#(there'll be more in the next chapters i promise) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gravedigginbbydoll · 9 months

Text

Hawkins University : The Munson Edition

AN: Hey y'all! I'm sorry for the brief hiatus, this past week has been insane. Working at a University is NOT FOR THE WEAK. I've been doing quite shit tbh (blame crazies and my job). Anyways, this chapter is a little sad (I'm so sorry, I swear there'll be comfort later). Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Also pls remember reblogs and comments are appreciated ! I love feedback!

→ cliches: friends to lovers, heavy use of nicknames instead of Y/N, we're all just struggling college kids, Music Tutor! Eddie, Resident Assistant! Reader, good girl x bad boy, instant connections, 'I don't trust most people but I trust you', 'are we friends or more?', and 'I can't believe you're such a slut that you have a special dtf drawer...'

→ warnings: mature topics, insecurity, hurt and comfort, drinking and drug usage, strong language, bullying, mental health, discussion of suicide and self harm, mature thoughts, eventual smut, minors dni

→ pairing: modern!college!eddie x college!fem!reader

Chapter 6

Bugs POV

It had been two weeks since your sleepover. You had found yourself staying over on weekends, you and Eddie falling into even more of a comfortability with one another. You both discussed everything under the sun, getting to know all the intricacies behind the other. You learned Eddie loved his tattoos and hated needles, how his family was really from nearby Hawkins but he often refused to go home due to his reputation in town. He let you know how he was the town pariah as an openly bisexual metalhead delinquent and how Hawkins was the first place he began to feel like himself. You learned he loved thrift stores and record shops, could live off of cereal and beer, and hated the smell of overly fruity vape juice (“If it fucking smells like a middle school girls locker room, why would you smoke it?”). You even learned that Eddie had a…reputation…on campus. You hadn’t heard about it until your American Government class, where the girl behind you (Christine?) had been giggling with her friends about the way the ‘punk guy who deals’ had fulfilled her ‘wildest dreams’. She went further into detail, but you tried to zone her out at that.

Anyways, you decided to help Eddie out to face his fear of changing his major. Which led you here.

You were standing at the door of the Advising Office, Eddie fidgeting beside you. You could feel his anxiety rolling off of him in waves. Eddie was often an overthinker, but equipped at hiding it with putting on a show. He tended to not do so around you, though. You reached out gingerly, grabbing onto his elbow, the denim jacket he wore soft and worn from use against your hand.

“Eds, it’ll be okay. I’ll be right here. I promise,” You softly whispered, eyes searching his face to try and get him to meet your gaze.

His brown eyes met yours, full of worry as he gulped. He looked back towards the doors, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I don’t know if I can do this, Bug. What if Wayne-”

You cut him off with a light smack to his elbow, rolling your eyes playfully. “You specifically called Wayne to talk about this. I was there. He just wants you to be happy. I remember because you put him on speaker and I still could barely hear the man.”

Eddie sighed, nodding and huffing out a breath before he headed to the door, marching inside. You smiled, your heart squeezed softly in pride. Eddie had talked with you and leaned toward Music Therapy. He felt something tug him towards helping young kids through music, letting you in on a small bit of his own struggles. You were grateful and didn’t push, only being told that he had ‘gone through some mental distress’ last year, causing him to get put in inpatient for a bit, falling behind in classes. You recalled his face as he sat on his bed with you, strumming Sweetheart (his electric guitar) softly, voice shaky with emotion.

“The only thing that called out to me was music. I just want to be there for people who feel the same way.”

You were snapped out of your thoughts as Eddie exited the office, face in a soft smile, eyes watery with tears. You rushed over, worry sinking in.

“What happened? Is it too late to enter those classes? Eds, I-”

“I filled out the application to switch over. She told me that it may take a few days, but because I was within the music department anyways, it wouldn’t be a difficult switch. I have to wait to take some of the courses, but I can drop my two Production courses without penalty,” He sighed softly, his tone full of relief as he looked down at you, blinking away tears before hastily pulling you into a hug. He squeezed you softly, mumbling thank yous into your hair, clear relief flooding into your system. Eddie was affectionate and loved touch, so you were glad he was feeling better.

You squeezed back, heart soaring.

Everything was going to be okay.

You stood in the local Rosa’s Costumes, the store filled to the brim with props and clothing. It was a favorite of the theater department at Hawkins and had been running for years. You and Eddie were among the clearly haunted prop items and section of the store that was for some reason themed as pirates. Eddie was perusing the hundreds of clothing and costumes on the aging racks, the familiar smell of Rosa’s incense wafting through the store.

“I don’t think we should go as anything basic, because we are anything but,” Eddie stated cheekily, wiggling his brows over at you.

You felt your stomach twist and turn as you plastered on a smile as best as you could. Eddie was referring to the Kappa Nu party that he had extended an invite to you to. You knew Eddie usually sold at parties and while it made you nervous (he had called you his favorite little square after you expressed concern), you were more anxious at the idea of being anywhere near the Kappa Nu house. You knew it boasted the hottest girls in Hawkins and it would be packed tight with bodies on Halloween night.

You originally had a plan of doing what you always did with Eddie: renting a lot of campy horror movies and cuddling on the couch while drinking and Eddie would smoke, the two of you laughing at the practical effects. And then maybe after you’d head into town to see the local Ghost Walk that occasionally came through detailing all the spooky haunted places in town with an over the top narrator.

But Eddie had burst into your study period at the library with Nancy, excitedly telling you about his success in his new courses and his ability to catch up. He called for a celebration as Nancy laughed and bid the two of you goodbye to head into work. Then he told you about getting an invitation to Kappa Nu, his eyes twinkling with excitement. And honestly…

How could you have said no to that face?

So now you were here, in a theater kids wet dream of a store, thumbing through costumes to try and stumble upon an idea. Eddie was zipping up and down aisles, a pep in his step. He was recently more animated and less stressed, the clear joy from his new classes clear as day. It warmed your heart.

Eddie grabbed your hand, walking briskly toward an aisle before turning to grin that megawatt smile at you. “I think I just had the perfect idea,” He gushed, turning back around to lead you with determination, clearly on a mission.

You felt your heart race and face heat up as tingles ran up and down your arms. Eddie was unaware but your crush was carving and worming it’s way deeper into your heart, the affliction becoming harder to ignore. You tried to tell yourself that it was better this way, Eddie being too good of a friend to pass up. But every hug, every cuddle, and every warm cheek kiss led to more and more of an entanglement, your mind at war with your heart.

Even Robin began to notice. You told her there was no way he would like you back, what with being Eddie, but she wouldn’t hear your excuses. She stated that it was clear that the two of you were ‘dumbass lovesick puppies’ who ‘couldn’t read the room worth shit’. You had finished the conversation at that, seeing a resident come up to the desk, and the last thing you needed was your hall gossiping about your romantic life or lack thereof.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when Eddie let go of your hand, grabbing for a ridiculously large leather jacket with a huge collar, clearly meant as a biker or greaser costume. You cocked your head at Eddie, eyebrows furrowed while you fought back a smile.

“What are you doing with that thing?”

“We can go as The Driller Killer and an 80’s girl! From Slumber Party Massacre 2!,” Eddie said excitedly, his dimples appearing as his grin grew.

You laughed a bit, shaking your head with a smile. Eddie would pick the campy serial killer who was based off of a greaser and had an electric guitar with a murdering drill on the neck. It was perfect.

“Sure, why not?,” You laughed a bit as Eddie grabbed your hand immediately to drag you off in search of the other pieces.

Maybe the party wouldn’t be so bad.

You were standing on the front lawn of the large white mansion, knees shaky as you felt your stomach churn. Suddenly your makeup felt stupid and your clothes too tight. You tugged on the jean shorts and blue cropped t-shirt you wore, your body feeling as though it burst into flames. Eddie grabbed your hand, squeezing it and giving you a soft smile.

“It’ll be okay, Bug,” He said softly.

You looked up at him, his hair coiffed carefully with the rest back in a bun, his large ridiculous leather jacket and tight jeans still looking like a dream on him. He wore the fake cutout prop of the guitar drill slung on his back and some fake blood splatter across the thing. Even in his campy get up, and laughable oversized leather collar, he looked adorable. You pinched your own leg discreetly, trying to curb the feelings.

You nodded up at him, squeezing his hands and turning to face the house once again, walking toward it. Once you entered, you felt your senses become overwhelmed. You saw flashing lights and a million bodies stuffed within the house. The smell of weed and alcohol along with perfume, cologne, sweat, and sugar lingered in the air, making your head spin. You felt the bass of the music playing inside vibrate through the floor, traveling through your bones almost. You clung to Eddie, feeling as if you’d either vomit or faint if you let go. Eddie rubbed your hand softly, leading you deeper inside to the kitchen, the room’s island filled with various bottles and bar piled high with boxes and cans of soda, Twisted Teas, Trulys, White Claws, a large plastic tub of bright pink alcohol brimming with fruit. Eddie grabbed a cup with ice and a coke can and the Jack Daniels bottle, quickly mixing up a Jack and Coke for you. He handed you the cup, your fingers brushing as you grabbed the sticky red plastic. Your heart sped up as your whole body felt a burst of heat and electricity. You tried to brush it off.

“Thanks, Ed,” You shouted over the music as he nodded softly at you, a smile on his lips.

You took a sip, determined to let loose and forget this impending tornado of feelings swirling in you. You could be calm. You could let go.

Eddie grabbed himself a beer, smiling at you and pointing to turn your attention towards Robin and Steve, the two clearly already intoxicated. They were dressed like Doc Brown and Marty, Robin amusingly dressed as the doctor (though she had removed the wig and was twirling it in the air it seemed) and Steve dressed as Marty, puffer jacket and all. You laughed, waving at them. Robin waved, and elbowed Steve to wave back.

Jonathan and Argyle appeared then, dressed as Cheech and Chong. Jonathan smiled at Eddie as Argyle nodded at the two of you.

“Killer costumes, dudes. No one appreciates campy horror these days,” He mused, taking a sip of his soda.

Jonathan furrowed his brows and shook his head, clearly not as aware of the reference to your costumes as Argyle. He was about to open his mouth when Steve and Robin came up. Steve slung his arm around Jonathan’s shoulder while holding his half empty cup in the other hand, grinning.

“Wassup guys? I- I had a little too mu-much,” Steve hiccuped, grinning.

You laughed softly, covering your mouth with your hand. Steve could be a bit of a worrywart and mother hen, so it was nice to see him let loose on these occasions.

“Hey-hey….psst….Roomie!,” Steve frantically whispered to Eddie, causing Eddie to grin a bit.

“Yes, roomie?,” Eddie teased, clearly keeping a mental note of the interaction to tease Steve for later.

“I- I saw that hot girl you’ve been see-ing a bi-bit…here…She was over t-there,” Steve slurred, lifting a weak finger to point behind you.

You felt your stomach churn. Eddie had been seeing someone? You knew he hooked up with plenty of people before but had put a pause on it for a bit. You looked up to Eddie out of the corner of your eye, seeing his face pale a bit as he faked a laugh, eyes guarded as he tried to change the subject. Was he hiding a girl from you? Something serious? Your heart raced as you felt as though a thorned vine wrapped around it, squeezing and puncturing it, your mind going through every scenario.

While lost in your thoughts, Steve lost his footing and slipped from Jonathan's grip, losing his hold on his drink. The bright pink liquid mostly splattering on your shirt, making you come to your senses while also feeling anxiety bubble up and tears sting the back of your eyes,.

“Oh-Oh Bu-bug I’m soo sorry, I-,” Steve blubbered, eyes wide in panic as he looked at you and you felt your walls come up. You needed to get out of here.

“It’s okay. I’m just gonna go clean up,” You said softly to the group, eyes with a blank stare as you pushed through the crowd to go upstairs.

You happened upon a miraculously empty bathroom, entering and wetting a towel while dabbing at the bright blue shirt, actions getting more frantic as your vision began to blur. You began to feel your hands shake as you sobbed softly,

You were a fool.

Girls like you didn’t get Eddie Munson. Girls like you didn’t get dates, period. You studied and worked snitchy jobs and lost sleep over not pleasing people. You avoided new things and never stepped out of your comfort zone. You pinpointed every flaw in the mirror until it was all you could see. Boys like Eddie Munson knew nothing but kindness and courage, building a thick skin, and women pinning and giggling after them. Eddie Munson knew adventures and spontaneity, he knew dates with people and sudden hookups. Hell, he knew sorority girls.

You leaned over the bathroom counter, the sobs wracking your body now as you lost control. You felt your insides twist and turn and pull. You were a lost cause. You couldn’t lose your friendship, but you felt the feelings pouring out of your skin and bones, shattering your insides.

You sobbed more, scratching your throat raw, your whole body aching with pain.

It hurt. Knowing you were not enough.

You should’ve known it was coming, as it did always, but you felt it so deeply now that you wouldn’t soon forget.

You sobbed until there were no more tears left, hands gripping the counter as you looked up to assess the damage. Your bright blue eyeshadow and liner were now muddy splotches on your face, swirling colors. You sighed, wetting the towel again, going to scrub off the evidence, your heart sinking.

You’d have to put walls up. You wouldn’t give up Eddie. Just…be more realistic.

You scrubbed until your face was rubbed raw and felt warm from all the friction of the scratchy guest bathroom towel, your mind and heart too fresh with pain to consider the germs. You splashed some water on your face before beginning to head down,

You headed down the stairs when you spotted it in the dark corner of the crowded room.

Eddie. And a petite blonde.

She was giggling at something he said as they talked, her hand on his arm. She was dressed as a cheerleader, the costume clearly a real uniform from her days in high school. Eddie was speaking animatedly with her, clearly unaware of your current state.

You raced down the stairs, dodging bodies as you zoomed past Argyle, barely hearing him call out as you rushed out the building, heading outside to the cold and lonely air.

Fuck Halloween.

Taglist: @josephquinnsfreckles @corrodedcoffincumslut @kirisuteg0men @bebe07011 @amira0303 @vintagehellfire @lottie-90

111 notes · View notes

stusbunker · 4 months

Text

Spotless: Eco

Chapter Eleven

Featuring: Dean Winchester/Reader, Dean/Bela

Other characters: Bobby, Bela, Dick Roman and Kobe Bryant mentioned (look, he wasn't supposed to be here but I did my research and well, he had to be), Anael, faceless paps

Word Count: 1683 with pictures

Warnings, etc: Mutual pining, tour planning, brunch and shopping with Bela, unbeta'd

Series Masterlist

“Okay, well the official schedule from the touring company arrived, so I have maybe a week to set up the promo interviews before they announce it publicly,” you said over the phone.

“Yeah, with Crowley it’s probably gonna be sooner. Annie’s gotta find someone to step in for the whole year with this so she’s already interviewing. Let me know if you need anything, because I’m just sitting on my hands until we’re actually rolling out,” Bobby replied solemnly.

The give me something to do, please, was implied.

“Check with Benny and his boys, I know the label is supplying some guys too, but I trust you to secure the crew and security schedules,” you said as you made another note on your ever increasing list of to do’s.

Two months may have seemed like a long time, but it was the shortest turn around you’d had for a tour since taking over as publicist for Phantom Traveler and you’d be damned if you fucked it up.

“With the holidays coming up, we’ll be in a pinch to get everything nailed down. But all the commotion with Bela and everything, people will be chomping at the bit to get actual news,” you added, staring unfocused at your computer monitor.

“And he’s got that interview coming up you said, just Dean for that one?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah,” you sighed. “I really hope Meg doesn’t eat him alive. But it’s his chance to give his side of things and for people to see where his head is at now.”

“The sassy little brunette, right?”

“The very one.”

“Is it going to be a tit-for-tat thing? Is Cas gonna be next for a tell-all?”

“Bobby, I don’t think Cas would do an interview and talk bad about Dean even if they paid him. He’s moved on.”

“If you say so, Dean didn’t exactly play nice.”

“He must have had hundreds of offers for the dirt since leaving the band. And everything I hear about him now is just about the kid he’s working with and how they’re creating something unique.”

“I just know how that reporter liked him— the last time.”

“I’m sure she’s going in with the bias against Dean here. Time will tell if she can be swayed,” you admitted. “Plus, Dean won't be alone. We made sure there'll be a few of us there to make it easier.”

“To keep him from making a damned fool of himself you mean.”

“Basically.”

Bobby sat on the other end of the line with his gruff silence before continuing, “you going home for Christmas?”

“Yeah, got the usual stuff with my folks for Christmas Eve then I’m helping Ellen on Christmas day. I’m flying so I won’t be gone more than a few days. Probably end up spending half of it at airports with my luck.”

“Okay, just checkin’.”

“You guys have any plans?”

“Just service on the night before and maybe something with Annie’s cousins. Might just be a train of open houses.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.”

“Hey, I didn’t say I’d enjoy myself.”

You laughed and wrapped it up with a promise to touch base before you left town. The next two days were a whirlwind of emails and phone calls. You put off confirming brunch with Bela for Sunday, but relented from guilt, as she now had regular visits from paparazzi outside her townhouse due to her and Dean’s night club-hopping. You finished up your Saturday errands and plopped yourself onto your stationary bike in a last ditch effort to fend off your restlessness until it was a reasonable enough time to crash.

God, your life was so exciting.

Bela poured you another glass from the endless pitcher of mimosas. “Anyway, I guess Dean got us tickets to the Lakers’ game tomorrow night, like I actually care about baseball.”

“Basketball,” you corrected, taking a sip.

“Exactly,” Bela smirked.

“How good are the tickets? He doesn’t really follow it either,” you continued, worried they’d be in an embarrassing section.

“I think he said something about getting the label’s box for the game?” She tried to play innocent.

You almost spit out your drink. “The entire box?”

“It’s not floor seats’ exposure, but it will be worth it at least. I think he said he called in a favor with Dick?”

“Dick Roman is giving Dean access to his exclusive luxury box at the Staples Center?” You were floored, you opened your phone and googled who they were playing. “Holy fuck, they’re retiring Kobe’s number tomorrow. It’s going to be insane. There’s no way that box isn’t gonna be packed, but at least you can bump elbows with the uppity ups.”

“Kobe Bryant, yeah? He was quite prolific,” Bela seemed pleased.

“Uh, yeah, played his whole career here,” you added, but put your phone away. Unwilling to text Dean a ‘wtf’ text while you still had another hour of drinks and foodstuffs to get through. “What are you going to wear?”

Bela slid her most compelling face on. “I was hoping we could find something together. It’s been ages since we drunk shopped. Plus, it’s the holidays so I will need to be a bit tipsy if I want to deal with the crowds.”

You had literally nothing left to buy for Christmas, but drunk shopping was a time-honored tradition between the two of you. Plus, it was fun watching Bela work her magic and pull a stunning outfit together out of seemingly discordant pieces.

“Three stores and I’m getting my own ride home, missy,” you warned with a firm pointer finger.

“Of course!” Bela chuckled and tucked into her eggs, eyes flitting back to you with conspiratorial delight.

You finished off your mimosa and finally saw to your french toast.

Bela’s driver took you to all of her favorite haunts and naturally she weaseled her way in to see the best stylists, at least those who were actually on hand on the Sunday afternoon before Christmas. At Sister Jo’s boutique, the owner herself greeted Bela with a double cheek kiss and hug.

“What are you doing here? Wait, don’t tell me, you need an outfit asap because your little rocker boy toy needs arm candy,” the woman, who was actually named Anael, teased.

“You know me too well,” Bela replied. “This is my dear friend, Y/N, and we’re a bit on the tilt from brunch, but I simply had to come see you. I need something casual and sexy. It’s for a basketball game.”

You waved as she nodded in your direction, not wanting to break the momentum.

Anael frowned and looked Bela over, with much consideration. Then she hummed before asking, “how do you feel about hats?”

Nearly two hours and a top off on champagne later (to keep your buzzes going), you and Bela walked out of the shop with a bag each and a receipt ensuring Bela would be back in the morning for the alterations on the remaining garments.

