#and my friends who are ahead tell me i'm in for an even more wild ride

[golden-cherry]

deal - cl16 (31/?)

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Series Summary: Your whole life has gone to shit. Your boyfriend broke up with you, you just lost your job and the Monegasque, who suddenly stands in your doorway, claims that it’s his apartment.

Chapter Summary: The promised back massage - and friends help each other.

Warnings: 18+ (thigh riding, inexperienced!reader)

Word Count: 3.6k

series masterlist

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A/N: I'm so proud. Charlie won his home race! I'm still crying. feedback is appreciated!

"So?" asks Charles as you move further and further away from the beautiful house. "What do you think of them?"

You smile at him. "You have a really great family, Charles. Maybe a little wild, but it's obvious how much you love each other."

He looks at you briefly before returning his gaze to the road ahead. "I love them more than anything. Ever since my father died, we've taken every opportunity to spend time together." He swallows briefly. "We appreciate each other. And that's worth a lot."

You carefully reach for his hand, which is resting on the shift stick, and turn it so that you can interlace your fingers with his. You place it on your lap and stroke the back of his hand in gentle circles with your thumb. "Thank you for taking me here. It means a lot to me."

"Actually, I didn't have any other choice. I think my mother would have kicked down our front door if I kept you from her." Charles has to grin. "I definitely wouldn't have survived that."

"So that's how it is," you grin and let go of his hand with mock outrage. "So you only took me with you out of pure self-protection."

Before you can cross your arms in front of your chest, he grabs your hand again and brings it up to his mouth so that he can tentatively blow a kiss on your knuckles. "Do you believe me when I tell you that it's incredibly important to me that you know my family? And that you like them?"

You feel the heat rush to your face as he brushes his lips over the thin skin of your fingers. You take a quick breath and stare at him before nervously - and slightly turned on - looking away from him. "Maybe." You try to sound as nonchalant as possible and hope that Charles doesn't notice the tremble in your voice. "I'm definitely glad Arthur didn't do anything to you. I bet he was a kid back then who just bit other children."

Charles has to laugh at that. Loudly and fervently, and you don't know if he does it on purpose, but he presses your hand firmly against his muscular chest and holds it there. You feel the vibration under your fingertips and air rushing through his lungs, and his laughter is so infectious that you can't help but join in.

When he finally lets go of your hand, he wipes the tears from his face. He takes another deep breath before letting out one last laugh and then places his hand on your thigh like it's the most normal thing in the world. The warmth of his skin almost burns through the fabric of your clothes. You try not to let it show. "Believe me, mon amour. I should even have a scar from his teeth somewhere."

When you stop at a traffic light, Charles leans forward a little and pushes his back through. When you hear a few of his vertebrae crack, you grimace. "Does your back hurt?"

"A little." He leans back into the seat again, but stretches his neck to the side. "Not being able to lean back for hours is more uncomfortable than you think." When he glances at you out of the corner of his eye and smirks, you lightly punch his shoulder. 

"You idiot." Charles laughs in response. "You're just after a back massage!"

"You take what you can get." His hand squeezes your thigh. 

You roll your eyes. "You could have just asked for a massage, you know? I imagine the stool isn't the most comfortable piece of furniture."

Charles shrugs. "I didn't want it to be weird in any way."

Your gaze focuses on his slender fingers on your leg. "Do you mean because of this morning?" you ask meekly. 

"Actually -" Charles clears his throat. " Because of Arthur, actually. He was hinting at something and - I don't know." He steers the car onto the street where your apartment is. When he takes his hand off your thigh to change gear, you miss his touch. Without another word, he parks the Renault in the building's underground garage and without looking at you, you take the elevator to your apartment. 

The silence between you is a little awkward. The fact that you brought up the incident from this morning has somehow killed the mood and you'd like to slap yourself for it. You could have left it at that - after all, you had spoken to each other and agreed that everything was fine between you - but you had stupidly cast it in a different light.

You get ready for bed in separate rooms in silence. While Charles brushes his teeth in the bathroom, you change in the bedroom and slip into comfortable shorts and a shirt that you're not sure if it belongs to you or Charles. When you run into each other in the hallway, you don't look at each other, but pass each other with lowered eyes. 

In the bathroom, you splash cold water on your face and are about to bang your forehead against the porcelain of the sink. Until just now, the day had been wonderful. You met his wonderful family, had a fun evening and although you had a little slip-up this morning, Charles and you got on really well. Your friendship hasn't been tarnished and apparently you've been so good to each other that the Leclerc family think you're a couple. 

That's another thing you need to sort out. Between the two of you and definitely with his family. Even though you've only got to know the Leclercs properly since today, you've already grown fond of them and it doesn't feel right to fib to everyone. Above all, it doesn't feel right to Pascale, who has invited you into her home and insists that you spend Christmas with them. Pascale, who has such a big heart and didn't hesitate for a moment to take you into the family. 

It's not fair to her - even if a small part of you wants to keep things the way they are. Even if it doesn't reflect reality, the word girlfriend doesn't ring false in your ears. The thought of it makes you feel warm and somehow the blood tingles in your veins. 

You blame it on the long day you've had and the fact that you're too emotionally exhausted to put one and one together. How crazy would it be if you were actually Charles' girlfriend?

You immediately push the thought aside when you return to the bedroom and see Charles lying on the bed. He continues to scroll through his phone without looking at you and doesn't even glance at you as you slip under the covers on your side of the bed. 

You want to press your face into the pillow and scream, but you can't do that because it definitely wouldn't ease the tension in the air. You could also cry quietly to yourself, but Charles would notice even that. But you could also -

"Am I still getting the back massage?" Confused, you look over at your friend, who puts his cell phone aside and looks at you. He shrugs and then runs his hand through his hair. "You said I should just ask. And I thought I'd try my luck." His hand wanders over the comforter and when he finds yours, he intertwines your fingers. 

"Charles -" you begin, but you don't know how to finish the sentence. You're relieved that he doesn't take offense at your comment and wants to ease the situation by pretending nothing happened. You would love to kiss him for it. The thought sends a warm shiver down your spine.

"Sorry," Charles apologizes as he mistakes your awkwardness for hesitation. "It was a stupid idea. I just thought -"

"It's okay," you interrupt him and squeeze his hand, whereupon he squeezes back twice. "Apparently the stool was super uncomfortable. And friends help each other, don't they?" 

The Monegasque returns your gentle smile. "Friends help each other," he repeats, his gaze flickering briefly from your eyes to your lips and back again. " 'Um - should I take my shirt off? I think that would be smarter, don't you?"

Before you can say anything back, his hand disengages from yours and in one elegant movement he pulls the garment over his head and throws it to the other end of the bed. You watch the muscles in his back flex as he slides down the bed a little and lies on his stomach without hesitation, as if he can't wait another second. 

You have to strain to tear your gaze away from him. "I think I still have some body lotion somewhere." You quickly run back to the bathroom, where you spot the cream on the shelf next to the door, and sprint back to Charles, who has put his head in his hands and is smiling at you. You stand uncertainly in front of the bed, swaying from one foot to the other. "Where - I mean - how -?"

"Just sit on my legs," he says gently and pulls the blanket off him so that you can sit on top of him. "I think that's easier than from the side. Isn't it?"

"I - I don't know," you reply quietly and stop in your tracks. Of course, it would make more sense to sit astride his legs, but then you would also be sitting on him. And you definitely don't want things to get weird between you again. 

"Just sit down, please. I won't bite." Charles reaches out and grabs your hand to pull you towards him. He doesn't let go until you swing your leg over his and get comfortable on the back of his thigh. "See? It's not so bad, is it?"

You're glad he can't see how hard you're swallowing. The fine hairs tickle the soft skin on the inside of your thighs and heat shoots into your face as you slide your butt around to find the best possible position. When you finally find it, you remove the cap from the body lotion. "Careful, it might be a bit cold."

"It's okay, it can't be that bad - oh fuck!" Charles exclaims as you pour the contents of the bottle onto his back. Goosebumps immediately spread across his back and arms and you have to stifle your laughter. "Don't you dare laugh at me. My goodness, you could have warmed up the cream in your hand!"

"Sorry," you grin and close the bottle again before placing it on the bed next to your knee. "I thought it would be easier this way."

"It's definitely meaner," Charles replies, glancing over his shoulder at you. "You owe me a longer massage for that. At least half an hour." 

"No problem," you smile. You hope he doesn't notice your hesitation, because it takes a few seconds before your head commands your hands to rest on his broad back and spread the cream. With your fingers spread apart, you glide over his spine, his shoulder blades to his neck, where you feel the first lump under your fingertips. Slowly, but firmly, you press your thumb over the spot. 

And Charles moans shamelessly. "Fuck, that feels good." He closes his eyes as you continue to work on his neck. "I think you've missed your profession."

"You think so?" you ask softly. Your fingers glide to his hairline, his muscular neck and back over his shoulders. "Maybe I wouldn't be unemployed right now."

"I'd hire you in a heartbeat." As you press the side of his left shoulder blade with your thumbs, he exhales audibly. "Yeah, right there."

Smiling, you look at him before returning to your task. "I think you're too old for that stool. I'll sit on it next time."

"You're only saying that because you're hoping for a massage too." Charles' voice sounds rough and deep, completely relaxed. With his eyes closed, he enjoys your touch and misses you biting your lower lip. 

Your mouth goes dry at the thought of feeling his hands on your bare skin. You'd be only too happy to repeat this morning's incident if it meant that nothing would change between you. That you would remain friends. 

Nervously, you slide around on his legs. "Maybe."

You don't receive an answer. In comfortable silence, you run your hands over his back, pressing certain points in his muscles that make the Monegasque hum and moan softly. It's nice to know that he can let himself go with you and that you seem to be doing him good. 

Your hands wander down to the hem of his shorts and before you can really think about it, your thumbs slide just underneath so that you can massage the marks the shorts leave on his skin too. Charles takes a gasping breath and for a moment you think you've gone a step too far, but Charles doesn't even open his eyes as he speaks. 

"I miss this."

You tilt your head, even though he's not looking at you. "What do you mean?"

"Being touched," he answers your question quietly.

You pull your fingers out from under the hem and let them glide over his spine. "We touch each other."

Charles lets out a sigh. "I know. But - I don't know." His mouth twists into a thin line. "That's something else."

"Explain it to me." 

"It's been months since I've touched anyone, or vice versa. And I'm not talking about friendly touching. What we do," he explains. You don't know why your heart tightens as if it has heard bad news. 

Your fingers trail over his shoulders and then down his arm. Goosebumps spread under your fingertips. "Okay."

"Not that I don't think it's nice," he tries to get his act together. "I love it when I hold your hand or when we cuddle in bed. That's not even up for debate." When your fingers reach his wrist, he grabs them and squeezes them twice. "I don't know how to describe it." 

"What exactly do you mean by 'touch'?" you try to draw him out. "I mean, apparently there must be a difference between what you mean and what we do."

Charles shrugs and lets go of your hand so you can continue. "I miss having my hair played with. Or having my legs rubbed." Lying down, he runs his hand through his hair once, "I don't know."

You chew the inside of your cheek. "Do you mean - I don't know - like more intimate touching?" When you hear yourself say that, you try to turn it around again. "I mean - I'm not talking about sex. But rather that emotional connection? That you feel close to someone and touching them, like playing with your fingers or rubbing your arms, feels different?"

Charles turns his head in your direction so he can look at you. "I miss being touched more intimately. I really crave it." He turns under you so that he is now lying on his back. He leans on his elbows. You don't know where to put your hands, which is why you hold them strangely in the air. You try to fix your gaze on his face, but it flickers briefly to his abs. Something that doesn't escape Charles' notice. "What about you?"

"What about me?" 

"My relationship went down the drain months ago. It's obvious I'm touch starved." He sits up straight and reaches for your hands, placing them tentatively and hesitantly on his chest. "I can't stop thinking about this morning."

You can feel his heart beating under your palm and there's a sparkle in his beautiful green eyes. "We're friends," you state the obvious. The one you agreed on. 

Charles nods. "And I don't want that to change either. I really don't." He exhales and you feel his warm breath on your face. "But don't you miss it? Being touched? Being touched intimately?"

As he licks his lips, your brain shuts down for a moment. "I've never - I don't - I -" you stumble over your words and heat rushes to your cheeks. You don't know why you're confiding in him. You don't know why your hands are wandering from his chest up to his shoulders. The only thing you can feel is Charles' arm around you, pulling you closer to him. His one leg slides between yours so that you're sitting on his bare thigh. You just hope he can't feel your arousal pooling in your shorts.

"Mon amour," he whispers and brushes a strand of hair behind your ear with his other hand. From there, his fingers glide along the soft skin of your neck, over your collarbone, along your arm, until your fingers intertwine again. "Your shorts are pretty thin." He leans forward slightly and lays a feather-light kiss on your neck. You blow all the fuses. "I can feel you dripping for me. Let me help you." His hand settles on your hip and gently he pushes you back a little on his leg, but only to pull you forward again. Electricity shoots through your veins as you moan shamelessly into his face. "Friends help each other. All you have to do is say yes."

Something primal flares in his eyes as he brings your hand to his mouth and places his lips on your knuckles. A gentle gesture that is in complete contrast to how you feel inside. Fire blazes under your skin, heat coursing through your whole body as he places your hand against his cheek, then presses a kiss to your palm. "Nothing changes," you murmur, to which Charles nods. 

"Nothing changes," he confirms. "We stay friends." His hands slowly slide under your bottom, under the hem of your shorts. You feel his hot skin on yours as he rocks you back and forth on his thigh. "I promise."

Your crotch rubs against his leg with such relish and when the hem of your shorts catches on your clit, you burn out all your fuses. "Yes."

Charles' lips find your neck as his hands cup your ass and guide you over his leg. With your mouth open and your eyebrows furrowed, you dig your fingers into his shoulder blades. Pleasure pulses through your body as his mouth moves over your neck, sucking lightly on the thin skin but not lingering long enough to leave a mark. Each kiss is gentle, the complete opposite to his grip on your ass and the way he rubs you over him. 

"Charles." Your voice is little more than a sigh and you think you can feel his raging boner against your leg, but the thought quickly fades as one of his hands pulls away from you. Instantly you miss his touch, his skin on yours, but before you can do anything, his fingers reach into your hair to gently pull your head back. 

"I'm here, mon amour," he breathes against the newly won space on your neck. Gently, he sucks where your pulse is, and you think you feel his teeth against your skin for a moment. "I'm here."

You don't know where to put your hands, so you just use them to press his face closer to you. You feel his tongue at the point where your neck meets your shoulder and arch towards him. "Please."

You don't know what you're asking for, but Charles knows all the better for it. He rocks you over his leg, which is wet and slippery from your arousal, and as your knee gently bumps against his cock, he moans into your ear. 

Absently, your hands disengage from his hair and scrape down his chest to the hem of his shorts, but before you can go an inch further, his thumb and forefinger curl around your wrists. "Mon amour, today is about you," he murmurs, kissing your cheek as he notices your disappointed look. "Don't pout. Otherwise we'll stop here and now." 

You move over his thigh on your own and, without taking the chance, you nudge his boner again with your knee. "But you said -" you begin, but Charles lets go of your hands, only to hold them behind your back. 

"Nuh-uh." His lips find their place against your collarbone. Apparently he notices that you close your eyes, because his free hand rests gently against your throat. "Look at me, mon amour." His voice is no more than a gasp as you open your eyes and look up at him pleadingly. You want him closer, want to feel his lips on yours, his cock splitting you in half. You want him to ruin you for any other men.

You approach the cliff, willing yourself to plunge down it, but when you close your eyes again, Charles merely presses your lap against his leg, preventing you from moving any further. You look at him in shock. "Charles."

"Fuck, I love it when you say my name." He holds you tight, chest to chest, and you try to move somehow, to rub against him. And he lets you. His hand loosens from your wrists while the other continues to rest on the column of your throat, but doesn't squeeze. "Look at me, mon amour," he repeats to himself, shamelessly sliding his hand inside your shorts so he can cup your ass. With one final movement, he pulls you forward, the hem of your shorts rubbing perfectly over your swollen bundle of nerves and white lightning flashes through your veins. "Look at me when you come for me."

And you do.

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

A part two for Changes was requested by @ali-r3n 💞 In part one the reader changes her style to be more like Chrissy's since Eddie has a crush on her.

She hopes this will make Eddie notice her but he doesn't want her to change herself for him and she's crushed to find out that he's not interested in her like that.

The first part of this fic was written so long ago and my writing style has changed a lot 💞

Now that you're all caught up here's the summary for part two;

After realising that Eddie will never be interested in you, you decide it's time to move on. There's a new guy at school called Jenson, he's a metalhead like Eddie and very much your type...

Angst, jealous Eddie, Eddie wakes up and smells the roses, Mutual pining, fluff. Mdni.

💌💞

After your humiliating experience with Eddie you do your best to avoid him. He didn't even want you when you dressed like Chrissy because she was his dream girl. Not you.

You had to accept that you would never ever be his type. Just his friend. His buddy.

Robin met you after school and she could tell by your face that you're big plan to get Eddie to notice you had gone out of the window. Steve watches you concerned as you wipe the make up of you face and attempt not to cry.

"Steve can we stop off for some ice cream. I think she needs it" Robin gestures to you and Steve nods.

"Ice cream and movie night. Does that sound good honey?" You nod and feel extremely grateful that you have such amazing friends besides Eddie.

You would eat ice cream and mope for a while and then you would finally try and get over Eddie. It was better this way, you couldn't stand the thought of him feeling pity for you because he didn't feel the same.

It would ruin your friendship and you never wanted that to happen.

...

Things are awkward with Eddie. Extremely awkward. You don't know what to say to him and he's being overly nice and just not himself with you.

Fuck, you wish you didn't say anything, didn't go ahead with your stupid plan in the first place.

Then to make matters worse principal Higgins calls you into his office. Grudgingly you make your way there and when you enter the office he's talking to a new student that you had never seen before.

He was tall, wild curls of long blonde hair and big brown eyes, he was wearing a Black Sabbath t shirt and leather jacket. Ripped black jeans and black boots. He's glaring at Higgins.

"I don't need a babysitter dude" the principal ignores this mysterious boy and gestures to you.

"Yn will be your guide around school. Your buddy while you settle in. You've been here for two weeks and you've barely made any effort to include yourself in anything Mr Jenson"

Jenson flips Principal Higgins the bird when he's not looking and you stiffle a giggle. He winks at you and you feel your body heat up, all the way to your toes.

"Fine. Lead the way pretty lady" he gestures to you and opens the door.

Hey maybe school won't be so bad after all?

"You can join me and my friends at lunch. We sit at the our own table, the Hellfire table. We play Dungeons and Dragons" you explain and he nods along as he follows you to the cafeteria.

Quickly you explain to the boys about what the principal asked you to do.

"Jenson is new and he needs some friends, people to show him around and get him settled" Eddie who's immediately suspicious of new students, studies Jenson. His big brown eyes sweeping over him and narrowing.

You do your best to explain who everyone is and point out Chrissy and the cheerleaders, you feel that pang in your chest about Eddie again.

Jenson scoffs and turns to you. "I'm not interested in the cheerleaders. I'm interested in you, beautiful"

Wait what? You nearly choke on your can of soda and meet Jenson's eyes.

"Me?" he nods and leans closer to you, so close you can smell his spicy cologne. "Wait, what was I talking about again?" You're kinda dazed by him if you're being honest.

He smirks then leans back in his seat.

"I think I like this table" his gaze stays on you and you hear Eddie mutter something under his breath.

"This table is only for Hellfire members" Eddie's voice is tight and full of dislike. Jenson pouts and turns to you.

"You'll sit with me this week yeah? Help me get settled and all?" You nod and avoid Eddie's livid gaze.

Things will be okay after all...right?

💞

For the next week you accompany Jenson at his table. Eddie isn't happy about this.

"Eddie he's not a Hellfire member, unless you want to see if he's any good at d&d" you suggest and Eddie shakes his head vehemently.

"I don't want him in Hellfire" he pouts and it's kinda adorable. Fuck, no it's not adorable, you're trying to get over this stupid crush.

"Not even for me? He's kinda dreamy" Eddie stills at this and you look away from his fierce gaze. What's his problem anyway? Feeling brave you point out to him that you finding Jenson dreamy is a good thing.

"Things have been weird between us since...well since the other week. You made your feelings clear and I need to move on. We can still be friends and there will be no awkward tension or anything like that" Eddie looks like he's about to say something else but Jenson shows up and the conversation stalls.

"Hey princess" Okay this time Eddie definitely does stiffen and his eyes flash as they turn to Jenson.

"I call her princess, no one else does dude" Jenson snorts and claps Eddie on the shoulder.

"You can't own a name dude. Anyway she likes it when I call her princess. Don't you honey?" Oh shit. You look between the two of them and feel torn. Eddie was your friend and Jenson well maybe someday when you were over Eddie he could be more than your friend?

"Shouldn't you be chasing that cheerleader you like Munson... leave Princess to me" Jenson winks at Eddie.

Your stomach sinks as Jenson goes to wait for you at a table. How could you forget Eddie mooning over Chrissy? It hardens your resolve.

"It's just a name Eddie. Why do you care so much anyway?" you ask him and he doesn't answer. Sighing you head over to Jenson and the knot in your stomach tightens even more.

💞

Eddie is quieter than normal during today's lunch. Dustin can sense something is wrong with him but Eddie's moods could be unpredictable and he didn't want to cause his hero anymore upset.

He didn't like seeing Eddie like this though, he had a funny feeling it was to do with the blonde metalhead currently taking up all of your attention.

Doesn't Eddie notice the way your gaze still strays to him? Don't you notice the longing way Eddie gazes at you?

Then again did Eddie even realise the way he looked at you? Why were the two of you such pining idiots?

Jason who is passing the Hellfire table nudges Eddie and smirks, "Aww freak, looks like you're not the apple of her eye anymore"

Shit. If looks could kill Jason would be dead. Eddie flips him off and Jason walks away laughing.

