#Game Path to Nowhere Nightingale

[cosplayclans]

Path to Nowhere Nightingale Cosplay Wigs

[kurogane2512]

Was supposed to write this as a Christmas fic but here it is being a mix of Christmas and New Year~

Game: Path to Nowhere

Characters: Various x fem!reader (Chief) (includes Chameleon, Cabernet, Eirene, Langley, Garofano, Sumire, Chelsea, Lady Pearl, Vautour Bleu and Bai Yi; basically open relationship with all)

Type: Fluff and implied smut (long fic)

The end of the year was a busy time for you with lots of reports and documentation to complete, even more so considering the staff had taken holidays for the last week to spend time with their families and loved ones. Unfortunately, as the Chief of MBCC, you didn't have such plans. After all, you didn't have a home or family to go back to. Your days were always spent in the Bureau, whether it be working days or not. You didn't mind it, you liked the place and it was important to be there for the Sinners.

Some Sinners also took permissions for outing this week, most likely for similar reasons as the staff. But a considerable amount was still at the bureau and it was your duty to ensure they enjoy the holidays too. With that in mind, you had already planned everything with Nightingale's help to organise a Christmas party. On the morning of Christmas, the Sinners woke up to find lights and holiday decorations all around the bureau and personalized invitations at their doors. By evening, everyone started gathering in the recreational area wearing Christmas themed outfits and eagerly waiting for the party to begin.

"Did she really plan all this? I'm impressed~"

"She's always so hard working for us..."

"I can't wait to see what's in store!"

They mumbled amongst themselves as they waited. Then, all of a sudden, the door burst open and someone dressed in red and white with a beard and a red bag came hopping in cheering 'Merry Christmas' and throwing candies from the bag. It didn't take long for everyone to figure out it was none other than their beloved Chief dressed as Santa Claus. The children appeared most excited and huddled around you to take more candies, but more surprises awaited them.

"Follow me, everyone!" You announced and led them to the courtyard and their eyes widened at the marvelous sight in front.

A giant Christmas tree decorated with all sorts of ornaments stood in the center, and a huge bunch of gifts were placed under it. More lights and decorations adorned the area along with artificial snow falling down to give the effect of real Christmas as much as possible. You wanted all of them to feel happy even if they were away from their loved ones. You soon began distributing gifts from the bunch to each of them. It was a long and hard process to think of unique gifts for all, but you hoped everyone would like your choice.

"Ah, I wanted this for so long! Thank you, Chief!" Owo said excitedly.

"Chief, how did you know I wanted this....?" Garofano commented with a smile.

"My, this is unexpected but pleasant nonetheless~" Chameleon remarked while smirking.

Many more Sinners remarked on the gifts and thanked you. You were truly glad to see everyone liked what they received.

"Merry Christmas everyone! Please help yourselves to the feast and I hope all of you have a good time!" You spoke after the gift distribution, showing the unraveled buffet you specially arranged for. It was no lavish feast, but it was more than heartwarming for them to see you do so much. Many of them didn't really think much of Christmas and didn't plan to celebrate- like Chameleon, who had bare minimum interest in the festival. But even she could appreciate this gesture. Hours quickly passed as everyone enjoyed themselves to the night and the day was over before you knew it.

You went back to your office once everything was finished and sat on the couch with a sigh while removing the hefty Santa Claus clothes. You laid down on the couch for a moment to rest, your eyes fixated on the ceiling as you pondered over the day and felt happy everything went well. You then got up and decided to complete some more paperwork and your eyes fell on a small box kept on your table with the label- 'Merry Christmas, Chief. Thank you for your hard work'. There was no undersign but you could tell it was from Nightingale, she had also taken a leave from today until 31st. You smiled to yourself and securely kept the contents of the box in an appropriate place then sat on your desk to work.

Some time passed and in another corner of the bureau was the arrival of a most unexpected guest. The limousine stopped in front of the bureau and the leader of the 9th Agency stepped out, her cane tapping on the floor first. She looked at the building in front of her with a smirk then flicked her hat before beginning to walk inside. She glanced at the decorations in the courtyard as she walked, smiling internally at the preparations you did. She finally reached your office door and opened it to reveal your body perched upon the desk, meticulously working as always. Langley half expected you to rest now, but she knew well that wouldn't be the case.

"Ahem, hard at work, rookie?~"

Langley's sudden voice beamed in your ears, causing you to stand up.

"L-Langley! What brings you here at this hour?"

Langley smiled and closed the door behind her as she walked in then stood in front of you. She took a look around the office and seemed disappointed at how empty and normal it looked.

"Checking up on my rookie. I see you didn't take a break even during Christmas."

"Ah, I did for some time. You know, there was the party...."

"Hm, I see."

"Oh, that reminds me! It's good you came here right now, wait a minute."

You asked her to stay while you proceeded to look in your cabinet and soon took out a wrapped box then came back to her side.

"This is for you. Merry Christmas, boss~"

Langley looked at the beautifully wrapped box and was taken aback for a moment, though her expression remained fairly unchanged.

"What is this?"

"Your Christmas gift. I had thought to give it to you whenever we'd meet and it's good that you came right now. I hope you'll like it...."

Langley accepted the box and stared at it for a moment then kept it on the desk. Her lips curled up in a smirk and before you knew it, she pulled you closer by grabbing your chest harness and pressed her lips to yours. Your eyes widened at the surprising sensation, but Langley only went deeper as she stepped closer and pinned you against the edge of the desk. Her lips ravaged yours with fervor, rolling her tongue with yours in a passionate kiss. Her hands pinned yours to the side, holding you by your wrists as she came closer and made you lie flat on the table while her knee lodged between your thighs.

"Mmm.... L-Langley....!~"

You moaned into the kiss, fueling Langley's desire further. She bit your lower lip and continued kissing you deeply until she was satisfied. You were breathless by the time she pulled away, panting intensely while she gazed at you and caressed your lips with her thumb. She smirked as she stepped away to let you stand up and fix yourself while she fixed her own clothes too then picked up her cane.

"You have my thanks, rookie. Rest up now."

"R-Right, I will, boss...."

Langley chuckled and was about to walk out when something came in her mind.

"I do wonder, did your beloved Sinners thank you in return for all your effort? I don't see any kind of gifts around."

"Ah, they don't need to. I wanted them to enjoy which I guess they did, seeing them happy is a good enough gift for me."

Langley stared at you then nodded before turning around to walk away.

"Seriously, rookie...." she muttered under her breath before glancing one last look at you as she exited.

The day of the celebration passed and everything was back to normal. Most Sinners who went out returned while some took an extended outing until New Year's Eve. It was still a festive atmosphere but for you there was no end to the paperwork, you just hoped to complete it all before next year....

Unbeknownst to you, a secret gathering of some Sinners was being conducted in a secluded area of the bureau by courtesy of Nightingale. You'd generally have eyes and ears everywhere, but on request of the boss of the 9th Agency, Nightingale prepared a room where they could meet in solace. Nobody was aware of the agenda of this supposed meeting, many couldn't even understand why Langley wanted to meet this way.

"I gather these are all the people who are interested, Adjutant?" Langley asked Nightingale who firmly nodded.

"There would be more but I refrained from inviting too many. They will be sufficient for now."

"Understood, then let's begin right away. I won't waste much time, the agenda of this meeting is simple. Your beloved Chief organized such a marvelous Christmas party, yet she received nothing in return from any of you."

Langley's sharp words triggered many of them, some furrowing their brows as if feeling accused of doing something wrong.

"Hmm? If this is about gratitude, then I had extended an invitation to her for my private Christmas gathering and she refused it herself." Eirene was the first to speak. It was surprising she came to this meeting considering she wasn't in the party, but she was always interested in things like this if it involved you.

"Oh? What a coincidence, so did I. It's a shame truly, she would have had so much fun at my party~" Chelsea countered, making Eirene glare at her for a moment before letting out a chuckle.

"Surely your little....party would be incomparable to my annual celebration. It's renowned in Eastside and Quinn only offers the best services~"

Chelsea also glared at her before smirking, "That's precisely why my sugar baby would like my place better. It'd be more personal and....intimate, she could have anything she wants and I would ensure the best reception for her~"

Eirene was about to retort when a giggle was heard from the other corner.

"Reception, you say? Then the Francs have most experience here. Our parties are as large as Quinn's but frivolous formalities are left at the door. It's no wonder Chief declined you both to come to mine~"

Cabernet quipped, her words making everyone stare at her in shock.

"What?! I don't believe my sugar baby would discriminate this way!" Chelsea gasped.

"Um, if I may interject...." a soft voice interrupted the commotion and they all turned their gazes towards the source.

"....Chief was at the party yesterday the entire time. I can confirm since I was part of it." it was Garofano who spoke.

"If my word matters then I can confirm as well~" Chameleon added.

Chelsea let out a sigh of relief while Eirene cleared her throat and Cabernet was giggling to herself, enjoying riling them up.

"Just a moment, you say she was at the party the whole time? Did she not take the day off for her own personal matters?"

Another person spoke and this time it was Lady Pearl who had been silently listening so far.

"Yes, that appears to be the case. Adjutant Nightingale can explain better, perhaps?" Garofano replied.

Nightingale let out a sigh, "Chief lives here only; she has no home, family or associates of any kind. She put in lot of work for the party yesterday, planned it a long time ago and implemented it herself since I and most of the staff were also on leave yesterday."

Everyone went silent hearing the surprising truth. They all knew how much effort you spent to run the bureau but they weren't aware you had no personal life to speak of.

"Ah, finally I can continue? Thank you, Adjutant. Since everyone is up to date with the matter now, let me reiterate my point. I don't care what parties or gatherings you invited her to, in the end, she did not receive any gratitude in return. So, the stage is open for ideas. I don't care when it is and how it is as long as you all come to an answer she will like." Langley spoke.

The room was silent once again as everyone seemed to ponder then Chameleon spoke.

"Hmm, and why do you care so much about showing gratitude to her, Ms Langley?~"

Langley's brow twitched and she glared at Chameleon before someone added in.

"That's true. And who made you the boss here?! You weren't even at the party yourself!" Bai Yi was the one to speak this time while leisurely leaning against the wall.

"Would you like to take charge then, Ms Bai Yi?~" Langley replied with a fake smile.

"Ooh, now we are talking! Alright, listen up everyone! We are going to organize the best party for Chief!" Bai Yi announced with a cheer, but nobody cheered with her in agreement and she quiety stepped back.

Langley rolled her eyes at the annoying interferences, she was regretting to organize this meeting.

"A-Ahem, back to the topic. Would anyone like to suggest ideas? It doesn't have to be a party, our motive is to thank Chief for all she has done. I suggest we do something on the 31st and make it a New Year's present for her." Nightingale said.

"Good idea, Adjutant. I agree about making it a New Year's gift." Langley complimented.

"Well then, perhaps we should name the things she likes and choose according to that." Chameleon said.

Everyone nodded and started pondering what things you liked- be it hobbies, entertainment, food, music etc. However, after pondering for a good while, nobody could come up with concrete options. It's not that they didn't think of anything, but more like they didn't know what you liked personally.

"Uh, what does Chief even like? She seems to do anything and everything that catches her eye around the bureau...." Sumire broke the silence with her doubt.

"Hmm, I have seen her often talk with Pepper and Mentor about the plants here but it doesn't seem she grows any out of personal interest." Garofano added.

"She enjoys the plays the children perform, but always denies getting involved herself whenever I suggest her to take up the stage." Lady Pearl continued.

"She is a good food critc and always eats with me when I invite her, but in the end she enjoys simple meals most." Cabernet said.

"I suggested her to read some new books once and she read them all in a month then added them to the library, but I rarely see her pick out new books otherwise." Eirene added.

"Hmmm....something she enjoys.... Ah, all I can think about is the way her face contorts in pleasure when we—" Bai Yi spoke dreamily, until being stopped by everyone.

"Ahem, Ms Bai Yi, while I agree with you, now is not the time for that." Eirene scolded, making Bai Yi pout.

"Hmph, she certainly has a knack for getting kidnapped as well~" Langley teased, making everyone chuckle.

"She is also a terrible undercover agent if she easily fawns over her target next door~" Vautour Bleu commented.

Light chuckles resounded in the room as everyone tried to recall the things you like and enjoy, but nobody could settle on what to do for gratitude since everything they recounted only seemed to show your dedication towards them.

"I....suppose she's fond of taking care of us...." Sumire spoke in a melancholic tone.

"It's her job. Although, she does seem too focused on work all the time...." Garofano said in agreement.

"Hah, so you are saying we don't know anything she personally likes to do? Her hobbies or interests, anything?" Chelsea said in an annoyed tone.

"Adjutant, you must be knowing her better than us. Do you have any input?" Langley probed Nightingale who looked down with a dejected expression.

"No, I don't know any better either. If she's not assissting any of the Sinners then she's cooped up in her office buried in paperwork. I always try to ease her burdens so she could take a break but the work seems never ending...."

"Does she.... not have a life without us? What was she like before she became the Chief here?" Sumire asked.

Her question intrigued everyone, it was true they didn't know how you were outside of your job and before it. Langley sensed the growing curiosity and knew she had to divert the topic, disclosing such sensitive information about you would have dire consequences.

"That hardly matters, we are getting off-topic once again. If none of you can think anything then I suggest having a party and arranging personal gifts for her, it seems to be the safest option and she will get to have a break too."

Langley's proposal was fair but nobody responded immediately as they were still thinking to do something else.

"It is quite simple, I don't see what this fuss is about." Chamelon said all of a sudden, and everyone looked at her with confused faces.

"Care to explain, Chameleon?" Langley said.

"Hah.... If all we can think about is her dedication towards us then doesn't that mean we are the ones she loves most?~"

Eyes widened at Chameleon's statement as if a sudden switch was triggered in everyone's mind.

"But, isn't that—" Garofano said but was cut off.

"What's the harm in that? Don't tell me you all find yourselves to be of so little value for her?~" Chameleon said.

More silence followed Chameleon's words until Garofano spoke up with a smile.

"I adore the way she smiles when I make new clothes for her. She always tries them on so happily and thanks me, she looks so happy wearing them...."

Sumire was next to say, "She is my most treasured person. She participates in tea ceremonies and flower arrangements with me, she does it with diligence and looks forward to next time...."

Eirene added now, "She is my true partner. She never denies playing chess with me even though she always loses, and she always schedules a next match...."

"Her palate is much simpler than mine, she hardly knows most of the dishes I offer to her but she always tries everything and thanks me for introducing her to new flavors. Not to mention, she never fails to satisfy my hunger for her...." Cabernet said with a sigh.

Chameleon chuckled, "Since the day she agreed to be my toy, she has never failed to keep up with me. I look forward to the late night talks with her...."

Everyone eventually revealed their most cherished moments with you since they were the time they had seen you be the happiest around them.

"How romantic, seems a wedding ceremony may as well be the best gift for her~" Langley teased, "But, this has given me an idea now."

~*~

It was the last day of the year now. You didn't even realize how time passed so quickly and another year was coming to a close. You were thrust into this role 2 years ago with no memories or knowledge of yourself and the world, but here you were still thriving somehow. You had completed all major paperwork and were only left with minor issues which you planned to slowly complete throughout the day, today you wanted to feel relaxed. With a cup of coffee in your hand, you came to the cafeteria to grab a bite and noticed it was emptier than usual.

Most Sinners would generally be here at this hour for breakfast. You noticed how many of the older ones were absent, save for a few. You didn't pay much heed to this and headed back to your office with the coffee and sandwich in hand. More hours passed in the blink of an eye as you worked on your desk with unbroken resolve as you were determined to keep your evening free. You wanted to organize a New Year's party but had already used most budget for the Christmas party, still you planned to order some good food for everyone.

Strange enough, nobody came to your office the entire time for any matter, nor did any situation come up among the Sinners. It felt as if you were the only one in the building, if not for Nightingale's regular check-ins. You remembered some of them had taken outing permission for today as well, but the silence was still daunting. It was late evening when you finally completed your work and decided to head to your room to rest for a while.

