#I imagine the dawning look on E&E's opponent's face

[softlysilverfountainsfall]

Imagine someone telling Elrond (and/or Elros) that something is impossible.

"Oh? Impossible?

"Like how remarriage was impossible? Like how a Maia and an elf marrying and having a child was impossible? Like how crossing the Helcaraxe was impossible? Like how walking into Thangorodrim to rescue someone was impossible? Like how leading an entire people across the Valley of Dreadful Death was impossible? Like how one elf gravely wounding Morgoth was impossible? Like how breaking unbreakable chains was impossible?

"Like how bespelling Morgoth and his entire court to sleep was impossible? Like how walking into Angband and stealing a Silmaril from Morgoth's very crown was impossible? Like how a Man returning from Mandos was impossible? Like how an elf choosing mortality was impossible? Like how a Man and Elf marrying each other was impossible? Like how successfully sailing to Valinor was impossible? Like how convincing the Valar to aid the Noldor in fighting Morgoth was impossible?"

Elrond (or Elros) smiled. "Impossible has never stopped anyone in my family before."

[blackcloverdatabase]

English Translation of Novel 2: Chapter 4 - Captains' Dinner Party (Part 1 of 2)

Here is my first translation of the Black Clover novels. These chapters are huge, so I’m splitting this chapter into two parts, making this section about 6500 words long. This first half features Marx and Julius at the beginning, then transitions into the dinner party itself. Asta and Yuno also get mentioned in a hilarious kind of way. It’s a lot of fun to see the captains interact with each other! I think I nearly died a few times while I was translating this…

--- Captains' Dinner Party ----

As a close associate of the Wizard King, Marx uses his memory and communication magic with absolute precision. He is a capable man. His incredible ability is made evident by the fact he alone is the Wizard King’s close associate, who has been entrusted to his duties. As we all know, the Wizard King is the one who stands at the top of the Magic Knights.

Of course, Marx does not take on half of the Wizard King’s duties by himself. There are several people who support him. However, right now, Marx is the only one who reports directly to the Wizard King. There are those who act as imperial guards or advisers in times of emergency, but Marx generally acts as the Wizard King’s sole support.  

In short, he is doing work that should be done by several people all on his own. Moreover, the current Wizard King, Julius Novachrono, disappears at every opportunity. It’s never related to his work, either. Rather, he’ll say “I’ve heard a rumor about some interesting magic in one of the neighboring towns”, and, like a mischievous boy, casually disappear for that reason. While protecting this (42-year-old) mischievous boy, Marx busily performs his daily duties. His position is one that a person without ability can never handle.

 But now……

“……Everyone, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with me here today.”

Marx muttered through his teeth as a drop of cold sweat lined his noble face. His manner of behavior was clumsy, unbefitting of the capable man he is. He felt that he could throw up at any moment.

‘Why did things have to come to this…?’ he thought.

“…Hey, bowl-cut. Quit it with the formalities and get started already.”

The meeting place was the conference room of the Magic Knights’ main headquarters. Strewn across the table were many delicious-looking meat and vegetable dishes, as well as iced alcoholic beverages. There were also pots of food evenly spaced apart on the table, as well as…

“……Be quiet, Yami. A hideous man like you may not know this, but everything has a code of etiquette,” rebuked the Captain of the Blue Roses, Charlotte Roselei.

With her dispassionate reply, the others around the table began to speak up one-by-one.

“Huuuh? But, at this rate, the beer’s gonna get warm! Tepid beer offends my mana.”

“Kah kah. You two should stop getting to know each other so well! Marx can’t move on with you guys chatting so much!”

“Wh-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-Who’s getting along with each other!? Jack, don’t say such nonsense!!”

“Huh? Charlotte-san, why do you look a little happy……Eeek!?”

“……Young deer. The next time you speak, don’t be surprised if you find my thorns shoved down your throat.”

With Fuegoleon and Poizot absent, only seven of the nine captains were present. They were summoned by the Wizard King. A stormy aura emanated from them as they sat surrounded by pots.

“W-well then, at the very least, let’s toast…..”

Faced with such an explosive atmosphere, Marx forced a smile on his face and stood up.

“E-everyone! Today, let’s celebrate and get this party in full-swing……Cheers!”

And so, the dinner party from Hell began.

 --- A few hours before the hellish party began ---

 “……A dinner party for the captains?”

“That’s right. I’m thinking we should make today’s Magic Knight Conference like that.”

Marx and Julius had such an exchange earlier that day in the underground storehouse at the Magic Knight’s headquarters. They had heard that two members of the Black Bulls, Luck and Magna, captured an extremely difficult dungeon and brought the relics stored there into the kingdom. Of course, the two did not carry all those relics by themselves. At their request, Magic Knights from headquarters came to help them, but the dungeon was so full of relics that it took half-a-day to carry it all back. The relics were sent to the Magic Appraisal Division for appraisal, and, knowing that all of them have high research value, the Wizard King came to watch.

“Ooooh! Hey, hey Marx-kun! Look! This is amazing! This black skull is falling apart, but if you inject it with magical power, it becomes as good as new!”

…...Well, the other reason Julius came was to satisfy his curiosity.

“I must say, Magna-kun and Luck-kun are impressive, triumphing over ten opponents like that~! I want to ask them about it, but I wonder if they returned to their hideout already?”

“No, I’ve heard that they said they have some errands to take care of in Seitan, a village in the Forsaken Realm, so they left right away…They might have already left Seitan, but would you like me to try contacting them?”

“Hmmm…… no. They must be tired after a mission like that. Let’s let them rest…… More importantly, look! They say this skeleton has a magic room inside its body! This right here is supposed to be the switch to activate it!”

“Oh? As one would expect, all the relics from this dungeon are highly advanced…… wait, hold on!”

He was almost caught up in Julius’s pace. If you respond to him thoughtlessly, this magic maniac will babble on and on endlessly about magic.

“About the dinner party… well, that is, why do you think we need to do such a thing?”

“Why, you ask? ……Because we’re all comrades in the very same Order of the Magic Knights.  I don’t think we need any other reason than that to eat and drink together.”

“That’s true, but……”

That’s not what Marx was trying to say.

“Certainly, they have known each other for a long time now, and they all have their own personal connections with each other, but… this is hard for me to say, but, from what I’ve seen, their relationship with each other is indisputably bad. With everyone being like that, I’m not sure if they’ll be able to enjoy it……”

To put it plainly, this dinner party is going to be an incredibly unpleasant experience for everyone involved… is what he tried to imply, but Julius responded with an affable tone as he fumbled around with the skull.

“Yeah, the dinner party is probably going to be so unpleasant that you’ll want to die. Ha ha, I’ll remember you fondly, Marx-kun.”

‘I should kick this old bastard’s skull in!’ Such dangerous thoughts, which would most certainly be considered national treason if he did it, sometimes crossed Marx’s mind.

“But, you know, that is precisely why I’m throwing this party.”

With those words, Julius looked away from the skull in his hands and toward Marx.

“We’ve received a declaration of war from the Eye of the Midnight Sun, and we’ve been betrayed by Gueldre. Moreover, the Diamond and Spade Kingdoms are becoming increasingly aggressive. Now that we have more perils and unease, the Magic Knights must become more monolithic…… We’ve talked about this several times now, haven’t we?”

“……Yes.”

After Marx meekly nodded his head in agreement, Julius took a breath and continued,

“And, you know that I’ve been working these past few weeks in order to give form to that idea, right?”

“……Yes. Revealing the traitor in the Magic Knights, encouraging joint missions like what happened in Kiten, as well as the trial introduction of the new system called Experience Enrollment*…… and more, right?”

“Yup, that’s about it as far as mission-related tasks go.”

Strictly speaking, that’s all he’s done so far as the Wizard King. However, the truth is, there is one more thing he did behind the scenes. It’s true that Magna and Luck have just traversed a dungeon that has never been explored before, and they brought back a number of treasures. However, it was Julius who induced them into doing so. Julius knew that the Black Bulls were looking for a way to fix Asta’s arms, so he chose an extremely difficult dungeon that most likely held rare treasures.  He then used his transformation magic to transform into an old woman, told Magna about the dungeon at the black market, and gave him some hints about how to capture it. Whether or not they could capture it successfully was a bit of a gamble, and they did not find any clues about how to cure Asta’s arms (Well, it turned out that Asta had already healed his arms at the Witches Forest, anyway). Nonetheless, as a result, they became much stronger and successfully brought back the dungeon’s treasures.

Because of this achievement, the number of stars the Black Bulls have acquired now stands at 101, making them second only to the Golden Dawn. What was once the worst Magic Knight squad has clawed its way to the top in a flash. This will agitate the other knights and spur them on to work even harder. In other words, they must learn to cooperate with each other now more than ever. Though indirect, their efforts will serve as a great steppingstone for the Magic Knights to come together.

Of course, not everything will go smoothly. Still, just a little movement behind the scenes produced such magnificent results. For him, these results are more than enough.

“……What is it, sir? You suddenly started smiling,” Marx asked quizzically.

This made Julius realize that what he was thinking was showing on his face.

“Huh? Ah, no, ha ha, nothing really! I haven’t been doing anything behind your back, I swear!”

“……I haven’t said anything, yet…”

“…………”

Marx stared at him for some time before sighing in defeat.

“Well, it’s fine……I can more or less imagine what you did,” Marx said as he surveyed the piles of treasure in the room. He is truly a capable man.

“……So, what you’re saying is… this ‘Captain's dinner party’ is also an essential part of your plan to unite the Magic Knights?”

“Y-yup. That’s right.”

Julius cleared his throat as if to recollect his thoughts.

“I, too, am aware of the current state of their relationship. Though they aren’t exactly on bad terms with each other, it’s certainly not a relationship where they can laugh and eat together…… However, don’t you think it’s a problem if the Captains, who are supposed to set a good example for their squads, stay like this forever?”

“I completely agree with you, but I don’t think their relationship is going to improve after one or two dinners……”

“And it’s almost time for the Star Festival, you know? And I think I’ll probably be asked again, probably by either the King himself or one of the Royals “Are the captains working together properly?” …or something like that.”

Julius intercepted Marx’s words with a bored look on his face. Marx knew that Julius always makes that face whenever he talks about political matters.

“Well, I can be evasive if I need to be… but don’t blame me if something happens. The mere act of having a dinner party should have a little bit of appeal, I would think, which should improve their relationship a bit.”

It was only a few weeks ago since the attack on the royal capital, when royalty tried to place the blame on the Magic Knights. At the time, they were able to gain the people’s support, but that may not be the case next time. If such a thing were to happen again and the blame were put on discord amongst the captains, he wouldn’t know how to respond. Of course, Julius genuinely wants them to deepen their friendships with each other, and he also finds political diplomacy to be genuinely boring. However, one must pay attention to those trying to drag you down and prepare countermeasures accordingly.

“Sir……”

While Julius was thinking, for some reason, Marx had a look of admiration on his face as he said,

“You’ve been thinking about such delicate topics this much……!?”

“Sometimes I think about these things, just like how you sometimes don’t think of me as the Wizard King, right?”

‘Sometimes, you think of me as just a mischievous old man, right?’ he thought to himself.

“I was joking earlier…… However, I understand. If you’ve thought it through to this degree, then I will do all I can to help you,” Marx said with his hand in a three-leaf salute, his face finally breaking into a smile.

“Thank you.”

Julius expressed his gratitude with a small smile.

“……Well, I also have some personal reasons for doing this,” he said to himself quietly.

“Huh? I’m sorry, did you say something?” Marx asked Julius, but, by then, Julius’s usual smile had already returned to his face.

“No, it’s nothing. Well then, I hate to ask this of you, but can I leave preparations for the party to you?”

“……I understand. Are there any dishes in particular you think we should serve?”

He was a little worried, but he focused on asking pragmatic questions. The dinner was going to be in a few hours, so if he did not start preparing right away, he would never finish in time.

“Anything’s fine, but…… how about hot pot dishes? I heard from Yami that the people from his homeland all gather around a pot, strengthening their bonds with each other.”

