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ihavemanyhusbands · 1 year

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The Black Kaiser's Nightmare

Duncan Vizla x Assassin!FemReader

A/N: Shout out to beelmons and G for their endless support and help with my fics <3 :') where would I be without y'all?

Summary: You run into your long-time nemesis in the last place you ever expected, but things take a turn for the worst when you find yourself stuck with him during a snowstorm.

WC: 7.2k words

Warnings: SMUT! (18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI), enemies to lovers speedrun into the bed, mentions and depictions of violence, fighting, accidental assassination of a third party, some serious bickering, abundant cursing, rough sex (unprotected, don't do it at home!), choking, very light knifeplay, dirty talk, slight degradation mixed with some praise, rampant sexual tension, ooey gooey lovesick fools who are just SO SO STUBBORN, I think that's it but lmk if I missed anything!

You are responsible for your own media consumption!

----

Triple Oak, Montana.

It’d been a while since you’d last found yourself in such a quaint little town, especially in the middle of winter, but you supposed you’d been in way worse places. It was barely even on the map, which made it a convenient place to lay low.

You didn’t have to worry about interacting with many people, and you sure as hell didn’t think you’d encounter anyone you knew. At least for the time being, you felt like you could relax just a little bit while you made plans.

In a few more days, you’d continue driving north and cross the Canadian border into Saskatchewan, where you were meant to carry out your next assignment. Your target was a skeevy arms dealer that had to move his whole operation out of Serbia and was now shacked up somewhere in the vast prairies.

You’d been tracking his activity for some time, slowly narrowing down the list of possible locations. You’d also scored some insider information about a big upcoming transaction with a terrorist cell, and your goal was to get to him before the sale was finalized.

Successfully eliminating him would pay handsomely, and you were already planning on a months-long vacation in which you’d go fully off the radar. Preferably somewhere by the beach, where you didn’t feel the constant threat of frostbite.

You pulled into a small gas station — the only one to be found in a long stretch of the highway between the town and more secluded cabins — and occupied one of the three measly pumps. There was only one other old pickup truck next to you, but the owner was nowhere to be seen.

You blew hot air into your hands as you walked into the convenience store, eager for some coffee despite how shitty it was.

“Hey Lou,” you said to the now familiar attendant, the little bell above the door ringing as you pushed in. “How’s it goin’?”

“Eh, slow, the usual,” he shrugged. “At least it’s decently warm in ‘ere. They say there’s gonna be a snowstorm over the weekend, starting tonight.”

“Shit, really?” You groaned, not only because you loathed the freezing temperatures, but because it would set you back by a few more days.

“Yup, perfect time to cozy up with the missus back at home.”

You poured yourself a large cup of black coffee and snapped the lid on top. On the way back to the register, you grabbed a couple of magazines and a pack of Ding-Dongs to eat on the road.

“Well, lucky you,” you said, putting everything on the counter. “I gotta find ways to keep myself busy and warm in case I lose power.”

As you spoke, the door to the restroom opened behind you and a tall, rugged-looking man stepped out. His eyes instinctively flickered between the two of you, even if he couldn’t see your face. He lingered close to the back, trying not to bring attention to himself.

“You sure you’ll be good all by yourself out there?” Lou asked. “Enough supplies and all?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself,” you said, fishing cash out of your wallet. “Give me thirty on number two, also.”

“You got it, tough gal.”

You chuckled as he rang you up, glancing outside. The man behind you tensed, gripped with the dread that came with sudden recognition. Your voice was one he knew well, the very same one he’d heard all seventeen times he’d almost died. Well, eighteen if he counted that one brief altercation in Belfast.

And that laugh… How many times had it been directed at him? Taunting him, teasing him, driving him utterly mad.

It was perhaps the only thing that stopped him from actually getting rid of you that one night you slept so soundly at some shoddy little hotel in Madrid. He’d watched your chest's steady rise and fall from his spot in the darkness, and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

And now he’d most likely have to pay for the consequences of his mercy.

Lou looked over your shoulder at him, but you didn’t immediately notice since you were absently flipping through one of the magazines.

“Need anything else, Duncan?” He offered. “Pack of Winstons?”

Your skin prickled at these two very familiar details, but you didn’t move, still staring down at the magazine without actually reading. It was probably a mere coincidence. Really, there had to be dozens of Duncans in the world that just so happened to smoke Winstons.

But then, a very particular smell reached your nose — cheap cologne you didn’t know the name of, with strikingly bitter notes that had flooded your nostrils when his hands were tightly wrapped around your neck.

You glanced up at the fisheye mirror above the register… and there he fucking was, in all his deadly glory. The Black Kaiser himself.

You couldn’t help an amused huff, especially after hearing the faintest rustle of a knife being unsheathed under his coat.

“Are you sure you want to stab me with that, old man?” You said slowly over your shoulder.

“Less impersonal than a gun. I owe you that much, don’t I?” he said with that deep, gravelly voice of his that always made a stubborn tingle form at the base of your spine.

Your hand just barely inched towards the hidden holster of your gun. “Oh, but you know I get a little crazy when the knives come out.”

Lou looked between the two of you, confusion and a tinge of fear in his eyes.

“Uh, you two know each oth—”

Before he could finish his sentence, you whirled around and shot Duncan’s head. He ducked, but not before hurling a large knife at you in return. You dove out of the way, hearing it whizz right past your ear, and it sank into Lou’s forehead with a wet thud. His body slumped behind the counter, blood spraying over the stuff you’d intended to buy.

“Hey!” You yelled from your hiding spot. “I didn’t even get my change back!”

“You’re not gonna need it anymore,” he said gruffly, his voice not too far from you. “But before that… want to tell me what the fuck you’re doing here?”

“I could ask you the same,” you said, glancing up at the fisheye mirror once more.

Unfortunately for you, you couldn’t get a very good look at where he was, but you couldn’t stay put. You slowly began to inch to the end of the aisle, staying low. “Let me guess, you missed me so much these last three years that you decided to hunt me down.”

He scoffed. “Three years was not nearly long enough time away from you.”

You dove around the corner to the next aisle, but he wasn’t there. You started pulling yourself forward, but suddenly you were flipped onto your back. You were about to whip your gun around, but it was harshly knocked out of your grasp, sliding against the linoleum. You thrashed against the weight that pressed down on you, but he pinned your hands down beside your head.

“Who sent you?” He asked.

“No one sent me, you paranoid geezer!” You sneered, driving your knee up full force right into his crotch. “Not everything’s about you.”

He growled at the pain, swaying to the side, his grip on your hands relaxing. You pushed him off of you, scrambling to get to your gun. Right as you managed to get a hold of it, he was on you again, pulling you back by the legs. You tried twisting around all the way, firing another shot semi-blindly. It narrowly missed his shoulder, shattering one of the windows.

“Can’t kill me without paralyzing me, eh, little Nightmare?” He taunted.

“Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you?”

You swallowed a scream as he stepped on the hand you held your weapon with, his heavy boot cracking your wrist. Your fingers splayed involuntarily due to the pain, and he bent down to take the gun. He kept it pointed at you as he removed his boot from your wrist and grabbed your arm.

“You’re coming with me,” he stated, starting to pull you up.

“Like hell I am!” You spat, but you froze as you felt the barrel pressed against the back of your head.

“You were saying?”

He dragged you to your feet, leading you through the broken window, glass crunching under your boots. The wind seemed icier than it had been when you first arrived, which made you remember Lou’s warning about a snowstorm.

There was no way in hell you’d be stuck with him during it, so you’d have to find a way to weasel out of his grasp… and kill him in the process.

He led you towards his truck, but you pretended to trip at the last second, bending down and retrieving a knife you had hidden in your boot. You stabbed backward, aiming for his femoral artery, but he moved and the knife stabbed into his thigh muscle instead.

“Motherfucker,” he hissed through clenched teeth, but he didn’t let go of you, tightening his grip on your arm. He fired off a warning shot into the air, which made you flinch a little. “Try me again and I won’t hesitate to put the next bullet through your thick fucking skull. I only have so much patience.”

He shoved you into the passenger seat of the truck, managing to tie you up with the seatbelt. Your bound hands were still slick with his blood, and you smiled triumphantly at him as he slid into the driver’s seat, immediately peeling out of the gas station.

“This is what gets you hard, isn’t it?” you said, raising an eyebrow at him. “You’re kind of a sick fuck, old man… but I didn’t expect any better from you.”

He said nothing, instead momentarily glaring at you. He grunted as he pulled the knife out of his leg, tossing it out of the window. You grumbled about him owing you a knife, but he continued to ignore you. He drove mostly in silence, winding through the icy roads as he gripped his wounded leg with one hand.

So far, it had been one of your tamest encounters. Really, it had all sort of felt like a game, but neither of you had won quite yet. After all, a game such as this could not be left unfinished.

Usually, the circumstances were vastly different. Your respective agencies had assigned you the same target a couple of times, and it always turned into a competition on who would finish the job first. As it turned out, the two of you were very competitive.

You’d left plenty of souvenirs on each other every single time you crossed paths – broken bones, an assortment of scars, and bruises as dark as the midnight sky. You wondered vaguely how much more damage you might make by the end of the day.

Why neither of you had succeeded in killing each other was… a bit of a mystery. Maybe he saw something in you that reminded him of himself, or perhaps he was growing soft with age. He would never admit it, but he’d had plenty of fun in this deadly dance with you so far, and it seemed a shame to let it come to its conclusion so soon.

He’d have to do it though, after some thorough interrogation.

Soon enough, he pulled up a long gravel road hidden among the tall pine trees. In the clearing ahead, you saw what you supposed was his cabin. It was modestly sized and a little dilapidated, but at least it seemed to be sturdy enough to withstand harsh conditions.

“Nice place,” you said sarcastically. “I don’t suppose you have many visitors?”

“Rarely,” he said without looking at you. “I like the quiet. No one’s going to bother us here.”

“You mean no one’s gonna come running when you scream?”

He grunted, readjusting his position in his seat. You were mostly tied up at the arms so your legs had some room to move. Rookie mistake on his part, which you would definitely take advantage of.

Before he could pull up in front of the actual cabin, you leaned back and kicked at the steering wheel. The truck swerved to the right, throwing you against the window. He tried to correct it on time, slamming on the brakes, but the snow made it careen right into a tree.

It wasn’t a tremendous crash, but the windshield still broke, glass raining down on both of you. You were both disoriented for a moment from the whiplash, but then you began to untangle yourself from the seatbelt. You kicked at him when he tried to reach for you, but he managed to pin your legs down.

“Can’t you stay put for one fucking second!?” He growled, fully bracketing you between his sturdy legs as he freed you from the seatbelt.

You panted heavily, trying to thrash beneath him, but he only pressed his legs tighter against your sides. A small, high-pitched whine escaped your lips as you felt the air being squeezed out of you, and you stopped moving.

“Satis…fied?” You managed between gasps.

“Not nearly,” he said, grabbing a fistful of your hair as he pulled back. “Come here.”

He kept a firm grip on it as he dragged you out of the truck and towards the cabin. He wobbled a little with each step, his leg still bleeding some.

“I warned you about the knives,” you said. “Even if you didn’t let me finish having fun.”

He chuckled sardonically. “No, you’re mistaken. The fun is only just beginning.”

He led you inside and locked the door behind him, making you sit down on a rickety chair. He bound your hands and feet with duct tape, wrapping some of it around your torso and the back of the chair for good measure. You decided not to struggle for the time being and instead ponder on your next move, covertly glancing at your surroundings for anything useful.

When Duncan was sure you wouldn’t be able to bolt, he went to grab something from an adjacent room, returning with his version of a first aid kit and a bottle of vodka. He looked at you from the corner of his eye as he undid his pants and lowered them to his knees.

“I didn’t realize it was that kind of fun,” you said, raising an eyebrow.

Still, your gaze was drawn to his crotch first before trailing further down to the injury you’d caused. Rolling his eyes, he plopped down on the bed, which creaked a little under his weight.

He took a long swig of vodka and then poured some on the bleeding gash, hissing through his teeth. Your expression of slight amusement didn’t change as he glanced at you once more, taking out a needle and thread.

“I have to be careful about infections, who knows where that knife of yours has been?” he said.

You merely watched as he began stitching himself up without so much as a grimace. His breathing was slow and steady as he concentrated, and you found yourself entranced by the precise movements of his hands.

An obscene thought about those hands wriggled into your mind, but you immediately pushed it away. It was all the more reason for you to get the hell out of there, especially now that his pants were down.

As he was finishing his stitches, you leaned forward onto your tiptoes and then threw yourself back as hard as you could. The chair broke apart under you, the force of the blow and the angle in which you fell spraining one of your wrists. The adrenaline made you barely register the pain, and you quickly wriggled out of the tape wrapped around you.

You pulled a Swiss army knife out of your boot and hastily sawed off the tape binding your ankles. He swore as you stood, lifting your arms and slamming them down to free your hands. You stumbled towards the front door and yanked it open.

Outside, the wind howled ferociously and a thick flurry of snow limited your vision of your surroundings. You felt the unforgiving cold slicing through you as you hesitated, knowing deep down that your chances of survival were very slim.

Still, you were reckless enough to try and brave it. You started towards the steps when you were yanked back once more, your back pinned against the wall and Duncan’s hand around your throat.

“You just don’t fucking learn, do you?” He growled.

“You only caught me because I hesitated, old man.”

His grip tightened a little in warning. “Didn’t anybody teach you never to hesitate?”

“There is a very fine line between foolishness and courage, you know…” The corners of your mouth twitched, an amused gleam in your eye. “I wonder how often you cross from one side to the other.”

He clenched his teeth and an absolutely devious, cheshire cat grin spread across your face. The mere sight of it made his blood boil with both rage and arousal, and he felt it flowing southward. Your back instinctually arched towards him, as if you could somehow sense the sudden influx of violent desire, and became infected by it.

You stared at each other for a charged moment before he suddenly fell upon you, intent on devouring you. His lips clashed with yours in a fierce kiss and you buried your fingers in his hair, tugging at it as you retaliated.

You bit his lower lip hard, making him groan into your mouth. You used this opportunity to slide your tongue against his, and he moved the hand that had been around your neck toward your jaw. Without thinking, you pressed harder against him, your fingers about to slide under the hem of his sweater.

He clasped your wrist to stop you, assuming you were reaching for some hidden weapon. You whimpered slightly, painfully reminded that it was in fact sprained. He pulled back to look at you, both of you panting heavily and still clutching each other tightly.

“I fear that line was blurred a long time ago, and I suspect it’s the same case with you,” He murmured.

His words broke through your daze and you immediately pushed him away from you, cradling your injured hand against your chest. A maelstrom of emotions roiled inside of you, predominantly confusion and a worrisome throb between your legs.

“And what now?” You asked, glancing out of the window. “It’s clear neither of us are going anywhere any time soon.”

“Now we weather the storm,” he said, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“No, seriously.”

“I am being serious.”

You huffed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of your nose. “I… can’t believe I’m asking this right now but, maybe we can… put the killing each other thing on hold for a few days?”

“So you were coming for me.”

“No! I wasn’t!” You threw your hands up exasperatedly. “Not that it’s any of your fucking business, but I have work further up north. This was just a pit stop.”

He assessed you for a moment, trying to find any clues that you were lying. You stood your ground, keeping your eyes on his face. He sniffed, leaning against the wall to get his weight off his injured leg.

“I’m fine with a temporary truce, but only if we both keep our weapons in plain sight at all times.”

“I am a weapon myself, big boy.”

“So am I. I suppose we’ll have to keep an eye on each other as well, then.”

“Fine,” you huffed, stomping to the couch and pulling it over to the kitchen. “I’ll stay on this side of the cabin, you can stay on the other side.”

“What!? This is my house!” He scoffed.

“Yeah, well, I’m being generous by letting you keep your bed. Not to mention, your life.”

He rolled his eyes, limping back over to his bed. “Whatever you say. Now, can I please fix my stitches in peace for one fucking second?”

———————

There was no sleep for the entirety of the first night.

The cabin creaked and groaned, straining against the disastrously strong wind. Your breaths fogged up in the air as you shivered under the thin blanket Duncan had given you. The cold seemed to seep into your very bones as if punishing you for your decisions. To distract yourself from the chill, you kept an eye on his prone form across the room, knowing well he wasn’t sleeping either.

When dawn broke, a thin grayish light filtered into the room. The storm raged on and all you wanted to do was doze off, but you were still on edge. You clenched your jaw to keep your teeth from chattering, irritated by a headache. Your mood didn’t get any better when Duncan rose from his bed, crossing towards the kitchen.

“What do you think you’re doing?” You inquired, not moving an inch.

He stopped in his tracks. “I’m hungry. Don’t you want to eat?”

Your stomach growled in answer and he lifted an eyebrow in slight amusement. You unwillingly threw the blanket off of you, getting up with an annoyed grunt.

“I’ll give you the food. Let’s see what you’ve got,” you said, rummaging through the cabinets.

“I could just show you…”

“No, stay on your side. Even better, why don’t you go sit back down on your bed?”

He followed orders, not really wanting to start quarreling with you so early in the morning. You finally found some oatmeal packets in one of the cupboards, and you took out a few and poured them into a pot along with some water. You left it to boil over the stove top, crossing your arms over your chest and turning to face him.

“How’s your leg doing, anyway?” You asked.

“Fine. Why do you care?”

“I really don’t.”

He chuckled. “Good thing you’re a better assassin than you are a liar.”

You sighed deeply. “Well, it is your house, I should at least have some manners.”

He scoffed, still amused. “We are way past manners. Our only courtesy to each other would be a painless death.”

“Oh, really? Painless?” You arched an eyebrow. “Did you forget Lisbon? And that grenade launcher you stole?”

“Okay, well, I wasn’t technically aiming at you. You just happened to be in the way,” He argued. “And it’s not like you haven’t given me the same sort of treatment…”

You shrugged one shoulder. “It’s only fair.”

The two of you lapsed into silence as you turned your attention back to the pot. Once the oatmeal was ready, you spooned it into two bowls and walked to the invisible line that divided the cabin in two.

He got up and met you there, reaching slowly for his bowl so as not to seem threatening. Not that you were viewing him that way, anyway. At least not in the clearly exhausted state he was in.

“Careful, it’s hot,” you said. “Need me to blow on it first?”

He raised an eyebrow at you, resisting the lure of your impish grin. He figured it was perhaps the more masochistic part of him that made him so drawn to you. Always pushing him, testing him, keeping him on the edge. He would never admit it to himself — much less to you — but it made him feel alive in a way he hadn’t for a really long time.

He muttered a quick thank you before heading back to his side of the room, plopping down on the bed and immediately digging in. If he burned his mouth, he showed no indication of it, but you still huffed in amusement.

When he was done, he said nothing as he lied down, his back to you once again. A little confused and wary, you watched him as you slowly ate. Soon enough, his breath evened out into a steady rhythm, and you assumed he’d fallen asleep.

You glanced over at the dining table, where the two of you had laid out all your weapons, and considered them for a long moment.

