#i love the fact that ive been writing in between walking through the desert

[devinescribe]

Doll

Part 11 of '100 Promises'

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Warnings: swearing, harassment, weapon mentions, mentions of sex(again, it's mentioned, not explicitly written) I think that's it, let me know if I missed any!

"Hey, um... my professor asked me to help him after school. I'll be home late tonight," you said. His faced scrunched up in disgust, and he was glad you couldn't see him due to the two of you being on call. "Which professor?" He questioned, knowing you'd been having trouble with one of your professors making you uncomfortable. "My... um... my law professor," you stammered. There was something off about the way your voice sounded. Worried and nervous. Like a little mouse. You were never one to act like that unless you were really scared. And that was the professor you'd been having trouble with, so he wasn't surprised. He scowled at the thought. Your law teacher was constantly touching you, or making you uncomfortable, seeing as you were one of three girls in his class. But it was always you. "Say you want to get pizza for dinner if you want me to come get you right now," he stated, being smart enough to know what you were going to say. He was already walking to the door, getting his shoes and jacket on. "Yeah, pizza sounds great," you said. He could hear how nervous you were. There were occasional sounds of footsteps or a man whispering in the background, and it was pissing him off. "Ok, I'll be there as fast as I can," he said. You said your goodbyes, and at that point he was already out the door.

He burst into the classroom, seeing you pushed onto the desk, your teacher pinning you to it, as you explicitly told him to stay away. The teacher turned to face him. " 'R-ragi!" You shouted, pushing him off of you, jumping off the desk, and running into Niragi. He wrapped his arms protectively around you, hiding your face in his chest, glaring at the professor. "Ah, I'm assuming you're the infamous Niragi she mentions so often?" He questioned. The man didn't falter, he acted as if nothing happened, which made sense. He knew how to use court tactics to change the view to his. "Yeah. I guess I am. Something came up, sorry to interrupt, but she needs to come with me," Niragi said harshly. The lie was believable enough. He didn't say what happened, just a vague idea. Even if the professor could see through the lie, Niragi didn't care.

"Oh? Then let me take her bac-"

"I have a car, I can drive, she's coming with me. Goodnight."

Niragi, quickly lead you out of the school, and arm tightly around your shoulders. Once you got to his car, he let you get in first. He walked around the car, getting in the driver's seat. You sat, shaking in your seat. "You ok?" He asked. You shook your head. "So... operation J, or operation C?" He asked, turning on the car. "Operation H," you whispered. "Shit, it's that bad? Well.. yeah it's that bad, sorry i- I I'm not thinking correctly right now, I'm sorry... Ok, you talk to me about it, and tomorrow we can file a report yeah?" He said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Uh uh... no report," you said quietly, turning up the radio. He turned it back down. "Why? If I hadn't gotten there sooner who knows what would have happened to you. And it's been happening in other ways throughout the school day. People like that... people like that don't deserve anything," he stated, drumming his hands on the steering wheel to calm himself, and stopping from turning back around and hitting the professor. Gods how he wanted to in the minute he was there. He knew why you didn't want to file a report, however. It was the law professor. Not only could he make a compelling argument, and gaslight everyone, he was higher up in importance to the school as well.  "L-lets just leave it... it's not that important anyways. It could've happened to any other girl... just sucks it was me."

___________________

You sighed, stretching and getting up from the chair. There had been a two hour meeting today, and you had to go. It had been about two weeks since you first got to the beach, and things were going rather well. You'd built a reputation for yourself, being equally as dangerous as Niragi, with wit and intelligence to match up to even Chishiya. Most people were very impressed by you, as well as feared you. Diamond games were your specialty. So far, you hadn't had to play a hearts game. Everyone else told you that you should be grateful, but you were bored of always playing the same things. Spades, Diamonds, Clubs. When were you finally going to get to feel the fear and excitement of playing a hearts game? You were excited to show off how you could use your background in psychology in heart games.

"Last Boss? Can we do something or hang out? 'M bored," you whined, pouting at the man. He shut the book he was reading, and looked up at you. "Don't you have Niragi?" He questioned. "Well, yeah... but he's busy. And I've hung out with him plenty. Wanna hang out with you," you said. He sighed, nodding his head

Niragi didn't know what to do. It was obvious people feared you, but they also knew you were his weakness. They would definitely use that against him. He just had to keep you safe. He continued walking around on his patrol, catching a glimpse of white. That triggered his fight or fight reflexes. Sure, others had fight or flight, but when it came to Chishiya, Niragi felt only pure rage towards the man.

"She's quite amazing, don't you think?" Chishiya asked. God how he hated the taunting tone of voice Chishiya always used when he spoke to him. And he also knew the she Chishiya was talking about was you. "Yeah. What's your game?" He questioned. "Oh absolutely no game. I just... want to see your reaction when I take her from you. Obviously, she's told me all about those promises you two made... but you seem to have forgotten a few, no?" Chishiya taunted. Had he forgotten any? No, of course not. He remembered all 99 of them just as you did. They were stupid things you used to do when you were kids, but since it made you both feel safer or better, you kept them. Not only that, but it kept a routine for you two. It also gave you the security that he couldn't hurt you like others in your life did. He stayed silent. "Hm, that's what I thought. You like her, don't you? I'll take her from you just to piss you off. She's interesting, and I don't think I'd get bored.... but you never know. I think I'll have fun playing with her," Chishiya said. Was he serious? Or was he just looking for a reaction from Niragi? "Don't you fucking dare play with her feelings just because. I'll kill you before you get the fucking chance," Niragi threatened, his grip on his gun getting tighter. "It's what she wants. And from what I've gotten out of her... I think she'll be easy," Chishiya stated. Niragi scowled at his words. He'd dealt with so many of your asshole exs, douchebags that tried to get in your pants, teachers who didn't know limits, and everything in between. Chishiya was a new breed of annoying and fuckboy, and it pissed him off. "Stay away from her, talk to her, be friends with her. I don't give a fuck. But do not hurt her. I'm serious about that Chishiya. Don't you fucking dare," Niragi threatened. Chishiya only laughed, shaking his head. "I do whatever I want. Whoever I want, for that matter. It just so happens (Y/N) is in my eyesight. I think Last Boss also has an interest in her," Chishiya said back. "Better him than you," Niragi stated, starting to walk off.

