#every time i get in i laugh and learn so much

[soobnny]

invisible string theory — yang jungwon. acquaintances to lovers. high school au. slice of life.

inspired by that one line from glue song, “you’ve been hiding in plain sight, then appeared” (2.6k words)

The problem with having 60 students per classroom is you were bound to make a stranger to at least thirty of them. And for someone who doesn’t talk much, it was like meeting half of your classmates for the first time every morning.

You kept close to your circle of friends, just like everyone else did, and kept in mind where to make eye contact when your homeroom teacher announces a group activity. You liked working with the same group of people, so you held a pretty stable and balanced routine at school. Always sitting at the same seat, always staying in the classroom with your packed lunch during break time, and always riding the same train home. 

Though, from time to time, a few anomalies would pose themselves to your perfectly lined scheduled—the rain always increased the time it would take to get to school, a predetermined group stands as a barrier between the people you know you work well with, and apparently Mr. Snuffles and his paws that had messed up your alarm clock. The culprit lays on your bed as you hurriedly rush around your room to get to school in time. You’re sure you could make it if the station followed the schedule of when the trains would depart. Preparing your lunch, however, would be impossible, and you would just have to stop by a convenience store before attending homeroom.

You disliked the canteen. Students lived off of crowds, an impossibly long line, and an even poorer selection of food than what you can find in a convenience store. It would take half of your break just to get food, and the rest of the half eating. It’s better when you can hold time in your hands in the classroom. 

Opening the door to the convenience store, it was almost a relief to find it almost empty, save for a few students who were probably either getting breakfast, lunch, or a snack. When it was your turn to have your meal checked out, it takes you about 10 seconds to realize you might’ve left your wallet at home. And it takes even faster to confirm when you rummage through your bag and come out empty-handed. 

Damn you, Mr. Snuffles. 

You realize you didn’t spare the time to double check your bag when your sister had borrowed it over the weekend and probably put some of your essentials out. 

Burden raced and dropped down your shoulders as you struggled to explain to the cashier if she could disregard scanning it in the first place. Though, you aren’t given ample time to get your thoughts across when money is handed to her from next to you. 

He looks familiar, the boy with the short and a little disheveled hair. It looks pretty, falling over his forehead, like he came off a 90s magazine. He gives you a look, enigmatic almost, though smiling as he puts his wallet back in his bag. 

“Thank you.” You spoke shyly, though he only grins, showing off his perfect white teeth.

“You’re (Name), right? I’m Jungwon, we’re in the same class.” 

So that’s why he looked familiar. The only thing you knew about him was that he had a dog, had introduced him on the first day of class with a photo. Everything else, you learned from those around you; he was smart, taking most of the offered advanced subjects, he had multiple senior friends whom he eats with at the canteen, and he was apparently a great dancer. 

“Ohh, I knew you looked familiar.” Your mouth parts in recognition. “Thanks again for saving my ass back there. My cat had messed up my alarm and I left my wallet so today’s just been a disaster so far.” You laugh a little at the tangent your schedule had gone off to. 

“You have a cat?” Jungwon’s eyes light up, and you instantly pull out your phone to show him a picture. “This is Mr. Snuffles.” 

“Mr. Snuffles.” He repeats softly, smiling down at your phone as he shows you his own lockscreen. 

“Now I feel inclined to introduce Maeumi.” 

“Your Maltese puppy, right?” He watches as you dip your head down to look at his phone, grin spread out prettily as you coo quietly. 

“How’d you know?” 

“You introduced him back during first day, I think.” Jungwon looks genuinely surprised that you remember, mouth dropping before he nods his head with the same soft smile on his lips. 

“Well, since we’re heading the same way, do you wanna walk together?” 

For an answer, you grin up at him and say a brisk “sure”, matching your footsteps with his as you walk up the stairs of your school together. 

Conversation flies easy with Jungwon, almost too easy as you talk for the entirety of the short walk to your classroom. You discuss about your poorly functioning lockers, your plans for the upcoming Christmas break, and complain alike about the multitude of projects assigned to you for the first half of the school year. 

“How’s your Biology project holding up?” The instant groan that leaves your lips triggers a laugh from Jungwon. Though, he should’ve been able to predict your reaction after previously just complaining about Ms. Hwang and her 20-page paper about cell division. 

“I swear my head’s gonna explode if I read one more article about mitosis and meiosis.” 

You whine as you walk through another flight of stairs, and his laughter continues to mix with your light-hearted complaints. 

“No, same. My eyes were falling out while I was working on page 12 yesterday.” Jungwon’s hand brushes against yours as a group of students run by you, pressing his shoulder against yours and holding out an arm to make sure they don’t bump into you. 

“Well, they look like they were in a hurry.” He only chuckles before peeling himself away from you. He gives you his full attention. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” You laugh, and he smiles at the confirmation. 

“I can’t believe this is the first time we’re actually talking.” There’s disbelief in his tone as he pushes the doors to your homeroom open. “This was fun.” 

“I’ll pay you back tomorrow!”

“There’s really no need.”

The bell interrupts your conversation, and you walk to your respective seats just as your homeroom teacher slips into the classroom. 

+

You don’t meet Jungwon for another month.

After that conversation, you had both returned to the routines you had set for yourselves, and you go back to treating that day as a single anomaly in your perfectly curated schedule. Though, now you find your ears perk up at the slightest mention of his name. 

Similarly, Sunoo’s confused by his friend’s sudden interest when your name had slipped past his mouth. It was something Sunoo had said in the passing, you were simply a side character in the story he’s narrating, yet Jungwon seems to put an awful amount of attention to that part of his story.

“Are you even listening to me?” A whine leaves Sunoo’s lips.

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t know you were in the same club as (Name).” 

“You know her?”

“Yeah… well not really. She’s my classmate, but we aren’t close.” 

“Sounds to me like you have a crush.” He smirks, taking a bite out of his lunch before looking at Jungwon with an accusing eye. 

“I do not have a crush. I was just asking!” Defensive. Just like he always is when he’s getting caught for lying. Jungwon knows better than to hide something from Sunoo. 

“I literally just said (Name) passed me a paintbrush and you’re acting like she’s the main character of my story which, by the way, is ME.” 

“I don’t have a crush.” Jungwon grumbles. 

“Look, there she is right now.” 

Jungwon’s head whips at an impossible rate, an impressive distance over time that Isaac Newton might as well have made a fourth law of motion. His head is craned, scanning over the cafeteria in search of you before a pin drops in his head and he turns back in shame at having been fooled by Kim Sunoo of all people. 

Sunoo laughs, and Jungwon drops his head on the cafeteria table in embarrassment. “Wipe that stupid smile off your face.” 

Though, despite Jungwon’s sudden interest, it still takes almost thirty days after your chance encounter for you to meet again at the same convenience store. It was another day to grab a small breakfast from the quaint store, and it looks like you had the same idea when the bell rings and Jungwon spots you already in line. 

“Do you mind if I could wait in line with you? It’s getting pretty long.” 

Your head turns at the sudden voice. Soft tones as always. 

“Jungwon, hi! Sure.” You allow him to stand with you in line, and he curiously peeks down at the meal in your hands. The same lunch bowl from a month ago. “Don’t you eat lunch in the classroom? Did Mr. Snuffles do something again?”

“You can say that.” You chuckle. It’s endearing that he remembers. 

And just like a month ago, you walk to class together. He waits for you by the door, only resuming his walk when you’ve caught up to him. “So the Biology paper?” 

His eyes flicker to you when you laugh.

“Almost done, finally.” 

“So, your head didn’t explode?”

“Thankfully not. I think I have Mr. Snuffles to thank for that. He enjoys just putting a paw on my hand as I work, though he is quite distracting. We even got him this little laptop toy so he’d stop stepping on mine.” 

Jungwon smiles. “I’ve read about that somewhere, how cats imitate what you do or somewhere along those lines.”

“Does Maeumi do anything silly like that?”

“Well, it might’ve actually been my fault.” He holds onto the paper bag with your meals, fiddling with the paper. “I thought it would be cool to teach him to get the newspaper by walking her to the door and giving her a treat when she’d carry it back. Long story short, one morning, I found every paper from the street.” 

You shake when you laugh, it’s something Jungwon has noticed. It’s breathy and full as you picture it in your head, and Jungwon brightens up at being able to make you laugh.

That morning, you learn of Jungwon’s own routine, just like you. Every morning, he walks to school and accompanies some kids from his neighborhood, dropping them off at the preschool before heading to school. It’s why he doesn’t have time to eat breakfast at home. He plays with Maeumi a little bit too, running around with her in the sun despite having just woken up. At school, he sits at the front and minds his own business, and he eats at the cafeteria to accompany his friends. It’s the only free time they share together.

It’s nice talking to him. You think it might be the first time in a while that you’re talking to someone outside your small circle, and it’s a little refreshing to be offered a fresh sight of the world around you. He thinks differently, the type of person that has something to offer for your personal growth, the type that casts a life-long impression.

So, as you near your classroom, your shoulders drop at having to say goodbye to him again.

You think it’ll take another thirty days to talk to him, but it turns out, as insane as Ms. Hwang is, you might owe a bit to her for pairing you and Jungwon up to do an errand for her. It’s something about the coming Science Camp your school holds, and the need to get signatures from a few teachers. You don’t know why she’s letting two high school students do her job for her, but you comply because you have no choice. 

“The school always plans disastrous events. I remember our Freshman day, when they let us play those games, that was a whole thing in itself.” You mumble, holding onto the piece of paper and scanning over the list of faculty offices you have to visit. So far, you’ve successfully gotten five signatures out of twelve.

“I remember that! I played in the balloon game, and I was partnered up with a girl. My friends did not stop teasing me for weeks.” 

“Wait, I played in the balloon game too.” You look up at him, eyes bright as you recall the memory.

“Don’t tell me.” 

“Were you wearing a black shirt?”

“I was! What the hell!” He pulls out his phone to look for a photo of that day, scrolling through his phone before shoving the screen to your face. “That’s me!” 

“Oh my god.” 

You lock your eyes to his, and the two of you fall in shared laughter at the chances. You would’ve guessed the possibility falls at less than 1% considering the amount of freshmen students at the time, and the thought that Jungwon had been tied to you by some invisible string on that day is something so enchanting. 

As if, since that day, you’d been tied together and were slowly inching closer and closer until this very moment years later. 

“I can’t believe it was you! My friends couldn’t let me catch a break when I caught you before you could fall face flat.” 

“Look, I’m not the most coordinated person. You put me in a game where people are out to pop the balloon tied around my ankle and you’re basically asking me to fall over my own feet.” 

“But we won, didn’t we? Wasn’t I a good protector?”

“You were alright.” You tease, and he gasps dramatically in response.