“Understood. I’ll arrange for that, then.”

Hot pot dishes… it’s not a dish typically seen at parties in the Clover Kingdom. It’s a tall order, but that won’t stop him from preparing it.

“You have my thanks. Well then, I’m going to investigate these magic tools a little more.”

“That’s fine, but……”

Marx looked around the width of the room again with a bitter smile.

“Don’t get so engrossed in them that you arrive late to the party. I won’t be able to handle their questions by myself.”

“Ha ha! Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!” he said with a grin as he returned his attention to the skull. Marx made one more bitter smile from behind Julius before leaving the room.

“A hot pot party for the captains…… the atmosphere is probably going to be strained, but there’s going to be alcohol, and, above all, Julius is going to be there. Certainly, everyone will behave themselves to some extent if they are before the Wizard King.”

“Right, as long as the Wizard King is there.”  

 With that, we return to the present, while the starting toast is occurring…

 ‘……. That old bastard isn’t here!!!!!!!’

Marx screamed internally as the amount of sweat drops on his face increased twenty-fold. To make matters worse, not a single one of the captains raised their glasses for the toast. He went to retrieve Julius ten minutes before the party was to begin, and yet, for whatever reason, he wasn’t there. Instead, there was a note which read “I’m testing the skeleton’s functionality in a separate room. Please start the party without me.”

After being hit with that bombshell, Marx frantically began to search for him, but he wasn’t in any of the adjacent rooms, and he couldn’t even feel his mana. His communication was also cut off, as usual. As he hustled and bustled about, the time came for the party, so he reported Julius missing and started the party. However……. just as he expected, the atmosphere was terrible.

“Please calm down, Charlotte-san! Why are you so mad!?”

The party has barely even started and yet Charlotte, whose face was red for some reason, was shooting her thorns at the Captain of the Aqua Deer, Rill Boismortier.

“……S-shut your mouth, Rill. I’m merely teaching you how you should speak to your seniors!”  

“Uh, no! I mean! It really feels like you’re trying to kill me…… ow, ouch! One of your thorns cut me!”

Sitting beside them were the Captains of the Green Mantis and the Black Bulls, Jack the Ripper and Yami Sukehiro. A turbulent aura surrounded them as they began to quarrel.  

“Hey, Rose lady. Stop scarin’ the deer kid. Look, he’s shiverin’ like a newborn baby.”

“Kah kah! Yami, you’re the one who started this mess!”

“No way, isn’t this happenin’ because a certain skin-and-bone-head decided to say somethin’ that would push her buttons? I bet your brain is as emaciated as your face. You poor thing.”

“HUUH!?”

Sitting across from them was the Captain of the Golden Dawn, William Vangeance. Rather than do anything to stop the quarrel, he simply sat there and smiled as he usually does.

“Fu fu. Everyone is getting along as well as ever, I see…… Even so, the Wizard King certainly is late.”

Sitting beside him was the Captain of the Silver Eagles, Nozel Silva. He hasn’t uttered a single word since the beginning of the party. A sullen aura of displeasure radiated out from him.  

“………zzz”

And finally, beside Nozel sat the Captain of the Coral Peacocks, Dorothy Unsworth.

“……zzz……zzz……..zzz……..nom, chew chew……zzz”

Whenever she is asleep, there is often a snot bubble coming from her nose. This must mean she’s asleep right now, yet somehow, she’s eating. There are many things about her that are simply incomprehensible. In any case, aside from Marx, there was not a single other person interested in calming the place down. There was no sign that Julius was ever going to come, either. He has been trying to use his communication magic, but he still hasn’t been able to connect with Julius.

‘……As I expected, I’ll have to try to do something by myself.’

“W-wow! I prepared all this food myself, but I must say, this is a delicious-looking assortment of ingredients!!”

In an attempt to change the atmosphere of the party, Marx began throwing ingredients into the pot. While he was doing that, he turned toward Yami, who was still arguing with Jack.

“I heard this hot pot cooking is a dish from Yami’s homeland. But what’s the most delicious way to eat it? Ha ha, please teach me, Captain Yami!”

“Dunno!”

“…………”

With that single word, Yami went straight back to arguing with Jack. His eyes had met Marx’s for a single instant, revealing a killer’s glare.

“……. Ah, I see. Ha ha, that’s right! What’s most delicious is going to be different depending on the person, right? I’m sorry.”

Marx felt as if his heart was about to break. He needed to find someone to talk to so that he could recover. Just now, his conversation partner and his timing were both terrible. This time, he’ll find someone who looks more open to conversation……

“Ah, C-captain Nozel! Do you like poultry!?”

At that moment, Nozel, who was reaching for some roast duck, shifted his gaze toward Marx. He may be hard to talk to, but if it’s a conversation about his favorite foods, he’ll open up a little. At least, that’s what he thought……

“Kah kah, come to think of it, I’ve never seen ya eat or drink before, Nozel!”

“Oh, he’s eating! Somehow, I feel kinda moved by seeing this. It’s like watchin’ a feral cat who doesn’t let you pet it finally eat the food you put out for it for the first time… I feel like I’m gonna tear up.”

……This is the worst. Jack and Yami paused their fight to poke fun at Nozel. They both must have decided that teasing him is more interesting than fighting with each other. However, their target ignored them and continued to eat his meal with refinement. Marx isn’t sure whether he should be surprised by this development of if he should have expected it. After all, Nozel knows very well how those two are. However, even though he looked calm…

“Kah kah, a cat!? But, now that ya mention it, he’s totally like a cat! A very prideful cat!”

“Yeah. When you think of him like that, he starts lookin’ kinda cute.”

This made Nozel’s forehead muscles twitch, but then the two pushed even further.

“Cute? With that sour look on his face? Kah kah! What the hell are you lookin’ at?”

“Nah, he’s cute. It’s the braid, y’know? He does that every mornin’ cuz’ he wants to look cute.”

“……Hey, that’s enough you two!”  

Rill exploded. He puffed out his cheeks and pointed at Nozel’s braid.

“Nozel-san thinks his braid is cool! Seeing him get made fun of for that is just too pitiful…… Eeek!”

In the blink of an eye, Nozel thrust a spear of mercury into Rill’s throat.

“Huh, wait, what!? Why!? I was just trying to back you up! Besides, didn’t Yami-san and Jack-san say way worse things about you!?”

“……Silence. You’re hopeless.”

“Why are you being so unreasonable? ……Hey, o-ouch! Wait, the cut I got from those thorns earlier is even larger now!?”

Marx quietly looked away from the chaos that was ensuing between them. Nozel is certainly being unreasonable, but, no matter how you look at it, Rill is suffering the consequences for what he said. Let them handle their own problems, he thought.

“……H-hey, Yami”

After Marx made his cruel decision, Charlotte, who was sitting beside him, quietly divided the contents of the pot into small plates as a faint blush colored her cheeks.

“……Since I was already taking my portion, I decided I might as well make a plate for you, too…… I-it’s in the way, so hurry up and eat it,” she said as she placed a small plate in front of Yami.

……Come to think of it, ever since he told her that today’s meeting will be a dinner party, she has been acting a little strange. It seemed like she had to muster up her courage when she sat next to Yami, and she looked rushed when she did it. Even after the party started, she has been acting as if she was trying to get the timing right on something.  

Could it be that she wants to look after Yami? He wasn’t sure what her intentions were, but if that was what she was trying to do, then he’s very grateful. If she can hold Yami in check, then Jack should calm down a little, too. That would rein in the two biggest troublemakers here.

Just as Marx was getting his hopes up, Yami and Jack turned toward each other,

“……Hey, Yami, because you started saying weird shit, now even Charlotte has started acting out of character…. What the hell!? What the hell is up with this enigmatic woman!? Talk about terrifying!”

“I don’t know! H-hey Charlotte……Wha-what is your aim here? I-is it my life you’re after?”

“Y-you cretins!! I was trying to do you a favor!!”

“Wooooooooooooow, what a delicious-looking dish!! Y-Yami, if you won’t eat it, then I wiiiiiiiiiiilllllll!!”

Just as Charlotte was about to summon her thorns again, Marx speedily forced his way into the conversation.

“……Y-yes! Please eat it, Marx! I want nothing to do with this foolishness anymore!”

For just a moment, Charlotte’s face was like a demon’s, but then she replied with a pout as she pushed the plate onto Marx.

‘……I don’t really get what just happened, but, for now, the danger has been averted,’ he thought.

“Ah, I-I know! Captain Yami! You had Yuno-kun in your squad a few days ago for the Experience Enrollment! How was that!?”

Though he just averted one crisis, it was only a matter of time before they would provoke each other again, so he decided to change the topic of conversation.

“Ah, that’s right! I just remembered! Hey Goldy, I wanted to talk to you about that!”

Marx wasn’t sure if he chose the perfect conversation topic or if it was just his timing that was good, but Yami stopped arguing with Jack and turned toward Vangeance.

“Hand Yuno over, ya hear? Not as a trade. Give him to me free of charge.”

‘……Well, I successfully managed to start a conversation, but it sounds an awful lot like blackmail,’ Marx thought.

“Ha ha…… I’ve heard a little bit about what happened while he was with you, but does Yuno interest you that much?”

Vangeance replied with a smile as he gently swirled the contents of his cup. As far as Marx was aware, Vangeance is the only one who can behave so elegantly while being pressured by Yami.

“Yeah, I could make real good use outta him. He’s great at cookin’ and cleanin’, and he could buy my alcohol and cigs for me.”

“I heard about that from Yuno himself. When Sandler heard, he became very angry and said, ‘You may be a mere peasant, but to think he’d make members of our squad do things like that……’. I had never seen him make a face like that before.”

“Well, of course, I also think that Yuno’s magic is really somethin’ else. It’s really crazy, that spirit magic he has. Yuno’s magic by itself is strong enough, but with that spirit supportin’ him, all his other spells have gotten multiple times stronger.”

It is said that a spirit dwells in each of the four major attributes: earth, fire, wind, and water. Extraordinarily powerful magic that can only be wielded by those who have received the spirit’s blessing, that is spirit magic. Yuno has been blessed by the wind spirit, Sylph. She has already made significant contributions in many of his missions.

“He’s really somethin’. He dried the laundry so damn fast!”

That ability is not for housework.

“You get what I’m sayin’, right? So, hand him over.”

And it’s not something one can get so easily.

“Ha ha. No. You’re not even offering me anyone in return, you know?”

“Huh? What, you mean you’ll think about it if I trade ya for him? There’s someone on my team you want?”

“……Hmm, let me see.”

From behind his mask, a mischievous glint shone in his eyes.

“How about…… Asta-kun?”

“…………”

Everyone at the table paused in shock. This has to be a joke, the kind you usually make at a drinking party, they thought. Surely, neither of them was being serious. Still, even if they were joking, he brought up Asta’s name in a conversation about trading the Golden Dawn’s ace ……he’s essentially saying that Asta’s value is equivalent to Yuno’s. That peasant who doesn’t even have any magic? Everyone knows that Asta has been an excellent Magic Knight. His name has shown up frequently in recent reports, and some of the captains here have even fought together with him. However, not having any magical power whatsoever is too dire a handicap to have in the Magic Knights. Thus, everyone was shocked to hear Vangeance bring up his name. Marx wondered if he could sense some kind of potential in Asta.

“Huh, you kidding? You’d be fine with him? You can have him. His arms were broken until just a while ago, but he seemed fine yesterday, so feel free to use him however you want.”

However, Yami didn’t seem fazed, continuing to speak in his usual way.

“……Well, but,”

In the next instant, his mouth upturned into a provocative smirk as he said,

“I don’t think you’d be able to handle him.”

“……I wonder about that.”

For a brief moment, the two stood still, studying each other without a word.  

The atmosphere around them wasn’t unpleasant, but it was a peculiar air, as if the two were trying to measure something specific in the other. Just as Marx was getting ready to chip into the conversation,

“Fu fu, let’s leave the joke at that…. I won’t hand Yuno over to you. Everyone is expecting great things from him this year.”

