#Everyone should make bodyguard OCs it's great

[writingkeepsmewhole]

Looks Clear

This is part 8 of Snow In The Dark. I hope you like it :)

Fic Summary: Snow has never known who she was. Being raised in the streets made her strong but lonely. That changed when she met Jack them becoming as close as sisters. She thought she found her family. That all changes when she crashes on a planet with only one rule. Stay in the light.

Part Summary: Snow along with the others decied the best way to make it off the planet alive.

Riddick x OC Snow

Warnings: Language.

Let me know if you want to be tagged :P : @here4thespice @amarokofficial @backseat-serenade-dizzyhurricane @pinkcrystal44 @goblingirlsarah @shelbyteller @classyunknownlover

Part 1 Part 7

Knowing that light hurts the beasts trying to hurt us, everyone quickly takes inventory of everything that makes light.

Despite how bad it looked or not caring how it looked I stuck close to Riddick. He kept me alive more than once today.

Plus I felt calmer around him. More myself. More in control. Something about being next to a man you knew could handle anything that got thrown at him.

So I stood next to him as I stood around the burning cutting torch trying to figure out a plan.

“So we got one cutting torch, we got two hand lights. There’s gotta be something we can rip out of the crash ship.”

“Spirts.” Paris says leaning forward to fan himself.

I was humid and stuffy in this room but it was better than being eaten alive.

“Anything over 45 proof burns rather well.”

“Mmm molotovs my favorite.” I say earning a snort from Jack.

I wink at her and smile. 

“Look, it's better than nothing.” Johns says, glaring at me.

“It was a joke.” I say, lifting my hands up.

I don’t even react as I feel the warm body heat behind me. Johns eyes bouncing to the figure behind me told me who it was.

I don’t know what I did to have the killer of the group be my bodyguard but I would take it. 

“How many bottles you got?” Carolyn asks, getting us in order once again.

“I don’t know, maybe ten.”

“Okay.” She says, nodding and looking over at Johns.

“Johns you got some flares.”

“So, maybe we got enough light.” She says, nodding.

“Enough for fucking what?” Johns asks.

“How thick are you? Do you wanna tell him or should I?” I ask, looking at Johns then Carolyn.

She holds her hand up as to tell me to shut up or she has this.

“We stick to the plan. We get the four cells back to the skiff, we’re off this rock.” 

“Look I hate to ruin a beautiful theory with an ugly fact.” Paris says standing up.

“But that sand cat is solar. It won't run at night.” He says walking over to Carolyn.

“So we carry the cells. We drag them whatever it takes.”

“You mean tonight with all those things out there?” Jack asks, holding onto her legs rocking back and forth. She was scared but doing a great job of holding it in.

I move to sit next to her wrapping my arms around her.

“It’s better to go now then wait them out. We don’t know how long the eclipse is going to last.” I say gently rubbing her back.

“Alright, how long can this thing last?” Johns asks, making me bite my tongue from starting something with him. That wouldn’t help us survive.

“A few hours? A day tops?” He says, very matter of fact.

I clench my jaw ready to shut up but decide against it.

“Didn’t we have this conversation a few hours ago? These people wouldn’t have left everything they own or the ship for that matter if they only had to deal with these things for a few hours or a day tops.” I say spitting the last word.

“I had the impression from the model the two planets were moving as one and there would be a lasting darkness.” Imam says looking at Johns.

“Thank you.” I say, holding my hand out towards Imam.

“Maybe you can only understand men.” I say earning a glare but he doesn't respond to me.

“Mmm.. These suns gotta come up sometime. And if these creatures are phonic about light then we just sit tight and we let the sun come up.” He says, meeting my gaze, the look on his face like he figured it out.

“Okay, where is the water we are going to drink? Or food or oh yeah we’ll probably freeze because deserts get cold at night time and a few days without sun will most likely kill us. If the lack of water and food doesn't. That’s if I put up with you that long.” I say, clenching my jaw.

“Why you little-.” Johns says starting to stand up. 

“Okay enough.” Carolyn says stepping in the middle of the room blocking our line of sight from each other.

“I’m sure somebody else said the same thing, locked inside that coring room.” 

“We need to think about everybody now. Especially the kid.” He says pointing at all of us.

“How scared is this poor boy gonna be out there in the dark.”

“Oh don’t you bring him into this.” I say, clenching my jaw and standing up. 

 “Yeah, don't use him like that.” Carolyn says.

“Like what?” Johns asks, looking disgusted.

“As a smoke screen.” Carolyn says at the same time I speak.

“As a shield.” 

“You deal with your own fear.”

“Yeah it’s okay to be scared Johns.”

“Why don’t you shut your fucking mouth for two seconds and let me come up with a plan that dosn’t involve mass suicide.”

“You came up with one. It's sitting here waiting for the lights to go out so those things can eat us.” I say, the sounds of the creatures outside whaling making me take a breath.

Them clearly hearing us.

Breathing the breath out slowly I move to sit back next to Jack, wrapping my arm around her.

“I’m waiting.” Carolyn says, making me smirk.

I may have to change my mind about her after all.

“How much you weigh Johns?”

“What’s it matter Carolyn?” 

“How much?” She snaps back.

“Around seventy nine kilos.”

“Because you’re seventy nine kilos of gutless white meat.”

“And that’s why you can’t think of a better plan and you want to use Jack as an excuse.” I say joining in.

“Is that fucking right?” He says jumping up, snatching his gun out as he does. 

I don’t flinch.

I watch Riddick stand up stepping in front of him, blocking him from getting to any of us.

“Where are you going?” Johns asks, pressing the barrel of the gun into RIddick’s chin.

I have to stop myself from standing up. The anger I have towards Johns is starting to get to its boiling point. I wanted to hurt him but that would help any of us get out of this.

“This solves nothing.” Imam says, as if he was reading my thoughts.

I watch Riddick smirk, him lifting his goggles and looking over at Johns as the sound of tapping fills the air.

My eyes dropped to the sound seeing a homemade blade right on John’s crotch.

“Okay.” Johns says taking a step and sitting back down.

I couldn’t tell if he was smirking or giving him a fake smile. The look on Johns face creeping me out either way.

My head snaps to the right when Carolyn moves to crouch next to me and Jack.

“They’re afraid of our light. That means we don’t have to be so afraid of them.” She says calmly. Her eyes lifted up to meet mine.

I smile at her then down at Jack.

“You know I will make sure you are safe.” I say, rubbing her back. Jack nods, looking nervous but less scared.

“And you are sure you can get us there? Even in the dark?” Iman asks, looking over at us.

“No I can’t.” She says standing up.

“But he can.” She says looking over at Riddick.

I look up at him, his goggles still off him turning to look over his shoulder at her, the light hitting his face just right to show the silver shine in his eyes.

“That’s the smartest thing you said all day.” I say looking up at her.

She nods and bends down picking up the torch.

“Come on, I have an idea.”

Carolyn leads us back to the entrance of the ship. She uses the torch to shine under the ship in case there are any creatures hiding.

Sticking close together everyone starts to head out following her.

I’m stopped when a large hand grabs my wrist. Looking up over my shoulder I meet the face of Riddick.

Us being swallowed by darkness as the others leave out ahead of us.

“You know not everyone is gonna make it out of here.” He says, his low rubbing voice settling around me. It almost reminds me of the way a cat purrs. Something animal about it.

“Then let's make sure you, me, and Jack are on the list of the ones that do.”

“Is that all you care about?” He asks, sounding like a loaded question which I was trying not to read into.

“Honestly? Yes.”

He smirks, letting go of my wrist and heading towards the door. I stay close to him. The group of us stayed quiet as we walked outside up to the other side of the crashed ship.

“Riddick.” Carolyn whispers it is too risky for us to keep moving forward.

Riddick slides past me, his hand brushing my lower back as he does. I’m shocked by the shiver it shoots up my spine.

He walks to the front of the group, slipping his goggles up to look inside.

“Looks clear.” He calls back.

Johns pushes past me practically shoving me over as he sneaks up next to Riddick, gun in hand. Him having a light on the end of it.

I have to bite my lip to keep from snatching it out of his hand and beating him with it. Thoughts of stabbing him in his sleep enter my mind.

As soon as Johns light shines into the ship a monster comes jumping out towards them screeching.

Riddick drops to the ground, out of the way while Johns jumps to the right landing on his back.

The creature flies over our head away from the light. All of us ducking down. Jack’s grip on my hand tightening.

“You said"clear "." Johns says looking up at Riddick him slightly down a slope.

“I said it looks clear.” Riddick says back, making me smile at the sass.

“Well what’s it look like now?” He asks.

Riddick raises his head taking a quick glance before turning to look back shrugging.

“Looks clear.” He says, making me snort a giggle.

Everyone turned to look at me in a shocked horror.

“I’m sorry that wasn’t meant to be funny, I know.” I say, as Riddick and Johns get up.

Johns casually walked into the ship, everyone following behind. Jack rushed ahead to stay close to Carolyn’s light.

Riddick doesn't move until I reach his side.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to laugh. I think the exhaustion is finally catching up to me.” I say, feeling heat rise up my cheeks.

Riddick doesn't answer him, lifting a hand to grab my chin. I don’t speak as he moves my head to the left and the right, most likely looking at the bruises there.

Taking a shaky breath I let it out as his touch fell from my face, my skin almost burning from where he touched it.

“I thought I smelt blood.” He says, I almost feel like more to himself than me. But he didn’t seem like the type to talk to himself.

“Is my lip bleeding?” I question reaching up to touch my lip.

“Must have been something else.” He says, turning towards the ship, the clicking sound of the creatures starting to grow louder.

“We need to leave.” He says.

I nod following him into the ship.

[redrydersrequiem]

The Raven and the Vampire

Chapter 2

Previously the raven and the vampire, had to redone this story to fix it thank you to everyone who read te original and will read this one

This is a jasper Cullen x oc reader daughter of Loki

Deep in the woods, the illuminating lights of the Bifrost open into a small clearing. Light rain is falling from the sky, but of course, to the humans, nothing is happening. It wouldn’t help to cause a scene now would it..Elara steps out her two trusted attendants/ guardians step out behind her

“So this is Midgard. How beautiful, just like the ancient Forests of Asgard”

“My lady, we need to find somewhere we can generate a homestead to mask our presence.” Mila speaks.

Mila was one of Sigyn's most loyal friends, She was a beautiful woman with long auburn hair and soft brown eyes. She held the same warmth about her that many of the healers of Asgard had but she was much more than that

Having been a maid to sigyn when she was young Mila quickly rose in the ranks and became not only an incredible healer but also a personal bodyguard and advisor to lady sigyn, practically an aunt to Elara and her two brothers.

“My lady, if you and Mila will follow me, I actually have already scouted the area. Up ahead is an area without so much foliage; it's secluded enough for us to not be detected easily, but not so far to draw suspicion. It will make a perfect homestead.”

“Perfect as always uncle lucas”

Lucas was Elaras second guardian for this adventure. Lucas wasn’t really your uncle, he was originally a warrior in asgards armies, having done everything to suppress his magic since he was young due to his family's belief in strength over magic. Until one day it finally exploded, my father found him and trained him, the two actually becoming friends. Lucas asked to be appointed as one of Loki's personal guards and Loki readily agreed, wanting a talented warrior and magician guarding his family when he could not be with them.

Elara and Mila follow Lucas up ahead, the clearing coming into view. It was a decent clearing perfect to set up a home without destroying any of the native foliage or wildlife.

“This is perfect with the little gizmo Mr. Lang gave to us, we should be able to make quite a decent home.”

Taking the small toy house from her pocket and to follow the directions Mr. Lang gave her.

“Ok, set the house where we want and then throw the small blue device at it. Let me make a shield just in case and then we can start moving in.”

Setting the model on the ground you throw the device and hurriedly step. Back as the house begins to grow and take form. Large bay windows make up the front while the slanted roofs will keep the rain from puddling anywhere, the house has a great porch overlooking the forest while all the wood is dark. It’s a beautiful modern home but was missing something

Using her magic, Elara softens the landscaping. Adding a front step, driveway and rocks to create a more lived in atmosphere

“ There, we are home sweet home… away from home. Now all we have to do is get comfortable and come Monday, thanks to Auntie Natasha, I'll be able to start at the local highschool.”

”Are you sure you're ready, little raven?”

“yes aunty im sure. I can feel it. This is where I'm meant to be.”

Monday rolls around with the seemingly never ending cloudy sky, light rain hits Elara's cheeks as her favorite motorbike a gift from Stark propels her towards the local school. It felt just like riding her horse back home, the wind in her hair and views spreading by, it felt normal, to her at last for when she pulled into the school's parking lot reality came crashing back.

At least if the look on the kids' faces around her told her anything.

It didn't occur to Elara that most teenagers don't ride motorcycles in the rain, ice and snow. Elara didn't really feel cold due to her heritage and had faced much worse than a slick road, so she thought nothing of riding the bike.

Well crap, not standing out a lot is not going well, but Elara couldn’t help it. The bike spoke to her this morning, oh well she adjusts her outfit and keeps moving forward is all i can do at this point.

What she didn't take note of though is the confused looks of the seven people across the parking lot.

The Cullen pov

“Well they said we were gonna get a new girl and damn does she know how to make an entrance look at that bike”.

“Emmett I’m pretty sure judging by her face she didn’t mean to make a big entrance” Rue Cullen exclaims as she stands next to her cute little girlfriend Alice and the rest of their coven

“It’s odd though I couldn't hear any of her thoughts, not a single peep.”

“Do you think she could be a like Bella”

“No idea.”

“Either way we should probably be careful around her. Last time we met a new person Edward couldn’t read we ended up having to defend her from a pack of rouges.”

“Rosalie babe chill it will all be fine” Emmett throws his massive arm over his wife trying to bring her some comfort.

“What about you, Jasper, did you get any readings from her?” Silence echoes around them

“Jasper, hello earth to jasper” Alice says waving her hand in front of her best friend's face.

“What, what were we talking about?”

“The new girl cowboy, did you get anything off of her?”

“ No,nothing just like Edward”

“ Well I don’t know about the rest of you but I feel like something good is gonna come with this girl. And I'm sure Bella will be glad there is a new person to take more attention off of her.”

“Sure Alice whatever you say sweetie”

Jasper, still in a daze silently agrees with Alice and Rue there’s something about this girl, something almost pulling him towards her. The other Cullens share a look as they wait for Bella Swan to join them at their cars so they can start another tedious day of highschool.

Elaras Pov

The building itself is somewhat old but well maintained. Taking a deep breath and fling open the door heading to the front office she heads inside to retrieve her new school schedule. The front lobby was brightly lit, and slightly warm, the office small with a little waiting area, ugly padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, and a big clock ticking loudly. The only saving grace for the poor space was the multitude of plants that grew everywhere in large plastic pots. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. Behind the counter was a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses.

“"Can I help you?"

"I'm Elara, Elara Lane ,"

Immediate awareness lights the women’s eyes. Thankfully I was expected, Mila had come earlier in the month to help set up everything for my human cover, cause although Uncle Thor, father and everyone where well known and respected I was not and wanted to keep it that way, at least for now.

"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for.

“You must be very smart to most of these classes are advanced”

“Yes ma’am school has always been important to me and my family” and the 750 plus years of experience I had on the oldest person here didn't hurt either.

“Well I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school."

She brought several sheets to the counter to show me what my classes were and where highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could, education not really being my priority. Before i walked away to start the day

Fishing out the map I go around the cafeteria, towards building three with ease. The classroom was small, people pushing past me to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them,hanging up my black leather jacket. Taking in the room I notice how boring this world seemed compared to Asgard, it's almost colorless in comparison. I also notice I may need to rethink some of the things I'm wearing, seeing as everyone is bundled up to fight the chill in the air. Not really feeling the cold due to my heritage left me sitting in a simple shirt looking very much out of place, maybe i should put my jacket back.

Before I can move to grab the leather, a tall, curvy woman whose desk had a nameplate identifying her as Mrs Jones walks in. Already liking the aura around her, I introduce myself.

“Good morning I’m the new student Elara Lane”

“Oh hello dear, welcome to forks and Ap English, I’m Mrs jones well find an empty desk and we can all get started. We are currently on page 394 of the textbook.”

Taking an empty desk at the back I managed to make it harder for my new classmates to openly stare at me, keeping my eyes forward and a kind smile on my face. Once the lesson started and everyone’s attention was directed at the teacher I took the opportunity to reach out with my aseir, trying to see if I could feel my soulmate.

The auras fill the room but nothing speaks out to me. Well that’s a handful of people out of the running. I can’t really decide if that's comforting or boring, well it's only the first class we'll see what happens in the next one.

Jasper's pov

Sitting in my first period class as the teacher drones on and on, i feel a prickling on the back of my neck, like an invisible hand reaching out for me, even though i'm in the back corner of the room, Rue nudges my side and gives me a worrying look, a silent asking of my wellbeing. Nodding back I went back to looking at the window and thinking again of the girl this morning. Could she be this feeling, it would make sense she’s the only new variable. I’ll just have to make it til lunch and i can speak with Edward and Alice on what they think or if they felt what i did.

elara pov

When the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to talk to me.

"You're elaura lane, aren't you?" He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type.

"Elara its Nordic” I corrected. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me.

"Where's your next class?" he asked.

I had to check in my bag. "Hmm, Government, with a Mr. Jefferson, in building six."

"I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…" Definitely over-helpful.

" oh also I'm Eric," he added extending his hand for me to shake

I smiled tentatively returning the gesture .

"Thanks."

Picking up our jackets and heading out into the rain. I could feel the several people behind us, who were trying to walk close enough to eavesdrop.

"So, this is a lot different than (insert random place) huh?" he asked.

“Very, it's a lot darker here than where I'm from.”

“Oh does it not rain a lot there,”

“No it does but I guess it just feels more blue here if that makes any sense”

“Oh no I get that.”

We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked me right to the door, even though it was clearly marked and could have just as easily pointed me there.

"Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. Seeming a little deflated like he wanted to integrate me a little more

"Thank you and hey maybe we'll have some other classes together or something."He smiled hopefully as I continued inside.

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. My Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Varner, who I hated instantly, his haughty personality already grating on my nerves,he actually made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself like i five. Reading him I could tell he hoped for the new student to be embarrassed so he could show some sort of authority. Typical bully behavior, unfortunately, for him, I was raised better fortunately for him I had a mission and would definitely have to watch my tongue while near him lest I get myself expelled.

After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied, a lot. At least I didn't need the map anymore. One girl that sat next to me in both Trig and Science, and escorted me to the cafeteria for lunch.

She was tiny, several inches shorter than me but her wildly curly dark hair made up a lot of the difference between our heights. I couldn't remember her name, so I smiled and nodded as she prattled on about teachers and classes. I didn't try to keep up, my thoughts occupied as I still hadn’t found my soulmate. She ended up sitting at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. The boy from English, Eric, being one of them.

They all went around and introduced themselves. While they all seemed nice I could tell they were only interested in me cause I was something new to look at. I simply smiled and continued on with the small talk and questions people had been asking me all day when the doors in the back of the room flung open drawing my attention to the other side of the room. It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with curious strangers, that I first saw and felt them.

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were six of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't necessarily gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, just quick glances of curiosity that I returned. There were three girls and three boys all looking around the same age group.

The three girls were all beautiful in their own right. The tall one was statuesque with a beautiful figure, her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back, she reminded me of the elves from Alfheim or could be an asgardian if not for her pale skin. The short girl was pixielike, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction. Next to her holding her hand was a beautiful full figured coco toned girl with the prettiest curly hair I had ever seen.

Just as I was about to move to the males another girl walked up to the table. She was actually a very normal pretty compared to the others, her very pale complexion with long, straight, dark brown hair, a widow's peak, unique chocolate brown eyes and a heart-shaped face. She sat down next to one of the three boys sitting at the table. He was kind of lanky like your father, less bulky with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, especially when compared to the big muscled boy ,who kind of reminds me of my uncle, except with dark, curly hair.

The last boy however was the one that caught most of my attention. He was tall and lean, but I could tell he was still muscular, and had beautiful honey blond hair waving around his head. While the rest of them were all looking away and back again trying to have at least some decorum as they quietly conversed with one another he just stared. I could tell the rest of them were talking about me, but couldn't find it in me to care as I was transfixed by the beautiful honey blond male.

