#*head in hands * save me neptune

[lostjudgmnt]

i need to do my “my mom’s trying to send me to a religious community” replay of wktd soon

[littlefreya]

Neptune's Snare

Summary: She came to take revenge on the loathsome man who murdered her fiance, only to become his captive.

Read Chapter One

Pairing: AU!Pirate August Walker x Virgin OFC (for now 😏)

Word count: 3k

Warnings: 18+, minors DNI. Sexual themes, dark themes mentioned, historical inaccuracies, kidnapping, captivity, graphic descriptions of sex, intimidation, slow burn, sexual tension, foul language.

A/N: I was unsure whether I should do part 2, but @deandoesthingstome (💖) motivated me to do it, so I truely hope you will like it. Many thanks to @agniavateira, for beta'ing. I am no longer using my old tag list, but I will tag those who specifically asked to be tagged for this story via my new Writing Update Blog @littlefreyaslibrary.

Thanks for reading, and please reblog with a comment 🖤

Chapter Two

Hours had passed since the Captain left—hours of futile attempts to escape the cruelty of the heavy iron binds. By now, the ship was deep into the ocean, miles away from any harbour or piece of land. The notion that she’d been abducted by the most ruthless murderer known to authorities had only just begun to sink. 

As hot tears stung at her cheeks, Lizette couldn’t help but chuckle at the stupidity that led her to this fate.

‘Did you really think that a foolish girl could succeed where great men had failed?’ 

If Lizette had dared be honest, she would admit she never thought that plan through, not that it mattered much anymore. Soon enough, she would be yet another shiny trinket in Blackbeard’s gaudy collection.

Exhausted from a fierce yet futile battle, she leaned her head back against the plush, gold-paneled wall. Her weary gaze drifted through the open window, where the dark skies and black seas merged into a desolate void. No light shone through tonight; the darkness has devoured the stars and the moon. Lizette felt as if she was drowning in it too, sinking into a thick, tar-like liquid. With each breath, the collar around her throat grew heavier, the iron pressing into her skin and dragging her deeper and deeper until everything faded to black.

When she blinked again, it was still night but the cabin was lit in deep shades of honey and amber. Her heart skipped—once for the iron still hanging from her neck and twice as her bleary eyes caught sight of a shadow by the edge of the big table.  

It appeared that her host had returned. 

Boots flung across the food-abundant table, the Captain sat back in his royal velvet chair. One hand cradled a silver chalice whilst the other toyed with the edge of his thick whiskers. Silver trays of food, wine, and books were splayed before him, surrounded by dozens of fat, wax-dripping candles. The flickering flame guttered upon his eyes, painting them bright red while he observed the girl intently. 

The curiosity was mutual, at least to some extent. As loathsome as the pirate was, Lizette could not help but scrutinise. Never in her life did she see a man so crude and yet so regal at the same time, He looked like a washed-out king, holding himself to a higher status amongst the scum aboard his ship. Surrounding himself with fine art, books and scientific obscurities, one would assume that this low-life man was educated, or at least aspired to be. His appearance, too, was of some sort of false elegance,  with his moustache carefully groomed and his hair neatly combed save for an errant curl that fell upon his tanned forehead. However, the white cotton shirt that hung partially unbuttoned and loose from his shoulders exposed him for what he truly was as it revealed a myriad of tattoos, scars, and coarse hair. 

‘Nothing but a filthy scoundrel.’

“At last, sleeping beauty is awake.” 

Lizette kept her tongue knotted. The blazes on her stare answered on her behalf. 

August scoffed at the silent response. ‘Precious little thing,’ Had only she known how much he enjoyed obstinate women. The only thing that was better than bending a spitfire to his will was getting a nun to kneel before his cock.

A slight twitch tugged at his cheek; his smirk widening at the fond memory.  

‘Ah, Mary… you sure pray hard.’

Letting go of his whiskers and the chalice in his grasp, the Captain reached for a loaf of bread and split it in half. Steam rose and coiled to the air.  The scrumptious scent of the freshly baked goods quickly filled the room and wafted over Lizette in a tempting invitation. Absentminded, she suckled her bottom lip, almost able to taste the sweetness on her tongue. 

The pirate held out one piece of the loaf, an unmistakably provoking grin lighting his face. “Would you dine with me, pet?”

Weakness unfurled through her, reminding Lizette that it must have been hours, if not an entire day, since she last ate. Her empty belly flipped and gurgled so loudly that the pirate could hear it even from where he sat. Joy immediately cascaded about his glance; the impish grin between his cheeks further stretched. 

To his delightful surprise, the girl was a lot more stubborn than she appeared. Instead of begging, she offered a spiteful glare and turned her face away. 

“I’d rather starve!” 

“Suit yourself.” The Captain shrugged and bit on one of the pieces. Hums and moans sputtered from his mouth, all exaggerated to taunt his brazen prisoner. As he finished chewing, he sucked on each of his inked fingers. 

“Got a name, pet?”

“What matter is that to you?” The girl spat.

August shrugged again and returned to the chalice, dragging it on the table's surface in circular motions. A deep-red whirlpool briefly formed in his drink. He stared at it indifferently as he retorted, “Matters not, pet. But since you’ll be spending some time here in my quarters, I will require a moniker to approach you by. Question is, would you rather I choose a name for you myself? It won’t be a nice one. I can promise you that.” 

Keeping her eyes averted, the girl folded her knees and hugged them, a deep sigh sinking from her. She couldn’t even bring herself to imagine the horrendous name he would choose.

“My name is Lizette.” 

A touch of dark delight kissed his face—as if he had heard the enchanting hymn of a siren. Thoughtful, he stopped stirring his drink to the sound of her name, licked his lips, lifted the chalice and pressed it to his lips. “Ah, yes, you are definitely a Lizzy.” 

“It’s Lizette!” she vehemently corrected.  

“Oh!” The pirate abruptly twirled his free hand in the air, his brows lifting in a sardonically submissive gesture. “Forgiveness! Mercy, milady!” That had earned him the attention he was hoping to receive, as finally, Lizette snapped to glare at him. 

The pure ire on her face did nothing but feed his amusement. 

With a slanted grin and his thumb brushing his whiskers, he eyed her back. It’s been a while since a girl piqued his fascination, and this one was indeed something else. Fear seeped from her like dewy nectar from a ripe fruit. The sheen of sweat clinging to her skin and the throbbing at the crook of her neck gave away her true emotions. Yet, she exuded the unyielding fury of a harpy, the shackles around her throat barely deterring her brazen spirit.. 

‘Bold little thing. As ferocious as the ship’s cat…’ August thought and then frowned, ‘Where is that ungodly creature, anyway? Haven’t seen it in a while.’ 

“Lady Lizette…” the correct moniker rolled smoothly on his tongue in an inherently sinister sweetness. “Are you always such a rude guest to your hosts?”

“Guest?!” Lizette seized the chain that held her collar to the wall and lifted it in front of him—a deep frown decorating her weary face.  

“I am not a guest! I am a prisoner!”

“Ah! Ah!” The pirate lifted his inked index finger in an unbearably pretentious manner. "It was you who came aboard my ship willingly, and let us not forget—uninvited.” 

Lizette felt a chill in her chest, the same chill she always sensed when getting an answer wrong in her Latin lessons. He was right, and there was more to it. Pirate or not, doesn't every man deserve respect in his own home? 

That notion made her cheeks hot. 

“And if I may…“ the pirate drawled huskily and shifted into his seat. Lizette’s eyes followed his movement with the wariness of a skittish cat. Initially bemused, she realised his hand had snaked below the table and was now fumbling with his waistband. 

A deep, pulsating pang bloomed in her core as the primordial anxiety every maiden is doomed to suffer from awoke within her. Alarmed, she shook her head and blurted hoarsely, “Wait!” 

The pirate paid her no mind; either he didn’t hear or didn’t care. Then, his hand sprang back sharply with a pistol in his grip—the same one he had confiscated from her merely a few hours before. 

“Did you not attempt to murder me in my own home?” 

With those words, he slammed the pistol on the table, the dull thud booming through the cabin wall and causing Lizette to jump with a start.

Sinking back to his red regal chair, August crossed his fingers together and pressed his lips together with the contempt of an authority figure. The many golden trinkets around his fingers chimed as they collided. 

“Answer me, Pet.” 

Lizette regarded the pistol carefully. The golden floral embellishments upon the handle sparked with the candle's light.  For a fleeting moment, she wondered how fast she needed to be to grab the pistol and shoot him dead in his rotten heart. Instead, she simply nodded, much as she could with the heavy collar around her neck. The spots where the sharp edges grazed her flesh burnt as sweat dripped over the bruised skin.

“Dumb as your plan was, I do appreciate the gesture, las. It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to murder me, but it’s definitely the first time it was a beautiful young lady. Was all of this because of a boy?” He challenged, crooking one eyebrow. 

This time, Lizette did not hesitate to answer. 

“You robbed me of my future!” She corrected, and though she tried to maintain a fierce demeanour, the quiver in her voice gave away the rageful grief. 

Sympathy, sadly, was not in August’s books, especially not whilst being distracted by the way her breasts pressed against the confines of the corset with every fervorous breath. A small, almost inaudible groan left his lips. He wondered if she, indeed, was a virgin. Did he deny her of her wedding night? Were these lovely tits ever in the hands of a man before? 

Surely, he would find out. One way or another. 

With a glare still fixed on her cleavage, he grazed his dimpled chin and simply shrugged. 

“Pirate.” 

Lizette hissed in response. Defiant, she snapped her arms across her chest to hide her cleavage. 

‘Pig.’

“So I robbed you of your future,” August continued, mimicking quotation marks with his long, inked fingers. “And thus, you thought you should rob me of mine?” 

“And what future would that be? Murdering and whoring?” she muttered hatefully.  

The pirate swatted a hand over his chest, giving her a fake, exaggerated pout. “Now that pains me, love.” 

Lizette could sense the blood seeth beneath her skin. She was used to men belittling her, but never did she experience such sheer mockery and humiliation. Trembling, she yelled back, “Good! I wish you nothing but pain!”

“And so she continues to insult me in my own home.” August clicked his tongue and shook his head with sardonic disappointment. “You highborn ladies sure lack respect. ‘Funny thing is, no matter how uppity women like you act, they all want the same thing…” his voice slurred and deepened, coaxing a baffled look from the maiden who abruptly forgot her wrath and ate the bait. 

“And what would that be?” 

The pirate stood and calmly paced to the fore of the table, where he leaned against the edge to peer down at his prisoner. Lizette remained guarded. he was fairly far away yet close enough for his shadow to fall upon her face and for his manhood to be situated at the level of her mouth. She struggled to avoid staring at it directly, which only made that wretched smug smile light his face again.

“What you ladies truly want is to be violated by none other but us ‘lowlife scoundrels’,” August nibbled his bottom lip, a dry chuckle escaping him as more fond memories came to mind. “Truly, the lots of you are bored by the castrated virility of the poised gentlemen. All you fantasise about is to be fucked dirty like a whore by a brute who has no sense of propriety.” 

The pirate held his fist before him and mimicked a slow pumping motion. Although Lizette did not quite understand it, his words alone were enough to leave her gravely unsettled. 

“You are an animal,” she snarled, not realising that her nails were biting into her forearms as she clutched herself so protectively. 

But that merely fueled him.    

“Tell me, Pet, did your boy satisfy those dark desires before he left a delicious bonny lass like yourself all alone? Did he split open and plundered your sweet little cunt, ass, and mouth, or did he leave you wet and miserable?”

Heat crawled at Lizette’s cheeks, yet she wasn’t sure whether it was from outrage or shame. Never in her life had she even considered the possibilities he had suggested, and now those horrifying images poisoned her mind.  

Amused by her obvious mortification, the pirate tilted his head impishly. “No? Not even a finger or a tongue?”

“Stop it!” She implored, her voice cracking.

Ignoring her plea, he clicked his tongue. “Aw, sweet, tender flower. That’s the problem, isn’t it? He left you all alone and uncharted—that lonesome seal, begging to be invaded. Well, milady, you didn’t have to threaten me with a pistol in that case. All you had to do was ask.” 

The pirate reached for his bulge and squeezed it, much to Lizette’s dismay.

”Trust me, one night with me, and you’d forget you ever loved him.”

That was enough to send Lizette over the edge. Not thinking twice, she jerked to her feet, the chains around her rattling along a furious onslaught that sputtered from her mouth. 

“Love?! What do you know about love? You are a monster! All you do is kill and rape! You are incapable of love, and I’d be damned if anyone could ever love you!” 

All the candles in the cabin flickered with a sudden gust of wind as the pirate suddenly lunged forward. He moved so fast, too fast. Lizette hadn’t even had the chance to sway from his touch, and already he was upon her. Crude fingers dug deep into the hollows of her cheek, forcing her to face his terrorising stare. 

“You think this is a game? You think you know anything about me, little girl? About what I’ve done!?” 

It was not a question to be answered, and even so, Lizette couldn’t bring herself to speak; she was suffocating, drowning on the surface. All around her, the air stood dense with the scent of iron, wine, and musky sweat, whilst the weight of his body crushed as it clung to her. 

Closer, deeper. Layers upon layers of silk and wool separated their skin from one another, and still, she sensed the curve and firmness of his robust figure. The woven map of muscles that adorned his torso and the flex each muscle made as he tensed were evident 

But none of this came close to what she saw as he forced her to look into his eyesa wrathful maelstrom pregnant with sinister urges beyond her darkest fears. It felt as if it was trying to draw her into a deep sense of anger, and grief submerged her.

Dread began to spill into her veins. He was going to kill her.

Lizette sucked in a deep shuddering breath. She was not going to join her Edward. Not tonight.

“Let go of me!” She squealed and began to punch his shoulders repeatedly. It felt like hitting iron, every blow more painful than the other, yet she refused to stop. 

Indeed, she was just like that sea monster of a cat.

Stoic as an icy sea breeze, the pirate tilted his head at the girl. Despite her desperate efforts, her battle did nothing but vex him. Quirking one eyebrow, he released his grip from her jaw and swiftly reached for her hands. Lizette did her best to evade, squirming erratically, but to no avail. With a swift single hand, he seized her wrists and pinned them above her head with a booming thud.

The girl gasped out with surrender, strands of her hair blowing back and forth upon her face as she heaved and panted exhaustingly. With his hand around her wrists and his body slightly bent to meet her height, he stood  closer to her than any other man had before. So close that she could taste the wine and sea salt on his breath and study every freckle and every scar that marked his skin. He was nothing like her Edward, she thought; he was coarse and terrifying, and despite it all, she found him tragically beautiful. 

She hated him for that. 

“Listen to me now and listen carefully,” he finally spoke, tightening his grip around her wrists.

Liaette lifted her chin disdainfully; it took every ounce of self-restraint not to spit at his murderous, smug face. 

“You’ve mistook my hospitality and playfulness for kindness, but let’s get this straight; I am not a good man. Upset me, and I will pluck that little flower between your thighs without blinking and then throw you to my crew once I have my fill.” 

His words brought a stark shiver down her spine, yet it wasn’t just fear this time but something far more primordial. Between her trembling thighs, she sensed dewy wetness. A desperate gnawing need she had never known before. Trying to ease and brush it off, she squirmed and ground her thighs. 

August’s brow rose with realisation, an immediate knowing grin spilling upon his malicious face. He leaned closer, his lips and whiskers brushing against her ear as he spoke. 

“Seems like there won’t be much resistance from you, isn’t that so, pet? Soon, you’ll beg me to fuck y…”

His words were cut as warm saliva splattered on his cheek. 

He shut his eyes momentarily, releasing a deep, exasperated grunt and then moved an inch away to fish a silk handkerchief from his pocket. Lizette watched proudly as he wiped his face. 

The pirate, however, was not amused. Throwing away the handkerchief, he offered her a deadly frown. And then he leaned in, his mouth drawing voraciously closer to hers as if meaning to devour her.

“I warned you…”

“Captain.”

A low, sonorous call followed from the door, drawing both August and Lizette to turn their heads toward the uninvited guest. 

Lizette blinked twice. The man in question was almost the spitting image of August, though his hair was wild with earthy curls and his beard fully grown, pointy, and tended with wax. Indifferent to the scene before him, he drew a pipe from his pockets and lit it with the flame of a candle that stood on a shelf near the door.  

August regarded him with slight respect, yet not without annoyance:." What is it? I am busy.”

“I can see that,” the other pirate puffed out, grey lines of smoke following through his nostrils, “you are needed at the brig.”

“About?”

“Flint might finally speak.”

Eyes ablaze with sudden intrigue, August straightened to his fall height and drew a step back from the girl yet kept his grip around her wrists. 

“I assume your methods worked, brother?” He crooked one eyebrow at the other pirate curiously. 

‘Brother, of course,’ Lizette nearly chuckled. The men must have been twins, although she could tell the other sibling had far more grey in his untamed mane. 

“My methods always work.” He answered with dry arrogance. “Finish her off later. This is more important.”

August lingered, his fingers brushing over his moustache as he contemplated what to do with his sweet little prisoner. The possibilities were endless, yet the more interesting ones would take some time, and with the trouble she gave him, he definitely wanted to give her what she deserved. 

A deep, exasperated sigh left his lips. “A moment, Gus,” he requested, finally unhanding the girl. 

The man, now known as Gus, bowed his head and threw Lizette a quick glance before disappearing into the darkness behind the door.

“It seems like I have some business to attend to, love. Shall we continue our little fun later?” August teased, slight annoyance still lingering at the tone of his voice.

Lizette did not answer. Rubbing her aching wrists, she watched him cautiously while he searched within his pockets.  She wondered what new cruel method of torment he would inflict to her now. 

