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theoreticslut · 3 years

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O’ Captain, My Captain // s.r.

steve rogers x reader

requested: no - # 2/7 for my 2k writing challenge where I used all of the day’s prompts!

summary: A stealth mission gone wrong leads to some injuries and an accidental sharing of feelings.

word count: 2.8k

warnings: mentions of fighting & injuries, very slight angst if you squint, fluff

A/N: I debated posting this tonight bc I already posted a fic, but you know what? fuck it. I don’t want to wait forever to post this bc I like it. I’m pretty sure this si the first marvel fic I’m posting?? I know I’ve got some that I’ve started before this one, but I don’t think I’ve posted any yet?? Idk. I hope you like this!! Xx

“Would you be quiet?” You huff, shaking your head at the blonde man walking beside you.

For someone who has supposedly done stealth missions before, you’re questioning how he ever managed. You swear that since you step foot in the base, he hasn’t stopped talking. Honestly you’re not sure how you haven’t been found out or caught yet.

“At this point, if we get caught, I’m blaming you.”

“We won’t get caught, y/n. Settle down.” Steve huffs, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance.

As soon as the words leave his lips, you hear a loud clang from somewhere behind you, although it could be in front of you as the hallway you’re currently in is awful echoey.

Senses heightened, you find yourselves surveying the entirety of the hallway before even considering moving.

“Won’t get caught, huh? Say that again and I’ll try to believe you.”

“Just stay alert. I’m not going to let you get caught, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t make it out of here.”

“Got it. Stay alive.” You quip, not able to keep your sarcasm at bay.

~.~

“Cap!” You shout as one of the bad guys sneak up on his backside.

You had managed to get through the hall, and even all the way to the basement laboratory before the two of you encountered hydra goons.

It would have been fine, if you had paid attention when they first attacked you. Instead, you twisted your ankle and fell backwards when trying to dodge their advances because you hadn’t paid attention to the layout of the room. This meant that Steve had to help you up before helping himself, leaving him open to attack.

“Got it. Are you good?” He checks, glancing back at you as you get your footing, your ankle already screaming at you.

“Yep. I’ve got it. Let’s take care of them.” You reassure, ignoring the pain in your ankle as you ready yourself for combat.

Dodging an attack from some short, dark-haired hydra agent, you sweep your leg out to trip him, pinning him to the ground with a few simple jabs at certain pressure points.

You catch sight of Steve fighting off a handful of agents himself, but before you can even think of helping out you’re being cornered by two new agents.

It doesn’t take you too long to take them down, but as soon as they're taken care of there’s more advancing.

You honestly can’t tell how long you’ve been fighting now. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but time passes differently when you’re trying to survive.

In all honesty, you’re getting worn out, but you know that the second you let it fully take over your body will be the second you fall. That means that even though your muscles are burning and you’re hardly able to take a deep breath anymore, you keep pushing and fighting.

“Y/n, look out!” Steve shouts, spotting a stray agent getting ready to attack you.

You don’t register his words in time though as you get thrown back by the agent, hitting the wall with more force than you had expected. It’s not until he’s stalking towards you do you realize that he must have been another test subject of theirs - gaining super strength at the cost of his humanity.

You attempt to get up to fight back, but the combination of being tired and hitting the wall has your head spinning. As soon as you’re attempting to push yourself up, you’re stumbling down again and dozing off.

~.~

Coming to, the first thing you make out is the small room you’re in. You’re guessing it’s a hotel of some sort by the setup - a small table with a coffee maker, a single dresser with a TV set on top of it, and one sole full-sized bed. The second thing you notice is just how tired you still feel, along with the ache in your entire body.

You groan as you try to sit up, but as soon as you do you begin feeling lightheaded.

“Oh, you’re up. How are you feeling, y/n?” Steve asks as he comes into sight, carrying a couple bags in his hand.

“Sore...those hydra agents were relentless.” You groan, still attempting to push yourself up to a sitting position which is proving to be more difficult than it should be.

He catches you wince lightly, frowning as he sets the bags down on the table to help you.

“Let me help.”

You sigh, nodding lightly as he carefully wraps an arm around your waist, giving you his other one to pull on.

“Thank you.” You murmur, resting your head against the wall as you shut your eyelids.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah...yeah. Just a little lightheaded.”

He nods, pursing his lips in a frown, watching you take a few breaths to steady yourself.

“You hit that wall hard, after you had already hurt your ankle. I’m sure you’re going to be sore for a few days at least.” He tries to console. He may be good at pep talks, but he’s never been all that great at comforting people.

“Just get me some ibuprofen and I’ll be fine. When are we heading back?” You question, opening your eyes enough to look at him.

“Not for a day or two at the very least. You need to heal some before I’ll even think about getting us back.”

Before you can even register or question his words he’s continuing.

“You might just have a twisted ankle and some soreness here and there, but I doubt it. You’ve got a broken ankle and a concussion at least, on top of various bruises from fighting.”

“And how are you so sure?”

“I’ve seen broken bones and concussions on the battlefield enough times before to have a pretty good idea that you’ve got the same.” He deadpans, but cracks a smirk nevertheless when you roll your eyes.

“Alright Rogers, whatever you say.”

“I’m really hoping those bags you were carrying contain food. I know for sure that I could eat.” You blatantly hint, drawing a chuckle from the blonde man.

~.~

You can’t stop the yawn that wants to escape your body. It’s been hours now since you woke up to Steve returning, and you are thoroughly exhausted.

Not that you’ve done anything to warrant such exhaustion - since he returned the two of you ate, he tended to your injuries, you both changed into lounge clothes he had picked up, and then watched some tv and chatted.

It’s certainly been nice, but it feels wrong all at the same time. Sure it’s been lovely having the entire evening to hang out with Steve, but you can’t help but feel like you should be doing something. If you’re not trying to get back to headquarters, then you should at least be trying to gather information on the hydra operations you’re trying to take down.

Instead, the two of you have just been laying around, talking and laughing. You’ve watched some rather boring tv before you found a movie that interested the both of you. You can't lie and say it's been torture, because in all reality, it's been more like heaven.

You never really had a chance to get to know Steve aside from missions and running the Avengers. You had obviously heard stories from some of the other members, but you didn't really know him.

You've always found him pretty attractive, but he was older than you - even ignoring the 70 year time period that he had been frozen. That, and he was your superior in a way. You knew that you would never have a chance no matter how much you hoped for one.

That's partly why you never got to know him. Sure, you've been dying to every day since you met the man, but you figured that the best way to keep from continually falling for him was to avoid any unnecessary socializing.

“Are you tired?” Steve asks softly, catching you yawning.

He can’t help but admit to himself that it’s rather adorable seeing you so sleepy, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“A little bit.” You admit, another yawn escaping your body as tears line your waterline.

“Get some rest then. It’s been a long day, y/n.”

You nod lazily, carefully adjusting yourself to a more comfortable position.

You hiss, wincing as you put just a bit too much pressure on your ankle and twisting your torso more than you should have. Immediately Steve is checking you over, trying to figure out what happened.

“What happened? Why are you wincing?” He asks, eyes bouncing all over your figure - from your pained expression to how you're holding yourself tensely.

“I moved the wrong way.” You hiss, trying to breathe through the pain as tears brim your waterline.

“Where does it hurt?” He asks, features relaxing slightly. He had tried his best to tend to your injuries, but there’s only so much he can do here without the proper education or equipment.

“My ribs and ankle.” You sigh, gently relaxing yourself as you attempt to lay down in the bed more.

He nods, pulling the blankets back to grab ahold of your leg to prevent you from applying pressure to the ankle as you wiggle down into the mattress.

Once you’re settled, he helps you get your leg situated so you’re comfortable but the ankle won’t hurt. Then he pulls the blankets back up over your body, tucking you in with a little smile.

“Good night.” He murmurs, starting to walk away from the bed.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“Just to the chair over here.” He chuckles, pointing towards the piece of furniture as he watches you pout slightly.

“You’re not sleeping there, are you?”

“Yeah…?”

He watches your frown deepen, wondering why you’d care. He didn’t want to spend too much on a room, which is why he just got a single. He had already planned on you taking the bed, not thinking it’d matter to you.

“No. That’s going to be so uncomfortable, Steve. You need a bed too.” You pout, watching him as he watches you, confusion plastered on his face.

“….but there’s only the one bed.”

“So? I don’t mind, and I mean, I-“ you stutter, warmth blossoming in your cheeks as he watches you with furrowed brows.

“You….what?”

“I don’t want to be alone.” You mumble, watching as it finally clicks in his head that you want to share the bed with him.

He mouths a little ‘oh’ before smiling and making his way back over to the bed. You watch with bated breath as he pulls the sheets back again only to crawl in beside you.

“You okay?” He asks, smiling lightly at you, taking in how beautiful you are as he does so.

“Mhm. Are you?”

“I’m perfect. Now get some sleep, y/n.” He chuckles, pulling the blankets over himself.

You whine but nod nonetheless, situating yourself the tiniest bit before you’re closing your eyes, hyper aware of just how close Steve is next to you. If you were brave, all you needed to do was wiggle back about six inches and you’d be curled up in his side. As much as you’d like to, you figure it’s probably best to keep that little bit of space, opting instead to just try to fall asleep.

~.~

Steve groans lightly as something hits him in his sleep. Rubbing his eyes he looks around, frowning when he doesn’t find anything out of the ordinary.

He finds that he fell asleep to the tv playing, some irrelevant sitcom playing on the screen. Sighing lightly he goes to find the remote, finding that he can’t move.

Looking down, he can’t help the groggy smile that fills his face. Somehow in your sleep you had turned onto your other side from which you fell asleep on, entangling your legs with his while your arm was thrown over his stomach in a hug. He could feel his heart swell as he admired your sleeping form.

There was no denying that you were attractive. He himself had been attracted to you since you first joined the Avengers. The sole reason he never made any moves was because he could tell you were trying to keep your distance from him. It hurt, but it’s not like it was the end of the world. He figured that you had your reasons for staying away and he wasn’t going to push it.

Now that your body is practically on top of him, though, he can’t help but wonder what the exact reason is for you keeping your distance. He’s tired of it in all honesty. He thought that maybe he could get over his little crush if you were going to stay distant, but his feelings have only grown tenfold.

He can’t walk into any common area of the compound without wondering if you’d be there or if you’d walk in. He’s constantly wondering if you’re thinking the same things of him. He’s always watching you whenever you’re in sight - including during battle, which isn’t the best thing to be doing, but he can’t help it.

“I’m going to take care of you, I promise.” He murmurs, going to press a kiss into your hairline.

“We’re going to get your ankle all fixed up and then I’ll make sure your concussion is getting better. I promised you that you wouldn’t get captured, and I’m promising you now that you’ll heal up just fine.”

As he talks, he mindlessly plays with the ends of your hair, gently waking you in the process.

“I’ve never broken a promise to you before, and I’m not planning to now. I care for you too much to ever think about hurting you. God it killed me when you passed out. There were still so many hydra agents and I-I just couldn’t let them hurt you. I think I blacked out myself, honestly” he rambles, chuckling lightly, not noticing that your breaths are deeper against his chest.

“I remember watching you pass out and worrying that they’d hurt you while you were out, and then, I don’t know. It’s like I woke up and all the hydra agents were taken care of.”

“All I knew was I had to make sure you were safe. We may not be close, but god do I wish we were. I get that you have your reasons for wanting to keep your distance, but I can’t keep pretending that I don’t have feelings for you. I just wish I could say that to you awake…”

You can feel him sigh, and you can tell he’s frowning without even looking at his face. You can’t help but smile lightly, a small blush covering your cheeks as you bury your head into his chest slightly.

“You’re awake, aren’t you?” He mumbled after a moment.

You nod lightly, gently lifting your head to look at him as he chuckles and shakes his head, his hand rubbing at his temples.

“I have feelings for you too, Steve. That’s why I put distance between us. I-I didn’t think I had a chance….” You admit, looking away from him as you continue your thoughts.

“I thought that having some distance between us would help me stop falling for you.” You chuckle.

“Did it?”

“Not at all.” You laugh, blushing wildly as you look up to him to find a large smile on his face.

“Good.”

With a smile he leans down, capturing your lips with his in a near mind blowing kiss. Years of pining and hidden feelings are finally brought forth, and it’s more than you could have ever dreamed. You swear it felt like fireworks were going off throughout your body - your stomach twisting, your heart racing, and every nerve hyper aware of his touch.

Pulling away you can’t help but giggle, giddy off of his touch. He smiles, tucking some hair behind your ear before pressing kisses all over your face.

“I really like you, y/n.”

“I really like you too, Steve. I’m glad that you were there to make sure I was okay.” You giggle, pressing one last soft kiss to his lips before settling back into bed beside him.

Making sure that the tv is off, Steve wraps his arm around your waist, pulling you into his body so there’s not an inch of skin without yours upon it. Of course he makes sure you’re comfortable first and that you’re not hurting anywhere. As soon as he’s sure that you’re okay, he presses another kiss to your hairline, whispering sweet words and promises to you as you drift off to sleep once again.

As he feels your breaths become shallower, he can’t help the content smile on his lips. Playing with your hair as you sleep, he drifts off for the night with you.

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General - @moatsnow @yikesyikesyikes95 @onyourgoddamnleft @justfangirlingoverhere

Steve Rogers - @jackys-stuff-blog @stoopidwithtwohoes @teawiththeweasleys @kaslupin @mollysolo @lilypad-55449 @roonilwazlibswhore

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kekoma · 3 years

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— hanamaki as your boyfriend.

hands belong in pockets, not in your pants unless you’re him. hope you enjoy.

hanamaki hours has now entered the chambers.

such an amazing man. would do many things for him, but you didn’t come here to know that.

you came here to see how life is like dating hiro, yeah? so let’s get into.

how you two ended up dating isn’t munch of a mystery.

makki had s personality that attracts all kind of people without even trying so it wasn’t a surprise when he had been able to lure you in as well.

as for when he realized that he actually liked you was when mattsun had pointed out how much he spoke you to him.

and he also picked up the fact that he started flirting with you more than before too yet it no longer had that playful feel around it— hiro was serious about wooing you over.

pretty sure he was the one to make the move on you. he isn’t someone that is shy so when he asked you if you would go to the amusement park with him— that’s when he became a bolder.

“how are you enjoying our date so far?”

“it’s actually amazing~ can we... huh? wait... our date?”

“well yeah. this is our first official date. heh i suppose this is my chance to confess to you now.”

everything went smoothly. he was quite confident that you’ll say yes since makki made time to learn everything about you and paid close attention to any and every small behavior along side gestures you revealed.

not much to really go on about so i’ll hop right into the actual stuff.

i’ve mentioned it before with issei so it’s only right i’ll mention it here too since takahiro gives off the same energy.

you two are DEFINITELY the kind of couple who jokes around about breaking up over the strangest things and it’ll be at random times too.

“my guy... who cuts your hair?”

“huh? what are you talking about cutie?”

“i can’t help but realize that your hair reminds me of an upside skate ramp. who are you paying because baby...”

“so i see you woke up and choose violence today... you know, i didn’t come to get roasted. i came here to love you y/n and this is what i get?”

“hold up! stay right there. i’m gonna go find my tech deck and do a few tricks.”

“i- yeah let’s break up. my lawyers will call yours and i’m taking the kids too. can’t believe i’m bullied right now.”

vv dramatic but it doesn’t bother you since you go along with his ways.

being serious? is considered rare within the relationship.

however, when it does occur then hiro can be deapan.

which i will take the time to discuss arguments with him briefly.

again, it’s something rare since the relationship is mainly playful and uplifting each other.

yet when you two get pretty heated, it can go two (2) ways.

a) he’ll opt for the silent treatment since he could say some really foul things that could possibly hurt you to the max and he doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. may even go as far to put a little more distance between you two so he can calm down and approach you in a better manner.

b) actually voices how he feels about towards the situation at hand and will probably sound extremely venomous when doing so. his main goal when speaking is getting his point across if you dismissed it and/or made it seem like he’s in the wrong.

up to you on how you would like to view his way of approaching arguments though.

but if you want to make it up to him then give makki space for a while before apologizing. also make sure the apology is honest because HE WILL know if you’re lying and if he catches you then it’s back to square one...

with that out the way, let’s return.

DEFINITELY is an supportive boyfriend that likes helping you grow as a person and reach your goals. since you do the same for him, it’s only fair plus he likes seeing the smile on your face once something is accomplished.

although he already has you— makki will still flirt with you. it’s just more cheesier.

“damn babe. is your father a priest because i’m feeling blessed when i’m with you.”

“shut up before i eat your food.”

“ooh~ that’s hot. guess your dad isn’t one. perhaps i’m dancing with the devil because you’re hot as hell.”

“... takahiro. sir please. stop.”

“okay okay but i think you should see this.” proceeds to shove his phone in your face, the front camera on to reveal you on the screen, “this is the prettiest person i’ve ever met.”

“you’re lucky you’re cute and that i love you.”

definitely does the hand in his pants thing in your house and in his (ofc).

even if they have pockets or you call him out for it, it’s just an automatic for him so you gotta accept it.

besides that, if you’re someone that LOVES to bake or occasionally bakes— best believe he’s the first to taste it all.

extra points to you if you make cream puffs.

is most definitely the kind of boyfriend who invest in matching items. clothing, jewelry, phone case, and etc. he finds the concept cute to be honest.

if you’re lucky enough, he’ll let you buy matching hair clips (something cute like Sanrio, fruits, animals or etc.) and lets you put them in his hair.

won’t compain if it seems extremely girly/cutesy. instead makki will take a bunch of pictures and post a few on his sns about how you two are matching.

also loves to make it known he has the most divine girlfriend in the world. dude is proud to be your boyfriend so ofc he’s gonna show off.

nicknames? yeah yeah nicknames real quick.

top ones for you are 🥁🥁 babe/baby, beautiful, cutie and lover girl occasionally makes it’s way around.

something a little extra: hiro will even call you his doll sometimes but its only brought up at random times.

moving onto pda since it’ll also be a bit brief.

in love with PDA when it comes to you.

although he tones it down when you two are in public so of course you get the basics, but something he’ll always do is wrap his arm around you or constantly interlock his fingers with both combined hands on his thigh.

as for private, it’s not as filtered. would say he’s a bit more touchy but i must advise... don’t keep your back turned to him for long because makki will use the opportunity to either smack or grab your ass while saying “i like your cut g.”

... can’t convince me he doesn’t do that. rip y/n’s ass.

last but not least— dates!

don’t think hanamaki is picky about what kind of dates you two go on.

but most dates are chaotic in a way. will deadass text you in the middle of the night or show up to your place be like “wanna film dance vids in a parking lot? or like walk around and eat good street food.” and you just gotta go with it.

however, when they aren’t that way or involving outside then some dates consist of staying indoors. probably baking together, watching a bunch of movies, doing his makeup and etc.

overall: 10/10

best relationship with constant fun <3 we love it here.

and that’s where i end this bc makki do be breaking my brain.

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ohheyitsokay · 3 years

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congrats you angel, you deserve all the love and praise for your writing bc holy shit you’re so talented!!! for the soulmate au celebration, i’m thinking either javi or jack (your choice bc i can’t choose) with the soulmate goose of enforcement au 💕 ik it’s a bizarre au but the potential for chaos is insane 😂 anyways ily and i hope you’re having a great day honey

...not me, having JUST reread your javi/jack fic, considering both... definitely me

Anyway, thank you, jj, you absolute gem of a human. I swear I had to turn up the fan reading this I got so flustered. I hope you have a great day too! And I hope you enjoy- I had to do a little research, and made it shorter than I wanted to, so hopefully it fills your chaos cup still! (You'll understand, and hopefully forgive my delay when you see what's under the cut :) )

wordcount: 2.5k

warnings: strong language, lil angst with happy endings all around. mild menace meeting menace shenanigans

Okay this is written as pt 1 Jav, pt 1 Jack, pt 2 Jav, pt 2 Jack, bonus pt 3. If you’re only in it for one of the boys, it makes reading a bit weird, but I liked the format for the whole thing. Sorry!