"Oh, by the way... (Y/N)'s not as innocent as you think," Chishiya mentioned, sticking his hands in his pockets, looking out to the lobby. "What do you mean by that?" Niragi questioned, glaring at the blonde man. "I think you know full well what I mean. It's so easy to get emotionally vulnerable girls to trust you," Chishiya smirked. "You little fucker!" Niragi exclaimed. Usually, it would be the other way around, where Niragi found some girl who was sad enough about being in the borderlands, and then they would go back to his hotel room with him. But it angered him that Chishiya did that to you. "What? Not so fun when it happens to a girl you know, hm?" Chishiya questioned. Niragi glared at him, knowing he wasn't allowed to shoot him right this second. His finger kept lightly pressing on the trigger, and he bit his tongue. "Don't fucking hurt her. Don't you fucking dare," Niragi said finally, walking away.

"Sugu... I um... I..." you stuttered, twiddling with your hands. He turned away from his desk. "What's up?" He asked. "I... N-nevermind," you said, going to leave. He stood up, grabbing your arm. "Tell me. 'S ok," he said with a smile. "No, no, it's fine, I'll just... um talk with your mom for a bit, I'm-" you stammered. "My mom is out. What's up?" He asked, leading you over to his bed. You took a big breath in. "Idontwannalosemyvcardtoaguywhodoesntcareaboutmecanyoutakeit?" You jumbled out. He stared at you weirdly as he couldn't understand your words.

"Do you need some lady things? I have some chocolate in my snack drawer if y-" he started. "No... no, it's embarrassing..." you muttered. "You know I'm willing to talk about or do anything with you," he smiled. "I-i said... I don't wanna lose my v-card to a guy who doesn't care about me... C-can... can you t-take it?" You whispered, your face red. He felt his face get hot. "I-i-i-i -i-" he stammered, looking at you. You averted your eyes to the floor.

"I-if you don't w-want to, it's OK I-i just i-i-"

"I-I'll do it."

You looked up at him in shock. "Really?" You asked. "Yeah. Yeah, I... don't have mine anymore... but I-i can help you... if you want," he explained. You were both blushing, and he was still holding arm. "When do... do you-"

"Suguru, (Y/N), I'm back!" You heard his mother shout up the stairs. You heard her walk up the stairs. She knocked on the door, opening it. "Is she staying for dinner? Because your father and I decided to go out for the night. We'll be back in the morning,  so I'm going to get ready, and there's money downstairs for pizza," she said. You both looked at each other nodding. "As always-"

"We know mom... we know."

How convenient for both of you.

"S-suguru... w-what do I do?" You stuttered, sitting on your knees on a bean bag chair. You two had gone up to a tree house you two had built in the woods behind his house. "Depends on what you feel comfortable with. Just... go with it I guess," he said, trying to make sure you were ok. "You lead... you've done this before, haven't you?" You asked. He nodded, and you grabbed his hand tightly. " 'M scared," you whispered. "We don't have to do anything. It's ok," he said. You hugged him tightly, and shook your head. "I-i wanna... it's just... what if it gets weird between us?" You asked. "We've been friends for over 4 years... I don't plan on leaving you," he whispered. "Best friends," you corrected. "Yeah, best friends," he repeated. "I want to do this though... only if you want to," you said. "Tell me where I can touch you for now, and if at any point you want or need to stop, tell me,ok?" He said, rubbing circles into your back.

___________________

He was angry at the fact Chishiya had taken advantage of you. Especially when he knew how hard you tried to keep people out of your walls. But would he believe that Chishiya, being Chishiya, had weaseled his way in. Would you belive him if he told you? No, probably not... but you might? What was he thinking, of course you'd believe him over someone you'd just met two weeks ago. Now to find you was the problem. The beach wasn't huge, but large enough for you to be hiding somewhere if the first few days you were here said anything. "Now to go find her... wherever she is," he muttered to himself.

"Ok, ok, here's my question to you. Is Last Boss your actual name, or is it a nickname?" You asked. "And why should I tell you that," he said, leaning his head back on the wall. "Because it's the rules," you answered, poking his shoulder. "Nickname," he stated. You nodded, and before Last Boss could ask you a question back, he got interrupted by Chishiya.

"Hey. Am I interrupting something?" Chishiya asked, standing in front of you. He gave you a small smile. "Oh... um... kinda?" You responded. Last Boss nodded besides you, knowing full well Chishiya was planning something. "Oh well, when you're finished with your game of... 50 questions... come to my hotel room?" He asked, looking at you. You hated that you couldn't read his eyes. All you got out of him was amusement, judgemental looks to others, and looks of lust. But no more than that.

"Oh, yeah, after I'm done her-"

"You can go ahead. My patrol starts in... right now, actually."

Walking back to Chishiya's room made you a bit nervous this time. Last time, you definitely remembered what happened. You still hadn't told Niragi, and you usually told him everything.

Niragi could only imagine where you were. Last Boss was on a patrol, and Chishiya was- That's where he had to check. Around Chishiya's room. "That sneaky little bastard."

You were walking besides Chishiya, trying to find some emotion on his face, but couldn't. "Ah, Chishiya um wha-" you didn't get to finish your sentence as he pinned you to the wall. You slid down slowly in embarrassment. He crouched down in front of you, tilting your head up with his fingers. "Good girl," he praised, studying your face. You blushed at his praise, not understanding what it was for. He brought his face close to your own, and you could feel his breath on your lips. "Such a flustered, pretty girl," he cooed. You felt so small under his gaze, and you tried to look away. "Ah ah ah, no. Look at me," he teased, making you look back at him. "You're so good at following orders... good girl," he praised once more. "Ch-chishiya, I... I, um... we should... we should head back to your room, we shouldn't-" you started, tripping over your words. "Hm? What? You don't want people to know what a submissive little-"

"Oi, I suggest you step the fuck away from her."