As you approached the door, you noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor and crouched to pick it up. It was a simple card with the following words written- 'For Chief, come to us <3'

The wording made you think someone was playing a prank, but the familiar scent coming from the paper made you curious. You stood up and opened the door and were met with the sight of a red heart shaped balloon and a similar kind of paper attached to its string, which read- 'Thank you for always taking care of us'

You couldn't understand what was happening. You looked around and saw another similar balloon at the end of the lobby and swiftly walked up to it. As expected, another paper was attached to it which read- 'Thank you for your hard work'

This was followed by another balloon a few steps away with the paper reading- 'You are the light in my grim world'. This messaged seemed more personal, and you had some idea who it could be from but weren't fully sure.

The next card read- 'You are my most treasured gem.' Another personal card and this one seemed more obvious.

You blindly kept following the trail of balloons and were desperately searching for the next one which was slightly farther but not out of sight. You held the card which read- 'You are the most delicious delicacy in this world I will patiently wait for.' This could only be from a certain red-haired woman....

The next card in your hand read- 'Thank you for giving us, me, a place to call home'. Another ambiguous message, but something felt familiar about it.

You didn't realize when you reached the last balloon and were also standing in front of your own room now. You looked around in awe as you snapped out of your trance, wondering who did this but the hall was empty. The last balloon was attached to the door knob with a simple message pasted- 'We are waiting for you ;)'

You contemplated for a moment about what to do. Everything was quite suspicious and you had a few suspects in mind but weren't sure what the motive was here. You had an idea of what awaited you beyond this door. Would it really be the right choice to go in? You could simply ignore everything and walk away, but deep down you were eager to know the finish line of this chase.

You took a deep breath and turned the knob to open the door and were met with complete darkness. You stepped inside and the door automatically shut itself and you knew it was futile to try to go out. You remembered the framework of your room hence cautiously walked forward until you felt your foot step on something like a button and in an instant, bright lights covered your view followed by sounds of something popping and cheers of 'Surprise!'

As your eyes adjusted, you finally realized what was happening. There stood all of your Sinners- well, some of them- with a cake in front and party poppers on the floor. The room was decorated with simple ornaments that gave a positive and cheerful vibe, and the cake was labeled- 'Thank you'

"What.... what is all this?" those were the words that first left your mouth. The SInners in front had similar reactions, some smiled while a few chuckled at your dumbfounded expression.

"It is our gratitude for you, Chief. You did so much for us on Christmas, and every day before it, while we didn't give you anything in return. We wanted to show our appreciation for you as well." Sumire answered your question with the most sincere and honest reply.

"We are sorry we didn't give you anything in return on Christmas even though you did so much for us. Please forgive us and accept this as your belated Christmas present." Garofano continued and both of them pushed the table with the cake closer to you.

You were rendered speechless and motionless for a moment, not knowing how to respond. You looked at all the women gathered around who were smiling and waiting for you to cut the cake. You didn't know they had such thoughts and almost felt guilty for making them think you found them ungrateful.

"I... I-I don't know what to say. Um.... you all didn't have to do this. I don't feel any of you are ungrateful and I don't mind not receiving anything in return. I just wanted you all to feel happy on a festive day like that, the greatest gift for me is seeing you all being happy...."

The words barely came out of you as you stuttered out of embarrassment. All of them felt their hearts skip a beat hearing them, it was beyond their understanding how you could make them feel this way.

"Save your humility for later, Chief. It wouldn't hurt to receive thanks once in a while, would it?~" Chameleon spoke amidst the silence and walked up to you. She stood in front and lighted the candle on the cake then stepped back.

"Indeed. You deserve this, rookie~" Langley's voice beamed from your left.

You felt overwhelmed at the gesture and struggled to react for a while then took a deep breath and picked up the knife. You blew the candle and everyone clapped as you cut the cake. You didn't expect to receive anything like this, but you would be lying if you said the feeling wasn't good.

"Whose idea was it to do this, by the way?" you asked and everyone fell silent once again until Langley spoke.

"That doesn't matter. It was a group effort in the end. Now then, let's move to the gifts."

It seemed as if she dodged the question but you didn't probe further as you were more surprised hearing about gifts.

"Wait, gifts? There's more to this surprise?"

"Why, of course. No celebration is complete without gifts, is it?~" Chelsea spoke.

You waited for them to give their gifts but you couldn't see any kind of boxes or packets around them. All of a sudden, they stepped closer to you at once and soon stood in a circle around you. Their eyes glimmered with mischief, lips curled up in smirks as they gazed at you.

"S-So, what are the gifts....?"

"About that, Chief..... We thought long and hard about the things you like— any accessories, electronics, food— anything. But in the end, we couldn't figure out any materialistic option that you'd like." Eirene said in a humming tone.

"But then, the best option finally dawned on us after meticulous discussion. Care to take a guess?~" Chelsea added.

"Uhhh, I'm not sure...."

"Hehe~ Oh, you are so adorable, Chief~" Chameleon commented.

"We realized the best gift for you is.... us~" Cabernet revealed, making your eyes widen in surprise.

"I-I don't think I follow...." you nervously spoke, subconsciously averting your gaze from them.

"We know, Chief. You care for us most. And we care for you as well, you are the most important person in our lives. That's why, we want to give ourselves to you. Our mind, body and soul— everything is yours." Garofano explained and stepped closer to hold your hand.

You were rendered speechless once again. The turn of events was most unexpected. While you already had sexual relationships with all of them as a form of stress relief and fulfillment, you didn't think they wanted something so serious with you.

"Take us, Chief. There is nobody else who deserves us the way you do, we cannot think to devote ourselves to anyone other than you." Sumire added and stepped in to hold your other hand.

"I...." you tried to form words but none came out.

You could see their expressions turning sour at your continued silence and realized you were making them upset. But before you could finally respond, someone jumped in and kissed you. Surprised gasps resounded around you at the perpetrator- who was none other than Bai Yi.

"Aah, all of you were wasting so much time that I couldn't wait! Stop thinking so much about it and just take us, Chief~" Bai Yi said with a wink and kissed you again.

Perhaps the electrifying kiss is exactly what you needed to come back to your senses. Once she pulled away, you were finally brave enough to accept what was happening and respond accordingly.

"I.... I'm very grateful for this. Truly, you all didn't need to do it but I am very happy. Thank you, all of you. As for your gifts.... a-ahem, how should I open them....?" you said with a blush and they smirked at your question.

You then felt a pair of arms wrap around your neck and were soon pulled to the side by Sumire who hurriedly kissed you. Garofano chuckled at her colleague's impatient action, but she knew deep down she was equally impatient. As soon as Sumire let you go, Garofano pulled you to her side by your collar and kissed you next, pressing her lips deeply with yours.

"Ah, how unruly of you three to steal kisses from her before us~" Vautour said while stepping closer.

You realized all of them had stepped closer to you and were squeezing you in the center, your face turned red at their close proximity.

"S-So, what are we going to d— mmph!~"

Your words were blocked by Chelsea who kissed you next, swiftly moving in and closing the gap.

"Don't forget you are still my sugar baby~" she whispered against your lips.

"If that's the case...." Chameleon said and pulled you out of Chelsea's hold. Her hand cupped your face before she moved close to ghost your lips, "....You are also my toy, I'm not going to stop our little games~". She then kissed you, pressing herself against you.

You were already feeling overwhelmed and embarrassed by the continuous kisses, but you knew more awaited. Cabernet was next to pull you towards her. She embraced you as if swallowing you, wrapping herself around you sensually while kissing you.

"Mmm, your taste is always addicting.... Let me have more, darling~"

"That will have to wait. Come here, my partner~" Eirene beckoned you with her finger. You had merely taken a few steps towards her when she suddenly embraced you before kissing you passionately.

"Just to be clear, the Quinn is still not included in this relationship. You have more ways to go before you can inherit it beside me~"

Your mind plunged in a daze. You didn't even drink any alcohol but felt dizzy as things continued, perhaps it was the feeling of being lovestruck. As soon as Eirene released you, you were pulled away once again but pinned to the wall this time with your wrists held out to the sides. The action and touch of the person was familiar, and you were indeed correct when the person came in front of you to occupy all your senses with her deep, hypnotizing presence.

"V-Vautour...." you merely whispered her name, a small smile growing on her lips.

"A very interesting place you brought me to.... I'm willing to rest my wings here and make it my nest~"

Vautour Bleu husked then drew close to kiss you. Her kiss was gentler and slower than others, but conveyed the same kind of feelings. She stepped away before you even realized the sensation was gone. A hand grabbed your wrist and you were pulled again, this time into a dance position. Lady Pearl was your partner, her right hand resting on your shoulder while her left joined your right.

"You never fail to surprise me.... Oh, this reverie is enchanting and I wish to dance with you till the world goes up in flames~"

She came close to kiss you too, a simple yet frenzied kiss that showed her desire for you. Just when you thought it was over, you remebered someone important was left.

"Enjoying the attention, rookie?~" Langley spoke from behind. You were about to turn around to face her but she didn't let you as she embraced you from the back, her right hand cupping your jaw.

"....You were the one who planned this, right?"

Langley didn't reply and you couldn't see her expression either. She simply turned your face towards herself and leaned down to kiss you.

"Some truths are better left unsaid, rookie~"

As you stood in Langley's secure hold, rest of the Sinners grouped around you again and were gazing at you with hooded eyes.

"S-So, what now....?" you nervously asked them, feeling unsure of the thoughts swirling in your mind.

"You should unravel your gifts now~" Cabernet spoke while guiding your hand towards her breast. Intense blush occupied your face at the soft sensation of her breast in your palm, feelings of arousal rising in you.

Another person guided your other hand towards themselves, making you grasp a piece of clothing covering their chest.

"Remove it, Chief. Your gift is waiting~" Bai Yi probed while holding out the string of her bra that was a simple tug away from being undone.

"This is going to take too much time if we go one by one~" Chameleon mused, her eyes glinting with lust and you knew she was thinking something mischievous.

"Well.... who says we need to go one by one?~" Vautour added, "I'm sure our beloved Chief would prefer to have all gifts at once~"

The suggestion was surprising but nobody denied it; they were all too eager to be with you, after all.

In the next few moments, shuffling of clothes filled the room as you undressed them. You pulled Bai Yi's bra string first and freed her breasts then slipped down Cabernet's gown and exposed half of her body before moving to Chameleon to unzip her skirt. They continued removing rest of their clothes while you moved to Eirene to open her dress, followed by stripping down Vautour and Pearl. Garofano had removed most of her clothes and only left the gown hanging for you to slip off, same with Sumire who was waiting for you to slide off her kimono. Last was Langley who patiently waited for her turn by removing her hat and tie, gesturing you to unbutton her shirt.

You watched in a daze as the naked bodies of the women around you came in view for you to feast on. You couldn't take your eyes off of them and felt arousal pool between your thighs already. Fantasies of flushed skin flooded your mind and left you senseless. You were numbed to the possibilities which sinfully awaited you, your body craved them but you were lost before hungry wolves, uncertain where to start. Cabernet's scarlet hair swept over the curve of her ass, and Vautour's pristine waist narrowed neatly into round hips.

You hid your eyes from the provoking sight but delighted in the sight of Pearl's smiling lips and noting the fullness of Chameleon's perfect breasts. There was nowhere to run, you were surrounded by unblemished soft skin and seductive gazes- each one all too eager to devour you whole. In the midst of such a marvelous scenery, you stood alone like a lone traveller, still clad in your uniform. By the time all of them were undressed, they were already focused on you.

"A-Ah, I will undress myself—!" you stuttered and started unbuttoning your shirt as fast as possible, but the women were faster and already had their hands on you.

"Leave it to us, Chief~" Sumire purred.

You felt all of them pull from different sides, making you anxious that the fabric would rip apart.

"Don't worry, Chief. I'll fix them later~" Garofano reassured.

As if using that as a signal, they applied for force and the sound of ripping rung in your ear as they actually tore away your shirt. Some of the buttons flew off as it was pulled from both sides then tossed away in the void. You couldn't help but feel shy and cover yourself as they gazed at your naked form, even though all of them had seen you this way plenty of times before.

"Ahh, Chief.... how delectable you look.... I can barely hold myself back anymore~" Cabernet moaned while sliding her hand down your neck, feeling up your skin. You were then shoved on the bed which was certainly not big enough for all of them, but perhaps they didn't care of the space at all. More hands caressed your pants and before you knew it, they were pulled off making you completely bare now. Cabernet was first to climb up and straddle you, her tongue lolling out as waiting to devour you.

"Now, wait a minute. What gives you the right to go first, Franc?" Eirene scolded and climbed up as well, straddling you beside Cabernet.

"Hmm, I don't need anyone's permission. Chief can't wait to have me, isn't that right, Chief?~"

Cabernet licked her lips and traced her thumb over yours.

"I don't recall her saying anything of that sort. She's my partner first, it's only right for me to start." Eirene countered.

"What makes you both think I'll give my sugar baby so easily? She only deserves to have me first." Chelsea added while climbing up and sitting on Cabernet's other side. The three of them surrounded you from the front completely, leaving no space at all except the back.

"Tsk tsk, if the three of you are so busy bickering, I suppose I'll have my share first~" Bai Yi spoke and swiftly moved behind you, wrapping her arms around your neck and kissing your shoulder.

You heard the bed creak as someone else climbed up and it was none other than Chameleon crawling to sit behind you as well. Her fingers grazed your nape and she leaned to nibble your left ear, making you softly gasp in return.

"Hehe, nobody knows her body the way I do. It's only appropriate for me to start first~"

"That's not necessarily the case. We have spent lot of time exploring each other's bodies, haven't we, honey?~" Lady Pearl cooed and squeezed in as well. You were surrounded by all sides now and there was no more space, but you couldn't ignore the other women who were looking at you in anticipating and waiting for their turn.

"L-Let's go one by one. I don't care who is first, I don't want any of you to feel unsatisfied...." you suggested.

Their eyes hooded with lust at your words, an unrestrained urge to devour you growing in them.

"Oh, Chief.... you are always so kind.... How do you expect us to hold in our desires if you say things like that?~" Garofano said in a singsong tone, her face flushed red.

"Indeed.... you make it so hard to satiate my hunger...." Cabernet moaned and finally drove forward to kiss your neck. Her action prompted others to also move in and kiss you on different parts- Eirene and Chelsea kissed along your chest, Chameleon and Bai Yi planted kisses on your face and ears, Lady Pearl tilted your head back and captured your lips while Vautour Bleu and Langley kissed along your arms. Garofano and Sumire wasted no time to kiss down your thighs, even making some bite marks on your flesh.

The sensations were overwhelming as you drowned in kisses and nips. Each of them felt as passionate and needy as the other, a sign of their desperation to mark you as theirs. Small moans and gasps left you lips at the various touches; Cabernet was licking up your neck like a starved puppy, Eirene and Chelsea played with your breasts while kissing over them, Bai Yi and Chameleon bit down and sucked on your upper back, Lady Pearl covered your face with kisses before biting on your nape, Vautour was sensually licking and sucking your finger while Langley trailed kisses up and down your hand.

"A-Ah.... wait.... I can't...." you moaned in pleasure, recoiling from all sides but being held back by Bai Yi, Chameleon and Lady Pearl behind you.

"Chief... you are so sweet... mmh~" Cabernet whispered against your skin.

"Just give yourselves to us~" Chameleon husked in your ear.

As the barrage of kisses and bites continued on your body, you suddenly heard the sound of fireworks going off outside. Everyone stopped for a moment to gaze upon the sparkling sight until looking back at you.

"Happy New Year, Chief~"

They said in unison, and you finally realized the extent of their surprise. Entering the new year like this wasn't bad, you thought....

Throughout the night, only the sweetest of moans and whimpers echoed in your ears, and only the most beautiful faces teeming in pleasure occupied your sight.

[sinful-lanterns]

I have a question since I just installed Path to Nowhere in my new phone since my old isn't compatible with it, though I couldn't install Genshin Impact, Honkai Start rail and Wuthering waves at least I got to install Ptn now.

Now as a first time player of Ptn, I have a question that may seem dumb but how do get those arrest tickets? Cause I have no clue to get those..... If u are playing the game, if not then ignore that question and just answer this one, is it okay when I first heard Nithingale's voice I just shudder in gayness like, I couldn't help but simp for her!!

