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worth-the-chaos · 4 months

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Adventures in Babysitting - Steve Harrington x female!reader - Chapter 8

Chapter Summary: Well, the five of you do get in that secret room, but the problem is you can’t quite find a way out. Tensions rise as you realize the gravity of the situation, the forced proximity revealing hard feelings between you and Steve.

Content Warning: swearing (per usual), angst, mentions of the upside down, scary Russians and violence

Word Count: 7.2k

Author’s Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Sorry it took me longer than normal to get it written! Message me if you want to be added to the taglist to get notified when the next chapter is posted! :)

Series Masterlist | Chapter 7 | Next Part

***

The four of you crouched on the roof while you waited, the door to the secret room in sight. At this time of night, the room was no longer guarded with the mall being long closed by now. Steve was crouched right beside you, and you could feel his warm breath against your neck.

“Erica, do you copy?” Robin asked over the walkie talkie.

“Mmm hmmm, I copy. You nerds in position or what?” She shot back over the radio and you rolled your eyes.

“Yeah, we’re in position. It’s all quiet here so you’ve got the green light.”

“Green light, roger that. Commence Operation Child Endangerment,” Erica’s voice rang out through the receiver. You quickly snatched the walkie talkie from Robin, pressing down the button to speak.

“Can we maybe…not call it that?” You asked. You had a reputation to uphold and you’d be damned if you were going to let the sassy Sinclair girl change that.

“See you on the other side, nerds,” Erica’s voice was thick with attitude. Robin took the walkie talkie back from you while you and Steve shared a look. Erica wasn’t necessarily wrong in viewing what she was doing through that lens. If you were being totally honest, it probably was damn near child endangerment. Steve could tell you were worried, placing a hand on your shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze for reassurance.

It had been a while since you heard her over the radio and your mind started to dart to all of the worst case scenarios. What if there were still evil Russians there? What if they had found her? What if she had gotten stuck and had no way of getting out?

“That’s it. I’m going back inside,” you started to stand, but Dustin reached around Steve and yanked you back down.

“Y/n, you’re going to blow our cover. Just give her a second; I’m sure she’s fine,” Dustin attempted to convince you, but it wasn’t doing much to quell your concerns.

“Alright nerds. I’m there,” the walkie talkie finally came to life again, and you finally let out the breath you’d been holding, as one of your anxious hands went to worry at the collar of your shirt, tugging on the fabric as you tried to calm down.

“Do you…do you see anything?” Robin asked.

“Yeah I see those boring boxes you’re so excited about.”

“Any guards? Booby traps?” You asked, snatching the walkie talkie from Robin once more, trying to get a feel for how safe this room was.

“For starters, no; there aren’t any guards. Secondly, if I could see them, they’d be pretty shit traps, wouldn’t they?”

“Thank you for that,” you muttered through the transmitter, rolling your eyes. You were about to press the button down on the walkie talkie to speak, to give her further guidance on what she should do now, but before you could, her voice crackled through the radio once more.

“I’m in,” She announced and your heart stopped in your chest. That wasn’t the plan; she wasn’t supposed to do anything else other than scope it out so you could make more plans together. The little shit was going rogue.

“Oh god,” Steve breathed out, running his hands down his face, clearly not pleased with Erica’s complete disregard for authority.

He didn’t have to be worried for too long though, as the doors began swinging open seconds after she had said it as she strolled out, unbothered as she put a hand on her hip.

“Free ice cream for life,” She emphasized, and you had to give her credit. The girl really deserved it. The four of you looked between each other, shock and excitement registering on your faces as you quickly got up to go join the girl at the door she had just opened. You weren’t quite as giddy as Dustin and Robin, and as you all descended the stairwell from the roof, you pulled Steve aside on one of the landings.

“Steve, I don’t think we should go in there,” you said quietly, the intensity in your voice making your unease blatantly apparent.

“What do you mean? Y/n, we’ve spent hours translating that damn code, we can’t just bail right before we figure everything out. Chances are it’s probably nothing anyway,” Steve assured you, putting a gentle hand on your back as he attempted to redirect you, guiding you towards the next set of stairs. You didn’t budge as you planted your feet, your hand darting out to grasp the railing.

“Steve, I’m serious. I have a really bad feeling about this,” you pushed the issue. Too many times you had pushed aside your intuition, leading to life threatening scenarios, and you were tired of it. “I just don’t think it’s the right move to have those kids in there, it’s not safe. Please, Steve,” you begged, trying to get him on your side.

The look you shot him was enough to break his heart, and he wanted nothing more than to just agree with you, to take you home with him and kiss you like all was right with the world, but he knew that he couldn’t. “Y/n, the way I see it, we can leave. If that’s what you really want, we can walk out to the parking lot and just go home…but you know as well as I do that if we leave, the kids aren’t going to come with us. So we can either leave them behind or be there to make sure they’re okay.”

He was right and you hated it. You sighed, pushing past him and continuing down the stairs as you met up with Robin and Dustin. You all swiftly exited the mall, finally coming face to face with Erica, a self-satisfied smirk painted on her face.

“That shit—,” she said, pointing over her shoulder at the open room, “—was easy, so next time you nerds can figure it out yourselves.” She turned around entering the hidden storage room. You rolled your eyes but joined the rest of your friends as they filed in after her. Steve pulled the doors shut behind you so that if anyone happened to walk by, they’d be none the wiser to the fact that five misfit kids were solving imaginary mysteries in there.

Dustin handed Steve a pocketknife, which he gladly accepted, cutting open the tape on one of the Imperial Panda shipments, tearing the box open to reveal a metal case. You all looked at each other hesitantly, not quite sure what you were supposed to do with it. Steve shrugged, reaching to grab the metal handle, twisting it to cause air to hiss out the sides as the lid unlatched.

You all stared confused at the four metal canisters nestled neatly in the case, unsure of what to say. In a way, some of this had all felt like just a game you were playing, a puzzle to pass the time. Seeing the cold hard evidence that there was something shady going on completely shattered what remained of that facade, as your heart stopped in your chest. Steve finally broke the silence, speaking up to say “that is definitely not Chinese food.”

He went to remove one of the canisters, but stopped before pulling up on the handle. “Uh, maybe you guys should, you know, stand back.” He was saying it mostly for your benefit, hoping that demonstrating an abundance of caution would ease your nerves. He knew that what they were doing was risky, and as you all uncovered more and more shit that didn’t add up, he couldn’t help but feel like the risk was increasing dramatically.

Robin, you, and Erica stepped back cautiously, giving Steve a wide breadth of space. Dustin, on the other hand, planted his feet responding with a simple but resounding “no.”

“Dude, just step back,” Steve reiterated.

“No, I’m not backing up.”

“Dude, I’m serious, just back up.”

“No! If you die, I die,” Dustin shouted, his tone far more serious than it needed to be. Sure, you thought what you were doing was dangerous, but you were pretty confident that this little metal canister wasn’t going to kill you.

Steve stared at him for a second before shrugging with complete nonchalance. “…okay,” he responded as he turned back to the task at hand. You rolled your eyes, unimpressed with the way Steve immediately gave into Dustin’s dramatics, before pulling Dustin back by the collar, stepping in front of him, right back into the “danger zone.”

You ignored Dustin’s protests, as Steve turned the metal handle, slowly pulling it out, revealing a glass tube filled with some sort of green liquid. You looked at Steve who was staring at it with a furrowed brow, all of you just as confused as to what the substance could be.

“What the fuck is that?” You breathed out, your heart sinking in your chest as your suspicions were confirmed. This wasn’t just some elaborate conspiracy theory that your bored minds had construed; it was real, and you desperately wished you could go back to a week ago when you were just unhappily scooping ice cream, unaware of all of this shit.

“What the hell?” Steve whispered, holding the canister up at eye level to further inspect its contents. Before he could get a super close look at it, the room slightly shook and you jumped, grabbing onto Steve’s arm as your heart raced in your chest.

“…was that just me or did the room move?” Dustin asked hesitantly, eyes darting around to meet all of your concerned faces.

“Booby traps,” Erica whispered. Her voice was usually so sassy and strong and full of life, but this time it seemed weak and scared and your shoulders tensed as you braced for the worst. A mechanical whirring sound rang out through the room as it continued to shift.

“You know what? Let’s just grab that and go,” Robin spoke up, jumping into action as she ripped the canister from Steve’s grasp, moving to unzip Erica’s backpack and shove it in there. Dustin rushed over to the control panel on the wall, pressing the button labeled to open the door but nothing was happening.

“Which one do I press, Erica?”

“Just push the damn button, nerd!”

The fear permeating through the small room was palpable, and you were no longer able to take a deep breath. You kept trying to force air into your lungs as you began to hyperventilate. You felt like you were choking as your eyes began to water.

Dustin and Erica continued to yell at each other, and Steve was quick to grab your shoulders. You were blinking rapidly, your eyes darting all around the room as a tear slipped down your cheek.

“Y/n, look at me,” Steve spoke up, moving his hands to either side of your face to force you to focus on him, “you need to breathe.”

“I-I-I just…I can’t!” You choked out, more tears streaming down your face as a sob escaped your lips.

Steve, turned towards Dustin, shouting at him to hurry, desperate to get the doors open to calm you down. You were getting more and more upset by the second, and he couldn’t bear to see you like that anymore. “Just press the other button!” Steve yelled, pulling away from you momentarily to start pressing buttons on the control panel. He needed to get you out of there…ASAP.

Suddenly, a metal door dropped in front of the double doors you had entered, sealing you in further. You all stared in disbelief, as the reality of the situation slowly started to sink in.

You were trapped.

The room jolted again, shaking violently. Screams and shrieks broke out among all of you, as you fell to the floor, unprepared for the sudden movement. Steve rushed to your aid, quickly pulling you up to stand, hugging your shaking form to his body. You buried your face in his neck as he gripped you tight to him, one of his large hands on the back of your head to protect it as the room continued to shake.

Suddenly and without warning, you felt a dropping sensation, and you felt unease settle deep within your stomach as you realized the room was plummeting. You all screamed, as you cried out into Steve’s uniform shirt. Dustin continued to press all of the buttons on the control panel, yelling in frustration at the fact that none of them did shit.

“Just press the button!” Erica screamed, moving over to the control panel.

“What do you think I’m doing?!” Dustin screamed back.

“Come on! Just press something! Just press the button!” Steve shouted, and you could hear the fear in his voice, which deepened the sinking feeling in your chest. Steve usually managed to stay relatively calm, all things considered, so knowing that he too was terrified, scared the everliving shit out of you.

Finally the room screeched to a halt, causing everything in it to violently shift. Steve fell backwards to the floor and you toppled over across his chest. His hand instinctively wrapped around your waist, as one of the boxes fell on top of you both, pinning you to him as you groaned under the weight of it.

“Help! I can’t move” You choked out, as Dustin and Erica swiftly moved to pull the heavy box from your back. Surely that is going to bruise, you thought, as Steve slowly groaned and sat up, still holding you to his body, as you sat nestled in his lap.

He looked you over frantically, making sure you were okay, noticing the way your lip was split open. You must have hit something when you fell earlier, and he reached his thumb up, dragging it across your bottom lip to wipe away some of the blood that had began to drip. You stared wide eyed at him, your chest heaving as you tried to regain control of your breathing.

He helped you to stand, as Robin finally spoke up. “Is everyone okay?” She asked, clutching the back of her head, which she must have bumped in the fall.

“Yeah, I’m great now that I know Russians can’t design fucking elevators!” Steve shouted, sounding angrier than you had ever heard him as all of his chill disappeared, his calm facade he had kept up to keep your anxiety at bay shattering under the circumstances. He swiftly pulled away from you, shoving Dustin out of the way as he began pushing at all of the buttons on the control pad hoping that one of them would do something, anything, to get you out of that goddamn room.

“I think…I think we’ve clearly established that those buttons don’t work,” you stammered out, your voice weak as you tried and failed to regain your composure.

“They’re buttons! They have to do something!” Steve shouted back at you.

“If we had a keycard,” Robin spoke up, when Steve looked at her confused she continued, “it’s an electronic lock, same as the loading dock door. If we don’t have a keycard, it won’t operate, meaning—“

“We’re stuck in here,” you breathed out, finishing her thought. Your heart sank as the reality of the situation sank in, your eyes locking with Steve’s, his worried expression matching yours.

You were going to die down here.

***

You had discussed your options, realizing that there truly was not much you could do at this point. Dustin had considered the fact that you could climb up the elevator shaft, but upon realizing you had plummeted way too far for that to be feasible, that idea quickly fizzled out.

“Code red, I repeat this is a code red. Does anyone copy? We are innocent children and we are trapped under the Starcourt Mall. The Red Army has infiltrated Hawkins and if we are found they will torture and kill us—“ Steve cut off Dustin’s transmission, climbing out into the elevator shaft to join him.

“Hey, gotta take it easy on that thing; gonna drain the battery,” Steve warned. Dustin’s walkie talkie may be their only hope for an escape and if that dipshit blew their only chance to avoid certain death, Steve would personally kill the boy himself.

“The mall just opened,” Dustin replied, frustrated that Steve was telling him what to do.

“So?”

“So, someone could be in range.”

“What do you think, Petey the mall cop is gonna rappel down here and save the day?” Steve asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he made the rest of his way onto the roof of the elevator. It was just the two of them out there, all the girls inside, still considering options for escape.

“Why are you such a cranky pants after getting to spend the night with y/n?” Dustin asked, whispering the last part and Steve immediately shushed him.

“Shhh! Will you just give up on that creepy dream already? Besides, it’s not like she hasn’t spent the night at my house before—something you clearly already knew—and I would have to say, my bed is much more comfortable than the floor of some creepy ass Russian death trap,” Steve grumbled, realizing he made a very significant error when Dustin’s eyes lit up.

“Your bed? As in like, you and y/n have been sleeping in the same bed when she stays at your house? I thought she stayed in the guest bedroom?”

“I meant beds…plural,” Steve attempted to backpedal his previous statement but it was no use. The small detail had already sparked more conspiracies in the boy’s mind and Steve knew he was just going to run wild with it.

“Whatever you say,” Dustin replied, his tone indicating that he didn’t believe a word that Steve was saying, before adding “that still doesn’t explain why you’re in such a shitty ass mood.”

“Well, while you children were sleeping, we were trying to figure out a way to open the damn door. After eight hours, we’re still exactly nowhere, which is, you know, probably just a little bit of the reason why I’m feeling just…a tad cranky,” Steve replied, turning away from Dustin and walking to the edge of the elevator, unbuckling his belt.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dustin asked incredulously.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking a leak, look away!” He shouted back.

Meanwhile, you and Robin were at the control panel, still trying to determine a way out of this hellhole. You had been able to remove part of the panel, exposing some of the wiring, but despite how much you messed with it or attempted to rewire it, nothing worked.

“Can you redirect your stream please?” You asked in disgust before turning back to the panel in front of you. Erica began banging the glass canister against a barrel, and you immediately sprung into action, “woah, woah, woah, careful! We don’t even know what that is” You shouted, running to grab the vial from her before she could do irreparable damage to it.

“Exactly, it could be useful,” she shot back, clearly unhappy that you had taken it away from her. When you looked at her confused, she continued, “we can survive a long time down here without food, but if the human body doesn’t get water, it will die.”

“I hate to break it to you, but this is not water,” Robin emphasized, taking the canister from you and shaking it to get her point across.

“Yeah, but it’s a liquid, and if it comes down to me drinking that shit or dying of thirst, I drink,” she smiled her sassy little smile up at Robin and you rolled your eyes. Erica snatched the canister back, and Robin didn’t put up much of a fight as she quickly darted to the heavy metal door, pressing an ear up against it with a quizzical look on her face. After a brief moment she turned to you and Erica, wide eyed.

“We’ve got company,” her words rang through your ears and your heart began to race, you quickly reorganized the room to make it look like you hadn’t just spent the night in there against your own will, and you quickly boosted Erica to the roof before you and Robin followed, relaying the message to the boys. You all crouched around the grid pattern cut out on the ceiling which housed the light as the door opened, watching as two men speaking Russian collected boxes. Dustin looked up at Steve, gaping and Steve quickly put a finger up in front of his mouth, looking between all of you to serve as a reminder to be quiet. He didn’t want to find out what these men would do to all of you if they found you.

Your mind was working double time trying to figure out what you should do when you saw a look of realization flash across Steve’s face, his eyes fixed on Erica and the metal canister she was still holding in her hands. He quickly snatched it from her giving you a look that said “trust me” as you waited with bated breath until you heard the sound of a vehicle driving away and the mechanical whirring of the door beginning to drop again. Your heart raced at the thought of being stuck in there again, but Steve quickly dropped down back into the room lunging across the floor and blocking the door from shutting all the way with the canister.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Steve yelled, and you and Robin quickly helped the kids down back into the elevator before following them, watching as Steve helped them slide through the small opening before Robin shimmied through followed by you. As you passed under the heavy door, you noticed the glass of the canister beginning to crack, fissures forming under the pressure.

“Steve! Hurry!” You cried out, as he began to slide his way under the door, eyes wide as he realized his time was limited. He rolled out of the way, fingers barely clearing the gap before the glass gave way, shattering as the door slammed shut with a heavy thud, the green contents of the vial spilling. The liquid hissed and sizzled as it began eating through the floor, caustic like an acid.

You all quickly backed away, attempting to avoid the splash zone of the dangerous mystery fluid, Steve muttering out an “oh my god.”

“You still wanna drink that?” Robin asked Erica, a smirk on her face as the small girl rolled her eyes. Steve looked over at you confused, and you just shook your head and gave a tired smile. This babysitting gig was rough and kids were stupid sometimes. You and Steve had been through enough shit together to know that that might be the most fundamental truth humanity had to offer.

“Holy mother of god,” Dustin exclaimed, and you all turned to look at what he was going on about. Your breath hitched in your throat as you stared down the long hallway. It looked as if it never ended, and your hand instinctively went to grab Steve’s as he interlocked his fingers with yours. You all stood there staring speechlessly for a moment before Steve’s hand dropped yours, as he began to push past Dustin to the front of the group.

“Well, hope you guys are in good shape…looking at you, roast beef,” he added as he patted Dustin on the chest, making his way down the infinite hallway. Everyone just stared at him before he looked back, motioning for you all to follow. “Let’s go, come on.”

You shook your head to refocus as you joined Steve, the rest of the crew following close behind you. You guys had a long way to go. To find what? You weren’t exactly sure, but you hoped that it ended with a way out of this hellhole.

You had been walking for a while, glad that the hallway was deserted and that you didn’t have to dodge any Russian guards. It would be kind of difficult, you presumed, with the way you were all dressed in nauseatingly bright colors, you, Robin, and Steve looking especially out of place in your Scoops Ahoy uniforms. You were glad you at least all got the opportunity to ditch the hats.

Dustin and Erica were ahead of you, constantly bickering and arguing about stupid shit. The three of you that remained had been walking in a comfortable silence. You stared at your feet, tired and ready to go home. Robin noticed and her heart broke for you. Besides all of this shit, she knew you also had your weird undefined relationship with Steve on your mind, most likely eating away at you. Robin quickly elbowed Steve in the ribs, and clearly not anticipating it, he groaned before grumbling out “Robin? What the hell?”

She cleared her throat, glaring at him before doing a small nod in your direction. Steve may be dumb, but he was not too stupid to connect the dots. “I’m gonna take a stab at this whole babysitting thing you guys seem to be either experts or incompetent at—I haven’t quite decided,” Robin spoke up before quickly leaving the two of you alone to talk through all your shit.

“Right now, I’d probably go with incompetent,” you sighed. You didn’t know how to wrestle with the disappointment you felt. “I should’ve stopped all of this way before now. I mean, I-I…I should’ve stopped Dustin from even attempting to translate that tape. I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to him or Erica down here. Never,” you spiraled. All of this was just too much. Yeah, the upside down shit was scary, but these were people who potentially wanted to hurt you, and that would always be far scarier. The demogorgons had never known humanity; these people had.

“Y/n, hey! This is not your fault! You couldn’t have known that this was going to happen. Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed that the room we were in was going to turn out to be a fucking elevator! Like what the fuck, you know?” Steve attempted to comfort you but it wasn’t working.

“Yeah, but that’s the thing…I should’ve known better. When does anything we do ever turn out good. Nothing that has happened when we’re together has ever been good. It is all just chaos and carnage and bullshit.”

Steve stopped in his tracks. His mind flashed back to Nancy’s words at Tina’s party last year. He could at least give her the benefit of the doubt when she had said it; she was fucking wasted and couldn’t even remember it the next day. You—on the other hand—you were stone cold sober. He felt his heart breaking all over again in his chest.

“So that’s all this has ever been? Everything about this has been completely awful fucking bullshit?” Steve asked incredulously, anger seeping into his voice as he gestured between the two of you.

You laughed an exasperated laugh, feeling misplaced hate settle in your chest. “Can you really blame me, Steve? Can you really blame me? Because as far as I’m concerned the only reason we’re friends is because we almost fucking died together. You wouldn’t have been bothered to give a shit about me if it hadn’t been for what happened in Jonathan Byers’ fucking living room two years ago. And then—surprise, surprise—you weren’t there for me! You fucking dropped me for a whole fucking year until you needed help with your dumbass college essay.”

“That is what is complete and utter fucking bullshit, y/n. You never once have really believed that I could change. I’ve spent eight fucking months showing you how much I care, but it’ll never matter to you,” Steve seethed. He didn’t know what else you wanted. He couldn’t fix what happened in the past, but he had been desperately trying to make up for it, but it was clear that his efforts didn’t do jack shit.

“Oh, right! How could I forget? You, Steve Harrington, have been so incredibly kind as to let me sleep in your bed so that you’re not fucking lonely while you go out and fuck other girls. I’m so sorry I haven’t been properly grateful for that,” you shot back, sarcasm dripping from your tongue as you spat the words at him. “Forgive me for being unappreciative of the fact that I’m just another one of your girls.”

“If that’s all you think you are to me, then you’re a lot dumber than I thought you were,” Steve replied, his voice small and hurt as he turned away from you. You turned to watch him, hot angry tears falling down your cheeks. As you watched him walk away, you saw the way his shoulders dropped as he ran a hand through his thick hair. He was clearly upset and it had been your doing. You felt your heart drop in your chest as you realized that you likely ruined what you had.

You had been wrestling with yourself all this time, waking up in the morning to his gentle kisses wondering whether it was worse to have him like this—him never truly being yours—or to not have him at all. You felt a lump form in your throat, realizing you had finally answered your own question.