“Well, I’d say that was a successful outing,” Bela said with pride, the pink in her cheeks the only hint of her lingering inebriation.

“I’d say,” you agreed, opening the back door of her pre-ordered ride. “I still can’t believe they had something that would work for me for New Year’s.”

Bela waited on the curb until she could slide in the other side, but continued your trail of thought. “Anael is good people, if she likes something, she carries it. Doesn’t matter the size or price, she is all about how an outfit makes you feel,” Bela explained.

“Well, it worked, because I just spent more on myself than I have the entire year because of how good it felt on, so I get it,” you said, patting the bag at your feet.

Bela confirmed your address with the driver and then hers, thanking them for going out of their way in a way that she wasn’t actually apologizing for being a burden.

“You got eyes on you lady,” the driver warned, pointing towards the corner where a camera lens was trained on the car.

“Ignore them, they’ll find someone else before they follow us very far,” Bela promised and you could see her almost glaring at the rearview mirror for the driver to get the lead out.

You sat on the couch in your robe and sleep pants, hair still wet and wrapped on top of your head. You had crashed for a late afternoon nap after shopping and had rebounded with a blissfully long shower and skincare treatment. Now you watched mind numbing television and plotted out your schedule for the coming week. Even though it was cut short with holiday travels, it was full-to-bursting with things to get done.

You sighed and dragged out your suitcase from under your bed, dropped it on the couch and unzipped it to start packing. At least you could watch something while you organized.

Just after ten your phone buzzed with a text message. You ignored it for a minute until you could find the remote beneath your pile of socks and paused your Lord of the Rings rewatch.

You stared at the conversation with the movie still paused, dumbfounded. One, that Dean sent you a goodnight text of all things and secondly that he was going to willingly give Bela his phone to post on social media about them. Because it’s not official until they’re both posting each other, or so they say. This was going to be big for the fan girls. You already knew Becky would be emailing you the second she saw it. But as far as fanclub presidents went, she wasn’t the worst. Then again, she would be more than a little bitter if Sam and Madison were the ones flaunting their relationship.

You put a reminder in your calendar to cover an extra sweep of SM while you were waiting out Dean’s interview Tuesday morning and then you tossed your phone back amongst your clothes. You were done for the night and so you shoved your half-packed suitcase on the floor and restarted the movie.

Tagging:

@deans-spinster-witch

@mrswhozeewhatsis

@cosicas-cuquis

@fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like

@suckitands33

@ladysparkles78

@deans-baby-momma

@stoneyggirl2

@sassy-pelican

@leigh70

@globetrotter28

@winharry

@lastactiontricia

@rockhoochie

Chapter Twelve: Hook

#spotless series #dean winchester fanfiction #dean/reader #dean/bela #slow burn #rockstar au #fake dating

42 notes · View notes

gingerlurk · 1 month

Text

Binding

Din Djarin x f!Reader

A Lovers' Crest one-shot (in three parts). Complete on A03.

Here's the LC Masterlist.

Summary: It was the hardest time of your life, those six months separated from Din Djarin. And when you and the Mandalorian had reunited amid passion and a promise of always, you'd wanted nothing more than to leave that wretched, lonely period behind. You should know by now your past will always have other ideas. This galaxy just isn’t gods damn big enough for all your missteps. And a chance encounter is going to test your bonds whether you want it to or not.

[Or, the characters from Lovers' Crest have a little post-story adventure! Could be read standalone, if below warnings are noted, but probably more enjoyable if you've read the whole thing.]

Word count: This chapter: 6kish. Total: 19.5kish.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, smut: unprotected piv (be safe), multiple Os, creampie, breath play, established relationship. Also, lots of action, characters in peril, bug/insect/creepy-crawlies imagery, discussion/descriptions of a slave colony (SW/sci-fi style), non-canon planet, lots of being non-canon in general, teeny tiny reference to Reader with someone else, thus jealous!Din makes an appearance. The next chapter is a little rowdy and there'll be warnings there. Please let me know if there's more to add I am rusty.

A/N: Hiiii. So yes, these are the characters from Lovers’ Crest. Just coz they insist on continuing to live on in my head, having adventures. And I thought it’d be fun to explore a dangling thread of plot I’d just left there to… dangle. (Chapter 16: The Bounty Hunter, for reference.)

This came about when a certain little unaired pilot took us fans of the man by surprise back in… September? And a certain gif set burrowed into my psyche and would not leave. This is the result.

And honestly? Bit off more than I could chew for a while there. It does say one-shot, but this is a three-parter. Also, fully admit I’ve been a touch lazy with parts of it. Goes with the territory.

Part I

The cave is dank. The air putrid with the smell of stagnant water and mildew.

Din Djarin makes sweeps with his scanner array as he walks through the gloom. From one side of the passage, across the jagged roof of the rocky ingress, to the other. Every surface drips liquid in a constant pat, pat, pat. He does his best to ignore it falling on his helmet and shoulders, soaking through his cloak, along with the clammy sensations gathering on his skin under all the armour.

This tunnel is among a matrix of caves spiderwebbing up and out from an aquifer that penetrates deep into the crust of this small planet. It’s the only source of water around, which is why the facility where the target awaits was built right over the top of it. The factory pumps the precious resource and draws all moisture from the surrounding terrain, leaving it dusty and barren.

Down here though, Din would kill for something dry.

You crinkle your nose and look across to him.

‘Well this is miserable,’ you pout, holding your hood forward to keep the drops out of your face.

He shrugs. ‘Your idea,’ he replies, stepping over a particularly deep puddle. ‘Your “debt”.’

It’s a petty description; he’s being petty. He knows it. He doesn’t want to be. Doesn’t want to be feeling this jagged edge of jealousy pricking at his mind either. Knows he shouldn’t. That it’s unfair. But it’s making itself known whether he wants it to or not.

‘Ouch,’ you murmur, stare head on again and continue to walk. He sighs.

‘Sorry,’ he says, reaching over to nudge a loose strand of hair into your hood. You let him, but don’t engage further. He sighs again.

‘Patu,’ Grogu inputs. The child drifts closer to the two of you in his pod, peering ahead. He doesn’t often use the little transport device these days, but something about this job had agitated the young one and Din had suggested the pod to try to ease his nerves. Grogu had accepted the idea with a grunt of appreciation.

‘It’s alright, kiddo,’ you’re saying. ‘We’re alright.’

He gives a nervous chirp as the path forward grows darker. Three beams of light stab at the eerie grey atmosphere – one emitting from Din’s helmet, one from the little device on your shoulder, and one from the headlamp of Grogu’s pod. Your shadows dance across the walls as your group makes its way through the dark.

The damp path you’re on burrows into the maintenance shafts of the vast power plant that is the destination. Once inside, it’ll be a matter of tracking the target with the makeshift fob you had – quite cleverly – devised with the limited intel Din had gleaned.

As a fresh whiff of stink hits his nose, he gives thanks there’s not much further to go. But just as the thought occurs, the sensors in his helmet pick up the ground ahead dropping away into a sheer cliff. He puts an arm out to signal for Grogu to hang back as you and he approach the edge.

‘Dank farrik,’ he mutters. ‘That wasn’t on the Crest’s scan.’

‘Rock must have been too deep to pick it up,’ you reason, shuffling closer to peer over the ledge to the pitch black below. ‘Or maybe it’s new? Is there seismic activity here? Can’t see how far down it goes. Or how far across.’

‘Well, let’s scope it out,’ Din begins to engage his jetpack, reaches an arm for you. ‘C’mere—’

He’s drowned out by a deafening noise that fills the rocky space and grows louder and closer within seconds. From across the chasm you’d just been contemplating, two huge shadows emerge from the dark to make a rapid approach. You and Din waste a crucial second to look at each other in alarm. Then they’re on you.

Din is cannonballed backwards by a massive black thing buzzing angrily. It slams him into the wall with a grunt. You shout his name just as a second insectoid monster whizzes overhead, careening off a large stalagmite to turn back and make at you with a mad hiss. You duck into a tumble to dodge its charge and it shrieks in fury as it sails past. The one on Din clacks mandibles in his face. He grabs hold of them and yanks, dragging them apart. The screeching intensifies until his flamethrower unloads into it and it drops to the ground twitching.

He has enough time to stand up and assess the scene before three more are accosting your party. One bursts into sticky bits as Grogu sweeps a tensed claw across himself, eyes closed and channelling his Force powers.

The creature that had missed its attack on you collides with the second incoming and they wobble about in the void. The third is headed straight for you.

Panic seizes Din’s chest. He doesn’t have time to reach you. But you’re standing tall, torch beam trained on the monster and a vibroblade readied in a fist. At the perfect moment, you twist side on so it barrels by and the blade makes a wide arc to find a home somewhere near its head.

The thing goes berserk, flipping onto its back while screaming and thrashing. Disgust on your face, you draw your blaster and unload into it. Once, twice, three times. In the time it takes, Din has crossed the space to treat it to a thorough roasting, reducing it to a spasming mess.

‘What the f—’ Before you can finish, the pair that had collided shoot upwards over the ledge, clearing your heads.

One just bashes straight into the granite ceiling, stunning itself and crashing to the ground by you. You drag your blade free of the dead one and rend a long slash along it, carving the carapace like covering clean off. It screams until it stills.

Din’s attention is on the final creature, which isn’t so clumsy. Corkscrewing in the air to orient itself, it spies a target and whizzes straight for it. Straight for the child.

He jabs at his vambrace and the pod strafes, swinging Grogu out of the thing’s trajectory. It had been moving so fast it ricochets off the wall with force. Tumbling backwards. And, no.

It slams into you, catching you by surprise and sending you with a scream over the edge into the chasm below.

‘Grogu!’ Din yells. The child already has arms up and eyes shut. Your cry of terror cuts to a string of ‘oh gods, oh my gods, oh shit, oh shit’ as he uses his powers to arrest your descent.

A spike of adrenaline surges in Din and the disoriented bug is snatched from the air with a hiss of whipcord. It gets reefed backward and ripped in half by the incensed Mandalorian.

Dropping the gory black pieces, he scrambles to the drop-off and leans over. You’re in midair, looking up at him with eyes wide and arms and feet dangling.

‘Holy shit!’ you yell. ‘Grogu! Good job!’

‘Are you okay?’ Din strains to keep his voice calm.

‘Uh, yeah...’ you twist to look over your shoulder. ‘I think it’s water at the bottom. Not sure how deep though. But if Grogu can let me down easy it’ll be—’

‘He’s got you,’ he calls back. He looks to his son, who is trembling with concentration, then back to you as you start to rise toward him. The panic eases a little.

‘Oh,’ you say. ‘Wow. This is... this feels weird.’

Din raises a forearm to ready his whipcord again. He’s about to launch it down to give you some stability when something hard wraps around his ankles. He hears a clank and feels a pull. He’s tugged onto his front and dragged backwards, away from the ledge. Past his son, whose eyes pop open to watch him go with a panicked ‘EH!’

He hears you scream again, followed by a huge splash. Some kind of heavy door snaps between him and the scene. He’s in total darkness. A sharp jab into his neck and he’s lights out.

One day ago

The Razor Crest is docked and resting. Grogu as well, cosy in his little hatch, slumbers deep. There is nothing and nobody around to hear the soft moans and dulcet praises drifting out of the cabin.

Din has had you spread across his lap for an eternity, massaging your ass and encouraging the rocking and swaying motions to work yourself on him. He stays deep so your clit grinds against his pelvis, so the head of his cock kisses your cervix.

Your mouths have barely parted, unable to get enough of lips and tongue sliding together. Sometimes kissing, sometimes just panting and pressing and playing. You can still taste your juices there, from when he had pleasured you until you were begging to have him inside you.

The orgasm now approaching with steady rotations of your hips is the third since straddling him, though you’d not bothered counting quite a few before that. There was no point, really. Din had lately discovered a stamina that awed you – though he had insisted it was just the natural result of having ‘your beautiful, perfect body, mesh’la,’ in which to indulge.

Hands buried in his dark curls, you smile and sigh as a gentle, warm bliss spreads over you.

‘Mmm, that was a soft one, was it?’ he hums against your cupid’s bow. ‘Only just felt it, love.’

‘Mmhm,’ you murmur back. ‘Felt good. Think I’m just getting all oversensitive now.’

You know better than to suggest wrapping up the session, to try to lay him back and ride him to completion. Know by now to let him give and give until he’s ready to accept. So you wait.

He presses his forehead to yours and considers.

‘Shall we try something new?’ he asks. You pull back to look at him. Your face is questioning, curious. Trying to think what he may mean by that. His brown eyes glimmer in the low light, warm depths that you can lose yourself in over and over. If you had it your way, you’d sink into them and never surface again.

‘Something new,’ you say. ‘Like what?’

He eases himself from you, lifting you from his lap and you whine a tiny ‘noooo’ at the sloppy sucking sounds of your parting. After so long feeling full and stretched, the emptiness is palpable.

‘Ssh, mesh’la,’ he coos. ‘Hush, trust me?’

‘Of course,’ you say, but still antsy. Feeling yourself drip with need. You let him guide you onto your hands and knees. He settles behind you, lets his stiff cock rest at the top of your ass.

‘Tell me if you don’t want to do this,’ he says, waits for acknowledgement – a nod of the head – before sweeping covetous hands over your lower back and ass. ‘I’ve been reading,’ he goes on in a husky drawl.

It’s such an odd statement you huff through your nose, look around. ‘Oh?’

‘Mmhm,’ he says. ‘A tome on the… pleasures of the flesh, I guess.’

You smirk, swipe a thirsty lick over your lower lip and regard him. ‘Din Djarin,’ you say with mirth. ‘Have you been reading smut?’

He gives you a low chuckle that you feel dance down your spine and swirl in your lower belly. The sensation is intensified when you see a hint of blush creep onto his features.

‘Not exactly , cyar’ika, love,’ he says. ‘More a guide. It suggested that a little added pressure, applied right, can heighten the um, the intensity at climax.’

He bends forward, braces an arm so he’s hunched over you, crowding you. Stomach pressed flush to your back and his hardness sandwiched between you. The other arm glides along your hips, skirts your waist and snakes across your ribs, between your breasts. A light forefinger taps the hollow dip at the base of your throat. It sweeps a smile-like shape from one ear to the other.

‘Here,’ he whispers. ‘Applied here. What do you think?’ The wandering digit is joined by the rest of his huge hand, which takes a gentle hold, barely touching.

The longer your pussy has been empty and untouched, the more it throbs and leaks. But your senses have indeed channelled a direct line to the feel of his hand there, can’t help but imagine what it’d be like to have him tighten his hold, push in, hold your life between the press of skin.

So you nod, the underside of your jaw and chin brushing against his hovering hand.

He rumbles in affirmative praise. ‘Thank you, cyar’ika,’ he whispers against your shoulder. You wait for him to move, to press in and start restricting your breath. But he shifts his hand down to press flat to your sternum instead. A petulant little whine turns to a gasp as your hauled up. Straightened at the waist so you and he are pressed together staring into the mirror hanging at the head of your bed.

Din had installed it at your request not long ago. You’d said it would make the cabin feel bigger. And it did. Though he didn’t much care about that and was quick to find other means for its use. Finding that he rather loved to make you watch yourself get fucked senseless.

You found yourself just fine with that too.

In the reflective surface, he locks gazes with you. You melt back against him.

‘So, we’re gonna take it slow,’ he says. You’ve no doubt. He’s an expert in patience when it comes to drawing pleasure out of you. The warm hand rests on your chest, forefinger on one collarbone, firm thumb on the other. Each receive another light tap before the hand moves back to the column of your throat. Comes to rest so those digits settle at the underside of your jaw, below your ears. No pressure yet.

He watches your face in the reflection, raises both brows in question, ‘do I keep going?’ he silently asks.

Nodding again, you nearly whimper as he still doesn’t move. Seems instead to be considering something of great import. After a torturous beat in which you’re on the verge of opening your mouth and begging, he lifts the other arm. It had been resting on your hip but now it moves to take up one of your wrists and guides it up. Wraps your fingers around the forearm resting at your breast.

‘Hold onto me, here,’ he rasps, close to your ear. ‘Let go if I should stop, okay?’

That’s it. You’re begging.

‘Yes, Din, yes, okay, but please please please, I need, ah!’

There it is. The hand at your neck finds the two perfect spots on either side and squeezes. It’s amazing how quickly your body reacts. Hands tingle with the errant sensation. Heart rate picks up and delivers static bursts against your ribs. Your thighs are quivering and your belly draws in to hug around the wanton desire at your core.

Torn between clenching your eyes shut to lose yourself in the feeling and wanting to see Din’s face, you make the effort to lock eyes with him. A pitch-dark, heated gaze flicks to and fro across your face and body. Locked in furious concentration as he stares at you in the mirror. But eventually, you have to let your eyelids drop and loll your head onto his hard shoulder, drunk on lust and want.

‘There,’ Din sighs in satisfaction. He eases off for a little, lets you suck in air. He reaches up to cradle your cheek, where blood rushes to burn you up. At your sublime smile and glassy-eyed stare, he moves back down, smooths over your jaw, finds his place and tightens in again. ‘Now, let’s see…’

His free hand moves to your breasts and, as your head swims with airy pleasure, pinches a tingling nipple. It’s like an electric shock and you arch your back against him, keen with a delirious kind of desperation. The intensity of it a measure of magnitude more than you’ve ever felt. Fingernails dig hard into his forearm as he works the bud – every tug and tweak eliciting a burst of sensation in your pulsing sex.

Oh, gods. What it will feel like when he finally touches you there. The thought alone is almost enough to bring you crashing over the edge. But no, he holds you on the precipice, watching your face while his two hands play you like a fine-tuned instrument. He knows just when to ease back, let you draw breath, and he knows just when you want more, gives it to you, over and over.

Right at the moment you feel you might scream – your clit now on the verge of an eruption set to tear you apart – both massive hands move. You moan with abandon as oxygen rushes back through your body, now overtaken with the vivid, buzzing waves of your approaching high. Din grips your hips, draws back to angle himself at your entrance. You’re babbling, yes, yes, ah, please, please, please, as he slides in, your juices letting his cock take and stretch that space within that is made for him.

He’s going in slow, inch by agonising inch, eking all he can from the movement, hissing and snarling with satisfaction. But you’re unable to hold yourself up, overcome and overwrought, and flop forward – only just catch yourself on an outstretched forearm. The angle forces him to bottom out in a snap of your ass to his hips and he lets out an almost pained grunt.

‘Oh, fuck,’ he spits. ‘Fuck, you’re perfect. Fuck, you feel so good.’

‘More Din,’ you beg. ‘Please, I want more.’

You’re a burning wick, shimmering and melting all over. All you need is for Din to replace his hand at your throat and move and you’ll—

He doesn’t hold back, throws the whole candle into the flames that lash and hiss at your lower belly and spine. Din cages you into his hunched form again, seizes your neck with one hand, grips your thigh with the other, and begins to fuck you hard and fast, pressing everything from your mind but the glistening, dazzling climax roaring toward you.

His thrusts are perfect inside you, finding the spots that sizzle with the friction. The force of his hips hitting your behind intensifies the tightness at your throat and you feel every bit of it your body bowing into the line between the two. His grunts and pants of effort feel louder, closer, inside.

The hand you’d had holding onto him falls away to hit the mattress with a thud. He releases his grip. His questioning, ‘Okay?’ is drowned out by your cry of, ‘So close!’ and the fingers that had been restraining you shift down your body, find your bundle of nerves, apply just the right pressure, and—

Oh sweet GODS!

It’s not just one rush of exquisite release, it’s rippling waves like a tide pool filling up. Pouring into you and coursing across your body again and again. You grip the bed covers like you might fall and let the whine that had settled in your throat crawl up and escape as a low moan – all you’re capable of. All you can do as it peaks, and peaks, and peaks.