You looked up at the person, seeing it was Niragi. "She's busy," Chishiya stated with a board tone. "Yeah, busy my ass. (Y/N), get over here. Now," Niragi ordered. You flinched at his tone. He sounded like your dad. "I don't think she wants to. Isn't that right, pretty girl?" He questioned, looking at you. You couldn't speak, it was a very hard situation for you. "(Y/N), come on. Get away from him now," Niragi said, pointing his gun at Chishiya. You shuddered, closing your eyes. "Aw, you're scaring her. You don't want to scare my little doll, now do you?" Chishiya taunted. You tried blocking both of them out as it was back and forth.

"S-sugu... stop it."

Hellooooo! So sorry I haven't updated this in a while, I've been on vacation on Arizona (still am) and I've barely had time to write but I hope you enjoyed!

[miss-pearlescent]

Tag Team (II)

Chapter: I II IIIᴹ IV V VI VII VIII IX Xᴹ

You eyed the island from above, your stomach doing flips as you calculated the distance.

Too high.

You stared at the ceiling of the helicopter as you sat in your husband’s lap, his arm adjusting the straps that attached you to him.

It was a good thing he was talking with Joori, who was flying the helicopter, via headpiece because you weren’t sure if you would be able to make coherent words at this altitude.

Of course the leader of the gang needed to host a private party where guests had to literally drop in through a plane. Of freaking course.

You heard your name in the distance and turned, only to see your husband watching you with a worried gaze.

You gave him a faulty smile that didn’t even convince yourself.

“It’s okay if we go back,” he said.

You shook your head because you knew it wasn’t okay. He was just trying to reassure you. “I’m fine,” you replied through clenched teeth.

You loved that he knew about your fear of heights because he would always volunteer to do the parachuting missions. But you hated him knowing your fear of heights for times like this.

You wanted to look strong but it was hard when you were a million feet off the ground.

You gulped as he shifted forward, bringing the two of you closer to the edge.

It was now or never.

A warm hand cupped your cheek and you turned to look at Jongin. “I have you,” he said. “You are going to kill it tonight, and when we go home tomorrow morning, I’ll…” he trailed off, his gaze falling to your lips.

You licked your lips in anticipation. “You’ll what?”

He gave a slow grin. “I’ll tuck you in for bed.” Jongin flipped the visor of his helmet down, tilted your chin up, and suddenly, you were freefalling.

-

It was a long night of watching rich people flaunt their money and their status. Jongin yawned from his spot behind the bushes, checking his watch for the umpteenth time tonight. The sun was about to rise, and his wife was still in there.

He really married a strong one, he thought as his eyes glazed over watching her by the window. She still looked as good as she did in the beginning of the night, her silky black dress falling over her curves as she walked the room like a pro in her stilettos .The high slit up her thigh still made him salivate like a dog as she trailed behind the leader’s entourage.

Only a few hours left until Jongin would be able to tear that slit and salivate between her legs.

Jongin snorted. She really made him a horny motherfucker, didn’t she?

Just the other day, she had woken him up with a blowjob. Her excuse was that nothing else was working, and they were going to be late for a meeting.

He made them late for the meeting anyway by pinning her to the bed and licking her until she nearly passed out.

He shook his head, knowing he needed to concentrate on his work and stop fantasizing.

But damn, it was hard when his wife bit her cherry-red lip, pretending to be the innocent socialite that he knew she wasn’t.

Jongin’s brain was just starting to trail off again, thinking about his wife’s lips, when a hand clapped over his mouth.

Alarms went off his in head and he reached for his weapons, but something hard came down on the back of his head.

Then all was black.

-

You grasped Joori’s hand in your own. “Please. Please, Joori, I’m begging you.” Your voice was hoarse and your eyes were almost swollen to the point of being shut with how much crying you had done. Top that with the lack of sleep you’d had in the last 36 hours, you were probably starting to become a little delirious. “Please say you’ll come with me, Joori.”

The girl looked at you with wide eyes. Her mouth fell open but it seemed a frog was caught in her throat.

Joori had always been quiet ever since she joined the team two years ago. Her strength was codes and computers, not fighting and action. But at this moment, you needed her.

Mr. Lee cleared his throat. “I can bring in other agents from other branches to aid in the rescue.”

You shook your head. “That would take too long. Joori is my best bet.” She would be invaluable in breaking in the system and mapping out the laboratories where Jongin was being held.

“I-I…” the girl stammered.

Mr. Lee patted your shoulder, urging you to let go of the poor girl. “You need some rest,” he said. “And Joori will make her decision when she is ready. We will make sure we get Jongin out of there.”

You wanted to scream. How could Mr. Lee be so calm? Was Jongin not like a son to him?

Jongin was your husband, and he said he would always be there for you. You had never uttered the words but ever since the day the two of you were partnered up, you knew you would always be there for him too.

You hoped that he was aware of that fact.

You sniffled as you dragged your feet to the door, knowing you needed to sleep, but also unable to turn off your frantic brain.

The bastards had found Jongin waiting in the bushes—something that was so stupid of him to do! You had sent him off with Joori after you had landed on the island. You didn’t realize when he said he had your back, that he would literally be watching your back all night!

So when you arrived back at headquarters and found out that Jongin had never came back with Joori, you were terrified and furious at the same time. Joori managed to track Jongin down to a laboratory in the desert off the highway, except something was off. Her tracker could usually tell if the user was still alive.

According to the tracker, Jongin was neither alive nor dead.

You had gotten what you wanted from the leader—the codes to his labs—but now the man knew both your face and your husband’s. It was dangerous to go back, but you’d do anything for your husband.

You jammed your hand into the door pad to open it.

“I’ll go.”

The sentence was so quiet, you almost missed it.

You turned around, honestly surprised that Joori had walked all the way up to you with her silent steps.

“I’ll go help you save Jongin.”

You pulled the girl into a hug as you let out a huge sob.

-

“Is he in there?” you whispered.

Joori put a finger to her glasses and peered at the door behind the guard. Silently, she nodded.

