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snowblossomreads · 1 year

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Verse Four: And Then It Gets Much Worse

Previous Chapter: The Only Solution Was To Stand And Fight

Summary: In where a piece of paper causes [Y/n] to find out that her situation can get much worse.

Pairing: Severus Snape x FemReader

Warning(s): Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Sexual Assault/Rape (but nothing explicit in this chapter), Mentions of not being able to eat due to stress, Angst (of course), That's about it let me know if I missed something.

Word Count: 2.5K

A/N: Gasp finally another chapter? It's much than the previous one so I'm sorry 😭The holidays have had me running around and it already takes time for me to write. Consider this particular chapter as an interlude if you will. Also if you're waiting for the smut don't worry because you're going to get it real soon. Now off you go, I'll see you at the end!

“No stop! Please stop!”

They were just a few of the pleading words that fell from her lips almost every other day from the nightmare that she was being forced to live through. It started the day after she tried to escape. Instead of her food normally appearing on the desk in the room, she had found herself facing Snape again when he decided to personally bring her breakfast up to her.

If it was hard for her to eat before, it had been impossible when he closed the door behind him, essentially trapping her with him in the room. Then he made his way over to her at the desk where he leaned over her, his lips millimeters away from her ear before he commanded her to,

“Eat.”

And when she refused, pushing the food away and turning her head as a petulant child would do, he pushed the plate towards her once more and implored her to do as he asked. Though this time it was more of a warning than anything. Apparently, she had still yet to figure out that egging on someone who was capable of what he had done and could possibly do was not a good idea.

“You eat it.”

She had come to regret the words. That morning she had unwillingly become his breakfast. Afterwards, he left her in the locked room, slick and spit leaking from between her thighs as tears dampened her skin. The food stayed untouched.

Day after day passed and the routine would stay the same of him bringing her meal up to her. Some days she would eat when it was brought, not wanting to anger him nor feeling fiery enough to back talk him. On those days, a low rumble of ‘good girl’ would leave him causing her to quiver at his tone.

A hand would linger on her shoulder as he reached over her to grab the plate leaving a chill to crawl up her spine and a tingle on her skin. On other days though, she wouldn’t obey, sometimes she would make a comment, and sometimes she wouldn’t. But more likely than not on those days, she would find herself being yanked out of her chair roughly.

The sound of the wooden object crashing into the floor loudly while an equally loud yelp would leave her. In the end, she would either be forced on her knees with his cock being shoved down her throat as he called her ungrateful, reminding her that she was lucky to be alive, or she would find herself on her back. Arms and legs tied and splayed out for him as he forced her to orgasm on his tongue and fingers over and over again. It hurt so bad. Even in the moment when he would bring her over the top making her come, there was a tinge of pain in her chest even if the rest of her body enjoyed it.

What had she done to end up in such a fucked up situation? Why her? Being left in tears was now an almost daily occurrence. And it was so exhausting, dizzying when she didn’t have a clue about what was going to happen to her each day she was trapped.

It was tiring, depleting her of any rationality each time something happened and little by little her sense of self began to whittle away even if she didn’t acknowledge it. Today, she thought, would be no different than those other days as she heard the door open and the sound of his footsteps approaching her turned back. Yet, it wasn’t until he had tossed down that day’s edition of the Daily Prophet instead of food did she realize that the nightmare she was in could indeed get much worse.

‘LEAD AURORS FOUND DEAD IN THEIR HOMES! DO OUR PROTECTORS NEED PROTECTING?’

That was the headline splashed across the front of the newspaper in screaming bold letters. Sensationalism at its finest was her second thought as her first one was one of bafflement, not sure why he was suddenly giving her reading material. It wasn’t until her eyes fell on the moving picture in the middle of the page did she begin to realize what exactly was happening.

She saw a familiar young witch whose eyes seemed to twinkle even in the black and beige pages of the newspaper as she bashfully smiled up at the photographer. And around the young witch who was smiling, [Y/n] saw an older witch and wizard along with a young wizard beaming proudly at the camera as they stood with their Auror uniforms on.

They were impossibly happy, so alive, even in the photograph of a newspaper. So much so that she caught her eyes softening as she gazed at the people in the photo and brushed her fingertips along the face of the older couple before moving to the younger wizard. The happiness was contagious as it almost had her lips tugging into the smallest of smiles as she gazed at them. She watched as they smiled brightly at her and waved before the older wizard pulled them tightly together so they were all closer as they burst into laughter.

But then she remembered. And the smile on her lips gradually began to fade into a frown as her eyes landed on the names of the photo below.

Her name was there. It was first surprisingly, and next to it in parentheses were the words ‘missing’ in bolded, capital letters. And next to her name, were the names of her mother, father, and older brother each of them with the same parentheses next to them. But, instead of the word ‘missing’ they had another word in them. A word that had her heart pausing and her breath catching in her throat.

Deceased.

At first, she stared at the captioning dumbfoundedly, unable to process the word next to her family members' names. It seemed like they were just a bunch of letters thrown together with no meaning as they were placed now. Deceased? That couldn’t be, right? All of them were amazingly skilled Aurors top of their year at that, and they were simply dead?

No. Absolutely Not.

Ungluing her eyes from the photo, she found herself furiously skimming over the words of the entire article making sure she had read it wrong. Over and over again her eyes read them and over and over again she couldn’t digest what she was reading.

They had been searching for her. Adamant that she wasn’t dead as her body hadn’t been found yet. They even went so far as to go to the Minister of Magic himself and demand that a team be sent to look for her. She was their beloved daughter and with their positions being lead Aurors for their respective teams they did have some pull. But it seemed like all would be for naught because on the fourth day of the search none of them had come in for their shift causing a visit to their home. It was there where the bodies had been found.

Her parents were both in the hallway while her brother’s body was at the entrance of a bedroom. There had been a struggle it sounded like from what she had read but when you’re surprised in your own home where you’re supposed to feel safe the outcome was understandable.

The words on the page became blurry as tears began to cloud her vision and silently streaked down her cheeks. Her fingers that were wrapped around the edges of the paper gripped it harshly, rumpling the pages as her head stayed lowered. Her parents, her only brother. She loved them greatly, cared about them, and had deep warmth for them, even if she had argued with them all the time about having to be an Auror.

They were her family and families argued. But now they were gone. There would be no more arguments, no more laughter at something one of them had done, no more holidays sitting around being with one another, nothing. All the while the thought of them dying and never knowing that she was still alive sunk into her mind.

“I am truly sorry,” Snape murmured quietly. A tinge of remorse seemed to line his voice, as his hand went to rest on her shoulder.

Yet she could barely process what he had said to her as the moment he placed his hand on her, she automatically shrunk in her seat. Her body and mind were all too trained to know what usually came when he put his hands on her. And she couldn’t handle it. Not today, not ever honestly, but especially not with the news she had just received.

“Please,” her voice was tiny, just a pitiful whimper as she felt his fingers wrap around her shoulder with a light grip. “Just leave me alone, p-please.”

He had never listened to her pleas before and in her mind she felt as if it was useless to even beg. But to her surprise, even if she could barely show it as tears dampened her face, she felt the hand on her fall away.

“I’ll send your food up later [Y/n].”

His voice was still soft as he gazed over her shoulder and watched her hang her head low over the newspaper. She didn’t respond to him and he didn’t expect her to as he turned to take his leave.

When the sound of the door closing met her ears, her upper body instantly went slack against the chair. Her arms wrapped around the newspaper tightly as she brought the crumpled paper to her chest cradling as if her life depended on it while she rocked back and forth in the chair.