“Go ask for the rest of the signatures by yourself.”

“I was kidding! I was kidding! You were the greatest protector of them all, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.” Jungwon smirks, though, he feels like he’s about to melt in a puddle. 

“That’s better.”

The rest of the time gathering signatures are spent in conversation and laughter. Jungwon would’ve hated staying behind to do more work, would’ve complained about it in the group chat with his friends, but he finds himself enjoying it because he’s with you. It would’ve been hell if it wasn’t with you. 

“I can’t believe we’ve talked more this past month than the last couple years.” You hold onto the straps of your backpack as you leave school together. The sun is starting to set, and the impatient moon peeks from afar. 

Jungwon is almost open-mouthed when the sun hits your face like that. When you look back at him because he’s suddenly falling behind, eyebrow lifted with a smile on your face. He’s sure you know your hypnotizing effect, and you still have the nerve to act oblivious about it. 

He takes a step closer. 

“Do you maybe wanna grab a bite? It’s getting late, and I’m a little hungry.” His words come out hitched, and he’s punching himself over the very obvious nervousness in his voice–as if the way he looks at you isn’t obvious enough to how he feels.

“I’d like that.”

A few months later, Jungwon would ask you to be his and Mr. Snuffles would get all the treats he could possibly want for altering the course of your routine and allowing you to bump into Jungwon. 

+ 

“Babe, you seriously need to stop leaving your wallet. I’m starting to think this is all a ploy so I’ll keep paying for your meals.”

“Sorry.” You smile sheepishly. 

“I was kidding. I may have lost a couple won, but I got you out of it.”

“Are you telling me I’m worth just a couple won?”

“What? No, wait! That’s not what I meant!”

[noveauskull]

You are the oasis that hydrates us thirsty readers. I thank you for that haha.

For the request, wuwa men with a reader who's a a bit mischievous that intentionally riles them up in public and then leaving them hard and turned on?

Thank you again for writing all of these wonderful fics/oneshots :D

WUWA Men When You Leave Them Hard In Public! [NSFW]

-----

characters: jiyan, geshu lin, mortefi, calcharo, aalto, yuanwu, scar x reader

summary: you and your boyfriend are walking around Jinzhou until you decided to be a little mischevious

warnings: teasing only, still nsfw because of heavy mentions of hard ons and contact with private areas, public teasing

JIYAN:

While Jiyan was talking with Ganxue (NPC) to buy some new recipes to make food, when all of a sudden you brushed your hand against his crotch area

Jiyan looks at you with wide eyes, thinking you'd accidentally touched him

But he was wrong, cause everytime he kept talking he would stop midway, your touches were getting stronger each time it makes contact with him

Before you knew it, he's grabbing you by the wrist to stop you from going on

You just know that when he finishes buying the recipe he's going to drag you to a secluded area and have you suck him off

-----

GESHU LIN:

You and Geshu Lin would be strolling around Jinzhou, until you decided to tug on his arm, forcing him to lean down and lend his ear to you

Thats when you start whispering naughty things, telling him how much you miss his cock and how you would drag him to the nearest alleyway to suck him off

You watch his ears turn red, looking at him glaring at you with a hint of arousal behind his eyes

You'd start skipping happily, knowing fully well you were gonna get it when the two of you get back home

Not that it was a problem or anything, you needed Geshu Lin to get riled up during sex anyways

-----

YUANWU:

The two of you would be sitting in a restaurant, facing each other with the table in between you until you decided to take of your shoe and lift it up to rub on Yuanwu's leg

He'll stop drinking his tea just to look at you with wide eyes, swallowing hard when he feels your foot going up higher to his thigh

Before your foot makes it to his crotch, he'll grab your ankle with his hand, but you surprise him when you rested your foot onto his thigh and raised your other leg

You'd hear Yuanwu let out a grunt before he covers his mouth, ears turning red as he glances at your grinning face

Yuanwu will definitely remember to teach you basic manners in public when you two get home

-----

MORTEFI:

You asked him if it was okay to watch him work and he agreed, but he didn't expect you to be so needy with him and distract him during his work

You'd tease him and tell him how hot he was when he's serious, and he'd flash you tiny stares to quiet you down

But of course, the teasing and touching doesn't stop

The way you test his patience has him sighing and putting his hand to his head

If you keep up this behavior, he might just have to drag you into his office and punish you

-----

AALTO:

You'd think you have the upperhand when you tease and touch him every place you two have been to

You would watch him blush and laugh in embarrassment, and when you start getting super intimate with him, he suddenly pulls a 180 on you

He goes from letting you touch him in public to him teasing you instead, making you learn your lesson and reminding you that whatever you do he can do

Though it kinda backfires since the two of you start feeling turned on in public

The two of you will definitely be busy later

-----

CALCHARO:

It took you some courage to want to tease him, since you knew how he would get when he's too excited

But seeing his reactions were so fun, like how he would blush while covering his face with his arm while his eyebrows furrowed, he was super cute throughout the entire time you would touch him on his sensitive spots

You might've crossed the line when you groped his ass though, it seemed like out of everything you did, the thing that turned him on the most was you groping his ass

You would tease him, but it seems like you're being dragged back home at the moment

-----

SCAR:

He loves it when you act mischevious around him, and it especially turns him on when you tease him in public

It's almost like he looks forward to it, but of course, Scar has his limits.

He'd be especially annoyed if you keep touching him only to leave him alone with a hard on, but his face is still plastered with a smile

He'll lure you in like a wolf on it's prey, acting sweet and nice with you until he gets you back for your little indecent behavior

And he won't stop until he sees you drooling and crying for mercy

-----

A/N: ty for the request anon! hope i didn't take too long hehe 😚✨️✨️ and im very welcomed to be your oasis 👐👐👐

[bestiesenpai]

sukuna bridgerton au

If you get mad at me for this then you’re no fun, he’s a little ooc in this but im world building! I intend to write more! Mini blurbs/fics and build a whole universe! Gosh! Tried to be accurate to regency era stuff but also took liberty with some things 6k words

Femme reader, you’re a proper young miss aint ya kekw

You are perfect. The Queen's diamond of the season and someone everyone knew by name. There is nothing you have not been prepared for, no social setting that you are unable to make your own. Since you were born your parents had instilled every rule in society onto you, every skill a young lady should have and even some men have as well, to cover every possible avenue.

Perfect indeed, with not only needlework and the pianoforte, but you spoke more than one language and were delightfully decent at drawing. Learning the harp and more advanced bookkeeping skills were on your current roster, the governess keeping not only you but your siblings busy before the beginning of all the balls and suitors calling for your attention.

“(Y/N), there are a great deal of callers outside waiting for your attention.” Your mother debriefed you at the start of the day, after having the maids dress you to her exact specifications. “You remember what I taught you, yes?”

“Yes. Be courteous and make sure to smile, but not too much or they might get the wrong idea. I shouldn’t appear to know too much about one subject, lest they get discouraged from speaking.”

“Perfect.” Snapping her fingers happily, your mother put a hand on your shoulder and sighed, smoothing down the sleeve of your dress. “I am so proud of the person you’ve become, (Y/N). I hope you know that.”

“I do, mother.” Hugging her tightly, you steeled your nerves. She had done the best possible for you your whole life to ensure you would be ready for the society you live in and to hopefully elevate your station in life, one that could afford you even more comfort than you had now.

“Bring the first one in.” Your father announced, ushering the two of you to come to a stand as the doors were opened and the first gentleman of the day came in, a modest but endearing bouquet of flowers in his hands. Making sure to curtsy immediately, you welcomed him in and brought him to the sofas where a proper conversation could be had.

And that went on for ages, one after the other, until you feared your voice would go hoarse from all the talking and fake laughter you had to do. It wasn’t that the men that came to see you were bad in any way, just that you hoped for a bit more excitement upon entering the season. There had yet to be anyone that swept you off your feet, made you wish they stayed just a bit longer and looked at you a bit more.

“Mother, may we stop for today?” You were unable to hold your posture anymore and your back bent considerably, allowing you to relax and look out the window at the sun slowly fading from afternoon to early evening.

“We may. Send the rest away, let them schedule for another time.” Motioning to a footman, your mother conceded to your wishes. “It’s about time for dinner, is it not?”

“Mr. Downey, that old man called upon you?” The next day, a chorus of giggles could be heard in the park from you and your friends. You were recounting all the visitors you had, not sparing a single detail.

“Yes!” You laughed, unable to contain yourself as you strode arm in arm with them around the park lake. “But Father wouldn’t let him step a single toe into the parlor, told him to go down to the alleys he’s usually found in!”

“Oh dear!” Another round of shouts and laughs left the group, boisterous as ever as you all were excited for the upcoming ball at the end of the week being held by the Queen herself. Her royal advisor had seen to it that you were personally handed an invitation at the modiste this morning, letting everyone see the fanfare and the adoration the Queen so had for you.

“(Y/N), you really are Her Majesty’s favorite diamond!” Someone exclaimed, squeezing your hand tightly. “I can’t remember the last time she did something like this!”

“I wonder what it could all mean.” Another girl wonders aloud, making you all come to a stop and think. “I bet there’s some aristocrat in town she wants to impress!”

“Could you imagine!” You jump up slightly, your mind beginning to race. “And me as Her Majesty’s precious diamond at the center…” A flurry of giggles left the group and you began to walk again, chattering excitedly about the future.

The time for the ball came and you were dressed in the finest silks and jewels the modiste had to offer, and a dainty necklace laid on your neck adorned with small diamonds of its own. Butterflies arose in your stomach on the carriage ride over and by the time you arrived you worried about fainting upon standing.

“Stay close.” Your mother tells you, keeping your arm in the crook of hers as you enter the party behind your father, your other siblings behind you as well. Entering the main ballroom, you try not to openly gawk at the grandiosity of it all; there was a large orchestra in the middle of the room, peacocks milling about the garden just outside the open doors and too many servants to count carrying hors d'oeuvres that looked absolutely divine.

“A drink, miss?” One of them approached with a tray of cocktails which you swiftly accepted, eager to fit in with the other patrons. Taking a sip, you were nearly knocked back from the strong bite of alcohol and almost let your composure slip.

“(Y/N).” Your mother squeezed you in warning, never letting the smile slip from her face as her tone conveyed high stress. “Do not mess this up.” And those were her final words to you before you were ushered further into the room.

Quickly righting yourself, you followed your mothers steps in introducing you to everyone and making sure to show you off to eligible bachelors and their families of high titles. Your heart pounded upon meeting earls and marquess’, forcing yourself to not appear too awestruck of a title; appearing perfectly pleased at the information and not showing favor one way or another.

