#they also had a rule that if you saw someone stealing you were supposed to CHASE THEM and i mentally checked out of that job right there | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

imagines--galore · 11 months

Note

Hello! Can I request a fake dating fic with Clark with coworker and best friend reader please :)

Pairing: Superman(Clark Kent) x Reader Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. A/N: Oooooooooooo I ADORE the fake-dating trope! Meep! Also vote for the second part here.

"Your mother thinks what?!"

Several nosy reporters poked their heads up from where they had been working on their latest scoops. Only to be greeted with the sight of you dragging Clark by the sleeve of his shirt and into the empty conference room. To anyone new it would've been an unusual sight, seeing someone as tall as Clark Kent be dragged by someone at least a head or two shorter them him. But the workers at the Daily Planet were used to seeing the two of you together.

Once inside the conference room and assured that no one else would hear you or Clark, you turned you attention back to him

"Keep your voice down!" You huffed, before giving a small shrug. "And its not a big deal."

"A big deal?! Y/n, you lied to your mother." The corner of your mouth twitched and you were unable to meet the disappointed look in his blue eyes. "I didn't lie to her per se."

Clark rolled his eyes, arms crossing over his broad chest. "Well you didn't correct her either."

Pouting slightly you threw him an accusing look. "Yeah well, its your fault isn't it? You shouldn't have gotten me such an expensive gift for my birthday! She just saw the necklace and when she asked who gave it to me I said you did, and then she just assumed we were going out and I.......I didn't correct her." Your voice trailed off, seeing that you weren't really going to win this argument.

At the mention of the necklace, your fingers had unconsciously lifted to run the tips of them along the piece of jewelry that you had taken to wearing since Clark gave it to you.

It was truly a gorgeous piece, and now counted as one of your most prized possessions. Not because it was probably expensive, but because Clark had been the one to give it to you. His gaze dropped to your throat as well, where the necklace lay just between your collarbone.

"And now she has invited us over this weekend to meet me?" Clark confirmed, finally meeting your eyes once more to which you gave a nod. "Well she wants to meet the new beau, her words not mine." You were quick to clarify, your eyes widening in horror at the word that had slipped you. "So you're suggesting we spend an entire evening together, and pretend that we're dating?"

You gave a little flinch. "Sounds cliché, I know." Clark only shook his head. "I should really stop you from watching those rom-coms you're always crying over." He grumbled under his breath. "Too many romantic ideas in your head makes for these kinds of situations."

You bristled. "Hey! I'll have you know I watch classical rom-coms, none of those new hallmark rom-coms that makes you wanna puke." You had a particular taste when it came to the movies you watched, although your best friend's taste was significantly different then yours.

Yes.

Best friends.

You and Clark were best friends who were now being roped into fake-dating. Why? Because you were too much of a coward to come out and tell the truth to your over-bearing hard to please mother.

This would either go really good or turn into a complete disaster.

————————–

A few hours later you and Clark were both at his apartment, sharing the food you had ordered to bribe him further.

"Well I suppose we should start setting the rules and such? At least thats what they do in movies." You suggested, once the Kryptonian had managed to go through half the food. A well-fed Clark was a happy Clark, you had learned long ago.

"Remind me again why am I doing this for you?" He asked, digging into your takeout container to steal one your chicken pieces. You smacked his chopsticks away with your own, pulling the container out of his reach.

"Because I'm buying you dinner here, and also because you love me." You stated in such a off-handed manner as you stuffed your mouth with chicken that you didn't even notice how Clark stiffened at your side at your words.

Polishing off the food you began to speak. "They'll be coming in a couple days, so dress nice, and appropriately. Make sure to wear your coat. I know you have an internal heater given that you're freakin' E.T." You gestured to his overall physique, to which he rolled his eyes at you. "But us puny humans get cold a lot, so coat, hat, and gloves."

"I know, Y/n." He said in an exasperated tone, to which you grinned. You loved messing with him, acting all delicate and weak just to tease him about his strength and powers. It was all in good fun though.

"She already knows how we met, and will probably ask really nosy questions. Dad will just sit there quietly and let her do all the talking. Besides he already likes you so you don't have to win him over." Clark looked up from where he had been pouring himself a drink.

"He does?" You smiled at him. His blue eyes were so hopeful and the smile he wore was so adorable. Did it really matter to him that your parents liked him?

You shrugged. "Well yeah. I mean I did tell him how you helped me out with the stalker situation, without telling him that you were Superman, and he was really grateful. Said it was good that I had someone sensible looking out for me." You poked your tongue out at the triumphant look in his eyes. "I agree with your father, between the two of us one of us should be the sensible one."

Raising an eyebrow at him you leaned towards him, arms wrapped around your legs which you had pulled up on the couch. Your eyes narrowed. "Remind me which one of us flies around wearing a cape and goes around actually looking for trouble?"

Clark gave a smug smile, leaning back against the couch and resting the back of his head on his forearm. "At least I can handle trouble. If I didn't, I couldn't have handled you all these years now could I?"

You scoffed, though you were unable to fight off the smirk that pulled at your lips. "Oh please. You? Handle me? I'd like to see you try."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Do you honestly need one Kent?"

"I am a gentleman Y/L/N. Of course I do."

"Alright fine! If you pull off convincing my mother we're dating, I'll let you handle me however you want."

Translation: You would do whatever he asked you to do.

"And if I loose, I'll take you up to the Watch Tower again."

"Sounds good! I'm due for a gossip session with Wally and Diana."

He stuck out his hand. "May the best of us win." You grinned, grasping his hand within your own and giving it a firm shake. "Oh, I will."

Clark only smirked. When it came to betting and competitions, you both had rather competitive streaks. Sometimes he would win, and other times you were the victor. It was always fun to one-up the other.

And you had a feeling this little competition would take the cake.

————————–

The day of the dinner arrived, and you spent the entire day pampering yourself. Just because it was a fake dinner date with your parents, with your fake boyfriend, it didn't mean you couldn't be looking nice.

Good think it was a Saturday. You were meeting your parents in the evening, and Clark would be picking you up. You had only just put the finishing touches on your makeup when the bell rang. Dashing to the door, quite the feat since you were wearing heels, you pulled it open.

The sight that greeted you had your mind short-circuiting.

Both of your office attires were semi-formal at best, and at home both of you wore the worst of your clothes. And though the image of Clark as Superman was impressive enough, nothing could beat the sight that your eyes feasted on right then.

You had told him to dress nicely, and clean up. And damn, did he clean up good. Under the winter coat he had on, he was wearing a black suit that was tailored to show off his muscular body perfectly. The shirt under the jacket was a deep red, which actually looked quite good with the black tie. You had a sudden urge to tug him forward by grabbing it, but you refrained yourself.

Little did you know, Clark was battling his own inner dilemma. Seeing you standing there in the dress you had chosen for the evening. Wearing the necklace he had gotten you. You were already beautiful on a daily basis, but right then you looked absolutely stunning.

Managing to come back to the present, you gave him a quick smile. "You clean up nice Kent. Just let me grab my coat and we'll get going." You pivoted on your heel to retrieve the garment, completely missing the way his blue eyes roamed the expanse of bare skin the dress left exposed.

Tonight would be a long night for him.

————————–

"So far so good."

You heaved a sigh as you slumped into your chair, with Clark drawing gentle circles on the back of your hand. You mother had gone to the powder room while your father stepped out for a quick smoke, under the pretense of a phone call.

"I now understand where you get your perceptive nature from." He attempted to joke, recalling to all the questions your mother had thrown at the both of you over the course of the evening.

"Yes, but unlike my mother, I know when to stop." You muttered, taking yet another sip of your wine. You had topped off long ago, and were still going strong. You needed all the alcohol you could get when it came to dealing with your mother.

"Well we're just left with dessert." He pointed out as the waiter brought their choice of desserts and left. You didn't even wait for your parents to get back, starting to dig into the chocolate tart you had ordered. Clark shot you an amused glance to which you held out a spoonful of chocolatey goodness for him to taste. He obliged, never once breaking eye contact with you. And the absolutely sinful way his mouth wrapped around the spoon had an involuntary shudder course through your entire body.

The feeling had become rather frequent since the start of the evening.

When Clark had taken your hand to help you out of the cab.

When his hand had rested against the bare skin of your exposed back.

When he had settled beside you and offered you a reassuring smile.

When you had rested a comforting hand on his thigh when your mother's words had become a little too harsh and you had defended him.

When your foot had slid to touch his under the table and had stayed there for the rest of the evening.

When you had allowed your pinkies to touch when both your hands had rested next to one another on the table.

When your eyes had met and he had recounted the time he had first met you. You had never considered the moment from his point of view, and your heart had nearly melted at what he had described.

How he had thought you were one of the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. How he adored the way you were able to call him out on his bullshit. How he could just be himself when he was around you.

It was a pity all of this was pretend.

Or was it?

As he pulled away from the spoon, your eyes drifted to his lips where a small chocolate smudge had remained. You had no idea what compelled you to reach out and gently wipe away the thick chocolate.

Only to bring the digit to your lips and licking it clean.

You definitely weren't imagining the way Clark's eyes darkened, his light blue orbs suddenly taking on a stormy sheen that had you shivering deliciously.

This had to be an award-winning performance right?

Whatever trance the two of you were in was broken by the arrival of your mother, loudly complaining about something in the powder room that wasn't to her liking. You turned your attention back to her, with Clark a little surprised that your mother had been so oblivious to the moment you and him had been having just a moment ago.

Suddenly Clark sat up straight. You frowned at him as he quickly stood and muttering something about a phone call walked out of the restaurant, just as your father returned.

He returned moments later. "I apologize everyone, but Mr. White needs me to cover a story and I need to get going right now." He said, picking up his coat from the back of his chair as he did. From the urgency in his voice you quickly deduced that it was superhero business.

"Well now!' Your mother began indignantly to which you quickly cut her off. "The life of a reporter. Always on the clock." You said with a small laugh as you stood as well.

"Enjoy the rest of the evening everyone. And don't worry about the bill." Clark added with a charming smile. He was doing that on purpose, you knew.

He turned his attention to you and you smiled at him. "Well go do your job then and be careful." You straightened the collar of his coat. He nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Before you could say anything else he quickly leaned down, cupping the side of your face, to press a chaste kiss to your lips. It was a simple brush of the lips, and yet you felt it to the very tips of your toes.

It was over just as soon as it had begun.

"I'll see you later." He muttered as he pulled back before he was off.

You stood there for a few more seconds before slowly sliding into your seat once more.

"I suppose your taste in men has improved significantly Y/n." You heard your mother say. You glanced up at her, still a little lost from having Clark kiss you.

"He's a good one, honey." Your father said gently, giving your hand a small pat.

Just then the big screen television that had been playing some program in the background was interrupted with some breaking news. News that showed Superman and the Justice League fighting yet another threat to Earth.

And while the rest of the patrons and staff clamored to get closer to the screen your eyes never left Clark's face as the camera showed him as Superman, as he rescued civilians.

"He is." You softly spoke, more so to yourself then your parents, as you smiled at the next thought.

Seems he won your little bet this time around.

#superman x reader #clark kent x reader #superman x y/n #clark kent x y/n #superman #clark kent x oc #dc #henry cavill

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euphoricfilter · 1 year

Note

can u write bully ☺️

“𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧”:

pairing: bully! kim taehyung x stalker-ish f! reader

genre: strangers to ??? || smut || non-idol au

summary: taehyung was probably the prettiest man you knew, though you were a little too shy to approach him first. however, it seems you may have caught taehyung’s eye, and his obsession with you may rival your own for him.

word count: 3k

tags/ warnings: self-depreciation, jealousy, stalker behavior, humiliation but reader kinda has a humiliation kink so it’s fine, kind of tsundere taehyung, dom! taehyung, sub! reader, sir kink, spitting in mouth, dub-con, exhibitionalism, dacryphilia, unprotected sex (this is fiction don’t be stupid), dumbification/ degradation manhandling, creampie, cum play, briefly mentioned nipple play, they do other stuff in public that i would gauge my eyes out if i ever saw, luckily this isn’t real

notes: not so much bully, more mean dom taehyung who won’t admit he likes our dear reader but he’s also kind of an ass. if anyone you like treats you like this then run please :’)

request rules can be found here || my masterlist

✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

Kim Taehyung was the prettiest man you knew.

You’d been working at the quaint little coffee shop for a couple of years, Taehyung joining only months after you had. Many shifts shared together, evenings spent in each other’s silent company before one of you would lock up for the night.

Taehyung was perfect. A god amongst humans. Sculpted by the heavens’ best artist to make sure that every crevice of his body was beyond ordinary human beauty. He was a vibrant rose that had bloomed on a dead bush. A fleck of vibrant paint on an otherwise white canvas.

You think Taehyung was more the moon rather than the sun, a little too ominous, and all too mysterious for him to be the sun. His aura more the night sky than the day where grey clouds could cover his beauty, where little specks of stardust surround him like a halo wherever he walks.

Your favorite thing about Taehyung was his hands. How elegant they were. How they held the handle of a mug as he brewed a coffee, how his lithe fingers sweep his bangs from his eyes as he steams milk; how those same pretty fingers wrap around your throat when he gets mad. Or his hot touch after his hand collides with your cheek. Painting them to match the pink evening sky.

It had started out as an innocent crush. The new barista who had the attention of man and woman alike, both customer and employee of the cafe.

It had started with you stealing short glances in his direction. Watching as he wiped down tables, and smiled at girls whose figures were better than your own. Smiles that you wished were pointed in your direction. But you suppose pretty men went for pretty people, and maybe you just weren’t perfect enough for Taehyung.

That was okay, though. Because you were more content watching him.

Shy glances had morphed into daydreams. Daydreams fueled by longing, your eyes following his every move as he danced around the cafe, so in tune with his body that he never bumped into a table. Not like you, a little clumsy and too careless. Never elegant, never perfect.

Daydreams moulded into curiosity. Where does he live? Go to school? His friends? You wanted to know it all. Your free afternoons were spent slipping in and out of shadows, making sure that Taehyung had gotten home safely, wondering why a few too many girls touched over his shoulders, delicate fingers trailing down his chest when he’d meet them at pc cafes before he’d walk to campus for his evening lectures. Why it always seemed to be a polite smile in their direction, never anything else.

He was a good man, never leading anyone on. Genuine in his conversation, interest in someone else’s life never fake.

You’d gotten good at knowing his schedule. Your pitiful little heart pattering against your rib cage when your cafe’s new rota would be hung up on the wall; evenings now spent together between making coffee and wiping tables. Though you never dared utter a word to him, happier being a name to face rather than an acquaintance where you’d have to keep up conversation. How were you meant to think when all you could think about was him?

Over time you had started to get a little careless, peeking through gaps in doors and stumbling into little shops behind him before his long legs would pull him away from you. Figure morphing into the darkness of an alleyway, a new way home that you hadn’t seen him take before.

“What do you want?” Taehyung says, eyes still trained on his phone as he sits at the dingy little table in the cafe’s break-room, and you swallow thickly. His deep voice shaking your heart.

You say nothing, thinking there was no way he could talking to you. Maybe someone on his phone; his tone nothing like the angelic Taehyung that you’d known, watched for months now.

“I asked what you wanted” he drops his phone to the table, gaze turning towards the door where you hide.

You take a look behind you, stumbling forwards when the door is yanked open, your cheeks smacking against a hard chest.

Your breath hitches, eyes squeezing shut momentarily as you feel Taehyung’s chest rumble, was he laughing at you?

“I asked—” he pushes your head from his chest, causing you to stumble backwards, “—what the fuck you wanted” he sneers.

You peer up at him through your lashes, eyes wide as your mouth falls open. “Coffee” you squeak, “Do you want coffee?”

He tilts his head, corner of his lips tugging up into an unamused smile, “Fuck off” he grabs the door before slamming it closed.

You let out a shuddering breath, hand coming to press over your heart.

Maybe he was having a bad day.

You didn’t let that ruin your mood, because for the first time since meeting him; you just had a conversation with Kim Taehyung.

Your lips curl up into a smile, small skip in your step as wander back out front of the cafe to help your friend serve a few more customers.

Your second mistake, was the day you and Taehyung were left in the cafe alone.

The sun had slipped behind a few of the high rise buildings, the sky coated in an orangey hue. The smell of freshly brewed coffee permeating the air.

The small cafe was empty par from a few high school kids who had homework to catch up on, and not enough caffeine to aide them in overdue assignments.

“I’m going on break” Taehyung had called over to you, waving you off when you opened your mouth to ask why.

You shut it, simply nodding. If he needed rest then who were you to stop him?

You stare at the door, backs of your legs starting to ache as you lean on the counter, hoping that maybe someone would come and occupy you, even if it were only for a few minutes.

“Y/n!”

And that had you scrambling to the break room, eyes wide with worry as you teeter to a stop before him.

“Is something the matter?” you stare down at Taehyung, who only hums in reply.

“Make me a drink”

“Oh, okay” you nod, biting your bottom lip as you scamper back to the front where you get started on his coffee.

You’d seen him order a flat white while out with friends on more than a few occasions, so you guess he must like those.

“What’s this?” he peers into the cup.

“A flat white” you whisper, fingers fiddling with the pocket of your apron.

He crooks two fingers, motioning for you to bend down to his level. You do so, eyebrows furrowing a little in confusion.

You think you hear it before you feel it, his palm coming in harsh contact with you right cheek.

Tears gather on your waterline, prickly, needle like pain dusting your cheek in red. You have no time to recover before Taehyung grabs your face, nails digging into each cheek as he pulls your face closer to his own.

“You little freak, you really have been following me around, haven’t you?” he laughs, though he didn’t seem all that amused, “I only drink black coffee”

You shake your head, wincing when he digs his finger into your skin harder. And you may have been worried about bleeding if you weren’t so scared of what words were to fall off his tongue like venom.

“Fucking liar” he spits, shoving your face away, quick, like your touch had burnt him.

You take a few steps back, fingers skimming across your cheeks as you stare down at him.

“On your knees” he picks his phone up.

“Huh?” you manage to squeak.

“Are you stupid?”

You shake your head, eyes flitting between his own. Wondering if maybe he was just trying to play a mean joke on you.

