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cruisingheightswithdragons · 1 month ago

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Star Trek: Lilip

Chapter One: Lilip

Summary: The Enterprise-D receives a distress call from a research station on a lush moon. They manage to find a humanoid alien of an unknown species, and bring them on board.

Word Count: 5148

Author’s Note: I thought it’d be fun to write chronicles of my Star Trek OC’s life, detailing their story and exploring their character. Hope you enjoy the beginning of a long series!

Act One

Captain’s Log, Stardate 43085.7 (February 1st, 2366; 7:07 am). Not long after Doctor Crusher had been transferred aboard, and Doctor Pulaski having departed, we have had little time for reunion as the Enterprise received an urgent distress call from the Terys star system. After looking through decades old data, it was found that the Federation had established a research station on a Class-M moon orbiting the lone gas giant in the system. However, the station had severed contact through unknown means, and attempts to reach out over the years had resulted in failure.

So, to say receiving a message from this station after six decades of silence has been a surprise is quite the understatement. Especially given that the station was set up to catalogue the life forms on the moon, and research how life can evolve and thrive on a gas giant’s satellite. Should this mission bode well, it would be imperative that the data from the station be recovered. The information they have could prove invaluable to future exobiological research.

“We are within range, sir.” Lieutenant Commander Data announced from his station at ops. His pearlescent hands thrummed away on the control panel in front of him with calculated accuracy. The ship was just now entering the star system.

“Very good.” The Captain of the ship, Jean-Luc Picard pulled at his red uniform as soon as he voiced his acknowledgment. He turned to the other station several feet to Data’s right, with an officer seated at another control panel. “Open communications, Ensign Gates. Let them know that we are here to assist.”

“Right away, Captain.” Gates replied. She tapped her panel diligently. With two beeps coming from her station, it was clear the message had been sent.

But would it be received? And would there be a response? That was yet to be seen as the Enterprise passed the star. It glowed a bright, almost white yellow. A plume of plasma erupted from the fiery surface, shaking the ship as the flames licked her hull.

“Shields are steady, Captain.” The Klingon, Lieutenant Worf, announced once the shaking ceased.

“Maintain course,” Captain Picard commanded, “Ensign, status?”

“No response, sir.” Gates said.

Picard furrowed his brow as his gaze landed back to the viewscreen. In the distance, a tiny, blue speck pierced its color through the vast expanse of space. It grew larger as the ship neared the gas giant. The planet was huge, its atmosphere was streaked with stripes of various blues. The clouds that made up the planet swirled around at incredible speeds.

Alarming speeds, actually. For there was an arch of atmosphere that bulged from the planet. It flickered like fire here and there as the gas giant expelled its contents. It was clear that this was what the distress call was about, as the expulsion was so rapid and powerful that it would no doubt reach the moon and tear apart its own atmosphere.

“Bring us around,” Picard ordered, “We must make sure that the moon hasn't been struck.”

Upon entering the commands on the console, the Enterprise maneuvered around the evaporating gas giant. It was impossible to avoid the blast from the expulsion of atmosphere, and it rocked the ship violently. Bodies flung this way and that from the momentum, but were quickly recovered once the quaking stopped.

“Damage report.” Picard demanded.

“Shields holding at eighty percent, Captain.” Worf said in return as he steadied himself on his console.

“Let’s just hope the moon holds out better than us…”

The satellite came into view after a careful orbit around its host. It was tiny compared to the giant, about the size of Earth’s moon. Breaking the vast, blue ocean was one supercontinent covered in lush, green vegetation, with a mountain range splitting it down the middle. Down there was the research station, which was last reported having a staff of one hundred and four personnel, but that was sixty years ago. It was only speculation what the number could be now— Larger? Smaller?

While the sight of such a planetoid bursting with life was beautiful, such wonder was doused upon taking closer inspection of its atmosphere. A pale blue trail faced away from the moon’s host like the tail of a comet. The air that the flora and fauna breathed was being stripped away. The Enterprise was too late.

Captain Picard stiffened at the sight. He cocked his head in Data’s direction, urgency flashing in his eyes. “Data, can you find any life signs?”

“It is difficult to tell, sir,” Data’s calm tenor sounded as he tapped away on his console, “The drastic changes in the moon’s atmosphere coupled with the planet’s rapid expulsion of its own is making it difficult to scan for life forms.”

William Riker, the Captain’s first officer, stood from his seat and took a step forward, his beautiful blue eyes not leaving the main viewscreen. “Do you have the coordinates of the station?”

“Affirmative.” Data confirmed.

“Scan there, see what you can find.”

While Data focused his search, a worried voice spilled from the lips of the Betazoid counselor, Deanna Troi. “Captain,” She addressed, “I’m sensing something from the surface…”

Picard turned to his trusted confidante, his gaze urged her to continue.

“An intense feeling of fear…” Troi’s black eyes clouded as she focused her mind to the sensations she began to pick up from the pseudo-antlers that made two bumps on her forehead. “And pain… great pain… Someone is down there, and they’re hurt badly…”

“Captain,” Data interrupted, “I can confirm life signs aboard the station, but it is difficult to determine how many.”

A blast from the gas giant pushed at the starship, rocking the bridge as people desperately tried to keep their footing.

“We cannot hold orbit around the moon or the planet for long, not unless we want to take a beating.” Picard planted his foot down firmly onto the carpet as the shaking stopped, steadily returning to his usual posture. He turned to Data. “Data, I want you to get down to the research station as quickly as you can.” Another plume of atmospheric discharge shook the ship. “You have one hour to assess the damage, and rescue anyone that may still be alive.”

“Just Data, sir?” Worf asked.

It was Data who answered. “With the change in atmosphere, it can be concluded that it would be impossible to breathe. As I do not require oxygen to survive, it is safest for myself to go, should the life support systems of the station fail.”

Worf simply nodded in agreement.

“Hurry, Mr. Data. Based on what we’re seeing, you don’t have much time.” Picard ushered as another shake rocked the bridge before quickly subsiding.

The android stood from his post, which was quickly filled by another officer as Data strode towards the turbolift. After inputting his destination for transporter room three, the lift moved in response. It moaned quietly as it made its way down, passing level after level. It finally stopped after several seconds, and the doors slid open.

Data walked briskly through the corridor until he reached his destination. A transporter pad against the wall made the rest of the room reflect a blue light. The officer that manned the station, Miles O’Brien, stood by a console several meters away.

“Ready when you are, sir.” O’Brien said in his Irish accent.

After grabbing a tricorder, Data hopped up to the pad, and positioned himself to stand above a white circle of light. “Energize.”

With a few taps of the console, and a sliding motion from his fingers, O’Brien breathed life into the transporter. The glow brightened, and Data was enveloped by blue streaks of light, his figure fading away until he disappeared completely. The machine ceased its bright glow as soon as the android vanished from sight, returning the room to a comfortable level of brightness as the machine purred its gentle hum.

It was by pure chance that the rapidly changing atmosphere didn’t interfere with the beam down. Data’s form appeared, wrapped in a blue light as he was transported from the ship to the inside of the station. The building was dark—the power having gone out from the strong winds outside. Shelves and appliances littered the floor. The station had definitely taken a beating from the high winds that blasted its walls and shook the room.

Tricorder in hand, the device lit up and murmured a droning sound as Data scanned the area. Stepping with calculated precision to avoid any debris, he moved his tricorder back and forth. There was very little oxygen in the room he had beamed into, and Data suspected that perhaps it was like that throughout the rest of the building. Regardless, it was worth looking around for anyone, especially if the life form that Counselor Troi sensed was still alive. After making his way down a dark hallway, Data entered what appeared to be a room dedicated to the operations of the station. A giant crack marred the wall and yawned as wind punctured its way inside. It wasn’t at all a surprise that there were several bodies scattered around, every one of them showing signs of asphyxiation.

One of the personnel, a Caitian, leaned limply against a podium with a control panel that was still lit with power. The feline’s eyes were bulging from her sandy colored face, but surprisingly showed the relief she felt in her last moments. Upon closer inspection of the panel, Data saw that the Caitian had rerouted all backup power to a single room. Life support was on and running in that space alone.

His photographic memory giving him the layout of the building, Data carried himself briskly through the next corridor. A ventilation pipe had ripped itself off the ceiling and groaned against the floor. Maneuvering himself around the pipe, the android continued until he had reached the room that still had power. With quick thinking, Data tapped the control panel next to the door. It opened, and a burst of air slapped against him as he quickly nosed his way inside. The door shut tightly behind him the second he had entered. Whatever loss there was in oxygen from the open door was minimal.

As Data scanned the room, it was apparent that these were sleeping quarters. A bed rested neatly against the far wall where a window rattled violently above it, ready to shatter at any moment. The pillows had been tossed to the floor, and the blanket dangled lamely from the mattress. To the right, a bookshelf had fallen and scattered its contents into a messy pile. But from the pile of fallen books and PADDs, a small, dark hand peeked through a gap.

Quickly, Data rushed to the bookshelf and used his superhuman strength to lift it off of whatever it had fallen on. Throwing it aside with relative ease, he soon picked away at the books. As he did so, the body underneath grew more visible.

It was a humanoid with deep, magenta skin. Their curly hair was a dark purple that cascaded in ribbons down to their shoulders. Interestingly, their ears were long and pointed with rows of grooves inside them. From the ear and to the chin, mutton chops of hair fanned out similar to the ruffs of fur belonging to an Earth lynx. What’s more, peeking from the bottom of their knee length gown, a purple furred tail twitched. This being—whoever and whatever they were—was alive.

Act Two

Pulling the alien out from the mess, Data heard a weak whimper. They were clearly in pain.

The window began to crack under the battering of wind. Immediately Data pressed his hand to his combadge, the golden delta chirping in response. “Data to Enterprise,” He began quickly, “I have one survivor. Two to beam directly to sickbay.” He returned his hand to the being that groaned in agony, holding them in his arms as the shafts of light enveloped the both of them. Soon, they vanished from the spot in the same instance that the window finally caved under the pressure and shattered.

Data had found himself and this stranger back on the Enterprise in its sickbay. In an instant, Doctor Beverly Crusher rushed to the pair, ushering them to a biobed. Data complied, and set the being down as Doctor Crusher began to scan them.

“Was she the only survivor?” Doctor Crusher asked Data.

The android nodded. “She was in the only room with life support systems active. While I did not cover the entire station, it can be surmised that everyone else had perished. It was clear from the bodies I had encountered that they all died from lack of oxygen.” He twitched his head, his yellow eyes darting back and forth as he made some calculations. “I estimate the time of death for the personnel aboard to have been within the frame of thirty to forty minutes before we had gotten to the moon.”

While she continued scanning, the doctor nodded, her eyes softened at her patient. Looking over her tricorder, she could see several bruised ribs, the bones in their arms splintered, and a concussion.

The patient’s eyes rolled lazily open as they opened their mouth to release a pitiful sigh. The whites of their eyes were a pale lavender, and the irises were a darker purple. Scrunching their bushy eyebrows, they looked around as best they could, their sight settling on Data, who returned the gaze.

“Data,” Doctor Crusher started, “I need to grab some hyposprays. I’ll be gone for just a moment, but please do your best to keep her from falling asleep, alright?”

“Of course, Doctor.” Data accepted as Crusher briskly stepped away to a small area out of sight. He looked back down at the being who began to move their hand. Their magenta fingers brushed against Data’s yellow uniform, and in response he grabbed their hand softly. “I am Lieutenant Commander Data. You are aboard the USS Enterprise. You are safe now.”

As the patient began to blink in acknowledgment, Doctor Crusher returned with three hyposprays. One by one, she pressed them to her patient’s neck and squeezed the trigger. They released a sharp hiss, but Data could see that the pain they were feeling was starting to subside thanks to the medicine.

“How’s that?” Doctor Crusher asked. She pressed her palm sweetly onto their shoulder.

After a strained swallow, the patient finally spoke. “…better…” They answered, their voice soft and quiet.

“I’ll need to gather a few tools in order to heal your bruises and your head. Will you be alright with Data for a minute?”

The being nodded, looking back at Data and squeezing his hand.

While Doctor Crusher rushed to a counter a few meters away, Data looked back towards the being. “May I ask, what is your name?”

With tremendous effort, the being coughed out, “Lilip…”

“Lily?” Doctor Crusher echoed upon her return. She pressed a thin, pen-like device over Lilip’s head. “That’s a beautiful name.”

“Lilip!” Lilip repeated, gaining more of their voice back. “With a puh at the end!” Their correction was cut off as their voice scratched at their throat.

“Lilip…” Doctor Crusher switched to a device that looked like a tricorder, but with two prongs at the end. She hovered the device over Lilip’s chest. “I like that name, very lovely.” Her eyes moved to Data. “And you’ve already made a friend.”

Lilip and Data once again locked eyes. The magenta being smiled warmly, though their eyes betrayed the pain they felt as Doctor Crusher set to work. It felt as if their ribs were being pressed tightly against the muscles that cradled them as the bruising faded. Their lungs felt tight and heavy, but the sensation soon evaporated, and Lilip gulped a mouthful of air.

“There we go, just breathe,” Doctor Crusher cooed, “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to breathe down there.”

“Actually, Doctor,” Data said, “They were in the only room that had any power left, including life support systems.” He glanced down as the medical device moved up and down Lilip’s arms. “However, they were trapped underneath a fallen bookcase, so I would not doubt the possibility.” Blinking, his eyes met the purple stranger’s. “Is that a correct assumption?”

Lilip nodded. “Is everyone else okay..?”

Doctor Crusher ceased her work and glanced up at Data. The knowing look they both gave each other was all Lilip needed. Tears of pain turned to those of grief as they wept silently, squeezing Data’s hand yet again. The android let his other hand cup theirs, sandwiching it between him.

“Your bedside manner has improved since I’ve been away, Data.” Doctor Crusher teased playfully. She finally put her medical devices down on a table and placed her palm on Lilip’s arm. “You’ll be alright, just go easy for a few days.” She took Lilip’s other hand in hers. “You have my condolences, truly.”

As Lilip sunk their head into the pillow with Crusher wiping away their tears, the doors to sickbay opened. Lilip glanced through misty eyes as a tall human man with brown hair and a matching beard strode into the room alongside an older man with a bald head. The two wore uniforms similar to Data and Doctor Crusher, but were red instead of their respective yellow and blue.

“Data, report.” The older man ordered.

“Yes, Captain,” Data replied, “Upon my inspection, it can be concluded that—other than the lone survivor that had been recovered—all personnel had perished from the rapid evaporation of the atmosphere.”

“Well, couldn’t they just have locked themselves inside the building with life support?” The bearded man asked.

“From what I had gathered, the station could not withstand the wind speeds, and therefore would have left many places open for the oxygen supply to escape, such as the operations room,” Data answered as he let his eyes rest on Lilip, “I only had a short window of time to retrieve her before the systems failed entirely.”

“Well done, Data.” The bald man praised. He took a few steps forward to meet with the magenta being. “I am Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of this ship.” He waved a hand towards the bearded man. “This is my first officer, Commander William Riker.”

Riker gave a curt nod towards Lilip.

Captain Picard continued, “We’d ask a few questions, if you’re willing.”

Lilip, meanwhile, took their hands back and shuffled into a sitting position. Their ribs felt sore, and placing weight on their arms caused a jolt of discomfort to shoot through their limbs.

“Jean-Luc…” Doctor Crusher reprimanded, “She’s just lost her home, her family, her friends… give her time to settle down from the shock of it all.”

“And I would be happy to, but Command has issued me to give a full report on the information gathered from the station as soon as possible. I’m afraid this cannot wait.” He turned to Data. “Have you recovered anything in that regard while you were down there?”

“Negative, sir. I had no time if it meant saving Lilip.” The android returned.

“Lilip?”

“My name…” Lilip muttered softly. They rubbed their eyes to keep back tears, and let out a hoarse sniff. “If you want all the research notes we’ve collected over the years, I could catalogue them.”

“Is it possible that you could even remember it all?” Riker asked.

“Not… all of it,” Lilip admitted as they fought back a choked sob, still raw from grief, “But I can at least record what I can remember.”