It seemed too easy to have such a window of opportunity. Normally, you’d have jumped at any such chance, but once more, you hesitated. Not out of any sort of newfound benevolence, but something deeper than that. Something that had been gnawing at you since the previous night.

In the end, you opted not to do anything. Surely, it was bound to be a mistake to not have killed him at that moment. But that would be a problem for another day, perhaps when the storm was over.

You sat down on the floor by the foot of the couch, back resting against the frame. Sleep deprivation was starting to hit you as well, and you knew that if you were to lay down you would certainly fall asleep. Instead, your eyes focused on the suspiciously peaceful sight of Duncan sleeping.

The longer you stared, the blurrier the lines seemed to get. Literally. His broad form was smudged into a single sphere, and without much thought about it, everything suddenly went black.

Until… Shit.

How long were you asleep?

It had been long since you’d last awakened to a man in front of you, let alone holding a knife to your face. The blade shone in your half-open eyes, reflecting the setting sun outside the window. You must have been unconscious for over two hours. Stupid, so very stupid.

You blinked the haze of sleep out of your eyes and followed the glint to his fingers, his forearm, up his broad chest and shoulders, until it finally landed on his face.

“So, the game ends at last, huh?” you muttered, your gaze not wavering from his.

“Could’ve ended long ago, but it didn’t,” he said, once again looking every bit the coldhearted killer he was. You could still see, however, the presence of doubt in his dark eyes. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“I knew you weren’t actually sleeping…”

“Even so,” he pressed, straightening to his full, imposing height. “You didn’t even try. Why?”

You blinked, not really having an answer, not one that would satisfy him at least. What's more, you had a set of questions of your own, ones that would likely also have no answer.

The words slipped before you could even think about them. “Why did you kiss me?”

Silence hung between you like a heavy drape. You were cornered in more than one sense. Windows for precaution and escape had long since closed, maybe even since the moment you ran into him in that little gas station. And through hardships, you learned that if there’s no way back, the only way is forward.

The wound in his thigh didn’t seem to bother him as much anymore, so there was no way you could outrun him. You looked down to avoid his scrutiny and he used the back of his knife to force your chin back up.

He didn’t speak, but his eyes bore into yours, almost as if seeing through them into parts of you that were foreign even to yourself. The flat part of the blade trailed up to your cheek in what could be interpreted as a caress.

Your hand unconsciously intended to return the favor, running up his knee to his thigh, extra cautious around his wound. You noticed a change of pattern in his breathing, and so you looked down only to find one of the answers you sought — the print of his hardened cock cruelly imprisoned within his pants.

“Oh,” you breathed, surprised. Then again, when the reality of what you were looking at fully sank in. “Oh.”

Your hand moved on its own accord again, slowly slipping further up his thigh. Again, he tightly grabbed your wrist before your fingers reached their target, and you hissed in pain. He immediately let go, withdrawing the knife as well.

“Are you hurt?” He asked.

“A sprained wrist isn’t gonna kill me,” you said, keeping your hand on his leg to drive your point across. “Now that, on the other hand, has to be taken care of.”

“Taken care of, huh?” He rasped, his voice hoarse with want and self-directed anger because of it.

He raked a hand through your hair, gathering it in his first and pulling your head towards his crotch. He pressed your cheek against his bulge, his hips bucking ever so slightly.

“And how do you suppose that’s gonna happen?” He added.

“I have a few ideas if you’re open to them,” you panted, ignited in a way that almost fully consumed you.

His eyes searched your face for a moment, drinking you in as he searched for any indications of doubt, and then he whispered, “Are you sure?”

This time you didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

He saw the feverish gleam of hunger in your eyes as he pulled away and unbuckled his belt, pushing down his pants. The outline of his cock was even more prominent through his briefs and you couldn’t help a sharp intake of breath at the sheer size of him. He was still holding onto your hair, stepping closer and effectively cornering you against the couch.

You boldly started to reach for the hem of his briefs, but he said, “No. I want you to use your teeth.”

“Getting a little bold there, old man,” you said with a smirk, keeping your eyes on him as you dipped your head to plant a soft kiss on his thigh, right by his stitches.

He winced slightly at the contact, but you could see his cock throb against the fabric covering it. Your smirk only widened, “But I gotta admit I’m pretty impressed so far. Didn’t even have to slip a blue pill in your oatmeal.”

He gripped your jaw, clicking his tongue in disappointment. “I think you need more proof, actually. Allow me.”

With his free hand, he roughly tugged down his briefs and his cock finally sprang free — so thick and long and just fucking perfect — hitting his lower abdomen. The head of it glistened with precum, which he spread with his thumb. You shifted in your seat, biting your lip as saliva flooded your mouth.

“Open,” he ordered.

You immediately complied, wondering when the fuck you’d gotten so obedient. He gripped the base of it and fed it into your mouth slowly. You wrapped your lips around it, feeling it slide smoothly against your tongue.

A small groan escaped him, his head tipped back at the first rush of pleasure. You hummed a little in response and he felt the vibration of the sound against his shaft. His hips began to move again, shuttling his length deeper into your mouth, until you could feel the head of it reach your throat.

He let you steady yourself by placing your hands on his legs, his hand returning to the back of your head as it bobbed up and down. Then suddenly, when you’d reached the very base, he kept your head down. Your nose was against his pelvis, your deep, even breaths fanning against the fine hair that curled there.

Your nails dug into the flesh of his legs as you staved off your gag reflex as best as you could. Still, you couldn’t help but squirm a little, already pretty slick between your thighs.

He cursed under his breath as he let you come up for air, an obscene string of saliva connecting your lips to the tip of his cock.

"If I knew you were such a cock drunk slut, I would have dropped my pants much earlier just to shut you up,” he said with a smug grin, looking down at you.

“More bold words from someone who’s only gonna last this round. I’m gonna have to take care of myself after you’re done,” you taunted lightly, making him pull at your hair.

You kept eye contact with him as you stuck your tongue out and traced it over a large vein on the underside of his shaft. You left a trail of wet, sloppy kisses as you made your way back to the tip, and he lightly slapped it against your tongue a couple of times before pushing your head back down on it. His balls tightened momentarily as he sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, and you knew he was enjoying himself much more than he let on.

"Well, if it's gonna be only one, might as well make good use of it, don't you think?" He said, pulling you off of him and making you stand up.

His lips were on yours in the next moment, just as desperate and hungry as the first kiss. He kicked his pants off the rest of the way and yanked your sweater off along with your thermal undershirt. He reached for your pants, but you slapped his hand away, extricating yourself from his lips to undo them yourself.

As soon as they were off, he turned you around and bent you over the back of the couch. There was a wet spot in your underwear that made him smirk, but he also couldn’t deny the way his cock throbbed at the sight.

“This is in the way…” he grunted, tugging at your bra strap.

Before you even registered what was happening, he brought the knife back out and sawed the bra off of you. You let out a gasp that was both surprised and indignant as he proceeded to rip your panties off with his bare hands, tossing the scraps of fabric aside.

“Hey! Those are the only ones I have here!” You huffed, glaring at him over your shoulder. “Unless you have a secret stash of women’s underwear, you seriously owe me.”

He nudged your knees apart with his leg. “I don’t think you’re going to need them while you’re here. You were already ruining them yourself, anyway.”

Before you could retort, you felt him push inside of you slowly, grabbing your hips as he let out a low moan.

“Fuck…” you sighed without thinking, leaning your elbows against the back of the couch.

“Yeah? Does that feel good?” He cooed condescendingly.

“In your drea–”

His hips snapped into yours harshly, interrupting you. You felt the heat of him against your back as he leaned over you, his breath fanning across the side of your face.

“If I were you, I’d be careful about lying again. I might just stop and leave you all drenched like this, with your hands tied behind your back so you couldn’t touch yourself.”

He felt you clench around him at that and his smirk turned victorious. He kissed and sucked at your shoulder and neck, making sure to leave plenty of marks. His thrusts were hard and deep at first, hips barely pulling back as his weight pinned you down.

You let out a sound that was a strange mix between a whimper and a gasp as he bit into the tender flesh of your shoulder, hard enough to leave teeth marks behind. The jolt of pain mixed with pleasure – not to mention the slight shame that came with the feeling of your arousal dripping down your inner thighs – only fueled the fire that was steadily growing within you.

Then, a little mindlessly, you pleaded, “Harder. Fuck me harder.”

He straightened immediately, readjusting himself to start pounding into you at a nearly punishing pace. You bit your bottom lip to try and keep quiet, but wanton sounds of pleasure escaped your throat despite your efforts. He was hitting a spot that made your head spin, tugging you backward onto his cock to meet his thrusts.

The lewd sound of flesh slapping together, along with your collective pants and groans, filled the room. He reached forward to grab your throat again, keeping you semi-upright as he continued to take you. In truth, he was focusing hard to stave off his release. He had plenty of stamina for his age, but the way your cunt took him so perfectly, as if molded just for him, was enough to have his balls tightening again.

But he would never hear the end of it.

Your legs began to shake a little as the coil in your belly tightened, threatening to snap. “I-I think I’m gonna cum, fuck…”

“Not yet,” he said firmly, immediately stopping his motions.

You cursed him under your breath, beyond frustrated. You pushed your hips back, intent on fucking yourself on him, but his firm grip stopped you. He landed a firm smack on your ass, making you involuntarily clench around him. He hissed, feeling the strong urge to give in and continue fucking you until you came all over his cock, but he kept his composure. He wanted to keep indulging you for as long as he could, still not fully believing he wasn’t just having a dirty dream.

“Do that again and I’ll rip your fucking head off,” you snarled as he pulled out, grabbing your arm and leading you toward the bed.

“I told you I was going to make it count.”

He tossed you onto your back on the bed, crawling on top of you and pushing your knees up to your shoulders. He positioned himself between your thighs and sank back into your cunt with no further preambles, his strong body covering yours once more.

His hands cradled your head as he began to move again, reaching impossibly deeper than before. You clawed at his biceps as he ground his pelvis against you, making your brain practically short-circuit.

“There we go… See? I knew you could take more,” he said, kissing the corner of your lips. “Are you scared I'll pull out again? You keep sucking me back in.”

Too dazed to form words, your lips chased his so he would kiss you properly. Your tongue trailed over his upper lip enticingly, and he opened his mouth so his tongue could meet yours. This kiss was deeper, less frantic, finally giving yourselves a chance to taste each other properly.

Soon you were clenching around him again, too distracted by your mounting pleasure to continue kissing him properly.

“Fuck, don’t stop, Duncan. Please, please, please, just like that,” you begged desperately, moaning as he moved to kiss your jaw.

“Yeah? You want me to fill you up, too?” He rasped against your skin. “Claim this needy cunt all for myself?”

You nodded eagerly, face contorting with ecstasy as you held onto him for dear life. Your muscles seized up as your climax washed over you, overpowering your senses. His hips stuttered as you cried out, your hot flesh molding into his like the deepest embrace.

He kissed you again as he felt his own release rippling over him, groaning into your mouth as he shuddered, unable to hold himself back any longer. He thrusted hard a few more times before remaining fully inside of you, and you felt heat flooding your cunt.

A whimper of slight overstimulation escaped you, but he soothed you with a whispered praise in your ear. You couldn’t help but smile beatifically, almost purring in content as he kept his cum inside of you.

As you both rode out your highs, your kisses turned lazy, almost tender, and even the way he held you felt different. Somehow, in some deep recess of your mind, it seemed right… and that scared you a little.

Still, you tried not to let it get to you then. Not as he leaned his sweaty forehead against yours, still panting, and said, “I think I tore my stitches.”

You chuckled. “You should probably take care of that, then.”

“In a minute…”

He disentangled himself from you, pulling out and sliding his body down between your legs. You tried to draw your thighs together, but he stopped you, planting a kiss on your mound.

He spread your lips with two fingers so he could see his cum trickling out of you, but then he pushed it back in with those same fingers, making your hips jerk slightly.

“T-this was a one time thing, you know,” you breathed, trying to sound firm.

He barely glanced up at you, seemingly unbothered. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

But only an hour or so later, you found yourself riding him on the couch. Then, he took you against the wall, over the kitchen counter, off the edge of the bed, and subsequently on the floor. He seemed intent on making sure you never questioned his endurance ever again.

Even throughout the night, you slept sporadically, pawing at each other whenever you stirred. Not many words were exchanged during this time, but that didn’t mean your mouths weren’t put to good use. As usual, you both wound up with bruises, bite marks, and scratches all over each other, but the intention behind them couldn’t be any more different.

The storm died sometime during the night, but instead of fleeing right away, you let him hold you until dawn broke. There were too many new questions floating about in your head, but you weren’t really sure you wanted the answer to any of them for the time being. Perhaps it was simply best to let what happened remain in the past and simply move on.

As quietly as you could, you got up from the bed, cleaned yourself up, and dressed. You sheathed your weapons, avoiding looking at him as you prepared to leave. When your hand was on the doorknob, his voice stopped you.

“You didn’t kill me again,” he said. “Should I take that as an indication that you like me?”

You looked over at him, frowning. “Absolutely not. I’m serious, this was the last time it’ll ever happen.”

“I’m not sure I can trust your word.”

You huffed, irritated. “Well, you’ll have to. I intend to keep it.”

You yanked the door open, about to stomp outside, but you heard the creak of the bed as he sat up.

“You know, I’m going to be in Portofino in a few months. I heard it’s beautiful there in the summer, and I figured I could use a vacation.”

“Are you trying to make yourself an easy target?”

“...Maybe.”

“And if I decide not to hunt you down?”

He raised an eyebrow. “If?”

You grimaced. “All I’m saying is don’t get your hopes up. I’m a very busy gal, I don’t have time to play cat and mouse with you.”

“And who’s who in that analogy, hm?”

You shook your head, rolling your eyes. “Goodbye, Duncan. Truce is over, do you hear me?”

“I’ll see you in Portofino. Make sure you bring sunscreen.”

The door slammed shut behind you.

---——-

Part 2 out now!

#duncan vizla fanfiction #duncan vizla x fem!reader #duncan vizla x reader #the black kaiser x reader #the black kaiser fanfiction #polar fanfiction #duncan vizla smut #the black kaiser smut

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georgeweasleyslostearhq · 8 months

Text

LET ME CHECK YOU OUT

Pairings: George Weasley x Fem!reader Summary: you're wondering around WWW to find a gift for your nephew Warnings: mention of flirting?

PART 2 HERE

you wondered around the shop, feeling a little cramped from all the people looking around, especially kids, running around with their hands full

you had been meaning to come to the shop ever since you saw it in the paper a few months ago, but you figured you'd go after the whole rush of the grand opening.

however your nephew's birthday was coming up and you hadn't got his gift yet, so you decided to go today, to the shop his mother wouldn't let him go to, to look for something to keep him occupied

you looked up from the ground and quickly ducked as a spark came flying around the room.

your gaze followed the spark as it flew up and exploded into a mini firework

as the bright, vibrant colours of the explosion faded away, you were left to make eye contact with a man on the second level staring down at you with a small smirk.

you felt your cheeks heat up as the man looked at you curiously.

you looked back down and continued walking through people to find something for your nephew.

you go on your toes to reach for a product on the top shelf when a little kid runs past you, bumping into your side, making you lose your balance and stumble backwards

you were scared you were going to bump into someone or break something but then you feel arms catch you and hold you up, putting you back on your feet

"you alright?"

still a little startled, you look up, seeing the man from before, smirking down at you confidently

"y-yeah, i'm fine" you mumbled

"we usually put the best products on the top to we can help the pretty ladies that can't reach them" he winked

"what if they just used their wand?" you pondered

"they never do" he shrugged with a smile

with his hand still on your lower back, he reached up slightly and grabbed a box with the big writing 'decoy detonators'

h smiled at the box before handing it to you

"is that what you wanted?" he asked politely

"well i'm not sure.. would you say this is a good gift for an 11 year old boy?" you questioned

"oh absolutely, unless this boy's mother has a short temper" he joked

"eh, she sort of does, kind of deserves it though, she needs to loosen up" you hummed

"i'm assuming this mother is not you?" he raised an eyebrow cockily

"it could be me" you defended, as a joke

"but it's not" he smiled, taking his hand off your back and stuffing them into his pockets

"how would you know?" you frowned

he chuckled softly before he answered "well for starters you look too young, there's no wedding ring on that finger of yours and no indent of one- indicating there never was a ring- and i think if he were yours, he'd be here to tell you what he wants, or you'd know. and if you were his mother, you would not be buying this"

he tapped the box as he looked at you

"ok so maybe he's not mine, that doesn't matter" you huffed, surprised by his response

"so, is this a birthday present?" he asked curiously after clearing his throat

"yeah, he's turning eleven, i want him to have something cool before going off to hogwarts" you sighed

he towered over you, leaning against the railing as you stayed on the second level

"i think that's perfect, especially for hogwarts, he'll definitely need it if he's planning on getting into risky situation like i did" he informed

you stared up at him in thought, deciding this was the gift you'd get

"alright, great" you smiled

"is that all or would you be interested in a love potion or two? the ladies go crazy for it, although a woman as beautiful as you probably won't need it" he winked again

"how come?" you raised an eyebrow

"you probably got a handful of men swooning over you without knowing it" he smirked

"oh yeah? how would you know?" you walked past him, beginning to walk down the stairs, him trailing after you with a cocky smile

"you might be talking to one of them" he shrugged casually

"pardon?" you stopped, looking behind you as he stood a few steps up from you

"i think you heard me" he snickered as he walked down, pressing up against you as he passed your frame on the narrow stairs

you took a deep breath, watching him as he continued walking down the stairs

was this handsome businessman really flirting with you?

you looked down at your feet for a second before looking back up, not seeing him anywhere

how could he just disappear?

you frowned and walked down the rest of the stairs before looking around the many shelves of candy

soon enough, your hands were full of boxes of fainting fancies, extendable ears, canary creams and fever fudge

you went to walk over to the register when a little kid ran past and bumped into you again, causing a box of fainting fancies to fall from your hands.

you knew you couldn't catch it, as all the other boxes would fall, however just as it was about to hit the ground, the man from before caught it

"ah, left you for a minute and now you're wanting to make a mess of my shop? didn't take you as that type of lady" he joked, leaning up, keeping it in his hand, knowing it was probably best for both of you

"well, that's quite the sum of products you got there" he raised his eyebrows

"you're probably happy about that. more money"

he scoffed "I'm not trying to take pretty ladies' money, i'm trying to put smiles on kids faces"

"well i think your successful in both of those categories" you snorted

he laughed before looking at your full hands "is that all or do you need an extra pair of hands?"