Javier wanted to hit it with a bat. Or a car. Or anything. All that mattered is that maybe then it would leave him the fuck alone. Of all the stupid, infuriating, ridiculous guides the universe could have given him to find his other half, he was sure this was the worst. Rumor was, he couldn't even kill it if he tried.

It's not that he didn't want to find his soulmate, but he... well, he didn't want to find his soulmate.

There were all sorts of excuses to spout - work, obviously a priority, inconvenience, not wanting to give up his way of life. Not to mention following a damn goose was an impossible task, plus the fact that the stupid thing didn't even like him.

It would appear seemingly at random, honking insistently or flapping erratically, and then be gone before anyone else could bat an eye. To say that he had become increasingly irritated would have been a huge understatement.

The truth of it was that Javier was afraid. No one in the world liked to feel like they were being controlled. People liked to know what was going on, and this just didn't fit the bill. He didn't like that he didn't know you, couldn't be chosen, by you.

His life was already complicated enough - messy enough - that a soulmate would only make it worse. He had made it this long, this far without needing one, so he was fine without, thank you very much. Even to himself, his lie sounded okay.

It was hard to face, the idea that there was someone out there, a relationship that he couldn't have control over. And someone who would love him unconditionally? Terrifying.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to do nothing, because it seemed like every direction he turned there was a goose from hell wreaking havoc on his life.

They had reached an impasse - glowering at each other as it had planted itself in front of his door. Little feet pacing angrily, unreasonably long neck, all of it was just begging to be kicked. Except, for all he was a seasoned DEA agent, Javier was almost afraid the thing could go a few rounds with him. Feet shuffling uneasily, his hand twitched for his gun, even though he knew he couldn’t, wouldn’t shoot.

It was stupid to have a staring contest with a goose. And even more stupid that the goose won .

Javier turned away, spitting spanish curses in a stream that would make his mama smack him. Maybe it wasn't too late to find a hookup he could use to crash, he was thinking, and that thought was apparently the final straw. The goose reappeared in front of him.

Hissing.

More curses, a quick turn on his heel. This time, it didn't move in front of him, it left a sharp peck on his calf, before dodging his kick.

It was herding him, against his will, to you.

When he saw the goose, Jack thought he was delirious. The Statesman lab must've screwed something up because he'd seen that horrible, wonderful, stupid goose once before, in another life.

And he never, ever thought he'd see it again.

He did a lot of thinking, that night and the next day and the next. Strangely, he did a lot of feeling, too, noticing how light his shoulders felt, how kind the ache on his heart had become. He visited their grave, pressed his forehead to the headstone, and breathed some deep breaths.

And when he saw the goose again, he lassoed it.

It wouldn't have died even if it was powered up, but he didn't take the chance, determination and longing filling his being like blood, pumping through his heart to each and every part of him.

Miracle of miracles, it let him, with all the glare a bird could give. Knees only making small pops, Jack settled on his heels, looking at it sternly.

"Can you take me to them?"

The expression on it's tiny, smug face didn't change, but it also didn't disappear to free itself, so he waited.

And he waited. And waited. And eventually, watching it with half an eye, he grabbed a doughnut and offered it to the stupid soulmate goose god.

It considered the doughnut, pecked it as Jack yanked his fingers out of reach, and apparently accepted. After it was finished, it began to tug him along, waddling on its makeshift leash as Jack's heart leapt into his throat. He grabbed the bag of doughnuts and his hat before getting dragged along, to you.

At his very core, Javier was a man driven by his personal sense of justice. Being herded by an immortal goose of mischief was unfair, it made no sense that he had to find you, somehow needed more, and wasn't allowed to choose. It pecked and honked and bullied him all the way to a crowded bar, which was a perfect example.

Just as he was thinking, trying to convince himself he would've come here on his own, it disappeared again and he sighed.

He needed a drink. And, he needed to make some of his own goddamn decisions. Defiance and determination, he told himself. Not stubbornness. There was nothing to prove, it was just defiance and determination, to take his fate into his own hands and make his own choices. And if he was going to do that, he wanted to look for someone who wasn't an informant or a one night stand. His gut was looking for someone he could pull to his side and to show the universe that the goose was right to give up on him.

You were a perfect fit. Slightly disgruntled for whatever reason, even through the crowd he could see the faint, telltale wrinkles of someone just as... determined as he was. Shoulders held the same defiance he was so proud of, and he would be lying if he wasn't physically drawn to you as well. The inconsistent lighting could make anyone look good if you wanted it enough, but you... were something else.

There was a line of pink neon reflection from the top of your ear, across your cheekbone, and just grazing the line of your upper lip as you looked thoughtfully at something he couldn't see. Javier thought he wouldn't mind tracing that path with his fingers, and then maybe his own mouth, and his feet were already carrying him to you to look for an open door. The rest of your form came into view, and Javier noticed the bass of the music was turned up a little bit more than necessary- he could feel it thumping in his bones.

Talking to you went smoother than maybe it ever had before. You seemed resigned, at first, which was a reaction that caught him off guard, and that combined with the weariness of his week, making him unusually candid. In turn, you opened up to him like a flower turning towards the sun, fun and thoughtful and refreshing.

He liked the way you laughed when his lines came out a little awkwardly - open and appreciative, and it made his chest puff out a little. He liked the way you spoke, too. There was kindness and romance in your soul, just whispering at the edges of the words, and while he didn’t pick up on that, per se, they made him feel special, handsome, worthy, but also trusted and comfortable and safe. Neither of you noticed at first, that you had shuffled into a quiet corner of the bar, that his body had moved close, a gentle shield boxing the two of you into your own little world.

When the question came - what brought you here, anyway? - he found himself answering honestly about half being led by his guide, then wanting to make his own path. His confidence faltered at your quiet laugh. His heart ached. A glance at the clock told him it had been two hours since he'd found you, and already he wanted to... choose you. To have you choose him.

He felt stupid that he had confessed so soon, but...

Oh, you were kissing him. There were hands shooting off sparks into his soul against his chest and his jaw and you were kissing him. Javier kissed you back.

When you pulled away, his mouth chased yours, not ready to give up the contact so soon, but you stopped him, laughing again.

"I have a confession," you whispered, and he paused.

“My guide led me here, too. I thought when it gave up on me when I saw you,” your next kiss was more chaste, “I think we got tricked.” Noticing he liked the feel of you in his arms, even if he didn’t remember pulling you there, he tightened his hold.

Javier felt light, understanding your laughter, and blissfully unafraid. “No,” he said, knowing already you’d understand him.

“I chose you.”

Jack was running out of doughnuts. It was easier, safer to have the dumb bird half hog-tied, but he still didn’t feel any closer to you, just halfway across town. He dug in his boots and sunk onto a bench, yanking the goose to a stop, too annoyed to beg for a break.

He wasn’t giving up and running away, absolutely not, he was just... running out of options. Or, doughnuts. And breath. If this pace kept up, he wouldn’t be able to tell you all the things he had planned out in his head.

Eyelids closing against the southern sun, he let out a long, slow sigh. His heart was still racing, and he wondered if he was really as ready as he wanted to be, to meet his next soulmate. A sturdier inhale grounded him. He was ready, he knew he was. Whoever you were, you had to have the patience of a saint - it would be alright, he just needed a breath. The ground under his boots was sturdy, the breeze over his skin cooling, and the goose was mercifully quiet.

“That’s one strange lookin dog you have there, cowboy,” The voice was teasing, but not malicious, and he grinned, eyes still closed.

“She’s a purebred,” he replied, and he heard a huff of laughter like the first few notes of music. Waiting for your footsteps to carry you away, he savored the moment, feeling silly as he hoped his soulmate would like to laugh as much as he did.

There was a weight on the other side of the bench, and he wondered at it, as you said, “Want to talk about it?” His smile was softer, this time, intrigued by the moment, but not wanting to be tempted into flirting, not when his soulmate was on the horizon.

“Nothin to tell,” he replied, feeling suddenly strange. Jack opened his eyes, looking at the rope in his hands, feeling the fibers run through his fingers. “Just a free range chicken... taking a break from tryin to chase down my second soulmate.” He winced, definitely not wanting to look at you, after the second had slipped out.

It wasn’t judging, though, the voice that said, “You seem like you want to talk about it.”

For once in his life, Jack didn’t know what to say, slipping off his hat to run his fingers through his hair before replacing it. He heard your half-laugh again, and it felt refreshing, like sweet tea on a southern summer day.

“Okay,” you said, and he heard amusement this time, like you had something to say, some thought you were chewing on.

Then, there was that terrible honk of the goose, not from his feet, but from where, assumedly, you were. Snapping his gaze to the other side of his bench, he saw a sight for sore eyes, half backlit, glowing like something he never thought he’d see.

There was an indignant goose in a cage at your ankles, now making grumbling bird noises in indignant conversation with the one at the end of his lasso.

“I thought you were never gonna look at me,” Your arm was across the back of the bench as you grinned at dynamite smile at him.

Jack returned it, feeling bashful and eager, dropping the rope to grab your closest hand.

“I promise I aint making that mistake again, sugar.”

bonus ending:

Jack was clinging to your hand, grinning like a fool as you introduced yourselves, when another movement caught his eye. There was a man, walking up behind you, a resigned look on his face. Whiskey’s hackles should have been all the way up, yanking you into his arms at the way this man was approaching you, but instead he was dumbfounded for the second time that day.

He was backlit, too, with shoulders that carried as much weight as the man in his mirror every morning, and he could see the shape of a gun as he knelt next to his soulmate. The stranger’s eyes when they looked at you... were as adoring as he was sure his must have been, a moment before, and he was familiar with you, like you’d known each other before now. Jack wanted to swallow, but his heart felt like it was in his throat, beating like he’d gone a round with a bull at the rodeo.

“This is probably a lot,” Javier said, taking you other hand and quirking an eyebrow. The geese made some loud, obnoxious noises and he looked at them appreciatively. “I wish I had thought of that,” he gestured at the lasso, and you smiled at him.

“This is Javier,” you said, and you let go of them both to stand up and brush yourself off. Warm hands and strong grips were exchanged, and you watched them curiously as they shook, murmuring names and titles again. They were sizing each other up, certainly, but you felt a rush of relief as you saw a familiar spark of attraction in Javi’s eyes.

“You got any more surprises for us, then?” you looked up at the cowboy, confused, only to realize he wasn’t talking to you. The goose in your cage was free halfway down the walk, the one in the lasso hissed. The poor man had been an RV in an earthquake and come out the other side overwhelmed and happy, of all things, but there wasn’t much more he could handle. To your surprise, he grabbed a crumbled paper bag and tossed the contents to the bird, before it gave a final honk, and waddled after it’s friend.

“I guess that’s a no,” you said, suddenly shy at the fullness in your heart.

“That’s alright,” Jack picked up his lasso, before looking at you and Javier, his eyes happy, and glinting with something stronger. “I think this is more than enough.”

And you agreed.

taglist:

@fangirl-316 @scribbledghost @writeforfandoms @beautyagegoodnesssize @princess76179

for whiskey:

@0celestialbitch0

#why am I like this #did this get away from me?#yes #absolutely #soulmate requests #soulmate goose of enforcement #Javier Peña x reader #jack daniels x reader #agent whiskey x reader #jack x you x javier #i guess thats a thing now #on this blog #don't ask me to write a part two or i swear #i'll probably do it #maybe i don't know people #also im a touch delirious sorry if this is as much of a fever dream for you as it is for me

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cafeinthemoon · 4 years

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Madara meeting his Uzumaki granddaughter during the War - Part II

Okay, as I was writing this second part ended up being too long, so I decided to write a third one lmao I hope @itsao-mine doesn’t mind! It has been fun and challenging to write this short story, but I’m glad bc it’s gonna gave me the chance to write a specific scene that has been around my head for a while but I didn’t have a place for it (SPOILERS). Also I just found out I love creating new jutsu during the process and that’s great lol

Title: I still don’t have a title, and now it’s too late

Genre: Fanfiction

Pairing: Madara Uchiha x Uzumaki!reader (family; no romantic)

Rating: teen | up

Word count: 1766

Chapter (s): 2/4

Warnings: canon divergences, Smells Like Madara Spirit playing in the background and maybe some tattoos included lol

Symbols: 🌙 | ➕ | ▶▶

Read the previous part here

Kakashi was the first person you spotted from your place over the hill. He had a girl with pink hair by his side; she was the owner of that chakra that resembled Tsunade’s. Your friend was the first to see you, and soon the girl looked at the same direction as him and saw you. Seeing a known face over there gave you the courage you needed to cross the empty space to meet him.

- Kakashi! – you called when you were a few meters than him – Tell me about the things around here. I’m sorry for taking this long to come, I...

You stopped in the middle of your sentence once you looked around and saw the people with your friend. So, there were many, many things he wasn’t telling you during the telepathic contact; and judging by his silence now, he understood it was useless to try and say something, because what you saw spoke for itself.

The warm chakra, similar to your own, belonged to a boy with blond hair that were now staring at you as if he just saw a ghost. Close to him, there was another boy with dark hair and a sword; he was the owner of that cold chakra, and you had no difficulty to identify him as a true Uchiha. Was he the survivor from the massacre? Probably.

The blond approached you and you noticed he had big, blue eyes. He smiled and started to talk to you like you were some old friend.

- Ah… Hi! Sorry for keep looking at you that way but, you know, you reminded me of someone… By the way, I’m Naruto Uzumaki!

You smiled and crossed your arms.

- Uzumaki, uh? So I wasn’t deceived when I thought your chakra resembled my own. You must be the Naruto about which Kakashi told me once.

Naruto Uzumaki opened his mouth but said nothing. The Uchiha boy remained in silence.

- Y/n-san is a survivor from the Uzumaki, Naruto – Kakashi explained – When she was informed of the situation here, she offered herself to help.

The boy seemed to appreciate the idea.

- Amazing! It’s like fighting side by side with my family! – he turned to the Uchiha – Sasuke, let’s go...

A voice was heard behind the boys.

- Careful, Naruto. It is too soon to get so excited.

Before any of you had the time to reply, two other people approached and joined you. The first was a blond man with a gentle smile; once you put your eyes on him, you knew he was the person whose chakra resembled Naruto’s. Now that you could see them together, you sensed they could be from the same family, and you were right, for the boy immediately turned to him and called him father. The second was a man with a blue armor and a white fur surrounding his shoulders; he had red marks on his serious face, and you recognized in him the intimidating chakra you sensed before. You also had no doubts that the voice you just heard was his.

And now you also understood why some of the chakra you sensed seemed different from the others’: their dark eyes and the marks on their faces stated that they were Edo Tensei.

- Kakashi, the Sandaime and the other Kages are taking care of the other things out there – he said – Now we need to offer support to Hashirama once he manages to attract Madara to us.

Those men were not unknown to you. You have been in Konoha a few times and observed the Hokage Mountain with attention, and because of that you knew who you had in front of you: Tobirama Senju, the Second, and Minato Namikaze, the Fourth.

You turned to your friend.

- Kakashi…

You called him in such a low tone that he took a moment to realize you were talking to him. He stared at you, waiting for what you had to say.

- Why didn’t you tell me you had two Hokages, a Sharingan’s user who’s a true Uchiha, an Uzumaki with a Bijuu’s chakra and a medical ninja with you? – you shrugged – If you did so, I wouldn’t have come.

Naruto didn’t seem to understand.

- Hey! What’s wrong with us?

Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

- Well, I just thought it would be too much information to process at once…

You were still serious.

- Yes, but… I think you just don’t need me here.

It was the Second Hokage who replied to you. His voice was strong and gathered everyone’s attention by itself.

- Y/n-san, you belong to a clan specialized in sealing techniques, which is precisely what we need now. We were informed that you developed a special jutsu for situations like this. That man who’s fighting my brother is not a common individual. We cannot expect to overcome him with simple jutsu. A technique like yours may be our best chance to win.

So it was the First Hokage who was fighting there, and the shadows you saw before were indeed his Mokuton. But, well, if they had Hashirama Senju with them, why would they need your help?, you thought.

You couldn’t show them you were afraid, of course, so instead of insisting on the same point, you just said:

- Nidaime Hokage, you are well informed about me and my jutsu. I am flattered. But I understand that the Shodai is versed on sealing techniques thanks to his connections with my clan. His experience must be enough for Madara.

- It is true that my brother knows sealing techniques – Tobirama replied – But none of them would serve this time, not in the current circumstances. According to what we know, your technique has a property that neutralizes dojutsu. This is such a complex trait that was out of reach for most of the specialists I knew. If you were capable of including this in your jutsu, you are probably not just an Uzumaki…

You cursed mentally. This Second Hokage was no joke. There was no way to hide things from him. You sighed and decided to tell the whole story to all of them.

- You are right, Nidaime. While my mother was an Uzumaki, my father was an Uchiha.

Everyone, including Sasuke Uchiha, was surprised; Kakashi, who already knew it, was the only exception.

- I created my sealing jutsu with his help – you continued – This neutralizing property was designed to specifically counteract the Sharingan. I believe my father had this idea thanks to his knowledge of Madara’s capacities.

- Your father knew Madara? – Tobirama asked.

- Yes. He was his son.

Naruto gasped.

- You are… Madara’s granddaughter?!

You nodded. You sensed some disturbance in the Second Hokage’s chakra. When you turned to him again, you heard him saying:

- I could swear I sensed something unusual in your chakra, y/n-san.

Yes, he was a sensor shinobi two. And thanks to what he sensed, it seemed that his sympathy for you diminished a bit. A smug grew in your face.

- I always knew I was from Madara’s family, though I can’t say that smelling like him is my favorite thing about myself. But you have nothing to worry about.

You turned to the battle happening at the distance and took a deep breath.

- I have no interest in finding out how a world ruled by my grandfather would look like. If I can do something to stop him, then I’ll do it. But what I’m trying to say is that… I cannot promise to you I’ll succeed.

- So, what are you going to do, y/n-san? – Kakashi asked you.

He had a talent to perceive his friends’ feelings without demanding a word from them. That time you turned your eyes to him, hoping that he could use this ability on your favor.

But the assurance you needed didn’t come from him. You felt a hand over your shoulder; at first you thought it was Naruto who approached you, but when you looked back, you found the Fourth Hokage beside you.

- Y/n-san. You will have the support of everyone here, so that you don’t need to be afraid of having to work alone.

Now that he was so close, you could see through the marks of Edo Tensei and sense his resemblance to his son clearer than ever. You also noticed that he had in his eyes the same look as Naruto when he first saw you: the look of someone who met a beloved one after a long time. Was it possible that Minato was seeing in you the same person Naruto saw?

You didn’t have time to find out, because the time for you all to start acting has come.

The Nidaime’s voice was heard again.

- Y/n-san, how close you need to be to Madara to be able to use your jutsu on him?

The question was as valid as can be, but you couldn’t avoid the preoccupation rising from your lower stomach.

- Very close, Nidaime.

Tobirama turned to Minato.

- Yondaime, it is better to combine our seals in case she needs to be moved.

You’ve heard about the teleportation technique created by Tobirama, which worked through the use of seals. Judging by the circumstances, it was a wise precaution: you didn’t have to ask what he meant with in case she needs to be moved. Getting too close to your grandfather was not going to be like a family reunion. Still, you weren’t comfortable with the idea of being marked but other people’s jutsu.

Minato must have noticed this, for he turned to you and gave you more details about the Second’s plan.

- Listen to me – he said – If something does not happen according to our plan, the best chance to keep you safe is to move you away from him as fast as possible until you have a second opportunity to perform the technique. Something like this can only be done with our Hiraishin. So we need your permission to mark you, y/n-san.

The Yondaime spoke to you with the same gentleness you sensed in him before. Among all of those people, he was the only one whose chakra remained unchanged since the start. Which somehow made you trust him as much as you trusted Kakashi, even though you met him just a few minutes ago.

You nodded at the two Hokages. They put their hands on your back at the same time in order to mark you, and with their touch you felt your courage being restored.

