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sleepypaladiknight · 3 years

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OK FIC IDEA:

that one au where you can hear your soulmate singing out loud in your head- but leopika

leorio wasn’t much of a singer as a child- the impoverished corner of the world he lived in didn’t have much music to sing to, either. the closest he’s got were the staticky, muffled and clipped tunes that rattled out of the neighbor’s radio. that’s why he’s always preferred listening- listening to his soulmate’s songs.

it was in a language he didn’t understand, but it was the clearest, sweetest music he’s ever heard. he memorized those humble tunes and lullabies, tracing the foreign syllables over and over with his tongue and humming the melodies nobody but him and his soulmate knew. he carved his soulmate’s voice into his mind, bragging to Pietro about his melodic partner and how he couldn’t wait to meet him.

then one day they stopped.

he found it coincidental- that it was on the same day Pietro passed away from illness. but it was fitting- it was a day where all the music and life left him.

as years went on his hopes of hearing his soulmate’s comforting tune dwindled away, but the music and the tunes he cherished so much as a boy remained, even as he learned new songs to sing to in the world around him. he’d sing out as loudly as he could, the raunchiest and most irritatingly popular songs he knew on some days, hoping offhandedly to lure the music from his partner again and hear that kind, soft voice just one more time. it never worked.

so, he swore to never sing that song, that one soft melody, until he heard it from his soulmate themself.

then he met kurapika. a guy who didn’t sing at all, and whose expression alone sang out his melancholies. his voice was prim and strict, the annoying, uppity kind that made Leorio’s blood boil, but it was familiar.

in the confines of trick tower, the topic began to stray.

“your soulmate must love your singing.” he teased.

the blond seemed to hesitate, and didn’t meet his eye. “i don’t care about soulmates.” kurapika’s voice sounded almost sad. “it would be for the better if mine never meets me at all.”

“yeesh, that’s real positive of you.”

“and what about you?” he said almost accusingly. “what do you think of your soulmate?”

“i don’t care about my soulmate, either,” he bit out, “but it’s for a good reason. mine stopped singing to me.”

“they must have their reasons.”

“which are probably as pompous and bratty as you!”

then they were back to their usual bickering. life went on, and his ambitions neared with every step of the journey he completed. their little group parted ways to chase after their own interests and dreams, and for around a year, leorio never saw one of them face to face.

then kurapika showed up on a cloudy evening, after billions and gazillions of ignored calls and texts left on delivered. they exchanged apologies and grievances and angers, embraced each other and shared glances that lasted a few seconds too long as they talked.

for some reason, kurapika had a strained look on his face when leorio began to sing the lyrics to some queen song. he wouldn’t even look at him, but leorio shrugged it off as usual angsty behavior.

they found themselves on the rickety balcony of leorio’s cheap apartment, looking out over the city.

“so, still given up on your soulmate?”

kurapika said nothing.

“well, me too, i guess.” he sighed out. “i lied to you- back at the exam when i told you i didn’t care about my soulmate. i,” he laughed, a bittersweet sound, “i actually cared a lot. it just felt easier to deny it. it’s... pretty damn hard facing the idea that maybe my soulmate really doesn’t care anymore, doesn’t want to meet me. maybe they’re gone. maybe they hate my voice or something- from what i remember, they were a hella good singer. nice, bright voice and everything. maybe they didn’t wanna end up with someone musically talentless like me. maybe that one time i sang ‘call me maybe’ in the shower was the last straw.”

and to his delight, it drew a soft chuckle from the blonde leaning against the railing next to him, arms brushing and shoulders touching. his hair looked like silver in the moonlight. still, kurapika didn’t reply.

so leorio forged on.

“i, uh, already told you my soulmate stopped singing. like, completely. but i still remember the songs they used to sing. they were a huge comfort to me when i was little, when things were hard and a little bit of song was something people couldn’t even afford. i didn’t even know what the words mean, still don’t, but all i know is that they meant the world to me.” leorio glanced at kurapika with a sheepish smile. “wanna hear? so maybe you can hunt down the bastard that left me hanging?”

“sure.” his voice was scratchy, almost pained.

and leorio began gently. kindly. he was sure his accent was off- it didn’t roll off his tongue as fluently as it did for his soulmate all those years ago. but the sounds and the tune was the same- the one that he’s devotedly committed to memory, the one that he hastily wrote down on a piece of binder paper as a reminder of the comfort his soulmate used to bring, the one that he swore to never forget- it was his soulmate’s last song.

when he tapered off into absentminded humming, he realized kurapika was crying. his eyes were blown wide, flecks of magenta shimmering across the deep, scarlet hue of his irises. tears rolled down his soft, pale cheeks, glinting like diamonds in the moon’s embrace, falling on a dampened shirt that clasped trembling shoulders. leorio felt clumsy and dumb, trying to soothe kurapika, asking him what was wrong, if he was okay- then kurapika began to choke out words, rubbing away at his eyes with his arms.

“how do you know that song.” it wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

“i already told you, my soul-“

“no. you don’t understand. it’s a very personal song. a traditional song.” kurapika teared up again, liquid sadness welling up in his eyes. “it’s a song- a lullaby- that i’ve forgotten for the longest time. it’s my mother’s.”

leorio gaped, “your mom was my soulmate?!”

“no, you idiot!” Kurapika couldn’t help but laugh through his tears, beating a fist against leorio’s chest. they burst into a fit of laughter, boisterously cackling in the silence of the night, overpowering the honking cars in the streets below and the sound of their worries adrift in their heads. nothing but them existed.

kurapika’s hand remained there, on leorio’s chest, starting to clench at the fabric of his dress shirt. they were silent, for seconds, minutes, maybe hours, until Leorio’s hand drifted up to meet it, brushing gently against the soft, scarred skin of Kurapika’s slender fingers.

“i’m sorry.” kurapika whispered softly, barely above his breath. “i wasn’t fair to you. you were always trying, always singing to me.”

leorio couldn’t speak.

“i’ve been hearing your voice for years now. you and your- your stupid songs-“ he laughed out, but it sounded more like a choked sob.

leorio couldn’t breathe.

“i didn’t mean to make you lose hope. but i was hoping you would, so you wouldn’t chase after someone like me.”

leorio couldn’t think.

kurapika was leaning closer, voice growing quieter and quieter until they had to be inches apart to hear, to exchange words.

“i couldn‘t bring myself to sing. i didn’t have a reason to, not anymore. not after what happened to my clan. i noticed you stopped singing for a time, too. but it only took months before you began again, gaining more momentum with every song. i envied you and your strength.”

kurapika had started to shake, small frame shuddering against leorio’s. without thinking, he brought his other hand up to thumb away a tear that had begun trickling down kurapika’s face.

“i wanted to sing to you too, but all the songs i wished to teach you had disappeared from my memory. i was so preoccupied with my goals, that i... i began to forget the things that mattered more. what the faces of my family and my old friends looked like. what the lukso sunlight felt like on my skin, or how the grass felt underneath my feet. what the croons of a happy piko bird sounded like, or how beautifully blue the sky was on a sunny day. what my mother’s voice sounded like, what the words to her songs were, i, i-” kurapika sobbed, “i betrayed myself and my entire clan. i thought i had truly lost them and the part of myself that i swore i wouldn’t let die.”

their foreheads fell together, touching reassuringly. kurapika’s eyes fluttered closed as he spoke, body rendered as fragile as his voice, his feelings, his heart. leorio held each with careful, treasuring hands.

”i’d become a monster. a stranger in the same body i walked my home with. i thought- i thought that my soulmate didn’t deserve someone like that. someone like me.” he heaved out, chest shuddering with every quiet breath, “you don’t deserve someone like me, and i could never-“

and leorio shut that bullshit up with his lips.

they slotted together perfectly. call him disgustingly cheesy, sappy, any romantically insulting insult you could throw- but it felt like harmony. it felt so beautiful, his emotions crescendoing and his heart thrumming mercilessly in his chest as it fitted against kurapika’s. those soft, slightly chapped lips, damp from the tears that had trickled past them, felt perfect on his, like his lips were made to meet them. and just as easily as he had lost the music and life all those years ago, it was returned to him, in the form of a blond, pressed up against him and demanding for more, more, more with his mouth, hands all over his shoulders, fingers tangled in hair, breathing in each other, kissing like it was the very last thing they could do.

when they parted, leorio let himself get intoxicated by the sound of kurapika’s panting, drunk on the soft sounds that spilled past his lips like music.

”cut- cut the crap,” he breathed out, pulling kurapika closer by the waist and burying his head in his head of gold. ”for the rest of my life, stop talking. and start singing.”

#leopika #kurapika #leorio #omgsfshbsjbfs #I did not mean for it to get this long #this was supposed to be a humble summary of my thoughts #then it became a wholeass one shot omfg #aaaaaa i’m sorry pls don’t mind me shdjshjsf #i might post this to my ao3 if people actually like??? the idea???#but for now these are the ramblings of an idiot #the ending was clumsy. everything is clumsy i’m sorry i wrote this in like #30 minutes-#help me :D #sleepyspeaks #and needs to shut up #like #desperately

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bngtanah · 4 years

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Red Lips: Love Galore | JK (m)

summary: “Red Lips Always Lie.” Jungkook was the type of guy your parents always warned you about. Handsome, charming and not to be trusted.

pairing: Jungkook x Named!Reader genre: angst, smut words: 4.5k chapters: o1| o2| warning: fuccboi!jungkook, smut, black!reader, dirty talk, honestly its just pure filthy, over-stimulation, public sex, bathroom sex, barely a plot, like honestly just a thread of plot, angst, a/n: i am a fool. I accidentally deleted my blog so this is me re-uploading EVERYTHING.

Month Two: Love Galore Should've never gave you my number I did it with you Should've never let you hit it I split it with you I regret it

Despite the reassurance of her friends, Baby was not, in fact, loving the bar they had settled on occupying for the night. The live band was annoying her, the hordes of seemingly hipster fans they drew in for the night were less that amiable and apparently all of them were freakishly tall; judging by the amount of times she’d been elbowed in the back of her head without even a small apology. A complaint was ever present on the tip of her tongue from the moment they entered the building but she held back for the sole fact that her closest friend, the birthday girl, seemed to be enjoying herself.

That could just be due to the fact that June was a more content person than Baby. She was laid back, easygoing and even if she wasn’t having the best time, there was no way you’d be able to tell just by looking at her face, especially not now while she laughed loudly, all 32 of her pearly white teeth gleaming, at something someone’s date had said along with the rest of the group.

Baby sniffed, adjusting her top and bringing a bottle of beer to her mouth. She hadn’t really been paying attention to anything anyone was saying, her attention focused solely on watching her watch and counting the hours that had passed since Jungkook said he was on his way. For that past month and a half they had been seeing each other pretty regularly. ‘Seeing’ meaning that they spent the better part of every weekend locked up in her apartment or Jungkook’s taking turns making each other orgasm until exhaustion overtook them.

They’d watch movies, talk (mostly about Baby) and sometimes order takeout but the night always ended the same basic way; with Baby face down in a mattress, struggling to keep her back arched as Jungkook took her from behind with no mercy. Then once they were both satisfied he would leave, or she would go home and wait for the routine to begin again the following weekend. It was uncomplicated and exactly what Baby thought she needed. Though honestly, the lack of depth was beginning to eat away at her. As hard as Baby's wished she could be she knew she was a softy at heart who craved attention and concern, so having Jungkook actually show up with her tonight was kind of a big deal.

Her friends still hadn’t met him, despite the amount of time she spent talking about him. Whenever she invited him out with her, there was always something else that came up. He had to work late, or deal with a family emergency or sudden illness that rendered him incapable of leaving his apartment. The excuses upset Baby at the moment but he always seemed to find a way to remedy her anger by showing up at her apartment later in the night. All pressing excuses suddenly resolved for the remainder of the time it took for him to get himself off then, almost magically, the excuses popped up again whenever Baby made the rookie decision of asking if he was staying for the night or attempting to cuddle against him once they were both sated and out of breath.

Baby flinched and immediately reached for her cellphone when Jungkook’s text message came in, fighting to urge to roll her eyes at him asking her to meet him outside without actually SAYING ‘come outside’. She stood to her feet anyway and tried to hide the excitement in her voice when she announced to the table of her peers that she would “Be right back.”

“So when are we going to tell her to stop messing with this dude? Before or after she’s so dickmatized she lets him move in?” June, the birthday girl perked up once Baby was out of earshot.

“If we’re trying to prevent her being dickmatized, I think it’s too late,” Demi chimed in from across the table “We all know the signs and Baby is beyond help.”

“They've been together for, what? A month? No dick is that good” Lisa grumbled into drink.

“You'd be surprised” June countered, looking forlornly at the entrance of the bar “.... You'd be surprised… “

In Front.