“Huh~ What the hell? You stingy golden weird mask guy.”

“Ah ha ha…… huh? Was that always meant to be an insult? Not my nickname?”

With that, they started drinking again, smiling as they continued to converse with each other. Unlike before, when they seemed to be throwing riddles at each other, there was no unpleasantness at all between them, just genuine enjoyment of the moment.

If this keeps up, the other captains will probably get involved, and then they’ll all enjoy being part of a normal conversation. Marx felt a wave of relief wash over him, but then…

“Tch. Fine, fine. My brat has more guts than Yuno, anyway~”

Oh no. With that single sentence Yami casually blurted out, Vangeance’s smile stiffened by just a little bit.

“……I guess. Well, I think that Yuno has a considerable amount of guts, too. I haven’t tried to compare them before, so I can’t say this with certainty, but I don’t think that Yuno necessarily loses to Asta in that regard.”

“…………”

With those words, this time, it was Yami whose expression tightened a bit.

“……Naah. I don’t know about that. That Asta hates losing so much that he’d rather die, so I bet he’d come out on top. I can’t say that with certainty, though.”

“……Yuno also hates to lose. He told me himself that, during the raid on the Capital, the reason he was able to capture a member of the Eye of the Midnight Sun is because of how strongly he felt those very emotions.”

“Nah nah, if you’re gonna bring that up, Asta killed a ton of zombies during that very same attack.”

“He did, but Yuno defeated a member of their upper echelons. Because of him, we were able to obtain vital intel on the Eye of the Midnight Sun, wouldn’t you agree?”

“The only reason we were able to get that intel is because Asta used his sword to break the protection spell on them!”

“Huh, wait, what? Ha ha… what’s wrong, you two?”

Marx attempted to stop them, but his voice didn’t reach them, and the two continued their dispute. It’s probable that neither of them intended for this to happen. However, no matter what they might say, it’s clear that they both dote on their squad members. The two got more fired up with each exchange until their souls were practically screaming “My child is better than yours!”. Neither of them has had much alcohol yet, but perhaps the power of alcohol had at least something to do with it.  

……And then, finally,

“……Then, we’ll just have to do it.”

Yami spoke with a sharp gaze and a voice so low it could kill.

“You mean, we should summon them right here, right now, and have them fight until one of them collapses… right?”

“Hmmm…… I guess that will be fine.”

“THAT’S NOT FINE AT AAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!”

Marx finally decided it was time to intervene, but he was no longer in their field of vision. He was used to Yami being like this, but it was rare to see Vangeance’s eyes like that. It might even be the first time he has ever seen Vangeance like this.

‘So, this is how strongly he feels about his squad members……,’ Marx thought.

“P-please wait! Having them fight now is…… it’s definitely too sudden, don’t you think!? Plus, the two of them hail from the same village, right!? Suddenly making them fight each other would be too cruel!!”

“Actually, I’ve been told that fighting each other is how they’ve honed their practical combat skills since they were kids. We just want them to do that one more time, so I don’t think they would find our request particularly unreasonable.”

Vangeance was surprisingly calm as he said this, which suggests that he was never carried away by his emotions to begin with. He’s just that wicked. People who are calm and logical when they’re angry are the most frightening of them all.

“Well, that may be so, but…… they don’t need to fight right now, do they!? What about the dinner party!?”

“Would ya shut up already!? We can eat and drink while the two fight it out!”

“What!? That sounds just like what rich people with bad taste do for fun! You’ll traumatize them!”

To watch two people who grew up together like siblings fight to the death against their will! Only a demon would do such a thing and smile about it!  No, this man is called the God of Destruction for a reason. Come to think of it, if these two are saying things like this, then, most likely……

“Kah kah! Hey, Yami! Are you two planning to enjoy such an interesting spectacle without me?”

Just as Marx predicted, Jack joined the conversation.

“Let me in on this, too. And then I’ll cut up whoever wins.”

“Eeeh!? Jack-san is going to fight, too!?

It was as if a chain-reaction had begun. This time, it was Rill who responded, making sideways glances at Charlotte and Nozel as he spoke.

“A fu fu……Then, maybe I’ll go, too. I-it’s not like I feel really uncomfortable around certain people and am trying to get myself as far away from them as possible or anything!”

“……I don’t know what you are so fearful of, nor do I care, but I plan on coming as well.”

“Huuuuuuh!?”

Charlotte quietly declared her intent to participate, unconcerned with Rill, who’s eyes were wide with shock. Marx’s expression mirrored Rill’s as he sputtered,

“B-but…… Why you, too, Captain Charlotte!?”

“……Usually, I care not for whatever these men might do. However, the Star Festival will soon be upon us, an event of great importance. These foolish men need someone to keep an eye on them so that they don’t do anything stupid.”

For some reason, she kept stealing glances at Yami’s face as she spoke.

“……It’s dangerous to leave him unsupervised.”

For the second time that night, Yami and Jack exchanged looks after watching her behavior.

“……Hey, Jack. What’s up with her today? Dangerous to leave me unsupervised, she says……? Is she planning to follow me and… attack me from behind with her thorns!?”

“C-calm down, Yami! Try to remember! You probably did something to make her mad! You know, like… you defiled her honor or something!”

“…...I-I’m going to kill you!!”

“Please don’t!”

“C-captain Dorothy, Captain Nozel! You think it’s messed up to make Asta and Yuno fight, too, right!?”

Marx desperately called out as he shielded Yami with his body, arms outstretched. He didn’t have any faith that either of those two would join forces with him, but they were the only two who hadn’t yet entered the conversation. They were the last two he could possibly depend on, so he had no choice but to stake the last of his fleeting hopes on them.

‘……But, when you think about it, neither of them has been enjoying the party at all, but they haven’t done anything to spoil the party, either. No matter what they might say, that in itself could be evidence that they feel quite at home at this party, which means they might be willing to help me dissuade the other captains.’

Holding such hopes in his heart, Marx waited for either of them to make a response. However…

“……………………..”

“zzz………zzz…….zz zz, zzz-zz-zz…….zzz……zzz”

It was no good. Nozel’s eyes conveyed the message, “I don’t care. Bother me and I’ll break your spine in half”. Dorothy’s only response was her snores.

‘……As I thought, I’ll have to do something about this myself,’ Marx thought.

“P-please calm down, everyone! For now, let’s all sit back down! This dinner party is a formal banquet organized by the Wizard King, you know!? To disregard that would be unforgivable!”

He didn’t want to do this, but he decided he needed to borrow some of the Wizard King’s authority, so he mentioned him by name. Even so, he wasn’t sure if that would be enough to settle everyone down……

“……Or, how should I put it? Regardless of the fact this party was organized by the Wizard King, please do not abandon this banquet.”

Maybe he’s spilling the beans too soon. Maybe this banquet is all just a political maneuver.

“……The Wizard King established this banquet to deepen your friendships with each other.”

At the very least, he wanted them to know that fact.

“It’s true that I think this is a clumsy way to do it. It’s true that I think it’s hopeless. In fact, I think that it’s really irresponsible of that magic maniac to organize a banquet and not even show up! I’ve been thinking that, just once, I want someone to give him a good thrashing!”

“H-huh? Marx-san, are you trying to back him up? Or, do you just want to insult him?”

Rill’s voice was full of worry, bringing Marx back to his senses. He nearly let the daily frustrations he has built up erupt out of him.  

“A-anyway, it’s an undeniable fact that this banquet was prepared in consideration of your relationship…… So, I don’t want you all to quarrel like this at the banquet he prepared for you.”

“………”

With Marx’s desperate appeal, the entire banquet fell silent.

…This banquet has strayed far from what the Wizard King intended. At this point, even if the Wizard King were here, it would be impossible to fix. However, this was the only way Marx could think of to keep the party from falling to pieces. Just as he feared, getting this group to get along with each other was impossible……

“……What nonsense.”

Nozel retorted as he slowly stood up from his chair. His retort felt like an attack on an already defeated enemy. With that, he made his way toward the exit.

“……Ah, wait! Captain Nozel! Where are you going!?”

Nozel stopped and turned his head over his shoulder, looking back at Marx with frightfully cold eyes.  

“I’m going home. His goal was to deepen our friendships with each other, correct? However, with this banquet now in shambles, that will not come to pass. Therefore, it is pointless to remain here.”

“………”

He was right.

“……Or rather, do you not agree that this was impossible from the beginning? Me? Getting along with a commoner, a foreigner, and a fallen noblewoman?”

His cold gaze moved from person to person before meeting Marx’s gaze once more.

“It’s true that cooperation among the various squads of the Magic Knights will be essential as the war continues to intensify.  However, cooperation and familiarity are not synonymous. Rather, such half-baked acquaintanceships give birth to carelessness, and carelessness disrupts cooperation. Instead of wasting time on such meaningless gatherings, it would be more worthwhile to conduct joint exercises.”

“M-meaningless, you say……!?”

But he couldn’t refute what Nozel said. Though Marx felt that Nozel took things too far, none of what he said was incorrect. Even so, the Wizard King is…..!

“……Isn’t discussin’ that kind of thing one of the reasons that guy set this party up?”

“………!”

The one who said the very remarks Marx wanted to make was Yami. His eyes and tone were as extraordinarily deadpan as usual as he continued,

“Also, you’re right when you say that a half-assed friendship would only lead to careless mistakes, but if we don’t start by half-assing it, then it’ll never develop into real trust. That’s what strengthens collaboration…… not that I don’t understand where you’re comin’ from. I don’t wanna do it, either.”

“……Shut your mouth, foreigner. It was because of your ridiculous proposition that the order of this event was disturbed in the first place.”

“Ah, that whole thing about how we were gonna make Yuno and Asta fight? Yeah, I thought it would liven this place up a bit, but I guess we really shouldn’t. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Yami glanced at Vangeance, who apologized with a wry smile,

“Yeah. Ha ha, I guess that wouldn’t exactly bring us closer together, would it? Just as you said, I thought it would be nice to have them fight it out a little and then treat them to the food here, but…… certainly, it was an impudent proposal. We got carried away, and I apologize for that.”

“……huh?”

Marx’s eyes widened in shock.

‘Did those two come up with that idea in order to revitalize the banquet? By making all those objections and trying to keep everyone here against their will, did I end up ruining their idea and making the situation awkward for everyone……?’  

“Anyway, sit back down, Mr. ball-o’-pride. I’m not sayin’ you need to get along with all of us, but can’t you at least wait for the Wizard King to arrive? You can just tell him what you told us earlier and then leave, so you won’t have to stay much longer, y’know?”

“…….”

Just when Nozel opened his mouth to respond to Yami’s words, they heard the sound of something distorting.

“Oh… I finally got through to you.”

When he looked toward the direction of the sound, Marx saw the Wizard King’s face projected through his communication magic.

--- To be continued in Part 2---

I’ll post the next half of this chapter next week if all goes as planned. 

A note of explanation: “Experience Enrollment” is referenced in previous chapters of this novel. Though I haven’t translated those yet, it appears to be the name of the program for Magic Knights to spend a day working in a different squad. An example of this is when Asta works for the Golden Dawn in chapter 2 of this novel.

[boldly-ho]

Another Life - Chapter 12

Fandom: What We Do in the Shadows 

Pairing: Vladislav x Reader

Series Rating: E (See author’s notes)

Word Count: 2098

Chapter Summary: You realize vampires share more biological functions with humans than you’d previously thought. When Dawn brings home a one night, you find yourself wondering what your sex life may have been like over your forgotten year.

A/N: I bumped up the rating not because of this particular chapter, though it is borderline, but because I’ve decided to include some n s f w scenes going forward. As always, this is cross-posted to AO3.

You studied the playing cards in your hand before looking up at your opponent. Trying to read him was useless; you had no idea what he was thinking. He was unreadable. You quickly lowered your gaze as his eyes met yours.

“Any sevens?”

You jumped in your seat as you were once again answered with a screeching hiss. You put a hand against your chest as if to still your racing heart.