“Okay, I’m going in.” You were just about to jumped out of your hiding spot when a hand grabbed your wrist.

Big eyes stared up at you with fear. “By yourself?”

It was Joori’s first mission so you understood her fear. Kneeling back down, you patted her hand. “I’ll be okay. I’ve done this a thousand times.”

The younger girl looked around at the towers of boxes surrounding the two of you. “Do I just stay here?”

You didn’t know how safe this place was, but you had an idea. “You have new technology to change your clothes, right?”

She nodded.

“Then change to look like him.” You pointed at the guard standing at the door. “Pretend you’re one of them and change shifts with him.”

You watched Joori go absolutely pale.

“Or not,” you added quickly. You didn’t want the poor girl to faint from fear.

But she took a deep breath and pressed a couple buttons on her watch. The next moment, you were crouching beside what looked like one of the guards.

Joori pushed up the black visor that hid her face. “Do I look like them?”

You nodded in amazement. “That was so cool. You have to fit us with that stuff later.”

“Of course.” Joori smiled back. “I think I’m happy with this prototype so I should be able to get it to you guys soon.”

You patted her on the shoulder in gratitude. “You’re a great asset to our team. I know you can do this, Joori.”

With a new wave of confidence, Joori flipped down her visor and stood, walking around the boxes so she looked like she had come from down the hall as she approached the guard.

The guard only looked confused for a second before he saluted Joori and then walked away.

That was easy.

When the guard was completely out of sight, you stood from your hiding spot. “Great job.”

Joori gave you a thumbs up and then punched the code that she had deciphered during the car ride to the lab. The pin pad sang a little song before the door clicked open.

You gave her a high five. “I’ll be out soon. If you feel threatened in any way, abort the mission. We will be fine.”

Joori nodded as you slid through the door.

---

I googled parachuting and skydiving ONE TIME for this chapter and suddenly all my ads involve parachuting or skydiving :))) Thank you guys for reading!! I know the chapters are short, but I like to drag it out because it feels so long when I write it that I want to savour every morsel that I put out if that makes sense (ahem in other words, it gives me more time before I realize I should start writing/posting another story luuuuuul). You guys are so kind with your likes and messages though T_T THANK YOU THANK YOU.

[zoran-royalty]

Just Once IV: Distant Friends

Rutara wasn’t fond of parties, if she was really being honest. She found most court parties to be stuffy, stifling affairs, and if she could have left without making some kind of political slight, she probably would have. Most of the time, anyway. Zelda was her best friend besides her brother, so she would make exceptions for her. After all, misery loves company.

At the moment, she was wearing a dress that was some sort of bizarre hybrid of Hylian high fashion and the distinct lack conventional clothing of the Zora. A fitted bodice and an open-front, sheer skirt. Its only positive point was that it accented her deep purple scales. She hated it, and made a great show of complaining about it while lying sprawled on Zelda’s gigantic bed.

Zelda had laughter in her voice when she said “Why don’t you just leave it here then and wear your sash?”

Rutara rolled over and rested on her elbows as she faced her friend. Thank goodness whoever designed this crazy garment at least had enough sense to cut the sleeves short enough to let her fins free. “Some suitor or other commissioned it for me. Father said I had to at least wear it once. Apparently it’s supposed to be wearable on land and in the water,” she gave a sharp smile, “We’ll see how it holds up hunting tomorrow.”

Zelda turned from her jewelry box, holding up two pairs of earrings and grinning. “I can already see you ‘accidentally’ ripping it on coral. Now, green or blue?”

Rutara looked Zelda up and down, contemplating. “Blue. They make your eyes look brighter.” She rolled onto her back again, reached out, and plucked a small chocolate off of the tray sitting on Zelda’s bed. “So,” she said around the candy in her mouth, “Who all is comin’ to this shindig?”

Zelda slumped forward and groaned. “The usual. Labrynnian delegates, the Holodrum royals, representatives from the major tribes of Hyrule—“

“Oh yeah, is the red-head coming?”

Zelda’s spine went rigid as her eyes widened. Rutara hadn’t meant to put her on edge with that question, but she had. “I… haven’t heard from him since his last letter, just before his coronation.”

“You didn’t go?” Rutara asked holding her arm up and inspecting her nails.

“Did you pay attention when we had to learn about the other Hyrulean cultures?” Zelda said with a hand on her hip, “Gerudo ceremonies are sacred and closed to outsiders.”

The Zora on her bed squinted and dropped her arm back to the bed. “Lame.”

Zelda sighed a bit, and turned back to her vanity. “Besides,” she spat bitterly, “I’m still not allowed to enter the desert. Even after Impa agreed to go with me, Father won’t let me go.”

Rutara hummed as she sat up and moved to get off the bed. She glanced towards Zelda’s balcony as she heard the telltale sound of hooves meeting the cobblestone of the road outside. “Fun topic time,” she said as she grabbed the tray of candy and then walked over to place a hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “Let’s watch the attendees come so we can make fun of their outfits while they can’t hear us.”

The Hylian princess allowed herself to relax as she laughed a bit, snatching one of the chocolates from the tray. “Deal.”

—

Ganondorf had honestly meant to write sooner, to tell his friend about everything that had happened since his coronation. However, there was a lot to cover, and he simply hadn’t had the time to devote to letters that he had in his youth. Suddenly being completely and utterly in charge of trade, guard schedules, diplomatic relations, training guidelines, and problem solving for his tribe had taken some getting used to, but he believed he was falling into stride. And, praise Din, the dark whispers from his childhood were less frequent when he threw himself into his work for his people.

Riding in his carriage, he held the formal invitation to Zelda’s party that was enclosed with her last letter. It had been about three months since she had written to him. Hopefully she would understand. Hopefully he wouldn’t cause too much of a stir at the party.

It had been ten years since he last set foot in Hyrule castle, and he and Aela hadn’t stayed long enough for Ganondorf to remember much of it. He and Aela both remembered being cold in the summer, so she had taken great lengths to have warmer clothing tailored for a winter celebration. He had been miserable when he first set out from the desert, but now he was thankful for the layers and furs his caretaker had procured. He would have to apologize for his whining later.