"Asshole" he huffs and Mike chuckles. "He's right though Eddie. She definitely has a type though doesn't she?" If possible Eddie's eyes narrow even more yet Mike doesn't notice.

Dude, stop talking Dustin begs but Mike carries on oblivious. "If you didn't spend so long pining over Chrissy then you wouldn't have lost your chance dude. It sucks, I'm sorry" Eddie deflates and whispers quietly.

"Do you really think I don't have a chance anymore?"Mike shrugs and Dustin tries to give him a hopeful smile but it doesn't seem to help Eddie who settles back in his chair with a glum expression on his face.

He watches you and Jenson and sighs. "you're right Wheeler. I wasted my time pining over the wrong girl"

💞💞

Even with Jenson being sweet and obviously interested your stupid traitor heart still aches for Eddie.

Robin who likes everyone has her reservations about Jenson. "I saw him flirting with some other girl yesterday, I think he's messing with a lot of girls hearts"

The thought of Jenson doing this should hurt you but it doesn't. Fuck. This was hopeless. How would you ever get over Eddie if you couldn't open your heart to someone else.

"Munson was in here yesterday. I mentioned that Jenson dude and he kinda ranted a bit" Steve says as he stocks the video tapes on the shelves.

"He's been weird with Jenson since I started hanging out with him"

Robin exchanges a knowing look with Steve and they both say at the same time. "He's jealous"

Hope briefly encompasses you then deflates. Eddie being jealous of Jenson? That was ridiculous. Plus Eddie still liked Chrissy didn't he?

"No he's not" you shake your head adamantly but there's no changing Steve's mind.

"Honey, I'm a guy and I know when a guy is jealous. Munson is jealous of this Jenson guy. He's another metalhead honing in on his girl and Eddie is like a feral raccoon warning him off"

A feral raccoon you stifle a smile at Steve's description of Eddie. Speaking of Eddie he comes into the store with Chrissy. Oh.

Suddenly Steve's thoughts seem completely wild and far fetched. See. You try to communicate with Steve that he's completely wrong.

"I really think you should just ask Eddie" Chrissy replies to Eddie and you wonder what. Was he going to ask Chrissy out? You don't want to stick around for that.

You gather your things at the same time Eddie spots you and freezes. Chrissy smiles at you warmly and you return it even though your heart is threatening to beat out of your chest.

"Dude, did you hear that Jenson was in here wanting to ask princess out" Steve suddenly pipes up, completely out of the blue and Eddie's eyes widen as they meet yours.

Jenson hasn't asked you out. If Steve was trying to make Eddie jealous then it wasn't going to happen, you're kinda tired of hoping for something that wasn't meant to be.

"I'll see you tomorrow, gotta get home and cram for this biology test" you hurry out of the store and tj your car.

Blasting out Black Sabbath helps clear your thoughts and you're relatively more relaxed as you get home.

There's the telltale sign of Eddie's van and you nearly jump out of your skin when it comes careening around the corner.

Eddie parks the van and jumps out. His eyes are wild and he jogs over to you still looking panicked.

"Don't date him" he says breathlessly and you pause unsure if you've heard him right. Did he seriously rush all of the way here to say this and why?

"Excuse me?" What the hell was going on?

"Don't date him. He's not right for you, he's egotistical and smarmy and...and he won't treat you right or love you the way you should be loved" you raise your eyebrow and when you speak your voice comes out all shaky.

"And how should I be loved Eddie?" He softens when he gazes at you and reaches out to caress your cheek.

"Like you're everything. No other girl compares to you and you're the best thing that's ever happened to a guy. Like you're the one and you always have been"

A small part of your anger comes roaring back and you groan exasperated. "Eddie. I practically told you I was in love with you. I have been for years and you basically rejected me and now that someone else shows interest in me you get a clue!"

He shrugs sheepishly and nods, "Robin said I was the world's biggest dingus. I fucked up okay? I know that and I know that it was the shittiest time to realise how I feel but I'm begging you, give me a shot and I'll never break your heart again. I promise you that"

You've always wanted to hear him say these words and you're torn between wanting to kiss him or yell at him some more.

"What about Chrissy?"

"Chrissy was a dumb crush, even if she was interested I don't care. I'm over that. Jenson helped me see what's been in front of me all along... It's you. It's always been you"

Well damn. You're still confused though because didn't he just come to Family Video with Chrissy and she was telling him just to ask someone something.

As if Eddie reads your mind he begins to explain. "I ran into Chrissy when I was heading to Family Video and she mentioned I was unusually quiet and everything about you poured out. She was telling me to just ask you out when we were heading into the store and then I saw you and I choked"

You bite back a smile and move closer to him, the need to kiss him feels a little overwhelming now.

"You really are an idiot Eddie but you're my idiot" you add affectionately and he kisses you. It leaves you momentarily stunned at how amazing it feels but then you're kissing him back.

When the two of you break apart you're both breathless, eyes shining and happiness written all over your faces.

"Shit, uh I was thinking maybe I could take you on a date. Maybe we could go to Lovers Lake and camp out for a little bit. Thought it would be romantic sweetheart"

"It's a date" you press another kiss to his lips and head into his van leaving a dazed and smug Eddie strutting to the van once he realised what you said.

💞

[ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral]

It's time for today's Merlin au! This time featuring some Mergwenthur (mostly focused on Merthur today though, but I have some more prompts planned for Mergwenthur because I love their dynamic!) and Arthur's emotional trauma from growing up under Uther!

Also, the option that won the poll will be the post after this one!

I just want to say that this au idea is so random that I'm pretty sure it came to me in a fever dream, so bon appétit my friends! :D

In this au, set in season 5, a sorcerer working for Morgana sneaks into the castle and creates three dolls: one of Arthur, one of Gwen, and one of Merlin. We see in the show that puppets and dolls with a likeness to their target can be used in dark rituals, and that's what this sorcerer plans to do.

However, Camelot's guards manage to catch and apprehend the sorcerer (whose powers just mysteriously failed them when the guards attacked, and no one sees Merlin loitering in the servants' hallway nearby) before the sorcerer could bind the doll of Arthur to the king. So, the small dolls of Gwen and Merlin are bound to them, but Arthur's isn't.

After the sorcerer has been locked up, Arthur discovers the dolls in the sorcerer's belongings and has Gaius take a look at them. Gaius tells him that they can go ahead and destroy the doll of Arthur since it isn't bound to anyone, but they'll need to wait to destroy Gwen and Merlin's dolls, since they had already been bound with magic and now any damage done to the dolls would be done to either of them.

Arthur is, rightfully, horrified by this and, as gently as he could, placed the two dolls in a secret compartment hidden in a wall of his room. He locks the two dolls away, feeling relief that no magical harm could come to the two most important people in his life.

Meanwhile, Gaius tells Merlin and Gwen about the dolls and their temporary solution to lock them away. Merlin's kicking himself for not being able to stop the sorcerer sooner, but he soon gets to work helping Gaius look for a spell to break the bond between them and the dolls.

However, as the days go on and no solution comes up, the whole doll situation falls on the backburner as more magical situations happen that demand Gaius and Merlin's immediate attention, leaving the whole doll mess to fall to the wayside. They'd find a solution eventually, they reasoned, and their temporary solution of locking them away had worked perfectly so far, so they should focus on the more pressing matters at hand.

However, Arthur couldn't seem to quite get the dolls out of his head. The cursed objects that could take away the two most important people in his life were just sitting there! Arthur's fears about the dolls ran wild, so Arthur asked Gaius for information on those types of dolls. After all, they could more easily take precautions around the dolls if they knew more about them.

Gaius directs Arthur to a certain book in Geoffrey's library that he knew had several chapters dedicated to the magic dolls and their potential uses. Arthur thanked Gaius and, that night, dedicated himself to reading all about the dolls so he could better protect his loved ones.

Most of what Arthur read disgusted and terrified him, reading about horrifying methods of torture and execution using the dolls, which would transfer every sensation and emotion directed at them onto the person they were bound to. Eventually though, Arthur came to a shorter chapter about the positive uses of the dolls. He read about druids who had taken vows of silence using the dolls to convey their affections for their loved ones, and even powerful sorcerers using similar dolls to comfort their far-away families.

As much as Arthur tried to shove that idea violently from his mind, it became fixed in his thoughts like a fly in a spiderweb. A way for someone else to feel the full depths of his love without having to use words?

Arthur, for all of his faults, knew himself. He knew that he was not the best at conveying his emotions. Words, no matter how long he thought over them, always felt like pale reflections of the enormity of his emotions, especially in regards to his love for Gwen and Merlin. With Gwen, he often stumbled over his words, unsure of how to express the depths of his love for her, even three years into marriage. With Merlin, on the other hand, any of his attempts at affection inevitably devolved into banter and friendly name-calling, never being able to truly tell Merlin how much he meant to Arthur.

Could these dolls be the solution? Could he somehow use them to convey his feelings for his beloved Gwen and Merlin? Arthur found his eyes frequently drifting towards the secret compartment where he knew the dolls lay. Could he...

Eventually, the temptation became so strong that Arthur couldn't resist anymore. Surely, if he was gentle and careful, then everything would be fine, right? Either Merlin and Gwen would be able to feel Arthur love through the little dolls, or nothing would happen and Arthur would go about his day only slightly disappointed.

With his mind made up, Arthur checked the lock on his chamber's door to ensure that he would be alone, and made his way over to the secret compartment in his wall, unlocking it. Sitting inside, exactly where he left them, were the dolls of Merlin and Gwen.

Arthur quickly darted over to his window, where had a clear view of Merlin talking with Gwaine in the courtyard. If anything happened to Merlin because of the doll, he would know right away, and he could reassure himself that this little experiment of his wasn't doing any harm.

They were both small, with his hand being able to cover the entirety of either doll with the exception of its head. As carefully as Arthur could, he pulled each doll out of the wall and set them down gently on his desk, making sure to cushion the back of their heads as he set them down.

It wasn't until Arthur saw staring down at the dolls did he realize that the book never specified exactly how emotions were transferred. Sensations were easy enough, but it never said how to convey emotions themselves.

Well, Arthur reasoned with himself, it couldn't be that difficult. He gently picked up the doll that resembled Merlin (it even had a little jacket and a red scarf on it and everything) and held it in front of him. Arthur took a few moments to contemplate his next move, before landing on an acceptable strategy.

Willfully ignoring the voice in his head (which sounded remarkably similar to his father) that was berating Arthur for seeking comfort from these dolls like a little girl, Arthur brought the Merlin doll close to his chest and held it there, trying his best to simulate a hug. There, that was a good start!

Moving back over to the window, Arthur was relieved to see Merlin unharmed and still speaking with Gwaine with a large smile on his face, not showing any signs of pain or discomfort.

Emboldened and relieved with the knowledge that he wasn't causing any harm, Arthur next had to figure out if he was really sending his feeling through the doll, or if this was just a huge waste of Arthur's time.

Keeping his eyes trained on Merlin, Arthur brought the doll up to his face and pressed a gentle kiss onto its forehead. To his amazement, right as he had kissed the doll, Merlin suddenly stopped speaking looked rather confused, touching a hand to his forehead, as if trying to check to see if anything was there, while a blush rose on his cheeks.

Arthur could feel a huge grin break out on his face. It had worked! Merlin had felt the affection he had shown to the doll!

Arthur, cuddling the Merlin doll: Get cherished idiot! Get absolutely adored!

Merlin, wondering why the hell he feels someone hugging him: Huh, that's weird.

Over the course of the next week, Arthur experimented with different ways to convey his emotions to Gwen and Merlin through the dolls. He found that holding the dolls close and speaking to them, spilling out all of the words that he was so clumsy with when he was with Gwen or Merlin, worked the most effectively. However, just holding, cuddling, or kissing the dolls had much of the same effect.

Arthur could even see the different it made with Gwen and Merlin! Even though Arthur was too embarrassed to tell them about how he had taken to trying to express his feelings through the dolls, he could tell that both of them were happier and more affectionate with him!

Oh, it was all working out perfectly! Arthur could finally honestly express his love to Merlin and Gwen to its fullest extent, and they were happier in return (even if they didn't quite know why)!

And it was all well and good, up until Merlin was injured. Not by the doll, thank god, because Arthur would never forgive himself if something like that happened. No, it was during a routine hunt through the darkling woods, which of course had to be ruined by bandits.

Arthur had thought nothing of it at first, as it was a smaller and untrained group, but horror gripped him near the end of the fight as he turned around to see Merlin, coming out of hiding and totally unaware of the bandit's crossbow aimed at him. Arthur tries shouting for Merlin to move out of the way, but he's too late. Between one heartbeat and the next, there's suddenly a crossbow bolt sticking out of Merlin's back.

Arthur makes quick work of the four bandits standing between him and Merlin, and frantically starts trying to treat and bandage the wound on Merlin's back. The wound is deep, Arthur's panicking, and Merlin's already passed out. Luckily, the knight quickly finished off the rest of the bandits, and they ride as swiftly as they could back to Camelot so Merlin could be treated by Gaius.

Luckily, they were able to get Merlin to Gaius before Merlin lost too much blood or the wound became infected, so Gaius was able to treat Merlin's wound and give him a good prognosis. However, much to everyone's concern, Merlin still hadn't woken up, and Gaius couldn't guarantee when Merlin would wake up or fully recover.

While Gwen stayed by Merlin's side all night, Arthur couldn't bear the sight of Merlin, looking still and broken on a patient's cot. Perhaps that made Arthur weak, but he couldn't ever bear to see his loved ones in pain, knowing that there was nothing he could do to help.

Or... perhaps... there was something he could do to help. Merlin likely couldn't hear what was going on around him, but if he could feel it instead...

Arthur took Merlin's doll from its secret compartment as gently as his desperation would allow. Arthur was pretty sure that there were tears running down his face, but he couldn't bring himself to care about that at the moment.

With trembling hands, Arthur carefully held the doll to his chest, right over his heart. Arthur tries everything he can, from kissing the doll to just speaking to it, telling the little scrap of cloth and magic all of the things he adores about Merlin and how he cannot cope with the thought of losing him.

Everyone is relieved the next day when Merlin wakes up, still weak from his injury, but recovering nonetheless. But man, Merlin had some weird dreams while he was unconscious. He dreamed Arthur was a giant and was hugging him! Merlin tried to play it off for laughs to lighten the mood when Arthur visited him, but Arthur didn't seem to find it nearly as funny as Merlin and Gwen did. Instead, Arthur turned slightly pale at Merlin's words.

After Arthur left, Merlin and Gwen turn to each other and discuss why they think Arthur had reacted like that. They both agree that Arthur had been acting differently lately, but if anything, it was an improvement. Arthur had been more open to both giving and receiving affection with them, and he had been more open with sharing his emotions lately, being overall less of a complete prat.

So, this sudden closed off response was rather suspicious to both of them. After some discussion, they agree to search for an explanation for Arthur's strange shift in behavior. After some snooping around and looking between the gaps on the door to he servant's entrance to Arthur chambers, Merlin and Gwen saw something truly shocking.

Arthur had been removing the dolls that were bound to them to their hiding spot! Did he know how dangerous that was for the both of them! What was he even planning on doing with them?!

Many of their questions were answered, however, when Arthur started pressing kisses to the top of both doll's heads, and both Gwen and Merlin could feel the sensation of the kiss touching their heads. Oh. So that's what the whole doll situation was about, and why both of them were having sudden and unexplainable sensations and bursts of positive emotion.

It made a shocking amount of sense, especially considering how frustrated they knew Arthur could get at his lack of skills in communicating his feelings. Merlin and Gwen turned to each other, and decided to not confront Arthur about this just yet. They could let Arthur have this, and he'd tell them when he was ready.

For now, Arthur would have his peace.

And that's a wrap for this au! Honestly, this au idea was so unique that I don't even know where it came from, but there's a lot of different ways this au could go! One of my favorite ideas is that any injury the person gets is also reflected on the doll, so after Merlin or Gwen goes missing, Arthur obsessively checks the dolls to see if they're unhurt.

Anyways, I've got the au idea that won the poll (an au idea featuring Arthur being an idiot) planned for tomorrow or the next day, so I hope to see you all again soon!

And, as always, thank you for reading though my ramblings! :D

[nightprompts]

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

( dialogue prompts taken from episodes 5 & 6 ( "eat at baratie!" & "the chef and the chore boy" ) of the netflix live action one piece series. feel free to edit and change as you seem fit. )

❛ how about we sail away as fast as we can? ❜

❛ about the battle, you wanna talk about it? ❜

❛ there's something on the breeze. smells like butter. soy sauce. and meat. ❜

❛ think he has brain damage? ❜

❛ i smell food, which means that there's someone somewhere cooking. ❜

❛ what's a... baratie? ❜

❛ let's eat! ❜

❛ you'll have to excuse them. they're idiots. ❜

❛ wanna take this outside? ❜

❛ are you asking me to dance? 'cause i kind of had my eye on that blonde at table eight. ❜

❛ i call it a true bluefin sauté. it's elephant tuna, seared asparagus, in a sweet soy reduction. ❜

❛ if i gotta sling one more prime rib medium-well, i am going to drop dead of boredom, you old shitbag! ❜

❛ this ain't gonna be a fight. i'm just going to kill him. ❜

❛ hi, welcome to our shitty restaurant where the only thing worse than the ambience is the food. ❜

❛ one of our signature cocktails to help you choke down your meal? ❜

❛ apologies, madam, i didn't see you there. ❜

❛ something wrong with your eye? ❜

❛ just blinded by your beauty. ❜

❛ nami's got a boyfriend. ❜

❛ did i catch you in the middle of something? ❜

❛ just killing some time. ❜

❛ who's the quarry? ❜

❛ doesn't sound like much of a challenge. ❜

❛ why are you after me? ❜

❛ you woke me from my nap. ❜

❛ i can't eat another bite. but it's so good. ❜

❛ who the hell is monkey d. luffy? ❜

❛ i don't even think there's liquor in this. it tastes just like candy. ❜

❛ who's ready for another drink? my treat. ❜

❛ i don't really do regret. no point in looking back. ❜

❛ sometimes, when i try to look ahead, all i see is back. ❜

❛ you know, you're a really good cook. ❜

❛ if a man is hungry, i feed him. ❜

❛ what are you carrying around that's so heavy? ❜

❛ i bet i know more about you than you do about me. ❜

❛ i guess something about you, you drink. you guess something about me, i drink.❜

❛ i have business with your captain. if you know what's good for you, you'll hand him over. ❜

❛ i've been following your career since i was a child. it's an honor to finally meet you, sir. which is why it pains me to inform you that tomorrow... you're going to die. ❜

❛ accept my challenge. you'll see how serious i am. ❜

❛ you want me to say you're the best? you're the best. okay? ❜

❛ you're the best i've ever seen, but you are not better than him. ❜

❛ why do you give a shit? ❜

❛ because you're my friend, you idiot. ❜

❛ you said it yourself. you don't have any friends. ❜

❛ what is that? i'm here for a sword fight. ❜

❛ i don't hunt rabbits with a cannon. ❜

❛ you're brave. i'll give you that. ❜

❛ wounds on the back are a swordsman's greatest shame. ❜

❛ this world could use a few more wild cards. ❜

❛ it's too soon for you to die. grow strong and come find me. i'll be waiting. ❜

❛ you could never fail me. ❜

❛ look, i'm not gonna lie to you. he's lost a lot of blood. it might be too late for him. but it might not be. ❜

❛ he's got one foot in each world right now, caught between life and death. you have to find a way to keep him tethered to our world. ❜

❛ nice of you to announce yourself. ❜

❛ i don't take orders. not even from the likes of you. ❜

❛ what's the matter? don't like fish? ❜

❛ if you don't want the fish, i got two-inch t-bones in the kitchen. or maybe you're in the mood for saffron risotto? ❜

❛ i can make anything. just tell me what you want. ❜

❛ being a captain, it's the toughest job in the world, okay? ❜

❛ how'd you two meet? were you on his crew or something? ❜

❛ oregano's for savages! ❜

❛ you've got a sharp tongue on you, boy. how about i cut it out and fry it up with some pig fat? ❜

❛ do what you want, but i'm not gonna die here. ❜

❛ they're all dead, except for us. ❜

❛ you ate it? you ate your own leg? ❜

❛ you don't even know me. why would you do that for a stranger? ❜

❛ so i'm gonna need you to live on. and i'm gonna need you to fulfill that dream... for both of us. ❜

❛ have any idea what that's like? having someone lose a limb to save your life? ❜

❛ sometimes, when you are in charge, you have to make the tough decisions. ❜

❛ i'd do anything to save him. anything. except stand in the way of his dream. ❜

❛ isn't there something that you want? something more than anything else in this world? ❜

❛ not everyone gets to follow their dreams. ❜

❛ did you not hear what i just said? they are hunting you. we need to run. ❜

❛ i can't let innocent people get hurt because of me. ❜

❛ i hear you're looking for me. ❜

❛ so this is the pirate i've heard so much about? ❜

❛ do you know who i am, boy? ❜

❛ how'd you even know how to find me? ❜

❛ if you bow down to me, i might even let you serve in my kingdom. ❜

❛ i don't bow down to any man. ❜

❛ i told you in the bar i didn't have any friends, but the truth is, i couldn't let myself have them... because i always end up hurting the people closest to me. ❜

❛ why waste your time killing a devil fruit eater? let the sea do it for you. ❜

❛ what is your problem? ❜

❛ me? i'm fine. you're the one with the problem. ❜

❛ you're not gonna be anything, not if you stay here. ❜

❛ it's not like i can just leave. ❜

❛ don't you get it? it's one thing to have a dream. it's another to go after it. ❜

❛ you want my permission? you got it. ❜

❛ i didn't know what to say before, but i know what to say now, and it's so simple. i need you. ❜

❛ you gonna keep talking, or let me get some sleep? ❜

❛ i vow to stand by your side from now until the end. ❜

❛ you're my captain, and i'm your first mate. ❜

❛ heard you guys need a cook. ❜

❛ why are we bringing the waiter? ❜

❛ you keep your feet dry. ❜

❛ you know, all these years, living under your shitty roof, cooking at your shitty restaurant... i owe you my life! ❜

❛ thank you for putting up with my shit all these years, old man. ❜

❛ i'll never forget you! ❜

[scarletteye]

Who's Crazier, Scara or Childe?