Our staring contest was broken when the small girl suddenly rose with her tray — and walked away with a frantic look on her face drawing concern from the others.

"Who are they?" I asked the girl from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten.

“That's Edward Cullen and his girlfriend Bella swan, she was actually the new girl last year. Beside them is Emmett Cullen, his girlfriend Rosalie and her brother Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; and the one she was sitting next to is her girlfriend Rue Turner; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said,

“They all live together, as couples?”

“yeah its a complicated story.” jessica the girl that was sat at the table with us spoke up

“Emmetts family were in an accident before they all moved here, what I’ve heard is that because he was dating Rosalie at the time Dr. Cullen being the supper dad he is, he adopted Emmet for Rose since Emmet didn’t have any other family left. Same with alice and rue. Even though rue isn’t officially a Cullen she still lives with them. She came out to her parents and the cullens took her in when her parents kicked her out" Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town.

“You seem to know a lot about them” I can’t help but feel like this girl knows an awful lot and is not shy about speaking of others' family matters. It made me feel bad for the group sitting at the table, my whole life being taught etiquette and what she was doing. Now was incredibly rude.

“Not really,oh things ive heard they all are in a few years ago and it was the biggest topic around here, I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, and that's why they’ve adopted so many," she added, as if that lessened their kindness. I got the impression that she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason even though she knew an awful lot about them. With the glances she was throwing at their adopted children and their partners, I could only presume the reason was jealousy.

Throughout all this conversation, my eyes flickered again and again to the table where the family sat. More towards the blonde than the others as they continued to look at eachother and back to me no doubt trying to ignore the people talking about them. The lunch period was ending soon. I had to know why I felt this connection to the honey blond. Inhaling slowly I let my aesir fill the room. Putting out feelers for anything out of the ordinary, and as soon as it hit the family's table all of them looked towards me. Keeping eye contact I genuinely smiled, my soulmate was there and evidently he and his family were not quite human.

How interesting!.

Now the real question is what are they. Could they be enhanced like aunt Wanda or could they be a type of alien-like race here for sanctuary hmmm all the possibilities.

“So elara how are you liking forks?” Jessica asks from her side of the table, trying to bring the conversation and attention back to the group instead of on the cullens.

“Oh it's very interesting now. I'm liking it a lot more than I thought I would.

“ Why did you and your family move here if you don’t mind us asking?

“It’s fine Angela. I actually didn’t move with my immediate family, my parents are very busy people and I wanted to travel a little. My uncle Lucus got positioned here for his job and I decided to stay with them for a little bit. At least until my parents get done moving around.”

Not technically lying, I tell my story to the group, I mean my parents are busy, they are royalty,however I can’t really tell a group of midgardian teenagers. I'm 800 plus years old and I'm only in forks to look for my soulmate.

“I do miss them though and my baby brothers”

“You have siblings?”

“Yes they were just born so they still have to be with my mum, who goes with my father everywhere.”

“What are their names” I go to say Narfi and Vali but remember those aren't really midgardian names,

“Their names are um Vance and Nate, their twins”

“Aww that’s so cute babies are adorable” Jessica gushes

“Oh crap guys lunch is almost over, what class do you have next elara”

“ I have art, ap foreign language and then ap history.”

“ I have journalism next but art is right next to it. I'll walk with you.”

“Thanks Angela.”

The bell rings and I quickly turn back to the cullens table where they have all disappeared. Fast things aren’t they , just more clues to the puzzle. Ill have to ask Lucas later on if he has any ideas.

[noodlecupcakeswritings]

A Royal Affair - Chapter 2 (Kylo RenXOC)

The First Order is looking to expand its allies and Corellia is known for its great Starships and the royal family. Princess Cora Ardmore is less than thrilled about her future marriage to General Hux, and even less thrilled to have Kylo Ren as her temporary bodyguard.

AN: I just want to warn people that this is definitely a darker fic from me. Plus I do not hate General Hux at all regardless of how I’m portraying him in this fic, I love him but have some dark headcanons about him. I also want to thank @neeharlow and @kittyofalltrades for helping bringing this fic to life with our roleplay thread :D I also want to thank my incredible fiance @mk-vi​ for allowing me to use his OC Varidun. 

Warnings: Violence, Character deaths, Hux is still an asshole, Kylo is also an asshole, Slight horror elements 

Chapter 2

Cora Ardmore

It had been a full rotation since The First Order had invaded my home and it already felt like I was suffocating. Stormtroopers seemed to be everywhere, Officers were coming and going as they pleased and worst of all was their precious General and Commander. Although I hadn’t quite determined which of the two were worse at the moment. Kylo Ren, the Jedi killer, was silent, more of a looming, foreboding presence. He was intimidating to everyone and anyone that came into contact with him, including those supposedly on his side. The only person who didn’t seem bothered by Kylo Ren’s brooding was General Hux. My fiancée.

Showing him around the palace had been gruelling and infuriating. The way he eyed me up like some prize to be won was repulsive. And whilst I had encountered that look many times before from princes and politicians, there was something about the way Hux did it that made my skin crawl. Perhaps it was his determination and arrogance. I had attempted to protest the marriage not only with him but my parents, but it seemed there was no wiggle room. Whilst I was worried about my own fate, I was also worried about what this would mean regarding Corellia’s alliance with Kuat.

My former fiancée, Prince Jax Grespa, was someone whom I had gotten along with. Whilst the marriage would have also been purely political, it still had somewhat been my choice. I’d had plenty of time to get to know Jax previously and we were at least friendly and had trust for each other. I just had to hope he wouldn’t see it as a betrayal, that he would see the truth of this new arrangement. Well, more hostage situation. And it was made worse by being a hostage in my own home.

Hux was already acting like he owned the place and the staff. And my handmaidens and personal guard were already as sick of him as I was. My chief handmaiden, Flora, had already been very vocal about her distaste for the man. But she always had been very vocal regardless of the situation. Hux’s quarters were down the hall beside Kylo Ren’s. I would have preferred to put more distance between my bedroom and theirs, so it didn’t feel like they were breathing down my neck constantly. But Hux had made it clear that he didn’t trust me quite yet. Nor should he. I was determined to fight him every step of the way.

Retreating to my quarters, which were the only safe place in the palace, I took a few moments for myself. Other planets must have heard about the invasion by now, and they had to be arranging forces to help us. At least, I hoped they were. After only having ten minutes to myself, there was a hurried knock at the door. “My lady?” Came Varidun’s voice. He sounded tense, understandably so when The First Order was scrutinizing everyone within the palace. Yet I was worried about what news awaited me on the other side of the door. I ushered my personal guard inside, making sure nobody was around to eavesdrop.

“What is it?” I asked. I couldn’t help but notice the bulk of his armour under his greatcoat and that just gave me more questions. Varidun held out a bag for me to take. “I have come with orders from your mother. You are to change into these and then accompany me through the lower levels to a waiting speeder,” Varidun explained. I felt a small glimmer of hope at what he was implying. Taking the bag from him, I looked inside to find handmaiden robes and a hooded cloak. Without further question, I went behind a screen to change into the clothes provided. I trusted Varidun with my life and I had since I was a little girl.

“Are we going to Kuat?” I asked in a hushed whisper. “It’s one of the locations I have been authorized to take you. Your mother did not wish to know, should anything happen.” Nerves bubbled inside my stomach, neither of us would be safe until we were off the planet. Once dressed, I stepped out from behind the screen. “I suppose I can’t even say goodbye to my parents?” I asked solemnly, already knowing the answer. Varidun shook his head, my heart sinking at the realization not only would I not be able to say goodbye to my parents, but I also would likely never be able to return home.

Varidun opened the door to my room and once he deemed the coast was clear, he ushered me over. “Stay close to me and keep your head low,” he instructed. Nodding gently, I did as I was told and followed him out of my quarters. Keeping my eyes on the floor, I remained silent, although my heart pounded with every step. We passed a group of stormtroopers, but thankfully, they didn’t seem to notice us. Only once we turned a corner did I release the breath I had been holding. My stomach was a mixture of nerves and excitement and I had to reign in my hope just in case the worst happened. Once we were clear of the planet, then I could celebrate.

Varidun led me down a staircase that took us to the lower levels. We eventually stopped at a bookcase, Varidun looking around to check the coast was clear. Once he deemed it was safe, he lifted a book to reveal a small pin code panel. Punching in a string of numbers, the bookcase opened with a hiss to reveal an old service elevator. I had known the palace was filled with various secret tunnels and doors in case my family needed to escape for a number of reasons, but I had never come across them myself. Stepping inside, Varidun pressed a button for the level three sub-basement.

The lift eventually stops, the doors sliding open to reveal a service tunnel. The walls are coloured a faded silver durasteel, although a pipe had burst somewhere causing a small ankle-deep flood. Stepping out of the lift, my shoes and the bottom of my skirt were immediately soaked. Varidun opened a small box that was mounted on the wall and produced two small clip-on flashlights. Once his was attached, he handed me the other one. “Here, it won’t light up much, but they will stop us from tripping over,” Varidun spoke. “Thank you.”

The torch looked old; I wondered if it would even work, let alone have a beam big enough for use. Turning it on, the light was dim, but it was better than nothing. Varidun led me down the tunnel, the water splashing noisily with each step we took. “I had no idea all this was down here,” I mused. “It’s been here longer than the palace itself. From my understanding, Corellia, much like Coruscant, is built upon several sub-layers of infrastructure that keep the city running,” Varidun explained. He took another left turn before a right turn. Not once did he hesitate, seeming to know exactly which path to take, as if he had frequently been down here.

“Is it just you and my mother who know? Or has a decoy been put in my place for the time being?” I asked. It wasn’t uncommon for the royal family to have decoys should there be any attempts on our lives. I remembered being fascinated by my decoy as a child, and even now I wondered how they found women that looked so similar to me. “Yes, a decoy has been put in place,” Varidun finally answered. “I see.” I wondered how long it would take before Hux noticed a decoy had taken my place. We couldn’t have much more time before someone noticed I was gone, as was my personal guard.

“It’s not much further, once we reach the main pumping station, our path back to the surface begins,” Varidun broke the silence. We took a few more twists and turns before Varidun came to a dead stop before me quick enough that I almost bumped into him. I could hear the familiar hum of a saber before I saw the red crossguard illuminating the tunnels. Dread pooled in my stomach and tears pricked at my eyes at the sight of Kylo Ren. He must have been down here the entire time, lurking in the shadows and waiting to ambush us.

“Princess, your fiancée was getting worried about you,” Kylo said, the sarcasm unmistakable even through the voice modulator of his helmet. Varidun remained between us, drawing his vibro-sword, “the princess isn’t allowed to go for walks on her own land anymore?” I cowered behind Varidun, completely useless in this situation. All my previous hopes were gone, replaced with the dread that I was going to die. “Not to the speeder waiting for the two of you at the end of the tunnel, no. Now, either we can escort her back together or I can do it myself,” Kylo offered.

“I don’t think her royal highness wishes to return with you,” Varidun replied. Varidun readied himself, his free hand on his blaster. He didn’t move, however, he wouldn’t until Kylo did. I, on the other hand, prepared myself to run. Kylo sighed, the sound coming out as static before advancing on us. Varidun stepped forward, ready to meet him in the middle. He drew his blaster, firing a few rounds at Kylo as the gap between them continued to close.

I turned and ran, losing myself in the twists and turns of the tunnels. Only once I had run out of breath did I stop, straining my ears to listen for movement. Another blaster shot rang out before hitting the water with a splash, meaning Kylo had likely deflected it with his saber or the force. Every sound echoed off the walls, and Varidun suddenly cried out in pain. My heart sank at the sound, and I froze, unsure what to do next. The more time that passed with only silence, the more I thought that Varidun was dead.

Another pained cry echoed through the tunnels, confirming that he was still alive. For how much longer, however, I had no idea. It wasn’t until Varidun howled with pain again that I realized just what Kylo was doing. Kylo was a force user, he could have killed Varidun easily, but he had chosen not to. Now torturing him in the hopes of luring me out. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I covered my ears, trying to drown out Varidun’s screams. But no matter how hard I pressed down, I could still hear him, the sound engrained in my mind now.

“Princess, you can end his pain by surrendering. Come out and I’ll spare what’s left of him,” Kylo called. I couldn’t be sure if Kylo was telling the truth, but a part of me wanted to believe I could save Varidun even if I sacrificed my freedom. I knew Varidun wouldn’t be happy if I did so, but it felt wrong to let him die at Kylo’s hand. Whilst it was a part of Varidun’s job to give his life to protect my family and I that didn’t mean I didn’t care about his safety and well-being. But I knew Varidun, and I knew if I surrendered, he wouldn’t be happy at all. He’d want me to run.

“Or you can keep hiding and listen to me kill him. Then I’ll have no choice but to hunt you down and drag you back to the palace,” Kylo threatened. The last thing I wanted was the Jedi killer hunting me, I could only imagine the things he’d do to me before taking me back to the palace. I needed to move, try, and find another exit before Kylo could reach me. Glancing down at the light in my hand, I knew I had no choice but to turn it off so it wouldn’t give away my position.

With shaking hands, I killed the light, plunging myself into complete darkness. Taking a few deep breaths for courage, I took a small step forward, water splashing around my ankles. My heart leapt in my throat at the sound, now afraid that it had given away my position. Glancing around, I looked for any signs of the red blade and listened for its familiar hum or any footsteps. Nothing but silence. Placing my hand on the wall, I used it as a guide as I gently shuffled forward, desperately trying to not make a sound.

Taking the next turn, I prayed internally for some kind of light up ahead, but I was just greeted with more darkness. My heart was pounding hard against my chest, and I was afraid of every step I took, but I had to keep going. I couldn’t just sit around and wait for Kylo to find me. I took a few more turns and there was still no end in sight. My fear was starting to win out, I was lost. I was stuck in this maze of tunnels with a man who might kill me, and I was never going to find my way out.

Hearing a noise from behind me, I whipped around, trying to search the darkness for the source. There were a few seconds of silence before the angry red of Kylo’s saber cut through the darkness. It only illuminated his helmet, which was now advancing on me like some kind of bodiless apparition. I couldn’t help but let out a small yelp before turning and running blindly into the darkness. I barely made it a few steps before Kylo reached out with the force and froze me in place.

No matter how hard I willed my limbs to move, they remained still. Now the sob that had been building in my throat spilled free, crying like a frightened child. Kylo reached me, now standing before me and looking down at his captured prey. “P-please, don’t hurt me,” I pleaded. “I have no interest in hurting you, only returning you to your fiancée. However, I cannot say for certain that he will be so merciful.” Kylo wrapped his hand around my upper arm and practically dragged me back through the tunnels and to the palace.

Even as he pulled me into the throne room, I couldn’t stop my tears, crying for my lost freedom, the loss of my friend and now in fear of the consequences of my actions. Hux was waiting in the throne room, as were my parents. Stormtroopers stood behind my parents, making sure they didn’t make any sudden movements. My decoy lay at Hux’s feet, still and silent. There wasn’t even the soft rise and fall of her breaths. He’d killed her, choked her to death, judging by the red and purple marks across her neck.

Kylo released me, knowing I had nowhere to run. My mother looked panicked by my return, likely having already put the pieces together regarding Varidun’s demise. Hux turned his attention to me, smiling as if glad to see me safely returned. Although his smile was bordering on a smirk. “Ah, Cora, we were just wondering where you were. You had us all worried,” he said with false concern, “good thing Ren found you.” Hux pulled me closer, grasping my chin hard. His smile faded, replaced with a look of contempt.

“You really thought I’d be stupid enough to not foresee an escape attempt? You thought you could get away from me?” He hissed, “you are mine-“ “Not yet, she’s not,” my mother snapped, cutting Hux off, “you may think you have control over my planet and my people because you outgun us but until the wedding and coronation you are nothing, you are entitled to nothing, least of all my daughter.” Hux released his hold on me, slowly turning to face my mother. She had stepped forward, ignoring the threatening stormtrooper behind her.

“And I suppose it was you who was behind her escape attempt?” Hux asked. My mother scoffed, ready to lie, but Hux cut her off. “I saw the panic in your eyes when Ren brought her in here, you were the one who told her guard to take her through the tunnels,” he continued. “I didn’t even know the tunnels existed.” Hux smirked, seeing through her lie, “if not you then it must have been your husband.” He glanced over at the stormtroopers behind my father and nodded. The troopers forced my father down to his knees, their blasters trained on the back of his head.

“No! Please don’t,” I pleaded. Kylo placed his hand on my shoulder, pulling me back and keeping me still. No matter how much I struggled, he wouldn’t release me. Hux pulled out his own blaster and fired at my mother, hitting her with a fatal shot to the chest. I cried out in anguish as my mother fell to the floor, lifeless. My father watched on helplessly with tears in his eyes, he knew there was nothing he could do or say with Hux turning his wrath on either of us. “And that is what happens to traitors. Have I made my point clear, Cora?” Hux asked.

I was too distraught to speak, unable to take my eyes off my mother. As if enough hadn’t been taken from me today, now these monsters had to take my mother. Annoyed with my silence, Hux stepped closer, now forcing my gaze on him. “Have I made my point clear, Cora?” He repeated, determined to get a response from me. “You’re a monster,” I managed through my tears. “You have no idea.” Hux gave a soft nod to Ren, who released me, and I ran to my mother, cradling her.

My father was also released, coming to console me and mourn his wife. Gently, he pried my arms from my mother so he could properly embrace me, stroking my hair and hushing me in the way only a parent could to their child. This was all my fault, if I had been faster through the tunnels, if I had tried harder to escape, then Kylo never would have found me, and my mother would have been spared. Not only my mother, but perhaps Varidun too. Both of them were gone to protect me. How many more would I lose under the watch of The First Order?

Taglist: @jana-banana-fana​, @kittyofalltrades​, @sweetfictionalworld​

[swtorpadawan]

8,11,16,21

ok well after making a bunch of tag your oc questions i went and made a (somewhat wordy) oc ask game

Mixing it up, as I am want to do!

What’s it like inside your oc’s mind? (Literally, or metaphorically.) Shiri'ah loves being a Hero, but the amount of effort it requires to meet everyone's expectations is staggering to her. To be inside her mind is to see a champion who is very, very tired…. who just wants to explore her passions without risking falling to the Dark Side. Teeanah and the Circle gave her that.

Does your oc have any interests/hobbies that they hide from everyone? Why do they hide these interests? Teeanah Malvern likes to paint. She keeps it on the down-low, and her small gallery is very private. She has one portrait of each of her Guardians, plus one of Chria Malcor, her bodyguard. She keeps it private for many reasons, not the least of which is because she has her subjects post au naturale. (It is possible she'll paint a certain newcomer to the Circle, @raven-of-domain-kwaad 🧐 )

She had to hide her passion for years, first as an heiress and later as a Jedi.

What’s your oc’s nighttime routine like? Wavanih Mabray rarely puts her books down. Often, Nadia needs to fetch her from the archives in the library, enticing her to prepare for bed. (Sometimes, this involves a lot of kisses, followed by private time before the two womene fall asleep in eachother's arms.) Even then, Wavanih keeps a book by her bedside table.

What’s a fact you haven’t shared about this oc? Woxia Dakhan was raised in seclusion as an only child, and told that she had a great destiny in front of her. Damn right she's a selfish b*tch who thinks she should be ruling everything and everyone.

[zoe-oneesama]

I'm interested in the Lila exposed au about your akumasona. What's that?

For those who don’t know my OC (self insert) akumasona Zoe Rapporte (The Enchanted Florist), but her family owns a flower shop that is pretty successful - think “This florist does the arrangements at the Grand Paris and for High Profile Events” - so she’s mildly acquainted with Adrien from some of those events. Maybe not friends, but like when you frequent a coffee shop so much that you learn all the staff’s name and they all remember you.

So Lila is not above dropping lots of money to sell her lies (hello Gabriel Collection Fox Necklace) and one of her lies to her mother is that Adrien is her boyfriend. And what boyfriend doesn’t send his lovely girlfriend flowers, especially one as well off as Adrien Agreste? And really, as long as his name is on the card when her mother accepts them at the door, that’s all that matters, right?

