#one of many ways Nightmare puts the rival ego in check

[megalommi]

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you." He drawls, as the intimidatingly large leather chair swivels around to face you.

Nightmare lounges with an air of royalty, always the drama. On his lap, he idly strokes... um...

Dr Baggs is curled up on his lap, snoring loudly. He is clutching a clip board, was he kidnapped mid-work again?

Nightmare does not acknowledge any of this.

You refuse to take the bait and try to debrief with your boss.

Your eye twitches when Baggs kicks up a purr.

[estro-gem]

Black and White in Grey: Chapter 8

Author’s note: I was on a roll and thought I might post the next chapter as well!

I’ll have to warn you about STRONG-ISH LANGUAGE in here. I couldn’t bring myself to keep it all clean. I did attempt to warn you, even though I know that most people skip the author’s notes... oh well...

This was a fun chapter to write, so I hope it is just as fun to read! Things get steamy, but not in the way most would think - fellow gutter minds, hahaha!

Lets go! Enjoy!

CHAPTER 8: IT’S NOT FUN AND GAMES, UNTIL IT IS

This was not happening. This was not happening.

It’s hard to explain, but Discord wasn’t joking when he said he wanted to catch up with her. Or rather, for her to catch up with him… in the Dream Realm…

She lost Discord in the Dream Realm.

She wasn’t prepared for him to suddenly jump in head first – when he said that he wanted to ‘get the ball rolling’ – as he put it. He left her with a poke the her muzzle and a cute ‘You’re it’ before teleporting away. Since she felt the foreign presence calling from the far-away Dream Realm, the pony knew it was Discord.

It wasn’t really her fault, but Luna scolded herself for not taking it as a given that the Lord of Chaos would pull a stunt like this. What an ass. He was roaming the minds of her subject freely now, and probably driving them to madness as he went. Well, not without driving her to madness in the process.

He just knew how to get under her skin.

As she chased his presence dream throughout dream, he only left her a single glance at him before he jumped into someone else’s dream. It was infuriating how he seemed to run circles around her. The princess was scrambling around in her own realm like a headless chicken, with the intention to find Discord and prevent him from doing anything dumb, all while checking the subjects’ dream for nightmares.

She actually stopped her chase with the crazed spirit just to take care of a few distressed subjects that were, in fact, terrorized by nightmares. It took 3 subjects with nightmares, for her to notice that Discords movements in the realm had frozen during those times along with her.

It confused her, but it mostly fueled the fire within her even more. The blasted, petty, irrational, competitive side of her felt almost offended that he felt the need to wait for her to finish her duty as princess, before continuing their ridiculous chase. The subject was left almost confused.

She was the Princess of the Night and this was her realm.

No rival ever had to wait on her in her own realm. She didn’t care how messed up that sounded. She was determined to catch that menacing draconiquus – and scold him for wasting her time. She was angry… but when Discord started taunting her in the brief moments she caught up to him, she was pissed. Fueled with a goal and furious for a reason.

She loved it.

Discord would leave comments, like, “Get with it, sleepy head!” or, “You can’t even catch me in your dreams!”

For the longest time, the pony stayed silent, only focusing on trying to hit him with a non-fatal energy blast – at least enough to just startle him – but soon gave in to the burning need to snap something back at him, “Maybe I’d be more eager to stop you if your insults weren’t so predictable!”

Oh, that struck a nerve and Luna saw it. She knew that would get to him.

The Lord stood frozen in an open meadow with clear skies, his fingers in mid-snap – about to jump to another subject’s mind, when he heard the insult the princess spat at him. He looked positively startled and, much to Luna’s satisfaction, deliciously insulted.

He gasped, “What a nerve you have! Calling me, the Lord – the embodiment of Chaos itself – predicta…” Discord couldn’t bring himself to even finish the word. He was too caught up in the smug smiled of the dark princess. If Discord was faking this, he was a damn good actor.

“Oh, but it was only the first word that came to mind, Lord Discord!” she said in a mocking concern. In her mind, she was just a relieved as she was smug that the chase was over, but she milked what she could from his stupor, “There are many other adjectives suitable for my name-calling towards you! Like… boring! Dull. Bland. Shall I continue?”

