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jaz-xedarix · 3 years

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The Return of the Star

Thank you so much for your patience and your nice words. I really appreciated them too much.

So finally I have finished part II, and things are starting to get really interesting.

As I promised there’s a new coloring among the text, I really hope you like it, and I put another one, but a bit older, since I couldn’t resist to post it in this part XD

Thanks so much to @buffaloborgine and @trinity-blood-translations for helping me correct this text, your effort is valuable to me. Send you lots of love my friends.

Let’s get started.

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The Istvan Opera House was located on Andrássy Street, the main avenue of the city. It was an old style building that had survived Armageddon. After the liberation battle, it was the first place restored by the archbishop, to serve as a public building for the citizens.

The building was built in a magnificent and delicate Neo-Renaissance style. It was an imposing work that could be compared to the Scala in Milan, the Opernhaus in Vienna or the Státní in Prague. The facade had a secluded air, but once inside the decorations in gold and purple colors overwhelmed the visitor with their luxury.

The “guest of honor” entrance that Esther passed through was no exception. In the boxes facing the wide stage, the rugs were so thick that they reached to the ankles, as if she were in a lavish palace. The walls were lined with works of art and all the furniture had been expressly imported from Rome or Florence.

However, everything paled when compared to the beauty of the woman who was waiting for her sitting on the sofa.

“Welcome, Sister Esther. You may be exhausted after the trip...”

The Cardinal Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Milan, Secretary of State of the Vatican and head of its foreign policy, gave a friendly welcome to the nun. Telling her to sit on the couch that was in front, where the two priests was already sitting, she laid her cup of tea on the table.

“I've was told you've had a difficult time with the media at the station. I am glad that you are well.” “Nothing happened… More than anything, it was a surprise that…”

Looking into the gray eyes that smiled at her behind the monocle, the nun awkwardly shook her head like a puppet. For Esther, the Cardinal was a person almost as sacred as the Virgin. Every time she presented herself to her, she couldn't help but get nervous and tense. She brushed off the sweat she didn't have and continued in an uneasy voice:

“Your Eminence, the journalists called me Saint… what kind of joke is this? And why am I the protagonist of the play that is going to be performed here tonight?” “We'll talk about all that later...” Adjusting her monocle, the beautiful woman looked up at the stage, the curtain still closed, and sighed. “His Holiness will be here shortly. He is accompanied by the Minister of Information, who is the one who has organized all this. I myself know only part of the story. It will be better if he tell us all about it in person… What I want to hear now is what news you bring me from the Empire.”

The cardinal spoke with the usual serenity. However, her voice had hardened slightly as she turned her gaze back to the nun and priest, as she crossed her legs under her habit.

“Were you able to contact the empress?” “Yes, we have to inform you about it.” Esther steadied herself and her voice changed as she began to recite the report that she had been rehearsing mentally in the way: “We were fortunate enough to have direct contact with the Empress in...” “Well, the truth is that we couldn't speak to her directly…”

Everything Esther had prepared came to nothing when the other voice interrupted her, preventing her from speaking.

“Eh!?” She didn't even have time to stop him. As he turned to the voice, she saw that Abel was still speaking with an irrepressible verbiage, which did not leave her a space to intervene.

“We did our best to deliver Her Eminence's message in person, but, of course, meeting the Empress in person was beyond our means. Even so, you need not worry, because we asked a local noblewoman, the Marquise of Kiev, Astharoshe Asran, whom I already knew before, to serve as an intermediary. The message will have reached its destination; you can be sure of it.” “Ah? Bu... Father... Wait a minute...” But what was he saying!? Esther nervously adjusted her habit as if to signal him, but Abel did not stop chattering for an instant, gesturing exaggeratedly with his hands. “Yes, we suffered the unspeakable to achieve it. Abroad, right? One does not know how things are done... To fulfill our mission we spend our days without stopping running up and down... tears come to my eyes just remembering it now that I tell you, and without doubt, you will cry too... Imagine, I lost three kilograms!”

Where did all this nonsense come from? Esther managed to come to herself and resist the curiosity to see how far the priest would be able to go.

“Wait... wait, father! Stop speaking nonsense!” She did not know what this foolishness was about, but if it continued like this, Caterina would end up thinking that they had not seen the Empress. Covering Abel's mouth with her hand, Esther yelled in the direction of the Cardinal:

“Ignore him, Your Eminence! We do…”

«We did speak directly to the Empress!» Just when Esther, red with exertion, was about to shout that phrase...

“Cardinal Sforza, I beg your pardon...” An elegant male voice echoed out as the door opened. Looking up, the Cardinal met a man who was greeting her respectfully and who was leading a group of three people. He was middle-aged and wore the purple sash on his habit that indicated his status as archbishop.

“Forgive us for interrupting your conversation, Your Eminence. His Holiness and Cardinal Borgia have arrived.” “Hello Beautiful!” The second voice would seem to have been made up of a frivolous shake spiced with kitsch. It was hard to imagine anyone less suited to wear the Cardinal habit than the young man with long dyed hair and a nasal voice who had just entered. This was Antonio Borgia, the Minister of Information. “How long, right?! Makes sooo much that I did not see how fantastic you are that seems that my aesthetic sense have atrophied, you know? How are we doing?” “Good afternoon, Cardinal Borgia. I see you are very happy. If I'm not mistaken, we met the day before yesterday in Rome, right?”

Responding sharply to the young man, Caterina turned her gaze to the third figure in the group. Seeing the face of the teenager coming up behind the two men, her cold gaze softened.

“Ah, Alec…! How was the flight? Are you dizzy again?” “Y..., y... yes, sister...” Dressed with beautiful white clothes, the Pope Alessandro XVIII spoke with a low voice. In addition to being extremely shy around people, to the point of bordering on autism, get out of Rome or even out of the Papal Palace supposed one horrible adventure for him. Anyways, the face of his sister seemed to calm him a bit, because he went on, stammering:

“I..., I got dizzy a b..., a little... b... but now I'm fi... I'm fine...” “Really? But you don't have very good color. I'll make someone to prepare some medicine for you... Wait, I'll take the opportunity to make the introductions, since we're all here. This is Sister Esther from the Secretary of State. She is the Saint of Istvan”

Exhorted by Caterina, the nun saluted respectfully. “Nice to meet you. It is an honor to be in your presence, Holiness.”All Vatican employees knew of the reserved character of the pope. In order not to startle him, Esther spoke in a calm voice as she placed a light kiss on his hand.“I am not worthy of you granting me the grace to kneel before you... “ “Ah...! N..., no...” At the touch of the young woman's lips, the pope went from pale to flushed. His breathing quickened, as if he were going to have a heart attack, and he withdrew his hand in embarrassment. ”And…, and…, I… And…, and…, I…, I…”

“Holiness, you must be tired...” said the first man who had entered, placing his hand on the shoulder of the babbling teenager. Maybe half a century of his life had already passed, but his face had manly features that surely wreaked havoc on the opposite sex when he was young. With an attentive expression, he made the young Pope sit on the sofa.

“The show will take a while to start. Get some rest here. If you allow me, I will handle the speech.” “Thank you, Archbishop D'Annunzio...”

Before Esther's eyes, the Pope was panting hard, as if he were going to have a panic attack or something. The one who wiped the sweat from his forehead to reassure him was Caterina.

“Forgive me for putting you through something like this, but this ceremony took so much effort that...” “Oh, does not matter! It is an honor to be able to do our bit to the work of her eminence and the Vatican.”

Emanuele D'Annunzio, Archbishop of Istvan, smiled kindly as he took Caterina’s hand. After kissing her like a gentleman kisses a lady, he turned his serene green eyes to her beautiful face. “I wrote the script for tonight's play myself. I am afraid that it will not be up to the refined taste of Her Eminence, but it will be my honor that you listen to it... I do not know how the representation will turn out, but...” “It'll be great, you know? Sure: super, super good.”

The one who responded in this way to the humble words of the archbishop was not Caterina, but the other cardinal present. Antonio, adjusting his bangs, continued with a slightly annoyed voice. “Because, hey, haven't we helped you with production from the Ministry? I mean, the stage, and the direction, and the actors... Aaaaall of it it’s super mega first class. So if it goes wrong, it will be because of the script, you know?” “We will be forever grateful for your support, Cardinal Borgia. It is an honor that you have dedicated your valuable time to our representation...”

D'Annunzio's words were kind, but there was a hint of provocation in his tone. His green gaze was fixed on the young man, like an adult lion facing the cub that wants to take his place.

“Today's ceremony is very important to us, because our recovery will serve to show it to the world. Its success will also serve to show the power of the Vatican… We hope to continue having the support of the Ministry of Information from now on.” “...”

Although the tone was defiant, it could not be said that there was anything really wrong from the archbishop's words. Antonio was silent, something strange in him, as if not knowing what to answer, clearly feeling the difference in maturity that existed between him and his interlocutor.

In his fifties, Archbishop D'Annunzio was an experienced man who had played a crucial role in the Vatican since the time of the previous Pope Gregorio XXX. As the right hand of Alfonso d'Este, who was then head of the College of Cardinals, he had held important positions as Director of the Holy Inquisition and Chief Secretary of the Vatican. In his spare time he had written dozens of novels and more than two hundred plays, and was considered one of the literary geniuses of his time. However, his brilliance had provoked the envy of Alfonso, who ended up moving him away from the center. His fame was surpassed only by Cardinals Medici and Sforza, the Pope's stepsiblings. No one but a skilled politician would have gotten Istvan city reborn from its ruins just a year after the catastrophe of The Star of Sorrow.

“Ah, but I have not yet greeted the main guest...”

After silencing the young man, the archbishop turned quickly to Esther, who was silently observing the dialectical combat between the two high religious positions.

“This is the first time we met, but I know you very well, Sister Esther. I beg your pardon for having you come from so far away.” “Ple…pleased to meet you, Your Excellency...” Esther rose, embarrassed, from the sofa at the friendly smile of the priest and lowered her head, blushing at his manly features.“I am much honored that you invited me. It is an honor to meet you personally.” “Not at all, the honor is mine for being able to greet the Saint in person. I did extensive research on you to write this script. I've been dreaming of meeting you for a long time, but... the truth is that you have surprised me. I didn't think you were so beautiful...” “I… beautiful? Not at all…”

At the Archbishop's compliments, Esther buried her head deeply and turned even more red. Half confused, half flustered, she looked around for Abel to come to her aid. “It's the first time I've been invited to a box of honor at the opera, but hey, what a sight! Heh heh, I feel like God...”

The priest was lost in his thoughts, observing the theater, and did not realize that the nun was looking at him. In her imagination, Esther kicked him on the back, while scratching her head, wondering how to respond to the archbishop.

“May I ask you not to call me Saint? It's a too important word that I don't deserve at all...” “You don't deserve it? You are too modest, sister… ” D'Annunzio replied, still smiling, as if enjoying the young woman's bewilderment. Extending his hand to fix her cap, the archbishop looked at her with mischievous face “You are the holy maiden who protected the people and killed the evil demon... As Archbishop of Istvan I cannot be grateful enough. Tonight's performance is my humble attempt to help your feat remain in the memory of future generations.” “I am very grateful to you, but...”

With a tight smile, Esther awkwardly shook her head. Her face had suddenly lost its rosy color. Saint Esther? What all that was about?

She murmured that inside her with downcast eyes, it wasn't just because the name disgusted her.

A year ago a man had expired in her arms. He was someone who had loved his human wife, someone who had decided to fight the world as revenge because the humans themselves had taken the woman he loved from him.

The “evil demon” that D'Annunzio referred to was that being. Esther had been elevated to the category of Saint for the "feat" of having killed him, but there was something that did not convince her. All this seemed like a farce in which she did not want to be involved...

“Ah, by the way, Your Eminence, what about Cardinal Medici? I thought he was also going to be present at the ceremony for the fallen...” “Unfortunately, his commitments do not allow him to leave Rome. He said he would send a representative, but… still not arrived?”

D'Annunzio and Caterina began to talk about practical matters. Relieved that she was no longer the center of the conversation, Esther turned her eyes to the audience.

More than a thousand spectators filled the theater. They were all famous people from the city, but Esther didn't recognize any faces. During the reconstruction of Istvan, D'Annunzio had given preferential treatment to the industrialists of Rome and Venice to install their factories and banks in the city. The attendees were all rich people of that kind. The echoes of the conversations that were heard were not in Hungarian, but mainly in the official language of Rome.

The curtain was still down, but the actors could be seen waiting behind the scenes, probably to come out to say hello before the performance. Among them was a smiling young nun, the heroine portrayed in the flier. The hunchback next to her would be the Marquis of Hungary. The sinister makeup highlighted his monstrous appearance and showed long predator fangs. It couldn't be clearer that he was the bad guy in the story.

The fragile and beautiful heroine would go through many difficulties, but in the end she would defeat the monster and bring peace to the city. It was such a predictable story that just by seeing the actors you could already imagine.

But…

«But the fight end was much more complex», thought Esther, grabbing unconsciously the rosary that hung from her neck. «It’s not the urge to kill. I don't have such bad taste as to enjoy killing others. This is a fight for life»

The man who had said those words was not a mere “evil demon”, nor had Esther fought him for strictly holy motives. There were still many things that she did not fully understand, but it was clear that this had been a struggle for survival. If she had lost, it would have been Esther and her companions who would have died. Yet the young girl couldn't get a question out of her head: «Was it really an inevitable conflict?»

A nun like her couldn't ask such a question out loud. As long as she worked for the Vatican, a doubt like that was tantamount to questioning her own identity...

“Eh?”

Esther was lost in her thoughts for one moment, but at once came back to herself. Among the actors who had gathered in one corner of the stage, a figure that had gone out discreetly from behind the curtain of the opposite corner had called her attention.

It was one girl more or less of the same age of Esther, she had brown skin, an unusual color in the region, and her hair of a raven black. The combination of the daring opening of her dress with the long gloves decorated with precious stones gave her an extremely dramatical air. But what attracted the interest of Esther was neither her figure nor the clothes she wore. Those purple eyes that glowed in the well-proportioned face... she had seen them before somewhere.

“That girl looks familiar to me...” “Is there something wrong, Esther?”

The voice that echoed behind her was of the lanky priest, who was wandering absent-mindedly around the royal box. As he devoured with his eyes the plate of tea pastries next to the young woman, he asked:

“Suddenly you were silent, doing that face… Oh, do you have a stomach ache? Do you want me to eat those pastries? I don't mind doing you that favor...” “No,” Esther replied dryly, cutting off the priest and added, pointing at the girl with her finger: “Doesn't that girl looks like someone familiar to you, father? I've seen that face already... and not long ago.” “Eh, what girl?” The priest asked in an intrigued voice, and looking where Esther was pointing, he looked confused. “I don't see any girl… Ah, you mean that actress over there?” “No, I mean, the one that has come from the other si... Huh?”

When she looked back to the stage, Esther furrowed her brow, as well as Abel. The female figure that she had seen an instant before had disappeared. “But how strange... she was there a moment ago...” “Wow! Is that the actress who plays your role? I had seen her in the flyer, but in live she is even more beautiful!” Abel had already lost all interest in Esther and was absorbed in watching the group of actors. He made no effort to hide the drool from looking at the actress. "But what a beauty! Both in style and in attractive it is much better than the original… Ah, but don't be angry, Esther. It is undeniable that she is much more beautiful, elegant and seductive than you, but you have your special appeal. You don't have to worry.” “I have to take that as a compliment!?”

Esther put the cup of tea on the plate, ready to answer the priest as he deserved, but...

“Ah! The representation is about to begin...” murmured the Archbishop, raising the eyes to the clock and got up to say goodbye to the Pope and the Cardinals. “Holiness, Eminences, I hope you enjoy with the performance. Excuse me, I will give the welcome the public... Come on, Sister Esther.” “What!? Me?”

Esther was stunned, pointing her finger at herself as she blinked in surprise.Why did she have to accompany the archbishop to greet those people?Seeing the nun's confusion, the archbishop smiled and in a sweet voice, he dropped the bomb: “Let's greet the audience together… I suppose you have prepared a little speech.” “Sa... say hello to...? A speech!?”

At those completely unexpected words, Esther was dumbfounded. It was a joke? He couldn't expect for her to just come out on stage in front of the crowd and improvise a speech!

“Wait ... wait! It's a bit hasty...” “But haven't you come prepared? How clueless my Saint is... Well, what can we do? As I assumed something like this could happen, I have allowed myself the freedom to prepare a small draft. You just have to read it.” “Eh…? But…”

The archbishop seemed to be completely serious and handed her a pile of papers. Esther received them without knowing very well what to do and looked doubtfully to the priest, looking for his help...

“Ah, Esther! If you go on stage, can you ask that actress to sign an autograph for me?” Let it say,«To Father Nightroad, sweetheart» or something like that, okay? Heh heh heh...!” “!”

Saving her killer instinct for later Esther heaved a deep breath.There was no way out of it.

"Ugh, I'm late!"

Although it was still early November, the winter cold had already fallen on Istvan. Gloomy clouds covered the sky, and although the building was supposed to be equipped with heating, the white breath of the people walking through the lobby of the Opera House could be seen.

However, the male figure that rushed into the hall seemed immune to all of it. From the gigantic man who crossed the room devastating the carpet emanated a suffocating sensation of summer heat. It goes without saying that such a figure attracted all eyes, as if a monster from another world had suddenly appeared in the room; but the man seemed oblivious to it and advanced with a hard look, as if he were entering enemy territory.

“What a misery to have suffered a setback precisely when I am representing Cardinal Medici! This mistake can be very expensive, Petros!”

Dressed in the uniform of a secret police officer, Brother Petros looked up at the clock as if observing an ancient enemy. Although there were still twenty minutes until the start of the performance, he had committed a very serious fault by not having arrived before His Holiness made his entrance.

Anyway, he had only arrived in the city a few minutes ago, sent by his superior, who had too many business holding him back in Rome. He had not arrived by air, like the Pope, but had taken the land route. The planned inspection of the military facilities had taken him longer than planned, and that had caused the delay.

Although the inspection had been satisfactory, it was scandalous that the director of the Holy Inquisition arrived after the papal retinue. No doubt a severe reprimand from Francesco awaited him when he returned. If it was just a row that awaited him... There was one other thing that Petros had to worry about...

“Where will the honor box be? Eh…? Where the hell am I?”

As soon as he went through the lobby, Petros stopped. He had to accept that he was lost and began to look around, but none of the doors he saw were the ones he was looking for.

Indeed, he did not know where he was. He had stormed across the lobby, but had no idea how to get to the honor box. Resigned to search blindly, he began to scan the surroundings with a fierce grin, to see if he could find any sign, but could do nothing more than make a passing child cry.

The issue was that the box of honor was not accessible from the general entrance but it had its own access, but Il Ruinante had no way of knowing that. He gritted his teeth and prepared to undo his way when...

“Oh!”

Behind the intrepid warrior monk came a small cry of pain.

Turning around, Petros had collided head-on with a girl who was walking behind him. The girl fell on her back to the carpet, dropping what she was carrying.

“Aaah! Forgive me, sister! How clumsy you are, Petros!”

The man tried to apologize as he picked up the papers, which had been strewn down the hall. The nun was still moaning on the floor, clutching her bonnet.

“Excuse my ineptitude! Are you OK? Eh? You!?” As he helped the nun to stand up, Petros' face changed as he roared in surprise at his interlocutor, who was still reeling: “You are Esther Blanchett!” “Ah, brother… Petros, right?” Moved by the violence with which the inquisitor had spoken her name, the young woman stepped back, raising her tearful gaze to Il Ruinante, and bowed to him. “We haven't seen each other for a long time… Ah, thanks again for your support in Carthage.” “No, please, I'm the one who owes you... But what am I saying?!” Petros began to respond to the greeting automatically, but quickly came back to himself. This was not the time to chat! “Esther Blanchett! What are you doing here!? This is not the place for you!”

Finally the nun straightened with surprise in her eyes. “Well, I was getting ready for the speech. Archbishop D'Annunzio has ordered me to greet the audience with a few words and was reviewing the script...” “Has the archbishop ordered it? Impossible. How can it be that...?” Laughing like if he was talking to a little girl, Petros glanced at the script, his expression suddenly turning from skepticism to surprise. Topping the sheets was… the archbishop's seal!? The inquisitor began hastily reading the text. “Wha... but what...?! «Before all of you gathered here I want to raise my voice to denounce...»”

«Before all of you gathered here, I want to raise my voice to denounce that there is pure Evil in the world. I want to raise my voice to say that as long as that Evil is not exterminated, we will have no future. We must unite to fight and defend everything we love, everything we respect. It will be a difficult and tough fight, but all united in our Faith we must face…».

It was unbelievable, but it seemed to be, indeed, the script of a speech. And it took up almost fifty pages. The tone was a bit affected and overly dramatic, but the closing archbishop's signature seemed authentic.

“Hmmm! And the archbishop signed it... But I can't believe it! Why did he ask you to…!?” He said, looking at the nun with suspicious eyes. “Are you plotting against me!? Tell me the truth or you will regret it!” “Eh? The truth is that I have no idea what you are talking about for a while now...”

The young woman scratched her head, honestly confused. It was like talking to a drunk who did nothing but repeat the same story.

“It's not that I don't find it strange to be here, really. First I receive a notice from the Duchess of Milan to come to Istvan, then they ask me to give a speech... The truth is that the...” “The Duchess of Milan… Cardinal Sforza!?” Petros reacted quickly to the young woman's words. The Cardinal... what was that viper up to?

Actually, Petros was most concerned about what the Pope's stepsister might do during the visit. Taking advantage of the absence of Cardinal Medici, she could try to manipulate His Holiness or do some strange maneuver... He had to be prepared for anything, and the facts gave him reasons to suspect. So the viper had already set off... But he would not trip over the same stone of Carthage again. This time they would not escape from him!

Staring at the nun, who was staring at him in bewilderment, Petros clenched his fist. That witch had played with him in Carthage. Just when he was about to uncover her plot, all evidence had been destroyed. He knew with certainty that she had had contact with the vampires, although it had escaped him at the last moment. But this time he would catch her. He would discover what is she plotting around the Pope and would denounce it to the world!

“Ah, there you are, Sister Esther...”

A cold voice roused the inquisitor from his inflamed musings. It was an elegant male voice, interrupting him as if to protect the nun.

“I've been looking for you for a while. Eh? I think we've met before… What brings the Inquisition here, Brother Pietro Orsini?” “Yo... Your Excellence!” Hearing his secular name after so long, Petros turned as if an electric current had passed through his body. Seeing the archbishop approaching, he gave a forced salute. “How long! What a joy to see you again!” “Yes, a long time, Orsini. The last time we saw each other was when I left my charge as Director of the Inquisition, right? You were just a kid and look at you now. How time flies!” “I will never be grateful enough for your advice and your attention back then!” Said Petros, bowing deeply, as if he were a spring doll.

Il Ruinante’s sword was feared inside and outside the Vatican, but there were four people he bowed his head to. One of them was Archbishop D'Annunzio.

“Please excuse my delay. The review of the troops has taken me longer than I had calculated and the roads were collapsed...” “You can tell me that later...” the archbishop cut him immediately, turning around and say with sweet voice to Esther, who was watching them in astonishment. “Sister Esther, have you had a chance to read the script? It’s almost time for your speech. Let's go up on stage.” “Yes, I have read the text…” replied the nun, embarrassed, taking the papers that the inquisitor had returned to her with an impetuous gesture. “But, Your Excellence, am I really supposed to read that speech?” “Eh? What do you mean, sister?”

The archbishop was surprised to see the dark light that had covered the young woman's eyes, and asked with a cautious expression: “You don't like the parliament I have prepared for you? Does it not meet your literary expectations?” “No, is not that. It is wonderfully written and conveys the ideas very well… But the message…” The nun choked with her words… After hesitating and stammering for a few seconds, she looked up, determined. “Why make such a clear call to war? A year ago we fought the Marquis of Hungary, it is true. But it was a pure struggle for survival. We did not think of pretty phrases like «divine glory» or «security of human society»...” “Ah, that's what you mean...” D'Annunzio interrupted the young woman's fiery voice with great serenity. The archbishop's smile keep its charm, but his tone had a certain inhuman echo. “You don't have to take it so seriously, Sister Esther. The public gathered here tonight have not come to hear the truth. What they expect is a dramatic and exciting story… They want the story of the heroic maiden who struck down the evil vampire. Isn't it our obligation to meet those expectations?” “B... but...” “Listen to me, Saint...” D'Annunzio silenced Esther with a gesture and shook his head. The hallway had begun to fill up, and the archbishop lowered his voice, returning greetings to passing guests. “You are a very sweet girl, Esther. I fully understand that you don't like harsh words. But think about it for a moment. Although it has recovered a lot this year, Istvan is still going through difficult times. The life of the citizens, your compatriots, is still very hard. Think how important it would be for them to have a heroine...”

The archbishop placed a very white hand on her shoulder as he looked deeply into her eyes. “Esther Blanchett, you must be their Saint. You must be the image that encourage their hearts. You must be the strength and the hope of all those you love, of all humanity. I will show you how.” “...”

Esther was doubtful at the powerful words of the archbishop, after opening and closing her lips as if not knowing what to say, the girl sighed deeply.

“Good. I'll try.” “Good girl.” Nodding with satisfaction, D'Annunzio opened the door that led to the stage.“Sister Esther, it's time to go on stage. The public awaits you.” “OK…”

«The public awaits you». She would have felt joyful, but the worried expression of the girl did not changed. Even it could be said that the suffering is evident in her face. Anyways, Esther began to walk dragging her feet. She went through the door the archbishop had opened for her and disappeared down the dark corridor.

After closing the door, D'Annunzio made a sarcastic face.

“What a difficult Saint to handle... one breaks one's back to turn her it into a star, and she, in return, complains...” “Ah?” At the archbishop's cold laugh, Petros looked up in surprise. Opening the door again, D'Annunzio said in a clear voice, to the surprise of his former subordinate: “I never know how to treat smart ass girls. It's so boring having to lecture them like that… The tools should be quiet and just do what they are asked to do…” “A tool...? Your Excellence, when you say «tool» do you mean that girl? And what does it mean to «turn her into a star»?”

Petros asked in astonishment. So he didn't really think she was a Saint?

“Ah! So the director of the Inquisition is still there...”

The Archbishop of Istvan turned as if he was seeing a stranger and responded with the tone of someone who had just discovered a stain on his clothing.

“You heard me perfectly. Saint Esther is nothing more than an image created by the Vatican. It is a huge fiction promoted through the management of the media and the investment of large amounts of money...”

The bishop spoke confidently in the dark corridor, as if explaining everything to a tough-minded subordinate. “As you know, the Vatican is losing power over the secular states. To stop this trend, it is necessary to regain the center of social attention. Creating a Saint is part of that project. Esther Blanchett is nothing more than a tool for our plans...”

«You shall not worship idols», the Bible made it very clear. Didn't the archbishop know? D'Annunzio spoke as if he did not feel any apprehension or guilt for playing with the life of a girl and the faith of millions of people like that. “Besides, as a tool, it's first class. Her past is impeccable, and it doesn't hurt that she's so pretty… She has a very cute face, don't you think, Orsini?” “Eh? Well, I wouldn't know...” At the knight's embarrassment, the archbishop looked at him with mocking eyes. “You don't know about that? Well, it doesn't matter… I have to introduce my Saint to the public. Orsini, you can go to the box of honor. Then we will talk about your delay. Get ready.”

D'Annunzio turned, dropping those cold words, and reached for the door that led to the stage.

“Ah!?”

Frightened, Petros started to run away from his former superior, but just as he was about to give a farewell bow, he remembered that he still had something to ask him about. “Your Excellence... I really have a question to ask you before I present myself before His Holiness.” Half-closing the door, the archbishop turned with an annoyed gesture at the voice of his exasperating interlocutor. “What?”

D'Annunzio's voice was reminiscent of a teacher announcing to a student that he had failed. Petros barely repressed his desire to flee and ran from the archbishop just to ask: “I have just reviewed the City Guard, but… Your Excellence, what does this deployment mean? I have seen a complete division or even more. What about those tanks and aircraft!?” D'Annunzio continued walking as if he was unaware of the alarm that echoed in Il Ruinante's words. “I admire how you have managed to reform in just one year an organization that had been completely destroyed. But for a public order force it is a bit out of proportion. Is there something going wrong?” “Eh? What is going to go wrong?” The archbishop stopped for the first time.