As I'm writing and editing the final chapters of "Ornament of Heart" I realized I can't tell which of the two Harbingers is crazier. Here are little bits from both my Childe fic and Scara fic where they are just absolutely unhinged, so you go ahead and tell me which one is crazier and why. I lowkey want to say Childe, even though Scara is far more prone to hurting people. Childe is just a bit... how do I say this... he needs meds

And yes I call Childe by his real name. Ajax is just mmm you know?

Ornament of Heart, chapter 20

“Stay away from me.”

Your boots sank into the snow. Each step was difficult to make, but you kept backing away, nonetheless.

“Don’t you dare run.”

A shiver traveled down your spine; Ajax’s tone was far from kind. That was a full blown threat. You took another step back, putting your hands up as a shield.

His mouth opened by a little. He didn’t expect you to flat out ignore his threat. Head tilting, and lips twitching up, he looked at you as if you were a wild animal that he caught in the garden. He eyed you with pure fascination, daring you to move again. “Mila. If you run, I will chase after you. And I won’t be gentle.”

You were trembling. You pushed your arms further out. “Stop. Stop doing that, Ajax. This isn’t funny. You’re not helping your case. I’ll go back inside, okay? Just let me go there alone.”

“I’m being serious.” His body turned, following your direction with each step you took. You slowly circled him, until your back was facing the mansion. “Stop moving.”

There were two good meters between you, but you knew you couldn’t outrun him even if you tried. This was the last thing you expected. The last thing you wanted.

“Do you even hear yourself?” you shivered out.

His eyes immediately pressed shut. He realized how scary he sounded after your warning. His voice immediately turned sweeter, but the quick change only filled you with dread. “Mila. I just want to know who filled your head with such idiotic ideas.” 

“You’re threatening me,” you hissed out. “Are you even listening to yourself?”

���Please stop avoiding my questions,” he still tried to force a sweet tone. “It’s not difficult to answer.”

“And then what, huh? What do you plan on doing to them?”

He shut up. He glared at you across the garden. Something told you that you didn’t actually want to know the answer. “I just want to know.”

Goosebumps filled your arms. “Ajax.” There was no way in hell you were going to tell him. About any maid or any Harbinger that warned you about him. “Are you threatening to kill that person?”

“Why does it matter? Why would you care?”

Your eyes cracked wider. “You would not.”

He tilted his head curiously, watching your expression freeze with shock. Your heartbeat raised to your throat. You knew he was unstable. You knew he was dangerous. But you always gave him the benefit of the doubt because you trusted him. That trust was gone now. You didn’t believe his excuses anymore. Who knows what actually happened to Igor. Ajax never said that he fired him. He said that he was gone. And now he was threatening to kill the person who supposedly exposed his secrets to you…

Both panic and nausea filled your stomach, turning you completely petrified in front of the Harbinger who you used to call your best friend. Oh God. He killed Igor. He didn’t fire him.

“There is no person. I figured it out myself,” you tried, your voice breaking as realization forced heat to your eyes.  “Do you think I’m too dumb to do that? Is that what you think of me, Ajax? It really isn’t difficult to see through your bullshit.”

“My bullshit?” he raised his voice, pointing at himself and ultimately making you wince as he stepped forward. You wanted to run so badly, but you believed with every fiber of your being that he would chase you. And then what happens? What the hell would he do to you? The other Harbingers believed he is capable of hurting you. Hell. He said he wouldn’t be gentle with you.

“All of your fucking lies and schemes,” you hissed out.

“There are no lies or schemes involved. You know that.”

“No, I don’t.”

His eyes cracked wider. “Mila. Do you think I would do anything to you to hurt you? To trap you? To ruin you? Do you think I would hurt you? Is that what you think of me?”

You never said any of that. But he was well aware.

“You grabbed me a second ago.”

He hit chest with both of his hands. “Me?! You think I would hurt you? Mila. Me?”

“Yes you!” You snapped back, ignoring the fear that rose within you as she shouted. “Do you even realize how horrible you are to me!? Grabbing me and shouting at me and threatening me and interrogating me and forbidding me to have friends,” your breath hitched. “All of the Harbingers looked surprised to see that I’m still alive.”

“I told you not to trust a word that comes out of their mouths. They are liars, comrade. It wounds me to know that you trust them and not me. Your husband.”

“But you’re not my real husband. You don’t even love me. You know damn well what I am to you.”

“I’m not your real husband?” he growled, stepping close to you again. Your heart lurched, and you fought back the urge to run. He sounded completely out of breath. Both hurt and wrath present in his voice as he interrogated you.

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

Blossom of the Divine, chapter 15

“I don’t remember giving you permission to speak.”

It was the first time he said something like this to you. You’ve heard him give the same order to his agents before, but you never imagined him giving it to you. It was too formal. Too distant. As if you were strangers. You already knew that he was mad at you, but this only solidified your suspicions. You were no longer under his care.

“Please,” you quietly tried.  “Let’s just talk it out.”

His hand raised to your chin. It gently landed on your skin, putting your head in his grasp. His thumb slipped to your lip. Your stomach sunk as you saw his expression shift to something much darker. “You never truly listen, do you? I just said that you don’t have permission to speak. Should I gag you instead?”

A shiver left your mouth. “What-?”

His thumb slipped into your mouth. Your eyes blew wide. As the fabric of the blindfold met your teeth, you jerked away from him. Your back crashed against the locked door. You slid to the ground, coughing, and pushing your tongue against the fabric until you ejected it out of your mouth.

Scaramouche’s knees appeared in your vision. Cold sweat coated your body. He stood right above you, glaring down at you with the same emotionless and tired eyes.

“Hey,” you peeped out. Your voice came out fragile – threading between a cry and between begging. “Please don’t. There’s no need. Right? Let’s just talk.”

He tilted his head. “You’re still not listening to my orders.”

Your breath got caught in your throat. He stared at you so coldly and harshly, that you feared even blinking at his direction.

“I know you’re desperate to explain yourself,” he said. “I know you have apologies upon apologies prepared for me. But I’ll be very honest with you, darling, I don’t want to hear any of them.”

All you could do was gaze up at him. You nearly had to break your neck to be able to look him in the eyes. Scaramouche loomed above you. You were practically trapped between his knees; cornered against the wall and the floor. There was nowhere for you to move. Nowhere for you to run. You were sure he could see your terror. You were sure he was doing this on purpose.

“Truth is, you tried to leave me in the middle of the night. You tried to run away from me, right after claiming that you care about me… No matter what you try to use an excuse, that fact won’t change.”

A bead of sweat slid down your temple.

“You are a liar,” he whispered. “My dear. That also won’t change, no matter how many apologies you sputter out. So save your words. There is nothing you can say to me. Nothing you can do, to change my mind.”

You couldn’t stand looking at his expression anymore. The darkness in his eyes made your heart beat with a manic rhythm. You were trembling like a wild animal in a cage. You averted your gaze, staring at his legs instead, and hoping you’ll eventually recollect yourself if you don’t see look at his face.

“Yet despite all of that…” his tone dropped. “I still can’t bring myself to kill you.”

Your eyes grew wider, but you didn’t dare break eye contact with the pale skin of his legs.

“So… there is really only one thing that I can do with you.”

His voice sent shivers down your spine.

He crouched down, getting his face to the same level as yours. You leaned as far back against the wall as possible. You couldn’t avoid looking at his face anymore. His smudged make-up emphasized the inferno in his eyes. They were full of something dark. Something twisted. Something that wished you harm.  

“I’ll just keep you by my side until you die,” he said. “Luckily, you humans tend to do that often, right? Or maybe…”

His hand gently enveloped your face. You trembled under his touch. You forgot how cold his hands were and how weirdly soft they were. The softness with which he touched you meant nothing at that moment. He was promising you harm.

 Seeing your terror, his lips twisted into a feeble smirk.  “Maybe I’ll just ask the Doctor to make you immortal like me and then I’ll force you to stay by my side for all eternity.”

Your mouth fell open. Your heartbeat was louder than your breaths. It drummed against your skull.

“What would pain you more, I wonder?” he whispered. “I’m inclined to do the option that is the most unpleasurable for you.”

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

But hey Scara got his redemption arc after that, all though it took some time, so maybe there is hope for Childe too. Maybe...

Both fics are on ao3 in case you are interested!

[exielimon]

Alright! guess who came back from death? that's right! no one cares!

Anyways I thank so much to @dragkbluire for helping me get out of my mental bloq and basically letting me rant about this from 1 to 6 am. You're gold.

So, I apologize if there are any mistakes that I missed, I'm not really a writer, enjoy

A Door to Remember You

(4782 words ahead)

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The other side of the portal was just like every other they had experienced. Four stepping aside and doubling over to focus in not spill his breakfast, Hyrule stumbling over the grass, more than one of them tripping and falling on top of each other as they regain their footing, someone eventually asking if somebody recognized something.

Wild did. But also not.

“What do you mean?” Wind asked, turning his head around without letting go of the smithy’s hair from where he was holding it for them as they failed their inicial task after the portal.

“We’re back in my era, but everything is… different. Feels pacific… too pacific.” Wild slowly puts his toughts into words.

“There’re no rests of malice in the air…” Legend states fron under Hyrule’s arm, the latter leaning heavily against Legend as he cleared the muddle of magic out of his head.

“But the smell of the guardians is strong” Twilight adds, focusing his ears on the distance, if all that violent twitching was anything to go by.

“Well, we’re in… Retsam forest… but… it´s so light, doesn’t even look like a forest.” Wild looks around.

“I mean, not that your woods were that bigger anyway,” Time points out, a rare snarky tone in his voice, as if he thought his forests were better “where was that forest again?”

“Right behind Hateno Hill” Wild responds without taking his eyes away from the lake that can be seen from their spot just before the cliff, the forest is so light the lake can be seen from the cliff! That means he’s in his past, right?? But these trees don’t take millenia to grow to how he knows them, so that means he’s already in his era, but Twilight said there are guardians so that means right before the calamity.

Oh spirits.

They are right before the calamity.

“…Wild?”

“Yes?” Wild responded around his thumbnail, which he was chewing.

“Are you alright?”

“What?” and that’s when Wild realized he was trembling. He startled out of his thoughts and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a heavy sigh. He steadied himself. “Alright! I know when we are”

At his silence, Warriors asked cautiosly “and that is…?” letting Wild fill the rest with his answer.

“Hateno village… previous to the calamity”

“Oh… oh”

Warriors’ reaction sumarized everyone’s.

.

“There are certainly more people in here” Legend looks around himself at the village “Hey, you alright?”

Wild, walking right beside him at the front of the group with his hood so low down his face it seemed like he wanted to disappear under it, just signs quickly “it’s my hometown, don’t know what to expect”

“Oh… alright then” from there, Veteran walks a little closer to him.

“This… must be the central market” Wild states once they arribe to an area of the village where… is not that different from the future. There are more stalls and people, yes, but not that much more buildings.

“Doesn’t look so different, does it?” Wars having seen the village only few times before asks to no one in particular. “Should we go see the Lab up the hill? maybe your friend Purah is there and can inform us what we need”

Wild turns around to face warriors and sign in small motions “Not really, she is too curious and if she finds out who we are, I don’t think she’ll be exited to know what happened, which she definitely will try to make us tell her”

“besides, she’s probably at the laboratory near the castle” he adds as an afterthought.

“Excuse me”

Wild freezes and lets the others handle the person away, it sounds like a little girl, must be just curious.

“Are you knights?”

“Yes, some of us are, whatever is the matter, little one?” Wild hears Warriors respond after stepping around him.

“Do you know the knight Link?” Wild stiffens.

“W-well Link’s a usual name among the knights, we know a few” Twilight adds to the conversation from his spot beside Wild, the opposite to Legend.

“Mell… you know… the guy who’s too young to be a knight, in the fifteenth division? son of captain Kore of division twenty” and since Wild doesn’t know that, he doesn’t know how to feel about it, maybe it was him or maybe he even knew the guy, he’ll never find out…

or so he thought

“The hylian champion.” She concludes and she is, in fact, talking about him. The others fall silent thinking of what to say.

Why was a kid asking for him? did she know him? was she just a curious fan? (did he have fans? or did most of people just see him as a tool like the crown did-)

He slightly turns his head to catch a glimpse of the child. Which is a mistake because the moment he moves, the child looks up and they lock eyes for an instant.

An instant is enough for her.

“Link!” she gasps and runs for his hand to start dragging him in some direction. “Oh how I’ve missed you! Mom’s missed you too, what took you so long in coming to visit?-“ She rants as she gently pulls him away from the others.

Twilight tries to follow because a child mistook Wild for the era’s Link and is dragging him away, Wild is not in the condition, but Time grabs him by the shoulder to stop him.

Twi looks back only to get the explanation of “don’t make a scene”

“I’ll be quiet” Wind states before sprinting the way Wild and the kid have already disappeared.

Sky and Legend go behind him, both sending looks of ‘I’ll take care of them’ to Time.

“Should we wait for them?” Hyrule asks, uncertain.

“We should restock while they get back”

.

“W-wait, kid I’m not-“ Wild tries not to speak too loud, there’s too much people, but that only takes him to not be heard by the little girl over the rushing wind while she is laughing and chatting away at him.

Once the area is quieter— wait, is she taking him to his own house?— he manages to tell her “Wait, kid ’m sor-“

And when he cuts himself off is because she turns to him, and that lovely face, grey silver eyes and pale golden bangs framing her face feel like he’s seen them his whole life… he might as well have.

Wind catches up just in time to see Wild fall completely still “oh no- a memory?” just who is this kid? Wind approaches and begins to apologize “I’m sorry kid, you got the wrong person, he’s-“

“That’s not true!, I recognize my brother anywhere, what do you know?” Aryll cuts him off. “Right, Link?…” The little girl waits for his response, but he won’t even lock eyes with her “Link? why isn’t he moving?”

“Ah, pumpkins… sorry kid, he’s amnesiac, he’s having an episode.” Sky tries to search his eyes, but they are unfocused.

The girl frowns confusedly

The front door swings open to reveal a woman that looks so relieved for something Sky doesn’t know. He explains.

“I’m sorry, madam, your child is confused and brought my brother here thinking he was someone else, he’s amnesiac and now he’s having an episode, we’ll get out of your yard as soon as we can, he’s just… frozen”

The woman visibly deflates, which Legend, Sky and Wind are not very pleased to see. Some feeling could be seen in the eyes of the woman as they search in the hero something she thought she did find but is so crushed for being told it was not so. She evidently had to gulp her feelings.

“Please, come in while your brother recovers, the house is a little empty without my husband and son in here”

.

He reaches out, caressing her loose braid and kissing her good night.

“When you go to the castle and meet much cool people remember, I’m the coolest of them all so you better don’t forget me, promise?” Aryll, his sister, a little ball of sunshine among all this dark burden he’s felt since picking up a sword for being curious in a forest, hugs him tight by the waist.

His mother, a pillar, protector and gentlest person he’s ever met in his life, walks over from where she was leaning in the railing of the loft and joins the hug. “Your father will come get you in the morning, you have to be prepared before sunrise, you should sleep now.” she whispers in his hair.

“Promise?” Repeats Aryll, demanding attention back to her.

“I promise,” He pulls away to face his little gremlin of a sister “I will remember you whenever, both of you” in that last bit he looks at his mother too.

He kisses again the little girl’s forehead before standing up to get to his own bed but Aryll grabs him by the wrist.

“Stay here a bit longer please.”

He sits down again, his mother kisses them both good night and retires to her bed.

“Would you sing for me?” she asks quietly.

And he didn’t register when he fell asleep with his cheek pressed to his sister’s head, but he remembers too vividly the damp in his shirt where her face pressed to his chest when she hugged him.

.

Hood at some point taken from his face, sitting on a chair? why was he sitting? and light the right shade for the inside of a roof. Wild blinks back to reality “Wher-“

“Your brother brought you inside since you were having an episode in my front yard, please stay as long as you need to recover” A woman sitting across a table he now registered he is sitting at tells him with a sorrowful voice and gentle smile.

“Twi’s the only one that knows how to handle you while on your… memories, so we called him over,” Sky explains from somewhere out of his line of sight, “Rulie had to make sure you were unharmed and the others are restocking supplies and getting a room at the inn.”

He only hums in acknowledgment because when he looks at her face, he can’t stop the tears from forming in his eyes even though he can feel Twilight’s reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Mom…?” his voice breaks.

He feels Twilight slightly flinch against his shoulder, and can hear the confused noises the rest of his brothers make at his blurting.

“I’m sorry? I thought you had another brothers…?”

Wild falls silent a moment, thinking over his words could he tell her about his newest quest? maybe not… but this is his mother, he has to tell her…  maybe a half-truth? “I-I come from the future…”

“Wild what are you-”

“I-I became a hero… and- as you already know, as the chosen one I’ve been resolving problems around the land…” he can heel the confusion emanating from his brethren behind him, still he keeps on “I ended up helping these men and boys save their homes as well, but our foe is… quite capable, dragging us through time” he stops to clear his throat and wet his lips. “We’ve been together for enough time that we are now comfortable with each other, that’s why we call ourselves brothers.”

“Ah… so it is you, my son”

“I told you! I recognize my brother anywhere” The little girl, Aryll— oh gods she’s so young and he doesn’t know how much more she lived— directs at the sailor, who just frowns at Wild’s direction. Then she returns to Wild “Through time, you travel? wow! how do you do that!!”

“Wait, your memory! and those scars! tell me, what happened? Is your father alright? what about the champions? will the princess be fine? what was of the calamity?” His mother gasps worriedly.

“oh uh…” Wild pauses to chuckle nervously, definitely not to think of a quick excuse “Uhm… the scars are nothing to worry about now, the battle was…” he clears his throat “…rough… but I’m recovered from that now, don’t worry.”

A quick glance to Twilight for support just leaves him more alone, for Twilight decides to abandon him then and there “I believe this is something you must discuss in private,” Twi shoots a glare at the rest of the heroes scattered throughout the house as he walks toward the door “we’re gonn’ leave you to that, I’ll stay out here if ya need anythin’” and with that, the others followed him out the house.

Wild glares at each one of them as they walk through the door.

Wild clears his throat again, “alright so…” and, with all the pain in his heart, “father’s… uh…” he starts lying to his mother “he’s fine, he’s still on duty. He just has a few new scars.”

He was planning on saying his father was resting, and it would be better because it wasn’t lying, but also not, because putting those words into his mouth would cut like daggers, the real meaning broke him from within and, with how fragile he was right now, he feared his breakdown would break the woman and girl at the other side of the table. So he puts on a smile and keeps on.

“The champions… I’m not sure what they are doing, they returned to their own lives I think, they’re ambassadors of their respective races and sometimes are invited over to the castle for celebrations.” At this point, Wild is just telling how he would have wanted everything to end up.

“The princess is fine, she’s recovering from the great effort she had to make to seal the calamity away. I’m still her knight and… she’s healing” he bears a faint smile because thank the spirits at least this one is not exactly a lie.

“And the calamity…” And now the worst question… wich he can’t possibly find a way to smooth down the story, not with all the destruction, devastation and death.

 A true calamity indeed.

“I don’t remember.”

“What?”

“Uh… at some point during the battle, I think I took a nasty hit to the head, when the battle ended I passed out… uh, as I was told. And thanks to that I… don’t remember much…” through the silence, he thinks of the precious (only) memory he has of these two women “B-but I did say I’d remember you whenever, didn’t I?” for this sentence, the tears are back to his eyes.

“M-mom it… it’s been a while.” He wipes his tears, trying and failing to stay composed as a sob escapes his throat

His mother answers by standing up and rounding the table. She opens her arms in front of him, a gesture that he doesn’t remember it’s been made a million times before, he stands up and melts into her embrace. Soon after, Aryll walks up and joins the hug too.

Wild holds them and breaks.

Because he shouldn’t be doing this, he shouldn’t be interacting with people from his past, he shouldn’t remember this.

Yet, here he is, holding two people long forgotten to the calamity he failed to keep at bay as if he was about to let them die again.

He most certainly was.

He couldn’t register how much time he was there, letting his mother rock them softly, but at some point after his breath evens, Aryll— bless her, little ball of sunshine though the gloom— comes to save the day “So, who are your new brothers? I’m still the coolest one, right?” She mumbled looking up at his eyes.

“Of course you are” he chuckled as he pulled away. “Gimme a sec, I‘ll call ‘em inside” he wiped his face and walked up to the door.

They were all sitting beside the young tree besides the house, surrounding the unlit cooking pot, they all perked up when Wild approached and offered “Do you guys wanna meet my sister?” Which they of course all agreed.

When they got in the house once again, Wild’s mother went to make some tea.

“So…” Wild began to his sister, introducing them from left to right “The dreamy guy there” Sky perks up from where he was dissociated  “is Sky.” ‘dreamy guy’ chuckles and waves.

“Pfft- he lives up to his name, his mind’s always in the clouds” Legend teases, just beside Sky.

“That salty one is Legend” Wild points to said hero, smirking as his sister giggles.

“Hey!” >:(

“Sparkly eyes is Hyrule” He continues, pointing to indicate. Ruile blushes under the subtle compliment and waves.

“The little sun in there” He points at the youngest hero “is Wind.” the sailor waves a hand with a friendly smile.

“Mr. wolf-pelt” Legend instantly snickersat wild’s description and Twi glares at ‘the salty one’ “Is Twilight”

“But those are not names?” Aryll asks, clearly confused.

“That’s because hey are nicknames, little sunshine.” Twi (his big brother instinct, really) explains for her “Seems like our names are so common we got the luck we’re all named the same. So we call ourselves things we like.” He smiles.

“And what is your name, really?” Aryll gasps with all the curiosity of a child.

“Link”

“They share a name with you, brother! that’s so cool!” She gasps amazed at a simple thing. “I wish I met someone else with my name, It would be awesome to name ourselves something we choose.”

“And what is your name, little lady?” Wind (his also big brother instinct) steps closer to put on theatrics.

“I’m Aryll!”