As he stepped out of the carriage, he marveled at the light dusting of snow in the courtyard. Everything glittered slightly in the light of the obscene number of torches lit throughout the castle grounds. He took a deep breath and did his best to look relaxed and non-threateneing. 

Still, the guards stiffened a bit as he approached. Ganondorf did his best to ignore the dark, indignant voice in the back of his mind as he showed his invitation.

—

“Oh! Oh! Ten o’clock!” Rutara exclaimed, elbowing Zelda, “Councilman Idris is wearing that dreadful hat from last year!”

The two girls descended into laughter as they gawked at the feathery monstrosity said councilman paraded around in. Zelda leaned forward a bit before pointing sharply at an approaching carriage. “Ten rupees says the Holodrum prince is wearing pink and green again,”

Rutela snorted. “He wore that at Rilan’s coming-of-age in summer,” she said, remembering her brother’s own party. “I say it’s purple and orange this time.”

As Zelda kept an eye on the Holodrum carriage, Rutara noticed another just entering the castle’s outer gate. As it rolled into the main grounds, She could just barely make out a seal she wasn’t as familiar with. She knew she had seen it before, and she mentally cycled through the tribes of Hyrule before it finally clicked in her mind.

“Called it!” Zelda exclaimed beside her, causing the Zora to jump. Indeed, the prince of Holodrum appeared to be in costume as a moldy wildberry, however Rutara had something else on her mind.

“C’mon!” Rutara said, grabbing Zelda’s wrist and half-dragging the Hylian princess off the balcony. Zelda stumbled as her friend pulled her, offering some— but not much—resistance.

“Where? Why—“ Zelda tried to form a proper question, but it was a bit hard with an energetic Zora weaving around her furniture and out to the hall.

“Trust me!”

—

The main hall of the castle was definitely the focal point of the party that night. The pillars, staircases, and railing of the balcony were bedecked in evergreen. Hundreds of lanterns had been strung throughout the space, and chandeliers blazed brightly. Everything was cast with a golden glow. This, coupled with a small group of court musicians playing cheery tunes, gave the hall a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Between two large staircases, space had been designated as a dance floor. The remainder of the space was filled with people, some sitting at tables and others walking around and mingling. Soft music from a string quartet filled the space above the idle chatter of guests.

Ganondorf tried to ignore the gawking stares as he made his way into the main hall. This was complicated by the fact that he was intently looking around for Zelda, despite having no idea how she had changed in the ten years since they last saw each other. A handful of the other guests would attempt to be friendly with the Gerudo king, however it was easy to see the fear in their eyes.

From the balcony above, Ganondorf just barely caught a flash of royal purple followed by blue and gold. He tried to focus on said flash, but it quickly wove through the crowds both on the upper floor and the staircase, so he made his way closer to where the flash was headed, hoping to see it better.

—

Rutara, it seemed, was as adept at swimming through crowds as she was through water. At least thrice, Zelda would’ve lost the Zora had either of them not maintained an iron grip on the other.

Despite some indignation at being dragged around like this at her own birthday ball, Zelda couldn’t help but smile as her friend led her through small breaks in the crowds. It almost seemed like a complicated dance as they read the movements of the people around them to find gaps in the throng.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Rutara suddenly stopped. Once Zelda’s momentum carried her passed her friend, the Zora shoved her even farther forward. Zelda laughed and turned back towards her friend. “Ruta—!” she called in mock-indignation.

Rutara simply smirked, pointed ahead of where she had shoved Zelda, and dashed off again.

Oh.

—

Oh.

It had been about ten years since he had seen her. Whenever Ganondorf had pictured Zelda, she had started that sweet six-year-old. As they wrote to each other and grew, he started envisioning how he thought she looked. He pictured her closer to the height of his cousins, but maybe a bit more delicate. Still, how he thought of her still tended to skew younger. But the young woman in front of him?

She’s beautiful.

She was a picture of grace. A goddess given mortal form.

He heard a dark chuckle. You’re not entirely wrong. 

Just for tonight, the young king thought, let me be.

—

He had grown taller than she expected. His fiery red hair was pulled back by the traditional Gerudo headpiece. Even through the finery he wore, Zelda could see he had grown strong as well. However not everything had changed, his eyes were still that soft gold, even if they looked a bit harder than they had when they were children.

She had changed too. Ganondorf saw she held herself with a grace that hadn’t existed in their childhood. Delicate, but wise. She held a power different than his, but just as strong.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, content in seeing each other again. When the musicians struck up a new tune, the trance was broken, and Ganondorf and Zelda broke into wide smiles.

“Would you care to dance, Princess?” Ganondorf said softly.

“It would be my pleasure.

[paladinfeathers]

Soulmate au with Shiro and a female human reader in which you get every body modifications your soulmate gets. Please uvu

Oh boy Shiro, your S/O is in for a big surprise. (I’m sorry if my writing is all over the place, I’m still sick and in a really bizarre mood??)

-Mod Lou

-We all know that Shiro has a metal arm. We all know that his soulmate would also, one day, wake up with a nearly identical replica to it.

-But when we say ‘body modifications’. Does that also mean scars? Loss of limbs? Does the soulmate feel the pain? For the sake of the headcanons, I’m going to say YES.

-You knew you were Shiro’s soulmate before he went on the kerberos mission. I think maybe he knew too. But were you guys in a relationship? Who knows. Regardless, when his crew was ‘killed’ en route to kerberos, you immediately knew otherwise.

-Something had happened to the three of them that your superiors were hiding from the world. Either that, or they couldn’t comprehend the truth. No matter how many times you tried to tell everyone to keep looking, or to send a rescue ship, or to try harder, no one listened.

-They assumed you were just distressed and grieving. So you took it upon yourself to keep searching.

-A task which got more difficult with each passing day. Every time you’d wake up, you’d be covered in more bruises, more cuts, more blood, than the night before. What the hell was happening to Shiro?!