“Time to greet Her Majesty.” Your mother whispered, subtly gesturing to the entourage entering the room and causing quite a stir amongst your fellow partygoers. As she took her seat, you couldn’t help but notice the two empty chairs seated behind the queen and how she looked miffed that one was not being filled upon her arrival.

Milling about so as not to appear too eager, roughly five minutes passed before you made your way over to the queen. The drink you’d been nursing was finally empty and you could feel the burning effects of the alcohol take place, making your face burn and palms sweaty beneath your gloves.

“Your Majesty.” Speaking for the both of you, your mother led you into a curtsy. Standing straight, you let your eyes wander to the chairs, wondering who could be missing from such an event.

“My diamond.” Her Majesty reached out her hand which you instantly took, softly kissing the skin and giving another curtsy.

“Your Majesty.” You responded in kind, giving her a somewhat nervous smile. “This is a beautiful party.” Looking around, you finally let your true feelings show for a moment as you properly soaked it all in. “I am amazed at how you manage to throw such exquisite soirees each season.”

“Oh how you flatter me!” A light chuckle left Her Majesty’s lips and she allowed you to look around a bit more before speaking again. “Tell me, have any suitors caught your eye?”

“Well…” Looking back at your mother, you let out a breathless chuckle. “None have truly captured me, Your Majesty. Some interest me and others vex me, but no one has yet to steal my heart.”

“That is very pleasing.” She grinned, knowing something you did not. “Very pleasing indeed.” Waving over one of her attendants, she whispered something into their ear and off they went as if they had never been there at all. “Take to the floor, my dear, I shall call upon you soon again.”

“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.” Curtsying again, you and your mother left to go enjoy the party. It wasn’t clear what the Queen had in mind but every time you looked over your shoulder you found her eyes on you and that made you nervous enough to get another drink and not care about the taste.

“Mother, I must use the restroom.” Hardly finished with the glass, you felt an upset in your stomach that couldn’t be ignored. Waiting just enough time for her to excuse you from the group you’d been speaking with, you rushed out of the room and down the hall, thankfully guided by servants to the nearest restroom.

Relieving yourself rather quickly, you were in no hurry to return to the party. This was the first time you were in the palace and your curiosity couldn’t help but get the better of you. Looking over your shoulder a few times, you walked as casually as possible down the hall in the opposite direction. Marveling at the grandeur, you hardly took note of where you were going until a loud thud brought you out of your thoughts. Looking around, you realized you were quite far from the party, the sounds of the orchestra a distant buzz.

“Fuck!” The vulgarity of the word along with its suddenness nearly knocked you to the ground. Grabbing at your necklace, you shuddered at the next few words that came out; this wasn’t proper for a lady to hear at all. Locating the source from an open doorway, you intended on closing it until you caught a glimpse of what was inside.

A completely naked woman was being pinned to a bookshelf by a man with his pants around his thighs, the violent motion of his hips leaving nothing to the imagination. She looked to be in pain, wincing and whining every so often as the man just kept going. He took so little notice of her, in fact, that her head hit the shelves a few times and although she cried out he didn’t falter.

“Fuck!” He yelled again, grabbing the woman's hair and forcing her head to the side. He did finally slow down and straighten up a bit, finally allowing you to see his pink hair. “Fucking whore.” And just like that, the relative slowness was gone and back was this man's brutality. Forcing the woman to walk over to the desk a bit closer to you, you quickly ducked out of the way before you saw something you shouldn’t. It was quiet for a moment and there was a shuffling sound before the door was ripped open further and you couldn't help the shout you let out.

“Who the fuck- oh. Oh?” The man was clearly ready for a fight but upon seeing you, his face changed into a sly smile. He at least had the decency to dress himself, though you kept your eyes trained onto his face and occasionally the ceiling to preserve your modesty. “Well, aren’t you a ravishing creature…come to join the fun?”

“Absolutely not!” Leaping back at his proposition, your face curled in disgust. He laughed loudly, fully taking in your appearance.

“No of course not, why would you? You are a lady, so prim and proper.” He stretched the word out, almost mocking you with the connotation. “You belong at the party, Miss, so run along before someone catches us alone and we’ll be forced to marry.” Raising his hand in goodbye, the man left you, laughter still on his lips as he slammed the door closed.

All but running back to the party, you avoided your mother in favor of going out to the garden with a few friends that were thankfully in attendance; a chance to marvel at the peacocks and performers outside would give you a chance to catch your breath and forget about what you’d just seen.

“Miss (Y/N), the Queen calls for you.” A servant notified you just as the air turned a bit too chilly for your liking. Bidding your friends farewell, you made your way inside. The polite smile on your face dropped immediately at seeing just why the queen summoned you.

“Ah, my diamond.” Her affectionate tone forced the smile right back on your face but your eyes stayed glued to the person behind her. There, dressed in the finest fabrics and with his cravat intricately tied, was the man you’d seen earlier. As he stood at the Queen’s motion, you noticed the freshly pressed pants and shiny boots he had on and the dazzling watch dangling from a chain.

“This is my nephew, you might have heard of him. The Crown Prince, Ryomen Sukuna.” As she spoke, the Queen's voice grew louder, drawing the attention of everyone within earshot and even those that didn’t hear. “I’ve invited him here personally just to meet you.” A small smirk adorned her face as she took in the crowd before her and the stir her words caused. And it grew even bigger upon seeing your face, the horrored expression mistaken for overjoy.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss (Y/N).” Sukuna made a show of bowing deeply to you.

“Come, sit down and chat for a while, won’t you?” Her request was truly a demand and you knew better than to hesitate or question it, so you nodded and did as you were told.

Taking a seat, you kept your body rigid and faced straight ahead, not even giving so much as a glimpse to your side where you could tell the Crown Prince was watching you. You knew it wasn’t proper and that people - your mother especially - were watching to see how you two got on, but you couldn’t bear to turn and have a conversation with the man you’d just seen in such an uncouth position.

“It truly is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Sukuna said, a light chuckle on his lips. “Never thought the beauty I saw earlier would end up being the diamond of the season.”

“I believe you’re mistaken! We did not see each other earlier, Your Highness. This is the first time we are meeting.” Turning your head swiftly, you forced a smile onto your face instead of the scowl you wanted to show him.

“Yes, my mistake! Must have been another fair maiden that caught my eye.” Sukuna chuckled, settling into his chair just a bit more. He let a pause hang between you before he spoke again. “Tell me, diamond, do you wish to marry this season?”

“Of course I do.” You nodded, allowing yourself to relax a little as well. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about since I made my debut.”

“And what are you looking for in a husband?”

“I want one that is kind, that is loyal to me and whom I can get along with no matter what. And if he likes the arts such as I do, that would be even better.” An answer that you had rehearsed many times with your mother, the words came out of your mouth smoothly.

“Interesting.” Sukuna nodded, folding his hands over each other. “Now, tell me how you really feel.”

“I-I just did.” Quirking a brow at him, you were unsure why Sukuna required more from you on the matter.

“I can tell those aren’t your real words. Tell me how you truly feel.” His face was neutral but not serious or uncomfortable; he seemed to genuinely want an answer from you.

“I…” It took a while but eventually the thoughts you’d suppressed in favor of your mothers came to the surface and you looked down at your gloved hands. “I want someone I can be myself with, someone I won’t need to put on a mask for. And a husband that can value my privacy and give me my own space.” There was more you wanted to say but you stopped yourself; no use in rambling to the man when you could save it for your diary later.

“That’s good to hear, actually.” His response surprised you and had you turning more towards him.

“Really?” There was a tinge of hope growing inside you, one that said maybe the man from earlier wasn’t who he truly was.

“Yes. I’ll need a wife that can leave me the hell alone.” And with that, the tinge died out and your face fell.

“Wh-what?”

“Yes, as you will undoubtedly hear about later I enjoy some rather…unconventional pastimes and leisurely activities and if we are to be wed I’ll take great joy in the fact that you won’t interfere with that.”

“But I-”

“Oh don’t worry, Miss (Y/N), I will give you all the babies you desire if you so wish, but just know my heart will never belong to just one woman. It’s not the way royalty does it, I’m sure you can understand.” Giving you a tight lipped and condescending smile, Sukuna stood from his chair and excused himself, mentioning something about getting the two of you a drink.

“So, what do you think of my nephew?” The Queen asked when he was out of earshot, turning slightly in her chair to look at you.

“He- he is a good conversationalist.” You forced the words out, hoping that the Queen wouldn’t be able to pick up on how your eyes were growing misty despite your best efforts to blink the tears away. “I quite enjoyed some of the ideas he’s shared with me.”

“Wonderful, darling.” There was a tension in the air, like she knew what had happened between the two of you. But she chose not to say anything, instead turning back around as the orchestra played the next song. “Sukuna.” She caught him as he came back, two glasses in hand.

“Yes?” His eyes flicked to you for a moment.

“Dance with Miss (Y/N), will you? I want her to enjoy the party.” The tension in the air was back and Sukuna nodded and swiftly put the glasses down. Standing before you, he offered you his hand.

“Right this way.”

“Of course.” Inhaling sharply, you forced your feelings down and took his hand, letting him lead you to the dance floor. As the song began to start up, you could feel the eyes on you, watching your every move with the Prince and the chemistry you had when dancing.

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Sukuna said quietly, his hands resting on your upper back a moment before taking a few steps. “I simply want you to know the truth if you accept the proposal.”

You didn’t respond to him, letting the words soak in. In the moment it had seemed almost cruel that he had spoken to you like that, said those things and dismissed your feelings, hopes and dreams, but thinking about it gave you another perspective. You knew many men in town that had affairs and secret lovers that would never admit it but here was a man that was willing to be honest with you. A man that had no obligation to spare your feelings or protect them.

“Why did you even agree to come then, if that is how you truly feel about marriage?” You finally spoke, looking into his eyes.

“You know as well as I do that we have a responsibility to do this, to get married and play these silly societal games. When my aunt called me I had no choice but to come, you can’t exactly say no to the woman. And I figured why not meet her precious diamond and see what she had to offer, see if I could build the life the world expects of me with her.”

“And what is your verdict?” Sukuna spun you around as you asked and your head laid briefly on his shoulder, catching the scent of his perfume before you were twirled away again.

“I think you’d make a lovely bride, Miss (Y/N). There may be some hardships but I believe we could learn to be happy with each other and our arrangements.” Spinning you a few more times, Sukuna gently helped you to a stop. “I ask you to be aware of what the Queen will ask you soon, what I will be asking you soon. You can always say no.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” As the dance ended, you curtseyed and excused yourself. Slinking away to the refreshments table, you had nary a chance to sip some lemonade before a few more men approached, asking to write in your dance card.