I’m so sorry for the late reply! To answer your question, Arrest Tickets can be obtained by exchanging certain currencies at the shop, event rewards, rewards in the mail, login rewards, etc. However, you don’t only need Arrest Tickets to make wishes on the banners, as 1 Arrest Ticket is the equivalent of 180 Hypercubes. You just need to collect enough hypercubes and they can be used to make wishes. Arrest Tickets are kinda just like the Entwined Fates of Genshin, and Hypercubes are the Primogems.

And yes Nightingale is very hot!. I hope you enjoy playing PTN, as they seem to release a hot woman every month 😊

[historynerdj2writing]

Path to Nowhere Incorrect quotes

[CW: swearing, rather bizarre phrases, from a variety of sources. No citation for sources will be given]

Chief, in regards to Dolly: Her one brain cell was fighting the Alamo.

Levy, in regards to Wolverine: But Wolverine isn't attracted to things that make sense. He is attracted to drywall, and the taste of a homeless man's adrenaline as he chases him through the streets of Discity.

Chief: ...

Hella: ...

Hecate: ...

Wolverine: ...

Levy: He's right behind me isn't he.

Hella *slamming open the door*: Buenos dias fuck boys.

Deren: And that kids is how I gaslight myself.

Nino: There are three things I value most in life; my mother, my data, and your mother.

Dr. Iron: Light travels faster than sound. This means that people may appear bright until they open their mouth.

Nightingale: Chief, about Zoya. What EXACTLY do you feel towards her, in six words or less?

Chief: Absolute confusion, terror, and slight horniness.

Nightingale: ...

Zoya: Aw, how kind of you to say that.

Chief: There is a moment during the early stage of every sinner's career and life when further 'you're going to die' announcements just stop giving you the same emotional impact.

Christina *staring down multiple firearms and blades aimed at her and the Chief: I think I'm still in that stage sir/ma'am/chief.

Chief: Yes, I can tell.

Che *pointing towards the various gangster vehicles*: Some of these worked. Most of them didn't. Cause they were the work of mental people.

Coquelic: It's very easy to get mad over words. You can teach a dog to get angry at a word. Observe, 'Thistle, Mormon.'

Thistle *grinding her teeth at the blog writer*: Wait... I'M THE DOG IN THIS ONE!?!?! (don't worry, you're still one of my favorite characters in the game)

[vrachis]

the carnal desire to rail adjutant nightingale from hit game path to nowhere 😔😔😔

a/n :???? the babygirl ever, wanna spoil her and fuck her silly ssjskmsjskms

rough nails scrape against your back, carving deep, red lines across your skin. you grunt and fix your posture, focused on railing the fuck out of the adjutant. the aquamarine haired woman flails helplessly in your arms, holding on to you for dear life while you pummel deeper into her soaking hole.

your thrusts, filled with so much vigour that they almost knock the adjutant out of your hold several times. you almost wonder how nightingale was able to go through with all this, but you started it ever since you had the idea of fucking her silly in the halls.

“didn’t think you’d agree, miss adjutant.” you chuckle in her ear. your words elicit a whine from her, making her cunt tighten around you in the process.

“what would the chief think, hm?” the question makes her whine louder, and you laugh in amusement at her reaction from the mention of her boss.

“maybe i should get her to join next time. how about that? both of us fucking your holes and filling you up to the brim…. fuck, that’d be so hot. don’t you think so, doll?”

[shalomsexual]

Poll for the three women that will be hosted in the game.

[whenstarslie]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: 无期迷途 | Path to Nowhere (Video Game) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Chief & Nightingale (Path to Nowhere), Female Chief & Nightingale (Path to Nowhere), Chief/Nightingale (Path to Nowhere), Female Chief/Nightingale (Path to Nowhere) Characters: Chief (Path to Nowhere), Female Chief (Path to Nowhere) - Character, Nightingale (Path to Nowhere), Faye (Path to Nowhere) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Heavy Angst, Whump, Abuse, Torture, Human Experimentation, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Canon-Typical Violence, Mental Instability, Altered Mental States, Mild to strong language, Sinner Chief, Sinner Female Chief, Can be interpreted as platonic or romantic - Freeform, Female Chief has a name for story purposes Summary:

Before, the adjutant was a nobody, nor was she known as Nightingale.

Until she met the person who had given her wings.

Her freedom.

[crguang]

OMG PATH TO NOWHERE!!! THAT'S MY CURRENT HYPERFICATION ATM who's your fav character? The game is perfect for us women likers there's so much hot women 🤭

-🧸

theres so much going on all the time im overwhelmed but im so invested in the story, i wish i didnt have to fight every segment to progress like omg😭 the lvl requirement keeps going up too so i can’t binge through the story i always gotta stop and level up my characters but its hard cause theres 6 of them and everything requires stamina ugh. i dont think i have a favourite character yet cause i just started and havent been able to progress far into the story since i keep dying💔 but yes theres so many women im overwhelmeddhdjdjfj nightingale def wants me tho.

also— that opening scene was gay as hell it was kinda giving kafka?! some random woman waking us up and going “do you remember me?” i had massive flashbacks

[burnthomework]

She's going out with her children

[laconicaddict]

bai yi reminds me of someone

oh yeah

[lunareiitic]

So, I've finished up through Chapter 7 of Path To Nowhere, and I'm amazed I haven't seen a single person in the tag posit the theory that I thought was obvious: Is it not obvious the Chief was made that way?

We know some level of cloning is possible in universe as is: we don't know the extent of Hecate's whole… everything, but her death quote is "don't worry, there will always be another me". Where are the others? Who knows. But there are more.

Isn't it curious that the only person who seems to know anything about the Chief (besides Nightingale) is Hecate? The girl whose name we know as well as our own? Hecate, who was made in a lab? The Chief, who woke up in a pod that was doing something to their memories in the first place? Why were we in the pod? Whose memories were we getting downloaded into our skull?

(We're not even going to begin getting into the fact that the Chief and Hecate visually resemble each other to an alarming degree.)

If we move outside the main plot for a moment- Roulecca's lines for the Jackpot repeatedly mention the existence of previous Chiefs who didn't make it as far as we have. While probably also a cheeky reference to players who don't commit to games, it only adds fuel to the mystery fire that is The Chief's backstory.

The Chief doesn't have a single sinner shackled at the beginning of the story: how in the name of god did we do our job without them? The answer is, clearly, we didn't. Suspect-R/Rebecca woke us up to steal our body, supposedly, but I think there's more to it.

In short: could the player character be a clone of a previous Chief, designed to utilize the Shackles and be a last resort for both the Minos Bureau and DisCity as a whole? I think signs point to yes

[chocoluckchipz]

A Bride for the Prince - 4

A03  ~  < Previous  ~  Next >

“I hate this thing,” Nino grumbled, shifting the mask on his face. “I really, really despise it. And why am I the only one who is uncomfortable with it?”

Adrien chuckled and took a stance, ready to attack. “I’ll check if they have a different style that’ll fit you better.”

“You know, you could’ve offered me amnesty and allow me to drop the whole thing altogether,” Nino scoffed halfheartedly. “I mean, I am your best friend. That should come with privileges.”

Adrien laughed, raising his sword. “If I have to wear it everywhere apart from my private quarters, don’t you think it’s only fair that you, as my best friend, should support me and do the same?”

“As if I have a choice.” Nino lifted his sword, taking a stance as well. “Remind me to strangle the person who came up with this ridiculous idea.”

Adrien smirked. “Sure. That’ll be you, Alya and I. Who would you prefer to unleash your revenge upon first?”

“Seeing as we are baring swords at each other at this very moment...” Nino returned Adrien’s smug look. “Get ready, Your Highness, because I’m about to kick your royal butt.”

“I’d like to see that happen.” Adrien lunged forward with a chuckle. Nino blocked his attack effortlessly and immediately pounced forward with a return assault. 

“I see you’re more pissed about it than I realized,” Adrien said, diving away. 

“You have no idea,” Nino replied, determination firing up in his eyes as he leaped back to avoid Adrien’s swing. “I’ve been saving it all day.”

“Good.” Adrien smirked. "This whole ‘choose a bride’ thing is exhausting. A good battle is just what I need now to relax."

Swords crossing, blocking and dodging, avoiding and attacking, they spared on par for some time before Nino, not stopping their battle, asked, “So, did anyone catch your fancy yet?” 

“Nope.” Adrien hindered Nino’s attack with his sword. 

“Why not? So many pretty ladies around.”

“Pretty—” Adrien launched another attack, “—isn’t everything I’m looking for in a wife, and you know it.”

“That’s why—” Nino retaliated, not losing his concentration. Raising his sword, he prepared for the next assault, “—I keep telling you: start talking to them. Observing from afar will only get you so far.” 

Adrien quickly ducked away and attacked from a different angle. “Soon. The ball is coming. The Prince will have to attend in person.”

“Oh, right.” Nino deflected Adrien’s sword, turned around and plunged forward from the side. “Without the mask, I assume? The rumours about your unearthly ugliness will be put to rest as soon as you walk in the room, you know that, right? And I don’t think you’ll justify your perfectly handsome face by claiming to take plenty of beauty rest. What was the point of starting the rumours?”

Laughing, Adrien took advantage of Nino’s momentary pause and lightly poked his chest with his weapon. “Sorry to disappoint, but the prince will arrive in a mask. Just not a black one - it won’t go with my white outfit.”

 “Of course,” Nino smirked, taking a step back. “How could one of the most fashionable princes around appear in a mismatched getup? Speaking of the rumours,” he added, preparing for another round. “There is one lady who refuses to believe anything bad we, mere servants, say about you. Quite passionately as well, if I may say so.”

“Oh really?” Adrien quirked an eyebrow. “Do tell.”

“Actually—” Nino relaunched an attack, “—it’s your little commoner lady friend. She almost made a scene today, scolding Lady Bourgeois for saying you were an idiot for making your guards wear masks.”

“She did?” Adrien froze for a second too long, just enough time for Nino to put his sword to Adrien’s chest. 

“Yup.” Nino smirked. “Said the prince must have a good reason to do what he did, and no one should judge anyone for anything until learning of their intentions and motives.”

“Interesting.” Adrien stepped back, lifting his sword and pointing it to Nino. “What did Lady Bourgeois reply?”

“She said she knew the reason perfectly,” Nino chuckled. “And proceeded to repeat the exact words I whispered to Kim today about your hideousness after a supposed accident you were in.” 

Adrien leaned into a stance. “Somehow, I’m not surprised in the slightest that Lady Bourgeois believed that so easily even if she’s the one who knows me here the best. On garde.” 

“You speaketh the truth, my friend,” Nino chuckled, reflecting Adrien’s attack. 

“So how did it end? Did Marinette say anything back?”

“Hm. Well, your little lady replied that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and told Lady Bourgeois to stop measuring people’s worth by their looks. Apparently, it speaks volumes of her character.”

Adrien paused again, a dopey smile threatening to surface on his lips. 

“She also said that the true value of a person is in their soul, and she would never believe any rumours until seeing you by herself.” Seizing the opportunity of Adrien pausing once more, Nino lunged forward, stopping his blade short of Adrien’s throat. “You are off your game, Your Highness. Is something distracting you?”

“Um, not really.” Adrien rolled his eyes and shifted Nino’s blade to the side. “I’m just surprised Marinette is still the same girl I knew back in the day. Just as fierce, fair, and kind. Haven’t changed a bit, which is quite rare.”

“Oh, really?” Nino quirked an eyebrow. “Well, you’re lucky we use wooden swords for this, or you'll be dead by now.” Suddenly, he frowned, looking past Adrien’s shoulder. “Speak of the devil. What are they doing?”

“Huh?” Adrien turned around and groaned. On one of the further paths, Alya and Marinette were obviously trying to sneak out of the castle because, seeing as he frequently sneaked out to the city himself, Adrien knew quite well that that particular trail led nowhere the pair of women would be needing to go at the time when other ladies were preparing for their sleep. And it’s not like Alya was a stranger to sneaking out, but Marinette’s commoner outfit spoke volumes on its own to betray their intentions.

“Don’t tell me they’re trying to sneak out,” Nino echoed his thoughts. “And using our route for that. What the- Why is she walking backwards?”

“Don’t know but—” Adrien pointed to the further left corner, “—those guys will catch them in a few. Alya either forgot that Father ordered more guards around while this whole ‘Pick a Bride’ thing is going on or she didn’t know about it in the first place.”

“I doubt there is anything in this castle Alya doesn’t know. That woman,” Nino groaned. “I’m sorry, Adrien, but I have to step in and rescue her. Again. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” Adrien chuckled. “You take care of Alya. Leave Marinette to me.”

Shielded by the darkness and trees, they were able to get close to the girls undetected, and just in time, because for whatever reason Alya decided to run backwards, it didn’t end well. His skills polished by years of practice, Nino caught his girlfriend right before she splattered on the ground. 

Adrien followed suit, soon finding himself holding Marinette against his chest. The guards they saw earlier were about to pass them from around the corner, so uttering the first thing that came to mind, Adrien quickly picked Marinette up in his arms and headed into the shadows behind the trees to where Nino had already pulled in Alya. As if on a command both men put their hands over the mouths of the ladies to silence them, quietly motioning to the guards that were already in view. All four froze.

“I see you’re an incorrigible flirt, Chat Noir,” Marinette whispered when he removed his hand from her lips. “I was just falling. I wasn’t falling for you. You weren’t even supposed to be there.” 

Chat chuckled with an amused smile. “Neither were you, Lady Bug. And certainly not in such a pretty, commoner dress. Makes me wonder as to what you two were up to.”

Her face downcast, Marinette glanced over at Alya who was glaring at Nino with her arms crossed over her chest. Adrien could practically see something snapping in place on Nino’s face.

“Alya, no,” his friend groaned. “Is this festival so important that you have to risk not only yourself but the lady over there? You’ve been to dozens of festivals—”

“It is important,” Alya retorted, putting her hands on her hips. “May I remind you that since it’s Prince’s twentieth birthday soon, this festival was promised to be exceptionally good. Mme Chamack heard that Nightingale and Stone troubadours will perform and that Couffaine Troop will put on their new musical. How often does that happen? Not to mention that there will be more games and dances than usual, and something called the light show at the end. Mme Mendeleiev said it will blow people’s minds. Also, the beauty competition which you know I wanted to enter; and you, Nino, promised to take me there! But no! Apparently, guarding a dozen lazy ladies is more important to you than the promise you made to your girlfriend a few months ago. So, don’t blame me for taking someone who cares about me and wanting to go out and have fun!”

Nino frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, “You wanted to enter that beauty pageant even though you knew I wouldn’t be there? You do realize the winner will have to kiss the knight who wins the joust?”

“So?” Alya quirked an eyebrow. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“You’ll have to kiss some random stranger if I’m not there to win!” 

“So, what?” Alya puffed. “The rules don’t specify how I am to kiss him. A cheek kiss should suffice.”

“Alya,” Nino groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alya, please, you know that’s not how it works. Why do you even insist on entering? It’s not like you care about winning in the first place—”

“Well, not for the beauty queen title,” Alya shrugged. “But I do need to forge new connections in the city—”

“Should we step aside,” Adrien whispered to Marinette, nudging her elbow. “Let them argue in peace.”

Marinette nodded and followed him a little deeper into the forested area to remain away from the trails where they could be spotted. “Are they always like this?” 

“Nope,” Adrien chuckled, leaning on a tree trunk. “Usually they’re disgustingly sweet... unless Nino touches Alya’s dream. Then she’ll eat even him alive.”

“Oh.” Marinette blinked, leaning on a neighbouring tree. “I guess I should be more careful then. Would you enlighten me as to what not to touch to stay alive?”

“She wants to become a royal messenger,” Adrien explained. “And as you know, it’s practically impossible for a woman—and a commoner at that. So, she’s taking every step possible to get noticed, even if it means entering a contest she’d be absolutely ignoring if one of the judges hadn’t had a family connection to one of the King’s scribes.”

“Oh, wow,” Marinette breathed out. “That’s some serious determination.”

“You don’t know Alya yet,” Adrien chuckled. “She’ll stop at nothing if she really wants something. She even taught herself to read and write a few years back. Most commoners don’t bother with such a thing, but she insisted that she had to be literate.”