“Jungkook!” Baby waved as she jogged a few feet down the block “I didn't think you'd make it-”

She never quite got to finish her sentence, the second Baby was within arms reach Jungkook's hands were all over. His burly arms snaked around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. Before she had a chance to question his actions, soft red lips were on hers in the few seconds it took Baby to raise her head. Passionate and unyielding, his kiss engulfed Baby, giving her no choice but to relent and match his efforts. Her arms wrapped around his torso and held him close to her in a vice grip, she could feel him smile against her lips then smooth both his hands down her back until they were both gripping her ass and kneading the plump flesh there as if she were nothing more than a piece of clay.

In a sense she mostly was, each time he put his hands to work on her body Baby became like putty in his grasp. She felt his lips pull back from her own and almost found herself frowning at their absence until she felt him dip down and suction her neck in the exact spot that made her toes curl. Her fingernails pushed into his back and Baby's eyes flew open wide when she felt his right hand move from her ass to grabbing her upper thigh and then vanishing under the hem of her skirt to stroke her from behind.

Immediately Baby put her hands against his chest and pushed him backwards. Or, she attempted to. He was six feet of solid muscle compared to Baby's shorter, much less toned frame so all her push managed to do was make him stop attempting to push her thighs apart further.

"Um...so Hi?" Baby croaked out once she'd managed to move his hands.

"Hey Baby…I missed you" Jungkook replied and moved forward to kiss her again. Baby stopped him this time, pressing her finger against his lips and guided his head backwards.

"So, Maybe you're confused, but I didn't ask to come out with me so you could finger me outside the club!" Baby complained a hushed whisper and attempted to move away but Jungkook's grip on her remained steady.

"C'mon, no one is even paying attention to us" He whispered back and placed another kiss along her jaw. Baby looked to her left and then right and groaned softly when she noticed that he wasn't wrong. There was hardly anyone on the sidewalk and the doorman who kept guard over the entrance seemed to have conveniently disappeared.

"That's not the point," Baby retorted taking a step back when Jungkook's hold on her waist went slack "I want you to meet my friends, I wanted to have some fun with you outside of a bedroom for once."

Jungkook snickered and shrugged, allowing Baby to loop her arm around his bicep and pull him forward. It seemed like you were having fun already," he grinned and quirked an eyebrow upwards as he brought a glistening finger up to his mouth, humming with delight when he sealed his lips around the digit.

"You're digust- !" Baby exclaimed as she attempted to drag him forward, ignoring the jolt of electricity strike down her spine when he only laughed and smacked his palm harshly against her ass when she moved in front of him.

Baby could hardly contain the pleased grin that spread across her face as she led Jungkook back inside the building. She caught the attention of her friends when they were a few feet from their table, their eyes drifted from Baby to her arm linked with Jungkook then upwards to Jungkook then back down to Baby again.

"So Guys..." Baby practically gushed when they were seated again "This is Jungkook! Jungkook This Is Lisa, Demi, And June - She’s the birthday girl." Baby announced and pointed towards them respectively as she said each of their names. Her excitement was palpable and not nearly as reciprocated on either end. Jungkook was the first to offer a short "’Sup, Happy Birthday" His lips curling up into a playful smile that made Baby's friends grimace slightly. It was a smile they had all seen at one point in their lives and recognized all too well.

June finally broke the silence and extended her hand forward, encouraging the other two to follow her example. “Thanks. Its nice to finally meet the famous Jungkook, am I saying that right? Juunngkook?” June was slightly tipsy but not drunk enough to cause her words to slur and Baby cringed inside knowing that she was probably stressing his name purposefully. Though Jungkook seemed to take it in stride, chuckling softly at the unnecessary syllables added to his name.

“Yeah that’s close enough, Juuune” he replied with a sly smirk before smacking his palms against the surface of the table and tapping rhythmically. “Since it’s your birthday, how about a round of shots on me?” He didn’t wait for an answer before pushing back from his seat and made eye contact with Baby, jerking his head in the direction of the bar.

“I’m, uh gonna help him with the glasses” Baby said with a soft smile as she trailed behind him and eventually caught up. Once she reached the Jungkook was already seated with two large shot glasses in his hands.

“Baby! Do a shot with me,”

"This looks like more than just one" Baby noted with a grin but took the glass anyway.

"It's a double, I thought you wanted to have fun tonight?" Jungkook asked with a toothy grin before clinking their glasses together and counting backwards from 3. Baby immediately threw her head back on the count of one and puckered her entire face as the alcohol burned down her throat. It took a few seconds for her to open her eyes again and notice that Jungkook's glass was still completely full.

"Jungkook, what the hell!" She complained and playfully tapped his shoulder. "Why buy a shot if you're not going to drink it?"

"I'm going to…" He replied with an indecipherable smile "But I wanna do something first, move your hair outta the way."

"Baby raised an eyebrow at first but eventually did what she was asked, grabbing a large clump of her hair and moving it to the opposite side of her neck. It wasn't until she noticed him coaxing a wedge of lime between her lips that Baby fully understood what was happening. She scoffed a small laugh when Jungkook asked her to close her eyes but did it anyway and flinched slightly when the familiar feeling of his tongue against her neck hit her. He licked a stripe up the side of her neck then gingerly sprinkled a waterfall of salt over the slick area.

"You ready?" Jungkook asked in a seductive whisper and Baby felt his arms pull her closer so that she was slotted between his open legs.

"It's just a body shot Jungkook, why are you so dramatic?" Baby giggled, her eyes still shut. She blindly reached forward until she could feel his shoulders to rest her hands.

Tension bubbled up and compounded with every second that passed, Jungkook's free hand smoothly moved over her thighs then across her stomach until finally settling on her hips. Heat emanated off his skin making Baby feel oddly suffocated as she felt him move closer, his nose moving slowly up and down against her pulse exhaling warm breath over her throat before placing a few tentative licks on her skin. Then suddenly he pressed his tongue flat against the area of her neck that was covered with salt. His lips attached to the sliver of skin just underneath her earlobe, he suckled gently wrapped his arm completely around Baby's hips to press their lower bodies flush against each other.

Baby whimpered as she felt the capillaries under her skin burst when he detached his lips. In one fluid motion Jungkook swallowed the clear liquid and immediately moved forward to retrieve the lime from Baby's lips. He wrapped his lips around the green fruit slowly, applying pressure and slurping the small amount of juice that tempted to fall from her lips. Their lips barely touched and Baby found herself gripping Jungkook's shoulders tighter the more he sucked and brushed his lips against her own.

Soon the lime was forgotten, snatched from Baby's mouth and tossed into the empty shot glass beside them. Jungkook attacked Baby's lips and she tried not to smile too much as she found herself being pulled closer to Jungkook but she soon gave up that fight as his fingers trailed over her skin. Their lips melded together and Baby felt something stir in her that she was sure she’d never felt before. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him even closer until she found herself being lifted up slightly and turned so her back was pressed against the edge of the bar. It was slightly uncomfortable but Baby didn’t really seem to mind, if the way she grinned for a few seconds and returned to kissing Jungkook was any evidence.

Baby had never really been an extroverted person, she wasn't shy by any means but she preferred to keep to herself on most occasions. So doing something like this? Making out with someone right up against a bar surrounded by other people was not in her wheelhouse. She didn't know what it was but there was just something about Jungkook that made her want to take risks. Do things she never imagined she would do. Like ask him to press her against the nearest wall and take her right then. Which is something she was seriously considering.

Her mind cleared of the hazy fog once she felt Jungkook's hands maneuvering over her body then holding on to her ass just the way they were outside on the sidewalk. She could tell what he wanted so desperately to feel his hands on, well one of the areas. A possessive growl vibrated against her throat and shook her directly to her core making Baby moan gently in response arch her body more fully against Jungkook's teasing hands. “Touch me” she murmured against him and then kissed him again.

Jungkook smiled against her lips and immediately responded by standing up and gently guiding Baby backwards until she felt her back hit a wall. They were somewhat secluded, in a corner just off from the bar where there wasn't much foot traffic. Jungkook wasted no time in obliging Baby's request by heisting her left leg high up on his waist and running his hand along the underside of her thigh. His hips instinctively flexed forward and they both groaned simultaneously as the bulge in his jeans pressed against Baby's core. Jungkook exhaled a shuddering breath against her cheek and Baby fought back the urge to reach for the zip of his jeans.

Her ankle hooked around his leg instead, to keep it in place while his hand massaged it's way up the inside of her thighs. Baby's breath caught in her throat when she felt his hand tease the sensitive nub between her legs and she barely contained the moan that tickled the back of her throat as his lips moved against the skin of her neck.

Her leg wrapped tightly around his waist once she felt the fabric of her thin underwear being pushed out of the way and Baby groaned against his lips. She was slightly worried about drawing attention to them but then his ring finger slid past her damp entrance and Baby moaned with urgency. She clawed at a few inches of hair at the back of his neck, roughly tugging and pulling him forward until he was snugly fitted into the space of her neck and clavicle. Wet kisses trailed over her flushed skin and Baby pressed both of her palms against the wall for a moment just to steady her stance when a second then third finger entered her and the pad of his thumb ground down harshly against her clit.

A gentle whimper tumbled from her lips at his tentative strokes which were then followed by a satisfied groan once his fingers began moving in earnest inside her. Her hips shot forward and took on a life of their own, gingerly rocking themselves up, down and in tight circles against his fingers. Baby was glad for the fact that she didn’t have to subtly direct him like she usually did with men who had little to no idea what they were doing. He knew exactly where and how to suck on her skin, how much pressure to apply, when to toy with her clit and when to assail her walls with his fingers. He played her like an instrument and despite her best efforts to last any longer, Baby knew it was futile. She was going to come. Hard. She gripped his hair tighter and her hips started to pump in time with his strokes of their own accord.

“SHIT, Jungkook” she whispered. “Oh, God, don’t stop. Please don’t stop." She continued to beg him while his fingers played with her velvet soft walls, his thumb applied more pressure to her clit, and that was the final straw. Baby's eyes slammed shut, her back arched off the pulsating walls of the club, and she wrapped her leg around his thigh even tighter. She shouted his name, not caring if anyone around them heard her falling to pieces at Jungkook's hands. She slowly released her stranglehold on Jungkook and her head rested against the concrete wall behind her, breathing heavily.

A ragged breath tore away from Jungkook's throat, his hand slamming forcefully against the wall next to Baby's head. He pressed his forehead against Baby's and guided her hips forward again, his erection firm and strained as he pressed himself into Baby once more. "God, I wanna fuck you so bad right now," He muttered on her lips, capturing them in another sloppy kiss. His hands tightening their grasp on her waist line "I need to be deep inside you, Baby please" Jungkook pleaded and Baby didn't have it in her heart to ignore his tortured gasps and the pained expression on his face. Her hands firmly clutched the sides of his neck and her thighs trembled when he rolled in his hips forward in a languid and tortuously slow stroke and freely moaned into her mouth.

"Bathroom, 10 minutes."

It took everything in Baby to back away and shuffle out of Jungkook's arms. The shot she took earlier was finally beginning to hit her bloodstream, making her grasp the edge of the bar to steady herself for a moment. Her legs were still far from stable and with every step Baby felt like her knees would buckle. After taking a few seconds to recoup she managed to get a round of shots ordered for her table, using Jungkook's tab and allowing one of the bartenders to deliver the tray along with a birthday message. She thought about going back to her friends, at the very least letting them know that she probably wasn't going to be coming back that night. As she took a step towards her table, Baby's phone buzzed in her back pocket; it was a photo of Jungkook shirtless, his jeans unzipped just enough to free his erection from its denim prison. His hand wrapped firmly around the base of his length and Baby groaned when she read the message attached: 'Please'.

She moved at a breakneck towards the bathroom and the second they were both behind closed doors Jungkook rested his hands on her waist pulled her lips to his and led her back further into the bathroom, deepening the kiss as they took each step. She wanted—needed— him to be inside her so badly that it actually hurt. Her body ached for him in ways that made Baby feel crazed. Once they finally made it against the furthest wall, he didn’t waste any time turning her around so Baby’s back was facing him. His hands ran up and down her bare legs and yanked her damp panties down her smooth legs before he slapped her ass hard, the smacking noise of his action bouncing off the bathroom walls. He stuck her ass out further to him and pushed her skirt up her waist as he guided his cock to her slick entrance, making Baby shiver as his engorged head pushed through her narrow lips, her breath caught in her throat as his cock sunk fully inside of her.

“Jesus, why do you have such a nice pussy?” He breathed against her shoulder. He took a slow yet shaky breath, pulling his cock out from her cunt slowly one last time. He planted his feet firmly, digging his fingertips into her golden brown skin. He then began to pound his stiff length hard into her cunt, showing no mercy as usual. “You’re so fucking tight, Baby. So fucking good.” Jungkook groaned, tilting his head up to look at the ceiling.

His girth filled her completely, almost to the point of not fitting. “Uhh!” She cried out, her palms pressing tightly against the tiled walls of the bathroom, slowly winding her hips backwards with his as he began to thrust in and out. She chuckled breathlessly when his breath fanned over her shoulder “You like this tight pussy?” She moaned and whipped her head around to smirk at him, her deep brown tresses sweeping off her shoulder as she did.