Captain Picard sighed, his brow furrowed in disappointment. “All that information is lost… The gas giant ripped away the moon’s entire atmosphere, and with it uprooted the station since you’ve transported on board. Even if Data could beam down again, it would be a fruitless endeavor…”

“I still have the data I can remember!”

“Yes, but it would take quite a bit of time for you to record it all.”

“Captain,” Data interjected, “While it is true that we did not recover the data from the station’s archives, Lilip offering to record what they know is the only chance we have to learn about the biosphere of a gas giant’s satellite, to say nothing of a station that had been lost for sixty years.” He looked from his captain back to Lilip. “I propose that—as she has no place to go—Lilip remain aboard the Enterprise to catalogue whatever information she can recall. As senior officer of sciences, I will supervise her work.”

“That’s a pretty big proposal there, Data.” Commander Riker said.

“Yes. Indeed… And one that must be carefully thought over” Captain Picard muttered under his breath. He turned to face Lilip. “You are welcome aboard the Enterprise currently as a patient to Doctor Crusher, but as for this idea of you staying here…”

“Please?” Lilip asked. “I don’t know where else I can go. At least here, I can be of use to you.”

“That will remain to be seen,” Picard said, “But do rest now. We’ll have much to go over once you’ve regained your energy…” His gaze softened. “...and had a chance to grieve.” His eyes then fixed to Data. “Meet me in my ready room, we’ll discuss more there.”

“Yes, sir.” Data followed Picard and Riker to the exit.

Riker paused and turned around, his eyes resting on Doctor Crusher. “Good to be back, huh Bev?”

Doctor Crusher smiled. “Now that I’ve got my work cut out for me, it really is.”

Act Three

Captain Picard sat at his desk, his eyes looking sightlessly ahead. Upon focusing his gaze, he took one fond glance at the lionfish in his little aquarium before shifting to Data and Riker. “There’s still the question as to how and why the station had lost contact with the rest of the Federation for all these years.”

“Perhaps with the solar radiation from the star, it caused a storm much like the one we encountered upon our arrival, although not as strong.” Data hypothesized.

“Communication systems were completely dead,” Riker added, “It’s likely that they’ve been disabled all this time.”

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing,” Picard sighed, “All that information… all those people… decades of research from the moon… all that life, gone.”

“We still have Lilip.” Data reminded.

“That’s another thing,” Picard said, “This Lilip… Do we know anything about her? About her species?”

“She’s not like anyone else we’ve ever come across before,” Riker noted, “It’s safe to say we know nothing about her.”

“Mm, indeed.” Picard placed his index finger and thumb to his chin in thought. Letting his back rest against his chair, he softly swiveled to and fro as he let himself think.

Data took a step forward, his brows raised. “Lilip did offer to report any information they had learned and remembered. Perhaps her knowledge of her own species is part of that roster.”

Picard nodded. “I have Doctor Crusher analyzing the subject as we speak.”

“This’ll make quite the report back to Command, won’t it?” Riker wondered.

“Oh, Yes.” Picard’s voice had a hint of intrigue to it. He faced Data. “You did very well in retrieving Lilip, well done.” He paused his swiveling “I have given some thought to your proposal about her.”

Data’s eyes flashed with interest.

The Captain continued. “I have elected to have her stay aboard the Enterprise for now. Once she recovers, she will be assigned quarters, and I expect you to oversee her reports, Mr. Data. While her memory may not be as strong as official logs from the station, it’s all we have. I’ll alert Command to the situation at hand in my report. We will shelter her in the meantime until they decide what will be next for her. Understood?”

“Yes, Captain.” Data confirmed.

“Number One?”

“Understood, sir.” Riker insisted.

Picard stood from his seat and pulled at the bottom of his top. “Very good. Dismissed.”

“Well, everything looks good,” Doctor Crusher examined as she scanned Lilip with her tricorder. “Vitals are normal… I suppose.” She glanced up to look Lilip in the eyes. “How do you feel?”

It had been around ten minutes since Lilip woke from a brief nap. At this point, Lilip was sat up, their legs dangling from the edge of the biobed. Eyes clouded, they were still processing the loss of everything they had known. They did not respond.

“You know, we have a counselor on board,” Doctor Crusher said, “Perhaps it would do you some good to speak with her. Get your emotions all together, and figure out how to process everything that’s happened.”

Blinking, Lilip’s eyes cleared. It was as if they had only now just realized their surroundings. Looking around, their pulse quickened as their eyes scanned the various medical devices stored in the room. They turned back to face Doctor Crusher, clarity in their gaze for the first time since their rescue. “Can we go to a different room?” They asked, voice cracked with anxiety.

“Is something wrong?”

“I just—” Taking a breath, Lilip sighed. “I don’t like infirmaries…”

Doctor Crusher let out an amused sigh. “While you were asleep, the Captain had arranged quarters for you. Why don’t I show you to them, and we can talk there?”

Lilip nodded as they shuffled off of the biobed. Their tail lagged behind, drifting onto the floor as their gown kissed their knees. They followed the doctor out the door and into the hallway. As they passed several officers on their way to their next duties, several of them cast curious glances towards Lilip. Their face grew hot with embarrassment, for they knew just how little the Federation knew of her species. After entering the turbolift with Doctor Crusher inputting the destination for Deck Nine, the pair were met with an awkward silence.

“So,” Doctor Crusher cleared her throat as she broke the silence, “Would you like to tell me about yourself?”

Lilip paused, their shoulders stiffened. “What do you wanna know..?”

“Well, how old you are, what your life was like growing up on Terys Beta… that sort of thing.”

Lilip cringed, but was thankful the doctor didn’t ask about their kind. Not even they knew what they were. “Um,” They stuttered, “Do you guys still go by the Gregorian Earth Calendar? Or are you exclusively using Stardates?”

“Oh, you can tell me in years, if that works with you.”

“Oh. I’m, um…” After searching their mind to make the brief calculations, Lilip continued. “I’ll be twenty next month.”

“Really?” Doctor Crusher smiled sweetly. “I have a son who’s just a few years younger than you! Wesley’s his name.”

“Okay.” Lilip wasn’t fond of the idea of interacting with a teenager, but they kept up a polite front. “What does he do?”

The turbolift doors opened, and as the pair stepped out, Doctor Crusher answered, “He’s in school right now, studying to get into the Academy. As far as I’m aware, he’s still an acting ensign, too.”

“Acting?” Lilip echoed.

“Oh, he’s a very bright young man. He’s helped the crew here and there enough to warrant the opportunity!” Crusher beamed as she boasted about her son, and Lilip couldn’t help but let out a smile. The lovely doctor took notice and returned the expression sweetly, her eyes glowing with appreciation.

Doctor Crusher paused her steps as they reached a door. Ushering her hand, she explained, “These are Counselor Troi’s quarters. I just thought you should know in case you ever need to schedule an appointment with her.”

Lilip nodded absentmindedly. They wondered what this Troi was like. Continuing on, the duo passed a few more doors before stopping yet again.

“Here are your quarters,” Doctor Crusher pointed, “Shall we?” She pressed her fingers against the control panel next to the door, and it opened with a soft hiss.

Entering, Lilip couldn’t help but feel as though they didn’t deserve it. The room was separated in two parts—the entrance leading to a living area. A couch faced away from the windows against the wall, a coffee table placed neatly in front of it. Several chairs surrounded a small table to the left towards the door, and against the wall it was near, a replicator appliance yawned from its panel. There were several large potted plants placed delicately around the room, which Lilip appreciated. They made a mental note to study them sometime.

To their left, a small entryway headed to the bedroom, a queen size mattress resting against the far wall. And from that room, the bathroom which Lilip would have to check out later. These quarters were much more luxurious than the room they had lived in at the research station. For a brief moment, they wondered if perhaps there was a mistake in their room assignment.

“Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll get you something to drink?” Doctor Crusher’s voice snapped Lilip from their thoughts. “Tea? Water?”

“W-water, please.” Lilip realized just how parched they were upon groaning out their answer.

The good doctor input the order into the replicator, and a glass of cold water materialized out of thin air. Upon collecting it and bringing it to Lilip, Crusher asked, “Is there any particular reason that the sickbay was frightening to you?”

Pausing to sip their drink, Lilip did their best to collect their thoughts. “I just… I don’t like medical settings…”

Doctor Crusher hummed. “May I ask a more personal question?”

Lilip cringed yet again, fully aware of what she was going to ask.

“Does this have anything to do with you? I mean, your species is on no record anywhere…”

“Yes.” Lilip stated pointedly before taking another drink of water. The tip of their tail twitched in annoyance.

Crusher let out the short exhale of a humored breath. “I suppose this isn’t something you’re comfortable talking about?”

“No.”

“Then, I won’t push you, but I’ll tell you now that you will have to talk about it eventually.” Crusher rose from her seat on the couch and took several steps towards the door. “Settle in for now. I’ll call for you once everything is sorted out, alright?”

Lilip blinked appreciatively. They were certain that this doctor was extremely curious about them, but they felt safe knowing that she wouldn’t force them to explain what they didn’t know. After watching the doctor leave, Lilip finished their drink and stood. Upon placing their empty glass in the replicator, they stepped towards the bedroom.

Though they had only just woken up from a nap, the fatigue from everything hit them exponentially. The grief returned and hung over them like a dark cloud, fogging their mind and making their limbs heavy. Drawing themself under the covers, Lilip curled into a ball. Their home—everything they had ever known was gone. What would become of them now?

#star trek #star trek tng #tng #star trek oc #lilip #jean luc picard #william riker #deanna troi #worf son of mogh #data soong #beverly crusher #my fic #lilip chronicles

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chadillacboseman · 1 year ago

Note

If you have time for the prompts! No pressure!

"I'll never leave you" with whoever you wish!

Working on the intro for the Strakteran race :) Unfinished and very much unpolished. Featuring Kate. Dialogue altered justtttt a little.

"Simple mission"

Alex would love to know what Kano's definition of a complex mission was. He coughed, hard, trying to clear the still settling dust from his aching lungs.

Darkness pressed in on him from all sides, and his eyes strained to make out even a single shape against the gloom; in the chaos, he'd lost his shotgun, and with it had gone his flashlight.

"Kate?" he called hesitantly into the blackness, "Kabal?"

No answer.

Alex tried to retrace his steps: They'd entered the cave system at -142, +89. Kabal had placed a radio transmitter at the entrance. But how had he ended up down here?

Alex shook his head and winced at the throbbing that sprung to life near his left temple; he ran his fingers gently over it, pausing at the swelling that was blooming just under the skin.

This had to be concussion number five, at least.

Light. He needed light. God he wished Kate was with him.

Wait- Kate!

Alex fished in his vest pocket feverishly, hands fumbling in the darkness until his fingertips brushed against a piece of hard plastic. He let out a small 'ha!' and produced a novelty UFO key chain. With a click of the dome, he brought its small LED light to life, illuminating his surroundings in eerie green.

Kate had gifted him the bauble from some backwater Nevada gift shop after he'd sworn up and down he'd seen a UFO out in the desert while on body duty.

Alex held the key chain up high as he clambered to his feet and squinted at his surroundings. Rock. More rock. Then something caught his eye that made his heart leap into his throat.

Webs.

Enormous pearlescent webs, each with strands as thick as his index finger, spanning at least 15 feet across littered the space around him. Frantically, he scanned the ground searching for his shotgun, cursing himself for not carrying a sidearm.

"Kate?" Alex hissed, the dim light of the key chain now trembling in his shaking hand. He trekked forward slowly, eyes still darting futilely against the pressing blackness. He was all but certain she had been with him...hadn't she?

Ahead, there was a bend in the path, the trail veering suddenly to the left. The webbing had begun to grow thicker, more dense and more...fresh. Alex had to dodge them carefully, their sticky tendrils almost eager to pull him into an inescapable embrace.

He took a moment to sweep the ground once more, still hunting fruitlessly for his shotgun, when something to his right moved among the webbing. Instinctively, he unsheathed his combat knife with his free hand and held it between himself and whatever lay ahead.

Alex blinked, once, twice, then a third time, standing dumbfounded for a long moment as he tried to make sense of what he was looking at. It wasn't until he recognized the pale face enwebbed in the cocoon that he came to life with a jolt.

"Kate!"

Alex dashed forward in a panic, the green LED bobbing erratically in his trembling hand. His fingers found her neck, fumbling for a moment against her skin until he landed on her pulse point.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Alex let out a shaking breath and stepped back, examining the webbing that held her in place. It was thick, it reminded him of the roping that might hold a boat to a dock in the marina back home. His combat knife hadn't been sharpened in months, dulled by all the times he'd tossed it at the wall, the training dummies, and the dart board in the bar out of boredom.

He resigned himself to it and set to work.

The sky was so blue. Kate had never seen such a clear and beautiful day, not in a long time, anyway. She was seated atop a grassy hill, the breeze blowing gently through her hair. Kabal stood next to her.

"I love you, Kate," Kabal smiled and held out a hand. Behind him, the sun was gleaming, almost blinding in the sky

"I love you, too!" Kate moved to grab his hand, but she couldn't. She frowned and tried again.

Nothing.

Kabal's face faltered, twisting into something that made her heart sink. Behind him, the sun melted away into a sickly green glow.

Kate tried to wiggle her limbs. They wouldn't budge.

No. No no no no.

Her eyes shot open, darting in blind panic in the darkness; green light danced in front of her vision, glinting off of something sharp hovering near her head.

Kate screamed, struggling against the bindings that held her in place. She was back in Blackrock, she had to be. They were going to torture her, they were going to-

"Kate, shhh," A familiar voice cut through her panic.

A trick. Some false memory they wanted to use against her. Kate sobbed and thrashed against the webbing, half-formed pleas tumbling past her lips in quick succession.

"Kate!" a gloved hand gripped her chin and brought her gaze to a face that swam in and out of focus through the haze of tears.

"Alex?"

His face was bloodied and filthy, and his hair had long since fallen from the tight bun atop the crown of his head, but it was unmistakably Alex.

"What happened?" she croaked, "where's Kabal?"

"I...I don't know, Kate," Alex answered honestly. He continued to slice strategically at the webs as he spoke.

Kate followed the trail of his knife and glanced down; her eyes went wide and she looked as if she was going to be ill as she realized what was holding her in place.

"Alex, Alex get me out of here!"

"I'm trying!" Alex snapped, swearing under his breath as the dull-bladed knife tore slowly through the webbing.

Behind him, a radio crackled from somewhere in the distance, making him jump. He paused, ears straining, until he heard it again, a faint crackle and a muffled voice.

Alex moved to turn toward the sound and Kate let out a panicked sound.

"Alex, please- do not leave me here!"

"Kate, I'm not, I just want to find the-"

"No, you don't understand, Alex!" Kate's eyes were wild and her face was paler than he'd ever seen it. It suddenly occurred to him that she hadn't used her powers to simply blast her way out.

She was afraid.

"I won't leave you, Kate. I promise." Alex held up the key chain so she could see his face.

The radio crackled to life again, and Alex heard the unmistakable sound of screams.

#oc alex #mk alex #mk ocs #mk kate #black dragon ocs

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teachgotchaback · 16 days ago

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Of course, them nobles are looking for more hands to deal with their mess... Honestly, if they didn’t have so much stuff under their name, maybe they wouldn’t needa hire so many people to manage it!

The Vaike’ll never understand the way nobles live… Least he’s working with a pretty gal, so he’s not tending to these horses on his own.

They’re a bit of a ways away from each other for him to simply hand it over, so Teach does as he’s asked, flashes a wink and tosses a stool her direction. “One stool, comin’ right up!” She can catch it, right?

Apparently they were s’pose to disguise themselves, but what’s the point of that if he’s just some random schmuck to these rich folks? Not like they batted an eye when they tossed him stablehand garb and told him to get to work.

He’ll just prove to them that the Vaike never messes around, fair and square! Just like when he was with the Shepherds!

And that’s why he’s got his sleeves all rolled up to the elbows, scrubbing down the dirt and grime of the troughs.