‘Uh, gods, shit,’ he gasps. The hand on your thigh leaves and you know he’s squeezing the base of his dick hard right now. Edging himself to withstand what must be an exquisite feeling of your cunt spasming on him over and over.

But oh gods, holy fuck. You’re done. You’re spent. You have to tap out.

Reaching an arm to bury fingers in his hair and hold his head to your shoulder, you plead, ‘Please, Din. Please, want to feel you. Want to feel you cum.’

He accepts. He lets himself take it. Your cunt is a mould for his throbbing shaft, cast to bring him to nirvana with you. He bucks into you so hard, your whole body gives out, flattens to the mattress and he follows you down, dropping his hips into you at a pace so frenzied – in such contrast to the patience and precision of before – it sets the sparks going inside you again. Your body can’t help but wring another shattering release out of you and, at the feeling of you clenching hot around him, Din lets go.

‘Fuh, gods,’ he cranes his head to pant into your welcoming mouth. ‘Uh, fff- shh, huh, cuhhh- cumming.'

His groan sticks in his throat but his cock finds the very depths of you and spills his seed there, fills you and nurtures you. His mouth stays on yours and, as he rides out his high, starts to kiss you long and slow and deliberate while you each shift back into reality.

A sigh of, ‘I love you,’ slips into the air between you. And the responding, ‘Oh, so fucking much,’ dances in the breaths shared between your locked gazes and dazed smiles.

By the time you’re both showered and dressed again, Grogu is awake and making impatient cooing and burbling noises in his space.

‘That kid’s always hungry,’ you say, at the exact moment your stomach chooses to let rip a hollowed-out grumble of its own. Din smiles at your sheepish look.

‘You wanna head out?’ he asks. ‘Get a hot meal?’

‘Sounds amazing,’ you say, handing him his helmet and leaning up for a kiss. A thorough, deep kiss that – despite the past few hours leaving you about as sated as you think it’s possible to ever be – lights a renewed fire under you all over again.

You’re in real trouble.

It’s less a matter of finding it difficult to choose, and more about the fact you want to try it all. This bustling interchange hub had, over time, attracted purveyors of delicacies from across the galaxy. And it all looked delicious.

Adding to the challenge, the market is massive. Passing vendor after vendor, you get to the end of a row of stalls to find a whole new city block full of enticing smells and eye-catching dishes.

‘Din,’ you lean to him, lay a hand to the arm carrying the child. ‘I think I need to spend a month here. Eating everything.’

He chuckles, a warm rumble from his helmet. ‘We’ll definitely come back, that’s for sure. Why don’t you get the—’ But he’s distracted by Grogu having got hold of some kind of steamed bun, munching on it with a gleeful purr. ‘Hey, where did you get that?’

The two of you check the surrounds, trying to spot the stallholder selling the buns so you can slink over and pay for the kid’s sticky-fingered snack. Din focuses one way and you look the other, tracking over colourful signs and animated faces of all shapes and sizes. You’re about to turn back to report nil sightings when your eyes land on a familiar face and you freeze. Not a stallholder. You swallow as that ravenous appetite from before fades into a solid pit in your gut.

You make one futile attempt to duck out of view, to avoid this and stage a retreat. But it’s too late. You’ve been spotted. So, with reluctance, you slink over to an entirely different source of debt from a slightly less recent past.

Gaius straightens from the bollard they’d been leaning against.

‘Hey,’ they say, soft and easy. You eye them as you come to stand level. Looking for any anger or resentment. Any malice or indignation. It’d be fair enough. You had promised them you were one job from settling said debt when you’d up and disappeared along with the rest of the Guild. It wasn’t exactly your fault of course. But the pilot – who’d looked out for you and transported you all over the fade quadrant without question for several months – didn’t know that.

They had every right to be furious that you’d skipped out on what you owed.

But they seem... relaxed? Greeting you like an old friend.

‘Hhhhi,’ you say with a dumb little wave. ‘Gaius.’

‘You’re a sight,’ they say. There’s something in their tone, like you’re just a vision. A mirage shifting in and out of existence.

‘Listen,’ you start. ‘I’m really sorry about—’ But you’re stopped by a hand raised and a shaking head.

‘I heard,’ Gaius says. ‘I heard about the Guild up and shipping off to some Imperial invasion or other. Glad to see you’re alright, at least.’

‘Yeah,’ you kick a boot and pop hands in pockets, like a little kid caught sneaking off. ‘That was… I…’

Gaius is looking at you with a small, amused smirk. But the expression drops to a slacked jawed awe as Din takes that moment to step up to stand beside you. You’ve seen it plenty of times now. Were now used to strangers openly staring at your partner. Strangers who’d make no effort to hide the fascination and amazement when confronted with the statuesque wonderment that is Din Djarin.

But this is no stranger.

Gaaaah, ripping this plaster off is going to hurt.

‘Mando,’ you say, with an arm raised, ‘This is Gaius. We met, uh- we met while I was… away.’ The arm sweeps between the two of them. ‘Gaius, Mando. And this is Grogu.’ The kid has yet another fresh steamed bun and he waves it around while burbling with content.

The two adults regard each other. You stand between them, feeling wretched. After a beat, Gaius seems to make a decision. They turn to you.

‘Well hey, if you are still looking to settle that debt,’ they say. You wince as you hear a whisper quiet ‘debt?’ from the man beside you. ‘I have a job in mind that would put you free and clear. You are still working bounties, right?’

With raised eyebrows and palms out, held up, they wait.

Shhhhhit, you think. This is going to suck. Let out a sigh and a shrug.

‘How about we start with, I buy you a drink?’

Gaius grins, and nods.

Shit.

‘So,’ Gaius says, at ease with elbows propped on the booth’s table. You’re already cringing. ‘You two together then?’

You twitch on the bench seating, twist a drink around by its base. Gods, you’d managed to make things so awkward.

‘Yeah,’ you say. ‘Very much so.’

They nod, jut out their chin in contemplation. Could they just drop it and tell you want they want from you, already?

‘That who you were running from?’ they prod. ‘When you were with me?’

Your eyes dart over to Din, wary of how he’s going to learn about what transpired in those long, desperate months apart. You’re now really wishing that you’d talked about it. The barest details at least. But he had never asked and you had wanted nothing more than to just move on. Take the lessons learned and move forward.

Apparently you hadn’t learnt enough. You should know by now your past will always have other ideas. This galaxy just isn’t gods damn big enough for all your missteps.

Fortunately for the moment, Din is on the other side of the bar getting distracted by Grogu trying to steal an irate patron’s plate of ribs.

You look back to Gaius.

‘First of all,’ you say. ‘I wasn’t with you, okay? We were working together.’ They raise a brow, an unnecessary clarification. ‘And that was one time. Could we please not--’ Gaius straightens with a flick of the eyes to the side, tipping you off that Din and Grogu are approaching. You clam up.

The two of them take their seats. Din slides into the booth beside you and the kid just plants his butt on the table, gnawing on a meaty bone. His father shrugs. ‘Paid the guy a couple credits,’ he explains.

You shift in your seat again.

‘So what’s the deal?’ he asks.

‘We haven’t gotten to that yet,’ Gaius says. ‘We were just catching up.’

You pull an annoyed face at them.

‘Okay,’ Din says. Goes quiet.

You scull your drink. Immediately regret it, the strong flavour making your vision swim.

‘We were just getting to it,’ you burp. You can sense the puzzlement flowing off the man sitting beside you, try to get your breathing under control. ‘If you wouldn’t mind,’ you say, with a wave to the table companion across from you.

Gaius takes a drink of their own and sets shoulders back, draws a deep breath.

‘Right, okay, so... Sorry, it’s hard to know where to start with all this.’

Noticing a slight tremor has crept into their hands, you lean forward. ‘Start anywhere, we’ve got time,’ you say, as soft as you can. Try for a reassuring expression.

You get a grateful nod in return.

‘Okay. So I’m from a planet called Evalon,’ they plough on. ‘If you’ve heard of it?’

You shake your head as Din gives one solid nod.

‘Right,’ Gaius focuses on Din. ‘So you know that it’s a…’

‘Slave planet,’ he finishes when they trail off. You startle, look back across the table at the pilot with whom you’d briefly travelled. A tug on your heart. You’d had no idea.

‘Sure, yeah,’ they don’t give you a chance to dispense any sympathies though, pushing on in a rush. ‘Used to be just a whole colony of the indentured… But it’s a little different now…’

Over the foamy liquid of the drink you’d bought, Gaius tells a story that brings a dawning horror upon you. Slips icy daggers between your ribs. Settles a profound dread within you as vast and as wide as the greatest oceans.

A generation ago, the people of Evalon revolted. Rose up and tried to end the awful system that kept them in perpetual servitude. Tried to fight off the brutal company of droids that had kept them under the thumb of a faceless regime. They had failed. As punishment, a new system was introduced. A new piece of tech created that, as you sit there and listen, makes the primal lizard part of your brain lurch in terror.

Mind control.

‘They call it binding,’ Gaius says, and you’re awash with gooseflesh. ‘It suppresses all independent cognitive functioning, hacks into neural links that obey without question.’

Under the renewed tyranny, children were implanted with the device and sent off to toil away. There was minimal need for security because they were no flight risk, docile and programmed to follow a set path, a known routine. And the droids that once guarded them were decommissioned down to a skeleton crew.

The adults were cast out to live in squalor and decay on the outside. Neutered and powerless. Unable to rise up again lest their children be harmed, or worse. They were all and one trapped in an evil psychological vice.

‘Why just the kids?’ you ask. ‘Why not chip everyone and make them all work?’

Gaius smiles at you sadly. ‘Pragmatic as ever, you are,’ they say. You realise how insensitive your comment was, kick yourself and mumble out an apology, that wasn’t what you meant... Sorr-- But they shake their head. ‘No, it’s a valid question, and the answer is important.’

They explain. Though a terrifying and unprecedented feat of ingenuity, the tech isn’t perfect. Its effectiveness has a half-life in a fully formed frontal cortex. Once of a certain age, it only works for so long before the subject – the enslaved person – can break out of it and act of their own accord.

‘That’s how I got out,’ Gaius says. ‘The birthdate on my chain code was always inaccurate, a quirk of the system when I was born. So I was kept in the ranks for longer than most, and was able to break out. Run away. But…’

Squaring shoulders back and looking you head on, they state the case. The job.

‘My little sister is still there. I think. I hope. And I want you to rescue her.’

The bustle and chatter of the bar filters into the silence that cloaks the table. You’re at war with yourself. You want to know where this Evalon planet is so you can ensure to stay far away from that cursed, horrifying place for all of time. The notion of binding. Of being bound. It sets off every single fear instinct in your body.

But you can see a sad desperation flickering behind the steady features of the person across from you. So unlike how they were when you worked with them before. It tugs on your heart. This is something they’ve carried too long. Behind a jaded yet sanguine veneer. A horrific past and a deep love still lurking back there.

‘So,’ you say, thankful for your even tone. ‘You want us to go to a slave colony, with mind-control tech, and evil droids, to do a rescue… That’s kind of quite a lot beyond what I’ve left owing, don’t you think?’

‘Hey, I said free and clear,’ Gaius makes an effort to muster some ease, leans back to prop an arm across the booth’s backrest. ‘And let’s say I’ll owe you one, instead.’

‘This isn’t a bounty,’ Din says, startling you a little by speaking up after a long stretch of silence. ‘We don’t do rescues.’

It’s a little cold, and you frown at his composure.

Gaius sighs. The pretence of relaxation drops and the world-weary traveller rests elbows back on the sticky varnished surface between you.

‘Look,’ they say. ‘I’ve been trying to buy my sister’s rescue for years. But I lack the… well, I lack everything. And I could never afford the likes of you,’ a gesture at you both. ‘I just, I see an opportunity here. And alls I can say is, please…’

They move a hand to a pocket. Beneath the table, you shift an arm to stay Din’s instinctive movement onto a weapon, hoping it was subtle enough that Gaius didn’t notice. They don’t seem to, focused instead on the object they’re drawing out. It’s dropped onto the table and the holo blinks to life.

A small, cherub face winks into existence, rotates in front of you.

‘She’s older now, of course, but uh…’ they go quiet.

That’s when you give in. Your hand grips the wrist of the Mandalorian beside you, where it still rests on the blaster holstered there. When you feel him move, twining fingers with yours in a silent affirmative, you speak.

‘We’ll do it,’ you say.

Despite the mutual agreement, it’s a palpable awkwardness between you and Din as you ready for the mission.

At the Mandalorian’s nod, your debtor had followed your clan of three back to the Razor Crest. You’d invited Gaius to take a seat up in the cockpit and explained the ship’s ground security mechanisms. It was clear they needed to join you on this quest to Evalon – the more information in hand about this hellish planet, the better. And you do the best you can to reassure them of their safety before departing to join Din by the weapons locker.

You approach slow, taking in his hackled back and stand-off posture.

Though he shows it rarely, you know what jealousy looks like on him. And right now it’s radiating off him like a piece of steel held too long against the forge.

Turning it over in your mind, you wonder at the best approach here. What should you tell him? There’s not a lot of time, none at all really. But he’s likely to be drowning in scenarios playing out in his head, so you have to say something.

He’s undertaking his usual ritual of equipping munitions and weaponry to every limb and every piece of beskar on his body. Blades of various length and utility are taken down and jammed into hidden sheaths with force. He tugs rifle slugs and detonators off the weapons rack like they’ve offended him before clipping them to bandolier and belt.

Stepping up beside him, you take down your favoured vibroblade, toy with the hilt and look up at his profile. The T visor doesn’t turn your way.

‘You know,’ you start, feeling out of your depth already. ‘It was hard. Those months apart…’

‘Seems like you got by,’ he murmurs, focused on adjusting a vambrace and glove.

Ouch. You accept the blow and push on.

‘Din, please,’ you say, holstering the hand weapon and hugging yourself. ‘It was hard. I was just never sure what to tell you about, about it all.’

‘The way they look at you tells me plenty,’ he says, just a hint of a growl behind his words. ‘Flew with them on a lot of jobs, did you?’

‘Psh, I got a hole blown in their ship,’ you scoff, arms dropping and going wide. ‘I was just trying to pay back on the repairs.’

‘Hm.’

An awkward beat of silence as you flounder about what to say next.

How about…

I was alone and I needed a pilot and they were helpful and let me do what I needed to do. We slept together one time because I was so lonely I thought I might die. I felt worse than ever and then I disappeared on them because I’d joined the Guild and it got hired by the Imps set on destroying your people and I escaped to come find you again and warn you and…

Uh, no. Saying all of that will not be of help right now.

You think you might just burst into tears. But Din tilts his helm like he’s had a sudden thought and asks, ‘You were paying back on the repairs?’

‘What?’

‘You didn’t just do the repair work yourself?’

Huh, fair question. If something like that ever happened to the Razor Crest, you’d have had the lovely old gunship back in action within the day. None of this ‘paying back on repairs’ business.

‘Wh- no…’ you say. ‘I wasn’t… I was trying to—’

‘Keep your cards close to the chest?’ he finishes – the tiniest, blessed hint of a smile in his voice.

You give him a full grin. ‘Yeah, pretty much. Always used to try to keep that particular skill-set under wraps, before uh-- before I met you… And, and it just wouldn’t have felt right… you know, with another ship…’

Another silence follows. But gentler, more companionable. As Din nears the end of his process, you chance it to lay a hand on his elbow, smooth it over the rough fabric of his flight suit. He lets you, closing up the locker with the other hand.

‘Does it matter how they look at me?’ you say. ‘Isn’t what matters the way I look at you?’

You swallow your sigh of relief as a gloved hand closes over yours, gives it a gentle squeeze.

‘Mm,’ he says. ‘You’re right, I just-- Maybe if you’d told me about them before now…’

‘You didn’t ask… I would’ve if you’d asked. I’ve told you anything you’ve wanted to know, anytime you’ve asked,’ you’re rambling. And losing track of what your intent here was to begin with.

‘You know all about my past. About my- my old family. But all I’ve ever gotten about yours is the “Narrated History of the Mandalorians”,’ you say, aware of your petulance but unable to stop. Where is this coming from all of a sudden? ‘But what about you? What about your fami—’ He cuts you off by turning to you fully and leaning in.

‘Is this really the time?’ he asks, low and just shy of dangerous again.

Drop it. Drop it now.

‘No, guess not…’

‘Okay then,’ he says. He mounts his jetpack, hands you a blaster pistol and strides to the cockpit ladder. Conversation over. ‘Let’s go pay off your debt.’

Quick note on breath play… this story is fantasy, it’s just make-believe, and it feels plausible to me that the characters – via their respective fighting techniques and training – have the knowledge of anatomy and skills around the neck, head and chest area to reduce the risks. But it is risky, and if you do it – do your research first. (Or maybe don’t do it at all?) As with all kinks, education, communication and explicit ongoing consent are key. Thanks for your time. Ily.

Hope you enjoy the read.

#din djarin x you #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian #din djarin #din djarin/reader #din djarin/you #the mandaloria/reader #din djarin x f!reader #the mandalorian x f!reader

21 notes · View notes

sunshine-overload · 4 months

Text

[BSTS] Valentine’s Day 2024 ‘Ask Yourself’ Event Story

all chapters!

Chapter 1

-rehearsal room-

saki: Hello everyone.

mizuki: Yo, we've been waitin' for you, Saki. Now everyone is here.

lico: And so? What did you call us here for?

mizuki: Because the next show is gonna be us, obviously!

lico: Really? But next is the Valentine's Day show, isn't it?

hinata: A team B solo show? Woohoo!

kongou: We performed for White Day last year, so this year we're doing Valentine's?

ran: Oo! I'm lookin' forward to what kinda song Heath comes up with.

saki: I'm sure your Valentine's show will be a blast.

mizuki: Of course. We're gonna go all out an—

lico: Stop right there.

mizuki: Huh?

lico: I'm not letting this show end up like how White Day did last year. Women hold Valentine's Day in high regard, it's a special event for them, so there'll be no violence.

mizuki: What's your problem?

ran: C’mon, how about we hear Lico out? His idea might be just as excitin'!

mizuki: Tch, pain in the ass. Fine, what do you wanna do?

lico: Keep it simple obviously. A traditional Valentine's Day.

mizuki: Huuh?

lico: We'll put on a show that makes our feelings clear to all the ladies in the audience. Valentine's is the day of love after all. Right, Kotori-chan? You want to receive my love too don't you?

saki: Y-your love?

mizuki: Christ Lico, everything you just said is gross as hell. Besides there's no way we're gonna do some sappy shit like that anyways.

lico: Tch...

heath: ...Why not?

mizuki: Huh? I ain't putting on some show that looks like K or P's.

heath: I promise it'll still be a B show at its core. I won't waver. So let's do it, a 'Traditional Valentine's Day' overflowing with B's flair.

mizuki: B's flair you say... Well that's fine then. Let's show em who's boss.

lico: Wait, actually?

mizuki: What, you're the one you suggested it.

lico: Yes but... No, nevermind.

ran: Sounds like its gonna be another fun B performance. Speakin' of, I have an idea of what to do for our special activity durin’ the event!

—end

Chapter 2

-rehearsal room-

ran: Since it's a special show we should have a special activity too! So how about the guests make chocolate with us? Kongou's on our team yeah? So food related things are B's forte!

lico: How come you actually just said a normal idea right now? But, we can't be making the guests cook, right?

kongou: Having them make chocolate with us would be difficult, but decorating would be possible. For example, we can prepare chocolate cupcakes and decorate them with the customers. How does that sound?

ran: Ooh, that sounds fun!

hinata: What kind of toppings will there be? Can I make some suggestions too?

kongou: Sure. We can brainstorm what would be good toppings to provide. If there's a larger variety I'm sure it'll be more fun.

hinata: Yay! Ok then umm, I'd like fruits, cream, cookies and marshmallows...

lico: We can't fit that many more extra tables in the restaurant. Well, whatever, how about we let the guests choose their toppings when they order? Then we can bring the stuff to their table and decorate the cupcakes there with them.

mizuki: What the fuck do we need to do all that for?

ran: What!? Ya don't think it sounds fun, Mizuki? What do ya think of my idea, Nee-chan?

saki: I think its great.

ran: Hell yeah, then it's decided! Ain't it fine, Mizuki?

mizuki: Fine...

lico: Huh? Seriously what's going on today? Everything is going so smoothly.

mizuki: Oh shut up, do you wanna do this shit or not?

lico: Well yes it's fine for now. Make sure you look forward to Valentine's, Kotori-chan.