"i think he'll have enough" you said, cradling the boxes, making sure none of them fall

"perfect, let me check you out then" he smirked

your eyes went wide at his statement "w-what?"

he smiled, licking his lips

"get you checked out, at the register" he said obviously

"oh, right, yeah" you nodded

he shook his head in amusement as he turned on his heels, leading you to the front

you followed beside him as he still held one of your boxes

"if it makes you feel better, i've already checked you out multiple times while you've been here" he grinned smugly

before you could respond he left your side to walk around the counter

while he walked around, you put your things down and waited for him to scan them in

"he's gonna get in a lot of trouble with all these" he chuckled as he rang them in

"mm, i can already see him getting scolded by McGonagall"

he hummed and told you your total

"that doesn't seem right, it should be more than that" you pointed out

"i gave you a small discount" he whispered, making sure others didn't hear and ask for one too

"you didn't have to do that" you shook your head

"a pretty lady shouldn't be paying as much as the actual total" he shrugged

"so you give small discounts to every 'pretty lady'?" you raised a brow, not sure how to feel about it

"no, you're the first" he replied, leaning against the counter

you rummage through your purse and give him a little more than he totalled you

"there you go" you beamed up at him

he went through the coins and slid the two extra back at you before putting the rest in the register

you rolled your eyes before taking the two coins back.

"do you have a name? or are you just pretty lady?" he wondered, tilting his head

"pretty lady" you responded

you looked down as he handed you your bag full of products "thanks"

"you should come by more often, maybe i could check you out again"

you blushed as he winked flirtasiously

"i'm good...?" you stopped, realising you didn't know his name

"George"

"right, I'm good George..thank you for the help though" you stepped away, nearing the exit

"whatever you say pretty lady" he sighed, the handsome smile of his never leaving as he watched you leave

-----------------------------------------------------

#george weasley #george weasley x fem #cute #oliver phelps #x fem!reader #oneshot #fluff #imagines #george wealsey imagine #hp imagines #hp fanfic #hp fandom #weasley twins #part 2 soon

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greycaelum · 2 years

Note

ahhh your kaleidoscope series is so heartwarming! i was wondering if its possible to write a timeskip where kikufuku is older and is basically really protective over his mum in public, i think itd be really cute but funny that hes acting like her bodyguard 😭🫶🏻🖤 thank you if you do this! (his parents taught him well)

Kaleidoscope Series—Clouds and Mochi Chapters: { SSS }

—Gojo Satoru X Reader

𑁍 Synopsis:

16-year-old Kouki is just as tall as the 5'8 man. He should thank his Papa's genes later.

"You need something from my mother?"

"M-mother? I w-was just asking directions." The man replied, looking at you and Kouki back and forth.

𑁍 Genre: fluff, family theme, time skip

𑁍 CW/TW: (1.1k)— stranger trying to hit on you, protective Kouki, Kouki can be a little menace, Kouki's thoughts about relationships, didn't proofread, sorry 'bout that

𑁍 A/N: I've been rewriting this ask for several times over the months and only until this very morning did I feel I could finally do it at my own pace. Pardon the very long wait sweetheart, but I do hope you like this one! I hope you have a great weekend everyone~

Kouki is used to being fawn over. Not even bragging, but girls do swoon over him in his class that he has to escape to the rooftop to evade them.

"Eh? Cause me and your Mama are pretty, that's why you look like that." His Papa answered when he told him that girls in his class kept following him.

Papa? Well, he's not really handsome. His Papa is weird. He looks like a really long sugarcane when he stands straight in his violet uniform. Has someone even told his Papa?

Mama though. He thinks you're very beautiful. Kouki really loves his eyes because it's the same color as yours.

So it's not a surprise having a pretty mother that when you go out guys look at you, a little longer than Kouki would approve.

"We have to buy you new clothes, you're not fitting in the ones we bought last year." You sighed and walk to the department store with Kouki trailing behind you. "I know your Papa is tall, but I never thought you'd be this tall too."

Kouki pouts and shrugs.

"You use me to get the high things Ma, why are you poking my height?"

You laughed, teasing him more about girls in school breaking their necks when he passes them. His sister can't keep her mouth shut to get back at him at dinner time.

His Papa told him it was normal. Those kinds of things, getting attracted to the opposite sex because of curiosity. But he's never felt the need to entertain it. Kouki does get confessions but all of them are politely turned down.

"Why should I? It's not like I like her." He sighed at Yusuke, his friend since middle school telling him he's been a real snob with girls, this recent one is the principal's daughter.

"But don't you get curious about getting into a relationship? All that romance and stuff? C'mon, you're not planning to be a hermit or a monk are you?"

He already knows what it's like. Seeing his mother and father every day, Kouki doesn't really feel the need to seek out relationships, especially fleeting ones. It's not like he likes anyone anyway.

"Oh! I know. You're waiting for Mayumi? Right! It's been years since she changed schools. Are you still exchanging emails with her?" Yusuke grinned ear to ear.

"She's like a sister to me." Kouki stood up and pat his pants from the dirt. "I have siblings, and I'm gonna get angry if some boy or girl just dates them for fun too."

Dating... Huh?

He's rather protective of the girls in the house than fooling around. The same goes for his Mama.

"I want this hoodie Ma." Kouki came back to the aisle with a white hoodie in his hand when he saw a man talking to you.

"Do you know where this cafe is? The mall is big and I'm lost." The man—looking late 20s—rub the back of his neck while looking at you intently as you told him the directions.

Asking questions? Probably the man is lost. That's alright, he'll wait here 'til you finish helping the guy.

"Ah, thank you. If you're free can we get coffee together? I'm Hayato."

Formation SSS

"Ma, I was looking for you." Kouki swooped in. Your eyes lit up and smiled. The man was taken aback by his presence but Kouki ignored him and put on a worried face, with a soft voice. "Papa told you to walk slowly. You can't stress my baby sibling walking around tirelessly. The first trimester is really delicate, didn't you hear what the doctor said?"

"What are you talkin—" You frowned and stare at him like he's ridiculously grown three heads.

"Papa mailed me he's waiting in the store, your rings just finished getting cleaned."

You frowned at him with the sudden remarks but he just winked at you and turned around, and everything changed. Slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans with a blank look on his face, Kouki took one step forward. The man steps back and looks at him with confusion and a glare.

16-year-old Kouki is just as tall as the 5'8 man. He should thank his Papa's genes later.

"You need something from my mother?"

"M-mother? I w-was just asking directions." The man replied, looking at you and Kouki back and forth.

"Go straight in that corridor, turn right at the corner then take the elevator to the ground floor you'll get there." Kouki flatly answered. "Excuse us, my father is not really a patient man."

Kouki ushered you out of the shop. The directions he gave led to the parking lot.

"Y'know, you're really a minion of your father. The only you got from me is your eyes." You chuckled, finding your protective son funnier than scolding his rudeness. "And what baby sibling? Really Kou-chan, after your siblings you still want to babysit another one?" You teased.

Kouki huffs. He really wanted that white hoodie but forgot about it. Unknowingly you didn't realize the direction you're heading.

It was the same cafe the stranger earlier asked you about.

"What took you so long? I was really hungry." His Papa waved.

"Satoru?! I thought you were coming home tomorrow?" You shook your head and sat beside the grinning man. You were quickly enveloped with smothering and teasing.

Kouki sighed at the scene in front of him and turned to his phone, the tread of the recent message is still there.

—————

Him:

Pa.

Papa:

Yes, yes? Miss me Kikufuku? I'm on my way home~ I brought you a ddeokbokki, the spiciest one!

—————

Great, he feels the love. Note his sarcasm, please. Kouki ignored his father's words and got to the point.

—————

Him:

Pa, formation SSS

Papa:

Roger that, where?

Him:

Department store.

Papa:

Okie-dokie on my way Kikufuku.

Him:

On second thought, wait at Cafe Rio

—————

"You two are really!" You huffed but a defeated glint in your eyes.

Kouki stared at his parents getting all lovey-dovey despite the public setting. He should've chosen a more private place to eat.

"I'm gonna get that hoodie, I'll be back." Kouki stood up.

"Owkay~" His Papa chuckled, shooing him away. "Oh, Kikufuku?"

"Mnnn?" Kouki turned back and met his father's thumbs up. This time a genuine tenderness in his Papa's eyes.

"Nice one, son."

Kouki shrugged and waved, walking out of the cafe. His Papa is weird, but he's the only man worthy of his Mama.

On his way out, he saw the man in the department store. The man's eyes were wide open as he stares at his Mama and Papa inside the cafe in disbelief. He then saw Kouki, walking on the other side.

Kouki smirked tauntingly crumpling the man's face and ego more than ever.

Guess what? You're right.

The only thing he inherited from his mother is her eyes. He could be a menace like his father.

—GreyCaelum

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

Check out the Masterlist for more

All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned images(s) and songs(s) used, belongs to their respective owner(s)

General/Kaleidoscope Series Taglist: @ice-icebaby @aeanya @gummy-dummy @tender-rosiey

#kaleidoscope series #c&mchapters #gojo kouki #gojo satoru x y/n #jjk gojo married fluff #jjk dad gojo fluff #gojo saika #greycaelum #gojo satoru x wife #husband gojo x wife reader #jjk gojo fluff #married gojo fluff #gojo satoru fluff

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rmoonstoner · 1 year

Text

***

Poisoned Empanadas

***

Pairing:

Moon Knight (Jake Lockley) x Spider!fem!reader

Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O'Hara) x Spider!fem!reader

***

18+

Warnings:

Violence, strong language, mentions of death, mentions of depression, sexual themes, warnings may change.

***

Summary:

You move out of the old house at your friend's request. It's a very short chapter.

***

Chapter 2 - Empanadas de Santa Rita - Chihuahua City, Mexico

A Mexican pastry served in honor of St. Rita every year on May 22. Typically they are sweet and savory at the same time, containing meats, raisins, pecans, butter, garlic and assorted spices, peas, potatoes, and sherry.

***

A few months had gone by, with absolutely no word from Jake. You weren't surprised one bit, and had already gone through the process of selling most of your things. It was the big stuff, like your living room furniture, the bedroom set, any tools you had, and other such things too big for a studio apartment that you had your eye on. You even got rid of the car for a nice fat stack of cash. It was fitting that you had sold the car to Hawkeye. He was happy, and claimed that he was going to give it to his wife.

Today you were dropping off a huge bag of clothing to a local shelter. Anything that Gwen or America didn't want, ended up here. You made the old lady's day as she went through the nice and gently used items, all of which Jake had bought for you. After the drop off, you made your way back home the easy way, by web slinging home. By the time you got back, you found Peter standing at your front door.

"Hey! Sorry, I was out dropping off some clothes. You didn't mention that you were coming by." You greeted Peter with a wave and gave him a hug.

"It's alright. I was just on my way to the Sanctum, and I wanted to know if you wanted to accompany me?" He asked with grin.

"Really? You sure you want me to come along? You did mention the doctor hates unexpected guests…" You replied. Peter could see your hesitancy and he held both hands up.

"It's totally okay with Doctor Strange. I asked first, and besides, you're friends with his daughter, so…"

"Does he know-"

"Uh…" Peter looked away sheepishly as he rubbed his neck and laughed.

"Peter! Just because he's an Avenger and the king of the wizards, you can't be telling people my secret identity!"

"I am sorry! He saw you on the roof the last few times, and he wanted to know why I hadn't introduced you to him. Then America let it slip she's your friend, and, so… He kind of figured it out. He's a genius, and has that eidetic memory."

"Oh fantastic, a real Sherlock Holmes type, eh?" You retorted, and he laughed.

"Yeah, so I am sorry…"

"It's fine. Like you said, he probably already knew. I'm not mad."

"Oh good! So, do you need to do anything before we go?"

"I just need to put the washing on the next load of donations, then grab some water."

"Cool!"

***

Once at the Sanctum, Peter introduced you to Wong. The man seemed grumpy at first, but after hearing who you were, he changed his tune rather quickly. He made you a tea while Peter left to find the doctor, and the two of you chatted about how Peter basically lived here at the Sanctum since his Aunt and Tony Stark had passed away. He asked about what you did for a living, and you shrugged. You didn't have a paying job, and you lived in your ex boyfriend's house, which you were getting ready to move out of.

Wong seemed impressed that you were taking charge and moving on with your life, which told you that Peter had been blabbing his mouth again. You would have normally been upset by this, but Peter had told you all about who Wong was, what he did, and who he worked with. He was like the other king of the wizards, and Peter claimed he was way nicer than Strange. You found that hard to believe, because both of the wizards had a reputation for being formal hard asses.

Peter ended up coming back with Doctor Strange, and the lad was just talking up a storm as the doctor nodded along while sipping from a steaming mug. The way they looked was adorable, like a son telling their dad all about their day after school, but it was Peter talking about his patrols, while the older man listened intently.

"-And then she flashed him with the lights, kicked the guy in the balls, and he fell off of the roof. I've never seen Sandman go down that fast before! She managed to get him, before he could turn into sand!"

"Oh wow, Peter. That's most impressive." The doctor winced a bit, but he was impressed all the same.

"I take it that this her?" He asked as he motioned towards you. You gave a polite smile and waved.

"Yeah, that's her! You should see her and Gwen work as a team! It's so fun! She's the one making all the weird lights at night." Peter said as he made the same hand motions you did for the lights. You laughed and looked over at the older man who was chuckling softly at Peter's energy.

"Ah, I see. Well, in that case, it's lovely to meet you, young lady. My name is Stephen, but you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Uh, yes, sir, er, uh, doctor."

"Stephen is fine. Any friends of Peter's or America's are welcome to use my first name. Unless, of course, I don't like them." He laughed and held his hand out to you. You took it gently, remembering that Peter had told you the man had delicate hands that had once been crushed.

"Okay, Stephen, it is nice to meet you too. I always wanted to see what America's and Peter's adopted dad was like."

"Oh, well, I-" Stephen seemed flustered when you said adopted dad.

"Oh, he's a good dad. Very supportive of my Spider-Man gig." Peter said as he patted Stephen's shoulder. The man beamed at the praise and kept drinking his tea. You didn't understand why he was known for being snobby, stoic, and rude.

"That's good. Peter talks about you all the time. Says you've saved the world a lot, and kept the spooky magic things at bay." You remarked, and Stephen burst out laughing.

"I suppose that's what I do. It's a new way of saying it though. Oh, I have to talk to ask Wong something. Be right back." Stephen smiled and then excused himself to go talk with Wong for a bit.

They did not come right back.

It was three hours before they did, and by then, America had come home, said hi, then left again for her studies at the Kamar-Taj. You had spent the time playing chess, and had won three to two. When Stephen and Wong came walking in, they looked frustrated. It turned out there had been one of those cosmic fluctuations, and Stephen was telling Peter and you to keep an eye out for anything weirder than normal.

You left soon after, and went back home to grab a nap before patrol later.

***

Three weeks later…

Peter and Gwen had convinced you to move out of the house Jake owned. You didn't make it easy for them either. You felt reluctant to leave that house. It had bad memories, but it also held so many good ones with Jake.

You gave the excuse that you couldn't afford to move. The house and utilities were paid for, and you didn't have a paying job to get something new. Peter shut you up so fast by having Stephen and Wong literally coming out at that exact moment and time to offer you a room next to America's and Peter's. You groaned when that happened, because who the hell says no to the Sorcerer Supreme, which was basically your friend's dad?

That gave you a free place to live, free utilities, and free food. That also offered you access to being transported anywhere in the world if you ever wished it, not that you really wanted to unless the others needed you to. You had lost the will to travel after what happened with your ex, but it was nice that the option was there. Living there would gain you security, because there were at least three sorcerers at the Sanctum at any given time, not including Doctor Strange or Wong who were fully aware of your relationship problems.

They even said they could keep Jake from coming in if you gave them some of his hair. That was easy to do, and you did it, mostly because Peter and Gwen said they'd try to kick his ass if he showed up unannounced. You weren't sure if they meant the wizards, or themselves.

Plus your friends were there…

How could you refuse?

Notes:

***

Series Master List

***

None for now. Again, sorry for the short chapter.

Tags:

@theaussiedragon @autismsupermusicalassassin @readingfan

#spider reader #spider man 2099 #miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x fem!reader #miguel o'hara x you #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x y/n #mcu moon knight #moon knight #jake lockley #jake lockley x reader #jake lockley x you #jake lockley x fem!reader #jake lockley x y/n

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lullabyes22-blog · 1 year

Note

I know you've given us headcanons on Silco's peen, but can we have more details on them rest of him 😳😳😳

Pretty please?

My apologies for leaving this in the askbox for months. There's a big pile to sift through and never enough time.

Peen post is here.

Sundry Silco headcanons: Here, here and here.

Let us continue our proud tradition of objectifying the old man.

So: you've crossed the stage of maiden intimacies and been granted the privilege of disrobing the monster.

Lucky you (?)

First off, it's his habit to undress by himself. He's got blades and a garotte concealed somewhere on his person at all times. Also an incendiary or two. He'd rather not give away the hiding places - or give you a nasty shock.

Best to unveil our secrets piecemeal, hm?

Speaking of unveiling - he's a playful bastard. He also likes to talk while getting carnally acquainted. Expect idle banter during the striptease.

Let's start by taking the boots off, shall we? Nothing more ridiculous than a naked man in footwear. He wears ankle garters - typically with a two-inch blade hidden on the right. The socks might startle you - there are colorful acid green patterns of fishies on them.

A gift from Jinx. They're thermal too<3

His bare feet are curiously elegant: long and pale, nearly flipperlike, with interesting bumps in places from calluses and scars. You can tell this is someone who used to run around barefoot in muck as a kid, and spent the rest of his adulthood taking scrupulous care never to repeat the stupidity.

Next: off with the vest. And let's dispatch the bracers. He never tosses anything willy-nilly. It's all carefully folded and put away. In a rare mood - if he trusts you - he might let you fold the clothes.

And if you're a klutz, you'll get patient instruction.

"Not that way, dove. Hold it vertically and then tuck it in half lengthwise. Else the fabric will be wrinkled."

This is already proving an educational experience.

You can thank him later.

Next, off with the cravat. It's like watching a man twist out of a snow-white noose. How he breathes with the knot so tight is beyond you. Or maybe it's a reminder to never take each breath for granted?

If you're eagle-eyed, you'll notice that the edges of the cravat are a little stiff. That's where the garotte is concealed. It also doubles as a jimmy for picking locks or slipping past window latches.

Live and learn, eh?

Shirt next - and he'll make a show of it on request. A quick snap-snap to undo suspenders. A skittering dance of long fingers down the buttons. A lazy shrug so the material drops off one shoulder, than the other.

Waist-up, it's a shipwrecked swimmer's physique more than a sedentary ascetic's. Narrow boned and lanky, with a meshwork of distinct sinews under a thin stretch of scarred skin. The shoulderblades are sharply pronounced, the collarbones nearly sculpture-esque. They are also asymmetrical - the right one chipped after getting clubbed by an Enforcer's baton.

His arms are cordlike, and neatly muscled along the forearm and bicep. Trickledown veins on the wrists and the backs of the hands. Like his feet, they call to mind flippers on a deepsea creature.

No abs, but if he stretches the muscle groups will present themselves: a cobra's hood of latissimus muscle, a tummy that's still drumlike under a layer of softness, a jutting V of hipbones, and a snatched little waist.

What's your secret Silco?

"Not eating like a Council pig at trough."

Fair enough.