#naruto fanfiction #naruto request #madara #madara x reader #madara fanfiction #jutsu #hiraishin #madara uchiha #kakashi #naruto #sasuke #sakura #minato #hashirama #tobirama

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comfyswitcherblanketfort · 4 years

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Geralt and the Minotaur p3

Y’all this could get hella complicated if I go hard with all the character sub ideas and all that but I’m here for the relationship so its gonna be bare bones on combining the canon bc I’m just not that skilled as a writer 😂

Pairing : Geraskier

Warnings: talk of human sacrifice, talk of cannibalism, ye ole impending death, mention parents death, imprisonment, public humiliation (kinda), we got major soft boys falling for each other vibes too

part 2 here!

__________

Geralt woke with his head still resting on Jaskier’s thigh, though he was now lying on his side, resting his head against Geralt’s hip just above the dagger tucked in his belt. He had draped his arm over Jaskier’s waist as they slept, holding him closer, and Jaskier’s arm was resting on Geralt’s chest. It was still dark and, from the sounds of it, everyone else was still asleep save a few soldiers at the helm. The waves had settled to a gentle lapping at the hull and Geralt found himself completely relaxed and at peace for the first time in weeks. His hand rose and fell in a gentle rhythm with Jaskier’s breathing and every now and then the blue eyed boy would sigh, bringing a soft sleepy smile to Geralt’s face. He didn’t dare move, lest he break the spell, but someone else woke from a nightmare with a scream that shattered his illusion.

Jaskier hummed and nuzzled into Geralt’s hip before he was fully awake, making the prince blush furiously and gasp. Sure he’d fallen asleep with friends and romantic interests back home, but that sensation was… different.

“Is it morning?” Jaskier mumbled, not moving to sit, but at least the nuzzling had stopped.

“Probably,” Geralt answered, resisting the urge to run his hand over Jaskier’s shoulder, “still early.”

“You haven’t been lying awake all this time have you?”

Geralt forced a breath out his nose in amusement, “Only a few minutes or so.”

Jaskier sat up, laying his arm over Geralt’s, keeping it wrapped around his waist as he moved to be able to inspect the young hero’s face, “You still look… weary.”

Geralt frowned, shifting so he was leaning on his elbow over the boy’s legs, still very much resting on him, “I wonder why?”

Jaskier smirked, “Is it true you’re a child of Poseidon? Why not sink the ship and we can all ride horses made of sea foam back to the mainland?”

Geralt cast his eyes down to the deck, “They’d just come back for more. It doesn’t matter who’s son I am or what favor I do or don't have.”

"Pull the weed at the root." Jaskier nodded.

Geralt hummed in agreement, sitting all the way up to lean against the mast next to the brunette, "What about your family? Anything exciting waiting for you at home?"

Jaskier hooked his arm around Geralt's and rested his head on his shoulder, "Doesn't matter."

"Does to me." Geralt mumbled, a little taken aback by the physical affection. When Jaskier rolled his eyes he laid his hand over his knee, "Humor me."

They sat and waited for the sun to rise over the water as they discussed Jaskier’s life. His parents death, the farm he worked for his uncle, the mundane little things like how often he gets sent to the market and who cuts his hair. They learned each other's birthdays as a joke, but the hopeful side of Geralt still repeated it to him a few minutes later just to be safe. Jaskier asked him about life at the palace, if it was as grand as everyone believed. Geralt felt squeamish admitting he didn’t know, seeing as he'd only really lived in the lap of luxury. Sure his trek to Athens was dirty and many nights he slept in barns, but most of his 20 years were spent in bright white togas and tunics with colorfully stitched hems. Jaskier didn’t seem bothered, he just asked more specific questions about the beds and the fountains. He pontificated for a while on the poor musical choices made in a performance at the amphitheater last summer and did his best to explain to Geralt how to delicately pluck a harp using a lock of his white hair as a prop. Joking was easy, being earnest wasn’t quite effortless, but it was easier than with other people, and Geralt lamented that they’d only met yesterday.

“Do you think you’d’ve given me the time of day?” Jaskier asked.

Geralt grinned, giving the brunet's leg another squeeze, “You wouldn’t have given me a choice.”

Jaskier rested his chin on Geralt's shoulder, his hair fluttering into his eyes and glowing gold as the sun began to peek over the waves, "Probably not, no." His voice was soft in Geralt's ear, the warmth of his breath made the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention.

Geralt turned to look at him, their noses brushing. He was about to ask Jaskier something reckless and naive, no doubt born of desperation, but the moment was broken by shouting.

"LAND" Echoed from various soldiers and strangled sobs broke out in response. Reality was once again stubbornly planted in the forefront of Geralt's mind and he forced himself to pull away. His heart beat furiously in his chest as he stood to get a better look.

Someone gripped his elbow and spun him around, staring up at him with wide eyes full of terror, "You can do it, can't you? You can get us home?" The harsh whisper seemed to carry over the whole group, commanding their silence and attention as they formed a circle around him.

Vessimir's parting words echoed in his head, he was a leader now, he had to act like it. His year of lessons and training and taking notes were over and he knew right then that even if they made it back, he'd never have a day of peace again.

With a glance back toward Jaskier he nodded, "I will bring us home or die trying."

The person's grip on his elbow tightened and he stared back at them with what he hoped was reassuring confidence for a moment before they released him, "Do you have a plan?"

All his preparation could never have braced him for the absolute devastation on the group's faces when he hesitated. In the fraction of a second he took to open his mouth they knew. Only Jaskier seemed to accept the facts and take them in stride.

"All I know for sure is that we need to make it out and back to the docks by dawn." Geralt's admission was met with curt nods from some and fresh tears from others, "I'm sorry."

Jaskier pipped up, stepping into the center of the small crowd with Geralt, "You volunteered to try to save us. We need no apology." He sent a glare to someone about to speak in protest, cutting them off, "It's more than we've had in the last 18 years and I, for one, am grateful."

Geralt gave him an appreciative nod but their theatrics were drawing attention from the soldiers. He shooed everyone away, not sure he could handle another altercation this close to the soldiers homeland where they'd have something to prove to onlookers.

As they drew nearer to the shore they heard shouts of laughter and music, saw banners waving in the wind and people dancing around the port. They were throwing a festival. A festival of revenge and dominance over their enemies, where people who would have been sacrifices delighted in the activities. It made Geralt's stomach churn.

Jaskier stood next to him as close to the bow as they were allowed, "Twisted, isn't it? And they wonder how we so readily believe they eat their brethren."

Geralt took his hand, searching for anything to ground him as the fear crept up his neck and threatened to strangle him, "Monsters never think they're monsters."

"You like being cryptic don't you?" Jaskier sighed, keeping his eyes forward as the festivities grew clearer and clearer.

Geralt only shrugged in response.

Soon enough they were all corralled by the soldiers with shouts and shoves. They tied Geralt's hands first, yanking on the rope so it burned into his wrists. The man was watching his face, waiting to see him wince or twitch. He gave them nothing. The end of the rope was then tied to Jaskier and so on until they were all lined up, hands bound in front of them and linked like sausages.

When they docked there was a heavy drum roll, fitting for the captives in line behind Geralt trembling. The plank was lowered by soldiers in what had to be ceremonial dress and when they stepped back the drummers hit one last beat, leaving the whole crowd silent.

At the front, surrounded by soldiers and standing on a throne made to be carried, was King Minos. His eyes were cold and calculating, and it was clear he was declining in health, but he still invoked fear with his gaze. There was no doubt to any rumors anymore. Geralt was sure this man was capable of absolutely anything.

The Queen sat in a similar throne, next to them was their daughter, walking but flanked by guards. She didn’t take her eyes off Geralt as they prodded him down the plank. Her eyes were soft, betraying the rest of her face set in a hard mask of disapproval, and she made no effort to hide her ogling. Geralt stared right back, never one to back down from a challenge, until they were ushered past the royals into the crowd. The citizens were far more animated. Some threw food scraps at them, some jeered and gestured rudely, others spat, though they all blamed the 14 young men and women before them for the death of a prince before they were even born.

They marched through winding streets and up set after set of switchback stairs to reach the palace dungeons. The guards were having their fun with Geralt in the lead, shoving him around when they needed to change direction and tripping him when they passed a large crowd.

When they finally reached their cells they were shoved in, two to a cell, and the rope was cut. They had to hold their arms through the bars for the soldiers to cut the knotts. They took the rope with them when they left, leaving only bread and water on the bed and one torch lit hanging outside each cell. It was dreary and cold, and Geralt could hear the others crying.

Jaskier broke the loaf of bread in half and tossed it to Geralt, taking a long pull directly from the pitcher of water, “Eat. No arguments.”

__________

part 4 here

tag list: @hailhailsatan @so--many-fandoms

hmu if you want tagged 💕 I will cry tears of joy in my coffee

#the wticher #the witcher fic #geralt of rivia #geralt of rivia fic #geraskier #geraskier greek au #greek au #greek mythology au #the witcher au #the witcher greek mythology au #geralt and the minotaur #geraskier greek mythology au #greek gay bois #this is a shit load of characterization and bonding and i defs am gonna pick up the pace pretty soon so just bear with me kids

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thefinalcinderella · 4 years

Text

Scary Monsters! Story Summary (Part 1)

I don’t think anyone’s translated this story yet so I’ll just summarize it

The more events we have, the more I’m convinced that they take place in an alternative timeline or something. I don’t know if this was confirmed in the guidebook though

Wow I still can’t summarize for shit

Episode 1-1 Everyone should have fun

- Another day of school ends for MC and Grim

- Grim randomly mentions that there’s too much distance between the Ramshackle Dorm and the school (isn’t it the opposite though?)

- When they get back to their dorm they are stunned to discover that the front yard has become a weird mix of Chinatown and Halloween

- Lilia shows up (and introduces himself again, hmm) and scares us, apparently everything there is made by the Diasomnia dorm students

- This is our first time seeing Diasomnia mobs, who are arranging the decorations in the yard

- Deadbeat Crowley strikes again! Apparently he told Diasomnia that MC and Grim agreed to let them set this stuff up

- MC asks why all the decorations, and Lilia explains that it’s for Halloween! Apparently Malleus insisted that they spend Halloween at the Ramshackle Dorm

- the ghosts are out and they’re impressed by how extravagant it all is and even encourage them to do more without minding us (thanks guys)

- Grim doesn’t know what Halloween is, shocking everyone

Episode 1-2 It’s our festival!!

- The ghosts explain that Halloween is an important event in Twisted Wonderland

- Lilia explains that it’s when all the ghosts return to this world from the other world; the decorations are to entertain them

- Everyone wears costumes like ghosts and monsters because many ghosts like to play tricks on people (since there’s not much opportunities to interact with the living); these ghosts can be dispersed by giving them candy

- Lilia mentions there are also evil ghosts that can’t be controlled (foreshadowing much?)

- Lilia implies that he knows about the ghosts we met in the mine???　Or something like that??? (”I think you two also have experience with ghosts who do bad things?”)

- Wearing costumes is for scaring those evil ghosts back and driving them away...but that’s just a story from a long time ago, and now it’s just for fun cosplay

- Ghosts say not to worry about anything, Halloween was always like this since they became ghosts

- the living can’t actually see ghosts since they’re not supposed to stay in this world unless they have strong attachments or goals, so the ghosts who do stay in this world are very unstable existences *cough* Eliza *cough*; they can’t be seen in places other than places like NRC where there’s strong magical energy, so yeah ghosts are actually rare

- Ghosts emphasize that it doesn’t matter whether or not you can see ghosts or not, Halloween is supposed to be fun and that’s all that matters

- MC says that Halloween is also pretty famous in their hometown

- Ghosts (in front of Lilia): Oh MC you have Halloween back in your world too? What a coincidence (How many people know MC is from another world??)

- Lilia doesn’t seem surprised so I assume he knew

- NRC has a special Halloween event too, which we will learn about soon

Episode 1-3 It’s quite photogenic

- The ghosts start snapping pictures with their phones (yeah that’s right)

- They bought them this year online

- Grim is jealous because he has to share with MC

- They have a MagiCam account too, they only have 5 followers

- Grim is surprised they show up on camera since usually that can only happen with the ghost camera

- Lilia explains that since Halloween is the time of the year where this world and the other world are the closest, so this is when ghosts are the most powerful which is why they can show up in photos; it’s just in NRC tho

- They tell us to look forward to Halloween

Episode 1-4 The best Halloween

- The next day in class, Crewel says it’s one month to Halloween and everyone’s excited

- Ace and Deuce are also excited, talking about decorations and stuff; even the Ignihyde students come out of their rooms for Halloween

- Crewel: The week before Halloween is “Halloween Week”, which is when the students run a stamp rally event for outsiders

- Each dorm choose a place in the school as a spot for the stamp rally and decorate it; what’s important is that anyone can freely participate--in other words, guests from outside freely walk around the school

- The reason for this is to thank the people who live on this “Sage’s Island” (where NRC is located) for their understanding and cooperation, and it’s a chance to show them how much the students have grown and stuff

- In order for the event to move smoothly, each dorm sends out students as staff on the management committee

- Naturally, this is the first time we’re hearing of this (thanks Crowley)

- Deuce tells us not to worry and ask him if we have any questions since he’s part of the committee (it’s chosen by lottery)

- Also there’s a Halloween party on the 31st which everyone can join, students and ghosts included

- Ace’s brother showed him pictures of the food

- It’s next to prom as a big event at NRC (yeah prom exists too)

Episode 1-5 Are you ready?

- A month later, 8 days before Halloween

- the committee gathers, it’s composed of Deuce, Cater, Jack, Azul, Jade, Kalim, Vil, Epel, Idia, Lilia, and Malleus

- Deuce was an hour early to the meeting lol

- Idia is there in person

- Vil is the head of the committee, he talks about the stamp rally and how guests who collect all seven stamps get candy at the entrance gates

- Cater: “Wow Headmaster you’re so generous!” Jade: “It’s a small bag of candy that isn’t even 100 madol” (I wonder about the finances of the school sometimes)

- The stamp rally is from 10 am to 10 pm, they have to be there at all times so they’re excused from classes, taking turns in each dorm

- It’s going to be a hectic time but everyone’s fired up

- They decide to go around and see all the different dorm setups and costumes, Diasomnia is first

- Malleus chose Ramshackle for the stamp rally place because it’s a dump basically (Deuce: Sorry MC)

Episode 1-6 They are crying with joy!!

- The committee’s at Ramshackle; Sebek is as Sebek as ever

- Malleus and Lilia change into their costumes which is eastern dragon ghosts

- Diasomnia was traditional ghosts last year but decided to change it up this year

- Sebek is simping so hard he’s crying lol

- Vil made the costumes for them; he complains that Malleus gave an 1 hour lecture about how “eastern dragons (ryuu) and dragons are completely different” after he said that it was meaningless for Malleus, who is a dragon, to dress up as a dragon

- Malleus goes at it again and is apparently talking very quickly like Idia, what a nerd lol

- Crowley says that when the rally first began, everyone just wore sheets over their heads, but some students started putting more effort into it and then everyone started doing it too and the dorms are basically competing against each other

- Silver says that the Ramshackle decorations are inspired by a country Lilia travelled to before; Lilia says that some ryuu are even the guardian deity for a family

- All the decorations use up a lot of magic to maintain, as expected of Diasomnia

- Next they’re going to Heartslabyul’s spot, which is near the greenhouse

Episode 1-7 For a scary taste

- They’re in the Sub-Tropical Zone, where it’s decorated with the theme of graveyard, and the costumes are skeletons with white ribbons as the bones

- They had a hard time balancing authenticity and the fun of Halloween

- Deuce suggested they be “skeletons covered in mud” lol

- Cater was the one who came up with the idea of using ribbons and lace from looking through his MagiCam likes

- The heart you can see through the “ribcage” is made of roses

- the gravestones are made of styrofoam

- The Heartslabyul students are used to working hard for Unbirthday Parties and following rules so it wasn’t hard for Deuce to order his upperclassman around; it’s actually more relaxing since there aren’t so many weird rules

- Malleus: As expected of Rosehearts, you discipline your students well every day Riddle: That makes me sound like a tyrant! (Uh...)

- Next is the alchemy classroom where Octavinelle has their spot

Episode 1-8 The richest

- Everyone agrees that the classroom is too creepy and will probably make little kids cry

- Floyd: I know right??

- The Octavinelle costumes are mummies

- They decided on that because it’s the complete opposite of merpeople

- They combined the old-fashioned image of mummies with style

- The decoration theme is “Mad scientist’s lab”

- The culture tank looking thing lights up at night

- Everything was finished up by a contractor since they’re busy with making a Halloween menu for Mostro Lounge

- Kalim is confused since all the dorms get the same amount of money for decorations and costumes

- Apparently Jade is in charge of accounting and he’s supposed to make sure no one goes over budget or there’s no weird money transfers and stuff like that (Who assigned him this job?)

- Jade: Me? Do something suspicious? Why I never!

- What they focused most on was cost optimisation

- It involves haggling and using old stuff; they used up all their budget

- The remaining money from the other dorms will be used for the halloween party

- TLDR Octavinelle is scary

- Next is Scarabia, near the shop

Episode 1-9 Isn’t it an awesome idea?

- They arrive at the shop which looks all messed up

- Jade: It’s just like MC’s Ramshackle Dorm

- Scarabia’s costume is werewolf

- Jack says there’s a legend in his hometown about becoming a werewolf if you stay up late

- Kalim tries to act scary but fails bc he’s too cute

- Jade: It’s like a visiting a petting zoo

- Kalim says that the rugs and fabrics they used for the decorations are all made from plastic bottles and recycled plastics, and that they’re aiming for a society where humans and nature coexist happily--in other words “Sustainable Halloween”

- It’s all Jamil’s idea of course

- Next is Savanaclaw at the colisseum

Episode 1-10 We worked hard!

- there’s a ship

- Savanaclaw’s costume is pirates

- Jack talks about reading a book about a pirate who fought against a giant crocodile in elementary school and how he pretended to be a pirate

- It’s a famous series apparently, called the Adventures of Captain Beard

- Wow Leona is acting like a dorm leader for once? This really is an alternate timeline

- You can go inside the ship and Ruggie made the gold coins

- Even Idia is impressed by how good the replica is

- Everyone is shocked when it’s revealed that the Savanaclaw students made everything by hand; they’re able to do it because of training everyday for magift

- Next is Ignihyde in the library

Episode 1-11 This much is just common knowledge

- Ignihyde does projections of jack o’lanterns and creepy looking trees

- Ignihyde’s costume is a pumpkin knight

- The pumpkin knight is from a horror movie called “Pumpkin Hollow” which no one except Idia has heard of

- The pumpkin knight is filled with the hatred of uneaten, undecorated and thrown away pumpkins and it returns to the village it was harvested in to attack people each night

- the decorations are recreated from the movie and Idia is supposed to show up as the pumpkin knight

- Idia can talk normally bc his face is covered

- Now for the last dorm, Pomefiore in the mirror chamber

Episode 1-12 The Dual Play of Terror and Beauty

- Idia can walk around in the armor easily because it’s made of light materials, and the sound effects come from a speaker (what a nerd)

- Usually, the mirror chamber is closed to outsiders, but Halloween Week is an exception

- Photography of the mirror of darkness is forbidden since it’s so important

- They get there and it’s...not decorated at all!!

- Rook explains that the mirror chamber is already beautiful so there’s no need for decorations

- Vil: Our existence is the greatest collaboration that will make the mirror chamber stand out; it’s important to dress to match the location

- Pomefiore’s costume is vampires

- Everyone’s speechless by the beauty lol

- They also focused a lot on the makeup so it will give the impression of captivating vampires or something like that

- the aim is “degenerating beauty”

- Vil and Rook are both sad that vampires can’t look in mirrors, so they can’t see their beauty lol; that is why they are so attracted to the mirror chamber (I think this is their backstory or something)

- They only put up signs banning photography

- Crowley: Look! The mirror’s happy too! Mirror: ...