“Might the Vaike know the lass’s name? He ain’t ever seen ya at the academy before.”

who cleaned the stable, lisa? da vaikey?

mission board: pearlescent | any skill +1

#IC.#MISSION BOARD. pearlescent #THREAD. who cleaned the stable lisa? da vaikey?#USER. missus-meg #SUPPORT 1. meg #// ty for the starter!!

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crimsonpaved · 26 days ago

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PLOTTING CALL, BOARD: PEARLESCENT

Regarding Knights and Chivalry [Lance +1] - Having seemingly returned to his old self, Hubert has all but leapt at the opportunity to debase the obscure, outlandish and outright dangerous methods detailed within.

Clingy Lover - Hubert is annoyed, more than you've ever seen him, and for what and why? Can the two of them keep her from being a nuisance, will his temper get the better of him? Well...

-> Unaffil mission board:

Housecleaning- [Any Skill +1] // Requires unaffiliated muse. - Hubert grew up in Enbarr's high society, and believe him, the easiest way to get information out of any noble household is to befriend the servants. The way he acts gives the impression he's done something like this before, but that doesn't make sense, right? Right?? Who knows what secrets slip from loosened lips...

-> As is the norm, feel free to IM or Ping me and we'll work out the specifics of it all~

#.plotting call

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freedomarrow · 26 days ago

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ooc; wanted plots - Pearlescent

Focus on Leonardo this time because boy needs more interactions, so he gets to post it this time, but I've got something for the others as well.

Leonardo:

Any +1 (requires Unaffiliated) - Leonardo may be a noble, but no work is beneath him, and he's very skilled and experienced in intelligence gathering. He'll know where to put his eyes and ears, without being noticed himself. I'm happy to take this up with either someone who will gather info alongside him, in which case we can focus more on this aspect, or crash the whole thing and make him flex his "get away from trouble" muscles instead.

Riding +1 (requires Unaffiliated) - this is going to give Leonardo massive Feral One flashbacks, but for whatever that's worth he knows how to deal with beasts. Whether his partner wants to snoop, investigate, or Haul Ass, I'm down to plot.

Sword +1 (available to anyone) - if sent to assist, Leonardo will of course play bodyguard. I'd be down to have some ruffians try to crash the party and involve some combat if we'd like.

Lance +1 (available to anyone) - Leonardo is a military school student. He's going to tear this book a new one, complete with demonstrations if necessary.

Claude:

Sword +1 (available to anyone) - taken: Dimitri

Tibarn:

I don't really have particular prompts I want to take up with him. However, he is Unaffiliated, and as such can take up mission board prompts freely. If you find yourself lacking for a partner, I'm always open and happy to take up a prompt with you, just let me know.

As usual, ping me in TOA Discord's plotting channel or DM me if you'd like to thread!

#【 visions from across the battlefield ⁎ ooc 】#toa plotting

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sumeru-academy · 3 years ago

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M.U.S.E Event Case 009. Kokomi x Female Reader

◇ Report submitted by: Moderator Angel on ▇▇▇▇.

temporary paralysis, reader almost gets stabbed in the nose

CASE FILE. MUSE-009

CLASS. MERMAID

SEVERITY. 3/10

DESCRIPTION. The fishermen of Watatsumi island have been complaining of a mysterious sea creature slashing their nets whenever they go out to fish. Every time they reel the nets up, they always come up empty with nothing but a gaping hole, the faint shimmering of pearlescent pink scales, and no fish. Villagers have taken it upon themselves to call for a monster hunter to remove this unknown creature.

“Ugh, sushi? No thanks.” You waved your hand dismissively at your coworker and eyed the mission board instead. “You go on ahead. I think I’m gonna take another job for some extra cash.”

“You sure?” Your coworker Thoma only stared at you in disbelief. It had been ages since you last took a break for dinner, and he was half tempted to change his dinner plans to something you did like in order to get you to take a break for once in your life. He can’t help it! He’s worried about your workaholic attitude!

“We could…go to that other restaurant you like so much. Don’t their rice bowls sound tempti–”

“This one!”

Thoma watched as you tore a job listing off the board and smiled with newfound glee. “Heh, ironic you brought up sushi beforehand, Thoma, cuz this job is an aquatic creature.”

“Ah…a merperson?” Thoma broke into a cold sweat at your excitement. “You really want to go to the coast at this time of night?” He worried over you like a mother who couldn’t let go. “No silly, the island I’m going to is at least a day’s trip away, I need to prepare some equipment tonight before I go.”

“Oh phew. So you can go to dinner tonight?” Poor Thoma sounded like an excited puppy.

“What? Dinner?” You literally laughed out loud at his statement. “Oh Thoma, you jokester!”

Thoma was in fact, not joking.

“Y/N don’t give me that tone, you haven’t had a decent meal in over six months!” He held up six fingers to further accentuate his statement. “Everytime I come over to your place you’re always munching on those smiley face fries, or snacks you bought at the corner store. It’s not healthy!”

You stared at Thoma’s outburst and frowned.

“I like those smiley face fries.”

“No!”

Thoma grabbed your hand with the paper and balled it up in his fists. “Listen, if you let me treat you to dinner this once, I promise I’ll come over and help set up your equipment for this job.”

“Gaaaaaaasp. Really?” Wow, Thoma really is the ultimate best friend. “Deal! Also I’m ordering the most expensive thing there.”

“As long as you eat properly…” Thoma sighed. “Now let’s go get this job approved for you.”

The journey to Watatsumi island was a short yet very tedious one. It required you to rent a motorboat off the pier and sail yourself to the secluded fishing village of Watatsumi island on your own. The waves did not seem to want to work in your favor as your tiny little motorboat was tossed back and forth for the past few hours and caused you to become sick upon reaching Watatsumi’s docks. Your poor, iron-stomached bravado being torn to mere shreds as you got off your dingy little boat with legs wobblier than a newborn lamb. Locals of the village looking at you in pity with how green your face looked upon arrival.

“Thank goodness! You must be the monster hun–”

“Yeah yeah just give me a second…”

You screwed your eyes shut whilst you got your equipment off the boat. Willing the seasick headache to go away as you had a job to do and the quicker you did it, the quicker you could get off this island.

“Erm, do you need some help, miss?” One of the men at the dock asked timidly.

“Sigh. Half this stuff can explode and half this stuff can poison you. I’d rather not risk a dead man on my name after this.” You seemed so tired already after your time at sea and you didn’t even get to see what kind of monster you were dealing with. “Just let me handle this, I’m a professional.”

“O-Of course Miss monster hunter.”

Upon getting the last briefcase off your barely functional rowboat, you exhaled a sigh of relief and looked around at the shoddy fishing village before you. The whole place not looking too good as it looked like it went through fifty rounds of thunderstorms before you got there.

‘I thought they were only suffering from a major food crisis…’ you pondered, taking in how the dock itself had holes in it. ‘Not good. The whole place is practically falling apart.’

“I thought the Watatsumi fishing village was a prosperous one…?” you voiced out loud, eyes widening when one of the ceiling tiles of a nearby shop fell off. Holy cannoli, this place was held up by toothpicks!

“It used to be,” the timid man from before sighed. “But then we ran out of fish to sell on the mainland. Our main source of income now is whatever we can sell from our homes.” Your nose scrunched up at this reveal and you couldn’t help but feel guilty for lashing out at him earlier. “The situation has gotten this out of hand?” You watched as people began loading up wagons with household furniture to sell.

“Unfortunately.”

‘All this just because of one pesky sea monster…’ you scoffed and grabbed your stuff to head for the motel. ‘How annoying.’

“Timid boy,” you called for him to come and gestured to your bags beside you. “Take my stuff to the inn. I’ll be doing some investigating before taking any course of action.”

“B-But I’m not a bellhop!”

You threw a small sack of coins behind you and watched from your peripheral vision as he stumbled to catch it. “You are now. That should pay you plenty.”

“Ah–! Miss monster hunter!”

“Don’t worry! I’ll be back soon!” you waved your hand dismissively and made your way deeper into town. The poor man left to handle your equipment, even though you said not to earlier.

‘B-But she said they could explode and poison me…!’

“Over here is the cove where we do most of our fishing.”

After wandering around and speaking to a few fishermen, they led you to a wide cove on the edge of Watatsumi and showed you the damages caused to their nets by the unknown anomaly. “As you can see, these nets that were casted out not too far from here were violently slashed to threads after just being underwater for a minute. I mean, what could cause such destruction?!”

“May I see the nets for myself, Mr. Fisherman?”

“Do as you please, you’re the expert after all.”

He handed you one of the tattered nets and watched as you inspected it closely, catching bits of shimmering pink scales caught in the threads of the thick rope. ‘Hm…these scales…’ you plucked one off its knot and held it up closer to the sun. ‘Pearlescent, light in color, nearly translucent, rounder…’

You chuckled and handed the scale over to the fisherman. “You’re lucky this creature isn’t too serious. It’s not a siren or sea serpent of any sort, just a young merperson.”

“A merperson? You could tell?” The fisherman seemed in awe at your professionalism. “Of course, I can even tell that the merperson we’re talking about here is a young one. Judging by the scales, they’re much firmer and smoother compared to older merfolk who have brittle and rougher scales.”

“Wow, you’re incredible!” The fisherman boisterously laughed. “I woulda assumed it was some sort of rainbow fish judging from the glittery pink.”

You shrugged and gestured to the pile of discarded nets behind, trying not to let your ego get the better of you. “Can I check the other nets too? I need to ensure that it’s the work of either one merperson or a whole pod.”

“Pod?!”

You ignored his surprise and walked over to pick up one of the discarded nets, holding them up to examine the scales and sure enough, they were light pink and shimmery just like the one you plucked. ‘Only one merperson?’ you were amused at the idea of a single merperson doing so much damage to one town. ‘Now this is interesting.’

“S-So?” The fisherman looked anxious at your ongoing silence. “Is it bad?”

“What? Oh no, of course not!” you burst out laughing and tossed the ruined net aside. “I can determine that this is the work of only one merperson. For whatever reason, they moved into the cove and have started slashing your nets for food or whatever reason I’ll come up with later.”

The fisherman exhaled a sigh of relief and patted your shoulder in assurance. “Phew, so you can get rid of it?” he asked with a toothy grin.

“Tch, of course I can!” You flicked his hand off your shoulder and grinned an egoistic smile. “I’ve beheaded literal sea serpents before, this’ll all just be a walk in the park.”

“Hahaha! I knew our village chief would only hire the best of the best!” the fisherman –who was already getting a tad bit annoying to you– slapped your back with a big muscly arm and nearly sent you flying. “Oh whoops! Sorry, I forget my arms can send people flying sometimes. Whoopsies!”

You groaned and waved off his apology to keep searching around the cove for clues. Unknowingly attracting the attention of two curious blue eyes peeking at you from underneath the pier.

‘Scary pretty lady…’ its pupils following you in both admiration and fear.

After getting a quick walk –not really quick, it took two hours– around the cove and analyzing your area for a bit, you decided that now would be the best time to strike as the sun was high in the air, and the sky was as clear as the water. Wow, the people of Watatsumi really knew how to take care of their waters!

“Agh, I can’t wait to get out of here,” you tossed your equipment in yet another dinghy row boat and went over to untie the ropes latched onto the pier. “Then Thoma can treat me to some more expensive food and I can eat like the queen that I am.”

You began daydreaming about all the restaurants you would drag him to once this job was over, and thought about possibly taking up that vacation week you haven’t used yet to take some quality me time and unwind. Maybe Thoma was right, you did tend to overwork yourself even though you complained often about having to do so much work. You didn’t even understand it yourself yet somehow it always happens.

‘Ugh. I hate when Thoma is right.’ You chewed your bottom lip in frustration when the knot holding your boat in place wouldn’t come undone. ‘But I also wish he were here to help me get this STUPID KNOT UNTIED–’

SPLASH!

Your body froze when you heard a loud splash coming from the water and a wet ‘plop’ coming from the very edge of the dock. The dock you were currently stationed at was one that wasn’t frequently used by the village, so there was practically no one in sight as it was just you, your boat, and whatever just came out of the water just now.

“Wh-What the fu–” your eyes widened when they raised to see a young mermaid woman adoring pastel pink hair to match her equally pastel pink tail. Light blue tips that matched the color of the sky and a soft expression on her face that could mimic that of a doll.

‘IT’S THE MERMAID! THE MERPERSON THAT SLASHED THOSE NETS. THAT PINK TAIL MATCHES–’

You instinctively reached for your dagger on your thigh strap only to wince when something black and spiky launched into your left ankle. Your face drained of any color as your limbs felt weak and limp, paralyzed like something was shutting off all your nerves and forcing your body into hypersleep.

“Wha…What the–” you quickly collapsed at the sight of a black sea urchin stuck in the skin of your ankle, piercing through the cloth with ease and seeping its toxin deep within its veins. “Did you just throw a sea urchin at me?!”

Luckily you could still breathe, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to talk.

“Human women are so pretty…” the mermaid ignored your question before doing the scariest shit possible and slithering towards you with her arms helping her crawl. A scream trapped within your throat as you wanted to keep your pride and dignity intact as a high-ranking monster hunter.

‘I’ve dealt with eldritch horrors, haunted manors, possessive demons and cult-like behaviors. YET A CRAWLING MERMAID FREAKS ME OUT THE MOST–’

You tried willing your arms to pluck the sea urchin off your ankle and kill the woman before she reached you, yet the toxins flowing from the urchin in your leg refused to let your muscles cooperate. Honestly, it felt like you were one of those helpless horror movie protagonists! “Ah shit. I will NOT meet my demise to a low-leveled, pastel princess, glittery pink mermai–”

And then she was on top of you, grabbing your face with her webbed hands and laying all her tail weight onto the lower half of your already limp legs. “Human women also make a lot of noise. Strange.”

You could only stare at her eyes in shock, fear, and confusion as you were half expecting her to tear off your face with her teeth at this point. Which, upon closer inspection, seemed relatively dull despite being of an omnivorous species.

“Ah…of course we do. It’s only normal for humans to scream when in danger…” you were spouting nonsense at this point, wow; you really were scared half to death. Never in your life were you put in such a vulnerable position before, and by a mermaid no less! “Now can you please get off me? I don’t want to die from this…”

“Die? Danger?” The mermaid woman blinked slowly at your words. Almost like a tortoise as she seemed to take a while to comprehend what you were saying. “I don’t understand. I am not dangerous.”

You scoffed and looked down to the sea urchin still stuck in your ankle. “That urchin you threw to paralyze me says otherwise…”

The mermaid turned her head to stare at the creature lodged in your foot before turning back to stare at you some more. “It was a necessary sacrifice. How else am I supposed to get close to you?”

“Close to me?!”

She suddenly nuzzled into your neck, breathing in that dry scent that only humans seemed to carry. “Yes. I’ve been watching you traverse the cove all afternoon. You are one of the prettiest human women I’ve ever seen so I followed you.” She looked up at you again and reached up to pet your hair. “I wanted to touch your hair. It looked nice and soft.”

“Well, you’re doing it now…” you spoke with a shaky sigh as the mermaid fell into comfortable silence on top of you. ‘Hm, she doesn’t seem to be too dangerous, plus she’s capable of decent human speech. Best case scenario is that I can negotiate with her into a relocation. That way I don’t have to go through the effort of killing something again.’

“H-Hey…mermaid woman,” she hummed in acknowledgment but continued petting your hair. “Do you think you can remove the sea urchin in my leg? I want to talk to you.”

Her blue eyes moved down suspiciously, seemingly picking apart your words like a vulture to a carcass. “But you may hurt me. I’m not a threat, but scary lady can be.”

‘Oh so I’m the scary lady.’

“I promise I won’t hurt you,” you sighed, shutting your eyes in the process and lying flat on the ground with your neck bared, a common sign of submission in the monster world. “You can even check me for weapons and remove them if you wish.” ‘No big deal. Once she removes the urchin I’m free to move and defend myself even without a weapon.’

“Really?” the pastel mermaid looked at you with curiosity before unsheathing your dagger from its pocket and holding it up to the sky to examine. “So, I can take this?”

“...Sure.” You winced at how lightly she was handling it. Honestly, a mermaid with a dagger was even more dangerous and you regret ever showing her where you concealed it. “Hm, okay!” she smiled and threw the dagger over the pier while you screamed in agony.