He doesn't have a lot of body hair: a sparse dusting on his arms, a fine thatch on the chest, and a happy trail that meanders south.

He's also got the tiniest outie belly-button. It's almost endearing.

"No. You may not poke it."

Spoilsport.

Well, time's a-wasting - and our man's pants are saluting. Let's doff those and show him the proper respect, shall we?

It's quite a feat of efficiency. One would think, between all the clasps and tight-fitting fabric, it would take decades to unshuck him. In fact, the broadfall - the buttoned front flap of his trousers - comes off with a few flicks of the wrist. No belt, just suspender loops, and a coordinated twist of movement gets his pants down, before he peels them off the rest of the way.

Were you expecting fishie underpants to match his socks?

Sadly, no.

It's not generic Fruit of the Loom boxer-briefs, either. He likes well-stitched fabrics, and undergarments are no exception. His favorite material is a type of cotton called ice silk: light, soft, breathable and easy to wash.

Also—

Whoosh.

Mind your head. A throwing blade just whizzed past your ear to embed itself with a thwock on the wall behind you.

He's got false pockets stitched inside his trousers. Just in case.

Once you've caught your breath, take a moment to admire The View.

The snake has shed his skin. Or at least peeled away the superficial layer.

All for you.

In clothes, he'd be easy to mistake for a bundle of sticks jointed together. Out of clothes, your only mistake would be underestimating how much damage he can do - and how fast.

His entire torso is crosshatched with scars. There are silvery razor wounds on his arms, and chemical burn scars mottling one shoulder blade, and a starburst-shaped cicatrix on his left shank.

His legs are probably his best feature - and his best kept secret. They're where he packs a majority of his muscle: the thighs all smooth sinew and the calves tight-packed from a lifetime of climbing unstable vertical spaces. He doesn't pack a lot of bulk in the upper-body. But his kicks are absolutely vicious.

Can - and has - stomped men's skulls in.

Like the rest of his body, his legs are riven with scars. Most distinctive is a divot gouged into the right shinbone from a mining accident. If you run your finger over it, you'll actually feel the hardness of shinbone beneath the scar-tissue.

Creepy.

Do our man got a booty? He do...ish. It's no cake, but it's not a pancake either. Maybe a bran muffin? He's the type who has sacral dimples - that smooth dip thing on the sides of the buttocks. Another set of dimples above them.

Vander used to call them Thumb Grips.

As with his legs, his arse has a few scars too. Most notable is a jagged slash from the lower back down to the left cheek. His own fault for turning his back on a man during a knife fight.

Altogether, the scars are nowhere near as bad as the devastation on his face - for which small mercy, much thanks to Janna. He wears none of them a Croix de Guerre.

Simply a byproduct of survival.

"War stories? Perhaps later. Else we'll be here all night." A lazy crook of the finger. "And I've better uses for our time."

Well?

What're you waiting for?

#asks #arcane #arcane league of legends #arcane silco #silco #silco headcanon #silco headcanons #arcane meta #arcane headcanons #arcane headcanon #fanfic #forward (never forget)/xoxo

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kenkaodoll · 6 months

Text

Kamiya Dojo Monogatari Tale 76 (JUMP SQ 24/05)

About Kamiya Dojo Monogatari:

Tales of Kamiya dojo is written by Kaoru Kurosaki and published along with the “Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido” arc in JUMPSQ. The tale involves the Rurouni Kenshin character in daily life that takes time between Kenshin and Kaoru marriage until the epilogue chapter in the original manga before the Hokkaido Arc. Until this month (April 2024) there are a total 76 chapters in Tales of Kamiya dojo. This is an unofficial translation.

Previous Story: https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/745210446270889984/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-75-jump-sq-2404

The night passed.

Finally the day had arrived. It was the first day of the opening of the Rabbit Cafe. Kaoru, Megumi, Misao, and Tsubame, all dressed as waitresses in bluish-gray, wide-brimmed dresses and frilly white aprons, they had finished their preparations before the opening and were all gathered around, looking somewhat restless and uneasy.

“I'm kind of nervous about opening a rabbit café for the first time,” Kaoru told Misao.

”Shall I teach you a method to relieve the tension that has been passed down through the Oniwabanshu?”

“It sounds like it might work. Please let me know.”

“Write the character for "person", *hito (人) in the palm of your hand…”

Before Misao could finish, Megumi immediately interrupted.

“Everyone does it, not just the Oniwabanshu.”

“Eh! Really?” Misao was surprised.

“You write the hito (人) character in your palm three times then put it in your mouth and act like you swallow it, right?”

“Bingo! So this wasn’t a special method handed down to the Oniwabanshu,” Misao was disappointed at Megumi’s words.

“Yes, I know that too,” Kaoru followed up.

“Damn, Jiiya has played me for a sucker!”

“I know that old men would do such pranks. He didn’t tell you immediately, but eventually you will find out that everyone knew about it, even if they weren't the Oniwabanshu. Then when you realized it for the first time, you were already tricked by him.” The lie was like a time bomb.

“I've been tricked!” Misao was very frustrated.

He is a funny old man, isn't he?” Tsubame said, and Yahiko, who had been listening from the back room, came out and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yes, he can be too funny sometimes.”

Since today was the first day, Yahiko and Mikio's wife, Shino, were waiting behind the room, just in case they needed help.

Yahiko and Shino were not dressed in Western-style clothing because they were waiting in a place where customers couldn’t see them. They were dressed normally.

The plan was that while everyone was working in the cafe, if a customer came in and wanted to buy rabbit, whoever was available would take care of it. However, if there were too many customers who wanted to buy rabbits, the situation would be very hectic. The cafe had a fixed number of seats, so there was a limit to how busy it could get.

However, since it was completely unknown what would happen, it was decided that Yahiko and Shino would wait and see to respond in case of an emergency.

However they had their own reasons. Yahiko wanted to see the usual face of his friends, and Shino wanted to see Mikio in his high spirit.

“Today, the members of the Rabbit Club, which Usagawa-san represents, will be here, so we will definitely be busy,” Mikio spoke at the morning briefing before the store opened.

“The first impression you make on the first day is very important! I look forward to working with you today.”

“Eh! What he just said? I didn't know he could say such an auspicious thing,” Yahiko was so surprised that he unintentionally whispered to Tsubame.

“Well, um…” Tsubame lost a word.

“He’s going to be a parent now, he'd better be able to say something like that, or else we'll be in trouble,” Shino patted her big belly and spoke to Yahiko in a whisper.

“Ah... Mikio-sama's…”Tsubame bowed his head.

She had wanted to greet Shino ever since she arrived at the store, but she had somehow missed it.

“You must be Tsubame-chan. I heard about you from him,” Shino looked at Tsubame and smiled.

“Eh?” Tsubame was very curious about what was said, but she didn’t have the courage to ask her about it.

“Hey, there!” Mikio looked at Yahiko, Tsubame, and Shino and shouted.

“The manager is giving you a very important briefing, so you should not chit-chat casually.”

“Hey, hey!”

“I.. I'm sorry, sir.”

“My bad.”

Yahiko, Tsubame, and Shino each apologize to Mikio.

“All right, everybody, take your positions! We're about to open!”

Mikio cheerfully urged everyone to get ready, like he was commanding a battle.

The waitresses line up in front of the entrance door, while their helpers, Yahiko and Shino, wait in the back room.

Mikio glanced out the window and saw a few customers waiting for the store to open. Are they members of the Rabbit Club, or are they just a fan of new things?

“All right, everyone. I'm going to open this door. Once we open this door, there's no going back.”

“Yosh!”

Kaoru, Megumi, Misao, and Tsubame all pumped their fists in the air and shouted with all their might. From the room behind Yahiko and Shino’s voice also could be heard.

・

And then the store opens!

“Welcome!”

Mikio opened the door, and Kaoru, Megumi, Misao, and Tsubame greeted the customers in cheerful voices.

The first guest to come in was....

It was Kenshin.

He entered with a smiling face, carrying Kenji on his back.

Mikio opened the door and saw an unexpected person, letting out a strange voice.

“Ooooh! Oh, you!”

For a moment, he almost ran away. He had reflexively turned away, remembering once he stared at him with scary eyes. But this time Mikio was not just a thug. He was the manager of the Rabbit Café.

“…”

Mikio took one deep breath to prepare himself.

”Why did you come here?” He sounded intimidating.

This was a completely wrong response for a manager, but it was better than running away.

“Mikio-sama,” Tsubame helped him out in a whisper.

“This is the time when you say 'irasshaimase' (welcome).”

Mikio gasped hearing her voice

“Irasshaimase!”

He greeted Kenshin with a stiff smile.

“Today, I came to see my wife in her finest clothes,” Kenshin told Mikio.

“Oh no, Kenshin,” Kaoru broke into a smile.

“Does it look good?” She picks up the hem of her waitress dress and spins around.

“For me, my favorite is your regular training clothes, but the Western clothes suit you as well, that you do.”

Kenji who’s carried by Kenshin, was also cackling happily.

“What are you guys doing? Cut the crap and get to work.”

“Then let's have some tea,” Kenshin replied to Mikio's request with a serious expression.

“Please come to our seat over here,” Kaoru led Kenshin to a table.

“Tsk… our first guest is her family. How long has he been waiting in line with his child?” Mikio grumbled and invited the next guest in.

“Irasshaimase!”

The second guest was a member of the Rabbit Club.

The third and fourth guests were also members of the rabbit club.

“Usagawa-san told me I could see cute rabbits while sipping a cup of delicious tea.”

The men in the group look fondly at the rabbits.

“Can I take a good look at that rabbit over there with the nice fur?”

“Please let me see that little rabbit with the brown ears.”

“I'd like to see that little rabbit over there!”

“I want to give the rabbits some *komatsuna. Eh, it’s sold separately? How much?”

The members of the rabbit club seemed very satisfied with this breakthrough opportunity to interact with the rabbits.

Then it got out of hand, not only for Kaoru and the waitresses, but also for Yahiko and Shino, who were also really busy helping out.

“It can't be helped…” Mikio looked at the rabbits and growled at Kenshin, who was slowly sipping his tea.

“You know, it's so crowded, can you think about it a little.”

Hearing that, Tsubame hurriedly apologized.

“I am terribly sorry!”

She then chided Mikio.

“Mikio-sama, you shouldn't talk to customers like that.”

“You’re so annoying. I don't like to treat him like a customer.”

“But you said it's important to make a good impression on the first day.”

Kenshin smiled at Tsubame.

“I don't mind. The rabbit café was so interesting that the manager had a hard time. I'll go home soon.”

“No, I didn't ask you to leave the store. It's the other way around.”

“What do you mean by ‘the other way around’?”

“I need your help. Your wife and her students are helping. As a house head you should help out too,” Mikio threw the apron at Kenshin.

“Oro~?”

・

Although the first day had only just begun, this rabbit café seemed to have a promising future.

They served tea and sweets, sold live rabbits, and had a lot of customers! Sales are also going well!

It was a wide difference from last year, when Mikio was selling rabbits by himself.

Will there really be customers for such an unprecedented new-age business as a rabbit café, or will anyone buy rabbits there? Mikio was a bit skeptical about Usagawa's plan for this rabbit café. But even if this did not work out, it was Usagawa’s money, not Mikio. His pocket would remain unschated. On the contrary, he would be paid as a hired manager, so it could only be a good thing whether it sold well or not. He thought it would be convenient no matter which way it went.

When he actually saw customers coming in and being pleased with the product, he was glad I could sell it. A sense of fulfillment that he had never felt before welled up from the bottom of his heart.

・

Mikio was in a good mood.

The door of the store opened.

“Irasshaima-…”

“Hey”

Suwa appeared at the store.

“I've come to pick up... The clay.”

Suwa's smile brought down Mikio’s mood.

Notes:

*Hito(人): Kanji character for man/ person

*Jiiya: grandpa

*Irasshaimase: welcome

*komatsuna: Japanese mustard spinach, a leafy vegetable.

.…..to be continued in chapter 77…… https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/750191530648748032/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-77-jump-sq-2406

TLnote(1): translating Japanese is so hard because the sentence structure is very different compared with English. Also the style of writing is different, plus there’s a lot of figurative, poetic language and things that don't make sense if it’s directly translated into english. So forgive me if this is very weird to read, and please tell me if you want to give corrections.

TLnote(2) I will provide the original Japanese text for correction if any of you who read have better knowledge of the Japanese language. Just dm and I’ll send the file.

TLnote(3) Dtninja had translated some earlier chapters on his website. You can go and check on there

Read the rest of the story here:

https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/686193523858538496/rurouni-kenshin-tales-of-kamiya-dojo

#Kamiya Dojo Monogatari #Tales of Kamiya Dojo #Rurouni Kenshin #Ruroken #Himura Kenshin #Kamiya Kaoru #Himura Kenji #Himura Kaoru #Takani Megumi #Makimachi Misao #Myojin Yahiko #Sanjo Tsubame #Himura couple #Himura family #unofficial translation #kaoru kurosaki #kurosaki kaoru

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blackjackkent · 4 months

Note

Daily prompting...

"Did you just call this a family?" - Astarion

"You're like a brother to me" - Wyll

"You're always welcome in my home" - Jaheira

(Prompts for Found Families)

:D TY as always! Hope you enjoy! (As usual I had particular fun with the Jaheira one. XD )

-----

"Did you just call this a family?"

“There he is!” Karlach grins from ear to ear, swooping into Astarion’s line of sight. “Hiding off in the shadows as usual.”

“Observing, darling,” Astarion corrects her with a shrug. “I wasn’t making any effort to hide. And you certainly had no trouble finding me.” He lifts one eyebrow, looking her over. “I see Avernus hasn’t yet managed to dampen your spirits.”

She shakes her head. “Maybe not - though, gods, does it try. Not sure I’ve slept proper since the brain. But then I put my sword through a devil or two and it perks me right up. And how about you? I hear you’re a big-time adventurer now.”

“Oh, I get by, I get by,” he says with affected modesty, giving an airy wave with one hand. “Nothing like your military escapades, I should think; still up to all the old skulking but to a better purpose.”

“Wheyyy,” she says cheerfully, bouncing her weight from one foot to the other. “Who’d’a thought, right? You and me, both alive and tearing up bad guys, six months down the line. Turned out damn good, all things considered.”

He allows himself a slight smile. “In spite of all those who wronged us,” he murmurs. “I will admit… it does feel good to be able to show up and say I’ve made something of myself, at least for the time being. Though if I’d known Withers was planning to whisk us all off to a family reunion, I would have prepared a better outfit.”

Her grin widens. “Family reunion, eh? Did you just call this a family? You, Mister Loner Supreme?”

Having no circulation, he can’t blush, but his ears twitch and he clears his throat sharply. “Slip of the tongue, I assure you,” he says. “I wouldn’t be caught dead with such saccharine sentimentality on my lips.”

Karlach puts her hands around her mouth and shouts to the rest of the party. “HEY, EVERYONE! ASTARION JUST ADMITTED WE’RE A FAMILY.”

A chorus of cheerful shouts answers her, with Lae’zel’s voice rising sardonically above them from the far end of the camp. “Of course we are, kainyank!”

-----

"You're like a brother to me"

The siege has been going on for several hours when Hector hears Wyll give a low laugh all of a sudden. It’s about the last thing he expects to hear given they’re hunkered down outside the fortress of one of Zariel’s top lieutenants; certainly he couldn’t feel less like laughing himself.

Nevertheless, he grins involuntarily in response to the sound from his friend, but his eyebrows lift in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

Wyll chuckles again, shifting to lean his back against the wall of their makeshift trench. “Oh-- nothing. You’ll think it a quite odd thought, I suspect. I just… thought, out of nowhere, about that time I asked you to dance, back in the shadowlands.”

“Oh.” Hector blinks slowly. It is an odd thought, under the circumstances. “I haven’t thought about that in a while.”

“Nor I. Well, I wasn’t really thinking about it per se,” Wyll hastens to explain. “More about… how I got here. Everything we left behind. But not you, and not Karlach. You’re still with me, after everything.” He shakes his head ruefully and angles his hips up so he can peer over the top edge of the trench. “You must have thought me a bloody fool.”

“Wyll,” Hector says, very seriously. “I still barely knew my own arse from a hole in the ground then. I admired you tremendously.” A pause. “I felt terrible for hurting you, though.”

“Bah.” Wyll smiles reassuringly. “It’s far better this way. You… you’re like a brother to me, Hec. Wouldn’t trade that for the world.” His grin twitches into a teasing smirk. “Besides - I’ve seen you try to dance since, and it’s not pretty.”

“Knife to my heart, Wyll. Knife to my very heart.”

-----

"You're always welcome in my home"

“High Harper--” The man is very young, most certainly a new recruit, so wet behind the ears that he is practically dripping on the front porch of Elerrathin’s Home. He looks at Jaheira with that earnest respect that comes from those who have heard of her only in song and never met her in person. “My apologies for disturbing you at this hour.”

“Of course,” Jaheira says. Her expression is deadpan; it is an expression she is well-practiced at, expertly masking whether she is irritated, amused, or simply curious. “You are always welcome in my home, my young friend. As are all Harpers.” She steps back, drawing the door open. “You will, of course, submit to the usual security check.”

He blinks-- and then his expression steadies; to his credit, he does not allow himself to be thrown by the unexpected statement. “As you say, High Harper,” he says earnestly, following her inside. “Of course it behooves someone of your rank to take all precautions.”

“Most certainly,” she says. “Wait here, please.” She halts him in the middle of the house’s small living room, then calls, “Fig! Your services!”

A small child of perhaps five years old emerges from one of the side rooms; her shoulders are squared and her eyes eager and excited. “Yes, Commander!” she pipes up.

The child stalks directly in front of the young Harper and stares up at him imperiously. “Name?” she says fiercely.

The Harper blinks again, casts a sideways look at Jaheira, but the High Harper’s face is still completely unreadable. “Uh. Simons,” he stammers, looking back at the little girl. “Wesley Simons. Harper.”

“Uh huh.” Fig screws up her face with an expression of deep concentration and walks a slow circle around him, examining him from all sides. “And uh…” She tilts her head, then glances at Jaheira and asks in a stage whisper, “What is it next?”

“Divest,” Jaheira murmurs, with the very slightest hint of a smile.

“Oh yeah.” Fig points a stubby finger at Wesley’s chest. “Divest yourself!” Then, again in a whisper, “That means take your sword off.”

Wesley’s lips twitch. “Ah. Yes, ma’am,” he says; with a single quick motion, he strips off his sword belt and lays the weapon on the table.

Fig nods approval. “He’s clean, Commander!” she says; her serious demeanor breaks and she grins excitedly. “Did I do good?”

“Perfectly done, cub. Now run along.” Jaheira waits until the girl has darted back out of the room, then looks at Wesley and jerks her head to the side. “You - come. We shall speak in my office.”

Wesley follows her with a soft laugh. “Is this hazing, then, High Harper? Or does she do this with all your visitors?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Harper Simons,” Jaheira says gravely. “This is standard procedure.”