- Halloween Week starts tomorrow

#twisted wonderland #scary monsters #screaming halloween show

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plusultrcs · 3 years

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Okay so now that i’m done crying about shadow and bone to my friends i want to make a controversial statement. Don’t bite my head off for my opinion bc 1. idc i said what i said and 2. it aint that serious these are fictional characters moving on though. I don’t think the show is bad AT ALL i really enjoyed it and seeing the inclusion of leigh and her books was so fucking cute but i will say i think combining both series into one did a huge disservice to the character development of most, if not ever, character. and i’ll explain why so (obviously) sab spoilers ahead. this also obnoxiously long so if you dont read it thats fine <3 lmao

I know going into it everyone, including leigh pretty much, was saying not to expect it to be like the books. That it was going stray away and be more like a fanfiction than the original works. Which was true, but only for the six of crows characters. The show leaned heavily and relied heavily on the plot of shadow and bone. Which, of course, makes sense but because of the inclusion of a heavy heavy re-worked six of crows plot that didnt fit the plot of shadow and bone at all it left them feeling incredibly displaced. Like on shadow and bones part every single major and sometimes even the minor plot points were followed to the number, but on the six of crows front the only thing closely followed was the nina and matthias backstory. I wont talk about every single character because i anticipate this to already be long, but the ones i noticed the most were done a disservice.

For instance Alina. Despite shadow and bone being followed so closely you dont really get to see the natural progression of alina’s character the way i was hoping we would. And that’s definitely because of the time restraints. They had to find a way to somehow balance the screen time for both separate plots so that they could hold the audiences attention for both. Like when nina and matthias plot wasnt on the screen for i think 2 episodes i almost forgot about them and what they were up to so i understand why they timing had to be so split, especially when you only have 8 hours to cover the characters of 2 over 300 page long books yknow? But that means important moments alina had to herself in the books were completely cut, and so a lot of that growth we got went with it. The the biggest thing i was disappointed to see go was the defeat she felt when she was first captured and collared by the darkling. She was feeling absolutely helpless, mal was in their hold, she had no power to do anything but sit there and let him use her. All the training she did felt pointless to her and she really was at the point of giving up. She went quiet, wouldnt speak,was basically a zombie until that moment in the fold when she saw innocent people suffering when she knew she could stop. And she found a way to break free. There were other moments like this in the book, like moments at the little palace where shelt herself getting further and further from mal and feeling like an outside on her own all over again. They tried to show it in the show but without the time to develop her life on her own at the little palace it definitely fell short.

Speaking of mal: THANK YOU WRITERS FOR FIXING HIS WHINY ASS. And while he was annoyingly whiny in the books, he is not a boring character. Not to me at least, honestly he never was. While i do appreciate them not making him so whiny, I would have appreciated seeing that same dissonance realizing alina was grisha brought about in the books. Its just like alina said, grisha were people they scoffed at and talked about in a joking way. Their lives felt miles and miles away from their own, and then to learn that she had been one the entire time. I know i know, it has nothing to do with, and alina didnt know either. BUT THAT IS STILL HIS BEST FRIEND. And obviously girl he’s in love with even if he wasnt aware of it at the time. it made him question everything he thought about grisha, and more importantly brought both of their biggest fears to light: being torn apart. In the book he doesnt deal with this well at ALL and while leigh bardugo does a great job throughout the series showing him growing to me he never got where he should have been, and the show did place him there but i think they do so prematurely. I definitely wanted him to be as understanding as he was, to take notice of how much healthier and stronger she looks since she’s not withholding her power anymore, but i did still want the tension of him wondering what it means for them, how their lives would change, because just based on laws alone she is a grisha and would typically never be someone he would have the chance to befriend but neither of them would be okay with that.

AND ON THE TOPIC OF MALINA. THEY ARE NOT A BORING SHIP. I think the only person other who would work for alina is nikolai (dont fight me on this im right), and that is who i wanted her to end up with. However, I understand why Mal was the choice. Alina has always been someone who just wanted to belong, to fit in somewhere, AND THAT IS OKAY. IT’S NOT A CRIME TO WANT TO BE ORDINARY. I know shes the main character, and has the prophecy of being the ~chosen one~ but that doesnt mean she suddenly has to alter change and rearrange herself entirely. she never wanted to be a saint, and even by the end of the series she still doesnt. Choosing to let the world believed she died so she could live a quiet life. tHAT’S ALL SHE’S EVER WANTED. And Mal is the perfect person to give her that. People who claim she gave up her life for mal, to me, didn’t understand her character. She bounced around from needing mal by her side, and when she couldnt have him there she still sought acceptance in the only other person willing to give it to her, i.e. the darkling. and then when she couldnt have it from him she’s forced to find it in herself and while she learns she doesnt need him or mal she doesnt need anyone, she still chooses mal bc she wants to be with him. she doesnt feel obligated and even later on in the books makes plenty stands on her own without him but she loves him and they honestly make perfect sense. a softer ship doesnt make it a boring one js.

NOW THE SIX OF CROWS GANG. I hate to say it, i do but they felt reduced to a form comedic relief. they had their serious moments ofc but for the most part whenever they popped up on the screen i knew a joke or gag was soon to follow. i will say kit as jesper? best decision that could have possibly been made he fucking did what he had to DO. Kaz’s development for me felt really really rushed and forced. Like he was saying things to inej he wouldnt have said so quickly and especially not while he wasnt under stress??? it honestly felt like fan service??? which im not mad at because again i dont think the show was bad at all the actors brought really great life to the crows, but it just makes me sad to see all that development and build up go out the window. i think if they were that set on combining the crows story with the shadow and bone story it would have been so much nicer to get a sort of prequel on the crows. like they should have given them the same treatment they gave nina and matthias. so that we could see their backstories as explained in the book happening in real time like how they all came to ketterdam. i know theres no point in wishing that now since whats done is done and again I DONT THINK ITS BAD. Im just sad about all the character development and strong subtle points lost because leigh bardugo always does such a great job in dropping subtle hints and always bringing them back in the end, and that was sadly lost. STILL A GOOD SHOW STILL LOVE THE BABIES. STILL PRAYING FOR A SEASON TWO.

EDIT: IT ALSO MADE ME SAD TO SEE THEM LOSE SO MANY TIMES??? ESPECIALLY AFTER SOC WHERE THEY ALWAYS MANAGED TO WIN?? Like ofc it made perfect sense for them to be unable to capture the damn sun summoner !!! but kaz and all of the crows are meant to be the best of the best when it comes to criminals top tier and they were bested by a ball of light and a jog???? and them going home basically empty handed was kinda :// like i got it but also where did alina get that necklace lmao so yeah once again still great still love it questions had to be asked

#sab #sab spoilers #shadow and bone

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okayoonoh · 4 years

Text

JAEHYUN’S FAMILY

a/n here is jaehyun’s family! honestly, imagining jaehyun as a dad fills me with so much joy lmao

here’s a link to the masterlist with all things nct dad related! go and check it out if ya want!

JUNG YOONOH:

he has has two kids, 1 girl and 1 boy. jung lani is 4 years older than her baby brother, jung leon.

JUNG LANI: >> as a baby <<

smiles galore

she got her dad’s dimples

and she used them

she also got her dad’s little “smile whiskers”

jaehyun is honestly the best dad

like he is so caring

he did so much research and everything

he knew more than enough to raise lani

he was pretty calm throughout most of it

and lani was calm too

she really loved watching you and jaehyun

like if jaehyun was just walking around doing chores or something

or if you were working on something

her eyes were on y’all

like she had the biggest eyes too

they were full of wonder

jaehyun held her like she was the most precious thing in his life (bc she is)

he was confident in his skills from the start

she made it easy on him tho

she wasn’t a super needy baby

she could be pretty independent when needed

it was really easy to get her to smile

like all you had to do was play peek-a-boo with her and she’d smile instantly

she’s easily entertained

if you sat her down in the living room

a snack in one hand, a toy in the other

she’s occupied for at least 30 minutes lol

snacks are literally her favorite thing

she was a big eater from the start

but like snacks just hit differently for her

she had so much hair as a baby

like headbands were her aesthetic from the start

you had to baby proof anything and everything in your house

bc she really liked to follow you guys when she learned how to crawl

like if you guys had to put gates so she wouldn’t crawl into the kitchen

she just wanted to hang around her parents :,)

whenever you and jaehyun were both home, you would rock paper scissors or flip a coin for who’s cooking/cleaning and who’s playing with lani

the boys fell in love with lani

like jaehyun would bring her to practice and it would just be so much fun

they would be so amazed with how easy it is to make her smile

johnny would be like “it takes so long to make noah smile but if i just put lani in front of him, it’s all he can do... wth...”

honestly, most of the guys were just so amazed that she was so smiley and just chill overall

like if jaehyun left her with the dreamies, she wouldn’t freak out

even like if he left her with the newer artists she’s never met

just as long as she sees that they’re not weirdos she won’t freak out

she loves to friend everyone she meets

she’s just full with natural cuteness

honestly like return of the superman situations with lani and jaehyun would be the best

they would get so much content because everyday, lani would just bombard you with cuteness

she’s just really out here being the cutest.

>> as a child <<

still a sweetheart

she is still a huge daddy’s girl

she still loves to give the biggest smiles all the time

like even when she lost her front tooth, she still would flash her beautiful smile to the world

jaehyun is still so whipped for his daughter

he would buy her the most gifts every time he left for tour

she honestly wasn’t super defiant

like she would play a prank here and there

or something would go wrong with her playing

for example, one time she was playing salon with jaehyun

and he was kinda sleepy so he didn’t notice that much

then she grabbed the actually scissors and cut his hair

like a huge chunk of it right in the back

no one told him the whole day until you got home and noticed

he wasn’t even that mad lol

when she found out she was gonna be an older sister?

she was so happy

like she loved being an only child

but she was so excited that she was gonna have a baby brother to take care of

she’s honestly a pretty good older sister

she always makes sure leon is taken care of

like always

i cannot emphasize this enough:

HEAD!!!BANDS!!!

that is your family aesthetic

jaehyun wears his 2/3 dollar headband

you wear your own

lani wears one

leon wears one

your pets wear one

eVeRyOnE

omg imagine

like again, return of the superman situation lol

lani is marching around while jaehyun is cooking her breakfast

and she goes up to the cameramen/women in the tents and is like

“excuse me... do you think you can wear one too?”

and they don’t even hesitate

when jaehyun goes around to give the cameramen/women coffee or some breakfast

he starts to laugh when he realizes they’re all in headbands

she’s best friends with mark’s oldest, ethan lee and ten’s second child, somchai leechaiyapornkul (shawn)

they’re an iconic group

they all compliment each other so well

like ethan is pretty energetic and a little bit of a crackhead

lani is happy smiley and just good vibes

and shawn is super shy but he’s doing his best!

like lani and ethan really just do things to get shawn to be more daring and stuff

and shawn does!

they’re all pretty smart for their age

like if they go out to buy something, they’ll combine their money to get a value pack (i explained this a bit in ten’s family description if ya wanna check it out)

they’re just super cool and just a really good dynamic

lani is honestly the most empathetic of the entire group of kids

like from a young age she was already doing her best to listen and understand the emotions of others

and like from a young age her advice was actually good?

she’s really pretty

like a lot of the guys in her classes had crushes on her

the only dudes she cares for are ethan and shawn tho

pero yeah

like she was just a sweetheart who was really mature for her age and still shocked everyone haha

>> as a teen/adult <<

she becomes a solo artist

she does a lot of chill vibe songs

like she loves chill r&b songs

lani is just so aesthetic too

she films a lot of her music videos in nakamoto yui’s flower shop

she gets along well with yui because they’re both rather calm by nature

she’s honestly just super iconic

she inherited her dad’s poreless skin

like she’s so wholesome and kind

she’s more on the quiet side

she has so many fans lol

she get’s overwhelmed with them a lot tho

again, still jaehyun’s biggest fan

a lot of people like her because she’s not living the pish posh life

like you know those hidden cams that see the reactions of celebrities and stuff?

like her reactions are really really the same ones she shows on tv

like her personality is just so genuine and kind

everyone who meets her tells that she’s like that too

as a solo artist, she loves to learn more about music

she learns a lot from kun’s oldest, qian lei.

lani understands a lot about music and they work together to write songs and stuff

it’s definitely not a competition between her and the other music artists amongst nct’s kids

like they all are so supportive of one another with any and every concept

if the company has luna, youngmi, and aria’s group do something a little odd

all of the music artists in the group would still go nuts over it lol

they all support and love each other

anyway

the person she loves and supports the most is her brother tho

like they don’t usually quarrel a lot like kaleb and aria or noah and leo

almost every show/interview she’s on, everyone asks her about her brother

and she just fills with so much pride

she’s so proud of her little brother and all of his accomplishments

like no jealousy whatsoever

she’s also like super humble

she forgets that she’s an idol sometimes

like her manager would be like “lani, DPR LIVE wants to collab with you, are you down?”

and she’s like “THE DPR LIVE??? what??? why me??? what?? is this a prank???”

her manager is like “lani... don’t forget that your famous too...”

she takes a while to understand certain jokes

like her brother makes a lot of jokes but a ton of them just fly over her head lol

snacks are still her favorite thing

her manager has to stop her from eating snacks because her fans give her so many and she just wants to eat them all forever lol

ethan becomes a rapper and they collab the most out of all the people she collabs with

they honestly lowkey realize they like each other and just start dating haha

shawn is a pretty dense dude

but the second ethan and lani got together he was like “bruh even I COULD see that you two liked each other.”

they became the celebrity couple of the century™

they’re honestly that couple that’s like “okay, why haven’t they been together like this entire time?”

anyway, lani is just so empathetic and kind and just so happy to be alive and born into her big and beautiful family

JUNG LEON: >> as a baby <<

also inherited his father’s dimples and smile whiskers

he was pretty smiley like his sister

he also wore headbands a lot because he had so much hair lol

but honestly

he was an alien lol

he was weird

but it was so cute

like if people asked him a simple yes or no question

he’d answer incorrectly

allow me to provide an example:

“is your name jung leon?”

“NO!”

he was so giggly and stuff

loved to make people laugh from an early age

like whenever any of his uncles would watch him

he’d make them laugh so hard

like most days, leon would just be chilling in the living room giggling the day away

and like nothing is happening but he would find ways to make himself laugh

like there was a mirror attached to his little play mat

and he’d look at himself, smile, then laugh, then repeat

leon would learn this while jaehyun was on tour and like you would have to explain to him that your child isn’t insane

he just thought everything and anything was funny

those days were the best for y’all tho

like every single day, leon would do something that made you just laugh like crazy

whether it was somehow taking his socks off and putting them on his ears

or somehow moving his diaper from the front to the back

he just made you laugh

jaehyun was so happy to have a son

i mean, he’d be happy regardless

but still

i feel like he would just be so happy to have a mini him

and that is exactly what leon is

a mini him

lani looks a little more like you

but leon is all jaehyun

leon inherited the trait that turns his ears red when he’s crying/embarrased

he honestly loved to play too

like he honestly needed to be doing something all of the time

leon simply just didn’t know when to stop

he eventually learns, but still

he just can’t stop/won’t stop hahaha

>> as a child <<

still kinda weird

he’s really funny tho

like he’s genuinely a comedian

he makes you and jaehyun laugh a lot

he’s best friends with the squad™ of him, jungwoo’s middle daughter, kim jieun, hendery’s middle son, wong mochou, and haechan’s middle daughter, lee haeun.

all of them together is just a treat

they’re all so loud but all of their personalities are just so unique

leon is the oldest in the group so he’s sort of the leader

i’m just gonna say it

they’re all crack heads

the most calm out of all of them is kim jieun

but she even still has a huge personality

leon is like the clumsy leader

like he tends to fall a lot

but they’ll follow him when he falls lol

like if they’re just walking a line or just in a group

and leon trips

they’ll all fall with him lol

leon is definitely the class clown

but he’s not like super annoying

he has “class” (badum tsssss)

leon can just be so genuinely weird sometimes

he doesn’t really make any super inappropriate or bad jokes

he’s still a little bit of an alien

just a straight up weirdo sometimes

lani cares for him a lot

and he looks up to her

they don’t really quarrel with each other

like they’re both just chill with each other

every year, they work together to get a birthday gift for you and jaehyun

and every year they succeed in getting the best gift for the two of you

when lani was old enough to watch leon by herself, their gift to you was a date night lol

leon picked up a love for basketball at this age

he learned that he was lowkey really good at it lol

jaehyun would play basketball with him as often as possible

it was the sweetest :,)

leon is also really good with scary things

like he seems fearless

but

he is scared of one thing and one thing only

the pure and utter rage of the maknae of their squad, lee haeun

take all of the burning rage haechan has and put it in his daughter

that is haeun

when she’s mad, she’s MAD

leon isn’t scared of spiders, snakes, heights, etc.

he’s scared of angry haeun lol

he’s just a goofy soul that is just vibing tbh

>> as a teen/adult <<

ooh boy

he’s so handsome

he’s also so funny

he becomes a model™

like with a face like that? why waste it?

he works under noah seo

leon and noah both do a lot of modeling gigs together and stuff

leon is honestly following in noah’s footsteps

at first, a lot of the high class modeling agencies didn’t like leon because they thought he smiled too much and his dimples were too deep

but noah was like “exUSE ME THIS BOY RIGHT HERE IS ONE OF THE MOST HANDSOME BOYS YOU’LL E V E R MEET.”

noah teaches leon how to be an independent model and leon is honestly thriving

so many people use him in music videos like just because he’s so handsome?

people also started to realize that he’s like really really funny

like he’s almost always smiling

and his jokes are just so funny

they realized this and were like “okay, time to put him in front of a camera just to see what he does.”

and like

he’s just so goofy

not only is he a well known model

he becomes a well known comedian/tv personality

he embraces his goofy personality and honestly just vibes

he’s also really good at keeping up with the trends

like when he models, he’s pretty serious

but like right after? one of the funniest people you’ll meet

he’s just super quick witted and comes up with so many good jokes

lani can’t catch on to some of the jokes but it’s okay

he’ll give his sister a second lol

he’s also kinda dense when it comes to girls

leon is super confident in his looks and everything like that (like lucas level confident)

but when it comes to girls?

he just doesn’t think he’s good with it lol

which is a lie bc he’s actually really good with girls

he’s really really really good at making people like freak out over him

like he does the thing his dad does that makes everyone weak in the knees

he poses, runs his finger through his hair, and just stares

uGH

everyone melts whenever he does this

he still loves basketball

he plays a bit in his free time

when it comes to acting tho?

he sucks lmao

he just can’t stay serious for too long

like in front of flashing cameras, he’s fine

he can honestly fit any concept

but if you have him act like a serious role?

he can’t do it

he’s really good at doing the funny roles

but he honestly just can’t do serious roles

he still is scared of haeun

he also still respects his sister

he’s just a goofy dork who’s just living life lol

---

i honestly just can’T jaehyun’s my ult and just thinking about him as a dad just uGHHGHHGHG

also, i’m sorry if i started to get carried away, i just honestly couldn’t help myself

anywayyyy i hope you guys liked it! i’m so hyped for winwin’s family lol

again, requests are open and let me know if you want me to tag you so you can stay updated everytime i add onto nct’s family things!

- amy <3

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carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory · 4 years

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CMP Travel Program and Section of Invertebrate Paleontology Promotes the 125th Anniversary of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh with an outdoor walking tour

Before Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh (CMP) reopened to the public on June 28th, Barbara Tucker, Director of CMP’s Travel Program, talked with me about ways to reengage members and bring them back to the Oakland museums.

With knowledge about my research on the 125th Anniversary of the founding of the Carnegie Library, Barbara suggested a 90-minute outdoor walking tour around the exterior of the massive building. Starting from where the oldest portion of the building (Portal Entry) meets the newest (Museum of Art) to the front of the historic library entrance, past the Diplodocus carnegii statue, to Forbes Avenue and the entrances of the music hall, natural history museum, and fine arts museum guarded by the statues of the noble quartet.

Fig. 1

The tour was advertised on the CMP website under the Travel Program link, https://carnegiemuseums.org/things-to-do/travel-with-us/ and https://carnegiemuseums.org/kollar/, and accurately described as an activity fully compliant with CDC protocols. Within a week, the tour received overwhelming signups, which were organized by date and number of participants by Travel Program assistant Isabel Romanowski. Three tour dates were set in August and several more in September. Special private tours for donors and others in the fall continue to be arranged.