“Just say ‘go fish,’ Petyr, you’re going to give me a heart attack!”

You drew a card, only to immediately hand it over when he asked in his cold, rasping voice if you had any nines.

“Any twos?”

“Go fish.”

You sighed as you picked up another card.

“Any sevens?” Petyr rasped.

“Petyr!” You dropped the cards to bury your head in your hands and exclaim in exasperation. “Petyr,” you explained, “if you have a seven now, then you had one when I asked.”

He stared at you intently, and somewhat frighteningly, though you thought you saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

“Okay,” you announced, gathering up the cards. “That’s enough go fish tutorial for one evening. Anyway, I’m pretty sure Viago left a chicken or something in your room.”

Petyr shuffled off, back to his basement. You still spent relatively little time with Petyr as compared to your other flatmates. He did keep mostly to himself, and the one time you’d ventured down to his room in order to fetch him for something, you’d decided right then and there not to go back. His basement was filthy, covered in dust, debris, blood, and worst of all, dismembered skeletal remains. It was not an experience you wished to relive.

You dumped the deck of cards into a random drawer before exiting the kitchen and making your way to the communal bathroom. You had avoided that bathroom when you’d first moved in, partly because you had your own private en suite upstairs, and partly because you didn’t relish the idea of sharing a bathroom with four men. But, now you knew they weren’t men, not human men, at least, and didn’t use the bathroom. So, you’d been using it more or less freely. There were a few times it had been used to eat someone, but they were good about warning you, and you had yet to stumble into a bloodied room before Jackie had a chance to clean it up.

Poor Jackie…

Upon you reaching the bathroom, you pulled open the door. It was always kept shut, as it opened outwards into the hallway rather that inwards. You halted before entering, though, hand still on the doorknob, as the room was occupied.

Standing in the clawfoot bathtub was a tall, blond woman, probably the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen in real life, barely dressed, draped in sheer, red fabric. She was gently writhing where she stood, rubbing her body, and softly moaning. She didn’t seem to notice you standing in the doorway.

Suddenly, a face appeared directly in front of yours, only centimeters away, hissing violently. You let out a startled shriek at the instantaneous intrusion of your personal space, leaping back and slamming the door shut once again.

Your fight or flight response now abruptly over with, your brain was able to register what you had seen. Vladislav had dropped from the ceiling, his upside down face stopping directly in front of your right side up one, and hissed you out of the room.

Your heart was still pounding from the burst of adrenaline when the door flew open once again, nearly hitting you as it did so, to reveal Vladislav, still tying the sash of his red robe. His dark hair was fairly mussed, possibly from having just been upside down.

“I didn’t realize that was you,” he said calmly, almost too calmly given how quickly he had re-robed and opened the door. “Did you need something?”

You hesitated. You were a bit embarrassed of admitting your basic biological needs to someone who didn’t share them. Deciding to lie, you told him, “I just needed to wash my hands. Sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was in there. I’ll just go use my bathroom. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” At the word ‘interrupt,’ you quickly glanced down at his barely dressed body and back up to his face. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“Don’t worry about it. You can use the sink; she left.”

“She left?” you asked in surprise. “How did she leave?” The bathroom only had the one door, and was an interior room with no windows. You looked behind him to find that the woman was no longer standing in the tub, nor was she anywhere in your line of sight.

“She just left.” You must have looked as confused as you felt, because Vladislav then clarified, “She’s a succubus.”

A succubus?

“An actual succubus?” you asked. “Like a demon woman? A demon you can summon for…?” You let your sentence trail off rather than say aloud what you were pretty certain a succubus was.

“Yes,” he answered simply, his arms crossing in front of him.

“Oh.” You walked past him and made your way to the sink, deciding to keep up the charade by washing your hands and using your own bathroom upstairs later. “I didn’t realize succubi were real.” It was technically the truth, as they hadn’t been mentioned in your werewolves and witches discussion, and it moved the conversation in a different, less personal direction than it seemed like it was heading before.

“Oh, yeah. Succubi, incubi, demons in general.”

When he spoke, you instinctively looked up to find him in the mirror behind you, and felt a brief, uncanny, sinking dread in the pit of your belly when you obviously couldn’t see him. You recovered quickly though, and dried your hands on the dingy hanging towel before turning to face him.

“Well, sorry, again for, uh… that,” you finished lamely.

“It’s fine. I can summon another one.” He said it so nonchalantly, like he was talking about his laundry schedule rather than his plans to spend the evening with a literal sex demon.

You felt your face heat.

Vladislav excused himself and made his way up the stairs, presumably to summon another succubus from the privacy of his own bedroom, and you stayed in the bathroom, waiting a fair amount of time before heading up to your own room.

You hadn’t really considered that your flatmates were sexual beings. Who would they have been sleeping with anyway? You hadn’t know that succubi existed, and you hadn’t ever seen any female vampires hanging around the house. You were all but certain they weren’t sleeping with each other. Not that you’d given it much thought before now, though. If you had, you probably would have come to the conclusion that it would be ridiculous for all of them to remain celibate for hundreds of years. You sure as hell couldn’t imagine going that long without sex. Of course they had sex.

You’d seen them with human women when you went out clubbing with them, and once Vladislav had a brought a woman home for what you had thought at the time was a one night stand. But, all of that was before you knew they were vampires. After that revelation, you’d dismissed those women you’d seen with them as mere victims, which they probably were. There’s no way they slept with the people they killed.

And when Viago had come to an incorrect and inappropriate conclusion about what you and Vladislav were up to the night you got your cross pendant, supposedly based on Vladislav’s history with women, that couldn’t have meant human women... right? Well, you were a human woman, and Viago had still misunderstood the situation. You could almost physically feel your mind grappling with its own confusion. How would that even work? It’s not like they could consider their human victims as people or as individuals in the same way they would another vampire they were sleeping with, not without an astounding degree of cognitive dissonance, anyway. Though, it’s not like you had to care about someone in any way in order to have sex. That was the whole premise behind one night stands. You supposed it might be possible for a vampire to fuck someone just for the sake of fucking, then kill and eat them. After all, if the line isn’t drawn at murder, why would it be drawn at meaningless sex? If you had to get murdered, having decent sex beforehand would likely be better than not.

You pushed the topic from your mind as you headed upstairs. You really shouldn’t fixate on your flatmates’ sex lives.

~

The flat you shared with Dawn was a typical flat in just about every way, including that the walls were paper thin. That fact, and the fact that your bedrooms shared a wall in common, meant that you could plainly hear the noises coming from her room right now.

Dawn had told you she was bringing a Tinder date home, warning you well in advance. She’d dropped hints suggesting she’d rather you leave and give them run of the flat, but the sad fact was that you had nowhere else to go. She tried to get you to sign up for Tinder, and maybe find a date of your own for the evening, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You’d used Tinder before. It wasn’t as if you had any philosophical objections to dating apps. But it felt different this time, like you were doing something wrong.

So, you were holed up in your room, tucked into your bed with a bowl of popcorn and a water bottle, binging some forgettable show on Netflix while your flatmate and only friend was getting audibly railed only one paper thin wall away.

It was fine, honestly, not a big deal. Thin walls were thin walls. This was just how having flatmates was. Despite the fact that you didn’t know who this guy was, it was hardly the first time you’d had to listen to Dawn have sex. She’d dated her ex, Zach, for a long time, and he’d spent many nights at your apartment.

You plugged your earbuds into your laptop and turned up the volume, drowning out the noise. Problem solved.

Just like with Tinder, though, this felt different from before. When the noises started up, you hadn’t immediately put your earbuds in to block it out. Instead, you’d listened for a bit. Not with any perverted or voyeuristic intentions, though. The gasps, moans, and exclamations of two people having sex wasn’t an unfamiliar sound. You’d had flatmates for as long as you’d been an adult, and you’d been involved in such noisemaking yourself. No, it wasn’t unfamiliar. It was distant.

Sex seemed like something a lifetime away from you. Intangible and unreachable, almost mythic. You missed having sex. It was more than just feeling lustful, though. It wasn’t really a desire to get off; it was more so a desire for sex, itself. You had been feeling so alone. You craved the intimacy of it all. Bodies moving with each other, against each other, inside of each other. Sharing breath and sweat and fluid with another person. Feeling a pair of lips, their bruising pressure against your own. The pressing weight of a body on top of yours, pinning you down. The noises you could elicit from them, and the involuntary sounds they’d pull from you.

You weren’t even sure that the last time you remember having sex was the last time you had sex. It felt like a cosmic betrayal, that the universe or your own mind or whatever it was could have taken such memories, experiences, from you.

In fact, you were almost certain that it had.

If Dawn was correct, and you had, in fact, been in a romantic relationship for the better part of a year, then you’d be shocked if you hadn’t slept with him. Vlad. What had it been like? Had you been compatible? Was it any good?

Not for the first time, you found yourself wondering what he had looked like. But instead of contemplating his potential height, hair, eyes, or smile, you considered for the first time details like his hands. Were they big? With fingers that were long or fingers that were broad? How had his hands felt tangled in you hair, pressed against your hips, grasping at your breasts? Were his lips full or were they thin? What did they look like as he called out your name? How did they feel pressed against your own, pressed against your neck, moving against you as you bucked against them?

How could you not know these things?

You felt hot tears forming in the corners of your eyes, and a hard lump in your throat at the sheer injustice of your lost memories, and the utter helplessness you felt at getting them back.

[needtherapy]

soaring, carried aloft on the wind…continued 10

A story for Xichen and Mingjue, in another time and another place.

The Beifeng, the mighty empire of the north, invaded more than a year ago, moving inexorably south and east.

In order to buy peace, the chief of the Lan clan has given the Beifeng warlord a gift, his second oldest son in marriage. However, when Xichen finds out he makes a plan.

He, too, can give a gift to the Beifeng warlord, and he will not regret it.

Part 1: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 … HOME

It’s on AO3 here if that’s easier to read.

NOTES: This story starts out G but will eventually be E for Explicit.

For translations of the entirely fictitious Beifeng language, you’ll have to scroll to notes. I’m only going to translate something that’s not clear in the text. Sadly, there’s just not any other good way to do it on Tumblr!

Chapter 10

The next day dawns with perfect golden radiance, lighting a sky as blue as the eggs of the little brown catbirds that nest outside of the Cloud Recesses. It is too fine a day to spend inside, so instead of the hospital tents, Huaisang takes him and Qingyang to the fighting rings. 

“Huaisang, what does ‘sent home without a horse’ mean?” Xichen asks quietly, unfortunately not quietly enough for Qingyang not to hear him. But other than a slight pause in her step, she continues walking, head up, seemingly unconcerned. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it. It sounded somehow ominous.

Huaisang laughs. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s what we say. He’s going back alone, with only enough supplies to get him home, and no pay. ‘Without a horse’ is a lot faster to say. Also, he doesn’t get to take a horse, so...” Huaisang shrugs amiably. 

Xichen frowns. Huaisang may not want to dwell on the previous day’s ugliness, but Xichen thinks it’s a long way back over the mountains. He’s not sure if it concerns him or pleases him.

“Will he survive?”

It is Qingyang who answers with a scowl. “Undoubtedly. He’s a...gau. Gau marai. They always find their way.” 

A painfully sharp rock, one of the many fascinating swear words Xichen’s Orera vocabulary is now in possession of. It’s a remarkably apt description.

Patting Xichen on the arm, Huaisang grins, but there’s iron behind it. “She’s right. He’ll be fine, Xichen. Even if it hadn’t been you and Qingyang, no one is allowed to harm anyone we’ve given sanctuary to. It would be a bad precedent. Don’t worry about it. It’s our way. Look!”

He points ahead of him and Xichen stares. It is not fighting rings. It is a fighting arena. Unlike the two-person circular spaces Xichen is used to training in, the Beifeng soldiers are sparring in twos and threes within a single, enormous rectangle. Fighters dance in a chaotic melee through the space, using each other as screens, blocking around other fighters, and Xichen can’t imagine how they keep track of their sparring partners, much less avoid killing each other. He wants to try it so badly his feet tap in solidarity, and he has to resist imitating some of the better combinations he sees.