#bg3 drabble #bg3 #karlach #astarion #wyll #jaheira #astreamofstars #ty for the promptsssss <3 #jaheira bg3 #bg3 jaheira

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jpitha · 2 years

Text

We Need a Ride

As they walked into the massive docking bay of the Starbase, Chloe strode purposefully towards the glossy aquamarine ship that had just arrived, her silver hair flashing in the sharp light of the bay.

Sophia and Cereni walked behind a few steps, hustling to keep up with Chloe's long strides.

Cereni noticed it first. Her ears flicked, a K'laxi raised eyebrow. "Chloe, who is that? I've never seen a ship like that before"

The ship they were walking towards barely fit into the bay. Humans tended to build their ships large, and even for that, this one was big. It was wide and had softened angles and fins and stubby wings on the side. Sophia marveled "Cereni, they're a dropship. I've never seen one in person before!"

Chloe chuckled "That's right! Abyssal Plains is special. Over 600 drops and not one fatality. Normally they wouldn't even be out here, but I linked a beacon out to where they normally operate and called in a favor."

At that, Abyssal's external speakers clicked on. "614 drops Extended Reach, get it right you old so-and-so! I haven't heard from you in centuries and the first thing you do is call in that favor from Parvati? Typical!" Abyssal sounded jovial to Cereni even though what they were saying sounded like they were chiding Chloe.

Chloe stood arms akimbo in front of the ship and looked up. "My name is Chloe now. I'm sorry for not reaching out sooner, you know how life is. Also, if I recall correctly, I remember absorbing gigawatts of energy on my starboard flank to prevent your destruction around the orbit of Parvati so I think that the favor I'm asking for is more than fair"

Chloe is an AI, and formerly the Starjumper Extended Reach. She "retired" nearly a century ago and chose to be loaded into a body. While she's not a 4 kilometer long Starjumper anymore, she does stand nearly two meters tall, with long silver hair that's almost metallic, sky blue eyes and casts an imposing, etherial figure.

Abyssal took on a more subdued tone. "That you did Chloe, that you did, and I am forever thankful that you were there to take those hits. Hence, why I linked in the moment I got your message. Please, come aboard and tell me what's up."

As they stood there, the entire front of Abyssal opened and the three of them saw the huge empty space in the bottom of the old dropship, designed for dozens of vehicles or hundreds of people to take the loud, hot ride through an atmosphere falling at fifteen to twenty times the speed of sound. Abyssal wasn't made for comfort, but was made to carry lots of stuff through an atmosphere really fast. Sophia realized that the Abyssal must be incredibly old.

Chloe smiled and scoffed. "Show off. We could have used the regular door to come in."

As they stepped in, Abyssal's speakers sounded much warmer and more intimate. "And what fun would that be? Let an old dropship show the new folks just what they're designed to do eh? The fact that you called for me means that you need to go for a ride in the atmosphere right? What are we doing? Dropping off, or picking up?"

"Picking up. The people on that new colony Spruces? We lost contact with them a couple months ago. Every beacon we link in doesn't come back. I think something is wrong. We need to go down, grab some folks and some stuff and bring them back to explain what's going on."

"Stuff eh?" even without a face, Sophia could hear Abyssal's raised eyebrow. "No matter. Anything for a friend. When are we leaving?"

"No time like the present. Let's get out there now. We'll head upstairs and I'll give you the coordinates. We'll link in orbit, and do the drop. In and out, quick and quiet."

Cereni snuck a glance at Sophia who shrugged her shoulders. Neither really knew what Chloe was up to. AIs - even ones in bodies - tended to keep things close and only tell people when they needed to know something. They were coming along because Chloe asked for their help and they trust her.

"Chloe, you know as well as I do that dropping through the atmosphere is rarely quiet, but we'll give it our very best."

****

Part 2 is here

#worldbuilding #humans are deathworlders #humans are space oddities #humans are space orcs #humans are space capybaras #writing #scifi writing #humans and ai

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daemonoferror · 2 years

Text

Asgard's Bard- Part 1

Heimdall x gn! Reader

TW: Death, pain, blood, heimdall glaring at you being your only interaction.

Summary: Congrats! You died. And you got a promotion.

---

The last you remember, a sense of true powerlessness fell over you, before a sharp, stinging pain rippled through your back. The world came to a halt, and your vision goes black.

What feels like only a moment later, your eyes snap open and you suck in a deep breath, like a drowned man taking in air for the first time in months. The pain in your back is replaced by an almost unbearable soreness, helped tremendously by the soft bed below you. You lay completely still, every bone in your body frozen, muscles tense in a state of flight or fight. Where are you? You don't recongize this bedroom. You rack your brain for an explanation that won't come, until a voice interrupts.

"Ah, you're back. Good." Too quickly, you sit up in bed, your back protesting. In the doorway of the room is a man. He's old with grey hair and an eyepatch. He's familiar, you think. From portraits and statues, but you don't want to make assumptions, and his build looks smaller- frailer than you imagined. "You have talent, it would've been a shame to lose something like this so soon." He brings your attention to a worn leather journal he was reading. Your journal. Your most valued possession, in the hands of someone else. Before you can act on the new found panic, the man chuckles and tosses the book to you. The short lived fear evaporates and you flip through it to make sure nothing was messed with.

"What's going on? Where am I?" You ask with shakey breath, looking back up at the man.

He shrugs, "Well, you died." He answers in a matter-of-fact tone. "But I brought you back. You're welcome."

"But... how?" The words don't settle as they should. You're too tired, too stunned to really understand. What does resonate is that the power the man possess if he's telling the truth comfirms your earlier suspicion is correct, "All-Father?"

"Yes, that is what they call me." The god says with a smile. It must be obvious after a short silence that you're not in a clear state of mind, so he continues, "Look, I know it's a lot to take in. Not every day you're brought back to life and meet a god, eh? Why don't you take some time. There's a water basin to wash your face, and a wardrobe full of clean clothes. Nicer than anything ya got in midgard, I promise. Once you're ready, come talk to me in my study. Just down the stairs, you can't miss it. Sound good?" You respond with a small nod. Being in the presence of a god has rendered you speechless, it seems. He claps his hands together, "Good" he hums, and walks away from the room.

You take a deep breath to ground yourself. You're really in Asgard. You just met a god. It seemed unbelievable, more likea dream than reality. At any moment you could wake up back in Midgard, in some rundown tavern with a pissed-off barkeeper tending to you because you drank too much. That sounds far more realistic than any of this. With a pained groan you slowly drop your legs off the side of the bed and stand up. You stretch as much as you can bare, slightly relieving your injured back. If this is a dream, this pain could've fooled you.

You have in mind to head to the wardrobe, but you pause to take the rest of the room . It's small, but you don't figure you'd need a big space. On the wall by the door, there's an array of instruments lined up, mostly string instruments you're familiar with, like a tagelharpa and rebec. A flute laid ontop of an overturned crate- which there were a lot of in the room, making it seem only half decorated. Some drums sat on the floor, though you had never played them as much as a lyre, which was the only instrument you couldn't be seen anywhere in the room. There's a desk pushed up against the wall opposite of the instruments, with a blank scroll open on it, and a crate full of more on the floor nearby. It's odd how the room seems almost designed for you.

You make your way to the wardrobe at the end of the room, in the middie of the wall. Throwing open the doors, you're met with an array of tunics, cloaks, fur coats, belts, gold jewelry, and more. You peel off your brown tunic, shoulders aching as your arms raise to lift it over your head. "What in Hel!" You yell, dropping the garment and stepping away. The entire back of the shirt is drenched in dark red, old blood. You reach behind you, clawing at what you can reach for an injury, or blood, or a scab. Besides the soreness you're already accustomed with, there's no other evidence of a wound. Odin's words repeat- you died. "How could I have-" your voice fades out. You died. You hear it in All-Father's nonchalant tone, and you feel like you're hearing it- actually understanding it for the first time. Things don't feel like a dream anymore, not even a nightmare. All at once everything feels too real. Your breath quickens, you sink to the floor and clutch your heart. Does it even beat anymore? Are you really alive? What does it mean to be brought back to life? You grapple with hundreds of questions, your mind spiraling.

Soon you remember the basin, and all you can think is how good the cold water would feel on your skin. You scramble to it and splash your face with water. It's refreshing and grounding, helps remind you to breathe. You stare into your reflection, hands on either side of the basin supporting your weight as you lean over it.

There's some small scars litter your face and upper neck, nothing bigger than a nick or a cat scratch, and they're hardily noticeable. The same scars are scattered across your hands too, if you look closely. You're relieved to see you don't look bad. Your skin isn't a different color, your eyes are the same. The scars are the only new addition. You don't remember how you got them, though. If you think about it, you realize you can't remember much of the weeks leading up to now. Maybe even months of your memory are gone. You know the important things- your name, your home, family and friends. You know you traveled a lot, reciting poetry and playing music anywhere that would pay you. But besides that blurry flash of pain, you can't remember much.

You stand up again and return to the dresser. The All-Father has requested to meet with you, and it's not something to take lightly. You know he would have an explanation and answers to your questions. You need to keep composure and stay focused to speak with him. You slip on a simple white tunic and pants- as simple as clothes get in Asgard, anyways, each garment adorned with golden embroidery. The clothes fit perfectly, and you try not to wonder how or why.

You shake off the nerves one last time before pushing open the door. Even though the lodge looks homey, it still makes you feel small. You're glad the hall is empty, keeping your focus on getting to the study without distractions. At the bottom of the stairs, the door is ajar, and you can hear Odin talking to someone inside. You knock on the door, with no response. You decided against waiting outside, anxious to get answers to your death and resurrection, and figuring if it were something important they could've shut the door properly. So you slip in, and await patiently by the entrance.

There's a man talking to Odin. You try not to eavesdrop but you pick up bits about an object Odin wants the man to get, and the man being reluctant to do so though he doesn't out right refuse. His dialect sounds much more sophisticated than most you meet, even Odin. He's facing away from you, but you still draw inspiration from his beauty. His golden hair woven in neat braids, the confidence in his posture, and the wit in his voice. You come to a simple conclusion that he seems nice, and would be a good subject for a poem.

Odin seems quickly annoyed with the boy though, and his expression brightens when he sees you. "Ah! There's my poet!" He stands from his desk, raising his arms to gesture to you. "Come in, please! Heimdall, you're dismissed, we'll continue this discussion later." He lowers his voice to address the man.

"But All-Father, I-" Heimdall starts, cut off by Odin, louder this time.

"Dismissed!" Heimdall doesn't protest this time, but it's clear he wants to. He turns on his heels and starts towards the door, his gaze locking with your's as he leaves. Even though he was clearly glaring at you with an unparalleled hatred, your mind sparks with analogies for the prettiest eyes you've ever witnessed. Like shimmering amythests in an otherwise baren cave.

"Ignore him. He doesn't do well with strangers." Odin says with an eyeroll, "he sees things for me, ya know." He mentions like a bad pun you're supposed to understand. Heimdall is familiar, though. You've heard stories of him- the keeper of Ghallerhorn and a protector of Asgard- but you never imagined he'd be like that. "Come, sit! We've got losts to talk about. You've had an eventful day afterall." You listen to All-Father, walking up to the desk and taking a seat. "I'm sure you've got questions. Hit me!" All-Father says confidently, and the way he talks both perplexes and comforts you. He acts too casual to be a god.

There's no better way to phrase it, you think after a moment of quiet as you try. "Am I really dead?" You finally ask.

The AllFather answers, "Don't sound so sad about it. You've been resurrected! A new lease on life." He tacks on, "And I assure you, there's no long lasting side effects. Some scars, yeah, and I'm sure you've noticed some soreness, but that'll heal as normal. Probably." All-Father thinks for a minute before adding, "Though immortality can be considered a side effect, I suppose I should mention that." He sounds like he's bragging to you. You've accepted a great offer, it sounds. Too bad you weren't conscious during the decision making.

"Immortality?" You repeat. It's so hard to speak to Odin. You would've expected his mannerisms to be so much different than he acts. He seems eccentric, he could talk to himself for hours if he wanted. He knows what people want to hear- or at least tries to guess- staying in a constant neutral zone so he appears likeable to a wider audience.

"Yeah, well. We all die someday." Odin says with a sigh and a shrug, "What's a few extra years, huh?" He chuckles, you force a smile. He must do this kind of thing often. It's strange to have someone so postive and confident in front of you while you're so uneasy about it all.

"May I ask, why did you bring me back?" You decide to ask, shifting in your chair. You trusted All-Father to do what's best for everyone- but you couldn't see how revising you could affect anyone but yourself.

"I heard of you. A talented poet and musician from Midgard, some even described you as a god. I wanted to see it for myself. I thought it was a real shame when I heard of your passing." Allfather explains with a shrug. While you knew people enjoyed your works- nothing could match the honor you felt walking into a tavern and hearing someone recite one of your poems- but you had never heard anyone refer to you as a god. You didn't think you were worthy of that title at all. The All-Father slowly stands up, and starts to pace behind the desk. "And I figured, entertainment is an important part of any society, wouldn't you think? Well Asgard may be lacking in that department. Fighting, training, drinking, and so on can only be fun for so long." He turns back and raises a hand to you. "Someone with your talent could really lighten up the place. I was hoping, maybe, you'd be interested in being a bard- the bard- of Asgard."

"What?" Was all you could say, completely stunned. You were a starving artist in midgard, no where near being Asgard matieral. You wondered if maybe during the gap in your memory you had improved drastically- if the height of your poetic talent died when you did.

"Well, it's just like you did in Midgard. Write your poems, sing your songs- inspire the people of Asgard. Though you might have to pander to your audience a bit, write about the gods, maybe help me with a few studies-" He nearly mumbles it, glossing over things that might be unsavory for you. He continues, "In return you can live here in the lodge." He shrugs, "I could pay you, but money won't have much value while you're here." He chuckles.

"And if I refuse?" You ask. You didn't think you could. You knew you couldn't. This just felt too good to be true. Odin resurrected the wrong poet or something. But you didn't think All-Father was capable of making such mistakes, was he?

"Then you can go back to Midgard and do whatever is you want to do there." Odin dismissively waves a hand at you. His tone is somewhere between indifference and disappointment. "Though I can't see much there for you now." He says it like it's a jab at you. You suppose he's right. Midgard is no place to live right now. Your job barely made ends meet no matter how good you were. And what would your friends and family think of all this? Did they know you died?

Even if you don't feel worthy, the cushy lifestyle is something that's impossible to give up once it's offered. You nod sagely and stand up, outstretching an arm to Odin. "Yeah. I accept." You smile softly and nervously.

Odin's mood is instantly lifted as he shakes your forearm, "Wonderful!" He laughs and walks around the desk to you. "Say, why don't I bring you on a tour of Asgard, show you around?"

"That'd be great." You say, following him to the door. You'd hate to get lost in the new realm, and you're eager to see what inspiration you can pull from Asgard. A series of panicked squawks From behind startles you and makes you jump. One of Odin's ravens sits on a wooden stand nearby, flapping its wings. You glare at the creature, and All-Father seems equally annoyed.

"Huginn, what have I told you about sneaking up on me like that!" The bird answers with more squawks, "What? What do you want! What is it you blasted bird!" Odin huffs in annoyance, seemingly letting the bird talk for a while, "Uh huh. Uh huh. I understand." He says half heartedly, and you wonder if he actually understands what it's saying or is just responding to comfort the animal. "Yes, I get it. I said I know!" He turns back to you with a heavy sigh, "I'm truly sorry, something's just come up that I gotta sort out."

"I understand. I can wait for you to get back-" You suggest, though you really don't want to, and would probably sneak off within minutes due to boredom anyways.

"No, no, I'm sure you'll make do on you're own. Explore a bit, make friends. Just don't wander to far alright? And try not to die again, eh?" Odin chuckles, though the words catch you off guard. You're almost offended by joke.

"Allfather, do you know how I died?" You blurt while you're on the subject, realizing you meant to ask earlier.

Odin hums and answers, "It's better not to think about thar, child." His tone is sympathetic, and with a sigh you realize he's probably right. Nothing would change by knowing. A flock of ravens surround Odin, and when they disappear, so does he.

You sigh and leave the room feeling defeated. You quickly find a room upstairs similar to a cafeteria. A few people are scattered around the long tables, talking, eating, and drinking. The murmurs are familiar to you, and you set your journal down at an empty corner of the table. You're used to writing in noisy taverns, but you don't feel like walking far and getting lost.

Your thoughts returned to Heimdall as you prepare to write. You know with your new position you'll have to write in a more formal structure soon, but for now you focus on scribbling down whatever comes to mind.

"He is crafted from wealth

His brilliant eyes were carved from shimmering amythests

And gifted to show one's truest intent

The one with golden teeth speaks

With a tone of eloquence

His blonde hair in intricately woven braids

Similar to engravings on a well-loved bow

A protector of Asgard,

He is truly priceless."

#reader edits the poem between chapters-#i revised this like 4 times and there's like 3 paragraphs I refused to touch bc they were so bad #anyways LAUGH. LAUGH at reader for making ASSUMPTIONS. can't wait for them to be WRONG #heimdall x reader #heimdall gow #gn!reader #gender nuetral reader #this is cringe. it'll get better.#asgard's bard #x reader

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evereinefaust · 8 months

Text

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 ࿐ྂ

Pairing: Naruto Uzumaki X afab!Reader

Sypnosis: MC returns to her home country for a two-month vacation, excited to reunite with her childhood friends. She saw how much they changed �� having already married and had children. It's only a matter of time before her lingering feelings for someone must be told.

Word Count: 3,410

Listen to your heart, when he's calling for you

Here it is. The most waited time of my life. I can now return to my home country and meet my old friends again. You were excited to return home from your work abroad. You are inside the plane, waiting for the plane to land, and in the meantime, you look out from the window at the beautiful scenery of your place. Though you were just given a 2-month vacation, it was a perfect chance to have fun with your friends before you resume your work. You wonder if they changed a lot after all those years. Of course, you also changed into a beautiful young woman. But the thing that you want is if they already had children, especially your best friends, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and Tenten. And you wonder who married or caught Sasuke first, Sakura or Ino. You laughed at the thought.

As the plane landed, you can't contain the excitement. You are ready to leave and waiting for the pilot to say they can now exit the plane. You hurriedly sprinted outside the big flying vehicle and went to the port where your friends were waiting. After you got your baggage, you let a smile creep on your face as you exited the port. And there you saw them waving at you, your smile grew wider as you felt really really excited. You ran in their direction and gave your best friends a big tight hug. "I'm back!" You said happily. They all chuckled.

"Welcome home! We miss you!" They chorused. The five of you broke the hug and you looked at the males, Kiba, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, and Sasuke were there, but you didn't see the blonde. You noticed that they all changed, the girls were more beautiful and the boys became handsome. "Welcome back [Name]..." Choji greeted as he munched on his cracker. "You never stop eating" You chuckled. "Here, I'll handle this" Lee grabbed the baggage from you and carry it by himself. "Thanks, Lee" You thanked him, and he just blushed slightly and nodded.