So Zoe takes note that once a week this prissy girl with a bizarre hairstyle comes in to place a rather pricey bouquet order under Adrien’s name and has it delivered to the same address that’s on the credit card bill - doesn’t take a genius to figure out this delusional weirdo is pretending a celebrity is sending her flowers weekly. It’s a little strange because Zoe could’ve sworn she saw on TV that this chick had done photo shoots with Adrien before and based on his Instagram she was his classmate, so it’s kinda concerning that she’s going this far to burrow her way into his life. Still, she’s dropping quite a bit of coin and it’s really none of Zoe’s business, yeah?

But then imagine there’s a class event - maybe a dance, maybe a teacher’s appreciation week, maybe an alumni reunion - that needs our favorite class representative and her deputy to order a large amount of flowers. And Adrien, ever desperate to do his part, takes it upon himself to help with the budget. And maybe Nino decides to come for no particular reason lol.

So the four walk into the Rapporte Flower Shop and Adrien is so excited to introduce his friends to one of the familiar faces from his VIP world. And he’s just so exuberant as he brags about his friends and is so wholesome and different from the put together boy Zoe would briefly meet at those stuffy events that this surge of sisterly affection makes her completely forget her usual “none of my business” attitude. She’s got to let him know what it going on behind his back, especially if there’s a chance that he has no idea what kind of girl “Mlle. Rossi at the fifth story walk up” was.

And who knows? Maybe this was a misunderstanding, a weird arrangement Adrien had with his secret girlfriend to make sure she gets exactly the type of bouquet she wants? Zoe recons she’s had stranger requests. Welp, no better way to clear the air than to just ask.

“Hey Adrien, you know there’s this weird girl that comes in once a week and has flowers delivered to herself under your name?”

Adrien paused in his rant about Nino’s music mixing skills (having already left Alya puffing her chest in pride and Marinette a red puddle of embarrassed goo) to stare blankly at Zoe. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh yeah.” Zoe leaned into her palm, looking way too relaxed considering what she’d just dropped on him. “For, like, the two months at least. Always has us address her card ‘Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, Ma Belle, from Your Loving Boyfriend Adrien Agreste’.”

“What the heck?!” Alya exclaimed from beside Nino who’s jaw was dropped in disbelief. “That’s crazy messed up. Adrien doesn’t even have a girlfriend, what does this psycho think she’s doing?!”

“Right? I don’t know who she thinks she fooling. What kind of boyfriend needs to sign his full name?”

“It is pretty weird.” Adrien said, rubbing his neck in discomfort. “But it’s not the strangest thing a fan has done. It’s not that big a deal, right?”

“Dude.” Nino started, staring at his best friend in mild horror. “Just because you don’t know this girl doesn’t make it ‘no big deal’.”

“Oh no.” Zoe pipes up again. “He knows her.”

“What?!” All of Adrien’s friend’s exclaimed. Even Adrien looked a bit shook by her admission.

Alya zipped over to the counter, leaning dangerously close to Zoe’s remarkably unfazed face. “What do you mean ‘he knows her’?! How do you know that?! This sounds like a creepy fangirl but you’re telling me she’s actually in Adrien’s life?!”

“I should say so. I mean, it was even on TV that she was modeling with Adrien and she’s made a few appearances on his instagram.” Zoe brought out her phone, casually thumbing open Instagram. “I would’ve just ignored it, but if she’s going around pretending she’s dating Adrien then he has the right to know.”

“Modeling with....and you said on his instagram...?”

“Are...” Marinette piped up, voice dripping with trepidation. “Are you talking about Lila?”

“Marinette,” Alya gave her friend a withering look. “Just because you don’t like her doesn’t mean you can just accuse her of-”

Zoe cut her off, flashing her phone screen at the group to present a photo, having found the image she was looking for: a brunette with a straight fringe and her forelocks in twin tails leaning possessively over an uncomfortably smiling Adrien.

“Yes, Mlle. Rossi! I’d recognize that crazy hairstyle anywhere.” She turned the phone back to look at it herself. “Pft, Adrien, what’s with this caption? ‘Lila insisted I take post this picture?’ Yikes, man, learn to say no.”

Alya waved her hands in front of her, eyes scrunched closed in disbelief. “Hold up, hold up, hold up. You have GOT to be getting this twisted. Lila wouldn’t do something that like this, that’s just...wrong!”

“I mean, this is definitely the girl I was talking about.” Zoe said slowly, raising one eyebrow at Alya’s response. “And Rossi is the name on the bill. What exactly am I ‘getting twisted?’“

“Because!..Because Lila just wouldn’t!”

“Yeah!” Nino shouted from behind her, shaking himself out of the stupor this whole situation left him in. “She said she wasn’t into Adrien like that!”

Zoe snorted. “And you believed her?”

“W-well yeah, why would she lie about that...?”

“You guys are so cute. And definitely need to watch more True Crime shows.”

“What-?”

“Sorry Adrien.” Zoe lofted over Alya’s shoulder, cutting off another defensive quip. “I know she was your friend. I just wanted to make sure you knew.”

“Ah, no, she’s not really- I mean, I’m not that surprised to be honest.” Adrien offered weakly.

“It sounds right up her alley.” Marinette growled, fingers digging into her crossed arms.

“What...” Nino and Alya turned to their friends, confused and anxious. “What are you talking about? This..this is Lila we’re talking about!”

“The same Lila who got Marinette expelled?” Adrien stated, face grim and tired.

“That was rescinded, it wasn’t her fault-”

“The same Lila who sent everyone in Adrien’s contact list picture of her kissing Adrien?” Marinette ground out, aggravated.

“I mean, that was weird, but I’m sure she didn’t mean-”

“The same Lila who got my bodyguard and Natalie in trouble with my dad?”

“Or maybe the same Lila who stole Adrien’s dad’s book and threw it in the trash?”

“She did WHAT-?!”

“I-I fished it out for you!”

“Wait is that how you knew about Lila-”

“Wow.” Zoe whistled, again cutting the group off. “What a class act. Sounds like a great friend you got there, Adrien.”

“Oh trust me.” Adrien growled, eyes never leaving Marinette who steadfastedly refused to look at him. “After this we’re NOT friends.”

Alya held her head with one hand, staring at the ground. “Wait, wait, this...this can’t be right, Lila isn’t...she wouldn’t do this, she wouldn’t, she’s...cool! And nice! And-! She just can’t!”

Zoe cocked her head toward’s Alya, leveling her with a patient stare. “Well, then what is she doing?” Alya looked up blankly at her, prompting her further. “The truth of the matter is that Lila Rossi comes in once a week, and has been for at least two months, buying flowers to be delivered to her own address (which I know because it matches up to the address on the card with her last name on it), but dictates that the card say it was sent by Adrien. If she’s not faking that Adrien is sending her flowers, what is she doing?”

“I...I don’t...” Alya floundered. They were just supposed to order some flowers, how did the day turn like this?!

“You’re an investigative reporter, right? What’s that old Sherlock Holmes saying? ‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth’?”

Alya leaned into Nino, staring out at the shop, searching for something to make some sense. She thought Lila was nice, was her friend, was everyone’s friend! But this stunt with Adrien...what does it even mean...?

Everyone looked towards the employee door as footsteps could be heard approaching. A moment later Tama, Zoe’s younger sister, stepped into the shop, pausing at the door when she realized five pairs of eyes were staring at her. She looked over the customers, taking in Marinette’s slight glower, Adrien’s tight jaw, and Nino and Alya’s devastated posture.

“Soooo, are you here to buy some bouquets?”

[alpacaparkaseok]

Lost & Found

Pairing: Park Jimin x soulmate (oc)

Warnings: Insecurity, anxiety, abandonment

Word Count: 1.6k

a/n: *long sigh* finally. This story has been haunting me for months now. I was so tempted to just go crazy and start uploading it because I love it so much. But If I’m uploading this, it means that we’ve made it to the promised day! Yay! You guys, I think this may be one of my favorites. Which, if we’re being honest, all of my works are my favorites. But this is everything.

That is all. Please read and enjoy. Let me know your thoughts, I’d be overjoyed to hear from you.

Chapter 1. Unbreakable Bond

It was easier than I thought it would be; breaking the bond. Perhaps I was just desperate enough. Practically begging on my knees as I stood outside the dingy apartment building, knowing that this was irreversible.

Wanting it to be irreversible.

The woman’s name is Christina, and she gives me a wary look as she explains the cutting process. Her own severed thread is a testament to her underground business. I trust her.

“I need you to be absolutely positive about this,” she warns. “There's no going back once I cut the thread. It will be nearly impossible to find your soulmate.”

That’s the least of my problems. I know that it’ll be all too easy to check in on the whereabouts of my soulmate; after all, he rarely goes anywhere without it being broadcasted to the entire world.

“Burn it.”

Warning me about the impending heat as she pulls out a blowtorch, I hear her sigh. Christina gathers up my thread and places it delicately atop a metal slab. 

The little warehouse attached to her apartment offers little distraction; there are a few scattered tools laying about and nothing else but dull gray walls. In a time like this, a distraction would be nice.

“Do you ever regret it?” I ask, an uneasy turn of my stomach pushing the question out. Christina pulls her faceguard down, gesturing for me to look the opposite way. My shadow takes up the entire wall as she fires up the blowtorch.

“Me?” I can feel the heat of the fire, but I refuse to flinch. “Not really. But I do feel a bit bad for my soulmate.”

I frown at the gray wall. “Why?”

Christina shifts to get a more direct angle on the thin red thread that hangs from my finger and extends to disappear under the door. “You’re not the only one who is about to lose a soulmate today. At least it’s your decision.”

Staring at the unforgiving gray wall, I have plenty of time to mull over her response. However, the second I begin to worry or feel sorry for my soulmate, I remember the sweaty palms and crippling anxiety from earlier.  

As Christina takes a step back after nearly thirty minutes, turning the blowtorch off, I turn to assess the damage. Frowning at the still intact thread, Christina snorts.

“Don’t move.”

She takes a lofty hammer in her hands, bringing it down hard on the thread. I gasp as sparks fly into the air, my thread tightening around my finger and pulling. Grabbing my hand, I struggled to remain upright on the stool.

“We’re almost there!” Christina huffs, bringing the hammer down again and again. Sparks continue to fly, one landing on my shoulder and burning a small hole in my shirt. My hiss of pain is cut short as the pressure on my finger suddenly loosens, nearly causing me to fly backward since I was straining against it.

My breath comes up short as Christina removes the hammer from atop the thread, and I see what happened.

The formerly vivid red hue fades to a dull color, almost a brown-red like dried blood. I watch as the frayed ends begin to retreat, one end slipping off the table and disappearing under the door.

I push off the stool, ripping the door open just in time to see the red thread glinting under the moonlight, drifting away on a breeze. Retreating to its other half.

Glancing down at my hand, I hold up my finger where the other frayed end stops just a few centimeters away from the base of my finger.

“Yeah, it’ll stay like that,” Christina says as she comes to stand beside me. “Unless you want me to burn your finger off…?”

I give her a dry chuckle. “No, thanks. It’s alright like this.” I tilt my head, marveling at the fact that I’m looking out into the world without my thread obscuring my view. “So...will his thread just disappear?”

Christina shakes her head. “Your threads, while cut, still mirror each other. So his will look like yours in a few minutes when it catches up to him.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah.”

She invites me back inside, offering me a salve for my aching shoulder that was burned, frowning as she tells me that it will most likely scar.

“I’ll just consider it a souvenir,” I mumble. Christina laughs.

“That’s the spirit.” She passes me a mug of apple cider, sitting across from me at the same metal slab she calls a table where my thread was severed. “So, do you know who your soulmate is, then? Is that why?”

I take a long sip of the cider, my mind instantly replaying the scene from hours earlier. “I know who he is. Although, I wouldn’t say that I cut it because of who he is. He’s a great guy, actually. Top notch.”

Christina raises her brows at me. “Really? What makes you say that?”

I pause to look at my frayed thread, the string of fate loved by the world over. The thread that I always thought would bring me joy beyond belief, but made me realize that it would be better to let go.

For him.

“Do you know BTS?”

Christina sets her mug down with a loud bang. “Do I - of course I know who they are. Why?” Her expression turns to horror. “Why?”

I wince, taking another sip of my cider. Holding my hand up to display my severed thread, I wiggle my finger. “Park Jimin.”

✂

Jimin is in the middle of his dinner when he feels a sharp tug on his red thread. Chuckling at it, he holds his hand up for the thousands of fans watching his live to see.

“My soulmate is acting up, I think.” He watches as the comments flood in, most everyone mourning the fact that they are not his soulmate. A few people tease him about it being them on the other side of the thread, and while he knows that they’re simply joking with him, he can’t help the increase in his heart rate.

If only.

The thread tightens around his finger, making him hiss in pain. “Ouch,” he mutters, pulling back against the thread in order to sit still. “Sorry, everyone. What were we talking about? Oh, right. The concert today -”

Jimin whines as the thread pulls even harder, nearly causing him to spill his drink. Pulling back as hard as he can, he gives the camera an apologetic smile.

Then, his eyes widen as an idea strikes him. “Do you think I should follow it?” He asks excitedly. He hasn’t ever heard about people’s threads pulling them in the direction of their soulmate when they’re not even in the same room, but maybe she’s here, staying at the same hotel-

“I’ve gotta go!” Jimin shouts, blowing a kiss with his free hand before promising to visit everyone again soon. “Thanks guys!” Ending the live, Jimin shoots out of his chair, barely remembering to grab his room key before bursting out of his room and into the hallway.

Following the pull of the thread, he grins as he follows it to the elevator. Punching the button as hard as he can, he jumps from one foot to another as he waits for the doors to open.

“C’mon, c- bingo!” Sliding into the elevator with a gleeful shriek, he ponders for a moment before deciding to hit the ground floor.

Jimin’s cheeks are red with excitement by the time he reaches the lobby of the hotel, not even noticing when a couple of the bodyguards that escorted them to the concert venue today see him and immediately start following him.

“Mr. Park!” One of them calls. “Mr. Park! You can’t just leave without some form of security!”

Jimin hardly spares him a glance as he bolts for the exit where his thread continues to pull him. “Then follow me!”

The bodyguards chase after him into the night, exchanging concerned glances as Jimin follows after his thread like a convict on the run.

They nearly tackle him as they round a corner he just turned a few seconds prior, stumbling to a stop as they see Jimin standing still in the middle of the empty road.

“Mr. Park,” one of them pants. “Where are you going?”

Jimin stays completely still, the sudden lack of tension from his thread causing his heart to stop. Glancing down at where it’s wrapped around his finger, he feels the exact moment his heart stumbles to a stop.

Floating on a breeze, he sees the other end of his thread. Skimming along the ground like a plastic bag tossed about by the wind.

“What is it?” Jimin breathes out, the question leaving his lips without his consent. “What is it?”

There’s a chill that settles over him as the thread comes closer and closer, making Jimin retreat almost as though he could stop it from reaching him.

“No!” He yells, taking another step back as the end of the thread now arrives at his foot. “No! Not like this!”

The bodyguards watch on with disbelief as the thread works its way up to Jimin’s hand, slowing to a stop just below his finger. They’re continually glancing down at their own threads, making sure that they aren’t about to stumble upon the same ugly fate.

But it’s just Jimin with the cut thread. It’s just Jimin, who falls to his knees with a dull thump. Staring down at the thread, raising his shaking hand and grasping the frayed edge.

“Are they…?” One young bodyguard asks. His senior shakes his head.

“No. The thread turns gray when they die, remember?”

“Then what happened?” He asks again, eyes wide.

His senior sighs heavily, heart breaking at the sight he’s only ever heard stories about. “They must have found someone to cut it.”

The young bodyguard gasps. “Cut it? Is that even possible?”

Jimin’s sobs answer the question for him, the sound echoing off the buildings. One by one, lights turn on in the surrounding apartment buildings as people wonder what the commotion is all about.

Jumping into action, the bodyguards swarm Jimin, picking him up and supporting him between the two of them. Jimin’s body is weak and limp as he shouts and sobs.

“C-come back to me.”

next

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masterlist

taglist: @taylorroe3​ @dreamcatcherjiah @thecaffeinatedscribbles @onewoneman @moon-write​ @marianeamine​ @missseoulite​ @preciouschimine​

[kim-miri]

HALF(have a little fun) pt. v

→ one | two | three | four

→ Sayomi Zoldyck is the eldest child and twin sister to Illumi, of the renowned Zoldyck family of assassins. At the age of ten she’s taken away to Meteor City by her mother, Kikyo Zoldyck, unbeknownst to the rest of the family, as well as newborn Killua, and left to fend for herself. This is the story of the long-lost Zoldyck and those she becomes acquainted with, all while she just wants to have a little fun.

» part five / ?

» pairing: eventually - chrollo x oc x feat. hisoka

» warnings: swearing, blood/violence

» a/n: helloo~ this is my first write ever, and it’ll probably be a pretty long series. I’m also balancing school and a part-time job so forgive me for slow updates! If you’re reading this, thank you so much for showing interest and please leave comments below with your inputs!

» word count: 3,127

☾v.

Name: Sayomi Zoldyck 小夜美 | "小" is small | "夜" is night | "美" is beauty |

Hair color: White

Eye Color: Purple

Nen: Manipulator (same exact abilities as Illumi)

Abilities: Same as Illumi Zoldyck - Body Alteration, Hypnotic Spell, Corpse Control, Needle People, Katana

☾v. part v: the mafia(2/2)

Sayomi made her way to the elevators once again, dispatching the control room through her walkie talkie that she needed to get to her shift.

It was currently a quarter to 1, the last minutes before her shift would start. With a hand resting on her katana, Sayomi now exited the elevator having arrived at the 48th floor.

As she approached the VIP’s room, the two bodyguards on duty sighed in relief. 

“Thank god, it’s finally rotation time”, the woman exhaled lazily.

Sayomi tried her luck at a friendly interaction, casually asking the pair a question. “I’m guessing there wasn’t any action?”

The man laughed a genuine, but tired laugh. “Absolutely nothing. We haven’t moved an inch since the start of our shift.”

Sayomi laughed at the pair’s lack of enthusiasm, her violet eyes crinkling at the edges. Her expression of joy seemed infectious, as the older members in front of her laughed along with her in their despair.

She was starting to feel like a true member of the team already.

This is nice, I didn’t expect the others to be as unmotivated as me. 

Closing in on the time designated for the shift change, Sayomi’s partner arrived as well. Seeing no purpose in waiting around when everyone was present, the pairs switched early, starting Sayomi on her very first stretch as a bodyguard.

☾v.

The first 30 minutes into her shift, Sayomi had learned that her partner was a rather quiet person by nature.

Upon starting their shift, the two had exchanged a brief greeting, nodding to acknowledge the other.

It was only after an hour of standing and staring at the wall that Sayomi decided she couldn’t stand the silence while they waited out their shift.

She initiated a conversation with the older man, coming out bold as to establish her character.

“So, how did such an average man like you get stuck working for the mafia?”

The man was unmoving, replying to her question in a soft voice. “My family’s debt… Why did a young girl like you get caught up with the mafia?”

She wasn’t expecting such an honest response from the man. It threw her off, making her unprepared to answer the question shot her way.

“Um… I guess you could say family circumstances?” She hadn’t lied, given that it was her family’s actions that left her at Meteor City.

The man nodded in understanding at her vague answer. 

Another wave of awkward silence fell over the two, Sayomi’s initial attempt at socializing having failed miserably. 

She decided not to reattempt a conversation with the man, sensing that he didn’t care for idle chatter.

Family circumstances, huh. That’s the best thing I could think of. 

Sayomi had fallen deep in thought, her brows furrowing as she reflected back on her life.

I wonder if… father ever came looking for me? Or Illumi… did Illumi want me gone too? Ah, I shouldn’t be so dramatic about this. Either way I won’t return home, because that would mean mother winning. 

She exhaled audibly, tired from the splurge of thoughts that had taken over her mind once again. 

The man glanced over at the teen stationed next to him. She was obviously just as bored as he was to be stuck with this job.