Mental agony.

“Why did you throw it?!” you shouted, tears brimming at the sound of it plopping into the water.

“You said I could remove it.”

“Remove it, not throw it away!”

You were honestly crying at this point. Of all the monsters that could have destroyed your sanity or make you cry, it was a mermaid of all things.

“...Don’t cry.” The mermaid reached a webbed finger up to your lashes and wiped the brimming tears away. “Human women crying sounds awful.”

“Sniff, gee thanks…” your ego was practically nonexistent at this point as you found yourself being comforted by the same mermaid that scared the shit out of you. “That dagger was expensive, you know. It’ll be hard to get another one just like it.”

“...If it makes you feel any better,” the mermaid crawled back to remove the urchin in a quick, painless tug, all sense of relief and feeling flowing back to your veins as your body went back into overdrive. “I’m sorry…”

“Oh my gods…” you felt like you could see the stars once the toxins deployed in your veins had vanished. “I can feel again!”

“I’m sorry…” the mermaid got off you and raised her arms to cover her head. “Please don’t turn me into a fish filet!”

“What? Ew no!” you made a disgusted face at the accusation and recoiled out of cringe. “Why would I want to eat something that is anatomically half human?”

“Eh? But mermaid tails are a delicacy in the monster market,” the mermaid held onto her tail like it was the most precious thing in the world to her. “I heard that monster hunters capture mermaids to sell them to butchers. I don’t want my tail cut off!”

“...Gross.” You stuck your tongue out at the description. “Look, I promise you, I don’t even like seafood. Plus, the thought of mermaid seafood makes me want to gag.” Though you were already gagging.

“...Really?” she looked at you with pretty doe eyes and you had the strange yet tolerable urge to hug her. “I mean it. I just want to ask you a few questions, that’s all.”

“That’s…it?” she looked skeptical and was hesitant to relax her body around you.

“That’s it.” You confirmed, assuming a natural, relaxed stance and letting the creature know that you weren’t a threat. Well not anymore, at least. “Feel free to slither— er, crawl away if you feel uncomfortable.” Hah, that was a lie. Of course you were still going to chase her down, you were a monster hunter and this was your job.

“Oh, alright.” The mermaid leaned back on her tail and stared at you to continue. “I will answer your questions.”

“Good. Can I ask for your name first though? I’d like to put a name to your face as I’m already getting tired of referring to you as “the mermaid.””

“Kokomi.” She answered softly, fiddling with the tips of her hair as she began getting nervous all of a sudden. “Sangonomiya Kokomi.”

“Ko-ko-mi,” you tested out her name on your tongue and smiled when she flinched at your voice. “I like it. It’s cute and it suits you.”

“Ah…thank you…” Her cheeks turned a somber shade of pink as she fiddled with the webbing between her fingers. Eager to get this ‘interview’ over with as she wanted to ask you some questions in return.

“First of all Kokomi, I’m sure you’re aware by now that I am a monster hunter, yes?” Kokomi nodded and ushered for you to continue. “Well, I was hired by this village to get to the bottom of a strange creature who has been slashing the nets of fishermen and letting the fish escape. When I investigated the destroyed nets however, I found these.” You held up a handful of pearlescent pink fish scales from your pocket and smirked, noting how Kokomi froze in place once she saw them. “They are pretty much identical to the scales on your tail, yes? So tell me Kokomi, was the creature who kept slashing the fishing nets your doing–”

“I’m sorry! It is all a misunderstanding!”

Wow, that was quick.

“Hah! So you did do it?” you confirmed. Kokomi’s face all red from the interrogation as she was embarrassed from breaking so easily. “Yes, but I promise it wasn’t for any selfish reasons!”

“How so? Defend your argument!” You were about to go all Ace Attorney on her ass.

“I didn’t eat them! I swear! I just cut the nets so that they can be free! They deserve to be free!”

“What?!’

“Fish are friends! Not food!”

Kokomi’s face had puffed up in pride and anger as she continued to rant about how people shouldn’t eat fish. When she saw her poor fishy friends getting scooped up by giant nets nearby, she just couldn’t help herself! You couldn’t believe it, you pretty much found a vegan mermaid activist!

“You cut them so that the fish can be free…?” you worded slowly, letting her passionate speech sink into your mind. “That’s…it?”

“Yes! I don’t want any more sea creatures suffering!” she huffed, crossing her arms and looking like an angry pomeranian more than anything else. Wow, you can’t believe you let yourself get scared half to death by a monster who didn’t even eat meat. What a stab to your pride.

“But Kokomi, the people of this village need to eat and sell the fish they catch. It isn’t fair to them if you keep depleting their resources.” You gestured behind you to the fishing village not too far away and frowned. “That place isn’t going to last more than six months at this rate. The people will be forced to abandon it.”

“But…” Kokomi frowned and tucked her tail underneath her arms. “My friends…”

Shoot. Are her eyes watering?

“Sorry Kokomi, but it’s unfair to those who need to eat certain things to survive. I’m sure you understand, most merpeople are omnivores.”

The tiny ‘sniff’ coming from Kokomi’s nose made your heart pang with guilt. God, why does this one peculiar monster have to be the reason you cry? It was really making you annoyed. “I know…” Kokomi mumbled, “I just hate seeing them in pain. I can’t help myself!”

And that’s your ticket to a solution.

“What if you didn’t have to see them in pain?” You offered, a smile playing upon your lips as your plan was now set into motion. “Wouldn’t it be nice to live somewhere where you didn’t have to see the fish getting hunted?”

“I’ve thought about it but I don’t want to leave my friends to suffer without me!” Kokomi whined, “Besides, there’s a mean pod of dolphins on the exit of the cove so I can’t even leave! They’re all bullies.”

Ah. Yeah, dolphins are bitches.

“So you’ve tried leaving the cove before?” You questioned.

“Sometimes, but I’m always chased off by that angry pod. A mermaid on her own is no match for a feisty group of mammals like them.” She began picking at her scales and seemed to frown at the memory like a distant flashback. “I actually never lived in the cove in the first place. The dolphins chased me here and kept me here for a while if I recall.”

Hm, so this place isn’t even her home. Everything's just falling into place for you!

“How would you like to go home then?” you smiled, “I was sent here to get rid of the fishing problem and I think I know of a way to help both parties.”

“You can take me home?!” For a moment, Kokomi’s eyes lit up like glow sticks. “I…Wait– you can’t…”

Your brows raised at her sudden shift in tone. “Oh? Why not?”

She pushed her two fingers together and giggled nervously. “Aha…I may have been banned from my group after trying to get everyone off their fish diet… That’s why I left in the first place…”

Oh my God…

You nearly threw yourself off the pier. Ashamed of the fact that THIS was the monster you almost shit yourself over. “You got yourself kicked out for being an over aggressive vegan?” you clarified. “If that’s what I am then yes, yes I was.” She sat there all too innocently as you screwed your eyes shut at such a ridiculously overly-stupid (and cute but you didn’t want to admit it) story. Half tempted to just get up and leave at this point because you were in disbelief at how absurd everything was.

“...Okay, listen up Kokomi. I will help you get out of this cove, only if you agree to stop slashing fishermen nets everytime you see one. Deal?”

“You’ll help me leave?!” she exclaimed excitedly.

“Only if you promise not to disturb the fishermen ever again!” You quickly added. “And remember, you can’t force your beliefs onto other people. So if you join another mermaid group to live with, you cannot, absolutely CANNOT force them to give up their omnivorous diet.”

“...Okay!” Did she really agree that quickly?! “As long as the fish in this cove are safe and protected.”

“Uh…sure…” you bit your lip at yet another blatant lie you just told her. I mean, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. “I promise nothing bad will happen to the fish in this cove.”

“Ahhh, thank you scary pretty lady!” Kokomi grinned.

“It’s Y/N.” You corrected, patting her pastel hair before getting up. “Well, tonight is when I plan to finish up this mission, so if you want to go pack up anything before leaving I suggest doing it now.” Kokomi paused for a second before nodding in understanding. “Okay. I’ll be ready by tonight!” she exclaimed. “This is so exciting! I finally get to leave the cove!”

“Yes yes, very exciting. Now, I’ll be here when the sun sets in a few hours, once it’s dark enough I’ll be able to sneak you around through town in order to get to my boat. Sound good?” Kokomi nodded enthusiastically. “Very good! Thank you scar– Y/N. Thank you Y/N.”

“Of course.” You responded, turning your heel before hearing a splash behind you.

“Careful timid boy, this is precious cargo. If you drop it, I may reduce your tip to only fifty.”

“Dollars?”

“Cents.”

He started handling the giant cooler you two were carrying with much, much more carefulness now. Treating the heavy cooler like it was a giant chest of gold before reaching the docks with your tethered motorboat still attached. “Easy now,” you ordered, carefully placing the cooler onto the boat before wiping off the sweat from your brow. “Phew, you and I make a good team, timid boy. You sure you don’t want to be a monster hunter?”

He shook his head so hard it almost dislocated his neck.

“Hah! That’s alright, you’d make a better bellhop anyways, timid boy.” You got the last of your equipment (that you didn’t even need to use, mind you) onto the boat and started untying the rope holding your boat in place.

“Are you sure the problem has been resolved?” the timid man asked you, “It’s just…you did it all in one day. You didn’t even check into the inn I put all your luggage in!”

“Puh! I’m just that much of a professional,” you assured. “I’ve been doing this business for years, I assure you that the fishing problem is solved and that your village will prosper once more. Hunter’s word.”

For once since your time on Watatsumi island, you saw the timid man smile. “Th-Thank you miss monster hunter!” he exclaimed, “Your generosity shall be paid tenfold! If you ever come to visit anytime soon, I promise to treat you to dinner!”

“Pfft, you’re too kind, timid boy,” you smiled, “However, I must be going now as I’d rather not be out to sea for too long…”

“Are you sure you can traverse the sea at this hour?” he gulped. “It’s all pitch black out there…”

“As long as I have my eyes, I’m good,” you chuckled, relying heavily on your tremendous eyesight as every trained monster hunter had the honed ability to see in pitch darkness. “Farewell Mr. Timid Boy, it was nice chatting with you.” You tossed him another sack of coin before finally untying your boat and getting on before drifting off. The man who helped relay information to you waving for as long as you could see.

“Can I come out now?” Came Kokomi’s muffled voice as you chuckled and popped the lid open from the cooler. “Yes, my helper is gone now. It’s just the two of us at sea.”

“Ah…” she propped her whole body up from the cooler full of water and looked around at the empty space around you. Nothing but night sky and water filling the void as the only things in sight were the boat, your equipment, and you.

“The sea is so quiet from the surface…” Kokomi murmured, seeming in awe at how smooth everything looked.

“Trust me, it wasn’t like this in the morning.” You groaned. “I think I almost puked up my breakfast…”

Your eyes lit up at the reminder and eagerly dug into your satchel to fetch a small container of Tupperware. ‘Food! I forgot I haven’t eaten since this morning. I’m practically starving!’

Kokomi looked perplexed at the little piece of plastic only to grow more intrigued when a very tasty smell emerged once you opened it. She was curious, she had never seen such a strange contraption before and was tempted to ask you what it was before laying her eyes on a strange —yet very delectable looking— food in the shape of a smiley face.

“Scary la— Y/N, what’s that?” She asked curiously. Her nose twitching at the smell as the Tupperware had succeeded in keeping your food hot all day.

“Ah, my lunch. I was supposed to eat it while on my job to find you, but I forgot once you came so abruptly.”

“It smells good…” Kokomi mumbles, her tummy making an awkward rumbling noise and causing her to frown. “Ah…sorry.”

‘Cute.’ You took note at how she balled up her tail to cover her bare stomach as if that would muffle the noise at all. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, it’s just your body telling you that you’re hungry. It’s only natural.”

You picked up one of the smiley face fries in your container and handed it over to the starving mermaid. “Here. It’s made up of mostly starch so it can be quite filling.”

“What is it?” Kokomi immediately shoved it into her mouth and nearly screamed at the burning sensation on her tongue.

“H-HOT—!”

You held your hands out for her to spit into and couldn’t help but laugh at her exasperated face. “You’re supposed to blow on it before eating. I thought they would have cooled down by now but I guess not…”

“Ugh…I’m just not used to hot food.” Kokomi murmurs. Which is understandable considering that the ocean can be pretty cold and you doubt that the merfolk need to cook in order to survive. “It hurts my tongue…”

“Here, let me blow on one for you.” You picked up another smiley face fry and blew on it gently to soothe the whispering steam. “Try it now.” You lifted the morsel up to her lips and watched as Kokomi hesitantly bit into it with the caution of a newborn kitten. Barely even chewing, her eyes lit up at this strange new flavor –although it’s literally just salt and potato– and began reaching over to hastily grab another one from your lap.

“Like it?” You chuckled.

“It’s so good!” she exclaimed, grabbing another before blowing on it like a candle. “What is it?!”

“Fries.”

“Fries!”

She shoved it in her mouth and dove for another before quickly swatting her hand away. “Slow down! You’ll choke if you eat too fast!” She pouted at your quick reflexes and resumed chewing at a much slower pace. “Whth aw thfese mfade of?” she asked through a mouthful of potato.

“It’s made of a type of root vegetable we have on land. It’s called a potato.” You smiled, using your thumb to wipe away some of it off her face. “It’s so good!” she beams after swallowing her bite whole. “Is all human food this good?”

“Most of them, yeah.” You found yourself enjoying your time with Kokomi as the two of you exchanged face fries and chatted about what kind of foods you most enjoyed eating. Your heart swelling at the fact that you finally, finally found someone who enjoyed the same tastes that you had. In your face Thoma! Smiley face fries are delicious!

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Kokomi shouts abruptly as she suddenly digs through her bag to fish out something long and pointy. “I have a gift for you, Y/N.”

“You don’t have to do that–” you tried assuring before nearly getting your nose speared by something long and pointy. Goddammit, this was the second time today that Kokomi almost made you scream.“Of course I do! I feel terrible about throwing your dagger off the pier so I wanted to make it up to you!”

“I adore you for your generosity, Kokomi but please don’t hold something pointy so close to my face.” You sputtered as the tip of the object was dangerously close to landing you in the infirmary.

“Oh! Sorry.”

She carefully turned it over and handed it to you so that you could grasp it safely by the handle. Heart still racing from the encounter as you tried to compose yourself to appreciate her gift. “So? What do you think?”

As you looked down at the long, bone-like blade in your hands, you ran your fingers through the rough and textured spine of the handle. The ‘blade’ part of the weapon having tiny little jagged roots that jutted out downwards so that if you were to stab something, the jagged edges would hook onto the flesh and make it extra painful to pull out.

“It’s a stingray dagger! Us merfolk usually use the skeletons of animal parts as weapons since they make useful daggers and swords. Of course, I polished this dagger from an already dead stingray, I’m not a barbarian!” Kokomi explains. “I felt bad since you lost your original dagger, and although this might not be comparable to it in terms of quality, I wanted to get you a temporary replacement.”

She bows her head respectively as a small blush seeps onto her face. “I hope you don’t mind…”

“Woahhh…” you breathed out in awe, tracing the cool patterns on the weapon. “It’s beautiful, Kokomi. Thanks! I’ve never seen or felt anything like this on any weapon I’ve held before.”

“Ahhh, that makes me glad!” The pinkette grins. “Perhaps I'll sharpen an identical one so that we can match.”

“That’s…” Oh gods, that’s so cute. “You– You can do that, yes. I won’t object to it.”

Kokomi giggles at your reaction and the two of you enjoy your ride in comfortable silence.

“Thomaaaa!” You called out as your boat drew closer to the mainland. “Thomaaaaaaaa.”

“Y/N…who’re you calling to?” Kokomi asked worriedly.

“My best friend, Thoma! He’s going to be helping me move you to your new location. Across the mainland and somewhere where you won’t be able to witness fishermen hunting your friends.” As your boat cruises closer you could make out the faint outline of a tall man waving at you from the dock. That unmistakable ponytail of his being the key giveaway to knowing it’s your friend from afar.

