#^ real thing ren has said to me in full confidence

[butchdykekondraki]

(rendog voice) "do you think they fucked on that long ass table after the last supper"

[ahkaahshi]

steadfast [miya osamu x reader]

pairing: miya osamu x fem reader + miya atsumu x reader x suna rintarou

genre: smut (18+)

warning(s): explicit sexual content, group sex (threesome), cuckolding, dirty talk, swearing, praise, daddy kink, deep throating, squirting, brief mentions of jealousy, and just a lil bit of that competitive spirit ya know?

word count: 4.3k

overview: after years of witnessing suna and atsumu shamelessly flirting with his girlfriend, he decides to give them one chance to change her mind knowing damn well she won’t.

By nature, Osamu is observant. Few things escape his attention, whether it’s trace amounts of ice cream disappearing from his tub in the freezer or the longing look you always give him moments before you press your lips against his in an affectionate kiss. Though he wants to pay full attention to the intense game of Super Smash Bros.a few of his former teammates are playing, he can’t help but let his eyes wander to your form as you shuffle into the kitchen to grab another beer. It’s not for you, but for his twin brother who places a lingering touch against the small of your back upon accepting it.

To the untrained eye, the action would appear as a gesture of appreciation and nothing more. But Osamu understood his brother well enough to know that he’d always had a habit--or intention, rather--of being handsy with you. His dark, stone-colored gaze quickly flicks back to the game on the television, however, when you saunter over to him to lean down and place a gentle kiss against his temple.

“Need anything, babe?” you ask, (e/c) eyes tracing over the handsome features of your boyfriend’s face.

He shakes his head and assures you, “Just ‘cause this is our place, don’t mean ya hafta play hostess, y’know.”

“I know,” is your cheerfully spoken response before you turn your attention to the chaos unfolding on-screen. “Damn, who knew Kita-san was good at video games?”

Aran, who overhears your comment, laments, “Not me. This guy acts like it’s his first time holdin’ a controller ‘nd then proceeds to give us an ass-beatin’!” That deceptively sweet smile you’d seen many times before soon spreads across Kita’s lips as he casts it in your direction. Moments later, you notice his chosen character catapult Aran’s off the side of the screen, making the man sigh and hand his controller over to a somewhat unsettled-looking Ren.

The exchange makes you laugh, and your amusement quickly spreads to Osamu, who smiles as he pecks your cheek. “Why don’tcha come sit down, honey?” he suggests, patting his knee and slowly pulling you closer by giving your hand a gentle tug.

“Later. I’m gonna go talk to Rin real quick.”

Giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze, you back away and dart past the television to where Suna’s standing on the balcony outside. Osamu doesn’t miss the lazy grin that tugs at the corners of his friend’s mouth when you greet him and seat yourself on the chair beside him. Though he’s noticed how much of your attention Suna must’ve been aiming to steal away the entire evening, he doesn’t comment or intervene. Instead, he sends a sideways glance at Atsumu, who plops down on the couch beside him, pops another sliver of pickled plum into his mouth that Kita brought with him, and returns his attention to the game onscreen.

It’s not until later that he decides to speak on the issue, when everyone’s left the informal team reunion but Atsumu and Suna. As you’re scanning the apartment for any trash that may have been forgotten—though there’s not much to find since Kita and Aran scolded anyone who so much as left their drink unattended—you find yourself tripping over the rug sprawled across the wooden floor. Atsumu, who’s seated on the couch nearby, avoiding any tasks associated with cleaning up while tapping through his own Instagram story, quickly extends his arms towards you to steady you as you stumble towards him.

Feeling his hands on your hips and hearing him say, “Careful, there, girly,” brings a rush of heat to your neck and face.

“Thanks, ‘Tsumu!” you chirp quickly, pushing yourself away from the couch with haste.

“Anytime, hon,” is his nonchalant response. Normally, you wouldn’t think much of it because he’d developed a habit of giving you affectionate names over the years you’d known him, but, in this situation, his reply has you glancing over your shoulder at Osamu. Though he remains silent and focused on the task at hand, that quiet but dominating presence of his is intense. You know his brother’s actions are hardly going unnoticed, so you hustle into the kitchen to start cleaning the dishes Kita had neatly piled in your sink—which you’d had to practically beg him not to clean for you by insisting that he was your guest.

Osamu’s dark gaze narrows at his brother in a silent warning once you’re occupied again. Atsumu, being competitive and provocative as ever, simply raises an eyebrow at him as a challenge. However, both their attention soon snaps to you when they hear you and Suna snickering about something that must’ve been just hilarious while he helps take care of the dishes. Jealousy isn’t an emotion Osamu’s entirely used to, seeing as he’s always been secure in his relationship with you, but knowing the types of things his friend and his brother have said about you in confidence before the two of you started dating makes a flicker of it burn within him.

Finally, he speaks, not even attempting to hide the curtness to his tone when he questions, “Why don’t the two of ya just fuck ‘er already?”

The silence that befalls the house following his outburst is deafening, and you freeze in your act of handing Suna another plate to stick in the dishwasher. The three of you collectively turn your gazes to him, though theirs clearly portray an intrigue to learn more about what he means.

“What’re ya sayin’ that for, ‘Samu?” Atsumu asks rather coyly, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees.

However, your boyfriend isn’t having any of his twin’s attitude tonight, since he retorts, “Don’t fuckin’ act like ya don’t know what I’m talkin’ about. I know you’ve been wantin’ her for years now. I see the way you both fawn over her whenever I bring ‘er around.”

“Baby…” you coo softly and dry your hands so you can approach him.

The daggers he sends sticking into you with a sharp glance in your direction stops you in your tracks, though, as do his words. “What? It’s not like yer doin’ anythin’ to stop it.”

You swallow thickly, your eyes sinking to the floor as shame wells up inside of you at the truth his statement holds. You had never intentionally flirted with either of them, but you hadn’t done anything to put an end to their advances. Even though Atsumu and Suna were close friends of yours—and had been since high school, when you’d first met them along with Osamu—you knew they’d both harbored feelings for you at some point over the years. Part of you didn’t stop them because you hadn’t wanted to think the worst, which was that they still had any remnants of desire for you when you were clearly in a committed relationship with Osamu.

However, as you look around and find yourself the subject of not one but three hungry sets of eyes, you realize that they’ve still been hunting you regardless of the fact. “’Samu, I—”

“Do ya wanna let ‘em fuck you?” he interrupts. The fire you can sense burning behind his ash-colored eyes robs you of a response, so he adds, in a softer tone, “’S okay if ya do.”

Atsumu chuckles, “Might not wanna give ‘er the chance since she might rethink her decision about who she chose.”

Without thinking, you shake your head diligently and argue, “I would never leave him.”

“So, is that a yes, then?”

As you take a moment to ponder his inquiry, you notice Osamu moving closer to you before he takes your face in his hands. Tenderly, he kisses your cheek and leans towards your ear so he can murmur, “Why don’tcha let ‘em live out their li’l pipe dream for one night, (f/n)? You’ve got nothin’ ta lose, since I’m the one who suggested it in the first place.” A slow, shuddering breath escapes your lips when he adds, “In fact, I want you to do it. Show ‘em a good time; hell, enjoy yourself too.” He lets his finger run over the gentle curves of your neck, sending tingles down your spine. “I hope they make you feel good—or at least try to, since I know there’s no way they’ll be able ta make you squirt like I can, pretty baby.”

His words quickly fill your core with heat, and you’re consenting with an enthusiastic nod without so much as another thought. A small smile ghosts across his lips for a moment before he gives you a gentle nudge in the direction of the hallway leading to your bedroom, silently telling you to lead the way. Even though your body’s abuzz with excitement at what you’ve willingly gotten yourself into, you can’t help but feel somewhat sheepish at being the subject of three intense gazes. Having them follow you down the narrow hallway makes it somewhat hard for you to breathe, but it’s not long before they’re finding more physical ways of taking your breath away.

Upon entering your bedroom, Atsumu’s the first to paw at your shirt, taking the soft fabric in his grip so he can pull it over your head. Your bra is unclasped moments later and tossed aside haphazardly before you’re pushed onto the bed. The suddenness of your body hitting the mattress makes you squeal, eliciting a low chuckle from Atsumu as he leans over you and captures your lips in a surprisingly tender kiss. While your eyes are closed, you can feel one set of fingers trailing lightly along your sternum while another pair of hands tugs at your pants before removing them, along with your embarrassingly wet panties.

“Mm,” Suna hums gently, pressing his lips to the inside of your thigh, “Soaked already?”

“Lemme feel.” The fingertips grazing the expanse of skin between your breasts soon travel down closer to your core, plunging inside and emerging coated in your essence. A soft whine escapes your mouth at the fleeting sensation of being somewhat filled, and you watch with half-lidded, (e/c) eyes as Atsumu slides his fingers into his mouth. “Just as sweet as I expected,” he comments before placing another passionate kiss against your lips so he can swipe his tongue along yours to give you a taste. “What did ‘Samu say that gotcha all worked up, honey?”

From where he’s sitting on a chair across from the bed, Osamu grunts, “None of yer damn business. And don’t call ‘er honey.”

Suna understands why Atsumu’s attempts at using this pet name for you are futile when he sees the way you clench around nothing at hearing it leave Osamu’s mouth. “’Samu,” you whimper softly and look in his direction. In spite of the way Suna and Atsumu’s hands feel against your skin, you’re still pining for the familiarity of your boyfriend’s touch. Eager to bring you back to the matter at hand, Atsumu turns your face back towards him and occupies your lips once more.

Meanwhile, Suna sets himself to running his fingers through your glistening folds and pleasuring your sensitive spot, making you moan into Atsumu’s mouth. When his digits venture inside of you, your hips instinctively buck against them, desperate for the thumb you know he’s intentionally keeping away from your clit. “Keep making those pretty sounds, baby,” Suna coaxes, using his free hand to palm his erection through his pants. Between him thrusting his long fingers into your core and Atsumu pinching your nipples with his, it’s not long before you feel the knot in your stomach threatening to come undone.

What pushes you closer to the edge is the smooth, wetness of Suna’s tongue dragging over your slit. “Rin!” you squeal, grinding your hips against his face to get as much contact with his mouth as you can. He squeezes your thighs gently, holding them in place over his shoulders where he kneels on the floor at the side of the bed. At hearing his name leave your mouth between kisses from Atsumu, he rewards your behavior by flattening his tongue against your clit and licking in broad stripes. Suddenly, a wave of ecstasy crashes over you, reducing you to a moaning mess as you cling onto Atsumu’s arms and squeeze Suna’s head between your thighs.

Your wanton cries have all three men in the room mesmerized. However, their awe quickly transforms into something more animalistic, and, in your ecstasy-induced haze, your body is nothing more than putty in their hands as they maneuver you into a different location and position on the bed. You’re vaguely aware of your own hands reaching for Atsumu’s shirt to remove it before unzipping his pants so his erection can spring free.

As you move closer to him to take his cock in your mouth, Atsumu grabs a fistful of your (h/l), (h/c) hair to keep you from doing so. “Oh, sweetheart, I love how eager you are to suck me off, but I’m dyin’ ta see whose cock you like better: mine or ‘Samu’s.” Osamu growls with irritation at this comment but feels his dick throb painfully at knowing what he’s about to witness. With that said, he relinquishes his grip on your strands of hair so that he can readjust your position, bringing you face to face with the tent in Suna’s pants.

This time, it’s him who’s threading his fingers amongst your locks, but with a much gentler and more affectionate grip than Atsumu’s, and his sandy-colored irises fasten on you as you work on unzipping his fly to give him some relief. If anything, knowing he’d just brought you to an orgasm with his mouth spurs you on to use yours so you can do the same for him. The way you eye his erection hungrily once you’ve freed it from the confines of his pants has him tugging your hair backwards to tilt your chin up towards him. He’s always wondered what it’s like to kiss those delicate lips of yours, and they look far too delectable—slightly swollen from Atsumu’s bruising kisses and glistening with the saliva he can see dripping off your tongue—for him to show any restraint now that he’s been given a free pass to do so.

“Are you gonna be good and take all of it?” he wonders, his mouth brushing against yours with each word. Your diligent nod earns you a deep kiss, and you moan into his mouth at the feeling of his tongue trailing along yours, carrying the taste of you. “Gonna drool all over my dick for me with that pretty, little mouth of yours?”

You’re barely able to let out a breathless, “Yes,” before his lips are over yours once more. But, just as quickly as his onslaught of kisses started, he’s pulling away and moving your head down south. Saliva collects in your mouth at the sheer size of him, and you cast him a demure glance up at him through your eyelashes as you lick a long trail from the base to the tip, causing a low groan to rumble in his throat.

At feeling the head of Atsumu’s cock teasing your sensitive clit, a whimper rolls off your tongue. “I’m gonna fuck this sweet, little pussy of yours so good, (f/n),” your boyfriend’s twin murmurs, his hands moving your hips so he can push the tip inside of you, “so you’d better take it like a good girl.”

“Don’t hurt ‘er, dumbass,” Osamu barks, the hand he has shoved down his sweatpants coming to a halt at the thought of your comfort being compromised by his brother’s greed and desire to show off. “She’s sensitive.”

“Oh?” Atsumu challenges as he inches more of his cock inside of you, making you remove your mouth from Suna’s dick to mewl loudly and drop your head towards the comforter. “It’s ‘cause yer not used to bein’ filled up are ya, sweetheart?” Another lascivious cry from you is stifled by the thick duvet when he snaps his hips against yours, sending himself deeper into your clenched core. “Don’t worry; I’ll take care of ya in all the ways ‘Samu can’t.”

Osamu’s face burns ever so slightly with humiliation and anger, but he finds he can’t tear his gaze away from the scene before him. He watches in silence as Atsumu’s fingers dig into the supple skin on your rear and snake around your hips, pulling you closer to him as he sheathes more of his cock in your greedy cunt. Then, his eyes are darting to where your pretty lips are wrapped around Suna’s dick, eyes gazing upwards at him in an affectionate manner that he thought was only reserved for himself.

He feels as if he should be enraged by the whole situation—by the way he’s being forced to sit and watch while his brother and his friend fuck your pussy and your mouth, respectively—but he isn’t. In spite of being excluded and having derogatory remarks thrown his way by Atsumu like daggers, he loves it. He loves every moan of their names that leaves your mouth because of how good they’re making you feel, as well as the hungry looks in their eyes at how good you’re making them feel. Because no matter what his twin says about how he’s “gonna make ya feel better than ‘Samu ever will,” he knows he’s wrong. In a scenario where Osamu should be the one feeling inferior, his ability not to lose sight of what he knows is the truth is what keeps the warmth burning in his stomach.

No matter how much you drool all over Suna’s cock while he thrusts deeply into your mouth, batting your eyelashes at him each time he sends a compliment your way, he knows whose pants you’re pulling down after he’s had a long day at work. Even as Atsumu’s hips snapping against yours reap a myriad of mewls or moans from your mouth that bring a self-satisfied smirk to his face, he’s confident that you’ll always be louder for him. Nobody knows how to treat you quite like Osamu does, and nobody knows how to fuck you like he does either.

So, as he slowly strokes himself off to the sight before him, he’s able to ignore the sting of every off-handed comment thrown his way and the sound of you begging Atsumu for more in the moments when Suna’s dick isn’t down your throat. He might as well let them have all the fun they want with you, seeing as it’ll be their last time doing so. He only intended to give them a taste of how good you are as a way of getting back at them for all of their shameless advances towards you in the first place. What’s better revenge than giving them something amazing that they can only remember, but never recreate? Nothing, he thinks.

“Lemme cum inside ya, pretty girl,” Atsumu coos, though his voice is raspy from his heavy breathing as he slams into you. Removing your mouth from Suna’s dick with a loud pop, you shake your head, making them both look at you with raised eyebrows. “Why not?” he asks.

Osamu nearly finishes on the spot when you whine, “Only ‘Samu can.”

Atsumu shoots his brother a withering look that he beats down with a smirk but obeys your wishes anyway. “Whatever ya want, princess,” he murmurs, placing a gentle kiss against your spine before continuing to thrust into you at a breakneck pace that has you crying out with ecstasy in no time.

Your breathy moans sending vibrations along Suna’s dick have him finishing inside of your mouth, and you swallow his seed as you sink into the bed once more. Atsumu’s hands keep your hips flush against his as he plunges into your spasming core until he can hardly take the sensations your body’s offering him anymore. Once it gets too much for him to handle, he obediently pulls out of you and cums on your back, spreading warmth along your skin and eliciting another whimper from you.

As you come down from your highs, you feel Suna’s long fingers stroke the side of your face affectionately, as if trying to communicate the praises he can’t find the words for. Meanwhile, Atsumu takes one last look at your back coated in his release before grabbing a tissue and cleaning you up. “So,” he mentions, interrupting himself to place a gentle kiss against the nape of your neck, “whaddya think? Did we change your mind?”

There’s not even a moment of hesitation before you shake your head and reiterate, “I’ll never leave him.” The soreness you feel settling into your body does nothing to quell the warmth in your belly, especially with the way Osamu’s gazing at you hungrily from his seat at the other end of the room. It’s almost as if your body moves by itself as you get up from the bed and shuffle over to him so you can seat yourself in his lap. “I want you, baby,” you breathe as your arms instinctively wrap around his neck.

A shit-eating grin appears on his lips as he places his hands on your waist, pulling you closer to him. You moan softly at the bulge in his pants pressing against your sensitive entrance as he mentions, loudly enough for the other men in the room to hear, “How cute. Even after getting’ fucked by them two, ya still only wanna be stuffed full of my cum, huh?”

“Please.” Your plea escapes you in a soft whine when he bestows a fleeting kiss against your lips. He hums into the tender skin on your neck, eyeing Suna and Atsumu over your shoulder while he does so as if to clearly convey to them who’s won this challenge. However, his silent gloating is soon put to an end when you wriggle your hips against his, move your face closer to his ear and beg, “Please, daddy.”

In an instant, he’s barking at Suna and Atsumu to get off the bed so he can push you down onto it. “So good for me, honey.” Osamu’s loving words have you clenching around nothing as he shoves off his sweatpants and positions himself at your entrance. “Shoulda never doubted ya. I know how much you love me, don’tcha, baby girl?” he muses, flooding you with heat once more.

“Mm!” you chirp enthusiastically, “I love you so much, ‘Samu.”

His smooth voice becomes ever so slightly strained as he pulls your hips towards him, slides his cock into your warm, velvety core, and replies, “I love you too, (f/n).” Having him inside you once more brings you a pleasant sensation of comfort that you felt as if you’d been missing earlier, and you reach for one of his hands. Sensing your desire to be more connected with him, he wraps his fingers around yours and presses the back of your hand against the mattress beside your head.

You moan softly at being filled once more when he bottoms out inside of you. Glancing over at where Suna and Atsumu are sitting nearby, he comments, “Ya feel so good, honey,” and increases the volume of his voice before adding, “it’s like yer sweet, li’l pussy was made for me, wasn’t it?”

“Just for you, daddy,” you agree with a small smile, eliciting a low groan from him and spurring him to start thrusting into you with long, deep strokes. From where he’s standing at the edge of the bed, he’s able to lift your hips upwards to drive himself even deeper into you than he’s sure Atsumu could reach. Any overstimulation you felt initially has since been replaced by pleasure once more as he showers you with kisses accompanied by compliments that you confirm enthusiastically, earning you more of what you want.

“Why don’tcha tell ‘em whose cock ya love the most, baby girl?”

You cry out his name once.

“Who’s making ya feel so good right now?”

Twice.

“Who’s gonna make ya cum harder ‘nd faster?”

Thrice.

He leans down towards you to press those slow, passionate kisses against your lips that you’d missed so much, spreading your legs further and pounding into you with more speed. It’s clear he knows the map of your body that he’s made through experience like the back of his hand, since he’s able to hit that sweet spot within you time after time with more accuracy and precision than anyone else could. “Right there!” you cry, fingers dragging along the muscles rippling beneath the skin on his arms as your toes curl.

A few more thrusts send you over the edge again, and the strength of your orgasm is felt by every man in the room. Atsumu and Suna realize your cries are much louder than they were before, and Osamu smiles when he feels you squirt as your walls clench tightly around him. He doesn’t mind that you’re getting his clothes and the comforter covered in your essence—he only cares that he’s delivered the promise he’d made for you earlier. It’s not long before he reaches his high and fills you up with stuttering snaps of his hips and labored breaths. You moan breathlessly at the sensation of warmth inside your core, and let your head come to rest against the bed while he finishes inside of you.

As much as you want nothing more than to crawl under the sheets with him and rest, you’re reminded of your guests when Osamu casts his dark gaze in their direction. “Ya got whatcha wanted. Go home,” he announces, eyes narrowing at his twin brother who, along with Suna, are clearly still in awe at what they’ve witnessed. 

Turning back to you and planting a tender kiss against your collarbone while they rise to their feet and head for the door, Osamu adds deviously, “So much for rethinkin’ her decision, huh? Now ya know why she won’t.”

treat me to a coffee! ⭐︎ kinktober masterlist

taglists (see pinned post on my blog for form)

general: @dinablossom, @newfriendjen​, @devlovesramen, @ohbyunhunn, @aftcrlust, @mister-future, @kyleclxin​

osamu: @pretty-setters​, @misora-msby​, @why-aminot-dead​, @atsunakaashi​, @heyhinata​, @why-aminot-dead​

[sobdasha]

been thinking about the really weird dynamics of the Honda family

and the ways they parallel with the Souma family.

Tohru's relationship with Grandpa Honda has always been really inscrutable to me. It seems like Kyouko liked him quite a lot, and the feeling was mutual, so their relationship ought to be close, right? But despite relying on Grandpa around the time of Katsuya's funeral, I get the impression that Kyouko and Grandpa aren't very close after that? He takes Tohru in after Kyouko's funeral, but doesn't provide a place for her to stay during the renovations, and they don't seem to keep in touch.

I figured this was for the convenience of the plot. If Tohru was close with her grandpa, then she wouldn't have no family, no one left, after her mom died. If Tohru had somewhere else to go, it wouldn't be so vital that she be allowed to keep living in the Souma house.

I've been thinking about Shiki, though, and about Akito and Shigure as parents within the Souma estate, and I'm wondering now if this wasn't actually a parallel playing out in brilliant Takaya fashion.

Starting with a recap, because a summary of info is always useful to me:

Kyouko grows up in a family that is very much about Keeping Up Appearances and Knowing Your Place. Her dad is verbally and emotionally abusive and isn't above slapping people either. Her mother isn't affectionate and doesn't protect her, probably because she's primarily concerned with protecting herself from the fallout when anything sets off her abusive husband. Kyouko has never had her emotional needs met and she's never been socialized to see others as real people with real feelings. Before even 7th grade she's become part of the gang scene in a cry for help and attention, and because these are the only people she can kind of understand. Her father has told her she's kicked out of the house at least once prior before he finally makes good on it and disinherits her at the end of 9th grade.

Katsuya and his younger sister grow up in a family that is also very much about Traditional Values and Keeping Up Appearances. Grandpa Honda is a teacher, and he puts a big emphasis on Proper Manners (and probably also other things like Good Grades, Fitting In, and Knowing Your Place). He's stern and pressures Katsuya to become a teacher as well. We don't know what Katsuya's mother was like, but I'm assuming she was also not particularly affectionate. It's only after her illness and passing, probably when Katsuya is somewhere around 20, that Grandpa Honda reevaluates his life and what's most important to him.

From a young age, Katsuya flew under the radar by heavily masking--ie, he made a cardboard cutout of what society expected him to be, so Polite, Quiet, Respectable, Studying To Become A Teacher, while underneath it all being filled with apathy, resentment, and loneliness. His moral compass is deeply skewed--see his teasing of people, his attitude of looking down on people, his bragging admittance to using his father's influence to get away with things, his creepy expressions that are identical to those of The Root Of All Evil (ie, Shigure). He has no real interpersonal relationships--family, friend, or romantic. He's a 23 year old TA who is fixated on and marries a 15 year old girl because she's the first person he ever recognized as human--he saw her in the middle of a violent meltdown and it was the first time he was ever really struck by the realization that someone else might feel the same feelings he does.

(Which, in addition to the dubious legality and widely-regarded ickiness, is just downright pathetic. I'm sorry, but it's true. Fruits Basket itself backs me up.)

The first parallel that jumps out at me is between the stories of Kyouko and Katsuya, and Ren and Akira:

Ren is an Outsider. We don't know what her family life was before joining the Souma clan, but based on everything about her I feel it's safe to assume it was also abusive. A large percentage of the Souma family is against the marriage, but Akira is adamant because Ren is the first person he's ever connected with. Similarly, the Honda family (save Grandpa) disapproves of Kyouko and she remains forever an outsider to them.