-time pass, behind starless, day-

hinata (on phone): Hello? Hey listen to this! Valentine's Day is going to be a B solo performance! I wonder what it's going to be like~ I'm so hyped! Since I messed up last time I want to make sure I properly help out this time.

hinata (on phone): I can do it, I told you this already! I want to see my dream come true at this store. Ah crap, I forgot I need to call Iwa-san after this.

hinata (on phone): No he's been really mean to me~ Despite never even dropping by the store he keeps asking me to give him reports on what's going on... Yeah that's true, I know. I'll call you again soon then!

-hangs up-

hinata: Aah~! I really can't wait to see B's show~!

—end

Chapter 3

-shopping centre-

hinata: I'm so excited to be here shopping with you all~!

lico: Sigh... Why'd we have to bring the whole family shopping.

kongou: Because I'd like to have a nice variety of toppings. You being here is a big help, Lico. We all went shopping like this for White Day last year too didn't we? And before that...

heath: We also went shopping for New Year's and Halloween.

kongou: Yeah. It's like it's become tradition for us to go out as a group for our seasonal performances.

mizuki: Oi, where's the meat section at?

ran: They're doin' taste tests of fried stuff over there!

lico: Hold up, what does meat have to do with anything? We're here to get toppings to put on top of cupcakes with our fans... Jeez, oh, these are cute.

kongou: How about we get them? Though, if they were a little smaller they would be easier to put on a cupcake.

lico: Hmm.

heath: I found something we can use so I'm putting it in the trolley.

kongou: Sure, thanks.

mizuki: Oi Kongou, you're just buying sweet shit, candy ain't gonna fill anyones stomach.

kongou: Well of course it's all sweet. There's going to be special Valentine's menu items.

mizuki: Tch, pain in the ass. Then you shoulda just come shopping on your own.

kongou: Well that may be true...

lico: You're the one who wanted to tag along in the first place, Mizuki. Instead of complaining how about you pick out some toppings too?

mizuki: Oh, they're doing taste tests over there!

-mizuki runs off-

hinata: What, meat!?

-hinata runs after him-

ran: Guess it can't be helped. I gotta go make sure Mizuki doesn't eat too much!

-ran runs after them-

lico: He says yet he just wants to eat the meat too... It always ends up like this, that lot really are just a bunch of damn kids.

heath: ...This outcome was predictable.

kongou: Oh well, let's pick out the toppings ourselves.

—end

Chapter 4

-street, day-

ran: Alrighty, all the additional shoppin' should be done now.

-phone rings-

ran: Hm?

ran (on phone): Heya, it's me. Yeah, I'm on my way back now.

ran (on phone): Ooh, so somethin' finally came up. Yeah, be there in a moment.

-alleyway, day-

underling: Good work out there.

ran: Man~ And here I was lookin' forward to participatin’ in the cupcake trial after finishin’ my errands.

underling: My bad, bro.

ran: I’m jokin' don't worry bout it. And so? What happened?

underling: Well...

-thug explains situation to ran-

ran: I see...

underling: Yeah. There's evidence of them being drowned, however any info about who they were working for has been scrubbed clean.

ran: Hmm. That's not a good sign.

underling: Um, bro... Looking into this any further is dangerous. Please hear me out, I suggest you come back already.

ran: What? What happened for ya to say somethin' like that?

underling: Well, I received a message from the boss... He said that if you're going to keep doing whatever you want, then he'll have to remind you of your place. So let's give up on this already! We can't have you losing face before you become the head.

ran: Dummy. I can't back down now.

underling: But...!

ran: I started this. If I don't see it through to the end then I can't take responsibility for it. Even as things are now, I'm still able to properly assess the situation. Tell my old man that I know what I'm doin'.

—end

(tl note: if you’re confused about who drowned check the xmas story chapter 4)

Chapter 5

-street, day-

saki: (Hm? Is that Ran-san over there? I wonder if he's on his way to Starless.)

-saki walks over to him-

saki: Hello, Ran-san.

ran: The fuck ya want?

saki: Woah...

-ran realises who it is-

ran: Oh! My bad, it was just you Nee-chan! I was just a little on edge.

saki: .....

saki: Did something happen?

ran: It's nothin' ya need to worry about. Sorry for scaring ya. Oh right! As an apology let me invite ya to the Valentine's trial event! We're gonna be testin' out all sorts of toppings, sounds fun right?

saki: Sure, If I wouldn't be interfering.

ran: Of course ya wouldn't be, we'd love to hear your opinions too!

saki: Yes.

ran: I was actually just out doin' some extra shoppin'. I got some chocolate pens and chocolate sprinkles, stuff like that. See?

saki: Wow... You sure bought a lot.

ran: Uwah!

saki: W-what's the matter?

ran: Lico told me to buy some dried fruits! I forgot~ I gotta head back to the shops. Sorry, ya should come with me, Nee-chan!

-ran grabs saki’s hand-

saki: Wah.

ran: Hm? What's up?

saki: Your hand is ice cold, Ran-san...

ran: ...Oh, you’re right.

saki: Are you ok? If you're not feeling well then...

ran: Ahaha, sorry that must've surprised ya. It's super cold today that's all! Your hand is nice and warm though. Could I keep holdin' it like this?

saki: I don't mind...

ran: Yay! Then let's get goin'! Once our Valentine’s show begins, let's make some chocolate together, ok?

—end

Chapter 6

-backstage-

saki: Good work on the show everyone, it was lots of fun.

ran: Ooh Nee-chan! Thanks for comin' to greet us~ We really put on a great show didn't we!

mizuki: Did you see that, Saki? B's the best ain't we?

lico: As always.

heath: But we really did put on an exciting show.

lico: I suppose. I feel like I was properly able to convey my feelings to our fans this year.

kongou: It was our opening show though, so it was a bit nerve wracking. It looks like a lot of guests ordered the cupcakes too, I'm glad.

ran: Well it was my idea after all, of course it's successful!

lico: Even though it was basically only Kongou and I that selected the toppings. What about you, Kotori-chan? Did you enjoy decorating your cupcake?

saki: Yes, I loved it. There were so many toppings to choose from, I'm already wondering how I'll decorate the next one.

lico: Right?

mizuki: Shut up, quit looking at her all mushy like that. Though, the cake didn't taste that bad I guess.

lico: You just let the guests do all the decorating, didn't you?

mizuki: Excuse me? I supervised.

kongou: Well, as long as the guests are pleased that's what's most important.

-hinata appears-

hinata: Good job everybody! Today's show was amazing, it was the best! B are the coolest ever!

mizuki: Of course.

hinata: Man, I wanted to tell you what I thought the moment you got off the stage~

saki: Did something happen?

hinata: Well y'see, there were just so many chocolate cupcake orders that I had to deal with, so I got here a little late.

kongou: I'm thankful.

ran: If it's that popular we'll surely get a bonus, right!

—end

Chapter 7

-behind starless, night-

heath (on phone): Hello. I'm done for today. Thank you again.

heath (on phone): This much is nothing, I'm fine.

heath (on phone): That has nothing to do with this. They're all songs that I've created up until now using my own words. And that will not change.

heath (on phone): Yeah, see you.

-heath hangs up-

-ginsei walks up-

ginsei: Good work today, Heath. Could I speak with you a moment? Or wait, are you heading home?

heath: What is it?

ginsei: The script for your show was great. You handle all the script preparations yourself, right?

heath: Yeah, I do.

ginsei: The vibe of each of your shows has changed multiple times. Like with 'Idaten' and 'No Longer Human' for example... 'No Longer Human' especially portrayed a more sensitive side... It had charm and was interesting to watch.

heath: ...Thanks.

ginsei: And so I wanted to ask, was that—

heath: Is that all? I'd like to go home now. See you.

ginsei: Ah, wait.

-heath leaves-

ginsei: What’s up with him...

-outside shrine, night-

heath: Me... And B's songs... No, not yet…

—end

(tl note: Heath’s dialogue is extremely vague here idk what he’s talking about either hdjsj)

Chapter 8

-backstage-

saki: Congratulations on the closing show, everyone.

lico: Thanks for watching, Kotori-chan.

mizuki: Hey Saki, we put on another kickass show didn't we?

saki: Yes, it was amazing. Thank you for the wonderful Valentine's gift.

mizuki: Nice!

heath: I'm glad my feelings were conveyed.

saki: You too Kongou-san, good work.

kongou: Thanks. It was a bit hectic but I'm glad we got to the closing show without incident. It may have been due to how busy we were, but Hinata behaved himself too, unlike during the Christmas show. I'm glad to see he's reflected on his actions.

ran: Nee-chan! Did you enjoy our Valentine's gift?

saki: Yes, it was really fun.

ran: I'm glad. I still have so much further to go. If you think this is our limit then you're sorely mistaken.

saki: Hm?

ran: Ya think so too right? That Ran-chan's capable of way more.

saki: Y-yes. But your show tonight was already wonderful.

ran: Thanks! It's because of ya support that we were so fired up for the closin’ show. It's Valentine's, so I'm glad we could repay your kindness!

mizuki: Huh? Valentine's has got nothing to do with it. Whenever it is and whoever it is, once we've accepted it, B will pay it back in full.

ran: Hahah, true! No matter if its a debt or a grudge. Well anyways, Nee-chan! Make sure ya keep supportin’ us lots and lots!

—end

#bsts team b #bsts main story #bsts translation

19 notes · View notes

cainluvr69 · 8 months

Text

Main Story 2 Chapter 22 - The Days I've Spent Alongside Wizards (First Half)

Previous Chapter

1 - If One Could Turn Back Time

Rutile: Mithra… Has something happened to Mitile? I was told that you're holding Mitile, and that he seems to be in bad shape…

Mithra: Rutile…

Rutile: Is Mitile asleep…?

Mithra: In a way…

Rutile: …He has a fever… Did he catch a sudden cold, maybe? What are his symptoms?

Mithra: …

Rutile: Thank you. For carrying Mitile all this way, I mean. I'm going to step out for a moment and get Dr. Figaro.

Mithra: I fed him a mana stone.

Rutile: …

Mithra: I didn't force him to. He was the one who said he wanted it. But… …

Rutile: …Is eating a mana stone typically something that puts you to sleep like this?

Mithra: It never has for me.

Rutile: …Thank you. You've been worrying yourself sick over Mitile.

Mithra: …

Rutile: This is the first time I've seen you so upset, Mithra. You even gave him a very valuable mana stone… That's how much you care about him. He's very precious to you, isn't he?

Mithra: What are you talking about? You're wrong. I've only been thinking about myself. If Mitile turns to stone tonight, I'll lose my magic. That's the only thing I'm worried about.

Rutile: Mitile could turn to stone…?

Mithra: … Even at a time like this… You're thinking about Mitile and not about how this affects you? Is that how you do things in the South? Did Tiletta turn to stone because she started doing that, too? I'd prefer to be left out of that. What is a promise? I should have known it was something that'd put me at risk. I wish she'd refused my promise when I made it to her. What was she expecting me to do? I should sacrifice my power to protect her children? That just proves what her personal priorities were. And I was the lesser one.

Rutile: Mithra… Why are you angry?

Mithra: You're the one who's angry. You're always, always angry…

Rutile: I'm not… I'm not angry with you. I just want to talk with you, Mithra.

Mithra: Is this not talking to me?

Rutile: You're right. Thank you. I'm never very good at it when we do, but I'm always happy to talk to you, Mithra. You often startle me and leave me bewildered by how you think, but… I do want to talk with you more.

Mithra: …

Rutile: Can we keep talking together, just like this?

Mithra: …I don't want to.

Rutile: …

Mithra: Please stay here silently. And. Your hand.

Rutile: …Like this?

Mithra: …Why are you holding my hand?

Rutile: Ah, I'm sorry…

Mithra: I was telling you to hold Mitile's. Say his name.

Rutile: His name? Is that part of what you need to do after eating a mana stone?

Mithra: Apparently so. If he needs Figaro and Lennox as well, I'll go and get them.

Rutile: Mitile, Mitile.

Mithra: … If tomorrow, I…

Rutile: Mitile. …Hm? Did you say something?

Mithra: … It wasn't important. …I've decided I do want you to hold my hand.

Rutile: Are you sure?

Mithra: Yes. I might be…a little bit scared.

Rutile: … There's nothing I can really do for you, but… I'll stay next to you. No matter what happens.

Mithra: …Haha… I'm laughing because you really are so unreliable.

Rutile: Oh, don't be mean… Even if you're completely correct…

Mithra: Hehe… But you're interesting, so it's fine.

Rutile: Haha. You're welcome.

Mithra: Thank you.

Rutile: You're welcome.

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox: Dr. Figaro.

Figaro: Leno.

Lennox: Have you heard about Mitile…?

Figaro: I sure have. I checked up on him a little bit ago. There's been a few relapses, but don't worry, he's stable for now. I don't think there'll be any lasting damage to Mitile's mind or body.

Lennox: Is that right… Thank goodness… Still, how could Mithra feed Mitile a mana stone… I wish I'd known what Mithra was thinking so we could've warned him about what was going to happen. Mana stones are like a medication that can make wizards stronger, but eating one that's too strong is like overdosing. Since Mithra's been trying to protect them…

Figaro: …You're right… …

Lennox: …Is Mitile okay?

Figaro: He's fine. But eating a powerful stone when he's so young and his magic is naturally weak… Is almost certainly going to have an effect on his personality.

Lennox: His personality will change…? Mitile's will?

Figaro: Yep. Like yours did when you became a Southern wizard. …But there's no reversing the clock now.

Lennox: …The clock, huh…

Figaro: Leno?

Lennox: …During the battle a few days ago, I had the chance to witness Lord Faust's legs.

Figaro: And the burns were still there, weren't they.

Lennox: …They were. I've…always hoped that he had healed those scars. Because I didn't want to think that the burden of our fallen brethren had led Lord Faust to give up on life.

Figaro: …

Lennox: But… After talking with him, I understand now. Healing his scars would be the same as ripping away his soul. Lord Faust has no intention of letting himself be saved while he still lives in this world.

Figaro: …Leno…

Lennox: Why did I not run away with him four hundred years ago when I had the chance…

Figaro: …Compared to me, you and Faust are both still young. You're both so purehearted and sincere, so I'm sure you'll have the chance to do things differently next time.

Lennox: No. His feelings haven't changed. I'm very aware of that.

Figaro: …

Lennox: …If I could turn back time…

✦✧☾✧✦

Arthur: Well then, Master Sage. Shall we begin practicing public speaking?

Akira: A-am I going to have to give a speech? Me…?

Arthur: That was what I'd heard from the shard of Murr, at least… That you were going to be holding talks with people in power before the public.

Akira: I feel like this plan keeps getting bigger when I'm not looking… Can I really do all of this…

Arthur: Of course you can, Master Sage. Your words have an amazing power to calm the heart just by listening to them. And the rest is in practice. Standing in front of people made me nervous when I first did it, too. But with practice, I was able to realize things like when a crowd was getting excited by what I was saying, or when I was turning them off.

Akira: (A prince that can tell when the vibes are good or not…)

Arthur: Regardless, it's all about rehearsing and repeating your rehearsals. Now then, let us…

Mithra: <Arthim> Sigh… Thank goodness… Master Sage, we're going to sleep.

Akira: I--I can't go to sleep right now, though?!

Lennox: Mithra. Master Sage has a full schedule today.

Mithra: I don't care about that. Ahh, I'm so grateful you're still here…

Arthur: It seems like something's happened.

Lennox: The truth is, last night…

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: …Mitile ate a mana stone…?

Mithra: Zzz… Zzz…

Lennox: Yes. He's been asleep since last night, but he's doing much better now.

Arthur: So that's what happened. I remember having a rough time when I ate my first mana stone, too. I fell unconscious for several days…

Lennox: Lord Oz must have done the same thing Mithra did…

Akira: And Mithra was at Mitile's side until he woke up?

Lennox: Yes.

Akira: (Mitile…) (I've heard that eating a mana stone can make your magic stronger, but I wonder what'll happen to Mitile…) (I know he wanted to get stronger, so I hope it's going okay for him… I'll have to check in on him later.)

2 - The Child's Awakening

Mitle: …

Riquet: Mitile!

Mitile: Riquet.

Riquet: I'm so glad you're okay. I heard you fell unconscious yesterday… Rutile asked me to come and talk to you while you were asleep. Did you hear me?

Mitile: Hehe… Riquet, can you make a tornado for me?

Riquet: A tornado? Like this? <Sunrotea Edif>

Riquet: There, I made one, Mitile.

Mitile: Hehehe. <Ortonik Sealsispilce>!

Riquet: Wah…! …! Amazing…

Mitile: How'd you like that!

Riquet: That was so amazing, Mitile! How did you do it?

Mitile: Mithra gave me a mana stone, and I ate it! And now I can use my magic so freely like this! Look, look!

Riquet: Amazing, amazing! You're so strong now, Mitile!

Mitile: Ahahaha! I'm so happy! I should've eaten one so much earlier! You should eat one too, Riquet!

Riquet: I should! The two of us can get so much stronger!

Mitile: Yes! Let's get stronger together! (…) (…But, y'know…)

✦✧☾✧✦

Mitile: <Ortonik Sealsispilce>! Hmmmm… I was trying to put a lot more oomph into it than that. It's sorta, like… Like I'm wearing a shirt that's too small for me. Like it's hard to move…

Figaro: Mitile.

Mitile: Dr. Figaro…

Figaro: If you're going to go flying, you should use a broom. If anything happens…

Mitile: I need to picture myself flying with a broom so that I don't fall, right? But Mithra and Owen fly without a broom sometimes.

Figaro: That's because they're much more experienced with using their magic.

Mitile: I want to be that experienced, too. Dr. Figaro, did you see my magic?

Figaro: I just did. You've gotten strong, Mitile. But the way you can use magic is only one of your virtues…

Mitile: You were the one who came up with my spell, right? You said that the first one I used was too strong because I'd chosen my words poorly and to stop.

Figaro: I sure did. And to replace it, I gave you an adjusted version of your mother's spell, just like I did with Rutile. Words and items tied closely to one's family keeps your heart's workings nice and regulated. It was so that your magic would be easier for you to control.

Mitile: I don't want you to get mad at me for saying this, but it's starting to feel hard to use. Can I change it?

Figaro: Of course you can. But not now. Sometime in the future.

Mitile: But…

Figaro: Not now, Mitile. Your emotions are a little too high for that right now. It's probably a side effect from the stone. It's very common for young wizards as well as weak wizards to get affected overly strongly if they eat a particularly powerful stone…

Mitile: …You're still going to say things like that? You saw the tornado I made, didn't you? <Ortonik Sealsispilce>!

Figaro: …

Mitile: <Ortonik Sealsispilce>! Look! Look at this!

Figaro: …You shouldn't get so worked up. You're acting a lot more aggressive than usual. You're not yourself right now.

Mitile: This is me! I tried to be a good kid, but this is who I am, too! Look at me! Look at me! <Ortonik Sealsispilce>!

Figaro: Mitile…

Mitile: <Ortonik Sea…> …! I hate this spell!

Figaro: … <Possideo>

Mitile: …ah.

Figaro: …I'm sorry for forcing you to sleep, Mitile. …The child of prophecy…

✦✧☾✧✦

Chloe: Excuse me!