“Oh?” Wind looks surprised.

“Something up, Wind?”

“My sister’s name is also Aryll” He explains with a confused smile. How curious.

“Wait. That means you also have a nickname, brother, what is it?” She turns to her big brother again.

“I’m named Wild.” He answers, smiling.

“Why would you choose Wild??” Ah, Aryll is under the impression that they chose it from something they like… well, he certainly likes the wilderness.

“What do you mean? haven’t you seen wild nature??” Wild argues playfully. “The trees and animals everywhere, the scent and the view, it’s all pure life!” He praises his namesake. “You should tell mom to take you out someday, just so you can see it all. Believe me, it’s gorgeous.”

“Ohh, I’ve never been outside the village, is it much prettier outside??” Aryll asks, curious.

“Well, it’s not that it’s prettier, it’s just different, this place has its own beauty.” Wild explains, because he doesn’t want his sister to live the rest of his life yearning to be outside.

“Mom, can we someday go outside the village to see the trees?” She asks to her mother, at the other side of the room, in the kitchen area.

The woman chuckles “Yes, darling, one of these days we can go outside.”

Aryll giggles.

“Well, I’ll be going down to the others,” Hyrule stands up from where he was sitting on the first step of the stairs. “I came here to make sure everything was ok with you, Wild. I see you perfectly fine so I should go back.”

“I’ll go with you.” Legend, ever protective of his descendant, offers.

“I should go too, someone has to explain to the others why we’re taking so long,” Sky steps closer to the downfall duo before looking over his shoulder “And I presume Wild’s gonna take more still?” He addresses the hero in question.

Wild only nods with gratitude in his eyes. The others turn and step out the door, closing it behind themselves with a soft click.

Aryll starts to tell him about things he’s missed, while giving away facts about the village for Wind and Twilight to get into context. She speaks with gestures, expressions and emotions, which the three big brothers of the chain find simply precious.

She speaks of the way she would like to be out there, wielding a sword and being cool with her brother— and ohh! does this mean there are two of Lin- Wild in two places at the same time?— than being in the village looking at the same things and doing the same things every day.

Tea is ready at some point. “You boys like jasmine tea?”

“Which one was that?” Whispers Wind “The sweet one” answers Wild in the same volume.

“Yes, thank you ma’am” “Thanks mom” “Thanks ma’am” Is heard when the woman approaches with a plate with four cups of tea and some sugar and lets the heroes take one each before sitting down to have her own, one spoon of sugar added.

Aryll isn’t a fan of tea, she doesn’t hate it, but today she won’t take any.

And now, Wild’s mother is telling them how the people have been, the things that have changed and the people that have been through difficult times.

“Mister Sori hasn’t even left his house after he went- oh, it’s getting late” The woman glances out the window, up in the loft of the house, which lets the orange and golden rays of the last hours of sun come in. “You know what that means, young girl”

“Oh c’mon but brother’s here, this is a special occasion sure I can stay up a little late?” Aryll protests at her apparent bedtime.

“Why so early?” Asks Twilight to the woman.

“Oh, unfortunately, every night is more dangerous than the last, lately.” The mother explains “There’s a group of monsters just in Ovli plain, right in the outer edge of the cluster of trees outside the village. You should’ve  been able to see it when in the path to here”

“That’s… worryingly close.” Wild frowns.

“Yeah, but you’re the coolest swordsman everyone has seen,” Aryll praises “you can surely take care of ‘em in the blink of an eye! right?”

“Oh, girly, you should see Sky in battle” Twilight’s sighs with a grimace, no one can beat Sky in swordsmanship.

“Alright, little lady, you heard mom, it’s bed time.” Wild stands up and picks Aryll up when she makes a grabby gesture towards him.

“Fine, but can I sleep in your bed tonight?? it’s just bigger and softer.” Aryll pleads with big puppy eyes.

“You know what, fine. Uhm…” He looks around and hesitates, there are three beds in the house, two upstairs, and the other in a small but cozy corner under the loft, behind the stairs.

He doesn’t remember which one is his.

“You said you lost your memory, right?” Aryll asks when the house falls silent at his hesitance.

“yeah… sorry”

“Your bed’s the one here behind the stairs”

“Oh, uhm… thanks.”

It’s weird having someone remind you where your bed is.

When he walks up to the bed, he notices Wind going with him, it’s okay, he feels safe, but the extra protectiveness is welcome. Twilight starts helping Wild’s mom clean up.

He maneuvers his sister to plop her on the bed and tuck her nice and warm. She, giggling all the way.

When it looks like the little bundle of joy is breathing slowly Wind speaks quietly.

“I miss her.” He murmurs, looking down toward Wild’s sister, looking for his own.

“I know… guess I’ll miss her too.” Wild replies before pulling his brother into a side hug as they watch the little girl shuffle to a more comfortable position.

Then she opens her eyes and both heroes stiffen. “Would you sing for me?” she asks, not really aware they were talking two seconds ago.

Wild’s heart shatters. 

He doesn’t remember the song.

His eyes tear up again against his will and he crumples on the edge of the bed to hold his long since lost sister close.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, automatically returning the hug even in their uncomfortable position.

“I-I’m gonna miss you.” He sobs.

“But why? you can always come visit. Even in the future.” Aryll comforts.

Oh, sunshine, if only you knew. Wild takes one moment to bury his face into the blanket before standing up and wiping his face. “You know what?” a sniffle “You’re right.”

“Wild…”

“Now sleep, young lady, it’s bedtime.”

“You haven’t sung the song”

“Uhm…” Wild thinks of how to not break his sister’s heart and not sing the song he can’t remember. “How about one different this time huh? I’ve learned a bunch of cool songs lately.”

Aryll gasps “Really??” She gets comfortable and waits for Wild to start up, stars in her eyes.

He chuckles, wipes his still-trying-to-escape tears, and begins singing a song the hero of time once sung to him after a nightmare in the middle of third watch.

The song of healing, Old Man had said when Wild asked what was its name because he liked it.

Aryll was sound asleep by the time he’d finished the song.

.

“Mom, where did you say the monsters were?”

“You can’t mean what I think you mean to do”

“Mom, you heard Aryll, I’m the hylian champion” He looks at her in the eye, hood going back up. “I’ll take care of ‘em in the blink of an eye.” He smirks.

.

“Wild, I know this is more about your village and your family than about being a hero, but please, wait until we make a plan!” Warriors whisper-shouted.

“You guys are taking too long its not even that big of a group.” He responded.

They are spying on the group of monsters— all are residents of this era, all Wild’s, they were due to the calamity, not the shadow— from the edge of the area Zelda wanted to turn into a school, back in his era (or forward?), currently, there is something he can’t distinguish planted and growing, that’s sad because they are nowhere near being ripe and ready to cultivate.

The calamity is nearing, Wild’s mind offers distantly. Will he have to stay so watch it all go down? well he doesn’t want to see that but he certainly doesn’t want to leave.

Back to reality everyone’s ready to jump and attack.

“Wild did you get that?”

“Huh, what?”

Warriors groans, “You and Wind stay here as long as you can and snipe the weakest, they’re little and have no limit of space so they are going to scatter eventually, that’s when you go down and help us with close-combat.”

“Alright, got it”

They all spring into action, they jump off the 15 feet drop and start slashing the weakened by the champion and the sailor.

.

“Aryll, wake up.” The mother shakes the child awake.

“What do you need?” Aryll yawns, rubbing the sleep off her face.

“Your brother’s out there fighting the monsters” The mother grins, because she was where the kids’ mischief came from. “Wanna go and see?”

Aryll is suddenly very awake.

…

Mother and daughter watch the battle from a safe distance, not really hidden, but it’s dark enough for the night to be their hiding spot.

They watch the clad in blue that moves fast and sometimes inhumanely faster, it’s like he becomes lightning for a few seconds and goes back to fight as normal.

They watch him perform something they can only describe as a wild dance, his partner is his sword and shield. Dodge, slash at light speed, block, parry, slash again. The pattern repeats and it’s just as beautiful as he’s ever been. Knighthood seeping through his calculated steps and swings.

The pair can’t help but be proud of  the boy who, they now see clearly, is a hero and will save them from the incoming calamity.

If only they knew.

Before they know it, the battle is over, not even 20 minutes after.

.

“Everyone ok?” Time asks automatically.

“Legend took a slash to the shoulder ‘s not deep, he’s fine, other than that nothing but bruises.”

“Legend, how d’you feel?”

“‘M fine s’not even bleeding that much”

“Alright, then, let’s go ba-“

Times words die in his throat as a portal opens in the middle of the battle area, looks like they were not supposed to meet with the shadow in this era.

Everyone sighs and gets ready to cross.

“Wait no-“

“What do you mean no, Wild?”

“No, I have to-“ He turns back toward the village, he has to at least say goodbye to-

His mother and sister are there, watching from the village, startled expressions on their faces as they process what is about to happen.

They know is time for him to go.

His mother smiles reassuringly at him and waves while his sister resigns herself to watch him go with a little frown.

“No! I don’t want to go! please no- MOM, ARYLL-“ he’s cut off when the portal behind him closes and reopens right under his feet.

-

Thanks for reading!

[minas-linkverse]

Do you have any tips or tricks on how to start a comic like this? Or even just how you got started?? I've had my own au for years that I so badly wanna put out into the world but I've been struggling with finding a good way to start it!!!!

Hm!! Ok!! This is a tough question with many different answers even just from me. I'll do my best to answer tho!! 😮

The main bit of advice I want to give, and which I think is vital to anyone creating anything:

☆ Know yourself.

When looking up advice for creating, people love to tell you that by doing things a specific way is the best and only way to go. Often advice of this sort has solid points, you should plan ahead, you should have easy character designs, buut... You don't have to.

I do not work well with outlines or scripts. I dislike sketching. You'd think that'd make being a long form comic artist impossible for me, but nope.

I know theres things I cannot do, so I've put all my practise to what I can do. My lineart style allows me to almost skip sketching completely, my scripts are more of an A to B structure than law. I improv 90% of the time when making pages. It's kinda like dnd with myself.

I would absolutely not reccomend what I'm doing to others, but I know it works for me. People can tell me I'm doing it wrong but its either wrong or no comic at all, SO. Suck it. 👍

Er. Rambling now.

My point is, figure out what you can and cant do, and do your best to give yourself the ideal work enviorment and process.

☆ Deal with being overwhelmed

Making just a few panels and suddenly realising its gonna take years to get anywhere is SO demoralising. It's gonna happen and its gonna happen again, and again, and—

But continuing with the earlier advice, you gotta ask yourself what would help you. Are you willing to sacrifice quality? Do you just need a break? Maybe you're like me and like to include smth you love in every update so you'll have something to get excited about making.

That feeling of overwhelm is trying to tell you something, so figure out what that is so it wont end the project for you.

☆ Start it

You wont like what you make when starting. I've never heard of an artist who has.

I'm not saying start this instant, not everyone is as into improv and flailing around as me. But I will say you'll never feel ready. Figure out the minimun of what you need to start and do it. Show friends first if youre afraid to post.

Also where to start? Well sure there's lots of good advice online about that, but you can also just doodle random stuff until you feel like diving deeper. That's what LV started with, just Twi and Wild hanging out with animals and some headcanons. It may not be the most tightly written work but theres beauty in the humanity of a mess.

☆ Extras

A "failed project" or "forgotten WIP" is only a failure if you let yourself feel that way. Yea it can be a hauntingly strong feeling thats hard to deal with... But it can be beaten. WIPS are proof you tried and not everyone can say they have.

Lv is far from done and I have no intention of dropping it, but because the journey has been so nice I'd satisfied even if I had to call it here. Its smth that helps me with the overwhelm... What I've made is beautiful even now.

Comparing yourself to others is gonna rip your heart out. I love that theres other links meet aus out there and hope the best for those artists but I caNNot follow any of them or I'll crumble to dust.

So Uhm.

Basically. Have fun and be yourself. 👍

Ps. Readability is basically the most important thing for a comic artist to pay attention to, that and not destroying yourself with details and rendering. 🙌 Good luck out there!

[wandabear]

ANOTHER WORD - WANDA MAXIMOFF X F!READER  

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Summary: A request based on the song ‘Amigos no’ by Yuridia. Teacher Wanda, Ms. Maximoff here, yes. ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

As you know me, Jules is portrayed by Adelaide Kane.

PART I

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤPART II

Without looking back, Y/N walked towards the car and invited Betta to get in. She drove away from that bar, wondering if that was a good decision. It was, wasn't it? Had she turned down Wanda?

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Did my plan work?” The blonde next to her looked at her with some mischief.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Y/N laughed and kept her gaze straight ahead.  “To perfection.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“I knew it.” Betta smiled.  “I told you this game would work. If we walked out of that bar, she was going to come running to you in the blink of an eye.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Y/N nodded. “Where am I taking you?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Oh, I live in Brooklyn. If you don’t mind, of course.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

The way home was nice, both chatted a little more knowing more about the other. Y/N told her that she worked as a teacher at Westview High School, while Betta told her about her job as well. They laughed, seemed to like each other very well but they knew perfectly well that something was missing and it wasn't their fault.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Hey, look... Umh... You're cute and beautiful. Hot as fuck, but...” Y/N started when she parked in front of the blonde’s building. But before she continued, Betta just placed a  hand on Y/N’s shoulder.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“I'm in love with someone else.” Betta said first, with an adorable look. “And unfortunately, even though I think you're very cute and caring and adorable… and sex would be amazing, you're just not for me. Nor am I for you. And I don't think mindless sex is going to fix that.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Oh no. You just broke my heart just like that?!” Y/N teased, bringing her hand to her chest and they both giggled.  “But it was very nice to meet you, Betta. Thank you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Same. It was very nice meeting you.” The blonde one kissed Y/N’s lips softly like a goodbye, and was about to get out of the car when she turned to see Y/N one more time, and added: “You can tell she likes you, the brunette one. If you have a chance, go for it.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Taking a deep breath, Y/N turned her gaze to look ahead. That was too complicated, Wanda was too complicated.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Yeah…” Y/N sighed and nodded slowly. “I'll see what to do with that.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

The days passed and September was gone quickly, bringing with it one of the most important events of the school year: Homecoming.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Unlike other days, today she decided to wear some nice sunglasses and a leather jacket instead of her typical messy bun and plaid shirt. Totally sick of this whole 'sad widow' stage, licking your wounds from being rejected.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Y/N walked down the corridor of that school while watching the kids come and go, chat and put stuff in their lockers. She entered the teachers' room, where there were only three of them waiting for the new meeting before starting classes.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Look who decided to join us.” Jules joked as she finished making some delicious coffee.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“I'm five minutes early.” Y/N took off her glasses and smiled proudly, leaving a quick kiss on her friends cheek. She put down her bag and greeted Monica Rambeau.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Yes, you are! Damn girl, this year is going to be wild. Mhm.” Monica laughed and kept writing some things on her notebook. Monica was the P.E teacher.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Her friend came over with a steaming cup of coffee and set it down in front of her. “For you to start the day right, sweets.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Jules always made some coffee and brought some donuts or sandwiches so that the teachers who had not been able to eat breakfast, could have it there. At least two or three days a week.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

At that moment the door opened, allowing a hasty Wanda Maximoff to walk in, struggling to hold her jacket with one arm and her purse with the other.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“I'm sorry, I think someone parked in my spot and-” Wanda babbled as soon as Y/N looked up, they both met.  “I-I think I'm almost late.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Y/N was there. How long has it been since she saw her? Since that night in the bar, where she saw her leaving with a blonde but, never stopped thinking about her.

The brunette swallowed, finally sitting nex to them without taking her eyes off Y/N.  “Hi.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Hi.” Y/N greeted somewhat shyly and lowered her gaze to look some cat reels, trying to escape.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“You still have time, Wands. Sit down, it's my turn for coffee today.” Jules smiled, soon some more teachers arrived. “Strange is not coming, he’s on a meeting with the Superintendent Fury but Maria is coming.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Wanda sighed with relief and dropped into the chair. “Thank you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

About two or three minutes passed until Maria Hill came into the staff room. They spent perhaps twenty minutes trying to agree on some issues, until one of the most important came up.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“So, about Homecoming, we should talk about the-” Monica started, but Maria shook her head.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“About that…” Vice Principal Hill cleared her throat. “I think we will have to postpone that, we have not received the money for that and maybe if we manage to do some raffle, we can do it before November. We can do the pep-rally and-”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Wait, but...” Wanda frowned in concern. “We can't do that, the Homecoming dance is something that the kids love. It is important for them.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“It is, Wanda.” Maria pursed her lips and closed her notebook. “But there's not much we can do. We had to pay for the second floor bathroom plumbing, because they said they couldn't give those funds to us.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“I know but... Homecoming was important to us in the past, right? We cannot deny that to these children.” The sokovian tried again. Homecoming was important to her, what if the other kids didn't live that and lost something important in their lives?

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“What if…” Y/N offered breaking the silence, now all eyes were on her. “What if we help each other a little? I mean, maybe we can do something. We can do a raffle, yeah. Besides some school fair or something like that…”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“I know someone who can help us with the fair, plus I can bring food.” Wanda smiled and nodded. “I volunteer to be a chaperone even.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Jules raised her hand excitedly.  “Me too, I don't want the kids to be disappointed. I’ll help too.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Maria smiled kindly and watched them for a moment, everything depended on this. “Are you sure you wanna do this? I'm all in, but we will not receive the aid until the end of October. It's our own money and I know the paycheck is not big.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Wanda thinks it's important to them.” Y/N said looking at the brunette, who smiled gratefully. Oh, she would do anything to see her smile. “I vote yes.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

“Voting yes too.” Monica said as did the others teachers.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ 

Wanda kept her gaze on Y/N who only responded with a friendly smile. She would never forget this.

The raven-haired woman walked slowly down the corridor of the school, smiling and holding hands with some of the little ones as they walked towards the auditorium. They were little first graders.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Elementary didn’t have an auditorium so this time, they must use the one in the High School.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Come on, guys. We will go to the auditorium so remember, hold hands. Always.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

At that time, Natasha Romanoff entered the school to look for her best friend and to be honest, she had no idea where to find Wanda but seeing Jules in the hallway was maybe a pleasant surprise.

The redhead even smiled when she saw the small group of kids dressed as tiny bees.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey.” Nat said walking over to Jules, who's eyes widened at the sight of her. That was not even expected.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey, what are you doing here?” The woman couldn't help but stammer when she saw Natasha there, that gorgeous red hair in a beautiful braid. Oh, she looked so good.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I came to give something to Wanda but I wanted to talk to you too, can we…? Maybe later?” Nat watched the little ones out of the corner of her eye, this was not a good time, of course.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Later... yes, right now is... It's just that-” Jules glanced at the little ones who were looking at them curiously, smiling even. “Okay, come with me, just help me and don't say anything.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“But I was going to-” Natasha tried to say but Jules turned to look at the children.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Kids… this is Ms. Romanoff, she's my friend and she's going to join us right now, going to help us. Say hello to her!” Jules smiled widely.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

All the kids said 'Hello, Ms. Romanoff' at the same time in a very cute way.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Natasha giggled and couldn't help but feel some tenderness. “Hey, guys.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Come on, we’re going late!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Where?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“A little play for parents, I don't have time to explain, help me.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

They helped the little ones to get to the auditorium and enter to the backstage. First came Peggy Carter's little ones, so they were ready to go.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Jules, I should go and-” Now the presenter was the one who interrupted her. The redhead looked around her not knowing what the hell she was doing there.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Okay, now remember, the most important thing here is: promise that you all going to have fun. Yeah?” Jules encouraged the kids who just yelled 'yeah' and laughed.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

And despite the fact that for a moment Natasha felt an enormous desire to run away, that feeling didn't reach the enormous tenderness that she felt when she saw her ex-girlfriend like that. In a very motherly and adorable way.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Okay, Nat, help the bees get on stage while I put them on stage.” Jules took the hand of one of the little girls and walked up to the stage.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“But-”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“You wanna talk?” Jules looked at her and whispered under her breath:  “Help. The. Bees.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Natasha narrowed her eyes and sighed as she helped each of the little ones up the steps and onto the stage. The music began to play and those little ones sang a beautiful song, dancing a very cute dance.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I thought you taught them History.” Natasha frowned, watching as one of the little ones stumbled but the others helped him up.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Yeah, there, to those wild animals on High School.” Jules pointed to some of the kids sitting in the stands, looking at the kids play.  “I accepted this one as a substitute to have a little more money, few months ago. Had to pay rent.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Oh.” Nat nodded slowly.  “You like it? I mean… seems you like it.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Maybe... maybe I'll stay. I don’t know yet, it’s… different.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I see… Look, I was wondering if… if you wanted to have a drink after this.” Natasha whispered trying to look casual, asking her out knowing that it could go really bad after hurting her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“No. Thank you. You can go away now.” Jules responded quickly and didn't even look at her, just smiled at her little ones who were waving at her from the stage.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I can't go...there are a lot of people around and they will look at me.” Nat looked around, the place was full of parents. Getting to that place was easy but leaving? She would have to fight endless numbers of parents who wanted to record the performances of their little ones.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Then stay and shut up, I want to see my kids.” The brunette watched her out of the corner of her eye, and then she looked at her little ones, who were smiling as they went up on stage in their little bee costumes.  “You’re doing it amazing, Jessica! Just don’t…” Jules just whispered, moving her lips enough for the little girl to understand: “Not the baby shark song! Just the one I showed you!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Catchy song, huh?” Natasha just smiled and pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. Maybe the idea of spending her life with just one person wasn't so bad. If that person was her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Once the little ones finished singing, they made a little bow, winning over the audience. Of course after that Jules had to do it too.

Natasha's green eyes shone tenderly, seeing the scene, feeling a warmth that she had not felt before.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“So, I was asking about… dinning tomorrow. You and me." Natasha asked once the brunette came back and they both helped the little ones get off the stage. Jules looked at her in surprise, perhaps a little blushed.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Actually I can't, we have 'Homecoming' and we have to take care of them.” The ravenhaired woman wrinkled her nose. “You know. Chapperoning.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Oh.” Natasha nodded. “If you want I- I can stay to help you, to help you ALL. Chapperoning and that.” The redhead smiled as they both walked towards the halls of the school. “You know… Controlling hormone-ridden teens.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Maybe.” Jules nodded slowly, maybe it wasn't bad. Natasha dumped her, but she also seemed to regret having done it. Maybe giving her a chance wouldn't hurt.  