“Over here!” He called out through the fog, shining a bright flashlight so you could dock correctly beside the pier.

“A human man?!” Kokomi exclaims, eyes wide before diving back down into her cooler and tucking herself in to make herself as small as possible. “Ah, Kokomi what’s wron—“

“Y/N! Eyes ahead!” Thoma called out sternly, causing you to remember your original mission and focus on steering the boat correctly. “Sorry! I got distracted a bit…”

Pulling up to the side of where Thoma was currently standing, you killed the motor and got up to leave before feeling a cold hand catch yours.

“…Kokomi?”

“You aren’t leaving me with him, right?” She asked timidly, unsure of being left alone with a human stranger without you. “Ah, of course not. Thoma is just helping me carry you, that’s all.”

“…Okay.” Kokomi mutters, hesitantly letting you go so that you could toss the rope to Thoma and have him tie your boat to the dock.

“I got your message,” Thoma chuckled. “You really cleared a mission in under a day? That’s a new record for you.”

“Oh please, I’ve dealt with easier missions than this.” You grinned. “It just so happens that Kokomi is easier to negotiate with than fight.”

“So that’s her name…” Thoma looked over to the balled up Kokomi and she shot him an angry face in return. Not liking the strange new human as he was not only a stranger, but a stranger that was taking up your attention!

“Hah, she looks like she’d shred me to pieces…” Thoma laughed nervously. “If looks could kill, I’d be in her stomach by now.”

“Nah she won’t do that. Kokomi doesn’t eat meat. Or, fish meat, I guess.” You assured, failing to notice the grim look overtaking Kokomi’s usually innocent features.

‘No, but I would shred him for you, Y/N.’ Kokomi seethed. ‘Feed him to my fishies and sell his bones to use as mermaid clubs—‘

“Anyway, did you get what I asked for, Thoma?” You asked, cutting the conversation short.

“Er…not exactly…” Thoma winced, gesturing to a wheelbarrow behind him.

“THOMA—!” You nearly bashed your head against the floor out of frustration. “I told you to bring me a pickup truck so we can drive Kokomi much easier!”

“I couldn’t find my keys…” Thoma mumbled. “So I found this wheelbarrow in my shed and figured I could use that.”

You wanted to cry.

“What’s a wheelbarrow?” Kokomi asked out of the blue. Oh right, she was still left in the dark about all this.

“Er…Sorry Kokomi but since Thoma left his brains at home he forgot to bring something very important to transport you in. So now we have to carry you in this.” You pointed to the brown wheelbarrow behind Thoma and held your breath for the inevitable disdain on Kokomi’s face.

Only…there was no disdain.

“I get to ride in that?!” Kokomi squeals.

“You’re excited?!” Both you and Thoma exclaim.

Kokomi practically splashed around in glee. “I’ve never written in a human land vehicle before! It looks so fun! It even has wheels!” She lifted her arms up like a toddler asking to be picked up. “I want to go in!”

You and Thoma looked at each other, before a smug smile made its way onto Thoma’s face. “Glad to know she’s not crabby about it unlike someone I know.”

He chuckled when you rolled your eyes. “Whatever Thoma the Tank Engine, as long as Kokomi is comfortable.” You walked over to Kokomi’s raised arms and put them down to carry her a different way. Her face growing confused as she thought you were picking her up from under the arms.

“Sit up, I’m carrying you in a much easier way.” You explained, waiting for Kokomi to get in an arched sitting position before sliding your arms under the midsection of her tail and the back of her body.

“Ah—!” Kokomi did not expect you to princess style carry her out of the boat and walk over to the wheelbarrow like a knight in shining armor. Her hands reaching desperately to cling onto your neck as she fathomed the thought of you carrying her around like this all the time. ‘Wow, Y/N is actually really strong…!’

“There you go…” you grumbled softly as you gently set Kokomi on the wheelbarrow. The mermaid easily feeling comfortable inside despite her tail hanging off the side due to its massive size. “Are you comfortable?”

“Very.” Kokomi confirmed. “Push me. Please.”

It sounded more like a demand rather than a request, but you indulged in her anyway.

“Of course, Thoma; you could just drop my equipment at my house, thanks.”

“Wait, I thought I was coming with you?” Thoma queried.

“You were if you had brought the pickup truck I asked for so you could drive it. However, since you didn’t, I will be personally escorting Kokomi on my own.” You gripped the handles of the wheelbarrow and began jogging to give Kokomi the ride of her life. Her voice squealing at the feeling of air on her face whilst you waved goodbye to Thoma.

“You know where my house keys are! See you in a few hours!”

“You better repay me someday, Y/N!”

You only laughed at his obedience and indulged yourself in Kokomi’s angelic laughter and squeals. Raising her arms high up in the air as if she were riding a roller coaster.

“Land air feels great!” She exclaims, shutting her eyes and letting the wind blow at her face. “It’s so much more fragrant and crisp!”

You weren’t entirely sure what she meant by ‘crisp’ but you were enjoying her happiness nonetheless.

As the two of you cut through some scenic paths and nature’s residence in civilization, you and Kokomi played a game which involved her pointing at something random, and you telling her what it was.

“What’s that?”

“A tree.”

“What’s that?”

“A rabbit.”

“What’s that?”

“Another tree.”

As tiring as it was to entertain the curious mermaid, you could tell she was getting tired as her eyes started drooling adorably and her speech started getting slurred. Your heart hammering at the sight as even you had to admit that the tedious creature was a bit adorable.

“Is that another tree..?”

“Nope. That’s a bush.” You chuckled, peering through the horizon and spotting the other side of the sea in front of you. An empty beach that no one ever used so that the two of you could say your goodbyes in private.

“Here we are,” you spoke gently, pushing the wheelbarrow carefully down the hill and traversing from gravel to sand. The smell of salty seawater coming all too familiar to you once more as the previous smells from the forest were a memory no more.

“It’s so pretty…” Kokomi gasped, her eyes stirring back awake when you set the wheelbarrow to a stop to gaze at the ocean in front of you. A sunrise now peeking up from the horizons as you had spent all night traveling on foot with Kokomi. “This is where I will live?”

“If you choose to. You can practically live anywhere you can swim to.” You chuckled.

“That sounds a lot better than the cove already…” Kokomi sighed, looking back at you with glossy, blue eyes. “I think I’m ready to go now, Y/N.”

You smiled.

“Alright then.”

As you moved to pick up Kokomi once more, she gripped onto your neck again before planting a small kiss against your cheek. An action that caused you to nearly lose balance and drop her before you could even reach the water.

Luckily, your hunter instincts stopped you from doing so.

“Ah— Kokomi?!” You were blushing. Why were you blushing?!

“Thank you for this, Y/N. Even though this is your way of getting rid of me, I’m still grateful.”

“But I’m not getting rid of you Kokomi.” You waded into the water until you were waist deep and set Kokomi down to swim. “If anything, I really enjoyed your company. So much so to say that I even like you as a person.”

Kokomi, now submerged in cold water, had tears in her eyes that could easily be mistaken as seawater. “You like me?” She grins.

“You’re tolerable. Yeah.”

She smiles when you look away out of embarrassment and pets your hair in comfort, your face only burning up even more. “I like you too, Y/N. I hope we see each other again soon.”

She grins one last time and you’ve committed that smile into the very corners of your memory.

“I promise to always be nearby.”

With a cute little wave, she slides from your grasp and takes off with the strength of a feisty orca. Jetting off with a speed you could only hope to see again in your dreams.

But maybe this parting wouldn’t be too bad. As you watched Kokomi swim deeper and deeper into the sea, you felt the faint, bittersweet tang of remembrance as you recalled all the fun times you had with the little mermaid. A somber smile on your lips as you reached into your pocket and pulled out the little stingray dagger she gifted to you on the boat.

“Even though you’re out in the big blue sea by now…” you felt each sharp bristle against your finger and grinned at the thought of her making a matching set. “I think you’re still right beside me.”

And who knows.

Maybe you’ll see her again…

#mod angel 🎐#m.u.s.e.#kokomi x reader #sangonomiya kokomi x reader #genshin x reader #kokomi x you #genshin x you #genshin imagines #genshin fanfic

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teachgotchaback · 18 days ago

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Today is just about the right kind of day for Teach to get some extra training in!

Weather? As good as it can be.

Mood? On fire!

Of course, that’s how the Vaike is everyday, but that’s why everyday is a good day!

Just look at all these students in the training hall, just as motivated as he is to get even stronger! He strides down by the side of the hall, trying to find a good empty spot to work on his daily reps, when his eye catches sight of a girl sending herself to the ground right in front of him.

“Woah, woah, WOAH! What in the somersaulting canines are ya doin’?!”

When he extends a hand to pull her back onto her feet, he sees the strange weapon laying next to her. Did she really stick a sword and a lance together? A… swance? The Vaike’s never seen someone swinging in the air more recklessly than HE does!

“Ya can’t go luggin’ around a weapon that big if ya can’t control it! By the time ya got your balance, the enemy’s already shankin’ you to bits!” His tone is more shocked and surprised than angry, as if he'd just seen a mythical creature that made him question his entire worldview.

He couldn’t have taught her this stuff… Could he?

No way! This was Teach's first week at the job! And the only thing he’s taught the Deer so far is axework, not swancework!

If he's gonna be teaching her, better work on learning her mindset first. Vaike points his finger at the improvised weapon with a curious face. “Wheredja get the idea to put that thing together?”

So You Wanna Be a Hero, Kid? Well, Whoop-De-Do!

#IC.#MISSION BOARD. pearlescent #THREAD. so you wanna be a hero kid?#USER. legacyofaliar #SUPPORT 1. f!corrin #// thanks for starting us off!#// this is gonna be a funny combo i can feel it

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ohthatstragic · 3 years ago

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I'm Very Sure - p.m

a/n: i’ve been keeping these to myself for ages.. finally got the courage to post it.. i have like 5 other ones too, i can’t stop myself.. if you have any ideas for future fics pls send them in, i’ll be glad to do them, i sort of focus on maverick and rooster currently. maybe hangman too! i hope i did these guys justice in here

if you have critique for me pls give!! i want to know what you guys think so i can improve for you

also pls don’t repost or translate any of my work.. i don’t give you permission to do that.

pairings: maverick x reader, hangman x reader

wc: 5,411 (i have a problem where i can’t not write 4,000 words)

warnings: uhh creepy dude at bar for like ten seconds, its fluffy, ocean kissing, heavy flirting at one point from hangman

summary: you have feelings for maverick ever since you two met when you were called back for the ‘suicide’ mission (TG:M), now when you’re called back yet again for another insane mission, you have to confront your feelings. maverick seems disinterested so you flirt with hangman for fun.. who knows what happens after.

also i know it's take me to bed or lose me forever i just thought take me home sounded cuter for the current moment ;(

Sat down on the side of your dishevelled bed, a fleeting sigh escaped your lips. You had just gotten the call from Admiral Simpson - you were being called in for another mission. It was around a month after you flew that suicide mission with the Dagger squad, mentored and trained by Maverick. The group of you were still so close and you kept in contact. You truly did love them all - although you loved one of them more than the rest, and in an entirely different way.

A disgruntled and frustrated groan rattled your chest as you stood up and ran a hand through your tousled hair. Just as you were about to start packing things for your journey back to Miramar, San Diego, your phone buzzed to life. The theme song to Hawaii Five-O disrupted the peaceful silence that was lingering in your bedroom and you reached down to answer the call. A smile formed on your face as you read the name "Natasha" plastered across the top half of your phone screen. Your thumb tapped on the green answer button, and the silence returned in your bedroom as you put the phone up to your ear. "Hey," You said, sinking back down on your bed.

"Hey, Y/N," Phoenix smiled through the phone. "We're all headed down to The Hard Deck at five, you wanna come?" She asked. You thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to see everyone again and have some fun before you had to be deployed.

"Sure. I'll see you there, Phoenix." You hummed as your eyes wandered around your room, eyes landing on the photo of you all on board the naval ship from a month ago. A smile picked at the corners of your lips as your mind reeled back to that moment. Jake had taken the photo, his arm outstretched and taking up the left hand side of the picture. You stood behind him, grinning as you were sandwiched between Phoenix and Bob. Phoenix had her hand wrapped around your neck and Bob was stood beside Coyote who had a hand on Fanboy's shoulder, crouching in front of the four of you. Payback, Rooster and Maverick were crouched a bit lower, big grins on their sweaty faces. The latter two had just pulled off a miracle stunt, escaping an enemy base in an old F-14.

"Great, see you later, Y/C/S." Phoenix said and you hung up the call. Your home screen popped up and you looked at the time - four in the afternoon. It left you an hour to shower, get ready and head to the bar which was around ten or fifteen minutes away.

****

It was five fifteen when you pulled up to the bar, spotting Penny sweeping the porch. You hopped off your pearlescent purple Ducati Panigale, kicking out the stand. Casting your eyes across the lot, you only spotted a few of your squad's cars - them being Phoenix, Bob, Hangman and Coyote. He wasn't here yet, thank god. As you swung your leg over the motorbike's middle, Penny caught eye of you.

"Well look what the tide brought in," She laughed, placing a hand on her hip as she stopped sweeping for a moment. "Y/N, it's been a while!" Penny said, starting to walk down the steps and toward you. You walked forwards.

"It has," You laughed back, looking a little sheepish. "I've, um, been busy." You shrugged, hoping she didn't ask anymore questions about it. It was both a lie and not a lie, you had been busy. Busy trying to forget about a certain person who had completely taken over your mind and heart.

"I get that," She smiled. "The others are inside. Coyote's gettin' mad at Hangman 'cos he keeps beating him at pool." An amused laugh escaped her lips as she glanced back at the open door. "I'm out here sweeping since it's pretty dead in there. For now.."

"The evening rush is always a wild card," You said, wrinkling your nose in displeasure at the thought of weaving in between drunk, sweaty bodies. "You either get awful people, or you get easy-going people. Let's hope it's the latter!" You chuckled lightly. Penny nodded her head in agreement, grinning at you.

"Come on in and I'll getcha a drink. I need to check the bar anyway." As you walked up to her, she placed a hand on your shoulder and walked with you into the bar. "I love your outfit by the way, it's stunning." She said, glancing down at your choice of clothing. You sported a soft beige string bikini top and slapped a baggy, thin shirt over the top, rolling the sleeves up to your forearms and tying it up in the middle of your stomach. On your bottom, you wore a pair of fraying, white linen shorts that reached your upper thigh.

A smile appeared on your face as the two of you reached the empty bar. "Thank you, Penny." You smiled. Penny slipped behind the bar and leant against it with one hand, the other sitting on her hip. She gestured to the drinks, silently asking what you wanted. "Can I get a vodka and lemonade, please?" You asked and nibbled on your bottom lip. A loud array of laughter suddenly erupted in the quiet room, garnering your attention. You quickly looked over to the source of the sound, spotting your squad, looking smart in their beige naval uniforms. A smile instantly reached your face as you watched Hangman high-five Phoenix. Looking back to Penny, she was finishing off your drink and placing a straw in the glass.

"Didn't think you'd want to mess up your lipstick." She grinned with a wink. You laughed and reached out your hand to grab the cold glass.

"Thanks, Pen," A soft giggle escaped your lips as you turned to walk towards the squad.

A low whistle penetrated your ears. "Well, if it ain't Y/C/S." Hangman grinned from behind the pool table, his eyes sliding up and down your body, checking you out. As the cocky pilot announced your name, the rest of the squad turned around excitedly, grins immediately breaking out on their faces as they saw you.

"Y/C/S!" Fanboy, Payback and Coyote cheered from the left, sat on some barstools. They stood up to greet you with open arms. You hugged them back happily, closing your eyes momentarily as you inhaled.

"Hey guys!" You giggled at them, looking to Phoenix next. She smirked and walked over to you, engulfing you in a tight hug.

"Good to see you." She said, pulling away from you, but leaving a comforting hand on your shoulder. "How's it going?" Phoenix asked quietly. You wrinkled your nose at the question, glancing between her eyes and the floor. She smiled, standing aside so you could say hello to the rest of the squad. "I get it." She mumbled.