In Kyouko's case, Katsuya is able to ditch his family and start fresh with Kyouko. Ren, on the other hand, has to live within the toxic Souma family to be with Akira. Both husbands die, leaving a grieving widow and child behind. Kyouko treasures her daughter and finds a new reason to live in Tohru, away from the rest of the Honda family; Ren, already jealous of Akito for getting in the way of her relationship with her husband (and not dealing well with being pulled even further into the Souma family bullshit with all this curse stuff), and trapped within the toxic Souma family with no one on her side, chooses to perpetuate the cycle of abuse.

The thing I've been thinking about most is the parallels between Tohru and the Honda family and Shiki and the Souma family:

As I said before, Tohru's relationship with Grandpa Honda is very strange. It's not just me--Yuki and Kyou make comments to this effect also, I'm pretty sure. But I think I can finally make sense of it now, if I think of it in light of Shiki.

I think there are a couple chapters of FBA out there that I haven't read (the one with Akito, and were there other chapters beyond volume 3?), but Mutsuki implies--and I think we should take this at face value--that Akito and Shigure hope that Shiki will leave the Souma family. They are not kicking their child out. They want this as loving parents, who have done their best to raise their child in a good home in the midst of a very toxic environment. I like to think they will do a good job of explaining this to Shiki, explicitly and clearly. Akito could have walked away from the Souma family, but she chose to stay because she had a hand in perpetuating the toxicity and generational abuse in the Souma family and she is taking responsibility for trying to end the cycle. She has finally stepped up as the head of the family. She could have walked away, but she didn't.

Shiki had no hand in making the Souma family what it is. Shiki is not obligated in any way to put up with that bullshit. Shiki can and should walk away from that toxic environment, go somewhere new, and be happy. He and his parents and all his non-toxic relatives can visit and call each other and still maintain relationships, but in healthier places, as everyone learned to do at the end of Fruits Basket.

This, I believe, is what Grandpa is also doing for Tohru. He's just less explicit and messes it up at first.

I don't know exactly why we don't see more of Grandpa's relationship with Kyouko and Tohru after Katsuya's death. Is it because Tohru, as the narrator, is prioritizing Only Me And My Mom stories? Is it because Kyouko didn't want to be a burden (is that part of where Tohru absorbed it)? Is it because Kyouko couldn't maintain a good relationship with Grandpa with the Honda Family Toxicity in the background?

The Honda family toxicity shows up in full force again when Kyouko dies. Tohru is a riceball that doesn't belong in the Honda family fruits basket. No one, save Grandpa, will take her in.

And then he invites his daughter's family, which he knows is toxic and will abuse Tohru, in to live with the two of them.

I don't know who came up with the idea--if it's Grandpa, that's a bit cold, as he should be caring for Tohru. If it's his daughter ("Dad, you're getting older, you should be living with us so we can take care of you") that does make sense, both as a reasonable social expectation (which dad raised her to adhere to) and as a power move (the Outsider shouldn't be getting so cozy with dad, and dad's inheritance, without supervision). I'm leaning towards the daughter, as I don't think the family combining was intended to get Tohru to leave. I think the remodel, though, was something Grandpa Honda saw as a good opportunity to convince Tohru to leave the Hondas.

I think "I'm having the house remodeled and I'm staying with my daughter, but you weren't invited, I could pull my weight or maybe you could find your own accommodations with a friend?" was intended to give Tohru permission to not feel obligated to the Honda family. I think it was intended to let Tohru find someplace she would actually be happy, a found family living situation where she could flourish. I think Granpda sincerely thought Tohru would move in with Hanajima, instead of into a tent, and realize that she was so much happier and fulfilled there that she never came back to the toxic Honda family and had no regrets.

Grandpa's judgment was a little iffy there but he tried.

I'm realizing that, if everyone moved into Grandpa's house because it was bigger, and it's being remodeled specifically for that purpose...the fact that Tohru is sharing a room with her cousin is very significant. Grandpa was so confident, there is no place for Tohru in that house. Tohru was never supposed to come back after the remodel.

(I don't know that much about houses so it's possible that they just didn't have room; depending on whether that's the uncle or the son, you've got to have 4 or 5 separate bedrooms, which I guess could be a lot. But this is a manga, they aren't strictly constrained to realism, and Takaya makes every damn detail count.)

Tohru isn't supposed to come back after the remodel, but she does. She does, and the family is toxic to her, and Grandpa tells her more overtly that she is not obligated to live here out of familial loyalty. If there's somewhere else Tohru is happier, even if it's a really unconventional living situation, she should feel welcome to choose that instead.

Grandpa's a parallel to Akito here. He's been becoming aware, since his wife died, that his priorities were all wrong. That he raised his children wrong. That Katsuya appeared to have no real emotions and had never connected with anyone outside of Kyouko and their daughter. (Maybe he learned to make work friends?? But I doubt it.) That his daughter is judgmental and cares more about the appearance of being proper than about not being rude.

Don't think poorly of him, Grandpa says. Deep down, they're just evil people. But Grandpa recognizes that he had a hand in creating those evil people. And instead of being like Machi's mom, who goes "well maybe I fucked up" and then throws her out of the family, Grandpa takes responsibility for the family he made. He recognizes that he raised his kids in a way that caused them to be shallow and rude and to think of people as means to an end, and he also recognizes that it would be shitty to reject his kids for turning out exactly as he raised them. He has to live with them (and his choices), he says, but Tohru doesn't.

Looking at it like that, I respect Grandpa Honda more. He seemed a bit wishy-washy before--useful for some plot and character development points, but wishy-washy all the same. But it's a tough decision, and having to prioritize people is always shitty. Grandpa not rejecting his daughter means sacrificing a stable home for Tohru. Akito staying as the head of the Souma family so she can ensure the freedom of the former Zodiac means that her child will be subjected to the same generational abuse, no matter how loving and supportive of a home life she and Shigure provide.

But they're both trying to do a right thing in a crappy situation.

And Tohru, like so many of the former Zodiac, does find happiness and fulfillment in the new family she's able to make for herself. She learns to make her world bigger, and she learns that leaving doesn't have to be the same as cutting ties. And so I'm very optimistic that Shiki will find the same.

[dreamscapestars]

The Ultimate Reylo Fanfic List

* = highly recommend (aka if you’re going to read anything off this list read this)

Canonverse AUs

***All Our Days - E - 221k - "I can listen no longer in silence."The hologram projection of his strangely handsome face is cobalt blue, flickering, and full of static. "I must speak to you, Rey. You… you pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me that I am not too late.” He groans, runs his hands through his dark, silver-streaked hair, then refocuses his gaze on the holorecorder. “I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight and a half years ago. Do not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death."Here the recording of Ben takes a deep breath, and looks down at something outside the holorecorder’s field of view. Perhaps at his hands, Rey manages to think, through the veil of shock and timid, fluttering hope. She wishes she were there with him, so she could take them in her own, and offer him the confidence to carry on.But this is only a hologram, so she must wait. Eventually, when he looks up again, his features have settled. He looks… Fierce. Determined. Self-assured."I have loved none but you," he says. - canonverse jane austen au 

trillions of molecules - T - 11k - Fake papers forged, contract signed and a navy blue jumpsuit with his name printed on the chest supplied to him, the man who called himself Solo was hired by the Felucian Transit Corporation as shuttle operator number B414. - tros fix it au 

There Shall I Be - N/A - 50k -She remembers the first and only time she saw him smile like this before and how it didn’t touch his eyes at the time and how it broke her heart.Now it fills her heart and gives her life.She shoves him back onto their blanket and climbs on top of him. She pulls off her sweater and takes him inside her again and rides him into the night. - canonverse far from the madding crowd au

*landscape with a blur of conquerors - E - 362k - "While I share your contempt for this situation in which we find ourselves, do not mistake it as apathy," he hissed through gritted teeth, dark eyes burning. "I hardly expect your disposition to sweeten, but I will be damned if I allow my future Empress to behave in a manner that reflects poorly on me and on the First Order!""If you allow?" She wrenched her arm out of his viselike grasp, batting his hand away for good measure. "I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone.""That might have been the case back when you were a scavenger on that pitiful scrap heap of a planet, but now?" His sardonic gaze flickered over her silk robes and the jewels woven through her elaborate braids. "Now you are the Chume'da, and the Chume'da belongs to her people. Their fate is entirely in your hands. Should you cross the line, it is they who will suffer for it. Am I making myself clear?""I hate you," she said bitterly. He sneered at her. "See? Already you are acclimatizing so well to married life." - arranged marriage au

Modern AUs

*the man, the stallion, and the wind - E - 17k - Weary and alone, Rey barrels west on the Trans-Canada Hwy in her old pickup truck. Weary and in need of a lift, Ben Solo stands by the side of the road with his thumb out, in the hopes of hitching a ride.One hell of a winter storm’s about to roll in, leaving them stranded. What ever shall they do? - hitchhiker au 

The Mechanic - E - 122k - It's a magical midsummer night, just made for following a persuasive, dangerous-looking lawyer to a hotel across the road from the party. But then reality catches up to Rey. - mafia baby au

*Soul Searching - E - 205k - Sixteen-year-old Rey finds out she’s soulmates with her English teacher -- in front of her entire class. Now the school gossips won’t leave her alone, prying for tidbits that Rey wouldn’t give them even if she had any. And she doesn’t. Because Mr. Solo is too horrified at being soulmates with an underage girl to even talk to her. - soulmate au

Mitan, Midi - E - 83k - After a French notary contacts Rey to inform her she's inherited a house in the Drôme (France), she decides from one day to the next to quit her job and move there. The house is pretty secluded, there's no service, no internet, no way to reach other people aside from the landline in the living-room.Ideal conditions, by her standards, as those theoretically should allow her to be perfectly alone. Theoretically. - french country side au

*A Treehouse Covered in Salt - E - 34k -High school senior Rey Johnson has lived next door to Ben Solo her whole life. The two could not be more different and at school, Rey wouldn't be caught dead in his presence. That doesn't stop her from sneaking out to their treehouse every night. Despite her unwillingness to be friends with Ben in the light of day, he has always been there with her in the darkness. - high school au

Initial - M - 45k - A Soulmate AU in which you are born with the initials of your soulmate marked on the nape of your neck. Easy enough, right? Except for two people who don't use their real names. - soulmate au 

Killing Me Softly - M - 32k - Rey clings to the hope that her husband will regain his memories after he survived a car crash that left him with amnesia. During her monthly visits at a medical facility with Ben, who now calls himself Kylo, she struggles to cope as he tries to make her let go of the past, and in turn, him with it. - amnesia au 

only child of the universe - E - 98k - The first time Rey meets Ben, they're carefree strangers getting high at the fair, alight and in love for a night. The second time is different. The second time is in therapy— where the asshole won't even acknowledge her. - high school au 

a place to go - E - 52k - All Rey Johnson wanted was solitude. A place to go where she could escape from the daily stressors and mayhem of her job. A place where she could enjoy some peace and some quiet. Her mentor Luke Skywalker's small cabin up north seemed like the ideal place to do just that. A week of seclusion was just what she needed.And then Ben Solo arrived. - snowed in au 

into the great laughter of mankind - E - 30k - There is something about watching Rey put her mind to task. Ben can't put a name to this something, exactly— all he knows is that it fascinates him like nothing else has in a long, long time."Dr. Solo?" She glances over at him. "What do you think?"I think I'm doomed, he wants to say but doesn't. I think the curse of the pharaohs has nothing on you. I think you are my Egypt. - archaeologist au

(now it’s) Time to Learn - M - 86k - “You’re a teacher?” Ben doesn’t look like a teacher. At least not like any teacher Rey has ever had. - teacher au

For Now - E - 8k - There are plenty of things he could say, but he doesn’t. Buying you muffins makes me excited to get out of bed in the morning. I wish I could go back in time and be the kind of person you could like. I don’t remember my life before you. ---------- When Kylo finds his soulmate, she doesn’t know, and he doesn’t tell her. - soulmate au 

Cupcake Wars - E - 36k - Entirely by accident, Rey ends up fucking someone who works for Snoke's Cupcakery. She's just blowing off steam. It doesn't mean anything at all. It certainly won't come back to bite her in the ass. - bakery au

The Food of Love - E - 60k - Rey picked up her first violin at eleven, finding a mentor in conductor and former-violinist Luke Skywalker. With the First Chair up for grabs, Rey is thrust into the spotlight as the youngest violinist to take First Chair in the NY Pops. But Kylo Ren - former violinist, former NY Pops cellist, formerly Ben Solo child prodigy - may take issue with Rey Nobody sitting in his grandfather's chair. - orchestra au 

Orion - E - 14k - Rey Niima finds herself in the Saharan desert trying to heal wounds from her life, and Ben Solo is there too, fixing himself along the way. - roadtrip au

Embers - E - 34k - All the myriad things he’d been—someone who made her laugh; the warmth on the other side of the bed; her best friend—those things, Rey had buried. Rey left Ben two years, three months, and sixteen days ago. But who's counting? - getting back together au 

Gilded - M - 11k - Everyone had two marks, one for class and another to identify a soulmate. She only had one: green rings on her finger, proof she was part of the laboring class. It made matters lonely, but never unbearable.Until she met him. He had two sets of marks—had a soulmate—and she did not. - soulmate au

flutz - E - 27k - Rey was determined to have no distractions during her first season in Senior Ladies figure skating.She swore that Olympic medalist and figure skating legend Ben Solo was not going to change that, no matter how intent he seemed on proving her wrong. - ice skater au 

oh autumn, oh teakettle, oh grace - E - 30k - "So let me get this straight," he says. "You're a dryad.""Quite so," she cheerfully replies."Like an actual—" His hand rises to make a feeble gesture at the towering elms that surround them— "tree-dwelling, speaks-with-animals, has-magical-powers, frolics-through-the-woods-in-orgiastic-pagan-frenzy dryad?"She wrinkles her delicately freckled nose. "Well, I don't know about orgiastic frenzy, that's really more of a maenad type of deal."He looks her up and down, taking in her pretty face and her slender figure in the skimpy white dress."Too bad," he mumbles. - dryad roadtrip au

A Proposal by Any Other Name - E - 188k - Rey and Finn have been A Thing for a long time now. Since she was eighteen, to be exact. When Finn leaves on a trip to Europe for six months for work, Rey finally chases after him to Dublin to do what he seems to be putting off: propose.She wants a family, after all.The universe has different ideas. Her flights are delayed, storms hit, she loses her tickets and everything seems to be going horribly. To top it off, she ends up stranded around a rather irritating man by the name of Kylo Ren. It goes about as well as you'd expect. - leap year au

endless summer afternoon - E - 63k - “My son's room is always made up,” Han had said, hitting a light switch as Rey clung to a dirty backpack in the dark hallway, “he never comes home. Warm bed might as well get some use.”Rey spared Han some of the dignity of his own longing assessment of the space that clearly hadn’t been looked at in a long time. An empty room in a quiet house. As gruff as he was, handing it off to some runaway nobody just because she was helping him rebuild a car was one of the kindest gestures she’d ever experienced, and had a hidden weight that she knew needed a respectful amount of privacy. Mysteries were often about unresolved sadness, and were usually only solved by the people who didn’t feel it.Rey is offered a place to stay: a spare bedroom once belonging to the mysterious Ben Solo. What does she do when she wakes up with him wanting his bed back? - roommates au 

Dandelion - E - 45k - Rey's an ex con and orphan, just released from jail after killing Plutt. She follows advice from her former guardian, Maz, and finds a job at Luke's coffee shop. Ben's a lawyer who lost his job and moved back to his hometown. He falls for Rey, unaware of her dark past. - coffee shop au

A Few Small Repairs - E - 69k - Ben Solo is a ruthless property developer, and Rey Johnson is the lone holdout on the block. She does not intend to give up what's hers, not for anything. (Not even for a pair of pretty eyes.) - property developer au

Unbroken - E - 7k - He found her sleeping in the stables, curled up in the stall of his newest, unbroken colt...

Lockjaw - M - 106k - Kylo finds Rey unconscious and near death on the side of a road, surrounded by twitching, wretched things looking to her for their next meal. Ever the altruist, he picks them off and takes her with him, saving her life in the process. It's no wonder that when she wakes she feels she owes him, and agrees to become his travel companion as he crosses the United States in search of safety and a new home. - zombie apoclypse au 

Everything to Prove - M - 13k - “The show,” he says. “It’s probably best if they don’t—if we don’t—”And Rey follows his line of thought at once. For all the program is one that doesn’t seem melodramatic—the height of drama in previous seasons came from someone’s cake falling over and that was about it—she does not doubt that the producers and cameramen would leap at the opportunity to make there be something out of nothing in their relationship—especially if there was something out of something.“Yeah,” she agrees. “Yeah, probably. We can pick baking stations that are…” but she doesn’t want to complete the thought. She likes baking next to Ben.“Or we can just be careful?” he suggests, sounding quite as pained by the prospect as Rey feels.“Yeah, careful. I can do careful,” Rey says at once and her lips are on his again and he’s laughing now, and she’s laughing, and she didn’t think laughter would be part of all this. She didn’t think it could be. But here she is, laughing and kissing and holding a man who, at some point, she’s going to want to beat.She does her best not to think of that now.It’s a friendly competition, after all. It’s not life and death. It’s baking. - great british bake off au 

*In Bloom - E - 13k - The flowers that bedeck her skin don’t lie—ballet dancer Rey is in love with her partner, Ben. But the years go by and his skin stays resolutely, devastatingly blank.He doesn’t love her. But when his hands are on her body, she can pretend. - ballet soulmates au

By Blood and Flame - E - 10k - Rey can’t go to her professors with this spell. She needs help, though, needs someone to do the spell with her, and she needs the best because it’s tricky. Dangerous.There’s a boy on campus. Powerful. Mysterious. He’s admired and envied, feared and loathed, depending on who’s talking, but for all everyone knows his story, no one seems to really know him. And Rey… Rey has been curious about him for… well, for longer than she wants to admit.She’s not sure if it’s good or bad luck that he’s the perfect person to help cast her spell. - magic college au

count the rings - E - 63k - “Because you’re sitting there all comfy, not looking at all bridal-” “I’ll just fetch the veil out of my backpack, shall I?” “-when you could be, you know, making a move on that fine-ass tree.” In which camping comes with unexpected consequences. - accidental marriage au

(won’t you let me) walk you home from school - E - 129k - Ben, a counselor in the upper school at the legendary Alliance Academy, keeps finding himself interacting with the lower school art teacher, Rey. He definitely doesn’t like it. - teacher au

follow in your form - E - 23k - Ben Solo wakes up paralyzed and angry about it.A story about dealing with change, holding onto hope, and finding love. - quadriplegic ben au 

*screwdriver - M -101k - Rey is a bright-eyed intern on her first campaign trail, Ben is an irritated data analyst, and how difficult can it be to get a legacy senator elected president? Apparently fucking impossible. - political au

9 pints - E - 83k - She knew next to nothing, and Google was largely unhelpful. All of her searches (“vampire sex rules” and “vampire dos and don’ts” and one very self-indulgent “average vampire cock size big?”) linked her to dated top ten lists written by anyone other than an actual vampire.Twenty minutes of frustrated scrolling eventually led her to a supernatural dating forum. The website was horribly aged, but still active. Questions were tagged, which meant that it was easy to narrow down her search. Vampire, she clicked, and Sex.--In which Rey gets suckered into shooting porn with one of Poe's pickiest vampire actors. - magical porn stars au

fine young cannibals - E - 27k - Kylo raised his head to the sky as he inhaled, his broad chest expanding even wider. His eyes fluttered shut, savoring the scent like a sumptuous meal. He grinned.“Oh,” he murmured, so softly Rey wasn’t even sure it was meant for her ears. His eyes slid to meet hers, scarlet and violent and hungry. “You brought a snack.”And then all hell broke loose.About three things, Rey is absolutely positive:First, she is totally, completely, and madly in love with her vampire boyfriend, Poe.Second, there is another vampire—an older, evil, definitely-not-hot vampire—that thirsts for her blood and wants nothing more than to kill her.And third, she is maybe not absolutely positive about either of these things. - twilight au

Epithumia - E - 46k- ἐπιθυμία, ας, ἡ: epithumia : desire, passionate longing, lust *** “No extra credit.” He made a noise that might have been a laugh. “You ask that every time.” “Well, I have to try.” Rey said, weakly. “Can you make an exception?” A lone eyebrow ascended his lofty forehead into his hairline. “Try harder, Miss Kenobi.” - college teacher/student au

Historical AUs (ranging from medieval to the early 2000s)

light carries on endlessly - M - 6k - “Traitor,” he told Cerberus gruffly not too much later, using both hands to scratch behind the hound’s many ears. What appeared to be a rat tail lay nearby on a blood-stained bit of stone. “What did I tell you about women with pretty eyes?”One wet tongue lapped at his wrist, and he sighed. “Right. Nothing.” - Hades and Persephone au 

The Witch in the Wood - E - 138k - As a knight errant of the kingdom of Alderaan, Kylo Ren has traveled the country, completing quest after perilous quest in search of redemption for the dark deeds of his past. When an evil witch captures the princess of a neighboring kingdom, Kylo reluctantly accepts the burden of rescue with the assumption that it will be a simple task.It is not. For the creature that lives in the woods is not a monster at all.Since her mentor died, Rey has lived in the witch’s tree and uses magic to maintain the balance of the forest. Her life is practical, repetitive, and simple—at least, until a wrathful knight thunders through her door and levels a sword at her throat. Yet something within the knight calls to her, a buzz beneath his skin that she recognizes.Without a doubt, he is not who he appears to be. - medieval witch au

Black Knight, White Queen - E - 53k - Luke Skywalker wrote his sister a letter on his deathbed, revealing that his ward is the orphaned heir of a family long thought extinct - and politically powerful. That letter fell into the wrong hands, and the secret of Rey's heritage is secret no more. The Emperor has managed to unite the Kingdoms, but he is old, and his son is weak. Seeking to ensure his son's claim to his throne, he sends his most trusted captain to bring the girl - willing or not - to be his son's bride. Rey is taken from her far-flung home, and plunged into a world of court intrigue, arranged marriage, political rivals, and would-be assassins - the black knight her constant companion and bodyguard. But even he, her dark shadow and protector, she cannot know whether to trust... - medieval bodyguard au 

Days to Remember - E - 42k - A man heads home after years of estrangement. What do you need from me? A woman leaves her world behind, a bird in a gilded cage. When we get to New York, I need help running away. -- I'll bring you to Boston with me. - titanic au 

*what if the storm ends - E - 61k - As a child, Rey is evacuated from London to the Yorkshire Dales during the Blitz. She spends the war in the care of the Solos on their farm, wandering the moors with their son looking for a legendary family artifact long lost. When the war is over, she returns to a city she no longer recognizes, and she writes a popular series of children's fantasy books based on her childhood in the Dales. After amassing fame and fortune with her stories, tragedy brings her back to the farm to see Ben Solo, once her greatest inspiration and now a widower. - post WWII au 

Take Me - E - 39k - Every night, at 8:30 pm, Rey and Ben get on stage and pretend to be in love with each other. At 9:15, they walk off stage and the actual fireworks begin. - 60s country singers au

I could have been wild, I could have been free (but nature played a trick on me) - M - 61k - “Did you know that I did not even learn your name until yesterday, when I married you?”His face flushed a darker red than it had at breakfast, and he attempted to defend himself with incompetent stammering, “I—I regret that. The situation, of course, would have been,” he wrung his hands together and stared at her feet, “It would have been preferable if we had known one another more. On several occasions, I did attempt to make myself known to you, but you seemed to have other preoccupations.”Rey could feel her face contorting into a sneer to spit out her barbed words, “Perhaps that was your cue not to marry me!” - regency arranged marriage au 

Patch - M - 20k - He is nineteen when he first sees her.She comes to the rink alone, laces her skates alone, strokes warm-up circles alone...He looks at her, really looks her in the eye, and he decides he likes what he sees.She may be young, but she is hungry and angry, and for now? That’s enough for him.It’s not like he has a lot of options. - 80 russian ice skaters au 

*The Great Big No - E - 165k - Kylo Ren is third generation rock royalty, a reigning brat prince starting to feel the burn of the fame he reached for with both hands. Rey is an aspiring singer on the verge of a big break, provided her A&R guy still has a job by the time she reaches LA. Their paths have crossed briefly, disappointingly, before. What happens when they collide? - 90s rock au

***go I know not whither and fetch I know not what - E - 119k - The year is 1994. The Iron Curtain has come down, the oligarchs have begun their rise to power, and Kyril Ren, a powerful member of the infamous crime syndicate Solntsevskaya Bratva, has been given a job: hunt down an estranged uncle who has been snitching to the FBI.Irena, nicknamed Rey by her adoptive father Luke, is a Krav Maga instructor in New York who has finally been able to obtain her original birth certificate from Russia. Turns out she was born in a little village named Vershinino, but if she wants to know more than that… she’s going to have to go there herself. - 90s russian mafia au 

we could plant a house, we could build a tree - E -124k - Ben takes a deep breath. “It’s—it’s a project. Conceptual art. You wouldn’t get it.”Rey presses her lips together to keep from laughing. She plans her next words quickly and carefully, determining what will get her the best reaction. “Really? Looks like you ruined a bedsheet to me.”His reaction does not disappoint. “Get out.” ** Seven-year-old Rey decides it's her duty to annoy the crap out of Ben Solo every single day she's alive. - 90s growing up together artist au

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Victor Valentine Card story ‘‘Seeking for what’s frightening’’

Translation of Victor Valentine’s 4* ‘’Gothic Halloween’’ card story from ‘Helios Rising Heroes’.