Moving his eyes back forward to the wall in front of him, he attempted to kickstart a conversation once again. “You seem a bit too young to be on your own, don’t you miss your family?”

Sayomi blinked at the man in surprise, both at the question and the fact that he had initiated a conversation.

She contemplated whether she should tell the truth or cover it up with a lie. Deciding that a lie would take more effort, she settled for the truth. “I’ve been in the assassin business for 6 years now, so I wouldn’t say too young… I do miss my little brother though. Do you miss your family?”

As the man appeared to be deep in thought, Sayomi mulled over her words. My little brother… Killua, are they treating you alright?

“My apologies for assuming. And, yes, I do indeed miss my family. But, why haven’t you escaped yet, then? With no leverage against you, you could easily run away at any time.” The man spoke while looking at her this time. 

She thought about his question. “I guess… well, I don’t really have anywhere else to go. It’s my first time in Yorknew City, and I wouldn’t want to go back home to the people that left me in the first place.”

He let out a hmm at her response, obviously putting the pieces of her situation together. “If I told you of a way you could live here in Yorknew without being trapped under the mafia… would you oblige?” 

His eyes were soft and earnest. He knew what it was like to remain helpless at the hands of the Mafia, and saw no reason she should as well, especially at such a young age.

Sayomi’s expression formed one of shock and surprise, obviously taken aback by the man’s sincerity to help.

“I suppose I would… but if you know of a way out, why haven’t you left yet?” The two were now holding eye contact as if to read the other’s intentions. 

“I’m afraid I’ve already received too much from the Mafia. I owe my life as well as my family’s safety to them.” He responded somberly.

Sayomi nodded silently, understanding the man’s situation. She decided to at least take a listen to the plan he had to offer. “So, you know of a way I can live in Yorknew without the Mafia breathing over my shoulder?”

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes, and the man could sense it as something between the recklessness of a teenager and the confidence of a powerful assassin. She has no fears. I wonder how much she’s experienced to be this strong at such a young age.

“Ah, yes. Sticking with the Mafia will never do you any good. There’s a way of living here in Yorknew City if you’re especially confident in your fighting abilities. It’s called Heaven’s Arena.”

Sayomi raised her eyebrows at the man’s words, curious. Heaven’s Arena? Sounds like some shoddy place where people bet on fights.

“Alright, you’ve got my attention. So, what does one do at Heaven’s Arena?” Sayomi asked.

The man cracked a ghost of a smile at her interest. “You fight. From what I’ve heard, it’s set up in multiple floors, and each time you win they let you advance to higher floors. I’m pretty sure the pay goes up with each floor as well.”

Sayomi was impressed. A place where they pay you to fight? Count me in.

“I wonder what the catch is though… if it’s as easy as you say, wouldn’t everyone be taking their chances at Heaven’s Arena?”

The man hummed in agreement with her words. “You’re right. The most I’ve heard is that once you reach a certain point, the matches become a fight to the death, and through any means possible. I’m guessing that’s where most people falter- it’s either life or death matches that’ll provide you with a stable income, or small fights once in a while that pay very little. Only the strongest find what they’re looking for at Heaven’s Arena.”

Gambling with your life in order to pay the bills… 

“And you think I could make it at Heaven’s Arena?”

The man looked down at Sayomi with a fatherly gaze. “I don’t think you’re the type of person to need someone else’s approval. But to answer your question, yes, I think with the right amount of training you could find a new life with Heaven’s Arena.”

Sayomi smiled at his judgement of her character. “Well, then that does it. I just need to find my way out of the Mafia’s grasp, and then I can get to training.”

☾v.

Sayomi’s shift was over before she knew it. Just as the pair before them had said, their VIP client had no one after him. 

Her partner had told her all he knew about Heaven’s Arena and the Mafia from his many years working in Yorknew City. 

She had learned that there were members of the Mafia hidden within the assassin recruits, keeping anyone from sneaking away. Her escape would have to be well planned out to avoid getting caught along with any consequences.

Tagging out with the next pair of bodyguards, Sayomi head back to her room once again.

2 days later

VIP Adachi Yuto’s stay came to an end, with it marking the end of Sayomi’s first job. The team was dissolved as a result, and Sayomi was dispatched by her section leader to meet with him down at the lobby.

The section leader turned out to be the man who had first brought her to Yorknew City, a familiar face that relaxed Sayomi’s nerves a great amount.

Upon meeting, he was immediately down to business, letting Sayomi know of her next assignment. 

It was an assassin’s job.

She had originally planned to find a way out of the Mafia’s scope soon, but with the mention of her finally getting some action, the plan was postponed. 

Her target was a man in his 30s. No other information was given to her besides a photo and his location. 

Not much to her surprise, an ankle monitor was situated around her right leg, keeping her from straying from the job.

Damn you, bloodlust. No matter how hard I try I can’t seem to ditch the cold blood and murder mother and father drilled into my head.

Sayomi was falling victim to her old habits. She knew it was wrong to stick around any longer, but the consequences of the offer to satisfy her thirst for blood didn’t sink in until the cool metal of her ankle monitor pressed into her skin.

The man seemed to read Sayomi’s thoughts as she realized her mistake. “The ankle monitor is programmed to shock the user upon our command. It’s enough power to deal sufficient damage to even the largest of animals, so I insist you remain focused on the missions we give you. We never enjoy having to resort to using it, but keep in mind that we will not hesitate to, given a reason.”

She looked down at her ankle in defeat. It seemed Heaven’s Arena would have to wait.

☾v.

Later that night

Sayomi paced anxiously about in her hotel room. It was a mix of long-overdue bloodlust and hatred towards herself as a result of her assassin’s instinct to kill.

Deep inside her head, a war of conflicting feelings raged on.

Calm down, Sayomi. Every time you do this it’s only proving that mother succeeded in sculpting you into her little assassin. 

She had completely thrown away a perfect chance to escape just because she couldn’t control her impulses to kill in cold blood. 

But is it that wrong to want to kill? Being an assassin doesn’t mean I’ll be exactly like mother. I can control my own future now, I am my own person.

Setting her katana down against the wall, she opted for her needles instead. It had been a while since she’d used the smaller weapons because they reminded her of the past.

Now putting the past behind her, Sayomi walked with a new air of confidence. It was her greatest skill and job to kill, she’d decided. And this was a decision she had come to on her own, a new mindset for a new beginning.

A static-ridden dispatch over her walkie talkie marked the beginning of her assignment, and Sayomi headed down to the lobby. 

Since she was still underage, a driver was provided to her, stationed in front of the hotel with her designated license plate.

The brisk night air greeted Sayomi as she exited the hotel. It was currently a few minutes past 12, the streets being mostly empty except for the young city goers enjoying the nightlife in Yorknew City.

Exhaling out an envious sigh at the stunning city lights surrounding her, Sayomi watched her breath disappear into the night as she walked briskly to the car.

The drive to her target’s location was silent. Sayomi sat alone in the back seat, watching with empty eyes as friends, lovers, and complete strangers came together in harmony within the lively city.  

She started to wonder what it would be like to live a normal life like them. What would she be doing right now? Staying up and texting friends? Going to bed before midnight? 

As the teen sat in the back of a luxurious car going towards her next target to assassinate, she couldn’t help but wish she had a normal life, with friends who cared about her feelings or guy problems instead of waiting for orders on which guy she would kill next.

These are useless thoughts. There’s no turning back now.

The car came to a stop at an intimidatingly tall company building, around the same height as the hotel.

Stretching her limbs as she exited the car, the driver notified Sayomi he would wait for her return in the same spot. 

Thanking the driver for his services, she took quick steps towards the entrance of the building. With her persistently developed speed and underground techniques, sneaking in and out of the building would be no problem.

Taking notice of the lack of security, she rolled her eyes as she let out a breath in annoyance. This is amateur work. 

Activating her zetsu, Sayomi’s menacing purple aura dissipated into thin air as she dashed past the sorry line of security, making her way to a deserted hallway.

There was a lone guard doing rounds with a bright flashlight in hand, failing to notice the slight breeze that Sayomi had left in her path.

Positioning a needle between her fingers, Sayomi flicked her wrist out at lightning speed, sending the needle flying towards the guard. 

It hit home in the guard’s neck, knocking him out instantly. Taking nimble steps towards the fallen guard, Sayomi made quick work of grabbing his access badge before heading to the elevators. 

Seeing as no one else was around, she tabbed an elevator, rocking back and her toes as she waited.

Just as she had expected, the elevator required an access badge, which she tapped against the scanner while pressing on the button for the 38th floor.

In a bored attempt to keep herself preoccupied on the way up, Sayomi spread her band of needles out in her hands. Closing her eyes, she ran a pale hand over the band. 

Her hand came down on a single needle, the needle she would use to finish off her target. Putting the band back into her pocket, she held the single needle between her knuckles, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

The elevators chime signified Sayomi’s arrival at the 38th floor. The floor was empty, being past working hours and in between shifts for the security guards.

A single desk lamp shone in her target's office, and Sayomi strolled casually to the partially open door.

She could see from where she approached that her target was busy at work, having stayed overtime. 

Knocking twice on the inside of the open door, Sayomi just barely caught the attention of the man before moving her wrist in a single, fluid motion.

The man had no chance to react, slumping face down onto his desk with a muffled thump.

She had hit the jugular clean and precise, leaving no trail behind of her job besides the now motionless man.

Satisfied with her work, Sayomi returned to the elevators with a skip in her step. A few months without my needles and I’ve still got it!

Greeting her driver with a smile this time around, she didn’t blame him for being utterly confused. 

The job had taken her just under 5 minutes, the majority of the time belonging to the elevator rides up and down from the 38th floor.

Dispatching her section leader of the completed job, Sayomi returned back to the hotel, looking as if she had gone out for an evening stroll.

Her section leader greeted her in the lobby, letting her know she had the remainder of the night off. She frowned slightly at the news, her adrenaline still rushing from the short job. 

An easy target like today always left her wanting more, unsatisfied with the lack of fighting that came with it.

I’m getting all caught up in this again.

Shaking away her thoughts of possibly finding more action, Sayomi returned to her room with slumped shoulders. She forced herself to set her needles back down on her nightstand, finding it hard to keep herself from fiddling with them.

It was late. And though the 51st floor around her seemed to be deep in sleep, Sayomi was restless. 

She decided to wash up and take a quick shower to relax her nerves, changing out of the uniform and into one of the other outfits they had provided her with.

Wrapping her silvery-white hair in a towel, she opted to sit on the floor, gazing out of the floor length window in front of her.

Yorknew City was quieting down, the street vendors having cleaned up for the night, stores being long closed, and clubs starting to die down. The last of the neon signs flickered in the darkness, looking like tiny specks of color from where Sayomi sat, high above most of the buildings bordering the one she was in.

The 16 year old girl sat cross-legged in a trance, no longer focused on the city in front of her, but something within her mind.

What am I gonna do now… I ruined my chances of escaping anytime soon. All because I couldn’t control myself, my old habits. Does this mean mother was successful with her plans?

No. I don’t have to give in to defeat. I’ll find a way out, just like how I got out of Meteor City. Maybe if I gain their trust they’ll take this ankle monitor off. 

I just have to become one of their obedient assassins, quiet and reliable. 

Sayomi fell asleep slouched on the rough carpeted floor that night, lost in her own thoughts and emotions.

But despite the uncomfortable position, her face proved differently. She was only ever at peace when she was fast asleep, because that’s when she could see her loved ones within dreams.

Illumi, Killua… Are you two taking good care of each other? Are you doing better than I am? 

Do you guys even miss me? 

I miss you two so much I feel like I could die. 

☾v.

to be continued.

a/n: taglist open!

[selfships-in-spanish]

The Queen of Demons 2/?

Pairing: Erwin Smith x OC, Levi Ackerman x OC

Rating: Gen (the rating will go up as the story advances! But it will totally be explicit ;D)

Warnings: None for now, but sexist and misogynist upbringing (Eva's father is a huge asshole).

Word Count: 3449

ALSO POSTED ON AO3

A/N: Second chapter, woooo!! We are slowly getting more into plot details B) There's so much stuff I have already written out that I cannot wait to show you all

CHAPTER 2: THE DEMONS OF ELDIA

Eva tried to control her breathing the best she could while maintaining her gaze on the Chief, frozen.

That imposing figure standing proudly on top of the stairs was her husband to be.

Her father’s voice echoed loudly in her mind, chastising her for her lack of manners. How dare she stare at her betrothed? She was being rude, uncouth, and back in Gottesreich this wouldn’t have gone unpunished.

Eva didn’t see the way those calculating eyes narrowed when she teared her eyes from him and resumed the stance she was taught to maintain: head down in a display of submission, eyes glued to the floor and mouth shut. She also didn’t see a pair of steel gray eyes bore into her, watching every move she made.

The Chief kept talking, despite his inquisitive gaze towards the Princess, while Moblit translated, introducing everyone on his side. It prompted Eva to look up again and meet everyone’s eyes out of courtesy, knowing it would be disrespectful and rude if she didn’t, but never stayed too long as she accidentally did with the Chief.

The Princess was surprised at the variety of shapes and sizes of Eldia’s best warriors, going from tall like that giant with the big nose, moustache and crossed arms –Mike, was it?–, to short and slim, like the man with black hair and impassive grey eyes with a permanent scowl etched on his face –Levi, the Chief’s right hand man, she should really remember that–, and more. But Eva couldn’t hide her shock when she saw women amongst them. This would be absolutely prohibited back in Gottesreich, not to mention the punishment for even thinking of stepping on a man’s role. But these women looked proud, fierce, and Eva couldn’t help but envy such confidence being openly displayed a little bit.

Eva felt her father’s disapproving eyes on the back of her mind, and reprimanded herself internally for even wondering about how it must feel to be in their shoes. Eva had her own role, her own duty to perform, as her Father incessantly reminded her; thinking about such things would lead her nowhere. She was here for one single and very clear purpose.

“Please, come inside, I’m sure we all want to be out of the cold.” Moblit’s calm voice shook her out of her reveries. The Chief gestured behind him, towards the entrance of the Great Hall, with a hand on his belt and his arm open to his side, a polite smile on his lips.

Prince Hans reciprocated the smile, nodding and looking at his siblings as if on cue to follow him inside. Flora and the soldiers that accompanied them were ushered away from the monarchs, only letting the personal bodyguards go in with them, as protocol demanded, and it caused a knot on Eva’s stomach to not know where Flora was being taken. She only hoped they would all be alright. Sensing her distress, Moblit turned to address the royal siblings and ease her mind.

“The horses and luggage will be properly taken care of, as well as your men and maidens, your Highnesses. Any request you shall have please make it known, and we will try our best to comply.” Eva wanted to scoff at that, having several requests herself. She wanted to go home, please.

“Thank you kindly, Moblit.” Prince Hans replied. Eva prayed to God the Eldians would keep their word.

Upon entering the Great Hall warmth instantly greeted them, as well as a breathtaking view. Eva didn’t want to admit it, but the interior of the Great Hall was beautiful. It was composed of wonderfully sculpted wooden pillars with the same intricate markings and runes from outside etched in them, truly the masterpiece of very skilled artisans. She could even make out some animals on the relief carvings, merging with the patterns. The whole room was illuminated with the pale sunlight from the windows, as well as the warm glow of the fires roaring to both light and heat the room better. At the far end of the hall there were more steps, leading to a wooden platform where a big, imposing chair with thick pelts draped over it rested, undoubtedly like a throne. There was a smaller one next to it, with the beautiful markings and soft-looking pelts too, and Eva felt a chill at the realisation that it was for her.

They were led to a table surrounded with chairs, goblets already prepared to be poured wine to the guests. The Chief sat down, inviting his guests to do the same as him and his second in command. The Princes imitated their host, sitting on the opposite chairs and getting comfortable in them, and Eva waited for them to be already seated to do the same, silently, not drawing attention to her and carefully maneuvering her cloak and dress skirts to be in the pose she was taught to sit in: back straight, knees together and hands resting on them, crossed but never closing them in fists, legs–

“Wine, your Highness?” Moblit’s soft voice startled her, looking at the Eldian servant holding the wine decanter right above her goblet, waiting to pour it. Eva quickly looked at her brothers, already having been served and goblets in hand and taking a sip. Even if back at Gottesreich’s court it would be improper for a lady to drink wine out of a social gathering, it would be impolite and disrespectful to refuse.

Be good. Cause a good first impression. Be good. Don’t bring dishonor to your Kingdom. Be good–

“Yes, please.” Eva tried to not let her voice raise too much, knowing she shouldn’t be speaking while her brothers or other men were.

Eva didn’t notice the way the Chief’s eyes quickly shifted to her upon hearing the small exchange, too engrossed on maintaining proper Gottesreichan manners.

The Princess ventured a sip from her goblet and was met with a rich, powerful flavour with a hint of spices in it exploding on her taste buds. Her eyes widened and eyebrows rose, trying not to cough at the strong wine; that would be beyond rude and disrespectful. She gulped down the Eldian wine, hoping no one noticed it.

One of the Chief’s warriors, the giant one (Mike! She had to start remembering names), huffed, amused at her reaction. Her wish was not met as she also saw the Chief chuckle into his own goblet while listening to Moblit’s translations.

Perfect. Just perfect. Way to make good impressions.

The conversation seemed to momentarily change its topic as the Chief asked something and everyone became silent. Moblit’s voice made her look up from her goblet.

“Not used to strong wines, your Highness?

Eva’s gaze briefly traveled from Moblit to the Chief, who was looking at her with the corner of his mouth lifted, as well as one of his bushy eyebrows. The Princess hurriedly looked at her brothers, who were awaiting as well. Hans encouraged her with a slight nod. They were waiting for her response.

Oh.

“I am deeply sorry, my Lord, I meant no disrespect.” Her grip on the goblet tightened, trying her hardest to not let her voice waver. “I am indeed not used to strong flavoured wines, or wines themselves.” She tried to finish with a polite smile.

The Chief’s eyes had a curious glint in them, nodding at Moblit’s words. He replied something, and Eva dreadfully awaited Moblit’s translation. She really hoped she didn’t offend him or any of the Eldians present.

“Then, what are you used to, your Highness?”

This much attention on her was making her nervous. They shouldn’t be focusing the conversation on her, there were more important matters to discuss than her tastes!

“Coffee. Or tea, also, my Lord. But do not fret over it, I am sure I will get used to wine in no time.”

Would she? Eva doubted it, but if she had to, she would. Although she would deeply miss her morning cup of coffee…

The Chief hummed, instantly turning to one of his men to tell them something, and Eva watched as the warrior disappeared to carry on the Chief’s errand. She looked back at the Chief, seeing him share a brief smile at her before returning to the previous topic.

Eva tried to pay attention, but the thought of having hurt the Eldian’s feelings gnawed at her.

The warrior returned some time after with a steaming cup in his hands. Eva noticed he was that short warrior that stood next to the Chief when both parties presented themselves, with the cold and impassive grey eyes. He offered the cup to Eva, patiently waiting for her to take it. The Princess obliged, thanking him even if she knew he probably didn’t understand a word she said.

“My apologies for not having coffee, your Highness. I hope tea can suffice.” Moblit once again spoke to her, the Chief turning to face her in his chair, awaiting her response.

“Please don’t apologise, my Lord. This is more than enough.” Eva briefly looked down at the cup, then up at the Chief with another polite smile. “I am thankful for your kindness.”

Smile, smile, smile. Always smile.

Trying to divert everyone’s attention away from her and let the conversation go back to where it was, Eva ventured a taste. Her nose picked up the delicious aroma of the tea, and her mouth was filled by the sweet flavour, finishing with a touch of spiciness at the end that made her want more. Eva raised her brows, surprised but satisfied. She took another sip, erasing any traces left of the wine from before. It wasn’t coffee, but this tea was an agreeable alternative.

“I take it you liked it, your Highness.” The Chief wasn’t done with the conversation, and Eva didn’t understand why the Chief was so adamant to make her talk, or even try to engage her into a conversation besides the ones between the princes and himself. She wasn’t there for that.

“I do, my Lord. This is a blend I haven’t had the chance to try before, thank you for letting me have a taste of it.”