Your eyes met Bob's as he stood up from his chair opposite the pool table, once again brushing himself down from peanut shells. "Hey, Bob," You grinned, holding your arms out for a hug. He bashfully moved forwards to accept it, his arms wrapping around you. "It's good to see you're still in one piece. I know how Phoenix can fly sometimes." Bob chuckled at your words, and a sudden slap at the back of your head made you laugh.

"Hey! Watch yourself, Y/C/S." She warned you with a smirk, pointing a threatening finger at your amused face. You held up your hands in defence, trying to suppress another laugh. As you turned back around, Bob had suddenly grown a couple inches and put on some muscle, and turned into a cocky blonde.

"Y/C/S." Hangman smirked down at you, staring into your eyes. "Still kickin' I see." He joked, earning a gasp from you.

"Hangman, we all know that you'd be the one to stop 'kickin', if it were to happen." You smirked back at him, folding your arms against your chest. He broke into a laugh and pulled you into a warm hug, and you graciously hugged him back, his cologne overwhelming your nose.

"No Maverick or Rooster then?" You frowned, noticing their absence. A little pang of pain and a ball of warmth shot through your chest as you mentioned his name.

"Rooster's coming a little later I think. Mav should be here soon though." Coyote said, glancing between you and Phoenix. You hummed as your heart started to batter against your ribcage in anticipation, and you sipped your drink, trying to calm your nerves.

Around fifteen minutes passed as the group of you surrounded the pool table, cheering at Hangman and Coyote. Fanboy's eyes suddenly left the pool table. "Have no fear, the Captain is here," Fanboy snickered. A grin formed on his face as he backed away from the table and made his way towards the aforementioned pilot. "How you doin', old man?" He asked. You looked up to watch him, finally catching sight of the man who had been causing you heartache. Swallowing thickly, you tried to rip your eyes away from Maverick but they refused. He looked amazing.

Maverick sported his usual white tee with his infamous patched bomber jacket, with a pair of jeans to match. His famous black and gold aviators sat on his nose as a handsome grin slipped onto his lips as he grabbed Fanboy's hand, pulling him in for a bro-hug, and then moved onto Coyote. "Hey man," Mav chuckled. You looked away for a moment, waiting for everyone to say hello. Hangman, Phoenix, Bob and Payback gave the captain a welcoming hug, exchanging warm greetings. As you looked back at him, his blue eyes met yours and your heart rate increased; a bashful smile picking at the corners of your lips.

Maverick grinned, walking over to you and engulfing you in a big hug. "Y/C/S," He hummed as his arms wrapped around your middle. Your arms snaked themselves around his neck and you pressed your head against his shoulder, his familiar and comforting cologne filling your nostrils. A soft giggle escaped your lips and your eyes never left his. "It's been a while." He chuckled and pulled away, although his hands lingered on your waist a little longer than usual. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Hangman and Phoenix watching you like a pair of curious cats.

"Yeah," You breathed out, a little breathless from the encounter. You hadn't prepared yourself to see him, you didn't think you needed to. You thought this would be a walk in the park. You were wrong. "Who would've thought we'd be back here so soon?" A bashful giggle escaped your lips and it made Maverick grin.

"Well, I'm not complaining about the company," He said quietly, eyes still glued to yours. "You got a drink?" Maverick asked, eyeing your empty hand. You quickly glanced down at it and gasped softly.

"Oh, yes, it's on the table over there." You said, almost too quickly. His eyebrows raised at your sudden reply, and you immediately regretted how fast you had replied. It wasn't personal, it was just you being you... a nervous wreck around him.

"I'm gonna go get a beer." He smiled, before walking off in the direction of the bar. Your smile slowly dissipated as you turned back towards the group, Hangman and Phoenix's eyes still fixated on you. With a heavy sigh, you walked over to the duo, and Hangman held up his arm for a hug. You gratefully accepted it, groaning.

"Ugh," You grumbled. "I forgot how hard it was." Your eyes slowly searched for the captain, who was currently stood next to a blonde woman, and clearly having a good time with her. Their loud laughter could be heard from over here. Hangman rubbed your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you.

"I think you should go and talk to him, Y/N/N." Phoenix said, taking a swig of her beer. As she swallowed, she shrugged. "What's the harm in it?" She added, looking at Hangman who didn't seem too convinced. He let his arm fall off of your shoulder as he leant back against the barstool behind him, his eyes finding yours.

"Well, if he doesn't wantcha, I know someone who does." Jake wiggled his eyebrows, a grin breaking out onto his face. Looking away, your cheeks flushed pink at his words and Phoenix noticed, starting to laugh.

You tried to hide the smirk that threatened to slip onto your face at any moment. Well, if Maverick isn't interested, then what's the harm? Jake is undeniably hot, and it wouldn't hurt to flirt for fun. "Really now?" You looked back at the pilot, who was visibly surprised at your answer. As was Phoenix. "C'mon, Bagman.. let's play some pool." You said, walking back to the pool table.

"You're on." He quickly said, relishing in the different attention you were giving him. Phoenix was in shock at your attitude. "You sure you wanna do this, sweetheart?" Hangman asked, throwing you a teasing look. The nickname twisted your stomach into a knot, and you weren't particularly fond of how it made you feel.

"Oh, I'm sure," You said, grabbing the plastic triangle atop of the green-carpeted table. "I'm very sure." You mocked Hangman, remembering what he had said to Rooster all that time ago. His eyes narrowed at you, and a sly smile reached his lips. You quickly grabbed the pool balls and slotted them into the triangle, some of them clacking together.

"Seem like you're experienced with balls, honey," Hangman said, and you glanced up at him, eyes falling to the way he was gripping the pool cue. "I like an experienced woman." He finished off flirtatiously, glancing between yourself and the balls.

"You're out of luck then," You said, leaning up from the table and grabbing a hold of the other pool cue. Looking into Jake's eyes, you smirked. "Because I'm a virgin." Hangman's brows furrowed momentarily, his eyes sliding down your body again. He swallowed thickly, obviously speechless. You moved to the bottom of the pool table, where Jake was stood, and placed the white cue ball in the lower half of the table. "Ladies first." You mumbled to him with a cheeky smile. Leaning over, you made sure to poke your rear out towards Hangman, your fingers feeling the coarse carpet on top of the table as you lined yourself up for the shot.

"You got this, Y/C/S." Bob said from the side with a smile on his face. Phoenix stood next to him, throwing you a quizzical look, gesturing between you and Jake with her eyes. You shook your head at her and smiled, before looking back at the table.

"Wait, whaddya get if you win?" Fanboy called from behind you. You thought for a moment.

"If I win, Hangman owes me one hundred bucks. If he wins.. he can do or have whatever he wants I guess. But we don't need to discuss that, because it's not gonna happen." You said nonchalantly, looking back at Fanboy. A chorus of 'oohs' erupted, making you smirk. Looking up, you saw Hangman rolling his eyes at your dig.

Pulling back your arm, you swung it forwards, the cue ball smashing into the other balls with a loud clack. A striped ball sinks down into a hole and you smirk to yourself. You moved to the right side of the table, staring up at Hangman as he watched you. You never took your eyes off of him as you hit another shot, sinking another ball. You could see him tense his jaw as he shuffled in his spot, biceps flexing in frustration. The amount of self-restraint this man had to not just fuck you right here on this table right now is ground-breaking.

"Lucky shot." He said with a shit-eating grin. You leaned up from the side of the table and cocked a brow.

"Is it now?" You said, narrowing your eyes at him, smiling. You leaned back down to set yourself up for another shot, but you caught sight of Maverick heading back over to the group of you. You felt your breath hitch. Despite the warm and comforting feeling in your chest, you ignored it, and hit your shot, merely missing another sunk ball. A frustrated groan left your lips and Jake didn't miss it. He smirked at you, pouting sarcastically. You turned away from the pool table as he walked towards you, his eyes never leaving yours. You refused to back down.

"Like I said, sweetheart, lucky shot." He chuckled and moved in between your legs, placing his arms either side of you, forcing you to lean back as he leaned forwards, his eyes glancing between you and the cue ball. Your breath hitched in your throat from the closeness between you two, making your heart race. A few wolf whistles from Coyote and Fanboy made you blush. The pair of you were chest to chest, and you could feel his body heat radiating off of him. Deep down, you weren't complaining. But deep deep down, you were wishing Hangman was Maverick.

"Let the pool champ show you how it's done." He mumbled in your ear as he pulled back his muscular arm, your gaze slowly moving to his flexed bicep. As you looked back at your arrogant opponent, he smirked. "Like what you see?" Hangman swung his arm forwards, the sound of balls clacking together rang through your ears. His eyes never left yours as he leaned back from the table, walking to the left side of the table.

As you turned around, your gaze immediately fell on Maverick, who's eyes were as hard as steel. Your eyes trickled down his hands, which were gripping his bottle of beer so hard that it could most likely shatter at any second. Confused, you couldn't help your brows furrowing together as you watched him stare daggers into the back of Hangman's head. Soon enough Maverick looked away from your blonde opponent and glanced at you, softening his eyes. You quickly ditched the confused look upon your face, relaxing your brows. Averting his gaze from you momentarily, a small smile slipped onto his pink lips. You noticed his fist relaxed as the pair of you shared a warm look. Not wanting to make anything awkward you smiled back at him, and returned your attention back to Jake. Shaking off the perplexing encounter, you furrowed your brows again so that Maverick wouldn't be able to see them. "Lucky shot," You scoffed mimicking Jake. Reaching for your almost empty drink, you swung the remnants of the liquid back. You tried ignoring the vivid image of Maverick's angry face in your mind.

"Aw," Hangman pouted mockingly, pushing his lips out. "Is someone a little upset?" He said, breaking out into a mischievous grin. You cocked a brow, sauntering over to him, slowly, holding his amused gaze. Hangman's eyes narrowed in curiosity as you neared him, entering his personal space.

"Honey," You sighed quietly and flicked your eyes between Jake's eyes and lips, watching his Adam's apple slide up and down his throat as he swallowed. "If I was upset, you wouldn't even need to ask." With a roll of your eyes, you slipped on a confident façade and threw a simpering smile his way.

Around fifteen minutes passed and you and Hangman had sunk most of the balls with a bit of flirting here and there. It was now down to him to sink the black eight ball, in which you were watching wistfully, preparing to accept a loss. "You've got him, he's easy, Y/N/N," Maverick suddenly appeared next to you, his shoulder at least two inches above yours. "He's yours." He said, glancing down at you. The butterflies and feelings returned within you as fast as they left - which was never. You felt your knees weaken as he smiled down at you, watching his gorgeous pale blue eyes crease at the sides.

"You think?" You choked out, swallowing back a nervous laugh. Glancing at Hangman, you saw he was watching you and Maverick closely, his eyes narrowing with what seemed like jealousy. You looked back to the captain who still had his eyes on you. A faint blush creeped up your cheeks. You let your eyes falter for a moment, glancing at his lips.

"He's easy, sweetheart. You got this." Maverick smirked and took a sip of his beer. He leaned down and placed his lips near your awaiting ear. "Show me what you got." Your eyes fluttered as his hot breath caressed the side of your bare neck, a warm wave of pleasure washing over your body. Your mind began to race with unspeakable images of the captain and you, his lips attacking your neck with warm kisses, a breathless moan escaping your lips, making Maverick smirk. A sudden and loud clack pulled you back to reality.

"Shit!" Hangman grunted as he watched the black eight ball merely miss the hole he was aiming for. A soft pair of "ooh"s slipped from Coyote and Payback. His hardened gaze met yours, and you smirked at him, cocking a brow.

"Let the pool champ show you how it's done." You said cockily as you mocked Hangman's previous words. In all seriousness, after that, you were silently praying that you wouldn't miss. Leaning down, you set up your shot, silently calculating the angle you'd need to pull this shit off. As you swung the pool cue forwards, the whole squad watched with anticipation. The loud clack of the cue ball smacking against the black eight ball made you blink quickly, your eyes never leaving the final ball. A thud sounded as the black eight ball fell down the corner hole, securing your victory. The squad jumped up and cheered for you, mostly happy that you had beaten Hangman.

"Yes!" Bob cheered and fisted the air in celebration. You were absolutely flabbergasted as you stared in disbelief, glancing between the pool table and an unhappy looking Hangman. You instantly turned to Maverick who's face was in complete awe.

"Hell yeah!" Mav chuckled. A loud giggle escaped your lips as you stared at his beaming face. It took everything within you to hold you back from running up and kissing him. A grin spread from ear to ear on his face as he watched you. Maverick walked towards you, his gaze never faltering from yours.

You blushed as he neared you, your heart going ballistic inside your chest. A sudden shiver travelled down your spine as Maverick's eyes fell to your lips for a split second. "Want a celebratory drink?" He asked quietly and raised his brows, nodding towards your empty glass.

"Who am I to disobey my captain?" You giggled again as he held out his arm jokily, and you grinned, graciously accepting his offer. "Oh, and Hangman," You turned to the sulking pilot, his eyes glancing between yours and Maverick's arms and your eyes. "GGs, thanks for buying the next few rounds." You winked at him, in which he smirked back at you, running his tongue across his teeth.

"Beginner's luck." He winked and set the pool cue down as he picked up his bottle of beer. You rolled your eyes at him, turning back to face Maverick. "Shall we?" You smiled, nodding towards the bar.

"Let's." He chuckled as the pair of you wandered towards the dark wooden bar, weaving in between the busy crowd. Maverick made sure you reached the bar before he had to quickly dip for the toilet. "I'll be back in a moment." He said, sending a reassuring smile your way. You smiled back, relishing in the warm feeling that he had unknowingly been giving you since he first walked in.

"Hey, gorgeous." An unfamiliar voice tickled your ears, and you whipped your head around to find an average height young man leaning against the bar, with his body facing towards you. Internally you groaned. "All alone?" He asked, eyeing your body. Instinctively you folded your arms to cover yourself, feeling uncomfortable.

The man sipped his beer, still staring intensely at you. "No, I'm waiting for a.. uh.. friend." You mentally slapped yourself to hesitating on what to describe Maverick as, knowing you had just outed yourself as being single.

"So you're single?" His eyes lit up at the sudden discovery, his tongue slipping out to wet his lips. "You can't be," He stuttered, his eyes falling all over your body again. "Not with a smoking hot body and a gorgeous face like yours, sugar." The man moved closer this time, reaching out a hand to touch your arm.

"Hey, take a step back, son." Maverick suddenly appeared beside you and you instantly relaxed, swiftly looking up at him. He easily towered over the man; his eyes hard and unforgiving. Mav's voice was deep and almost dark as he slipped a protective hand around your waist, pulling you so close to him that you could almost hear his perfect heart beat. "Get outta here." He said, placing himself between yourself and the man.

"Hey, hey, I was just joking around," The man said quickly, looking sheepish. Maverick was much more built than the skinny lad who had taken an interest in you. "I'll go." He said, muttering what sounded like a string of profanities aimed at your saviour as he wandered off.

Even as the man left, Mav's grip on your waist didn't falter, and he still stayed close to you. You could hear his heart racing from the adrenaline rush. "Hey," You softly said, making him look down at you. "Thank you." A smile formed on your lips as you watched him, his lips spreading into a smile too.

"It's not a problem," He mumbled, looking down at you with soft eyes. Your heart melted at the sight, and you almost fell in Maverick's arms. "You alright?" He asked, brushing a stray strand of hair behind your ears. You nodded, rendered speechless at his touch. "Vodka and lemonade?" He asked again. You nodded. Again. "Alright." He beamed, reluctantly glancing away to Penny. Her eyes found yours as Maverick ordered your drink, a bright and big grin breaking out on her face. You blushed and looked away with a bashful smile.

"Thanks, Pete." You giggled, feeling brave enough to use your captain's first name. You could swear you saw Maverick's cheeks flush at the use of his real name.

"Don't mention it, Y/N," He said with a bashful smile, looking away from you. The sound of your name rolled off of his tongue so smoothly making your stomach do flips. "Bradley's here." His hand quickly fell from your waist and you immediately felt your heart fall. Pushing your feelings aside, you glanced to where Rooster was walking and grinned, lifting an arm to wave at the aforementioned man.