***

You had walked for what felt like miles, and still there was no change in scenery from the long ass hallway you had been in. You had all decided it was safer to stay in a group, so you made sure you were as far away from Steve as possible, avoiding any interaction as much as you feasibly could.

Robin looked at Steve questioningly, wondering what had happened when she had left him to smooth things over with you. He just shook his head, his lips set into a scowl and she realized that her attempt to push the two of you together had likely been the driving force that ripped you two apart.

“I mean, you have to admit, as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive,” Dustin spoke up, attempting to clear the awkward air that had enveloped the group.

“What are you talking about? It’s a total fire hazard,” Steve replied.

“Yeah, there’s no stairs, there’s no exit, just an elevator that drops you halfway to hell,” you chimed in. Even though you were frustrated with him, you couldn’t help but agree with his sentiment. You both made eye contact, an unreadable expression painted on his face before he broke your gaze, looking away.

“They’re commies,” Erica spoke up, “you don’t pay people, they cut corners.”

“To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don’t think this tunnel was designed for walking,” Robin added, “think about it. They developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo.” Your mind quickly flashed to the tunnels from last year, and the way that Steve had held you close to him as you buried your face in his neck as the demo-dogs darted past you. You shook the thought away as Dustin interjected.

“It all comes in the mall like any old delivery.”

“And then they load it up onto those trucks and nobody’s the wiser,” Robin finished. You did have to admit, it was a good system. It was terrifying that it could all happen right under your noses, but it was a good system nonetheless.

“You think they built this whole mall so they could transport that free poison?” Steve asked.

“I very seriously doubt it’s something as boring as poison, it’s gotta be something much more valuable,” you rolled your eyes, tired of hearing Steve’s voice.

“Yeah, like promethium or something,” Dustin interjected.

“What the hell is promethium?” You and Steve asked in unison. Robin rolled her eyes, biting back a smile. Why couldn’t you shit birds just realize you were perfect for each other?

“It’s what Victor Stone’s dad used to make Cyborg’s bionic and cybernetic components,” Robin explained.

“You’re all so nerdy it makes me physically ill.” Erica’s face twisted into a look of disgust as she said it. You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t really argue with the sentiment. Other than Steve, you all were into some pretty nerdy ass shit.

“No, no, no, don’t lump me in with them. I’m not a nerd, alright?” Steve spoke up and you rolled your eyes again. If you rolled your eyes one more time, they were going to get stuck back there.

“Why so sensitive Harrington? Afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old girl?” You spat, ever frustrated with his constant focus on being cool. When was he going to realize that none of that shit mattered?

“No, I’m just saying I don’t know jack shit about Prometheus.”

“Promethium,” you corrected, “Prometheus is a Greek mythological figure.”

“Whatever,” Dustin chimed in, wanting to end the bickering between the two of you, “all I’m saying is, it’s probably being used to make something.”

“Or power something,” Robin suggested.

“Like a nuclear weapon,” Dustin responded.

“Totally,” you agreed. It was pretty damn feasible.

“Walking towards a nuclear weapon, that’s great. That’d be…that’d be just great,” Steve grumbled, and you couldn’t really fault him for it. You weren’t super jazzed to be in this hellhole either.

“But if they’re building something, why here? I mean, Hawkins. Seriously. Of all places,” Robin wondered, something clicked in your head, and you noticed the look of realization flash across Steve and Dustin’s faces too as the three of you fell back as Robin continued. “At the very best, we’re a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland, but maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s our very…” Robin’s voice trailed off as her and Erica got farther and farther away from you.

“You think the Russians know?” You quickly and quietly cut to the chase.

“About the—?” Steve began asking, not wanting to say it, afraid of speaking the words into existence.

“They could,” Dustin answered.

“So it’s connected?” Steve asked.

“Maybe,” you replied, looking at him with worry etched across your face.

“But how?” Steve pushed the question, wanting to be damn sure before you all jumped to any conclusions.

“I don’t know but it’s—“ Dustin began.

“Possible,” you all finished in unison. You and Steve made eye contact, your previous argument long forgotten as you considered the terrifying possibility that this did have to do with the Upside Down.

“I’m sorry, is there something you three would like to share with the class?” Robin called out as she turned around, realizing that the three of you had fallen behind.

The three of you looked between each other, trying to figure out what, if anything, you should tell them. Before you could speak, static hissed from Erica’s backpack as she darted to fish out the walkie talkie. You all crouched down beside her and listened as Russian filled the silence, the familiar words ringing out through the desolate hallway.

“It’s the code,” Robin confirmed.

“Wherever that broadcast is coming from—“ you started.

“It’s close,” Robin finished your thought, “if there’s one thing we know about that signal—“

“—it can reach the surface,” Dustin chimed in, realizing that this could be your way out. Smiles broke out on all your faces as you considered the possibility that your hours long ordeal may finally be over.

“Let’s go,” you breathed out, quickly standing. You let out a laugh. You were going to get out of here.

If only you had known how naive that sentiment truly was.

***

You were pressed up flush against Steve’s back, and you tried not to blush at the predicament. You had all shimmied through a tight corridor, pausing at a junction while he checked to make sure the coast was clear. Even though you were mad at him, you couldn’t help the way your heart still skipped at his touch. You leaned forward slightly, attempting to reach your head around to get a visual on the hallway, but he reached his hand back, grabbing your wrist as a warning to stay put. The two Russians that had been passing as you reached the junction continued down the hall, oblivious to the gaggle of teenagers and children that were infiltrating their secret hideout.

“Okay, clear,” Steve whispered, turning the corner and pulling you gently behind him, his hand still around your wrist. When no one else followed, he let go whispering again, “clear, come on. Let’s go.”

“Okay, that was close,” Robin whispered, stepping quietly out from around the corner.

“Too close,” Dustin agreed, speaking up.

“Relax! Alright, relax. Nobody saw…” Steve’s assurances trailed off as you turned another corner, the hall opening up into a larger room with bustling activity. Your eyes darted around, mouth agape, as you took in the sight of Russian scientists in lab coats, soldiers in army uniforms carrying large guns, and men clad in hazmat suits. Your stomach dropped realizing that this was all a far larger operation than you could have conceived in even your wildest imagination.

“Shit!” Steve exclaimed quietly, realizing that you were out in the open and easily visible as you all darted to hide behind a big red metal cart.

“I saw it. First floor, northwest,” Erica suddenly spoke up.

“Saw what?” You asked, unsure of what the girl was talking about.

“The comms room!” She whisper-shouted.

“You saw the comms room?” Steve asked, unsure of how she could have noticed anything with the pure chaos that was the mess of people they just saw.

“Are you sure?” Dustin inquired, wanting to be certain before you guys made your way to the room. One wrong move and he had no doubt that you all were toast.

“Positive. The door was open for a second, and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there.”

“That could be a hundred different things,” Dustin replied.

“I’ll take those odds,” you turned to look Steve in the eyes. You were desperate to get out of here, and Steve’s eyes darted across your face, taking in your expression of certainty before sighing and peaking around the side of the cart. You all followed suit, looking and calculating how you could possibly get from point A to point B with the amount of Russians the place was crawling with.

You all sat back, and Steve looked at everyone carefully before speaking. “Alright, we’re gonna move fast, we’re gonna stay low, okay?”

You all nodded in agreement and Steve took off, you following close behind as he darted to hide around another corner, slowly but surely making his way towards a door on the other side of the room. A Russian wearing a white lab coat pushed the door open, focused on the clipboard in his hand as he exited, the door swinging slowly shut behind him.

“Let’s go!” Steve whisper-shouted, quickly moving to grab the door right before it shut. “Shhh, come one!” He whispered, motioning for all of you to enter as he held the door open for you.

You should have been more careful, turning around to be met with a confused looking Russian soldier, turning away from the console in front of him as he swiveled in his desk chair, ripping off his headset. He stared at you wide eyed and his hand began to reach for the gun holstered on his hip. Your breath hitched in your throat as you pushed Erica and Dustin behind you while Robin stepped forward, reciting bits and pieces of the code, the only Russian she knew.

The man responded with words you didn’t understand. You all held your hands up to show that you didn’t mean any harm as Robin continued speaking Russian with her limited vocabulary.

Continuing to perceive the five of you as a threat, the soldier continued his reach to unholster his gun and suddenly Steve was yelling out, sprinting towards the man as slammed into him, knocking him off kilter. He threw Steve against a console behind him, going to throw a punch that Steve dodged. Steve turned towards the console, elbowing the Russian soldier in the gut to create some space, before grabbing a telephone and spinning around, swinging it hard as it made contact with the soldier’s face. The soldier groaned as he stumbled, hitting his head on the desk in the process before falling to the floor with a sickening thud.

Steve panted, running his hands through his hair, his heart racing a million miles a minute. Dustin suddenly spoke up, drawing his focus away from the Russian on the floor as he made eye contact with the boy. “Dude! You did it! You won a fight!”

Steve chuckled slightly, realizing the boy was right, self-satisfied with the way that he had been able to protect all of you. Suddenly another force slammed into him, knocking him slightly off balance as you ran to hug him, wrapping your hands tightly around him as you buried your face in his chest. He was surprised by this, after your argument in the hall earlier, but he felt his heart skip a beat as he reciprocated, gripping you tightly as he rested his chin on your head, swaying from side to side.

“What were you thinking?!” You exclaimed, the anger in your tone throwing Steve off, a sharp contrast to the loving way you were clinging to him. “You could have been shot! You could’ve died! How could you just run at him like that, unarmed?!” You pulled away and shoved at his shoulders. You were fuming, and reasonably so.

“Y/n calm the fuck down! If I hadn’t we all would’ve died,” Steve responded, anger leaking into his tone as well.

“Don’t ever do that shit again.”

Dustin rolled his eyes at both of you, moving swiftly towards the guard and snatching his keycard off his belt.

“What are you doing?” Erica asked.

“Getting us our ticket out of here,” he responded, holding up the keycard as if it was obvious.

“You want to walk all the way back?” She questioned in disbelief.

“Well, we can hang out for a little bit, relax, have a picnic maybe,” he replied, sarcasm dripping from his mouth. While they continued to argue, you realized that Robin had made her way up the steps. She stopped momentarily to look through the small window on the door before sprinting back down the stairs to the rest of you.

“Guys! There’s something up there,” she breathed, a look of shock across her face, you all darted to follow her, quietly walking through the door, pressing yourselves against the glass. You couldn’t believe what you were looking at.

Beyond the control center that you were looking through there was a huge machine, pulsating with energy. A man in a hazmat suit loaded it with one of the green canisters not dissimilar to the one you broke earlier, as it continued to spin, shooting out a stream of bright blue light. You followed it to see the fissure forming on the wall directly across from it, as a sickening cracking noise rang out. You and Steve looked at each other, panic registering on both of your faces.

“The gate,” you both whispered in unison, as you sucked in a deep breath. Your heart sank in your chest, as Steve grabbed your hand, just as much to comfort you as it was to ease his worry.

It was happening again.

***

a/n: thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I’m looking forward to writing the next one. Remember to message me if you want to be added to the taglist! Please reblog if you feel so inclined! It really helps motivate me to write more :)

taglist:

@season4steve @sassyheroneckgiant @tangledinthegreatxscape @maeve-wileyy @palachannie @chaerfull @usaguisenpaisblog @emilieluckwood @sabrinadelreyy

#stranger things #steve harrington #netflix #joe keery #friends to lovers #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington friends to lovers #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington stranger things #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fluff #stranger things x reader #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington angst #steve harrington x you

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icycoldninja · 5 months

Text

Fluffcember #14 (Vergil x reader)

Fluff headcannons

-Reads you to sleep every night, each night is a different book/story/poem. He'll first adjust your pillows, then kiss your forehead, and then sit on the side of the bed, reading to you while holding your hand until you fall asleep.

-Loves to just lie down with you and relax. It doesn't matter what you're doing, or if you're doing nothing at all--as long as you're together, Vergil is happy.

-A very quiet, introverted fellow, Vergil isn't really into socializing and doesn't really say much unless he has to. This leads to the two of you establishing a sort of telepathic communication; you both seem to know what the other needs without saying a word. This can be cute, when you're all chilling at home, or it can be creepy, when you're both in battle.

-Even Dante gets a little creeped out when he sees you and Vergil exchange knowing glances before rushing into the fray--or towards him.

-One of his most favorite things to do with you is cooking. He doesn't know how to cook personally, he just likes being the helper. Like a toddler He'll open jars for you, hand you items off the top shelf, stir things and/or grab really hot bowls from the microwave without flinching. The man's survived years of literal hell, he can take a hot bowl out with no problem.

-Also likes to eat the food you make with him, especially if you made pizza. Deep down, under that stern, stoic exterior, is a wacky woohoo pizza man just like his brother.

-Vergil doesn't like live action movies or TV shows, but LOVES anime and goes completely bonkers over it like a true Otaku. His favorite anime are: Black Clover, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, The Devil is a Part Timer, Date-A-Live (for some reason) and Rent-A-Girlfriend.

-He will listen to classical music in public to showcase how "refined" he is, but secretly likes listening to rock music. He'll never let anyone in on this secret, unfortunately, as he doesn't want people to see how similar he and Dante are.

-Speaking of Dante, occasionally the pizza boi comes over because he upset Lady and Trish--now they're hunting him down and his only sanctuary is your house. When this happens, the twins will get together and have a boys night in the guest room, where Vergil sits in the corner being edgy while Dante steals all your liquor and gets drunk, resulting in loud whooping as he re-purposes your mattress into a trampoline, prompting Vergil to whip out the Yamato and commence with his "Dante contingency plan". Spoiler alert: it's violence.

-Owns a pair of fluffy pink bunny slippers. Nuff said.

#vergil x reader #Vergil sparda #Dmc5 #Dmc #devil may cry #devil may cry 5 #Brief mentions of Dante #Vergil dmc #Dmc vergil #dmc vergil x reader #headcannons #Fluff #fluffy headcanons #Vergil owns bunny slippers #fluffcember 2023 #fluffcember #Part 14 of 31

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shesjustanothergeek · 11 months

Text

His Love

|Aegon II Targaryen x Fem!Reader|

Part Fifteen

Master List of Series

Summary: Being a bastard born in the slums of Flea Bottom was all you were known for. Not the streak of white you had in your dark hair, the violet ring around your pupils, or how your sharp tongue and skills with the blade resembled your father, Daemon Targaryen. You were just a bastard, nothing more, but to him, to Aegon Targaryen, you were everything. You were his love.

Author's Note: Hey, besties! Guess who passed their State Board Exams…? ME! I DID! Now, all I gotta do is fill out some paperwork, and I'll be licensed. I've started working already, but it's only three days a week right now, so pretty good! Don't hesitate to comment or ask me questions. I love hearing them and seeing others discuss them. Happy reading, everyone, and let the celebrations commence!

Chapter Warnings: Violence

The celebrations of Aegon's birth had finally arrived. All the Great Houses were expected to come—all but one. The Velaryons and part of the Targaryen faction were not extended an invitation. Rhaenys had taken this as a political slight by Queen Alicent. She was collateral damage in the cold war between Rhaenyra and her old friend. Guilty by association.

Lord Corlys was still fighting for control of the Stepstones and had put his loyal Lady Wife on the Driftwood throne to rule in his stead. The alliance of the Triarchy and House Martell of Dorne was of much concern, and without the aid of the King's fleet, the battle was all but lost. Yet, through it all, the Sea Snake remained on the collection of islands, fighting tooth and nail against those who wished control of his rightful territory.

Princess Rhaenys did not know of your efforts inside the Keep, slowly but surely attempting to send help to the losing battles. The day she was crowned the "Queen Who Never Was" came to mind. She felt abandoned by her cousins, Daemon and Viserys, for refusing to take a stance on the insurgents. Baela was her only solace, her heart missing the pieces her children used to occupy. She would never forgive them if her husband died.

You sat at the exponentially smaller desk in your room, the maids you had yet to become familiar with brushing your silky hair as you read two pieces of parchment.

Jace and your father had sent you letters. Daemons were curt, mentioning nothing about how he missed or thought of you while away. It was as if he was speaking to a fellow warrior, not his daughter. Only ensuring you were still on track with your efforts, wanting to know how far the influence of the Hightowers reached and when to expect words regarding the Stepstones. You ignored him for now, folding it in threes and placing it in the side drawer of your desk as you read your brother's.

"Dear Sister,

Jealousy became me when I bid you farewell a few days ago. I knew what I said was wrong as the words lept from my tongue. I am not proud, and regret has haunted me since. I express my sincerest and deepest apologies.

You have always been open and honest with your emotions, and I wish to do the same. I love you, sissy, despite what my words may have alluded to. You have experienced hardships that no child of that age should witness, and you did not grow to resent your family for it. I cannot say the same for me if something similar happened.

I wish the Queen did not invite you to Kings Landing, not because I am jealous, but because I haven't a clue what I mean to do without you. Father wants me to be strong, like you. He wants me to practice swords like you. He wants me to listen to Mother's audiences like you, but I am not you. I am a boy whose lineage is clouded with stolen kisses and an accidental fire.

I wish you were still here so I could feel your embrace. I do not believe I can handle Daemon for much longer. How have you done it for so long?

The days cannot go fast enough as I await your return. I intend to give you a proper apology once you are home. Perhaps we can spend some time in Aegon the Conqueror's Garden as I grovel? I will arrange a picnic for when I do. I don't want to beg on an empty stomach.

Missing you,

Jacaerys Velaryon, your wretched little brother."

His endearing letter did not help the ache for Dragonstone. A smile burned your cheeks as you rubbed the dry paper between your fingers. You could smell the brimstone on the fibers, the sulfuric scent taking you home.

"My Lady," a servant gained your attention, taking your focus off the sweet words. "The men should be returning from their hunts in the Kingswood soon. I would suggest we start readying you for the tourney later today."

You nodded wordlessly, giving them a tight-lipped smile as you put Jace's letter next to Daemon's. You will be sure to write them both later.

You were confident Jace would love to hear how the tourney went. He had always gravitated toward stories of knights in shining armor valiantly jousting for a lady's favor. He had spoken several times about wanting to participate in the events. That was the only thing that pushed him to pursue the sword, other than your mother's and father's orders.

You could picture your little brother atop a white steed, armor resembling a dragon with a lance in his hand, asking for the favor of one special noble girl. The image brought a genuine grin to your face. Jace was always the gentleman his Mother taught him to be.

You wanted to stand out amongst the crowd of green royals you were sure to be seated with. It was to be your first public appearance since your legitimization, and you had to make an impression. You allowed your ladies to bathe you, and upon your exit from the tub, you requested one to show you the variety of gowns you had brought. Black was always the most innovative option, representing the colors of your House, and there were plenty to choose from, thankfully. It was only a matter of which one.

You decide to help your decision by considering the weather and environment. Most of the gowns you had were thick for the constant chill of Dragonstone and would indeed have you draped over a chair with a fan to cool off despite the changing seasons. That had only left you with a few options, which immensely helped. It had revealed a dress you once deemed too scandalous to wear in your family's presence.

It was not typical Westerosi fashion. Rhaenyra had commissioned a tailor in Dorne to create a gown when you officially became of bedding age.

You could tell it was something she had longed to wear as a girl, a freeing and rebellious design, but etiquette and her position would not allow her to wear such exotic clothing. You did agree with her that it was stunning. The deep plunging 'v' of the neckline certainly accentuated your breasts and made them much more pleasing to the eye as your maids tightened the strings in the back.

The fabric was a combination of red with an overlay of black lace. Golden thread held the seams together, and a matching cape to your shoulders, leaving your arms bare. Pieces of Aurelian were sewn on the shoulder pads of it, looking like crumpled yellow leaves that cascaded down your biceps. A circled belt of silver was delicately snitched around your waist, the excess of the metal resting between your legs.

After you were dressed, the servants ushered you to the vanity, holding the draping fabric so it did not catch as they began to fix your ebony hair. They elected not to put it in its usual braided style, instead rolling and twisting the long strands onto themselves until they reached the base of your head, pinning it to your head. It was simple, and you immensely enjoyed the freedom it gave to your range of motion.

Next, they adorned you with matching jewelry and a delicate headpiece that arched over the crown of your head. A necklace of a curled golden dragon wrapped around the hollow of your throat, a long needlelike chain attached to it as a polished metal fang hung at the end. They then slid a hammered bronze cuff on your wrist and rings of the same color, dragonglass, and rubies for its gems. The ladies applied the final touch of makeup to your skin, a fine powder to rid the shine from your nose, a dusting of rouge, and a hint of rose-colored balm to your lips.

You felt like the Targaryen princesses of centuries past, the blood of old Valeryia pumping your heart.

You would give anything for your Mother to see you now, dressed in the traditional colors of her House. Though you couldn't hide your relief in Daemon not being here, you were sure he would've made you change or barred your door to stop you from escaping in such scandalous garb. You stood, finding the dagger Daemon had gifted you and the belt it was connected with. You hooked it around your waist, adjusting it to be just out of view.

Your servants stared at you in awe, more amazed by their work than you as you grabbed the wreath of black charm lilies and black crystal pansies you requested to give your favor to the knights who asked. You didn't believe any of them would but knew it was proper to have one nonetheless. You smiled at your ladies, conveying your gratefulness through your unusual eyes. You turned, facing the three women, your cape resembling a waterfall.

"I believe I haven't inquired of your names yet," you prompted, looking them over. The youngest of three fiddled with the hem of her white apron, avoiding your gaze. "I do apologize for that. You all have been very kind to me."

"I am Jeyne," the oldest spoke first, giving you a curtsy. Grey hair poked from under her servant cap, wrinkles creasing the corners of her eyes.

"I am Fiora," the next one spoke, bowing. She appeared not much older than you, with bright green eyes and a splash of tan freckles on her nose and cheekbones.

You would guess the youngest girl, around Jace's age, continued playing with her clothes, muttering a meek "Dyana" and quickly bending her legs. You frowned at her response, sensing her anxiety, and reached for her tiny fingers, rough and dry with callouses.

"You need not be frightened, Dyana. I am not as wicked as the whispers claim me to be," you jested with a grin. She returned it, but it did not reach her eyes. A pang of sadness struck your chest as your gaze flicked over her as if you could understand the reason for her apprehension at a glance.