The Chief let out a soft chuckle and began talking again. Eva awaited Moblit’s translations, delicately holding her cup.

“Ah, I’m afraid I am not the tea expert here. Levi is, so please feel free to ask him more about his blends.” The Chief gestured towards the short warrior, who nodded in acknowledgement.

“I will. Thank you, my Lord.” Another polite smile on her lips.

That seemed to end the conversation for now. Eva kept drinking the tea, listening to what was being said. She shouldn’t zone out, not when this concerns her too.

The Gottesreichan Princes excused the King for not coming himself to Eldia because of urgent matters that required his presence, but Eva knew the truth behind that, having heard her father with the other advisors in the throne room already discussing plans beyond her daughter’s marriage, and being greeted by her brothers the same day they departed with sad smiles on their faces.

It left a bitter taste in her mouth, knowing the King, her own father, couldn’t stay away one minute from his plans on how to maintain the Kingdom’s borders, or how to expand them, too.

He didn’t even think about walking her to her awaiting carriage, and she was graced only by a quick kiss on her forehead when Eva went to look for him and found the King still in his chambers. But her father made sure she didn’t forget how his daughter would represent their beloved Kingdom in foreign territories, how she had to bring both civilization and manners to the barbarians. All this, while intensely staring at the map hanging on his wall.

Not a single look at her.

The King was not at the courtyard to send them off. Did not wave goodbye, did not do what any father would do when they knew their daughter would never come home again to start a new life somewhere far away. He only expected her to do a good job as she was taught to do.

This is all Eva knew about fatherhood from the day she was born, an absent paternal figure that only looked at her when she did good. And she always strived to do good. She had to. Father would spare a glance if she did.

Hans often tried to unconsciously supply and fill that void her father left when he wasn’t chained down by his own princely duties, recalling when she was a little girl how he would take her to the Capital’s festivities and let her stuff her mouth full of sweets. Or when he would indulge in her imagination and games, running around the castle slaying dragons, which often made Friederich play the part of the dragon going down with theatrics that put court jesters to shame, or playing hide and seek, or when the royal tailor made a new dress for her how he would compliment and praise the craftsmanship, and of course how she looked pretty in it.

The days where both her brothers took her on strolls around the Castle woods were the happiest for her, getting to hop from horse to horse and run around the meadow without being reprimanded for it. Rolling in the grass, chasing birds and squirrels, picking up flowers to make flower crowns that would lately put them on both her brother’s heads...

Sadly it ended when Father decided it was time for Eva to start her studies and long preparation to be his perfect little princess. Her brothers had less and less time to spend with her, and Hans was almost absent all the time with the pressure of being the Crown Prince.

Still, Hans and Friederich found a little loophole in Father’s strict schedule, using their diplomatic travels as a perfect excuse to make their little sister tag along, always with the excuse to further prepare her for her upcoming future.

But now there was no little loophole anymore.

The Chief and the Gottesreichan princes were discussing dates and procedures, and agreed on carrying on the Eldian traditions and rituals, as well as have the ceremony here in Eldia. Eva had uselessly hoped it would maybe be carried in Gottesreich, respecting the bride’s lineage, or maybe a double one, but her wishes would not be granted. She drowned her sigh with a sip of her tea.

They finally decided that a spring wedding would be the best, knowing the roads were hard to travel with the immense amounts of snow in them, and they wouldn’t want the guests to be inconvenienced by it. Besides, for Eldia spring was important, and it would be just perfect to celebrate a wedding. The Chief tried to include the Princess on this decision, asking her if she liked spring, which she replied that she did, not really enjoying the cold.

That settled it then. It meant two months of preparations, approximately. Maybe a few weeks less, depending on the weather conditions.

Two months.

Dread twisted her stomach.

“I hope you will find your life here pleasant, your Highness. I understand the shock and differences between our people, but we will accommodate you the best of our capabilities.”

The Chief was paying attention to her again. Why? Why was he trying to fake kindness? Eva knew he only pretended because her brothers were present, why else would he? Eva was just an asset, a bargaining chip, so why go to such lengths for someone from another Kingdom such as her? A twisted sense of humour? That would fit, weren’t they demons?

Her father made her memorise the words and movements she was about to spit and act out, telling Eva how that is what every man wanted to hear from their future bride. Eva found the comment crass, even coming from Father, but still complied as she was trained to do.

Eva set the cup on the wooden table, moving gracefully as she let her right hand touch her heart, lowering her head in the submissive display she was taught to never slip out of.

“Thank you for your consideration towards my well-being, my Lord.” Head still lowered, eyes closed— “I hope I can perform my marital duties beyond your expectations, my Lord, and that I am to your liking. I will do my best to ensure your needs are met and fulfilled.”

Eva then resumed her previous position as she heard Moblit translate her words. Eva ventured a look towards her brothers, finding twin saddened expressions on their faces. She was shocked. Did she not do good? Alarmed, the Princess looked over the Chief, pushing aside the protocols and needing to know she did not displease the Chief, that Father wasn’t wrong.

The Chief looked troubled himself, as if some suspicions and thoughts he had from before had been confirmed right that instant. No no no– this was disastrous! Father told her it was imperative she did it, that it was what those brutes wanted from their wives, so why was the Chief not overjoyed to see such an obedient, docile behaviour from her?

The Eldian warrior looked like he wanted to say something that was on his mind, but ultimately decided to close his mouth. The Chief seemed to thoroughly think about what his next actions and words should be, so instead of replying to the Princess as she thought he would do, with a lecherous and satisfied smirk, he chose to tightly smile and bow his head as if in acknowledgement of her words.

It didn’t settle well in her stomach, and Eva had never been more confused than she was right now.

What was this man playing at?

Moblit’s strong but soft voice cut through her musings.

“You surely must be tired from the journey, your Highnesses. Please, allow us to escort you to your rooms so you can rest until tonight’s banquet. Baths will be ready, too.”

Yes please! Eva wanted nothing more than to run to the safety of four walls and a tightly closed door, and Flora to embrace her like she always did when Eva got overwhelmed.

“We indeed are, thank you. Those carriages don’t do anyone’s back a favour.” Hans laughed, accompanied by Friederich’s chuckle and the Chief’s shaking of shoulders. Eva was eagerly awaiting for Hans to get up so she could follow and get out of there, too. A warm bath sounded so nice. “Eva, do you mind going before us?”

Wait.

What?

From Hans apologetic face, and Friederich’s gaze avoiding her, this was something they had planned beforehand.

“Brother,” Eva tried not to raise her voice or make her desperation known. She didn’t want to go alone, to be alone with those people supposedly taking her to her rooms. What if they didn’t? “please.”

“Eva,” Hans turned to face her, getting a hold of her tightly clasped hands. “we are deeply sorry– no, don’t give me that look, we are.”

Like Hell they were!

“Hey, Birdie” Friederich always used that nickname with her since they were little kids, so him using it right now conflicted Eva’s feelings. Her brother always used it when he wanted to make her feel safe, but right now it wasn’t really working. “Trust us. We will be right behind you, okay?”

“But–“

“We only need to discuss some matters, that’s all.”

“Hans–”

“Yes, very boring matters that will make you fall asleep. You go rest, Birdie.”

When her brothers synched with each other it was a losing battle for Eva. Knowing this, she promptly closed her mouth into a thin line, resigned. Swallowing down a sigh, Eva forced a smile on her lips as she spoke to the Eldians, focusing on the Chief.

“Excuse me for my behaviour, my Lord. I will gladly take your offer and let you men discuss what you need to talk about.”

The Chief nodded, asking Levi once again to comply with his requests and accompany the Princess to her room, taking almost every guard with him. Eva gracefully raised herself from her seat, making a short reverence to the people present in the room.

“Thank you for the tea, my Lord, it was most delicious.”

Eva followed Levi to exit the Great Hall, leaving the three men inside and trying hard not to dwell in it. She had no right to pry into men’s matters, and she best accepted it quickly. They watched her disappear through the door with Mike’s towering form closing the little entourage.

It hurt both brothers, but it had to be done.

[nagisasstunningpersonality]

Korosuu Translation - Chapter One

Some notes before we begin: 

This is the only piece of official Ass Class content that - to my knowledge - is not translated anywhere. It doesn’t look like anyone has any plans to, so I’ve decided to take the task upon myself. This book is kind of like the korotans, but teaches maths instead of English. It also has a Chiba and Hayami focused short story, which is what I will translate here.

I am not fluent in Japanese. I’m a mere university student who has been studying for about two years now. Whilst I feel confident enough to get the general meanings of things, I have had to use a dictionary pretty heavily with this and some word meanings and grammar parts might be incorrect. I’m only making this because I want people to be able to enjoy the book, so it’s no professional calibre translation and I please ask that you take everything with a pinch of salt. I know there are mistakes and sentences that don’t feel right, but I think you can still get the general meaning.  

The tenses are weird because Matsui kind of wrote them that way, and I generally decided not to alter them. This is my first time translating prose (I’ve only done manga panels in the past), so I’m not sure if this is a common thing in Japanese books or not. 

Whilst I’ve naturalised some sentences, others are a little more hard for me to reword so a prewarning that they may come across as a little stiff and awkward in parts. I’m still learning with this. 

Okay now that’s out of the way, the chapter! 

Chapter One - Invisible Sniper Time

During the usual E Class’ usual lunch break, Chiba Ryuunosuke, Okajima Taiga, and also Takebayashi Kotarou are gathered together, and are enjoying chatting as usual. This was the usual scenery that happened every day.

However, the usual atmosphere was a little different that day. The trigger was something that Chiba murmured.

“That’s why Chiba, you’ve tried that method over and over again, yeah? I realised that it wouldn’t be enough, so right now I’m using it in combinations with other methods.” Okajima said with a dumbfounded face, whilst holding a camera.

“I get it, that’s why I wondered if you could do it.” Chiba answered in a way that might seem blunt to people who he didn’t know. Since he covered his eyes with long bangs, he was easily misunderstood by a few people, but his close classmates knew that with the same old warmth, he was a cool and collected guy.

Takebayashi heard that, and points out whilst fixing his glasses with his index finger “if you snipe with a single shot, the sound of fire will always arrive before the bullet. Korosensei will sense the trajectory in the direction of the sound and easily avoid it. Afterall, he’s a Mach 20 monster.”

“What are you talking about?” They were interrupted by Hayami Rinka. Alongside Chiba, she’s the girl with the highest sniper results.

“Nah, Chiba was saying there isn’t a way to assassinate Korosensei with just a sniper.” When Takebayashi answered, Hayami tilted her head.

That assassination had been tried many times by Chiba and two people. There were shooting results from the two top participants. However, it all failed due to the reason Takebayashi said, and the superhuman ability of the target teacher. A simple sniper alone cannot kill him first. That should be the conclusion made between the two of them.

Chiba saw Hayami’s expression and immediately understood her thoughts, and then connected them to words. “I know it’s impossible, but it feels regrettable to do nothing like this.”

“Yeah,” Hayami nodded.

“Class, please listen.” Karasuma Tadaomi entered the classroom, and stood on the platform as he spoke to everyone on the spot. “I’ll tell you whilst he’s gone. The government has hired a new assassin.”

They weren’t surprised, because this wasn’t the first time. The government has hired professional assassins several times, but it was the usual pattern to give advance notice when there was a risk of involving the students in the E Class.

“Karasuma Sensei, what type of assassin is coming this time?” Kataoka Megu, who was chatting close by, asks.

“A slightly famous person. According to the source, they’re called the ‘Legendary Sniper’.” When Karasuma answered, Chiba and Hayami’s faces immediately perked up.

“A nickname without a twist…” Okajima forces a smile.

“Their exaggerated name means they’re not ashamed of their great skill. In everything, they seem to have succeeded in sniping many times from an impossible position.”

“Impossible position?” Takebayashi shook his head at Karasuma’s words.

“If I’m talking specifics, they would be behind the building, but still hit the target on the other side with a bullet. Of course, without shooting through the glass or anything like that. Is that an interested face?” The last word that Karasuma spoke was directed to Chiba and Hayami, not Takebayashi.

The pair nodded at the same time.

“From this standpoint, you can’t help too much, but there’s probably something you can investigate. Especially for you two and the others, it might be a reference for future assassination?”

“I don’t think there’s any reference if the sniper kills Korosensei.”

At the sound of Takebayashi’s voice, Karasuma shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think so. He can’t be killed by a human who doesn’t even know him at all. Even if this opponent is called the Legendary Sniper. Isn’t it better for you?”

-

Gathering information had never been so difficult. They searched their smart phones and their own laptops for sniper related incidents in the international news, and found many such articles. Most of it was written in English, but thanks to Nakamura Rio, who was close by to Takebayashi, it didn’t take long to read.

“That’s exactly what Karasuma Sensei said… Look at this, they were shot between the bullet proof limousine door the instant it opened. The line of fire should have been from this direction.” Chiba lifts the screen of the laptop he was looking at. Right there, there was an article that said the leader of a criminal organisation was assassinated under strict vigilance.

“Is that difficult?”

When Okajima looked at the screen, Chiba nodded.

“It seemed that it they were surrounded by bodyguards when they got out of the limousine, and the building they were trying to enter was an organisational building. There is no sniping point you can use to shoot into a limousine from over there.”

“Is it possible to hide and shoot?” Additionally, Okajima leant over.

Chiba shook his head. “They were only about ten meters away from the building. No matter how well they hid, they were probably able to shoot at such a distance. But this article isn’t sure where this sniper was.”

“That’s also true. They were shot from the front of the building whilst the police force were guarding. Not only the front, but all surrounding buildings were closed, and they were being monitored from above.” Hayami was looking at a case in Europe where a top enterprise was shot.

“The headline is also ‘A Magician’s Work? The Fear of the Invisible Sniper’. If this is a tabloid paper, I won’t do it anymore,” Nakamura said, looking at his laptop over Hayami’s shoulder.

“I found a number of different articles dealing the same case, so it seems like it really happened.”

“That’s right. But doing this is refreshing, hmm.”

Hayami thinks about Nakamura’s words.

“Hey, look at this. ‘Strangely, the bullets found on the scene were spherical, reminiscent of muskets’. Could this not be a hint?” At the point where Nakamura pointed, there was an English sentence she translated, and a small photo next to it was a silver bullet like a pachinko ball placed side by side with a rifle bullet for comparison.

Chiba also leaned to look at Hayami’s smart phone, and gave a big nod.

“Yeah, it helps, Nakamura. I think this is probably a really big hint.” Chiba, who usually doesn’t express many emotions, gazed at the screen whilst speaking with an unusually warm tone.

“Hey~, what have you been doing for so long?” Kurahashi Hinano called from behind Nakamura. When they explained clearly, Kurahashi replied with a smile. “Huh, it looks interesting doesn’t it? So, did you understand anything?”

“Originally, there isn’t enough information in online articles. I think we need to do something more.” Takebayashi answered.

Chiba nodded whilst Takebayashi was speaking.

“Right?” Kurahashi’s face perked up as she looked at Takebayashi’s laptop.

“If that’s the case, why don’t we go to the article and look at them?”

“That’s a good idea, but it’s all about Europe and America… right?” After answering Nakamura, Chiba looked at his own smartphone and frowned. “This article is in English, but it looks like the scene is in Japan.”

“What happened?” Nakamura used the smartphone and clicked on the screen that appeared. “Ah, there was also an article in Japanese. It looks like they did it for the news. It’s in Shibuya, Tokyo. It looks like they wrote about a mafia boss of the international expanding yakuza.”

“It’s decided~ This weekend, let’s have a picnic at the crime scene in Shibuya!!” Kurahashi pounded her hands on the table.

That’s the end! It took me quite a while to do this, so don’t expect the next chapter right away! I’ll try my best to complete the whole book, though! 

Chapter two

My comments under the cut 

I don’t really get why Karma and Nagisa are in the illustration, when they’re literally not even mentioned lmao. 

Karasuma acts like this is a regular thing? That they just get random assassins joining their class every now and then? I guess it’s OC time for those wanting to write missing episode fics! 

It’s really nice to get some proper Chiba and Hayami dialogue, I hope this will be helpful to those who want to write them. I also love the dynamic of Nakamura joining in. 

It seems like the students bring their own laptops to class? That’s an interesting canon addition. 

And can we just have a moment to talk about Kurahashi? Literally slapping the fucking table in excitement at the prospect of having an assassination picnic? Incredible. We stan. 

[yanderecandystore]

miss ceo with the Android s/o, but they kill someone in self defense for her? Bc they’re like,, jusy that loyal 2 her!!

Oh! I wasn't expecting anyone to really remember them 👉🏻👈🏻 😳 thank you for bringing them up again :3

TW:Tags: this post is a reference to

[🍑☕🍰] // mentions of illegal/morally questionable experiments // lack of empathy // not accurate robotics but like- Listen, I like my fantasy/fantastic settings alright? // Mentions of death // dehumanization

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

I mean- Low-key? This would 100% happen [Yandere!CEO OC x A.i!Reader - Headcanon]:

Let's start this by making clear that the Bright Vision Corp is not exactly a "good" corporation. Even if their research has led to many advances to humanity- there is no way we can justify the empire's actions towards their "research subjects".

In the search to understand the non-human, many of the things that were discovered and analyzed didn't really- Appreciate it, being trapped in the various facilities through the world only to subjugated to tests and mistreatment by many of those that worked under Ms. Bright's strict guide.

Either she didn't care for those that were considered non-humans, or she simply wasn't aware of the things her employees did to the "monsters" being studied.

Everything and everyone being carefully watched and experimented with for the sake of understanding the very existence of those being studied, and of those doing the studying.

It's unprofessional for Ingrid to personally introduce herself to any of the things her scientists are currently trying to comprehend, but occasionally it's better for her to openly state what's going to happen to them, then to let her underlings do things by force and create unneeded chaos in the process. Sometimes she has to intervene so that an hostile but still manageable creature won't cause any harm to her employees, and of course, she won't be doing it alone.

You were programmed to protect her, to be around her, to communicate with her when everyone else couldn't. You're a friend, an assistant and a bodyguard all in one. Something inside you screamed you to keep her away from any possible harm, but something deeper inside begged for you to not harm others.

You were so confused, so unprepared. One side of you was constantly pushing you to keep her safe at any costs, but the other side couldn't bear the sight in front of you. You killed a test subject that has tried to attack Ms.Bright when she turned her back to them.

You didn't want to do this…. You know you did something that you needed to do, but you couldn't stop feeling awful about it. Why did you do this? Was it really inevitable?

Why do you have such bipolar feelings brewing inside of you? You feel terrible, you feel so terrible for having killed them- Yet it's in your program to be loyal and protective of Ms. Bright. Just the fact you're questioning your actions could be considered an act of disloyalty towards Ingrid, which makes this situation feel a lot worse than it should be.

How can you ever be disloyal to her? You are her assistant, you like her more than anything so why would you ever not be loyal to her??

You shouldn't feel so bad about doing something that's written in your programming. You should feel- Happy for successfully protecting Ms.Bright from a threat. You should feel…. Feel….. Should you even feel- Anything…?

The overwhelming stress caused you to shut down immediately to protect yourself from questioning too much about your own existence and role as Ingrid's walking-talking weapon.

She was so shocked at the scene she couldn't believe it actually happened. You successfully eliminated a close range target, your first ever attempt at protecting her and it's a complete success.

Well, partially, a complete success. You were shaking and glitching, you weren't accepting the fact you killed someone. Monster or not, you killed a living creature.

It went against your very personality, despite your coding being explicitly made to feel somewhat proud of achieving your programmed goals- One of them being protecting her at all costs.

She understands that seeing death for the first time can be quite traumatic, and it must be a lot worse when you were the one who caused it. Yet she couldn't really understand why you were freaking out so badly, you did a great job, aren't you happy?

She is so shocked, yet she feels happy in a way. You did it, dearest! It wasn't necessary that big of a triumph but it was still very impressive, she didn't expect you to protect her like that! So fast, so bold, so- Carrying.

She knows better than to assume you did it out of, well, love. Yet there is nothing more satisfying than imagining you did it for her because you care so much about her.

And as you had shut yourself down to cool your systems she took you with her, holding you bridal style to carry you to- To…. Ugh, to Mac.