Twisting his mouth, he answered coldly to Petros’ puzzled gaze. “Certainly the Guard's strength now exceeds what it was a year ago. Nobody hides it. But if the situation of the city is taken into consideration, it cannot be said that they are sufficient. After all, Istvan is the central column of the Vatican's eastern defense line. Their defensive potential has to be as great as possible... don't you think?” “If you will allow me to speak frankly, I think there is a problem of magnitude! The Second Division of the Vatican Army is deployed in this area, which is responsible of the defense work. The City Guard should only perform police functions. What is the point of equipping the police as if it were an army?”

The only response Petros' fiery speech got was a cold smile. “Well, well, I see that you still don't understand anything, Orsini...”

The archbishop made no effort to hide the malice and contempt on his face. As if he felt sorry for the stupidity of his interlocutor, he made a face, laughing through his nose. “Yes, there is an army division stationed here. But in the event of war, those troops will leave the region. Won't Istvan have to defend itself, then? That is why we have increased the strength of the Guard... Of course it costs us a lot of resources, but that is why we can’t afford to reduce it.” “But that dismantles all the plans of Rome and Cardinal Medici! Also, you speak of war, but now that the region has stabilized, where is the risk of war going to come from? Neighboring countries respect the authority of the Vatican and there is no sign of any disturbance to happen so...” “Brother Petros!!!”

The scream echoed like an ice whip. Throwing a defiant look at the inquisitor, the archbishop harshly carved his words into the dark air of the hall. “Are you the Director of the Holy Inquisition and you don't understand something like that!? Have you forgotten who the mortal enemy of humanity is!? Have you forgotten that this Empire of terrible devils is next to us!? If you've forgotten, I'll remind you. Never forget: this is Istvan, the front line of the battle against vampires!” “Ah…? But...”

Anyone who had attended their dialogue would have been frozen in surprise.Il Ruinante, known as the most implacable man in the Vatican, had fallen silent.

When he noticed Petros is not going to reply, the archbishop softened his expression. “Well, I don't want to lecture you anymore. Go back to the lobby. Didn't you come to escort His Holiness? That's all you're worth for. At least accomplish the mission you've been given.” “Y... yes! With your permission...” Gritting his teeth, Petros bowed.

He was not at all convinced by the reasons given by his former superior, but he had no proper reply at the time. He didn't have time either. He turned towards the exit when... Just then the door closed in front of him. And, as if they were waiting for that moment, the guards locked the door from outside.

“Hey…”

Had they locked him up!? Petros looked around him, bewildered. The doors that led to the stalls were all closed with bolt. The lighting in the hall began to dim as the lighting on the stage took hold. The warrior priest then heard the sound of the presenter's voice through the microphone:

“Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Istvan Opera House! In a few moments the Star of Sorrow will begin before all of you.”

“Petros, you are so clumsy!”

The inquisitor began to get nervous. He had to find a way to get to the Pope's box as soon as possible! However, as much as he searched everywhere he was not able to find an open door. Apparently the security measures were meant to keep the public effectively locked inside the theater.

He actually couldn’t make someone to open one of the doors invoking his authority as head of the Inquisition, if he did it, that would divert the attention of the speech that was about to start on the stage, and when they found out, the archbishop would scold him again some more.

“Before we start, the author of the script will say a few words of welcome… His Excellene the Archbishop of Istvan, Emanuele D'Annunzio!” “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.”

While Il Ruinante was sweating while desperately looking for a way out, the welcome speech had begun on stage. Taking the microphone, the Archbishop smiled with all his virile charm. However, the voice that began to echo through the room had the serenity of a servant of God.

“Welcome everyone. It has been a year since I received my appointment as Archbishop of this city. The road has not been easy, but with the help of the Lord and the collaboration of all of you, we have managed to happily overcome all the difficulties that have been presented to us so far. During this year we have defended in Istvan the glory of the Lord, who brought us a girl. I think we can be proud of it.”

After uttering those phrases almost without breathing, the archbishop was silent for a moment. He closed his eyes as if he were remembering all the efforts of that year and raised his face to the ceiling. Petros realized that this was not more than a theatrical gesture, but the audience seemed to understand it as one reaction of sincere religious piety. Some mature women even began to sob quietly in the excitement. Then, after checking that the entire room had gone completely silent, the archbishop opened his eyes again. Still smiling serenely, he raised his right arm to point to the small figure waiting at the base of the stage.

“Tonight I am moved to have the opportunity to express our appreciation to the person who made the rebirth of this city possible. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the heroine who freed Istvan from the evil monster! Our hope before the devils that threaten us! Sister Esther Blanchett, Saint of Istvan!”

As thunderous applause rose, the hesitant figure of the nun appeared, equipped with a microphone. Blinking because of the bright spotlights and shrugging, the girl looked tiny in the middle of the huge stage, as if she were just a child.

«She's just a poor kid…» Petros thought as he watched Esther walk across the stage. Come to think of it, the poor girl deserved his compassion for many reasons.First, because she belonged to the Ministry of Vatican Foreign Affairs, which was the lair of that witch, Caterina Sforza. Besides, she had to work with those agents, who had a horrible reputation of being sacrilegious. He couldn't imagine how she could lead a pious life as a nun between them.

Above all, the entire show that night had not been sought by her, but had been implicated by the surroundings of D'Annunzio. At her young age, being worshiped as a Saint and being commissioned to make a speech to such an audience could only be considered a misfortune.

“Uh... uh... Go... good night to every... Oh, no...! Good evening, la… ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor to introduce myself to you. I am Esther Blanchett. I do not have words to express my gratitude for this opera to be performed in my honor...”

While Il Ruinante looked at her with compassionate eyes, the nun had started babbling. The inquisitor’s heart cringed just to see how her forehead was beaded in sweat and how her blue eyes were moving full of insecurity. Trying to smile faintly, the young lady put on the table the script that the archbishop had given to her before. Just when she deployed the first pages and prepared to start reading... the tragedy happened.

“Ah!?”

The first thing that echoed through the speakers was a small groan. The pages of the script Esther was going to read flew across the stage.

“No!” Cried Petros, as the papers fluttered like leaves blown up in the wind.Had she forgotten to re-tie the rope that held the pages together? The nun was trying to pick them up in haste, but many had already fallen off the stage. The girl's tensed face had lost all traces of color. But Petros and the rest of the audience didn't have to hold their breath for long.

At first, the nun was so stunned that she couldn't even speak, it was natural.

Having to improvise a speech in front of such a crowd, and also being people of such power in society… Even a veteran politician would have found it difficult. How could it cost to a girl who had just turned eighteen?

In view of the events, no one would have criticized her if she had fled the stage. But the Saint did not.Biting her lip as if she had made up her mind, she rose to her feet, adjusting the hem of her habit. She was still a little pale, but a powerful light shone in her blue eyes. As if attracted by that look, the audience's attention was concentrated on the girl's face when she began to speak...

“I beg your pardon for my clumsiness… The fear of speaking in front of so many people has left me a little stunned…” Esther began in a vigorous, almost savage voice. “A play will be performed in my honor tonight and I want to express my enormous gratitude to you for taking the time to attend the performance”.

Was this the same nervous nun who had trembled a few minutes earlier? Esther addressed the audience with her head up, as if all the perplexity of before had disappeared.

“Well, to be improvising she does it very well...” Petros said to himself with admiration, as he looked for the archbishop with his eyes. At the backstage, D'Annunzio seemed to be more tense than before, but he was still looking at the young woman with a satisfied smile. As the nun had read the script before, a few as she remembered, things would go more or less as he had planned. Petros expected the same when he looked back at the girl. She would probably invoke God and the Vatican, would praise the courage of the combatants a year ago and call those present to remain united. If she said that, nothing would be noticed...

“Thank you all. That was my intention... But now I have changed my mind...”

It would take a long time for Petros to forget how the atmosphere in the room changed with just that short sentence.What she’s going to tell them!? Glancing to the backstage, he saw how the archbishop had stiffened, staring at the nun in amazement, as if observing a ceramic doll that had suddenly begun to speak.

Esther was not looking at the archbishop, but at the room full of spectators. In her pupils were reflected the innumerable puzzled faces that had been nailed to her. The audience seemed hypnotized by the words of the Saint, who whispered slowly: “I have come to pray with all of you for the souls of those who shed their blood in battle a year ago. For that I have returned here, to my city.” The voice was not overly powerful, but it completely dominated the room, where not a cough was heard. Without being too high or too low, it filled the air with a clean and serene feeling. It was the perfect example of a pleasant voice. As proof of this, when hearing her, Petros had completely forgotten that he had to go to the royal box, nothing further from his mind at the moment than to get away from there.

Il Ruinante had been lost in thought, listening to the flow of that voice.

“A year ago, we got a lot of blood flowing. Blood of our comrades, blood of our enemies… It was a horrible battle. But then I thought there was no other option. To survive you had to fight. We couldn't help but spilling that blood. In those moments it seemed that we were at a crossroads between life and death. Yes, that was really the situation. That's why we took up the sword... But now, a year later, I have the feeling that «there was no other option» is not a sufficient explanation for that fight...”

Esther was silent for a moment after the long speech. At the view of the girl closing briefly her eyelids to soak in those memories, Petros thought that this nun did not seem at all like the girl that he knew. More than someone alive, it recalled to the images of Saints that appeared in the murals and religious paintings of the cathedrals. When she opened her eyes again, a sweet but intense light shone on them. Looking at the audience, which was in absolute silence, she continued with a calm voice.

“During that battle I met one person... one person who back then was my enemy. He was the man I was trying to kill. But he also believed he had to kill to me to survive.”

Her expression could not be said to be very refined, nor the sound of the words to be very beautiful. In spite of this, there was nobody in the room that was not captivated by the voice of the Saint. None of those celebrities and distinguished people uttered a single word. They were all focused, listening to the girl, who kept talking as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

“But it wasn't true, no one should have died; However, due to a misunderstanding, at first, both he and I thought that we had to kill ourselves to survive… And not only him. I believe that among those we killed and who killed us there were many like him. Many who laughed like us, cried like us. Many who we hated. All possibilities were destroyed by a misunderstanding.”

Perhaps it was the memory of that man that made a trace of suffering appear in the serene voice of the girl. The audience also felt the sting of that painful memory in their chest. Looking ahead, Esther spoke without hurrying, without forcing the words, penetrating every corner of the hearts of the attendees.

“Ladies and gentlemen, distrust yourselves. Be suspicious of justice. Maybe we are too simple. Be suspicious of your ideas about justice in the world. Are they really correct? Aren't they often just what we want to believe? Don't we impose them on our neighbor many times? Be suspicious. Mistrusting these issues is not bad.”

«Be suspicious of justice».

Hearing those words, the audience felt a slight shudder. Since the nun had started her speech, that was the first moment of doubt. The audience had been rapt with her until then, but little by little the audience began to come to their senses. Esther was not flustered by the change in the audience, so she pushed herself even harder in her speech, expressively moving her arms.

“It may be that these words make you sad. You may think that everything is false and that nothing is certain. God and justice are nothing more than mirages… But they are not. We can distrust, distrust and distrust, but something will always remain. There is always something that cannot be denied… For example, on a winter night like this, meeting with the whole family in front of the stove and feeling the warmth in the heart…” The families in the audience exchanged glances, as if encouraged by the girl's words.“Or look at the starry sky from a deserted meadow and feel how precious our little existence is...”

As to embrace to all those present, the nun extended the arms and continued talking, pretending this time caress the soul with the voice.

“Love of oneself and of neighbor ... that's what remains in the end. That is what makes me believe in God. Because God loves us and has given us these gifts. So let's pray together. Let us pray for all the blood that was shed and the souls of all the fallen… Amen.” “Amen.” “Amen.” “Amen.”

Although they had wanted to rehearse it before, the response of those present would not have come out more conjoined. It seemed they had coordinated not only the breathing, but even the pulse. The echo of those words had scarcely been consumed when a thunderous round of applause went up. The ovation did not diminish after the nun finished bowing in thanks. After the archbishop's speech, the audience had remained seated, but Esther's words made everyone in attendance stand up to cheer her on. Even Petros, seeing the reaction from the room, was unable to suppress a cry of admiration.

“And she's just a little girl… What a charisma!”

N: A very old Petros’s coloring ;)

Just with the dubious name of Saint, the girl had managed to move more than a thousand people. This was not normal. Thinking ahead, Petros felt a slight concern.

If the artificial Saint that D'Annunzio and Borgia wanted to make was added that ability to attract the public, the potential of the girl was not negligible. If she developed her career under Sforza's guidance, she would be a formidable opponent for Cardinal Medici and his followers...

“Hey you! Where do you think you are going!? This is not the time for that yet!”

Those reproachful words that came from the base of the stage brought the warrior monk to his senses. Turning, he saw a Guard soldier in his gray-blue uniform arguing with someone carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Probably wanted to give it to the Saint. The one who carried the bouquet was a young adolescent. From the daring evening dress she was wearing, she seemed to be the daughter of one of the attendees. However, her dark skin and pronounced features were a rare combination in these lands. Her eyes were slanted and her pupils a stunning amethyst color.The soldier holding her in the gray gloves began to speak in an increasingly harsh voice.

“Didn't you hear me? If you want to give the Saint a bouquet of flowers, you have to wait for her to come down from the stage. Go back to your seat and stay still.” “Stand aside,Terran!”

The young woman slightly moved the arm that the other was holding, It seemed a only symbolic gesture, but what happened then was anything but that.

The soldier, who was six feet tall and weighed a hundred kilos, flew off incredibly and slammed his face against the wall. The impact must have made him pass out. The horrible noise of his nose breaking was the only thing that accompanied his collapse to the ground.

The scene did not go unnoticed. Muffled shouts of astonishment began to be heard from the audience, and in the box of honor the cardinals had risen with tense faces. However, Petros wasted no time in observing the reactions of the attendees, because he had noticed that the young woman had too long canines between her lips...

“No! Get away from her you all!” Shouted Il Ruinante, wielding with each hand the screamers that he wore on his waist. “She is not human! Is a…!” “Nice to meet you, Terrans. My name is Shahrazad and I come from the True Human Empire…” said the girl, with a voice as beautiful as a bell, but at the same time full of defiant force.

As the bouquet of flowers was dropped, the long jeweled gloves she wore began to glow. Leaning them against the wall, the girl, or rather the vampire, looked directly at Esther, who made no sign of wanting to flee.

“This evening I come to see the killer who you call the Saint... and to kill her!”

With a thud, the wall began to crumble, looking like a spiderweb.

════════════╠☆╣════════════

And this is it my dear friends, I hope you have enjoyed this and the new Petros’ coloring I added. I tried hard not to include personal notes in the translation, because I love Petros so much and I was like reacting to everything that happened to him. Maybe that’s the reason I love this arc so much XD I want to thank you a lot for your patience, for those who still support this and help me out with it, and to those who share the love by rebloging and liking this. I truly apreciate that. See you soon on the next part, stay tunned because the best part is next to come. Please stay safe and healthy <3

#TrinityBlood #TrinityBloodNovels #fan translation #fan coloring #manga panel coloring #abel nightroad #esther blanchett #caterina sforza #brother petros #ROM IV #chapter 1 #part 2

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cssns · 4 years

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We’re here!!! *SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY* It’s time for the CSSNS20 Roundup!!!!

It has been quite a ride y’all...

I just want to take a moment here at the beginning of the post to thank everyone who has ever been a part of this event from 2018 to now. Y’all are the ones who made this event what it is and I cannot be more grateful to have had the privilege of manning the helm for the past three years. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!!! There’s been too many participants over the years to name everyone, but I have to give a shoutout to my personal support team and the mods from all three years. Each one of them has contributed in innumerable ways and this event never would have happened without each of them and their contribution. @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @katie-dub, @thisonesatellite and @profdanglaisstuff. Thank you so much ladies!!! I never could have done this without you all!!!

Now that the event is over, I want to let everyone know that I will be inviting other supernatural fic to the collection over on ao3. When I first started reading fan fiction, I stumbled across the Black Swan and Red Hooks Collection, a collection for smutty fics, that continues to grow today. I want to do the same thing with the Supernatural Summer Collection. As more supernatural fics are written, I will invite them to the collection.

We are now at the close, and it’s time to round up all the wonderful fics and art that we’ve been blessed with in this year’s event. At the end of the post, I’ll highlight all the fic from previous years that have also updated this summer. Active MC’s will continue updating until they are finished. And without further ado, HERE WE GOOOOOOO!!!!

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

On June 1st, @itsfabianadocarmo dropped a vampire aesthetic inspired by the Countess from American Horror Story: Hotel. SOOO incredible! It gave me chills! You can find it here.

On June 3rd, I ( @kmomof4 ) dropped Of Darkness, Vampires, and Soulmates. I figured that since this was our last year, I should write for it for once. Breathtaking art by @spartanguard. Banner Prologue Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8

On June 6th, @demisexualemmaswan dropped By the Moon’s Rise, featuring CS as werewolves. Oh my WORD! The pack politics going on…It is off to a fantastic start and I can’t wait for more! Gorgeous art by @courtorderedcake. Killian Emma David

On June 9th, @snowbellewells dropped A Cottage By the Sea. An Enchanted Forest Lieutenant Duckling AU. The last chapter left me CHEERING and I can’t wait to see where she takes this! Lovely art by @searchingwardrobes.

On June 11th, @katie-dub dropped Awakening, her fic inspired by the TV show Being Human. I am not familiar with the show, but this fic, oh my WORD!!! I had no words, and so I reblogged with gifs. Can’t wait for more!!!

On June 14th, @lassluna dropped her fic, Swan’s Hourglass, a Legend of Zelda AU. I absolutely LOVE her use of the side characters and Emma is absolutely bad ass!!! Can’t wait for more!! Beautiful Artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest.

On June 17th, @hollyethecurious dropped her Vampire Diary’s inspired The Craving In Between. Fun, intriguing, and SPICY!!! Perfect Artwork by @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713.

On June 20, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 dropped her original Angel!Emma/Demon!Killian aesthetic. Absolutely PERFECT!!!

On June 23, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 dropped another aesthetic that I was inspired to write a fic for! The Moon… Tells the Sea is the tale of were-mermaid Emma and her mate. aesthetic on Tumblr

On June 25, @eastwesthomeisbest dropped original Vampire!Killian artwork His Sweet Kiss. BREATHTAKING and sooooo chilling!!!

On June 27th, @kymbersmith-90 dropped her Soliciting for Dracula: Outtake. So GREAT to be taken back to that universe first presented during CS Halloweek last year! Original fic on Ao3 Tumblr link with art

On June 29th, @imlaxdris71 dropped her Shadowhunters AU, The Price of Blood. I am not at all familiar with Shadowhunters, but this fic is so AWESOME already and I can’t wait for more!!! I was thrilled to provide artwork for this incredible fic!

On July 2, @ohmightydevviepuu and @thisonesatellite posted The Sword and the Heart, their retelling of all of s5. Let me tell you, THIS is what we should have gotten on the show!!! I can’t WAIT for the next chapter!!! Awe-inspiring artwork by @thisonesatellite and @profdanglaisstuff.

On July 5, @snowbellewells posted For Once, Don’t Let Go, her CS ghost story. Spooky and soooo SWEET all at once!!! Chill-inducing, perfect artwork by @hollyethecurious.

On July 7, @stahlop posted Making a Memory, her fic inspired by The Parent Trap. This fic is absolutely AWESOME, y’all!!! Lisa has sucked me in to this blending of one of my all time favorite live action Disney movies and Once canon and I CANNOT WAIT for more of it!!! Lovely and perfect artwork by @gingerchangeling.

On July 9, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 posted her original vampire aesthetic. Mm mm mm mm mmmmmmm!!!

On July 13, @shardminds posted her Witcher AU, Silver for Monsters. I have been BESIDE myself waiting for this fic, even though I’m not familiar with the show and the first chapter did not disappoint!!! Can’t wait for more!!! Swoon-worthy artwork by @artistic-writer.

On July 15, @eastwesthomeisbest posted original Fairy artwork, Within You, inspired by Carnival Row. Absolutely BREATHTAKING!!! Then on July 26, she posted Fear Me Or Love Me… It’s All the Same, and reduced me to a screaming flailing mess!

On July 18, @lovelivingmydreams posted Labors of Love, her Greek gods AU. This fic is fantastic and I am LOVING every bit of it!! I’ve been told to strap myself in, so I have and am eagerly waiting for the next chapter!!! Beautiful artwork by @mariakov81 Banner Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5

On July 21, @jarienn972 posted La Sirena, her Siren Emma fic. A BEAUTIFUL mystery and I can’t wait to see where she goes with this!!! Gorgeous artwork by @courtorderedcake.

On July 23, @shireness-says posted A Fate Woven in Thread and Ink, her fic inspired by The Night Circus. This fic is pure magic. Absolutely STUNNING in its beauty and I am BESIDE myself waiting for the next chapter!!! Incredible artwork by @eirabach.

On July 29, @winterbythesea posted The Truth In a Masquerade featuring dueling CS at a vampire masquerade! WELL WORTH all the teasing we endured on the discord!

On Aug. 1, @profdanglaisstuff posted The Eternal and Unseen, an epic tale of fae, werewolf, and vampire coming together to defeat a common enemy. This fic is absolutely INCREDIBLE and I can’t wait for the next chapter!!! Beautiful artwork 1 2 3 by @carpedzem.

@xhookswenchx posted her werewolf MC, Waning Moon, on Aug. 2. I am soooo in LOVE with this beautiful fic and can’t wait for more of it!!! Beautiful and precious artwork Banner 1 2 3 4 5 by @mariakov81.

@whimsicallyenchantedrose posted her MC, More Than All the Jewels in the Realm on Aug. 4. Kinda a ghost/soulmate MC. You’ll see what I mean… Absolutely FANTASTIC already!!! Beautifully haunting artwork by @searchingwardrobes.

@thejollyroger-writer posted the first chapter of THE WASTELAND on Aug. 6, where the hero group goes on a magical journey to save Killian. This world she has built is INCREDIBLE and I am loving this fic soooo much!!! Incredible artwork 1 2 3 4 5 by @spartanguard.

On Aug. 8, @imlaxdris71 posted her werewolf MC, The Beast of Aurum. My heart hurts so much for Killian ALREADY!!!! I can’t wait for more!!! Artwork by me, @kmomof4.

On Aug. 10, @eastwesthomeisbest dropped original Demon Killian artwork, I’m Your Darkest Dream. Gave me CHILLS!!!

Aug. 13, @ohmightydevviepuu posted From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea as part of her writersmonth2020 project. A 3a divergence that is absolutely HEART WRENCHING and BEAUTIFUL!!! Beautiful artwork by @mariakov81

On Aug. 14, @spartanguard posted her fix it fic for West Side Story, Even Death Won’t Part Us Now, featuring CS as vampires. I am absolutely BESIDE MYSELF over this fic, y'all!!! I love it sooooo MUCH!!! Breathtaking and perfect artwork 1 2 3 by @thesschesthair.

Aug. 18, @hollyethecurious posted her Sleepy Hollow AU, Some Legends are Best Kept as Legends. This fic is MAGNIFICENT and I can’t wait for more!!! Artwork by herself.

Aug. 20, @darkcolinodonorgasm posted her Siren Emma MC, A Song of Sin and Desire. This is gonna be an INCREDIBLE fic, y'all!!! I love it already!!! Gorgeous artwork by @artistic-writer.

On Aug. 22, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 posted fantastic original artwork for a fic by @teamhook that she posted in September, The Wolf and the Savior. The setup of this fic has me on the edge of my seat and I can’t WAIT to see what’s next!!!

Aug. 24, @courtorderedcake posted her demon MC, Majestically To Far Beyond. This fic really is fun and I am LOVING it, y’all!!! Can't wait for more!!! Artwork by me, @kmomof4.

Aug. 26, @cocohook38 posted her Dark Swan/Werewolf Killian MC, I’ll Be Waiting For You By the Blood Moon. This is a FANTASTIC take on the Dark Swan and I can’t wait for more of it!!! Breathtaking artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest.

And finally, rounding out our event on Aug. 30, @seriouslyhooked posted Lost Souls and Reveries: The Sequel, a continuation of her CSSNS18 fic, Lost Souls and Reveries. This first chapter was soooo precious and lovely and I can’t wait to see where she goes with this!!! Exquisite artwork by @clockadile.

Over the course of the summer, we had several fics from previous years update, in some cases, several times!

Until the Stars Are All Alight by @whimsicallyenchantedrose updated several times. Beautiful artwork by @clockadile. This is her LOTR/CS crossover and I love it sooooo much!!!!

@kymbersmith-90 updated both of her fics from CSSNS18, Slayer and Divine Intervention. Perfect artwork complements of @hollyethecurious (x) (x). Both of these fics are sooooo GREAT, even to someone who hasn’t watched either show that they were inspired by!!!

@courtorderedcake updated Hallow, her epic fic of Fae princess Emma and Dark One Killian. We have now journeyed to Sultana Jasmine’s court and we are closing in on the end of their journey!!! Latest Tumblr chapter link with art

@darkcolinodonorgasm updated One Day, her LadyHawke inspired AU that she kills me with every single chapter!!! We are now on ch5 of 7. Tumblr ch link Beautiful Artwork by @sherlockianwhovian

@eirabach rewrote her CSSNS18 submission Glow for the CS Rewritathon this spring and summer. It can be found in its entirety in the CSSNS20 collection on ao3 here. I loved it when she originally wrote it, and I loved it even more this time!!!

Well, that’s it, y’all!!!! Who would have thought when I came up with this idea almost three years ago now that we would have such participation and enthusiasm across this fabulous fandom? We have been blessed with EPIC, INCREDIBLE, GORGEOUS, BREATHTAKING, FUN, LOVELY, MAGNIFICENT fics and art these last three years!!! As I said at the top of this post, the collection on ao3 will continue to be active as well as this blog as more supernatural fics are written and shared. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for coming along on this ride with me. Y’all have all made it soooo worthwhile!!! All the love, everyone!!!

#cssns20 roundup #CSSNS 2020 roundup #event roundup

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anzuivt · 3 years

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Oh my god.

Look, I’m sorry for the wall of text, but... I just hope you all know how grateful I am. October 6th was my first stream as an affiliate and my mind was absolutely BLOWN away. I don’t know what to say. I’m honestly, speechless. Long post in coming...

I’ve already been feeling great - I just hit 500 followers on twitter, and had just gotten affiliate a few days ago, I’ve been on top of the world. I never thought I’d get something like affiliate at all, if you’ve known me, my attitude with streaming has just been, “whatever happens, happens!” and boy, has stuff been happening. I feel like none of this is real. “Tonight wasn’t real, it was all fake.” I thought, but I was wrong. I’m sure it doesn’t seem like a lot for some, but to me it means so so much.

See, I love to make things for people. It’s why I do art raffles, and it’s why I’ve been doing assets lately. I know that not everybody is as fortunate as I am and can afford art, so I try to give back in what few ways I can, to the community, and the community has given me so many things. I’ve made friends, I’ve gotten better at art, I’ve found... just a place where I feel like I’m truly flourishing. Life is stressful, there’s A LOT going on, but honestly... just knowing that I have at least 5 people minimum joining me in my streams to sit there and talk with me is just... meaningful. Like, you take the time out of YOUR day, your busy schedule, to come sit with me, and give me the most precious resource you have -- your time. That’s already giving me so much, but then to receive donations and subs from people is just extremely flattering and, appreciated.

The gratitude you are giving me is letting me know this is all worth it. That, even though I may not be the BEST artist, the BEST vTuber, the BEST person... you all still appreciate me. It lets me know that I do not have to be the best, although I will always be striving to become better so I can deliver better content, like art and all, to you.

I couldn’t even cry. My face was stunned, I was having my mouth wide open like a trout, if my avatar didn’t show it well enough;;;. I just... wasn’t expecting this, at all.

And I NEED you all to understand, that I am super fucking grateful, and I don’t deserve a single one of you watching me, supporting me, just saying nice things to me. I may be incredibly small in comparison, but I honeslty feel like a true fucking queen tonight. You’ve all made me feel so happy, so wonderful, and motivated. I want to keep working hard to make my artwork and whatever else I choose to do, better for you. I will do better and make things look nicer. I will practice more and do more art raffles so that everyone has a fair shot at getting something nice. Sure, what I do may not be much, but still, I hope it at least puts the same smile on someone’s face that’s put upon mine.

This was my FIRST stream as a Twitch Affiliate, and I’ll never forget it. I got subscriptions and a donation, and people were kind enough to be gifting OTHERS subscriptions. Money is an afterthought but, it’s still insane. The way I see it is, what you give me, even if it’s just PENNIES , or MINUTES of your time, it’s you, investing in me. I will not stop, I will keep growing, to not let you feel like you’ve wasted your time and resources on me.

Thank you. And now, for some personal thank-yous.

