#like ciel took his earrings out at school right he was trying to be normal at normal boy school and they are all using slurs in their...

[minakoaiinos]

Animating this season like you can't have the slightest bit of jest and god forbid jesting about yaoi

[toysoldiers-rwby]

[CS] 7. Intermission

Cutting Strings

Characters: Team APCX, Winter, May Word Count: 4k

A small break before Atlas Academy starts.

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Error: File Protected. Reason: Intermission.  

General Ironwood called a meeting with his most trusted leaders. Penny stood next to her father and the pair was mostly silent. Winter and Clover did a wonderful job reasoning with General Ironwood. But, must to Penny’s pride, it only took one line and a serious look from Winter.  

"You paired Aurora and Xanthic together, sir."  

The room was silent for a long time. Everyone was tense, even her own father. Whatever history that brought up seemed to subdue the General a little. He passed Team APCX to the Specialist Schnee under two conditions. The first is that Xanthic will continued to be tightly monitored. Winter agreed. Penny watched her carefully, trying to separate the lies and the truth. She had a small tell, a micro twitch of her jaw when she lied.  

“I guarantee Xanthic will have no unauthorized form of communication.” Winter said.  

She kept the backdoor Scroll a secret.  

Aro and her father redesigned the gravity cuffs to looked more like normal bracelets. Xanthic requested some thickness to be returned to it for a ‘punk’ aesthetic. Aro increased it by a few millimeters and added unnecessary studs and lights.  

Winter had Military Technicans outfit Xanthic’s home with surveillance equipment with the exception of the bedrooms and restrooms. A member of the Ace-Ops or Robyn’s team would be with her at all times.  

Over the past week Penny learned it was formal talk for ‘hanging out’ as Joanna had put it. Everyone seemed fond of her garden and the rare patch of grass on Atlas. During one visit with Winter, they had found Xanthic lounging outside, basking in the rare sun while Elm and Joanna argued about the correct methods of eating a tomato growing in the garden. Joanna bit into it like an apple much to Elm’s cringe.  

In the mornings she’d work on Billy, who now had more than a headbutting function and could understand simple commands such as sit and stay. Afterwards she’d visit Xanthic then return to the facility together to train. Aro and Ciel’s schedule varied due to work and school, but they were there for at least an hour every day.  

Penny greatly enjoyed her new routine. Until it became routine for her to fail. She was an engineering marvel of software and hardware, yet all members of the Ace-Ops, Winter, and even Fiona had beaten her with ease.  

Today her opponent was Aro. It felt like a downgrade even if reason told her the usual elite graduates were just away on a mission. Penny wasn’t as confident as she should be. Her algorithms calculated a 0% chance of losing. It was the same software that provided an inaccurate of assessment of Winter’s summons. Still Penny was determined not to fail.  

But the mechanic was nearly impossible to hit.  

No matter the angle Penny attacked from, Aro was able to dodge like she was a fish in the sea. Gliding left, skidding right, hovering in place when idle or flying like a bullet during attacks.  

Penny pulled back Floating Array and deleted her previous assessment and calculations. They favored in a normal civilian. Not one with a stylish audio and Aura sensing instrument that acted like a 360 camera.  

Aro grinned. She stopped floating, Penny could hair the faint clicks and other mechanisms in her legs as it ejected empty Dust cartridges. She opened a vent to release the built up steam. Penny was instantly on edge. Her own systems weren’t as sophisticated as Aro’s sensory horns, Penny heavily relied on visual analysis. If Aro used that as a smokescreen…  

“If you figure out a way to look any cuter I’ll consider forfeiting,” Aro said. In a voice that didn’t sound winded, like it was effortless. Like the elite graduates. Penny didn’t smile but she could feel her Aura warm her systems and the air in her chest. She huffed out air almost visible in Solitas’ cold atmosphere. Then alarm flickered across Aro’s features. “Down!”  

Penny instintively listen, diving as low as possible. A powerful arc of hard-light dust flew above them. It stressed against the barrier for half a minute before finally shattering.  

The pair looked at their teammates. Xanthic was sparing against Clover. The man took a few hits, proving Xanthic’s accuracy was not luck but also not a refined skill either. On the far end of the room was Marrow and Ciel. In front of them was a few Atlesian Knights they were using for semblance training.  

Penny heard a loud explosion. Hard-light blades and metal took up nearly all her vision. Aro’s unsmiling face focused on attacking. She tried to lean back and bring up her arms or bring down Floating Array to block but Opponent Aro was too fast. Another loud explosion pushed those blades hard against Penny’s Aura and sent the metal women flying back a few meters.  