The look on his face was priceless. He seemed so out of his element – wordplay intended! Luna soaked in the shift in his expression, from surprised to determined. She gotten to him, she already won. Everything about to follow, was just an added bonus. If Discord wanted to extend their banter by trying to pull his ego out of the hole it dove into, she would accept any comeback he threw at her.

“Princess, your fire is a sight for sore eyes.”

Maybe, except that comeback.

What the hell did that even mean? That was so random, coming from him. His expression was one she wouldn’t be able to imagine any day before now. It was odd, but so intriguing. She wanted more of this… whatever she had brought out of him.

It almost threw her off her game, but she tried matching his stance with one step forward, “Well, little cults that toy with fire get their fingers burned.”

“Oh? But I can’t resist – can’t keep my claws at bay.” Discord said lowly, taking a step of his own towards Luna, hungry eyes boring into hers, accompanied with a smirk, almost making her flustered for a reason she couldn’t comprehend. Her expression wouldn’t falter though.

“What else is there to expect from someone with no self-restraint?” Luna smugly said, stepping towards him once more. Closer. She needed him closer. No matter how much this sudden change of pace made her wonder about the funny tension in the air.

“You are one to tell me I have no self-restraint… after hunting me down like a predator?” Discord questioned, his voice still lowered and quiet. Stalking towards her, making her almost blush. Why?

“As any predator…” Luna paused, noticing how close they were, standing but a two feet apart, “…I have an acquired taste.”

She was almost certain that she didn’t control her own tongue anymore. She didn’t know what came over her, but she couldn’t stop. This whole situation was pulling her into something that just didn’t seem to ever be satisfied.

“Is that so, princess?” Discord practically purred, bending down just above her level, making Luna internally quiver in anticipation.

This was getting… very… interesting.

“What the hell, guys?!”

An unknown voice suddenly broke the noble’s intense gaze they held, only to look at the mare that interrupted them.

Cadence. This was the mind of Cadence. They were in Cadence’s dream, the princess of love. Her comment fell on an odd place of Luna’s insides, feeling embarrassed that they were caught, even though, in her mind, it was just aggressive banter.

It was nothing to be ashamed of.

“Anyway…” Cadence spoke up again, seeing that neither of the two culprits were going to, “Discord, I wanted to talk to you? You know, in private… about that thing…?”

“Oh, right! That thing! We can talk all you want once you’ve escaped Dreamland!” Discord said, his playful, normal tone ripping what had Luna lulled moments ago, out under her hooves like a blanket. She was also confused by Cadence’s request. She couldn’t ponder too long about it, as there was a shift in Cadence mind.

“This is a dream?” the Princess of Love questioned, earning a nod from both of them. She spaced out for a moment, “Wow… can I do stuff, like shape-shifting and change the grass into a pit of dry beans?”

“You can try, yes…?” Luna said with a cringe. This was all weird!

“Changing things and manipulating common laws of nature is my shtick! You darn lucid dreamers…” Discord mumbled, crossing his upper limbs like a stubborn child, “Why would you go with dried beans, anyway?”

Cadence scoffed with no real bite, “Are you kidding? Have you ever put you hoof into a sack of dried beans? It feels so good.”

“It’s said to be therapeutic.” Luna added in agreement, before shaking her head, to focus, “Discord, we should probably go.”

“What? But I wanted to teach Cadence the fundamentals of chaos!” Discord whined, causing Luna to roll her eyes. Her horn glowed as she prepared to teleport herself to the waking realm.

Before they knew it, the deities, were in the throne room once again. Discord’s arrival was delayed, as they each teleported themselves. The princess check the clock and found that her shift was as good as done. Her eyes widened. Her subjects… she had neglected them!

“Well as fun as this was, Lulu, I’m beat.” Discord said, yawning, “You sure put up with a lot more than I remember.”

“I didn’t put up with anything!” she said worried, “I didn’t attend to my subjects tonight! I let myself get distracted by you – and it’s not like I can just go back and fix it, because everyone is waking up soon! I need to –”

“Oh, Lulu, you are such a character!” Discord laughed, Luna too panicked to be mad at his careless attitude. He calmed down, still smiling, “We tore through everypony’s mind tonight! We were on fire! You covered every nightmare like a pro and nothing stood in your way.”

