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#that was only the beginning of a tidal wave of crap
the-firebird69 · 1 year
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They did this hear before and said they're going to do something and they said they're panicking and had to meet and all that crap they didn't do anything
No word for a son because you always leave them hanging and you don't do anything and we want to take you apart for what you're doing and saying your s*** is so lame I will probably do that pretty soon when the storm comes in we'll take your a****** son apart too. There was several developments since the storm stuff started when is the basin in the Gulf of Mexico is just about to drop and here at gurgling and it has been rumbling since the depressurized fully at 3:00 a.m. this morning it's been hours almost almost 12 hours at 3:00 p.m. and taking a while but it's going to be fast compared to others. It's moving around too and should be momentarily. There's a lot of people out there doing studies and they say that the soil is so loose and undense they didn't cook collapse and any second and send them flying what we say is it's true that dirt down there is so undance and it's so lightly packed it it should have class like hours ago so they're looking at what the hell is sitting there I thought of something it's not dense it's full of water it isn't leaching out it won't count as water cuz it doesn't move when it's sitting there draining a little it started a moments ago and several spots he was wondering about that too cuz these tunnels are different and not as permeable as others and it's going on now and it's going to pressurize it's way into the tunnels it's like nine tunnels answer the cameras a little bit really it's the tunnels. Now we can see the flow rate on tunnel and it's going up and the pressure within the soil is going down. The soil pressure was at 30 and that's pretty high for soil and it's going down rapidly and it has a pressurized the whole tunnel first. The sun says it is kind of a complicated problem because you have to calculate all sorts of things in physics so surface area it's a permeability it's what the water is comprised of it's the pressure head is created by the depression is the volume of water for each tunnel and it's also the pressure had created from the water it's held in the soil and it's different factors because it's not exactly clear water it's all these capillary and it's capillary action so it's just very complicated it can be off the country mile if you don't have one of the parameters right. Trump is forcing his symbol out here for terrorism so we are issuing tons of warrants to pull it in here get him the hell out. The countdown is beginning the pressure has already dropped about 2 miles into 20 and really it's only going to drop really it's only going to be your feet wide about 300 ft deep and we think it might be more now and that's the larger tidal wave the sun will still be fine after 25 ft but wow that's a huge pressure drop and it is typical of the whole cliff really the whole shore from shore out 2000 miles it went from 30 to 20 it was dropping now miles deep and the rest of the golf of Mexico is solid and it won't drop anymore we calculated the density of the remaining section and in total it should only drop a few hundred feet each terrace drops down and really it's like 300 ft deep and it works out to it if you go perpendicular to the effect of ocean bottom and disregard the terrorist effect they have 45° angle or something it's more like 30 and it only goes in 300 ft of soylent drops but I'm looking at the numbers I can't believe how much pressure is down deeper so might drop deeper like half mile or even a mile this would be a large side of wave out here to afford your 50 ft it's so outreach is there it's going to ruin some houses. ... Pressure is dropping and that's what a mile deep which makes no sense from 20 to about 10:00 and a half mile is dropping to five so really in just a moments it's going to go down
Thor Freya
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non-un-topo · 3 years
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Keeping Secrets Ch. 51
Keeping Secrets Masterlist
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A/N: According to the TVD universe timeline I’ve been using, Hayley was pregnant with Hope for like, a year and a half or some crazy crap. So just so you guys know in this story, Baby M. was conceived in late March, putting Katie’s due date in late December or early January.
Late October (The day after Rebekah left)
Katie, sleeping with her back to Klaus’s chest, was woken up by the feel of him slipping his fingertips lightly up her bare arm, skipping over the strap of her pajama top as he moved them over her shoulder and across her chest. Curious about what he’d do next she kept her eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep. He traced back over his previous path then down her side and over her thigh that he gently gripped. The touch sent a tingle throughout her body, but she tried her best to hide her reaction.
Since that didn’t wake her he slowly moved his hand up and under her pajama shorts and she almost had to bite her lip to hide her reaction to his teasing. He knew she was awake, not from her relaxed face or slow even breathing, but from the beat of her heart, that skipped at his tempting touches. With his hand now on her hip he pulled her closer then went back to lightly slipping his fingertips over her smooth exposed skin. When he moved his hand back to her chest and pressed his palm to it, his fingertips touching the hollow of her neck, her heart skipped again and he couldn’t hold back his chuckle. “You are an amazing actress, Little Phoenix, but the beating of your heart betrays you.”
She smiled, but didn’t open her eyes. “I’ll work in it.”
“Why do you attempt to fool me?” he asked, letting his eyes skim her face.
“Because I’m afraid if I open my eyes you’ll stop touching me like that.” she answered then opened her eyes to see him studying her face. “I missed you.” he placed the backs of his fingers on her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. “When those witches took you I…” she narrowed her eyes and shook her head, “I hated not being able to help you, not knowing where you were or what they were doing to you. How did they manage to take you down anyway?”
“While Elijah was saving you from that burning house, Sophie Deveraux stabbed me with Papa Tunde’s blade. I passed out and woke up in the sanatorium.” He answered then dropped his hand to rest on the side of her neck.
“Well, the next time I see her I’m going to bust one of Bonnie’s magic muting bombs in her face and break her neck.” Katie said through gritted teeth.
“I would pay to see that, Little Phoenix, however someone beat you to the punch.” He told her getting a curious look from her. “Sophie is dead, Elijah didn’t tell you?” he asked and she shook her head no.
“So what happened to you, at the sanatorium?” Katie asked, getting back on topic.
“Genevieve shackled me to a chair, took the blade out, kept me weak and linked my mind to Rebekah’s. While we were linked Genevieve forced Rebekah to take a walk down memory lane revealing her betrayal.” he answered.
“Why? What did Genevieve get out of it?” Katie asked with a frown.
“Revenge against Rebekah.” Klaus answered.
Katie gave him a confused shake of her head. “I know Rebekah used her to bring your father here, but that doesn’t seem reason enough to completely wreck someone’s family.”
“When Genevieve found out exactly who she brought to town and that Mikael would kill me she threatened to come to me and beg for forgiveness for what she had unknowingly done. Rebekah could not let that happen, so she infected Genevieve and her nosey little friend with Spanish influenza and had them locked in quarantine until they died.”
“Do you happen to know the name of the friend?” Katie asked curiously.
“Clara I think.” He answered, “Why?”
“Things are making so much more sense now.” Katie said with a look around and a shake of her head. “In 1919 Celeste was using Clara’s body. Both Celeste and Genevieve were victims of Mikaelson mistakes and Bastianna went along with everything because she was mad at Father K. and Marcel for screwing up the harvest ritual.”
To change the subject Klaus slipped his hand over her growing stomach and asked, “How is our little princess?”
“I haven’t felt her move in a while. I’m worried.” Katie admitted as she slipped her hand over his and looked down at her dark blue pajama tank top covered stomach.
“Her heartbeat is as strong as ever.” He told her as he brushed his thumb back and forth over her stomach. “We can find a doctor in town to take you to if you need more reassurance.”
She was about to take him up on the offer when the baby kicked hard, making their hands move. “Nope, I think I know what the problem was.” Katie told him as she gave his shoulder a push then moved to straddle him.
“Yeah?” he asked, placing his hands on her hips as she settled into his lap.
“She, like her mother, simply missed you.” She was about to lean in and kiss him when her phone on the bedside table chimed so she leaned over and grabbed it.
“If that is Nate I’m going to get jealous.” He told her with a bit of a smirk.
“It’s Hayley.” She replied as she opened the text. “Did you know the crescent wolves have been cursed to only be human on the full moon?” she asked and he shook his head no. “Elijah told me about it and Hayley came to me the day before yesterday asking for information in exchange for helping keep the peace between us and the wolves. Turns out Celeste cursed them while hopping a ride in a Deveraux witch’s body.” Klaus slipped his hands up her sides as she read the text, going back to caressing her like he had been before they started talking. “According to this message Hayley got to Celeste before Elijah killed her and got what she needed to cure her people.” Katie texted back, “Awesome.” and a smiley face emoji then put her phone away. “On the subject of Nate, who’s not gay just so you know,” Klaus gave her an I-knew-it look. “Oh don’t look at me like that. Straight or not he’s not interested in me like that. Besides, I doubt I’ll be talking to him anytime soon considering he’s been banished from the quarter. It seems it’s not meant for me to have friends here.”
“Why not get Bonnie to make a daylight ring for Josh?” Klaus asked. “He’s completely loyal to Marcel and you’ve expressed the desire for his friendship in the past.”
“Bonnie doesn’t make those rings for just anyone. She didn’t even want to make one for me, but Damon and Elena talked her into it and I had to promise that I wouldn’t feed on people before I could have it.” she said with a shake of her head. “And I kept that promise up until I stopped clinging so tightly to a relationship that was doomed from the beginning.”
“So that’s why your compulsion sucked when we first met.” He said with a small smile at the memory of the guy that Klaus almost killed at homecoming.
“Pretty much.” She nodded. “And after getting compelled by Elijah I have to wonder if all compulsion feels that invasive and violating or just what he compelled me to do.”
“You’re livid with him for that, aren't you?” he asked, seeing a spark in her eyes.
“Livid is an understatement.” she answered with a nod as she dropped her eyes to his shirt covered chest. “That slap was not satisfying enough.” She looked into his eyes. “I’m guessing you’re mad at him for defending Rebekah.”
“As well as a plethora of other things.” He replied then slipped his hand over her cheek and pulled her down for a slow, sweet kiss. “Less discussion.” He whispered then started kissing his way to her neck, pulling a sigh from her when he grazed his teeth over the sensitive skin. “Show me how much you missed me.” he whispered then kissed her earlobe as he threaded his fingers through her long, wavy auburn locks at the nape of her neck. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes as she grabbed the hem of the grey wife beater he’d worn to sleep and pulled it over his head. His hands settled on her sides as she tossed the shirt aside then turned her eyes to his torso, slipping her fingertips over his shoulders, his collarbones, down his chest, over his perfectly toned abs and around to hold his sides. She leaned forward and kissed his chest slowly working her way up to his neck where she nibbled, pulling a sigh from him as his hands lightly squeezed her hips.
She kissed just below his ear before she whispered, “Tá tú gan locht.” “You are perfect.” Her words, spoken seductively in her native tongue, made a toe curling groan slip from his lips and he wanted to take her right then, but after two nights without her, he wanted to make the moment last. So she kissed down to his chest, "tá tú dathúil." "You are handsome." she kissed over to one of his nipples and swirled her tongue around it making him sigh and back to the nape of her neck, his fingers tangled in her hair. "Tá tú blasta..." "You are delicious..." she pulled back and looked into his lust veiled eyes, “and...Kingdom or no kingdom…'' She moved to sit on her knees beside him, "village or no village," removed the blankets from his lap then slipped her fingertips up his inner thigh stopping at the line of his boxers then leaned up and caught his lips in a kiss that quickly heated up. When it finally broke she opened her eyes, her bright greens meeting his steel blues, "beidh tú i mo rí go deo." "you will forever be my king."
A gasp left his lips as he whooshed to his knees, one hand still on the back of her neck and the other pressed to her lower back, holding her as close to him as her belly would allow. Her hands pressed into his back as he caught her lips with his. Every ounce of passion, how much what she said meant to him washing over her like a tidal wave. As his tongue found hers her hands slipped down to his lower back, lightly scratching him as she moved her hands to hold his sides, steadying herself. He broke the kiss and cupped her cheek in his large hand as he looked into her equally lust clouded eyes. “Tá tú, mo bhanríon, ar meisciúil.” “You, my queen, are intoxicating.” She’d known he could understand her when she spoke Irish, but she didn’t know he could speak it and doing so caused an overwhelming amount of love and desire to wash over her.
A smile spread over her lips before she bit her bottom one and let it slip between her teeth. “Say that again.”
“Tá tú meisciúil.” “You’re intoxicating.” He repeated as he brushed his thumb over her cheek.
“The other part.” She told him with a smirk.
“Mo bhanríon.” “My Queen.” He picked up her left hand from his side and looked down at the tiara on her finger, sat it and her other hand on his shoulders then grabbed her butt with one hand and her back with the other, picking her up. A laugh left her lips as she wrapped her legs around him and he laid her back cutting off her laugh with his lips on hers.
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Katie stood in the kitchen making a late breakfast when Elijah walked in. “Where is Niklaus this morning?” he asked as he leaned on the frame of the archway that led into the room.
“His studio.” She answered flatly, not looking up from the banana she was slicing. She was hoping he’d go away in pursuit of Klaus, but instead he walked over to stand beside her, leaning his hip on the edge of the counter.
“I owe you an apology.” He told her as he set his hand on the bar next to the cutting board.
She flipped the knife around in her hand, slammed it down into the back of his hand. He looked at his hand and the knife that she still held onto then back at her. She looked into his brown eyes with a glare that he was unfortunately getting used to being aimed at him. “I am getting, so sick of your apologies.” She told him through gritted teeth. “Thanks to you, in the back of my head I am still unwillingly coming up with ways to excuse what Rebekah has done.”
“You are the one person he listens to. I needed you to talk him down.” Elijah reasoned.
“Playing mediator was not my job or my wish at that moment.” She argued angrily as she jerked the blade out of his hand and tossed it into the sink. “He looked like death warmed over and all I wanted was to be there for him, however he needed me. Rather that was simply nursing him back to health or talking him out of killing his sister.”
“You made it perfectly clear you had no intentions of that.” Elijah pointed out.
“I was angry with her and pissed at you for stabbing him!” She yelled at him, but she stopped, closed her eyes and placed her hands on the bar as she took a deep breath then let it out. “I said things I didn’t mean. If you seriously think I’d ever really want him to kill her,” she looked back up at him, “for him to live, knowing that he was the one that took her from this world…then you really don’t know me at all.”
“Yes, well, you were not the only one who was angry.” He pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the blood from his hand where she had stabbed him.
“Oh I’m aware.” She used her hand to scrape the banana slices off of the cutting board into a bowl of honey nut cheerios. “Klaus and Rebekah aren’t the only ones who inherited the Mikaelson temper. You, in your anger, kicked a friend of mine out of this house.”
“You made a friend amongst the riffraff. Why does that not surprise me?” he asked, his air of superiority pissing her off.
She grabbed the jug of milk out of the fridge and took the cap off. “Just because they were loyal to Marcel and Klaus does not make them unworthy of being in the presence of the holier-than-thou Elijah Mikaelson.” She poured some milk in her bowl then capped it and looked at Elijah. “My friend's name is Nate and he is welcome here anytime I damn well please.” She grabbed her bowl of cereal and took a bite.
“If I find out he has less than honorable intentions for you I will put an end to them.” Elijah warned her.
“I’ve come to expect no less from you.” she replied and started to walk off.
“Katie.” She turned back to him with a sigh and an eye roll. He walked over to her, placed his fingertips on her cheek then looked into her eyes. “You are free of my compulsion.”
She blinked out of the compulsive state then took his hand off her face. “Thank you. Now, if you ever compel me again, you can expect more than a slap to the face and a knife through your hand.”
TVDTVDTVD
Later that evening Elijah led Katie to the court yard where Nate stood near the fountain. “He asked to speak to you.” Elijah told her as they walked down the stairs.
“Nate, what are you doing here? Elijah could have killed you.” Katie asked as she walked over to him and the other two vampires.
“I don’t want to leave the quarter. It’s my home.” Nate answered. “Most of the others are across the river following Diego, but I have a different leader in mind.” He made a motion at her with his hand.
“Me?” Katie asked with raised brows and a disbelieving tone. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Hear me out.” He told her defensively. “I understand that you have Klaus and Elijah, but they can’t always be with you. You’ve complained in the past about not being about to go out and about without one of them with you to make sure the witches leave you be. You need a body guard since your dad left. Besides, I kind of thought we had become friends and I don’t leave my friends even when an original tells me to.” He glanced at Elijah who was standing behind Katie then back at her.
“Don’t you have friends amongst the people that you’re leaving behind for me?” Katie asked with a narrow eyed head shake.
“Not really, no.” he answered as he tucked his hands into his pockets. “I’ve lived here for five years. Only a year of that has been spent with Marcel and his people and the whole time I was with them I never felt like I was one of them. You’re the first friend I’ve had here.” He finished with a shrug.
“Then how did you get a daylight ring so fast?” Katie asked.
“I was a vampire before I moved here. Not all witches hate vampires, as you well know.” He pointed out with a motion to the daylight ring she still wore. “If I have to follow a leader to live in this city then I choose you.” he told her with a shrug.
“I say he can stay.” Klaus’s voice hit their ears and they both looked at him as he walked down the stairs to stand beside Elijah. “Though, I’m not sure my opinion is the one that matters at the moment.”
“I would like him to stay here and be able to come and go as he pleases.” Katie said with a look at Elijah.
Elijah frowned in thought and crossed his arms over his chest. After a few seconds that felt like minutes he gave Katie a nod then looked at Nate. “Do not make me regret letting you stay.” Nate gave him a nod.
A Week Later
Katie sat at a chair at the hair salon in the quarter, the hairdresser cutting her long hair that hadn’t been cut in over a year, back into the style Katie preferred which was shoulder length with layers and side bangs. Nate sat in a chair outside keeping an eye on every person that entered the salon while pretending to read a newspaper.
“You know,” Genevieve said as she sat down in the empty chair next to Katie that wasn’t being used by a hairdresser, “You may have Klaus wrapped around your finger, but I’ll have that little knot untied in no time.”
“Excuse me?” Katie asked with raised brows as she looked at Genevieve out of the corners of her eyes, not able to turn her head for fear of messing up her stylist.
Genevieve propped her elbow up on the armrest of the chair. “Once he sees how powerful I am and that I can offer him things you could never dream of, he’ll realize you are nothing more than a has been.”
“You’re forgetting two little problems with your theory.” Katie pointed out, turning her head while her stylist sprayed her hair with water, to give Genevieve a glare. “I’m pregnant with his daughter, and he loves me. He’d never leave me for an overconfident little witch bitch like you.”
Genevieve looked at her painted red nails and shrugged. “We’ll see about that.” she gave Katie a confident smirk as she stood and walked away.
Not two seconds later Nate sat down beside her. “I tried to stop her, but she did that stupid thing witches do where they make it feel like your head’s going to explode.” He told her with a rub of his temples.
“It’s fine.” She told him with a shake of her head.
“Are you gonna tell Klaus?” he asked, sounding worried.
“That a witch got past you or that said witch is out to snatch him away from me?” she asked with a look at him before the stylist asked her to look straight ahead. So she did.
“Um…both?” he answered though it sounded more like a question.
“I have to warn him that she’s after him, even though she could try as hard as she wanted to and she’d never come between us.” she answered. “Don’t worry about Klaus. Unless you do something incredibly stupid like side with our enemies, you’re safe.”
Present Time
Elijah stood in the doorway of Katie’s recording studio watching her where she sat on the couch in the control room, practicing guitar that she’d been getting lessons to play. She’s also been getting lessons on recording and writing music. “What is that you’re playing?” he asked curiously.
“You mean other than a guitar?” she asked then looked away from her fingers on the guitar strings to give him a smile that let him know she was joking with him. He gave her a small, fleeting smile back as he walked in and sat down in the chair at the control table, facing her. “It’s a song of mine, ‘Lonely’.” She answered.
“May I hear it?” he asked hopefully.
“Mmmm…I don’t know…” she answered with a draw. “It’s kind of depressing and I’m not that good yet.” She reasoned with a motion to the guitar.
“I promise not to judge.” He told her with a serious look then gave her a small smile.
“Fine…” she sighed then turned her attention to her guitar and started playing a slow, melancholy tune and sang. “I’m slowly killing myself. Trying so hard at the back of the shelf. It’s just the same every day. I’m writing these songs that will never get played. I get told what’s wrong and what’s right. I don’t have a fantastic life. Everyone’s dying so I keep on trying to make ‘em proud before they’re gone. Can’t someone help me, please, someone help me. I don’t care, anyone or anything ‘cause I’m so sick of being so lonely.” She finished at what she had learned to play then looked at Elijah to see him frowning. “It sucks, I know…” she sighed and set the guitar on the couch beside her.
“No, it was good.” Elijah countered still with a frown on his face. “When did you write it?”
“The end of sophomore year, right after Elena’s parents died. Why?” she asked with a frown.
“Because what I just heard was a literal cry for help.” He told her, sounding really worried.
“Let me guess you thought I’d been feeling neglected by Klaus and lonely because he’s been…entertaining, Genevieve.” She said with a smirk that told him he was being ridiculous. He just nodded. “I knew what I was getting into when we started this whole thing. He’s not neglecting me. I still get just as much time with him as I always did. She gets his days, I get his nights and after Klaus’s wolf relatives and the crescent wolves have moonlight rings on their fingers…she gets dropped on her bony little ass.”
“You are aware that in order to keep up the charade Klaus will eventually be required to give her some of your nights, right?” Elijah pointed out.
“I’m aware.” Katie nodded.
“She will grow suspicious if she even so much as suspects that you and Klaus are still together.” He reminded her.
“And have I not played my part perfectly?” Katie asked, getting irritated with him.
“You have, which is what confuses me.” he told her with a frown. “How are you okay with him indulging her?”
“Because I know where his heart truly lies and that everything that happens between them means absolutely nothing to him and everything to her.” Katie argued.
“How can you so callously crush someone’s heart when yours has been broken so many times?” Elijah asked.
“Because after torturing him and Rebekah, threatening to take Klaus from me and therefore break up yet another part of his family she deserves to get dropped on her ass.” Katie answered then decided to change the subject a bit. “So how’s it going with your end of things?”
“I have gotten the new faction leaders to agree to a meeting this afternoon.” He answered. “Would you like to join me in leading it?” he asked, catching Katie a little off guard. “Diego and Hayley respect you.”
“Yes, but Genevieve will be there representing the witches. Witches, who I need not remind you, I have a special hatred of. Putting the two of us in one room together will be like putting two angry vipers in a tank and watching them fight to the death. It will be counter productive to the mission.” Katie pointed out.
“Yes, you are probably right about that.” he agreed.
“Is she gone yet?” Katie asked, missing the enhanced hearing she once had as a vampire.
Elijah listened for a moment. “No. She and Niklaus are talking, but it’s nothing of import. Would you like me to interrupt and urge her to leave?”
“Yes, please.” Katie told him with a thankful look.
TVDTVDTVD
That afternoon, while Elijah and Genevieve were at the summit, Katie and Klaus had lunch together. “So, how are things with Genevieve?” Katie asked before she took a bite of her b.l.t. sandwich.