Andrew Carnegie, Founder:

As guide for an exercise that involves close observation of architectural details, I face the challenge of getting participants to imagine this section of Pittsburgh long before any of the structures around in Oakland existed. The library and museums cover five acres of flat bottom land formed by the pre-Ice Age Monongahela River more than 1.2 million years ago. In far more recent times, the land was part of the Mary Schenley Mount Airy tract of 300 acres which was donated to the City of Pittsburgh in 1889 to create Schenley Park in her honor. Andrew Carnegie, (1835 – 1919) industrialist, steel magnate, and philanthropist, in 1895 saw the site as a place to build a complex with a library, fine arts gallery, science museum, and music hall that would represent the noble quartet of literature, art, science, and music.

The Library Tour Themes:

Fig. 2

Tour groups assemble on the dark stone steps outside the Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA) rear entrance for an introduction focusing on the two connected, but architecturally different buildings: the Beaux-Arts style Carnegie Complex, with the original structure dating to1895, and later addition to 1907, which was built by Longfellow, Alden, and Harlow using Carnegie Steel (Fig. 2), and the modern Carnegie Museum of Art, built by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes in 1974.

Two rock types distinguish the building exteriors. The older portions of the building are clad in a light grey, easily carved, 370 million-year-old Berea Sandstone from Amherst, Ohio, while the exterior and much of the interior of Museum of Art is covered in the 295 million-year-old bluish iridescence Larvikite igneous rock from Larvik, Norway. When Barnes was commissioned to build CMOA, he chose the dark rock to blend with the older building’s coal dust veneer, a grime coating that was removed when the exterior stone was cleaned in 1990.

Landscape Art and Geology:

Fig. 3

Pittsburgh’s landscape painter, John Kane’s (1860 – 1934), Cathedral of Learning, circa 1930 (Fig. 3), depicts the 150-foot-deep Junction Hollow with its operating railroad. The work also includes many important architectural references, the Schenley Park Bridge (1897), Carnegie Institute’s Bellefield Boiler Plant (designed by Alden and Harlow in 1907 to supply electricity and heat to adjacent buildings), the Carnegie Institute Extension (1907), and a then unfinished Cathedral of Learning. This painting is part of CMOA Fine Arts collections.

Fig. 4

Another John Kane landscape, Panther Hollow, circa 1930 – 1934, (Fig. 4A) in combination with Cathedral of Learning has been used in teaching about the 300 million-year-old geology of Schenley Park (Fig. 4B2) and the pre-Pleistocene Monongahela River that formed the flat bottom landscape of Oakland, and through erosion, Junction Hollow (Fig. 4B1). Kollar and Brezinski 2010, Geology, Landscape, and John Kane’s Landscape Paintings.

Junction Hollow Landscape:

Kane’s Cathedral of Learning (1930) is an idealized green space of Junction Hollow, the Wilmot Street Bridge in the foreground (1907) now replaced with the Charles Anderson Bridge (1940), and Carnegie Tech’s (now Carnegie Mellon University’s) Hamerschlag Hall or Machinery Hall (1912), built by Henry Hornbostel, a Pittsburgh architect. Hornbostel designed a circular Roman temple wrapped about a tall yellow brick smokestack (Fig. 4A). The design is based on the Roman temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy, dating to the early 1st century BC. Hornbostel’s overall campus design focused on connection between art and science, with Junction Hollow representing the geological sciences. The architect Philip Johnston, who built Pittsburgh’s postmodern PPG Place (circa 1984), once contrasted the Bellefield Boiler Plant smokestack as “the ugliest in the world to Machinery Hall’s smokestack as the most beautiful.” In novelist Michael Chabon’s debut novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, (1988) the Bellefield Boiler Plant, termed “the cloud factory” by the narrator, is the setting for a pivotal scene.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Main):

Fig. 5

The separate institutions we now know as Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Museum of Art can track their origins to exhibits and galleries within space now fully occupied by Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. An image of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in 1902 from the Bellefield Bridge, a structure now buried under the Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain (1918), reveals eclecticism in architectural features (Fig. 5). The west facing frontage doorways and portico of the library features, CARNEGIE LIBRARY, FREE TO THE PEOPLE, and 24 carved writer names. Missing from the names is Carnegie’s favorite poet, Robert Burns, whose statue was dedicated in 1914 on the grounds of Phipps Conservancy. Three separate entrances are served by granite steps of Permian age from Vermont, one for the science museum, one for the Department of Fine Arts, and the third, with distinctive Romanesque round doorways, brass doors with intricate features, and keystone scrolling, for the Library. This entrance was designed by Harlow, who was the draftsman on the McKim, Mead, and White team responsible for the Beaux-Arts Boston Public Library (1895). When the Carnegie Institute Extension was constructed in 1907, the science museum and fine arts museum collections were moved into the new space. The former spaces in the library became the Children’s Room, Pennsylvania Room, and Music Library.

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

A challenge at this point in the tour involves discussing features that are not visible up close. The Longfellow, Alden, and Harlow’s Italian Renaissance and Beaux-Arts H-shaped parallelogram winning design featured a copula (Fig. 6) on top of the red tile roof that was never built. Eclecticism features include a double apse, a smaller shaped semi-circular extension of the library’s wall on the southside of the building, and larger apse on the north or Forbes Avenue side of the building, with the semicircular Music Hall auditorium, designed by Longfellow. The music hall exterior was structurally changed by the 1907 construction (Fig. 7).

The exterior Berea Sandstone reveals rustication masonry techniques with the cut blocks on the exterior first floor level distinguished by ashlar pillow horizontal border stone, and smooth masonry from the second floor to the cornice below the roof line. The second floor late Gothic style windows are divided by a vertical element called a mullion that helps with rigid support of the window arch and divides the window panels. Two symmetrical Campanile towers that Carnegie called “those donkey ears” were modeled after the San Marco Bell Tower in Venice, Italy. The towers served as an architectural offset to the semicircular exterior walls of the music auditorium and were removed in 1902 for the construction of the Carnegie Institute Extension. The installation of the towers can be interpreted as a tribute to Henry Hobson Richardson’s Allegheny County Courthouse twin towers (1888).

Architects choice of light grey sandstone and red tile roof:

The library’s red tile roof incorporated multiple glass roofs over the library, fine arts galleries, and science museum (all shaded from exterior sunlight today) which typified the Beau-Arts style. Keep in mind, the library did not have electric light. Light was provided by gas lighting and natural sunlight. Longfellow, Alden, and Harlow wrote that “the choice of a red tile roof and grey Ohio (Berea) Sandstone was intentional to contrast with Pittsburgh’s grey skies and the changing seasonal colors of the foliage in Schenley Park.”

The Beaux-Arts Architecture of the Carnegie Institute Extension 1907:

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

After Longfellow returned to his Boston practice in 1896, Alden and Harlow received the commission to build the Carnegie Institute Extension (1907) (Fig. 8). Their efforts created one of the great Beaux-Arts building in the United States. As Cynthia Field, Smithsonian Architecture Historian, stated in 1985, “the building itself is the greatest object of the entire museum collection.” Formal recognition of the building’s architectural importance exists in two historic landmark plagues placed outside of the Carnegie Library entrance and the Museums’ Carriage Drive entrance (Fig. 9).

New exterior features of the 1907 extension work included the replacement of the red tile roof with copper, the addition of an armillary sphere, the construction, with a colonnade of solid Corinthian fluted columns of Berea Sandstone, four portico porches over the main entrances to the library, music hall, natural history and art museum, and eastside of building (now removed), and the creation, along Forbes Avenue, of a main Carriage Drive entrance with direct access to the galleries. The carved names of authors, artists, musicians, and scientists in the buildings’ entablature, a Victorian era practice, extends around the building from the library’s southeast corner to the music hall entrance, and natural history and the fine arts entrances.

Also notable along Forbes Avenue are John Massey Rhind’s noble quartet statues that guard the Music Hall and Natural History and Art entrances. The four male figures all seated in classic Greek chairs are Michelangelo (art), Shakespeare (literature), Bach (music), and Galileo (science). Standing three stories above the quartet on the edge of the roof, four groups of female allegorical figures represent literature, music, art, and science as well. The bronze figures were casted in Naples, Italy in 1907 (Fig 8).

Inside the 1907 Architecture and Building Stones:

The architects created 13 new interior spaces where three grand spaces stand out for specific architecture styles such as, the Beaux-Arts Grand Staircase (voted in 2018 as the 8th best museum staircase in the world), the Neoclassical Hall of Sculpture, and neo-Baroque Music Hall Foyer. The extension used 32 varieties of marbles and fossil limestones, many from antiquity, quarried and imported from Algeria, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, and the United States.

Since 2004, the collaboration between the CMP Travel Program and the Section of Invertebrate Paleontology has been highly successful reaching out to our members and patrons. This summer’s tours generated some particularly appreciative comments:

The Carnegie's resident scientists are a defining characteristic of this noble institution. Might be an anachronism in an era when museums are focused on providing 'destination' entertainment and hosting special events for swells, but while treasures like Dr. Kollar are still on staff, it’s a splendid idea to facilitate interaction between them and museum visitors. Congratulations on a most enjoyable program. -Ron Sommer

Albert was very informative and interesting. I found it most valuable learning the history of the area. -Janet Seifert

I can't stress enough how unusual and interesting it was to have a geologist give us the tour. It had never occurred to me before that there's so much one can learn about building materials from a geologist. -Neepa Majumdar

Albert D. Kollar is Collection Manager and Carnegie’s Historian of the Carnegie’s Building Stones. Barbara Tucker is Director of Carnegie Travel Program.

#Carnegie Museum of Natural History #Carnegie Museums #Andrew Carnegie #Geology #Architecture

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opaleyedprince · 3 years

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da oc lore post... 2!

some more abt their personalities + etc bc i can

leander

he isn’t particularly ambitious, rather he’s driven by a need for recognition - all his feats and talents are (at first) born purely from this. he enjoys his magic but doesn’t feel any urge to improve upon it unless pushed. because of the single-minded headspace he was raised in, he doesn’t have any hobbies until the fall of the wardens. above all else, he views himself as a tool, a soldier whose only purpose is to find a solution to the fifth blight. at first he simply moves through his duties, relying on what he knows to solve problems and remaining detached. despite this frigid air, zevran takes an interest in him and over the course of the story pries open his shell.

aside from his surprising sense of humor, leander learns a lot about himself through and during his relationship with zevran. he learns his favorite color is purple, that he’s got minor dog allergies (much to everyone’s amusement), and that he enjoys rich and spicy foods immensely. zevran also suggests that leander try branching out in his fighting style and teaches him how to shoot a bow, as well as how to wield daggers. one benefit of leander’s still rather wooden personality is that he has essentially no shame and can speak his mind without fear (though not without consequences). he’s not often selfish, but his affection for zevran is enough to convince him to find an alternate solution to the archdemon.

griffin

honestly he’s quite a bit of a goofball and enjoys making his loved ones laugh. nothing brings him more joy than seeing the people he cares about smile, and he’s always very careful to weasel peoples’ favorite foods and/or drinks out of them so he can use that information to help cheer them up later when they really need it. he enjoys coffee with a pinch of sugar, and baking breads is one of his favorite things to do. when he first arrives in kirkwall, his favorite color is sunshine yellow, but over the years that changes to green - not unlike that of fenris’ eyes. he doesn’t begrudge fenris for his views of mages and rolls with any insults spat his way in anger, knowing fenris doesn’t really mean it.

though he doesn’t sing at all during his time in kirkwall, with his siblings’ encouragement he does return to playing instruments - not that they’d let him reject the offer, gifting him a flute to play during music nights. griffin also starts dancing again as well and often invites the rest of the party to family music nights, knowing how much everyone needs the pick me up. sometimes there are quieter nights where griffin and his siblings (plus fenris, later) will simply sit around the fire and play the occasional song. after resuming their relationship, fenris will bring griffon sheet music or books with songs in them; though griffon won’t sing, he will happy hum melodies as the two of them hold one another in front of the fireplace or doze off together in bed.

kassander

his biggest source of conflict is his identity. people tell him he’s a mage, but his abilities are different from those of other mages, partially as a result of his lyrium tattoos - they frighten him. he knows he’s dalish, but he doesn’t /feel/ dalish; he barely even feels like a person most of the time. even his “real” name according to his clan doesn’t feel right for him. he uses his art to ground and express himself where he otherwise cannot and enjoys simply being alone in nature with nothing to bother him. animals fascinate him, from the smallest honeybee to the occasional dragon he encounters as inquisitor and even the demons who attack him, to some extent. kas’ favorite color is red and he particularly loves deep red flowers.

kas keeps his hair long and meticulously cares for it. he’s especially selective about people touching or even mentioning it in a complimentary way. a combination of his tattoos being sensitive and his touch-starved nature lead to him being extremely aware of contact, to the point of paranoia when he’s particularly agitated. in battle he can be a little, how do i put this - unhinged - that is, he loses his sense of self preservation in favor of protecting the others and taking down the target. at first his powers fluctuate quite a bit, made even more potent by the presence of his tattoos and the recent addition of the mark connecting him to the breach - and the fade beyond it. but he’s able to keep them under control with calming exercises fenris and hawke taught him, combined with meditation the levallan keeper assigned to him. because of his natural affinity for fade-connected magic, solas positions himself as his teacher and their fates end up more entangled than either could have expected.

kreios

he has a notebook where he’ll scribble down the odd word or phrase that comes to mind, along with reminders for himself and even bits of his own poetry, though he doesn’t share it with anyone. he also has a deep love of literature, particularly historical fiction and all flavors of poetry, and will often be mumbling his favorite pieces to himself under his breath as he works. he’s unusually lithe for a qunari and tends to wear his hair up only on special occasions. out of all the other members of the inquisition (aside from his brother), kreios enjoys the company of varric greatly and can usually be found hanging around with him, listening to his stories or tentatively asking about his own.

in all honesty, kreios doesn’t know much about himself. so much of his life was spent just trying to retain his sense of self and surviving that now that he’s had time to actually experience the world, he doesn’t want to pick favorites for anything yet, but he has picked up calligraphy as a hobby. he’s fascinated by the world but sometimes this results in him being rather naïve and getting burned by an easily-avoided situation. because he’s not the best at diplomacy, he prefers to stay behind or out of the spotlight; sticking to penning letters or transcribing meetings - this also means he’s privy to information others aren’t and has learned how to pick up the tells quite well.

#eli makes things #oc tag: leander #oc tag: griffin #oc tag: lavellan #oc tag: kreios #oc lore tag

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snarkwrites · 4 years

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sprung spring | milf is not a bad word | eddie brock {m}

PROMPTS USED:

“Milf isn’t a bad word.” + Neighbors / friends with benefits + single mom au + “Did you just slap my ass?” / “Actually, I firmly grasped it.” / “Did you just quote Spongebob?” + heavy flirting / teasing + “Apparently all our friends have a bet going that we end up together. + on the kitchen table + quickie

NOTES:

Okay, warning here... I haven’t really ever... written Eddie before. So, this is just the way I kinda see him and my thirst combined... Nobody kill me pls?

Also, if enough people bother me, I miiight be tempted to make a fic of this at some point bc I do have some ideas...

WARNINGS:

Uhh.. almost sex on a table, bad humor ( Eddie, ftw ), sappy moments (Eddie... again.) unprotected sex, 69 / oral sex and body fluids.. Oh and a nosy sentinent who pops in and out at the beginning ( lookin at you, Venom, you lil shit.)

PAIRING:

Eddie Brock x OFC, Maya

TAGGING:

@micolegg | @missjenniferb | @cabotcoves | @kyleoreillysknee | @chasingeverybreaking wave bc they asked / are into Eddie and/or are on my taglist. If you wanna be tagged in my multifandom stuff, please go [here] and add yourself.

Hunk ← Lucy is spending the night with my sister, so… If you wanted to come by…

Hunk ← There’s something we need to talk about. If that’s okay with you?

Hunk ← Also, you realize you don’t play fair, right? That voice of yours on the radio this morning… I have not been able to get it out of my head all day.

Maya almost deleted the texts and didn’t send them, but she took a deep breath and hit send instead. Rita was right. She needed to stop dancing around it and go for what she wanted. The longer she waited, the more reason she gave herself to chicken out. And Eddie Brock made her happier than she’d been in a really long time. Eddie and Lucy got along well, he doted on her. Lucy loved Eddie to death, even when Venom decided to crop up in the middle of storytime some nights. Things just felt right with Eddie.

Tonight, Maya thought to herself with a silly grin, tonight is the night I tell him I’m done keeping us low key. I know that’s been bothering him and I need to fix that. She placed her phone on the counter and stripped down, stepping beneath the warm water. By the time she’d finished her shower, her cell phone was ringing.

She stepped out of the shower and grabbed for it, thinking it would be Eddie. When she realized it was Randy, another neighbor who’s relentless pursuit as of late was growing tiresome, she frowned at the phone and answered.

“Randy, hi.” “Hey, I was wondering…Are you busy tonight?”

… Hopefully… Maya thought to herself as she bit her lip and listened to Randy’s idea for a date, his pleading with her to give him one chance as she dug around in her closet, trying to settle on an outfit for the night, … I should just answer the door naked… that’ll really throw Eddie for a loop…

“So.. about that date?” Randy finished up, pacing his living room, scowling to himself when Maya offered up an excuse for a third time, “I’m real busy. Trying to finish remodeling Lucy’s big girl bedroom… Maybe later?”. He took a deep breath, reminded himself that if he wanted her, he had to keep trying and he offered to come over later and help out, frowning when he heard dial tone and realized that Maya had abruptly ended the call before he even got the offer out. Maya put her phone back down, rolling her eyes. Randy wasn’t fooling anyone. He was irritated and frankly, coming off a little pushy with his advances lately and honestly, Maya didn’t care because she’d made her mind up and she was over Randy’s attempts. Taking herself off the market.

She hadn’t clicked with him like she’d clicked with Eddie. Putting the conversation out of her mind, she stared anxiously at her cell phone. Eddie hadn’t texted back yet and it wasn’t like him. Just as she was about to sit down the phone again, it lit up.

She bit her lip as she realized that Eddie was texting back.

Eddie stared intently at the cell phone in her hand. Bumping into his ex and her new fiance earlier had him really thinking about his own thing with Maya. And apparently, it wasn’t just him thinking about it, because as he tried to come up with a response, Venom butted in ,, Tell her how you feel, Eddie Brock. Tell her that you no longer wish to keep things private.”

“But I don’t wanna make her uncomfortable, either. There’s a way to do shit, buddy.” Eddie muttered as he took a deep breath, biting back a quiet groan at her slightly suggestive second text. By the time he reached the third one, he was torn between anxious and horny. Anxious because she hinted that they needed to talk and in his past, that had never been a good thing and horny because the whole tone of the string of texts was… Somewhat racier than normal for her. He was getting mixed feelings here and he wasn’t sure how to respond.

Kitten → On my way now. Too bad Luce is at Rita’s. Venom was gonna share these chicken nuggets with her. ;P Kitten → Oh? What about, hm? Kitten → Hey, listen… If my voice was stuck in your head all day, consider it payback because I have not been able to stop thinkin about you all day either.

“I’m a fuckin sap, that’s what I am.” Eddie shoved the phone back into his pockets, slipping the motorcycle helmet down over his head and straddling his motorcycle, revving the engine. The drive across town seemed to both fly by and take hours and by the time he was parking his motorcycle at the curb in front of the 2 story townhouse next door to his own, he’d already started to brace himself in preparation of what she might want to talk to him about.

By the time he was standing in front of her door, she was opening it, pulling him through the door and into the house by the collars of his leather jacket. Her body molded against his and she rose to tiptoe, crashing glossy and soft red lips against his mouth almost hungrily. His hands moved down her back, stopping on her ass, squeezing and rubbing. It made her rub against him and she gave a needy little whimper as Eddie muttered amused into the kiss, “Thought you said ya needed to talk to me, hm?”

,, Let it be, Eddie Brock” Venom piped up. But naturally Venom would be in favor of… whatever was happening right now, because Venom had apparently ‘bonded’ with the two females in question.

,, So have you, Eddie Brock.” Venom took joy in reminding him. Eddie cleared his throat as a warning for Venom to pipe down and thought his answer, ,, yeah well, you know how the whole we gotta talk thing goes, buddy”.