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Okay, I'll go find Wanda and well… Umh, I'll see you tomorrow.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

We are young, heartache to heartache, we stand. No promises, no demands. Love is a battlefield.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

The school gym was packed with teenagers chatting and eating some snacks. Some were encouraged to dance, others stayed in their seats at the tables.

It was a good moment, Y/N smiled and looked around. He waved to Jules who was on the other side of the gym, watching some two who were dancing too close.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Kate was the DJ’ that night, she seemed quite entertained playing the console when Y/N approached.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“These kids don't know Pat Benatar, Kate.” Y/N teased leaning in to see her. “Put them something that makes them dance.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

The archer gave her the okay with her hand and put her headphones back on, while Y/N walked around the place, checking that everything was fine.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N wore a striped shirt and black pants, accompanied by a black blazer that made her look perfectly semi-formal. The hair was loose, she was looking good.

Sure, she got some jokes from her friends like 'the CEO party is somewhere else' and stuff like that. But she was comfy, it felt good.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey, America. All good?” Y/N greeted America Chavez, who was chatting pleasantly with Peter Parker and Kamala Khan.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey, Ms. Y/L/N.” America smiled widely. ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Lookin’ good!” Kamala added.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ "Sharp, Ms. Y/LN!" Peter raised his thumb.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Thanks! You guys lookin’ amazing too.” Y/N kept walking and left the gym for a moment to get some air. She walked the halls of the school to make sure everything was okay and no student was sneaking out.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N walked down the corridor of the East wing when a knock in one of the classrooms made Y/N turn on her heels. So ready to scold those wild beasts.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Okay, I told you guys that this place was out of limits. Now go to-” Y/N was about to enter the classroom when she collided with the person who was there. She stepped back in surprise, not expecting to see her there.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Sorry, it's just me, I came to see if everything was okay and a broom fell off.” Wanda apologized between giggles as she picked up the broom.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Taking Y/N's breath away, Wanda was wearing a scarlet, sleeveless shirt. She also wore black pants and her loose brown hair.

She looked so beautiful that Y/N could barely stammer out a few words.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I thought it was some- of the students doing stuff… you know.” Y/N stammered nervously and then laughed, so embarrassed.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“You look…” Wanda looked her up and down, completely stunned.  “Wow.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I guess that means I look good. Kate said that I looked like some CEO from a lesbian TV show.” Y/N giggled. “I can say the same about you... I mean, the 'wow' part, you look beautiful, stunning.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong. Searching our hearts for so long… both of us knowing love is a battlefield.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Thank you.” Wanda sighed.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“You okay? What are you doing here?” Y/N asked as they both left that classroom and walked down the hall. 

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I just came to check the halls. One of the girls had to come to the bathroom urgently because she tore her dress, and I decided to help.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Good, that’s good.” She was so nervous, she prayed to heaven that Wanda didn't notice.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“And you?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Oh… I decided to escape for a bit and check out the classrooms. Jules, Nat and Kate are watching the kids so it's all good.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

They both went down some stairs and checked that the lab and the art room were empty as well. Schools used to be kind of creepy at night but this time it didn't look so bad.

The tension was increasing more and more until 'Wild Horses' by The Sundays could be heard in the distance.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“No way…” Y/N smiled widely. “Do you remember that song?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“That played at our Homecoming, didn't it?” Wanda said, stopping for a moment. It had been so long since she heard that song, that made her smile.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Yeah.” Y/N nodded. “Wow, haven't listened to it in a while.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I was thinking the same…” The brunette bit her lower lip, trying to gain courage. “Wanna dance?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Me?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“No, to the ghost behind you, silly. Of course you!” Wanda giggled.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Surprised by her request, Y/N thought for a moment and then nodded. She came closer to clumsily hug her waist, feeling so excited and nervous that she didn't know how to do it. Anyone would be surprised to learn that those two had sex multiple times.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I really like this song.” Wanda whispered, closing her eyes when she rested her head on Y/N's chest, letting herself be carried away by that slow dance and the song. Y/N smiled tenderly, the scent of her perfume was lovely.   ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Y/N… Do you remember our homecoming?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Yep.” Y/N nodded slowly, remembering that moment. “Bobbi Morse asked me.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Oh, the tall blonde one? Why did you say no?” Wanda asked curiously, frowning, but then she understood. It wasn't so hard to understand.  “Oh.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 'She was into you, Wanda.' She thought.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Yep. I almost asked you but... you were in love with Vision.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Wanda smiled sadly while they danced slowly. “And you were in love with me.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Yeah, kinda.” The tallest woman shrugged, trying to hide her jealousy at that memory. “Bobbi was hot tho.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Wanda giggled and looked down, embarrassed. “It’s funny.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“What's funny?” Y/N looked down to see her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“This time I'm in love with you and you like someone else. That blonde from the bar.” Wanda felt a bit embarrassed. She had no right to play the hurt and jealous one but that's how she felt.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

For a long time she noticed how Y/N didn't stop ignoring and avoiding her, and every day that passed she realized how stupid she was for rejecting her. To ignore how amazing Y/N had been since the first day they'd met. She felt so dumb.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Oh.” Y/N nodded surprised, that was a hell of a revelation.  “You mean Betta.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Ha.” Wanda snorted, so jealous. “She has a fish name.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“She’s cute, and kinda gorgeous, yep.” Y/N tried to not smile and not showing how much she liked to see how jealous Wanda was, she just decided to play along. “But I just took her home that night. That's it, nothing happened.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Just like that, hope was reborn inside. Wanda's huge green eyes sparkled. “Really?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Wanda looked up, curious. Now they were both staring at each other, those green eyes colliding at hers. “We talked for a while, she was in love with someone else and so was I.” Y/N wrinkled her nose, trying to pretend it wasn't a big deal.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Is that so?” A smile formed on Wanda's lips and thanks to that, Y/N realized that her heart continued to belong to Wanda. The sokovian brought her hands to cradle Y/N's face gently, those lips invited her to unite once more.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“We can't keep doing this, Wanda.” Y/N whispered.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Why not?” She looked at those  lips and then back at Y/N’s eyes.  “I am admitting, finally, in front of you, that I am in love with you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N took a deep breath. “I can't take more lies and false hopes. Is killing me. I can't take it anymore.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Wanda shook her head desperately. “I'll do it in front of everyone if it will make you trust me. I don't care, I love you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N just stood in front of her, trying to give her a chance to listen to her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I was afraid, didn't know what to do.” The brunette sighed. “I haven't been in another relationship since I broke up with Vision, and he was my first boyfriend.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I know that.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I didn't want to lose you either, you are... you are one of the people who has supported me the most all these years.” Wanda spoke from the bottom of her heart, being honest with Y/N and with herself.  “You’re my friend, yes, and I need my friend back... but also the person I want by my side.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I don’t understand.” Y/N frowned, not understanding too much where she was going.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I don't think calling you 'friend' to be a bad thing, but I want my friend to be something else too.” Wanda smiled, knowing that she had finally understood what she wanted in her life. "I'm in love with you... So be my best friend, be my girlfriend. Be my everything."

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

"Wands..."

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I love you so much, detka.” She caressed Y/N’s cheek devotedly, as if it were the most precious thing in her life. “All this time without you was so hard.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I am ready. I am not scared anymore.” Wanda took a breath before saying the most sincere and real words of her life again: “I love you.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N smiled widely. Was she really she willing to bet her heart again? Well, there was no doubt.  “I love you, Wands.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Without further ado, the brunette shortened the distance between their lips and both joined in a delicious and long-awaited kiss.

Despite being surprised by that, Y/N ended up hugging her and drawing her into a deeper kiss.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

In the background, that song once again made the moment more special between the two but in a very different way. They both smiled when they separated for a second, but Wanda didn't let Y/N get away. They both kept kissing, hiding for a moment the lonely Lab, devouring each other completely.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“We can't do this here, we must go back.” Y/N laughed between kisses. “We're supposed to take care that they don't do this."

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Biting her lower lip, Wanda agreed to separate and they both arranged their clothes. Both didn’t stop smiling completely gawking. “It's not my fault you're irresistible, detka.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N laughed and they both left the lab, walking towards the gym again.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Do you have something to do later?” Y/N opened the door for her to go into the gym first. “Would you go on a date with me?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I’m all yours.” Wanda smiled before walking past and winking at her.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N smiled widely, feeling her heart beating so fast. This time was definitely going to be different.

At that moment some students came out of the gym trying to sneak away, but both quickly exclaimed:

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Where do you think you’re going?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ “To smooch at the Library? Oh, no. We already know all your tricks. Go back inside now.”

And a few years later, Y/N was still smiling like never before as she walked through the front door of Westview High School. Feeling she could go against everything in the world, nothing was going to stop her. She was happy.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

It had been a very beautiful four years with the love of her life. The relationship with Wanda had grown exponentially, of course they had some problems, but nothing they couldn't solve.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey, Mrs. Y/L/N.” Some students greeted as they walked in the hall.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey, America. Ready for your last year here?” The teacher smiled. “You're going to miss me a lot when you don't hear me talk about reptiles anymore, I know it!”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I know I will, Ms. Y/L/N! Columbia will feel empty without you!” America smiled and kept walking along with her friends.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Y/N walked into the staff room and smiled when she saw her friends, chatting about some news of the day. They talked for a few minutes enjoying their lunches until a beautiful brunette entered the room, stealing everyone's attention.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey, Wands.” Y/N smiled in surprise to see her wife there. A very pregnant Wanda walked into the staff room with a bag and her purse. “You okay?”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Wanda smiled and leaned in to peck her lips. “Yeah, you forgot your lunch and I decided to leave it before going to Nat's house.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Happily, Y/N took the lunch box and opened it so she could smell the delicious chicken paprikash.  “Oh, you’re the best.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“I know.” Wanda smiled proudly.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

“Hey, if you’re going home tell Nat that i’m coming a bit late. I have too many exams to correct today.” Jules kissed Wanda’s cheek. “I can't believe there are my little nephews or nieces... or whatever you both want to be, I’m in.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ  Jules moved closer so she could put her hand on her friend's big belly.  “Hello, my beautiful bees. This is Auntie Jules.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Wanda giggled, without seeing how Y/N watched that situation, her chest swelled with happiness. “We don't know yet, so ‘bees’ are really good.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“How much time left?” Kate Bishop asked before rubbing her belly once more and sitting next to Jules.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“Six months.” Wanda sighed exhausted, sitting next to Y/N. For a moment she almost sat on Y/N’s lap, but soon remembered that they were at school. “I can't believe I still have three more left.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“You’re doing it amazing. You even look gorgeous. Right?” Kate winked at Y/N.

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“So right. You look amazingly beautiful.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“It's just that these two don't stop moving all day, I swear. They're wild!” Wanda sighed deeply. ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“Honey, your maternity leave is called 'leave' for a reason.” Y/N caressed her back tenderly.  “You should rest a bit more though.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“I know… I'm leaving, I'm leaving!” Wanda took a deep breath before getting up again and taking her bag.  “I just wanted to leave you your lunch.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“I love you.” Y/N smiled when her wife kissed her before walking towards the door, but not before turning to see her: ㅤㅤ ㅤ 

“I love you so much, detka.” The brunette winked at her. “I'll see you at home.”

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ the end

ㅤㅤ ㅤ  I hope you liked it. ✨ I have to say that it might have some little spinoffs, like one-shots, but later. Now I'm focusing on finishing the stories.

the cutest and most amazing people tags ✨: fishlikestuff - @pawiie - @casquinhaa - @hayeeonn - @les-wave - @sunsol-22 - @germz19 - @wandsmxmff - @lisasmcl - @suckerforwanat - @get-the-fuck-outta-here - @ecruzsalaz - @cowboyboots236 - @imnotasuperhero

[rootsofdread]

Hi! I just found your blog(? is it called a Tumblr? a blog? I still don't know) and I love it! I'm sort of an on-and-off Dead by Daylight player, but seeing this great thing you've got going on here makes me kinda want to go play more.

I dunno if this is an acceptable request, but: how would the denizens of the Fog feel about a friendly and helpful dog!Reader?

For the killers, the faithful companion is leading them to injured survivors and also barking at people who try to sneak by (though likely not always successfully, since the Fog is likely messing with their senses), maybe even knocking things out of survivors' hands because they're a mischief maker.

For the Survivors, the friendly pooch is leading injured survivors away from the killer and to healers, picking up and bringing them dropped items, and barking at stalking killers to warn the people it cares about.

Everyone needs a friendly animal sometimes, I think. There's something really nice about petting a fuzzy friend when you've had a bad day, and I feel like being in the Fog probably means you have a lot of bad days.

most people call them blogs hehe! this was honestly such a fun request to do though, i was delighted seeing it in my inbox!! very unique and fun to write :-D!!

Jake Park:

Jake had long learned to be wary of animals — creatures, more like — found in the fog. So he was understandably skeptical when he saw a dog sniffing around in the distance. He was sure he’d see you transform into some grotesque monster. He was shocked to see you lead the killer into a trap he had set up earlier in the trial, jumping over it while they stepped into it.

He knew you’d be next if they caught up to you. He whistles to get your attention and makes sure you run away with him, ahead of him, even. There’s something strangely freeing about being with an animal again, to him, running with one and feeling like he’s truly in the wild again.

You help him a lot with building make-shift traps and getting items together for himself and his teammates. He never has to worry about being unprepared with you around, he can tell you to go find something he needs, and chances are, you’ll be back with it in no time. You’re often more helpful at times than his teammates are.

Jeff Johansen:

Jeff couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw you walk up to him while he was working on a generator. A stray dog. He was sure you were a figment of his imagination — but attempts to snap himself out of it proved futile. But he still wasn’t too sure, of course, he figured you must be something conjured by the Entity to mess with him and other survivors. 

But he began to trust you more when you lead him into a nearby out-of-sight corner just as the killer skulked by. He was in disbelief that you knew they were coming before he did, and seemed to figure this must mean you’re here to protect him rather than mess with him.

That said, he often spends more time protecting you than you do protecting him. He tells you to run and takes chase from the killer before they find you, and he’s thankful when you decide to listen instead of continue to follow him; he wants you to help everyone else when you can’t help him. You’ve brought him happiness and he’ll protect you at any cost.

Max Thompson Jr. / The Hillbilly:

Max doesn’t have a great track record with animals, and he nearly killed you when he first noticed you during a trial. The incessant barking is almost what did it — but then he noticed you were clearly barking at something. A bush? No, something inside the bush. He could hear something.

He swung his hammer into the greenery and collided with flesh. An injured survivor had been hiding from him, and you led him straight to them. He seems to decide for himself, maybe you can be useful. He lets you follow him around for the rest of the trial, occasionally looking over his shoulder to see you wagging your tail.

He eventually becomes much more attached to you, thinking of you more as a pet than a convenience. He can frequently be seen petting you and throwing you treats after you help him catch survivors, and perhaps, on occasion, he lets you lay your head in his lap while the two of you rest after a long trial.

Anna / The Huntress:

Of course, Anna had seen animals in the fog; the nasty creatures the Entity had spawned. They’re easy pickings, a fun activity for her when she’s not in a trial. She was surprised when she lobbed a hatchet at you and you actually dodged it. She knew you were smarter, a different kind of animal. A real animal, like from before.

Believe it or not, she was actually delighted to have found a real animal in the fog. She loved animals. And a dog, too — she always wanted a dog, particularly for hunting, but she had heard what great companions they make. It was never a secret how much she’d always wanted a friend.

She immediately takes to you and lets you come with her. She loves having an easy way to pinpoint where survivors are with you, letting you run off into the trialgrounds and alert her to the exact locations of them, occasionally even dragging injured survivors straight back to her. You’re rewarded with treats from her hunts.

[tavyliasin]

ATG 13 - Bear? Bare

In which there is a surprise in the woods.

Pairing: Halsin/Tav SPICE Rating: 4/5 Content Warnings: Sex, Bondage, rough sex,     

Spoilers Act 3, Halsin Romance Canon Compliance Canon adjacent and close to Halsin's romance scene with a bit of my traditional embellishment to add some extra flavour.  Other Notes Introducing Halsin's poly dynamic to Tav first, there will be more later where we bring Astarion back into the story more at the conclusion of his quest Mood/Song Run Wild by Valkyrik "Come find us in the woods tonight But before the nighttime turns to day I'll let the melody take way I'm leaving reservations behind (Behind) Now the sun is rising It's energising The shadows are melting away There's a drum beat breaking into my bones Crushing the ice and crumbling to stone And the melody of the night keeps calling me Louder and louder and louder I wanna run wild I wanna run free I wanna move like the stars are a part of me."

Tav watched as Halsin paced the room, wondering if his boots would wear a permanent path in the floorboards. She stopped in front of him and laid her hand on his chest. “Halsin. Enough.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just-” he began, looking down into her eyes and making her breath catch in her throat. “Restless.” She finished his sentence for him, echoing the sentiment. “I can tell. You seem to be mostly recovered from your wounds, too. You’re not fond of being indoors this much, are you?” “I miss the wind in my hair, the grass beneath my feet. It feels…unnatural, to be so far from nature. The saplings struggling between cracks in the stone do not help.” He sighed, looking towards the window where some scant few branches knocked against the glass every time a breeze caught them. “Let’s go, then. Tonight. There’s a spot not far outside Rivington, we can take some food and wine with us, maybe even our bedrolls, and spend a night under the stars.” Tav smiled taking his hand in her own as a subtle hint. “You’re…certain? You do not wish to bring the rest of our friends along?” Halsin hesitated, caught between excitement and concern, visibly struggling to contain those emotions. “Two is company, Halsin, three is a crowd. Isn’t nature better appreciated without a crowd?” She squeezed his hand, watching his throat move as he swallowed his own anxieties. “That would be… Appreciating nature as the Oakfather intended. I would like that, very much.” He held on to her hand a little longer before excusing himself to gather what they might need. Maybe don’t invite the Oakfather tonight, Halsin. Tav chuckled to herself, tucking a couple extra items in her own pockets.

--- The sun was setting as the pair walked through the lower city and across the bridge towards Rivington. Tav felt her heart racing, but she had a suspicion the druid’s was sprinting much faster than her own. He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips from time to time, feet keeping a careful pace as if he was desperate to run but didn’t want to wear out his companion. “There’s no rush, we do have all night, if you want.” Tav smiled, casually linking her arm through his elbow, delighting in the pink hue that rose to the tips of his ears. “I have…spoken, with Astarion. About your situation.” He tentatively broached the subject, still keeping his gaze on the path as they passed the last houses out of the city. “I hope the conversation was enlightening. I asked him to speak with you, once you were feeling better.” She pulled herself closer against his arm, relishing in feeling how his muscles tensed even more. “Maybe someday he might join us, when he’s ready to. But I’m not going to push him.” “He requires more healing than a few spells and salves can provide.” Halsin agreed, risking a brief glance to the woman at his side who was stroking his arm as they walked into the trees. Breathe, by the Oakfather’s mercy, stay calm… “You know, you’re welcome to join our little book club if you want to.” She kissed his shoulder now, relishing in teasing him, watching every little sign that he was more than ready to throw her down into the grass at any moment…and yet also enjoying how much he held back. He kept his poise, no matter how difficult she intended to make it. “Is it not…too personal, to be reading your innermost thoughts and your, ah, experiences ?” The druid paused for a moment, turning to face her properly now. “I have nothing to hide, not really. Astarion told you about my rules?”

“He mentioned them, yes. But I think I might like to hear them from you, directly.” He placed the bag down by a tree, they were already far enough into the woods to be alone now at least. Tav followed his lead, putting her bag beside his and pulling out her diary. It felt peaceful, even though nature’s orchestra surrounded them in the moonlight that sparkled on the lake’s water, just visible between the trees. “Here, you see?” She pointed to each rule in turn and read them aloud. Rule 1: Survive. Do whatever you must to stay alive.

“I will. I have. I’m going to keep everyone alive now.” She felt a little pain lingering whenever she thought of the first rule, but the scars on the man before her told her she was, unfortunately, not alone.

“You have survived much, my heart.” The druid spoke kindly, a new pet name escaping perhaps sooner than he intended, but drawing a smile from her that softened his own features further as he caressed her shoulder. “You do not have to struggle so hard alone, now.” Rule 2: Live. Find your pleasure where you can get it, remember what life means beyond survival. “This…is a much more fun rule. Lust is an indulgence, pleasure is fun, and when we don’t know how many days we have? I want to make the most of them.” She laid her hand over his, where his thumb still idly stroked the edge of her collarbone. “Such is nature’s way…” He sounded a little crestfallen now, a hint of sadness in his smile. “That’s… I don’t mean to say I have no feelings for you, Halsin.” She panicked a little, realising she might have said the wrong thing, not wanting to hurt him. “I’ve wanted to spend more time with you, and when you were missing, I… We were beside ourselves. I pushed that rule as far as I could, neither of us were willing to give up until-” The druid pressed a finger to her lips, quieting her worried words, moving to cup her cheek with his hand as he bent to kiss her. It was soft, warm, and felt like it was on the verge of sparking a fire where they touched as he almost let his passion take over. But he drew back, breathless. “I know, my heart. He told me, and I feel the same, for both of you if you will have me.” Tav nearly dropped the book, but Halsin leaned back again, running his fingers down her arm from the shoulder to the wrist, lifting the book back to where they could see the open pages again. He looked down at the page to encourage her to carry on.

Rule 3: Take. If nobody else needs it, it’s yours, especially if the owner has more than they need.