“That’s amazing,” Marinette gushed. “To be honest, after knowing her for a few days, even I could tell she is quite ambitious but to aim for such a prestigious position? Admirable.”

“I’m not surprised.” Adrien smirked, cocking his head to the side. “It takes an ambitious person to recognize one.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette’s eyebrows knitted in a frown.

“Well, coming to the castle to play a lady when you knew you’re lacking in skills and would be under constant surveillance is quite ambitious, no?”

“More like reckless, but thank you,” Marinette giggled, then paused. “If you meant it as a compliment because sometimes—”

“It was certainly a compliment, my Lady.” Adrien smiled at her. “Not everyone would be brave enough to do that, and I hope one day when we’ll have more time, you’ll tell me the whole story.”

“Thanks,” Marinette replied, a light blush descending on her cheeks. “I can certainly tell you the story one day, but for now, just so you know, not all commoners as illiterate as you think. I can read and write too. One of my friends had taught me.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes,” Marinette gave him a nostalgic smile. "He would visit my town during summers and bring the most interesting books with him. At first, he just read them to me, but the last year he visited, he taught me how to read and even left me my favourite book of his. I reread it probably a thousand times since then."

“Is that so?” Adrien couldn’t help but grin. “A good friend, I assume.”

“The best,” Marinette sighed wistfully. “He was an amazing friend, so kind and happy all the time, silly, carefree and made the most annoying, poorly-timed puns. Still, we had so much fun. I’ll never forget that…” Her voice getting quieter with every word, Marinette suddenly found the hem of her sleeve to be really fascinating as she started to fiddle with it. “I just wish I knew why he stopped coming. He promised to bring me more books on his next visit, but he never came back. I kept waiting for him for years. Sometimes, I think I still am…” 

Adrien looked away. “Maybe he didn’t know he wouldn’t be able to return when he promised you that?”

“That’s what I assume as well.” Marinette gave him a bittersweet smile. “I just hope he’s alright and happy somewhere.”

“I’m sure he is.” They stood in silence for a few more moments until it got so awkward, he blurted the first thing that came to his mind. 

“You are doing much better with being a lady. If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d say you a legitimate noble.” 

Inwardly, Adrien cringed. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he filter his words around her? Marinette would probably slap him for being such a jerk. Instead, she laughed. 

“Thank you, Chat Noir. Alya’s been a tremendous help with that.”

“Ah, Alya. Yes.” Chat chuckled. “She’ll spend days of helping you to stay undetected only to risk it all because she wants to go to that festival. You know, you could’ve refused and stayed in, instead of succumbing to her wishes.”

“Um...” Marinette looked to the side, then shifted her eyes to the ground. “You see… I wanted to go too.”

“You did?”

“Yeah,” Marinette whispered, her voice nervous. “It’s rather boring here?”

“Boring?” Adrien quirked an eyebrow. 

Marinette sighed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong: the castle is beautiful, and gardens are amazing, and Alya's doing everything possible for my stay here to be enjoyable, but… all those lessons and rules and schedules and even some of those ladies… and especially Mme Nathalie. It’s all just—ugh! I’m exhausted, Chat. I just want to take a break and have some fun without having to watch my every word and move. Plus, Alya promised we won’t be risking anything because she sneaks out all the time and has never been caught, and dressing me as a commoner was supposed to help so no one would suspect who I am or who I pretend to be. By the way, thank you for not blowing my cover, Chat. I really owe you, and—” She paused, noticing an amused smile on Chat’s lips and a spark in his eyes, “—and I’m rambling. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Chat chuckled. “I find it refreshing for someone to think it’s boring here. However, while I do understand your reasons, do you really think in your specific situation the risk you are taking is worth it?”

Marinette’s eyes snapped to his, then dropped down, her face saddening. 

“I apologize for the intrusion,” Nino suddenly appeared by their side before Marinette could respond. “But do you mind if I accompany Alya to the damn festival? She is a stubborn one.”

Chat chuckled. “How can I keep a jealous man from protecting his lady’s modesty.”

“I’m not jealous,” Nino grumbled. “She just doesn’t realize what she’s getting herself into. Someone has to be there to protect her.”

“Of course,” Adrien nodded, shifting his gaze to Marinette. “Should I escort you back to your room, then?”

“Why can she go with us?” Alya asked, coming up from behind Nino. “Give her a break. She’s suffered through enough the last few days.”

“That’s fine, Alya,” Marinette said, her voice quiet. “Chat Noir is right. I shouldn’t risk it considering the situation I’m in. That’s fine, really. I’ll go back and…um, work some more on my curtsies and... such.” Marinette tried and miserably failed to give them a smile.

“Now see what you’ve done?” Alya frowned at Adrien. “You made her sad. As if she hadn’t had enough on her plate already.”

“You know,” Adrien protested. “Even if we forget that she needs to keep a low profile, do you think third-wheeling you two is fun? Take it from someone who’s done it countless times.”

“Better than sitting alone in her room doing nothing!” Alya glared at Adrien, who didn’t give in, glaring back at her.

“Which is better than being caught and sent to prison. You've got to put your priorities straight, Alya. Do you want her to make it safely to the end or not?”

“You are no fun,” Alya puffed, turning away a few moments later. “In fact, you are so stuffed and boring that I won’t be surprised if you end up alone and bitter at the end of your safe life.”

“I am fun.” Adrien straightened up. 

“Not in the slightest.” Alya glared back at him. “Marinette was excited to go to this festival until you and your boring ways came across. Now, look at her! You don’t even know the definition of fun, and you certainly have no idea how to have it! All you do all day—”

“I know how to have fun,” Adrien interrupted, his face flushed. “And I’ll prove it! And since you are clearly failing to make sure that Marinette is safe taking her out, I’ll escort her to the festival myself, and we’ll have tons of fun. More so than you!”

“What?” Nino yelped, taking his attention away from the satisfied smirk on Alya’s lips. “I thought you said no sneak outs while this thing with the Prince and his brides is on?”

Adrien inwardly groaned. He could’ve sworn he got better about playing right into Alya’s hands. But then again, it was Alya Cèsaire, and she has been improving her skills every day for the past few years, shamelessly practicing on everyone, especially Nino and him. She really did deserve to become the royal messenger she wanted so much; their kingdom’s external relationships would greatly benefit from it. 

But what he was to do now? Take his words back? He didn't want Marinette to risk so much, but then her hopeful expression as she looked at him, her big blue eyes sparkling with excitement and worry at the same time made it impossible for him to refuse.

“I can make an exception once.” Adrien pouted with a frown. “I know the guards’ new schedule better than Alya, anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

He walked over to Marinette and offered her his hand. “Should we, my Lady?”

Bright crimson, Marinette stared at everyone for a few moments without replying until Alya prompted her. 

“Let’s go, Marinette. You'll love it. Our festivals are way better than anything in DuPont in the first place, and this one is promising to be spectacular." 

Marinette shifted her eyes to Adrien, who was still holding his hand out to her. “Um- I don’t know- I shouldn’t- You said it yourself—”

“You’ll be fine with me.” Adrien smiled at her. “I promise.” 

Marinette blinked, her mouth slightly ajar. Adrien lifted his hand a little closer, and she couldn't keep a smile off her lips as her cheeks turned crimson again.

“Okay. I trust you.”

*       * *

The festival did look absolutely amazing. Not that he was allowed to attend many, but there were a few he’d sneaked out to in the last few years. This one, however, put all of those to shame. The lights, performers, music, multitudes of people and aromas… oh, the smell of food that flowed around… Adrien could taste it already. The tenderness and sweetness as it would melt in his mouth…

“So,” Alya intruded in his reverie. “I have about an hour before the beauty competition starts. What do you want to do until then?”

Adrien glanced at the direction of the food stalls, but when he looked at Marinette, her eyes were on fire as she watched the games on their right.  

“Games,” he stated without hesitation. They could always do food later, preferably when Alya would leave for her beauty pageant and leave them alone to enjoy the deliciousness in peace.

“Excellent.” A sly grin split Alya’s lips. “Ready to lose to me again, Chat Noir?”

“In your dreams!” he retorted. 

“Girls, girls relax,” Nino suddenly added. “Cause we all know who’s the real champion here.”

“Who?” Alya quirked an eyebrow.

Nino suddenly wasn’t as confident as before. “Me?” 

“We’ll see about that.” Adrien smirked and, taking Marinette by her hand, pulled her towards the first game: an easy enough for everyone “put a ball into a basket” game. Even Marinette should be able to play this.

Ten different games later, Adrien was ready to eat his thoughts and bow down to the Queen of All Games Marinette Dupain-Cheng as she completely and utterly obliterated the three of them in all the games they’ve tried, except the brutal strength ones, but even there, she scored decently enough. Accurate, smart, skilled; there were no bounds to how amazing Marinette showed herself to be. Adrien smiled a nostalgic, heartwarming smile. There was a reason Adrien had chosen to spend all of his time with Marinette above the other kids he could have played with back in the days: Marinette was amazing and beautiful in every conceivable sense of those words.

“Yay!” The girl on his mind jumped after knocking all six jugs with a ball from her first try. 

“No fair,” Nino pouted. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Plenty,” Marinette responded with a smirk. “But most of them have to do with grace and patience.”

Alya snorted a laugh. “Sounds just about right. You did amazingly, girl! I’m so proud.”

“Yes,” Adrien added. “You did awesomely.”

“Thank you,” Marinette replied with a curtsy and turned to Alya. “What prize do you want?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes, you,” Marinette said. “I already have plenty. Plus, I need to thank you for helping me out with the whole ladyship debacle. So, choose whatever you want.”

Alya’s eyes lit up as she lunged forward and gave Marinette a tight hug. “Thank you, Marinette! You are the best!”

“No problem.” The girl giggled.

“Chat,” Nino suddenly whined, rubbing the skin under the edge of his mask. “Can I take this thing off? I bet I can do much better when it isn’t bothering me. It’s not like we are at the castle, so we don’t really have to wear them, right?”

“Yeah,” Alya chuckled. “You should take it off, Nino. Maybe then my knight can win something for me too.”

Adrien stilled. The thought to remove the mask didn’t even occur to him, seeing as Marinette was with them and because they didn’t really stand out in the festive crowd with quite a few people from multiple troops and circuses wearing their own masks. But Nino famously hated his mask, and to be honest, Adrien couldn’t see a reason for him to still wear it. He, on the other hand, was a different case… 

Or was he? 

The only purpose of the whole mask idea was to prevent the ladies who knew his face from recognizing him. Marinette, as far as he knew, had never seen “the Prince” and had always thought that Adrien she played with as a child was the son of Mme Bustier, the late Queen's personal maid. That was the only condition his mother gave him when allowing him to play with commoners: they were to never find out his actual social status. Claiming Mme Bustier as his mother was perfect. Being a son of the Queen's personal maid could explain why he was always coming to visit when the Queen did and why he had such easy access to her private quarters. Furthermore, there was a huge chance that Marinette wouldn’t recognize him. It’s been ages since they’ve last seen each other, and it wasn’t like his blond hair and green eyes were as unique as Marinette’s beautiful features. He had a legitimate excuse to recognize her right away; there weren't many girls he'd met who was as pretty as Marinette was. She didn’t have that excuse. Plenty of men had blond hair, green eyes, and a fit figure. 

“Ah, why not?” Adrien shrugged and reached for his mask. “Just promise not to faint, ladies, when you behold our unearthly beauty.”

Alya puffed. “As if.”

“Finally,” Nino sighed with relief, his mask already discarded. 

Marinette curiously looked at his face.

“Isn’t he handsome?” Alya cooked, immediately looping her arm around Nino and giving him a lovesick, playful grin. “My fair knight Nino.” 

“He is quite handsome indeed,” Marinette chuckled and curtsied. “Nice to meet you out of your mask, Sir Nino.”

Feeling a little left out, Adrien pouted. Back in DuPont, Marinette had always used to tell him how pretty he was, and considering their conversation about her childhood friend at the garden, Adrien was sure she’d like to see how he grew up. Perhaps, she’d even like what she saw… even if she wouldn't recognize him. Somehow the thought of that made him sad, but brushing it away, Adrien leaned closer to Marinette and purred, “What about me? Do I tickle your fancy as much as Nino does?”

The moment Marinette shifted her eyes to Adrien her smile dropped. With her lips slightly ajar, she carefully looked at his face, her hand reaching forward on its own before she stopped and pulled back.

“Marinette?” Adrien frowned. “Is everything alright?”

Her eyes instantly blew wide as she squeaked, “Adrien?!”

[kurogane2512]

Vautour Bleu Birthday 2025

18+ CONTENT

Game: Path to Nowhere

Characters: Vautour Bleu x fem!reader (Chief)

Type: Fluff and smut (long fic, Vautour's real name is used in some places, references to her backstory and event).

I know I'm late 😔 Sorry Vautour but belated happy birthday I love you so much 🥹

Vautour Bleu opened her eyes to the warm rays of the sun falling on her face, accompanied by the dusty wind of WhiteSands clouding her vision. The start of a new day meant many things, for her it was forging new deals and continuing her business no matter what day. She sat up on her bed and stretched her arms with a yawn, drowsiness slowly leaving her body as the scent of her favourite tea and pastry covered her nose. She smiled to herself looking at the neatly arranged tea set and pastry box on her table, along with a bunch of gift-wrapped boxes and packets arranged on the side. Of course, she knew what this meant. Today was that day, after all.

After freshening up, she made her way to the table and poured out the tea before taking a bite from the pastry. The delicate and intense sweet flavour filled her with a sense of joy like no other, her body relaxing to enjoy this brief moment of respite. She looked at the several boxes and packets, having no interest to really open and respond to them. It was going to be the same old things again. Her mind wandered to a distant memory of her past, familiar hazy faces occupying her sight as she recalled what she used to do on this day long ago with her loved ones. Her life was different now and those old pleasures were no more.

She stood up to glance at the gifts briefly, checking out the name cards and accompanying tags to find out their senders. Some officials from the Outland Affairs Agency, some old and regular clients, and others from acquaintances she had small dealings with but were always looking to gain more from her. The content of the gifts didn’t really matter to her. She appreciated them but knew their hidden intentions well- none of them were genuine. As her eyes glided over the boxes, she curiously looked to find something from a particular bureau, from a particular Chief, but found nothing.

“Heh, what am I expecting? This is a trivial matter to her....” she let out a sigh then took a huff from her pipe and let out a cloud of smoke gather her sight.

She then kept all her thoughts aside and went out to go about her day as the enigmatic Vautour Bleu, a shrewd and cunning merchant in the WhiteSands. By afternoon, she had already gone through several business meetings that left her drained and she planned to take a break when a letter arrived from MBCC. She perked up for a moment, becoming curious of the content. However, it was a simple letter reminding her of the meeting scheduled today along with the usual pleasantries.

Vautour shrugged and kept the letter away. By 3pm, it was time for her to head over to the bureau as promised. She boarded the vehicle arranged by you and arrived after 3 hours. She immediately headed to your office and found you waiting outside the door, looking at her with a gentle smile.

“How have you been, Vautour?” you asked.

“I’m well, thank you for asking. How about you? I trust my souvenirs reached you in one piece.”

“Yes, they were beautiful. I had them placed around the building.”

“Wonderful. So, what regulations do I need to abide by today?”

“Not much, you can head to the medical centre for a checkup then come back here to discuss what we agreed in the letters.”

Vautour nodded and was escorted to the medical room while you headed inside your office.

“Nightingale, tell everyone to be prepared. I’ll bring her in an hour.” You spoke in your earpiece.

“Noted, Chief.” Nightingale replied.

You watched Vautour enter the medical room in the surveillance camera then sat on your desk and waited for her to return. The checkup merely took 15 minutes and she was on her way back to your office. You were well prepared on the agendas you had to discuss with her and hoped it wouldn’t take too long; though, knowing her, it would certainly be done quickly and smoothly. Vautour sat in front of you soon after, leisurely leaning on the chair with one leg draped over the other and huffing from her pipe.

“Some desert bandits have been rather rowdy lately, attacking markets and caravans on the move. I can protect my caravan, but the atmosphere in WhiteSands is degrading day by day.” She commented while looking at a report.

“I see....” you couldn’t really assist in any manner when it came to situations like this.