“I fucking love this tight pussy,” Jungkook pressed his lips against her ear, gnawing at her earlobe tenderly. "I want to live in your walls Baby" He groaned vigorously driving his hips against her, continuing his hot assault on her soaked sex. Every stroke made her walls tense, greedily trying to keep his slick pole nestled deep inside of her. Baby was sure that she’d have trouble walking properly after this encounter, but she’d live. “Oh God…” She moaned, arching her back to take his every thrust “Such a fucking fat cock…filling me up so good,” She whined, resting one of her hands on top of his as he continued to thrust into her.

Baby felt a small bubble of laughter almost slip out of his mouth when she whined about his cock. He licked his bottom lip, then grinned. He seized both of her hands and held them behind her back. “This fucking fat cock happens to enjoy filling you up so good, babygirl.” He kissed behind her ear. He clasped her hands together behind her with one hand as the other one slid down between her legs, pressing his fingers down on her swollen clit. His fingers rubbed quickly over the slippery nub, pounding his cock faster into her hot slit. "Cum when I tell you to" Jungkook growled against her skin.

Each dirty word he spoke made her hotter and wetter. She panted hard, trying to catch her breath between his forceful thrusts. As much as she second guessed her relationship with Jungkook , Baby could never deny that anyone else had made her this wet and turned on in a very long time. She wanted to deny it, but there was something about him…in some weird way he was becoming intoxicating to her. His voice, his features, his incredible ability to fuck her senseless…she was almost disappointed that they were out instead of in one of their homes knowing that neither of them could go as wild as they wanted to. He was a perfect fit inside her. The soft sucking noises of his length pulling in and out of her lips was the sexiest thing she ever heard…next to his voice.

As his hand travelled began fiercely rubbing her exposed clit Baby moaned loudly. She knew she wouldn't last much longer like this. Her eyelids slammed shut and Baby felt her knees begin to buckle beneath her as her walls began to constrict around him, pulsing. A simple instruction growled from above her broke her resolve to hold out any longer. “Cum for me, Baby” Jungkook demanded and Baby felt herself fly off the edge. As the heated seconds passed, the pulsing intensified until a fantastic sensation erupted inside of her. “Fuck!” She cried out, her head dropping back and her chestnut colored hair splaying over her shoulders as her walls spasmed hard, bathing Jungkook's probing length in a warm flood of her essence.

He latched his mouth to the gap of her neck and shoulder, sinking his teeth down into her overheated flesh, welcoming the rush of her sweet juices when she came. Despite her throbbing walls growing tight around his shaft, he kept on his fast-moving pace, bucking furiously between her legs. Baby flexed against his arms, trying desperately to free herself from the over-stimulation but it was futile. She groaned with a hoarse scream when she felt her walls spasm again and while she shook vigorously against his body Jungkook knew he was done for. “Shit!” He growled, stilling inside of the brown-skinned beauty. He gripped hard onto her hips, his cock trembling inside of her dripping cunt, spilling his release inside of her. Her pulsating walls still tightened around him, milking every last drop of his seed from his swollen tip, as a large satisfied smile emerged on his face. “Do you… do you wanna come back to my place tonight?” He asked, pulling back until he was no longer inside her. Choosing instead to encircle his arms around her waist. He buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes. Baby leaned back and rested her arms on top of his, using him for leverage as the bones in her legs felt like jelly.

"It's one in the morning Jungkook, I'm not taking a taxi all the way back to Harlem a couple of hours later" Baby sighed, reaching her arms backward to wrap her arms around his neck and Jungkook smirked, kissing the curve of her shoulder. He began a trail of soft kisses up from her shoulder to behind her ear.

"Then stay over, you're off tomorrow right?"

It was stupid; she knew it was but Baby couldn't stop herself from feeling elated at his very basic offer. It was the very first time he'd ever shown any interest in being with after they were done having sex. Obviously his offer was simply a prelude to them doing the same thing at his apartment once again but still.

It was a start.

Back at the table of friends June looked over to the other two girls and sighed. “She's not coming back is she?”

#bangtanarmynet #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jungkook fic #jungkook smut #bts scenarios #bts smut #bts x woc #bngtanah #red lips #☆

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serararku · 3 years

Text

The Writhing Prize

This was the first time Mizuna had to actively work alongside a blind woman, which brought its own host of unique challenges.

Truth be told, Dawn probably wasn’t the easiest woman to work with before she lost her sight. Even in the best of moods she was easily agitated and quick to anger, and it wouldn’t take much to get on her bad side. She could walk around the clinic without the use of her outstretched hands just after a few weeks, memorizing how many steps she needed to take to get around easily enough, but all it took was Mizuna forgetting to push in a chair or rearrange a table near the wall to upset the blonde she-devil. After the third or fourth time she stubbed her toe on the leg of furniture, Mizuna felt she had no other choice but to buy soft covers to prevent Dawn from hurting herself. It was also impossible to tell if she was sleeping or awake, and more often than not Mizuna suspected Dawn would pretend to rest so she could listen in on her conversations during her many checkups.

Every tincture, remedy, elixir, potion, cupboard and drawer had two labels each- one in Doman prepared by Mizuna, and the other in Braille by Dawn. The fear of Dawn using the wrong medicine for the job and seriously injuring or even killing a patient compelled the Auri to learn the language of the blind in order to ensure she could double-check the Braille to make sure they remained accurate. On the other hand, if Mizuna needed something fetched- and she hadn’t left it where it wasn’t supposed to be- Dawn always knew exactly where to go to find it. Losing her sight seemed to sharpen her other senses as well, giving her an uncanny sense of smell, touch, taste, and hearing; she could smell an infected wound minutes before Mizuna did, applied stitches just as good as the best of them, and could rattle off the ingredients of a potion with a simple taste of a single droplet. Mizuna also theorized Dawn could listen in on conversations going on beyond the clinic’s walls- why else would she zone out so often?

Despite Dawn’s volatile temper and spiteful nature- at least from Mizuna’s perspective, she couldn’t help but watch and study her associate as she went about her duties. It had only been a few moons since her grievous injury but she had long discarded the few habits just about everyone else would easily overlook; when she read from her braille book, she no longer tilted her head to point her glazed eyes down at the pages, because she no longer needed to. Instead Mizuna would watch her silently mouth the words as if she was reading out loud, her delicate hand brushing across the dotted parchment a dozen times before she would turn to the next page. She wouldn’t even turn her head toward the person she was speaking to- unless she was angry. Mizuna would often deliberately wear different types of shoes to see if hearing her approach would throw her off, but she always knew it was her.

“Mizuna? We need to have a talk.” dreadful words escaped the woman’s lips. Words no one ever wants to hear and inspires anxiety even in the most aloof personalities. Mizuna stiffened in her seat, her attention yanked away from a particularly raunchy romance novel she had borrowed from one of Lord Isenhart’s students.

She braced herself for the topic at play, silently praying to Azim the Dawn Father that she wasn’t going to bring up her untimely outburst in Ul’dah again. “Yes? I’m listening.”

“Mn? Well, it’s Osric.” she held up a vial full of black goo that Mizuna swore was writhing and squirming in her grasp. “I managed to extract this from him, from what I can gather it’s parasitic and while not immediately toxic, it’s not doing him any favors. I sense something sinister from this, like… like the thing that took my sight.”

The more everyone brought up that encounter up north in the Coerthas Highlands, the happier Mizuna was for missing out. “Disgusting.” She blurted out, pursing her lips and furrowing her brow at the vial. “Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s natural. But if that’s what was causing Osric so many problems, it seems you already took care of it, yes…?”

“From what I can tell, I managed to forcibly extract half of it. I have a plan for a procedure but I wanted a second opinion. Seeing as this is using him as some kind of host, I figured making him inhospitable might be enough to make it want to leave- but not only just that, we should have bait for it to want to leave on top of that.”

Mizuna slowly nodded, doing her best to keep pace with this wild conversation. “We don’t know what this thing is. It could be a parasite, or a curse. Or maybe some voidsent illness that could react poorly if we tamper with it further.” She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms; whatever Dawn was planning, she didn’t like it. Fumbling around in the dark is Dawn’s specialty, after all. “Let’s hear the rest of it.”

Dawn continued to explain her plan, “I managed to mix in some essence of nightshade and belladonna into a concoction that is just below lethal levels of toxicity, it should render him into a near-death state. Slowed heart rate, lowered body temperature, by all means it would appear that he was dead, even to his little guest. Then I can use some dark-aspected aether to draw it out, the same type of aether that the monstrosity had when we fought it- assuming the infectious thing came from that monster.”

“No.” Mizuna’s face hardened into a scowl. “Even if you managed to figure out Osric’s tolerance to nightshade, even if this thing behaves like you assume, and even with you casually mentioning dark aether, it’s still a far cry from a reliable plan. Nothing ever goes according to plan… and if our gamble deviates even a little bit, Osric will die. There has to be another way…”

Dawn knitted her brow, “And while we’re grasping at hopes and dreams this is the closest thing to a reliable plan. Measured and weighed. I have experience extracting this thing before. I’m glad you’re all for criticism but I’m not sure you trivializing things makes anything any better- did you have a better plan? Time is against us.”

The Raen seemed taken aback, seemingly ignoring her question entirely. “Dawn… you can control dark aether…?”

Seemed entirely annoyed by Mizuna’s question. “If I couldn’t manage the plan, do you think I would’ve proposed it?” she brought out a necklace from her shirt, a small crystal glistened. “I’m borrowing this from a friend.” With her other hand she sparked a brilliant purple hue of aether, small specks gently floating to the floor like dark snowflakes.

Mizuna once thought she understood this woman. She believed her ability to use her own life force to empower her aether was the darkest secret she kept, but this was something else entirely. Swallowing dryly, her eyes darted from the crystal in one hand, and the umbral aether in the other; her stomach twisted into a knot, and she suddenly felt lightheaded. “Alright…” She muttered out before quickly clearing her throat. “If you’re absolutely sure you can control this… then we should consult with Osric to get his consent for this procedure.” Mizuna nervously ran her hand through her hair while shifting in her seat. “What do we plan to do with this creature once we’ve successfully removed it from his body?”

“Collect it in a vial for further research. I know how it affects him in the short term, we don’t know what lasting damage it could leave. Even if the dark aspected aether doesn’t work, we have the other half and might use it to attract what’s left…. Are you okay, you’re moving around more than usual. I know this isn’t normal but desperate times call for desperate measures, Mizuna.”

“I’m just surprised, is all…” Once again she forgot about that razor-sharp hearing. “I’ve only known Black Magi and Necromancers with the ability to manipulate dark-aether. It’s… not something anyone can just pick up.” Mizuna pursed her lips and straightened in her seat. “Alright then… shall we ring him up right now? Or should we wait to do this on the morrow?”

Dawn sighed, “Or Dark Knights. Anyway, that’s why I asked for a second opinion. I know you’re skeptical but I wanted to know if you felt it was doable… I feel confident but… I’d feel better if I knew you checked the dosage and saw some sort of sense in my plan. But if you don’t… maybe it’s better that we just scrap this idea altogether…”

She scraped her nails along the scales on her wrists as she sat on her thoughts for a moment. She didn’t know how to answer this without bruising Dawn’s confidence in her plan, but lying hasn’t exactly helped their relationship in the past. Begrudgingly, she ultimately went with honesty.

“I’m terrified of dark aether.” Mizuna paused just long enough to gauge Dawn’s reaction. “I’ve never once heard or seen it used as a form of healing. It’s out of my expertise, unfortunately, so I honestly don't know what to think of this plan. But…” She leaned forward and rested her chin on her palms to keep her hands busy without making needless noise. “If you’re confident this will work, I will follow your lead. I know you have Osric’s best interests in mind, so… I’ll trust you to lead this operation. Just tell me what to do and keep me in the loop, okay?”

“The aether is a lure. Aside from that, we’ll be using typical conjury and good old fashioned medical knowledge.” she tried to assure Mizuna. “I think we should do this as soon as possible. If you think it’s manageable. If my plan doesn’t work, we’ll need to be quick on our feet and think of another method. Otherwise we’re back at square one and tearing him open again for no reason.” Mizuna’s brow cocked at that veiled insult; that foreign object she pulled from the Dragoon’s chest was dangerously close to his heart, and she still felt justified in removing it. Instead of inciting another argument, she decided to let this one slide.

After sharply inhaling, Mizuna reached up and pressed her thumb against her temple, activating her linkpearl. “This is Mizuna Kusakari, requesting two volunteers to bring Sir Osric Slater to the operation room immediately. Requesting two volunteers to bring Sir Osric Slater to the operation room. If he isn’t in the downstairs bar, he will be in his apartment, over.”

Another nap on another couch - Osric groaned as he sat up, the message waking him from one of the rare moments of quality sleep that he’d been able to have in recent weeks. With a tired sigh he pushed himself up off the couch, taking a moment to steady himself before making his way towards the clinic - still barely half awake.