"My Ladies," you said, standing and clasping your hands in front of you as you bowed your head. "It is a pleasure to become acquainted finally. I am sure we will become close during my stay here." You smiled at all of them once more, your attention resting briefly on the meek fair skinned girl. "If any of you need something from me in the meantime, no matter how small or trivial, I will be at your service as you are to me."

The three shared bewildered expressions, Fiora's mouth agape as all muttered their thanks.

You supposed their reaction was understandable. They had never been treated like people before, almost making you feel bad for your motives.

Your plan would not hurt them in the long run. If anything, they would most likely be grateful to have a princess as an ally. Most nobles did not realize how much of their life depended upon the people serving them, not considering that they saw and heard everything within their homes. You would be a fool not to take advantage of that during such tumultuous times.

"Well," you clapped your palms together, giddy to finally have that out of the way, "I have grown rather famished and wish for some snacks before I watch men get rammed with sticks." Jeyne grinned, and Fiora bit her pink lips at your crude words. "I know that this is not proper, but I truly am in the dark. If you would not mind, could you lead me to the kitchens? I frequented them much at Dragonstone, as midnight snacking is a vice of mine, and wish to know where they are when the cravings emerge."

Knowing your next moves hinged on their response, you had planned those words carefully. You needed to tell them something that they believed was a secret. Daemon had told you once that revealing something one would deem embarrassing, that displaying vulnerability to a fellow human would have them drop their defenses, but if they were smart enough to realize this, it would ruin everything.

Fiora gave a toothy grin, nodding vigorously before looking at her companions. The other two shared the same smile. Through those actions, you could quickly tell what her personality was. She was a giddy and sweet girl, albeit a bit more susceptible than someone of her age should be. The other women followed along. Her joy was contagious as they approached the kitchens with you on their heels.

A self-satisfied smirk replaced the kind smile you wore for your servants.

Everything was going according to how you imagined it. Your maids took kindly to you, and as you traversed the long hallways and steps of the Keep, each passing nobleman and servant noticed your presence. One Lady gasped as you rounded a corner and met face-to-face, quickly scurrying away like a scared field mouse. A man who stood over a full head taller than you raked his eyes over your form, his attention staying on your breasts long enough for Jeyne to notice. She silently stepped before you could truly capture his face, only noting his long black hair and eyes.

Servants bustled throughout the kitchens, some throwing large pieces of dough on a floured table, others running with plates of food and ingredients in their hands. None of them paid attention as you entered, hidden behind the uniformed girls, having to duck beneath a misplaced stone in the stairwell ceiling.

Jeyne, Dyana, and Fiora led you through an archway into a room filled with even more people who still did not notice you, peeling carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables. You felt your chest deflate in defeat at your seemingly unimportant presence, not anticipating them to continue their tasks and not spare you a glance. It was not every day a member of the royal family graced them with their appearance.

It almost felt like the servants of the Keep did not see you as a Targaryen but as just another one of them. Your mouth soured at the thought, digging your nails into your palms until they left imprints. It would be best if you were happy to see them collectively agree you were not like the rest of your kin, but still, not receiving the recognition you tried so hard for was gutting. You could feel your body deflating, curling in on itself as your previous confidence dwindled.

No matter, you told yourself. This can work to my advantage.

They saw you as not someone to be feared, and perhaps you could extend those same opinions toward your Mother. Rhaenyra needed everyone who resided in the Red Keep to be on her side when she ascended the throne, the nobles who lived at court, and the knights who protected and defended the Targaryen name. Everyone was needed.

Jeyne handed you a peach from off the wooden table a male servant used to cut some vegetables, smiling as your thumb stroked the fuzzy skin. You could still remember when fruits such as that were unavailable to you, though these memories were faint and grew more difficult to recall as time passed. Dyana then found a jug of cider, filling a small goblet up to wash down the sweet taste that danced on your tongue, and Fiora used the corner of her apron to wipe the stray juices that dribbled out of the corner of your mouth. You smiled at them both gratefully, fighting on the inside not to swat their doting hands away, feeling like a child again.

You sucked the last bit of the pulp from the large seed before removing it from your lips and throwing it in the bucket they used for scraps. You continued to sip on the brass goblet Dyana had given you, following them from out of the kitchens and into a courtyard you had never seen before. It was lined with pens filled with livestock. Sheep, pigs, goats, and chickens belting, chirping, and snorting as you passed.

You were still determining exactly where the tourney would be held but had yet to hear of the vast and spacious arena it was. You knew you would be sitting inside the royal box next to the other noble members of your family, and you couldn't hide how less than joyful that made you feel. You did wonder if the King would be there, knowing that what the Maester and Otto said were complete lies about his health. Some of you still held onto hope that there was some truth in their deceitfulness. Indeed, they couldn't be so bold as to say something that could easily be disproven with one's eyes. The next Council meeting would undoubtedly be an eventful one.

Your ladies led you back inside an entrance of the castle you had never seen before, urging you to follow their steps and assuring you were close. Soon, the low rumbling of voices could be heard. Different pitches and accents all melted into one continuous barrage of sound as you ascended the stairs to your seat.

The first leg of the tourney was set to begin in a short while, and most of the royal family had already made their appearance. Even the eldest prince sat in a high back chair, practically falling asleep with a cup of wine in his hand. A slight grin formed on your face at the endearing sight, appearing as if you were looking at a babe rather than a man grown. His perfectly pink lips stuck out in a pout, a sigh escaping as he adjusted in his seat.

You were standing above him diagonally on the top riser and could see every huff, and every scoff he made as his Mother spoke to him, but Aegon could not see you. Queen Alicent said straight ahead, not looking at him as you saw her permanent scowl. It was her firstborn's name day, which should be celebrated with nothing but smiles and laughs. One would think she would be happy for such an occasion.

Aegon said something to his Mother that made her snap her head in his direction, ready to offer him some choice words as she saw you.

You could hear the gasp leaving Alicent clutching the pointed star of the Seven glued to her neck. You swore by the sound she made she had not seen you but the Stranger himself as her face paled. The Queen whispered something as she quickly looked away. Aegon was just as shocked as you regarding his Mother's reaction. He thought she might faint as he swiftly turned to see what it was all about.

Your gazes looked at one another, and your cheeks reddened under his stare. You felt your heart flutter in your chest, offering him a quick curtsey as you walked to an open seat at the lowest riser, crossing your legs as you adjusted the dagger at your hip.

Aegon had died. Well, it certainly felt like it when he laid his eyes on you. For once, his vision was clear and not yet clouded by the drink, and he could see your perfectly crafted body. He immediately went to the plunging neckline of your dress; how could he not? Your breasts were right there where he could see, noticing how much bigger they were than he initially imagined. He then noticed the curled golden dragon around your neck, reminding him of his own, Sunfyre. Had you chosen that for him? Did you purposefully put that on with him in mind? Aegon could feel his cock harden at the thought.

He watched you descend the giant stone steps, holding your skirts up so you did not trip as he saw your bare ankles. He could hardly contain the twitch of his hips at the sight. Aegon had been with many women in his life, too many to count, and yet seeing just a peak of your hidden skin had him nearly spilling in his breeches.

He thought back to your moment in the Godswood. Underneath the Heart Tree, the fragments of the sunrise peeking through the leaves dotted your skin with beautiful rays of yellow. One had been over your eyes, and Aegon had seen your pupils shrink and reveal more of the purple that bathed there. He never wanted to leave that moment with you. He wanted to stay forever underneath that tree, trace the scars on your skin, and kiss every part of you until he had you squirm underneath him.

Aegon remembered how your breathing hastened as your jaw trembled at his touch, your face contorted into a gorgeous pout as he pulled your lip with his thumb. He noticed how you were clenching your thighs together even though you had no idea. Nothing had changed between the two of you, he realized. Aegon knew you desired him as much as he desired you. You just did not know it yet.

Gods. He wanted to take the empty seat next to you so badly but knew what his Mother would say if he did-- what she would do if he did. So, instead, he signaled for a serving girl to fill his chalice to the brim, drowning his sorrows in Arbor Red.

***

You felt rather pathetic as you shifted in your seat, the wood creaking with your weight as you still held your wreath of flowers. You could sense everyone's eyes on you and the empty chairs positioned at your sides. No one wanted to sit next to the bastard, you mocked in your head, feeling as if your eyes would pop out of your skull if you rolled them any harder.

It was the fifth round of the tourney, and five men had been knocked off their horses, but no fighting had ensued. Bracken, Tully, Arryn, Tyrell, and Blackwood boys had to skulk back to the stables knowing they had lost.

The King had still yet to show if he was ever going to, and you had given a fierce glare at Otto Hightower a few rows up when he announced the tournament had officially started. You had caught the stare of Princess Helaena in the process and immediately softened, returning her kind smile before the One-Eyed Prince stole her. You made a mental note to see her at the feast the following evening, perhaps share a dance or two.

With the end of the fifth round started the sixth, and the vibrant lion banners of House Lannister were prominently displayed as Ser Tyland entered the arena. He sat atop his chestnut horse, trotting over to the squire that held his lance. He approached the royal box, and you thought for a moment he might ask you for your favor. You couldn't hide the distance as he smiled up at you but turned his face away, looking at someone behind you.

"I am Ser Tyland of House Lannister," he announced.

Yes, you twat, you said internally, we know who you are. You live here.

"Princess Helaena," he called, and she looked up from her fingers to the man below her. His voice nearly made you vomit. "Would you do me the honor of bestowing your favor for the next round, Princess?" he asked chivalrously.

She glanced at her grandsire beside her, and he nodded in approval as she stood, her pale yellow dress shining in the autumn sun.

"Of course," she smiled, walking to the steps to place her ring of white and blue flowers on the pole of his lance.

"I thank you, your Grace," he replied and then trotted back to the waiting young squire.

Helaena stood there momentarily, her eyes glassy as she looked at you. It didn't feel like her gaze was on you, but more looking through you as she whispered. "Heed the beast within the deep. Rock runs red, and rocks bleed."

You looked at her confused, brows furrowing, and reached for her hand, asking her to speak louder. She quickly smacked it away, her eyes widening in fear as if she was suddenly woken from a dream, and she hurried up the steps.

You didn't have time to dwell on Helaena's outburst as Ser Tyland Lannister's opponent entered the wring. His armor was an impenetrable crepuscule steel and as shiny as the scales that covered your dragon's flesh, a helmet the same color with a mane of yellow hairs spanning from his crown to the base of his neck. His banners were ones you had only seen on paper. Most of the fabric was black, just like his thick armor, but the sigil was a deep golden kraken with ten long tentacles, nearly spanning the entire flag. The squid-like beasts of House Greyjoy were said to terrorize the depths of the oceans and sink the ships of those unsuspecting.

You were unsure of which Greyjoy it was. Dalton or Veron or maybe a cousin or some distant kin that shared the name. You didn't care who it was. They were just another lord or knight seeking fame inside a wood and dirt stadium.

You signaled for a servant, and he gave you a chalice of wine as you slumped in your seat. You didn't want to cloud your mind with alcohol, always the one to be alert and observe things other people may not notice, but this was getting rather irksome, and you needed something to do other than sit and look pretty.

"Ser Dalton of House Greyjoy," the knight said, his horse a dusty grey color as he lifted his helmet off his head. You ignored him with confidence that it was not you he was speaking to, taking another gulp of wine as you swirled the drink.

Dalton was a fierce and ruthless man. You had heard his stories of his youth sailing the Basilisk Isles with his late uncle, pillaging the towns there. He had somehow claimed a Valyrian steel sword named Nightfall during those plunders. At one point, he had aided in the battle of the Stepstones as a sellsail, where his uncle was murdered. It had been rumored in a fit of vengeance, he killed every enemy within his sight and emerged from the battle victorious and drenched in blood. Since then, he bore the title of the Red Kraken.

"I come seeking the favor of the bastard girl the court speaks so much of." A collective gasp sounded in the royal box, shocked at his words.

You barked out a laugh at Ser Dalton, attempting not to choke on the liquid you just swallowed. You should have been insulted at him for calling you such a name. In the eyes of the law and the Seven, you were no longer a bastard, but clearly, that did not stop people from claiming you as such.

"You have found her, Ser Dalton of House Greyjoy," you mocked, crossing your legs as you began to play with a small leaf. You smiled as you noticed the maroon outline of his House sigil on his breastplate.

Everything thing about him was dark and menacing. He radiated an aura of malevolence from the inside as if you would cut him open; he would not bleed the same red. "Though, I do not think you deserve my favor after calling me such a name." Men and women released more gasps, and you could hear someone muttering a soft "Gods be good" under their breath.

You waited for the following apology, but it did not come, leaving you sitting there like a fool. You hummed in disapproval, pushing yourself upright.

"I am no longer a bastard girl," you stood, holding the flower wreath between your fingers, "but that of a woman born from a night of sinful heat and passion. I am skilled with the blade and well-read. I study history, philosophy, and the politics of the realm." Ser Dalton's onyx gaze crept from your leather slippers to the white streak in your hair. He watched you step closer and lean over the railing so only he could hear you. "I am not just a simple fucking bastard girl."

He watched the words roll off your tongue, gripping his lance tighter with parted lips as you placed the circle of black and wine-colored flowers on it.

You fixed your spine, staring down your nose at the bannerman before you. "Win this joust Ser Dalton of House Greyjoy, and I will forgive the slight you have made upon me. For I am afraid if you do not, the sand of the Iron Islands shall turn to glass, and your Salt Wives will finally be free. You have my favor and my luck." You flicked your wrist as you walked back to your seat. "Off with you."

"Thank you, Princess. You honor me deeply." He lifted the fist that carried his helmet and crossed it over his chest, bowing his head with an amused smirk.

You sat down, grabbed the cup you had been working on, and asked the servant to fill it again, unbothered with his courtly manners. Ser Dalton placed his helmet back on and readied his horse for the first bout.

You almost chuckled at the sight, drink to your lips. Sitting on his horse, he looked like a nasty black pony with a yellow mane, ready to bite and kick anyone nearby. His whole get-up was quite ridiculous as you continued to watch.

Ser Tyland's armor was so very much... Lannister. There was no other word to describe the style. He wore a long red flowing cape, his dense silver breastplate trimmed with gold in the shape of a lion.

An announcer with a sizeable brass horn stepped onto a wooden platform a few meters before the royal box. He wore a plum-colored hat with a dyed feather and an off-white tunic dampened with sweat and stained with dust as he shouted the outlining phrases for the beginning of this round. He introduced each House and their respective ranks within them.

"Ser Dalton of House Greyjoy, Lord Reaper of Pyke, conqueror of thirteen Salt Wives, Lord of the Iron Islands," he boomed into the sky, swaying his hand to the right side of the arena to where the man was. He paused to let the crowd shout their praises.

Screams and hollers of people echoed loudly, drowning out the announcer as he introduced Tyland next. You could see the proud Lannister boy's ego was hurt at the apparent favoritism, and you feigned a pout at the sight.

Finally, he blew his horn, signaling they could begin. Ser Dalton did not waste a breath in fear as he charged at Ser Tyland, his yellow-striped lance already bent and ready to take his opponent off his horse. You scoffed, taking another sip of the sickly sweet wine.

If he planned to knock Tyland down on his first try, he clearly did not comprehend the point of a joust. You did not understand why the audience would love him if he intended to get this over swiftly. This was supposed to be entertainment and not battle. It was meant to be a spectacle for the crowd, a break from the mundane life of the court.

At the last second, as Dalton and Tyland were about to collide stick to the chest, Ser Dalton lifted his lance straight. Ser Tyland's breezed past his rival, completely missing his goal with a cheer from the crowd. You mirrored their sentiments but did not show it on the outside, only adjusting in your seat with a soft sigh. You saw Dalton to the left now, and if you did not know any better, smirked at you. Arrogant, just like the Lannisters.

They went at it again, the hooves of their steeds thundering on the packed earth. This time neither of them started with their poles down, only for Ser Tyland to raise it at the last moment and knock Ser Dalton in the shoulder. Sadly, he did not fall off his horse and only lost his grip on the lance, dragging a line in the dirt. You laughed, pleased to have witnessed at least some bruising to the man's pride.

You tried your best to ignore the stares of those behind you. They had been on you since you sat. No doubt, if you looked, you would only be met with aversion and disgust. You steeled yourself, moving from your slouched position to rest your hands on the arms of the chair.

Aegon was part of the stares, though his expression differed significantly from the others. His Mother had cast him a sidelong glance at his reaction, and only then did he outwardly calm. He had been inside his mind until the squid boy approached you, asking for your favor. He even had the gull to call you a bastard! In front of nearly the entire court of the Red Keep! Oh, how Aegon wanted to call his dragon and burn the fish to pieces.

It also did nothing to soothe him when he saw you lean over the box fence, telling the squid boy only something he could hear. He knew your breasts were on display for the man judging by his hungry gaze. At one point, Aegon swore he saw him adjust his stance in the saddle.

Aegon was furious. His nails dug into his seat's material, feeling splinters wedge underneath them. He stole a pitcher of wine from a servant, keeping it on his lap so he could have continued access to it.

He was so, so furious as he watched your sudden interest in the tournament. He knew you were only mesmerized by the men in front of you because Ser Dalton gave you attention. Aegon wasn't upset over that; no, he was upset over the fact that the Lord of Pyke had won the round by hitting Tyland Lannister straight into the chest, sending him flying into the dust. He noticed how your shoulders lifted with barely contained excitement as he watched Ser Dalton send a bow your way.

He groaned, not filtering his discontent for the rest of the rounds that unfolded, which, sadly, each one Ser Dalton was the victor of. Eventually, the final bout started. His opponent was a Glover boy from the north, unsure of which one, but it didn't matter as he witnessed the Red Kraken get thrown from his horse. Aegon couldn't help but cheer theatrically at the sound of the lance splintering when colliding with his stomach.

He had caught your sudden gaze then, brown eyes flitting over how he stood and clapped his hands. You didn't smile but gave him a look of confusion, your thick brows furrowing. He had felt his jubilance subside, but only slightly.

Suddenly, Ser Dalton shouted, yanking a sword and shield from his squire and challenging the victor to a duel. Aegon felt his stomach sink into his chair as a strand of his blonde mane obscured his vision. Oh, splendid, he mused; the squid has pride.

The Glover had taken up the challenge without strife, still proudly wearing the banner of his House on his back. Aegon wondered if you had ever witnessed a duel before. He knew you had taken a life, but it was not the same as watching someone do it. Selfishly, he dreamed you would turn away at the sight and seek comfort from him, but that was all it was... a dream.

You watched with surprise as the Glover's and Dalton's swords clashed, the clang ringing in your ears. Each slash and thud of their metal longswords sent a jolt through your bones, curling your toes and squeezing your drink in a vice-like grip. You hated to admit that you felt nervous, your heart beating just a little too fast to be considered normal.

Ser Dalton's swings were wild but held a skillful precision, connecting with the Glover's side. It knocked the wind out of the poor boy's lungs and had him raising his shield as Dalton kicked it, sending him stumbling further.

He was so savage, so bloodthirsty that it made you shiver. You finally understood why he was called the Red Kraken, and you feared for the Glover's life. Surely, he wouldn't kill the boy; you hoped he wouldn't. The poor lad looked like he had just become a man. He was much shorter than Dalton but still taller than you, and he looked like this was his first tourney. You wished he would yield.

Ser Dalton swung at the boy, his armored fist connecting to his jaw with a nauseating crunch of bone and metal. Confidently, he kicked to disoriented teen in the stomach, knocking him to the ground, his sword falling just out of reach. He went to pull his shield to defend himself, but Dalton stomped on the arm that carried it. You could see how the Kraken stood over the Armored Glove, unable to hear what he said to him. You didn't need to. You knew what came next, and it did not frighten you. The Glover lost the duel as the Greyjoy raised his sword, cutting off the words that attempted to leave his tongue with a blade to the throat.

It was bloody. So very bloody. The essence of the Glovers' life force spurted from his body onto the face of Ser Dalton Greyjoy, dripping from his chin. You heard the gasps of those around you, a platter dropping at the horrific show as the ground became saturated with red. You didn't feel sad as you watched two people drag his body away, the crowd bursting into cheers and applause. In fact, you felt hardly anything, sitting as if nothing had happened as the announcer raised Ser Dalton's hand in triumph. You were used to death by now.

To the outside person, you looked alright, but Aegon knew you were anything but. Your knuckles blanched around your drink, resting it in your lap. He felt foolish to think you would shy away from such things. He knew you were much more robust than that, but still, he hoped you would run to him.

Everything next seemed to happen in slow motion. Aegon watched the crown of roses intended for the Queen of Love and Beauty be placed into Dalton's bloodied palms, strutting over to the royal box as he called out the most beautiful name he had ever heard... Yours.

His little one. His love.

Aegon went to jump out of his seat, but the firm hand of his Mother yanked his arm, abruptly pulling him back down before he could mock the royal family with his outburst. He wanted to rip his Mother off him and run to you. He wished to hide you from the hundreds of eyes staring at you. This wasn't right. He panicked. This cannot be right. You were his, and he was yours until the end of days.

He pictured what Ser Dalton's head would look like on a spike as you walked down the stairs and onto the small platform below. He watched the Salt Lord's eyes rake across your body as he placed the crown on your head, whispering something that made you clench your fists.

Everyone knew what this meant grandiose display meant. The Lord Reaper of Pyke intended to court his pretty girl and make a Salt Wife out of her. No, Aegon thought. That will never do.

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I hope y'all liked this chapter. It's an exciting one! We've met a new character, Dalton Greyjoy. He plays a big part in The Dance of Dragons. I won't spoil it for anyone, but let's say his heart runs black… The next chapter is the feast for our baby boy's 20th birthday! Let's hope Aegon gets everything he wishes for.

Tagged Peeps: @zeennnnnnn, @malfoytargaryen, @targaryencore, @justasmallbean, @alexandra-001, @omgsuperstarg, @sommornyte, @silverslive, @unclecrunkle, @prettykinkysoul, @duesobabe, @djlexi, @ynbutbetter, @honestlykat, @graykageyama, @legolas017, @iiamthehybrid, @brezzybfan, @dd122004dd, @ladybug0095, @millies0bsimp, @kalfild, @sheislonelyalways, @tempt-ress, @bellameshipper, @minttea07, @trikigirl271, @esposadomd, @buckylahey, @justarandomflowerchildofthenight, @partypoison00, @please-buckme, @pastelorangeskies, @joliettes, @existential-echo, @priyajoyy, @valaenatargaryensdragon, @merovingianprincess, @rachelnicolee, @candy12110, @w3ird11, @ruhjkie, @fatalewomen, @somemydayy, @ariana-dumbledore8, @marikkjj, @zillahvathek, @sunfyresrider, @sunny-boy-06

Bold means I couldn't tag you for some reason :(

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sepublic · 1 month

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When it comes to my own Ninjago fanon, I like to interpret the Overlord as like. This dark, deeply jaded god. He is sensitive to the darkness in the hearts of others, he can see into someone's innermost, worst thoughts and feelings and desires, and it sickens him because it's the majority of what he sees due to his nature, so to him he sees the 'truth' of people.