"Come on, let's go and celebrate your arrival," Kiba said then ruffled his hair. "Oh come on, you men didn't welcome [Name] properly on her arrival," Ino said, Kiba just shrugged. After your arrival, they went to their favorite ramen shop, the Ichiraku Ramen. You guys had fun while going there, talking some stuff about the [h/l] [h/c]-colored female's job and her relationship. "So, [Name]. You still don't have a boyfriend yet?" Sakura asked rather mischievously as she looked at you with a smirk. "Ah, eh... I still have none" You sweat-dropped.

"Aw... Too bad, some of us already had" Ino said. You looked at them as well with the boys, Kiba had his look of 'What's with us?'. "Really?" You raised one eyebrow as you looked back at the girls. "Yup!" Tenten replied happily. "I already had Sasuke-kun," Sakura said proudly as Ino rolled her eyes at her but smiled. "Oh? So Sakura won the contest?" You smirked. They laughed. "Yeah, but I already had a husband, I haven't introduced you to him yet" Ino stated then smiled. "Tenten-san is the wife of Neji-niisan" Hinata said shyly with a low voice.

Tenten blushed. "H-Hinata!" She stammered. The boys don't seem to be bothered by all the lovey-dovey of the girls and you, and you noticed this. "Oh? How about you, Shikamaru? Do you already have a wife?" The young adult asked the spiky male. "Temari was my wife and we already had a son. His name is Shikadai" Shikamaru replied to the girl's question. You turned to Choji while he was eating and he noticed your stare and looked at you.

"Hm...?" Choji asked as he continued eating his ramen. "Who's your wife by now, Choji?" You asked him with a smile. "My wife's name is Karui and we had a daughter named Chocho. She so cute" Choji replied with a smile plastered on his face. "Oh... I forgot! Naruto wasn't here, right?" Ino said and looked at all of you, now your heart pounded rapidly. "Naruto-kun wasn't with us when we went to the airport to greet [Name]-san on her arrival" Hinata informed the group.

"How about we call him to join us? We still have time to celebrate [Name]'s arrival and we will stay here for a while" Sakura said then grabbed her phone out from her sling bag. She dialed Naruto's number and put the phone on her ear, he waited for him to answer but he didn't pick his phone up. "Weird, Naruto usually answers his phone," Sakura said as she looked at her phone. "Maybe he's busy. Let's call him later" You told her. "Naruto has never been busy. When it comes to celebrations like this, he's always present" Shino said. You looked down at your food and then frowned.

"Don't be so down [Name]-san. We're going to visit Naruto-kun later" Hinata cheered you up, and you smiled. The gang and you finished eating for an hour, Ino told the boys that they can go home and thanked them for accompanying you and the girls. They went straight home, carrying your baggage with them. Then, the girls and you went to the mall. "We don't have to do this, you know," You told them while walking. "We have to, [Name]-san. It's your arrival, after all. We have to keep you happy from now on" Hinata smiled.

You smiled back. It's true, you have to experience happiness too. But the only problem is, the blonde didn't come. The one that you liked since you were still a child, attending the academy where the two of you met. He was very troublesome when he was little, he was always being scold by your teacher, Iruka. In contrast to that, he was very kind and helpful. Like when you were being bullied in the academy by other boys, he always come to your aid. And that's the reason you found your crush on him.

You always watch him, his actions, and his behaviors in the academy. He always wanted to become stronger than Sasuke, but in the end, he was always the loser. But you don't care about that, at least he had a goal, perseverance, and determination. And that's what you love about him. He can be an idiot, but he has a big heart. You love the blonde that was known as Naruto Uzumaki. He was your inspiration, the one who helped you improve.

His parents are very kind, when you first come to visit at his house, his mother treated you like her own child. They always thought that you were Naruto's childhood love, which made Naruto very embarrassed when they tease him. After that first visit, he would always invite you to stay in his house. You sometimes had an overnight at his place when the two of you grew older. The two of you were called the best of friends. But that doesn't mean that Naruto would stop challenging Sasuke every day, that his crush on Sakura will fade even though she's in love with Sasuke, and that Hinata's feelings for him will vanish.

Those things doesn't break your friendship with him actually, but things were worse when the two of you were 16. You were very sickly when you were younger, and you would be sent to the hospital at least thrice a week. And this made your parents and your classmates very worried, at one time, you almost died because of your sickness. The others even cried because you were confined one time, especially the girls.

You didn't attend school for 3 months and missed a lot of studies. After you recover from your illness, your parents decide that you will start home-schooling because it will be easy enough to track your health. Your teacher approves of this, but, you don't want to leave your friends, especially Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Tenten, Lee, and Neji. They were the best friends that you made during childhood.

As you started home-school, your parents would check on you every hour. They rented teachers to teach you at home, and it became better. At home, your health is checked, and you can still learn. It's a double win, if I will say. But you lost your friends in exchange for that. And that made you very sad and depressed. You know that home-schooling is a good idea, and you have agreed to this, but in contrast to that, you don't want to be separated from your friends.

During the night, you would cry yourself to sleep because of the solitude that you had during that time. And because of that, they once visit you at home. It was unexpected, your mother didn't have time to prepare food for them, but they brought some when they came. You were more than happy just to meet your friends again, just like now.

You still remember those happy times when you were with them, and now, you were. Although a certain someone is missing, and that's the reason why you're going to visit him later. "So... What do you think of this dress, [Name]?" Sakura's voice snapped you out of your trance. "Huh? What? Sorry, I wasn't listening..." You smiled sheepishly and scratched your temple. She sighed. "Somehow, you didn't change for a bit..." She stated as she put the cloth down.

"Hey! I changed a lot, you know!" You retorted back at her. "I don't see the difference. You still had your [h/l] [h/c] hair of yours, unlike us... Sakura's hair had become smooth and had soft edges, unlike her teenage self," Tenten said as she touched the pink female's hair. "Ino's hair had become longer and her bangs became long too. Hinata's hair was cut and mine grew a little bit longer" She added, you sighed. "Well, physically, I didn't change much, but you know that I changed emotionally and mentally, right?" You replied.

"I think so" Hinata answered, you sweat-dropped. "Okay, fine..." You muttered to yourself. The girls gifted you some things that you would need during your 2-month stay in Japan, which are make-ups, dresses, a new pair of jeans, a new pair of shorts, a lots of shoes and heels, gowns, t-shirts, jackets, and other things. You hate to say no to your friends when they offer you the stuffs, which will offend them. But you don't want their money to be wasted just for you.

After the shopping, you part ways with them. You plan to visit a shop to buy a needed thing, it is a red yarn. You wanted to gift Naruto a red scarf to replace his old and destroyed one. It was when the two of you were younger, you were always being bullied by other boys. One winter day, you were just walking to the place you usually go, but they saw you and started to bully you. You were known to be the child of the most popular authors in Japan.

When they bullied you, Naruto was near and sat on a swing. He came to your aid and then helped you, but he got beaten instead. And they tore his scarf, you offered yours but he declined and ran away. You just wanted to thank him for that time and plan to knit him a new one.

After you bought the things you needed, you went straight to Naruto's home with the stuffs the girls bought for you. You rode in a taxi and it is already evening when you arrived there. You arrived at his apartment and then rang the doorbell, a loud 'Wait a minute!' answered and suddenly, he opened the door. Once he opened the door, his eyes widened to see you standing in front of his home. The two of you stared at each other for a while and then you smiled.

That made him snap out of his thoughts. "Sorry, come in. I'll carry these" He apologized then grabbed the bags from your hands as you went inside. The touch lasted for a second but it still made you blush like an idiot. When you went inside, you sat on the couch as he closed the door and then placed the bags on the table. "So... What brings you here?" He muttered his question, not looking at you. "I just arrived earlier here in Japan, and then we had lunch at Ichiraku. When we noticed that you didn't come along, I came here" You explained.

"Oh... Sorry for not coming, I was busy" He apologized. "That's fine, but Sakura called you on the phone, and you didn't answer," You told him and looked at his figure. "I set my phone to silent because I don't want to be disturbed" Naruto replied then went inside the kitchen."Oh... So busy that you didn't come to meet me when I arrived?" You asked him again. "Yeah... Sorry," He apologized once again. "That's fine, at least I meet you again" You smiled.

He made 2 tea, one for him and one for you. He placed the cup on the coffee table and you thanked him. He sat on the couch next to the one you were sitting on and drank his tea. "What's with bags?" He asked. "Oh, that? That's what the girls gifted me for my arrival" You laughed, remembering how stubborn they are to waste their money just for you. "Huh? Why are you laughing?" Naruto looked at you and raised his brow. You looked away from him when you instantly made contact with his eyes, blushing.

"So... You've grown differently, Naruto. I've always thought that your hair will be like your father's, but it isn't" You compliment him as you drink your tea. "Yeah, but I decided to cut my hair short" He replied. Then the two of you looked at each other and then smiled. It's been years since the last the two of you saw each other, and it took you 2 hours inside his house, playing and chatting. It's already 8 in the evening, and Naruto escorted you back to your home.

"Thanks for accompanying me, Naruto" You thanked him as the two of you arrived in front of your house. "No problem" He smiled. You went inside the gate, opened the door, and then got the bags from Naruto. "See you tomorrow!" He smiled and then ran outside, you waved at him and then closed the door. You noticed that the baggage was inside. They really placed my baggage inside the house, eh? I should really need to retrieve the keys to my house from them.

It's already 2 months since [Name]'s vacation in Japan, she also knit Naruto's scarf during those months, and now, it's finished. A red scarf just for him, a sign of love. "Hey! [Name]!" A loud call on you made you awake from your peaceful sleep. You groaned as you rolled over the bed, hitting your face on the cold hard floor. "Ouch!" You screamed inside your bedroom, loud enough to make them hear outside. "Geez... Wake up already [Name]!" Sakura shouted.

"I guess that they will not stop bothering me unless I wake up..." You muttered to yourself, face still planted on the floor. Then, you decided to fix yourself. They plan to have a hang-out with you again. It's the final day, you are going to leave later 5 pm. You go out of your room to have a quick bath and then changed your clothes into [f/c] T-shirt and black denims. You brush your hair and let it down for a while. After that, you went down the stairs then got the keys and your bag from the table, exited the house, and locked the doors.

"Wow! You are pretty fast when you make someone wait" Shikamaru said, you just grinned. Once you went out, you noticed that Naruto was with them. "I got this lazy one out of his house just for you," Sakura said as she pointed to Naruto, he just looked away with a blush. "That's nice," You said. "Yeah, let's go," Hinata said and then you went walking along with them.

Your destination was a mall, yet again. Once you and the others entered inside, they dragged you to a restaurant for you to eat breakfast. You didn't have time to eat because you were in a hurry earlier. After that, you go shopping with them, window shop, then play some games. It was almost noon, and they decided to take you home so that you could carry your baggage and then head straight to the airport. Once you arrive back home, you fix your things, leaving some unneeded things, and carry the ones you want to have with you.

It was already 4:45, only minutes left to go to the airport. They accompanied you to the airport as Lee carried your baggage again. Once you were there, they bid goodbye. "So... Don't forget our souvenirs, [Name]" Tenten said to you as she hugged you. "Alright," You replied. "We will miss you," Ino said then hugged her too. "Bye [Name], and don't forget to buy Shikadai's request," Shikamaru said, you smiled. "Sure, if it's for your cute son, I'll do it" You replied.

"I will buy a new dress for your daughter, Choji. Don't worry" You told him, he nodded. "I'm gonna buy you guys the best gifts to thank you all for all the things you did for me while I'm here. Bye!" You smiled and then waved at them as you walked away. They waved back, but you heard a loud 'Wait!' then turned around. "Naruto...?" You muttered, confused. He ran up to you and then hugged you tightly. "Sorry. And thank you for the scarf you gave me earlier" He said.

"You're welcome, but why are you apologizing?" You asked him and he broke the hug. "When I heard the news that you returned here in Japan, I was excited to meet you. But I was also depressed because of the news that you got sick while working. That you were hospitalized for one month, I was afraid to lose you again. And when you visited me at my house, I was glad that you're okay. The only reason I didn't come with the others to wait for your arrival is because I don't know how to welcome you. I was afraid that you would not recognize me and already had another" He confessed.

"So you're saying that you thought I already had a boyfriend other than you?" You asked him, and he nodded slightly. You sent him a smile after that. "Naruto you idiot. You know that you are the only one I love. I am also scared that if you marry Hinata or some other girl. Everyone almost had children and spouses, you know" You laughed slightly. "I just don't know what might happen if you leave, I wanted you to be by my side all the times" He hugged you again.

"Don't worry, I'll visit again" You said then took a quick peek at his lips then the two of you broke apart. "Thank you for everything, Naruto!" You waved at him and smiled, and he waved back. Once your figure disappeared from his sight, he cried silently. Tears fell down his face while standing there.

Listen to your heart, before... You tell him goodbye.

#fanfiction #fanfic #alternate universe #oneshot #reader insert #x reader #one shot #fluff #naruto #naruto shippuden #female reader #angst #jjk fluff #romance #modern au #canon divergence #canon divergent au

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dragonmasterhiccup · 8 days

Note

“Oh, no, it’s fine! He uh, he actually only said a month and a half at first, but y’know.” She shrugged. “It’s a big favor, at least in my eyes, and I’ve come to actually like working in the forge, except for how hot it is, that I’ll never enjoy.”

Her eyebrow raised and she spoke with uncertainty. “Really? Tomorrow night? That soon? I mean, yeah of course, I’m just surprised you’re free.” A mischievous glint made its way to her eyes. “Are you sure you want to do it that soon? You’re probably gonna need some time to prepare, you know…”

“Well, no duh, Mom told you that regular sleep would basically get thrown out the window, didn’t she? And hey, I don’t mean to be rude, but I can tell that she’s keeping you up at night. Those eye bags could be seen from the other side of the island, for Thors sake.”

Her eyes shot wide, and she held a hand out to stop him. “Woah, woah, woah, Spitelout?! The guy who literally tried to kill me? The guy who is probably the worst person to ever set foot on this island? Him? He cracked a smile? What?!” She shook her head. “You know what? Thanks for the info, now I just have to go wipe that smile off his face.”

She shrugged lightly. “Nah, I don’t think it matters either way, even if she wasn’t your baby, she’d still be adorable.”

She chuckled. “Eh, you gotta start ‘em young, get her used to the never ending attention that she’s probably getting. She’ll be tired for a while, but I can say from experience.” She placed a hand on her chest. “She’ll get used to it,” she said, her voice playful and sarcastic as ever.

She smirked. “Well that’s good, because I was planning on tagging along anyways.” Sighing, she nodded before continuing, “Yeah, I know, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss spending time with you. And it’s like, I’m obviously not expecting to see you every second of every day, that would be weird, and I would go crazy, you know I can only tolerate your honking goose voice for so long, its just… I dunno, you have a family now, I get that, Zephyr’s amazing, and you and Astrid are busy with her, and I’m not trying to push myself into everything, again, that would be weird, and I have my own things I need to push myself into.” She let out a breathy chuckle. “I… it just feels like these past couple of months, we’ve barely spent any real time together… I, I’m sorry, I know it sounds selfish, but it’s just how I feel, I guess.”

"It won't be so bad in the winter, at least. Grump hasn't been giving you any trouble, has he?" He was mainly asking as a joke, knowing full well the Hotburple loved Danny.

Shaking his head, he grinned mischievously. "No, no, we can't wait too long, otherwise we might forget! No, the sooner the better! Besides, Astrid mentioned having you come by again soon, just to visit."

Running a hand through his hair, he asked, "Really? Is it that bad?" Forgetting Toothless wasn't with him, he went to turn to his friend. "Bud? You--oh, right." He shrugged. "I'll have to find some time to get a little extra rest, if I look as bad as you say, Gothi might whack me upside the head for not taking care of myself again."

"No need! I sent him off island to check on the tribes storehouse. He'll be gone for a week, I think. Snotlout went with him."

Laughing, he asked, "Oh, will she? You really think so?" Wrapping his arms around Zephyr, he gave a small nod. "She'll be taking on the role of Chieftess when she's old enough, so I'll have her with me a lot when I work, I think."

As they walked, his face fell hearing Danny's words.

Although, his expression briefly changed to mild offense when she said 'honking goose voice'.

"No, you're right. I've been a little busier than usual...things have changed a lot, haven't they?" Nodding, he continued. "I've missed spending time with you, too... and while I do have Astrid and Zephyr now, I'm still your brother, and I'm still here for you if you ever need me. Astrid and I are still adjusting to having Zephyr, so in the meantime, why don't we do this? Why don't all the Haddocks get together and have dinner, as a family, once or twice a week? As a start? And then, once Astrid is cleared for her normal activities again, we can spend some brother/sister time together when we can? Whatever you choose to do, but within reason."

#asks #tallestgrace #threads

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maddieautobot273 · 11 months

Text

Silk & Cologne (43)

A Miguel O'hara x OC Series - Link to AO3 (X)

Chapter 43 - Leap - previous chapter (X)

Pairing: Miguel O'hara x Female OC

Words: 4.7K+ words

Warning: PG - jumping off buildings, free falling, parkouring, brief sad backstory

Summary: Miguel takes Lisa on a tour of Nueva York

///////

When I arrived in Earth 928 at the Spider-Society headquarters, I was greeted by the charming smiles of both of the O’Hara brothers. Gabriel’s smile was playful and cherry as he tossed me a flirty wink and quip. Miguel rolled his eyes at his brother, elbowing him in the shoulder, and after recovering from his protective tantrum, his smile returned as he handed me a container of food.

I respected Miguel’s wishes in keeping our relationship professional while at HQ. But that wouldn’t stop me from showing him my appreciation after realizing how hungry I was after rehearsal was extended for over an hour. I looked around to make sure the three of us were the only ones in the area before standing up on my toes to peck Miguel’s cheek with a quick kiss.

“Thank you, Migs,” I smiled sweetly at him before I dug into my meal.

His cheeks had flushed, the kiss surprisingly catching him by surprise as the three of us walked down the hall. Miguel gave me a look as he raised a hand to his cheek, his fingertips brushing along the spot where I had left my token of affection.

I felt his stare as I swallowed my bite of food before looking up at him. “What? I made sure no one was looking,” I offered him a teasing smirk.

Miguel huffed, his chest puffing as he tried and failed to hold back a chuckle. “That you did,” He shook his head. “Already looking for a way to bend the rules are you?”

“What can I say?” I shrugged as I snuck in another bite. “You have that effect on me,”

“You two are just adorable,” Gabriel cooed.

Miguel immediately shot Gabriel a look, his gaze piercing his very soul. “Gabri–!”

“I know, I know, I didn’t see nothing,” Gabriel rose his hands in surrender, “But Lyla see’s all,”

“That she does!” The AI herself momentarily appeared at Gabriel’s side, patting his head lovingly before vanishing.

I made small talk with Gabriel as we walked, partially because I felt bad about Miguel scolding him. Sure they were brothers and they could get on each other's nerves almost 24/7, but wouldn’t it hurt to have a conversation without at least one joke or nitpick towards one another? Again, I am an only child, and if this is some form of showing sibling love and affection, I wouldn’t know.