Several blades dug into the metal tiles, immediately stopping Penny’s slid. Two guns fired at Aro while other components, both swords and guns, hovered close for defense. It was both a deterrent and precaution.  

Mostly a deterrent.  

Aro must have realized it. The swift hit and run pattern was thrown aside. She charged forward again. By now Penny was familiar with Aro’s speed. She was visually aware of her opponent but her analysis programming was searching for something unfamiliar. Sudden movements or an unnatural bend in Penny’s lasers- as if it a comet just escaped orbit.  

Of course! All that gravity Dust!  

Direct attacks would be ineffective. Penny could swing Floating Array in from the sides but Aro was too agile. The only openings were when her opponent attacked and Penny was forced to defend.  

Again, Aro broke through her defenses. Her velocity was unhindered by gravity, boosted by combustion, with a weight of a heavy women and metal limbs thrown into the attack. Penny bolstered her Aura, this time taking the hit with open arms and closed them tight around Aurora. She leaned in, fired Floating Array in a constant stream to counter balance the momentum.  

“H-Hey!” She squirmed. It may have been sheer luck that had Aro’s arms pinned in the bear hug but ten blades and four guns pointing down at her defeated opponent was calculated.  

Penny grinned looking up at Aro. “I win!” Aro seemed to… growl in effort? Her sensors and systems couldn’t quite understand it. Was this a Faunus warning or was Aro’s gravity Dust causing a minor glitch again. Aro wiggled in her grasp and carefully kicked her legs as if she would find purchase in the air. It added many new sensations Penny would try to understand later but right now she focused the feeling of accomplishment and success.  

Aro let out a whine, Faunus ears peeking out as they lowered and her posture deflate. Finally Focus flickered off. Penny was rewarded with those unmasked sea-green eyes. The glow hid many things, mostly the embarrassment Penny saw now. She giggled and grinned, cuddling into her soft and temporary trophy.  

“Wait!” Fiona’s voice echoed through the entrance. She was covered in dirt and mud, boots tracking in the outside environment as she skidded in. Winter was right at her heels, and barely manage to dodge the tiny Huntress when she finally stopped. “Aurora- Aura. Ah!” Whoever was following them didn’t see Fiona. May and Joanna collapsed onto their teammate. "Get off me, you gigantic assholes!!"  

“Sorry!”  

Elm quickly ran in and picked the pair off. Winter helped Fiona onto her feet, a bit clumsily as her eyes was looking at Penny and Aro.  

“So,” Winter tried to level her voice, “You’re training is… going well?” She asked.  

“I won!” Penny said with a large smile. Floating Array folded into her pack and she jogged towards Winter. Aro grumbled and wiggled. Penny didn’t let go but loosened her trophy enough to be comfortable in her arms. Her voice took on a serious and honest tone, “Civilian Aurora fought valiantly!”  

“But you won,” Winter said slowly. She and May looked at each other, over Fiona who held up a middle finger at her teammate. May scoffed at her and pushed it away while Winter gave both Penny and Aro a skeptical look. “By… a hug?”  

Penny looked at her arms still around Aro. By now the women wiggled one arm free and used it to slightly brace herself against Penny’s shoulders. Penny’s grin went back up to Winter, “That is correct!”  

“It works, just not for everyone.” Joanna said with a shrug. “She has all those swords and Winter has her summons-”  

“I don’t like this conversation so I’m awkwardly changing it,” Aro declared, voice very blunt but still very embarrassed. “HHZT (Hazelnut) and SGME (Sigmarite) finally broke the tie?” Their elite group of Huntsmen and Huntresses had an unfinished competition back from their Academy days. As part of the Accelerated Program, the Academy would rearrage them for certain missions. Or maybe it was an unoffical team? Like Robyn and the other freelancers.  

“HHZT, won. Of course.” Fiona said hands on her proud chest with an grin that was far too innocent and confident. Penny recalled Xanthic using the term ‘shit-eating grin’ which Penny was greatly opposed to. Ciel explained the phrase as smug.  

The other members of Team HHZT trickled in. Harriet and Vine raised a brow at Penny and her trophy while Robyn gave a smile.  

“I’m guessing you won? Congratulation, Swords.” The leader Mantle’s happiest Huntress team said.  

“Thank you ma’am!”  

“Can I- down? Please?” Aro asked softly. So softly Penny was tempted to ignore it. The tone of voice was new, too high pitch and nervous. Unsure if it was a positive or negative response, Penny decided that caution was better and set Aro down. She took a deep breath, as if it would help the blood rushing through her cheeks and neck.  

“Sorry if I held you too tightly!”  