____________________________________________

Thank you Keida, for being my mentor with all things Twitch and OBS, you know a lot and I want to grow side by side with you. I appreciate your “real” personality. 3

Thank you Martinni, for being there since I was small, and being a good, and funny friend to me. ♥ Thank you Ichiban for being a generally sweet person, you’re a great conversationalist and I hope to see you stream even more nowadays. ♥ Thank you Adonis, for lending an ear when I need you, and making sure I am never alone in a stream. Thank you for interacting with nearly every post I make, and supporting me through everything so far. ♥

Thank you Glitchy, for your incredible generosity and interacting with me a lot through twitter. You were literally the MVP of the stream, I don’t even know how I can properly thank you for everything you’ve done. I know you’ve made not only me, but so many other people immensely happy. ♥

Thank you Animation for making me laugh and always talking to me in my streams, you help to keep it from becoming lonely. ♥

And for even more personal thank-yous,

____________________________________________

Thank you Misa, for always helping me and taking care of me. Back in SL together, there was a period of time... I think a year, where I’d log on and you would be one of the ONLY people messaging me. You always waited for me, and never judged me for how long I was gone. I am so glad that I met you and you are in my life. Please never leave it. ♥ You have a heart of gold and must be protected.

Mizu, we’ve been friends for a very long time and well, you know me! I’m happy to call myself a part of your friend group. You and I have both had our share of issues (with other people) and yet never with others. I love how creative you are and when we share our ideas with each-other, it feels like some new crazy idea is always born. You’re incredibly motivating and imaginative and I love that about you.

And of course, my love, my man. Thank you Brian for putting up with my dumb ass. I know I have my moments, where I can be crazy and irrational, but you’re always there to bring me back down to reality. You’ve done so much for me, and sometimes I wonder whether or not I am worthy of being loved by you and being yours. You’re special, I would do anything for you, and I just hope you know that. You’re beautiful inside and out. I know I can be a pain. You’ve always been incredibly patient with me, and gentle. I never thought I’d meet somebody that I would actually “click” with, I always just thought I had to settle, but you actually understand me. I’ll love you, forever.

I know there are many more I did not say a personalized thank-you to, if I missed you I am very sorry, my brainfog is immense with joy and love right now.

Thank you for listening to me.

#ʚ♥ɞ #7th #October #2021 #October 7th 2021 #diary #twitch

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fangirlxwritesx67 · 4 years

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Like Art, Like Fire (Sam x Reader)

Written for @there-must-be-a-lock Lou’s 2K(inky) Celebration. I took Prompt 15: Quirofilia (attraction to hands) with a generous dose of 18: Watching in a mirror and wrote 2000 words. Thanks friend for the challenge and the beta read! A Christmas tree before you decorate it is just a weird shrub in your living room. This story before Lou got ahold of it was similar. Her words and ideas filled in the gaps with beauty and sparkle, and I am grateful. I will also be forever grateful (and giggly) over: “I get nervous about Sam and his big moose hands breaking some glass”

Tags: 18+, sex, smut, fingering, hand kink (obvs), mirror kink (ditto), fucking, fooling around in the car, a little hot bruising, entirely consensual, no condom.

You and Sam together in the front seat of the Impala wasn't something that happened often. Normally Sam and Dean were up front, and you had the back seat to yourself. After today's hunt, though, Dean had claimed the back seat, stretched out, and promptly fallen asleep. Now it was just the two of you, talking and listening to music as miles of road melted away under Baby's tires.

You slid across the broad leather seat until your legs were almost touching. Sam reached out and pulled you up against his warm body, holding you close with his big hand. You snuggled into him while he drove.

You loved Sam's hands. When you looked at him, there were so many things to enjoy: his handsome face, his floppy hair, his magical kaleidoscope eyes. But you could never resist his hands. His knuckles were broad, worn and scarred from the hunter's life. Still, his fingers were long and slim, fingers that should've belonged to a writer or artist. Certainly, when it came to your body, the things his hands did were art.

Sam often ran his hands through his hair, too, slipping those strong fingers through his long chestnut waves. It was a careless gesture, when he was thinking, or worried, or sometimes when he laughed. Every time he did it, you couldn't help watching him, just to admire how perfect he was. When Sam ran his fingers through his hair, you felt so many things: love choking your throat, attraction fluttering in your stomach, and wet hot lust pooling somewhere deeper and lower.

Just thinking about Sam's hands in his hair and on your body, you shivered and a sigh fell from your lips. When Sam heard you, he slipped his hand down to your knee. As he drove down the highway, he trailed his fingertips up the inside of your thigh, tracing circles and waves over your jeans. When he reached the crease of your thigh, he pressed his palm firmly against you and your hips rose to his touch.

Without saying a word, Sam reached for your waistband. You were quick to help him, undoing your jeans so he could slip a hand inside. Three of his fingers slid down against you, two of them parting your lips in a practiced gesture, while the third one went straight for your clit. His touch was swift and needy, but his fingertips were so skilled. You rocked your ass up so you could slide your jeans down around your knees, and rolled your thighs apart further so Sam had more access. He knew exactly what he was doing with you, and soon you were breathing hard.

"Sam, please," you whimpered.

He rolled his wrist and slipped two fingers into you. You gasped. Then he ground the heel of his hand back against your clit. You couldn't hold back the whine that escaped your lips. Sam curled his fingers forward deep inside you. Your cries grew louder.

"Shh, honey," Sam murmured. "Dean's in the back seat. I need you to come quietly."

You nodded, helpless under his touch.

Sam worked his fingers in and around you, drawing your pleasure out. You circled his wrist with your fingers, pressing him even closer. Finally you buried your face in his broad shoulder to muffle your cries as you came, hard, on his hand.

You were almost back at the bunker, which was good, because Sam could hardly wait to have you. He had been hungry for you before, but now that he had gotten you off, he was desperate. He was holding you close, his long arm around your waist and his fingers digging into your hips. Pressed up against him, you could feel his heart beating fast. He shot you hot glances from under heavy lids.

"Damn," he whispered, "I can't wait to get you home."

Finally, the Impala pulled up in front of the bunker. You left Dean asleep in the back seat and rushed inside, holding your jeans up with one hand. Sam grabbed your other hand in his and practically dragged you back to your room.

Inside, he whipped off his shirts before he grabbed for you. He slid his hot hands down your ass and over your thighs, dragging your jeans down. You grabbed for his belt buckle and he reached up into your shirt.

"Wait, Sam," you gasped, "I like this shirt. Don't just rip it off - the buttons."

His lovely hands pressed over yours, grabbing eagerly at every bit of newly exposed skin, until finally you were both naked.

He collapsed on the end of your bed and pulled you to him, settling you on his lap to face him. The way his big hands grabbed you and lifted you never failed to turn you on. After a night like this you would have marks from his grip all over your waist, hips and thighs. You treasured them, proof of how much he wanted you and how well he took care of you.

Sam kissed you, deep and hot. You responded with kisses of your own. You slid your hands around his neck and up into his hair, holding him close. Sam's eager caresses left fire in their wake. You leaned into his grasp, loving how he could hold you however he wanted. His hands on you and his obvious desire for you were irresistible.

Suddenly, Sam paused. "Hey hon," he asked, "Is that a mirror?"

You were so lost in his touch that it took you a minute to answer. Then you glanced back over your shoulder to see what he was talking about.

"Oh. Yes? There's always been a mirror inside my closet. I guess the door is just open now."

"Wait," said Sam.

He stood up, lifting you with him, and then let you gently down on the end of the bed.

Sam stepped to your closet, turning the door, until the mirror was just right. He strode back and picked you up, settling you on his lap. You leaned back against his chest as you both faced the mirror.

The way Sam had positioned the mirror, it perfectly framed you both as he wrapped his arms around you. He leaned his chin on your shoulder as his hands resumed their exploration of your body. You closed your eyes and sighed under the pleasure of his touch.

"Look, hon," Sam murmured.

You opened your eyes and looked up. Your eyes met his kaleidoscope hazel ones in the mirror.

"Look at how gorgeous you are," he commanded.

Looking at yourself in a mirror wasn't something you usually enjoyed. Your own mind was always your worst critic. There was something magical, though, about the way you felt in Sam's arms. When he wanted you, you felt that you were worthy of being wanted.

You glanced at yourself in the mirror, soft and open under his touch. Then you looked back at him, at the way he was looking at you. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright and turned on. He was grinning and biting his lip as his hands and gaze raked over your body. His obvious desire made you feel desirable.

You stretched just a little, shimmying your full breasts. Sam reached up and cupped one in his hand. He rolled your nipple greedily between his fingers. You gasped and watched in the mirror as your nipples rose pink and eager.

While Sam fondled you, your gaze wandered over to his reflection. Such a magnificent man, you could hardly believe that he was yours. Now Sam ran one big hand up his face through his hair, and you went weak at the knees as you felt that familiar combination of love and desire.

"Sam," you sighed, leaning back into him.

You let your knees fall open, straddling his muscled thighs. Sam settled his chin on your shoulder and raked his hands over your body, pushing lower and lower. His touch on your skin was like art, like fire- you couldn't resist it and didn't want to.

Finally his hands settled between your legs. You eagerly pressed your hips forward against him. He stroked you with a practiced touch, hard and fast. You could get off on Sam's hands alone, on the way he worked your body in his grasp. But right now, you wanted more.

"Sam," you murmured. "Fuck me."

Sam didn't wait for you to ask twice. You felt his body shift behind you. He grabbed your hips with his big hands, pressing bruises into your skin under his fingertips. You let him hold you, handle you. Sam's hands wrapped around your waist. He lifted you effortlessly, keeping you just above his lap.

Sam pushed into you. You gasped as slowly, so slowly, he began to lower you down. Every inch he pressed in stretched you, pushed you, filled you farther. You wanted him all, right now, and you rocked your hips in his hands, but his grasp held firm. You were begging, breathless and moaning, by the time he was settled deep inside you. Finally he thrust up and a hot cry fell from your lips.

You pressed against Sam as he started to move. You let him lift you, control you in his unflinching grasp. He wrapped one long arm around your waist to set a steady pace. He slid the other hand back down between your legs to your wet, lust-swollen pussy. He fingered your clit while he fucked you hard.

Your eyes flicked up to the mirror and you saw yourself, bare naked and wide open. You saw the way you were completely at Sam's mercy, helpless and melting under his touch. You saw his cock buried deep inside you, thrusting relentlessly, while his long fingers worked their magic. You watched for just a moment.

Then you closed your eyes. You didn't need to watch any more, just to feel. You wanted to enjoy Sam, sink into every sensation he was giving you. You felt your orgasm build deep and low inside you, swirling like a whirlpool that spread all the way up your body until you were completely caught up in it, and then you slammed down hard into the vortex of pleasure. You heard yourself moaning loudly. Sam's name was like a ragged prayer on your lips as your head pressed back hard against his shoulder and your fingertips dug into his forearm.

Sam gave you just a moment to catch your breath. Then he grabbed your hips again with both hands and began to pound into you. He was hungry, desperate, ready to take what he needed. You didn't think you could orgasm again so quickly, but he was so hard and every sensation was so intense. He was pushing you, lifting you, and you were swept away on the current of his desire. You felt yourself clench down tight around him as he throbbed deep inside you. You leaned forward over his knees as you came again, suddenly, like tumbling over a waterfall. You gasped helplessly. You heard Sam groan too. He let his head drop forward onto your shoulder, his lips brushing your neck.

You both enjoyed a long moment without words, just basking in the glow of your pleasure. Then Sam sat back and pulled you upright on his lap. In the mirror, you could see a slow and satiated grin spread over his face. His cheeks were flushed, his hazel eyes lust-blown. You looked sweaty and wanton, utterly fucked-out and satisfied. His hands were still wrapped around you, tender and possessive. Your skin was already rising in purple bruises from his grasp.

Your eyes met Sam's in the mirror. Your bodies looked like art, lascivious art. In his grasp you were comfortable and beautiful and utterly shameless.

Sam reached up to stroke your cheek and then turn your face to his for a kiss. You relaxed into his embrace and enjoyed being held in his big, beautiful hands.

Thanks @dawnie1988 for the choice of gifs! @awesomesusiebstuff look, its actually new! @tloveswriting, @maddiepants, @idreamofplaid

#sam winchester x reader #sam winchester x you #sam winchester fanfiction #like art like fire #supernatural fanfiction #fangirlxwritesx67

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pamphletstoinspire · 3 years

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Christmas Day, The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ - December 25, 2020

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Music: O Magnum Mysterium

O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord, lying in a manger!

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia!

by Fr. Raphael Frassinetti, 1900

Gospel. Luke ii. 1-14. At that time: There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus the governor of Syria: And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child. And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night-watches over their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them, and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people; for this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest: and on earth peace to men of good will.

Who does not rejoice with a holy joy on this great feast, when we celebrate with the Church the appearance of the Son of the eternal Father, our most amiable Redeemer! Behold the expectation of ages has at last made His appearance among us! Come then, all ye Christian nations, to see the new-born Messias, and prostrate yourselves in adoration before Him. Adore Him with Mary, His Virgin Mother; with St. Joseph, His foster-father; with the angels who surround the manger, and sing “Glory to God in the highest.” O mystery of divine love, that a God should descend from heaven and become man for us! St. Francis of Assisi, while giving a discourse on this very subject, was so moved that he could not utter another word, and he and his audience wept floods of tears. My dear young people, I also feel moved on this subject, and would rather give a sermon in tears than in words, when I think that God so loves the world that His eternal Son became a mere infant for us. O what can I do to set your hearts on fire for Him? I confess I am not equal to the task; but with the aid of the Child Jesus, I will relate in a few words the history of His birth, and make some humble and loving comments on it. Who knows but that you will be touched by the great condescension of our good Lord, and may offer Him a few tears of gratitude!

Let us go, my dear young friends, to Bethlehem, and ask the shepherds who were so privileged as to hear the first news of the birth of Christ from the angels, what they saw and heard. “Oh joy and gladness!” they will say. “We have seen the new-born King, we have seen the Child, the most beautiful of the world, wrapped in swaddling-clothes; we have heard His childish cries, and falling down in adoration we have kissed His sacred feet with the greatest veneration. O if you could see how beautiful He is! His rosy cheeks, His golden hair, the pearls of tears in His eyes: all more beautiful than an angel of paradise. Above the Child hover angels, His servants, praising Him, singing hymns of glory and announcing peace to men of good will. We have seen Him born and the choirs of angels praising God.” And where is that divine Infant to be found, in a house or in a palace? Oh, He is to be found in a poor stable; He is laid in a manger, wrapped in swaddling-clothes and exposed to the cold air! Two animals, an ox and an ass, keep Him warm with their breath and seem to recognize their Creator. A man with a radiant face, weeping tears of joy, and full of wonder, adores Him. A young mother, in ecstasy, is busied about the little Child’s necessities; she covers Him with what she has about her, to keep away the cold, she kisses His little feet as a recognition that He is her God, and then His face to show that He is her Son. The little Infant holds out His hands toward His Mother, and looks at her with a joyous smile.

Happy shepherds, what were the gifts that you brought to this divine Infant? In our poverty we had but little that we could give; we brought Him fruit, milk, cheese and a young white lamb. If you could have seen that dear Child, with a smile and a grateful look, receive these poor gifts; He appeared to thank us with His cries and to ask us to give Him our hearts with our other gifts. We could hardly tear ourselves away from that dear Child. This is what these poor, simple people would say. But you, my dear young people, what are your thoughts about that holy Child? This poor Child, who is only a few hours old, is the Son of the Most High. Before there was a heaven or an earth, He existed; the home of that Infant is heaven. Though you see Him wrapped in swaddling-clothes, His vesture is a mantle of purest light; though you see Him between two animals, His usual companions are the angels of heaven. This beautiful Child is God; these small members are the strong arms of a God. But if He be God, why is He in such poverty? He is born poor because He wants it so, and to gain our love and confidence. He might have come into the world in a palace, surrounded by servants; but He preferred a manger for His cradle and a little straw for His bed. He wished to begin His infancy in tears. “Oh, truly happy tears,” cries out St. Thomas of Villanova, ” which obtain for us the pardon of our sins; when we were all lost to God, this Child comes to save us.”

But what does this Child of infinite love ask of us in return? He asks gratitude, acknowledgment and love. The shepherds adored Him indeed, but the rest of mankind did not recognize Him. All the inhabitants of Bethlehem turned Him from their doors; “the foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.” The prophet says, “The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master’s crib, but Israel hath not known Me.” Even in our time many Christians do not give Him the honor which is His due; they heap insults on Him, blaspheme His sacred name, and live in enmity with Him, or do not believe in Him.

Yes, my dear good children, you understand now that the Child Jesus, in return for the great love He showed us, should have gained all hearts on this earth. How many sinners are there in the world and how many sins are committed by them still! Does this look as if Christ had conquered our hearts? Perhaps more sins than usual are committed on Christmas day. The feasts of the Church seem to give occasion for sin, such as going to places of amusement that are dangerous to morals. But let me beg of you, my dear young people, no longer to be ungrateful to the Child Jesus. See, this little Child God has already begun to suffer for you; He is doing the penance which you refused to do, and which you should not omit. Do you hear the cry of the Child? He is already making reparation for those wicked conversations in which you sometimes indulge. Go now to the manger in which Our Lord is placed, and take a good look at Him. See in what poverty He is placed all for you, and then give yourself up to God. Will you not give your heart, your affection to Him?

Love this little Jesus with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul; no longer give yourself to the devil; be sorry for the past, throw yourself at the feet of Jesus, and make an entire offering of yourself to Him, saying, “Here we are, dear Infant Jesus, at your feet, with our gifts in our hands, the gift of our hearts; but such miserable hearts, that the gift is unworthy of Thee. But, dear Infant, Thou art omnipotent; Thou canst, if we co-operate with Thy grace, make them pure, holy, and acceptable in Thy sight. Thou canst fill them with virtues and then they will be fit gifts for a God that is in search of souls. We volunteer to give our own souls first, and then we will go forth and gather many others. We now leave our hearts at Thy feet; do not despise them. Thou didst not despise the poor gifts of the shepherds; then take also this gift of our hearts, keep them and make their entrance into heaven sure.”

(by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876)

“When shall I come and appear before the face of God?”–Psalms xli, 3.

Five thousand one hundred and ninety nine years after the creation; 2957 years after the flood; 2015 years after the birth of Abraham; 1510 years after the departure of Moses and the children of Israel from Egypt; 1032 years after the anointing of King David; in the 65th week, according to the prophecy of Daniel; in the 194th Olympiad; 752 years after the building of Rome; in the 42d year of the reign of the Emperor Augustus, when peace prevailed over the whole earth, and in the 6th age of the world, “Jesus Christ, Eternal God, the Son of the Eternal Father,” to bless the world by His coming, was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and nine months later, was born at Bethlehem, of the Virgin Mary. Hence, today is the human birth of our Lord and Saviour.

In these words the holy Church announces, in the Roman Martyrology, today’s great and glorious festival, the birth of our Saviour. The entire account of this festival cannot be given better than it is related in the Gospel of St. Luke, wherein we read as follows: Octavius Augustus, the Roman Emperor, had given peace to the whole empire by conquering his enemies. Nowhere was war heard of, and peace reigned over all the world. The emperor, desiring to know the strength of his empire, and the number of his subjects, profited by this calm, and gave command to his officers to register the names of all the inhabitants of his dominions. Cyrinus was charged with the census of Syria and Judea. In order that this registering might be correctly made, the command was issued that everyone should be enrolled in the city from which his family came. Mary, the Blessed Virgin, and St. Joseph resided at Nazareth, a small town in Galilee; but as both were descended from King David, who came from Bethlehem, a small hamlet or town in the tribe of Judah, five miles from Jerusalem, they went thither. There they found all the houses so filled with strangers, who had come for the same purpose, that although St. Joseph took all pains to find a lodging for his holy spouse, he could not succeed. As the night approached, nothing was left for them but to repair to a cave in a rock, outside of Bethlehem. Both submitted to divine Providence, humbly worshipping the judgment of heaven, as they recognized that the only begotten Son of God, who became flesh to teach us humility and poverty, had Himself chosen this lowly and miserable stable as His birthplace.

Mary, the Virgin Mother, knew the hour of His birth, and remained deeply absorbed in contemplation of the great mystery which was soon to be fulfilled. At midnight she brought forth, without pain and without detriment to her virginity, Him whom she had conceived of the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Heavenly Father, the Saviour of the world. Seeing the Divine Child, she was filled with heavenly joy, and, sinking on her knees, she worshipped Him with deep humility and reverence, while her heart burned with motherly love. To God alone is known the greatness of the devotion and love which the Virgin Mother felt at that most holy moment. She took the Child into her arms, kissed it, and pressed it to her happy heart, wrapped it in poor swaddling-clothes, and, as no better place could be found, laid it in a manger. At that time, an ox and an ass were in the stable, and with their breath warmed the Divine Child trembling with cold. Mary and Joseph, prostrating themselves before the new-born Saviour, worshipped Him most devoutly. The Angels united their adoration with that of Joseph and Mary. They had already adored Him at the first moment of His Incarnation; but St. Paul assures us that they were commanded by the Almighty to adore him again at the time of His birth.

While Mary and Joseph were kneeling before the Child, their souls enraptured with love and awe, the Heavenly Father announced the long-desired birth of the Redeemer of mankind to the heathens and the Jews; to the former, by a star; to the latter, by an Angel. During that night shepherds were watching their flocks in the field, when suddenly an angel, surrounded with wonderful brightness, appeared to them. The men, seized with fear at this apparition, knew not what to say or think. The Angel addressing them, said: “Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of exceeding great joy, that shall be to all people. For this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign to you: you shall find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.” Hardly had the Angel said this, when a multitude of heavenly Spirits appeared, praising God and saying: “Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will.” The pious shepherds heard with astonishment the singing of the Angels, and, after they had seen them return to heaven, they said to one another: “Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.”

They went hastily to Bethlehem, and found, in the stable, all that the Angel had told them: a lovely new-born Child, wrapped in poor swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger, and the Virgin Mother and St. Joseph kneeling beside it. Knowing from the words of the Angel and still more from a divine light, that this beautiful Child in the manger was the long-desired Saviour of mankind, it is not to be doubted that they worshipped Him with great reverence, and giving due thanks for the grace done to them, offered some gifts according to their station. After this they returned to their flocks, and praising the Lord, they related to others what they had heard and seen. So much is known to us from the Gospel of St. Luke concerning the Nativity of Our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

The further considerations, to which we are led by this birth, are so manifold and so great that whole books filled with them, would not suffice to contain them all. Above all, we should consider the fact, that the only begotten Son of God saw the light of the world in so lowly a place, in the depth of winter and in the silence of the night. No doubt He could have celebrated His visible arrival in this world with grandeur and magnificence in the most noble palace in Jerusalem. But He did not, and why? St. Bernard writes: “Can we then believe that it was by chance that He was born in darkness and in the cold of winter, He who is Lord over winter and summer, day and night? Other children cannot choose the time of their birth, as they have neither reason nor liberty; but Christ, though man, was, as the Son of God, in the beginning with God, and was then the same wise and mighty God He is now. He, as the only begotten Son of God, who could choose for His birth whatever time He preferred, chose what was most painful and hard for a little child, especially the child of a poor mother, who hardly possessed a few swaddling-clothes to wrap it in.” He chose in everything what was most trying to human nature. And for what reason did He do this? The Holy Fathers give the following answers:

First, to show, in the most exquisite manner, His infinite love for us, and to move us to love Him in return. Had Christ been born at another time, in a palace, surrounded by luxuries, He would still have shown great love for us; but it could not have been compared with the love He manifested when born in such a night, in such abject poverty and in so lowly a place. Had He been born rich, we should have great cause to love Him; but how much more reason have we now to love Him, when we consider the manner, so full of love to us, in which He deigned to come into the world. Yes, our beloved Saviour, in the poverty of His birth, evinced His great love, and wishes to gain our entire heart. “He who desired to be beloved by us,” says St. Peter Chrysologus, “would be born in this and in no other manner.”

Secondly, Christ, our Lord, wished to show us, at His birth, the path that leads to heaven, and to teach by his example what later He would teach by words. “He announces in works, what He afterwards teaches with words,” says St. Bernard. Yes, not only He, but the stable, the manger, the swaddling-clothes speak to us, and point to the way we must walk, if we wish to derive benefit from the birth, the passion and death of our Saviour. The immoderate desire of the riches, honors and pleasures of this world, or, as St. John says, “the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life,” are the principal sources of all vice, and the principal causes why so many men forfeit heaven and are cast into the depth of hell. The new-born Saviour teaches us, by his abject poverty, the deepest humility, and by voluntarily bearing so many discomforts of place and time, how we may overcome the three concupiscences, destroy the source of three most hurtful vices, and if we are solicitous about our salvation, to despise all that is temporal, or at least not to fasten our heart on it, but to live in due humility, and, by constant mortification, preserve our purity according to our station. The Saviour teaches all this by His example. Hence, the Holy Fathers called the manger, the pulpit of the Divine Child. We are all obliged to listen to this Teacher, who came down from heaven, and to live according to His precepts. The Heavenly Father says the same words now to us, which He proclaimed from heaven when our Saviour was baptized: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him!”

From these reasons why Christ was born in a stable, at so rough a time of the year, and in such humility, follows a twofold lesson for us, which I will add in the words of St. Bernard. The first is: “Let us love the Child in the manger,” because the new-born Saviour has so loved us, and desires that we should love Him in return. Let us love Him, but with our whole heart, and in works, not only with the tongue and in words, as He has loved us, not only in words, but in deeds. The second is: “Let us endeavor to resemble this Child in poverty, in humility and in despising temporal pleasures.” For here we see the truth of the words which, later in life, Christ spoke to His disciples, when He placed a little child in the midst of them: “If you do not become as this little child, you cannot enter heaven.” It is this we should especially consider, in regard to the nativity of Christ, on to-day’s festival. Besides, it should be remembered, that this is one of the oldest and most sacred feasts in the whole year, and was instituted by the Apostles themselves. The manger in which the Saviour was laid, and the stable in which He was born, have always been kept in great honor. The wickedness of the heathens erected, on the spot, a temple dedicated to Adonis, that the Christians might be prevented from visiting the holy place; but in the course of time, a magnificent Christian church was built in its stead. Many convents were established at Bethlehem, in one of which St. Jerome spent many years.

Later, the manger, sanctified by Christ, was taken to Rome into the Church of St. Mary Major, where it is still honored at this day. In the holy Chapel, at Paris, are preserved the swaddling-clothes in which the Divine Child was wrapped, and which St. Louis received as a gift from the Emperor Baldwin II. (9)

Adapted from The Liturgical Year by Abbot Gueranger

History of the Forty Days of Christmas

We apply the name of Christmas to the 40 days which begin with the Nativity of Our Lord, December 25, and end with the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, February 2. It is a period which forms a distinct portion of the Liturgical Year; as distinct, by its own special spirit, from every other, as are Advent, Lent, Easter or Pentecost. One same Mystery is celebrated and kept in view the whole 40 days. Neither the Feasts of the Saints, which so abound during this Season; nor the time of Septuagesima, with its mournful Purple, which often begins before Christmastide is over, seem able to distract our Holy Mother the Church from the immense joy of which She received the glad tidings from the Angels (Luke 2:10) on that glorious Night for which the world had been longing 4000 years. The custom of celebrating the Solemnity of Our Savior’s Nativity by a Feast or commemoration of 40 days’ duration is founded on the Holy Gospel itself; for it tells us that the Blessed Virgin Mary, after spending 40 days in the contemplation of the Divine Fruit of Her glorious Maternity, went to the Temple, there to fulfill, in most perfect humility, the ceremonies which the Law demanded of the daughters of Israel, when they became mothers.

The Feast of Mary’s Purification is, therefore, part of that of Jesus’ Birth; and the custom of keeping this holy and glorious period of 40 days as one continued Festival has every appearance of being a very ancient one, at least in the Roman Church. And firstly, with regard to Our Savior’s Birth on December 25, we have St. John Chrysostom telling us, in his Homily for this Feast, that the Western Churches had, from the very commencement of Christianity, kept it on this day. He is not satisfied with merely mentioning the tradition; he undertakes to show that it is well founded, inasmuch as the Church of Rome had every means of knowing the true day of Our Savior’s Birth; since the acts of the Enrollment, taken in Judea by command of Augustus, were kept in the public archives of Rome. The holy Doctor adduces a second argument, which he founds on the Gospel of St. Luke, and he reasons thus: we know from the sacred Scriptures that it must have been in the fast of the seventh month (Lev. 23, 24 et seq.) that the Priest Zachary had the vision in the Temple; after which Elizabeth, his wife, conceived St. John the Baptist (the ‘seventh month’ corresponded to the end of our September and beginning of our October). Hence it follows that the Blessed Virgin Mary having, as the Evangelist St. Luke relates, received the Archangel Gabriel’s visit, and conceived the Savior of the world in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, that is to say, in March, the Birth of Jesus must have taken place in the month of December.

