s for you,” and held out the phone to me.

I took the cordless. “Hello?”

“Hey,” Stefan greeted.

“Hi.” I covered the lower half and mouthed Stefan to Jenna, who nodded, and got up to go to Elena’s room. “I thought you’d be at the party by now.”

“The Founder’s Ball?” he questioned.

“Yeah.”

“Can’t say it holds any interest for me,” he said. “I’ll let Damon get his magical crystal.”

“But the Founders Council are striking people off the list of possible suspects based on who shows up during the day.”

“I think attending high school will be enough to strike my name from their list,” he pointed out reasonably. “More importantly, how’s Jeremy?”

“He’s got bruises and some swelling from the fight, but otherwise he’s okay. Physically.”

“Yeah.” Stefan paused. “Any idea what’s going to happen to him?”

“Jeremy attacked Tyler with a deadly weapon, so—the lawyer’s not too hopeful the judge will go for probation.” I took a breath. “She thinks he’ll get a year or two in Juvenile Detention. But he can shave off a few months with good behavior. Six months, best case.”

“I’m sorry, Elena.” And he sounded it.

“I screwed up,” I admitted. “I forgot all about the fight and the fact Jeremy went for a that damn bottle.”

“That was his choice, not yours.” Stefan replied. “You can’t hold yourself responsible for the things other people do, even if you know they’re going to do them.”

“I could have stopped it.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. You’re doing what you can, Elena. But you can’t be expected to remember every detail.”

I blew out a breath. “I still feel like I’ve failed him. Twice now.”

“Maybe this will be good for him,” Stefan reasoned. “An opportunity to turn his life back around. Get off drugs.”

“Or he’ll get worse being around other delinquents,” I said, frowning.

“He’s a good kid. He’ll figure it out.” Stefan assured me.

“I hope you’re right, Stefan.”

The ‘me too,’ went unspoken. “Damon said you’ll be there later tonight.” He didn’t sound pleased about it.

“I’m worried Esther might be drawn to all that power. Who knows what she’d do. And Elena was there in the show. I’m nervous enough missing out on the party. I don’t want to risk anything going wrong at the tomb.”

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“I know.” Dozens of desiccated vampires desperate for blood? Dangerous was probably an understatement. “But Anna shouldn’t know we’re ready. If there’s any good to come out of this mess with Jeremy, it’s that Anna won’t be able to use him.” I let out a breath. “As long as I avoid tripping and falling wrist-first into any vampire mouths, I should be fine.”

“I’ll be going in too.”

“But what if something goes wrong with the spell?”

“Then I’ll be stuck,” Stefan replied matter-of-factly. “I know the risks, Elena. I won’t let you go in alone.”

“Damon will be there.” But from the tepid assurance, and Stefan’s poignant silence, I think we were both on the same page as to how much Damon could be counted on.

“If you’re going, I’m going. That’s my choice.” Resolve firmed his declaration.

I looked down. If this was like the show, he should be in there, anyway.

Hopefully any differences, like the barrier coming down, would work in our favor for once.

“Okay. Then all three of us are going inside.” I blew out a breath. “Hopefully all three of us come back out.”

Stefan hummed an agreement.

When we were done talking, I felt a bit better as I hung up. I was still felt responsible for Jeremy’s situation, and nervous about entering the tomb, but at least I had someone in this screwed up world I could count on.

Damon called a few minutes after sunset. “I’ve got the crystal. My witch will be here in an hour.”

“I’ll meet you at the tomb then.”

“And we’ll see how right you are about the future, Fake-lena,” Damon replied with a light-heartedness that chilled my blood before hanging up.

I found Jenna in front of the television, staring but not really watching. “Hey, Jenna?”

“Hmm?”

“Caroline, Bonnie, Stefan, and Matt are heading to the Grill after the party. Is it okay if I meet up with them?”

Jenna turned around. “Alright. But be home by ten.”

I had no idea if we’d be done by then. “It might run a little later. And it’s a weekend.”

