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heyyyharry · 3 years

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Deep End - Chapter 6: Andersen’s Fairy Tales

…in which Harry teaches Ezi how to read.

Word count: 4k

AU: famous!harry, siren!mc, adult modern retelling of the little mermaid? lol, fake dating, enemies to lovers.

WARNING: MATURE THEMES

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A/N: please please let me know what you think. I can't write without motivation 😭

When Harry finally decided to answer his mother’s call, he had prepared himself for some verbal ass-whooping. He was twenty-four years old, a celebrity and a millionaire, yet still getting scolded by his mother on a daily basis. Life was good.

“Is your date okay?” The first thing his mother said to him was this. At first, Harry thought he’d misheard it. But then she repeated the question in a more urgent and concerning tone. “Harry, is Ezili okay?”

His mother had never remembered the name of any girl he’d brought home. His mother always had a lot to say about the way those girls had dressed, talked, and carried themselves. Had Ezi charmed his mother with her siren magic?

Harry shuddered at the thought. “Y-Yeah...why?”

“Dawson told me you and Bax got into a fight at the manor.”

Harry smacked his forehead. Fucking Dawson. “How did Dawson know?”

“He found Bax lying on the floor.”

Although Harry hated to recall that night because he couldn’t imagine how scared Ezi must have been, it was funny to think about how pathetic Bax must have looked when Dawson had found him. The mental image made Harry laugh. “See?” he told his mother. “It wasn’t a fight if it was one-sided. I beat him up.”

His mother exhaled sharply. Harry could imagine her with her eyes closed, shaking her head. “The only reason I will let you get away with fighting your cousin in my house is because I know what he was trying to do with Ezili. So I called to ask if she was okay.”

“She’s okay. Don’t worry. I think she also scared him.”

“She’s a woman. Any strong woman would’ve been terrified in that situation,” said Harry’s mum. “I feel bad for having let that happen. I shouldn’t have invited him.”

“It’s not your fault, Mum. He’s always been scum.”

There was a pause, and Harry knew exactly what his mother was going to say. “Bax’s parents have always hated us. They envy your father. I think they’re trying to sabotage our wine business. Maybe if you’d change your mind--”

“Mum, we’ve talked about this,” Harry sighed. “I love my career. I can’t...I’m not a businessman like Dad. Isn’t Dawson doing a good job managing our family business already?”

“He is. But I know your father would’ve wanted it to be you.” When Harry stayed quiet, his mother knew it was a sign that this topic shouldn’t be continued, so she switched to another. “You should invite Ezili to lunch at the manor.”

“Mum, that wouldn’t be necessary.”

“Nonsense! Her first time in our house and she got absolutely traumatised. I’ll make up for it. I’ll send you an invitation in the afternoon.”

“Mum, there’s no need for an in--”

But his Mum already hung up on him.

Sighing, Harry sunk back into his chair. A staff member knocked on the door and informed him that he would have to return to the set in fifteen minutes. He told them he got it and intended to call his mum again and try to talk her out of the lunch thing with Ezi. That was when he got another call.

“Don’t tell me someone’s injured. It’s only been an hour.”

“Worse!” Niall screamed. “Dawson kidnapped the girl!”

Ezili didn’t know if the bookstore was small or Harry’s house was just too big, but she liked the cosiness of it in contrast to what she’d always been used to. There were bookshelves climbing all the way up to the ceiling. The walls were covered with hundreds of books of all sizes, and there were dozens of piles on the floor in the corners as well. But seeing that most of the furniture was covered in dust, Ezili guessed they didn’t often have visitors.

She wondered why nobody wanted to come into this fascinating place. She loved books even though she couldn’t read or write. She’d found a few books in her room and some of them had pictures, but she could only guess what the stories were about. So she wanted to read, but it would be something her mother would never approve of. If she learned to read, she’d become a laughing stock for her kind for sure.

Entering the bookstore, Ezili and Dawson were greeted by an old lady with crazy chestnut hair that looked like she was wearing a fluffy dog on her head. Her eyes were huge behind those thick round glasses that gave her a psychotic kind of look that absolutely terrified Ezili.

“Hello, love birds,” she said with an ear-to-ear grin. Ezili could not take her eyes off the shiny wires attached to this lady’s teeth. They sparkled every time she opened her mouth. This woman must be rich if she wore silver on her teeth.

“Oh, we’re not birds,” Ezili said as she pulled Chilli tighter to her chest.

The crazy lady hugged her stomach and burst out laughing. “She’s a funny girl,” she told Dawson, pointing to Ezili, then her face turned serious. “But no cats allowed.”

“She’s with me. Her name is Chilli and she’s very nice--”

“She can stay here while you pick your books.” Before Ezili could protest, the lady took the black cat and put it on the counter. “So what are you looking for?”

“Thank you. We’ll just have a look around,” Dawson said with a tight smile and pulled Ezili with him. They turned into one of the aisles and heard the lady telling them she’d be here if they needed help. What kind of help would you need in a bookstore? It wasn’t like books would attack you.

“The Book of Wisdom,” Dawson said as he took out one colourful book from a higher shelf. Ezili peered over his arm as he scrutinised the front cover. He smelled like coconut and summer, which reminded her of those tropical islands she’d visited with her mother. And the fact that he was a lot taller than her made her want to bury her face into his chest to get soaked in that homely smell. But then she remembered what Harry had taught her about consent. Realising her chest was touching his arm, she stepped back and felt him relax a bit more. She hoped he didn’t think she was sexually hairdressing him. She had no idea why they called it hairdressing, and she kept forgetting to ask Harry.

“Hey, why do they call it hairdre--”

“Lesson 1: Be polite.”

Ezili jumped and hid behind Dawson’s back, her heart pounding violently. “Did the book just..talk?”

“Yeah, it’s a talking book for children,” Dawson chuckled. “I like your sense of humour.”

He flipped to a new page and the book talked again, “Remember, kids, if you accidentally raise your voice with someone, always apologise to them. It’s not nice to yell at other people.”

Ezili couldn’t decide if she was in awe or creeped out by the talking book. Maybe a little bit of both. But then her eyes zeroed in on a picture of a beautiful siren on one of the covers. She passed Dawson to try and was trying to reach for the book when his hand landed on her shoulder, and she looked up to see him grab the book without effort and hand it to her with a smile.

“You like this? It’s the new edition of Andersen’s Fairy Tale.”

“The Little Mermaid!”

“Yes.” Dawson’s eyes squinted behind his glasses. “You’ve never read Andersen’s Fairy Tales?”

“I have,” Ezili lied, hugging the book to her chest. “I want this book.”

“Great. I’ll buy it for you. As a gift.”

Harry had told Ezili that humans couldn’t just take the things they found because they would get arrested, and apparently, they couldn’t fight and kill each other for things either. It didn’t sound fair and was kind of stupid. Why were humans so dependent on these stupid papers they called money? Ezili couldn’t understand how their inferior brains worked sometimes.

“Hey, look,” Dawson said, holding up his phone that was buzzing in his hand. “Harry’s calling.”

Ezili couldn’t care less about Harry now. She let Dawson speak to him while she flipped through the book to look at pictures. But...why was there a picture of the prince and another girl? Didn’t he marry Ariel? She tried to look for the ones that revealed the new ending, which was apparently different from what she’d seen on the telly, but the rest of the chapter was just text and no pictures. She hated this. She wished she could read.

“Yeah, she’s here with me. The bookstore is just a few blocks near your house…” Dawson finished the call with Harry and turned back to Ezili. “He’s coming to pick you up.”

She found it strange that Harry would speak about Dawson with such hatred, like the way Koa would speak about Ezili, while Dawson had always been so nice about Harry. She couldn’t recall him saying anything bad about Harry when in fact, she could go on and on for days about Harry’s bad qualities. And she’d only known him for a week!

“Why doesn’t Harry like you?”

The question seemed to have caught Dawson by surprise, but he was quick to put on a smile.

“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m helping his mum run the business his father left for him. But he was the one who didn’t want it. He wanted to become a singer.”

“Harry’s mother doesn’t want him to be a singer?”

“No.”

Ezili closed the book and gave an understanding nod. “My mother never lets me do things I like, either. She never thinks I’m good enough because I’m not like her.”

“I’m sure your mother loves you,” Dawson said. Ezili liked the twinkle in his eyes and tenderness in his voice when he reassured her. Maybe he had a special gift that only sirens had. The gift to charm anybody they wanted. “Every mother has their own burdens and loves us in a different way.”

“But...if they love us, should they want us to be happy?”

Ezili didn’t know where that had come from. For the last twenty years of her life, she had never once thought of this. Why now? Why now that she decided that she could have been happier if her mother hadn’t been the way she was? But sirens were all supposed to be the way her mother was. Cold and dangerous like the ocean itself. So did it mean...did it mean her mother and sister were right? That she was too weak and emotional to become Queen?

“Ezi!”

The sound of her name pulled her out of her own head. She snapped her head up to find Harry padding toward her. He looked just like that night when he’d scolded her for biting his cousin. She hated this Harry.

“Let’s go home,” he told her coldly.

Before she could reply, he took her wrist and pulled her with him. The book fell to her feet and she was too appalled to even pick it up. She was about to remind Harry that Dawson was standing right there, but then she realised Harry had intentionally ignored his cousin.

“Ezili, your book!”

Harry and Ezi stopped before they got into the car parked out front. Dawson handed her the book and beamed. “I already paid for it.”

“Thank you.”

“Very nice. Get in, Ezi.”

Dawson seemed slightly annoyed by Harry’s attitude, but he didn’t act on it. Instead, he gave Ezili another gentle smile and told her he’d see her another time. Then, he went back inside the bookstore.

Ezili wished she could have stayed with him.

“Rescue mission accomplished!” said an energetic voice as Ezili got into the back of the car. A stranger she had never seen before peered around the passenger seat and smiled at her before he started speaking in a funny accent, “You’re welcome, by the way. The name’s Niall.”

Chilli was sitting on Niall’s lap, licking her own paw, which showed that she was comfortable around Niall, and Niall wasn’t an enemy. To human Ezili, of course. All humans were enemies to sirens.

“I’m Ezili,” Ezili said, then, she recognised the funny accent. “You’re Niall...Horan?”

“You know me?”

Ezili could feel her grin stretch from ear to ear. “I saw you on TikTok! You’re so funny.”

“Look, H, a fan!” Niall exclaimed as he shook Harry’s shoulder, but Harry didn’t react as he manoeuvred the car back onto the road. “I like her already.” Niall laughed. “I’m Harry’s best friend. Are you following my TikTok?”

“Yeah. I’ve watched every single one.”

“Good, good, good,” Niall said, nodding slowly. He turned to the front and back to Ezili immediately. “Also, I’m sorry about what happened to you. The accident must have been awful.”

“What?”

“Niall,” Harry growled. “Seatbelt.”

Niall flinched. “Sorry.”

Frowning, Ezili hugged her new book and sunk into her seat. She hated this Harry. He reminded her of a whale with a toothache, and even with that image in mind, she still couldn’t laugh. That was how angry she was with him. Yes, she was angry with him being angry with her. And for pulling her out of that beautiful bookstore. For making her drop her book. For holding her hostage like a prisoner. For being rude to Dawson. She hated him. She hated Harry Styles.

So when they’d arrived home and he told her to go inside and hang with Niall, she had to chase after him and let him know how much she hated him.

“Harry Styles!” She called when they reached the white stairs leading to the enormous courtyard where he’d parked his car. “Why are you upset? You have no right to be mad at me after you lied to me.”

Harry stopped halfway down the stairs; it seemed like Ezili’s words had finally hit him. He slowly spun around with a stunned expression as if she’d accused him of manslaughtering. “I didn’t lie to you,” he said, his jaw tight. “I told you to stay in your room. You were grounded.”

“You didn’t tell me that you’d leave me with your assistant and Niall!”

“But I didn’t lie to you.”

“Telling half-truths is telling lies.”

Harry held Ezili’s gaze for a long moment before he started ascending the stairs. She stiffened as he stopped right in front of her, leaned in, and stared.

“Oh, so you’re so honest, aren’t you?” he asked in a mocking tone. “You’ve never lied to me?”

“Never,” she said confidently.

Well, that was also a lie. But since when had Ezili felt bad for lying? She’d eaten men like him. Why did his presence now make her nervous?

She hated that the more she stayed human the more human she became. That thought terrified her even more than the possibility of getting caught and killed in this foreign land.

“I’ve never lied in my entire life,” she added, making Harry's eyes grow wide.

He said nothing, and when he turned to leave, she hurriedly followed him down the stairs. “Speechless by my honesty?” she asked.

“Speechless by the lies that come out of your mouth,” he said. “Is your name even Ezi?”

“No, it’s Ezili.”

Harry let out a scoff but he didn’t stop, so Ezili grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. Hard.

“Shit! How are you so strong?” he cried out, facing her again.

“Apologise.”

“What?”

Ezili folded her arms across her chest and sharpened her gaze. “Apologise right now.”

“For what?”

“For yelling at me.”

“And why should I apologise for yelling at you?”

Ezili bit her lip. The voice inside her head told her to push him down the stairs. She could just say it was an accident, and no one could prove that she’d done it. However, she needed him alive. Sucking in a breath, she said, “Because that’s what decent people do. A talking book told me that.”

“You mean those children's books you found in the bookstore,” Harry taunted, giving her a despiteful smirk.

She scowled at him even harder. “Apologise.”

“Fine,” he breathed. “I apologise for yelling at you. Now you apologise for stealing my cat.”

“I tried to save Chilli. You see, your assistant said something about the Master of the House being dead. I thought you were dead. But she was only talking about a show--”

“Yeah, famous Netflix show. It’s good. But that’s still no excuse for taking my cat.”

“Fine.” Ezili glared at him. “I’m sorry for stealing your cat.”

“And for getting into Dawson’s car.”

“And for leaving with him and liking him.”

“And for—What is your problem with Dawson?”

Instead of answering the question, Harry pulled out his phone, looked at it, and then told Ezili, “Go inside. We’ll continue this talk when I get back.”

He was just about to run when she pulled him back by his sleeve. He gave her a ‘what do you want?’ kind of look as she stammered, “When...when you get back…”

“Yeah?” He stressed out the word, an eyebrow arched impatiently.

“Can you teach me how to read?”

“What?”

“Teach me to read. Are you deaf?”

“You can’t read?”

When Ezili shook her head, Harry’s frown transformed into a smile. “That explains a lot.”

She smacked him on the arm and he gasped and leapt down two steps.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing! Why are you so aggressive?” Harry winced and backed away from her. “We’ll talk about this later. Now go inside and film a TikTok with Niall or something. I’m late for a photoshoot.”

Ezili opened her mouth to ask him what time he’d be home, but Harry had already run back to his car.

Harry got home at around 10 PM. He’d had a rough day. His manager had been furious because he had run out on a magazine photoshoot without saying a word to anyone. In his defence, he’d been in a rush, and couldn’t figure out an excuse to cover up for the fact that he’d almost let a mythical creature get loose. He shouldn’t have been so careless and left her with his assistant and Niall. That was his fault. Also, he could never think straight when he was angry. He thought about the look Ezili had given him when he’d pulled her out of the bookstore. The look Dawson had given him. Fucking Dawson. If it wasn’t for him, Harry wouldn’t have had to be mean to Ezi.

“Hey.”

“Jesus!” Harry shouted when the light switched on and he saw Ezili sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room. “Wha--Why are you on the floor? Get up.”

“This is Chilli’s favourite spot so I thought I might try to see how comfortable it is. Pretty uncomfortable, I must say.”

Harry rolled his eyes and offered Ezi a hand to help her get to her feet. “Why are you still awake?”

She pulled away from him and rushed over to the table to grab the book Dawson had given her. She shoved it at him. “You promised to teach me to read. This is a collection of fairy tales. Andersen’s Fairy Tales. I noticed that one of the details from The Little Mermaid story was different from the film, so I want to know how the story actually ends in the book.”

Harry sighed as he took the book and looked at the cover. When he glanced up, Ezi was giving him these big puppy dog’s eyes with her hands clasped together in front of her chest. “It’s late,” he said tiredly.

She shook her head. “You promised!”

“I can just tell you the ending.”

“No, I want to read!”

“Fine, fine.” He put his hands up, left palm out, the other holding the book. “I guess there’s still time to teach you the alphabet then we’ll call it a day.”

Harry could have sworn he had never seen anyone as excited about learning as Ezi was, which was quite amusing, he must admit. So they sat on the couch as he taught her the alphabet and how to put letters into words. She was a fast learner, so it didn’t take long for her to memorise everything.

“It’s been three hours and I still can’t read,” Ezili whined as she hit him with a pillow.

Shocked, Harry blinked at her. “That’s not how learning works. You need time.”

“You said my brain was more developed!”

“Yeah, but still!”

Scowling, Ezi kicked Harry’s feet. “You’re the worst teacher ever. I’ll never get to know how it ends.”

“Okay, Miss Drama Queen,” Harry scoffed. “How about I read you the story now, and when you can read on your own, you can practice by rereading it?”

Ezi thought for a moment, then the line between her brows eased, and she nodded once. “But you must teach me everyday until I can read.”

“Fine,” Harry breathed as he opened the book. His body stiffened when Ezi suddenly leaned on him like he was a pillow, her cheek against his arm, and he could feel every beat of her heart.

“Go on,” she urged him, giving him a nudge.

He cleared his throat and opened the book, trying to distract his naughty mind with the innocent words of a fairy tale.

Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects. We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular flowers and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which are so pliant, that the slightest agitation of the water causes them to stir as if they had life. Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King. Its walls are built of coral, and the long, gothic windows are of the clearest amber. The roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen...

By the time they’d finished one-third of the story, Ezi had already fallen asleep with her head on Harry’s shoulder. Harry wished he’d read this to her in bed so he wouldn’t have to carry her upstairs now. She was small and slender, but he’d had a bad day, so even the littlest inconvenience could bring down his mood. Cursing under his breath, he picked her up and carried her to the stairs as she curled against his chest like a little cat.

When her eyelids fluttered, he thought she was going to jolt awake, but then her brows knitted, and she murmured, “Mother, please...give me more time. I will bring you the heart…the heart...”

He chuckled and put her down on the bed.

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enviedear · 4 years

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secrets that you keep → peter parker

DESCRIPTION ⌙ in a consolation trip back to europe, the kids of midtown high are eager to have a normal vacation, finally. but you on the other hand are on a mission. something weird is going on with peter parker, and you’re going to figure it out.

PAIRING ⌙ peter parker x fem!reader

WORD COUNT ⌙ 2.4k

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“-smaller group than before, but we’ll still have fun guys. the tour company has made precautions for you kids. there will not be a repeat of last year.” mr. harrington babbles.

you sink lower into the bus seat. you did not want to be back in europe. truthfully you want to be anywhere but here. wherever, here, was. no one knew. cell service went out about five miles back and the bus driver didn’t speak english.

“yeah guys, don’t worry. this trip is going to be ten times worse than the last. it’s already started bad since we don't know where we ARE!” flash yells, running a hand down his face.

mr. harrington tries to calm him and the rest of the bus down, to no avail.

you block out the commotion and stare out of the bus window. grass, farm, cattle, shack, more grass, more farm. and not one single cell tower in sight. this is it, you think, this is how it ends, stranded in a foreign country with the most annoying people you’ve ever known.

“guys, GUYS! my service is back,” betty yelps. “it says we’re in wiveliscombe, and that it’s going to be three hours until we reach london.”

her words are met with groans.

“at least we have cell service now.” jokes peter parker, who’s sat in the seat across the aisle from you. he’s cute and nice, but weird. last year’s trip he had about a thousand excuses as to why he’d leave the group and if it happened this year, you were gonna figure out why. no matter what it took.

“mhm, and since we have access to the endless possibilities of the internet again, we don’t have to talk..” you huff.

“i.. sorry. i didn’t-” you cut him off by placing your earbuds back into your ears and turning the volume up.

something about peter irked your nerves in a way you couldn’t understand. maybe it was the way he knew fucking everything. maybe it was the way his body became incomprehensibly fit in such a short period of time. you really couldn’t understand that. even went as far as to do research on steroids, but found there was no way he could be using those. most probably it was the nonsense of his idiotic excuses. he might be able to fool everyone else, but not you. you knew there had to be something going on.

he and his stupid cute little brown curls, button nose, and six pack were under your firm watch.

by the time the bus reached the hotel the sun was beginning to set. jet lagged and in need of a long shower, you’re one of the first to fly into the hotel.

“It's me and you for the next week.” mj smiles, holding out a room key for you. truthfully, you really liked mj. she was cool and liked a lot of the same things as you. but she had one fatal flaw in your eyes, she used to date peter parker.

it was a short lived relationship, almost everyone saw it as a fling. peter and mj were just… too different. but they remain close friends.

it’s not like you were jealous... just, a tad bit jealous. besides, that ship had sailed and your goal wasn’t to end up like mj on the last trip to europe. no, you had other plans.

“cool. we can watch murder mysteries tonight and grab some snack from the convenience store down the street.” you grin.

the rooming situation for everyone else took entirely too long. it started with flash being upset that his room requirements weren’t being met. he wanted nothing to do with a roommate. this, caused his previous roommate, zander, to object to rooming with someone so, ‘coddled’.

took a full twenty minutes to resolve the issue.

“mj, you still wanna visit the national gallery tomorrow?” asks the one and only peter parker.

“uh, yeah. y/n, wanna join?” she questions.

you were ready to object, finding it far more intriguing to stay in and sleep but then you remembered your little mission. if you wanted to figure out what peter parker’s deal was, you’d have to be around him.

“sure. nothing better to do.” you shrug, peering straight into peter’s eyes.

“i, uh- i thought we’d get an early start to the day. ned wants to go on the jack the ripper tour, so that gives us until one to look through the museum.” peter rambles.

“alright, me and y/n will meet you two down here around ten thirty.” mj clarifies.

“see you then. night mj,” he looks to you. “goodnight y/n.”

you narrow your eyes at him, “sleep tight parker. busy day tomorrow.”

with that you and mj enter your room, ready to sleep off the jet lag. and soon enough, sleep carries you into her open arms, preparing you for the day ahead.

the next morning consists of peter and ned rushing in and out of their room. the duo forgetting nearly everything they needed for the day. it was extremely annoying. but you’d take watching the two ninnies scramble about over this tour you’re forcing yourself to get through right now.

the national gallery was proving to be a bore. maybe it was you. or maybe it was the dull ass tour guide. either way, you’re finding it hard to focus on any of these artworks around you.

“this is the arnolfini portrait. it’s the work of jan van eyck and it is believed to depict an italian merchant named giovanni di nicolao arnolfini. this painting has remained in the national gallery since 1843.” the tour guide drones.

you peer up at the art, searching for anything to interest you about it. you try to focus of the dark green of the woman’s dress, then the small dog, but nothing about this art is appealing to you. instead, you find the whispered conversation going on behind you to be much more intriguing.

“ned how am i going to make it all the way to japan and back here before the ripper tour?” peter grumbles.

japan?

“i don’t know, but i really don’t want to go on a tour of the most infamous and creepy serial killers of all time without my best friend.” ned whispers.

“but mj will be there, and.. y/n.” peter assures.

“great. they both creep me out. that’s like, two extra loads of creepy added onto the already creepy tour.” ned huffs.

“dude, i have to go… mr. stark is waiting on me.” peter pleads.

you hear ned give an annoyed, “fine.”

you wait a few seconds before turning around to face peter’s friend.

“where did peter run off to?” you ask, as innocently as you can.

“uhhhh- the bathroom. the uh, hotel bathroom. yeah, must have been those tomatoes he ate with his breakfast today.” ned gulps.

“mhm. well i think i’ll meet up with him. he shouldn’t walk all the way back alone.” you smirk, shoving past ned and running the direction peter went.

it took a good minute to find him outside, the boy running into a bakery. but once your eyes find him, you rush straight in, right behind him. eyes narrowed and full of questions.

the brown haired boy quickly enters a bathroom and you grin.

no escaping now, parker.

you wait outside the bathroom eagerly. only for minutes to pass. no sound escapes the room and you furrow your brows.

you knock on the door, no answer. annoyed you open the door, only to be met with an empty bathroom.

an empty bathroom with an opened window.

what the fuck?

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“we’ve been upgraded!” mr. harrington gleams, looking down at our tired faces.

“last time we were upgraded we almost died.” betty sighs.

“ah- what did i say, we’re not going to repeat last year,” harrington retorts. “now...how do you guys feel about paris?”

well those words certainly livened up the breakfast table. train tickets are soon passed around, and you study yours, spoonful of yogurt still in your mouth.

“hey y/n, mj and i are gonna go to the louvre when we get there,” ned grins. “wanna come with?”

you chuckle, “another museum? nah, i’m good.”

mj quirks a brow at you, “this museum is home to the mona lisa. it’s not just any museum.”

“and the mona lisa is not just any painting… it’s an ugly one.” you huff.

ned guffaws at you.

“honestly, i might skip out too.” peter says.

you turn to face him, “great. you and i can explore paris while mj and ned explore another museum.”

he shifts in his seat, “i dunno i was thinking of-”

mj cuts him off, “i think that’s a great idea y/n. don’t you, peter? you remember what harrington said.. no repeat of last year.”

her eyes are cold as she awaits his answer and he fidgets more in his seat.

“i just think it might be best for me to stay here… ya know in case mr. stark needs anything.”

you roll your eyes, “dude, you’re just an intern. what could he possibly need that his other ten thousand interns can’t do.”

“technically he only has like six other… interns.” peter mumbles.

“but uh.. they can handle whatever mr. stark needs from you. i mean they’ve been av- uh, interns, for a while.” ned says, eyes pleading with his friend.

peter sighs before smiling at you, “alright, me and you versus paris.”

no peter parker, me and myself versus your dirty little secret.

somehow you got to sit next to peter in an empty train car for the ride to paris. and holy shit.. could he talk.

his eyes did have a way of lighting a fire inside you as he talked but, that, was not the point.

it was between an empty car with peter or full car sat between flash and harrington.

peter is always better than the latter.

“-anyways, how’d you convince your parents to let you go back to europe?” he asks.

“i didn’t. they made me.” you say simply.

peter slumps into his seat a little, “uh, why?”

“because when they were younger they traveled the world. i dunno, i guess they expect me to want to as well.”

“oh. well, are you enjoying it so far.” he asks.

i’d enjoy it more if i could figure out your damned secret, parker.

“sure.”

and then, finally, peter is quiet.

but not for long, as the train comes to a screeching halt.

over the train speakers comes a booming voice, “veuillez rester calme. le train s'est arrêté en raison d'un dysfonctionnement du moteur.”

your body tenses and you look at peter, “please tell me you understand french?”

“a little.. i dont think we need to worry. they said it’s just an engine malfunction.” he nods, looking around the train car.

you try to breathe.

everything is okay. there’s no evil robots coming to destroy a train car with two innocent teenagers. that’s so pre civil war. just breathe.

suddenly a loud bang is heard from the car behind you. not just any bang… a gunshot.

“holy shit.” you whisper, stiff as a board.

peter on the other hand is rummaging through his bag.

“parker! what the fuck are you doing?” you hiss.

“i.. just trust me okay? when i tell you to run… run.”

you look at him with a scowl, “i’m not going to be the sacrificial pig for slaughter, asswipe.”

he rolls his eyes, “i’m going to run with you. we’re going to find an empty car and then… wait for spiderman.”

you blink. the kid’s gone insane.

“peter. listen, i know coping with your own inevitable death can be hard but, spiderman.. really?” you groan.

another loud bang comes from the car behind you.

peter looks at you, taking your hand in his.

the door to your car bursts open.

“run!” peter yelps, rushing into the next car, the gunmen not far enough behind.

“holy shit i’m gonna die.” you scream.

peter throws something at the gunmen when the two of you enter the next car, separating the two of you from the monsters.

but the kid didn’t throw just anything at them. motherfucker threw a damn door. a metal train door.

by the time you process the information, peter is pulling you into a cramped bathroom.

“i don’t have much time but basically, hi, i’m spiderman. those guys back there are people tony stark pissed off really bad and i need you to hide in here until i fix this issue.”

with that he pulls his jacket off revealing the spiderman suit you’re so used to seeing on the news.

“that’s your secret? this entire time i’ve been hanging around you trying to figure it out, and it turns out you’re spiderman. i would have thought anything before fucking spiderman.” you dwell, eyes wide.

he slips his mask on, “wait, you only hung out with me because you thought i had a secret? i mean.. i did but-”

another loud bang interrupts him, “nevermind. we’ll talk about this later. stay here and don’t tell anyone what i just told you.”

you nod, and watch him exit the bathroom.

so much for “not a repeat of last time.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“at least it wasn’t witches this time.” mr. dell sighs.

your entire fourth period groans.

“what! our world is infested with witches now. i don’t even know why i’m teaching science. i’m gonna turn around one day and suddenly i’ll be teaching witchcraft.”

your eyes return back to your desk, staring a hole into the old wood. your trance is broken by a crumpled piece of paper. you roll your eyes and turn your attention to peter, who after europe has been watching you like a hawk.

you open the paper to see, ‘listen, mr. stark said i need to get written evidence that you won’t spill the beans. please sign below.’

you grimace but sign at the bottom of the paper and hand it back to your new ninny friend.

that’s right. friend. despite being one of the most annoying people on the planet, with the weirdest secret ever.. peter was nice. he was really nice. he liked almost everything you did and listened intently to whatever you had to say.

“earth to y/n.” his voice calls from beside you.

“oh? is class over?” you ask.

he nods and holds his arm out to you. you take it and give him a half smile.

you may find peter parker to be the weirdest dude ever, but you can’t deny that the secret superhero is starting to flood your mind. you never thought you’d be the one to say it, but peter parker is the coolest weirdo you’ve ever met.

and besides, your mission was a success. you figured out his secret and obtained a friend along with it.

well, friend, until you could complete your newest mission.

telling him you like him. like, a lot.

#—myfics !#peter parker x reader #spiderman x reader #peter parker x y/n #peter parker x you #spiderman x y/n #spiderman x you #spiderman x enemy!reader #peter parker x enemy!reader #mcu #mcu fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #peter parker fanfiction #spiderman fanfiction #spiderman far from home #x reader #peter parker

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halictus-writer · 4 years

Text

Strangers on a Plane

Sirius swung his overnight bag up into the overhead compartment and climbed into his chair. He had the window seat, and despite being too tall for any seat on an airplane (who isn’t though, Sirius remarked), he was content. He could spend the next two hours reading or staring out into the sky in peace.

Increased noise from the front of the aisle told him that more passengers were boarding. Sirius began to play a seemingly-mandatory game of guessing which passenger would be his seatmate. No, no, nope, and then oh. The man he had noticed earlier, in the boarding area, with the tawny curls and the oversized jacket, was apparently on this flight.

The woman who had boarded before him had decided that now was an appropriate time to remove her sweater and stow it in her suitcase, and so the aisle was blocked. Sirius’s guessing game took an unscheduled intermission during the wait. He took another glance or two at the man. James had elbowed him in the ribs earlier for it, because he wasn’t paying attention to whatever his brother was saying at him. But now, with James seated several rows back, Sirius could stare all he wanted.

He certainly wasn’t Sirius’s usual type. Bookish, slightly awkward, the man looked like he would be more comfortable in a library or in the front of a history classroom than in a bar or a club. But looking at him now, Sirius wasn’t sure he had a usual type anymore. He couldn’t really remember any of his ex-flings anymore.

Eventually, the aisle cleared, and Sirius got to resume his guessing game. People walked past him, and then, suddenly, the man stopped. Their eyes met, and Sirius, very confidently and suave, of course, said “4A?”

The man looked down at his printed boarding pass, then up at the seat numbers briefly. “That’s me,” he confirmed, before swinging his long legs down into the chair beside Sirius.

“Cool,” Sirius said after a pause.

“Are you going to try to talk to me during this entire flight?” Bookish man asked.

“Nope, definitely not,” Sirius said, raising his eyebrows. So the bookish and slightly awkward professor man is a dick, too. That’s fine, Sirius thought. He isn’t even interested. It’s not like his left leg was still tingling from where his seatmate’s right had brushed against it briefly.

Determined to display his indifference, Sirius dug into his backpack for his book. He read it in silence, and it wasn’t until after the safety announcements had come and gone that he heard from his nemesis again.

“What are you reading?”

Sirius narrowed his eyes briefly, but couldn’t help the small smile on his face. If playing hard to get was a game, then he was winning. “Just a random, uh, book.” Okay, so maybe he’s still not on his game one hundred percent.

“Is it any good?” The seatmate asked.

Sirius blushed slightly. He didn’t really know how to answer that, seeing as he suddenly became aware that he was reading gay erotica on a plane next to an attractive man who he suddenly realized may be straight. If he hadn’t been charmed by Sirius’s natural good looks by now, then maybe he was of the more unfortunate persuasion, Sirius thought. “It’s fine?” Sirius answered loftily. “Bit of a guilty pleasure, to be honest.”

“Guilty?” He asked. And really, what’s with this guy, Sirius thought. First he was rude when Sirius talked to him, and now he won’t let him read in peace.

“Uh, yeah. Guilty because the writing is kind of bad. But I’m almost done with it, so. Yeah.” Sirius decided to go back to haughty. He actually was in the middle of a more interesting scene, so he was currently quite a bit invested, even if the writing wasn’t very high-brow.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” The stranger replied curtly.

Eventually, a flight attendant came by, offering drinks and snacks. Rather absorbed in the book at this point, Sirius was actually rather grateful to find his seatmate tap his shoulder to get his attention. He never would have forgiven the man if he had let Sirius go without the free pretzels.

A little while later, a baby began to cry rather loudly, from somewhere behind them.

“God, who brings a baby on a plane,” the bookish man complained.

Sirius quirked his eyebrows at that, but didn’t play his cards. “Yeah, pretty inconsiderate. The parents should just drug the baby or something. They do it for dogs anyway.”

The stranger furrowed his brow, as if not agreeing completely with Sirius’s feigned cruelty.

In the resulting silence between the two of them, but the sustained volume from a (familiar) baby, Sirius finally finished his book. When he got to the inside of the back cover, he was shocked to see his seatmate’s face printed in black and white.

“Oh my god,” he said reflexively. “It’s you.” Sirius held up the book towards the other man’s face, and sure enough, it was him. The same haughty expression, and upon being presented with his own book close to his face, the man’s eyebrows knitted in the same way.

“Yeah.”

“You write gay erotica,” Sirius said plainly.

The man didn’t even blush. “It’s lowbrow writing, or so I’m told.”

At that, Sirius blushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult your, um. Writing. I liked the ending?” he offered. The man shrugged.

Remus Lupin, Sirius read. “Is it a pen name?”

He didn’t really expect an answer, but surprisingly, the man turned back to him again. “No, actually. I was born with that ridiculous name.”

“Me too. Well, not that one, obviously. But also ridiculous. Sirius Black.”

“Nice to meet you,” Remus returned, still looking slightly peeved.

Just then, footsteps came from down the aisle. Suddenly, James was there, and stretched over Remus’s personal space unceremoniously to dump baby Harry in Sirius’s lap. “He wants you,” James said, then turned and walked away without waiting for a response.

Sirius laughed slightly, then focused his attention on Harry. He bounced the infant on his knee, and watched as his green eyes took in his new surroundings. He didn’t seem close to tears at the moment, but Sirius almost hoped he would make noise, just to annoy the standoffish author.

“I, uh. Sorry?” Remus stammered.

“For?” Sirius grinned.

“I didn’t realize that the baby was, um. Yours.”

Sirius shrugged, still looking at Harry. “I insulted your book, you insulted my brother’s choice of bringing his infant on a short plane trip. We’ll call it even.” He got a sudden mischievous thought. “But only if you autograph the book.”

Remus rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he prompted. “Hand it over.”

Sirius watched, surprised, as Remus scrawled an elegant signature across the title page.

“Where do you live?” Remus asked.

“London,” Sirius replied. “Same as you, according to your author bio.”

Remus returned to the book briefly, before stowing it away in Sirius’s backpack for him. With a baby in his arms, Sirius welcomed the extra help.

It wasn’t until after Harry screamed his head off during the landing, and after they left the plane, and after Sirius reconnected with James and Lily, and after Sirius said goodbye to the haughty and standoffish and cute Remus Lupin, and after Fleamont and Euphemia picked them up, and after a whole day of food and family time, that Sirius reopened the book. He was laying in bed, at the Potters’ house, thinking, and he opened the book to peak at the signature, just out of curiosity.

To his surprise, underneath the cursive, was a string of digits, and a note in block letters. When we’re both back in London.

#wolfstar #Short Writing #fanfic #meet ugly

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a-certain-type-of-frog · 3 years

Text

Momentary I

main post • momentary II • word count: 1.1k

“Thanks,” Scarlet tells the woman showing her to her seat, 15B. The person sitting in the one next to hers, 15A, glances up as she sets her bag on the floor and then looks back at his book.

“Hi,” she says politely, pushing her bag under the seat in front of her with a foot.

“Hey,” he says, short but not unwelcoming, looking up again.

“Have you been on for long?”

“Not too bad, I got on in Chicago,” he answers, marking his place with a receipt he had under his leg.

“Planning on getting some sleep?” she asks. Scarlet doubts he’s much for conversation, considering the way he keeps thumbing the edge of his book as he listens, but it seems better to get the basics out of the way up front.

“I’d like to,” he says, “but I can never sleep on trains. Too much noise, too much light,” he waves a hand to gesture.

She nods. “Yeah, makes sense.” She always sleeps on trains, in buses and cars, on a table in a library if she’s been writing long enough. Still, she can sympathize.

He looks down and taps the cover of his book twice, thinking. “Where are you getting off?”

“Boston, you?”

“Same,” he nods.

An hour passes without conversation. She plugs in headphones, listening to a playlist of upbeat, thrumming traveling music; he reads, foot tapping against the wall. An older woman leans across her seat.

“Look out the window,” she says softly. “It’s beautiful here.” She keeps walking down the aisle. Scarlet turns, leaning forward to see past 15A.

He looks up sharply at her, “what?”

“Nothing,” she shakes her head, “just the view.”

“Oh.” He leans back, looking out into the green. It’s marshy and bright, a dark river flowing past, a few logs going with it. “It’s pretty.”

They lapse back into silence. The scenery rushes past, the river a constant between the trees blocking their view of it. It branches away, and he turns back to his book.

The sun starts to set hours later, and he shuts the book. “Wow,” he says quietly.

“You finished?” she asks, taking out one earphone.

“Yeah. That was good,” he says.

“What was it about?”

“It’s a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury,” he explains, “so a bunch of different stuff. A lot were sci-fi, but some of them weren’t. I liked The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl, which is basically watching someone slowly go crazy after killing someone.”

“That’s intense,” she says. “It sounds cool though.”

“Yeah, it was. Feel free to read it if you want, I’m done.”

“Thanks.” Sci-fi isn’t really her thing, and reading would probably make her motion sick anyway, but she decides he doesn’t need to know any of that. “What are you gonna do now?” she asks.

He looks out the window for a minute, now alternating between corn and empty fields. “I’m not sure. I probably should’ve brought another book.”

The rows blur together as her gaze settles over them, unfocused. “Yeah, maybe. They’re heavy, though.”

“I know,” he laments. “But I refuse to do the ebook thing. It’s just not the same.”

“It’s so convenient though!” she protests.

“It is, but—okay, I’m not like a spiritual person, but I feel like books have a soul, you know? Or energy, or something.” He turns his head to meet her gaze, which snaps back to him. “Ebooks don’t have a soul.”

She laughs. “No, I know exactly what you’re talking about. Something about physically printed words, maybe.”

“Or the smell, or the feeling of the pages,” he continues.

“Okay, if you’re a book purist,” she teases, “how do you feel about dog-earing books?”

That image makes him cringe. “I would never do it, but I wouldn’t like yell at someone for doing it if they own the book.”

“Alright, fair enough,” she concedes. “How about writing in them? Or highlighting them or whatever.”

“That I understand,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons I love used books, getting to read through what other people thought about them. It’s like experiencing it together.”

“Yes, exactly! Those really have a soul.”

“They do,” he agrees, nodding with some vigor.

They keep talking until night falls, the moon a few days from being full, not quite a perfect circle. An older man in the seat in front of them starts snoring. Scarlet starts to feel the full day of travel weighing on her, and considers how she might politely tell him that she needs to sleep now, but every time she thinks about it he brings up another conversation topic she can’t bring herself to shoot down. She finds herself continuing to talk with him, and she doesn’t even manage to feel resentful—somehow, it’s invigorating.

“I’m glad you don’t sleep on trains either,” he says after a lull in their conversation. “I would’ve been so bored.”

“Me too,” she says. Somehow, she isn’t lying. That surprise kills her last lingering urge to get some sleep; they spends the rest of the night talking.

“I’ve never told anyone that before,” she whispers hours later.

“It’s the train,” he replies sagely. “We’ll probably never see each other again, so there’s no reason to lie, or hide anything.”

She nods—he’s right.

When the sun rises again, it’s on buildings and cars and streetlights flickering off.

“We made it, we’re in Boston,” Scarlet says, gathering her bag from under the seat and stifling a yawn.

“We made it,” he echoes with a yawn to match.

They’re both silent, watching the world pass by.

“Which stop is yours?” he asks.

“Uhh,” she says, checking her ticket, “the north one.”

“I’m south.”

“Oh.” The car attendant passes by, reminding them that they’re a few minutes out and asking them if they need anything. They don’t.

As they roll to a stop, Scarlet stands, stretching her legs. “By the way, I never asked—what’s your name?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”

She steps back into her seat to let the snoring man pass behind her. “I guess not, but I’d still like to know.”

“Jackson.”

“Jackson,” she repeats. “I’m Scarlet.”

“It was lovely talking to you, Scarlet.” He hands her his book.

“I can’t take this,” she says. “It has a soul, you know.”

He smiles. “That’s why I want you to have it.”

“Thank you,” she tells him. Jackson nods and settles back into his seat—he understands what she meant.

She’s whisked off the train, into a cab, into her hotel. She opens the book to a random page to see a few notes scrawled into the margins. Inside of the front cover, he wrote, “thanks for making the train more than bearable. Try not to forget me.”

Scarlet sleeps through her first day in Boston, missing tickets she had bought for an art museum. She doesn’t forget him.

#tw death mention #tw murder mention #very very brief though just summarizing a short story by ray Bradbury #which I highly recommend btw it’s great #anyway I am trying out something completely new #and I might delete this and repost it on my main blog? we’ll see lmao #writing #creative writing #original writing #short story #short fiction #my writing #not rani related #momentary #momentary fiction #original fiction #short stories #connection #human connection

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blackmissfrizzle · 5 years

Text

The Dress

Characters: Angel Reyes x black!reader

Based off of this

Warnings: Self-esteem issues, Implied smut, angst, and fluff!!!

A/N: My first Angel fic and I’m in love. Also, I’ll probably use this same idea with different guys, so if you don’t like Angel, you may be getting someone different!

This time you were sure blood was drawn. What did you do to deserve such horrendous torture?

“Ouch, that hurt,” you complained, staring down at the perpetrator.

“If you’d be still, then it wouldn’t hurt,” Marisol sassed back.

“Oh god,” you muttered to yourself, which in return earned you a smack to your bottom. “Don’t use the good Lord’s name in vain!” Marisol scolded you.

Marisol better be lucky that you love her or otherwise you wouldn’t be doing her this favor. She was the best seamstress in Santo Padre and made you many dresses for the events your father dragged you to. So, when she asked you for a favor you weren’t hesitant.

Her granddaughter was getting married, but she lived in LA and wasn’t accessible for dress fittings. Luckily, you and her granddaughter had the same measurements, so Marisol asked if you could stand in for her and you agreed.

“Aw, mija you trying to become skin and bones?” She asked, feeling around your hips.

You palmed your face. Only Marisol would think losing a couple of pounds on your thick frame as a bad thing. “Don’t worry, Marisol. I won’t lose too much, so you can finish the dress.”

“I’m not worried about that! It’s Angelito that may have something to say.”

Rolling your eyes, you dared to ask the woman why she would even mention your best friend. “What does Angel have to do with this?”

“Because men want a woman with curves they can hold onto.”

“We’re just- ”

“Best friends,” Marisol finished for you. “Yeah, yeah yeah, you always say that. But the way he follows you around like a lost puppy dog, suggests otherwise.”

Just as you were opening your mouth for a witty retort, the roar of motorcycles announcing the arrival of the Mayans.

As usual Bishop was the first one through the door, flanked by Hank and Taza. The men first greeted Marisol, but soon noticed you. “Who’s the lucky guy and why haven’t we met him?” Bishop asked, opening up his arms for a hug.

Quickly Marisol swept Bishop’s arms away from your direction. “Don’t you dare get your dirty, greasy biker hands near my dress! And she’s not getting married, just a real life mannequin for my granddaughter.”

“Thank God! Don’t want Angel to have a heart attack,” Hank teased. You narrowed your eyes at him, as everyone in the room began to laugh.

The loud creaking of the front door notified you of more people coming in the house. “Woah, who knew you looked good in a dress?” Coco commented soon as he saw you.

“Screw you, Coco! I wear dresses all the time!”

“Yeah, to those fancy ass parties, never around us.”

Coco had a point. Around the Mayans you only wore jeans and t-shirts. You could relax with them unlike with your dad. He always had you prancing around and mingling at overrated parties, so he could gain more clients for his private security firm.

“Y/N, you look beautiful,” EZ said, pulling you from your thoughts. Next to him was his older brother, eyes wide open and mouth bobbing up and down, leaving you wondering if you looked horrible in the dress.

You thought you did the one armed dress service. The cinched waist hid your tummy and the ruffles gave you a princess flair. Also, white always looks good on brown skin, but maybe Angel thought otherwise. “Hey, second-best looking Reyes brother, what do you think?”

Instead of answering you, Angel bolted out the door. “He’s uh, still drunk.” EZ tried to excuse his brother, but the lie was unbelievable. You knew what a drunk Angel looked like and that Angel looked anything but drunk.

Marisol refused to let you follow him, stating some outdated nonsense like a woman never chases after a man. So you dutifully stood there, wondering did you look that bad, while the rest of the Mayans ate the food Marisol fixed for them and threatened to kick Angel’s ass for you.

Hours later you found yourself outside of the Mayans clubhouse. Angel wouldn’t respond to any of your texts and you were tired of being ignored.

You didn’t know the specifics, but you knew they closed some deal with another MC, Sons of something , you couldn’t recall. But they were celebrating the deal with an infamous Mayans party.

The lot was littered with motorcycles, bikers, barely dressed women and beer bottles. And inside the clubhouse it was no different.

EZ was at the bar pouring drinks instead of partying. He nodded to you and then pointed in the direction of where Angel was sitting.

Great, the man-whore had two biker bimbos in his lap. Each woman sneered at you when approached him. “Reyes we need to talk.”

“Not right now, Y/N.” Angel replied, not even glancing your way.

“Yeah, go away you big fat black cow,” one of the girls muttered.

Suddenly, the girl was on the ground with Angel standing over her, yelling at her to leave and never to come back. At least Angel never let anyone disrespect you, even if he did.

Deciding to wait him out, you went to the bar, where EZ had a drink waiting for you. “That guy’s a real asshole,” an unfamiliar voice interrupted your pity party.

“Huh,” you turned to the stranger. His kutte wasn’t like the Mayans, so he had to be from the other MC. On the corner it read ‘Prez’ then ‘SAMCRO.’ But his kutte didn’t hold your attention for too long, because his face was so damn beautiful. If you weren’t already half in love with Angel, you would’ve thought he was the best looking guy there.

“That guy’s an asshole for dismissing the most beautiful woman here. But I guess I would be intimidated by you as well.”

“Intimidated? No way, Angel’s not interested in me.”

The stranger pointed the end of his beer towards Angel, who was burning holes on the middle of his head. “Then why is he staring daggers at me?”

“He’s just overprotective.” You told yourself more than him. You couldn’t let yourself hope or you would be heartbroken if you learned Angel didn’t reciprocate your feelings.

The blonde man licked his lips and stared at you. “Wanna test that?”

It seemed the man had good intentions, but you never know with bikers. “How,” you asked suspiciously.

“Do you trust me, sweetheart?”

“I don’t even know your name.”

“Jax Teller, president of Sons of Anarchy.” He introduced himself, reaching for your hand for a handshake.

“Y/N Y/L/N, disgruntled best friend.” When you put your hand in his, he pulled you to him, mere inches from his face. Once again he asked if you trusted him and this time you shook your head yes.

In an instant Jax’s lips were claiming yours. He licked the seam of your lips, asking for access inside of your mouth and you granted it. His kiss was fiery and passionate, and you wished you could enjoy it more instead of wishing it was a certain Mayan.

Feeling a pair of hands on your shoulders, you thought it was Jax until you were pulled away. Looking up at the culprit, you saw stormy brown eyes that belong to Angel Reyes. Without saying a word he dragged you out and into EZ’s RV.

“What the fuck was that?” Angel screamed at you. You had to admit he was hot when he was angry, but you didn’t like when he was angry at you.

“It’s called kissing. And here I thought you got passed first base. Guess I was wrong.” Shrugging your shoulders you moved passed Angel to leave, but he quickly blocked your path.

“Why the fuck did you have your lips on another MC’s president? Specifically the one we’re doing business with. What, you want to be some white boy’s cum dump?”

Angel knee he fucked up when he saw the surprised reaction on your face, so he braced himself for what was coming next. Without disappointment, you decked Angel in the face. “Fuck you! How about you tell me why you’ve been avoiding me all day?”

Silently, Angel stood there contemplating if he should tell you the truth. Only thing was, he was taking too long. “Ok, nothing? I guess I’ll be keeping Jax’s bed warm tonight.”

“The dress,” he muttered weakly.

“What about the dress? Did I look that awful in it that you had to avoid me the rest of the day? Because if that’s the case, you’re a real shitty friend Angel Reyes. All you had to say is I looked bad in it.” You continued rambling on how he could’ve told you in different ways that he didn’t like the dress, until he interrupted you.

“Fuck no, querida! I was thinking the opposite!” Calming down, Angel led you to the table and knelt before you while you sat. “I was thinking about how I would love to see you in that dress walking down an aisle towards me. I was thinking about the kids we could have and the fun we would have making them. I was thinking about how I’m in love with my best friend, but I’ll never be enough for her because she deserves better.” At the end of his declaration, Angel laid his head in your lap and cried.

For a moment, his declaration left you stunned, but once you realized you hadn’t said anything, you confessed your own feelings. “I love you, Angel Reyes. And not as a best friend, but as the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.” Angel lifted his head up to make sure he was hearing you right. Cupping his face, you leaned your forehead against his. “I love you, Angel and if I ever hear you say you’re not good enough for me, I will personally put a cap in your ass. You hear me?”

“You know I get hard every time you threaten to physically hurt me?” He joked, obviously back to his old self.

Weakly you pushed him away, but he wouldn’t budge. “You’re disgusting, Angel!”

“But you love me anyway, like I do you.”

With your arms around his neck, playing with his hair, you replied, “Unfortunately, you’re right.”

Angel snuggled his face in the crook of your neck and began leaving a trail of kisses from your shoulder to your ear. “Dame un beso, querida.” He gruffly commanded into your ear.

Happily obliging, you gave Angel the kiss he asked for. His was much more enjoyable than Jax’s and you knew he ruined you for other men. Angel’s kiss was reminding you that you were always his and always will be. The kiss was stirring up desires, that you would have to apology to EZ for sating them in his RV. Sadly, a knock interrupted any future plans.

“Y/N, you ain’t kill him? It’s too quiet in there.” Coco’s muffled voice carried through. You both stood up and you were about to turn the door knob until Angel stopped you.

He took his kutte off and put it on you. “Just so everyone knows who you belong to. Especially Teller.”

You laughed at Angel’s possessiveness and kissed him quickly. “He was just helping me out.” Angel rolled his eyes, remembering the predatory look in Jax’s eyes when he saw you. “Really, babe. He wanted to see if he could get a rise out of you.”

“Yeah, well this tells him and everyone you’re off limits. Now open the door, before we let Coco loudly know I’m not dead.” He smacked your ass as you opened the door.

When the door completely opened, it revealed all of the Mayans and a couple of the Sons. All of them had smirks on their faces and you assumed it was at how crazy you looked. Your hair was flying everywhere and Angel had your brown lipstick on his lips.

Coco started a slow clap that eventually had all the Mayans joining in. Both you and Angel flipped them off, but they all just laughed it off.

“Angel’s finally got his head out from stuck up his ass. Just took another man taking interest in Y/N.” Bishop commented. Basically everyone had said the same thing and congratulated you two. The only disappointed ones were the girls who hung around the bar. Even Jax congratulated you two, but told you to him up if Angel messed up.

Throughout the night, you and Angel would randomly tell each other ‘I love you.’ And even though, you were hearing and saying it excessively, you knew you would never grow tired of it, because Angel was the one for you and vice versa.

Taglist: @cocooned-butterfly @titty-teetee @dannixchristian @ladydragonpurplefire @sincerelysinister @mrsamaroevans @honeychicana

#black!reader #mayans mc #mayans #mayans fanfic #mayans fandom #angel reyes #angel reyes x black!reader #angel reyes x reader #angel reyes x plus sized!reader #angel reyes x plussized!reader #jax teller #sons of anarchy

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thegoodgayshit · 4 years

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Luz’s mother really doesn’t want to send Luz to camp. She knows once she leaves, there is no going back. But Luz has a knack for getting into trouble, and one day she stumbles into the same type of people her mother would have preferred she avoided. After helping Luz dissolve her high school bully into dust, Eda and Lillith know right away that this kid is just like them - a child of the gods. So Luz hops on a Pegasus and heads to Camp Half-blood, where she embarks on a dangerous quest that makes her both friends and enemies... and she might even save Olympus along the way.

Chapter 1: I Steal My Bully's Necklace

“Get up, you freak!”

Luz coughed as she struggled to breathe after being thrown into the lockers. The wind had been knocked out of her and she already felt a lump forming on the back of her head where she had smacked it.

She was having the worst day at school, and that was saying something. Somehow, by some miracle, she had made it through the whole year at this one. But she had a terrible feeling that her luck wouldn’t last. Especially if the mean girl in her biology class wasn’t going to leave her alone.

She looked up to see the girl in question standing over her, grinning sadistically at her. She rubbed her hands together like some kind of mobster villain, her dog tag necklace hanging from her neck, and Luz fought the urge to roll her eyes. Lina had tormented her all year, and no matter what Luz did she couldn’t seem to shake her. Her dark amber eyes, (Luz swore sometimes they were almost red) were watching her like the next thing she would do to her was eat her. Her posse, two other girls her age, watched with their own small smiles.

She winced as she got to her feet, trying to control her anger. Terrible things happened when Luz got upset. She didn’t like this girl, but it wasn’t worth getting expelled over. Again.

This was Luz’s fifth school in twelve years. Ever since she started kindergarten, Luz was the problem child. She always managed to land herself into trouble, and she never really knew why. Half the time she hadn’t even done anything, weird things just seemed to happen to Luz. The other kids thought she was weird, so they never hung out with her, and so Luz had never really had any real friends. Teachers didn’t really like Luz either, her ADHD made learning really difficult, and so she always got bad grades. So when weird things would happen, the principal wouldn’t think twice. She would usually get expelled on the spot.

She didn’t want to get expelled again. Her Mami would be so disappointed in her. When Luz and her Mami had to move to New York City, her Mami had threatened her really good when they finally found a school that would take her.

“This is it, mija.” She had said. “I’m not doing this anymore. You either stay at this school and graduate or I’m sending you away to camp.”

That’s when Luz knew it was serious. Her Mami had not wanted to send her away to this camp. She had always threatened it when Luz was a little kid, but her Mami had never actually wanted to do it. She was stern, but Luz was all she had.

Besides, Luz never really understood why a summer camp would help straighten her out. If the military school she had gone to when she was ten was any indication, even they couldn’t get through to her.

Regardless, Luz wasn’t going to disappoint her Mami. So she got to her feet and did the first thing she could think to do.

She ran.

Breaking through the crowds of students who had been watching Lina bully her in the hallways, Luz ducked under the crowds and made a break for the staircase.

“Run, Luz Noceda!” Lina cackled as she fled. “Run from me!”

Anger flashed through Luz. She hated running. She wanted to stand and fight, to tell Lina off and get her to stop being a jerk. But she was outnumbered, and nobody would believe her anyway when something inevitably went wrong. It’s like her Mami said, “just keep your head low, Luz. Don’t engage, don’t fight back. Don’t give them a reason to punish you.”

So, despite the shame bubbling up in her chest, she kept running. She heard a commotion behind her, and Lina saying something to her friends before there was a cry of shock. And something that sounded strangely like hooves clamping along the tile.

Lina yelled something that definitely wasn’t English, but Luz understood it perfectly. Lina was following her, and the weirdness was starting again. She had to go before somebody blamed it on her.

Tearing down the stairs and pushing open the side exit to her school, Luz bolted down the alley she uses to get to the bus stop she takes home. It was her lunch period, so she’s hoping that by the time she gets back to school Lina will have long forgotten about her and she can get to her English class in one piece.

But then there’s a crash, and a furious scream from behind her and she realizes that Lina is following her. She begins to panic, picking up speed and darting into the new alley behind 94th street. There is a chain-link fence up ahead, and she breaks into a fresh sprint, launching her body up against it and over to the next street ahead.

Luz doesn’t know when she decided she wasn’t going back to school, but she knew that she needed to get away from Lina. She spared a glance back as she darted into the trafficked street, weaving through cars. Lina was still following her, her red eyes boring in fury into Luz’s back.

Luz gets onto the first bus she sees and fumbles for her MetroCard in her back pocket, slamming it down on the pad without looking back. She breaks for the back of the bus, crouching into an aisle seat and shrinking her whole body away from the window. She pulls the hood of her cat hoodie over her head, praying she wasn’t seen. The bus starts to move, thankfully without Lina on it, and Luz tries to let her body relax.

She zones out, wary of everyone getting on the bus. After some time, the realization that she doesn’t actually know where she’s going hits her like a truck. At the next stop, she gets up and darts off the bus, passing a quick thank you to the driver. When she steps out into the street, she realizes she has traveled all the way down to 34th street, and the Empire State Building is glaring down at her several blocks away.

Luz isn’t quite sure what to do now. She wasn’t going back to school today, that was for sure. Her Mami could be mad at her for skipping later. It was the end of the year, and Luz had unofficially made it all the way through.

Deciding she should celebrate, Luz walks around the city for a little while. Her Mami would never want her to wander off on her own, but she decided after the incident with Lina at school she deserved it. She remembers the awesome candy store her Mami took her to when they moved to the city, and pulls out her phone to punch Dylan’s Candy Bar into her maps. It’s only 20 minutes away, so she begins the trek through the city, putting in her earbuds and shuffling her favorite anime playlist.

Once she’s inside and picks out five chocolate bars and a pack of lemonade gumballs. As she approaches the register, the girl working the counter likes Luz so much, she throws in an extra bar for free. Luz thanks her enthusiastically, and she pays with the money she was going to use for lunch. She leaves the store and sits, beginning to chow down on her snacks on the street curb outside, but her eyes are still wearily scanning the streets as through Lina might appear at any moment. As she does this, she catches sight of the two strangest looking women she’s ever seen.

They’re both middle-aged, the first with black hair and piercing green eyes. The second is a little taller, with huge silver-grey hair. But what catches her attention is that both women are wearing huge, cosplay style cloaks – white and maroon respectively.

The woman with the huge hair and maroon cloak has a strange bird on her shoulder. Luz thinks it might be an owl. Not only that but when she squints Luz is almost positive the one with the white cloak has a weapon strapped to her belt. Her mouth immediately drops, and she gets up off the curb just as the pair duck into an alleyway. Tucking the remaining three chocolate bars into her blue backpack, (which has miraculously stayed on through her whole fight with Lina) she weaves through the streets to follow them. Luz wonders to herself if there’s some kind of Comicon or other convention she was missing.

She sneaks through the alleyway, peering at the two behind a dumpster. They are talking in low voices, so Luz slowly creeps forward to listen in.

“- called us to Olympus, it must be serious, Edalyn.” The first one says lowly.

“Don’t sweat it, sissy. We’ve been called in by dad before. It’s probably just another one of those check in’s.” The second says, shrugging.

“You must feel it.” The first mutters urgently. “The tension between the gods is only going to grow from here.”

“We have to stay patient, Lilith.” The second woman, Edalyn, responds. “Of course I’ve felt it, but until we’re told to summon the Oracle-”

“There you are!”

Luz squeals dropping her gumballs all over the alley, spinning around the dumpster to come face to face with Lina. She is furious, her red eyes boring into her, and she snarls at her angrily. Luz shrieks, realizing that Lina’s mouth is stretching to expose a pair of vicious and sharp looking fangs.

There is a commotion from behind her as the two women have realized they have been overheard, and Luz begins to feel guilty for eavesdropping. But she doesn’t turn to look at them, she has bigger problems right now.

“I have been hunting you for months, Luz Noceda,” Lina growls, baring her fangs. “You will not escape me again!”

“Please!” Luz exclaims, holding up her hands. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Hurt me?” Lina laughs, taking a few menacing steps forward. “You cannot hurt me, little demigod. I will kill you before you get the chance!”

Before Luz can process anything that is happening, Lina shifts, her body changing rapidly. Her feet morph out of her tattered jeans into one metallic leg and one with hooves, and Luz can’t help but scream. Lina leaps at her and out of pure instinct, Luz rolls. Lina flies past her and Luz presses her back against the brick building behind her in terror.

“What are you?” She yelps, her whole body vibrating in horror.

“That’s an empousai, kid.” The woman with the red cloak says calmly, and when Luz turns her head, the two women are staring down Lina with disinterest. Luz can’t believe how calm they are.

“A what?”

And before Luz can pinch herself to make sure she isn’t dreaming, the dark-haired woman reaches under her cloaks and draws the weapon that shimmers the shiniest bronze Luz has ever seen. The blaze shifts and forms right in front of her eyes from a knife into an eight-foot sharp staff. The grey-haired woman plucks the bird off of her shoulder and it coos (Luz is certain now it’s an Owl) before the bird shifts into a seven-foot bronze tipped spear.

Lina the empousai, or whatever she is, hisses at the sight of the blade.

“Daughters of Zeus,” she says, trying to remain composed. But Luz has been bullied by Lina for months now, and she knows she looks nervous. “This is no business of yours.”

“Actually, I think this is our business.” The dark-haired witch, Lilith, says coldly. “Any half-blood we find is under our protection. What is a servant of Hecate doing hunting a child of the gods?”

Lina shuffles her legs – or…hoof and metal leg – and is now visibly nervous. Edalyn smirks, exposing a single gold tooth that sticks out like a fang.

“Unless… Hecate doesn’t know you’re here,” she singsongs, and Lina growls ferociously and lunges towards the woman.

“I will kill you before she ever finds out!” She roars, and both women sidestep from the lunge. Edalyn stabs with her spear, which Lina deflects off of her metal leg. Lilith swings with her staff, and Lina ducks. Luz has been forgotten, and she is shaking violently against the wall, trying to get a grip as to what the heck is even happening right now.

What did Lina call her? A demigod? The Lilith called her a half-blood… that was a really insulting insinuation for someone who was biracial, Luz thought. Besides, she wasn’t biracial, her Mami told her that her father had been a businessman visiting from Brazil. But those women… she had called them the daughters of Zeus?

Even if Luz was confused, she recognized what was happening. Those women had jumped to her aid despite Luz eavesdropping on them. These women were protecting her, even if she was a complete stranger. So despite her shaking body, and the fact that she was probably bordering an anxiety attack, she leaped in to help.

While Lina’s back was turned, Luz took a running leap and lunged, wrapping her arms around Lina’s neck and squeezing. Lina roared in frustration and did her best to shake her off, and Luz heard Edalyn cackling in the background.

“Alright! Get em’ kid.”

“Edalyn, focus!” Lilith snapped before she swung her own staff.

Lina tucked backward, but she wasn’t fast enough to totally dodge the blade, and it skimmed her stomach. She roared in pain and anger and finally knocked Luz away from her, and she went skidding across the ground. Coughing, Luz got to her feet and looked up at Lina’s stomach. The slice stretched across her stomach, but there was no blood. Instead, the slash seemed to be slowly dissolving her body. Lina looked down on it and hissed, glaring her red eyes up at Luz with absolute hatred.

She screamed again and charged at Luz, who scrambled backward in panic, but Lina never got closer. Edalyn spun her spear around her back and lunged, stabbing Lina right through the side. With a final scream, her whole body began to disintegrate into dust, before all that was left of her was a small pile of ashes and Lina’s dog tag necklace.

Spinning the spear, it shifted back into the owl which perches itself on Edalyn’s shoulder. Lilith spins her own staff, turning it back to a knife and clipping it to her belt. Luz was left staring at the pile of dust with a wide-eyed, and totally shocked expression. Her adrenaline was starting to fade, and it was beginning to change into full-blown panic.

“What just happened?” She said, but it came out as more of a breathy squeak. “Did we just kill her?"

Edalyn shrugged and held out her hand to help Luz up, which she took. “Yes, and no. Monsters don’t really die, they just return to Tartarus and wait to respawn.”

“They go where to do what?” This sentence was so high pitched she was surprised either of them heard it.

“Edalyn, give her a minute to process,” Lilith mumbled eying Luz like she was broken glass about to shatter.

“She doesn’t need to process, she’s probably been through it all by now.” She retorted with a roll of her eyes. Looking down at Luz with a knowing glint in her eyes, she pulled her to her feet and reached over to brush some of the dirt off her hoodie. “Let me guess, kid. You’re a bit of a problem child, always moving from place to place… weird things happen to you that nobody else can explain?”

Luz blinked. “Yeah, exactly like that. How’d you know?”

She laughed as if Luz had just said the funniest thing she’d ever heard. “Because we’re all like that. You’re an older one too, you’ve probably been on the monster's scent for a while. I don’t know how you possibly stayed alive without any help from camp.”

Luz felt a chill go up her spine. “Wait, camp? My Mami mentioned a camp… she always threatened to send me there if I didn’t straighten up…”

Edalyn and Lilith shared a look before they turned back to her.

“That monster said your name was Luz right?” Edalyn said, a little softer this time.

Luz nodded her head. “Yeah, that’s me. Luz Noceda.”

“I’m Eda, and this is my sister Lilith,” Eda said with a smile. “We’re the co-directors of Camp Half-blood.”

“Camp Half-Blood,” Luz said in a monotone voice. “Half what? I’m Latina.”

They shared another look.

“Half-blood doesn’t have anything to do with race,” Lilith said slowly. “It means people who are half-human, and half god.”

Luz’s mouth dropped open. She stared blankly between the two of them, not even sure what to say.

“God? Like…. Jesus?” she stuttered out, and Eda chuckled.

“No, like Greek God, kid. Half-bloods are kids with one human parent and one godly parent.” She reached under her cloak and pulled out a necklace that had been concealed previously. It had a gold pendant the shape of a thunderbolt. “Lily and I are sisters, but we have the same godly parent. Zeus.”

Luz’s brain began to finally work again, and she did her best to just try and process what she was saying. Nodding slowly, Luz does her best to recall her minimal knowledge of Greek deities she’s learned from books and movies.

“The god of the sky.” Luz nods, and Eda shrugs.

“Sure, among other things.”

Luz begins to pace, as she always does when her brain is moving too fast for her body. “Lina called me a demigod. Are you saying that my dad is a Greek God?”

“Well, that helps narrow down the possibilities,” Lilith said, keeping her voice calm and mellow. “A while ago the god’s made a promise to claim all of their children by the time they turn thirteen.”

“I’m fourteen,” Luz said. “Does that mean my dad forgot about me?”

“Nope, you just haven’t come to camp yet,” Eda said with a grin. “Most demigods come to Camp Half-Blood for training to defend themselves against monsters. The older you get, the stronger your scent is to them. You’re lucky you’ve been able to stay so inconspicuous for so long.”

Luz was suddenly presented with a lot of options for the first time in her life. Despite everything she had just learned, she wasn’t scared, or afraid. It actually made so much sense. All those terrible memories she could never explain, like the man with one eye who had tried to get her into his car when she was eleven. Or the women with leather wings who had watched her from the playground in first grade. All those weird things, that nobody had ever believed, finally clicked.

And sure, her Mami always told her not to trust strangers, but she figured this was a bit of an extenuating circumstance. Eda and Lilith were weird, but Luz liked it. She finally felt like she was seen and understood.

Plus, they had just killed her high school bully. She owed them one. Not that she needed much convincing anyways on what she wanted to do next.

“Will you take me?” Luz asked quietly, looking up at them slowly. “I mean... if you aren’t too busy or anything?”

Eda and Lilith shot each other a little smile, before nodding.

“Sure kid, we did have a meeting at Olympus, but Lily can go in my place.”

“It’s our job to make sure demigods get there safely, it’s our first priority,” Lilith added, clasping her hands together. “Edalyn, do you have your Pegasus whistle?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve got that here somewhere…” Eda mumbled, digging through her cloak pockets. Luz was still trying to fathom the fact that they had a meeting at the actual Mount Olympus when Eda pulled out a little bronze whistle and blew it into the sky.

After a second, there was a swooshing sound coming from above us, and the most beautiful horse Luz had ever seen glided down in the alley. It was a pure white horse with gorgeous wings that it tucked back into its sides as it came to a stop next to Eda.

“Oh wow!” Luz said in awe, and the Pegasus snorted almost bashfully.

Lilith walked over to the pile of dust that was once Luz’s bully and picked up the dog tag necklace still lying on the ground. She handed it to Luz, who took it hesitantly.

“It’s a spoil of war,” Lilith explained, giving Luz a small smile. “Your first kill as a half-blood.”

Luz didn’t really want it, she didn’t have the fondest memories of Lina. But she didn’t understand a lot of this half-blood stuff yet and wasn’t going to start by refusing Lilith.

“Err… thanks.” She ended up saying, and thankfully, Lilith laughed.

Eda leaped over the horses back, extending a hand to Luz. “Well? Are you coming?”

Luz hesitated for only a second. She thought about her mom back home, and how she was going to be wondering in a couple of hours why she wasn’t home from school. But she quickly pushed it down as she thought about what awaited her. She could call her when she got to camp.

Throwing the necklace over her shoulders and taking Eda’s hand, the women helped Luz sit behind her on the horse. Waving goodbye to Lilith with the promise to see her later at camp, Eda urged the Pegasus into a run down the alleyway. The horse began to pick up speed as they almost hit the busy street, before it leaped into the air, taking flight. Luz whooped in glee, feeling the wind blow through her face as she gripped the back of Eda’s cloak.

She looked down at the busy moving streets in Manhattan and realized with the confusion that nobody seemed to be looking twice at them.

“If I saw something as cool as this, I would have stared,” Luz mumbled to herself, almost offended nobody thought this was as awesome as she did.

She heard Eda laugh, and Luz’s cheeks flushed red. She hadn’t meant to be overheard.

“Mortals don’t see things the way we do. There’s a layer that covers their eyes from seeing our world. We call it the Mist.”

Soon, the Pegasus had left Manhattan, and the pair were flying over Queens. The view, while still being amazing, was starting to not be enough to keep Luz’s thoughts at bay. Turning to Eda, she realized she still had so many questions. Her eyes trained onto the little owl tucked onto Eda’s shoulder. Now that she’s looking at him, she realizes he looks 100% real. He coos softly into Eda and blinks it’s gold eyes brightly at her in a way that looks friendly.

“Owlbert is waiting for you to pet him,” Eda comments offhandedly, and Luz jumps back as though she was shocked.

“Owlbert?” She repeats back, and Eda nods her head. Taking that as enough encouragement, Luz hesitantly reaches forward and tickles the owl's tummy. He feels soft and warm, just like a real tiny owl. When she strokes him, he coos again happily.

“Owlbert's both a great weapon and a great companion,” Eda says with a smile, shooting Luz a wink. “A gift from a goddess after I helped her on a quest when I was just a little older than you.”

Luz lets herself process that information.

“My Mami said she didn’t want to send me to camp,” she eventually says, as though it’s some scandalous secret. “If it’s supposed to be a safe place for people like me… why wouldn’t she want me there?”

Eda hummed, and Luz picked up that Eda had been wondering the same thing. “Some parents want to protect their kids from this world. It’s dangerous, and the less you know the safer you are. That’s probably why you’ve been able to evade monsters like the empousai.”

“Lilith said the empousai was a servant of Hecate,” Luz commented, leaning over to look at Eda’s face. Her gold eyes were looking back at her playfully. “If my dad is a god, why would another god’s servant attack me?”

“Gods have been around much longer than us, Luz,” Eda said with a shrug. “They have a history that precedes any of us. Maybe your dad angered Hecate at some point.”

“But she looked scared when you said Hecate didn’t know she was there,” Luz pointed out, and Eda broke into a grin.

“You’re smarter than you look, kid. And I can’t say for sure why she was there, but a lot of weird stuff has been going on in our world recently.” She hummed thoughtfully, turning her eyes to look ahead once again. “Lily thinks it’s the reason we were called to Olympus. Your monster friend might have something to do with it.”

“She’s not my friend.” Luz retorted, biting her lip. “I don’t have any friends. People at school don’t like me.”

“You’re not the only weirdo out there,” Eda said, shrugging her shoulders. “None of us at camp fit in with the other mortals. That’s why Lily and I work so hard to keep the camp safe. Us weirdo’s have to stick together, you know? Camp Half-blood is our home.”

Luz felt her heart warm up at that, and she broke into a smile of her own. She liked the thought of that, being with people just like her in a place that genuinely felt like home. She had moved around so much, and been outcasted by so many kids her age, she had never known what that truly felt like. All she had was her Mami.

After the Pegasus left Queens, Luz wasn’t really sure where she was or where they were heading. But soon the smell of saltwater began to fill her nose, and Eda perked up in front of her.

“We’re close now. The camp is near Long Island Sound. Get ready to descend.”

Luz peaked over Eda’s shoulder, her stomach flipping in both nervousness and excitement. Eventually, the Pegasus swooped into a downward glide, and Luz got her first glimpse of the camp.

There were camp cabins stretched across what looked like a pavilion and a beach where she could see a few canoes. It looked like people eventually caught sight of the Pegasus, and when they saw Eda, they waved up at them. Most of the campers she saw were wearing orange t-shirts, and Luz noticed that a lot of them had some kind of weapon strapped to their belts.

Finally, the Pegasus touched down on a grassy field, and Luz could see a huge house with sky blue sliding sitting on top of a hill surrounded by strawberry fields. Luz breathed in a gasp. The place was beautiful.

Eda leaped off the Pegasus, and a crowd began to gather around them. Luz began to feel anxiety at the number of eyes staring at them, but then Eda extended a hand to her, shooting her a warm and excited smile.

“We're here, Luz. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood.”

#the owl house #lumity #Percy Jackson AU #luz x amity #luz noceda #amity blight #eda the owl lady #shelby speaks

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galadrieljones · 4 years

Text

As You Were (Chapter 8)

Fandom: The Last of Us | Pairing: Joel x OC | Content: Fix-it | Rating: Mature

Masterpost

When Joel and Ellie take a wrong turn on their journey from Pittsburgh to Wyoming, they find themselves lost in what feels like a time warp: a beautiful place with a dark and dangerous secret, filled with painful reminders of the past. But they aren’t alone. When they meet Cici and Noah, a mother and son fighting tirelessly for survival, things change. For those with little hope to spare, family is what you make it.

This is an AU, starting after the events of the Summer chapter in the first game, and extending into the timeline of the second.

*cw: canon-typical violence, blood

Chapter 8: La Crosse (Pt. 2) / The Lapp Farm (Pt. 2)

"Jury's still out. But, man. You can't deny that view."

As Joel and Noah worked their way through the city, nothing much changed, at first. The buildings were empty. Many were boarded up, but not all of them. Little streams and creeks seemed to have broken through the bluffs, coming in off the La Crosse River and now flowed in skinny little ribbons in the empty lots and fields. Looking upon them was paradoxical, for the water was enticing in its visual clarity, but both Joel and Noah knew the truth. There was not much wildlife, and this brought into the world a worrisome quiet beyond the sound of the wind in the trees. The sun came down even still and brought color to the parking lots, all of them overgrown with tall grasses and ponds. The cordyceps in the water did not seem to affect the flora. It was a pretty place, Joel thought, despite its indifference toward human life.

As they crossed the city, Joel could tell they were getting closer to pure, raw nature, as the greenery thickened, and the buildings and houses became increasingly sunken by floods and overtaken by trees and their massive root systems. He knew from the map that the campus was more or less nestled within a great many bluffs, which rose up like grassy table tops, and the Mississippi was less than two miles to the west. Little purple flowers grew everywhere, and they started seeing mushrooms, too, growing on some of the blackened moldy walls of fallen structures, and so Joel and Noah did not get too close.

They just kept following the signs for the Circle of the Holy Signal, and headed straight toward Centennial Hall at the central campus. At times, Joel thought that perhaps he was being watched, through the windows in the residential neighborhoods, but this was hard to put his finger on. Even in the natural wreckage, there were so many houses, small and intact, lined up in rows across many blocks, that he consistently found himself wondering what could be inside. They found a German Shepherd recently dead by what appeared to be a gunshot wound, lying by the side of the road near a middle school. While they had been crouched low, trying to determine exactly how long ago it had been killed, another dog came up with its tail wagging. This one was some sort of lab mix, and it looked lost and starving as it sniffed at their hands excitedly. Joel scrubbed it behind the ears once and then reluctantly bid it to flee. They had nothing for it. This was a sad and desolate place.

After they had walked more than two miles, they started to see actual signs of the campus, which was promising as well as foreboding. School flags that had survived, still flapping off the street lights, and crimson banners for the football team. There were take-out restaurants and bars with their windows bashed in, some of them still advertising discounts for students as well as a UW Credit Union. They walked down Main Street for a while, passing many Lutheran churches, sometimes more than one on a single block. Some of the churches had been co-opted and hung with banners that read Worship Circle, another tell of their mystery cult. Those churches in particular were so overgrown with the mushroom, they looked like beautiful death flowers, and Joel bid them to put on their gas masks just for the time being, as he was worried about spore levels, even in the open air.

At some point, they came upon a school store. It still had mannequins in the window and the doors were locked up with a heavy chain. Joel stopped to look around and Noah leaned against a stop sign to drink some water.

“What’s your take on this place?” he said eventually. "Do you have any like, feelings about it?"

Joel was examining the chain around the door handles. “My take is, this might be a fool’s errand.” He had a small screwdriver and lock pick, given to him by Bill back in Lincoln. “But I have been known to make my fair share of foolish decisions over the years. Anyway, this town seems fairly dead.”

“We can go back,” said Noah. He was holding the water bottle, soaked in sweat from his dark hair to his red Converse. “We saw the church. Maybe there’s nothing else to see. Maybe it’s too dangerous.” He had a kicked look about him, like a puppy. Joel saw him for his age then—old enough to know a lot, but still too young to know much better. He had a lot of confidence and sometimes this could make him seem older, but he was still only seventeen.

“What do you wanna do?” said Joel. He popped the lock on the chain with considerable ingenuity. He was a little proud of himself. "I'm here to help you."

“I wanna keep going,” said Noah. “I wanna know what’s going on.”

“All right then,” said Joel. “Let’s get to Centennial Hall and see what we can find.”

“Okay,” said Noah, like he had been reenergized. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going inside,” said Joel, loosening the chain and letting it drop. It made a loud noise and he then used a piece of rebar to pry open the doors.

“Why?” said Noah.

“Because,” said Joel, letting the rebar clank to the concrete sidewalk. He wiped the sweat from his face and his beard. “There might be something in here I want.”

They went inside. It was surprisingly maintained. It even looked defended, as if somebody had taken up shop in there many years before. There were makeshift blockades in the front of the store and what looked to be a sizable nest in the employee’s lounge. From the looks of the posters on the wall, he guessed it had been college kids.

“It’s just paraphernalia, for the college,” said Noah. He was going through the aisles, looking at the clothes on the racks, the mugs and water bottles. “What would you want in here.”