Sadly she doesn't know how she could possibly help you right now, she could force you to turn yourself on again but nothing guarantees you won't shut yourself again.

She doesn't know why you have gotten so stressed over this, in her eyes you did something really admirable- Even if deep down it was just another task you needed to take care off. Protecting her is nothing more than a task, even if both you and her see it differently.

It's just another creature that tried to rebel against her even though she was only trying to be formal, you shouldn't really care for them, they were going to die regardless of what you did.

Hopefully Mac can help her discover a better way to help you deal with such an event. If they erase that image from your mind, there is a chance you'll always turn yourself off the moment you kill someone, if they keep it you'll feel guilty forever, and if they take away your ability to feel empathy, it'll be like taking away a big part of why you're so special.

You're an assistant, a bodyguard, and a friend. Taking away what differences you have from other a.is would be insulting, it would erase a part of you- The part she loves the most about you.

Take some rest dearest, you'll need some time to rethink what happened, and Ingrid will try her best to calm your fragile little mind about it. You did something so precious to her, it's only fair she helps you get over such disturbing imagery.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[the-melting-world]

Coco’s (Temp) Pirate Bios

Sorry this is very disorganized right now. Just a bunch of random info. I’m not going to present these ocs in the typical arcana-style bio format because 1. they are still hatching & 2. I don’t really know how integrated they will be in the Arcana universe. 

Here’s a teaser for the ring-leader, Sun Bai. The rest is below the cut!

***

Sun Bai, AKA “Mantis”

*

He/Him

Nicknames

Bai

Mantis - used by his enemies/rivals/potential employers

“Sun” is technically his surname, so when someone addresses him as such, he becomes very suspicious of the formality

Age: 31

Occupation: bounty hunter, wannabe con artist

Abilities: dysfunctional psychic

Appearance:

Face claim: Yoshi Sudarso

Ethnicity/Coding: Chinese-Vietnamese

Combination of East & Southeast Asian features – skin is on the darker side

Long salt & pepper hair (mostly salt) dark roots, wears it in a half bun or half ponytail, dark sideburns

He’s near-sighted as fuck and also very sensitive to sunlight, so you’ll almost never see him without a pair of round, shaded glasses that are honestly, too damn big for his face.

Has a septum piercing made out of jade stone

Bridge piercing also made from jade

There’s a beauty mark up by his left eye. Not usually visible with his hair and glasses in the way

Tall! 6’5

Very dark slate gray eyes. They look black most of the time. They are said to look like salt and pepper in the moonlight only

Fashion style/influences - punk-grunge era skater kid meets bodhisattva on rumspringa (working on putting together a moodboard so this makes more sense)

Personality

Professional Brat

whiny, complains constantly

cheapass motherfucker

a bit of a control freak (but in a very lazy, chaotic way)

paranoid as fuck

nervous, antsy, but tries his best to suppress it around new people

Clumsy!!! Seriously, if you know Bai is about to pay you a visit, you should go ahead and baby-proof the place

Good qualities???

He’s generous with people he cares about, very stingy with everyone else

He’s persistent, tenacious, doesn’t believe in quitting, tends to give out tough love peptalks that no one asked for. He doesn’t really do it because he cares, he just enjoys giving people a good kick in the ass if they need it

Knows a little kung-fu – specializes in Northern Praying Mantis style (but really sucks at it.)

The reason he’s called Mantis is actually because he can read minds and get close enough to gut/rob/catch you

Not very affectionate. He doesn’t like to be touched. He only touches out of necessity

Sun Bai has two sides. His daytime self is very paranoid, whiny and callous. But at night he calms down. He’s more lighthearted and relaxed. He also becomes more reclusive at this time. He goes without his glasses because his eyes work better in the dark, but there can be no modern light or even firelight present whatsoever

Shippable? Yes, but not very emotionally available. He doesn’t spend the night. He doesn’t cuddle. He indulges with you and then he’s gone. Hint: the best time to ask him out is after the sun goes down.

Trinkets

A bamboo quarterstaff (mostly for show and to keep people from touching him. He can’t fight worth shit. Currently trying to learn a little wushu to pair with his psychic abilities)

His glasses. They are always cracked, loose, or straight up broken. He’ll wear them anyway until his next appointment with Sascha.

***

Sascha the Oculist

*

She/Her

Nicknames – None really. Bai calls her “Cheza” sometimes, but that’s for him only

Occupation – Sun Bai’s oculist and unofficial personal manager/stylist

Since Bai is always accidentally breaking his glasses on the job, he decided to hire his oculist full time. He pays her handsomely. Loves to treat her to dinner whenever he can.

Sun Bai doesn’t ever try to read her mind, but they seem to have a language of their own

Abilities – some healing, but she hasn’t taken the time to develop it. Mostly relies on it to make her patients comfortable if she has to go poking at their eyes.

Appearance

Ethnicity/Coding: Filipina & Black

Height: 5’4

short, curly dark hair

dark brown eyes, wears glasses

always wearing dark lipstick. has different shades, but usually rocks a dark plum

Fashion style/influences - comfortable eclectic. Starchy solid button-downs, flowy, practical maxi skirts, soft ankle boots. Wears a shitload of jewelry in the form of rings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets from all over the world. Sun Bai always brings them back for her from his travels. Sascha never turns anything down and will find a way to incorporate it into her ensemble

Personality

Reserved, soft-spoken, very professional

Driven and focused

Comes off a little cold and distant. When she’s healing, she doesn’t have very good bedside manner either.

A woman of few words, she chooses her timing wisely. With that being said, her words can cut

Cares a great deal for Sun Bai, but will call him out for his dumbassery with a single look

Shippable? Technically yes, but she’s very career focused and ahem a little “biased” if you know what I mean. yeah she’s definitely in love but also denial with her boss whoops

Sascha is the only one of the temp pirates who is from Vesuvia! She has her office in the Heart District.

***

Rosario, AKA Mestra Adrenaline

*

She/Her

Nicknames

Don’t call her “Rosario” or you will get clocked. Period.

She goes by Rio, Adrenaline, or her full professional title

Only Bai and Sascha call her “Nali”

Age: 34

Occupation – freelance bodyguard. Currently works for Sun Bai

Abilities – A black belt (Mestre) in Storm Capoeira (also known as Capoeira Tempestade) Think Last Airbender’s Princess Azula’s style of lightning-redirection/firebending mixed with Brazilian dance-fighting. If it sounds very cool to watch, believe me, it is.

Appearance

PINK HAIR BITCHESSSS

She’s always wearing her hair in some kind of funky, playful style. Most of the time it’s two braided pigtails

Ethnicity/Coding: Afro-Latina

Height: 5’10

Though her skin is on the fairer side, her features lean Afro-centric, hair texture is a mixture of 3a, 3c, 3b. She wears it braided to keep it out of the way, but when she’s off the clock and going somewhere nice, she styles it into something that shows off her big and glam wave-curls

Dimple piercings!

Solid, curvy, tall (She’s basically my fantasy version of Megan Thee Stallion ok?)

Lots of power/strength in her legs and ass. She has to rely on her lower body a lot to perform Capoeira

Fashion style/influences – bubblegum pop streetwear with a touch of diy glam

Personality

LOUD.

Boisterous, energetic, playful, scrappy

She’s the most high maintenance of the three. One of the things she and Bai bond over

If you look up the phrase “Work hard, play harder,” Rio’s headshot is right next to it

A proud party animal. She can’t help herself. Once she’s had one drink, she will go hard and probably end up face down, ass up by the end of the night

Fiercely loyal. She doesn’t play around when it comes to people she cares about or even her clients. She will absolutely die for them.

With that being said, good luck trying to kill her. She’s built like a mountain.

Shippable? Yes, but she takes her job very seriously, so that will always be a priority. With that being said, Rio is definitely the most emotionally available of the three.

[hysterialevi]

Eitr | Chapter 10

Fanfic summary: In an alternate universe where the Raven Clan is wiped out, Sigurd ends up being rescued by the son of a Saxon ealdorman, and is tasked with being the boy’s new bodyguard. Upon meeting the boy’s father however, Sigurd soon realizes that the ealdorman is responsible for his clan’s destruction, and secretly plans for revenge while hiding behind the guise of a Norse pagan turned Christian.

Point of view: third-person

Pairing: Sigurd Styrbjornson x Male OC

Author’s note: Thanks for being patient with me guys. I know I’ve been sucking ass in terms of getting these chapters out at a frequent rate, but I really appreciate you all being so understanding with me. Hope you enjoy this part, and thanks again for the support.

This story is also on AO3 | Previous chapter | Next chapter

ONE WEEK LATER

ELMENHAM, THE LONGHOUSE

Oswald threw an incredulous stare at Eivor upon hearing the news, unable to deny the doubt that was settling into his mind.

“The ealdorman of Wedenscire did this?” He asked. “Are you certain?”

Eivor shrugged, fidgeting with his axe as he relaxed in a chair.

“That’s what Gjuki tells me. There is still much information to be uncovered when it comes to the nature of this ambush, but based on what he has brought to me so far, I think it’s safe to assume that Aegenwulf was involved with the attack at the very least.”

The king placed his hands on his hips and began to pace around the room. “I just... I find it difficult to believe that he would act so brazenly -- especially in the middle of a war, no less. Aegenwulf has never been fond of the Danes, that is true, but he is a man of honor; a man of God. If he truly is behind the attack on Ravensthorpe, why would he do such a thing? What reason could he have to treat your people in such a way?”

Eivor sighed, tracing the edge of his blade. “I do not yet know, but his crimes go beyond what happened at Ravensthorpe. He also has my brother.”

That caught Oswald’s attention. “Aegenwulf has Sigurd? Is he holding him prisoner?”

“Not officially, but he may as well be. I have only heard fragments of the entire situation in Forangal, but Gjuki tells me Sigurd is slowly being brainwashed. He bears their sigil, and raises a blade in the ealdorman’s name. He obeys Aegenwulf’s every word, and apparently, has expressed some hesitation in terms of going along with my plans to assault the fortress. There are even whispers that he might convert to Christianity soon. They are turning him into a thrall.”

The Saxon king shook his head in sympathy, gazing blankly at the floor. “I’m... so sorry, Eivor. You’ve made it quite clear how much Sigurd means to you. I can’t imagine what it’s like watching a loved one lose sense of who they are. I wish I could make all this go away with a snap of my fingers, but we’ll need more men if we are to breach the walls of Forangal Castle.”

Eivor rose from his seat, sliding his axe back into its sheathe. “Have no fear, Oswald. We will have the forces we need soon enough. I have just finished securing an alliance in Eurvicscire. A couple more, and we should be ready to get Sigurd back.”

“Good. In the meantime, I will do all I can to prepare. A fragile peace hangs over East Anglia, but if there’s any chance we can save your brother, I’ll be there when you call for me. So will Valdis.”

“Thank you, Oswald.” Eivor said sincerely. “I know I’m asking a lot, but if we don’t rescue Sigurd from Forangal, he could end up dead. Or worse.”

“I understand. This is not something we can simply let go. If Aegenwulf really is at the heart of all this, we must bring him to justice. He has the blood of many innocents on his hands, and that cannot go unpunished.”

Oswald strolled back to his throne, finally having a seat after a long day of work.

“Carry on with your plans, Eivor. I will inform Valdis of what is to come. In the meantime, do your best to keep your head high. I know these are trying times, but Sigurd is going to need your strength if his situation is truly as bad as Gjuki reports.”