Because of his godly status, he's detached from mortals and as a result it's easier to make grand, sweeping decisions for them because of that distance. He's very lonely, and hurt; He finds it difficult and pointless to connect with mortals and their short-lived lives. He's made Kozu and Cryptor, but they're minions designed to serve him, so it's not the same, plus he admittedly does take their lives for granted as kind of lesser.

He envies the Golden Dragon for finding its champion in the First Spinjitzu Master, who sided with it instead of him; There's nobody who understands the Overlord's unique existence and dilemma. He resents the Golden Dragon getting to keep their hands clean, while the Overlord must commit the dirty work that must be done, and be vilified for it. He's disillusioned with free will. When the Overlord senses Garmadon's hesitation over Lloyd in S2, he feels there will be an inevitable betrayal and decides to preemptively strike first, rather than risk being the one hurt. He thought he found someone who understood, who knew what it was like to be cursed with the role of the villain, but not quite.

Pythor was more his vibe, though he seemed more inclined to just lash out and destroy, not ultimately preserve. But so was the Overlord, who refused to accept the injustices of this world and their possibility, under no conditions, until what he has achieved has basically been a violent tantrum over the unfairness of it all. He has a paradoxical disdain, concern, and pity for mortals.

He comes to Harumi because he resonates with her, sees himself in her, as someone also failed by Garmadon, who wasn't who he thought he was. Someone deeply disappointed by the failures and broken promises of 'good' to vanquish evil, someone lonely who was cast out and dejected, and whose only true ally was a mindless minion they created.

When Harumi has reservations about the carnage, the Overlord quietly speaks to her, assuming a gentler, more personal paternal role to her than Garmadon in his half-formed state did; He genuinely wants to connect and make this work, but he's also an ancient god who doesn't quite understand mortals and can only see the big picture. He points out to Harumi that the ninja defeated him twice, and how did that turn out in the end?

More violence, more destruction, more villains threatening lives and the peace. If the ninja had just let the Overlord commence with his plans to spread his influence and control everyone with, none of this would've happened; The death would've actually been worth it. How many children like her, other Harumis, have also been orphaned because of incidents such as Aspheera or Kalmaar's invasions of Ninjago City? The ninja did their best, but people died. Children were orphaned. Can Harumi bear the thought of others like her coming into being? It must've already happened, multiple times.

But the Overlord lashes out when she finally defies him; He feels betrayed. He tells Harumi that she was nothing but a scared child cowering for cover when he found her, and that's how she'll die. He spitefully reminds Harumi that as he said; There must be other children, orphaned because of the ninjas' failure. He can always find another champion in them instead. The Overlord laments that everyone always leaves him, and he is truly alone. His love is a violent, painful one that feels too much and doesn't know how to control itself, he is all emotion, dark and messy.

#Ninjago #Ninjago Overlord #fanon #Harumi Jade

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spookypete-94 · 9 months

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Beastie: Chapter #2 GhostXFem!reader

Slow burn, following MW2 storyline, eventually branching into my own. Warning for canon COD violence and language

word count 2,680

She was with Alejandro and Rudy when they had already briefed the other Los Vaqueros, so she was already aware that was where they were heading after Soap and Ghost arrived.

During the drive she called Laswell advising her that Soap and Ghost were picked up and the Shadow Company still inbound.

"They were hand picked by Price, so if he trusts them... then so do I." Laswell had told her to try to better Y/N's nerves.

She made sure her vest was zipped tight, her other magazines filled to the brim of bullets tucked away in their holster's as they got closer to Hassan's holding place. She slipped up her black mask to help keep the dirt and sand that was going to be blowing around out of her mouth.

Finally they arrived, she traded her dark frame sunglasses for a pair of yellow tinted ones to help better see movement. She had her own things that helped her in the field and she was prepared to follow them. She opened the door and stood close to Rudy, he being the one that she knows the best out of this group of men.

She listened to them chatter, following what the plan was going to be. She was to be assigned with Rudy to help the main team move from house to house, staying external, taking care of Cartel members that were outside. She could feel the eyes of Ghost and Soap moving from her periodically like they had something to say to her, but to keep her nerves from wavering, she ignored them.

Finally the plan was in motion, Alejandro throwing the gate open as the main team went into action. Her and Rudy's staying parallel to them on the outside. She could hear gunfire commence and finally stop within the house, telling her they had cleared it. She had also taken a few of the guards down from the outside.

Alejandro eventually got on the radio and asked for smoke, so they could move into the next structure. Her and Rudy threw the grenades getting ready to move along side them again. She was moving rooftop to rooftop as Rudy stuck to the alley walls. Her rifle up and moving as she did, she could see the head of Ghost looking up at her as he saw her identical with them.

They breached the next house moving inside. It was definitely the largest of the structures within this abandon village, more then likely were Hassan was if he was here. The gunfire again stopped as they still looked for the terrorist. She finally heard the radio traffic from Soap, "Hassan's not here." And just like that she could hear a large roar of trucks. She glanced up from the rooftop of the tall structure she was on, the main team inside.

"Hey, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but looks like they asked for support and its here, trucks coming in from the north." She said into her radio and then loaded her gun, listening to Alejandro's command of letting them get closer before she started firing. She glanced around looking for Rudy, unsure of where he had went.

"Fall back," Alejandro finally said, but she was already set up, not able to move away now. "Copy!" yelled Rudy, moving out. "I'm still here, not able to move away now." She radioed back to them.

Least Rudy was safe... she thought to herself.

It was like a crack in the crust of the Earth formed and Cartel members and corrupt soldiers began pouring out of it like ants. "Aim for the helmet! They are weak!" Ghost yelled. She took this advice, starting to at least drop a few and slow them down.

There was a lot of yelling, but she could hear enough of Alejandro telling them they all needed to move. She stood up from the roof, grabbing grenades and frags, launching them at the approaching enemy as she turned and ran to the back of the roof. The explosions seeming to slow the enemy down a bit. She could hear the rest of them back there jumping out a window. She stepped towards the edge and looked down deciding if she was going to get hurt if she did.

"Jump!" she could hear Alejandro say as her, Soap and Ghost stood up watching her. She quickly squatted down to her knees and planned to tuck and roll as gently as she could. But instead of ever hitting the hard ground, a pair of arms and hands caught her on her hips setting her down on the ground... It was Ghost, the man she had originally called the Mountain.

"Thanks!" she quickly stammered out, as he set her down on the ground and they quickly began running down the sloped valley. He never replied to her, but she didn't take it personally all things considering of the events that were unraveling.

She noticed a man that was injured, one that Alejandro called Rodriguez. She grabbed his straps and pulled him behind the rock wall where Alejandro began to pepper him with questions as he gave cover fire to them both. She understood enough Spanish to know he had been hit in the back, but his vest stopped the impact. She reloaded and again started taking out subjects. Again, they started their descent down the large hill.

It again seemed to work in a pattern. They would run for a bit, turning around to take out about 15 of the enemy before turning back around and running some more. She saw a man fall behind her, she turned to pull him with, but was caught by Ghost. "Go! He's down!" he yelled at her spinning her back around by her shoulder, his tone making her blood run cold. If anything this made her move faster in an attempt to get away from him.

Comm's were down, they were running and fatigued and they all could hear the sound of an incoming helicopter.

"Hear that?" Soap asked as her eyes were up looking for the noise.

"Feels like a fucking Billy Mayes commercial," she said more for herself. "But wait! There's more!" her tone dripping in annoyance, still running keeping up with the team. She let Soap and Alejandro make work of the helicopter as she took out soldiers that approached, her size making her small and unnoticeable as the enemy got closer to them.

Alejandro approached the top of the hill, his hand beckoning for her to approach him, "We're gonna have to move on the cliffs and straddle the sides, you go first I'm right behind you, won't let you fall," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her down a cliff.

That makes me feel so much better, she thought to herself sarcastically as she saw the way Alejandro was moving the group in ahead. They all tucked to the side of the rock wall moving across a ledge when she saw the flash of the sniper. "Fuck!" she yelled out as a bullet hit Rodriguez behind her, making him go down in front of Soap. She took this as her moment to move faster, refusing to let the others get taken out. She laid on the ground looking for the glint she had seen again and took her shot. She could see the area shift, telling her she had made her shot taking the guy out.

"Nice shot," Ghost said moving past her again, Alejandro and Soap on his tail.

The next moment made her hair stand on end. She saw Alejandro jump off a cliff leading to water down below.

"You gotta' be fucking kidding me..." she muttered watching Soap go next.

"You go or I'm throwing you," she heard Ghost's voice rumble behind her.

She turned to look at him sighing, squeezing her eyes shut. She turned back around and jumped in holding her rifle close, worried she will lose it in the impact.

The impact of the water, shocked her, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. She came up to the top taking in a quick breath, as quiet as she could, not knowing what was waiting at the top of the water. She could see the others that she was with, grateful they were all moving.

"You good, hermanos?" Alejandro asked, "Ghost?" He was starting a rollcall.

"Affirm."

"Soap?"

"Breathing."

"Beastie?"

"Pissed off." she said darkly, causing them to chuckle.

The radio had a voice coming across, it was a male who sounded American Ghost pointed out.

"Graves?" she asked them. She didn't get an answer back from any of them.

They swam to the bank, again taking gunfire, but the bridge they were planning to be extracted at coming in to closer view.

Homestretch, she thought to herself still working with the others staying behind the rock bank to take out anyone she could. As they got closer they could see trucks on the bridge.

"Not ours!" Alejandro yelled out making Y/N hiss as she took cover behind more rocks. The voice on the radio began to ring clear out to her. It was Graves. She could hear his aircraft approach, she braced herself on the rocks preparing for what was coming next. He was going to blow that bridge to bits, and she was ready for it.

She heard the rockets he had sent approaching, taking out the bridge and simultaneously making her ears ring. It was 3 blasts. She gripped the rocks waiting for Grave's to advise the area was clear, and finally he did. Soap grabbed ahold of her straps of her vest helping her heavy water logged self stand up.

"Thanks man," she said starting to wade across the water moving towards the bank. Y/N was so happy the bullets had stopped for now. She was beat needless to say.

"Thanks for the help," Alejandro radioed to Graves.

"Graves. We got a vehicle for exfil." Ghost said as they noticed a camo Dodge truck sitting close to the direction they were running in.

"Roger that. Be advised, we got a possible hit on Hassan, two klicks north of your position." Graves answered back.

"That's Cartel land, load in. I'll drive." Alejandro said getting in the truck and sliding in through the door.

Soap got in the passenger as Ghost opened the back door, standing holding the back door for you.

"Such a gentleman," she teased nodding, and sliding in through the backseat. He had no response and she couldn't see his face to decide how he took that. She reached into her pockets and began filling her magazines trying to feel productive to avoid letting her nerves get to her.

"Remind me to never hang out with you guys ever again once this is over." she said sarcastically.

"Oh come on, we're not that bad," Soap said, loading up as well after he saw her doing it.

She scoffed, smiling, but let out a chuckle.

"Make a good team at least." she said.

Once they arrived, Alejandro turned to look at her. "I want you to take the truck and head towards the west around the property. Head up towards the hill, be our evac vehicle this time if it gets hairy. Come back our direction if it does. I don't want to have to run 30 miles again." He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Her brows furrowed, but she quickly lost offense thinking of all that she had assisted with already. She helped save Rudy a few nights back and now just assisted them with this when he had originally ordered her to leave with Rudy. She finally nodded, squeezing his arm.

"Stay safe," she said to the three of them getting a nod from all as she got into the drivers seat, preparing to go where Alejandro had commanded. She watched them run in the direction of the enemy before driving off. Her heart was in her throat, nervous for what they were walking themselves into.

Upon the chaos starting, she listened to radio chatter. She parked it at the top of where Alejandro had directed. Faintly she could hear the gunfire, but the rockets Grave's men were dropping were much louder. She noticed another truck start to approach, her hand on her pistol as she ducked down. As the truck got closer she saw that it was one of Alejandro's. It finally stopped and she peaked around the front of the truck noticing a famailar pair of legs and cargos.

"Rudy?" she stood up calling out.

"Y/N! You're alright." he said also easing up.

"Yeah, got sent up here in case they needed evac." she said her body also relaxing some.

"Sorry we got separated back there."

" 'S alright, we made it out all that matters."

They stood side by side watching and listening together. Finally she heard Ghost say jackpot and Alejandro asking for exfil. She nodded at Rudy stepping towards the truck she had arrived in, "I'll follow you," she said to him. He stepped on the gas, wheeling the truck out, Y/N doing the same.

Y/N and Rudy got on scene shortly after. She got out and opened the door on the truck Rudy was in so Ghost and Soap could put Hassan in it. There was some bickering between Hassan and Soap but once he was inside she was back in the truck she had been driving, finding it faster to do so instead of sliding in the back of the truck they were all in again. Ghost seemed hesitant about her being separated from the group as he stood by his door for a bit watching her before he got in. Rudy stepped on it peeling out.

Resistance was expected as they moved in through the town back to the Los Vaqueros base. She kept her rifle barrel down between her legs, finger close to the trigger in case she needed to get out with it. And sure as shit... someone begins to walk out into the road in front of Rudy, another vehicle coming around the corner to hit them. She made an executive decision using the truck she was in to T-bone the vehicle that came out of nowhere that was clearly looking to wreck into the one the main team and Hassan were in. She collided with them hard enough the airbags went off disorientating her. She was in the drivers seat unable to move, not sure what was going on. The sound of gunfire starting to pull her back as the door to the truck opened. Two large hands grabbed the straps of her vest pulling her out.

"Ghost," she said trying to get her sense about her.

"Was a dumb fuckin' move," he said to her quietly as he opened the back door of other truck, it undamaged and still able to move. He pushed her in and climbed in behind her, "Move!" he yelled to Rudy. Rudy stepped on the gas and pushed them through the town crossing the bridge.

"You good back there Beastie?" She could hear Alejandro ask.

"Mm," was all she could answer. She had a bloody nose from the airbag, and more then likely some whiplash.

"Stopped an entire ambush, and saved us from a dangerous situation." Rudy said to her looking her in the mirror.

She might of stopped an entire ambush and had a bloody nose, but all she could feel was the brown eyes burning into her from across the vehicle. She looked over at Ghost. How she hated that he wore a mask, she couldn't see what he was feeling or thinking. All she could see was the honey embers looking at her, scorching her soul.

She didn't say anything, she instead looked down, her elbows on her knees as she took off her black gater mask to assist with her nose bleed. Alejandro radioed out for a helicopter to meet them and take them back to base.

prev.

next.

#ghost mw2 #cod mw2 #call of duty mw2 #mw2 #call of duty #simon ghost riley #cod #war #ghost x reader #simon riley x you #simon riley #simon #riley #ghost #slow burn

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 1 year

Text

Previous Husband AU, Pt 5

((Content warning for abuse/domestic violence))

-------

Kara means to reach out to Lena, eventually. But the longer she leaves it, the easier it is to not do anything at all. It doesn't help that every time she picks up the phone to tell Lena something-- about what Cat just said to her, about the cute dog she met on the way to yoga-- she's flooded with the hurt of being cast aside.

She believes Lena. It was a mistake. But it's a mistake on top of a mountain of canceled plans and smooth dodgings of countless invitations. Kara knows, in her heart of hearts, that Lena let her go a long time ago. The fact that Lena doesn't try to reach out in person cements that fact.

As time passes, that hurt remains sharp as the impulse to text Lena fades away, and soon, she trains herself not to think of it. But she can't forget.

Until one day, months after that final missed brunch, Kara hears a knock at her door. It's faint, hesitant. It's so unexpected, she pauses before answering. When she does, that pause allows the person on the other side to disappear, leaving an empty doormat. But the click of familiar footsteps down the hall jolts her back into action, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

"Lena?" She can't keep the hope from her voice, the surprise mingling with a sudden need to bring her back.

Lena freezes for a moment, then slowly turns back to face her. Her gaze remains downcast, her lips pressed into a trembling line. She's clearly fighting tears, and Kara can't help the protectiveness that surges to the forefront.

"What's happened?"

"I'm sorry," Lena coughs out, barely containing a sob. "You have every right to be angry with me. And I understand if you don't want to see me, I just--"

She reaches up with one hand to wipe at her eyes. Kara's eyes lock on the movement, and the way the hem of Lena's sleeve slips down, revealing angry purple bruises on her wrist. Kara meets Lena's gaze in an instant, alarm and rage suddenly sparking low in her belly.

Lena swallows more than once, before she finally gathers the voice to speak.

"I didn't know where else to go."

The whispered confession signals the breaking of the dam. Tears start to spill in earnest, and Lena's features crumple as she starts to cry.

In an instant, Kara wraps her arms around her friend, hugging her close. The gesture elicits another sob, and Lena sags into her embrace, relief and gratitude and a torrent of other emotions conveyed in the tight squeeze Lena gives in return.

"I'm sorry," Lena murmurs desperately. "I'm so sorry!"

Kara presses her hands against Lena's back more firmly, strengthening the embrace as tears of her own burn at her eyes. Guilt eats at her, finally faced with the truth she's suspected all along: she hasn't been the only one suffering in their separation.

"I'm sorry too."

---

When their crying jags peter out, Kara tugs Lena into her apartment without hesitation. Before long they're both installed on the couch, and Kara can't help but notice that Lena looks small in her turtleneck sweater. She keeps her sleeves tugged down over her wrists, almost like a nervous tic, and her shoulders curl in on herself, as though to take up as little space as possible.

She still trembles, clearly shaken by whatever has driven her here.

Kara presses a mug of warm tea into her hands, and sits at the far end of the couch facing her.

"Tell me," she says simply.

The story is simple-- an argument that started small but quickly grew bigger over a series of days, until a full on shouting match commenced. It wasn't anything unusual, Lena tells her, these days. They seem to fight more and more, but she'd thought it was just a growth phase, the inevitable friction as they adjusted to living together long term.

Until this morning, when everything changed in a snap.

A single comment, Lena doesn't even remember now what she said. A single comment from her and suddenly she'd been pinned against the wall with Tom's hand on her throat, squeezing the breath from her. His entire body weight had pressed against her, ensuring she couldn't wriggle away, even with his free hand pinning her wrist to the wall.

Lena hiccups then, sniffling back another round of tears threatening to spill.

"I've seen him angry," she whispers against a throat tight with emotion. "But nothing like this. His voice-- Kara, it scared me."

Kara reaches across the cushion to clasp Lena's hand, squeezing it gently. Lena's fingers tighten on hers in return. Then she huffs a mirthless laugh.

"And the stupid thing is, once he left I tried to rationalize it. That I had nagged him one step too far, that he was stressed, that it wouldn't happen again."

"But you still left," Kara reminds her. "That's what matters."

Lena smiles sadly at her. "And you want to know why? Because I heard you in my head, telling me I was being stupid." She shakes her head. "Because I know, I know that if it were anyone else I would tell them it would happen again, that it would only get worse."

Nodding, Kara scoots closer, until they're side by side. Lena leans against her, and Kara pulls their joined hands into her lap.

"I think I was being stupid for a long time before this happened," Lena continues. "I lost you. And the worst part is that I didn't realize that-- I think he wanted it that way."

Objectively, Kara knows the cycle of abuse. That it starts with good, even stellar behavior, then trends towards isolating their partner and building a dependence on themselves. And now she knows that their fallout had played right into it.

"I'm sorry," Kara murmurs. She gazes at Lena, her thumb rubbing softly against the back of Lena's hand. "And you're staying here, until you decide what you want to do."

"I'm not going back," Lena states plainly, steel creeping into her voice. "I won't. I just-- I need to tread carefully. And quickly."

"I'll help," Kara vows. "Whatever you need, okay?"

Lena nods faintly, finally letting her head rest on Kara's shoulder. "Thank you."

"You're not alone. Not anymore."

And never again, Kara adds silently.

Never again.

#supercorp #prev husband au #abuse #domestic violence #so it begins

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theculturedmarxist · 7 months

Text

Former progressive presidential candidate Bernie Sanders issued a second statement yesterday (12 October 2023) on the hecatomb in Israel and Gaza. The gist of what he had to say was that, before October 7th, everything was going along more or less swimmingly in the struggle for justice:

For years, people of good will throughout the world, including some brave Israelis, have struggled against the blockade of Gaza, the daily humiliations of occupation in the West Bank, and the horrendous living conditions faced by so many Palestinians.

But then, along came “Hamas’s terrorist assault,” which constituted “a major setback for any hope of justice for the Palestinian people” and “will make it much more difficult to address that tragic reality.”

Here is a reality check. “For years,” no one was doing anything to end the blockade of Gaza. Not Bernie. Not me. Not anyone. The people of Gaza—70 percent of whom are refugees (from the 1948 war) and half of whom are children—had been left to languish and die in what Hebrew University sociologist Baruch Kimmerling called “the largest concentration camp ever to exist.” The “people of good will throughout the world” were not “struggling against the blockade.” The world had moved on. On the eve of October 7, the Biden administration was cobbling together an agreement with Saudi Arabia that would have rendered null and void any prospect of “justice for the Palestinian people.”

Israel is not “at war” with a foreign entity, let alone a foreign state. Gaza is an integral part of Israel. “There is one regime governing the entire area from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea,” Israel’s leading human rights organization, B’Tselem, observed some years back, “based on a single organizing principle” of “Jewish supremacy.” What happened on October 7 was a slave revolt inside Israel.

The largest slave revolt in U.S. history against “White supremacy” was led by Nat Turner. Turner was a religious fanatic; he believed that the revolt was divinely inspired and sanctioned. Here’s how Wikipedia describes what ensued:

The rebels traveled from house to house, freeing enslaved people and killing many of the White people whom they encountered…. Historian Stephen B. Oates states that Turner called on his group to “kill all the white people”…. Turner thought that revolutionary violence would awaken the attitudes of Whites to the reality of the inherent brutality in slave-holding. Turner said he wanted to spread “terror and alarm” among Whites.