To her surprise, it was a small silver key.

He lifted it to her face and offered her a razor-sharp  stare." The water is close to freezing; sharks and eels are swimming within them, and every man upon my deck is probably plotting to use you as fuckhole since the moment you stepped onboard. I trust you won’t try anything stupid in my absence.”

“Like what?” Despite her physical and mental exhaustion, she dared to speak back, “Seduce one of your crew members to fornicate with me so he would betray and murder you?” 

Her weariness must have brought out the worst in her because she would have never thought of such an inappropriate, vile thing. Then she realised it was  him who, in less than a few hours, corrupted her soul. 

August paused and contemplated for a moment as if this was an actual possibility he did not consider. However, he brushed it off with a burst of taunting laughter while proceeding to unlock the collar around her neck. “I wouldn’t  recommend it, love. They all come with so many exotic afflictions on their cock s that no doctor has even heard of.” 

As the iron was removed from her little neck, the girl rested her hands around it, massaging the cuts and bruises that formed beneath. It ached even worse as the chill air of the night pecked at the raw flesh. 

The pirate waltzed toward the table, reclaiming the pistol in an obviously provoking manner. He sheathed it back at the front of his waistband and paced toward the door. 

“I won’t be long, love,” he promised, and with that, he left and locked the door behind him.

Lizette listened carefully to the sound of his footsteps, counting them one by one until she could no longer hear him. And then, she began to search around the cabin for anything, anything that can be used as a weapon. 

‘I will not be a pirate’s whore.’  She vowed to herself while absentmindedly grazing a palm over her cheeks where August had touched her. 

[runningfrom2am]

cold nights // part seven

summary: all the stars aligned, and it was you.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 2.5k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, r is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n: guyssss omg this part AHHHHH

series masterlist // playlist

After your interview, Coriolanus insisted on being discharged so he could go home. If rest was all he required, he could do that at home, is what he told the nurses.

As soon as Tigris had gotten him home and retired to bed herself, he was quietly getting dressed again. If the arena was still going to be used even after the bombing, he had to see what that would mean for you. It couldn't have been rebuilt in a matter of days, and having an idea of what it would look like could possibly give you an advantage that you so desperately needed. The donations were a good start, but he could do more. He had to do more.

He walked all the way there and then to you with a bag on his shoulder and a knee that never seemed to stop aching. He could feel every step he took in his spine, and by the time he made it to the zoo, he was relieved that he could finally take a break. And finally, he could see you.

"Y/N?" You think you're hallucinating from hunger and paranoia when you hear his voice, making you sit up. "Y/N. It's me. Come here." Coryo's voice comes again, and you're quickly standing and making your way over to the bars.

"Coryo." You smile, wishing you could hug him. You still weren't totally sure if he was really there, or if you were slowly losing your grasp on reality. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you." He whispers, not hesitating to reach through the bars and grab your hand.

"But, Sejanus said-"

"I got them to discharge me after the interview. All I can do is sleep it off now anyway." He says, lifting your arm to get a closer look at the stitches. It's not like he could do anything to help it now, but he still wanted to make sure it wasn't getting infected.

You let him, and from the warmth in his hands as he touches you, ever so gently feeling the outside of your cut and grasping your hand, you can tell that he's real. "I thought I'd never see you again." You whisper.

"Likewise." He replies, lowering your arm but not letting go of your hand. "Are you okay? Are you in pain?"

"No." You say softly, giving a slight shake of your head. "It's nothing in comparison to what's to come. I'm trying to appreciate what I have."

Coryo is sure that is the nicest and saddest way anyone in the history of the world has ever confessed to being in pain. "You'll be okay." He assures you. "I won't let anything happen to you. I can't. You saved me."

"His nature is too noble for the world: He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for's power to thunder." You say quietly, a small smile forming on your lips.

"Romeo and Juliet?"

"Coriolanus." You correct him, squeezing his hand where it's still wrapped around yours. "But, I have a confession to make."

"What is it?"

"Now, when I try and remember parts of Coriolanus, all I can truly think about is you." It's true. You tried to remember something from that play for your monologue, to say goodbye and thank him in a way he would easier understand, but instead, all you could think of were his blonde curls against his striking red uniform and his blue eyes against the softness of his skin. For the first time, your mind was empty.

He blushes, but he's sure you can't see it in the poor lighting of the cold night. "Well, your name has only ever meant one thing to me."

"Which is?"

"It's only ever been you."

You don't even realize he's as close as he is until you can feel his breath brushing over your skin, both of you having leaned in closer to hear each other until your foreheads were almost touching.

The cold that surrounded you completely disappeared as your eyes fell shut, lips hardly brushing against his. You both hesitated, at first.

Being stuck in that hospital bed for days only fueled the fire inside Coryo that was slowly burning and churning out smoke that would always led his mind straight back to you. He didn't care if you were 'District', how could he? You were made for him- and you proved that when you chose to save his life over saving yourself from a fate so horrible as a death in The Hunger Games. You weren't 'District'; You were You, and he simmered in the guilt of his rejection of you for days after he had done it. His dishonesty with himself had wasted precious days he could have spent with you, or at least you could have known. Right now, he could have been kissing you for the second, third or fourth time, but now he has to live with the fact that it's possible he'll only ever get to feel your lips on his just once.

Your first kiss wasn't what you imagined it to be. Not at all. You expected that you'd be home, for one, but if you could go back and tell your younger self that you would find your very own Romeo in a blonde boy from the Capitol, she would have laughed in your face. The circumstances would have broken her heart just like they are for you right now. He was gentle, too gentle for the role he was given.

When Coryo pulls away, he's startled to see your cheeks glistening with fallen tears, eyes red once you reopen them. God, how he hates seeing you cry. Especially because of him. Especially if he had hurt you, somehow. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No." You sniff, wiping your cheek on your wrist as you look away. Maybe he doesn't mind seeing you cry as long as you're still looking at him. "It's not your fault I just... I don't know. I'm scared."

You feel annoying for telling him again. He knows. Of course he knows, you've told him so many times.

"I know... I know you are." He nods, reaching out and holding your cheek, urging you to look at him again. "But you're going to be okay."

"I'm not." You smile sadly. "Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me; the carriage held but just ourselves and immortality."

Coryo just slightly shakes his head. "No." He denies the inevitability of your death vehemently. "Listen, I went to the arena. It's completely different in there. There are places to hide, to run, you could get up in the stands or down into the tunnels underneath. You can hide now and wait it out. You can do it."

"I... I'll try." You manage to squeak out, no longer wanting to cry in front of him, making him feel worse than he does.

Coryo nods, looking around behind you to double-check check none of the other tributes are awake. "I brought you some things that may help." He whispers, dropping his hand from your cheek to dig through his bag.

He pulls out a rolled-up scarf, it's hard to discern the colour in the dark as he holds it out to you. "Coryo, I can't take anything in. You know that."

"Please." He pleads. "I need you to take this. It can kind of keep you warm, or you could..." He trails off, watching as you unroll the silk fabric in your hands.

"I can't kill anyone." You remind him. "I won't do it."

"I know. I know that." He nods. "But everyone does things they aren't proud of to survive."

You chew on your lip as you rub the soft material between your fingers.

"Turn around." He tells you, holding his hands out for you to give it back. You hesitate before obeying, handing it back to him and facing the inside of the cage. "You can't carry it in, but I think if you wear it no one will notice." He whispers, gently pushing the strap of your dress down one of your shoulders.

You understand what he's trying to do, so you do the same thing on the other side and pull your arms out, letting the top half of your dress fall down around your waist.

Coryo's breath hitches in his throat as he stares at your bare back. Your skin was bruised and adorned a burn that looked like it came from being thrown across the ground. Your skin was supposed to be clear, untouched, and unharmed, but the state of it doesn't surprise him. He reaches around you, threading the unfolded material under your arms and across your front which you quickly adjust to cover your chest comfortably as he folds it over itself in the back. "Turn." He whispers, planting the softest of kisses on your shoulder as it bumps against the bars. He wanted to touch you, to drag his fingers across your skin and cherish the only time he would ever get to see you so bare, but he couldn't and he knew that.

You shiver from the warm touch, but make a point of turning quickly as he wraps it around you again, and it's just long enough to tie in the front. He helps you, though you could do it yourself, tying it tight and tucking the knot underneath the layered fabric to disguise it better. "Do whatever you need to with it." He tells you again, letting his hands slide over the material where it wraps around your waist.

You nod slightly, looking down at the scarf now tied around you. You felt safer in it already, less exposed. It felt like a hug. His hands slide up until they're pressed against your cheeks once more, and as he looks into your eyes he's hoping you understand how much he needs you to win.

You pull your dress back on, and it perfectly covers the scarf underneath.

"I have one more thing." He adds, reaching back into his bag and pulling out a small, silver compact.

You take it, turning it over in your palm. "Don't open it." He tells you quickly. "Don't open it until you have to. The powder inside is so deadly it'll kill you if you so much as breathe it in. Be careful."

You're quickly trying to hand it back to him, shaking your head. "Coryo, I told you-"

He pushes your hand back, but holds it in his. "I know. Don't use it if you don't want to. But I need you to understand that I will just be sick if I send you in defenseless. I can't let you die knowing I could have done more to help. I would do anything."

You nod, solemnly accepting that you have to take it. "I can't go in there with you, but I will do everything I can from out here. I promise. I'm not giving up on you." He insists. "They'll give me a computer, and I can send you things with the donations people send, and we have tons. Just like I told you. You won't starve. You just have to wait it out."

"Wait it out." You mumble back to yourself, still nodding as you look down at the cold metal compact held in your palm.

"I'll be watching you the entire time. We're in this together, okay? I'll be with you, you won't be alone." He gives you a small, weak smile.

"Okay." You whisper, tears still steadily falling from your eyes. "And then I can go home?" You ask quietly. You knew the answer, of course, but you desperately needed the reassurance.

"Then you can go home." Coryo confirms, squeezing your hands. "And see the stars, and your family, and your cat, and your books." He whispers.

"And you?" You ask, tilting your head at him, smiling with teary eyes.

"I'll come say goodbye." He nods, and your smile fades. Of course you couldn't stay together, but you hadn't even considered life after the games until this moment.

"Yes. Goodbye." Your smile fades into a more sad one.

"But I'll write to you." He promises.

"And I can send you books." Your normal smile returns and he nods.

"I would love that."

"That reminds me-" You tuck the compact into your pocket, dropping his hands and holding up a finger, telling him to wait while you walk away.

You carefully pull the small blanket from Jessup's sleeping form and grab the tattered copy of Romeo and Juliet, bringing it back to him "Here. Take these now, I just wanted to make sure they got back to you."

"Thank you." He nods, taking them back from you. He wasn't sure how he'd get them back otherwise, but he wasn't sure he really cared.

"Will you read it?" You ask, pointing to the book.

"I will. I'm looking forward to it." He smiles, tucking it under his arm. "I have to go, I'm sorry..." He says, realizing that you both needed as good of a night's sleep as you can possibly get. He was sure he wouldn't be sleeping much as it was.

"Of course. Go home, it's cold out." You nod, arms wrapped around yourself and suddenly he feels guilty for taking the blanket. There it was again, that selflessness. You had endless amounts of it- he was still worried you would do something stupid in the games like sacrifice yourself for Jessup, but only time would tell.

"Hey, take my advice, okay? We're a team." He reminds you and you nod. "Don't trust anyone once that bell rings. I mean it."

"Okay, Coryo. I trust you." You agree, wanting him to understand that you really would try your best to listen.

"Good." He nods, turning to look behind him, at the path he was about to take home. He was hesitating and you could tell, he didn't want to say goodbye, so you would.

"Good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." You hum, a knowing smile on your face that he wouldn't fully understand, but you didn't need him to. It was a goodbye, that much he understood.

"Goodnight." He whispers, running his hand down the skin of your arm one last time before leaving. He couldn't stay forever, even though he wished he could.

When he got home and into bed, he couldn't resist opening the book that you had cradled in your hands just an hour earlier. He flipped through the pages under the glowing, warm light from his lamp, and the pit of sadness in his stomach only grew when he opened to where you had kept a bookmark. The rose he gave you, pressed and dried between the pages to save your spot.

He lifts the rose carefully, his eyes drawn to the words underneath. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

[certifiedcodbabygirl]

To Whisper Your Name pt.1

Konig x Reader Roman Goddess AU

Warnings: Violence ( minor character deaths), Roman deity inaccuracies, history inaccuracies, talks of SA 

Reader is loosely based on the Roman Goddess Felicitas (Goddess of good fortune and luck)

It is not rare for minor gods/ goddesses to go unthought of. Some rise to fame as others are forgotten. Not many remember the deities of flowers, trees, or other smaller things. They remember Jupiter, Neptune, Venus. The greats, the Gods. Smaller gods go about their lives enjoying the few who do remember them. The small alters the mortals create for them, adorned with what is associated with said deity. They get offerings, praise, songs sung in their name.

Others are forgotten. Some deities share common rulings and the more famous deity gets the praise. They get the offerings, the songs, the alters. They get the memories. The smaller deity is left to watch humanity progress, knowing they are nothing to them but a passing face. Some grow depressed, heartbroken to be forgotten. Some grow mad, killing those who pray to the more famous deity. Most are unhappy or indifferent. They are too out of touch with humanity, differences between God and mortals being too many to connect with one another. 

Despite all, you connect. The goddess of good fortune and luck, or as I should say, the small goddess of good fortune and luck. Throughout time, as you were forgotten and Fortuna rose to fame, you assimilated with the mortals. The fascination overtaking the grief pushed you to live among them. You aren’t well known among your village, just a simple face that passes by occasionally. Your home resides along the lake, a small and hidden house, property of an old man you met years before. You became like family to him, knowing who you are, he did his research. He offered you home, community, he offered you the human experience. 

It was a quiet life, predictable, quaint. You go to the fishing grounds, bless the unsuspecting fishermen. You do the same to the cloth weavers, the doctors, the children playing. None may know, but fortune is on their side. It was a simple existence, a comfortable one. 

A change happened at nightfall. Taking a late night walk was common, having no need for sleep. You’d walk a few miles, stay in a tree, maybe take a swim, then head back to your home. Tonight was no different. You opted to stay in a tree in a nearby forest, taking in the night sky, constellations seeming to taunt you with an unknown reason. Memories of when you were among the other deities fill your mind, a bittersweet taste left in your mind. Shouting and the crunching of twigs below rip you from your thoughts, whimpers from women below causing the hair on your arms to stand up.

Below, you see a small group of women with their arms shackled to a long chain. There are 2 men, daggers glinting in the moonlight. There’s no torch, no lantern, to light their way. It’s clear they are trying to be unseen, to steal these women. They adorn Roman clothing, as do the women, and seem to be heading away from the village. 

“Please I’m begging you, I have children! They have no father and no one to look for them” A woman begs shakily.

“Then we will be back for them. I know someone who would pay bronze for youth like them” A man cackles and shoves the woman for her noise.

“Oh Gods, Please save us, if you can hear me” A woman whispers, kissing her hands and raising them to the sky.

Her voice is so broken, as if she's unable to conjure hope. Heart aching for these women but unable to physically intervene, you bless them.

“Luck be upon you” Falls from your lips in the form of a whisper.

As they are almost gone, a branch snapping catches the men's attention. Heads whipping in the direction of the noise was their first mistake. A soldier in Roman attire sneaks behind the leading man, dagger cutting through his throat as if it were simply fat. 

The other three men turn and draw their weapons, preparing for attack. Their stance resembles that of a cornered, angry cat. One other soldier emerges from the dark. His towering frame, only being able to be described as a giant, unsheathed his sword from his holster. The glare from the moonlight shining off his sword gives an eerie and unsettling feeling in an already disturbing situation. 

“Give in and come willingly, or face the same fate as your foolish leader” His voice is higher pitched than expected, yet still effectively intimidating. His accent is foreign, sounding from the north. 

Ignorance clearly being their strong suit, the smugglers charge at the giant, only to be met immediately with a blade. The first one falls and seconds later, the other one is ripped through, practically in half, blood spilling like a never ending prayer. The men are ripped through like a tarp, eyes widening and dulling over.

 The last man remaining drops his weapon, falling to his knees like a worshiper to their God. The giant stalks towards him, gripping his hair and tilting him back. You can feel the fear radiating off of the smaller man's body, most likely praying to the gods as the women they stole did. 

“Your incompetence fails you. What were you planning for them?” He demands, gesturing to the women. They cower under the man's gaze.

The man remains silent, his mouth gaping like a fish, in search of words.

“Have mercy, please!” He begs, tears seeming to form.

The giant chuckles in an unamused manner, “Were you to have mercy on them? The gods have turned their backs on you. Now I will ask you again” He grips tighter, voice low and in a low growl, “What. Were. You. Planning? Who is your superior?”

The man refuses to answer and is swiftly met with a blade, as he serves no purpose. The giant and his partner turn their attention to the women, moving to remove their shackles. The women seem more frightened of them than they did the men that stole them. Perhaps it's because these men are soldiers, making it easy for them to be overpowered. 

“Where are you from?” The giant asks a woman as he removes the shackles. The woman says she was visiting her family in a nearby village when the men came. The other women say something similar.

“It seems they had a type. Easily able to make them disappear if they only have a couple connections in a different village.” The other man states, the giant nodding. 

They move the women to the same town you live in, keeping them in a new location until they find the leader of whatever ring they were getting sold into. You climb down the tree and quietly follow behind. The women are escorted to a separate cluster home and the men head to what seems to be a military station building.

Before the giant walks into the building, he looks behind him out of habit and spots you already looking at him. You quickly turn and walk away, not trying to attract unwanted attention. You make it to the lake before you hear a twig snap, someone being with you. Knowing who it is, you don't even bother to turn around, staying still. 