Gray: Uwah, amazing… Did you make this, Victor-san…?

Victor: Yes, this robot was built by me. I’m occupied with pouring all my time into producing these for the upcoming Halloween League.

Gray:  I had assumed you were leaning more towards biochemistry… But to be able to build robots too, that’s seriously amazing...

Victor: As you thought my area of expertise is chemistry, however if I had to be honest, I barely have the confidence to manufacture these… 

Victor: And on top of it, I had been also struggling with the design itself...

Gray: Eh… Wondering if it has enough punch to it, you mean… I already think it’s scary enough as is though....

Victor: Adding that pinch of “scary” has been considerably difficult. I’ve been making these as requested by Marion, but as far as the details go, I’ve only received how it should be thematically based on “evil spirits of Halloween”.

Victor: Naturally I have referred to literature to form a general outline on the matter, but what traits resemble an “evil spirit”, about it having a factor of “spookiness” to it...  No matter how far I go with investigating the matter, I simply cannot draw the line where it’d be most suitable.

Gray: Like evil spirits… spookiness….

Victor: What is your impression of it, Gray? Do you think it’s able to represent those traits of an “evil spirit”?

Gray: Eh? Eeeh… uh, um…

Victor: Please do not hold yourself back, and be as candid as you can.

Gray: Be as candid as I can… Right, right...

Gray: Whether or not it looks like one, I can say that it’s absolutely close but… Um… on the contrary, it might actually be a bit too scary... 

Gray: H-how do I say this… It’s like originally you were going for CERO A but ended up heading towards CERO D instead…?

Victor: CERO……? What may that be?

Gray: Ah… awawah, sorry…. I used a game rating system for scale… a Japanese one too…

Gray: The Halloween League is an event that children will attend, in terms of gaming that would be for an event for all ages...

Gray: But, as of now it feels more that it’s heading towards a more mature audience… So I was thinking all like, how about aiming for a younger one instead~... but please don’t mind it too much...

Victor: Hmm, I see…That is very interesting, or I should rather say an intriguing point of view.

Victor: I will do as you said and make an attempt to aim for a younger demographic, however with how it has been currently going, I don’t quite have the grasp on what I should do to change it.

Victor: If you don’t mind, could you tell me more about video games for all ages to use as a reference point going forward?

Gray: !! O-ofcourse…!

-

Victor: Hooh.... Even though it’s shortly summed up as for all ages, there seems to be quite a variety of video games.

Gray: For now I kept it limited and looked up horror games that came to mind… You’d come across even more games if you were to look it up

Gray: Uuum… if you’re looking for a game that has enemies that are “evil spirit”-like, then maybe this one…?

Victor: Yes, that kind of caricature is good. It gives an impression closely resembling the ones in animation for children. 

Gray: P-personally I think it’s good if it’s as scary as these enemy characters here but… That is for you to decide...

Victor: Hmm…. If I were to judge from your perspective, would this be more scarier?

Gray: Eh? Yes… it, would be….?

Gray: I feel, that the difference is pretty obvious but… you don’t seem to think so, Victor-san?

Victor: Indeed. Even though we’re going in a different direction, I don’t feel that any of them are frightening, thus making it difficult to judge.

Gray: R-right…

Gray: Uh… I’m just asking this out of curiosity but… Is there, something that you’re scared of, Victor-san…?

Victor: Something that I’m scared of?

Gray: Ah, aaah, uuum, it’s just… it’s okay if it’s too hard to answer, or if you don’t want to! I suddenly asked something weird anyway, I’m sorry….

Victor: Fufu, what are you apologizing for? I don’t believe it was odd by any means.

Victor: Something I’m scared of… you ask? I haven’t played any video games before so on that matter I have nothing to say, and in regards to horror movies I don’t recall being frightened once. 

Gray: Eh… so you’re like, totally fine with ghosts and demons and all that…?

Victor: More that I don’t believe in such things due to my point of view as a scientist, rather than being fine with it.

Victor: Well, realistically speaking “Ghosts believing scientists” such as Nova are not too uncommon out there.

Victor: I do want to believe in the possibility of it… Unfortunately, I have yet to see a theory that justifies it to begin with. 

Gray: Wah… you’re amazing, Victor-san…. Makes me a bit embarrassed given how I accidentally believe in anything...

Victor: No, I wouldn’t say that I am. I do occasionally envy those who are able to simply enjoy horror movies as is.

Gray: Is that so…?

Victor: Do you have any issues when it comes to horror and occult, Gray?

Gray: Aah, no… I’ve built up a tolerance for it because of games that are full of it...

Gray: Besides, I think… humans are scarier than any ghost or demon, 100 times more scarier even….

Victor: Human themselves…. For example, such as Asch Albright?

Gray: !! Eh, eeeeh…. yes… His name alone makes me sweat bullets, weirdly enough...

Gray: But, not just A….sch, but I’m scared of coming in contact with other people in general...

Gray: Even before talking to them actually, like what if they hate me…. what if they think I’m weird… that’s all I end up thinking about

Victor: Which means that you are currently feeling the same sense of dread when talking to me this moment?

Gray: T-that’s right… Aaah, but, you’re not scary Victor-san… Um, it’s just...

Victor: Yes, I understand. I’ve mentioned it before, but I don’t believe there’s anything odd about you, Gray. 

Gray: V-Victor-san….!

Victor: My apologies for getting us sidetracked. Could you lend me your wisdom for a little longer? 

Gray: Ah, yes… yes of course!

--

Nova: Oooh, looks like you made a lotta progress~ Making ghouls and all♪

Victor: I was able to because of the advice I had received from Gray, and so I was finally able to see the light.

Nova: Good pals with Gray-kun now, eh? Well with Ren-kun too but, lately more people have been dropping by your lab. Lookit this celebrity here~♪

Victor: ...You’re surprisingly in a good mood today, aren’t you now?

Nova: Mmh, haven’t slept so I’m feeling somewhat all over the place

Nova: I’ve been absorbed into making these robots too, and before I knew it three whole days had passed~ That scared me real good, yanno

Nova: Wait a second, nobody came to see me in these three days….!? I wanna be a celeb tooooo~!

Victor: How about resting your mind and body, rather than dawdling around here?

Nova: Naaw~ The adrenaline’s coursing through my veins, not feeling tired in the slightest~ 

Nova: Whatever you say, making these robots is right where I belong. Had lotsa fun doing it too

Nova: Obviously I’m paying enough attention to safety and all that, but there’s more space to feel at ease compared to what I usually do for work….

Nova: Not that I’m forgetting substance research by any means, it’s just pretty nerve-racking when combined with making assets and tools for the heroes to fight with 

Nova: Didn’t mean to pay that much mind to it, still it’s a heavy responsibility to have one’s life in your hands... 

Nova: Makes me go all like, damn, this fear of failure and what to do about it sure is always growing ain’t it now!~ like some kinda realisation each time, yanno

Victor: ….., fear….

Nova: You’re always doing such a fantastic job, me~

Nova: A Summerfieldtastic job~....

Victor: …….

Nova: Eh, no response!? Here I was putting all my energy into being an idiot, and instead of straight manning me, you straight up ignore me!?

Victor: Aah, my apologies… There was something on my mind.

Victor: What did you say?

Nova: I-I didn’t say a word! Vic’s a dummy! I’m gonna go to my room and sleep! Good-NIGHT!!!

Victor: …..?

-

Fun trivia corner:

The Japanese game rating goes from CERO A to D, and Z. All ages would be CERO A, for 12 years old and above CERO B, for 15 years old and above CERO C, for 17 years old and above CERO D, and at last CERO Z for 18 and above. The European one is PEGI with age specific ratings (PEGI-3, or PEGI-18) and the American one is ESRB, with letter codes such as T for teen, M for mature, and so on. Helios is rated as 12+ on the Apple app store, that would be CERO A, PEGI-12 or ESRB T.

[ashdumpsterpile]

what are ur thoughts on edmund pevensie

aah I'm so glad someone asked!! thank uuu <3

My thoughts on Edmund Pevensie? Mr. redemption arc boy? My sassy bean? Sulky little shit boy? Oh my god where do I start.

(putting under the cut because this gets unnecessarily long and my mutuals are tired of me)

Edmund Pevensie is a horrible little gremlin who turns into a delightful little gremlin over the course of one book/movie and ends up being one of the best characters in the series. I don't know whether to rant about book!Edmund or Movie!Edmund, but I supposed I could do both?

So pre-redemption, Edmund is a generally awful person. I really like that. Whenever we get a redemption arc in modern media, it's usually 70% defending why Character A is actually a sad emo child who was neglected and actually you know what? It's everyone else's fault that this person does shitty things (i.e. k*lo ren, vanya hargreeves, mcu wanda, etc).

Edmund is a truly hateful person and canon DOES NOT APOLOGIZE OR VALIDATE IT. Even in the movies (where they make him more sympathetic by drawing attention to the fact that Edmund is a child being manipulated by an abuser) they recognize the fact that he was a nasty person before the White Witch ever came into play.

I LOVE that. I love a redemption arc. And the only way a redemption arc really, truly works is when the character being redeemed is a Bad Person. It makes it so, so much more satisfying when the character finally comes to their senses and Does The Thing that starts/completes their arc.

AND EDMUND'S IS TOP TIER. In the books, it's a bit less explicit, but by the time he finally reaches Aslan's camp and talks to Aslan, he's pretty much made a full 180. He is immediately forgiven by his siblings and the Narnians and when the White Witch turns up, he is unafraid. He has full confidence that Aslan knows what he's doing. In the Battle of Beruna, he's the only person smart enough to realize that going after the White Witch's wand is the best tactical move. There is no clear "heroes redeemed journey" (as i'm calling it). Edmund realizes that he was wrong, accepts Aslan, and helps defeat the White Witch.

The movie makes Edmund work a bit more. He's forgiven by his sisters', but not quite by his brother. It's vague whether or not the rest of Narnia has forgiven him. When the White Witch arrives, he shows visible fear. It's only after he breaks the White Witch's wand and dies/nearly dies doing so, that he's allowed to be fully redeemed and forgiven by his brother.

I have conflicting feelings about how both of these narratives are different and the indicators thereof of said differences, but that's a whole other meta post I don't have room for. What I can definitely say I do love about Movie!Edmund's redemption arc is how they conclude it. In the book, you don't actually see the moment where Edmund breaks the White Witch's wand and it's more inferred than directly stated that she's the one who wounded him. He also doesn't come as close to actual death in the books.

In the movie everything is absolutely fucking perfect. They start out the battle with Edmund looking unsure of anything except Peter and they end it with Edmund dying (?) in front of him. The moment where Edmund decides to defy Peter one last time and break the wand? 14 year old me was losing her SHIT. They literally could not have concluded his arc better. 10/10 Disney.

Prince Caspian--books and films--gives us a clearer picture of who Edmund is after his redemption arc. He's still kind of snarky, but 100% a ride or die for his siblings. He believes Lucy when she says she sees Aslan, supports Peter and Caspian in their quest to get Caspian on the throne, and is the most level-headed character in the book. He is also incredibly sulky in the books and 1000% done with Trumpkin's shit. It's delightful. They translate this in movieverse for him being 1000% done with Peter's shit which is even better. He does not really have an arc or plotline, but as a supportive character he's a 10/10.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has my favorite Edmund. This is an Edmund without his older siblings. This is an Edmund who gets to bond with Lucy, Caspian, and Eustace and have wacky sea adventures. The Lucy/Edmund dynamic is STRONG and I am living for it. Both of them banding together to hate Eustace for half the book? 11/10. Both of them banding together to love Eustace for the other half of the book? 14/10.

Also, this is the book where we find out Edmund reads detective novels. Which is adorable and so in character for him.

Oh my god let's talk about Eustace and Edmund. After Eustace tells Edmund about what happened with him and Aslan and apologizes for being a dick? Edmund is immediately there to reassure him that all is forgiven, and actually? Edmund was a worse person his first visit to Narnia. (Pls get some self esteem Edmund.) Let's talk about Eustace and Edmund being protective over Lucy (who doesn't really appreciate it, but it's adorable just the same).

Movie!Edmund in this story is also a snarky delight, but the main thing that jumps out to me is HE AND CASPIAN ARE SO GAY FOR EACH OTHER HOLY SHIT. LIKE THEY TRIED TO PUSH LUCY/CASPIAN FOR A HOT SECOND AND THEN GAVE UP BECAUSE CASSMUND IS LIVING THEIR BEST GAY PIRATE LIFE.

Oh we should probably talk about Edmund in the Horse and His Boy. Yeah, this one is a real delight because we actually get to see grown up Edmund. There are so really awesome moments here, especially with him and Susan. My favorite is where he basically tells her, "yeah if you married that dick prince I would have totally hated you for it. thanks for making a good choice on that." Lmao. It's really interesting to see him more measured and mature in this book.

So anyway, to cut this rambling reply short. Edmund Pevensie has been my favorite character since I was 11 and first read the Narnia books and he continues to be in each adaption of the series. Can't wait for the Netflix adaption.

(ask me about book vs. movie meta, cassmund analysis, the problem of susan, or anything else narnia related for more ramblings <3)

[thotful-writing]

Descending into Darkness (3)

Summary: Delayed gratification only works when there is eventual gratification.

Read on AO3

Chapter 2

Words: 4.4k

Warnings: Choking, wound play, PIV (finally), spitting

A/N: The real fun begins after this chapter. I just needed to get some stuff out of the way before going hard. Enjoy!

Fold, fold, tuck, and flip. Repeat. Fold, fold, tuck, and flip. Repeat. You focused on nothing more than the routine, pushing out any thoughts that crept in while you folded Kylo’s clothes. He was particular and you were eager for the distraction. It had been a full week since he’d kissed you or even touched you for that matter. Which made you conflicted. On one hand, you weren’t being used as a hole to stuff his cock into, and on the other hand, you weren’t being used as a hole to stuff his cock into. Every time you let your mind wander it never failed to stroll back to the way his lips felt against yours, how perfectly his tongue slipped into your mouth and when he pressed himself against you, letting you feel-

“Pet.” His tone was short and made you jump.

You wondered if there would ever be a time where you weren’t startled by him every second of every day. You hurried out of his room to see him brooding and pacing by the door, the latter was normal for him but not the other. For the time you’d known him he didn’t often pace, especially not anxiously as he seemed to be doing. The realization hit you that if he was anxious about something, then you should be too.

“Sir?” You said hesitantly.

“There’s been an… incident in one of the elevators.”

You could only assume the cause of the incident in question was him, but what was his weapon of choice? Helmet, fists, lightsa-

“Enough. You’re going to fix it.” He silenced your thoughts with a glare.

“Sir, I-I’ve… I haven’t worked on First Order tech before, I know I’ve been researching but I’m nowhere near proficient enough to-“

In two easy strides he was in front of you, his gloved hand around your throat as a warning, “your usefulness has just about run out.”

He made no effort to explain further or give you another option. He wasn’t using you like before and you’d basically fallen into the role of his maid for the last week, but you still weren’t confident you could repair an elevator alone.

“Why me? Surely someone else would be more qualified?”

“Because I paid for you and I’d like to get some use out of you. And I’d rather not use First Order resources when you so eloquently offered to repair anything I destroyed when we first met.” He snapped and tightened his grip.

“O-Okay...” You nodded quickly, still completely disarmed by him.

You followed him down one of the corridors, having no other choice and struggling to keep up. He seemed more on edge than before, if that was even possible. You wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he hadn’t taken his frustrations out on you in a week and also why that was. He made a slight grunt, which you could only assume was in response to your thoughts. Using your newly found skill, that actually shouldn’t have been that hard to discover, you focused on his steps and narrating your path in your mind as you walked.

Left, step, step, step, right, straight, heavier step, slight turn at the end. Following Kylo… sir… master… down the hall, going to fix the elevator panel that he- that spontaneously broke. Master sighed. He’s annoyed with my narration. Maybe I should stop? Or should I-

“Stop.” He effectively answered your question just as you arrived at your destination.

The elevator was already decommissioned with the doors opened. You stepped inside and looked around at the destruction, a little bit in awe at the sheer brute force that was on display before you. The main face plate was smashed in and the wires beneath were barely intact. A slight touch and the face plate fell to the floor with a clang. You looked back at Kylo and did your best to silence any thoughts you were having.

“You’ll find everything you need in there.” He pointed to a metal container on the floor, “I’ll return in a few hours to check your work.”

“I’m- You’re leaving me here? Alone?” It was difficult to hide the slight panic in your voice.

It wasn’t that you wanted a babysitter, but Kylo wasn’t the only threat lurking around the ship.

“You expect me to stand here and watch you? No.”

“What if someone tries to bother me or-“

Without warning Kylo had you pinned back against the far wall of the elevator; hand splayed across your chest. His gaze was fixed on you as he held you perfectly still.

“No one touches you and you speak to no one.” He said as if they were your unwritten rules.

“Y-Yes, sir.” You confirmed.

He flexed his fingers against your chest before pulling away, “don’t leave the elevator until I return.”

You nodded and remained with your back pressed against the wall. A soft sigh escaped your lips as he headed back down the corridor. He was too intense, even a normal question evoked a threat from him, but the worst part was how he was beginning to affect you. A craving had settled between your thighs that seemed to be constant. Every time he spoke to you or touched you, it only grew, and the fact that he’d backed off recently made it even worse.

The metal container at your feet was filled with just about every tool you could think of, even another data pad, which you’d need. You grabbed the product code from the back of the crushed face plate and searched the data pad for schematics and some kind of manual. The best it came up with was a general layout of what it should look like. You held the data pad up and looked at the actual open board, realizing they looked nothing alike because one had a Kylo-sized fist dent in it. Your first task was to remove some of the wiring, which would be highly dangerous because there still seemed to be power routing through the elevator to keep the lights on. But you had no choice and you weren’t about to let electrocution deter you from pleasing your master.

You grabbed one of the secured ends, keeping your fingers away from the frayed wires, and unclipped it from the motherboard. Your hand trembled as you worked, knowing it was only a matter of time before you electrocuted yourself and died in the elevator without even getting the opportunity to be fucked by Kylo Ren. Which should’ve been a crime.

Images of Kylo doing unspeakable things with his mouth started to flood your mind, which proved to be a distraction. Your finger slipped and you touched one of the live wires.

“Shit!” You cried out, feeling the jolt zap through your finger and up your arm.

Your entire body buzzed with a current that made your teeth chatter as you scooted back from the source.

“You okay?” A voice came from behind, almost startling you more than the shock did.

You turned around to see a young officer standing in the doorway to the elevator. If there was a description for most First Order members, it would be stoic, bitter, sullen, devoid of any signs of life behind their eyes. This man didn’t fit any of those descriptors. His eyes were kind, soft, a genuinely concerned expression etched across his face.

“Ye-“ You snapped your hand over your mouth and nodded.

The last thing you needed was for Kylo to root around in your mind and find out you spoke to someone else just an hour after he told you not to.

He reached for your injured hand, which you quickly jerked away from him before he could touch you.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a doctor. Well, doctor adjacent, but I can still check a wound.” He took another step towards you, but you backed up against the wall.

He stepped back, “maybe it would help if you knew me a little better. My name’s Fent, I’m usually stationed on the Supremacy, but I transferred back to the Finalizer last week. Can you tell me who you are?”

You chewed on your lip, your anxiety distracting you from the burning in your fingertips. You couldn’t just remain silent; he might think something was wrong and try to take you to get checked out.

“Kylo Ren’s.” You said softly.

His expression changed from concerned to confused, then to almost as scared as you were.

“Oh, I see.” He looked back down the corridor as if he was looking for Kylo.

“I’d still like to take a look at those fingers for you.” He moved towards you again, holding his hand out.

You hesitantly outstretched your hand towards him, trembling, worried that Kylo would walk up at any moment and kill both of you. The tips of your index and middle fingers were red, sure to blister.

“You really should’ve been wearing gloves. And rerouted the power from this panel.” He held your hand in his, turning it to see the extent of the damage.

“I wasn’t fully prepared for the job when I started it.”

“Good news is you won’t lose the fingers, but we should go to the med-bay to let the repair droids-“

You quickly pulled your hand away from his, “no, I can’t- I have to stay here.”

Even though you already broke two of Kylo’s rules, you really didn’t want to go for a third strike by leaving the elevator.

“Alright, at least let me dress it for you?” He was weirdly accommodating to you without further question.

“Okay, but quickly.” You nodded and held your hand out.

He reached into the bag that hung across his shoulder and pulled out a few supplies. You watched him work as he treated your burns, touching you softly and working as quickly as he could. It was a change in pace to the roughness Kylo treated you to. You immediately chastised yourself for the thought but realized Fent couldn’t read your mind. He had no idea what you were thinking.

“All done.” He smiled and released your hand.

“Thank you. I should get back to work.”

“Be careful. Maybe cut the power source before you touch anymore wires?” He suggested with a wink.

“Will do.” You nodded.

You returned to your task, first using the data pad to find the cut off switch for the panel. While you finished your work, you tried to forget about Fent, the last thing you needed was for Kylo to hear you thinking about the gentle, handsome, kind officer that held your hand and dressed your burns for you.

By the time you were done, the bent-up face plate was still amess, but you’d rerouted the wires around the fist sized hole and replaced the motherboard. It wasn’t perfect, but the elevator would at least be operational again. It was still odd that he requested for you to fix it when there were several technicians employed by the First Order who could probably repair it without almost dying. You began cleaning up your tools when you heard the telltale signs of his return, heavy steps across the sleek floors of the corridor. Your heart pounded as he neared, anxiety flooding your body.

“Finished?” He glanced over at your work.

“Yes, sir.” You kept your wounded hand dropped to your side, hiding it from him to avoid questions.

“Come.” He turned and headed back down the hall.

You left everything there and sped up to catch up with him. You fidgeted with the bandages around your fingers, pulling at one of the threads that stuck out. It took all of your focus to keep your mind on anything other than your hand while you followed him back to his quarters. It was more difficult than you thought it would be, but you decided to focus on everything you needed to finish when you returned. There were still a few things that needed to be cleaned and you didn’t get to finish folding his clean linens.

The door opened with a whir and you followed him inside, putting your hands behind your back as you planned your path directly to the bathroom. Before you could take two steps past the door, he shoved you back against the wall.

“You’re trying.” He narrowed his eyes at you.

“Trying what, sir?” You looked up at him confused.

“You’re trying too hard to keep your thoughts from me. Why?”

You shook your head and swallowed hard, “I’m not. I’m trying the normal amount that I always do.”

A pressure crept into your head as he held his hand up closer to your face, now he was the one trying harder. He dropped his hand instantly and snatched your wrist out from behind your back, eyes fixed on the bandaged fingers.

“What’s this?” He cut his eyes up at you as his hand squeezed your wrist.

“N-Nothing. I touched a wire by accident and had to bandage my fingers.” You hoped he wouldn’t push further.

Kylo brought his other hand up and held it just over your two fingers, “I know you’re lying. I could easily take it from you, but I want to hear it from your mouth.”

“I’m not-“

He wrapped his hand around your two fingers and squeezed tightly, making you cry out. He kept his other hand clutching your wrist to keep you from pulling away.

“Kylo, please!” You begged as tears sprang to your eyes.

“Tell me.” He said through gritted teeth and tightened his grip on your fingers.