“A souvenir,” said Joel. He went over to the women’s section. A huge piece of particle board had fallen from the ceiling. He hauled it away.

“For yourself?”

“No,” said Joel.

“For Ellie?”

Joel was scouring a rack of hooded sweatshirts. “She asked me to bring her something, as a trade-in for not letting her come along. Hey, does this look like her size?” He held one of them up, a faded crimson with the words UW - LA CROSSE stamped on front, in a sort of vintage font. He thought it seemed like something she'd wear.

“What size is it?” said Noah.

“Uh, a woman’s extra small.”

“Well, she’s pretty extra small. So, I’d say that’s a good bet.”

Joel gave him a look. “Come here,” he said. “Put this in your backpack.”

“What?” said Noah. “No. You put it in yours.”

“I don’t have room in mine. Your mom packed it with one too many bomb parts and radio frequency enhancement mumbo jumbo, and it’s already digging in my spine.”

“Fine,” said Noah, swiping the sweatshirt. He rolled it up tightly and shoved it in the front pocket. “For Ellie.” Then he zipped it shut and they looked around. He saw something funny, one gray tee-shirt folded neatly in a disorderly stack. He held it up and showed it to Joel. “What about this one, for you?”

It said: UW - La Crosse Dad.

Joel said, “Yeah, that’s real funny.”

“I thought so.”

They were alarmed then, by a loud and inhuman screech, some banging on the walls coming from a locked back room.

“Jesus,” said Joel, picking up his shotgun. Whatever it was, it was angry, but it was trapped. He thought it might have been one of the college kids who'd made a nest here, which saddened him.

“That’s the first one,” said Noah. “In the whole town. What does that mean?”

“It means we’re getting closer to the epicenter of whatever the hell is going on here,” said Joel. “We should keep moving.”

They left the store, left the infected to rot. It was blistering now in the high noon sun as they continued their journey. “What was that thing in the store, do you know?" said Noah, earnest. He had his shotgun in his hands, a heavy pistol stuffed in the back of his jeans. He had killed plenty of Infected in his life, but it was mostly runners.

“Sounded like a clicker,” said Joel. "Based on the looks of things around here, that is most likely what we'll be running into. Whatever happened, it’s been years.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” said Noah. It was a common sentiment for him, but now, something had changed in his demeanor. He seemed desperate.

“What now."

“We lived for so long, on our farm,” said Noah. “It felt safe, growing up there, barely encountering any of this insane bullshit, until just this past year or so. But these people here, in the city, it looks like they went through something horrible, for such a long time. How can that be? How can they all be dead?”

“If I remember properly,” said Joel, “it took the cordyceps some months to take root in the midwest. Once they isolated the big cities, it was a slow trickle to the end, and smaller cities like this, once they got it, there wasn’t much support. They got it bad. Local militias rose up in their various…forms. I ain’t surprised you all managed to survive on your land for as long as you did, given how isolated you are, but I suppose that it was only a matter of time before it got to you, too, one way or another.”

“This is so sad,” said Noah as they looked around at their desolate surroundings. He was shaking his head over and over again like he could not believe it. “My mom was born in La Crosse. Her ancestors came here from Norway in like the 1890s. Look at it now.”

“What about your dad?”

“My dad was born in Madison,” he said. “His grandparents were Spanish immigrants.”

“Was his family farmers, too?”

"Yeah,” said Noah. They were walking along, kicking around in the middle of the road, all cracked up with weeds, listening to the wind. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You’re from Texas,” he said. “What about your parents?”

“My parents were also from Texas,” said Joel. “My grandparents, too.”

“Where in Texas?”

“A town called Odessa.”

“Have you ever been married?” said Noah.

Joel was looking up at the sky now. There were some carrion birds up there, circling. A bad omen. “What?” he said.

“I asked if you’ve ever been married.”

“Why would you wanna know that?”

“I’m just curious,” said Noah.

Joel sighed and gave in. “Yes, I have been married.”

“When?”

“A long time ago.”

“What happened?” said Noah.

“It didn’t work out.”

“I see,” said Noah, sensing his unease. “What’s your last name?”

“My last name?” said Joel.

“Yeah,” said Noah, innocent. But then he also noticed the birds. Their conversation dropped off a cliff. “Holy shit,” he said. “You see that?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Those are turkey vultures.” He was chewing on a stick, something he’d picked up off the ground. “They nest all over these bluffs.”

“Yeah, well,” said Joel. “Looks like they found something. Come on.”

Meanwhile, at the Lapp farmhouse, Ellie had wandered over to the bottom of the stairs. They were heavy and a dark wood. Everything about the house seemed really sturdy, but it also seemed really old. Things creaked and there were occasional dips in the flooring. “I think she’s upstairs,” she said. She thought she’d heard movement now from the floor above. But she wouldn’t call out Becky’s name, because it seemed like it might not be her place. She was a stranger here.

“Becky?” said Danielle.

"Hang on,” said Cici from the living room. She had redone her pony tail. It was high on her head now and twisted into a bun. “Looks like somebody’s coming to the backdoor.”

“What?” said Danielle. "Who?"

Concerned, Ellie came back into the kitchen space and placed her hand on the loom. Maybe she hadn’t heard anything after all. She glanced toward the stairs and then back to the door. There was a little window in the door, the shape of a semi-circle, and now a girl rushing up the steps, wearing a white dress and a little white kapp. She tried to get in, but it the door locked. She knocked several times, with urgency.

“Danielle?” said the girl. “Danielle, are you here?”

“Hey, is that Becky?” said Ellie.

“Becky,” said Danielle.

She went to the door, opened it quickly. Becky came inside, her small, pink hands on the slope of her pregnant belly. Her hair was very orange, almost striking. When she looked around and Saw Cici, then Ellie, she became alarmed. “Cici?” she said. “What’s going on?”

“Everything’s okay,” said Danielle. “Where’d you go?”

“I woke up, and you were gone. I went outside. I looked everywhere.”

“I found one of the sick in the barn,” said Danielle. She helped Becky to the kitchen table, where the two of them sat down. Becky seemed out of breath. “I went to find Cici and Noah to help.”

“Oh,” she said, relieved. “Goodness. I was so worried.”

“I’m gonna take care of the runner in the barn,” said Cici.

“Runner?” said Becky.

“She means the sick,” said Danielle.

“Oh,” said Becky. “Right. Cici, how is Noah? It has been a long time since I last saw you.”

“Noah’s doing just fine,” said Cici. “Congratulations, by the way. On your blessing.”

“Oh,” said Becky, re-situating in the chair. “Thank you. We are so grateful.”

“This is Ellie,” said Danielle. She came over from the table and held Ellie’s hand. It was unexpected, but Ellie just went with it. Her hand was warm and clammy. The floor creaked where she stood. “What was your last name again, Ellie?”

“My last name?” said Ellie. She hadn’t spoke it in such a long time. She looked down at her hand, inside Danielle's hand. “It’s Williams, I guess. Ellie Williams.”

“Ellie is new to the farm.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” said Becky, fanning herself with her hand. “But you’re so young. Are you one of the ones from town?”

“No,” said Ellie, growing increasingly unsure of what she should say. “No. I’m here with—well, it’s kind of hard to explain.”

“You needn’t worry,” said Becky, so sweet, but strange. Her hair was like a pyre. Her cheeks, nose, and forehead were violently freckled and her eyes were very blue and misty. Like planets.

“What was that?” said Danielle. She had dropped Ellie’s hand and was now staring up at the ceiling. They all heard it then, the sounds upstairs. It was a loud thud, then some skittering like a giant rodent, and then a door slammed shut. Ellie felt a chill in her bones.

“Holy shit,” she said. She rushed back to the stairs, held onto the railing like a baseball bat, got up on her tip-toes to to see. “I knew I heard something.”

“I got it,” said Cici. “Ellie, stay here.”

“You can’t go by yourself. It’s one of them.”

Cici had drawn her pistol. Danielle was backing away, toward Becky, who sat very straight. They both looked pale, almost shocked, as birds. “It’s inside?” said Danielle. “How’d it get inside? I locked it in the barn. I used the chains.”

“I’m guessing it’s not the same one,” Cici said. “Just stay here, be very quiet. And Ellie, if you insist on coming, you keep behind me. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Lead the way,” said Ellie.

Ellie didn’t have a gun. She’d left it in the truck. Still, she wasn’t scared. She had been through this now, so many times, with Joel. She knew what to do, and each of those fucking things she killed, since Tess, since Henry and Sam—since fucking Riley—she had recently decided: It was going to be vengeance. She wasn’t gonna take it anymore. On their way in from Pittsburg, she and Joel had stopped at a rest stop oasis in Ohio, foraged some food from a huge gas station there on the side of the freeway. She fell asleep, leaning against one of the shelves while Joel gassed up the truck, and she had a nightmare in which she saw Joel just standing in the hotel back in Pittsburg, water up to his knees, a bite mark in his hand. He told her he was going to take his own life and then instructed her calmly upon how to get to Wyoming. Take the I-80, he had said. He said it over and over again. She woke up unnerved. She had been clenching her jaw so that her teeth felt jagged. She never told him about the dream, but it, along with so much else, had changed her.

When she and Cici got upstairs, it was just a simple hallway with three bedrooms. One at the end, and two on each side. Only the door at the end of the hallway was closed. Based on the sounds they were hearing, it was a runner in there, hiding, probably terrified. They went slowly. Ellie could tell that Cici was gonna try to keep things quiet. The walls were painted white and very clean. Ellie gazed upon the quilts which hung there, just like the ones she had seen downstairs. There was something special about them. The colors were plain. Red, white, and blue, and the purity of such reminded her of the American flag. As she stared at the quilt, she got lost as she so often did and failed to realize that, as they were focused on the room at the end of the hall and approaching it in silence, there was another runner, vibrating real quiet in the bedroom to their right.

“Oh my god,” said Ellie.

The thing rushed them. It happened so fast, like a straight line wind, and when it went for Cici, Ellie didn’t think. It was a girl runner and not so big so she whipped it back by the hair and stuck her knife in its throat, five or six times till it died. The blood was everywhere. It was on Ellie’s face, her shirt, her hands. The sound of its death was loud, and as she dropped it to the floor, the other one came through the door, gnashing and alive. Its screams were horrifying. Even as she no longer feared them outright, the Infected were fucking demons. Ellie tripped over the dead one trying to get away, and just as she did, Cici raised her gun and shot the thing in the head, twice, point blank. It went down like a fucking sack of bricks. Ellie was on her ass and out of breath.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” she said, shaking her head out like a dog. “Is that all of them?”

“Are you okay?” said Cici. She saw the blood. She hauled Ellie up and started searching her for marks.

“I’m fine,” said Ellie. “Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” said Cici, though she seemed unsettled. “We need to get the hell out of here.”

“What about Becky and Danielle?”

“They’re coming with us.”

“Cici?” said Danielle from the bottom of the stairs. “Ellie? Are you guys okay?”

“We’re fine,” Cici shouted down the stairs. “Just—just don’t come up here yet. It’s nothing you wanna see.”

Danielle said a prayer. She said, “Praise god that you came.”

Ellie tried wiping some of the blood off her face. It had gotten on her clothes, and she felt momentarily embarrassed. “What the fuck are we gonna do with these things?” she said. “We can’t just leave them here.” She looked at the quilt on the wall. It was a bloodied. Ellie was pissed off about this. She hoped they could just make another.

“Go downstairs,” said Cici. “I’ll wrap them in sheets and drag them outside.”

“I’m covered in fucking blood,” said Ellie. “I don’t want to freak them out.”

"They’ll understand,” said Cici. “We’ve been through this sort of thing before. Though the fuckers have never gotten in the house like this.”

“What do we do with the bodies?” said Ellie. “Burn them?”

“Yes,” said Cici. “There’s plenty of fuel. It won’t be too much work.”

She dragged the bodies out one by one. She then went over to the barn by herself while Ellie, Danielle, and Becky stood outside, by the truck, and waited. Cici lured the thing out and blew it to shreds with a pipe bomb. They doused the bodies with gasoline from a canister in the shed by the garden and set them on fire in the pit at the back of the property. Then, they all drove back to the scrapyard, and though they didn’t go inside, Ellie did see rows and rows of school busses, exactly like Noah had said. Cici got out, used a rubber hose to syphon several gas cans full of fuel for the generator, and then together they all drove back to the farm on the other side of the hill where they would be safe behind the electric fence.

Back in La Crosse, Noah and Joel had found the detritus that had been drawing the turkey vultures from the bluffs. It was a clicker, facedown with parts of its neck ripped out. Could've been dogs, or maybe its own kind.

"Centennial Hall," said Noah, once they got there.

"There it is," said Joel.

The building was straight ahead of them. It was tall, red brick, stately in its prime with massive pillars and a clocktower. Of late, it had been devoured whole by vines robust as ankle tendons. The clocktower was plagued by black scorch marks, too, and the grass surrounding was probably waist-high. There were no more signs, no banners or flags. The building seemed deeply haunted, with the wind whistling through its veins. The clouds were big on the horizon. Joel feared a storm.

He was getting that feeling again, too, like they were being watched. "Noah," he said.

But Noah was already headed to the clicker, the dead one, splayed out in the middle of the road. He threw a rock at one of the vultures, which had been picking at its clothes unscrupulously, and the thing hissed back to the skies. Noah crouched down to get a better look. He hadn't seen an actual clicker since the last time he was here, since his dad.

"Noah," said Joel, surveying the quaint and rural atmosphere. Something was not right.

"It's okay," said Noah.

But it wasn't okay. Joel had seen it first, the thing that was set to change them. The clicker wasn't dead. It flopped over onto its back, surprising Noah and sending him off-balance. He stumbled as it screeched its terrible song, and its face, up close, was like a demon. Joel was there before he had the space to react. He pulled the trigger on his shotgun, close enough so that its head seemed to explode off its shoulders. It went down. Joel grabbed Noah by the collar and looked him over good. He said, "Noah. Noah. You okay?"

Noah thought about losing his guts, keeling over in the street. It had been some kind of event, and he had never been that close before. "I'm fine," he said, exhilarated. "I'm okay."

"Thank Jesus."

They decided to ascend the clocktower after that. It was the highest point they could see, and it seemed a safe place for to find their respite, for now. They climbed a bunch of narrow, spiral stairs and then a ladder, and a lot of it was rotted or rusted, but they made it okay. When they got to the top, it was a small space with a window and a circuit breaker, an old empty bottle of booze but that was all. They looked out over the burnt-out college campus, how it had gone to seed and lost its innocence. They saw the clouds, too, gathering in the north, looking like a definite storm now, moving south with some speed, straight for them and for Viroqua thereafter. Leaning heavily with their backs against the wall, they caught their breath, and then Joel took the two-way radio out of his back-pack. He hooked up the repeater, something Noah's dad had rigged up a long time ago to help them extend the range of the frequency.

"We should radio your mom," he said, "before we head inside the hall. I don't know if it'll work. But on the off chance it does, we should let her and Ellie know we're okay."

Noah was in agreement, even as he spoke little. Joel found the channel and commenced his talking in the radio. Sylvia Plath, he said, loud and clear. Sylvia Plath, do you copy? This is Ryan Adams. We are okay. Sylvia Plath. Do you copy? Do you copy?

#the last of us #the last of us 2 #tlou #tlou2 #joel the last of us #ellie the last of us #as you were #joel miller #ellie williams

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earamis · 4 years

Text

Crescente, cum Dilectione

“You were bound to Hojo as a protege and mentor. He had trusted you with various responsibilities, some were praiseworthy, some better kept hidden. It was a mutual kind of dependence that benefited both parties. One day the professor granted you access to a whole new part of The Shinra Tower. There laid an unfamiliar territory with a surprise at the end.

One surprise in the form of silver and jade barely two winters old.

When you first saw him, the thought of witnessing the growth of a child who'd eventually change the world for either worse or better never once crossed your mind.”

Sephiroth x reader fic reposted from my AO3 account.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24734419/chapters/59792911

Before starting to read, there are some things I want to point out:

1. I gain no profit from writing this. It is written solely for the heck of it, cause I think the fandom deserves more Sephiroth/reader stories.

2. Reader is female, uses feminine pronounce, and can conceive, but in terms of the level of femininity and visual characteristics, I try to be as vague as possible to give more space for the reader's imagination. So, please, visualize yourself as freely as you are possible to do.

3. Reader is called “Praenomen” instead of Y/N. It comes from Latin and translates to “forename”, so reader can treat “Praenomen” or “Nomen” (name) as Y/N, and change it with yours respectively.

4. I will try to include as many canon references as I am able and cater to the timeline of events accordingly (probably some tweaks of time here and there, but not much aside from the reader's part that will be added).

5. Please feel free to ask me anything or point out any mistakes that I make, I will be honored to answer your questions!

I hope you enjoy the story :)

Good day.

Chapter 1: Two Seasons Old

Rain had been pouring outside your room since midnight. The air of early morning hours became colder both outside and in. The corroded, rickety heater your landlord was too lazy to repair could only help so much. Chill seeped from the cracks between windows to invade what warmth was saved inside your blanket. You had been awake for quite some time, and been pretty much reluctant to leave the coziness of your bed. Pitter-patter of tiny raindrops kept knocking on the glass as you watched it with fluctuating sobriety.

The lids of your eyes fought to keep themselves open. Getting some more rest sounded like a really good idea. The clock showed barely six, and work wouldn’t start until nine. Yes. You supposed more sleep would do no harm. You slowly let yourself be lulled back to slumber as you gave up the thought to wake up early and actually do your laundry before going to work.

‘It was raining anyway’, your mind supplied. ‘You won’t be able to dry them.’

So you slipped back to oblivion with the drizzle of morning rain as your lullaby.

Until one and a half hour later, the loud ring of a PHS jerked you abruptly awake. You tangled yourself between the sheets and slipped twice in a hasty attempt to reach it. Swiping your unruly hair from your face, you flipped the device open, then instantly paled to find Professor Hojo’s name blinking on the screen. On what business your mentor called you, you could only guess. It was only thirty past seven, far from being considered late. Strange. So it must be another matter. You quickly fixed your appearance out of habit and cleared your throat before pushing the green button.

“Nomen!”

“Yes, professor?”

“Come to the lab, I must show you something.”

You looked at your state of your partial undress, then at the mirror to find your disarrayed reflection. Your eyes blinked frantically for a moment. “R-right now, sir?”

“Yes!” His curt response left no room for compromise.

You hadn’t got the chance to say anything for he hung up as sudden as he’d called. Stunned, you took a few seconds to process what just happened. But then another sound, this time a small ping, from your PHS broke the silence. You saw a following message from your mentor.

‘Bring the first volume on Mako Molecular Anatomy.’

That book was stranded somewhere beneath the pile of your hoard. The old shelf at the corner had been filled long ago with tomes of your past research. Dozens of newer volumes ended up getting stacked on the floor around it to accommodate them in your snug apartment. Under a brief glance, this part of the room might cause befuddlement, but for you, well, they were still chaos alright, but a neatly organized one.

The required volume laid at the bottom of a stack labeled as “mako basics”. You lifted the heavy books above it one by one, wondering if you needed to up your workout routine after all. You were panting like a dog barely halfway. An academic life really made it easy to submerge one’s attention. For years you’d been doing mostly nothing but burying your nose in books and scriptures. What free time you had you spent either assisting your mentor, writing your own research, or to catch some sleep, hence the embarrassingly lame mass of muscles in your arms. After nearly dropping the last book and toppling every towering stacks over, you breathed a loud sigh of relief at the sight of Mako: Molecular Anatomy and Structure Divisions, First Volume.

For fear of risking your mentor’s wrath, you washed yourself lightning fast, forgetting the idea of brushing your hair altogether as you grabbed a lab coat and your bag in one arm and cradled the book in the other. The sound of your rapid footsteps must be bothering the neighbors. One grandmother from somewhere in the lower floor shot you her elderly disapproving look when you rushed past her. You didn’t even have a care to say sorry. If Hojo lost his patience waiting for you, he’d ignore your reports for the rest of the day and that would be problem. He was a man slightly screwed in the head but an exceptional mentor none the less. He’d given you priceless insights to boost your performance time and time again.

You ran through the morning drizzle with the book wrapped under your coat. Shinra tower was just three blocks away. You entered one of the entrance tunnel reserved for employees to avoid getting wetter. A guard saw you panting at the entrance, definitely suspicious toward the disheveled woman holding a bundle of fabric this early in the morning.

“Halt!” The guard approached as you stood still to catch your breath. “What’s inside that?”

Still panting from exertion, you answered with haste, “It’s a book.” Hojo must be wondering where the hell you were at this point. That man did have some crazy standards.

“Show what’s inside or you will be denied entrance.”

“Oh, Shiva.” You unfurled your coat with slight difficulty, revealing the cover of a thick book.

The idiot guard was still unconvinced. “Open it.”

You blinked incredulously, what in Ifrit’s name did this look like to him? “It’s a book! See? Plain old paper!”

When the guard didn’t say anything, you chose to just ignore him and go ahead, but he pulled the strap of your bag, causing you to jerk backward. “What’s in the bag?”

“For real?!” Hojo would definitely be pissed.

“Entrance will be deni-”

Fortunately, or rather unfortunately in a sense, your PHS rang again, and it was Hojo. He was pissed. You swallowed thickly and slid the device out of your pocket. Answering him was daunting, but not answering him meant certain hell.

“Yes, professor?”

“What is taking you so long, you slug?!”

You peered at the guard. “I’m currently denied entrance, sir.”

“What?!” He screeched so hard, you had to distance your ear from the speaker. “By who?”

You looked at what was written on the man’s nametag. “Uhm…. Markus P., sir.”

Hojo spat at the end of the line, “Tell him to let you pass or he’ll be the one passed into my lab.” Then the professor hung up, leaving an awkward silence to hang between you and Markus P. Said man was dumbfounded. You decided to pass on what your mentor had said, then, in a moment of peculiar understanding, his face turned five shades paler and let you pass.

You muffled a thanks.

Down in the lower levels of the tower, was Shinra’s Science & Research Division. The floors was each designated to one specific subdivision. Environmental research would be at the topmost, followed by civil engineering, mako development, bio-engineering, and lastly were Hojo’s personalized research labs. Only authorized personnel belonging to one of the subdivisions might enter. Every subdivision hosted plenty of confidentiality that not all members were permitted to move freely between the levels. You were one of the few who were granted more access due to working directly under Hojo’s mentorship.

The elevator ride was long enough to give you plenty of time fixing yourself. You put on your white coat and combed your hair between your fingers as best as you were able to. Thanks to the early hours, you’d only have to pass three other people beside Markus P., and two of them were overtime workers already knocked out on their desks. Hojo’s labs were inaccessible via the main lift. You had to transfer into a private entrance beyond the common area. The machine blinked green when it scanned your fingerprints, allowing you to descent straight into the professor’s office.

“Nomen. You’re finally here.”

“I’m sorry. I was-”

“Yes, yes.” Hojo waved his hand dismissively, not in the mood to hear your ramblings. “Come here child, and did you bring the book? Good.”

He led you away from the main hall to a winding pathways even you weren’t familiar with. You had the urge to ask where he planned to take you, but thought better. Hojo wouldn’t have called if this was anything but pertained to his research. There was a double metal door at the end of the aisle. Hojo scanned his palm to allow both of you access. You looked around, this was definitely an area you’d never ventured into. Everything about it was unfamiliar. There was an open space with multiple doors on its walls. Several glass windows showed medical facilities and rows of sealed bio-pods. Now you couldn’t scratch the itch to ask away.

“Professor, what’s in the pods?”

Hojo knew exactly what you were referring to. “Those, my dear, are the chrysalis of my latest experiments,” he said. “Let me show you a glimpse of their beauty.”

Your course teetered to one of the door. He entered with you on his tail. From this distance you could see series of numbers written at on each pod. There were about twenty of them connected to one another and by a single gargantuan pipe. Every pod had a small window about on its door, about as high as your head, but the glasses were tinted in black that you couldn’t get a glimpse of what was inside.

Hojo stopped in front of one labeled P-XII-001. He beckoned you to come closed and you did. A panel on the right side of the window was opened. Hojo typed a series of code and with a smooth whirr, the machine came to life. The tinted glass began to set alight, revealing the familiar green of liquid mako. You stood on your tiptoes to try and get a better look.

“Chimeras?”

“Yes!” Yelled Hojo with a childlike glee. “Oh…. Aren’t they exquisite?”

You observed with keen interest. The specimen behind that door wasn’t anything you had set your eyes on before. It looked humanoid with the characteristics of a cuahl – its skin was patterned, extended whiskers protruded from the top of its mouth, and two huge feline ears stood above its head.

“Taken straight from Gaea’s Cliff, I have enhanced its ability to thrive amongst the harsh winter of the north. They are suited to conquer mountainous terrain as they please.”

“Have you made prototypes, sir?”

“I have, and none were as perfect as this one would be.”

Amazing was too degenerative a word to describe him. You always wondered just how he found the time to create this things amidst the chaos of Shinra’s busiest department. Moreover, lately President Shinra himself had decreed expeditions to plant new reactors in strategic locations. Probably half of the Science & Research Division had to be deployed and here was Hojo, managing everything under his thumb like he was merely playing chess. Even Hollander, the Division Head himself, was having difficulties splitting his responsibilities.

“Alright, that’s enough.” He said suddenly, turning the pod back to sleep. “This is not what I had intended to show you. Let’s not get sidetracked, shall we?”

The professor moved along. In deafening silence you began to wonder who else had ever roamed this place. Curious tools and paraphernalia were scattered all around. You thought the winding path would never end, but then Hojo stopped once again, now before a small metal door. He opened it with, surprisingly, a set of analog keys instead of digitalized lock system.

“Now…. I know I need not ask this of you, Nomen. You have proven yourself reliable beyond my expectation. But still, I feel like I must inquire something.”

You stared at Hojo. His black eyes behind the round spectacles probed yours. Aware that you were treading on the edge of something unknown, you hesitantly nodded your head. “Yes, professor?”

His glasses flashed for a moment as his chin upturned.

“Do you like children?”

You needed a moment to let the question sink in.

“Do you?”

“I- I’m sorry…. I fail to see how that is relevant to….”

“Just answer me.”

You cleared your throat. “Uh, I don’t have any particular feeling, or, um…emotion toward them.”

Hojo nodded, apparently the answer was enough. “I suggest you get yourself used to one.” Then he pushed the door open.

Behind it a view you would least expect to be found in the deepest part of a Shinra lab was revealed. The professor had stepped aside to give you better vision. You doubted your eyes for a moment, but as you moved inside, slow on your feet, you knew that the object lying right before you was, in fact, a crib. A baby crib, complete with colorful ornaments and a heap of soft blankets. Such infantile properties were clashing horrendously with the sterile white and grey of the lab. You scanned around it to find even more objects of similar quality littered around the floor.