“Everypony?”

That’s right, the chase! She chased Discord through every dream of everypony sleeping that night. In a normal shift, she could cover half the kingdom and cover the other half the following day.

But this time, she managed everpony. It was huge! She didn’t even feel as if she was working, it all just flew by… because of the Lord of Chaos, Discord. He made it happen. He made her forget about almost everything that was bothering her for a whole night.

She just took about 12 hours to realize it.

She looked up at Discord and smiled – there was no use containing it. Discord’s smug expression faltered as the dark princess lit up. Smiling at him – for him. He couldn’t help but give his own genuine smile back.

That fire. It captivated him.

“Thank you, Discord. That was… something else, wasn’t it?”

“Do you expect anything else from me?”

They shared a short laugh, before falling into a definite, awkward silence, which Luna felt obligated to brake, “Let’s not do that again any time soon.”

“Agreed. See you next week.”

“What?”

Discord didn’t reply. He was already gone.

Next: Chapter 9

Previous: Chapter 7

Masterlist

[yuki-d-raizel-blog]

Hero

Chapter 6/??

Relationship: Todoroki Shouto x Reader (Your/Name), (Full/Name)

Summit: It all begin at the Sports Festival when Shouto’s other half met Endevour by mistake. The student never thought to see his partner fight against his father just to show him that he is wrong. It started from that instant, Shouto’s new path started exactly from that moment thanks to his friends and his beloved one.

 ---

While you walk with Shouto to the exit, he asks if you can get something for both, but when you’re back, he’s gone. Worried, the girl looks for him when she is called by classmates. She approaches them with a smile holding some lunch boxes.

<<(Y/N)-kun, I’m sorry if I hit you.>> Iida bows, <<You should get to Recovery Girl to check that.>>

<<It’s just a scratch, no need to apologize nor a check.>> you reassured him, <<And your technique was cool! I’ve read it, still I didn’t think it would be so fast!>>

<<No, (Y/N)-chan’s quirk is awesome!!>> Uraraka stops Iida because she remembered your actions during the previous game, <<How it works? Can you tell us?>>

<<Only what I’ve showed already.>>

<<So mysterious!>> Ochako is happy to see that even this important day, everyone is so friendly with each other, <<I guess is fine.>>

<<My quirk has 7 forms.>> she explains creating a little white fire on her palm, <<These flames are so cold that whatever they touch, turns immediately into ice.>> the girl guides Iida and Uraraka’s hand on the flame without touch it.

<<Woah, it’s freezing!>> , <<It’s very cold, indeed.>>

<<And these ones are yellow flames.>> you giggle a little seeing your friends’ faces, they are so shocked to see that those are flames and not… Those were thunders before, you’re lying! <<As you can see, they’re thinner than the previous one, and they attract all the electricity on the air and force it to fuse within; blocking all the power inside.>>

<<I see. So the other five forms are weaker or maybe not?>> Uraraka doesn’t understand your will at all, it’s always like this.

<<I used the weakest ones.>> you admit chuckle a little, then moving your hair you show a crystal pendant on your ear, <<If I want to use the strongest ones, I need to touch this earring to unlock them.>>

<<A really powerful quirk, (Y/N)-san.>> , <<That’s awesome, right Deku-kun… Eh? Deku-kun?>>

<<Something wrong?>> you asked seeing that both are worried, “Shouto and Izuku are gone… Wait a second!” <<I need the restroom! See ya!>> “This is bad! Please don’t be angry with Izuku, Shouto, he’s trying to help you!”

 ---

All Might’s pupil and Endevour’s son are isolated by everyone in a dark corridor, facing each other. Midoriya is not good with those cold eyes, they are different from Bakugou’s, he doesn’t know how to get used to it yet. The cold voice of the student brings him back to the reality.