“I believe she has grown suspicious.” He answered making Katie give him a curious look. “I noticed a willows hoop dream catcher, adorned with the bones and feet of a chicken, on a shelf in our quarters.”
“She’s spying on you.” Katie observed getting a look from Klaus that asked how she knew about the witch’s use of dream catcher spy glasses. “Fiona’s mother used them all the time to keep tabs on my father. That way she wouldn’t get caught healing my back.”
Klaus looked at her with sadness in his eyes and she knew it was because he too knew what it felt like to have his flesh split open with tiny strips of leather. He took a deep breath, then let it out and took a bite of his lunch. “Yes, she is spying on me. So we can no longer sleep in our quarters.”
“Because if you move or destroy the dream catcher it will only further her suspicions.” Katie sighed.
“And I’m afraid her suspicion stems from the fact that she and I have been taking it too slow. My actions do not match my reputation.” He added. “It is time I took the next step with her…”
“Well,” Katie paused to swallow the food in her mouth then continued, “we knew this was going to happen sooner or later.” she pushed her empty plate away and took a drink of water from the clear wine glass.
“I can not tell if you are hiding your resentment with indifference or if you truly do not care rather or not I sleep with Genevieve.” He observed.
“Klaus…” she sighed as she stood from the chair and walked around the table to lean her butt against it as she looked down at him, “I truly don’t care if you have sex with her. If you’re comfortable using it as a tool of manipulation then so am I.” she assured him. “All of this…Elijah working to unite the factions, us empowering the werewolves and manipulating Genevieve into doing so…it’s all to achieve one main goal.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “Create a safe environment for our daughter with you and the werewolves at the top of the totem pole. It will take time, but I have all faith that we can make it happen.” He scooted his chair back and grabbed her hips as she slid to stand in front of him. “I’ve asked you before and I have to ask again…are you comfortable using sex to manipulate her?”
“It’s nothing I haven’t done a thousand times before.” He answered as he slipped a hand over her stomach. “It’s easy when she means absolutely nothing to me.” she gave him a look that asked him to give her a straight answer. “Yes, I am comfortable with it.”
“Then we have nothing to worry about.” She told him then leaned down and pressed her lips to his. “Though I worry a little,” she made a pinching gesture with her thumb and pointer finger, “that she will be better than me, all things considered.” Her eyes glanced down at her massive stomach.
“You needn’t worry about that.” Klaus assured her as he stood up and looked down at her.
“But I do.” She replied as she slid her hands up his chest. “I can hardly breath these days much less satisfy you…” her eyes slipped from his to look at her hands on his chest. “Besides, you clearly have a thing for redheads considering I found a painting you made of a very beautiful woman with long, wavy, red locks in the attic.”
“How do you know it’s one of mine?” Klaus asked with a tilt of his head.
“Because I’ve watched you paint enough to know your brushstrokes when I see them.” Katie answered.
“I’ll admit to having a predilection for red hair.” he told her before he pecked her on the end of her nose, “However, you…are the red head I crave every second I am away from you.” he leaned down and caught her lips in a long, slow, sweet kiss.
When it broke she looked into his blue eyes. “I love you, Big Bad Wolf.” He just smiled and slipped his thumb over her cheekbone. “So…how’s Father Kieran?”
“His lucidity is slowly deteriorating.” Klaus answered. “I’ve heard talk of him being replaced as the leader of the human faction.”
“By who?” Katie asked with a frown.
“Francesca Correa.” He answered. “She is the city’s leading philanthropist.”
“So she’s a do-gooder like Father K.?” Katie asked curiously.
“She also owns the biggest casino in the city and is the matriarch to a rather sizable drug trafficking empire.” He added.
“Okay…definitely not a do-gooder.” Katie drawled. “Have you spoken to Cami?” Klaus just shook his head as his cell phone dinged in his back pocket.
“The summit is over. No doubt Genevieve will be here soon.” He told her.
“I will be so glad when this is all done and she is banned from this house.” Katie sighed.
“That makes two of us.” Klaus told her then pecked her on the lips. “Until then we all have our parts to play.”
Katie simply blew air between her lips as she led her head fall forward to rest on his chest. Knowing what she was feeling he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
TVDTVDTVD
With Nate at her side Katie looked through maternity dresses on a rack in the local maternity boutique. “So why are you going to this party?” Nate asked as he looked through a rack then held up a black dress and she shook her head no.
“Because it’s partially my responsibility to help Klaus and Elijah make this place safe for my child to grow up in.” She answered and he held up another dress. “Ooh, I like that one.” She took it from him when he held it out to her and draped it over her arm. “And you wonder why I thought you were gay when we first met.” She commented with a playful smile.
“Hey, a guy doesn’t have to be gay to know what will look good on a woman.” He defended.
“Oh I’m aware.” she replied with a laugh.
“For curiosity’s sake why did you think I was gay?” he asked as he held up another dress that she liked and tossed it over her arm.
“You’re pretty for a guy.” She answered and he gave her a “get serious” look. “And I mean that in a very…Jensen Ackles kind of way.”
“Thanks…I think.” He told her as he held up another dress and she shook her head.
“You’re welcome.” She told him then looked at her arm to see that she had way too many dresses stacked on it. “I’m going to go try these on.” After waiting for what felt like forever for her to be done she stepped out of the dressing room in a dark blue form fitting dress that stopped just above her knees with a deep v cowl neckline and long sleeves. “Be honest, what do you think? Is it too plain?”
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“I think if you wear that dress every male at the party as well as some females might have heart attacks.” He answered.
“Is that a good thing?” Katie asked with an unsure look down at the generous amount of cleavage that the dress revealed.
“Yes.” He answered. “And no, it’s not too plain.”
“It doesn’t look like I’m trying way too hard to be sexy when in reality I look like a blue whale?” she asked self-consciously.
“No.” he answered. “If your goal is to make Klaus remember what he left for a shapeless bean pole with no personality setting other than bitch, then this is your dress.”
“What would I do without you?” Katie asked fondly.
“You would be a hopeless mess too scared to leave the compound.” He answered, then smiled and shook his head. “Na, you’d be just fine, friendless, but fine. Now go change, I still need to buy something to wear to this fancy pants shindig.”
She ducked back behind the curtain of the changing room. “You’re coming tonight?” she asked knowing that parties weren’t usually his thing.
“You think I’m going to let you walk into a room of witches, werewolves and vampires without a bodyguard?” he asked as if her question was silly. “No. I’m your self appointed friend date.”
Katie just laughed to herself at his silly over protectiveness. “You know both Elijah and Klaus will be there right? Neither of them will let anything happen to me.”
“Yes, but Elijah will most likely be working the floor ensuring that everyone gets along with each other and Klaus will have his head up Genevieve’s butt.” He pointed out.
“Okay, fine, you can be my friend date.” She told him as she pulled her maternity shirt over her head then stepped out of the booth and shrugged her jacket on.
TVDTVDTVD
Loud dance music floated upstairs from the party that was kicking off downstairs and into the bedroom that was attached to the nursery where Katie stood at a vanity fastening a shimmering bracelet around her wrist. When it was secured she took off the necklace Klaus had given her and added some small shimmering beads to the chain dressing it up to match the form flattering dress. Klaus let himself in and quietly closed the door. Katie turned to see him dressed in a black suit with a black dress shirt and a black and gold printed tie. “Hello handsome.” Katie greeted with an appreciative tone that suggested if she had it her way they wouldn’t leave the bedroom at all tonight.
Klaus growled, low and deep, as he sat his hands on her waist then slid them down to her hips and caught her lips with his. “Was it your intention, when you chose that dress, to torture me all night?”
Katie laughed and he noticed a devious tone in it. “I chose it to show Genevieve that regardless of what she thinks even eight months pregnant I’m still sexier than she’ll ever be. Torturing you and making you think only of me all night was just a happy side note.”
He gave her an impressed look with his lust filled eyes. “You haven’t peeked at the nursery have you?” he asked considering he knew it was tempting to do so, but he hadn’t finished it yet and didn’t want her to see it until he was done.
“I promised you I wouldn’t.” she told him with an eye roll and he gave her a look that told her to be honest. “No, I haven’t peeked at your unfinished project.”
“And you remember your role for tonight?” he asked, getting back to business.
“Yep, hang out with Nate, look defeated when I see you with Genevieve, help keep an eye out for tension and if need be distract Genevieve catty, immature banter while you’re talking to Jackson who is the alpha of one of the two branches of crescent wolves.” She answered then slid her hands over the smooth skin of his neck.
He smiled down at her but it faded when an uncomfortable look flashed across her face and she placed her hand on her stomach. “What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly concerned.
“It’s nothing.” She assured him with a shake of her head as her face relaxed.
“Katie.” He drawled in a warning tone.
“Klaus.” She mimicked back. “It’s just Braxton hicks.”
“You’re sure?” he asked with wide worried eyes.
“I’m sure.” She assured him then dropped her hand from her loosening stomach. “I know what contractions feel like. I’ll tell you when I start feeling the real thing.” He breathed out a heavy breath and rested his forehead on hers. “I know you grow more anxious the closer we get to the due date…” she sighed as she grabbed his hands off of her hips and threaded their fingers together as she looked into his steel blue eyes. “But we’ll be okay.”
It was rare for him to let her see him vulnerable, but every time he did it just reminded her how much he cared for her and trusted her. Eventually, as the music outside grew louder, Klaus let go of her hands and pecked her on the lips. “Let’s get this show on the road shall we?” he asked as he held his hand out to the door for her to go first.
TVDTVDTVD
Katie and Nate were sitting at a table munching on some hors d’oeuvres when Genevieve and the three harvest girls walked in from one entrance. At the same time, a group of people led by two rustically handsome men, one with long blond hair and the other with shorter, but still long brown hair, came in from the second. “I’m guessing those guys are the crescent wolves?” Katie asked Nate.
“Yep. Something tells me it’s only a matter of time before this party gets interesting.” He answered then noticed her plate was empty so he grabbed his then motioned to hers, “you done with that?” she gave him a nod so he went to pass the plates off to a waiter. While he was gone she watched Elijah join the party and Katie was going to go talk to him and compliment him on his party planning skills, but another woman beat her to it and started flirting with him. “Feeling jealous?” Nate asked as he joined her at the tall table and handed her a champagne flute of sparkling white grape juice.
“What?” she asked looking away from the woman and Elijah, to a smirking Nate. “Why would I be jealous?”
“Um, probably because you two were a thing once upon a time.” He answered getting a frown from Katie considering she never told him about her past with Elijah. “It’s kind of public knowledge that you were soul bound to him and the link only broke because your soul shattered. The recovery from which led to you being able to get knocked up by Klaus when you were still a vampire.”
“My life’s story is public knowledge?” she asked with raised brows and he nodded. “Wow, that sucks. But to answer your question, no I’m not jealous. I’m curious.” She told him with a sigh then looked to see that Elijah was elsewhere, but the woman still stood at the table choosing desserts.
“You’re curious?” he asked disbelievingly.
“Last I heard he was dating Hayley. So when I see him flirting with whoever that chick is, yeah I get a touch curious.” She defended.
“That chick is Francesca Correa.” Nate informed her with a smirk.
“Would it completely and totally annoy you if I asked you to be nosey and tell me what Elijah and Diego are talking about?” Katie asked with a nod of her head at the two men.
“Not at all, I love being nosey.” He told her with an interested smirk then noticed her giving him a look. “What, guys can be nosey too.”
“I knew there was a reason I like you.” she told him with a laugh that he playfully shushed.
“Elijah is telling Diego to be polite and welcoming to the wolves, but they killed Diego’s family and would have killed him too had Marcel not saved him.” Nate told her while continuing to listen then Katie watched as Elijah said something to Diego and walked away.
“What did Elijah say back?” Katie asked, but when she looked at Nate she saw that he was looking off to the side and up. She followed his gaze and realized he’d noticed Klaus and Genevieve standing on the upper balcony talking.
“Elijah used fancy words to tell him to suck it up and Genevieve just called you a walking incubator with trashy taste in fashion.” He answered. The insult didn’t bother her, it wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard a thousand times before in her life. What bothered her was when Klaus placed his hand on Genevieve’s shoulder and said something to make her smile before he kissed her.
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It wasn���t passionate or even a lingering kiss, but it was still a kiss and the first time Katie had actually seen them together. “If you squeeze that glass any harder it’s going to break and slice your hand open. I don’t need to tell you how bad that would be given the amount of vampires in the building.” Katie tore her eyes off of Genevieve, who’d seen her giving them a glare that if looks could kill would have Genevieve coughing up blood, then set her flute of juice on the table. She flexed her fingers and took a deep breath. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She answered. He ducked into her line of vision and raised his brows at her. “No, but…I have to be.” She told him with a sigh. “Otherwise I’m not and I can’t deal with that right now.”
“Well, I would offer you a drink, but…” he motioned to her stomach.
“Yeah, trust me, if I wasn’t pregnant I would have found my way to the nearest container of bourbon and drank half of it already.” She told him with an aggravated look then picked up her glass and downed it.
“You know they say the last month of pregnancy is all hormones and mood swings. So, just, keep that in mind.” He told her in an attempt to make her feel like less of a crazy person and she gave him a thankful look.
An hour later, Nate had left her to dance with a witch that had been eyeing him all night. So Katie stood at the table by herself watching him dance with the witch and Elijah dance with Hayley. She was supposed to be keeping an eye out for fighting or tension, but so far the entire party had been going according to plan. So when Jackson, the rustically handsome brunette werewolf, interrupted Elijah and Hayley and Hayley started dancing with him, Katie left the table she’d been hanging out at to go to Elijah. “Save me from my boredom?” she asked with her hand held out to him.
“Gladly.” He took it and gave her a spin before she placed her other hand on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Did she just ditch you?” Katie asked with a glance at Hayley.
“She just informed me that she and Jackson were betrothed right after their birth and considering she is eight weeks pregnant with his child they are going through with the ceremony.” He told her with a displeased look.
“But Jackson and the other crescents haven’t even been cured for a full month.” Katie thought out loud. “So that means…” she couldn’t make herself finish her sentence. It meant that Hayley has slept with Jackson while being courted by Elijah. “I warned her-”
“It’s fine.” He cut her off.
“She cheated on you. That’s not okay in my book.” Katie argued with a frown and a glare at Hayley who saw and averted her eyes in shame.
“They got caught up during a full moon and sparks flew.” He defended Hayley. “I can’t say I do not know the feeling.” She knew from the look in his chocolate browns that he was talking about the sparks that once flew between the two of them. “I just did not feel it with her.”
“What about Francesca Correa?” Katie asked and he narrowed his eyes and shook his head not knowing what she was talking about. “I saw you two flirting earlier.”
“She flirted first and I flattered her because she is the new head of the human faction.” He explained.
“Either way, she has a thing for you.” Katie told him noticing Francesca gave Katie the stink eye. “She doesn’t like that I’m dancing with you.”
“Well, you are incredibly threatening to the entire female population in that dress.” He replied purposely making it a point to not look any lower down than her eyes.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She told him before he gave her another twirl making her smile.
TVDTVDTVD
Katie was dancing with Nate when a confrontation between the blond werewolf guy, who’s name she’d learned was Oliver, and Diego broke out. As soon as Diego threw Oliver into a glass table, shattering it, Nate whooshed Katie up to the second floor away from the fight. Soon after, Elijah pinned Oliver’s head down on a table while Jackson held Diego against one of the wooden columns with a stake on his chest. “This ends now. I won’t ask again.” Elijah told Oliver.
“Oh we’ll end it alright.” Jackson said, making Elijah look over his shoulder to see that he had Diego pinned down.
“So end it.” Katie spoke up as she left Nate and started walking down the stairs and into the middle of the courtyard. “Kill each other. Get it all over with.”
When she walked past Klaus where he had been talking to Francesca she heard her ask him, “Shouldn’t you intervene or something?”
“Why would I? This party just got interesting.” Klaus replied. “Besides, I want to know what’s going to come out of that talented little mouth of hers.”
Katie ignored him and kept her eyes on Elijah and Jackson. “Except that it won’t be over. It will just be one more hate crime to add to the long list. Let’s take a look at the “crimes” each of the factions shall we?” She air quoted the word crimes as she looked at Jackson and Oliver. “The werewolves have a natural and uncontrollable tendency to turn feral one night a month and tear people to shreds. Therefore getting on everyone’s bad side and we all know that the wolves and vampires have hated each other since the creation of time.”
She turned her eyes to Elijah and Diego. “Then there's the vampires who ticked off the witches by throwing a wrench into their harvest ritual and using one of their own to control them. And, well, they anger the werewolves and humans simply by existing.”
From there she looked at the witches. “In retaliation for the vampires and the leader of the human faction getting in the way of them gaining more power with their ritual, the witches hexed not one, but two humans. Long before that they also cursed the werewolves to live in their wolf form save one day of the month. And to top it all off they’ve angered the original vampires with their repeated attempts to get rid of my unborn child.”
Lastly she looked at Francesca, “Then there’s the human’s…” she sighed. “From what I’ve seen they turn a blind eye as long as the money keeps rolling in and when it stops they go on a killing spree of whatever faction cut them off.”
“Are you approaching a point?” Elijah asked, still pinning Oliver’s head to the table.
“My point is…” she turned to look at everyone else in the room, now speaking to them. “We all have reason to hate each other, but we need to put the past in the past, step out of the hate tainted shoes of our ancestors and come together to create a thriving community. Not just for ourselves, but for future generations as well. Otherwise we will constantly be looking over our shoulders waiting for the next war to break out…the next crime to be committed, and I don’t know about all of you, but that doesn’t seem like much of a life to me.” she paused and looked at the four men still frozen in place with their eyes on her. “So, boys, what’s it going to be, murder and war… or peace and hope for a better future?” she asked and the men let go of one other and brushed themselves off. “Alright then,” she looked at the DJ standing at a table in the corner of the silent courtyard and made eye contact with him. “laissez le bon temps rouler!” she waved her finger in the air in a wrap it up manner and the DJ turned the music back on kicking the party back up.
Klaus gave her a proud smirk when they caught each other’s eyes as she turned and headed back up the stairs where Nate still stood. “You are aware that you just did a New Orleans style mike drop right?”
“I’m not sure I’m aware of anything that just came out of my mouth.” She answered as she turned her back to the crowd, leaning on the wooden railing then stared off into the distance. “I hate being the center of attention.”
“Then what possessed you to stick yourself in the limelight?” Nate asked curiously.
She shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know, I just…I saw Elijah slam that werewolf’s head into a table and Jackson threaten to kill Diego and something in me just…snapped.” She explained then met his green eyes.
“Well, this is your home now and you’re not just a human, you used to be a vampire and you’re carrying a baby that is three out of the four factions. You have good reason to want them to all get along.” Nate pointed out.
“Yes, but that doesn’t give me the right to jump onto a soapbox and lecture them like I’m some kind of high and mighty, all knowing-”
“Queen?” she heard Klaus ask and looked to her left to see him walking over, “May I steal a minute, mate?” he asked Nate who nodded and walked off.
“I’m not a queen.” She told him with a head shake.
“That speech you just gave suggests otherwise.” He countered. “You may not see it, but everyone else does. You were born for this role. All you have to do is open your mouth and people respond.”
“Born for it or not I wasn’t born into it.” she argued as she turned around and looked down at the crowd. “This has only been my home for a little under eight months. Those people have lived here their whole lives.” Genevieve, standing at a table with the harvest girls, minus Davina, looked up at them and Katie frowned. “Queen or not we shouldn’t be talking right now. So,” she gave Genevieve a challenging look as she turned from the crowd to face Klaus and placed her hand on his shoulder. She started seductively talking to and touching him, “I’m going to flirt with you like the desperate, has been, walking incubator she thinks I am and you’re going to look at me like I’m pathetic, reject me then walk away.”
His face took on a look of disdain as he removed her hands from where they were slipping under his suit jacket then towered over her as he grabbed her face in his large hand and looked her in the eyes. “I love you.” from far away, especially from the angle Genevieve was viewing the exchange from, it looked like Klaus had told her he loathed her.
Katie’s face twisted with a pained look and she surprised even herself with the tear that slipped down her cheek as he let go of her face, turned his back on her then walked away. She kept her eyes on him as he made his way to Genevieve then asked her to dance to the slow song that was playing. While they were dancing Genevieve glanced up at Katie and gave her a snooty, ‘I win’ smile then slipped her eyes back to Klaus. “Wanna take a walk, get some fresh air?” Nate asked as he walked over and stood beside her.
“Fresh air would be nice.” She answered as she took her eyes off of Klaus and Genevieve to look at Nate as she wiped the tear from her cheek.
They were on their way to one of the main exits when she heard Elijah call her name and stopped as he walked over to her. “May I have a moment?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” She answered, wondering if she’d said something in her speech that pissed him off, then looked at Nate who had also stopped, “I’ll meet you outside.” he went ahead and she turned her attention back to Elijah who placed his hand on her shoulder and walked her over to the desserts table. “What’s up?”
“First,” he grabbed a slice of cheesecake and a metal fork and held them out to her so she took them with a roll of her eyes, “I haven’t seen you eat much tonight. Also, I have been talking to the faction leaders and we all agree that you should join us in signing the treaty tonight. They believe you should take a seat at the table.
“What?” she asked around a bite of the plain cheesecake.
“With Rebekah no longer in the picture, the people see you as the Mikaelson matriarch.” He explained. “Not to mention you put things in perspective and gave them the final push that led to them all agreeing to sign the treaty tonight.”
“You call me a matriarch, Klaus calls me a queen, both are flattering, but insanely inaccurate.” She said with an animated shake of her head not understanding why Klaus and Elijah kept putting her on a pedestal.
“Katie, you are standing in a unique place of power as an important member of this community with the fresh, un-bias, view of an outsider. We are simply encouraging you to embrace it. However, it goes without saying that you do not have to do anything you do not want to do.” He told her diplomatically.
“Can I think about it?” she asked as she dropped her eyes to her cheesecake.
“Of course.” He answered, happy that she was even thinking about it. “We’re meeting here in the courtyard at 11 if you decide to sign it.” she just gave him a nod and headed outside where she found Nate sitting on a bench.
“So, what did Elijah want?” he asked as she sat down next to him.
“He asked me to sign the treaty.” She answered with a sigh as she slipped her hands over the itching skin of her stomach.
“Are you going to?” he asked curiously.
“I don’t know.” She answered with a shrug. “On one hand I’m flattered and I want to step up to the plate, but on the other I just want to be a good mother.”
“You know, this is the twenty-first century, you can choose to be both.” He told her, making her look at him across her shoulder. “I think I speak for the masses when I say I think you should go for it. Take your place at the table and use your voice to make a difference.”