“What is…,” your words were cut short. As you casted your gaze back into the crib, the previously unmoving lump of velvety blankets had sat up to stare at you with equally curious eyes. They were most beautiful color of jade you had ever seen.

And they belonged to a baby.

“Behold, my ultimate creation.” Hojo slinked past you, waving his hand to the tiny form in the crib. Said infant followed the movement of your mentor with alertness uncanny to his age. “My son, Sephiroth.”

Right in that moment, your jaw dropped. That was…?

“Your s-son…?”

Hojo pushed the rim of his glasses up his nose. His face looked maniacal with a grin splitting it. “And you, Nomen, are the only one besides me who’s privileged to witness the wonders of this being. Give me the book and take him out.”

You absently handed the book to your mentor. He had asked to get…what was his name...? Sephiroth? “Pardon me, professor, but I’ve never lifted a child in my life.” You gawked at Hojo with wide eyes, hoping for leniency, yet Hojo had buried his nose inside the pages. Just like any other scientist and their tomes, he was immediately lost, deep in his own mind. That left you with his round-faced ‘offspring’ alone. The little boy directed those jade irises at you, blinking innocently. That only served to unsettle your nerves.

‘How does one even lift an infant? What if I drop him?!’

Steeling your resolve, for the sake of your mentor’s trust and your career, you lifted your palms toward the child. They were slightly trembling and your back was damp with perspiration. This felt ridiculous in a sense. Sephiroth was just a bundle of softness oblivious to your inner turmoil when you were only supposed to lift him up. And how in Shiva’s name you were going to get used to this, pray tell.

That calm eyes flicked to your hands as you froze in your way to hold him. You swore you saw him tilt his head one side like he actually understood what was going on, and lifted his arms. Either it was an encouragement or a force of habit, you didn’t know. Since the party involved had seemingly gave you an explicit clue on how to handle him, your hands finally landed around his middle. And, boy, was he soft.

A smile inadvertently bloomed on your lips.

Sephiroth was unexpectedly heavy when you lifted him. Or you were simply weak. The living, breathing bundle in your arms offered zero resistant. You cradled him to your chest and immediately the scent of chamomile and all the things calming hit your nose. You’d like to think this was exactly how purity would smell if it had one.

“…the aforementioned properties of its distilled liquid will cause the chain reaction of so and so and such…,” Hojo’s mumbling took your attention away from the boy that had begun to suckle on his own hand. You were considering taking it out but the professor addressed you first.

“Put him on the table.”

You walked to the mentioned furniture and carefully put him down, feeling somehow reluctant. Hojo came next to you, dumping the heavy volume in front of his child. He opened a chapter on distilled mako before pointing a finger upon one passage.

“Read, son.”

Your breath literally stopped in your chest. You made a sound teetering between a chortle and a gasp. The sun must have barely reached a quarter of its course yet today had presented so much anomaly. This infant couldn’t have lived longer than 3 winters and his self-proclaimed father asked him to read, an advanced mako science none the less! What in the world was going on, you didn’t know. Maybe your glorified mentor had finally snapped. He did have some screws loose in that big head of his.

Hojo casted a challenging look in no way you were capable of defeating, snapping you back in place. You quickly realized your slip and was planning to rectify that mistake when an ambiguous gurgling sound was heard.

If jaws could be taken off its hinges like a door, yours would certainly drop to the floor.

“mmako…ditti..aion”

“In Holy’s name….”

The pipsqueak just spelled freaking mako distillation, with baby language!

“…te…a- aometioned poppetie isth dilled…,” Sephiroth made a pause, his nose scrunching in confusion.

“Liquid…,” somehow noticing his difficulty, you unconsciously said the next word. The baby pouted for a moment before he tried to copy you and continue the rest of the passage. You were so dumbfounded, you didn’t realize when the miracle had ended until Hojo patted your back.

“I haven’t described your responsibility yet you’ve done it so well. I was right to choose you.”

There wasn’t a word to describe how you felt right then. Years of assisting research under Hojo’s mentorship had put you up against some of the strangest conditions. But this, by far, was the strangest of strange. You swore not once the thought ever crossed your mind, that you’d be a nanny when you signed up to Shinra’s exalted Science & Research Department, still green and a living proverb of an ‘empty cup ready to be filled’. You guessed there would always be things left to surprise you, huh….

“First of all, I have to remind you that what happens in my lab; my research, your work, and anything pertaining to my son, is of utmost confidentiality. You are to assist me in monitoring the growth and development of this child. To make sure he turns into the utmost prodigy, will be your sole purpose under my wing,” the professor was kind enough to explain only what you needed to hear, as you doubted you’d be able to process much right now. Not after this shocking turn of events. “You, Nomen, are thus now a member of my innermost circle of team. Pack your belongings and move to the tower. You are to stay near my son at all times.”

Your eyes opened wider than the Gold Saucer. Whether you wanted to thank Hojo for suddenly exalting your status and career prospect or sue him for dumping all this responsibility like cold water without consulting you first, you weren’t quite sure. You’d be justified if you sue him for labor extortion. But all was good still. You were the one who sold your soul to the devil when you requested Hojo a mentorship all those years ago after all.

Such was the prologue to your newest chapter in life. It was brusque and unceremonious to a fault. The oath of confidentiality forced you to keep mute. Nobody was to know about anything, not your shock, nor your bafflement upon how to properly approach the change. Your mentor was the only other person who knew and sadly was better posed as an academic than a colleague. He’d try to analyze the workings of your mind before you even finished telling a thing. Maybe, you consoled yourself, maybe some other human being would come into the picture later. Although you haven’t seen any, you were sure there must be more people wandering these labs besides just the professor and you.

At the beginning of the next day, this particular chapter had progressed quite dramatically. You found Shinra personnel moving to and fro your rickety abode with boxes and boxes of your belongings. Mainly consisted of books and clothes, then a small number of trivial objects like your favorite chocobowl with its moogle spoon. There were a couple of low-rank guards supervising the whole process, to which their purpose was quite ambiguous to you, but as they didn’t try to piss anyone off like Markus P., you supposed it was fine. Some nosy neighbors peeped with curiosity, either wanting to know with whom Shinra had business with or wondering if you were up to some shady deals with them. You tried your best to ignore them.

To be honest, the whole affair of moving was inconsequential in a greater sense. You have never felt any particular attachment to your home. There wasn’t much to incite emotional fixation, except, perhaps the memory of peace after a hard day’s work, after shower, buried beneath the layers in your bed. But it was just one between too many discontents accumulated throughout years – for instance, the heater could do with some maintenance. Winters were always arctic. You were gladder to finally break free from an old routine. Taking care of a Promethean scientist’s infant certainly opened the door to new and exciting opportunities.

The professor had prepared an empty room prior your arrival. It was deep down the basement of Shinra Tower, right next to his son’s. Whatever plan Hojo had for you to partake in, he surely thought it out well. Accommodation was taken care of and its basic facilities already provided. The new lodging had a bedroom, a living room, one spare room you planned to turn into a study, private bathroom and a kitchen. Though not by much, the space was larger than your previous home, and most importantly, the air conditioner worked out perfect. The only downside was an absence of windows. Bereft walls gave quite the forlorn impression without any chance to glimpse beyond them and into the sky. This would take some time getting used to, but you would manage. Slum residents beneath the plates had it way worse.

When the last of your boxes had been transported down, you learned two things at once. One, your hypothesis was proven true. There were other people besides you and the professor roaming these lowest levels. Janitors and technicians, mainly the latter, had been tirelessly helping you. And two, Sephiroth actually had another proper, professionally acclaimed babysitter named Eredith. You immediately approached to introduce yourself after chancing upon her with the infant. She had offered her name in return before excusing herself with the boy in her arms. It wasn’t the warmest of welcome. You didn’t mind one bit. Simply knowing that she existed to fill that role had lessened the burden you previously thought was much bigger. As they went down the aisles, the baby in her arms turned to stare at you with his jade irises. You absently waved a hand, which, to your delight and astonishment, was replied with a grabby-hand.

The rest of the day was spent unboxing. You had only a handful of things to be unpacked, except of course, the books. Half were deliberately left untouched for another day of labor. The muscles in your arm already screamed with exhaustion before you could even finish arranging the unpacked ones inside the shelves. That left you with two boxes abandoned in the corner of your to-be study. Everything else was already in place by night. You took a long bath afterward and only after you were sure pretty much everything had been settled, you allowed yourself to relax.

*******************************************************************************************

You made a humble portion of toast for breakfast to start the day. Hojo didn’t require you until sometime around 10 in the morning. He had told you to prepare a list of basic science textbooks, preferably illustrated, for his son to begin reading. So you made use of the free time to continue unboxing. From this collection alone, you could submit more than 50 titles to the professor. The existence of multiple bookshelves, each one bigger than what you previously had, displayed the diversity of your collection perfectly. The books were gathered into sections of congruous topics. There were plenty to choose, you had a habit of buying whatever writings caught your attention, though when you finally thought about it, nursery rhymes and clean energy looked astoundingly disparate next to one another.

Just before 10, Hojo took you on a tour while explaining the nature of your job. Beginning from the entrance where you first arrived, to the winding halls and the rooms he deemed necessary for your work. He had programmed an almost unlimited access for you. Only one area remained off-limit for some reason. Despite your curiosity, you decided against probing further unless the man himself allowed you in. Sometimes not knowing was actually easier. The ones you were allowed to enter was interesting enough. You even thought to propose borrowing the bio lab for your own research. Maybe later after having familiarized yourself better, you’d ask the professor.

Sephiroth was waddling around his room when you entered with Hojo sometime near noon. Eredith watched attentively from a distance with his bowl of lunch half eaten. The infant had been engrossed by a stuffed chocobo that he ignored everyone else completely. The professor glanced at his son once, dismissing the babysitter with a wave of his hand.

“Pardon me, sir, but Sephiroth hasn’t finished his lunch.” Eredith tried to explain.

“Your time is up, Edith. Just put the bowl somewhere, you are no longer needed.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t leave right away. She gave you a look that could almost be interpreted as a plea. Either she was asking for your help to reason with your mentor or actually hoping you’d continue feeding the baby, you could only stood in silence. The woman received a harsher repetition of the command before she dejectedly put the bowl down on a table. She bowed to Hojo and excused herself. It was the silent frustration on her face that suddenly moved you. Maneuvering with three heavy volumes in your cradle, you called out to her as she was about to close the door.

“I’ll continue feeding him, don’t worry.”

She paused to look at you as if you had grown a wing. Her smile was subtle yet genuine as can be when it appeared. “Thank you,” she said with relief, then left.

“Troublesome woman, that one,” you heard Hojo mutter in her absence. “Sephiroth this, Sephiroth that. Always making excuses for her own incompetence.”

You’d been here barely a day. Everyone but Hojo were still strangers to you. There was no way your input on the matter would be credible, so you opted to make none. You simply headed to the table where the last half of Sephiroth’s lunch was, putting the books you brought right next to it.

“Come here, Nomen.” Your mentor gave you a clipboard. He showed the papers attached to it. There was a table containing multiple statements which had to be filled and sometimes rated from scale one to ten. “My son is unique. He is far beyond his age, he knows how to process more and more complex stimulus everyday as his adaptability runs high compared to most, mediocre infants.” You had never heard your mentor spoke with that level of pride before. “But alas,” he casted his eyes at the sight of Sephiroth not six feet away, playing with the same stuffed animal, “A child is still a child.”

Hojo closed the distance between him and his son. His figure towered over the boy. “He lacks the ability to focus on what matters.” Sephiroth didn’t even heed the other’s presence, still too happily hugging the chocobo when Hojo took it from his tiny hands. For a second there was this stifling, immovable tension going on between them. A battle of willpower between a father and his son. Hojo kept the toy away from him, staring the infant down with intense scrutiny. “Bring the book here.” You snapped out of your trance, scurrying to get the book for the man. He exchanged the book with it. In lack of a better thought of what to do, you just held it like an idiot.

The child looked really upset. His mouth curved downward, his hands made tiny fists where they previously held the stuffed animal, and his eyes…. You thought he was about to cry, but looking closer, those jade irises actually held an entirely different emotion. Never have you ever saw a baby held such anger in silence. Children are supposedly prone to tears and tantrums. Not with him. He, for the second time, looked uncannily beyond his age. It was honestly ironic because mere moments ago he looked exactly how any infant would with the toy you currently had.

“Playtime’s over, son,” Hojo shoved the book closer. He opened its first chapter. “You have so much potential. I didn’t go through the trouble to create you with failure in mind, so don’t waste your time.”

That immovable tension increase tenfold. You shifted in your spot, wondering why the mere scene of a parent scolding his child seemed to bother you. But then again, seeing as the parent was your mentor and his child had the tendency to be creepily uncanny each time you saw him, this couldn’t be considered normal at all, and you didn’t have a child anyway, you wouldn’t know.

“Make sure you don’t miss anything on that list.” He said to you. Sephiroth was still glaring at him from the floor. “All the tool you will require is in there,” he said, pointing at an overhead cabinet. “If you have questions, message me.”

“Should I call Eredith back when I’m finished?”

Hojo snorted. “Just leave after you’re done. This child gets too spoiled with her.”

Like countless times before, you shut your mouth even though you disagreed. That child was independent enough. Hojo just had illogical standards most times.

“I will leave you to it, then. Report to me later tonight.” Unexpectedly, he began to go. You hastily asked the man in panic. “Wha- You’re not staying, professor?”

Said professor sighed with his distinct flair. “I am occupied and will be for some time. The President require me. That’s why I must entrust some things to you, Nomen. I believe you can handle it well. Now, I shall leave you to it.”

Just like Eredith previously did, he was gone, leaving you and his less than pleased infant alone. You peered at him nervously. He was hunched over the book that looked too big for his tiny figure. The child still looked upset.

“Um….” There was that list in your one hand and his toy in the other. You tried to weigh the value of each. As you inspected what was on the list, you instantly thought it was both intriguing and ridiculous.

PROJECT-S

Report: 07-10-1983

J-01.S1.16817.00599.000.6

Subject Name: Sephiroth

D.O.B.: 05-05-1981

Age: 2 year 5 month

Physical Development

Cephal

Circumference:

Shape:

Facio

Length:

Width:

Iris color:

Teeth condition:

Brachium

Length:

Circumference:

Flexibility:

Strength:

(….)

The whole first page of the document was all about the boy’s physical growth. There were even 10 pages in total, things were quite normal up to the point where Hojo actually wanted you to rate the child’s understanding of certain vocabularies like ‘cathode’ and ‘anode’. You didn’t mean to underestimate Sephiroth’s ability as he had proven to be quite the anomaly just after three brief meetings, you simply found it hard to believe that a two-year-old had to put up with this level of standard. You shook your head incredulously.

Looking at him now, it kind of answered some of the mystery his uncanny behavior omitted. If Hojo had done something to make ‘his son’ biologically enhanced, he was bound to be different in some ways.

“Sephiroth?” He gave you a scrunched nose and nothing else. The child fumbled with the hem of his shirt under your constant gaze, as if hesitating with whatever he decided to do next. You were about to struck a conversation when his tiny hands landed on the book.

He began to read.

“In e be..begin’in o’ e book-”

“Um…Sephiroth?”

“-a in…indodooction o ele..men-”

“Hey,” you put a hand to cover the page gently. “Seph, stop for a second, yeah?”

He turned to look at you with the most flustered expression a baby could ever muster.

“I haven’t told you my name, right? My name’s Nomen.”

There was silence after your awkward attempt at introduction. He still didn’t say a word, just stared at you with the same expression. You started to wonder if he actually get what you said. The child got tired of looking at you after a few seconds and dived back into the book, but you were persistent yourself.

You plopped the stuffed animal in front of his line of vision.

This time when he looked at you, not only was he flustered, but his eyes also round with surprise. He was visibly teetering between holding himself back or just accept the offering. Almost a minute passed with him freezing up. To your surprise he pushed the animal back to you. His face looked so conflicted it made you feel bad.

You quickly put the toy back on top of the book. “Didn’t you want to play?”

Sephiroth now fumbled with his fingers. His pout was back. “Tis a test….”

“No! I’m not testing you, kid. Oh, by the Goddess.” Your lips turned to a smile. Without even giving it a second thought, you patted the boy’s head. He then froze again. It was unclear whether he felt offended by the touch. Do kids even feel offended? Alas, you began pulling your hand away, but he suddenly grabbed your wrist with tiny hands and put it back on his hair, looking at you with an annoyed expression.

He liked it.

Just like you would with a cat, you petted his head. He leaned into your touch with the same pissed off face, but his body was relaxed. You took the chance to shove his chocobo at him. Fortunately, he immediately accepted. The two of you stayed that way for a while. It felt comfortable. Your heart was warmed up in the face of this unexpected softness.

“I promised Eredith you’ll finish lunch, sooo…before we start everything, let’s eat first, okay?”

His jade irises peered from below your palm. He looked unsure.

“You can keep the chocobo. I won’t take it away. I promise!”

After he nodded, you immediately took the bowl temporarily abandoned on the table. He was nothing but cooperative and you were relieved for it. Sephiroth munched his food with the toy never leaving his hands. You utilized the interval between each spoon to start measuring the boy’s physique. He was quite the slow eater, taking all the time in the world to chew. By when he finally finished lunch, you had managed to fill the first page of the document.

Hours went by unnoticed as the examination process was carried on. He time and time again amazed you with the ability to maintain almost unwavering focus. He actually always wanted to play, sometimes allowing himself to take a toy lying around when your attention was elsewhere. But once you subjected him to another test, he rallied all of himself to it. It was mesmerizing to watch.

Somewhere along the way, Eredith actually came knocking at the door. She brought biscuits and a bottle of milk for the infant’s afternoon meal. The woman didn’t say much to you, she just politely asked to feed Sephiroth again and brought the empty bowl away. Nothing much happened after that. You allowed the boy to munch on his snack while you asked him questions or told him to perform some task.

At some point you came across the question of whether Sephiroth understood some terms written on the paper – the cathode and anode one. You sighed exasperatedly. The child was currently drawing something resembling his favorite stuffed animal, if you weren’t mistaken. You leaned over him, asking just for sure, “Is that your chocobo?”

“Uh-huh.”

You nodded appreciatively. His skill was decent enough for his drawing to be understood. That indicated a capability to understand and replicate the existence of objects around him. You quickly took a note.

“Um…kid?”

“Hm?”

“Can you read these two words for me?” You showed the nouns for him to spell. He studied them momentarily and tried. “Ca’ffode an’ an….”

“Anode.”

“…aode.”

“That’s right,” you gave him a smile and another pat on the head. “Do you know what they mean?”

He shook his head hesitantly.

“Alright….” You thought to yourself the best way of explaining it to him. “Do you know battery?”

“Un…yea.”

“Cathode is the part of a battery that has the [+] symbol, while anode has [-].”

Sephiroth stared at you silently. He didn’t seem to get what you mean, so you looked around. Amidst the toy lying around was a fake gun, colored in bright colors appealing to children. You took it and opened the battery case.

“Here, look, there’s a [+] sign here and a [-] sign. This one is the cathode and this one is anode. The battery has power, it runs to the gun from here to here. Without one of these two, the power is stuck in one side, just like a road that’s blocked.”

“They…’re like ‘oors?”

You smiled fondly, “Yes, yes! They’re like doors. If they’re not set in properly, the power from the battery won’t flow to the gun, just like one can’t pass through a door if it’s not opened.”

The boy was astute. You never had to explain things twice as long as you gave him a good example. Filling the rest of the document became nothing but a breeze. Before you knew it, you had completed the day’s report. Sephiroth also looked bored, the chocobo was back in his cradle as he laid on the floor, his tiny fingers fumbled with its feathery butt. You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped your lips. This was the first time you interacted with him and you could already see various shades of his personality. At times, his calm demeanor and self-restraint made you feel like there was someone much older trapped inside that tiny body, then there were also times like these, when he behaved innocently like every other child in the Planet did. He was highly intriguing at such a young age and you dared to bet he would continue to be so when he grows up.

Having nothing else to do left but gawk at the tiny fluff caressing a chocobo butt, you took another brief moment to appreciate it before preparing to leave. Your task was over technically, but you couldn’t help feeling like there was more you could do. Then an idea struck your mind.

“Seph, stay here, okay? I’m gonna get something for you.”

You hurried to your room, heading straight to the bookshelves. At the children’s section was a compilation of nursery rhymes and tales. You scanned the titles with keen eyes, finding the one you were looking for right away, then quickly headed back to Sephiroth’s. The boy was still on his back when you returned. You approached him with an enthusiastic smile plastered on your face.

“Look what I’ve got.”

The boy looked at you half-heartedly. He was definitely done for the day. Then he saw the book you had brought. He quickly sat up to take it.

Below the title – Pickle in a Fickle! – was a picture of one golden chocobo, just like his toy, staring at two gysahl greens completely bamboozled. “Chochobo!” Sephiroth pointed at the character.

“Yes, the same as yours. His name is Pickle.”

“’ickle…,” the boy copied. He wasted no time opening it, eyes seemingly glittering with wonder to see illustrated pages instead of black and white passages. You waited patiently for him to start reading. But the moment he saw some passages, he pouted.

You blinked in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“’m tired weadin’.”

Ah…. That made sense. He’d been forced to spell hundreds of words in a day. Some people didn’t even bother to read. The young boy had accomplished nothing short of a feat. You supposed he was justified to call it a day.

“Do you want me to read it to you?”

His giddiness was back instantaneously, “Yea! Wead it!”

So began your habit of bringing children’s books to him. He spent morning ‘till sundown doing his best with the examination and you rewarded him with new tale almost every day. He was always tired by the end that you had to read to him. The young boy listened with rapt attention, sometimes sitting beside you while playing with Pickle – he named his chocobo after you narrated the story, some other time getting into your lap to see the pages as you read.

Eredith started to give you smiles that grew bigger each time you saw her, though you two still hadn’t talked much aside from some pleasantries and formalities. She was always there when you came in the morning, then proceeded to make herself scarce all day long, only coming in once or twice to deliver foods and drinks. By sundown, you’d be bidding little Seph a goodbye. Eredith was already by the door when you exited. You nodded your head politely and let her be to do her job.

By night, Hojo would call you to his office and ask for report. He’d inspect the document you filled every single day, taking notes of certain aspects that he deemed significant. The professor was overall pleased with his son’s progress, seemingly unaware of the new habit you had helped him build. If your mentor knew anything about you adding non-academic books – nonsense jabberwockies, he’d said – to his son’s curriculum, he had certainly done nothing to stop it.

Sephiroth had become much more open to you after a month of constant meeting. He would happily stand by the door every day at 10 o’clock, the time you were supposed to get in. He kept urging you to hurry with the tests so he gets to hear another story. You gladly did as he asked, it was a win-win situation for all anyway. The effects of your diligence was showing and it affected everyone. Hojo rarely spoke harshly to his son nor Eredith, he gave you a raise, and most importantly, approved your proposal to borrow the bio lab for the sake of your own research. He didn’t question your intentions much, simply asked you to not let it hinder your main responsibility with Sephiroth. He only allowed you to use them at night when you were done reporting. Without hesitation you agreed.

Life became much easier than ever before. For once things were actually going the right way. You couldn’t be more grateful, to the professor, to fate, and to the fluff of silver and jade who was the reason of it all. By the time you went to bed, the only thing that came to your mind was which story you should bring tomorrow.

#ff7 #ffvii #ffviiremake #ffvii remake #ff7 remake #archive of our own #sephiroth x reader #reader insert #hojo #professor hojo #sephiroth is a baby #baby sephiroth #young sephiroth #young hojo #young president shinra #everyone is young #fanfiction #my fics #e-aramis

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hereticpriest · 5 years

Text

Powdered Sugar Chapter 1

Polar AU

After retiring, Duncan runs into a young woman who has just moved into a house down the road from his. Her behaviour makes it clear she’s hiding something, or at least hiding from something. The question is, what?

Margaery ‘Minnie’ Davis hooks her thumbs in her belt loops as she surveys the state of her new property, occasionally blocked by the movers carrying her furniture into the house. She will have to do some heavy maintenance on the yard come spring, as it is absolutely overrun with dead and dormant plants. A loud bark draws her out of her thoughts, and she smiles at the massive leonberger running out of the trees.

“Hello my little lion cub. Did you finish your run around the property? Do you like our new home, Theo?” Minnie asks, squatting so she can kiss his forehead and ruffle his ears. She takes a second to remove a tag from his collar and replace it with a new one, then stands and encourages him to go continue exploring. She fetches a duffel bag from her black Jeep Wrangler, hooking it over her shoulder, then picks up a large gun case sized for a rifle and a smaller gun case more along the lines of a handgun size. The movers are carrying her gun safe into the house, and she asks them to put it near the door, keeping herself several feet away from the men at all times.

Once the last item is in the house, she places a couple of rolled bills on the back of the moving truck, then skirts around the men to head into the house. She puts her guns in the safe first, then sets her ammo safe in the front hall closet shelf. A titanium baseball bat is mounted beside the door, and a roll of hunting knives are dispersed around the house. She takes out a box with tangled wires and panels in it and begins to move around the house, setting up window alarms on each window, a security camera on the front porch, the back patio, and one to cover the main area of the cabin. She wires it all to a security panel, programs it, and finally collapses into one of the chairs set in her ‘living room’ area. Theo paws at the front door a few moments later, drawing her out of her stupor, and she crosses to it to let him in.

“Hello little lion.” Minnie hums, letting her dog into the house, shivering at the rush of cold air, and closing the door behind them. The fireplace is clean and usable, but she hasn’t lit it yet because she hasn’t got any wood chopped. Theo lays on the plush rug, wiggling against it, then relaxing. His fur will keep him warm, but Minnie doesn’t have the same luxury.

“Damnit.”

Minnie heads out to the wood pile with her axe, swinging it lazily with one hand, though she drops at when she hears the soft bang of a cabin door opening in the distance. She twists, black curls bouncing around her head, and meets the eyes of a man at the cabin next to hers. Even across a good half-acre distance, she could see the cherry of his cigarette and his dark, sad eyes. Minnie swallows, takes a deep breath to steel herself, then lifts the axe out of the snow and places a log on her chopping block. She grunts as she slams the axe down, splitting the wood easily. Practiced. The next log goes up, another grunt, and the log splits. Minnie begins to sweat, and she shrugs off her thick wool coat, tossing it onto the stairs to her porch. Underneath, she wears a black, cotton, ¾ sleeve shirt that stretches to cover her ample chest, and a pair of simple jeans that cling to her legs. Her hiking boots are black and worn with age.

From his cabin nearby, Duncan watches the woman as he has been since the moving trucks pulled up. She slams the axe into the chopping block, loads her arms with wood, and walks up the steps to the house. A pause, and then she’s back outside to put her coat back on and light a cigarette. Her dog follows, circling her once before running off to frolic in the snow. He can’t say he doesn’t want to meet the woman. She’s beautiful, capable, and she’s going to be his neighbour so he might as well get to know her. So, when her dog begins to jump in snow piles, progressively getting closer and closer to him, he moves to sit on the stairs of his porch and wait patiently.