Oz: …

Chloe: Lord Oz, I have something I'd like to ask you for. Could you take me to Shylock's bar in the City of Nectar? Murr and Shylock didn't come back yesterday, but I have something really important that I need to talk to them about…

Oz: Understood.

Chloe: Wahh, thank you so much!

Oz: <Vox Nox>

✦✧☾✧✦

Oz: …

Lennox: Excuse me.

Oz: Lennox. Rutile and Mitile, as well…

Rutile: It's unusual to see you drinking wine in the afternoon, Lord Oz.

Oz: I was only just given this bottle moments before.

Mitile: We want to go help out the Eastern wizards! Can you take us to Cortes? I want to get better control of my new magic while lending them a hand, too.

Oz: Did you eat an mana stone?

Mitile: Y…yes, I did.

Oz: Did anything major happen?

Mitile: Yes! Um… I got stronger!

Oz: I see. That is heartening to hear.

Mitile: Ehehe…

Oz: Take great care. It can be difficult to properly gauge oneself when one has only just eaten a stone.

Mitile: Yeah, I heard… Prince Arthur was flying so fast he couldn't stop and crashed into one of your castle's windows…

Lennox: We'll be sure to keep an eye on him. Anyways, if you don't mind.

Oz: Understood. <Vox Nox>

✦✧☾✧✦

Oz: …

Cain: Yo, Oz.

Oz: Cain, Riquet.

Cain: Wanna come with us to Borda Island? Just dropping us off is fine, too.

Riquet: Mitile's working hard, so I need to work hard at what I can, too. I'm helping Cain today.

Oz: Understood.

Cain: Thanks. Oh, and maybe this might be too much, but would you pick us back up around sunset?

Oz: I do not mind.

Cain: That's a real help! One day I'm gonna be as reliable as you are!

Oz: I have never once thought you to be unreliable.

Cain: Oz… Man, you're such a good guy. Here, lemme give you a hug.

Oz: That is unnecessary.

Riquet: I'll give you one, too.

Oz: I said it is unnecessary…

Riquet: Well then, let us go now.

Oz: Understood. <Vox Nox>

✦✧☾✧✦

Oz: …

Snow: Oz, dear. We cannot find any of the younger wizards in the manor.

White: And Arthur is busy today, so we are sorely lacking a playmate. Where did you get those seashells from?

Oz: The beach at Borda Island.

Snow: My, my. Could it be that the young wizards have been asking you to ferry them about?

White: Dear Figaro did say that constantly having to leave and come back at another's whims would tire you out.

Oz: It is no such burden. What is the Sage doing?

Snow: They are preparing to meet with the Queen.

White: They're in the middle of their final lesson, it seems.

✦✧☾✧✦

Murr: Have you fully researched her Majesty's personality and thought over your potential responses?

Akira: Yes… As best I could, at least.

Murr: How marvelous… I should have expected no less of our Sage, our guiding light. When I was at the point you are at presently, I was just using completely superficial but pretty rhetoric and glib bluffs, but… Someone such as yourself will win great esteem for your humility and sincerity.

Akira: Haha… You're going to make me blush.

Murr: Now then, Master Sage. It's time for the final touches.

3 - The Star Takes Center Stage

Murr: They said a monster showed up, but the City of Nectar is a-okay!

Shylock: It most certainly is. Perhaps it really was simply to keep the two of us away from the palace?

Murr: No idea, but it's nice to have some free time~!

Shylock: …

Murr: What's up, Shylock? That book you're reading looks ancient.

Shylock: I'm attempting to investigate the "walking Hell" Cain was talking about. You said you didn't know what he was referring to either, didn't you?

Murr: Yep! I've neeeever heard of something called a walking Hell!

Shylock: What an intimidating name it has. Apparently that's what Nicholas called it while he was investigating Adams Island.

Murr: Adams Island!

Shylock: That's correct.

Murr: If it's Adams Island, wouldn't it have to do with that one guy? The one who loved living creatures!

Shylock: It is likely alive, but…

Murr: Halitus Mortifer!

Shylock: What?

Murr: A Hell connected to Adams Island! It's gotta be Halitus Mortifer, right? The one sealed up on the ocean floor. I think there's some literature that's called this one monster that's been around since ancient times a walking Hell.

Shylock: Are you certain?

Murr: Probably?

Chloe: Shylock! Murr!

Shylock & Murr: Chloe!

Chloe: I have something I want to ask you. Can you guys check one more time if the Queen is a human or a witch? She's going to be doing a lighting ceremony in the City of Fortune's city square, by the Goddess Statue! It's going to be a festival about praying for peace, and Master Sage and the Queen both said they'd be there! Can you come there with me too? Please? The general isn't going to be with her this time, so maybe you'll be able to tell for sure this time…

Shylock: Chloe. Would you mind taking a breath, and then explaining to us again from the beginning? Allow me to prepare your favorite drink for you.

Chloe: Okay…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Riquet: If the island sank into the sea, that means we can't see it anymore, right?

Cain: Yep. We might be able to go check things out on it if we could dive all the way to the bottom of the ocean, but…

Riquet: Cain. What were you and Bradley talking about this morning?

Cain: He told me some stuff a Northern witch told him when he heard I was planning on going to Borda Island. She'd said something terrifying had been resurrected, and to stay away from Western Country.

Riquet: Something terrifying… But all I can see is this beautiful ocean.

Cain: Yep. …Hm? (Would the walking Hell Nicholas asked Gilles about be this terrifying resurrected something…?) (No, that can't be… Nicholas was in Western Country right before <the Great Calamity> attacked.) (If any monster was getting resurrected, wouldn't that be referring to <the Great Calamity> getting closer?)

Sylves: Hey there, Mister Central Wizard.

Cain: (…This voice is…) Sylves, is that you?

Riquet: Oh, the Western witch we met in the City of Fortune the other day… It's nice to see you again.

Sylves: Good to see you, Cain, Riquet. What are you doing way out here?

Cain: We're here on an investigation. What about you?

Sylves: I almost died recently. So I'm here on a vacation to cheer myself right back up.

Cain: Oh, I heard about that. Sounded like a hell of a thing to go through.

Riquet: I hope you enjoy your vacation.

Sylves: Thanks. If you want, I can help out with your investigation. I'm pretty close with the wizards around here.

Cain: That'd be a huge help! Could you ask them if they know anything about a "walking Hell" or something terrifying being resurrected?

Sylves: What's with that spooky name… That's about as far from cheery as you can get. I'll still help, though.

Riquet: Thank you very much. May your path be a blessed one.

Sylves: Hehe. You're a sweet kid.

Riquet: Yes. I am.

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox: This is horrible…

Rutile: It's the kind of thing you'd see after <the Great Calamity> comes close…

Heathcliff: Rutile!

Rutile: Heath!

Heathcliff: Mitile and Lennox came to lend a hand too, I see. I'm so happy to see you all. There's people collapsed all over town, and the buildings aren't doing much better.

Mitile: What kind of monster showed up?

Heathcliff: I'm not exactly sure… There are people who say they saw a purple shadow about the size of a dog, though. Mr. Faust thinks it's a monster that can emit miasma.

Lennox: Miasma…

Rutile: Is it the miasma that's making the plants and animals suffer like this…?

Lennox: Yes. It must be spreading a miasma that can drain living things of their life energy and magic.

Heathcliff: Earlier, I saw the people who'd collapsed because of the miasma, and they were horribly emaciated. Things were looking bad, but purification magic helped them recover a little bit.

Lennox: I see… It sounds like a lot of people's lives are getting caught up in this. We might need more help on this one.

Rutile: Should I update Master Sage on the state of things here?

Lennox: That's a good idea.

Heathcliff: Since you specialize in healing magic, I'd actually prefer if you stayed here, Rutile. I can tell the Sage what's going on. Actually, Shino told me I should stay away from town.

Rutile: You are very sensitive.

Mitile: Yeah, you're not looking too good. Maybe you should rest for a little bit…

Heathcliff: I'll be fine. I'm sure I'll feel better once I get farther from town. But thank you, Mitile. I'm going to go tell Mr. Faust you've arrived and then head back to the City of Fortune.

Lennox: We'll meet up with him shortly.

Mitile: Don't worry, Heathcliff! You can leave this to us!

Heathcliff: Thank you!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cortes Citizen: …Uu… My head is swimming… Why can't I get up…

Nero: …More 'n more people are complainin' about bad health…

Faust: People are getting affected by the miasma faster than we can tend to them… Shino.

Shino: Yeah.

Faust: I need you to give a message to everyone in the area. An unknown monster has appeared in the area. We'll be setting up a barrier, so please take shelter. Stay calm and act confident about it so that panic doesn't start setting in.

Shino: Got it. Leave it to me.

Faust: And if you sense the miasma, do not use any magic. It'll drain you of your power, and it's likely the monster in the area can turn into miasma, as well.

Shino: I'll be fine.

Faust: …You've gotten very reliable.

Nero: …! Teach, someone's coming…

Cortes Citizen: Sage's wizards…! There are children in the house over there who need your attention…!

Faust: …! It's shown its face.

Nero: I'll go. You stay and take care of things here.

4 - While Achieving One's Dream

Lennox: It might be hiding itself under the rubble. Be sure to stay careful and not get too close to where something could potentially be hiding.

Mitile: Yes! Understood! … (Amazing… What I can sense now is so much different than before.) (It's like everything is completely clear. I only need to concentrate a little bit to even notice little things all over…) (I can feel Lennox's presence… And Shino's… And Nero's…) … I can hear something over there…but I shouldn't get any closer. …Let's use just a little bit of magic to move that bit of debris. <Ortonik Sealsispilce> … What…? There's nothing there. Did I imagine it…? (This spell really does feel so hard to use now…) (I need to use words that have more impact…) (…I know.) (My brother told me about it before.) (Our mother's… The Great Witch, Tiletta's spell.) … <Scintilla> Wah…! Woah…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cortes Citizen: Are you sure we should try taking shelter in that part of town? There's a monster…?

Shino: Don't worry. There's going to be a barrier put up to protect you. Have faith in the Sage's wizards. Hn…? What's that cloud of dust all about…? Is that…Mitile…?

✦✧☾✧✦

Mitile: (Amazing! This is amazing…!) (Are you watching me, Mother?) (I've always been so proud of you, Mother. I never met you, so maybe I shouldn't be bragging about you, but…) (Calling myself the Great Witch, Tiletta's son makes my heart pound like nothing else.) (Tiletta gave birth to me, and then went to heaven.) (And right now, she and I are connected to each other.) (Oh, I know, I should change my name to the word in this spell!) (I'll become Scintilla!) (That'll be perfect!) <Scintilla>!

✦✧☾✧✦

Mitile: <Scintilla>! <Scintilla>! Ahahaha! This is the best… I've always dreamed of this!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cortes Citizen: …Uugh…

Rutile: Don't worry. You're going to be all better. …Huh… Is that…Mitile flying in the sky…? …Amazing… He can fly so fast now. I'm so happy for you, Mitile.

✦✧☾✧✦

Cortes Citizen: My son is…my son is…!

Nero: Is the kid collapsed over there your son?

Cortes Citizen: No… My son was grabbed by a monster I've never seen before and dragged into the forest. I need to save him…!

Nero: Hey, hold on! Everything in that forest's withering up super fast. You shouldn't get close…

Cortes Citizen: But my son…!

Isaac: I'll go. I'll save him.

Cortes Citizen: …Mister Isaac…

Nero: …You're a wizard?

Cortes Citizen: …Huh…?

Isaac: I am. …And you are…

Nero: What. Man, don't touch me like that.

Isaac: …

Nero: Hey, hold it!

✦✧☾✧✦

Nero: …You're a Northern wizard, aren't you. What are you doing here in the West?

Isaac: You're from the North, too. You were with Bradley.

Nero: …

Isaac: There's so much miasma…

Nero: …Yeah.

Isaac: It was a very strange monster. It was a purple lizard the size of a dog…and here and there, I could see bones jutting out of it.

Nero: Bones…?

Isaac: The miasma must have already killed her son.

Nero: …Then why'd you say you were going to save him?

Isaac: I wanted to save him, but I know getting any closer is impossible. But I think coming home with a body would be better than coming home empty-handed.

Nero: Bastard…

Isaac: Are you scared?

Nero: …

Isaac: I'm stronger than you. All the stones I've eaten have been good ones.

Nero: …Good stones…?

Isaac: Like Eva of the North's stone. You should at least recognize her name.

Nero: Eva?! No way…

Isaac: The miasma is going to surround us. You'd be much easier to eat now than in the past… Right when I try to live a better life, a tasty morsel like you falls right into my hands…

Nero: …Get the fuck away from me. …I'm going to look for the kid. I need to be fast about it…

Isaac: …

Cortes Citizen's Child: …Uu…

Nero: …There he is!

Isaac: …Oh… You're right…

Cortes Citizen's Child: Uu… Mister Isaac…

Nero: These wounds are pretty bad… Here, eat some sugar. You're going to be okay now…

Cortes Citizen's Child: …Ah…

Isaac: …

Nero: …Bastard, don't fucking move! If you so much as take a single step I'm going to turn you to stone.

Isaac: You think you can beat me?

Nero: …Listen up. I'm gonna take you to your mom now. Close your eyes.

Cortes Citizen's Child: Mister Isaac…

Isaac: …What's different. What's the difference between you and me.

Nero: It's that right now, I can't afford to die, asshole!

Isaac: …?! …Aghh…

Nero: …?! What's wrong with him…?! I'll deal with him later! …Here, let's go…!

Cortes Citizen's Child: …Uu…

Isaac: Wait! …Damn…! <Animum Vexat>!

✦✧☾✧✦

Borda Island Wizard: I don't know about this "walking Hell" thing, but I have seen something weird in the ocean.

Cain: Something weird…?

Riquet: In the ocean!

Borda Island Wizard: Yeah. It was the day right before <the Great Calamity> would be in range of the planet… There was this horrible storm that night. The seas were churning, the winds howling, that kind of night… Over that way…over where they say an island used to be. Something was bubbling underneath the waves. The surface of the water started glowing gold, and then this huge column of water shot out of it. I'd never seen anything like it before. And then this wizard showed up. He had long white hair. He pulled this like…lizardy looking thing out of the water with magic. And then he vanished somewhere, and then everything was normal again. I'm tellin' the truth, but everyone told me I was probably just drunk and didn't believe me. Do you believe me, man?

Cain: Yeah, I do. Thanks for telling us all of that.

Borda Island Wizard: You're very welcome.

Cain: (A wizard with white hair…could it have been Nova?) (He pulled a lizard out of the ocean…?)

✦✧☾✧✦

Faust: <Salliuqnart Mulcredo> Come into this magic circle.

Cortes Citizen: Okay, come here.

Cortes Citizen: I'm scared… What's going on?

Faust: …! The miasma is getting thicker… Has the monster shown itself?

5 - Facing the Miasma

Cortes Citizen's Child: Uu… Mom…

Cortes Citizen: Oh, darling…! …ah, and thank you so much for saving him! What happened to Mister Isaac?

Nero: He'll be here in a little. You should hurry and get somewhere safe. …! (Something just jumped out of the forest. Was that a cow? A wizard? A stupid big lizard…?!) (I need to tell them!)

✦✧☾✧✦

Rutile: …Gh… (My chest feels heavy, and it's getting hard to breathe… Is this the miasma Heath was talking about…? I feel like my strength is draining out of me…)

Cortes Citizen: Ahh… I feel so dizzy… I can't stand… Are we going to die…?

Rutile: (…Everyone's so scared… I need to pull myself together…) (I wonder if I can still purify this area…at this rate…) <Ortonik Setomaouge> (Ahh, it's no good. I just don't have enough strength right now…)

Cortes Citizen: Let's get closer to the Sage's wizard! Getting even a little bit closer should help, right?

Cortes Citizen: It should. The children and the elderly should stay as close as possible…

Cortes Citizen: Please take care of my child… Mister Sage's wizard!

Rutile: …O-okay…

Cortes Citizen: Mister… Are we going to die…?

Rutile: …No, you won't… Come here. It'll be okay. (…I wonder if I just told them a lie… Is there anything I can do right now, with how weak I am?) (I can't make a barrier or do any purification on my own… I can't protect all of these people…) (Should I try to move them all with magic? I wonder if I could carry them all. If I use up all my energy on the way there, it'll be really bad.) (…Everything would be fine if only I'd eaten a stone like Mitile did…) (Would my mother have wanted that…?)

Cortes Citizen: …It's okay, everything's going to be okay. If you get too scared, you're going to hurt yourself. Remember what Mister Gregory from the castle said? At times like these you should, um, do a roll-call.

Cortes Citizen: That's right, you're right. A roll-call… Do we have enough people? …Where's the head advisor?

Cortes Citizen: I'm here…

Cortes Citizen: Thank goodness, that's good… This is her Majesty's hometown. I'm sure she'll come to save us soon.

Cortes Citizen: Yes, you're right… Queen Liliana will save us.

Rutile: (Everyone's faces are looking brighter…) (That's right, this is…the town where her Majesty was born and raised. That's both their pride and their hope.) (Words and a certain person's presence can make the heart stronger than any spell…) (It's true for me, too. The pride I had in Uncle Mithra's name supported me for so long…) (I want to support everyone, too.) Everything's going to be okay…everything's definitely going to be okay! <Ortonik Setomaouge> …hah… Here, this sugar's for everyone.

Cortes Citizen: Thank you, Mister wizard… What did you say your name was?

Rutile: …It's Rutile…

Carla: Mister Rutile. I'm Carla. Please tell me if there's anything else I can do to help… I want to help everyone, too…

Rutile: …Thank you, Carla… …!

Carla: What was that noise…?!

Cortes Citizen: Look! Over there…! In the middle of all that green mist, there's a purple monster…! It's coming this way…! …I can't…breathe…!

Rutile: Everyone, get behind me…!

Carla: Mister Rutile, it's dangerous…!

Mitile: <Scintilla>!

Rutile: …! Mitile…!

Cortes Citizen: The monster stopped moving…! Those emerald sparks stopped the monster in its tracks…!

Cortes Citizen: Is that boy in the sky using magic…?! The smoke from the flames looks like stardust… It's scary, but pretty…!

Mitile: Rutile, are you okay…?!

Rutile: …Mitile…

Mitile: How dare you hurt my brother…! Don't worry! I'm going to protect my brother and all of the rest of you!

Cortes Citizen: You are?! You're still just a kid!

Mitile: I'm Mitile! The Great Witch, Tiletta's son! …Let's go. <Scintilla>!

Cortes Citizen: He did it…! The monster's in pain…!

Rutile: (Mitile! You really are doing so well…)

Mitile: I did it!

Rutile: (Huh?) (Is that the face Mitile usually makes when he smiles?)

Cortes Citizen: The monster's cowering in fear! Just a little bit more…! No… Wait… There's green mist coming out of its mouth and from between its claws… …! …It's the miasma…! It's breathing out the miasma…!

Mitile: …Alright, one more time…!

Rutile: …Mitile…! Can you put up a barrier and protect everyone…?!

Mitile: Ah…! (I got too absorbed in fighting. I need to help everyone!) I'll do my best! <Scintilla>! …Huh?! It's not working… (I've never been able to successfully raise a barrier before, even a little one…) <Scintilla>! <Ortonik Sealsispilce>! (What do I do, nothing's working…) (I need to beat it with my magic…!) <Scinti…>

Lennox: Stop, Mitile!

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox: Don't attack, Mitile.

Rutile: Leno…!

Mitile: …Leno…

Lennox: I watched your battle. You've done well, Mitile!

Mitile: …Thank you…

Lennox: But I think there's a good chance that monster is absorbing your spells and converting them into miasma.

Mitile: What…?!

Rutile: Oh no… Then how are we supposed to defeat it…?

Lennox: … Everyone, get back. I'll do this.

✦✧☾✧✦

Shino: Rutile…!