Jenna frowned. “Ten, Elena. Please don’t make me say no.”

“Alright. Ten.” I summoned a smile. “Thanks, Jenna.”

“It’ll be good for you to get out. Just—don’t do anything stupid, alright?”

Like traipse through a magical tomb filled with monsters thirsting for my blood? Surely not.

I smiled and nodded, which seemed to appease her. I rushed through the house, snagging my purse and jacket. I made sure my anti-spirit charm was on, despite never taking it off. With a final shouted good-bye to Jenna, I grabbed the keys and loaded into the SUV.

It wasn’t until I was out of the driveway and down the street that I realized I had no idea where the ruins of the old Fell church were. “Shit.”

I pulled up to the boarding house hoping Stefan was still inside.

It was Zach who answered the door. “Elena,” he said, brows arching in surprise.

I couldn’t help but glance down at his hand. It was hidden in his pocket. Realizing how rude that probably was, I hurried to look back up. “Zach. Hey.” I forced a smile. “I was wondering if Stefan was around.”

Zach frowned but shook his head. “No. He left a few minutes ago.”

“Oh.” Damn. Considering vampire speed, he was probably halfway to—wherever. “I don’t suppose you could help me.”

Surprise flashed across his face again. “I can try. What’s the problem?”

“The old Fell church? The one that they burned down—”

“I know the story,” Zach said.

“Oh, well. I was hoping you’d know where it was.”

His brows knit together. “You’re going to the tomb tonight, too?”

“You know about that?”

“Not much I don’t hear about,” Zach said after a moment. “They don’t really give a lot of thought to their human servants. Probably because they can always compel us to forget.”

Apparently, neither Stefan nor Damon knew about his vervain. I wondered what he’d done to keep it hidden from them, since John was downstairs. “Right.”

“Take Grove back to Washington. Follow that ten minutes or so past the town center. Keep an eye out about a mile past Churchwood Way. There’s a narrow lane up to an old graveyard nearby. Kind of a local party spot nowadays. There’s a path near the old Fell crypt. Follow it till you come to the ruins.”

“Okay. Thanks, Zach.” I tugged my jacket around me tighter. “I hope you feel better, by the way.”

He startled. “I—yes. I do. Thank you.” His hand stayed in his pocket. It might make me a coward, or a bad person for thinking so, but I was glad.

I flashed another smile and turned.

“He’s going to be disappointed that you didn’t stop by to see him,” Zach said before I got more than a few steps.

I whirled back around. “Damon’ll get over it.”

“Not Damon. John.”

The hairs on the backs of my arms and neck stood on end. “You’re not still talking to him, are you, Zach?”

Zach shook his head. “No.”

“Good.” I couldn’t help but glance towards his pocket. “What really happened? With your hand?”

He frowned. “I told you. I wanted to see if it hurt.”

Well, it sounded as insane the second time I’d heard it as the first. I couldn’t help but say, “Of course it would.”

“I got—mixed up.” He gave a sheepish a smile. “Stress does weird things, I guess.”

No kidding. But even stress didn’t seem like a plausible enough answer. Maybe he really had been compelled. Except Zach had to be ingesting vervain on the regular. How could he have been compelled?

I bit my lip for a moment and summoned a weak smile. “Well, thanks for the directions, Zach.”

He nodded. “Of course. Anything for you, Elena.”

O-kay. That was weird. A bit creeped out, I hurried back to the SUV.

The turnoff to the old cemetery was right where Zach said it would be. I was able to take the SUV up the dirt road all the way to the graveyard. There was a flashlight in the SUV that helped me pick my way past the tombstones and the beer bottles to the path that Zach said would lead to the old church. It wasn’t a properly maintained path. Not like the way to the Falls’ picnic site, so while it was visible thanks to the well-trampled ground, branches grew over it, grass grew in clumps here and there, and exposed roots stuck out of the ground. I had to pick my way carefully around.

I figured I had to be close to the old church. I slowed as I went further along, flashlight sweeping through the woods.