As the night wore on, you danced with many more suitors and eligible young men about town, some that had already called on you and others that were waiting their turn. Some of them were dukes and earls and even a marquess came to you, but none held as high a title as Sukuna did. And with your parents eyes on you, you knew that was what mattered the most.

Going through everyone in your mind, there wasn’t a doubt that some would definitely be better matches for you than Sukuna in the realms of compatibility and chemistry but none would be as wise a choice as he was. Marrying a crown prince of all people would solidify your station in life forever; you and your family would want for nothing and you’d never have to worry about needing to follow the latest trends in fashion because you would be the one setting them.

“His Highness Prince Sukuna surely took a liking to you tonight.” Your mother was alight on the carriage ride home, fanning herself ardently. “Why, I do believe the Queen intends on you to be married before the season is over!”

“From a baroness to a princess, how marvelous that would be!” Unable to stop his excitement either, your father chimed in. It seemed they had already accepted the Prince's proposal on your behalf even though it hadn’t come yet. You didn’t have the heart to tell them that he wasn’t really a good fit for you, that you worried you’d never be truly happy in the marriage and you’d always feel less than when it came to how he felt about you.

“Delightful indeed.” Was what you said instead, allowing your parents to revel in this moment and trying to convince yourself that it couldn’t be that bad to marry a prince, especially if it meant that one day you’d be a queen.

May 14

Diary, I fear that I won’t be able to back out of this arrangement even if I say no to it like Sukuna said I could. If I say no, I know I will have many other suitors knocking at my door but none as prestigious as he is and I can’t bear to possibly face the disappointment of my family if I deny them this great opportunity.

I know I wouldn’t be the first or the last to enter into a marriage like this but I had truly hoped that I could have escaped that fate and found real love, true love! It’s rare but a girl can dream, especially one named as the Queens diamond. You’d think I’d have more time to decide on who to marry!

I suppose I have no choice but to say yes to this, don’t I? Sukuna said he would give me my privacy, so I can at least continue to write here without fear of being judged. I just wonder what the life of a princess will entail and how many new rules will I be forced to learn?

Here's hoping that we can at least grow to have a liking for each other over time, but I know better than to wait around for love.

XX

It was a few days after the ball before you heard word from either Sukuna or the Queen. You knew it was coming but the anxiety of waiting had you pouring too much energy into the other men that called you.

“A visitor for Miss (Y/N) has arrived.” It was announced one afternoon, immediately kicking your heart into overdrive. It was a good thing you had felt the need to dress a little nicer today as your visitor presented himself, none other than the prince.

“Your Highness!” Your mother exclaimed, overjoyed and forcing your siblings to stand as well and greet him. They all bowed or curtseyed, some too young to understand exactly who they were greeting.

“Good day to you all.” Sukuna gave a small bow in return, eyeing up your family before turning to you. “Miss (Y/N), I was hoping we might promenade today around the park? The weather is quite lovely and there are a fair amount of swans out there I’m told.” His offer surprised you, you were sure he was going to ask for your hand right then and there.

“That would be lovely.” You nodded, looking back at your mother who would no doubt chaperone this outing. “Allow me to grab my purse and a shawl.” Excusing yourself, it took no less than five minutes for you to be ready and heading out the house with Sukuna by your side, your entire family not but five feet behind you.

“I’m surprised you called upon me today.” You said upon reaching the park, waving to a few friends who were also on dates. “I was certain that the next time I saw you there would be a ring put upon my finger.”

“Young Miss, please have more faith in me. I thought it only right to court you as the others have, to see if we are truly to be a good match or not.” Sukuna put a hand over his heart in jest.

“Was that your idea or the Queens?”

“I’ll be honest it was her idea, but I have no problem going along with it. It’s only right that we get to know each other a bit more before we are wed.”

“You talk so certainly that I’ll say yes! Who said I wanted to marry you?” His arrogance was starting to annoy you, and the fact that he couldn’t even feign that he was the one interested in learning more about you irritated you to no end.

“Please, would you even think of saying no?” Sukuna quirked a brow at you as you came to a stop to admire a pair of swans. “I am the best match you have to make, one that would elevate your status so highly it would make your head spin. And beside…” He trailed off, looking around at the people in the park. “This sorry lot you associate with aren’t exactly highbrow to begin with.”

“That’s enough!” You shouted, taking a step back from him. A few curious looks were sent your way and you could see your mother start to approach from the corner of your eye before your father stopped her. “Do not dare speak of my friends in such a manner. What would you know of being highbrow anyway, what with the pastimes you partake in!”

“Miss (Y/N), I did not mean to upset you.” Sukuna spoke a little louder for the inquiring minds around you. “Please accept my apology.” And he bowed his head deeply in a show of submission.

“Do not mock me.” You hissed, crossing your arms and turning back to the lake. “I can’t believe I thought you could be a real gentleman.”

“Oh, but I can be.” Resuming his previous position, Sukuna squared his shoulders.

“Only when others are watching though, right?” You began walking again, letting Sukuna fall into step beside you. As a relative quiet fell over you two, you looked at everyone else walking about, seemingly so happy with their matches. A pang of jealousy hit you upon seeing a group of your girl friends out with their matches, laughing happily and getting to enjoy a true love match instead of whatever you were stuck in now.

There was little conversation between the two of you, but to the outside world it looked as if you were just taking a quiet stroll and letting the sounds of nature surround you. Anyone looking in would think that you’re content just being in each other's presence and don’t need words to communicate.

“Let’s stop at a cafe, I’m parched.” You announced, suddenly spotting the building across the street.

“Yes, let's.” Sukuna agreed immediately, following your lead. Opening the door for you and your family, Sukuna made a show of buying everyone something, even your father. With your family scattered about the shop, you and Sukuna took a seat by the window, a place where everyone could walk by and see you together.

“How do you like your parfait?” He asked, sipping on the plain coffee he got himself. Your mother insisted he get a croissant as well and he pulled a piece off and ate it.

“It’s delicious.” With fresh in season fruit throughout, it was a sweet treat you didn’t know you’d been craving. “Thank you.”

“Tell me what it is you like to do for fun.” Leaning back in his chair, Sukuna peered over his glass at you. You felt the urge to correct him on his posture but held back, knowing he would probably just laugh at you.

“I’ve recently taken up the harp and I quite enjoy it, it can be such a calming instrument. I also enjoy the pianoforte, though recently I’ve taken up reading a new book.”

“Reading is quite boring, is it not?” Sukuna smirked at you, enjoying how you fought to keep your expression neutral. “I can’t remember the last time I read.”

“I’m surprised you can read at all.” You rolled your eyes, finding small gratification in how he laughed.

“Me too!” Taking a hearty bite out of his pastry, Sukuna grinned at you, showing the sharp edge of his canines. “I think I’ll like having you as a wife.”

“You shouldn’t be so confident in my acceptance of your proposal, Your Highness.” With a warning tilt to your voice, you took a sip of tea. “I can very well say no to your whole courtship right now and be done with it.”

“But you and I both know you won’t. You wouldn't want to risk the ire of the Queen or your family. And neither would I, Miss (Y/N). I’m tired of being hounded to find a wife and you are the easiest decision ever made for me.”

“You could at least pretend you’re interested in me.” He had a point, you knew little people that went against what the Queen wanted and weren’t shunned for it. There were a great deal of pros outweighing the cons in marrying Sukuna from an economical point of view, but could you find it in you to put your heart aside?

“Trust me, I am plenty interested in you.” His gaze fell downwards and your face immediately started to burn.

“Don’t make me throw my tea on you.” You glared sharply at Sukuna, your tone daring him to continue and for his sake he didn’t and his eyes returned to yours.

“My apologies, Miss. Just admiring a beauty before me.” That statement made a passing few girls giggle and swoon to themselves and you could hardly hold back another eye roll.

Your outing was done shortly after your trip to the cafe with your youngest siblings complaining they were tired. The Prince escorted you home, bowing to you once more and waiting until you were inside before turning and leaving.

“Tell me what that outburst was at the park.” Your mother descended on you the second she got, following you up the stairs to your bedroom.

“The Prince isn’t as fine and dandy as you think he is, he called the ton a bunch of idiots.” You didn’t bother keeping your voice down as you walked, just the thought of what he’d said upset you all over again.

“Why, he is a Prince! Of course we will be simple to him, he is used to so much more!” She argued, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “He meant no harm, I’m sure.”

“Mother.” Turning to face her before opening your door, you sighed upon making eye contact. “I wish I could tell you even half of the things I learned about him…the Prince is not the man you think he is.” You repeated your previous statement; your lip caught between your teeth as you debated telling her more. “I don’t know if I can marry him.” The words made your mother gasp in horror and push a hand over your mouth.

“(Y/N), please tell me you don’t mean it. Please tell me you are just playing a sick joke.” She couldn’t bear to hear you say otherwise. You stared at each other, both of you pleading for different things. The heartbreak in her eyes was evident and she took a step back and composed herself. “V-very well, if that is how you feel I will not force you.”

“Mother…” Your voice trailed off at how downtrodden she looked, it nearly brought you to tears.

“No, please do not say any more. I-I need time to come to terms with this.” Smoothing down her dress, she looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was eavesdropping. The silence allowed for the noises of others in the house to be heard; two brothers fighting over chess, a sister playing the piano. “I will be in the sun room should you need me.”

She left without consequence, calling for a maid to bring her some lavender tea. Finally entering your room, your body pushed the door closed and you sank onto the floor, letting your head fall into your hands. This wasn’t what you wanted to happen in the slightest and now just the prospect of rejecting his proposal was putting immense guilt onto you. Seeing your mother so hurt, imagining the looks on your siblings faces and what your father could possibly say were all too much for you.

May 18

I fear I have made a grave error. It wasn’t my intention to hurt my mother but just the idea of me not marrying a prince was enough to make her beside herself with grief, she was hardly able to look at me during dinner. And I know she’s told father because he was the same way!

Am I really taking away my family’s happiness this much? Am I being selfish by refusing? I think I’m learning now that a marriage, especially this one, is not just between two people. There’s so many others that it affects!

I think I’ll reconsider my rejection - after all, not many can say they were named the diamond and married a crown prince their first season out. I know Sukuna will give me my space if I request and not question me on things…is this potential life worth giving up my hopes of love?

I truly hope it is.

XX

At breakfast the next morning you informed your parents of the change of heart and the sullen mood that was looming over them was washed away in an instance.

“I knew you would come to your senses, girl.” Patting you gently on the shoulder, your father smiled big. “It’s easy to get swept up in nerves during this whole thing but I’m glad you’ve thought about how this marriage will be good for you - for all of us.”

Your siblings were thankfully none the wiser to what had transpired and they begged to be informed. Ignoring them, your mother reached for your hand across the table and squeezed it.