Scores of White innocents were deliberately killed. Nonetheless, the Nat Turner Rebellion now occupies an honored place in American history.

Turner’s rebellion provoked mass genocidal hysteria among Whites. To gain one’s moral bearings at this fraught moment, it repays to peruse the statement issued by the great Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison right after the revolt:

What we have so long predicted,—at the peril of being stigmatized as an alarmist and declaimer,—has commenced its fulfilment. The first step of the earthquake, which is ultimately to shake down the fabric of oppression, leaving not one stone upon another, has been made. The first drops of blood, which are but the prelude to a deluge from the gathering clouds, have fallen. The first flash of lightning, which is to smite and consume, has been felt. The first wailings of bereavement, which is to clothe the earth in sackcloth, have broken up our ears.

…

The crime of oppression is national. The south is only the agent in this guilty traffic. But, remember! The same causes are at work which must inevitably produce the same effects; and when the contest shall have again begun, it must be again a war of extermination. In the present instance, no quarters have been asked or given.

But we have killed and routed them now—we can do it again and again—we are invincible! A dastardly triumph, well becoming a nation of oppressors. Detestable complacency, that can think, without emotion, of the extermination of the blacks! We have the power to kill all—let us, therefore, continue to apply the whip and forge new fetters!

In his fury against the revolters, who will remember their wrongs? What will it avail them, though the catalogue of their sufferings, dripping with warm blood fresh from their lacerated bodies, be held up to extenuate their conduct? It is enough that the victims were black—that circumstance makes them less precious than the dogs which have been slain in our streets! They were black—brutes, pretending to be men—legions of curses upon their memories! They were black—God made them to serve us!

Ye patriotic hypocrites! ye panegyrists of Frenchmen, Greeks, and Poles! ye fustian declaimers for liberty! ye valiant sticklers for equal rights among yourselves! ye haters of aristocracy! ye assailants of monarchies! ye republican nullifiers! ye treasonable disunionists! Be dumb! Cast no reproach upon the conduct of the slaves, but let your lips and cheeks wear the blisters of condemnation!

Ye accuse the pacific friends of emancipation of instigating the slaves to revolt. Take back the charge as a foul slander. The slaves need no incentives at our hands. They will find them in their stripes—in their emaciated bodies—in their ceaseless toil—in their ignorant minds—in every field, in every valley, on every hill-top and mountain, wherever you and your fathers have fought for liberty—in your speeches, your conversations, your celebrations, your pamphlets, your newspapers—voices in the air, sounds from across the ocean, invitations to resistance above, below, around them! What more do they need? Surrounded by such influences, and smarting under their newly made wounds, is it wonderful that they should rise to contend—as other heroes have contended—for their lost rights? It is not wonderful.

In all that we have written, is there aught to justify the excesses of the slaves? No. Nevertheless, they deserve no more censure than the Greeks in destroying the Turks, or the Poles in exterminating the Russians, or our fathers in slaughtering the British. Dreadful, indeed, is the standard erected by worldly patriotism!

For ourselves, we are horror-struck at the late tidings. We have exerted our utmost efforts to avert the calamity. We have warned our countrymen of the danger of persisting in their unrighteous conduct. We have preached to the slaves the pacific precepts of Jesus Christ. We have appealed to christians, philanthropists, and patriots, for their assistance to accomplish the great work of national redemption through the agency of moral power—of public opinion—of individual duty. How have we been received? We have been threatened, proscribed, vilified, and imprisoned—a laughing-stock and a reproach. Do we falter, in view of these things? Let time answer. If we have been hitherto urgent, and bold, and denunciatory in our efforts,—hereafter we shall grow vehement and active with the increase of danger. We shall cry, in trumpet tones, night and day,—Wo to this guilty land, unless she speedily repent of her evil doings! The blood of millions of her sons cries aloud for redress! IMMEDIATE EMANCIPATION alone can save her from the vengeance of Heaven, and cancel the debt of ages!

It is to be noted that, whereas he stated that the “excesses of the slaves” could not be justified and he was “horror-struck at the late tidings,” William Lloyd Garrison did not condemn the slave revolt.

#bernie sanders #nat turner #israel palestine conflict #norman finkelstein

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draconicsparkle · 1 year

Text

We have arrived at the Lighthouse. Shall we investigate what it hides?

And perhaps, dare to stir up the creature within? What reaction might it have to a disturbance? When its patience is tested? Are you curious enough to find out?

Very well, let us commence. But beware of the disturbing sights that are to come.

“Hinata. Another experiment on the subject will be happening tomorrow. You are to meet us at the front doors before breakfast to receive instructions.”

That had been what Hajime had been told upon leaving Izuru behind for the evening after turning in the test results. Needless to say, he was frustrated. Would they ever learn that Izuru needed to be left alone? That the experiments they ran would only end up in fatalities and accidents?

But he had simply nodded and agreed. He had to keep giving them the illusion that they could control him. He had to wait until the right moment. But until that day arrived, he would do as they say.

So that’s how he found himself in front of a group of security guards, doctors, and… Yasuke Matsuda? What was he doing here? He knew the Ultimate Neurologist was enlisted to help with the experiments every now and again, but they rarely interacted. So why was he here?

He got his answer soon enough. “Hinata, Matsuda. You are to leave the premises for the first half of the day. We will tell Matsuda when we will allow you back inside.”

The security guards grabbed their keycards off their belts and grabbed Hajime’s arms, forcefully pushing him out of the building. And when they shoved him away from the doors, they locked behind them. He tried the handle to no avail, panic beginning to set in. “No! You can’t do this! Izuru Kamukura needs me to help him! Let me back in!”

“Stop wasting your time and energy. It’s pointless. You had to be removed for the experiment,” Yasuke bluntly stated, looking unamused and unimpressed.

Hajime slowly released his death grip on the handle and turned to face the other. “What exactly is going on? What is this experiment?” he asked, glaring at the neurologist.

Yasuke looked unaffected. “They want to see how he reacts to you being replaced. They know he likes you enough to not kill you. They want to see if he is more temperamental, or simply focused on you.” He shrugged. “And if it puts your simple mind at ease, he’s supposed to be fed. By someone else, though.”

But instead of calming him down, this news sent a wave of rage through Hajime. He stormed away from the building, chain clinking violently with his steps. He walked until he found a large tree to collapse against. He stared down at the ground, furious and unsure what to do with this energy. He had half a mind to punch the tree, but withheld as he didn’t want to hurt his hands. He needed them to care for Izuru.

So he clenched his fists as he seethed, raising his head to look at the clouds. The calming blue and lazy clouds did have an effect on him, the anger simmering down to a controllable degree. He was still angry, but not to the point of potential violence. He could do this.

“Is your little tantrum done?” Yasuke’s voice cut through the silence.

Hajime felt his irritation grow a hint higher, but he only allowed it that much. He turned his head to see Yasuke nearby, arms crossed and annoyed. He took a breath and asked a question. “What details were you given on this experiment?”

The neurologist raised an eyebrow, but replied anyway. “As I said, they are testing his patience with a new person. And they chose quite the candidate. A former drill sergeant from the military, one who was terminated for misconduct.”

This time, Hajime was the one to raise an eyebrow. “What kind of misconduct?”

“He was neglectful to those under his care. He forced them to do as he said and exhausted them beyond what is considered appropriate. Let the power of his position go to his head. And from my observations, he doesn’t appear to have changed that much. Hence why the staff hired him on. I’m sure they expect him to fail.”

“They sent him in to die,” Hajime concluded. The head staff here were not precious about human life outside of their own. Sacrifices were often and frequent here. He had seen it happen countless times. And he knew he himself had been intended to be a sacrificial lamb. But none had expected him to survive.

“Right. So don’t be eager to return, Servant of Hope. Unless you want to be caught in the crossfire.”

A bout of silence overtook them again. Neither of them felt the need to say much to each other; they didn’t interact often and when they did, it typically left one of them less than pleased. That was fine with Hajime. He wasn’t here to make friends. He was there for one reason and one reason only.

Hours passed, every second feeling like an eternity. Out of necessity, Yasuke had to leave the property temporarily to get food for them both. He had insisted he go alone as Hajime would have drawn too much attention with his chain and eye covering. But he returned swiftly, as he was still supervising the caretaker. It never stopped being tense, even after food. Hajime was just stuck thinking over what was happening in the Lighthouse. It was Izuru’s lunch time soon. Was he eating? Was the replacement being rough with him? He swore that if even a hair was out of place on Izuru, he would kill the drill sergeant himself so that the Ultimate Hope wouldn’t need to bother.

But it seemed like that was unnecessary. That much was evident as Yasuke’s phone began ringing and the sound of frantic voices were audible once he answered.

The neurologist didn’t visibly react, as he had expected something like this to occur. He just confirmed they were heading back and hung up. “They need you back. I’m sure you can guess what happened.”

“A bloody mess splattered everywhere.” Hajime grimaced as he imagined what had happened. But he didn’t care about the potential mess as long as Izuru was okay. “Let’s go back, now.”

Thankfully, Yasuke didn’t disagree. So the two hurried as fast as they could back to the building. The doors opened as soon as they got close, the doctors beckoning them inside. Only now, they didn’t look so confident. They looked… disturbed.

“What happened?” Yasuke demanded, still not displaying any emotion.

“It… would be easier to just show you,” one of the doctors replied, gesturing them into the security room with various cameras on display. One of them was black, as if not turned on. Another doctor pointed to it. “The temporary caretaker was required to wear a camera as he performed his duties. We were keeping an eye on him through it. The footage has been saved, so we can play it back.”

Yasuke tilted his head as he crossed his arms. “And why is the camera not on currently?”

“You’ll see,” was all that was said. A few buttons were pressed, then the screen flickered to life, showing the room exactly what had occurred.

**********

The footage started when the man was in the elevator. He was grumbling and muttering under his breath, which the camera picked up.

“What are they doing here? Why assign me to this station? Degraded to a caretaker of some freak? This is not befitting of someone of my stature. But after today, they will surely see reason. They will put me where I belong. Above others as a commander. They will see. I’ll wrangle this beast they fear into submission.”

The elevator dinged, the metal doors opened. The pristine white hallways that Hajime was familiar with were now in view. The man pushed the cart in front of him, approaching the locked door with no sign of hesitation. It made Hajime wonder if the staff had truly debriefed this replacement of what Izuru was capable of.

Regardless, the man scanned a card, Hajime’s card, and entered the room. A room that many would not dare approach. Soon, the Ultimate Hope was in the camera’s line of sight.

Instantly, Hajime could tell that Izuru was not happy. His smile was empty, eyes cold, and mouth sealed shut. He did not make any noise. He was as silent as death itself.

But that only seemed to make the man hesitate for a few moments. His gruff voice soon began barking out orders. “Alright, you maggot. You are going to listen and cooperate with my instructions. And wipe that grin off your face. This isn’t a day at the fair. This is your imprisonment. So listen and listen well to those above you. And I might just let you off easy.”

Silence. Izuru didn’t move, simply staring. And based on the angle of the camera, it looked as though the red eyes were directed right at the other’s own eyes.

But this only enraged the man. “Useless and worthless! That’s what you are! If you weren’t confined to this room, I would be putting you through the most grueling exercises! I bet you wouldn’t be smiling after that!” He grabbed Izuru’s pale arm roughly, shoving the sedative syringe into him. “As punishment, you get no food. Perhaps you will be more obedient at lunch.” The man then turned and violently shoved the cart out.

The camera cut out soon after, the screen remaining dark for a few seconds. But it came back to life again, with the man still muttering while in the elevator. He returned to the locked door, scanning the card and clipping it on his belt. The door slid shut with a click as the man stepped into the room while dragging the cart in. “Well, freak of nature, it’s time again. Let’s see if you are willing to listen… now…”

The man’s voice changed in an instant. Instead of a loud, boisterous tone, it turned into one riddled with terror. The camera on him showed the reason why.

Izuru was standing in the middle of the room, eyes wide and smile menacing. It was clear in its message: this intruder was not welcome or liked by the room’s resident.

It was a sight that would make anyone afraid. And it was evident by the camera beginning to vibrate that the temporary caretaker was terrified. He tried to turn and leave, rustling around for the keycard. “What? Where is it!? The card was right here!”

A faint jingling noise began right after his words. The shaking stopped, as if the noise froze him in fear. It was something right out of a horror movie.

Not having much choice, the man slowly turned around. And the location of the keycard was confirmed, being delicately pinched in Izuru’s long, pale fingers. The experiment tilted his head slightly and gently shook the card again, as if teasing the replacement caretaker.

“How… how did you… get that?” the man feebly asked.

He got no reply, only Izuru extending an arm out with the card loosely held in his fingers. As if acting on instinct, the man lunged forward and snatched the card, turning back to the card reader and scanning it. “Let me out! Get me out of here! It’s a monster!”

Instead of the normal speed, the electronic door began opening painfully slowly. As if it too was teasing the frightened man. The lights also began flickering, cutting in and out in the hallway outside the containment room. And if one listened closely, over the sound of heavy breathing, various explosions could be heard from somewhere below. It was as if all the electronic equipment were going haywire from the card being scanned.

The man didn’t seem to want to ponder over this, as the door had opened just enough for him to try and squeeze through. He shoved himself in, upper torso first. It almost looked as though he would make it.

Hajime knew better. A pained scream proved his prediction.

The electronic hiss of the doors returned to normal after they had abruptly closed. And they slowly opened again, allowing the bisected body caught in the middle to slump to the ground. The camera began getting fuzzy as the blood seeped into it and its wearer’s clothing. But it caught one last thing. The visual of Izuru’s arm delicately plucking the keycard from the dying man’s loosened grip.

“I’ll take this,” a calm, yet sinister voice said.

Then the camera cut out.

**********

“We called you pretty much right after this occurred. He wasn’t given the afternoon sedatives and he has the card. He could be trying to escape. We need you to confirm his location,” a doctor told Hajime with urgency, a hand on his shoulder guiding him towards the elevator. “You are the only one who can survive him. Go get him under control.”

Hajime swallowed the question on whether the elevator would even be operational with the electronic malfunctions that occured. He was positive it would. After all, Izuru was surely waiting for him.

He was correct, as the metal doors opened and allowed him access. They closed and he began ascending. He took this time to breathe deeply and calm himself. He needed to ensure Izuru was alright. The mess left behind could wait until after.

But he was in for another surprise. When the elevator opened up and he stepped out, there was no mess to be seen. Not a single speck of blood. Only two things looked slightly out of place. The cart near the wall with filled garbage bags, and the keycard laying innocently in front of the closed containment room.

Did… Izuru clean this up? Wanting to get an answer, Hajime didn’t hesitate to grab the card and scan it. The door opened with no issues, allowing him inside.

“Welcome back, my dear caretaker.”

Izuru was there, sitting under his covers and reclining against his pillows. How he usually was when Hajime came in.

“Sir, are you alright? I saw the footage. He was not gentle at all with you. I’m so sorry you had to experience that. They forced me out of the building. I didn’t want to leave you with another, I swear!” he rambled, feeling strangely guilty.

But the guilt vanished with a gentle shake of the head. “I figured as much. I know you would never leave me. But it doesn't matter anymore. You are here now.”

The caretaker breathed a sigh of relief. The retreating panic made way for curiosity. “Uh, may I ask… where…?”

Izuru smirked. “Oh, I think you can figure that out.”

Hajime looked behind him, as if he could see the garbage bags through the door. “Y-yeah… I think I know. But… why did…?”

Again, Izuru predicted his question. “Why did I wait until this time to deal with him? Simple. I didn’t want to create a mess for you to have to clean. But I lost my patience with him, so I took care of matters. Both extermination and clean up. There is nothing for you to worry about now, my dear caretaker.” He then nodded to the keycard in his hands. “Also, do take care to keep a tight hold on that. I sense that it will now affect others differently than it does yourself.”

Hajime held the keycard to his chest tightly. “It won’t leave my side. I’ll do my best to ensure that.”

Izuru hummed. “See that you do. Now then, my dear caretaker, I do have a request for you.”

Hajime nodded. “Anything, sir. What do you need?”

Izuru smiled, this one more genuine than the ones on the footage. “I am quite hungry. Would you go acquire some sustenance for me?”

A simple request. And one that made Hajime crack a smile. “A man was just cut in half in your doorway. I’m kind of impressed you have an appetite after that.”

Izuru let out a humorless chuckle. “All I did was squash a pest. Nothing more.”

The caretaker fluffed the pillow behind the long white locks and brought the blanket up to fit more snuggly around the thin body. “I shall go and make you something. I won't be long. Just relax until I get back, okay?”

“So reliable. So devoted. Truly, you are the only capable one for this role,” Izuru said, closing his eyes and evening his breathing out.

“Your words mean the world to me. Thank you, sir,” Hajime replied. He backed out of the doorway, the doors not closing until he was far away. He glanced over at the loaded cart, but only for a moment. He would deal with that later. He had a far more important task to do.

Masterpost

#danganronpa #nagito komaeda #hajime hinata #komahina #fanfic #au #nagizuru au #nagizuru #lighthouse au

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itsagrimm · 2 years

Text

The Fire

Cad Bane X she/her able-bodied reader

Beta read by the amazing @queenquazar , Duros biology got some input by the equally amazing Spoiledyoghurt (Ao3)

Note: kinda forgot that we actually have Cad Bane’s official ship name. Just pretend I always used “The Justifier”. sorry.

CN: violence, mentions of alcohol and being drunk, guns and weapons, bit of stalker-ish behavior, fighting, arson, getting carried and grabbed, biting, tracking, hunting

5k words

The Hat Collection Masterlist

After three rotations of travel, the ship left hyperspace and Nar Shaddaa - the smuggler's moon and heart of the galactic criminal world - was in front of you.

It was an implausible sight. While sitting in the co-pilot's seat you stared at it, yet unable to grasp what your eyes perceived. You had read about Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa and other ecumenopolis, where entire surfaces of planets or moons were covered in urban sprawl. Yet seeing it felt like seeing a droid’s absurd dream.

“Dank farrik.” You whispered.

Boba pushed a few buttons and commenced landing while you had little choice but to watch and wait. You did not know how to pilot and had little experience traveling through space. It was expensive and you were not the type of person swimming in credits.

A jolt went through the ship as it tilted and you finally landed on the plattform. With the gravity shift, you suddenly had to crawl out of the cockpit to follow Boba to the exit where he turned towards you.

“Remember,” he said. “This is just a quick stop to mostly get some attention. Stay close to me. It’s dangerous here.”

You nodded without arguing. At some point he had to look away from you, giving you a chance to slip away. Better to keep Boba in the illusion of your humility.

“Let’s go.” Boba called and stepped off the ship.

The landing platform and local harbor sprawled as far as you could see. Trask had a decent size harbor, bringing in a steady amount of travelers into your cantina. This was bigger than any harbor you had ever seen. Ships landed and started wherever you looked, and people of all kinds moved and scurried around. It was a fascinating sight.

All of them were armed.

Suddenly Boba with his head to toe armor did not appear as outlandish as he had on Trask. Rather it was you who was noticeably off without a blaster or practical protective gear in your simple, unwashed, and partially borrowed clothing.

I look weak.

Instantly you lifted your head up and straightened your shoulders in a sorry attempt to hide that. The last thing you needed in escaping Boba was getting caught by somebody else.

“We’ll walk around a bit. Do some shopping first.” Boba explained and took you by the hand.

It was an odd gesture, nearly like a child gripping their parent’s hand.

You squeezed reassuringly to not betray your plans of getting away from him the first moment he would let go.

Boba led you through several streets and alleys until you reached a huge place on the surface full of neat market stands offering every imaginable or unimaginable thing in the galaxy. Droids and sentiments with the ability to fly, moved above your head, carrying around packages of what must be goods from the market. And voices called around you - some in Galactic Basic, Huttese or Ryl but most foreign and unknown to you.

Boba elbowed his way through, while dragging you behind him.

At a market stand for fruits and meal kits he stopped, ordered a bunch of things to be delivered to the ship, before turning towards you.

“Do you need anything?”

“Oh, I have a say in that?” You stared at him in disbelief.

“What?” He shrugged. “Do you think after 3 rotations of you shivering and borrowing my clothes, I won’t ask? No, my dad taught me to treat women better.”

“Oh, Boba,” You could not help yourself teasing him. ”Are you worried about me or about running out of clean socks?”

Boba tilted his head. With his helmet it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

“Both,” He finally admitted.

“How chivalrous. Your dad must be proud.”

He paused. “We will travel on for a while after this. If you need something, now is the time to get it.” He finally explained.

“Do I get a permanent toothbrush spot in the refresher too?”

You felt like you accidentally developed x-ray-sight for you could see how Boba rolled his eyes under his helmet. “I have a few things I need.” You returned to a more casual tone, dropping the teasing. Best to leave Boba the illusion of you staying close to him.

Boba nodded as you listed a few plausible things - toiletries and some clothes. Again, like a man on a mission, Boba took you by the hand and moved you to one stall after another to get your things. Silently, he paid for everything and ordered it to be delivered to the ship before pushing his way out of the market area and into a darker alley. Dutifully, and without a chance to escape his iron grip, you tagged along.

“Now that we got everything,” Boba started, “Let’s get us some attention.”

“Have you come up with something?” You inquired, hoping it was something to help you get out.

“Yes.” Boba swallowed audibly through the modulator. ”We're gonna pick a fight in a cantina.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Pretty sure just a cantina fight will not draw enough attention. They happen here every day.”

Having seen all those weapons everybody on Nar Shaddaa wore around so casually, you weren’t particularly keen on starting a fight.

“We will have to make it convincing then. It will work.” Boba stated without much room for argument.

Stars help me.

XXX

Cad Bane had promised himself only to pass through the market where TODO had claimed to see her. Bane swore that he hadn’t packed up quickly and wasn’t actively looking for his lil’ loth cat. And, he nearly persuaded himself that he didn’t take a detour to his ship just for the chance of catching a glimpse for her.

No, this was ridiculous and he needed to get it together. He needed to return to his life as a bounty hunter and ban all thoughts of her into that sorry little corner of his mind, where he ventured only during especially dark, lonely or drunk moments of his life.

He stalked through the shadows of the backstreets; always on the lookout and avoiding being seen out of habit for all those enemies and unfriendly acquaintances he had made on the long way to becoming who he was now.

“I wonder how she got here to Nar Shaddaa?” TODO babbled right next to him. ”I accidentally passed her and would not believe my photonic receptors, so I scanned her just to make sure but-”

Bane growled to shut the droid up. The last thing he needed was a droid giving input about the woman he tried to forget. Already being here was a vulnerability Bane hated to admit to.