Katie took in a deep breath as she lifted her shoulders then let them fall as she let it out.
TVDTVDTVD
Elijah gave Katie a surprised look when he saw her walk into the courtyard and join him, Francesca, Genevieve, Diego, Hayley and Jackson where they all stood around a table that held the new treaty, a bowl and seven silver daggers. Diego was the first to pick up a dagger and cut his palm. Everyone else followed suit then held their hands over the bowl, creating the ‘ink’ they would sign the treaty with. Elijah dipped a quill pen in the blood then handed it to Diego who signed then handed it to Francesca who passed it off to Genevieve then on until Hayley handed Katie the pen. So Katie dipped it then signed her name and handed it to Elijah, the last to sign.
After a few words from Elijah the meeting dispersed. Katie and Genevieve headed for the stairs at the same time and bumped shoulders. Katie bit her tongue, gave Genevieve the most polite smile she could muster for such a horrid person, then stepped aside and waved for her to go first. “You know,” Genevieve started as they neared the top of the stairs, “you can flash your cleavage and flirt all you want, but you’ll never win him back.”
“Yet, I believe you’re time with him is limited and you know it.” Katie replied with a condescendingly chipper tone and her head held high as they came to a stop at the top of the stairs. “After the birth of our child he’ll be so wrapped up in his daughter and me, aka his family, that your little love spell on him will break and he’ll forget all about his witchy little play thing. So enjoy your borrowed time in our bed while it lasts.” Katie told her with a smile as she walked past her. “Goodnight.”
She knew she shouldn’t say things like that since it was technically true, but she was ninety percent sure that Genevieve saw her as a giant joke no matter what came out of Katie’s mouth.
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willadisastercry · 3 years
Text
When the dust clears and you almost wish it hadn’t...
tw: emetophobia warning (brief but there), depictions of being trapped/pinned, broken bone, head injury, blood, threat of being crushed, threat of drowning.
The paladins respond to a distress signal on a foreign planet and make quick work of getting its civilians to safety, but on their last sweep surface side, shit hits the fan. Pidge and Lance are hurt but Shiro is trapped and can’t help them. On top of that, the conditions they’re stuck in are only getting worse. With no access to the coms and no tools to help them, the trio is forced to get creative and make some sacrifices.
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
Dust rained down in a continuous sheet, the tiny particles lit up in beams where the brightness of the day outside peaked through the mottled roof of debris now sheltering them. It seeped through their shattered visors and cacked their lungs making whatever ragged breaths they took after they realized they’d finally stopped falling harsh and desperate.
Shiro was the only one who hadn’t been knocked out after the initial collapse, more just dazed in momentary shock from the suddenness of it all, his visor most in tact and his com emitting static output that would catch a few garbled words every now and then.
The planet they were on had sent out a distress signal when the galra outpost stationed in their solar system had somehow managed to pull their moons out of alignment, and like on earth, their moons had significant influence over their tides.
Before they arrived, the land had only been hit by minor floods but as soon as voltron and the castleship entered their atmosphere, the unruly currents ramped up tenfold and small tremors could be felt from somewhere deep underground.
The abnormal weather phenomena hadn’t yet delved into anything seismic, just tidal, but they’d only been planet-side for ten minutes before alarms started blaring and the locals emerged from their homes frantic and scared.
Evacuation via lion had actually gone relatively smoothly, the paladins able to relocate the citizens before the trembles of the shifting plates became truly dangerous.
It had started off pretty tame, the rumblings far between and only enough to shake the windows and trees. But they steadily amplified the longer the evacuation went on until shaking became shuddering and soon trees were swaying and buildings were groaning.
After everyone was loaded onto the castle outside of the planets orbit Pidge flew the green lion flew back down to the surface stowing Lance and a lionless Shiro. They were in charge of carrying out the final sweep to check for stragglers, though the only thing they’d actually found was themselves caught in the height of a particularly large quake.
They were in the city center attempting to make it back to Green who was stationed at the beginning of the tree line on the outskirts of the city, antsy and waiting. But they would never get there because the intense trembling brought them to the knees before they’d even caught sight of the lion.
It would’ve been alright if the solid ground they thought they were on was truly as solid as it appeared, but it wasn’t, because the cracks splitting the pavilion open splintered towards them before they could even cry out and then the last thing they could hear was a roar almost as deafening as the sound of the planet ripping apart beneath their feet.
The fall wasn’t long or else they wouldn’t be alive to choke on the sheer amount of crap in the air, their helmets not surviving the broken bits of sediment that accosted them on the decent, cracking their visors and damaging their com systems.
Though cumbersome and clunky, their paladin armor was also sturdy and could withstand the weight of the rubble they were more or less sandwiched in. Their suits were ultimately what saved their lives in the initial collapse but it beat their human bodies to hell in the process.
Their senses returned with the panic of not being able to breathe, the moment they realized the ground beneath them was rough with rubble and uneven uprooted earth that wasn’t quite earth audible, marked by disoriented cries of surprise at the debris still falling while the quake that brought them down tapered out.
Pidge and Shiro came back to themselves first, raucous coughs pulling each other to reality over their ringing ears as they worked to clear the soot from their mouths and lungs. It was hard work. The air was dense with all kinds of minuscule specks of ruin that silenced them for a good minute while they struggled against the dryness in their throats.
It was Pidge who tried to move first. She was slumped over a chunk of what used to be a stone pillar from the building that was sucked into the chasm of non-earth along with them, her legs tucked awkwardly beneath her. She stopped abruptly to let out a strangled wail when she went to push herself up.
She hadn’t felt much of anything when she first woke up, just incredibly dazed as she fought to open her eyes under the layer of dust encrusting them. But when she put pressure on her arms she discovered that something was seriously wrong with one of them, collapsing back onto the jagged piece of stone to writhe as pain shot through to her shoulder and seized her back.
“Pidge?”
She barely registered the crackle of a low voice from somewhere nearby, her mind entirely consumed by panicking over the pain she was in as well as the unknown regarding the extent of the injury.
“Pidge is that you? Are you okay?”
It clicked then that it was Shiro speaking but she didn’t have air in her lungs to produce any answer other than a panicked whimper, too afraid to lift herself off of the injured limb to see the damage and incite another wave of agony. She didn’t have enough air to handle that again, sucking down what she could in too large of quantities for such a limited supply.
Shiro was going through a similar mental battle, though the first thing dawning on him as he registered his new surroundings was that Pidge needed help, not his own physical wellbeing. So naturally, he’d tried to get up as soon as he heard her call out only to discover he couldn’t move much because he was sprawled on his back amongst an ever growing pile of debris, his prosthetic arm likely crushed to shit under a sizable slab of stone with smaller chunks pressing against his chest and legs.
He was sufficiently stuck, pinned in place and unable to get to her but forced to listen as her anguished sounds continued.
“Pidge I’m trapped, I can’t—shit, I can’t get to you. And I don’t have visual confirmation from Lance yet so you’re gonna have to work with me here... talk to me, where are you hurt? How bad does it look?”
The sound she contrived then was like the ones before, except not for her own misery, not entirely at least. Because that meant there was still no sign of life from Lance which meant there was a very real concern that there wouldn’t be which left Pidge having to pull herself together and search for him since Shiro was otherwise incapacitated.
This would be sucky and not ideal at all, but necessary.
”Pidge?!”
Logic told her that bones mend and that pain was fleeting. That agony would be temporary, fear too, and once she found Lance it would be better, bearable at least.
And so with that resolve she willed her breathing to slow enough to form a coherent statement.
“It’s my arm,” she huffed quickly, the shrillness in her voice evidence of the severity of the injury.
“Okay, can you move? Is there something on top of you?” Shiro asked calmly, his voice level and sympathetic.
“No, I’m on top of it... if-if I move again—“
“Take a breath, it’s probably broken.”
Clearly, but Pidge was already ten steps ahead, her brain grappling with the notion of whether stabbing pain meant safe compounded fracture or gruesome and bloody and open fracture that would make her sick if she even caught sight of her own arm like that.
She shuddered violently at the thought and bit back a gasp when it jostled whatever lay beneath her.
“You’re okay, just breathe... are you sitting or laying down?”
Still so calm, somehow. So incredibly practical and disarming. It was almost unnerving how well he could do that, compartmentalize everything.
“S-sitting, sort of.”
“How?”
Awkwardly, Shiro. The man might be terrifyingly apt at rationalizing the impossible but seemed utterly incompetent in predicting the obvious.
“Folded over a rock and using it as my pillow... all my weight is on it—on my arm,” she ammended with a gulp.
Shiro took his precious time turning this information over in his head and the radio silence almost had Pidge worrying he’d passed out until his voice came back somehow even more blunt and pragmatic than before.
“That’s better actually. What I need you to do is hold your arm in place with your good hand, press it to your chest and use your shoulder to lean on as you sit back again. It should be less agitating that way—“
Shiro’s gentle instruction was cut off by Pidge’s cry as she sat up and away from the slab of stone like he recommended, her vision whiting as she cradled her arm against herself.
When she could see properly again she found her curiousity too overwhelming and spared a look at the mangled limb.
It was both better and worse than she had imagined. The forearm component of her armor was hanging on in pieces and clearly displayed the horrifying mess that lay under what remained. No skin was broken, but the tip of her bone was very visibly poking the already swelling flesh where the middle of her forearm sported a new joint.
The sight was overwhelming and her breaths soon came in short pants, the threat of passing out suddenly very real.
“Good Pidge, that was great. Take a couple deep breaths for me while you adjust,” he asked gently, his voice taking on a more solemn tone now.
She already knew what was coming next and began rearranging her legs beneath her, several deep breaths required to clear the black dotting her vision before she was confident she could stand testing their strength without them turning jelly.
“I know you’re in a lot of pain right now, but you need to find Lance... I’m not mobile and I haven’t heard him yet.”
“Already... on it,” she panted as she leaned on her knees before coming to a shakey stance.
The lighting was sparse in the pocket of nothing that the pavilion collapsed into after the fissure opened, barely enough to make out the terrain in front of her and then some. So she made her way slowly, toeing rocks and larger slabs before proceeding, checking for stability with every step as she slinked across the unnatural landscape.
“Follow my voice... I can hear you now... watch out for the crap still falling...”
Finding Shiro wasn’t difficult when his voice carried so well through the wreckage, even despite the shifting fauna and bits still crashing down and settling.
There hadn’t been another quake in the time that they’d woken up, but that only made finding Lance that much more important. If he hadn’t responded yet then it was more than likely he was pretty hurt, which would be even more dangerous for him to be alone if the rubble decided to rearrange itself.
“Hey...” Shiro laughed pitifully as she ducked under a slanted piece of stone to get to him.
Pidge saw his predicament immediately, he was looking at her from where he was propped up one elbow, his metal arm wedged underneath a piece of stone bigger than he was.
“Well, that’s not good,” she stated before coming down hard on one knee, clutching her arm extra close as she lowered herself to the floor for a better look.
“Let me see your arm,” he ordered in his leader voice, a futile attempt to deflect from his own issues.
“My arm is snapped, let me see if you still have one,” she countered expertly, pushing away his searching hand after once he’d laid back down try and examine the disfigured appendage now securely in her lap.
He sighed in defeat. Pidge had too many years of experience dodging brotherly coddling with Matt to concede to Shiro’s fretting and let him distract from her own triage efforts.
“How bad? Can’t really tell from this angle...”
“I’m not seeing much but there is quite a bit of space between the floor and the rock still so that’s kind of promising for the integrity of the prosthetic... let me get this crap off though—“
“No, you’re hurt don’t push yourself, it’s fine.”
But Pidge acted as if she hadn’t heard him and began to remove the rocks, turning over the more meager pieces of broken stone from his chest with her good hand.
“Pidge, it’s okay. I’m not hurt and you need to save your energy to look for—“
“Wait! Shut up...”
“Excuse me?!”
“Shhhh!”
Pidge held her hand up to Shiro’s face as she closed her eyes and listened for something. Shiro only heard a faint whooshing and a steady trickle until it happened again. A very guttural but human moan.
“Lance! Shit.”
“Go, he’s gotta be close, he was just beside me when we fell...”
Pidge moved swiftly, more nimble than she could’ve thought possible as she maneuvered around the rubble with only one arm to steady her.
“Lance, call out!”
Every time she moved her arm throbbed horribly, but slowing down was not an option, not when another quake was due and could occur at any moment.
“If you can hear me I need you to make a sound, throw something, anything!”
Her repeated shouts are what in the end got him to groan again, the sound of her pointed words coming closer making the pressure in his skull swell exponentially.
“That’s it, keep making noise...!”
As he tried to wake up and open his eyes he only succeeded in making himself more disoriented, the world seeming to spin even with his eyes squeezed shut.
It dawned on him then that closing his eyes when he had absolutely no idea what sort of life threatening situation he may or may not be in was a sort of really bad idea. He had no clue how he was oriented, no grasp of what was up or down, how his body was positioned, if he was hurt or not. He wasn’t even entirely sure he was alive but the second heart beat on the side of his head seemed to eventually convince him he was.
“Lance?!”
But then again the agony swirling around in his brain didn’t seem to care if it was stupid to close his eyes, nor did the intensity of the light above him that burned his retinas when he attempted to open them.
“Call out!”
Uh, no I will not, thank you very much.
Whoever was screaming in his face needed to learn some manners and stop. The sound pierced his ears like a thousand needles and traveled to the center of the heartbeat in his skull, another pathetic moan escaping his lips as he tried to reach for the spot.
“Oh, no—no, don’t do that.”
He was sprawled on his side, limbs askew and otherwise undamaged aside from his armor appearing nearly shredded in some places with how roughly he’d been tossed around in the fray. His helmet was missing and it took Pidge a few moments to locate it, almost wishing she hadn’t once she did.
The left side was dented, the visor cracked so severely that there was nothing but a few jagged shards left of it.
“You’re okay, I’m here Lance, it’s Pidge.”
Lance didn’t care that it was Pidge, she was screaming at him and it was making him nauseous. He couldn’t understand why she insisted on being so loud when he had such a bad headache or why she held his wrist so tightly.
“You’ve got a pretty nice gash there—” she muttered, her restricting hand releasing him to turn his head to the side “—a nice few gashes, actually.”
He must have made a protesting sound at the movement because she stopped and cupped his cheek instead, using the top of her thumb to wipe the tears making their way to his chin.
“Hey, you’re gonna be alright. Can you open you’re eyes at all?”
“Mmmmm.”
“Can you try? Only for a second, I just need to see something. C’monnnn, don’t you want to see my pretty face?”
He made a softer sound then and his eyelids began to flutter as he tried to pry them open, wincing at how painful even the dim lighting was once he did.
“Good, that’s good. Okay, I’m just gonna help you out here, don’t be scared...” she said as she moved her thumb and pointer finger to prop open one eyelid at a time and keep them still so she could get a good look.
His pupils were blown which was probably why opening them hurt so bad, more light was coming in than should be which couldn’t feel nice for his clearly rattled brain.
“Kay, all done... I think you have a concussion, but nothing else seems to be wrong aside from the still gushing head and facial wounds. Can you keep your hand there do you think? ” she asked as she brought it to where the bleeding was worst and pressed down, illiciting a hiss but no other resistance as he held it place.
“Great, you’re doing so great. I know you probably feel really out of it but we need to get you over to where Shiro is... and my arms kinda busted so I can only give you one hand...”
His groaning halted for a moment to let loose a low whine as he tried to open his eyes long enough to look at what she meant, his face scrunching up with concern when he finally managed to.
“You-your arm... s’hurt...” he choked out, more a restatement than a question, his tongue unwilling and his energy spent as he tried to form something coherent.
“Yeah, as I said, busted. But don’t worry about that now, just give me your hand.”
Lance seemed a bit confused at her command so she took up the hand that was limp at his side and moved it to his lap where she could reposition her own at his elbow.
“This is gonna be a tad tricky so just work with me, okay?”
He grunted a sort of ‘uh huh’ and returned with his own grip on her upper arm.
“I’m gonna stand up and lean back, when I do you’re gonna lean forward and stand with me...” Pidge detailed as she moved his legs so that they were bent towards his chest and in front of him.
It wasn’t that he was immobile. The rest of his body was free of visible injuries but his brain and his limbs seemed to be on different frequencies for the time being, the channels of communication disconnected and not taking signals from one another making his movements sluggish and sloppy.
“Okay, ready? Alright, up we go...”
What happened next was anything other than graceful. As soon as Lance was upright he lilted into Pidge who fixed her stance as he stumbled to keep standing, his grip tight on her arm and his weight almost entirely on her hip as he held his throbbing head.
“You good? Here, arm around my neck, just don’t touch my arm... there ya go. We’ll go slow, it’s not far,” she assured as she began to walk forward, Lance following in his own sort of zigzag next to her.
They made their way excruciatingly slow. Pidge moved with care, constantly analyzing the most doable path to lead Lance into, stepping on top of and over boulder sized bits of stone as he continued on whatever even ground she could find.
It was only when she was tapping her toe behind his knee to get it to buckle that he was aware they’d made it. He hadn’t heard Pidge asking him to sit, didn’t even register her hand on his face as he fought with the terrible heat on the side of his head that threatened to make his stomach act on how unsettled it was.
He let out a breathless ‘oh’ as his butt connected with the ground, a layer of recently upturned dust rising after him. Once he was safely seated Shiro removed his hand from his back from where he’d been assisting the transition.
“Shiroo...!?!” he gushed, the word sloshing in his mouth.
“Hey, Lance.”
Though he knew his friend’s demeanor was the result of a pretty gnarly head injury, Shiro couldn’t help but let a fond smile appear at his almost childlike vocalization.
“How ya feeling?”
“Oh, not good I think, right Pidge?—yeah, really not good...”
“Concussion, I checked,” Pidge provided after Shiro took Lance’s bloody hand away from the source of the bleeding to check the damage out for himself.
“That looks painful,” Shiro sympathized before returning his hand to the spot as gently as he could.
Lance processed that his hand had made contact again about ten seconds after which seemed to send his head realing because the next moment he was choking back a gag.
“Crap, it’s alright if you need to throw up. Just get it out, don’t hold it in,” Shiro ushered, his hand moving to Lance’s arm as he doubled over himself, his throat clenching against the bile rising and he sputtered.
He was sufficiently out of sorts and could hardly hold on to a coherent thought but he knew that he did not want to throw up. Not here in front of his friends, especially Shiro.
But the wave of nausea that was making his stomach cramp and his head throb was overshadowed by the sound of something crashing, like a stack of precariously placed objects falling over abruptly except much louder and followed by a sustained gush.
“Shiro..?”
The trepidation in Pidge’s voice made her sound so much younger, like how she did before Shiro left for Kerberos.
At the same time that fear erupted in his friend’s chests, saliva welled up in Lance’s mouth and he let out a pitiful sound, the new commotion having him seeing stars with how angrily his head pulsed from it.
“It’s probably just rubble settling, can you see anything?”
Pidge moved towards the biggest source of light from where the surface above them split apart, the scene hazy through clouds of dust and substantially obscured by larger breakages of sediment. She lifted herself onto her toes to try and makes sense of the destruction around them.
“No...”
Pidge couldn’t see much through the chalky blackness, just hints of structures here and there.
“There’s nothing there—oh.”
The gushing sound seemed to pull to the forefront of the concerning noises then, like a geyser of something had erupted and was emptying itself out into the chasm that had opened up beneath them and swallowed them down. This was concerning for a lot of reasons.
“Yeah, never mind we are so fucked.”
Lance wasn’t even trying to follow the progression of events going on around him, listening intently enough to make sense of a single sentence worsening the pressure behind his eyes while he stomach continued to flip.
The acid taste coming up his throat was putrid, but mixed with a grating layer of dust irritating the back of his throat, the presence of it while already massively disoriented was overwhelming.
“What is it?-crap Lance. It’s okay. You’re okay,” Shiro soothed, his hand secure on the other boy’s back while his frame shook from retching so hard.
“Pipe must’ve burst, well I guess not a pipe, more like a main...”
“A main? As in a water main?”
“Yes,” Pidge deadpanned, using her good hand to steady herself against a taller shred of stone as she continued evaluating just how fucked they were.
Shiro gulped, convinced he could actually feel the tons of weight on top of his foreign prosthetic growing heavier the longer he remained wedged under it.
“How much is coming in?”
He could hear it clearer now, like the rumble in your ears when wind rushed past them.
“Too much...”
With a hiccoughing whine, Lance pitched forward, nearly collapsing into the puddle of his own sick as he continued to gag.
“Woah, okay! You’re alright, I’ve got you... just do what you have to do bud.”
Shiro’s free hand on the center of Lance’s chest was the only thing keeping him upright as he worked through the rolling waves of dizzying nausea.
Pidge spared a cursory glance towards her friend, watching how his shoulders worked as he heaved for a moment before returning back to her internal spiral.
“Coms are wrecked but they’re out of range so it’s not like that really matters anyway... the air is pretty thin already, but the longer we’re down here the less viable o2 there’s going to be... and the crater we’re in is flooding so the more pressing issue is—”
“Pidge,” Shiro drawled slowly, his tone placating as he watched her pace back and forth, images of Matt doing the same thing surfacing in his mind as she did.
She might resemble her brother in appearance but their personalities for the most part could not be more opposite. Though during his time in the castle of lions Shiro had found that they actually share a lot of the same nervous mannerisms.
He knew Pidge probably had no idea how similar their actions are and he’s sort of glad only he does, suspecting the knowledge would only make her sad.
The only issue with this discovery is the fact that even though her reaction isn’t new to Shiro, dealing with it was, and once Pidge’s mind started working it was hard to get it to stop.
Lance was winding down then. His breaths still heavy and uneven, the stream of blood down his neck and front steady as ever, but he wasn’t gagging anymore.
“You’re arm is... fucked, my arm is fucked, and Lance’s head! Oh god, this is—“
“Calm down, we can figure this out.”
She spun on him abruptly enough that Shiro was scared for a second she might’ve given herself whiplash.
“Calm down?! How do you expect me to do that when we’re going to be underwater in an hour, hell maybe even a couple of minutes?!”
Lance’s shoulders seemed to slump somehow further from the volume of her voice and Shiro took a second before launching into his response to help him sit back on his heels and away from the vomit.
“No, I’m going to be underwater. You and Lance are going to start walking, climbing, whatever it is you have to do to get to higher ground—“
“Yeah okay, fuck that. We’re not leaving you—uh buh bah, save whatever case you were gonna make because I’ll promptly stop listening.”
The visage of Matt retreated entirely with Pidge’s indiscretion, her words seeding with irritation as she shut Shiro down.