Tears poured down her face without end as the dam of emotions finally broke. Her chest heavy and in pain was finally able to release the broken loud sobs that racked her as those in the silent memory smiled and looked back up at her. Those memories and any others that could have been made would now stay silent forever.

Whatever game they had been playing. He had undoubtedly won with this.

Closing the door behind him he stayed silent as he listened to the piercing wail that left [Y/n] as soon as the door was firmly shut. He stood for what felt like hours with his back to the door hearing her sobs before finally locking it and taking his leave down the hall toward the stairs.

His face carried the same neutral expression he had worn when delivering the news as he walked down the stairs toward the living room where a man was sitting with one leg crossed above the other and a glass of wine in hand. Footsteps tapping against the wooden floor alerted the man that someone was approaching and he lazily turned his head to see Snape standing underneath the doorframe.

A sly grin replaced the man's bored expression and there was a twinkle in his gray eyes as he wasted no time in questioning Snape.

“So did it work?”

“Perhaps,” Snape replied in the affirmative, bringing a hand up to massage his forehead as if he felt a migraine come on from his more chatty visitor. “She was more controlled than I expected when I showed her but after I left. Well, I’m certain even you could hear her from down here.”

A haughty look crossed the other man's face as he sat the glass of wine down and stood up grabbing the black cane with a glinting snake head on it from the side of the chair. Walking up to Snape, there was clearly smugness written all over the blond man's features as he stood next to the other man.

“I told you so.”

That statement was met with Snape rolling his eyes as the other man proudly continued to rattle off just how brilliant the idea was.

“It would have been a waste to tell her the actual day it happened considering how soon her meddlesome family started to look. Best leave such news as a finale. No?”

“Do you want me to praise you for your idea Malfoy?” Snape drawled, a little glare flickering in his eyes as he watched the blond basically throw himself a congratulatory celebration.

It was hard not to want to roll his eyes at him even if he considered him a friend. He was a bit meddlesome at times even if he had very good ideas when it came to these types of things. Mental games that is.

“A little appreciation from an old friend is always welcome, Severus,” Malfoy spoke, shrugging indifferently while tapping his cane on the floor as he walked past Snape.

Silently, they made their way to the front door, and once there Malfoy went to grab his coat from the rack near the entrance. Taking his time to shrug the heavy article on, he turned to Snape when he finished, an inquisitive look on his features.

“So do tell what is next for that pitiful little thing?” He asked, eyes narrowing curiously at the man. “She has no family left, I'm told. A perk of being in a family of Aurors I no doubt believe.”

“No more family you say?” Snape tried his best not to be surprised at that revelation. Though it wasn’t a bad thing. Not for him at least.

“Ironic, but yes, though I think that makes it easier for you as the Ministry no longer has to deal with her family demanding for them to search for her.” A smirk returned on to Malfoy’s face as he continued. “I bet before long they’ll just write her off as another casualty. Pity.”

“I see.”

“Indeed. Well, I don’t wish to hold you any longer, I am quite glad my little plan worked out for the best,” he said, opening the door and stepping out though a little grimace flashed across his features as he looked out on the dilapidated house around him. “Do let me know whenever you need more help with your little project or something else.”

He was clearly alluding to the less than opulent area of Spinner’s End and Cokeworth as a whole with its dreary scenery and dirty streets. Very much not to the taste of a pure-blood wizard like Malfoy. Turning around to face the man standing in the house, Malfoy gave a curt nod,

“Severus.”

It was returned with an equally short farewell,

“Lucius.”

Before Snape closed the door. But as he went to lock it, he couldn’t help but feel a small quirk at the corner of his lips as he remembered what Lucius had said to him before leaving.

“Best leave such news as a finale.”

Finale? Oh no, they weren’t at the finale just yet. He still had one more thing he wanted to try with the woman. And she had unknowingly taken the bait.

Next Chapter: I Never Knew My Killer Would Be Coming From Within

A/N: Oh my it looks like Severus has a helper. I wonder if we will be seeing him again...

This chapter made me remember why I don't write long fics🥴🥴! I kept going back and forth with how I wanted to write this particular plot point and finally landed on what was in here which is not originally what I intended (the original was way less tame)

But I'm quite happy with this honestly! Let me know if you saw any mistakes and I hope you enjoyed it!!! Please let me know what you thought and I'll see you on the next part! ❤❤❤

#severus snape x reader #severus x reader #snape x reader #severus snape x you #severus x you #severus snape fic #blossoms writing

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blubushie · 1 year

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5, 21, and 39 for any/all (referring to the numbers ship post)

Righto!

5: Nicknames? Pet names? Any in-jokes?

Mundy is the king of nicknames—this is on behalf of being Australian. We fucking love nicknames. He calls Jesse everything under the sun with the common denominator being that they're all animal-themed—he'd called her rabbit for the longest time, but this one is never used as it drudges up bad memories. Instead he uses bun, which he deems more affectionate. Nicknames are also situational—he'll use bun and roo and love interchangeably, bilby when she's upset, and princess is strictly reserved for flirting or when he's in the mood. The only thing he doesn't call her that I personally hear a lot is possum, and that's because that was his dad's term for his mother and it hurts too much to use it. Jesse in the past has called Mundy Snipes and Red, but now she solely uses dingo or babe. Sometimes if she wants to tease him she'll affectionately use Mickey just to embarrass him. He loves it and loathes it at the same time. An inside joke between them is Jesse's inability to flip anything when it comes to cooking, be it eggs or pancakes, and Mundy's constant forgetfulness when it comes to where he leaves his cigarettes.

Suki doesn't have a nickname for Bruce—for her, using his actual first name is her version of a nickname, as she only uses the first names of people she's very close to (for example, Jesse has only ever heard Suki call her by her name one time, and that was when she was dying in Italy and Suki was trying to get her to calm down and focus). Bruce is the only person to call Suki her name to her face—everyone else either waits until she's out of the room, calls her doc or Okumura, or they call her Natsuki. Only Bruce has the privilege of walking up and calling her Suki and getting a smile in return. A running joke between them is Bruce saying subcutaneous at random intervals, since the first time he ever flirted with Suki he'd told her, "I like a woman who knows how to cut through subcutaneous tissue," and she'd responded, "I like a man who can say subcutaneous."

I'm adding Charles and Cindy in here because I want to. Cindy calls Charles Chuck, and Charles affectionately refers to Cindy as bluebell. This is because she was wearing a blue flower-print sundress the day he met her. Since Charles is Welsh his first expression of love toward Cindy was carving her a lovespoon, so now they regularly gift spoons to each other as an inside joke. When Charles finally returned to the Bronx with Jesse and saw Cindy after twenty years away, he offered her a silver spoon as an apology gift.

Ted would routinely call Liem cowboy and hoss. Liem called Ted kid and boy despite the fact that Liem was only three years older than him. Liem also affectionately used the name Teddy, and Ted was the only person allowed to call Liem by his first name, Sue. They had a thousand different inside jokes but the main one was gifting each other anything they deemed perfectly or near-perfectly spherical. Liem loves old ball grenades (he collects them!) and Ted loved baseball. The two idiots would routinely play baseball together, which mainly consisted of Liem pitching ball grenades and Ted whacking them into the firing range where they'd explode.

21: Do they share any interests or hobbies?

Jesse and Mundy have more in common than either of them think. They both love to read but in different aspects—Jesse loves comics and can't stand books, Mundy finds comics too visually distracting and prefers books. They both enjoy whittling in their free time, Mundy is a skilled artist when it comes to wildlife and especially birds whereas Jesse couldn't draw a bird to save her life. Half of the stuff they have in common are things Jesse saw Mundy doing, decided to give a try, and ended up enjoying.