“Yes, I am showing off a little, but there’s a purpose, I swear,” Huaisang admits, seeing Xichen’s wide-eyed interest. “After you healed anakau, and after yesterday, we realized it might also be helpful for you to understand more about how our soldiers fight and get wounds. Since we can’t very well send you into battle, this will have to do.”

Xichen listens to Qingyang and Huaisang’s explanations and translations of the different weapons being used: long double-edged jian (iraho), single-edged swords similar to the dao he knows (ipira), curved blades he’s never seen before (ipiramotou), even pairs of daggers (maheti). He tries to pay attention to Huaisang’s dissection of the Beifeng training regime, but he’s too engrossed in watching the fighters.

The Beifeng wield their magic differently in battle, far less often than his people but with far more devastating effects. Xichen is used to the power being a part of him, and it comes through in every swing and block, but these soldiers look like they are creating magic in order to use it. They only deploy it when they have enough time to force their opponent back or when they duck around another sparring pair. Still, when they crook their fingers or draw lines in the air to pull that strange darkness into themselves, the release can send the other person flying, force them down like a heavy weight on their back, or even freeze a charging soldier in their tracks. Now Xichen is even more glad he stopped Damias before he could use this magic against him.

“Would you like to spar?” 

Huaisang’s question breaks through Xichen’s concentration, and he feels a pang of loss. After their mother died, the sparring ring is where Wangji and Xichen spent most of their time together, away from memories, away from other people, away from looming responsibility. His hands long to fight, but as childish as he knows it is, he misses his sword, and he misses his brother. He tries to evade the question.

“I do not have a sword.”

Huaisang claps Xichen on the back. “Zewu-Jun, I think we can find you a sword.” 

He whistles sharply to a man standing at the edge of the arena, shouting a command when the man’s head turns. Within moments, he is standing in front of Xichen, offering him his choice of jian or dao. They are both perfectly decent weapons, and Xichen’s pointlessly stubborn resistance fades. He picks them both up, considering their weight, and chooses the jian—iraho, he thinks, practicing the word—as it seems the most familiar. He can’t help smiling at the comforting feel of a sword in his hand.

“I do not have an opponent either, Huasiang. Will you spar with me?” Xichen asks, guessing that no one else will be allowed to endanger him, and they have no way of knowing just how skilled he is.

“Alas, I am no soldier,” Huaisang demurs, and there’s a hint of mischief on his face that makes Xichen immediately wary. “Anakau...Elder Brother...will be your opponent. He has been...curious.”

Xichen’s eyes close, and he considers stabbing Huaisang. When he opens them, the arena is empty except for Mingjue.

“I do not think I like you,” Xichen hisses at Huaisang, but he swallows his agitation and ignores the traitorous laughter that follows him.

Xichen stands before a solemn-faced Mingjue, aware of the crowd of Beifeng soldiers milling around the edges of the arena. He debates the wisdom of this idea, but since it was obviously Mingjue and Huaisang’s idea, he doesn’t debate it for too long.

With a polite bow, Xichen raises the sword, leaving the scabbard on. It’s a show of bravado, as only a confident swordsman wouldn’t bother to unsheath his weapon, and Mingjue obviously understands the gesture. He lifts an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth tips up as he draws the ipira from its sheath on his hip—a beautiful sword, Xichen’s expert eye notes. The blade is an unusually dark metal and the handguard is set with a deep crimson stone. Hence the title, Xichen thinks.

Mingjue taps Xichen’s sword, giving him first strike as a master would give his student. For the first time since he’s been here, giddy laughter threatens to overcome Xichen. He’ll take the advantage and see if he can surprise Ipira’orhew Ikira.

Normally in a fight against an unfamiliar opponent, Xichen would spend the start of the bout in defense, watching the person’s feet, their eyes, their reactions. But one of his greatest strengths has always been his speed, and he decides to attack immediately, darting forward and sweeping from low to high in a series of swift opening slashes. Without giving Mingjue a chance to parry or riposte, he spins, forcing a burst of power through the sword and smashing it into the other man’s blade. The strength of Xichen’s magic slams the swords together and sends Mingjue skidding backward.

Xichen doesn’t know how fast or strong Mingjue is yet, but he knows he can not afford to let Mingjue recover or use his own magic, so he chases him, throwing the scabbard as he runs and aiming a hard, flat swing at Mingjue’s midsection, forcing him to block at an awkward angle. Mingjue lifts his sword—his strength is unbelievable—hauling Xichen’s strike up into the air. But Xichen lets the momentum of the sword continue in an arc, and he ducks low under Mingjue’s ipira, angling the point of the borrowed iraho up toward Mingjue’s neck.

It’s a reckless move for a friendly bout, and Xichen doesn’t know why he’s made it. Even against his brother, who is nearly his equal, he would never have risked injury like this. But as he suspected, Mingjue is even faster and more agile than he appears, flipping backward and avoiding the hit. Still, it’s given Xichen a chance to rethink his strategy, and the moment Mingjue is back on his feet, Xichen attacks, this time swiping down and to the side in a pattern of slashes, recognizing that Mingjue will have less power on a lift than he would for an overhead block. It is so good to move, to fight, to use his gift so fully, he feels like flying. He doesn’t even care if he wins.

Xichen looks at Mingjue’s handsome face, relaxed and confident, and changes his mind. He’s definitely going to try to win.

Mingjue sidesteps the last slash—Xichen chides himself for making one too many of the same attack—and finally brings the ipira down in a bone-jarring hack that Xichen only barely blocks. Instead of sliding away as Xichen would have done, Mingjue turns his blade, letting the swords drop between them. A smile flickers in the corners of his eyes as he leans in, forcing Xichen to hold the iraho steady with two hands and all the magic he can manage against the heavier ipira and the stronger man. 

This close, Xichen can see every line of Mingjue’s expression, and the hint of a smile turns into a wide grin that inexplicably flusters Xichen. He drops the block and lets himself fall backward, bending at the waist and rolling to the side to absorb the momentum. The sudden release of tension on his ipira sets Mingjue off balance and he staggers forward, but he drops to his knees and spins, crooking his fingers as he moves and throwing up a dark shield between them, blocking Xichen’s jab. Without thinking, Xichen reaches out with his own magic, throwing a golden flame into the middle of the shield. It doesn’t break the magical barrier, but it sinks in slowly, like a stone into honey. Mingue recoils like it stings the tips of his fingers, and now it’s Xichen’s turn to grin at the look on Mingjue’s face.

Mingjue only falters for a fraction of a second before he plants his feet and shoots forward, jabbing the ipira at Xichen’s side, which Xichen easily brushes away, stepping forward into Mingjue’s guard space instead of moving away and using his longer reach to attack. Mingjue’s sword slides past Xichen, and with six quick steps—spin to the side, turn behind Mingjue’s back, swing the sword in a full circle—Xichen brings the edge of the iraho to Mingjue’s neck before he can pull the ipira back to block.

“Do you yield?” he asks, more out of habit and not expecting Mingjue to understand him. 

Mingjue’s sword clatters to the ground and his increasingly familiar hands circle Xichen’s waist, slide into his hair, tip his head back, and not even bothering to avoid the sharp edge of the iraho at his neck, Mingjue kisses Xichen in front of an entire army.

Without even the semblance of resistance, Xichen lets him. Not only lets him, enthusiastically encourages him, dropping his sword to twine his arms around Mingjue’s neck, immersing himself in the heat radiating from his body and opening his mouth when Mingjue rubs his thumb against Xichen’s jaw. Mingjue bites Xichen’s lip with a sound between a growl and a moan that cuts Xichen more deeply than any blade, and he stops caring about the cheering crowd and his own embarrassment.

“Xichen?” Mingjue asks against his mouth, and Xichen doesn’t allow himself to think about why his name always sounds different coming from this man or second guess the answer he knows he’s about to make. 

“Yes. Ani. Yes.”

Mingjue whistles a series of notes and grins at Xichen, who has no idea what he’s doing, but can’t resist smiling too. He loses track of time in Mingjue’s dark eyes, and only bounces back to reality when Mingjue lets go of him, just long enough to expertly fling himself onto the bare back of the black horse that has suddenly appeared. He extends a hand to Xichen, giving him one more chance to decline.

The part of him that realizes everyone will know where they’re going and, presumably, what they’ll be doing, sounds like one of his father’s lectures on virtue and morality. He stifles it. His father would have given Wangji to this man with no consideration for his feelings or his future. At least Xichen has chosen his fate, and he chooses it again, reaching up and letting Mingjue pull him onto the horse.

[wrestlinghasmelike-blog]

Smackdown Live! Review- April 10th, 2018

Happy Tuesday gang! Surprised that I’m here for another Smackdown review? It’s the Smackdown after Mania, of course I’m here for a review. Where else would I be but watching the show? Honestly I’d either be at the gym or my best friend’s house, but not tonight!

I’ll be posting my Mania reflections tomorrow (hopefully!) Look out for that when it drops!

Please let me know what your thoughts on the show were, or your thoughts on this review! Any type of feedback is welcomed. Thanks for reading and sharing!

Opening- Shane McMahon

After his match against KO and Sami at Mania on Sunday, we have to wonder where Shane will go next. Before Mania, Shane did step down from his role as commissioner of Smackdown, so he’ll probably name his successor.

Shane thanks the audience for a great Wrestlemania, and thanks everyone for travelling and supporting the show. He hypes the audience up by talking about Daniel Bryan and what an amazing job he did at Mania. Shane has accepted Daniel’s resignation as Manager and has him back as a full-time performer. Noiceee. We’ll have to see how often Daniel is allowed to compete, however. I have to imagine that they have to test him before and after every show to make sure things are okie dokie.

Shane announces that there will be a new GM for Smackdown, and he brings to the ring no one other than Paige! Paige is a great choice for this! She just retired from in-ring competition last night on Raw, and having her be GM is such a great choice. I wish her the best, and I can’t wait to see what she does for the Shake-up next week.

New Day vs. The Usos

On Sunday, both of these teams lost to the Bludgeon Brothers in a 3-way tag match for the tag titles. It was not surprising that the Bludgeon Brothers won, but I’m hoping their title reign does not last very long. I don’t want them to be this unbeatable force that no one can beat. That would make for a very uninteresting story in my opinion.

Jimmy and Jey bring some awesome teamwork against the New Day in the opening moments of this match. It looks like Xavier and Big E will be fighting tonight. New Day quickly counter the Usos attacks to get the upperhand in the match.

I’m really excited for the Shake-up this time around because we really need some fresh faces on the show, especially in the Smackdown tag division. I wanna see the teams in the ring change it up and fight someone else for once. I’m so sick of these matches every week.

These guys have fought and put on some great matches, and the crowd is really into the match tonight. I love the New Orleans crowd a lot, they’ve been really great this week so far. 

Xavier and Jey have been really going at it ever since the show came back from commercial. This is now turning into a huge fight, and it’s interesting now. Big E gets the sneaky tag to Xavier, unbeknownst to the Usos. Xavier and E hit a huge neckbreaker, but it doesn’t get them very far as the Usos find a way to counter and nail Xavier with a bunch of superkicks. Jimmy goes up to the top rope and hits Xavier with a beautiful splash. 1,2,3 for the Usos tonight. This match started out as nothing, but turned into a great fight by the end of it. The Usos will challenge the Bludgeon Brothers for the titles at the event in Saudi Arabia later this month.

Naomi vs. Natalya

At Wrestlemania, Naomi won the first ever Women’s Battle Royal to be held at Mania. I’m glad she won, I think she was the best choice to win. She’s so talented and athletic and so accomplished. I hope she gets another shot at a title soon, she deserves it.

Her opponent, Natalya, also deserves another title shot at some point. Nattie is one of the most experienced women on the roster, and having her as champion again would make me so happy.

