#I'm betting that's the reason he chose to cover his face

[theanimeroom]

how would kazutora survive nnn 👀

NSFW UNDER THE CUT || MINORS DNI

NOVEMBER 1ST, 2023 || 11:42AM

NNN CHALLENGE MASTERLIST

i'm sorry, but this dude is a loser in the best possible way. kazutora hanemiya is someone with little to no self-control, and i think that is a fact everyone knows. he was always a needy person, especially when it came to his friends. he would go out of his way for their attention and praise, even if it meant resorting to less... ethical methods.

you already knew that kazutora would have a difficult time making it through the challenge, as he was your obsessive boy who could never seem to keep his hands off of you. you would have loved to say you at least thought he would make it past the first week, but you didn't even have that much faith in the man to make that promise (and be grateful that you didn't, you almost owed baji 20 bucks for that bet).

when you had suggested the idea at first, you had just wanted to see his reaction. you didn't think that the moment the words left your mouth, he would immediately agree without even considering the longevity of it.

"a month? that's not that bad. if my baby wants to do it, then what reason do I have to say no?" he chirped, the brightest and happiest smile on his face. initially, you were ready to remind him that a month was in fact 30 days and that he could barely survive 15 minutes without trying to put his dick in your mouth because he "couldn't hold it anymore". but then you quickly remembered that the man is a simp, and you should have known that the moment you expressed your want for something, there was no way he could deny you.

despite that, you both joined the challenge on the first day of november, hoping that the three rounds you had last night would be enough to hold you both over for the next 30 days.

the next morning you woke up with a small moan, eyes finally peeling themselves open enough to see the sun shining through your window, alerting you to finally wake up and drag yourself out of bed. you reached behind you as you did every morning, feeling the strands of kazutora's hair draping over his face. had he not hummed pleasantly at the feeling of your fingers in his hair, you would have assumed that the man was still sleeping, his arm wrapped around your waist tightening its grip.

"good morning kazu," you spoke softly, voice still a bit raspy from sleep. he responded with a couple taps on your tummy, something he always did when he was too sleepy to actually give a verbal response. you smiled softly, shuffling more under the covers as you cuddled against his chest. you shut your eyes again, letting yourself revel in a few more minutes of sleep before deciding to get ready for the day ahead of you. you lay in silence for all of 10 minutes before you felt a rough hand caressing your stomach again, the light touch making you jerk a bit as you held in a laugh. when he did it again you giggled, jerking your hips back as you ran away from his touch. "baby, that tickles."

"sorry..." he grumbled, voice rumbling so deep that you nearly felt it in your own chest. he moved his hand from your stomach and chose instead to run it down the length of your leg, stopping momentarily to grab the underside of your knee. "you're just so soft..."

when his sentence had finished your leg was being lifted, kazutora resting the limb on his own, which he'd so precariously placed between yours. you didn't think much of it until the skin of kazutora's thigh was being pushed into your mound, a heavy gasp escaping you as the pressure made your stomach turn.

"so soft," he said again, this time crystal clear as his hand continued to trace every inch of exposed skin on your body. you only truly reacted when his hand slipped into your shirt, trapping one of your breasts between his fingers. he fondled the mass, relishing in the way your body reacted to his ministrations. your hips ground against his thigh, the heat in your stomach spreading as the man pinched your nipple softly. "and pliant."

"kazu..." you warned, although it sounded more like a plea for more in his ears than anything else. "we can't."

the man behind you whined, only playing with your tits more feverously at your rejection. "why? don't we always have sex in the morning?"

his voice sounded borderline distraught as you tried to remove his hand from your shirt.

"we're doing the challenge, remember? we've barely even made it 12 hours," your words made the man pout. he knew that he agreed to the challenge rather quickly, but you wouldn't actually deny him like this, would you?

"but i want you..." he pouted, sleepy hands moving once again to roam around your body. he didn't miss the way your hips never stopped grinding against his thigh, his free hand that wasn't playing in your hair moving towards his own mouth to wet his fingers before slipping them into your night shorts. a quiet moan came out of your mouth as his fingers flicked at your clit, your hand that was playing in his hair pulling at the strands harshly. "don't you want me too, baby?"

you did. you truly did want the man and honestly, with your current conditions, you didn't think that it would be that bad of an idea. you'd barely even started this challenge, so how hard would it be to just say you never even attempted at all? maybe if you just let it go this one time...

your thoughts were cut short by the feeling of kazutora's fingers sliding into your cunt, knocking the air out of you as you felt the digits curl, pressing directly into your g-spot. a curse passed your lips and it was only a moment later that you felt kazutora press against the side of your face, forcing you to look directly at him. "all you have to do is say the word. you know I can't say no to you," he purred. his bright eyes caught your attention immediately, and it was then that you knew you could never say no to him, either.

"please, kazu," you didn't hesitate before asking him, the challenge be damned. you didn't fight him as he leaned in, pressing his lips onto yours softly, a small moan slipping from the man's mouth to your own.

"more, baby!" kazutora groaned as spent no time stuffing you full of his cock the moment you asked, although you were sure it was more for him than you. your breathing was labored as you tried to find something to steady yourself, your hoisted leg and kazu's rapid thrusts almost forcing you off of the bed. you were still propped on your side, your boyfriend being more than too lazy to change positions. "fuck, keep fucking me like that."

you didn't have the time or energy to explain to him that he was the one fucking you, but let the man run his mouth regardless. this was something that you were used to already, his cries and pleas for you to do more when he was the one effectively leaving you brain dead. your hands found purchase in the sheets, holding onto them for dear life while kazutora pressed his body against yours, the warmth only inspiring the man to go harder.

"s-slow down baby..." you pleaded, feeling your body jerk with every stroke of his cock against your g-spot, your wet cunt squeezing around him so beautifully. "you're gonna...b-break me like t-this."

"let me," he demanded, holding your body still as he fucked you mercilessly. "wanna see you completely broken for me."

his words left a lingering pulse in your heat, giving way to kazutora's begging and allowing him to fuck you the way that he wanted. at your compliance the man cursed to himself, burying his head in the crook of your neck. you cried out when you felt his teeth sinking into the skin connecting your collarbone to your shoulder, sucking on the area until there was a purple mark flourishing on the surface.

if he wanted you broken, he certainly was accomplishing his mission. you could barely breathe with the way he was fucking you, your stomach clenching and cunt pulsing as you felt your orgasm coming strong.

"fuck, i wanna come inside you. let me come inside you baby?" the man asked, hand grabbing the underside of your leg and holding it upright as it started to slip. when you wordlessly nodded your head, kazutora let out a deafening groan. "thankyouthankyouthankyou-"

you barely had a second to register his gratitude before your eyes were shooting open, wide and blurry as kazu forced himself as far as he could go inside of you. the warmth that followed was enough for your body to shudder, orgasm washing over you as you only saw a white cover of bliss envelope your vision.

kazutora didn't even bother pulling out as he finally released your leg, legging your body go completely limp against the sheets. your breathing was labored and heavy, barely able to speak as you turned your head to look at the man behind you.

"do you feel bet-" you didn't even get the chance to finish your sentence as you saw kazutora with his eyes closed, chest rising and falling in an even rhythm. you couldn't stop the scoff that escaped you, a loving smile adorning your face before you laid back down and covered your exposed body with the duvet.

you were so grateful that you never accepted that bet from baji.

dont plagarize! it's not nice <3

[certifiedkazuhaskitten]

The uncrowned king of no man's land

duke of the north!wriothesley x fem reader

arranged marriage, romance, kingdom setting

Part 1

People who came to the Fortress of Meropide dukedom were either officials, guards, or criminals. After all, it is the "wasteland" of the kingdom of Fontaine—though you're not sure you're fitted to any of the category mentioned above. A mere diplomatic pawn you are; that's right, you're going to that northern dukedom. The Iudex worked hard to solve everlasting (one-sided) feud between the noble faction and the current duke residing in the Fortress of Meropide, and have came to the solution that the relationship between the noble faction and the duke may be mended through marital means. He chose Count Hugues, a noble who publicly opposed the duke to present one of his many daughters as the soon-to-be bride of the duke. And out of six beautiful daughters, five of which he spoiled, he picked you, the adopted daughter who happens to be a great convenient scapegoat. Your talents in swordmanship and mastering the pyro elements fell short on the count's eyes now as he easily sacrifices you to keep his five beautiful, frail biological daughters at home, waiting to be married to a good, rich noble.

So here you are, the soon-to-be bride of the duke, accompanied by your escorts to the Fortress of Meropide dukedom. You secretly sneak a grin as you cover your face with your hands, pretending to quietly cry and be distressed. No one should know you're secretly happy about this whole arranged marriage, because then the escorts will find you suspicious.

I'm finally out of that hell house. Fuck them, that shitty count and his bitchy daughters. And his idiot wife too. And everyone in that house.

Should've burned the house down before I left, you thought to yourself. To kill time as you wait the boat to reach the end of the underground water tunnel, you continue letting your mind idly wander.

Piercing eyes stab you in the back as the escorts seated next to you look down at you in disgust—apparently bloodline is very important for the nobles of Fontaine. Used to their treatment, you roll your eyes silently, unbothered with their unsubtle attitude. The whole reason you're in this situation right now is also because of those fontainian nobles; backstabbing, judging hypocrites who find it outrageous that someone of criminal background could rise to equal standing as them. And the duke couldn't care less because he had all the money in the world to mind his own business.

Who suggested the count that you must be accompanied with a bunch of escorts to the dukedom anyway? This bunch of losers are killing you with their repeated poor attitude towards you. You're convinced that they're sent here to be with you so they make sure you suffer somewhat in the dukedom and then they could gather something to accuse the duke of. You wish you could just burn them all off, but doing so may will struck the already severed diplomatic relationship even worse, so you keep your lips shut and sit silently in the corner of the boat heading towards the dukedom.

The air feels stuffy and damp, as expected of an underground water tunnel. It smells like sea and iron. Someone could piss down here and no one would notice given the sharp tanginess of such scent—or, you bet, someone already has. The scenery of underground tunnels and murky water reminds you of your old home residing just below the capital; Fleuve Cendre. Not that you miss it, but the nostalgia hits hard. Fleuve Cendre was known as the ugly place in Fontaine, and based on rumors you've heard, The Fortress of Meropide dukedom is no different. The only difference is at the dukedom, there are more killers, while pickpockets and alcoholics roam the streets more often in Fleuve Cendre.

"We're here." Said one of the guards. The long tunnel finally reached its end, revealing a cold and unwelcoming entrance used to greet criminals. Clank, the tip of the boat lightly bump the entrance. Everyone's heartbeat start to race.

Anxiety engulfed the escorts as they get off the boat, while you try your best staying calm and composed.

I've experience a lot of shit in my life already. I can do this.

You change your stature and body language subtly, making sure you act and look like a noble you were raised as. The escorts cowardly stand behind you, afraid of what the guards could do to them.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The sound of dangling handcuffs and a very nuanced footsteps can be heard. As the guards change formation to make way for the duke, you notice the deadly piercing eyes gazing upon you in alert. Pretty eyes, you admit, icy white irises that rekindles nostalgia.

"Welcome, the sixth daughter of Count Hugues and her escorts. We have long awaited your arrival." He spoke, and you can feel the vibration of his voice intimidating the whole room.

You hold your breath.

I can do this Can I really do this?

To be Continued.

[devildomsvixenmc]

The Demon Brothers Modelling for MC

Just thought of these while looking through some photos of Mammon my baby

Lucifer

Oh- you just stroked his ego

Lucifer is proud that you chose him, after all, who could be any better than him to model for you?

Not just that, but modelling for a sculpture? Now Lucifer has no reason to deny your request

Although Lucifer may agree immediately, he won't be able to do the actual modelling as quickly.

He'll schedule in some time when he's available to model for you.

If you're close, this old-fashioned man won't mind modelling nude (hehe), he might even be the one who brings it up-

"I've seen sculptures of Michelangelo a while back when I went to the human world. If you wish, I can take my clothes off for you."

Ehem, anyways, Lucifer is a busy man so his modelling session may get cut short if Diavolo suddenly wants to meet with him.

Mammon

You saw Mammon last week on a magazine cover, you know, the one that Asmo showed you. And you've been wanting to become let's say, a stylist!

Mammon gets flustered the moment you pitch this idea to him, but nonetheless, he's not complaining. In fact, this local simp will announce his new "job" to others

"OI OI OI, bet you $20 you didn't know that I, the Great Mammon, will model MC's styling choice!"

During the actual modelling part, Mammon's flustered, but he's cooperative. Will also add his own comments about your styling and what can make the outfit better.

Can't do a runway walk but I bet you he'll definitely model your stylistic choices as if he's on a magazine cover!

Asmodeus

The moment you ask Asmo to model for you, he's already left you to prepare himself. I'm talking about spa sessions, face mask sessions, all that shit - he's literally pampering himself!

Asmo's quite versatile when it comes to modelling, but for the sake of this post, let's just say that you want to practice your photography skills.

So now, Asmo's telling all these photoshoot ideas he's got on his mind. It's never-ending I'm telling you, both you and Asmo are staying up late just to discuss the multitude of photoshoots he's gonna have.

And if it is a boudoir kind of thing??? He's up for it even more!

Would say things like "Paint me like I'm one of your French girls," "Oh, Darling," or "Come closer, sweetheart" while you're taking pics of him :DD

If you allow him, Asmo will quickly upload the photos on his socials even tagging you saying, "Special thanks to my wonderful photographer, MC, who captured my blinding beauty!"

[thebangtancloud]

Hii i just read freckles🥰🥰 it was so lovely and i saw that there's still some spots for me to request so.. may I have prompt 5, 6 and 19 for our lovely i.n? Thank you❤️❤️

MAKE IT SUPER ANGSTY IF YOU MUST

In case you didn't know ~ Yang Jeongin

"Is this a game to you?" + "I was only pretending." + "I can tell you've been crying."

Pairing: Yang Jeongin x Reader

Genre: Angst, Romance, Friends to Lovers

Summary: Jeongin is determined to make sure you know that the reason why he kissed you that night was not just because it was a bet. Even if he has to prove it to you in the middle of a grocery store.

A/n: AHH thank you so much for loving Freckles!! And you're one of the only people who have requested for our lovely maknae, thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy this!! I found it really tough to make this super angsty, so I just wrote what fit the mood :)

"(Y/n)."

The delicate whisper of your name floated towards you, the packet of raw noodles slipping from your hand and falling back to the rack with a slight rustle of the plastic covering.

You weren't ready to face him just yet.

Not after how embarrassed you had been four days ago when he played with your heart like it was just another toy for a little child.

"Don't go, please."

You could sense the desperation in his voice, the way his footsteps quickened once he noticed you moving away from him, a slender arm slipping around you to keep you from running away again.

"I'm sorry."

One look at him and you almost laughed pathetically.

He didn't have the right to look that good.

Not when he hurt you. Not when he played with your feelings.

Not when he knew that you were falling head over heels for him.

His blue hair was damp, darkened tips letting go of tiny droplets of rainwater that fell onto his forehead. His white mask covered most of his expression from you, but you could see that he wanted nothing more than to show you what he felt.

What he was feeling.

With a huff, he reached up to hastily remove the mask from his face, scrunching it up within his fist before stuffing it into his jeans pocket. A deep frown then proceeded to greet you, his eyes glazing over with concern the moment he took a proper look at your face.

"You've been avoiding me."

Somewhere in the distance, you heard the squeaky roll of the wheels of a trolley a few aisles away from where you and Jeongin stood.

You really didn't have an appropriate answer to offer. So you chose to remain silent.

"I can tell you've been crying."

His hand didn't leave you though. He held onto your elbow as though you'd run away from him the moment he decides to leave you. Which was the last thing he wanted right now.

"(Y/n), please," he insisted, his tone almost making it sound like a whine.

"Talk to me."

"I don't have anything to say," you finally offered.

Jeongin sighed deeply at the vulnerability lining your voice. He hated the fact that he knew he was the reason you looked so broken.

"I'm sorry for that night, (Y/n)," he whispered softly, taking a tiny step towards you.

"I'm sorry for what I did."

"That was just so horrible," you murmured, letting your head dip as a flashing memory of the way he kissed you that night in front of everyone almost made you want to collapse to the floor.

"I realize that now-"

"Is this a game to you?"

"Huh?"

Jeongin was surprised to say the least. He wasn't sure why his grip on you loosened for a brief moment, which you took as your chance to slip out of his hold and place a well needed distance between the two of you.

"What you did that night..." your voice wavered as you looked around helplessly, trying your best to not break down right there in front of him.

"You kissed me only because they challenged you. Never once did you think how I felt about that. How I felt about you. How I feel about you?"

"It wasn't a game," he spoke up after giving himself a moment to process your words.

"I mean," he exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "I know you won't believe me now, (Y/n), but it wasn't a game to me. You're not a game, you're not something that I want to play with."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I know," he nodded. "I know, (Y/n)."

"It really didn't matter to you," you stated with a small shake of your head.

"Okay, yes... you kissed me because the boys challenged you to kiss me. I was right there. But after? You went back to normal as though it never even happened. You were so...unfazed."

For a moment, you didn't know how to respond when Jeongin broke into a soft laugh.

"Was I?"

You only blinked in response, gauging his movements when he took a bold step towards you.

"I was only pretending, (Y/n)," Jeongin chuckled with a brief shake of his head.

"Only God knows how nervous I was that night. Because holy shit," he breathed out, "my heart almost exploded when I kissed you."

"What?"

"You know..." Jeongin reached for your hand this time, pulling you a little closer and letting his eyes trail over your features ever so slowly.

"I had to act as though it didn't affect me. Because the hyungs always baby me, they always think I'm a softie. Which I am, there's no denying that. But I swear on all things good, I was everything but unfazed after I kissed you that night. All I wanted to do was...kiss you again."

"Jeongin-"

"Have you..." he interrupted you with a little shake of his head. "Have you ever thought about how I feel for you?"

You did, actually.

Maybe just not the way he wanted you to.

"I was so close to not kissing you," he murmured, his eyes flitting up to meet your unfocused ones.

"When they literally bet on me not being able to man up and kiss you, I knew...I knew I couldn't kiss you. Because I've wanted to do it for so long, and I wasn't sure if you liked me the way I liked you."

"You-"

"But then I thought to myself, I'd never build up the courage to kiss you if I didn't do it right then."

You wouldn't know why it looked as though Jeongin was ready to kiss you again.

"You were never just a game...or some stupid bet, (Y/n)."

A brief clatter distracted you from Jeongin's gaze, your eyes fluttering past him to take notice of a young girl bending down to pick up a box of tissues that she may have dropped in the process of looking for something else. You kept your eyes on her until she rounded the corner and no longer stood in the aisle that you and Jeongin were in.

You didn't know if you did that because you were close to crumbling under Jeongin's fond gaze.

"I know, shit... I know that I messed up. I never wanted our first kiss to be that way, in front of everyone - most of whom were drunk out of their minds. I didn't want it to be just because Jisung hyung challenged me to kiss you. I didn't want it to be something that you didn't want."

That's when you looked up into his eyes again.

You definitely wanted it to happen. You just didn't want it to happen the way that it did.

Not when you still weren't sure of what he felt towards you.

As if he could read the innumerable thoughts racing across your mind just by taking one look at your face, Jeongin sighed, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I like you, in case you didn't know."

For just a moment, you thought Jeongin was advancing towards you to kiss you, which made your heart drum against your ribcage wildly. It was similar to the way Jeongin stretched across the couch that evening, his carbonated drink sloshing around in his cup at the action as his hand slipped past your right ear to take a grip of your head, pulling you in to connect his lips to yours.

You thought Jeongin was going to do that again, but this time his arms circled around your frame, pulling you entirely into his embrace and resting his face snuggly against your shoulder, his chin tucked in.

You didn't know if he could feel your racing heart against his chest that was pressed up against yours, but you found that it wasn't that much of a concern because when Jeongin's arms tightened around you, you felt a sense of comfort in a way you couldn't describe even if you tried to.

"I'm sorry I kissed you without letting you know that I like you. I promise to never do that again."

.

.

.

.

.

Request 7/30 || Stray Kids Masterlist

SKZ Permanent Taglist: @bakugossanity, @jhopesucker, @kitty-kair, @joondiary, @awkwardnesshabitat, @k1ngsnak3

[keiyoomi]

last chance

details: t. kei × gn!reader ; 800+ w/c ; loosely related to my first tsukishima fic?

trigger warning/s: murder ideation; implied stalking; implied blackmailing;

note: I'm getting rusty after not being able to write for more than a year now. let me know what you think!

listening to the sound of waves as it hits the rocky shore soothes your racing heart.

you've established a rule for yourself ever since you broke up with kei: severed relationships shall never be salvaged—no matter what might happen in the future.

but such rule was immediately ignored as soon as your gazes met at the reunion party of the old karasuno team.

he still has that air of arrogance that kept you riled up as a teenager. his features have already matured and he became taller over time.

most of the former members of karasuno learned about your past relationship when you were both in college—when he was still in a relationship with that other person after ghosting you.

“of all places, why did you chose this place for our conversation?”

“i've learned to keep my options open at all times.” you didn't bother to turn around look at him when you replied. “depending on your answer, I can to listen to the ocean while contemplating whether to forgive you and give you a chance.”

then, you glance at him. he walked towards your direction and stood close to you. he was wearing a frown on his face, clearly not amused by your statement earlier.

“and your other option?” he asked, stuffing his bare hands in his coat's pocket.

“bash your head against the rock if you piss me off.” then, you shrugged. “i can drag your body towards the water; let you drown until your body disappears—”

you paused upon feeling the weight of his hand on your shoulder. you turned to him and saw him covering his face with his palm.

“you good?”

“can you tone down your ideas... please?” the he removed his hand from his face. “i know that what I did before was wrong. I shouldn't done what I did to you back then. I know that I deserve all the hate that I receive from you, but...”

he pursed his lips.

“...I never lied to you whenever I said those three words. never.”

“hmm... I highly doubt it.” you looked at his face and gave him a tight-lipped smile. “i bet you've said those words to her too. while you suddenly cut me off of your life.”

“never.”

“what?”

“i've never said that to her.” you couldn't see his reaction as he spoke. “that's the reason why she broke up with me.”

you chuckled. “hm... I think you just don't want to be—” you paused while motioning your head towards the ocean.

“i'm telling you that I'm still in love with you after all these years. I am still hoping for your forgiveness. Hoping for you to love me again.”

“why?”

“huh?”

“why did you suddenly leave? why did you not even tell me that you're leaving? why did you tell everyone we know to never tell me where you are?” you asked before your voice broke. “just... why?”

he looked down and fiddled with his fingers.

“i... I love you too much that I want you to be with me.”

“what?”

his teary eyes met your confused gaze.

“i wanted to be with you until you graduate. I wanted to stay by your side and wait until we can go to college together.” he pursed his lips and covered his face with his hands.

you remained silent, processing everything he just told you.

“but hearing you look forward to a future where you achieve your goals even after we settle down made me realized how immature I was acting.”

he chuckled dryly.

“i am filled with too much love for you that i was willing to forget about my own dreams. I love you too much that I almost abandoned my goals, my passion... myself.”

“...and when you met her? did she made you recall who you are? did she reminded you of who you are before we met?”

“no. no.” he shook his head while looking into your eyes. “they were...” he paused. “they know who you are. they were one of those people who learned about me after watching our games.”

you shook your head, refusing to believe what he was implying to say. it wasn't impossible, but should you believe the words that comes out of his lips?

“i-i would never—ever—put you in danger. not when I can do something to prevent you from getting hurt.”

“i... I need more time to think...”

“please...” he said, kneeling in front of you while wrapping his arms around your legs. “give me another chance...”

“do you know how much I suffered after you left me? you idiot!” you replied while crying your heart out. you tried to pull him away from you but he kept his arms wrapped around you.

“let me go! hands off me!” you brush the tears from your eyes. “i won't believe a word that you say. you broke my heart. ignored me after we met again and now you're asking me for another chance?”

“give me a chance, please! just one last chance!”

you turned your head towards the glistening waters of the ocean as the sun began to set.

strangers from afar would think that it was some romantic proposal. the setting exudes romance on par with those scenes that could only be seen from movies and described by the writers on their works.

but reality was far from the imagination they have.

“one last chance.” you look at his pitiful figure. “give me another chance to myself to you. if you still believe that I'm not worthy of you...”

“i hate you...” you whispered.

tsukishima faltered as he heard those words from your lips. his arms slowly loosened around your legs, losing every ounce of hope that he has in his system.

“you big dummy.” you wept before kneeling in front of him too. “you could've told somebody about that person! you could've told the police about it! you could've told me.”

you leaned your head against his chest and cried with him. “all these years I've hated every fiber of your being. I hated you for leaving me behind.”

“i'm sorry,” he whispered, pulling you close to him. “i'm so sorry... for all the pain that i've caused you...”

you wrapped your arms around him while telling him the pain that you've felt all those years—and allowed him to soothe you until the sun finally sets from the horizon.

do not repost on other platforms | keiyoomi © 2023

[devourbabydevour]

@jegulus-microfic, October 1st, Cemetery, 819 words, cw: light suggestions of violence and innuendo

Jegulus: Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU: "I May Be Dead, But I'm Still Pretty."

“Get lost, James. What part of vampire slayer don’t you get. See this pointy thing? This. Goes. Here. Quit skulking around here all the time. I am trying to work”

Regulus Black, cheerleader by day, vampire slayer by night (and also sometimes by day) points at James’s chest with an accusatory finger on the last word. A chest which is far too exposed for a cemetery after midnight in January.

Even though, it’s Sunnydale there's seasonally appropriate chill in the air and anyways Regulus does not need to be subject to potter’s pomposity — promiscuity even!

Whose chest glistens in the moonlight like that, anyway? It’s obscene is what it is. Regulus does not need these distractions. Between Barty’s latest demon related schemes and Evan’s dabbling in witchcraft, Regulus needs no more to deal with. That plus his parents ever increasing draconian punishments and restrictions he is constantly having to jump hoops to get around to keep up with slaying duties. His parents would rather bury their heads in the sand than face what's right in front of them-- and won't tolerate anything but the same from their children. Since Sirius left they were paying even more attention than ever to Regulus. He felt just about ready to crack. Plus exams are ever looming.

And to top it all off for some reason Potter seems hell bent on bothering him.

Pestering him--even. With small talk. And little glances. Always popping up, thinking Regulus needs something from him— be it a more accurate translation of yet another apocalyptic text (his own language skills are just fine enough to read: "you are all fucked, must be Tuesday" in many a language --thank you very much), or he'll try to help decipher the latest news of who might have come to town this week (but Regulus has that covered, knows a thing or ten about how to grease the right palms for information) --or worst of all --the incident last month with a last minute rescue from some damn vamps.

As If.

Regulus totally had that nest of vampires right where he wanted them --even if he was momentary tied up when James arrived.

Regulus has a damn job to carry out and he does it well. McGonagall and Dumbledore say he's best slayer in a generation. Thing is there's only one slayer in a generation. But a slayer's life is so short he supposes they've both seen their fair share of slayers by now.

He doesn’t need Potter’s help. It might not be a job he chose but a boys got to what a boys got to do. And Regulus has no say in the matter. When McGonagall showed up and spelled it all out for him Regulus — the golden child (the one his parents had created of convenience and their own desires for him) had resisted tooth and nail but ultimately when creatures of the night keep knocking down your door and the ones you care about are in danger -- It’s time to face up to the inevitable.

“Is that so? Then why don’t you do it already, love? And what was that? James-- that’s the first time you called me that-- used my name I mean. I think I'm seeing god right”

Scoffing "Well don’t get used to it Potter. And anyway I think that ship has sailed Potter. The already dead don't get to go to one of the nice places. But if you want to push your luck and continue trying to offer "your so called help" then I'm willing to bet there's a warm and cozy spot somewhere far, far away waiting for you that I'm happy to help send you to."

"Oh, love. I may be dead but I'm still pretty. And Regulus Arcturus Black, I don't think you need my help. I just love spending time with you. I like your quips and your threats and your power. It's incredible, I-- "

And no none of that. Regulus doesn't need Potter talking such nonsense. No. More. Distractions. Especially from conniving, meddling vampires who are also dirty brother stealers.

“Just give me one reason at all and you’ll be tasting wood. The only reason I haven’t dusted you yet is because Sirius likes you. And trusts you. For some reason. But make no bones of it—

James interrupts to start to say "I knew you still loved your brother, enough to spare me even."

Regulus pulls a dagger out of his thigh holster and presses the tip of it to James clavicle. Knocking him against a behemoth of a stone scene of the crucifixion. Name engraved at the base reads: “Salazar Slytherin”

“I will slice and dice and not think twice.”

“Kinky, pet. You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these nights” James presses a cold hand to his cold chest as though in awe.

“Fuck off, Potter. You don’t have a heart.” 

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1111: Cuddling Hedgehogs (Sonic)

11:16 a.m. at Amy's House's Living Room.......

TV: Oh Sasuke~ Just come back home soon, will ya?

Amy: (Cuddling Under a Blanket With Sonic While Sitting on the Sofa Together, Rolling her Eyes) Who wanna bet he he'll be gone for a month this time?

Sonic: I'll him two to three months tops.

Amy: (Turns to her Boyfriend) Oh come on, who would be that cruel and crazy enough to leave for THAT long? ('Sigh') Then again this is Sasuke we're talking about, so its possible.....

Sonic: Yep. That Sakura chick could've done a lot better honestly.

Amy: Right!? She has so many options and yet she chose to marry SASUKE of that people?

Sonic: (Shrugs) The guy been having good looks since his academy years.

Amy: (Starts Pouting) Good looks doesn't mean jack-squat when you go out betraying everyone you know in the village and try murdering your teammates more than once!

Sonic: (Speaks in a Sarcastic Tone) But Amy, Sasuke was their dear friend and teammate! And he's been through soooo much trauma too.

Amy: AND!? Naruto has been wrongfully hated by the entire Leaf Village ever since he was little boy, but you don't see him going around joining the Akatsuki to destroy it! That jerk should be lucky Naruto care enough not to put him behind bars for the rest of his dumb life.....

Sonic: Or have him exiled altogether. But yeah, Sakura should've married someone else. Like, Lee for example.

Amy: Oh my god, YESSSS! I don't care how bushy his brows are, Lee is such sweetheart and hard worker. (Looks Up at Sonic With a Smile on her Face) Kinda like you in a way.

Sonic: Seriously?

Amy: (Happily Snuggles onto Sonic) Yes, seriously!~ I mean, besides you being more lazy in comparison-

Sonic: Hey, I can be just as hard working as he can thank you!

Amy: (Forms a Teasing Smirk on her Face) Yeah, when laying around napping and eating chili dogs all day aren't involved.

Sonic: Taking naps are essential for having a relaxing day and don't you dare insult the exquisite masterpiece that are chili dogs

Amy: How are hot dogs covered in chili exquisite in any capacity?

Sonic: They looks and taste good obviously. And they're the town's favorite, so there! (Crosses his Arms With a Satisfied Smirk on his Face)

Amy: (Sighs While Rolling her Eyes) Anyways, while you can be such a lazy hog at times....(Smiles Softly) You're just as sweet and helpful as Brushy Brown was. And it's all the more reason why I've fallen over heels for you~ (Kiss Sonic on the Cheek)

Sonic: (Chuckles Lightly While Blushing a Little) Well, I'm glad I'm able to live up to the expectations with the handsome devil himself!~ (Grabs his Chin While Thinking) Speaking of which, you I would look good in that green suit of his or....nah?

Amy: I think so. (Starts Smirking Seductively) Not sure if you know this by now, but I just so happen to be fond of men in uniforms~

Sonic: (Smirks Back) Really now?~ Are you also fond of men giving you kisses all day long?~

Amy: (Giggles Softly) Yes please~

The couple leans forward to kiss one another on the lips, until the sudden sound of a ring tone startled them both.

'Follow me inside! Outside! Through the Stratosphere!~'

Amy: (Sighs Heavily While Pinching the Bridge of her Nose) Great........The meetings about to start.....

Sonic: (Raised an Eyebrow in Confusion) Meeting?

Amy: Remember that whole Resistance group me, Knuckles, and the others form a long while ago? Well, since then, we've been attending their meetings for some time, discussing how we keep the city safe from Eggman and other word level threats and most of which lasted for way too long that it makes me want to die!

Sonic: How long are we talking exactly?

Amy: Three to four hours. Five, whenever a heated debate starts. And the meeting is supposed be every Mondays and Wednesdays. What day is it today?

Sonic: Uh....Tuesday?

Amy: Exactly. So, tell me why we're having another today when we JUST had one last night!?

Sonic: Last night, huh? So that explains the bags under your eyes......

Amy: Yeah, hated how noticeable it is. ('Sigh') But there's really not much I can do right now, but to ao and-

Sonic: (Already on Amy's Phone) Wassup, Wassup! Sonic's the name, speed my game! And you've reached the house of the cute and awesome Amy Rose, who is not available at the moment. So please, be cool and leave her a message after the beep, will ya?

Knuckles: (On the Other Line) Sonic, what the hell are you-

Sonic: BEEEEEP BYE! (Quickly Ends the Call Before Letting Out a Relived Sigh) ('Phew') (Makes to Finger Guns With a Smirk on his Face) Piece of cake.

Amy: (Surprised by What Just Happened) Sonic, what did you just do!?

Sonic: Saved you from wasting three to five hours on another meeting. Now you get to spend the rest of the day relaxing and watching TV with yours truly.

Amy: You did all this for me?

Sonic: (Smiles Brightly) Of course! Now, i know it wasn't professional of me to up amd lie to them like that, i couldn't have my own girlfriend getting tired over some boring city meeting- (Immediately Gets Hug Tackled by his Girlfriend) -Oof!

Amy: (Happily Snuggles onto her Boyfriend) Ohh my sweet, darling, Sonic, I'll never forget this!~ Thank you so much!~ But you do realize Knuckles is gonna eventually kill the both of us, right?

Sonic: (Shrugs) Eh. We can deal with Knucklehead some other time. (Gives Amy a Seductive Smirk of his Own) In the meantime, don'tcha think we've got some unfinished business to start on right now?~ With only to the two of us can handle~

Amy: (Smirks Back) Come to Momma Rose~

The couple continues their cuddle session by snuggling and kissing one another on the kiss. For a moment it was a start of a very relaxing day for the both of them. That is until it came into screeching halt with a loud knocking sound.

'KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK'

Knuckles: (Outside on the Doorway) SONIC! AMY! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!

Sonic: Or we can deal with him now apparently......

Amy: ('Sighs in Defeat') So much for our free time.....

Knuckles: QUIT MESSING AROUND AND OPEN THIS DOOR NOOOOOOOW!!!

@theweebmaster31

@keyenuta

@cyber-wildcat

@caleb13frede

@albion-93

[corruptratcat]

Fuuta Kajiyama x reader || At least I won't have nightmares || Gender neutral

Ah, the chilling air of October has arrived as you were done making some popcorn at the kitchen. You took one and ate it as you then grabbed the bowl slowly walking into the living room where you and Fuuta will be watching a horror movie to set the mood at this month, you remembered the amount of nightmares you got from watching horror movies but for some reason you still liked them, probably because you like to try and gain some confidence but and up being scared either way.

Both of you decided to watch the movie in bed, just to get a bit more comfortable whilst watching the movie, you didn't mind but you also felt a little more excited. You turned off the lights and entered the bedroom, the lights were already out as you see Fuuta sitting comfortably in bed scrolling through his phone. Fuuta then notices you and turns his attention to you "So, are we starting now?"

"Mhm" You responded going towards the bed as you carefully try to not spill the popcorn everywhere, you placed the popcorn in a mini table on the bed at the same time Fuuta took away his phone and you finally sat down comfortably. Fuuta then offered you the remote "You pick, I don't know what to watch anyways." he placed the remote next to you as you took it and started looking for horror movies.

It took a while judging the movies but you finally found one that got your interest, you chose the movies as you grabbed a pillow nearby and got ready with it 'YOU CAN DO THIS!!' you were encouraging yourself "I bet it won't be that scary anyways." Fuuta moved closer to you as the movie then began...

---

45 minutes in and... Fuuta was clinging onto you with a frightened face at the same time you were covering half of your eyes with a pillow. You set the popcorn aside and put it somewhere instead. "It seems you've l-lost a bet haven't you!" You remind Fuuta about what he said earlier as he turned his face at you "Shut the fuck up! It wasn't my f- AAA!!" A sudden jump scare occurred in the movie as he held you tighter.

"Pfft..." You quietly said, chuckling "You know I heard that!" He frowned, looking at his face distracted you from the movie, he was so cute when he's scared! You thought to yourself, you couldn't just take your eyes from him! "What the fuck are you lookin at!" Fuuta angrily said with a blush on his face "You, the cutest person known to mankind!" You could see Fuuta's face turning red at that moment.

Fuuta focused back on the movie, you looked at Fuuta for a little longer till you did the same, watching the movie. "Why the fuck are these characters stupid as fuck..." Fuuta complained a bit as you laughed a bit. "I don't know, it's just how they roll but it can get stressful when they do the most stupid move ever, don't you think?" You looked at Fuuta as he just kept watching.

"Their stupidity is making my head hurt." Fuuta sighs as you the movie gets a bit eerie now. "This is the moment where I'm going to put a pillow in front of me!" You did exactly what you said, put a pillow in front of you in order to at least not be that scared, you'd always use this technique back then from the horror movies you'd watch in the past with your friends or family.

"Oh god..." Fuuta started to at least make himself much more closer to you, as he closed his eyes. "How many fucking jump scares or false jump scares does this movie even have?!" He complained, but you felt like you wanted to do something, so you did, covering you and Fuuta with a blanket wrapped around both of you. "Just to keep things warm." You smiled as you continued on watching the movie, but perhaps...

---

The movie had ended, you then woke up. "H-Huh? What happened?" The blanket was still wrapped tightly around you two as Fuuta held you tightly "You fell asleep while watching." He simply said that "But I missed most of the movie then!" You looked at Fuuta "You were sleeping ok... I didn't want to bother you, besides it was kind of c-cute..." You could see Fuuta's face full of red, he was so adorable!

"Alright, alright, let's go to bed now though" You were already tired anyway "C-can we sleep like this if-" "Of course we can!" You responded quickly, feeling the warmth of him makes you happy, it always felt nice and you've always loved this feeling. "Goodnight then..."

[kanazawa-division]

It was early afternoon when a certain former cheerleader picked up Kyler from his job at the police station. Beside her was her boyfriend, who had a small, yet still viewable smirk on his face. The reason: because of a white cloth that he used to disable the CIA operative's vision. Normally, he would have refused, but after Evelyn insisted, he begrudgingly cooperated.

"I hope you know I'm only doing this because of Evelyn. Under ordinary circumstances, I'd never let anyone blindfold me like this. ...Especially you of all people, Ace."

"Oh, I know. That's why I'm choosing to enjoy this as long as I can."

Kyler grunted as he could practically feel and see the shit-eating grin on his friendly rival's face. Being led from behind by Evelyn, he stopped as she placed his hands on his shoulders and was told to 'watch his head'. Bending down, he could feel himself getting inside a vehicle. He could only surmise that Ace was the one driving since he couldn't recall Evelyn ever driving anywhere. Did she even have a license for that matter?

But those thoughts ended as he could feel the car start and drive on. He sighed as he heard some cheesy pop song and heard Evelyn singing to it. As he sat there in the back seat, he could feel his eyelids getting itchy, no doubt due to the cloth covering his eyes.

"Hey, can I take this blindfold off now?"

"No."

"No!"

Kyler sighed once more, though he didn't know what other answer he was expecting.

"Well, can you at least tell me where we're going?"

"If we did that Kylie, it'd, like, ruin the surprise!"

"Yeah, but still..."

"Cool your jets, birthday boy. You'll see when we get there. Just sit back and enjoy the ride."

"Tch, if it's you driving, I'd be better off taking my chances walking."

"You want to? Cause I can stop the car. It's no trouble, whatsoever."

"Yes, please do."

"Hey!"

At this, both men felt one of their ears being pulled tightly, as if they had reverted back to their childhood.

"Ah!"

"No fighting! Not, like, today! It's Kyler's birthday, Acey. So, be nice!"

"Ugh, yeah, yeah."

Rubbing both of their ears, the two men chose to just keep quiet, while their female compatriot continued singing along with the radio. It was approximately a 45-minute long drive until the car finally slowed to a stop.

"We're here!"

Hearing the back door open, Kyler carefully stepped out of the car, being guided by Evelyn.

"Yes, but... where is here?"

Kyler could smell and hear the ocean, so he could only surmise that he was near the beach. And if he was a betting man, he could only educate that he and his friends were now in Okinawa.

"Stay here, okay? I gotta go make sure everything is, like, set up!"

Before he could say anything, he heard a pamper of feet getting further off in the distance, meaning he was alone with just his "oh-so-good friend" Ace, still blindfolded.

"So you are going to let me in on what this big surprise is exactly?"

"There's a reason it's called a 'surprise'., birthday boy."

"Well, can I, at least, take this stupid blindfold off now? I already know that we're in Okinawa."

"Hey, feel free to take it off. But if Evelyn gets upset at you, don't look to me for help."

Grumbling, the CIA official stood there his arms crossed. He could feel Ace standing somewhere around him, but the diplomat was silently playing with his phone, not paying his childhood rival much attention. They stood like that for up to three minutes until Kyler heard a slight vibrating sound close to him. He then felt Ace's car shake as the American ambassador hopped off of it.

"Alright, Evee says she's ready. Follow me."

...

"...Well?"

"How do you expect me to follow you when I can't see, genius?"

"Aren't you a CIA operative? Just put those handy skills of yours to use and follow my voice."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Ugh, fine. Give me your hand."

Though he really didn't want to, Kyler obeyed, holding his left hand out for Ace to take. With that, the diplomat led the operative to their 'secret' destination. After a brief walk, Ace told Kyler to 'stop' as he stepped away. The investigator heard the sound of a door opening and was once again led. He felt a rush of cool air hit him, which told him that he was inside a building. Feeling his hand being let go, Kyler then felt the bandana on his face come unloose. He was prepared to see light again, but to his surprise, it was dark even inside the building.

...That is, until Ace gave the 'thumbs-up' to someone, which prompted the lights to turn back on. As it did, the next thing Kyler heard was:

SURPRISE!!!

Kyler jumped back as he looked at a group of his friends and acquaintances all jumped out of their hiding places in Eagle's Nest. Namely: Evelyn, Rashaad, Joey, Wataru, and a few others from Kanazawa that he had worked with. Still surprised, Kyler looked as the bar was decorated with balloons, party planners, a banner with his name on it, and the piece de resistance, a birthday cake, which made the CIA operative shake his head with a grin.

He smiled as Joey continued singing 'Happy Birthday' until Wataru promptly told him to 'shut it'. He then looked as all the members of the Liberty Guild gifted him something for his birthday:

From Rashaad, it was a gold and black cigarette holder that made Kyler blink, surprised. Looking at it from all sides, he promptly thanked the bartender, promising to reciprocate.

From Evelyn, it was a watch with a thin blue line on it. Slipping it on, Kyler smiled as it was a perfect fit for his wrist. He promptly thanked his childhood friend, who gave him a small kiss on the cheek as thanks.

Lastly, the last gift was from Ace, which put Kyler on his guard, as he suspected something mean-spirited from the diplomat. Rolling his eyes, the American ambassador simply handed him his gift. Looking at it, Kyler, at first, thought it was a book of some sort. Upon opening it, he looked as it was a photo holder. But what made it even more special was that inside it was a picture of him and the most important person in his world, his finance, Roxanne. Though he came close to crying, he managed to hold it in, refusing to cry, especially in front of his rival. Giving him a 'thanks', he turned around, still staring at the picture of the love of his life.

...God, he missed her...

Kyler looked around as he took a bite from the piece of his birthday cake that had been nicely cut by Rashaad, his cheeks were staring to hurt from how long he had been smiling but honestly who wouldn’t? Granted he knew Evelyn was gonna pull something like this sooner or later but it still warmed his heart to know and see that his childhood friend still cares a great deal about him even after all the years that had passed.

He was also grateful for his new friends too and Ace but not as much, he shook his head fondly as he watched Joey wearing two party hats as horns on his head and trying to put a party hat on Wataru’s head, who looked like he was getting more annoyed by the second with Rashaad trying to keep the peace.

Truth be told, Kyler never thought he could end up like this. Surrounded by friends and people that cared about him, things were bad when he woke up from his coma and had gotten progressively worse afterwards, the blonde agent didn’t want to admit it but there had been times where he wanted to give up, that he couldn’t go on anymore…

But then he thought of parents, of Evelyn and his friends, of-

A buzzing sensation brought him out of his thoughts, fishing out his phone from his pocket, Kyler looked to see who exactly would be calling him before his eyes widen upon seeing the caller ID “Roxie ❤️”. Excusing himself and telling everyone he’ll be right back, Kyler headed towards the bathroom before answering the call.

“Happy Birthday, Kyler, baby! I love you!”

“I love you too Roxie, so much. Thank you.”

Thank you for the gift!

[knynumber1simphere]

Muichiro x Male Y/n (Chap 3)

Y/n woke up to a knock on the door. Y/n knowing perfectly well who it is got up and walked to the door growing in Martin from the way he slept. He opened the door to see An unknown man, this wasn't what y/n expected to meet in the morning, "Who are you?", you said with confusion. You were still in your Pj's. He giggle, to which sound like an annoying mouse, but you just snatched you heard, "My names Haruki Fuseijitsu (His last name means untrusted/untrustful), I'm the 1st option your father chose for your hand. I hope we can get along"

I glared at him up and down, trying to not look like I was judging him. I smile, "Sorry about my behaviour, I tend to be quite grumpy in the morning, just let me get changed", you said while closing the door. Y/n was slightly annoyed, thinking he was too nice, and you shouldn't trust him. You signed and got changed from your sleeping wear. You moved forward towards the door hearing your mother speak, "I will leave you two alone to get along. Please take care. After that you heard foot step of your mothers feet. I groaned opening the door with a fake smile, "I'm done, would you like to-", you got covered by the mouth and you looked dead straight ago the man trying to speak to be seen as weak. He snarled, "Your a brat, I bet. Look the only reason I'm here is because my parents want something of me, so if you don't choose me I'll rip your mouth of and leave you for dead", he laughed, "Your only alive right now because your father wanted to fuck that beautiful with of his", he tightened his grip and this activated your anger more then it did. First this man comes out of no where, says he'll kill you, then now he's calling your adoptive mother beautiful. That's it, you grabbed his hand bending it back with huge amounts of force, breaking his rist, and sending him flying on the floor, "Listen here child, I don't see myself as more than you, and I see that you can change. But if you think I'm going to marry a man that annoys me and thinks he's the boss, then your wrong. I'm not a blood relative to our master, in fact, I'm adoptive, so don't assume things you don't know. 2nd, I will not be marrying you, good bye", you said still holding your smile. This man was shocked, he expected you to be weak and a weakling, but how much he has mistaken you for. You smiled more walking forward and grabbing is hair making him yell, "LET ME THE HELL GOOOOO!", this caught your mothers and father ears, making them check out what was going on. You throw him by the ear all 15 ms away from the front of the mansion, "If I was to marry you", you pause and pity him, "It will bring dishonorer to both of us"

~1 mouth later~

You were eating dinner, waiting for the 2nd option of the arranged marriage would be. You glanced door then back at your father, "When will he be coming?", you said. You father laughed, "Slow and steady, he'll be here"

"But it's been 2 hours. If we are meant to be I don't want him to be late for the wedding", you joked. The room was full of giggles, and with a bang a man with long brown hair, falls throw the door. He lands face first, "I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy. I'm Kemono Chairo (Beast Brown), your future husband. Wait, no I didn't mean to say it like that. I mean, I could be, but... um... Wow, you really cute, but you look quite different from the rest of the family. Do you have different genes?", he paused for breath, "Am I talking too much?"

You laughed, "A little, but it's okay, and to answer your question from before. I am adopted, but this is my family, adoptive or not"

"Aww, your so truthful. Sorry if that made me sound like a simp, but I'm able to tell if someone is lying to me", he simmered. You smiled gently, "It's fine, at least your not like the last one, you seem really nice.

(Make sure to follow for part 4)

[randomshyperson]

Left Behind - Chapter 10 - Atlantis

Gif was made by @abimess aka wifey

Summary: The one where you lived in the apartment under the Maximoff family in Sokovia, or, your journey as a Sokovian civilian to Avenger.

Series Warnings: (+16) Violence, fighting, cursing, civil war environments, abuse of power, assault, torture, underage kissing, psychological torture, substance use, mention of assault/fighting of children, smut, kissing, teasing, insinuation of sexual and moral harassment, verbal offenses.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader || platonic bucky barnes x reader, mentor!natastha romanoff and mentor!steve rogers, bruce banner x reader (friendship), pietro maximoff x reader (friendship).

Words: 3.445K

A/N> I should warn you for the angst in this one i think. Please don't hate the ending of this or the fic. Good reading you all. Also, listen to "Atlantis" by Seafret, i chose the name based on that song.

All Works Masterlist || Read on AO3 || Series Masterlist

//-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-//

Chapter 10 - Atlantis

You ignore the insinuating look Pietro gives you when he sees you leaving Wanda's room in the morning.

"Not a word." You warn threateningly as he raises his arms in surrender, holding back his laughter.

You turn and go back to your room, trying not to smile like an idiot as you prepare for the mission, and failing miserably.

You try not to think about last night, or the morning after, but the feel of Wanda's lips on your skin is all that comes to mind for the next few hours.

Even during breakfast, where after she stole a kiss on your cheek in the hallway before you guys joined the Avengers, and sat beside you at the table while Steve went over some details to everyone, all you could think about was the last night. In Wanda's taste, her hands inside…

"Stop it." She warns softly at your side. Lower enough so only you can hear, and not to get in the way of the captain's speech. You blink in confusion, and then you understand. Feeling your face heat up, you look at her with a mixture of surprise and indignation.

"You can...?"

"Yes, now eat in silence please." She interrupts in the same tone, equally embarrassed as she keeps her gaze on the plate in front of her.

"Wanda?" You try next. And she mutters under her breath, and then she realizes. She rolls her eyes, and goes back to eating. You smile. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you could hear thoughts."

"It was kind of obvious don't you think?" She retorts mentally. "My whole thing is mind control."

"Your whole thing is to be the love of my life." You tease and she chokes lightly on her coffee, making you hold back a laugh as you gently touch her back. She says she's fine softly, and Steve, who had given her a worried look, goes back to talking about planning for the defenses in Sokovia.

"When this is over, I want to try a few things." You mentally tell her and Wanda looks at you quickly before turning her attention back to Steve. You imitate the movement.

"We'll leave as soon as you finish eating." Steve says already getting up. You suddenly feel anxious.

Wanda notices the way your body has tensed, and looks at you immediately.

"Hey, everything okay?" she asks tenderly. You give her a weak smile, placing your hand on her thigh. Wanda puts her hand on top of yours.

"I'm nervous."

"Me too." She confesses. "But we'll be fine. I got you."

"And I got you."

//-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-//

As soon as you join the jet with the rest of the Avengers, you could already feel the control serum starting to wear off.

Sighing a little, you don't even have to ask to have Wanda's hand in yours. Her eyes and fingers glow red for a moment as she helps you, before returning to normal. You mumble a thanks, resting your back against the jet's wall.

"Remember what we trained, Avengers." Announces Steve upon entering. "Removing the civilians is the support team's priority, while Clint searches for Natasha. The strike team must deal with Ultron's guards."

"Yes, captain." The team says in understanding, and then the jet is leaving.

It takes ten minutes for Pietro to start teasing you.

"I hear we had a girls night yesterday." Commented the boy out loud, attracting the attention of Bruce and Bucky, who were standing next to you. Wanda glared at her brother.

"Pietro..."

"What is it, sestra? I’m just saying.”He joked. You wondered if you could throw him off the jet from that high. "I heard that this type of activity is a great stress reliever."

You felt your face heat up, and you sank into your seat. In the next second, the rest of the team understood. Clint whistled loudly, and Tony laughed. Bruce blushed and pretended to pay attention to his boots while Bucky giggled at Steve's embarrassed expression.

"Forgive me, I'm not following the reason for the humor in this conversation." Vision commented then.

"Don’t you dare." Wanda warned when he saw Pietro raise his hand to tell Vis what was being said, and the boy laughed before ducking.

Vision watched the interaction with confusion, but it was Tony who threw his arm around him.

"They had sex, champion." Tony announced, making you grunt in embarrassment. "I can't wait for Nat to know, she owes me fifteen bucks”.

“What?” Wanda asks, confused.

"Ah, it's just that before you arrived, the golden eyes there were always talking about you." Tony counts with irony. "How much she loved and missed a certain little witch and her inconvenient brother. So we made a bet that you two would work it out. I said it would happen before you went back to Sokovia, but Natasha thought Y/N was slower and would just work it out after we’re done with Ultron."

"Thanks for the faith, Tony." You mumble awkwardly, adjusting your posture. "Now if you don't mind, can you stop talking about my life?"

The team laughs but the comments about you and Wanda stops. Until you reach Sokovia, you spend your time playing with Wanda fingers as you both lay against each other's shoulders while listening to whenever small talk the Avengers build up.

Things get tense once you reach the country.

Steve signals that you arrive and starts moving around to get read for the jet to land.

You only let go of Wanda’s hand to put your suit on and once you’re done, she’s right in front of you, smiling tenderly as she puts a jacket on.

“Are you good?” She asks.

“Yes. You?”

“Yeah.” She aswerns as she moves forward to kiss you firmly on the mouth. It relaxes your body completely, and you keep your hands on top of hers that are on your face until you break the kiss.

You wish you could care about the teasing looks the team cast to you too, but all you see is Wanda.

//-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-//

You sat down quickly on the ground, your body against a wall, while trying to get your breathing back to normal.

Wanda was using her powers to get civilians out of their homes, and well, it took some of her magical attention away from you.

It didn't take long for you to be able to detect all the biological life around you again, meters and meters away, quickly feeling overwhelmed.

"How are we?" Steve asked over the communicator, probably already advancing with the rest of the team towards the former Hydra base. You looked up at the sky to get a quick glimpse of Tony flying in his suit before he vanished away.

"All right around here, Captain." Clint responded first followed by the rest of the team.

Your hesitation made Steve specifically call you, but before you could say anything, Wanda was kneeling beside you, one hand on your shoulder and the other on her communicator.

"We are good." She responded before turning her attention to you completely. You felt her magic envelop you quickly, your body relaxing. "How do you feel, dear?"

"Better now." You respond with a smile. "Thanks."

As she helped you to your feet, you noticed her worried expression, and placed a hand on her cheek.

"I'm fine Wanda, I promise."

"Just don't push too far, okay?" She asks. "You can go back to the jet whenever you want."

"I'll be okay, Wanda." You mumble. "Let's get this over with so we can go back to bed." You teases with a mischievous smile, stealing a kiss before walking away, giving her a wink before heading towards the rest of the civilians.

Ultron had better plans than this.

“We need to get everyone out of here immediately.” Tony told through the communicator. “A vibranium bomb. We don’t have time.”

“Working on it, iron boss.” You mock as you helped another family move out of their home. Just like, Pietro had already headed to police stations and hospitals to remove people from there. There was a large crowd of inhabitants heading out of town, but there were still many more.

Peace ended quickly.

Ultron activated the robot army, and they literally began to sprout from the ground.

"Bucky, we're going to need support here pal." Steve warned through the communicator while you were drawing your pistol to prevent one of the robots from advancing on you.

"On my way, cap." The soldier warned. "Just don't tell my therapist."

You and the team laughed lightly as you fought. The whole thing getting bigger and bigger every minute.

Wanda covered for you while you guided people out, but it was becoming untenable.

So, as soon as she tore apart the small group of Ultron’s army that was surrounding you two, you called her.

"You can't keep babysitting me , this is getting too bad." You warned, your voice almost muffled by the length of the fight. The robots flying above you, and Thor and Vision facing them in the sky.

"I won't leave you." She insisted seriously and you swallowed hard.

"Wanda..."

“End of discussion.”

“You are cute and all, it's just that we have a situation here. Mind getting back into the fight?" Natasha's voice interrupted the moment over the radio, sounding amused and teasing. You sighed with relief when you realized she was okay, and you exchanged one last look with Wanda before going back to fighting. “By the way, Tony said I lost the bet.”

“Please don’t bring this back.” You ask Natasha, that just laughs before hanging off, not without teasing you about being proud of you for making a move.

The ground shook beneath your feet, making it difficult for you to keep your balance.

"Guys, what's going on?" You asked through the communicator.

Sokovia is going for a ride.

Friday tells the whole team. You gasp in surprise, looking around.

The ground is breaking apart, and the city is rising into the air. You don't need your powers to know that not all buildings are empty. The debris will end up hurting someone.

And even with all that, the advances of Ultron's army get even worse.

You barely have time to duck before Wanda rips apart a robot that attacked you.

Clint catches up with you two the next second.

"We need to regroup, Tony needs us back there." He warns you. You frown.

"Not a chance, there are civilians all over the place." You say, moving quickly to fire at the machines that have appeared behind you.

"Well, we need the offensive back at the church." He counters. "That's where the bomb is."

"You two go then." You say when you finish shooting. Wanda, who has just destroyed three machines at once, turns to you in indignation.

"No."

But you don't look at her, you look at the blue flash figure approaching.

“Hey Peete, do you mind?” You shouted to him as he stopped next to you two. He nods at you before picking Wanda up, who has no time to complain. He teases Clint "Keep up, old man." before disappearing at high speed, making you laugh.

Clint looks at you.

“Are you sure?”

"It's my job to protect them.”

“The Maximoff or the civilians?” He mocks, making you roll your eyes.

“Go, Barton.”

It doesn't take long for your biological detection to come back.

You think you're going to pass out. But you take a deep breath, and stumble among cars and wrecking machines.

Calm down. You remember Wanda's soft voice in the glass room. The feel of her fingers on your skin. Calm down, I'm here. You can do this.

"I can do this." You mutter to yourself, trying to keep your balance.

You find a horde around the corner, almost close enough to a group of civilians coming out of the municipal hospital.

Ignoring the feeling of being overwhelmed at being able to feel the fear and despair of those people, you advance with the pistol in your hand.

The machines were destroyed, but not by you.

"You took your time, Barnes." You tease with a wry smile, rushing to help the civilians, feeling their superficial wounds before helping them. Bucky smiles and shrugs, a rifle in his hand as he gives you cover to help the population.

"Two minutes out here and I'm already missing my retirement." He comments as he fires, making you laugh, a bit breathless due your powers. Bucky notices right the way. "Are you all right?"

"I'm just considering retiring too after here." You retort by standing up again, helping the little girl who had bruises on her forehead to join the rest of the family. She smiles in thanks, but you're already walking away again, your head pounding from how many people you can feel at once.

You stumble around the rubble to the front of the municipal hospital. Ignoring the memories you have of the whole neighborhood, you try to focus on some group.

"Y/N, I think there are kids coming out of that corner!" Bucky unnecessarily warns you because you've already felt them.

You recognize Church clothes that the adults leading the group wear. They are coming from the Orphanage where you grew up.

You run to catch up to them, and it's the first time you've really noticed Ultron's cruelty. It's a horde that arises, and they notice you right away. The machine in front follows your gaze to the small group, and it has a chance to shoot only you, but it turns its mechanical hand, and aims directly at the kids.

You widen your eyes, feeling your heart race.

"NO!"

Something explodes in your chest. Everything turns golden before returning to normal color. You can’t see the golden wave that reaches the group because there’s a pain in the back of your head that makes you close your eyes tightly.

The robot fired, but if it weren't for the gunshot marks on the robes, no one would know as none of the civilians had any injury. The kids were wide-eyed, and you fell to your knees.

Bucky shot the machines before looking at you in amazement.

"How did you do that? They were practically a street away." He asked in shock, watching the nuns guide the kids to cover quickly, just as in shock as he was. Your lack of response alarmed him and he turned to face you quickly, touching your shoulder. "Y/N, you're bleeding..."

"I know." You grunt weakly, taking a deep breath as you lean on Bucky to get up. "Let 's keep going."

You wiped the blood running from your nose with your hand, but ignored the wet sensation in your ears. Bucky hesitated.

"No, you're not okay." He insisted. "Let's go back..."

"Let go of me, Bucky." You exclaimed angrily, pulling his hands away. "I heal, don't I? I'll be fine. Let's keep going."

"Y/N..."

But you are already walking. You can feel all the injured, and you need to keep going.

You help at least two more groups to shelter, until you're resting your hands on your knees and trying to stay on your foot.

You see your blood dripping to the ground, and you hear Bucky's footsteps approaching, so you wipe your face quickly while disguising the way your head is spinning.

"This isn't working Y/N." He says as he looks around at the wreckage. "These things seem to grow out of the ground, and there's no end to them. The city is too high right now and these people have nowhere to go."

You were going to agree with him, but something in the sky caught your eye.

"I think that's their ride." You say while pointing straight ahead.

It's a gigantic ship, flowing alongside the city. You and Bucky exchange a look, before he uses the communicator to confirm that this was a good thing.

With Shield providing shelter for civilians, you started running to help evacuate people from the floating capital of Sokovia.

Your head was spinning, and your feet were about to give up, but you forced yourself to continue.

Your body is shaking when you turn to help a boy who cut his leg.

"Ty angel, devochka? (are you an angel, lady?)" He asks, scared when you heal him and you give a weak laugh.

"Net, ya Avenger. (no, I’m an Avenger.)"

The wound isn't that big, but it's enough to rob the air of your lungs. Bucky guides the boy with the rest of the group back to the ship, and you can barely stand, your stomach turning.

You force yourself to get up. Just a bit longer.

Lifting your hand to your ear, you call out to Wanda while leaning on the car beside you so you don't fall to the ground.

"Wands?" You say wait for her to respond. She sounds worried when she says your name, but you just sigh. "Babe, when this is over, I'm taking you out on a date. Like the cliches we've never done before, okay?"

"Why are you talking like this?" She asked, scared. You can hear the background noises, the way she was probably keeping the bomb safe but facing Ultron's army. "Where are you?"

"I think we should try Disneyland too. Americans seem to love that." You continue as you begin to walk again. One hand on the tech inside your ear and the other in the wound in your belly, formed while you faced the last horde of robots, not healing anymore. "You would like a candlelight date with wine and music, wouldn’t you?"

"Please tell me where you are, I'll come to you." She begs through the radio and you smile before hanging up.

You saw Clint run further to the town.

You take a deep breath, rushing to catch up. You also see the jet Ultron stole rounding the city towards them, the rifles outside ready to aim.

That's why Clint ran there, to save one of the civilians left behind, you notice as you see the little boy on your friend's arm.

You try to do what you did before. Project your healing magic to them to keep them protected, but as you lift your hands to do that, all you feel is a sharp twinge in the middle of your chest and you almost fall to the ground.

Fine, I'll heal them myself. You think impatiently as you ignore your own limit and run.

You are almost there. But so is Ultron. If you stay up front, you think you can protect Clint and the civilian, you'd heal later, no problem.

“I’m gonna win.”

You widen your eyes in surprise when Pietro whispers in your ear, disappearing in his speed the next moment.

No. Don't do this.

You feel the shots before you hear them. You feel it through Pietro's body, who stepped forward to protect Clint.

You throw yourself forward, desperate.

You reach Pietro the second his heart stops beating.

"Piete?" You call to him as he falls into your lap. You can feel the air disappearing from his lungs, life fading away "Hey buddy, don't do that. Pietro! Please..."

You bury your face in his chest, trying to hear something. Anything. You press your hands against his chest next, then his face.

"Don't die on me, Pietro." You beg with a sob. You force your magic in despair. No matter how much it hurts, Pietro cannot die. He just can't.

You can only remember the skinny little boy running with you in your childhood. Laughing with you on the roof. Teaching you to fight.

Your tears mix up with your blood.

"Captain, we have a problem." Clint announces at your side.

No.

I'm not giving up.

You grunt in pain as you press your hands hard on Pietro's chest, your veins popping with a golden light. You're not dying on me.

Something starts to pulse in your head. Loud enough to completely disorient you. Your eyes are heavy, and you choke on your own blood coming out of your mouth.

You smile because you can feel the air returning to your friend's lungs at the same rate as it leaves yours.

When Pietro breathes again, your eyes close.

/-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-///-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-

Tag List> @imapotatao / @aimezvousbrahms/ @ensorcellme/ @helloalycia || @mionemymind / @abimess / @stephanieromanoff / @yourtaletotell / @tomy5girls / @justagaypanicking / @thegayw1tch / @idek-5 // @myperfectlovepoem // @helloalycia // @ENSORCELLME // @AIMEZVOUSBRAHMS // @drpepperobsessed // @sighsam // @olsensnpm // @sxfwap // @table57 // @madamevirgo // @causeitswhatjesuswouldfreakingdo // @emptysince18x // @xastrydx || @yuhloversxx || @ymzki-haruki || @wouldirunofftheworldsomeday || @lostandsearching || @lezzzbehonesthere || @musicinourlips || @chaekhan || @diaryoflife || @cristin-rjd

[argisthebulwark]

ok but can u imagine the ldb is from solstheim and she’s going to riften for the first time with her friend teldryn sero. teldryn, out of habit and affection, calls her "love", entirely platonic.

lbd is talking to brynjolf in the tavern, he’s flirting, she’s flirting, teldryn chimes in and says sth, adresses her as "love" and bryn is just… suddenly all insecure andd uughfjjjakskskak

i love this so much. i'm always a sucker for affectionate nicknames.

brynjolf/gender neutral ldb. no smut, just too long to post without a cut lmao

"So this is Riften." Teldryn commented when the pair wandered over one of Riften's many bridges. The Dragonborn was staring up at the old buildings, entranced with the ropes swaying easily between their peaks. "Glover Mallory told me a good deal about this place. It looks exactly as I pictured."

"Did Glover warn you about the smell?" The Dragonborn raised the cloth mask over their nose when they passed the fishery. Teldryn's short laugh drew the attention of a few locals nearby. They watched the pair of Dunmer cautiously. The Dragonborn wondered if they had a problem with Mer or adventurers of all kinds.

"C'mon, love. Sun's getting low, let's find a drink." Teldryn knocked his elbow into theirs before turning to the marketplace. He chose the man peddling some Falmer Blood Elixir, the Dragonborn trailing behind.

They paused, staring at the man Teldryn was talking to. Strands of red hair fell into his sharp eyes, the smirk on his face so perfect they wondered if he practiced in a mirror. He looked at them over Teldryn's shoulder and they were immensely glad for the mask covering the furious blush in their cheeks. He was beautiful.

"The Bee and Barb's going to be your best bet for a drink." He paused, looking over the pair. The Dragonborn was glad they'd stayed a few steps behind Teldryn, unsure if they could even form a coherent sentence with the man looking at them. "Just behind you. It's the best tavern for travelers like you."

The Dragonborn nodded, glad they had Teldryn to do the talking as he seemed unaffected by the man. They wanted some reason to stay and talk to him more, to just listen to him speak, but Teldryn led the Dragonborn into the Bee and Barb with a firm hand on their arm.

"Did I miss something?" He taunted when the Dragonborn practically fell into a seat at the bar. They didn't know how to explain. It was like seeing that man had erased every thought from their mind other than him. Could it be sorcery? They'd never felt attracted to anyone that strongly.

"No." They answered, clearing their throat and tugging away the mask. Inside the tavern smelled of sweet drinks and stew, the patrons all chatting at their own tables.

"Really?" He teased, removing the helmet when one of the Argonian innkeepers brought drinks. "Seems to me like someone caught your attention."

They ignored the comment, sipping at their drink. It tasted faintly of home; Talen-Jei had commented that the Cliff Racer included Flin and Sujamma in a pointed comment. They still weren't entirely comfortable being so far from home but it was a relief to have Teldryn with them.

They'd once found him handsome but it was nowhere near what the man in the market had made them feel. After months of travelling together through Solstheim and recently Skyrim Teldryn had become a close friend, a trusted companion, but nothing more. Their relationship was built on teasing and stories of past journeys, there was no romance.

It was comfortable sitting with Teldryn. He told a story the Dragonborn had heard before but they didn't mind. They could hardly pay attention, their mind straying to the man out in the market.

"Can I buy your next drink?"

His smooth voice made their brain stutter. The man claimed the seat next to the Dragonborn and gave them another one of those sly smirks. They nodded, scrambling to find something to say.

"What'll it be, Brynjolf?" Talen-Jei addressed him like a frequent customer. Brynjolf. The Dragonborn liked his name, it was fitting.

Somehow the Dragonborn found themself deep in conversation with Brynjolf. They talked about everything - Solstheim, travelling to Skyrim, the differences in food and drink. He asked every question and seemed to always enjoy their answer.

It was thrilling. Brynjolf leaned against the bar, drink forgotten when he listened to the Dragonborn chatter. They knew they were talking too much but couldn't seem to stop themself. It was just so easy to talk to him, to spill whatever he wanted to hear when he looked at them.

"I'll find us a room for the night, love." Teldryn interjected with a knowing grin. The Dragonborn could only pray there was a room with two beds somewhere in the inn. They weren't a fan of flipping coins to see who slept on the floor. Teldryn always seemed to win.

Brynjolf's smirk faltered a bit, his eyes straying to where Teldryn retreated to find Talen-Jei or Keerava. The Dragonborn's heart sank, wondering if they had misinterpreted his interest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interfere." He cleared his throat, suddenly unable to make eye contact. The Dragonborn reached for their drink and thought over the conversations, wondering what they'd said to offend him. "I thought you two were just travelling partners. I didn't know there was something more."

"What?" The Dragonborn blurted. Their face heated when Brynjolf finally looked at them again. They tried to form a reasonable response, to explain that there was nothing romantic with Teldryn, but Brynjolf's presence left them tongue tied. "No, he's not, there's not anything." They stuttered, glad to see the corner of his mouth lifting. "There's nothing there."

"Nothing?" Brynjolf leaned closer, voice pitched low and the Dragonborn nodded furiously. His fingers barely brushed over their jaw and they yearned for him lean in just a bit more. It would be so easy to kiss him. "Lucky for me, then."

[liibrii]

fem!Miya!reader x Ginjima Hitoshi & Akagi Michinari || part of the Third Miya series

Synopsis: It’s just a courage test. Just a nightly walk through a labyrinth of statues. Even the moon refuses to peek out from behind to clouds to witness your stupidity. Oh, did I mention there've been ghosts sighting here? There've been ghost sightings here.

Warnings: cursing, some spooky atmosphere, spooky things happen, some prime examples of sibling love

wc: 2.3k

a/n: should I post this chapter after the one establishing Reader's friendship with the team? Yeah, probably. also what I could do is write a little author's note that Reader is a friend with all the boys on the team and move on from there, ya know? 

In case you missed previous chapters, Twins call their sister San, while others simply refer to her as Miya. (I'm experimenting and trying to use y/n as little as possible. lemme know if you like it). 

if you wanna be tagged in future chapters lemme know and as always feedback is greatly appreciated! 

Nothing scared you.

Well, except Mr-No-Gaps Kita Shinsuke but you're pretty sure there isn't a being on this planet that wouldn't be afraid of him so that disqualifies him from this particular competition; or mom that one time she discovered nobody had taken the trash out even though she said to do it several times. And the dark sometimes. And ghosts! Ghosts are spooky. You can't punch a ghost

But other than that nothing scared you.

This nightly walk though is making you reconsider the statement. Maybe the time has come for you to put 'dark' and 'weird noises whose origin you can't see' to the top of the list. Shivers run up your spine and you step faster, closer to Ginjima beside you. He gives you a questioning glance but luckily doesn't say anything. You hope he won't mention it later either. The only thing worse than your brothers finding out what a scaredy cat you're being right now is... Well, nothing would be worse than that.

The Gallery Tangle is what this place is called and you find the name strangely fitting. Stone statues, some crumbling and all overgrown with moss, stand lined by the path going in twists and turns. No matter where you turn cold unseeing eyes watch you. If you were the one choosing the name for this place it would be something along the lines of 'that corner nobody in their right mind would ever go close too'. Some people believe it used to be a cemetery but really it's just a meadow where someone left an unwanted statue once, and then another, and before you knew crowds of curious tourists and stupid teenagers visited the place all the time. Even the moon refuses to peek out from behind to clouds to witness your stupidity. Oh, did I mention there've been ghosts sighting here? There've been ghost sightings here.

So naturally it's the perfect place for a courage test. The only one at fault for this entire situation is Osamu for daring Akagi and Ginjima to go visit the site, and you for falling for his trap when he turned to you and, with that annoyingly sweet voice pretending he's a caring older brother who's just looking out for his little sister, said: “Thank the heaven yer too much of a baby to go out of the house after sunset.“

Yeah well, maybe you are and he knows it, and he also knows the easiest way to get you to do something is to tell you you don't have the guts. It's all a well tested trap you keep falling into. Walking amongst countless silent statues you want to ponder how the mice traps are always so obvious and yet the mice keep falling for them like dummies, but that would be a silly thought to have in the middle of the night and taking your current circumstances into consideration also incredibly hypocritical.

Nothing much scared you, except for Kita Shinsuke, but if you were given a chance to get help from one person right now you'd chose him. As much as the mere thought of him makes you straighten up and check if your clothes are on point you're sure ghosts and demons and other creatures of the night would rethink once or twice before coming closer to bother you. Not to be rude but he'd probably be a better ghost repellent than trembling Ginjima beside you who at the moment is being more of a ghost attractor. Can ghosts sense fear? Apparently even horses can smell fear so why would ghosts be any different? Maybe better for that question to go unanswered.

“Are ya sure we're goin' in the right direction?“ asks Gin.

“Maybe.“

“Akagi-san ya do know that's not the answer we wanna hear right now, right?“

“I'm yer senpai so I can't lie to ya,“ answers Akagi and you wish he wasn't your senpai so you could give him the well deserved kick in the shin. As Osamu would put it, getting a straight answer out of him was sometimes harder than eating udon noodles with only one chopstick. Your smart-ass replied with 'Just drink them', which was a funny response at the time, a justifiable enough reason for Osamu to slap your head, but in the end this solution didn't really apply to the libero. “We're takin' a little detour to avoid inhabitants of this place,“ Akagi says and if you didn't know him better you'd think his words were meant to reassure you.

“Ya mean the statues? I don't think they really mind us trespassin'.“

“Ah no, not the statues.“ He turns and points his torch up to light up his face. “I meant ghosts.“

“Ha ha, very funny,“ you say pretending a shiver didn't just run up your spine. Your hold on your own torch tightens.

“Skepticism doesn't suit ya Miya. There's a ghost of a little boy hidin' round here. Ever since his old house was demolished he walks around lookin' for his parents.“

“Sure he does,“ you answer and quickly change the topic because if Akagi doesn't stop you're sure Gin will climb in your arms and the question if you're strong enough to carry him is another one you don't want to know the answer to. “Where did Samu say he left the scarf?“

When Ginjima answers his voice is strangely high pitched: “By the statue of an old lady with a cat.“

Akagi nods. “We should split up so-“

“No!“ you and Ginjima half yell.

“We could get lost,“ you add, feeling heat rise on your cheeks.

“Exactly,“ Ginjima agrees, “look how many statues there are! It's a labyrinth 'round here!“

Akagi gives in without much convincing with a gleam in his eyes you really don't like because it looks suspiciously similar to the gleam Atsumu has before blackmailing you with one of too many embarrassing things he knows. “Right, right, last time I was here the cat lady was on the other end.“

“Was?“ Ginjima follows close behind and you're just glad to have you back covered.

“Statues move sometimes. Usually when no one is lookin'.“

“Funny,“ is all you say.

Still, as you continue the expedition you don't let your gaze wander around. It's not like you could see anything anyway. It's too dark! At least that's what you keep telling yourself. Anything could hide out there.

You shudder. Why did you think it was a good idea to leave without taking a hoodie? As if summer nights aren't chilly. Or maybe you just walked past a cold spot where ghosts linger. Now that sounds like something Akagi would tell you.

You're acutely aware of how close Ginjima is walking and you're glad he is. His shoulder bumping into yours every now and then and the sound of his steps are the last things keeping you from letting your imagination run free.

That's the thing about imagination. It makes the pile of unfolded clothes look like a child crawling out of the floor. It makes sitting stone statues seem to blink and turn their heads when you pass by.