“Apologize for something you actually do,” Aro said in a very Xanthic-like drawl. Complete with a roll of her eyes but it was so much softer. So more like Ciel when she was sleep deprived. Maybe a tad softer. Penny couldn’t help but to respond with a bigger smile. It was after Aro flustered and floundered that Penny decided she liked this new behavior.  

"Goddess curse your fucking fishing rod!!" Xanthic screamed. Clover laughed slightly, not a true laugh but still a sound of enjoyment and amusement. Like a fish the hacker was dangling off the string, body awkwardly tangled in the wire. While this was a common sight over the past week, Penny wasn’t aware of how flexible Xanthic was. “How is this a weapon anyway?!”  

“My semblance and skills are pretty consistent.”  

“Don’t let Ironlimp rub off on you. Just spit it out-”  

“You’re talented, not skillful.” Clover said. Xanthic’s jaw snapped shut and she muttered curses under her breath as she tried to free herself again. Elm and Harriet chuckled. “Marrow and Ms. Soleil are almost finished. How’d the search and destroy mission go?”  

“Xanthic’s drones were accurate.” Winter said. No matter how many times Winter needs to slip back into work mode, Penny still haven’t grown to like it. “All essential and optional targets were eliminated.”  

Clover smirked and raised a brow. “Who won?” All team members of SGME; Winter, Joanna, May and Elm, either scowled or pouted. “Congratulations HHZT.”  

“It feels so nice to finally settle that score.” Fiona said grinning up at SGME. May groaned and playfully shoved the troublemaker away. She then gasped, fist landing in a palm. “Oh right! Aro you are projecting an Aura. Right?”  

“Uh… haha,” Aro couldn’t even formulate a lie without Focus. She huffed looking extremely guilty as a green shimmer covered her body-  

“Aurora!” Penny gasped while May yelled. She could feel her power unit both decrease in performance yet go into overdrive. She hadn’t hold back during training. If Penny had taken a different approach for to win- Her simulations were vivid in her mind even as Penny grabbed Aro’s upper arms. General Ironwood requested Penny knew the outcomes of failure, she was preprogram with the knowledge of death and dying but not the emotional connections of loss until now.  

“You- What if you got hurt!” Penny said.  

Aro held steady eye contact, “You didn’t land a hit. The only time you touched me was the hug.” It wasn’t a challenging stare but not the lively glowing one Penny was used to. Easy to fluster but possibly even more brash without her semblance? She didn’t backdown but the defensive tension melted a little. Aro wasn’t a different person with Focus off but it was still a shift in personality. “I’m sorry.” The words quickly tumbled out of her mouth and seemed to surprised even Aro.  

The silence in the air was so thick it nearly shocked Penny.  

“Oh.” May blurted out in quiet surprise. Aro frowned, glaring at May who fumbled a little more. “W-What? You’re one of the most arrogant and narcissistic person I know!”  

“Because I deserve to be.” Aro said quickly. Organic defensiveness quickly resorting to a bit of aggression.  

May took a deep breath, pinching the bridge on her nose. “Focus on the Aura problem, we can talk about the other stuff later,” She muttered quietly to herself. Of course Aro heard it and she tried to relax. “Please, promise me you’ll actually try with the Aura stuff?”  

There was an instinctave and resistant growl-like whine.  

“Aurora!” Three people yelled. Penny was much softer compared to May but Winter’s was the sternest. Aro flinched. She took a deep breath. It took a little bit for the mechanic to meet May and Winter’s gaze. Her eyes flickered to Penny who still looked worried and guilty.  

“I’m sorry,” Aro blurted out again. “I’ll take this Aura projection thing seriously.”  

“We’ll add Aura training to your regimen.” Winter said with a sigh. “Both you and Xanthic are far from adequate-”  

“I’m what now?!” The two genius yelled loud enough for it to ring around the trainng room for a few seconds.  

Winter tried steeling her features, but her brows kept twitching together in frustration. She coldly stared at Xanthic as the hacker yelled and Aro’s furious eyes glowed bright with Focus. The mechanic’s body went taunt, the fabric across her shoulders and chest straining. "You’re talking to the pair that made the world’s smallest portable hard-light printer and scanner you piece shit-"  

“And that’s our cue to leave,” Marrow said smoothly walking past the large group while Ciel reluctantly stood next to her teammates. The Ace Operatives that weren’t already filing out of the room sneered. Only Marrow and Clover gave their superior officer good luck wishes as they left.  

Robyn gave Winter a pat on her shoulder, “I’ll be sure to write 'Death by Iron-Knee’ on your grave.” Fiona and Joanna chuckled safely from the exit.  

“Ugh. Get out,” Winter said with a tight jaw. Her hand suddenly shot out, a tight grip around May’s wrist. “Not you.” May glared at her. With a look they came to an unease agreement and faced the furious pair.  