The massive dog takes out a pile of snow near his truck on the way over, then runs up to sniff him and lick his face. The woman notices and immediately says something to herself before heading over.

“Theo, down!” The woman shouts, and her dog immediately obeys, resting at Duncan’s feet and leaning against his legs to get pets. Duncan obliges, looking the dog over appreciatively while he waits for his new neighbour to approach. She stays a few feet away from him when she walks up, and Theo pads over to her when she stops.

“Hi… er, hello. Uhm, sorry… about Theo. He’s very friendly with people he likes. Good judge of character.” The woman steps a bit closer, like her dog’s opinion of him means that much, “I’m Margaery Davis. I-I just moved in, today… well, I’m sure you saw.”

Duncan offers her what he hopes is a relaxing smile, and her face softens into a smile of her own. He notices her cigarette is burnt out from her running and thumps one out of his pack for her, holding it out for her. “I’m Duncan. Duncan Vizla.”

“Duncan Vizla. It’s nice to meet you. We’re… uh, neighbours, so… I suppose we’ll see a lot of each other.” Minnie says with a nervous smile. She takes the cigarette with a quiet thank you and lights it up, taking a deep drag off of it. Her lips are a deep pinkish red, almost like she just finished sucking on a candy, and Duncan finds himself wondering if it is natural or not. Her skin is white in a slightly unnatural way, like she’s been deprived of the sun rather than naturally not having much pigment to her skin.

“Snow White.” Duncan murmurs to himself, and Minnie raises her brows. She takes another drag before speaking.

“Sorry, what?”

“I said Snow White. You… look like her.” Duncan says a little louder, and Minnie feels her cheeks flush.

“Oh… Uhm, thank you?”

“You’re welcome.” Duncan eyes her for a moment, and Minnie swallows, petting Theo’s head.

“I… I should leave you be.” She says, hesitating before holding out her free hand to him, “I… I hope I’ll see you again soon. Call me Minnie, by the way. Margaery is an old lady name.”

“Minnie…” Duncan takes her hand, shaking it, his thumb running over her knuckles briefly before he lets go. She offers him a small smile, lifting the cigarette to her lips once more, then turns on her heel and heads back towards her cabin. Theo follows along behind her for a moment before running ahead to dive into another snow pile. Duncan watches her go, eying the slow sway of her hips as she picked her way through the snow.

Two days later, he heads into town and sees Minnie in the grocery store just in time to watch her flinch away from another customer that steps too close to her while passing her in the aisle. He eyes her for a moment before entering the store, tracking the way Minnie’s eyes immediately flick to him. Assessing her situation. He offers her a small nod, and she nods back, then continues to where to noisy owner Martha has the liquor just out of reach.

“Bourbon, please. And vodka. The bigger bottles, please. I’d like it to last.” Minnie murmurs, her shoulders tight. Her basket is laden with groceries and essentials, and she spends some time picking out different candies to add to her basket. As she’s choosing, he can see her worrying her lip with her teeth. Oral fixation, if he had to guess. She pays cash, bagging everything up while Martha counts her change. Duncan makes sure his footsteps up to her are loud enough that she isn’t frightened by his appearance in the queue.

“Oh, and here’s your neighbour. Have you two met yet? Margaery here was just telling me that she’s happy to have moved here. Duncan will be a good neighbour, honey.” Martha rambles while Minnie puts the last of her candy in her bags, save for a lollipop. She unwraps it, pops it in her mouth, and stuffs the wrapper into her pocket.

“Thank you kindly, Martha. I-I’ll see you later.” Minnie offers Duncan a small smile, then heads out the door and across the street to the rental machine. Duncan pays for his purchases while Martha babbles on about Minnie being such a pretty girl to be living out on her own and wonders why she doesn’t have a man looking out for her. Duncan looks at her blankly through it all, taking his bag when he’s done and heading out into the cold again. Minnie is still across the street with two DVD boxes in her hands, shuffling her bags in her arms. Duncan crosses over to her, steps loudly crunching in the snow, and takes the bags from her carefully.

“Oh, thank you Duncan.” Minnie offers him a shy smile, putting the DVD boxes into one of the bags, “I was just… picking up some entertainment. The, uh, internet connection isn’t great out here.”

“Not a problem. Where are you parked?” Duncan asks, and Minnie reaches for her bags.

“Oh, no, Duncan. I’ve got it, it’s fine, I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“You haven’t.” Duncan replies, stepping out of her reach and looking around until he spots her Jeep. He walks towards it, and Minnie sighs, following after him.

“Thank you, Duncan. You’re too kind.”

“Just… being neighbourly.” Duncan replies, putting her bags in the back seat once she unlocks her car, “It was nice to see you again.”

“You too.” Minnie tenses slightly, then touches his arm gently, “You’ve made me feel very welcome. I appreciate it.”

Duncan nods, covering her hand with his, then walking back to his truck with his bag. Minnie watches him go, licking her lollipop, then gets into her Jeep and begins the drive home. Theo nearly breaks the door down to get out when she arrives, and she giggles as he begins to run in zigzags around her yard.

The next day at around noon, Duncan hears a gentle knock at his door not long after he’s gotten out of the shower. Wearing only his trousers and carrying a sweater, he heads to the door. When he opens it, Minnie stands on his porch holding a tray in her hands. She blushes at the sight of him and takes a half step backwards, but he notices her eyes roam down his chest and feels proud enough about that. He pulls the sweater he’s holding over his head, and Minnie watches the motion, then holds out the tray.

“I-I uhm… I made… some… I’m a baker, I don’t think I mentioned that. I-I’m not anymore, you know, since I moved. But, uhm, anyways… I made some pastries. Baklavas, strawberry-basil macarons, jalebi, truffles and beignets. I… I made some for you, a-as a thank you for being kind to me.” Minnie rambles, her cheeks pink and dusted with powdered sugar.

Duncan takes the tray, his eyes widening just a little. He moves out of the way to let her in, feeling his mouth watering already at the smells coming from the tray.

“Thank you. Come in.”

Minnie smiles, stepping past him and closing the door, then leaning her bum against it to she can bend to untie her boots. She steps inside, looking around his cabin with a warmth to her face that he was growing fond of.

“The jalebi is best warm. You should leave the macarons, as the filling will flavour the shell over time and taste better. The truffles you can freeze, the baklavas are fine to be eaten cold or reheated, and the beignets… well, you should eat those warm as well. They’re fresh.” Minnie informs him quietly, lifting the lid from the tray when he sets it on his counter. She grabs the plate of jalebi and offers it to him.

“Tell me what you think. They’re a common Indian dessert.”

Duncan takes one and pops a piece off, humming as he puts it in his mouth. Minnie smiles as he pops another piece off for himself, though her cheeks grow warm when he cracks off a piece and holds it to her lips. She takes it delicately, but still manages to brush his fingers with her lips, though she suspects that may have been his fault. He smiles slightly, bringing his fingers to his lips to lick the sugar from them.

“Delicious.” Duncan comments, watching Minnie smile in response, “I’ve had jalebi before, but never so good outside of India.”

“You’ve been there?”

“I’ve done a lot of travelling.”

“Oh, wow. I wish. I’ve been to France and half the states, but that’s about it.” Minnie offers him a small smile, “Do you live alone up here? No family?”

“No family. It’s just me.” Duncan watches Minnie, “This is my retirement.”

“Oh, wow, that must be nice.” Minnie looks him over again, and he observes, “How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“50 as of last week. And you?”

“Oh, uhm, I just turned 30 in January.” Minnie replies, “I’m… Are you busy this evening? For dinner? I’m making lasagna and I’ll have leftovers. So… you could… I mean, if you’re not busy.”

Duncan looks her over for a moment, trying to work out why she’s so nervous, but also why she keeps reaching out to him when she’s clearly scared. He nods after a moment of thought.

“Thank you.”

“Uhm… yeah, no problem. I’m… going to head back to my place. Theo’s probably anxious to go outside and I promised him we’d scout a good hiking trail.” Minnie worries her lip for a moment, tucking her raven hair behind her ear, though the curls fight their way loose a moment later, “Uhm, anyways, I-I’ll see you later. Dinner will be ready at around 6, but we’ll be home before then. We meaning me and Theo. The dog. Theo the dog.”

Duncan watches her flounder, nods, and then helps hold her steady while she puts her boots back on. She ties them loosely, in a hurry, and then she’s gone, leaving only the pastries and the scent of sugar and cinnamon to show she’d been there at all. He watches her walk to her house through the window, then fetches a couple beignets and goes to sit in his chair and put something on to occupy his time. His chest feels warm, and the beignets taste like heaven, and he wonders briefly if he can work out the puzzle that is Margaery Davis.

#polar #duncan vizla #duncan vizla/oc #because there is not enough Duncan Vizla content out there

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mystic-sky · 6 years

Note

Hello! May I please request a Fem! Reader /Yuliy where the Reader is also a Sirius, having been gone from Dogville when the vampires attacked. Yuliy comes across her one day when he catches her scent, sees she is fighting a vampire, having lost control of the werewolf in her, and when Yuliy confronts her, she actually runs because she doesn't realize he is another Sirius. She thinks he is just a human who happened upon her. Maybe a fluffy ending where Yuliy and Reader meet up and talk? Thxs!

I’m sorry this took a while to get to! I’ve been coming back to it all week.

Disclaimer: our Fem reader’s eyes in this oneshot turn into a blue flame color when she’s in her Sirius form. When she’s in her normal form, they’re your e/c.

Also, I wrote this in third person cause I thought it’d be the best way to portray the two of them at the same time. It gradually turns into your POV as you read. I don’t even know what sense to call that lol

Enjoy!!

“Gahhh!” Y/N groaned in pain. The beast’s bladed fingernails seeped into the palms of her hands, gashing at her skin. She kicked the beast in the stomach, trying to create some space between them. She reached for her weapon that the beast knocked out of her hand and gripped it firmly, wincing in pain.

“I’ve always wanted to taste the blood of a Sirius.” The vampire hissed, licking it’s fingers.

“Delicious.”

Y/N felt a rage boiling within her. The blood of her people, lost to these… these demons. So many lives lost because of their questionable hunger that has to be quenched at the expense of human lives. This very hunger, this very obsession these beasts had with her people left her all alone and she hated it. Her mother, her father, siblings and friends. All gone. And her rage? It was growing more and more each time she encountered a vampire.

“You disgusting, wretched, blood-sucking coward!” She yelled out. Her eyes ignited into blue flames and her hair grew streaks of white. Sharp canines grew from her gums and the girl growled at the demon.

“I’m glad you like it. It’ll be the last thing you taste before you die.” She dashed at the being, impaling the beast with lightning speed. It spat blood onto her hands and feet as she ripped her weapon from it’s flesh.

“You d-dirty Sirius!” The vampire disintegrated into glowing ash and crumpled to the ground. She was still growling, shaking almost. And even though her hands bled, she squeezed them tighter.

During her battle, a young were wolf caught wind of her scent while in town on a mission. He separated from his group of friends without much explanation.

“Yuliy!” Philip called out.

“Just let him go.” Willard sighed, holding the blonde boy’s shoulder.

“I’ll keep on eye on him.” Dorothea says, slowly trailing behind the boy, who was already blocks away.

Yuliy caught a scent so familiar but he couldn’t put a smell to a name. It was someone he’d smelt before, he knew that for sure. It was the scent of their blood, mixed with the scent of something corpse like. He knew it all too well.

“A vampire.” He hissed. He climbed the nearest scaffolding, and hopped along the roofs. The scent got closer, heavier and more prominent. And then he saw it.

The Sirius girl stood there below him, hands soaked in blood, in her most vulnerable form.

A shadow of a person cascaded down upon her, and she looked up at him, blue orbs shining imminently.

Yuliy saw a girl he identified with, or at least someone who looked a lot like him in his Sirius state.

“Who… Who are you?” He barely got out. She didn’t utter a word.

When he jumped down from the roof top to try and close the gap, the girl shifted her feet, fear in her eyes.

She didn’t give him much time to get close, bolting down the alleyway.

“Wait! Come back!” Yuliy began chasing after her. The girl tried to turn several corners but she couldn’t shake the boy. As long as he had her scent, he could follow her as long as he wanted.

“Pesky little human.” She muttered, dashing into the main street towards the train station.

“Could you please wait?! I just wanna talk to you!” He called out to her, but to no avail, the girl kept running. Heck, she got faster and she pulled her hood above her head, fading into the crowd of people.

She pushed past the one of the conductors asking for tickets to board the train, and forced her way onto the cart. The boy followed her, pushing past the same conductor as well.

She shifted through the passengers in the aisle, hopping from cart to cart until finally, she reached the front of the train where all the cargo and coal was stored. She accidentally knocked one of tins of coal over, and it splashed into the flame. Smoke began to crowd the cart and when Yuliy opened the door right behind her, heaps of smoke hit his face. More specifically, his nose.

He smacked a hand over his face and coughed. Her scent, now cloudy to him, made it difficult to keep up with her though the smoke. The girl however was now long gone from the stationary train, which officers had boarded in search of the “two alleged hijackers.”

They grabbed Yuliy by the arm before dragging him off the train.

“You’re coming with us.” One of the officers said.

“You’re gonna be in a lot of trouble, kid.” They said, attempting to handcuff him as soon as they exited the train.

“That won’t be necessary.” Dorothea said, waving her hand. “I’m his guardian.”

“You are?” The officer said, examining the attractive tan skinned woman.

“Yes, I’ll be sure he doesn’t do it again. Please don’t press charges!” She said, taking Yuliy by his shoulders.

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” The officer said nervously, slight blush on his face. His eyes trailed to her breasts before speaking again. “Just keep an eye on him. Since he’s still a kid.”

“Thanks.” Dorothea said, trying to put distance between them and the officers.

“Yuliy, care to explain to me why you ran off like that and caused a ruckus in the station?” She asked, rubbing her temples.

“I found a Sirius.” He answered, clenching his fists.

“You what? Are you sure?” Dorothea asked.

“I know scent of a Sirius when I smell one. I saw her.” He said.

“And her eyes… they looked like mine.”

“Where’d she go?” Dorothea asked, scanning the public square.

“That’s the thing. She ran from me.”

“You probably scared her off with that intense look you’ve always got on your face.” Dorothea said, patting him on the shoulder. “You really are bad with girls, aren’t you?”

“You think so?” He asked obliviously, looking at his reflection in a store front window.

“That’s not what I meant.” Dorothea shook her head at the boy.

Y/N, now being out of sight, stopped to rest in an alley way.

“I think I finally lost him.” She panted. “I won’t be someone’s science experiment today.”

Her canines shrunk and her blue eye color faded to her normal e/c ones. Her white streaks of hair faded as well as she slid onto the concrete. “But I have to say…” She breathed. “He’s the fastest human I’ve ever seen.”

***

It had been days since the werewolf boy saw the mysterious girl. He couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Why did she run from me? He thought constantly as the days passed.

He sat in the car amongst his peers, nipping at his thumb in frustration. Dorothea looked up through the rear view mirror as Philip poked fun at the boy.

“I’ve never seen you so perplexed. Dog got your tongue?”

Yuliy barely exchanged a glance at the blonde, panning his gaze out the window. But Philip knew he struck a nerve.

“I really wish you both would get along.” Fallon sighed, eyes looking into the rear view mirror as well.

“Leave him be, Philip. He’s been through a lot this week.” Dorothea said, crossing her arms.

“What and I haven’t? I’ll have you know that this sprained wrist of mine is no joke.” Philip rolled his eyes.

“And can you roll your window down, it’s hot in here.” Phillip added an inaudible ‘mutt’ to the end of that sentence that Dorothea saw him mouth through the mirror.

“Behave.” She scorned, and the restless blonde rolled his window down.

The werewolf boy rolled his window down as well and leaned against it, looking out the window. As soon as he did, that same unforgettable scent touched his nose, and he perked up almost immediately.

His hunched form sat up abruptly, and looked out the rear window.

“That scent…” He said.

“Yuliy, pull yourself back in the car!” Dorothea warned.

“It’s her.” He said, open the moving car door.

“What the-“ Philip shouted, as the balance of the car shifted when Yuliy barrel-rolled out of the vehicle.

“Yuliy!” Dorothea yelled out, “Jesus Christ, Fallon stop the car!”

The car stopped in the middle of the street, causing traffic and some close road accidents.

Yuliy ran in search of the scent, your scent, that he knew pretty well now even if it was just the second time.

His nose brought him to a bakery, a moderately crowded one that was also a cafe.

There she sat, sweet bun in her mouth and indulging into a newspaper. A familiar scent on her nose as well, she looked up, pastry hanging from her lips.

There stood a pale werewolf boy, shadowing over her frame.

“You’re the girl…” He said, a little too close for comfort.

“Can I help you with something?” You said, removing the bun from your mouth and adjusting your gaze on the being in front of you.

“You’re a Sirius. You’re the Sirius girl I saw from the other night.” He said, leaning on the table, shaking the cup of tea in the process.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You got up, and began to gather your things.

“I know it’s you! You had white hair and the blue flame in your eyes, I saw it…”

“I need you to leave me alone. I’m not the person you’re looking for.” You tucked some hair behind your ear, trying your best to remain calm. How did he find me? I made such a clean getaway, you thought.

You quickly brushed past the youth, taking that familiar scent in. A part of you wanted to look back but you couldn’t jeopardize your safety, not after this long. You wanted to live, and no human would get in the way of that.

But is he even human? He doesn’t smell like one, you think to yourself.

“Wait,” the boy tries to grab your wrist.

“Don’t touch me.” You say harshly, snatching your hand away. This surely earned the attention of some other people in the bakery.

You continue forward, reaching for the door handle.

“I’m from Dog-Ville!” The boy blurted.

“From Dog…ville?” You stopped, feet heavy at the sound of your homeland.

“I’m from Dog-Ville. Well, I was…” The werewolf boy trailed. You turned to look at him.

“And I don’t know if you’re from Mongolia either but… I’ve never seen you before.”

He finally caught your attention, and you walked towards him.

“Sit.” You said, sitting down at the table again. You crossed you legs as the boy sat across from you.

“How did you know I was a Sirius? And what did you chase me for the other night anyway?” You say, searching your bags your sweet bun.

“I can smell you.”

A red flare splashed against your cheeks and you think he realized it before he spoke again.

“No I mean, you have a scent. It’s not bad one, I just smelled someone who smelled like me… a werewolf. I haven’t smelled one since… well I don’t know if you know-

“Everyone died that night.” You say bluntly, setting your bun down on the napkin. “My family did too. So you’re a Sirius, that explains it.” You rubbed at your nose, understanding his scent now too.

“Oh… you are from Dog-Ville. I knew it. Why did you run away when I chased you?”

“You chased me. In the dead of night. And I was scared, I thought you were some mental human scientist. Guess my sense of smell could use some work.”

“Who were your parents? There weren’t a lot of children on the village aside from me and my brother. I’m sure I would’ve recognized you by now.”

“(Blank) and (Blank).” You say simply, “And you don’t know me because I’m not from Dog-Ville. Well, barely in my opinion. My parents traveled a lot and we visited Dog-Ville from time to time to see my late-grandparents. I think I was born there, but my parents were nomads, and so was I.” You bit your lip,

“And the one time we come back to visit happens to be the day I lost everything.”

Your eyes looked into your now cold cup of tea. The werewolf boy’s eyes soften at you.

“We both did.” He says, empathetically. The girl manages to smile at having someone to relate to after all these years. Yuliy takes a good look at her, realizing how pretty she actually was. Her sparkling e/c eyes and her soft lips. Even her h/l h/c hair was something he never thought he’d have a preference in. He didn’t even know he had a preference until he laid eyes on you.

A slight hue sat on his cheeks, and hoped the poor lighting on his side of the room would prevent you from noticing.

“So, how did you make it out exactly?” He managed to say.

“I ran, like I always do.” You say, taking a sip from your cup and immediately placing it back down, grimacing at the taste. “I’m pretty good at it, if you couldn’t tell.”

“Oh yeah… I should apologize for chasing you like that. It probably was pretty scary.” He says nervously, looking down at the sweet bun on the table.

“It’s fine.” You shake your head. “I’ve been running to survive as long as I can remember now. I left the village and wandered across a town until someone took me in. But that’s not important. What about you? How’d you manage to find your way out of all that chaos?”

“My brother sacrificed himself to save me. And then I was taken in by a professor.” Yuliy said, reminiscing about Mikhail.

“He sounds brave.” You say, reaching for your sweet bun.

“He was.” Yuliy said, small smile on his lips. You knew exactly where he was coming from and wished you could make it better for him as well. But you couldn’t, and the both of you had to live with that.

You looked at the extra sweet bun in your bag.

“Here.” You say, opening the wrapping on the bun and handing it to him. “A peace offering. Since you chased me down like a hawk or whatever. I forgive you.” You say, small tint in your cheeks.

“Oh, um… thank you.” Yuliy says, taking the gift from you.

“It tastes better with tea. On me, okay?” You smile, calling the waitress over.

“You don’t have to-“

“I’ll take two peppermint teas, please! And this one is cold.” You say, handing the waitress the cup.

“Coming right up.” The waitress said, shimmying her way back behind the counter.

Yuliy blushed a bit at the girl’s forwardness, but he still enjoyed her company nonetheless.

“So, what do you do?” You ask.

“I’m… I work for the Jaegers. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them or what they do.”

“I know of them. My parents told me about them when I was a little girl. I’ve always thought it was admirable- the work they do, I mean.” You say, fiddling with the bun’s wrapping paper.

“I don’t do it for the admiration.” Yuliy clarified.

“It’s a vengeance thing then?” You ask. The boy nodded before you spoke again.

“I was like that. At least before I decided that I am not my past.” You say, as the waitress approaches you with your tea. You lift your bun to your lips to take a bite.

“Here’s your tea!” She said, setting both cups down on the table. “I’m glad you two made up. Couples come in here and argue all the time. Breaks my heart.”

You nearly choke on the pastry, cheeks reddened to the max.

“We aren’t a couple.” You say, finally gasping for air.

“Oh, sorry for the mix up.” The waitress waves her hand and apologizes.

“The youth are so shy these days.” She says, walking back to her station.

“Sorry about that.” You say, “I didn’t know the staff here were so… well, it doesn’t matter.”

You grip the fabric of your dress, before looking up at the youth. You’re now realizing how attractive he was, but you were sure he didn’t know it. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to pick up on social cues well, or when he was the one making a girl flustered. At least that’s what you got from how unbothered he seemed when that lady said you both looked like a couple.

“It’s alright. It was just a simple misunderstanding.” He said, taking a sip of tea. You watched him tear a small piece of the bun off and pop it into his mouth.

“It’s good.” He says, biting into it whole.

“I-I’m glad you like it.” You look away, nervously playing with a piece of your hair.

The two of you finish your tea and sweets and leave the cafe.

“I guess this is where we part ways.” You say, adjusting your jacket.

“Oh…” Yuliy says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Unless you wanted to be friends.” You work up the courage to say. “That is, only if you want to. I enjoyed your company.”

Yuliy pans down at the shy girls face before speaking.

“Definitely,” He smiles.

#sirius the jaeger #yuliy jirov #yuliy x reader #don't be like me actually get sleep guys #I so wanted this to be fluffier but a bitch is tired #tenrou: sirius the jaeger

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layce2015 · 6 years

Text

Detroit Become Human (Connor x Reader)

Chapter 13: You're One Of Us, Now

Markus, North and Josh took you and Connor to an abandoned church, where the other residents of Jericho were hiding and recuperating; wondering what the next course of action they need to take.

Markus was able to find a barrel full of wood and he began to light it just for you before he left to go see Carl. You asked him if he wanted you to come with but he told you that you needed to stay here and warm up. He didn't want you to get sick or worse.

You stood by the fire and warmed yourself some more. You still felt alittle cold but you felt a helluva lot better than you did almost an hour ago.

****

After you finally warmed up, You walked around the church to see all of the androids looking sad and broken. You couldn't help but feel bad for them, they just wanted to be free. Sure they bleed a different color than humans but they are still people. This also made you feel even worse when you realized that these past few days you were working against them, denying them their freedom.

Well that was about to change.

*****

You were just walking down the aisle of benches when you heard a voice say. "I know you." You turn to to the voice and saw the short blonde haired woman with the little girl hugging her. "You're that detective that was hunting down deviants." She said. You take a good look at her and realized that she looked familiar. You saw her file a few days ago, she was a AX400 model that assaulted her master and ran away.

"You're the android that was accused of assault a few days ago." You said as you walked up to her. She gives a worried look at you but you shook your head. "I'm not gonna hurt you two. I'm on your side." You informed as you kneel in front of them. "Besides, I figure the report your former master gave was bullshit, he didn't look very trustworthy."

The android looks down at the girl then to you and said. "Her dad was beating her." You look at her with worry and concern as she continues. "I had to protect her. We tried to escape but he attacked us...so I had to defend myself...for her safety. These past few days we've been trying to find a place to stay. We were told that Canada was the best place, so we've been trying to get there. We were sent to Markus because we were told he could help us and get passports so we could get past the borders. We just want to be free."

You nod at her as you said. "You deserve your freedom." She looks up at you in surprise as you said. "I'm also sorry we tried to hunt you two down."

She smiles at you as you said. "I'm (y/n). What's yours?"

"My name is Kara. And this is Alice." Kara introduced. "Well, Kara and Alice....I hope you two make it safely to Canada and live a happy life together." You said as you stand back up then dug into your pocket and found out that you had some cash on you.

You pull the cash out and hand it to Kara. "It's not much but...here...this should help..." you said. Kara looks at the cash then to you and said. "You sure?" You nodded at her and she takes the cash. "Thank you." She said. You smile and nodded at her as you walk away.

You walk towards Connor, who was huddled up in the corner. You go up to him and place your hand on his shoulder. "Connor?" You whispered but he didn't respond. You reach out and stroke his cheek when you heard footsteps behind you.

You turn around and saw Markus, who returned from Carl's house, walking up to you two. Connor slightly looks up at him but turns his head away before he speaks. "It's my fault...the humans managed to locate Jericho...I was stupid.." he said in sadness and guilt.

"Connor, no..." you said, softly.

"I should've guessed they were using me." He said as he looks down. Then he steps up and walks up to Markus. "I'm sorry, Markus...I can understand if you decide not to trust me...." he said.

Markus looks between you and Connor then said. "You're one of us, now. Your place is with your people." Connor smirks as Markus turns to you and said. "You're also welcomed, (y/n). After all, you were always nice and respectful to me."

"I'm honored, Markus." You said, nodding.

Markus smiles and nods at you and was about to walk away when Connor speaks up. "There are thousands of android at the CyberLife assembly plant." Markus stops and turns as he looks at Connor. "If we could wake them up, they might join us and shift the balance of power..." Connor said.