“Pidge!”
“I’m so very sorry for my attitude but you really did just pitch us leaving you to drown, are you really that surprised?”
Shiro took a practiced breath, the kind he uses to ground himself because the pit in his chest was expanding and the last thing they needed was him devolving into panic.
He eyed the way Lance swayed as he sat with his legs splayed on either side of him, his hands limp in his lap and coated in blood from the gash on his head.
“You can’t stay here, not when Lance is hurt like this.”
“Okay.”
“Huh? Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. If you want to waste your energy trying to convince me to let you die, then that’s whatever because the reality is that you’re the one stuck under a rock and I’m the only one whose mobile. This is very much my call. Sorry big guy, but we’re sticking around.”
Shiro actually laughed.
He couldn’t ignore the way that his heart filled with admiration at Pidge’s defiance but it was overwhelmed by the burden of the fact that no matter how much pride he had in her for stepping up, he was still trapped and they were still going to watch him die.
He shuddered and Lance hummed at the movement, wondering vaguely if Shiro was hurt at all before the thought disappeared and the only thing he could remember was how insanely painful the knot on the side of his head was and how heavy his aching body felt.
“M’tired... think I’m gonna... mmmh, gonna lay down,” he managed with some concentration and put his hands on the ground to brace himself but didn’t make any further moves, his face scrunching up in confusion as he struggled to figure out how to maneuver himself down when his arms were so difficult to control and his head pulsed blindingly any time he moved.
“You can’t go to sleep yet, dude. Just sit with Shiro for now, I need you to keep an eye on him for me anyway,” Pidge instructed with a grin.
Shiro huffed and narrowed his eyes but it only made her smirk widen.
“W-why? Is Shiro hurt?” Lance asked worriedly, forgetting himself entirely and attempting to twist around to see.
The gravity of the action caught up with him a beat later, the groan that bubbled in his chest ungodly.
“Easy there, hot shot, I’m okay. Just a little stuck,” Shiro assured, stilling him with a firm hand on his shoulder when the surge of pain had him tipping nearly over.
“Kay... s’good,” he noted through clenched teeth before his eyes fluttered shut and his head began to lower to his chest.
A sharp pain from where Shiro flicked the side of his cheek that wasn’t cut up and coated in blood roused Lance from his attempt to rest.
“Ow. Rude.”
“Not rude, necessary. There’s no napping on the job.”
“I’m so tired though... just wanna sleep... you guys are so mean... why can’t I just—“
“Nope. You’ve gotta keep your eyes open for me bud,” Shiro chided, shaking his shoulder gruffly enough to have his bloodshot eyes shooting open.
“But why?” he slurred, the exasperation in his whine sort of heartbreaking, “I could just nap through... the worst of this, it’d be... it’d be so nice... wouldn’t hurt so much...”
“Since when are you all about what’s easy, you’re like the most stubborn human I know?”Shiro asked, his voice full of fondness.
“And you get enough beauty rest as it is, lover boy, you’ll live if you miss a few hours.”
The rushing water filled the ambient silence while Pidge made her way back to her friends from her watch post amongst the rubble.
“Are... we?”
Lance’s voice was a broken whisper, the gravel in it a painful attribution to the stress his throat had been put under between the abuse of the acid in the bile and coarse texture of the dust.
“Are we what, Lance?”
“Live... are we gonna live?”
The gush of moving water rose up in Shiro’s ears like roaring wind again but stronger this time, effectively tunneling his attention on those words, the innocence of them.
“Of course we are—“
“I want it on the record that I, Pidge Gunderson, am making no such promises.”
“PIDGE!”
“So loud... please... shhh...” Lance cried desperately, his hands almost comically slow to rise and cover his ears.
“WHAT?! I’m being honest!”
“You’re being negative!”
“Coming from the guy who just told me to leave him for dead!”
The fire in both paladins eyes was burning so brightly Lance could’ve sworn there was an actual glow with how horribly his head was beginning to hurt from listening to them.
“Alright, I might’ve had a moment of doubt, but we can’t—“
“Stop shaking me Shiro...” Lance whimpered as he drew his knees up to his chest carefully “—it hurts... please quit it...”
This broke the two out of their heated argument.
“I’m not touching you, Lance...”
“Then t-tell whoever is... to fucking stop!”
His chest hitched pitifully when punctuating the last bit with a pleading whine had his head swimming in vengeance. If it weren’t for the stability of hugging his propped up legs so tightly he would’ve fallen over with how dizzy he was.
Pidge looked at Shiro as if he’d know any better than her what the hell he was talking about.
Unfortunately for the both of them, he did not.
“Deep breaths, Lance. You’re probably just disoriented, it’s normal for head injuries to mess with your sense of balance and equilibrium—“
“Shiro...?”
He was beginning to hate hearing his name being called when it was almost always followed by something he really wouldn’t enjoy hearing.
“Yeah, Pidge?”
But she didn’t have to continue because he felt it then.
A steady thrumming from somewhere below.
A rumble.
“Quiznak...”
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asphyxiateher · 3 years
Text
Only Monsters Come Out at Night
Chapter 3: Addicted to the Way You Hurt Summary: Desdemona is scheming her way out of the castle but a one on one conversation with Bela Dimitrescu shakes up her world.
Desdemona could not quite recall how long it had been since she had been brought down to the cellars of Castle Dimitrescu nor did she care. She had been escorted to a vast open chamber with a high vaulted ceiling, antique cast iron braziers lined the walls offering a dim light that caused shadows to flicker every which way. An archaic chandelier comprised of rusted metal swayed back and forth above her head and it was the only thing Desdemona could focus on as she lay on the ground with her hands clasped together behind her head. The only source of her comfort came in the form of the dank and moldy rustic stone flooring beneath her and that was not saying much.
She shifted uncomfortably to her side and sighed when she realized it was not going to get any better than this. It had taken awhile to adjust to the dark and dismal environment of her new accommodation, but Desdemona currently preferred the desolation over the company of the maniacal sisters who were currently enjoying the life of luxury above ground. At the thought of the chaotic personalities that belonged to Lady Dimitrescu’s daughters, Desdemona shivered and shut her eyes to assuage her fears. If they left her alone, she felt safe in this prison. The surviving Hawthorne twin groaned when she felt immense hunger pangs gnawing at her again, her thirst making itself known once more and she briefly wondered if this was how she was going to die. Gray eyes open in a flash and a familiar dread begins to creep in.
‘I don’t want to die, not like this.’ Desdemona thinks to herself, tears prickling in her eyes as the painful memory of Desmond’s death replays repeatedly in her mind. “Good morning, Little One. Did you sleep well? I could not stop thinking about you sleeping all alone in our cellar. You poor pretty thing, mother thought it best to leave you in here after all that commotion from before.” The voice came from outside the wooden door that kept her locked in the chamber, and Desdemona immediately sat up when she heard the terrifying sound of insects dispersing into what was supposed to be her temporary haven away from all the madness.
Long, dirty blonde hair was the first thing she noticed, and Desdemona’s anxiety spiked when she realized it was Bela Dimitrescu who decided to pay her a visit. From how fondly Alcina spoke of Bela, she was clearly the second in command and that made her incredibly dangerous. Self-preservation began to kick in and Desdemona knew that she had to use her words carefully if she wished to survive this potentially fatal encounter.
“…Bela, if I may address you as such, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Desdemona carefully asked as she slowly backed away from the sadistic killer. Bela surprised the smaller girl when she didn’t laugh at her question but instead offered a small smile in response. “You’re so polite, I almost find it unusual but it’s…pleasant. I can see why mother decided to keep you and I am thankful she did. You’re the best gift she’s ever bestowed to me.” Bela replied, giggling at Desdemona’s reaction when she steps closer to her.
Desdemona’s back hits the wall and Bela’s face is now inches away from hers, shrewd golden eyes now assessing the state of her prey. The blonde firmly cups Desdemona’s chin and forces fearful gray eyes to meet her gaze.
“Please don’t kill me.” Desdemona whispers quietly, her hands instinctively reaching upwards towards her chest. Bela quirks an eyebrow at the request but does not laugh, which throws her human prey off guard considering how she behaved towards her the other day. She quickly wraps a hand around Desdemona’s wrist and tugs her closer, their noses barely touching and Bela’s eyes roll to the back of her head when she inhales the other woman’s scent.
“There are many things I want to do to you, Little One, but killing you is not one of them. You are different and I am trying to figure out how. I yearn to be around you for reasons other than your blood and it’s…frustrating.” Bela admits quietly as she looks away.
Desdemona is shocked to see Bela’s demeanor suddenly change, annoyance quickly replacing her uncertainty in that moment.
“I can see that you’re malnourished. I will send for a maiden to deliver you food as soon as possible. Your blood smells less appetizing when you humans neglect your health. Ugh.” Bela growls as she pushes Desdemona back against the wall and away from her.
Bela twists around and begins to walk towards the exit when she notices Desdemona’s dirty backpack splayed on the floor, strange and unusual curiosities spilling out of it. Her mother had thoroughly searched through the contents of her bag in case she was hiding anything dangerous but was generous enough to leave most of the contents inside alone. Bela being the inquisitive creature that she was glanced over to Desdemona before kneeling on the ground to look through her pretty little pet’s personal items.
Desdemona let out a breath that she didn’t realize she had been holding and decided to take advantage of the peculiar scene unfolding in front of her. She cautiously took a step forward and when she concluded that Bela was not going to attack, Desdemona circled around her and quietly observed the dangerous woman prying into her personal life.
Bela tilted her head in confusion when pulled out a slim device with a cracked screen from the front pocket of her backpack and when she pressed the small circular button to see if it would do anything, the screen flashed on and it made Bela jump. Desdemona did not know whether or not she should laugh in fear for her safety, so she rolled her lips to maintain a neutral facial expression.
“What is this wretched thing and what is its purpose?” Bela demands as she struggles to make sense of Desdemona’s lock screen wallpaper, which was an image of a lone wolf. ‘Is she seriously trying to make conversation with me right now? What the fuck?’ Desdemona asks herself. She knows deep down that she should feel a deep hatred for the woman in front of her, but she didn’t want to anger her and cause her to lash out violently. Desdemona wanted to live a little while longer thank you very much.
“That’s a cell phone, like uh, a mobile telephone you can take everywhere with you and make phone calls. The biggest difference between the landline phone your mother has, as I’ve noticed, and mine is that I can play music, games, and share pictures on here. Crap, my battery is just about dead though.” Desdemona replies, trying ridiculously hard to hide her disappointment when she noticed there was still no signal anywhere in this castle.
Bela’s face lit up when Desdemona mentioned pictures and giggled madly at the prospect of seeing more of this resplendent creature wherever she went. “This bloody thing needs to charge in order to remain powered? I’ll have to ask mother about it, she’s more knowledgeable about modern technology as my sisters and I have no need to know about these things…well, at least until now. Show me where to find your pictures, pet!” Bela exclaims excitedly, her energy quickly swirling and improving the dark atmosphere that surrounded them both.
Desdemona fought valiantly to keep a neutral expression on her face but Bela was making it difficult to hate her when she was this endearing about wanting to learn more about her. When Desdemona made her phone easily accessible to Bela, she showed her where to find her photo albums and she nearly jumped out of her skin when the eldest daughter squealed with absolute glee. It took a great deal of effort not to blush and smile when Bela regarded her with what appeared to be admiration as she compared her appearance from how she looked in the photos to how she looked now.
‘You’re supposed to hate her, Desdemona. They killed your twin brother or have you already forgotten that?’
This strange and unusual moment she was sharing with Bela was all in the name of self-preservation and if giving the other woman her phone meant prolonging her life, then she would gladly give these women anything if it meant she could get out of here alive.
“These photos of you…they do not do you justice. You’re more beautiful in person, you know.” Bela murmurs quietly, a tidal wave of emotions washing over in an instant the moment she says this, and Desdemona is finally able to figure out why the other woman snapped at her earlier.
Bela was lonely, a trait she found in common with Lady Dimitrescu’s eldest daughter. She may have had her sisters for company for whoever knows how long but she could easily see how a sudden wave of isolation would wash over them from time to time. They craved companionship outside of the family and wanting to form an intimate connection with other people made them the way they are now. Desdemona related to that very well but on a level that did not send her on a murderous rampage. Perhaps she could use this to her advantage later; she could manipulate her way into the fold by making them think she cared about them and eventually use their weaknesses against them. It was all too tempting of an idea.
“Bela, you can have my phone and if you’re that to determined to learn how to use it, I’ll give you my charger if your mom can help you with that. Consider it a gift, you’ve been so… lovely and kind to me so far.” Desdemona said through nearly gritted teeth, wondering how long she could keep up with the façade. Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters had been everything but kind to her and lying wasn’t in her nature.
There is an uncomfortable quietness for a split second before Bela tears her eyes away from the phone and leers at Desdemona with an unmistakable look of hunger in her eyes. Desdemona swallows hard, wondering if she had gone a touch overboard but she couldn’t think on it any longer when Bela unexpectedly leaps at her with teeth bared.
Bela pushes her frightened victim hard onto her back and laughs wildly with her head thrown back before she leans over and attempts to capture her prey’s lips in what she thinks is supposed to be a kiss. Desdemona gasps into Bela’s mouth but that quickly turns into a whine the moment she feels teeth gnashing against her dried, chapped lips in a manner so rough, it felt as though Bela intended to rip out her mouth.
‘Oh fuck, this lunatic is going to rip your mouth off of your face; do something! Do whatever it takes to survive but for fuck’s sake, don’t let her rip your mouth off!’ Desdemona’s frantic thoughts spurred her into action, the taste of her own blood already coating her tongue.
Desdemona summons enough strength to shove Bela away from her face but not off of her, her hands shakily keeping Bela in place atop of her hips. Bela, for the most part, looks furious at being rejected and she’s ready to punish her plaything for fighting back until she speaks again.
“I-if that’s what you c-call a kiss, you’ll need to do better than that, Bela. If I don’t have any lips to kiss you back, what would your sisters about say about that? Wasn’t it you that accused them of breaking me faster than you ever could? Don’t you want to savor every inch of me?” Desdemona ventures playfully, testing the waters to see if she could invoke any kind of reaction that would somehow calm Bela down. It seemed to work as Bela’s eyes widened in surprise, her hands flying up to cover her own mouth as if she were ashamed of her actions.
“You’re right, Cassandra and Daniela would never let me hear the end of it if I tore any part of you off before they get a chance to. It would be too humiliating!” Bela says as she unmounts herself from Desdemona.
Desdemona slowly begins to lean back on her arms as if to get up and the movement does not go unnoticed by Alcina’s eldest daughter. Bela grips the back of her head and forces her off the ground, her eyes slowly going over the entire length of Desdemona’s body once more. Desdemona feels her breath hitch the moment Bela tugs her closer to her body so now that their breasts were touching.
“You are driving me wild with lust, Desdemona Hawthorne, and it is dangerous for you should you dare toy with me. I mentioned earlier that you’re different from all the other maidens we interact with here in our home. The other women scream at the very sight of us! When we play, they bleed and cry for help, they fight back and run away only to find that there is nothing they can do to stop us. They don’t communicate with us, they only weep and beg for mercy and it is so very tiresome. Their blood was beginning to sicken me to the point that I thought all women’s blood was disgusting…until you came along that is.” Bela tells her in an unusually quiet tone, her grip on Desdemona’s thick tresses of hair loosening.
Desdemona licks her lips, a motion Bela follows with interest, and she sucks in a mouthful of air as she tentatively places a hand on top of Bela’s. She exhales when Bela’s fingers curl around her hand possessively.  
“Disobedience begets punishment and the maidens that dare fight back and run from us find out that my mother’s wrath comes in many unpleasant forms. You’re lucky if you’re brought down here to die, but the others…let’s just say they eek out a living in abandoned parts of my mother’s home with nothing but the memories of what they were before and now their only purpose in life is to consume the living.” Bela brings up Desdemona’s knuckles to her lips and kisses them. She forces one of Desdemona’s fingers into her mouth and moans as she sucks on the tip, immensely enjoying the other woman’s reaction to her lewd action.
Desdemona was breathing heavily now, an unsettling chill washing over her in what she assumed was fear. She could not believe what she was hearing yet Bela telling her all this so casually meant that harassing and tormenting maidens was the norm for Lady Dimitresu and her daughters. It sounded like they either fed off of the poor maidens that worked in the castle or Lady Dimitrescu herself experimented on or killed the disobedient ones.
“Where do I fit in all of this?” Desdemona asks. “Mother has seen it fit to keep you alive as my pet and I can do whatever I want with you yet you don’t fight back, you speak to me in a respectful tone and you’ve given me a gift. You have clearly declared your utmost love and devotion to me. I must keep you alive and away from my sisters so neither of them can see what you mean to me. You are my beloved!” Bela declares confidently as she reaches out to pet Desdemona’s head affectionately.
‘What?’
Desdemona freezes in place as her mind tries to absorb what is being said to her. She figured that Bela was lonely but that she was also the wisest and more mature of her sisters so she expected her to have a stronger notion as to what love entails. Desdemona should have known better to expect more from monsters who have known nothing but the horrors of sacrifice, torture, and murder in this hell house.
Bela grew slightly impatient at Desdemona’s continued silence and startled the younger girl by slapping her across the face.
“Well, do you have anything to say after I poured my heart and soul out to you or are you just toying with me? Mother and I do not tolerate the games you humans like to play.” Bela growls out menacingly as she towers over her prey, her hand reaching for the sickle that was strapped to her side.
Although she was momentarily stunned, Desdemona’s survival instincts kicked right back into gear.
“I-I understand, I apologize for my quiet demeanor but that’s how I am. I’m not used to sharing my thoughts with other people, so please bear with me, Mistress!” Desdemona begins, her hands reaching out and clutching at Bela’s hooded dress. She looked up and could see that Bela was clearly pleased with the title of ‘Mistress.’
“You’ll find that I prefer that you share your thoughts with me more often, my love, since you’ve so freely given yourself to me. I will go inform mother of our developing relationship and quickly send a maiden down here for food, you poor thing. I can hear your stomach growling and it is so pitiful to see. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you to recover but don’t fret for too long. I’ll be back to see you soon.” Bela turned to leave but there was another question in the back of Desdemona’s mind that demanded an answer so she hurried over to Bela’s slowly disintegrating form and gripped her shoulder in order to stop her.
 Bela raised a brow at the action but when turned around, she couldn’t help but melt at the sight of Desdemona’s pretty puppy dog eyes looking up at her in love and adoration.
“Before you go, I have to know what happened to my best friend, Veronica. The loud-mouth your mother dragged around in chains. Is she…is she still alive?” Desdemona asked, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer but if she were still alive, at least she wouldn’t be alone and in miserable in Castle Dimitrescu.
 Bela smirked knowing exactly what plans her mother had in store for the other screeching woman-thing. The way Desdemona was looking at her, however, made her bite her own lip and relent. She normally kept her mother’s word and did not discuss such plans with outsiders but this was the woman who threw herself at Bela’s feet and declared her love for her.
“Mother is teaching her a lesson about obedience. She will not kill her if your friend plays her cards right, but your friend is stubborn and mother likes to beat that out of our servants. That’s all I will say on the matter, does that satisfy you?” Bela asked as she cupped Desdemona’s chin and gazed into her unfathomably deep gray eyes.
Desdemona holds back a choked sob and simply nods in response, sighing in relief when Bela finally transforms into a massive ball of insects and leaves the dungeon.
 She curls up into a ball and brings her knees tightly against her chest, tears now running freely down her face. Desdemona cries for what seems like an eternity but when she begins to calm down, a small amount of hope swells in her chest. Veronica was still alive. If they could reunite, they could come up with a plan to escape this castle without alerting Lady Dimitrescu and her demented daughters. There’s absolutely no way they could fight their way out of here, no matter how much Veronica would want to go out in the most violent way possible.
Just on the other side of the chamber’s door and down the dimly lit and gloomy hallway, Bela was on her way to see her mother when she glanced down at the strange device her beloved Desdemona had given her. Her heart was consumed by a strange, fluttering feeling that made her feel light-headed and it would have annoyed Bela if the picture on the screen wasn’t so damned tempting. It was a picture of Desdemona wearing absolutely nothing and she was posing so provocatively that it made Bela want to go back and have her way with the beauty she was looking at on screen. She had been messing around with the photo albums Desdemona showed her and found something that read ‘Hidden’. She must have clicked it by accident, and mother forgive her, she was ever so glad that she did.
Bela sighed and clutched the phone tightly to her chest, not wanting this strange sensation of desire to leave her body. She was absolutely certain that she was in love with Desdemona Hawthorne and nobody was going to take that away from her.
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opalmaplehibiscus · 4 years
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Lion and Emerald
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**Hello Anon! (>w<)/ Writing in Leona’s perspective was fun especially knowing Leona’s personality lol. I really do you hope you enjoy this HC and again, thank you for your kind messages <3 
HC of Leona Proposing to Reader w/ Bit’s of Leona’s Past Lore
• It really wasn’t supposed to happen. Honestly. Truly
• The day he would mull over how to propose to you was something Leona didn’t even dream about
• No one would’ve ever believed that he would fall in love. Even the man himself
• He was the loathed, second prince – who would want to marry him? Cherish him? Love him?
• Yet here he is, after 10 years, being your boyfriend
• To him, it still felt surreal that he’s receiving love, care, attention. And the fact he reciprocates it back? What the hell has he become?
• Sometimes he thinks it was a mistake to fall in love you
• He’s afraid that he’ll cause you pain, that he’ll accidentally hurt you because of his outburst like he once did to Ruggie 
• After all, to him, you’re still an herbivore – small, fragile, cute, precious
• One hit and you’ll break. Even if you were strong to take on everyone who OBed back then, you’re still magicless. He couldn’t help but be amazed you’re still in one piece to this day, as he remembers all those crazy times 
• Maybe that was why he thought him and you, being together, would last forever. For eternity 
• Yes, he was badgered a sh** ton before to marry you by Ruggie and Vil every year . Heck, Vil literally sent him 10 1-hour voicemails on how he was being a useless beast last week while Ruggie came over and begged him to marry you. Rook, we don’t talk about ever. He refuses to think about that hunter who not-so-helpfully backed Vil’s threats with secretly taken photos and photoshop
• Leona( gets a package):  What the crap is th- WHAT THE LEGIT CRAP
Rook: Monsieur Roi de Lion! Did you like your collage gift of you and your lover?
Leona: WHERE THE F*** DID YOU COME FROM?! AND WHERE DID YOU GET THESE PHOTOS?!
• Listen! To be fair, de didn’t want to go through the torture of getting everyone’s approval again. It literally took him 2 years to get Diasomnia and the first-year squad to let him date you. 2. YEARS.