Rutile: …Shino…

Shino: …The miasma is so thick… Is that Lennox? Is he punching the monster…?!

Rutile: …gh.

Shino: Rutile!

Mitile: Rutile…! My brother just collapsed…! That monster absorbs any magical attacks made on it and turns it into this poison mist! So we can't attack it…! But I can't raise a barrier, and my brother couldn't either, and I can't protect anyone… I… I…

Shino: Calm down, Mitile.

Mitile: What do I do?! I just got stronger, but…! I still can't do anything…!

Shino: You can. Calm down. Look at my face.

Mitile: …Okay…

Shino: You can still use a broom, can't you? It'll take a while, but you can take everyone here somewhere safe one by one.

Mitile: O… Okay…

Shino: Start with the ones who seem the worst off.

Carla: …Let me help too!

Shino: Got it. Come with me.

6 - Your Worth

Shino: After taking everyone somewhere safe, take them inside the boundaries of that big glowing magic circle. You need to take care of Rutile, Mitile! He used too much of his magic inside the misama. Get him to safety as soon as you can.

Mitile: …Got it! I'll be sure to save my brother…!

Rutile: …uu…

Shino: (The miasma just keeps getting thicker… Plants are withering so fast I can see it happening…) (You're going to get wiped out fighting in this, Lennox…!)

Lennox: Hah…!

Shino: Leno! Need help?!

Lennox: …I'm good! This thing reacts to magic! You use magic reflexively when swinging your scythe!

Shino: …That's true…

Lennox: (That said, it's going to be hard to make a decisive blow against this thing with my bare hands…) Do you have anything long?!

Shino: Hey, do you guys have any poles or spears that could be used as a weapon?!

Cortes Citizen: If a sledgehammer will work, then…!

Shino: Give me that! …Leno, catch…!

Lennox: …Thanks! … Bring it on.

Cortes Citizen: Ahh… Just a sledgehammer isn't going to be enough against a beast like that…

Lennox: Hah…!

Cortes Citizen: Th-that was amazing…! He dodged the monster's attack and landed a hit on its head…!

Lennox: …!

Cortes Citizen: Look…! The monster's staggering…!

Cortes Citizen: Yes…! I think he can beat it…! He's a hero! A hero armed with a single hammer!

Cortes Citizen: Woah, this is looking promising! … …That…that's a lot of blood…

Cortes Citizen: Y-yeah..

Shino: (Lennox is covered in blood but he's just ignoring it…) Leno, how's it going…?!

Lennox: …I should be able to crush its skull soon, but its blood is doing a number on my hands and face.

Shino: Are you okay?!

Lennox: Probably. But this is basically acid… And… (…Is its head putting itself back together, after all of those blows…?) (I can see something glowing inside its ribcage…) (Someone needs to get a closer look. Shino? I don't think he can take being covered by this acid.) Shino! Stay back!

Isaac: That's my prey.

Lennox: … Isaac…?!

Isaac: Out of the way. Or you'll turn to stone, too.

Lennox: Knock it off…! If this thing absorbs any more magic…

Isaac: Don't order me around! <Animum Vexat>!

Shino: Lennox! Run…!

Lennox: …! …Uwaaah…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Faust: … Leno…? (I could feel his presence until just a second ago, but now it's gone…) (…Did something happen? I want to run over to where I last felt him, but I can't leave these people behind…)

Mitile: Faust!

Faust: Mitile! Is Rutile okay…?!

Mitile: The miasma got him really bad! And there are a lot of other people who've been badly affected right down the hill… I'm going to carry them up now! Please protect everyone here!

Faust: …Got it. Heath went to the Western manor. He should be able to get reinforcements there.

Mitile: Right…!

Faust: And make sure you don't push yourself. If anything happens, come to me first. How's Lennox?

Mitile: He's fighting the monster that's making all the miasma right now! If you use magic on it, it turns it into miasma! So he's fighting it without using any magic at all…

Faust: …I see… …Got it. I'll fulfill my duty. (I'm going to expand the barrier as far as I can.) <Salliuqnart Mulcredo>

✦✧☾✧✦

Tonight, a lighting ceremony was being held in the City of Fortune's central plaza, near the goddess statue. It's a kind of way to pray for the peace of Western Country. She isn't here yet, but the Queen is going to be making an appearance, too. I'd done a lot of practice with Figaro, the shard of Murr, and Arthur in preparation for today. Right now, I was with Arthur, Oz, Figaro, and the shard of Murr, who had shrunk himself down into my pocket again.

Murr: Her Majesty has put the full extent of her authority on display, I see. This, too, is a competition… The prince of Central Country, Prince Arthur. The world's strongest wizard, Lord Oz. A Southern doctor and experienced politician, Lord Figaro. While I would've liked for Shylock to join us as well, this goes against his principles.

Figaro: Shylock's never been fond of political displays. Even though I adore him.

Murr: I did also ask the Northern wizards to join us, but…

Figaro: If they actually came, everything would turn into a mess before you knew it.

Akira: (It's true that I feel a lot more relaxed being surrounded by amazing people…) (But isn't Oz bad with crowds like this…?)

Oz: (This is a large crowd…)

Arthur: (He just thought that there's a lot of people here.)

Akira: Oz.

Oz: What.

Akira: I've gotten a lot of practice in thanks to everyone's efforts, so I'll be okay. Right now, there's some kind of incident going on near Cortes, and the Eastern wizards went there to investigate. But the Eastern wizards had it really bad in the battle a while ago, so I'm worried about them… Do you think you could check in on them for me?

Oz: I do not mind.

Arthur: I'd like to ask you to do this, too.

Figaro: Yeah, that'd be best for you.

Murr: While I had wished for you to remain present, I suppose there's no helping it if such events are afoot. Give my regards to the Eastern wizards.

With a spark of magic, Oz vanished. The crowd of people in the plaza started murmuring to each other. There was an exceptionally extravagant carriage drawing close to us. It was Queen Liliana's carriage.

✦✧☾✧✦

Chloe: Ah… You guys, this way, over here.

Murr: Yaaaay! There's so many p--mmmph.

Shylock: Shh, Murr. We must conduct ourselves such that her Majesty doesn't notice us.

Chloe: Murr, Shylock. You need to check if her Majesty is a wizard or not, one more time.

Shylock: Understood.

Murr: Got it!

✦✧☾✧✦

Heathcliff: (The wind is so strong… It's making me waste time getting back to the City of Fortune.) (Isn't there any way I can contact them faster?) (Like if I could project something on a crystal ball everyone had on hand or something…)

Oz: Heathcliff.

Heathcliff: …Waugh! Y-you startled me. Is there something I can do for you, Lord Oz?

Oz: The Sage asked me to check up on the Eastern wizards. You were the only one separated from the others.

Heathcliff: Master Sage did…? Thank you so much, Lord Oz. While we did all arrive at Cortes, things were much more serious there than we expected, so I was returning to update the Sage on what's happening.

Oz: Elaborate on the circumstances.

Heathcliff: There's a monster leaking miasma, and people are collapsing all over town.

Oz: Understood. I will kill it.

Heathcliff: Thank you so much!

Oz: …

Heathcliff: Is something wrong?

Oz: It will soon be night. <Vox Nox>

Heathcliff: Huh?

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: I'm starting to get nervous…

Figaro: You're gonna do great. Relax.

Murr: Try to enjoy it, as we do in the West.

Arthur: I know you'll do wonderfully, Master Sage!

Akira: Okay… Tha--

Murr: Master Sage?!

Figaro: Where'd they go?!

Arthur: Wasn't that Lord Oz's magic…?!

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: --nk you very much. Huh? Wha--wahhh?! The sky?!

Heathcliff: Master Sage?!

Akira: Heath?! Oz?!

Oz: Reiterate your explanation, Heathcliff.

Heathcliff: Ah, umm… When we arrived at Cortes, we found out things were a lot more serious than we'd heard.

Akira: What…?!

Oz: There is a monster producing miasma. I will also proceed to Cortes. You will accompany me, as night shall fall soon.

Akira: W-wait a second! I do want to go with you, but there's something else I have to do right now.

Oz: More essential than saving your wizards?

Akira: …

Oz: I am not trying to blame you. If that is what you wish, then I shall obey. Provided your decision comes before nightfall.

Akira: …I do want to go with you. Making sure everyone's safe is important to me. …But what should I do… (I should be able to pull out of the lighting ceremony if there's an emergency. But…) (It'll mean Murr's plan won't work. And if that happens, we won't be able to free ourselves…)

Heathcliff: … Um, would it be alright if I said something?

Akira: Yes, of course.

Heathcliff: Could the other Northern wizards be called upon to do this instead of Master Sage?

Akira: The Northern wizards?

Oz: They will not listen to your orders.

Heathcliff: Th…that's not true. When we were injured, Mithra and Bradley protected us. And Cain told me that Owen was starting to be a little nicer to him, too…

Oz: …

Heathcliff: Once night falls, you won't be able to use your magic, Lord Oz. But if the Northern wizards were there…

Akira: Heath… You used to be so scared of them, too…

Heathcliff: Haha… To tell the truth, I'm still scared. But… How can I put it… I want to be able to rely on them.

Akira: I do, too… Oz, what do you think?

Oz: … If that is what you wish. <Vox Nox>

Mithra: Wha--?!

Owen: What?!

Bradley: What's your problem?!

Snow: Oz dear?!

White: What is it?!

Oz: Explain yourself, Sage.

Bradley: Yeah, 'cause I've got no clue what's going on here.

Oz: You will obey them.

Owen: Absolutely not.

Mithra: There's no way I'm letting myself be ordered around.

Heathcliff: Things are worse in Cortes than we thought they would be. There's a monster making miasma, and people are collapsing all over town. The Eastern and Southern wizards are responding to the crisis, but…

Mithra: Southern?

Heathcliff: Yes…

Mithra: Sigh… It's happening all over again… Understood. I'll go.

Owen: I won't.

Snow: Owen, dear.

White: Dearest Owen.

Owen: Don't order me around.

Akira: Owen.

Owen: …

Akira: Mithra, Bradley, Snow, White. I don't want to give you orders. I just want to ask you to help. Please.

Heathcliff: I'm begging you, too!

Oz: … I am counting on you.

Bradley & Owen & Mithra: …

Mithra: Please say that again.

Owen: Say it again.

Bradley: Lemme hear that again.

Oz: Absolutely not.

Bradley: Welp, them's the breaks. I guess I'll do what you want, Sage.

Akira: Thank you. Bradley… Um, I don't really know how to put it, but you're…

Bradley: Hm?

Akira: …someone I have confidence in. I was sure you'd work with me.

Bradley: …

Akira: That's something I can say because I've watched you. Because I've known you. You're someone who responds to others. Even to the wishes of someone as insignificant as me. So I trust you, Bradley. Please respond to my confidence with your actions.

Bradley: Haha… Well, damn, you sure said it. Even if you're just puttin' on an act for me, what else can I do but listen?

Oz: …It is sunset. <Vox Nox>

Cain: Wah…!

Riquet: What? The sea? The sky?

Heathcliff: I'll explain later!

Mithra: Well then, we should hurry. <Arthim>

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: Well, if it comes to it, I suppose me or Arthur could turn ourselves into the Sage…

Murr: If she should start to suspect anything is wrong, I will take the conversation in completely the wrong direction and let chaos reign.

Arthur: But the aim here is for Master Sage's words filled with sincerity to move the hearts of the people…

Akira: Wah…!

Murr & Arthur & Figaro: Master Sage!

Arthur: Thank goodness you came back.

Akira: As soon as the lighting ceremony for the goddess is over, we need to go to Cortes.

Arthur: Has something happened?

Akira: Apparently a monster spreading miasma has appeared. Oz and the Northern wizards are heading there now.

Figaro: The Northern wizards are?

Akira: Yes.

Arthur: They're quite reliable.

Akira: Yes…

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox: …gh…ugh…

Shino: Leno! Lennox…! He's looking really bad… I need shielding ash… Or sanctuary pollen… Argh, I don't have enough!

Lennox: …Is this ash…from him… …

Shino: Lennox! Leno…!

Cortes Citizen: …uu… This…is it… …I can't…move…

Nero: …Damn, everyone's down…!

Isaac: <Animum Vexat>!

Nero: Don't attack it…! …The miasma's just getting worse…! Bastard! Quit attacking it! At this rate, these guys are…

Isaac: Shut up. Or do you want me to eat you first?

Nero: Fine by me, asshole…! Bring it!

Isaac: <Animum Vexat>!

Nero: <Adnodis Omnis>! …Agh…!

Isaac: I am going to eat you, and then kill that thing.

Nero: …gh… Did you really kill Eva?!

Isaac: I did.

Nero: Does that mean…he's going to be all alone again?!

Isaac: <Animum Vexat>!

Shino: <Matzah Sudipas>! …agh…

Nero: Shino! Shino…!

Isaac: Hahaha…

Nero: …! …The monster's running away. Where…

Isaac: It jumped into the sky…?! There must be something in the sky. It's… A mana stone…?

Nero: There's a ship flying in the sky?!

Shino: …No… I've heard of this. It was made with Western magical technology…

Shino: The flying warship.

✦✧☾✧✦

Old Butler: Master, the townspeople seek our protection!

Lord: Please, take shelter in the castle. Though I know not what the ideal way to protect you all from the horrors taking place would be… Where has Gregory gotten himself off to?

Maid: I haven't seen him for several days now. He must be depressed about not being able to wed Lady Liliana…

Lord: How hasty of him… And what a predicament he's left us in! What can we do?!

Old Butler: Ah… Look at that, Master! There's a huge ship flying through the air…!

Lord: Oh, my god…!

Old Butler: Oh, yes… I'd heard rumors in the capital that the military had built a flying ship with magical technology. They must have seen the green mist covering the ground and come to rescue us…!

Lord: Thank god…! Only magical technology could do this for us! We'll be able to save the townspeople! Praise her Majesty!

✦✧☾✧✦

Flying Battleship Captain: Is this the doing of a monster…? The plant life has withered to nothing, and visibility is poor because of this fog. We need to inform the palace of this abnormality.

Flying Battleship Airman: Captain, Captain…!

Flying Battleship Captain: …Our altitude is decreasing… What's happening?

✦✧☾✧✦

Flying Battleship Airman: The rudder isn't moving! We are sinking steadily towards the ground!

Flying Battleship Captain: Do we know the cause?

Flying Battleship Airman: Unknown! In fact, everything looks to be in working order…

Flying Battleship Airman: Captain…! The green fog is getting closer to us! A monster must be lurking within it! Langrenus cannons, prepare to fire!

Flying Battleship Airman: We won't be ready in time…! Uwaaaah…!!

Mithra: <Arthim>

Flying Battleship Airman: Wh-who are you?! A…a wizard?!

Cain: We're rescuing your entire crew! This way, hurry!

Mithra: I'm opening a spatial door. Escape through it.

✦✧☾✧✦

Faust: …gh. (I made the barrier too big… How much magic do I have left…?)

Snow & White: <Noscomnia>

Faust: Snow! White!

Snow: Hohoho. You've done well, Faust.

White: Leave the rest to us.

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: Yo.

Nero: …Brad…

Bradley: Can you stand, Nero?

Nero: …'Course I can.

Bradley: Then take Shino and Lennox out of here.

Nero: …

Bradley: Go on, Eastern wizard.

Shino: …Nero, let's go! We need your help, too!

Nero: (Did I want to run away?) (Did I want to be the one who gets helped instead of the one who's helping?) (Hell no.) (I wanted to stand by his side.)

Bradley: Wuh-oh. First, who's this guy?

Isaac: …

Bradley: You smell like the North.

Nero: That's the wizard that killed Eva.

Bradley: … …You sure?

Isaac: She was a strong woman, but in her final moments, a foolish one. But she must be happy to have seen Sophie again inside of me.

Bradley: … Haha… Is that right. Nero. Get going.

Nero: … …!

Isaac: What are you laughing at… Hey, Boss. It's a good thing I didn't decide to follow you back then. Because I'm better than you.

Bradley: Your bark's soundin' worse than your bite. But I'll silence you permanently.

Isaac: <Animum Vexat>!

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>!

Next Chapter

#.main story tl #UNEVEN DIVISIONS! GOD HELP ME

24 notes · View notes

hrefna-the-raven · 2 months

Text

Heart of Steel

Fallout masterlist - main masterlist

Chapter 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

Song for this chapter:

Summary: You pay Goodneighbor a visit, meeting up with Nick in the Memory Den to find out where the Institute is hiding, hoping to save your son. Meanwhile something as simple as a visit to Goodneighbor proves challenging for someone with the mindset of Elder Maxson. He made a promise but keeping it might crack deeper into what Arthur truly wanted.

Warnings: smut (18+), violence (although Finn deserves it), a lot of feel feels

Notes: sorry for the length of this chapter^^ but there'll be smut at the end as a reward ;)

Chapter 7 - Dangerous minds

You nervously paced up and down in front of the entrance of Goodneighbor, jumping at every little noise around you. Your hand instinctively reached for the pistol in the holder on your hip as someone emerged from around the corner. As the person drew nearer, you noticed that it was a tall man with dark brown hair. The sides of his head were shaved, while the hair on top was slightly longer with a few strands that fell in his face. A snug white t-shirt clung to his well trained torso, covered by a worn black leather jacket. His dirty blue jeans clung tightly to his legs and his boots were worn and covered in dirt and scratches. As he approached, you caught sight of a long scar on his right cheek and only then did you relax, removing your hand from the pistol.

"Arthur", you greeted him with a smile, "you look...different."

"Different enough that you were ready to shoot me", he grinned, "I suppose that means I've been successful."

You thought he was already good looking before but that clean shaved face took it to a whole new level. No beard to hide that wonderful sharp jawline, perfectly contouring his face, making him look more his age. You were positively surprised how many years his beard had added to his appearance. As your finger traced over his scar, he suddenly became self-conscious, realising that most of it had been hidden beneath his dark facial hair for so long. Memories of how he'd barely managed to defeat that deathclaw seven years ago violently flooded his mind, causing his hands to tremble and his vision to blur as sheer panic caused by the flashback flooded his entire body.

"Don't worry about that", you spoke softly as you kept touching his scar, "I actually think it adds to your rugged charm. Although, at some point, I would love to hear the story behind it."

You placed a tender kiss on his lips and felt the tension melt away. Arthur let out a nervous chuckle, surprised at how you were able to have such a calming effect on him. Just a simple kiss managed to wash away the painful memories of his encounter with one of the most dangerous creatures in the Wastelands.

You made your way through the creaky worn wooden door but only a few steps in, your way was blocked by a scarred bald man in road leathers. He casually lit his cigarette, his eyes scanning between Arthur and yourself, lingering as he examined your appearance.

"Welcome to Goodneighbor, Sweetie. Can't go walking around without an insurance. It would be a shame if something happened to you."

The disgustingly smug smile he gave you made you want to punch this dude straight away but you knew better than to start trouble in this place, especially with the Brotherhood's Elder by your side.

"Unless it's “keep-dumb-assholes-away-from-me” insurance, I'm not interested", you shrugged nonchalantly, trying to keep a neutral expression as you heard Arthur laugh next to you.

“Careful babyface!”, he pointed at Maxson before turning his attention back to you, that greasy smile reappearing, “now don't be like that, sweetie, I think you're going to like what I have to offer.”

“Whoa, whoa, time out, Finn!”, Hancock laughed as he strolled towards you, “my favourite Vaultie makes a rare visit to town and you're hassling her and her friend here with that crap? Good to see you again”, he winked at you.

“What d'you care? She ain't one of us and he ain't either! You're soft Hancock, one day there'll be a new mayor in town”, Finn took a few steps towards the ghoul, raising his arms provocatively.

“Come on, man. This is me we're talking about. Let me tell you something.”