“On your knees then”

You do so, dropping to your knees, “Come closer” he motions with his head.

You go to push yourself to stand, only for Taehyung to push at your chest with his foot, “pets crawl”

You nod, head hanging low as your hands touch the floor, humiliated as you sit on your heels beside Taehyung’s chair.

He grabs the back of your hair, yanking your head up so your looking at him. “Open”

Your mouth falls open.

Taehyung picks up the scalding cup of coffee, sadistic smile tugging at his lips as he pours the hot liquid into your mouth, uncaring as it spills over your uniform, staining your clothes; streaking your skin red.

You splutter, pulling away from his tight hold on you, coughing as you wipe around your mouth. Pearly tears mingling with the coffee on your face as you heave a large breath.

“What do we say when sir gives you something?” he asks, condescending.

You snivel, peering up at Taehyung through wet lashes, he frowns down at you. “What do we fucking say?”

“Thank you” you hiccup.

“Thank you, what?”

“Thank you, sir”

“Good girl” he turns back to his phone.

✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

“Stop squirming” Taehyung grunts, tugging your hair so your head lays on his thigh.

You think your knees must red with how long you’d been kneeling on the wooden floor, though you think your cheeks must be 10 shades darker as you stay kneeled beside Taehyung as he works on an assignment in the library.

And you can only thank your lucky stars you and Taehyung were the only two sat so far back in the corner where no one could stumble across the two of you. The humiliation of being found, sat at Taehyung’s feet like some sort of pet, sending a lick of arousal down your spine to your pulsating cunt.

Goosebumps prickle at your skin when he cards his fingers through your hair, your arms twitching where you have them held behind your back; per Taehyung’s request.

You feel him tug your head towards his crotch, your lips skimming the fabric of his sweats, grey cotton doing nothing to hide what he has to offer underneath. You grab onto his thigh, delicate fingers digging into the muscle as he pushes your head so your nose brushes over his steadily growing erection.

“What would you do if I made you suck my cock right now?” he asks, humming when your lick your lips. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Anything to please me, right?”

You nod, thighs clenching at the thought of his thick cock in your mouth, you wonder what he would sound like, how rough he’d make you take it. You feel a dribble of arousal leak into your cotton panties, slick fabric brushing against your clit as you squirm in place.

A pitiful whine tumbling from your lips when Taehyung shoves your head away from his crotch.

“Fucking disgusting” he utters, “Do you think you deserve my cock after everything you’ve done? Stupid girl, following me home, watching me and friends. You’re fucking gross, you know that?”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry” tears dribble down your cheeks.

And Taehyung feels his cock twitch at the sight of your blotchy face.

✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

The first time Taehyung takes you to his apartment, you feel your heart swell. How kind he must be if he were to let you have a look into his private life, paintings you assume to be his own hung on the walls, pictures with his parents and vinyl records displayed in book cases from artists you had never heard of.

“On the floor, pet” he reminds you after you’d slipped your shoes from your feet.

You follow, rewarded with a gentle smile from Taehyung, the pretty one he seems to give everyone else but you, until you’re on you’re knees, sat waiting for his next command as you watch him wander into the kitchen. Bag of take-out placed on the table as he takes a seat.

You scamper after him, palms growing redder as you crawl. Making sure to sit beside his chair.

He places a box of chicken in front of you, saying nothing as he rummages through his own dinner.

You make no move to eat, not at all hungry as you’d stolen a few too many sweets from cafe earlier during your shift.

“Eat” Taehyung tells you, nudging your thigh with his socked foot.

“Not hungry” you whisper, Taehyung grunting at that.

“Should still eat something” he bends down, picking up a piece of chicken, “open”

You do as told, watching Taehyung’s face as he feeds you. Hand on your jaw as you chew, thumb tugging your mouth open after you swallow.

“Manners, doll”

“Thank you, sir” you muffle around his fingers as he shoves them a little further into your mouth.

You find yourself sat by Taehyung’s feet a lot after that day.

While he works on assignments. While you work on assignments. While he plays video games, he chucks a cushion in the floor for you to sit on. While he cooks in the kitchen, the simple term “open” seeming to be his favorite.

Open. His fingers are in your mouth. Seeing how far they’ll go before you gag. Humming when you looking up at him through your lashes. Bonus points if you start to cry.

Open. And then there’s food in your mouth. Chewing under his watchful eye before he makes you eat more. Cocky little smirk on his face when you push his hand away. Only to be thrown over his thighs so he can spank your ass red raw for refusing him.

Open. He spits in your mouth, telling you to swallow before giving you a smile as your reward. Meanly tugging at your puffy nipples from where he’d played with them earlier on.

Open. And your mouthing at his cock, some days hard, maybe flaccid but you feel it grow under your lips as he presses your face into his crotch. Never letting you touch, never letting you taste. Only teasing you with what you could have his Taehyung was a little kinder and didn’t thrive off the desperation in your eyes when he makes you kiss his aching erection through his pants.

✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

Taehyung watches as you smile at a customer, a boy your age he supposes, if the pile of books were any indication that he was also a college student. Cheeks round and youthful in a way Taehyung grew out of in his mid teens.

His jaw tightens when that same boy leans against the counter, the cafe an hour from closing; not many people on the streets as the moon makes its appearance. The three of you the only ones left in the coffee shop.

Taehyung wonders if you like the attention. You must do, sweet little smile being directed at a puny college boy that looked like he didn’t know how to please a woman. He looked as though he needed a true woman to please him, to step on his pathetic little cock for him to cum. If only he knew you couldn’t give him that, too reliant on Taehyung for your own pleasure, letting him control you like his own little puppet, your pleasure now his.

He’s sure if he’d finally get his hands on you, all you’d know was his name. But he supposes that wouldn’t be too hard. Your pretty little head always seemed to be filled with thoughts of him.

He wasn’t stupid, far from it. You weren’t all that secret with your cute little crush either. Obvious with your steady growing obsession with him and Taehyung couldn't get enough of it. So much power over someone so consumed with his entire being.

But he liked you that way. He liked the way you listened, not questioning him when he tells you to do something. Not like a few other girls he’d tried to get with, they all held themselves too high to let him humiliate them a little. Too consumed with themselves to heed to his every demand.

But you. A little stupid, but Taehyung couldn’t get enough. Addicted to the way you followed him, a cute little puppy that he’s just starting to have fun with. A cute little puppy who would do anything for his validation and love.

His fingers tap against the table. Your new little admirer having no shame as he tries to get a peek up your skirt as you reach for one of the mugs on the top shelf.

“Y/n” Taehyung drawls, covering his smile with his hand when your attention is fully on him. No longer bothered with the college boy, who seems to wander off to a table as you ignore his blatant attempts at flirting with you.

“Yes?” you ask from behind the counter.

“Coffee”

You scamper off into the back room, Taehyung not bothered with what you were doing, just as long as you weren’t entertaining any one else.

He watches the boy peer up from his phone every so often, gaze trailing after you as you start making Taehyung his drink.

“What’s this?” he motions to the mug when you gently place it on the table, little yellow stars painted over a deep purple sky.

“I bought you a different mug, I thought it was prettier than the cafe’s ones” you rock back and forth, not daring to look at Taehyung’s reaction. Only hoping he liked it, because you thought of him when you’d seen it in the shop window.

“Is that so?” he muses, “Go back now” he motions towards the counter.

You nod, “okay”

Your little college admirer stays until closing, never seeming to work up the courage to ask for your number. That, or he catches Taehyung’s glare each time he dared open his mouth to talk to you.

“Did you like it?” Taehyung stalks towards the counter, eyes narrowing at you as you wipe down one last mug of the day before you close up the shop.

“Pardon?” you blink up at Taehyung, something about the innocent look on your face pissing him off.

“Did you enjoy whoring yourself out to some sad little college boy?” he sneers and you carefully hang the mug back up.

“I wasn’t—“ you shut your mouth at the look on Taehyung’s face. His eyebrows narrowed, gaze scrutinizing you.

His grip is harsh as he grabs your wrists, your hip slamming into the table as he grabs under your arms, lifting you to his side of the counter.

You let out a small squeak, unsteady as he drops you on your feet. Uncaring as he spins you around, pushing you to bend over the counter by your shoulders.

You turn your head to look at Taehyung, a choked groan slipping off your tongue when he pushes your head to the table, cool marble numbing your cheek as you feel him push his pelvis against your ass.

You feel his steadily growing erection rub against your covered core, slick gathering up at your entrance as you start to fantasize what he’ll do now that he’s got you where he wants.

You stay bent over the counter when he flips your work skirt up over your ass, cute pink panties darkened where your arousal seeps into the fabric.

Taehyung run a finger over your covered slit, rubbing over your clit as more slick dribbles out of your hole.

“Fucking soaked. All for me, yeah? You disgusting little girl”

“Please, Taehyung” you whine, thighs clenching around his hand as he continues to rub your weeping pussy over your panties.

“What did you call me?” he sneers, pulling your underwear between your ass cheeks. Delicious friction against your clit sending a jolt of pleasure through your body.

You expect the slap when it comes, ambrosian pain prickling up your spine, Taehyung’s hand painted red on your skin as he brings his hand down for another harsh slap to your right ass cheek.

“Sorry, sir” you whimper, saline tears cascading down your cheeks like little pearls.

Taehyung unbuttons his work pants, pulling them down along with his boxers until they pool around his ankles. He pushes your panties to the side, running the head of his hard cock through your slit to gather your slick, hand running over his shaft to lube it up with your juices.

Your thighs clench as the head of his cock nudges your clit, Taehyung’s head tipping back as your thighs squeeze around his length.

He kicks your legs apart, hand flat on your back as he lines his cock up with your entrance.

Your mouth falls open as his thick cock head pushes into your entrance, leaving you no time to adjust to his length, he pushes all the way in before pulling back, so close to slipping out of you.

Taehyung’s eyes close, snapping his hips forwards so his thighs smack the back of your own.

A staccato of ‘ah ah ahs’ tumble out your mouth as he continues his onslaught of thrusts, starting to pick up the pace.

“You like that?” he grunts, “who do you belong to?”

His fingers dig into the meat of your hips, little crescent moons marked into your skin to match what hangs in the sky, your only witness as Taehyung fucks you like no one had ever before.

“You” you whimper, “only you”

“That’s my girl”

Taehyung pushes you up the counter, angle of his hips changing so his cock touches that little spot inside of you that causes stars to flicker behind your eye lids. Wet slap of Taehyung’s cock ramming into your sodden cunt borderline pornographic to match your moans.

Taehyung bends over your body, chest meeting your back as he rolls his hips. Rutting into your core as deep as he could go.

Your fingers hold onto the end of the counter, Taehyung’s thrusts so hard they start to push you up the cold surface.

“Open up, baby” he grunts, breath fanning against your ear. Your mouth falls open, whimper tumbling off your lips when he shoves two fingers into your mouth, “suck”

Your tongue dips between his fingers, sucking like you would his cock if he would let you. Your walls clenching around him at the thought of having his precum coat your tongue, how your lips would pull taught at his girth, cockhead nudging the back of your throat as you try to swallow him.

“You’re so fucking tight” he groans, feeling your walls pulsate around his length.

He pull his saliva slick fingers out your mouth, trailing down your body to flick your clit.

“Cum for me, doll” he grunts, cock twitching as your walls clench around his length. Your eyes squeezing shut as you tip over the edge, orgasm wracking through your body as your thighs shake, cum oozing from your hole, lewd squelch as Taehyung continues to snap his hips upwards.

Tears fall down your cheeks, Taehyung’s hand coming to cover your mouth as his thrusts become languid.

“Shut up, people outside might hear you. You stupid girl” he pulls your hair, lifting your head from the counter.

“Inside me. Please cum inside me” you cry, uncaring of the sounds that drip from your tongue, breath shuddery as Taehyung slams his cock as far into you as he can before he paints your walls white.

You feel his cum fill you, the grip you had on the counter loosening as Taehyung continues to thrusts into you, cock slowly softening.

“Too much. Too much” you cry, thighs twitching as his fingers continue to rub tight circles on your sensitive clit.

“Don’t care” he pushes in once more before pulling out.

Your muscles relax, flopping over the counter as Taehyung bends down behind you.

“Push my cum out” he pulls your lips apart, watching as your hole clenches around nothing.

He groans as his seed slips out of you, two of his fingers pushing it back into your sloppy cunt.

His fingers thrust into your hole, hand landing a slap to the back of your thigh when you go to close your legs.

“Good girl” he croons, pulling your panties over your soiled pussy. “open”

Your lips part, tongue rolling out of your mouth as Taehyung lathers it up with a mixture of both of your cum, content smile on his face as he pulls you off the counter, arm around your shoulder as he walks the both of you to the door, ready to close up for the night.

Uncaring of the cum that drips down your thighs in thick rivulets. At least you know you’re his.

#bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts smut #bts angst #taehyung #taehyung smut #taehyung imagine #taehyung x reader #bts fic #bts x reader #bts yandere #bts au #bts requests #taehyung fic #taehyung x y/n #bts

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justiceforfoxface · 4 months

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if you people will not request, I suppose I will just create

anyways here’s my idea: coriolanus snow x model reader

warnings: literally none. sfw. no use of y/n. female reader. let me know if you want this with gn reader or male reader. academy coriolanus.

enjoy :)

Most people your age would be heading to school about now, but not you. You were heading to Mrs. Cameron’s office, your boss who made sure your face got slapped on every advertisement. Didn’t matter what it was for. You’d been in posters and ads for foods, for clothing, once for the Games itself. As long as people saw your face, Mrs. Cameron got money, and if Mrs. Cameron got money, so did you.

You sit in the waiting room, an empty marble room that’s honestly intimidating even after going there for years. Then, Janet looks up from her spot at the counter. She’s Mrs. Cameron’s secretary, a fairly nice young woman whom you don’t often engage with.

“You can go home,” Janet says, not unkindly, but certainly not kindly. “Mrs. Cameron’s not here right now. She’s fallen ill.”

“Oh,” you say awkwardly. You’d never been turned away before. Even though Mrs. Cameron was the boss of most of the models in the Capitol, she always had time for you. “Well, send her wishes of a fast recovery.”

Janet nods, and you make your exit. As you step out the doors, you’re hit with a blast of cold air. You got up at the crack of dawn to eat breakfast and walk here, and you didn’t realize exactly how freezing it was. You were also caught right in the middle of what was practically a stampede of students heading to the Academy. The red uniforms flooded the small side street, like blood slowly spreading over a white snowflake.

As you make your way through the crowd, with lots of hurried saying of “Excuse me” and “Sorry,” you pause to see someone looking at you.

One of the students. He’s blonde, and he has very noticeable blue eyes. He says something, and it takes you a moment to realize he’s talking to you.

“You’re the girl from all those advertisements.”

“I-I am,” you reply, nodding. The student nods to the doors of the modeling agency you just walked out of. “Do you work there?”

“Yes.” “Are there…lots of clothes there?”

You’re slightly confused at these questions. You got a lot of weird questions when people found out you were a model, but no one ever asked if you had lots of clothes at your modeling agency.

“Yes, I guess so,” you hesitantly respond. Does he want to break in and steal them? “Why?”

He turns red and says, “It’s…well, my cousin-Tigris-her birthday is coming up, and she likes, well, fashion, so I thought I’d get her something nice, but….”

“Oh!” Well, that’s a lot nicer than breaking into a modeling agency and stealing all their clothes.

“I…work for Mrs. Cameron, you know. She leads most of the models in the Capitol.” You don’t know why you’re telling this to a stranger. “She normally doesn’t like us taking the dresses home, but she’s out sick, so…”

You don’t know why you’re offering this to a stranger. You’ve never broken a rule of Mrs. Cameron’s before. And here you are, willing to break her biggest one for a stranger who-for all you know-might not even have a cousin with a birthday coming up.

His eyes light up. “Could you get something? Maybe something nice. She likes pink.”

And then you remember it. The satin pink dress with the bow in the back that was rejected for you because Mrs. Cameron said it didn’t match your eyes. But it was comfortable, and beautiful, and perfect for a birthday gift. “I know exactly what to get,” you say. “I can probably get it to you this time tomorrow.”

He nods, and then says, “Coriolanus Snow,” and then walks away.

It takes you a few minutes to realize that was his name.

#lol this did NOT end up being about reader being a model #not my best work tbh #at least i’m self aware #coriolanus snow x reader #Coriolanus snow #the hunger games #tbosas #bosas #ballad of songbirds and snakes #Bro I’m so frickin tired right now #I just wanted to write 😭#part 2 if you want it but def not today

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makerofmadness · 9 months

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What's with Balloon Boy and the Daycare Attendant?

The Balloon World arcade machine exists, it's in the DA's room and both characters are involved in it. It's probably one of the most cryptic minigames in the FNAF series as a whole, but while we could ponder what exactly it's supposed to mean (maybe I'll do that for all the security breach minigames eventually), the main question I have is this:

WHY Balloon Boy specifically? Why is the minigame about HIM?

Is there a connection between the two characters? Or was it a completely random decision?

Out of nowhere, thinking about Balloon World, I came to a realization:

The Lights.

Balloon Boy's entire gimmick in FNAF 2 was that if he got into your office, he would disable your flashlight and vent lights (...somehow. I know we all make the jokes about him taking the batteries [and then that FNAF 57: Freddy In Space thing in FNAF World said he just straight-up steals your entire flashlight], but you never see the battery icon disappear or appear empty in FNAF 2 itself when he gets into your office. And the vent lights also stop working, so unless they also operate on batteries, then... does he actually take them from you?).

What's the one rule in the daycare?

Keep the lights on.

His mechanic is the antithesis to what Sun wants and exactly what Moon would want. Balloon Boy doesn't keep the lights on. He prevents you from turning them on at all.

(which also makes me kinda sad there wasn't a Glamrock version of BB. Then again, I don't know how exactly he would've uniquely affected like anything. Regardless I am hoping for the day someone in the fandom makes a glamrock bb who is arch-enemies with sun and gets along well with moon skseijdndndnd-)

It feels kinda obvious and I'm guessing I'm not the only person to think about this, but I have never seen anyone else bring this up. Not on YouTube, not on tumblr, nowhere. Maybe if I go looking for it I'll see, but i'm surprised I haven't bumped into anyone else saying this just naturally. I go into the BB tags a LOT, surely SOMEONE would've said something, right? I don't even see it noted in the trivia on the page for the arcade game on the fnaf wiki.

...but is this supposed to mean anything? Or is it just a cute little reference or callback? it's hard to say, especially with how ambiguous the minigame is.

Though I DID think of ONE thing... (possible minor spoilers for Ruin under the cut):

Saw this pointed out in a youtube video that the BB World screen (with Eclipse, who makes their proper debut in Ruin after effectively being foreshadowed by the minigame in SB's base game) can be seen on the ceiling in the DA's room. Which makes sense, obviously, but also take note of the pirate-themed windows in the hallway leading to it.

...now, which character do most of us tend to associate with Balloon Boy? His "tag-team partner," of sorts?

Foxy. The Pirate.

With this, I found that there's more Foxy-related stuff associated with the daycare area than I had previously realized because I had never made any connections before. I mean, Kids' Cove is directly linked to it for god's sake.

Like. I hope i haven't forgotten to mention anything (I've been writing this post over the course of hours 'Cus I had stuff to do in the middle of it all). My brain's kinda starting to fry. But basically: Was Foxy originally meant to be the Daycare Attendant, in-universe? Was there gonna be a Glamrock Balloon Boy with him, like as his first mate or something??? Were they gonna be connected to Fazbear Theater????? (Uh basically Sun/Moon to my knowledge from confirmation in the books and a lot of more subtle implications in-game mainly involving environmental pieces were originally meant to be in the Fazbear Theater as a stage animatronic but got moved to daycare duty instead and being reprogrammed. Which actually explains a lot about them when you think about it-)

Like. Ok I'm forgetting where I was going with this, I'm sorry, but I guess it's food for thought/adds to the weird connections between DA and BB, I guess. Idk. I can't focus that well right now to keep making new ideas.

felt like sharing my interpretation of the Balloon World minigame itself at least since earlier I did kinda finally get it down concretely:

I kinda developed a theory that Eclipse is Sun/Moon's "safe mode" and that rebooting DA reactivated Eclipse as a result. Like, they're their own AI that was at one point implemented. but then Vanny happened and locked them out thanks to the whole Glitchtrap virus thing (albeit it only seemed to reach Moon, while Sun remains seemingly unaffected. Guessing it's because they're different AIs [finally implied/basically confirmed by their Ruin dialogue). Eclipse has seemingly not been active for some time, or at least never post-pizzaplex closure, given how they're seemingly completely oblivious to the fact that this place is closed with no signs of opening.

So the minigame was foreshadowing Eclipse's existence and implying their "trapped" nature, which also could be seen as paralleling Vanessa's whole "Vanny" situation, especially given how iirc one of the messages related to princess quest can be found near the arcade machine.

#This post kinda crumbled toward the end but I hope it's still interesting enough :'3 #fnaf #fnaf sb #fnaf ruin #fnaf eclipse #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #daycare attendant #balloon boy

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kenziedrawz · 11 months

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made a new pjsk au drabble based on a twitter art i saw, heehee.

It's been ten years, ten years since he was forced into this room, this display case, this cage. He'd been kidnapped from his home forest when he was thirteen, but he didn't regret flying in to save Saki from the terrible fate he's living through right now. If you asked him if it was still worth it then he'd absolutely say yes no matter what.

But, he missed her, he missed his dearly beloved sister. He often wonders what she'd be doing, had she reunited with her friends outside of the forest? He could only hope so, hopefully Ichika, Shiho and Honami were looking after her. Maybe even Shizuku was looking after her as well. He could only hope, he could only dream.

But 'Trophies' do not get to dream, well, they aren't supposed to.

Tsukasa paced around his display case. Normally, he'd love the stage as he did when he was younger, but he despised the tiny stage in his case. Yes, it had been made for him, but he was to be silent and simply hold a pose whenever he was being observed. It was torture, he wanted to move, to act, to do anything. But Lady Asahina's rules were absolute, if she said something, then it would be. And he couldn't disobey less he wanted to be cracked apart and pieced back together.

He put a hand to his chest, and although it was covered, he could feel the pain from all the previous times he'd been cracked there. Sure, he was repaired, but it still hurt because there was no way these human's could properly repair him.

Tsukasa was a fairy, a crystal fairy. His body was made of a gemstone, bi-color tourmaline to be exact. His sister was the same, although she had internal fractures which made it difficult for her to use magic and fly. Unlike other fairies, crystal fairies didn't need wings to fly. And they were also very pretty, which caused those with greed in their hearts to target them.

And that's exactly why Tsukasa is in this display case, he's a trophy, and nothing more than that to the humans living here.

Well, there was one who saw him as something other than a trophy, but she was punished and forbidden from seeing him a while ago. It was nice to have someone he could talk to for once, even if it didn't last.

Tsukasa still paced around his cage, but froze once he heard the subtle creak of the window. That was odd, had it been open and a bird flew into it to make it move slightly? No, he would have heard a thump of some kind, right? Tsukasa cautiously yet fearfully looked around, his amber eyes landing on the open window in the far corner of the room. All of the people within the house were supposed to be asleep, so was this a break in? Did whoever this was come to steal him?

He saw a figure quickly and quietly leap through the window, his foot steps made not a single sound as his feet landed on the floor. " Alright, I'm in, now to just find out where they're keeping that Tourmaline..." Tsukasa could hear the figure mutter to himself, the moonlight briefly illuminating him to reveal purple hair with two blue streaks and glistening golden eyes that subtly reminded him of topaz.

Oh crap, he was after him. And by the looks of it, he was the phantom thief that Lady Asahina had mentioned the other day.

" That dastardly phantom thief appears to be targeting you next Lady Asahina." One of the nobles within the room said, Tsukasa couldn't help but overhear their conversation. " he could very well be after your prized Trophy."

" Oh? Is he now... I find that quite disappointing to be honest. Why be such an insolent thief when one could do something far more respectable and beneficial to our society?" Lady Asahina said in reply, But Tsukasa knew that the 'society' she was speaking of was just the nobility.

He didn't remember the rest of the conversation, but he immediately knew that this was the phantom thief, there was no doubt about it. He wanted to hide himself as much as he could, but he couldn't, there was nowhere to hide in this damned display case.

' What is he going to do to me?' Tsukasa wondered to himself fearfully. ' Is he going to sell me off? Cut me up and use me for jewelry? Or maybe something more horrible than that?!" It was safe to say that Tsukasa was incredibly panicked as the thief's eyes finally locked on to him.

First, he saw the thief's face shift into surprise, then horror, there was a brief flash of anger on his face before it melted away into concern. The thief's eyes scanned the room, as if looking for traps before he approached Tsukasa's display case.

" Are you alright..?"

The question was a surprise to Tsukasa, it was spoken ever so gently and filled with genuine concern. It was a genuine surprise to Tsukasa that someone would be so kind to him.

" You're a fairy, right? You're not supposed to be in a place like this..." The thief said, and Tsukasa could feel the rage boiling up beneath the surface of the thief's words. But it wasn't directed at him, it was likely directed at Lady Asahina.

Skillful and dexterous hands worked away the lock on the case, and one of the glass walls opened up. Freedom was in Tsukasa's grasp. The thief laid down a hand for Tsukasa to climb upon, a gentle smile and warmth in his eyes. " Come now, little one, I don't bite."

Tsukasa hesitated, what if this was some kind of trick to lure him into a false sense of security? but he took another look into those big, gentle, golden yellow eyes, he knew he could trust them. He took a cautious step onto the thief's fingers, making his way onto the thief's palm. Tsukasa let out a small yelp of surprise as the thief stood up properly, and slipped him into a pocket.

" Hold on tight," the thief advised him as Tsukasa stuck his head out of the pocket with a small huff and a pout. He wasn't ready for that just yet, and the thief let out a small giggle at Tsukasa's small pout. " Right then, let's go~!"

The thief quickly turned, and with a running start he jumped out the window and into the night. Skillfully leaping across buildings and roofs as if they were clouds, or... what was that word again? Trampolines? Yeah, Tsukasa thinks that's right. Soon enough they arrived at what seemed like a middle-class home, to which the thief quickly ducked through an open window and landed in the middle of a living room.

" Rui!" A sharp voice cut through the night's silence, and judging by how the thief froze up slightly then that was his name. " Did you have to leap through the window again? We have a door for a reason you know."

As Rui turned, Tsukasa saw a girl with long pale green hair. And judging by the scale imprints on her face, she was either a dragon or a mermaid in human form. Her violet eyes glared daggers at Rui, though she seemed more annoyed than anything. Tsukasa still leaned down further into Rui's pocket though.

" Oh Nene, but simply going through the door is awfully dull." Rui said with a pout. " You wouldn't want to deprive me of my nightly thrill, would you?"

" Yes, yes I would if it meant that you stopped coming in so loudly." Nene, the mermaid, retorted.

" Oh you're so harsh Nene..." Rui whined.

" Whatever, now did you successfully steal the jewel from the Asahina estate?" Nene asked with her hands on her hips. Rui put an awkward hand behind his head.

" Well... He isn't exactly a gemstone to be precise..." Rui said sheepishly, causing Nene to crook up an eyebrow in confusion.

" Don't tell me..." Nene began, her eyes slowly widening. " Was it a crystal fairy they had on display? Like Mizuki?" Nene asked, subtle horror in her eyes. Rui looked down, only nodding his head after checking up on Tsukasa.

" You're exactly right, It's sickening to think that some nobles are so corrupt that they keep what's essentially another human as some kind of pet or trophy." Tsukasa had to agree with Rui's words.

" So will you be taking them to Mizuki to see if they know this one?" Nene asked, to which Rui nodded. Tsukasa could faintly remember a Mizuki, he remembered that they were made from pearl as far as he was sure. He then realized with hope that he may be able to see his sister once again.

" I'll go tomorrow, Mizuki may not need sleep, but I unfortunately do." Rui said, beginning to head up to what Tsukasa could assume was his room.

And by god, it was a mess of unfinished gadgets and metal parts. Tsukasa was stunned that Rui could even navigate such a room without getting his foot pierce, the floor was like a death trap for feet. Rui then gently took Tsukasa out of his pocket and set him down on a table. " How are you feeling? Are you alright?" Rui asked him with a concerned tone.

" Y-yes!" Tsukasa replied, he hated how weak his voice sounded, he hadn't been able to use it in so long. " Much better now that I'm out of that dreadful case."

" Fufu~ You seem a lot more energetic now?" Rui said with a soft chuckle.

" You think? I was trapped there for ten years!" Tsukasa proclaimed, though he let out a small wince when he saw Rui's expression change to a mix of pity and horror.

" Ten years?" Rui muttered quietly in shock. " I'm terribly sorry that you had to suffer for so long."

" Don't feel so much pity for me Rui! I'm free now, and that's what matters, right?" Tsukasa said, taking the thief's gloved finger and holding it reassuringly. It hurt to remember those ten lonely years of his life, but he could put it behind him now.

" but still... Ten years... a decade of imprisonment..." Rui said, sympathy in his gaze.

" Hah! A decade is nothing to a crystal fairy such as myself!" Tsukasa said, it was a bit of a white lie. Those ten years felt like ten decades of loneliness to him. " You have nothing to worry about!"

" Alright..." Rui said, trailing off. he took off his hat and placed it over Tsukasa, who let out a sharp yelp of surprise. " Sorry little one, but I need to get changed. I wouldn't want you to see me in barely any clothes."

" Oh, my name's Tsukasa!" Tsukasa yelled out to Rui, and he could hear Rui let out a soft chuckle.

" What a wonderful name, Tsukasa-kun." Rui replied, lifting the hat off of Tsukasa so he could finally see. Rui was now dressed in a nightshirt and some boxers. He put the hat on a rack and rummaged through his desk shelves, taking out an empty matchbox before getting some cotton and a piece of cloth. Combining the three into a makeshift bed.

" It's not much, but it'll do for the night." Rui said.

" Thank you, Rui, you have my never-ending gratitude." Tsukasa said, bowing to the human before settling into the makeshift matchbox bed Rui supplied him with. He didn't really need sleep, but it was a nice comfort and distraction from his thoughts.

" You're welcome. We'll go se Mizuki in the morning, they'll be able to find out where you're from." Rui said, settling into his own bed. " Goodnight Tsukasa-kun." Rui said with a sleepy yawn, turning off the lights with a clap of his hand.

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evan4ever · 1 year

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Forgive Me

Kit Walker

Warnings: Briarcliff punishments, blood, typical Asylum stuff, near death

a/n: not proofread, but this was fun to write I hope you like it anon!!

—

You and Kit had an obvious relationship, whether it was romantic or not no one knew for sure. But the two of you were always together, going everything with the other, looking out for each other — it wasn’t that hard to tell. And so when Kit made the mistake of stealing the alcohol from Dr. Arden’s office that he saw one time while being his medical rat, Sister Jude had no hesitation in deciding his perfect punishment in which Dr. Arden himself suggested.

Kit was in his cell as were you in yours across from him. Guards had taken you both, ordered by Jude herself. Kit knew he was in for it, but he didn’t understand why they had brought you as well. It angered him, to say the least. He was banging on the door, yelling for someone to answer him.

“Kit..” you sighed. You weren’t sure either. Neither of you would’ve guessed they’d use you against the other. You knew the others caught on to your fancying of each other but what Jude and Arden had in store for you never would’ve crossed your mind. “Kit you’re only going to anger them more. Calm down.” You pleaded with him, looking through the bars of your window on the cell door just barely able to see Kit who was now gripping the bars on his.

“Hey, listen to me ova here!” He yelled at one of the guards that walked past, catching his attention and backtracking his steps to the front of Kits closed door. Surprised that someone finally acknowledged him, Kit was at a loss for words for a moment.

“What do you want?” The guard spat at him, Kits face furrowing in anger again.

“Why did ya bring her back with me? She had nothing to do with my mistake!” Kit yelled, but was only met with a snicker. You watched silently out the window, also curious but knowing better than to make a scene like Kit. You wanted him to stop. Surely they brought you back thinking you shared with him when the truth is you had no idea he even stole it. Kit never told you of his wrongdoings. You did your best to stay on the low in this place and Kit respected that. You wouldn’t even take the bread he’d stole for the both of you, knowing better than to even share with the possibility of being caught. Sister Mary Eunice even called you the angel patient and you wanted to live up to the name in hopes of getting out one day.

Kit on the other hand stole and disobeyed rules often. He always would state that he could take the beating, that it never bothered him. Even when you would tend to his obvious deep wounds and when he could barely move from pain. It never changed his mind and when he was well he was right back to his cleverness. You worried deeply about his well-being, and that one day they’d take it too far or that they would finally have had enough and put and end to his life for their own enjoyment. You’d always plead with him, which led to the agreement that he’d not tell or involve you in his schemes and you’d never ask. It worked well for you both.

But this time, it was Arden’s belongings and considering it was alcohol and this place was supposed to a no alcohol ground in the name of God, it was Arden that was angry. And considering he wanted to take Kit and use him for his own experiments and Jude wouldn’t stand for it, the next best thing he could think of to really hit Kit where it hurt, was by using you against him.

“You’re a stupid one, know that? Everyone in this place knows exactly what’s going to happen. Think about it, Walker. Where would Jude be able to hit you where it hurt the most?” You listened quietly and since you couldn’t see the man’s face you focused on Kits that turned from confusion to shock and realization, his eyes flickering to you as he stood wide eyed. Your eyebrows shoot up as you were still confused but he understood. You shook your head and mouthed a ‘what’ to him, quickly taking a step back from the door when the guard turned to face you now. “She’s pretty. We all see why you’re into her. May be unrecognizable after today.” He snickered once again, patting your cell door as we walked past it and left.

His words stuck with you. What did he mean? What was going on? You quickly went to your window and looked out at Kit who was practically staring off into space deep in thought. “Kit? What is it? What was he talking about?”

His eyes didn’t meet yours.

“Kit please, what?” You begged, your heart thumping so loudly it surely everyone on the floor could hear it.

“It’s you.” He stated, your eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Finally, he looked at you. Your eyes pleading for further answers. “You’re how they’re gonna punish me.”

And finally it hit you. A gasp left from your mouth and you held onto the bar tighter to prevent yourself from stumbling. The guards words made sense now. Of course they would use you against Kit. He’s been punished so much and nothing has ever stopped him. They knew by punishing you physically it would punish him mentally. They believe doing so would keep him in his place. They were so fucking smart, it drove you mad.

“Oh God, Kit..” you shook your head desperately. “I’ve never taken a beating here! I’ve been so good!” Tears formed in your eyes as the fear consumed you. You understood their intentions but how could they do this to you? You were an Angel. It’s not fair.

“I’m so sorry” you barely heard Kits voice through your racing mind, but you managed to look at him and allow yourself to calm down as much as you could. You were visibly crying, but you could tell how much despair Kit felt. “I should’ve neva stole from Arden. This has to be his doings. I embarrassed him.” Kit ran his hand through his dark hair as he contemplated ways of stopping it. He knew he could take the beatings, that’s why he never stopped breaking the rules. But you? You were fragile. You were a woman, for godsake. “I’ll figure something out y/n I swear I’ll get you outta this. They won’t lay a hand on you.” He now looked you in the eyes, you could see how troubled he was at this moment in time, how desperate he was for any way to fix this. It hurt your heart. You knew this would eat him alive.

“No.” You finally spoke and he looked at you in confusion once again.

“What do you mean n-“

“I mean no. You won’t figure this out because if you try they will only use it against you.” You took a deep shaky breath before continuing. “We have to let it happen.” You nodded and Kit looked at you like he’d just seen you swallow a man.

“Are you crazy?”

“Think about it, if we walk in there with strong faces and we deal with what’s to come — they won’t break us. Maybe it’ll intimidate them. Kit we can’t let them break us. We have to let them do this.” You nodded. It made your stomach ache and your head throb at knowing you were about to take in the worst beating of your life, but you weren’t going to let them win. You weren’t going to let them break Kit’s spirit. “And afterwards, we will go in as if nothing happened. Kit look at me.” You begged him when you realized he was looking anywhere but. It took a moment but finally his eyes met yours again and you gave him as reassuring smile as you could. “It’s okay. I’ll be alright. You have to promise not to do anything stupid. Please?” The small plead came out in a whisper and you could tell Kit wanted to object, but he held himself together and after some time, he finally nodded.

The next hour was full of tension. You did your best to direct conversation anywhere but on what was to come, to no real avail. Kits head was spinning at the thought of his mistake being taken out on you. That you were going to feel the wrath and not him. He was already so angry at himself and it hadn’t even happened yet. You could see it in his face and all you could do was try to make him understand that you would never blame him or be angry with him. You spoke of what the two of you should do next week, so he’d understand that there would still be a next week with you by his side. This wasn’t the end of you and Kit like Kit believed it would be. But without being able to physically touch him, hug him and reassure him, your words had no real effect on him. You also spent the hour preparing yourself. How you would stand strong and fearless in the eyes of your superiors here. It wasn’t going to be easy, but you were going to try.

Next you knew, your cells were being opened and you were both being dragged out and down the halls. Kit couldn’t control himself as he yelled and cursed at everyone he could trying so hard to stop it but again, to no avail. You were brought into Arden’s office, a change from Kit’s previous punishments. You all the while stayed as silent as you could and kept your head high only looking at Kit with pleading eyes when you could.

“What is this? Why’re we here and not your office?” Kit questioned Jude when she and Arden stepped into view, standing in front of you both. They only wore a smile.

“Decided we should try something new. You’re no stranger to breaking rules, Kit.” Jude started, walking closer to you. “I truly hope this will bring your awful behavior to an end.”

You kept your eyes on Kit, avoiding Jude’s face. You were scared it would crush you and you wanted to take it like a woman.

“You will watch as y/n is punished for your mistakes, and you will sit and think about it. You will not be able to forget the pain you caused her and will, hopefully, think about it before stealing another item from anyone.”

“You’re a monster.” You spat at Jude, only to feel a sudden stinging of your cheek from a harsh slap by Jude herself. Kit attempted to launch himself at Jude, but was held in place by the guard still standing behind you both.

You looked back at her and her eyes were cold while piercing into you. “Let’s not make this harder than it has to be, yeah?” She whispered out, turning to face Arden a second after. You regained your position, your breath shaky and avoided looking at Kit.

“Go on then. Get it over with.” Jude didn’t even acknowledge your words, only taking the whip from Arden who stood back, a smirk placed on his lips. If only you could tear his lips from his face, you thought.

“This is a special whip of mine,” Jude smiled turning back to face you and bringing it closer. Once in view, you were able to see the thorn-like material. It wouldn’t only slap into your skin, it would pierce it. “I don’t use it often, but I feel it… appropriate… for this punishment.” Your lip quivered at her words and the thoughts but you quickly but into your inner cheek to advert your mind.

“Oh come on!” Kit cried out. He wanted to do more but he was so limited. It was physically hurting him that he couldn’t save you. “Y’can’t go easy on her at all? She didn’t do anything!”

“No! I can’t!” Jude approached him quickly, angrily. “This is on you! Do you think I enjoy hurting the innocent? I do not! You have only yourself to thank for this.” She was so close to his face, her small figure nothing to his but holding all the power. “Strip her.” She demanded next; the guards immediately coming to you and ridding you of your suit. You attempted fighting it, but you were no match to the two men.

You now stood bare, only your undergarments on. Though it wasn’t important, you quickly grew insecure of being exposed like this to Kit.

“Move to the desk, place your hands on it and bend yourself forward.” Jude demanded with ease, her words flowing smoothly. It’s what she had everyone do for punishment. You stood for a moment, glancing over to Kit once more before he would be out of your view, then following her demands. Your legs felt like jello as you took the stance, feeling as if they’d give out at any second but doing your best to keep yourself up.

You couldn’t see Jude anymore, the only human in your view Dr. Arden who watched happily.

“25 hits, and this will be over.” Jude reassured like it would make it any better.

Your eyes fluttered shut and you sucked in a breath as you readied yourself for the first smack. Kit began pleading more and you almost looked back at him when you felt the first strike of the thorned leather strip pierce your back, letting out a loud gasp. The pain was indescribable. You were jolted forward by the force and an attempt to push yourself farther between you and Jude. You even felt as she pulled the whip back, the thorn pieces pulling from the skin they were imbedded in. You tried to catch your breath, your ears ringing and muffling the sound of Kit’s pleas, but immediately another strike followed and you jolted forward again gripping the desk now as you cried out. The second strike caused you so much more pain than the first.

“Turn away Kit! Close your eyes, please don’t watch this” you cried out to him before another strike made you cry out in pain.

You quickly zoned into the feeling of a trickle down your back and into your thighs. You were already bleeding.

Strike

Jude didn’t ease up or slow down, maintaining a perfect rhythm of whips on you. You couldn’t control the cries that escaped your mouth, your knees buckling and bringing you to the floor only for guards to grab you and hike you back up and hold you in place. Each strike causing your mind to go numb, likely in an attempt to block out the trauma happening to your body.

“Stop it! Ya have to stop! She can’t take anymore! Please, m’sorry for what I did! Just stop!” Kit cried out, fighting against the guard holding him as hard as he could. He watched as your back was tore up more and more, pouring blood from each wound. You couldn’t even hold your head up anymore and by the 22nd strike, you were barely conscious and the only thing keeping you upright were the men holding you. “Look at her, Jude! You’re gonna kill her!”

Kit’s words were squeaking, all the previous yelling finally causing his voice to grow hoarse and nearly gone. It didn’t stop him from trying though.

Jude looked at him, then at the bloodied mess of your back. Your blood had spit at her with every con thing strike she’d made, landing on her face and in her clothing. She only stood thinking for a moment before looking at Arden who gave her a nod. She knew Kit was right, you were already losing to much blood. But, she said what she said. She had to continue.

“We’re in Dr. Arden’s office for a reason.” Jude said slowly, Kit’s eyes nearly popping from his head when he realized she was going to continue. And so she did. “Forgive me, father.”

“No! Don’t do it, please!”

She ignored him and raised her whip above her head and lowered it hard onto your skin again. You felt the stinging and the pain, but you didn’t have the energy anymore. The last 2 we’re quick, next thing you knew you were laying face down in a bed.

Your head lifted the best it could with the little energy you had, wincing at the pain that coursed through your backside from using your back muscles. There was a machine next you, following the long tube finding it connected to an IV that was in your arm. You realized the red liquid was blood that was being transfused into you. Your cloudy mind fell back into the previous instance and remembering what had happened. You don’t remember it ending, you don’t remember being brought here. You just remember the horrible pain you felt.

“Hey, suga…” you turned your head the other way hearing a light voice next to you, almost scaring you before your eyes landed on Kits. They were swollen and bloodshot from crying, and they looked at you with so much pain and sorrow. Though yours lit right up at seeing him, a smile forming on your lips.

“Kit..” you sighed, feeling your body relax in his presence. You lifted your arm and extended your hand to him which he took instantly and held tightly, placing soft kisses on it. Your eyes closed at the warmth radiating from him and the softness of his lips in your hand.

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. Is there any way ya could forgive me?” You opened your eyes to meet his pleading one’s and only narrowed your eyebrows at his words. You squeezed his hand that was holding yours and attempted to pull him closer. Getting the message, he moved himself so he was as close as he could be, his forward pressing against your cheek while his other hand entangled itself gently into your hair.

“I told you this wasn’t going to break us.” You whispered, feeling his hold around you tighten and hearing the breaking of his voice when he spoke.

“Ya nearly died back there. I don’t know what I woulda done y/n. I thought I might die right there..” he sobbed into you while you just gave him occasional squeezes of your hand on his for reassurance and to let him know it’s okay.

You let him just cry to you for awhile. He needed to get it out. This was exactly what Jude was hoping for and it’s what she got. But you weren’t going to let it break you. You said what you said for a reason and you were going to stand by it.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m right here.” You soothed him, him lifting his head and moving it so it was resting level with yours. You retrieved your hand and wiped away the tears you could then letting it rest on the side of his face. “I’m right here.”

He sniffled again then moved himself closer to you slowly awaiting your approval which you gave, before closing the space between the two of you. His lips were so gentle against yours, so scared he might break you. It wasn’t the first time you shared a kiss, but this one was different. It was full of fear, fear that you were going to die, fear that he was going to lose you from death itself or from the hatred he was sure you’d feel after. But you were alive and there was not a bone in your body that could hate this man. No, you loved him. You loved him more than your life. And he loved you more than his, and it was felt within this kiss.

“I promise I’ll never let them lay a hand on you again. M’gonna get us outta this place, I promise ya, okay?” Kit moved some of your hair from your face behind your ear and you only smiled up at him. You knew better than to let him promise you the first, these people in this place were inhumane and they would do what they wanted and there was not anything Kit could do. But his second promise, that one you believed. There was something in the way Kit looked at you that made you believe him.

“And we will run away together?” You finally spoke in a squeak, a happy smile on your lips now at the beautiful thiught. He sighed out with a wide smile himself and nodded quickly.

“There’s nothing else I’d rather do.”

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charmsandtealeaves · 1 year

Text

@jilymicrofics | February Prompt List | No.10: Command

Words: 881

Read it on AO3

“Potter can use his quidditch voice with me anytime….” A girl spoke on the other side of the stall. Lily could hear that the girl had cupped a hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle giggles with her friends. She wasn’t supposed to be overhearing a gaggle of girls gossiping about Potter in the bathroom. But when nature calls you have to answer. She wasn’t particularly interested in pushing past the gossips in order to wash her hands, so she hid in the stall and waited. What these girls obsession with Potter was she had no idea. Sure he’d filled out more over the summer so he was now more lean than lanky. Anyone would have to be blind to have not noticed the way his shoulder and arm muscles had bulked. But he was a chaser for crying out loud, he needed muscle to be half decent. And James was more than half decent at quidditch she had to admit. He had raw talent but he also worked hard for it. Having been granted the position as captain the Gryffindor team was now doing twice the usual amount of practises than usual during quidditch season. Potter was nothing if not dedicated to the position. As for his “quidditch voice” she hadn’t the foggiest what this lot was talking about. Though she had a sneaking suspicion this group was part of the crowd of curious on lookers that had been booted off the pitch during this mornings practice. Potter hated an audience for practises. He’d made that extremely clear after the hoards from other houses had gathered in the stands to watch trials earlier in the year. The only exception to that rule was his mates and even then that was by invitation only. He’d been in a right foul mood at breakfast. Complaining about how Hufflepuff had spies on the side line this morning. But listening to the current commentary it sounded like these girls minds were far from stealing quidditch strategy. “If only he had eyes for more than Evans. Honestly it’s a real waste. If she’s not willing to ride his broomstick that’s her problem not ours.” Potter had only publicly asked her out once, and privately twice before that. But that was the end of that. They were borderline friends now. Aided by his prowess for potions and her being in need of a new partner this year. If Potter wasn’t interested in a flirtatious rendezvous with any of these girls it was hardly her fault. If they wanted to date him so badly they should be more forthcoming about it to his face. “I bet she’d change her tune if she heard him on the pitch.” Lily listened as footsteps echoed off the cold stone and the bathroom door swung open and closed, leaving the space empty and quiet again. She poked her head out of the stall gingerly just to be sure, before she made a mad dash for the basins.

“Remus!” Lily greeted her fellow prefect cheerily as she saw him walking ahead of her down the third floor corridor. Remus and Peter stopped in their stead and turned back to face her. “Morning Lily!” “You boys off to the library? I could use someone going over my runes essay.” “Sorry Lil. We were just heading down to the pitch. I’d be happy to take a look at it after lunch.” Remus assured her with a smile. “Oh, that’s alright. Would you mind if I joined you? I could use a little sun and fresh air.” Remus and Peter shared a pointed look. “I’m sure James wouldn’t mind in the slightest,” Peter answered.

James noticed them the second they took their place in the stands. Or more accurately he noticed her as soon as they entered the stands. It was hard not to miss that flash of auburn hair. He was accustomed to his dorm mates at practise but as far as he was aware Lily Evans hadn’t ever watched quidditch except for game days. She had a piece of parchment she was handing over to Remus. Ah. Yes that made sense. Lily and Remus shared ancient tunes together. She often asked for him to approve of her homework. That didn’t however make her presence any less distracting to him. He needed his focus on his team if they were going to outwit Ravenclaw the following weekend. So he turned his back to her and attempted to push her to the back of his mind for the time being. “Keep your elbow loose McKinnon! Atta girl!” He yelled to his fellow chaser, who was taking penalty shots at their keeper.

Lily’s visceral reaction to James’ shout surprised her. Suddenly she knew exactly what those girls in the bathroom had been on about. Usually the crowd was too loud to hear Potter shouting plays on match day. But now she could hear his every word. Potter was certainly commanding. She felt her face flush and was pleased he had his back to her so as not to see it. “Would you like my ear muffs Lily? You look cold. Your ears and cheeks are a little red.” “Oh… no you’re quite alright Peter, I’m plenty warm enough. Thank you.”

#jilymicrofics #jily #jple #james potter #lily evans #Charms Library

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indigowallbreaker · 4 months

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If the Bleagles prompts are still open, can you please do angst 49, I don't think I can forgive you, between Edelgard and Ashe

There were several directions that came to mind with this one. Here's what I settled on! Thank you for waiting.

[prompt rules]

[more Beagles stories]

49. "I don't think I can forgive you."

A scowl tugged down Ashe's face as he made his way to the second floor dormitory. A student had asked him to deliver a letter, which Ashe now clutched too tight in one hand, palm purposefully obstructing the recipient's name. He couldn't bear to see "Edelgard" written in such loopy, love-sick handwriting.

If the student had told Ashe from the outset who the "sensitive letter" was meant for, he would have politely refused. This was not the kind of conversation where Ashe wanted to act as the go-between. Not only was Edelgard the Imperial Princess-- she was also Ashe's house leader. She probably didn't want him, a random commoner from the Kingdom, involved in her love life.

Ashe wanted to pretend that was the reason-- the division between their stations making this inappropriate. But as he reached Edelgard's door, Ashe had to admit to being offended on her behalf. She shouldn't have to waste her time with someone so weak willed as to hide behind Ashe. A man who couldn't even deliver his own letter had no chance with a princess.

The scowl morphed into a sneer. Edelgard deserved better than this random student. Ashe had watched her since he joined the Black Eagles-- saw how hard she worked to improve herself in studies and fighting, the rare moments she let her expression break into a smile. The letter crumpled in Ashe's hand. This guy couldn't know the first thing about her or he wouldn't have tried this stunt.

Seizing the letter in both hands, Ashe glared down at it, seriously considering tearing it in half.

"If you are stealing my mail, I don't think I can forgive you."

A squeak left Ashe's chest and he stumbled back. Edelgard's dorm door was open, and Edelgard herself was standing in its place, one hand on her hip. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not stealing!" Ashe defended quickly. "I'm... I'm supposed to give this to you." He held out the letter.

Still looking perplexed, Edelgard took it. Ashe winced at the condition it was in-- he hadn't realized how twisted and creased the paper had become.

He opened his mouth to apologize-- but stopped when Edelgard rolled her eyes and tossed the letter over her shoulder. It disappeared into her room, and she stepped into the hallway and shut the door before Ashe could see where it landed.

"Honestly, a letter a week is getting to be too much," she said, more to herself than Ashe.

Ashe gaped. "You get one of those a week?!"

"Not from the same person. But they might as well be-- those kinds of letters tend to blend together after a while."

"I'm Sorry."

Edelgard shook her head. "I'm sorry you were dragged into this one. Please, put it out of your mind."

Ashe nodded, watching her walk down the hallway. All those letters. All those cowards. Was it that difficult to just speak?

"Princess Edelgard?"

She turned back to him.

Do you want to go into town with me tomorrow? The words didn't leave Ashe's throat. Pink tinged his cheeks. Not very knightly behavior. "Um, I won't bug you with those kinds of letters anymore," he said at last.

Edelgard smiled. Ashe's heart skipped a beat, the heat in his face increasing. "Thank you, Ashe. I will see you later."

Then she was gone. Ashe let out a long breath.

Yes, apparently, it was that difficult.

#ultragf #edelgard von hresvelg #ashe ubert #ashe duran #fire emblem three houses #edelashe #ashegard #beagles run #go for it meme running through my head #i worry that ashe is a tiny but ooc here but he does have a strong sense of right and wrong #maybe im overthinking it

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melsdreamweaving · 4 months

Text

I don't know if this is supposed to help anyone. At the moment I am feeling a little lost. And at the same time, I'm pleasantly surprised. After years of suffering, I feel like a chapter has come to a close. I'm just an ordinary person, who has met some extraordinary people on the way. A nobody who really knows nothing at all. I'm happy being a nobody.

A somebody is someone who just does. But in my case, I'm choosing to balance between doing and contemplating. My middle school teacher called me the thinker. She made an award just for me. Praising me for resolving conflicts in our classroom. But the only thing I did was ask a group of teenagers and tweens to just stop and breathe for a second. That petty fights aren't worth their friendship. That is until one of them screamed in my face. I remember Miss Reyes, her lips set into a thin line. Hating that the toxicity of an older teenager was all it took to make me shrink again. But at the same time I had befriended another girl from Puerto Rico. We've been nerdy art friends ever since.

It's funny to me but in my home, I just wanted to pick up the pencil and draw. However I was also told that I had to write. To make our story known... I used to look at my grandmother and ask her, with what voice? You have already taken mine.

I've had many friends, they come and go. I've had lovers, they come and go. Could I have stayed virginal for the "right one"? It depends. Up until that point, I hadn't really met anyone I would have saved myself for. If I even had something to "save" for them. A girl I knew from Dade, had a similar circumstance. She was funny, and she used to say steal all of their virginities. That way they will never forget you. This person was a riot. And at the same time I understood what she meant. I'm glad that they were able to move on and have a better life elsewhere.

One of my friends had pointed out, that those with sour grapes shouldn't spoil your kind spirit. I also ran into one of the two boys that I altar served with. Reminding me that I have kind eyes, eyes that inspire compassion... I appreciated it, especially now that I am struggling not to go low.

My favorite comedian, Margaret Cho, is now in her '50s. When I dropped out of high school, I was filled with shame. The entire year I had spent it trying to get expelled. Coming up with elaborate plans, and failing miserably because I was still a naive young girl. My favorite thing that she said in the stand-up bit called Vicious Cho was: f*** it this is me. I feel like a lot of young people would benefit from watching her. Especially if you're not LGBTQ but are just feeling lost in your own body. I was told to have a career first, and then there will be time for family. But at the same time, I fell in love. A goofy other nobody named cro mag named Ug, really saw me for the first time.

I can't explain it. But most of what I do is motivated by his smile and influence. I was a teenager when I met him. Just barely turned 18. He took me out on a date, and got me a copy of "Brave New World" from the local borders. I definitely recommend reading it. He asked me if I saw myself in anyone. To tell you the truth I saw myself in the indigenous young man. Taken into high society and not being able to cope with man's inhumanity to man. He told me that you can't save everyone. I knew that. Even one of my professors told me that not everybody can get on the ship little one. And then he proceeded to tell me that being a single father is hard. I nodded my head and said that it must be...

I didn't want to rule the world, I just wanted to see it. Having been a nerd, I enjoyed reading the encyclopedia on the computer. At the time, I loved the sound of hearing the machine come to life. The disc whirring and... My best friend would be there to greet me.

I shared the computer with my uncle and brother. It was a lot of fun to look and see what they were into. Sometimes I didn't understand it, but as my mom taught me snitches get stitches. So I stayed quiet, and played on the encyclopedia Britannica. They had this really cool game called mind maze. Were you learned random facts and navigated a castle.

My favorite games were those where you were a protagonist navigating a strange world. The King's quest games were my favorite. I loved King Graham, and the enchanted world of Daventry.

The woman who authored these games, was introduced to the role-playing games by her husband. I always thought it was awesome to be able to do such a thing. In college it was really hard to find others who played these games but it was fun to talk about character design, and story structure.

Currently I'm playing Shadow dark with a group of my husband's friends. What I enjoy about it is that it reminds me of discworld, at least the way we're playing. None of us have died yet thank goodness.

I like drifting away from things too. People, places, and just relaxing. Have you ever just laid face up in a pool for hours? It's my favorite thing to do. You can just meditate and forget everything. It feels like you're in space. Even though I don't think I would like to be up there. Something about the sky always makes me feel like it's trying to eat me. The ocean however feels like home.

Having Taino ancestry I think back to one of the last survivors of Fidel. At the time when he came to power, the first people he targeted were indigenous. My grandmother had to hide my mom. Her straight hair was a huge problem back then.

The man that I'm thinking of if he is still alive, lives by the ocean fishing and just swimming all day. A simple life. A wonderful life really. My husband and I, talk about living by the sea. Not caring anymore. Just enjoying our lives, because why bother with a world that would turn around and defraud its own people. You were ignorant for believing in others... Okay, I think that says more about you than it does about me.

I love my husband because he said go back to the gym palpy you ain't getting my Padme, lol 🤣. Our food names are ironically rice and beans. Everyone used to call him Mr Bean cuz he looked like the actor when he was younger... And at the time my friends all had food names, and I picked rice. Mostly because I go with everything. And of course being a fan of Fruit baskets definitely influenced that. My friends were fun, but I always felt plain like rice. I met other people that are like rice though. I call them burnt rice, mostly because they're rough around the edges and prickly.

If you were a food what would you be?

#creative writing #original poem #writers and poets #dead poets society #fiction #poem #poetry #poets on tumblr #poetsandwriters #drawing #creative nonfiction #writers on tumblr

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ahordeofwasps · 6 months

Text

Writer Positivity Tag

I've been tagged by the brilliant @blind-the-winds! Thanks for the tag! I'm going to also steal the idea to put the no pressure tags into one of the questions.

Now, onto the questions!

What motivates you to write?

It's fun! I've always really enjoyed stories, so it's fun to try my hand at making my own. I really enjoy putting a bunch of characters in a Situation and exploring what happens.

But, I'm also more motivated to write when there's a task to procrastinate on. I usually get most of my writing done when I supposed to have a thesis I'm working on.

A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not, maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them):

I'm currently really happy with this bit I wrote for To Not Falling Off Cliffs:

Steve had made many friends over the centuries. He couldn’t help it. Someone entered his life, grew to like them and then he couldn’t imagine it any other way. He had no lips, so Steve could not smile, but whenever he saw them, he felt his jaw shift in way he could not help. Thoughts about his work were drowned out by ones that if were not pleasant, were at least wanted. He found himself making excuses to be near them, his spirits lifting in their presence. He wanted nothing more than for them to be well. It wasn’t falling in love – Steve never fell in love – but it was something more. Something that went without courtship and ritual, something that demanded nothing of the flesh. A simple bond that rang truer than anything else.

Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them, and what are they like?

All of them? Like each one makes me smile for different reasons. I'll focus on the protagonists from To Not Falling Off Cliffs.

Erika is the one human protagonist. She loves music and old movies. She is also trying her best. She's the kind of person who will look upon eldritch horrors and go "Hmm, this is just like math class."

Steve is one of the reaper protagonists. He is a bit of a tragic character in that the souls he reaps were of those who died slow painful deaths of very preventable causes but he's not allowed to do anything about said causes, as that is "altering Fate." But he tries anyways and is willing to risk his existence on it.

Tiffany is the other reaper protagonist. She's the closest thing reapers have to a celebrity, as she wears entirely gold and has a very distinctive appearance. She's super smart and organized, but also stubborn. She's a bit of a stickler to the rules, but when those rules start harming, she'll break them.

What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

The writing part? I'm a pantser, so I get to see the story develop as I'm writing. Something I find enjoyable is seeing a scene go into a completely different direction than I expected as I'm typing it up and then getting to explore that direction.

What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I have a hard time figuring out what I'm good and bad at, so this is a bit of a tough question to answer.

I think plot? I'm just usually kinda happy with the way the plots of my stories turn out.

What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

Getting to see everyone else's writing! I enjoy reading the little snippets that get posted for tag games and seeing how writing styles vary. When available, I also enjoy reading the fully written stories, though I haven't read as much as I would like to due to time.

A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

My keyboard! It is very clacky. Plus I got it setup so that I can swap between American, British, and Canadian Multilingual with just a pair of keystrokes.

A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law, etc)

I had a lot of fun doing worldbuilding for To Not Falling Off Cliffs, so there's a lot I like. I guess my current favourite bit of worldbuilding is that life on Earth got started accidentally; some god decided to knit some amino acids for fun, made the first cell, and then got distracted by a neutron star and forgot about it the same way one forgets about tupperware in the fridge.

Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters:

I love @winterandwords's writing! It has a strong sense of character voice. I'm currently reading her novel, Bridge from Ashes and it's really good!

I also adore @loopyhoopywrites writing! The tone and descriptions are amazing and super well done! I think Trickster is my favourite character, though they're all great.

I also love @spuddlespud's writing! Super fun characters and scenarios! I especially adore the A Worker's Guide to Demonology snippets.

I also adore @emelkae's writing! I read WANNABE a while back and loved it! Love the characters and concept and everything. I get excited whenever I see bits related to it on my dashboard.

I also love @chauceryfairytales's writing! I especially love the descriptions and worldbuilding. Yuni questing to find bees is an amazing plot!

I also adore @blind-the-winds's writing! I enjoy hearing about Mick and Eleanor and all the stuff they wind up getting into.

#writing #writeblr #tag game #writer positivity #To Not Falling Off Cliffs #TNFOC

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ramen8baka · 1 year

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Hey, could you please do a Captain Levi X cadet reader enemies to lovers fic please where the reader is injured and sick and Levi has no choice but to help her. Thanks!

Of course! Enemies to lovers always is a good story. I’ll do my best 😃

summary: reader gets slight concussion which makes her bedridden for a few days. So Levi has to take care of her. ⚠️WARNINGS⚠️ just slight (i mean verry slight) angst to fluffy fluff. Also i used she/her pronouns.

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“Keep going cadets! Under any circumstances should anyone be stopping unless I say so.” Levi shouted. “What if you get injured?” Sasha’s dumbass said. Wow she’s really asking for it, you thought. Levi responded smartly with “unless you’re limbs are hanging off and you’re bleeding to death, no.” You were doing your regular pushups, crunches, sword skills, etc. You were still very sore from yesterday’s training. And the day before that. And the day before that. Annnd the day before that. Levi was known to be strict and if you didn’t follow the rules, you were getting your ass beaten. “Cadets, get in your lines!” You all did as ordered and ran into 2 lines. You knew what Levi was going to say before he said it.

“You’ll be sparring with the person across from you. No fatal injuries, and no complaining.” Yup, sounded about right. You were sparring against Mikasa. You weren’t worried, as you and her were on the same level of skill. You see, that was the problem. Mikasa was quiet but competitive. Connie and Sasha sparred, Connie won. Eren and Jean sparred. Eren won by a hair. Soon it was your turn. “I’ll beat you today, Mikasa.” Mikasa just grunted in reply. You started sparring. The rules were usually whoever gets to the ground (loses their sword, cannot fight back, etc.) first loses. Mikasa was pretty rough today and you tried your best to fight back but the soreness all over your body wasn’t helping. Somehow you’d gotten to the top of a wooden post. It was a few feet off the ground. You planned to use your grappling hooks to go from that tree then steal Mikasa’s weapons and you just might win. You’d have to be quick, though. You jumped from the post and-

“Hmm?” You rubbed your eyes. “what- where… how did i get here?!” You said, surprised. There, in the corner of the room was Hange. “hey, y/n. You got a concussion from training. I know it probably hurts now but-��

“what?! I don’t remember any of that! Now that you say it, my head is pounding. And i’m incredibly parched. What am I supposed to do? When will I be back on my feet? I can’t miss training!” You tried to climb out of bed but Hange stopped you. “Tsk tsk tsk, y/n. You’ll need to rest for a few days. Since you got a concussion, you’ll need special care. Your head will be more fragile and you have gotten sick in general just from dehydration.” What will Levi say? He’s probably mad. No, no, no, no!

“hey, calm down y/n/n! We have someone special to take care of you~” Hange sung. You really didn’t like where this was going. You felt like you’d pass out any second, you had a slitting headache, felt incredibly thirsty, starving, tired, and embarrassed. Just then the door opened. “Levi?!” “You bet!” Hange said. Man, she has too much energy. How and why was Levi going to take care of you?

“Let’s just get to the point. Thank you, Hange.” Hange waved and mumbled a ‘see ya’ before walking out. Levi sat on your bed next to you. “So… why are you taking care of me? What will the other Cadets do? Who’s training them?” “worrying won’t help you get better faster. Besides, none of that is your business.” He sat up and walked to the other side of the room. After a few minutes of digging around in drawers he brought you a bottle of water and leftover bread. “here.” He handed it to you. This was the nicest he’d ever been to you. You munched on the bread and gulped down the water in seconds. You swore you saw a slight smile on his face.

“are you… smiling?” He quickly put on his signature frown again. “No, why would I be smiling?” He blushed a bit. You will admit that you always had kind of a crush on Levi. Ok, you had a big crush on Levi. You never thought he might like you- even just a little- until now. “I think it’d be best if you just rested for now. Even if you just want to lay here.” He suggested. “Alright.” You laid on your side facing him still. “You’re strong, you know.” He said just above a whisper. “W-what? I mean, thank you!” You sat up after hearing that. “shhh. Lay back down. You need the sleep.” He was sitting in a chair next to your bed at this point. “Levi… I kind of… how do I say this”

“You like me, i’m guessing?” You turned bright red. “What?! How’d you know?” You asked the last part quietly. “it’s sorely obvious. Although I do suppose I’m fond you too.” He smiled softly. You were happy. “So you do like me? I can’t believe it!” You said joyfully.

“Calm down, y/n. Don’t get all riled up. Getting more sleep will make you feel better soon. We’ll talk more when you wake up.” You nodded and soon started to doze off. You swore just before you fell asleep, he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

#Levi x reader #levi ackerman #Levi ackerman x reader #Sick reader #levi x sick reader #attack on titan #Levi #y/n

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mooncakesofpan · 2 years

Text

Love On a Wire ch.2

Eddie x Gn!Reader

Summary: With your own feelings for Eddie Munson starts to eat you up, what’s to say you’ll be able to keep lifting him up.

A/n: The reader and they're dad have a good relationship because I need therapy. also hi it been a few days i am indeed alive stardew valley may have taken over my life.

Word count: 1.3K

Warnings: angst, suggestive content (eventually) , Slight unrequited feelings, Slow burn, No pronouns mentioned

Chapter: 2

[previous] | [next]

Stranger things Masterlist | Main Masterlist

DO NOT STEAL MY WORK

Months passed Eddie and this cheerleader I found out was named Chrissy the golden girl of the cheer team had been sneaking around. I wasn't gonna comment on it it wasn't my place but him constantly being absent from things and my own feelings for Eddie started feeling like it was too much to hold on to, on top of the repetitive schedule I had put myself on to spend the least amount of time with Eddie that consisted of work and band practice just to distract my self.

Part of me is living out my dad's dream of being a singer that had been crushed a long time ago but he liked to still produce things for himself so when he heard me originally workshopping the song to maybe come in and record. I walked into the garage, my hands shoved in my jacket. I saw Eddie pull up and hold his hand out for a girl in jeans and a hoodie with some sunglasses. making me sigh, the feeling of having a Chrissy freezone gone, honestly I really don't have an issue with Chrissy, she's a very sweet girl. it just really hurts to see Eddie with someone else and feel like I was too late to say something. With everyone setting up I spoke up,

“So my dad said he’d let us use the recording studio to record black sheep,” I say shrugging, over the past few weeks the band had really fallen in love with the song. and it was sounding really good.

“Seriously!” Jeff said voice filled with disbelief.

“yep my dad hurt me a couple of weeks ago when I workshopping it and then talked to me last night about recoding the song if you guys were down,” I said plugging in the mic.

The thing about my dad was that pretty much no one was allowed in his recording studio, it was essentially his first child which hurt a bit being his actual first child but to each their own. part of me thinks he knew the song meant a lot to me like he knew the real meaning behind it.

”Hell yeah! why would we turn that down,” Gareth said

we would record Friday night. But halfway through the practice, Chrissy had to walk home when she left there was an awkward silence in the air.

“Eddie we talked about, outsiders during practice and you know that if your gonna bring someone you're supposed to talk to the band first,” I said grabbing a dr. pepper from the table, rule number one was corroded coffin practices were members only and any guest had to be talked about beforehand.

“yeah, sorry guys she said she lived not far from here so I offered her a ride,” he said eating some pretzels.

”yeah okay let's just practice some other songs,” I say rolling my eyes and trying to change the subject.

Friday came quick and the band was doing really well recording their respective parts having recorded most of the things that night it was getting late. “Before we lock up Eddie Y/n why don't you two step up to the mics I want both of you to try both Hooks together” my dad had a confident look on his face something in that look said ‘set up’

I sighed as Eddie just sat there with a bit of a surprised look.

“Let's go Eddie boy we don't have all night,” I say smirking at Eddie trying to hide both the butterflies and dread setting in my stomach.

I finally get up and going Eddie got up stumbling to the mic set up.

I started building up to the hook a bit with Eddie's voice flowing out with mine.

I'll send you my love on a wire

Lift you up, every time

Everyone, ooh

Pulls away, ooh

The feeling i felt the first time singing that part of the song with Eddie came back all over again. The things have I've been trying to shove so far back down, just coming all the way back up .

It's a mechanical bull, the number one

You'll take a ride from anyone

Everyone wants a ride, pulls away, ooh, from you

my eyes turned glassy I tried not to let the sound of me feeling like I was gonna cry come threw the lyrics.

“perfect” dad lets out as we finish, “good job kids I’ll let you know when I have everything together,” he says clasping his hands together

I quickly wipe my hand across my face. I saw Eddie in the corner of my eye looking over at me. wiping my face. I waved him off not wanting to draw much attention to the stinging in my eyes

“well kids you better get home it is late and I wanna lock up shop, plus your parents must be worried,” Dad says getting up from the chair.

I waved to everyone leaving closing the door once they were out of sight. my back hit the wall my head tilting back to look at the ceiling

“you know you gotta tell him” my dad's voice caused me to jump. “I can't dad he's got this thing going on with this cheerleader,” I say rubbing my face down my face.

“cheerleader or not I see how he looks at you and I see how you look at him,” you let out a dry laugh

“yeah tell him and ruin everything thank you dad that feels so helpful”

“hey don't get smart with me I'm trying to help you,” he says pointing his finger at me

“ I know I'm sorry” I let out a sigh “I don't wanna seem unsupportive he's my best friend first that comes before whatever the hell I feel for him, and he really likes this girl I don't wanna get in the way of that or make it seem like I want to wedge my self between them okay?”

Dad walks to the back motioning me to join him so we could lock up.

“Whatever you wanna do kiddo I think you should say something,… or you can be a coward and keep yourself in whatever loop this is,” dad said Locking the back door.

“Harsh damn,”

“Well someone gotta tell yah” he was right though I really should say something, I really don't wanna put myself in the way of what Eddie and this girl have.

my dad made quick work putting the song together bringing me in during my shift to go listen to it, the song gave me chills and the combination of Eddie's voice with mine made my heart swell for some reason. I think it's hurting me more than I care to admit that I love him this much and I can't say anything. It feels like I've lost my chance like I should have said it 2 years ago when I fell in love with the dorky guitarist. But just like now I was too scared of the repercussions, what if he hated me what if this ruined the friendship we had all those nights in his van being high and laughing at stupid shit, the times he would come and bother me for discounts on new music or the way he'd try to get me to do stuff for Hellfire despite the fact I really don't play DND anymore.

That night I found myself on the floor listening to the cassette of black sheep tears streaming down my face with the sound of eddies voice blending with mine to accompany my own pathetic sobs.

I really tried for the next few weeks to suck it up I got the rest of the boys a cassette with the song on it. listening to it during practice to see the group's hard work come together. It was truly my favorite thing I've written, but the meaning behind the song was also still eating me, the song about the boy who had been on my mind for such a long time and the distance I still feel between us, and one that's honestly still growing. But he seems in love with Chrissy and who am I to try and split that up I but didn't think any of that would bring me to the day I walked into practice for Corroded Coffin and said,

”I'm quitting the band”

Chapter: 1 | 2 |

Taglist: feel free to reblog and/or ask to be in the taglist

@solarcoffee

#eddie x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie imagine #eddie angst #stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things fanfiction #x gn reader #xreader #x reader #reader insert #fanfic

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orojuice · 1 year

Photo

Commentary:

I've seen lots of "in the style of" art pieces of certain manga characters in the illustrative style of other manga, but almost never a "what if this character was written by this author". So I thought I'd write up this set of short satirical fan comics with my frequent collaborator Sha-Y based on that conceit.

The One Piece comic almost didn't make the cut as the joke is really simple if relevant, but it just wouldn't leave my head until I jotted it down. I'm not sure if Law had to be a "D", but I'm just really, really surprised that the Will of D didn't originate in Wano like almost everything else of note in One Piece (Best Swords, Strongest Yonkous, Poneglyphs, etc).

I used to think that Naruto had it bad with bourgeois bloodline privileges until the final arc of Bleach. An alternate gag involved Denji saying Spanish and German words apropos of nothing apart from thinking they sounded cool.

The Naruto/Boruto one might seem hypocritical of me given that I'm a fan of Fate. However, I must point out that Notes. was one of the first stories in the Type-Moon multiverse canon. So I'm in the clear. Also, like Kishimoto, I wanted to do a retread of that pigeon scene from Bolt. That said, I admit to being delighted by Silent Hill UFO endings and even Paul Phoenix's Tekken 5 ending. Plus, I didn't mind the escalation in No More Heroes III. I just feel a little bit bad for the likes of Zabuza and Pain and everyone else in that book trying to have a sincere emotional moment when the root of the whole setting and its woes lies with E.T. eating a Devil Fruit. Anyway, back to the comic, Denji was originally going to wear a t-shirt espousing the phrase "Ska Messiah", but I ultimately decided it would make him look too young, especially since he and his hypothetical son are supposed to be the stars of it.

Demon Slayer was a wonderful book, but it didn't quite click for me until I saw Hotaru freaking out over his swords being lost or damaged, took note of what year the manga took place in, and gave a second look at the manner Muzan was dressed. A last hurrah for the samurai icon, a nation dealing with the dirty laundry of previous centuries so it can enter the open ports of the 20th without urban fantasy horror criminals worsening its upcoming bad decisions and eventual reinvention. Fittingly, Chainsaw Man has the Future Devil, which allowed for Denji to spell out the subtext of Kimetsu no Yaiba in a characteristically churlish yet everyman way. If he survives Part 2, I'm looking forward to seeing Denji fight the Y2K Devil. The Future Rules!

I'm sorry this isn't a "ten years at least" joke. But someone already did that better, so we're doing this old meme instead. The Bat Devil coming out of nowhere to wreck Power's easygoing (if roguish) existence with Meowy always stuck out to me as one of the most quietly nightmarish moments in Chainsaw Man. He just swooped in, snatched her cat while they were napping, and started making dark demands and threats. So, for a laugh, I decided to do what Isayama did with almost every aspect of Attack on Titan and Lelouch it. You thought it was one of the Four Horseman or a Primal Fear, but it was Denji who was behind everything all along!

I'm fairly certain that Horikoshi is just padding things out until he can get MHA to Chapter 400. He could surprise us all. The final (THIRD) battle with All for One could end at Part 41 or even Part 40. I understand given how Oumagadoki Zoo and Barrage panned out that he'd cling a little fiercely to his little superhero tribute that could, but the plot armor of his baddies has gotten so humongous that it can be observed from orbit at this point. If Chainsaw Man has taught the manga world anything it's that just because your main villain has power copying/stealing abilities that could allow a writer to extend a series indefinite with the convenient excuse of said villain just pulling whatever plot extending necessity the author needs out of their rear, doesn't mean that such a plot device should be abused in perpetuity or through, if I'm counting right, five characters (six if you count the one in Vigilantes). The restraint on Fujimoto; some thought Part 1 would go the typical shounen route and double in size just to deal with the big antagonist reveal. Instead, a miracle of good taste and protagonist proactiveness occurred. You love to see it. That said, there's like a sweet spot between 9-minute live-action superhero v. supervillain fights and the final act of MHA for ideal superhuman action length. Maybe we'll find it someday...I should really rewatch Mystery Men this year.

#chainsaw man #denji #one piece #bleach #naruto #demon slayer #attack on titan #my hero academia

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whisker-biscuit · 4 months

Text

The Lines We Cross: Chapter 24

The Thievius Raccoonus

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It must be difficult to be caught between their rules and mine. Their rules offer a confusing tangle of morality, whereas mine are so.

Very.

Simple.

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“I suppose I should begin by asking how much you know.”

Jing said the words carefully, studying the woman in front of her and trying desperately to find reasons to trust her – or to not. She had said she wanted to help Sly, but the panda had learned the hard lesson that what one wanted to do and what one was able to do were two very different things. It was just a single night ago that her own father’s confession and revelations had reaffirmed that lesson, and her heart ached as she remembered the way he had begged her forgiveness for failing both of them.

She shook her head with a pursing of her lips. This was no time to be distracted by any of that; not when there was someone here who could still be a threat to her family.

“I know that Sly had been working with – for the Fiendish Five before I met him.” The slip of the stranger’s tongue had been corrected without Jing even having to glare at her for it. The panda hoped it was a good sign. “I know that there’s something he’s stealing from each of them. Something they took from him…I think?”

Jing waited a moment longer, seeing how the inspector seemed to be collecting her thoughts. Sure enough, she continued with a pinched brow.

“And…I know now that they were the ones who murdered his parents, and then kidnapped him afterwards. I hadn’t been certain of that until what you just told me.”

“All of those things are correct,” the younger girl said, slow and thoughtful while she determined how to explain a lifetime of hurt within a short window of time. “And that was everything I knew, nothing more, until very recently as well. But there is so much more to this story, and I am still uncertain to tell you the rest.”

Inspector Fox gave her a sharp, upset look. “I already told you I need to know if I’m going to help both of you. Do you still think I’m lying?”

“No. Your conviction convinced me. It is just…” Her eyes drifted towards the dusty dresser, to the other picture frames which also contained cherished snapshots of her time with Sly. “It is not really my story to tell. I am trying to reassure myself that I am not betraying my brother by sharing these things with someone without his permission.”

So much had already been done without his consent by so many people. She hated the idea that she would be another, but she saw no other way to help him. If this woman was truly able to do what she claimed, then it was more than Jing had ever done.

She took a deep breath and then took the plunge.

“The Fiendish Five invaded Sly’s home and killed his family eleven years ago, and decided to let him live because they believed his skills as a Cooper would be useful when he was older.” She watched the fox shift her weight across from her, no doubt as to prepare herself for what they both knew was going to be a long and terrible story. “There were two other things that the Fiendish Five stole that night – the Cooper cane, and a special book called the Thievius Raccoonus.

“According to my father, the Thievius Raccoonus is a book containing notes from many people in the Cooper bloodline. It was passed on to each new generation to teach them the ways of thieving. He told me that the Fiendish Five used the knowledge they had gained from that book to great effect even in the modern age. It was split into five equal sections for each member of the group to use as they saw fit when working separately. The Cooper cane was kept in this stronghold, and they gave it back to Sly when he began officially working for them. The book, he was not allowed to see in any capacity, and they taunted him with that fact quite frequently.”

Jing stopped. Inhaled again, deep and slow, and continued.

“My father brought him to live with us so that he could grow up relatively safely until he was old enough to work for the Fiendish Five. He was with us for five years, primarily as my personal servant and playmate. I am amazed, now, that Sly did not harbor hatred for me as he did my father and the others who irreparably altered the course of his life. I do not know if it was because I was so young, or because he had no one else, or for a different reason, but he decided to trust me. We learned to love each other as we grew together – first as friends, then as siblings. But in all that time, he only mentioned the book and the cane once to me, and did not seem interested in them compared to his bigger goal of escaping the fate that loomed ahead of him.”

Inspector Fox frowned, a question clearly on the tip of her tongue, but she remained silent. It was a small relief, because Jing was starting to realize that if she stopped talking, she might not be able to start again. Already, her hands were beginning to tremble as bittersweet memories rose with her recounting.

“When he finally found the courage to tell me about the monstrosities that had been committed against him, I did not believe him at first. I knew he was working for us against his will, but I thought he was telling falsehoods because he was so angry at his own circumstances and wanted someone to blame. I could not imagine my own father partaking in such horrors. We had a terrible falling out and did not speak to each other for quite some time. I imagine I still would have remained stubbornly ignorant if not for what happened after that, on the anniversary of his arrival to this place.”

Jing paused again, not to find words that evaded her but to stop her body from betraying her with a shudder. It had been years since she had seen her father’s cohorts in person, but even the memories were strong enough to flood her heart with fear and fury.

“I suppose I should explain a few things about my father, first,” she said when at last she continued. “For most of my life, he would spend long periods of time away on ‘business’, as he called it. Sometimes it would be weeks, sometimes it would be months, but never more than a few consecutively. He was always very careful to leave me in the dark about the nature of it, and he never brought strangers here. When Sly came to live with us, my father stayed home for that entire first year, and I was overjoyed. I know now that it was to ensure that Sly wouldn’t hurt me or find a way to leave, but I was too young to understand or even care about the reasons behind his extended stay. Then, at the end of that cycle, he informed me that he would be entertaining guests for a weekend and that I was not to leave my room the entire time.

“You see, the Fiendish Five would meet once a year as a single group to exchange information and discuss business, among other things. The locations they chose always alternated between one of their personal hideouts; I do not know if my father’s stronghold was one of them before I was born, but I know that he refused to let them visit afterwards. I also do not know what reasons he gave them to refuse his home. Most of them did not know of my existence for many years, except for their leader.”

She bit her lip. Clasped her shaking fingers together in an attempt to calm them. Did not look up to meet Inspector Fox’s intense gaze.

“After Sly joined us, those annual meetings always took place here. I was ordered to shut myself in my room and never show my face until I was told my father’s ‘guests’ had left. Sly…was not given the same luxury. He was forced to join them for every meeting during that timeframe, acting as their only waitstaff. I do not know if the intent of this was to ensure his obedience or to slowly integrate him into the world that they were planning to force him into, but he was always stressed and distant for weeks after they had all left. He refused to speak of what went on except to reiterate that they were the ones responsible for his parents’ deaths, and that he was afraid they would finally decide for him to face the same fate. Sheltered as I was, I still could not wrap my mind around the belief that my father had anything to do with such things, but the change in routine and Sly’s behavior made my unease grow with every passing year.

“I desperately wanted to believe in my father’s innocence, but I also desperately wanted to help my dearest friend. I began looking for ways to help Sly escape as we grew older. I naively thought that if he left, he would be able to build his own life away from those wicked people, that things here would return to the ‘normal’ that I had known before, and I would not have to face any uncomfortable truths about my father. We started planning together; he taught me how to be quieter when I moved, as well as…other tricks, and I in turn used that knowledge to further our plans. I visited places he could not, learned the schedules of staff and guards alike, and searched for the easiest, safest path for him to get out. I asked my aunt to take me outside as much as possible, and I committed the layout of this entire place to memory.”

Jing closed her eyes.

“There was always one roadblock that we faced no matter what we tried, however, and it was that my father always had eyes on Sly. When he was home, it was his own eyes, and when he was out on business, it was those of his security which was always doubled for as long as he was away. We could never find a safe time for Sly to sneak out without bringing attention to himself – except for that single weekend every year when the Fiendish Five came to call. Security was lax because my father did not want to imply that he distrusted them, and he himself was too busy with them to watch Sly. It always seemed too dangerous for us to try at such a time, however, because of these powerful people present. The leader, in particular, was one who Sly was terrified of crossing. So, we planned and bided our time, hoping to find a different opening.”

She opened her eyes and finally looked at Inspector Fox again. Her voice was steady with resignation to tell the truth to its very end, as her father had a night and an eternity past.

“The choice was made for us anyway, six years ago, on one of the annual visits. And the fact that it failed was all my fault.”

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The Panda King opened the door of his daughter’s room to what had now become a standard sight – Sly Cooper, son of his former enemy, curled against Jing’s side under the strange shelter they had made out of spare sheets and blankets. He blinked, taking in the sight of bedding messily draped over furniture that turned the entire room into a mismatched tent, before turning his attention to the two children who had disappeared from sight of the door as soon as it had opened.

“No one is home today!” His daughter called, gentle even in her scolding. “Come back another day!”

“An exception will have to be made today,” he said, squatting in front of the entrance of the fort to peer inside. “You know why I am here. I cannot leave this room by myself.”

Both raccoon and panda huddled further away from him; the latter did the best she could to shield the former from his sight. She was nearly Cooper’s size, now, King noticed wistfully. Within the year she would be taller and then someday perhaps catch up even to her father. So much time and growth slipping out of his reach like sand between his fingers.

“Please do not make things harder than they need to be, children,” he chided softly. He waited without reaching inwards, knowing that patience was the best course to take at times like this. Forcing Sly Cooper out against his will often made him cagey and flighty, which put King in a bad mood to have to deal with; neither of which they could afford tonight.

His daughter looked crestfallen as her friend slowly uncurled himself from behind her and began to crawl out into the open side of the room. The child’s bushy tail was flicking in agitation as he got to his feet in front of King, betraying the blank expression already sliding into place on his face.

“It will be a short meeting tonight,” the fireworks master promised both of them, placing a heavy hand on Cooper’s shoulder as he began to lead him out into the hall. “My guests arrived later than expected today, and plan to retire early. You will be able to return soon.”

The raccoon didn’t say anything. He simply threw a glance over his shoulder at Jing before the door slid closed to separate them, then shuffled along obediently when King prompted him forward. There were no more words exchanged as they walked – a tentative acknowledgement of each other had formed between them over mutual love of Jing, but the crime lord knew that some wounds scarred too deep for real reconciliation. Sly Cooper no longer looked at him with hatred whenever they interacted. Just wariness and tired resignation.

That did not extend to the rest of the Fiendish Five.

They were all waiting in the large conference room that King had long ago built for this exact purpose, and barely spared the panda or his young partner a glance before returning to their food and hushed conversations with each other. Mz. Ruby and Sir Raleigh seemed to be having a quiet argument about the logistics of their next heist, Muggshot was spearing chicken on the ends of his chopsticks between great gulps of alcohol, and Clockwerk watched it all from his place at the head of the long table without engaging in either meal or speech.

The Panda King gave the boy a nudge towards the large food cart that had been placed against one wall, waiting until he was situated beside it with a drink pitcher in hand before taking his own place at the owl’s right side. He was very careful to stop paying any attention to the young Cooper and instead tuned into his cohorts’ heated debate.

“We don’t have that kind of reach,” Raleigh hissed at Ruby across the table. His tongue slipped out of his mouth in irritation, more reminiscent of a reptile than the amphibian he was. “If I wanted to become a shipping baron, I would have learned trains instead of ships. This idea is asinine.”

“You just ain’t thinking big enough,” the alligator shot back, picking up pieces of her meal and swallowing them whole without a single press of her jaw. “Ships have plenty of reach. We can easily form an agreement with the folks that have land on lockdown. Twice as much power with a simple business venture!”

“Dealing in spice is beneath us! I am not stooping to the level of such low-brow, brain-dead scum that are just as often doped up on their own product as they are selling it!”

“I dunno, it sounds like a pretty good deal ta me,” Muggshot finally chimed in. King watched a bead of alcohol slide down his chin and drip onto his plate with a single pull of his mouth. “What’s not to like about more money and more power and all that? I ain’t above anything that gives us more of that.”

Raleigh snapped his fingers and held his empty wine glass out to the side. Sly was there in an instant to refill it, and the frog sipped at it again without even glancing in his direction. “Of course, you would think that we should do it. Trust a dog to chase the next easy target like he chases his own tail.”

“Say that again and it’ll be your legs on my plate next!”

King looked over at Clockwerk, who was idly tapping his foot against the floor in thought as he considered the points being made on either side. Whatever the leader’s opinion was, he kept it to himself, leaving the rest of the group to squabble without coming to an immediate resolution. Eventually, the idea was shelved for tomorrow’s fuller discussion, and everyone turned their full attention to their meals. It was clear they all were tired from travel and this evening meeting was only a formality until they could retire for the night.

Out of the corner of his eye, the fireworks master watched Sly Cooper stand silently against the wall as far away from the table and its inhabitants as possible. The stress around the edges of his mask betrayed his carefully-neutral posture every time one of the Five snapped for him to refill their drinks, or clean a spill, or retrieve more food from the cart. It was a yearly routine that he had learned to form himself into, and King resolved to himself to ask the head chef to make the kit’s favorite food in the morning as a subtle recognition of his obedience.

Of course, it was at that exact moment that the routine was disrupted and everything subsequently fell apart.

Clockwerk, who always kept his eyes trained on Sly for as long as the boy was present, had never called him over. Not once in the five years that they had done this annual performance had he ever addressed the raccoon in any way, shape or form except to stare at him with that cold gaze that he had only ever reserved for Conner Cooper. Tonight had been shaping up to be that way as well, right up until the owl suddenly lifted a claw and crooked it towards the child.

All activity stopped. No one uttered a word nor continued to eat as they watched their leader command the boy to approach him without a sound. Sly’s fur puffed up within a single blink, but he didn’t dare disobey. Slowly, he began to shuffle forwards towards the owl, still silent even in his terror.

When they were about a meter apart, Clockwerk turned his talon around in a gesture to stop, and the kit froze. With a calculating tilt of his head, the ancient bird leaned forward until he was so close to the trembling child that one wayward movement from either one would make them touch. The raised claw lifted Sly’s head by his chin.

“He has grown more than usual since last we were here.”

The Panda King removed all traces of emotion from his entire being. It was never a good omen when the owl spoke without outside prompt. “He is thirteen now, as of this morning.”

Clockwerk let out a low, metallic hum. The raccoon remained deathly still under the touch of that talon.

“Damn. Has it really been that long already?” Muggshot asked, really looking the young Cooper over for the first time in the entire meeting. “Dunno how you could tell, boss. He still looks like a scrawny little runt ta me.”

“Everyone looks like a runt next to you, Tony,” Mz. Ruby said, watching the interaction between Clockwerk and Cooper as raptly as King was. It was impossible to read her, as always. “But Clockwerk is right; our little kit has definitely had a growth spurt or two. He hit puberty yet, King?”

“He is in the process, yes.” The panda did not like the sudden gleam in their leader’s eyes. Neither did Sly, who was starting to tremble under the weight of it. “…But I can assure you that he is not ready to join us just yet.”

Four heads turned to look at him, Sly included. Even Clockwerk tilted his gaze sideways towards his right-hand. The question burning in that gaze felt more like a challenge than anything else.

Convince me that he’s not ready, it said. Give me your best excuse, and we shall see if I find it good enough.

“It is true that he is growing faster than usual, but that growth has come at a price.” King’s words were slow and steady, and he was careful to keep his eyes on the ancient bird and no one else. “He has been clumsier as he has struggled to coordinate his longer limbs. Last week he dropped a stack of plates and shattered most of them.”

That was only half true – plates had indeed been shattered, but it had been from a cook’s carelessness as she ran into the boy. In fact, if Cooper hadn’t been the one holding them, they would have lost the entire stack. He had caught many before they could hit the ground.

The only person here who could call out his lie appeared to be wishing he could turn invisible instead. The raccoon’s eyes were squeezed shut; head tilted almost up to the ceiling by the claw at his neck.

“Once Cooper has adjusted to the changes in his body, he will be ready,” King promised. He hesitated only a moment before pushing his luck. “I am certain that will be the case by our rendezvous next year.”

Clockwerk narrowed his eyes, and for several agonizing seconds, it seemed as though he could see through the panda’s indifferent façade straight into his heart. Just when King feared that he would be called out for his weakness, the bird removed his talon from under Sly’s chin and returned to his previous posture at the head of the table.

“Very well. I trust your judgement in this matter, King. If you believe Cooper is not yet ready, then we will wait.” Those burning yellow eyes turned back to the boy who appeared afraid to retreat. “But no more than a year. We do not want him to think he does not have a debt to repay for the courtesy of sparing his life.”

His giant wings nestled in closer to his body, a sign of relaxation, and the raccoon took it as a safe dismissal to finally back away to the wall. His fur was still standing on end down to his tail and he was clearly struggling to maintain his blank expression in the aftermath of the heart-stopping scrutiny. The Panda King turned back to his food, as did everyone else after a few more beats of silence.

They all retired soon after that. He did not dare give Sly Cooper a single glance for the rest of that time.

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

Jing looked up at the knock on her door, right before a servant slid it open and gently pushed Sly back into her room. He stumbled forward with an unsteadiness she had never seen before, his face pale under his fur and his hands gripping his elbows so tightly that she was afraid he was hurting himself.

“Sly?” She stood up and rushed over to him, terrified that he had finally been harmed by those scary strangers like he had always feared. “What is wrong? Are you injured?”

When she touched his shoulders, he flinched as if hit and gave a sharp, shaky inhale. “No. I’m okay. I’m okay.”

The trembling of his body under her fingers said otherwise. Carefully, the panda led him over to their blanket fort and steadied him as he slowly sank to his knees to enter it. He was still hunched in on himself and she wondered if there was an injury there.

“Please don’t lie, xiǎo gē,” she pleaded, starting to gently pull his arms out so she could make sure he wasn’t hiding anything he shouldn’t be. “I want to help you, but I cannot do that if you lie.”

The raccoon grimaced, eyes squeezing shut for a long moment. When he finally opened them again to look at her, his shoulders drooped in resignation.

“I’m not hurt, I promise. But you can’t help me with this, Jing. It’s – they’re going to – I’m running out of time.”

She frowned, not understanding his meaning. Sly’s grimace grew deeper and he looked down at the bedding beneath them.

“They’re starting to talk about taking me away,” he murmured. “They think I’ll be old enough to join them. To…work for them. Your dad convinced them to wait a little longer, but it’s…it’s still going to happen soon. Within the year, they said.”

Jing’s breath hitched in her throat. “That is…why would they do such a thing? You do not like them, and they do not like you. I don’t understand.”

“It doesn’t matter that they don’t like me. They think I owe them for letting me live.” The raccoon wrapped his arms around his knees and drew them up to his chest. “They’re going to make me do horrible things for them, and if I refuse, or I mess up, then they’ll just – they’ll –”

He swallowed. She did not ask for clarification.

“I don’t know what to do.” His confession came out as a whisper as he buried his face into his knees. “There’s no way for me to escape this place, no matter how much we try. They’re going to take me away. I’ll be trapped like this until I die.”

The panda felt tears welling up in her eyes and blinked them away before they could fall. Crying wouldn’t help her friend when he was already in despair. She wracked her mind, desperately trying to think of how to help him in the face of such a terrible fate.

A plan came – one that they had always considered impossible, but now seemed like his only option.

“…Not if you leave tonight,” she whispered back, as if afraid that saying it out loud would bring her father to the door. “We could do it tonight.”

Sly lifted his head to stare at her, looking shocked by the very idea. There were stains on his cheek fur. “I thought – that’s too dangerous, Jing. For both of us. We can’t risk –”

“It is very dangerous,” the girl admitted, “but what other choice do we have? It is the only time that my father lets his guard down, but if we wait until next year, it is very likely they will simply come and take you immediately. They will expect you to run in your last few days here, but not right now. And – and I am willing to take the risk for you, Sly.”

He swallowed, seemingly torn by her reason versus his terror of being caught escaping with all of the scary guests visiting. Eventually, the realization that his fate would be unchangeable within a year if he did not take the leap now finally won out, because he gave a shaky nod. She did not smile as they crawled out of their fort together, for there was no reason to; this was not a victory until he had gotten away forever.

The raccoon stood behind her as she carefully opened her door and peeked her head out. A staff member was waiting at attention, as she knew would be the case. Someone was always there to retrieve things for her during these times to ensure she had no reason to leave the safety of her room.

“Excuse me?” She asked him in a timid voice, making her eyes big and pleading like what she knew worked with her father. “Can you please find me something to eat?”

The servant nodded and walked off, leaving the hall blessedly empty. Jing felt Sly wriggle forward under her arm to listen for the man’s retreating footsteps and anyone who might be incoming. When he confirmed it was safe, they both crept out and tiptoed off.

At every corner they came across, they would both stop short of it so that the raccoon could make sure there was no one ahead. They made slow but steady progress this way – waiting out distant sound, hiding wherever they could to avoid approaching staff, and keeping their senses sharp for signs of the Panda King’s guests.

The entrance at the base of the fortress was the only official way in and out, and it was always watched over carefully by a dozen armed men. With the Fiendish Five present, however, that number had been dropped to four. All were still alert and attentive, which would normally make slipping through impossible.

But Jing had another ace up her sleeve; one she had discovered just a few short weeks ago on one of her outings. A series of vents ran through the entire statue to heat it during the coldest months. Most were only connected to two or three rooms at most, and did not have an external exit. There was a single place, however, that did do such a thing – she had watched a group of guards standing under it as they smoked, letting the smog drift up and through the small opening to the outside. It was small and very high up, and Jing didn’t know exactly where it led out, but it was the only option they had.

All four men were standing just inside the entrance and staring outwards. No one thought to look behind them, because there was no reason to. Even so, the panda was as careful as she could be with every step she took, following Sly’s exact path as he crept to the single vent that would be his way out.

When they reached the wall it sat in, they shared a glance and came to the same conclusion. Jing was still a little shorter than the raccoon, but she had filled out considerably in other ways and could easily carry him. She did so now, helping him scramble up her back and onto her shoulders where he stretched his arms in an effort to grab the vent’s grating. It wasn’t quite enough; he was still a few centimeters short.

Gingerly, hyper-aware of the guards right around the corner, the panda grabbed Sly’s ankles and began to lift him higher. He wobbled at first, which made her wobble, which nearly toppled them, but then he found his balance and corrected himself before disaster struck. His fingers found the vent and he pulled out the makeshift lockpicks he had created out of a few of her hairpins, starting to pick at each individual screw in the grating.

All too soon and yet an eternity later, he was able to remove the cover and carefully opened it. With a single glance downward to give her warning, the raccoon crouched and jumped out of her hold and into the vent. His lower body wriggled wildly as he fought to pull himself inside the rest of the way. The entire time, Jing wrung her hands and listened for oncoming footsteps, terrified that they had made too much noise and would be found out.

But no one came, and Sly made it into the vent. She watched as he turned around to close the cover behind him – impossibly small in an already small space – and gave a shaky smile when he pressed his palm against the grate in a silent goodbye. He disappeared out of sight, completely silent as he headed towards the outside.

And that was that.

Jing headed back the way she’d came, trying to be mindful of every trick Sly had used to sense others and avoid detection. The elation that she’d just helped her best friend escape his prison was overwhelming. It overrode all the other messy emotions she was still avoiding about her father and the entire situation, and she couldn’t help beaming with pride at what she had just accomplished.

She was just turning into the hall where her room was when a different kind of thought occurred to her.

When her father and his guests realized that Sly was gone – hopefully not until tomorrow, when he’d have plenty of time to run away – they would be searching everywhere for him. Her father would be furious with her if he learned that she had helped, and he would probably not let her outside again for weeks after the guests left. Going outside was her favorite thing in the world; she couldn’t bear the idea of losing her best friend for probably forever and then immediately being trapped in the fortress until her father’s wrath finally subsided.

Everyone was supposed to be asleep by now. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to visit one of the big windows before she returned to her room. One last glimpse of the mountain before she was in trouble for the rest of her life.

Mind made up, Jing turned the opposite corner and headed instead for the observatory at the top of the statue. It didn’t take very long to get there as she found she didn’t have to avoid anyone the entire time; these halls were strangely empty of both guards and staff, even for this time of night. Instead of unnerving her, however, it only made her certain that fate was smiling down on her and wanted her to reach her destination.

When she finally crept into one of the two rooms that made up the observatory, the panda ran straight for the giant windows at the other end, where she pressed her nose up against the cold glass so that she could stare down at her father’s territory. It was always active down there no matter the hour, and she could see tiny people moving under the glow of spotlights. It was like watching ants, and the thought made her giggle.

A sudden, strange feeling went down the back of her neck. A foreboding sense of danger, as though she were being watched, and Jing turned around with her heart pounding in her chest; afraid that her father had caught her where she was not supposed to be. When she looked, though, there was nothing in the doorway, and no one else in the shadowed room.

Still feeling uneasy, she slowly looked back out the window, past the lights and buildings to the dark mountain beyond. She couldn’t see Sly from here no matter how hard she squinted, which she supposed was the point. He needed to be very sneaky indeed if he was going to escape. She wondered if he had made it past the outer wall to the trees yet.

It hit her, then, that she would probably never see him again. He would run away and never come back, and he’d finally be able to live his own life, but that meant he would no longer be in hers. Tears grew in her eyes and fought to fall past her eyelashes. She kept them trapped because she was supposed to be mature, and to cry over someone leaving would be incredibly selfish.

“Oh, Sly,” she whispered, leaning her cheek against the window, “I hope you’re safe out there.”

“I believe we both share that sentiment.”

Jing gasped and whirled around as a great shadow fell over her from above. She looked up, and up, and up, until her eyes met those of a burning, terrible yellow. The person – no, the thing – standing in front of her was so tall that its head nearly brushed the high ceiling. Its body looked like nothing she’d ever seen before, all metal and shiny and so, so big. She shrank back, pressed to the glass, and had never felt so small in her life.

The thing tilted its head. “You are Jing King.”

“I…” the girl swallowed. “How – how d-do you know that?”

“I know many things. Despite what your father may think, his home is not as secure as it could be. I have known about you for quite a few years.” The thing let out a sound that Jing thought could be a laugh, before it leaned down towards her until its frightful eyes were all she could see. “What I don’t know, however, is why you seem to think that Sly Cooper is currently outside. Would you care to tell me what I’m missing?”

Jing trembled under the weight of the monster staring her down. She opened her mouth, not knowing what to even say, and found that her voice had fled from her entirely.

“How curious. I had expected my associate’s child to resemble him, but it appears that only extends to the physical. Since you seem to have lost your courage, perhaps someone else can return it.”

The thing lifted its head and opened its beak, letting out a screech that had Jing throwing her arms over her ears in pain. It was loud and metallic and so very ghastly, and for a moment the panda wondered if this thing cornering her was actually an evil spirit. Nothing could make a sound like that – nothing could exist like that – and be of the living.

Within minutes, several pairs of feet came running up into the observatory. The girl couldn’t see them because of the thing blocking her sight of the rest of the room, but she could hear her father’s labored breathing among the rest.

“What’s goin’ on, boss?” A gruff voice called out, sounding the least winded out of all of them. “I ain’t ever heard you screamin’ like that before.”

Jing was so focused on the thing’s eyes that she did not see the giant clawed foot until it clamped around her shoulders. The grip was cold and firm yet somehow gentle, as if it knew exactly how to hold the panda without hurting her. She was pulled away from the window to stand next to the monster, where she saw the rest of the guests that came here every year, all out of breath and looking confused and irritated.

And her father among them, who had just gone very, very still.

“Cooper may no longer be in the fortress,” the monster announced. It was speaking to everyone but was staring at her father. “I found this child wishing him well as she was looking out at Kunlun.”

The Panda King took a halting step forward with his eyes locked on the talon around Jing’s shoulders. “I can send for someone to find him. He was locked in his room for the evening. He should still be there.”

Jing held her breath, shocked by her father’s small lie. Sly never slept in his own room when these people visited; he stayed with her until long after they left, when the nightmares finally stopped. She didn’t understand why the older panda wouldn’t tell them the truth, but she did not dare challenge it in front of the monster.

“It would be much easier to simply ask her, wouldn’t it?” The thing sounded like it was about to make the laughing sound again, but the girl didn’t know what was so funny. “Unfortunately, I have already tried, and she will not tell me what she knows. I think one of you would have better luck.”

Her father took another step forward, steadier this time, but she could see the fear in his eyes even though his face was very stern and angry. The people behind him were watching, and something about them was almost as scary as the monster.

“Jing,” her father started, very quiet with a tone she’d never heard from him, “Tell me why you are out of your room, and where Sly is.”

She stared up at him, feeling eyes on her from everywhere and suddenly afraid in a way she’d never experienced before. These were the ones who had hurt her best friend; who he was so scared of that he had risked the harsh mountain at night just to get away. If she told them the truth, then they would hurt him again.

Jing didn’t answer.

“Daughter,” the Panda King said, even quieter than before, and he kneeled in front of her to put his hands on her shoulders, in the space between where the giant claws sat and her bare neck. “You must tell me. It is the most important thing I will ever ask of you.”

Jing didn’t know if the way she was shaking was from her own body or her father’s hands. He looked at her as though it would be the last time that they’d ever see each other. She felt the talons squeeze very lightly against her skin as if to encourage her instead of scare her.

“I…I’m scared, father,” she whispered, hoping that the monster could not hear her. “What is going to happen if I tell you?”

“Everything is going to be alright.” One hand reached up to cup her cheek, and this time she knew for sure that it was him who was trembling so terribly. “Please, qiān jīn. Do this for me, and I will take care of things.”

The girl stared at him. He looked as afraid as she felt, but there was also the promise of safety in his gaze. He would fix things, surely. He would protect her, and Sly, and not let these people harm them.

She trusted her father. She had to. She still believed he was different.

“I helped him leave the fortress,” Jing said, not looking away from him even as the claws around her shifted at the confession. “He wanted to leave, so I helped him. He is not going to come back.”

The talons squeezed, so sudden and painful that the young panda cried out, before releasing her entirely and pushing her into her father’s waiting arms. She pressed her face against his shoulder as he enveloped her as completely as he could.

“I suggest you take your daughter back to her room and then return here immediately, Panda King.” The monster’s voice was icy with fury. “We have a very short window of time to fix this mistake, and I will not let the sentimentality of others ruin that.”

Jing’s panicked breathing hitched as her father picked her up for the first time in years. He held one hand to the back of her head to keep her face tucked away as he left the observatory, but she could still hear one of the others jeering at their backs.

“This is what happens when you show mercy to children, King! Even the bloody waif knew to exploit you for it!”

The Panda King did not respond, nor did he say anything to his daughter as he hurried away. He did not put her down all the way back to her room, and she could feel the haste of his wide, quick strides. When they finally arrived, he set her carefully down just inside the doorway, looked her up and down very briefly for injury from the monster’s claws – her arms were bruised beneath her fur, but the skin had not been broken anywhere – and then shut the door without another word. She didn’t even have the chance to say anything before she heard the clink of him locking her in from the outside, and then he was gone.

Jing stood there, stunned by everything that had just happened and struggling to process it. She shivered, still feeling the touch of that freezing metal, and then shivered again as she realized Sly had to face the monster every single year.

The monster.

It had been so angry over what she’d done. Her father was very strong, but he had seemed so scared, and she was suddenly unsure whether he would be able to win if they fought each other. If the panda won, then Sly would be safe, but if the monster won, then what would happen?

The chill was still in her body and her heart was practically in her throat, but Jing forced shaking hands up to her hair, where several tiny pins had been stuck just out of sight. She had promised her brother that she would help him escape, and she had to make sure she didn’t break that promise even if she didn’t know how. She would just have to take things one step at a time.

Growing up with someone like Sly meant that she had learned things. He had taught her how to get herself out of trouble, and no one had ever suspected that Jing could do any of the things that he could. It had worked to their advantage before; it would work for her now.

A locked door was child’s play to the sister of a thief.

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

The Panda King returned to the observatory with the speed of a runner and the dread of a man on death row. The Fiendish Five were waiting for him at the window, which had been swung wide open in his absence to let in the cold evening wind. None of them said a word to him, although it was clear that they all wanted to, and instead looked towards their leader, who was perched on the windowsill to stare out at the mountain.

“It seems you’ve lost Cooper.”

King tensed as Clockwerk swiveled his head around to look at him without ever moving the rest of his body.

“I have not lost him,” he said, watching him carefully. “He has escaped.”

“Is it not the same thing? You took responsibility for him, and he has fled from under your care. Of course,” the owl turned his head back towards the open air, voice dangerously unreadable, “if you truly want to argue semantics, it was your daughter who caused this.”

King closed his mouth and glared at his leader’s back. His fingers twitched at his side, wishing desperately to reach for the fireworks stashed under his belt, but he did not dare turn on the ancient bird even if he were not outnumbered by his colleagues.

“Should we continue this argument, or would you prefer to rectify the mistake you’ve let happen?”

“…Let us move on,” the panda replied through gritted teeth. “Allow me to contact my men down below. They will find the boy within the hour; there is no way he has left my territory yet.”

Clockwerk didn’t immediately respond. He had leaned forward to study the compound, and the windowsill creaked under his weight. When he finally spoke, it was razor sharp with triumph.

“No need.” His wings began to unfold from his body. “I have already found him.”

The owl launched off of his perch and into the air, leaving the rest of the Five to rush to the open window to watch. King tracked his movement with a terrible sense of foreboding.

“How much you wanna bet he’s gonna kill the kid?” Muggshot said as he elbowed Mz. Ruby in the ribs, making her scowl at him.

“It would be a waste of time if he does,” she growled. “All of us thinkin’ of things for him to do when he finally joins us and then it doesn’t matter in the end. I might as well bring him back as a zombie to get some use out of him.”

Clockwerk was making lazy circles in the air, high above any of the buildings. It went silent for a few moments as they watched their leader hunt. Cooper wouldn’t know he had been found until the owl was already bearing down on him, and by then it would be too late.

“You’ve made yourself look like a fool, you know,” Raleigh hissed at King. “Giving us some bollocks speech about the waif not being ready while he’s slipping out from under your nose. If I had been the one raising him, this never would have happened.”

“If you had raised him, he would cower at the slightest raised hand.” The panda gave him a frigid look, aware that now was a dangerous time to throw barbs but needing to turn his anger at a target. “He would have been useless in our line of work.”

The frog’s lips curled up into an awful smile. “Better than him being dead, right?”

Before King could respond, Clockwerk finally dived. Everyone fell into a hush. The bird disappeared farther out than expected, somewhere just inside the northern wall of the compound. When he came up again, he was clutching something small and struggling between his talons. Clockwerk rose into the sky, higher and higher until he was nearly eye-level with the fortress.

Then he dropped his cargo.

The cry that rang out across the air was young and terrified. King watched in horror as Cooper went plummeting. He was too far away to see his face, but it did not take any imagination to picture it; Clockwerk had employed this technique many times with many enemies. It was one of his favorites for the disorientation and torment it caused.

Just as it looked like the boy was going to hit one of the temple roofs, the owl swooped down and plucked him right out of the sky. Cooper went silent again, but they could all see the way he kicked and flailed in the iron hold. Clockwerk lifted his prisoner high into the air a second time.

King closed his eyes before he could see the second drop. It did nothing to tune out the second scream.

When ancient bird caught Cooper again, he dropped down out of sight, right where he’d first dove after the raccoon in the midst of his escape attempt. The Five shared confused looks, unsure of why he hadn’t just returned to the fortress now that his fun was seemingly over. Just as Mz. Ruby began to lift her hands in an effort to contact their leader telepathically, a sound stopped her instantly and made King’s blood turn to ice.

It was not a shriek. It was not even a scream. It could only be described as a wail that tore across the compound, so loud that the panda’s employees all stopped in their tracks below to look for the source of it. It went on and on and on, rising in pitch and agony in an impossible climb.

And then it cut off in a chilling finality, leaving the world silent with horror in its aftermath.

Clockwerk lifted into the air for the third and final time, heading towards the observatory with a limp body in his claws. The Five did not speak another word until he landed and laid the bloody form of Cooper onto the floor among them.

King was no stranger to the atrocities committed against children. He had killed many in his efforts to build a ruthless reputation, and never once had he flinched away from it – not even after the birth of his little girl. But there was a stark difference between cruelty with a purpose and cruelty for sport, and he had never found satisfaction in torture even to his enemies.

The sight that gripped him now – this child with wide, unseeing eyes and blood leaking from his mouth, his chest torn from one shoulder to opposite hip by three colossal, hideous slashes – was not one he would wish on his worst.

“If you want Cooper to survive, I suggest he get medical attention,” Clockwerk said, emotionless, as he stalked off without another glance at either his motionless team or the motionless boy. His bloodied talons left a red trail across the floor all the way to his exit.

It was Muggshot who picked the boy up, the gentlest they had ever seen him act, and began to carry him out of the room. “King, you gotta first aid kit somewhere around here?”

“I – have an infirmary,” he stumbled on the words only once before finding his steel again. “I will take you there.”

They walked out as a group, each silent for very different reasons. Well, perhaps not all that different – the bulldog had a pensive pinch to his brows that mirrored King’s own face – but he did not assume mercy from any of them. What had happened tonight was a natural consequence of crossing the owl, no matter how gruesome it was, and they had known those consequences for as long as they’d been a team.

The Panda King’s personal medical staff was exceptionally trained and exceptionally loyal. They did not panic at the arrival of Cooper bleeding out in Muggshot’s arms, nor did they ask questions as they found him a bed and began working to save his life. The canine was directed elsewhere to wash the blood off his body, and the remaining members of the Five were ushered out of the infirmary to give the team space to work.

“Raleigh.”

Clockwerk’s voice from down the hall startled all of them; they had not seen him there among the shadows. He extended a claw still covered in red towards the frog.

“Come with me. We need to talk.”

Raleigh didn’t question it or even hesitate. He hopped off after his leader, throwing a single sneer over his shoulder at King as a final reminder of his utter disdain over the situation. They both disappeared out of sight, leaving the panda alone with Mz. Ruby.

“You really fucked this one up, cher,” she told him. It was matter-of-fact, with no inflection in her voice to betray her real thoughts. “You’ll be lucky if he lets you join a job within the next year.”

“I am well aware.”

“Cooper ain’t gonna be able to hide behind you after this.”

“He will not.”

The alligator squinted at him. Just as she was hard to read, so now was he. Eventually she sighed and gave up on the scrutiny with a shrug. “Well, here’s hopin’ you don’t get kicked off the team entirely. You’re the only one worth good company, far as I’m concerned.”

He stared down the opposite hall in the direction of the observatory and didn’t respond. Truth be told, the possibility had already crossed his mind. It would not be a blessing if the Five decided to cut ties – either he would be killed for the knowledge he carried out of fear of betrayal, or they would take something precious from him to keep him in line for the rest of his days. He did not need to put much thought into what that would be.

“Never seen Tony so shaken up,” Mz. Ruby changed the subject, seemingly callous to his inner turmoil. “Didn’t think he still had a heart inside that big muscled –”

The way she suddenly cut herself off caught his attention, right before the sound of tiny, rushed footsteps appeared and the door behind him slid open. He turned around just in time to catch the tail end of his daughter’s nightgown as she disappeared into the infirmary.

“Mā de!” He swore, hurrying in after her while Mz. Ruby remained motionless in the hall. “Jing! Do not go in there!”

But it was too late. He stopped in the doorway at the sight of her, frozen, standing at the foot of Cooper’s bed. The boy had been bandaged thoroughly, but blood was already seeping in through his dressings and he was laying slack and unconscious, dead to the world around him.

“Sly!” His daughter sobbed, falling to her knees at the end of the bed. Her hands hovered over the raccoon without touching him, and that restraint was the only reason he did not immediately remove her. “I’m so sorry, Sly! I’m so sorry!”

“Jing.”

She cried harder at King’s voice, shaking her head furiously against a request he had not even asked yet. “No! I won’t leave him! You cannot make me!”

The older panda hesitated. He glanced backwards once, where his colleague stood with her back to him – standing guard in an unspoken agreement until he solved the problem he had found himself in.

“Jing, you must leave him be.” He tried again, careful to keep his tone calm in the face of her despair. “He needs rest if he is to recover.”

She shook her head a second time and looked up at him. “What happened? What did they do to him?”

King could not find an easy answer. He remained silent. It was the wrong thing to do when she shakily got to her feet to face him fully with her hands balled into fists.

“Tell me, Father!” The girl cried. Anger began seeping into the grief. “What did that monster do? Why didn’t you stop them? Why – why are you so calm?!”

“You would not understand.” It was all he could say in the face of her accusations. Nothing would quell her furious judgement in this state. She would not believe him even with the truth. “Please, return to your room where you will be safe. I will let you know when he wakes.”

Jing glared at him with more venom than he had thought her capable of holding. She trembled head to toe in rage; a startling mirror image of the boy he used to be, who had once directed that poison at the nobles who had looked down on him. He drew a breath, shaken by the comparison, but before he could explain that it had been to save her life, she was already running past him out of the room.

He followed her out to the hallway and watched her flee in the direction of her room, hoping that she would come to realize the reasons for his actions on her own. Beside him, Mz. Ruby clicked her tongue in a way that could mean either disapproval or sympathy.

“She’s gonna remember this night for the rest of her life,” the mystic warned as he stared after his daughter but did not follow. “Them childhood scars last forever.”

King shook his head. “Not her. She is different from us. Loving and forgiving.”

“Here’s hopin’, cause otherwise you’re just perpetuatin’ that cycle all over again. Same as it ever was.”

He hoped desperately that she was wrong, but he found that he did not have much faith. There had never been a prediction by Mz. Ruby, supernatural or not, that had not turned out exactly as she promised.

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Sly Cooper remained bedridden for two weeks. He woke up sporadically and only for minutes at a time, and his health wavered on the brink more than once as the medical team did everything in their power to stabilize him.

Within that time, Mz. Ruby and Muggshot returned to their respective territories to further their criminal exploits while waiting for further news. Raleigh remained both a constant guest of King and a constant visitor of Cooper. Clockwerk came and went periodically – never once checking in on the raccoon but always keen to hear updates of his condition.

Near the end of the second week, when the boy’s injury-induced fever broke and it was clear he would pull through, the owl disappeared for four days and returned with a large, unusual safe, which he placed in one of the observatory rooms – along with a single slip of paper holding the code to it, which he gave to King with no explanation except to keep the code well-protected and to never open the safe. The panda took it without complaint or question, painfully aware of the precarious state of his leader’s trust in him.

When Sly began to awaken for longer periods of time, cognizant of his surroundings, Clockwerk cornered the Panda King outside the infirmary with the Cooper cane in his talons. How he had found it when King had never shared the knowledge of where it was hidden in the fortress was another thing he dared not ask about.

“Once Cooper is able to move on his own again, Sir Raleigh will take him with him when he leaves. Cooper will work for us from now on. You will tell him this yourself.”

The owl paused, waiting for potential protest. King supplied none.

“Make no mistake, Panda King; this was fated to happen eventually. If not to you, then to any of the others. It may yet happen again. The Coopers have always had such a troublesome habit of crawling their way out of what they deserve.” His eyes were warm like molten lava as he held the cane up to study it. “But in the end, fate always catches up to them. It will be no different for this one.”

The fireworks master did not say a word. Clockwerk was never finished with his musings when one first expected it.

“I must admit, the only part of all of this that caught me by surprise was you. I knew of your child from the day she was born, but I had assumed it would not affect the way you handled yourself. You certainly had me fooled for longer than I would like to admit. I suppose that is just as much on me as it is on you. I know the trappings of empathy on the average man, and I did not look hard enough for the signs in you. That being said…”

He loomed over the panda, all pretenses of a non-threat gone in an instant.

“If you ever jeopardize the plan I have in place for the very last Cooper, I will burn down your precious fireworks factory from within until you have nothing left. I will ruin your criminal reputation so thoroughly that even the pettiest of thieves will scoff at the idea of working with you. I will destroy everything you built in a fraction of the time it took for you to make it. And then, at the very end, I will tear your precious daughter limb from limb while you are helpless to stop me.”

The Panda King held perfectly still under his leader’s promise. He did not shake. He did not even breathe. All that existed was Clockwerk and the horror that was his very existence.

“Do we have an understanding, Panda King?”

“…Yes,” he said, thinking of a bloody mess of fur that was not gray but instead black and white. “Yes, we do.”

“Excellent.” The owl backed off and pointed the cane towards the infirmary door. “Let us visit our disobedient child, then, shall we? I believe we have kept him waiting long enough.”

King entered the room with Clockwerk right behind him, feeling just as much a hostage as the boy sitting in bed. Sly’s eyes widened straight out of tiredness the instant he saw the ancient bird, and he began to tremble. The blanket around his lap he clutched high against his bandaged chest as if it could shield him from further harm.

“Sly Cooper,” the panda began slowly, feeling rather than seeing his leader settle in a corner of the room to watch. “The doctors have told me that you are recovering well, and are no longer at risk of death. They estimate that you will be able to leave this place within another week.”

The raccoon’s gaze remained locked on Clockwerk. There was no indication he had even heard the words spoken to him.

“Sly,” he said, harsher than intended, but it finally pulled the child’s attention towards him. “Once that milestone is reached, you will no longer live here in Kunlun. Sir Raleigh will take you for the foreseeable future.”

“Take me…?” Sly whispered, hoarse and confused and clearly struggling to connect the dots in the midst of his pain and fear. His eyes darted back and forth between King and Clockwerk; the former saw the exact moment realization set in.

“W-Wait. King, wait,” he pleaded, sounding every bit his age instead of the front he often put up. “I can’t – I’m not ready!”

“He will wait until you are well enough to travel.”

“That’s not what I meant! You know it’s not what I meant!”

The panda did not close his eyes in his attempt to block out the stressed pleading in the other’s voice. He remained the perfect representation of stoicism. There was nothing else he could be under the watchful eye of the ancient thing in the room.

“Rules have been established in anticipation of this change,” he finally continued when he was certain his voice wouldn’t waver. “You will follow every order given to you by all of us. You will not attempt to sabotage our work in any way. If you are ever questioned by outside forces, you will not share any details about us. If you are separated from us for any reason, you will endeavor to return to us immediately so we do not think you have tried to escape again.”

“No…no, no, I can’t do this! Please tell them I’m not ready yet!”

Sly was so beside himself with fear that he seemed to have forgotten Clockwerk’s presence entirely as he begged for more time When he made a move as if to climb out of bed, King lunged forward and pressed his hand flat against the raccoon’s collar bone with his thumb sitting just above his bandages.

The boy froze. There were tears in his eyes.

“It is not up to me anymore!” The Panda King’s voice rumbled through the room, loud and angry. “You did a terribly stupid thing and must face the consequences. We have all decided that if you are so ready to risk your life to flee, you are also ready to work for us.”

Sly was actively crying now. He searched King’s face – the man who had spared him from death, who had trusted him with his own child, who he had finally, finally started to trust on some level even if it was clear he would never fully forgive him.

He looked at him, searching for any kind of compassion.

And found none.

The raccoon slumped back against the bed, and the panda removed his hand. It was obvious to both of them that the fight had left him. The reality of his situation had fully set in.

“You will stay here and recover,” King said as he stood up to leave. “And next week, you will be a member of the Fiendish Five.”

Sly looked away as the man headed for the door. He didn’t turn his head even when he stopped in the doorway. The panda wanted to apologize for everything he’d done. Everything he didn’t do. He wanted to promise that Jing would see him one last time before he left, even if that was a promise that he wouldn’t be able to keep.

He wanted to say many things, but he didn’t dare in the presence of his leader. Instead, he walked out of the infirmary with all the steadiness of the heartless crime lord that Sly would now see him as.

Clockwerk did not come out with him. He remained in the room for quite some time afterwards, and when he finally left as well, the Cooper cane was no longer with him.

“If he escapes again, he will return to try to steal back the Thievius Raccoonus from each of us. I have already informed the rest of the Fiendish Five about this. It is a courtesy that I am telling you now.” His eyes burned as he stared at King. “If he is caught by us or arrested in the meantime, that will be considered failure, and we will kill him for it.”

“And…if he succeeds?”

Clockwerk was not capable of smiling. But somehow, looking at him now, the panda could tell that he was.

“He won’t. I have already ensured that.”

With the finality of that statement in place, the owl walked off, leaving King with a deep-seated uneasiness that he would never be able to expel.

Just over a week later, as predicted, Sly was considered healthy enough for travel. He swayed on his feet, leaning heavily on his father’s cane just to remain upright, but it did not concern Raleigh in the slightest as he stood beside him and said his goodbyes to the fireworks master.

“Oh, don’t look so glum!” The frog jeered, pinching the boy’s cheek in a mockery of affection. “I’m not taking you to your death. Only a lifetime of servitude! Think of it as switching custody with a new guardian!”

Sly flinched under the touch and tried to pull away, but Raleigh kept hold of him with a snarl. The raccoon looked up at King one last time; one last plea for him to change his fate before everything changed forever.

The Panda King felt cold yellow eyes on him from afar, and turned his back instead.

He regretted it six months later, when he was finally allowed to work with Sly again and saw a dark bruise ringing his masked face. He regretted it the year afterwards, as the begging in the raccoon’s eyes slowly changed to a burning, constant hatred towards him. He regretted it for every mission where the boy was forced to do more heinous crimes under colleagues who were either indifferent or gleeful about it.

He regretted it all the way to the news of Muggshot’s arrest, where the first spark of hope ignited for the young Cooper in a long time. And then he regretted it again, not long after that, sitting on the floor of his daughter’s room as he told her every shameful detail of the last six years and his part in cultivating it.

Most of them had come from broken lives, falling into the criminal world because it was the only place that accepted them for everything that they were. But Sly Cooper’s life had been broken by them and then shattered completely when he was forced into that dark world against his will, playing a game he could not win, all on the whims of a creature who saw him as nothing more than the name that he carried.

And no matter the circumstances behind it, the Panda King would carry that regret for the rest of his life.

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A/N: HAPPY EARLY NEW YEAR

In celebration, how about the biggest chapter in the entire fic? Hopefully it was worth the wait! I've been waiting ages to reach this point, almost more excited for it than the reveal chapter. Lots of things finally understood, and perhaps a few more lingering questions....

Now that the holidays are over, I should be back into a weekly posting schedule (knock on wood). Only six chapters left!

#sly cooper #carmelita fox #clockwerk #fanfiction #the lines we cross

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