• He still doesn’t want Malleus and Jack to be his mothers-in-law. To hell with that really
• Leona finally curves though when he hears that Cheka was going to go to NRC next year 
• When Leona first heard about it, it takes him a while to actually realize that Cheka wasn’t the same annoying furball he took care of
• The Cheka as of right now is wiser, charismatic, and powerful. By the time he comes home for vacation? Leona knew that Cheka would be strong enough to give a run for his own money 
• It makes Leona realize how much time had actually passed. And how the time with you won’t last forever
• He suddenly feels fear as he thinks about it more. The fact that he might lose you for all sorts of reasons starts making him sweat as dread fills him as he imagines every single scenario that could happen
• For once, he’ll admit. He’s scared. He’s scared that he won’t be with you. He won’t be by your side not getting the hugs that tells him it’s okay, the kisses the seals that promises you won’t let him go, the love he never once received and finally did
• It leads to him telling Ruggie that he’s planning to propose to you very soon
• And really? The fact Ruggie did a spit take on it when he said that made Leona want to chuck his cup at the hyena’s head
• When Ruggie stutters, slowly realizing what was going to happen, Leona decides to be nice and spray water with magic at his face. Not throw the cup. Just water….that was inside the cup
• Planning took over a month because Leona wanted to get it right
• He goes over the details over and over leading him to get stressed, frustrated, and a bit worn down
• The plan had to be fool-proof and perfect. It had to work so that there’s no way you could say no. Not even the tiniest loop hole
• He even swallowed his own damn pride to get his brother to help him with this. I mean, since his brother did it before with his own wife, he would know what to do, right?
• Farena: Propose? Oh, lololol~ I just asked her after going on a date with her. Legit went “I love you, please marry me” out of nowhere with a fast-food ring. Of course, I bought and gave her a proper one but still 
Leona: You useless piece of s---
• Things gets worse though. On the day he planned to propose to you, you suddenly tell him that the two of you are invited for an NRC reunion with the rest of the group 
• My gosh. He’s about to propose to you and you tell him this? Really? Seriously, he can’t take it anymore---
• One thing leads to the next and he’s arguing with you. From talking about reunion to insulting each other to who ate the last piece of steak from last night were the things both of you yell about until Leona has enough and decides to walk out the door to cool his head
• He loves you. He really does. But seriously, can you have any worse timing? Do you realize how many physical, mental, and emotional obstacles he had to pass to propose to you? 
• A week later, the two of you arrive to NRC. The feeling of nervousness hits Leona like a tidal wave as he uses the excuse of last weeks argument to explain his “bad mood” 
• For once, he’s thankful you didn’t realize his ears twitching or the odd way he waves his tail
• Acting like himself, the minute he enters the courtyard with you and sees everyone, he goes “Alright, I’m out of here” 
• He knows you were going to yell at him for it so he adds how he’ll be napping in the Botanical Garden for “nostalgia”
• As he lies in the garden, memories of how you two begin flashes in his head 
• A grin forms on his lips as he remembers how you two first met here in the Botanical Garden and then his confession which stemmed from the Fairy Gala held in here
• He wouldn’t even disagree if someone told him his first and only love stemmed from his napping place
• Soon enough he hears you walking through the garden, trying your best to hide the sounds of your steps
• He waits for you to come closer to where he was lying down until finally, when you were in reach, he uses his tail to drag you down as a surprise
• He wraps his arms around you as he lets his tail let go of your waist, tucking your head under his chin as he nuzzles your hair
• When you start smacking his chest, telling him to let you go, he chuckles. He thinks how you haven’t changed a bit in terms of adorableness
• Finally, he loosens his grip on you, letting you turn your face towards him with a glare (well to him it’s more like a pout)
• He doesn’t answer you when you ask what’s gotten into him lately, getting lost in his thoughts and nervousness
• He could feel you resign and sigh before going back to hugging him, while nuzzling your face into his chest
• Gently he moves a hand towards your face, stroking his thumb on your cheek before lifting your face up again 
• He leans his head towards you, pulling you into a deep kiss 
• At first you yelp in surprise and struggle against him, trying to tell him this was a public area and people might catch them. But as he presses harder and deeper, you stop and start accepting it 
• He doesn’t let  go until he realizes you needed to breathe. The way your eyes were glazed and your cheeks apple red made him want you more 
• Finally, he gently moves you off him and gets up into sitting position. His heart races as he takes a glance and sees how you were looking at him curiously 
• Sighing, he scratches the back of his head. He knows that it was now or never
• Leona looks at you with eyes suddenly glowing from passion
• He gets on one knee and holds both your hand in his. After all, seeing how you were standing up, it  made it look like you were about to run away because of how he was looking at you. And like hell he’s about to let you go
• He confesses how he originally never thought he would fall in love, especially with a weak herbivore like yourself . But as time went on, your justice, your passion, and your person as a whole made him love you
• Leona talks about how recently he started getting scared that he would lose you and how he was thinking of ways to tie you to him so he could continue standing by your side for eternity 
• As he says all of this, his eyes are filled with love, adoration, gentleness yet fear for rejection. His eyes weren’t his predatorily fire green but passionate emerald, for once filled with light 
• Slowly, he uses one hand to keep a hold of your two hands while using the now freed one to grab the ring box in his back pocket
• Leona opens it and presents it to you, saying “I love you to the point that I want you to be mine forever herbivore” 
• Seeing tears roll down your cheeks as you nod, he smiles as he gets up kisses you again
• During the kiss he slides the ring onto your finger and then wrap his arms around your waist, enjoying your warmth
• When the two of you separate, he tears up a bit when he hears you tell him you love him and dives for another
• Or tries to at least if it weren’t for the sound of Ace and Sebek screaming “No” while Ruggie and Vil yells “Finally”
• He glares at them and asks how long was everyone here for as every single person starts to emerge from their hiding place
• It takes 5 hours to calm him down when Malleus shows himself and flatly says he won’t approve even if Leona were to ask him for approval
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rdwrer98 · 3 years
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Alright, time to buckle up because boy howdy is this a long post. But considering what has recently transpired, I feel like rambling on about my recent exploits in the world of Pokemon. And because of how big a deal this is to me, I shall even begin this from when I was a small child! So prepare yourselves for this enthralling saga...
It all began when I was very young. My older brother had a Nintendo 64 (it still works to this day and is a key component to this story) and one of the games on it is Pokemon Stadium. Now I first started playing this myself when I was what, 3? 4? It actually helped me read and unlike most books dedicated to helping children below the age of 5 learning how to read, it was animated with cool monsters beating the crap out of each other with lasers, tidal waves, blasts of fire, earthquakes and spoons. So when you recall how much stuff I have written on my A03, remember that a big reason for my literary prowess is due to this game.
But I digress. Now in most Pokemon games that were out at the same time as Stadium (the original Red, Green, Blue and Yellow) were for Gameboy. In the Gameboy ones, it was the classic 'pick a starter, roam the world, catch and train Pokemon, earn Gym badges'. Stadium doesn't have that, instead it was a way to bring your Pokemon to 3D in (for its time) AMAZING GRAPHICS and compete in multiplayer. But there was another cool game mode on it, the Stadium. Four tournaments that beckon you to compete. My brother won the Petit Cup rather early on, as far as I know it's been won. The Pika Cup was beaten by me older sister a few years ago. But the Poke Cup (highlighted)?
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THAT was mine. Many a days I would compete in it, battling my way through its four stages over the years. At Poke and Great Ball levels, it wasn't too hard. At Ultra, I really struggled but pulled through. But to truly win this, you have to beat all four and thus my final challenge remains to this day; the Master Ball level. Long have I failed, clawing and fighting my way through the challengers and losing to AI BS. For the last 17 years or so, this has been my greatest goal in gaming; win the Poke Cup.
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But here's the catch; I didn't have a Gameboy as a kid like literally every friend I ever had. I never got to experience the Pokemon Grind until I was 19 and a friend lent his DS to me with Platinum out of pity at being such a deprived child. Now the Gen 4 games are ones I hope to one day win, but it was a lesser conquest compared to the glory of claiming the Poke Cup.
Then for my 21st, I was given the tool of my ascension.
My dear friend @spottermiz came all the way down to the Cook Islands for my 21st (in Maori culture, this is one of the most important birthdays in your life) and gave me a Gameboy Color with Pokemon Yellow. For the first time in years, I had a chance at winning the Poke Cup. I booted up that old game and immediately started out.
Now I will admit, I was hammering out Yellow every chance I had for awhile. I cleared Gyms all the way up to Blaine when it all went south. Y'see, the Poke Cup has a strict rule on what Level your team must be to qualify; Level 50. Now the best XP is won in Yellow from Trainer Battles, but I had won pretty much all of them. And this was on a 1995 or so game so the VS Seeker that lets you rematch the AI didn't exist. Meaning I had to rely on wild Pokemon. Which give much lower XP
This was when I plataeu'd. I was just fighting wild Pokemon in the Seafoam Islands because that was the only place I could actually find worthy enough Pokemon. It honestly took a lot out of me and my dedication waned. Along with a slew of many personal issues in my life (alcoholism, depression, loss, etc) I barely touched the Gameboy for awhile.
Then on a whim, I took my Gameboy with me when I was hanging out with some friends. They were playing Dark Souls on their fancy pants PS4 and there I was with a Gameboy Color. And that was when I realized something; the drive came back when I played Yellow while around other people. We would take turns taking jabs at each other's gaming, there was laughing, there was life, I was suddenly invigorated in Yellow again. So for the past month, a fire was reignited in me and I began playing in earnest (I think the Pokemon Anime was onto something with the Power of Friendship crap XD)
And tonight, after 45 hours and 8 minutes of gameplay over 2 years, my team all reached Level 50. And all were eligible for registration to the Poke Cup.
17 years I have tried and failed time and time again to win. For so long I felt like Sisphyus, eternally in reach of victory yet it would always elude me
Now...
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Now there's nothing stopping me. My team is registered, all their moves picked out and each one trained up to the best I can do. The stage is set and I will play through the entireity of the Poke Cup, starting all the way from the lowest level and fighting to the top. Might seem excessive, but this is my first time getting a handpicked and tailor-made team moulded from experienced gameplay into this. The lower levels are good for testing them out in this and will make my final conquest all the sweeter.
And I am taking y'all along for the ride. I'll be making posts detailing my Challenge of the Day on my @rdwrer98 blog, updating it as I go along. But upon finishing a daily challenge, it'll be reblogged to my other blogs.
A lifetime I have spent trying to reach this moment. And I want to share it with all of you.
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hillbillyoracle · 4 years
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Dealing with Stress When You Live in a Rough Place
This isn't necessarily tarot or shadow work, but I wanted to write a little bit about strategies I've found useful for dealing with my neighborhood in it's current state. All of this can apply to managing stress generally but I'm focusing on folks in my boat. I'm incredibly sleep deprived so it's going to be rambly - I'm warning you now. But hopefully this helps someone.
I've shared a little bit about what's been going on in other posts; we hear shootings at least weekly, people will play loud music so loud the window rattle really late at night, all out brawls have broken out in the parking lot, our neighbors bang against the walls even in the middle of the night, most our neighbors have made it clear they don't like us because we're gay, we've had our car broken into at least 2 in the last month, kids have taken to beating our cars with sticks, climbing on and under them, screaming in front of our house, beating on our door and running off - like y'all it's a lot!
I talk about this so folks can know where I'm coming from. Some folks read this and they're horrified, some folks are going to read that and be like fuck that's tame. How hard a situation looks really does depend on what your normal is and how you were raised. For me, it's pretty intense. I was raised in out in the country so I didn't grow up living really close to people like I have to here in the city. And country neighborhoods have their own brand of rough, do not underestimate it, but most of what I've compiled here is going to be about living in close proximity with other people in areas with high crime rates.
Mindset Shifts
The Sooner You Accept Your Lack of Control - The Better
And I mean really accept it. Not just intellectually understanding that there's not anything you can do, but getting as okay with that as you can manage. For folks who are already traumatized that's a whole lot harder to do. Living in a space that traumatizes you daily will also make that harder as time goes on. But it's been some of the most important work I've done while living in a place that this. Sometimes I cope by being very public about what I'm going through, sometime I cope by
Sensory Management is Not a Luxury, It is a Necessity
This has become overwhelmingly clear to me that sensory overload in rough neighborhoods is a wildly underdiscussed health issue. There's measurable health differences in people who are exposed to a lot of noise versus those who aren't. I'm autistic so this is something I have to do just to function but I've seen a huge shift in my girlfriend's mental health since living here too. Take it seriously and try to attend to it just like you would any other health concern, making it a part of your routine. This is where adapting Polyvagal strategies has come in handy.
Good is Still Good Even If There's a Ton of Bad
There are very few moments of pure joy in a neighborhood like this. One of the reasons that a gratitude practice has been genuinely helpful is that it's shown me how much good can get swept away in the tidal wave of crap in a place like this. So that I don't feel helpless or internalize how worthless places like this are designed to make you feel, I try to resist by reflecting on the good. IT helps me feel like my life still has meaning while I'm living here and it's not a waste to be right where I am right now.
I Am Not Failing Myself For Not Getting Sleep, Food, Safe, Etc
I'm lucky that we've been good on food but sleep and safety have been in short supply. I realized I often felt like I was a bad person for being in this situation where I couldn't sleep, I criticized myself for not being able to sleep through all the noise and getting worked up. I have to remind myself daily that I'm not failing myself for what I can't really control. I'm not a bad person because of what people around me choose to do.
Polyvagal Strategies Adapted
Nature
Ideally, when you're trying to regulate your nervous system, you'd want to get out into nature more. It's just flat out not accessible or safe to do so here. I'm lucky that my room faces a nice tree and when I'm getting stressed, I take some time to just sit and really look at it. I try to notice the details. I also really enjoy feeding birds on my window sill. I invested in a big bag of bird seed with some Christmas money that's lasted me at least a year now but I used to get bags for about 5 dollars at Kroger. If you can't get close to nature, lure it to you.
Need something totally free? You can also pull up livefeeds of bird feeders on YouTube. I used to watch them when I couldn't walk to put out birdseed. Still very helpful. Nature cams in general are great. Put on a nature doc like Planet Earth. Change your computer and phone backgrounds to have natural landscapes. Even just sketching landscapes and having landscape are around your space can help.
If you can buy some soil, dig some up, or swipe some from a public garden bed, you can grow some small plants on your window sill. You can grow a lot of seeds from vegetables and some fruits you get at the store. You can also collect seeds from trees and try to grow them (it's difficult, plant several at a time). Take cuttings of plants you can identify as safe. Extension services will also sometimes send seeds for free. Taking care of a plant really helps us spend more time in the restorative part of our nervous system.
Sound
At the intersection of sound and nature is nature noises. If you're trying to block out your neighbors anyways, nature noises are the best option. I've had the best luck rain and storm sounds. Water noises in particular have a calming effect on our nervous system. If I really need to block something out I'll layer a rain generator over some music I like (rain sounds + Elliot Smith = a vibe).
Music in general can have different  activating and calming effects on our nervous system. Pay attention to what music activates you and makes you more likely to be in conflict with people when you listen to it and what music makes you more social. Physically relaxation is harder for me personally to gauge. As a person with trauma I can't always tell when my body is relaxing or not. So paying attention to how I treat others helps me check myself.
Temperature + Touch
When we're warmer, we tend to feel more socially connected than when we're cold. Put on some extra clothes, pile on the blankets, take a bath, or grab a space heater if you have one. It's worth increasing the temp a little if you're stressed. Too hot and we can begin to feel crowded out. So if you're feeling the need to flee, it's worth trying to cool off a little. I usually do this by splashing some cool water on my face.
While we crave touch from others, touch from ourselves also helps calm our nervous systems! Jin Shin Jyutsu has been super helpful for me. There are a few videos online. I recommend searching Facebook for a woman local to me - Jennifer Bradley. I took one of her in person classes before the pandemic and it's been very helpful especially around sleep. I think the only place she's got her recent videos up is on her Facebook page but they're worth tracking down. She's a very good teacher and just a very soothing presence in general.
There's some evidence that just imagining being hugged or held is calming on the nervous system. Some goes for imagining ourselves out walking in nature. Don't be afraid to spend time daydreaming!
Breath + Movement
A lot of unsafe neighborhoods make common advice like going for a walk completely out of the question. However, even just moving more around your space can help. Yoga has been very helpful to me. My partner finds bodyweight exercises really help her. Any movement you feel good doing counts. Including movement you imagine yourself doing as well.
Breathing is movement, or seems to have a similar effect at least. I really recommend checking out a few breath work strategies to use. You've always got your lungs on you so it's easy to use. I like the in for 4 counts, hold for 7, release for 8 pattern. Breath is a direct line to the nervous system and I try to do a breathing pattern several times a day just to regroup.
Cognitive Strategies
Journal Like Your Life Depends on It
I'm not joking. TMS journaling - journaling stream of consciousness very intensely for about 20-30 minutes and then destroying what you've written - has been key not only to me surviving this place but having fewer Fibro flares than when I was living in much calmer places. But honestly all journaling is helpful. I've been keeping a daily journal in Notion and that alone has been helpful. Making sure I've gotten as much as possible off of my mind throughout the day has helped so much. Find a journaling strategy that allows you to take the cognitive load of (or a few) and practice them as often as you can. Not into journaling? I used to take videos of myself talking into the camera and save or delete them depending on whether I wanted to come back to them. Are words rough? Draw your feelings or scenes as you saw them.
Find the Story That Works
There are a bunch of conflicting ideas about what the right view of trauma and the story of it is. I personally really hate any narrative that places me as a victim. For better or worse, I like to look at what I've learned in any giving situation. So in my current situation, when I'm overwhelmed, I remind myself that I'm only getting a glimpse of what some people in places like this go through. It's increasing my empathy and expanding my awareness which allows me to better serve others. It's made me more committed to keeping my materials accessible over profiting. There's been a lot of benefit when I frame it that way. And that works for me. If that story isn't helpful for you - work to find a frame to narrate your experiences - as they're happening - that help you feel more whole.
Conclusion
I'm not sure if these strategies will work for other people but I wanted to at least have something out there than people could hopefully find if they're struggling with the same thing. Basically, if you can't fix it - manage it. Find ways to make the experience less traumatic if you're able to. Manage your sensory input. Do what you can with what you have where you are. Too many folks will tell you that you absolutely have to change your material circumstances before you can address mental health but for many of us that's just not possible. Or in the words of one of my favorite Buddhist teachers, Robina Courtin, "If you can do something, do something, but if you can't, what are you going to do?"
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ragingbookdragon · 4 years
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To Bake A Butler A Cake
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A Batfamily Story!
This piece was done by the lovely @livia-art​ ! Y’all might recognize her from our other collaboration ‘How Rare And Beautiful It Is That We Exist’! Make sure you go follow her and reblog all her art because she definitely deserves it! (If you zoom in on the refrigerator, the note is hilarious!) We hope you enjoy this, because we (Liv (all I did was type lol)) worked really hard on this! -Thorne <3
It shouldn’t be this hard to bake a cake, he thinks, but as he looks between the ingredients and utensils, the stress is beginning to overwhelm him. It must’ve shown on his face, because there’s a grunt beside him, and the next thing he knows, the cookbook is being ripped out of his hands. “Jesus Christ Bruce. We’re baking a cake, not performing rocket science.” Instantly, the confusion is replaced by annoyance, and he turns to stare at Jason, the words flowing before he can stop them.
           “Well for your information Jay, rocket science is actually something I can do.” All Jason returns is a shit-eating grin, placing a hand on his shoulder, gently shoving him out of the way. Bruce relents, stepping a few feet away, and takes a moment to look at his second oldest. Side by side, Bruce is the tallest, but Jason’s only a couple inches shorter. In an instance, he feels old, images of a hunched-over old man cross his mind, tall sons surrounding him, and a grimace forms on his face as he thinks about pulling a Ra’s and staying young…and tall. Laughter draws him from his thoughts, and he turns his gaze to the island where Dick is hanging on one of Jason’s arms, pointing into the book.
           “Oh, come on! Alfie likes red velvet cake!” Jason pays Dick no mind, teal eyes scanning the page of the book as he absentmindedly replies,
           “We’re baking a chocolate cake Dick.” A pout takes over the eldest’s face and he moves off his brother, sprawling over the counter, whining,
           “But why?” Jason’s eyes dart to his brother, staring at him for a moment before he glances at his father and deadpans,
           “You raised this thing. I hope you know that.” The truth in his words is all it takes to make Bruce snort and nod, grin widening as he listens to Dick sputter something along the lines of, ‘what’s that supposed to mean?!’ Jason glances back at the book, then leans over, placing the book in front of Tim’s face above his phone. “Read this.” Cerulean eyes narrow into a glare as Tim looks up from his phone to stare at Jason, who simply nods to the book. “You retain anything you read. Do this and we won’t have to worry about looking back at the book a bunch of times.” Tim huffs and pulls the book from his hands, and in a flash, closes it and repeats,
           “One box of cake mix, three eggs, one cup of oil, one cup of milk, and one vanilla packet. Frosting needs one container of whip cream, one package of cream cheese, one cup of powdered sugar, and four chocolate bars.” He doesn’t even stop to breathe, the words still coming out of his mouth like rapid firing bullets. “Mix the cake ingredients and bake at-” A hand clamps over his mouth and he glances up at Dick, wide eyed.
           “Tim, little brother. For the love of god, take a breath.” To emphasize his point, Dick makes a serious face and breathes in deeply; the action makes Tim roll his eyes, but nevertheless, he does the same, taking in a good lungful of air. The hand falls away from his mouth and Dick moves behind him, resting his chin atop Tim’s head as he asks, “So why are we making Alfie a cake again?” This time, it’s not Jason giving the reasoning, but Damian, who hops onto the counter, pulling the metal bowl into his lap, legs crossed in front of him.
           “Because Pennyworth has successfully served the Wayne family for forty years, and we are celebrating it.” He levels Dick with a glower and bites, “Pay better attention Richard.” Damian pauses, but can’t help to add, “Drake is supposed to be the imbecile in this family.” Dick hums, reaching out to grab the arm Tim is slinging in his younger brother’s direction, and replies,
           “Kiddo, I just got here five minutes ago. I missed the game plan.” Damian’s follow-up is cut off by Jason, who retorts,
           “I don’t really think you can get out of this one considering the fact that we’ve been talking about this for a whole month now Dickiebird.” Their eldest’s mouth flops open and closed as he flounders like a fish for a response. Jason looks up at him and flashes him a grin, partly telling him that he’s joking, but the other part telling him he’s hit the nail on the head; Dick stands up straight, shrugging nonchalantly.