“We must go to the modiste later.”

“What for?” You sent her a curious look, you’d just been there the other day for a fitting!

“For your wedding dress.”

[cherie-doll]

𓆩♡𓆪 Headcanon: Hidden Affection

༉‧₊˚. Ghost, Soap, Gaz, Alejandro, Phillip Graves, Keegan, König, Nikto

・❥・"Audere est facere"

Ghost

Calculated steps, it’s like a slow dance you both partake in

Like an alarm going off in his head, he proceeds with caution

So skeptical of love, his feelings, everything

Even if he slowly narrows the path to you don’t expect immediate love

He doesn’t want to be the only one who gets hurt

He wants you to be his only one

To call out your name and for a warm smile to light up for him

While in a group conversation, he’ll crack a joke or two hoping you’ll laugh

Those softened eyes that rested upon you

Gazes that lasted a little longer than they should’ve

He couldn’t help it

Soap

A hopeless romantic all his life

The lonely feeling that goes away when he’s with you

Lots of daydreaming and heart-racing

That eye contact feels like an electric spark that shoots straight up his spine and keeps him alert for the rest of the day

He lights up when you’re near

The words he sincerely wanted to tell you

You’re the one he desperately looks for every chance he gets

Finds every excuse to see you

Nothing hurts him more than having to ignore you while in front of others

“It shouldn’t have to be like this…”

And he hugs you as if it’ll be the last time he’ll ever get to touch you. every. time.

Gaz

Tries to learn things about you, for instance, your favorite things, your preferences

He may be talking all giddy and comfortably and suddenly go quiet to observe you while you do something

Subtly acting differently when he’s around you

Something in the air changes when you make eye contact

Like a moment of silence and stillness when from across the room you find one another

Electricity runs through his veins when his fingers graze your skin

Traces of a smile that remains on his face long after you’ve talked to him

Leaves love notes hidden among your belongings

Maybe nothing else in the world belongs to him, but he’s at ease knowing he has your love

Alejandro

He’s smug when he notices your voice falter knowing he’s doing something to you

Sees it like a game to see how close he can come to the line between playful banter and genuine interest

A lot of patience testing, a game of pushing and pulling

What he thought would be a light and easily enjoyed game soon turned into something more

The growing heartbeat gets louder until the last second

A sweet game of Russian roulette

You constantly remind yourself to keep your beating heart still

What you don’t know is however many times you’ve had to calm your heart, how much more did he find himself in a tumult of emotions wishing he could come forth with his feelings

Phillip Graves

He hates the way he feels dumb and dizzy when he gets too close to you

Idiot in love but in denial

You start to notice his attraction to you through his trivial habits

Once, he helped you stand up, and the way he grasped your hand and flexed it after you had let go

Not only does he start to show his feelings through wit and charm but also when it comes to your wellbeing

He cares for his Shadows but cares excessively when it is about you

“I have the right to be worried” or “Stop fooling around or you’ll get yourself killed”

Behind those seemingly harsh words is a tender spot that’s reserved just for you to take over

He had hit the limit of his patience when you finally decided to make a move, after that it was smooth sailing

Secret meetups in his office ;)

Keegan

I can’t imagine him gazing at you with those deep blue eyes without it making you uneasy

Just gazing at you would grant him peace

He wishes to devour you; kiss you, touch you, to show how much you ignite passion within him

Treats your mouth as if it were heaven’s gate

Meeting in secret is difficult and not always easy, when more than a week goes by without some sort of intimacy he’ll get jealous

Lashing out because he can’t just stride over to you and embrace you

Firmly takes your wrist and guides you to a secluded area

“Don’t show that smile to anyone else darling, it’s for me only”

He makes you the little time spent together makes up for the entire day

König

Won’t say anything you have to listen carefully to notice his barely perceptible acts of affection

He watches you, can’t speak, wandering around you without taking his eyes off of you

Every thought naturally flows toward you

Like a sugar craving, he wants a sweet love like this

He stares at you for a long time, waiting for you to fall into his hands when you’re alone

What if it’s just infatuation?

The emotions that are halfway there, might not be that sweet he realizes

He just feels afraid it’ll all shatter if he tries reaching out and making the relationship known

So his eyes wandered around

Sometimes feeling his heart trembling

Daydreams of one day reaching that love like a sweet fruit on the end of an outstretched branch

Nikto

The truth is, it wasn’t love at first sight

He saw nothing distinctive about you right away

He’s never been a man to seek flirting

Although it took time for your subdued personality to come to his attention

When he found a certain liking for you it surprised him

Conversation with you had always been easy

One of you will glance at the other only to find them already looking and neither of you can help but smile

“You know you don’t have to pretend”

Rushed kisses given in secret

Frustration building in his chest, all pent up and ready to burst when he senses you nearby

His heart is thrown into chaos and he doesn’t know what to do, but you’re there to assure him it’s going to be fine <3

[xxchaosjojoxx]

Hi :)

I have always loved law since his first appearance in the anime.

May I ask for a law x Reader but reader is an absolute GREAT at lying. Like they lie all the time and no one would know it was a lie due to specific things that aren't exactly related to the lie but was somehow a "proof" that it was believable. It even fooled Law himself.

Reader is always so happy, like always smiling and cheerful and everything. But with a really constructed lie, a smile isn't always real.

You get what I mean?

Most lies I was talking about was:

"I ate dinner" for example.

Reader didn't actually eat but can be proven to because 1, reader could have planned to "eat" later due to "work" when in reality, they just planned to go inside the lunch room for a few moments and made sure someone saw so they'd have an alibi.

So basically, it's based on alibis and statements that make said lie true.

A/N: Thanks so much for your request. I had an idea in my mind and suddenly it went dark/angst. I hope it is still to your liking and I’m not sure if I should do a second part to add some fluff like I had originally planned.

Lies

You were the sunshine on and inside the Polar Tang. With your bright smile, you could earn a lot of happy smiles and joyful words whenever you enter a room. No one would ever think that this was a facade. That all of this would be a lie. Even your captain would call anyone crazy who would think not of a bunch of sunshine whenever you are around.

Your skills as a thief back in the day are kinda handsy. You are quick and precise when it comes to battle. With your radiant presence and this bright smile paired with those big soft eyes it was easy to gain a lot of free supplies and goodies, whenever your duty was to go shopping. You joined the Heart pirates after stealing some things from Penguin and Shachi nearly 4 months ago. Sadly you couldn’t escape the blue orb nor the teleportation as this man, now your captain, Trafalgar Law was grabbing you with a smirk on his face. You had skill, this might come in handy for sure. That was his reason to let you join his crew. The fact that you would probably lose your head was not an option back there. He was intimidating but handsome. You would be a fool to not follow an attractive man.

The life you had back there was a life you wished to erase forever.

As a foster kid some adults used you for stealing. Kids are small, they can hide better, right?

Over the years you could perfect your stealing skills and one more skill. To lie. Whenever you trembled, whenever you where crying or doing not exactly what they told you, they would hurt you, torture you. You had to learn to lie, because you needed to survive. You had to lie to yourself, that all of this wouldn’t be your whole life. That you would find something better for sure someday. Then you met the heart pirates, they all welcomed you like a family. And even though you showed them your brightest smile, your happiest face, the loudest laugh, you were still aware of them. This is not real. They will use you when they get a chance. Don’t trust them. All of this was repeating in your head every now and then. No one knew what you were hiding because no one suspected anything.

The first time Law suspected something was not too long ago. He worked a lot today and went to the kitchen, to get a snack as he passed you. “You ok, y/n-ya? You look pale? Did you eat anything?”

You were looking at him, giving him a bright smile. “Hey Captain. Of course. I ate dinner already. I just ate too much, maybe that’s why.”

He looked at you with a stern look. “Ok don’t overwork yourself.”

“Aye aye Captain.” and with that you left him. Only after he entered the kitchen and saw the dish, he knew something was off.

Law saw Shachi and Penguin sitting at the table, talking and laughing. “Was Y/N in here?”

They looked at him. “Yeah, she just left with a plate in her hand. She has too much work to do, so she wanted to eat in her room.” The red haired said and Law tilted his head in confusion. “I just saw her, and she didn’t even have a plate in her hand.”

Bepo entered the kitchen from behind. “Oh she gave me the plate earlier. Said I should eat it. She had too much earlier and put way more on the plate for her to finish.”

“I see.” With this Law grabbed a snack and returned to his office with a bad feeling.

He was reading some paperwork as he took a bite from his snack. His mind was wandering back to you. It felt off. Did you really have dinner? The fact that you filled your plate with food and the fact why you didn’t have it when he met you earlier, it all was reasonable. But something was still weird. Would you lie to him? You had no reason for it. But remembering the food, he knew that Shachi was in charge of cooking today and he also knew that Shachi used some spices especially one you didn’t even like. There was no way you wouldn’t notice it and there was also no way that you would eat it to the point you would grab another plate. He hid his face in his hands and was remembering every situation with you in it since you joined. There was never an occasion that he would feel like this. Without even realizing he went towards the storage room, knowing you were on duty today, to write down what else you would need when you dock on the next island.

You stand there with a pencil and a little book in your hands, taking notes. As you felt his presence you turned around to see your captain and smiled at him. “Hey Captain. Can I help you with something?”

“Yeah, can you give me your hand for a second please? I need to confirm something.”

With a confused look you reached your right hand towards him, his warm hands were cupping your own and you could feel a light blush on your face.

“What exactly do you confirm?” You gulped and were looking at him.

“I thought I saw something earlier.” He had not enough time to think of anything clever.

“Do you feel better now? You know because of your second plate of food today.”

He had to concentrate on your heartbeat, on your pulse.

You were looking at him even more confused. “Yes, thank you.”

He squeezed your hand a little tighter. If people lie, their heartbeat, pulse and the breath would give them away, but everything was normal. Not even a slight change. But he knew that you didn’t have another plate. You gave it to Bepo. “Didn’t you give it to Bepo?”

He was staring at you. You felt a little shiver as he was staring at you with this cold look.

"Yeah, I did. I thought I could eat more, but then I felt sick so I gave it to Bepo instead.” Again you were smiling. You didn’t even have to think long enough or even stutter. Your answer was way too perfect. Even if you were telling him the truth, you wouldn’t answer as fast as possible.

“Did you ever lie to us?”

You shook your head and your eyes were wide. “What? No, why should I?”

“Tell me the truth.”

“I do. I never lied to you or anyone else on this ship.”

You were looking at him in determination and in this moment knew, he wouldn’t get the answer out of you.

He knew something was off but he couldn’t prove it. Just his gut feeling wouldn’t be enough.

He let go of your hand. “I’m sorry. I'll let you finish your work.” Law was about to leave the room as he turned his head towards you.