But it was not till the fourth century that the Churches of the East began to keep the Feast of Our Savior’s Birth in the month of December. Up to that period they had kept it at one time on the 6th of January, thus uniting it, under the generic term of Epiphany, with the Manifestation of Our Savior to the Magi, and in them to the Gentiles; at another time, as Clement of Alexandria tells us, they kept it on the 25th of the month Pachon (May 15), or on the 25th of the month Pharmuth (April 20). St. John Chrysostom, in the Homily we have just cited, which he gave in 386, tells us that the Roman custom of celebrating the Birth of Our Savior on December 25 had then only been observed ten years in the Church of Antioch. It is probable that this change had been introduced in obedience to the wishes of the Apostolic See, wishes which received additional weight by the edict of the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian, which appeared towards the close of the fourth century, and decreed that the Nativity and Epiphany of Our Lord should be made two distinct Festivals. The only Church that has maintained the custom of celebrating the two mysteries on January 6 is that of Armenia; owing, no doubt, to the circumstance of that country not being under the authority of the Emperors; as also because it was withdrawn at an early period from the influence of Rome by schism and heresy.

The Feast of Our Lady’s Purification, with which the 40 days of Christmas close, is in the Latin Church of very great antiquity; so ancient, indeed, as to preclude the possibility of our fixing the date of its institution. According to the unanimous opinion of Liturgists, it is the most ancient of all the Feasts of the Holy Mother of God; and as Her Purification is related in the Gospel itself, they rightly infer that its anniversary was solemnized at the very commencement of Christianity. Of course, this is only to be understood of the Roman Church; for as regards the Oriental Church, we find that this Feast was not definitely fixed to February 2 until the reign of the Emperor Justinian, in the sixth century. It is true that the Eastern Churches had previously to that time a sort of commemoration of this Mystery, but it was far from being a universal custom, and it was kept a few days after the Feast of Our Lord’s Nativity, and not on the day itself of Mary’s going up to the Temple.

But what is the characteristic of Christmas in the Latin Liturgy? It is twofold: it is joy, which the whole Church feels at the coming of the divine Word in the Flesh; and it is admiration of that glorious Virgin, Who was made the True Mother of God. There is scarcely a prayer, or a rite, in the Liturgy of this glad Season, which does not imply these two grand Mysteries: an Infant-God, and a Virgin-Mother. For example, the magnificent Anthem, Alma Redemptoris, composed by the Monk Herman Contractus, continues up to the very day of the Purification to be the termination of the Divine Office. It is by such manifestations of Her love and veneration that the Church, honoring the Son in the Mother, testifies Her holy joy during this season of the Liturgical Year, which we call Christmas.

We are aware that, when Easter Sunday falls at its latest—that is, in April—the Ecclesiastical Calendar counts as many as six Sundays after the Epiphany. Christmastide (that is, the 40 days between Christmas day and the Purification) includes sometimes four out of these six Sundays; frequently only two; and sometimes only one, as in the case when Easter comes so early as to necessitate keeping Septuagesima, and even Sexagesima Sunday, in January. Still, nothing is changed, as we have already said, in the ritual observance of this joyous season, excepting only that on those two Sundays, the fore-runners of Lent, the vestments are violet, and the Gloria is omitted.

Although our Holy Mother the Church honors with special devotion the Mystery of the Divine Infancy during the whole season of Christmas; yet She is obliged to introduce into the Liturgy of this same season passages from the holy Gospels which seem premature, inasmuch as they relate to the active life of Jesus. This is owing to there being less than six months allotted by the Calendar for the celebration of the entire work of our Redemption: in other words, Christmas and Easter are so near each other, even when Easter is as late as it can be, that Mysteries must of necessity be crowded into the interval; and this entails anticipation. And yet the Liturgy never loses sight of the Divine Babe and His incomparable Mother, and never tires in Their praises, during the whole period from the Nativity to the day when Mary comes to the Temple to present Her Jesus.

The Greek Church too makes frequent commemorations of the Maternity of Mary in the Offices of this Season: but they have a special veneration for the twelve days between Christmas Day and the Epiphany, which in their Liturgy are called Dodecameron. During this time they observe no days of abstinence from meat; and the Emperors of the East had, out of respect for the great Mystery, decreed that no servile work should be done, and that the courts of law should be closed, until after January 6.

#nativity of our lord

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9w1ft · 4 years

Text

feels a little early to be writing a year-in review but i find myself in a quiet moment so i thought i’d tap a few things out

in 2019, in all facets of my life, i faced a challenge of some sort and i surprised myself as i held my ground more often than ran away, which felt new. what *also* felt new was this sense of ease i began having professionally, when it came to conceptualizing and making decisions. sorta feels like a lot of things are crystallizing.

in terms of life on here, i didn’t have TSL for the majority of the year (anybody out there remember TSL?!) so i busied myself with crafting fun memories on my own. there were spans of weeks where i’d just get on a tear and run into one new thing after the other and it was all really just fantastic. i gave myself permission to indulge in the most decadent of things and to follow the most mercurial of assumptions to places i thought closed off.

i’m pretty sure i’ve smiled and laughed more over this year than i ever have in my entire life. no joke.

here are some kaylorverse moments that brought me joy in 2019:

it’s nice to have a friend

2018 was my first year being a kaylor and i just sort of was moreover on the contributor or commenter side of things so 2019 was interesting in that when taylor really leaned into the gay imagery leading up to album release, i started getting newer people sending me stuff! and asking me my takes on things! and like, my words suddenly had weight for some reason? it felt weird but i truly enjoyed getting to talk with so many different people and hear their ideas and laugh and such. that was markedly different from last year. from within this, 79-swift reached out to me with the eye theory, the most beautiful and rare of observations by a singularly lovely individual that i have dedicated my life to protecting and promoting. and i feel like i’ve gotten to know many people i knew through 2018 more deeply and have come to accept the role i play, lean in to it, and formulate my own truth of the matter, and that sort of heightened perspective on it has been a blessing and i’m so thankful for this strange sense of camaraderie that has formed with many of you? thank you??? and my conviction, and my wishes, for the girls to find happiness have only strengthened this year... im committed to seeing this through whether people like it or not!! harumph!

block ‘em

i also started proactively curating my experience.. that’s right! i began blocking trolls with reckless abandon, and i turned anons off! 😂 and damn it’s so much more worthwhile of a time on here when you set aside people that only want to ruin your day.

i got over my fear of eyeballs!!

😂 no seriously, body horror and in particular eyes out of context was actually sort of a thing that previously creeped me out BUT LOOK AT ME NOW. i’m gonna do my best not to rehash the eye theory, please read the post and recall the number of times i filipped out 😂 each and every one is precious to me

also

geeking out with bert and ernie gifs with kaylorfossil and making empsmd-blog drop her debit card need a mention.

the ME! music playlist.

i fell in love with so many songs and like, running into eye motifs in so many of the songs, lyrically and visually, was the most hilarious thing. but really just a lot of the songs really tapped at my soul with an ice pick and i even went to go see The Japanese House live in Osaka which was transcendental and i’m just so thankful for having taylor introduce Good At Falling to me because it was a *necessary* album.

i made and collected stuff

i made and amassed many artifacts that one day i can look back on and remember what a wild ride it has been. some favorites are my procuring of the pixel art heart ring from the ME! mv (a nod to my tsl days..), as well as the evil eye ring.. i didn’t physically make this but the eye theory made the taydar podcast and there’s nothing i enjoy more in this world than making someone giggle and i just love that the episode exists. making that kaylor straw was 👌 working on a mock-up of the golden locket has been very satisfying. i started incorporating fun kaylor winks into my artwork as well which was fun, and i also commissioned a collage from the very talented and lovely valheria and i couldn’t have asked for anything better 🥰

wildin in the TS7 tag was the best.

i made this observation that there’s this type of cocoon that looks like a cobra, which transforms into a butterfly over a period of 13 days, and like, the post got so many notes and i just had a lot of swiftie eyeballs all of a sudden on my blog which led to some hilarity. but honestly i just love geeking out over theories and it’s fun to get to do that as fans of taylor at large. things felt warm and effervescent.

my newspaper subscription

i subscribe to the TTB Times and let me just say the submissions and anons this year were overwhelmingly a delight to read through every day. also like, we did get cued in to stuff before album release and i am just thankful that there are people out there both who want to give us that and people who work to help them give us that. thank you ttb for moderating your blog (my newspaper of choice) however it is that you do and to everyone that contributed to her blog.

the whole lead up to the ME! video release

so glorious... but particular the hour before. i was rushing to pick up my kid from school and suddenly i kept getting messages from people that taylor was covering her face and framing her eyes, and i was like oh please yeah sure BUT THEN when the snake in the video had a blank eye like i don’t think you guys understand i had to wait at a bus stop and exchange pleasantries with the other moms but it was a *five alarm fire* in my mind

cause shade never made anybody less gay

stealing away to listen to YNTCD for the first time and hearing Taylor Alison Swift use the word gay in a released song for the first time was a transcendental moment

karlie’s hand in the YNTCD mv.

‘nuff said

daisies. daisies everywhere.

taylor said daisy kaylor rights, and she said it everywhere. *everywhere*. cannot, will not, get over how blessed we are.

gay gay gay gay gay.... taylor’s

sorry not sorry that wiz khalifa collab with elohim on her track FYM was ethereal and i still hope it’s a part of the preshow playlist for Lover Fest

clue hunting in klossy videos and karlie ads

call me a corporate shill all you want like, there’s always a little something in there and i also enjoy the little flickers of goofy karlie that jump out from time to time. and i know this is not the case for everyone but post eyepocalypse, karlie leaning in, winking that eye of hers time and time again was just pique comedy for me and it always made me chuckle. the brands karlie has repped have been really laying it on thick too and it’s been a joy to see. when taylor does it with her music it’s art, and for me karlie’s media presence is a form of art too 😌

oh kaptain my kaptain

kimby liked a comment of mine on her insta which was a distinct honor and privilege 😌 and really she was dropping clues left and right through spring up until she got her snazzy new job and things calmed down 🥰 of which i am so proud talk about an on brand job! also partially clearing the air about my TSL theory and the lead up to clearing that air was quite fulfilling for me and i am forever grateful for the time we shared. and to this point, the seesters in general (and kurt omg) have been quite active all year and we don’t deserve it but they’ve stuck around and it’s been calming.

album cover art release on the livestream

LIKE I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE NEVER HAD A FOURTH WALL BROKEN SO DULY

i love you forever, thank you for everything

when taylor came to visit tokyo this year i was basically reenacting the swamp scene from OOTW trying to get a ticket to the secret event... i listened to ME! on LINE MUSIC for over 2000 plays, i bought multiple CD’s, it was such an ordeal and then to not have a ticket after all but still putting on my thinking cap and managing to figure out where the event was while i was at disney sea and literally running from disney sea to the venue in high heels with The Man playing on my phone was oscar-worthy and actually *being correct* and the moment i knew i was correct and how i knew i was correct was so amazing 😉 and i play by the rules so i didn’t try to get in without a ticket and i didn’t lurk. but just to have figured it out and validated it was such a thrill. seeing her on TV live was amazing as well ///

lost in japan, reprise

oh and, last year for rep tour there was this theory i had which didn’t pan out but it had to do with the clues i thought shawn mendes was dropping through autumn 2018 and anyway that’s a story for another day but as i was bopping around town, looking for lockets, staying in rooms i have no business being in, drinking lots of whisky...just to know that while i was doing *everything but* successfully meeting taylor, she literally phoned shawn and had him record lines for that eye theory remix like, i will never ever, like, guys. guys. 😂 it’s too perfect for words. the world is weird like that sometimes.

Lover

and omg Lover the album? i absolutely love lover and i loves that honeymoon period of theorizing and parallel unearthing that we did and i love how slightly creepy-cute it is and i love the whole wabi-sabi thing going on and i absolutely love every song on the album, every one, they all have so much meaning to me... and each one is teeming with little blips and bloops and sound samples and seconds of silence and i love all the brass instruments and so many lush moments... i guess my shortlist (in no particular order) would be the archer, lover, i think he knows, daylight, cruel summer, false god, cornelia street, ME! (yea i really like me 🥰). and to think about everything that went in to the album and the thrill of what it might have been and the vastness of what we don’t know, but like, the weight of that potential?? it’s like this vast pastel and black abyss of drowsy and deep feelings and i love every inch of it. it’s a vibe that reflects so much of what this year has been for me and i’m happy to have existed in this time to have had it with me.

jesus this has gotten too long, and i still have like 24 more things to write out but um, basically, as i’m sure you’ve been able to assume? i wanted to say that despite 2019 being somewhat of a slasher film affair for our fandom, i still had a goddamn great time this year and i hope everyone can find some good memories and relive them as well 🥰

#kaylor #much love to you all!!#all eyes on us

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disneychannie · 4 years

Text

chicago | s.johnny

pairings: johnny x reader

word count: 2.2k words

genre: unhealthy amount of fluff, non-idol au,

warnings: really really subtle mentions of smut

summary: spending christmas with your boyfriend and his family in a different country was new to you. you never expected to be accepted into his family so quickly as his parents loved you probably more than they loved their own son just through the skype calls. he also shows you the wonders of chicago during the beauty of christmas.

“finally we’re here,” johnny said as the both of you stepped outside the airport, feeling the rather cold chicago air after a 12-hour flight.

you and Johnny visited his hometown, chicago for christmas on christmas eve since you’ve already spent two christmas with your parents ever since the both of you started dating 3 years ago and because your parents were closer due to living in the same country as you.

after saving up money to go back to his home, both of you opted on spending the whole week with his parents.

at first, you suggested on just johnny being the only one heading to chicago since he hasn’t seen his parents ever since he moved to should for college and he probably wanted to spend some quality time alone with his parents but the seo family were more than glad on having you tag along to celebrate christmas with.

though you haven’t properly met johnny’s parents yet, through the skype calls he had with his parents with you in it, you could tell at how much they were fond of you by the way they were more interested in talking to you than their own son which you found amusing.

you were excited since you haven’t visited chicago yet and it was amazing that you could visit there with your boyfriend.

to say that you were nervous for the trip was understatement because you were meeting your boyfriend’s parents for heaven’s sake, it usually doesn’t go well when it comes to the girl meeting the boy’s parents like in the korean dramas you and Johnny binge watch but johnny’s mother was the nicest woman you’ve ever met and when Johnny told her about you being nervous about you meeting her, she called you and assured how that she would never make anyone who’s making his son happy feel un-welcomed.

it automatically made you feel more at ease and even more excited for the trip.

what you didn't know about the trip was that Johnny had a few things planned for the both of you here which you were totally clueless about.

so now here you are, standing in front of johnny’s house, waiting for someone to answer the door. after a few seconds, the door swings open to reveal johnny parents oh so happy to meet their sons that they haven't seen for years.

“oh so good to have you back my love,” mrs. see said as he brought Johnny to a motherly hug, not forgetting the sloppy kiss on the cheek which then you smiled upon seeing the sweet small reunion.

turning her head to you, you saw as her smile beamed, so was her husband. without a second thought, she crashed you into a warm hug.

“nice to finally meet you y/n, you look so much prettier in person,” she said which then made your cheeks heat up at the compliment.

pulling away you greeted her back with the same energy, “it’s lovely meeting you to mrs. seo,” you said before greeting mr. seo with a shake of the hand.

“come in, it’s freezing outside,” mrs. seo finally said as she ushered both of you in.

the interior inside the home was already decorated with different types of christmas decorations with the festive pillows placed on the couch, to the christmas tree that was placed in the living room by the window with a beautiful star on top.

“johnny sweetie why don’t you put all these bags upstairs,” she said, before johnny could even protest since there were two heavy luggage to carry up the stairs, she gave him the ‘mother’ glare and before you could blink he was already bringing the luggage to his room.

“how about you help me set dinner up y/n?” she said and you nodded eagerly before she pulled you to the kitchen.

the dinner with johnny’s parents was lovely. it was the way you clicked with his parents so easily is what amazes you. you were grateful for them as they treated you as their own even when you just met them in real life just a few hours ago.

after dinner was finished, you and johnny opted on helping with cleaning the table and wash the dishes and let his parents rest.

you were washing the dishes and johnny were drying the plates and cutleries just as you did back at your shared home back in seoul. you did your jobs in a comfortable silence as johnny hummed some christmas songs as you did your work.

“are you excited for tomorrow?” johnny asked finally breaking the silence.

you grinned at the thought of spending here with him. you passed him the last plate that you hand washed and dried your hands before replying.

“I really am, can’t wait to play out the snow with you,” you said jokingly.

johnny laughed before placing the plate in the dryer, drying his hands off after.

“since we have 3 more days to spend here after tomorrow, do you want to go around town with me? I can show you all the great places they have here,” he said.

you nodded happily at the thought of strolling around chicago with your boyfriend before getting closer to him and wrapping your arms around his neck and on instinct he placed his hands on your waist.

“of course I'd like that,” you said before pulling him into a kiss.

he grinned into the kiss before pulling away.

‘good,”

christmas came along and it was a new experience for you to be celebrating christmas in a different country. not like you were complaining, the seo family were too nice to you that you couldn’t help but love them even more.

johnny’s gift you was a simple and beautiful necklace he saved up for and had your initial and his engraved on it and tho it’s one of the most cliche thing you could get your significant other, it meant a whole lot to you. you got johnny the new watch that he had always talked about and the second he saw what it was beneath your neat wrapping job, he kept squealing like a schoolgirl and he almost cried.

you also swapped gifts with johnny’s parents. it was sweet of them to get you something that cost a lot tho you’ve only met them the day before. you couldn't accept the gift but they assured that they were more than happy to be spending on you.

the rest of the day was just you and johnny going out to get food for the christmas dinner you were having and also spending time watching christmas movies by the fireplace with the obligated hot cocoa.

the next days were just going to be you and johnny since his parents wanted you to look around the city and johnny too wanted to take you to all the places he cherished about his hometown.

you’ve visited places like the art institute of chicago which johnny was excited about since you were a sucker for museums. also the trip to the infamous millennium park where you and johnny took photos and sent it to taeyong, knowing that the younger had been dreading to visit chicago. johnny couldn’t forget to take you to the navy pier where both of you just stood there admiring the beautiful deep-blue colored lake where you just talked and shared a few kisses here and there.

alongside those places, he could never forget to take you to small places where he liked to go when he was younger. the little cafe near his home that had the best cakes and pastries which were totally instagramming worthy.

it was all fun and games till it was the day before you and johnny had to leave chicago to go back to seoul. you thought that it was amazing having to experience this with johnny since you’ve been in love with him for so long and that you could do all these amazing things with him and can be guaranteed that there will never be a dull moment when you’re with him.

so that morning johnny took you out to get breakfast and hot chocolate to warm your cold body as you strolled around the navy piers once again as you thought that it was the best place yet since you got here.

it was during sunset when you thought you were going to have dinner with his parents when he told you that he wanted to take you somewhere. what you didn’t expect was him holding a blindfold as soon as you got in the car.

“what is that for?” you asked, questioning the mysterious blindfold he was holding. “are we gonna make out in the car?” you whisper yelled, it was the only thing you could think of since it was the first time you’ve done kinky things like that with johnny.

with your statement, johnny let out a loud laugh as he shooked his head vigorously.

“did it not occur to you that i probably just wanted to blindfold you just so that i could surprise you?”

you shrugged as you let him blindfold you with the blindfold, thank god you decided not to wear any eye makeup.

the drive was silent considering the blindfold you had over your eyes but the soft tunes from the radio filled in the silence with a few conservations here and there.

finally, after what felt like forever you finally arrived at your destination. johnny helped unbuckle your seatbelt for you after he unbuckled his and you were about to take the blindfold off but johnny reacted before you got the chance.

“wait! don’t take it off yet,” he said hurriedly before making sure that the blindfold was still secured over your eyes.

“why,” you said dragging out the ‘y’. “it’s scary and it’s all dark,” you said pouting. johnny chuckled and placed a quick kiss on your cheek.

“don’t you trust me?” he asked you in an innocent tone.

you wanted to punch him but with the stupid blindfold on you couldn’t.

“of course i do,” you said and you could feel johnny grinning.

“great!” he exclaimed before getting out of the car and helping you out. he then guided you to your destination and you could tell that it was going to be some sort of hill of some sort due to the careful steps you had to take and you could feel yourself going on higher ground.

it was then you could feel johnny coming to a stop and so did you. he then finally took off your blindfold and you were shocked.

he took you to a hill where you could overview the whole city at a high space. one of the things that caught your eyes was the sky. the soft blue color, with purple hues with a touch of pink and orange. it was absolutely beautiful and you were awestruck by the beauty.

while you were admiring the sky and the city, johnny was busy looking at you instead. the way your eyes sparkled like the city lights but much brighter than them, the way your mouth slightly gap from disbelief and your hair which softly moved along with the wind. you looked mesmerizing and he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.

“johnny this is absolutely beautiful,” you said before turning to him to only see him already looking at you.

“you’re prettier” he stated before his lips turned into that cocky smirk you hated but adored.

a blush crept on your cheeks as you slightly shoved his arms with yours before looking back at him.

“stop being cheesy will you?” you asked as you looked back at the city.

johnny just laughed instead of answering and brought you to the ground to sit so you could be more comfortable as you admire the view.

it was silent for a few moments and the sun finally set as the city below was filled with lights that acted as artificial stars. the sound of crickets and cars passing by below filled your ears.

“why’d you decided to take me here?” you asked, before turning to johnny who was looking out at the city with a soft smile adorning his face.

he lightly shrugged before speaking. “this is where i use to go a lot before moving to seoul when i had too much in my head and just need a little breather,” he said before turning to you.

“as cliche as it might sound, you’re the first person I’ve ever brought her with me. this place used to be the place where i could feel at peace and just makes me keep my insanity. but ever since i moved to seoul i didn’t really have a place like this before but ever since i met you, i didn’t think that i needed this place anymore. i have you to keep me sane and make me feel like home,”

his confession made you teared up a bit. johnny was known to be one of the most affectionate people ever but he had never been really open about his feelings a lot and seeing him confess to you about this made you feel special, made you feel as if he wanted you to be his forever too.

you didn’t say anything but pulled him into a loving kiss.

a kiss that told him that he kept you sane too.

#johnny imagines #johnny scenarios #seo johnny #seo johnny imagines #seo johnny scenarios #johnny #nct reactions #nct scenarios #nct fluff #johnny fluff #seo johnny fluff

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parisakamali · 4 years

Note

MISS BIE I AM SO ETERNALLY HAPPY FOR YOU !! CONGRATS ON 300! :DD Here's to hoping you get many many more (which I'm very sure you will bc you're such a wonderful soul and amazing humanl!) Sending you a ♡ + ☆ (moonshine, teal, roxy) ty very much iluuuuu forever !! ♥♥♥

Also can I be on the birthday page? ♥ Roxy + 7 November

HELLO MISS ROXY I ADORE YOU!!! THANK yOU SO SO MUCH, you’re a treasure 🥺🥺🥺 you deserve the world, truly! 💖

join my celebration uwu (got too many and im bad at this sorry)

♡ : to be honest, im so grateful you didnt ask me to choose between your edits cause i would have just listed all of them, no cap. this wouldve been a 30 page essay on how you are the most incredible creator on this platform and how much i look up to you. well, it still will be. not 30 pages tho, not bc i dont want to, but because i don’t know,,, words. this is also why you had to wait so long for me to answer this ask cause you and your blog are so amazing i feel like no matter what i say, it wont do you justice! your blog, first of all, is gorgeous! i love the blue on your mobile theme, it makes me think of the sky during a winter afternoon, which makes me very calm. your icon is so cute!!! (even though i might be biased cause i like the model) but you’re also vv cute so it fits! your desktop theme gives me olympus vibes! it’s a temple worthy of the actual goddess that you are. you’re just?? such a sweetheart!!! i love love LOVe you so much! you’re always so supportive and i know i’ve said it in the past, but you are and it means so much to me; and seeing you on my dash being an absolute legend not just thanks to your mad editing skills but also thanks to your heart that’s made of gold! an actual angel on tumblr dot hell!!! it’s inspiring seeing you on my dash, always so kind to people, always leaving the sweetest tags!!! it makes me smile every time i see your name on my screen, it really does 💛 you also have the coolest ideas!!! like, hello?? who could’ve come up with chb reimagined other than a genius? and not only did you come up with this, but your execution, your actual designs, are incredible!! i’d say spare some talent, but honestly, spare some creativity too, please! you’re so hardworking, you put so so much work into your creations and they all look flawless -- edits, designs, art -- everything!! you’re just out here changing the game and raising the bar one edit at the time and i love you so much for that! also, i keep thinking about the first time we interacted and how sweet you were from the get-go; you always make me feel safe and welcomed and im so grateful to have such a warm presence as yourself in my life! 💛💛

☆ : this was one of the hardest playlists to make im not even kidding! i wish i could say there’s so much reasoning behind every song, but i went through so many phases with it, i dont even know anymore. at first i wanted it to be full of chill songs to listen to before bed since it’s called moonshine, but i had,,, a time looking for a song for the letter X and finally i gave up on that idea. so! here’s a list of songs i like that sound a bit angsty, because i tend to get angsty at night lmao hope you like it tho! you can listen to it here

r : ready set let’s go - sam tinnesz

o : oh my dear lord - the unlikely candidates

x : x - welshly arms

y : you’re gonna go far, kid - the offspring

thank you for sending an ask and for being the sweetest soul, roxy!! and sorry it took me so long to answer. ily and i hope you have a beautiful day/night!!! 💛

#roxy tag #mutuals #biecelebrates #rhoxana #human interaction

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abundanceofsoph · 4 years

Text

SkyFire 1: Chapter 23

An Answer & the Aftermath: October 2015

Word count: 2.4k

SkyFire 1 MASTERLIST

CW/TW: This chapter discusses the aftermath of a mass shooting, the injuries from it and PTSD

Aurora stared at Harry in shock.

“Please say something,” he said after the silence had stretched on for a moment too long.

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, not knowing what to say and then all of a sudden her eyes were filled with tears and Harry’s apprehensive expression turned to one of fear and concern as he quickly moved from kneeling in front of her to sit on the sofa beside her, pulling her against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” Rori mumbled as she attempted to wipe her face clear. “I don’t know where that came from.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Harry replied. “I shouldn’t have sprung that on you love, not after everything that’s happened. I’m the one that should be sorry. Forget I said anything.”

“I can’t forget it,” Rori said, pulling herself back from his hold to look at his face. “I don’t want to forget it. This last week has been so intense and I think I just got overwhelmed by it all. Ask me again.”

“What?”

“Ask me again,” Rori repeated, smiling back at him through her teary eyes.

“Will you marry me?” he asked again, voice quiet and nervous, almost shy which was a term Rori had never used to describe the man she loved.

“Yes!” She cried out, throwing her right arm around him and pulling him into a deep kiss. “Yes. Yes. A million times yes.”

xXx

That evening the penthouse was full to the brim with all of the Avengers as well as Happy and Pepper crowded around the long tables that had been dragged into the room. The volume was loud, as it always was when everyone was together for a meal and the drinks were flowing, but especially tonight as the team had much to celebrate. Against all the odds, Aurora was alive and well and back home where she belonged, and as if that wasn’t enough Harry had finally proposed. There was much to celebrate, and Steve had happily spent much of the afternoon cooking up a great feast for everyone.

After the meal was long gone and the team were exchanging stories over empty glasses, Aurora excused herself to go to the bathroom. Harry began to worry when she’d been gone a little too long and went off in search of his fiancé. With JARVIS’ help, he found her in her art studio, sitting on the bench seat against the window staring out over Central Park and the setting sun.

“There you are,” he said softly, announcing his presence so as not to startle her. He made his way across the room, taking a seat beside her and reaching out to take her hand when she still didn’t turn away from the window. “You ok?” he asked, turning her hand over in his and smiling softly at the diamond ring settled there.

“Just needed a minute away from the noise,” Aurora whispered, finally turning to face him and showing him the silent tears rolling down her cheeks. “It was all just getting a bit much.”

Harry opened his arms in silent invitation, breathing a sigh of relief when she accepted, nestling against his chest as his arms wrapped around her protectively.

“We can stay here as long as you need,” Harry promised, kissing her hair as he felt her relaxing in his hold.

“It doesn’t feel real,” she whispered. “Like, I know I have the injuries to prove it, but I feel like I made it up. How could it be real? How could anyone do that?”