           “I forget things easily. You can’t blame me for that one.” Tim spares a glance towards Bruce and questions seriously,
           “Are you sure he’s the one you want to leave the Batman mantle to? Batman isn’t supposed to forget things.” Laughter echoes through the kitchen as Dick raises his hands above his head in defeat, crying,
           “What is this? Crap on Dick day?” He’s not too occupied in his hysteria, because he catches the whisk Jason tosses at him.
           “Don’t know about you Dickiebird, but everyday is ‘Crap on Dick Day’.” Tim and Damian let out snickers as they watch Dick pout, but Bruce simply reaches over, ruffling his hair.
           “It’s okay Dick. I still love you son.” The smile that crosses his lips is nothing short of superior as he sticks his tongue out at his brothers. He stops as Bruce nudges him, and Bruce looks back at Jason, an easy look on his face as he says, “Well Jaybird…let’s bake a cake.”
An Hour Later:
It. Should. Not. Be. This. Hard. To. Bake. A. Cake. He thinks as he cradles his head in his hands, listening to the screeches sound in the kitchen. The last time he looked around, chocolate batter had been splattered across the kitchen cabinets and all four of his sons had engaged in a friendly discussion (enemy confrontation). Bruce chances a glance up and stares in shock as he watches his two youngest and two oldest in two separate fights.
           Tim’s got Damian curled into a headlock, one arm wrapped around his head, the other reaching for the bowl that Damian’s holding away from him. “Let go of me Drake! You get the spoon! It’s my turn to have the bowl!” Tim flails for the batter-bowl and retorts,
           “Oh yeah?! Says who?!” If Damian could bite Tim, he’d be sinking his teeth into pale skin, but since he can’t, he thrashes wildly, trying to be free of him.
           “Says me! Let go!” Bruce shifts his eyes to Dick and Jason, who are bent over the counter, Jason’s palm pressed up against Dick’s cheek as he keeps him at arm’s length.
           “Fuck off Dickhead! I’m icing the cake!” The whine that tears from Dick’s throat reminds him of the dinosaur calls from the museum exhibits, and he watches as Dick pulls at the icing bag in Jason’s hand.
           “I have the better designing ability!”
           “The hell you do! Remember Discowing?! Trash!” A grin spreads on Bruce’s lips at the insult, but it quickly forms into a frown as Dick snaps back,
           “This coming from the person who wears a giant red helmet on his head! Jerk!”
           “Bitch!” The contemplation to jump in crosses his mind, but before he can get to it, a shadow falls across the doorway and an accented voice cuts over the yelling.
           “What. On. Earth. Is going on in my kitchen?!” Everyone is frozen in their spots as they direct their gazes to the kitchen’s entrance, seeing Alfred standing there, a mixture of anger and wonder etched across his face. Somehow, the universal signal has gone off in his son’s heads as they immediately let go of one another, pointer fingers directed back at Bruce. They aren’t looking, so they can’t see the look of betrayed shock that’s taken over his features, but one look from Alfred has him sweating in his house slippers as he sputters,
           “We were making you a cake to honor your service to the family, but it’s not really service, because you’re not just a butler to our family Alfred. You’re so much more than that. You’re a father and grandfather, and I don’t think any of us would be who we are today if it wasn’t for you.” There’s a moment of hesitation before Bruce adds quietly, “Especially me.” The anger in Alfred’s gaze dissipates in a flash, replaced with a soft look as he glances between his family and asks,
           “You did this…for me?” The smiles they give him could’ve beat the sun’s brightness by a mile as they nod, and Alfred breaks into one of his own. “Thank you, my boys…truly…thank you.” All the reflexes in the world couldn’t prepare him for the tidal wave of grandsons that slam into him, arms wrapping all around him. The shock shifts to warmth as he holds onto his family, and as he opens his eyes, he sees his only son standing behind his family. Alfred holds out his hand and murmurs, “I might be the glue that holds us all together, but you’re the key piece Master Bru-son.”
If anyone had asked, it was a piece of dust that caught in Bruce’s eyes and made them water. But no one would ask, because it wasn’t important to differentiate. There was love in their family; the favorite butler and a chocolate cake could prove it.
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multibug · 4 years
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7. reveal (adrienette/ladynoir)
AO3
Church bells ring through the foyer with an essence of nostalgia from Adrien’s younger days—his mother and him would attend fancy weddings for years and laugh at the expensive, unnecessary items people would scatter around their wedding venues. 
Adrien’s favorite was the golden duck with diamonds encrusted in its eyes that shot water out if its mouth into a fountain. 
Sometimes, he can’t fathom how much time has gone by since he gained his miraculous at thirteen. Six years later, lots of awkward puberty growth spurts and voice changes and here he is, watching two of his best friends get married.
It feels like forever, yet also like no time has gone by. Time is strange and fluctuates weirdly in Adrien’s opinion.
“I can’t believe I’m married,” Nino says from his left, the two of them sneaking through the foyer and out a side door to get a breath of fresh air. “I mean, I can, because I love Alya like no tomorrow, but…” 
“But you never thought you’d get here?” Adrien asks, voice gentle.
Nodding his head, Nino flexes his fingers out and stares down the dark alley. “Yeah, exactly. I know a lot of people think we’re too young—”
“To hell what other people think!”
“I know, I know. I just… I’ve known since we were kids, you know? I know it sounds weird and I know you probably think I’m talking out of my ass.” 
Nudging shoulders with Nino, Adrien stretches his back out and glances at his best friend. “I’ll only think you’re talking out of your ass if you say ‘I know’ one more bloody time.” 
“You spend one year on and off in London for work and you come back talking like you were born and raised there!” 
“I resent that,” Adrien grumbles. 
“I don’t know about that, Adri—”
The metal door creaks open behind them, the chatter and excitement from the reception floating out to wrap them up like a blanket. Marinette, dolled up in her maid-of-honor dress that fit her like a glove, sticks her head out and grins over at them. “Hey boys! Alya was wondering where you’d gone off to.” 
“Does she need me?” Nino goes to run inside, face dropping to a concerned expression before Marinette can edge a word in otherwise. 
Marinette stops him with a gentle hand to her chest, opening the door further and fully coming into view. “Relax, loverboy. Alya just wants to dance with you. No need to panic.” 
“Duty calls.” The moon is the only thing illuminating them as Nino pats Adrien on the chest with a grin, slipping past Marinette to go find Alya inside. The door snicks shut behind him, Marinette glancing at it before over at Adrien. 
“Hey there, stranger.” 
“Hey, Mari!” Quickly, Adrien steps forward to bring the smaller girl into his arms and hug her. He hasn’t seen her in forever, not since graduation at the very least. “Wow, it’s been a bit while, hasn’t it?” 
Laughing slightly, Marinette returns the hug for a split second before they break apart, her hand wrapping around her forearm in an old, nervous tick. She avoids his eyes by smoothing out the skirt of her dress. “Yeah! As much as I’ve loved texting you, I think I prefer seeing your reaction to memes in person.” 
‘Yeah, well, I don’t think anything will beat that time you made a joke in terminale and it made Kim shoot soda out of his nose and hit the girls at the table in front of us.” Adrien’s laughing, back slightly arching forward as he places a hand on his knee to steady himself. “I almost peed my pants.” 
“That wasn’t my intention,” Marinette says, through her own bouts of laughs, her long hair falling over the front of her shoulders. “I tried to apologize to them and you kept pulling me back!” 
His hand rests on her shoulder as he grins, speaking quickly, “Marinette, I couldn’t let you get fed to the pack wolves!” 
Adrien notes her bangs have thinned out since terminale, maturing her face a little. Her dress is a simple bright red strapless, cinching at her waist and flowing outward until it hits her thigh, where a small slit shows off one of her legs. 
The striking realization that she looks so much like Ladybug hits him like a tidal wave. 
Suddenly, the alleyway is too small, claustrophobia settling into his bones. 
“You want to go for a walk? We can make it back before they notice we’re gone,” Adrien suggests, itching to slink out of the narrow space. 
‘Sure,” she says, tucking a piece of her curled hair behind her ear.
Marinette leads them out of the alleyway and around the corner, where La Seine flows in all of its glory. Glittering lights romanticize the strip, only outshone by the tour Eiffel itself. The season is shifting from the last remnants of autumn to winter, the air frigid and cold. Tree leaves a beautiful mixture of orange, red, and brown in its wake, whispering a gentle aura over Paris. 
It’s Adrien’s favorite time of year.
“Do you ever feel like we’re lucky?” Marinette rests a bare elbow onto the stone railing, her body half turned towards him. 
“Lucky?” Adrien asks, frowning when he notices he shiver. It’s small, and she doesn’t say anything, so he shrugs off his jacket and slides it over her shoulders. 
He smiles when he watches her sink into it, and continues, “How so?” 
“So many people never get to experience this,” she says, gesturing to the city around them without knocking his jacket off her shoulders. Her eyebrows raise as she talks, “Yet we do. There are people that have so much less than we do and we worry about the most miniscule inconveniences.” 
Rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, Adrien copies her stance and rests both of his on the railing, chin settling on his palm as he looks at her. “While that’s very much true,” he starts, taking in the slight frown on her face, nudging her ever-so-gently with a wink. “I already know that you help much more than the average person, Mari.”
Her face freezes, grip loosening on the jacket enough to where it almost slips off. “What?” 
“Was that the wrong thing to say?” His voice is gentle as he asks, genuine confusion on his face.
“Adrien,” she says, her words choked. 
Turning fully to her, Adrien blinks at their height difference, even with her in heels. “I’m sorry? You just love to help people—” 
“Don’t,” she whispers, eyes flittering from his face to the river in rapid succession. 
He’s confused, he’s so confused.
“Don’t what? I’m just trying to give you a compliment, Marinette—”
Suddenly, Marinette turns to him, fierce look in her eyes with her hands gripping the lapels of his jacket. “Who told you? Or did you figure it out on your own?” 
“Told me what?” Slightly taken aback, Adrien stands to his full height above her, his arms crossing over his chest. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Mari.” 
Marinette’s gaze is rooting him to the spot with a calculating look, one so familiar that his brain nearly rewires itself. She seems to find what she’s looking for in his eyes and her shoulders droop, her lips curled into a frown. It reminds him eerily of his spotted partner. 
It strikes him how this isn’t the first, but the second time tonight he’s compared Marinette to Ladybug, however unintentional it’s been. He can’t lie and say he’s never thought about it before, though her quick appearance as Multimouse had crossed her off his suspicious list early on.
As he’s staring at her, with all of the worry and disbelief that had been etched into her skin, he wonders if he had crossed her off too soon. 
The girl behind the mask has a special place in his heart, no matter the person—sans Lila. If it’s Marinette who he runs around the city fighting crime with in a skin tight red and black spotted suit, it’ll be an added bonus. 
(Because, all of the crap he spewed in collège and lycée about her being just a friend had always been a lie. 
He hadn’t realized it until it was too late, accepting that he wouldn’t be the one receiving that type of love from her. He’d persuaded himself that her friendship was enough.
And it was. Until now.) 
“You know,” he breaks the silence, shuffling slightly closer to Marinette as if he’s telling her the world’s most important secret. “I was in love with Ladybug for years.”
The shift on her face is priceless, even without the suspicions traveling through his brain. He know it's her, he's sure of it. He just needs some sort of confirmation before he tells her.
Her lips part and her eyes widen, like a deer caught in headlines. “You—You were?” 
Adrien shrugs, idly kicking a rock with one of his boots. He’s glad his jacket doesn’t clash with her dress, as the black suit is simple enough. “Yeah. Kind of hard not to be, you know? She’s so inspiring with the amount of people she helps. I could stare into her eyes and get lost in how blue they are.’ He chuckles, shoving his hands into his pockets and peers up at her stricken expression. “More importantly, she never gives up, even when it’s hard. I love that in people.” 
“You do?” Marinette squeaks out, her brain-to-mouth filter gone. Her cheeks are the rosiest shade of pink, even in the darkness of the night. Her eyes don’t leave his face, as if she’s staring up at him in awe. 
Bingo. If he wasn’t sure before, he’s sure now. That’s his lady, alright. 
He allows the smile threatening to break his cheeks spread over his face, dimples and all. “Yeah. Sadly, she’s her and I’m just, well, me.” 
“Don’t you ever say that about yourself again, do you hear me? You are the nicest boy with the kindest heart I’ve ever met,” Marinette pushes herself into his space, gently jabbing her finger into his chest to make a point. “Anyone would be lucky for you to love them. Especially Ladybug.” 
“Hm. Especially Ladybug?” He’s unable to help the smirk that forms on his face from her embarrassed expression. “You know, I think I would be the lucky one—” 
There’s screams, a crash, and an explosion that interrupts Adrien all at once. The wedding venue is on fire, smoking filling the sky at an alarming rate. People from the reception run around the corner yelling as citizens of Paris begin to stick their heads out their windows to see what’s happening. 
Adrien sighs, holding his hand out to Marinette who all-but shoves his jacket into his hand. He slips it on, hiding his grin as he notices her taking tiny steps back out of the corner of his eye.
Just as she’s about to jet away, Adrien purposely turns fully towards her. “Mari, where are you going?” 
“Oh, I—uh. I’m going to go make sure everyone got out safely, yeah! You should stay here though and worry about the crowd.” She turns around to run off, when Adrien grabs her by the hand and pulls her into his body, ignoring the stares from their lycée friends. “Adrien?!” 
“Stay safe, Marinette,” Adrien whispers, squeezing her once before letting her go, ushering her in the direction of the building. “Go, before I change my mind.” 
And she does, sprinting around the corner faster than he’s ever seen anyone run in heels. That’s his Ladybug. 
“Dude, did you just let her run back into a burning building by herself?!” 
Rolling his eyes, Adrien waves dismissively in their direction, breaking out into a jog. “I’ll be back,” he calls over his shoulder, winking in their direction. 
 “Fuck Hawkmoth. I hate him,” Ladybug—Marinette says to him after she casts her healing spell, a pout on her face. “I was having such a good night and then that bald-headed asshole had to come and ruin it.” 
“I’m sorry?” Adrien chokes out a laugh, the two of them fistbumping with their usual pound it afterwards. “What were you doing?” 
Laughter fills the air as she steps in front of him, jutting the tip of her finger into his chest. “Down, kitty. I was just celebrating a special event with some friends. I was in the middle of a very revealing conversation when it happened.” 
“That sucks,” he supplies with a small shrug of his shoulders, retracting his baton and slipping it back into its rightful place. He takes a seat on the roof, humming quietly. “Come sit with me for a minute?” 
They’d decided to meet back up on the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris once reporters and police showed up as it was the closest to the akuma (and the venue). The historical site had been repaired beautifully since the fire, and Ardien hopes this is as good of a place as any to tell her. 
His feelings for both Ladybug and Marinette had never fully dwinded, and knowing they’re the same person makes him fall all over again. 
“Chat, I don’t really have time. They’ll notice I’m gone and—”
“It’s important, Ladybug.” 
Ladybug’s lips purse together at the usage of her full name and listens to him, dropping in front of him so they’re facing one another whilst sitting criss-cross. “Should I be worried?” 
“You’ll probably be mad at me,” Adrien admits with a shrug of his shoulders, able to fully see her expression with his night vision. 
Worry. Confusion. Slight anger. Though the look that pierces through the most is trust. 
It settles his nerves a bit. 
“Okay, talk quick then, chaton. We don’t have a lot of time,” she tells him with a tap to her blinking earrings. 
Ease her into it, Agreste. You don’t want to scare her away. “I know your identity,” he blurts out, hand slapping over his mouth. 
Uh oh. She’s going to kill him. 
Ladybug’s eyes narrow immediately as her arms cross over her chest. It’s the same, calculating look from earlier and it sends shivers down his spine. Her lips curve into a frown, his hands aching to smooth out the downward pull of her smile with his thumb.
Then, she laughs. So bright and beautiful, so unabashed that it stuns him. “You really had me going there for a minute.” 
“I’m not lying to you,” Adrien says, as truthful as he can, scooting closer to her with a serious expression. “I didn’t mean to find out, honest. But I want you to know that me knowing who you are doesn’t change a single thing for me. It just makes me love and appreciate you even more,” he pauses, gauging her reaction, then adding a beat later, “Marinette.” 
The mirth in her eyes starts to dissipate and she covers her mouth with her hand, unable to form words. He can tell she’s trying to think of a plan, a way to get out of the situation, yet is too stunned to do anything other than stare. 
Slowly, he reaches a hand out to grab her free one as a comforting gesture, thumb rubbing small circles into it. “Hey,” Adrien whispers, smiling encouragingly over at her. “It’s okay, I promise—” 
A blinding, green light fills their visions and once it disappears, Adrien appears in front of Ladybug in his suit. “I thought I had more time,” Adrien whines, face palming with the hand that isn’t holding Ladybug’s. Plagg doesn’t say a word, whizzes into the pocket where Adrien’s hiding his camembert in a tiny container and zooms off. 
“You—I—What?!” Ladybug’s gripping his hand tightly, as though she’s unaware she’s doing it, her eyes wider than he’s ever seen them. “Adrien? There’s no way!” 
“It’s me, Bug,” Adrien rasps out, licking his dry lips and swallowing harshly. “It’s me, Mari.” 
“I’m not going to freak out,” Ladybug tells herself under her breath, gently removing her hand from his and hopping off the ground to pace around the rooftop. “Nope, I’m not going to—”  
Pink lights swirl around her and Adrien stares in awe as Marinette appears in front of him, looking as goddess-like in her red dress as she had prior to transforming. Tikki phases through Marinette’s bag, then comes out with a cookie and follows Plagg. 
“This is crazy,” Marinette squeaks out, hands clenching and unclenching nervously. Her heels clack over the roof as she walks, her cheeks flushing bright enough for Adrien to notice. “I mean, you sat in front of me in school for years! How did we not notice?” 
“At least we know the magic conceals us?” Adrien tries with a wince, standing up and dusting himself off. He chances a step in Marinette’s direction, heart beating faster when she doesn’t back away. “My lady—” 
“Did you mean it?” Her voice croaks as she closes the distance, a determined look on her face. Her hand finds his easily and tangles their matching sweaty fingers together. 
“Mean what?” 
“When you said that it didn’t matter who Ladybug was?” Marinette licks her lips, hope-filled eyes meeting his. 
“Yes,” Adrien rasps out as he nods his head, his forehead falling forward to rest against hers. “Of course, Mari. You’re it for me.” 
“Dieu merci.” 
Adrien isn’t sure who kisses who. He thinks they may have met in the middle, a clash of lips and passion and holy shit I’ve waited six years for this. There’s no sparks, no fireworks that erupt in his stomach, no moment that blinds him. Instead, it feels like a slow burn that warms him from the inside out, lights him aflame and soothes out the aches in his heart. 
It feels like coming home. 
Marinette’s hand that isn’t holding his trails up the side of his arm, to the back of his neck and into his hair, carding through his golden locks. A purr rumbles through his body, and Marinette pulls back with a satisfied smirk. 
“Did you just purr?” 
Leaning in, Adrien presses kisses to her face. “I have—” He kisses her nose. “—no idea—” Her cheek. “—what you’re talking about.” The last kiss lands on her mouth, a short and sweet one, one that she tries to deepen by tugging him back in after he pulls back, but he doesn’t let her. “As much as I’d love to keep kissing you, we do have to go back to the wedding.” 
“I guess,” Marinette grumbles, but he knows she doesn’t mean it. He allows her to fix his hair, relishing in the feel of her hands on him. Her eyes are fond and he knows that what she’s about to say may break him. “I’m glad it’s you.” 
“I’m glad it’s you too, Mari.” 
They’re finally home.
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lost-eternity · 4 years
Text
Matchup Requests *CLOSED*
This was done as a trade instead of a standard match up, hence why I am permitting it. :)
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Matchup for @stormra​
okie dokie I match you with...
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I have to admit, this was a bit of a difficult one. It was really between Charles Grey and Sebastian. And it was close. But a few small details caused me to lean towards Grey instead of Sebby. I’ll explain why later on.
First of all, your love languages mesh rather perfectly
Charles Grey’s (inflated) ego causes him to thoroughly enjoy the praise and affection you lavish upon him
He enjoys being treated as a prince and has no inclination to returning these affections
It’s a selfish love but weirdly enough, it works
He also doesn’t give enough craps to care for society or propriety to be embarrassed or ashamed of your advances
He is quite inept at displaying physical affection and his attempts are half-hearted at best
It’s that blasted ego again
But he does try. In his own little way
He may (attempt to) awkwardly cook something for you, or more likely than not, force you to take fencing lessons
He always wins
And he goes really hard on you claiming that you would never learn if he went easy
It’s laborious and by the end of each session you are close to collapsing from exhaustion
Insert a lewd joke here, “Oh, my dear, if this is how easily you tire, I better condition you for my bedchamber...”
Yeah, it turns out he is a complete pervert sometimes
But fencing is one of the few ways he can actually express himself
Which seems a bit paradoxical if that expression is affection or love
But it is kind of cute.
He is determined to teach you, and although he may not be the most outwardly affectionate, the amount of time and effort he invests in you is enough to tell you how much he cares
He is a very busy man you know, running missions and odd errands for the queen
His free time is extremely precious for him 
So the mere fact that he is spending it with you is a lot more monumental than most people would assume
But you are smart enough to realise this
And that is one of the reasons I did not pair you with Sebastian. 
Sebastian is a lot more how shall we put it... salacious. His flirting is subtle in public but that bastard would do anything to make his lover blush, testing the limits of society and still managing to get by without being caught... somehow. It’s his way of exercising control and I think that would really clash with your love language. 
~
So,
Charles Grey is also a rather chipper fellow. 
Like "chipper" may be an understatement 
Excitable puppy man is more like it, at least when it comes to fencing... or maiming... the dude has weird hobbies
But he really understands your desire to travel. He is full of jittery energy that he uses releases running errands for the Queen, travelling across all of the UK. And really most of Europe running diplomacy missions and handling sensitive cases
He would probably be hesitant to allow you to accompany him
But you'd wear him down eventually 
Grey really understands your wanderlust, he has a hard time focusing on monotonous tasks or locations as well
So he may allow you to join him
With one *small* caveat 
You have to defeat him in a fencing duel first 
Which is absolute shit. But you understand where he is coming from.
That ego of his leads him to consider himself the best swordsman in Europe, if not the world
He figures that if you manage to strike him down then you could handle yourself with anyone 
And that is no small task
It seems entirely daunting and near impossible (which is probably another reason he assigned it)
And that brings me to my next point. 