"Hey Mav," Rooster's smooth voice travelled to your ears. "Y/N?" He asked, instantly smiling at your presence. His fingers came up to pluck his aviators off of the bridge of his nose and folding them onto his white tee beneath his signature Hawaiian shirt, revealing his pair of warm, brown eyes.

"The one and only." You laughed. A smile picked at Maverick's lips as the sound of your laugh rang through his ears, a soft, happy hum emitting from his chest. "How's it going Rooster?" You asked the newly graduated pilot who was currently smiling back at the two of you.

"Not bad." He replied, catching sight of Phoenix. You glanced at her as she waved Rooster over. "There's Phoenix, catch you later." Rooster quickly departed with a genial nod, and you turned your attention back to Maverick.

"How's it going with Rooster, by the way?" You asked and Maverick turned towards the bar, with you following his action. "He seems to have changed how he feels about you." You added, resting you forearms against the bartop.

"It's gonna take some time," He said. "It's not gonna be easy for him to forgive me." He finished, glancing at the ground - obviously thinking back to the tragic accident that killed his RIO and his best friend, Goose. Your heart ached for him. You just wanted to hold him in your arms. "My father went missing when he was a pilot in the Navy. I never found out what happened - it's all classified information." Maverick finished, taking a slow swig of his beer.

"I'm sorry, Mav." He only shook his head and smiled, looking at you with soft eyes.

There was a moment of brief silence as Penny served your drinks with a kind smile. You both thanked her before moving away from the bustling bar. The pair of you set your drinks down on a table within your group. Taking a sip, you pondered for a moment as your gaze found the ocean. "Wanna swim?" You nodded towards the white doors, a cheeky look breaking out onto your cheeks.

"I don't like that look, Y/C/S." Maverick gave you a lopsided smile, glancing between the ocean and yourself.

"It's the only one I got." You replied, trying to hold back a giggle as you quoted Hondo and Maverick. He rolled his eyes, setting his beer down and you swiftly grabbed his larger hand with your smaller one, silently enjoying the way his rough hand felt against yours. Pulling him out the doors and past a confused Dagger squad, the pair of you laughing together like maniacs.

"Hey!" You squeaked as Maverick slipped his hands underneath your waist and knees, picking you up. Instinctively, your hands snaked around his neck as he ran towards the sea, you screaming at the top of your lungs at him. "Mav!" You screamed once more before he jumped in with you. Seawater enveloped your body and you scrambled to the surface, gasping for air. "You son of a bitch!" A loud roar of laughter erupted from the captain as you swam towards him and jumped on him, wrapping your legs around his middle.

"You looked a little hot, I thought you needed a swim to cool down." He smirked, staring up at you as he snaked his arms around your waist, watching droplets of water slip down your amused face. You felt the pads of his fingertips caress your bare skin and you couldn't hide the bright blush that flowered across your cheeks.

"You could've asked first." You mumbled, staring at Maverick as the gentle waves lapped against the two of you. "This was an expensive shirt." You added, breaking out into a giggle as the captain rolled his eyes at your comment.

"I'll replace it." He said quietly. You moved closer to him, squeezing your legs around his waist as his arms pulled you in, your noses almost touching. The mere closeness of you two was enough to set your heart on fire.

"With what? It's sold out now." You wrinkled your nose at him.

"One of mine." He replied, glancing at your eyes. You swallowed in shock at his comment, feeling almost breathless. There's no way he just said that.

"I'd like that." You muttered back and bit down on your bottom lip for a moment. Maverick leaned in towards you, his lips grazing against yours, teasing you. "Mav," You whined breathlessly, making the captain smirk. "Kiss me." You added. Maverick's eyes lit up as they met yours. He didn't waste anymore time in waiting to kiss you.

Maverick planted a soft kiss on your lips and slowly pulled away, waiting for your reaction. You smiled and leaned forwards to capture another. An even bigger smile formed on his face as he leaned in towards you too, his lips connecting with yours. His nose brushed against your cheek as the two of you kissed in the sea. You couldn't believe what was happening.

"I think," You mumbled in between kisses. "I love you." You mumbled again, making Maverick pull away. Your eyes widened in fright, but he only smiled at you, brushing a hand over your cheek. Your anxiety-ridden, churning stomach suddenly settled and you felt at ease, a warm shiver washing over your body.

"You think?" He asked, pressing soft kisses to the side of your lips and upon your jaw. His jokey question made you laugh and his smile only grew as he watched you, the crinkles beside his eyes growing.

"I know I do." A soft, hushed sigh slipped from you, and you couldn't hide the smile that broke out on your face. "Take me home or lose me forever, Captain Mitchell." You murmured against his lips, pressing a gentle kiss upon them.

Maverick dropped his head for a moment, his eyes looking up at you through his wet lashes. "Show me the way home, honey." He grinned, melting into your kisses as the two of you floated together in the ocean. "I love you too, Y/N."

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darkmindsotome · 4 years ago

Text

On the Riverbank

Title: On the Riverbank

Fandom: Love365 Masquerade Kiss

Pairing: Kei Soejima x MC

Word count:3,963

Warning: NSFW Smut

Written by: darkmindsotome

Summary: After suffering from cabin fever a date is in order. Only this simple date plan is going to get spicy.

Tagging @voltage-vixen as requested. Prompt #15: Free Prompt (Picnic on the River)

---

I was willing to blame uncontrollable events on the fact that we hadn’t managed to go on a date in a while. Between work and recovering from work, it had been impossible to plan anything. However, it had become the new norm for us to remain living together at Kei’s rooms in Raven.

At some point, I began to feel like I had cabin fever. I was happy to be with Kei and a secret part of me loved being at home with him 24/7. To think there was a time when I thought this was a prison sentence. I couldn’t deny the fact I wanted to go out and do something now things had settled down though.

After looking out of the large windows in the suite over the streets of London, sighing for what must have been the sixth or seventh time, into my nighttime cup of tea. Kei put down his book and announced we would be going on a date. Later that night I curled up happily in bed wrapped in his arms and fell fast asleep.

The next day I woke up alone. My mysterious man had vanished before I could say so much as a good morning or ask about our date plans. Patting down the sheet on his side of the bed resulted in me finding them stone cold. He was always an early riser but this was ridiculous. I then noticed a note left on his pillow.

“Good morning, forgive me I had some things to tend to. I have arranged a car to bring you to our date. K”

I rubbed my fingers over his beautiful cursive writing just as a courier arrived at the door and delivered a beautifully wrapped box. The duck egg blue container was almost pearlescent with a thick cream coloured satin ribbon all perfectly tied around it.

The timing was so perfect I really had to marvel at the man organising this and wonder if I was always this predictable or if I would discover a hidden camera somewhere in the room. Opening the box up revealed a single white rose with a card resting on top of a black dress that fitted Kei’s tastes perfectly.

“I can’t wait to see you. K��

The message had me smiling long before I took the dress out of the box. It was a vintage style tea dress with little cap sleeves made from some of the most delicate lace I’d ever seen. It looked almost like patterned smoke.

There was something different about getting ready for a mission and getting ready for a date. The feeling I got from both was similar but I found I was much more nervous about a date than a life-threatening mission. I rushed through my prep stage of shower, hair and make-up.

Slipping into the dress I instantly fell in love with it. Kei knew my measurements off by heart and I was pretty sure he had them on file with his usual tailor so he could get the outfits he gifted me perfect right down to the last stitch.

Walking into the closet to find a pair of suitable shoes I discovered some already sitting out. They were naturally also black with the addition of ribbons that wrapped around my ankles. Securing the bows, I couldn’t help but make the comparison between them and cuffs. I felt heat climbing up from them at the thought. I imagined Kei and what was probably going through his head as he picked them out for me. How his fingers would have traced the shoes and the ribbon. The idea of tying me up was never far from his mind and with these shoes, it felt like he had already started.

Shaking my head, I looked at my watch and doubled checked my reflection in the mirror before leaving to go get in the car. I watched from the back seat absentmindedly playing with my choker as the car took me away from the centre of the metropolis.

The modern landscape changed slowly into something that felt more historic. The buildings looked older; the concrete jungle had passed into something more like a tv drama set. In fact, if I hadn’t known how far I had travelled I might have thought I was somewhere else entirely.

My eyes caught a familiar figure standing near the roadside. He was dressed in more casual clothes. The white trousers, cream coloured cricket jumper with a blue stripe around the collar and the light blue shirt under it all made him look like a student. The car slowed until the backdoors aligned perfectly with him. I had seconds to smooth down my dress and mentally brush off some of the nervous excitement before the door was opened.

“M’lady.” I smiled at the Princely Kei as he offered me his hand. It was all too easy to forget what he truly was like even for me. Yes, I loved his sweet and angelic side, but I also loved that tricky Devil he hid behind his mask too.

“Thank you.”

Kei guided me to his side, away from the car, and sent it on its way. Now completely alone he used our still joined hands to make me twirl for him as he looking me over from head to toe.

“You look even better than I imagined.” Kei smiled and brought me closer to him. Sweeping some of my hair away from my neck so he could brush his fingers along the neckline of the dress and the choker around my neck.

I once more felt the difference in attire. I was all dressed up and felt far more formal than he did. The idea of him being a student once more flitted through my mind conjuring up kinky scenarios of a socialite sneaking off for a romantic rendezvous with a hidden student lover. It was silly, Kei was older than me even if there were times it was hard to tell that from appearance alone.

“Careful now or you might start sounding like Kazuomi.” I joked attempting to forget the thoughts going through my mind.

My eyes naturally fluttered shut. His cold elegant fingers ghosting over my skin was enough to remind me of the many nights we spent together. Where he had dyed me in his own colours and shown me the abyss behind the door to depravity. Joining me as we fell through purgatory to our own private Eden.

“Perish the thought.” He let go of me. A sensation that left me feeling the need to chase him.

Opening my eyes, I saw that impish look on his face. He was slowly becoming more and more adjusted to life outside of his own nightmares and past. It was still obvious he was a little lost and confused at times but when he was like this, I could almost imagine him as a little boy. It made my heart sing to think we could stand here now together and I could enjoy such a candid fragment of my elusive boyfriend.

“Come now we should get this date started.” Kei laced our fingers and matched his pace to mine.

We walked through some trees and right up to the side of a riverbank. There in front of us was a beautiful craft floating on the water. Inside were some large cushions a few blankets and a basket.

“I thought I would show you a little hospitality and tradition.” Kei let go of my hand briefly to climb onto the small craft and then held out his hand again to help me get on board as well.

“We are going boating?” I giggled as the whole thing rocked under my feet. The idea of mixing something traditional from his own country and a date was so him it made me happy.

“Punting. It is quite different but I trust you will enjoy yourself.” Kei’s correction came with all the patience I had come to expect from someone who knew so much and was used to sharing it in the course of his work.

“I think I’ve seen it before. It looked like the river had turned into Venice or something.” I sat down carefully feeling rather small when I looked back up at Kei.

“I can understand your comparison and whilst you can use a pole on both vessels a Punt is different to a Gondola.” He smiled and retrieved the long pole from the riverbank using it to cast off.

I watched him standing near my feet moving the pole through his hands with little effort. If you were really quiet you could hear the smooth wood, polished with years of use, slipping through the water and his palms.

“It doesn’t feel as safe as I thought it would.” I commented as the pole in his hand seemed to get stuck on something under the water and give a little tug that made the punt slightly rock.

“I assure you that I am an excellent Punter.” Kei’s expression was so deadpan and relaxed as he declared this I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“I get the feeling your friends would be doubling over in laughter right about now hearing you say that.”

“Yes, they probably would. Thankfully they aren’t or I would have tipped them both into the Thames and made them swim.” He looked down at me. The shadows from the trees we were moving through were casting shadows on his pale skin. I didn’t miss how his playful eyes shone through the shade.

“You wouldn’t…”

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride. I did consider placing the seat facing forward but selfishness prevented me from doing so. I wanted to see your face, forgive me.” The Devil faded in the light once more replaced by the charming Prince.

“You know I never once pictured you doing this?” I sunk back into the cushions, finding them much more comfortable than I thought they would be. The blankets as well were a mixture of textures but each one was thick and luxurious.

“Oh? Punting has been a traditional pastime in England since the 1860’s it really caught on by the 1880s and 1900s though. Before they became used for recreation these little crafts were used as part of the transporting of traders.” He spoke as he manoeuvred the pole and pushed us forward in the water. “Are you familiar with Alice in Wonderland?”

“Yes of course it’s a children’s classic.” I happily nodded. I know it is kind of a strange thing to enjoy but I did genuinely love how knowledgeable he was and how he explained things. It was like having my own personal tour guide and professor.

“Quite so. Well, the author Lewis Carroll used to punt along the Thames and during one of his outings where he was with a friend’s children he started to tell the story of a curious little girl who followed a rabbit. He later put pen to paper and created the beloved tale as a gift.” He lowered his voice as if he had just shared a piece of information vital to national security.

“I didn’t know that.” I don’t know what face I was showing him when he looked down at me. His face seemed to soften, although it could also have been my imagination.

“Literature aside I thought I would show you some more of England than the inside of Raven or shopping in the capital.” I looked around at the countryside slowly passing. I knew there was more to London than concrete and cars but I didn’t think there was this much greenery.

“I thought the Thames was larger than this.” I mused and put my hand over the side dipping it in the cool water playing with the ripples made by the punt as it moved.

“It is. We are currently on one of its many streams. Still part of the river but not as heavy with the tourist trade. You will also know of the boating traditions between Oxford and Cambridge, yes?” Kei always seemed to become a little more animated when talking like this. It was like he suddenly had an outlet for all the bottled-up information and facts he had in that well-read brain of his.

“The boat race?” I titled my head against the sun and saw him nodding happily.

“Yes, it is covered by the media extensively at the time. Well, the competition between the two on these waters doesn’t stop with rowing. There is a traditional Oxford way to Punt and then there is the traditional Cambridge version.” Kei grimaced theatrically as he explained.

“Haha, you don’t sound like you approve of the Cambridge way.”

“I am an Oxford man.” He almost seemed to stand up straighter as he said that. “The flat raised planking behind you is called the Till. A Cambridge man would stand on the Till and punt like so.” He stepped over me and demonstrated what he meant. It caused the punt to lurch which had me clinging to the sides of it thinking it might tip us both in the water. “Whereas an Oxford man, He will stand in the punt and work from here.” Kei stepped back into the punt and resumed moving us from inside. The vessel settled back down and I ended up breathing a sigh of relief. “Also a notable difference is the till. Following Oxford tradition, it is always facing front in the direction one is moving."

"I had no idea there were so many traditions.”

“There are more but I fear any more information will bore you under this hot sun. Here should be suitable.” He pushed the punt so it brushed up against the bank again this time next to what looked like a very secluded spot. The grass was short and looked to be recently cut. Surrounding it were high hedges and some trees.

“What is this place?” I asked as we left the punt for more stable ground.

“You will find them all around. They are locations people usually used for picnics.” Kei spoke as he stuck the pole into the bank and tied the punt to it.

“Are they all this well maintained?” I was still looking around. I don’t think I have ever been to a part of London that has ever made me feel so totally alone. It was pleasantly unusual.

“The ones that are owned are yes. This is one of my family’s spots.” He leant over and scooped up the basket and grabbed a blanket. With them in hand, he then walked into the centre of the grass and quickly set up.

“What do you have hidden away in your basket of tricks?” I sat down on the blanket and waited for him to reveal his secrets.

“We have tea, the very seasonal and traditional strawberries and cream.” He placed a flask down next to the punnet of fresh fruit and a pot of thick white cream. “We also have peanut butter sandwiches…”

“You made this picnic, didn’t you?” I couldn’t help but giggle. When he said he had things to do in his note I thought it would have been work-related. Now I had visions of him shopping and preparing this picnic instead.

“What is wrong with it?” He asked. His golden hair shining like a halo under the sun.

“Nothing just it's very you. If you had brought the basket from somewhere or had someone else make it, I doubt peanut butter would have made it on the menu.” It was true he could have ordered it from room service or had it made up somewhere in town and just brought it along. The fact that he actually made anything himself was endearing.