Once Venom was silent again, amusing himself within, Eddie turned his attention back to waiting on Maya to say something. Instead, she seemed to be distracted, her hands resting against his jacket, working it down and off his body, tossing it at the bench next to the door where her purse and keys sat. Eddie chuckled against her mouth as he muttered again, “Not gonna answer me, kitten?”

Maya pouted up at him, pulling away to catch her breath, heavily distracted at the moment. Her heart was racing in her chest and she knew that he’d be curious and that she couldn’t just show him how she truly felt about their current arrangement, she’d actually have to tell him too, but for some reason, it all seemed so much easier in her head.

… because if I keep the words in my head just a little longer, then this can’t go badly… He can’t just decide that this is too serious for him and end it… the thought had her frowning a little and trying to shove it out as quickly as it came. She pressed into him a little more, Eddie’s back meeting the door frame with a soft smack as his arms wrapped around her and he gazed down at her, slightly panicked look in those blue green eyes of his.

Again, she took a deep breath, locking eyes with him this time. “Well, I’ve been thinking and I… I can’t keep on like this…”

His face fell and Maya swore, giving a soft laugh as she shook her head. “I’m not breaking it off, you dork. Will you let me explain? Please?”

Eddie took a deep breath, preparing himself. ,, Sure, she’s sayin she’s not endin things. Means nothin.” he thought as he gave a nod. “I’m listenin, kitten.”

“Well, all our friends have a bet going on...And earlier, me and Rita were talking… And it made me realize something… I don’t want to keep this just between us. I don’t want this to just be hooking up all the time or spending nights at each other’s place.. I mean I love it, don’t get me wrong but I… I want more, okay? I want you. And me.. Together.” Maya finished rambling, gazing down at the front of his tee shirt intently, walking her fingers up and down his chest as she held her breath.

Was she about to lose him? Why was it taking so long for him to answer?

Eddie’s jaw dropped, because he hadn’t been expecting her to say that, at all. He’d been expecting her to end things.

,, Well? Are you going to answer her, Eddie Brock?” Venom roared to life, almost insistent. Eddie cleared his throat in warning again and after a second or two, his mouth opening and closing as he dragged his palm over the back of his head, it hit him.

The whole reason he’d been feeling antsy and restless lately was because she seemed to be in favor of keeping this between the two of them. She didn’t want more and he did. Rather than waste even more time, because he could see it in those big brown eyes of hers, she was starting to panic a little, he slid her up his body, stepping across the hall and into her kitchen and dining room, sitting her on the counter as his mouth attacked her own hungrily, messy and biting sloppy kisses, the soft smacking sound of mouth against mouth filling the quiet and sexually charged tension between the two of them.

“Fuckin awesome.” he breathed against her neck, the warmth of his breath tickling her skin as she wrapped her legs around his hips and laughed softly. He was leaning in closer, nearly pressing her back against the table, muttering almost distractedly, “I was going to take you to bed but I just don’t think we’re gonna make it.”

The knock on her patio door had the pair springing apart and Eddie scowling as he glanced back. Randy, Maya’s neighbor on the opposite side stood there, gaping, giving Eddie a glare that had Eddie rolling his eyes. Maya swore to herself and muttered against Eddie’s neck breathlessly, “What the fuck made him think I wanted him to come over, I wonder?”

“Well, to be fair, kitten… you’re kinda passive. Took you five minutes of dancing around it to tell me to get lost that night I came by.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want you to get lost. I want him to get lost.” Maya nodded to the patio, giving a sarcastic wave of sorts at Randy, who was still outside knocking.

“Maybe we should give him a show, huh?” Eddie teased, but Maya rubbed herself against him, her arms wrapping tighter around his neck as she mumbled lazily against his lips, “Don’t you dare tempt me, Eddie.”

“Maybe I want to tempt you.” Eddie laughed, the corner of her mouth connecting with his mouth lazily as he went in for another kiss. She pouted and cleared her throat, nodding to the door and reluctantly, Eddie pried himself away from her, walking over to the patio door, sliding it open long enough to say, “Hey Randy… Maya’s busy right now. Try not coming back, yeah?” and sliding the door shut, locking it behind him because something about the guy just screamed creepy as hell and frankly, Eddie wasn’t in the mood to let Venom out to play, ruining his own current fun for the night.

He scooped Maya off her kitchen table, carrying her up the stairs, kicking the door to her bedroom open with his foot and stepping inside. After sweeping the top of the dresser free of the clothes on top of it, he was stepping between her legs, his mouth latching onto her bottom lip, sucking as his hands went straight for the tie in the leopard print silk robe.

The robe pooled around her and Eddie gave a quiet growl as his eyes roamed over her body and he smirked. “Well shit, kitten.” he raked a hand over his head, flashing her a teasing smirk, “You know tearing off your clothes is the fun part, right? The hell am I supposed to do now?” as he tilted her head to the side, pushing her hair out of the way, his mouth moving down the side of her neck, littering soft skin with bite and suck marks as his hands moved up and down her body. Her legs wrapped around his hips, squeezing tight and Eddie groaned quietly when she rubbed herself against him again, more urgently.

“Well, you could fuck me.” Maya managed to whimper as her mouth moved down the front of his throat, leaving marks of her own behind on him, smirking as she did so. Her hands went down to the hem of his tee shirt and she started to tug it upward and throwing it onto her bedroom floor as soon as she had it over his head, lowering her mouth and settling it sporadically on his chest and abdomen in various spots after slipping off the top of the dresser, stepping so that she stood in front of him. His eyes fluttered open and shut as the blunt of her teeth scraped at his chest, her mouth latching onto a patch of skin, sucking. Fingertips dug into her body and he stared down at her, muttering quietly, “ Oh no, kitten. What I’m about to do to you is more than fuckin you. We’re past fuckin you now, kitten. This is making love.” as she stared back up at him, biting her lip, her hand hovering over the button on his favorite pair of jeans.

She gave a soft smile and a giggle, working the button out of the buttonhole and then slowly unzipping his jeans, giving a tug to jeans and underwear so that they hit the floor. As her lips moved in a line over his abdomen, he tensed and a growl slipped out of his mouth, his fingers catching in her hair as she hit her knees in front of him. Her tongue danced over the tip of his cock and as she took more of him into her mouth, he groaned, thrusting carefully against her mouth, his head falling back as his fingers curled, gripping the edges of the dresser, pressing his back into it just a little more in an attempt to stay on his feet. “Fuck.” his toes curled against hardwood flooring and the hand tangled in her hair tugged at it as he thrust his hips against her mouth a little faster and she took him deeper in her throat, teasing her tongue over the vein that ran the length of his cock.

“Kitten, look up at me.” Eddie coaxed, staring down at her intently, an adoring and oh so hungry look in his eyes as they locked on her.

Maya pulled away, wiping at her mouth, biting that lip. Eddie nodded to the queen sized bed behind her and leaning down, he gripped her chin, pulling her mouth against him as he muttered into a deep and almost bruising kiss, “On the bed, kitten. Right now. On your knees...”

Maya swallowed hard, slinking over to the bed, settling on it on all fours and Eddie made his way over, flopping down, the mattresses giving a slow creak at the sudden motion. Once he’d settled in, he reached up, gripping Maya’s hips and pulling her up his body, his nose bumping against her cunt as he inhaled deep and growled quietly. “ Wanted to make this fair, kitten.” Eddie muttered as his tongue traveled up the inside of her thighs, and her mouth wrapped around his cock all over again, her head bobbing up and down. As his tongue worked over her clit and then his lips latched on, she whimpered aloud, her body tensing a little, the humming sound she made vibrating through his length and making him grip her hips tighter, rocking them back against his face as he continued to suck at her clit. Maya’s hands gripped his thighs and for a few seconds, it felt so good that she almost forgot to breathe, the bobbing of her mouth as she took him deeper into her throat. The sucking sounds of his mouth latching onto her clit over and over shattered through the silence, competing with the sound of her tongue lapping greedily at his cock. His grip on her hips tightened and he growled, feeling her starting to drip, his tongue darting down her inner thigh to clean up the mess, smirking against soft skin as he did so.

“So fucking sweet. Like candy.” Eddie mused, his teeth scraping against her thigh, latching on erratically, littering up the insides with bite and suck marks, starting the slow and torturous journey back up, his nose bumping against her cunt, Eddie inhaling deep and latching his teeth onto dripping folds as the suction from her mouth tightened around his cock. “Fuck. That’s it, kitten.” his voice came out more of a growl than anything, and he plunged his tongue deep into her dripping sex, slurping and licking her clean as he felt her legs starting to shake. “Get on your back, kitten. Let me take care of you, hm?” his breath tickled the insides of her thighs and her cunt as he muttered the words quietly against.

All Maya could do was nod, let him pull her down onto the bed. As he settled himself on top of her, she went to wrap her legs around him but instead, she bent them at the knee, resting a leg on either side of his body as he lined himself up, his face lowering, his mouth crashing against her own hungrily as his teeth tugged at her lips, kissing until she felt her lips aching and swelling on impact.

Tonight felt different. There wasn’t any rush, they weren’t just tearing each other’s clothes off and going at it like they’d gone mad. Eddie caught her gaze as his cock sank into her, inch by inch. He bit his lip and gave her that crooked grin, leaning down to mutter lazily against her mouth, “Ah, this was better than a quickie on the kitchen table anyway, right kitten?”

“Fuck.. Oh god yes.” Maya breathed against his neck as she dug her fingers into his shoulders and tugged at his hair, rocking her hips upward to meet his slow and deep drives, the smack of skin against skin competing with the quiet creaking of the bed beneath them with every little move they made. His hips connected with her body hard; almost enough to leave bruising behind. His mouth latched onto her neck, dancing across her throat, littering her skin with more bite marks and bruises and when it met her mouth again, she was almost breathless. She held on tighter, a muffled sigh soft against his neck, sending a shiver racing through him as he chuckled and stopped, planting noisy and playful kisses on her face. “That sigh was a good thing right, kitten?”

“A very good thing, Eddie.” Maya crashed her mouth against his, softly smiling into the kiss. He tilted her hips upward slightly, driving into her deep and slow, over and over, almost as if he were hell bent on fucking her deep into the mattress on her bed, that goofy smirk on his face as his gaze settled on her, pinned below. “Good.” he muttered softly against the shell of her ear as he buried his cock inside her even deeper, panting against her ear, “Because all I wanna do is make ya happy, kitten. You know that, yeah?”

“Yes.” Maya moaned, her head tilting, her eyes fluttering open and shut. Her orgasm was building at almost a blinding speed and she was literally almost seeing stars, her body tense, her grip on Eddie tight and only getting tighter, “Oh fuck.. Yeah baby, c’mon.. Faster. Please?”

Eddie chuckled, shaking his head no. “We got all night, you and me.” “But… ah fuck… I’m so close, please.” Maya whimpered out, her teeth grazing against the edge of his ear as her legs gripped his hips tighter and she rocked herself up against him, trying desperately to get her own way, pouting when Eddie’s hips pinned her in tighter. Eddie growled against her mouth, his teeth tugging at her lower lip, his lips clenching around it as he muttered with a dark chuckle, “Not yet, kitten. You gonna be good for me?”

“Yes.” Maya said it quickly, because he was starting to slow to a full stop and she wanted him to keep going, keep fucking into her like he was because it felt too good for him to stop now. And she knew what a tease he could be.

“So wet, kitten. Feels so good, burying my cock inside you.” Eddie grunted against her throat as his mouth danced over it, his teeth latching sporadically in different spots. Oh, he was making it his mission to leave her completely covered in his marks.

He wanted it obvious whose woman she was now. If he could, he’d hire a skywriter and have them fly over the city, advertising it. His heart raced at the reminder that she wanted to be with him. He still hadn’t fully gotten his head around it.

“You’re mine. Right, kitten?” Eddie breathed against her skin, catching her gaze, flashing her that smirk she loved so much. Maya bit her lip and nodded, no hesitation. “All yours, baby.” she clung to him as he continued to fuck into her, slow and deep. His cock slammed into her G spot over and over and all she could do was moan and whimper, begging for her release.

Eddie groaned as he felt himself getting even closer. He tried stopping again, it didn’t work. Staring down at her, he bit his lip. “You gonna cum for me, kitten?”

“Yes.. Fuck yes.” Maya moaned out, digging her nails into his shoulders and dragging them down his back, making him buck into her harder and faster, so fast that the smack of skin against skin echoed through the room and almost overpowered the sound of her headboard hitting the wall at a steady pace. HIs hips stammered and she rocked herself against his thrusts eagerly, her orgasm ripping through, leaving her shaking and moaning, whimpering his name even louder, Eddie joining in when he felt her walls vise his cock, milking him of his seed, his mouth crashing against her mouth, deep and heavy kisses, the soft sound of their smacking lips and heavy breathing filling the air as he fucked them both through their orgasm.

Spent and sated, Maya pulled Eddie down on top of her and Eddie rolled onto the mattress, pulling her into his arms, kissing the bridge of her nose as she nuzzled against him. “Fuck. I know I say this every time, kitten, but that was amazing.” Eddie muttered, raising a hand to brush hair out of her eyes.

“It always is, baby. Are you thirsty? I can go get us some water.” “A little, yeah. Don’t want you to move though.” Eddie pouted as Maya pried herself out of his embrace and stood, tugging his tee shirt down over her head. Eddie reached out, lightly smacking her ass and Maya turned, poking out her tongue. “Did you just smack my ass?”

“Actually, I firmly grasped it.” Eddie chuckled, pulling her back down onto the edge of the bed. Maya laughed against his mouth, “You totally just quoted Spongebob… This isn’t getting us water, baby.”

“Okay, fine.. But hurry back, kitten. A guy gets lonely up here without ya.” Eddie planted a noisy kiss on her lips and let her loose so that she could go downstairs and get them both a glass of water...

#eddie brock fanfiction #eddie brock imagine #eddie brock fanfic #eddie brock oneshot #eddie brock imagines #// no one under 18+#// tw s*xual content #// tw unprotected s*x #// tw body fluids #// i tried to write Eddie #// i am lowkey happy with this tbh

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harvestleaves · 4 years

Text

Take a Breath

Prompt 1: Are you taking requests for your TK with asthma series? If so I'd love to see one with him and Carlos. I know Carlos showed to the rescue in the 1st one but maybe they're on a call together and TK has an attack and he tries to hide it from everyone bc he knows they're busy but Carlos notices and takes care of him... idk I'd just love a tarlos one

Prompt 2: Idk if you’d write it, but: TK has an asthma attack in the middle of sex with Carlos.. or, if you don’t want to write that, TK has a really bad asthma attack during a call

A/N: I chose to combine these two since I’m not sure I’d write a sex scene with them well enough, so this is Carlos helping TK when he has an attack on a call they meet up at. You can also read this on AO3 here.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,170

Carlos sighed heavily as he pulled up to the fire scene, already spotting TK in his gear talking with Judd. A smile appeared on his lips when he caught TK’s eye and waved to his boyfriend before he got out to help one of his coworkers secure the perimeter so no spectators got close to the fire. He’d been hesitant to let TK go into work since he was coming off the tail end of a chest cold and he didn’t want the other to overexert himself and end up having an asthma attack.

TK looked good from what he could see, and he trusted Judd to take care of his boyfriend and to let him know if something was wrong. It was TK he was usually unsure about, knowing his boyfriend's tendency to not care about his own well being while on a call.

“You sure you’re up for this? I heard you wheezing back at the firehouse, the last thing I want is you having another attack.”

TK looked over at Judd with a frown at his words before he grabbed his helmet with a glare.

“I’m fine, why does everyone keep worrying about me? Carlos almost didn’t let me go to my shift today, and now you? I mean, I know you have a heart now, but I didn’t think he’d recruit you to try and keep me grounded.”

“Hey, I didn’t talk with your boy before we left, but I could hear your shitty breathing halfway across the kitchen. Even with the amount of coffee you were trying to drink. Did you take your inhaler before we left?” Judd asked curiously before he started to give out orders.

“Yes, big brother. I did take it,” TK huffed with a frown and a roll of his eyes, moving to step closer to the flames before Judd reached out and grabbed his bicep to turn him around.

“Hey, look me in the eyes and tell me you’re up for this. Otherwise, I’ll have you doing crowd control with your boy.”

TK leveled Judd with a glare as he yanked his arm away. “I’m fine Judd. Promise.”

The long wheeze that followed TK’s words didn’t fully convince Judd. However, Paul yelling for him and TK didn’t really leave Judd to argue with the younger man on the subject as he turned to go back to running the call.

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TK let out a shaky sigh of relief at the end of their call and made his way over to the rig to sit down, stifling a few congested coughs as he rubbed a hand over his chest.

Noticing that TK's breathing was ragged, Carlos frowned and moved to crouch down in front of his boyfriend, setting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

“Tyler? Babe, you okay? Do you have your inhaler on you?”

TK shook his head with another cough before he winced and looked up at his boyfriend with wide eyes, Carlos’ heart breaking at how scared TK looked.

“Tiger, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. You need to start telling people if you’re having trouble breathing. I know everyone else has told you the same thing,” Carlos sighed as he moved to cup TK’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb before he slid an inhaler out of his pocket.

“Now, take a breath for me, Tiger.”

TK raised an eyebrow in surprise as the inhaler was brought up to his mouth and he took a ragged breath of the medicine, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to regulate his breathing.

“That’s it, baby, just breathe for me. You’re okay,” Carlos cooed softly as he pressed a kiss to TK’s temple before he looked over to where Judd was shooting him a worried look before waving the older man over.

“Tiger? I’m gonna step away to talk to Judd really quickly, I just need you to try your inhaler again. Okay?”

The nod TK sent his way was enough for Carlos as he stepped to the side to talk to Judd.

“How’s the kid? He was wheezing back at the station, but he said he took his stuff before the call,” Judd frowned as he caught Carlos’ shoulder, sneaking another glance back at his younger brother.

“He’s still wheezy. I carry his back up inhaler, but I think he needs a breathing treatment. Is it okay if I take him? I think he’d be more comfortable if I took him to my place, let him relax and take his meds with fewer people around,” Carlos explained as he looked back at TK as well.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Keep me posted on how he’s doing,” Judd nodded as he turned toward’s TK and ruffled his hair gently. “I’ll check in on you later, feel better kiddo.”

“C’mon babe. Let’s get you to my place. I’ll let you get a shower while I get a treatment going for you.” Carlos helped TK to his feet and over to his cruiser, buckling the smaller man into the passenger’s seat before he hopped behind the wheel.

----------

“I’m gonna grab a bag to put your gear in and I’ll call to have Judd come pick it up to take it back to the station to get cleaned, then I’ll grab you some clothes. Your job is to get into that shower and wash all the dust and smoke off, I don’t need it irritating your lungs any more than it already has,” Carlos stated firmly as he pointed TK towards the bathroom before grabbing a trash bag for all of TK’s gear.

He returned to the bathroom holding some black sweatpants and a navy Austin PD hoodie for TK, setting the fresh clothes on the counter before he gathered up the gear, placing it into the bag for pickup before he set it in his garage.

TK shuffled out to the living room with a shy smile to Carlos after his shower, his chest still rattling as he wrapped his arms around Carlos’ waist for a hug, the baggy sleeves of the sweatshirt falling over his hands like mittens.

“You sound a little bit better, I think the steam helped your lungs a little. I’ve got a neb prepped in the bedroom and a movie ready to go. Though I will drag you to the ER if it doesn’t help. Deal?” Carlos ran his fingers through TK’s damp hair as the other nodded against his shoulder, a small laugh rumbling in his chest as TK nodded in agreement.

Once Carlos had TK settled under a blanket with the nebulizer mask over his face, he ran his hand up and down the others’ back. The gentle misting sound lulling TK’s eyelids shut despite the medicine increasing his heart rate. Although he should feel wired from the medicine, the feeling of finally being able to breathe, coupled with Carlos holding him close was making him sleepy, finally feeling relaxed and safe despite the panic he had been feeling less than an hour ago.