“Why did you run?” He asked in an accusatory tone, walking up to you. His frame towers over you, his shadow overtaking yours. You turn towards him, finally meeting his eyes. His face is covered in a cloth, his eyes being the only exposed area. His gaze is stern, like that of a king. 

“I've never seen a soldier like you before” you lie seamlessly, appearing innocent, “When you saw me, I worried I would possibly provoke you. Some soldiers around here hate when we stare”

He looks down at you, head slightly tilting. In mock or curiosity, you can't tell. There’s a long pause of silence, neither of you moving.

“Sir?” You ask quietly, “May I go back home now? I fear it will worry my family if I am out too late”

“You will meet me in the town square tomorrow at dusk,” He states, turning to walk away, “I will find you if you fail to come. Do not make that mistake, flos”

[starry-pierrot]

A Fighting Chance

You've trained for this for years, friends have helped you and you've dreamed of this moment every night since you've started this plan. You hope it's enough.

Royal Jester AU Eclipse X Reader (Gender neutral)

-Fighting with swords

-Blood mention

-you're a giant cry baby, I don't make the rules you get a piece of me.

---

Hello hello! Okay first things first-this is FANART. This is not at all canon in Cloud's AU. I took liberties and none of this in fic should at all be considered cannon, so please don't go asking them questions about it!

Second this story has TWO endings, neither one is wrong or right they're just more fun. Both endings will be labeled.

And lastly, @head-in-the-icloud I hope you like this! I also hope I didn't butcher Eclipse.

Anyway enjoy!

Your newly gifted sword was held tight in your hands as you pointed it at your best friend and comrade, Eclipse. Today had been the day when you were to be knighted and join the royal guard ranks as an official Knight. But it was also the day you would declare your proposal.

“Marry me!” 

The room was quiet while others looked on in surprise at your bold demand, it was no secret that you had fallen for him many moons ago. But no one expected you to do this at this very moment. 

And you had just been appointed a knight.  

The Queen and Neptune looked on in stunned silence…though Moon and Sun both smiled at one another.. Of course they did, they helped you prepare for this after all. 

Eclipse stood tall and stiff as he looked down at you, obviously he was processing what you just said and was caught off guard with the demand. But soon his surprise turned into a wide smile on his face. “No wonder you’ve been demanding I spar with you so much. Had this planned for a while did you?” 

“You have no idea.” A laugh slips from your throat, you had this plan thought out for years. Ever since the knight had pulled you out of the way of a runaway cart during a delivery. Sure maybe it was a bit tacky to fall for someone who saved you once but your heart left you no room to argue. You were a romantic afterall. 

Getting in was easy but the training was grueling even when it was just the training bot! Never had your hands been so sore before.  

It was a struggle but every time you saw him it only made the feelings inside you grow ever stronger for the knight. During your time as a novice you came to get to know him better and spent many days making conversation. You even became friends with the two princes who were more than happy to help.

You believe Moon’s words were, “About time that firestarter gets his rear handed to him.” Moon fenced with you but encouraged you to look around, see how quick the pickpockets of the town move. Study them. And Sun even prepared a final surprise. 

“I accept your challenge.” Eclipse said as he moved forward with a hand raised to tip your sword down. “Let’s move this outside. We wouldn’t want to ruin the Queen’s castle now do we?” he said leaning in close before pulling back and walking towards the room’s doors. 

Without missing a beat you quickly follow him, you don’t miss how the room is suddenly loud with footsteps and excited chatter behind you. 

The courtyard was large and just enough room for the two of you to fight without harming anyone or the buildings around you. Eclipse had his sword out at the ready with his hands poised on top of the handle, patient. 

“Are you prepared?” Eclipse asked as you adjusted your cloak on your shoulders before looking at him with a smile. 

“Very.” 

“You know I won't go easy on you,” he warned, “friend or not.” 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Sir Eclipse.” You were ready. You can do this. 

Eclipse’s sword flashes with light as the fire twirls and dances around the blade, it was one of his strongest abilities. “Then we shall begin.” 

The crowd watching you was silent as you both stood still, you can hear Sun cheering you on as all eyes are on the both of you. 

Then suddenly the field burned. 

Ellipse was quick as he made the first move, you just barely countering it. The heat from his flames were scorching against your skin as you grunted. 

“Come on now! Don’t disappoint me!” Eclipse’s wide smile looked down on you and with all your might you managed to push him back. Just as you expected he’s putting his all into this.

“Disappoint you? Never!” Charging at him the two of you clash, to the outsiders it looked like a dance of fire as the kingdom's knights fought. Eclipse was nothing but a force of power and fire, easily knocking you off your feet but you were quick and crafty. Managing to just get around his attacks or at the very last second block it. 

You knew when you started this you’d be staring down the Beast of Pleiades and you think the stories of him don’t quite empathize the ‘Beast’ part as much as they should. Eclipse was a monster in battle. But no one was unbeatable. 

Eclipse roared as he swung his sword, fire shooting out and surely would knock you off your feet if you didn’t wrap your cloak around you and huddled down. 

You can feel the heat wrap around you but the cloak keeps it off your skin, the magic spell casted on it doing its job. Thank you, Sunny! 

Unraveling the cloak once it was safe too you stood in front of Eclipse who was once more stunned. 

Before he lets out a bellowed laugh, “Ahaha-! I see someone’s made powerful friends!”

“Hey I needed a counter to that sword of yours.” There was a wide smile on your scrapped face, Eclipse laughed a moment more before he swung his sword absentmindedly. 

“Impressive. Impressive. I see you thought this out…but will that be enough?” Then he was back at it, sword alight once more and dashing towards you.  

The two of you continued to fight, aiming for any sort of weak point like his joints and Eclipse either taking the hit or managing to fend you off and vise versa. 

WINNING ENDING--------------------------

The onlookers while captivated wondered when this would all end, the both of you at this point looked like you two had been through hell and back. Blood caked the side of your face and a leg and oil ran down Eclipse’s back. 

Neptune had been worried they'd let it go long enough and could potentially lose a new knight but Gaia assured him that Eclipse knew what he was doing.

With a final blow you knock Eclipse hard into the dirt, his sword slipping from his grasp as he grunted. A heavy weight settled on his chest with a knee as you knelt over him, your own sword pointed at his neck, you were panting. 

“Yield!” you demand. 

“Never!” He refused and made a grab for his sword only to let out a yell of pain as his right arm couldn’t be lifted for more than a few inches before he had to put it back down. His left hand however gripped your sword once he realized he couldn’t reach his own. Tried as he might he couldn’t pull it from your grasp, far too weak to put any real strength into it. 

“Y-you…my joints…” Eclipse realized. 

“Can’t use a sword without the use of your arms, Eclipse. Damage will do that.” A smirk on your face as he struggled to pull the sword from your grasp, frustrated grunts as he tried but ultimately his hand fell back to the ground. 

He seemed to take you in. How you were over him and pinning him down. Someone finally defeated him. 

“I yield.” His expression turned to one of relaxation as he smiled up at you. 

With a stumble you stood and raised your sword, “He yields!” you yelled to the crowd that erupted into cheering, you can see the Queen,her sons and Neptune racing towards you two. 

You did it. You won. 

Suddenly the world went dizzy and you stumbled a little before falling down on your ass next to Eclipse, your body had no energy left and even your sword tumbled out of your grip. 

“Are you alright?” Eclipse asked. 

“Y-yeah..just…holy fuck that was hard..” 

A laugh from the defeated night, “I did warn you.” 

While resting you felt a warm metal hand meet yours, his weak one could barely move but you squeezed it and smiled down at him. 

“So…where do you want to honeymoon? We can go overseas on a ship. Maybe be pirates for a day.” 

“Does anyone oppose this union?” 

Another laugh, “I think…I think I would like that.” 

The priest asked as both you and Eclipse stood before him, the room behind you full of friends, family and even those gossiping old crows who would talk about Eclipse's sword being his secret lover. You were sure there were more people outside but the room had been filled and the doors were closed. Who knew seeing the Eclipse of all people get married would be a big event for the kingdom? 

Must be his reputation. 

The room stayed silent at the priest's question, not a soul daring to interrupt your union. “The rings please.”

Eclipse delicately placed the ring on your finger, it was silver with gorgeous ruby and imperial topaz gems adorned along it. His name had been etched into the inner side and it fit like a glove. 

Slipping on his ring it was an opal and moonstone on the same sliver as yours, along with your own name etched on the inner side. It stood out against his colors but you don’t think you could have found anything more beautiful on him.  

The two of you said your vows, you began to cry a little during yours and Eclipse was very patient and encouraging as you stumbled through it. Even making a little joke making you smack him and telling him to ‘Shut up!’, getting a few good laughs around the room. 

“You may kiss.” 

This is what you’ve waited for, what you’ve worked so hard for the past five years. Careful hands gently cupped your face as he leaned in and kissed you. 

Your heart beat hard in your chest as you couldn’t hold back anymore and reached your own arms around him and dragged him down to deepen the kiss. 

Cheers and whistles filled the church as your heart soared. 

You won. 

LOSEING ENDING—---------------

Eclipse's blows were starting to take a toll on your body and if you didn’t knock him down soon you were going to lose. The simple idea of that reigniting the fire in your chest as you two fought. He must have been going easy on you in sparing because he’s never been this fierce before! 

But you expected this. You knew he wouldn’t be easy. That’s why this plan had taken so long, so long to put together and your practice with Moon and asking Sun to enchant your cloak so you had a bit of an edge! 

“Agh-!” Suddenly you were thrown off your feet, rolling into the dirt before coming to a stop. Looking up you quickly doge a metal boot’s stomp as you roll out of the way. 

“You’re slowing down!” Another swing of his sword you barely manage to get out of the way of the fire, “Getting sloppy!” 

He was right and you knew it. You needed to end this before he got the upper hand, with a yell you ran in close and made to aim for his naked shoulder hoping to damage the joint somehow. But before your sword could even scrape his casing you were knocked back hard by a knee. 

Scrambling to get up your thrown once more by the heat of fire, unable to reach for your cloak in time you feel the fire burn on your skin. You doubt he would kill you, no you know he wouldn’t. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t scorch you a little. 

A groan of pain as you finally roll to a stop, breathing heavily as the aches in your body begin to pulsate and scream at you. You could heat his footsteps getting closer, “You’ve certainly put up quite the fight. That cloak I’d say was a very smart move.” 

You tried to get up only to wheeze out a breath when his boot stood firmly on your chest, not enough to cut off your breathing but enough to keep you down. “But it seems your plan wasn’t quite enough.” 

He sounds so disappointed it makes your guts twist, looking up at him that manic smile is gone and replaced with a frown.

“I-I’m not done!” You say as you struggle to get his foot off you despite the protest of your burned and weak body. 

“Oh dear…it’s best to stop now. You’ll only hurt yourself more.” He was trying to let you down easy but you didn’t want to stop now. Not even him pointing his sword at you would stop you now. 

“No!”, your hands fly up and grip his sword, luckily you had leather gloves so you don’t feel the sting of the blade but you do feel the heat left on the blade. But you hold tight and weaky try to pull it out of his hands. 

He watches with a bit of sadness in his gaze, undoubtedly wanting this done with, “You probably can’t even stand anymore. Yield.” 

“No!” You couldn’t give up now! Not after everything. Not after the days of studying how pickpockets moved in the streets, sparing with Moon, the waste of Sun’s time and energy for his magic and all your research in the library for sword techniques! You tried too hard to let this be the end of this! 

But as you continued to try you were finding that your body was too sore to continue, not even your grip was strong anymore as your arms eventually gave out. 

“Do you yield?” Eclipse asks. 

You didn’t want to. You hated to. But there was no way around it, you had lost. With no strength in you to continue you nod, tears filled your eyes as you gave in. 

Eclipse was quiet for a moment before nodding, lifting up his sword and stepping off of you, “They Yield!” 

You weren’t sure if the crowd was cheering because it had been an amazing battle to watch or if some in the crowd were happy you had lost. A large hand helped you sit up as you sniffled, you tried to hide it behind a hand not wanting him to see you like this. 

But Eclipse didn’t let you hide tugging your hand away. “You know it’s alright to lose sometimes.” he said, “You gave me a good fight. Even brought in something I didn’t expect from you.” He was smiling.

“Maybe try again sometime.” 

With that he stood up and ruffled your hair, the princes came to your side along with Queen Gaia and her assistant. Sun helped you up and let you lean on him, worrying about getting you to a healer but you weren’t quite paying attention as you hid your face into his royal fabric. 

You grunted as you practiced with Moon, now healed from your fight with Eclipse two months ago you were back in tip top shape. 

You hoped he wouldn’t get mad at the tear stains. 

“You’re going to try again?” Moon asked you as he parried your thrust. 

“Are you kidding? Course I am!” 

“But you were such a crybaby about it!” He teased with a laugh,“What? Are you just a glutton for punishment?” 

“Wh-oh shut up! I just have big emotions!” You nearly smack him with the fencing sword as you advanced. Moon swiftly dodged and thrusted his own sword, getting you on your side. 

“Ah-! Hey!”

“I win.” He smirked as he lowered his sword, “But really…do you think you can handle another loss? After that performance I’m sure plenty of others would marry you on the spot.” 

You sigh and roll your shoulders, “It’s not about marrying someone just to marry someone. I love him. And no one else will do.” 

“Then I guess you better be practicing more.” Suddenly he moved forward making you jerk in surprise and just managed to dodge his attack. “Come on. You have better reflexes than that!” 

“Oh you sneaky-!” With a yell you pushed back and continued to spar with Moon. 

You might have lost the battle, cried about it for a little-well okay you cried about it the whole two months. But you’re not giving up that easily, after all the tears dried up your determination came back in full force! 

You’ll keep trying. But if you never win…well at least you can enjoy Eclipse’s company. That’s more than enough. 

---------

I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave comments : )

[scarlettrust]

They made it as far as Neptune’s capital city before Nureyev stopped driving.

He pulled the Ruby Seven to the side of the street, turning off the engine. They were just outside Salacia, on the outskirts of one of the city's many suburbs. It was silent, the roads empty and lit only by a flickering street lamp in dire need of service. But still Nureyev was cautious as he stepped out the car, his head on a pivot as he checked for cameras.

There was a bank across the street, its glowing sign proudly advertising an ATM. But a carefully aimed laser from his pocket made short work of its camera. By the time anyone thought to reconstruct what was left of the tape, he would be long gone.

Hands trembling and heart aching, that thought shouldn’t have hurt nearly as much as it did.

Fold it away.

The bus depot was only a few kilometres away. It would take him to the spaceport, where one of his three shuttle tickets would get him far away from here. Each one had been paid for under a different name, and each one was headed in a different direction. Even Nureyev wasn’t certain which shuttle he intended to catch, he would pick at random when he got there.

Nureyev grabbed his bag, and slung it over his shoulder. It was light, small enough to fit under his seat on the shuttle and packed only with essentials. Everything else had been destroyed when he… when he…

Unbidden, his eyes burned, filling with tears. Nureyev tilted his head back, jaw clenched as he blinked rapidly.

Fold it away.

There was only one thing left to do. With hands trembling so badly he nearly dropped it, Nureyev pulled Peter Ransom’s comms out of his pocket, with its purple case and dangling fox charm. The tiny thing had been a gift from Rita after their second week aboard the carte blanche, handed to him with a hug and a fit of giggles.

The charm spun lazily on its tether, orange enamel glinting in the streetlight. He snapped it off, slipping it into the front pocket of his jacket before powering on his comm. It came to life with a chime and a flurry of missed messages.

He ignored them all, pausing only to muster a watery smile at Juno’s lovely face staring up at him from the wallpaper. With a few button presses, he erased everything from the device. The SIM card was removed in short order and snapped in two before he dropped the comm and smashed it beneath the heel of his boot.

All in all, it was a far nicer funeral than Peter Ransom deserved.

Behind him, the Ruby seven whistled- low and inquisitive as its headlights flashed. Nureyev rolled his shoulders as he grasped his emotions tight and shoved them somewhere deep inside him.

“Thank you for bringing me this far.” He told it, running a grateful hand along the slope of its hood.

The greatest getaway vehicle in the galaxy. If it wasn’t for this car, Nureyev wouldn’t have been able to escape Dark Matters. Even if he wasn’t the one they were looking for, Rex Glass was not something easily forgotten, or forgiven.

Another chirp, more enthusiastic than before as the driver's side door popped open, the engine turning over with a hopeful rumble. But Nureyev shook his head.

“Not this time, I’m sorry to say.” He said sadly, taking a step back. “This is where we part, I fear. Go back to Carte Blanche.”

He had spent years of his life idolising this car. Stealing it from the Oasis Casino had been one of his greatest achievements as a thief. It had saved his life so many times over the last few years. His, and far more importantly Juno’s.

Nureyev only prayed it could save the detective one last time.

The Ruby revved its engines, back tires spinning in place and spitting up gravel. If it wasn’t a car, Nureyev would call the display petulant.

“This isn’t up for debate.” Nureyev told it firmly, jaw clenched against the burning behind his eyes. He had made it this far, he would not cry now. Not when it was his decision to leave. Not when he had torn apart everything that Juno had tried to build for them. Not when this was his fault. “Go find Jet and the others. They need you.”

Outside of the city lights, Nureyev could just make out the stars through the dome. If he squinted he could pretend that one of the glowing white specs was the ship he had left behind. The ship that Dark Matters had invaded.

But if they had the ruby, then maybe the crew of the Carte Blanche still stood a chance. Nureyev may have abandoned them, but he couldn’t… He wouldn’t… He had to do something.