Aro glowered, almost intimidating with her bright eyes and sharp horns. “We did survive encounters against the White Fang and Grimm!” Her cold tone almost sold it.  

“You two are talented, yes.” May said slowly. That did little to calm Aro and Xanthic down. “But… this is not… your area of expertise?”  

“You two are highly unprepared.” Winter correctly flately. Penny watched as frustration boiled over both Aro and Xanthic’s wounded ego. Winter gave May a sharp glance, “Don’t coddle them.”  

“I grew up in Menagerie where we don’t have the luxurious kingdom defenses.”  

“Aro, it’s not the same.” Winter tried to reason.  

“Perhaps, ma’am,” Ciel spoke up. The group turned to the officer-in-training. Penny stepped closer to her, a little protective with a smile that almost defused the situation. It worked on three, Xanthic seemed to grow a little more furious. “Glade and Xanthic would respond better to a demonstration. The Atlas’ Welcoming Fair is focusing on the third and fourth years this week.”  

“Oh! Good idea,” May gasped.  

“No, bad idea,” Aro said nose wrinkling in disgust. “Atlas Military and Hunts Associations are scouting for recruits. Business companies are looking for a new face to slap on their product. It’ll be filled with people trying to make connections with people like me.”  

Aro was right about one aspect, she did deserve to be arrogant- “Oh!” Penny gasped, eyes wide. She looked at her Faunus, “Does ‘Aro’ stand for arrogant?”  

Ciel’s professional demeanor completely broke beside her. She coughed on air, trying not to laugh but still somehow managed to murmur, “Holy shit.” May just immediately crackled, head thrown back in laughter while the last three stared with disbelief for a few seconds. It broke around the same time Penny tilted her head in confusion.  

“Now it does,” Winter mused with a smile. She cleared her throat, trying to calm May down. The Huntress only squatted, hands clasp over her mouth with tears pricking her eyes. “Aro,” Winter’s professional demeanor cracked with a brief smile. The Faunus softly growled, a weak show of teeth and ears poking out low. “Would draw unwanted attention.”  

“Like your white as fuck hair wouldn’t,” Aro quickly shot back.  

“According to the search algorithms, her defining traits are sharp gold horns and glowing eyes.” Xanthic said. She rubbed her chin eyes glancing upward in thought. “I think I erased or edited a lot of her old photos. So if she uses her old horns and manage to keep her semblance off she might be okay.”  

“I think the average person would connect Winter and a women with green hair,” Penny said steadily with a raised brow.  

“Average person,” Xanthic gestured to Ciel. Her teammate huffed and rolled her eyes though she gave no verbal comment. Ciel did have excellent marks but compared to the elite huntresses and geniuses in the room she did fit the definition of average. “See? We can use Ciel for a test run.”  

“My father has your previous model for research purposes! I’ll get them.” Penny said walking off. Winter called Fiona to deliver something from her room.  

Out of sight but not out of hearing, Penny heard May gasping for breath, “Oh that settles it, I love her.”  

It took longer than expected. Without daily and meticulous organization their storage was in minor disarray. Penny wondered if Xanthic would permit her bots to help her father out. The AK-200 had mistakenly placed Aro’s previous sensory equipment under weapons.  

“Of course Fiona would choose this outfit,” Winter’s murmur came from the kitchen.  

When Penny returned to her team and supervising Huntresses she nearly dropped the military grade case. The two most noticeable members of their group underwent minor physical changes. It was simple clothing and hair alterations but Penny’s visual analysis struggled to link the names Winter and Aro to their appearance.  

Seeing Penny’s reaction, Winter immediately stood up, “I’m changing back into my uniform.”  

“Nope!” May used one hand to shove Winter back into her chair. Then she went back to braiding Aro’s hair. Penny stared at Aro for a moment and the women just raised a brow. Without her horns May was free to run her fingers through wavy pale green locks uninterrupted. She brushed them behind her heavily scared Faunus ears that twitched around with a giggle. “The entire point of this is to look different.”  

“I can’t believe she found this…” Winter murmured. Penny had perfect memory. Just a glance was enough permanently capture the leather shrug tight around Winter’s arms and shoulders. Some odd code in her programing told her to double check the metal buckle that clasp the collar of the shrug snug to her neck.  

Luckily Aro’s sign language was a good distraction. Xanthic interpreter what Winter and May was saying, her expressions mimicking the individuals. Aro sneered and giggled. Penny was surprised she could at least differentiate interpretation from a conversation.  

“Penny, would you like to enter the betting pool?” Ciel asked.  