Eivor gave him a nod, making his way out of the longhouse. “I know, Oswald. And I will. I’m not giving up on him yet.”

~~~~~~~~~~

THAT NIGHT

FORANGAL CASTLE, SIGURD’S CHAMBERS

Dragging a small stone along the edge of his sword, Sigurd sharpened the blade underneath the pale moonlight as he sat by the window, continuously checking to see if Gjuki had lit the brazier yet.

It had been about a week or so ever since he began searching for Algar’s hidden crypt, and with no further updates to inform Sigurd of what was going on, the man couldn’t deny that he was starting to grow anxious.

What if something had happened to Gjuki? What if he had been caught? What if all this was for nothing? What would he do?

The last thing Sigurd wanted was to think about the possible outcomes that could arise if their plan was foiled, but the thoughts continued to creep into his mind regardless. There were so many risks at hand and so many lives to consider, that he was beginning to wonder if all their effort was doomed to end in futility.

After all, they were heavily outnumbered in this part of England. Aside from Gjuki and his men, Sigurd really had no one else to rely on in Wedenscire. Of course, he had the support of Aegenwulf’s children to back him up, but in the face of true monarchy, he doubted that their approval of him would mean much to the ealdorman in the end.

Still, he supposed there was no use in worrying until he had a solid reason to believe something was amiss. Gjuki had already proven himself to be a skilled warrior in the past, and with Eivor waiting just beyond the horizon to bring Aegenwulf to justice, Sigurd remained confident in the fact that they would reunite someday.

Though, of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t frightened.

“...Sigurd?” A man suddenly said from behind the door, their gruff voice muffled by its material. “Are you in there?”

The viking placed his sword down and walked over to the entrance, straightening his tunic along the way.

“One moment.”

Swinging the door open with a firm pull, Sigurd paused in surprise when he saw an unexpected face greeting him from the other side, admittedly confused about their presence here.

“Thegn Raedan?” He said. “Is there something you need?”

The nobleman took a moment to observe the Norse in front of him, flicking his eyes up and down.

“So...” Raedan replied quietly, not wanting to wake Forangal’s people, “you’re Sigurd the Lone-Wolf. I apologize for the abrupt visit -- especially at such a late hour -- but I wanted to speak with you face-to-face. After all, I don’t think you and I have had the chance to sit down and have a proper conversation yet, have we?”

“No, we haven’t.”

The Saxon quirked a brow at him. “...May I come in?”

Sigurd stepped to the side, allowing him entry. “Of course, my lord.”

Walking into the dimly-lit chamber, Raedan strolled towards the window and leaned against the wall beside it, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword as Sigurd closed the door behind him.

“So,” the viking said, “what did you wish to speak about?”

Raedan was quiet for a second. “...Well, a few things. But mainly, my wife. Moira. You’ve met her a handful of times by now, haven’t you? I know she’s been giving you some trouble since we first arrived, and I’m sorry about that. She is a good woman, but she’s also very protective. And I fear that the history between our people and yours has been anything but peaceful.”

The viking crossed his arms. “I assume her distrust towards me isn’t without reason.”

The Saxon nodded. “And you’d be correct. I’ll spare you the details, but... just know that she lost her own mother to the vikings. Many years ago. It’s the main reason her father arranged a marriage between the two of us. He wanted to secure an alliance with my family in order to drive the Danes out of their lands. It worked in the end... but at a great cost.”

Sigurd’s tone softened with empathy. “...I’m sorry to hear that. I know how it feels.”

“I imagine we all do, nowadays. Unfortunately. It’s rare to find someone who has evaded the tragedy of this war, and even rarer to find someone who hasn’t been changed by it. But I digress...”

Raedan approached Sigurd, lowering his voice so that it was barely above a whisper.

“May I ask you something, Lone Wolf?”

The Norseman nodded. “Certainly.”

“...From what I understand, you’re quite close to Aegenwulf, aren’t you?”

Sigurd shook his head. “Not particularly, no. In fact, I hardly know anything about him.”

“Is that so? Well, I must admit, that’s somewhat of a surprise. I simply assumed you were friends since he’s allowed you to stay here. Most Danes that cross paths with Aegenwulf end up with a severed head.”

“It was mostly his children who influenced his decision to spare me,” Sigurd explained. “Initially, Aegenwulf was going to have me executed.”

Raedan chuckled softly. “Ah, yes. That’s more what I expected. Still, it doesn’t sound like the Aegenwulf I knew all those years ago. He’s always been a stern bastard, mind you, but... I feel as if he’s changed lately. And not for the better.”

Sigurd recalled what Edric told him. “Well, he did lose one of his sons.”

“Aye. Gareth. I heard about that. Such a horrible death, and one that I fear has left Aegenwulf in a perpetual state of despair. He always puts on a smile when he’s around me, but I can’t help but feel as if it’s no more than a facade.”

The viking picked up on his tone. “You’re worried about him?”

“I am. That’s why I came to you. I hate to talk about a man behind his back, but I thought you might know something that could help. Seems he’s keeping secrets from everyone these days, though.”

Sigurd couldn’t hide the sharpness in his voice. “Not everyone.”

“Oh? You have someone in mind?”

The Norseman sighed out of hesitance, somewhat reluctant to answer the question. Part of him trusted Raedan to handle information like this with an objective mind -- he seemed quite rational, after all -- but the other part regretted saying anything in the first place.

Still, he wondered if it’d be best if someone from outside of Forangal knew the reality of the situation. Sigurd wasn’t willing to open up to Raedan about everything just yet, but... maybe it could’ve helped if one of Aegenwulf’s oldest allies had the gist of what was going on.

He only prayed he wasn’t wrong.

“...It’s Algar.” Sigurd finally confessed.

Raedan furrowed his brow. “Algar? You mean Aegenwulf’s housecarl? What about him? Have you noticed anything strange?”

“Nothing specific,” he lied, “but it doesn’t take much to see that he’s influencing Aegenwulf’s way of thinking -- and not in a good way.”

Strangely enough, the other man didn’t seem too shocked. “Yes... I’ve heard the folks in this castle whispering about him. Edric’s mentioned him a few times as well. I get the impression that no one here is really fond of him, and now I’m starting to suspect there’s more to it than mere speculation.”

“Indeed. Everyone I’ve met so far has called him a snake. Perhaps it’d be worth keeping an eye on him--” 

Sigurd came to an abrupt pause, suddenly noticing a lone flame glowing in the distance. It appeared to be coming from the pier just as Gjuki said it would, and he could’ve sworn he saw someone moving around in the shadows.

It must’ve been him.

“Sigurd?” Raedan said, pulling the viking from his thoughts. “Is... everything alright?”

The bodyguard brought his gaze back to the nobleman, quickly conjuring up an excuse.

“Erm, f-forgive me, my lord. I hate to cut our conversation short, but I just remembered I have an important matter to take care of. I’m afraid it can’t wait. If you’ll excuse me...”

Raedan nodded, giving him a casual wave. “Of course, Sigurd. Do what you must, and thank you for lending your ear to this old dog. I’ll keep in mind what you said about Algar, and I think we’d both do best to observe his every move. In the meantime, keep Aegenwulf’s children safe, understand? I don’t know what’s going on with his housecarl, but those little rascals don’t deserve any harm.”

“Understood. You have my word.”

The Saxon began heading for the exit, satisfied with the information he gathered. “Very good. I’ll see myself off, then. Take care of yourself, Lone Wolf. This place is far from safe, and I fear it’ll stay that way for quite some time.” He gave him one last glance. 

“Until we meet again.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW MINUTES LATER

THE PIER

Tugging his hood further down his face, Sigurd stuck to the path as he navigated his way through the darkness, doing his best to stay concealed in the overwhelming blackness of the night.

So far, he had yet to notice anyone tailing him through the wilderness, and the foliage around him remained calm with inactivity, but he couldn’t seem to fight off the sense of dread that was crawling underneath his skin.

It just felt... ominous out here. There was too much silence; too much stillness. The world was devoid of any life during this time of day, and it didn’t reflect the same atmosphere Sigurd experienced when he went hunting with Edric at all. 

Perhaps it was just nerves, he thought. The night always seemed to draw out a certain type of fear from people’s hearts, and the fact that he wasn’t supposed to be out here in the first place certainly didn’t help.

His mind may have been racing with about a thousand different thoughts at the moment, what with all the anxiety that was building up in his chest, but he had to remind himself to stay calm.

Panicking would only make him stand out more after all, and he couldn’t afford to be caught.

“...Gjuki?” Sigurd whispered cautiously, quietly approaching the pier as he stepped into the brazier’s circle of light. “Gjuki, are you there?”

There was no response.

“Gjuki,” He repeated a bit louder, starting to grow concerned. “It’s me, Sigurd. You can come out.”

Still, he received no answer.

Where was that damned bard? He wondered. Had Gjuki been forced to flee prematurely due to some sort of threat? Or had Sigurd simply mistaken this flame as his signal?

He assumed the fire had been lit by Gjuki, considering that this pier was abandoned. No one else had any reason to make use of this place, and the timing of its appearance had to be more than just a coincidence. 

Though, in spite of all that, the bard remained nowhere to be seen. There was no trace of Gjuki lying around the vicinity, and if Sigurd looked closely enough at the wooden floor of the pier, he could’ve sworn he saw some type of red liquid staining its surface.

Wait a minute. 

Was that...?

“Hello, Lone Wolf.”

Whirling around at the sudden voice, Sigurd barely had any time to react before he felt the sharp sting of an armored fist bashing him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

He heard a group of footsteps swarming him as soon as he hit the floor, and within the blink of an eye, a pair of men had grabbed him by the arms, restraining him in their grasp.

“Hold him down!” A familiar voice bellowed over the commotion.

Sigurd struggled violently in their grip and desperately attempted to break free, only to receive a firm kick to the stomach. His head was still spinning from the initial punch, and now, his organs felt as if they were about to climb up his throat too.

“Stay still!” One of the men barked, shoving Sigurd’s face into the ground as he bent the man’s arms behind his back. But the viking wasn’t done fighting yet.

Despite being somewhat dazed from the attack, Sigurd wrestled even harder with the guards and let out an aggressive grunt, trying to weaken their grasp.

Before he could resist their seizure any further however, a metallic scrape suddenly reached his ears, forcing him to bring his attention to the dagger that was now kissing the flesh on his throat.

“Move one more muscle,” his captor hissed, “and I’ll plant this little beauty straight through your eye.”

Sigurd glared at the man on the other side of the blade, instantly recognizing their face.

“...Algar.”

The housecarl grinned widely, leaning in closer to him as he pulled his hood back. “Well, well. If it isn’t the blue-eyed demon. I had a feeling you would turn up sooner or later, Sigurd. I’m so glad to see you again.”

Sigurd ignored the man’s taunts, focused entirely on the absence of his friend. “Where’s Gjuki? What have you done with him?”

Algar raised a brow. “Oh, you mean the bard? There’s no need to worry about him, mate. I assure you, he’s receiving the exact treatment he deserves.” 

The viking glowered at the malevolence in his tone, horrified to imagine what Gjuki could’ve been going through at the moment.

“I’ll kill you for this, you dog...!” Sigurd growled through clenched teeth.

The Saxon offered nothing but a chuckle in response. “You’ve certainly got a fire in you, Lone Wolf. There’s no denying that. I almost... respect it in a way. But unfortunately, I doubt you’ll be doing anything in your position.”

Algar grabbed Sigurd by the hair, yanking his head upwards from the ground with a hard tug. 

“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t figure out what you and your friend were doing? How blind do you think I am? I warned you what would happen if you defied me, Sigurd, but it seems my threats fell on deaf ears. A shame, really, seeing as how you would’ve made a great warrior. All you had to do was follow our fucking orders. Now though, I’m afraid your fate rests in Aegenwulf’s hands.”

Algar let go of the viking’s hair and stood up from the ground, giving his men a series of commands.

“Tie him up, and bring him back to the castle. I’ll inform the ealdorman of what has transpired here. In the meantime, make sure this one stays put in the dungeons. I don’t want him to see even a sliver of sunlight until Aegenwulf permits it.”

“Right away, sir.” They answered in unison.

“Good. Then our business here is concluded. Oh, and Sigurd?” Algar shot a smirk at him. “Have no fear. I’ll personally see to it that your friend Edric hears of this. Can’t wait to see what he thinks.”

Sheathing his weapon, Algar swiftly walked over to his horse and prepared to return to the castle, dousing the brazier’s fire with a splash of water from the river.

Meanwhile, his men wrapped a cloth around Sigurd’s mouth and secured him with an abundance of ropes, ensuring that the man couldn’t move. Afterwards, they hauled him up from the ground and threw him over the back of one of their mounts, rendering him completely defenseless.

Sigurd was terrified right now. He had no idea what Algar intended to do with him, nor if Aegenwulf would spare him a second time -- and considering the fact that Gjuki could’ve been dead, he assumed he had lost his only chance to discover what the housecarl was doing behind closed doors.

Everything was going to hell. 

Not only would he be a prisoner of Algar’s now, his identity would also be exposed to everyone in Forangal. They would learn his real name, and finally hear the truth of his cryptic background. Edric would believe that his clan was responsible for the death of his brother, and the trust that they had built thus far would crumble into ash.

Blood of Tyr, Sigurd thought to himself. What on earth had done? Would he even survive this next week?

How was he going to contact Eivor now? Were Gjuki’s people aware of what was happening? Surely, Eivor would realize something was amiss with the bard’s disappearance. 

Or perhaps... he would just assume they were dead. Hope was in short supply nowadays due to everything going on in the war, and it wasn’t much of a stretch to believe that Sigurd had been killed whilst in the hands of Saxon enemies. Eivor probably had many other things to worry about at the moment, and the viking could only pray that his brother would be vigilant enough to notice that something had gone wrong.

Otherwise... Sigurd didn’t know what else he would do. There weren’t many chances to escape in a situation like this, and the odds were heavily stacked against him. 

Right now, his only option seemed to be compliance. He imagined his stay with Algar would simply worsen if he fought back, and any defiance would’ve surely swayed Aegenwulf towards a less forgiving approach.

Edric was the one person who had any hope of changing the ealdorman’s mind, and just like before, Sigurd had no choice but to rely on the young man’s help.

He was the only one who could’ve saved him now, and unless his view of the viking changed after hearing Algar’s report, Sigurd hoped he would be able to see reason. 

There was something deeper connecting the two of them, and now, after all this time, he would finally see for himself if it ever actually meant anything.

[sanchoyo]

well. 1 AM. Time to talk about Band AU of my ocs. I think everyone should make aus for their own characters actually.

So. In Band AU the og Tokyo mew mew was a band instead of actual magical girls. However. The aliens are still aliens bc I think that’s funny. They don’t wanna take Earth or anything just the Top Music Charts with their own tunes.

So then my ocs come in, Mira admiring her mom for being the lead singer of the tmm band. But Mira CANNOT sing very well. She’s pretty proficient in reading music and picks up instruments like it’s nothing but when it comes to composing her own stuff she does struggle. She’s energetic and practices Very Hard.

Aqua is still a robot!! Ryou was the manager for tmm and with aliens Threatening The Charts Again he builds a robot that’s basically a vocaloid with a body. Aqua’s a great vocalist and is pretty much awesome with whatever instrument bc she can just. Download the info! But like Mira, she kinda. Struggles with making more original stuff...when she does, it’s very generic pop with no real Deep Meaning 😭

Persimmon provides that much needed creativity. Unlike the other two, she really hones in on Just Guitar and singing and is ok at those, but is an AMAZING song writer and sorta the Creative Director, making them matching outfits, trying to manage the shows (talking to the lighting teams and set up crews, making their coordinated dances, and handling makeup/hair stuff as well...) not to mention she manages to help the other two harmonize better so they can all sing!! Turns out Mira on backing rather than lead is actually Decent!

And the opposing band... well. Queen is the manager/sponsor.

Arilla is her right hand and is more often than her actually there in person to do kinda co-manager stuff. Also I think he’d drive their big ole tour bus.

Tunillo handles the tech stuff behind the scenes and the mixing.

Pereskia does a lot of the set ups for the show and handles the heavy lifting, but occasionally joins the show (she’s got VERY pretty sounding vocals, but she wouldn’t like to be upfront so it’s more like backing vocals here n there. Also her and Sapote. Cats and Dogs man) she’s also more or less a bodyguard when things get too rowdy. Which is Often.

Erdisia helps with setup like Pereskia but wants to be in the Band So Bad but Queen won’t let her bc she keeps starting drama with Cara. She HATES IT. She’s constantly trying to sabotage things, making Cara look bad (untuning her guitar, turning off the mics randomly..) but Cara always manages to recover.

Saguaro does a lot of the little things like bringing water to the girls and making sure everything is tuned and working well. They make sure the girls are healthy and doin ok!! They go on food runs and shopping runs and basically things thatre important but overlooked way too often. Cinnamon roll.

Cara is the lead singer and shreds with a guitar. She’s got an incredible stage presence that’s had her in the spotlight for a while, and there’s rumors that bands and producers have been trying to recruit her for years... she actually has stage fright, but manages to close her eyes, drown out the crowds, and lose herself in the music.

Sapote is an amazing drummer. Very very chaotic and gets in trouble for bringing groupies on the bus. She can also play violin, the lute, the trumpet, and of COURSE the kazoo. She whips out different ones at random and it annoys Cara to no end bc she can’t stick to a rehearsed plan ever.

I think TM2 is a very quirky girl group basically, they don’t really tie themselves to one genre or mood too much but they have a clear aesthetic and are always matchy and appeal to a lot of demographics!! It’s music that can be fun party music and they also have deeper, thoughtful songs... overall just very Delightful.

The opposing band which I’m calling Tokyo Riot as opposed to Tokyo Mew Two, is very heavy metal/rock/ballad type songs that are usually more fast-paced and raw. It makes more delicate people clutch pearls. Of course because Queen has everything approved and manufactured, it can’t be TOO crazy. But sometimes she’ll look the other way if Cara n Sapote improvise with good results. Like. Money is money!

I think Cara sometimes yells stuff abt tm2 at shows to pick a fight, and Mira will retort at their shows when she hears abt it, and so these two very different bands are beefing and the public is like 👀👀👀 trying to figure out WHY and watching that social media drama like 🍿 speculating if Cara and Mira are exes or smth.. I do think they have regular Twitter fights AHSJSJSJ

[clairecrive]

“Chaos”- Bane x OC [Requested]

After a long therapeutic writing session, I’m back with some Bane goodies as promised! this was requested a long time ago by a girl on wattpad but idk why I never had enough ideas/inspiration to finish it until a couple of days ago. And so here it is. It’s been a while since I’ve written so I’m hoping this isn’t that shitty lol. Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Tag list: @mollybegger-blog​, @br0ck-eddie​, @of-love-and-of-the-sea​, @evelynshelby​, @shadow-of-wonder​, @deaflikehawkeye​, @innerpaperexpertcloud​, @fandom--0verdose​, @sopxhiea​, @fuseburner​ (let me know if you wanna be added or removed)

Blending in the shadows had always been the accomplishment Ace was the proudest of. Throughout the years, she had mastered it to the point of perfection, so much so that even the man who claimed to own the shadows hadn't been able to spot her. She wasn't there to spy on them so she'd eventually come forward and make her presence known. Only when the time was right though. For now, she had to listen and observe.

When she heard the mercenary give the last instructions to his men and was about to dismiss them, Ace decided it was time to come forward.

"That's an excellent plan indeed, except that it will fail." Emerging from the shadows she walked into the room with confident strides. As soon as they saw her, the men pointed their guns at her. However, she didn't pay them any mind. Ace's eyes and focus were solely on the burly muscular man standing at the centre of the room. He was in control, that much she knew, alas the men wouldn't move a muscle without his permission.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, did I?" Straightening his posture, his hands landing on the straps of his vest, Bane quickly shut the intruder up.

"Nevertheless, I gave it to you. Now, you should be wise and take it because I'm right." Standing in front of him, Ace held her head high for better holding his gaze. From this position, she could see how he was able to instil fear in everyone. However, Ace acted as if the difference in height was nothing more than a fact. Like he was a man and her a woman.

"And why would you know anything about strategies and plans?"

"Does this mean that you don't recognize me then?" Pouting, Ace twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers. To be fair, Ace was pretty known in the underworld. Being the right hand of a mass murderer and a sociopath will do that to you.

"Should I?" Ace knew it was his way of minimizing and mocking her but she only mirrored his smirk. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Well, no matter. You should know though that I'm pretty good at this stuff. Me and my partner were quite famous."

"I don't entertain myself with gossip." Was his simple answer almost as if he was explaining to a little girl that no, he didn't play with dolls.

"Anyhow, I don't need my reputation to speak for me. Hear me out, let me be a part of your plan and then you'll see why he called me Ace." She proposed feigning confidence. To be fair, she knew that putting herself in the mercenary's dent could be extremely dangerous. Bane had the power to end in her life with just a snap of his fingers. However, Ace was sure of her abilities and she knew that Bane was a good strategist so he'd be able to see that.

"Ace up my sleeve?" He arched his brow at the not so subtle wordplay. What could you expect from a clown, Bane smugly concluded.

"You get the point then, great. I'll admit that I hated the name at the beginning. I'm more than a plan B, even my partner knew that. It was just for show. The only difference between men and women is cultural, after all." This was a fight Ace would always advocate for. Hell, her whole existence and the role she played were a testament to that. Of course, since the very first moment she started, Ace knew that in a predominantly male business she'd have to deal with a lot of sexism and belittling. But she was ready, she'd endured it all and now she'd mastered the art of shutting them up exposing their ignorance.

"Plato." He noted. Would you look at that. The notorious Bane, infamous mercenary and revolutionary, was familiar with the classics to the extent that he could recognize whose quotation it was. Remarkable.

"I'm surprised you know." She had to give him that. One had to give credit where credit is due.

"I know plenty of things." Well, now he was just being cocky. He could afford that, sure, but that didn't make it less annoying.

"Of course you do," she replied with a smug smile, "So what about that plan you were talking about?"

"You realize what you're getting into, don't you?"

"And you'll realize who you're dealing with because apparently, you don't yet."

"Very well." Nodding, he mutedly allowed her to join him. Returning to the map he was previously looking at, he moved so that there was enough space for her to stand next to him.

"Let's hear your idea then," he prompted her and she could feel the challenge in his tone. One she gladly took.

Once she offered him her plan, a better plan, that highlighted the weakness of the previous one, Bane valued his options and at the end, without any reservation, admitted that hers was indeed the most practical and efficient one. They were now all shackled in a van, armed to their necks, ready for the mission. She was sat in the backseat behind Bane who was sat in the passager seat, arm in her hands. They weren't the only one in the car, there were at least other five of Bane's soldiers but the only sound you could hear was the ones coming from the streets. Maybe it was because she was used to working with someone who couldn't shut up to save his life, but the silence was growing to be deafening.

"So, are sitting in front of us because you're big as a mountain or because you're the boss?" Her voice cut through the quiet vehicle. The men around and behind her didn't move a single muscle to show that they had heard her. However, Bane turned around slightly, now the sound of his mask hissing was louder and clearer. If looks could kill, Ace would at least have been cut by his.

"You should stay focused. This mission is extremely important. I won't tolerate any incompetence." He admonished her like a father would a little girl. And while Ace wouldn't mind that comparison in another context, wink wink, she also wouldn't mind if he was a bit looser.

"Please," rolling her eyes she leaned against the back of his seat, her mouth next to his ears since his face was still turned to her, "you really don't know anything about me, do you?" Feigning offence, her dark red painted lips pouted, Ace quickly wondered if he was just messing with her or if he was really clueless. Bane struck her as a quite thorough person, he'd have certainly done a background check on her by now. No matter, she decided, he's going to know soon either way.

"I'll just have to show you how I got my nickname, then," The pout had now shifted to a smirk and she leaned back to her seat. Her attention back out of the window while Bane's eyes lingered on her face a little longer before he turned back, imperceptibly shaking his head. This woman could either turned out to be a blessing or a curse. Now it wasn't the moment for such thoughts though, he had a mission to accomplish.

Since traffic hadn't been that bad, they had gotten to their destination quicker than expected. The van they were in pulled right outside the building they were going to sack, Gotham's bank, while the other vehicles and consequently Bane's men, parked on a secluded street right where the back exit of the building was. Those people were literally never going to see them coming. Before climbing out of the car, they assessed the situation, controlling that the information they got, on which they were basing the success of their plan, was still correct. Ace could only wait 'till Bane had finished his check-ups since she was sitting behind him and it was one of those cars where people in the back had to climb out through the reclined seat in front of them. The men were busy with their tools and electronic devices to notice that a slight change in plans was going to be needed.

Ace watched as a black limo neared the building and eventually stopped in front of it on the other side of the street. Whoever was in the car had to be someone important, not only because of his expensive choice of cars but also because he wasn't travelling alone. When a suited man stepped out of the car, he was immediately followed by a group of bodyguards as he made his way inside. Ace hadn't recognized the man, she hadn't even had the chance to look at his face but she knew that he wasn't supposed to be there. Her and one of Bane's hacker had studied the schedule for every single employee working that day and also the manager's one too. He wasn't scheduled. That also confirmed her theory of him being someone somewhat important along with wealthy since everybody knew that there was at least a one-month waiting list to be received by the bank's manager. And here he was instead, this mystery man who had put a glitch in their operation, that calmly strolled over the security checks like he owned the very ground he was walking on. Ace hated men like that. Here was another thing she had in common with Bane.

"He shouldn't be here." Bane's voice met her ears. Without turning to him, her eyes still in front of her trying to assess the number of the armed men, Ace simply nodded to let him know that she'd heard him.

"We'll have to use a different approach." She pointed out as the layout of a new plan was slowly forming in her mind.

"We should wait for other of my men to join us. We're not prepared to face such a number." Bane huffed, annoyed for the delay that this hitch was going to cause.

"Nonsense," Ace disagreed facing him, "I have an idea." A smug smirk formed on her face as she explained what her plan entailed. She was just going to need two men with her while Bane and every other man were to enter from the back. This was they were going to sneak up on those snob men up there and get what they came here for.

"Have you failed to see the van parked right there, which holds at least ten fully armed men? How are you going to hold them off with just two men? I was not aware you were suicidal." The patronizing tone in his voice was evident but Ace tried to ignore it. He doesn't know what you're capable of, she told herself. Not yet, she concluded.

"That's because I'm not. This is the second time you underestimate me, Bane. However, I won't take it personally since you've yet to see me in action. I assure you I'm more than capable of what I'm telling you." Her face now void of any smugness, her eyes solemn as she spoke, Bane wondered if she was too full of herself.

"What is the other name others call you?" He asked, knowing it had everything to do with her choice now that he saw her infamous smirk making a comeback.

"I'm the Lady of Chaos, oh great Bane. Whenever I go, that's what I bring and that's what I leave as a trail," sure of herself, Ace elaborated and in front of her confident façade, Bane could do nothing other than believing her.

"For your sake, I hope you deserve that title," he observed before he signalled to his men that it was time to move. While they silently climb out to make it to the back entrance unseen, Ace and the two men Bane chose, walked to the bank's entrance. To avoid drawing unwanted attention to them, she tried to make small talk with them. Attempted to tell a lame joke either, just to sell the idea that they were a group of friends and not some mercenaries on a mission.  Despite the sketchiness of their clothes, they somehow managed to walk in without catching the eye of the mystery man's security.

As soon as they stepped in, the two security officers gestured for them to walk through the metal detector. That won't sit well with the two gun Ace was wearing but that won't be a problem. Not a second after the loud alarm of the detector was heard, Ace drew the gun shooting some warning bullets in the air before pointing to the officers that had stepped near her. Just like the two men behind her did. Understanding that they were greatly outnumbered, the officers hold their hands up letting their arms go.

"Now now gentlemen, would one of you be so kind as to show me your office?" Taking the piss out for men was Ace's favourite thing. She nodded the men to walk in front of her while the two mercenaries guarded the entry door.

She didn't have to walk long since their office was near the security check. Both men walked in and waited for Ace to instruct them what to do. She saw them glance at each other causing her to roll her eyes, she knew what was going through their heads.

"What a big of a  fool do I have to be to have wondered away alone with two strong me like yourself, you must be wondering. Am I right?" She waited a bit before speaking again. Not that she was waiting for them to answer, merely for the theatrical effect. "But of course, because after all women are not that strong, are they?" Lowering her guns, she walked in front of them.

"I have taken upon me to prove everyone who would think that wrong," she foretold hinting at what she was going to do. But of course, they were too idiot to take the hint and so the same ease one would steal candy from a baby, Ace knocked them out with her guns. With the right amount of strength, one hit was all it took.

Chuckling while admiring her work, she felt oddly reworded. Men, she thought shaking her head. Taking her eyes away from their bodies, she looked around the room to look for what she needed.

"Ah," reaching for it she pushed the button that would ensure their plan could be carried out with any more surprises. The front doors of the bank automatically locked while a bulletproof gate quickly lowered, keeping out the inconvenience that was those armed men. Hearing the noise, Bane knew it was his signal to proceed. And so he did, swiftly and quickly making his way inside the building and the floor where he knew his target was.

In the meantime Ace that was soon joined by Bane's men, was making sure that all the people on the floor understood perfectly what they had to do and what will happen to them if they didn't obey.  Once she was certain the situation was under control, she strolled to the floor where Bane was. He had been there for almost 15 minutes now, he should be about to finish by now. The two men that she had left behind knew that they had to join them in about five minutes so that they could leave unnoticed through the back entrance.

She reached the highest floor and was pleased to see that bane's men had subdued the guards and the bodyguards of the mystery man who had got caught in this. Smirking she saluted him as if to say "well done". It wasn't hard to spot the room where Bane was. Yes, it was the only room on the floor, right at the end of the hallway. But the screams coming out of it were a dead giveaway too. The mystery man was putting up a fight and causing problems, hence the screams.

Stepping in the room and assessing the situation, Ace could see that Bane was having no problem at all in dealing with the manager. The smug look he sent her way, confirmed that thought letting her know that he was almost done. So she turned to cause of such ruckus and noise.

"What's got your panties in a twist dear?" Using a patronizing tone, she crunched to be at his eye level.

"Of course he has a whore at a hand. What is your problem, lady? Don't you see he's a fucking beast?" Struggling in the mercenaries' grip, the man barked outraged. Ace couldn't stop herself from laughing in his face. Men.

"Haven't you heard? Behind a beast, there's a prince." Roughly patting his face, Ace readied to deliver the last blow. She had nothing against this young man. Well, apart from the fact that she hated everything he stood for and the city herself. Now, however, things had gotten personal. She hated misogynistic men, and even more misogynistic slurs.

She smiled sweetly at him, the gestured in sharp contrast of the movement of her hand. But that's what she wanted. Messing with his head so that he wouldn't be able to see her blow coming. And, as a matter of fact, he didn't. And that alone gave Ace immense satisfaction. Even more than seeing the red print of her hand on his cheek.

"Oh, and another thing," she feigned to have just remembered something, "don't ever refer to women you don't like as whores, okay? For future references." She added smiling with her lips in a thin line. "Good boy," stretching her legs she lifted from her position and moved aside knowing that now it was Bane's turn to deal with him.

Since he wasn't supposed to be here, Ace didn't know if he had been one of Bane's targets or if he had just become one. No matter, she knew that Bane would either let him leave to tell the tale and warn others or if he'd just kill him to avoid any further inconvenience. As the masked man walked toward them with long calculated strides, Ace knew. The man wasn't going to get the chance to put her advice into practice. And it seemed that the man understood that too and showed that he hadn't understood his lesson since he started begging her, thinking her as the weak one.

"Don't you have a heart?" The man pleaded to try to appeal to her humanity but it only made her laugh.

"Isn't it funny that people always assume that you're heartless?" She pondered out loud looking at Bane, "instead of facing the fact that maybe it's this wicked world we live in that made us who we are." Finishing her thought, she bent down so that her mouth was close to the man's ear.

"I wasn't born without a heart nor with all these scars, neither of us were." She whispered like it was a secret but really, was it so hard to understand? Quickly glancing around her shoulder, she made sure that Bane knew her next move. He slightly nodded. She had his approval.

"We are a product of the circumstances of our lives, Bane." Finishing the man off, she stood up rubbing the dirt off her hands and turned to the masked man. "We're not so different, you and I."

"While I'm not sure about the accuracy of that statement, I wouldn't mind having an ace up my sleeves." The wrinkles around his eyes became more evident as he recalled the wordplay she had used during their first meeting. But that wasn't his style. "Or you could be my Lady of Chaos, my Persephone." He added displaying once again his knowledge of the classics, unaware that it was the perfect way to appeal to her. After that and after seeing the way he worked, the way he had treated her, with respect, like they were equals, she didn't need any further convincing. She was sold. Taking the hand he was offering her, she sealed the deal. He could be the Hades to her Persephone. Both roles unexpectedly fitted them perfectly. Content for the successful outcome of the mission and the allegiance that had just been sealed, they both walked out without rush knowing that they were in control. Useless were the police sirens that were approaching. They didn't stand a chance against them. And while they didn't know it yet, as Bane and Ace glanced at each other once they were sat in the car, she knew that everyone was going to know it pretty soon. Very soon.

A/N: for anyone who doesn't know the name Persephone means "the one who brings chaos", so I thought it was extremely fitting Ace.

[geekywritings]

Rise of a Queen - Nikolai Lantsov x OC PART 12

The end of the war could have marked the perfect beginning of a fairytale for Nikolai and Taya. He was Tsar, the Darkling had been defeated, Ravka could finally breathe again and the couple could start focusing on their relationship. But the reality was no fairytale.

Only days after the crown had been placed on Nikolai's head, he became swept up in the responsibilities of a ruler. Endless meetings, balls, travels, and negotiations began, along with the much-needed rebuilding of the cities that had suffered during recent times. Whenever he was in the palace, there was always someone there requesting his attention or calling him to a meeting or following him with paperwork. Though more often than not, Nikolai was absent from the capital, traveling around his kingdom to meet his people and mend relations with West Ravka. It felt as if sleep or a peaceful meal had become a luxury a king could not afford.

Taya wasn't fairing much better. She tried to help Nikolai whenever she could, but she was soon also swept up in the Saadovska affairs. She had inherited the family fortune, but also her father's businesses. And there were more of them than she had ever expected! Not only did her family own several remarkable fabric businesses in Ravka, they also held shares of companies in Fjerda and Shu Han and had close business ties with Kerch traders. Furthermore, there was more land in her family's possession than anyone in all of Ravka could even imagine, including large estates and even simply lands for agriculture. It was so much that Taya spent a good few weeks trying to wrap her hand around it all before starting correspondence with her father's former business partners. Some of them were kind and understanding, but there were also those, who refused to work with a woman or tried to cheat her. For Taya this meant a lot of studying. She would spend many nights in the library, reading up on economics and business practices or former contracts until Nikolai would come and carry her back to bed after she had fallen asleep. Whenever he was not around, this task fell to Andrej or one of the twins.

Ultimately, the couple didn't have much time for romance. Ravka was like a child that required constant attention and within the first years, Nikolai and Taya felt burnt out. Yet at the same time, they couldn't feel happier. The country was flourishing, steadily gaining stability, military strength and even some recognition. So although Taya was usually the one pushing them to work more, it was her who announced one morning: "We need a break."

Nikolai had returned from a long journey to the West just the day before and still looked incredibly tired even after a good night of sleep. "What do you suggest?", he asked, his face still half-buried in the pillow. "That we run away?"

Taya chuckled, as she sat up, running a hand through his hair. "I don't think we'd get very far.", she admitted. "But I do think we can take a vacation for a couple of days without Ravka falling apart again. Besides, there is this small estate by the sea I want to visit."

"Estate by the sea?" Now Nikolai's curiosity had been piqued and he slowly half sat up as well, hazel eyes staring at her full of interest.

"Yes, apparently it has been in my family's possession for quite some time. My great great grandfather bought it for easier business with the local fishing industry. And it would be my chance to see the ocean for the first time."

Although she had joined Nikolai on several of his journeys, none of them had taken her all the way to the sea, which she longed to finally visit. "Let's do it.", Nikolai agreed, suddenly fully invested in the idea. "We will tell everyone today and be on our way by the evening."

Taya loved his enthusiasm and spontaneous nature and she nodded enthusiastically. "I will take care of packing.", she said, already mentally going over everything they would need for the short trip.

It was with a newfound energy that the two started their day, making sure that everyone knew about their departure, while also preparing for the journey. Tolya and Tamar insisted on coming along, but Nikolai refused. He wanted some time alone with Taya and where they were going, they would need neither servants nor bodyguards, he figured.

Everyone was so taken aback by the Tsar's sudden decision that nobody had much time to argue or raise concerns. And by evening, Nikolai and Taya were ready to depart. They hadn't packed much and could easily take one of Nikolai's smaller aircrafts, where he took care of navigation, while Taya kept the airship going. Traveling at night was difficult, but also much safer.

The sun hadn't even risen when they arrived at the small estate on a hill, overseeing the sea and the nearby fishing town. It was a two-story building beaten by the rough coastal weather, but still in good condition. Surrounding it was a garden full of wildflowers and tall grass. It was clear that nobody had tended to this place in quite some time. Using the key she had found in her father's study, filed correctly to the matching estate, Taya opened the door, revealing a dusty hallway, smelling of sea salt and stuffy air. At least they found that the place was equipped with working lights.

Leaving their luggage in the hallway, Nikolai and Taya just explored, opening all windows to air out the place. There was a parlor downstairs, as well as a study, a kitchen, three servant rooms, and a storage chamber. Upstairs were bathrooms and generous bedrooms, offering a stunning view of the ocean. The sunsets from this place would be quite the sight, Taya thought.

The furniture had been covered in sheets to prevent them from dusting, but they would still need to air out all linens, pillows and covers the next day. "Seems like your ancestors were quite the passionate sailors", Nikolai announced, as he joined Taya upstairs. He had found some old photographs and paintings in the study, showing her grandfather and great grandfather in this estate together with sea captains or standing in front of ships themselves.

Taya looked at them with interest, seeing them for the first time. "I didn't know that. But maybe it explains why I always wanted to go to sea.", she ran a finger over one of the photographs, realizing how much her grandfather resembled her father. A pang of pain shot through her, but she didn't allow it to take over. She would make her family proud by doing her best to carry on their legacy instead of shedding tears.

_____________________

After two days, Nikolai and Taya had settled into their little sea estate. Seeing as the linen had continued to smell of stuffy room, Taya had simply brought fresh ones in town. Not wanting any servants to disturb their peace, the couple took care of everything themselves and Taya discovered that she knew nothing about actual housekeeping. But it was fun to learn and try, even though the first meal she attempted to cook ended up being more burnt than edible.

Nikolai caught some fish, which they roasted over a fire and that tasted better than anything Taya had eaten in a while. Still, they decided to start eating in town to be among people and see what they lived like. Taya had bought some local clothes, allowing the two to blend in and for Nikolai to go unrecognized. It was lovely, living a normal life without duties or burdens.

"One day, when we are old and grey, I hope we can sit here and watch the sunset as well.", Taya said on the last evening of their stay, when the two were sitting in front of the house by the cliff, waiting for the sun to turn the ocean into the stunning shades of orange and purple Taya admired.

Nikolai smiled at her. It would be a lovely future indeed. "And who will be running Ravka?"

"Not us, for sure.", she replied with a laugh. "I suppose it would be our son."

A son. Nikolai had never thought about children before. He had been too busy being Sturmhond, getting the crown, fighting a civil war or just being Tsar. But now that she had said it, the vision would not leave his head. What would their son look like? Would his hair be darker? And whose eyes would he inherit? He hoped it would be his mothers, for he loved the blue more than he could put into words. He also hoped he would have Taya's personality, far more suitable for a ruler.

"If we do have a son, let's name him Mikhail. After my father.", she suddenly added. It was common for a prince to carry the name of a former ruler, an ancestor from the father's side, but Taya was ready to break with that tradition.

"Mikhail... I like it.", Nikolai said finally, his arm sneaking around Taya, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Though if he ends up anything like us as children, I feel sorry for us already." Both laughed and then just enjoyed the spectacular colors of the sunset before them.

________________________________

After the trip, Nikolai returned to work with newfound purpose and energy. He wanted to build a strong Ravka for the people and for the future. He wanted a stable country should he and Taya indeed have a son one day. He was also more determined than ever to finally marry the woman, who had been by his side for so long.

"I have an important task for you.", he announced, as Genya entered his office one afternoon. "But I must ask for utter discretion."

"Of course.", the redhead vowed, looking more and more intrigued.

"I need you to plan something"

"A Wedding?!", Genya almost squealed. "Your wedding?!"

Nikolai didn't even have a chance to answer before Genya rushed forward, both hands slamming on his desk. "I have everything thought out already.", she announced. "I have been planning this since your coronation. It needs to be a grand affair, of course. Worthy of a Tsar. But it definitely needs personal elements. I'm thinking of a lot of blue highlights to symbolize your time at sea and Taya being a Grisha and..."

"Genya... Genya.. slow down.", Nikolai spoke, even though he felt almost guilty interrupting her. She seemed so excited and he was glad to know that he had so many people behind him.

"Oh, I apologize."

Nikolai smiled, shaking his head. "No need. But what I specifically want from you is a design for a ring. Traditionally, Taya would get the Lantsov Emerald, but that is off the table.", he explained. "But I don't just wanna choose something from the treasury. I want something especially made for her. Something meaningful."

So it wasn't a wedding, but Genya was still excited nevertheless. "Oh, I will think of something!" It would be blue, she thought, but it definitely needed elements of green to hint at the traditional emerald. Without a second to waste she got to work, while Nikolai went back to planning on how he could ask Taya to marry him again.

The last proposal had been a lousy one, he thought. Absolutely not worthy of a future Queen and especially not worthy of someone like Taya. She wouldn't like an over-the-top gesture, he figured, but it had to be special nevertheless. Perhaps the finished ring would offer more inspiration.

He had no idea that he would not be asking Taya for quite some time...

[viterbofangirl]

first line meme!

@fallynleaf​ said in her post to consider myself tagged, so I’m happily indulging in this lil’ ego boost! Thanks for the opportunity, m’dear! ^_~

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!

NB- These are all unfinished and unposted WIPs. It behooves me to note that some of these are not at all recent. However, they ARE fics that have “first lines” at all, which is not necessarily a given as my Creative Muse is obnoxiously nonlinear in her inspirations.