"You wanna infiltrate the CyberLife Tower?" Markus asked as you and him stare at Connor in confusion. "Connor, that's suicide..." Markus said with concern.

"They trust me, they'll let me in. If anyone has a chance of infiltrating CyberLife, it's me." Connor said, firmly. You reach your right hand out to him and placed your hand on his chin then moved his head so that he could face you. "If you go there, they will kill you." You said, fearfully.

He takes your hand in his as he says. "There's a high probability...but statistically speaking, there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place..."

You felt your eyes welling up with tears as Markus places his hand on Connor's shoulder. Connor turns his head to Markus as Markus said. "Be careful..." then he gives a nod to him and he walks away to talk to some of his people.

"Connor..." you whispered. Connor turns to you and felt his heart break when he saw a tear run down your face. "I don't want to lose you." You said, tearfully. "I promise, (y/n), I will be fine. And I will come back to you." He said as he wipes the tears away from your cheek.

You wrap your arms around his neck and hug him. Connor wraps his arms around you then kissed your cheek and neck. "You better come back alive or I'll kill you myself." You said, sarcastically, and Connor smiles at this.

At that moment, Markus walks into the middle of the room and began his speech. "Humans have decided to exterminate us..." he begins as you, Connor and the other androids turn to give him your attention.

"Our people are packed in camps right now, being destroyed...Time has come to make a choice, one that very well may determine the future of our people. I know. I know you're all angry. And I know you wanna fight back....But I assure you violence is not the answer here. We are gonna tell them peacefully that we want justice. If there's any humanity in them, they will listen. And if not, others will take our place and continue this fight. Are you ready to follow me?" Markus said as he looks around his people.

You smiled at him as you felt proud of him as the androids started cheering for him.

"Markus!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Yes!"

"Markus!"

****

Nov 11th, 2038

For the rest of the night and the next day, Markus devises a plan for the peaceful demonstration while he and Connor also planned out Connor's mission. You even watch the news broadcast about the president who gave a speech about the army coming to Detroit to stop Markus and the other androids.

It was almost ten o'clock at night when you and Connor, who was back in his normal uniform, started to say goodbye before he heads to CyberLife. "You sure you don't want me to come with you?" You asked him. "Trust me, it would be better if I went alone. I don't want you to get hurt." He replied and you give a small smile as you go and hug him again. "Please be careful, Connor." You said to him as you two hold each other. "Shouldn't I tell you to be careful? You could easily get hurt. You're not as tough as the androids." Connor said with concern.

"I'll manage." You said with a smile. "I'm gonna go to my house and check on (pet's name) and I'll meet up with Markus."

Connor nods at you then gives you a long, slow kiss before he heads out. You watch him get inside of a taxi and take off. Moments later, You go over to Markus and tell him you'll join him later then head back to your house.

****

You pulled up to your driveway and go up to the front door, only to notice that the door looked like it was kicked open. "Shit." You whispered in frustration and fear. You didn't have a weapon on you so you couldn't defend yourself. You slowly opened the door and walked inside as quietly as you could.

Nothing really looked outta place but you kept your guard up as you scanned the living room. You go over to the kitchen and flip the light switch to see (pet's name) laying on the floor. "Oh no!" You gasped as you go over to your dog. You noticed he was still breathing but he wouldn't wake up as you tried to shake him.

"Just knocked out....that's good, at least." You muttered to yourself as you look around. You walk out of the kitchen then head to the hallway to your bedroom. You take very small steps as you listen for anything out of the ordinary but all you could hear was your heart beating in your eardrums.

Suddenly, you heard something move behind you and you spun around only to meet with a fist to the face. You stumble back as you felt a kick in your stomach. You groan and try to block the blows as best as you could in the dark. You couldn't see who it was, all you could tell was that it was a tall figure and that the figure was good at combat.

You go and punch the figure and you heard him grunt but he didn't seemed fazed by it. This continued for a few more moments until the figure grabbed your collar and slammed you against the wall.

Finally the figure came into the light, from one of the streetlights outside, and you gasped when you saw who it was. "Connor?" You said, confused. Connor glared at you and you saw no emotion in his eyes, unlike your Connor. "You're not Connor." You said before you kick him in the chest, making him drop you. You fall on your butt then quickly get up and try to run away.

Unfortunately this new Connor catches up to you, grabs you and slams you down against the table that was in the middle of the living room. The table collapses underneath you and you hit your head so hard that you pass out.

The last thing you saw before passing out was the new Connor walking toward you, picks you up and carries you out of your house.

#fandom #fanfic #fan fiction #reader insert #x reader #detroit become human #dbh #detroit become human connor #dbh connor #connor rk800 #connor x reader #connor rk800 x reader #connor rk800 imagine #connor connor rk800 imagine

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cloudycrystalkpop · 6 years

Text

Quaero

pairing: medium! Chenle x reader

summary: neo coven tech masterlist | Quaero Latin: Verb. meaning: I ask, I seek, I look for.

warnings: fem reader, chronic illness, gore

words: 2.2k

author: Euros

The forest broke into itself gradually. At first, honeycomb clumps of foliage littering the sides of the highway, then, all at once. A sudden burst of trees as thick as a lion's mane slathered over the flatlands and creeping their way up into the distant hills.

Sunlight was already beginning to leach from the sky, vibrant blue shifting into watercolor purple and pink serving as a backdrop to the afternoon clouds.

Today, your wheelchair was decorated in runs of plastic leaves, all strung around the rim of the wheels, dyed orange and browns in celebration of the oncoming season - undoubtedly your last. Folded and slipped under your chair, you would occasionally tap the handlebars with the heel of your flats. The heart monitor you were strapped with was covered in miscellaneous stickers and doodles, the alert remote mindlessly sliding between your hands like a cheap baseball.

Your head was pressed against the cool glass, your heart striking slow blips of pain against your chest.

In a way, you welcomed it. It was the first thing you had felt in an awfully long time.

The bus was nearly empty, all but three other passengers. A tired middle aged woman shuffling through her purse and her two sons, who wrestled unchecked across the empty seats…and, of course, your companion.

Zhong Chenle was a puzzle of his own, all soft edges and shy smiles. He was still very much unsure of himself, caught somewhere in between the living and the dead.

Chenle existed in some kind of a purgatory, his body and soul were still very much anchored in the living world, he could touch, smell, and taste just as any other could..but his mind seemed to belong elsewhere.

He could sense death as prominent as black smoke. He could see it from miles away, leaving a blatant, striking trail around its victim.

You had been tailed for years now.

After all, you were suffering - no, not suffering.

That word could never quite contain you. You were young, beautiful, free and somehow strikingly full of life for a woman who’s skin crawled with death.

You’d told him of your predator only once - chased by friedrich ataxia, the one thing your parents couldn’t shield you from. You were crippled by thirteen and your heart began to fail only two more years later. Now, you sat in the latter end of your life, still as wide eyed and innocent as ever.

You’d met the young medium at a hospital, at the time under the guise of a volunteer. Cold flickering fluorescent lights and the smell of rubbing alcohol like a punch to the throat, Chenle found all sorts of people with two colors twisting around the form of their spirit.

You were drawn to his life, him your death.

It didn’t take very long to become friends.

You call him a companion. A broad stroke term, normally reserved for those walking along the line of adventure.

Occasionally, you weren’t above calling him sidekick.

Your heart monitor let out a sharp squawk of protest as you shifted your weight to leverage your legs against the back of the seat in front of you.

“Ack, stupid thing.”

Your thumb slid against the monitor, fumbling for the button off the edge until the machine finally shut off with a series of drawn-out clicks.

Chenle stirred but didn't wake, his posture slouched over the armrest, head tucked between his folded hands.

It had been months, maybe even a year now since you'd been outside some form of care facility, namely that goddamn hospital. To be realistic, such an escapade was only fast tracking the inevitable and this morning when your companion shuffled in, his hands tucked inside his pockets, face half buried in that oversized red scarf, you would have torn the world apart to hear that laugh again.

He didn't cry, even as the newscaster plastered a crude sketch of his coven brother up in pixelated resolution, not at the monotone read off of the mortuary and police reports which was just a string of vocabulary that said much of nothing.

"Should we call the police?" Was all you could really muster at the time. A question marker slapped over the police sketch of the boy he called his brother.

Lucas never really spoke of any family, if he'd even had one was a mystery. Chenle knew with certainty "Lucas" was not a birth name any records could identify.

He could use his Aunt to stake claim on the stray boy, but he doubted a coven funeral would have suited him anyway.

Perhaps it was best to leave him nameless.

Still, Chenle couldn't shake the bubbling doubt in the bottom of his gut, his head spinning on a vertigo top. Two days he'd been gone, and still, he had yet to sense even a remnant of the boys spirit.

As if you'd read his mind, your hands shot out to grab his forearm before he could make his retreat, the breaks on your chair letting out a groan of protest.

"I'm coming with you." The determination in your voice was somehow both determined and entirely unsure.

"What?"

"I'm coming with you, you're going to the spring, right? There's going to be police, you need a lookout!"

His eyes flickered back to the machinery strapped to your body, his teeth grinding together in tension.

There was a beat of silence as you seemed to understand

"Well, damn, who's my competition, fainting Freddy?"

You always had a taste for adventure anyway, well, in theory you did.

You'd played around with spirit communication once before, you and two other bored preteens, drunk off ghost stories and contraband candy. Two minutes with your fingers on the planchette was enough to swear you off for life.

You finally came to realize why contracts signed by minors weren't legally binding.

Your row lurched suddenly, as two small bodies collided full force with the molding upholstery. Chenle shot up like a rocket, eyes wide and fingers twitching between fists.

The two little boys from the other side of the aisle sheepishly peered over the back of the chairs, small scrapes and bruises already starting to litter their complexion.

"Sorry." The one on the right offered like some kind of second hand consolation prize.

"Can someone get the Weasley twins over here? They're gonna break the bus." You exclaimed with a little too much side eye to their befuddled mother, who almost had the gall to look surprised her two unsupervised boys had gone around jumping like wild animals.

A hand pressed against the cavity of his chest, Chenle took a deep breath before sinking back into his seat. His palms slapping up to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Did we miss our stop?"

"Not yet."

“I should have brought an offering.” Chenle grumbled, shuffling through his pockets.

“The hospital gave me weed, we can head back to grab it.” You offered in a half-jest.

Chenle seemed to consider this a moment, a picture of Lucas recreating a rather loud rendition of Snoop Dog playing like a B-rated jumpscare behind his eyes.

"We should be fine, if he's there I have no doubt he'll reach out. Lucas wasn't subtle." There was a certain infliction in his tone - like a joke that went over your head.

"I hope he's not too dramatic, my ticker got a bit of a skip."

Chenle's face fell even past your awkward lopsided grin.

His eyes downcast to the loose threads in his blue jeans.

He still wasn't entirely sure how you managed to brute force your way into this mess of his. Somewhere, a thread pulled at the back of his mind.

He always did have a hard time saying no to you.

After what felt like hours, the bus pulled into a small side path, more or less a bump in the cement pathway and the folding doors craned open with a disturbing croak.

It took you a minute to pull your chair out from the bottom of the aisle, even longer to argue over your hobbling before Chenle finally swept you up, not quite in a carry, his arms holding at your waist like one would carry an aggressive puppy, and helped to prop you down.

The driver was kind enough to hold the doors until the two of you managed to finally make it off.

"You kids stay safe." He waved in a practiced, bored tone.

"You too, sir."

Chenle ignored your sniggering, instead giving a sharp tug at your handlebars.

The spring was wound down a thick-carved pathway, just big enough to drive through. Darkness was already beginning to shroud the landscape, giving an eerie feeling to the early fall fog. The tourist signs were blocked with police tape, and a patrol car sat diagonal to the entrance, in a crude attempt to ward off any curious residents.

"Are you ready?"

"I hope so."

You weren't entirely sure what you expected when Chenle said "seance" - but this probably wasn't it.

You sat maybe a foot above him, propped up by your wheelchair, staring awkwardly at the single tea light and burger king packet of salt he had mysteriously summoned from the depths of his jacket. At this point his coat pockets were starting to look less like deceptively deep stitching and more like the luggage bag from Mary Poppins.

The first fifteen minutes were painstakingly still. Having settled down only feet from the edge of the water, you were just grateful the deputies had taken their leave for the night.

You were a little more afraid of guns then ghosts...at least, that's what you told yourself.

Despite his initial assurance, Chenle was growing anxious by each passing second of silence. If Lucas spirit once resided in the clearing, he was long gone by now.

"Please." He croaked in a final reach of desperation.

Palms upturned and eyes furrowed shut.

Struck by a sudden weight of grief, Chenle almost collapsed under the pressure, tear began streaming down his face in a sudden break of emotion.

"A-are you.." despite the blatant agony twisting his features, a spark of hope lit his gaze. The flame began flickering, slowly at first then all at once, dowsing for seconds at a time before roaring back to life nearly passing its containment, threatening to light fire to the grass below.

Fear hit you like a slap across the face, in your haste to trail along in some kind of teen fantasy novel, you hadn't prepared yourself for the totality of what you could see.

There was something of a choked gargling sound that sent nausea bubbling in the pit of your stomach and your head spinning on a swivel.

"You're the woman that was with him." Somewhere between a question and a fact, Chenle pressed his hands against the soil to keep from toppling over. There was a gut wrenching sense of guilt that filled the air - it was a tangible taste slithering down his throat like a snake.

"Why..why do you feel responsible?" The phantom didn't speak, but the awful choking noise only amplified in volume, echoing from all across the clearing. Her figure began to take form across the still waters, a woman wearing little but a bralette and boyshorts, water gushing from her lips like some kind of sick fountain centerpiece. Her skin had lost all color but ash, and her eyes - her eyes screamed with words that could never again slip off her tongue.

"Did you do this?" Despite the implication, Chenle spoke as gently as he could, not quite accusatory but instead..curious and perhaps pitying.

"No?"

Still you sat paralyzed, unable to see the apparition in all her bloody-nailed glory..but the screaming was pounding against your skull. You'd decided the awful gurgling was screaming now, by the continuous shrill tone, like some kind of siren stretched and slowed to the pitch of a violin string.

"Did someone make you?"

Her hands slid up her body, clawing bloody pathways through her cheeks in mock-tears before they plunged between her lips.

She was reenacting.

Her apparition convulsed and twitched before she finally stilled, her fingers sliding back out, covered in blood that dripped in an ombre pattern to water.

"Who did this to you?"

"Chenle." You finally mustered the strength to stutter, lights flickering in the metal of your frame.

The ghost let out one last mutter, a garbled semblance of syllables foreign to you before her flesh melted back into the spring below.

"Chenle," you tried again, your tone taking a hysterical lilt as the first officer broke from the treeline with a sharp yell.

Finally broken from his trance, Chenle went to grab at your handlebars before you hissed and pulled at your breaks.

"Run!"

There wasn't much hope for you anyway.

Still, he hesitated a moment too long, the deputy was already paces away before both broke into a sprint.

Chenle was fast, but he tried to loop back to the path instead of making a break for the shelter of the woods. He was thrown to the ground before he even knew what happened

A taser pressed threatening against his back, as the officer spoke in a language quickly slipping away.

Chenle's eyes lit with a foreign kind of anger, his tongue curling.

"Aamon. Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo."

#euros #witch!nct #witch au #magic au #nct #nct au #nct dream #nct x reader #zhong chenle #chenle #chenle x reader #chenle au #chenle scenarios #nct scenarios #nct angst #chenle angst #nct drabble #chenle drabble

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briamichellewrites · 2 years

Text

Target. It was a busy Saturday afternoon with people stocking up on groceries and other essentials. The dogs had been left at home since the store only allowed service animals. While waiting for the girls to be ready, Brad gave them both pets. They loved the attention he was giving them. Jayde was the first to be ready with Ava following soon after. She had to make sure her outfit was perfect and cute, even though they weren’t going anywhere special.

She wore jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. Her purse had her wallet and phone, along with lipgloss and a comb. Just in case. She and Jayde had a little back and forth about shoes. They both had the same size feet, so they got confused as to whose shoes were whose. In the car, Jayde warned Brad that they were going for dog food but inevitably, they were going to get a ton more. He laughed.

And they did. He was patient as the girls looked around. There was a lot to look at. He hadn’t been in a Target for who knows how long. It was laid out so that the woman’s department was upfront with whatever seasonal clothing had just come out. The men’s department was behind the women’s with the children and babies off to the side. It was a little confusing, so he decided to just follow them. The grocery department was off to the other side of the store, so that’s where they headed to.

Jayde liked to shop frugally for food, so she bought food that was gluten-free but not organic. The fruits and vegetables were upfront. There were different varieties, depending on the season. She had to read the labels on boxed goods to make sure one hundred percent it didn’t have gluten. As they walked down the different aisles, he could tell what she was talking about road rage.

Most people stood off to the side of the aisle to let others pass through easily but he did notice some leaving their carts in the middle of where they needed to go or they left their cart on the opposite side and then cut across to get whatever they were looking for blocking traffic. The food department didn’t leave their aisles with that much room for her to move around, so she tried being polite. Nope. She sighed in frustration as she left the cart to go around and grab what she wanted.

“Yeah, now I see what you mean by road rage”, he said with a smile.

“It takes a few seconds to move your damn cart to one side of the aisle and not inconvenience others.”

“I’m thinking about a zombie apocalypse.”

“Oh my god. If World War Z broke out, I would lock us into the bathroom until it was safe to come out. We would have everything we needed here until the end of the war.”

He laughed. “This would be a great place to take shelter in.”

He could see them surviving on whatever they could find for a while. Maybe until the government showed up or it became safe enough to venture out. The outdoor department had things they could use for weapons. There was also food, water, and bedding. Maybe they could even find a couple of blow-up mattresses. There was also dog food. They would have to find a suitable place for them to do their business. Maybe outside, if it was safe.

Bruno would make a good guard dog, though he wasn’t too sure about Bear. He guessed that he would likely stay close to them. They would make sure neither of them was infected with the virus. Hopefully, the zombie apocalypse would never happen.

jayjoinsta: Earlier, Ava and I took BP to Target. He got to witness my road rage. Why can’t people just move their damn carts out of the fucking way? Anyway, he and I decided that should a zombie apocalypse ever happen, Target is the best place to hide out because it has everything. We decided that we would hide out in the bathroom and only come out when it was safe. If there was ever a bonding experience, it would be hiding out in a bathroom for who knows how long.

The electronic department had the latest movies. Ava wanted to stop and see what they had, so they wandered over there. The Dallas Buyers Club. She wanted to see it since Matthew highly recommended it. He wouldn’t mind seeing it, so it went into the cart. Ava got Warm Bodies, a teen movie about zombie romance. He looked at the case. It was an interesting and unusual concept. Undead romance.

Literal undead romance. While waiting to check out, he glanced over at the tabloids. It was the usual bs. It was hardly journalism. Just people making shit up. They were at every checkout counter, so he decided to look in front of him. When it was their turn, they put their items on the belt while Ava went to help bag them up. He went over and joined her as Jayde paid. It was an experience he wouldn’t mind doing again. Nobody recognized him and it was a huge relief!

“Mom, I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Okay. Brad and I will wait for you over there.”

Ava walked away from the checkout over to the women’s bathroom. After everything was bagged up, it went back into the cart. They had four paper bags full, which would keep them going for at least a week. While they waited, they stood by the wall. She joked that he had survived Target. He laughed and admitted it wasn’t too bad.

At home, they put the purchases away while the dogs watched. Did they get anything for them? Yeah, dog food. That was it. No toys. Not this time. Bruno went back to his toys while Bear continued being interested in what they were doing. Jayde thanked Ava for helping them. She got her new movie and opened up the plastic sealing. Was she going to watch it? Yeah! Could she invite Megan over? Sure. She excitedly took her movie and purse before going up to her room.

“We might be getting pizza tonight if Megan comes over.”

“I’m fine with that. Dallas Buyers Club”, he looked at the DVD cover.

“It’s about a guy who smuggles AIDS medicine into the United States from Mexico. It has homophobia, so not the kind of movie I want the girls watching.”

“That’s Matthew McConaughey”, he pointed to his picture on the cover.

“Yeah, he lost like fifty pounds. Ten out ten would not do again.”

Ava came down ten minutes later super excited! Megan was coming over! She was bringing some of her movies. They would have to watch them in the living room or the theater because she and Brad were going to watch a movie that was not age-appropriate. Ok, they could do that. Did they want pizza? Yeah! Ok, she would order that later. After she went back to her room, he wrapped his arms around her.

This was what he wanted. A family with kids and dogs running around. It wasn’t winery dinners in Paris or date nights in London but the normal day-to-day things that excited him. It was about being with the woman he loved and spending the rest of his life with her. He kissed her forehead. I love you. One year. Maybe he would bring up getting engaged to gauge her interest. He still had his binder and notebook where he left them.

Right before sitting down, they heard the dogs barking and then, the doorbell. Jayde went to greet Megan with Ava coming down as fast as she could. After exchanging hellos with Megan and talking with her mom, she closed the door as the girls ran back upstairs after saying hello to Brad. They heard her ask who he was. That’s my mom’s boyfriend. He’s cool.

He had to laugh. “I’m cool, baby!”

That is a huge compliment! Teenagers don’t usually think adults were cool! He was going to remember that for years! They exchanged a kiss before going to the kitchen to work on their movie.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @jovichic-bonjovi4ever @borhap-au @beneathashadytree @duffs-shot-glass @geo-winchester @lokolokong-manunulat

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ask-the-phan-site · 4 years

Text

A Neo Yokio New Year

>Neo Yokio just after New Year (which explains why some of the Christmas decorations are still up for the time being). The city was slightly nerved by the announcement from the True Cross Order. Some are regarding it as a prank, others are taking it as a threat. Either way, Neo Yokio was not at peace... And not just by the threat from demons.

>We came to this city to investigate and see what can be done.

So this is Neo Yokio? Doesn’t look that much different from New York.

Other than the fact that 14th Street is underwater and people live in it. Not to mention that this city is under constant threat from demons...

Actually, you’re right, it’s not all that different.

I know I like shopping, but even this department store is too much. I wonder what’s up with it.

>Curious, Panther decides to take a look inside. The department store was a gaudy inside as it was out. In fact, not too long after she went inside, a salesclerk in a green suit jumps in front of her.

Welcome home, shopper. I will be your salesclerk and personal shopper. The Holidays may be over and we are in danger of being shut down, but rest assured, Bergdorf Goodman Department Store will always be here for those with a shopping need for all things beautiful and luxurious. So, how can I help you today, young madam?

I’m... not looking for anything today. I’m just looking. Sorry.

Salesclerk: Well that’s a shame. Maybe next time.

Don’t worry. I’m sure if we need anything, we’ll let you know... (Like a last minute gift for Akane.)

Salesclerk: Excellent! If you need anything from here, just ask for me. My name is Herbert Sims. Or just Herbert. Happy Late New Years!

>With that, Herbert leaves to tend to other customers.

Well, it’s good to see him so devoted to his work. It makes him happy.

Too bad that happiness will be taken away if we don’t do something.

And we will. Haru, are sure our contact is suppose to meet us here?

Yes, she said she would be meeting us at the church not far from this store. It’s actually a True Cross Order safe house.

I can hardly imagine a church being in a city like this, even if it is like New York. Sophia, are there any churches near here?

I’ll do a search. (searches the net) Odd. The Internet in this city is different.

Wolf: Well, Neo Yokio exists on a different version of Earth, much like San Fransokyo and Sternbild City. So it might be a little difficult to look up things.

Sophie: But I did found the church. It’s just a couple blocks away.

Then we better move on.

>With that, we leave the department store.

>A little later, we finally arrive at the church.

Sophie: This should be it. It doesn’t look like it’s not used much. No doubt because people usually rely on Magistocrats* to deal with many things.

*It turns out it was misspelled. There are only two As and an O.

How could that? I may not know much about the importance of religion other than what I’ve learned from when me and Ren went to the church back home to help me out of my slump, but I can tell this was once a beautiful building. Such symmetry and craftmanship. I can’t believe they let this place fall from glory.

??????: You might be right. But I guess that’s to be expected.

>We were surprised to see a girl come out of the church.

Noir: (happy) Shiemi chan! It’s good to see you again.

It’s good to see you again, too, Haru chan.

Oracle: I guess this is our contact.

Noir: That’s right. I met Shiemi chan during an exhibition by the Gardening Club at Todai last year.

Shiemi: It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Shiemi Moriyama, I’m an Exwire Exorcist from the True Cross.

Queen: A pleasure to meet you, Shiemi chan.

Shiemi: Thank you.

Sophie: Are you really an Exorcist?

Shiemi: I am. Are you really an AI?

>Suddenly, something in Shiemi’s pocket started shaking.

Shiemi: I think we should head inside.

>With that, we follow Shiemi inside the church. The first thing we noticed was many men in clack coat uniforms. At the end of the aisle were the alter is, there was a huge banner hanging.

(This was forgotten on the announcement.)

>Then, the Exorcists notice us. They were a little confused an alarmed to see strangers here.

Shiemi: It’s alright, they’re with me. They’re my friends. They’re from out world.

Exorcist 1: That seems a little vague.

Exorcist 2: Yeah, how do we know we can trust them?

Exorcist 3: Hold on, aren’t you Goro Akechi, the Detective Prince?

Crow: I take it you watch the news.

Exorcist 1: We do. But then again, a lot of people do. How do we now it’s really you?

Crow: I was abandoned by my father to preserve his image.

Exorcist 2: Everyone knows that. Actually, the blonde over there does look familiar.

????: He is familiar. Believe me, you can trust these guys.

????????: He’s right. Better let them pass.

>We were surprised to see who was also here.

Gecko Neck san!? You’re here, too?

Hey, guys, it’s been awhile.

Joker: Iwai, why are you here?

Exorcist 1: And I thought I heard Sir Pheles. But I don’t see him.

Exorcist 2: He probably called from the office. Well, if they say their alright, fine. Just make sure they behave themselves. We already have to deal with those morons that run this godless city.

Shiemi: Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility.

Iwai: And so will I.

Exorcist 3: Okay. Anyway, back to work.

>With that they go back to whatever they were doing.

Joker: Still, why are you here?

Iwai: You’re going to find this hard to believe, but just after that announcement about this city was released, this dog showed up in my place.

...

Wolf: (confused) Okay?

Shiemi: (giggling) You’d be surprised.

Iwai: Anyway, it had this note saying that the True Cross Order needed my help to check their guns. I’m not sure why. I deal with model guns. And these aren’t even ordinary guns. But they do look similar. Besides, they said they would compensate me and my son if I agreed to it. Though I gotta say, I don’t feel right about seeing guns or any kind of weapons in a church.

Shiemi: I can assure you that the Grigori themselves approved of it. But if you wish to do your inspecting and other business elsewhere, they’ll allow it. But you’ll have to find a place yourself.

Iwai: I’m a stranger in this city, I have no idea where to go.

White dog: (snickering)

Iwai: What’s up, pooch? You know somewhere?