The metal women jumped slightly with a small gasp. She turned to see Ciel raise a brow slightly but much more focused on her scroll. “Fiona is betting no more than four of them will be able to find Specialist Schnee and Ms. Glade at the Fair.”  

Penny set the case containing Aro’s outdating cybernetics down and tilted her head in thought. “Hm… I think I’ll pass. Betting and gambling doesn’t seem like a positive habit.” She remembered the tense conversation Ciel had given Penny after losing to Xanthic.  

“I agree with Ciel but I’m pretty confident that no one will recognize us even if we are together.” Xanthic interpreted. Aro continued signing, this time with a large grin and finished pointing to May who smirked. “We do have a spymaster with us.” The hacker finished, voice surprisingly faithful to Aro’s fluctuations.  

May tied the braid and walked to the front to admire her handiwork. It was a much more roguish appearance than her usual gentle or business persona. The top fluffed out like a Mohawk while the sides were pulled tight and flat, revealing scars and cybernetics that glowed under her skin or on the surface. Aro popped open the case. Instead of sharped angle and shining horns this was a matted metal with ram curls that framed her ears and taper to safe round tips. May stepped around to help guide then into the ports and lock them in. Even the cybernetic glow was muted.  

Though Ciel was there for the transformation she stared hard and squinted at Aro. Her ears fluttered and she nervously shifted. “Huh…” Ciel muttered. Then she gave Winter the same cold calculating stare. The soldier didn’t flitch but Penny had the time to confirm the metal buckle around her neck. Winter’s hair was long enough brush past her shoulders and due to the constant bun had some waves imprinted into her locks.  

“Yeah, I’m betting they won’t recognize either of you.”  

“Really cute,” May pointed to Aro, “Almost illegally hot.” She smirked at Winter who glared.  

Penny looked between Winter and Aro. Her programing was drawing a blank. Visual analysis was focused on identification and injuries, though she could feel an odd glitch triggering a reaction in her power unit and her aura. A systems check was telling her that her temperature was higher than normal but well within functioning range.  

Error: File Protected. Skip Intermission?

[askcursedangels]

An Angel’s Curse - Part 2

Part 2 summary: Ciel’s day starts off normally, but a phonecall from her boss, an angel she despises called Chrys, calls her to come in... Things just keep getting worse.

The morning came about quickly. That meant that my human didn’t end up in danger last night… good. However, the sunlight meant one thing: I had to go about a normal human life for the time being. All guardian angels within this town worked in a small café, called Le Café Tranquille. I had to make my way there soon to do my work for the day…

I still had about two hours to get ready and leave though, so I decided to go through with a routine which I used in my human form. First, I would quickly shower and get dressed, which would take about twenty minutes at most. I didn’t need to eat or drink unless I wanted to, so I could skip that out. I still had a kitchen, but it wasn’t often I decided that I wanted to eat.

Then… I would watch television, typically the human news, until the time that I had to leave.

As I got to turning the tv on, there was a weather report on the news. There was a new weather anchor today. And it had been the same for the past fifty weeks. Today would always be that person’s first day on the job…

“Within the northern regions of the town, there is a chance of strong winds and fog, so make sure that you are prepared for that! For the rest of the town, the skies are overcast and there is expected to be about ten to fifteen millimetres of rain, so make sure to have your coats or at least an umbrella if you intend on going out. Now, to look over the weather for the coming days…” For some reason, my body felt relaxed as I heard the man’s voice. Relaxed enough to accidentally slip into my angel form…

I shrieked at that, before quickly making my wings vanish and I then cast a glare at the man on the television. I couldn’t exactly stay angry at him for long though… He seemed so excited for it to be his first day of reporting the weather. His eyes were shining… He was shivering with anticipation… And he was jumpy.

Before I could start paying attention to the news stories which were being discussed now, my human phone began to ring. The name of the caller made me sigh…

Chrysanthemum. Also known as Chrys, the annoying head angel who monitored guardian angels from the heavens… He was like an angel’s equivalent of a human bully.

I brought the phone up to my ear, and waited to hear the up and coming lecture over the amount of times my human had died untimely…

“Miss Ciel… Please be present in the cafe as fast as possible. I have something which we must discuss.”

   As I stepped into the café, the atmosphere was… sombre. My guardian angel colleagues were silent as they went about making drinks and food, before serving them to the customers. At the doorway to the staff room at the back, Chrys was stood with his lips pursed together and his arms folded. The thing was… He was looking down towards the floor, and was oblivious to my presence by the entrance. His dark purple hair framed his face, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

I approached him, and cleared my throat to get his attention. He looked up at me, before a forced smile formed on his face. “Ciel… You’re here, finally. Get a move on, Lady Alessia and your father are awaiting at the back. I apologise for summoning you a few human hours before you were expected to be here.”