“No need for an escort...I was right downstairs.” Osric declared, taking a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes. “Message said I was needed in the operation room?”

Mizuna gave him a gentle smile while she pushed her chair out and rose to her feet. “Yes… Dawn-... we have a plan to cure you once and for all, but it’s… a tad unorthodox. We wanted to explain it to you before we began, is that okay with you?”

“I… explained the gist of it to him earlier today… But I wanted to delay until I got a second opinion. Can you double check the tincture?” Dawn added. “I’m confident… like I said, but I’d rather not let my certainty risk Osric’s well-being.” Potions made with the essence of nightshade aren’t something one should underestimate; a single drop too much could be the difference between a deep slumber... and a permanent one. Mizuna had to reach way back in her memory to recall her experience with alchemy for this one. She poured just enough of the contents into her hand and rubbed it between her now stained fingers, checking both the quality and consistency of this nightshade tincture.

The man in question looked between the two women, loosely crossing his arms over his chest. “She did explain a majority of what she wanted to do - if you’re both in agreement then I’m fine with it. Mira had the right of it earlier - well, mostly right. I can tolerate the pain, but the sleep issues are going to lead to more issues down the road. If the two of you can remove this thing, I trust you both to remove it.” He gave a tired sigh. “I get the sense that either it’s addressed, or it gets significantly worse - and I’d prefer not to find out what that looks like.”

“Then we don’t have much time to sit around.” Mizuna pushed the cork back down onto Dawn’s nightshade tincture. “I’m going to prepare the operating room… it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.” And with that, the Raen woman stepped out of the lobby, and disappeared behind the thick curtain on the other side of the room.

“Well, best case scenario you wake up and we’ll have been successful; worst case, and it’s suddenly not your problem anymore.” Dawn said in a grim tone. “It’s going to start taking a toll. I’m sure it already has. Take a seat until the room is ready…”

Osric reached up and rubbed the center of his chest, exhaling sharply before sitting down as directed. Anxiety wasn’t something that he typically struggled with, but the idea of being in a ‘near-death’ state was a bit nerve wracking. He laced his hands together - primarily to stop the shaking while he tried to think of something else… anything else - but his attention was drawn to the sound of movement behind the curtain.

That unaccustomed anxiety crept in as time itself seemed to dilate - the moment prolonging and speeding up at the same time. A reassuring hand rested on Osric’s shoulder which grounded him in the moment. He wasn’t sure whether seconds or minutes had passed, as it was difficult to keep his mind away from this imminent procedure; but when he looked up at Dawn’s soft lips and sloped jawline, he found the strength he needed to steal his nerves and keep his worries in check.

“Alright, we’re ready to proceed.” Mizuna gently called out, causing Osric’s stomach to drop into his lap.

“Let’s go inside.” a wispy tone drifted from Dawn as she softly yet firmly pulled at his shirt sleeve.

“R-right.” Shaking hands ran over his face as he stood, stumbling forward as a sharp pain rocked through his chest - as if the damn thing knew what was about to happen. Another moment to breathe through the discomfort, and he was able to turn his attention back to Dawn. “After you…”

The room was dimly lit- not exactly what he expected to see in the heart of the Ashen Wolves’ clinic. Only a handful of candles sat on empty shelves and on top of vacant cupboards, with the large rectangular table beckoning him closer, pastel white as everything else. Mizuna was flicking the tip of a syringe and squeezing out any potential air bubbles when Dawn and Osric pulled aside the curtain to join her.

“Take your shirt off.” commanded the blind woman, before exchanging a few utterances with Mizuna. The Dragoon swallowed dryly but complied, gripping the bottom of his shirt with both hands to pull it over his head in one single motion. The same reassuring touch from earlier found his shoulder when he lowered himself onto the edge of the table. Dawn peered blankly in his direction while pulling his hand up by the wrist, “Here…” she handed him a vial, smiling warmly. “You’ll be sleepy, and it’ll be over before you know it. You’ll be dreaming and everything will be fine.” Osric wanted to be relieved by her kind words, but he was no fool; he may not feel any pain with this medicine coursing through his system, true, but he would definitely know what was happening. Manipulating a living person’s aether was never a comfortable endeavor. A furtive glance went to her as Osric inspected the vial. It was now or never, and he already said he trusted them. It was now a matter of following through. He was getting cold feet despite what he told them- going under and leaving everything to them was easier said than done. After removing the cork, a shaking hand guided the contents to his lips.

It tasted far worse than he expected.

“Lay down.” Mizuna moved to help Dawn rest the Dragoon’s body against the table, almost letting him slam down when she lost her grip due to his waning consciousness. The potion was quick, and effective, but so were the effects’ longevity; now the race against time began. A finger ran along the scar on his chest that she created the first time to partly remove the affliction; “Mizuna,” Dawn spoke, “Can you make an incision here over the same area, I’d rather not create another scar unless necessary…”

“Just breathe, Ric. Close your eyes and count to ten.” Mizuna reached over to hold his head steady. Osric looked up at her face, seeing the colors bleed and tear like a dripping painting, and before he knew it, his sight was gone.

Tha-thump! Tha-thump…! Tha… thump….! … tha… thump...

“Fifteen minutes until we pull him back. Let me know if we start losing him.” Mizuna ordered, flicking her wrist to unroll the sterilized surgical tools. She took a piece of antiseptic dressing and rubbed his chest clean, before tracing her fingernail along the thin scar and holding the skin down. “Okay… here we go.”

Dawn kept a hand along his neck, feeling for a faintest of pulses. His core temperature seemed to be dropping as well, just as planned. His slowing circulation would also slow and stem the loss of blood, especially if they managed to avoid nicking any arteries. Mizuna ran her knife down the scar and cut through his chest like it was the first stroke of a painting. Just as she expected, the slowed heart rate kept blood from making a huge mess; a cut this deep would have sprayed the woman’s face in almost any other situation. While she worked her magic figuratively, Dawn went at it literally; she removed her necklace and wrapped the chain of it around her hand, holding the soul crystal tightly within her palm. She drew from its deeply embedded and fathomless aether, her eyes glowing a bright blue as she examined Osric’s form; now she could see Osric- the real Osric, his silhouette shimmering and brimming with life against the backdrop of absolute darkness. Her plan was to use the stone’s aether to convert to her own life force, and then use it as fuel to see the aether around her. Beneath the myriad of dancing colors and twinkling lights she saw it- a black parasite slithering about in liquid form through his chest cavity. A burst of purple aether fought to escape her fist, exuding dark aether as she held it above his incision.

“Come on…” Dawn goaded the infestation, “Come get it…” she continued.

The infection didn’t seem to move, but instead embedded itself deeper into his chest and around his heart as if to preserve itself as best it could.

“It’s… it’s not taking the bait…” Dawn said with a tone riddled of reserved distress.

Mizuna shot Dawn a glare, and in between bated breaths she said, “Describe what it’s doing.”

“It’s… wrapping itself around his heart, as if it’s… trying to keep itself warm or… tie itself to his vital functions. Either it’s trying to preserve itself through basic biology or it’s trying to keep us from extracting it- both are dangerous implications…” she reached for another vial she kept on her person, the other half of the parasite squirming within. Her hand trembled as she stared at the object in her grasp, bright blue eyes slowly shifted to regard Mizuna. “I think I have a plan…”

“Spit it out, we’re running out of time.”

“Self-preservation… that’s what’s motivating it. I have half of it right here, and if we give it a more suitable host than it has right now…” her eyes darted back to the thing around Osric’s heart. She brought the vial up to her lips and smirked.

Mizuna hissed at the woman, her scowl twisting into a grimace. “Stop! What are you doing?!” She almost leapt across the table and grabbed Dawn’s hand. “Your aether is fading enough already- and you’re the only one who can remove it!”

Her thumbnail pressed against the cork, ready to pop the top off any second. “If you don’t have a better idea here in the next few seconds, this is the only thing I can imagine might work. My internal aether manipulation is clearly better than Osric’s, and if I bring this thing into myself, it will attract the other half out of pure survival instinct. A healthy host, making itself whole again- Do you have a better plan?”

“The greatest surgeon in the world can’t operate on themself. If this thing latches onto you, it won’t ever let go until you’re killed.”

“Then you’ll have to remove it for me. Or I live with it and control it better than Osric can, we don’t have many options here and the clock is ticking.”

Mizuna swallowed hard before speaking. “Give me the vial. I’ll be the host.”

“You have ten seconds to explain to me why that’s a better idea and why you’d be a better host.” Dawn shot at her.

The woman shot Osric a worried glance- his eyelids were flickering and his fingers were twitching; this parasite was wrapped around his heart and hindering it from beating. “Because I’m healthier. My aether is perfectly normal- which means we buy everyone more time if I take it. You will be unhindered to remove it from me, and Osric can recover enough to help us. You’ve shaved epochs from your life already- this one last sacrifice may use up what’s left.”

“... Why waste a full life when you have a fraction of one right here?... Bottoms up.” she popped off the top and drank the contents. She heaved and retched a couple times, her free hand grasping at her throat. She gasped for air but found no purchase as she struggled to swallow down the ichor. After pounding at her chest and forcibly swallowing, she found herself grounded enough to focus and do what needed to be done. She took the soul crystal in her left and used it as a rudimentary blade to carve into her other hand, creating an open wound. She brought the hand onto Osric’s laceration and watched- the infestation kept still on his heart for the longest moment before twitching and loosening its grip. It now swam across his chest to reunite with its other half.

Her associate watched helplessly from the other side of the table, her face deadpanned as she seethed. It was too late to do anything about it now, so she was forced to go along with it.

“Ugh… Hng… Nng!” she sounded out as she felt the infestation slide through her wound. The other half seemed to be aware of what had transpired and directly tied itself to Dawn’s heart as well. This answered her question as to whether there was true intelligence or purely an instinct for survival driving the infection. The two were simply halves of a whole disconnected.

Mizuna muttered in the native language of her tribe. “You stupid little girl. Blind, and deaf, and stupid.” WIth nothing left to do, and Osric officially free from his affliction, she lifted the syringe she had been preparing and jammed it into his chest. With hardly any blood flow, injecting the antidote directly into his heart was the only option she had left.

Tha… thump… tha…. thump…! Tha-thump…! Tha-thump! Tha-thump! Tha-thump!

“... Don’t you dare say a word of this to anyone…” Dawn stared at Mizuna. For a blind person, she looked piercingly straight into her eyes. The Raen woman clasped her hands over Osric’s ears, ensuring he wouldn’t catch the tail-end of her comment when he started coming to.

“If you’re so eager to kill yourself, there are better ways to go about it.” Mizuna hissed, shaking her head. “I hope you have another genius scheme up your sleeve to get rid of that thing. I won’t be helping you throw your life away next time.”

Dawn felt an irritation overcome her; hate welled in her heart from perhaps the stone or the discomfort within her chest now- regardless, her dislike for Mizuna seemed to amplify itself exponentially. “You’ll help me if I tell you to, and you’ll keep my secrets if I tell you to. Or I’ll tell everyone how you lied about your application, how you don’t have a residence, and sleep in the sewers. I can smell it on you, no matter how many times you bathe yourself, the stench still sickens me. Every. Day. How are you going to get a job if I let everyone know about the unclean healer who’s lost everything and has nothing to give or lose anymore? Nothing to live for… nothing to offer.” her voice hatefully rasped out.

"Lied?" Mizuna repeated, grimacing. "You read my application, did you? What makes you think the Isenharts don't already know? Because they didn't tell you?"

The woman slowly blinked, biting back what she really wanted to tell Dawn; two outbursts would only make this clinic unmanageable, even if their relationship was already torn to pieces. "Tell who you like, Ms. Aethwyn. If you think insults and blackmail will make me do your bidding, then you've greatly overestimated the control you have over me." Sharply she inhaled, realizing she was squeezing Osric's head between her hands. "And for the record… I still have plenty to live for… like Osric- a man who deserves better than a hateful woman like you."

Dawn’s eyes widened, her hands moved to cover her mouth. What did she just say to Mizuna? She just knew she felt so angry. But she was cruel in her words and her mild distaste for the other healer had festered inside exponentially until it burst; it wasn’t Mizuna’s fault but she couldn’t stop feeling so overwhelmed by an emotion she wasn’t used to being bombarded with. She couldn’t see Mizuna’s scornful expression but she could almost picture it. Dawn shook her head to try and regain some bearing; she wanted to apologize but she had neither the words or time. It was too late to take back any words spoken. Quickly, she uttered a small incantation under her breath to heal her hand before Osric regained control over his mental faculties.

The Dragoon groaned, eyes shifting and moving under his eyelids as the antidote did its work. Slowly it brought him back to consciousness, and his gentle stirring caused Mizuna to release her death grip on his ears. His head turned from side to side, fingers wiggling as he started to wake, eyes slowly opening.

"You're awake." Mizuna beamed, folding her trembling hands behind her back. "How are you feeling, Ric…? Better?"