Despite my caution, the light falling upon a pale face floating between a cluster of trees still startled a jump out of me.

Damon squinted against the beam. “About time.” He stepped over, taking my arm and pulling me alongside him. “C’mon. It’s this way.” A little louder he said, “I’ve got her.”

I kept careful watch on the ground as he pulled me through the forest. “Why’d they build a church in the middle of the woods?”

“This was Fell land, once. Thomas Fell donated the acres, and the god-fearing folk of Mystic Falls volunteered to help build it. Was a big community project,” Damon explained. “Way most of the town was built back in the early days.”

“But it’s a ways off from the town center, isn’t it?”

“Not so far.” He guided me around a fallen log. “And the path was better maintained. You could drive a carriage all the way from the church to the cemetary.” He scowled. “It only went to the dogs after they burned the church to the ground.” We stepped round another group of trees and Damon said, “Ta da.”

However large and beautiful the old church must have once been, now it was a few waist-high walls of stone blocks. The woods were creeping up on it, a few trees growing right next to the walls themselves. The handle of a shovel flashed under the beam of my flashlight, along with an impressive mound of freshly dug earth.

“Mind the foundation. Or what’s left of it,” Damon said, guiding me through the small maze of crumbled stone and stray blocks littering the ground.

“Why’d they chose a church to burn down?” I wondered. “Instead of a barn or something?”

“Barns are useful.” Damon shrugged. “Maybe they hoped god would sort ‘em out. Who knows how the mind of an angry mob works.” He led me towards the mound of earth, which without a small wall in the way, I saw sat next to a set of circular stairs. The stairs led down into a soft golden light. “Ladies first.”

Despite his words, Damon took my hand and kept hold of it as I took my first tentative step. Dirt ground under my sneaker, the step itself feeling decidedly uneven. After teetering a bit, I tightened my hold on Damon’s hand before moving to the next. By the time I was knee-high with the tomb’s entrance, I bent slightly far enough to see into the small round chamber.

And a certain curly haired witch waiting between a set of four torches.

Her brows lifted the further down the steps I came, though whether from willingly being part of this madness or the fact Damon kept hold of my hand, I couldn’t say. “There you are,” Bree said, an annoyed cast to her face. “Left me alone long enough.”

“Sorry,” Damon replied, guiding me past the last step. “Had to make sure our ghost repellent wasn’t wandering the woods like a lost little lamb.”

Bree snorted. “Damon, she’d be safer coming across a whole pack of wolves than you.”

He tsked, placing his newly freed hand over his heart. “Ow.”

“Truth hurts,” she said, dismissively. Her eyes roamed over me. “So you’re his latest diversion?”

I frowned. “We’re not together.”

“We just broke up this morning,” Damon explained. “She’s heartbroken.”

“Yeah,” I answered flatly, choosing to examine the large stone carved into the shape of a door, pentagram chiseled into its center, dominating the room. “I’ve been listening to country music all day to cope.”

“Mmkay,” Bree hummed, brows once again held high.

“I thought you liked country.”

Stefan’s appearance coincided with a sighed, “Thank god,” on my part. Damon’s brows furrowed as he frowned while Stefan gave a little smile.

“Some. I’m particular.”

Stefan had a bag in hand that he passed to Bree. “Good to know.”

“Yes, yes. Fascinating as this little discussion on musical tastes is, can we get to the main event?”

“Never used to be this impatient,” Bree stated with a curl to her lips that had me grinning.

Damon shrugged as he pulled a bag of blood out from his jacket. “I’ve been patient for a hundred and forty odd years. I’m over it.” He frowned. “I hope you have everything you need.”

“You’re the one I’ve been waiting on.” Bree opened the bag and pulled out the grimoire. She placed it on the ground and, with a hand hovering over the book, spread her fingers.

The book leapt open and fluttered through dozens of pages, settling on one almost halfway through.

“Wow.” I’d seen Sheila and Esther with the candles, but that bit of Harry Potter spell work had me genuinely awed.