Vautour continued the conversation, asking about the refuges she had sent your way. She was always more enthusiastic to know about Dèsir’s people, still keeping close tabs on them to ensure they were okay. She then gave you some intel on things you had asked her to investigate if possible, and she got you more useful information than you hoped for.

“Hah~ Is there anything more you’d like to discuss?” she remarked as you had finished discussing all the agendas. You looked at your tablet and noted the time then stood up with a smile.

“Would you come with me for a moment? There’s something I want to show you.”

Vautour raised an eyebrow then stood up, “Interesting.... What do you have in store, little Chief?~”

“I hope you’ll like it~”

Curiosity grew in her as she followed you, she didn’t know what to expect. You reached the cafeteria and stood outside the closed door before pressing your earpiece.

“We are here, Nightingale.”

“You can come in, Chief. We are ready.”

You turned around to look at Vautour with a smile then slowly opened the doors. Party poppers erupted as soon as you stepped in, accompanied with sounds of clapping. Vautour’s eyes widened for a moment when she looked at the scene in front of her- the cafeteria was decorated with balloons and frills and in front of her was a table having a familiar looking cake.

“Bon anniversaire, Vautour.” You wished and gestured to bring the cake closer, which Hecate did by pushing the table forward a few steps.

Vautour stared at the scene in silence, feeling quite surprised. The atmosphere and vibe were warm, comforting as she looked over the Sinners gathered around who came to celebrate for her. It reminded her of her past, the buried memories of the simpler days with her family. Yet, she donned her confident smile quickly and walked towards the cake before picking up the knife.

“Gâteau opéra? Oh my, you really know how to appeal to my tastes....” she said with a smile.

She then cut the cake as the Sinners around and you sang the birthday song for her. She couldn’t describe the joy and warmth she felt in her heart at this moment, still appearing composed to you all. Once the cake was cut, many of the Sinners, especially children, came forward to give gifts to her. She again felt overwhelmed receiving such wishes but remained calm and thanked each of them wholeheartedly, even kissing and patting their heads. Afterwards, you came forward carrying a bouquet consisting of an assortment of various flowers you had come to know she liked, the signature ones being datura.

“Happy birthday once again.” You wished while extending the bouquet. Vautour accepted with a smile and gazed at the flowers for a moment then looked at you.

“Mèrci, dear Chief. This was a wonderful surprise, how long ago did you plan this?”

“Ah, it’s our tradition for every Sinner. Either we make special arrangements if there are requests or we do this little celebration. It’s not much since our budget is tight, I tried to include things you like most.”

“I see.... I keep getting impressed by how attentive and caring you are towards us~”

You blushed, “It’s the least I can do. Still, if you have a particular wish then feel free to say. I’ll try to fulfil it as best as I can.”

Vautour smirked, “I’ll keep that in mind~”

When you were almost finished talking with her, Nightingale came to inform that dinner was served and you asked her to escort Vautour to the table.

“Well, shall we dine together? It’d be my pleasure to have you eat with me~” Vautour suggested.

“A-Ah, I’m sorry, I’d love to but there are some matters I have to attend to.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. I hope you can make it up to me some day then~”

“Of course, I promise. I trust you can manage here now, Adjutant?”

“Yes, Chief. You can rest easy.” Nightingale replied.

You took your leave with a smile and one last birthday greeting to Vautour. She gazed at you walk away and couldn’t felt but feel a certain attraction to you, also having some suspicions in her mind. She was not used to being shown such selfless appreciation as she had grown accustomed to dealing with everything in a business manner, always giving back n forth. She enjoyed the feast with everyone, letting herself be relaxed for the moment and relishing the celebration.

After the celebrations were over and she thanked everyone for the wishes, she came to your office to get some answers and clear her suspicions. While she knew you were genuine and different from others, she couldn’t help but feel there was more to this. Old habits die hard, after all. She reached your office door and was about to knock when she heard faint talking sounds from inside, she could make out there was only one voice which belonged to you and concluded you were talking on the phone.

She slightly opened the door and found you standing near the shelf, conversing on your earpiece while going through a file in your hand. She then knocked on the door and you turned around to see her standing at the doorway, seemingly waiting for you. You were about to hold your call when she gestured you to carry on and simply walked in to sit on the sofa, patiently waiting for you to get free. She huffed her pipe and gazed around the office, admiring the sophisticated and professional decorum. Her eyes fell upon certain paintings and statues she had sent you as souvenirs, smiling to herself knowing you placed them in good places.

“Yes, I will send a team to investigate the matter tomorrow. Tonight? I’m sorry but my Sinners also need rest; unless it’s very urgent, I won’t dispatch them at such an hour.” You firmly spoke on the call, making Vautour intrigued at the conversation.

“It is not about protocols; it is about their well-being and health. They are also human beings. If you have issues then I suggest contacting the Public Security Bureau instead.”

Vautour leaned forward and rested her head on her hand, occasionally taking huffs from her pipe.

“You can reach out to the 9th Agency if you want, my decision remains final. Have a good night.”

You finally cut the call with a sigh then turned around to face Vautour.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. How was the party?”

“No worries, little Chief. The party was great, everything was to my tastes~”

You smiled, “Glad to hear that. Was there something you wanted to talk about right now?”

Vautour nodded and stood up, taking a few steps towards you.

“Something has been on my mind for a while, care to satisfy my inhibition?”

“Of course, what is it?”

You walked closer to her, standing beside the sofa.

“You said organizing such parties for the Sinners is a tradition and that you arrange things according to their likes.”

“Indeed, was something unsatisfactory in the party?”

Vautour gave a small smile, “No, everything was satisfactory. In fact....” she paused and came closer to you, “....too satisfactory.”

You blinked in confusion, “What do you mean....?”

She let out a chuckle then placed her hand on your chest, slyly rubbing it across.

“You said you have a tight budget yet were able to bring a 1-pound opera cake and other Eastside desserts I like, along with all the decorations and gifts the Sinners arranged which I’m sure were mostly paid for by you.... You know how expensive Eastside desserts are, don’t you?~”

“....W-We do have a tight budget but we can arrange this much. I planned out the things in advance to be able to fit in everything, what are you trying to imply?”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand me. I appreciate you doing all this, my suspicions are different. It’s not about how you arranged it, but it’s a matter of.... ‘why’~”

You couldn’t understand what she was getting at, feeling conflicted over her words.

“I.... I still don’t get it. I told you it’s just our tradition for everyone....”

Vautour narrowed her eyes, “Let me get to the point then. What is it that you are trying to get from me by doing this?”

Your eyes widened in surprise, “What? Why would you think that....?”

She let out a small laugh, “It is a simple matter, Chief. I appreciate your efforts, but I believe you wish to gain something from me through this. Perhaps, something highly important that you couldn’t ask through normal methods. Am I wrong?”

You furrowed your brows, almost feeling offended at her assumption.

“I wouldn’t do things like this to gain favours, Vautour. What I told you is the absolute truth. You are my Sinner and I will treat you like everyone else. Everyone who gave you gifts and helped in arrangements did it with genuine intentions because they like you and enjoy your company, I did not force anyone. It was an expression of our well-wishes and I’d appreciate it if you don’t jump to such conclusions and undermine their efforts.”

Vautour was a little surprised by your serious and firm reply, realizing she seemingly made you upset. A gentle smile drew on her lips then with a simple push, she made you sit on the sofa and straddled your lap before you could react.

“Is that so? Hehe, seems I offended you by that. I didn’t mean to undermine their efforts, I was simply questioning your intentions....” she slowly cupped your face, “An expression of your well-wishes, you say? Mèrci, I appreciate it. Don’t mind it so much, just a habit of mine to interpret it this way~”

You let out a sigh of relief, “You made me really anxious for a moment there....”

She softly chuckled and wrapped her arms around your neck, gazing at you with a smile. You became nervous and blushed a little then cleared your throat to speak.

“To make such interpretations.... I guess you receive ‘gifts’ in this form a lot.”

She twirled your hair around her fingers, teasingly playing with them.

“Indeed, I cannot say when was the last time I received something so genuine with no ill-intentions or favours aligned.”

You looked at her with a sympathetic look, feeling sad at her words.

“On that note.... do you mind if I ask for something more?”

Her question caught you off-guard, but you were more than willing to accept.

“Sure, anything. There are no obligations between us.”

She smiled more then suddenly pushed you further on the sofa, making you lie on your back. She climbed on top of you and pressed her body to yours, keeping you in place with her weight.

“That wish you spoke about, shall I ask for it now?~”

Your face turned redder at her implication. Her left hand cupped your face and traced a finger along your jaw, smirking at your flustered expression.

“....What do you wish for?”

She leaned slightly closer, “If you satisfy a lady’s heart well enough, she begins to burn for something more..... tangible~”

You could feel Vautour’s breath brush your lips, your eyes fixated on her beautiful face that you’d never seen so close from before. Her words only made you more flustered, your heart racing faster at the situation. Your hands slowly wrapped around her waist, gently holding her.

“So, dear Chief, I wish for.... you. Just for tonight, be mine~” she whispered in a soft hushed tone.

Your lips trembled as you contemplated her words, “Is that all? You can ask for something.... better.”

Vautour chuckled and drew closer, her lips lingering over yours.

“You already gave me everything else. Besides, what makes you think you aren’t the best option I have ever come across, little Chief?~”

You blushed and thought for a moment before nodding with a smile, “Does that mean you’ll be mine as well?~”

Vautour raised an eyebrow in amusement, “Well, a deal works both ways. Although, I’m already quite bound to you as your Sinner~”

“You know that’s different.”

Vautour chuckled, “Indeed.... Then, we have a deal~”

You gazed into each other’s eyes, feeling captivated by her deep blue eyes and the sight of her above you this way. She leaned even closer and finally placed her lips on yours, gently moving them together. Her hand slowly slid up your wrist and traced circles on your palm, her luscious hair cascading over you. She could feel your heartbeat reverb this way, your fingers fidgeting as she teased them with her own.

Her free hand cupped your face and tilted it as she kissed deeper, pulling on your upper lip before grabbing onto your lower one and sucking it. Restrained breaths and small moans resounded between you both, then she moved her lips lower to kiss your chin before pulling back completely. You gazed at each other with uneven breaths, you knew your face was flushed red by now while Vautour looked same as before, except for her smudged lipstick.

“Hmm, a rich taste.... akin to a mille-feuille. I must admit, I do miss having you as my cute little neighbour, the way you used to have your eyes on me all the time, watching my every action was..... adorable~” she husked with a smirk, caressing your cheek and her thumb tracing your lower lip.

“Shall I show you how we kiss in my hometown? I’d love to see your reaction~”

With a gentle pull, she parted your lips and stuck out her tongue while approaching you. You braced yourself as her tongue entered your mouth and lips enveloped yours, kissing you deeply and passionately. The sensation was wildly different from a normal kiss, her tongue explored every corner of your mouth as if searching for a lost relic, to relish in your sweet taste before dancing with yours.

You couldn’t help but moan into her, surprised by the way your tongues rolled together. Your heart raced faster than ever; eyes open wide before becoming hooded due to the hypnotizing sensation of the kiss. Vautour’s eyes remained closed, her movements slow and effortless as if she was used to this, but you didn’t miss the way her hand tightened in your hold and the slight shift of her body to come even deeper.

“Haah.... V-Vautour.... mmh~” your words came out in a muffle, making her open her eyes slightly then becoming narrowed with a mischievous glint.

“Hehe, and you said I should ask for something better? Oh, ma chèrie, having you in this state is a treat itself~”

She was about to kiss you again when you suddenly tightened your hold around her and sat up, making her sit on your lap with her arms locked around your neck.

“Oh my, what’s the hurry? We have all night, don’t we?~”

You smirked then slightly pulled her closer, “Yes, but I had something else in mind.”

She once again became curious and stroked your cheek, “Do enlighten me~”

You slowly dragged your hands up her back, tracing her curves.

“Let me service you tonight, if you don’t mind.”

Vautour couldn’t help but feel surprised, silently pondering for a moment.

“You are really unique, little Chief. Saying such bold words to me.... are you sure you can meet my expectations?~”

You smiled, “You chose me for a reason, didn’t you? Perhaps I’ll even surpass your expectations~”

Her lips curled up in a smirk, “Very well. I’ll look forward to it, little Chief~”

You nodded, “Let’s go to my room.”

Vautour agreed and stood up from you, fixing her dress while you packed up the things on your desk before moving out together. You had barely walked a few steps outside of your office when an idea occurred to you and you stopped her in her tracks then stood beside her.

“What do you have in mind, de-”

Before she could complete her sentence; you placed one arm around her back, careful not to pull her hair, and the other behind her knees then effortlessly picked her up, holding her in your arms bridal style. Of so many things she was prepared for, she didn’t anticipate this and simply stared at you in silence as your faces remained close. She regained her composure quickly afterwards, lazily wrapping her arms around your neck and smirking.

“Oh my, aren’t you charming?~”

You smiled, “Just want to make you feel special.”

The sincerity in your words and the expression on your face surprised her, yet she kept up her calm demeanour. You walked to your room while carrying her the entire way, she simply remained motionless and couldn’t take her eyes off of you. You soon entered your room and kicked it close then were about to place her on the bed when she cupped your face and kissed you, enrapturing your lips with hers. It started as a slow kiss but you were soon devouring each other, tongues mingling and breathy moans exchanging. You walked to the bed this way and sat down on the edge while keeping her in your lap, your bodies pressed closely and continuing to kiss.

Vautour stood up on her knees slightly and deepened the kiss, one hand wrapping around your neck and clenching your collar from the back while the other gripped your shoulder. Her tongue soon slipped in and flicked yours, kissing you with passion. Your hands slowly caressed her curves, tracing the sides with your fingertips. You slid your hands towards her ankles this way and slyly removed her heels, making her smirk against your lips for a brief moment then kissing you again. She then sat down on your lap, completely putting her weight on you.

You placed your hands around her back now; sensually caressing her bare skin underneath the coat, tracing her shoulder blades and the curve of her spine before settling upon her hips. You gave them a gentle squeeze, earning a low moan from her. She pulled back abruptly, biting your lower lip with her eyes hooded and gazing into yours. She was about to say something, perhaps to tease you, but you took her by surprise when you tightened your grip around her and swiftly spun to make her lie down on the bed. Her back hit the mattress with a soft thud, shielded by your hands securely.

“Oh-?! So, you have this assertive side in you, little Chief?~” of course, she still had the mettle to tease you.

You simply smiled and lowered yourself closer to her, “Be glad it’s just assertive, Vautour. You don’t want to see me lose control.”

Vautour raised her eyebrow before extending her arm to cup your face, stroking your cheek with her fingers.

“Perhaps I do? You should let the beast unleash once in a while, dear Chief~”

You chuckled and lightly gripped her held out hand, “I’ll show you some other day. For now....” you paused then pulled her hand away and pinned it down with your own, applying minimal pressure to keep it in place, “....Just rest back and let me love you, okay?~”

Hearing the word ‘love’ sent butterflies in her stomach. Despite your assertive actions, she still felt gentleness in your touch and didn’t move away. In a similar way, you dragged her other hand to the side and pinned it by her wrist too, holding her open for yourself. You gazed at her this way, her shining fluffy hair sprawled over and the subtle rise of her chest as she breathed slightly faster than normal. You lowered yourself further and pressed your lips to her neck, planting tender kisses on her skin.

She sucked in a breath feeling your lips travel around her neck, her eyes hooding at the sensation and breathing becoming faster. Your kisses were soft and delicate, akin to kissing a lover. When you asked to service her tonight, she didn’t think you’d be this gentle and caring. The touch was feather-light, yet sent electrifying sensations in her body. She felt your hands that were pinning her wrists slowly slide up to her palms now before intertwining your fingers in a gentle grip. She could break away anytime, yet the comforting feeling made her stay.

You moved to kiss her other side in a similar manner now, keeping track of her reactions. She was strangely quiet, simply letting out deep breaths. Her own fingers now slowly closed on yours, giving you enough indication that she liked what you were doing. You occasionally licked at some spots and moved lower to her chest, kissing on the exposed part of her breasts. You could feel her body arch for a moment when you kissed between her breasts, but she refrained from giving any more reaction.