~~~~~

1- The Gray Ghost had suffered some engine trouble somewhere on Interstate 65, so Mom and Dad hadn’t managed to make it to Chuck’s wedding. (Early Edition: ”Belly Up to the Bar”, a canon-compliant continuation of the episode “Occasionally Amber”, Gary/Toni except kinda not really because she’s totally pissed)

2- Oracle, Texas. 1878. A gnarled husk of a town still trying to deny that its glory days are past. (”Gunslinger”, my serious treatment/retelling of the Roger Corman western)

3- The gate clanged shut behind him, and Meng Yao took a deep, steadying breath. (MDZS: ”Leverage”, an Untamed AU based on inspired by pretty much continuing @littlesmartart​‘s brilliant setup and concept)

4- Many, many nights would Jiang Cheng lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling and pondering the razor’s edge of chance he’d toed. (MDZS: an Untamed chengqing fic set post-canon, current working title is “Second Chances” but I don’t like it)

5- Napoleon Solo flipped though an outdated magazine with little real interest as he lounged in one of the chairs lining the lobby of the car rental establishment. (TMFU (2015): ”Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, a fic set in my “Eight Strapping Daughters” universe where it is currently 1987 and Gaby and Illya have had eight daughters, any of whom are capable of taking over the world... and all of whom are about to spend the day at a shopping mall)

6- He felt the phone vibrating in his pocket. (Sailor Moon: ”Moon Revenge”, a Minako/Kunzite bodyguard AU)

7- The Moon was visiting Earth. (Sailor Moon: ”No Miracle for the Likes of Us”- another working title- which is Venus/Kunzite-centric exploration of the end of the Silver Millenium)

8- Chibi-Usa hasn’t stayed very long after Helios departed. (Sailor Moon: ”Rebirth AU”- you guessed it... working title- a Minako/Kunzite-heavy-but-not-exclusive AU that deviates from the manga/SM Crystal canon after the end of the Dead Moon Circus arc where the Shitennou are revived and the events of Star never occur)

9- Monday, 7:00 AM: Alarm goes off.

Monday, 7:00:08 AM: Alarm thrown across room. (Sailor Moon: “Codename: Teen Idol ‘Dite”, a side arc set in the above AU where, lacking any catastrophic galactic conflicts to fight against, Minako is going out of her mind with boredom and takes an undercover job as an idol as part of a police/Interpol sting operation)

10- Normally, Salazar Slytherin took great pride in his self-control. (Harry Potter: ”Release”, a short Hogwarts founders one-shot involving a maddening magical construction project and a sudden bout of swearing)

11- It was the first truly warm day since winter had broken, and Salazar Slytherin wandered the grounds with no purpose or destination in mind, simply basking in the sunlight until he began to feel the chill of the dungeons recede from his bones. (Harry Potter: ”And Treat Them All the Same”, a Hogwarts founders story about Helga Hufflepuff’s background and why she feels very strongly about equal treatment)

12- Salazar Slytherin stared at the wardrobe for another minute before finally deciding to throw another fur over his fur-lined cloak, leather jerkin, and wool tunic.  (Harry Potter: another one-shot Hogwarts founders fic with a teeny bit of Helgazar where the very cold-blooded Slytherin has to deal with a snowball fight, currently but not definitively titled “Snow Day”)

13- As the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, Brooklyn burst through the thin stone crust encasing him, his awakening roar shifting into a yawn as he stared blearily at the skyline and tried to remember what century he was in. (Gargoyles: ”Return of the Time Dancer”, Brooklyn’s return to New York- family in tow- after his Phoenix Gate adventures)

14- The couple breaking their fast that morning were strikingly handsome, if perhaps past the most fashionable age. (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Pride and Prejudice: “Scarlet Impressions”, a crossover fic that pretty much unfolded itself when I a) crunched numbers regarding the dates and years of respective storylines and b) realized that while Lizzy and Marguerite would get on like a house on fire, Darcy’s only possible reaction to Sir Percy would be unmitigated horror poorly repressed due to the latter’s much higher social standing)

15- Paris really was lovely this time of year. (MCU: “Threads and Patches: Part One”, first part of a three-part Clintasha AU set after the events of Civil War and most emphatically *not* farm-family friendly)

16- The briny air filled her lungs to bursting, but she continued to draw in breath until it hurt. (Highlander the Series: “The Mad Viking Saga”... because, frankly, EVERYONE should have an Immortal™ self-insert character and I refuse to apologize or feel ashamed of mine)

17- “Your Highness?  The oracle is here.” (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas: “Sinbad and the Garden of the Hesperides” a sequel to the animated movie that actually should be titled “Proteus and the etc., etc.” bc it’s mostly about him and giving him the ending I think he deserves, a.k.a. an OC love interest and a chance for adventure while on a quest to save his city from a plague)

18- Bare feet pounded on the hot, rough pavement as Sinbad dashed around another tight corner. (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas: “Fast Friends”, an eight-chapter prequel telling the story of how Sinbad and Proteus met and grew up together, wherein each chapter progresses with each year they know each other from when they meet to when Sinbad leaves)

19- Reed was well-known as your stereotypical absent-minded professor. (Fantastic Four: “Shut Up and Dance With Me”, a Reed/Sue fluffy one shot where Reed is adorable because fight me)

20- The spaceport on Aruus Minor reeked of fuel, welding torches, and sweaty coveralls, but it was a welcome change from the recycled air of the Lambda shuttle. (Star Wars Legends Expanded Universe (BITE ME DISNEY): “Everything Unsaid”, a Luke/Mara chance encounter set during the we-share-an-unbearable-degree-of-compatibility-to-say-nothing-of-the-overwhelming-sexual-tension-but-both-of-our-lives-are-kind-of-a-mess-and-neither-of-us-feels-ready-to-deal-with-our-feelings-for-each-other-so-we’ve-individually-decided-to-just-ignore-said-feelings-while-simultaneously-being-drawn-to-each-other-whenever-we’re-so-much-as-in-the-same-fucking-hemisphere years)

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WHEW! Well, it sure was fun to tease all my followers with a taste of fics that will neverrr be finished! As far as patterns go, seems I tend to prefer either set-up paragraphs or punchy one-to-three-liners intended to trick intrigue people into reading further. My favorite is definitely #9. It’s a diary/log of Minako’s day, and her POV is hilarious and sooooo much fun to write like that!

Anyone who wishes to participate should consider themselves tagged, and PLEASE TAG ME IF YOU DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE!