#Man’s is using her sword in her name and he’s making sure EVERYBODY KNOWS IT

[chikchikachikadee]

Idc what anybody says. You bet your ass I will be supporting all of Jang Uk’s and Cho Yeong’s rights, and especially their WRONGS. After all the shit they were put through in s1, they’re the only ones allowed to go apeshit. And I’m okay with that.

Also, it’s really fucking sexy that Uk’s literally spent the last 3 years using his wife’s sword in HER NAME. Ugh.

[sheeple]

A green-coloured brother for a black allied son

Part one | Part two

The King is dead. The Greens usurped the throne and crowned Aegon before the people of King's Landing. When word of the treachery reached the ears of the True Queen's court, it was already too late. The Blacks need allies and stat.

"Send us, mother", spoke the Velaryon princess during the Black council, making everybody turn to her and her siblings. "You need messengers, and dragons are quicker than ravens."

And so it is done, Lucaerys is sent to Storm's End and Jacaerys and (Y/n) are sent to Winterfell. The princess sees the scared look on her little brother's face when their mother mentions him flying alone.

"Send me with Luke, mother", she pleads, grabbing both of her mother's hands. "My dragon will for sure scare some sense into the man."

But their mother shakes her head. "I need you and Vermithor in the North. And I need you to grow close to Cregan Stark."

She sighs frustrated. "We're on the brink of war, mother. This isn't the time to court and to plan a wedding."

"I am not asking this of you as your mother. I am saying this as your Queen. You are to go the Winterfell and that's an order."

At the harsh tone of her mother, the Princess takes a step back and lowers her eyes. "Yes, your Grace." 

She turns around and goes to the Dragonpit, where her brothers are already saddled up on their dragons. She strokes the scales of Vermithor before raising taking place on the back of her dragon.

The dragons push off, gliding through the air the Princess goes flying next to Luke and Vermax. "Please be careful. Promise me that you won't do anything stupid."

Luke swallows and looks at his sister, whose eyes are soft and filled with worry. "I promise."

And after that brief interaction, the siblings part ways.

The flight to Winterfell is not one too difficult. If the colours grow bleaker and the air colder, they know that they are going the right way.

Their presence is announced by Vermithor who roars loudly and the ground shakes as the two dragons touch down. Guards are at the ready as they have seen the two dragons approach the castle from miles away, swords and lances at the ready. 

"I'm Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, accompanied by Princess (Y/n) Velaryon. We bring a message to Lord Stark from the Queen."

The guards nod and lead the royal siblings into the main hall where Cregan Stark is seated on the throne carved out of white marble.

Before Jace can take the lead, the Princess steps forwards.

"I did not come here as your betrothed, Lord Stark. We come here as messengers of House Targaryen, asking for your support in the claim of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, first of her name."

Cregan Stark sits back on his throne and rubs a hand over his stubble, a large fur cloak draped over his shoulders. "Of course. My father bend the knee to the Queen then, and I'll follow in his footsteps willingly. I'll have an official document drawn up to pledge my stance to Queen Rhaenyra."

He waves for someone of a maester to prepare the document and a seal. "In the meantime, I would like to offer e meal and warm clothes."

It's no secret that both Velaryon siblings are a slightly bit underdressed for Winterfell weather, even with their thickest cloaks. Before the princess can decline, her brother steps in front of her, accepting the invite. She glares at him but remains quiet, following after a maid to receive a thicker dress and cloak.

While the maid laces up her dress, the princess looks melancholy out of the window. She wonders how her brother is doing, if his flight went well and if Lord Borros is a good host to him.

"You look pained, my Princess."

She turns around and looks at Cregan with the same sombre look. The maid takes her leave and the two betrothed are alone.

"I must apologise, my Lord, but my mind is elsewhere." 

As Cregan grabs the fur coat that lays on the bed, he motions for her to continue while also turning around. "How so?"

"Just as my brother and I are sent to you, my Lord, our youngest brother is sent to Storms End. And while he's a dragon rider, he is no soldier. He's just a boy... wanting to make his house and family proud."

Lord Stark fastens the cloak on her shoulders before turning her around. "I may not know your brother, Princess, but if I know one thing about Targaryens it is that a dragon is not easily defeated. And that also applies to the pups."

She gives him a slight smile, his words somewhat calming her worrying heart.

Cregan leads her towards the banquet hall, her hand wrapped around his bicep. But when she enters and sees her cousin stand next to Jace with a worried look on her face, the princess drops her hand and rushes towards them.

"What is wrong?"

Baela turns towards her and grabs her hands. "We've had word from Storms End. Luke is taken by Aemond to King's Landing and Aemond is asking for you."

She hands the Princess the letter she showed Jace. "It was strapped on Vermax. Apparently, Aemond was also sent to Storms End to earn Lord Borros' favour. And it looks like the Greens have won it."

My dearest beloved,

Oh, how you seem to love to toy with my heart, my darling. Teasing me with your gifted eyeball as a proposal but then you later reveal that that filthy wolf of the North has won the right to your virtue. One that is promised as mine long ago.

I expect you soon at our wedding, my precious dragon. Or else the bastard isn't going to only lose his sight.

Forever yours,

A.

The Princess feels her bowls turn and bile rises up. He has taken her brother as collateral so she will come to him. She doesn't want to think about what he's willing to do to the young boy.

She stumbles back, but Cregan is there to catch her and lead her to a chair. He gently takes the letter out of her hands and reads it for himself. 

"I... I have to..."

"Have the dragons readied immediately! We depart in then minutes!", calls out Cregan to a servant, who scurries off.

Both Jace and Baela nod determined and fasten their cloaks.

"No!", the Princess croaks out, jumping out of the chair and gripping the shoulders of her brother. "You're not going! You and Baela both have to return home."

Jace wants to protest, but the grip of his sister on his shoulders only tightens. "Both of you are the future of the Realm. It's my job as the oldest to keep all of you safe. I've done it once before, and I would do it a million times."

Her brother glances at the amethyst in her socket and looks at the ground, taking a step back and dropping his shoulders. The Princess hugs her cousin one last time before running out of the hall, Cregan hot on her heels. He grabs her shoulder and makes her turn to look at him. 

"I'm not letting you go on this- this suicide mission on your own. As you said to your brother, you are the future of The North."

"My Lord-", she tries to protest.

"Cregan. Call me Cregan, (Y/n). And one thing you have to know about The North is that we're very stubborn. Now, does your dragon fit two people?"

It makes her laugh as she leads her betrothed to where Vermithor is already saddled up and ready to go. "He's only the second biggest dragon in the world. He was ridden by King Jaehaerys the First." She runs a hand over his neck and rests her head against him. "Please be kind to Cregan, we really need you now."

Vermithor shakes his head in an understanding way and lets the two mount him. He pushes off and with speed, he's gone from Winterfell.

By the time they arrive in King's Landing, the sun has set. The Princess has tried to land Vermithor in a discreet location, but the behemoth is easily spotted by the King's Guards. 

Cregan rests his hand on the hilt of his sword as he lets the Princess take the lead. His eyes scan their surroundings as they get led up the stairs and to the prince's apartments.

There, in the middle of the room, stand Aemond with Luke, a knife pressed at the younger's neck as the boy struggles against Aemond's hold.

"Leave us", he tells the guards, and they obey, closing the door behind them.

The single eye of Aemond falls on the Northman protectively trailing behind her, he tightens the grip around the blade. Luke whimpers.

"I'm here, as you wished Aemond. Now let my brother go." Her voice is surprisingly clear and steady for all the feelings that rage through her body.

Aemond cocks his head to the side. "The Wolf wasn't as agreed, my love."

The nickname sickens the Princess.

"There was no agreement. You wanted to see me, and I am here. I kept my promise. Now you."

A humourlessly laugh escapes Aemond's lips. "But did you? You promised yourself to me, and yet here. You. Are." He kicks a glass over to her, and it rolls past her, to Cregan's feet. "Remember your engagement present to me. How you didn't want me alone?"

Cregan picks up the glass and the Princess turns to look at it. It's her eye she gave to the then Queen all those years ago. Aemond had kept it for his own sick delusions.

She grabs the jar and smashes it to the ground. "You sick bastard! I did it to protect my own! And not because some pathetic boy wanted to take something he doesn't own!"

A yelp comes from Luke as Aemond presses the knife deeper into his skin. The younger boy's eyes look at her scarred, tears rolling over his cheeks. He doesn't want to die. 

"Silence!", Aemond growls at the boy in his arms, making the latter tremble and crawl at the arm that holds him. "You want your brother? Fine, here he is."

Aemond pushes the boy out of his arms, but not before cutting Luke's throat. 

An agonizing scream leaves the lips of the Princess and she drops to the ground, clutching Luke's body in her arms, desperately trying to stop the blood from seeping out of her little brother's neck. "No... no... no... no!", she whimpers, tears falling down in fat dollops.

Behind her, Cregan has drawn his sword and advanced to Aemond, who has his own sword drawn, ready for battle.

The Princess's hands are coated with sticky blood. Luke grabs her hands, "tell mother... tell mother I love her, please. And Jace. And Daemon. A-and you, most of all, my belov-"

Before he can finish his sentence, life slips from his eyes. The Princess gasps for air, shaking her brother desperately. She cries, wails, and begs for the boy to wake up.

Wrath fills her every pore, and she looks up from her brother's corpse in her arms. She reaches for the blade not far dispensed from them and grabs it.

She stands up, a murderous glint in her eye and blood on her dress. With a cry, she advances towards the two sword-fighting men and weaves between them. She managed to push Cregan away before plunging the blade into Aemond's only remaining eye and twisting it deeply.

In a twisted way, she mirrors the former Queen that night. Ready to take justice when the world won't give it to her. 

The prince staggers back and falls to the ground. He claws at the knife in his face. But the Princess climbs on top of him and reaches for his neck, squeezing shut his windpipe.

Aemond tries to fight her off, but the rapid blood loss and his air supply being cut off makes him weak.

She screams through her tears and lifts him up, before bringing his head down to the ground. Time after time after time. At one point Aemond stops moving, but the Princess is blinded by rage that she keeps bashing his head to the ground.

Cregan grabs her and pulls her off the lifeless body of the prince. She screams, trashes, and sobs in his arms. The guards are slamming against the doors, but Cregan managed to lock them so they can't get in.

"We have to leave, (Y/n)... If they catch us they will murder us."

But she shakes her head, getting up and walking towards the corpse of the one-eyed prince. "No, I have to do something first."

She grabs one of the swords that lay on the ground and lifts it above her head. In one blow, Aemond's head is separated from his body. "Take Luke and go to Vermithor. If I have not returned in half an hour, leave. Make sure he gets a proper dragon rider's burial."

Without a word, Cregan does what she asks of him and grabs the boy's body in his arms and hurries out of a side door, easily bypassing the guards.

Princess (Y/n) Velaryon grabs Aemond's head by his hair ─ the knife still in his head ─ and with the other, she drags the sword over the ground.

Once she opens the doors, the guards spill in but all stop shocked when they see the Princess, covered in blood and carrying the head of a prince.

She begins the track to the former Queen's apartments and nobody dares to stop her, seeing the true fury of a dragon. 

The doors get kicked open and the former Queen jumps up from her couch, where she sits with her daughter. The One-eyed Princess throws the head of Aemond on the former Queen's feet. The woman looks mortified, while Helaena lets out a scream.

"A green-coloured brother for a black allied son, Alicent Hightower. Bent the knee to the true Queen of end up like your son." She points the sword at the elder woman, who still looks with wide eyes and trembling hands at her son's lifeless head, both eyes now gone.

"You... YOU MONSTER!, she screams, dropping to the ground. Helaena is scared, it can be smelled from a mile away. And the Princess revels in it. 

"I take that as a 'no' then, what a pity." With that, the Princess turns around and makes her way out of the Keep, the cries of the former Queen filling her ears.

Once she reaches Cregan, he looks relieved. He rushes towards her to check her over. "Are you okay? You're not wounded, are you?"

The Princess shakes her head. "No, I'm okay. Physhicall."

They both mount Vermithor but instead of flying home, the large dragon circles above the Red Keep. "Dracarys!", the Princess yells and Vermithor opens its beak, setting the castle and surrounding houses ablaze. He circles around a couple more times, filling the streets with deadly fire before departing for Dragonstone.

When the land, the Queen is already anxiously standing in the Dragon pit. Cregan and the Princess drop from the back of Vermithor and somberly present Lucaerys' corpse. 

"I tried, my Queen. I really did. But Aemond was set on revenge. And I took my own."

Her mother looks up, eyes mortified. "What did you do?" The cold look in her daughter's eye scares the Queen. 

"I burned them down. Every. Last. One of them."

Tagged: @ryuuisthecutest @thepineapplesimp @yeah-just-a-fan@linn-a-a@foggyturtleknightangel@the-phantom-of-arda@bellameshipper

[miathesevikakitty]

Oh, um, hi! English is not my first language so sorry for all the mistakes, and I just wanted to say some cute things i saw in "The Sea Beast" the movie on Netflix. I know it's a little late but I just rewatched it and couldn't live without telling someone about those things I just noticed.

First of all, I'm a little obsessed with Sarah Sharpe so this will be most about her.

Ok, let's go, do y'all remember this scene? Where they all go down on that city before going to the castle? (I forgot the English name for the city since I watched it in Portuguese)

Well, look, Sarah goes first than anyone. (I couldn't find the specific scene but y'know) even tho there are part of the tripulation carrying those heavy horns from the beasts, she still goes first. Before Captain Crow and before Jacob, so, in my little mind I saw this as a way of them to be caring, since she clearly has some problems walking due to the leg.

Cus, like, imagine all the times she would be left behind cus she can't run properly? She probably can, obviously, but it won't be that easy. So, I'm pretty sure its like a unspoken rule to let Sarah go first anywhere.

Also, just imagine the trouble this woman has walking on sand, grass, and anything that would make her leg sink? Poor baby. Y'know, in heels, the heels keep sinking in the sand and grass and breaking and stuff. A easy way to protect yourself from that horror is to step on your toes, but Sarah's leg is only heel, do you get it? I hope it makes sense.

Anyway, one more thing I noticed.

She is like, "the fuck this b* gonna catch me slipping" on that scene. I don't know where she specifically is but, I'm sure this woman is doing her best to not fall. Cus, y'know, her leg doesn't seem to move (I forgot the verb in english) and it is probably complicated for her to get up by her own. And they're being attacked my woman doesn't wants to die today.

Also, funny thing that I had to watch 2-3 times to notice: she also uses swords and knifes, not only the guns. Everytime I though about her, I absolutely believed that she only used shotguns. But watching this scene, I can see she clearly using this sword. (There is any other name for it?)

And, oh, look at her model! It isn't rendered but we can see clearly some important things here: just like I said before, this leg would be the absolutely worst to walk on grass. It has this spikes thing and would easily get stuck, which would cause trouble. also, look! She wears more blue-green than others colors.

If you look well, you'll notice that every important character has its own pallette, and Sarah's is blue-green centered.

Comparing her to Captain Crow, his pallette is more Black-ish with golden.

He has mostly black in his coat, hat, shirt, pants and stuff while my woman wears this pretty blue.

Like, look (sorry for the BAD quality) Miss Merino is more red-ish. While Jacob is more yellow, even with the hints of red. She's blue and green.

Also, talking about Jacob, look.

My man's works out, just look and these arms that could easily carry me to death. It isn't a surprise that there are so much people simping for him he's absolutely playing on both sides.

Also, I'm pretty sure he "cuts to both sides" (it's a expression we use here to say someone likes both women and men) cus there's no damn way my man's haven't got his bitches.

Just look at him, I'm sure that he only arrives at the city's so he can talk to his girlies.

Learned with his mother figure Sarah.

Anyway, I'll stop simping (for now.).

Do y'all notice that his clothing are simpler? Even tho he's clearly the captains favorite, he goes with this white common shirt while everybody has its complicated and cool looks?

It is because he's the protagonist, he has to call attention to him. And everyone has its super cool design with all those textures and details and stuff, it would be hard for him to shine. So, instead of giving him a super cool clothing, he's wearing something plane and simple that's easier to remember about.

Same for Maisie, but I'll be talking about her later wait there.

Anyway, giving him a simpler design and clothing made him appear more in the scenes, specially the dark ones. Since his blouse is white, it appears a lot.

Ok, coming to maisie.

Diferente from Jacob, that has only his white shirt on top, she has three layers of clothing.

And yet, it is still simpler.

Why? Because it doesn't folds, doesn't has much detail and doesn't has much texture. What calls attention in her is specifically her hair and how her brighter colors doesn't mix with the rest of the tripulation BUT these who have a similar spirit!

Look at old Jack, who also has his little white shirt on, and that boy who Jacob saved in the start of the movie. Both of them have a lighter pallete, which goes just right with Jacob's and Maisie's pallete.

And also, notice that Maisie's also goes for blue-green colors. Just like Sarah, but her's are lighter tones.

No more, just noticed those cute details that I had to talk about.

[talesfromsiteredacted]

Random Things Dr. Cimmerian Said Asleep

Dr. Cimmerian is, first, typically a ray of sunshine. Second, he has a bad habit of dozing off while reviewing reports. And drooling on a few here and there. He does say some weird shit while asleep, I blame the copious amounts of coffee everybody consumes. Once more, without context!

"Peaches? With long pork? Pushing the boundaries of fine cannibal dining I see, Ferdinand. I'd suggest some shiraz or a nice zinfandel."

"Yoshi! Put down that D-Class right this instant! He's a very boring serial killer. The nice Chaos Insurgency guy next to him would taste better, not that we condone a humanitarian diet here."

"Dyo, honestly... the crinoline is outdated with good reason, namely it's too damned impractical. Stick to corsetry."

"Eighty kilos of gunpowder, twenty kilos of iron nails, a further twenty kilos of roofing tar? In her skirts? I've heard people say 'If I'm going to die, you're coming with me!' before, but... that's hard-core. No wonder they stopped burning witches after that. Woman was a massive legend, but not a witch. A REAL witch wouldn't need all that to make burning her a bad idea."

"Clef... your ex... Woman has an entire magazine warehouse of issues. And you put your junk in the crazy. Never. Sleep. With. The. Crazy."

"Dad? Why is the beer growing mushrooms?"

"AAAAAHHH! WHO THE UNHOLY HELLS GAVE 096 A FUCKING CLOWN SUIT!"

"Put down the cake knife and walk away, Dr. Bright. You knew when you asked Mabel for German chocolate what you're in for. Besides, you could just hit her with her own terrible cake. Not that O5 would condone that, of course."

"Uh... Ben? Is it me, or are the daisies staring us down?"

"We actually nailed jello to a tree once. Clef bet Kondraki $200 he could figure out how it's done. Benny almost ate his sword over that one. Turns out you can do it, provided you simply nail the unopened box to the tree."

"Cain, can you locate in the notes where anyone asked Dr. Matthieu for his opinion?" A pause. "Nowhere? Huh. As I thought. Thank you."

"Whomever said you couldn't herd cats never was at my Aunt Martha's house. All she had to do to herd cats was just touch the food bag, and every cat in her house came running."

"WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO FEED THAT POOR IDIOT TO 682? He's going to get an upset stomach."

"Uh... Agent Dimitriov? I think you might have forgotten part of your uniform. Aren't your knees cold?"

"Are you sure we can't just yeet him out of the airlock when no one's looking? Yes, I know the spaceship is on Earth still, but it's far enough off the ground for terminal velocity to become a factor. Just push him out of the vent."

"You hit the Scarlet King in the junk, with a hammer? And survived? Okay, Abel... I take it back. You're not just a Semetic badass, you're THE Semetic Badass."

"How? How in the hells did you manage to shoot yourself in the back with no one else around you in a sealed room? The fuck you mean, 'The Invisible Man has a gun?' Admit it, you had someone shoot you to get out of Peanut-sitting again, didn't you?"

"Coffee. Extra large, heavy on the cream and sugar. No, larger than that. Larger." A pause. "What do you mean, you don't sell by the gallon?"

"Dr. Gears. This is the SCP Foundation. Sarcasm and pessimism are practically survival mechanisms here. Give the kid a pass."

"NOOOO! COME ON, WHAT THE BLUE FUCK DID OREGON DO TO DESERVE LENNY? YOU UTTER BASTARDS!" In the middle of a meeting with the Ethics Committee, eyebrows were raised, and coffee spilled.

"Run."

"I, too, would rather be under the sea, in an octopuses garden in the shade. You thinking what I'm thinking, my dive brother? Right. Let's leave these landlubbers and go hang with the fishes."

"Funny, 035. First, we can't KEEP you dressed, now you're out here looking like a weird ass male version of Rogue from the X-Men. Malicious compliance is acceptable, I suppose."

"You keep making poultry explode, Alto. Perhaps your charming assistant should give you cooking lessons?"

"WHY IS EVERYTHING ON FIRE?!? AGAIN?"

"Screw the files! Don't let 999 burn! That little blob of joy is my only reason to live."

"That's it. Get me a team of ten really strong D-Class, a case of 100 mph tape, a tranquilizer gun fully loaded, the electric purple snow leopard furry suit in lost and found, and a camera. Let this be the last time anyone sees Bright butt in public."

"I'm not above blackmail and we both know it. Gimme. The. Pie."

"Simon? I think this might be above my skill level. Can you please get Dr. King to calm down?"

"I can't believe Agatha talked him into a mankini. Didn't need photo evidence though."

"WHO THE HELLS TAUGHT THE KETCHUP PUPPIES TO 'FETCH THE LEG'? Max? That's... honestly impressive. Pity about that guy from MC&D, though. He did have it coming, to be honest."

"You ran... the Bible... through the Clockworks? On "Very Fine". And, got basically over a thousand pages of 'Try not to be an asshole, mmmmkay?'. Experiment inconclusive. Run the 'Communist Manesfesto' through next, my accountant is curious."

"Why are you here? Basically, 343 likes a joke as much as the next person. Oh. You meant why are you in the Femur Breaker? Well, we gotta get 106 back in containment somehow. That's where you come in. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about this, you seem like a lovely fellow."

"They're just firing arrows at us. You have an SMG, shoot them back. Some MTF agent you are."

"He's dating THAT? I've seen less silicone in a RealDoll. And, better fashion sense, for that matter."

"Wait... hold the phone, Abel. You're older than Jesus, but never had a cannoli? Rabbit, my girl, this will not stand. Cannoli the man!" A brief pause. "I KNOW, RIGHT? Whomever invented the cannoli deserves a sainthood."

"Primitive and outdated concept on a crutch!" Preceded by a thump.

"New Bright List entry: 'Dr. Bright is no longer allowed to access the Cursed Clown Nose of Improbability under any circumstances. No, not even to prevent an XK Class Scenario.' Noted. This item #857, or 858? I lost track."

"WHAT kind of butter? Oh. I thought you said something altogether more horrifying."

"JULIAN, YOU ABSOLUTE WALNUT! You forgot Quinn's birthday. Of COURSE you're in trouble for it. I got you covered though. They're still into lemons and tea, right? You're golden. Lemon blossom tea set, courtesy of the fine folks of Etsy. Pay me back on Friday."

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World! Chapter 40: The Web Tightens

Spoiler alert: The main character's hair is not anywhere near so dull a color. This post and the whole reread has all kinds of big, terrible spoilers for this book and every other book. Okay, maybe just The Wheel of Time ones. But that's still a lot of spoilers, so if you don't want those you need to be elsewhere. I recommend this great little hole in the wall in Bologna, best Italian food you'll ever have.

Anyway, this chapter has a Flame of Tar Valon symbol, in part because of the Andorian royalty's association with Tar Valon (the imminent tutoring of the kids is discussed) but also because Elaida is here and she is spitting... well, not fire. Acid. But the weak kind.

When he looked back to the table, Moiraine and Logain had vanished, and Ba’alzamon sat there instead.

I assume that this is the moment when Ba'alsy narrows down his candidates definitively. He's using Moiraine and Logain's behaviors as the evidence he needs. Lucky for Rand, he's only mildly concussed so he doesn't stick around for the dream!

She was completely different from Egwene in height and face and body, but every bit as beautiful. He felt a twinge of guilt, but told himself that denying what his eyes saw would not bring Egwene safely to Caemlyn one whit faster.

It sure won't. In fact, the laws of dramatic irony say that if you kiss Elayne right now, Egwene will be safe and sound and right behind you.

“Be quiet, Gawyn.” She was clearly the younger of the two, but she spoke as though she took it for granted that he would obey. The boy’s face struggled as if he had more to say, but to Rand’s surprise he held his peace.

Even now Gawyn is not down for his assigned role in life. Really both he and Elayne are already chafing against the expectations upon them - that's why Elayne is off ruining her dresses climbing trees and carrying medical bags in said ruined dresses. Frankly I think the gap year she takes after going to Tar Valon was quite good for her; she'd be a good queen regardless but without a chance to get to know herself outside of her mother's oversight she wouldn't have been able to get great.

Rand looked at Gawyn. “Does she always expect everybody to do what she tells them?” A flash of surprise crossed the young man’s face, and his mouth tightened with amusement. “Most of the time she does. And most of the time they do.”

Gawyn relaxes a lot around Rand once he realizes how clueless he is. I'm surprised he didn't try the usual gag of keeping him clueless to laugh about it, but honestly it shows that he's not bad at heart. Stupid maybe, but not bad.

Elayne is too busy being a doctor to notice though.

“Not even Mother,” Elayne said, bending her head back over Rand’s hands. “She makes suggestions, and he always does what she suggests, but I’ve never heard her give him a command.” She shook her head.

Oh hey, earlier I was talking about Jordan loving "women are effectively in charge of a relationship because of soft power" and here we have another example of its inversion. Bryne though is pulling this off by seniority - he's been Captain-General and First Prince of the Sword to one woman or another since his mid-20s. Which makes him another fascinating figure, since most armies don't tend to put dudes who aren't in their 30s in charge. As ever, there's all these crazy people who we don't get to know much about.

Looking longingly at the wall, Rand gave his right name before he thought what he was doing, and even added, “From Emond’s Field, in the Two Rivers.” ... Rand stared at him. Elayne was staring, too. Gawyn looked as much under control as ever, but he was babbling. Why?

Once again Rand's ta'veren seems to be a little more fair at this point. Usually Rand doesn't babble half as much. Is it just getting turned on or something. (Also it's hilarious that Gawyn all but says, "You two should fuck" when he learns where Rand's from.)

“I am aware of your fondness for strays, Elayne,” the slender man said reasonably...

It's an interesting contrast between the two brothers that Gawyn kind-of almost suggests he thinks of Rand in such terms and then quickly clarifies that he definitely does not while Galad just does not give a fuck. Always the right thing, no matter who it hurts.

Also is this the only time the two half-bros are ever close to being in the same place? I think it might be and I'm too lazy to check. I guess maybe they're together at the big pre-TG tent meeting? Seems like everyone still alive but Mat, Seanchan, and the Darkfriends are at that one.

“You say I am fond of giving orders. Well, I command you to let nothing happen to you. I command you to be my First Prince of the Sword when I take the throne—the light send that day is far off!—and to lead the armies of Andor with the sort of honor Galad cannot dream of.” “As you command, my Lady.” Gawyn laughed, his bow a parody of Galad’s.

And again the contrast. Galad doesn't like following Elayne's orders but it's proper and he takes it seriously and he does it - then finds ways to work around them for the greater good. Gawyn doesn't take it seriously and so when the time comes to obey he does everything but.

Elayne growled an oath, and Rand’s eyebrows shot up. He had heard that one from the stablemen at The Queen’s Blessing and had been shocked then.

Elayne's first on-page swear. <3

I can't wait for her to learn the real curse words!

Despite her outstretched arms Elayne drew herself up regally. “You dare to bring bare steel into my presence, Tallanvor? Gareth Bryne will have you mucking stables with the meanest trooper for this, if you are lucky!”

One rather gets the impression that Elayne has been practicing this since a young age. "You dare to carry me to the bathtub, [name of generic servant who is helping poor Lini]?" Also dang, I forgot we got Tallanvor this early! This chapter is just filled with introductions - this is the most characters I've had to tag so far and all of them bar Rand, Ishamael and Elayne first appear in this chapter (and her in the last sentences of the previous one).

“You will conduct all three of us to my mother,” Elayne announced suddenly. A grin bloomed on Gawyn’s face.

They give Galad a lot of shit for being hard to have as a sibling, but frankly I expect Galad is very tired of having Elayne as a sibling too.

“The Queen, your lady mother,” Tallanvor announced, “commands me to bring the intruder to her immediately. It is also the Queen’s command that my Lady Elayne and my Lord Gawyn attend her. Also immediately.”

Sorry Elayne, but the Pattern demands Rand and Elaida meet, so there's no way to stop Tallanvor.

“It is not right,” Elayne said. “She asked if I wanted to pick out the one farm she could do the same for, while all around it the crops still failed, but it still isn’t right for us to have flowers when there are people who do not have enough to eat.”

And here we see why Elayne is a good ruler and Elaida is a terrible one - frankly, why the White Tower is a failed institution. If it were worth a damn, after a winter like this one they'd be sending women out across the known world helping what farms they could on the grounds that something was better than nothing. Instead, only the royalty benefit, and it's a meaningless affectation. You can't live off of a palace garden and Elaida's shamelessness is terrible.

And sadly, her ability at ratting is going to go in sharp decline too.

“First rank to accompany me,” Tallanvor commanded. “Announce the Lady Elayne and the Lord Gawyn to Her Majesty,” he told the doorkeepers. “Also Guardsman-Lieutenant Tallanvor, at Her Majesty’s command, with the intruder under guard.”

Good work Tallanvor, you did just defy the word of the Lady Elayne. It's a good thing you leave the palace before she gets crowned or she'd have every right to fire you.

Rand was just congratulating himself on getting it right when he noticed Tallanvor, his head still bent, glaring sideways at him from behind his face-guard. Was I supposed to do something else? He was suddenly angry that Tallanvor expected him to know what to do when no one had told him.

Gawyn is Elayne's First Prince and everyone else is a sworn guard, Rand. They're pissed that you're bowing as if you're Morgase's servant and protector instead of one of her subjects. But again, since you're the Dragon Reborn, you're really probably bowing in the only appropriate way to the woman who is currently your metaphorical wife.

If she had been a widow in Emond’s Field, she would have had a line of suitors outside her door even if she was the worst cook and most slovenly house keeper in the Two Rivers. He saw her studying him and ducked his head, afraid she might be able to tell his thoughts from his face. Light, thinking about the Queen like she was a village woman! You fool!

This is almost foreshadowing, except for the part where she only has the one suitor.

Gawyn, I have thought better of you. You must learn not only to obey your sister, but at the same time to be counterweight for her against disaster.

Don't worry Morgase, Gawyn will put equal effort into both of those endeavors!

But my sisters will keep you away from the unbeliever. That sort of thing is not for you, not yet.

Elaida is quite the fool if she thinks that anything about how she's behaved would bring Elayne to the Red Ajah. That's what she means here, that she thinks Elayne will mature into a hunter of male channelers. Well, she's not entirely wrong.

“A loyal subject from the Two Rivers.” Morgase sighed. “My child, you should pay more heed to those books. The Two Rivers has not seen a tax collector in six generations, nor the Queen’s Guards in seven. I daresay they seldom even think to remember they are part of the Realm.”

Assuming that they measure generations on about the same scale we do (20-30 years), this means that the last tax collector went to the Two Rivers no sooner than 120 years ago, the last guard 140. Possibly as much as 200 years back! The Two Rivers is not part of the Realm! They have as much in common with the average subject of the Lion Throne as a Saldaean!

Sanderson keeping them part of the same kingdom when Perrin's only note was "king" is nothing short of inappropriately inserting his bizarre political beliefs into the story. The man is completely opposed to actual revolution of any kind and Perrin suffered for it. Jordan had damn well been setting up this separation since the beginning, and he was right to do so.

It was his sword she touched, not him, her hand closing around the hilt at the very top. Her fingers tightened and her eyes opened wide with surprise. “A shepherd from the Two Rivers,” she said softly, a whisper meant to be heard by all, “with a heron-mark sword.”

Fain really fucked Elaida up, you know? Here she is, keeping all of the Dark One's eyes out of the palace and being the only person who can see what's right in front of her. None of the guards noticed how terrifying Rand's blade is. Gawyn didn't. Elaida's the only one who sees just how big a threat Rand might be. Sadly, she's going to go completely crazy.

“. . . with a story calculated to entice Elayne and bearing a heron-mark blade. He does not wear an armband or a cockade to proclaim his allegiance, but wrappings that carefully conceal the heron from inquisitive eyes. What chance this, Morgase?”

See what I mean? And worst of all, she only crafts this story because Rand lies and says he arrived that day. Elaida's quite right to object that's an absurd coincidence because even in this world, it is. It's complete bullshit. But now that she's drawn her false conclusion she only wants to damage with it.

She spoke again, barely moving her lips, so softly that he could barely hear her less than an arm’s length away. “This, too, I Foretell. Pain and division come to the whole world, and this man stands at the heart of it. I obey the Queen,” she whispered, “and speak it clearly.”

Elaida loves her some loopholes too. She spoke clearly but inaudibly. Watch for her abuse of loopholes later. I suppose she might have withheld this from everyone because of Rand's ta'veren, but I think it's just her glory hound nature coming out. If Rand's imprisoned or found out here, it's by Queen Morgase. If she hunts him down privately, without orders, it's Elaida doing it and it'll look great on her CV when she runs for usurper in Tar Valon.

First, because I have the advantage of Elaida and Gareth in having heard Two Rivers speech when I was young. You have not the look, but if a dim memory can serve me you have the Two Rivers on your tongue.

I wonder if Morgase and Tam crossed paths while he was on his way to Illian and she was on her way to train at the White Tower.

Elaida was only half attending what the Queen was saying; he could feel her eyes on his back. What would have happened if Morgase had not kept the Aes Sedai with her? 

Another bit of ta'veren luck in this chapter, the final tightening of the web that will set Rand's course for the final act of the book.

“Wrap a shoufa around your head, Rand, and you would be the image of an Aielman. Odd, since Mother seems to think you sound like a Two Rivers man, at least. I wish we could have come to know one another, Rand al’Thor. Fare you well.”

And so ends Rand and Gawyn's only moment around each other, again barring the huge group at Merrilor. This certainly ends whatever friendliness Gawyn has to Rand, from here on out it's hostility and nothing else.

Oh well. This also pretty much ends the chapter, with all that's left being Rand running back to the inn in terror. Who can blame him?

Next time: The party finally reunites (except Thom, who is still pretending to be dead)! Everyone realizes they're screwed!

[tsuki-sennin]

Geats~! 42 and 43! I slowly continue to get back on the ball. Things spiral ever quickly out of control. Shit's really hittin' the fan now.

Spoilers, I guess... though at this point, you know more about this than me.

-Festering parasites, Keiwa becoming truly ruthless, and a world

-Holy shit, not even an execution, this is a full-force beat down.

-Azuma...

-I think it's rather interesting that Keiwa's wish technically stays the same but his reasons for it have clearly radically changed.

-I wouldn't be surprised if Ryuga Sato's career blows up after this is all over the way Fumiya Takahashi's did.

-You're giving me absolutely

-J

-JITT????

-I thought Jitto was kinda dumb but like

-Jitt is a word the crappy (first) English localization of Azure Striker Gunvolt made up to substitute cussing.

-I can never take your ass seriously again, you steel rod wielding fuck

-Motherfucker's got a hitlist.

-Daichi's gone full Orteca.

-"It's all mine now~!"

-Oh thank god, Michinaga, you're here.

-Human memories, hoarded within the treasure room of his mind palace.

-Brain Tomatoes.

-And then there's this little demon.

-"Despair's a way better look for my oshi!"

-New Rider Forms, yippeeeeeee

-Premium Kekera! Premium Beroba!

-"...those are not Rider Forms."

-Frog Man's got hops.

-Oh shoot Command Form.

-Haven't seen that in a while.

-Y'know Buffa's kinda doing a lot better than expected.

-I mean it makes sense, Michinaga's a seasoned veteran and Beroba and Kekera did just get these forms.

-Azuma...

-"Oops. Oh well, not my problem."

-Yo there, Neon.

-Oh hi Ace. Nice of you to join us.

-"Dude, you're vibe is all off. Absolutely rancid."

-"It's called apotheosis, fox boy. Maybe if you just laid down, this'd be unnecessary."

-No justification, just an "eye for an eye".

-Hello, Samas. Guess you're enjoying your newfound promotion.

-Now comes the climax of the episode.

-A true battle of the dweebs.

-...that is nasty, even for a Reiwa Rider villain's standards.

-Now that I can compare them, the Premium Supporter forms look a lot like the

-Bujin Sword.

-They're bleaching her!

-OH?

-AN INSERT? AT A TIME LIKE THIS???

-Okay, sure!

Daichi: Kekera! What the fuck?! Help me, you piece of shit!" Kekera: You kidding!? This is exactly what I want!

-I'm convinced that if Kekera were real, he'd be the biggest Snyder-Verse dick rider.

-Daichi, I realize you're about to be as extinct as the trilobite you transformed into, but I don't think pointing fingers over things that you clearly planned meticulously is a good idea.

-"Yesssss! Kill!"

-Hello, Geats.

-Nooooo, not Negaiiiii

-Little Bro Ace... Big Sis Tsumuri...

-Oh

-She broke out!

-Somehow!

-...I won't lie though, she kills in that white hair look.

-Jitty don't play nice.

-Congratulations, Keiwa Sakurai! You brought back everybody who ever lost their lives to the Desire Grand Prix! Are you proud of yourself?

-Oh, new head molds?

-G

-Gya-Go???

-Oh man, Old Man Kousei's apparently done being a deadbeat jerkoff.

-The World of Keiwa Sakurai.

-"This is different."

-Good job! The DGP gave you exactly what you wanted! And as a cool bonus, they gave you new friends~!

-Oh Christ, a wild hog!

-For the record, in the United States we have a massive problem with invasive hog species that results in a lot of destruction of wildlife and (often) human casualty.

-"GEATS WHAT THE FUCK?"

-"Don't look at me, man! Tycoon was the one who made the wish! ...terribly!"

-I swear if Geats IX struggles against Mr. Warthog, I'm gonna shit.

-What's his name, anyway?

-"GEATS?! OH MAN!"

-Head?

-Honestly Keiwa you have nobody but yourself to blame for this one.

-"They're all dead! Again!"

-Kirito... Kirito???

-Damn, he grew up to be a real bastard.

-Guess all that digital.

-"Bad End, kid. Game over. Thanks to you, ratings have spiked thanks to our sadist fans."

-"...this isn't the kind of jailbreak I wanted."

-NEON

-Yeah, that fire extinguisher works.

-OHHHHHHHHH THAT'S AKARI'S KIDNAPPER

-He was a DGP player too?

-Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.

-Neon...

-You are far too good for us.

-Hello, Keiwa-kun.

-"I"m going to kill every last one of you."

-Not even a second.

-"That's my boy."

-The shogun now has his army.

-Instant green.

-...is this a game mechanic?

-"Goddessfication" sounds like an absolutely horrifying

-Sunk cost fallacy is a hell of a drug.

-"I need to fix this."

-You're pitiable, old man.

-"Good job, idiot." Michinaga's never gonna let any fan of Daichi's quiz show success live this down.

-It all amounted to absolutely nothing, huh Daichi?

-Guess this guy just had nothing better to do with his life than ruin someone else's.

-Irumi and Kousei, as cruel and selfish they were miserable.

-It's like a fuckin' Greek tragedy.

-What a terrible realization to never have until too late.

-Neon's just 100% done with all this. At this point what, if anything, would make her hate Beroba any more?

-Once upon a time, Kousei Kurama met a fox on the bridge.

-Is that Kirito's snout? Are we reusing suit parts mid episode now?

-Oh, that's... that's new.

-"I want to play your game. There's a mistake I can't even begin to make up for without your help."

-Time Fire!

-Fantasy!

-...that's Brave's Fantasy Gamer armor.

-Nice repaint at least, I like the blue and gold.

-Oh!

-He's a wizard.

-A mountain lion wizard.

-"It's rude to open fire on the show, you know."

-NA-GO RETURNS LET'S GO

-I'm constantly flip-flopping on how much I like Geats, but right now it's in the "Yeah, this is epic" zone. Might change, might not, who knows?

[atozphantomsquadron]

Chapter 6: Mother's Legacy

January 16th

Nighttime in the desert, particularly in the wintertime, can get deathly cold.  The lack of clouds in the sky means that the land holds in no heat: it’s allowed to dissipate into the atmosphere.  Foliage would probably help this too, but there is nothing that really holds in heat, because everything made to survive in a desert climate is virtually a natural heat sink. 

I hear sometimes about people who freeze to death in the desert.  Before I understood about the cold nights, I asked Mom about it.  She would simply smile, pat me on the shoulder, and tell me not to worry, because our house would always be warm.  Later, I came to appreciate the chill, and how good of a contrast it was to the regular daytime temperatures.

The desert’s chill isn’t the only one I feel now.  I am scared out of my mind.  We have a campsite set up, with a tent erected shortly after midnight, and Michi is tending to my wounded wing.  I wonder how Gabe knew we were going to need so much gauze?

Gabe offers me a cup of coffee.  He’s still drinking the stuff.  No wonder the man never sleeps.  I take the offered cup and sip it gently.  None of us is talking yet about the firecasting in the truck, even though I can see my handiwork clear as day, the melted crater formed in the middle of the driver’s door window. 

Michi tightens the bandage on my wing.  It causes me a little bit of pain, and I wince.  “I think it’s tight enough.”

“Sorry.  I just need to make sure it’ll hold until I can gather enough blood to do a healing spell.”  She sits down next to me and picks up her dinner.  I have to chuckle … it’s a can of spinach.

“Are you going to be okay, Alanna?  I’m sorry to upset you like that …”

I’ve cooled off now, long after the argument in the truck.  “It’s okay.  I got agitated, that’s all.  I’m sorry about your truck …”

Gabe turns and looks at the damaged window.  “Ahh, don’t worry too much about it.  It was New Empire issue, anyway.  Their loss.”

Michi is giggling at that.  It’s contagious, and I have no choice but to join her.  We laugh.  It feels good to laugh, because not a lot has been too funny in the New Empire of America.  Gabe is even laughing, which is surprising to us.

“I find nothing funny about this situation.”

A voice none of us knows, weirdly accented, stops the laughter dead.  We can’t see anyone.  It’s too dark away from the campfire to see anything.  Instantly I’m up, my hand on the Sword.  “Show yourself!”  Gabe and Michi are backing up on either side of me.  I unfurl my wings, wincing as the bandaged one spreads.  It hurts like hell!

“Let me assure you, I mean you no harm.”  Well, the mystery voice sounds friendly enough …

“How do we know you’re not a blueshirt?  You might have followed us!”  Michi is powering a spell … I hope she doesn’t overexert herself.

“Followed you, yes.  A blueshirt, no.  I’ve been sent to help you.”

There’s a heavy breeze that hits all three of us, kicking up dust and leaving us unable to see even in the light.  When the dust settles, there’s a fourth person with us, a dark-skinned, younger man wearing a red sash around his waist.  Under that sash is what appears to be somewhat of a uniform, only it’s accented with pictures of flames.  The face looks almost welcoming, though, as he smiles, spreading the goatee he sports on his chin.

“At last, I’ve found you!  I’ve been searching for days.”

The first thing he does is embrace Michi and kiss her cheeks.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen my best friend blush like that.  He does the same to me and Gabe, making everybody equally self-conscious.  When he releases Gabe, he comes before us and offers a deep bow.

“Forgive my theatrics and overexuberance.  Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Fahaian.”

Gabe raises an eyebrow.  “I thought you looked familiar, young man.”

Michi is still a little stunned, but collects herself enough to ask, “who is he?”

Fahaian takes Michi’s hand, looking around at us.  “You are Gabriel Francis … and you are Alanna Sharpe.  I was tasked by my father to find you, to help you.”  With her hand still in his, he turns to Michi.  “I’m sorry, I haven’t had the pleasure … father did not tell me there would be a third.”

Michi is in shocked silence.  I clear my throat.  “Allow me.  This is Michika Salem.”

Now he’s really turning on the charm.  He brings Michi’s hand up and kisses it.  “A pleasure, Miss Salem … wait a minute …” He drops Michi’s hand and walks away a short distance.  “Your mother wouldn’t happen to be Kitty Lazarus, would she?”

Michi’s got this weird smile across her face.  All she can do is nod.  Upon her confirmation, Fahaian groans.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“My father warned me about Kitty.  Apparently they have … history.”

Michi’s face drops.  “What do you mean, history?  Just what are you implying?”

Fahaian turns around and puts his hands behind his back.  “Twenty-six years ago, my father and your mother were held captive by Azi-Dahaka, a humiliating experience only ended when they rose up against their captors, in conjunction with an attack by your father and Alanna’s parents.”

Michi smirks.  “Yeah, the Jerzaan mission.  Wait … your dad’s King Fahai, isn’t he?”

“The same.”

His dad is the king of Jordan?  Who knew royalty would get involved in this?

Now it’s Michi’s turn to groan.  “You could’a told me that sooner before I let you turn me gooey with your charms!”  Michi storms off into the darkness, and until I hear the rustling of the tent we have set up, I’m not sure where she is.  Gabe, on the other hand, has his hand over his mouth.

“Oh dear.  There’s something there, isn’t there?”

Fahaian nods.  “Indeed.  They did not get along at all in captivity.  My father mentions several instances where he nearly strangled Kitty because he was so annoyed with her.”

Gabe chuckles.  “That certainly sounds like Kitty.”

I’m not quite as concerned about the past.  “Forgive me, Fahaian, but what did you mean when you said your father sent you to find me and Gabe?”

The prince—man, that seems weird—clears his throat and sits down by the fire.  We join him on the ground as he begins.  “Several weeks ago, in our home, we were engaged in our weekly meditation session before our fire censer.  During most times, the fire shows us nothing but clarity, and grants us inner peace to continue with our daily lives.”

I look over at Gabe.  He must understand my confusion.  “Fahaian and his father are Zoroastrian, so they use fire as an icon and as a meditation tool.”

Okay, fire as a chant.  Got it.

“This time, however, the fire was not clear.  It was very cloudy, and there were images appearing before us.  Images of an older man and a younger woman, wandering the desert, fighting unseen forces.  There was a feeling of immense danger, and of dread, not the typical peace that usually comes to us.  It startled us both out of our meditation.

“When I asked my father about the vision, he had a clearer idea of what it meant than I did.  He had seen much more than I had, and told me exactly what to do and where to go.”

Gabe nods.  “So your dad told you to journey to the dead middle of nowhere in New Mexico and find us?”

“Not quite.  He originally told me to go to Wyoming, although he couldn’t exactly pinpoint where.  I flew into Cheyenne, hoping that your energy would guide me to where I needed to be.  When I found your energy, it was here.  I’ve been travelling to get to your side for the last day.”

Okay, now his story is sounding off to me.  “You’ve only been travelling for a day?  It took us four to get here from the Ranch!  How’s that possible?”

Fahaian smiles.  He walks a distance away, back into the darkness.  I can barely see a small pinhole of light as he apparently flicks a lighter on.  The next thing I know, he’s standing right next to me again.  I shriek with the surprise.  He simply smiles.  “I have my ways, Alanna.”

Gabe chuckles.  “I should have told you sooner, Alanna, but Fahaian is what’s called a telepyretic.  He can use fire for many different things, much more than just meditation.”

Okay, fire as power booster.  What the hell.  Once my heart restarts, I find the presence of mind to speak.  “So, Your Majesty …”

“Please, don’t call me that.  I’m simply Fahaian when I am in this country.”

“Okay … Fahaian … why was it so important to your dad that you come and help us?”

The prince’s eyes grow dark.  He starts intently into the campfire.  “My father and myself have devoted our lives to Zoroaster, which means we must serve life at any cost.  My father did so for a long time, in both his younger days and as the ruler of Jordan.”  He takes a cup of coffee offered to him by Gabe, sips, then continues.  “Sixteen years ago, I was but a child when destruction tried to come to our nation’s door.  Armies of evil rose from the river, stormed across the landscape, and left many for dead.  My father knew his place was with his people, and so he stood on the front line.

“The battle was tremendous, both in terms of its scale and its loss of life.  Many on both sides fell.  Wounds were grievous, they would not heal.  My father was among the wounded when he confronted the opposing general, who had taken the ghostly visage of the deceased Azi-Dahaka, and nearly lost the fight.  If it were not for his faith, and for the timely intervention of Zoroaster in the battle, we all would have fallen.”

I curl up my legs in my arms.  “Where were you?”

Fahaian smiles.  “I was very far away.  My father, days before the battle, had sent me to China, where he had friends.  Those friends took me in, kept me safe, and trained me.”

Gabe nods.  “Six years, wasn’t it?”

“Indeed.  They were the first to see my true power, and helped me to harness it, to put it into Zoroaster’s service.”

Something is starting to bug me.  How does Gabe seem to know so much about this mystery prince who just shows up out of the ether?  There are too many mysteries.

“My father’s wounds ended his life as a warrior.  He now spends his days in meditation, when he is not making policy decisions.”  Fahaian has continued without me, so I don’t know how badly his dad was injured.  All the same, though, I feel for him.  Us people with special fathers need to stick together.

Gabe stands up and stretches.  “Well guys, if Fahaian’s coming with us, we’ll need to make space for him in the morning.  Tomorrow, we’re heading back to the Ranch.”

My eyes widen.  “Why?  We did okay today, we got out safe.”

Gabe shakes his head.  “I’m afraid we were just lucky.  Look at the damage, Alanna, you nearly lost three fingers and one wing, and Michika’s downing spinach like there’s no tomorrow to make up the blood loss.  We need to go back and regroup, and you need to train.”

I groan.  “Train?  What for?  The Guardsman takes over when I draw the Sword, I’m basically along for the ride.  It was the Guardsman’s idea to go after the Invader, not mine.”

“Exactly.  You need to bend the power of the Guardsman to your will, otherwise you’re as good as dead.  Whenever the Guardsman is around the Invader, it’s like two polar-opposite magnets.  They attract each other, and have no choice but to fight.  You need to gain control over your power, over your Sword, and learn to resist that temptation.  That’s one of the weapons that the Invader uses to his advantage.”

Dad always told me Gabe knew far more about the Guardsman than even the Sharpe Swordbearers did.  I’m seeing evidence of this, but I need to make my point anyway.  “If the Guardsman can’t resist it, then how in the hell am I going to rein the power in?”

“With practice, Alanna, and training.  And I don’t just mean with the Sword, I mean with your mother’s gifts, as well.”

“Oh come on, it was one firecast …”

“Have you ever done it before?”

Damn, he got me there.  “No.  Mom never thought I’d be able to.  The doctors all said that other than my wings I was a normal human, so I thought I wouldn’t.”

Gabe harrumphs.  Fahaian stands up—I’d almost forgotten he was there—and chimes in.  “Excuse me, there’s something involving fire here?  I might be able to assist.”

I raise an eyebrow to him.  “Really?  I don’t think being a telepyretic is going to apply here, it’s biology.”

“Nevertheless, I believe I can help you.”

He’s not going to give up.  I may as well let him.  “Okay, okay, I’ll cave on this.  Both of you can train me.”

[takeeachdayonebookatatime]

Staring the cast of Castle

Why did you elbow me? Part 17. The serial killer.

Kate: pov everyone else was hiding out of sight I knocked on the door and said to Daryl this is captain Kate Beckett of NYPD 12th precinct. I need to speak to you about a building you own. You might have info on a suspected murderer named Kirk who is a psycho. Evidence points to him murdering 32 people in the building you own and I need to ask you some questions. You might be our only witness to the crime. As soon as he opened the door and saw Castle in his writer vest and me with my arm wrapped up he started laughing. He asked how I injured it I said I spent all night trying to get info so I could put Kirk away for murder and everything points to him I have proof he did it. I fell off the sofa in my office while I was taking a nap and Castle here I'm stuck with this writer following me around everywhere I go. He had no clue we were onto him. Once at the precinct in an interrogation room I started to ask him questions but. He said he wanted/needed his lawyer in the room with him. I asked where he was the other night. Does he know any of the victim's. Did he see Kirk hanging around the building? He said yes the other night Kirk was hanging around while he was setting up for the party. I told him we have video of the murder and we can see the guys face. He said I don't believe it. You're lying to me. I said we are not. He replied with that bitch Margaret Margins must have been the one who filmed it. Daryl said we have nothing to go on and you said yourself Kirk did it. I told him that it was a lie to get him to the station. The guy is dead. And we have you on video committing the murders. He was so shocked, so was his lawyer. I played them the whole video. You could see his face clearly in the video. His lawyer named Grant told him to find another lawyer. He does not represent serial killers. I told him he was being charged with 33 counts of murder. This day was just getting better. He was taken away to jail.

Lanie: pov it was getting late I found a 24 hour urgent care that is open. So Castle can take Kate to get her arm looked at. Everybody was heading home us Me's still had some work to do.

Kate: pov Castle had texted Martha and Alexis telling them not to wait up for us.

Castle: pov it was 9:00pm and Kate was getting tired. The drive to the urgent care was not long. I pulled in and helped Kate out of the car. I signed her in and filled out the medical forms for her. I made sure to put the reason for our visit here. An injured arm and I can't forget about her being kicked in the chest from this morning. After 20 minutes, a nurse called her name and we walked to a room in the back. It was now 9::50pm. She took Kate's blood pressure and put a pulse oximeter on her finger and took her temperature. She said the Dr will be in shortly. 5 minutes later he showed up. The Dr treating Kate was a young man. He asked the reason for our visit today and Kate told him how she injured her arm. "She said I was taking a nap and fell off the sofa in my office". She told him she is an NYPD homicide Captain. The case she just closed was about a serial killer who killed 33 people at one time with a sword. She was tired from little sleep, and the kick to the chest brought up some unpleasant memories while she was napping, which is why she fell off the sofa. He unwrapped her arm and checked it. He moved it around. The Dr said it felt like a fracture to him. She would need an xray of her arm. Dr Bue said to us Kate also mentioned she was kicked in the chest. I said yes. He then asked Kate to lift up her shirt so he could take a look at her chest area to make sure there was nothing wrong like broken ribs. I know she is super self conscious about letting strangers see her scar. But sometimes you have no choice. Her scar and AmpStrip were very visible. So was a massive bruise. That is forming. He immediately after seeing her chest asked her. If she has a heart condition. Kate says she is on meds for arrhythmia. He asks if it runs in the family and she says no. He then asks her how long she has had it and she says a few years. Dr Bue asks about her scar going down her chest from her emergency open heart surgery. He also asked about the medical device on her chest. She told him the whole story, well what she could tell of the story.

Kate: pov It all started a few years ago when my former captain did some stuff that caused his death and while we were at his funeral. I was giving a speech and a sniper shot me in the chest. My friend Lanie who is an ME with the NYPD saved my life until the medics arrived. Castle told him that during my emergency open heart surgery to remove the bullet. I went into cardiac arrest and was lucky to survive. He thought my AmpStrip was cool.

Castle: pov I told him it cost 150 dollars. The Dr decided to listen to my heart and lungs. I showed him what the app was reading as her heart rate. Bue said he did not feel any broken ribs which is good. Her lungs sounded fine so no collapsed lungs. He asked me if Kate took any meds earlier for her chest injury and I said yes. 2 puffs of the emergency inhaler from when she was sick and at the precinct 1 injection of her emergency meds, and she iced the area. The Dr then took us to the x-ray room.The x-ray of Kate's arm was quick. He said it was fractured. He asked her to pick a color for her cast and she picked black that way it matched with everything. He also decided to do a chest x-ray just to be on the safe side. I told him we were going to the water park and was there something I could put over her cast. He said yes they make waterproof covers but they are not cheap. I said no problem, I'm Richard Castle the writer. I made sure to take pictures of the bruise on her chest and her cast. Which I sent to Lanie.

Kate: pov Once the cast was on my arm. The Dr suggested I take pain pills for my arm and chest when we get home. I told him, is tylenol okay. I know I'm allowed to take that he said that is fine. After what felt like forever we were headed home back to the loft. It was now almost past midnight.

Castle: pov Kate fell asleep in the car on the way home. Since it was her left arm she could still do paperwork at work. I Carried her inside and tucked her into our bed. To be continued …...

[lonely-lost-soul]

Under the Floorboards Pt. V

(Technoblade X Reader): Pt. I, Pt. II, Pt. III, Pt. IIII, Pt. V, Pt. VI

    Alright so maybe you spoke too soon; the four of you were going to do great things, minus Tommy. Technoblade had finally agreed to let you join Tommy and him on an adventure into L’manberg. The plan was to crash their festival, and ultimately attempt to get Tommy’s discs back from Dream and Tubbo. You expected your first adventure into the country to be fun, if anything you’d get to steal some shit, what you didn’t expect was to be thrown in the middle of a public dispute. 

Clearly, you underestimated what ‘getting the discs back’ actually entailed. 

You and Technoblade were back to back swords drawn, surrounded by about thirty people in the ruin of what was once deemed a community house. Technoblade never would’ve agreed to let you come if he thought the confrontation with Dream was going to be this serious, he assumed they’d watch from afar. If things got to dicey Tommy and him would rush in and he’d have you stay behind to watch from afar. If only he could’ve predicted someone blowing up a random building would cause such turmoil. 

Nothing could ever come up Technoblade.

   “Yah know when you first invited me out to partake in a festival for some reason I didn’t expect to be attacked by like thirty people.” You chirped a hesitant smile on your face as Technoblade made a confused sound. 

   “You definitely should’ve expected it,” Technoblade grumbled, barely taking his eyes off of Tommy and Tubbo’s argument. You watched Techno’s back but you couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the boys conversation as well. As much as your heart broke for the two war-torn children, you had your alliance first and foremost with your boyfriend. You also couldn’t help but feel this conversation should be happening privately but here they were airing things out seemingly for the first time in front of everybody. Speaking of your boyfriend, your attention was drawn back to him as he caught Tommy’s attention, “be very careful what your decision is here Tommy.” 

You narrowed your eyes and took a step in front of Technoblade, he made his classic ‘heh’ sound as you did so. You felt his hand grip your forearm and tighten trying to hold you back in case you wanted to do something stupid. 

   “Tommy, come home with us.” You held out your hand to him, the one Technoblade didn’t have a hold of obviously. “Phil’s waiting for us, we’ll get your discs back together as we planned.” The smile on your face could part the cloudiest of days and it broke Tommy’s heart, she had given him something that he hadn’t had since the war with Dream began.

A home. 

   “(Y/N),” That’s the first time he used your name, the first time you weren’t just Ms Blade. It broke your heart and you whimpered a little bit, “thank you for everything you’ve done for me. But I can’t go back with you and Technoblade. I don’t like what I’ve become, this isn’t me. I’m sorry. I hope one day we can be friends again. Tubbo give Dream my disc.” You leaned back into Technoblade in disbelief, Tommy had just betrayed Technoblade right before your very eyes. The man who gave Tommy the clothes on his back and a place to stay when no one else would. Weapons to help him fight against Dream when everyone else abandoned him, even though they all treated Technoblade as a weapon he still went out of his way to help Tommy. Your hands clenched into fists at your side as Dream let out a roaring laugh collecting the disc from Tubbo. He called the two children stupid right to their face and no matter how angry you were with them that was harsh, it’s like everyone in this country forgets that they are children. Children fuck up, it’s how they learn and it’s in their nature why does no one here understand that. You looked up at Techno your eyebrows furrowed and you pressed your lips tight but he didn’t take his eyes off Dream, he had different priorities in mind. 

Protecting you from the Dreamon if anything went south. 

Dream continued to mock and criticize the people of L’manberg before turning to you and Technoblade. The mask he wore may hide his facial expressions, but it couldn’t mask the unadulterated glee in his voice. Technoblade pulled you behind him as Dream stepped closer to the both of you, you felt a growl rumble in Technoblade’s chest, 

   “That’s close enough.” 

   “Down boy.” Dream mused, holding up his hands to show faux innocence. “I have no issues with the both of you. Tomorrow, with your help, Technoblade and woman.”  

   “(Y/N).”

   “Don’t tell him your name.” Technoblade gaped at you and you only could huff in frustration, 

   “Better than just being called woman! Plus Tommy already said it.”  

With an eye-roll Dream continued his speech, “With the help of Technoblade and (Y/N) L’manberg is going to be a crater. We’re blowing it sky-high.” Dream turned over to face Tubbo once again, “I had to pretend to be friends with you, to get the dumb disk back! I don't care about you. I'm not your friend. Okay? I cared about getting the disk back, and I got the disk back. I got it back. And that's-that's- that's the only thing that really matters. You can't even run your nation right. RANBOO IS A TRAITOR. ONE OF YOUR MOST TRUSTED FRIENDS.”

Your eyes widened as you spotted another child looking horrified, it was the half enderman from the butcher gang. You’re adopting him next.

   “NO, IT IS TRUE. READ THIS BOOK. READ THIS BOOK. There's his memory book. He was meeting with Techno and Tommy and told them EVERYTHING. The proof’s all his own memories! He writes it down! You can't even run your own nation correctly Tubbo. Listen. Tubbo, you, I mean you, ... L'Manberg is weaker than it's ever been, and it's because of you! You have- you have destroyed everything. You have ruined your friendships. You have ruined L'Manberg's allies. You have just-you are a horrible president Tubbo.” Dream continued as Tubbo looked sick to his stomach, you felt just as nauseous.

   “YEAH, YOU SUCK TUBBO!”

   “TECHNOBLADE!” 

   “What?” He flinched at your tone, “he’s right!” 

   “They’re children,” You tried to argue but Dream cut you off by stepping in between you and Technoblade. Your pulse skyrocketed as you were separated, and you made sure an ender pearl was at the ready. Tommy looked at the both fo you nervously, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes when you defended Tubbo. Tommy turned over to Tubbo who honestly looked just as shocked that a partner of Technoblade’s would defend him, espeically considering he had tried to kill her a few days prior. Tommy had hope that he wasn’t completely dead to you.

   “Techno. Got any withers?” You watched a sickening smile spread across Techno’s lips he picked at his nails. 

   “I got a few.” 

   “Good. Then I’ll see you all tomorrow when the L’manberg loses its last cannon life,” Dream announced before disappearing into the wind. The citizens turned to face you and Technoblade, he only had to utter a single word:

   “Run,” Before both of you pearled away from the wreckage of the community house. 

Technoblade scooped you up in his arms as he made his way through the Nether portal back to his base. He was much faster than you were and you didn’t fight him on wanting to make a quick getaway. You both were silent on the way back to his base, bottom line was you didn’t know how you felt about what just went down. On one hand, destruction was your middle name and you weren’t going to oppose blowing a government to smithereens with your boyfriend.  

Nothing could be more romantic than that. 

Yet at the same time, unlike Technoblade, you felt the guilt eat away at you. These were people’s homes, and lives you’d be destroying tomorrow. Most of the citizens you had no affiliation with, which you were grateful for, but those you did you almost couldn’t justify blowing the country up. Tommy was by all accounts dead to Technoblade and by that extent you as well. Still, you didn’t want to see him physically dead, it wasn’t his fault he got corrupted by the government and a homeless teletubby.

You were starting to sound like Technoblade now too.  

You made a sound of distress and Techno glanced down at your form, his face flushed as you nuzzled your nose against his neck. 

   “You okay princess?” 

   “No…” You answered with a sigh, you reached out and twirled a strand of his pink hair through your fingers. “Tommy’s gone, we’re going to blow up a country tomorrow. I feel bad for the people we’re gonna leave homeless. So, no I’m not okay bubs.” The socially awkward man winced a little as he battled with what to say to you, he tends to forget you both aren’t the same person. For as much as both of you agree, you were still different from him, you had more empathy than he could ever wish to have. 

   “You don’t have to come.”  

He watched a frown appear on your face as you pulled away from him. You clicked your tongue in distaste, a sure sign that you were about to pick a fight with the blood god. You were one opponent he could never seem to defeat. That did not come out the way he intended. 

Time to backtrack before he got his ass handed to him. 

   “What I mean is, you have no affiliation with L’manberg. You have no prior issues you need to settle with them so technically you can stay home tomorrow, no one would blame you. You’d be safer away from the explosions, I’d feel better with you at home.”

   “That way you’d only have to worry about Phil tomorrow right?” 

   “Well, that’s part of it,” He stated bluntly, never one to be dishonest. “He has only one life and he’s going to want to fight, he has a lot to avenge. The government drove his eldest son mad, enough that Phil had to kill him. He’s one of my oldest friends, I wanna look out for him and protect him.” You couldn’t help but sigh softly at his response, you brushed your thumb across his cheek fondly. 

   “You’re wrong.” 

   “Eh?”

   “I do have something I want to fight for, I want to fight for what I believe is right. Let’s face it Techno the way everyone’s treating those children is sick. Dream manipulated Tommy and used Tubbo to get what he wanted from him. I know you did what you thought was right for Tommy but he’s a product of a war-torn country, they all are. Now, that doesn’t excuse his betrayal but… did he even know what the right thing to do was in this situation, does he even truly know what peace is? I want to fight to protect those kids. They deserve to know peace, true peace away from bloodshed and war. If I can I want to give them that.” You watched Technoblade’s jaw tighten, “I’m going with you tomorrow but I’m not going to kill the children.” 

   “I don’t think I can ever forgive Tommy.” He sighed adjusting his grip on you a sure sign he was nervous, “but I love you.” Techno kissed you once again, it was long and tender you watched as the apples of his cheeks turn red after you both pulled away. He took a breath, “You’re unstoppable and you’ve never stopped me before so I won’t do the same for you. Just stay safe. Please. You need to come home with me tomorrow I won’t settle for anything else.” 

   “I will. I promise.” You pressed a light kiss to his cheek, and he hummed gently in response. “I love you Technoblade, I’ll fight beside you. Till the end of the line.”

   “Till the end of the line,” He repeated as you both approached the snow-covered house to convene with Philza Minecraft himself.

~~~

Hi guys! Officially feeling a bit better, enough to get a small part out before I work on the next chapter. I hope you like it, thanks so much for reading and your amazing feedback. Also, thanks so much for your kind words and well wishes! Also, also, If anyone ever makes fanart of this story (I doubt it would happen) please tag me and let me know. I love to make art myself and always wanna support other artists! Thanks Again!

[moxfirefly]

I have to thank @southernblossoms for this one, she got evil!Leo in my brain and he hasn’t left ever since.

TW: Violence, Gore, Blood, NSFW content below

Rated Explicit (18+ years)

“She said I'm looking like a bad man, smooth criminal

She said my spirit doesn't move like it did before

She said that I don't look like me no more, no more

I said I'm just tired”

Leonardo always knew there was an inch inside of him that was darkness.

If left alone and unchecked, it would spread. Fester like some disease and he feared that someday he’d allow it to course through his body so freely.

And let it win.

It seemed today would be that unfortunate day. A night like any other, just more bloodshed than necessary. But hey, who said they should go and kill his father? Torture him to such an extent and string up his body for his brothers and him to find.

In that very moment that inch had grown in his soul to a degree that it blinded him. All he knew was to destroy, to hurt and erase those who had done this. He felt so cold, hands cupping his fathers motionless bloodied feet, the gentle tapping of blood and the cries of his brothers echoing in his ears.

So when Leo stood, bloodied (not bathed in his own), holding the head of the monster responsible, how could he regain peace? This had only brought a momentary second of reprieve and it was so fleeting. He looked into Shredder’s lifeless eyes, numbness spreading but a need that had started out as an inch. A need to kill everyone who had been part of this, directly or indirectly.

They all deserved so much worse.

They all deserved death.

Slow and torturous.

He had disappeared after that night. His brothers knew that this was the end of their leader, of their beloved brother who wanted to believe that good in this world could prevail.

For them they never imagined that Leo would just let the darkness take hold of him, nestle him with such a loving embrace. For him to embrace it right back felt justified, for his brothers it painted the gory picture of things to come.

They never expected to meet him in the opposition. To view him as foe and not family. Leonardo had quickly taken hold of the scum of the earth. He had molded the darkness to serve him.

Raphael thought Shredder was their worst enemy.

He never expected to have Leo claim that spot in a matter of months.

The Foot had fallen under his ruling, and he wasted no time in setting examples, and the bloody path those examples left behind never seized to churn the brothers stomachs.

There was no means of bringing him back, and perhaps it’s for the better.

Because whatever has eaten away inside of Leonardo cannot simply be flushed out of his body, nor ripped from his very soul. The body counts too high by now as he strays further and further away from what he was taught.

From what his father taught him...

_______________

You run with the unsavories. An eat or be eaten mentality that has caused you to survive years and years of gang wars and mutant freaks. Not like you’d throw about that last bit, much less when you’re standing single file, close to pissing yourself because he’s there.

And Christ he’s a sight to behold.

A rumor, a legend, a monster.

You tell him you’ve got valuable info, you know where to follow the trail that’ll lead to success. Even when your partner tries to push his chin up in front of Leonardo, you’re already wincing at what his demise will be shaped in.

Leo really loves cutting heads off.

A strong emphasis on loves.

You swallow, eyes flying anywhere but the rapidly growing puddle of blood that approaches your feet. Even then, your eyes stray towards the newest leader of the Foot, Leo punctures his katana into the head, a crude skewer as he lifts it and examines the severed body part as if answers lie in the gush of blood that falls. Those dark blue eyes move on you, you swallow.

He walks over to you, blade in hand, blood tap tapping onto the ground “Your information” Leo’s voice is weightless, bored almost. You motion towards your pocket, the crumpled up note with a poorly drawn map the key to your salvation. Leo reaches his hand in and you’re still, stiff and frightened by the intrusive touch and his proximity.

He pulls the note out and examines, the ghastly expression of horror on the decapitated head so close you can smell the coppery scent. “Can you get more of this? The coordinantes?” You crane your neck to look at him, his stature imposing. “Yeah, I’m your girl for that shit, swear on it” He flicks the blade and the sound of the head rolling makes your stomach flip flop along with it.

You feel the tip of a bloodied katana on your chin.

“Don’t make me cut off such a pretty head, hm?” You want to nod but the blade digs and Leo’s mouth twitches in something akin to a smirk. The small cut to your chin stings, but you wonder why other parts of you vibrate.

The danger, the adrenaline, Leonardo.

_____________

Your next meeting doesn’t quell your nervousness. Leonardo is an impressive sight as always and it’s imposible to ignore that maybe you won’t make it out alive every time you both meet. Unless proven useful, which you take to heart. You bring all sorts of information, names, rumors, possible gangs wanting to take him on, the police. Any word you heard in regards to him.

“It’s possible they might try to meet you half way, catch you off guard” The warehouse is chilly, that fall weather starting to hit but Leo’s unfazed, the black tails of his mask move with the gust of winds. “Stupid of them to assume that” The second floor of the warehouse seems to be his own, leaving the rest of the crew bellow. He sits on the windowsill, cloth running up his katana, it had been bloody when you were brought in.

“I’m just repeating what I heard, I’m sure you’re more than adept to take them on” You stick your hands in the pockets of your jacket, you’d been frisked not like you were stupid enough to bring a weapon to this.

But then again, the more he polished that sword, the more you wished you had something.

“What else have you heard? Any word on Karai?” The woman in question had appeared to have disappeared into thin air after Shredder’s death and Leo taking command of the Foot soldiers. Wether she planned to reclaim what was hers or if she had simply quit was beyond you and anybody else. “Nothing on her, she might’ve skipped town or the country” You offered, eyes following the sword as Leo placed it on a nearby table.

“She strike you as the type? A coward?” He walked over towards you, his expression so eerily unreadable.

Yet, your eyes wandered over him. Over muscle and scales. Overs scars and bruises. That illogical part of your brain making you wonder and fantasize, because fear could be exciting.

There was something exciting about Leonardo.

“Well?” He was in front of you, looking down at you. It hits you how minuscule you must look to him.

“Probably plotting? You did murder her dad” You find his eyes, you swallow.

“Well he murdered mine. Eye for an eye...” He spoke gently almost.

“Makes the whole world go blind” You finished for him, and maybe that was stepping on a line but you noticed the corner of his mouth twitch up. For a brief second you catch his eyes scan yours, move across your face and settle at your lips.

Passed your neck, towards your breasts.

He turns around and grabs his sword.

“One week, find more info on her, your pay is downstairs” You’re dismissed and before you process anything a Foot soldier is ushering you downstairs and shoving an envelope in your hands.

That night you dream about what your lips might feel like against reptilian scales.

—————————

Karai’s whereabouts are practically unheard off. If there was a trail it had run cold months back and judging from the word of mouth being passed around there wasn’t anything sustainable. You dig up anything and everybody. Every dirt bag with an agenda, ex Foot soldiers, opposing gangs, the mob and just about anybody you have in your radar.

It yields nothing.

You can’t return to Leo with nothing.

Rubbing a hand across your tired face, you make your way through the back alleys of the city. Your one week was coming up and all you had were weak possibilities and baseless assumptions. In your line of business enough information to create doubt can go a long way, but this was conspiracy levels bad.

So you thought and you thought quick.

Pulling out your phone you called him first. Perhaps a dumb move but at the same time you figured it showed that you were trying. You asked if the two of you could meet, the line briefly went quiet before your text tone startled you. He hung up and you were met with the address of a building in Brooklyn and to go up to the roof.

To say you were scared was to put it lightly.

You were shitting yourself.

The roof of the building had a green house which seemed unused but it looked like it was being kept up with the vegetation still green and alive. Your hand made for the door knob but something you could only name as a sixth sense made you freeze.

Leo was there, the shift in the atmosphere was impossible to deny. Your turned and blinked.

Wherever he had been, it must’ve been worse. There was blood on him, a fresh gash by his arm and the steady drip drip of blood hitting the concrete. “Jesus are you...?” You knew he was ok, but whomever had been on the receiving end of this had it by far much worse.

“Inside, go inside” He motioned for the green house and you did. Your eyes scanned around hoping to find something to help with. There was a nest of sorts in a corner, several blankets and cushions, a table and a chair amidst the plants. You found what you were looking for near the bonsais, a shelf with a box of first aid. Leo went towards a counter with a basin and a jar of water, he went about cleaning the gash on his arm.

You approached him with the box of first aid, blue eyes were cautious as you took out antiseptic and gauze. Leo had turned to face you, giving you more room to work on his arm as you bandaged it. “You alright?” Your voice held hesitation, Leo’s questioning gaze turned to amusement. “I’m fine, what I want to know is why you wanted to meet” You finished bandaging him and took a step back.

Pick your words wisely, you thought with a slight shutter.

“Listen I’ve spoken with any and everyone who might have any clue but Karai is off the radar”Swallowing a lump in your throat you shrugged off your jacket, worry manifesting in heat. “I know this isn’t what you wanted and I’m really fucking good at my job but this bitch is either underground or who knows! Dead for all I know!” The exasperation and worry was clear as day, he either took this the right way or the wrong way.

Wrong way being you end up pushed off this very building, at best ironically enough.

Leo swallowed the information, clearly bouncing it around his head. The dry specks of blood scattered across his green flesh. An odd silence fell amongst you both and even when he rose in all his imposing glory you kept your eyes focused on him. Getting a read on that cold calculated gaze of his was hard enough.

Your throat feels painfully dry once he has you backed up against the wall. Something about dying alone with not even an audience to witness it didn’t sit too right with you.

But then again, Leo’s large hand gripped your neck, nothing too tight but enough to alert you to its presence. Those blue eyes looked haunted but just beneath that laid something you couldn’t just place your finger on. The tips of his fingers lightly caressed you, one of them fascinated with your quickened pulse. You can’t blink, unsure what may happen and when he dips down your adrenaline makes you flinch.

Leo halts his movement, his blood feels like it’s pumping loudly enough for you to hear. Wide eyed you lean up instead and ghost your lips against his, Leo sighs through his nostrils and it stays that way. A pull but not enough of a push because there’s still fear in your blood and a hesitation that you can’t put a name to from Leonardo.

Your phone going off startles you, nearly making you jump out of your skin and to a fraction of your dismay Leo takes a step away. One of your contacts name flashed on the screen which meant there could still be some good news. Your turned away to speak, pulling a marker from your pocket you write down some information on your forearm. It’s a quick conversation and once done you turn to see Leo putting together his gear again.

You bit your lip, whatever was about to happen would just have to take a back seat. ‘Fucking coward’ you can’t help but think about yourself.

“One of my guys says he might have it on good authority that Karai is still here” You watch him turn his head to listen, even if he’s got his back/shell to you. “Well?” He pushes while adjusting his swords.

“He says she might’ve just met up with...with one of your brothers” Tense doesn’t even begin to explain what his body did, the mear mention of his family was a sore subject and you had been warned to not even attempt to open that can of worms. Swallowing and feeling your throat stick from how dry it felt you see him pull out a key and toss it to you. “Send me that address, you’ll get your money at the warehouse” You barely manage to catch the key to the greenhouse, but still you raise a brow at the offering.

“Come back here when you’re ready” Is all he says about it, confusion is painted on your face but when he moved to leave he takes a moment to hold your chin. “Don’t make me regret this” He says and before you can attempt to ask he’s gone.

You stay there, twenty minutes or so in nothing but your thoughts and his words swimming around your mind.

Feeling heat between your legs and a lick of frustration consuming you.

_____________

Two weeks you contemplate the key in your pocket.

Two weeks you let your thumb hover over his number but never press down.

For two weeks you find your pillow between your legs, trying to reach the sensation he managed with just his body close to yours.

But nothing.

It’s not enough.

New York is covered in rain as you make your way through the sea of people. Regardless of the many umbrellas you still get soaked and by the time you’re up on that roof, hand digging out the key to the green house you’re drenched.

Inside you shake off the excess and remove your jacket. The cold hits you and you can’t help but feel silly that you’re here, maybe this is his way of taking you out, you’re not needed anymore by now you assume.

You turn on the few lanterns that are scattered through the room. Kicking off your boots you rub your arms and shiver, flesh breaking out into goosebumps as the door creaks open once more.

Leo’s equally drenched when he steps through, the black tails of his mask sticking to him. The two of you just stare at one another, steady drips of water and the rain outside picking up more strengh.

Carefully you watch him begin take apart his gear, leaving his katanas by the door. He’s trying to keep your apprehension at low levels, his steps slow and soft. You let your arms fall to your sides and as your heart tries to hammer out of your chest you don’t flinch this time, even as his hands go for the hem of your long sleeve. You take a deep breath as his eyes wander across your now exposed flesh. The fascination goes straight to your core, feeling yourself warm up as his hands rest on your stomach.

With trembling hands you unbutton your jeans and step out of them and the inhale Leo takes as he closes his eyes makes you reach for him. He holds you against him and sighs, large frame shuddering at the feel of your skin against his reptilian one. He buries his snout against your neck, breathing harder as his hands run all over your back and rear. Leo grips and kneads the flesh and a groan escapes against your ear that makes your wrap your arms around his neck. He feels the softness of your breasts against his chest, he’d be a liar if he said he hadn’t been dreaming about them for months now.

You can’t wrap your head around it but he feels just as you fantasized about him. The roughness of his flesh, the edges of his shell and god his teeth nip at your neck with a growl. Wiggling out of his hold you start to undo whatever else needs to be taken off and Leo can’t help but smirk at your frenzied movements. He allows you to undress him, he’s gutted when your hands land on his waist as you start to kneel before him.

“No, no, kiss me first” He cups your face and presses his mouth against yours and that’s it, you’re done for, you’re hooked and can’t go back now. His kiss is possessive, forceful and it drowns every thought in your brain.

You pressed against one of the tables with the many Bonsais when Leo’a tongue slithers into your awaiting mouth. He sits you down on the table and nudges your legs apart to fit himself in between them, you crane your neck up losing yourself in his kiss. He can taste rain water, feels the sweat and rain mingle on your skin. God he wants to run his tongue all over you, eat you whole if he could.

It feels like forever when he pulls away, reluctance in his body. Blue eyes search into your e/c eyes, he wants to see something maybe your fear so he denies himself falling into this rabbit hole. Your hands press against his plastron and gently you run your nails down the hard plates, you shake your head fascinated by the texture. He’s rough but strong, a marvel of a species.

With some difficulty you managed to push your underwear off and spread yourself again for his viewing pleasure. “I want you,” You nodded, eyes falling to the hard length between his legs. Leo wraps a large hand around it and pumps slowly, body shivering at the sensation. “God I fucking want you so bad” You feel him come back to you, mouth on yours in yet another harsh kiss.

The tip of his cock nudges against your wet heat and he bites your lip at the sensation. Leo pushes into you so frustratingly slow, even as his girth stretches you to a point you’ve never been before. You want him inside of you now, and Leo couldn’t agree more. He bottoms out inside of you with a lengthy groan, head thrown back in ecstasy. “You feel... so fucking good” He growls out through gritted teeth, hips picking up speed as you wantonly take him in. You press your lips to his chest and moan with each slow but pronounced thrust of his hips.

His hand finds itself at the back of your head, grabbing fistfuls of your hair to keep your gaze on his. The slight tug burns so good and you can’t help but keep your pleasure filled gaze on his own. Lips parted you let him rock into you steadily until his thrust start to slam into you. The sensation spreads all over your body, little shocks of pleasure rocking your body.

“Mine, you’re going to be mine and only mine” He voices lowly, a threat laced in his passion. You’re too far gone to speak, nodding aimlessly at his every word, moans falling from your lips. “Nobody will own you like I do, nobody will touch you, Y/N? You understand? I’m making you mine” He pressed his forehead to yours, lost in this feeling.

“Fuck yes, yours, I’m gonna be all yours” You lick his lips and when he reaches a hand between both your bodies your mind goes blank. A vicious shudder overtakes you as you muffle a scream against his jaw. He fills you up so good and so warm with a strange vibration that sounds like an endless growl. Each rope he pumps into you making his eyes roll back. You’re shattered against, limp and raw throat from the scream that leaves your mouth.

He watches your come down, hand against your cheek, thumb running across your lips. When he pulls out just enough to watch his essence cascade out of your pretty little hole, he pumps himself back into you. His eyes say it all, from here on out whatever your life was up to this point is over and done with. Leo nuzzles you still lazily pumping himself in you, blissful to the little tremors your cunt produces around his member making him harden once again. Picking you up, bodies still joined, he makes his way to the nest of blankets on the floor.

You hold onto him, all you can do is hold onto him.

____________

It’s rather odd to be in this position. With an entire year that’s passed it never seems to feel normal, not that you’re complaining though.

Being in a position of power by proxy has its fucking fun rewards.

For example nobody in this city will ever contemplate taking you out. Unless they want a very pissed off Foot Leader to set fire to the city and maybe even the world. From opposite points to now standing at his side. No one is to address you as below them, or touch you or let alone breath the same air you do.

You can still hear the bones that were cracked when one particularly unruly Foot soldier made snide comment about you. Each crack of the mans arm being slowly twisted until his arm broke still rang in your ears to this day. Leo hadn’t flinched, hadn’t even scowled even as the twist turned to pulling the limb off.

He did in fact fuck you hard against the glass windows of the hotel suite he had you both in. The copper scent lingering on his scales, but enraptured with the heat enveloping his cock.

With the city at war everyone had began to run amok to do their own barbaric things. Each part of the city divided between gangs, mobs, mutants, police and civilians. You were out on active Foot duties, you were still free to do as you pleased but with protection and Leo demanded your whereabouts on the hour due to possibilities of abduction.

He knew you were a weakness.

But did he give a shit? Of course not. Let them try, he hasn’t needed an excuse for his tyrannical acts thus far, but if harm did ever befall you, you only wished you could witness what his methods would be to exact his revenge.

And he was so familiar with revenge after all.

You admire yourself in the full length mirror, examining the body that training under Leo has provided you. The mutant terrapin in question comes up from behind you and wraps his strong sculpted arms around your waist. You can’t help but smirk as he rest his chin a top your head. “We’re heading out in half an hour” He mumbles against your hair, enjoying the scent. You watch through the mirror as his hands rub up and cup your breast, with a sigh you rest against his strong build. “What’s on the agenda tonight? Purple dragons?” You feel him shake his head, fingers dipping inside the cups of your bra. “Mob,” Is his sole reply.

You bite your lip, gripping his wrists. “We’ll be late” You try to muffle a moan as he tweaks a nipple, he grinds against your backside. “I’m killing them regardless, and I much rather have the scent of your cunt on my hands while I listen to their boring excuses for parley” Your knees buckled when you felt his hand slither inside your underwear, finger already parting your lips and humming as he feels how wet you already are.

You feel his other hand wrap around your neck, keeping you upright and your gaze on the mirror as his finger dips into your welcoming heat.

He engulfs your every thought, every sensation; and what’s the fate of the world when you’ve got him? He chose you just as much as you chose him. You’ve never considered yourself good, scumbag street rat who just happened to make a living amongst the other scumbags. But this? With Leonardo and the trail of bloodied heads he’s left behind, it’s hard not to be excited to see gasoline be poured on the city. He trails his lips to the shell of your ear and you can’t help but grin.

“Mine” He says.

Burn everything.

[mystic-shadows42]

The Lothbroks’ Reaction at you Marrying Somebody other than them

Bjorn had put off speaking to you as long as possible. It was obvious to everybody that he was angry that you were marrying someone else. He fought aggressively and showed no mercy.

It was no coincidence that during the battle you two were fighting near each other. No matter the differences and the struggle you had, you watched his back as he did yours.

You were both young, but you knew Bjorn wasn’t serious for marriage yet. He may never be.

Out of all the times to speak to you, he waited after battle. He had blood dripping down his face while you were trying to catch your breath.

“How could you marry that man?”

“That man is now my husband. He’s a good man. Treats me well.”

“Did I not treat you well that you had to go running off with someone else?” 

You stood up facing him down. There was death all around, yet he wanted to have this conversation now.

You walked over to grab your sword from the ground with Bjorn following.

“I’m talking to you.”

“You want to do this right now?” You asked angrily.

“Yes, I want to do this now.”

He grabbed your arm in a manner that you did not care for. You had far too much adrenaline for you to allow him to touch you. You hit his chest and pushed him back with all your strength.

“You want to know the truth?! We were not serious Bjorn. We would argue all the time and if we weren’t arguing then we were fucking. That does not make for a lasting relationship.”

Bjorn looked over at you shaking his head.

“Why did you leave? We could’ve talked about it. We would’ve somehow made it work.”

“To be honest, it was the last night we spent together that made it clear to me. You called out Porunn’s name instead of mine. You really are an ass for not remembering. It lets me know that I made the right choice.”

You shouldered Bjorn as you left him standing there in a daze.

The first time you’d see Ubbe again was when you were with your husband. He’d glance now and then, but he wouldn’t act on it. Not until you found yourself alone, that is.

“I see that you chose a lowly farmer over me? I could’ve given you so much more.”

Ubbe wasn’t a mean man. He was only hurt. When you two went your separate ways it seemed amicable then. Although, now it seems that more of it was coming to the surface.

“It’s not about what you can give me, Ubbe. Yes, I married a farmer which is a simple life but not an unpleasant one. Your father was once a farmer, was he not?”

“Yes, he was,” Ubbe sighed. “But why him? What can he give you that I couldn’t?”

“I enjoyed your company but every time I was with you, it was never serious. I would talk about the future of having a family someday and you’d laugh. Everything was a joke to you. You’d use your charm to get out of anything that you deemed too serious.”

“I can assure you that I was serious about you.”

“Not serious enough to see that what I say matters. I understand having fun and enjoying the moment, but sometimes reality needs to settle in at some point.”

“Whatever you felt was not one-sided. I wasn’t as expressive with how I felt, but you can’t fault me for that. When I heard the news of your marriage, it broke me. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

“You’re already too late. I’m happy where my life’s at right now.”

He nodded his head. “I’m happy for you. I wish to find what you have one day.”

You grabbed his hand in yours. 

“You will. It’ll happen to you one day. I’m sure of it.”

He looked down at your joined hands which made you let go. Ubbe bit his lip and looked away. 

“I was a young man back then. I understand that now. I apologize for any heartache I may have caused you. Just know that I did truly love you.” He turned his back to you and left.

“My husband certainly isn’t taking too kindly to your mockery of him.”

Hvitserk huffed out a laugh as he started changing out of his clothes in front of you.

“I wasn’t mocking him.”

You gave Hvitserk a look knowing he was being full of it.

“I’m pretty sure bowing and laughing at the same time surely means you weren’t serious. Oh, and walking out while he’s trying to lay out plans for raids, was really convincing,” you said sarcastically.

Hvitserk started to pull down his trousers which made you turn your back to him. You knew he was enjoying your discomfort.

“If I hurt your poor husband’s feelings then I apologize. He didn’t need to send his wife in here to fight his battles for him.”

“You didn’t hurt his feelings. Also, I came in here on my own accord. If he were to confront you for this then there’d probably be a fight, no less, a battle would ensue.”

“Look at me.”

“Are you dressed?”

“Yes.”

You turned around and were relieved that he was now dressed again in different clothes. More casual ones.

“Why did you change in the first place?”

“I thought I was greeting a man of high class, but now I can see my fine clothes were wasted.”

Now he was just getting under your skin.

“You think you can see past people with just one look? I saw past all your flaws, yet you were the one who couldn’t see past mine. It hurts to know that you’re still that same man who can’t see outside his own standards.”

This time Hvitserk made no comment. For now, he saw the truth in your words.

You know dealing with Ivar on any occasion would be no easy task. So it was no surprise to you that in a room full of people that he’d make a scene.

As you walked through the door Ivar’s eyes focused on you.

“Ah if it isn’t the woman who rejects my love and marries another.”

You made no comment back to Ivar. He was trying to bait you.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I am now a happily married man. Married to the most beautiful woman.” He exaggerated.

“Then why do you still sound bitter?”

There was a chorus of mutters in the room making it tense. Ivar looked away from you smiling bitterly as he chuckled.

“You must be mistaken. I merely wanted to share the joy I’ve been experiencing since you left me. I may be boneless but the man you married is spineless.”

Ivar was now mere inches from your face. He had a way of looking at people to make them feel uncomfortable, but you didn’t want to give him that satisfaction.

“Ivar if you would please give her some space. She is after all carrying.”

Ivar looked perplexed. He searched your face for any hint of falseness before looking down at your stomach.

“You’re,” he gulped. “You are with child?”

“Yes, but I didn’t want anyone else to know.” You looked over at the advisor of your husband, not at all pleased with his lack of discretion.

“Everybody out.”

“I would not advise that,” the advisor spoke up.

“I advise you to leave before I make an example out of you for not listening.”

Right away everybody started to leave in a hurry. Ivar waited until the last man closed the doors.

“You are with child so soon after your marriage.” When you didn’t say anything, he continued on. “Do you know if it’s mine?”

His tone had changed from when he first saw you up until now.

“I honestly don’t know Ivar. Although, considering you can’t have children I thought that it mustn’t be yours.”

“The timing doesn’t sit right with me. You are either saying your husband is extremely potent which is unlikely or that you’re afraid to admit that you’re bound to me with our miracle child.”

At this, Ivar had his hand on your lower back, pulling you closer to him.

“You know which one is true.” Ivar held you close as his lips were pressing on your neck. “You’re bound to me... forever.”

You pulled away from him and stood your ground.

“We’ll just see about that.”

Tagged: @belovedcherry​ @lordsexmachine​ @lol-haha-joke​ @mariaenchanted​ @ethereallysimple​

[asimovsideburns]

HEY! I’m finally running that dnd game I keep alluding to that’s set in my homebrew setting! Session 2 is tomorrow, and I’m only now getting to post my session 1 summary, because I’ve been busy with both stuff and things

if you want to know more, read on! beyond this readmore lies the very first session summary of The Archipelago: Adventures at Heaven’s Rim

Okay, first, PCs: 1) Mason Worthing, Orc Fighter 2) Loch Chantry, Orc Paladin 3) Animesh “Nim” Moonwhisper, Elf Bard 4) Adva Ezra, Dwarf Druid 5) Eyeless Cave Shrimp (or Shrimp for short), Goblin Sorcerer (Roil Magic subclass)

Everybody starts at level one, we’re using homebrew races and even a homebrew subclass, which I have made completely for this setting, which lies outside the dnd cosmology. There’s a bunch of stuff, but we’ll hit the highlights as we go.

It all starts in a tavern, as it so often does. Five people gather, for the most part unknown to each other, to hear a job offer kept intentionally vague until this point, meeting their prospective employer. The man who enters is James Schaefer--elf, Sailor, older gentleman, and most importantly the leader of the Council that rules the city-state of Port Graftish, where our would-be adventurers make their home. They’ve each already heard their offer, and now they’re hearing the job: go to the town of Mountainsgate just across the border in Alvfjell, help the people there deal with the dragon who’s recently moved in and started terrorizing the populace, and keep him updated on the situation. They don’t have to kill the dragon, just make sure that the situation doesn’t get worse and also don’t let anybody know they work for him. Sounds easy enough.

They get some gear, grab some drinks, and head off bright and early in the morning with a caravan that can take them most of the way before splitting off at the border crossing to enter Muldrana, to the north, while they continue west to Alvfjell. Once in Mountainsgate, they look around, make some friends at the bar, pick up a couple of jobs at the job board, and make contact with the person who’ll be passing along their reports--a lively old gnome by the name of Joseph, who, in the words of @thistlegug, “would sell me an excellent breakfast sandwich at the corner store.” (I’m never going to be able to get the voice just right again).

They get some directions at the tavern and decide to stop by the home of Young Gwynndolen, the 80 year old human woman who lives about 10 miles outside of town and makes healing potions, to try and persuade her to go to the safety of the town. Once they arrive, they see her arguing with a manticore, who needs a healing potion for his injured mate. Young Gwynndolen can’t part with the potion for less than the cost of the ingredients or she’ll likely starve come winter, so the players offer to pay for the manticore’s potion, which he gratefully accepts, flying off with his precious cargo. They persuade her to accompany them back to Mountainsgate, where she at least won’t be alone, and she reluctantly agrees to leave the mill where she brews her potions and lays her head, at least for now. Shrimp finds a magic sword by biting all of the swords a little bit to taste them.

They decide to take a rest before heading out again, since it’ getting dark. In fact, it’s a full moon, and you know what that means! Well, you don’t, but Adva does, and what it means is that it’s horoscope time, baby. Adva’s a circle of the stars druid (and will be taking her subclass momentarily as soon as they level up from their very first quest). Mason is very, very not thrilled with the idea of horoscopes, and is not subtle about that. There’s not a... fight, per se, but Adva’s feelings are hurt. Shrimp and Nim get their horoscopes told, though, with Shrimp interpreting a suggestion to “be more giving” to get their life in balance to mean immediately giving their new magic sword to the nearest person, and Nim being both impressed and surprised with the accuracy of his reading.

In the morning, they went to the archeological dig site nearby to warn the archeologists there that there’s a frikken dragon hanging out. They are understandably spooked, but would love for the PCs to carefully clear some monsters out of the nearby ruined temple so they can identify what’s inside before returning with more people (and guards).

The PCs agree to clear out the ruins, go inside, and start fighting the dangerous oozed in the main room. All seems to be going well until one of the Oozes lands a hit on Adva, dropping her instantly from full health to unconscious

and that’s where we ended our session

[thgreatestblue]

false god [part I]

➜ pairing: kokushibou x fem!reader ➜ warnings: mentions of torture, blood, prostitution. ➜ words: 4,7k ➜ a/n: hello everyone! I decided to split this fic in two parts or else it was going to be too much. I was so excited with this idea that I got carried away (as always). I even thought about only posting the ending, but i figured if i was really writing this concept, then I would commit to it! i hope you enjoy it! ➜ ao3

➜ false god [part II] summary: Turning a blind eye was easier when the money was enough to not send you to a brothel ever again, even if it meant looking away when blood was shed. Head above water and you will never drown. The mantra kept you safe for 3 years, but then six eyes pinned you down, and you found yourself swimming in an ocean you swore you weren’t ever diving in.

I.  

If it wasn't for the long and heavy curtains, the house would have been a really pretty and enjoyable place. However, you highly suspected that if it wasn't for the appearances, the house wouldn't even have windows to start with, so you weren't complaining. Although it was hard to see with only a small candle in your hands — the flame barely illuminating the few steps in front of you — you had grown used to the darkness by now. The last 3 years had taught you enough, and you knew the place like the palm of your hand. 

But what you didn't know was where Muzan’s daughter had hidden this time. It was a fairly common game you two played when her father wasn't home, one that allowed the poor girl to run free through the corridors with no fear of running into her father — that in the last few weeks has been more violent and angry than you've ever seen. If it was scary for you, that knew what Muzan truly was; you couldn't imagine what the girl felt seeing her father losing the facade; teeths becoming sharper at each smile, eyes glowing redder at each glance. 

You didn't know what had happened for the so composed and cold-hearted Muzan to start falling apart at the seams, as far as you knew, he never acted that way before; even the rest of the servants had started to gossip about his weird composure. Now, more often than not, you could hear screams filling the hallways like whispers from ghosts, haunting the poor souls that were still lucky to be alive in a place like this. It would give all your body goosebumps, a weird aftertaste that was bitter than any drink you could swallow down. 

You turn another corner, still trying to find the little girl. She was a sweet and well mannered girl, so easy to look after that you didn't think it was normal. How her eyes were always looking around, her tongue never daring to say more than the necessary, so quiet that most of the time you forget she was still in the room; her mother was the same. 

Two beautiful things that over time started to look more like paintings than real human beings, for society to appreciate, portraying a family that was as perfect as the colors Muzan chooses to show. And for their safety, you hoped they would stay just like that. Everybody at the house knew she wasn't really his daughter — you didn't want to think what happened to the real father, then. 

For the sake of their sanity, they didn't know what Muzan really was. Many of the servants didn't know either. And for some time, you wondered if it would have been a blessing being ignorant like that, not knowing what really took place in a house like this. Behind closed doors things could get even more terrifying, that even you couldn't imagine — no that you wanted, anyway. 

Turning a blind eye to the situation was something you had struggled with in the first year; the amount of blood and organs you had to clean was alarming, the unspoken fear that would be in the tip of everyone’s tongue but never daring to escape; it was heavy the air every time he walked in, but for most of the servants the fear was inexplicable. Not for you though, always going to sleep with the fear that your blood would be the next staining the floor of his office. 

It wasn't as if you had had a choice, neither Daki nor Muzan gave you one. It was keeping a secret or dying with it — and you wanted to live enough to see yourself out of this place, far away from these atrocities. Although it wasn't the best opinion, definitely wasn't the worst. Anything other than going back to the brothels of Yoshiwara; to the hands of strangers; to the dark nights where all you could do was scrub your skin until it was burning red. 

It was a time of your life you didn't like to revisit; it was locked away in the deepest of your mind, but somehow the key would always find its way back to your hand. It was inevitable to think about those years you spent on your knees, selling your body so you could eat the next day. Though, now that you worked for Muzan, those thoughts that haunted you as you laid your head on the pillow were replaced by blood, screams of agony and guts - you’re not sure which was worse. 

The candle burns quickly in your hand, you were running out of time to find the small girl. Although you had come up with a few rules to turn this game a little bit easier — like not entering any room, not hiding inside any closet — the child still put up a challenge; and again, you didn't want to think why she was so good at hiding.

“Ah! There you are!” You could see, even with the thin light, a silhouette that you were very familiar with by now. The dark hair almost blends with the background; she is gripping the candle with both hands, not looking at you even when you call her name, “I think this time you outdone your…”

As soon as you reach the little girl, you can feel the atmosphere change. There’s a dense feeling settling in your chest that spreads throughout your body like fire, almost pulling you down to your knees. The hair on the back of your neck stands up almost instantly, and you don't need to see what it is causing to know exactly what it is. The fear on the girl's face is enough to tell you that she had seen a Demon. 

“Stay behind me, honey.” You whisper as you put your body in front of her’s, eyes trying to focus on the figure by the end of the corridor. The little girl immediately grabs your leg, hiding behind it, you can feel her small body shaking against you. 

Not so far away, you catch a glimpse of a big silhouette walking towards you, it’s so massive that you can’t help but take a step back. It wasn't everyday you saw another Demon walking in those hallways, if ever. Besides Muzan, you only knew Daki by name; she has been the one who brought you to this place, after all. 

In the back of your mind you kept telling yourself if anything went wrong, it was still midday. You could open the curtains and stand in the sun; though you didn't know if you would be fast enough to avoid a tragedy. 

As the Demon stepped closer, the fragile flame from your candle trembles, even the fire was nervous at the change of events. The silence is maddening, all your instincts are screaming run! run! but you can’t move a foot. It takes only a few more steps for the figure to finally be illuminated by the light, the anticipation making your heart beat furiously against your ribcage. 

You weren't sure what you were expecting, but it definitely wasn't the man in front of you. His face is the first thing that the light reaches — and if you could hear the sound of your heart beating just a second ago, now it goes completely silent. 

His face is a shade so light that for a moment you thought it was transparent; so pale, but it looked soft to the touch. There’s a red mark that reminds you of flames covering half of the right side of his forehead, and another one on the left side of his cheeks, that goes down to his neck. However, what was more unsettling about him was his eyes. There are six of them, bright yellow irises surrounded in scarlet bloody sclera, staring directly at you. 

With only the candle light to illuminate the hallway, the scenario you found yourself in should’ve been a nightmare, but there was something about the Demon in front of you that made it tolerable. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, a polished posture you don't really see very often. How he didn't look like he was about to rip you apart - or maybe that was worse, because you didn't know what to expect from him.

It made you wonder who he was when still human. His hair was a shade darker than the shadows, perfectly framing his face; the ponytail was tied up on the top of his head, the rest of it falling graciously on his back, long and smooth. He was a very beautiful and elegant man; but even with the whole picture, those eyes were still unsettling, 

“I’m looking for Muzan-sama.” His voice is strong and heavy, cutting through the silence of the hallway like a thunder cuts through the night to announce the upcoming rain. The little girl yelps, gripping your thigh even harder. 

You immediately bow, prefering to stare at his feet than to stay under his intense gaze, “I’m afraid he’s not at home right now...My lord.” You decide to refer to him in a polite way, and he seems pleased by it. 

Not only was he a Demon, but he seemed important, more important than Daki for the looks of it. He wore a black and purple kimono; the material, even in the thin light, looked expensive. However, what made him hold such a powerful presence, was the katana attached to his waist. And if his six eyes weren't enough, there were more of them carving the handle of the sword. 

“And who are you?” The Demon asks, voice low and firm, making you shiver slightly. His eyes are fixed on your face, making you feel even more uneasy under his stare. He takes a few steps closer, the overpowering aura paralysing you right in the spot for a second. 

“I’m Y/N,” You answer, trying your best not to sound too scared. And quickly adds, not daring making him wait, “And this is Muzan-sama’s daughter.”

You put your hand at the top of the little girl’s head, her shakiness is palpable even from far away, and you can’t blame her. Despite living among Demons, you had wished she would grow up oblivious to what went down in this household. Apparently, an illusion can never last forever, only the truth remains untouched in eternity. You try your best to calm her down by running your fingers through her hair. Even though the wax of the candle burns your hand, you can stop gripping it, anything to help you stay calm. 

As if he was in a trance, he stops. Slowly catching your movements with his eyes, “Are you his wife?” 

The question takes you by surprise, and you have to blink a few times, raising your eyebrows in the process. Thank Gods I'm not, it’s the first thing that crosses your mind. However, the hesitation in his voice is concerning; and you have a hard time trying to swallow down what that could possibly imply. 

“No, I’m just a servant… My lord.” Telling him the truth was the only thing you could do right now.

If he decided to kill you because you weren't important, it was your fault for not trying to escape sooner. You had hoped this wasn't going to be the way you would end, but perhaps you had sold your fate on the day you saw Daki eating another girl.

The demon nods, and takes a few more steps closer. You involuntarily flinch, feeling his presence and intimidating aura hitting you like a train. Your breath gets caught on your throat as you watch his hand moving closer to your face. The nails of the little girl on your thing were definitely drawing blood right now. 

But instead of ripping your head off, he touches your cheek.

You didn't notice you had closed your eyes, but they snap open at the gentle touch. Your eyes grow wide at each suffocating second his fingers hover over your skin. Goosebumps spread all over your body as his strong fingers wrap around your chin, forcing you to look at him, at his six eyes. They seem to be studying you, hovering around your eyes, your cheeks, your mouth. 

It feels like you’re on display all over again. When men would come to the brothel and choose the girl they were going to use just by her looks; if she still had teeths, if they were still tight enough, if their good reputation was still intact. It made you want to choke each one of them, making them swallow down each word they had ever said until they were suffocating with their own nastiness. Right now, though, you just fell silent, letting him analyse your face as much as he wanted. You knew you would be dreaming with those yellow orbs from now on. 

“Tell him I’ll be waiting in his office.” He says, slowly easing the grip, giving your face one last look before finally letting go of your chin, and you averts your eyes as soon as his touch isn't on you anymore. 

The only movement your body manages to do is nod, all the rest goes numb with the tension that settles in your bones. Your breathing becomes shallow, body too paralized to function properly. There’s a growing pain on your jaw from clenching your teeth too hard. You and the little girl stay frozen in place as you watch him turning away, walking back from the direction he had come. 

A cold sensation settles on the pitch of your stomach as you watch the Demon walk away. If you were to trust your guts, this definitely wasn't the last time you would be seeing him. And for better or for worse, your guts were never wrong. 

II.

Walking through the hallways of Muzan’s house was different since the day you encountered that Demon. Each time turning a corner, you would hold your breath, take a double look at the shadows, looking for any sign of the man; as if he would appear from the dark and drag you to join him — no one was going to miss you anyway. Even after weeks, you could still feel his gaze hovering around your skin, the feeling of having so many eyes on you was maddening. But the worst was his touch, still managing to linger on your chin, ghostly haunting your days, and mostly your nights. 

Muzan’s daughter seemed to have forgotten the encounter; she didn't say a single thing about it, even after you took her to the kitchen to give her some tea. She was shaking so much you were afraid she would pass out. However, when you asked her about, she just shook her head, saying she was afraid because the man was intimidating. You wondered if her mind had just erased the few important details or if she was pretending that nothing was wrong for her own sanity. Either way, your heart aches for the little girl, but there was nothing you could do. 

Head above water and you will never drown. It has become your mantra since the first time you sold your body, since the first time you laid your eyes on a Demon - when you sold your soul to stay alive. It sure makes the food you eat taste bitter and the pillow on which you lay your head feels like a stone; but at least you are alive, right? 

You could only hope that the Demon Slayers were going to put an end to this, sooner or later. If the rumors were true, then things finally started to move, and by Muzan’s temper getting worse by each day, they were making some progress.

You just had to control your emotions, and pray that Muzan wasn't going to lash any of his anger on you; living with him for a few years made you realize that even the best servants could suffer a tragic destiny, no one was safe here. No one was ever safe around a Demon, after all. 

“Muzan-sama, do you need anything else?” 

It was still morning outside; a very pretty day from the glimpse you caught as you passed a slightly open curtain. As much as you wanted to leave the house and enjoy the sun, mornings like those were the worst for Muzan; where the small amount of light would make him so angry that you had lost account of how many times you had to clean his office after some unfortunate soul left a tiny ray of light enter the room. 

Muzan seemed to be in a good mood today; a rarity nowadays. He was wearing that same dangerous smile from the day he met you, plotting something in his mind and letting it show through his face; and if you were to guess, it wasn't a good sign. He had called for you, asked to pour him a drink — at this point you knew it was blood, just in some fancy bottle — and now was staring at you. 

“I heard you meet Kokushibou, Y/N… What do you think about him?”

“Who?” 

There’s a nagging feeling growing in the back of your mind as you watch Muzan dangerously smile at you. You had never heard that name before, but somehow your mind pictured the Demon from the other day straight away. If this conversation was about him, then you were definitely with a few problems. 

“Tall, long hair, six eyes… Does it ring a bell?” Muzan’s tone is playful, swinging the glass in his hand.

“He seems...” You hesitate, remembering his six eyes fixed on your face, his strong hand gripping your chin, and the intense threatening aura exhaling from him. You swallow down, but your throat feels dry, “...Strong.” 

“Always so observant,” He laughs, drinking a sip from the glass, “Of course he’s strong. He’s the upper moon one, stupid human.”

Wrong answer. Your mind screams, ready to push the alert button as soon as his features change in the slightest. The first time you encountered him you couldn't even speak, couldn't even breathe. The intensity of his threatening aura was so strong that you wanted to puke, scream, run away; but your feet never moved. It took you a long time to even manage to move a muscle when in his presence — all the time he acted amused, and you didn't expect less from a monster savouring the distress of a mere human.

You knew the Demon… Kokushibou was powerful just by his presence, but everything made sense now; the authoritarian semblance of dominance each of his movements seemed to carry, how different his aura was from Daki; even though she was powerful, she still acted like a self absorbed teenager. 

“But I’m asking about your first impression,” If he was angry, you couldn't tell, the way Muzan quickly changed emotions was scary, but most of the time, dangerous, “What do you really think about him?”

“He seems to be respectful and polite…” It wasn't a complete lie; Kokushibou did look like he was someone important in his other life, his clothes were clean and tidy. And not trying to kill you that day was a bonus, “And definitely more civil than Daki.”

Muzan laughs again, showing off his teeth, but seeming content with your answer. He studies you while drinking another sip from the glass, and you try to do your best by staying still, but under his gaze no one could ever remain calm, or sane. Your heart beats fast in your chest as the minutes drag by. It’s agonizing, staying in the same room as him for longer than necessary. 

“Well, I called you here to say that I don't need your services anymore.” He finally drops the bomb on your lap, and you can’t do much then stare at the explosion forming on your hands. 

“Did I do something wrong, Muzan-sama?” You ask, but your voice is weak. 

Panic starts to settle on your stomach, did you say something you shouldn't? Have you done something that he didn't like? Did he see through your facade and now was going to kill you? A torrent of thoughts starts to flood your mind as anxiety settles under your skin, making you sweat. 

“No, actually you're more than perfect.” Muzan says, rather uninterested “But i don't care about that child anymore, so i don't see why keep pretending”

A cold shiver runs down your spine as he says those words as if he was getting rid of trash. Somehow, in the back of your mind, you knew this moment was going to happen. It was a matter of time until Muzan decided to drop the act and move on as if nothing happened. 

He didn't care about anyone but himself. You could only hope he was merciful enough to kill them quickly, heart breaking with the thought of that little girl seeing him as the monster he truly was in her final moments before her death. What a nightmare, what twisted fucking world. 

“You've been great. It's a shame you don't want to become a demon, could be one of the best and easily one of my favorites.”

“It is an honor to hear that, Muzan-sama.” You don’t sound like yourself; you can’t even process what he’s saying while you think about mother and daughter, years trying their best to please Muzan only to find death by his own hands. Tears threaten to fall from your eyes but you hold them as much as you can, it would only piss him off seeing you being emotive, caring about someone. 

“Then why don't you want to turn into one?” 

When you don't answer, he sighs loudly, closing the book he was reading. The sound takes you out of your thoughts, making you jump; heartbeat on your ears. He murmurs something under his breath, you’re so lucky you don’t have any idea, before getting up. With his back to you, he studies the painting on the wall of his office. It’s a strange combination of flowers and blood, but it strangely suits him.

“Since you've a good reputation, I’ve already guaranteed another job for you.” Muzan turns his head, 

“Thank you so much…” You try to say between the cacophony of thoughts swinging around your head. It’s hard to keep the tears from falling down, it’s hard to think about anything else than the poor family being torn apart for his amusement. 

“Pack your things, you're going to work for Kokushibou now.”

There’s a painful pause on your heart, and you could swear you were going to collapse right in the moment. Your mind goes blank, fear crossing your eyes as you remember his touch on your chin, the cold yet burning feeling of his stare on each part of your face. 

“You just said you think he’s respectful, do you have a problem with him that you didn't tell me about it?” Muzan turns his head, red eyes glowing in the thin light of the room; it’s deadly.

“I don't, Muzan-sama. It’s going to be a honor.” You lie, because that’s the only thing you can do right now. 

“Well then, you're dismissed.”

You don’t know how you made it to your room, how you packed your things and cleaned the room you called home for years, one last time. It felt like you were numb to everything, still not being able to process what was happening, where you were going, and who you were going to be working for. At some point your cheeks were thick with tears but you didn't feel sad for yourself, not entirely, it was how abrupt the world was. How abrupt things changed and you couldn't have a single say about it. 

That’s why you never got attached to anyone, that’s why you never let your guard down. And even when you didn’t have any type of attachment, the world still manages to pull the rug beneath your feet. You don't even try to look for the little girl — not that you had the opportunity, either way. 

As you stare at the view from the window of the train, you can at least relax for the first time in years. Not being surrounded by the overpowering aura that Muzan always carried with himself was so relieving that you could feel yourself taking a few deep breaths, smelling the air of the mountains. Trying to enjoy the ride as much as you could, you didn't want to think about what kind of place Kokushibou lived, or how your life would be once you step in. 

It was night when you arrived at the designed station, it was far away from the city, and you were already missing the noise and the traffic, but maybe changing scenarios was something good - you had to keep telling yourself to be positive about this. It couldn't be worse than living with Muzan, right? Right.

You were welcomed by an old lady, she was waiting for you at the platform, waving at you as you got off the train. Since you didn't have many belongings, you only brought a small suitcase with you. 

“You must be Y/N, nice to meet you.” She gently says, smiling at you. 

“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you too.” You bow in respect. The old lady pats your head and you immediately feel safer. If the rest of the servants were like her, then maybe Kokushibou was indeed a respectful man.

The tension building up on your body slowly started to calm down as the servant explained what you would have to do. It was easy and simple, washing the bed sheets, cleaning the house, taking care of the garden. You never imagined yourself working under such a mundade setting like this; it was going to be interesting, to say the least. 

However, the odd feeling that something was wrong still lingered — your gut still poking you with worries and alerts — and you couldn't just ignore it, but for now, you tucked it underneath your hopes, wishing it was enough to keep them at bay. 

The wagon stopped in front of an elegant archway, and as you helped the old lady get down from it, you studied the beautiful front yard, with a colorful garden and a variety of trees. There was a pathway of cobblestones that led to the house; witch was big and very tradicional. 

Walking in silence towards the house, your eyes flew around, trying to enjoy each glimpse of nature. It has been so long since you have seen so many different colors, vibrant even under the moonlight. You touch a few flowers, fingers brushing against the delicate petals; the smell of them cleans your mind, making a tiny smile tug on the corner of your lips.

However, as soon as your eyes drifted back to the house, the tiny smile died on your lips, sending you back to reality. Kokushibou was standing right in front of the porch, his hand was resting on his sword. You held your breath as you finally arrived at the house, bowing as soon as you were introduced. 

Kokushibou studied you for a long moment before saying “Welcome, Y/N.” 

[fanfics4all]

Not One Of You Anymore: Part 28

Request: Yes / No 

Requests are closed <3 Have a nice day/night

John Murphy x Fem! Griffin!Reader 

Word count: 2086

Warnings: Getting robbed I suppose? 

Y/N: Your Name 

Summary:  You weren’t meant to be born but you were so when you were ten your mom and the Chancellor sent you to the ground as a test for the 100

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1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

John and I packed some things and left to meet Jaha at the Dropship. John was determined to get us to the city of light. He wanted us to have a life without judgement. I was mostly curious to see if it’s real or just a rumor like everyone says it is. I thought about Lexa a lot during our trek. I understood why she left me in the mountain, but if she found out that I was weak and fell in love she would kill me. 

“Sir, do you recognize anything?” One of the guys asked. 

“The tent was near here. I’m sure of it.” Jaha answered and I rolled my eyes. 

“Yeah right, it’s all just sand.” I mumbled and John sighed. 

“What’s the matter? You guys got some place better to be?” John asked as he pulled me along. 

“You have a point.” I sighed and he smirked. He stopped by Jaha and looked around. 

“You see anyone?” He asked. Jaha walked towards the wagon. 

“Bak op o ai na frag yu!” (Stay back or I’ll kill you!) A woman said and jumped up with a knife. 

“We mean you no harm.” Jaha said and John held me behind him. 

“Do you speak English?” Jaha asked. 

“What do you want?” The girl asked. 

“Nothing. It looks like you could use a hand. What are you doing out here along?” He asked and I looked around, something didn’t seem right. 

“My brother and I were on our way to the City of Light… when Wastelanders attacked.” She said, removing her face mask. 

“They took our horse. All our water, everything. They killed him. This cart is all I have left.” She answered. 

“Give her some water.” Jaha said and John started taking his bag off. 

“No, no, no. We barely have enough for ourselves here.” One of the men said. 

“Touch me again and I’ll end you.” John threatened, but I held him back. 

“I don’t trust her.” I whispered. 

“You don’t trust anyone babe.” He said and pulled me along. John pulled his water bottle out and handed it to her. 

“It’s okay.” He said and I kept my eyes narrowed at her. She took it and desperately drank it. 

“We’re on our way to the City of Light as well. What’s your name?” Jaha asked and I looked at him with wide eyes. 

“Emori.” She answered and I looked back at her. 

“Everyone in the Dead Zone is looking for the City of Light. Almost no one finds it. I can get you there.” She said and that’s when I noticed her covered hand. She’s one of the freaks… 

“If you pull my cart.” She added. 

“Done.” Jaha said and I gripped John’s arm. 

“We can’t trust her.” I whispered. 

“Caspian, you’re on the first shift!” Jaha shouted. 

“Then just trust me.” He whispered. 

“Thanks for the water.” She said, handing the water back to him. 

“It’s uh- It was no problem.” John said and I narrowed my eyes at her. All of us were walking through the Dead Zone, pulling Emori’s cart. 

“So I gotta ask, what made you ditch your home and risk your life to cross the beach from hell?” John asked her. I was walking ahead of them because I didn’t want to be near her. 

“It doesn’t matter.” She answered. 

“Come on, take my mind off all the fun we’re having.” John said in his usual sarcastic tone, making me smirk slightly. 

“It wasn’t my decision to leave.” She answered and I perked up slightly. 

“Kicked out? Okay, now I’m interested. What did you do?” He asked. 

“If I told you, you would not look at me the same.” She said. 

“Maybe. Then again, I might surprise you.” He said and I glared slightly. 

“What about you? How did you end up in the Dead Zone?” She asked him. 

“I could tell you the gory details, but since you’re one of the few people on this planet who doesn’t hate me at the moment, I don’t think I wanna blow it.” He answered and I felt my heart break slightly. 

“Now I’m interested.” She said with an obvious flirty tone. 

“Okay, you really wanna know? I killed two people. Tried to kill two more. I had my reasons, but nobody cared. I’m the bad guy.” He said and I frowned. 

“Told you I’d blow it.” He said after a moment. I looked back and saw she was showing him her hand. It was mutated. 

“My people saw me as a stain in the bloodline, something to erase. 

“Then screw them.” John said and I looked at him with a furrowed brow. 

“I wouldn’t cover it up. I think it’s pretty badass.” He said and my eyes widened slightly. 

“Ai don get in yu were won kom emo.” (I knew you were one of them.) I growled, walking up to them. Emori took out her knife and I took out one of my swords. 

“Y/N! Stop!” John said and Emori’s eyes widened. 

“Yu laik Heda’s ait meika?” (You’re the commander’s right hand?) she asked, still holding her knife to protect herself. 

“Yu beda na stedaunon!” (You should be dead!) I growled and went to go attack her, but John stopped me. 

“Calm down Y/N!” He said holding me close to him. 

“Let me go John!” I growled. 

“No, not until you tell me why the hell you’re attacking her.” He said. 

“She’s one of those freaks! Heda said they die.” I said. 

“You’re not with Lexa anymore. She left you to die, remember? She left you with Cage.” He said and I shuddered. 

“Don’t you dare mention that name!” I said and shoved him away from me. I could feel tears well in my eyes as the memories that didn’t happen that long again resurfaced. 

“Come here.” He said and pulled me to him, taking my sword from my hand and put it in its sheath. 

“For Heda’s right hand, you’re weak.” Emori said and I glared at her. 

“I’ll show you weak!” I shouted, just John pulled me back. 

“She’s been through a lot recently.” He said and pulled me away. 

“Don’t kill her, for me.” He said and I narrowed my eyes at him. 

“Why? So you can flirt with her more?” I spat. 

“What? I wasn’t-” 

“Save it.” I cut him off and walked off. 

Now it was Jaha, John, Emori, and I pulling her damn cart. It was hot, and hard to pull the cart through the sand. I was still annoyed at John for flirting with her and then lying about it, so we weren’t speaking right now. 

“Dei de’s far pleni!” (That’s far enough!) A man on a horse said, holding a large gun. 

“Chancellor, look out!” The guards shouted and held their guns at the ready. 

“Non gon mov!” (Nobody move!) He shouted. 

“Hold your fire!” Jaha said and Emori grabbed John and held a knife to his throat. 

“Wait!” John said as she pulled him along. I pulled my sword out and was ready to kill her and the asshole on the horse. 

“Everybody, put your weapons and supplies in the cart and nobody gets hurt.” She said. 

“Natrona! Heda was ait hashta bilaik kind!” (Traitor! The Commander was right about your kind!) I growled.

“En em looks like Heda was wrong hashta yu.” (And it looks like The Commander was wrong about you) She said with a smirk. 

“If we give you our supplies, we’ll all die out here.” Jaha said. 

“If you don’t you’ll die right here.” She said. 

“Say the word and I’ll kill her before he could even think about pulling the trigger.” I growled. 

“No, do as she says, now.” Jaha said. Everyone put their stuff in the cart but me. 

“Dula op em don eni techin?” (Do they have any technology?) The man on the horse asked. 

“Oso’ll dig au.” (We’ll find out.) She called back. 

“How’s your faith holding up, Chancellor?” John asked. 

“Shut up.” She said. 

“Unwavering.” He answered. 

“You don’t want to do this.” He said walking towards her and I rolled my eyes. 

“Stop walking.” She said. 

“We all came out here searching for a better life, same as you. Maybe we can find it, if we work together.” He said. 

“She’s not to be trusted.” I growled. 

“Shut up Y/N.” John said and I narrowed my eyes more. 

“Thanks. But no.” She said. 

“Emori, hos op!” (Emori, hurry up!) The man shouted. 

“Now, Y/N put your stuff in the cart and everyone back away and get on your knees!” She shouted. 

“Do as she says Y/N.” John said. 

“Fine.” I growled and put my things in the cart and backed away with everyone else, also getting on my knees. She turned and put John on his knees as well. 

“What a surprise, you’re just like everyone else.” He said. She whispered something in his ear and I glared at her. 

“Good luck, John.” She said then knocked him out. 

As soon as they left I rushed to John’s side. It was getting dark and we decided not to move until he woke up. 

“John.” I whispered, trying to wake him once again. 

“Come on John, we need to get going.” I whispered. John coughed and reached for his head. 

“There, he’s up. It’s about time.” Caspian said. 

“Quiet, Caspian.” Jaha said. 

“Are you alright?” Jaha asked and I helped him stand up. 

“If he’s not, we’re leaving him here. His little girlfriend too.” Caspian said and I glared at him. 

“Say another word and I’ll kill you.” I growled. 

“Easy Y/N, I’m okay.” He said. 

“It’s time to go home.” Caspian said and Jaha looked at him. 

“And where exactly is that?” He asked. 

“Sir, I know you’re trying to take us to a better place, but look around. We’ve got no food, we’ve got no water, and no idea how to find it.” Caspian said. 

“Due North.” John said and we looked at him confused. 

“She said due North.” He added and I rolled my eyes. 

“What is due North, John?” Jaha asked. 

“She was talking about the City of Light.” He answered and I scoffed. 

“Did she say that?” Caspian asked. 

“No.” He answered. 

“Doesn’t matter what she said, we can’t trust her!” I said. 

“Did she say how far due North?” Jaha asked. 

“No, she didn’t, but she wouldn’t be sending us there if we couldn’t make it.” He said. 

“You honestly want to trust the bitch that just stole all our stuff?” I asked. 

“Sir, I really hope you are not considering this.” Caspian said. 

“John, we have no weapons and no rations. If we go North and you’re wrong, then all of us will die. If we turn back now, we live.” Jaha said. 

“So that’s it? We’ve reached the point of no return? You wanna give up?” John asked. 

“I didn’t say that.” Jaha said. 

“You didn’t not say it either.” He said. 

“That is the North Star.” Jaha said pointing up at the sky. 

“After you.” He said and motioned for John to go first. John looked at me. 

“You coming?” He asked and I sighed. 

“You’re lucky I lo- I mean yeah.” I said and grabbed his arm, heading North. My cheeks were heating up as we walked away from the group. 

“The rest of you need to decide for yourselves, but either way, we’ll come back for you when we find it.” Jaha said. 

“Sir? This is a mistake! You’re not gonna find it! You’re not gonna make it!” Caspian shouted. 

“So… What was that you were about to say?” John asked walking backwards in front of me with a smirk. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said, obviously playing dumb. 

“Really? Because I think you were about to say the L word.” He said, his smirk growing. 

“I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” I said and he furrowed his brows. 

“I believe this is what they call having faith, John.” Jaha said, catching up to us as we climbed the hill. 

“Faith? Nah, we just have nothing better to do, right Y/N?” He asked me and I bit my lip. 

“I suppose so.” I said and walked ahead of them. I can’t believe I almost  told John I loved him! I could never say that to him, otherwise I would be weak and I will not be weak again. 

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[random-imagines-blog]

Flirt {Ygritte x Female!Reader Oneshot}

Requested by: @starjane312​ Wordcount: 2623 Summary: The new boy at camp brings all sorts of trouble.

The new boy was staring. Ever since Ygritte had returned to the camp, bringing this puppy of a man, no, a boy, back with her, he’d been giving her the heart eyes whenever she wasn’t looking. You couldn’t blame him, Ygritte was the most amazing person that you had ever met, and you thanked the old Gods every day that you had been blessed enough to marry her. Same-gender relationships were extremely rare and frowned upon, even for the Wildlings when there was the pressure to have babies, but your father, Mance, had allowed it. So though that was allowed, this boy staring at your wife was not. You poked at the fire with your stick to push some of the wood further in towards the fire, while glaring at the boy. You retraced the story in your head - he had been found, and unfortunately saved, and then brought here. As if he belonged here. Anyone could see that he most certainly didn’t. Except for Ygritte who treated him kindly - or at least her version of kind.

“Yer barely eating,” Ygritte said, pushing a bit more of the bear meat towards you. “Whats a matter which-ya?

“Guess I’m not hungry,” You muttered, finally going from the boy’s dark eyes to Ygritte’s blue gray which rivaled the color of water. “Don’t you worry about me. You go on and eat it. You’re skin n’ bone.”

“Just cause I ain’t got blubber doesn’t mean I’m a guppy,” Ygritte said, reaching out and put a hand on your sturdy thigh. It was true, you weren’t the skinniest of the bunch, you had some meat on your bones. To the point where many of the men could be seen looking at your stomach and licking their lips when food was scarce. If your father wasn’t who he was, you probably would have been killed already. That was just the way that things sometimes went up here. You did what you had to do to survive.

“If you don’t wanna be a guppy, you better eat up then,” You said, pushing the meat right back to her and got up onto your feet. “I’m gonna go have a word with the crow.”

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Ygritte said, taking the meat in her gloved hand and got up to follow you. You stopped and looked over your shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t ask for an audience,” You said.

“I know tha’,” She crossed her arms, still chewing on what was in her mouth. “Tha’s exactly why I’m comin’. I’m not missin’ out on whatever talk that you’re going to give him. Remember the last person we found and rescued? I think ‘is nose is still broken.”

“He grabbed yer arse, you think I was gonna let him get away with that?”

“This one didn’t,” Ygritte said, nodding at new boy. “Besides, not like he’s got anythin’ in that head of his except for the wall. That Jon Snow, he knows nothin’.”

“So I’m gonna make sure that he knows somethin, and it’s to stop makin those goo-goo eyes at my wife,” You said, stepping closer to where the man was. He noticed you coming and seemed to tense up. Good. You stared at him for a moment, and then gave a little growl. He might have a direwolf - but you were the alpha wolf around these parts. “You gonna scar up his pretty face?” Ygritte asked, nudging you. “Like you did with the others? How many would that be now - five? Ten?”

“I los’ count about a year ago. Guess it’s my own fault then. I just had to go and fall in love with the prettiest lass this side of the Wall,” You grinned. She laughed, but gave your chest a bit of a slap in that way that she did. She was a tough and fearless woman, with a pretty face to boot. Many of the men around here wanted her, and any from outside, like Jon Snow, probably would too. Bastards, all of em.

“Ahh, you big softie, you’re like a gutted pig. All tough on the outside and steamy and warm on the inner,” Ygritte said, which was about as romantic as things tended to get around here. “You gonna go threaten him on my behalf now, wife?”

“Don’t know if I need to now that I’ve already got his attention,” You said, turning your body towards Ygritte. “I’ll just show him what’s what instead of having ta tell him.”

The furs were always something that came between you but with the heavy cold of the everlasting winter, they were something that had to be gotten used to. Still, you brushed up close enough to her to bring her soft, dainty pink lips into a kiss right there, in front of everybody. There were some whoops. Some hollers. Some of the men never got tired of seeing two women kiss, the bloody perverts. You were putting on a bit of a show but it wasn’t for anyone’s amusement. It was a warning.

You had grabby hands, always had, always would, and then went right down to that ass beneath the long fabric of her coat and gave it an audible slap. It was loud enough, sharp enough to sound like a branch breaking. Ygritte never minded when you got a bit rough. Turned her on in fact, something you knew very well. Some might call you a bit possessive, but you considered it your duty to guard the lovely lass who had stolen your heart. Even if she would blacken the eye of anyone else who would dare to call her lovely.

“I love ya,” You said, forgetting about the reason why you were doing this in front of everyone. She had her hands on both of your cheeks, feeling how warm they were, slightly squishing them so that you made a silly face in the way she always found amusing. You laughed, though the inside of your cheeks squished against your teeth.

“And I love ya, y/n Ryder,” She said in return, and pressed another kiss on those puckered lips of yours, right in front of crow-boy and everyone else.

-

The Battle at Castle Black. The name was fitting, because it was a black night for many who were involved. You had your suspicions about Snow since the beginning, though you had hoped that you were wrong. There was something fishy about this Castle Black, and so you had gone with your wife to spy on it, find out how many people were defending it. It was so strange to you, these wardens of the wall, because your father had been one of them and turned his back on it. They had made him give a pledge not to have relationships. These people - they didn’t want you to be born. To have your life.

“I’m havin’ second thoughts abou’ this,” Ygritte said, turning to you. And you had to agree. You were angry at these people, these wardens, but you also didn’t want any more of your people to have to die. It felt like there was a trap afoot. Everyone was preparing for the attack, you had your swords, and your bow at your back, that sick feeling remaining in your stomach. You thought about going to talk to the others about your instincts, but the warg snapped out of his trance at that very second. The signal had been given. It was time to move in.

It was too late to turn back now, so you ran ahead with your wife, sticking together through this. You absolutely refused to be separated. Where she went, you went. Where you went, she went. You both went towards the gate, and using your bows so you could stay a far distance, started to shoot at them. One of your arrows went right through the eye of a man at the gate. And you couldn’t say that you felt bad. They had signed up for this. They didn’t have a wife and kids that you should feel bad for. They made their bed and now they were going to damn well lay in it.

Your wife got some good shots as well, but there was no time to stop and celebrate her accuracy. The battle kept going, and would keep going until there was a victor. It was time to move in, to close the distance.

And what did you see but that stupid crow fighting alongside of his ‘brethren’ rather than the rightful side of the Wildlings. “I told you that boy could not be trusted,” You growled to Ygritte. She looked angry too. She had been taken in by him, had formed a friendship with him during the travels to the wall. Your ‘I told you so’ didn’t help matters much but you felt like it needed to be said. And now, you were determined to take him down.

“Damn traitor ain’t even worth it,” Ygritte said, spitting onto the ground at what she had seen. She took hold of your hand, gave it a squeeze, then went back to preparing her bow to fire again. You took out your sword, getting ready for blade to blade combat against these so called men. You didn’t believe that they were men at all. Your father, Tormund, your friends among the wildlings, those were men. They did what they had to do to survive.

They went down. So did some of your own people. You noticed that some of the crows in their black jackets were running, trying to hide. That alone was a sign of victory. None of your people were trying to hide. None of your people were cowards. Slash, slash, clash of blades, sparks flying from how fast and how hard they hit each other. Stab, stab, cutting through flesh, entering it, becoming a butcher of fine human meat. Groans from the injured, you put them out of their misery.

And then the moment seemed to fall silent as you turned to see that Ygritte had her bow pointed right at Jon Snow, who stood above Styr’s body. You looked at the corpse on the ground, your heart beating fast, rage flooding through your veins. You would never forgive this. You had your blade out and you pointed it towards Jon as well. But this was more so Ygritte’s revenge. Let her kill the traitor, for it was her that he had blinded. You looked about you, refusing to be distracted by the confrontation beside you. You couldn’t let yourself be blinded as well.

You heard the arrow, and your instincts took over. You pushed Ygritte out of the way and caught the arrow yourself, it lodging into your side. It barely penetrated through the thickness of your skin, you could feel that. It was almost like a bug bite. But for Ygritte, calculating by how she had been standing, it might have been fatal. You turned to the boy who fired it, and you charged, pulling the arrow out of the fur and skin, taking it out in one piece, your blood turning the stone on the end a deep red color. Jon was shouting at you to stop. That Olly was just a boy. But Ygritte silenced him with a shouting of her own.

You took hold of the boy, who seemed startled that you had stopped his attack. You held the arrow that he had shot at your wife to the soft underside of his chin. “May you live this moment forever,” You cursed, then thrust the arrow upwards, right into his skull. At that, Jon roared at you. Something about how he was only a kid.

“A killer is a killer,” You said, marching back towards him. As you did, the war kept going on. The death of one didn’t matter much in this war of thousands. But then a weapon was released - a sort of scythe that started to cut through your people. It sent ice into your heart far more effectively than the cold had. You took Ygritte’s hand and she didn’t fight you. “We must go to the meeting spot,” You told her.

“Yeah,” She said, a little shaken at how near death she had gotten, but then her fearless expression came back onto her pale features. She turned her bow towards Jon, arrow still drawn, her fingers trembling to let it go. “If ye even think of followin’ us, traitor, I’ll kill ye where ye stand. I mean it. You deserve worse than that.”

“He sure does,” You grumbled, but then heard more screams of your people. “We gotta go, now,” You said. And you tugged her along, being quite fast despite the bit of fat that you had on your body which people used to make fun of you for. But you were also quite sturdy, able to push people out of the way to get out of Castle Black and make your return to the woods where your father was waiting for you. The Haunted Forest, where you would meet again with your brethren, your family, and speak of the defenses of the crows.

-

Your father was burning. Ygritte and some of the others had to hold you back, hand clamped over your mouth as you cursed the names of Baratheon, of Stark, of Davos, of everyone that was involved in your fathers death. You could feel the heat of the flames over your own body as you were told about it. Your father was strong until the end - he did not bow. He would never kneel. For you were free folk. It was a lesson that many people needed reminding of.

It had a huge effect on you, because as Mance’s daughter, you were the one that they looked at for advice now, for guidance. But also as a woman, they didn’t completely respect the advice that you gave. That didn’t matter. They could listen to you, go along with what had been your father’s plan, or they could die here. They could get killed by the white walkers. It didn’t matter much to you anymore. You were more in this for the fight than the results, which Ygritte saw in you right away. You had that inner fire that was needed to survive in the winter wasteland.