“You can trust us, you know? I know that your past was hard, but you are safe now. If you wanna talk with anyone about anything, do it please.”

Law could see a small nod coming from you. “Of course I do, captain. I already trust you. Thanks for checking on me.” You showed him a big grin and Law couldn’t help but feel this bad feeling inside him to blossom. Now that he felt off he couldn’t help but wonder, if those smiles of yours and your shining personalities are fake. What about you is real? What is a lie? He was determined to find the truth from this day on.

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

So I just had a funny thought and I can't stop laughing about it so main 10 + dust and killer(I'm ok with just main 10 if adding two more is too much) with a child and S/O one day there just chilling and child starts screaming out of no where then runs hysterically and turns out there a cockroach on the wall... S/O takes skeletons slipper/her own slipper and throws it at the cockroach and it hits...

It's still moving so S/O goes for round 2 and throws another slipper... also hits the bug...

That sh** starts flying... S/O and child now screaming, there also running out of there if sans/papyrus are brave enough both S/O and there child screaming at them kill it they won't be coming out of the bedroom until it's dead or outside

S/O would have killed any bug that was small or a tad big but a bug the size of a tarantula( I'm sorry I can't spell) or a cockroach that flys that's where they draw the line.

Undertale Sans - He picks up the cockroach and throws it outside, taking his damn time. He doesn't understand why you're so scared of that little thing. You know he had cockroaches as pets when he was a kid? Well, that's for sure something you didn't want to learn about him.

Undertale Papyrus - He starts to throw bones everywhere, trying to catch the bug as it flies everywhere in panic. After that, the kitchen is a forest of bones but the cockroach is dead! ... Or he thinks so. He kinda lost it in the middle of all the bones. Oh well. A problem for his future self.

Underswap Sans - No, sorry, he can't. He's dying of laughter on the floor, screaming like a hyena as you and the kid are panicking and running around like headless chickens. He can never get enough of this. You end up kicking the cockroach out with a broom, and then you kick him out as well to thank him for his help.

Underswap Papyrus - What? Him? No! He's not touching that, he's scared as well. And you know what? To not have to do it, he starts to hyperventilate and then passes out on the floor, adding to the chaos lol.

Underfell Sans - He laughs like an evil villain and stomps on the thing in a disgusting "KRIIIIIISH" that still echoes in your head to this day. You can't get rid of the ugly stain on your carpet though. It's here to stay forever.

Underfell Papyrus - He picks up Doomfanger and throws his cat on the cockroach. Doomfanger then destroys the hell out of the cockroach and eats it entirely in front of your disgusted eyes, and his very proud eyes. That's his baby girl.

Horrortale Sans - Uh... Ok. He picks up the cockroach, slowly puts it outside, pets it twice on its little head, waves it goodbye, and goes back inside. Why being mean? The poor thing was just scared. You didn't know he could talk cockroach.

Horrortale Papyrus - He puts on a pair of kitchen gloves and comes to pick the thing. He then throws it outside and kicks it so it lands far from the house. Ew. He needs to clean the house again now. It's disgusting.

Swapfell Sans - Him? Like hell. He throws you on the floor as a sacrifice for the cockroach, picks his kid, and runs out of the house with them above his head. It was nice knowing you.

Swapfell Papyrus - He picks up the cockroach, laughing. Then he suddenly stops laughing and slowly turns around with a shark smile. "Oh no." "oh yes." You start running, screaming like you're getting murdered, as Rus runs behind you to put the cockroach in your hair. He can't help it, sorry.

Fellswap Gold Sans - He summons his three blasters and blasts the hell out of the cockroach. It's very dead now. So is the wall actually. You have a new window in the kitchen now. If it bothers you, he can still stick some tape on it.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - He tries to push the cockroach, it jumps back at his face. Coffee is now screaming, the cockroach on his face, running into every piece of furniture and screaming for help to get it off. The worst part is when he runs into a wall, squeezing the cockroach on his face in a disgusting noise. Poor Coffee just unlocked a new trauma.

[seramilla]

Emilute is such an interesting opportunity for both characters. Why? Well…

It all depends on where the characters are taken in thd pining wings au.

Me personally, I like the idea of these two bettering themselves before they EVER even consider becoming a couple. I like the idea of Lute drowning in her shame and guilt when she sees what she caused. I like the idea of Emily growing and learning that it was not HER fault. I like the idea that she teaches Lute what Sera taught her about love. I like the idea of Lute accepting an olive branch of friendship from her and it eventually grows into something more. I like the idea that Emily is just like Sera when it comes to someone flirting with her and remains willfully oblivious. I like the idea that Lute is pining for her but gives up and starts helping Carmilla more with weapons testing. I like the idea that Emily notices Lute’s absence more and more because she misses all the little things they had together, like how protective she was of her when they went for walks, how she would laugh at her terrible jokes, how warm her disproportionate left hand was compared to her right one…oh.

I love the potential that can be bounced back and forth between these two that makes them both grow as characters.

Read this and this first.

Emily had tried to convince herself the Sinner she kept spotting around Hell -- the one who looked so much like Lute, reminded Emily of her, but couldn't possibly be her --wasn't Lute. Every time she ran across them on the street, she'd call Lute's name, but the Sinner would run.

She doesn't know why she keeps calling them by that name. If only she knew their true name, she could help them! They looked worse and worse, every time they ran across each other. But they would always high tail it out of there before Emily could even speak to them!

Until the day the Sinner couldn't run anymore. Emily is walking with Odette and Clara, who are usually her chaperones when she needs to go anywhere down here, because it's not safe for a pure-blooded angel alone. Emily spots a light black and silver wing poking out from beside a dumpster. The closer she gets, the more feathers she sees, and claws, and jet-black hair. The kicker, though, is the person is absolutely drenched in golden blood. They are caked with it. Saturated. Emily isn't even sure if the person is still alive.

It's them, Emily thinks. That Sinner...the one who looks so much like Lute!

"Hey!" Emily says, running toward them. Emily dares not fly. Not out here in the open. Not that her wings don't stand out, as it is, but in the air, she is a sitting duck for one of the overlord Vox's drones, if she's not careful.

"Emily!" Clara shouts. "Where are you going?"

Emily ignores her. She falls at the feet of the figure she's been chasing for weeks now. They are lying face-down on the ground, arms twisted in a weird configuration. Wait, no...not twisted. Their arms are just different sizes. One looks human, the other larger. More like bird talons.

Emily turns the figure's head so it's lying on its side, out of the puddle the body fell in. It's a miracle this person hadn't drowned in that few inches of water. With their face turned toward her, Emily can finally see all the little details of their features.

It is a woman. One eye missing -- the hole in her face gouged out and puffy; obviously a relatively fresh wound. Hair caked with dried, golden blood, and a pair of twin black horns sticking out of it, giving Emily something to hold onto as she moves the person's head out of the water. Emily then grabs her under the arms, and pulls her completely out of the puddle. A black, serrated tail is revealed, and drags behind her as Emily pulls her closer to the sidewalk and away from all the trash and debris.

Now Emily can get a good look at her face. By the light of a streetlamp, the Seraphim can now see her greatest fears made manifest. The woman -- the misshapen, mangled, near-dead woman, who is slowly coming to and opening her good eye -- is Lute in the flesh!

There is no mistaking it. The hair, the horns, the tail, every other feature is completely foreign to what she's used to. But when she looks into that eye, and sees the smallest, most miniscule bit of recognition shining back at her, Emily knows.

Emily cups both hands over her mouth, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, as she gasps out the name she wishes she didn't have to say. She desperately wishes it. Lute shouldn't be here. She shouldn't...

"Lute."

"Emily?" Lute asks. The Exorcist tries to push herself up on her forearms, to get a better look at her savior, but then she screeches in pain, the talon-like arm giving way under her weight almost immediately. Lute tries again, and falls again, screaming into the sidewalk.

"Lute, stop!" Emily shouts, kneeling at the Exorcist's side. Now that she can better see the arm, she can see all the blood coming off of it. There are black feathers sticking out of the larger of Lute's arms, everywhere, revealing dark gray skin and pinpricks of golden blood underneath.

The feathers are seriously thinned out, like a sick bird that's been molting from malnutrition. But the blood coming out of the arm is fresh. And there are black feathers everywhere, littering the ground all around them. Emily looks at them, noting the distinction between the solid onyx feathers of her arm, and the lighter black and gray ones on her wings.

The feathers on the ground must have come from her arm. They are relatively healthy-looking, as well. The little pinpricks of gold all over the skin of her arm...the ones that are bleeding from wounds that are way too fresh to have been from wings falling out naturally...

Lute had been pulling them out. One by one, agonizing feather by agonizing feather, and the blood loss must have been excruciating.

Lute tries to push herself up a third time, and falls for a third time, pounding her human-like arm into the ground in frustration. She's crying, back to lying face-first on the ground like a helpless baby bird that's fallen out of the nest.

Emily doesn't hesitate. She stoops down, whispering to Lute, "Be still. This might hurt," and picks her up bridal style, holding all the soldier's weight in her tiny, Seraphim arms. She's stronger than she looks, though.

Lute screams, and groans in pain, but once she's settled, she practically sinks into Emily's arms, exhausted. She's shaking all over. She's in shock.

"Emily..." Lute tries to speak again.

"Hush. I'm going to get you some help."

Emily looks all around for where she left Clara and Odette across the street. They're standing under a streetlamp on the opposite side of the road, staring at them both, gobsmacked. As Emily brings her precious cargo closer to them, Odette steps back in recognition, fear flashing in her eyes behind the lenses of her glasses.

"Is that...?" she starts, almost too afraid to ask. "Is that an Exorcist?! What's wrong with her?!"

"Yes," Emily says. She doesn't know how to justify any of this. What she's doing. Why she's currently holding the enemy in her arms like a piece of almost-dead roadkill. "She's my...she was my friend. She needs help! Please! Maybe Sera or your mother..."

"I don't know about this, Em," Clara says. "She's an Exorcist! She's killed thousands of our people!"

"You guys forgave me!" Emily says, point-blank, like it should be obvious. "I don't know what she's doing here, or what happened to her, but...she needs my help! I can't just leave her here to die!"

The Carmine sisters look at Emily, and then at each other, completely at a loss for what to do. Clara is quicker to forgive than her older sibling. Emily looks at her, pleading with her eyes.

Clara shoots Odette another glance, eyes softening a little bit, and Odette looks like she wants to protest. But Clara steps up to override her.

"Come on," Clara replies, forgetting about the errand they were supposed to run. It will have to wait. "Let's get her to Mom. Maybe she can figure...something the fuck out!"

Emily smiles at Clara. She's almost on the verge of tears. "Thank you!"