Hancock now stood mere inches away from Finn when he swiftly pulled out a dagger from beneath his coat and began thrusting it into Finn's body until it went limp and collapsed onto the pavement, a dark crimson pool forming around it. The ghoul wiped the knife clean on the corpse and slid it back under his coat, a genuine friendly broad smile gracing his lips now as he approached you with open arms and to hug you tightly.

“You alright, sister?”, a concerned tone in his voice as he inspected you before addressing Arthur, “don't let this little incident taint your view of our little community. Goodneighbor's of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone's welcome.”

“Of the people, for the people? Oh brother...”, Maxson grumbled.

Hancock burst into laughter before playfully slapping Arthur's shoulder.

“Same as her, he he, I can tell I'm gonna like you already. Your room's ready at my humble State House, courtesy of being the mayor. Old Nick's waiting at the Memory Den. And be sure to pay a visit to The Third Rail, trouble always seems to find your little merc MacCready.”

“He's not mine, you know”, you chuckled as you watched Hancock make his way toward the State House.

You wanted to head straight to meet up with the detective but Maxson's fingers wrapped around your wrist and he pulled you closer.

“You're...friend...is a ghoul”, he whispered with disdain.

The sudden hostility in his tone should have shocked you but upon seeing the sorrow in his eyes, you knew exactly where this was coming from. Those were words that sprouted from the seeds of military indoctrination sown in the mind of a child who ever only got to see the worst of each supposed enemy. It reminded you that war was not the only thing that never changed.

“Quite the deduction skills, Captain Obvious”, you teased him, refusing to play into his hateful statement.

“But-”, he started but you cut him off.

“You made a promise to me yesterday. Now I kindly ask of you to leave the Elder at the Prydwen and let Arthur follow me”, you said with a mocking bow, sticking out your tongue before taking his hand and leading him towards the Memory Den.

A surge of righteous outrage swelled within his chest, roaring in anger as it fought against the audacity of your response. It felt ridiculed, left alone in a dark corner with the nagging voice of doubt that had grown louder in recent times. He did make a promise yesterday and despite suspecting that this journey would challenge everything he believed in, he still chose to accompany you. He had to buck up on his ideas, at least for now, for you and his own sake.

The glowing yellow circles in the otherwise lifeless eyes, the grimy worn pallor of the artificial skin, exposing pieces of complex machinery on the places it was torn. Arthur recognised the synth for what it was immediately, his stomach only twisting further as it presented itself as detective Nick Valentine, friend of yours. It didn't take him long to connect the dots between this machine and the first discussion you had with him about the synth. This was one of the Institute's abominations and, at the very same time, the one saving your life multiple times. And now here it was waiting for you, ready to risk its own life yet again to help you find and rescue your son from the clutches of the very institution it should be loyal to. Your answer on your first day finally had a face to it, the face of a discarded machine and that of a truth he kept denying vehemently. His mind held countless reasons to hate every synth, everything created by the Institute, but his heart began to waver, secretly driving the wedge between his convictions and yours deeper, leaving him struggling to find out which version of reality would ultimately prevail.

"Don't worry, they'll both be alright ", doctor Amari assured, a smile on her face as she continued to observe you, delving deeper into Kellogg's memories, "although I have a feeling that one of them is more important to you."

Arthur's gaze never wavered from your form, afraid to even blink for fear of missing a moment where you might be in danger, beyond his reach.

“I know who you are.”

He finally dared to look away from you towards the doctor, his lips parting but the words failed him. What did he even want to tell her? That he couldn't care less if she knew? That nothing she could say would sway him from the path he had set the Brotherhood on? That even if he wished to stray from that path, he couldn't? He was trapped, his name, its legacy, hanging like a bleak prophetic shadow over him, regardless of what he truly wanted.

“But I also know”, Amari continued, “that she made the decision to bring you here and I will place my trust in her judgment. What she has done so far, the people she has helped, there is an honest heart and open-minded soul within her.”

“And what do you think happens now?”, he finally found his voice, his words escaping in a faint and uneasy whisper.

His mind failed him, trapped in the worries around you in this moment, he didn't have the energy to summon the soldier he was expected to be.

“Nothing”, Amari chuckled, her laughter filled with a mix of amusement and reassurance, “I will keep a watchful eye on you, but as long as you care for her and show respect to those residing here, you will be welcomed. We are not the Brotherhood; we don't immediately resort to violence against those who hold different beliefs, or physiology for that matter. ”

His eyes darted to the screen just in time to see the courser vanishing with Shaun.

“Teleportation”, he muttered under his breath.

“Now it all makes sense. Nobody's found the entrance to the Institute because there IS no entrance.”, Amari spoke, her fingers swiftly tapping on the buttons of her computer as she spoke into the microphone next to the screen , “let me pull you out of there.”

Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away from Magnolia, slowly draining his drink as her voice and music hypnotised him further. The sultry tone dancing around the swinging rhythm lured him deeper into the depths of his own musings. It felt different hearing the music directly sang by someone pouring their soul into the song and touching others with a directness a radio could never replicate. He huffed, after this day, he was truly wondering if the singer was even human or one of those damned machines. He wouldn't know anymore and he grew too tired to think about it... To claim that this day had been exhausting would have been an understatement. It had been a long time since he'd experienced the world the way he did today. The Brotherhood had always kept him busy, even more so since he was appointed Elder, but despite being out there in the world, he never truly saw it. Yet, in spite of his fatigue, a part of him still yearned to leap from his seat and return to the Prydwen, armed with the newfound knowledge he had acquired to further his war against the Institute. He groaned instead, shifting his gaze from Magnolia to the empty glass he twirled between his fingers.

Your hands gently caressed his shoulder, your tender gesture prompting the first smile since both of you left the Memory Den. He seemed more quiet than usual, out of place, his usual cockiness stripped away and it caused a flicker of uncertainty within you. You questioned whether it was the right decision to bring him here but then again, these people became your allies, some of them friends, and if he was to be a part of you, he needed to witness and embrace everything that came with it. You nuzzled your face in the side of his neck, trailing kisses up to his ear.

"Mac's still not here and I'm getting tired, let's head back to our room", you whispered, leading him to the State House.

As soon as the door closed behind you, Maxson flung his jacket onto the armchair in the corner and collapsed onto the bed, absorbed in a mist of thoughts while he stared at the crumbling plaster of the ceiling, only lifting his head when he felt the mattress shift under a weight at its edge. He swallowed a groan as he watched as you crawled on top of him, gradually moving until you were lying upon him, placing a long tender kiss on his lips. The pressure and warmth of your body weighing down on him washed over his mind, clearing a path for his insatiable longing for you.

"Arthur", you breathed sultry, your eyes finding his.

There was a subtle shift in the depth of your stare, beneath the vast ocean of your deep affection, there lingered something more intense - a yearning that he had grown all too familiar with since you entered his life. Away from the ceaseless hum of the Prydwen's engine, with no danger of being interrupted by anyone at any time, the realisation of just how much you wanted to be close to him, to melt into him without ever leaving again, hit you with an overwhelming force. You moved slightly to the side, causing a gasp to escape his lips as he felt your hand gently stroke his clothed member. It didn't take long before his growing bulge felt almost painful against the confines of the tight jeans. Biting his lower lip, he watched as you unbutton his pants before pulling them down along with his underwear. The sudden coolness of the room against his throbbing erection caused him to inhale sharply; you had barely touched him, yet he was already teetering dangerously close to his limit.

"May I?", you asked, licking your lips as you settled between his thighs.

Arthur had no idea what you were implying but he knew he'd take whatever you offered him. He hissed as your lips wrapped around the tip of his cock, swallowing it slowly until all of it was buried in the wet warmth of your mouth. He'd touched himself many times in the solitude of his quarters but this felt unlike any pleasure he was ever able to give himself.

"I...I...I don't know for how long I can take this", he stuttered, "I've never been with anyone, not like this."

His confession tugged at your heartstrings. Here you were, lying in bed with the one man, whose Brotherhood almost lifted him into the realm of legends due his deeds and leadership, bare before each other in a rare moment of vulnerability of him admitting that you were the very first to grant him this kind of intimacy. It saddened you, realising that this man, whose soul revealed a profound connection and gentle nature, had never been seen in this light by anyone before. Despite the Brotherhood's reverence and adoration for him, they failed to recognise the beauty within his soul. But he'd no longer be alone for he had you now. You continued bobbing your head, twirling your tongue around the tip each time. You barely managed to do this five times before you felt his cock twitch, his warm release filling your mouth as the sound of your name mingled with long sinful moans dripping from his lips. You eagerly swallowed every drop he offered, and with one final lick, you crawled back to lie beside him, offering him a gentle smile. It took him a few deep breaths to recover before he settled on his knees, slowly starting to undress you before taking off his own t-shirt, leaving both of you completely bare before each other. His steel-blue gaze trailed over you body, brows furrowed as if he desperately tried to burn every little detail of you into his memories while his hands trailed over your soft skin. He remembered a part of that book he once stole in the Citadel, eager to try if those old words held any truth. Leaning in, he licked and sucked on your nipple while his hand ventured down between your legs, two fingers slowly dragging through your folds. His inexperienced touch and movements might have been slightly rough and uncoordinated, but they elicited the sweetest moans from you. He noticed that that every time his fingertips grazed against your clit, your legs quivered ever so slightly and your moans grew needier. You opened your eyes at the sudden lack of his touches and found him staring at his fingers, coated with your wetness. A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you witnessed his fascination with something so ordinary, highlighting how his life must have been devoid of intimacy all these years.

"All for you", you whispered, earning a genuine smile from him.

"Do you truly want this?", he asked, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.

You remained silent, aware that words alone would never be enough to convey the depth of your desires in this moment. Instead, you pushed him onto his back, straddling him as you pressed your wetness against his cock, grinding against it and feeling him grow hard again.

"There is nothing I want more than being here with you, feeling you, loving you", you breathed, pausing your movements, "you're all I ever wanted."

Arthur's heart felt as if it were on the verge of shattering at your words. He had been going through life without ever experiencing such affection and tenderness. For the first time, he felt truly wanted, even loved, not just for his name, his purpose, but for his soul, his own true essence.

"I don't recognise that feeling plaguing my heart and mind but if this is truly love", a teardrop welled up in the corner of his eye, "then allow me to tell you that I love you."

You positioned his cock at your entrance, moaning his name, feeling him stretch you perfectly as his cock was sliding deep inside you. His hands clasped unto your hips, fingers digging into your supple flesh while he held you in place for a moment, overwhelmed by the sheer pleasure. Your walls clenched around his twitching cock and you slowly began moving, placing your hands on his chest while your gaze locked onto his. Arthur began thrusting his hips upwards, anticipating your movements. The lewd sounds of him thrusting deep inside your wetness filled the room, entangling with the heavy breaths and lustful moans. Arthur watched your head fall back in pleasure as you rode him and he couldn't care for anything anymore in this very moment. The Brotherhood, his war, held no significance at this moment, all he cared for was the closeness to you, the love which bound you together and the heavenly bliss you had brought upon him. Both of you approached the edge fast and your moans grew louder as both of you finally plunged into the abyss of purest pleasure. Panting, you tried to get off him but Arthur pulled you down on him, his arms wrapping around you, holding you in a tight hug, both of you surrendering to the irresistible lure of slumber.

Chapter 8 - why do fools fall in love?

Feel free to reblog if you enjoyed the story :)

11 notes · View notes

apompkwrites · 1 year

Note

I had a little idea for little!shroud who is like Seele Volleri, fron honkai impact.

I want to kind of go in depth here, so there'll be a few spoilers for Seele's backstory (and also TWST- The Shrouds specifically).

Context: Seele is a kind and sweet girl who uses her strength to help others. She has an alter ego, who is referred to as 'Dark Seele, "Other me" or just "Seele." The fandom usually calls her Veliona though (I think it's because in one of her skills where she switches in with Veliona, it's described as "Velionas wrath). Veliona is the opposite of Seele: she is rude, violent and doesn't hesitate to get what she wants. She does care for Seele though. When she was young, Seele met Bronya Zaychik in a orphanage, who was brought in by a women named Cocolia, who runs the orphanage. Seele and Bronya are extremely close, but one day Bronya is chosen to take part in an experiment called the "X-10 experiment". The experiment has a low chance of success and Seele finds out about it, deciding to take Bronyas place. When trying to convince Cocolia, Seele reveals she has something called the "Stigmata of Death." Basically, she inherited powers from the previous Herrscher of Death. This stigmata is Veliona. Due to the experiment failing, Seeles physical form collapses and she is sent to a place called "The Sea of Quanta". I'm not sure how to properly explain, but it's like a world in between bubbles universes (or alternate universes). Bronya tries to bring her back but can't, so she instead promises to save her one day.

So, my idea is that Seele!Shroud was found and adopted by the Shrouds due to their connection to the power of death. Maybe they'll also own an orphanage here, I'm not sure. There's a point in the story where Seele is kidnapped and then saved by Bronya. She sees Veliona here for the first time I think. I'm gonna change it so that it's when Ortho dies (So instead of getting kidnapped, it's when Ortho died and Veliona appears to save them I guess.) The Shrouds misunderstand and believe Seele!Shroud killed Ortho, which makes them more willing to use them in the X-10 experiment. The events go as they do usually in HI3, so Seele!Shroud is now in the TWST equivalent on the Sea of Quanta.

Seele and Veliona are my favourite ever, next to Elysia, i love them so much i pray nothing bad happens to them in the recent chapter. Btw, theres a theory Seele might be the current Herrscher of Death, heavily supported by the fact she has a stigmata of the previous HoDeath who has control over life and death, so connection to Idia or smth ig.

-🦋 anon (i didnt read over this so theres probably some errors, oops)

oooh more honkai black sheep :OO

shroud can never catch a break can they?

i can imagine idia doing whatever it takes to bring seele!shroud back :(( big brother to the rescue (even if he could have prevented it had he stood up for them).

#a pompk answers #black sheep #a 🦋anon's rambles

39 notes · View notes

hotcat37 · 4 months

Note

I had a 20 hours shift and after I woke up I saw the notification of the new IKEA chapter ❤️. It made my day so much better ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The hurt-comfort chapter is something I needed❤️❤️❤️❤️

“He knows it's not an excuse but at the time Nace had acted out on instinct. For those few seconds kissing Jan felt right. Like the easiest thing he's ever done.”

“Tries to come up with a scenario that doesn't end in tears and a smack to the face.” Poor baby.

“Why did he kiss Jan? Because it felt good. Because Jan makes him feel safe. Because.....because he loves him. What he initially thought was just a crush has derailed into something else entirely. Crush doesn't even come close to describing his complex feelings for the guitarist.” It’s a bad circumstance but he finally realised what Jan means to him❤️

Love how Nace’s priority is Ollie. To keep him safe and loved. I’m also sad that he didn’t dare to consider the same treatment for himself, didn’t have the self-confidence to allow it for himself.

“How could he have been this blind? Did he just never see how manipulative she is or did he subconsciously know all along but refuse to acknowledge it? Most of all he's disappointed in himself for only seeing it once Ollie got unfairly involved. Now everything is blowing up right in his face and his dog is the one suffering most from it.”

“He just doesn't understand. Legitimately can't comprehend why Maja would treat an animal like this. Christ, how did he not see this coming? Nace thought that being hit by her is the worst thing she could do but what she's done to Ollie tonight is a hundred times worse in comparison.”

Accepting and realising that she is no longer a safe place for him BUT Jan is❤️❤️❤️

Kris is a hero for driving Jan to Nace’s place. Although I think Jan would have spent money on taxi to get Nace’s place as soon as possible.

Jan is being a sweetheart❤️❤️❤️ (can’t wait to see his inner thoughts of Nace’s call and the things happened after)(can Jan fix the controller? Does Nace wants it to get fixed?)

“Nace doesn't even realize that Jan is checking for bruises until he's blatantly asked” "Are you hurt?"” “Nace starts to cry, unable to help himself, giving up on wiping the tears away pretty quickly when they just keep on coming.”

Asking for what he wants/needs is such a huge thing.❤️❤️❤️❤️

“"C-can you wa....wait f-for me-?"” “Nace can't be with him until he's sorted out his own shit. It's only fair to Jan.” “Eventually, Jan promises: ".....of course. I'll wait forever if you want, Nace."”

Why do you have to end the chapter with “And for the second time that night, Nace thinks that just maybe, things will be okay.” Why can’t Nace have some peace? Also Maja still has the keyes to his place? Will Nace have a breakdown in front of Jan just to be surprised how much better and kinder Jan helps him to get through and recover from it?

Only 5 more chapters left 😭😭😭😭

AAAAH ANON THANK U SM FOR THE LONG MESSAGE!! I LOVE getting long comments eee 🥰🥰 Sorry for putting Nace, Ollie and you through it reader 😅 The most important but jarring thing about this chapter to me was really driving the point home that Nace would have likely and unfortunately still stayed with Maja if she hadn't neglected Ollie like that. Because he won't tolerate any abuse towards anyone that isn't him :( He definitely has a lot of reflection and healing to do before starting anything with Jan.

Also I'll probably add at least one more chapter because there'll only be like 4 chapters of Jance actually being together which isn't a lot so I'm planning on having some more happy content at the end to compensate for all the angst

Thanks so much for the message anon and just for you, I'll give some info about the next chapter (whenever it comes out lmao): the whole thing will be one big flashback that adds a lot of context to Nace's character in the fic 👀

#Jance #Anon ask #Jance ikea au #Hotcat ask

6 notes · View notes

thesovereignsring-if · 10 months

Text

Devlog #3 (09/04/2023): Playtester Applications are OPEN!!

Happy Labour Day everyone! It's Lili again. I hope you all had a nice long weekend!

I know I keep saying these Devlogs are suppose to be bi-weekly, but I have an announcement to make so I thought I might as well make another one. If you read the title and are interested, then please scroll down for more details!

Chapter 1 Part 1

I got a lot of work done for Chapter 1 last week. I'm very proud :)

First draft: Complete Revisions: 90% (Proofreading) Coding: 20% Word Count: 22411 Total Word count: 37998

I'm at the point were I'm pretty much done all the writing for this release barring any last minute changes I might need. Which means I'm onto next, more arduous phase: coding 💀💀💀💀

But that also mean I can start recruiting Playtesters and drafting Part 2!

PLAYTESTER Applications Are Open!

Woo! It's finally time. There's only so much my brain can handle when it comes to writing this monster and I'd really appreciate a few fresh eyes to help me. I've never done this before, so I'm only gonna take around 5 people if there are enough people interested. If I don't pick you up this time, don't worry there'll be more chances in the future! <3

So what's Playtesting?

It's the process of combing through an unreleased build of the game for bugs, types, grammatical, continuity errors and overall assisting in polishing up the game for a public release.

Expectations:

18+

Playtesting is a volunteer position. You will be credited for your work in-game! (If you like. You can opt out too.)

To be able to playtest the game and provide feedback with in a specific time-frame.

All communications with the Playtesting team will be done through a TSR's Discord Server (coming soon I promise 😭 ) .

All links and passwords must remain private. Testers who leak info will be banned and removed from the team. >:/

If at any point in time, you are no longer interested, or do not have the time to be involved, you can always leave. No questions asked <3

With the current progress of the Part 1, testers are expected to be available to throughout all of September.

There is no deadline right now, but I'll make another announcement for that.

Anyway, here's the app! Thanks so much <3 Everyone gets hugs and kisses.

#tsr #devlog #the sovereign’s ring

14 notes · View notes

luckyshotwrites · 1 year

Text

Ch. 64 // The Confession // Day 50

Contents (Warnings): Wicks tells Lynette everything...or tries too (Angst, magic mentions, character and monster info as always). Read full chapter on - A03

Wordcount: 2,336 (I WILL BE MAKING A MAGIC SYSTEM BOOKLET AS SOON AS I CAN, PROMISE!)