“I don’t know, love. I’ll never understand how someone could hurt so many people but I’m just grateful you’re still here.”

“Me too, but I feel guilty too,” she admitted. “Why did I survive? What made me more worthy than anyone else that day?”

“Nothing,” Harry answered, his voice tight as he fought back his own tears. “There was no rhyme or reason to why you made it and they didn’t, but I thank God you did. Rori I meant what I said this afternoon; I can’t live without you. I love you.”

“I love you too Harry. You were all I was thinking about.”

xXx

“Mind if I come in?”

Aurora looked up at the man leaning in the doorway to her bedroom, knocking gently on the exposed wood.

“Of course,” Aurora nodded. “Come in Sam.”

Harry stood up from where he’d been sitting beside Rori on her bed, kissing her on the temple before leaving the room and closing the door behind him, offering the pair some privacy for what was sure to be a difficult conversation. Aurora was propped up against the headboard with a mountain of pillows surrounding her and she gestured for Sam to take a seat on the bed beside her. He sat down near her knee and offered her a soft smile before speaking.

“Thought you might want to talk about what happened?” he said. “Promise nothing you tell me leaves this room. I won’t talk to Tony or Steve or Harry or anyone else about what you tell me.”

“I don’t really know what to say Sam,” Rori admitted. “I keep trying not to think about it.”

“I understand that,” Sam said. “Mind if I give you some advice?”

“Please.”

“The more you try to run from it, the harder it’ll hit when it catches up. You’ll have to face it eventually, so why not do it now?”

“I thought I was dying,” she whispered. “I was so convinced that I was done and then Pops was there, and somehow I was still alive. How am I supposed to get over that? I thought I’d never see my family again. That I’d never see Harry.”

“You don’t just get over it,” Sam replied. “You talk about how you felt, and you let the people around you help you.”

“I felt scared, and angry.”

“What made you angry?”

“That I was going to hurt them,” she admitted. “I knew how much it would destroy them if I died.”

“But you’re still here,” Sam reminded her. “You didn’t die, and they still have you here.”

“But what do I do now? The thought of going back to school makes me sick, and I might never play the piano again. What do I do with my life now?”

“How about we take it one day at a time? Don’t get yourself worked up about the maybes and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.”

They sat in silence for a while as Aurora tried to organise her thoughts and absorb Sam’s advice.

“What does that look like for me?” she asked. “What is my next step?”

“Well I talked to your surgeon before you left the hospital the other day,” Sam replied, “and he said the abdominal and upper arm wounds should start to heal up in about 4-6 weeks and the clavicle and shoulder blade will take another 2 weeks after that. I’d say recovery is your next step. 2 months of healing and physical therapy. Once you heal up, we’ll focus on the hand and all the other stuff.”

“Recovery,” Rori echoed, nodding to herself at having a plan. “I can do that.”

“I know you can, and you know I’m here whenever you want to talk. Some days you’re gonna feel like everything’s good and then it’ll hit you out of nowhere. PTSD’s a bitch so don’t let it make you think you’re weak or that there’s something wrong with you, ok?”

“PTSD?” Aurora asked.

“Yeah kid,” Sam sighed. “I’d be shocked if you didn’t have it after what happened. It’s nothing to be ashamed off, but it won’t help you if we ignore it.”

“Right,” Rori agreed. “Thank you, Sam.”

“Don’t mention it,” Sam replied with a soft smile, patting her knee gently. “You’re family kid.”

xXx

Harry was instantly worried when he walked into the bathroom leading off Aurora's room a few days after her chat with Sam. He walked in to find her curled up on the tiles, her face red and blotchy, her chest heaving with her sobs.

“Love, what happened?” He asked gently as he knelt down on the cold floor, pulling her up and into his arms. She didn’t reply at first, simply pushing herself closer against him as her breathing stuttered.

“I was trying to brush my hair,” she eventually whispered. “And I dropped the brush and it was so loud when it hit the floor that I just freaked out. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Oh, beautiful there’s nothing wrong with you,” Harry murmured. He placed kisses across her hairline while his hand gently ran up and down her uninjured arm. “You’ve gone through something so horrific. It’s only natural for you to be on edge.”

She didn’t respond to his words, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her body relaxing against his, the tension draining from her muscles.

“I just keep waiting for you…” she said eventually.

“Waiting for me to what, love?” he pressed when she left the sentence unfinished.

“To leave,” she choked out, barely louder than a breath.

“I’m not flying out for another few days,” he replied, not understanding what she was really confessing to.

“No, I don’t mean leave for the tour. I mean leave me,” she continued, her voice quiet and full of fear. “I’m broken Harry. I might never be the same ever again and you deserve so much more than this.”

“Stop,” he said, his voice hard, leaving no room for debate. “Don’t you tell me what I deserve. I love you and I asked you to marry me because I want to spend the rest of our lives together. You are not broken Aurora. You’re a little battered and bruised but you could never break.”

“Sam says I have PTSD,” she admitted.

“Sam’s probably right,” Harry replied. “He’s kind of our expert on that sort of thing.”

“I don’t know how to get through this Harry.”

“You just need time, love,” he soothed. “It’s only been a week. You can’t be so hard on yourself. Talking with Sam seems to help, so keep doing that and I’ll speak to management about getting out of the interviews we’ve got scheduled for the rest of the year. I’ll finish out the shows and then come straight back.”

“No,” Rori argued, lifting herself away from his chest to frown at him. “No, you can’t do that. It’s only 3 more months until the start of the hiatus. I can hold myself together for 3 months. You need to finish this right for the fans, and for the boys, and for yourself. You all deserve to wrap this up the right way.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone when you need me most,” he admitted.

“I won’t be alone H. I’ve got Dad and Pops and the rest of the team. They’re not gonna let me fall. I know it won’t be easy but you’re right, I can do this.”

“I love you so much,” he sighed. “You know that, right?”

“I do,” Rori said, “and I love you too.”

xXx

The nightmares started the first night after Harry left to finish the tour. Aurora woke up screaming and JARVIS immediately alerted Tony and Steve, prompting them to rush to their daughters’ room. She was sitting up in the middle of her bed, drenched in sweat and sobbing in the darkness, her bed sheets tangled around her legs. At first, she jerked away from their hands, before realising who they were and throwing herself into Steve’s arms. Tony ran a gentle hand up and down her back as the pair attempted to sooth her.

“You didn’t get there in time,” she whispered through her gasps for breath. “You were too late.”

Steve felt himself stiffen as she described the same scenes that have kept him from sleep for the past 2 weeks. In his nightmares he hears her begging for her life but by the time he reaches the library she’s bled out on the carpet and he holds her while he cries, unable to save one of the 2 most important people in his life. Now sitting in her room, holding her while she cried, his heart broke to know that she had just dreamt the same horrifying scene.

“It’s just a dream,” Tony soothed from behind her. “It’s not real. You’re safe. It’s just a dream.” His hand continued to rub along her spine, avoiding her injured shoulder as he tried to calm her panicked breathes. “We’ve got you. You’re ok.”

Finally, after near an hour, Aurora drew quiet and sank into Steve’s embrace. Her breathing evened out as she fell asleep and he leant himself back against the headboard to get comfortable as she buried herself into his chest. The two men shared a meaningful look across their daughters’ head and then Steve closed his eyes, settling himself in for the rest of the night, his arms still wrapped around Rori’s body.

Tony eased himself off of the bed and made his way down the hall towards the kitchen, startled to find Sam sitting at the island bench with a mug of coffee in front of him. “Just made a fresh pot,” he said, gesturing the coffee machine nearby.

Tony busied himself pouring a cup before turning to face Sam. “What are you doing up?”

“JARVIS alerted me too, thought Aurora might need to talk,” Sam explained. “Or that you might.”

Tony let out a heavy sigh, collapsing into the chair next to Sam. “I don’t have any idea what to do,” he admitted.

“I think you’re already doing it,” Sam replied calmly. “You’re there when she needs you, reminding her that she’s not alone.”

“I expected the nightmares,” Tony admitted, “but I didn’t think they’d scare me that much.”

“Makes sense,” Sam agreed. “You’re a parent. It’s natural to want to protect your kid from everything but you can’t protect her from what’s in her head.”

“That kids been through so much in her life already, she doesn’t deserve this.”

“No, she doesn’t. By the sounds of it, tonight was worse,” Sam noted. “Probably because Harry’s not here.”

“God, he’s not due back until Christmas,” Tony sighed.

“We’ll get her through it,” Sam said. “It’s just not gonna be easy.”

“It never is.”

NEXT CHAPTER

OR CONTINUE READING ON AO3

#skyfire #skyfire fic #aurora stark #dad!tony #iron dad #step dad steve rogers #stony #stony fic #boyfriend harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #superfamily #harry styles #tony stark

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keichanz · 5 years

Text

Move Your Body || pt. 2

Part 1 || Part 2

“When’s your next class with Sango?” Inuyasha asked her around 4 am and tipped back a water bottle to drain the rest of its contents.

Lowering her own drink that Inuyasha had provided for them sometime around two in the morning, Kagome sighed and tilted her head as she thought.

“Um, Wednesday,” she supplied. “I know she does them every day, but I can only come in every other because of classes.”

He nodded. “After your sessions with Sango you’ll come up here and we can begin our own. A month isn’t that long to come up with an entire routine, so plan to stay all day. I’ll provide food and shit and we can take breaks.”

Kagome wrinkled her nose but nodded without complaint. He was right; they didn’t have a lot of time, and with her having classes and his own job demanding his time, they couldn’t get together every day.

Inuyasha grunted, carelessly tossed his empty water bottle onto the table and released a hearty belch, ignoring Kagome’s look of disgust as he snatched up her phone and brought up her messaging app.

“I’m sending myself a text so you’ll have my number,” he told her, typing out a quick “hi” and sending it before handing it over. “Feel free to text me about any ideas you might have, or questions you wanna ask. Don’t matter when, if I’m busy or in a meeting I’ll reply when I’m done. I’ll do the same if I think of something and we can brainstorm.”

Kagome took back her phone with a nod and walked over to stash it in her bag. She spotted the remnants of her destroyed t-shirt and suddenly remembered her state of dress and blanched. Oh crap, what was she going to wear when she left?! She couldn’t walk home in nothing but shorts and a sports bra!

Inuyasha followed her gaze, watched her eyes go wide and the color drain from her face and rolled his eyes, walking over to his own discarded shirt on the floor and tossing it at her.

“Here,” he said as she automatically caught it. “Just bring it with you Wednesday and if you forget, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a shirt.” He shrugged and raised his arms above him in a stretch, releasing a yawn. Fuck, he needed to get to bed soon since he had a meeting in like...five hours. Shit.

Sending him a grateful smile but not without a blush, Kagome pulled his shirt over her head, immediately feeling better now that she had some cover. True, she’d been in nothing but shorts and her bra for the past few hours and she was more or less used to it now, but part of her still felt the need to hide herself. But they were working on that, and she couldn’t begin to express her gratitude for his help.

Picking up her bag and shrugging the strap over her shoulder, Kagome leveled him with one last genuine smile.

“Thank you,” she said softly, sincerely as her eyes collided with deep amber, “for everything. It means a lot that you’re taking the time to do this and...well.” She laughed softly and lifted a shoulder in half-shrug. “I appreciate it.”

Inuyasha studied her for a moment, golden eyes speculative, before he quirked a grin at her. “It’s my pleasure, babydoll,” he told her, being completely honest. “I’ll see you Wednesday. You okay to walk by yourself?” He didn’t like the thought of her walking alone at nearly 4:30 in the morning, but he really did need to get some sleep. However, if she asked him to accompany her he wouldn’t say no.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured with a smile, touched that he truly seemed to care. “It’s not far, just a ten minute walk. See you Wednesday.” She turned and headed toward the doorway, giving a yawn. Damn, she hadn’t realized how tired she was. She was very glad her first class wasn’t until noon.

“I’ll text you,” Inuyasha murmured as he watched her go and after she disappeared into the elevator, giving one last wave and smile before the doors slid shut, he sighed, shut off the lights, locked up, and headed upstairs to get some much needed shut eye.

Inuyasha fell heavily into his office chair with a groan and immediately started yanking off the tie that had been gradually suffocating him since nine that morning. It was now a little after noon and he’d just returned from the meeting that had run much longer than originally planned. It was the quarterly meeting, where Sesshomaru and his advisors went over profit and a bunch of other technical jargon that he didn’t particularly care for, and he had been bored out of his goddamn mind for the majority of it. Sesshomaru had kept sending him warning glares whenever he couldn’t hold back a yawn but he couldn’t help it; while he didn’t need as much sleep as the regular human, it had still been a while since he’d stayed up that late and he was paying for it now.

Finally loosening his tie with a grunt, he let it hang around his neck and leaned back in his plush chair, tossing an arm over his eyes and debating on the merits of a brief nap. But then he remembered he had an appointment at one with some spoiled brat that fancied herself a dancer because her rich daddy had called the day before and practically begged him to see her. Inuyasha had only said yes just to get the guy to shut up; he had no intention of taking on another client. Not right now, anyway. Between his actual jobs and the side project he had going on with Kagome, he didn’t have nearly enough time to dedicate to the private lessons that had been requested.

At the thought of his blue-eyed, dark-haired “student,” a grin lifted the comers of his lips and miraculously the pounding in his head lessened a degree. He’d only spent a few short hours with her, but already Inuyasha was eager for tomorrow to come so he could see her again. He liked her spunk, admired her determination and the flash of temper that always sparked in her eyes whenever he criticized her form or made her do a certain move again, but better and faster.

Though clearly not a fan of his methods of instruction, Kagome never complained and did as she was as told, preforming a move again and again and again until he was satisfied. She was a hard worker, he was quick to realize, and a fast learner which blessedly made their time together much easier. He was really looking forward to the day where she could put everything he taught her together and put on a little show for him, but until then he was content in slowly getting to know her in increments.

He’d learned little snippets about her life last night during times when idle chatter had been had, things like she’d been friends with Sango since middle school, she had a younger brother, and being a nurse had been a goal since she was a little girl. She liked helping people, she was a terrible cook, and she was deathly afraid of spiders.

Inuyasha had also learned she’d only ever had one boyfriend, some shmuck named Houjo she’d dated in high school, and they’d broken up when he left for the States for college. She was a virgin – he’d gleaned that obvious information by himself – she was completely inexperienced when it came to intimacy, and she really, truly thought that she wasn’t the least bit attractive.

Inuyasha frowned. He wasn’t stupid; he knew a single night and him simply telling her it was false wasn’t enough to convince her otherwise. He didn’t understand how such a knockout like Kagome could possibly have self-esteem issues, but everybody had his or her reasons, he supposed.

Something might have happened in her past to make her think that, or maybe even something had happened just recently, but whatever the case Inuyasha was making it a personal goal to make her see herself through his eyes. She was a beautiful young woman worthy of praise and confidence, and he meant what he’d said; if he had to say it every day, shower her with compliments until she blushed and stuttered like a schoolgirl, he would.

Heaving a sigh, Inuyasha lowered his arm and cracked his neck, glancing at the clock and thinking he should probably get up and get something to eat when his office door opened without warning. His top instructor walked in like she owned the damn place, donned in her usual work attire of tank top and capri leggings with her dark hair secured in a high pony-tail.

Sango hip checked the door closed and strode over to his desk, calm as you please. Then Inuyasha noticed what she had in her hands and instantly he was alert, ears perking up and back straightening in his chair as he leaned forward.

“Fuck, I love you,” Inuyasha muttered as she set down a hot coffee from Starbucks and a McDonald’s bag on his desk. Knowing from experience not to immediately chug down the steaming brew, Inuyasha went for the food first, fishing out a Big Mac and barely getting the wrapper off all the way before chomping down with a groan of pleasure.

“I know,” Sango answered as she sat on his desk as opposed to one of the two chairs in front of it and sipped her caramel frappe. “Figured you’d be hungry since you never eat breakfast and your meeting ran late.”

Inuyasha grunted, polished off the burger with another three bites, and then started on the fries next.

“And also,” Sango continued a little too casually and idly played with the straw of her drink, “after I apologized about forgetting to unlock the door last night, a little birdie told me today that you didn��t get to bed until very late, hence the java.”

Then she paused and cut her eyes to his and Inuyasha froze.

Goddammit. He really should have known she’d tell her. Didn’t she say they’d been friends since middle school?

Heaving a sigh and rolling his eyes, Inuyasha shoved a few more fries into his mouth and then took a careful sip of his coffee. He let his silence be his answer and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he savored the Americano with one sugar. He tasted a hint of mocha too and he grunted in approval.

Sango’s lips twitched. “Are you seriously going to help her come up with an entire dance routine?”

He glared at her over the rim of his venti.

Unfazed, the dance instructor shrugged and turned her gaze to her drink, taking another pull on the straw. “I was just curious,” she said innocently, trying not to smile.

Her boss’s scoff told her exactly what he thought about her curiosity and that time she couldn’t hold back the grin that spread across her face.

“What’d she do to get you to help? Bat those big blue eyes at you and smile?”

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable, and then kicked up his feet onto his desk and leaned back in his chair as he nursed his coffee.

“I offered,” he told her.

Sango’s smile dropped. “What?”

He raised a brow and took another sip of his espresso.

Sango blinked at him and then her eyes widened. Holy crap, he was serious.

“Holy crap, you’re serious,” she said, incredulous.

Inuyasha looked a little offended at that and scowled at her. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I be? Despite what you and the pervert think, I ain’t heartless, Sango. The girl clearly needs help, and as it just so happens I have the qualifications that fit her needs perfectly. She’s just another client and just because she’s your friend doesn’t make her any goddamn different than anybody else.”

Sango’s stare hardened and she squared her shoulders. He may be her boss, but he was also her friend, and she wasn’t about to take any of his shit.

“I know for a fact that Kagome’s not paying you so don’t tell me she’s not any different,” she spat, her protective instincts kicking in as they always did whenever her dear friend’s delicate nature was compromised. “She thinks you’re helping her free of charge out of the goodness of your heart, and I swear to god, Inuyasha, if she’s another one of your charity cases to get more publicity or you want you want your payment to come from other means—”

“Shut the fuckup, Sango,” Inuyasha growled and shot forward in his chair so fast Sango flinched back. Golden eyes flashing fire and fangs exposed in a dark scowl, the half-demon seethed, “Kagome’s not a goddamn charity case and you know I would never take advantage of her innocence like that, or anybody else for that matter, so fuck you for even saying that.”

Alarmed by the heated vehemence in his voice, Sango snapped her jaw shut and simply stared at him with wide magenta eyes, at a complete loss for words. She’d never seen him react like this before about any woman and it was completely unexpected, if a little disconcerting. She supposed he head every right, though; she always lost her head a little whenever it came to Kagome’s safety and she admitted she shouldn’t have accused him of such a horrible thing, because he would never do that.

“Not that it’s any of your business, because it’s not, helping Kagome is actually helping me,” he continued, still glaring, though his voice had lost its growl. “Sesshomaru’s been on my ass about new material and this is the perfect opportunity to get it. Kagome gets her dance, shoves her victory in that bitch Kamlyn’s face, and I have new material to give to that tightwad. Everybody wins.”

That said, Inuyasha sat back in his chair once more, lifted his coffee to his mouth, and looked to the side, his eyebrows down low over his eyes. He glowered at some random point on the wall, still pissed that his friend would even insinuate he would ever take advantage of a woman like that.

A tense silence developed between them after that and Sango stared pensively into her drink while Inuyasha nursed his coffee and fished his phone from his pocket. He’d gotten a text earlier during the meeting but hadn’t had the chance to check it yet...

Sango sighed, drawing his attention, and he flicked his gaze over to her, expression carefully blank.

“Look, I’m sorry,” she began, looking and sounding guilty enough that his anger softened a little and he gave her his full attention. Sango glanced at him and grimaced. “You’re right, I know you would never do that. It was stupid.”

He snorted but her glare quickly shut him up.

“It’s just...” Sango sighed again and pushed her fingers through her bangs, brow furrowing as she gathered her thoughts. “You have to understand, Inuyasha, Kagome is...fragile. I was honestly surprised when she told me she signed up for this competition because she...well, she...”

“She has no confidence,” Inuyasha supplied for her and at her look of surprise he sighed and nodded. “I already know she has low self-esteem and thinks its necessary to hide behind baggy clothes. It’s another reason why I chose to do this, Sango. I wanna help her. Really. Kagome is fucking beautiful and I want her to see that.”

He stared directly into her eyes and the sincerity was unmistakable in the honeyed depths. Inuyasha was being totally and completely honest and if Sango were being honest herself, she was floored at the hanyou’s dedication to this cause. It was one she approved of, definitely, but in all of her years as his closest friend, she’d never witnessed him going this far for any woman before.

And with a start, she realized that he was exactly what her shy, self-conscious friend needed. Inuyasha’s unique brand of arrogance, dedication and tenacity would no doubt draw Kagome out of her shell and slowly transform her into the confident, brave woman Sango knew she could be.

Sango would just consider it a bonus that Kagome was also just what the doctor ordered for the oftentimes hotheaded hanyou, even if he didn’t realize it yet.

Finally offering her friend a genuine smile, Sango nodded once. “Keep me posted?” she asked. “And if there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll do my best.”

Releasing a breath, Inuyasha nodded in return and thrust a hand through his hair, glancing at the clock. 12:28. He still had a bit of time left before Daddy’s Little Princess showed up, so in the mean time he had one last question for his friend.

“Hey, Sango,” he began, idly tracing the cap of his coffee with a claw as the instructor glanced over at him inquisitively. “...Why is Kagome like that? Did something happen?”

Sango sighed and took another drink of her frappe, brows dipped down into a slight frown. She’d had a feeling he’d ask, and while she supposed he had a right to know since he was going to help with Kagome’s self-image, it didn’t make it any easier to reveal. Perhaps Kagome herself should be the one telling him this, but Sango also knew it wouldn’t be right for him to ask, and her friend wouldn’t reveal that information to him without cause anyway.

“It goes without saying,” she began slowly, “but please keep this to yourself. Kagome hasn’t always looked the way she does, Inuyasha. When she was in elementary school, before I met her, she was chubby and mercilessly picked on because of it. She told me she didn’t have a lot of friends because of how she looked, and it only got worse when she entered middle school. She gained a little more weight, and the bullying got worse, to the point she would refuse to go to school the next day.

“The day I met her she was surrounded by high school boys and they were calling her names, bullying her about her weight, and laughing because she was crying. I managed to chase them away by screaming for the nearest teacher and threatening to kick them in the balls if they didn’t leave her alone and ever since then Kagome has been my best friend. I became her protector against the bullies and it wasn’t until Kagome’s appearance started to hinder her health that she decided to do something about it.

“She started exercising daily, with me being her constant support of course, eating healthier, and taking care of her body. By high school she looked like a completely different person, a lot like she does now, and that’s when she got her first boyfriend.”

Inuyasha frowned. “Houjo.”

Sango blinked in surprise. “She told you about him?”

He shrugged. “In passing. She didn’t give any details and I didn’t ask.”

“Anyway,” she continued and took a sip of her drink to wet her throat. “Dating Houjo helped a lot with Kagome’s self-esteem, but even he couldn’t erase the scars from years of bullying. And even though they parted on friendly terms because it was a mutual breakup, Kagome regressed back to her previous way of thinking and now it’s just a subconscious habit to dress in baggy clothes and deny any compliment that’s given to her, an instinctive way of protecting herself, I imagine. I’m always telling her she looks great, but she just blushes, shrugs, and changes the subject.”

Sango sighed and chewed on the end of her straw with a thoughtful frown. “She’s still eating healthy and exercising when she can, but you have to understand, Inuyasha, after years of being called degrading names, bullied because of how she looked, and believing she was ugly or didn’t deserve affection, I’d imagine it’d be quite difficult to accept any sort of praise, even if it’s true. She’s been cruelly conditioned to think like that, and without Houjo there as a constant reminder that she’s worthy and beautiful...”

She paused and stole a look at her unusually quiet half-demon boss and friend. Inuyasha was staring down at his desk, claws tapping against the thick paper of his coffee cup as he drummed his fingers. It was hard to determine what exactly the prevalent emotion on his face was, however judging by the dark frown that gradually lowered his brows over his eyes and the way his lip curled over sharp fangs, Sango wagered that anger had reigned supreme.

Relatable. Sango often felt the same whenever she thought about how rough her best friend had had it and the desire to go back in time and kick some ass was always present.

But then it vanished as quickly as it had arrived and Inuyasha shook his head, closing his eyes as he thrust a hand through his hair. It was obvious he was still perturbed at this new information however, because though less prominent, the frown on his face hadn’t diminished and he sat back in his chair. The rough grunt he emitted as he lifted his coffee to his lips articulated exactly what he thought about that and Sango nodded.

“Same,” she agreed.

Translation: I don’t fucking like this.

Then he sighed, nodded, and cut his eyes to hers with the steely determination that Sango recognized and her expression softened into a smile as she easily decoded what that meant.

But I’m gonna do my damnedest to fix it.

“Good,” Sango whispered and by mutual agreement, the two lapsed into silence as Inuyasha finished off his coffee and dumped the evidence of his lunch into the trash while Sango noisily and obnoxiously slurped up the remnants of her frappe.

Inuyasha’s ears pinned and he pegged her with an annoyed glare. She returned it with an innocent smile and while keeping eye contact, drew on the straw one last time, resulting in another grating slurping sound. He scowled at her.

Visibly pleased and resisting the urge to cackle, Sango sucked up the last of the tasty caramel before finally tossing it into the trash. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and dug around in his desk for his cigs and lighter, lamenting on the fact that his friends and instructors were children in adult bodies.

“By the way,” Sango said as she prepared to leave, “you’re one o’clock is here.”

Inuyasha paused and aimed a frown at her. “How the hell do you know?”

She smiled sweetly. “I saw her waiting in the lobby when I got back from getting your lunch. She was quite rude and demanded that I ‘fetch Mr. Taisho tout de suite, he’s expecting me and I mustn’t keep him waiting.’ So I gave her my murder-smile and said, ‘Right away, miss,’ then came up here and had a half-hour conversation with you.”

Her boss stared at her blankly for a moment and then a delighted grin spread across his face. “You are a fucking queen.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Sango quipped with a wink and headed for the door.

Inuyasha snorted and looked at the clock. From what Sango told him, Miss Daddy’s Princess must have gotten here shortly after he did, nearly a fucking hour early. What the actual fuck.

Growling in annoyance but figuring he might as well get it over with, he grunted and said, “Send her up.”

“I’m not your secretary,” Sango snorted as she reached the door and swung it open.

“I’m sorry, who signs your paychecks?”

“Asshat.”

“Bitch.”

“That’s Queen Bitch, thankyouverymuch.” Sango flipped him off and Inuyasha returned the gesture, straight-faced.

Rolling her eyes and grumbling, his friend finally left his office, but Inuyasha didn’t fail to miss the smile that crept onto her face right before the door closed behind her.

Chuckling, Inuyasha shook his head and wondered not for the first time how such a sorry son of a bitch like him lucked out with such amazing friends before once more rifling through his desk for his nicotine sticks. He ended up finding them on his desk under a pile of paperwork along with his lighter and he wasted no time in lighting up.

The sound of the elevator chiming outside his office was his only warning and he just barely managed to shove his hat down onto his head before his door was unceremoniously thrust open and his one o’clock appointment sauntered in without a care in the word. Inuyasha cocked a brow at her audacity at not bothering to knock before barging in but said nothing, leaning back in his chair and peering at the woman that strolled confidently toward him from under the bill of his hat.

Crossing his arms, the cherry of his cig flared orange as he inhaled and Inuyasha watched Miss Daddy’s Princess give him her best beauty pageant smile that he bet she practiced doing in front of a mirror and claimed one of the plush chairs before his desk. He first thing he noticed was that her tits were so full of silicone they could be considered paperweights and when she not so subtly thrust out her chest, they threatened to spill from her very low cut blouse. Christ, the buttons looked about ready to burst open and Inuyasha nearly choked on smoke as he disguised a laugh.

“Mr. Taisho,” she purred, crossing her legs at the knee and causing her short skirt to ride up either further. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I was here nearly half an hour ago, but that bi—uh, that lady made me wait.” She huffed and pretended to pout.

Inuyasha didn’t deign that with a comment and took in the rest of her, releasing a stream of smoke in a smooth exhale. Tanning salon worthy dark skin, long brown hair with so much product in it stung his nose, and the greenest eyes he had ever seen.

Contacts, he surmised and flicked the ashes off his cig into an ashtray. She was pretty, he’d give her that, but in an artificial way and he was willing to bet her personality was just as fake as those rock hard bags on her chest. She knew how to manipulate a situation and what to say to get what she wanted, but that was okay. Inuyasha had dealt with countless women like her before so he was prepared for whatever she threw at him.