“Parlor tricks,” Bree replied. She held out a hand to Damon. “If you got that necklace, I’ll show your ex the good stuff.”

Damon reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a chain which, at its end, hung a certain yellow crystal. It spun to and fro, glinting in the torchlight as he held it out to Bree. “One comet-charged crystal.”

Bree inhaled as she closed her hand around it, eyes closing as she smiled. “Charged full, alright.” Her eyes popped back open.

“You can do it?” Damon asked, for the first time looking hopeful.

“Yeah, baby. I can do it.”

Stefan frowned. “Can you close it?”

Bree looked over. “Sure can. Won’t be as tight a seal, but it’ll hold well enough.”

“What do you mean, won’t be as tight?” Stefan asked, brows swooping downward.

Before Bree could answer, Damon interjected, “Who cares? Kill the rest if you’re so worried about it.”

Stefan’s brows flattened. “I intend to.”

“Then let’s get going,” Damon said to Bree.

She gave a nod and took a deep breath, holding up the necklace. A bright light emanated from inside it, like a star had been caught in amber. The crystal floated upwards, gradually lighting the entire chamber. Yellow triangles of light cast from the crystal’s cut floated across the stone walls.

In the middle, Bree knelt in front of the Grimoire and began to chant. The words were in no language I recognized, not that I’d recognize many. But she spoke them confidently and clearly, and each one seemed to ring out in the chamber.

After a while, the crystal’s glow became more intense. So much so that I had to squint, and eventually cover my eyes with a hand, as a light that could rival the sun radiated from the center. Eyes shuttered, I heard a loud scraping of stone grinding against stone, Bree’s voice becoming more intense, and the light in my hand turning the darkness behind my eyelids bright orange.

Just when I wondered if the light was going to set us all on fire or something, it began to fade and eventually die as Bree’s voice gentled and slowed.

When it was safe enough to open my eyes again, I looked to the tomb’s door. It was cracked open.

Bree took a deep breath and said two words. “It’s down.”

Damon disappeared.

I was about to follow when Stefan laid a hand on my shoulder. “Maybe you should stay out here.”

“I told you, Stefan. Elena went in. Maybe it’s not necessary, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.” I put my hand over his. “Anna isn’t here. It’ll be fine.” I hoped.

Stefan’s stare searched my eyes. He must have found my resolve because he said, “Alright.” He turned and leaned towards one of the torches, picking it up. “But I’m going in with you.”

Bree crossed her arms. “Guess I’ll wait by myself. Near a graveyard. Outside a tomb filled with vampires.”

I grimaced. “Sorry.”

She huffed a laugh. “I’m a witch.” A brow arched. “I can take care of myself.”

I hoped she did better here than on the show. Still, I gave her a nod. “Okay.” I lifted the flashlight. “We let him see she’s not there. Then we leave and seal them back in.”

“I’ll do one better,” Stefan replied, picking up a shovel. He handed me the torch. Holding it in my free hand, I watched as he snapped the end of the shovel off. He met my eyes. “We make sure they never walk out.”

Staking them while they were helpless? My stomach twisted. I had to remind myself what they’d do to the town if they were allowed out. And who knew what might happen next. “I guess it’ll put an end to their suffering.”

Stefan’s brow raised. “That’s your concern?”

I bit my lip. “I know. I’m weird.”

His eyes gentled slightly as he gazed at me. I thought he was about to say something, but he took the torch back instead. “C’mon.” He turned to the side and slipped between the door and the wall. “Stay close.”

I slid in behind him.

The first thing that hit was the darkness. Then came the smell. The air was stale, of course, I’d expected that. But there was something more to it. A moldy scent that lingered on the back of the tongue like a bad taste. I had to fight against a constant urge to spit.

The light from my flashlight trembled despite my attempts to keep it steady. I shined it up ahead, since the torch gave more than enough for us to see our feet and our immediate surroundings. It was all stone here. Stacked on each other like bricks, but no mortar. None that I could see. Just the weight of each one holding back the earth. Standing next to the wall was like opening the fridge door and feeling the cold waft out.