“Nature does provide.” The druid smiled, the hint of a laugh playing around his eyes. “Well, nature, rich fools who haven’t heard of good locks… Same thing, right?” “I suppose it could be, if you stretch the definition far enough.” He watched as her finger lingered on the last rule, Astarion’s addition. Rule 4: Taste. Sample from any plate before you that is appetising. “Well?” His smile grew just a little wider now. “Are you hungry?” She glanced down at their bags. “We did skip dinner for this.” He leaned in towards her again, lips just a whisper away from hers. “The food can wait, let’s find a way to fill more of those pages instead.” This time the book did fall from her hand as Halsin wrapped his arms around her, almost lifting her off the ground as he kissed her with an unbridled passion. Tav felt herself completely encompassed by him, the smell of leather, moss, and a hint of honey filling her senses as she tried her best to hold on with her arms around his shoulders. His hand drifted down, caressing the curve of her hip, cupping her rear, then sliding further to lift her thigh, encouraging her leg to find purchase as he fully hoisted her off the ground. Tav raised her other leg, both now encircling the druid’s waist, and for once now his head was tilted upwards to continue the kiss he did not wish to break even as he manoeuvered her back against a tree. She could feel his muscles, tense and almost shaking, heated even in the cooler evening air of the forest. 

Halsin abruptly parted them, almost dropping her to the floor as his breathing grew heavy, laboured. “Halsin? What’s wrong?” Tav steadied herself against the tree, uncertain what to do to help. The druid was almost glowing, his eyes alight with a form of magic as he fell forward onto all fours. He hurriedly tried to unfasten his clothes, but it was a little too late. Even the tough leather buckled and ripped as his body shifted and transformed, growing in size, thick dark fur covering every inch of the huge bear. The creature stepped backwards, a look that could only be described as apologetic crossing its features… his features. Tav held out a hand, stepping towards him. “Are you alright?” He blinked a few times, then shook his head, the rest of his large body following, the magic weaving back around him and returning him to his more usual form. He was almost naked, the remnants of his leathers hanging off him in strips, and he sat back on his heels breathing heavily still. “I’m…sorry. Oakfather grant me strength - Sometimes it is hard…to control myself.” Tav knelt on the ground with him, taking his hands into her own. “Don’t worry about it, as long as you’re ok.” “How did nature make you so beautiful, my heart? Inside and out.” He kissed her hands softly, eyes locked on hers. “I will be just fine. With you here, how could I be anything but?” There was something about him that still seemed slightly ashamed, a look she was not used to seeing from the Archdruid. “Halsin,” she made sure he looked her in the eye before she continued, “I like you, I adore you, all of you. Just the way you are.” She allowed a little smirk to play at her lips. “But for now, perhaps stay like this. I don’t think I can handle a bear.” Yet, she almost added, only allowing the thought to half form in her mind.

“You seem very certain that you can handle me as I am. Perhaps we should test that theory.” There was an almost animal glint in his eye as he raised up on his knees, pulling her closer to him and removing her clothes with deft movements. It didn’t take long for her to be as bare as he was, both dressed only in the cool moonlight and the light breeze that passed around them. “Nature truly outdid itself when it made you…” “I could say the same of you. It’s like you were carved out of marble by an expert artist, and brought to life with the warmest heart.” She smiled, reaching forward to tuck his hair behind his ear, delighting in how he shivered as her fingers brushed past the pointed tip.

“You flatter me,” he held her hand to his cheek for a moment, “but perhaps we’ve talked enough for now.” He kissed the inside of her wrist, following it with further tender pecks along the length of her arm, moving closer to wrap his arm around her back. His lips continued their path along her shoulder and collarbone as he brought them both up to their feet again, kissing up her neck as they were standing. “Oakfather preserve me, I want to devour you…” He growled seductively in her ear. 

“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” she returned the look he was giving her, full of barely contained lust.

He paused for just one more moment. “You must tell me if we are to stop, I do not want to hurt you.”

“That would be almost impossible,” she breathed heavily, feeling the heat rise within her as his lips lingered by the tip of her ear, “but for safety, squirrel can be our word.” She was rewarded by a deep chuckle in her ear, the sound itself travelling along her nerves to somewhere far deeper in her core. “Somehow that seems perfect.” He began to lift her again, pressing her back up against the tree as he continued to administer his affections across her skin. Soft lips expressed tender care across fresh bruises and old scars alike, the slight cooling of healing magic soothing the more recent signs of battle that marked her like a mosaic. Tav tensed as he moved lower, leaving small bites along the line of her hip, each delighted gasp from her lips only urging him onwards with renewed passion. “Hold on.” He murmured, as he hooked his arms under her legs and in one swift motion stood up with her thighs on his shoulders, bracing her back against the tree once more as his tongue began to taste her desire. Tav didn’t even notice the whisper or the slight gesture as the spell was cast, but she felt the vines of Entangle rise from the ground to hold her. You have certainly been talking to Astarion, haven’t you- She moaned as his tongue and lips drank deeply from her, working every nerve within her as the vines coiled up and around her arms, holding them above her head and secure against the tree. More vines found purchase around her waist and ribs, lifting and cupping her breasts, thinner ends just pinching the hardened peaks to draw a fresh noise from deep within her lungs. The food in their bags sat long forgotten as Halsin took his time, savouring every moment, every little motion of his tongue sending waves of heat through her whole body. Just as promised, he  devoured her, drinking in the pleasure, working in such careful patterns that it wasn’t long before the local wildlife were rudely awoken by the wanton howl that escaped her. He held her tight, pressing his tongue ever deeper even as her hips bucked against him. Even as his mouth refused to stop dragging the ecstasy from every nerve, his hands caressed every curve they could reach. Strong, soothing, carrying the aftershock of her climax as long as he could and bringing her back down again like a gentle wave passing through the afterglow. The druid eased her down carefully, the vines relaxing their grip and lowering her shaking body into his arms. He kissed her heated skin tenderly from her naval to her neck, until her feet touched the floor once more. Tav felt like she had been flying, floating back down to the moss below her toes completely surrounded by affection. “You didn’t stop me.” He whispered against her cheek, continuing to kiss her even as she blushed a deeper hue again. “I didn’t need to.” She reached her hands up into his hair again, lingering by his ear this time. She felt his reaction as her fingers caressed the line from lobe to tip, the way his breathing quickened, the subtle heat rising from his skin. “I didn’t want to.” “You are…dangerous.” He rolled his head back, leaning in to the touch against his ear. “Isn’t that what makes it exciting?” She began to kiss and nip across his chest, her fingertips still tracing unspoken words in her new favourite place to tease, relishing in the quickening of his pulse. He looked down at her again now, his hands gripping her hips firmly, just holding her back from pressing against him. “More?” His breathless whisper was hot against her ear, lips trailing a new path, worshipping every inch of her body as he sank to his knees before her, one hand already moving to her inner thigh. Tav simply nodded, biting her lip, unable to resist the temptation to let him do as he wished. Her knees still felt weak, and the moment he slipped a finger inside, curling it to reach the most sensitive parts, she nearly fell completely to the floor. 

His eyes caught hers as he looked up momentarily, before dipping back down to taste her again. The druid could not get enough, tasting her, moving her, drawing every breath from her lunches in ragged gasps as he added a second finger to his new favourite game. Tav was certain she would’ve fallen over, if it hadn’t been for the hand inside her and the other wrapped around her lower back holding her as close as possible. She tried to brace herself against the tree behind her, suddenly missing the grasp of the vines but feeling completely incapable of denying Halsin the meal he desired.

Trying to cling to her consciousness with everything she had, she ran her fingers through his hair, once again finding the tips of his ears to caress. The vibrations of his delighted moans only increased the feelings building within, ready to bloom a second time with a primal lust. She kept going, letting her fingertips rile him up more, relishing in the look of him knelt before her… Halsin’s hunger seemed endless, relentless, damn near insatiable. Looking down at him worshipping every inch of her body was the most erotic sight that Tav could imagine. His skin was beading with sweat, muscles clearly defined and almost quivering with the sheer sexual energy that seemed to full every cell of his being. Even his breath was heated as he worked his fingers within her while his tongue did not waste a single drop, tasting her, devouring her like it was her last meal. By the time the shockwave hit, rippling out from her core with muscles twitching around his hand as he continued to tease out the afterglow, her knees were completely weak. She was certain the only things keeping her upright were his hands, one inside her and the other holding her lower back, keeping her pressed to his face as he kept the final pulses of warmth subsided with a long and shuddering moan. “My heart,” he smiled, casually cleaning his hand with his tongue as she sank slowly to the floor, “you are a greater feast than all of nature’s bounty.” For a few moments, all Tav could do was try and remember what breathing was, and appreciate the sight of the man in front of her. This suited him best, hair falling out of place, skin slick with sweat, moonlight highlighting every line of hardened muscle, and the best part of all - the smile on his face as he quietly watched her. “What do you desire? Name it, and it will be yours, as I am yours.” He laid his hand on her knee, beginning to caress up her leg, but Tav stopped him. “No,” she leaned forward, caressing his cheek softly, “you give too much of yourself. Let me…” Halsin’s face was a mix of delight and self restraint. His lips tried to form words, but his mind gave him nothing more than a silent smile. He nodded, turning his head to kiss her hand and wrist, looking almost lonely when she pulled back. Tav found a little strength to move again now her body was finally recovering, and took the small bottle from her bag.

“I thought we were leaving the picnic til after?” Halsin looked confused for a moment, until he realised exactly what her plan was. “Oh…well, in that case, carry on.” Tav smiled, shuffling towards him on hands and knees, the glass bottle held between her teeth. She pushed firmly on his chest, finding very little resistance as he laid on his back beneath her, watching her every move while consciously not acting on any of his impulses. She almost found it difficult to straddle him, kneeling over his waist but denying him contact for now. She relished the way he bit his lip when she took the stopper out of the bottle with her teeth. She held the bottle high above him, letting a little of the golden syrup pour in a thin line down to his chest. She used the honey like ink, drawing a map of everywhere she wanted to taste, watching the way he reacted to each place. After replacing the stopper, she put the bottle to one side and began to sample the delicacy she had made, a sweet dessert to savour and enjoy. Her tongue and lips teased, relishing the taste of his skin. The honey had the tangy sweetness which blended so beautifully with the hint of salt on his hot muscles, the lingering flavour of leather from his armour, and the general earthy aroma that seemed to be a part of him made the experience complex, yet decadent. She continued down across his abdomen, amused at the points where he quivered from a ticklish touch, running her hands down his arms with just a little pressure. There was no way she could ever hope to pin him beneath her, not on her own, he was far too strong, but this little illusion of power quickened his pulse beneath her fingertips. By the time she kissed along the line of his hip, teasing little bites and enjoying every moan he tried to bite back behind tensed lips, she could feel him almost quaking beneath her. She wanted this, to see him finally allowing someone to tend to his desires, and it was clear how much he was enjoying it too. The taste of him now was like a fine banquet. She dragged her tongue slowly along his tip, as if tasting a stray drop from a bottle of wine, listening to the long low moan that came from above. Tav kissed along him, each fresh press of her lips opening them more, adding just a little more tongue, until she reached the top once more and took him entirely into her mouth. She lavished affection on him, allowing her teeth to tease and drag out pleasured moans, her hands still caressing his body, tenderly testing for any areas that deepened his voice. Tav let her tongue speak a hundred languages, all words of love lavished around him, singing his praises more literally as she allowed her own moans to send subtle vibrations through him. It seemed this was enough to tip the scales, as she was rewarded with the taste of his own nectar, a warm honey with its own sweetness that she devoured with a ravenous appetite spurred on by the howl that echoed around the clearing. Tav barely had time to catch her breath when his strong arms lifted her forwards, pulling her up to straddle his waist again, gazing at her with unbridled passion in his eyes. “Of all of nature’s gifts…” He paused, running his hands up her arms to her shoulders as he sat up, bringing his knees up to support her back. “I couldn’t possibly ask for more, and yet… Forgive me, I want you, my heart, I want all of you.”

“Then you may have me, and I shall have you.” She kissed him lightly, almost surprised when he immediately deepened the kiss, the taste of each other mingling on their tongues in a moment of pure lust. “As nature intended.” He growled, kissing down to her neck as he lifted her slightly, encouraging her to continue. Tav followed his direction, finding him already prepared with barely a minute to rest. He’s…insatiable… she thought, not unlike me, I suppose- The thought was cut off as she felt him in place, too deep in her own desire to try and tease him or prolong her own satisfaction. She pressed herself down slowly, the pair of them exhaling in tandem as he filled her so completely she thought her legs might give way again. But she held strong, wrapping her arms around him, holding him close as she began to move.

--- Halsin had been thinking of this moment for so long that it was almost like a dream now. Surrounded by nature, encompassed by the body of his heart, watching her head roll back as she took her own pleasures by moving above him. It was going to take everything he had within him not to rush this, and he was now more grateful than ever that she had already given him some release before they began. That would make it easier to prolong the moment, to draw out every second as long as he could. The soft glow of the moon made her look even more beautiful to him, if such a thing had ever been possible in the first place. He did not miss the city one bit, his senses keener from the bear within that was always just held back below the surface it was impossible not to notice everything about her. The colour of her eyes, sparkling with starlight. The sounds of her breath catching in her throat as he moved with her, finding every way to make her feel all of him, pressing just that little bit deeper every few thrusts and relishing the little moans against his lips as he kissed her neck. The scent, the scent was so clear to him; the moss beneath them, the fresh water of the lake nearby, the ripening berries on the bushes and refreshing pine- Tav leaned back and braced herself on his knees behind her, quickening her pace for a minute to draw out her own pleasure. Halsin focused again, trying to hold back and allow her to do what he pleased. The aromas of the forest were mingling with their own sweet perfumes, sweat, sex, honey, and the slight hint of roses from the woman whose head was tilting back breathlessly, chest heaving as her climax echoed from the trees. Oakfather, forgive me, she is too much.

--- Tav rode out the wave of bliss, unaware of the feral look creeping onto her lover’s face. When she was descending from the high, she soon realised something had changed as he gripped her hips and rolled them both so he was above her. His arms were shaking, not through the difficulty of holding himself up - far from it, he could likely keep that position for hours - no, this was the pure intensity of his desire. She gasped as he pulled out, pausing only to flip her on to her front before he pressed back inside with a swift and powerful motion. His lips pressed devoted kisses and untamed bites across her back, holding her legs together with his feet and shins pinning them down. His thrusts were wild and harsh, breathing ragged, and if she didn’t know better she might have thought he had truly become the bear again, but his hands remained entirely without paws or the thick fur of the beast. As he increased in intensity, he found a grip on the back of her neck, holding her beneath him in a way that excited her entire being. It didn’t matter that the ground was rough beneath her, or that her hair had become entirely tangled, or that the remnants of the honey was clinging to her skin. All that mattered was this, the feeling of him completely ravaging her, letting his passion take control and bringing her breathlessly towards their conclusion. “Let me hear you,” he growled, “let the whole forest hear your voice cry out, make the birds envious of your song.” His voice alone was almost enough to tip her over the edge, but it was when she felt the subtle growth within that her muscles responded, tightening around him as he let go completely. The sheer intensity of the pulsing climax seemed to drag an even greater one from her as she did exactly what he had demanded. Not a single beast within earshot remained asleep, the sound travelling close to a mile from where the two elves cascaded together over an entire waterfall of bliss, the consummation of lust that both had felt since not long after they met. Halsin lay his body over her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace and kissing the point of her neck where he had gripped perhaps a little tighter than he had intended. She didn’t care, though. She was filled with complete bliss. Beyond the powerful afterglow flowing through her whole body, she felt so entirely encompassed by him. It was as if they were the only two beings in the forest, in the whole world. She was glad he didn’t withdraw immediately either, not wanting to feel that emptiness just yet. Tav sighed happily. Even in this, he was gentle, the embrace of a lover not just a quick fling. Although he was above her, he was still careful not to let his whole weight rest on her, supporting himself by his knees and elbows and the forearms that were wound around beneath her, holding her close. She could feel the strong and steady beat of his heart through her back, she could hear his breathing slowing to contented sighs, and she wanted nothing more than to remain right there.

--- Halsin waited a while, savouring the close feeling of holding his heart in his arms, listening to the easy sounds of her satisfied body. Eventually, he carefully parted them, a light chuckle escaping him at her disappointed little sigh. “Let us clean up, my heart, and we should not let our other feast go to waste.” He kissed her shoulders and back as he moved aside, waiting to help her to her feet on legs that couldn’t quite support her. “Just give me a moment, you don’t have to-” she tried to protest, but was cut short by a sweet kiss. The druid instead lifted her up into his arms and carried her to the lake, sinking into the cool water slowly and holding her close. “I don’t have to, but I want to. You have done so much for me, allow me to take care of you, too.” Tav wrinkled her nose and pressed her finger to her lover’s lips. “Only if you will allow me to do the same for you, my love.” “Love,” he echoed the word carefully, contemplating its meaning. “So you are willing to share your heart with me, as I do you?” “Of course. I care about you. I love you. I suppose I have for a while…” She kissed his cheek, smiling at how he blushed now from a simple declaration of affection. “Let us indulge our bodies as we so wish, sample all the delights the world might have to offer, but keep our hearts to ourselves, and our other love.” “Astarion.” He echoed her unspoken words. “You think he will accept me into his heart, too?” “Give him time, earn his trust, and hold him with care.” She kissed his lips, a declaration of her affection. “I don’t know how anyone could resist falling for you.”

---

They spent the rest of the night beneath the stars. They swam and bathed in the lake, playfully splashed each other and chased each other through the cooling ripples that sparkled in the moonlight, and eventually even made it to the food they had carried all the way out there. However, when the sun rose and they realised it was time to return to the city, they noticed a small problem. Or rather, a large, naked problem. “My clothes…I completely forgot.” Halsin sighed, looking at the torn scraps of fabric and leather that couldn’t even form enough of an outfit for a certain incubus to wear. “Oh…shit.” Tav realised, looking at the few tears in her own clothes that prevented them from effectively covering her. “This…is going to be awkward.” — Some time later, the upper floor of the Elfsong tavern was filled with laughter and a friendly mocking, as two elves strolled in carrying their bags and clothed only in the blankets of their bedding wrapped around them.

----------- ----------- ENDING NOTES ----------- -----------

It felt about natural to have the Halsin chapter here, after his rescue and recovery, with a little need to get out of the city. He's a terrible patient in my mind but what better way to know he is fully healed? This is the last main chapter that I currently have ready, so there will be a few of the side story specials coming in next, then ATG 14 will be back hopefully in the next couple of weeks depending on my schedule~

[janeway-lover]

the next part in the royal abbiel au that i keep writing on tumblr instead of ao3 for some reason

Gossip is often spread through the castle in one of two ways; through the triplet princes and through Lord Dagon. However, seeing as this was not gossip that they wanted either Abby or the king to hear, Dagon decided that maybe, for once, this could stay between them and Michael.

"I'd much prefer to keep my job, and my neck, of course."

"As if I'd let that executioner anywhere near you."

"Awww, you do care about me."

"Oh shut up."

"Make me - oomph!"

-

"Abby!"

"My dear Lord Dagon, you do not need to shout at me," she says, stopping and turning around to talk to her friend.

"Consider it payback for you shrieking in my ear yesterday," they say with a smile.

"I do not shriek."

"I know what I heard."

"Was there something you wanted to tell me," she asks with a roll of her eyes, "or did you just want to slander my good name?"

"Perhaps I wanted to do both." The princess just glares at them. "The latest shipment of books just arrived in the library. Some of the authors came along this time."

"They've never done that before." But even as she's skeptical, she's already started walking toward the library.

"Well, admittedly they're smaller authors, on their first book or just now making it to the big city, but I know you like to meet them and all that, so I figured I'd let you know."

"I highly suspect there is more to this than just an act out of the goodness of your heart," she says, hardly sparing a glance over her shoulder to the noble following her, "but I'm curious enough to suspend my disbelief."

"Such trust from our Crown Princess, I'm flattered," Dagon says mockingly. Abby just laughs as the two of them reach the library.

"Shall you join me?"

"Oh, no, I don't have any interest in some - small country scholar. You go on ahead." Under their breath, they mutter, "I also have no interest in getting my head chopped off when you find out what's really happening."

"What was that?"

"I said I have no interest in seeing you try and chop off some poor peasant's head if you don't like his book."

"You're ridiculous. Suit yourself, then." She rolls her eyes as she steps inside the library, muttering to herself about nonsensical nobles.

As soon as the door has closed behind the princess, Dagon steps forward, pulling a key out of their pocket and locking the door. Michael steps around the corner, a matching smile on their face.

"Uriel is already in there?"

"Of course! I asked them to find a list of books for me."

"Does our library have any of the books on that list?"

"Not at all. But I'm sure that will be one of the last things on their mind."

-

"Do we even have this book?" Uriel wondered aloud, having spent the past several minutes searching the shelves. "This is absurd. I should just tell Michael that they don't have to send me on some wild goose chase just because they want to meet up with their wife while we're on duty."

"Who goes there?" The princess's voice startled Uriel, causing them to drop the few books they had managed to find. "Oh! Here, let me help you." She hurried over to help them, crouching down to pick up the fallen books.

"Th-thank you, your highness, but you did not -"

"Don't be silly, I am" - and here she looks up, noticing who exactly she's helping - "um. I'm happy to - to help. Happy to help."

"Do you - need help up?" they ask, offering her their hand.

"Oh! Well. Thank you." She takes their hand, accepting their help as they pull her back to her feet. "I must say, it is certainly a surprise to find you here, Sir Uriel."

"A good one, I hope?"

"It's a lovely surprise," she says with a smile, "although I must admit, I was expecting some new books and upcoming authors."

"We have not received any new shipments of books. Or at least, none have recently gone through the castle's security."

"Ah, I see." Her smile hardens. "It was truly lovely to see you, but I must confront one of our dear nobles." She turns on her heel, walking toward the door with purpose, but finds it locked. "Oh, damn you, Dagon!"

"What is the matter, your highness?"

"Why must my father insist on filling his court with spies? I tell them so much, and nothing ever comes of it. Of course, now they would decide to take action."

"Take action on what? Locking you in the library?" The look that she gives them makes their heart race, and it takes all their effort to keep the blush from showing on their face.