“Fuck! O-Okay… It was a um… officer, doctor. He offered to help me. Please let go.” You blurted out in a hurry, trying to keep from fully screaming.

“His name.”

“It was… um, it was… I-I don’t remember. He only said it once. Please, please believe me, I don’t-“

He released your fingers slowly as he grabbed your other wrist. He pinned your arms above your head against the wall and leaned closer.

“What were the two things I said before I left you?”

You were silent for a moment, your fingers throbbing and distracting you from giving an answer immediately.

“No one touches me, and I don’t speak to anyone.” You said, confused by the way your body was reacting to him.

Your fingers still ached from his grip, but you wanted to lean into him more, having him close was clouding your judgement. Your eyes flitted from his to his lips, reminding you of how long it had been since he kissed you. You tried to shove the thoughts out of your head, but they refused to go. You wanted him, even after all of the pain and torture, you still wanted as much of himself as he would give you.

“Ask.” He said simply, never moving away from you.

“Ask? Ask for what- Oh.“ You were confused for a moment but realized what he meant.

You peered up at him, his intense gaze still burning through you, “will you- sir, um… can I kiss you again?”

His lips upturned slightly, “that’s not what you want. Ask for what you really want from your master.”

Your mouth went dry and you were sure every ounce of fluid in your body had just flooded your panties, “I-I want- Will you fuck me, master?”

He pushed himself off of you and let your arms fall down to your sides, “come, pet.”

Your feet moved on their own as you followed him, your mind in a complete haze at what had just happened and what was about to happen. You were convinced there might be some trick, that he was going to get you stripped and then deny you again, but there was a part of you that held out hope. You must have been moving too slowly because he grabbed your wrist and yanked you into his room, pulling you to the edge of the bed.

“Undress. All of it.” He ordered and began removing the thick, padded vest he was wearing.

Trembling and aching fingers lifted your dress up and over your head, letting it fall to the floor at your feet. You slipped your shoes and panties off as well, standing perfectly exposed in front of him. The cool, synthesized air wrapped around you but did nothing to quell the heat that rose throughout your body as you watched him. His eyes moved hungrily up and down your body as you knotted your fingers together in front of you. The urge to cover yourself was overwhelming but you knew he would tell you to stop.

Your mind was a dizzying array of confusion and need, flitting between wanting to ask questions and wanting to stay quiet so he would continue. The last week had been torture as he kept his distance from you and you could only assume he was doing it on purpose to toy with you.

He had discarded his shoes, but remained in his undershirt and pants, “I said remove everything.”

You looked down, wondering if your absent mind had forgotten something, but you were completely naked. You glanced back up at him, barely having the chance to open your mouth before he grabbed your injured hand.

“These. Take them off.” He nodded to the bandages.

Surely, he wasn’t serious? You needed to keep the bandages around your fingers, the injury happened only hours before. You looked at your fingers and then back to him.

“Allow me then.” He held your hand up and grabbed the medical tape keeping the bandages secured, slowly unravelling it from your fingers.

He let it fall to the floor but kept a firm hold on your hand, “get yourself ready for me. Using these.”

He curled your other fingers down into your palm and kept the two injured ones raised. His expression let you know he was completely serious and that if you wanted to go further you’d have to do as he said. You were trying to decide if it was worth it, but one glance at him and you crumbled.

“Yes, sir.” You nodded, throwing out all self-respect and concern for your own comfort.

In a completely disarming move, like everything he did, Kylo brought your fingers up to his lips and sucked on each one, the softness of his tongue was welcomed against the burned tips of your fingers but it still caused slight pulses of pain. Your breath hitched in your throat and you were unable to tear your eyes away from him.

He pulled your fingers from his mouth, “on the bed. Legs spread wide.”

You climbed on the bed and turned around to face him, propping your feet up on the edge as you let your hand drift down between your thighs, his saliva still coating your fingers.

He flicked his hand, forcing your legs open obscenely wide, “I said open.”

Your cheeks had remained in a constant state of flush, but it felt like your entire body was on fire with the way he was looking at you. His eyes drifted down to your cunt, holding there while you hesitantly slid your hand down further. You inhaled sharply when your fingertips brushed over your clit, a mix of pain and pleasure throwing you off. Your eyes drifted from his lips down his broad chest and to his hand that slowly outlined his cock pressed against the fabric of his pants. You worked your fingers a little harder against your clit, wanting to have him sooner rather than later.

It didn’t take you long to be soaked for him, your thighs and fingers were slick, and you had long forgotten about the burns. He stepped closer and placed his hands on your inner thighs, forcing them even further apart almost painfully.

“You expect to take my cock like this?” He asked, cutting his eyes up at you.

There was no answer that came to mind, “Um, I-“

Kylo leaned down closer and for a split second you were convinced you were dreaming. His mouth opened and time slowed as you saw his tongue brush over his perfect lips, every ounce of you was begging for him to kiss you there. He pursed his lips and spit on your cunt, letting it drip down.

“There. Should help a little.” He stood back up and unzipped his pants.

Everything he did was obscene, lewd, leaving your mind reeling. You had nothing else to compare it to, but you knew it wasn’t the norm.

“Do you remember when I first said you’d be begging me to fuck your pathetic little cunt? What I told you I wouldn’t do?” He pulled his cock free and stroked himself between your thighs.

You searched your mind, trying to focus on what he was saying and not the way his cock looked so close to where you wanted it.

“Um, that… you wouldn’t be gentle?” Your voice was small as you avoided direct eye contact with him.

“Good pet. Remember that.” He stepped closer and you felt the tip of his cock rub against your pussy.

Your breath hitched in your throat when he pressed the tip of his cock against your cunt, easing into you slowly, inch by inch. The way he filled you was painful, stretching your cunt. You almost hoped he’d just put it all in at once to speed up the process. You realized you hadn’t taken a breath in a while and finally inhaled sharply as your hands remained by your sides, clutching the sheets. Every muscle in your body was tense as he continued, your teeth biting into your lip to keep from begging him to stop or keep going.

One sharp thrust of his hips made you let go of the yelp that had been caught in your throat. You tried to squirm away, wanting to lessen the pain you were feeling by any means necessary. He grabbed your throat and held you still while he slowly eased out of you. You waited on a bated breath until he slammed into you again, forcing you to swallow the plea on the back of your tongue. He pulled you closer to him with his hand around your throat, not enough to cut off your airways, but enough to keep you in place.

His other hand clamped down over your wrist, his thumb sliding up your palm towards your burns, “you belong to me, pet. No one touches what’s mine.”

His possessiveness was enticing, almost as if he was jealous, but you knew that couldn’t be the case, not over you. He continued his pace and the pad of his thumb pressed against the tip of your finger, making you cry out. The pain from your finger distracted you from the pain between your legs for the time and all you could do was try to wriggle your hand free of his grip, but it was useless.

“Who owns you, pet?” He asked through gritted teeth, his hair falling in strands over his face as his cock hammered into you harder.

“Y-You… master.” You squeaked, your tongue feeling foreign in your mouth as a sensation began to slowly roll through your body.

“Again.” A breathy groan escaped his parted lips, making you moan softly at the sound.

A tension continued to build, winding up within you and clouding your mind of any previous concerns. Each time his cock hit deeper within you, you felt it, falling into the rhythm as his body rocked against yours.

He tapped the side of your cheek hard enough to catch your attention, “again, pet.”

“You, master. Only you.” You said in more of a whine than you meant to.

He released your hand and your throat, moving his hands down to your hips and digging his fingers painfully into your skin. He fucked you roughly, leaving a trail of bruises that would remain as reminders for you. Almost souvenirs.

You found yourself instinctively lifting up to meet him thrust for thrust, arching your back and chasing the high you felt. The pain had all but dissipated, an ache remained but you were too enamored by him to focus on it.

A sheen of sweat had blanketed over both of you as he drove his cock into your pussy more fervently, skin sliding against skin. His hair stuck to his flushed cheeks; his rhythm now more erratic as you teetered on the edge of your own orgasm. You didn’t know if he had any intention of worrying about you coming or not, so you took it upon yourself to focus on it. Quick, harsh thrusts with fingers scraping down the sides of your hips and a cacophony of your whimpers and his grunts filled the room.

“K-Kylo…” His name slipped past your lips as you clenched around his cock, your release hitting you hard, intense wave after wave.

You writhed and tried to bite back your moans, trying to hold back as you came on his cock. He ignored your string of expletives and pleas for more as he drove his cock deeper and stilled, letting go himself. His cock twitched inside of you as he filled you with his cum, chest heaving as harsh breaths past his lips.

He remained hunched over you; hands planted firmly on the bed on either side of you. You propped yourself up a little and looked down to where your bodies remained connected. His cock still disappeared inside of you, but you could see the faint stains of dried blood coating him and your thighs.

He pushed himself up and pulled out of you suddenly, making you wince, “clean yourself up then change the sheets.”

He slicked his hair back with his hand as he headed into his bathroom, leaving you there in the combination of your bodily fluids and his. You climbed off the bed and gathered your clothing while you made your way to the other bathroom, feeling his cum dripping down your legs with each step.

You assumed you’d have questions, concerns, comments of some kind, but mostly your mind remained blank. You were still trying to process everything and found that you were questioning yourself more than him. He hurt you and not in the way you had expected, but that wasn’t the concerning part. The part that made you almost fearful of yourself was that you liked it. You liked when he choked you, how he used your wounds to his benefit, the way he held onto you as if he was trying to dig his fingers beneath your skin.

The person in the mirror looked back at you but she seemed almost unrecognizable. A darkness seemed to be digging it’s way through and there was nothing holding you back anymore. You wanted to freefall into the blackhole and see what was on the other side.

[kitkatopinions]

Think anyone else has noticed how passive team rwby is? They’re very passive and reactionary

The thing about Team RWBY is... They’re very weird, because as a general group, yeah they have been pretty passive this season, and things just happen to them with absolutely no appearance of effort on their part (again, I’m speaking about season eight alone.) Part of this passiveness I think comes from the fact that they’re presented as a collective whole and that absolutely banks on Ruby above all else. So for instance, Yang doubting Ruby and wanting to act outside of her will is treated as going over the line and she needs to change to fit the group again. And Blake literally can’t even take out a Grimm without Ruby’s go ahead. So they’re stuck waiting for Ruby to do things, decide things, figure stuff out, etc. Another part of this problem I think comes from character bloat and CRWBY not putting enough focus on the main four. I mean, I’ve written RWBY fanfictions and it is really hard to develop and involve all the characters. I’ll seriously write an entire big section and then realize I’ve completely forgotten to write for three different characters. I think this is why - when separated from the main group - Yang, Jaune, and Ren got better, stronger moments. Because they weren’t lost in a crowd and they were separated from the ‘either you wait for and agree with Ruby, or you’re wrong and we need to take time to remind the audience that it’s wrong’ mentality.

But when you look at them as individuals and examine their reactions only, all four of them feel different, and not all of them react in passiveness and blandness.

Yang doesn’t act passive, if anything, she’s forceful, even aggressive. When separated from the main group, Yang’s picking fights, telling off Salem, holding back and getting a temp-kill on the main villain! She’s the one who argues against Emerald joining them for at least a moment. She’s at least active, she literally called out Ruby (for however short a time) and was the one who first decided to leave to go help the people of Mantle. She was frustratingly high-fiving Jaune and being carefree while they tried to get Oscar back from the Hound. Yang’s displaying her full range of emotions here. And while sometimes the emotions seem out of place and some of what the writers had Yang do was annoying to me, she does seem to be the more proactive member of Team RWBY and at this point feels like the fullest character of their group.

Looking at Weiss, she’s very passive and just follows whatever Ruby seems to want, as far as large scale stakes go. However, when we get into smaller scale, personal stakes for Weiss, she’s more proactive. She doesn’t seem to contribute much to their group decisions, but she’ll argue with May, she’ll threaten or make up with Whitley, she’ll hold her own in fights, she’ll smart off to the Ace Ops, she’ll complain about their situation... She has her own things going on, I guess I’m trying to say. Not everything she does comes with the Will of the Group. It makes her seem a bit selfish imo, or at the very least, it makes it seem like she should fix her priorities, but I don’t mind these flaws - which like Yang’s flaws, aren’t really foreign to her already established character.

During this season, I’ve had really weird feelings about Ruby herself. Her character is definitely suffering from the writers trying to make her feel like a main character without giving her good character growth or putting the focus on her. For instance, she spent episodes doing nothing to help anyone, but seemed to act distraught and sad about the situation, but then acts just fine when the writers want her to scold May, or suddenly come up with an apparently fool proof plan to fix their problems - you know, after the majority of their problems were solved around her by other people who actually acted like they were putting in effort. This leaves Ruby feeling... Ingenuine, to me. The way they have her act like she’s falling apart, only to be all smiles and confidence the very next episode, makes it feel like her sadness and hesitance wasn’t real. The fact that she sat around doing nothing makes her scolding May about saving everyone feel like she’s making excuses. This season it’s felt to me like Ruby’s passive on purpose, passive until someone saves her from most of the problems she’s facing (some of which she directly caused.)

And then there’s Blake, who really does just seem to lack any direction of her own and can’t even fight a Grimm without Ruby saving her, who’s only role in season eight has been assuring other people that they’re good and then making the appropriate faces when she’s supposed to emote. She’s been stripped of so much character and she’s lacking in any real arc, and as far as I remember, she hasn’t made a single choice this whole season, even when they were all declaring if they were going to help Mantle or launch Amity. The most Blake got during that scene was one line when they first started the conversation before Jaune even said ‘let’s go for both’ and then looking a little sad and surprised when Yang went to leave. Blake is the most passive, non-character in the show right now, it feels like.

So... Yeah. As a united team and our main protagonists, they’re very passive this season and pretty reactionary. But when you look at them each personally, Yang is much more active and only is reduced within the group, Weiss feels like she’s active with small scale problems and not big scale problems, Ruby feels ingenuine and feels like she only reacts when she wants to, and Blake feels incredibly passive and reactionary.

[placebogirl7]

My thought about how Nana could possibly end

@renee90​ SUBMITTED:

So you don’t think there’s a possibility that she will come back to Japan and continue living her life with her friends? Cause even though I LOVE Ren and Nana together, I have to admit that their love was toxic since they depended so much on each other. So what I hoped for in the future is that Nana will learn that she will be fine even tho the most important person in her life is not here. She still has a lot of people that love her and she should focus on that while still grieving Ren. I don’t know if I want her to die as well cause that would mean she hasn’t really grown mentally in those 7 years she was away. Since she has been by herself for so long now, I would hope that she has learned how to be independent. Not in a financially cause she been that since she was young way but mentally.

..............................................................................................................................

@renee90​ I think we have to make a distinction from what you asked me in the previous question and what you’re asking me now. If you ask me how I would like Nana to end or how I see Nana’s ending, my answer is the one I gave you in the other post (considering my personal sensations and how things were going in the manga before it stopped). If you ask me how many possible scenarios there may be if we think about Nana’s ending, my answer is different. The first is personal, the second is more objective. So if you ask me if there’s the possibility that Nana will come back to Japan and continue living her life with her friends, of course there is (at this point after Ren’s death I expect everything from Ai Yazawa), but if you ask me if I would like to see this ending my answer is “not so much”. I love Nana Osaki, but I think that if we consider the status in which she was when the manga stopped and all the things she sais in the present time, her suicide will be the more logical option. She said that she went to England to find a place to die and the only thing that is keeping her to commit suicide is the thought of Hachi, who has saved her life. But then she also said a quote that in my opinion is the most significative to understand what she’s feeling at the present time:

She clearly admit that she’s struggling a lot because she wants to see again Hachi and the others, but at the same time she has so much fear that if she came back things will return as they were before and she would do the same mistakes. Plus, there is Ren…she wants to meet him so desperately. In that quote she said she would like to be a fish in her next life, in order to swim in a small fishbowl just her and Ren. She doesn’t include anyone else in her little world, just her and Ren: that’s what makes me think that her desire to reach Ren is stronger than anything else. Ren is the most important person of her life, it’s what Takumi is for Reira. Plus, we have to consider the most important thing: Nana isn’t a manga created to describe how happy and funny is life. Nana represents the real life, a life that is hard and gives you nothing for free. I don’t expect to see a happy ending considering all the story. 

I see your point and I have to admit too that their relationship was toxic, but let’s be honest: in all the toxic relationships that Yazawa described in Nana (Takumi / Hachi, Takumi / Reira, Reira / Shin), Ren and Nana’s love is the most real, strong, incredible. A love like Nana and Ren is hard to find, they loved each other so much and it was a TRUE love compared to the one of the other toxic couples I’ve mentioned above. I think that if they have had the possibility to work on their relationship and grow up, their love would have been amazing.  I think Nana knows how to be fine alone, because let’s not forget that Ren left her to join Trapnest and she spent 2 years of her life alone without him and she managed to do it. She continued her life, she worked hard to realize her dream and she showed to Ren that she could have been a great singer too. But it was different: knowing that the person you love is still alive, seeing him/her on television or magazines, secretly hoping to meet them again one day…it’s totally different from knowing that you won’t see this person ever again. Plus, we have also to consider the situation between them: when Ren died he and Nana still had to make up from their argument, so I guess Nana has also regrets for not having spent time with him when she could have done it. And regret can devour you from the inside.  It’s true that she has people who loves her, but she doesn’t have the one she loved the most anymore…I guess it’s an awful sensation. 

I also don’t think that if she will commit suicide it means she hasn’t matured. Nana knows how to be independent, I mean she has managed to live 6 years alone in another country where she had never been before, she didn’t know anyone and she didn’t speak perfectly the language. The problem is that Nana is insecure. And believe me: when you’re insecure it’s really hard that you become confident, even if 50 years will pass. I spent all my 28 years of life hearing people to tell me to be more confident about myself, but still now I’m so insecure inside even if I try to not show this to other people. We are human being, so we are made to be full of flaws. If we want to say that Nana isn’t grown mentally, then we have to say that also some other characters aren’t:

- Hachi is still married to an husband who left her and their daughter to go to England, after he had betrayed her so many times in the past. She clearly doesn’t have the happy marriage that she had always dreamt, but despite this she refused to divorce (even if she will be perfectly able to grow her daughter and her son alone since she’s a very good mom)

- Reira, despite hating Takumi, continues to live with him and she probably still loves him. She refused all the men who tried to save her to remain at the side of her “executioner”

- Nobu still loves Hachi after all these years and after all the things that happened. He seems unsable to find another woman and go on.

All this to say that everyone has something that they can’t overcome, it’s normal, it’s how life goes. The thing that Nana can’t overcome is Ren’s death. It doesn’t matter how much time she will spend alone or how much she will show to be independent: the more she will be alone, the more she will realize that Ren won’t be by her side anymore and this thoguth kills her inside.  There are a lot of quotes at the end of the chapter in which Nana admits herself to have grown up mentally and to be able to accept things that in the past she couldn’t. The only thing she can’t accept is that Ren left her behind. He promised her that he would have taken her in the grave with him, but he didn’t. 

By the way please consider that this is only my personal opinion based on what I have perceived reading the manga. I can be totally wrong, only Yazawa knows how things will end (maybe Yasu will have long hair LOL XD). And we have also to consider a thing that can change everything: the manga stopped in a crucial point that left us many doubts. What is happened that lead Nana to decide to leave Japan? What is Ren’s present for Nana’s birthday? Has Nana spoken to her mom? If we could only know the reason why Nana left Japan, maybe we’ll have more clue to speculate a possible ending. 

[bookocd]

Light As Air Chapter 6

Hi guys! I know I haven’t updated in a while, but I’m in the middle of a school semester and with my son just learning how to walk things have been hectic. With that said I’m super excited for the chapter after this and I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and the next :) Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list! 

Tag List:

@wxstedhexrt

@power-of-words23

Summary:

In the aftermath of Kingdom of Ash, Fenrys finds himself connected with a mysteriously powerful fae female. With the confusion of her past and vast amount of power, the Aelin’s court becomes weary of Fenrys’s involvement. 

Fenrys is still reeling after Connall’s death and while joining Aelin’s court has been a dream, his nightmares are still plagued by Maeve. 

Vel will do anything to get the help she needs, but her past controls her emotions, and her hopes for the future clouds her judgement. 

Maybe together they can mend what has been broken, but Vel’s strange origins will continue to keep them apart. 

Link to Master List!

Chapter 6:

Vel felt strange wearing clothes that actually fit her. 

After falling asleep immediately, with one less pillow on the bed, she woke up to a plate of food sitting on a new table along with a wooden chair. The table was placed in-between the two window, which had a beautiful view of the mountains. The food was amazing, bacon, eggs, and toast, which was better than anything she or her family had ever made. No matter the amount of cook books her father could find, cooking was never his or her strong suit. 

Fenrys came to her at every meal, inviting her to join the royal court, and she fabricated reasons to deny every single time. She was surprised at her own creativity, but it became plainly obvious she was lying when her excuse at breakfast was that her stomach hurt, but he caught her doing pushups when he came with comfort food at lunch. He left the room in a huff and in the evening Fenrys had come back and all but threatened to throw her out of a window if she didn’t come down to the great hall for dinner. He also came with something new for her to wear and a comment about her own clothing being lost, which was utter bullshit.

Hence why she was wearing clothing that finally fit. 

She felt more confident in the clothing, but she still fussed at the tan pants and black shirt, as Fenrys led her through the castles hallways.  

“Why do you look so uncomfortable? Are the clothes not to your liking?” Fenrys must have noticed her pulling at the shirt. 

“No no,” she huffed out a breath. For some reason she wanted to talk to him, to let him know why she was fidgeting. “Do you want me to be honest?” 

“Always,” the sincerity in his voice was actually believable. 

“I’ve never worn clothes that actually fit me,” she said quietly. The continued the walk in silence and when she finally had the nerve to look at him, he was already staring at her. He didn’t have a look of pity, which is what she was worried for, but one of pure curiosity. 

“Well I’m sure the boys you met went crazy with you in ill-fitting clothes, so you probably saved yourself some riots,” he said with a cheeky grin. 

She couldn’t help the snort that rose from her and the incredulous look. The truth was on her tongue. The fact that she had not met anyone outside of her family until a couple of years ago, or that she pretended she was a male for all of those outings. Come to think of it, her longest conversations with someone outside of her family, who knew she was a female, were with Fenrys. At that thought, which warmed her cheeks, she opted to stay silent. 

Fenrys led her to a set of double doors and stopped. Not waiting for him, she took a deep breath and went to grip the handle, but Fenrys grabbed her wrist and turned her toward him. His lips were turned down and he seemed conflicted. 

“I want you to know that the moment you want to leave, I will walk you back to your room. While this court is full of my family and friends, they are… opinionated,” he cringed slightly and Vel could tell that was the nicest word he could come up with. “Even with their extreme personalities you have at least one ally at all times. No matter who says what, I will always be in your corner to help and defend you.” 

She was moved by his words and he still had a hold on her hand. As she stared at him, his face started to lighten and his thumb started to rub circles on the protruding misshapen bones of her hands. It was his lack of reaction that stirred her into a panic. She needed to keep him at arms length and never wanted to be seen as weak.

She forcibly removed her hand from his hold. 

“I can defend myself,” she said and immediately regretted it. His small smile vanished.

“I know you can sweetheart, but you will be severely outnumbered in there.”

Then she found herself smirking, her face changing into the mask she wore so well. His eyes widened at whatever her face was expressing, but not even he knew the extent of her own training or what she was capable of when provoked.  

“You know nothing.”  She turned away from him and opened the double doors. 

—

Fenrys was more confused than ever. This female was a giant question mark. He had seen her scared, panicked, calm, confident, and he also had seen kindness, pain, sincerity, and empathy, but the female that just looked at him wasn’t any of those things. She looked almost ominous, with a viscous smirk and her eyes wandering to each person in the room. He didn’t even know her real name, but he knew that this act wasn’t real, she was playing the part she thought was required to survive. 

Fenrys quickly followed her into the great hall. There was a large rectangular table in the center of the room, where every member of his court was now siting, except for Lorcan and Ren, who were both probably sulking somewhere. No one sat at the head, so the center of the table was very crowded. Aelin and Rowan sat the farthest away from the door and both halted their forks as Vel walked forward and suddenly stopped when she caught sight of Lysandra. The shifter was the lounging in her snow leopard form, purring, while being pet by Aedion. She was literally laying on the table. Fenrys was only glad that the shock of seeing Lysandra had taken the intense look off Vel’s face. 