“Miss...Soma, was it?” Inuyasha drawled and stuck his fag between his lips again.

She smiled again, perfect white teeth flashing. Of course.

“Call me Kamlyn, Mr. Taisho.”

Inuyasha choked on his next inhale and surged forward, blindly reaching for the half-full bottle of water sitting on his desk.

He lied. He certainly hadn’t been prepared for that.

Kamlyn Soma, the bitch that had apparently been tormenting Kagome for the past three years, blinked and frowned at him.

“Are you...okay?” she asked and actually sounded genuinely concerned.

Chugging back the contents of the bottle, Inuyasha held up a finger in the universal “one moment” signal and after successfully soothing the irritant in his throat, he lowered the water and released a loud breath.

“M’fine,” he finally answered and looked around for his cig, scowling when he found it on the floor by his feet. Grumbling he stooped down to pick it up before settling back in his chair, inspecting it carefully.

Eh, whatever; he gave a mental shrug and placed it between his lips again. He didn’t want to waste a perfectly good cig he’d just started and besides, his office was vacuumed daily and shampooed monthly from the same company he hired to clean the studios.

Remembering he had an audience, Inuyasha turned his attention back to the woman before him. She was still eyeing him a little strangely but wiped the expression from her face when his eyes connected with hers, straightening her back and offering him another practiced smile.

“What can I do for you, Miss Soma?”

“Kamlyn.”

He stared at her and wordlessly opened his mouth to let a few tendrils of smoke drift lazily upward.

Undeterred, Miss Kamlyn Soma, aka Kagome’s Tormenter, cleared her throat and launched into an entire spiel that Inuyasha was positive she practiced for hours beforehand, complete with the sultry lilt to her voice.

“So, Mr. Taisho, I have a...proposition for you.” Her smile turned rather suggestive and she leaned forward in her seat, deliberately showing a generous amount of cleavage. “You see, my school is having a dance competition...”

Eighteen minutes later, lazily puffing away on his second cigarette without a damn care in the world, Inuyasha watched in unabashed amusement as Kamlyn Soma stormed out of his office, face beat red and body stiff with anger. Aside from an ear flicking beneath his hat when she slammed his door as hard as she could, he didn’t react and merely tapped more ashes into the ashtray, calm as you please.

Her less than stellar behavior had been entirely expected. When her methods of seduction had failed to garner what she wanted – i.e., assistance in planning a show-stopping routine – she’d thrown a tantrum and resorted to threatening him with her daddy’s money and power. Inuyasha had been unimpressed – Ryukotsusei Soma couldn’t do shit to him – and once more turned her down with the true reasoning of he was too busy.

He’d been professional and polite, keeping his tone respectful even when her calm composure had begun to deteriorate and she’d tried one last tactic, desperation causing her to lose all pretenses of seduction and outright promising him that she’d give him the ride of his life if only he would agree to help. She’d pay him generously of course, implying that money would not be the only means, but when still he’d replied in the negative, even looking bored while he said it, that was when she’d dropped her façade and her viper attitude had shown its fangs.

Inuyasha had merely watched, face blank, as she’d ranted and raved at him for a good five minutes, threatening that she would destroy his reputation and pretty much throwing a little spoiled princess hissy fit before huffily stomping away and childishly slamming the door in her wake.

Fuck, but Ryukotsusei must have the patience of a goddamn saint to put up with that every day.

Snorting, Inuyasha carelessly tossed his hat onto his desk, freeing his ears, and reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. Waking up the screen, he was a little disappointed to see the text he’d received earlier wasn’t from Kagome, but then again, it wasn’t that surprising. Considering how insecure and shy she was, it was a given she wouldn’t text him first, probably thinking she’d be bothering him or something and not wanting to be a nuisance. He hoped soon she’d be comfortable enough to text him whenever she wanted, but for now he was content to initiate their conversations.

Ignoring the message from Kikyou telling him to call her later, Inuyasha brought the text he’d sent from Kagome’s phone last night and swiftly typed in a new message.

you’ll never guess who I just had the pleasure of meeting with and then stormed outta my office looking pissed enough to commit murder

He hit send, paused, and then sent a second one. mine, specifically

Expecting it might be a while before she replied since he had no idea what her class schedule entailed, Inuyasha flipped up his laptop and decided it’d be a good idea to actually get some work done. He needed to check his emails, reply back to some if necessary, call and check in with a few of his clients, call Kikyou, draw up some contracts, review and sign a few contracts, file said contracts, go over payroll and yell at Miroku for his frequent habit of coming in late, and then go over some reports that were past due.

Fuck my life, he groused, grumbling as he brought up his email, crushing the stub of his cigarette in the ashtray and lighting up a fresh one. He stared longingly at his office’s custom bar he’d added in some years back but thought better of it. Sango would kill him if she caught him drinking in the middle of the day, no matter how justifiable it was after putting up with someone like Kamlyn Soma for nearly twenty minutes, and he was pretty sure he’d finished his JD last week anyway.

Shame.

He wasn’t even half-way through reading his second email when his phone buzzed beside his computer. Surprised, but delighted, Inuyasha abandoned the email to swipe up the device and lean back in his chair to read his newest text.

????

He snorted even as the corners of his lips quirked up into a slight grin.

A one kamlyn soma maybe you’ve heard of her

Her reply was instant that time.

GET. OUT!!!!!!!!!

Inuyasha laughed.

srsly. tried seducing her way into getting me to help w her dance was hilarious

Taking a drag, Inuyasha exhaled through the side of his mouth and idly tapped this thumb against the screen as he waited for her to reply. The three dots appeared, vanished, appeared, and then disappeared again and he frowned when it stayed that way. He narrowed his eyes, and then to keep himself from asking what the hell she was doing, he closed the app and after thinking about it for a split second, brought up Facebook.

He brought up his friends, found Sango, and browsed her friends until—ah. There she was.

Grinning victoriously and with a single tap, he brought up Kagome Higurashi’s profile and took his time going through her timeline, chuckling at some of the memes and pictures she’d shared that gave him a glimpse into her sense of humor. Then he came across a selfie of her and Sango, looking positively radiant as they laughed together, and his expression softened.

Truly, how could she ever think that she wasn’t pretty with something like this as proof?

He’d just decided to browse her albums to see what other gems he could find when finally his mobile vibrated with an incoming message. And instead of the lengthy reply he’d been expecting because she was taking so long, the notification that dropped down had his brows snapping low over his eyes in an annoyed frown.

You agreed??

Ears pinning flat against his head and growling low, Inuyasha gripped his phone with both hands and hastily typed out his response, pissed the hell off that she actually had to fucking ask that in the first place.

what the fuck kagome NO I didn’t agree u don’t fucking think I would actual

Inuyasha stopped mid-word. Blinked down at his phone and reread what he’d typed. Then he sighed, briefly closed his eyes, and promptly deleted everything he’d written before starting again.

no babydoll. I didn’t my time is yours

He hit send and dragged a hand down his face as his previous anger quickly fled. Kagome was insecure and Kamlyn was her hot, although still fake as fuck, enemy; it wasn’t farfetched that she’d assume he would agree. He was a businessman, and what businessman didn’t want…well, more business? He’d have to keep reminding himself that Kagome was just acting on instinct, doing what her brain had been unconsciously hardwired to do, and he’d definitely have to start exercising more restraint.

It was like Sango said; Kagome as fragile, or at least her state of mind was, and Inuyasha knew if he directed one of his infamous blowups at her, it would cause more damage than he could repair. And he’d never be able to forgive himself.

Blessedly her reply came much quicker this time around and glancing down at the mobile cradled in his lax grip, he released a breath and was suddenly infinitely glad he’d decided to change his last message.

Grinning, Inuyasha sent the dog emoji back, practically able to hear the giggle he knew it would elicit, and then grudgingly put down his cell to actually get some work done. In a significantly lighter mood than before, he went back to his email, unaware of the smile that lingered on his face as he scanned the page.

Part 3

Buy me a coffee? :)

#move your body #part 2 #inuyasha #kagome #inukag #keizfanfiction #fanfiction

113 notes · View notes

songsandquotes · 5 years

Text

Cute song lyric Instagram captions for couples.

My girl, Dylan Scott: “Man her eyes really drive me crazy. You should see her smile when she holds a baby. I can honestly say that she saved me. My girl.”

Beautiful crazy, Luke Combs: “Beautiful, crazy, she can’t help but amaze me the way that she dances, ain’t afraid to take chances and wears her heart on her sleeve. Yeah, she’s crazy but her crazy’s beautiful to me.”

Halo, Beyonce: “I found a way to let you win, but I never really had a doubt. Standing in the light of your halo, I got my angel now”

A thousand years, Christina Perri: “I have died, everyday, waiting for you. Darling don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.”

All I want, Kodaline: “You took my soul and wiped it clean, our love was made for movie scenes.”

Close to me, Ellie Goulding ft. Diplo: “So don’t let me down, keep me in trouble. Born to be wild, out in the jungle.”

First aid kit, Maddie Poppie: “I know there’s a chance I’ll still get burn, I’ll take it all, I’ll take your worst”

Best Shot, Jimmie Allen: “There’s no doubt because of you I’m better then I was before you, I’m not saying that I’m perfect, Oh, God knows I’m not. But I’ll love you with everything I’ve got, I’ll give you my best shot.”

Guiding light, Mumford and sons: “Well I know I had it all on the line, but don’t just sit with folded hands and become blind. ‘Cause even when there is no star in sight, you’ll always be my only guiding light.”

Whatta man, Salt-N-Pepa: “I know that ain’t nobody perfect, I give props to those who deserve it, and believe me y'all, he’s worth it. So here’s to the future 'cause we got through the past, I finally found someone that can make me laugh.”

This love, Taylor Swift: “This love that’s a permanent mark, this love is glowing in the dark oh, These hands had to let it go free, And this love came back to me.”

I don’t care, Ed Sheeran ft. Justin Bieber: “Cause I don’t care when I’m with my baby. Yeah, all the bad things disappear, you’re making me feel like maybe I am somebody”

Speechless, Dan + Shay: “You already know that you’re my weakness, after all this time I’m just as nervous every time you walk into the room. I’m speechless”

Once in a life time, Londan Austin: “Don’t you know you stop the room? and all that I can see is you. I’m standing where the lightning strikes, I know this doesn’t happen twice, you must be my once in a lifetime”

Colors, Halsey: “You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise, you’re spilling like an overflowing sink. You’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece. And now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink.”

Eyes on you, Chase Rice: “Don’t matter where we’ve been no, there ain’t no better view than you in my arms, with my eyes on you with my eyes on you”

I’ll love you always forever, Donna Lewis: “I love you always forever, near and far, closer together. Everywhere I will be with you, everything I will do for you”

Yours, Russell Dickerson: “The worst me is just a long gone memory, you put a new heartbeat inside of me. You make me better than I was before, thank God I’m yours”

Teenage dream, Katy Perry: “Before you met me, I was alright but things were kinda heavy. You brought me to life, now every February you’ll be my valentine, valentine.”

You are my sunshine, Jimmie Davis: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey, you’ll never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. ”

Mine, Bazzi: “Oh, I just had to let you know you’re fine, running circles 'round my mind. Even when it’s rainy all you ever do is shine, you on fire.”

I like me better, Lauv: “I like me better when I’m with you. I knew from the first time, I’d stay for a long time 'cause, I like me better when, I like me better when I’m with you.”

Sunflower, Post Malone: “ Then you're left in the dust, unless I stuck by ya. You're a sunflower, I think your love would be too much.”

I’m in love with you, Domo Wilson: “ Cause I dreamed of you, I prayed for you, I'm grateful for your presence, I do not understand but I felt like I'm in heaven. Because you, baby you, you are my heaven on earth.”

Turning page, Sleeping at last: “I've waited a hundred years, but I'd wait a million more for you. Nothing prepared me for what the privilege of being yours would do ”

Starlight, Taylor Swift: “The whole place was dressed to the nines, And we were dancing, just like we're made of starlight.”

Cross that line, Joshua Radin: “For you I'd break these walls, and I'd choose to fall, I'm gonna cross that line for you. The sun is down thought you'd be gone by now, didn't you?”

Love somebody, Maroon 5: “You're such a hard act for me to follow Love me today don't leave me tomorrow. But if I fall for you, I'll never recover, If I fall for you, I'll never be the same”

In case you didn’t know, Brett Young: “In case you didn't know, baby I'm crazy 'bout you, and I would be lying if I said that I could live this life without you. Even though I don't tell you all the time, you had my heart a long, long time ago.”

Call it what you want, Taylor Swift: “ ”

Bad Lair, Selena Gomez: “What could possibly happen next? Can we focus on the love? Paint my kiss across your chest, If you're the art, I'll be the brush.”

Power over me, Dermot Kennedy: “You've got that power over me, my my, everything I hold dear resides in those eyes. You've got that power over me, my my, the only one I know, the only one on my mind.”

Lose it, Kane Brown: “I don't think you know what you're doing to me, you got my heart skip-skipping a beat. You're not close enough so that space between you and me, let's lose it.”

Beautiful soul, Jesse McCartney: “You're the one I want to chase, you're the one I want to hold. I won't let another minute go to waste, I want you and your beautiful soul.”

All of me, John Legend: “ Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you, you're my end and my beginning, even when I lose I'm winning.”

Greatest love story, LANCO: “ ”

You make it easy, Jason Aldean: “You're my sunshine in the darkest days, my better half, my saving grace. You make me who I wanna be, you make it easy.”

Better place, Rachel Platten: “ It's a better place since you came along, since you came along. Your touch is sunlight through the trees, your kisses are the ocean breeze, everything's alright when you're with me”

Wanted, Hunter Hayes: “Cause I wanna wrap you up, wanna kiss your lips, I wanna make you feel wanted. And I wanna call you mine, wanna hold your hand forever, and never let you forget it. Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted.”

Hard to love, Lee Brice: “I'm hard to love, hard to love, oh I don't make it easy, I couldn't do it if I stood where you stood. I'm hard to love, hard to love, you say that you need me, I don't deserve it but I love that you love me.”

Happier, Marshmello ft. Bastille: “Then only for a minute I want to change my mind, 'Cause this just don't feel right to me. I want to raise your spirits, I want to see you smile.”

Rainbow, Kasey Musgraves: “You hold tight to your umbrella, darlin' I'm just tryin' to tell ya, that there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head. Oh tie up your bow, take off your coat and take a look around, Everything is alright now.”

Dibs, Kelsea Ballerini: “So baby I'll take whatever it is you've got to give. Yeah, I'll callin' dibs, on your lips, on your kiss, on your time, yeah, I'm callin' dibs, on your hand, on your heart, all mine.”

Fresh eyes, Andy Grammer: “So suddenly I'm in love with a stranger, I can't believe that she's mine, now all I see is you with fresh eyes, fresh eyes.”

Unconditionally, Katy Perry: “Come just as you are to me, don't need apologies, know that you are all worthy. I'll take your bad days with your good, walk through this storm I would. I'd do it all because I love you, I love you.”

Pretty brown eyes, Cody Simpson: “And I said, hey there pretty brown eyes, whatcha doing later tonight? Would you mind if I spent a minute with you?”

Kiss me slowly, Parachute: “Stay with me, baby stay with me, Tonight don't leave me alone. Walk with me, come and walk with me, to the edge of all we've ever known.”

Marry Me, Train: “Together can never be close enough for me, feel like I am close enough to you. You wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you, and you're beautiful.”

No One, Alicia Keys: “You and me together, through the days and nights. I don't worry 'cause, everything's going to be alright. People keep talking they can say what they like, but all I know is everything's going to be alright.”

Like I'm Gonna Lose You, Meghan Trainor ft: John Legend: “No, we're not promised tomorrow, so I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you, and I'm gonna hold you like I'm saying goodbye. Wherever we're standing, I won't take you for granted, 'Cause we'll never know when we'll run out of time, So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you.”

God Gave Me You, Blake Shelton: “'Cause God gave me you for the ups and downs, God gave me you for the days of doubt, for when I think I've lost my way, there are no words here left to say, it's true, God gave me you.”

Stay a Little Longer, Brothers Osborne: “I tell myself I'm not in love But one more time is not enough, one last kiss and then you're a goner And I'm here wishing you could stay a little longer.”

Call it what you want, Taylor Swift: “All the jokers dressin' up as kings, they fade to nothing when I look at him. And I know I make the same mistakes every time, bridges burn, I never learn, at least I did one thing right, I did one thing right.“

Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flatts: “Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms. Now, this much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road, that led me straight to you.”

Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars: “When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change 'cause you're amazing just the way you are. and when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while 'cause you're amazing just the way you are.”

Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper: “If you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time. If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting, time after time.”

Perfect, Ed Sheeran: “When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath, but you heard it. Darling, you look perfect tonight.”

Fine by me, Andy Grammer: “I’m just saying it’s fine by me if you never leave. We can live like this forever, it’s fine by me.”

#these are cute songs #look them up #go through the lyrics #and pick ones you like!#song lyrics #goals #in love #ships #couples #lists #might add more later #playlists

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the-ships-to-rule-them-all · 5 years

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22!!!!!!!!!!!!!

from Greece to London to Los Angeles, it’s been a year of growth and change and I’m astoundingly grateful for everyone who has been here from the highs and lows and the screaming fangirl fits. thank you for making my life better

my favorite people on the planet, the ones who make my universe brighter just by existing

@goodqueenalys Mere you are one of the smartest most genuine humans I’ve ever met. I am in awe of the way you have nothing but kindness in your heart and that at the same time your spine is pure solid steel. your strength in your convictions, your passion, your willingness to educate, your creativity, the way you listen, the way you care. I am so so glad to call you my friend and to have you by my side.

@blyedeeks SOUL TWIN!!! can you believe that we only met 3 years ago? it feels like we’ve known each other our entire lives. Sometimes you meet someone who can understand you in ways that don’t seem real because they get you on such a deep level. I think I said something like that for the past two years but it’s still so true. And you are the kindest more brilliant star in sky Cams. I truly don’t know where I’d be without you, definitely not as confident or as loud. I love you a lot and I am so blessed to have your kindness and positivity on my side.

@marauders-groupie Lana’s words are spun starlight, she just captures something so instinctively human and tender with her poetry. She’s one of the kindest people in the world and she serves the universe. Oh, and she is determined and dedicated and passionate and she just believes so strongly in the goodness of a single person, in her own value that I can’t help but believe in myself more because of her strength and courage and beauty.

@astranautics Caroline!!! my girl, my wonderful amazing girl. I cannot believe that I was your Tumblr crush. There’s such a softness to your words, a willingness to share and that all too familiar desire to love and be loved in return. the fact that you send me stuff about my hockey boys legit has made me cry because you take such an interest in me and I just I feel so warm when we talk, I love that your life is so wonderful and yet mundane, I love hearing about your day and I love watching you believe in yourself

@koridick BABE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the amount that I love you is beyond words. You are so passionate and sweet and if I could save your messages when reacting to my poetry to just constantly brighten my day I would because every time I remember how you react I feel so inspired and worthy. I feel like my life isn’t right when I don’t talk to you and I’m so grateful that we both shipped Poly Rangers and got to sharing headcanons and writing fic and you are so talented and wonderful. Your willingness to put up with my rants and the way you support me and love me is the greatest feeling in the world. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

@sometimesrosy there’s something to be said about having someone who has lived a life believe in you. I feel like I can go to you for anything, Rosy. You are so so smart that sometimes I read your answers and it takes me a minute to reorient myself.

@everybodyknows-everybodydies I’m so utterly proud of the person I’ve seen you becoming over the past year. You are so talented, so talented and you are so tiny and cute that sometimes I can’t believe how much passion you have in your body. Your art, your convictions, your passion, it’s so beautiful to see and I love you so so much

@thesnowyswan my darling Rae!!!! you have made me a so much better writer, a so much better person and I love you so so much. thank you for all your support and encouragement and I love talking any and everything with you. you are such an utter badass and passionate and dedicated

@bishops--knifetrick I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH BABE!!!!! we talk almost every day and I don’t even know what I would do without you! you’re so incredible and beautiful and amazing and truly someone special

other people who are absolutely incredible and whom I adore so so much

@harpermcintyre (Al, babe thank you for always being kind and generous) @scodelariokaya (Nik is brilliant and beautiful and she deserves the universe) @wellsjahasghost (Jade is remarkable and funny and her words are spun gold) @mego42 (Meg is one of the smartest, calmest people on this site and she deserves only good things) @wellamyblake (MJ makes me laugh on the daily and her understanding of nuances is only matched by her passion) @thatonekimgirl (Kim!! when we met at HVFF I didn’t think that we’d end up linking back so soon, thank you for dragging me into the spiral that is loving VirtueMoir) @bellamysprincessa (Katie, I love you. I love that you are so supportive and I adore that we always seem to watch the same shows as you scream about something in the chat) @head-and-heart (Kate is a gem, a smart supportive gem of a human whose tags I live for) @deadshotbellamy (Grace is a gorgeous girl who has two of the greatest urls I’ve ever seen) @tybowen (Jen is a badass, a beautiful badass but yeah, her best quality is that she is strong in her convictions and passionate about the things she chooses to give her heart to) @bb-8(Cody, you are so talented and smart and genuine and I love you so much) @montygreen (Leila, you are so talented and wonderful and I love you so much and your gifsets are so beautiful they take my breath away) @ohmypreciousgirl (to think that five years ago your blog was one of the first that I followed, that your passion and intelligence were a reason I even joined Tumblr in the first place, the fact that we are friends is incredible. I’m so grateful to you) @cllarkegriffin (Hannah, you are so incredible and I'm blessed to call you a friend) @clarkegriffintitties (Julia, I love you so much)

the writers who own my heart, whose ao3 pages I’m constantly refreshing, who make me fall in love with these characters all over again

@deadcatwithaflamethrower (HER WORLDBUILDING IS TO DIE FOR, she just is constantly reinventing the universes that she plays in and reinventing my own opinions of characters by making them so much more complex!!!! she’s just so incredible) @so-caffeinated/ @dust2dust34 (their verse of FICON is one of the most awe-inspiring things I have ever read and it’s funny and sweet and action-packed and so full of family feels. I fangirled so much when I met Bre at HVFF, it was great and I just, they are so talented and I love writing poetry inspired by their writing) @rongasm (Rachel creates such works of art for Stydia and Percabeth and they are tender and touching and I could read the Harry Potter au for the rest of my life) @welllpthisishappening (Laura is a master at creating perfect pieces that I didn’t realize I wanted, she’s so talented and passionate and her stories just cause me to have such a massive grin on my face and she definitely reignited my love of CS) @ink-splotch(creates such masterpieces of Harry Potter and Marvel in terms of character study and what ifs and it’s just, I sometimes read them and cry but also rejoice) @lostcap (Phia’s poetry is pure spun sunshine and steel, there’s such a force to her words as though she is channelling the greek muses and the moment that she named me as one of her favorite tumblr poets is quite possibly one of my greatest accomplishments) @jasonsmclean/ @bipercabeth (have created one of my favorite series EVER, and are worthy of all the praise they’ve ever gotten)

some other amazing people who have made this year spectacular

@bellameblake @bellsblake @bellblake @asexual-mechanic @apirateslifeforsmee @jahaliel @molliiholmes @nerdybellamy @prosciuttoe @jbuffyangel @turtlejustice @junebugninja @missemarissa @rashaka @griffndors @grumpybell @kindclaws @weirwolves @dreamcourtrhys @cath-avery @stydixa @ofnailbatsandaxefives @llysandra @whoeveryoulovethemost @impvlsivee @stilesprefers-screamers @readymachine @bellarketm @warriorsaralance

thank you, if you’re reading this, for making my year truly special

#abby celebrates 22 #abby speaks

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galadrieljones · 5 years

Text

A Funeral: Chapter 17 (Arthur Morgan x Mary Beth Gaskill)

Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Pairing: Arthur x Mary Beth | Rating: Mature

Content: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Touch-Starved, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fake Marriage, Epiphanies, Backstory, Banter, Deep Emotions, Sharing a Bed, Swimming, Arthur to the Rescue, Forests, Abduction, Angst, Heavy Angst, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Sexual Content, Sexual Themes, Adult Content, Canon Divergence, Found Families, Brotherhood, Fatherhood

Summary: To help her process Sean’s death, Mary Beth asks Arthur to take her on a hunting trip, somewhere far away. He agrees, and on their journey, they find quietude and take comfort in their easy bond. They’ve been friends for a while now, but life is full of uncertainty and complications, and in their desperate search for meaning together, they endure a number of trials, some small, some big—all of which bring them closer to the insidious dangers of the natural world, as well as to one another, and to their future.

Credit to @bearly-tolerable for the banner! Art is my own.

***For the rest of this story, you can visit the masterpost or AO3, both linked in the replies to this post and also at my blog.***

Chapter 17: The Sons

“You wanna talk about me and Arthur?” said Mary Beth, looking down at her hands. Abigail was holding them real tight.

“It’s so romantic," said Abigail. "I been hoping for this, Mary Beth.”

“You have?”

“Of course,” said Abigail. “The two of you together—you’re so right for each other. With the books and the poetry and all that. Now what happened on that trip of yours? Tell me.”

Mary Beth got a little bashful. "A lot happened."

“Like what?"

Mary Beth smiled and gave her a look. “How much do you think I'm gonna spill?"

"As much as you're willing."

Mary Beth's cheeks felt very red.

Abigail became tender then, and kind, like she was reading the moment. “It's no bother,” she said. “I'm just so happy for you. And I just—Arthur. He’s so…stoic, you know? So strong and silent. Mysterious. What’s he like, all close like that? I’m just being nosy. You don't have to tell me anything, but I got to ask.”

“He's just...Arthur," said Mary Beth, a little shy. She was embarrassed in a way. "You know?"

“Not really," said Abigail.

Mary Beth was confused. She felt stupid all of a sudden, flustered. "Oh," she said, realizing. "I—I'm such a moron. I'm sorry, Abigail."

"What, you thought I slept with him?"

Mary Beth nodded, kind of sheepish. "I shouldn't have assumed."

Abigail laughed, at herself more than anything. She looked away, still holding Mary Beth's hands. "You got every reason to assume," she said. "And I ain't ashamed. Not no more. But I never took a turn with Arthur, Mary Beth. Not once. I swear."

Outside, you could hear people talking, getting to work on the day. The sounds of chickens and metal clanging. Mary Beth sighed. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be sorry."

"It's good to know, I guess," said Mary Beth. "Not that it really matters."

“We was only ever friends,” said Abigail, real earnest. “And it does matter. I understand. In any case, he's a different man now than he was when I met him. Things have changed so much."

"You mean for Arthur?"

“Of course." Abigail sighed. “You know, that year I got here, it was just a year or so before you got here."

"I know."

"You missed the worst of it. Lucky you. But back then, Arthur was...kind of a mess. You know about Mary Gillis?”

"Mary Gillis?" said Mary Beth. "Yeah. I mean, everybody does."

“Well, when I showed up, they had just ended things. For good. And he was so goddam busted up about it. I never seen a man wallow and brood like that, and with it, he was a fuckin derelict drunk.”

"A drunk?"

“Now don’t get me wrong,” continued Abigail. “He was a chivalrous drunk. He was still Arthur. Never raised his voice to no woman, certainly never imposed on no woman physically. But he drank, and he kept to himself. And when he didn’t, he was just getting in fuckin brawls in the saloons, and punching holes in pianos and getting thrown in jail for drunk and disorderly. Once when Hosea went to bust him free, he said he just wanted to die there. Wouldn't budge. Hosea literally put him on a salvaged barn door, tied it to the back of his horse, and drug him back to camp like a invalid. He made Uncle look sober that day.”

Mary Beth was surprised, but also somewhat amused. She didn't know why. It wasn't funny. But something about the image, looking back, knowing how things turned out, that made it less pressing somehow. ”Arthur punched a hole in a piano?” she said.

”Yeah,” said Abigail. “He did. Bloodied his hand something awful, too. But for all them antics, Arthur was never the type to buy a working girl. I mean, I'm sure he has, at one point or another, but as a general rule, he's got plenty of vices, it's just that none of them has ever been women."

"I know that," said Mary Beth. "I mean, he told me that."

"I was truly sad for him, in those days," said Abigail, "the better I got to know him, seeing how he'd been done. He didn't deserve that, getting so messed up over some uppity bitch trying to get above her station. Or, well, that's what Miss Grimshaw used to call her. Arthur has always been good to me and Jack. He protected us—that year John disappeared, he made sure we was taken care of, every day. He listened to me. He supported me. He's a good man.”