"Oh, just some - passing flight of fancy, I assure you. I'll get over it. I always have." She looks away from them, focusing her attention on some grand tapestry on the wall. "I wanted something I can not have."

"You are the princess of Hell; what could possibly be beyond your reach?"

"So many things. I am the heir, that comes with quite a lot of expectations." She sighs, turning back to Uriel. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to rant to you about this."

"You have hardly been ranting, your highness."

"Try telling that to my father." They laugh, and she smiles at them.

"I do rather value having my head connected to the rest of my body."

"Oh, he'd never do that. You're one of his valued knights, hand-picked to protect him. He trusts you all with his life. And if he tried," she says with a grin, "the kitchen would make nothing but roast chicken for months."

"I am flattered that you would set the kitchen on the king for my sake, your highness." And this time it is their smile, aimed at her, and she is the one blushing.

"Well, I - of course." She looks away abruptly, wringing her hands to keep them busy. "I think we have been in here for long enough, don't you?"

"Do you have an extra key, perchance?"

"No, I do not. But I'm assuming you have a dagger on you, do you not?" They nod, pulling out a small dagger that all the knights keep on their hip. "Thank you."

"What are you going to do with that?"

"Hush, I need to focus." She crouches down in front of the door, dagger in one hand, and a hairpin pulled from her hair in the other. "I haven't picked this lock before."

"How on Earth do you know how to do that?"

"All of my siblings know how to do this. Our father insisted that we learn how to get out of a hostage situation along with the rest of our lessons."

"And I'm assuming that this particular skill is not common knowledge among the rest of the castle?"

"Nope." The lock opens with a click, allowing the door to creak open. "And I'd prefer it if it stayed that way."

"Of course, your highness."

Michael and Dagon are nowhere to be seen when the two emerge into the hallway, which is rather to be expected.

"I swear, they're going to be on thin ice."

"Off with their head and all that?"

"Exactly." She smiles at them before making her way down the hall.

[jumpywhumpywriter]

"The Lost Hero" - Crippled Hero Presumed Dead part 4

Warnings: crippled hero, hero with disabilities, retired hero, reluctant hero, mute/voice hindrances

---"Don't. Move." Logan instantly froze at the harsh, commanding voice from behind him, ice-cold and /deadly/. He kept himself perfectly still, not daring to even breathe. Someone else was in Hero's hideout.---

"...Logan?" The gruff voice sounded less menacing this time, and Logan shakily raised his hands placatingly as he turned around.

He found himself staring at Hero herself as she emerged from a shadowed corner of the room, electricity sizzling out in her open palms as she relaxed.

But if she was fine, then who...? Logan spun back to the limp form collapsed behind the overturned table, mind buzzing.

"Someone must have been tracking you for a few days," Hero growled, answering his unspoken question. "They discovered I'm alive, and I had three assassins burst in here to ambush me. Thank the stars I've got fast reflexes. I managed to knock one out, but the other two got away."

Logan swiveled back to face Hero and realized for the first time that she was actually shaking, trembling from head to toe and looking rattled and several shades too pale. He noticed the flecks of blood around her mouth and split lip, that turned into a smear along her jawline and neck. He noticed the blood on her knuckles as well as on her arms from dozens of scratches and lacerations.

"Y-You're hurt! Uh, what should I do? Do you have a first aid kit somewhere around here?!" Logan quickly scanned the debris in the wrecked room for anything useful, panicked and terrified.

"No, no... I'm fine for now, I just need... to rest a little." Hero leaned against a wall and slumped against it, lowering herself to sit on the floor with a grunt, propped up against it. Her pupils were heavily dilated with adrenaline, and her breathing was quick and ragged despite the immediate danger being over. Her wild eyes stared straight ahead with a haunting blankness in them, like she was somewhere else entirely.

"Hero? Hero!" Logan dropped down in front of her, shaking her shoulder in alarm.

Hero flinched hard and swatted his hand away with a sharp cry that surprisingly sounded more scared than hurt, and Logan had been careful not to touch any of her open injuries anyway.

"Are you okay?" Logan kept his hands to himself this time to avoid spooking Hero again.

Hero blinked at him, jaw clenched, still breathing fast like a trapped animal. She closed her eyes with a groan and let her head clunk against the wall behind her, and her breathing finally started to level out.

"S-Sorry," she croaked in her familiar raspy voice. "It's just... this took me by surprise, I never thought I'd have to fight again... not like this... not again..."

Oh.

It was past trauma.

Logan felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. Hero must have been reliving her past days over and over again, unable to escape it. And he couldn't blame her for having a little PTSD, after all she'd been through, all she'd survived.

Hero licked some blood from her busted lip, more shaken-up than Logan had ever seen her, before she visibly put up her cold composure. "The two that got away... they'll probably tell their boss about this. It's not safe here anymore, they could return with stronger backup." Hero lurched to her feet with a grunt, then gestured at her leg.

"Thank your friend Noah for the leg brace -- it was very likely the reason I survived the ambush mostly unharmed. If I'd had even a slight limp in my step when I was fighting them... I would be dead." She stumbled over to the overturned table the body was behind, and grabbed the mystery man by the shirt collar, dragging him into view.

Burn marks were torn through his clothes, and Logan could see the angry red skin beneath those marks where Hero had undoubtedly hit him with her electrical powers. Long, blistering welts stretched across his chest, and the assassin's head rolled forward as he was dragged across the floor and dumped ungracefully next to a heavy metal table, the only one that hadn't been destroyed or too heavily damaged.

Logan watched as Hero located two pairs of metal handcuffs and cuffed each of the man's wrists to separate table legs to keep his arms spread apart and make fighting back harder when he woke.

Hero gave him a thorough pat down, removing several wicked blades and containers of mystery poisons and chemicals and placing them well out of reach. Then she stepped back with an approving nod.

"W-What are you going to do with him?" Logan stammered nervously from a safe distance away.

"Interrogate him. Get some answers. Find out who he and his allies are working for and why their employer wants me dead so badly to hire three professional assassins to ambush me. And how they followed you to me. After that I'm grabbing what essentials I may need before abandoning this place, now that it's been compromised, and then I'm going to find somewhere else to stay."

"And that's it? You're just going to run away instead of facing the danger?!" Logan gaped at her in disbelief.

Hero shrugged lightly, her face full of guilt as she averted her eyes. "Like I said... Hero's dead. You need to stop assuming that I'm the same warrior I once was. You're only going to be met with disappointment..."

"But you could change that!" Logan argued. "You could be Hero again!"

Hero's eyes softened sympathetically. "I don't expect you to understand, kid... you are young, and naive. But Hero is gone, old me isn't coming back, no matter how much you want it to."

"I'm not sure you'll have much of a choice." Logan and Hero both stiffened and turned to where the assassin sat, fully awake and watching them with steely eyes. He offered a crooked grin full of malice, his attention fully zeroed in on Hero like a hawk fixated on prey.

"Supervillain sends his regards," he chuckled coldly. "You're doomed. You should've stayed in hiding like a scared mouse."

Hero growled and was right in front of him in an instant, one hand gripping his shirt collar and the other holding a blade pressed threateningly into the soft skin of his neck.

The assassin's cocky smile wobbled, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly even as he tried to maintain the unconcerned facade.

"What did you just say to me?" Hero hissed venomously.

"You clearly heard me."

"And you clearly don't want to take the risk of saying it again." Hero pressed the blade deeper into his neck, just enough for him to feel the bite of it, and draw a thin line of blood, making him wince. "Smart off at me again, and I'll slit your throat. The average body will bleed out in under five minutes. Now start. Talking. How did you and your friends find me?"

The assassin's eyes flicked to Logan, and he jerked his chin at him. "One of Supervillain's city security henchmen spotted that boy regularly disappearing in this particular alley. So he sent spies to track him, which led him to you." He let out a dry laugh. "Then Supervillain hired me and the others to 'take care of the problem' before the problem grew large enough that Supervillain would have to deal with it himself."

Hero's eyes flared with anger... and a hint of genuine fear. "I bet getting the life beat out of you wasn't in the job description," she sniped.

The assassin had the audacity to look embarrassed by the remark. "Honestly, that wasn't what I was told when I was given the job. I was told you were a crippled old hag not capable of fighting back."

Hero suddenly stiffened with dawning realization, and she jerked back from the assassin as if stung. "You were lying about the spies, weren't you? No one tracked Logan here, did they?" It all made sense now, and her alarmed gaze fell on Logan.

"Logan, when was the last time you heard from Noah?"

"Uh, not in a day or two, why?" Logan feared the answer.

"Call him right now!" Hero barked.

Confused, Logan obeyed -- but the phone rang out and went to voice-mail, which worried him. Noah almost never missed his calls.

Hero cursed under her breath. "Supervillain must have caught him," she gritted out. "There's no one else besides you who knows I'm crippled. Supervillain couldn't know that about me unless he heard it from one of you."

"No..." Logan breathed in disbelief.

"Kid with brown hair who's a medical engineer? Supervillain definitely has him if he fits that description," the assassin chuckled, then his lip curled into a mocking sneer. "Better hurry and save the day, Hero, before Supervillain gets bored with his new toy--" he didn't get to finish before Hero was at his throat, the blade pushing into the side of his neck right up against his artery.

"One wrong word from you, and you're a dead man," Hero hissed into his ear. "I am someone you should take very, very seriously. Do I make myself clear?"

The assassin hesitated, but quickly caved when the blade started sinking into his skin. "Okay! Okay... you win..." He blurted with a whine.

Hero nodded, appearing satisfied with that reaction. "Good. Now, where is Supervillain?"

"Easy, he's at the grand hall in the government building at the center of the city," the assassin answered without missing a beat. Then his voice dropped low and quiet, almost purring. "But he's waiting for you," he cooed. "The city's hero to fall at his hands... he's already got all the power he could ever want, but to finally get rid of the last potential threat to his reign... that's the last thing he wants to achieve in life.”

⏪️ Back Next ⏩️

Masterlist

Masterlist #2

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things

[leviackermanscleaningbuddy]

Hii for the prompt game I was wondering how #74 4 and #75 8 would end up like. I have no idea how this could play into a drabble so this might be a bit challenging (idk you seem very imaginative you got this!) and for the sake of my curiosity the pairing could be ot8 or one/pair of your choosing!

SKZ PROMPT GAME

Prompts: "Tell us a fun fact about yourself." "Here's another idea; why don't you just tell me to shoot myself? It'd be less painful."

"Does anyone else remember-" "No." "Let me rephrase...does anyone else here, except those with amnesia, remember"

Members: OT8

Relationship: Camp Counselors FemReader x OT8

Genre: Fluff, Crack

"Oh god." You groan, heaving your duffle bag on to the bed, leaning over to catch your breath. Your lungs feel like they're on fire. "I don't know how you talked me into this."

Another bag thumps down next to yours, and you glare at your friend, dusting her hands and looking like she hasn't even broken a sweat, the perfect picture of summer camp in her crop top and short shorts.

"C'mon, (Y/N)." She pats you on the back with a grin. "It'll be fun."

"Fun is subjective." You grumble under your breath, as Jennie hops off to inspect the rest of the cabin, making sure the bunk beds are ready for your prospective campers.

She straightens one of the quilts, and nods her head in satisfaction.

"Now c'mon!" She calls, voice entirely too bright and hair entirely too perfect to have just hiked up the same hill you did. "There's a counselor meeting in ten minutes!"

You heave a sigh, and with one last forlorn look at your bag sitting pathetically in the middle of the bottom bunk, you follow Jennie back out into the hot, summer afternoon.

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

"It looks like we have a few new faces this year." The head counselor is saying, glancing around your gathered group, sitting on the long, uncomfortable benches lined up in the mess hall.

You slap at a mosquito and really wish the sweat running down your back would stop.

You glance to the side, and Jennie is sitting up straight, paying rapt attention to the man at the front.

He is attractive, you'll give him that. Well, in a sort of wild, woodsy kind of way.

Curly, unruly hair, dimples, dark eyes, an accent to swoon for. Not to mention, you're pretty sure you caught a flash of some sort of tattoo on one of his biceps peeking out beneath his camp shirt.

"So, we're going to split up into a few smaller groups, and introduce ourselves, have a little fun getting to know one another." The guy is saying now, and your stomach instantly drops.

Welp, he just became a whole lot less attractive.

He claps his hands with a wide grin that crinkles his eyes. "Under your seats, you should find a welcome package-it contains instructions, rules, schedules, your counselor shirt, and a number. Go ahead and pull on your shirts and then split up into groups according to your number."

Everyone rustles around and starts to move, some of the guys tugging their shirts off over their heads instantly, and you roll your eyes, turning to Jennie, who is slipping the overly large t-shirt over her head.

"I thought this kind of kumbaya shit was reserved for the twelve year olds." You huff out beneath your breath, glancing down at the obscenely bright orange shirt sitting in your lap, the words 'COUNSELOR' painted across the front in ridiculously large letters.

Jennie slaps you lightly. "Just participate, will you? Try it. You might have fun."

"I doubt that." You roll your eyes once more and tug on one of Jennie's long dark braids, making her yelp, before you finally move to slip your own shirt on.

She glares at you, then holds up her number. "I'm three. What are you?"

You shuffle around till you find the card, and with a groan, hold it up for her to see. "Two."

She pats you sympathetically on the back with a bitten back grin. "Good luck, bestie."

She stands and moves to her group.

With a heavy, resigned sigh, you do the same.

Settling in to a corner with the other twos, you're disgruntled to see that you're the only female counselor in your group, not to mention, overly peppy leader Australian Bear Grylls from earlier is settling into a seat beside you.

Great, just your luck.

The other groups start talking, the murmur filling the room, and soon, people are laughing and talking and playing the designated games as they get to know each other.

Or 'bond' or some shit.

You settle back into your chair and don't say a word, eying the guys that make up the rest of the circle.

They're all hot, to be fair, nice eye candy, but dressed in their orange identical shirts, they look like prisoners waiting for group therapy to start.

You snort and stifle a laugh.

Leader guy claps his hands and smiles, glancing around at all of you, eyes lingering on you for a moment before he moves on.

"How about we start with names and what year counselor you are?" Leader guy gives a little cheesy wave. "I'm Chan. This is my sixth and final year."

Your eyes widen slightly as you take him in. Six years? God, you really hope you don't get stuck here that long.

The guy to the leader's left raises his hand with a smile. "Hi, I'm Yang Jeongin. This is my second year at Camp Stay."

Everyone echoes hellos, though they all seem to be familiar with each other already, and Chan slaps a hand onto the younger man's back, bobbing his head.

The next guy-beefy, nearly straining the sleeves of his neon t-shirt-gives a little sigh and rolls his eyes, before he glances around the circle.

"I'm Seo Changbin. Fifth year counselor."

You stare at him for a little too long, and his gaze flickers curiously to you. You flush and look away.

Chan grins at the bigger guy, and you see him shoot him a sharp look of annoyance, as if he already knows what's coming.

They must be friends, probably started first year as counselors together.

"Tell us a fun fact about yourself." Chan says, motioning to Changbin with a flick of his fingers and a slightly wicked smile. He arches a brow, clearly waiting.

Changbin holds his ground, staring him down, expression unreadable.

"Here's another idea; why don't you just tell me to shoot myself? It'd be less painful."

The guy to your right cackles at that, and Chan shoots him a warning look, but it doesn't make him stop.

Changbin huffs and crosses his arms over his broad chest, slumping back down in his seat, turn clearly over.

The next guy is stupidly pretty, and you find yourself staring again, tracing the slight pattern of freckles on his nose and cheeks, the way his large dark eyes express all his emotions at once.

He reaches up to push some long blonde hair behind his ear, and you note that he has a french braid along the crown of his head, holding back the hair from his eyes.

"Lee Felix." He says with a soft little smile and a wave, and you note that his accent is similar to Chan's. But his voice is ridiculously deep, vibrating through your body and making you salivate. "Third year."

The guy next to Felix loops an arm around his neck, tugging him closer as he grins at the group. "Hwang Hyunjin. Also a third year."

The next guy rolls their eyes at their antics, pushing a hand through his dark, perfectly combed hair, before he says in a bored tone, "Kim Seungmin. Fourth year counselor."

All eyes turn to you, and with a start, you realize it's your turn.

Sitting up, you clear your throat and say, "(Y/N) (L/N). First year at Camp Stay. But I don't know if it actually counts, because my supposedly best friend dragged me here against my will."

The guy on your right, the one who had laughed earlier at Changbin's joke, leans over, large, dark eyes wide and interested.

"Who's your friend?"

You glance at him, taking in the heart shape of his face, the dozens of hand woven bracelets around each wrist, the doe eyes and long lashes you wish you had.

God, is everyone here just on the off season for modeling or what?

"Jennie Kim."

Camp leader guy-Chan-nods enthusiastically, eyes lighting up. "Oh, we love Jennie! She does a phenomenal job, all the female campers always request her."

"Great." You mumble, sliding back down in your seat.

Doe eye guy leans in to your space, murmuring under his breath like he's telling you a secret, "She's also got a killer ass. Nice to look at on hikes."

You bite back a laugh and he grins, sitting back up.

"Han Jisung." The guy immediately goes into his introduction. "Fourth year counselor and the best Camp Stay has ever seen."

"I'd argue with that." Changbin mutters under his breath from across the circle, and Jisung shoots him a glare.

"As would I." The guy sitting on Jisung's other side deadpans, and Jisung turns, mouth agape and expression dramatically wounded.

"Hyung! How could you say something like that?"

"I never lie." The other guy-sharp features, gorgeous cheekbones-says dryly with a smirk, and fuck, if it's not the most attractive thing you've seen in a while.

The wilderness must already be getting to you.

Obvious model man sits back, staring down the rest of the circle with an unreadable expression and sharp eyes. "Lee Minho. Fifth year."

You'd place bets on the fact that Chan, Changbin, and Minho all started together.

Fuck, the campers-female and male alike-must have had the time of their lives with all the eye candy that year.

"Cool, so that's everybody." Chan claps his hands once more, and like you, Changbin looks ready to leap forward and rip them off his body if he does it one more time. "I assume everyone found their cabins?"

There are a few silent nods, and Chan grins. "Perfect." He looks down at his watch. "The campers will be arriving in about half an hour. What say we get hyped?"

Beside you, Seungmin groans.

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

"I'm gonna place bets that you've never fished before."

"Really?" You huff, squinting up at him, outlined by the dropping sun, sticking yourself once again with the stupid little hook and dropping the wriggling worm onto the dock with a curse under your breath. "What gave it away?"

"Well first off-" Chan crouches down beside you, picking up the worm trying to escape and carefully taking the barbed hook from your bleeding fingers. "You're holding the worm like it will bite you."

You make a face as he easily puts the worm on the hook. "You don't know that it won't."

Chan laughs, handing you back the now baited fishing pole, and you take it reluctantly, still staring at the wriggling worm with some sort of macabre horror.

"They don't have teeth. So, pretty sure you're safe."

He sits down beside you on the edge of the dock, and you can feel him watching you from the corner of your eye, staring at the fishing pole limp in your hands, before he huffs a little chuckle and leans over to place his hand over yours.

You start, but let him show you how to cast the line into the water, the little bobber bobbing on the waves created by the campers swimming and playing just down the beach.

"There." He says with obvious satisfaction, removing his hand from yours and sitting back, leaning on his elbows as the last few rays of the sun slant across his face.

You hold incredibly still, because you're suddenly worried that you'll scare the fish away if you move.

Yeah, 'the fish.'

You sit in silence for several minutes, enjoying the atmosphere of the lake, the sound of the kids laughing and splashing, and when you look to Chan, his eyes are closed, face upturned to the sun.

He cracks open an eye, and you quickly look away.

"I don't think we're going to catch anything." His voice is close to your ear, low and his breath warm, and you jump, turning to see that he's in your space now, his brown eyes flecked with gold this close.

You swallow and wet your lips.

"Probably not. A waste really."

His eyes flicker down your face to your lips, and it takes everything in you not to bolt. "Maybe not a total waste."

You hold your breath as he inches closer, and then, a splash of cold water hits your legs and you shriek, scrabbling back from the edge of the dock.

A wet, dark head of hair appears, and Jisung laughs so hard you think he might choke, treading water at the edge of the dock as you glare down at him.

"Jisung!"

"Sorry." He snickers, but he doesn't look sorry in the least. "You just looked a little too dry for a swim day, ya know?"

Chan sighs and begins to pack up the fishing equipment, and you move to help him as Changbin appears, dripping lake water onto the wood, a towel wrapped around his waist, feet stuffed into sandy flip flops.

You try not to stare too long at the way his bared, bronzed chest ripples with his movements.

"Fucking kids." He grumbles beneath his breath, shaking out his drenched hair, curly now that it's wet, hanging heavily over his brow. "One rule."

You stare at him curiously, noting that he has a tattoo on his own bicep much like the flash of the one you'd seen on Chan the first day. "What's the rule?"

Jisung does an easy backstroke around the dock and back, staring up at the appearing stars while he floats on his back.

"Don't get pretty boy's hair wet."

Changbin glowers at him, and kicks a pebble off the dock in his direction, which Jisung easily avoids by ducking beneath the water.

"It gets unruly, okay? You wouldn't understand, but the curls-" Changbin protests, motioning to the mop of wet curls on his head helplessly. "I'll be untangling the fucking things for days!"

Jisung cracks up again, spitting water, and beside you, Chan huffs a chuckle beneath his breath.

"I'm sure Jinnie will let you borrow his hair products." He says, shoving the last of the tackle and bait into the box and closing it with a snap.

"I will do no such thing." Hyunjin appears, towel looped around his neck, dark hair looking flawless, like he just hadn't been swimming in dirty lake water for hours.

He and Jennie have the whole perfect, flawless human being even in the wilderness and you have no idea how the fuck they do it thing in common.

"C'mon, Jinnie. Help me out." Changbin whines, throwing an arm around Hyunjin's neck, putting him in a loose headlock as he tries to struggle away.

"No way, hyung. Let me go."

"Counselor Bang!"

You all glance up, Changbin releasing Hyunjin, at the sound of the voice, as one of the campers, a boy-Beomgyu?-picks his way unsteadily toward you down the beach.