Side note: This will contain experimental writing; first person (Lynette's view) will be implemented alongside third person for the two other essential characters, (mostly) Alexander and (occasionally) Drake. All their text will be italicized for those third-person moments, with the characters' names in Bold at the start and their thoughts in Bold. There may be other characters I write for using this.

------------------------------------------------------------------- (Nov. 12th, Saturday)

I barely slept. Everything felt like a hazy layer of sick familiarity. I thought I had escaped it before. And today, felt lighter, maybe a relief. We were leaving soon. Everyone was sometimes or later.

Wicks and I were packing in our room. He had his suitcase next to mine on the bed.

"Lentils, how did you like Garter?" Wicks asked with a smirk on his face.

I reflected the smile, "he's-tall..."

Wicks exhaled and still smiled, "He was the first friend I met at the C.P.P.A. We were in training together as classless."

"Classless?"

The door flying open interrupted Wicks's explanation. "HEY, YOU GUYS ARE TAKING WAY TOO LONG!" Charletta charged in and hugged me first. She got Wicks in it second.

"We just started," I muttered. "You're the one that insisted we stay up until 4 a.m. at the bonfire."

"I wanted to spend more time with you guys before you leave!" Charletta squeezed further until I was pressed tightly into Wicks and her. I could smell Charletta's rose body wash and Wick's sandalwood, one clearer than I wanted. "I feel bad we couldn't hang out because of the wedding!" She sniffled.

I felt Wicks pull away, freeing me from her suffocating grasp.

"My birthday's coming up. We got plenty of time." Wicks assured her.

Charletta gasped, "OH-" Embarrassment covered her face. She forgot his birthday was coming soon. And had yet to get him a gift. Not that I was any better. "Yeah! Of course!"

I'm finally free, and I let out a clear breath. "We have plenty of time to see each other again," I said with one more deep breath.

...

Wicks

The thought hung in the back of his mind. He knew this was inevitable. He knew they'd tell her but he wished they had picked a different time.

Or...not at all. Wicks was on the opposite spectrum from the others, and his mother at one point shared that, but she couldn't bear to keep it hidden any longer.

One Month Earlier. He sat back on his new office and closed his eyes. "Transmission" from his father. It was similar to teleportation, except on a lessor scale. It sends thoughts and visuals to others from one mind to another. It requires a connection and agreement, generally. Even in his head, he could always hear the voice that was ever changed after he came back to them. "We're telling her at the wedding, because Charletta's getting married to a vampire beast named Ulysses Clemente." Padre said to him, We shouldn't. "Why now? Did Mom agree to this?" He heard Charletta voice in the background, his dad's power was frightening as he could capture the thoughts of others near him too, "we should have told her when we first took her in!" His dad and Charletta had been saying that for years. They always wanted to tell Lynette. But, they weren't around when Lynette started to fall like him and mom. "There's too much to hide..." His mom chimed in, he could tell by the trembles of her mind that she had been crying. "Then what? How can we ease her into it, we'd-I'd have to tell her everything..." He started to lower his head. She'll hate me. She'll never want to talk to me again. I can't lie to her if she asks. "There'll be plenty to tell her and plenty of time to tell her once it's over." His father said. "And if it ever gets to difficult to watch her-" Wicks snapped back immediately, "I'll take care of her." I won't abandon her. She never once did that to me. Not long after he had to cut it short, Garter came in with their coffee.

He wanted nothing more than to kill Ace now, most of his frustration redirected toward him and away from the other danger, Alexander. But, it was his fault. He shouldn't have trusted a friend of Ulysses and Charletta. He shouldn't trust anyone around her...or...no. I should have stayed with her. It doesn't matter if she wanted me around or not. I need to protect her.

That conversation and those thoughts never left his mind. He rubbed his thumb on the steer wheel leather chewing on those thoughts while he drove, until he heard his sister voice speak up.

"I'm going to quit the pizzeria." Her timid soft tone said out of the blue. The drive had been quiet, not a word about it had been mentioned since he first told her. "I've been thinking about it since you said it."

He glanced at her briefly before turning back to the road. "Really?!" He tried to hide his excitement. She actually listened to me.

"There's so much I don't understand, so much I don't know. And...I think you're right. I shouldn't involve myself in any of this." It came out with uncertainty, an unspoken unsureness. He knew she didn't want to give up.

She felt she needed to go on, Wicks knew that. Lentils was stubborn, she rarely ever gave up on anything once she started it. She had a determination he felt he lacked.

"I'm glad. And if you want later tonight, we can start our normal job hunting." He said with a smile.

There was a blanket of ease resting on his shoulders. He didn't think she was strong enough to handle everything that came with this. Just like humans, monsters were just as complicated or different. One world was enough.

He held back his cheer, he didn't want to stir her further. He could tell by the sound alone, she hated to say she was giving up.

Lynette nodded, "after you tell me what you can about magic...I still want to understand you-it all better.."

Wicks nodded. There's so much to tell you. He parked in their spot at the apartment and smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

...

Lynette

Wicks was patient with me, but it didn't matter how many breaks he made between the information I couldn't retain it. He even tried giving me demonstrations using a little bit of magic, yet there were so many spells I couldn't keep track.

I only retained two things, variations and levels. As he explained every spell has its own category, and a spell in that category was called a variation. While every variation had a level at which the magic was used, it determined its power protentional. A small use of the spell force can knock over things like soda cans, while at higher levels it could tear someone apart.

At least that's what I assumed. He really said, "it could seriously hurt someone."

"Psychic Magic, one of my specialties. It deals with spells that require mental understanding and a link to your own mind and others. If you are unable to concentrate or think, you can't use it." he tapped his head. "The first variation is Understanding. It's a mental reading of your opponent. Weaker versions need permission from the person your trying to read, while at higher levels you can understand their mind without it. You'll be able to know their intentions..."

He looked over the worry on my face and smiled, "it can also be used to understand different languages. Like if you and I didn't speak the same language, if I used it on you, I'd be able to understand what you're trying to tell me. It's as if its translated into my head with the language I know."

I don't think I'd want to ever use anything like that if I could. I feel like I would have my heart broken WAY too many times with peoples thoughts. I nodded along. Wait, is that what June uses? I then shivered, maybe a different version? He said he projects his thoughts out. Because if he was reading my thoughts...

"Can you also share your thoughts?"

Wicks jolted at the question, "technically, yes."

He went to the next before I could ask further. "Mind Erasure Variation," Wicks said.

If I quit, I'll have to deal with that won't I...WAIT will I forget everything? The wedding too?!

"To erase some ones memory it usually involves you to be present during the events you're trying to erase and or have someone else who was present during the events. If you yourself weren't present/ or have anyone who was and you're trying to erase some ones memories it'll be near impossible, as you'll have to shift through their mind."

His tone shifted down an octave, "and you can end up losing your mind and messing up theirs."

I nodded. For some reason, his face looked like someone was twisting a blade in his stomach. I didn't know why but I tried to lighten his mood.

"Sucks that you can't erase any of those embarrassing moments I have of you rent free in my head." Though, after I said that simple joke. The question entered my head.

Any of them could have erased my memory, right?

He smiled, weakly.

I interrupted him before he continued, "do you replace those memories with what you want?"

His hazel hue fixated on me. He could see it in mine as I could see it in his. My heart squeezed.

"We generally use our own memories of events to conjure a false one in some ones head. Vague enough for them not to think to hard about it." There was a look of desperation.

My voice trembled as it left, "did any of you ever erase my memory?"

He sharply answered, "Madre, Padre, and Charletta never erased your memory."

His head tilted down, his jaw clenched with the nervous jitter of his leg. It shook the bar counter.

I couldn't ignore it, I had to know. "And-what about you...?" Lie to me, lie to me, tell me you didn't.

His eyes met mine again and he said the truth. "Lentils, let me explain.-"

I looked at him and I only whispered back, "you erased my memory..."

"There was this group-"

I held my head, I wasn't listening anymore. I could feel it spinning. Everything was spinning. I didn't understand it. I would drown without him, so why...

"How many times...how much did I lose..."

Wicks grabbed my shoulder, "listen to me."

I pulled away and stumbled off my chair. I strained my voice to shout, "HOW MUCH DID YOU TAKE FROM ME?!"

I could feel the rise and fall of my chest. It felt so strained as if it was bruised.

"Lentils, it was for a reason! You were stuck with what they did to you FOR THAT WHOLE WEEK!"

"WEEK!" I shook my head desperately. What did he make me forget, how many times has he made me forget things? "You said 24 hours is a limit for erasing some ones memory, why-did you mess up your mind, AND mine."

"It wasn't that simple, Lentils are you even listening to me!"

His stood right in front of me and sounded so far away. Like there was miles between us.

My chest heaved in tandem with my throbbing head.

I watched his mouth move, his eyes looked sincere and distraught. I wanted to hear him, hold him, pretend I didn't care.

"I just-I started to feel relieved...you were-" My eyes had bustled with hot water for days. I'm surprised they hadn't boiled.

His words still refused to reach me. What else has been a lie? Has he erased my memory whenever I've been inconvenient? How many times? When did I lose that week? Was it important?

It felt so hard to breathe, I clutched at my chest. Wicks stepped closer and I shook my head.

"How many times did you do this to me, and what did you take and change?"

He kept trying to get closer. I didn't stop backing up. I could see his eyes glistening over.

"IT WAS ONCE. I WOULD NEVER DO THAT UNLESS IT WAS NECESSARY."

When is it necessary to ever do that? How do I know you're not lying now. How do I know it hasn't been more. How do I know any of you haven't been doing that my whole life! AND IF YOU HAVE WHY LEAVE ME WITH-

I heard two words from him, "missed work," and it clicked. Charletta and Wicks both hesitated whenever I mentioned the ducky place and my food poisoning...

"I didn't have food poisoning." My head wouldn't stop banging inside my skull, my vision started to blur, and I still couldn't breathe. His presence felt suffocating.

I have to leave. I thought to myself. His hand grabbed my arm as soon as I got my suitcase handle. We hadn't put anything away yet.

Please let go. I couldn't say it out loud. I didn't want to him. His grip was too strong to tug away from yet I knew I couldn't stay here. I didn't want him to erase it in my sleep.

"Lynette, just calm down, you can go to your room and think."

"I-don't-want-you-to-erase-my-memory-of-this-too." I whimpered in a weak croak, each word had a breath behind it.

"I'D NEVER DO THAT!"

"LET ME GO!" It hurt to shout. It burned. I pulled away and ran with my suitcase. I grabbed the keys to my car from the bowl next to the door. Wicks finally found the footing to pursue me.

And I slammed the door in his face.

...

Hey, you, thank you so much for reading. It means a lot that I put out a story that people can enjoy! So, I hope you continue to enjoy it as WE have a LOT more to go! YOU BETTER KEEP PROSPERING! (Nonnegotiable).

First Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Catch up, see some maps/art, or check the latest release dates down below ↓ ↓ ↓

What I’d do for a Livable Income (Synopsis/Chapter - List)

#widfali #angst vore #angsty #vore story #vore writing #v.0re #v.ore #v/0re #v/ore

18 notes · View notes

apprenticestanheight · 4 months

Text

All is Well That Ends Well - Lawrence Gordon x gn! afab! reader - part III

all right!! Here we are with part three of the sugar daddy AU! To compensate for the delay with the last chapter, both parts three and four are coming out this week, and part four will be released in about an hour and a bit from now, should the queue work properly.

This part is one of the few without smut in it bc this fic is porn with plot rather than without and it'll get a bit more plot-focused as chapters go on. I haven't written too much into the middle right yet but I know that, bc of the way that I want to write it, there'll be more of a balance.

Fic type - this chapter is fluffy, however, the fic generally is for audiences of 18 and over, so minors, still don't interact pls and thanks

Warnings - lawrence makes a footloose joke about himself, plus the trap and jigsaw are mentioned

When you explained everything to Aurelie the following morning, she offered to help you pack shortly after a high-five and verification that you trusted the handsome acquaintance that Lawrence had turned into, which you did. It was very easy to trust him, and the phone call you'd had after you'd been at your apartment for a whopping thirty minutes only made your trust in him increase.

When you met Lawrence at the bar that night, you gave him a copy of your schedule so that he could figure out when it was best to reach out to you for sex and he gave you the primary key to the condo, promised you the schedule would see no eyes other than his own, and the two of you got to know each other more so that the foundations of trust were built further.

You moved into the condo mostly by yourself that Saturday, carrying boxes up the elevator two at a time. Unpacking was relatively easy as you didn’t have too much, and when Lawrence graced your door with your favorite take out and a grin, saying no to him was impossible.

You ate the takeout on the living room floor—Aurelie had bought the couch and most of the other furniture you had in the apartment you’d shared and so you didn’t really have much in the way of furniture, but your bed was in the room you’d declared your own and you had mugs, cups, cutlery and dishware so you counted that, at least, as a relative win.

“And it’s not—it’s not that I’m hyper independent,” you say. “It’s just that Aurelie has a lot of stuff on her plate and asking her to help me move in felt like I would’ve been making myself into an inconvenience, so I didn’t.”

“You could’ve asked me,” Lawrence says. “I gave you my number for reasons other than booty call style meet ups. I would’ve helped.”

“It wasn’t too difficult,” you shrug. “Two boxes at a time, it took me around two hours. Plus, Aurelie helped load up the car. You’ve also helped me enough—you bought me dinner, and that’s on top of the four thousand dollars a month thing we’ve got going for us?”

“Well—hyper independence is a little unhealthy,” Lawrence says, shrugging. “Just—you’re allowed to reach out to others for help. I’m a phone call away and I imagine Aurelie shares the same sentiment.”

You grin. “Thank you for this,” you say. “Both the advice and the food. I need to get a couch, evidently, so if you wouldn’t mind helping me get one through the front door, I’m probably going to go to a furniture store tomorrow.”

Lawrence laughs. “You need a couch, and a coffee table, and curtains for a place other than your bedroom—you need plenty. Can you cover all of it? Your first two thousand doesn’t come in until next week.”

You nod. “I have twenty thousand set aside from odds and ends while working in case my life ever goes up in flames. Plus—my bosses are two people in their sixties who can afford quite the hefty Christmas bonus. That is the primary foundation of the savings account, actually.”

“How hefty a bonus can two sixty year olds afford?”

“Five thousand dollars tacked onto my paychecks for December,” you grin. “I get a bonus in spring, too, totaling to $1000, and a bonus in autumn totaling to the same amount. I’ve worked there for twelve years now and because they have no interest in turning their bookstore into a branch of bookstores, the money they make from getting frequent customers and having eight additional employees outside of themselves is quite a lot. They’re busy all year round, and Monday and Tuesday are typically their busiest days because that’s when new releases hit the shelves.”

Understanding flashes across Lawrences face. “That’s why you can’t meet on Mondays,” he says. “New releases means more people. More people means a longer shift.”

You nod. “I wake up at four thirty on Monday mornings. Classes are from six in the morning to 11:15. I drive to work because it’s five minutes out from the uni campus, spend ten minutes eating an early lunch and then work from eleven thirty until ten. My classes don’t start until ten AM on Tuesdays so I eat a late take out dinner, come home, conk out at eleven and sleep until nine.”

“I’m a doctor and I don’t understand how that’s possible,” he says. “I did a bachelors and then medical school, followed by an internship where I slept maybe three hours in the course of 24 and still, how you manage that makes no sense to me. When I was thirty I was working as a doctor already and still, my entire day was about as chaotic as your Monday morning sounds.”

“Mondays are days where I run on four or five hours—I always wake up before my alarms and going to bed at around half past midnight kind of sets you up for failure anyway—and I manage by drinking either two or three energy drinks or at least a liter of coffee.”

“That is the opposite of healthy for your heart and liver function.” Lawrence says, taking a bite of his takeout. You laugh, shrugging a little.

“I know,” you nod. “I also know that one day it’ll come back to bite me in the ass, but I’m just fine with that so long as it waits until I’ve got gray hair and am in my eighties.”

Lawrence laughs, shakes his head.

The two of you finish your meal in relatively light chitter chatter—you ask Lawrence about his day at work and listen to his responses, then tell him about the time you’d had working a six hour shift the day before.

Talking to him, so it seems, is an incredibly easy feat. He’s exactly the kind of person you can open up to without even really noticing that you’ve done as much, and you’re fine to tell him whatever he wants to know either way as you’re a fairly open book.

Once you’re done with the food, you rinse out the containers it came in—they’re multiple use and decent for storage—while Lawrence notes he’s never seen it done before. At that, you shrug and laugh a little, reaching up to lightly poke his nose.

“In the house of the broke, we rinse and reuse what we can,” you say. “My parents taught it to me—we’ve been getting food from this place since I was a kid, and they market the fact that their takeout containers can be rinsed and reused on their website, menus, and in person—and they’re good containers!”

“I just don’t see the point,” Lawrence says, shrugging.

“Well, they’re good for meal prep,” you say. “I use them for that a lot of the time, given that I only allocate $20 a week to coffee and random treats for myself. They’re also really good for leftovers or when you’re bringing food to a family event—think Easter, Christmas, birthday parties—and for potlucks. Aurelie was like you, too. She still is, and now that I’ve moved out, I think my opportunity to show her the light was missed.”

Lawrence snorts. “I’m sorry that my wanting this place to go to good use means that she’ll never understand the joy of keeping containers from spontaneous takeaway.”

“It’s a nice place, and I think she was starting to get a bit fed up with me as her roommate anyway—we both have to study a lot for the degrees we’re getting, but I like reading anyway so I study a lot more, and she’s probably thriving off the knowledge that she’ll never walk past the living room for a glass of water at three in the morning and find me pouring over art history textbooks again, which only happened once but still. Once, for both of us, was more than enough.”

Lawrence nods. You finish rinsing off the last container and set it to the drying wrack to the left of the sink, flicking water at Lawrences chest before you dry your hands with a dry washcloth.

Lawrence laughs at your action, shaking his head. “You’re a very interesting person,” he says.

“Well, even at the ripe old age of thirty and two degrees out of three done with, I still feel like I’m 25 a lot of the time,” you say. “I’m not the partier I was during my Masters, though. You will not find me drunk when you come in one of these days. Now, I have taste in terms of my liquor, and will only drink Smirnoff vodka when I’m nine drinks deep because it will forever remind me of being in my first years of uni and drinking at frat parties.”

“I didn’t do much drinking in my college days,” Lawrence says as you grab your electric kettle. “I was too busy with studying—I was Type A.”

You nod, laughing slightly as you dump out the water you’d poured into it that morning to replace it with new water that’s not several hours old.

“You seem Type A. The college, then medical school, then wife and kid and house and presumably a number of dinner parties with your colleagues. All of it reeks of Type A,” you say. “No offense, of course.”

“You’re missing the parts that make me fun,” Lawrence says, eyes narrowing both playfully and accusatorily. “The Jigsaw trap, the footloose bit—" at that remark, Lawrence uses his cane to gesture to the prosthetic foot that exists in place of the real thing, smirking at his own humor just slightly "—The divorce, the loss of said child, the weeks spent in recovery, and now you.”

You fill the kettle to your liking and place it back onto its port, pressing down on the small lever and watching for the blue light that ticks up on the lower half once it gets started.

“I make you fun?” You ask, grinning a bit as the blue light takes hold of the bottom half of your kettle. “Oh, that is the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me. Didn’t know you had sweetness in you.”

“You’ve met me a grand total of, what, four times now?” Lawrence asks. “Of course, we’ve established I am not some glorified serial killer, so that puts trust in you, but you’ll find as we get to know each other more that I can be both fun and sweet. Sometimes both at once.”

You nod. “I can’t wait to witness that, then.” You turn around to grab a mug and a tea bag, offering one to Lawrence, which he accepts.

Once the tea is made, you drink it in relative silence, occasionally teasing one another and making each other laugh. Lawrence goes home thereafter, and you find yourself in a half empty condo, completely alone.

#lawrence gordon #lawrence gordon x reader #saw (2004)#sawposting #saw posting

5 notes · View notes