“Did you want something different?” His expression shifted and he looked like a child that was waiting to be scolded.

“No this is perfect.” I reached over and took one of the sandwiches from the plate in his hands.

“I did think of bringing some Pimms but I reconsidered.” Kei recovered fast, the cracks in his mask reformed.

“Why?”

“The time of day for one thing. I mean as Kazuomi would argue it's five o’clock somewhere but I would hate for you to be so drunk you fell overboard.” He poured some tea from the flask and handed it to me. Our fingers touching for a second, more than long enough for me to realise his body temperature was still as cold as normal.

“We both know I have a better tolerance to alcohol than that.” How can he do that? It was so hot the world could be melting and Kei would still be sitting there in a pullover surrounded by his own internal climate control. “You said this was one of the quieter parts of the River. Why come here? Oops!”

I had been so concerned with not spilling the tea he had given me I had completely misjudged the integrity of the sandwich in my hand. Part of it failed to make it to my mouth and vanish down the neckline of the dress. Embarrassment threatened to bloom inside me and I really hoped Kei had missed what I had just done.

“Is it a crime to want to spend some time alone with my girlfriend?” His voice was so close and I hadn’t felt the blanket move or even seen him shift. Yet he was right next to me his face so close to mine I could feel his breath in my ear. “Honestly I did think of following one of the other paths of the river. There are more pubs and places to go along them but I wanted to enjoy something more scenic with you.” He trailed his fingers along my choker and then slipped them down the front of my dress. “Now I’m glad I made this choice.”

“Something about how you just said that makes me think you weren’t referring to a quiet picnic together.” I acted cooler than I felt. I knew he could feel my heart beating and see the pulse running wild in my neck. All the time I faked being calm as his fingers extradited the rogue peanut butter sandwich from my body.

“You always were very observant.” I followed his hand as it carried the salvaged food to his own mouth. Those eyes of his locked on me looking like pools of golden lust.

They drew me to him like a spell and held me there as he locked me up in his arms, his hands roamed freely over me. Tumbling back together onto the blanket the picnic was threatening to be forgotten.

“Mmm Kei.” My breathy cry came out as he nibbled on my collarbone and began moving a hand up my leg under the fabric of the dress.

“Careful now. It might be a secluded spot but there is no telling who you might summon with a voice like that.” He teased as his fingers did some teasing of their own. Rubbing the outline of my sex through the sheer fabric of his favourite lace panties.

“As long as one of the people I summon is you I don’t care.” I was done with coy. Coy and demure didn’t get you anywhere fast with this man. There was a time and place for all that and when we were alone and things were heating up was not one of those times.

“Mmm, have I ever told you how stunning you are when you are honest with your desires?” He slipped his fingers past the lace pressing his thumb onto my clit before pumping a couple of digits inside me. I wanted to moan louder but his warning from before made me stop.

I looked up and found him smirking. He knew I was holding back. He knew I was trying to be a good girl but damn him if he wasn’t trying to break me.

“I don’t think I can remember.” Two could play that game and I tried to make it look like I was still in control. With every stroke from his hand, I was losing my sanity, but I kept up a strong front and played the game.

“Then I’ll have to take my time and remind you.” He moved on top of me his hand still driving a fever through my core as he spread my legs wide with his own.

“What about the picnic?”

“There is time enough for both. I don’t intend to let anything here on this blanket go to waste.”

His voice purred erotically as he slid the zip on the dress down my back and dragged the bodice low enough to expose my breasts. The cap sleeves I had thought were a nice addition were now part of the binding of fabric that was preventing my arms from freely moving.

Kei brushed his fingers over the lace of the bra and once more slid his hand inside. Treating each nipple to a firm pinch as he ravished my mouth with his tongue. I squirmed under him trying to wrap my legs around his and return the restraint in kind.

“Hehe, you really are the only one that has ever tried to dominate me.” His laugh was like a clear bell whilst the things he was doing to me had my head crashing like a drum.

“Kei… please stop teasing me already.” I moved some more only to find his weight was gone. He had stopped touching me completely and was sitting back on his heels looking at me.

“As My Lady commands.”

I watched as he licked his hand clean and used the other to undo his belt and trousers. It wasn’t unusual for him to remain clothed but it rarely happened where it was so bright. I bit my lip as he rolled my dress higher exposing all of me. He said nothing as he undid the strings on the panties and placed them into his pocket. The silence was deafening given how aroused I was. He leaned over and dipped a strawberry into the thick cream holding it just out of reach of my mouth.

“Eat it.” His command seemed absolute even if it was given in a sugary-sweet tone. I tried to stretch for it but couldn’t. His eyes twinkled and his smile became more wicked. “I guess if you can’t be a good girl then I’ll just have to treat you like a bad one instead.”

I felt my core tighten as he brought his palm down with a crack against my bare thigh. He pressed down on me again. His mouth connecting with mine. Fruit and cream filled my senses as he used his own mouth to feed me. The escaped juices were lapped up by his tongue as he arranged himself to take this to the next level.

“Ah!” A slight sharpness ripped through my body and was quickly numbed as the pleasure of us finally connecting took over. With each rock of his body, it moved my body against the ground far more than the swaying of any boat.

Our mouths connected again and again at different angles to the point where I was sure I had forgotten to breathe. His fingers ran through my hair sometimes pulling grabbing at it but each time it only emphasised his desire for me and made my whole body tingle.

I never did find out if anyone else was around as Kei had said or if it was all just another layer to his devilish lies to set the mood. I did discover that I would never be able to eat a picnic again without the addition of a peanut sandwich.

---

#summer of smut #summer of smut content creation challenge

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losojos-decupido · 12 days ago

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so fogado screwed up that one time in that big mansion. so what?

he was just doing his best---and it was for cover more than anything. he only did so badly because griss was there, and because dorothea was outside and in trouble, and because his mind wasn't on cleaning. DUH! if he had been focused, he would have been way better at it!

but the fact that he did suck so bad has been bothering him for moons. he's perfect! he's a showstopper! nothing he ever does is incorrect and any mistake is an active reflection of his person. so this needs to be fixed.

which is why he's back in some rich person's house in another... ahem... costume. this one's kind of a mix of both dress and suit and looks super swagful, though, so... no problems here.

but who's this guy?

@grxstnnefealltoir

catmaids that act like cats: annoying, uncontrollable, and slapping things off of tables

mission board: pearlescent | any skill +1

#☼ ic #☼ grxstnnefealltoir #☼ t: catmaids that act like cats #☼ mission board: pearlescent #[ LIGHTNING MAIDS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *SMASHES A VASE* ]

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chapitre7 · 6 years ago

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Lost & Found

Hotel Del Luna [ 호텔 델루나 ] & Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo [달의 연인-보보경심 려] fanfiction

Set in an apocryphal time in the first half of the HDL drama

Inspired by this post that compared HDL to animanga xxxHolic

Read on AO3

Happy third anniversary, Moon Lovers!

“Madam, the guest from room 704 left an item.”

Jang Man Wol did not look up from her cellphone. Such was her concentration in whatever she was scrolling, brows slightly furrowed, lips slightly pursed, that you’d be sure she was studying an important document or even reading a curious article, but Gu Chan Seong, no ordinary man, had clearly seen a familiar glint in her eyes not ten seconds earlier, had promptly told her to stop looking at cars, and was swiftly ignored. The CEO gave manager Choi the same regard she gave her hotelier; a flick of her wrist and a displeased turn of her lips.

“Put it with the others,” she said, the tip of her tongue suddenly rising to the corner of her mouth in obvious interest, causing Gu Chan Seong to let out an indignant “Hey!”, which was returned with a glare.

“Oh! Me! I’ll take it!”

The ever-cheerful receptionist waltzed in, eagerly holding out both hands to the rooms manager, and Gu Chan Seong, dedicated to his mission of saving money but accidentally distracted by the preppy offering, watched as manager Choi gave Hyun Joong a gold key-chain.

“We keep lost items?” He asked Man Wol, eyebrows raised. “From the dead?”

Man Wol sighed deeper than was absolutely necessary, harshly putting her phone down (he caught a glimpse of her screen and yes, he had to admit he too found the car color horrid so he couldn’t blame her for her annoyance, even if he did blame her for everything else).

“Don’t go in there,” she said, inspecting her nails, missing the way Hyun Joong was motioning Gu Chan Seong to follow him exactly there. “You’re faint-hearted and I’m not letting you out early.”

Faint-hearted.

“As the hotelier of the Hotel del Luna, it is of upmost importance that I know every nook and cranny of the establishment,” Gu Chan Seong said with feeling, head held high. Man Wol, all teeth, let out a hearty, deep-throated laugh that almost made her sound all the thousand years that she truly possessed.

“Oh, be my guest, then.”

The man nodded, needlessly adjusting his suit jacket, and followed the receptionist through the brilliant halls of the Hotel del Luna.

Gu Chan Seong was absolutely certain that he had been around those parts before, that he had checked every room on that floor. But every floor looked exactly the same, no matter day or night, and the higher the moon was in the sky, the more confusing the architecture became, and rooms he suspected were on higher floors could be found on lower floors instead, so he was intrigued but not surprised when Hyun Joong led him towards a door he had never seen before. The small, antique plaque above the door read Lost and Found.

“Can the dead really leave things behind?”

“They’re not real things,” Hyun Joong said, scratching his head. “Sometimes they’re holding something when they died but they forget it in the hotel before they board away. Or their family can give them offerings!” He added, pointing a finger in the air, but the words not real kept running through Chan Seong’s mind as the door opened.

It was very much a storage room — but a storage room at the Hotel del Luna could hardly be called ordinary. The lights were flickering, sure, and dust rose once Gu Chan Seong stepped in, threatening to suffocate him with what could possibly be deadly bacteria (then again, there were places at Sanchez’s that had the very same effect), but the wallpaper shone like the rest of the Hotel, pearlescent, rich, speaking of glorious times long past. The shelves were littered with objects and ornate boxes, some glowing under the weak lights as if they were the most precious trophies, while here and there were empty spaces with nothing but ghosts of what once was someone’s treasure, just a clean shadow of memory speaking from its form in the dust.

While Hyun Joong placed the key-chain on what could be only called a random place on a random shelf, Gu Chan Seong, carefully treading the room, noticed a big chest in a corner, covered with a tattered piece of red velvet cloth that failed to hide away the engraved crossed circle on the wood that he knew so well from his dreams — the symbol of the Full Moon.

He took slow, somehow apprehensive steps towards it, bravery and fear fighting a burning fight in his blood, when his fingers — outstretched, as if he were walking on tightrope without even realizing — brushed against one of the tiny boxes on the shelves and a voice filled the room as if it came from everywhere, from the very core of the Hotel,

“Don’t touch anything.”

Chan Seong whipped around towards the entrance, to the omniscient image of Jang Man Wol. Arms crossed, hips tilted to the side, filling his vision, walking closer, heels against wood, loud, firm, long, purple dress scraping against the dirt like it was nothing, because everything inside was her and her own, and only her hand slapping against Chan Seong’s could break the trance he sometimes inevitably fell into when it came to the immortal CEO.

“Ow,” was his smartest answer, retracting his hand and pressing it close to his chest, almost too dramatically; he ought to spend less time with her. “These aren’t even real things!”

“Some of them are, Harvard,” she said, adjusting the box he had touched milliliters to the left. Chan Seong moved his lips in mute grumbling. “Mischievous objects we find and secure. Best to keep them safe from you and you from them.” To that, she added a pointed look that made him feel even more like a misbehaved child and, in turn, he cleared his throat, ready to regain the upper hand in their dynamic.

“And what’s that?” He pointed to the center of the room.

“Ah,” came out of Man Wol, and Chan Seong could have sworn she sounded delighted.

The box itself looked rather simple, but its importance was betrayed by the glass case that protected it; there was no other box so meticulously kept.

“This,” Man Wol spoke as she lifted the glass and pulled the box in her hands, the preciosity of it speaking in all of her movements, slow and deliberate, “is the oldest item in the room.”

Gu Chan Seong would bet his entire fortune that the chest with the Full Moon symbol was the oldest thing in the room but said nothing, afraid of pushing her away and losing all the progress he had won so far. Saving that fight for another day, instead he glanced at the contents of the box she held, his eyes barely blinking.

It looked simple enough, although not without its merits. The white jade of the flower still held its shine, the metal was purposefully faded, and none of the red berries had fallen off. It was a pretty hairpin and he nodded in approval, but nothing about it spoke of jewels of old and importance.

“This,” Man Wol said, with blatant pride, “is the hairpin given to Gwangjong’s lover, tracing back to the 10th century.”

“Gwangjong had a lover?” Chan Seong frowned. “Wasn’t he too busy killing his brothers?”

“He was a pretty ruthless fellow,” Man Wol agreed with a nod. “But he was actually pretty, so I don’t doubt it. Sent his entire personal guard after me when he saw me at the palace, though, I still don’t know why.” She shrugged, as if it was of no consequence that one of the country’s most bloodthirsty emperors almost killed her (keyword being almost, he could hear in his head).

“So... What’s keeping you from selling it?” He raised a perfectly skeptical brow.

“It’s filled with spiritual energy,” Man Wol said simply as she put the box back in its rightful place under the glass.

“Resentful energy?” He asked, frowning, having felt no discomfort before or after setting eyes on the hairpin.

Jang Man Wol shook her head, turning around to face him.

“Gu Chan Seong,” she said, enunciating every syllable of his name.

He felt the urge to swallow, wet his lips, take a step back as Man Wol took one forward. She held his gaze as if it was her own possession, the room around them all but fading to black as she wordlessly commanded him to focus on her, her back straight, her chin lifted, her hands scheming behind her back.

“Have you ever loved someone so much that it consumed you?” Her breath was on his face, and it smelled of wine. “Have you ever had someone be everything to you, so much that you could lose everything, even your life, as long as you still had their love?”

His footsteps made no sound, but hers were like rumbling thunder.

“Have you ever had someone you’d follow into the next life, and the next, and the next, that the heavens couldn’t break you apart even if it wanted to?”

She tilted her head to the side, smiling a devil’s smile.

“And have they ever loved you the same?”

He said and signed nothing. The question that burned and turned to ash in his tongue was, Have you?

Hyun Joong sneezed. Chan Seong blinked and, inexplicably, Man Wol seemed to be several steps farther from him than she had been just a breath ago.

“That kind of energy,” she concluded with a smirk.

“Ah,” Hyun Joong called, sounding closer than Chan Seong had felt him to be. “Guests have arrived!”

“Go greet the guests, Gu Chan Seong,” said Jang Man Wol, walking past him, the center of her gravity letting go of his peace of mind, moving away with her long, swishing hair.

Gu Chan Seong dusted his clothes off, straightened his back and composure, and walked out of Lost and Found to greet the recently departed.

***

It was still dark when Jang Man Wol woke up and she was at a loss for a couple of seconds. Certain that she had not overslept, she held her silk robe tighter around herself and walked to the window, eyebrows rising in wonder at the solar eclipse that greeted her.

“Is that what you had been waiting for?”

There was no one in her room but that box. Polished, simple wood carrying a universe of lost love inside.

“Which one is it?” She asked, a playful, lopsided smirk blossoming on her face as she opened the box and picked the hairpin up. “Is it her? Is it your master? Why today?”

The hairpin, naturally, could not speak; it only shone in the dim light as she caressed it, lost in thought.

“Ah,” she breathed, smiling to herself. “The homeless man, he should know. But I think I saw him walking perfectly fine the other day, organizing some sort of exhibit?”

She tapped her lips as her eyes moved to her closet.

“I wonder if paeha is a chaebol these days? Like in that drama?”

She giggled, a sound that could chill Gu Chan Seong to the bone.

“Come,” she said to herself or to the ancient love in the room, her hands pulling her hair into a bun in which she pinned the jade lotus hairpin, her companion. “Let’s see what future you’ll unfold in this lifetime.”

And Jang Man Wol rummaged through her clothes, trying to find something befit of a queen.

#Hotel Del Luna #Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo #Scarlet Heart Ryeo #Moon Lovers #fanfiction #Jang Man Wol #Gu Chan Seong #So/Soo #Crossover

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