How strange… Chrys was apologising to me?

And my dad and grandmother were here?!

I followed Chrys with a feeling of anxiousness taking over my body. As soon as the staff room door closed, both of us ended up reverting to our angelic forms, and I noticed my family sat upon a sofa in the room. My grandmother, Grand Head Angel Alessia, was sat with a serious look on her face. My father though, Kian… He had a lost look upon his face.

Chrys gestured for me to sit down on a sofa opposite to them, and that was when my grandmother stared straight at me.

“Oh, my young granddaughter… I apologise for requesting that Chrysanthemum summon you. However… We have something serious to discuss. She then glared at my father, and folded her arms. “Kian, please tell your daughter about the situation she has ignited in the heavens.”

My father sighed, before he shakily clenched his fists together. “She didn’t cause the situation… But… The other angels have made the discovery that I was the human who an angel broke the rules for… They realised that I am the reason your mother fell, and you were cursed to be unable to know who the human under your protective custody is… And they want to boycott you as next in line as head angel following Alessia.” A tear stained his cheek then, before he stood up and went over to me in order to place a hand on my shoulder. “And your grandmother has accepted their request, despite it being your birthright to take up the position.”

My grandmother then rose to her own feet, and ordered for my father to sit down once more. “Ciel, angels have also heard of your repeated failures at saving your human due to the curse. And so, there is only one way for you to take the position which you were born for…” She then looked at Chrys, and her face softened. “You are to marry Chrysanthemum. He, as my deputy head angel and as head angel of the guardians, is to take my place upon my death if you are… unfit. You are to marry him, as your right to become head angel has already been forfeited… And you are to produce a further heir to the position as his wife.”

A shiver went down my spine as Chrys’ arm then snaked around me, and my father seemed incapable of reacting properly. It seemed that this was news to him too…

“Now, come with me, Kian. You must prepare your daughter’s belongings in the heavens to be transferred to Chrysanthemum’s residence.” Before my father was pulled away by my grandmother, he went over to me and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“I’m so sorry… I can’t dissuade her… I am just a lowly human turned into an angel, so I have no right to make her change her mind…”

As my father and grandmother then left the café’s staffroom through a portal to heaven, my heart began to race through anxiety.

No.

No, this can NOT be happening.

I-I can’t marry Chrys!

Suddenly, I was pulled up to my feet, and heard a clicking sound across the room. A door which was always locked when us angel employees had a break was now slowly creaking open, and Chrys was laughing quietly. “I am going to give you a quick taste of what is to come as my wife, once you fail to protect your human for a further two weeks… Come with me, my dear Ciel…” He then smirked, and muttered something under his breath. He didn’t seem to think that I could hear him. “I have been waiting for this since she was assigned under me as a guardian angel… An angel who does not know her own human…”

This reminded me of one misconception which humans had with regard to angels… They all assumed that the lives of angels were peaceful, with no need for rules and such due to how flawless the society of angels apparently was…

That was a huge lie.

The angelic society was far from flawless. There were criminals and violent acts, and many different crimes constantly committed… And from what I could see… Chrys was about to commit a crime shared in common with both humans and angels.

Once I was pulled through the doorway, Chrys used his angelic powers to make the door close and lock, before he started leading me up some stairs. I knew that up here was his residence, similar to a human apartment. He then turned to face me when the two of us were stood in the middle of his lounge. My wings were twitching as I wanted to just run out of here and get to work in the café below us.

Chrys then used his powers again, and a pain coursed through my wings and back. A cold, numbing pain. Oh no… He had frozen my wings in place!  “No flying, my precious Ciel… Now… Before you keep those silly thoughts of escape in your mind…” He then quickly muttered something, which I recognised as an ancient incantation taught within the advanced classes at school. That was a restraint incantation!

I looked on in a panic as I then felt my limbs grow stiff, and that was when Chrys began laughing loudly. “There’s no need to look so scared. I just want to take in that look on your face, that’s all…” He then raised an eyebrow, and took hold of my chin. “Ahh… You were expecting for me to ‘sleep with you’, as humans would put it… Weren’t you? No… I am saving that…” Colour drained from my face as he then suddenly pressed a kiss to my lips. Disgusting! “I am saving that until after our wedding…”

After Chrys did as he wanted for a short while, with a smirk on his face the whole time, he removed the restraint spell and unfroze my wings.

“F- Finally…” I whispered under my breath, before Chrys looked at a watch upon his wrist.

“Nine in the morning… Thirty minutes late for work, Ciel. Better get to work.” He then straight up dismissed me as tears began to stain my face, and quickly, I fled from his apartment and into the staff room below. One of my friends and co-workers, Nari, was stood in there with a fearful look on her face.