Warm metal nudged against his legs as the Ruby inched forward, vibrating with the force of its engines. But Nureyev turned his back on it.

“You are the greatest getaway car in the galaxy.” He forced out, fists clenched at his side.“They need you. I can’t take you from them. Now go, Ruby.”

The blast of a horn shattered the silent night. But louder still was the whip crack of Nureyev’s voice as he whirled on it.

“I said GO!”

Nureyev bit down the pang of sympathy that clawed at his throat as the Ruby whistled, low and dejected sounding. Its door slammed closed, gravel crunching beneath its tires as it backed away from him

Breathing hard in the wake of his outburst, Nureyev watched it turn around and drive away. His nerves were struggling as tight as garrote wire as the Ruby’s thrusters activated, burning orange then blue as it lifted into the sky.

Nureyev couldn’t look away, even as the Ruby faded from view. Tears poured down his cheeks- he wiped at them futilely, but it did nothing to stem the tide. A strangled sob escaped Nureyev’s lips as his only way home left without him.

He was on his own now. As he was meant to be.

[bestworstcase]

Do you think Weiss will get a romantic relationship?

i don’t think so, and i’m skeptical as to whether she is even really interested in romance at all; notably her core relationships are all with her family, winter and klein and whitley and (to a lesser extent) her mother. her interest in neptune in v2 is superficial and evaporates over his flirting with other girls in v3, and then in v9… lmao well

i know v9 was widely perceived as ship-teasing and the going assumption in the fandom these days is weiss/jaune endgame, but aside from the fractal ozlem problem there (both salems) what strikes me is that weiss specifically expresses physical attraction to jaune at the lowest point in his life; he looks like that because he’s been miserable and not taking care of himself for years. and then when he acts like someone who’s miserable and isolated and not taking care of himself weiss is like oh he’s crazy, we can’t depend on him, which he hears and gets understandably upset about. that fissure is repaired but that it happens at all speaks to a fundamental emotional disconnect.

like imagine the bees in an equivalent situation, if yang was stranded in time and aged several decades before blake found her again in such a haggard state—lank hair, prosthetic arm covered in rust, visibly exhausted. can you imagine blake’s first/only reaction being “yang looks hot!” in that moment? with weiss and jaune it’s played as a joke and the humor comes from weiss leapfrogging over “holy shit is jaune okay?” to “jaune’s hot!” and blurting out something completely insensitive. it’s very sun referring to blake’s avoidant self-destructive behavior in v2 as blake being “all… blake-y.”

and then

in terms of the fractal ozlem narrative—like, weiss is the girl in the tower who creates her own knight in shining armor. that’s the conceit. i think the point of her with respect to ozlem is to interrogate the idea that the girl “saves herself” by asking for help; weiss summons her knight but it isn’t the knight who rescues her, it’s klein—her father-figure—who helps her get out, which makes a pretty straightforward implication about salem. the girl who is her own knight leaves her tower through the genuine love of her father-in-all-but-blood; the only way for the girl to leave the tower without being saved is if her father is kind, and salem’s was not.

(<- which is all wrapped up in ozma’s self-hatred; he writes the fairytale as if the hero was merely the inconsequential tool the girl used to free herself because he feels inadequate—he died and left her behind, he couldn’t save her in the end, he was too cowardly to take her hand, therefore he never saved her at all and really she was the one who saved herself.)

anyway the point being, there’s a strong thematic incentive against giving weiss a romantic partner because her character poses this counterfactual question—what if salem didn’t need ozma?—which reifies that salem did need ozma, because her father was cruel and would not let her go. a salem who did not need ozma is necessarily matched by an ozma who did not need salem—they must be equals, always—and the question then is what would bind salem and ozma together if he is not her freedom and she is not his sanctuary. do they fall in love at all? probably not.

and it does look to me as though that’s where weiss’ character arc is headed, with how hard she’s taking the fall of atlas and the open question of what reclaiming the legacy of the schnee name from her father’s wrongdoing looks like now that the whole kingdom is gone

[callsign-phoenix]

I wrote this for my 1.5k follower celebration, I hope you like it!

It is a Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x female!reader blurb, requested by @notroosterbradshaw.

The prompt requested is: kissing the other’s brow.

Warnings: mentions of injuries, hospital visit, pregnancy (no harm comes to the baby), it’s only proofread by me

You really did love Bradley, even if he was prone to being hot headed and reckless, which often resulted in him getting hurt.

You loved him so much that it hurt you too whenever he was in pain, but you just needed to be with him.

He was so fun, kind and caring when he wasn’t exactly risking his life, and he cherished you as much as you did him.

There had been a few times in which Bradley had been hurt on the job and others in which he had gotten into a fight because of his temper.

This time his mission had been more dangerous than ever and the flares in his jet had gone out, to save his wingmen he flew into the target line, and got shot down in the process.

You hated how reckless he was and that he risked his life to save others without a second thought, but you also loved him so much for it.

When you got the call that he was in the hospital you left everything immediately and rushed to the hospital, waiting there for a bit until you were allowed into his room.

It seemed small in comparison to his broad body lying on the very sterile looking bed.

Bradley was awake and grinning up at you groggily, there was a small cut on his left brow close to his eye and his right arm was in a sling, but otherwise he seemed fine.

“Hey,” he said with a mixture of pain and charm in his voice, his breath a little more pressed than usual.

“Hey,” you answered back, moving towards him and sitting down at the side of his bed, reaching out to run a hand through his hair to comfort him.

Your hand shook slightly but you tried not to let it show.

“How are you?” You asked carefully and Bradley reached up with his good hand to grasp yours, pulling it close to him and setting a kiss to it that reassured you slightly.

“I’m good. We’re good,” he told you and you nodded quickly, feeling tears prick at the corners of your eyes.

You hadn’t realized just how worried you were until you saw him in that bed, and your emotions escaped when Bradley reassured you.

“How can you be that reckless, baby?” You accused him softly, but your words conveyed what you wanted to say harshly enough.

His face contorted into a wince that only grew stronger when the movement of his muscles started to hurt.

“I’m sorry, baby, they really needed my help,” he referred to Nat and Bob, who had been in the plane that had been targeted.

You nodded in understanding, but you couldn’t help but say what was on your mind.

“I need you too, Brad, for the rest of my life,” you replied, and received a warm smile from him.

His thumb brushed over your hand he was still holding and his eyes grazed your face lovingly.

“We need you Bradley, I couldn’t do this without you,” you breathed, putting the hand he wasn’t holding over your slightly bulging belly.

Bradley’s eyes grew softer and he reached out to put his hand over yours on your stomach while he shifted in his bed so he could reach you better.

He looked exhausted and let his head lower towards yours, his forehead gently connecting with your own in a gesture of loving acknowledgment.

“You won’t have to. I’m here with you, I love you,” he whispered, and you grasped his hand tightly.

There were a few moments of silence as you pulled away and looked at each other, your eyes searching each other.

After a while Bradley leaned in to press a kiss to your brow, holding his lips there for a few seconds before he lowered them to yours, kissing you passionately.

That day he promised to be more careful, and in contrast to his dad he got to see his child grow up.

tagging: @starkleila @mayhem24-7forever @green-socks @letsfvckingdance @shadeds-library @jewels98 @yespolkadotkitty @whateverbagman @neptunes-curse @sweetheartlizzie07 @top-gun-rooster @iloveprettyboysblog @ateliefloresdaprimavera @imjess-themess @littlebadariell @angstyjellybean @marchingicenotes7 @midget713 @supernaturaldawning @gspenc @adorephina @gigisimsonmars @bespinnn @malindacath @aerangi @kassieesworld @kwanimations @18crazybutcutealsopsycho @marvelandotherfandomimagines @kmsryles343 @mavericksicybabe @kendra-rose @desert-fern @mavrellover91 @allivingstone01 @rhettabbotts @withakindheartx @trikigirl271 @cherrycola27 @bonitanightmxres @ratcatcher2world @glowingtree @wingmanvenus @roosterforme @oliviah-25 @natasharomanoffisbaebby @tipsykeen @airedale17 @teti-menchon0604

(please tell me if you want to be added to the taglist, or use this link)

[alaa-pales]

Stop, I need your help urgently now ✋

I am coming to you during those difficult times to help save my families’ life and restore their lost hope. This fundraiser aims at supporting and uplifting 17 family members who lost their houses, jobs, businesses and future.

My sister and her 7 children are still in the North of Gaza, they didn’t evacuate to the South. My brother -in-law is suffering from a serious abdominal injury, his 15-year-old son was injured, and his 10-year-old son developed Hepatitis A from the polluted food and drinking water. Their house is bombed, and they are sheltering in a tent at one of the destroyed UNRWA schools. They are starving, have no access to water, food, shelter or even healthcare.

My mother, brother and his 3 children are all sheltering in a tent in the South, in Rafah. My mother has chronic diseases and has dietary needs. She has no access to clean drinking water, food, or even medicine. In this cold weather while rain is pouring over their heads my family is suffering.

My sister and her husband have completely lost her house and is sheltering in a tent.

What’s Our Goal:

The goal of this fundraiser is to help rebuild the future of my family who lost their houses during this war. It will also help evacuate my nephew and brother-in-law who are injured and need medical treatment in Egypt. Your donation, no matter how big or small will help make a difference in my family’s life. My family is still clinging to hope, hope for a better future and life after this war ends.

What You’ll Help Fund:

We are seeking funds to help support 4 families, a family of 9, 5, a family of 2 and my mother, 17 people in total. The funds we are requesting are needed to support these families' everyday living needs while they navigate the difficult living conditions in Gaza. All funds will be sent to the family’s to be able survive during those difficult times and to help them rebuild their lives after the war ends, in addition to travel to Egypt for Medical treatment.

According to the sources we had available at hand in Gaza, we estimated that before the war, the cost of everyday essentials was approximately $2000USD per month for a family of 5. This number includes rent, food, water, and access to essential transportation. However, the war has made many essential needs inaccessible. For example:

• Pre-war, 1 sack of flour would have been $40 USD, but it is now $250 USD.

• Pre-war, 1 kg of potatoes would have cost $2 USD, but it is now $20 USD.

The average cost of living for a family of 5 in Gaza during the war is approximately $5000 USD per month.

• Approximately $2000 USD of this will solely go towards rent.

• The additional $3000 USD per month will go towards essential goods, medical treatment and living expenses.

We want your help immediately so that I and my family can reach my goal and be able to leave to safety when the Rafah crossing is opened as soon as possible.🚨

A small amount remains until we can reach the goal and get out to safety

Please save me and my family as soon as possible By donating and sharing only ✅

• Save us before it's too late 🚨

@fairuzfan @sayruq @longlivepalestina @nabulsi @self-hating-zionist @thenewgothictwice @el-shab-hussein @risoria @palipunk @palestine @intersectionalpraxis @fallahifag @sealuai @malcriada @mangocheesecakes @youdontknowwhotfiamm @farcillesbian @stil-lindigo @apsswan @star-and-space-ace @rainbowywitch @marscodes @oursapphirestar @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @boyvandal-blog @the-bastard-king @13ag21k @agentfascinateur

@olovelymoon @hollytanaka @neptunerings @newsfrom-theworld @falasteen7urrah @lilliputian-thing @scrilladge @damonalbarnsgf @mazzikah @irhabiya @terroristiraqis @watchnpray @stuckinapril @feluka @tortiefrancis @timetravellingkitty @flouryhedgehog @jinnazah @soracities @bloglikeanegyptian @handweavers @trans-axolotl @plomegranate @pcktknife @transmutationisms @sawasawako @anneemay @bedufairy @briarhips @dirhwangdaseul @mahoushojoe @rhubarbspring @schoolhater @starstrucksnowing @handsworthsongs @determinate-negation @khanger @kibumkim @qattdraws @brutaliakhoa @libraryposting @geeseareassholes @wellwaterhysteria @deepspaceboytoy @edwordsmyth @chilewithcarnage @psychotic-gerard @post-brahminism @bringmemyrocks @arslanjae @reduxskullduggerry @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness @kyra45-helping-others @log6 @7bitter @sharingresourcesforpalestine @neechees @mothblossoms

[howlingday]

Persemblance

1 / (2) / 3 / 4

Qrow: Hey. Some girl named Weiss Schnee went missing.

Qrow: All this work is such a pain! It's like people expect huntsmen to solve crimes or something!

Qrow: Ruby, get your uncle another beer.

Ruby: ...

--------------------------------------------------

Neptune: Weiss really isn't at school today...

Port: THAT'S BECAUSE SHE'S DEAD!

Neptune: It's almost like that crazy TV world we fell into has something to do with the murders!

Naaaaah.

Neptune: I can't just walk away this time. I need to find out why Weiss had to die like this!

Yang: Neptune...

Neptune: ...So can we go back in the TV again please, please, please~!

Sure.

Neptune: YAAAAAAAAY~! THIS IS GONNA BE SO AWESOME~!

--------------------------------------------------

Neptune: Alright, guys, this is going to be dangerous...

Neptune: So, I brought a rake!

Neptune: Also, Yang doesn't get to come!

Yang: Wh-What?! But I-

Neptune: Shut up and hold this rope!

Neptune: YAAAY, TV WORLD~!

--------------------------------------------------

Somewhat: Hey! It's you guys again!

Somewhat: Now I get it... You must be the ones throwing people in!

Neptune: SHUT UP AND TAKE OFF THAT SUIT!

Neptune: (Yanks Somewhat's head off)

Neptune & Somewhat: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Somewhat: We must join forces~!

Somewhat: (Hands over glasses)

Neptune: What are these for?

Somewhat: So you can look cool during battles~!

Neptune: Battles- Wait! This is Weiss' parents door! I bet this place has something to do with how she di-

Somewhat: TUTORIAL FIGHT! TUTORIAL FIGHT!

Neptune: What?

Grimm: (Licks Neptune's face)

Neptune: WAIT, WHAT, WHAT IS THIS?!

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF PERSONA~

The Rusted Knight: I AM THOU, THOU ART ME...

The Rusted Knight: WE'RE A HAPPY FAMILYYY~!

Somewhat: Okay, listen; some Grimm have weaknesses, but they never make any sense! So just guess until you get it right! Here, press this button to get a helpful analysis!

Somewhat: I'm CHEESED to see your GOUDA input skills and FONDUE diligence for this SQUEAKER of a battle~!

ZIO!

Somewhat: Wowie, sir~! That was amazing~! Don't you think so, what's your face?

Neptune: Hey, why don't you call me sir?

Somewhat: Because you're comic relief!

???: WHY DO I HAVE THE WORST DAUGHTER IN THE WORLD?!

Neptune: Is that Weiss' dad? I don't get it. Weiss always seemed like she was having fun at work... Y-You mean to tell me she WASN'T happy working at the store that drove her family out of business?!

Weiss: Hey, Neptune~!

Neptune: Yes, my sweet~?

Weiss: GO KILL YOURSELF!

Neptune: WHAT?! B-But we were gonna get married and have a million beautiful babies together!

?Neptune?: Whatever, man. She wasn't even that hot.

Somewhat: (Gasps) Two Neptunes?!

?Neptune?: More like one Neptune and one... AWESOME Neptune. Gee, living in the country sure is boring-

Neptune: NO, YOU'RE NOT ME, I WOULD NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT EVER!

Somewhat: Whoa~!

Neptune: Naptiiime~!

Grimm Neptune: SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE JUST ORDERED A STUPID LOOKING BOSS~! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

ZIO!

Grimm Neptune: OW!

Neptune: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!

Somewhat: You have to accept it, or it'll attack us again!

The strength of heart to face one's self has blah blah blah...

Neptune: Okay, fine, I guess I do kinda hate everything.

He has obtained the facade used to overcome life's hardships... THE PERSONA FARMER PIG MONK~!

Neptune: Sweet~! Maybe now we can save people who fall in here before they die!

Somewhat: Yeah~! You know, since you guys came in here, I've been wondering where I come from and-

Neptune: Yeah, whatever! See you later!

Somewhat: HUH?!

--------------------------------------------------

Neptune: Hey, we're ba- Oh, crap, I forgot about you.

Yang: You guys are jerks!

Yang: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!

Neptune: Huh. I guess we should apologize.

Neptune: Later! I'm going to bed.

--------------------------------------------------

Blake: I'm wearing a kimono because I'm filling in for my mom at the inn we run!

--------------------------------------------------

TV: Blake Belladonna is wearing a kimono because she's filing in for her mom at the inn they run.

--------------------------------------------------

You should watch the midnight channel. There's a high school girl wearing a kimono on the screen. ...but you can't think of anyone who fits that description, so you decided to go to bed.

--------------------------------------------------

Ozpin: Helloooooooooooooooo~!

Ozpin: Person, persona, persona...

Ozpin: SOCIAL LINKS SOCIAL LINKS SOCIAL LINKS SOCIAL LINKS SOCIAL LINKS!

--------------------------------------------------

Neptune: Dude! I'm so excited to find out who's behind all these murders!

Neptune: Let's be friends~!

You became friends with Neptune~! Neptune will now DIE FOR YOU

Yang: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Yang: BLAKE'S MISSING! BLAKE'S MISSING!

Yang: BLAKE'S MISSING! BLAKE'S MISSING! BLAKE'S MISSING! BLAKE'S MISSING!

Yang: (Scroll buzzes, Answers) Oh, is this Blake? Yaaay~!

--------------------------------------------------

Qrow: Two bodies hanging from telephone poles... and we don't even know if this is a homicide yet.

Clover: Sir, I think we can probably assume it's a-

Qrow: Shut up, Ebi.

Qrow: We've got no clues about the perp. We don't even have a sus because the sec with the mo's got a perf al.

Clover: Sir, what are you even-

Qrow: SHUT UP, EBI.

Clover: Um, so what do we know about the case so far?

Qrow: The perp... is PROPBABLY in Patch!

ACE DETECTIVE~!

Qrow: Case closed! Let's get drunk.

Clover: Huh?!

--------------------------------------------------

...

Ruby: ...

[fizzydreamz]

The War

A/N: Gabriel Lore is being dropped RIGHT NOW! I hope you all like it!

Word Count: 2.7k (It's a lot but it goes by so fast.)

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Gabriel also has a mild panic attack (If I missed something let me know so I can update it-)

Betrayal. 

“Violation of a person’s trust or confidence, of a moral standard” (Merriam Webster). 

It was a quiet morning in the Heavenly Realm of Paradisus Collei. The streets were mildly busy with angels hurrying off to finish off tasks set by the gods. Morning doves cooed softly while basking in the golden rays of the sunlight, and Gabriel was kneeled down in the Chamber of Lady Neptune, catching about the possible future for archangels concerning the Earthly Realm. His hands were folded neatly onto his lap before he softly spoke out. 

“You want us to establish a church down in Sandoria? But why?”

“It seems that there has been quite a bit of trouble between humans in these past few months. We need guardians to protect the young children that are in dire need. If you and the others were to take some of the lower angels that would be a great service to humanity.”

Gabriel’s lips pressed into a tight, thin line. He never dealt with humans nor went down to the Earthly Realm. His mind swarmed with different kinds of thoughts and situations that could happen while he was there. 

“What if the humans do not want to be saved?” Gabriel asked, his hands gripping the white silk of his robes. “Will all our time and effort be for nothing?”

“Only save those who want to be saved, Young Gabriel.” Neptune said with a small smile. Her large pale hand gently lowered to softly pat his head. “The reason you are doing this is to only help those in need, not help those who could care less. Do not be discouraged by those who push you away.”

“Yes, you’re right. My apologies for my doubt, My Lady.” Gabriel bent down and pressed his face to the ground, his eyes glaring holes into it while he continued to process the instructions of his possible future. Slowly, he sat up and pushed his short golden curls out of his face. He took a few deep breaths before opening his mouth to speak. “..Lady Neptune, if I may, can I ask you a question-”.

SLAM.

The doors to the chamber suddenly burst open and two Seraphim rushed in with long spears in hand. One of them in which Gabriel recognized. He had thick ebony hair, pulled into a low ponytail, brown skin, seven sharp golden eyes and silver armor. It was Silas, his mentor and one of the lucky ones who stood next to the All Mighty One’s throne. 

“Permission to speak, My Lady!” Silas spoke up, a clear and sharp indication of urgency.

“Permission granted, please speak.” Neptune stood up fully. Her long pink hair flowing gracefully behind her as she walked past Gabriel and towards the two guardians.

“There’s been an attack in the main streets of the city! Other angels are declaring war on the gods and even themselves, ma’am!”

Gabriel’s eyes widened at the sudden news and suddenly the air filled with a sense of dread and discomfort. 

“The gods demand that all strong angels come and assist in this manner. We’ve come to collect Prince Gabriel as he is capable of fighting. Please release him to us so that we can get him fully armored. Prince Micheal is already waiting for him in the Chamber of The Mighty.”

Lady Neptune looked over her shoulder and silently nodded. She could see the look of fear that washed over the young angel but had no choice. “Alright, I release him to you. Do what you must.”

“Thank you, My Lady!” Silas said while beckoning over Gabriel. He then turned to the blonde and leaned forward, his eyes scanning him closely. “Come with us. We must get you ready.” 

Nothing else was said while Gabriel was escorted out of the water goddess’s sea-blue chamber by the ocean and up the path to the main city. The closer they got to the gates the louder Gabriel could hear it. The screams of angels which filled the heavy air. Blood-curdling. Horrifying. His head buzzed with white noise and his heart started pounding viciously against his ribcage. He didn’t want to continue forward. However, he knew the two guards in front of him would prevent him from standing still. So, instead, he drifted back even farther than he already was, taking long drawn out steps. 

Silas glanced over his shoulder and noticed his slow pace before completely halting. A deep sigh left him before fully turning around as he looked Gabriel in the eyes. “I hear it too.” He said quietly. “I know this is sudden, but we cannot keep the others waiting.” 

Gabriel didn’t respond. His pupils were dilated and his throat tightened. It felt constricted as if someone was wrapping their hands around it and squeezing until there was no air. He didn’t realize at first but when he lifted his left hand to place it over his chest it was shaking, his whole body was. Silas noticed immediately and carefully grabbed his hand.

 It was cold to the touch. 

“Gabriel. Gabriel, listen to me.” Silas’s voice was still quiet, like a hushed whisper but still held its firm tone. “Breathe. In and out.”

The archangels' breathing was rapid and shallow. He swallowed thickly before attempting to calm himself down. Once his shaking settled down, Silas let go of him. “We need to keep moving. Stay close to us.” 

A silent nod is all Gabriel could muster up before they continued on their way. When they entered through the gates, a strong smell of sickly sweet iron rushed like a wave to his nostrils. It made him gag. He wanted to throw up. But he proceeded anyway. Loud commanding shouts were heard from above as Gabriel glanced up to see who it was. He saw other high ranked angels in the sky above several buildings, taking orders from another Seraphim to “protect whoever they could and kill whoever stood in their way”.

“Gabriel.” Silas called out to him, snapping him out of his staring daze.

“Sorry..” He meekly apologized, not realizing how long he was spacing out for and looked forward. 

~

Eventually, they arrived at the large white temple of the All Mighty. Every ranked angel was rushing in and out the doors, fully equipped and armed. Silas mumbled silent apologies while pushing through the crowd. Down the long hallway and a sharp turn to the left they then entered the occupied armory. There stood Micheal next to all the different kinds of weaponry, fully covered in his own plate of silver armor and equipped with a large sheathed sword hanging from the hip of his garter belt. His golden eyes scouted the room until they fell upon Silas, his posture straightening as they approached. “Silas. Whenever you are ready, so am I.” He said with a salute.

“Good.” Silas replied and stepped to the side to let Gabriel step forward. “Micheal is going to be your partner. You two will stick together at all times. Do not lose sight of each other.”

“Understood.” Both archangels say in unison. 

 “And you.” Silas turned to the other seraphim who had been traveling with them. “Go ahead and help with instructing the others. The more help the better.” 

“Of course, sir.” He replied and sprinted off. 

After a moment of silence, Micheal guided Gabriel over to the armor stands. “Pick whichever one you’d like.” Gabriel’s stomach tightened as he examined the different armor classes. Silently, his hands reached out for the set of golden colored armor. Micheal nodded and assisted him in putting it on along with adding his own garter belt and sword sheath.  It was quite heavy and felt like he was carrying a boulder on the back of his shoulders. Nevertheless, he stood tall and walked over to the weapon stands reaching for a sword. Picking it up, Gabriel examined the writing engraved on the blade.

 Strength comes not from a weapon but from the heart. 

That made his confidence crawl forward just by an inch. He decided this was the weapon of his choice and slowly put the sword away. 

“Are you ready?” Silas asked as both men turned to him. 

“Yes.” Micheal answered, shortly. But Gabriel still continued to not say anything. He just looked up at Silas with a tight frown. His gray-blue eyes swirling with uncertainty and anxiety. 

“Alright then, let us go. We are heading to the east side of the city. Before coming to retrieve you, Gabriel, there was a need for backup.” 

All three of them exited the chamber and fled to the east. More wails and cries were heard while many lower angels fled to get somewhere safer. It was a morbid slaughterhouse. Some had their wings torn and ripped, clothes tattered, faces bloodied. Others were lying on the sides of the road crying out for mercy, coughing up blood or passing out from blood loss. The scene once again made Gabriel nauseous as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment while he muttered a small prayer to himself. 

‘Lady Neptune, please hear my prayer. I need your strength and guidance during this awful time. My heart is filled with dread and worry but I know through all things you will calm my heart. Your humble servant, Gabriel.’ 

One deep inhale through his nose, his eyes snapped back open to focus on the task ahead. Rounding the corner of a building to the right, Silas stopped dead in his tracks, making Micheal and Gabriel do the same. There was a loud cry for help ahead of them as a young guardian angel was slowly backing away from another. The other’s face was filled with malice. A sick, twisted grin spread across her face as she stepped closer, holding a sharp sickle in her hands. Before either of them could speak, Silas looked at the both of them and said in a hushed whisper. “This is a reminder to you both. Do not spare a single one. If you see any angel being harassed by any danger, kill the perpetrator.” 

Then, in an instant, Silas rushed towards the two angels and quickly plunged his spear into the back of the hostile one. She wheezed aggressively and tumbled forward but Silas kept shoving the spear deeper before twisting it harshly and pulling out. She collapsed to the ground face first and her weapon slid out her hands only a few centimeters from her. The other stood there speechless. His face white with fear as his body shook intensely. 

“Be not afraid, my child.” Silas said calmly, wiping the blood from his spear with his gloves.“Take that weapon and be prepared to defend yourself. And please get somewhere safe.”

Doing what he was told, the angel grabbed the weapon and ran away. Gabriel and Micheal soon ran over to the side of Silas and looked down at the deceased angel that laid down motionless on the cobblestone grounds. 

“Heavens.” Micheal looked away while Gabriel covered his mouth in sickness. 

“Come along, we still have more of this side to patrol.” Silas turned away and began to walk down the path they were originally supposed to go. 

“T-this can’t be real.” Gabriel stammered and swallowed thickly, following Silas. “Killing our own kind? This is insanity. I mean, just a few days ago everything was fine.”

“Whoever is responsible for this will get what is coming to them.” Micheal replied. “Who in their right mind would ever think to declare war on their own kind?”

Gabriel couldn’t pinpoint a correct answer. His brain sorted through every possible person until it landed on one specific individual. Someone that had been acting strange for weeks now. Someone who hadn’t been seen for days.

“..It couldn’t be.” He breathed. 

“Who?” Micheal questioned. 

There was the sound of  two familiar voices that rang through one of the coming up alleyways. One of them sounded calm and the other sounded like they were in a frenzied state. It made Gabriel freeze in an instant. Micheal also heard as well.

 It sounded a lot like..

Immediately, both of them ran ahead of Silas and up to the conversation. Silas took a double take before shouting for them to come back. But it was too late, they swung around the corner and there they found Lucifer Morningstar standing above Uriel with a dagger in hand. Uriel was battered and discolored with bruises, whimpering pleas to stop while tears rolled down his face.

Gabriel’s eyes widened as he stepped closer and shouted. “Lucifer?! What are you doing?!” 

The orange haired angel flinched, turning his head over his shoulder to look at the two archangels fully geared. A small laugh of inconvenience left his lips. “Seems the cat is out of the bag, what a shame.” Clank was the sound of his weapon being dropped. Lucifer fully turned around and greeted them both with a smile. “Gabe, Mikey! Good to see you both. Sorry that we have to meet under such awkward circumstances.” 

“Awkward circumstances?” Gabriel repeated with a look of disbelief. “You were about to kill Uriel! What is wrong with you? Most importantly where have you been?!”

“Oh, you know here and there.” Lucifer avoided the question, his eyes darting around while he casually placed his hand on his hip. “Planning things, waiting for this moment to arise.”

“So, it was you. You started this whole deal?” He pressed him further, stepping closer again with a hand on the hilt of his sword. 

Lucifer clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as his eyes glanced down at Gabriel’s hand. “Are you really going to use that weapon against me?” He snorted. “Gabriel, I know you don’t have the guts to actually attempt to hurt me. You could barely hurt a fly if it pestered you.”

“Answer my question.” Gabriel stood his ground. “You were the one who started this entire thing? This war?”

Micheal watched Lucifer, as he lazily shrugged his shoulders, his fist tightened into a ball. 

“It wasn’t just me.” He said casually. “You really think a small angel like me could really execute such a major plan like this?” Lucifer shook his head. “No, never! But thanks to the help of many other angels we will finally be able to take what’s ours.”

“And what is that?” Micheal finally asked.

“Freedom, of course!” 

Disbelief washed over Micheal’s face at that statement. “Come now, don’t look so shocked, dear brother.” Lucifer chuckled. “I’ve rambled about these things many times before. However, it was quite idiotic to ignore it. But, it’s not too late, you’ll change your mind!”

“What do you mean?” Gabriel questioned, hand still hovering against his sword. 

“What I mean is.” Lucifer walked towards him, his hand gently grazing against his before holding it lightly. “You could come with me! Join us!”

“Join you? In this bloodbath? Killing our own kind goes against everything we were made for, Lucifer!” Gabriel yelled, yanking his hand away from him. “We were made to serve the gods! We can’t be above them. That’s not how it was meant to be!”

“But it could be. You have to trust me.” His eyes flicked to Micheal. “Both of you have to trust me. We could be our own kings, our own gods.”

“You’re spitting nonsense.” Micheal argued. “Call this off and we might consider settling this a different way.” 

Lucifer let out a spiteful laugh while backing away. “Call this off? It’s a bit too late for that, isn’t it?” 

Footsteps could be heard as Silas’s voice reached all three of their ears. “Gabriel! Micheal! What’s going on?!”

Lucifer muttered something under his breath before spreading his wings and flying up into the air. Gabriel looked up at him, his face full of desperation. “Lucifer! There’s still a chance! Please come with us and make this right!”

Lucifer just sneered, his smile filled with an immoral wickedness. “Seems like my judgment was wrong. You don’t understand.” 

Gabriel’s heart dropped to his stomach hearing that sentence. But Lucifer continued anyway. “Maybe the only way to get you both to see will be through action. You both still have time before this whole thing is over. Think about it, will you?” Before either Gabriel or Micheal could say anything more Lucifer flew off with ease, leaving Uriel curled up on the ground. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t follow you both sooner.” Silas ran into the alleyway. “There was someone else who needed help and I-” He stopped and observed the scene in front of him. 

Gabriel looked back at Silas with watery, teared up eyes. His mouth dry and voice unable to raise above a whisper as he spoke. 

“Lucifer… he betrayed us.”

~

✨Moot Tags✨: @captain-liminal @casp1an-sea @xevcrowe @naptuning

[reashot]

Sorry It took this long I forgot to save my file so I have to rewrite it again but I decided to make it longer as an apology. But here it is finally.

Part 2...

Everyone was in awe seeing the incredibly large dragon Grimm he just summoned. Behind the dragon guarding the summoner. Weiss is currently being held hostage by him. Her sword the Myrtenaster has been taken away from her and her hand bound by some sort of bind made out of ice.

Ruby: Let Go Of Weiss!!! 😫

??? : This is a family matter. Leave us alone or I swear you will wish you haven't intervene.

Jaune: This is your dad speaking if you don't let go of Weiss young man will be grounded for a long time.

??? : Father... Did you seriously think grounding me is going to work?

Weiss: Why on earth do you think that will work?!

Jaune: Look. I'm trying okay!

Weiss: Well try harder you dunce!

??? : *smack* Do I need to remind you that you are a hostage.

Weiss: You hit me?.. How can you hit me I'm your mother!

??? : *punch* 👊 Anything else you like to add. "Mother?"

Everyone: Weiss!!!

Yang: That's it. That SOB is going down... Oops I didn't mean that Weiss!

Blake: Anyway. How do we even get past that Dragon?

Dusk: I'm scared mommy....

Blake: Its okay darling. I'll keep you safe.

Aurum: Allow me... *unsheate sword*

Ruby: Oh that sword looks awesome. 🤤 I mean, have you seen that Dragon. How are you going to go against that? 😵

Aurum: Rest assure Aunt Ruby. My blade the Prominence Flame can cut through anything and there's a reason why I'm called the dragonslayer.

??? : Now that's an arrogance if I say so myself. And I should know. I came from the Schnee's household.

Aurum: You! Tell me your name so I at least know the name of my foe.

??? : Are you stupid or something. Why on earth would I do that? You know what, judging by your getup you probably are one. I mean, golden armor? What kind of thought that goes inside your head to think it's a good idea?

Aurum: My golden armor serves to inspire the men and women under my command. It is symbol of hope, It is a promise that as long as I'm here my ally will have nothing to fear and my enemy will know that I will never be defeated. For I am Aurum Arc. Son of the great Jaune Arc and captain of the Arc Knight. I will say this again tell me your name?

??? : A Knight? How antiquated. Very well since you ask so nicely. My name is Victor Sch... Arc, Victor Arc.

Aurum: Then Victor Arc. Release Weiss Schnee at once this is your last chance.

Victor: Well Sir, Knight unfortunately. I won't. You see dear old mother and me have an unfinished problem. And sir, Knight what if I told you that by killing her you can save countless people in the processes. And what if I told you she will be responsible for numerous atrocities. That I would risk my own existence to try and kill her should be proof of that.

Weiss: ... No, that's not true! That can't possibly be right...

Scarlett: Yeah that's a load of baloney. The Miss Schnee I know is a really nice lady. And she and her husband mister Neptune always treat me to ice cream whenever I come to visit. 😫

Aurum: And the Weiss Schnee I knew married Ruby Rose. So she can't possibly have a son.

Ruby: Wait what!? I mean I don't swing that way, maybe I just don't know it yet and I kinda think some women are nice to look at... I mean no. I only like Jaune okay!!! 😖

Blake: Wait could it be that Jaune didn't actually have children with everyone of us in the future. Maybe all the childrens are from different timeline.

Yang: Wait so Jaune didn't really going to knock us up in the future? Phewww! I'm glad I didn't smash Jaune's family jewels. I mean the idea of Jaune having a harem with us is ridiculous.