The floor was dirt and scratched under our shoes. The sound followed us inside. When we reached a corner, we took it slow. I swept the flashlight across the space beyond, but it was an empty room.

We’d taken less than two steps across it when the whispering started.

I jolted into Stefan’s back. He paused to look over his shoulder, meeting my eyes. “It’s alright. They can’t move, so they’re trying to lure you.”

“How the hell will creepy whispers lure anyone in?” I wondered.

Stefan gave a little grin, but it fell a moment later. “They’re desperate.”

We walked further into the tomb. Rounding another corner, my flashlight scanned the floor and then—

“Oh,” I breathed.

The vampire looked dead. Her skin was grey, paper-thin and so wrinkled it looked more like a shirt that had dried wadded up than flesh. The tendons, bones, and muscles were so prominent, it was almost as if there wasn’t anything covering them at all. A body with all the liquid sucked out of it till it was as dry as jerky. Her clothes were something straight out of a period piece. One of those dresses with huge, bell shaped skirts that had to have a cage underneath to give it it’s shape. The bodice’s neckline was so wide, it was nearly off the shoulder. The fabric looked like silk. It must have been a very richly colored blue once but was now covered in a thick layer of dust.

I was examining the ringlets in her blonde hair when her eyes popped open.

“Holy shit,” I gasped, grabbing Stefan as if this were a jaunt through a haunted house.

“Stay right here,” he said, squeezing my hand gently before unpeeling my fingers. He handed me the torch and hefted the broken handle of the shovel. Straightening his shoulders, he stepped forward.

Red eyes rolled up to follow him. There didn’t look to be anything behind them. Not fear, or anger, or gratitude. Just glazed red irises tracking the thing that moved, more reflex than thought.

Stefan wrapped his hands over the handle and said, “Look away.”

At first, I thought he was talking to her. But no. He was talking to me.

Swallowing, I averted my eyes to the opposite wall. “There’s another,” I whispered.

“I know.”

Killing a desiccated vampire sounded like poking a hollow, burnt turkey, followed by the rasp of wood sliding free.

Stefan crossed in front of the flashlight’s beam to the next vampire, lifted the handle, glanced my way. Soon as my eyes were diverted, the same sounds whispered from that corner. I chewed my inner cheek. They’d kill people in the town, I reminded myself. We were making sure that wouldn’t happen.

I didn’t feel like I was helping to save anyone, though.

We worked our way in further. As Stefan stabbed another chamber full of vampires, I wondered where Damon was. He had to be near the back by this point. I went a little further ahead, marking where the next vampires were and kept clear. Some of their eyes would pop open, gleaming a deep ruby red in the beam of the light, each set following me as I crossed the floor. But seeing how…stationary… they were eased a lot of the fear. I mean, my heart was still pumping fast enough to make me slightly lightheaded, but I wasn’t so scared that I couldn’t gain some distance from Stefan. So long as I was in eyesight.

I peered around the corner and saw flickering golden light from a chamber at the end. Damon.

Turning back around, I hurried to Stefan, who was about to make his way to the next vampire. “It’s Damon. Stefan, I think he’s in the last chamber.”

Stefan paused, meeting my eyes. After a moment, he nodded.

Handing over the torch, we left the rest of the vampires where they laid and carefully crossed the narrow hall. There were a few other vampires reclining against the stonework here, and they’d be as happy to take a bite out of Stefan as me. Blood was blood, after all.

Reaching the final room, I tried to prepare myself for the inevitable burst of fury the moment Damon realized she wasn’t—

“Katherine!”

Stepping past the opening, I saw Damon at the back of the room. He leaned over a woman in the same dated clothing as everyone else. This time a bright lavender dress that draped immaculately across the floor. He had her cradled against his chest, holding her head up. I could see waves of brunette curls spilling over his arm. As we moved in closer, I saw a face whose reflection I’d been viewing in the mirror lately.

No.

No, it wasn’t possible.

“Katherine,” Damon breathed, hand caressing a soft, round cheek.

I took a step back, bumping into Stefan. Stefan’s eyes snapped to mine, wide and questioning. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. There was nothing I could think to say. No explanation I could give.

Damon put the blood bag between his teeth, tearing through the plastic to rip it open.

And Katherine Pierce opened her eyes.

#fanfic #the vampire diaries #tvd #damon salvatore #stefan salvatore #the more things change #ofc #damon x ofc #stefan x ofc #elijah x ofc #klaus #elijah mikaelson #bonnie bennett #caroline forbes #elena gilbert #jenna sommers #jeremy gilbert

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shannaraisles · 7 years

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Set In Darkness

Chapter: 27 Author name: ShannaraIsles Rating: M Warnings: Canon-typical threat and violence; ever so slightly NSFW Summary: She’s a Modern Girl in Thedas, but it isn’t what she wanted. There’s a scary dose of reality as soon as she arrives. It isn’t her story. People get hurt here; people die here, and there’s no option to reload if you make a bad decision. So what’s stopping her from plunging head first into the Void at the drop of a hat?

Something New

Her next wake up was a lot more pleasant.

Warm and comfortable, it took a moment to register what was unusual. Cullen's breath on her neck, his chest against her back, his arm about her waist ... his hand underneath the shirt she wore, with fingertips just barely grazing the underside of her breast. And more than that, too. She could feel a certain rigid heat pressed tight to the cleft of her backside. Good morning to you, too, commander. She couldn't help easing closer against him, rewarded with a sleepy groan by her ear as his thighs tucked more snugly beneath her own. And that hand slid up, cupping about a breast that suddenly sported an aching point under the lazy caress of his thumb. Her skin flushed at the familiar touch of his sleeping embrace, an old friend perking up between her thighs to prickle with lethargic lust.

Yet as much as she was enjoying the unconsciously possessive way he gathered her intimately close, she could just imagine his utter mortification if he woke to this affectionate embrace. It would be worse if he then realized she was awake and aware, she knew. So ... should she try to ease away, or should she feign sleep until he roused from slumber himself? The decision was taken out of her hands almost before she set herself the dilemma. Cullen sighed against her bare neck, just barely stretching ... and froze. Feign sleep it is, then.

Forcing herself to breathe evenly, she kept her eyes closed, achingly aware of him pressed to her back, of the twitch of his cock against her backside as he noted the position he found himself in. He seemed to consider the same dilemma for quite a while, slow to relax against her once again. Then, with gradual care, the hot curve of his palm at her breast smoothed away, the gentle pinch of his fingers in the shirt pulling the cloth down to cover her decently before his hand came to rest at her waist, this time over the thin garment. He stilled for a long moment, seemingly studying her for signs of wakefulness, and eventually edged his hips back far enough that his morning glory wasn't prodding her insistently in the rear. Then, and only then, did he lean over to kiss her neck with soft lips.

"Rory," he called to her softly, letting his mouth draw a tender line over her warm skin to the curve of her ear. "Time to wake up, sweeting."

Given permission to be awake, she heard herself moan tenderly in answer to the play of his lips against her neck, offering up a sleepy smile as he chuckled fondly close to her ear. "You stayed," she murmured, her voice gravelly with sleep.

"Someone made it painfully clear what the consequences of leaving would be," he rumbled in an affectionate tone, the wrap of his arm about her waist tightening for a moment. "It's dawn, sweeting. We don't want to miss breakfast."

Rory groaned through a smile, blinking her eyes open. "Oh, the horror," she teased, wriggling to look up at him as he leaned over her. "I'm really starting to hate meat porridge."

A lazy smile was her reward, even as his lips brushed the tip of her nose. "I'm told there's a merchant in Val Royeaux shipping food this way," Cullen told her, just as sick of basic rations as she was. "We may even get bacon for breakfast by the end of the week."

"Mmm, bacon ..." Now that would be worth getting up for. What incentive was porridge when she had an affectionate commander at her fingertips?

Warm, affectionate ... and unfortunately wedded to his work. Not even lazy kisses were enough to keep him in bed. He lulled her into a false sense of security with those kisses, slow and tender, infinitely wonderful, and abruptly pulled away, dragging the blankets with him as he rose from the bed. Rory squealed as cold air replaced the warmth that had enveloped her previously, automatically curling up to try and preserve some of it.

"You're so mean," she whined, smirking at his chuckle. "Is this how you treat your recruits?"

"Yes, sweeting, I personally strip their beds every morning," he drawled, giving her ankle a quick tug. "Get up."

Grumbling about rude commanders with sexy voices, she had no choice but to comply if she wanted to stay warm. By the time she got to her feet, he was already on the other side of the cabin, rubbing soap suds into his stubble as a lather to shave with. It was a startlingly normal thing to see him doing. Of course she knew he shaved - he never had a beard to speak of - but she'd never really linked the lack of facial hair with the physical act of drawing a cut-throat razor over his skin. It was weirdly fascinating.

"You're staring." He glanced toward her, the hint of a smile playing about his lips at her enthralled expression.

"I have an amazing view," she pointed out easily, her own smile growing as he laughed quietly at her compliment.

"Get dressed before you freeze," he advised in amusement, his attention focused on his own reflection as the razor navigated the line of his jaw.

"I thought I was supposed to be the bossy one," Rory complained laughingly, though she was already moving to do as she was told, her legs chilled in the morning coolness.

It was a surprise to see him so relaxed this morning. She had been sure he'd be withdrawn and sombre after the events of the night, braced to weather a storm of self-recriminations and attempts to prove she would be better off without him. But perhaps he really had heard her last night. It was embarrassing to recall how candid, how harsh, she had been with him. The fear was forgotten in the dawn-light, but she knew it would return the next time she woke to find him in the grip of a nightmare. Her mistake had been to touch him, she realized, though neither of them was truly to blame for what had happened. That blame fell squarely on Uldred, and those at the Greenfell Chantry - the first for causing his trauma, the second for failing to give him the help he needed in the weeks and months that followed. Not that you're supposed to know any of that, she reminded herself as she laced her boots. Last night would have been a perfect opportunity to tell you, and he said nothing.

A familiar clank drew her out of her thoughts, lifting her gaze to find Cullen sorting the pieces of his armor in preparation to put them on. A thought occurred to her.

"Wait."

He looked over at her, surprise mingling with curious interest as she rose, reaching for her belt. Her fingers deftly opened the string of her money pouch, closing around something she'd been carrying close since she'd left Val Royeaux.

"There's something you have to put on first," she told him, a nervous cast to her smile as she turned back. "I forgot to give this to you yesterday."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, armor forgotten for a moment as she took his hand, peeling his fingers back to place the mabari charm into his palm.

Tawny eyes lit with curious mirth dropped from her slightly anxious face to examine what he now held. Rory honestly couldn't describe what she saw in his expression - his whole being seemed to gentle as he considered the dynamic piece resting in his hand, the fluid lines the craftsman had discovered in the polished steel to bring the quintessential Ferelden beast to life. For once, Cullen seemed speechless; silent for so long, in fact, that she started to fidget worriedly.

"I found it in Val Royeaux," she heard herself say, more to fill the silence than anything. "It was ... well, it made me think of you, and ... It was probably a silly idea, but I wanted to give you something. Because, you know, we're apart a lot, and - "

He really was growing a little too fond of stopping her words with his mouth, but she hardly had a complaint to make about it. As his arm wound about her waist, she found her arms rising to curl about his shoulders, her fingers smoothing tenderly over his newly-shaven jaw only to fall to his chest as he drew back, his eyes a-glow with a mysterious kind of awe.

"It's remarkable, Rory," he murmured to her, his gaze falling to the charm in his hand once again. "You bought this for me?"

Something about his almost shy incredulity spoke to her, offering a sense of relief that he did like it, that she hadn't done something utterly ridiculous. Her lips parted in a bright smile as she took the charm from his hand, reaching up to fasten the leather thong securely at the back of his neck.

"Every Ferelden man should have a mabari," she told him, stroking her fingers over the shining ornament that now lay against his shirt.

Cullen smiled just slightly, covering her fingers with his own. "I've always wanted one," he admitted, and she felt a flash of delight at hearing something he wouldn't have shared with the Inquisitor for another two years. "I don't know what to say."

"It's a gift, Cullen," she smiled with him. "You don't have to say anything. I did it because I care for you, and ... well, I'm selfish enough to want you to have something that reminds you of me always."

"You mean the massages aren't enough?" he asked teasingly, his smile soon pressed to hers as she laughed at his response. "Thank you. It's truly wonderful. But I have nothing to give you."

"You don't need to give me anything," she insisted, shaking her head fondly. "It's a privilege just to be with you."

He flushed, touched and embarrassed by her earnest declaration. "I think you may have that the wrong way around, sweeting," he mumbled awkwardly, stilled by the soft kiss she pressed to his cheek.

"That's a matter of opinion," she murmured back, finally reclaiming her hand as she stepped from the circle of his arm. "Finish getting dressed, commander. We have an awful lot of gossips to thrill this morning."

His quiet chuckle followed her as she moved to settle her coat and belt about herself, aware of the tenderness in his gaze with each glance he offered from his own task, following her movement as she made the bed and set the cabin to rights. Neither one saw any need to fill their surprisingly comfortable silence with unnecessary chatter, leaving their unsettled night behind them to face the inevitability of curious eyes and whispered gossip together.

The line past the field kitchen was half-gone by the time they joined it, the majority of those already served seated in groups spread across the training ground and up the steps to the village proper, all with a good view of their return from the woods together. Rory was acutely aware of a few stunned looks among the newer recruits at the sight of their formidable commander openly showing a preference for the company of the senior healer. She was also a little embarrassed by the sheer number of knowing grins, too - it seemed as though almost everyone had at least suspected their relationship was a reality. It wouldn't be much of a surprise to see money changing hands, either. But it was Cullen himself who truly surprised her.

As he rose to turn his attention to his duties, he paused, gathering her hand into his grasp to press a warm kiss to her gloved knuckles. "Tonight?" he asked quietly, leaving their breakfast companions in no doubt.

Blushing, Rory bit her lip even as she smiled in answer. "Tonight," she agreed, hoping Evy wouldn't mind. She was amazed Cullen was prepared to risk it again so soon. But that was his way - he didn't shy away from the fear his experiences had left him with. Why should this be any different?

Out here, where all these eyes could see them, his smile was hidden once more, visible only in the taut pull of his scar and the amber-soft warmth of his gaze as his lips brushed her knuckle again. "Until later."

Drawing her hand to her chest, she must have looked like a love-sick idiot, unable to tear her gaze from his retreating back until a familiar voice spoke nearby.

"So ... you and Cullen, huh?" Kaaras was grinning at her from his own breakfast. "I owe Varric four silver - I was sure you were just Cullen time."

Even as Rory groaned at the awful pun, another voice interjected.

"Do not tease, not about this," Cassandra scolded the Qunari. The Seeker's expression was bright with envious approval. "Such passion is to be lauded. And allowed privacy to blossom."

Good old Cassandra. As Kaaras ducked his head, mumbling an apology, Rory offered the Seeker a grateful smile. She could feel Evy and Rylen itching to ask her all about it, knowing she would have to field her assistant's curiosity all day. Perhaps more disturbingly, she was also aware of the grave watchfulness in Mother Giselle's eyes, the vague hint of disapproval ... but at least Cassandra had her back. It was good to know someone did.

#set in darkness #multi-chapter fic #fanfiction #dragon age inquisition #dai fanfic #mgit #cullen rutherford/original female character #cullen rutherford/rory allen #rory allen #cullen rutherford #kaaras adaar #cassandra pentaghast #presents #kisses #sleepy wake up #morning glory #every ferelden should have a mabari

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