Vautour couldn’t describe the sensation she was feeling, her hazy vision glued to the ceiling. Why did such soft touches feel so good to her? Was she really seeing you as her lover at this moment? If she was, then she was going to let it continue for tonight. She pulled her left hand out of your grip rather easily and wrapped it around your head, lacing her fingers through your hair and pressing you further close. She let out a hum when you caressed her breasts, gently fondling them over her dress.

You then released her other hand and moved further down her body, kissing over her clothed belly and abdomen then sitting up between her legs. She anticipated what you’d do, yet you surprised her once again with your next action. You shifted back more and started caressing her feet, sensually rubbing her ankles and calves before placing kisses on her legs. She almost pulled back out of reflex but kept her composure and watched you, eager to see how you’d service her. You kissed up till her knees, her breath almost flinching at the tickling yet loving sensations.

Each touch of your lips on her skin sent shivers in her body, but she continued keeping her unfazed expression and silently watched with a smirk. She watched as you moved past her knees, her fingers clenching the mattress expecting something but you stopped when you reached the hem of her dress and sat up with a smile. She almost felt dumbfounded, betrayed even. Her body heaved with long breaths now, feeling pleasure build up inside her despite such simple touches.

“May I undress you?”

You asked with utmost sincerity, your tone laced with care. She nodded and sat up to let you remove her blue coat followed by the collar. You were about to slide down the straps of her dress when she instead pulled you closer by your collar and started unbuttoning your shirt, smirking to herself.

“Don’t expect to have all the fun, ma chèrie~” she whispered against your lips.

You smirked back and let her remove your shirt then pulling off your undershirt, leaving just your bra on. Before you could do anything else, she pulled you along with her as she laid back down and embraced you in her arms. You let out a yelp of surprise then were silenced as she kissed you passionately, her hands roaming on your back then pressing down, nails clenching your skin. You groaned into the kiss then pulled away with a sigh, gazing at her while panting. Once again, you placed your hands on her dress straps and began sliding them down.

Vautour laid still as her body came into view, simply arching up when you reached down. Her beautiful breasts enthralled you, subconsciously licking your lips at the sight. Soon, you finally pulled off her dress and only left her underwear on. You leaned down to kiss all over her belly then moved up to breasts, capturing them in your palms and gently kneading them. She hummed in pleasure as you moulded them, pressing and squeezing in between.

She bit her lower lip when you attached your mouth to one nipple. She felt your tongue flick over the nub while your lips sucked on it, your hand twirling and pressing her other nipple. She arched up a little when you pinched her nipple with your fingers, followed by grazing your teeth over the one in your mouth. Her hands once again wrapped around your head, tugging your hair strands with her fingers.

“Oh, little Chief, how adorable you look....” she spoke in a breathy tone.

You sucked her breasts more, swirling your tongue around and pulling before releasing with a pop. She whined softly, then watched you go lower until her naval. Your hands grasped the waistband of her panties, your eyes met hers for a moment before sliding them off as well and bringing her complete naked body to view. She looked no less than a model, perhaps even better, like a Goddess. Her soft and fair skin was perfect to the touch, completely unblemished in every crevice. You caressed her inner thighs and gazed at her core, throbbing slightly in front of you. The sight was marvellous, you couldn’t tear your eyes away.

“Rendered speechless already, little Chief? I believe you must have seen this sight many times~”

“No matter how many times, it’s always beautiful~”

Vautour scoffed teasingly, “Why don’t you put that tongue to better use, ma chèrie?~”

“Well....” you placed your arms under her thighs and raised her body slightly, “Be prepared then~”

You lowered between her thighs and gave a small, teasing lick to her clit. She didn’t give a verbal response, but you didn’t miss the slight shake of her legs. You continued further, now licking up long and slow strips across her folds and clit, and your hands gently caressing her inner thighs simultaneously. She barely reacted most of the time, simply taking in deep breaths. You then went faster, licking up her slit before pulling it open and inserting your tongue inside. Her hips bucked in surprise and a breathy moan left her throat before being concealed by her own hand as she bit down on her finger.

You smirked to yourself and realized what she was trying to do, she was reluctant to give in to you and submit. You had the patience to make her lose her mind, you could do it for as long as it took. You pushed your tongue deeper, parting her spongy walls and lapping up her sensitive spots. Your nose bumped against her clit as you increased your pace, lapping her walls faster and more intensely. Her thighs enclosed around your head in response, essentially capturing your face in between and making it harder to move. You tried to look up to see her face but were instead pushed down as she placed her hand on your head and pressed you in further.

You applied some force to spread her legs, but she was adamant in locking your head in. You decided to give up for now and focus on pleasuring her, you could see her face drowned in ecstasy anytime later. With a faster lick and suck, you slurped up her folds drawing out her essence and chasing her release. Your fingers rubbed her clit occasionally, pinching and squeezing right in time with your tongue motions. You could feel her walls tighten around you, and her thighs also closing in further, indicating how close she was. Yet, in all this time, you barely heard any proper moans from her. Vautour’s face was turned to the side, her eyes hooded and body rising with your ministrations. She still covered her mouth and only moaned through deep breaths, her voice coming out restrained and muffled.

“Hn.... C-Chief.....~”

The only time she moaned your name; it was music to your ears. You gave her hips a little push and folded her knees, making her legs rest on your shoulders as you pushed your tongue inside her the deepest possible. Her hand that was placed on top of your head now tugged your hair and pushed your head further down, her body lightly rutting against your held out tongue. Her body arched as she approached her release, her free hand clenched her sheet and she bit down her lower lip. Then, an explosive release washed over her when you stroked her sensitive spot, making her cum on your mouth.

“Aaah.... hah....” she panted out as she came, feeling your tongue religiously lap up her essence like a starved wolf.

Her taste was sickly sweet as you had anticipated, just like all the desserts she loved. You cleaned her up before sitting, licking your lips in a hazy state of mind and relishing her taste. You finally looked at Vautour and found her taking in deep breaths, her fluffy hair covering her face and her body heaving. Still, you missed the look of when she’d came. It seemed as if she was intentionally preventing you from seeing her vulnerable state.

“Are you okay, Vautour?” you asked in a concerned voice and crawled forward then swiped away her hair and cupped her face.

“Yes.... mmh.... that was good.....” she answered in between sighs.

You gazed at her dishevelled state, her messy hair scattered around, sweat glazing her fair skin and her lipstick smudged- everything was perfect and you felt lost in her beauty, even feeling flustered at having made her this way. Vautour placed her hand on your held out one, gently grasping it and looking back into your eyes with a deep emotion bubbling inside her. She leaned into your palm a little, cradling her face and you couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her.

“Say, little Chief....” she husked and placed her other hand on your shoulder then traced a finger down your chest, “.....You have been meeting my needs so well, I assume you have something more to offer?~”

Your face flushed more, realizing her implication.

“O-Of course, if you are not satisfied then I will continue....”

Vautour smiled and slid her finger further down, “Do you happen to have something a little.... intense? Something that feels different?~”

Your mind racked for a moment to ponder what she meant then finally understood.

“Uh, I do have some toys, including a strap-on..... Are you okay with that?” you asked shyly.

Vautour seemed amused and let out a chuckle, “Oh my, quite well-prepared you are to please a woman. I wonder, have there been more affairs of this sort in here, my naughty Chief?~”

You averted your gaze shyly, unable to respond to her. You then stood up from the bed and walked towards your cupboard to fetch the strap-on, she sat up and watched you with intrigue while taking a huff from her pipe. Her mind thought back to the recent happenings, your touch lingering on her skin and the strange feelings she felt. She didn’t know why her heart was beating this way, it wasn’t the rush from just having an orgasm but it was something far deeper. She expected to treat this as a casual affair, just to have a little fun on her birthday. Yet, here she found herself experiencing intimacy like never before.

The wisps of smoke from her pipe clouded her vision as she pondered further back, going down her memory lane. At some point, she used to dream of such simple things. To be able to live with her loved ones while doing painting, gardening and enjoying desserts. Yet, her dream was shattered long ago and buried in the depths of WhiteSands with her loved ones. She may have decided to protect the dreams of others instead of shattering them like her own, even if it meant deceiving them forever. But after meeting you, she wondered if she could have those dreams again, and if you would fulfil them for her.

“Vautour.”

Your voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked to see you standing nearby, holding the tool in your hand.

“This is what I have, is it okay?”

Vautour kept aside her pipe again and stood up with a smirk while glancing at the object, “Hmm, not bad. It’s sufficiently sized.”

“Uh, I also have some lube so I’ll put that. Let me just wear this....”

You turned to face away from her and were about to fasten the strap when Vautour turned you around again and gripped your shoulders.

“Let me help you, ma chèrie~”

She whispered and brought her hands to unbutton your pants, followed by zipping down the flyer. You blushed as she opened your pants and you kicked them away then she helped fasten the strap around your waist. She looked at the tool intently, holding back a giggle watching you wear something so daunting. You were then about to make her lie back again but she instead pushed you down on the bed first, looking at you with a smirk and coming close to climb on top.

You understood what she wanted and made no arguments. You shifted back on the bed to give her space and watched her crawl to straddle you, standing on her knees with the tip of the cock resting on her belly. The sight was breathtaking for you, just having her sit on your lap this way sent butterflies in your stomach. Vautour grasped the cock and rubbed it a bit, feeling the material and size. She then came forward and grinded her clit across the length, humming at the pleasurable friction.

“U-Uh, let’s put the lube. It could pain you otherwise....”

You picked up the bottle from the side table and sat up slightly to pour it over the toy, but Vautour stopped your arm midway and made you keep it back.

“No need, I’ll do it myself~”

“But-“

“Shh~” she placed her finger on your lips, shushing you.

Soon after, she stood up more and pointed the cock to her slit. You could see she was considerably wet, but were still worried about putting it in. She, meanwhile, seemed unbothered and started pushing the length inside while sitting down on it. You gripped her thighs and helped her ease on it; a hiss left her lips as the toy penetrated her, pushing past her tight walls. You expected to go slow but she suddenly sat down with a single push, taking it all the way in. A throaty moan resounded in your ear when she sat down, taking in the sight of her in this position.

“V-Vautour, you shouldn’t have put it in so fast....!” you said in a worried tone, keeping your hands on her waist.

She smiled and dragged her hands to your shoulders, gripping them tightly.

“Don’t treat me as someone so fragile, little Chief. I have been surviving the unforgiving WhiteSands every single day for the past decade~”

“It’s not that. I just—"

“Shush now. Let me enjoy this~”

She smirked and pushed you back more, making you lie down flat. She then started grinding back n forth on the length, accommodating the stretch and lubing up the toy with her juices. You remained still and watched her in silence as she wanted, letting her as she pleased. It was a treat just getting to watch her this way. Her expression remained fairly unchanged, holding the smirk on her lips as she started rising up and down the cock. The penetration soon felt pleasurable, enjoying the way it scrapped against her walls.

Her movements were precise, pushing herself in and out at just the right angles and speed. Her hips rocked backward as she rode you, her waist coiling forward into your skin and making her appear almost akin to a cat on prowl. Searing hot pleasure coursed through her body and tightened fingertips by which she held you, the little Chief who had given her so much love. She ground down as she sought you deeper, your name cradled atop her tongue. Through half-lidded eyes, you watched her, and emotions danced between you like flames. You were smitten, finding her unbelievably beautiful.

Vautour gazed down at you as well, noting your fascinated expression and how you couldn’t take your eyes off of her. She too felt enthralled by you, looking down to see how she was pleasuring herself on your lap so openly. The deep and intense emotions came back in her, and so did her mind conjure up some memories again. She placed her hands on your stomach and leaned forward while continuing to grind, and a surprising statement left her lips before she knew it.

“Happy to take my first time, dear Chief?~”

Your eyes widened in surprise, taking a moment to understand her words.

“First time? Wait, you mean....?!”

Vautour chuckled at your shocked expression, “Oh, how adorable you look. So, it seems you assumed I was experienced. Shall I say I’m a little offended or impressed?~”

You immediately sat up and kept your hands around her waist, stopping her from moving more.

“N-No, I.... I’m sorry about that..... for assuming that.... Actually, it’s my fault. I should have asked you before we began....”

She wrapped her arms around your neck, “And, what would you have done if you knew from the start? Treated me as delicately as possible?~”

“W-Well, I’d certainly be more considerate....”

She gazed into your eyes, knowing the sincerity and respect you showed.

“Are you okay right now? We can stop if it feels uncomfortable any- mmph~”

She pressed her lips on yours and prevented you from speaking further, then started rising up and down on the cock. She moaned into the kiss before letting go with a gasp and pulled your face near the crook of her neck, lacing her right hand in your hair while the left clenched on your back.

“You have already made this experience very comfortable and memorable for me. I’m glad I chose you for this.”

Your heart skipped a beat at her words, an urge bubbling in you to make her yours. Well, she was indeed yours for tonight. Now, you felt like owning up to her expectations even more. You wrapped your arms around her and suddenly thrusted your hips up, hitting a spot deep inside her and making her arch with a loud moan. Her fingers dug in your back, painted nails scratching your skin. You kept up the pace and thrusted into her as she bounced, making a pleasurable rhythm that hit all the right spots for her. She was moaning more than before, even if still restrained.

You tried to move your head up to look at her pleasured face, you wanted to etch the sight in your memory. Yet, once again, she tightly held you and kept you down, preventing you from seeing up. You were buried in the crook of her neck, her breasts almost smothering you from the tight grip she had on you. Her fingers intertwined and pulled your hair strands lightly as she threw her head back and continued riding you. You licked up her exposed neck and kissed on several spots, even biting down to mark her fair skin.

“Ngh.... Chief.... Aaahn~”

You could tell she was close as she was bouncing harder than before from her walls clenching around the length. Your hands squeezed her hips as you pulled her closer, rutting into her to make the cock hit more spots. Just then, you felt lost in the moment and muttered something unexpected.

“....Madeleine, you are so beautiful....”

Her movements halted for a second, her cloudy vision suddenly opening wide. You breathed against her skin and planted several kisses on every spot you could access and continued moving your hips into her. She would have found anyone unruly for using her real name without permission, yet hearing it from you felt serene. It was as if she was craving for it, longing to hear it from you.

“Do you.... mind if I call you that?” you asked. She smiled to herself and placed a kiss on your forehead before caressing your head.

“No.... mmh.... just say it only when we are alone.... aaahn~”

“As you wish~”

You moved your lips all over her neck and chest as she resumed bouncing before stopping to simply hold her. Her legs wrapped around your waist now, giving you the reigns to make some final pushes. You placed your hand on her back and swiftly thrusted into her, making her arch into you. Her head fell back as you angled the cock deeper inside, grazing just the perfect spots she wanted. She bit her lower lip as she edged closer to release. You embraced her again and for a moment, she gave in to you.

She fell limp in your arms as she finally released, drenching the toy with her essence. Her body convulsed as she moaned the loudest tonight. You missed seeing her expression once again, but you weren’t as disappointed as before. You held her in your arms as she came down from her high, intensely panting and her arms tightly wrapped around you as well. She lightly kissed your forehead then held you with content as well, relishing the moment.

“....More~” she suddenly mumbled and you looked at her in surprise, while she simply smirked and joined your foreheads together.

“More....? Madeleine, why did I not know you are insatiable....”

“Why, I want to make the most this time, of course. You are mine for tonight, you should know I have high expectations for that~”

You let out a sigh then suddenly spun around to place her on the bed, rubbing the drenched toy over her slit while gazing at her.

“I wasn’t going to deny you anyways. Are you sure you don’t want to take a break even?”

She extended her arms to wrap them around your neck and pulled you down, your lips ghosting hers.

“Time is precious to a merchant, ma chèrie. We have made a deal, let’s not waste time with unnecessary matters~”

You had no reason to deny her if she was so eager. Throughout the night, you gave her all the love and pleasure you could, treating her no less than a lover. Although, you still weren’t able to see her ecstatic face anytime. Each time you attempted to look, she’d be one step ahead of you and do something to hide your eyes. You wondered if she was insecure about something, or just didn’t like having herself being seen that way. Still, you hoped some day you’d get to witness the sight.