“I’m sorry,” Ygritte said as you took a walk to try to work off this angry energy. “It’s all my fault. I shoulda listened to ya. Ya knew right from the start that he couldn’t be trusted. That he could never be one of us.”

“A lot of people trusted him, not just you,” You said, stopping to turn to her. You could see, and feel, the guilt coming off of her in waves. And the anger. That unstoppable rage that came with redheads. You’d been on the other side of it before, so seeing it now pointed towards those who deserved it - you were sure that you were going to get your revenge. Maybe not tonight, nor tomorrow, but one day. You were going to make sure that your father was not forgotten. You were never going to bend the knee. You were going to be the fire that killed the traitor. And with your wife by your side, you knew, you could do anything.

[leviiattacks]

Two Faced | Chapter Eight

↳ levi ackerman, the very person who was about to kindly behead you by a surprising turn of events manages to become your loving husband? you would be elated if this was true love, but it’s all thanks to a mysterious magic spell that your life is spared, for now at least.

pairing :: duke!levi x duchess!reader genre :: royal au ??? (at this point idek) angst, fluff, slice of life etc ?? word count :: 4.8k author note :: i’ve been very ill so yeah, not the best writing but i really can’t go that long without wanting to write so i ended up writing an update, i hope you enjoy it, it’s longer than usual :D sorry for any mistakes it hasn’t been proof read at all :-( → next part coming soon!!

“Hey, newbie you haven't spoke about your home town much have ya?"

You lift your head, verifying Reiner's suspicions with a nod. You recall he's the same distasteful blonde brute who made those snide remarks about Hange. He must be at least a towering six foot if his shadow is able to cover the majority of the Sun's rays from hitting you.

You would maybe bother to give him and his inquiry more attention than you currently are if he hadn't been so unnecessarily impolite during the morning speeches.

Calves yelping in stinging pain from the first tastes of the full time training regime you simply cannot find the effort to strain your mind with small talk.

Temples throbbing it feels as if a sword has been forced through the side of your head,  but that's not it at all. Reiner has thrown a small rock at you and you hear him chuckle under his breath.

Twisting your position so you face him you glare in displeasure.

Although you don't particularly enjoy the idea of joining Levi's unit and having to become a concealed agent of sorts you can't really take your pickings at how it is you wish to survive. You're going to have to deal with it and you've come to the stage of acceptance now.

However, you are not willing to respect the attitude some of these cadets are giving you, it's clear there's already a strong hierarchy in place.

Reiner just so happens to be one of the big guns from what you've been able to observe. He possess strong upper body strength and his hand to hand combat isn't a laughing matter either. That means he's higher up in the ladder of cadets, that's for sure. To top it all off you know you're not as powerful as other members in the team in terms of skill and he's probably silently making a mockery of you for it.

Pursing your lips you decide to play this game cautiously, asking him what it is he needs from you isn't the best option. You're aware he's after something, it's written all over his face. You practically know every deceptive look in the book off by heart. You suppose it's the only perk you got out of living in a noble household for most of your life.

"Why do you care?" You bluntly question him.

"Ohh, you're feisty. Might not want to butt heads with Annie."

"Not sure who that is but I don't plan on it."

Turning away from him it look like you're distracting yourself by collecting pieces of firewood. Trailing around you act as uncaring as possible to annoy him. You need to gauge this man's reaction somehow.

Your plan seems to be working in your favour because you're able to see his footing shift from his natural stance, it looks as if he's about to risk charging at you due to your vulnerable position but you rotate again offering him a knowing smile.

You don't tell him you're conscious of his suspicious nature but if he's quick witted enough he'll be able to figure out you aren't a threat and apparently don't have a clue what it is he's up to. The only reason he'd even consider attacking you would be if he saw you as an issue. For now your act should at least keep him at bay.

"Fine. I'll tell you about my hometown, I'm just..." You pause to make yourself look believable and proceed to look up at him through your lashes, you dart your gaze away and awkwardly scratch the back of your neck exuding coyness.

"I'm incredibly homesick. I miss mother. I always made supper for her, now I can only pray she's not eating burnt chicken." Your act has to be working because his eyes soften and he takes half of the firewood in your arms offering to help you carry it.

"My mum's a great cook, can't relate squirt."

"Who you calling squirt?" You playfully snap back.

"I call everybody that, even Captain Levi... Well, when he isn't around to hear it."

You bite the inside of your cheek at the mention of the Levi's name.

“So you and the Captain? What’s that all about?” His question makes no sense at all, one minute he wants to prod and poke in your personal home life yet the next minute he's asking questions about Levi. The doubts you have surrounding him only thicken.

You take a moment to consider his question,

“Whatever do you mean?” Clueless, you're delivery is excellent. Acting naive is easy enough, everyone within the corps has already decided that's what your automatic disposition is.

Reiner gives you a skeptical look then smiles faintly, “Glaring daggers at Jean after he got handsy with you?”

You cover your mouth with your free hand and laugh so hard the firewood nearly flies out of your grasp.

“Me and Jean are friends, and Levi? He just wanted to find a reason to get mad at us probably.” You hope the explanation suffices because you truly have no idea why Levi had done what he did.

Reiner hums in approval at your answer but he then grins.

“You on first name basis with the Captain?”

Fuck, you called him Levi.

Play it cool.

“Huh? When have I ever said his first name?” Clueless. Your delivery is still perfect.

“Just now.” He fires back, Reiner doesn't seem to be letting up but he doesn't know how smooth of a liar you are.

Living with your father for all those years conditioned you in ways you hadn't even noticed until quite recently.

“Did I? Pardon, I didn’t mean for it to slip out. Sometimes I silently curse him out in my head and forget to add his title.”

Your acting is impeccable, Reiner has no reason to doubt you. As you expect he doesn't instead he shifts the conversation to his hometown, just like you he doesn't explicitly mention a name. Reiner is sharp but he hasn't noticed the way you've left a name out just like him. He's terrible at catching out his own kind.

You decide at that moment that Reiner Braun is a liar. The accusation is more of a hunch meaning more investigation is required.

You won't inform any of the higher ups about it just yet.

The walk back to base is filled with excruciatingly troublesome small talk and you make a mental note to take Mikasa along with you next time it's your turn retrieve the firewood.

You can't afford any more close encounters with Braun or any of his possible accomplices.

Sniggers batter your ears as soon as you step foot onto the grounds, you have a sixth sense when it comes to spiteful bad-mouthing and after the abysmal day you've had you anticipate there will be unpleasant commentary.

"Seen the way Y/N ruined the assault course today?"

"We're the finalized cadets across all the regions of Paradis. That means we have to rely on that embarrassment to fight titans."

"Good Lord, someone have mercy on our souls."

Fellow cadets press on in their criticism thinking you aren't within earshot. That, or they purposefully aim for you to pay attention to the disapproval they have of your presence.

But, you do understand where they're coming from. You make another mental note - practice a bit more later today.

The gossiping isn't anything you're unfamiliar with, your father's palace never offered kindness to you or your existence. In fact it's rather comforting being talked badly about behind your back.

That statement sounds absurd but you can't explain it. Maybe it's due to Levi typically hurling his unnecessary remarks right at you without warning. Then again he does provide everyone with that treatment, even Commander Erwin.

As you hurry away increasing the distance between you and your loud mouthed team members you spot Levi from the corner of your eye. He's in conversation with Hange but you notice how his jaw is clenched in frustration, you feel a pinch over your skin when he spares you a fleeting look. Eyes acquainting yours. Paying  no attention to him you walk away as fast as you can.

The cadets only blow up in volume now, they definitely want you to hear what they have to say.

"Maybe we should ask the higher ups to throw her ou-"

"Questioning authority? Pesky mutineers aren't you?" Levi's booming voice shakes anyone within a five metre vicinity, he comes out of nowhere and seems nothing short of furious.

"You're all," He continues, voice rising, "Incredibly spineless aren't you?"

One of the cadets embellishes their face with a scowl, it doesn't go unnoticed by Levi but he astonishingly doesn't lash out, physically at least. His deathly glare is more than enough to finish the job.

Stupidly you suffer feeling your heart palpitate in your chest watching him talk to the group of three. Stupidly, you're getting your hopes up again.

He scoffs coldly, "If you're all talk why not offer to duel her?"

It doesn't take long for your heart to stop throbbing with its previous intensity. You know it was too good to be true. Levi suddenly defending you that is.

The gesture isn't done to protect or shield you. No, you're sure this man loathes you and is intending to persist on making your life as bleak and dreary as possible.

"Up to a battle Y/N?" The unnamed blonde cadet's scoffs in derision and you find yourself wanting to punch her square in the jaw.

Irritation sears through you but you meekly shake your head mumbling a weak "No thanks.", you're much too afraid to duel anyone just yet and you don't remember her from the training sessions. She must have been in a corner keeping to herself.

With all that being said and done you pathetically withdraw, and just like the past few days you sense Levi's piercing gaze erupting into your soul.

The blistering Sun hits every nook and cranny of the training ground. Waking up early already has you wanting to pass out and the heat isn't any help.

The crowd of cadets mumble in fatigue but observant Mikasa jabs you in the shoulder pointing out how far away Jean has stood from you.

You feel guilty that Jean had to suffer through the humiliation tossed at him yesterday but you are grateful to not deal with his constant questioning and talkative self this early in the morning.

All the way at the other side of the throng of soldiers he stands with Bert, who might you add is a mammoth of a man.

Through some digging (more like asking Mikasa) you've discovered he's close with Reiner and the blonde cadet from yesterday's confrontation, turns out she's the Annie that Reiner warned you off.

"ATTENTION!" Hange sing songs at the front of the training ground. They're jumping around along with Squad Leader Mike checking if everyone's in the correct uniform - Apparently the year prior a cadet showed up wearing a thick cardigan and fainted from heat stroke...

“Today’s exercise is a time to redeem yourself!” Hange’s eyes dart towards you and you smile at one another.

“A FIGHT TO THE DEATH!”

Everyone murmurs looking at each other in pure confusion.

“A fight up against another person. Whoever wins their individual fights will receive extra special privileges." The explanation seems simple enough and you’re confident that if you’re put up against the right people you can make it out safe.

The promise of a reward is also enticing.

The 104th Training Corps are thrilled, there’s nothing too hazardous about the task and it’s nothing difficult to ask for. Even you’re looking forward to it. The chance to rescue your reputation has you pumped up with adrenaline.

“My, my my. Don’t excite yourselves just yet little hens, there’s a pretty little catch.” Hange's voice is laced in mischief. This can't be any good.

Everyone stops breathing in unison and it’s pin drop silent.

“You must cause harm to your opponent in some way. Whether it be making them faint, breaking an arm, breaking a leg. There are no rules when it comes to playing dirty!”

With a playful shrug of their shoulder Hange hops off the podium.

Squad Leader Mike pulls out the list of competitors. He’s decided the line-up on his own and begins the announcement with Bertholdt.

“BERTHOLDT HOOVER..."

Bert turns to look back at Reiner hesitantly and for such a giant it’s adorable how worried he is when everyone else is perturbed thinking about the poor individual who has to go up against him.

"AGAINST Y/N L/N!"

The crowd falls silent and your mouth is wide, this is unjust there’s no way this is allowed.

“Hey, don’t you think that’s kinda unfair?” Krista speaks out for you even though Ymir is by her side trying to talk her out of getting involved.

“She stands no chance against him.” Reiner is supporting your cause too.

Mikasa takes a step forward. “I agree, it’s not right, may I take her place instead?”

“No, no! It’s alright, I’ll go for it.”

Honestly you don’t want the corps to see you as a coward. Bravery and courage is what brought everyone here. Your story is different. You’re here to selfishly save your own life, you aren’t anywhere near as valiant as the rest of them. The very least you can do is partake in activities correctly.

Stepping up to the podium you stand by Bertholdt he gives you a pitiful look whilst he mutters an apology.

Mike continues announcing the names. A few include Jean against Mikasa (Jean may as well forfeit), Marco against Annie and Connie against Reiner - that pairing eases you. At least you aren't in this alone. You and Connie stand no chance against those beasts.

Everyone lines up in their separate areas and again Bertholdt is profusely apologizing asking if you want to fake faint or anything of the sort. You shake your head and promise to give it all you've got.

And then the games begin at the sound of the bell, and damn that Bertholdt because he isn't keeping to his end of the bargain. He lunges forward viciously aiming to crush your entire body but you swiftly dodge, he tries the same approach but when you duck out of the way again he stops knowing he needs to rethinks his strategy.

"Just give it up I'll win either way."

Well, the Mister nice guy act was definitely a believable performance. He was so convincing you even contemplated feigning unconsciousness when he proposed the idea to you.

Bertholdt is much slower than you giving you more time to deliberate your incoming moves. If you can get him to edge close enough to a nearby tree and deceive him into colliding with the oak trunk you should win - only on the condition that he passes out.

The scheme is far-fetched but it's your only hope.

Dashing from various corners he flies after you, each time unable to catch up to you.

That is until you stumble and lurch to the ground. The wind is knocked out of your lungs and you panic when a large hand clutches at your ankle. Your solution? Booting him right in the teeth.

However with an earth-shattering amount of force Hoover's hold on your ankle doesn't weaken. Instead he tightens his hold like a vice. You feel it bruise and the violet discoloration that'll be present in a few hours makes you wince.

Entire body going limp on command, you stop yourself from breathing - another talent you picked up back at the palace to avoid extra beatings.

When you no longer thrash around Bertholdt stalks in to check in on you and as expected he’s now towering over you, blood overflowing in terror.

"SQUAD LEADER HANGE, CAPTAIN LEVI SHE'S NOT MOVING!" He's roaring for their help frantic and anxious. If he's caused any permanent damage he's as good as dead meat.

"Oh my Lord. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

Bertholdt's voice is fractured in unadulterated horror and judging by the direction you hear it at he has to be facing away from you.

Unbolting your eyes you learn your assumption is correct and despite hurried footsteps being within audible range you take your chance by the reigns.

Leaping to your feet and with no forewarning you swing your leg to the back of his neck. Stunned by the surprise attack he falls to his knees and you situate yourself in front of the oak tree you've been eyeing from the time the exercise began.

"You cunning bitch." Staggering back up he makes a swift rebound. At this point all mercy has left him and his one true aim is to completely pulverize you.

Everything is falling into place. All you need to do is wait for the right moment and finally you come across it when he suddenly pounces for you. Darting to the left you leave the space open for your prey.

Poor Bertholdt falls right into the palm of your hands like a rag doll. His momentum can't be controlled and he smashes headfirst into the trunk with a loud crunch sounding out. Bark splits and scrapes off the tree upon impact.

His head has to throb and you don't want to imagine how painful it is to feel the rivulets of soreness.

He doesn't get up and only groans, you feel half bad but after the tricks and antics he pulled you come to the conclusion that it's all deserved.

"Well, Y/N, you've proven yourself to be quite quick witted." Hange's praise is strange to hear but you beam proud that you've proven your worth.

"Oi, don't get ahead of yourself." Levi orders. "It could have been pure luck."

In spite of Levi's pessimism you bask in the glory of your win.

A week into joining Levi's unit you're becoming more accustomed to the new environment, in fact the gossiping and horrible rumours stop completely after your win and interactions with your fellow comrades feel easier and lighter.

You think the taunts will have only got more relentless after the duel fiasco but you suppose Annie chose to be considerate and take pity on you.

"Your progress has been remarkable so far." You jump when you hear Jean's deep voice appear right next to you.

Looking around to see if any other cadets are around you finally release a breath you didn't even know you were holding in.

"Ah. Thank you." You murmur quietly.

"I know it's been a week since I was scolded by the Captain but this won't count as flirting will it?"

Impeding the one sided conversation you're reflecting, you're not sure what exactly about. Probably whether or not you should maintain the discussion - if it can even be referred to as such.

Forget it. You know what they say, you only live once.

Flicking his forehead you roll your eyes, "We were never flirting he's just an over dramatic, bitter hag. I put my money on the fact he's never felt the touch of a woman before."

Jean's eyes widen in disbelief, you half expect he'll split open in tremendous laughter but he looks terrified. Then you become conscious of the fact he's not even staring at you, his eyes are engrossed by whatever is behind you.

Unfortunately for you your body tells you all you need to know. His cologne floods into your nostrils, you can't even reassure yourself and pretend it's anyone else, you know he's the only one who smells that strongly of fresh linen.

Being unable to see him doesn't stop you from imagining his dark lifeless eyes accompanying themselves with what is before them.

It doesn't even take Jean a minute to abandon you, he breaks out into an awkward smile, hurriedly pats your shoulder before dashing away, dispersing all the way to the other end of the hallway in a matter of seconds and turning the corner away from you.

Heart rate soaring you hesitantly spin on your heel. Levi's stood there, looking beyond unimpressed.

You intend to breeze past him, cool and collected. You take a step forward but God has never been one to bless you with luck, stumbling and tripping over thin air lands you flying.

Ready for impact you brace yourself but it never comes, instead solid hands are firmly placed at the small of your back steadying your position and your palms have unceremoniously landed atop his torso.

"Play along." Levi's voice is low and rumbling, and you can't look him in the eyes. Not out of fear or dread, more so exhaustion but you muster the energy to look to your left. There Erwin and Hange stand giggling to themselves like children. As quick as you spot them they vanish in the same fashion. It's as if they were never there.

You're worn out and fatigued wanting nothing more than a good night's rest. If there's one thing you haven't grown used to it's the lack of sleep.

"Let go." Moving to shift his hands away from your waist you halt your movements when he without warning lets go of you, not even giving you the opportunity to renovate your balance.

Flying to the ground and landing with a thud you rub your backside at the blow.

Mirthlessly chuckling the lack of amusement is clear in the way he composes himself.

Making a dash for it sounds tempting but you may as well let him have his way. There's no action you can take to avoid him reprimanding you. It's your fault for having the gall to make that crude and foul-mouthed comment in the first place.

You gulp comprehending the situation is even worse now since you really only said it for the sole reason of Kirstein's amusement.

"Y/N, I'd like to have a word with you."

Hesitantly you look up at Levi, he has an indecipherable expression on his face, it's been a while since you've last been left in his company alone.

The two of you are stood in his office, his desk is flooded with papers, they're haphazardly scattered all over the place and spikes of worry weirdly make them self present in your belly. This isn't right. He'd never leave his work space in this state.

"Are you okay?" You ask it because you’re sure he isn't.

His shoulders and spine stiffen. "Cut the crap and keep the formalities to yourself." He chides, most definitely defensive in his stance.

Without asking him you shuffle to his desk stacking the papers into organised piles, most of the documents are related to an up and coming expedition and it's all beginning to add up. Even humanities strongest soldier has moments where he cracks.

Then you notice your name on the formation plan but before you're able to make anything out of it Levi snatches it off his desk and away from you stuffing it into his pocket.

Without another sound he observes you cleaning the rest of the mess away but doesn't ask for you to stop. There's no reason for him to.

If you do this maybe he'll go easier on you, yeah that's what your motivation is. That's not exactly the truth, really you're just concerned about whatever has him worked up.

Placing the last document in its rightful place you want to give your mind a moment to recollect itself but Levi doesn't think the same.

He places his arms on either side of the desk, trapping you with no way out. Oddly, there's nothing threatening about him looking down at you this time, the greys and blues of his iris' captivate you.

"Do you enjoy making a mockery of your husband?" The question is whispered. It's unanticipated and the title of husband is uncharacteristic coming out of his mouth.

"It was just a joke." You mumble your answer under your breath.

"Would you have spouted that shit in front of the rest of the unit?"

Mildly shaking your head he then sighs. He’s not angry, he genuinely seems let down.

"Do you prefer him over me?” You swear you hear the faintest hint of self-doubt.

His questions are getting more out of the ordinary by the second and you’re waiting for him to crack a malevolent grin before he ridicules you like he always does.

“Of course I don’t prefer him over you.”

“Prove it.”

Tilting your head up towards him you have no idea what he wants for you to do or say, why does this suddenly even matter to him?

And then you imagine it happen, him digging his hands into your shoulders. Your weight along with his shifting up against the desk making it creak. Your mind details how he would kiss you agitatedly and you flush thinking about how you would feverishly return the favour.

It seems like your imagination predicts the future. He grips your jaw with his hand, his touch isn’t firm and for once it’s quite soft. Relishing in the new experience as he leans in you secure your eyes shut in expectation.

Stroking your cheek with his thumb the warm sensation that courses through your body is rather pleasant. His hands come out to run against your body, pinching the sides of your waist. The motion makes your heart stall for a second. Involuntarily, you find yourself leaning into him.

“This seem like a man who hasn’t felt the touch of a woman before?”

And just like that he leaves you hanging. You flutter your eyes open and there he is. He’s back, the same cynical man, smirk etched onto his features, his body still parallel to yours.

You find yourself enraged at how he's just lead and dragged you on, you should have stuck with your gut feeling and not given into temptation but you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. It's very obvious who the cat is in this situation.

Brows furrowing you can’t face him ever again after the scalding embarrassment inhabits your abdomen.

"Going to cry, Cadet?" He's pushing all your buttons, eagerly choosing to provoke you.

The frustration you’ve been feeling fills you to the brim and you clamp down on your bottom lip. If you must turn to inflicting harm onto yourself just to muffle the sound of your whimpers you will.

“Did you need to do that?” You choke out your response feeling helpless, still not looking at him.

“Simply gave you a taste of your own medicine.”

Silence.

"Sometimes I wish you killed me back then."

Silver eyes become dark and he visibly flinches at your confession.

Still boxed in-between his arms you attempt to push past but he continues to obstruct the exit. He's not done yet.

"I gave you another chance at life." His blunt one-sided view is about to drive you crazy.

"Within my first day at this unit I had to avoid being attacked by another cadet in the forest if you call that a life I do-"

“Who?”

“Not important."

“If you know what's good for you, you'll spit it out."

For the sole purpose of irking him you heavily shake your head to emphasise your refusal to give in and name the culprit. It's not like you want Reiner to fall into trouble because of you. He hasn't shown any suspicious or out of the ordinary behaviour since then and you worry what Levi is capable of doing when given a reason to hurt someone.

Glancing at him dismissively you try to make your point again. "They haven't done anything since. Therefore, it's of no importance."

Conflicted emotions scurry over his face as he looks at you.

"It's of importance if my wif-" He growls and stops midway. His hands grip onto the desk even harder, knuckles turning white.

Was he about to say, wife?

Levi immediately realizes what he's nearly just said sounds exceedingly questionable. A look of uncertainty flashes over his face and then it seems he loses all regard for self-control. His willpower isn't enough to get him through this situation and he only amplifies.

Encroaching further into the very little space amongst the both of you his tone is icy. "Tell me." He's glowering and for Reiner's wellbeing you decide you should just come out with it now. He'll be in an even more difficult spot if you don't.

"Reiner, it was Reiner." You gasp out the answer, shallow breath ragged. Head turning away to the side you're not particularly sure why you're so shaky and why you feel a tremor flood past you inundating your movement. It may all be a combination of how close he's standing to you and how intoxicatingly strong his aura is.

Or, perhaps it's due to how he nearly referred to you as his wife during his primal outburst of anger.

He turns away. Automatically creating yet another blockade between the two of you.

"You're dismissed."