Charles Grey needs some who is open minded and chill enough to out up with his shit
But also stubborn and outspoken enough to shut him down when he tries some spectacularly stupid
Which is why you would work well with him. Not only does your nonchalance perfectly foil his constant energy and inquisitive nature, but you also have set your boundaries and know when to shut down schemes and ideas
So yeah
You begin training extra hard
For maybe like a day
Then you give up
It's hard, everything hurts, you are exhausted, and all you MIGHT get out of it is one lousy trip
So you begin putting training sessions off
"I'm not feeling well."
"I'll start once I finish this book"
"Oooh, it's too late now"
To say that Grey would be discouraged and slightly hurt is an understatement 
His passion and life blood is fencing. He has worked really hard to get to this point and the fact that his significant other takes no interest in it wounds him
This could definitely be a point of discourse if your relationship 
But you have to remain open with each other and talk it out
That is the most important thing. Communication. And let's be honest. Charles isn't not going to say shit 
He is "too manly" or too egotistical to admit his feelings
You'd have to be the one to approach him on the matter
But I feel like you would. You are used to hearing problems from your friends. You know when something is wrong and better yet, you listen 
After a talk, he understands that it may not be the fencing specifically you are disinterested in
But you just struggle to maintain motivation 
And from that moment on, Charles Grey becomes your personal cheerleader 
He's the mom at a soccer game freaking s c r e e c h i n g and going "that's my girl!" whenever you win a match
He takes pride in all he does, and he is proud of his protégé
He never allows you to lose motivation and is (annoyingly) insistent about the fencing 
Which again, could lead to some arguments if you resist
But he is doing it from a place of love because he can see how miserable you are cooped up in the same place
He knows you
And finally, the day arrives that you set to duel Charles Grey himself. If you win, you get to attend some of his missions with him (others are too sensitive to risk being seen by a civilian)
You are understandably nervous, but also introspective. Honestly it is probably a tidal wave of emotions far too complex to convey with words
But ill try 
Let me just....
This morning was like most mornings.
A heavy fog blanketed the docile countryside, most animals just began to shake off the effects of the previous night's slumber. 
Commoners rose with the peeking rays of the sun, beginning to perform their routine tasks before the last of the fog had been burned away by the heat. For most people this day was completely, utterly, ordinary.
But not for you. 
This day meant everything. This day meant your freedom. 
You had risen before even the sun, shedding your skirts in exchange for ivory fencing gear, exchanging your fan for a rapier and your hats for a meshed mask. This had been your life for the past year, and would continue to be so until your final breath.
But today. Today was different. 
Today determined your future. And quite frankly, your sanity. 
And all you had to do was defeat your lover in close quarters combat. A monumental task in-of itself. Half of your acquaintances thought you mad, the other half patronized you, treating your struggle as a desperate cry for attention. They simply couldn't understand why a lady would go through such trouble as to challenge the country’s greatest swordsman. A woman's place was in the house, and in home is where she is complete. Why would she bother her pretty little head and sully herself in the wretched world around her? That was a man's job, such trifling affairs should be of no concern for a lady.
"She is odd, that one." They would say. But they didn't understand, how could they? 
Raised under the constrictive hand of the patriarchy, they were forced into complacency. A complacency so culturally ingrained that they themselves never sought to question it. Or, those that did often keeled to the whims of man's iron fist in fear of social ostracism and reputational backlash. 
But you were different. 
From childhood you felt the pangs, the longing to not only see but experience both the beauty and sorrow of the world around you. To learn and ingrain yourself with the cultures, to explore every nook and cranny of your planet. You could never understand why those around you seemed so content with living and dying inconsequentially, never experiencing the midnight sun or the sweeping winds of the steppe. Dying without ever truly living. Merely existing in their self-made reality, completely ignorant to the bright, beautiful world around them.
Why stay put when you can travel?
Why exist when you can live?
These questions, along with the persistent voice of your instructor (and fiancé), kept you focused and motivated. All of that training, all of those hours of arduous, grueling work had lead to this moment.
You stood within the fencing hall, the lack of bodies usually present caused the room to echo with each clicking foot fall on the tile floor. It was wide, empty, and entirely unwelcoming. It felt like a stranger to you, despite the year of training you had completed within its walls. 
Before you stood a similarly dressed figure, its face obscured by the dark meshing that covered the helmet. 
It was entirely impersonal.
A faceless enemy in a sea of a faceless crowd. 
But you knew better. His posture was all too familiar to you. The slight tilt of his head, the pitch of his shoulders, the strangely comforting steady hand in which he held his weapon. This was your lover, Charles Grey. And your opponent. 
It was definitely surreal. He rarely ever wore his mask in training. The absence of his characteristic gloating smile and talkative nature felt almost lacking. It was rare that he would be so quiet... so solemn. But he was just as aware of your current situation as you were. And how much it meant to you. 
Without a word, he raised his weapon and the battle commenced. 
It was an intense battle
With every blow he performed, your parried and dodged
With a feline grace, you danced up-top light heels, twirling and spinning in an almost melodic fashion 
Metal clashed against metal, each crack ringing through your ears
You had trained enough with him to know that he had a tendency to leave his left side unguarded and exposed
But he also trained with you to know that you can forget to guard your knees
And as the minutes tick by, marking one of the longest conflicts you had ever had with him, exhaustion sets into your bones 
And you falter
The blow is lightning fast, you hardly have a chance to comprehend his movements 
But his hips are besides yours, his knee hooked behind your leg. 
He pushed you backwards with his forearm, causing you to fall backwards, only to trip on his knee and slam against the ground
Something cool and metallic is pressed to the back your neck
You don't need to look to know it is the rapier and that you have lost
The sound of you two's laboured breaths echoes through the empty chambers
Several seconds tick by as the two of you gather your thoughts 
...You... lost
You finally turn yourself around, noticing that Charles had removed his fencing helmet
Damp silver hair sticks to his forehead, matted and plastered across his face
For a moment, a look of sorrow flickered across his handsome features, only to be replaced by that typical cheeky grin
"You lost, luv. Better luck next time, eh?"
You never really had much of a plan
But seeing that smug expression kicked your instincts into overdrive
With one fluid scissor sweep, you dislodged his balancing, a well-placed kick aiming where the sun don't shine toppled him over entirely 
And then he was on the floor next to you, his face contorted in an express of pain 
You were quick to discard his weapon and straddle him, keeping his wrists pinned above his head to the floor
"Lesson one: never trust your opponent"
You parroted this line to him, one he had told you many of times
He only managed a pained grunt in response
Chuckling, you apologized with a chaste kiss which he all too eagerly accepted 
He was probably just being theatrical to get more kisses
You did not have much time to ponder the situation before a polite round of applause erupted from a nearby alcove
You nearly jumped out of your skin
You did not notice the shawled figure, cloaked in all black, like a walking shadow 
The figure took a few steps forward, emerging to the light 
And that is when you realized who it was
Queen Victoria herself
By her side, astute as always was the man you practically considered a brother 
Charles Phipps
By now, you were extremely aware of the suggestive position you were in
Straddling Charles Grey, your hips against his, his wrists clasped tightly in your hands and pinned above his head
And oh, gods that insufferable smirk with which he was regarding 
"As you can see, your majesty, my darling is highly... proficient." Grey practically hummed
You quickly scrambled to your feet, unsure how to handle yourself in the presence of a queen
Turns out, Grey had invited her to witness your duel in hopes of securing you a position under her employ. Either as an emissary or housekeeper. 
According to Phipps, She was quite impressed by your performance, even though you lost
The only other person she had seen to be able to keep pace with Grey was Phipps... and a certain blonde who shall not be named
And that is the story of how you became the head maid for the Queen herself and an emissary on par with Grey himself, running missions as a husband-wife warrior squad, haha
~
You two probably met in an odd way
I’d say for a fact that you were attracted to Sphere music hall
It’s like that place was made for you
Semi-modern concert style music hall which people hailing from all backgrounds and classes intermingled together in harmony
Divinations and readings were done for free and in return, each patron was given a bracelet depicting their star sign. 
As a matter of fact, a lot had to do with the star signs. 
Meditations were conducted in between hours and food served
It was a really great place to go, somewhere you fit it because you had always been an outcast
Forced to keep your craft a secret in fear of retribution from the church, you usually made coin as a street performer and singer
It was not a lot, but it was certainly enough to keep you off the streets
Unfortunately that also meant you were constricted to the same place
Your family had consistently tried to marry you off to some rich white dude
Well, rich(er)
But you did not want to be wife and then a stay at home mother
That was somehow worse than your current situation
Also your opinionated and confident demeanour often scared off potential suitors
It was a serious problem because apparently women were supposed to be soft spoken and weak. 
But you on other other hand, never showed weakness
It was far too “masuline” apparently
So you decided to strike out on your own and try to make it as a singer
Easier said than done
In the music hall, you truly felt free to express yourself
Its charismatic leader put major emphasis on the stars and night sky, he was extremely introspective and the two of you instantly hit it off (I considered matching you with Blavat instead of Grey but I kinda feel like you two would work better as friends)
You were completely enthralled with his demeanour and exuberance
And you consistently attended the hall as it was the only place you felt you truly belonged, no one casting judgmental stares, no whispers behind your back, and most of all, you felt a sense of camaraderie that you have never felt before
And as a result, you fell victim to the cult
Initially, the Queen garnered concerns over the existence of this Music Hall and the traction it was gaining. As a result, she sent out her very own Charles and Phipps to scope out the place before sending word to Ciel Phantomhive
Infiltrating undercover as guests, the Queen’s handy butlers began an inspection of the area
There they ran into you
Literally
You were in the middle of entertaining a small portion of attendees with a song at the behest of Blavat himself (he was actually looking to hire you as a backup singer for the Starlight Four but you were not aware of this)
You were reaching the crescendo of your song when a drunken man slammed into you
You uttered an apology but he seemed rather intent on making himself a nuisance
“Watc’ yaaaa, yaaa stoopid *hic* bitccccc”
You took a few steps back in response as he staggered forward, raising a palm as if to strike you
Before you could react, a flash of white covered your vision
A man stood before you, sword drawn and dawned in a blindingly white coat
Silver tresses rolled down his back, as he glared up at your attacker from behind attractively long lashes
How he managed to sneak a rapier into the party was completely beyond you, yet here he was
“Now, didn’t your mama teach you manners?” He cooed, a slightly maniacal smile across his lips
“Yoooou wanna go?” The man sneered, “I can tak *hic* you pwetty boooy”
Of course, this scene began to attract attention
The murmurings and pleasant violin music had all but stopped as thousands of eyes turned to face you
Blavat had to step in, nervously defusing the situation
He had the drunkard escorted out and moved to confiscate the weapon from the white-clad man only to get the think pointed at his throat
“A man’s worth is in his sword. It would be cruel to take that away from him.”
You were entirely unsure if he was being literal or making a dirty innuendo with that statement
Regardless of his intentions, he was promptly thrown out as well
Much to the chagrin of a separate, similarly dressed man who seemed down right exasperated with his partner’s trigger happy (blade happy?) tendencies. 
You decided to follow this peculiar stranger out and thank him for what he did
You found him trying to crawl through a window, seeking re-entry into the part.
“Uh, excuse me...” You called to him as he fiddled with the lock on the window. You had no idea how he managed to climb up that high in such a short amount of time, but he had perched himself rather precariously on the window sill.
“Not right now, luv.” He called back, “I am busy.”
“I just wanted to thank you for what you did back there. I could have been hurt.”
He paused, not once looking back at you. “Right. Who are you?”
You were rather taken aback
He literally just saved you, how could he not remember you?
“Look, if you aren’t going to pay me the mind to even look at me, I won’t take the effort to thank you.” You huffed and turned to walk away
“I wouldn’t go back there if I were you.”
His voice caused you to halt in your tracks. You spun around to stare at him incredulously. “Excuse you?”
God, those silver eyes were breathtaking as he gazed at you, practically oozing with a feline grace
“Those people aren’t good people.” He stated in a matter-of-fact tone
“Oh? And what do you know about them?” You retorted defensively
“More than you, obviously.” He finally managed to pry the window open. “Her majesty has good instincts. She knows this place is dangerous, else-wise she wouldn’t have sent me.”
And with that weirdly convoluted and vague sentence, he slipped back inside and disappeared
You were left to ponder the meaning of his words
Her majesty?
This bloak knew the bloody Queen?!?!
What else did he know?
What could possibly be so bad about the hall?
You decided to call it quits early that night to process. You never thought you would ever see him again, or so you thought
~
You had been doing your research, sticking your nose in places you probably should not have
Blavat, someone you once considered a close and trusted friend almost seemed menacing to you
And he definitely picked up on your closed off body language
But you knew that something fishy was going on during those “private” events. Only specific people were ever invited (AKA not you)
It all just seemed really sus
And you were determined to find out
So you snuck in
Having spent many hours in the hall, you were aware of certain passages and entrances that others were not
And you were able to sneak in without much issue
But you weren’t able to see much
A heavy smoke filled the air, smelling pleasantly of posies and roses
Your eyes began to droop and heaviness set into your lids
And you fell asleep
You woke up, with the concerned and slightly perturbed face of Blavat staring down at you
Well, shit... busted
“We had a nice thing going, y/n. And you just had to ruin it.” Blavat stated callously. “You know those events are private.”
And with that, you were barred from entering the music hall... permanently
This was definitely rather devastating as it was the only place you could truly be yourself without fear of rejection of prosecution
But now you were more sure than ever that something was amiss in that hall
Why else would they be so strict?
You were probably only left alive because they knew that whatever gas they used to put out those in attendance also affected you before you could see anything incriminating
And so you began trying to locate that mysterious man in white 
He seemed to have more answers than you did
It did not take long to figure out his name and occupation. Charles Grey. Butler to the Queen herself
He must have been quite the impressive butler to be going out on scouting missions for the Queen and not just serving tea
Regardless, gaining an audience with him was nearly impossible 
So you would just have to attract his attention...
Somehow
Given his affinity towards sword fights, you were sure that a loud brawl outside the palace itself would almost certain garner his attention
The real question was, where in the world would you get people foolish enough to pull such a stunt and risk getting arrested
Sooo, maybe not that
You might have to work backwards
Ask around and find those that may be acquaintances with him
Which was a lot harder than it looked
It took days of searching, but you were eventually sent to speak with a mortician who according to your contact “knows everyone who is no one”... whatever that meant
It did not take too long to find out
This mortician was... eccentric to put it in the most polite of terms 
But he was definitely connected with Britain's underbelly 
Which you assumed is where the “everyone who is no one” comes from
You came in hoping to pay him off, to which he blatantly refused, instead asking for you to make him laugh
Which was an odd request but one which you were willing to comply if it meant breaking the case
You spent hours trying different tactics to no avail
Until you sang a very dirty and very perverted song (Most likely “God’s Loophoel”. Yeah, actually don’t look that up, it is exactly as it sounds)
He seemed to enjoy that far too much as his cackles were absolutely thunderous
In tears, he kindly revealed to you that he was familiar with this Charles Grey and could pull a few favours to get you in contact
But he never said when, nor did he ever say where
But he did ensure word of your snooping reached the ears of Charles Grey who surprised you in your own home whilst you were halfway dressed
He initially was very cross with you poking around, scolding you and chastising you saying that it was “no business for a lady”
But you shut him down pretty quick
And afterwards, the two of you hit it off and decided to make evening tea on Sundays a staple thing
Grey would inform you about the progress of the Sphere Music hall and in return, you would keep well away from it
It worked out for the two of you
But word of your sniffing around had also reached the ears of one certain earl and his own demonic butler
I would be careful about what questions you ask and where you poke your nose
We wouldn’t want it to get bitten off, now would we?
this was a lot of fun to write, I hope you enjoyed reading it, dear. Let me know what you thought
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rogue-assassinspy · 3 years
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Chapter 16: Grey Eyes
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Almost a week had passed since New Years Eve. I tried to revert back to completely avoiding Draco except for the times I absolutely had to see him in class or in the Great Hall during meals. Every time I see him I feel my heart sink a little further. I don't trust him. I still think this is some sort of scheme to get me comfortable and then he will pull the rug out from under my feet. My head and my heart are now in a constant battle with each other. I am determined to not give into my emotions and I sure as hell am I not going to let him know how badly I want to. I did what I needed to. I kissed him back. That should be enough, that should have ended it. But it didn't. It's made things so much worse for me. I catch myself thinking about him all the time. He looks at me with those grey eyes and I melt inside. What the hell is happening to me? There is no way that I could actually have feelings for Draco Malfoy. He's horrible! I keep telling myself no, hoping that if I tell myself enough it will finally stick. Friday morning I make my way to the Great Hall for breakfast and take a seat at the table. I've been trying to find new ways to keep myself distracted so I don't risk making eye contact with him anymore. Today I decided to bring a book with me. So far it seems to be working. Every so often though I'll feel him watching and curiosity gets the best of me. I'll peak a little over the top of my book to see him staring, waiting for me to notice him. I roll my eyes and put my head back down. After I finish eating I collect my things and make a b-line for the door. I have a free first period so I quickly go drop my stuff off in my room and head back downstairs.
As I make my way to the first floor I'm stopped by two larger figures. "Oh great. What does he want now?" I ask the two boys standing in front of me with their arms crossed. "Draco wants to see you." Crab says. "Now. Come with us." says Goyle. "No thanks." I cross my arms. "Please Althena, he's really cross and we would rather not have to deliver bad news to him." Crab says meekly. I let out a sigh and motion for them to lead the way. "Why do you guys do everything that asshole says? I know you two are better than that." I inquire. They say nothing but look at each other as they continue walking. We make our way to the entrance of the Slytherin common room and pass through the doorway. Draco is standing with his back turned to the door looking out of the same window. He's wearing an all black fitted suit and God, does he look good. No, no, no. Stop. No, you're not doing this. I push the feelings down. He turns back to see me with Crab and Goyle and smiles. I feel my heart stop. He makes his way over to the three of us. "Good job Crab, Goyle. You can go." He says shooing them away. I watch as they turn away and head towards the stairs. "You know if you wanted to talk to me you could have come to get me yourself instead of sending them." I point over my shoulder to the two boys who are now making their way up the stairs. I notice there are actually a few other people in the common room this time. He scoffs and walks past me to a set of green leather chairs in front of the fire place. He motions for me to sit across from him. "So, you gonna tell me why I'm here or did you just bring me here to stare at me? We do have class after this and I'm not gonna be late." I say leaning back in the chair. He mimics my movement. He never says anything just lets the awkward silence linger in the air. He looks over to the fireplace for a moment before he speaks. "Still trying to avoid me, Vodror? I thought you learned last time that doesn't work out very well for you, does it?" I roll my eyes and look over to the fireplace watching the flames dance. I look back at him. He's watching me waiting for my response. I shift forward in my seat. "Like I said before. If this is some game you're playing I want no part in it. You have managed to successfully torture me enough since Christmas with your bullshit and I don't want to continue participating in something that's only going to bite me in the ass in the long run." I hiss in hushed tones. He says nothing but stands and walks across the room. He makes his way to a table where a few glasses and a pitcher of water sit. He pours one and walks back over to me handing me the glass. "What did you put in this?" I say eyeing it suspiciously. He ignores the question and begins to pace in front of me before stopping in front of the fireplace with his back turned to me.
"My father sent me another letter." He says never taking his eyes off of the flames. "Ok, and? Why did I need to come all the way down here for you to tell me that?" I say and take a sip from the glass. "He told me he hopes things were better between us since he and your father are currently planning our engagement." I choke on my water. "I-I'm sorry...What the hell did you just say?" I set the water down on the table beside of me. He turns back around and faces me. "Evidently this has been in the works for awhile." "No, no, absolutely not. NO!" I stand raising my voice. He moves forward and grabs my arm. "Sit down. You're causing a scene." He whispers. "NO! I will not sit down! How long have you known about this?!" My voice continues to raise with each word. Draco looks around nervously and sees the people around the room beginning to look at the two of us. He grabs my hand and pulls me towards the stair case. I jerk my hand out of his grasp. "I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers." I say planting my feet. He walks up to me and gets in my face. That same anger I saw in the library was starting to show itself again. "You want answers?! Shut your fucking mouth and come with me." He grabs my hand again and pulls me up the stairs with him. We walk through a set of doors and into a bedroom.
The room, just like the common room, has different shades of green. The windows are too high for you to see through but you can hear the lapping of the water from the lake above you. It's dark with little light coming from silver lanterns that hung from the ceiling. The beds are dark wood with green sheets and four post canopies with green silk hangings. As I am taking in the sights around me I feel Draco let go of my hand and turn back to me. I pull myself back to my senses and my anger comes flooding back in like a tidal wave. "What the fuck, Draco?!" I exclaim. "Answer my question! How long have you known about this?!" I am practically screaming at this point. He stares at me with murder in his eyes. He moves across the room and gets in my face. "Do not embarrass me like that again. Do you understand?" He doesn't even give me a second to respond. "I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND, VODROR?!" I laugh sarcastically almost hysterical, "Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?! Embarrass you? That's what you're worried about?! What the hell did you expect me to do? You just told me that our parents are planning for us to get married and you're expecting me to just be ok with that?!"
I walk over and sit on his bed placing my face in my hands. He comes and sits down beside of me but says nothing. I take a moment to steady my breathing before I rub my face and sit up looking off into the distance. "I'm sorry." I say and see his head turn towards me. "I shouldn't be yelling at you this isn't your fault. I just can't believe my parents would do something like this without talking to me first. Guess it wouldn't really matter anyways." He stays silent but reaches over and grabs my hand rubbing the back of it gently with his thumb. I fall back onto the bed and let out a huff looking up at the underside of the canopy. "You're so dramatic, Vodror. It's pathetic." He says as he lays back on the bed beside of me still holding my hand. I can't help myself but laugh. "Why do you think your parents moved you to London?" He turns to look at me with those sinful grey eyes. I turn my head to look back at him. "They told me it was because of my dad's line of work. That someone had found a trail leading to him and we had to run." He looks back up to the canopy, "God, you really are naïve." He says. I pull my hand away from his and sit up looking at him. "You had no more of an idea than I did on what was happening. Don't even start with that crap." He just looks over to me and chuckles. "Have I ever told you how much of a pain in the arse you are?" I smile, "Maybe once or twice." I lay back down beside of him and grab his hand. He rubs small circles on the back of my hand as we lay there in silence.
Master list       Chapter 17
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Dragon Dancer III: Sakura
“Chime...”
Chisei was staring into the dark, eyes glittering with tears.
I wiped the water from my face. “We couldn’t have done this without him. He’s no friend of the King.”