Pushing his hat down, he made his way nearly to the space harbor before coming to an abrupt halt.

Right in front of him, only a few short steps out of the shadows, and about to enter a sleazy cantina, was the lil’ loth cat. Gravity pulled him towards her like she was a massive star and he - nothing but a little rock drifting in space, getting crushed and set ablaze just by her presence.

He stared at her, unable to move.

She walked with her chin high and her back upright. As always, she punished the world around her with a gaze that could melt Hoth if the glaciers there gave her a reason to. Combined with it, was the nearly ever present teasing smirk on her lips, ready to laugh even Death in the face. And yet, with his sharp Duro senses he saw her little human heart beat and that delicious spot at her neck move rhythmically.

Brave lil’ one.

He could not suppress his admiration for her. Even being in one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy and with her heart beating in fear, lil’ lady proved herself admirably stoic from the outside.

Someone called her and grabbed her by the hand.

It irked Bane how harshley this stranger grabbed her, suppressing a disapproving growl to not draw attention to himself. He followed the armored arm up with his eyes to the face of the sorry creature Bane briefly considered tearing into pieces for touching her like that, before he froze in motion.

It was Jango’s helmet.

XXX

You glanced around the cantina. It was not much different than the one you worked at back home.

Home.

What a funny thing to think of now. There was no way you could ever return there, it would be the first place for the bounty hunters to look for her.

Another thought you pushed away to concentrate on the here and now.

The room was mostly lit by the rays of natural light falling through the transpari steel windows and illuminated screens showing bounties and the local menu. You rolled your eyes at the menu.

3 brands of cheap spotchka and thinly brewd kork beer.

The professional barkeeper in you was disappointed. The people of Nar Shaddaa deserved better drinks.

“You want a drink?”, Boba asked and pushed you softly towards the counter.

“Hoth, no.”

He tilted his helmed head in question, making you sigh.

“Kork beer is basically just water,” You explained. “And ‘Blue Yonder’, ‘the Spirit’s Spirit‘ and ‘Abyss’ are famously bad spotchka brands. I would even be hesitant calling ‘Blue Yonder’ spotchka.”

It was true. As a barkeeper you had tried basically every liquor brand tolerable to humans at least once. You had to know what you were serving to your customers after all. But as much as cutting costs was necessary in every cantina you worked before, all those brands and especially the most affordable ‘Blue Yonder’ was known to be no more than ethanol mixed with a bit of meiloorun juice to give it some flavor and coloring. It tasted like someone mixed ship fuel with sweetener. You vividly remembered the burning, nearly painful sensation of the little sample. You had shared it with your boss, before collectively deciding that even the cheapest way to get to blue yonder was not worth ‘Blue Yonder’.

“That bad, huh?” Boba concluded.

“Oh, yes. Drinking this feels like aging a thousand times faster on the spot.”

“Well, you will know more about aging,” The teen chuckled.

“Oi,” you protested playfully, “Have a little more respect for your elders.”

Boba just chuckled more and leaned against the counter.

“Okay, who should we start with?”He asked.

“Boba,” you asked carefully, eyeing him with worry. “Are you suggesting you just beat one of them up?”

“Why not?”

You were at a loss of words.

“Boba, no…” You tried.

“What? Are you scared?”

“Don’t dare me like a kid,” Annoyance dripped off your words. “This just feels a bit … excessive. Is that really necessary?”

“It will give us the attention we need.”

You looked around the sorry cantina guests staring into their cups, mumbling with each other or sleeping in varying positions of comfort.

“Are you sure this-” You stilled as a tall shadow appeared in the entrance.

XXX

Bane retreated more into the shadows of the alley to consider his next steps. The Duro hunting instinct pushed him to just get into the cantina, blasters blazing and get his woman.

But she wasn’t his. He had pushed her away. He didn't even know how she got here. Maybe she wanted this.

His mouth sunk into a disapproving curve. It was rude and invasive of him to perceive her this way, but something pushed him to check if she was okay and find out how she got here. And then he would back off and leave her be.

Yeah, just check. This means nothing. But this armor…

“TODO,” he growled, “Get to the Harbor and request the list of ships currently docked.”

“But I am not a protocol-”

Bane groaned in annoyance.

“After you get it, send it to me before returning to The Justifier and preparing my ship for take off. Got it?”

“Of course, Master Bane.” The droid chirped and went off.

Alone, the bounty hunter leaned against the wall and collected his thoughts. The last news he had of Jango Fett, his former partner, was of his death. And yet someone was here, wearing exactly that armor right next to his - no, the lil’ lady. He was sure it was the same armor, even with the change in color. He had seen that armor so often, memorized every dent, every scratch, every clasp he had to open to get the skin beneath it. Bane was ready to swear on his life and a considerable amount of his fortune that this was Jango’s armor.

But how?

Who?

and why?

He snarled disapprovingly. Jango had left years ago only to get himself killed by a Jedi. Damn Jedi. Another reason to hate them. They had taken the chance from Bane to ask Jango what had made him leave and then, considering Jango’s reason, maybe beheading the old rattle box himself. But Jango was dead. And yet someone was there wearing the armor and dragging the loth cat lady around.

Bane felt his Duro hunting instincts tingle. He took a deep breath not to get lost in the deep detached and concentrated Duro-on-the-hunt-state. As much as he enjoyed the simplicity of the fight, he needed his mind clear and present.

He peeked under the brim of his hat and considered his options.

XXX

Cold sweat gathered on your temples at the sight of Aurra and Bossk entering the cantina. Aurra stalked closer with steady and determined steps while Bossk stopped and leaned next to the only exit in sight, guarding it.

“Well, well, well,” Aurra purred in a strange friendly voice as she reached the bar. “Look who we got here?”

“Aurra, good to see you.” Boba greeted equally superficially before casually stepping in front of you and getting his armored body between you and the tall armed bounty hunter.

“Hi,” You managed, already regretting speaking up. You really needed to learn how to shut up.

Aurra shot you a look and you suppressed a flinch, instead smiling politely.

“Boba,” Aurra continued while leaning casually against the bar. ”Care to introduce us? I recall seeing this human on Trask before you left us there out of the blue…”

“Yeah, about that.” Boba continued. “This is my aunt. You understand that in my circum-”

“Your aunt?” the woman sneered. “From your mothers side?”

With fast and strong fingers she grabbed Boba at the side of the helmet and slammed him on the top of the bar counter before Boba could reply anything.

“Don’t give me this bantha crap, Boba.“ Aurra hissed. “Who is this woman? Does she have a connection to Bane? Did you get her away from us so that you would not have to share the reward from luring him out and bringing him in?”

Boba staggered and gripped the counter to recover from the hit.

He groaned.

You stared at the two bounty hunters in front of you. Boba might be your kidnapper but he was effectively a polite, somewhat troubled kid. Aurra on the other hand… You felt a rush of deep seated fear surfacing as she looked up and stared at you with piercing eyes.

“Enlighten me,” she challenged. “Who are you and what do you have to do with Bane?”

“Oh,” You managed while stepping backwards before being able to stop yourself. “Sorry for causing so much trouble. I haven’t seen my nephew in years. His mother and I drifted apart so I did not recognize dear little Boba first. Hadn’t seen each other in years.”

Aurra smiled maliciously.

Shit, You said something wrong.

You felt yourself lean against the counter to get closer to anything you could use as a weapon.

“Oh yeah? So Boba is your sister's son?”

Boba huffed and straightened up again.

You peeked over the counter. Just big spotchka bottles, cups and a few boxes of matches. Kriff.

“U-hu. One big happy family reunion” You managed.

“Touching. Family truly is something special.”

Aurra drew her blaster from the holster on her thigh and aimed at you.

You stopped breathing.

“Stop playing around. I hate being lied to and I retaliate on principle for it.”

“Aurra.” Boba spoke up again. “I can explain, lower your weapon. Please.”

A part of you registered the teens pleading tone for your life. But most of you could not think about anything other than the massive blaster trained at you. You were going to die. You felt yourself getting shaky and weak in the knees before you took a quick breath.

No, kriff them all. This ain’t the end of it yet.

You smiled at Aurra, not averting your gaze from her, and pushed down your fear.

“It was disappointingly easy to predict you would go to Nar Shaddaa, Boba.” Aurra hissed. “It's always Coruscant, Tatooine or Nar Shaddaa with the beginners. And Nar Shaddaa was the closest. But now tell me who this woman is, for she sure as Hoth is not your aunt. Or, I'll shoot her.”

Before Aurra could trigger the blaster, she stumbled. Boba had tackled her, using her being distracted by you. A blaster bolt hissed past you and you crouched down to avoid more shots.

You looked around, everything fell apart around you. Aurra and Boba rolled over the floor and fought to get the upper hand. Other customers of the cantina drew their weapons and encircled the two fighters on the floor while others crawled under the table to hide from more possible blaster bolts.

Someone grabbed you by the neck from behind.

“Tell me, why are you so much trouble? You must be valuable.” It was another customer. A tall, human and unfortunately strong man had picked you up as if you weighed nothing.

“Let me go!” You demanded, kicking and shoving against him.

He only laughed at you before you lashed out at him, scratching at him and aiming for the eyes. In surprise he let go of you, dropping you onto the floor. Disoriented, you tried crawling away from him but he caught you by the leg and pulled you closer. You cried out in surprise and kicked at his hand, hearing an ugly sound of some bones breaking. The man yelled in pain yet did not let go. You kicked again, aiming at the other hand grabbing onto your leg.

Before you could land another hit someone jumped over you and crashed into the man. You did not waste time checking who it was and stumbled up, turning to the door. The cantina had completely fallen into chaos with customers brawling, Aurra holding Boba in a headlock while the teen kicked his head back up to land a hit at her jaw, Bossk and your attacker behind you interlocked in another violent mess of limbs and heavy breathing. So it must have been the trandoshan who had intervened for you.

With Bossk gone from guarding the door, there was nothing stopping you from fleeing. You made a short step in the direction of the door before reconsidering and grabbing a few bottles of cheap spotchka and matches. With the heavy load in your hands you stumbled through the fighting mess, before making it to the door. Quickly you opened the bottles and started pouring them out in the doorway. You needed to gain time to flee, making it hard or impossible for the bounty hunters to follow you.

Determined you lit up a match and threw it at the blue liquid.

Instantly the cheap spotchka caught fire, roaring high and hungry and - most importantly - making it pretty impossible for anyone to follow you outside this way.

You stumbled away from the flames and into the alley. Smoke was rising up and you coughted, first time becoming aware of how heavy you were breathing and how hot you felt from the fight.

You turned around and started to run as fast as possible, leaving the angry shouts behind you and ignoring the pain in your lungs. As fast as you could you made through the alleys - further and further into the deep dark streets of Nar Shaddaa - running, stumbling, crawling. At some point you left the surface and went down using the stairs and lifts in the hope of shaking off any possible pursuer and even jumping over a few chasm’s between walkways just to make sure.

After you felt like you would pass out from your lungs hurting, you dared stopping at a little, secluded corner and leaned against a wall.

Tired and defeated, you slid down. You took a few deep breaths of air to help the pain in your lungs subside. After a while of controlled breathing you started to feel better, your legs still shaky yet not as boneless as the last few desperate jumps you made to escape.

You bend your knees who had gotten bruised at some point, and hug yourself before finally allowing yourself to feel. Tears started to roll down your cheeks and little gasps escaped you, fighting for air again as everything came crashing down on you.

You had fought.

You had fought for your life and then you had set a fire to help you escape. You had been kidnapped, attacked, threatened, insulted, yelled at - all for a man that wasn’t even there.

Frustrated, you punched against the wall next to you.

Kriff, that hurt.

You wanted to go home, back on Trask to crawl into your bed and sleep. You wanted to take a long hot bath, get some fresh clothes and then lament about the whole experience to Luna while stealing some of the good spotchka from the cantina. You wanted to have a good cooked meal with some time to enjoy it and be alone for a while. You wanted to forget that boy Boba who talked about hurting people as if it’s nothing. Or Bossk who stared down at you like you were nothing. Or Aurra who’s piercing stare made you feel looked at like a little insect under a magnifying glass.

But instead you had become the perceived key for all of them to a man who obviously was gone - yet everybody was out there to remind you of him.

Cad Bane, if I ever cross your path again, I’m gonna slap you for this.

You allowed yourself a few more luxurious moments of wailing and self-pity. As the tears washed away a little bit of that burden resting on your shoulders, you hugged your bruised knees closer to your body and started thinking about what to do now.

XXX

Cad Bane would have starred at the lil’ loth cat lady doing arson with raised eyebrows if he had any body hair. Watching her splashing and pouring the spotchka generously into the doorway and then torching up the place took guts. And it had been an effective way to stop anyone following her, maybe even killing a few of her pursuers.

He felt himself nodding silently in appreciation for her displayed work. Maybe the lil’ loth cat had it under control, finding her path through the galaxy and doing what needed to be done to ensure her safety without his help. She clearly did not need anyone as far as Bane was concerned. He had seen professionals doing worse. Maybe it was time to leave; do some work, whore around and get drunk to forget her.

He was about to leave as he watched Bossk finally shoot through the reinforced transpari steel window and stumble out of the burning cantina. Right after him was Aurra, a bunch of people Bane did not recognize, and the person in Jango Fett’s armor. All of them coughed, wretched or collapsed into the street.

“Where issss she?” Bane heard Bossk yell between coughs. “Where did ssssshe go? Can’t sssseel a kriffing thing due to the sssmoke.”

Aurra coughed violently and shook her head.

“Boba!” The huge trandoshan managed to call between coughs before getting up to his full size and grabbing the person in Jango’s armor.

“Who issss that woman, Boba?” The trandoshan growled, squinting his eyes. “Tell me now or I sssswear you will die here on the ssssspot.”

Boba, the person wearing the armor, stayed silent. Bane had to give the stranger some credit for not whimpering and breaking instantly under Bossk’s angry gaze.

The trandoshan sighed, ripped off the helmet and pushed Boba against the next wall.

“Ssspeak!”

Bane felt like something was off with gravity. The revealed face under Jango’s helmet was Jango. Younger maybe. But it was identical.

Anger, rage and regret roared up their ugly heads inside of him, clawing from his mind at his sanity. This was impossible.

It can’t be Jango.

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk” said the boy with Jango’s face and voice. Bane flinched at the sound.

“The woman is connected to Bane. Maybe his lover or girlfriend. Not sure what exactly but worth a try to draw him out this way. That's why I brought her here.” The boy coughed. “By causing enough ruckus he would hear about her being in danger and show up. Let me go and I’ll find her.”

Bane felt gravity shift a second time. He was the reason she was in danger. Instead of ensuring her safety he was the reason his lil’ loth cat was in danger. And from none other than his closest colleagues and competitors Aurra and Bossk.

And whoever that miniature-Jango over there was.

But why? Why this interest in finding him? Bounty hunter came and went. And he just had taken a bit of time off.

Something wasn’t adding up.

Bane closed his eyes, listened to Aurra, Bossk and Boba coughing their lungs out in the hopes of gathering more intel only to hear nothing except more painful and dry gasps.

Impatiently Bane drummed with his finger against the brim of his hat.

He had to find her first, he was sure of that.

Just to make sure she was safe, nothing more of course.

And he had to apologize for causing her all of this.

This mess with the Hutts, the wrong Jango, Aurra and Bossk had to wait.

He needed to track her first.

His mind calmed as Bane slipped into his predatory hunting state of mind, thinking of nothing but her, remembering her warm human skin, her hair, her proud gaze and most and foremost - her smell.

Bane stalked through the streets of Nar Shaddaa tracking the lady. It was rare for him to tap into his duros predatoriness this much. He liked using his mind more instead of relying on purely his tracking instincts. And in a world full with spaceships and racers they rarely were useful anyway. But now, he needed the sharpness of his senses focused to find her despite the many distracting smells around him, the smoke from the arson, or her attempts to loosen any pursuers.

He crouched down.

She had touched the ground here, maybe stumbled and rolled over the floor before getting up again to run.

Bane made a face at the thought of her hurting herself and lifted his hat. He needed to get close to get her scent. Pushing all the thoughts away thinking about how odd it was and how rarely he did this, he licked. A few molecules of her scent danced on his tongue and he closed his eyes to concentrate on it. It was a sweet smell, making him remember more pleasurable things than crouching in the dirt. It was a smell that made him want to bite.

He got up and put his hat back on to calm himself. The excitement of the hunt was dangerously close to overcoming him.

She wasn’t his prey.

She…

Bane started moving to follow her, driven by the will to find her. Her smell was a beacon in the dark. He chased her while passing people that quickly gave way. He must look ferocious with his eyes gleaming and his bared teeth. She had gone far away, running deeper and deeper into the maze-like structure of Nar Shaddaa but Bane stalked her with a steady pace, sometimes close enough to hear her steps running and running and running away from him. Sometimes she was nearly gone. Bane growled and listened for her, his sharp senses ignoring everything but the target, no not target she was not-

Her heartbeat was close by, on the other side of a chasm between walkways. He jumped after her without much consideration for himself.

He picked her scent again, her smell being close by.

She had touched the wall to catch herself, the humidity and heat still visible on the permacrete for his sharpened eyes. Bane put his own long hand next to her’s on the wall to ground himself.

She was so small, so human.

More of her smell made it onto his tongue as he licked the wall in instinct for more of her.

She was close and her smell was…

He started running.

Something was hurting her. The agony a bitter taste in his mouth, making his teeth grind painfully and drawing blood from biting into his lips in a sorry attempt for control.

He jumped down a few more stairs, leaning into his instincts to track her and protect her from any possible attackers, before rushing down a longer secluded corridor and scanning for attackers or a sign of her.

He growled, pacing around and looking for his loth cat lady. Her scent was so strong she must have been here.

“Bane?”

Something moved in the corner of his eyes between some pipes so he jumped with bared teeth and his hands up for attack, slamming into whoever it was.

The smell of her hit him like a wall, her heartbeat fast like of a little animal, little fearful sounds escaped her as she struggled against his iron grip and his teeth -

He stumbled back while letting go of her.

She was there in front of him. Starring in surprise with teary eyes and her hand raised on her shoulder where he had bit her.

He felt his mouth go dry at the sight of the wound.

“I am sorry. I-”, he started while raising his hands in a soothing gesture.

“Bane?!” She yelled with a voice dancing between anger, pain and the incoming shock. “ Did you just kriffing bite me?!”

#cad babe #cad bane x you #tbb cad bane #cad bane x oc #cad bane smut #cad bane #cad bane x reader #grimmwriting #the hat collection #bounty hunter #bounty hunter cad bane #nar shaddaa #boba fett #teen boba fett #aurra sing #bossk #cad bane tbobf #tcw cad bane #cad bane is a frog

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just-somehuman · 2 years

Text

Please do NOT proceed if you haven't read Night Book 1 or any of the Book 2's (preferably Yakumo's as a major spoiler for his story is revealed). This... thing contains major spoilers, and I don't want to be held liable for ruining the story. But I mean, I haven't even read all of the Book 2's, let alone Yakumo's 💀 Proceed if you wish to spoil all of this for yourself. Otherwise, bookmark this or smth and read it afterwards.

It starts under the cut btw. I cannot describe how much time and big brain power I had to put into this 💀

How to Create Youjin Scientifically (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)

_________________________________________

Came as a surprise? Me too 💀

(I didn't read over this so I apologise for any spelling mistakes)

Let's just do this slowly.

What we know:

*spoiler for Yakumo is here somewhere*

- Youjin behaviour: violence and aggression, unawareness of their behaviour, increase in physical strength, incoherent speech.

- Experiment process: Capture Ayakashi and rob them of their power using "black sand" bullets, capture humans and lock them up, remove cells from the Ayakashi, preserve cells (I'm assuming), surgically transplant cells into human, you got yourself a Youjin.

- Failed prototypes are discarded but not killed.

- An unknown drug is used in the experiments, and it is vital to the experiments (they cannot commence without the drug).

Update: It was revealed that the drug is Yakumo's blood and it turns people immortal, which is why it's so important.

Right, so. Ayakashi and the vampire are mythical creatures, so how would we be able to do this irl? We'll start at the core. The drug.

The Drug

The behaviour Youjin display are similar to the effects of opioids. Chronic exposure to opioids can cause more aggressive behaviour. Opioids can also cause psychosis, which leads to (only mentioning the relevant symptoms) incoherent language and unawareness of behaviour. Psychosis is also associated with aggressiveness, but it is not in every case. So opioids are made of the poppy plant eg. morphine. Ya know what else is made of poppy seeds? ✨ o p i u m ✨ And we know tons of that was lying around *cough cough* Kagemaru from Ginnojo's book 2 *cough cough* that one event with Ginnojo *cough cough* that one event with Toichiro *cough cough*.

But what about the increase in physical strength?

Anabolic steriods.

Yes, I know they were only synthesised in the 1930s, but we're not talking timelines here. Ignore time in all of this 💀

So, in real life, the drug would most likely be two drugs, those two being an opioid and anabolic steroids.

As a friend said, the "wonder drug" down, what next? Transferring cells ofc.

Now, we obviously don't have Ayakashi, so we will have to use animals. But is it possible?

Transferring of Cells: Is It Possible?

Short answer: Yes.

It is entirely possible to transfer the cells of an animal into a human, it just won't do anything. The human body will reject the cells and nothing will happen.

So, what's next? The hard part is next, that's what. It's surgery time baby.

"But what about not being able to transfer the cells? 🙄" stfu Linda (no offense to any Lindas that are reading this, I am sure you are wonderful ppl).

Let me explain:

(Once again, we are taking time and throwing it out the window. Or would this whole thing make more sense in a modern au? Either way, time is non-existent right now.)

Transferring of Cells: The Surgery

We have to understand that a physically-possible Youjin (why am I calling it that) wouldn't be immortal or carry extraordinary abilities. It would probably just have increased strength, no genetic diseases and no genetic mutations.

That being said...

We can't combine the DNA of animals and humans, but we CAN genetically modify the DNA of a human. Although, that is only being used to fix genetic mutations, not to create new genes.

I mean, you COULD create a new gene by mixing DNA strands together to create a synthetic gene. But you'll need a DNA molecule 7 000 nucleotides long for it to be large enough to make an entire gene. It is technically possible, but it's gonna take forever.