“Vel meet Lady Lysandra,” Fenrys said, while putting a hand on the small of her back. The cat inclined her head slightly and then went right back to her cat nap. “And the one petting her is Aedion,” Fenrys continued as they made their way toward an open seat. “You know Aelin and Rowan,” he nodded his head at the couple. Vel gave them a small smile, but it was gone within a second. She took a seat next to Elide, who introduced herself and started some small talk. Fenrys took that opportunity to make two plates of food for him and Vel. He grabbed chicken, vegetables, and bread. Taking the seat across from Vel, he slid the plate toward her. She murmured a thank you. 

The room was filled with silence. The only sound was that of forks against plates and chewing. Fenrys didn’t know what to do. This court was many things, but quiet was not one of them. 

Fenrys was about to open his mouth, to say what, he had no idea, but it was abruptly cut off by the door opening once more. 

Lorcan walked through and halted only a foot inside the room. His eyes were wide and wildly moving between Elide and Vel. 

“Why in the hell is that female sitting next to Elide?” He spat out the word female, and Fenrys body heat spiked at the tone. 

“Where did you want her to sit Lorcan?” Aelin asked with her brows raised. 

“Preferably in a cell,” he said quietly, never taking his eyes off Vel. 

Fenrys almost started in on him until he saw Vel. She was sitting at her seat, and still eating her food, completely ignoring Lorcan in his entirety. She must have felt Fen’s eyes, because she finally looked up from her plate. 

His gaze must have held only questions, because she said, “What? I don’t respond well to stupidity.” 

Silence filled the room again, and Fenrys was sure the room had not felt this type of atmosphere since the end of the war. It wasn’t until Elide, Elide, started to chuckle that the tension broke. 

She gazed lovingly at her future husband and said, “She’s got you there Lor.”

Lorcan didn’t look amused as he moved forward to sit on Elide’s other side. He stopped only slightly as he passed Vel. Fenrys could barely make out what he said. 

“You even touch her and I will fucking kill you.”

Vel did react to that. Her whole body went stiff and she halted her chewing. Fenrys’s fear for what she would do overcame his anger toward Lorcan. 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Lorcan stopped dead in his tracks at Vel’s gravely words. 

The whole room froze. 

“What did you say?” Lorcan’s question came out as a growl. With a noise like that, Fenrys was left wondering how the male didn’t have an animal form. 

“I said do not make promises or threats that you can’t fucking keep,” Vel answered, her dark eyes near glowing. 

“Okay guys this is—” 

Aedion’s reasoning was cut off by Aelin. “No. I want to see this play out.”

“Aelin!” Fenrys found himself shouting. 

Vel and Lorcan were staring at each other. Lysandra looked like she was ready to pounce. Rowan and Aedion were giving Aelin a “what the fuck” gaze, and Elide seemed absolutely terrified. 

One step from Lorcan was all it took for Vel. She was out of her seat faster than Fen had even seen anyone physically move. Fen found himself standing as well, trying to gauge the situation unfolding in front of him, but for some reason he wasn’t scared. He had this sudden sense that Vel could take care of herself, so the only emotion left was anger. Anger for how much of a fucking idiot Lorcan was. 

Lorcan cocked his head to one side, scanned Vel’s body, and scoffed. 

She stepped forward and clasped her hands behind her back. Walking toward one side, she all but floated to Lorcan’s left side. Vel circled him, giving him a wide girth, but circling him all the same. His cockiness was the only thing that allowed her to do this, and Fenrys felt like he was watching a vulture, stalking an animal that didn’t yet know it was about to die. She ended her walk back where she started. 

It was then that she turned and gave Fenrys a mischievous grin. He got way to turned on by this.

“How do I say throughly unimpressive, so he will understand.” Fenrys felt his lips move upward into a huge smile. Her eyes sparkled at him.

Lorcan was fuming and started toward her. Vel quickly turned from Fen and then everything happened at once. Fenrys was flying across the table, Elide was jumping out of her seat, Rowan and Aedion had swords in their hands, Lysandra was back on her hunches ready to pounce. All the court members in that time period were rendered useless when Vel leaped into the air. Her arms were wrapped around Lorcan’s middle, propelling her legs behind him. Her whole body followed and suddenly in her movements to surround his body, her legs were closing around his throat. The momentum she had gained allowed her to throw the huge fae male to the ground, landing squarely on top of him. The fork she had been eating with was suddenly pressed to Lorcan throat. The court was standing, speechless around the two. Fenrys slowly moved toward Vel and whispered her name. She whipped her head to meet his gaze, she looked absolutely savage. Fenrys was instantly hard. A cough had her looking back at the male under her. 

“Now let me explain something to you,” Vel sounded breathless. “I was able to pin you, in a matter of seconds, without the use of my magic. Now I know you will probably excuse this by being surprised, but I could do this again when you are fully prepared.” She removed the fork from his neck and gracefully spun and stood up. 

Vel surveyed the members of the court, who all except Aelin, looked ready for battle. Aelin, of course, look absolutely delighted. 

Fenrys had the sudden need to be at her side when she addressed the group, but he pulled on the urge. She obviously didn’t want or need his help, no matter how much he desired to give it.

Vel took a deep breath and Fenrys thought he felt a spike of her power, but it was quickly distinguished. 

“I know that you do not know me, and some of you probably do not wish too,” she gave a pointed look at Lorcan, who had been joined on the floor by a kneeling Elide. “I’m not here to hurt anyone, but as I just demonstrated I can defend myself and will, without hesitation.” 

The female turned toward Fenrys, looking at him under long black eyelashes. “I do not even know what I’m still doing here, but one word from you and I will go.”

Dread piled in the bottom of his stomach and he opened his mouth to say something along the lines of, fuck no you aren’t going anywhere, but he was cut off by his queen. 

“Fuck no you aren’t leaving. Things were getting a little boring around here.” Fenrys grinned at Aelin, and it only grew as she continued. “You have to teach me that move so I can use it on Rowan,” she elbowed her husband playfully.

She walked forward and grabbed Vel’s arm pulling her toward the door, Vel looked over her shoulder with a look of both excitement and fear. Fenrys couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard Aelin whisper, in a voice she knew everyone could still hear, “When I say use it on Rowan, I mean in bed, so don’t be worried about the buzzards safety.”

[yourdesertsunflower]

Neji is Alive

A recapitulation of the construction of the best and most climatic moment in all of Naruto. That moment. Obviously a one hundred-percent real, not at all fake build up to the one moment every Naruto Fan was waiting for. Truer than true, best of the best. More canon than NaruRamen, here it is my recapitulation of that moment. 

Seeing there is no further need to stretch the presentation and, without further ado, let’s get into it...

But before: DISCLAIMER! Please don’t take it personal. I am not that idiot to belive I could do a better manga than Kishimoto. All my respects to him and all of those who think differently. I am just a gen z scribbling nonsense about 2D characters so, yes, I am lame. (believe it!)

After the Neji vs Hinata fight the heiress of the Hyuga’s has a moment of self-reflection about herself and her identity as a part of the most fucked-up clan of Konoha. She had always been subject and victim of the clan’s structure and deemed as unable of fulfilling the roles that she was destined to fill up as a member of the primary branch. 

She also understood that it was Neji, her cousin, who had it the worst when it comes to the configuration of the clan and, seeing how much it affected both of them and to limits they were able to reach she can’t hold it back any longer.

She finally is able to voice and externalize all those thought and now there is no turning back. She can’t turn a blind eye on the situation. She can’t longer see herself as the victim, nor wants to be seen as someone weak cause she knows the power she has given she is from the primary branch and is willing to capitalize that privilege in order to turn things around. 

Motivated by Naruto’s Ninja way “never run away or give up on your word” she decides that she’ll work as hard as she is able to be a competent leader of the Hyuga Clan and convince people of a change.

However, she knows she can’t do it alone. Despite being born from the primary branch her softness and passiveness had always been an impediment to be a great shinobi. Even though she was, on paper, supposed to be a great kunoichi she had never been one of practice. She knows she’ll need of Neji if she wants to reach her full-potential. ]

Before the finals of the Chunin Exams she tries to talk o him in order to ask for him to train her but obviously Neji, being the bitchy genius he was at the time, doesn’t even listen to her. For obvious reasons, he doesn’t want to know anything of her. 

However, this doesn’t demotivate Hinata. If she couldn’t convince Neji through words she’ll have to do it by her actions, after all that was people like Naruto did,  so she starts training by herself. 

After his match against Naruto and his talk with Hiashi, Neji sees Hinata training and offers her some help. Obviously Hinata accepts it and they start creating their cousin bond. They both quickly realize that they are both victims of the corrupted structure of the Hyuga Clan and that, if they wanted to change something, they needed each other. They would have to work together, not as member of the primary and secondary branch but as one entity, as cousins. 

Hence, their bond and care for each other is not due that it was the fricking duty and destiny of one to protect each other but because they genuinely care for each other. 

Neji trains Hinata and she becomes way stronger than anyone ever thought her capable of, to the extent than when the war breaks many of the elders of the Hyuga Clan think of her as a competent candidate to lead the clan during battle. All except her father, who still has some skeptisim about her daughter’s capability. 

However, this isn’t voice by Hiashi as Hinata declines the role saying that, she not only has a lot to learn but that Neji fits the role much better than her. After all, if he was able to help her all through this years to be the best shinobi out of her capabilities she was sure that he’ll do the same for the rest of the Clan during war. 

At war Naruto is attacked and Hinata jumps forward to protect him. However, Neji who is nearby seeing the desperation in his cousin’s eyes and fearing that she’ll do something reckless jumps in between her and Naruto protecting them both. 

He does the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven and deflects all the spikes coming towards him. Or so he thinks. He can’t see it but a he is being attacked in his blind spot. Before the target reached him, Hiashi intercedes and saves Neji of an instant death. 

This wouldn’t be only Hiashi’s redemption but also a metaphorical redemption of all the Clan’s primary branch. 

As his last words he says sorry to Hinata and thanks her for having taught him as his daughter, the most important lesson he has ever receive. True strength comes from, dedication, care and love. She is the best heiress and daughter the Hyuga Clan and he could ask for and names her the head of the Hyuga Clan.

As his last action he asks Neji to come nearer him and removes him from the curse seal. However Neji says he’ll always be there for Hinata, cause it isn’t the seal that bound them together but their bond as cousins. 

Here Hinata would display her growth as character. She isn’t the shy little girl she once was but a fully capable woman that is capable to lead due to her emotional intelligence. Yes, she is sensible and caring but that are the traits that allow her to be the leader her clan is in need. Someone that can understand and be sensible to the emotions but that also has the strength to keep on moving foward. 

This would also he Naruto’s ‘aha’ moment. She had said to him during Pain’s Attack to Konoha that she looked up to him but he has never been able to see her in those eyes till know. Even when heartbroken she has the strength to keep on moving, knowing that is what the others need of her. It was truly admirable. But, hadn’t she always been like that? Hinata was always one of those people to put others needs before her, to be there for him whenever she needed. Obviously, she had grown into someone more capable and confident of herself but the core is still the same. She was always the one. 

It’s now him who is looking up to her. After all, she had been able to stay true to their share ninja way. She had never ran away of gave up on her word and had done it all holding on to that core values that made her, her. But he isn’t about to be left behind. He wanted to walk alongside her, in their ninja way. 

After the war, when things are finally settling down Hinata questions herself if she’ll be able to fit the shoes of the Clan’s Leader and tells Neji that she thinks the he or Hanabi would be much better options for the role. However, Neji gives her his full support and ensures her that he’ll be there to help her as his right hand, not because there is a tradition that say that should be so but because he truly believes in her and is eager to be part of this new era for the Clan. 

They finally are able to ban the Hyuga’s Curse Seal. It is removed from all members of the second branch and it is strictly prohibited to be placed upon new borns. 

Neji takes the role of Jonin Commander of Konoha and, some years after the war marries Tenten with whom he has a son/daughter named Ren. This name, besides being unisex, means lotus which symbolizes purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth (obvious metaphor and a little nod to Hizashi). They are the first child of the second branch no to never be sealed. 

Neji lives a long-lasting life as a proud father, beloved husband, supportive cousin, dear friend and trusted leader. 

The End. 

Okay, so if you reached this point and you are like, I had already seen this post (?) let me explain. I edited a tag of this post in my phone and it went completely blank. So yeah. I got to do it all over again cause obviously I got no back-up. Shit. F for me. But hope you enjoyed it. Kudos!

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 46: Sunset, Sunrise

On the final day of Madarame’s exhibition, a surprise press conference was called by Madarame himself. As it started, Madarame was crying his eyes out. “People of Japan! I have to apologize!” He cried out. “I am not worthy of your admiration. The artist Madarame is nothing more than a sham. Most of my masterpieces, including the Sayuri, are not my own. I robbed my students of their art, and claimed it as my own. To keep this all under wraps, I intimidated my students, and I sometimes even abused them.”

Everyone present at the press conference was shocked. Meanwhile, Madarame’s eyes continued to flow like faucets left on. He continued speaking. “In fact, the real author of the Sayuri died before they could claim it as their own. I took it in an act of desperation, and jump-started my meteoric rise to the top of the artwork on the backs of my students, who are more deserving than I am.” He continued to cry his eyes out. Members of the press tried to ask further questions, but Madarame had lost control of himself and continued bawling.

Meanwhile, several people were watching the press conference on the big TV in the Shibuya crossing. It cut to a reporter reporting from a desk. “This shocking confession comes soon after Madarame’s home was broken into. The burglar in question was a former student of Madarame’s. However, as part of this confession, Madarame has decided to drop all charges against said student.

Furthermore, a little while after the break in, Madarame’s exhibit was the target of this message; A letter supposedly sent by The Phantom Thieves. This is not the first time this sort of thing has happened. While there are many who still are skeptical of the existence of these thieves, some are beginning to think that such a group may be real.

Needless to say, Madarame has been put under arrest. Due to Madarame’s age, he is being taken to the hospital for a full assessment of health. Once complete, he will be tried and sentenced.”

Among those watching at the Shibuya crossing was a boy in a coat and shoulder-length brown hair. “Phantom Thieves.”

Makoto was also watching. “The Phantom Thieves. Again. Hm.”

Another person in the crowd was Nakanohara, the person who led the Phantom Thieves to Madarame in the first place. He let out a single tear, as he quietly said “Thank you, Phantom Thieves.”

Meanwhile, the thieves were at their hideout. “Alright! Another success!” Ryuji shouted.

“Ryuji!” Ann said. “Not so loud!”

“Sorry” Ryuji said. “But more people are talking about us, eh.”

Yusuke looked onward. “Are you doing OK Yusuke-senpai?” Sumire asked.

Yusuke snapped out of his stupor. “Huh? Oh. Yeah.”

Everyone looked at him. “What’s up?” Ryuji asked. “I thought you’d be more excited.”

“Well… How do I put this?” Yusuke asked. “I’m glad that Madarame is finally paying for his crimes...but…” He sighed. “Living with Madarame, and everything that came with it is everything I’ve ever known. It’s just weird is all. I feel like what’s in front of me is this blank empty space.”

“Oh, uh, sorry” Ryuji said.

Sumire placed a hand on his shoulder. “I get it. That kind of thing can be hard. But it can bring about new good things too.”

Yusuke smiled. “You’re correct. In a way, that blank empty space is much like a canvas just waiting for a masterpiece.”

“I hope there’s room for us in that masterpiece you call life” Ren remarked.

“Hm. Of course” Yusuke said. “I cannot thank you enough for everything you did. Therefore, I humbly request to be a permanent member of the Phantom Thieves.”

Everyone else was surprised. “You don’t have to request anything,” Ren answered, smiling.

“Yeah, as far as we’re concerned, you’re already one of us,” Morgana added.

“I thank you,” Yusuke replied.

“So, ummmm” Ann said. “Do you still want to paint me?”

“Hm?” Yusuke said. “Well, I wouldn’t say that’s out of the question, but I don’t think now’s the best time to do that.”

“Right,” Ann said. She smiled. “Well, if you need me, you just have to call.”

“Just make sure you don’t do too good a job,” Ryuji said. “Otherwise the professional photographers she deals with will have your head.”

“Ryuji!” Ann said, shoving him playfully. Ryuji laughed.

“My, what a marvelous couple” Yusuke said.

Ryuji and Ann looked at him and turned cherry red. “What are you talking about?” Ryuji said, nervously.

“Y-Yeah. We’re just friends” Ann insisted.

“Really?” Yusuke said. “Huh. I guess I’m seeing the world in new ways. I apologize.” Ren and Sumire shared a snicker. Meanwhile, Morgana was frazzled. Jose noticed this and started scratching his ears. As much as Morgana didn’t want to enjoy it at that moment, he couldn’t help but smile.

After Morgana was placated, Jose stopped, turned to Yusuke, and said “So, do you need help moving into the dorms?”

“Hmmm” Yusuke thought. “Well, there’s a swath of police over at Madarame’s as we speak, collecting evidence. I assume that whatever’s left will be ‘my’ stuff, and I don’t know how much that is for sure though.”

Well we can go over and check it out” Jose said, optimistically.

“I’d like that,” Yusuke said.

“Wait!” Sumire interrupted. “If the police are there, will they find the treasure?”

Everyone was alerted, as no one had thought of that. Well, aside from Yusuke. “While I don’t know what on the periphery is mine versus Madarame’s, I know for certain a few things are, and the real Sayuri is hidden among them. We should be fine.” Sumire sighed a sigh of relief.

“So, what’s gonna happen to Kosuke?” Ann asked. “The news said that Madarame had dropped all charges against him.”

Yusuke nodded. “He actually contacted me soon after that, but before we all met up here. He said he was going to move to Sendai to start over.”

“I’ve been there before for some gymnastics competitions, '' Sumire said. “It’s quite lovely.”

“But, uh, what’ll he be doin’?” Rji asked.

“Apparently, another one of Madarame’s former pupils lives there,” Yusuke said. “He’s going to move with him, and he’s talking about this with the boss of his security company for a possible transfer.”

“I see,” Ann said.

“So, what do you think about the Phantom Thieves’s popularity now that we took down another baddie?” Ryuji asked.

“Hmmm” Ren thought. “Well, I think we can get deeper into Mementos now,” she remarked. “But as for what people think, it’ll take time.”

“Huh,” Ryuji said.

“So, how does this work now?” Yusuke said. “Do you have another target in mind?”

“Not really,” Morgana said. “Finding people to change their hearts requires legwork. And there’s no guarantee that the person would have a palace.”

“Meaning he pushes that onto us” Ryuji snided.

“Hey I found one person,” Morgana said.

“By almost getting kidnapped!” Ryuji retorted.

“That’s not the point!” Morgana said.

“Morgana stays with me most of the time” Ren said, trying to cool tempers. “So while he could go off and find leads, he’s better off staying with me in case anything happens.”

“Yeah!” Morgana said, only mostly confident in himself.

“...I guess that’s fair,” Ryuji relented.

“We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, senpai,” Sumire said, giggling. Yusuke noticed Sumire’s slight blush, but decided not to make another remark, on the chance that it would spark another awkward moment.

“So” Jose interjected, “while we’re waiting, do you want to head over to the shack to grab your things now?”

Yusuke nodded. “Unless we have other business to attend to.”

Ren shook her head. “I just wanted us to meet up to make sure the confession went smoothly.”

“I certainly think it did,” Yusuke said.

“Oh yeah” Ann said. “Did Madarame ever say anything about the people he’s worked with?” Ann said.

“Sadly no” Yusuke said. “He was more caught up in his own dealings, rather than this apparent group.”

“I see,” Ann said. Ann was shaking a little, hesitant to ask what else was on her mind. “Well, did he give a reason as to why he said he let your mom die when according to the Will Seeds he didn’t?”

Yusuke grew more serious. “No, but I’ve been thinking about that. I think it has something to do with Madarame’s vanity. He has to be the most of whatever he’s embodying. He’s either the best artist of the modern age, the most heinous man he can be, or, as evidenced by the confession, the most remorseful. Him saying he let my mom die is his way of aggrandizing his own villainy.”

“Woah,” Ryuji said. “That’s...a lot.”

“Indeed,” Yusuke said. There was an awkward silence. “Well, we should get going, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Ren said.

“Hey, maybe we can find out if the police know anything,” Jose said, shifting the conversation. “Either about Madarame’s contacts, or any possible future targets.”

“My, you’re quite the thinker,” Yusuke said. “Very well. Let’s head off. Until next time!”

“Later” Jose said. The two of them headed to Madarame’s shack. The rest headed home for the evening.

Once the police left, Yusuke and Jose messaged the group.

Yusuke: I’m afraid we’ve had no such luck.

Ryuji: Wha?

Jose: While we were with the police, we didn’t hear anything about Madarame’s contacts.

Yusuke: We did hear some mumblings about drugs getting passed around Shibuya, but that’s about it.

Jose: No name, no nothing.

Ann: Well, that kind of stinks.

Ryuji: Do you think the police might be involved with the people Madarame was talking about?

Ren: As someone who was wrongfully arrested, I wouldn’t put it past them.

Yusuke: Hmmm.

Yusuke: Well, I don’t know if it would have come up much anyway.

Yusuke: Nothing about Madarame's palace was about this cabal anyway.

Sumire: So, stealing his treasure wouldn’t reveal much about it?

Yusuke: Precisely.

“That’s not a bad call, actually,” Morgana said.

Yusuke: And if the police are in on it, that part might get swept under the rug.

Ryuji: So, we’re basically back to square one?

Ren: Not quite.

Ren: We’re still the Phantom Thieves. So long as we’re out and about, we have the power to undermine whoever is abusing the metaverse.

Ryuji: I see. So we’ll be a constant thorn in their side! I love it!

Ann: But maybe we should be careful.

Ann: I mean, if these people are causing the mental shutdowns, and possibly have the police in line, then we’re dealing with some really heavy hitters.

“That’s true…” Morgana said. “Lady Ann’s so smart.”

Ren: Morgana says you’re smart Ann.

“What?!” Morgana said, panicking.

Ann: Tell him thank you. Morgana started blushing and muttering unintelligibly.

Yusuke: While that may be true, there are a lot of people who still don’t believe in us yet.

Yusuke: I’m sure if we can play our cards right, we can use that to our advantage as well.

Ryuji: I hear that. We gotta make sure that they'll never see us comin’!

Ren: We can’t forget about Eris and her deal as well.

Ann: Right.

Jose: Isn’t Eris’s whole thing to build us up to either side with her or fight with her?

Ren: Well, yeah. But it’s still important to remember that.

Ren: Besides, Eris is the emissary of chaos. She won’t hesitate to disrupt anyone’s plans so long as it suits her needs.

Ann: Yeah.

Ann: So the best thing to do is keep a steady head.

Ren: Yeah.

Yusuke: Well, sorry we couldn’t find anything useful.

Ryuji: Nah, it’s fine. It was probably a long shot anyway.

Jose: We should head to Kosei and get you settled in.

Yusuke: You’re right.

Yusuke: Good night.

Ryuji: G’night.

Ann: Good night.

Sumire: Good night.

Ren: Good night.

Ren set her phone down and laid in her bed.

Meanwhile, at the prosecutor’s office, the woman who was intimidating Sojiro was working on a laptop. As she was, the young man in the coat came in. “Ah, Niijima-san,” he said. “Working late again, I see.”

Niijima looked up from her computer and glared at the boy. “Akechi-san. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I was just hoping for some friendly chit-chat,” Akechi responded.

Niijima continued working away. “Those Phantom Thieves stuck again.”

“I saw that,” Akechi noted. “I believe your sister was in the crowd at the Shibuya Crossing when the confession was airing.” 

Niijima glared at him once again. “Do you WANT to irritate me?”

“Not at all,” Akechi said. “Like I said, I want this to be friendly.”

Niijima continued to glare for a bit, and then relented. “So, what did you wish to discuss?”

“Well, I’m assuming that you believe that these so-called ‘Phantom Thieves’ are the ones behind the mental shutdowns,” Akechi surmised.

“I do,” Niijima answered. “The M.O. matches up.”

“Well, about that,” Akechi said. Niijima was curious. “While it’s true that the Phantom Thieves cause a change in behavior, as do the mental shutdowns, the examples we have from the Phantom Thieves don’t match the examples we have from the mental shutdown cases. Besides, why start signing their work now?”

“Maybe they think they can get away with it,'' Niijima answered.

“Well, I guess that’s one way of thinking,” Akechi said.

“And you think that these two are unrelated?” Niijima asked.

“Well, not entirely,” Akechi said. “I believe the tactic used is similar, but I think they’re being used by two different groups.”

“Hm” Niijima grunted. “No matter. Even if your hypothesis is true, it’s still worth investigating them. If they know how to operate similarly, they might have an inkling who’s behind the shutdowns.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Akechi relented. “Still, you are awfully focused on this.”