Chisei looked down at me.
“He had a vendetta against him. I’m not exactly sure what happened. But Nono can tell you more. Cassell only got involved because of his attempts to awaken the Light King.”
“Only?” His eyes narrowed at me.
My heart leaped in my throat. “Hey! There’re no heroes here, man. Don’t start this law ‘n’ order crap again.”
Much to my surprise he didn’t argue with me, instead he turned to look behind me.
“It’s Sakura-Anego!” Mingfei’s voice in my ear spoke of his reverence and respect for her.
“Why are you here?” Chisei asked her.
She smiled at him. “We discussed things, Yasha, Crow and I. We decided to send someone up here to protect you... someone besides your flighty Shatei.”
He smiled a little. “Mingfei is here, isn’t he?”
“He’s happy to see you.” I told them.
“I bet he is.” Sakura winked.
Tachibana’s voice echoed from inside. “We’ll have to find a way to clean up this mess.” He was clutching his chest, leaning over. “And I’ll need a doctor.”
Chisei fled to his side and I stood there, anger boiling in my chest. How was he still alive?!
“What did you take?!” Chisei’s voice was trembling. “Not that evolution pill!”
“No... worse. I ... drank the fetal blood directly. I am now afflicted with the same ailment as my daughter but... with the therapy I should live for several years.” He smiled up at Chisei. “Perhaps, long enough to see you walk down the aisle.”
“You mean the privilege my Robbie will never have!” I shouted, hands balling into fists.
Chisei and Tachibana turned to me. Chisei reached for his sword, but Tachibana held his hand. “Carli... I have wronged you.”
“Shut up! No seriously, shut up!” I paced to the right and left. “You killed my family.” I stopped, hanging my head, the tears hot on my cold face. “I suffer every day. But... I’m not going to put Chisei and Erii through this pain too. I’ve killed enough for a lifetime today. You’re going to go to hell regardless of who or what kills you... and believe me.” I raised my eyes at him. “You’ve got a dozen demons after you, buddy.”
Tachibana eyes widened and his face grew paler. A dark shadow stretched across the floor of the observation deck. I turned as Sakura backed away from the windows, terror in her eyes.
Rising from below the deck on massive membrane wings was a dragon. No, not a dragon, because it had a beautiful woman’s face with long sopping wet human hair on its snake-like body.
It wasn’t the only one. They surrounded the entire deck.
“Oh...” I moaned, backing away from them. “The Servitors!”
Chisei turned into his earpiece. “Did we bring heavy artillery?”
I didn’t hear the answer, only saw him turn back to the windows. 
Nono’s voice. “Well... this sucks.”
Johann. “We’re on the main observation deck, we can’t get to you through these things! You’ll have to find another way out!”
Mingfei. “Th... ... they’re already here. These bastards can fly.”
Gunfire erupted from below us as Nono and Johann engaged.
Tachibana pulled himself to his feet. “These are dragon servitors! They’re servitors given the evolution treatment!”
“Get back to the elevator!” Chisei ordered. 
Sakura and Tachibana retreated, grabbing discarded weapons from their earlier fight on the way there. Tachibana managed to find a spear and Sakura a broken blade.
“Carli! You too!”
I stood there. I always wanted to use my powers to protect people. Never in my life did I imagine that these would be the people behind me. What sort of twisted world is this? I thought to myself.
“Ielia... it’s time to come out and dance with me.”
My doppleganger parted from my body and together we exchanged glances. I closed my eyes and mentally pulled as hard as I could. When I opened them again, an array of spears encircled us as bright as the morning, dancing and hissing in the air. The observation deck shined like a lighthouse in the the storm.
All the glass windows of the deck exploded. The servitors rushed in, screaming, teeth bared, wings rattling, claws extended.  
The spears pierced them in an endless volley while I stood still, staring at the ceiling in concentration, not willing to move even as a clawed hand arced inches from my face, even as I was splashed with gore. The attack stopped. I fell to my knees.
Claws scrabbled on the ceiling of the building, loud bumps and thuds sounded from above. I gasped for air. 
Chisei shoved Tachibana closer to the elevator. “Get to the underground garage! I have a car there!”
Now that my light had faded, the attack resumed. They jumped from the ceiling to the deck and charged me on all fours. Chisei slashed downwards against the skull of one, bashing it to the floor with super-hybrid strength, knocking it unconscious. Then he swooped upwards to cut the wings from another. Down again, to sever its head. 
Instead of falling back, Tachibana joined him, ramming the spear directly into a monster’s chest so hard that he knocked it over backwards. Sakura, having retrieved my discarded rifle, aimed for their eyes, turning them into fountains of blood.
I had protected them. Now they were protecting me.
More were climbing up from below, just as Johann had said they would. I staggered to my feet again. My ears ringing, my mind dull. There was no point of emotions any more, only a moment by moment fight for survival.
The sound of a helicopter engine grew louder and louder.
Chisei and I were an inapproachable whirlwind with Tachibana and Sakura in the eye of the storm. The people on the helicopter cheered when they saw us still fighting and let loose a barrage from their helicopter’s gatling gun that shook the entire building, cutting a neat path through the horde for our escape. They lowered a ladder, waving frantically to us.
But before we could begin to move, the helicopter jerked to one side. One of the monsters had seized it and was pulling it out of the sky. Another attacked from above and became tangled in the rotor blades. We could only watch the helicopter struggle to distance itself from the tower before plunging to the ground, landing with a loud bang.
“We can’t get to you.” Johann’s voice. “There are too many.”
Chisei picked me up and dragged me to the elevator. 
“It’s okay...” I whispered. 
“Take Masamune down. I know this is an terrible request to make, but leave me alone here.”
“Trying to die again...?” I chuckled.
Sakura seemed to agree with me. “I’m not here to leave you, sir.”
He turned to her. They stared eye to eye in the chaos. “You’re here to follow orders.”
Sakura watched him walk away a moment and then picked up Tachibana and put him in the elevator. “If any servitors get through, cut them down.”
The look in her eyes was kind, almost grateful? She turned and approached Chisei. His eyes glowed brightly in the dark. The death servitors groaned as he exerted the full force of Majesty on them, harder, and harder until their bones snapped and broke skin and their spines telescoped. This level of power couldn’t be sustained and Sakura knew it.
When he collapsed backwards, she was there to catch him. Exhausted, Sakura struggled to bring him to the elevator. Behind her, more servitors arrived on the scene. Called my doppleganger again, she swooped to attack them. She had more strength than I did at the moment. I was hurting. I didn’t understand why. I was depending on Ielia to finish the fight. She was a bright ghost in the room, protecting them.
Sakura settled Chisei down in the elevator.
“Sakura... close... the...” He was choking, barely able to breathe.
She just smiled at him, one hand running through his hair, her face close to his. Then, she held his hand and with her other, cut into his palm. She spread his blood on her face before he could stop her.
I watched Chisei’s eyes fill with silent horror. She stood up  and he reached out to her, his hand just catching the edge of her long coat. She pressed the closed door button. “Goodbye.”
“No... NO! Sakura!”
I pushed him back against the elevator wall and we started going down. 
In my experience, I had heard the cries of grief at funerals. It was always women it seemed, screaming as they leaned over the coffin of their loved ones. They upset me as a child. Robbie would run his hands up and down my back. I asked him if I could go home.
“No, baby.” Robbie had told me. “You gotta be here. When life gets hard, these folks need you to feel their pain with them. Otherwise, they’ll be all alone.”
That was enough explanation for the little me back then. But still it was hard to hear this howling coming from the voice of Chisei. It rose up through the shaft and with it, his spirit, his desire to go back and fight with her, to stop her from dying. It tore me up from the inside out. But instead of running away, just as Robbie had told me, I leaned into it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried with him.
“Sakura has bought us out escape...” Tachibana said hoarsely. “We cannot waste a single second. This time... she paid for it with her life.”
Chisei wasn’t the only one grieving. 
Mingfei....
How close had they gotten in the Hydras? I wondered.  The report in the comms of shot after shot, the sound of Mingfei... he was sobbing, crying and shooting. Until there was no more sounds of gunshots. There were no more bullets.
“ANEGO!”
A soft whimper came from my throat as his grief hit me like a tidal wave. The elevator slowed to a stop. 
We’d reached the underground.
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dafukdidiwatch · 4 years
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07/27/1978
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My Discord has too much power because What the Hell was this??
I am so, so confused and just, you people knew what I was getting into here. Which I mean, fair, granted, I would so the same too, but the dedication to the weirdness is what kills me.
This is just an hour long youtube satire video dedicated to why this ONE specific Garfield strip is the ultimate symbol of art on God’s Green Earth. And I fullheartedly believe this is satire, because 1) it is too weird and exaggerated to be real and 2) I fear for the world if this guy is serious, so for the sake of humanity he is not real.
The dedication to this, the effort put into what amounts to be a tumblr conspiracy thesis, it is awe inspiring really. This guy never cuts away, never takes a break, never flinches. It is done ALL in one take. Can you imagine trying to talk bullshit for an hour and someone not stutter or flinch or anything?? God I hope this guy was reading off of a teleprompter because if he had to memorize this entire thing that would be insane. Not to mention the background effects and editing of side cameras and comic edits. I can’t imagine how long THAT took on top of the ONE HOUR TAKE!
Then there is the crap that he was actually saying. When I was listening...I was sort of following it at the beginning. I at least got it was satire right off the bat so I was proud of me. But then he lost me. It was like a tidal wave of words washing over me only to recede to the surf before the next wave hit. I wasn’t watching as much as listing to his monotone explaining why The Pipe Strip was the best thing since slice bread. I don’t think I can even remember all the points he went over. Color Blindness, passive vs active aggression, comic structure, the devil (I think) were just some of the things he went over. And even then that barely covers anything of what this video was.
Overall: if you like weird shit, this is weird shit. Weird Shit dressed in a trench coat having fun making pretending to be professional. Will probably never watch it again, but it exists in the world. I have to give him props for that.
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Windowpane Pt.4
A/N: AGH!!! They meet!
Warnings: None
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You both kind of stood there in awe. The room felt like it was swirling energy so high it took your breath away.
He's here. You thought.
You realized that he was staring too, completely motionless. Should you say something? Should you leave? You felt like running but your body refused. You needed to be here. You had to be here. Maybe this feeling is what he is feeling too right now. Maybe this feeling is why you had to be here.
"Am I missing something?" Rebekkah said trying to cut through the thick tension in the room, or at least make sense of it.
Although you were able make eye contact you couldn't move. Both of your expressions were unreadable and your body language was well... minimal. Klaus slowly closed the door behind him, his eyes never leaving yours. You could feel his every movement like tidal waves on your skin. What was wrong with you? What was he doing to you?
"What the hell is wrong with you two??" Rebekkah asked more impatiently watching both of you interact so strangely.
"I...I... need to... use the bathroom?" you said obviously and desperately lying. Yeah... Not the best quick thinker on your feet but it was good enough to get oit of there.
Finally reactivating the muscles in your legs, you sprinted up the stairs and down the hall to the bathroom. Out of breath and dripping sweat you gathered yourself. It felt like you were high on drugs to where nothing felt real or made sense but it felt good. Sooo good.
You turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on your face. Better. Much better. Drying your face with a towel you looked into the mirror. You were pale and your skin looked and felt clammy. You touched your face lightly and it didn't feel the same. You drew back against the wall looking at your hands and realized nothing felt the same since you came up.
You slowly dropped to the floor and your eyes fell shut. A sinking feeling came over you as everything went black. This is just the beginning...
Klaus POV
They all watched you run up the stairs and he resisted the urge to follow you.
Each one of them turned to Klaus dumbfounded looking for answers.
"I don't know." Klaus said raising his hands defensively.
"What do you mean you don't know? Its obvious you two know each other somehow! You better not lie to me Nik! What did you do this time?" Rebekkah yelled accusingly afraid he did something awful to their new friend.
"I don't know and I don't like be accused of something I didn't do! Look love, I have never met her in my life so I don't know what her problem is but its not me!" Klaus said oddly defensive but honest. He didn't know her and what was going on between them but he felt something. Something happens when she's around and he couldn't explain it.
He felt like he had taken a whole bottle of pills and washed it down with a shot of whiskey. He held on to the back of couch and everyone took a pause to filter out their frustration and confusion.
"Then what is it? What spooked the both of you? 'Cause its not just Y/N." Rebekkah spoke again but this time trying to reamin calm.
His heart skipped at hearing her name. So instead of answering, Nik thought to just face it. He had to talk to her. Perhaps thye could figure it out together or maybe she knew something he didn't. He sped up the stairs determined to find answers.
As Nik reached the bathroom door he paused and took deep breath. His heart racing and his head began to spin. He raised his hand for a moment and
Knock Knock
Y/N froze. It was him you just knew it. You had to face him. Not only did you have to, you needed to, you wanted to. It's time you faced the elephant in the room and figure out who he is.
Y/N adjusted herself in the mirror for a moment and talked her way through it in her head. You can do this she thought. She grabbed the door handle and swung the door open.
A rush of energy hit her as she saw him nearly knocking her over. He was right was there. Right there. In front of her. Holy crap. Y/N was furiously resisting the urge to touch him. Klaus had swoops in to catch her before she fell. He was more gorgeous up close than you realized. You were completely flustered and at a loss for words.
After a moment of weirdly staring at each other you both simultaneously said
"Hi"
A/N: Super sorry this took so long and its not much but I hope you like it! If i get more feedback or notes, the faster I will post! Tags and requests are always open!
Taglist
@vampiregirl1797 @woodworthti666 @lovelydivs
 Part 3!                       Windowpane Masterlist                       Part 5!
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wayward-pendragon · 5 years
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Klance Rec Part 2
Hello and welcome back to another Klance rec! Since the last rec was a success I have decided to make another one. I just wanna say a huge thank you to everyone, you were all super sweet and enthusiastic about the last list :)))). For any newcomers, I will link the first rec list here. Without further adieu, lets begin!
AU
Roommates by manamune 
Summary: (13:24) Lance: Thank you!! Love you, Keith!!!
(13:55) Keith: I’m screenshotting that for the next time you deny it.
One of very first Klance fics!! Klance become roommates and they’re hella cute. Idk what else to say that’s really it. 
Would You Like Fries With That? by DeerstalkerDeathFrisbee
Summary: “Hello, welcome to Burger King, can I take your order?” And that’s about when it all comes crashing down on him, and like a tidal wave of terrible, Lance realizes, on an emotional level, how truly awful his day was. For no good reason at all other than here’s a human voice – steeped in apathy perhaps, but not overtly antagonistic – and literally all he wants is a little human comfort… he starts sobbing in the Burger King drive-thru.
Keith is a junior in high school just trying to get through working the midnight shift at Burger King when Lance staggers into his life. The course of true love is a freaking disaster.
I laughed my ass off holy. I can picture this happening so vividly it was such a fun read. Plus, high school klance is fricken cute as hell so squishy and fluffy. 
it had to be you by Redburn
Summary: Keith and Lance are both professors at Garrison University.
“... I remember Lisa saying it was when you ship two people together, romantically, for your own enjoyment. I’m sure…” Shiro trails off when he sees Keith’s eyes start to grow impossibly wide. “Uh, Keith?”“What the fuck?” Keith manages, his heart suddenly beating faster, his face warming up despite himself. “They ship Lance and me romantically?”
YOO. Basically all of Keith and Lance’s kids ship them and its a good time. I love oblivious Keith honestly, oblivious Keith is the best Keith. 
Dorks by GriffinRose
Summary: Inspired by a post on Tumblr!
Lance is the only one listening to the current presentation, and oh boy is it something to listen to. The kid has been rambling on about aliens for ten minutes and he is trying so hard not to laugh. So hard. Turns out the kid didn't even think Lance was paying attention, so when he finds out Lance was he books it. Like, as fast it takes Lance to turn his head, that kid was gone.Keith wants to die. The Hot Guy in his bio class was actually listening to him talk about aliens. That's it. He's done. Kill him now. Poor Shiro is just trying to keep his little brother sane.
AGAIN YO. You know how I said oblivious Keith is the best? Whelp embarrassed Keith is also fuckin great. Honestly now that I’m in Uni I relate to this so hard, its really a fun read. 
Hearts Don’t Break Around Here by klancekorner
Summary: Lance and Keith have been best friends since first grade. Lance’s brain is always on overdrive and Keith’s blunt, realistic ass can never keep up. They both come to realize that sometimes you can learn a lot about loving yourself by loving someone else.
So this is a longer one, its over 130K but don’t let that deter you please. This fic is so good and everything a friends to lovers klance AU should be. I cannot scream about this fic enough its like a young adult romance novel, honestly I’m shitting its so good.  
Better than coffee by Anonymous 
Summary: Lance can’t help but linger around a perpetually grumpy-looking employee who works at the nearby teahouse. Keith, despite all the Yelp reviews, turns out to be surprisingly kind. Lance starts coming every day—although he insists it’s only for the boba.And to complain about the customer service, of course.
Hehehehehe grumpy and soft Keith mixed with Lance being Lance. A shorter fic to last one on this list its really sweet and fluffy please enjoy. 
Shut Up and Dance With Me by wittyy_name
Summary: Lance and his friends have been regulars at the Altea Dance Studio for years. Not just for classes, but to hang out, practice, and spend time with good people who love dancing. Every year, they audition to be one of the few representing Altea at the regional dance competition. Lance always auditions solo, but this year he misses out on auditions and blows his chance to participate. And so does his self-proclaimed rival, Keith. Luckily, Shiro comes up with a brilliant plan: convince Lance and Keith to audition as a duo. With a little convincing, and a lot of effort, these two might just be able to pull it off and go to regionals... or they might crash and burn.
This fic is the real deal holy crap. wittyy_name my god istg one of the best klance writers out there. The relationship built up from enemies to lovers and the sexual tension omg this fic is a masterpiece js. I cannot stress enough read anything klance by wittyy_name and you will be happy. This fic also has art!!!
CANON
All the Way Down by speaks
Summary: “You make it sound like we’re going into battle,” Hunk laughed worriedly on Lance’s other side. “I thought this was like, some kind of carnival.”A chortle bubbled of out Coran’s throat as he slapped his side in amusement. “Some kind of carnival, he says! What an understatement! Allura, I think it’s high time to show the paladins precisely how and where we’re going to be spending the next three days. After you, Princess.”A happy, childlike grin rapidly overtook Allura’s regal professionalism, and then a brilliant chink of light shone into the castle hall as she opened the front doors to the mountain they’d landed on twenty minutes ago.Lance went slack-jawed as his eyes adjusted to the white-blue light of Krossin’s distant neutron star, and he almost stumbled as he and the other paladins followed Allura and Coran out onto the grass to take in the view laid out before them. This place was a utopia.
This is a more recently written klance fic in comparison to some others on this list but oh man. Basically klance being all cute out on a date on an alien planet. The build up omg and fluffffff I was squealing. 
Red is the Coldest Color by EnglishCivilWar
Summary: Keith’s startled look had quickly turned to one of annoyance. “You’re in my way,” he stated. Lance blinked uncomprehendingly. Keith let out a groan. “Lance, MOVE.”(In which Lance is an epic fail at flirting, Keith is an oblivious walnut, and the rest of the team collectively groans and sighs.)
Oblivious Keith is back kids!! 
Love Bug by Cour104
Summary: While exploring an alien planet, Lance get's bit by a strange bug whose venom causes him to fall in love with the first person he sees. Of course that person had to be Keith. I've seen a lot of fics based the Love Bug AU where Keith is bitten by the bug and I thought: What if Lance is bitten?
Literally out of all of the fics I’ve read about klance and the lovebug AU this one wins. It’s almost always Keith that gets bitten but I really loved reading the story from a POV of Lance being bitten it was great.
Make Me Your Home by Reader115
Summary: “Oh my god, Keeeith,” Lance wheezed. “Keith you’re the best drunk space cadet I’ve ever seen.”“Space cadet,” Keith mumbled. He repeated the words again although his eyes had zeroed in on Lance’s hands and Lance offered no resistance when Keith picked one of them up and pulled it possessively towards his lap. He began to gently trace over Lance’s fingers, sending shivers up Lance’s arm and down his spine. “You have looong fingers,” Keith murmured after a few moments.Keith’s face perked up then, as if he’d just had a brilliant idea, and Lance could almost not wait to hear what new obscure thought had entered Keith’s pretty head. He was prepared to laugh, and instead found himself shivering again as Keith leaned far into his personal bubble, lips practically touching Lance’s ear when he spoke next.“I bet you could reach all kinds of things, Lance.”
Set in season 2. These boys crushin hard even if they don’t realize my god. 
Your Love Has Shown Me Proof by freshia
Summary: “This situation is a bit more complicated than we initially realized.”Lance raises an eyebrow, but Pidge is the one to question that. “Define complicated.”Allura takes no more time beating around the bush, “Well, I received a transmission. Keith and Lance--from the future, that is--would like to have their daughter back."or: Lance and Keith deal with a walking spoiler, in the form of a little girl who just wants to get back to her own home.
Klance and a kid oh my god. Watching the teenage versions of klance deal with a child was so pure and their reaction to them being married in the future, priceless. 
time out of mind by aknightley
Summary: Keith and Lance wake up married. In the future. He lays there a moment, processing the faint throbbing in his head, a strange bitter taste like lemons in his mouth. When he opens his eyes, the room spins wildly into a kaleidoscope of colors, so he closes them again, breathing in and out until he feels less like he might throw up. He suddenly registers a warm weight over his waist, and lifts his head to see a brown arm thrown over him. It looks startlingly familiar, but different, bigger than he remembers, more toned. Keith turns all the way around and comes face to face with Lance sleepily blinking his own eyes open.
Another future marriage fic. These awkward little beans omg its really cute. 
Cheeky by rideahorse 
Summary: Keith pinches his eyes shut, slamming the book down again and swiveling to face Lance. “Oh my god,” he groans, standing up and crossing the two feet between them before Lance can get out a word. He grabs Lance’s face between his hands (perhaps a bit rougher than needed, but hey, he’s always wanted to slap Lance’s stupid face) and the last thing he sees is an expression of pure surprise before he leans down and presses his lips against Lance's.It’s a peck, and it lasts a second, and then it’s over. Keith leans back, releasing Lance’s face, and hisses, “There.”
Cute and short fic basically just klance kissing with some feelings involved. The summary really says it all. 
Well, we’ve made it to the end of this rec list. As always, please rec me fics I love getting recommendations. I loved reading all of your comments from the last list so please keep them coming, I love to hear from all of you, so feel free to message or ask a question. Hope you’re all doing well, until next time :)
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