He waves, as if you can't see him, and calls out, "We're ready to start the bonfire!"

Chan stands, waving back to the boy with a nod as he announces, "Okay, Gyu! Thanks! We'll all be right there!"

"Hey, Gyu!" Jisung calls, hopping out of the water and onto the dock with ease, water sloshing off of him in waves. The boy pauses and looks at Jisung curiously as he approaches him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Have you seen Counselor Seo's hair? It looks ridiculous!"

Changbin growls a sigh, and Hyunjin pats him on the back sympathetically.

"C'mon." Chan hides a grin, shooing you all toward the direction of the beach and the waiting campers. "Let's go supervise before they try to start a fire themselves."

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

You're warm and toasty, sitting close to the slowly dying fire, blanket wrapped around your shoulders, the night quiet.

All the campers are in bed, and it's just the counselors gathered around the remains of the bonfire now, roasting marshmallows and socializing in small groups.

Jennie waves at you from across the fire, looking up from her group for a moment, and you give her a little wave in return.

Minho sits down beside you, poker in hand, and begins to scrape at the red hot embers beneath the last burning log.

You give him a sidelong glance. "Not a marshmallow fan, I take it?"

Minho scoffs, but his focus remains on the fire. "Not a chance. I loathe most camp food actually."

You bite back a grin and hum beneath your breath, stretching your shoes out toward the warmth of the fire.

"Why do you stay?"

Minho lets out a long breath between his teeth, and then juts his chin off toward your left.

"Because I like that idiot."

Your eyes land on Jisung, making walrus tusks with some straws and making Jeongin laugh, and you smile, tilting your head, watching him for a moment, before you glance back to Minho.

"I get that."

Minho shifts, resuming his poking of the fire, and silence falls once more.

Your eyes are heavy, your limbs warm, when Minho mutters beside you, "Fuck. Not this again."

You blink a few times, stirring, and glance in the direction he's looking.

Jeongin, Seungmin, and Jisung are all setting up instruments beside the fire-Jeongin struggling with an overly large keyboard as he tries to get the legs on even ground, Seungmin and Jisung toting guitars around their necks.

"What-" You start to say, and Minho shakes his head.

"Fucking campfire songs. Why we do this every fucking year-" He grumbles beneath his breath, pushing himself up and disappearing god knows where.

Probably out of hearing distance of the music.

You're almost tempted to follow him, but Chan takes his place instantly, Felix sliding in on your other side, sandwiching you on the log.

"So." You say, trying to ignore the warmth of their arms brushing your own. "Campfire songs."

"Yeah." Felix laughs, shaking his head, watching Jisung tune his guitar and lead the other two in a silly little ditty of warm ups. "Tradition."

Chan grimaces slightly as Jeongin hits a screeching out of tune note on the keyboard, before he glances to you and shrugs helplessly, repeating Felix's earlier statement, "Tradition."

Changbin appears then, looming behind you all, a look of regret on his handsome features.

You glance up at him, and he purses his lips, eyes on the trio across the fire, leading some of the other groups in a terribly off key rendition of "Hot Cross Buns."

"It's honestly so sad. We should stop them."

Chan chuckles, reaching for a marshmallow and a roasting stick. "Let them have this, Bin. They love it."

"And I hate it." Changbin mutters beneath his breath with a arched brow in your direction as you laugh.

"I dunno. They're getting better?" You question, wincing slightly as the string of a guitar snaps and a wrong note shrieks.

"Not even the patron saint of summer camps could make those fools any better." Hyunjin remarks with a look of obvious disgust, sliding onto the end of the log next to Felix, his arm going around the other boy's waist.

"There's a patron saint of summer camps?" You ask with a laugh, and Hyunjin nods, face serious.

"Of fucking course there is."

"It's her first year, Jinnie, be nice." Felix laughs, nudging the other boy in the side as he huffs and gives a shrug.

Behind you, Changbin winces as the band hits another off note. "Probably her last too, honestly."

"Oh my god." Felix claps his hands, sitting up suddenly, eyes bright. "Does anyone else remember-"

"No." Hyunjin replies instantly, boredly inspecting his nails.

Felix rolls his eyes good naturedly and keeps going. "Let me rephrase... does anyone else here, except those with amnesia, remember-"

You tune out the rest of his words, staring in shock at Hyunjin, who still looks entirely too pretty and entirely too nonplussed to be here.

"You have amnesia?"

Hyunjin looks up, shrugging casually.

Chan laughs beside you, and leans in to your space, and his warmth against your back is warmer than the fire could ever be.

"Stick around for next year, newbie, and maybe we'll tell you that story."

You glance back at him, dark eyes flecked with gold, bronze skin glowing in the light of the fire, lips curved into a smile, and then down at your obnoxiously orange shirt with the overly large words COUNSELOR stamped across the front.

Suddenly, the mosquitos and the smoke and the cold lake and the dozens of rebellious twelve year olds don't seem like such big problems anymore.

"Yeah." You agree, hiding a smile of your own, as you turn back to Felix and Hyunjin's bickering. "I just might."

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

2 Years Later.....

"Okay, everybody settle down." You call out, motioning for the sea of orange shirts to find seats in the chaos of the mess hall.

Once everyone is mostly settled, you put on your biggest smile and spread your arms wide.

There are a couple of wolf whistles from the wings belonging to Jisung and Hyunjin, but you steadily ignore them.

"I'm Head Counselor (Y/N). Welcome to Camp Stay."

[thewertsearch]

Asks Comp 5/6

Just like John Cusack, hoo hoo hoo is a universal constant.

I was so excited for her conversations :( And thank you very much! This comic's a slippery one, but that's part of the fun!

I do like the idea of pairing every Homestuck ship with a political ideology. It'd be the perfect storm of discourse, from about five directions at once!

Thank you! I don't think I'll even be in the country for my birthday this time around, so it'll be a quiet celebration.

I think it could still fit as a kismesissitude, even if they aren't all that unfriendly with each other. After all, Karkat's antagonism towards John is only skin-deep, and wears off fast.

FEFERI: There's no reason to be scared! They are not as terrible as they look. FEFERI: When Derse is destroyed, I am going to go to sleep and prove it. FEFERI: I will prove it to you, and to them as well. KARKAT: THEM? FEFERI: Our new friends! [...]

Oh, that does make more sense. Dang, I really liked the idea that the Horrorterrors were scared of Players.

Karkat made S-Tier for a reason. He's on fire this Act, and it's been great to watch!

You don't even get to examine your surroundings!!

I'm even more glad now that I'm using Homestuck Collection. It's clear that I'd have missed a lot without it, and it's a sad state of affairs that the comic's official website seems to butcher it so badly. Definitely recommend checking out the Collection, if just to play the walkarounds yourself!

Underutilized aspects of the trolls: Feferi Edition! [...] I do have to say that, when I think about her, I don't generally remember the Horrorterror connection. But Gl'bgolyb is a Horrorterror, after all. Feferi may be legitimately bubbly and sweet, but of the two races she is meant to unite, it might just be the Horrors and Humans. She's an eldritch Disney princess. Remember that now. ~LOSS (19/5/23)

Does that make Gl'bgolyb her Fairy Elder Godmother?

Ugh, tell me about it. It looks normal when the post is in my drafts, but breaks when I publish it.

I could go back and fix each post manually, but I don't have the time or the patience. Maybe I'll write a script to do it when I release Wertsearch: The Director's Cut.

Thanks! I've had Cat send a transcript over, and I've been copying it for quotes. There was a risk of mild spoilers if I accidentally read ahead, but if it means I can stop quoting entire conversations manually, I'll happily take that chance.

Damn it! There goes my Sollux Was Swapped At Birth theory.

I like these ideas! It's fun to speculate about what our species 'thing' would be, since we don't have any alien species to compare ourselves to IRL.

The idea of NPCs as Player templates is awesome, too. That implies an absolutely wild session in Sburb's past, featuring the Sleuths, the Midnight Crew and the Exile squad as Players.

What would Sburb even look like without Carapacians? Would the chess match in Skaia still exist, just without sentient pieces? I kind of love this idea.

Yeah, it's always nice when a story's really kicked into gear.

Beginnings and endings are difficult, and I usually enjoy the middle of a story more than either. By my count, we're about one-third of the way through Homestuck, and it's definitely found itself.

Thanks! I have a couple of ideas about which of my ships will be supported by canon, and which won't - but we shall see what develops. The comic might surprise me!

Canon Equius design.

It's a big question, and I don't know if I can fully answer this one, given how much of Sburb is still shrouded in mystery.

That said, the first thing I'd change is how Players are assigned. Instead of creating people who have no choice but to participate, I'd look for volunteers in the planets I've seeded. If Players have to be born in the Veil, then those volunteers would have their timelines rewritten, retroactively turning them into meteor babies - but only after they've volunteered for the role.

Also - does a session have to destroy the planet it's seeded on? If it was me in charge, I'd redirect the Reckoning's portals somewhere else. Literally anywhere else, actually. As far as I can tell, the only reason they were pointed towards Earth in the first place was for thematic reasons. The Sallyverse has different themes.

Yep. No special reason why - I've just been pretty busy lately, especially on the weekends. They've also been rolling over onto Mondays more often, too.

I get to 'em when I get to 'em - but I always get to them in the end.

Ooh, that's a deep cut. Possibly coincidental, but I wouldn't be too sure - I wouldn't put anything past Hussie.

I've heard of Higurashi, but I know very little about it. It is my tenuous understanding that it's a murder mystery starring several wealthy families - or is that its sister story, Umineko?

I don't want to look them up, because I might actually check them out at some point, and it is apparently very important to go in unspoiled. Potential future liveblog material, indeed.

I've speculated that the Knight is a protector class - and maybe Knights also protect themselves, hiding behind a particular trait or emotion which serves as their 'shield'.

Puréed puppet, unfortunately.

Now that I've seen all the troll typing quirks, I'm pretty sure I've actually encountered some of these people in the wild! I've definitely seen Terezi's leetspeak, or something very similar, on an anime forum or two.

[losfacedevil]

Change // SFK (Pt 10)

a/n ~ Not me updating on time for the first time in weeks! This one gets a liiiiiiiittle steamy y'all, they're moving in a direction I'm SO excited to finally take them in. CATCH UP ON THE FARMERS MARKET HERE!

WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF PREVIOUS NON-CONSENSUAL ACTS! VERY BRIEF MENTION, NOTHING GRAPHIC OR ACTUAL DEPICTIONS!

“Wait, wait, wait, so you’re telling me it’s been three months and you guys haven’t… y’know, yet?” Danny questioned, making a crude motion with his fingers. Sam’s eyes grew wide as he choked on the water he was drinking. 

“Daniel! Not that it’s any of your business but, no. As much as I’d like to it’s not something that’s on her mind - even though the innuendos she spews are wild,  and I really want it to be her to initiate it. I want to know she feels comfortable with it and that she’s doing it because she wants to not because she feels forced to.” Danny shook his head, pushing back in the chair he was perched in. 

“Well aren’t you a gentleman. Was that something else that caused her trauma in the past?” Danny asked, he didn’t want to pry but wanted to know more about the girl that had his best friend wrapped around her finger. Sam shrugged, turning his head to focus his gaze out of the living room window. 

“Yeah, I.. uh. Let’s just say no wasn’t a word in his vocabulary.” The color drained from Sam’s face as the conversation he had with Sophia played through his mind, the tears that had streamed down her face as she recounted countless times she wanted nothing to do with the activity at hand. Danny nodded solemnly, realization kissing his features.

“So he would… force her?” Danny asked, eyes wide. Sam pulled his lips to the side, an  unsure look about his face as he nodded. 

“We’ll just say it wasn’t always consensual  on her part. So it’s not something I want to make her feel like she has to do. I’ve waited three months for her to be ready I can wait a little longer.” 

~*~*~

A giggle slipped past Sophia’s lips as she tripped over her feet, almost spilling the coffee she carried through the field. Her eyes quickly found Sam hanging out behind the booth with a beautiful dog sleeping at his feet. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips as she sat the to-go tray down on the booth. 

“There’s my girl!” Sam spoke in a form of greeting, tipping his head slightly before leaning forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. 

“Hi, baby. Who’s this?” She cooed, stepping to the side of the table before she knelt down. Sam couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face and he knelt down behind the pup. 

“This is Rose the friendly pit bull.” Sam cooed, the pup at their feet perking up at the sound of her name. She pushed herself into a seated position, leaning back against Sam in a protective manner. 

“It’s okay, Rose, she’s safe. You say Hi!” Sam chuckled, scratching the pup on her sides. The pup turned her attention to Sophia, whose hand was outstretched towards her. 

“Hi girl! Is she friendly?” Sophia asked out of habit, eyes growing slightly wider. Sam pursued his lips and raised his brows as a giggle slipped past Sophia’s lips. She reached her hand forward, letting it sit right in front of Roses nose as the pup gently sniffed her fingers. 

“You’re a sweet girl aren’t you, Rose? Such a pretty girl too.” Sophia cooed, reaching forward to love on the pup. Sam’s attention was drawn to the patrons at his booth carefully carding through the jars of jam. He stood to his full height and greeted the patrons, talking his way through the sale. 

Rose nudged Sophia with her nose, encouraging her to sit on the ground as she stepped over her and curled up on her lap. Sam turned his attention back to Sophia, a soft smile spreading across his face as he took in Sophia loving on his best girl. 

“There’s a blanket on the chair if you don’t want to raw dog the grass.” Sam chuckled, kneeling down in front of Sophia. She shook her ahead softly, eyes never leaving the pup. 

“It’s okay, she just wanted some extra lovings didn’t you, Rose? Hmm, you just wanted some cuddles.” Sophia spoke lovingly to the pup, holding her face in her hands as she scratched behind her ears. 

“What are your plans for the day?” Sam asked, hopeful to have some one on one time with her. Sophia shrugged, lifting her gaze to find Sam’s. 

“I don’t know, I was going to just come say hi and jet back home to do some cleaning but maybe I’ll stay and love on this sweetness all day.” Sophia cooed, a shit eating grin spreading across her face. Sam’s jaw dropped, reaching up he placed a hand against his chest and feigned shock. 

“You’ll pull an all day market stay to hang with Rose but not with me? Oh okay I see how it is.” He chuckled, shifting so he was resting fully on his knees. A genuine laugh slipped past Sophia’s lips as she reached forward and wrapped her fingers around the front of his shirt; pulling him towards her. Sam’s eyes grew wide at her move, something she had shied away from. A soft ‘hi’ slipping past Sam’s lips as Sophia leaned forward and captured his lips with hers in a sweet kiss.  

“Ewww, get a room!” Danny’s voice shook them out of their own world. Sam pulled back, his cheeks blazing red as Sophia let go of his shirt and returned her hand to Roses head. 

“You’re just jealous I’m not kissing you, Daniel.” She drawled, sticking her tongue out in the older boys direction. Danny shook his head softly, plucking his coffee out of the long forgotten about to go tray. 

“I love you but don’t flatter yourself, you’re not my type.” Danny chuckled, taking a sip from the cup in his hand. Sophia’s jaw dropped and she turned her attention back to Sam, shock playing on her features as she held her hand out in Danny’s direction. 

“Sammy!” She whined, pushing her bottom lip out in a pout. Sam giggled, turning his head to face Danny. 

“Daniel, be nice! She’s fragile.” Sam chuckled, reaching out to cup her chin in his hand. 

~*~*~

The ride back to her place was quiet. Sam sat in the passengers seat, head resting against the seat as the cool evening air blew against his face. Sophia’s body shook with nervous energy, as Sam reached over and rested his hand on her thigh, dancing his thumb lightly across the exposed skin. He let his eyes flutter shut as he began to flex his fingers, scraping his nails lightly over her skin. 

“Thanks for hanging out today, even if you were hanging with my dog and not me.”

He chuckled, rolling his head to the side to face her. A soft smile tugged at the corners or her lips as she pulled into her driveway. 

“That was just my ploy to see if you’d be okay with me hanging around all day. I’ve wanted to do that for weeks now but always felt like I’d be a burden if I did.” Sam shook his head, his eyes finding hers now that the car was parked.

“A burden? I’ve wanted you to spend every market day with me since we met. The fleeting ten minutes here fifteen minutes there was never enough. I’d love for you to hang behind the booth with me every weekend if you can stand it.” Sophia couldn’t help the giggle that slipped past her lips as she rested her elbow on the center console, placing her chin in the palm of her hand. 

“Oh yeah? You like me that much to let you bother you for the entire day? Every weekend?” She couldn’t help the way her eyes lit up, a genuine smile pulling the corners of her lips up to meet her eyes. 

“I think it’s a little more than liking you at this point.” Sam chuckled, his gaze dancing between her eyes and lips. She tilted her head slightly, reaching her free hand forward to run her fingers through the loose strands of hair that had escaped his bun. 

Sam leaned forward slightly, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. He peppered the softest pecks across her cheek and nose, reaching forward to cup the back of her neck in his hand as he crashed his lips against hers. Sophia’s hand found Sam’s cheek, grounding herself as she parted her lips, darting her tongue out gently in a silent request to deepen the kiss. 

Sam couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him as he parted his lips and let her tongue slip gently against his. He bit down against her tongue gently, eliciting the softest yelp followed by body shaking giggles from her chest. He pulled back slightly, pulling a deep breath in through his nose before diving back towards her and placed the softest kisses down the expanse of her neck. 

Sophia revelled in the feeling of his lips against her skin, something that once held pain now holding a new feeling. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as he sucked on her skin gently, causing a fire to erupt through her body. She let her hand drop from where it rested under her chin, aiming to grip against his thigh. 

Her eyes sprang open as her hand landed on his groin, the feeling of his erect dick causing a gasp to escape her her and she yanked her hand back quickly. Sam couldn’t help the boisterous laugh that escaped him as he pulled back from her. 

“I’m not sure what that reaction was but uh, it’s okay. It’s okay to touch and explore as long as you’re ready to.” Sam cooed, cupping her cheeks in his hands. The apples of her cheeks glowed a light pink and she found herself fighting back tears she wasn’t even sure should exist.

“I’m so sorry, that wasn’t your thigh.” She sighed, balling her hands into fists where they rested on the center console. Another laugh escaped him and he shook his head, running his thumbs along her cheeks. 

“It’s okay, I promise you. Whatever that made you feel is valid but I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to. Okay?” 

Sophia’s eyes met Sam’s as she slowly unclenched her hand and reached forward, resting it against his lap. He sat as still as he could, eyes trained on hers as she gently palmed him through his jeans, eyes widening slightly at her actions. A soft shiver danced up his spine causing his eyes to flutter slightly before she pulled her hand back. 

“I… I’m sorry.” She mumbled, dropping her eyes to look at where her hands rested. Sam shook his head, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. 

“You don’t have to be sorry. It’s all on your time, okay? I can wait.”

TAGLIST: @gretasmokerising @ascendingtostardust @sammysprincess @sammykiszkamyass @belovedsamuel @puzzle-gvf @sunfl0wer-power @vanfleeter @aintthatapity @twistedmelodies @gvfpal @psychedelicsprinkles @miguelnation @gracev0609 @runwayblues @jordie-gvf-admin

[rey-129-fan]

Persona Plot Bunny that's bugging me.

So, while reading through some P5 fics, I came across a few interesting fics with similar premises: pretty much one or more of the Phantom Thieves (either Akechi or Akiren and Morgana) get sent back to 2009 and attend Gekokan Elementary, eventually joining SEES. Now my favorite of them is the Hope Restored series by mewrose though blue bossa by sonicytails is interesting by having the full Royal Trio along with Morgana and Kasumi attending.

These, of course, got me thinking about my own version. Spoilers ahead for P5 and P5R.

Now, it would start during one of the final battles, either Vanilla P5's or Royal's. Pretty much when Yaldi was erasing the thieves or Maruki decided to force them to comply with his reality, and all the thieves' souls got separated from their bodies and got pulled into the Sea of Souls. Akiren and Morgana were able to avoid this fate because of their connection to the Velvet Room while Akechi was spared because he is a Wild Card, even if his potential was hindered by Yaldi (perhaps Sumire also got spared, but trying to figure out why) while the rest of the thieves only left behind their Wills of Rebellion in the forms of their masks.

While trying to figure out what to do, Igor takes the time to unseal Akechi's potential as a Wild Card, though he'd be different from others with the ability due to going so long without the assistance of the Velvet Room. Pretty much he can't use the more generic Personas that Akiren, Yu, and Minato can, but he has a unique Persona for each of his bonds (a la Marigolds). Meanwhile, Lavenza gives Akiren the masks of his friends to hold on to, though she does warn him that when they (re)awaken, the masks will return to them.

Anyways, the thieves are sent back as kids, meet up with and join SEES, who notice how odd these kids are (never mind their talking cat). Also, whenever they are particularly angry/tapping into their Wills of Rebellion (particular incidents being 10/4 and 11/3), they'll don their Thieves outfits and potentially even age up. Eventually they reveal that they're from the future (at latest when Ryoji tells SEES about Nyx).

Now here's the things that bother me. One: The Yoshizawas. Should Sumire be there or not. If she is, I will eventually also drag Kasumi in because from what little we know about her, she would not want to be left out of whatever is going on with her little sister, which means she'll need a persona of her own. And then trying to convince their parents to let them live in the dorms. It would admittedly be easier to just leave her.

Two: Akechi. Since he can't have the generics, that means I gotta come up with one for each bond he can now develop, beyond Robin Hood and Loki. Never mind what bonds should be with whom. I'm not as familiar with P3 as I am with P5, plus I don't want him to have similar story lines to what Minato is doing with their shared friends. I'm open to suggestions for his bonds, as well as personas that could represent those bonds.

Third: Akiren. Most if not all of his bonds should be maxed out by the time the story starts. However, since he's going back in time, it's kinda like a NG+, which means most of his bonds will be reset (obvious exceptions being Justice and Magician, maybe Faith). Should I give him new bonds as well, and with who? There's also the question of what about the Arcana that represent his team mates. Should they be given to other people, or should I use variations from other Tarot Decks (which I'm admittedly not familiar with).

I just don't know what to do.