Mary Beth was just staring, listening. She was grateful for Abigail's honesty and her kindness and her earnest nature. “Thank you for telling me," said Mary Beth. "About you and him. And I'm sorry again, for assuming like I did. I guess I just got...kind of nervous."

“Why?"

“Because I ain’t so experienced.” Mary Beth looked away, out the window, to where the birds were singing. There was a quiet breeze coming in off the river now, too, cooling things down.

“That would never matter to Arthur," said Abigail. "And there's different kinds of experience. Trust me."

“I mean, it’s not like he was my first or anything," Mary Beth continued, "but he might as well’ve been, in some respects. I mean, a man like Arthur? I just got insecure for a minute that you’d—you know…”

“That I’d been there first?”

“Sort of.”

“Well, it ain’t true.”

Mary Beth smiled. She was, in truth, relieved, though she did not make a show of it. “Did Arthur ever propose to Mary?” she said.

“He did,” said Abigail. “He’d bought a ring and everything. And I believe she said yes at first, but then she broke it off. Kept the ring and everything."

“Jesus Christ,” said Mary Beth.

“Yeah,” said Abigail. “But none of that matters now.”

“The drinking,” said Mary Beth. “Is that why he don’t get drunk much no more? But for seldom occasions, I guess.”

“Probably,” said Abigail. “It weren’t pretty.”

Mary Beth sighed.

“You really love him, don’t you?” said Abigail. “I can see it in your eyes. He's caught your heart. You worry about him.”

“I do love him,” said Mary Beth. “He’s easy to love.”

“It’s just so romantic,” said Abigail.

Mary Beth felt herself relax a little then. Her shoulders loose. She studied Abigail’s hands. They were clean. The nails were very clear. “He’s real giving,” she said, suddenly wanting to open up, to talk.

"Like how?" said Abigail.

“In all sorts of ways," said Mary Beth. "Generous. With talking, and touching. He never told me about that drinking thing, but I get why. It’s of no consequence. He told me so much else. Sad things. Real sad. He has all of these…layers. I see it sometimes, like he’s so nervous that I’m just gonna…disappear. He’s such a good man. He’s smart and his brain is so strong and it works so fine. I just want him to know this, you know? Sometimes I get the sense that he don’t love himself, not like he should. You know?”

“I get it.”

“I know people think I’m some sort of dippy idiot,” Mary Beth continued. “That all I do is walk around with my head in the clouds. But it ain’t like that with Arthur. It’s like having my feet on the ground for the first time, and not feeling like I gotta run from nothing. Like I’m safe. And I don’t just mean physically. I mean like—in my soul.”

Abigail was breathless, put a piece of hair behind Mary Beth’s ear in a sisterly fashion. “That’s beautiful,” she said.

“Anyway,” said Mary Beth, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. “I’ve talked enough about myself. You get it.”

“Has he asked you to marry him?”

“No,” said Mary Beth. “We ain’t discussed marriage. I think though—I think with Arthur, that’s sort of implied.”

“How many of his babies you gonna have?”

Mary Beth blushed. Her face got hot. She took back her hands to push the hair off her cheeks. “As many as I can.”

“He’ll be such a good daddy.”

“I know.”

Abigail sighed. She was so genuine in her happiness for them. She was this pure soul.

“You know,” said Abigail. “John is—he’s starting to come around, and I think it’s a lot because of Arthur.”

“That don’t surprise me.”

“Yeah. After Jack got taken by that fuckin snake, Angelo Whatever, and the boys went after him in the city, John changed. It was like—on a dime. He listens to me now. He’s here. He reads to Jack, though he ain’t no good. He tries. It’s sweet.”

“You still love him, don’t you, Abigail?”

Abigail straightened her skirt, looked down at her knees. “Of course,” she said. “I’m all bluster sometimes, but inside, I am a woman like any other. I am soft for that man. And him coming around like this, trying to be better, it’s made me miss him like I never knew I could.” She looked up then, hardened a little, but seeming desperate. “Do you think I’m a fool, Mary Beth? For having faith?”

Mary Beth was surprised by the question, the outpouring. She didn’t know that she was worthy to answer, but she tried anyway. “No,” she said, being as honest as she could. “Of course not. If anyone knows John, it’s you, Abigail. And if you got faith in him and the man he’s becoming, that’s all that matters.”

Abigail sat up a little, smiling after this, like she was relieved and so gracious. Her eyes got full, glassy. “Thank you,” she said.

“Any time.”

She wiped a quick tear from her cheek now. More seemed to be coming. “Gosh, I’m such a dumbass,” she said.

“No you ain’t.”

“Don’t go telling no one I’m saying these things,” Abigail went on. “I can’t have them all thinking I’ve done forgiven John Marston.”

“Why not?” said Mary Beth.

“Because it’s none of their goddam business,” she said, smiling now, stopping her crying. She sniffled a little, held Mary Beth’s hand again. “You can know though, Mary Beth. You understand.”

“I will always try.”

“Anyway,” said Abigail. “I hope I haven’t scared the shit out of you here. I didn’t mean to cloister you off and force you to confess your love for Arthur, and then start going off about my own complicated carryings-on with John Marston.”

Mary Beth laughed. “It’s fine,” she said. “It saved me a trip to go see Miss Grimshaw.”

Abigail waved her off then and became exasperated. “That woman needs a vacation.”

“She definitely does,” said Mary Beth.

They sat together as the breeze came in through the window, blowing their hair, making the air smell good.

Outside, Arthur chopped some firewood. The exertion made him feel clean and strong. He said hello to Cain, patted him on the head, and he said hello to Tilly and to Jack. They were happy to see him, sitting together beside one of the covered wagons, drawing pictures of trees and people on paper with crayons.

He found John then, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette by the scout fire. He was silent and content, wearing a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up, staring off into some infinite distance all by himself.

“Marston,” said Arthur, coming up along side him. He had his thumbs hooked through his belt loops, his hat on to guard his face from the southern sun.

“Arthur,” said John, flicking his cigarette. “You’re back.”

“That I am.”

“How was your trip?” He sipped his coffee. “You look rested.”

“Thank you,” said Arthur. “And the trip was fine. Just fine.”

“Good," said John.

“What are you up to?” said Arthur. "You got plans for the day?"

They both looked at the fire. Somewhere nearby, there was a sound in the trees. A boar went flying through, squealing like an idiot.

“Nothing much,” said John, studying the tip of that cigarette. “It’s warm today. I was thinking of maybe heading out in a bit, fishing some.”

“You know any good spots?” said Arthur.

“A couple. Javier gave me some tips last week. Nice and shady." He finished his coffee down to the sludge, dumped that out to the earth. "You wanna come?” he said.

Arthur nodded, regarding the warm air on his skin. “Sure,” he said. “Why not?” He lit a cigarette.

“Sounds good," said John. "Let me just go grab my gear and tell Abigail.”

“She’s, uh, she’s up in the house, with Mary Beth,” said Arthur, smoking. “You mention it to both of them, okay?”

John gave him a look, interested. He smiled. “Okay.”

They cut through Scarlet Meadows, north of Braithwaite Manor till they found a nice shady spot down the banks from Clemens Point. It was nearby to where Arthur had gone fishing once with Kieran, many months before when the world did not yet seem like it was coming to an end. Hitching their horses, they went along in a comfortable silence, Arthur carrying the tackle, John carrying a crate full of beer, each of them with their fishing rods resting on their shoulders.

They set up with their boots close to the water. John cracked a couple bottles of beer and passed one to Arthur who took a long drink. It wasn’t cold, but it was good. They cast their lines with the beer bottles stuck in the sand. They fished like that, for a while. After some time with nothing biting, Arthur took a deep breath, and then John glanced over looking expectant. He reached for his beer, took a long drink, set it back in the sand.

“So,” said John, rocking back on his heels.

“So.”

“What’s going on with you and Mary Beth?” he said. “She your girl now?”

“She is,” said Arthur.

John smiled, kind of sly, squinting past the sun. Arthur was looking out at the water. “That’s great,” said John. “I'm happy for you two. How’d it happen?”

Arthur sighed, gently spinning the reel. “The trip, north. It just kind of...put things into perspective a little bit. We met with some danger up there, a lot of beauty, too. She makes it easy.”

“Makes what easy?”

“Living,” said Arthur.

John was looking at him, like he didn’t quite catch his drift.

But something bit on Arthur’s line then. They both flung their heads to see. John got big with excitement and encouraged him on as Arthur dug back into his heels and reeled in hard. After a minute or two, Arthur pulled in a real sturdy Steelhead. It must’ve weighed fourteen or fifteen pounds, a delightful catch.

“Look at that!” said John as Arthur steadied the fish. “We can cook that one up for the both of us.”

“And we shall,” said Arthur, smiling. He was proud of this one. He gave it a nice, hearty shake.

Once it quit the fight and its gills went steady, Arthur wrapped it up in a big cut of paper and went over to Sarah, stashing it on the back of her saddle. He dusted his hands, went back to the lake, picked up his beer and drank. He gestured to John, then to the water. “Your turn, brother.”

“I can’t top that,” said John, recasting.

“You never know until you try,” said Arthur.

John continued fishing. Arthur finished his beer, decided to cast out one more time. It was a fine temperature in the shade. Not too humid. The day felt good.

After a little while, John spoke. “Hey,” he said. "Arthur."

“What’s up.”

But then John got stopped up. He seemed stifled. He seemed like he was going to say something, something big and important, and then he choked.

“You were saying?” said Arthur.

“I just—I been thinking.”

“Thinking about what,” said Arthur.

“Thinking about…that year." He got quiet, lowered his voice like he was embarrassed. "That year I spent away. How it—how it weren’t right. How angry you were. After what happened to Jack, I been thinking about it a lot.”

“Is that so,” said Arthur.

“Yeah,” said John. “It is. And I just—I’m glad you’re here, with me now. So I can tell you.”

“Tell me what.”

“That I’m sorry,” said John.

They got steady, together. Arthur looked at him, but he was looking at his boots, in the sand. The fishing rod was sagging. He had all but abandoned it. Arthur pulled in his line, set the rod against his shoulder. “I appreciate that,” he said.

John swallowed something, hard, glanced up at Arthur very seriously, as if ashamed. “You took care of her,” he said. “While I was gone. You helped me get Jack back. You done nothing but look after me and mine over the years, and I just—thank you, Arthur.”

Arthur felt full up, heavy and still. He nodded, adjusted his hat, looked back out to the water. “You’re welcome,” he said.

“I just—” John continued. “At the time, I was so inside my own head, you know? I couldn’t see straight. I never understood why you were so goddam angry. Why the hell you cared so much.”

Arthur looked down at his boots.

“But I get it now,” said John. “I get it.”

“What do you get?” said Arthur.

“It wasn’t long after Mary, you losing her. What that did to you, and how it drug up bad things. Real bad things, Arthur. Maybe you don’t think I saw, but I remember. And seeing me, running out on Abigail, this little baby—it was like me, repeating your old mistakes, wasn’t it?”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Marston,” said Arthur. “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

“Eliza,” he said. “And Isaac.”

Arthur blinked, quickly, finished his beer, tossed the bottle to the water. He looked down. He said nothing.

“I’m sorry,” said John. “Arthur, I am.”

“It’s okay,” said Arthur, squaring up with him. “You’re a better man now. That’s what matters.”

“You are, too,” said John.

“Yeah well,” said Arthur, “Mary Beth keeps trying to convince me of that. I keep telling myself, if she thinks it’s true, then true it must be.”

They looked at each other, real earnest, like brothers.

Then, John lurched toward the lake as something bit on the line. “Oh, shit,” he said, nearly stumbling into the water. He steadied himself, reeling in perhaps a little too hard.

“Ease off the reel, Marston,” said Arthur. “Jesus Christ, you’re gonna break the line. Ain’t you fished before?”

“It’s strong,” said John.

“Guide it in,” said Arthur. “Real easy. Easy. Like that. There you go.”

“Like that?”

“Yep,” said Arthur, giving him a long look as he finally got the damn fish under control. “Patience is not your virtue.”

John smiled. “You’re right about that.”

He brought in the fish. It was another Steelhead, as big as Arthur’s catch, maybe bigger.

“Now look at that,” said Arthur, clapping him on the shoulder. “You did it. Nearly all by yourself.”

“Shut up, Arthur,” said John, but he was joking. He wrapped the fish. Together, they decided to call it quits. They built a little fire. Arthur cleaned up and fileted one of the trout, sprinkled it with salt and a little bit of ground pepper. He pan-fried it while John led the horses over to the water and opened a couple more bottles of beer. He came back and sat down across the fire from Arthur. When the fish was done, Arthur served them both. It was a fine lunch.

The sun was getting long over the water by now. It was afternoon. They leaned, looking at the water with their legs straight out. Some canoeists went by, a man and a woman who looked happily in love.

After a little while, Arthur spoke. “So,” he said. “How’s it been going. With Abigail.”

John sighed. “It’s going,” he said. He sat forward, plucked a couple long blades of grass from the earth, began shredding them between his fingers. “I been trying to get back there, you know? To where it was when it was good. She even looks at me now. Sometimes like she used to.”

“And how’s that?” said Arthur.

“Like she can stand me.”

Arthur laughed.

“How’s it with Mary Beth?” said John.

“It’s new, but we already know each other pretty well. So it’s steady, too.”

“I mean, the two of you? You’re perfect for each other if you ask me.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because,” said John. “She’s kind of…you know.”

“She’s kind of what?” said Arthur, sipping his beer.

“She likes the things you like.”

“Which are?”

“Writing,” said John, tossing the pieces of grass to the fire. “Words and drawings and stories and all that. I think a girl like her, especially in a life like ours, that’s one in a million, Arthur. And she’s nice to boot.”

“That, she is,” said Arthur.

“Pretty, too.”

“You wanna marry her?” said Arthur. “Or, shall I?”

John laughed. “I’m just saying.”

“I know,” said Arthur. “And I appreciate it.” He finished off the beer. John popped the top off another, handed it to him with an absent mind. Arthur thanked him, cleared his throat. “You ever think about leaving?” he said.

John cracked another open for himself. “Leaving Shady Belle?”

“Leaving the gang,” said Arthur. “Packing up your family, getting lost.”

John paused, gave him a look, curious. “Have you?”

Arthur nodded, looked back out toward the water. He took a long drink. “Yes,” he said. He could almost picture it now. The more he said it out loud, the more real it seemed to become. “We are leaving," he went on. "Mary Beth and me. I don’t know exactly when, but soon. That's why I asked.”

The world seemed to get real quiet around them. If you listened close, you could hear the sounds of nature, birds and bugs and rushing water. “You and Mary Beth?” said John. “You’re gonna leave?”

“That’s right.”

“What’ll you do?”

“I don’t know,” said Arthur, peering down into the bottle. “Anything." He looked up, looked at John. "You know, you could come with us.”

“Me and Abigail and Jack?”

“That's right," he said. "You could come along, and our luck might be that much better.”

“You think?” said John. He was staring at Arthur, staring at him hard, listening really close, rapt.

“I do,” said Arthur. “Between you and me, we got a lot of know-how, plenty of skill. Mary Beth and Abigail, they’re capable women, and little Jack, well he won’t be little forever.”

“What are you thinking?” said John, taking a long drink. “Buying a ranch or something? Headed back west?”

“Not west,” said Arthur. “No, there’s too much unfinished business back there for us.”

“Then where?”

“North,” said Arthur.

“North?”

“The Midwest.”

This seemed to concern John at first. “I don’t wanna go back to Chicago. There's nothing there for me, Arthur.”

“Not Chicago,” said Arthur. “No, closer to the Mississippi. Wisconsin, maybe.”

“I ain’t never been to Wisconsin,” said John.

“Me neither,” said Arthur. “But I know somebody who spent time there in his youth, and I think there’s a life to be made. An honest life.”

John finished his beer. He chucked the bottle. He sat with his elbows resting on his knees. He seemed torn and contentious all of a sudden. Real young, thought Arthur. Still searching, cynical and unsure. “You really think we could make it work?” he said, looking at Arthur. “You and me? After years of living outside the law.”

“I ain’t saying it’ll be easy,” said Arthur. “It’ll take…patience. But it’s a possibility, and I think between the two of us, along with the girls, we could get it done.”

John nodded along. He was thinking about it. He was. “You’ve really thought about this.”

“I have,” said Arthur. “In truth, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I just never had a reason before.”

“You talked to Dutch? Hosea?”

“Only Hosea,” said Arthur. “He supports it. It was his idea I come talk to you.”

John hung his head. He closed his eyes. “And Dutch? What’s he gonna say?”

“The way I see it, John, we do this, he don’t have much of a choice.”

John sighed, real big. He was picking at the grass again. “This whole thing—it’s crazy,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“Everything that’s happened,” said John. “Since Blackwater. I mean, how the hell did we end up in the goddam swamps?”

“I don’t know,” said Arthur. “But that’s part of the reason I need to get Mary Beth out of here. It’s too much goddam uncertainty for my comfort.”

“Is she pregnant?” said John, looking at him, in earnest.

Arthur took a drink, looked down at his hands. “She could be,” he said. “I don’t know. If she ain’t now, she will be soon. And I just—after what happened to Jack. That was a best case scenario. You realize that, John, don’t you? It could’ve been a whole lot worse.”

“You mean like, not getting him back?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

John straightened up then, his jaw real firm. The day was already getting on. Some ducks and geese had come to float in the water. The fire was low. “What does Mary Beth think?” he said.

“She’s ready,” said Arthur. “She don’t push me, but I know she’s done with this place. It ain’t for her.”

“It ain’t for Abigail either,” said John. “And it definitely ain’t for Jack.”

Arthur sighed. Together, they watched the ducks, cleaning and pruning their feathers in the dark water. They thought about life, and madness, and what it would take to get gone with the wind.

“Let me talk to Abigail,” said John.

Arthur nodded, finishing his beer. “You do that.”

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #rdr2 fanfic #mary beth gaskill #arthur morgan x mary beth gaskill #mary-beth gaskill #arthur x mary beth #a funeral

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fadingcoast · 5 years

Text

Death Of The Lie || Chapter 16: Goodbyes

AUTHORS: @fandom-and-feminism & @fadingcoast

Summary: Odin and his daughter Hela are the perfect conquerors of the universe. The nine realms fall one after the other into their clutch. After Odin takes a second wife and has a son with her, he doesn’t need Hela anymore. Hela abandons her father and ends up marrying Laufey, a sworn enemy of the Aesir people. Not long after, she becomes pregnant with Laufey’s child. Odin cannot let that son be born, but against all odds, the boy survives. Odin is forced to bring him back to Asgard to be raised as his own until he could make further use of him. The half-Jotun-half-Aesir boy grows up to look and act a lot like his mother, which disturbs Odin, and makes him treat the boy horribly. Odin’s lies are deep and complex, but one day the boy will find out the truth about everything he is.

PAIRING: None RATING: Teen

MASTERLIST

Feedback is always appreciated and reblogs are encouraged!!

Chapter 16: Goodbyes

Loki spent another decade as a woman before he finally figured out how to turn back to his original form and stay that way, much to Sigyn’s dismay. He took shape shifting very seriously after that incident and decided not to go against his tutor’s instructions ever again, though from time to time he was known to shift back and forth whenever he felt like it.

Once he had mastered the art of transfiguration and moved on to advanced projections and illusions, and even inter-realm teleportation, Loki found himself completely buried in his studies. He was grateful to have Sigyn and Freyr to help him and remind him of what the Alfar had always known, that one must balance work with leisure. Though Loki kept his visits to Asgard short due to Thor's manner becoming more like the Allfather's, he still appreciated the time he got to spend with his mother and the bond they shared with his growing magic.

The years passed with increasing speed as Loki came into himself, his powers stronger and more advanced than anyone anticipated, his physique finally becoming more proportioned with his long legs and arms as he trained in close combat, and his sleek black hair reaching his waist by the time he was ready to graduate from the Sanctum. No longer was Loki the knobby-kneed princeling learning magic tricks.

After Loki's graduation ceremonies were completed, during his final summer season on Alfheim, he was pulled aside for a meeting with the King on his last evening in the castle.

“Ah, my dear Loki! Come on in,” Freyr greeted him brightly. Loki bowed and, following the king’s instruction, sat across the tea table from him. “How are you doing?”

“I’m--” For all his renewed wits, Loki couldn’t bring himself to lie to the king. “I-- wish I didn’t have to leave.” He wrung his fingers, trying to properly articulate himself. “I wish there was a way to thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

King Frèyr smiled warmly. “Well, there is a way you could come back one day, if you so desire.”

“What do you mean?” Loki asked.

“I mean marriage, my dear.”

Loki hoped he didn't look as shocked as he felt. “What?!”

“I know Sigyn is very fond of you,” the King stated simply. “You’ve grown close during your years here and after seeing the way you communicate with her, I couldn’t possibly think of a better match for my princess.”

“I-I don’t think I’m her type, if I’m honest,” Loki said, slightly uncomfortable.

“I know my daughter’s type, Loki,” King Frèyr said with a small smile. “She has yet to be able to lie to me.” Loki’s eyes went wide with surprise. “But I also know my daughter will fulfill her duties as a princess. And that includes marriage.”

Loki just stared in stunned silence. This was beyond any of his expectations, ever! Back on Asgard he was always the spare. No one ever paid any attention to him or what he did, unless he messed up or otherwise did something that singled him out as an other. Everyone’s eyes were set on Thor, and who he would choose. He was the worthy one, he was who got all the women parading in front of him.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Loki put a hand on his chest. “Me?” he whispered. “Are you sure?”

“You’ve made quite the impression in the people of Alfheim, my boy.” The King poured some wine for himself and took a long sip before continuing. “I think I can speak for them all when I say how much they appreciate you. You’ve been a bridge between ourselves and Asgard. A connection the elves haven’t felt in a long time. They would be most pleased to have you as their ruler.”

“What about my -”

“Worry not, dear boy, I have already spoken to your mother and she is delighted with the idea,” Freyr assured him. “She will speak to your father and smooth things over. Asgard has its future king, and Alfheim needs hers. I can think of no one better for the job.”

“And can you speak for Sigyn too?” Loki asked cautiously.

“I am sure Sigyn would agree with me.” He smiled knowingly. “But of course, it is not necessary to give an answer immediately. You both are still young and have many things to see before you settle down and get married. My time is not yet up. When you are ready, Alfheim will always be here to welcome you back home.”

Loki let that last word circle around in his head for a moment. Home…

“I’ll be leaving late this evening so I won’t be here to see you off tomorrow,” Freyr said, interrupting his thoughts, “but Sigyn will probably get up shortly after dawn and the two of you can take the guards to the Bifrost site whenever you’re ready to leave.” The King arose and circled the table, leaning down with his arms wide to hug Loki around his shoulders. At a loss for words, Loki hugged him back silently.

Loki was dismissed after that and he walked, stunned, to Sigyn's room to talk to her about it. Together they sat on her bed and Sigyn braided his hair as she waited patiently for him to talk.

“Your father and I had the most awkward conversation,” Loki finally said, staring at his hands as Sigyn finished off the fourth braid in his long hair. “He thinks we should get married. Later, that is,” he added quickly.

Sigyn sighed, her hands slowing. “Yeah, we had that conversation too.”

Loki looked at Sigyn curiously. “Do you agree?”

“I’m not particularly against it,” she admitted with a chuckle. Loki pushed her slightly with his shoulder. “Thing is, as far as my options go, you are… not a bad one.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It is!” Sigyn giggled. “You’re fun, intelligent, powerful… My father loves you, Alfheim respects you. You’re much better than any other options I see in my future. And you’re my best friend,” she added, taking Loki’s hand in hers. “Father always says that marriage starts with friendship, that it’s stronger than a lover’s love. I love you like I’d love a brother.”

Loki smiled softly at her words. It meant a lot, coming from her, and he felt much the same about her. Over the years he had grown closer to her and saw her as more of a sibling than Thor ever was to him. Perhaps one day he could learn to love her as more than that, but as far as the prospects for his future, one with Sigyn was better than what he could have imagined for himself.

“And you can turn into a woman,” Sigyn teased, interrupting his thoughts. “I’m not getting another betrothed who can actually do that.”

Loki laughed loudly at that, and squeezed Sigyn’s hand. “Then I guess I have to do this right, don’t I?” He smirked, getting down on one knee in front of Sigyn, who shook her head and covered her face with her palm, breaking down into hysterics. “Princess Sigyn of Alfheim, will you marry me?”

Sigyn calmed her giggles long enough to say, “Prince Loki of Asgard, yes I will. Though you seem to be lacking one particularly important item.” She held her hand in front of his face for emphasis.

“Of course!” Loki chuckled and pulled one of the rings holding his braid from his hair, sliding it on Sigyn’s fourth finger. The gold spiral ring was a bit loose on her slender finger but it would work.

Both of them laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, but felt strangely comfortable as they settled down, the pair sitting back on Sigyn's bed. Loki laid his head down in Sigyn's lap and sighed, looking out her massive window that overlooked the gardens. The sun was starting to set, with tinges of orange and red coloring the clouds, another reminder that his time in this beautiful realm was coming to a close.

“I can't believe this time tomorrow I'll be back in my old room,” Loki lamented. “Back to reality, back to being second best.” He craned his neck to look up at Sigyn, who was staring out the window too. Her amber eyes gleamed with unshed tears. “At least it's not forever, right?”

Sigyn nodded and squeezed his hand. “Right.”

Loki was awakened at dawn by Gwyn's fussing and blubbering as soon as she walked in his room. She apologized profusely and broke down in sentimental tears as Loki arose from his bed and stretched. Placing his breakfast tray on his desk, Gwyn took a look around the almost empty room and let out a shaky breath.

“Oh my dear boy,” she wailed, walking over to Loki and standing on her toes to place her hands on Loki's cheeks, “I've clothed you and bathed you and watched you grow and now you're a bona fide Prince! You and the Princess will make such beautiful babies!” Before Loki could push past his shock that Gwyn was privy to information about his unofficial engagement to Sigyn, she pulled him down until she could kiss him on each cheek. “Promise you won't forget your old maid, huh?” she whispered with a barely concealed sniffle. Tears trailed down her plump cheeks and she dabbed them away with her apron.

Loki smiled and offered her an enthusiastic nod. “How could I forget someone who is practically like a mother to me?”

“The queen is a great woman, lad, but she never had your hair looking quite like this, now did she?” Loki shook his head, his smile fading slightly. “Now eat, you have a long day ahead of you since you’re going home later.”

Home...

Gwyn kissed him on the top of his head when he sat down at the now-empty desk to eat, and wouldn’t leave until he took a bite of bread. As soon as the door closed again Loki put the bread back on the tray, no longer interested in it, and took in a slow breath. His eyes wandered to the space on the desk to the left of the chair, and he pictured a handsome blond young man sitting there with his legs dangling over the side, begging him not to leave. From there he looked to the bed just over his shoulder and had to push away the memory of the many nights he spent there with the same young man wrapped in his arms. Loki had to fight the cold feeling spreading from his chest as he made himself look elsewhere and settled on the bay window.

There had been so much ice, so much pain… Many others had had their share of time in his room since then, yet none of them had been able to erase that. Except one.

The chill in his blood warmed when he thought of who had brought him back to himself. She was like a sister to him, but more than that. Kind, beautiful, reserved yet assertive, and ever patient, Sigyn had been there for him at his lowest moments since the day he came to Alfheim. She would make a fine Queen one day, and it brought Loki a measure of peace to think he would be her King when that day came.

There are worse ways to spend a few thousand years, Loki reminded himself. A smile spread across his face as he imagined coming back here and knowing he could stay forever.

It shall be worth the wait.

After a long sigh and a determined nod, Loki finished his breakfast while watching the sun come up over the trees. The gentle bubbling of the river and the delicate chirping of birds kept him company until it was fully bright outside, and he knew the time to leave was soon. There was no point in delaying the inevitable, and it would be quite a long task to unpack everything once he got back to Asgard, even using his magic.

As if on cue, rapid footsteps echoed down the hall and got louder as they came closer to his room. Loki was on his feet with his arms outstretched before Sigyn even got the door open, and she bounded across the room and leapt into Loki’s arms, knocking him to the floor with a surprised oof!

“Morning!” Sigyn sang brightly, brushing the hair out of Loki’s eyes. They both laughed and she helped him stand back up.

Before he could say anything she wrapped her arms around his chest and held him tight against her.

“I've decided you're staying,” she mumbled against his chest.

Loki pulled her away gently by her shoulders, giving her a sad smile. “If only I could, I would,” he said. “Being apart from this realm will not be easy. But when I return, I will be that much happier for it.” He wiped away her tears with his tunic sleeve and took her hand. “Let's go to the Bifrost site before I risk interrealm diplomacy and change my mind.”