The bout starts off with a little showboating and some slaps from the women. The two go back and forth for a bit, and Naomi tosses Nattie right out of the ring and onto the floor. Have we seen these two fight before? I feel like this is a matchup that could really take flight if given the proper time and planning. 

The match returns with Nattie in control as she stands of Naomi. Nattie gets Naomi in position for a nice snap suplex, and transitions into a nice submission move that I don’t really know how to describe? It almost looked like a standing surfboard mixed with a crossface? 

Naomi finally breaks free and hits Nattie with those fast kicks and jumps to the top rope but Nattie comes behind and knocks her down. Nattie then tries for the sharpshooter, but Naomi gets away and fights Nattie back finally. She ends up knocking her down with a boot, and then she does her flat-legged moonsault to get the win.

Charlotte’s Title Celebration

Oh my god you guys, Charlotte defeated the streak at Mania against Asuka in what I can only describe as the most unpredictable thing of the night. I have so many mixed emotions, mostly all positive, about the match. I wish Asuka had won so we could have a shakeup in the Women’s division on the show, but with the shakeup next week, maybe I’ll get what I’m hoping for.

OH MAN THE ICONICO ONES BILLIE KAY AND PEYTON ROYCE ARE HERE! CHARLOTTE WAS LIKE WHO’S NEXT AND THESE TWO ARE HERE YESYESYESYES

Oh man, I love these two already. I loved them on NXT, and I think they’re a great addition to SD. These two really are the future.

Charlotte was done with what the iconics were saying and threw an elbow right at Billie. Charlotte does well for herself at first, but the women quickly get a hold of her and ambush her. They throw her over the announce table and into the ring post. They stand on her hands, and then they throw Charlotte right into the steel steps. 

This was straight up brutality from the iconics, and it was amazing. 

OH SHIT CARMELLA IS HERE SHE’S CASHING IN YES OH GOD YES

SHE KICKS HER IN THE FACE AND CARMELLA IS CHAMPION FINALLY!!

This is it. This is all I want from the show tonight. Thanks very much.

Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Rusev

At Wrestlemania, Jinder Mahal came out on top and beat these three guys for the U.S Title. Tonight, these three guys will fight to see who becomes the number one contender for the title to face Jinder at Backlash.

It’s still so surprising to me how over Rusev is. I think it’s because he’s easy for people to chant for. I want him to be a wrestler again, not a gimmick.

It looks like Randy is taking the lead in this match thus far. He’s got Bobby in a headlock currently, and he knocked Rusev out of the ring early on. I think Randy will get one more shot at the title, but I think Bobby or Rusev deserve to be champion more this time around.

Rusev is back in the ring and is trying to knock Bobby down. He doesn’t, and Bobby almost pins him, but Randy is quick to get back in and break up the fight. It’s now Randy and Rusev, and Rusev nails Orton with a huge superkick to his jaw. Randy and Rusev are now fighting outside of the ring, and Randy lifts Rusev on to the table and flips his over. Bobby makes his way back into the match and tames Orton for a bit, but Rusev now slides back in and goes for Bobby.

Rusev is so quick to build the pace of the match back up to where it should be. He fires with everything he’s got at Bobby and locks in the Accolade, but he doesn’t get it all the way and Randy comes back in to stomp at Rusev. He nails Bobby with the RKO, and Randy wins, earning a chance to face Jinder again.

Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles

AJ said it best in his backstage interview, no one thought this match would happen in a WWE ring EVER. I think this is now the new dream match.

AJ and Shinsuke had a great match at Mania that had an upsetting ending with AJ still as champion. I wish Shinsuke would’ve won, but the heel turn at the end is such a captivating and promising thing and I love it already.

Daniel is dawning his classic wet slicked back hair, and he is ready to get back into the ring as a competitor.

The match starts with some easy lockups and sequences that set the technical pace of the match. Daniel is down for most of the beginning, but he’s now on his feet after a sweet kip up, and he’s now focused on kicking the shit out of AJ. Daniel has turned his focus to AJ’s arm, and this is where Daniel shines.

Daniel keeps his rally going but is suddenly put to a halt by AJ with a huge ass dropkick right to Daniel’s face. 

I think I’m going to have to try to like Daniel Bryan again. I am so happy that he gets to continue to live his dream and is able to wrestle again, I think that’s so inspiring. But as I’ve said before, I have never bought into the Daniel Bryan hype. When he hit his peak, I wasn’t watching a lot of wrestling at the time, and I missed a lot of great moments. I know Daniel can impress me, but I’m not jumping at the chance to be in his corner just yet. 

The match rolls on as Daniel nails AJ with a flying forearm. It really looks like Daniel has never stepped away from the ring, he looks like he wrestled yesterday. He’s sharp and clear, hopefully this can last.

I can’t help but worry every time Daniel gets hit on his head. I don’t him to wrestle today, only to hang it up again tomorrow.

Even with selling a knee injury, Daniel is able to lock in an armbar from a suplex. AJ is able to escape and lock in the calf crusher, but the submission specialist in Daniel sneaks out of it, but AJ is able to find a way to lock back in. Daniel almost gets the yes lock in, but AJ gets up and delivers the pele kick to Daniel. He goes for the phenomenal forearm, but Daniel counters and gets back to his feet. He tries for those dropkicks in the corner, but AJ trips him and tries to hit the clash, but Bryan gets out and tries for the yes lock, but AJ finds the bottom rope to break the hold.

Daniel and AJ start fighting on the top rope, and Daniel tried to hit a superplex on AJ, but AJ shifted his weight and was able to knock Daniel over in mid-air, and I think he landed on Bryan’s face? Ouch? With both men down, Shinsuke inserted himself into the match and kicked Daniel in the head, making the bell ring. He then attacked AJ again, and walked away with a sly smile on his face. If we are getting true heel Shin, sign me the fuck up.

That’s it for the Smackdown after Mania! I thought this was a pretty good show. There weren’t as many debuts as there were last night, but we get Carmella as champion AND the iconic duo! I’m happy with that. 

Stay tuned for more posts during the week! My Mania reflections post will hopefully be up tomorrow, as well as maybe a post for NXT??

Please reblog and leave some feedback!

Casey

[champhangman]

Reckless - Part 3

Part 3/?

Characters: AJ Styles, OFC, Baron Corbin

Summary: The newest woman on the roster finds herself making waves she never intended to, with men that are both off-limits to her.

Warnings: Smut

Previously: Part One | Part Two | Check out the Master List

Tagging: @llowkeys | @the-geekgoddes | @horcruxhunter5972 | @zombiexbody | @imtoldimbabe | @vebner37 | @justtrey19 | @nickysmum1909 | @taryndibiase | @stardust2012 | @alexahood21 | @lunaticqueen7 | @thephenomenonalkingofthebrogues | @tmriddler | @styl3sl0v3r | @itsnethbellins | @florenceivy | @blondekel77

Kim had barely gotten to the arena when she got the call to report to Gorilla. Already irritated over a flight delay and getting a rental car with no air conditioning, she hurried through the hallways to the Gorilla. It was a house show, so there was no prefabricated room filled with monitors and headsets. It was barely a cubicle, with three small monitors being set up.

"Kimmy!"

She yelped at the barking of her name, whipping around to face the man.

Jamie Noble grinned wickedly. "You've got to lose those nerves backstage, kid!"

"Hard to do when people keep screeching at me," she muttered. "You needed to see me?"

"Yeah. Mixed tag match tonight. Styles and Charlotte versus you and…" He consulted the small sheaf of papers in his hand. "Corbin."

"Corbin," she repeated dumbly.

"I remember the two of you doing some mixed tags back at NXT. You work well together." He lifted an eyebrow. "Or is that going to be a problem?"

"No, no problem at all," she assured hastily. The last thing she wanted to do was be difficult. She hadn't even been on the roster for two full weeks. If they wanted her to tag with Baron, she'd fucking tag with Baron. Even if the mixed tags Jamie spoke of had been a long time ago. Right before he left NXT.

"We want you and Charlotte to start a fight outside the ring while Baron's trying to get the tag, setting Styles up to make the pin," Jamie went on, reading over his notes again.

"I can handle that." Kim chewed on the inside of her lip. A question she was dying to ask practically burned her tongue, but she swallowed it down.

"Between you and me, I think if it goes over well, they're going to put it on TV," he said softly.

"Storyline?" she asked softly.

"They're tinkering with it. I was just told to put it together." Jamie smiled.

"Just how vicious is this fight outside the ring going to be?" she inquired.

"I'll leave that to you and Charlotte. Just don't open each other up."

"Yes, sir."

"And don't do any crazy spots."

"Yes, sir."

"And remember you're a complete bitch who's better than anyone watching."

"Well, duh, sir," she snorted with a playful roll of her eyes.

"And stop calling me sir."

"Sure thing, sir," Kim chirped. "When do we go on?"

After being told the time, and realizing it would be the match before the main event, she rushed to find Charlotte so they could go over what they would do. She refused to think about having to work with Baron. She'd done so-so at avoiding him so far. On Tuesday night she'd blatantly ignored him when he approached her after her match, but he'd stuck around until she had no option but to speak to him. She was just grateful it hadn't segued into another make-out session against a wall. He'd hugged her, kissed the top of her head, told her he was proud of her. And she had told herself he was only doing what everyone else was doing. Even though his hug had lasted a little bit longer. And no one else had kissed her head.

Rounding the corner, she managed to rear back before walking straight into AJ Styles.

"AJ," she greeted when he stopped short.

"Kim," he returned with a quick grin. "Where's the fire?"

"Looking for Char…lotte. Charlotte," she explained, seeing his brow wrinkle. "Have you seen Noble yet?"

AJ looked to the suitcase he'd been pulling behind him, and she belatedly noticed a car key dangling from his hand. There were drops of water on his arms. And his shoulders and chest, she realized, noting the darker spots on his light gray t-shirt.

"It's raining?" she asked before he could answer her previous question.

"Just a shower." He shrugged, bringing her attention to his large shoulders. "And no, I haven't seen him yet."

"Thank god I got in before it started. I hate being wet. Anyway, we…" She let her sentence trail off, noting a flash of something in his bright blue eyes. Surprise? Amusement? "Am I allowed to tell you about what's going to happen if what's going to happen involves us?"

AJ rubbed the tip of his nose with the back of his hand. "Come again?"

"Tonight. Our match?"

"We've got a match? Together?" He looked utterly confused.

"Yeah, I was just – Wait, no," she corrected when his eyes widened almost comically. "Not together. Well, it is together, but not together together. Others will be involved."

"Mixed tag?" he asked when she paused. At her nod, he released a breath. "For a minute I thought you meant inter-gender. Not that I'm absolutely against them myself, but I know the company doesn't allow them. And besides, I'd totally—"

"Get your ass handed to you?" she finished with a smirk.

"You know, Miller, I've never wanted to hit a woman in my entire life, but I'd sure beat the hell out of you if we ever went toe-to-toe."

She scoffed, planting a hand on her hip. "I'd sure as hell like to see you try, Styles."

"You sayin' I couldn't?" he challenged.

He'd squared his shoulders. His tilted his chin, face settling into an arrogant expression. It gave her a small sense of what it must feel like to stand in the ring with him as an opponent. She already knew their styles were similar, although his moves were more powerful than hers. She wondered if she would ever have the chance to work in a ring with him. Maybe he would be open to a little ring work one day before a show.

"Now you've got me wanting inter-gender," she sighed, understanding that it would probably never happen.

"Me, too," he muttered. "Okay, who are we goin' against?"

She blinked slowly, deciding she'd imagined that he'd said he wanted inter-gender matches as well. "Each other, actually. You and Charlotte against me and Baron."

"Corbin?" His expression deadpanned, eyes losing the little twinkle she'd been enjoying.

"Yep."

"Are you and him…" He hesitated as Xavier, Kofi, and Big E made their way by. Xavier paused to discuss an upcoming episode of his popular YouTube gaming show. Just when she was figuring she was superfluous and was about to edge away, Xavier turned to her.