Jaune: That's what I keep telling you!

Ruby: I knew it! There's no way Jaune would cheat on me! So Victor that means you can let Weiss go. Because she's not your Weiss. 😌

Victor: Oh of course! Here let me let her go... Did you really think it will be that simple. We don't know that for certain. I'm still here meaning that she still able to give birth to me. If there's a different timeline that means there are other Weiss I just need to kill as many as I can until I found the right one. If I get the wrong one at least I will get the satisfaction of killing her.

Ruby: You're insane! Give us back our Weiss! 😩

Victor: That's because you don't know how evil my mother is! Did you know that Ruby Rose died in my world. Under my mother's order I killed her using this same sword I hold now. That should give you an idea why I want her dead. If I can at least prevent another death by killing her I would do it. Even if I have to kill as many Weisses as I can.

Ruby: I died... 😶

Yang: But that's not our Weiss even if she is. That's a different Weiss. And that doesn't give you the right to end her life.

Aurum: Mother do not waste thine breath. He have already made up his mind to kill Weiss. What he's doing now is trying to find justification to do it.

Victor: Oh turns out you are smarter than you look. My offers still stand step aside and let me finish her and I will let you all live. Don't. And I will kill everyone here... I see there's no one here with a common sense. Fafnir, kill 'em all.

The blade then starts to glow brighter and hotter until the heat are fully concentrated in the sword. Aurum then closes in on the Dragon and effortlessly cuts it into multiple pieces. The scene of a knight cutting a dragon with ease looks like something out of a picture book that Ruby used to read as a child.

Victor : What the Fuc*!!! How is that even possible?! Fafnir are among my strongest summoned Grimm.

Scarlett: OMG so awesome 👁️👄👁️

Yang: Wow, so that's my son. Maybe I should consider dating Jaune if my kid can become badasses like him.

Jaune: Weiss is right there's no way he could be my son.

Aurum: I'm still not as strong as my father it seems... Release Weiss Schnee at once. Vile fiend!

Victor : No... She's rather useful to me unfortunately.

Aurum: Hiding behind a hostage. Have you no shame, fiend?!

Victor : It's called strategy dumbfuc* if you think I'm going to give up my only leverage then you are indeed just as dumb as I thought initially.

With a swing of his sword he summons multiple Glyphs on the ground to summoned Grimms. At first it's ten, then tens of ten then hundreds and finally thousands. The Grimm he summoned looks like a smaller version of an Arma Gigas with different weapons.

Weiss: No, it's impossible... No one can summon this many Grimms without their Aura running out ages ago.

Victor: My personal limit is 10 thousands, right now though I only summoned 2000. I think I can summon more, but I never had to on the account that my enemy tends to be dead before I need to summon more.

Weiss: But how is that even possible?

Victor: You can thanked dear old father for that.

Weiss: And why do you need to summon so many Grimms. There's no war in Remnant?

Victor: ...There's no war in yours, but there's one in mine.

Weiss: What?

Victor: Enough. Stay and watch everyone die. Geisttroopers forward. Infantry at the front and ranged units at the back. Kill everyone on sight but spare Father. He doesn't deserve to die...

Ruby: There's so many of them. 😫

Yang: C'mon Ruby. We can do it. You can take a few hundred over there. I'll take a few hundred over here.

Blake: Get behind me Dusk I'll keep you safe.... Dusk? Where are you Dusk?!

Jaune: Oh no, we're bad parents!

Scarlett: I'm good but even I don't think I can beat this many. Hey bigger bro can you help me beat them? 😉

Aurum: Of course little sister. With us working together nothing can stop us.

Victor: Now watch mother as my troops will finish off your friends... What the Fuc*!

Aurum: Huzzah! *melted through all of the Geisttroopers like it was made of butter*

Scarlett: Hyah! *hack and scythe through the Geisttroopers* 😈

Yang: I guess we don't have to do anything. Geez what do they feed children in the future?

Ruby: Oh! My daughter are so awesome. And look at Scarlett's weapon. Is that an upgraded form of Crescent Rose? 😍

Scarlett: That's right mom. This is Crescent Rose mk. 20. We made this weapon together. It can switch between scythe and voulge. And not only that it can switch between three different gun type. 🤓

Ruby: AHHH!!! My daughter is so awesome! And we share the same interest. 🤯 Jaune when we come back. We better start making her. I won't take no for an answer.

Jaune: Ruby please don't joke around! We need to save Weiss first. And then find Dusk because we can't find her.

Blake: In case you were wondering we didn't lose her. And we're not bad parent.

Ruby: (Who says I'm joking 😏) Oh no that's terrible. Let me cheer you up later Jaune... In my room. 🤫

Victor: How. How!? Each of my Geisttroopers are as strong as a veteran huntsman. There's no way they can be defeated this easily by just the two of them?

Weiss: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...

Victor: Anything you like to say mother?

Weiss: Oh I was wondering how long does it take for you to notice that I'm no longer in bondage.

Weiss shows off her hands to show to him that she's free. Victor then looks for her sword and realizes that her sword is floating in mid air but then it's quickly revealed that the floating sword was merely being held by a faunus child.

Victor: Invisibility Semblance. That's a neat trick there, kid. You must be Blake Belladonna's daughter?

Dusk: Please call off your monsters. Mister that looks like my daddy...

Victor: I'm sorry kid but I can't. I'm sorry. But I will spare you too at least.

Weiss: Yeah, my sentiment exactly. *slash*

Victor: *parry* Oh please, mother do you think I don't see your surprise attack. You're the one that taught me that. "Strike the enemy when they're distracted Victor."

Weiss: Don't call me that I'm not your Mother! And you're not my son!

Victor: Well let put those theory to rest. If I kill you and I disappear then I'm right and if I killl you and I didn't disappear then I will admit I was wrong.

Weiss: I'll still die regardless!

Victor: Oh. What will be, will be.

The two then continue to trade insults and slashes with one another. Myrtenaster and Myrtenaster clash with one another. Mother and her supposed son will battle until one of them die. Their sword fighting left Dusk in awe. Weiss's form are beautiful and elegant while Victor's form are fast and brutal.

Weiss: Hah! Such brutish way of fighting are not what I expected from a Schnee.

Victor: Typical mother, never satisfied with everything I did. Even when I did your bidding. You know you always complained about grandfather but you are just the same as him as it turns out.

Weiss: Don't you dare compares me to my father!!!

Victor: And mother. The reason my swordplay are not as refined as yours is because my sword are not for ballroom dancing but made for actual war. *grabs her hand and slash her through her aura*

Weiss: AHHHH!!!! *slumps on the ground in pain*

Victor: Can't have you die yet. I need to make you understand what you did to me.

Weiss: HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!

Victor: I see you have lost your mind...

Weiss: Ha... No. But I will admit that you are my son. You are just as ruthless, vindictive and cunning as I am. If you were my father's son he would have been proud of you.

Victor: Is there a point to this?

Weiss: But what I will not accept is that you are Jaune's son! Jaune is weak, he is a dunce, he is unreliable, but he is kind to a fault, he always put others before himself, he especially will never say such harmful things to me and hurt me in anyway. And that is why I Love him!!!

Dusk: 😱

Victor: Is that all? Very well... What the heck is that!

Jaune: Move out of the way!!!

Victor sees his father flying or more like thrown his way most likely by the golden giant. He did as his father said and moves slightly off the way of the speeding Jaune and so he crashed near him.

Aurum: Excellent thinking father! By screaming loudly at the enemy you managed to grab his attention so he will leave Weiss alone.

Jaune: *grunt in pain* yep totally was planning that...

Weiss: Jaune I knew you... I mean what took you so long you doofus!!?

Victor: Father! What on earth were you thinking you could have killed yourself!

Jaune: Look. I don't know what happened between you and Weiss. But I'm not going to let you kill her. If there's a problem we can help you. You don't have to hurt her or do it alone.

Aurum: Father is right. Little brother whatever it is we can help you.

Victor: I am not your brother! Fath... No Jaune you don't get to act like a father when my own father were never there and stop my mother!

Jaune: Never there?... I died in your timeline aren't I?

Weiss: No... It can't be.

Everyone: 😯

Victor: How did you know?

Jaune: Because you just said that I was never there. Which only mean two things. Either I left you and Weiss or that I died. And since I will never abandon my family that can only mean that I died.

Weiss: How did it happened?

Victor: I guess everyone deserves to know the truth... Mom the truth is you destroyed the world.

_____________________________________________

And that's the end of part 2 of Jaune's children AU. Sorry if it end on a cliffhanger but good news Part 3 will be the end and same as usual I will post it if it gain enough traction. Scarlett's brother will also makes an appearance in the next part to help our heroes.

[inkrabbit]

Can I get papa 3 and 4 comfort a gn reader who’s had a horrible day where nothing has gone right? Like they’ve gotten hurt they are stressed and things just aren’t going as planed for them?

You’re just over today and you’re sure it’s showing on your face. You knew you should’ve just stayed in bed.

One of the sisters had bumped into you as she rushed by, not even stopping to help you pick up all of the documents you had dropped that needed to be delivered to Secondo. This pushed you to be late, something that had upset the middle Emeritus. You had never run out of an office so fast in your life, the man screaming at you in such fast Italian that you could barely catch anything he said.

Sister Imperator had tasked you to give the latest sacrifice to the ghouls as well, saying she trusted that you had a good enough connection with them. In a way, you did. They didn’t pose any threat to you and had actually behaved as you gave them their food, save for Sodo getting a bit snippy when he felt you took too long. Ghouls didn’t have to be fed often, but it always made your skin prickle with paranoia anytime you were the one who had to feed them. But when it came to Nihil’s ghouls, your luck had run out. Neptune had been the first one to act out a bit, having splashed water at you when you called out to him in the pond, catching him by surprise. The real winner, however, had been Ares, who already started snarling at you when you had entered his sight, his teeth bared. He had swiped at you when you got too close for his liking, his claw cutting the side of your hand, making you recoil sharply and cradle it. You left shortly after that, narrowly missing another swipe from him.

The cut you had received wasn’t too deep. You didn’t need stitches, but the nurse did patch you right up. You wanted to knock her teeth out when she advised you stayed away from the ghouls, saying it like it had been common sense. Like you had a choice this time. Still, you left the infirmary without another word, knowing it would’ve been a string of insults had you opened your mouth. You just hoped Sister Imperator appreciated your hard work.

By the time your day had come to an end, you were both mentally and physically exhausted. All you wanted was to just go back to your Papa and feel his arms wrap around you; hear him whisper those sweet words in your ear that would make everything better.

Copia:

You catch Copia through the gardens just as the sun is setting. He gives you that sweet smile that you’ve gotten so used to, opening his arms to you.

“Amore!” he greets, pulling you into a tight hug and kissing your head. “How has your day been, my little mouse? I trust it was good?”

“It… could’ve been better.” His face falls as he looks down at you.

“What hap-” He finally sees your bandaged hand, that once joyful look turning to worry. “Oh, my love. What’s happened to you?”

“It’s… just been a day.” You give him a strained smile but he’s not having it. He brings you over to a nearby bench, the two of you sitting beside each other. “One of Nihil’s ghouls got me. Nothing too deep.”

“Quelle cose orribili,” he mutters, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “You should’ve sought me out sooner, amore.”

“It’s not that big of a deal, my love.”

“It is to me. You got hurt.”

“I promise you, I’m fine.” You bring a hand up to cup his cheek. “I feel better already now that I’m with you.”

“If you say so, amore.” A calm silence washes over you two as you get closer to him. His arm wraps around your shoulders, tugging you against his chest. He presses a gentle kiss to your temple, his hand rubbing your upper arm.

“It’s nice out here,” you comment softly, hearing him hum in agreement. “Really pretty.”

“I can think of something that’s even prettier,” he tells you. When you turn to hold his gaze, brows raised as you patiently wait, he leans in and kisses the tip of your nose. “You!”

You can’t help but laugh, playfully slapping his chest. All of the stress of the day was slowly melting away, especially when he pulled you in for a gentle kiss on the lips. You run your hand through his hair, hearing that soft, content sigh he breathes out through his nose.

“My love, I’m meant to be making you happy,” he laughs when you pull back.

“You do make me happy.” Another peck to his lips. “Just being with you always brightens my day.”

“It’s good to know that the feelings are mutual, amore.”

Terzo:

Pushing open the door to his room, you see how the bed is decorated in rose petals, candles lit around the room.

“Terzo?” you call out. Soft music is playing, setting that romantic tone. You walk further into the bedroom, looking around for him.

“Ah! There you are, my sweet.” He finally enters the room, carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses. “I’m sorry. I was going to surprise you, but I forgot this.”

“What’s all this about?” You walk forward, meeting him halfway for a gentle kiss.

“I heard what happened.” He hooks his arm around the wine bottle, holding it securely as he brings your injured hand up, kissing your knuckles. “Omega told me. He heard what happened.”

“And you decided to do all this?”

“Of course! Nothing but the best for you!” And he’s giving you that bright, charming grin. “Now, come, come! Let us relax!”

He leads you over to the bed, still holding your hand and only letting go when you settle down on top. He hands you one of the glasses, popping the cork off of the bottle and pouring some into your glass. He then pours himself some, setting the bottle on the bedside table before crawling into bed with you.

“Would you like to talk about everything, amore?” he asks, taking a sip.

“You know how it is,” you respond. “It’s just one of those days where everything that could go wrong just does.”

“Ah, sì.” He nods. “I’ve been on that end many times before.” His eyes flicker to your hand. “But I can’t say I’ve had the misfortune of being attacked before.”

“I’m just glad it wasn’t worse.” You both had heard the horror stories. Terzo gives you a soft kiss.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done had it been worse, amore,” he tells you softly. “You are my everything, you know? I’d be lost without you.”

“And I’d be lost without you, Terzo.” You give him a smile, one that he matches. The next kiss he drags you into is longer and just a little more heated.

Yeah. Being here with him made you feel a whole lot better.

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: A couple that gets angry together stays together angrily or something like that -Danny Words: 3,101 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'A Million Pretty Pieces' -by Fleurie & Nightly

XXVIII: I'm Mere Seconds Away From Violence

"Check it out," Jason points at a bronze statue of Neptune.

"He's naked," Ara makes a face. "Why?"

"Ah, jeez." Leo groans quietly, but his eyes scan the statue anyway, as they do with everything. "Some kind of clue?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Jason replies. "There are statues of the gods all over the place in Italy. I'd just feel better if we ran across Jupiter. Or Minerva. Anybody but Neptune, really."

"I feel like he's judging me—hey, you little runt, you threw my son to hell!" Ara tries to imitate the god. "New York is packed with statues, and they were all there for a reason. This can't be just for show."

Leo approaches the pedestal where Neptune is. "They were automatons, right? The ones back in New York? Perhaps this dude can give us a hand..."

Leo enters the dry fountain, his eyes moving around like he can read an invisible text over it. She loves it when he does that, it feels like he can do anything and it gives her a sense of safety. As long as she's with Leo, there is no problem they can't solve.

"It's mechanical," he announces. "Maybe a doorway to the dwarfs' secret lair?" 

"Ooooo!" Exclaims a voice behind them. "Secret lair?"

"I want a secret lair!" Whines a second one.

"Oh, you can talk!" Ara follows the voices and finds one dwarf sitting at a café table. "Good! That means you'll understand the curses I'll put on you when I send you back to Tartarus!"

"If we had a secret lair," continues the dwarf ignoring her, "I would want a firehouse pole."

"And a waterslide!" adds the other, seated on the statue. He's the one in possession of Leo's belt.

"Stop that!" Leo tries to seize the creature by the foot, but he can't reach him.

"Too short?" The dwarf cackles from above his head.

"You're calling me short?" Leo looks around in anger, then turns to glare at the little guy. "Give me my belt, you stupid—"

"Now, now! We haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Akmon. And my brother over there—"

"—is the handsome one! Passalos! Singer of songs! Drinker of coffee! Stealer of shiny stuff!"

"Stinky, annoying, and about to die," Ara lists, drawing out Almighty. Passalos runs away at an impressive speed, and she crashes onto the table before she can catch him.

"Hey!" Akmon frowns as he spots her sword. "I stole that! How did you take it back?" 

Passalos snorts. "Because you're lousy!" He pulls out Katroptis and starts cleaning his teeth with it. "I'm better at stealing than you."

"Hey!" Jason points at him with a scowl. "That's my girlfriend's knife!"

He tries to catch him, but once again the dwarf jumps and holds onto Leo's waist. "Save me?"

"Get off!" Leo tries to beat him away, but Passalos moves before he can even touch him, and the moment he's out of reach, Leo's pants fall around his knees.

Passalos shows them Leo's zipper with a pleased grin, holding it above his head to taunt Leo. Ara blushes, if they continue like this they're going to steal everything from them.

"Give—stupid—zipper!" Leo struggles to keep himself covered while trying to seize the creature.

"Eh, not shiny enough," Passalos tosses the zipper away.

Ara's mind is trying to do something with the information she's gathered, but without her Octopi, she doesn't have the tools to make anything, and she can't go back to the ship and risk losing track of Passalos and Akmon. Only Leo has the skill to make something out of nothing.

While the boys argue with the dwarfs, she turns Almighty back into a compass and stares at it. "C'mon..." The needle makes an abrupt movement and points to the statue.

"Who are you two, anyway?" Jason demands.

"The Kerkopes! I bet you're a son of Jupiter, eh? I can always tell."

"Just like Black Bottom," Passalos adds.

"Black Bottom?" Leo raises a brow.