As soon as she saw me, she approached me and sighed. “Finally! Everyone was worried you were turned to a fallen angel, with the fact that you were having to talk with boss and Lady Alessia and that you were gone for so long! Now, come on, we’ve got some new cakes for you to try!”

[mrshopkirk]

Le Ciel - Heaven (part 2)

Characters: Bucky x reader, Steve, OFC (Claire), OMC (Eric), basically just a lot of people talking to each other

Summary: Bucky meets a girl in France during the war. Will he ever see her again? (my summaries suck, I know)

Warnings: some swearing but mostly bad grammar and poor spelling and messed up tenses, implied smut, mentions of torture, angst, fluff, war

Word count: 1800

Notes: Inspired by the end of the movie “French Kiss” with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. I assume Bucky might have been in France at one point during the war. If not, he was now.

English is not my first language and I have nobody to proofread so brace yourself. Feedback is appreciated.

* MASTERLIST *

 Previous:

“She doesn’t understand it anyway, Dum Dum,” Bucky huffs. “And it’s not like I can ever have a decent conversation with her.” He turns his attention back to you. “But man, I sure do want to.”

Bucky looks straight into your eyes with sincerity you haven’t seen in a long time in a man his age.

“And what would you say if you could talk to me, monsieur Bucky?” you say in perfect English that you learned from your English grandmother.

And that’s how your story starts, with Bucky’s jaw dropping to the floor and Dum Dum laughing his ass off.

 July and August 1944, France

 The soldiers have taken up residence in your village waiting for a mission but even they don’t know when it will take place. They process intel when it reaches them but it’s more than anything a sit tight and wait situation causing a false sense of security to settle over them. To pass the time the guys lend a helping hand on a large nearby vineyard where there’s a shortage a men because of the war. Steve also got his hands on some art supplies and Bucky seizes every chance he gets to try and win over your heart.

The next weeks of the summer are spent together whenever you and Bucky can. You work in your family’s bakery during the day but the second you’re off you bike to the little hotel to see Bucky. People talk behind your backs, a young girl like you and a handsome foreign soldier that will never stay. It’s plain to see that your time spent together involves more, way more, than just holding hands or him chasing you around the town square and stealing kisses from you behind the church. Seeing you leave his hotel at 5 am spark rumors even more.

“We are worried about her reputation, madame. What man will want to marry your daughter when he finds out he isn’t her first?” the butcher’s wife asked your mom one day. Your mom was so mad at her she told her off, calling her narrow-minded and old fashioned and all but kicked her out the bakery. But she didn’t stop there and by the end of the day, she had told off everyone else in the village, too. No-one gives Bucky dirty looks anymore since then.

“You know, that’s probably the only mother in the world that defends your honor, Buck.” Steve joked. That evening Bucky showed up at our doorstep with flowers for your mom.

Bucky’s group has an impressive physique and stamina to maintain and just working in the vineyard isn’t enough. Behind the old school house at the edge of the village there’s a small football field on which only kids play and so when Steve asks you if you know a good place for them to work out you bring them there. It’s nice and quiet, perfect to read a book while waiting for your newfound boyfriend to finish his daily routine. To be honest, you fan yourself more with the book than you actually read it because oh my, what a sight. It’s all bare chests, rippling muscles, grunting, panting, ragged breaths under a beautiful and hot French sun. It does something to a young girl in the midst of summer.

Needless to say you enjoy the view, not even hiding that you are checking them all out. The lean body of Jacques, the incredible abs of Jim, the broad shoulders of Dum Dum, you feast your eyes on each and every one of them. Steve definitely is a sight for sore eyes. Built like a god with his broad chest and shoulders, flawless fair skin, arms that look like he could rip a log in half with his bare hands. From the corner of your eye you see one man has stopped his work out. By the time you stop openly ogling Steve, Bucky’s looking at you with an expression you can’t quite place.

“What’s the matter, baby?” you ask with a smile.

“Nothing,” he murmurs under his breath, looking defeated. He releases a deep breath and looks off in the distance, hands on his hips. The lack of a cheeky response from him instantly gains the attention of his fellow soldiers.