“A...a bit.Still out of sorts…” He blinked, trying to focus on the two forms near the bed - his vision still foggy. He attempted to lift his arms, finding the limbs still too heavy to shift, and settling for turning his head to try to look around the darkened room. “...Where is it? The...thing? I know you pulled at least some of it out before and I’d...like to know what’s caused me such grief the last few months.”

Dawn was turned away, her hands shaking as she was trying to catch her breath. She wrung her hands and kept them close to her chest. She turned her head in Mizuna’s direction, and she didn’t know what to say- she was quickly drained of her concentration and strength, and all she could muster was a bit of a stressed, apologetic, and pleading look, with guilt and tension seasoned in nicely to top it all off. She just needed time to burn the thing inside out with holy magic, at least, in theory she thought she could. But if Mizuna caused a scene she worried it wouldn’t help anyone. Alas, she was still at a loss for words- she could make up a story like she planned but Mizuna was right there to contradict her on the spot. She also had no right to ask that of Mizuna- to go along with a story, not after the way she spoke to her- she was sensible enough to know that. She decided to choose her words carefully.

“We… have it stored, in a container for now. We might be able to get more information from it now without it hurting you anymore… and I can start working on destroying it.”

“You need to worry about recovering.” Mizuna plucked the needle and thread from her toolbag and pinched the cut on Osric’s chest closed. “I’m going to give you some medicine to help you sleep. Hmn…. perhaps a bottle of brandy would be more appropriate? You can finally rest easy now, and soon you’ll be back on your feet, Ric. Speaking of which…” The woman pierced his skin and began threading the needle again and again. “Once I know you’re fully recovered… how about I grant you permission to leave the Goblet? I’m sure you’re dying to stretch your legs.”

“Bourbon might be the better choice...but I wouldn’t turn away decent brandy.” He offered Mizuna a tired smile before his gaze shifted over to Dawn, despite the woman being turned away. “I...feel different - so I know it’s not there…” He paused, taking a moment to flex his hands, the heavy feeling finally lifting. “But I’d still sleep better having seen it - is that not a possibility?”

“You can’t see into the container. And we don’t want to let it out, unless you wanted it right back where it started. Rest.” Dawn looked over her shoulder and gave a smile. “I’ll leave you in Mizuna’s capable hands. I need to give Hadriel back something important I borrowed for the operation...” she moved fluidly from the situation. Mizuna clenched her jaw shut as she watched the woman slip out behind the curtain. Her face was still flushed green and her tail lashed back and forth behind her, but she held her tongue and her temper for Osric’s sake.

The last thing he needed was to get roped into their feuding, and she certainly didn’t want him to take a side.

“Drink.” Mizuna insisted, pressing a vial into his flexing hand. “Let’s get you to a warm bed… we’ll talk all about this ordeal in the morning.”

Osric’s gaze followed the blonde woman as she disappeared from the room before turning back to Mizuna once again. With a wince, and with significant effort, he managed to sit up before drinking from the vial as he’d been instructed to do and handing the empty container back to Mizuna. “...As you say - you two are the professionals. Which way to the beds? I feel like I could sleep for another few hours…” He trailed off, glancing back towards the curtain again. His chest felt lighter and he certainly felt better, but he could shake the nagging feeling that something still wasn’t just quite right…

His focused attention didn’t go unnoticed by Mizuna. She furtively watched him in silence from the corner of her vision, as her stomach churned and twisted. “How can he love someone who treats him so poorly? Do they have a history? Or is it something more… simple?” Thinking about it only made her headache worse, and she wasn’t eager to dwell on it for much longer. “Ric…” She started, unfolding a collapsible wheelchair and setting it near the side of the table. “I’ll take you there. Come.”

With a nod the Dragoon shifted from the bed to the wheelchair, exhaling as he relaxed against the back of the chair. “...Thank you, Mizuna.”

---

Collaborated with @dawn-aethwyn @osric-slater-ffxiv

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kimjoongs-main · 5 years

Text

—forget me not ; hrj

➵ peter pan renjun au

➵ 2.6k words

➵ “i'm sorry that you grew up so soon.”

➵ warning(s): n/a

➵ dia’s note: *incoherent noises*

Something was off about you. Everyone started to notice. The way your eyebrows furrowed when you were asked to retell stories from your past, the way you bit your lip when a certain detail just didn’t come to you, the way you stuttered trying to piece words and phrases together.

No one knew what was going on, except for him.

Renjun watched worriedly as you tried to tell the others a story from your past, but were failing catastrophically. His eyes stayed glued to the way your fingers would occasionally clasp and unclasp, a sign which would not be obvious to anyone else, but he knew exactly what it meant.

You were faltering.

He figured something like this was going to happen.

Renjun tilted his head to the side as he continued to listen to your story. His friends, who he referred to endearingly as “The Lost Boys,” were all gathered around you, some sitting cross legged on the ground and some on the low branch of a nearby tree. You were perched on top of a smooth stump, hands properly folded on your lap. Chenle, the second youngest of the boys, was sitting closest to you, completely enraptured by your tale despite your occasional pauses. Whenever that happened, he would nod his head, gently encouraging you to take your time and pace yourself.

Renjun smiled at the interaction, but it was laced with a tint of sadness.You would not have had to go through that if it wasn’t for him. He should have never let you stay here, no matter how much you claimed you did not want to go back.

Despite Chenle’s attempts to get you to keep going, you could tell the others were getting restless. Jisung was fidgeting on the branch above you, incessantly tugging on the leaves and scrunching his nose whenever you stopped to think. Jeno was drawing patterns in the dirt, only half listening. Donghyuck had his legs pulled up to his chest, arms resting on his knees and his chin on his arms. Jaemin was leaning against him, his usually bright and loving eyes now plagued with fatigue. You paused again for the nth time, brows furrowed and lips downturned. An exasperated sigh left your lips and you clap your hands together, garnering the attention from the five boys in front of you.

“I think I’ll stop there for today. We can continue the story tomorrow,” you said.

Chenle whined and reached up, tugging gently on your pinky. “Aw, but you were just getting to the good part.”

You laughed softly, moving your hand to hold onto his. “Then that just means we’ll start from there tomorrow. Consider this a cliffhanger.”

You looked to the others, noticing Renjun standing close by. There was a gentle smile on his face as he looked at you, and you immediately diverted your attention elsewhere, hoping that no one else saw the scarlet gradient appear on your cheeks.

Your efforts to hide it were tarnished by Donghyuck’s teasing and Jaemin’s mischievous smirk. You shooed the devilish duo away with a flick of your wrist, and off they went with a laugh back to the hideout, dragging a confused Jeno along with them. Chenle, who was still pouting from your abrupt ending of the story, was clinging onto Jisung as the youngest of the boys tried—and failed—to carry his best friend.

“You guys go on ahead. I’ll follow in a bit,” you called out to them, receiving a wave from Jeno and a thumbs up from Donghyuck.

“See you at home, Y/N!”

Chenle peered over his shoulder. “Promise you’ll finish the story tomorrow?”

“I promise.” You waved him off with a gentle gaze and he, along with Jisung, trudged back into the shadows of the trees.

As soon as the others were out of sight, the smile on your face disappeared. You slumped against the boulder behind you, head tilted back and eyes closed. You heard the soft crunch of dead leaves as Renjun made his way over to you and sat down. Without even having to look you could tell he was waiting for you to say something, anything.

A few beats of silence followed before you mustered up the courage to speak.

“I’m not going to remember it tomorrow, am I?”

He didn’t say anything back. You sighed. Your head fell forward, eyes landing on the tiny droplets of water dripping from the edge of a leaf. It had rained earlier that evening, causing the seven of you to abruptly stop the game you were playing and seek cover. The other boys were considerably upset by that, and you couldn’t blame them. It was the first time in a few days that they had the chance to go outside and play to their heart’s content without having to worry about the pirates. However, thanks to your quick thinking you eased the tension by inviting them to crowd around you as you presented them with a story from your childhood. A story that was once ingrained deeply in your memories, but now you can hardly remember it. Blinking back tears, you sharply turned away from Renjun, refusing to meet his gaze. You knew that one look into his eyes would render you completely and utterly vulnerable.

“Why are you putting yourself through this? You know you can always go back?”

You didn’t respond. Your body language told him what you wanted to say.

Renjun’s gaze softened and he placed his hand on your shoulder, smiling softly when you didn’t shove his hand away like you usually did. He knew he was basically beating a dead horse at this point, but he needed to be sure that this exactly what you wanted. He’s witnessed the others go through the same predicament, and he’ll be damned if he let you go through with this decision only to regret it later on.

“Are you willing to sacrifice all those good memories you had?” he asked. Renjun felt you tense up under his hand. You whipped your head around to look at him, cheeks soaked with salty tears. A thin line of scarlet rimmed the edges of your eyes, outlining days of emotional baggage.

You’ve been in Neverland for two months. You didn’t think you could handle it anymore.

Maybe...he’s right, you thought. It might be better for me to go ba–

A loud splash and flurry of giggles interrupted your train of thought.. Peering over your shoulder, your eyes immediately spotted the flash of vibrant colors jumping in and out of the ocean. The mermaids had emerged from their cove and decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet now that the ships were nowhere to be seen. You silently marveled at their beauty, entranced with the way their tails seemed to sparkle under the setting star, shining more brightly than ever before. Their hair was let down in loose waves; strands of crimson, teal, periwinkle, and emerald bounced along gently in the sea. Some of them were perched on the rocks, basking in the warmth of the sun, and the others were submerged in the calm waves.

When you first arrived in Neverland, Renjun decided to bring you on a tour of the island. The first stop was Mermaid’s Lagoon. The lovely ladies of the sea were undoubtedly excited to see him, judging from the way they all swam eagerly to the rock the two of you had landed on. You didn’t blame them. At that point you had only known Renjun for a few days, but you were already charmed by his charismatic, yet humble personality. It was honestly impossible for anyone to have ill feelings towards the young boy.

However, upon seeing you taking refuge behind their beloved Renjun, the smiles on their faces instantly dropped and were replaced with scowls instead. You cowered even more. Sensing the obvious, growing tension, Renjun briefly wrapped up what he was saying then grabbed your wrist, tugging you so you were right next to him. He proceeded to wrap an arm around your waist and pushed himself off of the rock, flying up, over, and through the arches until he finally found his way back to the Hangman’s Tree.

For the next few days, you avoided going anywhere near the lagoon. Renjun had just laughed when you refused his invitation one day and took off with a shrug.

“Suit yourself, little lady!” he had called out.

However, that very same night, Renjun had returned with a pouch and dangled it in front of your face. You looked up at him in surprise and he responded with a goofy grin.

“What’s this?” you asked.

“An apology gift,” he replied, dropping the pouch on your lap.

You raised your eyebrows and picked up the brown lump, tipping it over and letting the object inside fall into your palm. You gasped. What came tumbling out was probably the most beautiful seashell you have ever seen in your entire life. It was a conch shell. The outside was a striking shade of orange, fading into a darker shade of scarlet and magenta further into the shell. Specks of gold and silver were scattered all over the conch, reflecting the rays of the sun. The shell was relatively large, almost as big as your palm.

You glanced over at Renjun who was already staring back at you with a fond smile on his face. The Lost Boys had surrounded you, each of them climbing over one another to get a look at the sparkly object in your hand. You paid them no mind.

“Who is this from?” you asked. Renjun’s smile widened and he pointed behind you. You followed his finger and your eyes widened when you saw where he was pointing.

“One of the mermaids felt bad about what happened the other day, and she wanted me to give you that as an apology,” Renjun said, hopping off of the trunk he was sitting on. He skipped over to you and clapped a hand on your shoulder.

“She hopes you can forgive her and her sisters’ behavior and wants you to come visit again sometime.”

Needless to say, you were quite speechless.

Of course you had forgiven them, and even accompanied Renjun the next time he visited. Since then you’ve grown quite fond of the ladies of the sea, going as far to call them your closest friends (Chenle had complained about that when you first expressed it to the others).

A pathetic laugh fell from your lips, and you reached up, wrapping your fingers around the shell hanging from your neck. You treasured that memory. It was the first time you felt like you truly belonged here.

At that moment, you knew what had to be done.

Wiping your tears from your face, you shot up, taking Renjun by surprise.

“Y/N?” he peered up at you curiously, eyebrows furrowed and lips set out in a pout. You offered him your hand.

“Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” he asked, taking your hand and pulling himself up. You wasted no time and began dragging him across the damp sand. Renjun eyed you suspiciously but made no move to tug his hand out of your grasp. Instead he chose to carefully observe his surroundings, trying to see if he could find out where you were taking him. It only confused him more when his eyes caught sight of the familiar tree in the distance. There was no mistaking it.

Renjun saw the multiple engravings on the trunk of the tree, courtesy of himself and the Lost Boys. Jisung’s floppy has was dangling from one of the branches, and Jeno’s jacket was tied at the base. The closer the two of you got to the tree, the clearer Renjun could hear the whoops and whistles of the boys inside. He fought to stifle his laugh as he took notice of your exasperated expression upon hearing that the others haven’t gotten ready for bed yet. But instead of stomping into the hideout like you usually do, you stopped in your tracks, tugging Renjun forward. He stumbled.