#9 1 1 lone star #tk strand #carlos reyes #tarlos #tarlos fic #judd ryder

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simpingforthisonedeer · 4 years

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Chapter 2: The War Room

Summary: You'll learn more abt Aika and Julius gets some time in the spotlight and shows off his military genius :)))

Notes: Like in BC canon, everyone's like omggg hes such an amazing wizard king who brings us so many victories!!! but we never actually see any of his ideas and plans? So i've decided to showcase that in this fic

A week later, Aika hummed a playful tune as she planted a few wisteria trees around the Magic Knights Headquarters. Lord Raymond, the current Wizard King, was planning a stressful military campaign against another imminent invasion from the Diamond Kingdom so Aika planted a few trees for him to enjoy whenever he relaxed in the gardens to get away from work.

Aika had helped Lord Raymond with foreign matters over the years and had grown to become good friends with the older man. It was only by accident that they found that his dead younger brother was Aika’s father.

Years ago, she was selling paintings her father had painted before he died and in curiosity, Raymond came to the pseudo-art show. When he noticed the artist’s name and signature, he knew it was his brother. Needless to say, Aika was ecstatic. She had lost her entire family at sixteen and finding family again nearly two decades later was like a dream come true.

Though she was his niece, her experience and information from other kingdoms was something Lord Raymond highly valued and since Aika needed a cover for her work. So she worked as an unofficial consultant to him. She would rather not be paid by her own family.

She stood up as she dusted the dirt from her knees. Aika curled her toes to grip and grass and tightly clasped the plant stone in her right palm. She took a deep breath in, spread her arms out towards the little grove and pushed her magic into the seeds and willed them to grow.

She couldn’t grow plants quickly with Time Magic alone because she would have to accelerate the day-night cycle and provide the plants with constant water and nutrition, theoretically speaking. But Plant Magic, on the other hand, doesn’t have such limitations and plants could grow just with magic alone with extra magical properties. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

Aika had noted that Time and Plant magic shared similar properties because during her studies, she had found that magic wasn’t a catalyst in some Plant Mages cases but actually accelerated time while providing all that the plant needed to grow. In other Plant mages’ cases, most notably the ones who grew plants slower, the magic only acts as an accelerant with no time magic in play.

Aika dodged as a clump of hard dirt nearly hit her in the face when the trees sprouted and rose rapidly. She watched with a small smile as the vine-like branches grew and sprouted wisteria flowers that shone in the afternoon sun. She had no doubt that they would glow in the night as well.

“Miss Aika!” her guard’s voice yelled out.

“I’m fine!” she yelled back as she adjusted her sun hat.

“No, Miss Aika,” he ran to her side. “The Wizard King wants you in the Captain’s Conference room immediately.”

“Oh? Did he say what for, Evan?” Aika adjusted her plaid skirt.

“He said it’s time you were brought in,” Evan gave her a knowing look. Aika sighed. Today was going to be a long day. At least this meant that she didn’t have to wear that god-awful amulet that made people forget her.

“Alright, thank you. Take the rest of the day off. I’m sorry I can’t join you, Ellie and Jayce tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am and it’s alright. The trees look really beautiful by the way.”

“Thank you, Evan.”

She turned and looked up at the Headquarters Tower with a squint.

It’s time, huh? Is it really that serious, Uncle Ray? Aika thought as she slipped into her heels.

She slid her backpack on and waved ‘bye’ to her guard as she flew to the arched, slightly open, clover windows of the conference room. She hid her mana and flew a little to the side of the windows and peeked in.

Her Uncle had his back to her as he faced seven captains. By the way he was gesticulating at Lord Silva, the Silver Eagles Captain, Aika could tell he was getting impatient for some reason. The walls and tables were strewn with papers blotted with inks of various colors. The rest of the Captains were in deep discussion in varying states of distress, no doubt about the upcoming confrontation with the Diamond kingdom.

She looked around at the Captains for one particular one. Her eyes met Julius’ and she grinned openly. She gave him a hesitant wave at the confused tilt of his head. Maybe he forgot her? A few Captains looked her way along with Julius, suspicious of the woman by the window.

Aika quickly sobered as she lightly touched the window. She wasn’t here for him. Maybe she’ll talk to him after whatever her Uncle needed her to do. He had been plaguing her mind for days , like who gave him permission to do that? Maybe another sit down with him will reveal something about him that will annoy her nitpicking self and she will completely stop idealizing him. Yeah, that’s a good idea.

She slipped between the windows and into the room, as quiet as a breeze. All the captains except Julius and Captain Vermillion stood and moved to attack but Lord Raymond whipped his head around and motioned the Captains to stop.

“Why use the window when there is a perfectly serviceable door, Aika?” her Uncle asked in a bored voice.

“Why use the door when there is a perfectly serviceable window, sir?” She retorted as she took off her hat with a flourish. He shook his head with a scoff.

“Enough with the cheek.”

“Yes, sir.”

Aika clasped her hands and clicked her heels together as she turned to the conference table where all the standing Captains sat down slowly, all eyes on her. They all might’ve seen her around the Magic Knights Headquarters, sitting on the floor in the hallways or in the gardens with a bunch of books and papers scattered haphazardly around her or running around with maids and guards but they would’ve all forgotten about her, thanks to her amulet. And she hasn’t been in the Clover Kingdom in a couple years so she doesn’t expect anyone except Captain Vermilion to remember her.

She had always worked behind the scenes on this continent, running her businesses, private clandestine services, professional development, etc, so she had to stay lowkey to protect her identity and her work. But when she needed to continue her work without arousing suspicion and provide information to the next Wizard King, she needed to step up into the spotlight once again, at least until some trust was established. A spy network was incredibly valuable to her Uncle and his agenda to clean up the criminal underworld from the worst of its traits like slavery, forced prostitution, anti-monarchist movements, and apocalyptic cults.

But Aika herself had personal value for her strategies, diplomacy, connections, and experience in foreign warfare. And so, here she was, her position and identity exposed along with her physique too coincidentally, in the tight, black sweater and thigh length skirt she wore.

The price I pay for trying to feel sexy today.

She was pleased to note Julius’ eyes roving over her with a small smile. She winked when his eyes met hers. He looked away with a small blush. Aika wouldn’t mind working with such delicious eye candy.

“This is Aika Tolliver,” Raymond began as he faced the Captains. “She will help us pinpoint which General will be attacking us this time and where.”

“Who is she, exactly?” The Purple Orcas’ captain asked as she leaned forward, her gray eyes scrutinizing her.

“Her curriculum vitae is irrelevant,” Raymond sat down in his chair with a heavy sigh. “What she knows and what she can do for us is the only thing we’re going to discuss today.”

“Gosh, is he like this all the time?” Aika asked jokingly as she leaned on the table and crossed her arms. While she won’t outright tell them that she was his niece, if he was going to bring her in front of the captains, she was definitely going to have a lot of fun implicating all sorts of things that will leave the captains confused about who she is to the Wizard King.

“Aika, not the time.”

“Alright, alright,” she set her hat down on his desk with an amused smile and took out a leather-bound notebook and a fountain pen. She looked up at the captains with a mild look.

“Long story short, I’m an off-the-record tactical strategist who helps Lord Raymond every now and then,” Aika looked down and flipped through the pages of her notebook as she continued. “I didn’t want my name to be known for my own privacy and the safety of my assets. That’s why I was never brought in but I assume the situation is dire if Master Raymond wanted to bring me in front of the captains.”

Said captains stayed silent as they processed the vague information. Aika looked apologetically at Julius. For all Julius knew, she lied to him but he shrugged and shook his head with a small smile.

“So what is the issue here?” She quickly skimmed the papers next to her. There were several different combinations of squads that could be dispatched but it was all useless if they didn’t know which general or generals they would be facing. In her opinion, they should bring down the hammer and send out all the squads and end this mess once and for all. “I’ve already told Master Raymond what generals and where and I’ve given him the maps of the location of the fortress their brigades have relocated to. I've also said when. They are going to execute their plan next Saturday.”

“Captain Silva here doesn’t believe me,” Raymond crossed his arms and glared at the silver-haired man.

“Well, now it’s even worse,” Silva slammed his fist on the table. “because your information comes from a dubious source we have never heard of!” he barked, spittle flying as he pointed an accusing finger at Aika. Raymond was about to retort but Aika only hummed thoughtfully at his outraged face.

She knew Captain Silva and Uncle Raymond had a fierce rivalry because they both had Water Magic, but it should’ve ended when her Uncle became the Magic Emperor. But Captain Silva still seemed to hold a grudge and Aika also knew that he had become severely depressed and irritable after Lady Acier’s death and the stress of this war was really getting to him so she bit back a reflexively cutting remark. She took the diplomatic route instead.

“I definitely understand where you’re coming from but I can assure you that this information is from our spies in the Diamond Kingdom.”

“Lies! We don’t have any spies in the Diamond Kingdom!”

Julius quickly moved to interject when he noticed Aika’s cheek twiched in annoyance. A verbal smackdown like the one he got that night wouldn’t be received well by the proud captain. He saw how easily she shrugged off the pressure he put on her, so he wasn’t taking any chances with an actual confrontation.

“Well, let’s not get hasty,” he addressed the captains gently. He turned to Aika and quickly masked a smile when her face lit up. “Even if we did have spies, the information they’ve given us is wrong. We destroyed the South Fortress last month and Lord Raymond told us that two brigades have relocated to the South Fortress which I assume is the information from our ‘spies.’”

“You assumed correctly, Julius.” His lips twitched up at being addressed so familiarly in front of everyone. “And forgive Master Raymond for not clarifying, he’s just a little sleep-deprived,” she pursed her lips when the captains threw her confused looks at that causal comment. “They’ve moved their operations in the former South Fortress to a black site previously used for human experimentation and other R&D.”

Silence fell over them. Human experiments. While the captains were aware, being reminded of what they had read in the reports of said experiments sickened them.

Aika quietly flipped through her notebook.

“Here it says that Generals Hennequin and Allard have mobilized their forces into the black site, now called the South Fortress.”

“And how can we know for sure,” Julius began mutely. “That what you are saying is true?”

“I’ve been working for the Wizard King for years, providing him with information regarding foreign matters—”

“And don’t forget about unsolicited advice on domestic ones,” Her Uncle’s muffled voice quipped, unaffected by the mention of human experiments. She threw a mocking glare at his head which was now buried in his arms.

“And most of the information I was given was accurate and useful. We take very good care of our assets so malicious betrayal and misinformation is incredibly rare. I can assure you that this information is accurate.”

Julius and the other briefly scrutinized her for any tells that she was lying and were satisfied that they didn’t find any. While they believed her, they were still wary. Aika sighed.

“Now, if we’re done discussing whether facts are actually facts, let’s get back to the planning. We can’t agree on what squads to send,” Raymond groused as he pushed maps of movements that a trio of squads will follow towards Aika. Each map was a different combination of 3 squads and movements and attack sequences. It was all on the surface. But Aika left her Uncle notes in his folder last night about new intel. The two Diamond generals purchased rights to build exclusive tunnels to the Main Channels from the black site which was underground, the Main Channels that lead directly into the Common Realm in the Clover Kingdom.

Aika suppressed the fear that struck her heart and turned to glare at her Uncle for real this time. He didn’t look at the notes she had left and now he was making completely wrong moves. The wrong moves that would cost many civilian lives.

“Master Raymond,” she nearly growled. “I assume you haven’t looked at the new intel and notes I left last night?”

He glared back.

“What new intel?”

“New intel saying that the Diamond Generals bought rights to tunnel into the Main Channels from the black site.”

“What?!”

She sifted through his papers and found the thin folder and showed him the notes and explained the situation.

“So there would most likely be a fight on the surface for a distraction while they invade us through the tunnels, meaning more than two brigades will attack us.”

Aika nodded gravely.

“I’m sorry, what are these tunnels and channels you’re talking about?” The captain of the Praying Mantis, Marcus, asked. A few others nodded, confused as well.

Captain Vermillion cleared his throat to draw attention to him. He sat up straight and his deep voice rang clearly through the room,

“They are talking about The Innkeeper’s Tunnels. The Innkeeper is a neutral, underground organization that provides safe houses indiscriminately. And in order to get to the safe houses, the Innkeeper had built a tunnel system. This tunnel system was built centuries ago and today it’s also used for underground travel, trade, and the black market, across the continent. It is the only way we trade for magic gems with the Diamond Kingdom because of the current hostilities,” He turned to Aika. “I don’t believe The Innkeeper would allow them to send brigades through the tunnels.”

Aika masked her surprise that he even addressed her. He had completely and deliberately cut her off after she broke up with one of his children and now he was talking to her all of a sudden?

Despite his surprising behavior, Aika agreed with his explanation. She remembered when she tailed him on his frequent missions to the criminal underworld so he knew what he was talking about.

“I agree, The Innkeeper wouldn’t allow them, but they have no real means to stop them. They don’t have a private army and the magical barriers won’t hold against two whole brigades.”

“Then they will call in a favor.”

“From who?”

Captain Vermillion leveled his gaze at her.

“From you.”

“No,” Aika said with absolute finality. He raised an eyebrow as she bristled.

“‘No, they won’t ask,’ or ‘No, you won’t do it?’” He knew she wouldn’t and did he really need to bring up her past here?

“No to both, Leonardo,” Raymond cut in with a scowl and changed the topic. “We need to be ready to face them under and over, and that means all squads need to roll out.”

“Actually,” Julius interjected. “We should leak the information that we know,” he suggested. The captains turned to Julius, not surprised by his unorthodox idea. He may be the youngest of the captains at the table at nearly thirty-six years old, but he was also the smartest and the strongest. His unexpectedly brilliant ideas and the strategic way he built his squad left no doubt that he would be a great military leader as The Magic Emperor.

“Why would we do that?” Captain Silva asked as he pressed his fingers to his temples, knowing full well that there was a good explanation coming.

“Because this plan to use the underground tunnels would only work if we are unaware. If they know that we know, and that we would come prepared to the tunnels, they will change their plans. They will think that their element of surprise and lack of resistance is gone, so their chances of winning decreased. And since they don’t know that we leaked it, they would think that we put our squads underground for their ‘attack.’ So they will put their troops on land or air to take us on.”

“But instead,” Aika began quietly as his idea became clear. “we will be prepared to attack with the full weight of our army above ground and overwhelm them completely, giving us a chance to negotiate a ceasefire.”

“No,” Julius laced his fingers together with a cool expression. “We demand a surrender.”

Notes: Julius is lowkey scary in canon and i plan to show more of that in this fic. The end was just a lil taste, but in battle? oooooh I can't wait to write ruthless Julius ;))))

oh and yall should read the hashtags in the posts. There’s info abt next chap in them:)

#julius novachrono #julius novachrono x oc #julius novachrono x reader #can yall believe i did a thorough character study and researched realistic behaviors??#sighh #sorry this was lil plot heavy #the next chapter focuses more on the two lovebirds #so don't worry ;)))#we get to meet Aikas friends and help Julius with his lil liver problem :)

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unpeumacabre · 4 years

Text

my kingdom for a horse: chapter 2

the year is 1601, a messenger has been sent to dongnae, and he has not returned. lord cho-hak-ju advises the joseon king to send crown prince lee chang to dongnae to investigate, but the plot he unravels there threatens the safety of the entire kingdom, and the stability of the dynasty.

a rewriting of kingdom, and lee chang finds love.

Rating: Mature

Relationships: Lee Chang/Yeong-shin

Read on AO3 (bc tumblr might mess up the formatting + more extensive author’s notes on the story)

Count: 5k

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A/N: ahhhh yall were so amazing it gave me the motivation to finish editing the next chapter early !! this is my first kingdom ff but omg the fandom is full of such amazing people, please enjoy and lemme know what you think <3

When they return to Jiyulheon, it is just as the sun sinks below the horizon, and darkness envelops them. As they run into the compound and shut the gates behind them, they can already hear the gnashing of the monsters’ teeth and their ghoulish cries of hunger echoing behind them.

They barricade the gate with a nearby cart, filling it with sandbags and other heavy items to hold its weight. Only then does Lee Chang turn to face the compound, and observe what lies within it.

It is truly a sorry sight. Blood has seeped into the sandy floor and the wooden floorboards of the main building, and there are, by his count, around thirty people left inside Jiyulheon. Most are too old - and others, too young - to wield a sword. The subdued wails of grieving women fill the air, as does the stench of death and the rot of carrion.

The man drops his load of bamboo poles next to a group of men, who obediently pick up their axes and other sharp implements, and begin sharpening the tips of the poles. “Seo-bi!” he calls, striding off towards the main building, and with a glance at each other, Lee Chang and Mu-yeong follow.

A weathered-looking woman hurries out of the building to meet them. Her hair is tied up in a utilitarian bun, and her clothes are stained with blood and other unidentifiable fluids. As she approaches closer, Lee Chang realises that she is not as old as he would have first thought – it is the lines of tension around her features that age her beyond her years.

She draws up short when she reaches them, and casts assessing but neutral eyes over Lee Chang and Mu-yeong.

“Who are you?” she asks, and she uses formal speech, in acknowledgement of their fine clothes and obvious nobility. It is in stark contrast to the uncaring way the man had used to address them.

When Mu-yeong hands her Lee Chang’s identification plaque, her eyes go wide, and she falls to her knees.

“Your Highness,” she says, to the ground.

“You may rise,” Lee Chang says, nodding in acknowledgement of her gesture. Again, her obeisance reminds him of the man’s defiance of his royal status, and he cannot help but turn his head and direct his gaze at the subject of his thoughts. The man returns his gaze, but makes no move to follow in suit to the woman’s deference. Against his will, Lee Chang finds the corner of his mouth quirk up in weary amusement at the man’s stubborn determination not to bend knee to him.

In Hanyang, we would have his head, he thinks absently, but they are not in Hanyang, and he has never been the tyrant his father had attempted to mould him into. Lee Chang has never been able to force himself to cruelty, and it is a trait he has not mastered even in adulthood.

The woman stands up slowly, not meeting Lee Chang’s eyes. He asks for her name and station, and she answers that she is Seo-bi, a nurse who had been working under physician Lee Seung-hui here at Jiyulheon, a safe haven for the sick and poor.

“Lee Seung-hui?” Lee Chang asks, upon hearing the name. “The royal physician? I recall him being dismissed from his position many years ago, but I do not recall the matter over which he was dismissed. Can we meet him? Surely he must have much knowledge of these monsters, given his experience and wisdom.”

Seo-bi shakes her head. “He went missing three days ago, when first the monsters formed among us,” she explains. “We do not know where he has gone. We think he is now one of the monsters’ party, but we cannot be sure.”

While her face is a near-perfect mask in its inscrutability, Lee Chang sees her hands tremble as she speaks of the fate of her master, and he feels a great swell of grief.

“I am sorry for your loss,” he says, and inclines his head. “Although I did not personally know him, I had heard many great things of his work. When this is over, we will give him the honourable burial he deserves.” Seo-bi’s head dips lower, and she nods in thanks.

“Did he leave behind a journal, or any other record, perhaps with details of these monsters?” he then presses. “Or did he ever speak of them to you before?”

Seo-bi nods. “He mentioned it in passing, many years ago. I think he did not mean for me to hear… but he was very distressed over a particular case at that time, and his mind was otherwise occupied. He said that the disease originates from the resurrection plant, found deep in the heart of the coldest of mountains, and that he had once had samples of it for study, but they had been lost, somehow. He did not mention how. And of his journals and notes…” she shakes her head. “We have searched in our waking hours for any information on the monsters we could find among his keeping, and there is none. There are records with pages missing, torn out, and we have searched all over the clinic, but we cannot find them.”

“That is suspicious indeed,” breathes Mu-yeong. “Do you know anyone with a motive to remove this information from Master Lee’s keeping?”

Seo-bi shakes her head again, firmly. “There is no one but Lee Seung-hui and a few of the nurses who knew where his journals were kept – and of those few, I am the only one alive still. The other nurses all perished at the hands of the monsters.”

There is a loud bang on the gate, and they all spin around and stare, hefting their weapons and unconsciously stepping in front of Seo-bi. A click sounds beside them, and Lee Chang looks over to see the man swiftly and deftly loading his musket, clearly with great experience. As he looks away quickly to the gate, he catches Mu-yeong’s eyes, and sees in them the same thought.