"Yes, you know—Hercules. We called him Black Bottom because he used to go around without clothes. He got so tan that his backside, well—"

Ara's blood boils at the teasing, she doesn't allow any kind of jokes concerning the children of Olympus, it has become a touchy subject for her. "Give us our stuff back, or I'll give you both black bottoms."

The Kerkopes look at her with amusement. "You're the new daughter of Olympus, aren't you? That bag of yours had this," Akmon pulls out her laurel wreath and places it on top of his ugly hat. "We hadn't seen one in centuries!"

"Don't touch that!" She fumes.

"At least Hercules had a sense of humor!" Passalos makes a face. "He was going to kill us when we stole from him, but he let us go because he liked our jokes. Not like you. Grumpy, grumpy!"

"Hey, I've got a sense of humor," Leo says through gritted teeth. "Give me back our stuff, and I'll tell you a joke with a good punch line."

"Nice try!" Akmon pulls more stuff out of Leo's belt and beams. "Oh, very nice! I'm definitely keeping this! Thanks, Blue Bottom!"

Ara tries hard not to get distracted by Leo's underwear. These creatures have embarrassed and mocked them, and they're toying with them like... The Kerkopes have lured them to the statue, holding their stuff just out of reach so they are tempted enough to follow them closer. Her trickster senses tingle.

"That's it!" Leo's palms burst into flames. "My stuff. Now. Or I'll show you how funny a flaming dwarf is."

"Now we're talking," Jason summons a storm above the fountain.

"Step back!" She demands urgently.

"In a moment," Leo says without looking. "I'm cooking dinner first."

Ara glows teal, she pulls dirty-looking water from the rusty pipes and sweeps it under Leo and Jason's feet. Since Leo is closer to the water and his pants are around his ankles, he gets dragged out easily. Jason, however, is standing firmly in place and barely moves when the water hits him. 

Thin wires shoot down and trap him, lifting the boy upside down. Ara swears in ancient Greek, Percy would've summoned a larger amount of water in her place, but her blessing isn't strong enough for that.

"Bravo!" Akmon chortles from the café table. "You make a wonderful piñata, son of Jupiter!"

"Yes! Hercules hung us upside down once, you know. Oh, revenge is sweet!"

Leo gets up from the puddle of water and summons a new ball of fire in his palm, then throws it at the dwarves without warning. Passalos and Akmon yelp and narrowly avoid being toasted. The Archimedes sphere slips out of their grip and lands near Leo.

"Time to leave!" Akmon exclaims.

Passalos ponders whether to try and get the sphere but Leo ignites his palm again, glaring at the little guy with an enraged gaze Ara has never seen before. "Try me."

"Bye!" Passalos rushes out of sight.

Ara approaches Jason while Leo picks up the sphere and inspects it. The girl scans the wrappings tightly bounding Jason to place except for his right arm, still out and holding his sword.

"I'm sorry, I should've realized they were reeling us in—It's what Lily, Mike, and I used to do during Capture the Flag..."

"You saved me," Leo inches closer to the pedestal. "I sensed the trap too late. Hold on, Jason, if I can find a release switch—"

"Just go!" Jason urges them. "I'll follow you when I get out of this." 

"But—"

"Don't lose them!"

Ara looks at her compass, the needle pointing ahead to the path the Kerkopes followed. "Okay, let's get our stuff back..." Ara glances down at Leo's pants and her cheeks flush. "And a belt."

Ara and Leo aren't talking much, and their annoyance is palpable and uncomfortable. Usually, when one of them is upset, the other is ready to lighten up the mood, but the two of them angry means they're going to pull one another deeper into the pit until they fix what's bothering them.

"They're baiting us," Ara watches the dwarves climb a high tower. "Guiding us to a secluded area they most likely control. We need a plan or a way to catch them before they catch us."

Leo glares at the tower while holding the Archimedes sphere with one hand and his pants with the other. "Well, they have your plushie. And Piper's dagger. And my tool belt."

Ara makes a face. "They remind me of my kid self—Petty little criminals. We'll spur them on if they see us angry. We must trick them by doing the same thing they're doing to us—wiggle over their heads a shiny prize they can't ignore."

Leo looks over at a grocery store, his skin glows golden as he walks over to it. "I can work with that."

"What are we doing?" Ara follows him.

"We're making something shiny."

When they enter, Ara spots a flashy tourist struggling to read labels and she tilts her head towards Leo. "Be right back."

She approaches the man and snaps her fingers in front of him, talking in Italian. Ara messes with the mist and the guy starts talking in English and while he explains that he doesn't understand whether the contents of a can are carrots or mashed pumpkin, Ara leans closer and steals his stuff.

The girl solves his doubt and goes to find Leo with his arms already full of stuff. "Here," she takes the products and hands him a belt. "Pull up your pants, you're distracting me."

"Where did you get this?" Leo raises a brow.

"A guy," Ara replies vaguely. "He won't miss it."

"You stole it?" He asks in shock.

"I got his wallet and his watch too just in case."

"Ara!"

"He won't miss it!" She repeats. "Guy was wearing a Rolex, he can get over a stolen wallet! We need the dough—"

"I have money!"

"Oh." Ara pulls out the wallet from her pocket. "Okay, I'll hand this to the cashier, then. I'm keeping the Rolex, though."

"Thank the gods you know Italian," Leo says as they walk out. "What was she saying anyway?"

"She was asking what two kids like us were doing with all that—I told her it was a science project."

"And when you gave her the wallet?"

"She called me a nice girl and blessed me," Ara snorts. "I hope that doesn't count—"

Leo stops her before they can be visible from the tower. "You have enough blessings as it is, yeah, but saved my ass from getting locked in with Jason with one of them, so I don't mind it if you get more of those."

"My blessings aren't that strong, if I'm not fast bad things end up happening," she eyes him as he quickly gets to work. "I need to be better."

"Finding 300 euros in a guy's wallet can't be considered bad luck," he teases her.

"Shut up," she keeps an eye on the tower. "Build your toys, Valdez." 

Leo replies without looking up. "Fine. Just give me five minutes."

He finishes in exactly five minutes, and Ara runs out holding a couple of his creations. A brief examination helps her understand what he's made, and once again she's torn between awe and jealousy. It's hard to ignore her shortcomings in emergencies like this one.

As they reach the tower they realize it's not lax in security, there's a guy inside what appears to be a ticket booth yelling at them to stop and pay for entrance. Ara opens her mouth to reply but Leo finally loses his patience. 

"Seriously? Look, man, you've got dwarfs in your belfry. I'm the exterminator." He lifts his can of bug spray. "See? Exterminator Molto Buono. Squirt, squirt. Ahhh!" 

Ara watches him perform with a pained expression, then pulls out the 300 euros and slides them across the booth's desk. "Non ci hai visto."

The guy stares at the money in shock, takes it, and ushers them forward. "Avanti!"

"Grazie!" Ara pulls Leo along.

"See? Everything always works out in your favor," he smirks.

Ara looks up at the long flights of stairs and frowns. "You had to talk..."

"I thought you loved climbing?"

"Rocks, not stairs!" She pulls out Almighty and turns it into a grappling hook. "Hold onto me."

Leo balances his creations in one arm and holds her by the waist with the other. Ara shoots and the hook gets stuck somewhere at the top, then they're pulled upwards speedily. Both teens get to the top and Ara helps Leo climb the railing.

The Kerkopes toss the cards they were using to play and blow loud raspberries at her. "That's cheating!"

"I'm about to impale you with my sword, and that's your concern?" Ara scowls.

"You know what, doll? Let's just go," Leo glances at the Kerkopes. "And just so you know, you losers forgot something shiny."

"Impossible!" Akmon exclaims. "We were very thorough." 

"You sure?" Leo shows them the grocery bag. "Look."

Ara closes her eyes and even then she sees a bit of the blinding flashing through. The dwarves shriek and cover their faces, trying to find the exit, but Leo throws small firecrackers at their feet scaring them away from the windows.

The girl walks in while Leo tinkers with the Archimedes sphere and releases a thick fog, which she endures by tearing half the bottom of her shirt and using the fabric to cover her nose. Ara's skilled hands take the belt from Akmon's waist and toss it to Leo, then he tosses back bungee cords and she ties up the Kerkopes.

Ara stands up and crosses her arms. "Where is my Octopi?"

Leo drags the little guys to a corner and points near a window. "There!"

She searches through it anxiously and finds all her belongings there, except her gold wreath, that is on top of Katroptis. Leo helps her retrieve the rest of their stuff while the Kerkopes cry behind them.

"Please! Don't take our shinies!"

"We'll make you a deal! We'll cut you in for ten percent if you let us go!"

"Afraid not," Leo replies without turning. "It's all ours now."

Ara examines the treasure surrounding them, and her hands itch with interest. Lighting hits one of the windows and she jumps away cursing out loud. Jason enters right after. 

"Hey! A warning would be nice!" She scolds him.

"Man, you just wasted an awesome entrance," Leo whistles appreciatively.

 Jason frowns. "What the—"

"Mr Firecracker did that," Ara turns back to her search, picking up random stuff and tossing them over her shoulder right after.

"All by myself," Leo nods and winks at the blond boy. "I'm special that way. How did you find us?"

"Uh, the smoke," Jason points over his shoulder. "And I heard popping noises. Were you having a gunfight in here?"

"Something like that." Leo tosses Piper's dagger at him and continues to search.

Ara picks up an astrolabe and walks over to Leo to show it. "This looks interesting..."

"Take it!" Passalos exclaims. "Odysseus made it, you know! Take it and let us go."

"Odysseus?" Jason asks. "Like, the Odysseus?"

"Yes! Made it when he was an old man in Ithaca. One of his last inventions, and we stole it!"

"How does it work?" Leo questions.

"Oh, it doesn't," Akmon replies. "Something about a missing crystal?"

"'My biggest what-if,'" Passalos nods. "'Should've taken a crystal.' That's what he kept muttering in his sleep, the night we stole it. No idea what he meant. But the shiny is yours! Can we go now?"

She knows Oddysseus's story front to back, Lily and Mike used it to motivate her to get better, she knows what this astrolabe was most likely created for... and Leo is eyeing it with lots of interest. Ara thinks of Percy, staring longingly at a bright moonlace outside their bedroom window.

"Should we take it?" She asks hesitantly. "The Kerkopes would leave it to rust, but..."

Leo looks up waiting to hear the rest. "But?"

She stares at it scowling. "I don't know."

Shrugging, Leo puts it in the pocket of his tool belt. "But that can't be what Hecate wanted us to get from here, right?"

"That thing is not shiny," Ara points to a book next to Leo. "What's it doing here?" 

Leo lifts it and shows it to the Kerkopes. "Nothing!" Akmon squeaks. "Just a book. It had a pretty gold cover, so we took it from him."

"Him?" Leo raises a brow.

"Minor god," Passalos says vaguely. "In Venice. Really, it's nothing." 

"Sounds like something," Ara turns to the boys. "I think we should take it."

"Venice." Jason says. "Isn't that where we're supposed to go next?"

"Yeah." Leo examines the cover. "Good job, doll! Guess this is it... Where exactly can we find this minor god?"

"No! You can't take it back to him! If he finds out we stole it—"

"He'll destroy you," Jason shrugs. "Which is what we'll do if you don't tell us, and we're a lot closer."

"Okay, okay!" the dwarf squeals when Jason threatens him with his sword. "La Casa Nera! Calle Frezzeria!"

"Is that an address?" Leo asks her.

Ara nods. "Black House. Frezzeria street."

"Please don't tell him we stole it," Passalos pleads. "He isn't nice at all!"

"Who is he? What god?" Jason inquires.

"We can figure that out later," Ara picks up her stuff. "Time to go."

"What do we do with them?" Jason asks her. "Send them to Tartarus?"

"Please, no!" Akmon begs. "It might take us weeks to come back."

"Assuming Gaea even lets us! She controls the Doors of Death now. She'll be very cross with us."

Ara would like to send them away, but they'd be back fast and angrier, and if Gaea finds out what they did to the Argo II, she'll send them back with a crueler plan.

"We can't do that," she sighs. "It's not a good idea."

She wonders if this is her or Athena's blessing talking, either way, she knows she's right.

"Okay... so we let them here?"

"Nothing can slow them down," Leo muses deep in thought. "I wonder..." 

Ara and Jason turn to him and ask at the same time. "What?"

"I'll make you a deal." Leo approaches the Kerkopes.

"Thirty percent?"

"We'll leave you all your treasure," Leo points over his shoulder, "except the stuff that belongs to us, and the astrolabe, and this book, which we'll take back to the dude in Venice."

"But he'll destroy us!"

"We won't say where we got it," Leo assures them. "And we won't kill you. We'll let you go free."

"Uh, Leo...?" Jason starts, but Ara raises a hand to stop him.

"I knew you were as smart as Hercules!" Akmon says happily. "I will call you Black Bottom, the Sequel!"

"Yeah, no thanks," Leo brushes it aside. "But in return for us sparing your lives, you have to do something for us. I'm going to send you somewhere to steal from some people, harass them, make life hard for them any way you can. You have to follow my directions exactly. You have to swear on the River Styx."

"We swear! Stealing from people is our specialty!" 

"I love harassment! Where are we going?"

Leo smirks. "Ever heard of New York?"

Ara has no clue what she'd do if she didn't have Leo.

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @asnyox-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh

[shyminmin]

༄𝐁𝐓𝐒 𝐗 𝐟.𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 | Fantasy, Mermaid AU | ༄𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 3.7k + ༄𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : Violence/conflict, some gore

Booking it back to my ride, I refused to look back at the accusatory man who felt it was only fitting that he should dump a bunch of condiments onto my head in the belief that it would somehow ward off evil spirits or what not. I scoffed at the superstitious jargon, how could he even think I was remotely evil or possessed ill intentions? Even squashing unwanted insects that would find themselves in my apartment made me feel guilty.

My adoptive mother died from natural causes, not because of some curse that a baby had put on them all those years ago just because they decided to take her in. What was he thinking, saying I was some wicked witch that had come from the sea? Do I look like I could grow a fishtail out of nowhere like some fictional creature? How was I supposed to gain anything from this, his recounting didn't seem logical at all.

I sighed thinking that all of this, trying to uncover my past and putting an identity to myself has all been for nothing and a huge waste of my time. Valuable time I could have been spending back in the city working my three odd jobs and saving every cent I could.

The road to my revelations led me to a steep cliff that abruptly ended my journey, looking over the deadly decline would show me nothing but an empty abyss, telling me that there was nothing left to search for. Yang Chinhae had been my last chance for insight and he failed me exponentially.

Some of the salt which he tossed on me had fallen down and had gotten stuck in my eyes, causing them to well up from the unbearable stinging. Blinking and rubbing them continuously, I tried not to lose sight of where I was going. I certainly didn't want to stumble into the sea and drown or worse wind up back at Mr Yang's doorstep. I shuddered, he would surely send me to hell then like he so wished.

I trudged my way slowly along the familiar path that had led me towards the 'old grump's' home in the first place, the vegetation increasing in numbers as they messily overlapped one another to create an overgrown forest of sorts. I felt myself relax ever so slightly the further I distanced myself from that man and the horrendous ordeal that had taken place.

Emerging from the shrubbery, I was greeted by two smiling faces that quickly changed to one's of shock and astoundment the moment they took in the sight of the undoubtedly hopeless state I was in at the moment.

"What in tha name of Neptune's beard happened to ya?"

Coming over to me Dongha brushed his hand over my clothes dusting off loose grains of salt that had stuck on to them.

"Did that good for nothin' barstard do this to ye?"

Sungwon joined him at his side and looked me over, seeing if I was hurt or not. When he saw the state I was in and me not too discreetly rubbing my sore shoulder, his usually friendly face that I had come to know from the time I've spent with him and the rest, warped into one of pure rage.

"That's it, Imma go n' straighten him out!" he spoke, marching around me and towards the place I had come from. "He's gotta re-learn some darn manners."

Panicking at his intentions, I dashed after him and grabbed his elbow, making him halt his movements. "P-please don't, j-just leave him be. I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore," I uttered out quietly, not wanting any further conflict with Mr Yang.

Sungwon and Dongha looked at me baffled but eventually sported faces of sympathy and silent understanding.

"Gosh dang it, I can't say no to ya sweet lass... But if that ol' grump ever hassles ye again, come to us and we'll give him a good thrashin'."

Knowing for a fact that I wouldn't be caught dead back here, I gave them a nod anyway.

A few more concerned ramblings occurred between us until we eventually hopped back in the car to flee this negative place. All the while I pondered over everything that took place, keeping my developing tears at bay, one's that weren't from the invasion of salt. The black hat of the man was held tightly in my grasp as it offered me a strange sort of comfort. The object's physicality redirected my thoughts that had been worrying over things that were intangible and purely in my head, to instead ones focused on the simplicity of physical reality.

For now I would ignore all the woes and hardships I had faced and let my mind run idle. My head going blank, I focused on the bumps in the road shaking the vehicle, warm air rushing over my skin and blowing my hair in tendrils, the faint smell of seafood whenever I breathed through my nose and the distant roll of ocean waves accompanied by small conversations between Dongha and Sungwon. All these distinct sensations effectively ease the tension out of my limbs, making me slump down in my seat and close my eyes, gently lulling me into a steady slumber.

Yes, for now I will choose to rest and forget, until my dilemmas come back for more laughs and cause my built up emotions to burst out and inevitably consume me. The faint outline of a man in a hat overshadowing the last ripples of my consciousness.

The incessant banging on the cell's iron bars is what had awoken the sleeping captive who had just managed to drift off and find some respite. He reluctantly opened his blue orbs, adjusting to the bleak confines of his prison. He's lost count of the amount of years he's been kept here, to be subjected to relentless torture if he didn't comply with the never ending interrogations.