<<I felt something similar to All Might coming from you before. I saw the living legend by a short distance, I recognize that feeling…>> the freckled boy jumps a little, <<Midoriya, are you->>

<<A-ha! Found you!>> you show up and walk towards your boyfriend, <<How dare you!>>

<<I told you to go to the infirmary and check tha->> Shouto catches the lunch boxes in time, now he is looking at the opposite direction and two hands on his back are pushing him forward, “What?” <<(Y/N), wait->>

<<I’m hungry, let’s go. And give me back the ribbon, I can’t see anything with my hair down, and->>

<<What about the infirmary?>> Izuku is staring at the couple in silence, with a little smile on his face.

“Todoroki-kun changes in good when he’s with (Y/N)-chan. He’s worried for a little scratch on her cheek, such a protective boyfriend. Why you can’t see it, Todoroki-kun? (Y/N) is showing you the way, why you always try to get out of that road?”

<<The what?>> the girl is pushing him but he put more weight on his feet and stops her.

<<(Y/N), I’m not joking. Go to Recovery Girl and please check that cut.>>

<<At one condition.>> now she is standing staring at Shouto’s mismatched eyes, <<If you stay with me, then I will go right away.>>

<<….>> he is thinking hardly at her propose, and when he doesn’t have something to argue back, he closes his eyes and sighs, <<Fine, you win.>>

<<Yay! Then, you can->> you tried to pick up the lunch boxes but the tall young man moved them, <<Eh?>>

<<I keep these.>> Shouto says with his arm extended, <<You’re injured. Until I hear that everything is fine->> he almost drops the lunch when he felt a weight on his back, <<(Y/N), we are in public.>>

<<I’m injured, right? Then I’m not allowed to walk or do anything.>> she is still aiming at the boxes, <<So could you please accompany me there?>>

<<Stop this madness.>> Shouto’s cheeks are a little red, <<…Why I can’t win with words against you? Tell me why at least.>>

<<I wanna know how tall people see.>> moving her arms around Todoroki’s neck, she lifts the boxes, the man puts his hands under her thighs, supporting her, and walks while she rests her head on his, <<Pretty high up here.>>

<<You’re a few centimeters shorter than me, what’s the point of this.>>

<<That now I’m taller!>> she kisses his cheek a lot to tickle him, <<Now, charge to the infirmary as my lovely and beautiful boyfriend wish!>>

“She’s like a child when does these things, but I can’t argue with that. I love this side too. It’s cheerful, lovely, warm… I guess I didn’t like her gaze of the match before. Her eyes were scary and dark. She was upset or there was something behind? I’m just overthinking it.” Endevour’s son speeds up and reaches the infirmary as promised.

 ---

During the break, Shouto opens with you about his doubt, he thinks that Midoriya is All Might’s secret child because he felt that his quirk is too alike to the living legend. You listen to him and you can tell it easily that he’s hiding his rage. This festival is blinding him more than he’s already. Suppressing the bad feelings, you stand up and go to buy something to drink, you forgot about drinks, Shouto was gone so the beverages fell on the second place.

On the way back, you hear All Might’s voice and a name that destroy the cage where you keep your emotions. It takes all your might to stay still behind the corner and stay quiet.

<<Do you want to drink some tea?>> the number one hero says politely, <<It was ten years ago the last time we worked together, so I was thinking to come and greet you.>>

<<I see.>> a rude and harsh voice, it must be Endevour, <<Then, now that you did that, you can go away.>>

<<Huh?>>

<<Tea? Are fucking kidding me.>> he turns his back and goes downstairs, <<I’m going to the restroom, leave me alone.>>

<<HA-HA-HA!>> the rival blocks his way with a huge smile, <<C’mon don’t be so cold!>> after receiving a cold gaze, the top hero continues, <<Your son, young Shouto, has such incredible skills even using half of his power! I suppose you educated him very well!>>

<<What are you trying to say?>> the flame hero narrows his eyes annoyed.

<<Nothing, I just really want to know how to grow the next hero generation!>> this person is really too pure, or maybe too naïve?

<<And you think I’m gonna tell you that?>> Todoroki surpasses All Might hitting him on purpose, <<Bullshit. You really piss me off.>> after his rival’s apology, Endevour stops, <<But remember this very well. One day I’ll make him a hero able to overcome you, that’s why I made him.>>

Those words are gasoline throwed into a pile of fire to you. Your knuckles are white, your punches are tightened so hard that you hurt yourself with your own nails, “You fucking son of a bitch…”

<<What…>> the smiley face disappears on All Might.