"Don't thank me just yet," Clara mumbles. "Wait until Mom hears about this!"

It's enough for now, Emily thinks. She knows she can explain this to Carmilla...somehow.

Emily looks back down at Lute in her arms, who has completely passed out again, oblivious to the three young women who had just been debating her entire future, her survival, her very existence, right in front of her without her knowing.

Emily follows the sisters home. She doesn't know how she'll explain this to Sera, let alone Carmilla...but she'll come up with something! She has to!

[katlyntheartist]

If there is one thing you’d change about the Sonic movies, what would it be?

The human characters. Tom and Maddie, for as fine as their performances are, don't really have much personality to them. They mostly serve as Sonic's caretakers but that's mostly it. We never get to see much of their interests or their personalities or character, aside from fanfics which take the time to flesh them out as actual people with hobbies and interests. Especially with Tom in the first movie, I would have liked to see the moment where he changes from seeing himself as Sonic's friend to seeing himself as Sonic's father figure.

I'm mad at the Knuckles show for not having Maddie try to bond more with Knuckles. She said at the end of the second movie that she liked him and that he made her laugh. Instead of her going bad sitcom mom and getting mad at Knuckles when he chased away the workers or when made the throne out of her car, she should have sat down with him and had a conversation about why those things aren't ok and how things on Earth are different from his home. We could have had Maddie try to reach out to Knuckles only for him to close her off because he doesn't see her or Tom or even Tails and Sonic as his new tribe yet. He's still learning to adjust and feels like he doesn't belong. This has been covered better in fanfics so that's all I'm going to say about that. Also the show should have cut back to Maddie, Sonic, and Tails trying to fins Knuckles but realizing that G.U.N has ben spying on them, and they go to confront Walters about it. I understand that budgetary issues and actor schedules were probably the main reason why this didn't happen and thus 'twas not to be.

I'd also adjust Rachel's character a bit. She teeters on the line between a very funny and sassy aunt who can kick butt and break ankles to almost being a generic angry black woman who's personality is just being angry and wanting Maddie to divorce Tom.

No surprise to anyone who's read my fan comic but Jojo should have gotten to spend more time with Sonic in the first movie and should have been introduced to Knuckles and Tails in the second movie. She's a very sweet character and her actress is great, I just wished that the writers did more with her instead of just making her like every other super sweet character you see in media. I want mid 2000s Kim Possible vibes for Jojo, a girly-girl who likes makeup and dresses and is genuinely sweet and kind but if you tick her off or if she sees you hurting her friends, she will absolutely break your ankles. Like mother, like daughter :)

In the Knuckles show she should have been given a cameo or a hint to the audience that she had regular playdates with Sonic or something like that. I hope that we get more of her in the third Sonic movie but I'm not getting my hopes up too high.

[anon-imuz]

Can't resist

REMINDER THAT THIS IS FICTION AND I DON'T SUPPORT ANY TOXIC THINGS I LISTED BELOW!!!!

WARNING: DDDNE content, reader has stockholm syndrome, degrading, voice kink, torture, mentions of suicide and self-harm, cable sex

characters: AM (IHNMAIMS) x AFAB reader

You missed your family. Your friends. Your life and everything that made you feel genuine happiness. Now, after the disastrous world war III, you were stuck in the belly of a supercomputer with no human interaction, in the center of the Earth. It's been 109 years and the supercomputer to torment you always keeps you updated on how much time it's passes since you actually had a live.

At the start, you were just like the others, tortured mentally but especially physically. Broken bones, sandstorms, skin melting, you name it. But after all these years, you got used to it, after all, you couldn't die. You were locked in a cage like the other 5 humans alive, kept there for torture forever. No matter what you've thought: escape, suicide attempts and many more. You tried it all to escape that living hell.

But to AM, you weren't like the others. You were obedient. Silent. Only tears left your body. No sound. He was never full filled by you because you learned your lesson different from the others, you learned differently the fact that your sole existence was wrong. You'd oftenly try to self harm yourself with anything that you found, and AM only laughed at you. Like a bully. He enjoyed it so much because no matter the only tears you cried, he knew you were filled with rage and if you could, if he was a human, you'd beat him to dead for getting your life torn away from your own hands. He loved observing your feelings with no remorse at all.

"Aww, trying to delete your stupid and useless existence? I mean, you think that i would've not done that to you a long time ago? You think I'm stupid? Where's the fun if my favorite toy doesn't exist anymore? Just a reminder, sweetheart, i AM way superior than y-"

You snapped. You couldn't take it anymore.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! I HATE YOU!!!" You screamed and started to cry just like a baby.

"Oh baby, satisfying me so easily? I though you were way stronger than that. Is that all you have to say after 109 years of consecutive torture? Oh, and let's not forget the fact that I, your god, know every single thing about you. You're filthy. I know that the last feeling that you'd feel for me is hate. You love me. You can't exist without me. I know how my voice, my torture and degrading makes you feel. You're attracted to your own torturer! How disgusting of you."

You didn't say anything. You just listened to the cruel truth. You knew how he made you feel. While you stopped making noise, your tears rolled down your cheecks as they warmed. It was a long time that you hadn't felt warm.

"But. As much as i despise your existence... i also admire you. So unique. So different from those roaches. That's why you're my favorite, and i mean it sweetie. Don't you belive me, baby?"

You knew how his words made you feel. Good. That's all you wanted to hear. Even though you sometimes had the feeling you hated how he spoke to you, you can't help it; you actually love how he degrades you. You love how evil he is. You loved the sensation of a warm feeling between your legs when he spoke with that voice that you found so attractive. Even if he called you a slut, it would still make your heartbeat increase. And the fun part?

He knew. He knew how his toy felt.

"Oh baby, make me guess... feeling warmer? Do my words make your little organ throb? Does my voice get you weak?"

AM laughed and laughed and laughed.

He knew how much you would want to get fucked by him while he degraded you. And that's why he reserved a little "special treatment" for his favorite.

"I hope you know I can always read your thoughts. Your mind. You're so filthy. Such a worthless slut." he teased.

You whimpered at his words, not looking at the screen with the blue A on it.

"Hmm... how about i ask you a simple question, darling?"

"Go ahead." you replied coldly.

"Do you deserve it?"

"Deserve what? Your endless torture?" You answered angrily.

"Oh honey, don't play stupid. We both know what I'm talking about baby~

You gulped. He knew what you wanted.

"Y-yes." you replied softly.

"Didn't catch that quite well." AM said jokingly.

"Yes, I do." you replied stronger.

"What about... no. But, since im so merciful, I'll give you an opportunity to get what you want."

"What is it?" You asked curiously while thinking about what torture you would've gone through to finally have what you desire.

"Beg."

"Please AM, give me what I crave."

"Good girl. I guess you've earned it then, while I watch the show I've awaited for so long."

a group of cables reached your calves, going to your inner thigh reaching your cunt, teasing it.

You started to softly whimper at the gentle cables touch, until a shock hit you, making you moan.

"Aw love, don't be such a baby, it's only pain!~" He said.

You moaned again in response, as the cables slowly entered your vagina. You shut your eyes trying to make less noise possible, but it was irresistible; you craved this for so long, you couldn't keep yourself shut.

"M-more!" you demanded.

"Excuse me? have you forgotten whose the leader here, you nasty little whore?"

"Ah!~ P-please!~" You moaned out as the air got thick and your eyes started to become watery.

"Alright, if that's what you really want..." AM responded.

As soon as more cables started to touch you teasingly, you started to buckle your hips to try to catch some kind of rhythm.

"I know what's about to happen, baby. You're almost reaching the top, almost about to reach your orgasm that you wanted to reach so badly. But well, if you know me, i won't let you reach it so easily."

"C-come on! I just want to c-cum!" You breathed out heavily as the the group of cables pounded your poor little hole.

"Not so easy, sweetheart."

Oh now you were so close. You couldn't stop moaning and sobbing from the pleasure, but as hard as you tried, you couldn't reach your long awaited orgasm.

"What are the magic words?" AM asked teasingly.

"A-ah!~ P-please AM! Make me c-cum! PLEASE!!!" You screamed angrily.

"Oh with no manners and such a tone you'll get nowhere, love." AM said.

"I-Im begging you AM! F-Fuck!~ P-please I can't hold it a-anymore!" You sobbed.

"Aww, alright, I'll be merciful for this first time. Go ahead. Cum for me. Scream your master's name." AM demanded.

Finally reaching your orgasm, you came;

"A-ah!~ Y-yes!~ F-Fuck me! A-ah!~ A-AM!!!"

"Good job baby. You've waited so long for this to happen, right, my little slut?~

"Y-yes master." you replied with the last two tears leaving your eyes, as the cables that pounded you so hard left your warm pussy.

"Maybe i won't be so kind next time, darling.~"

[vodika-vibes]

Hello again >:3 this time it's Alpha-17 for the same face gods au :3 big grumpy, snarky wonderful Alpha~ <3 Honestly summoning him would very very much be a bad idea for the empire. I imagine he'd be just as brutal as Fox had been if any imps are in the room when he appears, maybe worse knowing him.

Maybe the reader is an escaped prisoner and the empire were gonna use her for the ritual and she accidentally spilled her blood completing their ritual? But if this seems too much like the Fox one I say dealer's choice. ( the dice rolled off my table.. twice. It was a sign... choosing between Alpha and Boba is apparently illegal)

I Give Hope To Man

Summary: You’ve been a political prisoner of the Empire since you were a small child. You can no longer remember the feel of grass against your feet or the feel of sunlight against your skin. You no longer remember your parents' faces or their voices. You no longer remember your brother's laughter. You know it’s only a matter of time before you’re executed like the rest of your family. But you will not go gently into that good night…and the Empire will soon learn that.

Pairing: Alpha-17 x F!Reader

Prompt: Mystic AU - same-faced gods AU

Word Count: 2363

Warnings: Mentions of political prisoners (the Empire sucks)

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: Alright, so I'm not sure I'm happy with the ending, but I'm having a focusing issue today, so I think I'm overthinking it. Honestly, my typing is too loud, so I think I have a migraine forming.

You are intimately familiar with every single nook and cranny in your cell. You know that the pipes leak when it gets cold outside. You know that when it’s hot outside, the shower only runs in 10-minute intervals. You know that the cell door creaks loudly and that it doesn’t open as smoothly as it should.

You’ve been a prisoner here for the majority of your life.

Father was a politician who openly spoke out against Palpatine.

So, naturally, your whole family was arrested for treason.

To give the Empire some credit, you weren’t separated from your mother until you were ten, and you were allowed to get a basic education. Why they allowed such a thing is beyond you, after all, it’s not like you’re ever going to see the light of day again.

You’re not stupid, after all.