“Your point being?” Niijima snapped back.

Akechi smiled. “With such a one-track mind, you might not be able to see what’s going on elsewhere.”

Niijima glared at him once more. “You’re one to talk.”

“Harsh. But true” Akechi said. “Maybe it’s time we find some life preservers before we both drown in our work and insecurities.”

“Maybe,” Niijima said. She went back to clacking away on her laptop.

“Well, good night Niijima-san,” Akechi said.

“Good night Akechi,” Niijima replied. Akechi started leaving. Before he fully left, he looked over Niijima once more. He was concerned, but couldn’t do much. He left.

The next day, after school, the announcements came on. Principal Kobayakawa began speaking. “Ahem. Attention students of Shujin Academy. Please meet in the gym for an assembly.”

“I wonder what this is about?” Morgana pondered. Ren shrugged and headed over with the rest of her class.

When everyone assembled, Kobayakawa took the stage once more. “As you may know, recently one of our faculty was caught up in a scandal.” There was some muttering about this, mostly about the disingenuousness of the principal. “However, the school wishes for you to continue learning, and to continue to have the best possible education. So, while we are looking for a permanent staff member, someone has agreed to be the interim gym teacher here at Shujin Academy.” There were some more murmurs. “Please welcome, Coach Chika Hiraguchi!”

Kobayakawa moved away as Coach Hiraguchi took the stage. Students were confused, but clapped anyway. “Thank you, Principal Kobayakawa,'' she said. She turned to address the students. “I know how difficult things have been here recently. That is why I don’t expect to have your trust right away. However, I do wish that for the time I am here I can prove worthy of your trust. I look forward to working with you, and making sure your school life is as good as it can possibly be.” She bowed. “Thank you.” The students clapped. From some of the mumblings Ren heard, they seemed to be impressed with her professionalism.

Kobayakawa took the stage again. “Yes. And thank you, Coach Hiraguchi.” He faced the students. “Please make sure to help Coach Hiraguchi feel welcome. You are dismissed.”

After the assembly, the Shujin-based Thieves met up. “So, your gymnastics coach is teachin’ here now?” Ryuji asked.

Sumire nodded. “Remember that day the principal called me to meet with him. It was decided then. As long as she’s here, I can continue as an honors student with all that brings.”

“You feeling alright?” Ren asked.

“Yeah,” Sumire answered. She sighed. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s nice, but… it just feels weird. It seems more and more apparent that the world is moving without Kasumi, and that…” Sumire didn't have to finish the sentence. Ren wrapped one arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, rubbing her arm in an effort to calm her down. “Thanks. … I think I’m going to go practice with Coach today.” Ren nodded and let go. Sumire headed off.

“I should go too,” Ann said. “Shiho and I made plans for some one-on-one time today.”

“Really?” Ryuji said. “Well, I can’t complain, I guess. Have fun.”

“Thanks,” Ann said. She left to meet up with Shiho.

“I should get going too,” Ryuji said. “I’ve got something I need to do. Oh, but maybe you should buy some gym clothes.” Ren was confused. “I found a good place for a workout, now that our secret area isn’t so secret anymore.”

Ren nodded. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

“OK. Thanks” Ryuji said. “Seeya!” He rushed off. Ren decided to take Ryuji up on his offer and shopped for some workout clothes. After which, she headed to one of her jobs.

As she was wandering about Tokyo, she began to notice some things. The people, the buildings, the sounds. Ren had just moved here about two months ago, but everything changed so suddenly. To her, Tokyo was starting to feel like home. Ren smiled at that notion and continued walking with a spring in her step.

[warsmith-38]

How I would do RWBY pt. 2

Season Two

Emerald and Mercury go to book store.

Try intimidating ex-White Fang owner.

He’s tense, but not impressed.

Adam walks in.

He shits himself.

Tries fighting.

Dies. Painfully might I add.

Emerald and Mercury banter. Adam just seems bored.

Cinder (teenaged, not adult) scolds them for 86ing the guy in such a public and possibly trackable way.

Adam assures them that they weren’t seen. He has practice in that sort of thing.

Torchwick is annoyed at working with these people but at least he’s getting paid a mint.

Cinder says that, with all of the stolen dust, phase two of plan can to be started soon.

Neo give her a look of ‘get over yourself, you chuunibyou.’

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.

More guests arrive.

Ironwood talks with Ozpin about world affairs.

Grimm populations and attacks are getting worse, but are still manageable.

Says that he has brought plenty of extra security in the form of Penny and a big amount of security robots and mechs.

More bonding scenes because reasons.

RWBY + JNPR have food fight because funny.

Velvet and Blake are closer than earlier and give little ‘anti-racism’ classes for Weiss.

Blake is friendlier with everyone now that she knows they wouldn’t kill her since she’s a faunus.

Ruby has taken on the role of mechanic for everyone’s weapons.

Jaune dominates wargaming night.

Ren and Fox try to help Ruby with her hand-to-hand skills (Yang is not a great teacher of such things)

Scene of properly meeting team SSSN.

Nice guys, but a little too uncoordinated in style.

Ruby ends up having a frustrated breakdown.

Gives WBY speech of how they have to get involved and screw the people telling them to sit down and let them handle the problem instead.

Blake is the first to go along with what she’s saying.

Yang and Weiss argue that this is not a good idea, saying that this sounds like Ruby just wants to go play vigilante again.

Blake says that Ruby has a point, nothing will get accomplished if they sit around doing nothing.

Weiss is the one that cracks next. Agrees that the authorities aren’t exactly inspiring confidence since the run in with Torchwick.

Yang finally gives in, if only to make sure Ruby doesn’t get herself murdered.

Ruby, in her excitement to actually be doing something, rushes out the door to get snacks and runs into someone.

That someone is Cinder.

Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, and disguised Neo (Team CEMN (Cinnamon (work with me here))) keep up the façade of Haven guests from canon.

Ruby almost immediately starts gushing over their cool weapons before being reined in by WBY.

Emerald pickpocket’s Weiss’ wallet and snags rich girl’s cash before putting it back.

Mercury and Yang have a very clear stare-down of ‘punching vs kicking, who will win?’

Neo and Blake…stare at each other (Adam is Blake’s Rival/Foil. Blake v. Neo is just pair the spares).

RWBY has made new friends. (The poor dears)

RWBY start their investigation.

Team SSSN turns up to help at the last minute.

Okay, sure, free help.

Blake and Sun try to find local White Fang schmucks.

Scarlet and Sage go off to do random shit.

Yang drags Neptune to Junior’s club to check the pulse of the criminal element of the city.

Ruby and Weiss dig up information at library place-thing.

They encounter Penny on the way.

Penny acts weird(er) and tries to bolt off.

Weiss agrees that Penny is suspicious as hell and, with all the happenings, that means that she could be a potential lead.

She lets Ruby go after her while she about her investigating alone.

Penny reveals to Ruby that she’s a mechanical maiden (Persona 3 is best Persona).

Ruby is VERY interested now.

Ruby already liked her as a person and now she knows that Penny is a person who is also a weapon.

Zero downsides.

Penny, happy to be accepted, let’s slip that she knows some crazy stuff is happening in the world.

Says that that’s why she was allowed to come to the tournament, as extra back up just in case.

Says that the communications tower is the most obvious target but might not be the actual target.

Can’t elaborate further because of Ciel and her bodyguards showing up.

Ciel gives Ruby the third degree on encouraging Penny’s truant behavior.

Ruby gives her the finger.

Ciel takes Penny away and Ruby gets back to work.

Weiss gets whatever information about the White Fang and Torchwick that isn’t classified, and a little that is, transferred to her.

Her older sister is a high ranker in the military and her father bankrolled a good chunk of said military.

Ain’t nepotism a bitch?

Yang and Neptune come up empty handed, but Yang got to pick another fight at the club before the cops showed up so she’s all good.

Neptune thinks that that’s all Yang went there to do in the first place.

Scarlet and Sage get captured by the White Fang. (They said they had fresh cookies, what were S + S going to do, say no?)

Blake leads Sun along a trail of breadcrumbs to a White Fang hideout.

Sees a recruitment rally going on.

Blake has a heart attack seeing who’s giving a speech.

It’s Adam.

Speech is an emotional call to arms against the cruelty of humanity.

Crowd is skeptical but still listening.

Reveals his brand.

Crowd is now enthusiastic to sign up for the White Fang.

Adam reveals newly stolen war-mech.

Says that they’ll test its power by executing Scarlet and Sage.

Blake spoils his moment by covertly revealing that Roman is the pilot of said mech (Neo is co-pilot).

Crowd turns against Adam for his hypocrisy.

Adam cheeses it.

Roman takes it on himself to attack Blake and Sun.

Scarlet and Sage are freed and take on the rowdy crowd.

While running, Blake and Sun encounter RWY and Neptune.

Sun and Neptune get good hits in but are btfo’d.

Scarlet and Sage find them and all is good for team SSSN.

RWBY has quasi-rematch against Roman + Neo.

Fight goes well.

Team CFVY shows up and stomps the mech.

Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!

RWBY celebrates a fight well won.

CFVY are pissed that RWBY would do something so dangerous and make them promise not to do things like this again.

RWBY lies through their collective teeth about not doing it again.

Get put on probation anyway.

Pyrrha and Jaune are having a moment together before Jaune ruins it.

Jaune admits that he lied and cheated his way into school due to impatience and lack of immediate combat skills.

He confesses all of this out of guilt and plans to turn himself in.

Pyrrha is actually rather angry at him.

1. for cheating to get what everyone else fought tooth and nail to earn the right to and 2. Putting the rest of his team at risk due to his inability to keep up with them in a fight and for associating them with a cheater/liar.

Not to mention lying to her face.

Says good riddance.

Cardin overhears and blackmails him into doing what he says or else he’ll narc on him and say that NPR knew and thus were complicit in the crime.

Jaune goes along with it while creating plan to oust Cardin and get him kicked from school.

Has conversation with Ren and Nora, both of whom are pissed at him.

Of course Pyrrha told them.

Jaune tells them that he knows he’s a piece of shit but also has Cardin to deal with.

Ren and Nora begrudgingly agree to help him get rid of Cardin.

Tells them his plan.

Plan proceeds to fail and Jaune ends up fighting all of CRDL alone.

Loses.

Grimm outside of their power-level shows up.

Jaune’s quick thinking and tactics get it killed.

Cardin is grateful and promises to keep quiet about blackmail. Even means it too.

CRDL is never a real issue again due to them actually realizing that it’s a very cuntish thing to bully the guy and/or the friends of the guy who actively saved their lives.

Jaune plans to give one last apology to his team before he turns himself in.

NPR say that they deliberated amongst themselves.

They have decided that Jaune doesn’t get to take the easy way out.

His penance is to train his ass off, night and day, to catch up to them on the physical level.

Jaune’s role is to be the strategist and that it’s his job to make plans that keep them all alive.

If he fucks up, they work his ass harder until he doesn’t fuck up.

They haven’t fully forgiven him, but they’re giving him a chance because they genuinely like him.

Jaune is touched by their compassion and promises make up for his mistakes.

Sparring day in class.

Jaune has match against disguised Neo.

Neo wins but Jaune starts to have suspicions.

Pyrrha and Mercury spar.

Pyrrha wins but Mercury now has valuable data on her overall fighting style and semblance usage.

Cinder and Ruby are last match of the class.

Cinder has fire powers as a semblance.

Has second semblance giving her bullet time.

Bullet time doesn’t work all that well against Ruby because of her super-speed.

Ruby gets some pretty good hits in. Kinda kicking Cinder’s ass.

Cinder then decides she’s done playing nice and goes on full offensive. Even starts to scare the crowd.

Times up!

Due to technicality, Ruby won the fight.

Aura cohesion (health bars) Cinder:48% Ruby:51%

Emerald and Mercury are blue in the face with fear of what Cinder might do, having officially lost a fight.

Cinder helps Ruby up, apologizes for going overboard, and offers to buy Ruby lunch the next day.

Ruby happily agrees to hang out with her newest friend.

Cinder later explodes at her hideout and incinerates a White Fang member that got a little too close.

Adam pretends to care. Doesn’t actually.

Ruby and Cinder become shockingly good friends (as far as Ruby is concerned).

Cinder explains the concept of a second semblance, confirming to Ruby that she’s a ten-percenter.

It’s somewhat rare, but it’s common enough that people know how it works and why it unlocks.

Great emotional duress.

She was raised in an orphanage that REALLY sucked.

She awakened both semblances pretty quickly and was snatched up by the authorities as soon as possible to be a huntress.

She’s mostly lying about the details but there is still the base truth.

Ruby tells her that she lost one of her parents too.

Summer just didn’t come home one day, being told she was killed in the line of duty by a lucky grimm.

She’s always thought that there’s more to this story, but doesn’t have the means to follow up just yet.

It’s part of why Ruby wants to be a huntress, to do her best to make sure that some other kid never experiences that kind of loss because of the grimm.

Cinder tells her that that’s not the worst motivation. (she means it more than she thinks)

Since Blake saw Adam at the rally she has become obsessed with analyzing all the data gotten during investigation.

RWY is worried.

Yang talks to her about it, giving the speech about her mother and the problems with obsession.

Blake talks about how dangerous she knows Adam to be. Is vastly terrified of him.

Yang reassures her that the team can handle that punkass.

4 on 1, let him try it. They’ll put the boots to him. Medium style.

Blake reluctantly snaps out of her funk.

Dance comes.

Everyone’s having a good time.

Pyrrha decides to properly forgive Jaune.

They kiss and, after a wacky JNPR argument because funny, so do Ren and Nora.

Insert the cool JNPR dance scene here.

Ruby is happy for her friends but notices some bullshit going on near the comm. tower.

Cinder is infiltrating it wearing something that actually makes it difficult to tell who it is.

Makes a big show of knocking the guards unconscious.

Places real obvious hacking device onto console.

Ruby comes in and shoots at her.

Cinder pops smoke and disappears.

Authorities arrive and (as far as they can tell) disable the hacking device.

Ruby is given a commendation for her actions and her team is taken off probation from earlier.

Upper echelon is pleased that enemy plot was foiled.

Exactly as the bad guys wanted.

Ozpin presses the doubt button.

Teams gets chaperone assignments.

JNPR requested a special Grimm bounty mission.

RWBY gets put on simple observation mission.

JNPR spends time tracking and eventually fighting nuckelavee grimm with Prof. Port.

Ren comes to terms with fighting the grimm that killed his parents.

Y’know, sub-plot stuff to relieve some main plot tension.

RWBY is sent with Dr. Oobleck into ruins to observe and document the growth rate of the non-hostile presence of the local *loud snoring*.

Actually sent near suspected White Fang supply depot with hope that they uncover it and fix problems.

Find it fairly easily after a little bonding moment or two with everyone.

Torchwick and Adam are in charge of train depot. (Torchwick gets the train, Adam gets the depot)

Ruby goes in on her own because she was told not to do things like that.

Ruby gets double-teamed by Roman and Adam. Neo watches like a little shithead.

Ruby fights like a demon but still gets bested.

Adam says that he is now bored and leaves Roman to finish up.

Oobleck and WBY show up.

Roman starts the train, tries to cheese it.

RWBY + Oobleck board the train.

Yang fights Neo.

Weiss fights masked White Fang member (later revealed to be Ilia).

Ruby and Blake fight Torchwick.

Oobleck fights the stormtroopers.

Neo, the crafty, dodgy, dexterity style, sly-bitch, kicks Yang, the brutish and blunt boxer, in the ass.

Raven pops up through a portal.

Neo am-scrays after almost getting her shit pushed in.

Raven says a scant few things to Yang and leaves her a trinket and a map, telling her to follow it when she can before leaving.

Weiss wins her fight.

Blake and Ruby kick Roman’s ass.

Discover train is full of dust explosives to blow up a chunk of Vale and let the grimm through in droves.

Was originally intended to be deployed before explosion but Roman decides ‘fuck it’ and tries to turn it into a kamikaze run at the last minute out of spite.

Oobleck disconnects the explosive cars.

Train still rams hole into central Vale.

Grimm incursion.

RWBY fights as best they can.

Almost get overrun when Teams CFVY, SSSN, and CEMN show up to help.

CEMN only involved because evil plan failed and they want to try and clean up any possible evidence.

Neo (in disguise) tries not to be obvious that she’s still tired from earlier.

Horde battle with large hydra (or something) grimm being final boss of season.

They kill it, of course.

After the battle RWBY thinks that the problem is more or less solved.

Adam is still loose but his plan is foiled and his co-conspirator, Roman, is in prison.

All they have to do is hunt him down.

If he’s going to try something, it’ll be at the tournament. RWBY will have an extra eye open during.

JNPR returns triumphant from their mission and wonders what the hell happened while they were gone.

Cinder is livid that plan-A failed and they lost their best chance to kill Ozpin.

Yeah, their plan is to fuck up Vale and get and chance to kill Ozpin.

Is reassured by the mysterious figure she’s talking to (Salem) that plans can change and still succeed.

Adam is looking through security footage taken from depot.

Sees Blake.

He smiles.

Season two done.

[rufousnmacska]

Um hi, hello, I’m just wondering if you cold maybe write a manorian au dance or a ren faire would be fab. Thanks

I lost track of how long this request has been in my drafts, so I’m really sorry it’s taken so long to write. I have a bad habit of starting a fic only to get bogged down about how detailed the plot should be, leaving me not wanting to finish it. I’m not good at just banging out a short story and posting it. But for this one, I tried doing that. I hope you like it anon, if you’re still around!

Full disclosure - I’ve never been to a renaissance faire, though I have friends who sell their pottery at an annual, medieval re-enactment type festival. So, I took what I’ve heard from them and added in a little Medieval Times and Disney World. What I’m saying is, please excuse any egregious mistakes about how these things work :)

Fanfic master list

*****

A Bard’s Tale

The Morath Renaissance Faire was part historical re-enactment, part craft market, part food extravaganza, and all spectacle. It drew visitors from around the continent each summer for the three months it was open. People even came for days at a time, staying at nearby inns so they could enjoy all the faire had to offer.

Owned by Maeve and Erawan Perrington, the faire was known for its summer-long war, pitting bands of warriors against each other in mock campaigns until only one survived, as well as its jousting tournament, where knights did true battle for the honor of being named the Queen’s Knight Commander. The enormous market square sold everything from hand woven clothing, jewelry and adornments, to metalwork, and pottery. The food court had stalls serving street foods of all varieties, and a hall that seated hundreds, where visitors could treat themselves to an authentic seven course medieval dinner. Jesters roamed the streets entertaining children, actors staged scenes of roving bandits stealing from nobility, artists demonstrated their craft, and bards sang songs for spare coins.

While most employees were from the region, some, including most of the artists, came from other towns and countries. To house them, the faire had a sprawling campground filled with brightly colored tents. At night, after the faire grounds were closed, the camp came alive with employees sharing modest dinners and abundant wine, while music played and many danced.

Manon Blackbeak had been selling here for four years. Her shop, The Clay Witch, was situated near the entrance to the market, ensuring she had a good crowd and a view of the jousting arena. With her cousins’ help, Manon did a brisk business. She made pottery the rest of the year, selling most of it here, and her cousins were responsible for the rest: healing teas, fragrant candles, love potions, amulets, and other trinkets of a witchy nature. She wasn’t a people person, so she had a sales assistant named Elide who handled that side of the business. Together with her cousins, they took part in the war, calling their band the Blackbeak Coven. In years past, they’d made it into the final week or two of the campaign, but they’d never won.

Despite her competitiveness, Manon had always been fine with that outcome. While Maeve oversaw the jousting as Queen, Erawan was the King who lead the war. He had a habit of looking at her a little too long, his gaze roaming over her body in a way that made her want to shower it off with scalding hot water. She made sure never to be alone with him, usually finding someplace else she needed to be in order to avoid him.

The whole situation pissed her off. Her pottery studio was in a town a few hours away and this faire had been a great opportunity to build her business. They made good money here, enjoyed themselves in the battles, and had made lifelong friends in the campground. But, she was seriously considering not coming back next year. All because some creepy asshole wouldn’t leave her alone.

As she watched Elide wait on some customers, she grew angrier. Other people depended on her. She knew they’d understand and support her, but not coming back felt as though she’d be letting them down.

Outside, she heard people speaking in loud, reverent tones and knew what time it was, not needing to look at her watch. She contemplated hiding in the back just to see what would happen. But when she caught the first sounds of his voice, she found herself grinning.

At ten o’clock in the morning, every day, Dorian Havilliard made his way to her shop to serenade her, always with a group of adoring fans trailing behind.

It hadn’t taken long for Manon to recognize some of the faces of the people who came back again and again just to watch Dorian perform. He played his part well, flirting and making up spontaneous songs to please his audience. If ever their adoration crossed the line into inappropriateness, he’d break out the charm and shy away, making his discomfort clear. All while still obtaining a sizable tip.

Manon crossed her arms and leaned against the entrance to her booth, watching him approach. He had a preternatural gift for coming up with lyrics and melodies on the spot. She’d never admit it to him, but she’d come to enjoy his morning visits.

As for his nightly visits to her tent, it was impossible for her to hide her appreciation then, much to her annoyance.

This was his first and only summer working at the faire. He’d been dragged along by a friend who was dating a knight. Rowan Whitethorn was Maeve’s nephew and had been crowned her Knight Commander in the jousting arena for three years running. The rumor mill went crazy at the start of this season when he arrived with a girlfriend who was from Terrasen. Aelin brought an entourage with her, a bunch of friends from college who were looking for one last fun summer to tide them over before heading off into the real world in the fall. Chaol worked as a royal guard and his girlfriend, a pre-med major, worked in the first aid clinic that served visitors and employees alike. Aelin’s cousin Aedion had fallen quickly into a warrior group and rose to become their general, while his girlfriend Lysandra worked as a fortune teller. Manon and her cousins, who had known Rowan for years, had met them on the first day and they’d become fast friends.

And then there was Dorian. Who, within the first week of opening, had become the most popular bard at the faire. The center of attention wherever he roamed.

Manon smirked as he stopped a few feet from her. Today, as usual, he wore a well fitting tunic with Intricate embroidery that took the shape of wyverns. Curls that had not been there at the start of the season hung around his ears.

With a deep bow and flourish of his hand, he said, “Good morning Lady. I pray you had a pleasant evening.”

She managed to keep her expression unchanged, even though the memories of last night threatened to turn her face a brilliant red. Gripping the sword that hung at her hip, she said, “Lady? I see no lady here.”

“Ah, but you are a lady. Lady artisan,” he said gesturing to her pottery. “Lady warrior,” a glance to her sword. “And a lady of pure moonlight,” he said, nodding at the long white braid that fell across her shoulder.

Her hair was a constant source of interest for him. She didn’t think it crossed into the realm of being a fetish, but he very much enjoyed pulling it whenever he had the chance. She did too. And she enjoyed seeing his gem like eyes flash when she lifted the braid and wiggled the end at him.

Elide and a couple of customers audibly sighed at his words. Manon whirled and gave her a deadly look, but the young woman just ignored her, watching Dorian begin to play as she placed a hand on her heart. She’d been pushing Manon all summer to go out with Dorian. Wanting to preserve Elide’s innocence, Manon never revealed what happened in her tent most nights. And finally, with that thought, the blood rushed to her cheeks.

He sang a quick tune that compared her beauty to that of the moon, bowed again, and with a wink, he was off. His followers who returned day after day just to see him never seemed to think anything of his daily routine of singing to her. Either they were simply too enchanted by his voice and handsome looks, or they just didn’t care, thinking it was all part of the act, confident he would acknowledge them when he was out of character.

As he made his way towards the market square, Manon caught sight of someone who did notice, and clearly cared.

Maeve watched from across the wide street. Her black eyes held none of the smile that spread across her face, and Manon felt a chill crawl up her spine. She did not like Dorian’s daily ritual of showering Manon with attention. After a moment filled with tension, Maeve turned away and disappeared into the crowd.

Just as her husband gave Manon unwanted attention, Maeve had been doing the same thing to Dorian. He’d mentioned it once or twice, trying to brush it off. But Manon had heard the discomfort in his voice, could see the way he held himself in Maeve’s presence, trying to escape her notice and almost turning to stone when she inevitably did. The other night at one of the bonfires in the camp, someone had teased him about it. Dorian laughed and said after this weekend, he’d never see her again. The comment had hit Manon hard, as she’d realized the same could be said of her. In a matter of days, this season would end and they’d return to their homes on opposite sides of the country. With no reason to ever see each other again.