When you nervously glance over at Ginjima you notice he's clenching his jaw so hard you start fearing for his teeth. He puts you at ease. As much as that is possible while walking in the dead of night around seemingly endless line of statues. If he was as carefree as Akagi you would, all your foolish pride be damned, most likely burst into tears right then and there.

The nearby bushes rustle and maybe it's just the wind, or a cat on a nightly adventure, or maybe it's something entirely different, but whatever it is lures you into making the mistake of looking over at the statues, where you catch a pale face with unblinking eyes behind long, black hair staring back at you. You scream. Jump, trip over a stone and end in Ginjima's arms, your ears ringing from the high pitched shriek you presume is his.

Akagi jumps too and points his torch around to see what made both of you finally lose the brave facade. He searches around the statues but there's nothing to be found. “It's gone now.“

“Ya sure?“

“What was it?“

“A white face and... black hair.“

“So, a ghost?“ asks Akagi and you nod, holding tightly on Gin as if your life depended on it. A sly smile spreads across Akagi's face. “See, I told ya there's ghosts.“

“Not helpin' ,“ says Gin as Akagi's words make you shudder.

Only then does it hit you Ginjima is holding you bridal style and you swiftly climb back down, still shaken and now completely embarrassed as well. You don't even dare think how much bribing will take to convince Akagi to keep his mouth shut about this. Oh, if your brothers find out they will never let you live it down.

“Maybe we should go home,“ suggests Ginjima still holding you up because your knees turned to pudding.

“Like hell we are,“ you sneer, the blood rush turning fear into burning determination. If this is what it takes to shut Samu's annoying shit mouth, then so be it. “Cat lady, right? I bet she's this way.“ You pick up your torch light and head into the wrong direction.

“Miya, we have to go right,“ Akagi calls after you.

“I am goin' right!“

“The other right.“

You turn on your heels and head into the 'other right' direction. You think you hear Akagi snicker. Step by step your sudden burst of determination and fearlessness drains but like hell are you going to show it. It's just ghosts and spooky demons and maybe some cursed children, what are they going to do? Scare you? Joke's on them, you're already scared! And cold, and embarrassed, and you just want to find that damn scarf already and go home.

It waits neatly wrapped around the cat's neck. It's eyes have an almost mocking look. As if the stone is judging you for taking on this courage test in the first place. Well, you think, it ain't wrong.

“There, now we can go,“ you proclaim when your trembling fingers finally manage to unknot the silky fabric, and as if some cruel fate or inhabitants of this eerie place watched you only a few statues away something rustles.

All three of you freeze and listen. In the distance you can hear cars driving by. A late night train stops by the station.

“What was that?“ asks Gin.

You stuff the scarf into your pocket. “Doesn't matter, we got what we-“

“Let's go check it out!“

“O hell no,“ is the first thing that leaves your mouth but for some reason Akagi thinks it's a sunny Sunday afternoon and the perfect time for a stroll.

“Let's go,“ Gin nudges you to get you to follow Akagi but you don't budge.

“No.“

“He's our senpai Miya, we can't just let him wander off.“ He lowers his voice. “He might get in trouble.“

“Let him. I've had enough of this place,“ you say and head into the opposite direction. Ginjima hesitates, casts a few lost glances between you and Akagi before he decides the prospect of something happening to you would get him into much bigger trouble. “Are ya okay?“ he asks when he catches up.

You give a stiff nod. All you want is to get away from this place.

It doesn't take long for Akagi to come running back. “It was nothin',“ he says, out of breath and smiling as always but if you'd pay more attention you'd notice he's a bit paler.

And you are about to find out why.

A white figure appears from behind one of the statues, howling and shrieking, or maybe that's Akagi and Ginjima. Your heart stops for a mere moment before jumping into overdrive. You grip your torch, step back with one leg to gain momentum, and chuck your only source of light into what you guess is ghosts head.

“Aargh!“ shrieks the ghost before it starts screaming its lungs out at you, “Are ya stupid?! Ya could've hurt me ya shithead!“ It pulls the sheet off to reveal a very irritated Atsumu rubbing his forehead where the torchlight hit him. “OW!“ he shrieks again when you kick his shin. You'd probably kick him again for good measure if another figure, this one clad in black and with an oni mask, didn't jump from behind the statues and scare you into leaping in the air. The figure laughs and avoids the kick aimed at it's knee. “Samu!“ you shriek. “This isn't funny!“

“It is a little,“ says Akagi and to his luck he's your senpai and standing out of your reach. At least Ginjima doesn't look amused by your utter embarrassment.

In an effort to regain some of your pride you pull out the scarf and chuck it into Osamu's face. “Here, yer kitchen cloth.“

“San don't speak about mom's clothes like that,“ teases Atsumu who at the stare you send him immediately takes a careful step back.

Osamu pinches your cheeks and not even a death glare stops his teasing: “Maybe ya ain't such a baby after all. But ya do scream like one.“

“Absolutely hilarious,“ you deadpan. “Who was the white faced lady? Suna?“

“What white face?“

“Don't play with me ya shit pig. The one that almost gave Gin a heart attack!“

“Ya screamed louder than me-“

“That wasn't us,“ your brothers shake their head. You don't believe them because, why would you?

Akagi bursts into laughter. “Maybe ya saw a real ghost after all!“

A... a real... ghost. The rest of you exchange uncomfortable glances.

Gin is the first to speak. “It's gettin' a little chilly. Maybe we should,“ he gestures towards the path, and you nod, enthusiastically.

“It is gettin' late. We'll hear it if we come home past curfew,“ says Osamu.

Walking away you don't want to look back but something compels you to throw a quick glance over your shoulder. Wide unblinking eyes stare as you leave, face ghostly white and almost glowing in the dead of night.

Or maybe it's just your imagination.

tag list: @espressons @trashy-simp @nachotrash @megumiisee @foxxtrot-116​

in case you’re curious, Gallery tangle is based on a real life Statue village in Japan.

[yamaoni]

The Second Great War of Remnant has begun. Once more, Vale and Mantle are embroiled in a massive conflict, only this time, they are on the same side against Atlas.

I don't think it was a coincidence that so many people drew parallels with the last episode and WWI. We've never seen people fight that way in RWBY. Grimm don't use projectile weapons the way humans do, so the benefits of the trench are diminished; especially if you compare it to the drawbacks.

Now, I understand not everyone in the Atlas military has their aura unlocked and the squishy soldiers need some cover, but if The Long Memory didn't nuke every grimm on Atlas, the lines would have been overrun and then there would have been nowhere for them to retreat to.

You think the very real hand to hand struggles in the trenches of WWI were bad, imagine being trapped in a narrow trench with a bear. Or having this thing explode out of the ground under you.

I refuse to believe no-one in Atlas ever thought, "if we put the dirt from the trench in a box, no only can we give our soldiers cover, we can also give them an elevated position to fire from."

The top of a wall has been the primary defensive position for the people of Remnant for a long time. You can see them in the establishing shots of most settled places the team has visited. So why are we seeing a trench now?

Simple.

Show, don't tell.

RWBY has done a pretty great job, especially in the last few seasons, of showing the audience what it is trying to convey without explicitly telling them. They especially like drawing from well known folk lore to give insight into the future of the show.

Only difference here, instead of drawing the parallel between characters, they're drawing parallels between worlds.

Remnant's first Great War started with Mantle suppressing freedom of expression, the destruction of Art and Color. Ironwood always has little in the way of color, but in his first broadcast since everything started hitting the fan, he has none.

That broadcast also included evacuation ships being blown up by fighter-bombers, Dunkirk. It threatend to level a city if they didn't surrender, Battle of Brittan. All delivered by a dictator trying to scare his opponents into submission through careful use of film.

Theories

If the rest of the season is WWII, I have several theories on plot direction. Considering how well they did keeping up with both ends of the battlefield it wouldn't surprise me if they followed all of them at the same time.

Operation Dunkirk

Or, the evacuation of Mantle.

Players: Penny, Nora, Ren, Happy Huntresses

The Happy Huntresses involvement is a given. Not only has saving Mantle been their goal the whole time, they're also stuck in the middle of it right now.

Penny is the Protector of Mantle. It would be a shining moment for her character to fully throw off the virus Watts implanted and overcome Ironwood's threats to do so. Just crossing my fingers that it doesn't end like the Iron Giant.

Nora is currently Penny's tether to sanity, so she has to go with, and I doubt they would separate Ren from her for the next arc so he's going too.

Surprise twist for this plot I'm betting will be the Starwars "they aren't warships, just people" scene everyone loves to rag on. After all, the broadcast went out that they needed help and, at least at Dunkirk, it was fishing boats and pleasure crafts that retrieved the 338,000 surrounded on all sides.

Why We Fight

Or, countering Ironwoods propaganda.

Players: Robyn and Qrow

For one, these two are unaccounted for and in the heart of Atlas' military machine. If anyone has means to do so, it's them.

The film, Why We Fight, also countered the dramatic cinematography of Goebbels propaganda by painting it as ridiculous and making a folksy call to action much like Robyn has done in the past.

Operation Fortitude

Or, the deception of Ironwood.

Players: Emerald, Jaune, Oscar

This is the mission to make Ironwood think the team is going after the relic. This theory is why I actually thought of and wrote out this whole thing. Thanks @maxiemumdamage, I had things I was supposed to do tonight.

https://maxiemumdamage.tumblr.com/post/644291955872890880/willing-to-bet-my-own-soul-that-emerald-uses-her

Only difference in my theory and their's, is Jaune is going to be playing the part of Penny.

I say this for two reasons. One, Joan of Arc pretended to be a man. While we've gotten both Jaune pretending to be something he's not and him in a dress, this would pose the first time in the story he could do both. Two, it would put him on a direct collision path with Cinder. It needs to happen at some point to bring his arc to a conclusion, but man I hope we're not about to watch him burn.

With Ozpin active again, Oscar has to go along to direct them to the vault. He's also one of two backing the idea of Emerald joining the team and Jaune wouldn't be willing to work with her without him.

Operation Overlord

Or, busting down the doors of Atlas Acadamy.

Players: Ruby, Blake, Weiss, Yang

Where Operation Fortitude was the faint, Operation Overlord was the real deal. For those that aren't history buffs, this is D-Day.

I think this is the reason we've only seen the main team fighting together once since their split from Beacon. And even then, that fight was at most pairs of fighters and not all four of them supporting one another.

RWBY tricked us into thinking season 4 was the post-timeskip level up we come to expect from anime when really we ended up watching the training flashbacks as they happened instead.

We've seen hints of it with the various team ups and combinations, but are we really ready for how much ass kicking they are about to do?

I'm hoping for a One Piece level of badass entrance that can give me shivers whenever I go to watch it again like the walk to Arlong Park still does to this day.

(Aside: if you try telling me RWBY isn't anime, I'm just going to ignore you. Anime is an art movement. If you don't understand what that means, watch this video. https://youtu.be/uFtfDK39ZhI)

Now last and certainly not least

Operation Valkyrie

Or, the death of Ironwood.

Players: Winter and Marrow

The long awaited defection. Plenty of speculation has already floated around about if and when these two where going to cave to their morals and jump ship. I don't know how many of us were expecting the straw to break the camel's back to be a nuke held over Mantle, but I certainly wasn't.

What worries me, is Operation Valkyrie failed and all its conspirators were executed. As if there weren't enough death flags for Winter before.

Even if it's not Winter that kills him. I don't see Ironwood surviving this season. Even if it means he goes out like another hated dictator. It's not like it would be the first time RT had a fallen hero chose to use his own sword.

Wildcards

Or, Murphy will have his due.

Players: Cinder, Watts, Neo, Tyrian, Mercury, Clover

These players can go any which way. Three we know for sure are going to be active in the coming episodes and I wouldn't be surprised if the other three play a part as well.

Oscar made a hell of a light show for Tyrian and Mercury to see behind them. Not to mention, Salem will still need a ride home when she pulls herself back together.

Clover keeps getting mentioned even though he's hospitalized. If he was truly out of commission for the rest of the season, they would have made us think he's dead before bringing him back like they did with Penny.

Up to now, what we've seen is a three way conflict. But one of the hallmarks of Remnant's First Great War, was making temporary alliances to fight off grimm.

The grimm might be gone, but the wild cards can't complete their own objectives if they are dead. The question is who's goals better align with their own.

Two surprise twists I can see here. One, Mercury stabbing Tyrian on his way to defection. He was raised by an assassin and has not going to get a better chance than that. Two, Clover joining Operation Valkyrie. He might have accepted that sacrifice is a necessary evil to ensure Atlas' survival, but might go Schindler's List on us and find horror in what Ironwood plans to do.

TLDR

I spent way too long writing this out. All the WWI imagery means we're getting a WWII movie with RWBY characters. Major death flags for Penny, Jaune, and Winter.

Also I finally figured out how to do a readmore. Apparently it's just been a long time since I updated.