There was no sunlight or the dusty wind of WhiteSands that woke up Madeleine the next morning. She woke up by her own body clock, used to starting the day early. Her eyes fell upon the artificial lighting on the ceiling which somehow felt warmed than the natural sun she was used to feeling every day. Perhaps, it was due to the loving presence beside her. She moved her gaze to the side and looked at you peacefully sleeping, a gentle smile drawing up her lips.

She turned on her side and extended her hand to lightly stroke your hair and tuck some strands behind your ear. She recalled the memories of last night, knowing that the precious time was up. If she could have that again, she would never end it. She still didn’t have a name for the feelings you gave her, for the emotions you surged in her. But she was grateful for the unforgettable memory.

She leisurely sat up and stretched her arms with a sigh, missing the scent of her regularly morning tea and dessert. Just then, she felt the mattress on your side move and realized you had woken up as well. She watched as you rubbed your eyes before opening them, only to see her face gazing at you as she laid on her side propped up on her elbow.

“Good morning, Madeleine....” you said with a yawn and turned towards her with a smile.

“Good morning, dear Chief. Had a good sleep?~”

“Mhm, it was fine. How about you? Does it pain anywhere?”

“I’m fine, ma chèrie....” she extended her other hand and cupped your face, “You were perfect last night~”

You blushed at her words then sat up while stretching your arms before looking at the clock.

“Ah, it’s still early. No wonder I didn’t hear my alarm.”

You scratched the top of your head then suddenly heard a giggle from Madeleine, becoming confused at what she was laughing at.

“Reminds me of your first morning in Dèsir when we were talking across the balcony....” she sat up and extended her hand towards your head and gently caressed some strands that were messily sticking out, “Hehe, how cute~”

You blushed in embarrassment and quickly fixed up your unruly hair while she chuckled more.

“I’m surprised you remember those little things from then....”

Madeleine hummed, “Hmm, don’t you as well? Sometimes I can’t help but feel you miss the time when we were neighbours~”

“....I do miss it. It was strangely.... comforting, or I suppose that was just Dèsir’s atmosphere.”

She tilted her head with a sigh, “Indeed.... it was a paradise.”

You looked at the way her eyes stared into distance, seemingly pondering something deep. You extended your hand to hold hers then leaned forward to kiss the top of it, catching her by surprise.

“We can still have that here, if you allow me to show you.”

Her eyes widened before she gave a smile and came forward to peck your lips, “I look forward to it, little Chief~”

If she had met you earlier, perhaps her dreams would have come true. But it didn't matter anymore, she was happy with what she had and the memories you gave her, and she hoped to make such more memories with you.

[chininirisart]

Backfire | v: Search > On FF.Net and AO3

Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan Pairing: Levi/Mikasa Ackerman | RivaMika Genres: General/Romance Universe: Canon divergent AU Warning/Notes: - Status: In-progress Summary: To destroy the evidences, they must join the Survey Corps and bond with Humanity’s Strongest.

That afternoon they find some free time and decide to put it to good use. Seeing as Isabel has to be around Ackerman whenever Flagon dismisses them, they will be using it on their favor. With her so close to one of the most important members of the Corps, she can easily find out where he is at any given time of the day and deliver that information to her friends.

The duo is sitting under the shade of a skinny tree when she approaches them and, without even stopping to draw attention to their group, tells them that Erwin is currently in a meeting with the Commander of the Corps. They wait until she is out of sight to stand up from the grass and aimlessly walk around the open field, taking their time to head for one of the doors of the castle. They pass by training cadets, sweat dripping down their brows as they perform reps of various strength exercises under the burning sun. Coupled with the lack of breeze today and the humidity of the air, it certainly feels like they are trapped in a greenhouse.

The significantly cooler corridor of the headquarters welcomes them with open arms, kissing the thin layer of perspiration that clings to their skin. Furlan wipes his forehead with his forearm and racks a hand through his slightly damp hair, brushing it back and away from his face. It sticks at odd angles and it is minimally oily on the roots; his cheeks are lightly flushed pink and he glances at Levi to see if he is in bad shape just as much as he is. There are beads of sweat trailing down the side of his face and neck, and some strands of hair are plastered on his temples, still he never mentions the need for a shower, mind far too focused on the job they are about to perform.

Other soldiers pass by them, none of them paying attention to the two newest additions as they head towards the many exits of the structure. When they find themselves alone after short minutes of walking, they turn around the corner and go up a set of stairs that leads to the second floor, where chambers and rooms that belong to the soldiers with higher ranks lay on the west wing. Furlan goes ahead as Levi keeps an eye out for the rear, narrow eyes scanning the intersection where hallways meet as he leans as casually as possible on the wall.

Church leans his ears on door after door, only opening them to peek inside once he is sure no one is there. There is no telling which one of them belongs to Erwin, so he steps inside and rummage through a few things as he tries to gather if it is the correct room. Some potted plants and flowers in the first one tells him that it belongs to someone else; an overly disorganized bedroom that would certainly have Levi crawling up the walls is another dead giveaway that it is the wrong bedroom. The third bedroom is ordered, though a bit of dust collected on the surface of the desk by the far corner. On top of that particular piece of furniture sits a black and gold tea set, well-polished and shimmering despite the specks of dirty on the desktop underneath, and a slip of paper with strange characters drawn on it.

He backs out of the room and closes it with a soft click, “I think I found Ackerman’s room.” He misses the way Levi looks over his shoulder from him to the door and lets his eyes linger on it for a moment.

After a few more tries, he finds the correct room. Shelves filled with books of many sizes and colors line most of the walls, a neatly made bed sits by the corner and on top of a chest of drawers is a painting for a younger version of Erwin and a man with eyebrows as thick as his own. “Found it,” he hisses as he pokes his head out into the corridor and once spotting Levi’s nod, he slips back inside and cracks his knuckles.

Furlan starts with the chest of drawers, silently pulling each one of them open and poking around the many items inside. He lifts piles of folded shirts and pants, shuffles around some pairs of socks and even underwear, but finds nothing in the first two. The third drawer contains files that are dated to be from year old missions, some empty envelopes and letters he received, supposedly from relatives. The last drawer has a compilation of assorted things, ranging from sewing supplies to a pair of round glasses kept inside a little box.

With a sigh, he stands to his full height and turns to one of the shelves, carefully pulling a book out and quickly thumbing through the pages. There might be something important between the worn out, yellowed pages, but the amount of books is far too big for one person to look through by themselves. The three of them would need to be there for some good hours until they searched through all of them. Still, he flips the pages of another three books before returning them in order to their previous place and turning to the bed.

He crouches down to peek underneath, spotting boxes with shoes inside and a stray, forgotten white button. Furlan lifts the small rug by the corners and finds nothing; there is nothing underneath the pillow and the shelves as well. He pulls at the thin curtains and comes up with the same result. Searching here is fruitless, he realizes as he exhales through his nose and places his hands on his hips, letting his eyes dart about in hopes he will find something that was previously overlooked.

Just as he turns around and prepares to leave, he halts and glances to his left. The painting hangs there, looking harmless as it is, but years of living in the underground tell him that there is something more to it. Carefully, he pulls it away, revealing a safe that sit in a hole cut in the brick wall. Before he can even let his fingers graze the cold surface of the metal, the sound of a singing nightingale reaches his ears and he quickly returns the framed picture to its perch on the wall, leaves the room as silently as he entered and they escape the scene soundlessly, leaving no proof of their presence behind.

They only see Isabel again that evening. Already sitting in their usual spot with their bowls of food and loaves of bread, she approaches them minutes later and falls on her seat ungracefully, groaning as she rotates her neck to ease some of the tension. “So, what was it like spending the after with Team Buffoon?”

She sighs exasperatedly and takes a deep gulp of her water. “They’re like kids, except two of them, that is.” Shrugging her shoulders indifferently, her teeth tore a piece from her bread and she spoke around it. “I think she got tired of being nice, though.”

“Is that so?” Furlan quirks an eyebrow as he dips a slice of his bread into the soup.

Isabel nods as she swallows. “Yeah. Zoe was there and they were both talking about some meaningless thing, and three of them started fucking around. She just shouted at them ‘no more games’ and ordered that they ran laps around the perimeter of the castle until nightfall.” Her green eyes flicker towards the window and she snorts. “They ran for like five hours or something. They’re dead on their feet right now.”

Levi discreetly glances at the table Ackerman’s team is occupying. Indeed, three of them have their faces planted on the wood while the other two calmly eat their dinner and share a few words with each other. He looks around the mess hall, trying to locate her with either the other captains or sitting with some other cadets, but she is nowhere in sight.  

Turning back to his meal, he eats the first spoonful of soup and looks up at Furlan. “So?”

He perks up, lifting his eyebrows up to his hairline. “There’s a safe behind a painting in his room, Isabel.” He breathes out the discovery quietly as the older man in their group observes if anyone is eavesdropping. “I didn’t have much time to inspect it, but we’ll need either a combination of numbers or a key.”

She hums, twisting her lips. “If it’s a combination, then maybe there’s a slip of paper with it written somewhere.”

“And if it’s a key, he’s carrying it.”

“We still have to look through his office,” Levi said definitely, pointedly looking to their side so they would catch the hint. Still a bit away from them, but on their table nonetheless, two people claimed seats on the other side of the benches.

Light grey eyes fall on Isabel and she nods, silently telling them that she will find a way to figure out when his office will be empty. In silence, they finish their meals, and before they leave the mess hall for good, Levi looks around once more looking for her.

Inside their bedroom, Furlan and Levi do not talk much. Even though they are careful not to say anything too suspicious even when they are alone, they prefer to keep a low profile, which is hard considering they have a rather infamous reputation, so they go about their routine before bed in silence, silently folding uniforms and setting them aside, cleaning their boots and pushing them against the wall to keep a clear path in the center of the room.

Levi is halfway up the ladder to the top of the bunker bed when the door opens and the two boys they share the room with enter mid conversation. “Man, Borlov is so fucked.” The sentence is followed by a chuckle and a snort. “He’s going to quit before the first expedition.”

“Borlov is the guy Ackerman helped today, yeah?”

The air stirs following Furlan’s inquiry, silence draping over the room like a heavy blanket. Levi half expects the other two to shut up and ignore his friend, but to his surprise, the boy continues after clearing his throat. “No, that was Rael.”

“Borlov is the one that spooked the horse.” The other guy provides, “He’s from our training squad.”

Furlan nods in understanding. “And why is he so fucked?”

“Well, he is in Ackerman’s team. Only the most rebellious cadets end up there.” For the first time since they arrived, Levi looks at the other two occupants of the room. The one that is talking has black hair styled in an attempted pompadour, brown eyes and freckles on his olive skin. “She’s the one who disciplines the worst of the worst, after all.”

That explains why Erwin said Isabel could be moved to her team if she deemed it fit. His bare feet touch the floor as he gives up going to his bed and turns to face the three men. “Ackerman said she had to be disciplined by Erwin when she joined the Corps.”

The guy with ginger hair and the first traces of a fuzzy beard appearing on his jaw shares a glance with his friend before saying, “He was quickly climbing up the ranks. Commander Shadis personally chose her to correct the newcomers in his place.”

“The veterans told us some stories about her. I’m Nyeve, by the way.” The dark haired boy introduced himself and motioned to his friend, “This is Gustaf.”

“I’m Furlan, that’s Levi, though I guess you already know since we were introduced yesterday.” Church easily towers over the three of them; he backs away to sit on his thin mattress. “What stories?”

Gustaf is unbuckling his maneuvering equipment as he speaks, eyebrows pinched in concentration. “Mateo is the only one from the first Rectify Team that survived. He is the only one that actually bothered to listen to her and pull through her strict regimen, so naturally, he is the only one that returned from their first expedition.”

Furlan lifted his eyebrows in astonished silence as Levi’s jaw set tightly in place. “Rael was part of the second team that was thrusted in her hands; he’s the only one that chose to remain in the Corps.” Nyeve amends, voice muffled as his shirt was halfway up his head. “They come here thinking that, if they act like assholes and are a general pain in the ass, they won’t be selected to go out in missions and will instead remain inside the walls.”

“Why do they even choose to join the Corps if they’re not willing to go out?”

“Who knows?” Gustaf shrugs. “Ackerman has to discipline them and put them in line, and if still they choose to disobey the orders given, it’s most likely that they’ll die out there.” The redhead is pushing his boots under their bunker bed, kneeling on the floor with his back turned to them. “She tries to save everyone, but she’s only one person. Thankfully, the other cadets that were entrusted to her quickly learned of the fates of those that died and decided to change.”

“She doesn’t seem like she’s that strict,” Furlan confesses with a frown marring his young features. “It’s hard to imagine her bossing other people around.”

Nyeve snorts as he carelessly kicks his shoes away. “Ackerman dedicates the first three days to observe how the new recruits act and in the meantime she passes as the most disinterested captain there is.”

“We’ve been here for only a week and she spent most of it away on a mission,” bright blue eyes flicker in their direction shortly, letting them know that the mission meant capturing them, “so Zoe was keeping tabs on them. Today she finally got tired of being nice and gave them a taste of what is to come.”  

“Still, she is a nice person.” The dark haired man discloses as he goes up the ladder and flops on his stomach on top of his mattress. “They say that she and Zoe are the easiest ones to approach if you need help with anything, but she is also the scariest as well when she loses her cool.”

Gustaf tries to fluff out his thin pillow, but gives up moments after. “We advise you to do as Flagon says. I’m sure her regimen is far worse than running for hours.”

Furlan nods as Levi heads up to his bed and the room is engulfed by darkness as the distant sound of a bell lets them know that curfew time has started. He lies on his back staring up at the ceiling as he processes the information he just learned. From the few things Isabel shared about Ackerman’s group and from the things he had seen, he was beginning to think that the Captain had no desire to correct them in any form or shape. The idea of seeing them run laps around the perimeter of the castle was not as satisfying as knowing that she will certainly put them through hell on the following weeks to shape them up to real, respectable soldiers.

Levi was never fond of any of the branches of the Military ever since he was young, but he knows how careless and disinterested people can jeopardize a mission and put everyone else in danger. Fools were the ones that tried to act by themselves in foreign terrains filled with monsters that could easily crush a human between their forefinger and thumb; fools were the ones that chose to join the Survey Corps instead of the Garrison thinking that if they were undisciplined enough they would only have to do labor work in the headquarters.

Still, he wonders how she lives knowing that the majority of her first team died in their first mission. This knowledge puts things in perspective; if people that had proper training and still had to deal with her before leaving the walls for the first time died out there, he can only imagine what can happen to them, simple people from the slums that learned to use the equipment by themselves. Even if they obey orders given, what are the chances that they will come back in one piece?

Irritably, he shoves the thoughts away and turns to lie on his stomach, shoving his face on his pillow and closing his eyes. No one is going to die. They are going to finish their job and return to live in Mitras.

[calamity-writes]

The Factions of Entropic Horizons

NOTE - in both the canon Dragon Age and Entropic Horizons universes, religion is inherently political and politics are inherently religious. We are unable to separate the two and to try is to misunderstand how these societies work.

The Inquisition

Technically founded as a heretical organization, the Inquisition has now been legitimized by the Chantry and is considered an arm of the Chantry much as the Templars and Seekers are.

The Inquisition has become powerful in a short period of time, with alliances from Ferelden and the Rebel Mages bolstering it's numbers. As the efforts to close the breach and the Rifts in spacetime became known in the System, individuals have flocked to the Inquisition to pledge their service.

Style of Worship

As a result of the Heralds of Andraste, and the Inquisitor's actions, the Inquisition has developed somewhat of a Cult following with small shrines appearing to the Heralds and Inquisitor herself. Gifts of green items are left there, and the shrines are often styled after Andrastian shrines, only with green candles instead of red, and fire surrounding a hand instead of the Bride of the Maker herself. The Chantry has yet to comment on this development, but the Inquisition knows that once Corypheus is defeated, the Chantry will not suffer a rival, even an unwilling one.

Mandate 

To protect the people of the Thedan system from the holds being torn in reality, no matter which nation, which race or which religion 

To defeat Corypheus and prevent the destruction of the system

To root out Corypheus's agents and prevent them from forcing the System into chaos

To do what must be done, no matter how dire the circumstances

Key Actors

The Inquisitor - Milliara Lavellan. Reluctantly. An Atheist herself, Milliara is deeply uncomfortable with the growing worship of her role.