Anyways, genetically modifying humans has been around for a while. HOWEVER, it can only be done to embryos. There also isn't a 100% chance that cell rejection won't happen. If we're talking about what modifications will be done to a physically-possible Youjin (I need to rename them), then it will remove mutations. These being diseases, mainly. This doesn't exactly make the human immune to every disease, just the genetic ones. So the human can still contract other diseases, unfortunately.

Current society believes that these modifications excludes these genetically modified humans from what makes a human human. That being their differences. I don't exactly agree with that, but it's society. What can I do against society?

KEY THING TO NOTE WHICH I SHOULD HAVE SAID EARLIER: From all the articles I found (because yes, I did have to do some research), no genetically modified human has gone past the embryo stage. With technology constantly advancing, in the future, it may be possible to genetically grow a human (oh my goodness ew that sounds so wrong 💀) It is speculated that the human would not resemble its mother and will live up to 30 years, probably. All speculation. In this case though, we're going to pretend that it IS possible to develop the embryo into a baby, and for the baby to grow into an adult that lives up to the average human death age (why didn't I say life expectancy) of 72 years.

So, to sum it all up, an embryo would be modified to have no mutations (genetic diseases) in place of transferring animals cells because that will just lead to cell rejection.

Okay, cell transfer down. What next? The differences between ARR Youjin and my Youjin (renamed them, but now I feel bad for calling them mine. Heck, I'm the OP. Technically they're mine 💀)

The Differences

I'm just gonna tabulate it somehow.

ARR Youjin:

- The drug is Yakumo's blood and turns the human immortal.

- The human's cells are mixed with Ayakashi cells.

- Youjin behaviour is due to the experiments.

- Youjin are "programmed" to follow a specific order.

My Youjin (still feel weird calling them mine 💀):

- The drug is two drugs: an opioid and anabolic steroids.

- Human DNA is genetically modified to remove mutations.

- Youjin are not immortal.

- Youjin behaviour is due to drug overdose.

- Youjin are "non-programmable". A list of behavioural outcomes can exist, but the probability cannot be determined.

And finally, what you probably clicked here for, the actual process.

How to Create Youjin

1. Harvest a human embryo.

2. Genetically modify the embryo to remove all mutations.

3. Let the thing develop into a baby.

4. Raise the baby under laboratory conditions.

5. Once the child reaches the age of twelve, start giving it a daily dose of an opioid (whichever you want) and anabolic steroids. The steroids dosage should be less than the opioid. These doses should be enough for the child, matching with the height and weight of the child.

6. Gradually increase the doses over the years, until the child is twenty years old.

7. At this point, the dosage of opioids should increase tremendously, and the dosage of steroids should lessen. Overtime, the steriod would have given the adult enough strength, but the opioids needs to increase to increase the chance of developing psychosis.

8. By the mid-30s, if the adult has not developed psychosis, it is a failed prototype and should be discarded (admitted into a psych hospital). If the adult has developed psychosis and the effects are showing clearly, it is now a Youjin. Its behaviour should be monitored at all times, and it should only be used when necessary.

_________________________________________

And there you have it. How to create a Youjin. I made Youjin omfl- 💀 I don't even think you can call them Youjin anymore because mine aren't that similar to ARR's.

Well anyways, this took two hours and I'm proud of it, somehow. Sorry if it's long, I think I got carried away with explanations. I hope you enjoyed reading this anyway. AND DO NOT TRY IT AT HOME. IT IS ILLEGAL.

I feel like I might get arrested for this, idk why 💀 My back is rlly sore rn, so imma go. I'll see yall tomorrow <3

F**k I got a test tomorrow and I didn't study, I was busy making Youjins shi-

#I am so going to jail #what do I even do with my time I swear-#ayakashi romance reborn #ayakashi koi meguri #ayakashi rr #arr #ayakoi #ayakashi spoilers #ayakashi yakumo koizumi #ayakashi yakumo #yakumo koizumi #ayakashi night #ayakashi night faction

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jasmariswonderland · 1 year

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Shining Hearts Chapter 15 ~ Invisible No More

Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14

Chapter Summary: The time has come, the VDC has commenced and the Black Swan Quintet finally takes the stage. And after all that has transpired, come what may, they are determined to meet success with confident enthusiasm, zero regrets, and shining, hopeful hearts.

Word Count: 8195

A/N: A huge thank you to @twstinginthewind and @twst-the-night-away for being kind enough to let me use their ocs for this story. I’m always nervous working with ocs that aren’t my own but I hope I was able to do them justice! ❤

⚠General Warning For Chapters 12-17⚠: First off, thank you for sticking around with this fic for this long. As we inch closer to the moment of the overblot and it’s aftermath, be forewarned, the final chapters of this fic are gonna get…kind of intense. And may or may not include the following: Vil being mean, Rook being tactless, canon typical violence, language, sex*al harassment, misogyny, near de*th experiences, suic*dal thoughts and very, VERY HEAVY angst.

~~~

“Well now! Wasn’t that show from NRC Tribe amazing?!”

The crowd screamed with agreement and from the audience, many of the NRC students cheered on their classmates on stage. Cater, sitting with a bunch of his dormmates, spent a good chunk of the first performance snapping pictures and uploading short live reels to his Magicam, all of which immediately went viral.

“Go Acey and Deucey!” he grinned, looking over one of his uploads. “They KILLED it up there!”

“I was ready to have both their heads if they made a poor show of it,” Riddle smiled. “But that was a splendid performance that did Night Raven College justice.”

“Our dorm’s problem pair managed to pull it off,” Joker added. She, Violetta, and Crisanta were holding up a large banner with the words ‘ GO NRC GO ’ painted in purple and decorated with chibis of all twelve NRC performers that were drawn by Crisanta.

“The girls are up next!” Crisanta grinned. “I’m so hyped! Ione is gonna be so awesome!”

“Yes, and on that same note,” Riddle said, frowning briefly “I’d like to reiterate to you all what will happen if any of you DARE to vote for the RSA girls' team!”

“Yes, Sir!” Joker replied. “Off with our heads!”

“Shouldn’t we see how they’ll do first, Riddle?” Trey chuckled.

“Hmph! Implying Ione will be anything less than spectacular!” replied Riddle. “I refuse to believe it!”

Trey walked back his comment, agreeing with his dorm leader. Violetta and Joker shared a secret smile. Riddle’s partiality for Ione was already obvious, but he wasn’t even trying to be subtle anymore.

Meanwhile, closer to the front of the stage, Farron was watching with Savvy, Sidonie, Maximilian, and a few other Pomefiore students. Savvy had ordered custom lightsticks for her dormmates set in their school colors that they waved together during the show. But Farron watched the stage intently and found he could hardly stay still in his seat.

“Something wrong, Farron?” Sidonie asked. “You seem kinda antsy.”

“If you’re worried about RSA topping this, don’t stress yourself,” said Maximilian. “Neige would have to pull a miracle out his ass to top THAT!”

“Right?!” Vil and the boys were absolutely dazzling up there,” Savvy grinned. “Epel especially! I didn’t know he had it in him!”

“Dang, I kinda wish I auditioned now,” Maximilian replied.

“Why didn’t you, Maxie?” Savvy asked. “We could have auditioned together!”

“Ehh, I wanted to, but I had other priorities. But anyway, Farron, what’s on your mind?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Farron replied, turning from the stage to his dormmates. “I’m just excited to see Danica wearing what I made for her!”

“You told me she decided to wear what you originally made for her and not the white dress she had before I dropped out,” smiled Sidonie. “I’m curious, is she wearing what I think she’s wearing?!”

“You’ll see soon enough!” Farron gave her a teasing wink. “It’s not usually my thing to brag, but I think this is some of my best work to date!”

“The VDC has gotten off to a fantastic start but we’ve only just begun!” Right on cue, the host announced the next act, to everyone’s excitement. “Up next, performing another original song, ‘Guilty Heart’ , we have the girls' unit from Night Raven College! Give it up for the Black Swan Quintet!”

~~~

In the final moments in the darkness, before the stage lit up for them, Danica gave each of her teammates one final smile of encouragement. This was their moment to display their power and beauty to the world. They had overcome challenge after challenge to be standing on that stage and nothing would stop them now. Together, victory was within their grasp.

“The black swan was not only able to seduce the prince, but her charm also left the entire court spellbound…win the VDC…show us that power you showed me at the masquerade…”

Danica looked out at the countless faces in the crowd, cheering and screaming, eager to see her and her black swans in action. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was certain her teammates could hear it and she briefly had to press her hand to her chest to calm herself. There was no need for anxiety, she told herself, they had this. They rehearsed this song to perfection and loved every moment of it. Surely, the audience would love them too. After all, that was her power.

I broke my promise to you once, Vil-san. But I will bring home victory for NRC. That is a promise I intend to keep!

As she took one final deep breath, the stage went alight and the music began.

“Look at me, before I vanish forever. Hold me, the chains become tighter. Love me, before regret poisons us both. Even if you swear yourself to me, your guilty heart will never again take me captive…”

A roar of applause followed Danica’s first solo, putting her confidence into overdrive and tossing any fragments of anxiety to the wind. She and her teammates pranced out onto the stage, swaying elegantly as Danica sang out the next few verses. Taima and Iman sang together but Ione and Vidaria each had a moment to display their vocal talent, to great enthusiasm from the crowd.

“Your smile was my miracle, under your gentle hand all my dreams came true. But why has my dream become a nightmare? And why can’t I look away?”

“Your love is beautiful, but I will not be your slave…”

Before her next solo, Danica took center stage, dancing en pointe to even greater applause. After one last pirouette, she struck a pose, seductively extending her hand to the audience before placing it to her heart, singing out the next verse with Vidaria and then another with Ione.

“I followed your radiance to my happily ever after, standing by your side, anything was possible. But why has my dream become a nightmare? And why can’t I look away?”

“Delightfully sweet poison, betraying my innocence…”

The beat dropped and the lighting shifted accordingly. Danica, Taima, and Iman stepped forward for their special dance segment. From the wings, the RSA Divas and NRC Tribe watched the performance with bated breath and racing hearts. They were all quite taken with what they were watching and no one could take their eyes off the Black Swan Quintet. But none among them watched more intently than Vil.

In truth, this was Vil’s first time really watching this performance, as he had been too consumed with his own negative emotions to really pay attention during rehearsals. And whenever he saw hints of what this performance could be, he had purposely shut his eyes to it. Watching now, with opened eyes and a clearer heart, he could fully take in the bewitching and graceful charm Danica displayed on stage. And he could finally give himself over to all the feelings he attempted to push away, building up from the moment he had seen her dance to this song in the ballroom weeks prior.

How strange it is that I am now watching the same trembling freshman I first met on orientation night, someone I had to practically force a name out of. It’s amazing how much you’ve grown in so little time.

However, even as Vil watched with awe, a bittersweet sensation pulled at his chest. Though he had only heard this song once before today, he could still vividly remember the impression it made upon him, how much he had secretly enjoyed it despite professing the opposite out loud. But he also could remember the original lyrics to this song and they were very different from what he was currently listening to. And the song had been titled Guilty Kiss not Guilty Heart . Some of the words were still the same but this song now had an overall darker, almost sadder theme. Juxtaposed by the fun melody and infectious beat.

“The poison won’t take me a second time. Even if you swear yourself to me, your guilty heart will never again take me captive…”

It didn’t take him long to connect the dots. The song had been changed and these new lyrics were about him. Just as he guessed the lyrics to Our Happily Ever After had been about him as well. But while the latter song had been sung by an infatuated young girl thinking herself in love, this song was sung by a hurt and humiliated young woman who still found herself drawn to the guilty heart that initially poisoned her.

As he realized this, for a moment, Vil’s heart stopped. A mixture of terror and embarrassment seized him as he prayed no one would be able to figure this out as well. But after the initial shock wore off, so did his hope no one would know the origin of these lyrics. He knew such could spell disaster for his public image but at this point, Vil found it difficult to care. The world already unfairly painted him as a villain long before he and Danica knew each other and unfortunately, his actions towards her meant the lyric changes were justified.

After all Vil had done, why shouldn’t Danica see him as a villain? Why shouldn’t she be afraid of him? It honestly surprised him that she was able to look at him with any kindness at all. And as this thought passed his mind, Danica began her final solo, something he had deliberately missed during rehearsal. Something he wouldn’t ignore now.

“You were my everything, you were my miracle, and before you, I never knew what it meant to be loved.”

The music picked up in tempo as Danica’s vocals became louder and more profound in their feeling. The beat pumping on, faster to the rhythm of Vil’s pounding heart, but he wouldn’t look away anymore.

“All I want is to return to the way things were. I want to love you again. But why has my dream become a nightmare? And why can’t I look away?”

“No more! I refuse! I will set myself free!”

What Vil found affected him most as he watched Danica wasn’t even the words she was singing. But the high levels of raw, intense emotion in her voice as she declared her heartbreak to the world and final resolve to be free. A burning sensation entered Vil’s throat that he immediately swallowed back. As much as this hurt, he wouldn’t look away anymore. Vil would no longer ignore who Danica truly was, and all that was brilliant and beautiful about her. Faults and all.

Whatever he felt was absolutely trivial compared to what Danica was probably feeling. Instead, as the song neared its conclusion, Vil simply smiled as his perfect swan captivated the audience with her very same spell he himself had fallen under, months ago.

You’ve met every expectation of mine and more, and I expect you to continue growing, my precious potato. Even if I can’t be by your side as you do.

The music stopped and the Black Swan Quintet made their final pose. In the following seconds of silence, Danica took several deep breaths. She had done it, they all had done it and soon, they were met with an eruption of applause. Golden confetti rained upon them as they basked in the praise and adoration from an audience thoroughly enthralled with them. Danica stepped out further on the stage, listening to the crowd cheer their names. A far cry from ever being invisible again.

We’ve done it…we’ve really done it! WE’VE DONE IT!

“That was the Black Swan Quintet, the female entrants from Night Raven College led by Danica Ledelle!” said the host. “Let ‘em hear it! They left the entire crowd on the edge of their seats!”

“AHHHHHH YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!!!” one girl called out.

“You’re so hot, Danica! I think I’m in love!” another man added.

“WE LOVE YOU IONE!!!”

Through the deafening applause, Ione heard her name and looked out to the crowd to see her Heartlabyul friends waving at her. She blushed, immediately seeing the banner Joker, Violetta, and Crisanta were holding up and pointing it out to her teammates. Danica laughed and smiled widely, waving to Joker while Ione made a heart with her hands, a special greeting meant only for Crisanta. Taima saw her parents, stepmother, and two brothers in the crowd and gave a double thumbs up to which her mother did the same, telling her that she had done well.

Vidaria and Iman also waved to the crowd with the latter blowing several kisses and making stylish poses for the photographers in front of the audience. They glanced further out at the coliseum and Iman was the first to see Lilia, Sebek, Silver, Nana and other Diasomnia students applauding them as well. Malleus was with them and while his response was more subdued, the smile he wore showed that he was also pleased with their performance. Vidaria waved to them, but as she did so, she noticed someone sitting with the Diasomnia students whose figure seemed very familiar. Too familiar for it to be a coincidence. Her eyes widened.

No…it can’t be…is that…? IS THAT?!

Across the coliseum, they locked glances and Vidaria’s heart jumped with the sudden, wonderful feeling of having seen the face of an old friend after a very long absence. Because that was exactly what she saw.

“Look, Heloise!” Lilia pointed out to Vidaria staring at them from the stage. “Vidaria sees you! Wasn’t she amazing?”

“Absolutely!” Heloise smiled, waving to Vidaria. “They all were!”

“They’re gonna win for sure!” Nana beamed. “And when they do, we have to celebrate!”

“Yes, we MUST celebrate the young miss’s victory!” Sebek grinned. “A victory that brings honor not only to our school but to our dorm and our young master!”

“Heh, that was quite entertaining indeed,” Malleus admitted. “Worth fixing the stage, I’d say.”

And back on stage, the Black Swan Quintet stood upon the stage a few moments longer. Each of them made sure to wave to every corner of the coliseum and thank their audience for watching them.

“We hope you loved that as much as we did!” Taima smiled.

“You’ve all been a fantastic audience!” Vidaria added. “Let’s do this again sometime!”

“Thank you everyone!” said Danica. “Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!”

~~~

More praise and applause followed the Black Swan Quintet as they left the stage and returned to the hallway. A wave of clapping and repeats of “great job” and “that was amazing” echoed throughout the air but Danica was deaf to all of it. Her heart was on cloud nine and she didn’t want to come down for even a moment.

This feeling, when we were on stage, and now…this is euphoric.

What she was feeling was perfection, their performance was perfect. After all the training, all the strife, changing their song on such short notice and even considering the harrowing ordeal they had experienced a few hours ago, they were still able to stand upon the stage together and meet the audience with radiance and enthusiasm. Even from backstage, the crowd were still cheering for them, chanting her name.

This was the moment she had longed for. Never again would she be afraid of judgment. Never again would she feel like she wasn’t enough. Upon the VDC stage, Danica was finally reborn into the kind of performer she always wished she could be; confident, vicarious and bold. And the audience had responded to her perfection in turn. At that moment, she felt as though she could rule the world.

I hope you’re watching, Fiona, wherever you are. You were able to see what no one else could, and you were right. I’ve finally become as brilliant as you imagined I would be. I wish you were here so badly, but I hope you’re proud.

“How are you feeling, Dani?” Taima briefly brought Danica down from her euphoria by pulling on her hand. “Think we got a good shot at first place?”

“Not even a question!” Iman jumped in. “That was fire! Did you hear how they were screaming when we broke out for our dance segment?”

“And did you see the sign my dormmates were holding up?!” Ione jumped up and down with excitement. “I wasn’t expecting that!”

“But back to you, Danica,” Iman smiled at her. “We all pulled this off because of you. But that doesn’t mean anything if you didn’t think we did well.”

Danica hesitated, looking into the faces of each of her four teammates, she took a deep breath and then opened her arms wide and threw them around them. They were all surprised but quickly returned the affection, sharing a group hug.

“I felt it when we were on stage,” Danica whispered to them. “Perfect, it was perfect. Thank you, all of you, for helping to make this possible.”

“Ugh! You’re too sweet, Missy!” snapped Iman, but she was still smiling. “Shut up before I throw up!”

“I’m glad I was able to stand on the stage with all of you” Ione replied. “A few months ago, I never would have imagined such a thing could be possible. Thank you for letting me have this chance.”

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure about you guys when we first started,” Taima said with a small chuckle. “Especially after that first day when your bickering caused Dani to run out the room crying. But somehow you guys proved me wrong and in the end…Vidaria, you’re crying.”

“Vidi, what’s wrong?” Iman asked, to which Vidaria began crying harder. “We did great! Your voice was on point and you didn’t miss a step! So why…”

“No, no! I’m not sad at all!” Vidaria replied, pulling away from the group embrace and pressing her hand to her face to cover her tears. “I’m just so happy! Everything worked out and I can’t say that for many things in my life!”

“Oh Vidi,” Iman pulled her into another embrace. “Vida Vidi Vici, I’ve never seen you like this before. But there’s no need for that. Save it for when we win!”

“And that’s not all!” a few more tears slid down Vidaria’s face before she gave herself over to a fit of laughter. “When I was looking out at the audience, I saw Malleus and Lilia. Silver and Sebek, and Nana too! And guess who was with them! Go ahead guess!”

“Hmm? Who, Vidi?”

But before Vidaria could answer her, Vil and the others from NRC Tribe approached them. Vil clapped his hands slowly, a full and genuine smile gracing his face.

“Excellent, ladies,” he said. “Very well done.”

“Oui! You all were tres spectaculare!” Rook exclaimed. “Such a stunning image you all presented to the world, a perfect blend of enchanting and frightening! It was magnifique!”

“You’ve done your school justice,” added Vil. “Each of you should be proud of how all your hard work has paid off.”

“Vil-san…” Danica looked up at Vil as reality slowly returned to her. “You’re no longer upset about our song change?”

“As far as I am concerned, what you all did on stage was exactly what you should have been doing all along,” Vil replied. “And based upon the audience’s reaction, I’d say you’ll soon have more reason to be proud of yourself, Danica.”

“I…I…” Danica felt a flush of red coming to her face and she quickly bit her tongue. “Thank you, Sir. Thank you.”

“Great job, guys!” Ace grinned. “Even you, Ione! You were awesome!”

“Really? Oh...uh...I mean, yes, thank you Ace!” Ione smiled, but then asked, “Hey, where is Yuulan? Wasn’t she with you guys earlier?”

“She and Grim are out in the audience now, taking pics with her special camera,” Deuce replied. “I can’t wait to see them!”

“I had so much fun watching you all!” Kalim smiled. “Your dancing was amazing and I couldn’t look away if I tried!”

“Good work, you guys,” said Jamil. “We all did our best but you girls were incredible. You’re Highness, you were great out there,” He smiled at Iman. “Your dancing has always been top notch but your vocals have greatly improved too!”

“Ahhh, ohhhh,” Iman turned away in case she was blushing. “Thanks, that’s a lot coming from you!”

“Ya’ll were sooooo cool!” Epel exclaimed, briefly forgetting Vil’s presence in a fit of excitement. “Mah heart was racin’ watchin’ ya’ll sing an’ dance. I’m sure ya’ll will win an…oh!” Vil glared at him and he quickly corrected himself. “Oh! I mean…you all will win for sure and…”

“Thank you, Epel!” Taima smiled at him.

“We’ve all done what we can,” said Rook. “Now we must wait for the other teams to perform and leave it up to the vote.”

Danica nodded, taking a few more breaths as the pressure of the last four weeks continued to remove itself from her shoulders. Followed by a great wave of relief washing over not only her but all of the performers representing NRC. They had done it, and come what may, they all felt proud of the final result of their efforts. Even Vil, in spite of the hideous display he had subjected them to, was beginning to feel his confidence rise again at the possibility of victory. They had exerted every bit of power they had, now all they needed to do was wait.

This time, I will be number one.

The twelve NRC performers continued standing together in the hallway, enjoying this moment of peace between them when it was suddenly interrupted by a high pitched whistling sound. Danica and Taima turned their direction down the hallway and saw two male Savannaclaw students who were working on the VDC staff team. They both leered at the girls rather shamelessly and one of them made several loud kissing noises at them. A strong, sick feeling came over them and Danica immediately remembered how the two male reporters were looking at her during rehearsal. She moved closer to Vil and Rook without realizing she was doing so.

I guess with power and beauty, comes jerks who think they’re entitled to it.

“There will now be a brief intermission and then the RSA teams will have their turn,” Vil said. “Our moment of relaxation will be brief, but feel free to take advantage.”

“Yeah, I wanna go find Yuulan and see the pics she took!” Deuce said, already beginning to run down the hall before Vil could give him leave to go.

“Hey! Wait up!” Ace ran after him.

“I wanna see too!” Epel followed behind them, leaving Jamil, Kalim, Vil, Rook and the girls alone in the hallway.

“I’m gonna go call my sister and see what she thought of us,” Jamil said, walking off with Kalim following.

“Ladies, you’re free to use this time to your advantage as well,” said Rook.

“But be back here in fifteen minutes,’ Vil added.

After catching the Savannaclaw boys gawking at her, Danica considered asking Vil and Rook if one of them would stay with her and her teammates. But she couldn’t seem to find the words and watched blankly as she saw her dorm leaders walk off in the opposite direction. Looking around her, she thought about returning to their dressing room until innermission was over but Vidaria was adamant about going back out in the coliseum and wanted her teammates to join her.

“Vidaria, we don’t have much time before the second half of the show,” Danica said, trying to reason with her. “Are you sure…”

“Yes please!” Vidaria interrupted her. “There was someone out in the audience I have to see now! It can’t wait until the end! Please humor me!”

“Of course we’ll go with you, Vidi!” Iman smiled, beginning to pull her hand down the hallway. But Danica remained still. “You too, team leader!”

“I…uh…I wanna come too but…”

Danica looked ahead, but noticed the Savannaclaw students were now nowhere to be seen. Taima must have known what her friend was thinking and tried to reason with her.

“We’ll all be together, Dani,” she said. “And if we’re together…”

“Of course! You’re right, Tai-chan!” Danica forced a smile, walking past her. “Come on, let’s go!”