There is no time for further suspicion as the monsters pile in against the doors, their combined weight making the carts creak and moan – yet still, against all odds, they hold.

“How long have they been pounding at the gates?” yells Mu-yeong. “They do not look as if they will hold much longer!”

“We have been holding out here for three days,” the man says darkly, stalking forward. Lee Chang and Mu-yeong follow, hefting their swords, while Seo-bi hurries the women and children into the shelter of the main building.

“Did you not approach Dongnae for help?” asks Lee Chang, lowly. “The magistrate… ”

“We did,” the man says sharply, casting him a side glance from under his lashes. “We prostrated ourselves in front of the magistrate of Dongnae, Seo-bi and I, but to no avail. They did not believe us without proof, and refused to send a constable here to investigate matters. We were nearly thrown into jail for spreading lies and causing hysteria.”

“Your ruffian-like appearance probably didn’t help matters,” mutters Mu-yeong under his breath, but he subsides when Lee Chang shoots a reproving glance at him.

“We will go to Dongnae tomorrow,” Lee Chang tells the man, “and I will make them listen. How is that the monsters have not yet visited Dongnae?”

“They are drawn by the smell of blood,” the man says softly. Lee Chang feels the slickness of the gravel under his feet, and they need say no more on the matter.

“What is your name?” Lee Chang asks. He watches the man. He keeps himself deathly still, every cord of his body wound tight and perfectly in place. But the restless tap of his fingers against the wood of his musket betrays him.

“Yeong-shin,” says the man shortly, after a pause, and his voice is rough.

“Yeong-shin,” Lee Chang repeats. The petulant moans of the monsters rises, loud and clear, beyond the gates, and Lee Chang remembers their fetid breath against his neck, the unholy light in their eyes.

“Aim for the head,” Yeong-shin says, hefting his gun.

I will survive, Lee Chang tells himself. If I die, so will the people of Jiyulheon. I will survive.

***

“It is a miracle,” cries Mu-yeong, as the sun breaks past the horizon, and still they are all standing in Jiyulheon, alive and well. There had been a few tense moments, where the monsters had almost broken through their defences, but Yeong-shin had shot a monster in the face, and Lee Chang had cut off one’s head, then they had wedged the bodies in the holes created by the monsters as a temporary stopgap. It is indeed a miracle that they have held out as long as they have.

“This door will not hold one more night,” Yeong-shin says, his hand against the weathered wood. He turns back to them, his eyes burning. “We must get help from Dongnae.”

“We will,” Lee Chang says, with all the conviction he can muster. “You have my word.”

Yeong-shin casts him a scornful glare. “And the word of a prince means nothing to me,” he says hollowly. “Here we lie starving and sick and wasting away, because of the greed of the nobles. Forgive me if I do not trust your words.”

“You dare - ” Mu-yeong hisses, drawing his sword, but Lee Chang flings out his arm, staying him. He fixes his eyes on Yeong-shin.

“Then have the word of a man who has seen what these monsters can do,” he says, finally. “Have the word of a man who would not see a drop of blood further shed – no matter whether it be the blood of a noble, or a peasant, or even a dog.”

A long moment as Yeong-shin turns a searching, scorching look on him. Lee Chang feels sweat gather under his robe. Then Yeong-shin nods, in grudging acceptance, and turns away.

“We ride to Dongnae, then,” Mu-yeong says, sheathing his sword and turning to their horses. As they mount and ride down the path, Lee Chang feels the heat of Yeong-shin’s gaze on the back of his neck, and he feels the weight of that gaze all the way till they reach Dongnae.

The gates of Dongnae lie open, and limp on their hinges. Lee Chang feels that familiar feeling of resigned dread creep under his skin. There is the vile scent of blood on the air.

The streets are deserted, and their horses have to pick their way over the piles of wood and stone that have fallen from some of the houses. A man lies crushed underneath one of the pillars that had given way from the porch of a house, and his mottled black face is twisted beyond recognition into an inhuman snarl. Lee Chang has to avert his eyes.

There are some signs of life, still. Men and women emerge from the rooftops like ghouls, their eyes hooded and their clothing stained with blood. They watch, silently, as Lee Chang and Mu-yeong make their way through the streets. There is muted crying from a girl standing in front of her home, calling for her mother, and it breaks Lee Chang’s heart.

“Where is the magistrate of Dongnae?” calls Mu-yeong, and the ghouls on the rooftops shift, whisper and exchange glances. Then one particularly brave soul breaks the silence, a woman with a baby suckling quietly at her exposed breast.

“They have fled!” she wails. “The officials, they left us to die. The moment these monsters invaded our streets, the magistrate and his fellows upped and ran. They had no pity for those of us without horses and with our children, our elderly to carry on our backs.”

“This is all that’s left of Dongnae?” Lee Chang says, and although his voice is quiet, it carries. The whispers among the ghouls stop, and they stare.

“Aye,” says a man, weathered and old, as he perches wearily on the shingles of a roof. “It is all that is left of our people.”

“The monsters will be back tonight,” Lee Chang says, and he waits patiently for the sudden alarmed cacophony of murmurs to subside, before he continues. “Load your oldest and youngest on carts, and go to the docks before sunset. The monsters fear water – we will put you on ships and send you to Sangju for sanctuary.”

“Who are you to guarantee us passage to Sangju?” shouts one of the men. “And how will we sail? Only the magistrate has the authority to loose the ships docked at the harbour.”

The jade of Lee Chang’s identification tag flashes in the light, as he holds it up. The peasants inhale, a collective gasp, and they scramble to fall to their knees.

“All hail the Crown Prince!” calls the old man, his voice quavering.

“Rest assured,” Lee Chang says quietly, “we will get you to safety. This I swear to you.”

And so the peasants descend from the rooftops. They set about finding carts and supplies from what remains of the rubble, and loading their vulnerable onto the vehicles. When Lee Chang is sure that they will be able to manage on their own, he approaches the old man, who seems the calmest, and who has assumed some sort of leadership role over the group.

“Do you know where the magistrate and the other officials have gone?” he says, lowly. The man shakes his head, then pauses, and thinks.

“Most likely the barracks,” he answers. “The gates are heavy, and would have withstood the monsters’ attacks.” He then gives them directions to the fortress, and they mount their horses and ride again.

When they reach the barracks, the sun is already high in the sky, and Lee Chang curses the time they have wasted running to and fro. “When we find those cowardly officials…” he vows, and Mu-yeong nods from beside him, his jaw set.

“Where is the magistrate of Dongnae?” he roars, glaring up at the soldiers stationed at the top of the fortress walls. Immediately arrows are trained on them, and the ring of Mu-yeong’s unsheathed blade echoes in answer.

“Shoot, and your families will be annihilated!” Mu-yeong bellows. His voice is so sure, the archers hesitate, and turn to look at each other in confusion.

“State your business with the magistrate, or leave!” comes a voice from behind the soldiers, and Lee Chang dislikes it immediately. It is a cold, weaselly kind of voice, the voice of a coward.

“Must the Crown Prince have a reason to seek an audience with the magistrate of Dongnae?”he thunders, and for the second time that day, he thrusts his identification tag towards the sun.

A short little man in blood-spattered white robes shoves his way past the soldiers to squint at the tag. It is gratifying to see his eyes go wide, and his thin body begin to quiver.

“Th-the-the four-clawed dragon – it is the Crown Prince!” he howls, and falls to his knees. The archers quickly follow suit, their bows and arrows falling to the ground.

“You have already committed a grave insult by allowing your archers to aim their arrows at me,” Lee Chang says quietly. “Will you continue adding to your list of crimes by making me repeat myself?”

“O-open the gate!” squeals the little man, gesturing wildly to someone behind him. “It is the Crown Prince and his guard!”

The gates open and they ride in. There to greet them are the magistrate, in rich silken purple robes, and the weaselly man. Both are prostrate on the ground, but Lee Chang grasps the magistrate by the fabric at his throat, and hauls him up.

“A man who is charged with the safety of his people,” he says softly, “fled to the barracks like a coward, and left his people to die. Do only the lives of the rich and well-born matter in this world? I think not.” In disgust, he casts the man back down, where he falls into the dirt and grovels.

“Your Highness – beg pardon – we did not know - ”

“Hundreds of men and women and children died last night,” roars Lee Chang. “Hundreds of them, while you and your officials sat here and cowered behind the walls of your barracks. You do not deserve your title. You are lucky I have not yet asked my guard for your head.” The man shrieks and blubbers, grinding his head deeper into the ground.

“We must assemble ships and sail to Sangju,” Lee Chang continues, looking down at the two men crawling on the ground, with immense loathing. “We must leave before the sun sets. Send some of your men to find the creatures – they will be hiding under houses and in caves and wherever the sun does not shine – and burn their bodies, or remove their heads. That is the only way to kill them. At least we can try to thin their numbers, to delay their spread.”

“Your Highness!” comes another voice from inside the main building, and Lee Chang looks up to see an old lady in silk robes and an ivory pin through her hair emerge from the darkness. She prostrates herself at his feet.

“I am the mother of the ex-commander of this battalion. Please, you must allow my son’s body to be honoured with a proper funeral, or else our family will be disgraced.”

“Y-Your Highness!” another official calls, running out from the building and kowtowing as well. “My son’s body should also be honoured with a funeral. Please do not let his body be defiled.”

“Yes – the officials’ bodies must be protected!” cries the weaselly man in white robes. “We can separate their bodies by the clothes on their back. Silk for officials, linen for peasants. We must honour the officials’ bodies.” His words are followed by a concordant chorus from the rest of the nobles, who have now assembled around them and are kneeling on the ground.

Lee Chang bites back the repulsion in his throat. “I understand your pain, and your loss,” he says finally, “but we must destroy these monsters, if we are to minimise further casualties. They are no longer human. We must destroy them all, whether peasant or noble. That is my final word on the matter.”

The commander’s wife looks as if she has more to say, but at a threatening glare from Mu-yeong, she subsides, pressing her head closer to the ground as if to hide her expression. Lee Chang makes a mental note to keep a close eye on her.

“Those are my orders,” he repeats. “Am I understood?”

The magistrate rears upright on shaky legs. “I, Cho Beom-pal, magistrate of Dongnae, shall heed Your Royal Highness’ commands!” he shouts.

“Good,” Lee Chang nods in approval, and turns away. Mu-yeong stops him before he leaves.

“Your Highness, that man is not to be trusted,” he whispers. “The magistrate is a fool, but his adjutant seems a sneaky, cunning, lying sort. He’d soon as turn around and bite you as he’d lick your boots and grovel at your feet.”

“You are right,” Lee Chang concedes. “Then, Mu-yeong, you must stay here and ensure my orders are carried out. I will return to Jiyulheon by myself, to deliver the good news to them.”

“But Your Highness - !” Mu-yeong protests, his eyes going wide at the notion of the prince having to journey on his own. Lee Chang steadies him with a glance.

“It will be barely half a day that we are apart,” he promises. “Do not worry. I will keep myself safe.”

Mu-yeong finally capitulates, although it is with immense reluctance. Lee Chang understands his feelings – even in Hanyang Mu-yeong had been unwilling to let him out of his sight, though there had been thousands of palace guards to keep him safe. Perhaps even more so because of the guards – both of them knew that trust was to be found few and far between among the residents of Changdeokgung, given how much influence the queen, Cho Hak-ju and the rest of the Haewon Cho clan over them. And when it came to areas outside Hanyang… It had been even more unimaginable for Mu-yeong to let them separate, when there were so many unknowns and potential agents of disaster out there.

Until now, he supposes. But they have no choice – Mu-yeong is the only one he trusts to carry out his wishes. Ever since he had saved the man from certain annihilation of his family because of petty theft, and had earned his loyalty, Mu-yeong has proven that loyalty a thousand times over. Lee Chang realises that there is no one else in this world who he trusts more.

He knows Mu-yeong understands all that, and it is the only reason why he permits himself to leave Lee Chang’s side. Lee Chang gives him a tense smile, to reassure his old friend, then he remounts his steed, and rides through the gates.

It takes only a short amount of time to ride from the barracks to the base of Mount Geumjong again, and when he arrives, he finds the people of Jiyulheon taking their midday meal. He dismounts and hands the reins to one of the men guarding the gate.

Yeong-shin comes out to meet him, a large-brimmed hat shading his eyes from the sun. He is pocketing a knife as he emerges from the main building, and Lee Chang observes how his fingers are coated not with food crumbs, but with bamboo dust. He does not greet Lee Chang, but the question in his eyes is clear. Lee Chang nods in response.

“We must get the people to the docks,” he says. “I have spoken to the magistrate of Dongnae. They have sent men to thin the numbers of the monsters, and to ready the ships for departure to Sangju.”

“How do you know the magistrate won’t leave without us?” Yeong-shin says. Seo- bi comes out from behind him, wiping her hands on her apron. She smells of steamed rice, and her brow is furrowed with weariness. There is fresh blood on her skirts, but she hardly seems to notice.

“I left Mu-yeong to guard them and ensure they would carry out my orders,” Lee Chang replies. “You need not worry. I trust him with my life.”

“I hope you trust him with our lives as well,” mutters Yeong-shin, bad-temperedly, and stalks off towards the carts without a word.

“Seo-bi,” Lee Chang turns to her, “We must get the people of Jiyulheon onto the carts, along with sufficient food and supplies.”

“We do not have much food, but I will prepare what we have left, along with the medical supplies,” she says. “We should have enough to last till Sangju at least.”

They do indeed have enough, Lee Chang realises with some relief, when later they are standing before Dongnae’s ships, and watching the soldiers load cages upon cages of pigs, chickens and other livestock onto the ships. It looks enough to feed an army, and hopefully will be enough to allay the burden placed on Sangju by the arrival of so many refugees.

Mu-yeong meets him as he walks along the docks with Seo-bi and Yeong-shin, helping where they can – assisting an old man up the ramps of one of the ships, catching a bale of straw as it falls off a cart, guiding a lost boy back to his father. All seems to be going well, and in good time, and Lee Chang smiles in approval at Mu-yeong.

“Were you given any trouble?” he asks, under his breath. Mu-yeong’s eyes darken, but he shakes his head. “Not much,” he murmurs in answer. “The commander’s mother tried to load her son onto the ship in a golden casket, but I caught it in time. Her son’s head is now separated from his shoulders, and they are both buried in the mass grave in the forest.”

These selfish fools, Lee Chang thinks to himself furiously, compromising the safety of everyone on board – and for what? Their petty honour and familial pride? These things matter little in a crisis of this magnitude – can they not understand that?

But instead of voicing his thoughts, he asks, “And the monsters?”

“We couldn’t burn them all. There were too many – their numbers appear to have more than doubled, likely from attacking some of the surrounding villages.”

“Your Highness!” comes the magistrate’s voice from somewhere in front of them, and Lee Chang turns, squinting through the dusk light to make out where he is. He is standing on the deck of one of the ships, excitedly waving. His adjutant is standing by him, an extremely sour expression on his face.

Cho Beom-pal tumbles down the ramp of his ship, almost tripping over his feet as he scurries over to Lee Chang and the rest of his group. He falls to his knees.

“Your Royal Highness!” he barks, lifting his head. “I, Cho Beom-pal, magistrate of Dongnae, have carried out your orders in full! We have loaded all our supplies and people onto the ships and are now ready to depart. We have saved you and your companions space on our last ship – it would be a great honour if you would join us on our vessel!”

“Your Highness,” Seo-bi says quietly, and Lee Chang turns to look at her. She is pointing towards a group of four peasants who are cowering on the ramp.

“Ah – we do not have enough space on the ships for some people,” Cho Beom-pal explains, scratching his head in embarrassment. “We could barely fit the food as it is… And your guard already stopped us from taking all our treasures and silks and accoutrements… There really isn’t any space left for more people.”

“If we do not board the ship, there will be space for those men, will there not?” Lee Chang says sternly. There is a sharp inhale from beside him, where Yeong-shin is standing.

“W-w-w-we?” stammers Cho Beom-pal, chancing a peek up at him from his prostrate position. “You mean – you and your companions will not be boarding the boat?”

“You, your adjutant, my guard and I,” Lee Chang says lowly. “As nobles of the Joseon kingdom, it is our duty to protect and serve the people. Those peasants have faced one night of death with courage and strength – they deserve to see many more nights. I trust that you have no issue with my plan?”

“No, Your Highness!” cries Cho Beom-pal. “We will – we will fetch our horses immediately!” He grovels for a bit more before hurrying away to his ship, eyes averted and head bowed.

“Your Highness!” Mu-yeong says from behind Lee Chang, and his voice is aghast. “It is not safe for you. You must board one of those boats and go to Sangju.”

Lee Chang looks at the peasants clutching each other on the ramp of the ship, their bodies thin and spindly, their clothes worn and ragged with the wear and tear of poverty. He thinks of his own childhood, spent clothed in silks and jade and regalia that would cost more than these peasants would ever see in a lifetime.

“I am different,” he says quietly in answer to Mu-yeong, the words slipping unbidden from him.

“Your Highness?” Mu-yeong asks, in disbelief.

“I am different from the petty, greedy officials of Dongnae,” Lee Chang says, his voice growing stronger and surer with every word he says, “and I am different from the Haewon Cho clan. I will not abandon these people, not in their time of need.”

There is a beat of silence as Mu-yeong stares at him, his mouth open. Then his mouth twists, almost a sad smile, but not quite, and he nods softly in acknowledgement.

“Your Highness,” comes Seo-bi’s soft voice from behind him. She meets his eyes for the first time, and he is taken aback by the iron will reflected there.

“I am a healer,” she says. “I will go with you.”

Lee Chang nods in acceptance, after a surprised pause. While it seems like a rash decision to make – she could, after all, be sailing in comfort and safety towards Sangju, instead of fleeing from the monsters on horseback, with little guarantee of survival – he appreciates the thought that must have gone into such a choice. And it would be no great loss – in fact, it would be a great advantage – to have such a steadfast woman at his side, especially one with knowledge of the healing arts.

“Your Highness,” says Yeong-shin, and it startles Lee Chang – this is the first time he has heard the title come from the man’s lips with so little pugnacity. “I am a tiger hunter. I would accompany you as well.”

“He needs no further guard,” Mu-yeong splutters, looking at him with intense dislike. “I am more than capable - ”

Lee Chang holds out his arm to stop him, for the distrustful glare Yeong-shin darts at the retreating back of Cho Beom-pal, and the figure of his assistant still standing atop the ship’s deck, speaks volumes.

“Then I would be honoured,” Lee Chang says softly, seriously, “to have you at my back.”

Yeong-shin looks at him, and his eyes are dark with some unreadable emotion, and he holds his gaze for a second too long, before finally he casts his eyes downward. In any other, it would seem like a gesture of obeisance and deference to one of a much higher station, but Lee Chang has the sneaking feeling that Yeong-shin holds little respect for the royals or nobles of the kingdom.

Unfortunately, Lee Chang has to agree with his bleak outlook, from what he has seen of the upper class so far, and he vows to himself that he will prove himself to be different.

Mu-yeong fetches enough supplies for the six of them to last the next few days. Cho Beom-pal returns with two steeds and his adjutant, whose expression – if it were even possible – is sourer than ever.

“You swore an oath to protect these people,” Lee Chang says, to the two of them, while he stares at the departing vessels. “You were supposed to be men of the people, but you turned your back on them. Did your oath mean nothing to you?”

“Your Highness!” wails the adjutant. The two of them fall to their knees yet again, and kowtow to him. “Forgive us our errors – we will not make that mistake again!”

“Get up,” he says harshly, already sick of their constant boot-licking. They are a tiresome lot, just like the other simpering officials back in Hanyang, and he wants to have nothing more to do with them. And yet they will have to spend the rest of the next few days together. Already he is beginning to regret his decision to bring them along – but he’d be damned if he were to allow them safe passage on the ship without repercussions for their earlier cowardice.

“Your Highness, there is no time now, we must ride to Sangju,” says Yeong-shin urgently, from beside him. The sky is turning a dark foreboding purple, and the sun is sinking below the horizon. In his mind Lee Chang can already hear the awful moans of the undead monsters.

“Right,” he answers, quietly. “We ride to Sangju.”

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