As we walked through the hall and passed the occasional patrol unit, I felt almost naked walking around the Society in my normal clothes. It was like waking up here all over again. I couldn’t believe everything had happened in just over a month. It certainly didn’t feel like that, in fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was actually longer.

I finished my dinner by the time we arrived at Gabriel’s workshop. Hovering on the same platform where I had stood before to get my old suit upgraded, was my new and improved suit. It looked the same as before, but with better stitching it seemed and fresh fabric and spandex. My eyes sparked, my lips curling into a smile as I approached the platform, the food container long forgotten.

“This looks amazing!” I beamed before turning back to the brothers. “It’s like it never left,”

“And there’s hoping it stays that way,” Miguel gently teased me, hands behind his back as he approached me, “But that’s not your suit,”

“Eh?” I raise a brow at Miguel. “What are you talking about? That’s my suit,”

“It’s one of your suits. This suit you can use for your show, yes,” Gabriel clarified as he walked over to his console, pressing a few buttons as a compartment opened up and he pulled out a chip. He held it up with a proud smile, “Now this on the other hand is your actual suit, should you want it”

“Huh?” Now I was majorly confused as I exchanged a look between the two brothers.

“Big brother, do the honors,” Gabriel smirked as he tossed the chip over to Miguel.

Miguel caught it in his large hand, controlling his strength to not crush the little device with his fingers. He stepped closer to me, gently taking my wrist as he installed it into my gizmo. I watched his fingers closely, entranced by their movements.

Miguel’s eyes glanced over my face, a soft smile on his face, “It was my idea,” He spoke before taking a step back. “Give it a try,”

I glanced down at my Gizmo, seeing a new feature light up on the screen. I pressed the button and the gizmo lit up briefly in recognition before some form of hard light washed over my body. I gasped, startled as I stood back and shut my eyes. I didn’t feel any pain, or felt any different for that matter.

“Lisa, it’s alright,” Miguel reassured me gently as I felt his hands engulf mine, lowering my hands from my face. “Take a look,”

I glanced down at myself and nearly stopped breathing. It was my suit. It was on my body.

I was at a loss for words as I examined myself, taking in every inch of me as I turned and moved around. “I don’t– How?!”

“Holographic Nano-Technology,” Miguel answered me with a knowing smile. I watched as he flicked his wrist and his left sleeve of his suit suddenly dematerialized, snaking up his arm to show off his muscled tone forearm and bicep. “Look familiar now?”

I tried not to blush as I noticed the slight tufts of body hair along his arm. I tried not to make it obvious that I was staring at his flexing muscle, but it was hard when he was clearly doing it on purpose to make me look.

My eyes widened at the realization as I pointed at him. “It works just like yours!”

“Exactly, however the difference between ours, I have sensors implanted in my body allowing me to telepathically trigger the suit on command, should the need arise,” He explained before casting me a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, I opted for yours to be the less painful method,”

“Now you don’t have to worry about running back to your apartment to grab your suit before coming here, or worrying about your friends or family accidentally finding it,” Gabriel crossed his arms, giving me an almost teasing glance. “Or villains and their cronies stealing it,”

My eyes flared as I glared over at Miguel. “You told him?”

“I had to give him a valid reason to go through with the idea,” Miguel rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“His original idea of you two matching was enough, but I toyed with him and said that it wasn’t enough to convince me,” Gabriel grinned.

“Hey!” Miguel’s nostrils flared as he gave Gabriel a pointed look.

I could see the look in Miguel’s eyes, knowing he could be seconds away for murdering his brother for outing him like that. I quickly stepped between them, placing a steady hand on Miguel’s chest. “I think it’s a really cool idea, Miguel, I appreciate you thinking about me,”

Miguel’s face softened as he looked down at me, his muscles relaxing as he lowered his arms. There was a sound from behind me as Gabriel had coughed in his hand before motioning for me to continue, obviously waiting for his turn of praise. I offered him a knowing smirk, though my eyes spoke genuine appreciation.

“You too, Gabriel, thank you for fixing up my suit, again,” I chuckled softly.

Gabriel smirked, offering me a gracious bow. “If my work is done, I’ll leave you to it,”

Miguel rolled his eyes at his brother before offering him a nod of gratitude as he left. “So, how does it feel?” He glanced down at me.

I quickly realized my hand was still on his chest, and while I normally would have blushed like a tomato at the gesture, I managed to keep myself calm enough to the point I wouldn’t faint as I pulled away and took a moment to look at myself in the suit again. “I think I’ll need to go on that test drive before I make a decision,”

“Is that so?” Miguel purred gently as a grin curled on his lips, arms crossing over his chest.

“Well, I was promised a tour of Nueva York, wasn’t I?” I reminded him casually, hands behind my back.

“That you were,” Miguel nodded before offering me his arm. “I always keep my promises, smart girl,”

///////

Before we left, I changed out of my clothes, keeping my underclothes on, before equipping my new spider suit in order to get the full experience of its potential. It was Miguel’s suggestion, based on his own experience fighting crime in a holographic suit.

“What do you usually wear under your suit, Miguel?” I asked him with a genuine expression. “Like anything with a specific material or fabric that helps make. . . things more comfortable?”

“Wait, you’re asking me?” Miguel looked at me, eyes widened in surprise.

“Well, I mean, you’re one of the first Spider-People I met and first started teaching me the ropes,” My cheeks flushed at his reaction as I caressed my arm nervously. “I was just wondering if you could give me pointers is all,”

Miguel placed his hands on his hips as he glanced over to the side, the gears in his head turning. “Other than protective padding for well, you know,” He inclined his head down, and I didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know what he was referring to. “I. . . I don’t wear anything,”

I could see the flush on his cheeks darken as his voice went quiet and in the split second it took me to realize what he had meant, his face turned completely red, matching with my own. “You mean you go commando?” I found myself saying aloud.

“Lisa–!” His face was almost as red as a tomato, taken back at my forward question. He brushed a hand through his hair before snaking back to rub the back of his neck. “I– well, yeah. . .”

“Oh. . .” my cheeks flushed a shade darker as I shuffled my feet, glancing at the floor for a moment before slowly getting the courage to look back at him. “Are you. . .?”

Miguel sighed, bringing his hand around to cover his mouth in an attempt to hide his blush. He shakes his head as a soft, low chuckle escapes his lips as he lowered his hand. “Am I commando right now?”

He said it for me. I nodded, almost afraid to say the words aloud.

Miguel takes a deep breath before meeting my gaze. “I am,” he answered honestly before taking a careful step closer towards me. “Does that make you feel uncomfortable, Mona?”

I gawk at his question, fumbling nervously, “Oh! No, no, I’m okay. I mean, you do whatever makes you more comfortable. You guys wear the suits all the time, right? Do what you gotta do,”

“So you’re fine with it?” He asked me, raising a brow in my direction.

Now that I got a good look at him, and seeing the outlines of his muscles, his chest, the abs, his back, and the. . . competition to ‘America’s Ass’. His suit left nothing to the imagination. Miguel really wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

My heart started pounding in my chest, palms sweating, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

He’s been commando this whole time that I’ve known him in the suit?!

Am I fine with this?

“Yeah! Totally fine,” I nodded almost too eagerly, brushing off his worry. “I’ll take a note on the padding,”

We stood on the private balcony coming out from Miguel’s private elevator that overlooked the city. The sun had already set and the bright neon city lights were taking form like stars across the skyscrapers and street lamps. They looked like small specs from where we were.

Miguel glanced over, caressing a steady hand on my shoulder. “You ready?”

“Wait, you want to leave from up here?” I asked him, whipping my head to look at him.

“I think it’s the most scenic route into the city,” Miguel offered me a kind smile as he began walking towards the edge, turning to face me. “I promised you a tour after all,”

“I’ve never done a leap this high before,” I cautiously followed after him, the hairs on my neck and arms tingling as I glanced down to the city below, “Not even during training here at HQ,”

“That’s all it is, Lisa,” Miguel reassured me with a gentle look. “A leap of faith,”

Something about those words struck a chord in me as I watched Miguel standing up on the railing of the balcony. Miguel offered me his hand and with an anxious tremble, I took it and he helped me up to stand beside him. The wind was beginning to pick up as Miguel’s mask materialized over his face, his eyelets widening as he looked over at me. “I’ll be here to catch you if you need me,”

The next thing I knew, he jumped, taking a swan dive off the balcony towards the city surface. I couldn’t help but stare as I watched him fall. In another life, maybe he could have been an olympic diver or swimmer. Then again, this is the multiverse, so perhaps there was a dimension somewhere where that was in fact a reality.

Okay, now I’m just rambling to stall myself from jumping, come on, Lisa!

After scolding myself to toughen up, I took a deep breath, flexing and wiggling my fingers to ease my nerves and to somehow manifest my hands to stop sweating. I repeated Miguel’s words in my head, over and over again. I took one more look at the city below me before closing my eyes.

I jumped.

The felt the wind first, blowing through my hair and against my body as I began free falling towards the city. My body front flipped and swayed as I basked in the thrill, my heart pounding so hard in my chest I thought it would burst and soar away. The bright lights drew closer and bigger.

I was beginning to understand skydivers a bit better now. This was exhilarating!

Okay, wait for it. . . Now!

I fired a web sling at the building closest to my location. I watch as the web connects and my fingers grip around the sling and I find myself swinging over a highway, just high enough to avoid the traffic of hover cars. I let go and fired another web sling, swinging again.

I was doing it! I was web slinging through the city!

As I swung, I took a moment to glance around. Nueva York’s skyscrapers and buildings were sleek and definitely screamed future. Literally every building I saw was made with white metal plating and glass, and their lights were as bright as christmas lights. Holographic projects of brand advertisements, TV promos could be seen on every other block, and their parks and areas where there were green were kept clean and surprisingly organized and well kept.

I couldn’t help myself as a joyful laugh escaped my lips as I swung around a corner, attempting a mid air barrel roll before firing another web sling. When there’s no villains or anomalies to worry about, this was so much fun!

“Look at you!” Miguel’s voice rang through the air as he swung to my side, appearing from a different corner. He must have hung back and watched me to allow me to get my bearings first. “I knew you could do it, I’m so proud of you,”

“Really?” My voice cracked through the wind as the eyelets of my mask widened from his praise.

“I mean it, Mona Lisa,” I could hear Miguel’s smile through his mask. “Now, let’s start that tour. Follow me,”

Miguel led the way as he showed me around the city. From what I could gather during my time in my dimension’s New York, it looked like a lot of the streets and locations were roughly the same in both dimensions. Though there were subtle differences between the two, giving Nueva York its own charm.

Miguel showed me Central Park, which I thought was prettier than the one back home. They had a giant holographic chess board where you could control the pieces with digital remotes. We snuck in a quick game before heading over to the Rockefeller Center where their ice rink was kept frozen year round, and after taking a quick break to grab a snack from a place called ‘Tony’s’, I could just barely make out the statue of liberty.

The two of us swung up and touched down on the roof of a build, taking a moment to catch our breath. I shook my arms, loosening the joints as my muscles started to ache from the swinging. I glanced over towards Miguel, “Okay, I can admit it, Nueva York looks so much cooler than my New York,”

“Now, now, this isn’t a competition,” Miguel shook his head, chuckling quietly as he neared me.

“But if it was, you’d win?” I asked him with a knowing look.

“Oh absolutely,” I could practically hear the grin on his face as he placed his hands on his hips.

I laughed at his comment as I looked at his suit, my gaze shifting down and up. Felt nothing to the imagination indeed. I could feel the chill from the wind as it flew through my hair, glancing around. “What’s here?”

“See that building over there?” Miguel pointed, “The one with the ivory plating?”

I followed his direction to see that exact building. It was one of the few buildings I saw that didn’t have the go to white futuristic aesthetic. “Yeah?”

“That is Babylon Towers,” Miguel explained, his voice suddenly turning soft, “It was my home. . . with Xina,”

The eyelets of my mask widened as I glanced over at him. I noticed his shoulders had relaxed, but kept up a straight, hardened stance that showed off his powerful back as I stepped closer to him.

“It was my first apartment after moving away from Gabriel and our folks. It was there where I woke up that one morning and realized me getting my powers wasn’t some crazy dream,” He went on, reminiscing, “Xina gave birth to Gabriela right on the living room floor,”

“You’re kidding?!” I gawked at the man.

Miguel chuckled at the memory, shaking his head. “By the time I called the hospital and got her bag ready to go, she was so far dilated, she insisted on having her right there and then. The door man came up and helped me deliver our baby girl right before the paramedics arrived,”

“Wow. . .” I could help but smile. “Xina. . . she sounds awesome,”

“She really was,” Miguel nodded his head in agreement.

“You don’t live there anymore?” I asked him gently, reaching for his hand, silently offering.

He caught my movement by the corner of his eye. He sighed, his large fingers reaching over and grasping my own. “Shortly after she passed away, and then Gabri–” he paused, as if struggling to finish the sentence, “The memories were too much. Some villains had also gotten too close noticing my comings and goings. I sold the apartment to a co-worker of mine, and moved in to my current private residence shortly after to be closer to Alchemax,”

I listened to him attentively, allowing him to finish his explanation before speaking up.

So the Spider-Society Headquarters is in this dimension’s Alchemax building?

“I’m sure that must have been hard,” I spoke gently, my thumb gently rubbing against his hand. “I’m sorry,”

“It took me a while to come to terms with it,” Miguel took a deep breath before glancing over at me, “But I learned to move on,”

We both stood there for a little while, hand in hand as we stared and admired Babylon Towers. It was a beautiful building. Perhaps if I was lucky and had quite a bit more paychecks under my belt, I could upgrade my living space and find something similar back home?

I gently gripped Miguel’s hand together, giving him a soft squeeze before pulling my hand away. “So, any other places you wanted to show me?”

“Unfortunately, Nueva York is so vast, it is physically impossible to show you everything in one night,” Miguel chuckled softly, slowly shaking off the earlier tension. “I’ve pretty much shown you everything I thought you’d like, so we can call it there for the tour. It’s getting late too, I wouldn’t want to keep you up, especially with this new rehearsal schedule you’ve told me about,”

“Ahh, you’re right,” I hissed at the reminder, “I probably should be getting back,”

Tomorrow was a holiday so the studio would only be open for half the day, but Kasey still wanted to use the space to practice after our session was done for the morning.

“The Private Eye is always so nosey,” Miguel grumbled, hindering some personal frustration of his own. “Best to portal home back at HQ,”

Private Eye? Ah, that’s right, they’re this dimension’s version of the New York City Police. Miguel had mentioned them briefly during our visit to the Rockefeller Centre after witnessing them catch some teenagers trying to spray paint the back of the skate rental vendor.

“Sure thing,” I began walking towards the edge of the building, Miguel following close behind me. A small smile curled on my lips as I suddenly reached back, smacking Miguel’s chest before breaking off into a sprint. “Race you there!”

“What– Hey!!” Miguel yelped, staggering back briefly. “Mona, that’s cheating!”

I could hear his heavy footsteps tailing after me as I leapt off the roof and fired a web sling, swinging away from the neighborhood of Babylon Towers. I fired one web sling right after another, swinging across the city as I attempted to retrace my steps back towards Spider-Society HQ. Seeing the brief flare of red light shine against the glass windows of the buildings around me told me that Miguel was close behind me.

“Do you even remember the way back, smart girl?” He called out to me.

“That won’t stop me from trying to beat you there first!” I yelled back.

“Oh, ho, ho, I’d love to see you try!” Miguel boasted with a hearty grin.

Miguel swung ahead of me, jumping on to the side of the building. Using his claws, he climbed up the side before jumping off, propelling himself to take a nosedive. I yelped and was about to reach for him when he suddenly latched his arms out, and red webbing sprang from his armpits, expanding into a glider as he suddenly started flying down the street.

“Now who’s the one that’s cheating!” I yelled after him.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game!” Miguel barked a laugh. “This race is as good as mine,”

Miguel soares ahead and I was gaining more and more distance from him fast. I needed some sort of edge to catch up to him. I glanced up to see traffic of flying cars driving above us, with a wide enough gap for me to mix into them.

This was an incredibly stupid idea, but I’m doing it anyway.

I web slinged up closer to the traffic before firing a web sling towards the vehicle at the front of the gap. My webbing stuck on to the back bumper, and I hitched a ride, the wind blowing in my face even harder as I practically flew through the air. I climbed up the webbing and then began parkouring across the row of cars.

I jumped and skipped my way across, peering down between the small gaps that revealed the city below us to just barely make out Miguel’s body and his glider. I could see his head whipping around, wondering where I was. Now to catch him by surprise.

I jumped down from the side, firing another web sling to swing me forward to his side. “Hey Miguel!”

I didn’t quite catch what my web sling had latched on to, but as Miguel was turning his body to face me, my own body almost violently whipped around a corner and sent me flying down another street. My vision spiraled as my arms flailed in a panic. “AHH!”

“MONA!”

Miguel’s voice was almost able to snap me out of my trance as the street drew closer and closer to my head. That was until I felt a powerful arm grip around my form as Miguel caught me just in the nick of time and swung us both out of harm's way. My voice was lost to me as I breathed deeply, panting heavily as I clung to Miguel for dear life.

“I got you,” despite how hoarse his voice sounded from his scream, Miguel attempted to soothe me as he swung down the street. “You’re gonna be okay. Try to swing for me okay?”

I glanced over at him, confusing riddling my face before I glanced over and briefly watched the motions of his arms as he fired his own websling from the top of his wrist, swung, and let go. Rinse and repeat. Just like from Peter B.’s lessons.

With a shaking hand, I reached out my right hand and fired my own websling. Miguel and I swung together, going through the motions. Sling, swing, release. Sling swing, release.

Gradually our speed slowed down as Miguel guided us to a small park. Secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city, but a wide enough space to still swing around. Miguel fired one more web sling, his red glowing webs latching on to a large overhanging metal light post while with his other hand, gripped onto my websling.

Under the spotlight, the full moon hovering above in the night sky, our bodies slowly turned around as if we were on a carousel. Our bodies were inches from one another as we met each others gaze through the mask. My cheeks flushed as Miguel seemed to tilt his head down, looking at me closely.

I looked away out of embarrassment. “Thank you for saving me back there,”

“Are you alright?” He asked me gently.

I nodded softly, a gentle hum coursing through my throat.

“Lisa?” Miguel’s voice was a whisper as his hand let go of my websling, and carefully brought it down to cup the side of my face and angle my gaze back to meet his.

Something triggered in the HUD display of my mask. An infrared line ripped across the screen and suddenly I could see Miguel’s face through the mask. My pupils dilated at the sight as I caught the concerned look on his face.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” I apologized.

“I supposed we were both a little eager in our competition,” He smiled softly, his thumb brushing against my cheek through the mask. “But this gives me an idea,”

I raised a brow at him and I slowly began to realize that maybe his suit had that same feature as mine and he was able to see my face as well. His soft smile morphed into a playful grin as his fingers slowly began to pull up my mask, just enough to reveal my lips to the cool night air.