"You game, right?" he asked, unzipping his hoodie. "I know I've seen you post on Twitter about Call of Duty."

"Yeah, I do."

"Sweet!" He flashed a dazzling smile. "We'll have to get you on sometime soon. You ever play any sports games?"

"Madden, UFC, FIFA. Not the WWE games yet, though." She had them all, still in their cellophane wrapping, on her shelf in her apartment in Orlando. But she hadn't gotten around to trying them out.

"PlayStation or Xbox?"

"I'm an equal opportunity gamer," she laughed. "I got PS4 just so I could play Uncharted and Until Dawn."

"My girl," Xavier enthused. "I'll hit you up and we can do a show, alright?"

"Absolutely." Watching him hurry to catch up with Kofi and Big E, she smiled, slowly turning back to AJ. "I have to catch up with Char about our knock-down drag-out ringside brawl. See you."

"Wait, Kim," he said, gently catching her arm as she made to step around him.

His hand was, shockingly, soft. She was used to rougher, callused palms, but his was like velvet. Surprised, she glanced down to be sure that it was his hand and mindlessly noted that his fingernails were neatly trimmed. And filed. She slowly raised her gaze to his face. "Yeah?"

"Are you… I was wonderin'…" He released her arm and fiddled with the brim of his cap. He pulled the cap off, then put it right back on. "Are you seein' him?"

"Seeing who? Xavier?" she asked in confusion. "He's—"

"No, no, no." AJ sighed, adjusting his cap again. "Corbin."

"Oh. I'm not." Then, to her horror, she continued to speak. "I'm not seeing anyone."

Why had she volunteered that? The guy – no, no, he was a man. Definitely all man, she thought, taking in his physique and his neat beard. It wasn't his age, although she wasn't quite sure how old he was, but it was in the way he held himself. There was a confidence in him that differed from the arrogance of other males in the company. A confidence that came from something other than being damned good in the ring. A confidence that she longed to possess one day. At any rate, he probably didn't care about her relationship status. Wasn't he married? She darted a glance at his left hand but it was still holding onto the handle of his suitcase and she couldn't tell whether or not he was wearing a ring.

"Would you—" AJ began, only to be cut off by a female voice.

"Kim!" Charlotte called, jogging down the corridor. "I just met with Jamie – hey AJ – and he told me all about the match. You ready to go over our bits?"

"Sure thing." Kim glanced to AJ.

"Guess I'll go see Jamie," he said with a faint hint of resignation in his voice.

***

She didn't get her own entrance. Instead, she walked out with Baron. Not actually with him, though. More like she sauntered along behind him as he made his entrance. When they reached the ring, she waited until he'd climbed in and was about to jump up onto the apron and do her usual leap over the top rope. But a long arm reached down to her and she let him take her hand and lift her up onto the apron. He held the middle rope down with one foot so she could step between them, then surprised her by lifting her up so she was perched on one of his shoulders. Letting her in-ring persona take over, she tossed her hair back and extended both arms, as though basking in their jeers.

Baron lifted her down as Charlotte's music began. Backing into the corner of the ring, he kept a hand on Kim's bare waist, and she determinedly ignored the prickles of awareness his touch roused. He bent to speak in her ear. To her surprise, he spoke of the match instead of saying something arousing or infuriating, and she nodded in agreement and understanding.

The crowd erupted when AJ's music hit. Outwardly, Kim rolled her eyes and appeared impatient. Inwardly, she marveled at the reaction. What was it like, she wondered, to have so many fans so damned excited to see him? Would she ever get a reaction like that? Hell, she would be ecstatic to get half that response from the crowd. She watched him make his way down the ramp and into the ring, felt his gaze on her briefly as he looked to Baron, and looked on as he ran up to the ropes as he always did. Soccer mom hair or not, it did look rather splendid when he tossed it back and the strands shone in the lights, she thought, turning to face Baron as though watching AJ was too much to bear.

She and Charlotte were slated to start. Baron stayed in the corner of the ring with her, appearing to give her a pep talk. When he lightly smacked her ass before stepping out onto the apron, she heard many in the crowd laugh. And she heard at least two wolf whistles. She turned as the bell rang, met Charlotte's eyes, and launched into action.

Damn, Charlotte was good, she gushed in her mind as they grappled. Her friend was taller, had a longer reach with her arms and her legs. She got in some good defense, and offense as well, her speed getting the best of the other woman. She set up for a well-placed kick and was surging forward to deliver it when Charlotte rolled to her corner and made the tag. Kim went for the kick anyway, as planned, and froze when AJ caught her ankle.

She shook her leg, trying to break his grasp, bouncing backwards on her left foot. AJ stared at her, and she felt his grip tighten on her ankle. "No, no, please," she begged, putting her hands together pleadingly in front of her. It was a lighthearted moment, with AJ seeming to consider whether or not to let her go. She could hear the fans reacting well, and heard more than a few calling for AJ to take her down. The referee stepped forward, telling them to break apart, that Baron had to come in, but still AJ held on. He followed her as she hopped across the ring, smirking each time she attempted to pull her leg free. When she backed up against Baron and was forced to stop, she saw the levity fade from AJ's face. He released her ankle, holding up both hands and slowly stepping back.

It had been planned – she wasn't sure by who – but she still wasn't expecting it when Baron shoved her forward. She fell against AJ, knocking him down to the mat, felt his hands on her hips to brace her fall when she landed atop him. Chest crushed to his abdomen, she sucked in a breath, certain she'd felt him squeeze her hips in the split second before he let go. Just as she began to push away she was suddenly very aware of the bulge nestled right below her breasts. She bounced to her feet, making sure to give him a look of derision, then moved to her corner.

The brawl with Charlotte was a blur. She was face-down on the mat outside the ring when the match ended, and Charlotte shoved her away as AJ's music exploded from the speakers.

Once backstage, once finished chatting with Jamie Noble, once finished thanking Charlotte for a great fight, once assuring the waiting trainer that she didn't need any attention, and once managing to slip away from Baron, she made her way to the locker room for a shower. As she stood under the hot water, she still felt AJ's hands on her hips.

***

"For crying out loud," Kim muttered, backing away from the hotel room door before she could knock. Heaving a sigh, she fiddled with the zipper pull of her lightweight hoodie, once again rethinking what she was about to do. She couldn't do it, she decided with a shake of her head. It was wrong. It would lead her straight back into the cluster fuck that had been her relationship with the man in the first place. And, as crazy as it sounded, it wouldn't be fair to him. She would just be using him, after all.

"Ugh," she groaned, yanking the zipper closed all the way. Was there a polite way to explain that she was a little lonely and a lot horny and just wanted one no-strings-attached night? Probably not. She doubted Miss Manners covered that particular conundrum. Drawing in a deep breath, she released it slowly. She would go back to her room. She had a damned good imagination. She had a vibrator. She would get herself off and hold onto a pillow.

A cold, impersonal pillow.

Groaning again, she turned back to the door and stepped forward. It wouldn't hurt to ask. Well, maybe it would. The worst thing he could do was say no. Or laugh at her. Or just scoff and slam the door in her face. But she knew him. At least, she was pretty sure she did. And the Baron she knew wouldn't turn her away. Especially if she was looking for sex. Of course, she could probably find someone else to spend the night with. The other girls did it… But… She wanted familiarity. And he was the only familiar person in the hotel.

Desperation won over and before she could stop herself she knocked softly on the door. She pressed her ear to it, trying to listen for any noise from within, but could hear nothing above the muffled sounds of a TV. Maybe he hadn't heard. Knocking again, she thought she heard a muttered curse. The TV went silent. She stepped back as the lock rattled, and raised her head once the door was open.

He was shirtless. Bottomless, too, save for his preferred snug boxer briefs. They were a deep red. She could smell his soap and his shampoo. His hair was damp, smoothed back from his face.

"Kimmy?" Baron asked softly, eyes and voice showing surprise.

"Baron, I…" She hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. "I, was, um, wondering…"

"Yeah?"

She inhaled deeply and exhaled in a rush. "You want some company?"

"All night?" he murmured, easing the door open further.

She nodded, relief leaving her weak-kneed when he reached out and gently pulled her into his room.

Their lips crashed together and she moaned, not minding that he hadn't gotten the door closed yet. She heard it slam, felt him start to push and tug at her clothing. His hands moved to cup her face and she clutched his forearms, whining into his mouth. Her hoodie, tank top, and shorts were suddenly the most uncomfortable things in the world and she released him long enough to shake the jacket off her shoulders.

Baron yanked her tank top up, giving her upper lip a nibble before breaking the kiss long enough to remove the top. "I've missed you so much, baby," he whispered between kisses, hands leaving a trail of fire down her torso. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her up, one hand palming her ass as he carried her to the bed. "I should've never let you go."

"It's just for tonight," she insisted. Her back met the cool sheet and she grabbed at his shoulders so he couldn't pull away. She feared she would change her mind if too much space got between them.

"I know," he murmured, lips meeting hers in another kiss. His fingers hooked in the waistband of her shorts and shoved them down, one hand slipping between her thighs as soon as the garment was off her legs. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss. He traced her slit with one finger, swallowing her moans, and she felt him smile. Once he'd ended the kiss and begun suckling at the side of her throat, his hand left her slit and trailed up her side, pausing to trace the words tattooed just beneath her left breast. As his finger moved over each individual letter, she could just make out his lips forming the words.

Take my soul and wipe it clean.

She expected him to continue his trek upwards but he lingered over the ink. There was an unanticipated tenderness in his eyes when he lifted his head, and she knew his mind was as flooded with memories as hers.

"You sure you want it there?" Baron asked while she double-checked the placement of the transfer in the mirror. Arm around her chest from behind, he rested his chin on her head.

"Yes, because I want only people I trust the most to be able to see it." She met his eyes in the mirror and smiled.

"Like me?" he teased, wrapping his other arm around her and squeezing.

"Like you."

Whispering his name, she coaxed him into another kiss. It, too, was surprisingly gentle, sending a bittersweet pang through her heart.

"Why'd you leave me?" he asked, tracing the words one final time before reaching for her hand. His kiss was brief while he threaded his fingers between hers. "Why'd you give up on us?"

"Baron, don't," she requested, pressing her face to the side of his neck.

"One night won't be enough." He lay over her fully, squeezing her hand.

"It has to be." She would make damn sure of it. Even as her body responded to his practiced touches as though waking up from a deep sleep. Like she was a puppet on a string and he the puppet master.

He began kissing her shoulder. Her collarbone. The base of her throat. "What if it's not?"

Closing her eyes, Kim felt a tremor ripple down her spine when his lips brushed the top of her breast. It wouldn't be enough, she realized, back arching to give him better access. She was rewarded with the tip of his tongue circling her nipple. "I don't know, Baron."

"It's okay, baby," he murmured. He teased her nipple until she was gasping, then turned his attention to the other.

It wasn't okay, she thought, even as she crumbled under his skilled ministrations. Digging her nails into his shoulders while he stroked and licked and sucked her into complete submission, she whined when he lifted his head briefly.

"Are you still on the—"

"Yes," she promised, then let out a tiny scream as his cock eased into her. He filled her, stretched her, and his deep moan echoed hers once he was in all the way.

It was slow, but at the same time fast. Gentle, but at the same time wild. Kim held on, meeting his thrusts, returning his kisses, not realizing she was so close to orgasm until his hand slid up to grasp her throat. Staring up at him, she held her breath until he squeezed gently. It sent her, gasping, over the edge. Body going taut, she felt his cock push deeper into her, felt him squeeze tighter. Heard his ragged shout as his cock throbbed. Felt the flood of heat as their bodies jerked.

He moved away after a moment, tossing the covers over her before she could grow chilled. He said nothing, merely leaned to kiss her, then headed into the bathroom. She heard the water turn on, then he was in the doorway.

"You wanna shower? Or a bath?" he asked softly.

Sitting up, she reached to pull the hair tie from her hair, then ran her fingers through the messy locks. "You don't want me to leave?"

Baron sighed and braced his hands at the top of the doorframe. "I've never wanted you to leave, Kimmy."