Bruce enjoys watching Suki work, even if it's just filling out paperwork or looking over records. Suki loves to watch Bruce work out and sometimes he's able to convince her to sit on his back while he does push-ups. He finds this hilarious, she merely struggles to stay seated. Bruce is 100% keen on Suki experimenting on him (something that she consistently denies) and sometimes Bruce will take Suki fishing and let her gut what he catches because she's very good at it. Queen of deboning fish.

Cindy and Charles both share a penchant for current fashion, with Cindy being a hairdresser and Charles just... being Charles. Charles is suave and enjoys seducing Cindy (not that he really has to try) and Cindy eats it up. He'll take her out to fancy dinners, late-night drives in expensive cars, concerts at Carnegie Hall. Sometimes when they both have some time alone and aren't feeling up for anything exhausting Cindy will just style Charles' hair. She enjoys working with his curls and refuses to dye it no matter how often he asks because she likes the salt and pepper.

Liem and Ted both love baseball! Ted loved Liem's steady hands and would spend a few hours watching him work while he rigged explosives. Liem and Tamotu once built a batting cage for Ted (something that Jesse now uses) and Liem would waste an evening drinking beer and cheering on Ted from the sidelines until a baseball inevitably hit Ted in the face because he was distracted. Liem used to bring Ted to rodeos and show off to him in the ring.

39: Who initiated the relationship? Who kissed who first? When did they realize they were in love?

Not answering for Jesse and Mundy because spoilers.

Bruce punched a sentry to pieces during a match, didn't go through RESPAWN before it was shut off, and so Suki spent an hour repairing his knuckles and fixing a tendon he'd cut by accident. Somewhere between making the incision and her pulling on his tendon with her forceps and saying "Look at this" while she made his fingers curl, he decided she looked mighty attractive and he kissed her. They skirted around each other for a few weeks after that (which the team suffered for during matches) but eventually he went to go to see her to apologise and she pulled him into her clinic. One thing led to another and they've been together ever since. They probably realised they loved each other at some point during the Robot Crisis. Suki is rarely sent through RESPAWN as she's generally very self-sufficient and aware on the battlefield with a habit of looking out for herself. Her realisation was Bruce telling her that he needed her to follow him into the fray during a particularly bad robot assault and her agreeing to do it without a second of hesitation toward her own self-preservation. Bruce had likely known it far sooner, from the day Suki put the uber implant into his heart with his full trust in her to succeed.

Charles pursued Cindy heavily and was consistently the one to make the first move. That said, Cindy was the one who kissed Charles first, just a quick peck on the lips before he left one evening. It'd worked, and he kept coming back for more. Cindy was well aware that she loved Charles long before he acknowledged it, likely when she saw how he interacted with her four sons. Charles didn't realise how much he actually loved Cindy until they'd learnt that she was pregnant and he had to make the decision to stay or leave. He stayed, but only for eight months after Jesse was born. Leaving was the hardest decision he ever had to make.

Liem is the kind of bloke to flirt with someone as a show of friendliness, whereas Ted was definitely more reserved with affection. Despite that, Ted was the one who made the first move and kissed Liem during a quiet night they'd spent fishing alone. Love was never explicitly mentioned between either of them—Ted would've said something along the lines of "That's gay, man,"—but Liem didn't realise how much he loved Ted until the day he lost him. The fact he'd never been able to admit how much Ted meant to him still haunts him. The only thing that haunts him more is the fact he'll never know if Ted felt the same way.

#learnin the blus

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a-pale-azure-moon · 2 years

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Midnight Plays Azure Gleam: Chapter 11

Betcha thought I'd forgotten about this, huh? Just more of real life getting in the way, and me spending most of my gaming time with Dragalia Lost in its waning days of existence (sob). I forgot to mention previously that I am chronically slow with playing through games in general.

This was a very long chapter, so there's a long post under the cut.

The narration says that after dealing with the Western Church, the Kingdom has now set up base in Gerth territory.

Rodrigue's back! He thinks things are finally settled in the western territories, and that the new heads of Houses Gideon, Elidure and Mateus should ensure there's no more internal rebellion.

Ashe is surprised that the rebel houses got to keep their territory. Dedue implies it may be temporary? (His line feels a bit out of place.) Rodrigue says dissenters always arise when the head of a territory is replaced, both among nobles and commoners. Felix is surprised things have gone relatively smoothly, to which Rodrigue reminds him that he has lots of experience with kingdom politics.

(Rodrigue's dad energy is so good. Not just towards Felix and Dimitri but to the Lions as a whole.)

Turning to the war, Dimitri recaps a report from Gustave that Claude is waiting for the ideal time to advance in the east, since Claude doesn't want to face Count Bergliez head on. So the Alliance is going to feign a deadlock and whittle away at the Imperial forces. Which is basically what was shown at the end of the last chapter.

Shez asks if they should wait to advance on Hevring territory until the Alliance can come help. Dimitri says no, since if the Kingdom proves a great enough threat, it will draw more of the Imperial army westward, which will give Claude an opportunity.

Felix wonders if Claude can be trusted. Annette speculates he might be trying to wear the Kingdom down so the Alliance can attack it later. (Again with this stuff. I know Claude's the "schemer" by reputation, but what exactly has he done in this story that makes him so untrustworthy?)

Ingrid at least thinks Claude is on the level, as long as they have the same enemy. ....And then in the next breath says that he's "tricky to pin down." [Sigh] Mercedes doesn't think it hurts to be too cautious. That's not a bad mindset, but this is still coming across as contrived, IMO.

Dimitri offers reassurance, saying that if the Alliance did try anything, Gustave and the Knights of Seiros should be enough to stop it. So we're to proceed with Claude's plan. Dimitri wants to end the war as soon as possible, for the sake of everyone caught in the middle.

Rodrigue asks if Dimitri can "topple" Edelgard. (I'm assuming this is a euphemism for kill.) And he means this from an emotional standpoint, rather than a strategic one. Shez says anyone would hesitate to cut down their own family.

Dimitri asks Rodrigue if he really thinks he's incapable, considering he executed Rufus. He still has questions for Edelgard about Duscur, and then says he's not so different from her in starting wars of their own volition.

(I'm sorry, what? HOW are their actions the same? Dimitri is trying to end the chaos that Edelgard created when she declared war on the Church of Seiros. THIS IS NOT THE SAME THING!)

(I am so effing done with this "both sides" bullcrap. Over and over again the writers keep trying to force this false equivalency between the Empire's actions and the Kingdom's reactions, and it's wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. There is a HUGE difference between starting a war of aggression and defending your sovereign nation and your allies from that aggressor. IT. IS. NOT. THE. SAME.)

Dimitri says that if Edelgard refuses to yield, then he will take her life. (Shades of Azure Moon. Will we get another parlay between Dimitri and Edelgard in this timeline?) Rodrigue is pleased to hear it, and then hands over a letter he found during his inquiry with Viscount Elidure.

...The letter is from Patricia. Oh no.

Rodrigue has already read the letter, and says it has no new information, but he thinks Dimitri will probably find it disturbing. Dimitri says he'll read it later.

...Which is apparently right now for us, because the scene immediately changes to Shez and Dimitri discussing the letter. It was a missive to Viscount Elidure requesting cooperation in the conspiracy. Patricia/Anselma expressed sympathy for the Viscount's objections to Lambert's reforms, and said the Viscount would have a lot to gain from Lambert's death. Dimitri had the letter checked for any signs of forgery, but it's apparently authentic.

So yeah, Patricia did indeed participate in the Tragedy of Duscur. Ouch.

Dimitri says that every memory he has of his stepmother, she was "looking past" him, like the person she really cared for was somewhere else. But he still finds it hard to come to terms with her crimes, even in the face of solid evidence. He says he counted Patricia among the people he wished to avenge, but now she lies "squarely in the path of his fury."

(Note that Dimitri is sad/regretful as he's talking about all this, not angry. What a raw deal he got; the only mother he ever knew, whom he loved as a mother, cared so little for him that she was willing to sacrifice him in a regicide plot so she could go back to the Empire.)

(Press X to hug!)

Shez unhelpfully calls the whole thing "heavy stuff" and then Dimitri notes that something seems to be bothering Shez and asks what it is. (How typical of Dimitri to be worried about his friend while he's grappling with this awful bombshell. Some things never change!)

Shez brings up Myson and how he was familiar with Shez's powers. Shez isn't sure they trust themselves anymore, and wants to know the truth of who they are.

Dimitri says he trusts Shez. Shez asks what would happen if they suddenly transformed and attacked him (foreshadowing?), and Dimitri says he would stop them, and trails off before actually saying he'd kill Shez if he had to.

Shez says death is a good motivator to get their powers under control. Arval is upset that Shez sounds like they're OK with Dimitri killing them if the need arose. Hm....

Camp (Mideastern Gerth Territory)

Dorothea is worried about "Edie" and outright wonders if she's dead.

An NPC mercenary says a bunch of people have been defecting from the Empire lately. Said mercenary is actually one of those defectors; she chose to fight for the Empire at the start of the war because they seemed stronger, but now her money's on the Kingdom.

Now Marianne is worried about Edelgard. What earthly reason does Marianne have to be worried about Edelgard? They weren't even classmates during the whole month the Officer's Academy was open. What the hell?

Annette feels guilty that we're the ones "invading" now. Yes, that's true from a technical standpoint, but.... (That sound you hear in the background is my teeth grinding together.)

An NPC merchant talks about being rescued by the Knights of Seiros. He says he used to think the Central Church was "garbage" but now thinks he was mistaken.

Balthus and Yuri are bickering like a married couple, lol.

An NPC Kingdom Soldier says Jeralt's group works for Randolph. That guy again, huh?

Petra doesn't think Brigid will be having any relations with the Empire after the war. (Good for her.)

Flayn wants to save the people, even if it means fighting to do so.

An NPC Empire soldier expresses concern for Randolph. It's kind of insulting that this game's insisting Randolph's a good guy I should care about when his most memorable appearance in 3H was when Dimitri directly challenged his hypocrisy. Randolph has never been anything more than a Red Shirt.

Rodrigue wonders if he should've given Patricia's letter to Dimitri. (I think he did the right thing for the record, painful as it is.)

Paralogue: Raiders From the North

Woo! A paralogue featuring Dimitri, Sylvain and Rodrigue!

Shez complains about the cold, and says there's no snow (again). Sylvain says it's often coldest where there isn't snow. (Right, I'm sure the beaches of Hawaii are much colder than the top of Mt. Everest. /s)

(For the record, I live in a place that has long, cold winters and I have no idea what Sylvain's line is supposed to mean. It's true that if the air gets cold enough, snow cannot fall, but the coldest section of my state is the one that typically gets the most snow every winter overall, not the least.)

(In other words, give me my goddamn snow map. Or at least stop treating me like an idiot incapable of seeing through your contrived excuses for the lack of one.)

So this is all about invaders from Sreng, as the title implies. Shez asks if Faerghus and Sreng are mortal enemies, and Sylvain says it's not quite that but that there's always been fighting between the two. When Faerghus won the northern campaign years ago, the Sreng leader offered his youngest son as a POW, and that same son is now leading the current raid.

Rodrigue explains that Margrave Gautier's first wife was lost during the Sreng offensive (this is Miklan's mother), but in an effort to foster better relations, Matthias taught the POW the Faerghus language and customs and treated him well. But the prisoner escaped at the first opportunity.

Dimitri notes that our opponent would know more about Faerghus strategies than a typical Sreng commander would.

Matthias enters, and explains that we're heading for a place called the Ruska Mountains. Rodrigue knows the stronghold and notes that it's like their re-enacting the northern campaign. Matthias apologies for dragging Dimitri into this matter, but Dimitri naturally doesn't mind.

Sylvain cracks a joke about slacking off and gets an (implied) death glare from his dad and immediately walks it back, lol.

Rodrigue self-deprecates that he's just a common military man now, and Matthias calls him out on his false modesty. (These two are great together. You can see where Sylvain and Felix get it from.)

Matthias exhorts everyone to make "our king" proud. But I get the impression he's referring to Lambert, not Dimitri.

Pretty big map, but it doesn't look too complicated. The goal is simply to drive back the Sreng army. Matthias joins us as a green unit, and naturally we have to keep him alive.

Dimitri remarks that his father once stood on this battlefield. Sylvain isn't sure how he feels about repeating the same fight.

Rodrigue says he feels like he's fighting beside Matthias and Lambert again. Sylvain is flattered, but doesn't think he can compared to his dad. Dimitri says he's more than worthy of the comparison.

After defeating the Sreng generals, reinforcements come in, and we're given three strongholds to seize in a limited time.

Sylvain says that the enemy's tactics remind him of his father's chess strategies.

At Sylvain's prompt, Rodrigue talks a bit about Matthias' first wife. She was a classmate of theirs at the Officer's Academy, the star pupil of the Black Eagles. Dimitri says Matthias got his "Wall of Ice" title after her death. Rodrigue affirms this, and says that Matthias was lively and cheerful before that. (So he was more like Sylvain, I guess.)

There, seized the strongholds in time....and a buttload of reinforcements come out. The boss music kicks in as the Sreng leader taunts us. Defeating this round of reinforcements lures him out to play. He makes a beeline for Matthias, but since he hangs out at the center of the map, that's not a problem.

The commander has a little friendly-ish banter with Sylvain after he's defeated. Interesting.

A Rank, once again because of a too-low killcount (1356/1600). Paralogue battles in particular seem to have excessively demanding kill requirements. Dimitri won the MVP, naturally.

After the battle, Matthias says he's never seen this kind of ferocity from Sreng forces before, but says he's still surprised the commander tried to "batter" his way into Faerghus like that.

Shez thinks maybe Sreng saw the war as an opportunity for them. Dimitri wonders if someone from Adrestia incited them to attack, and Rodrigue mentions it could've been Cornelia's allies. (He likens them to a "bad rash," lol)

Matthias says the fault is still his for educating the Sreng commander in the first place. Sylvain says he shouldn't blame himself, and Dimitri points out that because the commander spoke their language, Sylvain was able to speak with him briefly.

Dimitri says he was raised to think of the Sreng people as demons, so even exchanging a few sentences with them feels like a "miracle." Sylvain agrees, as they can't achieve peace without understanding each other.

Matthias gets angry, since he can't see a way to peace with Sreng. Sylvain tells him he'll find a way, even if it takes his whole life. Matthias calls him naive and storms off. Rodrigue runs after him.

Dimitri compliments the earnestness of Sylvain's words. Sylvain reiterates that he's determined to make peace between Faerghus and Sreng somehow. Dimitri agrees that there's no need to use military might if another way is possible, and say he appreciates the way Sylvain thinks. Sylvain says he's impressed with how much Dimitri hates warfare considering he's good at it. (This whole exchange between them is great stuff; it's like the A support they never got in 3H. <3)

Shez asks if the Margrave will be OK. Sylvain says if Matthias really thought he was a naive idiot, he wouldn't have said anything at all.

Cut to Rodrigue and Matthias. They reminisce a bit about their time as students, and Matthias says Lambert wanted to forge peace between Faerghus, Duscur and Sreng. (Knowing that makes what happened to him even more tragic. Ouch.) Matthias remembers calling Lambert naive back then, but now wonders if he's actually the naive one, because he can't see things now as Lambert once did. He wonders if maybe peace with Sreng is possible after all.

Rodrigue says he hasn't changed at all, and tells him that if he regrets what he said to Sylvain, he should apologize. Matthias agrees.

...But we don't get to see that scene, though we get the Lance of Ruin (woo!) which strikes me as a very "Faerghus Dad" way of apologizing.

Really liked this paralogue. The battle was fun, there's some interesting worldbuilding bits and some great character interactions. Good stuff all around!

Battle

So we're taking on the forces of four Imperial houses at once, including Essar and Ochs, who should sound familiar. Dimitri reminds the group that we're the invaders this time. This particular short speech is fine on its own, but since it sits on top of the steaming pile of both-siderisms the game keeps throwing out, I can't help but be a little annoyed by it. Again.

Annette says this battle is the key to stopping the war. Ashe says he believes in this path, and Felix, Dedue and Sylvain chime in with similar sentiments, along with their support for Dimitri. Rodrigue says it's time to show the Empire what happens when they cross the people of Faerghus.

Another very big map, with an intimidating kill count of 2000. (Ugh). Our final Wolf, Constance, is here to recruit, and so is everyone's favorite sleepyhead, Linhardt. Opting to recruit them both requires nearly all of the Strategy Points!

Starting off, it's the usual "defeat the vanguard and seize a few marked strongholds" thing. Mercedes thinks it seems too easy, which is probably a hint that there will be something different on this map soon enough.

Seizing the next designated area now makes Rodrigue think things are going too smoothly.

Ah, now we get to pursue Monica. We also have to seize many more strongholds, some of which are annoyingly behind locked gates. There's a Gatekeeper we have to take out first.

....And of course, it's some kind of trap. Defeating the Gatekeeper spawns Hanneman, who proceeds to start dropping Bolting spells. Linhardt also appears (as a Holy Knight!) with a bunch of reinforcements.

Oh and there's Constance too, jeez. As well as some of the faceless Imperial nobles who sound very eager to bury the Faerghus army.

There, recruited Constance and Linhardt. Linhardt sounds super whiny after being defeated, lol.

The faceless nobles just retreat after being defeated. I'm a little disappointed. If the game wants me to feel bad for invading, it's gotta let me draw some blood, you know?

Oh, we get to actually kill Baron Ochs. Not that it matters since he's not really a character. Monica's reaction to his death is pretty underwhelming too, but she does finally come out to fight.

And Manuela's here now too. Haven't seen her yet at all, I don't think.

Oh come on! Even Monica just retreats. I wonder if she'll be like Ferdinand and Hubert and conveniently die/disappear offscreen. Does this game want me to feel bad about fighting the Empire or not?

So there's a gimmick with Manuela and Hanneman, in that she'll keep healing him when you bring his HP close to zero. There's probably a limit to how many times she does this? I don't know, but Rodrigue points you to defeat her first, so that's what I did. And yup, they both just retreat upon defeat. [Eyeroll] Dimitri speculates we might see them again though, so...maybe that's foreshadowing.

The final boss is Duke Gerth. Why this guy and not one of the characters we actually know? For a "climatic" clash, this is seriously underwhelming in terms of drama.

...Holy crap even Duke Gerth retreats. [Facepalm]

I got the S Rank! I just barely eked out enough kills, 2060. Dimitri won the MVP, yet again.

Post Battle

Rodrigue says the Imperial nobles will battle to the end to fight for their homes (which is why they run away after being defeated, apparently /s), just as the Kingdom would. This is true, and exactly what I would expect. Sylvain says it's exhausting just thinking about it, and Ingrid reminds him that they're doing this to bring peace to Fodlan.

Dimitri says that if the Empire and Kingdom can't coexist, then there's no choice but to fight. Sylvain agrees, since it's obvious what'll happen to Faerghus if Adrestia is left to do what it wants.

Rodrigue is impressed with everyone's resolve, and says the future of Faerghus is bright. (That great dad energy again!) He says that when the war's over, the king's the one who will get labeled as the invader. (That is usually how things work in history.) Felix gets mad and tells him not to put everything on Dimitri. Rodrigue tells him that his duty as the Shield is to support the king. Felix scoffs and says that's obvious.

Cut to Shez and Rodrigue alone. He's up late doing strategy work, so as to make things easier for Dimitri. They both comment on Dimitri's workaholic tendencies, and Rodrigue says Lambert was like that too.

Interesting: Lambert also became king at a young age. Shez asks if Dimitri is that much like his father, and Rodrigue says they'd be hard to tell apart if they were in the same room together now. (D'awww) He does add that Lambert apparently had a shorter temper, but that they're overall birds of a feather, unlike himself and Felix.

Shez says that Rodrigue and Felix actually are pretty similar (they actually are, once you get past Felix's tsundere-ness), with how they both take initiative on important matters. Rodrigue is flattered, and tells Shez to say that to Felix as well, lol.

He says Felix is a lot like him, but in ways he'd hoped they wouldn't be. Shez asks what he means, and Rodrigue says both he and Felix need some greater purpose in life. Rodrigue devoted himself fully to supporting and serving Lambert, and when he died, he lost his reason for living, and had to search for a new one. In the end, he renewed his devotion to Lambert by seeing through a promise he made. Shez asks what that promise was, and Rodrigue says that he was to set Dimitri back on the proper course if he ever strayed from it.

(The feels! If you've forgotten, this is a direct callback to Azure Moon. Rodrigue's promise was expressed/recalled when he died protecting Dimitri after Gronder.)

(...Wait a minute...)

Rodrigue says he won't be here forever, and he's glad Dimitri has friends like Shez. Shez says they feels like Dimitri's the one helping them, not the other way around.

Oh man. Rodrigue says it's not enough to simply stand by Dimitri's side and support him; he "needs someone to grab his hand and pull him in the right direction."

In other words....

[Squeeing noises]

Shez asks if Rodrigue doesn't think he can do that, even with Gustave's help. Rodrigue says he and Gustave are just Dimitri's retainers, and so can't see Fodlan through his eyes. But Shez stands on equal footing with him as his friend.

(Ugh, that line immediately jerked me out of my happy zone. I'm outright starving for any kind of Dimileth crumbs at this point.)

They talk a bit about Shez's background, and then Arval comments that Rodrigue is a true man of character and a wonderful person. (Agreed!!) Then Rodrigue asks for Shez's thoughts on how to stage an ambush, and we fade to black.

I enjoyed this scene with Rodrigue immensely, but it's giving off the same vibe as his late-night conversation with Byleth before Gronder, and we all know what happened there. Should I be worried?

This chapter was very much a mixed bag. The paralogue was great, there were some good side battles, and there's the emotional moment with Dimitri about his stepmother and this moving conversation with Rodrigue. The main battle was fun to play but abysmal in terms of executing the drama the narrative was trying to build, and the attempts to "both sides" this conflict continue to be infuriating, if not outright insulting to my intelligence. [Shrug]

#fe3hopes #few3h #azure gleam #blue lions #midnight plays azure gleam

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itssolonelyhere · 2 years

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If your doing a new one why can't you update your jokesaku or madasaku fics too?

Hi, anon. It's not quite that simple. I mean, I definitely should update/finish my older stories before starting new ones. There are eight of them sitting on the back burner... I never intended to be one of those writers that left fics unfinished or on hiatus, yet here we are. Now, I understand some of those writers a bit more since I actually began writing myself. It's not always that easy.

Here's the thing. I'm not the kind of person who can work on multiple projects at one time. God knows I've tried. I told myself and others I can do it. But I've concluded that all it does is stress me out and nothing gets done. I'm someone who can't sit still, is unorganized, can't focus for long periods of time, and is a mess at the end of the day. Yet I still try to write chapters that are between 5-11k because I'm a big dummy that can't reel it in. And dyslexia only makes it more difficult.

I work a full-time and part-time job. I have bills to pay and a place to take care of. A partner, demon children (my cats), family, and friends that need me. So when I do get a little free time, I want to spend it doing something I'm excited about. That tends to be my current fixation at the time. Which is also something I can't necessarily control. Believe me, I've tried. Being in the middle of a project and losing what was once an all-consuming fixation on a ship/piece of media is heartbreaking. I can try to rekindle the flame but unless it happens organically, I'm screwed.

That happened recently. My fixations can last months, even a year or more. The last one was MadaSaku again (HeisenSaku and JokeSaku before that). Then the passion for it whittled away, little by little, until I was left spending months just trying to finish one chapter. It's agonizing. Eventually, it comes back. It's just the time in between that's hard. I'd sit at my table for hours on days off, staring at a single chapter and drawing a blank. I couldn't get anything done. In return, I'd feel embarrassed to the point I didn't even want to go on Discord and talk to my online friends. It might sound silly, but that's how it is...

Right now, I'm sucked into the Eddissy ship for Stranger Things. Seeing the gifs and fanart of those two ignited the feeling I was missing. It motivated and inspired me to write again after another long dry spell. The same way the other ships I write for did previously. I don't know how long it'll last, but I want to ride the wave for as long as I can.

So with the limited free time I have available, I'd rather spend it working on something that I'm excited about and actually putting out content than forcing myself to stare at a blank screen for hours while slowly spiraling into a self-loathing mess. For free, might I add. The only reason I do any of this is because I enjoy writing garbage and love hearing from readers.

This wasn't meant to be so long, but I've been getting quite a few messages like this recently. Especially on FF.net. Like, I spent hours over multiple days working on and editing a 5k+ Eddissy chapter, then get a review/DM saying "Nice so when are you finally going to update your JokeSaku fic, huh?" and it's just so... disheartening. I get it. Some of you are here for JokeSaku, MadaSaku, etc. And it's not fair to leave you hanging on an incomplete fic. It just doesn't feel great to have someone basically say, "if you have time to work on this crap you like, then you should also have spare time to write the things I actually want to read." I don't know... This is just me explaining and rambling about what's going on from my end.

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the-firebird69 · 23 days

Text

So few people catching on good it's hard to okay we're trying to get you to compete with the Max and they don't want you to and it's a difficult crowd and it looks like they're probably here

-it's a huge number of people who are kind of clueless about this and watching them kind of wander around some people get it though we are experiencing a high level of threats from the empire and we are going to try and negate them as soon as we can

-there's some further listing and reading that needs to be done some people have quite an ax and we are currently trying to stop them from messing with our son we have a few things to announce about this location again one of them is

-John ramillard is still glued to our son as if he is going to do something drastic or awful or kidnapping and we don't want to see it it's tiring and I need some help with it let me know

-they also have a situation with the living quarters where Stan is saying he's no longer willing to do it and put the bill for this heavy load he is still one of the owners they say and we'll be until they knock him out and what they say is he's there Sylvia apartment or you're on your way out and I said no and then they said you're on your way out if you don't want the job you don't have to have it and he said it's my apartment and it's occupying it and it's his fat ass and stuff like that and our son piped in and said you wanted me to shuffle around your hospital and other stupid s*** and he's saying no the same you're the one who's delusional everyone else the room knows what's going on and they're telling you not to do what you're doing or you're fired and they know how to fire people so he said I don't think I'm being heard I'm going to have my way and stuff like that and they said okay by force it is and they start to force him out. They're also forcing Sherry out and he stated them for a long time and he's the hospital guy and he's a moron and he didn't get away with anything he divided them in the empire is happy about it so he's a smooth and a loser shmooze. We hear they're making progress today they had this argument last week and they have been whittling away at him today they have gotten him to concede ownership of about 20% of it so he's down to 20% and he does not have control and share any others are alliance and Timmy d has nothing and he will have absolutely nothing by the end of the week which is tomorrow.

-it's a couple other things to make a mental motive it's still a very rude I like big idiotic kids and a son says that's what they are and they're dangerous because of that the whole time and daughter and we know it and it's not a lot of people but we need to stop them the thing is going to boil over yeah it does every few days but now that he is less membership and we already told him and we told others they've been on the lyrics we said he was at 5% and it's not true people believed it and started harassing him and he is going to be pushed out soon and he is a hopeless a******. We think that they're probably going to get him down to 5% by Monday meeting it over the weekend they're going to do things that will cause to happen sometime on Monday that's pretty quick and he will still own the apartment our sun is in but will not have power over the consortium in other words he doesn't have direct ownership of the apartment the title and deed they're not commonly held but the consortium has an interest in the apartment and he can't do anything without their permission because he didn't purchase them on his own and come into a group that's managing them it's not how it's organized and even if they had 5% and he still can't but they have more than that they're about 25% and he keeps saying it's the septic and it's not and they told me to fix the roof for like 2 years in a row and you kept saying I'm on it and you didn't do anything finally Jason couldn't stand it anymore and he got it done and I'm telling you this for evil reasons but this guy is a dick and he's been a problem. So he's young and they used him he said his family and all this crap. At 5% they will start to force the rest of the properties out of this possession and part of the properties and businesses will do the hospital and 5% at that point represents only about 20% of the hospital and they're going to remove him from there this coming week and take the rest of it not to say they won't try and do the same thing but he is going to be desperate momentarily

-with his desperation and he's already moving his forces out of their areas and into the public and they are mystery and evil and loudmouth and weird and they're getting they're getting slaughtered he'll have nobody soon we think within a couple days and it's fair because of what he's been doing we also find that Dave and Dan are home bodies and want them in the apartment no matter what things are big shots no that's a very pushy and mean and really they don't have much chance and they get beat up every time and it's going to happen again whether our son knows about it or not but we had to make a big deal out of it because of Saturn. Stands forces are going to be depleted very quickly it doesn't have a huge Force Oregon and other places will fall in the next few days fully and he'll try and regain some of them and lose the rest of them he is going to try and fuse box but use bugs to destroy his enemies he says including us but he plans on running them up north and to the east coast and to have John remillard doing it and have her son there to wear his money down and that's what he says so he's a big a******. If I'm not today that he is getting things done no his dragging his feet on every aspect of what he has to do and people don't like him they're going to be the group losses this coming week and he blames our son and his senses you're asking for it so I kindly accept the state you're going to hand over and he says he's going already I already accepted it and thank you. So now he acknowledges it his way.

-true too we have to move Hera soon the order will be gone from the planetoids and Earth in its iron and recycling is waste of time it's nowhere near the quantity and they will seek Venus we already have schedules of theirs for them to go up there and investigate and it's in less than a month.

-other news is these guys are a bunch of gay boys and really their retards so we looked at it today and said why don't we just send them out a little there's too many and we're asking people to help and it is going to work

-besides Stan getting let go or fired as it is he is going to lose all of his properties in Florida that he has left coming Monday Tuesday except for 5% which is a lot most of the 5% is from Sarasota to North fort Myers and he's going to hang on till the end and the son and daughter say he'll probably have to get some money then he'll try and run it down like 25 Grand and that makes sense your numbers out there like that or 15 so we noticed that some of the numbers line up and really that's kind of the amount you would need to move safely and if you're looking a little so it's going on like that with these weird losers you can't find an apartment to keep them in or someone who won't close their mouth it's really bad and we are watching him do it all the time and some weak s*** and poor.

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera

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inun4ki · 6 months

Text

i am so feral. no, i have no chill. i need to rant.

I have spent my life chasing things That had only brought me pain In the end, when I'm dead Hope it was for something

First of all, how dare you. Seriously.

Secondly, sigh... I came in here all charged up to write something about this, but all I can do is drag my ass and lament for Kaede. The poor kid drew a terrible hand; Constantly chasing after, I think, approval and forgiveness from all the wrong people, in all the wrong places. He buried himself in his work because I couldn't handle also being a person around them - it was just too much, because it was never enough. Everything he did, he did for his family, and they took advantage of him - took him for granted, too. And, y'know, he's convinced he'll die before them all. He's fighting curses day in and day out, he's narrowly escaping harrowing situations with his life, he's the reckless one. He's the one who sacrifices, constantly, always, no matter how bratty and shitty his personality can sometimes be.

He is the one who sacrifices. Despite his complaints, despite what he really wants, he refuses to have it any other way. Because he cares. Infinitely more than he lets on, but he cares. He wants to help, wants for the family to prosper and grow, wants everyone to be safe from harm - even those he couldn't possibly care less about. In an instant, the people you love most can be taken from you; Doing everything you can to protect them... Well, that's just the right thing to do in the first place. It's love. It's a foolish, childish love that ardently refuses to give in, one that desperately wants for his sacrifices to be recognized and for his love to be returned.

But when everyone's massacred - again - it becomes abundantly clear in a more literal sense that no, his sacrifice was worthless. Everyone's dead. He wasn't there to protect them. He wasn't there to prevent, exorcise-- The many years he spent whittling away at his sense of self and what it means to live when the people he loved most didn't, so much guilt and sadness, were ultimately worthless. He learned only that being close to someone, caring about them, leads only to the loss of them. And it doesn't matter how close to them in proximity he could be. Right next to them, miles upon miles away...doesn't matter. It's too much, and he can't cope with it. He just can't.

By this same token, as he is naturally in conflict with himself, he might...also be relieved. It's over. It's done. Even if it seemed like it was all for nothing, in the end, he has his freedom. He is no longer beholden to the Shikabane Clan. He's...just Kaede. Released from his mental and emotional prison into the loneliness, companionship, hope, and despair life offers. There's more to life than living according to duty, more than selling his soul to cursed spirits and jujutsu sorcerers who lost the plot centuries ago. He can do something, now, with the time that's been afforded to him, hard as it may be. Change things. Be more than the pain he bears. And live. Oh, just to live. Break the cycle and instead of succumbing to it, accepting it, grieving, and moving on - healing.

He'll always be sad. He'll always mourn. He'll always carry the weight of their deaths. The evidence of his failures will always cover his body. I think, it's just another thing that makes him human. He's complicated and idiotic, but his heart is warm - he's only tired. So tired of constantly losing, hung out to dry by the world he was supposed to belong in, neglected and abused by the people he swore to protect, and all he ever really wanted was for his sacrifice to mean something in the end. Alone, depressed, a shadow of his former self, and for what? They're all gone.

He'll probably yoyo through all that until he's able to let it go, but when he does, finally... I hope he'll be kinder to himself and maybe, for once, let someone in.

#死/// Headcanon.#死/// Recovery.#/ i'm mostly just stream-of-consciousness ranting here #/ but...ah fuck i really did it to him guys #/ im sad goodbye

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undertaker1827 · 3 years

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Hey! Are you taking requests? If so can you do a hc based on episode: 20 where Sebastian is captured by Angela (but instead of ciel, Sebastian is actually serving the reader who's a lady of high nobility) and when the reader notices sebastian absence immediately tries to save him and later help him w his wounds, like I know Sebastian might not need any help but I'm curious what his reaction might be to someone being genuinely worried about him and willing to"protect him"?

Yes I am, and I have to be honest and say I haven’t watched the anime for a while, but here goes and hope you enjoy!

Masterlist

You noticed Sebastian was missing very quickly, as he was literally always by your side

To say your heart leapt into your throat would be an understatement, but you hid it well, being a lady of nobility you knew how to keep a political mask and a straight face

Internally you were somewhat less calm, but you still didn’t panic, you simply went through a list of possibilities and whittle them down until you only had a few options for where exactly Sebastian could be and what may have happened to him

Once you got through that, you went over the same process to work out how you planned to find out where he was and then get to him

In the end, you decided your only choice was to openly leave then be hasty as you went about tracking down where your butler had gotten to, before somebody caught you and sent you back to the room you had been asked to wait in

You could tell there was something wrong with him - it was just a sort of connection your had, likely due to the glowing contract sign sealed into your skin - and it seemed serious to you, so once you had a vague idea planned out of the direction in which you would go looking for him, you took off

It went wrong fairly quickly despite your best efforts

A man dressed all in white who put you in the mind of some sort of guard discovered you attempting to break into the third room along the second pristine white corridor you ran into, quickly grabbing your arm and pulling your back harshly

You dug your heels in and tried to twist out of his hold, leaving him dragging you along as you attempted to escape

That was when you yelled for Sebastian, hoping he would arrive and be able to save you

You never needed to doubt him as it turned out; your rescue was swift and deadly efficient

That said, as soon as he scoops you up into his arms to escape from that horrible building, your own fear builds up in your chest once again

Your demon’s clothing is ripped and torn, shirt hanging in crimson tatters from his bloody shoulders

His chest too is laced with deep, vicious lacerations that make you want to cringe, and though you do your best not to show your knee jerk reaction, of course he notices your sudden change in emotion from the relieved state you had been in just moments prior

“My apologies, my lady,” he tells you formally, “I should never have allowed you to see me in this state. I will clean myself immediately on return to the manor-”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about!”

You can’t help but interrupt him at this point, utterly horrified that he thinks you’re concerned about his appearance rather than his well being

“My lady…” he murmurs, eyebrows raising slightly in shock

He’s trying to work out what exactly he has done to earn your anger, why you would be displeased with his successful rescue of you

It isn’t until you’re almost back to the manor (only a few minutes really, given Sebastian’s supernatural speed) that you finally speak again

“It’s you I worry about; I could care less about your appearance when you’ve been injured so badly”

The demon’s shock returns tenfold, though it quickly gives way to a devious smirk and a glint in his amber eyes

“My lady,” he coos in an entirely different tone to the one he had been using just moments prior, “Do not tell me now that you’ve become so attached to me that you’re worrying about me beyond how you should concern yourself with a servant?”

The words are teasing, accompanied with a playful hum that your feel reverberate through his chest and into your side from how he is still carrying you bridal style

A little heat rises to your cheeks and you glance away, but the playful grin he gives you lets you know that he knows he’s gotten to you

You say nothing more for the remainder of the journey back to your townhouse, but you prevent him from going anywhere as soon as he closes the front door behind you

“Sebastian, please be honest with me. Are you alright?” You speak seriously, yet still that little smirk is just a hint at the corner of his lips

“Always, my lady,” he replies softly, “do not concern yourself with me.”

He could say that a thousand times over, you decide then, but it would still not induce you to do as he says

“At least let me help with your injuries,” you offer at length, unable to think of much else your could do

Your words startle a surprised, delighted, chuckle from him

His eyes light up as he considers the implications

You, a mortal, and his contractor no less, are more worried about his superficial damage as a practically invincible demon than you are about your own considerably more important and longer lasting damage from being effectively held captive? That’s simply too good

“That won’t be necessary my lady, though I truly appreciate the gesture”

He fails to keep the amusement from his voice

“I apologise to have to ask this of you, but please take a seat in the drawing room until I return to take care of you after what has been something of a stressful day. I shall only be a few moments.”

His tone leaves no room for argument so you do as he says, and the butler who returns to you in less than five minutes is just as pristine and perfect as the one you had left the house with earlier that day

He can still sense your surprise even if you attempt to mask it, and he just gives a knowing smile before setting to work on his duties as an exemplar butler once more

#sebastian michaelis x reader #sebastian michaelis #black butler sebastian x reader #kuroshitsuji sebastian x reader #black butler sebastian #kuroshitsuji sebastian #sebastian x reader #black butler #black butler x reader #kuroshitsuji #kuroshitsuji x reader #black butler reader inserts

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rufusdawes · 3 years

Text

Please Excuse Me

I had my day in court earlier this week. After being on the electoral role for several years, I finally had my summons to sit on a jury. In a town of only low five figured eligible jurors, it had seemed a long time coming. I have friends that have been called up within weeks of arriving and amending their voting registration but every time I checked the mail box, it was more often that not another sodding letter for pervious occupants. I have sent well over a hundred return to sender, not at this address messages scrawled across envelopes back to the post office. It's reached the point that I keep thinking to google whether I can legally just start binning their mail. Maybe, I'll do that once I've finished writing this. Anyway, one day in early August a letter from the Sheriff's Office arrived addressed to me, and not one of the half dozen muppets who are too lazy to tell the banks they've moved, informing me of my requirement to attend the Supreme Court 'on the 27th day of September 2021, at 8:45 oclock in the forenoon'. 'In the forenoon', how quaint, how exciting!

A formal letter with my name across the top and one not requiring me to get out the credit card, and a pink slip to be returned to the Sheriff saying yes or no. We have a Sheriff? Do they have a badge the shape of a star, spurred boots perhaps? Is their horse tied up to the outside of the Court, or maybe Bojangles the Saloon Bar on Todd Street? Either way, I don't think it's someone I want to mess with. If I say no, will I be called upon to take time out of my day for a duel in the Mall at noon? I don't want a midday stand-off, that's when I take my lunch. Ah no, punishable by a fine it seems, not a duel. Even so, I responded in the affirmative; yes, I am indeed available on the 27th and understand that I may be called to serve on a jury of a Supreme Court case running then or anytime up to four to six weeks later. No worries at all Boss.

I pinned the summons to the fridge so I wouldn't forget and popped the date into my work calendar so I could arrange bush trips around it. I informed my manager. I went to work and carried on working away a lot. This intensified after I applied for and accepted a role with another agency which meant suddenly I had to get sh!t done before my last day of the 8th October. I was away on one trip until the 24th September, a Friday and the last working day before my summons.

The four to six week period was now covering my final two weeks of my current employ, and then the beginning of a new role 3000 kilometres away from all my future colleagues who work out of Perth. I couldn't afford to do my civic duty. The next two weeks critical to ensuring that the three ranger groups I work with have ongoing work plans and that I have written handover documents despite not being directly replaced. Instead, each group will soon be getting dedicated Ranger Co-ordinators but not until weeks or even months after I've left. My next two weeks were promising to be busy especially having been out bush working with these groups the previous weeks. I needed to be excused.

Over a coffee with a friend the day before, it was mentioned to me that you can indeed get out of it if you successfully plead your case. Well then, tomorrow morning that is what I shall do. I walked up to the Supreme Court at 8:30 in the forenoon, a full fifteen minutes before expected so as to appear polite. The security officer at the door asked if I was there due to a jury summons. 'Why yes kind Sir, please may I enter' were the words hidden behind my nodding. "Did you call the number on the letter? You're due here Wednesday now." What number, what letter? Turns out on the formal letter, long since buried under a pile of other people's mail include the instructions to call an 1800 number before turning up on Monday which informed us potential jurors that we're not required until Wednesday.

This is disappointing since I was still hoping to get to Finke for work before my notice period was up. On the other hand, our HR department is on the top floor of this building, so I might be able to get them to write me a letter supporting my service deferral. They could, and since I now knew a little more, I was also able to write a Statutory Declaration and be far better armed for Wednesday morning.

When that day arrived, I had both documents and could not wait to hand them over to the mystery Sheriff. Having passed through security, I was instructed to take the stairs up to the next floor. There a lady behind a desk asked for the pink slip with my jury ID number on it. I handed it over and asked who I should show my requests for deferral to. "You'll need to ask the Judge for permission so best keep hold of them and head in."

In meant in to the public gallery to take one of the hundred or more seats that face the raised rostrum of the Judge's seat, under the seal of the Commonwealth of Australia. To the left, a witness box and an area where the defendant sits. To the right, the jury seats and in front, the defence and prosecution desks. Slowly, the other seats fill. Sometime after 9am, and with several dozen potential jurors seated we are informed of our instructions. We are led through the mechanics of a courtroom and what to expect, how jurors will be selected by drawing our numbers out of a tombola. How, should we be selected for this case, we can expect to serve for a couple of days. If not, that we should return for the next case to find out whether our number is up. And again after for four to six weeks. Unless we plead a case not to serve to the Judge from the witness box. Then we all stand up as the Judge enters the room.

Once he's seated, we sit and the morning begins in earnest. First the two charges against the defendant are read out, the not guilty plea to both is heard, the names of the witnesses who will take the stand as well as some other instructions are given before the Judge calls on those who think they have just cause not to participate. I line up.

I'm fifth in a line of eight. The first is excused from this case on account of being a good friend of the defendant. The next three excused from either the case or the full four to six weeks depending on their circumstances. My turn.

"Do you want the religious pledge or the promise" I'm asked by one of the Court attendants.

"The promise" I reply.

She then recites a few lines, something about the Queen and telling the truth and asks me to assert 'I promise' at the end, which I do before taking my seat in the witness box. This is somewhat unnerving. To my right is the defendant who has been sitting through thirty odd minutes of pre-trial jargon still innocent of their crimes until proven otherwise. Here I am, asking Sir if I can be excused from my civic duty because I'm a little bit busy at work.

The Judge asks my name and I lean forward towards the microphone.

"It's Hodgetts". Am I supposed to say Sir? Maybe it's Your Honour. Instead, I go with neither.

"Mr Hodgetts do you wish to excuse yourself from this case or your full civic duty?"

"Um yeah all of it I uh got a new job and um since I got my summons and said yes er things have changed and um I have a letter and er I wrote a Stat Dec so um I'd like to..."

"Show me the letters"

One of the Court officials takes them from me and hands them to the Judge. He scans them both before handing them back.

Fortunately, my mumbling and supporting documents as well as the benevolence of the Judge saw my deferral successful and I will be returning most likely early next year to have my number in a tombola for the selection lottery to be whittled down to twelve. I may be called to be one of them, I may not but until then I'm free to finish my job without risking being tied up in a Courtroom for days or weeks depending on the next case. This particular day in Court, a successful one. I do wonder though whether the same could be said for the defendant.

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