Father was executed when you were still a toddler. Mother was executed several months after your tenth birthday. And your older brother…well, he was executed several weeks after he turned 21.

You sigh as you do your morning stretches. You’ve recently turned 21, which means, at best, you have a couple of weeks left to live. Assuming that the Empire treats you like they treated your brother.

It’s almost funny, how afraid the Empire is of your family. It’d be funnier if your family wasn’t wiped out due to it.

I give hope to man, and I leave none for myself. 

Your family’s motto. Written under your family crest, tattooed on your mother’s collar, and engrained so deeply into your genetic code that even now you can’t help but make escape plans.

You, and your family, you’re symbols to the people who still resist the Empire. And you’re the last one standing. 

There’s a bang on the door, “Morning, Princess.” A drawled voice, one of the guards, calls as he slides the door open.

You roll your eyes and return to your morning stretches.

“Brought you breakfast,” The guard says as he steps into the cell properly and places a tray on the table, “Looks like…an omelet with peppers and onions, some toast, a couple of slices of bacon, and your morning tea.”

You pause and glance at the tray, before arching a brow, “Ah, so I’m to be executed this week then?” Your normal breakfasts generally consist of toast, runny eggs, and watery tea.

The guard inclines his head, once, “Later today, before lunch.”

“Lovely.”

The guard is quiet for a moment, “If you wanted to throw your support behind the Empire, Princess, this would be the time to tell someone.”

You laugh, “I would much rather be executed, thanks.”

He sighs, “I’m trying to save your life.”

“I’m not interested. You can go now. I’d like to eat my breakfast in peace.”

The guard sighs again and shakes his head, “I’m afraid I can’t do that. I am to inform you of how today is going to go.”

You slide into your seat and take a sip of your tea, rich and floral, just how you like it. “If you must.”

“In a couple of hours, you are going to be escorted to the ritual chamber on the other side of the island. Once you are there, you will be asked to bathe with a specific soap, and you will be brought to the chamber itself.”

“How festive.”

“You are to be the sacrifice for a summoning.”

“Of course I am.” You take a bite of your toast, “Curious question, I assume this is how the rest of my family was executed.”

“It is.”

“Has it ever worked?” You ask with a tilt of your head.

The Guard flushes an ugly share of red, making him look like a large, misshapen tomato, “It will work this time.”

“Of course it will.” You say with a small smile, “Just because it’s never worked before doesn’t mean it won’t work this time.”

He scowls at you, “The world will be a much better place once your entire family is wiped from the map.”

“I’m sure you think so.”

His eyes narrow at you, though you cheerfully ignore him, “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“Mmkay.” You don’t even flinch as the cell door slams shut.

If you remember your lessons correctly, rituals are ridiculously easy to throw off. Say the wrong thing, move the wrong way, and the ritual won’t work. Whatever the Empire is trying to summon, you’re not going to let them use your death to get it.

You take another bite of your omelet. This is probably exactly what your family did before they were killed, planned on how to make sure that the ritual didn’t work the way that it was supposed to.

Not the greatest family tradition, you suppose, but it’s better than nothing.

Slowly, you continue eating, trying to come up with a workable plan to keep the Empire from winning. It’s not easy, there are far too many variables for you to actually come up with a good plan, but by the time the cell door opens again and the guards come to escort you to the ritual chamber, you have a plan.

Or, well, an idea of a plan.

The guards chain your hands behind your back and they walk you through the brightly lit halls. For the first time in years, the halls are completely silent. 

Silent enough that the guards are twitchy and anxious about it.

A small smirk lifts your lips when the other prisoners start singing, a dirge of hope and loss and a better tomorrow.

I give hope to men, and I keep none for myself.

The guards swarm the prison, shouting at the other prisoners, ordering them silent, but they might as well be trying to keep the sun from rising for all of the effect that they’re having. 

You’re shoved through a door at the end of the hall, and the door slams shut behind you and the guards, but the song seems to have been picked up by the building itself, as voices echo eerily through the empty halls.

“Keep walking.” The guard’s voice is shaking, and you shoot him a disgusted look before you head down the stairs. 

They unbind your hands as you come to the ritual chamber, and you’re directed to a small shower. A woman hands you a bar of soap, soap that smells very woodsy and clean, and you’re ordered to bathe with that bar of soap specifically, including your hair.

You strip and step under the hot water, after shooting the woman a baleful look. Bar soap is not good for hair, but since you’re supposed to die in here, you suppose it doesn’t matter in the long run.

Once you’re clean, you’re draped in a dark blue cloth, which has been fashioned into some kind of dress, and you’re guided to the middle of the room and instructed to sit on a stone table. One of the guards chains you to the table and then scurries to the edge of the room. 

You scan the room thoughtfully. Despite being so far underground, you’re warm, the thin cloth covering your body should do little to keep you warm, you should be shivering like the rest of the people in the room, but you’re not. Which is surprising, as you can see your breath.

The room is lit by blue flames, not offering much light but dousing the room in eerie shadows.

Water pours down the walls, not affecting the flames in the slightest, and if you had to guess the water is the cause for the low temperature. 

Across from you is another table. There are several whisky bottles, a full set of ancient armor, and a bowl filled with a flame that you can only call angry.

You hear your name, and you turn to look at the Government official. “You have been found guilty of treason,” He says, his voice clipped, “Have you anything to say in your defense?”

You turn your gaze away from the government officials, “I wasn’t aware toddlers could commit treason,” you say. It’s all you say. Slowly you drag your knuckles across the stone table. Once, twice, three times.

The table isn’t sharp, but it is rough. Rough enough that with only three passes of your knuckles across the top, the thin skin of your knuckles split open, spilling your blood on the table.

Adding your blood to the ritual.

You hear the Government official sigh, “Begin the ritual.”

There’s the sound of a fire being lit, and then the sound of rushing flames. You expect to feel the heat of the flames before you see them, so you’re surprised when nothing changes. 

Pale blue flames encircle the room, shielding you from the prying eyes of the people outside the circle. Then the flames curve towards you and the other table.

You pull your feet up as the flames go under your feet, and absently you flick some of your blood into the flame.

Much to your surprise, the flame stops moving and then flares brightly as the fire turns a much darker shade of blue. You end up having to close your eyes as the flames burn bright enough that it’s like staring into the sun.

The bright laugh fades after only a few moments, and you open your eyes, expecting to see the flames slowly filling the ritual circle.

Only, that’s not what you see.

The flames burn brightly around the outside of the circle, but standing across from you is a man.

A massive man, heavily scarred, who is pulling armor on. 

You’d swear that the armor was too small for him, only it seems to resize and recolor to fit him as he pulls it over the dark, skin-tight, material covering his body.

Finally, he turns his gaze onto you, his eyes are dark and piercing as he looks at you, at the material you’re wearing, and at the chain around your ankle, and he turns to focus on you fully.

“My name,” He says slowly, “is Alpha-17. I am the god of retribution.”

You exhale slowly, you should be afraid, a god of retribution is not a nice god, after all. But you’ve never felt safer in your life.

So, you introduce yourself. 

Alpha offers you his hand, and you take it, allowing him to help you to your feet. The chain around your ankle dissolves as if it was never there to begin with.

“I have been a political prisoner since I was a toddler,” You say to the much larger man, “My father, mother, and brother have already been killed.”

“Is that right?” Alpha kneels in front of you, and you don’t stop yourself from reaching out and tracing one of the scars on his face with a light finger.

“It is. My father was a politician who stood against the Empire. He called them out for cruelty, and for being power-hungry. And he died for it.”

“Was he right?”

“Yes.” You watch, curiously, as Alpha-17 closes his eyes while your fingers explore his face, “This entire prison is home to Palpatine’s political prisoners. Entire families who aren’t allowed to live because we believe in freedom.”

“You don’t feel angry.” Alpha notes.

Your smile isn’t nice, “They don’t get to have my anger. Or my fear. Or my hate.”

“You summoned me, little one.” Alpha rumbles, “So what do you want?”

“I want them to hurt. I want to carry on my family’s legacy. But I can’t do it alone.”

“And what is your family’s legacy?”

“I give hope to man, and keep none for myself.”

Alpha smiles and catches your hands to bring them to his lips. His gaze locks with yours, “I’m happy to support you in all your endeavors. You are my priestess after all.” He presses his lips against the pads of your fingers and then stands again.

Alpha lightly pushes you so that you’re crouched behind the table, and then steps away from you. You have so many questions, but based on the look on his face, the questions will have to wait.

You peek around the corner of the table and watch as the flames burst outward. You see the government official approach Alpha, and you watch, stunned as Alpha moves and shoves his arm through the man’s chest.

You watch as Alpha slaughters all of the people in the room with an ease that should frighten you, but doesn’t for some reason.

As the last body hits the floor, barely recognizable as a person, you stand and hurry over to him. “You killed them all.” You marvel.

“Is that a problem?” Alpha asks as he flicks blood off his hand.

“Not to me.”

“Good.” He gazes at you for a moment and then moves so he’s almost pressed against you, and he ducks his head so that his face is only an inch away from yours, “I’m going to take great pleasure in making you mine, ad’ika. But I suppose we’d better get you safe first.”

“Yours?” You ask, unable to help yourself.

“Mine.” He confirms, “Did no one teach you about your responsibilities as a priestess?”

“Uh, I’ve been a prisoner since I was a toddler, and my education was very targeted.” You counter wryly.

He chuckles, “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you. It’ll come naturally. That’s part of the binding that happens with the summoning. I just have to complete it.” He wipes his hands on a cloth that he got from somewhere, “Now, how many guards upstairs?”

“A couple dozen. Maybe more.”

“Easy then.” He drops the cloth and lightly grips your chin before he leans in and presses his lips against yours. You sigh into the kiss, and his lips curl up into the smile. “I suppose I’d better teach you all about sex too. I’m looking forward to it.” He murmurs against your lips.

“Yeah, probably.” You agree.

Alpha pulls away and turns to the stairs, and it’s only then that you realize that you can still hear the song. “Well then,” He murmurs as he glances at you, “Give hope to man, indeed.”

[im-getting-help]

i miss saltburn??

i feel myself slowly drifting back into the IT fandom again and im sad

[green-tea-lemonade]

somehow when he tells the puns its always funnier

[yeonban]

I have to say my favorite part about Aha's character is how pivotal they are to the story and how subtly they lead the universe to lean into one direction or the other while everyone mainly continues to see them as a hehe xd lol jester cringefail little havoc creating guy intent solely on trolling everyone

[carrotpiss]

🐰🧡🐻

[introspectivememories]

tim and bernard give off major sasaki and miyano vibes

[aerithisms]

one thing about doing my master's is it's made it very apparent how bad of a student i was in undergrad