>The dog nodded its head as if to agree. Then, it walks away.

Iwai: I’m not sure why I should follow it, but I’ll bit. So, I’ll see you guys later?

Joker: Okay.

>With that, Iwai follows the dog out of the church.

Panther: You think he’ll be alright?

?????: Ever since we made that announcement, no demonic threats have occurred. Guess we kind of scared them.

>A young woman with purple hair that was tied in twintails comes up to us.

Shiemi: Izumo, are you ready to go?

Yeah, I had to prepare myself for the meeting. I’ve heard this Exorcist is really difficult to talk to.

Noir: Hello, Izumo chan.

Izumo: Haru? You’re here? I know Shiemi said you might be coming, I didn’t think you would be bring your friends.

Shiemi: Everyone, this another friend of ours.

Izumo: Hello. I’m Izumo Kamiki.

Joker: Hello.

Queen: You said you were going somewhere. I guess you’re referring to whom the Order considers that most corrupted Exorcist in Neo Yokio.

Izumo: Pretty much. I just hope that aunt of his isn’t there. I hear she’s a real terror.

Joker: His aunt? Wait, you don’t mean...

Izumo: Yes. They deemed him the most corrupted... because he’s Neo Yokio’s Second Most Eligible Bachelor... Kaz Kaan.

>We were shocked.

Izumo: You know him?

Skull: He performed at Dream FES two years ago.

Izumo: Yeah, I think I’ve heard about that.

Joker: Actually, we’d like to ask you something.

Izumo: What that?

We would like to come with you to see him.

Izumo: I don’t know. I might get in trouble if I bring you with me.

Wolf: I’m a police officer, I’m sure they won’t mine and I would take responsibility.

Skull: And he might recognize us from Dream FES. It would make it easy if he was with familiar faces.

Izumo: Well, alright. But just you, the Idol, the officer, the detective, the hacker, and the model.

Panther: (a bit surprised) Me, too?

Izumo: We sense Fairy Magic on you and the Order and Fairies aren’t exactly buddy buddy.

Panther: I see.

Oracle: And me?

Izumo: I don’t know. Something off, I guess...

Like something out of The Dunwich Horror?

Izumo: ... Let’s just go.

Shieme: I’d come, too, but...

>Shieme’s pocket starts moving again. She reaches inside and something pops out.

Nee~!

Oh, what a cutie!

Izumo: (a bit surprised) Wait, you guys can... Actually, never mind. We’re wasting time.

Crow: Well, see you all later.

>With that, we leave the church.

>A little later, we were now going inside a penthouse. It was light-colored and very gaudy. I think my eyes are hurting. We saw Kaz Kaan with his mecha butler Charles and Kaz’s friends, Lexy and Gottlieb. It looked like Lexy and Gottlieb were frantic.

Lexy: Yo, Kaz, we can’t let this happen!

Gottlieb: Yeah, man, the Caprese Bar means a lot to us. It maybe small, but we invested a lot in it.

I know, I know. What do you want me to do? There’s just one of me and they’re like a whole army. Plus, they had years of learning to use their Exorcist powers and I’m described to only know the flashy stuff.

Your Exorcist powers have always been fabulously flashy, sir.

Kaz: (a bit sarcastic) Thanks, Charles.

>Izumo clears her throat to make the other aware of her presence.

Charles: It appears we have guests, sir.

Izumo: Kaz Kaan I presume.

Kaz: Yes, that’s me.

Izumo: Izumo Kamiki, I’m from the True Cross Order. And these are my associates. They’re not from the Order, but I’ve invited them to come with me today.

Kaz: (a bit surprised) Wait, I know you guys. You were in Dream FES.

Joker: Hello. I’m Ren Amamiya.

Skull: Yo, I’m Ryuji Sakamoto.

Panther: Ann Takamaki.

Oracle: Futaba Sakura. Nice to meetcha.

Crow: Detective Goro Akechi. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Wolf: I wasn’t in that Dream Festival, but I’m still a friend. Officer Zenkichi Hasegawa.

Lexy: Nice to meet ya all.

Izumo: Now, I trust you know why I’m here.

Kaz: Because you think I’m the most corrupted because I’m second on the Bachelor Board.

Izumo: Pretty much. From this moment on until the 31, I’ll be monitoring everything about you. Every action you take, every move you make, every gathering you attend, and every exorcism you perform, I’m to report it all back to the Order. They also told me that if do anything that may not seem fitting by their standards, I have permission to intervene or alert the other Exorcists. Do you understand?

Kaz: (sounding a bit depressed) What’s the point? My life already tends to be very bleak.

Izumo: Yeah, I hear you tend to be melancholy. After getting being dumped twice already. Don’t tell me you’re still up on that? Your last girlfriend was like almost four years ago. Get over it already.

Kaz: Pains like that run deep. They take longer than four years to heal. Surly you’ve felt the familiar sting.

Wolf: Actually, I can. After what happened, I don’t think I’ll ever find another like Aoi. She was like my everything. But she lives on in my heart. And I see her everyday in our daughter.

Kaz: A kid, huh? Neither me, Cathy, or Helena never had anything like that.

Gottlieb: (a bit shocked) Seriously, Kaz!?

Kaz: No, it’s not like that. It’s just, none of us actually did anything that was us. Maybe if we did, at least one of them would have stayed. Now the only thing I have left of Helena is a giant Toblerone... which has pretty much melted by now.

Lexy: You not eating a Toblerone when it’s given to you? Now we know you’ve really hit low, dude.

Skull: (shocked) For real? A giant Toblerone?

Panther: It’s real alright. Mika got one from one of her admirers. She even took a picture and posted it on her Kingstagram. Look.

FOR REAL!? HOLY SHIT!

Izumo: Your friend here sure curses a lot.

Panther: He’s just surprised to see that much chocolate in his life.

Izumo: I see. But, back to the point. You know that if Neo Yokio doesn’t repent for its ways, you will have to conform to the new laws that will be put into effect by the inquisition.

Kaz: Will they really take all of our stuff if we’re forced to join?

Izumo: Pretty much. They may not be approved by the Order and may be considered a distraction.

Kaz: Does... Does that include Charles.

>Izumo was silent for a moment, looking at Charles who stared back at her.

Izumo: Actually, I think they’ll let you keep Charles. How often do you come across a Tamer with a mecha familiar?

Crow: I take it, none.

Charles: I think it would an honor that Kaz will have someone familiar as a familiar.

Kaz: I don’t know if that’s a joke or not, but thanks, Charles. (whispers) And I’ll be sure to thank Sadie later.

Izumo: Still, I think you would understand.

Kaz: I do understand. I know I was the one who said, “Consumerism forever”, but after what happened at that race here four years ago, I’m starting to think that Neo Yokio’s not the the greatest city in our world.

Oracle: That’s a utopia for you. There’s always a catch.

Kaz: Don’t I know it. Makes me wish I could go back to simpler times when it was all about the just helping people and seeing the smiles on their faces when the work is done.

??????: But smiles does not pay the rent. Money does.

>Suddenly, a woman with light pink hair, shades, and a dress under a trench coat comes in.

Izumo: (sighing in disappointment) And here I thought this was going to be a quiet visit.

Well, let me remind you, girlie, that this is my house, too.

Kaz: You don’t need to be rude, Aunt Agatha. They’re guests. Oh, everyone this is my aunt.

Agatha: Agatha Kaan.

Charles: Shall I prepare some coffee?

Agatha: (sounding ungrateful) Very well.

Izumo: I was just explaining to your nephew about the situation you, him, and every other Magistocrat are in.

Agatha: I know. And I think you’re just being a bunch of idiots. I don’t know how things in your world works, but in this one, we have to work to support our wretched lifestyles.

Izumo: (unimpressed) Wretched lifestyles?

Wolf: (with a smirk) As Makoto’s sister would say, “I rest my case.”

Agatha: If you really think that we’re going to stand and let a bunch of self-righteous boys and old men in ugly black coats change things, you have another thing coming.

Oracle: Stubborn, are we?

Agatha: You bet.

Kaz: (trying to calm the situation) Now let’s not get too upped up. Charles will be here with the coffee soon.

Agatha: (getting impatient) Not now, Kaz. We’re talking.

Kaz: Sorry.

Wolf: Ms. Kaan, you don’t need to talk to him that way. He’s only a kid.

Agatha: He’s 22. Soon to be 23 this year.

Wolf: Umm... Congratulations?

Kaz: (thinking) Don’t encourage her.

Agatha: I heard that, Kaz. What did I just say?

Kaz: Sorry, Aunt Agatha.

Skull: (whisper) Yeesh, what a hag.

Agatha: (not happy) So, I’m a hag, am I?

How the hell do you keep hearing us?

Agatha: When you get as old as I am, you learn a few things. Now, as I was saying, doing things for the greater good isn’t going to keep belly’s full. Even you Exorcist in your world need to eat.

Izumo: True. But we eat whatever we can. Trying to eat anything too fancy is just so unnecessary.

Agatha: I don’t see what wrong with fancy. It proves that Exorcists have individuality.

Izumo: We know they do. But you Magistocrats are taking it the wrong way. All you do is is endlessly indulging yourselves in wealth and charge people for something that can be hard not just for the victim, but for their loved ones as well.

Agatha: Don’t you think we know that? But we see no reason not to be rewarded for it. But not with something as ridiculous as a smile.

>I suddenly notice Kaz looking down.

Kaz: (whisper) Helena...

Joker: Helena? That’s your last girlfriend, right?

Kaz: (out loud) Helena St. Tessero, yes. She used to be a fashion blogger, but then she got possessed though a Chanel suit. (Coco Chanel, my her memory be blessed.) I exorcised it and her whole view on the world changed. Then, the old Bachelor Board got destroyed and everyone thought she did it to prove that Neo Yokio is not as great as it seemed. She ran away and now no one knows where she is.

Agatha: And her parents are worried and they blame you. They said your exorcism messed her up. I’m surprised you’re still at number two on the new board.

Kaz: I’m wondering that myself.

Agatha: The point is, we are not joining this Order unless we’re getting something out of it.

Izumo: We’re offering you sanctuary. That’s reward enough. We’re a non-profit organization. If we need to collect, it’s for a good cause and not us. What we do isn’t a job. It’s a duty.

Agatha: Well sorry, but that’s just how it is in this city. And just what are you going to do about it? About all of us?

Izumo: (starting to get a little impatient) Understand, Ms. Kaan, unlike you Magistocrats who have been at this job since those old days, but the True Cross Order has been doing this since the Middle Ages. That makes us more experienced and more powerful than all of you combined. You could do way better than what you are doing now if you just listen.

Agatha: Listen to what? The ramblings of a bunch of fools? I don’t think so. I don’t listen to the words of anyone. Especially children like you.

Crow: Now that’s just offensive. Some of us are already in college. Please, Ms. Kaan, I know this is upsetting you, but I think you’re going a little too far. We must ask you to watch what you say.

Agatha: (now losing her own patience) Then I invite you to make me, pretty boy. Must be a distant relative of the Corellis. Especially-

Kaz: Aunt Agatha, please!

>Kaz tries to calm her down, but she just knock his hand away with her hand which was pulsing with energy just as Charles comes in with the coffee.

Charles: The coffee is ready.

>Kaz suddenly starts glowing with energy which made blasts the trey Charles was carrying away.

Lexy: This could be bad.

>I quickly stand up and get between Kaz and Agatha.

Kaz... Please, man...

>Seeing me unafraid (thanks to my current level of Guts), Kaz calms down.

Charles: (unfazed) I suppose I should start on another brew.

>Just then, the sound of a phone ringing comes. Agatha takes out a phone.

Agatha: Kaan Residence... Yes... Very well, I’ll see to it he still does his job... Thank you. (hangs up) Well, looks like we’re still back in business. Kaz, they want you to investigate a restaurant near Time Square for possible demonic activity. They are offering a lot, so you must go.

Izumo: That won’t be necessary. In case demonic activity were to happen before the appointed date, the Order is allowed to take care of it.

Agatha: True. But until that appointed date actually does come, Kaz is still obligated to work. Isn’t that right?

>Izumo was silent, but knew Agatha was right.

Agatha: Good. Now, Kaz, off you go.

Kaz: ...

Agatha: Or would you rather try again?

Kaz: ... I will go and investigate the demonic activity, Aunt Agatha. Let’s go, Charles.

Charles: I will help you on the way, sir.

Kaz: Thanks, Charles.

>With that, Kaz and Charles leave. Not wanting to upset Agatha any more than she already was, Lexy and Gottlieb also leave. I suddenly sense that out of all of us... Panther was just about run out of patients.

Wolf: Ms. Kaan, I know you’re stressed, but-

Agatha: Can you not, please. I swear, that boy. He just never learns. I’m just glad his parents-

SLAM!

>We were startled by the noise. Panther had slammed her fist on the table that some of the things on it fell off.

What the hell is your problem, lady!? So Kaz has some trouble dealing with stuff. What he needs is support. But all you do is criticize him!

Agatha: I’m only doing what’s best for him. Making sure that doesn’t get too soft because in this world, Rat Catchers like us need to survive. They would never accept us.

Panther: And you think that’s all that matters? What others think of you isn’t important. It’s what you think of yourself. And how do you even know what his parents would think of their son? In my opinion, they would be proud to see just how hard their son is working just to make others happy and not just you.

Agatha: (scoffing) Please, I know his parents. Especially my stupid, obnoxiously happy brother, Kaz’s father. He’s becoming too much like him and that could be bad for us and business.

Panther: Yeah, right. It’s just the business you care about. I know you don’t really care about Kaz or your family.

Agatha: Why should I? I learned a long time ago that the only person you can truly count on is yourself. But I still need to make sure Kaz doesn’t wuss out when duty calls.

Panther: (in utter disbelief) “Doesn’t wuss out?” He’s your nephew, not a bird! And you’re suppose to be his aunt. His family. And this is how you treat him? He’s does everything for everyone and it’s clear to us that you’re ungrateful. It’s like he’s not even your family, just your slave. Or that you’re not his family. Because frankly speaking...

I can’t believe for a second that Kaz would be related to some wrinkled-face, money-grubbing, bitch-ass, HARPY!

>We (except for Panther) suddenly feel dread as Agatha gets up and takes off her sunglasses. Looking at her eyes, she definitely had the dangerous look of a harpy.

You know in all my years, only one person has ever had the balls to say “harpy” to my face. The only reason I can’t put her six feet under where she belongs is because our powers are equally matched. But what you you, girl? I sense magic in you, but what are you exactly? A fairy? A witch? You have neither in your blood, yet you have powers. So what does that make you? Some say you are special. But to me... You’re just a freak of nature. So I am asking you now... Are you challenging me, girl? Are you threatening me?

>Agatha was now giving an aura of energy.

Panther: (forming fire in her hands) And what if I am?

Izumo: Okay, that’s enough.

>We saw that Izumo had summoned her familiars.

>Panther and Agatha both back off from each other.

Agatha: I need to drink this off. You better leave.

Izumo: You know I’ll be back tomorrow, right?

Agatha: ... Better make it a big one.

>Later on, we were outside back on the streets headed back to the church. We could tell that Panther was still angry.

Panther: That awful bitch! How could she treat her own nephew like this? I’m surprised he’s putting up with him. Does he even have any other family?

Izumo: According to Kaz’s file, he does. His uncle and cousin in the Hamptons and his aunt who is constantly traveling. Actually Ann, the aunt who is traveling, an Angelique Kaan, Agatha’s fraternal twin sister, that’s who called her a harpy.

Panther: Really? She did?

Izumo: Yes. Unlike Agatha, Angelique is what Kaz would call “The nice aunt”.

Oracle: I’m starting to see why.

Wolf: I agree with Ann, Agatha’s no good. She definitely needs... (quickly stops after remembering Izumo is with us) to be taught a lesson.

Izumo: The whole city does... Like a change of heart.

Wolf: (a bit scared) Like the kind the Phantom Thieves do? What makes you think that?

Izumo: Well... I’m a closet fan of the Phantom Thieves.

Wolf: (a bit relieved) I see. Actually, my daughter’s a fan of them, too. But why be in the closet? Does the Order not like the Phantom Thieves?

Izumo: Actually, we’re still trying to figure out where we stand with them. Though, the Grigori praise what they did with that God of Control. How dare he besmirch the reputation of the Lord. The Order actually almost lost most of its members because of what happened. Thank goodness they changed their minds. Though, the Phantom Thieves had to use a Demon Lord to save us. And Satanael at that. So we’re kind of at a crossroads with them. Are the Phantom Thieves our allies or our enemies? We’re still trying to decide... I’m hoping they are our allies.

I’m sure they are.

>Later on, we made it back to church where an Exorcist was keeping guard. Guess he heard about the possible demonic activity.

Crow: Excuse us, did our friends come back?

Exorcist: Not yet. They’ve been gone awhile. I hope they didn’t get lost. This city maybe like New York, but there are a lot of differences. It would be fearful if they ended up in the Walled City. I know we’re trying to help them, but there are some scary characters there.

>Suddenly, I noticed something across the street.

Or, they could be closer than we think. Look.

Exorcist: (surprised) Where did that come from? It wasn’t here this morning.

Joker: It’s where ever it needs to be. Don’t think about it. Just go with it.

Izumo: If you’re thinking of going in, count me out. I have to report in and tell the Order what I’ve learned at the Kaans’. I’ll see you guys later.

Panther: Right, see you.

>With that, Izumo and the Exorcist go back inside the church and we go into the Stray Sheep.

>Inside the bar, we find Mona, Skull, Fox, Queen, Noir, and Violet talking with Roderick Lockhart.

Seriously, man, I’m proud that you and your Unit finally made your first album debut. Just wish my song was included.

Skull: I know. I heard your song it was awesome. Maybe next time. Don’t worry.

Roderick: I hope.

Joker: Hey, we’re here.

Fox: Ren, we were just talking about how we might change the city’s cognition.

Joker: How so?

Mona: Well, it would be a waste of time just going after one individual at a time, so we’re going to do to Neo Yokio... the same thing we did to all of Tokyo that fateful Christmas Eve.

Joker: You mean...

Mementos... Neo Yokio’s Mementos.

Crow: Can we really do that? We had to do some minor requests before entering a lower level of Mementos to get to the depths.

Queen: I don’t think we have to worry about that. Since no one in this city has hardly heard of the Phantom Thieves, there’s a good chance that there are no Shadow versions of people guarding the entrance of a level.

Violet: That’ll making getting to the depths a breeze.

Wolf: That should be good. We’re already on a tight deadline.

Joker: That’s right, the deadline is the end of this month, January 31. So we need to get to the depths and send the calling card no later than two days prior, the 29. This city needs to end its selfish ways before it becomes what our city almost became... For Kaz.

Mona: So we’re in agreement? That is a unanimous decision.

>We were all in agreement.

Joker: By the way, where’s Iwai?

>I was directed to where Aunt Rin usually has her piano, but it was replaced.

>This booth was now occupying the space with model weapons. Some of them are familiar and some of them seem to be new. In the booth, Iwai was finishing up some stuff. I was also a bit surprised to see Lavenza with him.

Iwai: That should be it, right?

Almost. We still need to do one final check. Also, the one who brought you here has something to add to your arms... With my assistance, of course.

Iwai: You mean the dog? He has something to add to my guns? Well, it has been weird for me for the past few days. So why not? The dog went into the bathroom. Not sure why, though. Wouldn’t a fire hydrant be suited?

???????: After seeing this poorly maintained bathroom, would have preferred that.

>We turned to the bathroom to find that someone had come out.

Iwai: (confused) Who the heck are you?

Now that’s a shame. And you used to call me pooch.

Iwai: Pooch? Wait...

No freaking way! You’re that dog!?

Flamboyant Demon: Yes. You are not the first to be overwhelmed by my true appearance. But where are my manners? Allow me to formally introduce myself. Sir Mephisto Pheles, Honorary Exorcist for the Order of the True Cross and Principal of True Cross Academy (known there as Johann Faust V), at your service. And I do mean “at your service” for you see, for the time being, I will also be working along side you... As your familiar.

Iwai: Umm... Hi?

Lavenza: Mephisto and I are inspecting your contractor’s equipment for any demonic energies or entities as per Neo Yoiko’s customs law.

Mephisto: Unfortunately, I fear that Mr. Iwai’s merchandise may not be approved by the city’s customs check because of what they are. So, we have to check them ourselves, just like we did with the Order’s equipment. Plus, me and Lady Lavenza have something special for you all.

Queen: Like what?

Lavenza: As you know, some of your weapons have certain effects on Shadows.

Panther: Oh yeah, like how my whip can sometime Burn them.

Mona: Or how my slingshot can put them to Sleep.

Lavenza: Well, these weapons that me, Mephisto, and the dealer are working on will have a certain effect on your Personas.

Joker: Really? How so?

Lavenza: Like the Skill Cards, this equipment will allow your Personas to use Skills they are normally unable to do.

Skull: So our Personas get an upgrade? That rocks!

Mephisto: But for now, the only Skills your Personas will get from them are Bless and Curse. The rest will take sometime and a lot of materials to do so.

Lavenza: Perhaps the Tricks and his comrades can help gather the materials. Especially when traversing the other world.

Joker: I think we can do that.

Mephisto: Wonderful. We will hope for such.

Violet: How does the weapons give our Personas those Skills? I don’t think it would be as simple as using a Skill Card.

Mephisto: You have the Order to thank for that. Take a look at them. They are modeled after the weapons used by our Exorcists. Mainly our Knights (Melee) and Dragoons (Ranged).

Fox: I guess that makes sense. They look pretty holy or powerful to me.

Sophie: I will also remember it.

Tutorial

The new weapons developed by Lavenza, Mephisto, and Iwai will grant your Personas and your friends’ Personas abilities and Skills.

For now, the only Skills provided for are Bless and Curse Skills. However, other weapons that can provide other Skills can be made from materials you find in the Metaverse after defeating Shadows.

Joker: I’m surprised Boss, the other Boss, agreed to this.

Roderick: It wasn’t easy trying to convince him. Good thing Mephisto and this fine young lady in blue backed me up. Of course, when he heard about where we were going, he said...

??????: I can try their Caprese Martini. That’s how it went.

Roderick: Boss, you’re awake.

Well, I was enjoying a pleasant nap when I was awoken by your chattering... And the smell of wet dog.

Mephisto: (a bit shocked) Now I’m just offended, Lord Dumu-

Mutton: Ah tut tut! What is my name in this form?

Mephisto: (with a small bow) Oh, do forgive me, Thomas Mutton.

Mutton: Good.

Queen: So you’re the Boss of the Stray Sheep.

Mutton: I am. How is the Boss of Leblanch doing?

Oracle: He’s fine. I think.

Mutton: How so?

Joker: Well, I got this book for my birthday awhile back. Sojiro’s actually taken a liking to it and barrows it frequently... A little too frequently, if you ask me.

Oracle: Yeah, he even sleeps with it.

Mutton: Really?

Joker: I’m glad that he’s reading more. Especially the classics. But, I don’t know...

I just have this funny feeling.

Mutton: Have you told anyone about this?

Joker: I thought about talking about it to Chihaya, but due to the possibility of another surge, I can’t go to Shinjuku. And I’m not sure how to explain it over the phone or even in text. I can’t even video chat her because her computer is broken and it’ll take a while before it’s fixed. Why do you ask?

Roderick: I think we had a similar situation. Not that anyone was acting funny or anything... But there was that one guy...

Joker: What guy?

Mephisto: Boss and Roderick are not the only ones who arrived here with the bar. A certain reporter that you know came with them.

Joker: Ohya? She’s here, too?

Mutton: Yes... Along with her new intern.

Joker: She has an intern now?

Mutton: Well, something like that. He came from Luna, that’s a city on our moon just next door to Attilan. He worked as a reporter for a small newspaper in Paris some years back, but he moved to Luna for personal reasons. But now he’s transferring to the newspaper Miss Ohya works for as her intern. Mainly, he’ll just be taking pictures.

Mephisto: The Order has asked them to come and cover our stay here in Neo Yokio. They thought it would be the perfect chance to help him get reacquainted with the job. It has been many years.

Lavenza: They were just here in the bar before your friends arrived. We were doing a customs check. The reason why they did not arrive with the rest of the Order is because they needed Mephisto and Mr. Iwai to check their weapons and equipment and do not have the time to check the reporters’ things.

Joker: I see. Where are they now?

Mutton: I believe they’ve gone to the one they call “Neo Yokio’s Number One Most Eligible Bachelor”.

Queen: I believe it was Arcangelo Corelli. We also know him from the Dream Festival.

Oracle: Why would they be there. From what I’ve heard, he’s not a Magistocrat. He’s just from an old money family.

Mephisto: My dear Phantom Thieves, you forget, it’s not just the Magistocracy who is corrupt in this city.

Wolf: (surprised) You know we’re the Phantom Thieves?

Noir: Zenkichi, Mephisto Pheles is also the Demon King of Time. He knows many things. Or so Shiemi tells me.

Mephisto: Ah, you wound me, Madame. Anyway, just as we have Ms. Kamiki observing Kaz Kaan, we have a non-exorcist observing whom we have deemed the most corrupted person in the city.

Noir: A non-exorcist? Who?

Mephisto: Let’s just say... Woodcrest will have a break from his constant conspiracy theories, ineffective protests, and lousy lectures.

Y- You don’t mean...

Mephisto: (smiling) Looks like Mr. Corelli is going to have his hands full.

>Meanwhile in Arcangelo Corelli’s penthouse...

I trust the guest room’s to your liking. The sheets are real Italian silk. And the pillows are stuffed with the finest goose feathers.

... The Wunclers’ guest rooms are more fancy than this.

Arcangelo: Oh please, those guys have no class.

Huey Freeman: Look, I’m not here for a social visit. I’m here because the True Cross Order asked me to watch the most corrupted person in Neo Yokio other than Kaz Kaan. I don’t like being here, but someone has to do this job... And Grandad was paid in advanced to make me do this. Anything you do that doesn’t seem right, I have to report back to the Order. So don’t start any of your shit with me right now.

Arcangelo: (unfazed) Oh, so scary.

>Huey Freeman’s stare gets more scarier than it already is.

Arcangelo: ... If anyone needs me, I’ll be hosting my podcast.

FLASH!

>Arcangelo is surprised by the flashing of a camera.

Arcangelo: Did you just take my picture now? ... Did you get my good side?

Huey Freeman: ... I’m not even going to. I need to report back, anyway.

>Huey Freeman goes to the guest room.

He’s a ball of sunshine, isn’t he?

Arcangelo: I can tell he’s going to be a handful. Guess I’ll have to put up with it and hope for the best.

Ohya: Looks like it. Well, good luck with your podcast.

>Arcangelo gave a short nod and left.

Ohya: And as for you, intern, I think you took a really good shot. I think you’ll fit right in with us.

Well technically speaking, I am a veteran in this sort of thing.

>To be continued...

#phantom thieves cam

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