~~~

The girls were nearly to the outer part of the coliseum. Iman briefly stepped out to a visible part of the stage, quickly catching the notice of the audience who cheered and squealed at the sight of her. Iman couldn’t help but step out a little further to wave to the crowd and bask in their adoration before Taima pulled her back, much to Iman’s chagrin.

“What? Just giving the fans what they want!” she laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Taima scoffed. “Save your smiles for the awards ceremony!”

“Save a few smiles for us too, babe!”

The two Savannaclaw boys from before suddenly appeared, deliberately blocking the exit to the outer coliseum by standing in front of them. Iman tried to walk past them but they made a point of putting themselves in her way so she couldn’t pass easily. She glared at their audacity and Danica suddenly felt chilled, this was exactly what she was afraid of.

“Excuse us! We’re going out to the audience for a moment!” Ione spoke with an imperious tone. “Please let us pass!”

“Awww, how cute that you said ‘please’!” one of the guys replied with a little smirk. “But why would we do that when we’ve been wanting to talk to you since the second you got off stage!”

“Very nice show, ladies,” said the second boy, coming closer to Danica and making them all feel very uncomfortable. “We couldn’t take our eyes off of you! Y'all sure know how to move!”

“Really?” Iman sarcastically asked. “Well sadly for you, we aren’t doing autographs! If you wanna show your admiration, do so by voting when the time comes!”

“Hmph, maybe we will vote for you,’ the second boy continued, leaning into Danica’s face with a chilling smile. “And maybe we won’t. What’s in it for us, ladies?”

His eyes were directed down her feathered bodice and he was so close to Danica that she could smell his sweat which made her feel even sicker. Her heart raced and her eyes scanned the area for a quick out from this situation. There was none but Taima quickly pulled her back, placing herself in front of her friend.

“The hell does that mean?!” she snapped. “Shouldn’t a victory against RSA be enough?!”

“My my, feisty aren’t we,” the first boy came up from behind Taima, boldly grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him. “I like that, babe!”

“HEY WHAT THE FUCK!”

“Taima!” Danica shrieked as she felt a hand press against her hair. She turned around just in time to see the second boy trying to grab her shoulder and jumped back. “What the hell is wrong with…”

“Disgusting!” Iman snapped, pulling Danica back even further. “Common street rats would have more decency!”

“Ohhh come on, ladies, don’t be like that,” he chuckled. “We loved your song and your dancing was nice too! We just wanna show our appreciation!”

“LIKE HELL YOU ARE!” Taima snapped, snatching her hand away. “Do us a favor and fuck off!”

“Heyyyy that isn’t very nice!” the second boy teased her.

“Nice would be too good for your behavior!” from behind him, Vidaria sharply planted her foot into his back, forcing him to the ground. “Such audacity! I’ve never…ahh!”

The first boy tried grabbing Vidaria’s hand but she wouldn’t have it and kept smacking his hands away before he finally grabbed her by the arm. He glared at her.

“Ungrateful bitch!” he spat. “We were trying to be nice but…”

“HEY!”

A loud, booming voice forced him to quickly let Vidaria go and take several steps back. Leona and Jack were passing by on their way to look over the lighting for the second half of the show, and saw what was happening. As Savannaclaw’s dorm leader, the last thing Leona needed was his own students harassing performers under Vil’s management, especially when one of them was Malleus’ bride. He and Jack moved swiftly to stop this, putting themselves in front of the girls and giving the two boys a thorough piece of his mind.

“What the hell’s your problem?!” he growled, grabbing the first boy by his shirt. “You two are supposed to be working on the lighting for the next act! Not accostin’ the talent!”

“Aww come on, boss!” the first boy groaned. “We were just having some fun with them!”

“Didn’t look like it from where we were standin’!” snapped Jack.

“You stay outa this, freshman!” retorted the second boy.

“No, you two are juniors so YOU’RE the ones who should know better than to talk to girls like that!” Leona sharply replied. “ESPECIALLY girls reppin’ for NRC!”

“That is NOT how we do things in Savannaclaw!” Jack added.

“What if Vil walked by and saw what you were doin’?! I’d never hear the end of it! You’re both makin’ my job harder than it needs to be!” Leona roughly let go of the first boy but didn’t move away from his protective stance. “Stop actin’ like chumps and go do what I’m payin’ you to do!”

“But you ain’t payin’ us at all, Leona-san!”

“GO BEFORE I ROAST YOU BOTH ALIVE!”

The Savannaclaw boys ran off, ears lowered and tails tucked between their legs. Leona continued to glare down the hallway until they were gone. Jack shook his head.

“If I ever tried something like that, my mom would skin my tail,” he turned to the girls. “Ya’ll alright? I hope they didn’t hurt you.”

“We’re fine, thank you, Jack,” Danica replied, though her voice was clearly shaken.

“But I hope you don’t plan to let those two fully off the hook!” Vidaria said sharply.

“Oh I don’t plan to, don’t you worry your pretty little heads about that!” Leona allowed himself a small smile. “I don’t want any heat from any of your dorm leaders.” He moved away to let the girls pass out of the hallway. “But lemme know if they act up again! Got it?”

“Thank you, Leona-san.”

Danica was quick to walk to the exit with the other girls following her. But she allowed herself to turn back to Leona and smile as well. Though she didn’t always have the best opinion of him, she was grateful to be reminded that some guys still had sense not to be lewd about her beauty.

“Don’t mention it,” Leona replied. “By the way, good show, ladies! You’re got our votes for sure!”

~~~

The second they were outside, the girls were met with a loud wave of cheering from a group of students in the first rows of the audience. Danica noticed her Pomefiore friends in the distance and waved to them as they made their way through the stands to where Lilia and the other Diasomnia students were sitting. Vidaria ran ahead of them, excited suspense rushing through her chest as she came closer to her dormmates. She stopped short, emotional tears burning in her eyes as she realized that she wasn’t dreaming.

“HELOISE!!!” She gasped, jumping up and down and waving her arms. “HELOISE! HELOISE! It’s really you!”

“Oh, Princess!”

Heloise immediately jumped from her seat and ran over to Vidaria, throwing her arms around her and crying loudly. Vidaria cried as well, certain before today that she would never see her favorite handmaiden ever again. In truth, Heloise was far more than a handmaiden, she was also Vidaria’s confidante and after Iman, her closest most trusted friend. She had attended NRC with Vidaria the previous year, but after defending her from a kidnap attempt, was forced to return to Briar Valley for several months. Their friendship suffering in the process.

It was a dreadful incident that Vidaira couldn’t help but blame herself for. She was convinced that Heloise would resent her because of what she had sacrificed to keep her safe. But what Vidaria did not know was that beyond her vows to the Draconias, Heloise considered it a privilege to protect her friend and would gladly walk through Hell if Vidaria asked it of her. Their separation had caused Heloise as much pain as it had Vidaria but at long last, Heloise had recently been given permission to return to NRC and they could pick up their friendship where they had left off. And from the heartfelt response Heloise had to her, Vidaria understood that her devotion was as strong as ever.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” she said, squeezing Heloise tighter to her.

“Your Highness, Vidaria, I’ve missed you so much!” Heloise wept softly. “I’m so sorry, I wish I could have spoken to you sooner. I’ve been in Briar Valley all this time and yet…”

“No, no, it’s alright. You were recovering and that was your priority. Forgive me for forcing you to endure something so horrid.”

“A small price to pay, to ensure the safety of Briar Valley’s future queen,” Heloise pulled back from Vidaria’s embrace to smile at her. “And the greatest hope for peace between the fae nations.”

“Heyyyy! Helo! Heloise!”

Iman and the other girls had caught up to Vidaria. Having been a freshman with Vidaria and Heloise the previous year, Iman was already familiar with her and went to embrace her as well. Danica, Taima and Ione weren’t quite sure what was going on, but this was the first time any of them had seen Vidaria so happy and loved to see it. Danica waved to Lilia, who waved back but didn’t move from his place sitting beside Malleus and Silver.

“Your highness! You were so amazing up there!” Nana also ran over to them, grinning widely. “Heloise and I loved every moment of it! And your outfit is sooooo pretty!”

“Thank you, Nana,” Vidaria smiled, gently patting Nana’s soft black head. “I’m glad you enjoyed watching us!”

“I enjoyed it too, your highness!” Sebek shouted passionately. “Your beauty and grace had me absolutely enthralled! Your talent alone will secure victory for your team for certain!”

“What?” Nana looked up at Sebek. “But Sebek, I’m pretty sure you were saying all of those things about Taima.”

“WH…WHAT?!” Sebek’s eyes immediately locked with Taima’s. The sly smirk on her face made him blush fiercely. “I…I was not! Do not tell falsehoods, Nana!”

“Heh heh, yes you were!” Heloise laughed. “You couldn’t stop talking about her! I heard you!”

“HEYYYYYY!!!” The exposure left Sebek absolutely mortified and unfortunately for him, there was little he could say in his defense besides try to change the subject. “Anyway! Your highness, we all enjoyed watching you and your team perform!”

“I’m glad,” Vidaria replied, looking over at Silver sitting with Malleus and Lilia. Unlike how he was normally, his eyes were alert and he and Vidaria shared a secret smile. “I’m glad you all enjoyed it! Please vote for us too! That’s the only way we can win!”

“WITH THE UTMOST PLEASURE!!” Sebek replied.

At this, a loud clanging bell announced the end of the intermission and the continuation of the VDC. The Black Swan Quintet were expected backstage soon so they said their goodbyes to the Diasomina students who in turn wished them luck, promising that they each had their vote.

“By the by, could one of you please show me how the voting system works?” Malleus asked. “I’m not quite familiar with how this QR code thing works. Is this some sort of special language?”

“Oho! I will show you when the time comes, Malleus!” Lilia grinned. “Don’t you worry!”

“Be sure to do that, Lilia!” Danica called out to him as they walked back to the stage. “We’ll need every vote we can get!”

~~~

The Black Swan Quintet hurried to get back to the stage, receiving applause and cheers all the way. For the most part, the initial reception to their performance very positive and they reveled in the adoration they were receiving. They were almost to the inner part of the coliseum when the girls heard a high pitched voice, sounding like a child’s, calling out to them.

“You’re so cool, Black Swans!”

They turned around and from the middle stands they saw a little girl running up to them, probably no more than six or seven years old, with a large smile on her face. Iman grinned and knelt down as the girl came closer to them, reaching out her hand to shake her hand. Despite her imperious attitude, something about children always brought out the sweetness in her. Especially well behaved, reverent ones.

“Hello there, little one, did you enjoy our show?”

“I did! I did!” The little girl jumped up and down with excitement. “I love your fashion! I wanna dress like that too!”

“Ohhh,” Danica giggled, also kneeling down to meet her level. “Maybe when you’re big like us, you can!”

“Awww, I remember being her age,” Taima whispered to Ione and Vidaria. “And looking up to pop idols, this is probably a big moment for her to meet girls that she admires.”

“It’s so nice having such a sweet little fan like you,” Iman smiled, holding both of her hands, “You remind me of my little sister.”

“I’m gonna vote for you too! I hope you win!” she beamed, holding up a pink smartphone. “Can I take a picture with you guys?”

Despite having limited time, the Black Swans were more than willing to pose for a photo with their little fan. Vidaria agreed to sit out of the photo to hold the phone and take it but just as they struck a pose, an angry voice interrupted them.

“Sylvia! There you are!” A woman, likely the girl’s mother, came up to them and quickly grabbed her by the arm. “I told you about running off!”

“But Mommy!” the little girl pleaded, “I wanted to meet the Black Swans! They said I could take a picture with them! Can I please…”

“Absolutely not!” the woman’s words were directed to her daughter, but her angry glare was directed at Iman, the one closest to her. “You know better than to talk to strangers!”

“Bu..but…”

“No buts! You shouldn’t be bothering them anyway!”

“Pardon me, Ma’am,” Danica spoke up. “Your daughter wasn’t bothering us, she’s very sweet and we don’t mind…”

“I’ll thank you to stay out of this!” Sylvia’s mother snapped, pulling her daughter closer in a strangely protective manner. “Pardon my child’s rudeness but intermission is nearly over. You girls should go backstage.”

Without waiting for their response, she quickly pulled Sylvia away from the Black Swans; nearly forgetting that Vidaria had their phone, she came back to them long enough to snatch it back. Sylvia looked back at them, her face looking absolutely despondent and heartbroken. And Vidaria heard when the woman whispered disparaging comments about them under her breath.

“So inappropriate! To think my daughter could look up to girls like that?! What is this world coming to?!”

“Girls like what?!” Vidaria glared as she watched them go back to their seats. “What did she expect to see at the VDC?! It’s not like we were dancing in our undergarments!”

“Has that woman NOT looked at magicam?!” Iman added, “Or even at music shows on tv?! We were tame compared to other groups!”

“Seriously, if that little girl wanted a pic with us, that shouldn’t be a problem!” Taima shook her head. “I swear I don’t understand adults sometimes, they tell us to grow up but when we do then they loose their shit!”

“Poor girl,” Ione sighed, “That woman reminds me of my own father. He didn’t want me singing in the VDC neither.”

“Hush you guys,” with her arms, Danica huddled her teammates closer to her and tried to push them in the direction of the inner coliseum. “You don’t want her to hear us.”

“So what if she does?!” snapped Iman, raising her voice some. “That woman was a bi…”

“Enough!” Danica pressed her hand to Iman’s mouth. “Remember you’re a princess. Be above it and don’t confirm her prejudices.”

Iman yanked Danica’s hand away from her mouth, but she took her advice and bit her tongue. But that didn’t mean she liked it, most little girls wanted to mimic older ones that they found stylish and cool and Sylvia was no different. It was flattering that the Black Swan Quintet could make such an impression on her but her mother’s reaction was more than a little frustrating to all of them. This was another thing Danica feared but this time, instead of internalizing her guilt, she only felt angry.

Hmph, she was a bitch though! Poor girl, that’s probably why some girls end up so insecure!

Vil had been correct about people judging girl groups by harsher standards, but it didn’t make it right. And by this point, for the first time in weeks, Danica could honestly say she no longer cared. To her mind, they were all hypocrites and all that hat mattered to her now was winning, weather people secretly vilified her or not.

~~~

Neige and his little friends were the first to perform for the second act of the show. He was met with as much enthusiasm as Vil if not more, and the crowd immediately melted at the sight of the dwarves.

“Who are those little kids?!” one audience member asked. “They’re soooooo adorable!”

“Come on everyone!” Neige smiled. “Let’s all sing together! Everyone yahoo!”

His stage presence was as flawless as ever but it also made the lack of grace and coordination between the dwarves all the more noticeable. They continued to mess up their already simple choreography and when they sand together, their voices clashed terribly with Neige’s. Vil really didn’t want to watch them, but Rook had insisted and Danica made a point of joining them along with Ione and Taima. Iman considered watching Neige’s performance during rehearsal insulting enough and couldn’t bear to watch it a second time. She and Vidaria opted to stay in their dressing room chatting with the RSA Divas who equally couldn’t be bothered.

“I feel like they’re even worse than earlier,” Ione whispered to Danica. “They’re not in sync, not even a little! They’re not keeping the beat at all, even I’m not that bad off!”

“I know, right?!” Taima softly replied. “Vil-san really lost his shit over THIS?!”

Danica heard them, but did not respond right away. She was focusing on Neige and trying to decipher what it was that the audience was responding to, though she knew she already had the answer. Looking up at her dorm leaders, she could see Vil watching the performance with a strange sense of anxious fear in his eyes while Rook seemed absolutely enchanted. The response of the latter was what really bothered Danica, the look in Rook’s eyes was very similar the very same way he would gaze at her when she danced. But even when she felt at her lowest, she knew she could perform better than this.

What exactly was Rook thinking? Something she wanted to know more than anything else at that moment.

The second their song was over, Vil walked off back to his dressing room, though Rook stayed behind, eager to watch Neige and his friends until the last possible second. Everyone in the audience applauded them and Neige and the dwarves waved to the audience, charming them with their adorable faces and bright smiles. And Danica couldn’t help but think that Sylvia’s mother preferred his performance a thousand times over her or even Vil’s. Even if Neige’s performance was extremely out of place and probably didn’t even take a fourth of the time they put in to prepare.

As Neige and the dwarves left the stage, Rook walked off as well and once he was gone, Danica rolled her eyes.

“Innocence and adorable sweetness will always trump something more profound,” she said dryly.

“What are you talking about?” asked Taima. “You said something similar during rehearsals, what did you mean?”

“The reason Vil was upset was because the audience responded better to Neige than they did NRC Tribe. And the only reason for that was because Neige is adorable and endearing in how ridiculous he is,” Danica made a sound of frustration with her teeth. “If anyone else dared to compete with Vil with a performance like that, they would be laughed off the stage.”

“There does seem to be kind of a disconnect here,” Ione nodded. “Even the RSA Divas had a stronger performance than that.”

“And the reason that little girl’s mom didn’t want us interacting with her was because we aren’t like Neige Leblanche. That’s why those boys felt they could harass us like they did. We aren’t endearing or cute. We’re provocative and bold,” Danica gave a sarcastic sneer. “The last thing a girl should aspire to be!”

“Well so what if we didn’t have a performance like Neige and his friends?” asked Ione, rather indignantly. “That doesn’t mean our performance was bad, if you ask me, that girl’s mom and those Savannaclaw boys were the wrong ones for assuming we’re whores just cause we look a certain way.”

“I just hope everyone will still vote for Vil and our boys.” Taima added. “Regardless of how cute Neige is, NRC Tribe still had the strongest performance technically speaking.”

“I hope so too,” Danica sighed, looking down the hallway at Rook’s silhouette wit a strange sense of jealousy and bewilderment. “I hope so too.”

~~~

The RSA Divas performed soon after this. Iman and Vidaria emerged from their dressing room to join the other NRC performers in watching them. They also received an enthusiastic response from the audience and once again, Rook watched them and didn’t bother to conceal how intensely he was enamored with them. Danica made a point of standing away from him, and tried to close her ears to his audible musings which only furthered her increasing uneasiness with him.

Thankfully, Petals in the Snow was a short song and soon enough, they were done. With the RSA Divas being the final performers, the VDC had now officially concluded. After another, shorter intermission, all the entrants were called to the stage for the final voting and awards ceremony.

There would be a winner among both the boys and girls units with a large cash prize going to each of them. However, the winning units would be determined by a vote and every person in the coliseum from audience, staff to the performers themselves, would have the chance to cast a ballot.

“Which team did the best job of expressing the world contained in their song through singing, dancing and production?” The host asked the crowd. “Cast your vote now! Choose which team you think shined the brightest!”

Three minutes, only one hundred and eighty seconds to determine who would be bringing home victory for their school. Danica and her teammates huddled together, smartphones in hand to cast their votes. From across the stage, she locked eyes with Lilianne and both nodded, knowing well what was expected of the other.

“There!” Taima tapped on her phone. “We all voted! Now all we gotta do is wait for the results!”

“My hearts pounding outa my chest!” said Epel as he cast his votes.

“There were a ton of very good performers,” Deuce admitted.

“Yeah I’m still voting for NRC Tribe!” Kalim grinned.

“Yeah absolutely!” Ace added.

“Both NRC teams are definitely top contenders,” smiled Jamil. “Both performance-wise and popularity-wise so vote with your head held high!”

“You bet!” Iman smiled as she cast her votes. “I don’t need the prize money, but it’s the principle of the matter!”

“Indeed after all we’ve been through, we don’t deserve second place!” said Ione.

“Ten seconds until the poll closes!” The host announced. “Nine, eight, seven, six…”

“We got this!” Danica told her teammates. “Like Jamil said, vote with your heads held high! We got this!”

“Four, three, two…”

“That Rook guy may have been a creep,” Isabel said to her friends as she cast her votes. “But those guys still had a much better performance. They deserve our votes!”

“And don’t forget!” Lilianne replied, casting her votes as well. “BOTH NRC teams need to win so Neige will leave me alone!”

“TIME!” The clang of a bell announced an end to the voting process. “And now, we will tally the votes to determine this years’ victors. Starting with the winner for the top girls’ unit!”

After a few moments, a staff member handed the host a small white piece of paper with the winning girls’ team written on it along with the margin they won by. The host took one look at the paper and his eyes widened.

“WOW!!! What an INCREDIBLE response! This is the first year in more than a decade that girls’ units have competed in this competition and NEVER has one won by such an overwhelming number!”

The Black Swan Quintet all took each other’s hands, holding their breath. The moment of truth had finally come.

“Winning the girls’ division of this year’s Vocal and Dance Championship, by a RECORD BREAKING landslide is…”

~~~

#twisted wonderland #twst fic #twst writing #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #shining hearts ~ melodies and melancholy #things i write

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