“Here’s the answer to your question,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest. Renjun stood up, dusting the dirt off of his pants. His confused look was fixated solely on you.

“Huh?”

You sighed and pointed to the tree. Renjun was even more confused.

“Okay, just because you point to something doesn’t mean I’m going to understand what you mean, little lady.”

“You asked me earlier if I was willing to sacrifice the good memories I had. At first I didn’t know what to say. The question was overwhelming, and my response could have gone in many different directions.” Your looked down. “If I’m being honest, I actually considered leaving.”

Renjun’s breath hitched. Needless to say, he was quite surprised at your revelation.

Ever since he brought you to Neverland, away from your home, away from your old life, you vehemently refused his invitation to go back. He had warned you of the consequences, but nothing worked. Renjun knew little about your past life. The only knowledge that he obtained from you came in the form of tears and a plea for him to take you somewhere far away. Not one to refuse a genuine request, especially from a lady, Renjun complied. He brought you here. He thought that removing you from your situation would make you happy, but as the days passed and he saw your memories slip out of your mind, one by one, he began to regret his decision.

So he tried. He tried and tried to convince you to go back home. Every single time you refused.

“I thought that maybe you were right. I could easily go back and regain all of those memories I’ve lost,” you continued. “But then I realized something.”

You walked towards the tree and plucked Jisung’s hat from the branch. Your fingers gently grazed the brim, nails tapping against the soft fabric. Then, without missing a beat, you reached behind you, untying Jeno’s jacket with one fluid motion. You folded it neatly and draped it over your forearm whilst Jisung’s hat dangled from your index finger.

“Back where I used to live, my fos–...the man and woman I lived with would always say ‘Let’s go back to the house.’ I never really thought much about it, but then today, Hyuck said ‘See you at home, Y/N!’”

Renjun was staring at you intently. You turned back around to face him.

“Home. He called it home. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

You bit your bottom lip, silently praying for the tears not to fall.

“I was with them for two years. They never bothered to remember my name. I’ve only been in Neverland for two months, and yet you lot—you, the Lost Boys, the mermaids—were more like a family to me than they ever were.”

You turned away again and made your way over to one of the many secret entrances that led to the hideout—your home—and lifted the hatch. Before jumping in, you looked over your shoulder. Renjun was still sitting on the ground, overwhelmed by what you just said. It may not have seemed like very much to anyone else, but to him, you practically laid out your entire life story. He didn’t need to know all of the little details. What you said was enough, almost too much even.

A soft chuckle from you drew him out of his stupor. The two of you made eye contact and his heart clenched at the sad smile on your face.

“So to answer your question, yes. If sacrificing my good memories means that I get a family in return, then...so be it.”

You jumped in, shutting yourself away from the outside and quite possibly, shutting yourself away from your past entirely.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t keep your promise to Chenle because the very next day, the story you were telling slipped from your mind completely.

#nct #nct dream #nct scenarios #nct dream scenarios #nct au #renjun scenarios #renjun au

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moldypieceoflasagna · 6 years

Text

36 questions that nobody asked me

(except @lollipoppedchainsaw )

(the 36 questions that lead to love or whatever) https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/fashion/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

I hate going out to dinner so much i probably wouldnt be able to enjoy it properly

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

It would be interesting to see what it’s like for a short period of time, but i’d never be able to keep it up; i’d probably have an identity crisis

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

yes i have to mentally prepare myself 100% of the time

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

hanging out with the people i love is enough to keep me happy for a good while tbh. sitting around doing nothing literally nothing with them is endlessly entertaining to me even though sometimes i might make that hard to believe

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

i sing to myself a lot, not so much to others- although i AM a slut for karaoke

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

body because i feel thats probably what old people complain about most. plus like,, 90 years of life knowledge? sounds great to me

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

probably an accident that’s almost statistically impossible

8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

single rn (ladies) but i usually try to find friends with similar music tastes because scream-singing in the car is the most fun one can have

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

im most grateful for my dogs and for my friends! i love them and it means the world to me to have people that i can call family. also i would die without my dog juno, she is my rock (and my therapist)

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

Not rly how i was raised, but i wish i had a closer relationship with my older siblings. Three of them had moved out before i was rly old enough to not be an asshole child, so most of them still see me as an asshole child and they never take me seriously. im glad i have an alright relationship with them, but that’s kinda all it is and i know i could do better

11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.

Lived in Texas my whole life yeehaw. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters; 2 of them dont like me, and my relationship with the other 2 is,, certainly not bad. Had a lot of physical and mental illness in the past, but 20gayteen is definitely my year, yeet

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

either speaking a different language or playing the piano. im very jealous of good piano players, and at some point i need to be able to speak a more useful language than french because so far in texas it’s proved absolutely useless (other than talking to my mom but that doesnt count)

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

I’d wanna know wtf im supposed to do with my life because sweaty i still have no idea. passion? dont know her please introduce me

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

i wanna go skydiving bitch, no one wants to go with me! pussies!!! the lot of you

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

that one time i did an entire semester’s worth of work in the last three days of the school year

16. What do you value most in a friendship?

being able to put up with my huge fucking mouth. also honesty is super important, even if it’ll make me feel shitty

17. What is your most treasured memory?

when i went camping with a bunch of friends and they were bitter i got to be in the middle of the tent because they were all cold. either that or the time i was getting really bad sleep paralysis and @lonelywaterfall & @skity stayed over so my paranoia didnt render me completely useless,,, also the paramore concert lol ive never been more vulnerable in my life.

18. What is your most terrible memory?

coming out to my mom haha

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

i’d go on a trip around the world to explore/to see a few people, and i’d put extra effort into my gender expression

20. What does friendship mean to you?

comfortable silence is my kink. also emotional vulnerability and SAD BOY HOURS we cant forget those

21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?

I’m such a slut for physical affection yall have no idea please hug me as much as possible and play with my hair or my hands

22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.

i guess ill do the same with previous partners so.. i think being funny is probably the #1 thing i appreciate in someone. when you make me laugh so hard i cry, just know that’s like. peak. also stubbornness is strangely attractive to me, plus like,,, uh having an unexpected soft side? an appreciation of art is super important, too. also SPOON VERSATILITY.

23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?

it was probably happier than a lot of people’s but there wasnt much to it. plus being the youngest in my ENTIRE family really sucked during my childhood because everyone picked on me and i think that’s probably what started a lot of my issues lol

24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

better than it could be, but definitely not what i want it to be. we both love each other and i admire her work ethic, but she gave me a lot of anxiety problems (both genetically and not) and she isnt the most understanding person. i have hope though, people change

25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling …

I’m hungry and sitting alone in front of my computer feeling like OVERSHARING ON THIS BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY MORNING, BOYS

26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share …

many, MANY animals and a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere

27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

I’m REALLY insecure about my body xd

28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.

LOVE feeling safe.

29. Share an embarrassing moment in your life.

probably every time that i’ve ever worn a dress, because i really,, really dont like wearing dresses and that’s it

30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

last cried by myself this morning and last cried in front of another person at my friend’s birthday party

31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.

no partner but if youre reading this im rly proud of ur attention span. gj buddy

32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

i think most things can be joked about after a certain amount of time, but like,, it has to actually be funny and it has to come from someone i know isnt serious about it. if a joke is made just for the purpose of being offensive and edgy, it’s never funny no tea just truth.

33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?

i’d regret not spending enough time with people that i love, not traveling as much as i should have, and also i’d regret not formally coming out of the closet to my family (they probably already been done knew but like. yknow). i came out to myself & the people closest to me a LONG ass time ago, but i’ve kinda seen what it did to my immediate family so im not too excited to do that to my extended family. if i’m not too much of a pussy, ill probably do it in the summer when i see them next, bc ive been meaning to for a while.

34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

is it bad of me to say my computer? i feel like everyone else has a much more meaningful answer lol. it would probably either be that or the papers i keep on my bulletin board, bc most of them hold a lot of sentimental value (also my prescriptions would be a pain to get copies of)

35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?

either of my parents because i dont want them dying before i reach the point where i can expect them to be happy for me when i marry a girl

36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.

personal problems? what’re those lmfao dont have any srry try me again later

i’m too much of a pussy to tag certain people so if you see this and I've had any sort of conversation with you, do it coward

(also @skity @drawinintherain )

#love exposing myself to people on the internet #hot

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kawai-kettu · 6 years

Text

We need to talk about The Death Cure (3/5)

We need to talk about the Death Cure :

1. The Movie in General

2. Scene by Scene

3. The characters

4. The pairings

5. Random thoughts

The characters

- I loved, absolutely loved Teresa in this. I’ve always been fond of her character as played by Kaya Scodelario, but honestly? I’ve felt so bad for her, for how much she’s been trying, to no avail. For the sacrifices she’s made, even if no one acknowledges them : accepting to be hated, to be isolated, to lose people, all for the sake of helping people she doesn’t even know… She really takes after her namesake, Mother Teresa, wanting to help all of humanity, not discriminating between rich and poor, contrary to Janson’ dreams of a transformed society. I liked how incredibly strong she is, focused on her goal ; yet, she has clear limits, that’s for sure, and she’s being eaten alive by her guilt over what she’s doing (that scene of her trying to explain to a vegetative Minho that they’re doing good, I felt so bad for her ç___ç ), but… She still does what (she feels) needs to be done. We get an example of that when she injects the new serum to Shai : everyone except her flinches when witnessing this child’s pain, even though she clearly cares for the child. I also like that though she has sided with WCKD, she’s still different from them, and it’s made clear in the way she’s dressed. For example, for the business meeting, she’s wearing a suit vest, looking business like….. except it’s worn over a dress, a pretty one but not a very formal one, making her look like she tried to look like Ava but isn’t really like her at her core. As for the rest of her outfits, I was under the impression she went for casual and practical, but I need to rewatch to confirm that.

- I’ve been wanting to shake and strangle Thomas for most of the movie, for his mistakes and errors of judgment ; he’s acting out of good reasons, but he’s also reckless, impulsive and not thinking things through… ….which I loved. I hate perfect characters, and Thomas, in all of his faults, is believable, real and incredibly human (plus a realistic teenager). I’ve also been wanting to hug him so much, he broke my heart. DOB really delivers, with his acting, showing how guilty Thomas feels, how much he really hopes he’ll find a way to atone and make things right for his friends, at least for them, and for everyone if possible. He doesn’t necessarily voice it (though his exchange with Brenda about this is amazing, and totally a character defining moment), but the many shots where he looks broken, right from the start of the movie, speak volumes. He doesn’t care for the rest of the world, for humanity in general, contrary to Teresa, but he would accomplish miracles for his friends (……sadly, sometimes, even miracles are not enough). …….seriously, I hope someone makes sure he’s okay in Paradise, because he’ll need a therapy.

- Newt…. oh gods, Newt. He’s so very complex too and rendered that way. Capable of thinking silently, but also of voicing doubts, with his clever sense of humour. And despite this, following Thomas’ crazy ideas (which, I wonder, can be seen as a sign Thomas makes him want to live wildly or that following Thomas is a kind of suicide). Not only that, but Newt seems to be the only one to understand how Thomas work, that the guy will focus on his current objectives, disregarding everything else. Therefore, Newt places himself as a defender, a protector, looking for dangers that Thomas doesn’t see, and he intervenes when he thinks the situations needs to. For example when they’re at the protes, Newt is the one looking out for dangers, in this case, the approaching soldiers. For another example, see Newt protecting Thomas from getting shot by Janson :D Or, more subtly…. at the Rebels' HQ, Newt keeps shooting silent glances at Thomas, very quickly, then at Gally, and less often at Fry. On a different and more depressing note, I liked how they played out his illness. Given how in control of himself Newt is, he manages to hide his state and slow the illness far longer than Brenda or Winston did. Yet they needed to show this somehow, so how Newt is very obviously playing with his hand now and then, until it starts to really get worse. And at the very end, I absolutely loved this shot of him looking at the hellish street, the fire, with the music picking up and the image getting blurry, it was an incredible way to symbolize him losing to the virus, really ç___ç

- Minho was amazing too, we got to see a very different side of him. In previous scenes, we had seen a fighter, a strong, composed character, charismatic and secure in his strength. But in The Death Cure.... Well... At the beginning, he looked so much more vulnerable, tired, weakened .....yet not broken : I loved the way he kept rebelling. Like his death glare at the beginning, when Janson is picking at him knowing Thomas rescue mission failed… But also, later the way he played at Teresa, just to be able to let his rage explode. He’s clearly a ball of frustration and anger and resentment at being treated like an animal. Also, I love how his quick thinking and reflexes are highlighted too, the way he cleverly uses every opportunity and manage to wait for the right moment, even when he’s been tortured for a year and should be definitely broken (he must have been a difficult prisoner, I want to hear all the things he pulled on them XD). He doesn’t let his anger control him, instead acting clever yet also using his instinct, which is clearly what differentiates him from Thomas. Also…. I love how he’s still the powerhouse of the group ; I would have wanted even more of that. Where Thomas is overpowered by Janson, Minho (even when he’s weakened after a year of captivity) still manages to win a fight against at least three men, one of which having a weapon, and another combat trained.

- Frypan is the cutest guy in this movie, I wanted to protect him from this all and bring him back to a safe place. Seriously, he made me chuckle so much but also made me smile whenever he talked. I felt bad for him, too, worrying for everyone, with his big and soft heart, not built for these crazy adventures but still trying and following the others. I kept watching his reactions, and I wish we’d seen more of him, seriously, he was not used enough. (Which is made it very difficult to get a decent picture of him)

- I liked Brenda, but I liked her far more in the second part of this movie. When she had to make difficult decisions, decisions that killed her, like leaving Thomas behind, I was happy to see her live by the advice she had given Thomas, accepting that she has to, for the sake of the group of children she’s in charge of. I’ve loved her raw energy and crazy adrenaline-addiction, kinda reminding me of Clara in DW but also underlining how much she’s a spiritual daughter to Jorge. And I loved how brave she was, she really shone in the bus scene, having grown from the presence of both male characters she was linked with (Jorge and Thomas). And she clearly has the shoulders to take control ; it would be awesome to see what she’ll become in the next years, but it’s a given she’ll grow to become even more badass. I think it’s also this survivalist mentality, taking responsibility for the people she saved, that separates her from Thomas, who would endanger the group for the sake of his closest ones, I think. (Also........I prefered her with short hair though.)

- I’ve been so happy to see Gally again, he’s one of my faves and has been since TMR (He’s complex and interesting and I feel so sad that he’s considered by many to be a bad guy, given that his point of view is VERY sensible, I would have sided with him). In TDC, he doesn't disappoint : all of his lines made me grin, he’s just awesome, right from the moment he's introduced. Okay, I knew he’d be in there, so I recognized him instantly, and I'm not sure if we're supposed not to recognize him. There’s a clear disbelief on his part when he spots Thomas and you don’t need to see his face to get that ; despite the fact that he could have left it at that, he decides to save these old "friends" and confront them and I think that's what is key to me liking his character : he has changed, yet remains the same. Through it all, he reacts with far more composure, he's calmer and not as hot headed, yet he's still sarcastic and defiant. In TMR, he was protecting what took him so much energy to build, with fear and something akin to despair ; in TDC, it’s clear he’s lost what was his most treasured place, his security, and the year was probably horrible to him, but he also seem to have learnt a lot on himself and accepted that his place is not one of a leader and is content in that, in this hellish place. And I like that.

- I absolutely adore Janson as a bad guy, with his dangerous or fed-up smiles. I treasure all these moments when he’s clearly feeling murderous inside but is trying to control himself (omg, like the “What bus?” line XD). I think he has rough days XD and I love how he’s come to the point of hating Thomas, and that this hate is tangible XD At first viewing, though, I thought he was too reckless in his behaviour at first, given that up to this moment, he had been composed. Well, if he has caught the Flare (and given that he has access to the Serum, we don’t know when exactly he got infested, though I would suppose it’s very recent - see the Random Thoughts theory about that), it would make more sense that he takes bad, reckless decisions. Or maybe he’s just a not very subtle asshole.

- I like Jorge, but I wish they’d been more subtle with the treatment of his character. Him going berserk at being separated from Brenda? While I love the extremely strong father bond he has for her, it did seem…. OOC, for the guy who was so composed when we met him. Apart from this, he seemed more laid back, compared to the previous film, though still focused on protecting Brenda. I took it as a clue that…. now that he’s sided with the Right Arm, he feels like he’s done all he possibly could to ensure both of their safety and so he’s more relaxed and looking less like a calculating fox (…I liked him as a calculating fox, he wasso much cooler ç__ç).

- Vince was badass, and the greatest leader they could have picked. In the first two movies, the boys had doubts about Thomas’ crazy plans, but they still followed him after he proved he could get away using nothing but crazy schemes and chance ; there, we can see Vince is okay with risky plans, but he favours controlled risks and accepts some risks depending on the expected gains….. meaning that this time, Thomas doesn’t win when he suggests a wild rescue mission, because Vince is having none of that, putting more importance on the survival of the group, than on one individual. I also liked, very much, the relation he seemed to have formed with Thomas, looking like a surrogate father to him. He seems to care for the kid a lot, despite still, as a leader, not wanting to endanger the group, and seriously, I wanted more scenes between the two, with Vince trying to guide Thomas while still admiring his determination and boldness. Also, did I mention he was badass and not afraid of a challenge? (…….Now I want a viking UA with Vince as the viking chief and Thomas as his adopted son.)

- I’m still not sure about Ava, and how we’re supposed to read her character. Because for real, she’s still behaving pretty ruthlessly at the beginning. When she has this conversation with Janson about shooting a crowd of citizens, it sounded on first viewing like she was disapproving, but seriously, on second viewing, she’s not. She’s blaming him for not managing to kill Thomas and telling him to deal with that quickly. …….she only seems to buy herself a conscience when she realizes she has lost the fight, that they won’t find a cure in time, and that it was all in vain. I think her sudden evolution is more betraying that she’s afraid of possible consequences in an afterlife, and suddenly wanting to try to be… forgiven her trespasses somehow? (……..well, I still think you’re a bad woman, Ava. I don’t know about afterlife authorities, but I’m not sold T_T)

- I wish we’d seen Lawrence more, even though…. …..okay, I don’t like him as a character, but he was interesting. I loved his exchange with Thomas about what he could want. Thomas, who is focused on surviving, thinks Lawrence wants time, wants more days to live. Except this only highlights that Thomas is a very…. simple guy, very ‘pure’ kind of soul. He doesn’t spontaneously assume that Lawrence could want something else, could want revenge. I also love that they don’t make it clear right away, what he’s after, but make it cryptic “Is that what I need?” ……also, I hadn’t understood at first viewing that Lawrence was the reason why they took the serum vials with them, but it was, right? (I also wonder if he sees himself as a messiah like figure?)

- I know we haven’t seen her lots, but I love Harriet. She’s dangerous, yet her smile is beautiful and she seems so protective ç___ç also, Aris seemed to have grown up sooo much ç___ç I liked hat Harriet didn’t take part to the rescue mission (protect your loved ones, girl, that’s the way to go, you’re the best ç___ç )

#tdc #tdc spoilers #No I still ain't done #Never stoppiiiiing #It makes me want to do the same for the first two movies #thomas #newt #minho #brenda #teresa #jorge #vince #janson #ava #harriet #gally #frypan

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9r7g5h · 7 years

Text

Remember All - P8

Fandom: Xena: Warrior Princess

Overall Rating: T+ (Rating subject to change)

Genre: General

Summary: Given another chance, left with her memories of their first time through, Gabrielle knows there’s only one option for her- let Xena live. Whatever she had to do, whatever she had to change to make sure that would happen, Gabrielle was willing to do it.

Words: 4,112

AN: *Singing* ~We’re gonna change the world, you’ll be amazed, so full of praise, when we’ve rearranged your world!~ Let’s continue on this wild ride- I’ve got some amazing ideas for future chapters, and to get there we must continue on with the show! Also, to the people who ask: Bad ass Gabs will appear soon, I promise.

Disclaimer: I do not own Xena.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, ???

Stepping off the boat was the hardest thing she ever had to do, second only to accepting Xena’s wish and not pouring her ashes into the water. She stood for how long she didn’t know, just staring at the gangplank; watching as the crew and the men who had come with them disembarked, unloaded the supplies they had brought with them, got prepared to set out and go. She just stood there and watched, unable to force herself to move, to set foot back on the land that had once hurt her so.

It wasn’t until Xena held out her hand, a soft smile- confused, because there was no way Xena could understand what had happened, what was keeping her frozen on the only spot safe for her at the moment, but still encouraging despite her lack of understanding- that Gabrielle found she could move. Found that she could take that single step forward, could take Xena’s hand, and could step onto the gangplank, onto the soil below.

It was beautiful. As much as the island had pained her, as much as she despised its existence, Gabrielle couldn’t deny its beauty. Perhaps the one thing it had going for it, in truth. But it helped, that little bit, just enough. It helped to keep her mind strong, to keep it from wandering down those dangerous paths, helped to keep her grounded in the present. So she stared into the forests, at the rolling hills, and let herself be swept away by the sight of it all.

Better that then the memories, the remembrance of fire and Hope that still killed her a little bit inside every time she thought of them.

It took them a while to find her- the countryside was crawling with Romans, legions celebrating what was to them a sure win. Boadicea had led her army well, but without Xena’s instinctual knowledge of what Caesar was like? She had been destroyed slowly, her army whittled down battle after battle, her forces growing weaker without any support coming in. Not that she had made it easy for the Roman bastards to win, no; she had no support, while it had taken them half a year to get her to this point, and more legions than Caesar probably had justification for. For every Brittianic life lost, at least a dozen Romans had lost their own, until the final battle when Boadicea’s forces had been shattered.

Supposedly, at least. Because her body had never been found, nor had those of her closest generals, and so many still believed them out there. And even if there was no proof, well… if a Roman supply train suddenly found every single axel on their wagons breaking while on smooth roads, or if entire garrisons found themselves falling incredibly ill from befouled water supplies, or if all the bows of entire archery brigade started to snap in half, rendering them useless? More often than not, it was Boadicea’s name whispered, credit given to her whether she was dead or alive. Because either way, whether it was in the flesh or as a spirit trapped by the intrusion of invaders upon her homeland, she was still fighting.

It was, of course, in the flesh, as Gabrielle and Xena eventually found out. In the flesh, with quite a large handful of men still in her service, all with very sharp swords pointed right towards their necks.

For a long moment no one said anything- Xena had ordered the warriors that had accompanied them from Chin to stand down, preventing a fight since Boadicea’s men had stayed their hands as well. It was a long, tense moment of silence, both sides staring, judging, trying to size each other up to determine whether or not the momentary truce would hold. All ready to kill if need be, neither side willing to be the one to make the first move that could end in their deaths if it all went wrong.

She laughed. Pushing back the hood of her cloak, Boadicea laughed as she took in the sight before her, staring at Xena and the small army she had brought to her shores. Not a kind laugh, nor one that even seemed amused- but one half mad, given by someone forced beyond the brink of exhaustion finally seeing a light when it was almost too late.

“About damn time you showed up,” Boadicea said when her laughter had subsided, wiping at her eyes. “I thought news of Caesar would have brought you here a long time ago.”

“I’m here now,” Xena said, stepping forward with one hand out. Her voce and demeanor were calm, casual- instantly betraying how nervous, how worried she was. Even as she approached Boadicea, Gabrielle could see the miniscule movements of her checking everyone else out, making sure she knew exactly where the enemies and her friends were at all time, adjusting her position ever so slightly so she was in line with Gabrielle. Perfectly placed in case things went wrong with her attempt to bridge the gap between her and her once friend. “Still up for a fight?”

Boadicea considered her for a long moment, mistrust clear within her gaze. A common sight when it came to people who knew Xena from her past, people Xena had turned against, had wronged, had forced into a life or death situation where the only winner was Xena. And the longer she stared, considering her options, the more tense things became- soldiers shifting, muttering between themselves under their breaths, all of them waiting for a battle that would break this strange stalemate.

Even Gabrielle felt herself stiffening, her hands wrapping tighter around the staff, staring down the people standing across from her- taking stock. One leaned too far to the right for it to just be tired feet, so an injury. Another was clearly left handed but fighting with her right, so as to not hurt her companions; someone easily disarmed. Another’s helm strap was beginning to fray at the edge: a quick jerk of her staff against the edge of his helm would break it, leaving him defenseless to an attack, allowing her to smash the side of his skull with her weapon. Another-

Boadicea spat off to the side, her distaste for the situation clear. But still she stepped forward and took Xena’s hand, grunting as she stepped away for them to all follow.

They were in the caves. Vast caverns Gabrielle never would have believed could have existed in the perpetually damp climate- they should have been filled with mud and muck after the latest storm. But somehow they had held, and Boadicea's men had spent their time expanding. While she couldn't be sure, as they entered the darkness, one of the men who had come with them from Chin uttered the question they all were wondering.

"How far do these exist?"

"Across the entire island," one of Boadicea's men answered, his voice kept low- they were exposing a hidden entrance, and most of the men were on guard, staring out into the distance as best as they could with trees blocking their lines of sight, searching for Caesar's men. "And more."

Part of her knew it had to be an exaggeration- she knew well enough how much of the country was marsh, land that would collapse the moment it had the room to do so. But as the torches lit up the cavern, Gabrielle could believe it.

It was a city, or as close to one as they could get. Tents filled every corner, set up in every bit of free space they could find. Poles held up the ceiling, dug into the dirt to give some sort of sense of safety. Torches had been sunk into the walls, their flickering light doing little to alleviate the darkness, made even worse by the shadows of Boadicea's army as they scurried through the dark, their shadows a twisted dance upon the walls.

Her grip on her staff tightening, Gabrielle moved so she was almost pressed against Xena, making sure they were constantly close, something of them always touching. This dark, this crowded, it would be easy to get lost from each other, falling victim to the maze Boadicea was leading them through. This dark, this crowded, it would be easy for a blade to find its way home into someone who couldn't quite yet see.

The tent they finally stopped before was large- a full general's tent, though in the caverns it looked ridiculous. Lopsided on the lumpy floor, as if it was about to fall at any moment, though enough ropes had been tied around nearby protrusions from the walls to keep it at least semi-stable. Though it wobbled as they entered, a humorous effect if it wasn't for the fear of it falling upon them. It wouldn't be harmful, no, but Gabrielle already felt as if she could touch the rocks, as if they were pressing upon her despite the distance. She had no desire to be surrounded by darkness and fabric when she was already encased in darkness and stone.

"What information have you been able to gather so far," Xena asked the moment the tent's flap closed behind them. Walking over to the uneven table that had been set up in the center of the room, she began to pour over the maps that had been laid out in the half-light the torch provided, one finger tracking the markings that had been made. Cities the Romans had taken, Gabrielle guessed, or places where battles had been lost. The same, it seemed for many of them, towns and villages she knew would be filled with dead. "Where is Caesar now? If I can-"

"You'll do nothing, Xena," Boadicea growled, stomping forward and yanking the map away. "This is my army, and I'll command it as I see fit. If you want a chance at Caesar, you'll accept that now."

"I'm not here to take your army," Xena said after a long moment, looking Boadicea over. "Not now, anyway. I'm here for Caesar- nothing more."

"Then you'll wait," Boadicea replied, straightening her back ever so slightly at Xena's calculating stare. Her glare was strong, enough to match Xena's level gaze, though after a few moments she allowed her eyes to fall. "I have a plan, Xena. If you want Caesar, you'll go along with it. Any attempts to do otherwise will only get you killed. You and your little friend."

Boadicea glanced over, just long enough to spare Gabrielle to quick, curious glance- one Gabrielle was used to. She still didn't look like much, not yet; a young woman, weaponless except for a very big stick, traveling with the Warrior Princess. She didn't look like much- and that was how so many had fallen before her. Not in death, not in this world and not yet, at least, but still, many had learned not to take her quite so lightly.

Something Boadicea would learn herself.

"Is that a threat?" Xena's voice was light, but her mannerisms were deadly: her hand twitched closer to her chakram, and for a moment Gabrielle couldn't help but worry if they would have to fight their way back out of the caves. Their men had scattered the moment they had entered, taken aside by Boadicea's men to help with some of the camp tasks, and in this light there would be no finding them. If it turned into a fight, they were as good as dead, even if she and Xena could make their way free.

"A warning," Boadicea replied, her voice still gruff but slightly less threatening than it had been a moment before. As if she had noticed Xena's movement; a possibility, with how skilled she was of a fighter, a leader, it would be a poor lacking on her part if she hadn't seen that she had raised Xena's hackles, and a death wish if she didn't do something to smooth them over. "You have no idea what you're dealing with here, Xena, and attempting something like that on your own would be foolish, even for you."

"Then fill me in." Xena settled herself into one of the chairs that surrounded the table, rocking slowly side to side on the uneven legs as she waited for Boadicea to respond. When they both looked at her, Gabrielle stepped forward and took a seat of her own, waiting.

Boadicea didn't let them down. For the next who knew how long, for time was hard to track when darkness was the default, Boadicea filled them in on what had been going on in Britannia. Of the battles they had fought, the villages they had razed to the ground, the men they had lost in this war. Where they had loyal people bringing them news, where those friends had gone silent, where they knew nothing and had no way of getting someone in. On the movements of troops and the little pockets of resistance that had popped up when the army itself had finally fallen.

On Caesar's whereabouts, and her plan for his demise.

"Londinium," Gabrielle said slowly, repeating the name of the town Boadicea had just named for them. "That's where he is?"

"Last we heard," Boadicea replied gruffly, nodding as she pointed to a crudely sketched place on the map- a recent addition, it seemed. "Caesar had it built shortly after he took control of the area- it's supposed to be the beginning of a great Roman hold on Britannia. Supposedly the little bastard's holed up in there, running this war through proxy."

"And you're going to sneak into the city and kill him?" Though framed as a question, there wasn't much of a question in Gabrielle's voice- it was clear what Boadicea was planning. Gabrielle just voiced the question to get confirmation.

"Once we figure out how to get in, aye," Boadicea said, her fingers tapping on the map before her. "We've thought the river would be a good way to get in, but boats are too easy to see and defend against. We thought maybe a frontal attack against the walls, but we have no idea how many men face us on the inside, and even then, the archers would take us out before we got close. Then there's just opening the doors, storming the city, finding Caesar and killing him. All a hunk of bread." Boadicea gave what was almost a wiry smile, self-deprecating in nature for the hurtle that remained before them. "Without their fearless leader, the Romans would fall back, and we might be able to retake the country. But if we failed..."

She didn't need to finish. Failure would mean death, a Roman conquest, and another part added to the Empire.

"I could get you in."

Boadicea almost started- the entire time she had been talking, Xena hadn't said a word, instead just listening to her and Gabrielle discuss the issue before them. Turning from Gabrielle to fully face Xena instead, Boadicea just tilted her head, waiting for Xena to continue.

"The river," Xena said, leaning over and tapping the map. "You can swim down the river, climb up the bank, climb the wall into the camp, and then it would just be a matter of sneaking to the front gates. It wouldn't be too well manned- no, Caesar thinks he's already won. He gets arrogant when he's close to winning. He'll have sent most of his men to bolster the battalions in the field, and will only have a hundred with him, tops. I get in, take out a couple as I go, open the doors to let your men in- we'd have the city within a few hours. Then we would just need to find Caesar himself. And best part is, he doesn't even know I'm here. He wouldn't be expecting it."

It wasn't clear, not in the dim lighting, but Gabrielle knew Xena. She knew her better than anything else, and even in the near darkness, it was clear Xena was shaking. Shaking with excitement, an edge to her voice that only showed up when she wanted something and was close to finally getting it.

In this case, her revenge.

"You really think he'd be that stupid," Boadicea asked, though the hint of energy that had returned to her voice was enough to betray her as well- she was already staring intently at where Xena's hand rested on the map, her almost willingness to hope clear. "He's not a fool."

"No," Xena confirmed, shaking her head. "He's smart and clever and will have thought of almost everything else possible. But he is proud, believes that ruling the world is his destiny, and that'll blind him. We can use that to our advantage."

For a while longer they discussed it, throwing out thoughts and counter thoughts, trying to work through every angle in an attempt to discover anything they might have missed. When Xena would enter the river, where Boadicea's people would wait, what time they would begin their attack- they discussed every detail possible, going over every little thing to create the perfect plan.

Gabrielle only half listened, just enough to know where she would be- with Boadicea, preferably with some group that would remain out of the fighting, providing first aid to the soldiers who came back wounded. An assignment Gabrielle struggled to keep a derisive snort from sounding at; the idea that she would be anywhere but the thick of the battle, working her way towards Xena, was absurd. Maybe not to Xena, who still didn't know, didn't understand, but to her? There was no other option.

But instead of listening to the plan, instead of mentally preparing herself for the battle to come, Gabrielle focused instead on another section of the map she could see. A valley with three hills, surrounded by mountains on all sides. A large mark covering the parchment, indicating a major loss that Gabrielle knew, if Xena had been there, would have been a win. A badly drawn building (a temple, she knew it was a temple, even if on the map it was just a messy brown square. A temple that the thought of turned her pale, that had her hands shaking if she thought too much about it) hiding among the trees.

"This temple."

Xena and Boadicea froze, both of them turning to look at Gabrielle- it was clear from their faces that they had forgotten she existed, they had been so caught up in their planning. But her voice had reminded them, and, curious, Boadicea motioned for her to continue.

"Caesar had men posted in this temple," Gabrielle said, tapping the map. "Was it destroyed?"

"How did you know that," Boadicea asked, her eyebrow raising as she gave Gabrielle a look over. "That Caesar put men there?"

"Was it destroyed?"

Both women shared a look at the insistence in Gabrielle's voice, the almost twinge of anger and fear that caused Xena concern and had Boadicea even more curious, both turning fully to look at her. It was clear Boadicea wanted to question her more, had a dozen thoughts just waiting on the tip of her tongue. But a look at Xena, a nod when Xena shook her head, and Boadicea replied.

"Aye," she said. "Watched his men tear it to the ground. It's gone."

She fell.

Gabrielle was aware of both Xena and Boadicea's voices surrounding her, was aware of Xena's arms wrapping around her and pulling her close, was aware of the hustling of men as someone brought forth a waterskin. Gabrielle was aware of it all, knew well enough that it was happening, but what did it matter?

The temple was gone. Dahok's followers were either slaves to the Romans or dead, at the very least scattered. There was no one to perform the ceremony, no one to betray her, no one to gain her trust and shatter her.

She was free.

"You best get her to sleep," Boadicea finally said- the first words Gabrielle was truly aware of as the relief finally began to fade. As she remembered where she was, as she felt herself leaning against Xena, as she felt Xena's fingers try and wipe away the tears that were streaking her cheeks. Tears she hadn't even been aware of, sobs that tore at her throat that she was only just now hearing. Xena was whispering to her, her words too fast and just barely restraining panic for Gabrielle to understand what she meant, but they were soothing nonetheless.

She took the waterskin Boadicea held out when she noticed Gabrielle had returned to them, and Gabrielle drained it, every piece of her being calling for the moisture. She coughed- it caught in her throat, just for a moment, but almost enough to send Xena into a tizzy as she fussed over her; brushing her hair away from her face, asking a stream of questions Gabrielle had no answer for, everything that showed just how helpless Xena currently felt.

Gabrielle felt the same- she felt weak, tired and weak and sore from a weight she hadn't realized she was still carrying. Especially since she had already accepted she was free, free with Krafstar’s imprisonment. She had thought herself free then, but now? Now she was.

"I'm sorry," Gabrielle said when she was breathing evenly, her voice stable. "That temple, it...it means something to me. Something I read. It being destroyed just came as a pleasant shock."

"You've had a long journey here," Boadicea said, allowance in her voice. "You two must be tired. Xena," Boadicea continued, focusing on her, "you two go get some rest. My men will show you to a tent. We'll continue planning tomorrow."

They exchanged a look- one that promised questions to come, one that suggested there might be answers- before Xena just nodded and shifted, her arms wrapping securely around Gabrielle to hold her tightly in place against Xena’s chest. Rising, Xena ignored Gabrielle’s protests as she began to walk, following after one of Boadicea’s men as he led them deeper into the caves, where smaller, more private tents were waiting.

The moment they were alone, the closing tent flaps sending them into darkness, Xena carefully put Gabrielle to her feet and began to check her over for wounds, her hands searching familiar skin in the darkness and finding it intact. Continuing to ignore her, Xena gently pressed Gabrielle towards the pallet that existed as the bed, kneeling before her to undo her boots as she continued her examination.

“Xena, I’m alright. Promise.”

“Was it a vision?” Her voice was tight as Xena slid Gabrielle’s foot from the boot, her hand wrapping around Gabrielle’s ankle to ensure the joint was alright and healthy- slightly swollen from a long day’s walk, but nothing unusual. Still, Xena massaged the muscle- and at that moment Gabrielle realized she was trying to keep herself busy. Was trying to distract her mind with moving hands, all while subduing her constant fear that something would happen to her.

Reaching forward slowly in the dark to avoid her fingers making contact with Xena’s eyes, Gabrielle gently cupped Xena’s face and lifted it upwards. Placing a small, reassuring kiss somewhere- Xena’s cheekbone, it turned out, the distinction hard to make in the almost pure darkness- Gabrielle reached down and tugged one of Xena’s hands upwards, pressing her lips against Xena’s palm so she could feel her smile.

“Just a dream.” Their code for something changing, indicating a difference between what Gabrielle had “seen” and what was to be. A code that had Xena nodding, her head moving in Gabrielle’s hand the only indication she understood.

“Will you tell me your dream?” Not a common question, but one Xena had given enough- sometimes Gabrielle had refused her, while other times Gabrielle had recounted how their adventures had once gone, as their ‘dream’ version, before the world had changed. But this time Gabrielle shook her head no- she would, one day. By the gods, one day she would sit Xena down and explain it all, so she could finally understand.

But for now Gabrielle shook her head and leaned in for another kiss, managing after a few moments of searching to capture Xena’s lips.

She was free.

#XWP #Xena #Xena: Warrior Princess #XWP fanfic #XWP fanfiction #Xena fanfic #Xena fanfiction #Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfiction #Xena: Warrior Princess fanfic

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