“What kind of idea?” My voice was breathless as I spoke.

Even as Miguel’s thumb gently brushed against my bottom lip and made my knees buckle.

“Our own Spider-Man kiss,” He grinned.

Part of his mask vanished, revealing his chiseled chin, cheekbones and puffed lips.

Oh God-!

Wait, we’re in Nueva York of 2099. In this instance, I should be saying oh Thor.

I gasped softly, my lips forming a smile of my own as Miguel’s hand retracted, cupping my chin as he lowered himself closer. “Miguel~”

I remembered my heart pounding, and perhaps also hearing Miguel’s heart pounding in his own chest thanks to my spider-sense.

Wait, my spider-sense?

Our lips had just barely grazed one another when something large but swift flew overhead us. One moment we were hovering in the air, the next, we were plummeting to the ground below as our weblings were suddenly snapped by what looked like a metal wing.

///////

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goldenponcho · 1 year

Text

You Can Lead a Castellan to Water…

A shorter chapter, but I think it’s cut off at the right spot, as there will probably be a time jump of a couple weeks in the next chapter.

Chapter 7: Bad Religion

If the spread at breakfast had been a feast, dinner was an absolute banquet. The two were served a Cornish hen each in addition to a hearty beef stew, which Gail found to have a quite satisfying spiciness. There was rice and a dish of roasted vegetables, and interspersed between were many of the fruits and pastries that had been served at breakefast.

And Gail indulged. It was unbelievable in hindsight just how much she was able to pack down, and Ramon took notice. He watched in…actual admiration, if he were honest, as she demolished the hen and inhaled the stew. And that was in between bites of rice and vegetables AND while carrying on conversation. Where was it all going? This woman was NOT human. He refused to believe it.

“I didn’t realize I was so hungry!” She cleaned a wing to the bone in a single bite, “I guess I never did finish my sandwich at lunch.”

Ramon gave a barely audible mumble of acknowledgement as he took a timid slurp from his stew. He picked at his meal while watching her consume hers, and, after a few moments of consideration, he narrowed his eyes with an upward twitch of his mouth, “Oh, I had nearly forgotten to ask! How is your bite. Is it healing nicely?”

He knew the answer to this. He had seen the unbandaged arm, a pink, slightly raised scar there that now looked months old in not even two days.

Gail looked at him with wide eyes, a cheek full of chicken, before swallowing to answer, “It’s heeling alright,” she fidgeted with the end of her skirt that covered the healing wound, “Definitely leaving a scar but…eh! Not a big deal.”

“Curious…” Ramon raised a brow, spoon hovering near smirking lips, “A scar after less than forty-eight hours. Unusual, do you not think?”

She attempted not to emote, but the subtle grimace was caught by her host, “Sure, I guess. I’ve always healed fast. Just lucky, I guess.” She turned to her glass of wine, taking a suspiciously long sip.

“Lucky…” Ramon nodded pensively, “GIFTED, I would say. Blessed beyond that of the average…HUMAN BEING.”

She covered her guilt with a playful smile, “What? You sayin’ I’m some kind of alien?”

Ramon shrugged, lifting his knife to cut a slice from his hen, “Perhaps YOU should tell ME.”

She shrugged, “I have an efficient immune system. What’s to tell?”

White teeth flashed from behind dark lips, “Efficient immune system? Come, now, Gail, you are more scientifically minded than I. And even I am perfectly aware how impossible it would be for someone to recover so quickly from an injury like that. UNLESS…that someone is something more than human.”

Gail’s eyes were on her nearly cleared plate, flashing quickly between it and her dinner companion for a split second, before remaining on him, pursing her lips together and holding her hands out with a shrug, “I don’t know what to tell you… I mean…I AM adopted. Maybe my parents landed themselves a changeling?”

Ramon’s bright gold gaze penetrated into her for several long seconds as he raised his wine to his lips, swirling the glass while inhaling its scent, sipping slowly, letting it sit on his tongue, and finally swallowing.

Gail shook off the awkwardness of his accusing stare by attempting to change the subject, “Oh! Speaking of my parents, did you look into getting ahold of a phone for me to talk to my mother?”

He gave her a look that told her this conversation was certainly not over before raising himself with a nod, “Arrangements have been made for you to attempt to speak with her tonight.”

She nodded, taking the response as a win for now, and exhaled slowly, relieved that she wouldn’t leave her family hanging for much longer, “Thanks. I’ll be surprised if they haven’t already got a search party looking for me…”

Ramon’s eyes did, however, remain curious. “You said you were adopted…”

She straightened in her chair and nodded, “I was. Didn’t know my biological parents for very long. They, uh…went missing. I was almost five. Only just barely remember them.”

Ramon nodded, his stern expression softening slightly, and Gail noticed his face twitch with an emotion she couldn’t quite place. She remembered what Luis had told her.

“What-um…I-I mean you don’t have to say, obviously, if you don’t wanna tell me, but, uh, what…what happened to YOUR parents?”

His expression didn’t change, as if he had anticipated the question, and he seemed to be staring pensively, “A heartbreaking story…” he glanced briefly toward her, “…but I wouldn’t want to further sadden the conversation…”

“Sometimes it’s good to talk about sad things.”

He tilted his head.

“But like I said…” she gave a light scrunch of her shoulders, “…you don’t have to if you don’t want.”

There was another long silence, and just as she thought he had decided against it, he proceeded. “My mother died when I was twelve,” he tapped a blue fingernail against his glass. “She was struck with an unknown illness…at least, that’s what my father and the doctor told me. It all happened very suddenly. She began vomiting one night at dinner and hardly stopped until three days later when she passed.”

Gail bit the inside of her jaw at the thought of such an agonizing death, “…fuckin’ sucks…” she mumbled to herself before speaking up, “…I’m sorry.”

Ramon nodded, the pensiveness remaining until there was a sudden flash in his eyes as he perked slightly, “Then at fifteen, I shot my father in the chest for poisoning my mother with powdered castor beans.”

Gail’s eyes flew wide as he openly admitted what she was certain she’d have to dig for. “Holy shit…seriously? You think your dad did it?”

His now angry eyes seamed dark save for the golden glow of his irises, “Think? I KNEW he had done it!” he hissed, his delicate jaw clenching, “I saw the grounds left in her wine glass after she had dropped it. I had known what had happened to her from the start, but my father and the doctor insisted it was an internal bacterial infection. It was Isidro and Pesanta that found a castor bean, still intact, on the duvet in my parent’s chambers.” He nearly shook with rage, the disgust seeping through his voice, “He killed my mother for saving from the brink of death the son he had ALWAYS despised!”

Gail was leaned forward, any concern for table etiquette thrown out the window as her arms rested on either side of her plate, glass, and cutlery, “…damn…I thought I’d had it rough…” she raised her eyebrows, “So…you almost died?”

Ramon nodded again, “I was sick for two years straight. Bed-ridden for almost eight months. The doctor believed it was caused by a heart deformity that had accompanied my…small stature…at birth. By age eleven, I was at death’s door…but my sainted mother saved me,” there was now a softness in his eyes, as the hint of a reminiscent smile played at his lips, “She saw Lord Saddler’s holy power, and it is because of them that I live today!”

Her brows knit as Gail took this in. A small, sick little boy, unloved by his father… Perhaps there were other sides to the story, but that didn’t change the fact that he had been a vulnerable little kid with a mother desperate to save her child.

“Wow,” she sat back in her chair with an exhale, “I mean…I guess I would’a killed my dad too, if he had done all that.”

“Well…” he looked into his glass as he swirled it again, “…sympathy for a malformed, DEMON child is not abundant in this backward village…”

“I can’t imagine…”she shook her head, “…that’s so fucked…”

“It is indeed…fucked,” he raised his glass to his lips to drain the rest of his wine. “But Lord Saddler was there to help me pick up the pieces. He was and is my salvation…of mind, body, and soul,” golden eyes sparkled as they met hers, “If only you were able to see the way that I can. To feel his grace flowing through your veins. It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt in your life, Gail!”

She held his gaze with a sadness, “I guess that explains a lot,” her eyes fell for a few seconds before returning a concerned look, “But…forcing people to throw away their free will…how can that be right?”

“Las plagas purifies the soul!” His hands pressed tightly to the cravat at his chest, “Is it not to their benefit to save them as quickly as possible?”

Her brows knit slightly in thought, “But…what if you’re WRONG?”

The wrinkles in Ramon’s forehead became more defined in offense, “I have born witness to the full extent of my master’s God-given might. How could I POSSIBLY be wrong?”

Gail looked at her half full glass of wine, “I’ve known powerful people before, believe it or not. Not sure how they stack up against Lord Saddler, but it was enough to appear supernatural, too. People in power, they…they don’t tend to be on the honest side. Usually, there’s something they’re not telling you.”

“My Lord has been NOTHING but transparent with me,” a fist was now balled tightly next to his dessert fork, “He is more a father to me than my own flesh and blood has ever even ATTEMPTED to be! He has given me EVERYTHING! He has given me my LIFE!”

“I understand that!” Gail exhaled slowly, attempting to calm rapidly heating debate, “All I’m saying is…things aren’t usually that black and white. I mean …how can you possibly know FOR SURE that a parasite, even a powerful one, has anything to do with your s-“

“How can YOU know anything about it?!” He was suddenly out of his chair, hands slamming to the table as he crouched over his rattled setting, faced in her direction, “YOU cannot possibly know what I have seen! What I have FELT! Who are YOU to tell ME who is honest or not when you have LIED to me from the BEGINNING and CONTINUE to keep things from me!!”

Ramon felt much larger as Gail felt herself shrink in her chair. Clearly, this conversation could get them nowhere. Not right now. She sucked on her lip, glancing up at him from beneath dark lashes before he huffed a sigh and sat down hard in his chair, continuing his meal in irritation.

Her eyes shifted from her own leftover scraps of food to him and back, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times before finally speaking, “Listen, I…I didn’t mean to upset you…I…” she paused, thinking of how to proceed as Ramon busied himself with tearing the flesh from a drumstick with his teeth.

“I don’t really believe in God…in ANY god really,” she shrugged, “It took a long time for me to come to terms with that. I mean, I did believe in my early childhood, at least, so far as a child has the capacity to understand what “god” means. Then…things happened…a lot of really confusing and complicated things. When my adoptive family came into the picture…who are EXTREMELY religious, by the way. Ya know, I love ‘em with all my heart, but they are…THE stereotypical southern bible-thumpers. By the time they adopted me, I was so screwed up and confused…I tried to believe, I just…couldn’t. I can’t.”

Ramon’s attention was on her now, as he had lowered the half-eaten drumstick back to his plate, but he didn’t interrupt.

She shook her head before raising it to him, “You’ve probably got more hard evidence than most to back you up, though, I WILL give you that…”

He sighed again, looking visibly conflicted, before finally committing to a reply, “It was…difficult for me to believe growing up as well…in the Catholic god particularly. My father especially made every attempt to drill it into my skull, though deep down, he had resided himself to the fact that I was hell-spawn directly OPPOSED to any sort of saintly teaching…WHICH he quickly became quite comfortable in reminding me of after murdering my mother.”

“God or no…” Gail softly interjected, “…no one deserves to hear that. Especially from a parent. Course, that’s completely aside from the fact that it’s complete bullshit, obviously.”

Ramon produced a laughing scoff, “Is it?”

It was said under his breath, and now he was the one to seem to shrink in his chair as if he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. After a few seconds of thought, Gail answered anyway.

“It is.” The statement was calm but firm, “That’s one thing I DO know for sure. And if a god would be so cruel as to create someone in a way that makes it that hard to escape an actual HELL…” her shrug this time was entirely dismissive as she raised her glass, “…then screw ‘em…”

Ramon’s eyes widened a bit at the irreverence as she chugged the rest of her wine, her nose scrunching as she slammed the glass back to the table, only barely lightly enough that it didn’t shatter.

“Now how about that phone call?” Gail smiled, attempting to lighten the mood, “I really hate leaving mom to worry, and she’s probably havin’ a coronary by now.”

The castellan nodded, “Let’s not keep her waiting any longer, then.”

#resident evil 4 #resident evil #ramon salazar #resident evil fanfiction #resident evil oc

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ironwhumper359 · 1 year

Text

The Tenets of Growth: Part 2

Service to the Order

Prev: The Path of Cultivation || Next: Flowering

CW: Imprisonment, allusions to torture, religious themes, religion used to justify torture.

Word count: 1300~

---

Not for the first time in the last week, the thief cursed himself for getting distracted on the job. If he’d just stuck with the haul he already had, he would have been out of the house by the time that lousy merchant’s wife had come home and seen him trying to lever that stupid painting out the window.

But no, his eyes had been too big for his stomach, and now he was paying the price for it a hundred times over.

Because he hadn’t just been caught, no no, that would have been too simple, he’d been caught after nine other burglaries with the same signature had been pulled off in the last two months. It didn’t matter that only three of the ten total had actually been him; the others had been run by his crew, but the guards were happy to pin the entire spree on his shoulders alone. There was a chance that the judge would have let him off a little easier if he gave up the hiding places of his associates, but he wasn’t an idiot. Snitching on his team was a surefire way to make sure he didn’t have a team anymore after he was released from prison. No one wanted to work with a rat.

Though at this point, it looked like there wasn’t going to be a release from prison.

“Hey, you! Housebreaker!” a voice called, and the thief looked up to see one of the prisoners in a cell across from him, a big burly man with a gruff voice leaning his hands through the bars of his cell. “How long did the old man give you?” the man asked, and the thief grimaced.

“That long, eh?” asked the man in the cell to his left. “S’pose it makes sense, them putin’ you on the hook for all them robberies and all.”

“No,” the thief said with a frown. “That is, no, it’s not a long prison sentence.”

“Then what are you grimacing about?” asked the burly man. “What’d you get?”

“Do we have to talk about this?” the thief protested, and the burly man shrugged.

“Not much else to do in here but chat.”

“And not much else to chat about ‘sides what we’re in for and how long we’re in,” the second man added, and the thief sighed.

“You are hereby sentenced to enter the Service of the Holy Order of Perivyta.”

The judge’s voice echoed in his head, bringing a swirl of unwelcome memories and emotions with it. The sunlit room filled with rows of plants, his mother’s pale face surrounded by dark earth, the priest in the black robe squeezing his shoulder.

“You must rejoice in this time of Pruning, my boy. Trust in Perivyta’s will; it’s what your mother would want.”

Surely it was his imagination, the way the voices of the judge and the priest sounded the same in his mind?

“They said I’m going to be entered in the Service of the Order,” he said aloud, shaking his head to clear it. He expected to hear the same raucous commiserating that the other prisoners usually displayed, but to his surprise, an uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

“Wait, you said you’d only been caught the one time before,” the man to his left said, and he sounded…scared? “You wasn’t lyin’, was ya?”

“No,” the thief said, frowning. “Why?”

“It’s like you said though, Dixon,” the burly man cut in. “They put him on the hook for all those burglaries. Maybe they figure that ought to count for two.”

“Or maybe they’re makin’ an example of him,” Dixon mused.

“What are you two talking about?” the thief asked. “Why does it matter that I was caught once before?”

“How long did you say you was in the city for?” Dixon asked, and the thief grit his teeth.

“Five years,” he said. “Though I don’t see what that has to do with-”

“Five years here, and you don’t know about getting sent into the Order?” the burly man asked. “I thought you said you were running with a crew?”

“I mean, for this job I was,” the thief admitted. “But I usually work alone. This job was supposed to get me connections.”

The burly man let out a low whistle.

“That’s a rough break then, son. Things shouldn’t have turned out this way for you.”

“Will you please explain what you’re on about?” the thief asked. “You’re not making any sense.”

“The first time you’re convicted of a crime, they let you off relatively easy,” said a quiet voice, and the thief turned.

In the cell to his right, a thin man was sitting in the corner, one leg stretched out in front of him and his head tucked against his chest.

“They throw you in a cell for a few months or years, whatever they think is fit for the crime you committed. The second time you’re convicted, they’re not too pleased that they let you out into the world and you went right back to your previous ways.”

“Second sentencin’ is worse,” Dixon agreed. “You get fed way less, and the guards are even rougher with ya’.”

“It goes beyond rough,” the burly man said. “My old partner, he got convicted twice. Said he was beaten within an inch of his life. He left the city when they finally let him out. Said he didn’t want to risk being in their hands ever again.”

“The third time,” the thin man continued quietly, “you’ve proven to them that you’ll never be anything but a criminal. And that is when they send you to the Order.”

“Tough break you got, gettin’ sent on your second go,” Dixon said, and he sounded genuinely sorry. “You seem a decent enough fella.”

The thief frowned. He had no love for the Order these days, not by a long shot, but the way these men spoke about it didn’t match at all with the hazy memories of carved oak doors, hearty vegetable soup, and his mother’s warm smile.

“What…what happens when you’re sent to the Order?” he asked, and Dixon and the burly man exchanged looks.

“Nobody knows,” Dixon said eventually. “They say that it’s ‘rehabilitation.’ But no one who gets sent there ever gets seen again.”

“Never?”

“Not ever,” the burly man agreed. “Some folks say they get killed…used as sacrifices in rituals and the like.”

“Yeah, but my old crew boss says if that was true, they’d just take the fellas that get sentenced to death for shit like murder n’ treason and the like,” Dixon argued. “No point in hidin’ it when they’re already choppin’ people’s heads off. He figures that they keep ‘em alive for some reason or another.”

“Maybe they sell people off to slavers,” the burly man offered up. “It would explain why no one’s ever seen on the streets afterwards.”

“It…it could actually be rehabilitation,” the thief suggested lamely. “The Order is supposed to be about…you know, light and growth and stuff. Not hurting and killing. What if people are just-”

“My sister is a devout woman,” the thin man interrupted. “And she’s given birth eight times in her thirty years. Her sixth child, she had entered into the Order when he turned thirteen. Given to the Goddess as tribute.”

The man shook his head.

“Didn’t see hide nor hair of that boy for nearly five years; they didn’t even tell us where he was sent to work. I’ve only seen the kid once since, while I was still in my traveling days. Lad spoke to me like we had no history; acted totally out of character. I’d have thought he was a stranger if it weren’t for the fact he had my sister’s freckles scattered across his face and her same blue eyes.”

The man lifted his head, and looked the thief directly in the eyes.

“I don't know what happens in those Nurseries of theirs, but mark my words, boy. It's nothing good.”

---

Prev: The Path of Cultivation || Next: Flowering

Tenets of Growth Masterlist

Author's Note: Everyone, give a hearty welcome to our Whumpee Number 2! What's his name? We'll get to that, don't worry. First we have to hurt him some more ;) Aster will be returning next chapter, then we have one more with just whumpee no.2 before our fated pair finally meet...and then the real fun begins! Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in this story, I'd be happy to do so!

#whump #whump writing #whump fic #whump scenario #imprisoned #whumpee #multiple whumpees #whumpee turned whumper #multiple whumpers #tenets of growth #cedar

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