[ruthlesswind]

Chapter 728, Qin Mo overwhelm Fu Jiu, sweetness

The general director in front of the screen, looking at this scene, was almost picked up by the tea, and picked up the intercom. "This is the time when he sleeps, let him take the towel away and take more pictures before going to bed."

"Do you say to Qin Shen yourself?" They really did not dare to command Qin Shen.

Wen Yan, the general director coughed and began to shift the topic: "What, after a day, you are tired, sleep."

The assistants and videographers silently lifted their hearts and looked at them. It’s not just that they are Qin Qin, the director is the same.

It is estimated that the only one who is not worthy of Qin Shen is the big spade that can sleep with Qin Shen.

In fact, after the action of Qin Mo seen by the Fu Jiu, there was a moment of sorrow.

But she quickly whistled.

And turned around and unloaded the voice line.

These are for the hackers.

The original Xiao Jiu hanging leisurely smile.

However, after seeing Qin Mo’s path straight toward her, he picked up a pick.

The gas field that the Great God wants to do is too obvious.

Fu Jiu intended to avoid sideways.

It was only this time that Qin Mo did not want to make a sham move with someone, directly pressing the whole person, and the boy was on the wall.

What is in the eyes is obviously not too cold.

This kind of look...

As long as he was in the past life and Qin Mo, he was seen.

There is no temperature.

It’s like catching criminals.

It seems that this time he was really irritated by himself.

Or do you know what.

Fu Jiu does not look at the eyebrows.

After learning that the great god is his own dog pet.

It is even more difficult for her to imagine how to be an enemy of this person.

I can understand it in my heart.

Both of them are bound to become opponents.

The case of the case has never stopped investigating her news.

Because she is born again, she has a lot of natural advantages.

Even the surrounding environment is helping her cover.

Even if it is a great god, she will not put doubt on her.

But this is only temporary.

There will always be one day.

Great God will know who she is.

Let me not talk about girls.

She can't stop touching the computer.

She has what she has to do.

The two of them stood on the opposite side from the beginning.

"Do you think it doesn't matter if someone disappears?"

Fu Jiu felt the force that pressed her wrist and weighed a bit.

Know that the other person's mood is wrong.

Fu Jiu long sighed: "Meng Ge, I don't mean that. I just think that if the second personality is formed, it should not disappear inexplicably. If the second personality is more powerful than the first personality, it will occupy the main peak, but No matter what kind of personality, it will be remembered when it appears, and I think that since the second personality appeared, it should not be willing to disappear."

The deep dawn of Qin Shen seems to have taken a bit of scrutiny: "So, if it is you, you will not let go?"

"Of course." Fu Jiu knows that this is an abstract problem, but in all fairness, she does not want to disappear, at least to win the national competition, she enjoys the state of the present.

Qin Mo looked down at the boy in front of him, and the breath of the whole body seemed to be warming up.

Fu Jiu saw that the chill in his throat was gone, just to relieve his breath, but he was forced by the man and threw it on the big bed next to him.

Taking advantage of the moment when the young boy squats.

Qin Mo has changed back to the appearance of indifference and abstinence. He just stretched out his collar and bent his waist and let Fu Jiu pause.

The wrist is crushed and the chance of escape is negligible.

Fu Jiu side looked at the beautiful face of the gods: "Meng Ge."

"Well? How?" Qin Mo’s lips were attached to the boy’s ear, and the voice was low. “Isn’t it still sweet?”

Such a breath hits the position above the neck, and when it touches the skin, the tingling sensation of the skin makes the thin nine inexplicable.

Qin Mo was close to a little, his fingers pressed the long legs of the teenager's restlessness, and gently sighed: "Good reaction."

Xiao Jiu also laughed, thinking about how to counterattack: "Meng Ge, after the general confession, not like this."

"You also said that it is an ordinary person." Just looking at the teenager's smile under him, Qin Mo's voice are a bit heavy, if not the timing is wrong, there are a group of people listening to the corner outside, he is afraid that long ago Tears of this guy's clothes, once the idea comes up, it is difficult to suppress, especially for men.

In this kind of thing, it is a thin face.

The face and neck are colored, and even the back of the ear is a piece of powder.

No longer can't resist.

Fu Jiu throws a primer: "Poke cola's behind-the-scenes pusher, Meng Ge, you let me go, I tell you."

"In your eyes, my brother is such a useless person, can't even find a hand behind the scenes?"

Qin Mo is close to the neck of the boy, the thin lips fall, and the touch of coolness makes Fu Jiu paused suddenly.

God did not talk about love, she knows.

But how did these technologies come about?

Specially attacking other people's physical weaknesses?

"Don't move your mind." Qin Mo looked at the boy's eyes with water, black and transparent, could not help but whisper, kissed the eyes of Fu Jiu: "Fire is you pick up, how I have forgotten it, huh?"

Such a kiss is really a bit unbearable.

Fu Jiu is not convenient to move, and there is physical contact under the turmoil, and her secret will be exposed immediately.

"Meng Ge, you know, I am not bent, I am because I am the best friend." And pets.

Qin Moss lifted the movement, and the action only paused: "It is a pity that I don't want to be a good friend. No good friend will do this kind of thing. As for you didn't bend before, it is because I didn't meet me, I remember you. Said, you like handsome, Jiu."

Having said that, the man lowered his voice and sighed at the tip of her nose, as if with a kind of temptation, even with his uniform, he was actively pulled apart, revealing the looming abs, smooth lines, let People can't move their eyes.

"You don't feel tempted to see me like this, huh?"

As if born, there is such a kind of enchanting.

As long as he thinks, he can seduce all the women under the sun.

Qin Mo is nothing more than this one.

The white shirt is half open, like a blood-sucking aristocrat.

The breath of abstinence is mixed with the facial features of the mixed blood.

Whether in the e-sports field or in the contest between two people, the god who always stands at the highest point is at a position that is within her reach.

It is like a demon deacon who takes in people's hearts.

The slender fingers slid slowly from her back, and then the kiss that fell on her neck, if the breath seemed to be nothing, was to pick up all the sensitive nerves of her body

[bookwhit]

H E L L O all my lovelies! July is OVER. Can you believe it? I can’t. Now it’s all about getting ready for school. Shopping for clothes and school supplies and any last minute efforts to do something as a family before summer is officially over. Maybe I will get more reading done with kids in school? I can only hope!

Here is the break down of what I read this month. I am hoping to do some reviews of these and have them up here soon. As always, I will give you the book, a synopsis and then my personal opinion on if it was worth the read with either a HECK YEAH or a BIG FAT NOPE.

1. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson  was one I was really excited about. It comes out next week. August 7th I believe, and I read the ARC. YOU GUYS. I loved it.

Here is the synopsis:

A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty’s resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

********

2. The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright was a little bit slow but after I kept thinking of all the things I liked about it. It follows a past and present story about two women and their experiences with The House on Foster Hill. It has a suspense, mystery plus a few plot twists that kept me interested in this novel. Yes. Read it.

Here is the synopsis:

Kaine Prescott is no stranger to death. When her husband died two years ago, her pleas for further investigation into his suspicious death fell on deaf ears. In desperate need of a fresh start, Kaine purchases an old house sight unseen in her grandfather’s Wisconsin hometown. But one look at the eerie, abandoned house immediately leaves her questioning her rash decision. And when the house’s dark history comes back with a vengeance, Kaine is forced to face the terrifying realization she has nowhere left to hide. A century earlier, the house on Foster Hill holds nothing but painful memories for Ivy Thorpe. When an unidentified woman is found dead on the property, Ivy is compelled to discover her identity. Ivy’s search leads her into dangerous waters and, even as she works together with a man from her past, can she unravel the mystery before any other lives–including her own–are lost?

********

3.  Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga was such a fun tween read. This is a clean read. Anyone can read it. It is a fantasy and it took me a minute to understand the magic of the Kisses but I am telling you that there is no cuter story that explains how special true love is. I thought it was an adorable, fun read full of banter, adventure and love.

Here is the synopsis:

In the war against the Forces of Darkness, the Royals are losing. Princess Ivy is determined to end this centuries-long conflict once and for all, so her new battle partner must succeed where the others failed. Prince Zach’s unparalleled skill with a sword, enhanced by Ivy’s magic Kiss, should make them an unstoppable pair—but try convincing Zach of that.

Prince Zach has spent his life preparing for battle, but he would rather be branded a heretic than use his lips as nothing more than a way to transfer magic. A kiss is a symbol of love, and love is the most powerful weapon they have—but try convincing Ivy of that.

With the fate of their world on the line, the battlefield has become a testing ground, and only one of them can be right. Falling for each other wasn’t part of the plan—but try convincing their hearts of that.

********

  4. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas has been CRAZY good. Her level of writing and depth of telling the story is absolutely incredible. There is also a book of 5 novellas called The Assassins Blade that is not pictured. I’m featuring this here because I just read Tower of Dawn and then reread Empire of Storms this month. Kingdom of Ash is the last book and will be released October 23rd and I am so excited and sad. I can not wait for the ending that will in no doubt be epic. If you haven’t read this series then you need to. I know its a lot of books but I swear they are good enough that you don’t realize how fast you will go through them.

Here is the synopsis of the first book, Throne of Glass:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her … but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead … quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

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5. The Siren by Kiera Cass was okay. It was a fun love story. I really liked her Selection Series but this one fell short me. I felt like I wanted there to be more. That being said, it was still fun. If you are wanting just a light, easy read then you should try this one! A fun love story. .. it just didn’t have the depth I was expecting but maybe that is because it isn’t very long.

Here is the synopsis:

Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny…and Kahlen doesn’t want to.

Falling in love with a human breaks all the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

********

6. The Roommate by Kendall Ryan got me out a little reading slump this month. Sometimes I need a quick read that I can’t put down. This one was full of sexy banter and such a cute story, I read it in one sitting!

Here is the synopsis:

The last time I saw my best friend’s younger brother, he was a geek wearing braces. But when Cannon shows up to crash in my spare room, I get a swift reality check.

Now twenty-four, he’s broad shouldered and masculine, and so sinfully sexy, I want to climb him like the jungle gyms we used to enjoy. At six-foot-something with lean muscles hiding under his T-shirt, a deep sexy voice, and full lips that pull into a smirk when he studies me, he’s pure temptation.

Fresh out of a messy breakup, he doesn’t want any entanglements. But I can resist, right?

I’m holding strong until the third night of our new arrangement when we get drunk and he confesses his biggest secret of all: he’s cursed when it comes to sex. Apparently he’s a god in bed, and women instantly fall in love with him.

I’m calling bullshit. In fact, I’m going to prove him wrong, and if I rack up a few much-needed orgasms in the process, all the better.

There’s no way I’m going to fall in love with Cannon. But once we start… I realize betting against him may have been the biggest mistake of my life.

********

7. Merciless by Willow Winters is the first of 4 books I believe. I received the first two books to read and review for a book tour and I wish I would have realized sooner that it was a 50 Shades of Grey type book. Don’t get me wrong, I love sexy, steamy romances but I don’t really love the dom/sub element. It’s not my thing and this one is about gangs in New York and how ruthless they are, honestly it made me uncomfortable. It was hard for me to read. I wouldn’t recommend it BUT… I will still leave the synopsis below.

I should’ve known she would ruin me the moment I saw her. Women like her are made to destroy men like me. I couldn’t resist her though. Given to me to start a war; I was too eager to accept.

But I didn’t know what she’d do to me. That she would change everything. She sees through me in a way no one else ever has. Her innocence and vulnerability make me weak for her and I hate it. I know better than to give in to temptation.

A ruthless man doesn’t let a soul close to him. A cold-hearted man doesn’t risk anything for anyone. A powerful man with a beautiful woman at his mercy… he doesn’t fall for her.

********

There you have it! What I read in July. I will hopefully be posting a new review weekly as soon as school starts up. Then you will have some real reviews instead of just my yes and no reads! Have a wonderful day friends! Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

What I read in July