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munsons-hellfire · 1 year

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Chapter 1: New Beginnings

SUMMARY: You moved back to Hawkins for a fresh start, but meeting your brothers biker gang takes things for an interesting loop especially when your trying to escape the past you want to leave behind.

PAIRINGS: Biker!Eddie Munson x Teacher!Fem!Reader

PART 1 IN THE DARK PARADISE SERIES

CONTENT WARNINGS: SFW, Biker!Eddie Munson, Teacher!Reader, no use of y/n, modern take (thought a modern setting best fit the plot), implied pet names (sweetheart, princess), bug is used as a name, she her pronouns but barley used, Reader is 24 (turning 25 soon), Eddie is 26, post-upside down, vecna is defeated (will be mentioned in later parts)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so this is actually for sure my first series here on Tumblr. I am looking forward to the later parts. I got this idea when I was reading a short story about a biker and a girl. I then got a thought about Eddie as a biker and well I shared it with funsonmunson-again. I hadn't seen anything with this type of idea but I definitely thought it would be cool to write. I can't wait to build the relationship between Eddie and Reader as I get further through the series. Please let me know what you think and what you might want to see as we get further into it. This is also a modern take because I when I pictured it I just saw it taking place in our time. The canon events of the show do happen but they defeat Vecna and close all the gates. The other members of the show will be in this series, most will come in later on. Also I decided to go with a teacher!reader because my mom herself is a teacher and I think they are important so I wanted a chance to write something where the reader was a teacher.

WORD COUNT: 3.2K Words

THE DARK PARADISE SERIES MASTERLIST

Hawkins Indiana had always been your home since you could remember. But when your parents divorced and your mom moved out of the state you and your brother had to go live with your mom. Eventually your brother moved back with your father and you visited them whenever you were allowed too.

Now heading into adulthood you were standing in front of the apartment you had just rented out. It would be your home for the next few months, at least that's what you hoped. Things had gone sideways with your job back home, not to mention you weren't a fan of your new stepdad your mother had married.

The man wasn't the nicest man in the world but more so to you. He made your life a living hell and you couldn't live with him or your mother anymore, even when considering the fact that she wouldn't put her foot down. In hindsight you probably should've just moved back in with your dad and brother long before your mother had married your step father.

You could see the red flags that so clearly flew around his face but in the beginning you simply wanted to ignore it because you were going to school to be a teacher. Now that you had graduated with your masters degree there was nothing really holding you back and that included your mother.

When you FaceTimed with your older brother after graduating and told him that you had saved enough money up, that you wanted to move out of your mothers house, that you wanted to leave everything you had in New York and come back to Indiana where they lived. And your brother had the most simplistic answer to it all.

"Then if that's what your heart and mind is telling you, then come back to Hawkins. I wouldn't mind having my sister by my side and dad would love to see you again."

After Sam had mentioned those words to you, you gave him a bright smile and a quick nod. That night you began packing your belongings. You and your brother had discussed where you could live, he had pointed out the safest apartments in Hawkins. You filled up your car until none of your personal belongings were left in your mothers house.

The downside to starting over meant that you had to get new furniture, but you were lucky considering you had saved enough money for an apartment and new things as well. You had planned this out well before you brought it up to Sam. Without saying goodbye to your mother or step father you left New York and drove back home.

It took you 11 hours to drive from New York to Indiana. You had made a few stops along the way but it hadn't impacted your time on the road much. You had already rented out an apartment that wasn't far from where your brother and dad lived. They still lived with each other so it would make it easier if you wanted to do something with them.

Along the drive down to Hawkins your brother had called you and told you that a few of his friends would be helping you move your boxes from your car into your apartment. And then they would help with anything heavier once it was bought. For the first few nights you would be sleeping on an air mattress which didn't really bother you.

It would do until you could go out and get a bed. You had arrived just before nightfall, the sun was setting in the distance. It made a pretty view and one that you didn't know you missed until you moved back to Hawkins. You had just gotten your key to your apartment and were waiting for brother and dad to arrive along with a few of Sam's friends.

Your dad was actually the first to arrive, he pulled his truck up next to your four door Sedan. It was blue, one of your top three favorite colors. Looking down at your phone you saw a text from Sam saying that they would be there shortly. Placing your phone in the back of your pants pocket you walked towards your dad's truck as he climbed out and shut the door.

"There's my sweet baby!" Your dad said excitedly, with the brightest happiest smile plastered onto his lips.

"Hi, dad!" You spoke. Soon enough his arms were encased around your body as he pulled you in for a tight hug, one that you hadn't felt in a few years. "I missed you." You mumbled into his chest, with your eyes closed.

"Aw, I missed you too, princess." Your dad had no shame in calling you any kind of pet name. But you had and always would be his little princess. "I'm glad you're here now."

"Me too, dad." You pulled back from the hug and stared up at your father. He was still holding the smile on his lips as he continued to look down at you.

"How's your mother doing?" Allen questioned, his face had become serious but it was clear to you that sometimes it still hurt to talk about his ex-wife. He thought your mother was the love of his life and he thought he was hers. Though to you it seemed that your mother never really loved your father and she was just taking him along for the joy ride because they had Sam and then 2 years later had you.

"She's fine, she's with her boy toy. They're so perfect for each other it's disgusting. I had to get out of there before things got worse."

Your dad raised an eyebrow at the way you had mentioned that last sentence. "He didn't try to hurt you or anything like that did he?"

"No, god, no. He was just an ass who only cared about mom and wanted to make my life a living hell because I was a 24 year old still living with her mother. I'm just happy that I'll be starting out year 25 in my own apartment with a teaching job and I'll be closer to my dad and brother again." You tried your hardest to smile, but you knew your dad was picking up on the pain that was leaving your voice.

"If there's one thing in life I regret its that I didn't fight hard enough to get custody over you so you could live with your brother and I."

"It's okay, dad. Mom didn't want the responsibility of taking care of Sam because he was a troublemaker and difficult for her to work with. Apparently I was just easy for her."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short because your mother did. I'm so proud of the things you've accomplished in this past year alone and I can't wait to see what you'll do in the future, and I can't wait to see the impact you'll have in those kids' lives when you start teaching."

"Thank you dad." You smiled again, in the distance bikes could be heard which meant that your brother was now here. It was no secret that your brother was part of a biker club, you didn't have anything negative to say about it simply because the one he was a part of did a lot of good things not only for the community in Hawkins but surrounding communities as well.

"Your brother's here, let's get moving." Your dad walked towards your car and opened up your back door to start with that. Your phone buzzed in your pocket. Pulling it out you looked down to see a contact that you were trying to avoid at all cost and it wasn't your mother. After you find a teaching position you planned to get a new phone number so your ex could stop calling you.

You had gone the distance and blocked her from all social media that you did have, but you weren't too worried about it considering you felt you didn't have time to be on it. But you weren't so sure that would be enough of a cause for her to stop trying to contact you. She seemed to be a force to be reckoned with and she made your life far worse than the things your step father had said to you.

You only wished you had seen just who she truly was before it had gone down the wrong path. But you knew that maybe just maybe Hawkins could truly be the fresh start that you desperately needed. You looked away from your phone seeing your brother and a few of his friends pulling up next to your father's truck. Putting on a tight lipped smile you locked your phone and shoved it back in your pocket.

"Sam." You called out walking over to him as he pulled his helmet off his head. His brown hair fell from the helmet and you could instantly see the smile that fell onto his lips and how his eyes brightened when you called his name. He climbed off his bike and walked over to you pulling you in for a hug.

"I missed you so much, Bug." Sam said, you groaned at the nickname. Sam was never not going to call you Bug. When you were little you went through a very long phase and were obsessed with all kinds of bugs and had a lot of knowledge on them. You still to this day talk about certain bugs. But Sam started calling you Bug one day and never dropped it. Even sometimes the nickname would slip from your father's lips and your mother's lips.

"I missed you too," you pulled back from the hug as two of his friends walked over to you.

"I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. This is Steve Harrington, and Eddie Munson. Guys this is my sister, I like to call her Bug so I am giving you permission to call her that too." Sam smirked at you while you rolled your eyes.

"It's nice to finally meet you, I'm Steve. Sam here wouldn't shut up about his little sister coming back home." Steve said, as he shook your hand. You took in Steve's look, his hair was great, far better than what you had seen in New York. He had on tight jeans, with a polo shirt (which kind of shocked you to say the least), and he topped it off with a leather jacket, covered for the most part in patches.

On the front right side of the jacket rested the name of the club they were in. "The Wolves", seemed to fight the look they all had going on. Your brother talked about his biker club as much as you would let him so you knew most of the members without having to meet them.

"Oh, I'm sure. He's probably more excited about me being here than I am." You chuckled afterwards, then your eyes landed on the tall curly haired man who you assumed was Eddie Munson.

You were already swooning over the way his hair was styled, the bangs that rested over his forehead really seemed to fit his personality. Well, at least whatever you could pick up just from looking at him. After meeting your ex-girlfriend and learning more about her you started to get better at reading people which had been part of the reason why you started to see things you didn't see before you started dating.

Eddie was wearing ripped jeans that went with the black boots he had on his feet. Your eyes drifted to his shirt to see that he had been wearing a slightly worn out Metallica shirt. Like Steve he had been wearing a leather jacket as well. But most of the patches he had on his were on the denim jacket that rested over the leather jacket. The club logo rested on the right side as well and it was surrounded by band patches and pins.

It really helped complete his look and you couldn't keep your eyes off Eddie. Something he smirked at because he had noticed your face. Finally your hand found its way to Eddie's and the two of you shook hands. He hadn't said anything to you yet, but you were sure you felt a jolt of electricity run through your hand. And for a moment you were almost certain that he had felt the same thing, especially when you had looked into his soft brown eyes.

"It's very nice to meet you, Bug." Eddie said, with a gentle smile following behind his words.

"Come on, boys, we don't got all night." Allen called out to the three.

You and Eddie removed your hands from each other. You walked back towards your car, and opened the door. Just as you started to reach for one of your boxes you had packed your phone buzzed again in your pocket. Only this time it was a simple buzz indicating that you had received a text message from someone.

With an exhale you let go of the box holding it up by your leg. Eddie watched from the other side of your car as you pulled your phone out to look at who had texted you. You thought that maybe there was a chance it would be your mom asking where you had gone. As you unlocked your phone, you felt your blood run cold when you stared directly at the message.

It read, "I'm going to find you, and you're coming back home with me." You had an annoyed look on your face that mixed with anger and fear. Eddie was still staring at you while you looked down at the phone, he could tell just by your posture and facial expression that something was off. You knew that most likely you were going to have to take this to court eventually. Which is something you didn't want to do, in all honesty that was the last thing you wanted.

"Hey, you okay?" Eddie's voice ran through your ears and it suddenly felt comforting to hear his voice again. You looked up from your phone and placed your eyes on him as he held onto one of your boxes. Somewhere in between he had managed to pull his curly locks back into a low bun so his hair was out of the way.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay." You knew it was a lie because you were in fact not okay. But you didn't feel as though you could tell him let alone your brother or dad. The idea of telling anyone what was actually going on made you feel like you were being a burden to them. You didn't want to bother them with your problems because you knew you could solve them on your own.

Your brother and father couldn't know the real reason you had decided to up and leave your mother's house in the middle of the night. Sure you didn't like the way they talked to you but that was just a cover up for the simple fact that you were trying to escape another crazy ex, only this time it was your ex-girlfriend. She had made things a lot worse for you and more complicated than you wanted them to be.

Your ex was trying to make it clear to you that you were soulmates, but you disagreed with her time and time again. You weren't looking to settle down not yet anyway. You liked the idea of being in a relationship to a certain extent. Most of your relationships didn't last longer than 6 months at most. Though you had a thought that if something happened between you and Eddie he was going to be the one you married.

Well that's what you hoped for deep deep down. Eddie took notice once again of how lost in thought you had gotten. He wondered if this was an often occurrence or if it only happened in stressful situations like this one where you moved across the country. The metalhead could tell that something was definitely off, and it seemed whatever it was had to do with this move.

Eddie was going to make it his top priority that he figure out what it was that made you move back to your hometown, what made you decide to leave the city and head to a quiet town. He also knew one thing for certain, and it was that the second he laid his eyes on you that he wanted nothing more than to keep you safe from the horrors of the world; whatever they may be.

When Sam started talking about how you were thinking of moving back to Hawkins to be close to your dad and him, Eddie couldn't help but start to form a crush on you. The pictures that Sam had shown to him just didn't do enough justice. Your hair was longer than what it had been in the picture that had been taken. You had beautiful eyes that he felt that he could get lost in no matter what time of day.

And he thought that you looked super adorable in any type of clothes you'd wear. Right now you had jeans, and a pain blue t-shirt on, with a jacket covering your arms. You were also sporting a red pair of converse that looked a little to beat, like they had seen a lot of years. But the outfit looked really good on you. The only thing that Eddie really wanted to do was rip it off so he could see all of you.

Seeing you here now in front of him on the other side of your car, he knew there was no chance he'd be able to control himself around you. With a heavy sigh you shoved your phone back into your pocket and grabbed a hold of the box that rested on your leg. Before taking a step away from the car towards the apartment you stared up at it.

"I'm okay, I'll be okay. She can't do anything to me." You whispered to yourself, though Eddie had definitely heard you. It was enough for him to know that he was for sure going to keep you safe. He would just have to get more intel about why you were here and who you were running from so he could better prepare himself.

Eddie caught up with you as you walked towards your new apartment. You dreaded the future because of what could happen if your ex found where you had gone. But you also looked forward to it, you hoped Eddie might become something more than just your brother's friend. You already knew there was something about him that you liked and it wasn't because he was in the Wolves with your brother.

It had something to do with the spark that you had felt shoot through your hands. You weren't one to believe in all that lovey dovey crap but you could see something with Eddie, whether it ended up in a bad place or it ended up in a good place. You internally groaned knowing very well that this next year could either make or break you.

You weren't looking forward to all the possible outcomes of what could or might not happen. You only hoped that someone out there was watching over you. That there was someone out there helping to guide you in the direction you needed to go.

TAGS: @funsonmunson-again @inhumanssxx

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #biker!eddie munson #steve harrington #post-upside down #teacher!reader #reader insert #part 1 of many #part 1 #bikerlife #hawkins #biker!eddie munson x teacher!reader

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missvelvetsstuff · 8 months

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The Wrong One

Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Reader met Steve while he was on the run and stood behind him through everything. Until he saw Peggy Carter.

Chapter 12: Moving Again

Warnings: swearing, angst

While they felt some relief at Steve accepting some responsibility for this mess, Y/N couldn't help but over think and worry.

"You know, it would have been better if Steve had just come and talked to us instead of getting the press involved. I mean, now the world knows there's a super soldier baby and the press knows where I live. I doubt it would be hard to figure out where she is." She ranted

"I don't trust Steve's motives, going straight to the press seems, I don't know, questionable. Like he's more concerned with salvaging his reputation with the public than actually trying to accept responsibility."

She thought for a moment. "I hate thinking like this but what if we gave Winnie a tracker chip? I mean, I might be paranoid but that way we could always find her. In case Steve or whoever tried something."

Bucky nodded "That might not be a bad idea. Now that he's confirmed everything to the world, those bad actors that are building Hydra, and other criminal organizations, back up might come looking."

He paused for a moment, nervous to broach the subject "Do you think your place is really safe? I mean, now that it's public knowledge."

She growled at him "You know we wouldn't be in the position if you and Sam could keep your mouths shut. What kind of spies can't keep one damn secret?" Her voice rose at the end and Winnie whined "Oh no baby, I'm so sorry. Your father and uncles are just dumbasses."

Bucky looked at his feet "I know, doll. I'm so sorry and plan to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I didn't think Steve would cause so many problems but I never thought he would leave you for Peggy without even telling you so I don't seem to be the best judge of who he is these days. I'll do whatever I can to fix this."

She sighed "I don't know, Bucky, you may be right. My house might not be the safest place anymore. I need to talk to Pepper. Before I go home."

She sent a text to her friend to stop by and visit when she had the time.

They spent most of the day relaxing and bonding with Winnie. She gave Bucky smiles when she heard his voice and Y/N had never seen him light up like when she did.

Pepper stopped by at dinner time, followed by Happy who carried a number of take out bags from her favorite steak house.

Pepper set down a huge arrangement of pink roses in a crystal vase and gave them a big smile. "Look at this happy little family. We have to have some pictures done." She turned to Happy "Can you see if Peter can come by tomorrow and get some pictures?"

Happy nodded "Of course. She's beautiful."

Y/N smiled and thanked him.

Pepper set out food and made a plate for Y/N, trading Winnie between them.

While they ate, Y/N brought up her concerns about security. Pepper had seen Steves presser and had been concerned herself.

After thinking for a few minutes Pepper figured it out. "I know you don't want to move again but I think Bucky is right, your place has been exposed but I think I have a solution" she smiled "On the same property where Morgan and I are living, there's another cabin. 3 bedrooms and a fully updated kitchen, like my cabin. It's been empty for a bit so needs to be cleaned and the security would need upgrading. It's on the other side of the lake so you'd be close but still have your privacy."

She looked to Happy "Can you make some calls and get that started?"

Happy nodded and left the room.

Pepper started cleaning up their food "You should stay here in the Tower until the cabin is ready. Shouldn't be more than a week and you'll be safe here. We can take care of the move so you don't have to deal with all that."

"Pepper, I don't know how to thank you. It's so much."

Pepper shook her head "Then don't worry about it. I'm glad to help and the cabin has just been sitting there gathering dust." She smirked at Y/N "Besides, it'll be nice to have a sitter close by."

Y/N grinned "I don't know how soon I'll be up for babysitting a kid as active as Morgan but yeah, when I'm healed. Of course."

That evening Steve came by again obviously pleased with himself "Did you see it? I fixed everything so we can be happy together again."

He picked Winnie up from her bassinet, waking her up.

Bucky wanted to mention that Winnie had just fallen asleep but bit his tongue and watched to see how Steve would handle her.

Y/N shook her head "No, Steve. We won't be together again. I thought I made that clear. And while I appreciate your attempt to make things right, now everyone knows for sure there's a super soldier baby and the press knows where I live. My house won't be safe for us anymore."

Steve smiled brightly "You can stay with me. I'll protect you both." Winnie wasn't happy about being woken up and started squirming in his arms.

She sighed "It's like talking to a brick wall. No Steve we're done. I have a place to go but will be staying in the Tower until it's ready."

His smile fell "Where is it? I can go make sure it's secure." Winnie started fussing, not familiar with the scent or voice of the person holding her.

Bucky spoke up "I don't think that's a good idea. We will be here for now and can meet here for visits after that. The fewer people who know where they live the better."

Steve bristled "Why can't I ever talk to Y/N without you butting into something that's none of your damn business? You are always with her like some pathetic puppy." Winnie felt the tension and started bawling, trying to push away from him.

Bucky glared at him "It's my business because I've been here when you weren't" he quickly took Winnie from Steve and she calmed right away for him which only upset Steve more.

"She won't get used to me if you don't let me hold her." Steve snapped. "You won't let me hold her, won't tell me where they're moving to. Seems like you're working pretty hard to keep my daughter away from me. I thought we were all going to be adults about this."

Bucky smiled down at Winnie who gave him a big, drool filled, toothless grin. "You don't need to be holding her when you're all wound up like that. The rest is for their safety"

He took her hand and planted a raspberry on her palm and she laughed at him. He whispered softly "That's my girl."

Steve clenched his jaw, angry and frustrated at his own daughter preferring his friend over him. He sat on a chair in the corner of the room and sulked.

Y/N rolled her eyes at him acting like a baby but kept her mouth shut.

The next week was relatively calm. Steve stayed in the Tower too and did everything he could to get Y/N and Winnie alone. Bucky's presence alone was enough to upset Steve. He was still angry about Bucky's bond with Winnie and the tension didn't help her like him any better. He also refused to change diapers at all, something about it being womans work and even mocked Bucky for doing anything Y/N or Winnie needed.

Y/N had a discussion with Helen Cho and a tracking chip was implanted on Winnie. She only cried for a moment.

Finally it was time to move into her new house. They waited until Steve was out of town for the day in the hopes of keeping the location secret from him.

Y/N had a feeling he was closer than she wanted and would find out where she was living before too long.

Y/N was overwhelmed at the cabin. It was perfectly rustic on the outside but had every possible convenience inside. The interior was freshly painted and most of her furniture had been moved already.

Once they were settled in and everyone else had gone Y/N and Bucky took Winnie to sit on the swing that took up half of the front porch. All they could hear were crickets and frogs with the occasional owl or other bird chiming in. The sky was clear and full of stars that Winnie was staring and pointing at as Bucky named the constellations for her.

Life was relatively quiet for a few months. Bucky helped Sam on missions when needed but was always anxious to get home to his girls.

Winnie was growing quickly, already trying to crawl and getting into everything.

Y/N healed quickly and worked the baby weight off chasing after a baby that shouldn't be so mobile yet.

Y/N and Bucky were cautiously taking baby steps towards each other although they hadn't done anything more than some heated making out.

Steve finally learned how to change a diaper, since Y/N insisted he learn how to care for Winnie properly before he was allowed to take her on his own.

When she was 6 months old Steve had finally learned how to change and feed her well enough that Y/N was convinced he could care for Winnie on his own. That didn't dispel her concerns that he might try to disappear with Winnie but Y/N started letting him take her for a few hours or even an entire day but not overnight.

One weekend when Winnie was almost 8 months old, and trying to walk, Steve came to take her for the afternoon but promised to have her back before her bedtime at 7pm.

Y/N and Bucky went on a date to a nice restaurant where they were in their own little bubble for a little while. When her alarm went off they hurried to meet Steve at the tower only to find he wasn't there yet, even though they were almost 20 minutes late. Y/N tried not to panic.

Bucky squeezed her hand "I'm sure they got caught up in traffic or something. Steve was always a stickler for punctuality so I'm sure he will be here soon."

Y/N nodded hesitantly, it had taken a lot of time and counseling for her to trust Steve with Winnie away from her. She laughed nervously "I know, we've been doing this for 2 months and he's always here on time so maybe I should trust him but it's hard and she's everything to me."

"I know doll, just give him a little longer and she'll be back in your arms where she belongs." Bucky tried to reassure her even though he was getting nervous too.

When she looked up and saw it was over an hour since their scheduled time, Y/N started to panic.

Bucky tried to soothe her with little success so decided to call Steve and see what was holding him up. His heart stopped when the recording told him the number was no longer available.

Y/N looked to him hopefully but her stomach fell when she saw the look on his face "What's wrong Buck?"

He shook his head and stammered "Says the number isn't available."

Her eyes grew and tears started to gather right away. "No, no, he wouldn't hhe he promised. Maybe he blocked you or..." She tore through her purse in a panic, looking for her own phone. Maybe she missed his call.

When she found her phone she saw there were no calls or messages and quickly hit Steve's name on her contacts. Bucky knew from her face that she got the same recording and he pulled her close.

He was going to kill Steve when he found him.

Chapter 13

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #james bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #angst with a happy ending #steve rogers x reader #the wrong one

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666writingcafe · 23 days

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Preparation

Levi

Wow. Diavolo's just as bad as the rest of us, isn't he? I mean, literally jumping out of his office window to escape the Devildom and visit MC...that certainly wasn't on my bingo card for this year.

In any case, we do need to locate him. He's known to cause chaos whenever he's left unsupervised, and while I'd love to see a video of him go viral, I know Lucifer wouldn't, and I really don't want to sit through one of his lectures.

Thankfully, I have just the thing that might help.

"This is Crowe," I tell MC, putting the black cylinder in their hands.

"I didn't know you had a smart speaker," MC replies as they examine Crowe.

"I won him at an auction. Apparently he's a prototype. He's created by the Three-Legged Crow Group, the same company that sells D.D.D.'s. As long as someone has one of their phones, Crowe can track their location. All you have to do is ask."

"Sounds simple enough. Hopefully Diavolo has his phone on him." With that, MC asks Crowe to locate our missing prince.

"Lord Diavolo is located at The Drunk Hyena," it answers. "Would you like me to provide the address?"

"Yes." After hearing the address, MC appears shocked.

"Everything okay?" I ask them.

"I had no idea they had a location in the human world." I shrug, trying to hide my surprise. Clubbing doesn't really seem like MC's thing. Then again, Asmo is prone to dragging people to clubs, so who knows?

"The owners must have bought the building and created a portal. That sort of thing happens all the time." I pause. "Still doesn't explain why Diavolo would be there, though. It's the middle of the day."

"Perhaps it was the safest way for him to get here. People tend to not ask a lot of questions at clubs." That's true, I suppose. They're too caught up in whatever or whoever it is they're doing to notice anything outside their bubble.

At that moment, MC's phone rings.

"Good timing," they mutter as they pull it out and answer it. They tell the person on the other end that they're going to put them on speaker before positioning their phone so that it's between us.

"Who's in the room with you?" Oh shit. It's Diavolo.

"Just me," I reply. Diavolo breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. I was afraid it might have been someone else. I've been meaning to talk to you about that anime you recommended to me a few months ago. It's really good."

During my quest to manage my social anxiety, I discovered that one of my online friends was actually none other than Diavolo himself, which was weird, because I "met" him on a pretty unknown online RPG, one that only the most devoted members of the gaming community knew about.

As it turns out, Diavolo's secretly a huge gaming nerd. I don't know how he finds the time, since his duties as prince require the majority of his attention, but somehow he's up-to-date on the latest news in the gaming world.

It was definitely awkward at first when I found out, but then I realized that Diavolo just wanted someone he could geek out with. It's not like Lucifer or Barbatos would; neither one of them are particularly interested in video games.

"Diavolo, what sort of trouble did you get yourself into?" MC asks before he has the opportunity to start rambling. I don't have to look at his face to know that he's blushing.

"Well, I may have gotten stuck."

"Are we talking tight space, or something cursed?"

"The latter." He sounds like someone who got caught stealing. "This place has a cursed karaoke room where you can't leave until you get a perfect score on the machine's vocal accuracy challenge."

"So, why haven't you participated?" Silence. "Diavolo, is this a ploy to get me to join you?" More silence. Then,

"Maaaybe." As Asmo would say, he's definitely down bad.

And somehow I'm fine with that. It's weird, I know, especially since I wouldn't have been fine before. I would have been tearing myself down as I holed myself up in my room, because there was no way I could compete with someone like Diavolo for someone's affection.

That's not the case now. I can't really explain why I feel calm; I just do.

"You know MC can't come by themselves, right?" I ask. "You know who would throw a fit if they did." Diavolo sighs.

"Yeah, I do. Doesn't make any sense to me, but whatever. He can feel how he wants." He pauses. "Ask the others if they want to tag along. We can at least make something fun out of the situation."

#obey me shall we date #obey me mc #obey me levi #obey me diavolo #as you can see #i took out the bit where levi doesn't know what a smart speaker is #because that makes no sense to me #i found that particular plot line in the og game to be weird af #also #i decided to take a different approach to mc receiving their second star from diavolo #since i'm trying to have levi grow as a character #and since i rewrote parts of season two the way i did #i'm not going to have levi be the one that's jealous/envious of diavolo #that role will be played by someone else #a surprise #if you will

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dnfao3tags · 11 months

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Monthly Fic Roundup - May 2023

ok look man this is the third fucking time i've had to redo this entire post i dont give a shit anymore i hate tumblr i hope it and i die a very painful death does anybody have any idea how hard it is to edit these things with the shittiest site and shittiest laptop in the world

anyways. nobody reminded me i forgot about mays roundup. betrayal. leave all the writers here a warm kudos and comment :]

— find me here by womanhunt (mat. | comp. | 9k)

Dream and George through various phone calls across time.

— All paths lead to you by Simplysmitten (teen | comp. | 28k)

When George is stressed, he has nightmares, and when George has nightmares, he sleepwalks. In a subconscious search for relief, George sleepwalks to the safest place he can find- Dream's room. Dream finds out more than he bargained for when trying to decode George's nonsensical sleep-talking, but he struggles to make conscious-George as comforted by his presence as unconscious-George.

— i want you, and that’s the way it is by pondsofkoi (gen | comp. | 4k)

Sometimes George combs his hair with enough force Dream thinks he’s trying to yank his scalp out. “Dude.”

— a wish, a child by heartinhands (teen | comp. | 3k)

George wants a child. If he and Dream wish hard enough, there's a chance.

— every sunset by indigoh (mat. | comp. | 10k)

when George goes to sleep, it’s June 2020. When he wakes up, it’s 8 years into the future.

Part 2 of the past, the future, and everything in between

— what a childish thing by tippysleeps (teen | comp. | 7k)

“What year is it,” George repeats. “Um,” Dream frowns. “It’s 2020?” George just stares at him. “It’s 2027,” he says, finally. “2027.”

Part 1 of not afraid of living on a faultline

— Some Other Beginning's End by Scoops (consciousness_streaming) (expl. | comp. | 5k)

George's family takes a holiday to Orlando to visit Disney. Just before George is set to meet Dream, disaster strikes in the form of a werewolf pack taking over Florida, and maybe more of America. While George struggles to survive, scavenging for food and materials for the few survivors, and at the end of his rope--a miracle happens. He might get to meet Dream after all.

— falling in love in the cruelest way by twostorms (teen | comp. | 7k)

Dream can't remember a time where he wasn't at least a little obsessed with George.

— Maw by shrewtz (expl. | comp. | 1k)

To combine their two selves in one way or another, to blur the line between hunger and arousal, to consume a piece of his lover— would it not be the most romantic gesture possible?

— when you kiss my lips, you'll make it stick by demonstars (mat. | comp. | 6k)

Dream's hero's (MUA) journey.

— Can you make it feel like home (if I tell you you're mine?) by JanetBaby99 (expl. | comp. | 19k)

Dream and George go on a road trip together and the tension between them becomes too much. Eventually, it snaps, and they can’t keep their hands to themselves any longer.

— unbreakable heaven by furculaed (teen | comp. | 5k)

“I didn’t mean for it to get so messy,” she breathes, “I thought we could, I don’t know, just do whatever and we’d be okay. I can live with just this, I promise. I can do with nothing, even. I don’t know. Just don’t ask me to stop.” Dream’s breath stops right at her chest. “Stop what, George?” “You know,” she whispers. George looks at Dream, beautiful and breaking at the seams. “Don’t make me say it, Dream. You know,” George begs.

— fall into me by havocrat (teen | comp. | 7k)

Handing the tube back, Georgina smacks her lips together, and they make a little pop sound. It’s a weird feeling, a little sticky, but she kind of likes it. She wonders if it’s anything like kissing Dream for real. “Nice chapstick,” she says, and her voice comes out a little hoarse. Dream’s throat bobs, and she wets her lips again. “Yeah?” “Yeah. Tastes good, too.” She’s aware she sounds like an idiot, but this is the only coherent thought in her head right now, the only thought that isn’t about Dream’s lips and Dream’s mouth and indirect kisses and direct kisses and– God. She needs to get out of there, before she does something they both regret.

— right through your bones by dizzy (teen | comp. | 3k)

George tries to kiss Dream, and it doesn't go as planned.

— tall man’s burden by alreadyhateyou (expl. | comp. | 4k)

Clearly Dream is tall, clearly Dream is taller and bigger than George, in a lot of ways. Clearly, George is really into this. First it’s Dream’s hands, then his shoulders and chest and thighs. Soon it’s everything. Soon George finds out Dream is big everywhere.

— what a fucked up reality show by brokenlikeastitch (teen | comp. | 13k)

“Have you started studying for the map quizzes?” George asks, shoving some of her stuff over to clear the table in front of the chair next to her like she’s making room for Dream. It’s bizarre, and Dream is caught off guard at the sudden conversation. She’s not sure what exactly she was going to say to George, but now she’s even more unsure what to say. “Not yet, I don’t really like thinking about that class.” George giggles, pushing a loose strand of hair back behind her ear as she does. “Me neither, but I don’t want to fail them because I think I’ll jump off a cliff if I have to take this class again, so.” The giggle makes Dream feel a little faint, and she sits down in the offered seat just to make sure she doesn’t accidentally actually fall out in the library in front of everyone.

— This Ambiguous Edge by Amoxil (expl. | comp. | 21k)

Dream and George don’t care about the label. For months, they do everything that couples do. Everything but sex. George is patient, but Dream’s beginning to skirt the line. George wants to see how far he can push him.

— it isn't new (but it's still you) by mocharex (teen | comp. | 15k)

The slow shift from friends to fiancés to having a family together may take years, but, luckily enough, Dream and George have all the time in the world.

— Reasons Not To Be An Idiot by VicIsWriting (expl. | comp. | 30k)

Dream and George– they used to be friends. Sandbox besties, cradle to grave, ride-or-die kind of friends. Now they’re nothing, just strangers on a college campus who barely look in each other’s direction as they pass by, neutral recognition in both their eyes. When their friendship is revived, something new develops too.

— get busy waiting by alreadyhateyou (expl. | comp. | 17k)

Dream claims he wants to wait until marriage, and while George does his best to respect his wishes, it seems like all Dream does is make them both so, so horny.

if you want a rec of your own on next month's roundup, send it in!

#dnf #dreamnotfound #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #dnf fanfic recs #dnfao3tags recs #monthly fic roundup #may 2023

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toast-tales · 9 months

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A human-dealing giant comes face-to-face with the consequences of his actions, in the form of a tiny human girl who isn’t afraid to stand up to his bullshit.

Danny is a human who fell into the world of giants, in a rural giant town called Red Tree. In this world, humans are only four inches tall and treated like drugs—illegally consumed for pleasure and released afterwards. She was lucky enough to befriend a giant named Nathan, who has been able to hide her away and keep her safe—up until now.

Christopher Penn is a notorious human “dealer,” who sells humans he finds to hungry giants. When he kidnaps Danny and finds out her connection to the giant he knew from years ago, he makes a terrible decision that he doesn’t know how to rectify.

That is, until this human girl turns his life upside down.

In a strange twist of fate, Christopher finds himself having to look after Danny. Somewhere between the bitter insults she throws his way and the smug, insufferable facade he wears, the most unlikely and tumultuous alliance begins to form—but trust and friendship are not so easily won, and redemption is a hard thing to earn.

Join the Discord | Read on A03

Fanart | Character Physical Descriptions

#itwom chapters #itwom #itwom fanart #itwom art #itwom audio #oc christopher #oc danny #oc nathan (and the rest)

[1] A Rude Awakening Danny meets the human dealer Christopher for the first time.

[2] Slipping Danny spends the night inside of Christopher, and Christopher devises a plan.

[3] Play by the Rules Nathan retrieves Danny from Christopher.

[4] Dance with Death Danny returns, and she's having none of Christopher's twisted games.

[5] Too Little, Too Late Christopher has regrets.

[6] Black Market Danny finds herself in the hands of an unfamiliar dealer.

[7] Unpaid Debts Christopher goes to rescue Danny from the Black Dragon.

[8] On One Condition Christopher proposes a solution for keeping Danny safe.

[9] Redirection Danny agrees on a strange means to an end...reluctantly.

[10] Domestic Life Danny and Christopher share their first morning together.

[11] Intruder Christopher finds a familiar face lurking around the house that night, and decides to take care of it.

[12] Let Sleeping Giants Lie Another morning, another round of "exposure therapy."

[13] On the Inside Christopher gets a visit from an old client, Sam.

[14] Open WoundsChristopher and Danny have a heart to heart.

[15] Commitment Nathan comes over for another visit.

[16] Meet and Greet Sam meets the gang, and they start to devise a rescue plan.

[17] Hard to Swallow Nathan practices his part of the plan - eating Danny.

[18] Protector of Humans Everyone goes to meet the leader of the Human Rights Association, Sybil.

[19] Enlightenment Sybil gives everyone a much-needed crash course in humans and their relationship to giants.

[20] No Question Christopher and Danny share a moment the night before the rescue mission.

[21] Performance Christopher isn't eager for the first part of the mission: letting Danny go.

[22] Time Crunch Danny does her part in freeing the humans, though she finds an unexpected face in the process.

[23] The Safest Place to Be Christopher does his part on the outside as he intercepts the humans, and has to make some decisions.

[24] Stomach Pains The plan goes awry.

[25] Taste of Freedom After the ride back to the human city, Christopher is faced with a choice.

[26] Tongue Tied Before parting, everyone has something to say to each other.

[27] Sympathizer Danny gets her first glimpse of the human city and meets Sybil's husband John, though not everyone seems to be welcoming her warmly.

[28] Skeletons in the Closet Nathan asks Christopher some questions about his past.

[29] Independence Danny runs into the leader of the Human Independence Coalition, Nora.

[30] Things Left Unsaid The first weekend after coming to the human city, Danny reunites with a familiar friend.

[31] Reconciliation The morning after, Christopher raises some concerns, which are promptly addressed.

[32] Familiar Territory Christopher's first day on the job.

[33] Open Up Danny senses something wrong with Christopher.

[34] A Simple Request A few months later, when Christopher watches the house alone for the weekend, Danny decides to ask something of him.

[35] A Simple Request (2) A chemist gets a favor asked of her.

[36] Cutthroat A ghost from Christopher's past comes back to haunt him.

[37] Turning the Tables Christopher wakes up.

[38] Despite it All Christopher gets a chance to talk to everyone, including the one who despises him.

[39] Old Friend Christopher raises more concerns with Danny, and Nathan returns.

[40] New Beginnings (Epilogue) Christopher finds himself uncomfortable at the HRA's celebration, but finds that there are other little things to appreciate that day.

Rest Within Me A one-off story (1.6k words) involving some 2nd POV (gender neutral reader) romantic vore fluff with Christopher. Just for fun. You can't sleep, and you know there's only one place you can go.

More than Enough A one-off story (2.8k words) with more 2nd POV (gender neutral reader) vore fluff with Christopher. Good old-fashioned nonsexual intimacy, ambiguous for whether that's romantic or platonic this time.

Little One Another one-off story (2.5k words) with 2nd POV (gender neutral reader) safe, willing vore fluff with Sybil. You're a curious human who wants to know what it's like to be...well, you know.

Just a Minute A short little fluff piece with Sam (2nd POV, gender neutral reader). You test the giant's "self-control" by playing a little game with them before they eat you. They end up getting more embarrassed than you, funnily enough.

Christopher's First Time A look into the life of 15-year-old Christopher's first encounter with a human, Joey. About 4k words.

Snippets: The Supermarket

#itwom #in the world of monsters #masterpost #itwom masterpost #vore writing #vore stories

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herbeloved82 · 7 months

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Home under the falling snow

Daniel looked outside the window and an uncontrollable shiver shook his whole body. Winter had been his favorite season for a very long time, since he could remember he had enjoyed the falling snow that would cover the ugliness of the city, at least until the dirt turned it as gray and impure as everything else.

In his mind as a child, Daniel had thought that under the immaculate blanket, everything that was wrong could be hidden and forgotten. Then he grew up and saw how cars and the dirt of the streets beneath the white would soon pollute the snow, turning something beautiful and pure, into a mess of waste and decay.

That had been when he began to realize that nothing beautiful could last in a world that was made to destroy everything that was weak and fragile.

“Come back to me, my love,” awarm voice said from behind him as a powerful chest pressed against his back.

Oh how easy it would be to lose himself in Marius’ arms. To allow the older vampire to take away his pain and substitute it with lighter thoughts. Marius always had a healing power about him, his mind the safest and calmest place where Daniel was allowed to recover and rediscover himself again.

“I’m right here.” Daniel said, hoping against all odds that Marius wouldn’t realize how that wasn’t the real truth. His body was there, obviously, but his mind was far, far away, in streets he hadn’t visited for decades now, in cities he couldn’t even remember.

“Your mind is not, and I’m afraid I can’t follow where it is wandering now.”

That was always an obstacle between them. Daniel’s terror of having his mind violated and Marius’ refusal to go sneaking there even when it appeared to be the only way to calm him down.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” Daniel continued. He knew Marius constantly worried for the people he loved. For Lestat and his fledgling, for Armand, his own beloved cherub, broken and twisted into something he was never meant to be, for the Sacred Parents who were no more, for Pandora and Bianca, even when too much happened between them and their love couldn’t be anymore. Daniel knew that and he was still shocked, every day, that he could be counted among the people Marius held close to his heart.

“It’s just - winter reminds me of home, but I don’t know where home is anymore.”

Daniel knew if there was someone who could understand what he meant, it was Marius. Who else had lost so much, time and time again, and still kept standing, a beacon for their kind and everyone who was lost?

Not for the first time, Daniel wondered who had been there for him when he had needed a moment to rest to lay down the burden he always carried and rest? Sadly he knew the answer even if he didn’t want to think about it.

“Home is such a strange concept, dear one. When I was young, still human, home was where the Penati laid. When I grew up and became a Senator, home was Rome and where she could reach. When I was taken and became the guardian of the Sacred Parents, home was their shrine. Then home became a person and I think only then I realized home is almost never a physical place.”

Daniel slightly turned in the embrace, to look at Marius, and he realized his lover had now the saddest expression in his eyes and hated himself for forcing him into misery. He didn’t have to ask to know who Marius’ home was.

Without thinking, Daniel opened his mouth once again, as his eyes closed, too scared to keep looking at Marius in case the man rejected what he wanted the most.

“Would you be my home?”

He felt Marius tensing behind him and for a moment the slow and rhythmic beat of his heart rushed, like Marius was still human, or at least maintained the human’s nature of being surprised.

“It would be an honor.” Marius answered after a moment of silence. The time he needed to really understand what Daniel just asked and to realize that yes, he wanted to be Daniel’s home, he wanted to provide him with what had been taken from him by life and the choices he made. Perhaps, like that, they could both really begin to heal.

As the snow kept falling outside and the world was once again hidden under the white quilt, Danuel turned in Marius’ arms and kissed his lover, hard.

Sharp fangs cut into the perfectly shaped lips, drawing blood they shared. The fire burning in the hearth was the only witness of this moment of tenderness between immortals.

END

#De Romanus Coven events #Marius/Daniel Appreciation week 2023 #Marius/Daniel

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dark-frosted-heart · 1 year

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Proposal Event - Keith Howell (premium end)

This is in Keith's POV and starts some days before the main route.

Keith wakes up from a nightmare about the night of the incident. Lately, Tio's been appearing in his dreams. It all started when he decided he wanted to get engaged to Emma.

Beside him, Emma stirs awake and Keith apologizes for waking her. He lies back down when she tugs at his shirt and she asks if he had a nightmare. Keith can't help but feel like a child and tells her that it wasn't a good dream. Emma suggests they sleep holding hands then. She tells him that she had a dream where they were having a picnic in the flower field. She hopes that by being connected, she can bring him into her dream. And then she falls back asleep. Keith smiles as he watches her; maybe he won't have another nightmare after all.

While thinking about how hard Emma's been working since she arrived at Jade, he covers her with the blanket and pats her head. While her ability to work under pressure's admirable, he can't help but think she's overdoing it. By proposing, he hopes that he could convey that she was doing more than enough. And with this engagement, he can also protect her. But most importantly, he wants to make her happier than ever and never wants to let her go.

Days go by as Keith tries to find an opportunity to propose to Emma. It takes Alter!Keith taking over for it to finally happen.

Keith's sulking in his inner world, the grey sky reflecting his mood. Alter!Keith reminds him that he had said he was going to take over the next time Keith missed his chance. Alter!Keith was able to propose so easily, Keith can't help but feel frustrated. Alter!Keith tells him that he Emma was starting to notice that he was waiting to do something. He then asks Keith if he was lying when he said he wanted to marry her. He wasn't. Then was Keith scared? He wasn't...though it's possible he was somewhere deep in his heart. Maybe that's why Tio started to appear in his dreams. Perhaps he doubted he could protect someone important to him. Keith says that his desire to have a future with Emma's real, but he continues being uncool. Alter!Keith tells him that at least he's better than how he was before. At least now he looked toward the future instead of being stuck in the past. To be able to think about a future with Emma, the two of them are pretty lucky. Keith agrees. Alter!Keith's words give him a push of encouragement.

There's a place Emma would like to go to before the engagement ceremony.

The two go to the flower field they've visited many times before. It's a place Emma loves because it's the first place Keith showed her when she came to Jade. To her, it's the most important place in the country. The two walk through the field, hand in hand. After a moment, they stop. Emma lets go and take his left hand in both of hers. The reason she decided to come to the flower field today was because she wanted to propose to him. She then kisses his ring finger.

Emma: I know that no matter how hard things get, I can overcome them because I have you in my life, Prince Keith. There are still areas that I'm inexperienced in and I'm always being supported, but please let me continue to be by your side. I want to create happiness with the endlessly kind Keith and the mean Keith. I love you. Please get engaged with me.

Keith had never dreamed of being proposed to by Emma. Happiness soon replaces surprise and he has things he wants to say to her too. This time as himself. He takes a breath and kneels in front of her.

Keith: Your words have saved me many times over since we met. And it's not just your words, but your hand that reaches out and accepts me, your eyes that look at me, everything about you has saved me. I will say it again and again; thank you for accepting and loving me. Let me continue to be where you can feel the safest, where I can love you uninterrupted. I love you. I also want to get engaged with you.

Keith's desire to make Emma happy blinded him to the most important thing, to be happy together. It wasn't until her proposal that he remembered this.

The smile she gives him outshines all the flowers in the field. Emma thanks him, but Keith says he's the one that should be thanking her. This is like a dream. He stands and hugs her just to make sure that it isn't. And now he doesn't want to let go. So he doesn't. He picks her up and spins around. And then apologizes for getting carried away. But seeing her smile shyly at him makes him extremely happy.

There's one more question he wants to ask Emma. Why did she propose to him? Emma replies that she felt the proposal was only between Alter!Keith and her—she clarifies that she was happy to receive the proposal—but she wants to be with both of them. In Keith's mind, since the two personalities share a body, Alter!Keith's proposal could've been seen as his proposal too. But for Emma, there are two Keiths so she must've wanted all three of them to agree on an important step in their lives. Keith loves Emma so much he can't stand it. Rather than saying words, he kisses her on the lips to express just how grateful he is.

The day of the ceremony arrives and Keith can't help but feel embarrassed by Emma's staring. Keith just looks so cool in his tuxedo that she can't take her eyes off of him. Keith can't take his eyes off her as well. He, no, they are about to be engaged to a wonderful woman so he must be confident. He holds his hand out to Emma.

The engagement ceremony, in the presence of the king and Mireille, goes smoothly and the two are officially engaged to each other. Everything happened so fast that Keith didn't even feel nervous. Mireille glomps Emma, happy that she's now officially her big sister. And from now on, Emma can address her casually. Emma won't be too casual though. But even being a little less formal means the two are on their way to growing closer. Keith never thought he'd see such an innocent smile on his sister's face again. And come to think of it, he hasn't had a nightmare since that day in the flower field. Perhaps it was because of their pledge to each other.

Looking around the throne room, he sees all the people important to him are present: the king, Liam, Mireille, and Emma. He swallows back an unfulfilled wish that threatens to rise up. He thinks of how selfish it was to ask Tio to watch over him and asks him not to worry. He'll do his best to be a brother he can be proud of. In that moment, a warm breeze caresses his cheek. Wind blows petals into the throne room. It feels as if he was blessed. Emma calls his name but for some reason, his vision's blurry.

Back in Keith's room, he can't believe he cried at the end of the ceremony but was happy that Emma wiped his tears. How opportunistic of him. He also got to hear Mireille's true feelings. Definitely an unforgettable ceremony that he'll cherish.

Keith offers to get Emma a cup of tea since she must be tired from standing all day. She doesn't answer until he calls her name, where she then exclaims that she's not tired at all. She'll go make the tea. But Keith insists and tells Emma to wait for him on the sofa. Or she can get changed. Keith wonders what's gotten into her. For some reason, her cheeks are red and she's hesitating. And then it clicks. It's their engagement night. Is Emma feeling restless because of what usually comes after the ceremony? How cute. Emma's about to go to change when Keith asks her to wait. He pulls her toward him and wraps his arms around her waist. He'd like to help her undress. And then apologizes, he doesn't want to be away from her for a single second. So please. He kisses her on the cheek, neck, everywhere his lips can reach. Emma would like that.

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikepri summary #ikepri jp

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txemrn · 1 year

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Pour Two Glasses

Chapter 6: "...Everything's Turned Upside Down"

Need to catch up? Masterlist

✨ Have you checked out this teaser video yet? Pour Two Glasses Teaser✨

Word Count: 6150 (+/-)

Series Synopsis: In the midst of a violent political war, Queen Riley Rys’s life is dismantled overnight, forcing her to flee Cordonia to live in hiding as a commoner with a loyal, best friend

Series Song Inspo: “Pour Two Glasses” by the Movielife

Chapter Song Inspo: "Broken Pieces Shine" by Evanescence

Series Warnings: 🔞 For Mature Audiences Only 🔞 angst; profanity; major character death; grief and mental health discussion; discussion of violence & war; alcohol use; NSFW material

A/N: I don't say this enough, so I hope it's okay I start this A/N with this message... to my beautiful readers: thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I loved dreaming up this story, and knowing that y'all want more warms my heart! Thank you for all the messages, all the questions, and all of the encouragement! Please know I see each and every one of y'all, and I love y'all so dearly! Y'all are a huge part of P2G, and I can't thank you enough for being so kind! Sending out major hugs to each of y'all! 🖤

A/N 2: Characters and some plot references belong to our friends at Pixelberry. To my village, as always THANK YOU SO MUCH helping me bring this story to life! This was not beta'd, so please excuse my errors.

~🖤~

Riley spends most of her recovery time alone, secluded from the outside world. The stillness of the lonely mornings melt into the mundane hustle of the afternoons, and although time seems to pass before her eyes in a whirlwind blur, to the fallen queen, it trudges along slowly, creeping into her least favorite part of the day: the dark, listless nights.

Due to the multiple terrorist threats made against the monarchy, not to mention the two bombs found during a routine sweep of the palace, the royal guard, the local police along with Interpol agreed the safest place for the queen of Cordonia was inside her hospital room despite being discharged days ago.

Her physical therapist would visit on Mondays and Wednesdays while her doctors would visit Tuesdays and Fridays to ensure her recovery was on track. Healthcare workers were available upon request, but they would be accompanied by armed guards.

Drake, Olivia and Maxwell were given special clearance, and they kept to a round-the-clock schedule to ensure Riley was never alone.

That is, until she sent them away after the first week. Watching them grow ill with concern over her well-being added to her grief, and she hated being the reason for their stolen joy. Riley knew they meant well, and they never, ever complained for sitting by her side in complete silence. Even Maxwell toned down his enthusiasm in his attempts to make her happy. But Riley could see them slipping away into different versions of themselves, and the guilt festered in her heart.

Rarely sleeping and barely eating, Riley stopped taking her pain medications. She never would admit to her masochistic reasoning, but the physical discomfort served as a welcomed distraction from the agony she felt internally. She felt like she had little to no control over her life, but this, in a very sick, twisted way, this was hers.

It’s the following Friday, the small hours of the morning. Riley tosses and turns for another restless night of sleep as memories of only two weeks ago flash through her mind. Her husband’s funeral. The assassination attempt. Her own life unknowingly in the balances during a critical surgery.

With a subtle rumble in the distance, she opens an eye, and quickly notices the gathered rainclouds outside her lone, two-paned hospital window. Sitting up, she pulls on Liam’s sweatshirt before scooting the reclining chair in her room closer to the view of the angry sky.

The pelting raindrops and the howling wind put on quite the show, calming Riley's anxious heart. She used to love quiet moments with her late husband where they could share in the wonder of nature. As the storm continues to brew outside her room, her eyes grow heavy, the soothing sounds of the storm lulling her to sleep.

A sudden clap of lightning rips across the gray Cordonian sky, startling Riley awake. She quickly sits up, her chest heaving as her eyes adjust to the darkness of her master bedroom. Feeling her pulse rapidly thrum in her ears, she reaches for her husband; but she is met with cold, barren sheets, tossed against her side.

“Liam?” She sits on the side of the bed, slipping her house shoes on before standing to grab her robe. “Liam?” She cries out once more before the storm outside ignites the angry clouds with another crash of thunder. Gripping the fabric of her lapels in terror, she watches hypnotically as the countryside dims back into the darkness of night.

“Riley, my love.”

Riley turns with a gasp. Liam stands at the open French doors that lead to their balcony. The powerful winds flounce the curtains, billowing around his tall stature.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, darling." He takes Riley into his arms, laying her head intimately against his chest. "Did the storm wake you?"

At that moment, another crackle of thunder resounds, Riley instantly turning her attention to the open doors. Puddles gather around the terrace as sheets of rain pummel against the stone walls. Feeling her tremble in his arms, Liam tightens his embrace nuzzling his nose into his wife's dark locks.

"Mom used to point out how powerful the weather can be. Devastating homes. Sinking ships… and yet–" he takes a deep breath, "we're still here."

Riley loosens her grip. The cascades of heavenly water pour in a synchronized dance with the rumbles of thunder. The zephyr symphony lulls her into a trance as she marvels at the strength of the storm. Fierce. Intense.

And yet, we're still here.

"You'll survive this, too, my love–"

"Survive what–?" Riley looks up to her husband.

But he's gone; his arms no longer around her as his scent dissipates from the air they once shared. But something strange is left hanging in her hands: a small, worn receiving blanket, the name 'William' embroidered in the corner.

Huh?

Riley swivels anxiously around the room, her eyes wide as saucers. "Liam?" She cries out. "Please, baby," she looks in the other direction, but her husband is no where to be found. "Liam… I… I don't know…" her breath hitches, growing ragged as she finally slumps onto the ground. She looks at the blanket, her fingers tracing over the delicate stitching. "How, my love–?" She whispers under her sobs of helplessness. "How am I supposed to survive… without you?"

Suddenly, a bright light pours over her, the warmth of the sun shining on her porcelain skin.

“We’re not doing this anymore.”

Riley's eyes peek open, being met with beams of sunlight pouring through the window. She sees someone moving about the room, but her exhaustion refuses to allow her eyes to focus, and she quickly slumps back over.

"You need to get up, Riley."

Without warning, Riley’s blankets are abruptly pulled from her body. She sits up in her chair, rubbing her eyes. "Huh?"

"C'mon. Up, up!"

Finally coming to her senses, Riley zeroes in on the redhead bossing her around. And she scowls, relaxing back into her chair. "Olivia, I… come back later."

"No, ma'am." Olivia taps a lever on the recliner, shoving Riley into an upright position. "You are going to shower. I laid out some clothes for you," the duchess crosses her arms, "and you are going to rejoin the living."

"But–"

"Now," she claps her hands. "Scoot!"

Riley jumps up, grumbling under her breath as she moseys to the shower. Hearing the water turn on, Olivia smirks, playfully dusting off her hands. Satisfied with herself, she grabs a magazine and takes a seat, crossing her legs in victory.

After about twenty minutes, Riley emerges with a towel wrapped around her head along with a pair of jeans and a cotton tee.

"There. Happy, bossy britches?"

"Almost," Olivia offers a crooked smile. "Now that we've–eh–hosed you down, we need to work on getting that odor out of here. It smells like someone died in here–"

"Didn't they?" Refusing to make eye-contact, Riley remains stoic, down-trodden. She moves the linens around on her bed before curling up with a pillow.

"No." Olivia stands up, sauntering to her friend's bed. "They didn't." She takes a seat on the edge of the mattress, Riley's back facing her. "You, my dear, are very much alive. And it's time you start living as such."

"Liv, I…" Riley sighs. "I just don't feel like going out and rejoining society right now."

"Who said anything about rejoining society?" She takes Riley's hand. "I said that it's time to start living like you're alive." Riley turns around, arching a curious brow at Olivia. "I'm not saying you need to stop grieving; but I am going to make you shower. And eat. And not waste away."

A stale stillness falls between the old friends as Riley pulls the covers over her body. "I'm not in the mood," she mutters, sinking into her pillow.

Olivia lets out a heavy breath, standing up. She refuses to give up, unwilling to leave the queen's room. She leisurely paces around the space, folding and refolding her hands. The resounding click-clack of her steps are hypnotic, almost soothing as she twists her crimson pout in deep thought.

She understands that Riley is in mourning, and even though Olivia loved him, too, nothing would compare to the great loss of true love. But, still, she hates seeing Riley like this; they all do. But truth be told on matters of the heart, there is only one person that can get through to her.

"What would Liam say?"

Riley slowly turns, looking over her shoulder. "Excuse me?"

"Your husband," Olivia steps forward confidently, clasping her hands together. "He died a hero, protecting our country, protecting me… and you. What would he say now if he saw you like this?"

Riley furrows her eyebrows, her hands balling into fists. How dare she. Was Olivia seriously trying to make Riley feel guilty for grieving her late husband? For grieving the life she was starting with him? For grieving the life she was supposed to have with him?

"Olivia, I–"

"You'll survive this, too," Olivia interrupts.

The irritated expression on Riley's face abruptly melts into pure shock. Her eyes as Liam's words replay in her mind.

You'll survive this, too.

"I… I'm sorry, I …" she shakes her head in disbelief, "what did you say?"

"Ri," Olivia bounds to her side, grabbing Riley's hand endearingly in her hold. "You are one tough broad. You have proven that time and time again." Her lip begins to tremble, but she quickly stiffens her jaw. "Liam knew that. Hell, that's one of the reasons he fell in love with you." She sighs, her gaze bouncing back and forth in Riley's deep ocean eyes. "Losing Liam will be one of the most awful challenges you will ever have to face… but somehow wherever he is, I have to believe he is taking comfort that you are strong enough for this." She squeezes tightly on Riley’s fingers. "You'll survive this, too."

Riley stares at Olivia, processing what she was saying–especially the words that seemed to mirror Liam's.

And they're right. It feels like hell right now, and Riley can't even begin to fathom a life without her beloved… but he would want better for her. He lived a life so that she could have better.

It was time to start living.

------

"You're cheating!" Maxwell hisses, pointing an accusing finger at Olivia.

"I am not, Beaumont," the Scarlet Duchess shuffles through the cards in her hands. "You're just not good at counting to twenty-one."

"You've won each time you've been the dealer." He throws down his cards. "Shenanigans!"

Hugging her stomach tightly, Riley can’t help but laugh uncontrollably, her sides already in stitches. “Stop!” She gasps for air as she continues to titter. “I–I can’t!” She falls forward on her bed, her head hitting a pillow as her giggles fill the room. Maxwell and Olivia join in on the laughter, giving each other a subtle nod of relief. She’s coming back to life.

The three friends have spent most of the morning together at the hospital, catching up and playing games. To her visitor’s surprise, Riley decided she wanted to take a walk around the hospital–to areas that had been cleared by the royal guard, of course.

Together, they meandered to the hospital’s private prayer garden on a terrace just outside the pediatric floor. The warmth of the sun on her skin and the fresh scent of the potted greenery exhilarated her senses. The natural pink tone of her skin quickly returned to her cheeks, highlighting her genuinely bright smile as she scrunched her nose at the floral smells.

On the way back to her room, Riley walked by the newborn nursery. Stopping at the large window that showcased several cooing babies, wrapped in pink and blue receiving blankets, she pressed her fingertips gently against the glass, admiring each one silently. Although tears gather in her eyes, she begins to quietly talk to each chubby face, fussing over how adorable they are.

“Oh, you’re going to be trouble, mister, with those dimples…”

“Look at those beautiful black curls!”

“I know your mommy and daddy must love you so much…”

If only…

Finally making it back to her assigned floor, the friends were greeted by Riley’s primary physician and his assistant along with the best news ever: the palace passed its final security check. All Riley needed now was clearance through Interpol and one more physical–per the request of the Royal Council to ensure her health–and she would soon be on her way back home.

As the healthcare team exits, a sudden wave of surreality washes over the room. Going home. Riley hasn’t been home in almost three weeks, and even before that, she hasn’t slept in her own bed since the start of the Royal Wake. What would be waiting for her when she walked into her quarters? Is everything waiting for her to come home exactly how she left it? Exactly how he left it?

Biting her lip, she takes a moment of silence, her hand finding Liam’s rings on her necklace. She fiddles with his wedding band, the jewelry easily gliding onto her pointer finger. And that’s when she feels it: the inscription inside the gold band. And her eyes flutter close. Pour Two Glasses. Everything would be expecting her return.

Except him.

Riley shakes her head, glancing back up at Maxwell and Olivia. Giving them an appreciative grin, she grabs the deck of cards on her bedside table, blinking away her tears. “Best two out of three?”

------

The three friends have been playing for a little over an hour when there’s an abrupt knock at the door. A large smile grows across Riley’s face as the familiar smirk of her royal guard saunters into the room.

“There’s my hero,” Riley singsongs. From her bed, she extends her arms in the air, inviting Drake into a hug. A blush swirls across his cheeks as he leans in, tucking her petite body under his chin.

“How are you feeling?” He whispers before gently letting her go.

“I’m okay,” Riley nods. “I’m gonna be okay.” She pats the mattress next to her. “C’mon, partner,” she mimics a Texan accent. “Let’s teach these two how to play Texas Hold ‘Em.” Olivia rolls her eyes as Maxwell titters, pretending to throw a lasso around Drake.

Drake chuckles, pushing a fist into his pocket as he stares at the ground. “I wish I could, but–” he combs his fingers through his thick, chestnut hair as he gazes back up at his friends. “I got lucky and found a plane out of Munich at 5AM, so… I’m taking a train there. Tonight.”

“Oh my gosh,” Riley’s face etches with shock. “So soon?”

“When does the train leave?” Olivia’s eyebrows pinch together.

“In about–” he looks at his watch before snickering to himself. “About two hours.” A stillness falls across the friends, sharing sad, concerned looks. “C’mon, you guys,” Drake attempts to lighten the mood. “We knew this day was coming… and I’m coming back.”

“When?” Maxwell questions softly.

“I guess… when Mom…” he gnaws on the inside of his mouth, searching for the right words. “When… everything is taken care of, I guess.”

Riley climbs out of bed, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. “Don’t forget where your home is, Walker,” she sniffles.

“Like you’d let me forget?” He chuckles. His large arms envelope her against his chest as he nuzzles his nose into her curls, breathing her in deeply. His voice grows husky as he rests his lips against her head. “I’m going to miss you, Brooks.”

Riley pulls back, resting her hand on his upper arm. “I’m going to miss you, too.” A coy smile teases on his lips as a twinkle of hope illuminates his cognac eyes–that is, until Riley continues. “You’ve always been such a great friend. Liam sure hit the jackpot with you–” she turns to Maxwell and Olivia, “--with all of you.”

Drake nods agreeably, looking away from his best friend’s widow, chastising himself for having such fleeting thoughts of hope. He turns to Maxwell to give him a firm handshake before turning to Olivia. “Can I… talk to you? For a second?” He whispers to the redhead before looking back at Riley and Maxwell. He holds his hand up, waving goodbye before exiting the room with Olivia right behind him.

Riley glances towards Maxwell, offering a sympathetic grin and shrugging her shoulders. Their group of friends is shrinking, but at least they have each other.

“He’s so obvious,” Maxwell giggles, winking at the queen as he takes a sip of a glass of water.

Riley scrunches her eyebrows. “Obvious? About what?”

Maxwell freezes, staring at Riley as an awkward silence floods between them. “Uh… Nevermind, honey–”

They both startle as Olivia bounds back into the room, slipping back into her seat. Without making eye-contact, she crosses her legs before grabbing her playing cards, mindlessly rearranging them in her hand. She's unusually quiet and pensive, her eyebrows slightly wrinkled as she appears to be deep in thought about something.

"Is… everything okay?" Riley asks.

She peers up to Riley nervously, but within moments, a crooked smile forms on her cherry red pout. "Yes… of course." She glances back at her cards, but it's useless; there's too much she needs to say. "Ri, do you know what a black box is?"

"Like on a plane?" Maxwell clarifies with curiosity, folding his cards and resting them on the table. Olivia nods slowly as her attention shifts back to Riley.

"It records sounds, right?" Riley starts, her tone cautiously meek. "Sounds from inside the plane? So in the event it… it… well, you know…" Olivia softly bounces her head affirmatively, rolling her lips. "Did something happen?" Riley nervously titters, glancing at a confused Maxwell. "Was there something… something terrible on Liam’s recording?"

Olivia folds her cards, tapping the stack on the table. "No, it's just…" her words trail off as she remains lost in thought.

"Liv," Riley crosses her arms. "What are you trying to hide?"

Olivia sighs. "My apologies. I guess I'm trying to process it myself. Apparently the guard had their weekly briefing last night with Interpol. Drake had to turn in some last minute paperwork for his leave, so he was in attendance."

"What does this have to do with the black box?" Maxwell interjects.

"It's gone," Olivia blurts out. "It was never recovered from Liam's plane. So, there's a strong possibility that–"

"It was stolen," Riley interrupts.

"Precisely, meaning this was orchestrated by the coup somehow."

"Wait," Maxwell holds up his hands, "how did anyone know that was Liam's plane though? How would they know to specifically steal from that plane? Wasn't he supposed to be traveling incognito?"

Olivia nods, exhaling heavily. "They're launching an investigation… for possible espionage."

"An inside job?" Riley croaks, a lump forming in her throat. "From Cordonia?"

"We don't know just yet," Olivia reassures, "that's why they're looking into it. But I'm thinking they need some help… and I know just the person to ask."

Riley's room door suddenly slides open, surprising the group of friends. The doctor slowly steps in with the queen's medical chart, a solemn, almost grim expression etched on his face.

"I'm not sure I like the worried look in your eyes, sir," Riley anxiously giggles. "Don't tell me I'm staying here longer."

"Oh," he cordially forces a grin. "Your security, as well as the international police have cleared everything–"

"So she gets to go home?" Maxwell's breath baits with hope and excitement.

"Yes, yes. You get to go home. The guard will be in touch with you soon."

"Oh, thank God," Olivia smirks.

"Finally!" Maxwell exclaims, standing to his feet and ready to pack.

But Riley stays silent, her attention fixed on her physician. She can tell he has more to say. She can sense a sadness in his demeanor, putting her on edge, not ready to celebrate her homecoming just yet.

"What aren't you telling me, doctor?" She asks softly. "Is it my physical? Am… am I okay?"

The older man sets down Riley's chart, resting his hand on top of it as his endearing eyes find hers. "We need to talk."

"Is it serious?" Olivia interjects.

With a heavy sigh, the physician turns towards Maxwell and Olivia. "How about you two give us just a minute alone–?"

"No," Riley stops him. "I need… Can I have someone…?" Riley looks between Olivia and Maxwell, having a silent conversation of who should stay.

"I'll step out," Maxwell grabs his phone. "Let me make sure the guard is bringing an SUV and not a sedan," he winks.

As the door closes, the older man cautiously sits down next to Riley, taking her hand. She squeezes it tightly, preparing herself for the news he was about to share with her. Was something wrong? Was she dying?

"Never in a million years did I think you and I would be having this conversation," he exhales, pinching the bridge between his eyes. "This… this is completely out of my scope of practice, so I will be referring you to a specialist, but–"

"Sir," Riley stops him. "Please… just… tell me the truth."

------

Riley paces back and forth, ringing her hands in between biting her nails.

“Will you sit down–?”

“And what, Olivia?” She tosses her hands in the air, allowing her arms to slap carelessly against her sides. “What am I supposed to do now?”

“Well,” Olivia scoffs, “for starters, you are going to calm down–”

“Calm down?” Riley twirls around, a wave of fury crashing over her features. Her blood-shot eyes stare daggers into her red-headed friend. “You heard the damn doctor. This… this can’t be happening. And… you…” she presses a hand to her chest, her breathing labors as a sob rips through her chest. “You actually expect me to be okay? With this?”

“Riley,” Olivia calls her name sternly, “take a moment. Things could–”

“--could be worse?” She finishes her words. “How, Livvy?” She covers her face with her hands as she wanders aimlessly in the room. “Oh God,” she whispers hoarsely, her voice hidden by her tears. “When this gets out–”

“It won’t.”

Riley tisks, mocking Olivia. “This won’t stay a secret for long. And when it gets out, an even bigger bullseye will be painted on my back. They hate the Rys name. They will attack again–”

“Other monarchs have gone through similar situations, and their health concerns have been kept under wraps. The council will be sure of it–”

“The council?” Riley looks off, shaking her head. “They already want to get rid of me. You know the law. I can no longer serve as the reigning queen. I’m not Cordonian–-”

“You will always be a queen, Riley. The council will support you–”

“--they’ll expedite getting rid of me.” Riley collapses into the recliner in her room. She hangs her head in her arms as her elbows rest on her knees. “The council is looking out for what’s best for Cordonia, especially now that the throne has been attacked–not once, but twice. They’re searching for stability; they’re looking to rebuild their leadership, and that starts with the throne. I fear that… I fear that as long as there's still a Rys, Cordonia will never see peace.”

Olivia pulls her chair closer, laying a hand on Riley’s shoulder. “The war won't last forever. And this? This could be your ticket. The throne is the only thing left to protect you–”

“These traitors want every part of the Rys name destroyed, and without Liam, my days on the throne are already numbered. When they find out…” she exhales a pained breath. “Even If I could hide behind the council, the Combattants will return to finish the job. They know I’m still here. I’m on every goddamn news report!”

“Riley, you–”

“I can’t do this.” She abruptly stands up, rushing past Olivia as she grabs her suitcase. She begins piling her belongings into the dividers. “I need to go–”

“Home,” Olivia interjects, placing her hands on Riley’s trembling hands. "Let's take you home where you're safe."

Riley shakes her head. “N–no, I need to go. I need to leave.” She grabs her phone. “I need a ticket back to the States–”

“Riley Rys. Slow. The fuck. Down. You’re not thinking–”

“I can’t be here another moment. I have to go. I need to hide–”

“Where? Where are you going to hide?” Olivia scoffs, folding her arms. “Even if you could, all air travel has been suspended to and from Cordonia until further notice. That’s why poor Walker had to take a train.”

Riley stills. She glances over at her friend as an abrupt realization washes over her expression.

Drake.

“You.”

Olivia raises an eyebrow. “Me?”

“According to Cordonian law, you’re next in line if something were to happen to me–”

“Hold up,” Olivia raises her hands in surrender. “If, and that’s a big if, something were to happen to you, yes, I would be crowned. But, that’s not how this works. You’re still alive, therefore the council–”

“What if I was incapacitated?”

Olivia lets out a condescending laugh. “You are being ridiculous, you know that?”

“No, I’m being serious.” Riley grips tightly to Olivia’s shoulders, forcing her to listen. “The council hasn’t stripped me of my title as reigning queen yet, and as long as I’m the reigning monarch, I can claim a medical leave-of-absence… which means–”

“You appoint the replacement during the hiatus," Olivia smirks sarcastically, pulling away from Riley's. "Not gonna happen."

"Olivia, please."

"And what are you going to do? Huh? You still need medical care. Hiding isn't exactly easy when you're the queen of an entire country–"

"But–"

"--that is grieving their king–"

"But–"

"--and their queen has been all over international news for surviving an assassination attempt." Riley huffs, rolling her eyes as Olivia continues. "You'll leave fingerprints everywhere you go. And I'm not saying they're going to try and track you down… but those bastards were able to find Liam. Running and hiding? It… it's pointless. Stay. Trust the council. We can protect you."

Riley chews on her lip, her attention locked on her friend. "No. That's not good enough. Not anymore." Her eyelids flutter as she takes a deep breath. "I think I've got an idea."

------

The rhythmic pulse of the train car lulls Drake into a hypnotic relaxed state, and before long, he succumbs to the exhaustion of the past six weeks. Resting his head against the window, he watches as the Cordonian countryside flashes before his vision until finally his eyes close.

Furrowing his brows, however, he hears loud, indiscernible voices outside of his state room. When the conversation finally ends, he readjusts himself in his chair, using his discarded denim shirt as a make-shift pillow.

His door abruptly slides open.

Fuck.

He grimaces, quickly turning to address his unwanted interruption.

But his face falls in shock.

"Brooks?"

"Hi," she smiles meekly, removing her oversized sunglasses and hat. "Can I… come in?"

"Yeah," Drake jumps up, removing his carry-on bags from the second seat. He gestures to the spot next to him. "Please."

Riley gingerly sits down, her eyes transfixed to the gorgeous scenery flashing by outside the large train window. Drake slowly lowers himself into his chair, his disbelief frozen on his face as he stares at his good friend.

Feeling his gaze on her, Riley tears away from her reverie. She chuckles nervously, coyly shrugging her shoulders. "Surprised?"

The corner of Drake's mouth turns up. "That's one way to put it." He runs a hand through his thick, tousled hair as he notices her bandages peeking through her shirt. "I'm guessing you were given the 'all clear'? They discharged you?"

Riley's attention averts back to the window, staring at the whirls of the evergreen hills melting with the watercolor sky. Her eyes begin to glaze over, forgetting to even blink as she mindlessly chews on her bottom lip. She holds her hands in her lap, ringing them incessantly as she fidgets with her fingers.

"Riley?"

She blinks quickly, her attention returning to Drake, his hand gripping onto her arm to steady her. “Hrmm?”

"I've been calling your name for a few minutes." His eyebrows knit with worry. "Are you… are you okay?"

Riley opens her mouth, but is unable to form words. She picks at her chipped manicure as she presses her tongue to her cheek.

"I, um… I need your help." She glances back up to Drake, her eyes wide in fear.

"O…Kay. Sure," he leans closer to her, resting his elbows on his knees. "Ri, what's going on?"

------

The clatter of heels reverberates through the main corridor of the ultra-modern, ultra-sleek estate of Monterisso. Though she has not come across another soul, she knows plenty of eyes are hidden in nooks and crannies, watching her every move in the form of motion detectors and cameras. Coming to the pristine royal office, she gives a firm knock on the oversized, cherry wood door before inviting herself in.

"Olivia Nevrakis." A sultry voice calls from the large, tufted leather chair on the opposite side of the room.

The red head sardonically snickers before crossing her arms, popping her hip to the side. "Alright, Amalas," she sasses, "how did you know it was me?"

A beautiful woman with long espresso tresses and darkened, exotic features slowly turns her chair around to face her visitor. She smirks at her long-time friend, extending her arm to show off her impressive display of monitors with live-feed surveillance to every entrance into the palace.

The Scarlet Duchess wriggles up her nose, rolling her eyes. "Of course."

"You know?" Amalas stands up, sauntering her curves slowly to her icy guest. "Most people address me as 'your majesty'--"

"Not today," Olivia bites, raising an eyebrow.

Amalas sighs, leaning against the front-side of her desk. “What do you want, Livvy?”

"I have an important proposal for you."

“We don’t have an appointment.”

“I need your help.”

The Spy Queen steps forward, crossing her arms. "You? You are in need of some help?" She lets out a boisterous laugh as she sneaks closer to her unexpected guest. She motions with her pointer finger for Olivia to come closer to listen. "You know," she whispers, "you were supposed to call me the next morning."

With a deep rouge blossoming across her cheeks, Olivia steps back, scoffing into a chuckle. Amalas furrows her eyebrows with a mischievous smirk.

Checkmate.

Four months ago, after years of stolen glances and secret trysts, Amalas invited Olivia to her estate for a low-key, intimate weekend to discuss the possibilities of taking their relationship to the next level. And public. After one last night of passion, Amalas woke up to an empty bed with a note that said, 'I'll call. -Liv"

She never did.

Now with Olivia seeking a favor, Amalas is tickled. As far as good deeds, alliances and negotiations, she just made it abundantly clear that she has the upper-hand. And Olivia just realized she fucked up.

Satisfied with her visitor’s reaction, Amalas turns on her heel and walks back to her desk. "You can see yourself out."

The red head sneers into a sarcastic snicker, stepping forward. "Oh c'mon, Amalas–"

"If you didn't need me then," Amalas spins around, irritated. "You don't need me now, Nevrakis." She takes a seat before shuffling through some folders and papers. "Oh,” she looks up, void of emotion, “please shut the door when you leave. Thanks."

Olivia storms forward. "Amalas, this isn't about me–about us. This is for Cordonia and finding who was responsible for Liam's death–"

Amalas stops abruptly, a stack of papers held motionless in her hand. Swallowing thickly, she glances up at Olivia. "Liam's death… was an unfortunate result of this damn war."

"Yes, but he was a mediator."

Amalas raises an eyebrow. "Your point?"

Olivia puts her palms flat on the large, ornate wooden desk. "My point is that they always protect political mediators. Liam's location was always highly confidential. No one, and I mean no one knew his whereabouts."

Amalas stacks her document on her desk. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she leans back in her chair, resting her chin on her palm. "So?"

"That plane was obliterated, Ams. Someone hunted it down and destroyed every last piece of it.”

The queen smirks. “And did you know that Les Combattants de la Liberté are military-trained?”

“But–”

“Military-trained,” Amalas holds up a hand, her words louder. “Taking out Liam’s aircraft like that?” She shakes her head slowly. “It’s not a huge feat for them. They are literally trained to take out any enemy in the blink of an eye.”

“Ams,” Olivia subtly wipes away a tear before clenching her jaw. “You’re not listening to me.”

Amalas sighs. "Look." She lowers her voice, her eyes finding Olivia’s piercing jades. “Liam was a friend of mine, too, babe.” She bites her lip, turning to a gold picture frame on the corner of her desk. The photograph hosts a pair of young, bright smiles, she in her lacy white and him looking dapper than ever. A lump forms in Amalas’s throat as she begins to fidget with the gold band that remains on her left finger. “I know when something tragic happens to the ones we love, we want someone to pay for it, as if revenge will somehow heal our loneliness because the grief alone is too heavy–much too heavy for one person to bear–”

“The black box is missing,” Olivia interjects.

Amalas's face slowly falls into a suspicious confusion, her forehead wrinkling. “What?”

“The black box. You know? It’s supposed to record–”

Amalas holds up her hand, “Yeah, yeah, I know. What do you mean it’s missing?”

“I mean it’s never been recovered.”

Amalas’s jaw ticks as she stares at Olivia. Silence consumes the room, save for the ticking of the queen's watch, growing painfully louder by the second. But without warning, intrigue finally blooms across Amalas’s face, and her heart softens to hear Olivia’s request. Justice for Liam. Justice for Cordonia.

The black box is designed to withstand the blistering temperatures of a fire and the crushing impact of the engulfing pressures of the deep. The thought of such precious equipment, of actual recordings of the last moments of that cockpit, of King Liam… if they were actually removed with malicious intent, then Olivia is right. Classified information was leaked, Liam was specifically targeted, and this coup is a lot more dangerous and a lot more in control of this war than projected.

“Well, Ms. Nevrakis, I believe you have my attention.”

Olivia smirks as she pulls up a chair.

“Oh!” Amalas stands up from her desk, “I’m sorry. Just… not right now.” She looks at her watch. “I actually have a very important meeting right now.”

Olivia scoffs. “With who?”

“Oddly enough, I have an important meeting with the Queen of Cordonia.”

A Cheshire grin crawls across Olivia’s face as she opens up her arms as if to present herself as a gift. “Well, oddly enough, the Queen of Cordonia is already in your presence.” Shock consumes Amalas as her jaw drops open, Olivia snickering under her breath. “You can address me as ‘your majesty,’ Queen Amalas.”

------

"I–I don't know… how to say this," Riley stammers, anxiously pulling at her necklace that held her late husband's rings.

Drake keeps his gaze locked on her, a pit growing in his stomach. They had said their goodbyes less than three hours ago; what could possibly have changed?

Was it a threat? Was her life being threatened again by the Combattants? No way. This wouldn't warrant the queen of Cordonia herself to board a train in hopes to catch her former royal guard to deliver such a message. Drake would probably get a phone call about it, but as of yesterday, he was relieved from his duties until further notice.

So… what was it?

“Riley?” His voice is gruff, but sincere. Their gazes meet, a vacant sadness in her eyes as she searches his for… something. Strength? Hope? Understanding?

Drake stops her from fidgeting with her jewelry, taking her petite hand into his own large, calloused palm. "It's… it's okay. We don't have to talk about this right now if you don't want to, but I–"

"Drake, I–" Her eyelashes flutter closed as tears course down her pink stained skin. "--I'm so sorry, I–"

"Hey," he hums softly, "shhhh, it's okay." He pulls her closer to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He gently rubs a thumb over her skin to gently dry her cheeks. "Listen," his voice remains low, soothing. "You have nothing to be sorry about. It's been," he sighs, "a rough couple of months, and… well, no matter what, Brooks, you know I'm here for–"

“I’m pregnant.”

~🖤~

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stellamancer · 1 year

Text

don’t, if you value your life (one-sided nier x reader)

notes: i have had the idea of this fic in my head ever since i finished replicant like a year ago. of all the things i expected to write on my days off, this was absolutely not one of them, but at midnight a demon possessed my body and puked out the fic. though i think of it more of a writing exercise since anyone knows me knows that my typical genre of fic is completely on the other side of the spectrum of this.

contains: angst (no happy ending), canon-typical violence, mentions of blood, suicide ideation, very minor stalking, character death, largely un-beta read, language (Kainé is present after all).

wc: 3.9k words

if you read this and think i need to add a tag, please tell me.

Don't go into that village.

Don't go near it.

Don't, if you value your life.

The words of your elders are etched into your brain— your mind. It's a mantra, a hymn, a warning. The village in question is a quiet place, nestled in verdant hills, built upon the ruins of the old world. They say it's peaceful there, pretty even, but the village houses a great and terrible monster. One that will kill on sight— without hesitation, without mercy.

When you were younger, the curiosity, morbid and insatiable clawed at your heart. Maybe the elders were over exaggerating, maybe they were mistaken, maybe there was no monster at all. You thought about it sometimes, thought about tempting fate and visiting the forbidden village. Someone said that there's a library there and you'd love to see one, even just once. However, everyone who ignored the words of elders— who set off to see that village never, ever returned.

That, in of itself, was enough to prove the monster was real.

And so, you stayed away.

You didn't need to see a library, the view of the ocean near your home was beautiful enough to fill your heart and mind, leaving no room for thoughts of merciless, bloodthirsty monsters. For the most part, your existence has been quiet and peaceful.

At least it was, until the monster left its village.

Until the monster came to the seaside town you called your home.

Truth be told, it's not the first time the monster has appeared in your hometown, but its visits were well communicated— the sentries stationed outside the town quick to inform everyone to hide for the monster was on the way. Those visits were spent in the shadows hiding with bated breath— hoping and praying the monster would never notice. Your mother had hidden you well away, afraid that even laying eyes on the monster would condemn you to a fate far too sad. So you didn't know, you didn't know—

The screaming through the town is sudden and shrill, the sound running chills down your body. It is a siren biding you to run if you value your life. You and those around you act on instinct, running, scampering across the streets. Some run further into town, some toward the harbor, you run toward the lighthouse, abandoned since its caretaker died some years ago. You think it will be safest. The monster is said to be indiscriminate with its slaughtering, but also intelligent— surely, it won't come looking for murder in a place where no one is supposed to be. And if it does… you can choose to end it yourself rather than at the monster's bloody hands.

You ascend the lighthouse, two steps at a time. The cacophony of carnage is muffled here— distant, but still ominous in the background. You quickly reach the top of the tower and the town is so saturated in the stench of death that not even the salty sea breeze that's filling your lungs can displace it. From here you can see it all, your peers running in all directions, scattering like petals in the wind.

It is here, for the very first time, you see the monster.

If not for the large, bloodied greatsword in his hands, you would think him more a man than a monster. You cannot make much of his features from atop the lighthouse, save for his hair, shimmering like a beautiful white pearl in the sunlight. A strange, morbid frustration tears at your stomach as you strain your eyes in efforts to get a better look at this monster. He rushes at a group, too slow, too unfortunate and looks to effortlessly cleave them, slicing their bodies into ribbons.

You should be horrified. Disgusted. Afraid.

Instead, you are transfixed.

Your body is stock still as you bear witness to the monster's massacre. He is every bit as cruel as the elders said— there is no hesitation, no mercy in the swing of his sword as he fells your neighbors and friends one by one. You are lucky that you ran to such a secluded area, just as you figured, the monster of a man doesn't bother to come your way. You wonder if he thinks there is no carnage to be found in such an abandoned place.

Do monsters even think?

You remain there, rooted to the spot until you see the monster, a bloodstained pearl, wander toward the town's entrance. Once he's gone, your legs finally give out from beneath you, the weight of it all hitting you like a tidal wave. Eventually, you crawl your way down the steps of the lighthouse and into the town proper to find any survivors.

After a few hours, everyone is rounded up. Only just a fourth of your small community remains. No one is without loss— friends, family, lovers are all victims to the monster's rampage. Your heart seizes in your chest when you realize your mother is among the lost. She had been home when the disaster came to pass, waiting for you to return from an errand she had sent you out for. Had she come looking for you when all hell broke loose? Was she searching for you when she drew her last breath? Was your unconfirmed safety what cost her her life?

Despaired and disgusted, you retch.

You should have run home instead of to the lighthouse. Because you didn't, your mother is dead. Or maybe, if you had gone back, you would have perished together, you holding your mother in a shielding embrace as the monster brings the sword down. Or, more morbidly, the monster taking your life before your mother's eyes before claiming her life as well. You don't know. You throw up again.

The remaining shuffle to the beach, erecting crude graves of shells and stones there. One of the older members of the community recites a prayer, something reminiscent of the olden days before the ebbing tide washes the graves away.

In the days after the slaughter, the community is especially quiet, mourning. You don't know what to do in the absence of your mother, most of your friends were among the deceased as well: you have no one left. Some of the few remaining turn to anger in their grief: marching off to the forbidden village to claim what all know to be suicide disguised as declarations of revenge. You think it's because they don't know what to do either.

There is almost no one left in your small seaside town and the decision is made to find another community. You follow wordlessly, carrying nothing but your memories of your quiet and peaceful life because they are all that you have left.

Fortunately, there is another community close to your seaside town, sequestered in a building large enough to home at least a dozen families. From the outside the building looks like a fancy mansion, but the interior creeps you out– it's too quiet, too eerie. To make matters worse, the community lives beneath the mansion, in what seems to be a mad scientist's lab. You almost feel like at any moment you're going to become an experiment. Some of the members of this new community seem like they already are one.

The only good thing about your new home is that there is a library. Shelves and shelves of books line the wall. It is the only place in the mansion that has character, but there are rules that restrict visiting the library. You don't care. The rules don't matter much any more.

Nothing really matters much any more.

It is in the library where you see the monster a second time.

While perusing what appears to be some kind of fairy tale you hear footsteps in the hall and you instinctively scamper off into a hiding spot. You're not in the mood to be caught and lectured by the guards for breaking the rules tonight. The doors swing open and it's not the guards who walk in but the monster himself, accompanied by two— three others?

You watch from the shadows as the monster and his comrades move about the library. As he chats with them, you can't help but think of him as more of a man than a monster. He banters with… a floating book? How strange. How interesting. You'd love to see the contents of a talking book one day.

It is much easier to make out the man's features in such close quarters. You think that he can't be much older than you. He's handsome, much more handsome than a monster has any right being. There's some odd urge to get a better look at his face pooling in your stomach. Your instinct is to act on it, to just get closer and look and look and—

Don't go near it.

Don't, if you value your life.

The old mantra holds you still like a spell, the warning coursing through your veins, keeping you taut. But still you keep watching the man, the monster. He laughs with what you have come to realize are his friends and you think he almost seems human. Is this really the same monster that wreaked havoc on your little town a few months ago?

The man and his friends soon leave the library, the talking book bickering with the man's lady friend about her choice in dress. When you are sure that they are gone and not coming back you emerge from your hiding place and settle yourself in with the fairy tale book you had been reading. Hours pass before you've read your fill and you make your way back to the cold, metal depths your community calls home.

What you find upon arrival is not the low, but comforting chatter of your new friends and new neighbors, but dozens upon dozens of bloodstains— fresh and sticky. The stench of death is thick in the air, a sickening and stifling miasma. Before you can think, your feet are racing through the halls, screams reverberating against the walls as you search and search and search.

But you find no one.

You are the only survivor.

No one is left and you don't know what to do with yourself. There is a distant thought bidding you to return to the library, to drown yourself in books, in stories of another land, another time, another place where things matter and happy endings exist.

There is another thought, closer, louder and it is of the man. The handsome man. The terrible monster. Something in you desires to seek him out. Not for revenge, because you know that would be pointless, but merely because you want to get a better look at his face before you meet your inevitable end.

You make it your goal— your reason to live. At this point, you're not even sure if you can call what you're doing living. You leave the mansion with this goal; it's all you have left.

The journey to the forbidden village is not that long, it only takes a day on foot. But when you get to the edge you hesitate, unsure.

What if the monster of a man isn't here?

You shake your head. Nonsense. This is his home. No other monsters have come to destroy it for he is surely the strongest one in all the land. He will definitely be here.

Shuffling past what looks to be an abandoned camp, you make your way toward the village gates. Naturally, there are guards, but you manage to hop the fence, avoiding their attention.

The village, despite being forbidden, is fairly peaceful. Quiet. It reminds you of your seaside home. You keep to the shadows as you steal past a row of merchants, watching as a few children play tag around a cobblestone fountain.

Now that you're here, you realize you have no clue where to find the monster of a man. But there is one building, sitting atop a grassy hill above all the rest. You think it's a good idea to start there.

You slink your way up the hill and you spot a few more children playing in the grass. To your surprise, a couple notice you. Surprising you further, they wave. Shyly, you wave back before bolting toward the tall building, not wanting to remain in the same spot lest the children go running to their parents. When you reach the top of the hill, you look back. The children are still playing and you breathe a sigh of relief before entering the building.

It turns out that this is the famed library of the forbidden village. The feeling of joy, strange yet familiar, bubbles pleasantly in your stomach. You’re here to find the monster, but surely it’s fine if you take a detour. This library is much bigger than the one at the mansion— there are more books to bury yourself in, more stories to fill the void in your heart that’s been growing ever since you left your seaside town. You peruse the titles on the shelves and when you find one you don’t recognize you pull at it, freeing it from the shelf and watching as it falls to the ground, the smack echoing throughout the otherwise silent library. You freeze, fearful that someone will come running to find the source of the noise. When no one does, you scoop up the book and scamper off to a quiet, dark corner of the library to read.

Part way through the story, the main doors of the library slam open, demanding your attention and you look up from the top of your book only to find the monster of a man. But it doesn’t look like he’s here to read, instead he briskly walks the length of the lobby. Your eyes remain glued to his form as he runs up the stairs and disappears onto the library’s second floor. The thought to follow him crosses your mind, but you remain still. He will have to come back down the stairs when he leaves— you will follow him then. You turn your attention back to the story, a little saddened that your attention is divided: it was just starting to get good. Maybe you’ll get a chance later to reread it, give it your full attention.

Some time later, you hear footsteps again and quietly close your book. The man appears, descending the staircase, his handsome face marred by a scowl. Idly, you wonder what happened to make him upset like that, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter. You stare from your dark little corner, waiting for him to leave before you follow after him, sure to keep yourself out of sight, sure to keep yourself at a safe distance.

Don't go near it.

Don't, if you value your life.

The monster heads toward a house, fenced in and half-dilapidated. Despite that, there’s something about the home that is warm, cozy. A stark difference from the terribly violent image of the monster that the elders painted for you. You watch, hidden in the shadow of a nearby building, as the monster tends to a flower bed next to his home, watering and weeding them before he heads inside. Through the window you see the glimmer of light, and once you’re sure he won’t suddenly come out and kill you where you stand, you draw closer to the house.

Curious, you examine the flowers. You are not an expert on plants, but they look well cared for. It’s strange. Why would a monster so lovingly tend to plants? A monster by nature, by definition, is a creature of destruction, so why? You don’t understand.

But you want to, against all instinct, against all odds, you want to.

You start to follow after the monster as he goes about his business, or more accurately, the business of others, running errands for them: delivering packages and messages, fishing, committing atrocities against your people. You’re always sure to stay a safe distance away— close enough to observe, yet far enough to not get wrapped up in the carnage. But sometimes, a reckless rush runs through your veins and you steal closer, listening in on his conversations with his comrades, his friends. You learn their names, their personalities and while they become more human in your eyes, their images are still blurry in your mind’s eye; you are not yet foolish enough to get close enough to get a good look at their faces. You are not yet foolish enough to delude yourself into thinking of them as friends.

One evening, at the camp you hear the scantily clad woman— Kainé, very, very loudly announce that she is going ‘to go take a piss.’ The talking book— Weiss, complains loudly about her crudeness, disgusted, as he always is, with her choice of language. She scoffs, dismissing him with a wave before walking away.

Walking toward you.

You scamper away, running toward a large, nearby bush and hiding within. She shouldn’t see you, or at least you hope she won’t. She approaches another bush and you look away, respecting her privacy as much as you can.

“Come out, I know you’re there.”

Her voice is a low growl, and you think she can’t possibly be talking to you. While your observations have led you to believe that there is a soft core to her brash outer exterior, there is little doubt in your mind that, much like the monster of a man, Kainé would slaughter you on sight.

“Hurry up, I don’t have all fuckin’ night.” She stomps over to your bush, and you’re sure she can’t see you, but still she leans in and whispers, her voice both seductive and violent, “Or if you want, I can just end your miserable existence right damn here.”

Instinct takes over and you run out of the bush, away from her.

“There you are, you little fucker,” she snorts. You back away slowly, as she straightens herself out. Kainé eyes you like a bug, one that she is about to crush beneath the heel of her shoe. You swallow thickly, unsure if you should try to run or not. The only thing you are sure of is that if you do run, you’re dead.

“So, why’ve you been following us, huh?” Kainé demands, arms crossed over her chest, frowning. She must know that she could kill you in an instant, must know that you couldn’t lay a finger on her if you tried to attack her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed a fucking shade like you lurking around us for weeks.”

Shade. That’s what they call you and your people. Shades— condemned to the shadows, unable to live peacefully with the humans, or, as the elders called them, the replicants… whatever that meant. You eye Kainé warily, wondering why she is asking you a question when it is known that humans can’t communicate with shades, can’t converse with them— if they could, then maybe the monster of a man would just be a man, his beautiful hands devoid of the blood of your friends, your neighbors… your mother.

“Hey!” Kainé shouts. “I’m talking to you, the least you can do is answer.”

She’s right. Even if she can’t understand, she probably can hear the words from your Shade mouth. You take a deep breath and speak for what feels like the first time in an eternity. “...it’s because of… him.”

Your voice sounds so strange in your ears, a sound more foreign than silence itself. Kainé stares at you, scowling like she knows, like she can understand the Shade tongue with which you speak. It’s hard to tell, and you take one, two, three steps closer to look in her eyes, risking your life more and more with each forward step that you take. You’ve read that the eyes are the window to the soul, so maybe if you can see them clearly, you’ll be able to tell, to know, if she really, really understands.

Fortunately for you, Kainé doesn’t move, nor does she speak, but still you hear a voice— not hers, erupt in a manic fit of laughter from her body. Her scowl deepens, clearly annoyed, but it seems that it’s not directed at you.

“How cute, the little shade has a crush!” the voice howls, mocking you.

Your face scrunches in bewilderment. The source of the voice… is Kainé herself, but she is clearly not speaking… You shake your head. No, that’s not right. This isn’t a crush, this isn’t infatuation, it’s merely curiosity. “No… that’s not… that’s right. I’m just… I just…”

The laughter grows louder, more derisive, “Oh don’t fucking delude yourself. You’ve been stalking after us for how long? It’s frankly kinda gross if you ask me!”

Kainé mutters something under her breath that you can’t hear, presumably at the mysterious voice making a mockery of you.

Your stomach churns violently, a grotesque concoction of fear and unease. He’s not wrong though. It is kind of gross how you’ve been following this group around like a pathetic puppy. Watching them at a distance, wanting to get closer, to satiate your curiosity, yet staying far away because that’s the only way you can coexist with the monster and his friends.

You think of the monster, terrible and cruel in his extermination of your people, the Shades. You think of the man, gentle and kind as he tends to the flowers by his house. The images in your mind overlap. Terrible and gentle. Kind and cruel. The images blur.

You can only see the smile he’s offered to his friends.

It’s all you have left now, and you don’t know what to do with yourself.

You are not one of his friends, the image of his smile is something you’ve stolen, held in the shadows, kept like a treasure— a secret that should have never been yours.

In fact, it never was.

“Hey Kainé?” A third voice enters the fray and you feel as if you have been drenched in ice water, thrust into the icy depths of the ocean, your entire body freezing over. “You’ve been taking a while, Emil and I were—”

He stops short. You know it’s because he sees you.

Don't go near it.

Don't, if you value your life.

Everything happens so fast, before you can run, before you can even blink. The spear that was affixed to his back is now in his hands, its tip embedded deep into your abdomen. The pain is mind shattering as it spreads throughout your body, like a wildfire in a forest.

The monster is close, closer than he has ever been, than he ever will be, the view of his face clear, and unmarred by distance. He is devoid of expression as he draws even closer, plunging the spear impossibly deeper into your fracturing body. Rather than the pain, you focus what attention you have left on his face.

It’s what you wanted, to get a better look at his face before meeting your inevitable end.

But now that you’re here, you realize, regretfully, that you maybe want a little bit more.

You want to live in another land, another time, another place, where you’re not just a Shade and you can have a happy ending.

With what sense you have left, you focus on his eyes. They’re clear, and blue as the sky on a cloudless day. As your consciousness ebbs away, fading rapidly from existence, you distantly think that at least the last thing you get to see is breathtakingly beautiful. It would have been nice, if you had had longer to enjoy it.

You have nothing left.

You are nothing but a bloodstain on the monster’s spear.

#nier x reader #nier x you #brother nier x reader #brother nier x you #uh #not sure what else to tag this #i honestly feel like i just barfed words onto a doc #so i don't know if it will have the emotional impact i'd like to have #this is so out of my element lmao #well i hope the three readers who read it like it anyway lmao

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