The countless amount of bruising and dried, jagged cuts on his torso and tail are more than enough proof of what he had to endure on a day to day basis. The once vibrant shine of his reddish scales has long since dulled to a desaturated, greyish hue, no longer resembling the bright corals that bordered his tribal home from way back. The catalyst being the poor living conditions and food service they offered to prisoners in this dump.

"You know the drill, talk or you're in for a world of pain," he looked up towards the merman who had spoken, posted on guard duty. He hovered outside the cell's opening, black war paint ran horizontally across the skin around both his eyes, creating a bold straight line that would surely intimidate his enemies. A strap like belt, holding daggers and such, wrapped diagonally over his shoulder and torso. He was a merman, a high ranked soldier experienced in combat.

Coughing from his sore, scratchy throat that had recently been strangled as a form of punishment, the captive chuckled sarcastically, his lack of care for his own well being dictating his actions.

"It's gonna be the same as always Maj. Either you give me a good beating or be on your merry way."

His unwanted visitor's face contorted into one of anger and annoyance, his sharp teeth exposed from the strong grit of his jaw, nails extended to form razor-sharp claws.

"Don't get cocky with me, rotten scum, you have no authority over me in your position, even mindless sea cucumbers are above you!"

"Whatever you say.."

"Shut it!" the soldier banged his hands against the bars.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted me to talk," he smirked. Maj was always fun to mess with, that short temper of his was just asking to get riled up.

"Well aren't we extra snarky today, let's see how long that lasts when you find out." The guard practically growled, an unsettling grin stretching over his squarish face. "Oh how I'll love to see how you will react."

"Yeah yeah, like I haven't heard that before. Swim back to your pathetic leader like a good little shrimp now, your fear tactics are making me yawn."

Clearly further agitated, Maj's tail whipped around furiously, the speckled grey and silver appendage trying to settle his mood but failing miserably.

"We'll see who has the last laugh come noon, you'll have no fallback then." Gripping the bars making his knuckles turn white, his pointed claws which were still out, cut into the palms of his fists drawing out inky droplets of dark-purple. He didn't seem to notice as he was eyeing the prisoner like he was the very bane of his existence. "Mark my words scholar, you'll regret big time keeping that ugly mouth of yours shut for so long."

Turning his head to the side, he nodded and three of his goons came into view all sporting the same black marking on their faces and weaponry gear. "Put him in with the eels, that'll be sure to wake him up."

"Yes Sir!" his second in command, Calder, shouted in a pleased voice, no doubt excited to see some action, the sadist within him rejoicing.

Opening the door to the prison, Maj's unit moved in sync towards their target, gripping him harshly by the arms and neck, Calder pressing down on one of his gills making him choke. "Move it shark bait!"

Sullenly flicking his fluke up and down, which had a good chunk of the membrane ripped out of it, he found it harder to manoeuvre through the waters. One would think the red tailed merman would at least put up a fight for what peril awaits him, however, him being accustomed to years of sheer pain and punishment, was surprising calm, letting the soldiers roughly lead him out and towards his daily torture session.

As he passed Maj he flashed him another mocking smile. "I'll miss you Majjie, don't have too much fun while I'm away."

Scoffing at his temperament, the lead guard swiftly back handed him, scraping off some of his skin and causing his head to be knocked back, making him stare up at the slither of light above, that came through from the entrance of the deep trench they were situated in. "You're lucky we can't kill you, I would've done so from day one," Maj's face was red from rage.

"I love you too Jie Jie."

"Urgh! Make sure he suffers, aggravate the eels if you have to, just wipe off that dumb grin of his!"

"Oh it will be my pleasure boss, he'll be rything by the time we're done with him," Calder replied, running a finger across the prisoner's throat, licking his lips and eyes disturbingly wide. His dark, spiny tail adorned with blood-orange stripes on the sides swayed from side to side as he spoke, maniacal thoughts no doubt running through his head.

They resumed their movements as the group made their way through the cavernous terrain towards their destination, the den of eels, electric eels who's sting was excruciating. The red-finned merman didn't bat an eyelid, having gone through this many, many times prior. He would rather suffer through this than risk the lives of thousands of merfolk. If it made a martyr out of him in the future then so be it.

"Ready for some shocking entertainment boys?" Calder addressed his other two companions who had a grip on either side of the captive. The two beefier soldiers let out loud chortles from his smart-ass pun, nodding their heads in agreement.

Reaching the desired place, the three guards wasted no time in tossing the merman into the enclosed space. Similar to his own prison except the entrance was a gaping hole from above, they closed the trap door of bars, sealing his fate for the next few hours. They eagerly looked down upon the male as he was instantly circled by bright zaps of flickering light, the hostile, serpent like creatures sizing up the intruder who dared disturb them.

As each of them dived in to attack, the male held his own, no emotion displayed on his face. No ounce of fear, no sudden burst of anger, no sign of foreboding sadness. Just plain old, stone cold numbness.

Sharp crackling sounds ricochet off of the stone walls as electricity meets skin and scales. He never screams out his pain, just occasionally spasms from the sudden shocks that erupt through his system.

He would endure this for as long as he had to, there was no other option. He had watched plenty of other imprisoned merfolk, both male and female, fall apart from the brutality of the treatment that the mer in charge inflicted upon them. Some not surviving while others are scarred for life, both physically and mentally.

He promised himself that he would never get to that point. If he were to miraculously get out and see his loved ones again, he didn't want them to see someone who was fragile from abuse, but a merman who fought through endless hardships that made him all the more stronger.

If he had to shut off his emotions for the time being, and spout out sarcasm every chance he gets as a way of coping, then so be it.

Battered and bruised by the electrical burns from his frolic with the eels, the fatigued merman was held up by the two guards who had escorted him there in the first place, along with the sadistic Calder who reveled at the sight of the male getting smacked about by the slithery creatures. Oh how he loved the way his face would scrunch up and contort in pain and watching as his skin slowly turned vibrant shades of red, purple and blue. It was a work of art, a masterpiece in his eyes.

They all hovered in a wider, more spacious cave that housed various valuable resources and treasures. A wide rounded stone slab sat in the far centre of the room acting as a table, where on top sat piles of ancient texts carved into tablets of stone and marble. Some dating as far back as Atlantean times. More recent writings could be distinguished by a seaweed like material fashioned into a scroll where the surface was embossed with a waterproof ink based paste that was harvested from squids.

"Ah how's my favourite scholar faring these days?" Out of the shadows appeared the reason he was stuck in here like a caged animal in the first place, the individual that he loathed for all that he was doing for his own selfish gain. If it weren't for him he'd still be back in his home surrounded by his loved ones or be catching a current on another one of his expeditions to utilise his educated mind and accumulate more hidden knowledge.

Unfortunately that all got buried deep and fossilised into the sands of the place he was taken from, however many years ago. No longer was he the bright, aspiring intellectual he was so famed to be, but a beaten up piece of flesh and bone that was just waiting for the day he'd be devoured live and whole.

Lifting his head, his eyes bore into the ones of his enemy. Resembling someone in their mid forties, the merman stood proud and tall behind the table, his dominant aura stretching out as far and wide as the cave itself. However where human's would conclude he was in fact of that age, they would be highly mistaken as the merman in question, possessing scales resembling midnight ocean swells was in fact well into his 1000's.

Merfolk kept their youthful complexion until the day they passed over into the Celestial Realm to bathe in the Eternal Oasis. A measly 100 years was considered young compared to their superior life expectancy of roughly 5000 years.

"Oh you know, the light from Helios hasn't reached me in years and I'm eating a generous meal of carcass remains two times a week, so I'd say I'm doing pretty damn well."

With that he received yet another hit to the face from Maj. "How dare you mock Lord Bedo, you insolent-"

The guard was cut off from loud bellowing laughter from the merman in charge. "Oh how your comments never get old, Valdrin. Even when you're beaten to a pulp and looking like a mangled octopus, I respect your strength and valor, dear scholar of Tritosa."

"Not anymore thanks to you."

"Au contraire, like I've stated countless times, if you agree to help with our search and relay the specifics then you are more than welcome to return to your studies...your home...even your... family."

The way Bedo said and emphasized those last words, sent a chilling wave of uncertainty over the scholar. This bastard knew something.

"They seem to be doing very well for themselves, the Nephtis Tribe taking them in with open arms just like that. Your mother must be so proud, I hear her other son is becoming quite the young warrior."

All the oceans came crashing down upon Valdrin as he processed what Lord Bedo had just muttered. It couldn't be true, with how big and vast the ocean is, he refused to believe that they had miraculously tracked down his family. Before making the risky journey towards the Tsuri Tribe all those years ago, he had told them that if he didn't return after the designated time period, then they were to pack up and move to the far reaches of the Nephtis Tribe. There they were to lie low and essentially forget about him to ensure their own safety. Obviously he never ended up coming home from that trip.

"What was your brother's name again?" Bedo dragged out his words, tapping his chin for more dramatic flare.

Words were caught in Valdrin's throat as he silently begged him not to confirm that they had in fact found them by saying his dear younger sibling's name.

Don't say it..

"Jun something.."

No... please..

"Ah yes..." Bedo smirked, staring right into the merman's soul.

"Jungkook."

All the energy and willpower drained out of him as his greatest fear came to fruition. The one weakness that could have possibly let him slip was his loving mother and younger brother Jungkook. He knew Bedo and his crew would seek out the one thing that could break him in order to get what they wanted and they had achieved it.

"Where are they!? What have you done!?" He fired out, glancing around the place in hopes to see his two family members, praying they were alive and well. The two handlers under Maj and Calder restricted his movements and prevented him from diving over the table to interrogate and potentially cause harm to their leader.

"Nothing yet, provided that you agree to hold up your end of our deal," Lord Bedo replied in a more serious tone.

He skimmed his hand over the various tablets and scrolls on the table. "If you tell us where the rest are then I promise that no harm will come to them, hell, I'll even grant you a sizable amount of territory and a respectable position come the time of my ruling, you and your family will be drowning in riches."

"What makes you so sure that I know anything?"

"With your credibility, a revered scholar of his time and at such a young age too, your writings and research are the talk of the sea as we know it. If anyone would know the ins and outs of things it's the scholar from Tritosa. Regarding you were also there the night of the raid, consulting with the very family in question hiding one of the artifacts."

Valdrin's body slumped and if he wasn't being kept in such a tight hold by his accompanying guards then he would have sunk like a stone to the floor of the cave. Nothing seemed to be working out in his favour, he was cornered from all sides and the only way out was to cooperate. He was stuck between maintaining the life of his family or the future freedom of all merfolk. How does one individual possibly fathom that out.

He took a deep, pained breath, "If I agree to your terms, you have to swear in Poseidon's name that you won't lay one filthy finger on my mother or brother."

"You have my word, as the future King of Atlantis, your efforts will be rewarded come the resurrection of the great city. Otherwise we'll have to resort to more...drastic measures."

With little resolve, the previous scholar of Tritosa gave a brief and subtle nod of his head, eliciting a pleased grunt of approval from Bedo.

"Excellent! Glad to see that you've come to your senses, all your material is here if you need it for reference," he motioned to the table. "See to it that you don't let me down, otherwise the deal is off."

He looked towards Maj and Calder making the pair straighten their postures, "Send word out to the unit to not engage, his precious little family is safe until further notice."

"Right away my Lord!" Maj sounded out, bowing to his waist shortly followed by his second in command once he was nudged on the shoulder by his superior.

"You're dismissed."

"Not so high and mighty now are ya, now that your family's involved," Maj whispered into Valdrin's ear as he passed him.

"The look of fear suits him," Calder added, eyeing him up and down like a piece of meat.

The silver finned guard proceeded to scold his companion's remark, pushing Calder along with him and out of the gigantic cave."Oh shut up about your weird fantasies."

As they left, Bedo settled both his hands firmly on the table, maintaining a stoic and domineering look towards Valdrin. "So my friend, where shall we start?"

Taking a deep breath as the salty water around him filtered through his gills, the scholar submitted to his commands.

"What would you like to know?"

He would do anything to keep his loved ones away from harm, even if he had to doom the rest of merkind.

Mother...

Kook...

I will keep you alive!

| 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 | 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 | ༄⋆

[bridgyrose]

Weiss and Blake judge a 'wet Tee-shirt' contest between Yang, Nora, Jaune and Sun in Vacuo

(Bold of you to assume that I know what a wet t-shirt contest is. Besides, is there really a point beyond seeing boobs? Like, how do you win?)

“And why do we have to be the judges of this-” Weiss squinted for a moment at the flyer she held in her hand. ‘-wet t-shirt contest?” 

“Coco already said no, Velvet wasnt interested, Nora signed up to be part of the competition, Neptune…” Yang let her words trail off a bit. “And while I’d be okay with Ruby being on the judge’s panel, she’s already told me repeatedly that she’s not interested in looking at anyone being doused by water.” 

Blake rolled her eyes a bit. “And you thought that we would agree to something like this?” 

Yang sighed. “Okay, look, besides Sun, you’re the only two bi’s I know that arent part of this competition and this isnt going to be any fun if we only have people who are interested in just men or just women.” 

“What about Fox,” Weiss asked. “Didnt he say he was interested in something like this?” 

“You do know he’s blind, right?” Yang deadpanned. 

“Are you really going to deny him as a judge?” 

“Coco wont let him. Something about not being able to trust him to behave himself with his comments.” 

“Maybe this will be fun,” Blake said more as a question than a statement. “After everything we’ve been through, a day to relax wont kill us before we head back to Vale. And maybe we can relax.” 

Weiss sighed and folded up the flyer. “Fine, I’ll do it.” 

Yang grinned and started to make her way back to the city. “We’ll meet in the outskirts of town in three hours to get this rolling!” 

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. “I really hope we dont regret agreeing to this one.” 

Blake smiled and put a hand on Weiss’s shoulder. “Worst case, we just say no one wins, right?” 

“What’s the point of a wet t-shirt contest anyway?” 

Blake paused. “I… have no idea.” 

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weiss tapped her fingers against the table she sat at, bored out of her mind as the wet t-shirt contest delayed starting. From Sun running late, not having enough water for everyone, and Yang trying to wrangle everyone into some sort of order, it was making sitting in the Vacuo heat unbearable. “Are we ready to start yet?” 

“Almost!” Yang called out. “Just… five more minutes.” 

Weiss rolled her eyes at the answer. 

“I’m sure this will be worth it,” Blake said as she turned the page of the book she was reading. “Yang did promise us food after this.” 

“And you only agreed because she’s your girlfriend now.” 

“That’s… not the only reason.” Blake put her book down and sighed. “We really do need a moment just to be… us. No worries about saving the world, no worries about Salem, just… fun with friends before we have to go back to all of that.” 

“I’m just hoping we dont regret this.” 

“And how would we-” Blake paused for a moment as she watched Sun walk into view, his white shirt ripped in the front. “-regret this.” 

Sun smirked a bit. “Are you really going to say you regret seeing this?” 

Blake pinched the bridge of her nose. “Isnt the point of this to have a whole shirt on?” 

“Yeah, but I thought it’d be more fun-” 

“Quit talking and more wet t-shirting!” Yang called out as she threw water at Sun. 

Weiss stifled a giggle as she watched Sun get soaked, his shirt still mostly dry while his pants got most of the water. “Guess you lose.” 

Sun sighed. “Alright Yang, you’re next.” 

Blake blushed a bit, then paused. “Wait, if they’re getting doused with water, then… what’s going to happen if Yang’s hair gets wet?” 

“It wont get wet.” Yang smiled as she got herself in position. “Jaune knows not to hit my hair.” 

Jaune paused for a moment as he looked behind him, still struggling to get his shirt on. “Sun has your water.” 

Before Yang could speak, Sun dumped the water bucket over Yang’s head, soaking her hair and shirt, showing the yellow undershirt she wore underneath. She growled as her semblance activated, eyes going red. “Sun!” 

Weiss sighed as she watched Yang chase after Sun, looking at the table again to hide her gaze at the way the shirt clung to her. “Okay, so… next is Nora, right?” 

Blake nodded, her face going red when she watched Nora come out in a white t-shirt and shorts. “This… isnt going to end well is it?” 

Weiss looked away to try to hide her blush. “No, but at least she’s having fun, right?” 

Nora grinned and doused herself with a bucket of water, her shorts and shirt going nearly see through and showing her pink bra and panties underneath, leaving little to the imagination. “That’s how you do it.” 

Weiss waved Nora off, her face heating up more as the image of Nora in just her underwear was burned into her mind. “N-next!” 

Blake waited for Nora to leave before finally starting to look over, her blush starting to fade. “You doing alright there Weiss?” 

Weiss gave a small nod. “Next is Jaune, right? This could be a nice breather for us.” 

“Only one way to find out,” Blake said as she watched Jaune walk over, tripping and spilling his bucket all over his shirt. “Well, not too bad.” 

Jaune sighed and looked over at Weiss with a bit of a smile. “Hope this works.” 

Weiss nodded, finding herself looking over Jaune’s abs through his shirt. “Okay, maybe he wins this one.” 

Blake smirked a bit. “On what grounds?” 

“For being the only one that was normal about this whole thing.” 

“Glad you’re having fun then,” Yang said with a smile as she walked over, hiding a bucket behind her back. “But… there are a couple late entries that we havent seen yet.” 

“And who are-” Weiss let out a squeal as Yang dumped the bucket of water on her, her white sundress going see-through and clinging to her body, showing off her breasts. Once she got over the initial shock, she glared at Yang, creating a series of glyphs around her. “I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You.” 

Blake smiled a bit as she watched Weiss chase after Yang, leaning back in her chair with a small blush as she glanced at Weiss’s chest. “This was definitely worth it.”