*****

Managing to escape his fans, Dorian ducked into an alley that led to the back offices. He’d seen Maeve following him this morning, and for the first time all summer, he’d considered not going to Manon’s shop. This was a summer job for him, a one time thing before he started working for his father. But she was an artist whose livelihood depended on events like this. He didn’t want to risk getting her in trouble because the owner had some kind of sick crush on him. The season was winding down and this weekend would be the last. He only needed to avoid Maeve’s interest for a few more days.

“Ouch! Watch it!”

“You watch it! Big oaf. No one told you to do tricks on your horse while you were jousting.”

Stopping at the door to the first aid clinic, Dorian found Yrene examining Lorcan, one of the knights who competed in the arena. Like the other jousters, the guy was huge, and Dorian couldn’t help but admire Yrene for not taking any shit from him. Lorcan spotted him watching from the entrance and rolled his eyes.

With his elaborate costumes, zealous following, and natural charm, Dorian was not the most popular of people among the warriors at the faire. He got along well with Rowan and Fenrys, but some of the others looked down at him for his portrayal of the flirty bard. He suspected it had more to do with the tips he made, money that he didn’t need due to his family’s wealth. Chaol and Yrene were the only ones who knew he’d be donating all of it to charity at the end of the season.

Yrene lifted Lorcan’s arm, moving his shoulder around in the socket despite his grimace and stifled groans of pain. “You’ve definitely torn something,” she said, pushing into his joint with her small fingers. “You’ll need to get an X-ray.”

“You can’t just put it in a sling? So I can joust on Sunday?” he asked, relieved when she let go of him, only to wince again when his arm landed in his lap.

With a scathing look that made Lorcan recoil slightly, she said, “If you want to damage it further, sure. I could do that. And then you’ll definitely need surgery. As it is, you might get away with some physical therapy. Which will not be fun. But if you continue jousting, you’re looking at hospital time.”

“Shit,” he said, dropping his head into his good hand. “It’s the finals this weekend. Maeve is going to kill me. After she fires me.”

Not wanting to hang around and interrupt her work, Dorian quickly asked, “Any idea where Chaol is right now?”

Yrene shrugged as she pulled a sling out of a supply cabinet. “Maybe near the battlefield? He mentioned they needed extra help setting some things up for this weekend.”

“Thanks,” he said. Then to Lorcan, “Good luck, man.”

“Yeah,” Lorcan replied, sounding utterly defeated and giving Dorian an odd look. “Thanks.” It was the tone, the actual gratitude in the word, that made Dorian realize the look was one of kindness. At least, Lorcan’s version.

Sneaking along the paths he used to stay away from the crowds, Dorian emerged near the stands overlooking the battlefield. This Saturday the two armies that had survived the summer would face each other for one final battle.

Maeve had been smart to set things up this way, making the war and jousting into a months long competition, ensuring a build up of fans and repeat visitors. She had a good mind for business, he just wished she’d stop leering at him.

Even if he wasn’t focused entirely on Manon, there was no way he’d involve himself with Maeve. There was a darkness surrounding her that reminded him of a spider, weaving an intricate web to control everyone around her, and disposing of those who resisted her manipulations.

Though he had never spoken to the man, Dorian had heard her husband was just as creepy. One night at the camp, his name had been mentioned, causing Manon to visibly shudder. She clearly didn’t like the guy, and that was enough for Dorian to dislike him too.

As he sat and watched Chaol and some warriors setting up the dais that would hold the royal thrones for the final battle, Dorian wondered if he was making the right decision for this fall. His father had demanded he come work for the family company. That Dorian had refused to get a business degree meant little to the man. He would see his son replace him as CEO whether Dorian liked it or not.

As it always did when he thought about his future, his mind eventually traveled back to Manon. This summer had been amazing, due in large part to her. She’d captured his heart from the first day. It took a full week of songs before she showed up at his tent one night. After that, he’d waited. Waited for that look she’d give him at the end of the night, when the bonfire was burning down and the camp was growing quiet. The look that said the song he’d written for her that morning had left her wanting him. The look that invited him back to her tent where they’d stay up too late, making love and playing question and answer games, the easiest way to get her to talk about herself.

Gods, how was he supposed to say goodbye to her in just a few days?

They had not spoken of it, neither one wanting to bring up what they both knew was coming. It wasn’t like they’d never be able to see each other again. But there was a weird sense of finality to the end of the faire season. The end of this crazy, fun summer. The end of their late night dalliances. The end of their late night talks, which he would honestly miss the most.

His bench sagged as Chaol sat down heavily beside him, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Ready for lunch?” Dorian asked, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt.

Chaol sighed, tired from helping to build the dais with a half day’s work still to come. “Yeah. Was Yrene busy?”

They stood and began to walk towards the food stalls. “Lorcan got injured. She might be done, but I doubt it.”

“Shit,” Chaol said, stopping in the middle of the street. “Will he be able to joust on Sunday?”

“Doesn’t look like it. At least, Yrene said no. Why? What’s the big deal?”

"He’s supposed to go up against Rowan in the final. Lorcan is the only real competition Rowan has. I overheard Erawan talking about the possibility of this final weeks ago. They’ve been hyping it up to the fans.”

Dorian shrugged. He didn’t pay attention to the jousts or the war standings. Especially once the Blackbeak Coven was defeated last week. Manon had been disappointed, but also oddly relieved.

“You don’t get it,” Chaol continued. “Maeve and Erawan are going to be pissed.”

That made Dorian smile. “Good. Maybe she’ll leave me alone then.”

*****

Sunday came with beautiful weather and a crowd that was electric with anticipation. Yesterday’s final battle, won in an impressive fashion by Aedion’s troops, had drawn record numbers of spectators. Maeve and Erawan had sat on their thrones, overseeing everything with bored faces and an air thick with arrogance. Most of the employees knew how little they were acting, but the viewers ate it up.

Today was the final of the jousting tournament. Being easier to follow from the stands, it was more popular than the war re-enactment. This year’s finalists promised to put on a good show. Until Lorcan injured his shoulder in his semifinal against Fenrys. He’d still managed to win, knocking Fenrys off his horse out of sheer spite, sending him to the final against Rowan.

When it was announced he couldn’t compete, Maeve had gone ballistic. Apparently, she’d destroyed her office, leaving a mess of papers, a cracked laptop screen, and a broken chair. Erawan had kept his cool, though a few twitches of his black eyes spoke volumes about his inner state of mind. Everyone assumed Fenrys would be given Lorcan’s place. But the notice board outside the arena had remained blank after Rowan’s name - The White Hawk vs.___

Last night, the talk around camp was all about who she would name to joust against Rowan, with some joking that she’d make Erawan do it. Rowan had seemed to welcome the chance to knock the bastard onto his back. Maeve was his aunt, but there’d never been any friendship between them. He worked here because he loved it. And now that he loved Aelin, it grew more and more likely that this might end up being his last year.

As people milled about in her shop, Manon felt a strange anxiety wash over her. Muscles tense, goose flesh rising up her arms, she looked out into the street expecting to see Erawan there. But it was just regular visitors making their way through the market, noisy and excited.

Slowly, she realized what felt off. The voices of the crowd had never been louder than Dorian’s voice. She looked at her watch and felt her stomach flip. 10:24.

He was never late. Never.

Just then, she heard commotion from the jousting arena. Over the heads of the crowd, she could just make out Asterin’s blond hair as her cousin waved for her to come over.

Pushing through the people, she found not only Asterin but Chaol and Aelin too, all three standing in front of the notice board, staring up at it in shock.

Just as she never had to check her watch for Dorian’s arrival, Manon didn’t have to read the board to know who Rowan’s opponent was. Instead of flipping, her stomach turned to stone and sank.

The White Hawk vs. The Black Bard

“That fucking bitch,” Aelin whispered.

Manon grit her teeth, her hands shook and she was too angry to even speak.

“Where is he?” Asterin asked.

Chaol shrugged, also unable to speak, too horrified with concern for his best friend.

Fenrys ran up suddenly, almost knocking them all over. “It was Erawan,” he said, breathless. “Some sick game between him and Maeve.”

Manon forced herself to swallow, to breath, to not go scratch that bastard’s hellish eyes from their sockets. “Why didn’t Dorian just tell him no?”

“I don’t know,” Fenrys said. “They must have forced him somehow.”

Asterin turned to Manon and they shared a look. The only way to make Dorian agree to this was if Manon had been threatened in some way.

“Rowan won’t hurt him,” Aelin said confidently.

Finally, Chaol spoke. “Maybe not on purpose! Dorian’s never ridden a horse. Rowan can deliberately miss him and he could still fall off and get trampled.”

“Shit.” Asterin and Fenrys said at the same time.

The sound of trumpets wailed and people began rushing to get into the stadium. As the others debated what to do, Manon took off, ducking beneath the stands to get to the fence that surrounded the jousting yard. It felt like time slowed down, and when she finally reached an opening with a view to the field, the announcer was already calling out the competitors names.

There, at the far end, sitting precariously on the back of a black stallion, was Dorian. Clad in black armor, the counterpoint to Rowan’s bright silver, he struggled to hold the lance steady. Dorian was muscled and strong, but this was a skill he had no experience with. Holding a lance properly took practice.

Rowan, atop his white horse, was within shouting distance. Manon called to him, but he didn’t hear her over the crowd’s cheers and the helmet he wore. She kept calling for him, only stopping when she glanced at the royal box. There, Maeve sat, stone faced and angry, glaring straight ahead. Next to her, wearing the tacky fake crown he sported everywhere on the grounds, was Erawan.

Manon wasn’t surprised to feel his eyes on her, his slimy stare making her feel as if she might vomit.

Just as she tried to get Rowan’s attention one last time, the trumpets blared and the horse reared and took off, thundering down the field towards Dorian.

*****

Dorian kicked at his horse, hoping that would get it to move. If it had been up to him, he would have simply sat here, letting Rowan charge and knock him off with his first pass. Hell, if it had been up to him, he’d be in the fucking stands.

But no. Erawan had stopped him early that morning, offering him the chance to joust. When Dorian had laughed in his face, Erawan had made it clear that it really wasn’t an offer.

He’d seen the way his wife looked at Dorian, knew that there was something going on between them, knew that Dorian’s protestations were lies. Erawan had insisted that If Dorian refused, the bard’s paramour would be punished.

Dorian had stopped laughing then. They both knew he had never been with Maeve. And somehow, Erawan had found out about him and Manon.

“I own this town,” Erawan had said. “There is nothing you can do. If you run, I will find her.” He’d clapped Dorian on the back as if they were friends. “What do you say young bard?”

Dorian had nodded numbly, agreeing to put on a show, make it look real, and not throw the match.

So now, here he was. However many tons - did horses weigh tons? - of animal rushing towards him, Rowan’s white tipped lance leading the way.

Fuck it, he thought, giving the horse’s side another kick. The beast reared slightly then hit the ground running.

Dorian just barely managed to hang on to the reins as he wobbled in the saddle. His lance almost slid from his grip, almost landed tip down in the earth, threatening to propel him into the air like an acrobat. At the last second before catastrophe, he got it under control, just as Rowan’s lance grazed his side, going wide of a strike. The crowd cheered, and though his helmet muffled the sound, he knew it was deafening for the people in the arena.

Their horses continued running until they were on opposite ends. Some lackey of Erawan’s came running out, pretending to offer him advice or assistance. Dorian ignored him, trying to focus on holding the lance up to the proper height. By the time he got it wedged under his arm, the horn sounded and his horse took off, unprompted.

He was able to hold the lance up the whole way, but he almost fell off the horse. For the second time, Rowan’s attempt missed. Dorian knew it was on purpose, and he was grateful. But the way the crowd had begun laughing was honestly starting to piss him off. He knew he couldn’t win. He just wanted to survive. But his pride was beginning to surge enough to overtake his fear.

The third run had the same result as the first two. Rowan missed, Dorian clung to the saddle and the lance and didn’t die. The horse guy came out again, seeming to adjust some of the straps. Dorian watched to make sure he didn’t actually loosen anything, and the guy gave him a nod.

Thinking someone was calling his name, Dorian twisted around to find Manon leaning over the fence, wild-eyed and desperate to get his attention. He lifted his visor and winked at her. The gesture appeared to make her angry and she shouted again but the words were lost to the crowd.

Hoisting the lance up and securing it under his arm, the reins tight in his hand, Dorian was ready for the horn this time. The horse pounded down the yard and time seemed to slow to a trickle. He felt every hoof beat, heard every puff of air from the horse’s mouth, saw the silver armor getting closer and closer. At the last second, before squeezing his eyes shut, he angled the lance towards that flash of silver.

The force of the impact threw him back in the saddle. His feet remained in the stirrups though, leaving him arched awkwardly on top of the horse. Pain radiated up his arm like a wave until the entire thing went numb and he had no idea if he was still holding the lance. With a grunt, he forced himself upright into a sitting position. The horse came to a stop and pawed at the ground, as if in celebration.

The applause and cheers hit him almost as hard as the blow he’d administered to Rowan. Looking down to where he still somehow held the lance, then turning in the saddle to see Rowan pushing himself up from the dirty ground, Dorian slowly realized that he had won.

*****

Manon was running the second she saw someone made contact. The dust was thick and she couldn’t see what had happened. At the sight of a riderless white horse trotting towards her, she sped up, almost tripping over Rowan, who laid sprawled on the ground. His helmet had come off and he had a big grin on his face.

When she reached Dorian, he was sliding off the horse, the weight of his armor pulling him down faster than he could handle. She caught him just before he could land on his ass. Propping him against the stallion, she tore the helmet from his head and yelled, “What the fuck were you thinking? You could have been killed!”

Dorian, a little dazed, a little breathless, said nothing. He pulled her close and kissed her.

The crowd erupted, roaring their approval and chanting his name. “Black Bard! Black Bard! Black Bard!”

Yrene came over with a small medical bag, but Dorian waved her off, then went back to kissing Manon. When he let go, she stumbled backwards, still clutching his armor. His horse was strutting around them, loving the attention, while flowers rained down around them from the stands.

It was tradition for the victorious knight to gather the flowers and present them to Maeve; the Knight Commander honoring his queen. But Dorian had not been aware of the tradition. And she knew he wouldn’t have done it anyway.

Manon watched as he bent down, slowly so as not to fall over, and picked up a handful of poppies and daisies and whatever other blooms had been tossed onto the field. Dropping heavily to a knee, he smiled brightly and offered her the prize of wildflowers.

She shook her head, unable to keep the grin from her own face. Taking the flowers, she bent to kiss him, but he pulled her down onto her knees.

“I don’t think I can stand up,” he confessed against her lips.

Manon laughed and went right on kissing him. The cheers turned to a loud buzz in their ears that they ignored along with everything else.

Eventually, Rowan appeared, offering his hand to Dorian, both in acknowledgement of a well fought match, and to help him up. Manon moved to leave but Dorian refused to let go of her hand. She was glad for it, and gripped it tightly when she remembered Maeve and Erawan in their viewing box.

The two “royals” looked anything but. Maeve clapped in a meager attempt to save face at Dorian’s insult with the flowers. And Erawan glared at them both, his hate for them rising off his skin like heat in a desert.

Dorian squeezed her hand and Manon remembered why they were out here, why Dorian had risked his life.

“I know why you did this,” she said. “I wish you would have found me first.”

“What would you have done?”

She smirked. “I would have sliced him up with my sword.”

"My lady warrior,” he said, his face dropping with exhaustion as the adrenaline wore off.

“My bard in shining armor.” She caressed his cheek and he turned to kiss her palm. “Do you really have to go back to Rifthold?”

It was the first either one had spoken of what would happen tomorrow. She knew this wasn’t the time or the place, but something inside her needed it to be. She needed to know that she’d see him again. She needed-

“I’m going wherever you are,” he said simply, as if there had never been any question.

Manon smiled softly in answer, wrapping her arm around his waist to support him off the field.

*****

The next summer, without its star in the jousting arena, the Morath Renassaince Faire saw a marked drop in attendance.

Rowan had joined his new wife in Terrasen, telling his aunt to shove it. He’d taken several of the other jousters with him, leaving them one main attraction. Cairn didn’t last long however, as no horses would allow him in their saddle.

Other parts of the faire suffered too. Without the Clay Witch selling her wares, and no all-female warrior band fighting in the war, interest waned. Artists began to close their shops. Re-enactors and food vendors found other venues.

It was as if Rowan’s departure doomed the faire. And within another year, it did just that. Maeve and Erawan closed the faire and moved away, leaving the structures empty.

The town lost business, but like others who had dealt with the Perringtons in one way or another, they were glad to see the couple gone.

But the locals still spoke of that final good year. The year when a hapless, yet handsome, bard bested the reigning Knight Commander in the jousting tournament. How he knocked the White Hawk from his horse, winning in one pass. And how he spurned the evil queen and won the heart of a witch instead.

*****

tagging @itach-i @bookishwitchling @manontrashbeak @jimetg98 @mis-lil-red @chloe123love607 @sierrareads @yourfacesickens-me @awesomelena555 @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies @blackhavilliard

If you’d like to be tagged or removed, let me know :)

[imagines-for-the-fangirls-soul]

Return to Me - Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Let Them Try

A/N: Thank you all for the love from chapter one! I’m so glad you’re all liking it. Here’s chapter two! The mission that Leia sent Poe on at the end of the last chapter is the one she sent him on in the Poe Dameron comic (which, god, you should all read) to find Lor San Tekka. Now we’re at the start of The Force Awakens. If you have any questions, let me know! Also, if you want to be tagged, or I missed you somehow, let me know!

Pairing: Poe Dameron x Reader Word Count: 4,784 Synopsis: After securing the map to Luke Skywalker from Lor San Tekka, Poe is captured by the First Order and tortured for what he knows. Meanwhile, the reader tries to find her place between the Resistance and the world of politics as she returns home to ask for aid to the Resistance.

Tag List: @xeniarocks​, @too-many-baes​, @araceli91103​, @holybatflapexpert​, @themihala​, @idocarealot, @treblebeth​, @treestarrrrrrrr​, @thescarletknight2014​, @charlottie2998​, @ibikus​, @mellow-f1​, @mrsdaamneron​, @trustme3-13​ (Some links didn’t work, if this is you, make sure that your settings allow for you to be tagged by people who don’t follow you, so you can still get the tag.)

Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

“I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board,” Kylo Ren said, stepping into the torture chamber Poe was now being held in.

“It has been a few years, but I haven’t aged that horribly,” Poe said, tasting blood from his pooling lip. Ren paced behind him, standing where Poe couldn’t see. “Have you had some work done? It’s alright, you never were that good looking, so a few plastic corrections—" Poe groaned as his metal restraints tightened.

“Comfortable?”

“Not really.”

“I’m impressed with you, Commander. No one has been able to get out of you what you have done with the map.”

“Might want to rethink your technique.” Ren appeared in front of him again, his facial expressions still impossible to read behind the mask, but Poe could sense his anger. He silently raised his hand in front of Poe’s face, and before Poe knew what was happening, Ren began to open his mind. Poe started to struggle, his head smacking into the back of the hard metal chair he was confined to. He was looking for the memory of what he did to the map, but somewhere in his subconscious, Ren took a turn into more personal matters.

Flashes of you began to appear. Sitting together under a tree a few hundred yards from the old base. Climbing up to his X-Wing to give him a kiss. Swimming in the lakes surrounding Naboo. Laying together in bed.

Poe jerked out of his control, breathing heavy. He looked up weakly at Ren. What must have been a laugh registered from his mask, making Poe feel sicker.

“What nice memories.”

“You’re a pathetic waste of life,” Poe spat, lifting his head up to face Kylo Ren just as he Force pushed Poe’s head back against the metal headrest.

“How do you think Y/N would feel knowing that you are giving away all of the deepest, most intimate details of your relationship?”

“I don’t know.” Poe strained as Ren started invading his mind again. “But I bet she still likes me better than you.”

“When I’m done, you won’t have reason to laugh anymore,” he said, opening Poe’s mind again.

“Where is the map?” he asked as Poe’s face began to redden, the pressure of trying to fight him off becoming too much.

“The Resistance will not be intimidated by you.”

Ren put his full effort into his trick, extracting a scream from the pilot as he searched for his needed information.

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

After your trip to the Resistance base, returning home felt like returning to a prison cell. You had only been gone for little more than a day, but short lived freedom was still freedom. You arrived back to Naboo early in the day, and all you wanted to do was crawl in bed, but, as always, you had a full schedule.

“Y/N, please keep your head up,” Loré pleaded for the fourth time.

“Sorry,” you said, straightening yourself in your seat, “I’m just tired.”

“Do you want another cup of tea?” Sondé asked.

“No, I’ll be fine.” You looked into the mirror as Loré tied your hair up in an intricate ponytail and fought off the emotions that were threatening to destroy everything you had built up the last two years. The more time you spent away from the Resistance, the further you felt from who you were back then, and you were starting to wonder if you could ever truly get her back.

“Nové, you’re going down to the military base with Zaisa today, right?” you asked.

“Yes, my lady,” she said, glancing at you with worried eyes, sensing your stress.

“And you’re going to make sure—"

“I know my mission,” she said, nodding. Nové was going down to Naboo’s military base with Captain Zaisa in order to scope out any new recruits who would be a good fit for the Resistance. Nové’s commlink buzzed, and she sighed with a frustrated smile. “The Council is ready.”

“Okay,” you said, looking back at her for an understanding to her frustration.

“Along with Count Lin Ral who just got in from Serenno,” she said. You looked back into the mirror and steeled your demeanor.

“I’ll be right along. Loré, will you go announce my presence? I just need to put my earrings on, and I’ll be right down.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Everyone exited, with Nové bringing up the tail. She gave you a parting look, one last look of encouragement. You clipped on the gigantic earrings to compliment your dress and readied yourself for your council meeting. Although you had already transferred personal credits over to the Resistance, there was still a lot more you wanted to do, which could only be made possible with funds and supplies granted by Naboo’s council. Given that the Resistance wasn’t technically in existence, though, this was going to be a difficult task.

As you stepped into the Grand Council Room, everyone stood. The Royal Advisory Council consisted of five people: headed by Lord Sarsa Broden, with members, Lala Jrul, Rickan Gilkpasc, Sarin Sutaton, and the Gungan representative, Jobee Qod.

Occasionally, your father would sit in on these meetings as he was well versed in all things Naboo politics. Thankfully, though, he was off visiting your mother on Hosnian Prime. If he got wind that you were hoping to aid the Resistance, choosing a definitive side in the cold war between the Resistance and the First Order, when the Senate specifically forbade it, he would personally ask for your dethronement.

“Your Highness,” Broden said, taking your hands in his. “Naboo is once again blessed with your presence.”

“Thank you, Lord Broden,” you said, taking your seat.

“How went your trip to Bith, Your Highness?” Lala Jrul asked with a kind smile.

“Wonderfully well. We have worked out a trades deal that shall be beneficial to both of our planets.” You took a pause, looking at the rest of your council, trying to sense their reaction before they gave it. “My discussion with Bith gave me another idea as well,” you said carefully.

“An idea?” Jobee Qod asked.

“It has been a long time since the building of our Ion Pulse, since any real threat was attempted to our way of life. We have been lucky, but we are not the only ones in the galaxy. Our trades deal with Bith has given me the idea to draft new legislation.” Sondé stepped forward with your plans and projected them on the Holo table. “With our shared commitment to helping others, I have come up with a plan where we can share resources with endangered people and places all over the galaxy. This program would be run by a group of advisors who would decide what issues most need our help and choose the necessary supplies. We’ll make sure to get students and other bright minds from around Naboo to join the program, creating a group of young leaders ready to make a change.”

“Who would you suggest lead this program?” Broden asked after a moment’s thought.

“I don’t have an initial pick right now, but there are a handful of people I would trust as interim until one can be appointed by our council.”

“What about when we need help?” Rickan Gilkpasc asked.

“Of course, the Naboo are our first and most important priority, but with each and every act, we’d be gaining allies who would help us out if we run into trouble. If we ran into a course of action where we needed to step back, then our advisors would decide to do so.”

“Meesa thinks issa splendid idea,” Jobee said.

“Thank you, Councilor.”

“I second that,” Lala added.

“I agree,” Broden said, smiling at you. With his vote, your program would go into action, and you could help the Resistance.

“Thank you for your confidence, and I hope to earn the rest of yours as well once the time comes,” you said, looking to the other council members who looked less ecstatic about your proposed plan.

“You always do eventually,” Sarin said with a smile.

Each of the councilors had their own proposals to discuss, so your meeting lasted for another two hours. Once finished, you were the first to stand and leave. You went out a side exit and waited for everyone else to leave so you could have a word with Broden.