“You okay, Buck?” Steve wonders while wiping the sweat of his face and chest with a towel causing Bucky to look between Steve and you. Steve furrows his brows but you quickly catch on. You hop off the small wall you’re sitting on and slowly walk over the green grass to your boyfriend. The sad look in his eyes breaks your heart, like a man offering his heart to you on a silver platter, expecting it to be ripped to shreds and fully accepting that cruel fate. You better make this count, you think. Your hips sway a little more than usual and push out your chest. Your tongue licks your lips and your bottom lip is caught between your teeth. All eyes are on you but your gaze is fixed on Bucky, giving him a sly grin. Only stopping when your bodies almost touch you look him up and down while releasing a soft moan for good measure. You feed your eyes on his beautiful body thinking about all the things you could do to him but that will have to wait till you are back in his room. Bucky swallows thickly when your right hand touches the nape of his neck, moving higher and grabbing a fistful of his hair, slowly but surely guiding his head to one side while your other hand finds its way to his chest. Your lips ghosts over the side of his exposed neck until you reach that certain spot below his ear and place a kiss, linger a little longer than necessary. Moving your lips higher, your teeth graze his ear. By now Bucky’s breathing heavily, his eyes fluttered closed. You can’t help but smile at the sight. He’s a mess, a sheen of sweat coats his skin, chest heaving both with anticipation and surrendering to the moment. Your right hand slips from his neck and joins the left one, your fingers now slowly raking over his toned pecs and chest.

“You don’t have anything to worry about, Bucky,” you whisper softly in his ear. His head is tilted a little to the side. By now your fingers reach his abs. “It’s not him I kiss.” Your fingers continue their way down and you can feel him draw a deep breath and his muscles tense, making you smile against his cheek. Your lips graze his ear again when your fingers hook in the loops of his pants and pull him close. He stumbles a step forward and opens his eyes unable to truly focus. “It’s not him I think about when you are between my legs at night.” That’s when you kiss him and moan a little in the kiss for good measure. This boy needs assurance you are choosing him over the huge super soldier and that’s exactly what you’re giving him. You feel his chest swell with pride and not only his chest. Hooting and whistling surrounds you both making you blush a little but giving Bucky a cocky grin, his arms firmly wrapped around your waist claiming you as his girl and only his. Mission accomplished.

The moments Bucky opens up to you the most are at night. Lying in each other’s arms Bucky tells you little bits and pieces of his life before the war. You heard the guys talk about the all girls he charmed and took on dates and dancing which sounds like something Bucky would do. But with you he only talks about his family, what the little money they had, taking care of Steve who was ill all the time, leaving his mother and little sisters behind. The stories about how he ended up here. That he regrets joining the army. Wondering why he lays his life on the line while his family is now left without a man to take of them and struggling to survive. He's a humble man you learn, not wanting great things. His only dream is returning to a normal life after the war. Finding a job and maybe make enough money to buy an actual house with a garden, marry and start a family. Nothing more, nothing less. You love it when he talks about his hopes and you listen when he talks about his fears. He tells you he was captured and how he was tortured by a man named Zola. That he’s absolutely terrified of it happening again.

It’s all pillow talk. It only comes out in the darkness of the night. Like he’s ashamed of it all, ashamed of not having won the fight, of being captured. He talks about who The Howling Commandos are and what they do. About Hydra, which scares the hell out of you. He tells you about the experiment Steve went through that made him Captain America, a super soldier. He admits being insecure since his scrawny best friend became this impressive physical appearance. It used to be him people looked at and now it’s not him they want. He’s not jealous but he has difficulties coming to terms with it.

“He doesn’t need me to be here but he wants it. He says I’m his strength, his rock in difficult times,” Bucky whispers. “But it’s not easy to hold a rock his size, darling.”

And with that your angel buries his head deep in your chest, pulls his legs up and makes himself as small as he can. His heart is pounding in his chest, his breathing fast and shallow. It’s like this almost every night. He needs protection, feel warm arms wrapped him, someone whispering sweet nothings in his ear and you give him what he needs. It helps him forget the cold table he was strapped to and the yelling he endured during his captivity. You see it a lot these days. People are worn out by the war and you hope it will all be over soon. This beautiful man is so broken already. You fall asleep worrying how long he will be able to hold himself together. He has nightmares almost every night. He keeps repeating his name, outfit and service number in his sleep, whimpering Steve’s name for help, before waking up crying and sweating, before holding on to you for dear life, almost squeezing all the air out of you, begging you not to leave him alone. The really bad nights are when you have to shake him awake and he doesn't focus on you but has this 1000-yard stare. He loses himself and it's difficult to get him to come back to you, and even then it’s like he barely recognizes you.

At daybreak, all that haunts Bucky is pushed aside. “I’m fine, doll. As long as I have you,” and with a soft kiss to your lips and an enchanting smile that doesn’t always reach his eyes, he brushes you aside. During the day he’s all smiles and jokes, hiding his troubles too well. It’s a completely different Bucky and it worries you. Steve doesn’t seem to notice and you wonder if you should tell him. But you decide against it. It’s a decision you will forever regret.

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