-But all of that had been bearable, compared to when you’d awoken in the middle of the night to the feeling of invisible instruments slicing through the flesh of your right arm.

-Maybe it was your parents who came your aid, after you’d started screaming from the pain. Or perhaps it had been your room mate, or a neighbor? You can’t remember.

-One moment you were watching as your arm practically tore itself from your body, the next moment, you were blinking awake in a really fancy hospital bed. Complicated machines and wires were set up around you, and the curtains around your bed were drawn for privacy.

-But the most confusing thing, by far, was the brand new metal limb taking the place of your previous organic one.

-The explained why everything was so pristine and new. You were probably stuck in some secretive high-tech facility that was just aching to get their grubby mitts on your bizarre new appendage.

-Not on your watch! Against your better instincts, you detach yourself from all the medical machines and carefully remove the IV from your good arm. Then you bolt from the hospital room to try and escape.

-You get about three hallways away before you run into someone.

-That someone happens to be Katie Holt, the first time she broke into the garrison for information.

-Of course, you both get caught. Katie gets escorted off the premises, and you get taken back to your room. But you’re a little more relaxed, now that you know you’re with the people Shiro worked with, and not in some morally compromised government facility.

-The weeks go by quickly after that. You’re questioned immensely, and a few of the doctors attempt to poke and prod at your arm (you ward them off by pretty much destroying any weird tech they attempt to poke you with. Eventually they get the hint and stop trying to run tests on you).

-Eventually you run into Katie again, who’s taken up residence in the garrison under the alias of Pidge Gunderson. You try not to be seen with her, so you don’t accidentally blow her cover, but during the nights when she’s on the roof monitoring the happenings of outer space, you join her. It sometimes seems like you’re the only two people in the world who believe the kerberos team is still alive.

-Then comes the fateful night where Shiro returns, and y’all end up in space.

-You’re kind of in shock the entire time. Even while you’re searching for the blue lion in the desert, you still don’t really have a conversation with Shiro. I mean, what do you say? How do you even begin to approach the subject over everything that’s happened?

-You remain distant until after the team’s second battle as Voltron. Shiro quietly pulls you aside after dinner and asks if you’d take a walk with him, so you concede.

-The first few minutes are pretty quiet, and kind of awkward.

-”It’s the arm, isn’t it?” he asks, trying to lighten the mood a little by wiggling it around. But is expression falls when he isn’t able to get even the barest hint of a smile from you.

-In fact, you look like you’re about to cry.

-He reaches out with his human arm to try and grab your right hand, but you pull away. He deflates a little, “I know a lot has happened in the past year, but…you know we’re soulmates. The universe created us as a pair…I know we have a lot to work through, but we can’t let any of this get in between us.”

-The first tear runs down your cheek. It’s not that you don’t want to be with him, or that you’re upset with him, or anything like that, and you tell him as much.

-”I just don’t want you to feel guilty.” You admit. “And I know you will, even though it was completely out of your control.”

-Shiro is visibly confused, so you show him what you mean. You take his hand.

-The past few months, you’d kept your sleeves long and a pair of gloves on at all times. Your caretaker at the garrison had suggested it, as a way to keep your worries out of sight and to keep the students from spreading gossip.

-He’s unsettled when he feels the hard metal of your fingers beneath your glove, and he looks at you for an explanation.

-”We’re soulmates.” You say.

-The look of horror that washes over him when he finally comes to the realization of what you’ve been though, is one you never want to see again. A violent mix of anger, and sadness, and guilt.

-You pull him into a tight hug. “Shiro, it isn’t your fault.” You tell him, over and over.

-It takes a while for you both to adjust, and it takes longer for him to stop looking sad whenever he sees you in short sleeves. The saving grace in this situation, for him, is that at least you don’t have the tormenting memories that he does. You’ve suffered incredibly because of what the Galra did to him, but at least your mind is safe.

-After you talk it out with each other, and relearn the bounds of your relationship, you guys are honestly the cutest couple.

-I’m talking about so many damn cuddles, and the cutest frickin’ kisses. And oh my god, you support and love each other so much. Shiro trusts you completely, and you would raze the universe to ash in order to keep him safe.

- A+ couple.

[ibmiller]

Introduction

I began researching this topic out of ignorance. After being more or less snookered by Dr. Warren into giving a presentation, I chose one of the first topics that came to mind. I hope you will bear with me as I exhume a body of knowledge that has already had several postmortems: that of Dr. Watson's wife, or wives, depending on your inclination. I attempted to gather every scholarly article on the subject I could find, so that I wouldn't have to do all the research myself. The Interlibrary Loan Department in Swem Library hates me now, thanks to Dr. Warren.

We all know Watson's predilection for members of the opposite sex. He remarks on their beauty and dress an uncountable number of times throughout the canon. We know from him that his experience with women extends over "many nations and three separate continents." We know from Holmes that the fair sex is "Watson's department." I will review the various theories on how many wives Dr. Watson had, and bring you to what I believe is the most logical conclusion. It should be an interesting area for exploration. It is also an area, in my opinion, that has barely been tapped.

In 1944, Dorothy Sayers said:

There is a conspiracy afoot to provide Watson with as many wives as Henry VIII, but, however this may be, only one is ever mentioned by him and only one left any abiding memory in his heart.

Less devout scholars than Ms. Sayers wanted Watson to have multiple wives so much that they invented them for him. William S. Baring-Gould points out that Watson marries the American Constance Adams in Doyle's unpublished play "Angels of Darkness." In 1978, Hartley Nathan purportedly found Watson's will and testament in Toronto, Canada, proving that the good doctor had twin sons (Clarence and George) by his first wife Constance, a daughter (Gertrude) by his second wife Mary, and another daughter (Elsie) by his third wife, whose name we do not know.

Two-Wife Theories

In any case, it is certain that Watson had at least one wife. Mary Morstan is explicitly mentioned in several places throughout the canon, starting with "The Sign of the Four." In 1888, Mary Morstan walked into Dr. Watson's life and swept him off his feet. Watson writes:

She was a blonde young lady, small, dainty, well gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was, however, a plainness and simplicity about her costume which bore with it a suggestion of limited means. . . .Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion, but her expression was sweet and amiable, and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sympathetic. In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature. (SIGN, pp. 11- 12).