“Your Highness?” a voice asked, making you jump. You slowly stepped away from the pillar you were hiding behind and found Lin Ral standing in front of you. He bowed, making you reluctantly laugh.

“You’ve found me,” you said.

“What is a queen doing hiding in her own palace?”

“Palaces were made for hiding.”

“Is that so?” he asked as he extended his arm to you. With a nod of your head, you took it and allowed him to lead you away from the council chambers.

“When did you arrive?” you asked.

“This morning. A few hours after you did.”

“Yes, the people of Bith kept me for the night,” you said, lying easily. “How are things in Serenno?”

“Wonderful. I wish you would come see it for yourself.”

“Perhaps someday soon,” you said, making him sigh. “What are you doing back?”

“My family sent me to see if we couldn’t tie up the last few strings of our arrangement.”

“Are you here to ask me to marry you?” you asked, looking up at him.

“I am.” You stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking into his eyes to catch a trace of a lie. “But judging by your face, now wouldn’t be a great time.”

“No, I’m sorry, it wouldn’t. I’ve just proposed a lot of new legislation, I have many trips planned in the coming months, this isn’t the time for an engagement.”

“But if it were . . ."

“If you’re asking for an answer, I don’t have one for you. I’m sorry,” you said, unraveling your arm from his.

“Did you meet someone more charming?” he asked. You laughed and shook your head, continuing your walk down the hallway.

“No. I just . . ."

“Can’t marry someone you don’t love,” he finished. You looked back at him, smiling sadly as you carefully nodded. “I didn’t think I could either, but when duty calls—"

“Please, spare me. I’ve heard this from my parents a million times. I have a duty to my people still. I just started campaigning for my next term, if re-elected I will have two more years as queen.”

“Do you want me to wait that long?”

“I can’t tell you to do that.” He nodded and folded his hands behind his back, steeling his demeanor like you had done many times before.

“You’re a very hard person to crack, Your Highness.”

“Years of practice,” you said with a smirk. He bowed his head softly.

“Well, I’ve kept you from your secret rendezvous long enough.”

“Oh, I—"

“There you are, my lady,” Broden said, coming up the hall. Lin smiled at you once more before turning around. “I thought you wished to speak. Did I interrupt?” he asked, glancing down the hall.

“No,” you said, shaking your head to compose yourself. You turned your eyes from the hall and looked up at Broden. “You don’t think they—”

“Suspect anything? Of course not. And why should they? You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re trying to help the right people.”

“The people I think are right.”

“They are. And so are you. You shouldn’t doubt yourself.”

“I try not to,” you said, breathing in.

“Maybe if you delivered the news in person it would put a breath of fresh air in you,” Broden said simply. You looked into his eyes, a smile spreading across your face slowly.

“What?”

“I know you were just there, but I think it’d do you some good to go back to the Resistance base. Perhaps for longer than a night. Sondé can step in for another day or two, but that’s the longest you can stay away. And no more secret missions for quite some time.”

“Absolutely,” you said, quickly hugging him. “Thank you.”

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

“Fuck,” Poe groaned, coming to in the torture chamber.

Kylo Ren had collected the information he needed, and once he was done, he pushed Poe’s head one last time against the metal headrest, knocking him out cold. Poe pulled on his restraints, knowing that he needed to warn the Resistance. Ren knew that the map to Luke Skywalker was in BB-8, which meant that everything he had fought for during the last few years was now in jeopardy.

The restraints weren’t budging, and the longer he sat there, the more his mind began to wander. The images that Kylo Ren had managed to salvage from his mind were playing over and over in his mind. He felt like he had betrayed you, showing all of your most intimate moments to that monster.

The doors slid open, taking him from his memories. Poe opened his eyes, unaware he had even shut them, to see another Stormtrooper walk into the room.

“Ren wants the prisoner,” the newcomer instructed. The guard watching over Poe nodded and released him from his restraints. Expecting that he was about to be led to his execution, Poe looked at his guide less than enthusiastically. The new Stormtrooper ripped him down from his shackles, only to handcuff him again

“Come on,” he said, pulling Poe into the hall. He marched him up and down corridors, so much so that Poe couldn’t have found his way back to his cell even if he wanted to. One more twist around a corner and the Stormtrooper commanded him to turn into an abandoned closet.

“Listen carefully. You do exactly as I say, I can get you out of here,” the Stormtrooper said quickly.

“Wh— what?” Poe asked. His mind was still reeling from Ren’s torture, but he thought he just heard the Stormtrooper say that he could help him escape. The Stormtrooper took off his helmet and Poe took him in for a moment.

“This is a rescue. I’m helping you escape. Can you fly a TIE fighter?” he asked.

“Are you with the Resistance?” Poe asked.

“What? No, no, no, I’m breaking you out. Can you fly a TIE fighter?” he asked again.

“I can fly anything,” Poe said confidently. “Why— why are you helping me?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.” Poe fought the urge to roll his eyes.

“You need a pilot.”

“I need a pilot,” the other man conceded. Poe looked into his eyes, seeing that he was genuine and beamed.

“We’re gonna do this.”

“Yeah?”

They got back into position, the Stormtrooper with his helmet back on, Poe reshackled in his handcuffs. He marched Poe through the halls until reaching the hangar. Stormtroopers were everywhere, but the thought of getting BB-8 back and away from the First Order kept him smooth and steady. His accomplice, however, was anything but relaxed.

“Okay, stay calm, stay calm,” he muttered, glancing around.

“I am calm.”

“I was talking to myself,” the man said. Poe reminded himself that he needed to escape, no matter who with. He readied himself, and at the Stormtrooper’s command, turned to the left and boarded one of the TIE fighters lining the wall.

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

You returned to the Resistance base with less decorum than the first time. Sondé was masquerading as you back on Naboo, which meant that you weren’t actually here. You sent Leia a transmission that you were coming, and she met you in the back of the base. There wasn’t a large welcoming committee waiting for you on the base, which was a relief. For the first time in a long time, you weren’t Queen Bhavisama, you were just Y/N.

“Y/N,” Leia said with a smile, taking your hands in hers. She took you in for a moment, your blue dress, and your hair in natural curls down your back.

“Thank you for having me back on such short notice.”

“You don’t need to thank me, this was your home once, too. We’re always glad to have you back. And you’ve come bringing good news, I hope?”

“Yes. The Naboo Royal Advisory Council approved my legislation, which means, through some handiwork of Broden’s, we can transfer credits to the Resistance without anyone taking notice.”

“I don’t know how you managed to pull that off, but all I can say is I’m glad you’re on our side,” Leia said. Smiling, you followed her into the base just as the dark clouds that had threatened to rain all day made good on their promise. You rung out some of the water from your dress and when you looked up, Leia was smiling at you.

“What?”

“It’s just really good to see you. You know, acting like yourself.”

“Well,” you hummed, “I still don’t feel much like myself. It’s been so long since I’ve been anywhere without a trail of people following behind me. I still feel so strange being back here,” you said with a sigh.

“I might have a way to fix that,” Leia said, opening the door to the main, bustling hallway of the base. You looked around the room and saw a group of orange jumpsuits gathered around a Holo table.

“Leia, I’m not sure I’m ready to—”

“Poe’s off on a mission right now,” she said, smiling back at you. “But I thought it would be good for you to see how your donation will be used in our fight.” She led you over to the table and each of the members of Black Squadron looked at her with admiration, and you with anything but.

“General,” Snap said, nodding his head. “Your H—”

“Uh, just Y/N, Snap,” you said with a smile. “Bhavisama is back on Naboo.” He nodded his understanding and even granted you a small smile.

“What brings you here, Y/N?” he asked.

“She comes bearing gifts,” Leia explained.

“My Royal Advisory Council has approved my program to give aid to lifeforms all around the galaxy. Our first donation will be to help the Resistance.”

“That’s wonderful,” Suralinda said. “Thank you.”

“You’re really welcome.”

“We’re supposed to have a strategy meeting about upcoming missions, why don’t you stick around and hear how your contribution will be put to use,” Leia offered.

“Oh, I shouldn’t.”

“I insist,” Leia said, motioning for you to take a seat.

Her debriefing only lasted for a few minutes. She explained to the group vague, but powerful plans for what to do when the credits and supplies started coming in. She spoke about which planets they would start on, where their strongest enemies were, and everything in between until there was nothing else to cover, except one thing.

“Of course,” Leia said, “This all relies on what information Poe is able to gather on his mission.”

“Are you going to tell us where you sent him, yet?” Karé asked. “Or when he’ll be back?”

“No need.” You all turned your head at the sound to see Commander D’Acy walk into the room. “Commander Dameron just returned,” she said. There was a clear look of worry on her face.

“Is he alright?” Suralinda asked, quickly standing. “Can we see him?”

“Of course. He’s in the Medical Wing.” The rest hung around for the rest of the story, but Suralinda took off immediately. As you watched her leave, you felt a twinge of jealousy.

“What happened?” Leia asked.

“He’s fine. Ran into The First Order,” D’Acy replied.

“Did he find the map to Luke?” Leia asked.

“Map to Luke?” you asked in shock. She seemed to remember that you were still here for the first time and immediately stood.

“Y/N, would you excuse us?” she asked, coming over to your side and pulling you up out of your chair.

“What? No. Why? I thought I was supposed to see how my donation was going to help—”

“Yes, but this information is confidential.”

“Are you kidding me? If Poe found information on—”

“Y/N, please understand, now is not the time,” Leia said firmly. You breathed out of your nose, hoping to calm your anger before it boiled over. It felt like you had just been scolded by one of your parents, in front of all of your old friends. You scoffed and looked to them for any needed assistance. They all averted their eyes, frowning sheepishly.

“Fine,” you said, “Let me know when you’d like more than just my money.”

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

Leia sat down again after you had stormed out and explained to Black Squadron the mission on which she had sent Poe. They all agreed that with the severity of Poe’s mission, it was best to be careful about who knew what until they could secure the map to Luke.

All eager to see Poe, they went down to the Medical Wing together. As they walked in, they saw Suralinda’s hand wrapped around Poe’s bandaged bicep, smiling at him. He had a few bandages on the rest of his body and lots of cuts on his face and hands, but he had definitely looked worse. When he saw the rest of his friends, he sat forward and beckoned them forward.

“How are you feeling?” Snap asked, touching his shoulder.

“I’ve been worse. Glad to see you’re all worried about me, though.”

“Worried about you?” Snap asked with a grin, “Never.”

“Yeah, we were actually all hoping that Snap would get your job,” Karé said with a smile, wrapping her hands around her husband’s shoulder.

“Well, I’m not gone yet.”

“Not for a long time,” Snap said, taking his hand in a firm grip.

Poe smiled along with his friends until his eyes found Leia’s. For a moment he forgot the monumental fuck-up he had created by losing the map to Luke. He cleared his throat to keep from laughing at something Jessika said and looked at her seriously.

“I’m sorry, General, I don’t have the map to Luke.”

“Lor San Tekka didn’t have it?”

“No, he did, but I stowed the map inside of BB-8 before the First Order captured me.” They all looked anywhere from mildly surprised to downright outraged that he had been taken by the First Order.

“Alright, so let’s go get BB-8,” Jessika said. “Is he still down on Jakku?”

“I don’t know,” Poe said with a sigh. Leia looked at him curiously, sensing that there was something he was hiding. “When the First Order captured me, Kylo Ren took it upon himself to get the map’s location out of me. I wasn’t able to resist him. He used some kind of mind trick—”

“Did the First Order get to the map already?” Leia asked, cutting him off.

“I don’t know. BB-8 wasn’t on Jakku when we crash-landed.”

“Who’s we?” Suralinda asked.

Poe filled them in on his new friend, Finn. He explained what happened when they landed on Jakku, his rescue by Naka Iit and how he got back to base; the entire time, reading Leia’s face to gauge just how disappointed in him she was.

“Well, we must find BB-8 before the First Order does,” Leia said, standing, “Javos, reach out to your contacts in the Outer Rim and have Threepio do so as well. Black Squadron, suit up. Once we have confirmation of BB-8’s location, we’ll need an immediate rescue mission.”

“Yes, General,” they chorused, making their way towards the door. Poe began to sit up, hoping to join them, as Leia put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.

“Not you,” she said firmly.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not well, Poe.”

“I’m fine. Quick shower and I’ll be ready to go,” he said, once again trying to get out of bed.

“He was in your mind, Poe. It’s not something you can immediately snap back from.” He thought back to the memories that Ren had extracted from his mind, trying to piece them back together. Leia frowned at him, touching his arm softly.

“I have to do this,” he said softly, looking up at her with wide eyes.

“Why?”

“Because I’m the one who lost the map.” It was difficult for him to admit defeat, especially to his mentor. “He broke me, Leia.”

“Even the strongest person would succumb to his powers.”

“Yeah, not me. It wasn’t supposed to happen to me.”

“You’re not invincible, Poe. No matter what you try to convince yourself. It’s okay to be compromised,” she said. He dropped his head with a sigh. “We can get the map back.”

“I know.”

“Then what’s bothering you?” she asked.

“He didn’t just look for the secrets to the map,” he admitted.

“Y/N?” she asked, already expecting his answer.

“Yeah. He decided to take a detour through our personal memories just to fuck with my mind.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. Poe shook his head, looking across the room at nothing in particular. “It’s not your fault.”

“I shouldn’t have let him in,” he said, looking back at her seriously.

“Well, there’s nothing you can do about that now,” she said with a frown. “Except get the map before he does.”

“I thought you said I couldn’t go—”

“I’m not stupid enough to think that you won’t tag along anyways once I leave this room. So, I might as well tell you what you’ve missed before you dash off to save the day.”

“Alright,” Poe said with a laugh.

“Y/N was able to get us the funds we need to keep our fight going.”

“That’s great. Right?” Poe asked, looking at her worried face.

“It is. I just wanted to warn you that she’s here.”

“Here? As in here here?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” he asked.

“She wanted to deliver the good news in person.”

“And?”

“And she misses it here just as much as we miss her. She was just giving Black Squadron the good news when Commander D’Acy said you were back. I sent her away when the discussion turned to Luke.”

“Why?”

“Because Y/N isn’t just a member of the Resistance anymore, she’s the queen of a planet. We won’t always be her top priority. I want you leading Black Squadron when we locate BB-8’s location, but only if you’re up for it. I am worried about you, Poe. You’re only to go on this mission if you’re well enough.”

“I am. I won’t let you down again.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” she said, standing. “You’ll be ready soon?”

“Yes, General.”

“Good.” She smiled as she walked to the door and stopped with her hand on the handle as Poe called her name.

“Leia, is Y/N still here?” he asked.

“For the time being. Why?”

“It’s nothing. I’d just like to apologize,” he said weakly. Leia frowned and walked back to him.

“I’m sure you both have a lot to apologize for, but if you’re going to apologize for what Kylo Ren did, save your breath. Y/N knows the power of his control. She wouldn’t hold it against you.”

“It’s not just that,” he said, taking a deep breath, looking at his bandaged arm.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said with a sigh.

“I meant what I said, Poe. I only want you out there if you’re ready.”

“I am ready, General.”

“Good. Get the map.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Poe said with his most charming grin.

[thepancakeboi]

60. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong, and don’t try lying to me.”

Divergence AU Part III

Previous | Next | AU list | Prompt source

Fanfic under cut

11/16

“Hey, you okay?”

I glance up from the drink I’ve been staring at for the past five minutes, meeting Ren’s inquisitive gray eyes. “I’m fine. I was simply listening to the song.”

Ren doesn’t look convinced. “Akeppi-”

“I told you not to call me that in public,” I interrupt in a hushed whisper. Granted, we’re the only patrons currently in the jazz club, but still. I don’t even know why he calls me that. He just randomly said it after our fight in Mementos a couple of weeks ago and has continued to use it since.

“You’ve barely said anything since we left Penguin Sniper. Are you sure you’re fine?”

“I...have nothing to say.”

That’s a lie, of course, and Ren knows it. So much has been on my mind the past month. During our first foray into Sae’s Palace, I had hesitantly told them about the plan to kill Ren. I also told them about my identity as “the man in the black mask”, but only because Makoto and Morgana had figured it out and confronted me about it. I still can’t believe that I’m working with them like this. They...accept me, to some degree. I hadn’t expected them to completely trust me, but they’re all naive enough to not condemn me for what I’ve done. Even Haru and Futaba, the two people who should hate my guts, aren’t hostile to me. They should be, though.

I have so many things I want to say, but...

“Goro?” Ren sounds worried. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” I say, dismissing his concerns with a wave of my hand.

“It isn’t ‘nothing’. You can tell me.”

“It is,” I snap, my friendly facade breaking for a brief moment. It’s become harder than ever to keep the mask on, to hide what lurks beneath the superficial nature I present to the world. “You needn’t concern yourself over the bastard son of a rotten father.”

“Who’s your father?” Ren immediately asks.

“What?”

“What’s your father’s name?”

A strangled laugh escapes my lips. He doesn’t even realize it yet. How would he, though? My father and the man we’re currently after are one and the same. “Why would you care? He’s not important to our current mission.”

“I want you to be happy. Isn’t that enough of a reason?”

“It’s a foolish reason.” I go back to staring intently at my drink as if it’ll give me all the answers I need. It won’t, but at least I won’t have to look Ren in the eye as he tries to get me to open up to him. I don’t need his help.

He hums as he continues to look for a clue to solve his own questions. “That’s not what’s bothering you, is it?”

“Of course not.”

“So there is something wrong.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you didn’t say nothing’s wrong.”

He’s right. I should have denied it. With a huff, I chug down the remainder of my drink and stand up, stalking out of the jazz club without a word. This was a waste of time. My thoughts are still there, like a tumultuous storm clouding my judgment. Maybe what I need is a solid blow to the head to knock me out for the next several days. Then I wouldn’t have to...

I stop, turning around. Ren stands a few feet away from me. He must have followed me out. “What are you doing?”

“We weren’t done talking.”

“Well, I am.” Of course, when I go to leave him behind yet again, Ren doesn’t seem to get the hint. I whirl around, nearly about to smack some sense into him as he grabs ahold of my wrist. “What the hell do you want?”

“I want you to tell me what’s the matter.”

He doesn’t even seem fazed by my reaction, a reaction so out of character for detective prince Goro Akechi. He still has that damn concerned look on his face. I try to pull the pieces of that fake personality back together, but my words ring hollow as I respond, “Look, all I need is some time to myself. Just leave me be.”

“That hasn’t been working for you, has it?” No, it hasn’t been. “I told you I’d always be there for you. I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong, and don’t try lying to me.”

“Ren, I’m fi-”

“Do you trust me?”

The question is completely unexpected. “I...I want to.” But I don’t know how...when I barely even trust myself.

“Then let’s go to Leblanc and we can talk this over.”

I shake my head. “That would take too long.”

“It doesn’t have to be Leblanc. Wherever you need to go to feel comfortable talking to me.”

I can only think of one place other than Leblanc, but...would it be weird to...? “Would you be okay with coming with me to my apartment? It’s not too far from here.”

“Sure.” He nods, though why he’s smiling I have no idea. Maybe it’s because I’m confiding in him after all.

We walk to my apartment in comfortable silence. As we weave our way through the streets, Ren slowly slips his hand from my wrist into my hand. I side-eye him curiously. Why is he doing this? It’s not like I’m trying to actively lose him in a crowd. I don’t object to it, though. For some reason, I almost...welcome his hand in mine. Even when we arrive at my apartment and find ourselves sitting side by side on the futon, he’s still holding my hand.

And I...don’t want him to let go?

Damnit, I must be more emotionally compromised than I thought.

I don’t even know when I started giving a shit about Ren. I’ve been spending more and more time with him than I ever had during the summer. He never refuses me. He’s spent all of today with me after school ended for him. It doesn’t make any sense. Why would he ever want to spend any length of time with his future murderer?

That’s the root of my problems, isn’t it? The counterplan the Phantom Thieves have come up with is daring, reckless, and honestly is one huge gamble. I don’t normally doubt myself, but it’s going to take a lot of luck for Ren to get out of this alive...

“Goro?”

The way he says my name, gently prying to find out what’s been occupying my thoughts, nearly breaks my composure.

But I can’t let him know my doubts...my fears.

Yes, I’m afraid. I’m afraid I’m going to shoot him in the head, for real. That Ren Amamiya, the second year at Shujin who so quickly enthralled me and became my antithesis, will die in an interrogation cell all because he got caught up in a plot where he can’t even begin to see the full picture.

“I don’t...want you to die.”

“I won’t die.”

“How can you be sure about that!? You’ll be completely defenseless, and I-” My words catch in my throat, but I force myself to say them regardless. “I have to pull the trigger. I won’t be able to prevent that. There won’t be a second chance if we fail.”

“We won’t fail.” He sticks his free hand in one of his pockets. When he pulls it out, he has my glove in his hand. “We still have a promise to keep.”

“I can’t believe you have that stupid thing.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

I have no response to that. Instead, I respond with, “And you just so happen to have it with you.”

“I’ve had it with me since you gave it to me. And do you wanna know why? Because it’s from you.” He gently squeezes my hand, a lopsided grin spreading unbidden on his face. I had forgotten that he’s still holding my hand. “You’re my treasure.”

My eyes widen. “I’m your...what?”

“I mean it. I may be a Phantom Thief, but you’re the one who stole my heart.”

My stomach clenches. I try to ignore this feeling, for now. “Was that supposed to be a pickup line? If so, that’s the cheesiest one I’ve ever heard. And trust me, I’ve heard some extremely stupid ones.”

“What if it was?”

“I’d chastise you for your timing since you could be dead in four days.”

“I’m not going to die. I still have stuff I need to do.”

“Like what, fight a god?” I ask with just a touch of sarcasm.

He laughs at that. “No. But maybe I will just to prove to you that I can.”

I laugh as well, although mine is forced and devoid of any mirth. This time, I make sure he can hear my sarcasm as I reply, “Oh, that’s just brilliant. You’re going to fight god because you can.”

“And win, just for you,” he says with a wink, grinning at the prospect. My first thought is “what the hell is wrong with this boy”, followed immediately by “I think I love him”.

Oh.

So, that’s what this feeling is. How did I not realize sooner? It’s painfully obvious in hindsight. He’s the one person I’ve taken an actual interest in for a long time. Life always feels better when he’s around. But does he feel the same? No, he couldn’t. He can’t love someone as rotten as me. My heart refuses to listen to logic, though. Tentatively, I ask, “You’d really fight a god for me?”

“Yup!” Ren answers almost immediately. Yawning a little, he leans back against the futon and arcs his back for a moment. The motion almost reminds me of a cat. “Hey, Akeppi?”

There’s that dumb nickname again, though I can’t say we’re in public this time. “What?”

“It was a pickup line.”

I try to laugh it off as a joke. He cannot be serious. I don’t care if I hope that he means it; it’s not possible. “Surely you jest. I’m sure you have girls falling head-over-heels for you.”

“I may be Joker, but I’m not joking about my feelings towards you.”

“I lied. That is the cheesiest pickup line I’ve ever heard.”

“Is it working?”

I’m silent for a while, unsure of how to respond. I can’t deny that I feel something for the raven-haired boy sitting next to me. It’s complicated. Everything about him, from the way he looks at me with those beautiful gray eyes to the way he plays with his bangs when he’s lost in his thoughts to even the hum he makes when he’s thinking, it’s all so...perfect. I don’t deserve someone as special as him. I don’t. Yet here he is, willing to give me a chance. But, there’s no time for this silly romance cliche between us, not until Ren is decidedly not going to die at my hands. “Let’s just focus on surviving the rest of this week first.”

“Okay,” he replies. He doesn’t seem upset, which is a good sign. “Are you going to be okay tonight? If you want, I could stay the night.”

I shouldn’t even be surprised that he’s the one who suggests that first. “I...I suppose...but don’t you have school tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I’m sure Kawakami’ll cover for me.”

“I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you-”

“Don’t worry, you aren’t,” he immediately interjects, taking the opportunity to lean against me.

We must have managed to fall asleep there, because the next thing I know, it’s morning. Ren is still resting comfortably against me. People say that seeing someone sleeping makes them look more adorable, and now I can see why. His hair gently falls into his eyes, his lips parted ever so slightly as he dreams. Hoping not to disturb him, I place a soft, little kiss on his forehead. He continues to blissfully sleep. I don’t know if I’m imagining it or not, but I swear his lips twitched into a smile for a brief moment. I can’t help but smile wistfully back, even if he doesn’t see it. My voice is barely a whisper as I give words to the thoughts in my head.

“I love you, Ren. Please...don’t die.”