<<He is on a useless rebellion phase, but he will overcome you for sure. I will force him to do it.>>

That’s enough.

<<Where do you think you’re going, you loser son of a fuck?>> a woman stands on Endevour’s way covered by a thin lay of dark flames, <<What you will do to Shouto?>>

<<Who are you kid?>> the hero is annoyed by your presence, <<Please let me pass->>

<<I’m your worst nightmare.>> the lady let know to the man that he will not pass easily.

<<Young (Y/N)!>> All Might moves but he notices that the ground around her is becoming ash, “What is that?” and moving his gaze to a corner of the corridor he sees a green curly thing, “Young Midoriya, what are you doing here?!”

<<Shouto is not gonna be a tool for your selfish wish. And you still call yourself a hero?>> now even her hair is turning black, <<You stole Shouto’s childhood, his smile, his freedom, for what? Because you can’t win over your rival? Wanna know why you can’t do that?>>

<<All Might, control your damn students->>

<<Because you’ll never be like the person behind you.>> your eyes are throwing strong and fearful shocks to everyone who can see them, <<A true hero doesn’t want money or fame, a true hero is not afraid to give his life, a true hero must carry a heavy weight as people’s dreams. No matter how bad the situation is, no matter how many chances to win he has, a hero never loses his smile to comfort the weak ones, to protect who cannot fight.>>

<<Young (Y/N), this is too much.>>

<<You’re too naïve All Might-sensei!>> after the scold to the professor, she continues, <<What about you?>>

<<How do you know so much about my son?>> the hero changed the way to see the girl in front of him.

<<You broke your wife who hurt her own son because she was seeing you in him, you tortured Shouto with unbelievable training sessions when he was just a kid, forcing him to be something that he clearly didn’t and don’t want to become. The most important thing in the world, you ruined an entire family just for your ego. What make you different from a villain? Are you still proud of what you’ve done, hah?>>

<<……….>> not Midoriya nor All Might can say a thing, the number two hero really did something like that?!

<<You’ll be the number one, only when All Might will fall, and still, you will not be like him. Guess why, asshole? Because nobody smiles around you.>>

<<Young (Y/N), he is a pro hero too, he saves people every day.>> All Might tries to stop you but your rage is too strong right now, <<He is doing his job wonderfully->>

<<Yeah because his name and image are on the line. As if this piece of shit cares about life when he ruined the ones of his own family. Hero my ass. I don’t even know why luck is still by your side. You were lucky that after all you’ve done to Shouto, he is still so pure inside, what you would do if he has chosen the villain side moved by his rage and hate? Honestly, it shouldn’t even surprise me if he has done that.>>

<<Villain side? You’re just a brat who doesn’t understand->>

<<Don’t fuck with me. Lay a finger or say something bad to Shouto again, and your name will be engraved on a gravestone, fucking dickhead.>>

<<Ooh, are you threatening me? Very interesting.>> the hero smiles amused, <<You’re so stupid and weak->>

<<Do I need to bring you down from the pedestal? Watch out, the more you are high, the more the fall will be painful.>>

<<Mph, you think you can do it?>>

<<Try me, bitch.>> the girl stomp on a rung and it turned into ashes very quickly.

<<Now, now.>> finally, the top hero walks in between and forces the student to step back, <<Come with me, young (Y/N).>> the girl follows him just because she knows that win over All Might it’s impossible.

<<Mph, oi stupid woman.>> the student stops and even All Might can’t move her, if he uses too much strength he’s gonna hurt her, <<If you fight against Shouto do me favor, don’t put him under embarrassing situations.>>

<<You ugly son of bitch!!>> All Might’s hands stop you on place, avoiding some dangerous things, <<Duel me, I’ll kick your fucking ass even without my quirk! Let go of me, sensei!>>

<<Calm down, young (Y/N).>> when Endevour left, the teacher heard such powerful and terrifying words with your horrific voice. “She knows that those actions don’t suit a hero image, but she is doing it for you… Young Shouto…”

---Continue...

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21.5, 22, 22.5, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, Last Chapter