Note: kept seeing things talking about clovers death and I kind of went ???? Isn't he barely alive in medical? Went back and watched that scene and though I am 90% sure he is dead still kind of weird that they have him in his own room instead of a morgue and the initial framing made my mind instantly think he was propped up on a hospital bed. I mean, I guess we needed to have all the ACEOPs there for their reaction to Ironwood... but it definitely made me think he was alive. That and they have a bandage on his chest wound... when he's supposedly dead. Also have a phantom memory of Harriet saying something about him being in critical but I think that's my memory playing tricks on me.

Having his face exposed instead of covered by the sheet and seeing him in the same frame as Winter being treated also didn't help my gut reaction of "Oh Shit! He's alive? How?!" If I'd followed up more on the "how" might not have made the blunder of writing his return as the final twist in my theory. Oops

[fandom-blackhole]

I'm back from my mandatory two day socialization recovery period required for all socialization even if I enjoy it. It's time for some Mermaid!Din au thoughts (No thots unfortunately but we'll live)

First off I love the isolation that the reader faces because of the lighthouse they live in. And I love how the townspeople being nice to the reader help give them a reason to stick around when weird things start happening.

I love how it took months before anything strange starts happening, like were Din and Grogu just not around or were they observing the reader. Did Din ever try to stop Grogu from damaging the lighthouse or did he let the little rascal do as he pleased.

· And gosh I love the idea of reader dressing in old worn clothing, a knit sweater with fraying sleeves, sweat pants covered in paint from repairs, an old windbreaker to help keep the cold out. It makes me heart all warm and fuzzy.

Edna, who i've head cannoned as this series Miss Chatham (H2O: just add water charter) is honestly life goals. Like live near ocean - check(ish), have rare knowledge that can be used to help new person - check, being just slightly spooky -amazing. And is that a little matchmaker I see her playing? I love it.

Then Grogu being injured :( I bet that Din is absolutely being eaten alive by guilt even though we all know it’s not his fault and he does literally anything he can to keep Grogu safe and happy.

And In love how Din is venerable enough to ask for help, like he recognizes that this is something out of his area of expertise so he goes to the person he knows is “safe” to get help. He’s humble enough to admit that he needs help and is not capable of doing everything for Grogu. And being able to admit that is an important life skill that not enough people have.

· But even after he ask the reader for help he is still hesitant which shows that even though hes trusting reader he will still kick (is it still a kick if its with a tail) the readers ass if he hurts him.

“But you can help him” Oh my heart the trust in that sentence. Like Din just heard, “so yeah I can help your son but I have to take him somewhere it will be hard for you to follow. And he needs to stay there for at least a week, and even if you manage to come its going to be so far from your natural element.” But he was still on board with the plan. And then he goes to climb on the rock so he can drag himself all the way to the light house because he can’t let his little boy go alone even if it means hurting himself to do it.

Reader was smart af for doing the old blanket slipperaroo trick

Reader immediately knowing something was up when she walked into town is so realistic. She literally is hiding a massive secret at her lighthouse of course anyone would be on edge walking back into society. Especially a society that already knows a little something about the secret. But them to amplify it. Miss Chatham to the rescue. She knows that reader is up to something and she uses her powers as an old lady with lungs and karen potential to scare off the problem for a little bit. The reader just placed so much trust on Edna by straight up telling her that she's housing Din and Grogu.

· Also that fool browsing the menstrual hygiene rack, like dumbass. Is this your way of making him miss every shot? Because we know that storm troopers are well known for their ability to miss every shot so making him automatically turn to tampons? Genius

Cashier for the win, like beep beep bitch now pay up

The "cyare" omg and then the reader warning Din about the cookies and him being so curious about them. The way Din is so perceptive of the readers mood that he is already able to tell that something is wrong. It was such a smart idea to have the reader lead with asking him to give her a small chance to calm down about what happened in the town.

Din and the reader low-key flirting and teasing each other at the end is so adorable. Grogu with the cookie absolutely melts my heart like of course that boy is hungry.

So this is a slightly polished layout of my stream of consciousness while reading this. Does it make sense? Probably not. But I love this idea and you have done it justice.

Ahhhhhhz thank you for all of the lovely thoughts and compliments, im glad you like my story and I hope it continuesto meet your expectations!!!! And you made perfect sense darling!

To reply to some things:

Honestly, I chose the isolation for two reasons, 1- it made sense, especially for how the plot is going to play out, privacy and isolation is needed, and 2- im introverted and I like being alone, so I just projected

The town's people are great! They are used to having lighthouse keepers just up and leave because of all the weird stuff, so the second that one sticks around they were all overjoyed, because like I said, a lot of the people work on boats fishing so the lighthouse is super important to them

Din did wait and observe the reader, wanting to know what to do when to attempt to scare them off. But also like no, he tried keeping Grogu away from the lighthouse as much as possible, not knowing what the reader might do to him, and just being a protective father, but we all know Grogu is a little shit and he snuck out before Din could stop him

Reader dresses in the COMFIEST clothes, and honestly, I am very much a sweater and comfy leggings kind of person, so again, something I am projecting

I love that you and everyone is loving Edna, she is definitely one of those cool old ladies that sneak you treats and shenanigans when no one is looking!

Also because idk if anyone has pointed it out.... in the last chapter I thought I was heavily hinting at it, but maybe it was more subtle than I thought, Edna and her MERMAID were alot more than friends *wink wink* she's gay as fuck and thats why she made the joke about not liking NUTS

Din loves Grogu, in and out of this AU, and it was 1000% not his fault that Grogu got hurt, in fact he was trying to protect him! Din definitely panicked and the first person that came to mind was the reader, and while he didn't know them, he knew for some reason they were safe to go to for help (as well as knowing the lighthouse would be a good place to hide while some things cooled down 👀), but Din will always be cautious because he is scared for his son

Din is just *chef's kiss* 👌, an amazing father who will do ANYTHING for his son, no matter what it takes

The whole blanket thing literally came from my childhood, thinking about how my sisters and I would drag eachother around on blankets, and I just thought it would be great for this scenario

Like the reader is gonna get real paranoid during this series, im not going to lie to you, things are gonna get rough, but Edna is the MVP she's one of those people that could pull your darkest secrets from you just by glancing at you, and the reader pretty much assumed she was safe to talk to after she had informed her about the food offerings

Ok ok, as for the dudes, I was too lazy to look up their names and stuff but they were these dudes from season 1 that gave Din Grogu's bounty: the first dude is the one 'hiding' in the women's hygiene section

Din is just obsessed for human food at this point, and he feels things for the reader even of he doesn't want to admit it quite yet

Din also may be oblivious as fuck, but he's also observant, hes a bounty hunter for fucks sake, he needs to be able to pick up on these things, so yes in my stories Din is really good at picking up on emotions, even if he doesn't fully know how to react to them

Im aiming for a slow burn foc, but to be honest with you all, chances are it is going to be a regularly paced romance, which for my writing is slow paced, so yeah the idiots are flirting and teasing eachother, but also like they will not be talking about or admitting feelings for at least a few more chapters

Grpgu deserves all the cookies!!! He's a growing tadpole, who has been magically healing himself while in a coma like state, so he hasnt eaten in days, and if he wanted he'd probably be able to devour 2x his body weight and then some, so a few cookies recieved in some kind of mysterious way are well achieved

Merman!Din Tags: @writeforfandoms @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @honey-goth  @mando-abs @lux-cream-67 @rachelle-on-the-run @katcharm   @ladamari68 @bluegalaxyprime @my-life-as-a-bird @altarsw @zarakem @stargazingthenightaway

(Added the taglist in case any of you guys wanted to read over my thoughts and things bc I have some hcs and cleared somethings up ypu may be wondering about)

[reveltica]

The Rundown

part i

him

“No time to lose, I have to run you through your situation and your purpose for being here.” The "person" said, not giving her enough time to question anything. He grabbed her arm and harshly pulled her away somewhere safe.

She was stunned by this person. He was tan and dressed in elegant dark clothing. His hair has such an iridescent glow, from her artistic eye, it suited him very much. If they were in any normal situation, she would swoon! She was a sucker for these looks.

But they weren't in any normal situation, more likely they were in danger. He led them inside a hollow tree. The tree big enough to house them both. She was smart enough to keep quiet when she heard the Hilichurls rumbling down their path and past their hideout.

Once the coast was clear, she immediately backed away from this beautiful stranger, unfortunately. 'Who are you and what is going on? How did I get here? And I sure know there wasn't any character from Genshin who looks like you!?' she whispered shouted.

'Unless they updated the game...' she added later on.

'You deserve every right for an answer.' the stranger started. 'I am Dantalion, a Great Duke and The Keeper of The Forbidden Library. Much like you, I am also an "outlander" as one would say'. Dantalion informed, dusting off his sleeves and readjusting them before continuing. 'Your situation might be unbelievable but we are inside Genshin. In Mondstadt to be exact−'

'Mondstadt?!'

'Yes, as I was saying. You are here for a reason. And a reason I am involved with. I excel at most things especially ambitions for me and my people. But my peers and I don't see eye to eye, so I decided to leave them for me to achieve my goals and desires. They're very boring and dull that they can't even perceive the sparkling future I am seeing through my eyes.'

She listened to him ramble on. It was quite a long introduction. He was sure full of himself, she thought. 'So, were you suspended from your position?' she concluded. Observing that he is so sure and seemingly arrogant, she was pretty sure his "peers" had enough of his obnoxiousness and other deeds worthy of this suspension.

Silence.

'I, wasn't, no that is not the case my dear. For I am a Great Duke! How dare they punish me?!' he raged, tone laced with venom. But he immediately composed himself and continued.

'Unfortunately they blocked all portals going in and out of this world. Basically we are stuck here, but I have devised a solution!' Dantalion conjured up a book, only its pages were missing. It was very elegant like himself. Golden edges and a crest in the middle of the dark cover. The crest was hollow and it seemed to indicate that there was something that belonged there in the first place.

'Document every elemental power, draw every powerful weapon, and the magic gathered in that book would be powerful enough to conjure a portal. You'll be back home, scot-free and I have another collection for my library and therefore, earning my redemption. What do you say? Its a pretty good deal if I say so myself.' He chuckled, mostly to himself.

She just sighed and kept quiet. Everything was going on so fast and questions piled up in her head every passing second. Any questions, uh, I'm sorry I haven't gotten your name yet?'

She was still admiring the covers of this cover when she was asked for her name. 'Oh, my name is−'

'Oh tut, not your real name. I already know.'

Then why'd you asked for my name?!

'It's also mundane and boring. How about I pick one for you?' boisterously speaking, Dantalion turned around. She was getting rather irritated by this man and looking defeated, she sighed. 'Alright then, what it'll be?'

Dantalion hummed and smiled and summoned yet another book. He flipped through its pages. The cover is pastel pink with green vines adorning it and instead of a hollowed crest on the middle, a flower was in its place.

' IRIS. That'll be the name you'll be using here.' He declared. She made a shrugging gesture, hinting that she would go with it. She kind of liked it, since she also agreed to his notion about her name. Plain and small, was what she thought.

'Now!' Dantalion slammed his book shut and it poofed out of existence. 'Any questions Iris? suggestions or violent reactions? I may be a Great Duke but I also value my companion's concerns.' he continued.

Even though she was info dumped by Dantalion, she caught on pretty fast. What must be done in haste but also questions lingered.

'But why specifically me?' she started her barrage of questions. 'My peers gave me a few options on who'll accompany me in this journey. I chose you since you seemed to be knowledgeable on the lore of this world.' He replied.

'And you're good with arts, which I am very proud of, so our job of documenting would be fairly easy!' Dantalion had this excited spark in his heterochromatic eyes.

'Me? Knowledgeable?' Iris scoffed. 'But I haven't even personally played the game yet. I'm pretty sure there are others who would be far more cultured about Genshin and have played the game.' She explained. Because, honestly!

'Dantalion, this is where your plan would inevitably fail. I only know snippets of this worlds lore and story. The players know more than I would. I may be good at art, but there are also players who are exceptional.' Iris proclaimed, hands crossed while looking up at him, his face contorted in realization.

'Say, did you really thought of your plan thoroughly?' Iris turned towards him. His face has darkened and his arms crossed. She could've sworn she saw a vein pop.

Dantalion sighed, his tense shoulders slumped and walked towards her.

'Look, they haven't given me much of a choice of what I should do to get back and who will accompany me.' He said truthfully, Iris thought that he was.

'You and I both don't want to spend another second in this world−'

'Oh, I don't mind actually.'

'I− what?'

'Yes, I don't really mind. I kind of think it as a... vacation from reality, you know? And I don't mind documenting for your "Forbidden Library."' she respondedadding air quotes. 'Feels like I'll be contributing something big.'

Dantalion was taken aback by Iris' eagerness and nonchalance. Earlier she was questioning every detail, and he bet she would ask for more later, about her being there with him.

But this caused Dantalion to smirk in amusement. 'You are quite interesting−'

Suddenly, they heard cracking and crushing of something. They both looked up and saw that their hideout had been pulled out of its roots and revealed themselves to their pursuers. They see the Hilichurls have recruited more of their kin and what's worse is, there's a Berserker amongst them.

'Run.'

part iii