The Heralds of Andraste - Maeve Trevelyan and Milliara Lavellan, both survived the conclave and for a time shared the Anchor between them in a quantum entanglement that had the Anchor exist on both their hands at the same time. This ended when Milliara forced herself to close a Temporally unsound rift by Redcliffe and the strange magic forced the Anchor out of it's Quantum state. It was only chance that Milliara ended up with it, or Divine Providence, if you listen to the whispers that follow her.

The Advisors

Leliana Nightingale - Spymaster and former rival of Milliara's in the Game.

Josephine Montilyet - Ambassador of the Inquisition. Similarly knew Milliara from her days at Court, but not as well.

Cullen Rutherford - Commander of the Inquisition, has met  various of the Inquisition members before his current role.

Ferelden Ambassador - Rythlen Theirin, Hero of Ferelden and beloved Queen and Media Darling. She's also an advisor to the Inquisitor on how to handle the pressures and media attention involved in saving the world(s)

Olesian Ambassador - Baron Frederic Rousseau, formerly Milliara's lover, and formerly a Captain of Gaspard's Chevaliers, Frederic now serves with the Inquisition.

Supporters

Technically the Chantry though this relationship is strained at best

Ferelden

Parts of Orlais

The Rebel Mages

Many True Believers that the Inquisitor is Andraste's Herald come to save them from the devastation of the Breach.

Rivals and Enemies

The Chantry, unofficially.

Corypheus

Red Templars

The Venatori

The Grey Wardens

Parts of Orlais

Some Loyal Mages

Bears

The Chantry

With the loss of the senior stratum of it's society at the Conclave, the Chantry is in disarray. There are no prominent Mother Superiors who will be able to step into the role of Divine and rally the people and nations behind them.

Many Chantry devotees are embittered and afraid of the Inquisition, and while publicly they support the actions of the Inquisitor, all is not well. An upstart elf cannot be allowed to change all that Outer Thedas holds sacred.

Style of Worship

heavily ritualized and regulated worship of the Maker led by female priests known as Mothers or Mother Superiors

The head of the Chantry is the Divine

Worship through Fire and the Sun as symbols of Andraste's immolation

red candles, red and white robes with sun insignias

cremation of the dead

Mandate 

To maintain the status quo

Control mages as they are a danger to others

 Guide Andrastians along the true path

Key Actors

Most prominent Chantry figures died in the explosion at the conclave

Supporters

Most Thedan nations (except the Qun, Tevinter, Orzammar and the Dalish)

They are the True Power in the Thedas system

Rivals and Enemies

Rebel Mages

The Mage known as Anders

The Inquisitor (perceived but not entirely wrong)

Corypheus

Rebel Mages

With the terrorist attack on Kirkwall's chantry by the mage known as 'Anders', the simmering rebellion exploded. Circle after circle saw mages revolt and break free from their prisons. However not everyone agreed as to how to proceed.

Mandate 

To free Mages from the oppression enforced on them by the Chantry and the Templars

To have basic rights that have been denied to them 

To demolish the system of Circles and Templar jailors/enforcers

to support the Inquisition

Key Actors

Anders

Grand Enchanter Fiona

Supporters

The Inquisition

Mage Sympathizers

Rivals and Enemies

The Chantry

The Nights Templar

Loyalist Mages

Mandate 

rebuild the network of Circles that protected Mages and protected the peoples of Thedas FROM mages

Key Actors

Vivienne de Fer

Supporters

The Chantry

People afraid of magic

Remaining Templars

Rivals and Enemies

The Rebel Mages

The Inquisition

Nights Templar / Red Templars

The Order of the Nights Templar (not a typo) are theoretically guardians of mages, there to protect them from becoming possessed. In reality, they are guards and jailors both as well as the Chantry's Millitary arm.

The order's name comes from the need to be willing to step into the darkness and bring their own light to where Abominations, blood mages and demons reside. Sometimes they were referred to as 'matches' by rebel mages, referring to both the idealised view of a Templar, and the propensity for hot-headedness and the 'branding' of Tranquils.

What remains of the Order after the conclave has split between supporting the Inquisition and joining Corypheus under Sampson. Red Templars have been corrupted by ingesting Red Lyrium, and range in disfigurement from minor to horrific crystalline monsters.

Mandate 

To protect the people of Thedan worlds from Abominations, blood mages and other dangers that mages present

To regulate the use of magic and supervise Circles

To eliminate threats posed by Mages 

Key Actors

Formerly:

Cullen Rutherford

Theseus Trevelyan

Captain Rylen

Red Templars

Raleigh Samson

Supporters

The Chantry (formerly)

Loyal Mages (formerly)

Corypheus

The Venatori

Rivals and Enemies

Rebel Mages

The Inquisition

The Seekers

The Seekers are a whispered name among the Faithful. They're the secret police of the Chantry, meant to oversee and hold the Chantry accountable for any offenses against the Mages and it's Faithful.

The problem is, they're nowhere to be found when Thedas needs them the most.

Status: MIA

Mandate 

The Watchdog of the Templars and police of the Chantry

to seek the truth and hold the Chantry accountable

Key Actors

Cassandra Pentaghast

The Grey Wardens

The Wardens are legendary fighters, and prominent figures after the Fifth Blight, whether they want to be or not. Unfortunately the Wardens of outer Thedas have gone missing, and those that have been found are worried about a universal Calling on Orlais's surface.

The Wardens wear Grey and blue armor, often battered and bearing battle scars.

Status: MIA

Mandate 

To kill darkspawn and defend the system from Blights

Key Actors

Rythlen Theirin (Formerly) - Hero and Queen of Ferelden

Alistair Theirin(Formerly) - Veteran of the 5th Blight, Ry's husband

Kalieth Surana - Warden Enchanter

Carver Hawke - Senior Warden of Kirkwall/Free Marches

Rivals and Enemies

Corypheus

The Inquisition

Demons

Darkspawn

Other Wardens

The Venatori

Not much is known about this cult, other than they wish to see Corypheus made into a true god, and are willing to kill anyone in their way to achieve that goal.

One would imagine it rankles that a base elf, a being good only for slavery, is the main opponent stopping their God from ascending. Worse yet the elf is winning.

Mandate 

Tear apart the veil to allow Corypheus to become a true god.

Achieve power over the broken remains of the system

Key Actors

Corypheus

Gereon Alexius

Livius Erimond

Rivals and Enemies

The Inquisition

Ferelden

Legion of the Chevaliers

Orlais' most respected and most feared fighting force, the Chevaliers have sided with their General Gaspard in the Orlesian Civil war. The Chevaliers are known to be one of the most disciplined and successful armies in the entire system, even though rumours abound that the Nobles in their ranks don't always act so noble.

Elves in particular suffer at the hands of the Chevaliers. Any complaints against a Chevalier are found baseless, and unless the elf who is lodging the complaint has a patron of similar noble rank, the complainant goes missing shortly after.

Before the Halamshiral Alienage was purged, every year the graduating class of Chevalier officers would get drunk and descend to the elven slums to 'christen' their swords. Both the ceremonial swords bestowed upon them at their graduation and their 'metaphorical' ones.

Mandate 

To serve and protect the Emperor/Empress of Orlais.

Key Actors

Gand-Duc and General Gaspard

Baron and Captain Frederic Rousseau

Michel du Chevin (Formerly)

Rivals and Enemies

Celene, Empress of Orlais

Elves in general

Orlesian Bards

Orlais is infamous for it's high stakes version of court. Life and death, and beyond, The Game is a constant battle of wits, politics, and blackmail that nobles uses to jostle for position in the Lion's Court. However the moves are truly played out by third parties instead of the nobles themselves. Orlesian Bards act on behalf of nobles who prefer to keep their own hands clean.  They entertain the court and their patrons by gathering blackmail, stealing information or occasionally, assassinating a fellow player.

Most outsiders are unaware of the two tiers of Bards, and assume that the nobles who play at barddom are on similar footing as the 'pet' bards kept on retainer by Nobles and houses.  They aren't. Although the Game is deadly to all who play, young nobles who act as Bard are seen as less expendable than the 'pets'. 

Needless to say, the life of Pet Bard is short one.

Mandate 

To act on behalf of their patron, or to entertain the court by playing the Grand Game.

Key Actors

Formerly

Milliara Lavellan - Pet Bard of Baron Frederic Rousseau

Leliana Nightingale - Pet Bard of Marjolaine

Josephine Montilyet - Noble Bard, independent

Florianne's Bards

Allies and Supporters

Celene I

Patron Nobles of the Orlesian Court

Rivals and Enemies

Other Bards

Orlesian Noblility

[kewpieandco]

Mrs. Fiddlesticks

June 19, 2020

My darling Fuzzy Wuzzy is almost a year and a half old!  Don’t ask me how it happened, I’m just as baffled as you!  But just like that, she has reached an age where she is very interested in pretend play.  Luckily she has the best ever big sister who shows her the ropes when it comes to important things like cradling a baby doll gently and making sure you support its neck,  feeding your doll nutritious food so it can grown up to be strong and healthy, and of course, bathing your doll with the utmost care.  Yes, Fuzzy Wuzzy has taken all of Kewpie’s sage tutelage to heart….almost.

You see, Fuzzy has never been the tenderest of tykes.  She’s made of hardy stuff.  She’s a no-nonsense kind of gal.  Sure she might hit you, but she’ll always kiss you afterwards (if she is threatened with no ice cream for dessert).  She knows her mind, and she makes her mind known.  I’m not saying she’s scary…. but I wouldn’t cross her in a dark alley if I were you.

Yes, this is just the kind of girl you want to be your nurse in a life threatening situation.  And that is where I found myself recently….at the mercy of Mrs. Fiddlesticks.

While Fuzzy is new to the world of pretend play, Kewpie has been deep in the heart of it for over half her life.  She thrives in environments where she can nurture her plastic dolls (who are always naked for some reason…), feed her stuffed animals, and name each and every creature who is played with.  And while dolls and stuffed animals always seem to get creative names like Figaro, Buddy Monkey, and Bead, we people tend to end up with rather ordinary names.  Two such names that are personal favorites of Kewpie’s are Sandy and Anna.

And on this particular day I was predictably named “Miss Sandy,” the critically injured and rapidly ailing hospital patient.  While Kewpie took on the name of “Miss Anna,” my devoted surgeon and life coach.  Playing commenced but I noticed that Fuzzy had not been given a name. 

“Kewpie, what name does Fuzzy get today?” I asked.

Kewpie thoughtfully studied her little sister then announced, “Mrs. Fiddlesticks.”

I was a little surprised that Fuzzy was not given another of Kewpie’s ordinary, light-hearted names like “Sally.”  But looking at Fuzzy, I had to agree that Mrs. Fiddlesticks seemed more fitting for her nurse’s character.  She was the stone-faced serious type, who had probably done time but you were too afraid to ask.  She was tight lipped and silent, but her fiery eyes spoke volumes.  She was not the kind of nurse you want to mess with, but also the kind of nurse who obviously knew her stuff (including how to knock you out if you turned into a belligerent patient).  She was dressed in my red and white striped apron from when I was a kid, and though it went from her neck down to her ankles, she looked convincingly nurse-like in it.  Not “Florence Nightingale” nurse-like, but “Mrs. Fiddlesticks” nurse-like whose first name I could only assume was “Brunhilda.”

Well we got right down to business.  Miss Anna told me to lie down on the operating table and then informed me that she had to do surgery on my leg because I had broken all of my bones.

“I have to give you twenty shots,” Kewpie said.  Normally twenty shots would have made me flinch, but luckily I couldn’t move a muscle since Mrs. Fiddlesticks had snapped into action and was lying across my body, pinning me down with the strength of an MMA fighter.

The surgery was a great success.  Miss Anna stitched me up and told me I could go home in five minutes.

“But first you have to drink all of your antibiotics so you don’t get sicker,” Kewpie warned.  She started to hand me a purple bottle, but Mrs. Fiddlesticks grabbed the jug, put me in a headlock and dumped all of the invisible liquid down my throat in one giant swig, complete with gulping sound effects.  She threw the empty medicine bottle on the floor with a sense of finality, then moved onto the next patient.

To my delight, Miss Anna put me on bedrest for the next couple of minutes so that I could regain my strength after the grueling events of the day.  So I was able to observe the goings on at the hospital in which I found myself a patient.

First off, I noticed that Miss Anna had chosen her profession wisely.  She spoke soothingly to her patients, wiped their fevered brows, gently spooned broth down their aching throats, but never before she had blown on the food to make sure it wasn’t too hot.

At the same time I noticed that Mrs. Fiddlesticks lacked a certain amount of….compassion for her patients.  She grabbed them by the head and dragged them to the bathtub where she flung them into the tepid water and then left without a word.  If her patients had hair, she preferred to grab a handful and pull them to a new destination so as not to contaminate herself by touching their sickly skin.  She certainly seemed to favor the syringe as her weapon—I mean “tool” of choice because she repeatedly jammed it into the wee babes’ eyes and belly buttons.  But hey, someone has to do the dirty work, so you have to admire her willingness to serve.

Eventually Mrs. Fiddlesticks got bored of caring for the invalids, and after dropping a patient on the ground and stepping on him with both feet, she left the premises.

Miss Anna continued to work tirelessly on the never-ending line of patients, many of whom seemed to get sick again with another ailment as soon as they were discharged.  But on she worked.

Meanwhile, I was feeling much better after my bedrest and decided to walk around the grounds.  As I meandered down the hallway, I turned into a bathroom and found Mrs. Fiddlesticks sucking on the pump of  a shampoo bottle.  I guess in her line of work you need a few shots of the hard stuff every once in a while.  But still, it was inappropriate to be drinking on the job so I moved forward to discourage her poor life decisions.  However, at my advance, Mrs. Fiddlesticks squealed, wrenched the bottle away from my grasp, faked to the left then dashed around me on the right!  I tried to talk sense into her as she fled, but she only ran faster, apron flapping around her chubby feet.

I glanced back into the hospital ward, but Mrs. Fiddlesticks was nowhere to be seen.  So I headed back down the hall to see if I could find her.  I discovered the discarded bottle of shampoo at the end of the hall next to a partially opened door, so I peeked in.  There on the floor was Mrs. Fiddlesticks….eating scented wax.  Oh Mrs. Fiddlesticks, what led you down this path of destruction?!  She simply stared at me, calmly chewing the wax, and occasionally licking the scented residue off of her strong, pudgy fingers without breaking eye contact.

I knew I couldn’t make her quit cold turkey, but I could at least remove the temptation for the time being.  I pulled Mrs. Fiddlesticks, kicking and screaming, away from the wax and shut the door.  After a moment of calming her down, I left her lying motionless on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with unblinking eyes.

I returned to the hospital where Miss Anna had stripped down to her skivvies and was standing in the window sill, obviously waiting for my return.  When I walked through the door I saw the mischievous glint in Kewpie’s eye just as she launched herself off the window sill onto her bed below, and I knew that our game of hospital had come to an end.

Kewpie and I played on her bed for a while.  I sang “Humpty Dumpty” and she would “have a great fall” off of her window sill and erupt into a pile of giggles as soon as she hit the bed.  Eventually my voice started getting hoarse and I realized that Fuzzy had never returned to the bedroom after the wax incident.

“Kewpie, did you see Fuzzy come back into this room?” I asked.

“Nope,” said Kewpie in an unconcerned voice as she “had another great fall” and giggled to her heart’s content.

Uh oh….where was Fuzzy?  Did she slide down the stairs, unlock the front door, and run away from home?

“Fuzzy?” I called….Silence.

“Fuuuzzyyyyyy!  Where are you?!”  I dashed from room to room looking for my spunky, blonde baby.

“Fuzzy, Mommy misses you!  Come out, come out wherever you are!” I said.

A giggle.

I stopped in my tracks and looked under a child-sized table.  There was my Fuzzy! Silently squished over to the very corner of the table to avoid detection, with her plumb little hands pressed over her eyes so no one could see her.

“Fuzzy, I found you!” I said, scooping my little angel-baby up in my arms and kissing her silky soft cheek.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Yes, Fuzzy,” I said.  “I love you too!”