Sigyn nodded solemnly. She channeled her seidr and weaved it seamlessly with Loki's in their joined hands, and together they vanished his various trunks to Asgard and teleported to the landing site. When they touched ground again she let go of him, though reluctantly.

Loki turned to step onto the stone circle, and hesitated, turning to her again. “I know I’m not a woman right now, but… could I kiss you one last time?”

“You can…” she said, leaning in, “but promise me it won’t be the last time.”

He pressed his lips to hers and lingered there, his fingers weaving through her soft hair. When he pulled away his heart was pounding like it hadn't in ages. Finally he made himself step onto the platform, turning away from Sigyn not to see the silent tears she was failing to hold back.

“I'm ready, Heimdall,” he said, so quietly it was nearly a whisper.

Despite the obvious sadness surrounding this very moment, for the first time in probably his entire life, Loki was heading home with hope in his heart.

<< Chapter 15 – Chapter 17 >>

@igotloki @xalgaliareptx @christy-winchester @silverhart93 @claiming-loyalty-to-loki @honeybournehippy @unseelie1963 @mischievousbellerina @manager-of-mischief @angryowlet @thelittlestlittlecutiepie

#Loki #Loki Fanfic #Loki Fanfiction #Loki Helason #odin's a+ parenting #DOTL #Death Of The Lie

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jinterlude · 6 years

Text

Fight for Me (Ch.1)

➵ Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Female OC

➵ Genre(s): Historic!AU, Medieval!AU , Royalty!AU, Knight!AU, Romance, SMUT, Humor, & Angst

➵ Words: 5.6K

➵ Summary: Once upon a time, there was a not-so-traditional kingdom. In that kingdom, the royal family had the freedom of marrying whoever his or her royal highness deems worthy. Now, of course, having that special privilege came with some interesting challenges, but that doesn’t stop a certain head-strong princess from doing whatever her heart’s desire, especially when she has her heart set on marrying her personal bodyguard. Unfortunately, her beliefs might face some hardships when a certain king sets his eye on her. Will her bodyguard continue to fight for her or is it finally her turn?

※ Next Time: ch.2 | ch.3 | ch.4 | ch.5 | ch.6 | final chapter

Chapter 1: There Lived a Princess

Once upon a time, in a kingdom nestled on the highest cliffs, overlooking the vast, deep-blue sea, lived a well-loved royal family. The royal family ruled their people with a warm yet firm hand. They were polite and kind to their subjects. At the same time, they had enough authoritative presence that no one dared to step on their toes. They had enough common knowledge of the different countries and only sent out trading vessels when absolutely necessary. Their military personnel were one of the best but rarely used. You can say that the royal family valued peace above everything else. However, they would do whatever it took to keep the peace, especially when their beloved and only daughter scurried around the castle.

After many years of failed attempts of conceiving a child, the king and queen were on the verge of giving up. Until, one night, a miracle happened. No one knew how it happened or why it happened, but the queen prayed to her God and thanked him for blessing her with the ability to carry a child for a full-term. Thanks to that special miracle, her precious daughter, Park Sumin, was born.

Oh, the kingdom celebrated for many days and many nights as it was such a joyous occasion for the royal family to give birth to a daughter. Previous generations, it was always a son that was born, but now? The king can happily pass his crown to his daughter once his time was up, but right now, he was going to cherish the moments he has with her. He was going to teach her his favorite sport, archery, when she was in her adolescent years. He was going to teach her the art of the sword, riding horseback, and of course, diplomacy. He wanted to make sure that he need not to worry about her near the final hours of his life. He wanted to move on to the heavens knowing that his precious jewel was going to be alright.

“Mother, when are you going to get to my favorite part?” The queen heard a tiny voice ask, looking up at her with eyes full of hope.

The queen chuckled softly, “And what part may that be, my darling Sumin?”

Sumin hummed, flipping through the pages like a madwoman until she reached her favorite part.

“This part, mother! Where both you and father write about me!”

The queen faked a surprise gasp, “Oh! Of course, how can I forget?” She then cleared her throat and quickly skimmed where to begin. She held her index finger underneath the starting word and grabbed the crystal goblet filled with water. She pressed her plump lips on the rim of the glass before tilting it slightly, allowing the healthy liquid to enter her mouth. She swallowed the beverage and placed the goblet on the marble nightstand.

“Okay, shall we?”

In a blink of an eye, princess Sumin has started to develop facial features that was a mixture of her mother and father. Her eyes, brows, and smile screamed her mother while her nose and soft cheekbones came from her father. She was the perfect mix of the two. Some noble men and women had their doubts since her father was the first in the family to marry outside royalty—to marry a lowly commoner, however, an old family tradition lingered in the air. Eventually, that family tradition became a law within the royal family. The law being that the prince or princess could marry whoever he or she deemed worthy, regardless of social status. Princess Sumin’s mother was a commoner. Her parents owned a local bakery, and they would bring freshly baked goods to the castle every morning. So— it was natural they had fallen in love.

Now, Sumin’s parents hope that one day she too would find love one day.

“Do you think I’m capable of finding love, mother?” A young Sumin asked as her mother closed the “story” book.

The queen placed the book on the beautifully carved wooden desk and then peeked behind her shoulder.

“Of course, my daughter. You are capable of anything your heart desires.” Her mother said; her voice filled with encouragement.

Sumin beamed with happiness as she positioned herself in her bed. Her mother glided her way over and grabbed the covers. She tightened the soft sheet around her daughter and placed a warm kiss on her forehead.

“Now, sleep my beautiful daughter. I believe your father has set up a play date with a certain stable boy.” Her mother announced, sending a wave of excitement throughout Sumin.

Sumin practically squealed as she forced shut her eyes, unable to contain her happiness. All because she got to play with Kim Seokjin—her best friend in the castle.

With soft snores and small waves crashing onto the shore, the stars slowly disappeared as the main star, the Sun, came into view. The dark shades gradually changed into light shades. Black changed into dark blue. Dark blue changed into a light shade of reds and oranges until finally, the soft light blue painted over the skies. Big fluffy clouds simply hung out in their spots.

A loud and repeated knock echoed through the dark room, where a certain princess was still in deep slumber.

“Princess Sumin! Princess Sumin, wake up this instance! Your mother and father says it is time for breakfast!” a nagging voice shouted from the other side of the door, causing the young princess to stir in her slumber.

“Your father told me to tell you that if you are not awake and dressed soon, you will not be allowed to see your young friend, Seokjin and instead, will be spending the day in library!” the nagging voice shouted yet again.

As soon as the part of her not being able to see Seokjin entered her ears, Sumin’s eyes shot open. The young princess threw off the covers and climbed down from her enormous bed. She quickly brushed the knots out her luscious locks and grabbed her satin purple robe. She tightened the thick ribbon around her waist and practically tore off the door. She smiled brightly at her nurse and ran past her. The elderly nurse let out an exaggerated sigh before chasing after the young princess.

“Your highness! It’s not lady like to run through the halls wearing nothing but your nightgown!” Sumin heard her nurse holler after her, causing the child to giggle with amusement.

Her tiny feet skipped down the long staircase, hearing many polite greetings from the castle workers. The excited princess smiled and nodded her head as she scurried her way to the dining area, where her mother and father awaited.

“Dear, the royal Jeon family has sent us yet another later, inquiring if we had made up our mind on setting up an arrange marriage with their youngest son, Jungkook, I believe was the boy’s name.” The queen said, not looking away from the rough piece of parchment as the king peacefully ate his meal.

The king eyed his wife as he sighed while chewing up the delicious morning ham.

“The Jeon family? Aren’t they the ones notorious for their knights and what’s the word?” He paused, snapping his fingers, hoping the word would come to him. Luckily, his wife read his mind and assisted him.

“I think the word you are looking for, your majesty, is stoic.” The queen hid her amusing smile behind her gold chalice, filled with a sweet-tasting wine.

The king gave her look but had a grateful smile, “That’s the word! Stoic! King Jeon is so serious and yet the queen is completely the opposite.”

The queen simply rolled her eyes, “It’s not polite to gossip, my love.”

“Says the woman who likes to gossip with the Lady Kim about the Lady Jung.” The king playfully argued.

However, before the queen could tease back, their energetic daughter came running in, giggling as she sped away from her nurse.

“Princess Sumin!!” The nurse hollered as her heart pounded against her chest.

The king raised his brow as he opened his arms nice and wide, waiting for his hyper daughter to run into them.

“Papa!!” Sumin greeted happily as she ran into his arms.

The king chuckled deeply as he easily hoisted her up and rested her on his knee.

“Sumin, my darling girl. How did you sleep? I am assuming well since you set your nurse on a wild goose chase.” The king eyed the elderly nurse with pure amusement.

Sumin nodded happily, “I did father! I’m just filled with excitement because I get to play with Seokjin.”

The king tapped her nose lightly, “That you are, my princess. Speaking of Seokjin…” The king turned to the queen, “Can you write to the Jeon family saying that our daughter has her eye on a certain stable boy and will not be needing an arrange marriage?”

A look of disgust slowly appeared on Sumin’s face. Marrying Seokjin; her best friend/worst enemy? Gross! Sumin stuck out her tongue and vigorously shook her head.

“There is no way, I’m going to marry that gross boy. I rather kiss a frog!” Sumin rejected the idea with her entire body.

Both the king and queen fought off the smile that threatened to form. Their daughter was indeed precious.

“You do not want to marry Seokjin? Well, I guess we have to arrange a marriage for you then, since you are the first, in this family, to be extremely picky.” The king looked at her “sternly”, hoping that his harden gaze will push her to choose who she wanted to marry and not be forcibly be betrothed.

Sumin cocked her head to the side with her brows furrowed, signifying that she was deep in thought about something.

“So…if I say I want to marry Seokjin, then I do not have to marry a complete stranger?” She paused, humming to herself the more she thought about marrying her mortal “enemy”. She then peered up at her father and with a look of determination, she said, “Okay, papa! I’ll marry Seokjin one day!”

The king laughed loudly, picking her up and twirling her around.

“Good! Now, go and convince him.” He happily instructed, setting her down.

A determined smile graced her innocent lips as Sumin politely curtsied before running off with her newly charged nurse rushing after her.

Practically bouncing in her seat, Sumin eagerly waited for her helpers to be done with fixing up her hair. She puffed up her cheeks as she continuously ignored the many hands tugging her strands in multiple directions. Being a princess was hard work. When she is queen, she was going to create a law that allowed the females in the royal family to wear their hair down.

With the last jeweled flower hair pin nestled in her hair, the helpers bowed politely before leaving her presence. Sumin waved goodbye to them before hopping off her chair. She rushed over to the changing area, where her nurse laid out her dress for the day.

Sumin frowned at the sight of the horrendous death trap. There was no way that she would be able to play with Seokjin if she was busy tripping over the hem of the skirt over and over.

“Nurse! Do I have to wear this tent? Can I not wear my horseback riding outfit to run around with Seokjin?” Sumin whined as she held up her arms, waiting for the fabric to swallow her petite body.

The nurse clicked her tongue and ignored Sumin’s whines, pulling the skirt down and smoothing out the wrinkles before lacing and tying up the back of the dress.

“Princess Sumin, you have to remember that you are a future lady of the castle. You have to carry yourself with such dignity and— WILL YOU STOP MAKING SILLY FACES AT THE STABLE BOY!?” The nurse shouted, stopping mid-rant when she realized that Sumin was looking out her window and taunting the poor boy.

The nurse hung her head low and stalked up behind the mean princess. She grabbed Sumin’s upper arm and dragged her away from the window.

“Come now. You must put on your slippers and your crown. Then, you can go run amuck with the boy.” The nurse said, picking out a matching pair of shoes and placing in front of her. The nurse gently grabbed one ankle and slipped one of the slippers. She then repeated the action with the other foot. Then, the nurse quickly picked up Sumin’s crown for the day and gently placed it on her head, careful not mess up the masterpiece that is her hair.

Once the heavy accessory rested firmly on the top of her head, Sumin bit her bottom her lip; the adrenaline pumped through her veins, as she gathered her skirt and ran out the room.

The nurse watched the eager princess bolt out the room and away from her sight fast as lightening. She let out a long sigh as she shook her head before tidying up Sumin’s bedroom.

“Ah, I pity the poor man who has the honor of claiming her as his wife.” The nurse playfully thought as she picked up the discarded nightgown from the floor.

Feeling the cool sea breeze fan her face, Sumin ran through the gardens, laughing as she ran away from a now covered in mud Seokjin. She swiftly turned each corner as she heard his rushing footsteps gradually grow closer and closer.

“Get back here and fight me!” Sumin heard Seokjin threaten, causing her to laugh even harder.

Sumin glanced behind her shoulder,” I just did, you halfwit and look what happened. I whooped your butt!”

A young and easily tempered Seokjin glared at the princess’s backside.

“Yeah, but that’s because you are a cheat! Fight me like a real man!” He shouted as he closed the gap between them. His fingers could almost grab on the scruff of her dress.

Sumin immediately halted in her tracks. Oh, so he wanted her to fight him? Fine. She was going to fight. She swiftly scrunched up the hem of her skirt and turned around. An evil smirk was painted on her lips as she charged at the young boy. She tackled him onto the ground, and the two children began to wrestle, dirtying up their attires even more.

Sumin successfully had Seokjin pinned to the ground as she grabbed a fist full of mud and smeared it all over his face.

Seokjin groaned as he continued to struggle. For an eight-year-old girl, she sure fought like a grown man.

The two children continued their roughhouse until a loud, booming voice put a halt in their fun activity.

“What is going on here?!” Sumin heard her father yell and boy, he was not happy— or so she thought.

The dirty children scrambled up on their faces and hid their faces in shame, until they heard the sound laughter. Multiple of laughter.

“I told you to go and convince Seokjin to marry you, not beat him up.” The king said, eyeing her “seriously”.

Sumin fixed her lopsided crown and ran up to her father.

“I tried papa, but he said he would rather marry his horse than me, so I had to teach him a lesson for talking back to his princess.” She argued, sticking out her bottom lip cutely, hoping to earn sympathy points.

Seokjin gawked as he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, however, he wasn’t surprised. Sumin always did like to make up lies about him.

“What?! No, I did not! You are—” Before he could tattle on Sumin, revealing the truth to the king, Seokjin felt a sharp pain on the back his head. He angrily turned around and saw his father staring down on him, giving him “the look”.

“Seokjin, how many times do I have to tell you to be nice to Princess Sumin?” His father asked, looking at him seriously. Though, he was fighting off the smile that threatened to appear after seeing his son covered from head to toe in mud.

Seokjin grumbled, “None papa….”

“Good. Now, go tell the princess that you will marry her once she is of marrying age.” Seokjin heard his father say, causing the poor boy to groan and complain. Unfortunately, for him, his father was not having any of his whines. He pointed at Sumin’s direction and narrowed his eyes onto Seokjin.

Seokjin kicked the grass before stomping up to Sumin. He frowned deeply and looked away from her face.

“I guess I will do you the honor of being your husband.” Seokjin managed to choke out.

Sumin smiled proudly and looked up to her father, “See father, I managed to convince him to be my future husband.”

Both the fathers stared at their children, questioning whether a marriage will work out between them or not. It was going to be an interesting union, that’s for sure.

Since that fateful day, many years has passed. The kingdom was still prosperous and had no major conflict. There was only one war, but that was quickly squashed just before Sumin’s fifteenth birthday.

Now, it was dawn of her eighteenth birthday and Sumin could hardly contain her excitement. Yes, it was her birthday, but something much more important was going to happen. Tonight, was the night her and Seokjin were going to officially announce their betrothal. Tonight, was the night Seokjin was going to take her to the garden and ask her to be his wife.

She happily flailed on her bed as she allowed the warm Sun to fill up her body. She kicked off the covers and quickly rushed to her vanity mirror. She picked up her emerald encrusted hairbrush and brushed out the knots and smoothed down any stragglers. She wanted to look her best for when she sees Seokjin.

Just thinking about him caused butterflies in her stomach. You can say that they were childhood sweethearts. They went from being closest of friends to being blossoming lovers. He had been her first of everything. Her first friend. Her first fight. Her first hug. Her first kiss. Her first romantic companion. Now, she had prayed every single night that he would be her first husband and be each other’s first when they lose their virginities.

A soft knock emitted from her bedroom door and a familiar voice followed close behind. Sumin’s eyes beamed with joy as a bright smile graced her face. She quickly shouted, “enter”, as she pretended to look disinterested.

The door slowly swung open and then heavy footsteps followed close behind.

“Your highness, your father is requesting your presence—” However, before the familiar person could finish his message, his lips were immediately covered by Sumin’s.

Sumin pulled away, smiling, “You do know that my father wants to talk to me about tonight. He wants to make sure our engagement announcement runs smoothly, Seokjin.”

Seokjin chuckled before kissing her nose sweetly, “Easy there, my love. I have not proposed to you, yet. Now, I am second guessing it since you already have the idea planted in your pretty little mind.”

Sumin gawked and then smacked his arm, “How dare you talk to your princess like that?!”

“You do know that we are not children anymore, so that line does not quite work on me.” Seokjin playfully argued, wrapping his arounds around her waist and placing a sweet kiss on her temple.

Sumin pouted cutely, “It does not? Maybe this might work then.” She then leaned up, pressing her enticing lips next to his ear as she whispered unspeakable things, riling up Seokjin’s hormones as a result.

His crotch area started to feel tight as alluring thoughts filled his mind. Fuck…Sumin knew how to have him like putty in her hands. Though, in their heated kisses, she was always the one begging for him.

An animalistic growl left his lips as Seokjin shut his eyes, trying to think innocent thoughts but failing. All he wanted to do was throw her on the bed and tear off her nightgown. He wanted to take her virginity and give her his in return.

Before the thoughts became too troubling, Seokjin cleared his throat and gave her a firm look.

“You are an evil princess, you know that, right?” He asked, tearing his gaze away from hers.

Sumin giggled, “Only for my knight. Now, wait outside while I dress for breakfast and meeting with your future father-in-law.”

Seokjin shook his before bowing his head. He announced he was leaving before turning around and walking out of the chambers.

Sumin smiled softly before calling for her chamber maids to help dress her. She took a seat in front of her mirror and folded her hands in her lap as the maids went to town on her hair and face while her loving nurse picked out her attire for the day and planed her birthday gown for the evening.

“I remember it was only yesterday where you only this high and bouncing with excitement.” Sumin heard her nurse say followed by a couple of sniffles.

Sumin subtly glanced to the side and saw her nurse crying.

“My dear nurse, please do not shed a tear. It is only my birthday. Please. Save your tears for my wedding day.” She politely said, holding out her handkerchief for the nurse to take.

The nurse gently grabbed the soft fabric and wiped her tears.

“Oh, dear lord, I do not even want to picture your wedding day. I still cannot believe that you and Seokjin are on the right path to that. You two used fight like cats and dogs and now, you are guys are absolutely in love with each other.” The nurse stated, reminiscing the days where the two of them used play in the mud and wrestle.

Sumin giggled as the maids neatly tucked her braided hair in a bun.

“We still fight like cats and dogs, and I still win those fights. Thank you very much.” She smiled proudly at herself, earning a few giggles from the helpers.

The nurse rolled her eyes, “Your union shall definitely be interesting. Now, let’s get you dressed before your father sends his entire militia after you.”

Sumin chuckled yet again as she playfully rolled her eyes. She politely dismissed her maids with a sincere smile before standing up. She eyed her dress, silently whining underneath breath as the nurse dressed her. Her dislike of dresses would never change.

Now, walking gracefully down the long corridor, Sumin politely waved and acknowledged the many birthday greetings she received from the castle workers. Of course, Seokjin was close behind, watching his woman like a hawk. The job of being her personal knight.

“Princess, your father is going to be impatient and end up having both of us for breakfast. Can you please hurry up?” Seokjin asked, picking up the pace of his strides.

Sumin scoffed, “You just want the marriage talk to be over with.”

“Well, according to your parents, we are already wedded so…” Seokjin argued, shooting her backside a knowing look.

“Do you really detest the idea of us being wedded?” Sumin stopped in her tracks and looked up to Seokjin, sadness glazing over them.

Seokjin stopped as well; his demeanor changing into a loving companion. He gently grabbed her hands and lightly pressed his lips to her knuckles.

“Of course not, my love. I just wanted us to be wedded at our own pace. You just turned eighteen, and I am about to turn nineteen. We are still children in my eyes.” Seokjin tried to reason with Sumin; his worries finally seeing the light. Sumin hung her head low and sighed sadly. She always hated when he was the voice of reason between them.

“You know that I am right, my beloved. I do plan on wedding you and making you the mother of my children one day, that is no secret. For now, I just want us to enjoy our young adulthood while we can before we both turn into a pair of old folks and need assistance with everything.” Seokjin added, lowering his head to look at Sumin’s eyes.

Sumin chuckled softly and nodded, “I hate it when you are right, but I am thankful that you are. Now, we need to convince my father that we want to wait until we are in our twenties to wed.”

Seokjin pecked her nose and then pulled her close, enjoying her radiating warmth.

“Watch, your father will have us wed right this second if he found out that we wanted to wait.” He teased as the two proceeded to walk to the dining area.

Sumin snorted and then told him that it would be rather amusing if he was right— and he was.

Now sitting right next to her father, with their many personal knights, kitchen and dining workers, and other castle workers stationed all over the dining area, Sumin slowly blew out the hot air from her mouth as continued to avoid her father’s questioning gaze. Did his ears hear his daughter, right? She wanted to wait a couple of more years before she wedded. He was certainly not getting any younger. He would love to see his daughter wed before he died.

The king cleared his throat, earning the undivided attention of everyone in the tensed room.

“May I ask why the sudden change of heart, my darling Sumin? Was it not last week you and Seokjin were happily talking about being husband and wife?” He asked; his deep baritone voice echoing throughout the halls of the busy castle.

Both Sumin and Seokjin flinched, unsure how or better yet, what to say next. The last thing they both wanted was to upset the king.

Building enough courage to meet his hardened gaze, Sumin sighed and then turned her head towards him. With a sweet smile, Sumin politely explained that she just became the marrying age and that she and Seokjin became serious lovers not too long ago. They were both new at being intimately close to one another and want to take their time, getting to know each other. All they knew of each other was what they learned from when they were merely friends. If they were to rush into a royal union, then who knows what would happen.

As Sumin continued to peacefully explain why she and Seokjin should not wed right now, Seokjin felt his heart pound against his chest. His palms were clammy as the nerves were getting the best of him. Yes, his heart was settled on marrying his princess, but he wanted to wait until they were a little bit more mature. However, his worst fear resulted from the wanting to wait. His worst fear of someone who was in higher social standing, who was better suited, who was simply not him to wed his precious Sumin.

Then, in the middle of his thoughts, an awful thought appeared to him. What if the king decided to arrange a marriage for his daughter while she was explaining? He wouldn’t do that, right?

Finally, after what it seemed like hours of talking, Sumin caught her breath. She wanted to make sure that she covered every point that she knew her father would bring up in a counterargument. She had a knack for the whole political talk; a trait she developed from her father. Funny, huh?

The king rubbed his chin lightly, taking in what his daughter told him. Maybe he was too harsh with the whole, “You must marry as soon as you turn eighteen!” If he thought about it with a clear mind, he would’ve remembered that when he married Sumin’s mother, they were both in their early to mid-twenties. Eighteen was the age he officially declared his romantic feelings for her. Sumin was right, she and Seokjin were still only children in that aspect.

He cleared his throat before taking a sip of his sweet wine.

“You may have a point, Sumin…” He paused, sighing deeply. “Okay, I will grant your request to marry in a couple years’ time.” He announced.

Sumin’s eyes lit up like the annual firework show. She squealed in delight as she practically flung herself out of her seat and wrapped her arms around her father. She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed her father’s cheek sweetly. She happily yelled a quick thank you before curtsying and taking her leave. She grabbed Seokjin’s hand, and the young lovers rushed out to their secret spot— the rose covered gazebo.

The king and queen watched the happy couple leave their sight with amusing smiles painted on their lips.

“You did the right thing, my king.” The queen warmly complimented before patting the corner of her lips with her napkin.

The king raised his brow, “Oh? Do I get a little reward for being such an amazing father?”

The queen choked on her drink as her cheeks grew bright and warm. She knew how playful he can be, so two can play at that game.

“Of course. You get to feel happy knowing that your daughter is happy.” She teased.

The king scoffed lightly, “Well played, my wife. Well played.”

Meanwhile, back with the joyful lovers, the two were caught up in a heated kiss. They only had a few more hours before they had to disappear to prepare for the birthday ball, so they wanted to make the most what of little time they had left.

Hands were roaming the other person’s body as the fiery touch ignited the desire to do more than just kissing. The two wanted to be tangled between the sheets, filling the room with nothing but sweet whispers and sounds of passionate love making.

With her head tilted the side, Sumin bit her bottom lip as she felt her skirt hiked up, revealing her smooth thigh as his hands left a trail of electricity. She felt her core grow wetter and wetter as she became aroused.

Her neck was being attacked by his precious lips. His teeth nipping and sucking on patches of unmarked skin as if he was marking his territory. Eventually, the pleasure became too much as the one sound, that Seokjin always hoped to hear while making love to her, left Sumin’s lips.

Hearing that one moan sent his hormones into a wild frenzy. He roughly grabbed her face and captured her lips once more, pressing his crotch area against her center, hoping that she would see what her actions are doing to him.

“Princess! Enough assaulting each other’s lips and come here! It is time to prepare for the party!” The two heard Sumin’s nurse shout from the distance.

The two reluctantly pulled apart, both displaying bright red and swollen lips. Their hairs were disheveled, and their outfits a wrinkled mess.

A sheepish grin appeared on their faces as they kissed each other sweetly, pouring their loves into it before separating for now. Luckily, they were going to see each other at the ball. The joys of being in love with an assigned guard.

Amidst the preparation for the birthday ball, the bright lights and colors soon changed into dark colors and dimmed lights. The full moon illuminated the castle like its own personal spotlight. Fireworks shot up into the sky as carriages arrived one by one to the kingdom. Every noblemen and lady arrived with their eligible son in hopes that he would capture the princess’s eye. Unfortunately, for them, her heart was already under lock and key by a certain knight.

The grand ballroom was filled with lively music and happy chatter as every subject, royal family, and everyone in between came from faraway lands to wish Princess Sumin a wonderful birthday.

Each suitor took turns dancing with the princess, hoping to win her over with their witty charm, however, that only annoyed her even more.

After dancing with Prince Namjoon, Sumin happily excused herself to go talk to her mother and father. Namjoon politely kissed her knuckle before bowing and taking his leave. As soon as he was out of line of sight, Sumin dropped her polite smile and searched ballroom for Seokjin. Once she found him, glaring daggers at Prince Namjoon, Sumin’s smile became bright and genuine as she glided through the crowds of people. The perks of being a princess. Everyone parted right through the middle.

Her gracious steps hurried over to Seokjin as she wanted nothing more to be next to the man who truly loved her.

“Having fun dancing with stuck up princes?” Seokjin asked; his hand positioned right above the handle of his sword.

Sumin rolled her eyes, finding his jealousy rather amusing yet unnecessary.

“Oh, you know it. Now, I have to make a difficult decision on who I should wed and bear many children with.” She sarcastically said, earning herself a light shove from the knight.

Seokjin mocked her tone, “Fine, if you marry one of them, then I will marry one of your mother’s ladies in waiting.”

Sumin gasped and glared coldly at him, “Which one and I will see to it that she is fired.”

Seokjin chuckled deeply, still finding it fun to push her buttons. The playful knight and the cheerful princess continued to tease one another, both not showing signs of ceasing.

While the playful couple was enjoying their own little world, the king and queen eyed them with curiosity in their gaze. They were too absorbed with watching their daughter and her knight joke around with each other that they failed to realize that there was a royal presence lingering in the air.

Soon, the mysterious person cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the king and queen.

“Ah, King Ji Yong, to what do the queen and I owe the pleasure of your presence on the eve of my daughter’s birthday celebration?” The king spoke in a diplomatic voice.

“I have come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

A/N: Officially back on the scene with my writing! For my new beginning, I am only going to upload Fight for Me on this site while the rest of my work, you can find on my AO3! However, if there is a story you want back up, then just shoot me a message, and I will add it up! Now, the reason for uploading this series, FINISHED I might add, is because I am going to be writing a sequel! Yup, a sequel! This story is my baby, and .... well I don’t want to give away a spoiler for the new readers out there! Anyway, I will begin writing the first chapter once this one is published!

Don’t forget to leave a like/reblog/comment/send in an ask on your thoughts! I love hearing them! :)

- Kim

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