Later in the narrative, Watson says of Mary:

My mind ran upon our late visitor -- her smiles, the deep rich tones of her voice, the strange mystery which overhung her life. If she were seventeen at the time of her father's disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now -- a sweet age, when youth has lost its self-consciousness and become a little sobered by experience. So I sat and mused until such dangerous thoughts came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology (SIGN, p. 16).

The prospect that the Agra treasure might spoil his chances with Miss Morstan certainly weighed heavily on Dr. Watson's mind. So distracted was Watson that when Thaddeus Sholto bombarded him with trains of symptoms, the Doctor found himself prescribing strychnine in large doses as a sedative. It seems evident that Watson was in love.

At any rate, Watson married Miss Morstan soon after the conclusion to "The Sign of the Four." Watson was 35 and Mary 27 at the time their troth was plighted. The popular view is that Mary died in 1893 or 1894. Holmes rose from the dead in 1894 and took Watson's mind off his "sad bereavement" for awhile with some new adventures. This didn't last forever, as, according to S. C. Roberts, Watson remarried soon after the turn of the century. Holmes himself, in "The Blanched Soldier," remarks in January 1903 that Watson had "deserted him for a wife," so it seems evident that Watson remarried at least once. The identity of this second wife has been conjectured by Chris Morley and George Haynes to be Lady Frances Carfax, and by S. C. Roberts to be Violet de Merville (ILLU).

The fact that Watson married Miss Morstan is well-known and goes almost undisputed. Of course, nothing is so abhorrent to many Sherlockians than a plainly stated, obvious fact. Eminent Sherlockian scholar and author Rex Stout wrote an article entitled "Watson Was a Woman," which, if true, would of course preclude any wives.

On the other hand, there are those who contend that Watson had not two wives, but one. In an interesting twist to the Rex Stout theory, Dr. Robert Katz, in his toast to the Second Mrs. Watson at the 1996 BSI Dinner, held that there was only one Mrs. Watson. Katz's logic was that because Holmes was such an intolerable lodger because of his bad habits and his propensity for getting his roommates into danger, they left him after a short while. This posed a problem for the Literary Agent, who had great success with Holmes and Watson. The conflict was resolved by having several Dr. Watsons in succession, each of whom was married only once.

On the other hand, there are those who claim that our mutual friend had three or more wives. We'll ignore Rex Stout for the moment and concentrate instead on the one-wife and multi-wife theories.

One-Wife Theories

The fourteenth century English scholastic philosopher, William of Ockham, held that assumptions used to explain something must not be unnecessarily multiplied. This "shaving away of multiple assumptions" is known familiarly as "Ockham's Razor." A more simple way of stating the principle is that, all things being equal, the simplest explanation is usually the best. This is known in science as the Law of Parsimony. There are only a few published proponents of the one-wife theory, but they claim to have Ockham's razor on their side.

Jane Nightwork, in 1946, made the surprising claim that "Watson's second wife was actually his first wife; and there never was a third." Nightwork speculates that Watson and Mary had a "falling out" in 1894 due to Mary's success in her own dress-making business. Since divorce at this time was all but impossible, it is likely that Holmes was referring to Watson's separation rather than Mary's death when he said, "Work is the best antidote to sorrow, my dear Watson" in "The Empty House." According to Nightwork, when Holmes says, "The good Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife," he is referring to the happy reunion of John and Mary in 1902, when the couple decided to have another go at marriage. There is no need to assume that Mary died. This view was later supported by Christopher Morley.

H. W. Starr claimed that the "sad bereavement" doesn't refer to death, but is Watson's excuse to the reading public for moving back in with Holmes after violent marital disputes. Starr blames the switching of residences between Queen Anne St. and Baker St. on Watson's proclivity to go adventuring with Holmes, a habit which caused much marital strife for Watson. The couple finally reconciled in 1902 and left Holmes by himself.

Dan Warren claims that Mary is instead the victim of tuberculosis. Because she must spend so much time in a German health spa, Watson occasionally lives with Holmes. According to Warren, the "sad bereavement" mentioned by Holmes refers to the Watsons' miscarried child, an event which occurred more frequently among women with TB. How much of this has canonical support, I don't know, but it's a good theory, nonetheless. It might be what Doyle had intended all along, as his first wife Louise died after a thirteen-year battle with TB, and took many visits to Switzerland for her health.

Another bit of evidence for a single marriage lies in "The Dying Detective," which occurred, according to Watson, "in the second year of my married life." "The Dying Detective" wasn't published until 1913, eleven years after the presumed second marriage took place. It is evident that Watson had only been married once by 1913 or he would have said "the second year of his first marriage." As he was in his early sixties by in 1913, it is unlikely that he married again.

Three-Wife theories

There is some support for the claim that Watson had three wives. In "The Veiled Lodger," 1896, Watson says he has taken up separate lodgings. Harold Bell assumed that this referred to another marriage. I don't know if I believe him, but Trevor Hall points out that perhaps Watson was going through a mid-life crisis at this time. He was, after all, in his mid-forties. I think far greater evidence for a marriage lies in "The Five Orange Pips," which precedes "The Sign of the Four," and hence Mary Morstan, by a year.

In "The Five Orange Pips," Watson mentions that "My wife was on a visit to her mother's, and for a few days I was a dweller once more in my old quarters at Baker Street." However, in "The Sign of the Four," Mary states quite clearly that her mother was dead and that she had no relatives in England. The statement in "The Five Orange Pips" was later changed in light of this fact to refer to Mary's aunt rather than her mother, but keep in mind that this was a change made after the fact by editors, not by Watson. This instance gives rise to the theory that Watson had a wife in 1887, before he wedded Mary in 1888. A counter-argument is that "The Sign of the Four" is mentioned in "The Five Orange Pips" and therefore must have already occurred. I refuse to admit the late Gavin Brend's assertion that Watson had messy hand-writing or simply had his dates wrong. This happened only three times that I can tell -- once in "Wisteria Lodge," once in "The Red-Headed League," and once elsewhere in "The Sign of the Four." I think it more likely that Watson included the title for publicity reasons.

Four-Wife Theories

In the extreme case, Watson hypothetically could have had at least 4 marriages:

1887 - A short marriage to someone unknown. (FIVE) 1888 - Watson weds Mary Morstan (SIGN) 1896 - Watson takes up separate quarters (VEIL) 1902 - Watson deserts Holmes for a wife (BLAN)

Five-Wife Theories

If we're to trust Baring-Gould about "Angels of Darkness," Watson had a fifth wife in the mid-1880's named Constance Adams. Trevor Hall supports the five- wife theory, citing Watson's wives as Constance Adams, Miss X, Mary Morstan, Miss Y, and Miss Z.

Six-Wife Theories

In his review of the unpublished play "Angels of Darkness," Harlan Umansky claims that the play ends with Watson being engaged to Lucy Ferrier at the deathbed request of John Ferrier. Is Lucy Ferrier Miss X? Or should we add her to the list, making six short-lived wives for Dr. Watson? That is open to speculation, since, according to the rumor mill, the plot of "Angels of Darkness" directly contradicts that of "A Study in Scarlet"--it has Watson working in San Francisco and doesn't involve Holmes at all. It would be nice if the six-wife theory were correct--it would fulfill Ms. Sayers' prophesy of Watson having as many wives as Henry VIII.

Seven-Wife Theories

A case could be made that Watson had seven wives if you juggle the dates around in "The Sign of the Four," "The Five Orange Pips," and "A Scandal in Bohemia." We'll call this mysterious lady Miss Q. The evidence for her existence is flimsy at best, however, so I won't go into it.

Conclusions

Now, given the fact that Watson probably couldn't have divorced any of his wives by the laws in England at the time, this means, unless Watson was a bigamist as some have suggested, that all but the last of his wives must have died, and none of them under circumstances Watson sees fit to describe to the reader. In fact, Miss Q, Miss X, and Miss Y must have died after no more than a year of marriage--Miss Q and Miss X because Watson remarried the next year, and Miss Y because Watson was living back in his old quarters in Baker Street by 1897 (ABBE).

There are two theories we can dismiss out of hand. The first is that Dr. Watson was a deadbeat addicted to gambling.

Look at the facts. Watson is always skipping out on his practice to run off with Holmes. Watson spent a summer at "Shoscombe Old Place" of horseracing fame. He frequently spends half his pension check at the races. Holmes kept Watson's checkbook locked in his desk drawer. Is it any surprise to learn that Watson would be in dire financial straits? Could he have, for instance, had a system of marrying rich women who were at death's door, taken out huge life insurance policies on them, and then merely wait for them to pass on in order to collect and support his gambling habit? Given what other information we have about Dr. Watson's personality, my answer must be "Not bloody likely."

The second dubious explanation is that Watson was a serial killer.

How hard would it be for a doctor to procure poisons or administer deadly infections? Watson does admit to having "another set of vices" in "A Study in Scarlet"--could he be referring to a murderous streak a mile wide? This would make Watson one of the most diabolical, cunning, and daring killers of all time, to stay so brazenly close to the world's greatest detective and yet defy discovery at every turn. One would surmise that Holmes would get suspicious by the fourth or fifth time he was asked to present a ring as the best man.

Or could it be simply that because Watson, as a doctor, came into more frequent contact with women of frail health, he was hence more likely to marry such women? I tend to support this position. Cases could, and have, been made that Watson had as many as seven wives, but I tend to think he had only two: Mary Morstan and the Miss Z of 1903. It is now time to use Ockham's razor to cut through the extraneous theories. There are two strong canonical references to Dr. Watson's wives--Mary Morstan and Miss Z of 1903. The inference that these are one and the same woman is a stretch, and I believe that those who have claimed to have Ockham's razor on their side by saying that Watson had only one wife are misinterpreting the nature of parsimony. 'One' is not necessarily a simpler number than 'Two' when 'Two' makes more sense. In order to play The Game, we must accept what Watson says at face value unless he is clearly, undeniably wrong.

References

Baesch, J. Personal Communication. 20 August, 1997.

Baring-Gould, W. S. (1962). Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street.

Brend, G. (1951). My Dear Holmes.

Bunson, M. E. (1994). Encyclopedia Sherlockiana.

Doyle, A. C. (1993). The Sign of the Four. New York: Oxford University Press.

Fink, J. (1992). The marital hoax of John H. Watson. The Baker Street Journal, 42(2), 102-105.

Fitz, R. (1944). A Belated Eulogy: To John H. Watson, M.D., in Profile by Gaslight, Edgar W. Smith (Ed.), Simon and Schuster: New York.

Hall, T. (1971). The Late Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Katz, R. (1996). To the Second Mrs. Watson. The Baker Street Journal, 46(1), 9-10.

Moriarity, D. Personal Communication. August, 1997.

Morley, C. (1934). Doctor Watson's Secret, in Rothman, S. (Ed.): The Standard Doyle Company, 1990.

Nathan, H. (1978). John H. Watson, M.D. Discovered at Last. The Baker Street Journal, 28(4), 204-213.

Nguyen, H. Personal Communication. 22 August, 1997.

Nightwork, J. (1946). Watson à la Mode. The Baker Street Journal, 1(1), 15- 20.

Redmond, C. (1984). In Bed With Sherlock Holmes.

Roberts, S. C. (1953). Holmes & Watson, New York: Otto Penzler's Sherlock Holmes Library.

Starr, H. W. (1946). Some New Light on Watson. The Baker Street Journal, 1(1), 55-63.

Stout, R. (1944). Watson Was a Woman, in Profile by Gaslight, Edgar W. Smith (Ed.), Simon and Schuster: New York.

Warren, D. C. (1991). Mary, the One and Only. The Baker Street Journal, 41(1), 21-24.

Wigglesworth, B. (1947). Many Nations and Three Separate Continents.The Baker Street Journal, 2(3), 273-278.